67 of Vhalar, 714
Emea
Pepper didn't know she was dreaming. She didn't know this was the third time she had had a variation of this conversation with Miret, the fairy she had been granted from Jesine a few trials back. She just had the unexplained feeling of welcome as the remnant of those previous meetings.
Aren't you too small to be a guardian? Pepper asked..
Oh... maybe you can burn things...
Miret smiled politely, having fielded a variation of this a number of times now.
No... I mostly protect you like a good teacher does... Miret had perfected the approach that seemed to work best with Pepper. Miret understood that the child had gone through some nasty dreams due to a boy's recent death, and maybe that's why her mind wasn't willing to jump into lucidity straight away. There was also the body's tiredness from a bad fever to consider. So she'd decided that repeating the key motifs in dreams till Pepper naturally became aware of the real world was going to be key.. Maybe tonight would be the day..
I tell you what's dangerous, and a bit of what's possible.. Miret straightened and began to slowly float down,
Come, walk with me..
As she agreed in thought, Pepper found herself standing at the foot of the tree, not clear how she'd got there, and not bothered by the gap. Memory was largely absent, but also absent was any need to make logical sense of things.
Miret led Pepper out from under the tree's canopy and very casually mentioned,
I hear you met Dan recently..
The forest around them changed from the spring of Ashan to the cold of Zi'da within a few steps, yet Pepper didn't notice.
Yes.. some doubt had leached into her voice and a faint weight was making itself felt in her heart,
I did.. He wasn't happy with me though..
It was clear Pepper didn't have any control over her dreamscapes yet, she wasn't even aware of the change most of the time, but it'll come in time. out aloud, Miret replied
That's all right, friends do fight occasionally.. I'm sure he doesn't bear you any ill will. she dared to send the merest trickle of calm and acceptance through their bond.
Pepper nodded, fragments of her earlier dreams slotting in to make a facsimile of a memory..
You know someone else said something about Dan.. I met this lady.. Pepper strained to remember the details.. Almost subconsciously her fingers went to the nape of her head, perhaps remembering being marked.
This was encouraging, this was progress, Miret was well satisfied with the work today.. She had the idea that if Pepper recalled Jesine in dreaming, she
might remember the rest of it, and attain lucidity. She could properly introduce herself then. Miret was preparing to stop interfering for the rest of the night and let Pepper get some real sleep and rest when Pepper's voice stopped her.
She said she was a guardian too.. Motes of light swirled around an unaware Pepper, her dreamscape's representation of her growing awareness.
And.. I said I'd like to protect.. something too.. Pepper concentrated more and more and then with a strange shiver, the whole dreamscape seemed to become more vivid, more present. The wind howled wildly, and a flurry of snow obscured everything for a timeless moment.
Pepper turned to Miret, her eyes were the slightest bit strained, but with full knowledge of who she was and what had happened.
She was Jesine, Dan is dead, and I'm marked.
Miret nodded, her heart filled with pride at her charge's breakthrough.
I'm Miret, I'll always be there with you to guide you on this new path. I'm your guardian by Jesine's charge, but I'll be your friend if you'll let me be one..
Pepper stared at Miret for long trills, not saying anything, but her feelings were wide open in this one instant and Miret could easily hear the grief which was finally seeing the light of the day.
She moved to Pepper's shoulder and lightly touched her hair,
It's okay, it's okay to let go..
Pepper crumpled to the ground and sobbed as she hadn't been able to in the waking world.
