1. The Dream

(Elõnvi, 4 Nédiïn 3884)

The blue light of the fire cast dancing shadows across the field of flowers as the two roia set in eastern sky. The blue sky was glowing with reds, gold, and silver ribbons and spirals, as Raain sat watching the fire, and watching her brother in the distance talking with two other men, and a smallish dragon, under two massive twist trees. The fire was calming, but it felt like hours past. 

The sky slowly darkened, and the Meal of Illek began to fill the sky from the west, Pualru and Kaalru had already risen, and were full. 

Raain pondered the shapes of the flames, when suddenly the darkness was split by a blinding light. Raain clambered to her feet to look for her brother; they were all dead, even the trees.

Raain jolted up from her bed, the morning light of Merroi flooded her room in silver; just a dream....just a ...dream.... she whipped the sweat from her face and neck as she tried to catch her breath and calm her pounding heart; she removed the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, and sat for a few moments.

She got up and strode to the window as she put on the robe she'd laid across the reading chair by her bed. 

not this time of year, she thought as she gazed out the window at the rising roia. Where was that field? and who were the others? She pondered for a few minutes, trying to think if she recognized it from her travels, or from paintings, but she couldn't place it.

Below her window, to the right, she could see Griegg's shack; the green tiled roof starting to glow as the morning light made its way across world. thank you for coming back, my love, she smiled as her heart warmed, and happy birthday, she almost forgot the dream.

"Start the day, ok. Hot tula," she said aloud to herself. There was one drink that guaranteed to wake anyone with enough energy to be unstoppable, and also knock even the toughest on their backside when chilled, a hot tula nut tea. She turned from the window with a twirl, paused at her mirror to fix her hair, hummed a tune, rinsed her mouth. She wrapped a silver rope around her blue robe, and headed out door of her room.