The New Terra Sagas

Chapter 7: Whispers within a Dream

After two days the rain still fell steadily as the dim morning glow did little to illuminate the inside of the little cottage. Candles, the fire in the fireplace and a couple of stones giving off a soft white light lit up the room in natural light. Katreena busied herself with attempts at cooking, mending garments and reading. She found comfort in the steady rain, the way it dimmed the outside world and made the little room feel like the only place in existence. Whatever problems or worries that might be waiting for her back home didn't seem to exist for the moment. The only thing she had to worry about was the injured man. As a healer that was something that was familiar and very clear. She would either succeed in healing him or she would not. Despite being a life or death situation, it was still simple. There was no complexity to the decisions or doubt in what she should do, unlike the decisions waiting for her back home.

Her primary duty had always been to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline by bearing children. The acceptable amount of time for mourning had passed, and she would be called on to choose a husband from royal suitors that would soon be arranged by her uncle. "How shall I know?" she asked to no one, wishing her father was there to help her pick a proper mate. Despite having never been in love with her late husband George, she at least felt safe with him. He was always kind and gentle with her, traits that were not always found in princes or dukes. She trusted her uncle to select well, but with her age being well into her childbearing years the choice of prospective suitors would be limited. A tear ran down her face as she said a prayer, wishing her father could help her from beyond the grave. "Father, I don't know if I can do this without you. Please. Help me to find the right man to father my children." After a moment she wiped away her tears and decided she needed to stop feeling sorry for herself and tend to her patient. The sound of rain was calm and steady like Roy's breathing. He was sleeping soundly and healing well. After examining him, she knew there was little more she could do for him but wait by his side.

Roy had never paid much attention to his dreams before, but under the influence of the Boto stone, they had his attention. He was having a number of dreams about people he didn't know and places he had never been. In the dream he was having at that moment, he found himself at a medieval marketplace, complete with cobblestone streets, dozens of carts with a variety of foods and goods, surrounded by stone houses with thatched roofs; all in the shadow of a magnificent castle on a hill. The cart to his right was selling what looked like plucked and butchered chickens, but as he looked closer, he could see they had scales like fish. The cart to his left was selling some kind of green and red fruits. The man working the cart offered him one to taste. Roy took a bite. It was sweet and tangy like a ripe peach. He was surprised how vivid everything was, not only sights and sounds, but tastes and smells as well. It was much more than any other dream before. Usually, his dreams were stressful, filled with difficult images from his past and grave fears of the future. He wouldn't be aware of the nightmare being a dream until waking, but this experience was different. Not only was it rather pleasant, but it was consistent. It was as if someone was sharing a story with him. This time he was aware that he was in some kind of dream state. More like participating in someone's imagination, rather than dreaming. The people seemed oddly familiar despite the fact that they all looked like they had just stepped out of an old Scottish storybook. Most of the men had loose shirts, leather boots, and kilts, and the women wore layered dresses that were white linen covered with heavy wool of dark plaids. The animals were strange alien beast of burdens; some looking like a cross between small sheep and rhinos and others were pigeon-like birds with lizard heads. The air had a touch of sweetness; a mix of hay, manure, flowers, and fruits. Everyone around was in high spirits as if it was a special day.

"Greetings friend." a voice said from behind Roy. "Are you here for the festival?"

He turned to see a little old woman looking up at him holding a bunch of flowers.

"Yes," Roy said not knowing any other reason for being there.

"Oh good." the old woman said. "You'll need these," and handed him a couple of carnation looking flowers. "Hurry now; they're coming."

He noticed that everyone was lining up along either side of the street. Following their lead, he found a spot at the street's edge just in time to see a procession of carriages being pulled by animals that looked like oversized deer with dog heads. "This place just keeps getting stranger and stranger," he said to himself as the parade approached. A somewhat mature couple in fine clothes and crowns occupied the first carriage. They were graciously waving to the crowd as the people threw the flowers before them. A beautiful woman with long red hair that was partly braided sat in the second carriage. Her fair skin had no contrast except that of her soft red lips and stunning green eyes; she was a young woman, probably just in the latter half of her twenties, yet with a look of heavy burden not often seen in someone so young. She wore a beautiful dress of white silk and green satin, embroidered with gold that set off the golden highlights in her hair. She was waving but seemed sad. Roy felt as though he knew her. As she got closer, he recognized her. It was the same woman who had been showing up in all of his dreams; the same woman whom he dreamt was taking care of him. Suddenly she looked right at him, and everything seemed to stop as their eyes met. All sounds were washed away except for that of the hoof steps of the beast coming to a stop and the squeak of the carriage door opening. Stepping out of the carriage, she walked right up to him. A moment passed without a word. They just looked into each other's eyes. He felt his heart race as if he was sprinting, yet he was never so still. She took one of the flowers he was holding, bringing it to just below her lips and took in the aroma. Her eyes closed for a moment with the pleasure of it and smiled. Looking back up at him, she smiled, gave a proper nod and returned to the carriage.

Suddenly the dream changed. Roy was in a dark forest during a heavy rainstorm. He couldn't hear much over the rain, but then there was a recognizable sound of an animal's growl. It was the animal that had chased him when he had first crashed on the planet. His feet felt like iron bricks as he tried to run, but was nearly impossible, as it is in nightmares. The next thing he knew he was falling and everything went black.

"Shh." a soft voice said. "Everything is going to be alright." Roy looked up to see the same woman kneeling over him, cleaning his wounds. Then she laid her head on his chest and whispered. "You're safe now. I promise." The dream faded and he fell into a deeper dreamless sleep.

~~~

Katreena opened her eyes. The dream had been very vivid to her, and the memory of it did not fade away. She had been in a carriage during a procession and met the man on the street. He had given her a flower. Then she was in the forest and witnessed him being chased by an animal and falling off a cliff into the river. Running to his side, she knelt over him and listened for his heartbeat. She feared for him as though he were a loved one and felt a great sense of relief when she awoke to know it had all been but a dream.

~~~

Around midday, Roy woke up. He didn't move at first, just opened his good eye. His dreams had been oddly real and strange at the same time, so much so that it made it difficult to distinguish between dream and reality. The room was dim, and he could hear a steady rain as well as the crackle of a fire and a woman humming to herself.

Seeing him stir Katreena said "Good morning. I bet you are hungry," but Roy could not understand a word she was saying.

"Who are you?" he asked as she was helping him to sit up and propping a couple of rolled blankets behind him to make him comfortable. She couldn't understand him either. "What's your name?" he asked again.

She just smiled and fetched a bowl of stew. When she returned, she sat on the edge of the bed and said, "I hope you like this. I don't get a lot of practice cooking, so it's not the best."

He understood from her actions that she was trying to care for him, but the words were completely alien. Opening his mouth, he let her put a spoonful and smiled as he swallowed to show her he was grateful. "Very good, thank you." Pointing to himself, he said his own name. "Roy. Roy." Then he pointed at her.

"Katreena," she said as she put another spoonful of stew into his mouth.

"Katreena. Very pretty. Katreena it is a pleasure to meet you." he said with a big grin, hoping the expression would communicate better than his words. She just politely smiled back and put another spoon full in his mouth. The broth was bitter to the point of nearly gagging, but he didn't want to insult the woman who still held his life in her hands, so he forced it down. It had been a few days since he had any food in his gut and his hunger trumped his tongue.

Katreena tried not to smile too much as she watched his face pucker and the manner in which he forced himself to swallow. The stew was more medicinal than a meal. Many had said they preferred their illness rather than eating it, but it was the best thing for helping one build up his strength. She scooped up another spoonful and presented it to his lips, but he held up his hand in a stopping motion and said, "Thank you again, but I think I'm strong enough to feed myself."

He slowly took the bowl, and she gave him the spoon. It appeared to her that he was getting much better, but she wanted to make sure. Picking up the pain stone, she held it over him and closed her eyes.

"What is that?" he asked, but she paid no attention to him.

Taking a deep breath, she clenched her jaw. The man could endure much more than most and was very good at masking pain. She quickly concluded that he still needed time to heal. Putting the stone down, she crossed over to a pitcher of water, poured some into a wood cup and returned, giving it to him.

"Water," he said pointing at it in an attempt to show her that he could teach her how to communicate with him. She knew what he was trying to do, but had no interest in spending the day learning how to identify objects in his language. He would be well enough to travel in a few days, and she would be able to turn him over to others to deal with. She just smiled, went to sit in her rocking chair by the fire and picked up an embroidery cloth that she had been working on. Roy watched her for a while as she rocked in her chair, focused on her stitches.

He contemplated his next move. At that moment he was alive, in no immediate danger and there was a beautiful, human woman, who was willing to help him. If he could figure out a way to communicate with her, he might be able to figure out a way to contact his command. His head started to spin again, and he decided all of that could wait. He finished the bowl of food, drank the water and laid back down not having the energy to do much else. Closing his eyes didn't help much at all. It only served to focus the pain and turn his stomach. So he looked around the room for something to distract him from his discomfort. There wasn't much. No painting or art of any kind. All he could see out of the window was rain. The only thing in the room of interest was the woman. She was extraordinarily beautiful with her simple green and white dress, smooth white skin and her long red hair with braids that had green and yellow ribbons mixed into them. From time to time she would look over at him with her stunning green eyes, and he would quickly shift his gaze to the fireplace as to not upset her with his staring.

Katreena found it challenging to focus on her needlework. The fact of the matter was she was very curious about Roy. Part of her wished she could talk to him and get to know him better. She wondered if he was anything like the version of him she met in her dreams. Was he the kind man that she felt that he must be, or was she just creating a fantasy because she was lonely? Part of her was afraid to find out that he might not be the man in her dreams and a part of her was worried that he might be.

Roy slowly sat up again. "Hey. Excuse me?" he said holding on to the side of the bed because he was feeling off balance. "Could you... Could you please hand me my flight suit," he said pointing at it. She wasn't sure what he wanted at first. "The clothes. Right there. Can you hand it to me?" he asked using both words and gestures. After a moment she got up and handed him the suit. With a smile, he slowly took it and flipped it over to get at a pocket. He then opened a zipper and pulled out a coin. "I doubt you can understand anything that I am saying, but I need to thank you. I know you saved my life and had shared what little you have with me. As soon as I am able, I will need to try and find what's left of my ship so I can signal my people to come and get me." He stopped himself and shook his head as he knew his words were falling on alien ears. "What am I babbling for? You don't have a clue of what I'm saying; here." he put the silver coin in her hand, then gently closed her hand around it, slowly pulled her hand up to his face and kissed it. "Thank you," he said looking into her eyes for some understanding. Her expression was kind but confused. Roy shook his head again as he didn't think he had done a good job communicating his intent and decided he should quit while he was still ahead. He laid himself back down and closed his eyes.

Katreena was reasonably sure she understood the gesture. Standing there for a moment, she watched him as he drifted off to sleep muttering something under his breath. Then she sat down looking at the coin and admired the markings. It had the head of a man on one side and a bird on the other. Gold and copper coins were quite common on her world, but she had only seen a silver coin once before, in the castle library, in a glass case, with some of the belongings of King Bri, the first king. It housed his crown, sword and two silver coins that he had with him when their people were brought from the old world. Yet they were not like this one. They were rough around the edges and the markings faded. Roy's coin was a perfect circle, so smooth it felt nice to rub with her fingers. Even though it was different, it was also very familiar. She sensed that it was more than a thing of value, but also a thing of great importance to him, that it was something to be treasured.

Later that night Katreena went to sleep listening to the rain. It was slow and steady. A hollow and cold wind made the darkness seem to close in around her. It had been such a comfort to have her husband by her side on nights like this, and his absence left an uncomfortable void. Unable to find sleep she wrapped a quilt around herself and moved her rocking chair next to Roy's bed. Making herself as comfortable as she could in the chair, she closed her eyes and focused on the sound of Roy's breathing. It helped her to feel not so alone as she had been feeling and soon after she drifted off to sleep.

~~~

Katreena's dream took her to another new place, but this time it was a peaceful place, a grassy hillside under a snow-capped mountain overlooking a dark blue lake. The air was heavy with the smell of pine trees and wildflowers. She knew right away that she was dreaming of a faraway world. A feeling of freedom and joy swept over her, and she seized the opportunity to run through the grass and wildflowers without a care in the world. When she could run no further, she stopped to catch her breath. A small creature fluttered past her and grabbed her attention with its bright and colorful wings.

"It's called a butterfly." she heard Roy's voice say. Looking around she found Roy sitting on a blanket by a tree.

"Where are we?"

"This is where I grew up, Tanner Lake, in Colorado."

"It is beautiful," she said. For a moment she was not sure what to do. He gestured for her to sit on the blanket next to him. At first, she didn't think it was such a good idea. After all she still hardly knew the man. Yet it was just a dream and such a beautiful one she didn't want to force it to a quick end. Shyly, she walked over to the blanket and sat down next to him. That was when she noticed she was wearing different clothes. Shocked, she pulled the blanket up to cover herself. "What in heaven's name am I wearing?"

Roy was a bit surprised by her reaction. He thought what she was wearing was somewhat conservative. "I believe it's called a sundress. Not that I know much about women's clothing, but it's the kind of thing I usually see women wearing on warm spring days."

"Really? It seems so flimsy and revealing," she said examining it from under the blanket.

"Too bad I didn't dream us at the beach," Roy said making a joke that she didn't get.

"Why is that?"

"Never mind. If you are uncomfortable I can, I don't know, go stand in the woods over there while you imagine up some proper clothes and change into them."

Katreena laughed a little and decided that since it was a dream, the sundress wasn't so bad. "No, I do not want to spoil anything. It's so beautiful here; I would like this dream to last for awhile." She put the blanket back on the ground and sat on it next to Roy, but still keeping a respectful distance "I have never seen a lake that color before. Can anything live in that?"

"Oh yeah. There are all kind of fish, snails, frogs and even a few trees that refused to die when the water level rose."

"It is quite breath-taking."

"I think so. One of my favorite things to do is take a little boat out onto the lake, drop a fishing line and spend an entire afternoon hoping not to catch anything."

"I enjoy fishing too, but I always get frustrated if I don't catch anything," Katreena said. She was still amazed at how real everything felt in the dream; from how the air smelled different from anything she had ever known to the coolness of the breeze and the sounds of birds that were entirely different for the birds on her planet. She started to wonder again if the man in her dream could be as wonderful as the dream itself.

"Most days I would come out here and just read a good book or simply enjoy the peace and quiet," Roy said feeling a little more small talk would keep the conversation going.

"You said your name was Roy?"

"That's right."

"Does it have any special meaning?"

"My name?" No one had ever asked him that before. "Um... I don't know. I think I was named after one of my great uncles."

"Oh, that is nice." Katreena wasn't used to making small talk with people. In her royal world introductions were always arranged and topics of conversations were often prepared and led by the man. She smiled at him and looked away trying to think of something to discuss. "It is a beautiful day."

"Yes."

"The trees are very nice," she said searching for anything to say.

"They're called pine trees."

"Oh," she said not knowing what else to say about the trees. The moment became more and more awkward as neither one of them knew what to say. Then she realized there was a question she wanted to ask. "What does the silver piece mean?"

"The silver piece?".

"The coin you gave me."

"Oh, the coin. Well, I wanted to give you something for being so kind to me."

"Yes, I understood that, but I was wondering if it meant something more than p*****t. I just got the impression that it meant something more to you."

"It does," Roy said, as he looked down at the ground and debated with himself if he wanted to discuss something so personal. Opening up about his past wasn't something he felt comfortable doing with anyone, but there was something about her that prompted him to talk. "My people don't use coins anymore. But once they did and that one had been in my family for, oh I don't know, a dozen generations I guess. It had become a tradition for the father to give it to the oldest son when he left home for the first time, along with a wish of good fortune. My father gave it to me a week before he died."

"I do not understand. Why would you give it to me? Why not save it for your son?"

"I don't have any children, and I don't plan to have any. So I figured I might as well give it to someone with a good heart who could use some good fortune."

"Oh, I am sorry, about not having any children I mean. That was very kind of you to give it to me. Thank you." She could feel the coin in her hand and see it as well in the dream. But then she realized that she could read the writing on it and knew the bird was called an eagle and the man on the other side was a leader of his people called a president. It was all still odd to her, but she also felt as though she knew Roy better than she had ever known anyone. It was almost as if she had a sense of what he was thinking and feeling. She even felt comfortable enough to ask even more personal questions.

"Are you married, Roy?"

"Um... No, not anymore."

"You were married?"

"Yeah, well, it's not something I care to talk about."

"I am sorry." She could tell that the question stirred up some difficult feelings for him, feelings that she knew well.

The topic made it difficult for Roy to look at her. He didn't like the feeling of opening up old wounds. "No, I'm sorry. It was a perfectly reasonable question." He cleared his throat and took a moment before continuing. "I lost her a few years ago and... and I just don't like to talk about it."

"I understand," she said. "I truly do. I lost both my father and husband just this last winter."

Roy nodded, but still couldn't look at her. "Then you are one of a few who could." The conversation came to another standstill. They both sat there quietly listening to the birds and the wind. Yet the communication didn't stop. There was an unspoken connection between them that was growing stronger with the silence. It wasn't quite mind reading, but rather a shared sense of understanding as if they were having the same thoughts at the same time.

Katreena picked a wildflower and brought it up to her nose to smell its unique scent. "It is funny. Lately, my dreams have felt more real than ever before. I can feel everything; experience tastes and smells I have never known before and..."

"And what?" Roy asked.

"And dare to do or say things I never could when awake."

"Like what?"

"Well, like talk to a strange man that I have not been formally introduced to, read my favorite book too; look into his eyes and..."

"And?"

"And allow him to see that I find him...," she still felt the need to choose her words carefully, "...interesting."

Roy couldn't help laugh a little bit. "Well, I find you very interesting as well," he said as he took her hand in his and gently caressed it. "So you are saying that you have some freedoms in this dream world that you don't have in the real world?"

She pulled her hand away. "Freedoms yes, but I did not say liberties."

"Would you allow me to pay you a compliment that I might not be able to when we are awake?"

"That depends on the compliment."

"Would you allow me to say that you are beautiful?" she didn't answer He moved a little closer. "Or that you have the most amazing eyes I have ever seen?" She tried not to smile but could not help it. Yet she still did not answer. "May I tell you how amazed I am at your spirit of generosity and compassion?" He moved even closer and looked into her eyes. "Would I be out of line to tell you how impressed I am with your skills and knowledge? I have never known anyone who knew and understood so much about the world around them and how to use it to their advantage." Her lips began to tremble as he moved close enough for her to feel his breath on her face. "Would you be horribly offended if I told you that you are the first woman whom I have found so overwhelmingly attractive in many, many years?"

"Sir, I believe you have said enough," she said feeling quite overwhelmed herself by the complements and moved back a bit.

"That wasn't an answer to my question," he said moving closer to her.

"I shall not answer."

"Then let me ask another. If this is a dream and everything that happens doesn't really happen, then if I kiss you would the kiss have never happened?"

She thought about it for a moment and then said. "It would be inappropriate for me to kiss you."

"I didn't ask you to kiss me."

"You did not?"

"No, I was asking if you would let it happen if I was to kiss you," Roy answered. He then leaned in and kissed her softly and gently. Then he pulled back, and their eyes met.

She cleared her throat and said with a proper tone. "Sir, I may accept your compliments, but nothing more."

Roy smiled and stroked the side of her cheek with the back of his hand. "I don't make a habit of being so forward with women. But this is a dream, you are so beautiful, and I am more drawn to you then I have ever been drawn to anyone."

"I must admit," She said, "I find myself drawn to you too. However, we must remember that it is simply an effect of the Boto Stone. It has created a temporary connection of our spirits. We must be strong and not allow ourselves to be swept away by its influence."

"But you said this was just a dream, and you could do things in dreams that you couldn't do in the real world," he said as he ran two of his fingers, gently through her hair. "So how do our actions in the dream threaten our lives outside the dream?"

She looked over at him and did not have an answer. Her face flushed and her heart raced as her desire to be in his arms grew. Without thinking, she smiled and tilted her head to accept another kiss. As if he had read her mind he leaned in and kissed her. It was warm, soft and very loving. Her heart and mind swam together in waves of passion, with a serenity felt only when two souls first touch. His arms pulled her close, and she let her body fall into his. She felt his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek and neck. She had only known the intimate touch of one man, and it was never with such intensity. Not even in her dreams had she ever imagined such overwhelming sensations. Her fingers ran through his hair and down his back as she pulled him over her onto the ground. Thought and reason were no longer controlling her actions. With every kiss on her skin, she reveled in the pure joy of the passion.

Suddenly he stopped and looked deep into her eyes. There was so much more there than a moment of passion, a connection beyond companions, beyond friendship, even more so than lovers. It was that which is only experienced when two spirits become a part of each other. They kissed again, and that time it was a kiss with no end. The dream turned into a blur as they focused on the feeling of their bodies intertwining and coming together in the most intimate ways.

~~~

The next morning Katreena awoke with Roy holding her from behind. At first, she rolled over and nuzzled her face into the nape of his neck, enjoying the warmth and serenity of her lover's arms around her. Bird's songs filled the morning air as clean rays of sunlight glistened through the windows on a perfect morning after the long storm. Kissing the warm flesh of Roy's shoulder, she reveled in the strength of his gentle arm as he pulled her closer while still deep in his slumber. After a moment reality set in and she became acutely aware that she was no longer dreaming. Her eyes popped fully open. She was awake and naked with a man she hardly knew. Realizing what had happened in the dream had also occurred in reality she jumped up in a panic.

"How could I have been so foolish?"

Roy started to stir, so Katreena had to move quickly. Grabbing the herbs that she had been giving Roy to help him sleep she placed some under his tongue. She kept thinking about the shame that she had brought onto herself and her family. If anyone found out what she had done and with a man who was from another planet, well she honestly didn't know what could happen because no one of royal blood had ever done something so horribly shameful in centuries. She could be more than shunned. A kind punishment would be to be exiled to the mountains. A more likely judgment would be a public execution. To have had relations with a strange man is more than just a sin.

For a commoner the penalty for having relations out of wedlock was stern, and if a child was conceived from the union, the consequences were nothing less than nightmarish. The child would be taken from the mother and raised in an orphanage and would be shunned for all time. The mother branded on the forehead with an "X" and then exiled out of the kingdom. The man, if identified, would be castrated and sentenced to ten years of labor in the royal farms or mines.

For a member of the royal house, the judgment would be much worse. A child conceived out of wedlock with someone not of the royal houses was a corruption of the royal bloodline. Because the royal family's primary duty was the protection of the people, risking the purity of the bloodlines was considered treason. Such an act was so rare the law had not altered for hundreds of years. The last couple who were caught was a prince and farm girl nearly 300 years earlier. They were stripped, publicly whipped and then thrown down a dry well in the middle of town which was slowly filled with water until they drowned. The well was then covered, and the act etched in the stone as a warning to all.

Katreena quickly dressed and then put some of her father's old hunting clothes on Roy. She harnessed up Juniper, rigged up the stretcher and headed south towards the far end of her kingdom. The journey took most of the day, and it was well past sunset when she came to a farm on the edge of the Oakwood village. A boy was working in the barn brushing their milk beast when she rode up.

"Boy!" she called out.

He stopped his chore and ran out to see who was calling him. A dark figure sat on top of a Kanis-steed that was dragging an object behind it. The light from the barn wasn't enough to reveal who the stranger was. He stepped closer, but still could not make out her face in the dark as she had the hood of her cloak covering most of her head. More curious than frightened the little boy called back. "Yes, Miss?"

"Whose farm is this?" she sternly asked.

"Mine, that is, I mean, it's my family's home, Miss." the boy answered.

"Who is the head of your family?" she asked in a commanding voice as she didn't want him to start asking questions.

"My Father," he answered.

"Get him, quickly," she demanded. The boy ran into the house to do as he was told. After a few moments, Zohn Greely came out of the house carrying a lit torch to see who this visitor was giving orders to his son.

"What business do you have here?" Zohn ordered, showing that he was in charge on his land.

The torch only illuminated her eyes and one cheek as the cloak covered her identity. "A blessing on your family and your home good Sir," she said to demonstrate she wasn't there to cause any problems. "I have a man here who is from a far-off land. He was injured. I have cared for him as much as I could, but cannot take him on the rest of my journey." She then threw a bag of gold coins at his feet, more than he could save up in two years. "I need you to care for him until he is able to continue his travels on his own." She didn't wait for an answer. Katreena cut the binding holding the stretcher to Juniper, then turned and rode off into the dark.

Zohn held the torch over the man's face who was still unconscious.

"What do we do Papa?" the boy asked his father.

"Get your brothers," Zohn said. "There is only one thing we can do."