by c a king
She lunged forward throwing her arms around Willow in a tight hug, as she burst out, “Are you okay?”
“You mean that was real? You were there? How?” Willow placed a hand over her mouth, her mind racing with questions.
Ashlyn shook her head. “I can't explain it. I have never gone into another person's dream before, just called my mom into a few of my night scares. It started about a month ago. The dreams are similar to the one you just had. Mom thinks they are a warning of some sort... of something that is coming, but we don't know what.” She looked down at the ground. “They scare me, the bodies with no faces. Who do you think they are?”
“I don't know. People I guess, maybe from here, maybe from somewhere else,” Willow replied.
“Can I stay with you today? I can help if you want.”
Willow smiled. “Sure, but you will need to change into regular clothes first. We can meet back at the stands and sit together.”
Ashlyn headed off across the street to change. Already behind, Willow began her daily ritual. She had just finished bringing the produce round front to the stands when her friend returned. After filling the stands the two girls sat down.
“So you are a dream walker,” Willow said breaking the silence.
“I don't know what that is.”
“You can move through the dreams of others and pull people into your own. It's a rare ability I bet.” Willow added more apples to the fruit display in front of her.
“Yeah I guess,” she answered with little enthusiasm. “Not what I would have chosen. I can't think of a situation where it would ever be helpful.”
“You pulled me out of that night scare. Do you think you can die in your dreams? Could something have actually happened to me? You said the dreams were the same. Do you know what happens next?” Willow sat down again her legs fidgeting.
“No,” Ashlyn answered with a mouth full of berries. “I get to the same point, on the great hill when a branch falls and the dying tree catches fire, then I call out. Mom pulls me out, the same way I did to you.”
“Should we try to see the rest? You know see what happens?” Willow asked.
“No, I don't think that's a good idea. Something bad could happen. I just wish it would go away.”
The town's daily activities had commenced while the girls were chatting and, coming towards them, Willow could see Jade and her entourage as well as their mothers. The three girls had almost a skip to their walk and smiles that reflected the sun in such an intense manner, that they could make you squint from the brightness. The boys seemed happier the group was moving faster than normal. Nebulah, Nyssa, and Ashley strolled behind them, with a look of pride on their faces.
When Jade reached the produce stands she barked, “Just put together baskets. You should know what we like by now. We will be back in a bit.” Without even stopping, she continued on.
“They are going to get new jewelry I bet.” Ashlyn didn't take her eyes off of the girls until they reached the Shinning house and entered. “Aha, I knew it!”
Willow looked up from the baskets she was preparing just in time to see the group disappear into the house of the gem maker. Shortly after, Victoria emerged from the house and ran over to where they were sitting. She was still dressed in her sleep wear and looked as if she had left home in a rush. Normally, her long wavy hair would be neatly tied back in a pony tail or braids, but today it was loose and hadn't even been brushed.
“Can I join you? It's getting crowded at home,” the young girl asked.
Ashlyn was quick to answer, “Of course you can. So what's going on over there anyways? Why the rush for new shinny stuff?”
“Something about a dance at the castle.” Victoria was more interested in choosing something to eat from the fresh fruits in the stands in front of her than discussing details of some dance.
“A dance?” Ashlyn smiled. “Do you think we will be invited?”
Willow looked at her perplexed. “No!” she snorted. The two broke out into a round of laughter at the thought of Jade extending an invitation to them to join in anything.
A few moments later the Council group emerged and swiftly moved to Ashlyn's house.
“I bet that's a lot of clothes they are ordering. Looks like I am going to be busy helping out for a while.” The tone in her voice showed her lack of enthusiasm towards the task of making beautiful outfits for a dance she probably wouldn't ever see.
Two guards sent to town for supplies stopped at the stands and were looking over what was available. Faramund pointed at corn. From the corner of her eye, Willow noticed a picture on his lower arm, not like the ones she had which were life-like. Iskander, the other guard made a similar motion towards the grapes and peaches. The same image appeared on his arm. A scowl crossed her face. How had she never noticed before?
“What does that symbol mean? The one on your arms,” she asked.
The two guards looked at each other and then at the girls all bursting with curiosity. Both guards were tall and muscular. Iskander's pale skin was so strikingly different from his friend Faramund's golden skin tone, that it made him look a distinctly paler white than he might have appeared if he was alone. This combined with his fair hair colour and one could have thought he had been so frightened that the colour had completely left his body.
Faramund pulled his sleeve back revealing the picture to the girls. It was an oval shape with four swords, one representing each direction, north, south, east and west, tips meeting in the middle and was a deep blue colour.
“The oval represents a door, or...” he paused for a moment looking at the other man as if they were somehow discussing what to say. “A gate, with the four swords intersecting representing two guards on each side. The swords meet at the middle allowing no one to pass. Put simply it is a sign of our birth right to protect.”
“So every guard has that picture?” Willow continued her interrogation.
“Yes,” Iskander answered. “When chosen for service as a guard, the symbol will appear. It is a great honour to be given the responsibility.”
“If I wake up one day and have the same symbol, I would just be a guard?”
Both men laughed. “Something like that, but guards are appointed based on need, and there hasn't been a need for new guards in a very long time,” Faramund replied.
“Does that mean something would have to happen to one of you for another to be needed?” Ashlyn asked with a mouth full of berries, a red ring forming around her lips from the ripe juices.
“I hope that doesn't happen, but, it is a way in which a new guard could be needed. The most common way still is an increase in the number of ... gateways that need protecting,” Faramund replied.
“In other words, a new guard won't be appointed unless there are not enough guards alive or available in relation to number of gateways needing guarding,” the other man offered.
As interested as Willow was to continue the conversation with the two men, Jade and the others were emerging from ordering their new clothes. She had no desire to be on their bad side or get anyone else in trouble, so she thanked them for the conversation, handed them their baskets. The two men were on their way to the baker's when the Council group picked up their orders. As suspected no invitation to the dance was extended.
The rest of the day was dreary. Victoria returned home. The whispers in the line of who was invited and who wasn't was too much for Ashlyn, so she headed home to help her parents. Since very little happened on a daily basis, the dance was going to be the hot topic for the next couple weeks until the event was over. Willow herself was glad when it was time to drop off food to the orphanage.
Dezi came over to help with the delivery today. He was fun to be with, quick with the jokes and always made Willow smile. All the way there, she managed to avoid the dance topic. She already knew that the brothers had been invited and in her opinion there was nothing to discuss.
Today Micca was already waiting for them out front. There was no need to go ins
ide. The thought crossed Willow's mind that it had something to do with Arnold sneaking out the night before. There was no sign of the boy.
The way back was unusually quiet, almost to the point of being awkward. A couple times it seemed that Dezi was going to start to say something but changed his mind. He would sigh, rub his hand through his hair, then shove both hands in his pockets before continuing the walk. They were about half way when he came to a complete stop.
“So, I guess you heard about the dance?” he said, his voice cracking. He swallowed and coughed.
Just the topic she had hoped to avoid. Holding her breath a little she answered, “Yes, I wasn't invited though.” There was a silent pause for a moment before she added, “I am sure you will have a great time. Everyone is talking about it. The biggest event in forever.”
“Yeah it sounds great. Thing is no girls were invited,” he replied kicking the dirt beneath his feet.
“How can you have a dance with no girls? Sounds rather awkward,” Willow said starting their walk again.
He laughed. “Well, the guys were given an invite for two. We are supposed to bring a...date,” he said matching her pace.
“Oh, I get it. Have you decided who you want to take?”
Dezi stopped walking abruptly. “I am trying to ask you,” he blurted out.
“Me?” she squealed out in shock. “I thought Jade or one of the other Council daughters.” She looked down at a few pebbles on the ground. “Are you sure?”
“Jade is pretty to look at, but I would have a much better time with you. You know when to laugh and don't ruin my jokes,” he said winking at her with a twinkle in his eye.
She let out the air she seemed to have been holding through the whole conversation. “I can't dance. I might hurt your feet, but if you still want me to go with you, I will.”
“Excellent!” The two returned to walking. “See you later,” he added as they approached his house.
Willow felt as if she was going to burst if she didn't tell someone the news soon. She was going to the dance. As soon as Dezi disappeared inside, she changed her direction to find Clairity and Ashlyn.
She found her friends in a quiet spot under a tree in the forest. The girls beamed of enthusiasm as they listened with excitement to the story. When she finished, they all simultaneously let out a little yelp, which someone walking by might have considered a hurt animal.
“Can you believe it? Me going to the dance. I have never been invited to anything in my life. It's the most amazing feeling,” she said grabbing Ashlyn's hands and spinning round in circles.
Clairity smiled at the two. “I can't wait to see the look on Jade's face when she finds out.”
Willow stopped in her tracks and sat down. “I forgot about that.” The smile faded from her face. “What was I thinking, Ohhhhhh...Why did I say yes? I can't dance and I have no dress and Jade is going to cut me into pieces. I have to tell him I can't.” Panic was setting in.
“No,” Ashlyn said. “Why should she ruin your fun.”
Clairity agreed smiling. “She is right. You need to do this for all of us wretched folk who won't be invited.”
“You don't know that. There are lots of boys that got invites for two.” After a pause she added, “What am I going to do? It's a disaster.”
Ashlyn smiled. “A little dramatic don't you think? Come on.” She motioned for her friends to join her. “Let's go.”
“Where are we going?” Willow asked.
“To my house. You will see.”
The three headed back to Ashlyn's house. The front room of the house was filled with different fabrics, cushions, and finished clothes as well as standing figures with dresses in the process of being made. Down the hallway to the right was her sleeping quarters. It was more comfortable than a typical family would have. There was a body cushion on her bed and open cupboards filled with different types of clothes.
“Let's try some of these on,” she said motioning to Willow while removing a handful of dresses from her closet.
After trying on dress after dress, it became apparent that their figures were not compatible and there was no way any would fit her.
“Thanks for trying.”
“What are you girls doing in here,” Ashlyn's mother asked peeking in the doorway. “Oh my, dress up time?”
The girls explained the story to her. The whole time her face seemed to hang on every word with excitement. “One of our own going to a dance at the castle. It's about time I say. Oh this is good news. These dresses won't do, no not at all. Ashlyn fetch me me bag. We'll make you a new dress. You will be the belle of the ball after I am finished.”
Seconds later, Ashlyn was back with a tapestry bag filled with tapes to measure with, pins, needles, thread and a sketch book with notes and designs. Martha immediately started to measure, standing on the bed to reach Willow's chest, shoulders and arm span. After each measurement she recorded information in her book and added an “Ahuh” or “Aha”. The whole process only took a few moments and the seamstress looked deep in thought. “Hmm,” a slight pause. “If only we knew what colour your hair would be that night so I could pick something that wouldn't clash.”
Without thinking Willow added, “Red.” She wasn't sure why, but she was thinking back to the dream. Her hair was a deep warm brown right now.
“Don't be silly child,” Martha said smiling. “No one has had red hair in ages and I doubt that is going to change any time soon. I think black might be the best choice for the dress. It goes with everything. Don't you worry about a thing. You will have the finest dress I have ever made. Now off you girls go and stay out of my hair while I work.”
Martha had been the closest thing to a real mother Willow had ever had. She was short, a little plump, with short curly black hair and always wore floral print dresses with a white frilly apron over top. She never felt like she was assigned a job. She loved to sew. No one knew how exactly she made the material she used. Her 'trade secrets' was the answer she would give if anyone asked, but it had something to do with leaves, flowers, broken branches from trees and weeds. On numerous occasions the girls had gone into the forest to gather various 'materials' for her.
“Maybe gather some wildflowers from the forest for me over the next few days if you have nothing better to do,” Martha added.
The girls agreed and headed outside still bubbling in excitement over the dress so much that they almost bumped into Mrs. Shinning trying to go inside.
“Oh Willow darling, are you getting a dress and shoes? Dezi told us you two are going together. It's so exciting isn't it! Don't you worry about a thing. We will take care of all the details. Mr. Shinning just wanted to know what colour you would be wearing.”
“Black, I think, but I really don't need anything too fancy. I am not sure I would feel comfortable,” Willow answered.
“Don't be silly. We have already started designing a couple pieces for you. You two will be the couple to admire,” she said closing the door to the seamstress's house behind her.
“What have I got myself into?” Willow asked her two best friends. Looking behind the two, she saw a boy walking towards the castle gates. “Is that Arnold? What's he up to?”
The two girls spun around and watched the boy moving at a quick pace out of sight.
“He is probably going to try to ask someone at the castle to the dance,” Ashlyn offered, trying not to snicker at the thought of Arnold on a date with Jade.
“Yeah maybe,” Clairity responded still staring down the road. She had a half scowl on her face that indicated she didn't believe that answer, but wasn't going to offer an explanation. After a few moments she added, “We should get some rest. I have a strange feeling something big is going to happen tomorrow.” She looked at her friends faces and continued, “It's just a feeling. I don't know what exactly, but my intuition has been bang on the past while.”
The three hugged.
“Goodnight and happy dreams,” Clairity said with a half smile. “And g
uys, stay away from Arnold. I feel all kinds of bad vibes coming from his direction. I know it's weird but please, just tell me you will.”
The two girls agreed.
Chapter Five
It was already getting dark when Arnold arrived at the castle. Approaching the gates he addressed the guards, “Take me to Malarchy and make it fast. He won't want you messing around with me standing here waiting.”
The four guards exchanged glances and a smirk before Eudard took the assignment and headed off to see if the boy could enter or should be turned around and sent home as a nuisance. To his surprise upon finding Malarchy, he actually agreed to see the boy. Using the guards' natural telepathic connection he sent a message to the others to escort the child into the garden area.
Arnold wasn't even in front of the self declared Council leader when he blurted out, “I have the information.”
Malarchy glared at him and motioned to the two guards. “Wait outside the garden gates. This won't take long.” After they left, he turned his attention to the boy. “Do not address me in public unless I have indicated I want you to speak. Are we clear?”
Arnold held his gaze as if he was not backing down, then the edges of his lips curled upward just a touch. “Fine, just as long as you remember our deal. I have information and I want what's coming to me.”
“And you will get it and so much more, as long as the information is something I can use and you remember your place. So spit it out. What is so important that you are out after dark.”
“This is the only time I could escape after the other day. Those people don't know who they are dealing with, yet,” the boy snarled.
“Yes, yes boy, time is precious. Let's get to it,” Malarchy said.
“The writer, Diana Waddington's story, I went and listened like you asked. It was about ancient races, guardians and Acacia a giant tree. Sounded to me like she was hinting the tree used to stand on the great hill. It was quite the story, with portals to different worlds and wars. Even included drinking of blood. Pretty sure the girl didn't understand any message from it though. Not sure that group is bright enough to understand much.”
