Dreamwalker

by J. A. Culican

  “I wish you well on your journey.” Vinsha stood. “I’ll check on your mom and dad.” She kissed Damour on the cheek and made her way back to the house.

  Damour didn’t return his attention to me until she entered the house. “You won’t make it back. They don’t take well to visitors. You won’t be welcomed.” Damour breathed heavily and appeared anxious as he rubbed his hands together.

  “I’ll be okay.” I put my arms around his neck to reassure him, but his body was rigid.

  “You still have much to learn,” Damour whispered in my ear.

  We held each other in a firm hug for several minutes, perhaps our last embrace. As Damour pulled back, a change shifted in my mind. I needed to be stronger both in a physical and mental sense. No excuses. I’d have to reign in my emotions and immaturity. My impulsive reactions needed to stop.

  “You will take care of Mother and Father?” I asked of him, knowing he would. I just needed the reassurance from him. I needed him to say it.

  “With my life,” Damour proclaimed.

  “I’ll bring Gavin back,” I said fiercely.

  Damour shook his head in agreement but then cried. He wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up to his full six feet stature.

  “And Aria.” His voice was low.

  “We will both be back.” I hung on to him.

  He let me down, and my eyes never left him as I memorized his face in this moment.

  “Be wary of anyone offering you help.” Damour reached into a leather pocket that had been sewn onto his belt. He held out his closed hand and nodded for me to place my hand under it. As I did, the object fell onto my palm.

  “The fool’s rock.” Damour pulled his arm back, revealing a shiny green stone. “Keep it on you at all times.”

  I smiled at the thought of his trophy coming along on this journey.

  “I will.” I placed the rock in a pocket on my pants.

  “I love you. And I know we don’t say such things.” Damour’s eyes darted toward the ground.

  “I love you too, big brother.” I stood on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek.

  I grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze as I headed toward the house to gather my things. I would leave that night once sleep found my family, for tonight I would embark on a warrior's journey. I only hoped it wouldn't be to the death.

  I packed as little as I could for survival and avoided any more goodbyes. I had space for one more thing in my pack. I searched the little that I had and spotted a small coffee pot. Picking it up, I rubbed my hand over the dull metal. My brothers and I used to sneak cups of the strongest beans we could find when we were younger, Mother none the wiser. It could come in handy, I convinced myself, not that I could kill anyone with it if need be. But I had a feeling sleep would be limited on my journey, so the caffeine would be a necessity. I jammed it into my pack, barely able to close it.

  I flung my pack over my shoulder and headed out into the dark to Mother Ofburg’s to find Noble.

  The woods radiated of silence and darkness, the only light coming from Gleet, our blue moon. Gleet dominated the sky, fixated on the lower, southern horizon. Comfort filled me as I reminisced about sleeping in the fields as a child with Denny and Damour. The stories we would tell Gleet.

  As I got closer to Mother Ofburg’s, the despair of the town increased the urgency of my pace. Many of the homes were charred, and people had huddled by fires outside. I worried about Mother Ofburg and the other healers. I had been so focused on my people I hadn’t had the time to think about what could be going on here.

  The gates to the property were demolished, broken to pieces. My stomach dropped at the sight of the healing hut and outbuildings. Two burned to the ground, and anything left standing badly damaged. As I approached the main house where Mother Ofburg lived, a glimmer of light shined through the window, the glass no longer intact.

  I moved toward it, wanting to delay any pain that could come as I entered the hut. I had to step over a body that hadn’t been taken away yet. Something that would have been done if everything were fine.

  I gathered myself as I walked to the door. Things would not be the same when I passed the threshold. I placed my hand on the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it stuck. I pulled and tugged as hard as I could.

  “Who’s there?” I could hear Mother Ofburg’s voice from inside.

  “It’s me.” I pulled on the doorknob harder. Finally, I let go, and the door fell to my side.

  “Aria.” Mother Ofburg was quickly by my side and wrapped me in her arms. “We thought the worst when we couldn’t find you.” She pulled back from me as her eyes searched my person for any injuries.

  “I’m fine. I went home to check on my parents.”

  She pulled me by my arm into the room and lifted up a chair that was on its side for me to sit down in.

  “Did they make it through?” Mother Ofburg poured me a glass of her best whiskey, which was almost gone.

  “Denny’s gone.” I choked back the need to vomit, having said it out loud for the first time.

  “My condolences to your family.” Mother Ofburg leaned in closer to me as she handed me my glass of whiskey and motioned for me to drink from it.

  I obliged.

  “He died trying to save Gavin. The ur'gel took him with them when they left.” I let out a large exhausted breath.

  “They took Gavin?” Mother Ofburg sat back in her chair and shook her head.

  “I’m going to get him back. I need Noble to come to Western March with me. There’s a dreamwalker there that will help me find Gavin.” I somehow needed her permission to take this journey.

  “No.” Mother Ofburg abruptly stood and walked away from me, shaking her hands.

  “What do you mean no?” I followed her to the next room.

  “The dreamwalker.” She stopped and turned her head back at me.

  “I can’t help what I am.”

  “You’re the reason they’re all dead.” Mother Ofburg’s voice grew loud as her arms waved around.

  “Who is dead?” I wondered who she was specifically talking about.

  “Noble. Noble is dead.” Mother Ofburg’s eyes spat at me.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Get out of my house,” Mother Ofburg screamed at me as she punched me hard. Something seemed to possess her.

  “He’s not dead.” My gut heaved at the thought of never seeing Noble again.

  “Get out. Destruction will follow you,” Mother Ofburg yelled over and over as I fled.

  I burst out of the doorway and ran outside to hide. Another person I loved dearly taken from me.

  “Noble!” I yelled into the wind as I hoped Mother Ofburg was wrong.

  I laid on the cold ground and lost track of time. My will had been taken away, and I drowned myself in my losses. My heart ached, and breath was elusive.

  I awoke hours later. At first, I ignored the need to get up, for having the bliss of sleep meant I didn’t have to remember what had happened.

  My eyelids burned, and my body pained. I opened my eyes and noticed two feet standing in front of me. I flipped over on my back and grabbed the first thing in reach to protect myself—a stalk of corn.

  “Now what are you going to do with that?” Marina chuckled.

  Marina, a new healer, sat on a stack of hay as she watched me. She was childlike but took to healing like I never had.

  “Sorry, I must still be in fight mode.” I got up on my feet.

  “I overheard you and Mother Ofburg yesterday. I’m sorry you had to find out about Noble that way.” Marina’s eyes drifted from me.

  I didn’t want her talking about him, so I didn’t bother to reply. Instead, I just nodded.

  “He died quickly, in case you wanted....” Marina’s voice trailed off.

  Again, I nodded to her.

  “He wanted me to tell you that he loved you and that you should do whatever it is that you’re always telling him you wanted to do. He didn�
��t tell me what that was,” Marina added.

  “Thank you for telling me.” I hung my head low. I didn’t want to cry in front of her.

  “I also want to help.” Marina smiled at me and stepped closer. “Sade Lemm is getting ready to leave. She’s headed into the Northern Territory. She picked up some supplies from Mother Ofburg. You might be able to tag along,” Marina finished in a whisper.

  “Did she mention why she was headed there?”

  “No. I should go. Mother Ofburg wanted me to help some of the children find food for their families.”

  Marina stepped backward for a few feet then turned and ran to the front of the hut. “She’s in the cave, but I’m not sure for how long.” Marina disappeared into the hut.

  I didn’t waste any time. I grabbed what I came with and headed to the caves. It would take me some time to discover what one she was in, though. I entered each cave, not knowing what creature could be hiding in them. The first two held displaced townspeople. They hadn’t even known Sade had been amongst them.

  I chose a cave off to the side next. It would have been the one I would have used if I had wanted to be alone.

  “Sade?” My voice echoed in the cavities.

  Silence.

  I turned to leave, but something caught my eye. I turned back, and before me stood the most beautiful white wolf. I froze at the thought of it ripping me apart in mere seconds.

  “Easy.” I stepped back and off to the side in case it wanted to get out of the cave.

  One small movement and I slipped, falling to the ground.

  The wolf came closer and bared its sharp teeth.

  I backed away from it from the ground as I crawled backward out of the cave.

  It jumped with a loud growl, and I froze in fear. It leaned back on its hind legs as if it would pounce on me. My arm flew over my eyes to protect myself.

  I sat in darkness as nothing happened.

  “Kid. Pass me my clothes. Over there.”

  I moved my arm from my eyes. Sade stood naked in front of me, comfortable in her skin.

  I followed her arm to a pile of clothes on the ground and retrieved them for her. How could I forget she was part wolf?

  I sat back against the wall and averted my eyes while she dressed.

  “I’m sorry about Noble.” She pulled on her shirt. “He was a good man.”

  “He was.” I nodded, and for a moment I was jealous, wondering if anything had happened between them besides fighting in battle together. “Denny passed.”

  “My condolences. I hadn’t heard.” Her movement was slow as if she was deep in thought.

  “Thank you.”

  “This battle brought much loss.” Sade packed up her scattered belongings in the cave, most covered in blood.

  “Too much.”

  “Died trying to save you?”

  “Yes, and my family.”

  Sade nodded.

  “So why are you here, kid? Poking around these mountains is not very smart given the past few days.”

  “I heard you were going to the Northern Territory.”

  “I don’t need a healer.”

  Sade averted her attention back to her pack again, lifting it onto her shoulders.

  “I’m not a healer, really,” I bantered back, getting to my feet, prepared to follow her if she did not take me with her.

  “No. No, you’re not.” Sade stood back with her weight on one leg and stared straight through me. “You’re not ready, though.”

  Sade picked up her walking stick and left the cave.

  “I have a good reason to come along,” I called after her, barely keeping up.

  “No,” she called back to me over her shoulder.

  “But you don’t even know the reason.”

  “You seek revenge.” She stopped, and I walked into her—hard. Hard enough to fall back on the ground and embarrass myself.

  “Just hear me out.” I tried to sound as reasonable as I could from the ground.

  “Fine.” Sade plopped herself on the ground next to me. “Go.”

  My head jumbled, and I didn’t know what to say. She was so strong and fearless. Everything I aspired to be.

  “This is going to sound a little crazy,” I braced her. “I feel it a calling, to fight those who attacked us.”

  “You would die in five minutes.” She cut me off but stayed in her spot. I had her interest.

  “Okay, I need to see a dreamwalker there.” I paused, knowing she would interrupt me again.

  “Go on, kid.” Sade leaned in.

  “I think the ur’gel were here for me.” I paused again, but she remained quiet. I couldn’t gauge her expression. “Because I can dreamwalk.”

  “That could be useful. You’re certain they came for you?”

  “Yes,” I responded.

  “Makes sense. They never come on that hard and strong.” Sade wrapped her arms around her legs and rocked back and forth, still with her gaze on me.

  “They’ll keep attacking, if I don’t see the dreamwalker.”

  “What you got in the bag?” She nodded toward my bag, a fourth the size of hers. “Any food?”

  “Rice.” I swung it toward her for inspection.

  She loosened the top of the bag and emptied it onto the ground, rifling through it.

  “A coffee pot?” she said, clearly confused as she picked it up. “It’s half the size of this bag.” She flung it back over her head into the woods and continued her inspection through the rest of my items.

  “Wait!” I tried to catch it in midair and failed miserably.

  Sade threw my pack back at me with the items she deemed usable.

  “So, can I come?”

  “How do you know that you can dreamwalk?” Sade went back into a rocking position.

  “Because I did it one night.” I rubbed the scar that was starting to form on my hand.

  “So, you mean, you could have been dreamwalking most of your life and not known it?” Sade appeared amused.

  “That’s possible.” I tied the top of my pack together in case she decided to take off again.

  “Why do you need to see another dreamwalker?”

  “They took my brother, Gavin.” I hadn’t wanted to tell her that just yet.

  Sade rocked back and forth in the grass, staring at me with an uncaring look on her face.

  I figured I could either follow her or find someone else to take me. The only other person I could think of would be Skyra, but the Council Three would never let her.

  “Fine. You can come. But you better not slow me down, and if you get in trouble for being stupid, I’ll leave you.” Sade got up on her feet and started down a path.

  I scrambled to my feet and followed her. I hoped could trust her to take me to the Western March.

  We walked for most of the morning without speaking, mainly due to me trying to catch my breath and keep up with Sade. She was used to covering a lot of ground in little time, and she wasn’t waiting for me. Her long legs stretched out with each stride while my shorter legs needed to jog.

  “We’ll rest here.” Sade stopped.

  I nodded, thankful for the break. I dropped my small pack on the ground and then lay down on the grass. I spread myself out like an eagle, thankful for the cold ground to relax.

  “Is that a healer thing, kid?” Sade stood over me, looking down at me like I was a foreign animal.

  “It’s a relaxing thing. You should try it.” I rolled over on my belly and leaned on my elbows.

  “Not likely.” Sade dug through her backpack.

  I admired her for her lack of caring. She said what she meant and didn’t dance around it.

  “Here.” Sade threw a bag of corn toward me. “Cook.”

  I bit my tongue against a comeback and grabbed the corn. I got up to gather some wood for the fire as Sade took care of the pot and firepit. I lugged a few medium pieces of wood back to burn.

  “Your brother, Gavin, he can’t walk.” Sade stepped back as I took over the
cooking.

  “He had an injury at a young age,” I replied, unsure of how much she knew. It had been quite a scandal as my parents were blamed for Gavin’s unruly ways.

  “Magic. Wasn’t it?”

  “Something like that.” I remained quiet and hoped she would take the hint. I focused on building a fire and making the corn she wanted.

  “He had been off by one ingredient.” Sade’s eyes never left me.

  “What?”

  “He used black wolf urine instead of white.” Sade crossed her legs and sat closer to the fire.

  “How do you know?”

  “He came to me just before.” Sade added more wood to my fire.

  “And you wouldn’t help him?” I glared at her.

  “No. With his spell, it wouldn’t have worked.” Sade lay back on the grass. She stretched out her arms and legs and let out a deep sigh. “You’re right, this is relaxing.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him it wouldn’t work?” I stood, half not believing this conversation.

  “He wouldn’t listen. Runs in your family.” Sade sat up.

  “You didn’t give him your urine.”

  “If he’d had my urine, he would have died.” Sade plopped back on the grass and let out another deep sigh. “You’re welcome.”

  I took my place by the campfire again, not bothering to say another word. She could dump me at any point, and what had happened then wouldn’t change the path I was on today. I focused on cooking the corn and biting my tongue.

  I grabbed the plate Sade had brought with her and dropped her corn on it. “It’s done.” I placed it on the ground.

  “You’re not having any?” Sade took her plate.

  “I’m not hungry.” I focused on the fire. The dancing flames always called me. The peace of a fire revived my soul.

  “You would keep up better if you ate.” Sade dug into her food without a care it hadn’t had time to cool.

  I still longed to be like her, but there was a big difference between us. Perhaps she could be a great warrior because she didn’t care as much. Perhaps that part of her turned off when her parents died.

  “Okay. Ask me anything you want.” Sade ate the last of her corn. “Let’s get this over with. Then maybe all this talking could stop.”

  “How do you do it?” I asked, not quite sure of the right words to use.