12-10-2008, 04:22 AM
39. Dream
The world went white and Cato blinked several times as she tried to clear away the brightness. Behind her she could here Astinvere growling. He must be seeing the same thing. She had been about to call to him, when in the distance she saw something coming their way. She reached behind her and found the soft fur of his cloak, "Astin..." she whispered, and it was like her voice broke the blinding light. It fell away all around them, until the only thing left gleaming was the figure that was still steadily coming their way.
He came up beside her and she could hear his nose as he sniffed out for something, some sign of what was something towards them.
"Let all things be as they are," A voice said all around them. Cato wondered that she couldn't even tell if it were a man or a woman. It seemed to many voices at once and yet silent as the wing, yet she had heard it. Or, at least she thought she had.
She looked over to Astinvere and was surprised to see that he no longer stood as a man, but his shape had changed to that of a white wolf, his true form. She looked at herself. Her gown was gone, and her circlet, everything that she had had with her was missing, and yet she did not feel naked, she was herself, she was only what she needed to be.
The figure stopped ten paces before them. His shape, or at least she assumed he was a man, was an ever changing one. In an endless motion he was at one man, and beast, as well as a number of trees that she had witnessed before. She even thought for a moment that she had glimpsed her father in him for a moment, "My children," he said, in his voice that sounded of everything and yet was nothing, "I have been away far to long," he said sadly.
"No my lord," Astinvere said beside her, startling her, "Impatience is only a thing of the foul-hearted."
"There is no need to be so formal Astinvere of the White Brook," he shifted to peer at her, "And Cato Hesoma,"
Her fingers entwined tightly with Astinvere's fur coat in fear. He gave a light growl in discomfort. His golden eyes peered at her, "Luphana," he said simply.
She stared at the man in disbelief, this was the god of her world, standing before her, showing himself to her, "Yes," he said simply, "I have returned from my long vigil in the lands across the frigid waters, the land of my sister,"
Astinvere suddenly snarled and spit the name, "Flamoya,"
"Calm yourself child of the Old Ones," he said, raising a hand that was at once, hand, wing, and hoof, "I trust their stories have been passed down to you. I will tell you then, son of Flamoya and Luphana, that the goddess has been freed in the lands across the frigid waters. She has not regained her powers as they once were, but even now she plots as her old strength returns to her,"
Cato couldn't think to speak. She had read in old histories of Flamoya and the hoards of cruel and vicious demons she had bourn into her land. Astinvere stepped forward, his tail quivered in apprehension, "What can we do Great One?"
"Stay your fear. Mine eyes have watched the land of my sister, and there I have found companions that would help us. Warn your countries and expect those companions whom I speak of. All else shall be revealed in time,"
"Yes my lord," Astinvere said, bowing his head before the figure. At once, the great light once again filled Cato's field of vision, washing out the figure that stood before them. With no idea what even stood before her eyes, she clutched at Astinvere's coat and hoped that she did not fall into the void.
The bubbling of a brook near by sounded in Cato's ear. She opened her eyes, thick green grass crisscrossed in front of her. She sat up and looked around. Astinvere was laying beside her, and they were in a small clearing. Light filtered in from a break in the trees, keeping the grass fed with light and rain. Nearby she saw the brook, water crossing over a few smooth rocks as they passed on for a wider stream.
"What was that?" She asked herself, staring into the light from above.
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