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A Dream of Shadows

A Fantasy by

** Ron Lebeck**

One day at work during a break, the conversation around the office coffee pot turns toward the topic of dreams. Everyone, including yourself, tells about a strange dream that they've had at one time or another. Everyone gets a little relief from the routine of the day and soon go on about their business.

You don't think much about it for the rest of the day and later that night, just as you're going to sleep, you happen to recall what was said during the coffee break at work. You quickly fall asleep and begin to dream a most unusual dream, one not like any other that you have ever had before.

As you lay sleeping snug in your bed, the wind begins to blow. Gently at first it starts, doing no more than rustling the leaves in the trees and making ripples upon the grass. Before long it is moaning like a lost soul in the night and the night sky turns darker as clouds form and hide the Moon's face from the Earth. The first rumblings of distant thunder begin to sift down through the layers of sleep as you dream.

You are suddenly awakened by a brilliant flash as a bolt of lightning arcs over head and the crash of thunder falls upon your ears like the tolling of a great iron bell. You say to yourself that it is only a sudden spring storm, but cannot shake the feeling that you are not alone. The first drops of rain begin to blow into the open window near your bed and somewhat hurriedly you rise to shut it before the bedclothes become wet.

As you shut the window, another flash of lightning lights up the yard and you see in that brief instant the silhouette of a cloaked figure sitting upon a great horse, both rider and beast as black as coal. Your heart nearly leaps into your throat as you see the figures look up to your window and fix their gaze upon you as you stand there in your nightgown. Another flash of lightning booms across the sky and as you reach to draw the curtains shut, you notice that the apparition has disappeared.

After several minutes have passed, the feeling of being watched has dissipated and you climb back into bed wondering what it was that you saw outside. In a short while you fall asleep amid the keening of the wind, the rain pelting the house, the lightning dancing in the sky, and the peals of thunder roll down from above. The dream returns.

Run. You are running. Running in the face of the storm. You feel as if something is about to grab you. You try to keep running but the mud clings to your feet as if it were a living thing. You fall panting for breath, your sides hurt, and you are cold and wet. A searing flash of lightning awakens you to the sight of a tall, darkly cloaked figure gently lifting you up and putting you on the back of a horse which is darker than the night. Strangely, you feel safe as you are taken towards a castle that you can barely make out through the rain. Exhausted, you fall asleep before you travel far.

You awaken to find yourself clean, dry, and in a warm bed. A fire is cheerfully burning in the fireplace across the room and the smell of fresh baked bread drifts invitingly through the air. After a good stretch, you get up and find a fur-lined robe and slippers neatly laid out for you. As you put them on you are amazed at the softness of the fur as it caresses your skin. Sitting upon the nightstand is a steaming mug of herbal tea. Grasping the mug tells you by its warmth that it has not been there long so you cautiously take a sip and discover that not only is it the perfect temperature, but it is also quite good. As you drink the tea there is the sensation that a great weight is being lifted from your heart and that you are now ready to explore the refuge to which you have been brought.

Opening the door of your room, you feel a cool draft and draw the warm robe about you a little tighter as you look both ways down a dimly lit hallway. The draft carries the scent of the bread that you awoke to, so you cautiously pad along to the right until you reach a spiral staircase going down. Soft music, reminiscent of that played at a medieval fair, can be heard as well as the voice of someone talking in a relaxed tone. With mug of tea in hand you decide to go down the stairs to find the answers to your questions.

Rounding the last curve of the staircase brings you into a room about twenty feet square with furnishings that look as if they should be in a museum: rich tapestries on the walls, oil lamps hanging from the ceiling, solid oak table and chairs, and a fireplace with a granite mantle that has been ornately carved. Sitting in one of the chairs at the table is a man with his back to you and beside him on the floor is what appears to be a large dark wolf.

The wolf-like animal raises its head at your arrival and stares at you with a penetrating gaze that makes you more than a bit nervous. It gives a low "woof" and the man in the chair casually reaches down and gives the animal a reassuring pat and says to it in a quiet voice, "I know."

The man slowly stands and turns to face you. For a moment or two, he looks you over with the same penetrating gaze as the wolf-like animal did before. It feels to you as if he had just peered into the very center of your being. "I see that you are well and hungry after your flight", he says in a calm and quiet voice. "I have taken the liberty of having a simple meal prepared for you." He claps his hands sharply twice and within moments, servants enter the room and set the table with fresh fruit, cheese, hot bread, freshly drawn butter, a bowl of hot soup, a flagon of mead, a spoon and an eating dirk. When all is set, the servants leave the room and the man seats you at one end of the table.

Feeling as if it has been days since you have eaten last, the "simple meal" seems more like a feast. As you eat, the man excuses himself to attend to some business and promises to return shortly, talking the animal with him. Just after you have finished your last bite, he returns and is followed by a servant carrying a bundle. "Although you wear well that robe, I have found some clothing which may be more suitable for showing you about than what you now have." "I was beginning to wonder about that", you reply. "Besides", you continue, "I'd like to know just were I'm at, how did I get here, and...who ARE you?"

The servant, an older woman who has so far remained silent, turns to the man and says to him, "Now 'ow ca' tha' be? All 'ere knows who ye are an' where t' castle be!" "Aye, Gunila, that is so", says the man. "However, the lady is a stranger from afar and is here under some unusual circumstances. Take her back to her room and see that she gets dressed before a chill takes her. I shall be in my study waiting", he says, as he turns and leaves the room. The woman says to you, "Come now, milady, off we go t' ge' ye dressed all proper an' lady like." You follow her back to the bedroom and proceed with getting dressed in your new cloths.

The outfit that was given you is both simple and beautiful. Looking into a full-length mirror you marvel at the exquisite workmanship and intricate detailing of the tunic dress. It is made of a fine woven material that has been dyed a deep shade of blue with a border of light blue silk. The left shoulder is bare and there is a slit on the right extending from the hem to just a little past mid thigh. A long silk belt with flared ends adorns your waist and there is a fur-lined cloak that matches the dress and is secured by a silver clasp. Completing the outfit is a pair of low soft leather shoes, a small pouch, and a slim ornately designed dagger, which is strapped onto your right thigh.

---

I sat in my study trying to discover how this otherworldly woman was brought to this place and for what purpose, if any. My journeys often take me to such places where no ordinary mortal would have hope of ever reaching. With the knowledge and skills that I have worked so hard to grasp over these long years, there is little now that I cannot accomplish. Usually. Even for me, things do take unexpected turns now and then, and this is most assuredly one of them.

I find that since her unexpected arrival to my world, the mystery of her is most intriguing. I do not yet understand how she came to be pulled along with me upon my return from her world, but I will have to return her before much time has passed. This I do know.

Is this merely a coincidence that by some manner or another the storm that was taking place on her world had an effect upon the Nightmare's ability to travel across the planes? Or are the gods smiling upon me...and snickering? I may never discover the answer to THAT question, though secretly, I do have my suspicions.

Still, I find myself drawn to the mysterious beauty that surrounds her. In the past few days since her arrival, I find that I have been able to think of little else. No doubt that the clothing that I obtained for her will serve only to quicken my pulse all the more. I have decided that I shall take the lass riding and show her about, perhaps even stopping for a rest in the glen near the cliffs. This time of year it offers an excellent view, though I may well find that my eyes will be drawn elsewhere.

---

You are shown to the study by Gunilda, who then leaves to go about her duties. Upon knocking, the door opens seemingly by itself to reveal a room lined with books on one wall, a desk and worktable at another and a fireplace in a corner with two chairs and a small table in between. You host rises as you enter and meets you near the door. He takes your hand, kisses it, and says, "The seamstress's handiwork does honor to your beauty, milady." You blush slightly as you reply, "Thank you, it really is very nice." He smiles and offers his arm to you and says, "If it would please you, shall we go and find the answers to your questions?" You place your arm in his and together you head for the door.

Nearing the massive doors of the main hall, he stops and speaks in a strong, clear voice, words that you cannot understand and makes an odd little gesture with his left hand. Almost immediately, you feel the hair on the back of your neck begin to rise and a prickly sensation flows over your body, as the two ironbound oak doors swing slowly and silently open. A cool breeze blows in from outside, causing you to briefly shudder and wrap your cloak about you a little tighter. "What...HOW did you do that?" you ask in a rather uneasy tone. Giving you a sidelong glance, he says but one word before continuing out the doors..."Magic."

The two of you walk across the grounds towards the outer wall of the castle and climb up a long flight of stairs until you arrive at the top. You look out through the battlements and survey the area surrounding the castle. After a few moments, you find that you cannot contain yourself any longer and say, "Okay, you said that we would 'go and find the answers to my questions.' Well, this looks like as good a place as any...so who are you, where am I, how did I get here and am I going to be able to get back home?"

He pauses briefly, and still looking off in the distance, he begins to give you your answers. "You have entered the Realm of Shadows, and this is my stronghold. As to just how you arrived on this plane, I can only guess, though I suspect that by some peculiarity or another, the storm on your world may have had something to do with it. But that is not important, you are here and yes, you will be able to get back to your home...tonight, if you wish."

"Maybe", you say. "But you still haven't told me who YOU are yet." He straightens from leaning on a merlon, turns to face you and as he lowers the hood of his cloak, he replies, "My name is Skugga Vandrere[1], milady." He bows with a little flourish and, out of nowhere, produces a single perfect red tea rose and hands it to you.

"...Why thank you!" you say in mild astonishment. "I am glad that you like it. It is not often that this castle is graced by such beauty." He again offers his arm to you and together you stroll along the battlements, making your way towards the gatehouse. Looking out from the front wall of the castle, you see a road that goes across the gently rolling land and heads off to the left. Further away you see the grassy plain become stark and barren, ending at what looks like the top of a cliff, and beyond that you see only darkness. The cliff's edge appears to continue on in both directions as far as the eye can see.

"Skugga, what's out there? Why is it so dark?" you ask pointing towards the cliff. "That", he replies, "is the Abyss." For some unknown reason, the speaking of that word causes a nameless dread to creep into your thoughts, causing you to shudder. He takes you into his arms and holds you close for a time, and then gently lifts your chin so that you must look him in the eyes. You feel that same penetrating gaze from before as he says in a quiet voice, "I banish from your mind that which troubles you." The feeling of dread leaves and you find that his face is now very close to yours. Still holding your chin in his hand, you close your eyes and very gently, he kisses you.

After a few moments, he draws back a bit and says, "I know of a place not far from here where the view is not so disturbing." Giving a quick glance back over the wall, you quickly agree and before long you find yourself riding a chestnut colored palfrey with long black mane and tail, with himself riding a powerful white stallion that stands at least 18 hands in height.

Upon leaving the castle, you travel down the road that you saw while atop the wall for a few miles and then turn to the left again, following a trail that leads into the hills behind the castle. After about an hour's ride through the wooded hills, you descend into a little valley where shortly you come at last to a clear area. The sun peeks through the clouds as you look upon a small lake backed by a cliff where you find a little niche in the rock and a thick carpet of soft grass.

The horses are tied to some nearby trees to graze after they have had their fill of water. A blanket is spread upon the ground and from the saddlebags a wineskin and a small sack containing some fruit, cheese, and a part of a round loaf of dark bread are produced.

After sitting for a while eating and generally enjoying each other's company, the conversation comes around to the place where the two of you are presently at. "So, do you come here often?" you ask. "Yes, though I must admit that this is the first time in which I have brought anyone besides Sharada." "Oh", you reply with just a touch of sarcasm, "who is she?" Skugga gives you a quick, almost imperceptible double take at the tone of your voice and, arching one eyebrow, replies, "You met her when you first came down the stairs from your room. As I recall, you were a bit uneasy about the way she looked at you." Your face goes blank at his answer, then it dawns on you that he is talking about the large wolf-like animal that was with him at the time. Seeing the look of embarrassment on your face, he chuckles and says, "You thought that Sharada was a woman!" Pretty soon, the both of you are laughing so hard that tears begin to flow and your throats become parched.

Reaching for the wineskin at the same time, his hand falls upon yours. Looking into each other's eyes, he takes you hand into his, and drawing it towards him, he kisses it, keeping his eyes on yours. "Since you have been here", he begins, "I have found that I have been able to think of little else but you. And now we are here and alone, save for the horses, which I am sure that they are content with themselves. I know that soon you will have to return to your home, so I have something which I would give you to remember me by, for I do not know when we may meet again." He reaches into his tunic and pulls out a little black velvet bag, unties the drawstring and removes a small pendant of a round crystal held in a silver clasp, hanging at the end of a delicate silver chain. "It's beautiful" you manage to whisper. "Ah, not nearly as beautiful as you are, my dear heart."

As he places the charm about your neck, Skugga says to you, "From women's eyes this doctrine I derive: they are the books, the academies, from whence doth spring the true Promethean Fire." He pauses for a moment then continues; "I found that in a work from one of your world's greatest poets. I find that it be true, for surely as I do look into yours, my body does burn with Passion's all consuming ardor."

You feel yourself becoming a bit flushed as your own passion begins to rise. You think to yourself that you hardly know this man, yet he is at once gentle and thoughtful as well as mysteriously powerful in ways you have trouble comprehending. Your mind begins to race with unexpected thoughts. "Oh, what the hell," you think to yourself, "I may never see this guy again, but maybe I will. I don't know how or why this is happening to me, but if this is a dream, then why does it seem so real?" "Me too," you reply on a sudden wild impulse.

Soon, you find yourselves locked into a fiery embrace as pent up emotions are set free to explore the landscape of your bodies and all the secrets that they contain. Clothing begins to fall as a tree might shed its leaves in the autumn and the slight chill in the air excites the blood all the more. Laying upon the blanket and wrapped only in your warm cloaks, all restraint is lost as you make love to each other. First it starts out slowly and gently, as you tentatively explore each other's pleasures, and soon builds to a wild and untamed lust for life that would rival that found in the legends of old.

A few hours bass and as it begins to grow dark, a fog begins to settle about, hushing the sounds of the woods. "My love, I do not wish to dispel this moment, but we must have need to return to the castle before darkness claims this land for there are many things most fell to behold that roam the darkness here," Skugga says to you. "Then we better get moving," you reply. Quickly you get dressed and pack everything back into the saddlebags and begin to make your way back up the trail.

Traveling through the hills, you think about how your life has been affected by this strange and wonderful experience. Though you still believe that this must be some kind of fantastic dream, the realness of it is overwhelming. Before you went to bed, you life seemed full of little twists and turns...the day-to-day surprises that make things interesting. But now, you find that it pales before the adventures you have found here.

Just as dusk approaches, you see where the trail meets the road that leads towards the castle. You notice that the horses are beginning to get nervous and keep glancing back. "Skugga, the horses are acting strange, like they hear something," you say, becoming a little concerned yourself as you recall what he said earlier about the bad things that run around at night here. "We are being followed," he replies. The way in which he spoke those words causes a cold chill to run down your spine and your skin to crawl. Just before you clear the woods and get on the road, Skugga stops and gets down off of his horse. He walks around and taking the bridle of your horse in his hands, he says to the mare, "Trin, take the Lady and fly like the wind to the castle. Stop at nothing until you get there." She whinnies and nods her head, as she seems to understand his words. "What are you doing?" you demand. Ignoring you, he turns to the stallion and says to him, "Cyriel, go with them. Make certain that they arrive safely." The great white stallion seems to answer, as did the mare, and starts for the road. "Hey! Wait a sec! What are you doing? How are you going to get back?" you say, raising your voice nervously. He looks at you and says in a calm voice, "Do not be concerned with that. I shall be with you at the castle later, but first I must deal with that which has been following us and I would rather that you be safely upon your way." "But I don't want to leave you..." you start to say but he cuts you off. "Moments of truth are faced alone, my heart. You do not have the power to face this, now go." "But..." "Go," he says softly. And at that, Trin begins the race towards the castle and to safety.

As you make the road, you hear him call out in a loud, clear, and commanding voice, "I am Skugga Vandrere, Shadow Walker!" Lightning flashes and thunder booms across the sky. Brother of the Storm and Master of all Shadows! You cannot pass me and live!" Straining to see as another flash of lightning lights the sky, a living darkness rushes down the path shrieking hideously towards him. Your scream chokes in your throat at the sight of the thing, a nameless terror that is beyond words to describe. Suddenly, blue wizard fire erupts from Skugga's outstretched left hand and strikes the monster squarely. It gives a heart-stopping screech of pain and agony as the unearthly flames engulf it.

As you near the castle, you see smaller dark shapes descend the hills and move to cut you off from reaching your goal. Panic begins to grip you at this new threat, and Trin, sensing it, runs with all of her might. Cyriel stays close, running between you and the things heading your way. Taking a quick look back, all that you can see of the conflict now are flashes of light, both on the ground and in the sky. Just as you begin to turn your head back to see what's ahead, a tremendous bolt of lightning arcs down from the clouds to strike where the battle was taking place. A great clap of thunder hits you with enough force to nearly cause the horses to stumble.

Your panic changes to horror as you see that the dark things will reach the road before you can get past them. Then all of a sudden, you see another dark shape sitting in the middle of the road ahead, facing towards the others. As they close upon the one in the road, it tilts its head back and lets loose with a deafening roar that belies its size. The other dark things that are running towards you nearly stop in their tracks at that sound and seem to hesitate for a bit. In a few moments, you are nearly upon the creature in the road and you can make out its now familiar shape. "Sharada!" you cry out, "Help!"

Sharada gives you a quick look, rises, and begins to shimmer with an iridescent glow. She quickly begins to grow and change her shape. The dark hair that covered her body changes to become scales and from her back, sprout bony plates. Huge bat-like wings begin to grow from her shoulders and horns appear from her head. Soon it is evident that she isn't some wolf-like animal at all...Sharada is a dragon!

"Holy shit!" is all that you can manage to utter at this new development. It's quickly obvious that the dark things are not willing to take on an adult dragon that is now staring down as if to make a quick snack of them. You pass by Sharada who leaps into the air and takes flight, chasing after the things that were after you, while you make your way towards the castle at a little more relaxed pace.

As soon as you arrive, servants come and take care of the horses and Gunilda takes you back to your room where a hot bath and a goblet of mulled wine await you. After finishing the bath and the drink, you decide that you are too tired to do anything else and crawl into bed. Before you can fall asleep, there is a light knock at the door and a voice, "May I come in?" It is Skugga's voice that you hear. You barely manage to get his name out as you try to throw off the covers to get up. Before you get out of bed, he opens the door and enters the room.

"So, I see that we both made it back and in one piece," he says as he sits on the edge of the bed. "What happened...what was that thing...I saw fire...and lightning...they tried to get me...a-and Sharada is a-a dragon! I..." He pulls you to him and you hug each other for some time.

After the passage of several minutes, Skugga pulls back a bit and says, "Tonight, I shall return you to your home," he says, "and now the time is almost upon us." Not being one to be so easily put off, you quickly demand to know why he is taking you back home tonight. "If I do not do so tonight, you may not have anything to return to," he says in a way that makes a chill run up and down your spine. "What do you mean, that I may not have anything to return to? Tell me!" you say rather impatiently. "You do not remember?" he asks with a puzzled look on his face. You think for a while, trying to remember what was happening before you came to be in your present situation. After a few moments, you can't seem to be able to recall anything about your life before your arrival. "That's odd, I can't remember anything...nothing at all! I can only remember bits and pieces of the storm, somebody on a horse standing outside, and then I was running in the rain, picked up and brought here. Outside of that...it's all a blank." You are now worried about not being able to remember things that you should have been able to. "I'm certain that it will come back to you once you are home again," Skugga says. "Now you should get a little rest for at midnight, I shall summon the Nightmare and bid her to take us across the Abyss and back to the time and place from which you call home. I will send for you when it is time."

As midnight approaches, Gunilda has come to fetch you and has made certain that you are dressed in the clothes that you were wearing (now cleaned and mended) when you first arrived. You are led down long halls and up the winding stairs into one of the towers of the castle. At the top of the stairs, you arrive before a heavy wood door that has some unusual carvings on it that have been inlaid with silver. Gunilda instructs you to go ahead and enter, pats you on the shoulder and gives a wink, then departs.

After she has disappeared down the stairs, you knock three times on the door and it opens, like the door to the study, all by itself. Standing in the middle of a room that looks like the classical wizard's workshop, is Skugga Vandrere, dressed in robes and a hooded cloak that is dark as night, and holding in his left hand a staff made of ebony wood, topped with what looks like a crystal ball being clutched by a dragon's claw. Before him is a brazier with glowing coals in it and a single drum, both approximately waist high.

"It is time, milady," he says glancing over his shoulder at you. "You look like you're ready for a Halloween costume party," you reply with a chuckle. "And I suppose that you are ready for an imperial ball," he returns with more than a touch of sarcasm in his voice. After a few moments of silence, he extends his left hand to you saying as he does so, "Come, let there be no ill thoughts between us in our last hour together, milady." "I guess it was a dumb remark." "Aye, and I should have been more understanding, since you have only the myths that have been passed down from one generation to another," he says. "Now we call upon the one who will carry us across the Abyss to your world." He instructs you to stand to his left and hold onto the staff while he throws some sort of powder onto the brazier and begins to speak an incantation. As he finishes the spell, he hits the drum once, letting the stick bounce four times, pauses for a few moments and hits the drum again in the same manner. He looks out the open window that is before you and listens. Very faintly, way off in the distance, you hear a sound that you think might be that of a horse whinnying. At that, he replaces the stick on a holder by the drum and mutters a few more words while holding his hands upward. He pauses for a bit, then when he lowers his arms, he looks at you and says, "Shall we go?"

When you arrive in the main hall, you find the various servants lined up on either side to bid you farewell. The last one in line is Gunilda, who gives you a quick hug and hands you a bundle. "In case ye came back to us mum, I thou't ye mi like to 'ave somet'in' t' wear tha' be more 'propriate." The bundle contains the clothing that was given to you to wear during your stay. You give everyone a quick wave and not wanting to make a long goodbye of it, turn and follow Skugga to the main doors.

Once again you feel the same strange prickly sensation flow over your body, as the two massive doors magically swing open on silent hinges. A gust of wind blows in, causing Skugga's robes and cloak to billow and a shiver to run down your spine, both from the coldness of the air and from the sight of this man of arcane mysteries.

As you walk out and go down the granite steps, a sudden movement off to your right causes you to freeze in your tracks as something very strange begins to happen. Streamers of fog, softly glowing with a bluish tint as if they were illuminated from within, appear out of nowhere and swirl in a counter clockwise motion towards a central point. From within this center, the form of a large black horse begins to appear as it trots towards the steps. Within moments, the fog disappears and before you stand the Nightmare. She is tall and as black as a cloudy, moonless night. Her eyes glow like blue flames and thunder softly peals as her hooves touch the ground. A nameless dread washes over you at the sight of this myth-come-to-life, yet she makes no threatening moves.

As Skugga approaches the Nightmare, she kneels before him and bows her head as you stand in wonder. He touches her gently on the neck and then she stands to her full height. Seemingly without effort, Skugga swings up and on her back sitting upon a black saddle that you can only barely manage to make out. They come over to where you are standing and looking down upon you, Skugga reaches out with his left hand to help you on.

As you take his hand and look at his face, you notice that you cannot see anything under the hood of his cloak except for a pair of glowing blue eyes staring out of complete blackness. You hesitate for a moment at what you see. "We must be going, milady," he says. "Do not be afraid of what you do or do not see." "Yeah, right..." you say a bit nervously as he pulls you up behind him.

With the two of you on her strong back, the Nightmare begins to trot at a quick pace towards the gatehouse. Soon enough you are through the gate, across the drawbridge, and heading straight for that which has been the most disquieting feature of this strange place. The Abyss. She quickens her pace to that of a gallop, and then to a run. Your heart sinks and you begin to shake as you approach the edge. Suddenly you find yourself climbing up through the air with blue flames coming from the hooves of the Nightmare and trailing behind as you pass over the edge of the world and enter the Abyss. As she stretches out into a full run, a gut-wrenching feeling nearly causes you to faint as all of a sudden there is a loud crash of thunder and streamers of light swirl from you and extend out behind as if they formed a comet's tail. Through the darkness, you see what appear to be huge spheres all around. You are utterly speechless from the sights that you see for there are indeed no words that can describe them. In what seems like only moments, you find that are now diving towards one of the spheres. You close your eyes and bury your head against Skugga's back just as the Nightmare's hooves touch its surface.

There is a loud crack followed by thunder as all of "reality" seems to shatter and the pieces fall away to reveal the image of the three of you falling through a starry night sky, passing down through the atmosphere of a world. Down and down you go as the Nightmare runs towards the ground, through clouds, until you see what appears to be lights of a town beneath you. She straightens out as she approaches the ground and gently makes contact with the surface.

The Nightmare runs through the town, carrying both you and Skugga upon her back, unseen by any other mortal eyes. She turns down a street that looks strangely familiar, like a dream half remembered. The Nightmare approaches a house and you perceive a shift in sensation. The smell of the night air is the first thing that you notice, then the cool humidity and the sounds of night. You stop in front of a house and Skugga slides off of the Nightmare and onto the ground. He whispers into the ear of the Nightmare and she nods her head as if to say 'yes'. Skugga helps you down from the back of the Nightmare, and as soon as your feet touch the ground, you feel your memories of your former life come flooding back into your mind, causing you to nearly lose your balance. You steady yourself, and say, "Skugga, it's all coming back to me! My memories! This is my home! This is where I live!" You feel a great joy at being back in familiar surroundings again. "We should get you inside, milady...I do not think you would wish to be seen by your neighbors in your current state of dress," Skugga says in a hushed voice. Quickly coming back to reality, you agree and head for the door to your house. "But wait, my key! It's inside! How can we get in," you ask. Although you cannot see his face, you perceive a smile as he says, "Allow me." Taking your right hand in his left, with staff in his right hand, you walk towards the front door. Without breaking stride he walks straight to the door and...passes through it as if it was not even there! Still holding his hand, you close your eyes and flinch thinking that you are going to hit a solid door, only to find that you pass through it as well. "I'd ask how you did that, but I think I already know what you'll say." Skugga simply nods his head.

"Well, here we are, this is my house," you say. "I cannot stay long in your world this night, milady...I must return to my own world," says Skugga in a soft voice. A wave of emotion washes over you as his words sink in. "But, I don't want you to leave me, I want to be with you! I thought I was happy with my life before, but you have shown me so much more! Things that I never thought possible!" "But I must go, milady," he says quietly. "You, too, have shown me something that I doubted was possible, after so long a time. Though I must take your leave this night, I will always be with you." Reaching into the cowl of his cloak, he pulls forth a crystal pendant. "This is the mate to the one which you wear," he says. You step closer to see that it is indeed the mate to the very crystal pendant that he gave you in the glen, a bit more masculine of course, but a match just the same. Taking you own in your hand and lifting it up, the crystals on both pendants begin to glow with an inner light. Suddenly you realize that you are aware of not only your own thoughts and feelings towards him, but you also are aware of his thoughts and feelings towards you in a way that is intimate beyond words to describe. "Wow...I...I understand, now. Oh, Skugga, what are we to do?" "For now, milady, be patient. Live your life here. We will meet again. Soon." Through the crystal's power, you feel the truth of his words. He gently takes your chin into his hand, lifting it up so that your gaze meets his, and for a moment, you see him as he was at his castle. He leans towards you and kisses you on the forehead and whispers one word: "Remember..."

You open your eyes to find that you are standing by the open window in your bedroom. The wind is blowing and rain is coming in, so you reflexively move to shut the window. As you close the window, there is a flash of lightning and you see what appears to be a man wearing robes and a hooded cloak sitting on a large horse in your front yard. Both the rider and the horse are as black as coal and they are looking up towards you. There seems to be something strangely familiar about what you saw, but the next flash of lightning shows that there is nothing amiss outside your window. You dismiss it to just being tired and climb into bed and go to sleep.

The next morning your alarm clock goes off and you wake up thinking about the really strange dream that you had, about wizards and castles and mythical creatures. You get out of bed and start to get ready for another day at work. You go about doing your usual morning routine, and as you open your closet door to pick out what to wear for work that day, you see an odd bundle that you don't remember being there before. Your curiosity gets the better of you and you pick up the bundle and carry it to your bed. The bundle is bound with a leather strap and buckle. Undoing the buckle and opening up the bundle, you find inside a tunic dress made of a fine woven blue material bordered with light blue silk, a long silk belt with flared ends, a pair of soft leather shoes, a small pouch, an ornately designed dagger, and a matching fur-lined blue cloak. You stand there staring at it, for at first you wonder how this costume got put into your closet...maybe it was one of your friends' idea of a joke or something. But then...slowly...as you look closer at the fine detail and workmanship of the garments, you say to yourself "No, it can't be...this is just like in the dream I had last night. This is so weird!" Looking at your clock, you realize that you must hurry up and finish getting ready for work, so you hurriedly finish getting yourself ready, grab your things and head out the door.

As you are about to get into your car and drive to work, you take a quick look at the front yard, remembering that you thought you saw something there last night during the storm. Just as you're telling yourself aloud that you were just seeing things last night and that the light was playing tricks on your eyes, you see some indentations in the grass. You walk over for a closer look and...they look like a horse's hoof-prints! You get back into your car and head off to work. Along the way, you think to yourself that this just is all too strange: the guy on the horse in the front yard at night, the dream, finding the bundle of clothing in the closet. It seemed so real...too real.

Later at work during a break, you find one of your co-workers and you bring up the subject about dreams. "You know what we were talking about yesterday, about dreams? Well, I had the strangest dream I've ever had last night..."

The End

Or a new beginning?

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[1] Skugga Vandrere is pronounced "skew ' -ga vahnd ' -ra-Rer"