fireflies

for @Runar

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This was a dream.

Kaede knew this for a fact because any other option would have been illogical. The Sora bloodline was that of legend, as women in power tended to be, but none of which had ever been able to travel across the land without moving a muscle. If they had, she would have known, as her mother taught her everything she was and was supposed to be from a very young age.

And Kaede was supposed to be in the hollow. Not this place, not at this time, and not in any circumstance other than a dream.

Taking the current situation in stride, she follows a moonlit path of grass and various wildflowers to what appears to be a small, secluded area amongst the mirage of trees and nothingness. Everything was picturesque, beautiful, not at all what she imagined her dreams to be like — but she was not complaining, either. It would be nice to be able to enjoy something for herself, just her, without the heavy crown of responsibility digging into her brow.

She approached the base of a tiny lake, the helm of which sprouting a waterfall. Try as she might, she could not see over it, and a path around it was impermissible. Just a solid wall of stone and earth. Okay, she thought to herself, dipping one paw in the water. If this was to be her dream, she'd make the most of it.

Kaede slowly eased herself into the water, pleased to find that she could stand and not drown. Whatever logic that was — it didn't matter. Fireflies scattered around her in pinpricked light as she settled.

She took a few long, bounding strides in that anti-gravity pool, closing her eyes as she floated forward without pushing herself. Then, she rotated, flipping upon her back so that she may hover in perfect bliss.

For a moment, she was weightless, unburdened, and free.

Her following smile was unlike most of Kaede. Softer, genuine, somehow baring teeth without biting down. It was as though she were transported to a time before she had ever learned the taste of kinblood.

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It had been long since the man draped in moonlit skies dreamed of something else. His sleep was oft accompanied by darkness, with few memories to carry until the back of his lids glowed warm from a rising sun. Today, he had awoken differently. The wind made flowers dance, petals tickling his nose as it twitched and sniffed before the golds of his eyes cracked open. Pink dotted green that flooded around him was far brighter than the caverns of Mosswell, even under only the shine of the moon, and it left him temporarily blinded by the sight, both beautiful and shocking.

For a moment, he thought it might be the fields of the vista near the woods, but that made no sense. There were no crumbling pillars, nor had he fallen asleep somewhere different, but the moment he rose, he could feel it. His limbs were bogged by that dreamlike fogginess where each touch felt real enough, but he was awake enough to recognize this— could not be real. And yet he dreamed, something so real and so unlike his usual slumber that he could not help but follow the river idly. They said you only dream of burdens, wishes, or memories, but if he had not seen this, then what was it?

Certainly not a burden.

Runar's steps were slow, savoring the feel of lush grasses unmuddied by storms, his gaze cast to the reflection that followed in the light ripples of water until specs of light drew his eyes above the current. Small bugs seemed to flash and glow, dancing above the surface almost playfully. They swayed in the breeze and shied from his reach like a magnet barrier where no two shall ever meet. The hint of the boy left behind bubbled in his throat, a humble chuckle as a grin broke upon his maw. He might have even chased them had a heavy step not reached the water's edge, only to find a mottled face peeking from the waters.

A memory of his father flashed briefly to mind, creams and browns dotted unevenly across his face, but the image quickly faded, replaced by the dark browns of...a woman? She seemed to float amongst the waters without so much as a stroke to keep her head above the surface. No, she even floated along her back. Runar was certain if he tried to do the same, he would sink like a boulder. He stared a moment too long, worried that if he spoke, she too might sink, broken away from the magic his mind had created, but he would brave a chuff.

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Kaede feels the weight of the water around her, fluctuating and ebbing in flow and density. It keeps her atop a cloud-like throne, cradling the lean woman and adopting a sort of "safety net" feeling that makes her not want to ever leave this place. The worries of her current life fade away into distant, muted ripples, similar to the ones pushed out from her idle strokes.

She could not even remember how she had gotten here. Hadn't she been swimming this entire time?

A noise. Kaede's eyes lazily pried themselves open once more.

What was there to fear here that could harm her within a dream? Nothing. She did not feel threatened.

But she did look — gaze trailing up the bank and towards a figure clad in dark blue.

She did not remember ever meeting someone like that. Without her usual skepticism and logic to guide her, she was left feeling rather testy. Her serene expression did not falter. The only reason someone else could be here is because she wanted them to be. Right?

He must be an extension of herself, in some way or form. Kaede closes her eyes once more, unbothered.

“Hei — hey, stranger,” she finally chirps, voice unusually pleasant. Her words were sharp, demanding, but void of any malice. “Hoverer. Veida — invader, trespasser. Why do you enter my dream?” Playful.

If the pasheda wished to incite nostalgia, they could have used her mother as bait instead of a stranger.

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His call earns a glance, though before she speaks, her eyes close again. The words that came were near familiar, perhaps thick with some unknown accent, though it was what came last that interested him most. Her dream? Runar's brow rose an inch, watching as her lithe form drifted around the pool. “Hail.” The simple greeting was returned instead of mimicked as the high king sat at the water's edge with a tilt of his head. “Runar could ask the same.”

Had this been a vision from the gods, surely it would be someone he knew to greet him wherever this was. Folkvangr, perhaps, though he had not died, nor did he think to be met with the Field of the People without serving in battle. Hel, well...that would suggest he had died. But still, she may very well be a spirit. One sent with warning or guidance or comfort, providing his mind hadn't made her up entirely. He clears his throat, “If it is Runar who intrudes, then surely Miss is familiar with this land?” A question that begged an answer beyond yes or no.

There was no way for him to impress upon a stranger's dreams willingly, but he could take the assumption with strides. The gods were fickle beings. Not all spoke directly, and many lived their own truths. If there was something to learn here, then he would play his part, keep this being— mortal, god, or something in between happy, and wait to see why he had been summoned. He knew to be careful of their games, that they did not typically interfere with the life of mortals, so once again the question begged, what was this?

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Keeping her eyes closed, Kaede begins to hum. It is an old lullaby that catches her tongue, passed down from her nomon, slow and comforting. It is a tune that followed her through her childhood. Even child-warriors, it seemed, got sung to sleep in her culture.

Her guard is unbelievably low. Even when the man says something troubling — "... could say the same." Does that mean this apparition also believed it was their dream, too? How odd. It was not enough to rouse her from her utopian mood, but it did seed some doubt in her heart.

Runar. His name echoed in her mind.

And that greeting — different end-sound, but familiar all the same. If he was she and she was he, wouldn't he have replied using her own tongue? Odd, again. Kaede did not find comfort in things she could not immediately explain. However, she had grown fond already over the tranquility here, and was not willing to give it up so easily for potential anxieties.

He makes a good point about their surroundings. Kaede opens one eye to peer around once more, as though confirming what she already knew to be true. She had no idea where they were. Had never been here before in the day, much less the night. Her subconsciousness was more creative than she could have given it credit for.

“It seems we're at a standstill, Runar,” she relents, flipping back over to paddle (rather, walk very slowly) her way to where he sat.

She stops only a few feet ahead to give him a little grin. A brief, however suddenly intimate moment passes of her just staring at him.

And then she uses her nose to execute a scoop and throw sort of maneuver that attempted to launch water towards his face.

“If it were your dream, why would you do that to yourself?” She laughs, the movement stirring the fireflies that danced around them.

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The woman does not offer a name or place, but instead considers their surroundings again, almost as if it were the first time she had. Curious again as she flips to wade his way. She stops, and his maw opens to speak— only for a flash of water to smack him in the face. The mountain man is stunned to silence, water dripping from the thick of his cheeks and jaw. In his silence, she laughs a song that stirs the stars to dance, and for a moment, it feels as though he had been struck through the chest.

Her laugh is infectious, a slow kind that rumbles from his chest before bursting from his throat. The sound is deep as his shoulders shake, though she had unknowingly started something she would surely lose. His father had taken to rivers and streams, honing his swipe to aid in catching fish. Runar had not perfected such a movement, but his large paw could make a formidable scoop more suited to disrupting the water than catching what lay beneath it.

“And you?” If it was hers, then surely she had an answer for his retaliation. The High King lowered his head, poised to either hear better or strike the water at a moment's notice. “Runar did not come freely; he was summoned. So tell, if not his dream, why is Runar here?”

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She did not expect the force behind his retaliating strike. A paw larger than hers swung through the pond's surface, dispersing a thick layer of water that collided with Kaede's shoulders and face. The moisture slicked off her cheeks, dripping down the thin fur there. Water droplets dangled from her chin and ears, which drooped slightly with the shock of it all.

Now they both looked half a mess. Kaede — having already spent time paddling the water — felt the game was not balanced. Her expression took a subtle turn from friendly to scheming. Why was he here, Runar had asked. She had the mind to enlighten him.

Kaede found some solid footing along the embankment, digging the claws of her front paws into the dirt. She leveraged her weight against the strength of the moist earth, leaning forward. She stopped just shy of touching her nose to his, a devilish glint aflame in her eyes.

“To play with me,” she grins.

She made a sudden movement akin to a leap — aiming to wrap her forearms around his burly neck, using gravity to its full extent in order to pull back with him in tow. She couldn't help but laugh as she struggled, intent on dragging them both within the water.

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