"I've told you not to wander."
Onni's glare didn't quite reach the deadly potential that Lalli's held, but it was enough to get the red-haired icelandic mage to pause for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I can... leave again?"
Onni didn't answer. Instead he closed his eyes and leaned back against the cliff behind him. Reynir looked at the older mage, then turned around and put his leg through the wall of Onni's sanctuary. Onni opened his eyes again.
"Wait!"
The mage stopped, halfway out into the magespace.
"Could you... take me to him?"
Reynir looked confused at the magespace.
"Lalli?"
"No, the other. The Swede."
Not all mages knew everyone had a sanctuary in the magespace. Reynir was clearly not one of those people, Onni could tell from his confused expression.
"Emil's a mage?"
What seperated mages and non-mages wasn't their sanctuaries, it was their awareness of the magespace and their ability to wake up and influence it. Onni shook his head.
"Could you do it or not?"
"I guess I could..." Reynir scratched the back of his head, diverted his eyes a little. "...try?"
Onni perked up, shoved Reynir through the invisible wall.
"Great, let's go!"
And then he froze. Reynir looked at him, smiled.
"Weren't we leaving?"
Onni crossed his arms over his chest, closed his eyes and puffed his cheeks. Reynir was about to go fetch him when Onni opened his eyes again and walked through the barrier. A shiver ran down his spine as he passed it, and when he made it to the other side he took a deep breath, looked at Reynir.
"So, where to now?"
"I don't really... know." Reynir scratched his head again. "I didn't even know he was in here."
"You found me, I'm certain you can find him as well."
"Yeah, probably... You should stay close."
Reynir started walking. Onni shook his head and hurried after the red-head, staying as close to him as possible. He heard sounds from under the water, and from the sanctuaries they passed. People dreaming, and Onni prayed their dreams weren't about to manifest into the magespace.
"It should be close to Lalli's", Onni muttered.
Reynir nodded, looked around, spotted Lalli and walked in that direction. He was about to say something to the Finn, but noticed that he was asleep, his hand stretched out in the other direction and then Onni pulled at his tunic.
"There, that's him!"
The Swede's sanctuary was right next to Lalli's. He was sleeping turned towards the Finn, a hand stretched out in his direction. Onni was certain neither of them knew about the position they had taken. He pulled at Reynir's tunic again, to get the Icelandic mage to open a rift in the barrier and Reynir did so, looked curiously at Emil.
"I though this place was for mages."
"In a way it is", Onni said as he settled down next to the Swede. "Thank you for helping me, you can leave now."
"You don't need help back?"
Onni shook his head and looked around. He heard Reynir leave and got up again, investigating the sanctuary the Swede had. It was a field, and Onni could see a grazing pony and a deer walking around on it. He looked at the Swede again.
"So you're the one, huh?"
He remembered Lalli's words. Maybe, kind of, one. So this was the friend. He carefully touched the Swede's hair. Silky and shining, the total opposit to Lalli's rough and bleak hair. He had a sturdy frame, covered in a blue tunic with yellow trims, unconsciously matching Lalli's blue and white outfit. It wasn't a complete copy, Onni noted when he saw the long sleeves, but the Swede also had fur-mantle on his back as well as a sheet made of birch bark at his side.
"But why?"
The Swede rolled over to his back, blinked and looked at Onni.
"Lalli?"
"Ah, I'm not..."
"It's been a while", the Swede smiled. "I've missed you."
The Swede yawned.
"Another lucid dream. I never had them before I met you."
Onni frowned. The Swede blinked.
"You don't need to feel bad about it, it's nice."
Onni would need to talk to Lalli about keeping away from his friend. He wasn't aware about mages being able to influence people like this, but there were lots of sides to magic and not all of them manifestered in everyone.
"You should go back to sleep."
"But I enjoy spending time with you, even if it's just inside a dream."
The Swede settled up and looked at the sky, then turned towards Onni again.
"I understand you!" Then he nodded. "Of course I do. A dream. It's my subconscious deciding what you're saying anyway."
He got up, stretched and Onni felt panic rushing through his body. What if the Swede decided to leave his sanctum? He watched as the Swede looked around and then noticed the pony and walked over to it. Onni breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's right you know", the pony said and nodded in Onni's direction, "you should go back to sleep."
Onni frowned again. The pony must be the Swede's luonto. But how did Swedes even have luontos? He watched as the young man ruffled the pony's mane and then nodded.
"Go to sleep so I can wake up? It's probably about time. That's why you're both telling me to do it, isn't it?"
Neither answered, and Emil looked longingly over the field.
"Would have been fun to explore some more though. Maybe next time."
Onni would have to make sure there would be no next time, they didn't need any more of Lalli's team mates wandering about in the magespace. It was bad enough with the icelander. Suddenly Onni felt fingers in his hair. He jumped back, his hands started to glow and he watched the Swede as realization struck him.
"You're not..."
The pony got between them, pressed its head towards the Swede's chest.
"Go back to sleep, Emil."
"Who is that? Who are you?" Emil looked at Onni. "Why am I dreaming about you?"
Onni looked over his shoulder, at the barrier seperating the Swede's sanctum from the rest of the magespace. He wouldn't be able to go out there, not unless the Swede let him out. He had to get the Swede back to sleep. He looked at his hand, maybe there was one way. He raised his hand, charged towards the young man, who stepped back, raised his arms to shield himself and Onni could see a rune glowing infront of him and then the pony got between them.
"You do not harm my human."
All humans had a bit of magic in them. It was when it manifestered that a person got called a mage. Onni's eyes swept over the glowing rune, which was fading quickly. Not a mage, just a regular human. A regular human that was awake in the dreamspace, because... Onni didn't know. His hand fell down again.
"I'm... Onni."
There was no other choice, he would have to tell the Swede what was going on, it was the right thing to do. The Swede looked confused, then lit up.
"You're his cousin. Tuuri has talked a lot about you, and she has a picture of you on the desk. That's why I'm dreaming about you. She said you were smart. A bit scared, but still smart. Of course." Emil nodded. "I mean, Lalli's smart as well, but he doesn't talk much. I wouldn't dream about him telling me to go to sleep."
"uh... Yes. Yes, you should listen to us! Me and your luonto..."
"Fylgja", the pony corrected.
"...we know you need to wake up now. And to do that..."
"I need to fall asleep in the dream", Emil finished. "I know. I've had dreams like this before. But then Lalli was here. That's why I was so confused."
Onni really needed to talk to Lalli about staying away from the Swede, if he was influencing the other's basic magic so much. He watched as Emil settled down in the grass again, the pony went back to grazing, and Onni leaned casually against the barrier.
"I know it's a dream, but how are everyone back in Mora? Are you doing fine?"
Onni nodded and the Swede smiled.
"Good, I'm glad you are." He laid down and closed his eyes. "Goodbye, Onni, maye I'll meet you for real some day."
Onni held his breath, waited. Slowly the Swede vanished and Onni sank down to the ground, let his breath out. He would never do this again, it was not worth leaving his safety for this. He looked at the spot where the Swede had disappeared. At least now he knew the face of the person who occupied his cousin's mind.
The pony looked at him sternly and Onni nodded, closed his eyes. It was time for him to wake up as well.