The warmth of the dream comforted her.
It had been many years since her last nightmare but Reema still wrapped herself up tightly in the warmth of pleasant dreams. As at any moment they could slip away, to be replaced with horrors and noises, noises that shook her bones and made her soul tremble. No matter how much courage flowed through her veins.
But, for the moment at least, the pleasant dreams held her in their warm embrace. She felt the soft grass beneath her fingertips, the smell of the fire crackling behind her. The rustling of the tent fabric in the light breeze that wound its way around her, lifting her hair in its soft touch.
She smiled.
This was her favourite place to dream, to escape to each night. This place was special in her heart.
This was the very spot she first told Alistair, the holder of her heart, protector of her soul, that she loved him. The first kiss, his lips as soft as the rose she still kept close. Faded now, was it petals, but it was still pristine, perfect, pressed between the pages of her journal. She carried it always so when she traveled without Alistair, she still held him close in a way.
She stroked her lips with her fingertips, remembering each kiss placed upon them.
And that night, that, wonderful night. The night where she and Alistair joined body and soul.
Sure it was awkward at first, as she guided him gently through, leading him. But it was still the most beautiful night, lying there in arms, feeling impossibly safe, in a world surrounded by darkspawn and demons, falling asleep to the sound of a soft crackling fire.
That was what Alistair was. Safe. The leaves that hid her rose and sheltered it from harm. And in turn, she protected him with her thorns. Together, they were strong, apart, it was wrong to thing of them as apart. That's how it was and how it would always be. They were thrown together, by chance, in a impossible situation. Both had survived perfectly well without the other before. By themselves they had managed. But that was it, they managed. If either of them had faced the darkspawn alone they would not have lasted long. Together they were strong.
In fact, Reema still struggled to recall a time before Alistair. She frowned when people asked her the question. Her life only truly began when she found Alistair. Any time before that, was the life of an impostor. Without Alistair would she be happy right now? These questions plagued her and she preferred not to voice them.
As if her dream self had called him, reaching out to him to chases the demon thoughts away, the tent flap lifted, revealing Alistair glancing to find her, his armour enhancing the muscles she had come to know so well. His sleep tousled brown hair swayed in the light breeze, the tiny copper and red highlights in his hair came to life in the flickering firelight.
And that smile when his eyes found her. That was what tethered her to this world. Without it, she couldn't bare to think.
She reached out her hand to him, to pull him in close. Because although she knew that he slept beside her in the real world, she could not feel him here. And her dream self needed to feel him near, for his warmth to banish her thoughts. To complete this perfect dream. Her heart leapt and her soul danced as his hand found hers and clenched it tight.
She expected him to sit down beside her or to pull her gently to the tent, where her thoughts were currently dancing. But his hand continued to clench tighter still, and she began to notice the slight shake, the sheen of cold sweat.
Her eyes sought his, and found them fixed on her, an unknown worry deep in their depths. What worried her more was the lack of joke, the nervous humour that covered his fear.
"What is it?" Her voice trembled with rare fear.
All of her bravery, the courage that flowed through her veins, that substance that brought her to the Grey Wardens and sped her safely through, had fled. Se tried to grasp it, but it was made of smoke. She could feel it there, ever present, but the fear in those eyes meant she could not hold it to soothe him.
"It's coming" Alistair whispered, a sharp tone of desperation colouring his voice.
"What... what is coming?"
"A death cloaked in grey, wading towards the dark..."
He clenched her hand hand tight, the smile returning, if only briefly.
"You need to wake up little rose. Don't spend what is left dreaming away in here."
He began to turn to smoke, faded away, her grip on him failed, her hand grasping at air as he faded away on the breeze. The world around her turned cold, the fire now gone as her warmth fled. Her hand remained clenched in the open air as she tried to piece together her scattered thoughts.
That was when a scream broke her world.
She gasped as her mind reentered the harsh world of reality. She watched in terror as the pillow more used to helping her speed into dreams fell to the floor, as the unknown darkness griped her, as the world around her thrashed.