Prologue:

It is said that all stories are myths but beware for this is real; for I am the keeper of dreams and it is my duty to record all that is dreamt.

Here is the account of the first dream ever to be dreamt and the adventure that followed. Remember these words for none can escape the doom of their dreams.

The dawn of creation, a world of beauty and mystery with a hint of something dark laying in wait. You don't understand but soon you will.

Chapter 1:

She stood alone before a wide black lake, the only sound was of her ragged breathing. It was coming as surely as the dawn; it was coming closer and closer. As the pale light of dawn creped into the cavern, it happened, he appeared with his face hidden in the folds of his hood. He spoke, and her pulse quickened at the sound of his voice, but his words were lost to the din of her beating heart. As he moved slowly towards her, the cloak moved apart to reveal his well-muscled body, she felt the heat rising in her cheeks and she fell into blackness. Catty awoke in the darkness, with a cold sweat covering her body.

She wondered, as she always did after she slept, 'what's happening to me, every time I sleep, I see that lake: that man, that gorgeous hunk of…'

"Caitlin Amanda, come down here and greet our guest" a sharp harsh voice cracked like a whip through her thoughts. It was her mother's and this guest must be her newest suitor, how she hated the very idea of it, marrying a man, she had never met and didn't love.

Not until she had made herself presentable; dressed in a blue silk dress adorned with white roses that clung to her willowy figure, her dark, waist length hair twisted up in an elegant knot with her fringe just hiding her startlingly bright blue eyes, did she descended the polished oak staircase and enter the heavily perfumed living room.

"There you are Caitlin, I was beginning to worry" stated her mother in a slightly tense voice. "I'd like you to meet Mr Dun", it was then she noticed a small, pale man with green eyes and fawn coloured hair, sitting next to her mother.

"I told you to call me Joxer, Mrs Fendur" cut in Mr Dun.

"Hello Mr Dun" said Catty in a bored voice.

"Hello my dear, you look beautiful if I may be so bold" it was all she could do to keep her eyes from rolling, "of course you may, but its a bit late to ask permission when you have already been that bold anyway" answered Catty. Mr Dun looked as if she had slapped him. "Don't be so silly Catty" scowled her mother.

"I'm very sorry but I have to leave, um now," said Mr Dun.

"Oh very well, feel free to come back anytime Mr Dun" said Catty's mother.

"Bye, bye" said Catty; in the first cheerful tone she had used that day.

"Of all the things you could have said, why did you have to say something so stupid" moaned her mother, as she sank into the chair, "that was the 5th one you've sent away before you could even get to know them."

"But mother I don't want to marry some stuffed-up man that doesn't accept me for me" let alone love me she added silently. But then again, love had little to do with it as far as her mother was concerned; she just wanted her daughter settled down with an appropriate man. Unfortunately, they had very different ideas of what was appropriate her mother wanted her to marry a rich land owner, whereas she wanted to marry someone who wanted her for her not for what they could get as a dowry.

"He can learn to accept you when your married" retorted her mother, "thankfully there is another coming tomorrow; a professor of some sort."

"No, I won't even meet him," said Catty quietly

"You have no choice in the matter, you will meet him at the very least."

"But…"

"No arguments" yelled her mother "now get to your room".

Alone in her room, Catty laid on her bed, fully clothed and wondered about him; not about this next suitor but the one she saw when she slept, the one that she had never met, the one that drew her like a moth to a flame. With those thoughts still buzzing round her head as fell into an unplanned, sleep.

Back again, the same vision; or what ever it was. It was like a book that you could only read the same page of over and over again but desperate to know what had happened and what was coming. Again, he came and again she was being pulled away before she could hear anything; as she fought the pull of conciseness she heard him say "don't give up on…" before she was whisked away.

When she woke, it was to find her mother shaking her, pale-faced and scared looking. "Caitlin, oh Caitlin, are you alright darling," she cried. "What's wrong Mother? I was asleep." Asked Catty, still feeling dazed from her sleep vision thing. "What's wrong I have been trying to wake you for half an hour. You scared me."

"Mother, I'm fine. I was just well…"

"Well what?" asked her mother. "I was having this, um, sleep vision thing", replied Catty in an undertone. "And what was it about?" inquired her mother, with a slight edge to her voice, "there was a black lake and a cloaked figure was walking towards me and…and…" she trailed off into silence. "And" pressed her Mother, "They said something; but I can't remember what it was" lied Catty.

* * * *

It was close to midnight and she was ready but still she had doubts about what she was doing. She didn't know what made her decide, maybe it was the fact that her mother didn't care about her feelings on marriage or perhaps it was the visions, all she knew was that she had to get away, far far away. As she climbed down the vines outside her window, she prayed that her mother would just accept what she had done, even if she could not understand why she had to do it. Without a backwards glance she threw her pack over her shoulder and crept into the darkness, only to be swallowed by the night.