A/N: Here we have the second chapter! It takes place when Ani is at Irial's (or wait, it's Niall's now, right?) house, she's staying over again (really, it seemed like she did that quite often...or was I the only one who thought that?) I don't really have anything else to say, so… Let's just skip this part for once. xD

Some explanations:most of the text like thisis a flashback, "…" is dialog and '…' are thoughts.

Characters: Ani & Rae (just to be sure, I'll tell you beforehand; there's no romance whatsoever in this chapter)


Meeting

Ani felt her eyelids grow heavy with sleep again as she straddled one of the soft, inviting pillows that lay on the king-sized bed. The dark silk sheets couldn't provide her with as much comfort as a living person would, but she didn't have another choice at the moment. 'Not as long as Gabe keeps up with these stupid rules.'She yawned and let out a small sigh before she slowly drifted off.

-xxx-

She stood in the middle of an open spot in a densely grown forest. The sky was painted with a warm orange, that mingled with different shades of red and dark purple, slowly dissolving into a dark, velvety blue at the other end of the horizon. Judging from those colors, it was late in the evening. Ani knew where she was – well, not the exact location, but she had been here too many times before to not recognize it. Her imaginations, her dreams; they always seemed to be near the same forest or city. It was one of the few constant factors.

When she turned around, she saw another one of those factors; Rae. Her friend – by lack of another description – stood at the edge of the field, studying the first shimmering stars. Ani cleared her throat to get her attention. "So, you're here again?" Rae turned her gaze towards her and smiled. "Of course. I told you, right? The first time we met. I told you I would always be here when you needed me."

In the distance, Ani could hear the howling of wolves. Her wolves. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost feel their heartbeats, their sharp breathing as they ran – free from everything, able to move as they pleased. The same things she always longed for. They would protect her, keep her safe from any harm. They were hers, and she was theirs. It was the only glimpse of true belonging she could hang on to. "I remember…But I don't need you today. I want to be alone for a while. I need to think about some things." She gave Rae a pleading look. "Please?". Rae just nodded and disappeared between the shadows of the trees and other plants.

Ani did remember it. Their first encounter. It was etched in her memory, like it happened only days ago – while it had already been more than a few years.

-xxx-

Everything was dark, so dark it nearly suffocated her. The little girl ran faster and faster, afraid of the various unknown sounds that resonated through the forest. A branch she had pushed aside swung back with a loud swish, the dry leaves and twigs made a crunching noise beneath her feet. It was almost impossible to breath, but she couldn't stop. Not now. Something was chasing her, she knew it. Observant eyes followed her slightest movement. She knew she should take a stand and fight, but every fiber in her body screamed 'run!'. These unfamiliar feelings made her feel vulnerable and scared.

Her feet got stuck behind the root of a giant oak tree and she tripped. The fall didn't hurt that bad, but it suddenly just became too much for her. She was on the verge of tears as she heard a soft voice call out to her. "Excuse me, but are you alright?" Ani looked up into a pair of clear, friendly eyes.

It appeared to be a young woman, dressed in light blue gown that seemed more appropriate to wear at a party during the hottest days of summer than in the middle of a chilly wood by night. Her hair was so long it could almost touch the ground, but it was tied back in an elegant ponytail that fell over her left shoulder. She didn't seem to belong here at all. Her clothes were tidy, not ripped or covered in mud like you would expect in a place like this and even though there was a fierce wind blowing, the locks of her hair always stayed in the same position.

Ani sniffled and tried to speak. "Ye…Yeah, I think so. I-I just got a bit scared. I've been having this kind of nightmares since the day my mother...si-since she..." Tears like limpid pearls welled up again. Themysteriouslady kneeled down until she was at eye-level with Ani and gently stroked them away. The girl glanced at her with an astonished look. "W-who are you? What are you doing here?" The woman eyed her with an almost child-like curiosity, without paying much mind to anything else. It didn't come as a surprise to Ani that even her voice seemed a bit spaced-out. "Hmm...My name is rather long to memorize. Especially for such a young girl. You can just call me Rae, alright? Everybody I know calls me that anyway." 'Well, that is certainly true', Rae thought to herself. It applied perfectly to the few people she remembered from the time when she was mortal, and now the only person she really spoke to was Devlin.

"As for the 'what are you doing here?'-part, why doyouthink I'm here?" Rae stood up and reached out her hand towards the girl with her kindest smile. Remaining her calm composure was harder than she imagined, but what would you expect? While she was experimenting with her dream-walking abilities, she happened to arrive inside an almost nightmarish dream of the girl whose life Devlin spared not so long ago – at Rae's request, let's not forget about that.

Ani inhaled deeply and wiped away her remaining tears with the sleeves of her shirt. "I guess you're just a part of my dream, huh?" A shy smile formed on her lips. "I just don't understand why I would be dreaming of someone who I've never met before." Rae gently pulled her up into an embrace and started to pet her hair. "You're meeting me now, doesn't that count?" She heard a choked giggle. Ani pulled back a bit. "That's a good point." She pushed Rae's hands completely away and took a seat on a fallen log. "I don't really know you yet, but at least I won't be lonely with you around."

Rae strode around a couple of broken braches and took a seat beside her. "Trust me, I'll always be around. Whenever you need me. That's a promise." 'I can't protect her in the real world, but this is something I can do to help her.' The half-Hound wore a real smile now. She looked at Rae, then up to the stars and softly whispered; "That's really kind. I could come to like you after all." Rae laughed at this comment and followed Ani's line of sight. The stars in dreams seemed so much brighter than the ones in reality. It was a perfect example of how people strive for an unreachable perfection in their dreams. From Rae's experiences, dreams usually reflected somebody's deepest hopes and wishes, frequently even hidden from the person itself. She still hadn't figured out whether that was a good or a bad quality. A sigh escaped her lips as she tried to relax and enjoy the landscape.

"So, if you don't mind, why were you running so fast?" Suddenly Ani shot upright with a frightened look and quickly searched the surroundings. Saying that Rae was startled, would be an understatement. "What's wrong?" She asked again. "There was something chasing me, I could feel it!" Ani's voice trembled from the panicked feeling she desperately tried to suppress. A howl cut through the cold night and a beating sound of footsteps approached fast.

A low growl caught their attention. A pair of fluorescent golden eyes appeared from the greenery and before they knew what was happening, a pack of wolves had encircled them. Ani gripped Rae's sleeve while she moved closer to her. All of a sudden, one of the wolves leaped forward. Ani screamed, but at the moment that his fangs would have cut the girl's flesh, it just disappeared into thin air. 'No', thought Rae, 'not into thin air.' The wolf had disappearedinsideAni. The other wolves followed swiftly without leaving any trace of their earlier presence. Only the silent rustle of the wind remained.

Ani stood transfixed, shocked and completely puzzled about what just happened to her. She swallowed and sunk back to the ground. Rae ran over to her and tried to comfort her. They just stayed like that until the morning came and Ani woke up.

-xxx-

That was probably one of her favorite memories. Not only had she met Rae, but that was also the first time she saw her wolves. Now she would laugh about the fact that she was so scared at first, but she couldn't help it at the time. She wasn't as brave as she would've liked back then. The only things she ever had to worry about before – and sometimes even after – her mother's death were just unimportant everyday stuff; what clothes to wear, what she would have for lunch or something trivial like that. But in the present, she had more important matters to think about. Like that mysterious faerie from the Crow's Nest. She sat down against a tree trunk and let her mind wander off. If only everything would remain that simple.

-xxx-

When Ani woke up the next morning, she felt a bit more vivid, but nonetheless not as much as she would've liked. Her throat was so dry she swore she could almost taste sand. She needed something to drink. She got out of the bed and strolled to the door. Her stomach made a growling sound – obviously, she needed some breakfast too. Admits her various thoughts, she vaguely remembered last night's events and couldn't help but feel a bit worried about Irial. She would check up on him later, just to make sure he was alright after his encounter with Niall. The Dark King had been in a rather edgy mood yesterday…


A/N: This chapter was pretty fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it. If you want me to write a chapter with a scene you thought was missing in the books, just ask and I'll see what I can do (as long as it's about the Dark Court).
I'll update as soon as possible. ;D