They had been walking for the best part of the afternoon and evening. Renn and Fin were hungry and tired and it was getting dark so they needed to build a shelter to stay in for the night.
Fin looked as if he might have fallen asleep standing up if she didn't let him sleep that very moment.
"Fin? We're going to stop and build a shelter now, do you want to have a little sleep?"
Fin looked up at her with droopy eyes and nodded. He wondered to a patch of long grass at the side of the clearing they had entered into, lay down, and fell asleep almost instantly. Pine, who had insisted that he went to find Sun with his best friend and pack brother, padded over to Fin and snuggled up to him to keep him warm and protect him.
Renn collected wood for a shelter and fire, and soon had it up and ready to sleep in. She walked over to Fin and Pine and smiled at Fin's innocent sleeping form. She carried him to the shelter, Pine trotting behind, and gently stroked his cheeks.
"Wake up sweetie. You need some food."
Fin rubbed his eyes sleepily. He looked up at his mother, a furrow forming between his brows. "Mother, I had a dream. We were sat around a fire," he looked around "like this, and a man came in." the furrow between his brows increased "Mother, he looked like me, only he had silver eyes. You couldn't see him or hear him. Only I could. He told me to tell you that he loved you more than he could say. He said that he loved me too, and that he wished he hadn't died before he met me. Mother, I don't think that it was just any dream. I think that it was a message from the man."
Renn was still, her eyes wide. Her head was swimming with thoughts, but her voice refused to work. Finn picked up on the mood.
"Mother? Are you ok? Do you know the man? He crawled on to her lap and turned to face her.
Renn looked into his eyes and found her voice again, although it sounded strangled "Yes. He was your father." She struggled to form the word - "Torak, was his name."
Fin looked intrigued, but made no attempt to carry on the conversation.
"Lets get something to eat and then we can sleep." She slipped some strips of dried deer meat out of her food pouch, and gave some to Finn, Pine and took some for herself before saying thank you to the clan guardian and leaving some as an offering
When she had put Fin to sleep, (he had fallen asleep the moment he was fully in his sleeping sack.) she shut the shelter door, and drifted to sleep herself, thinking of Fin's dream and weeping quietly for her beloved Torak.
. . . . .
Renn is sat at a fire. Her whole family is there, Torak, Sun and Fin. They are laughing together. As she looks in to Torak's silver eyes, the children disappear. Torak moves towards her and takes her hands in his. "Renn." His voice sounds in pain with longing for his Mate. "I miss you so much." Torak wraps his arms around Renn. He leans forwards and their lips press together. The Kiss is deep and slow. Torak's lips are warm and soft. She can feel his fast gasps of breath as the kiss becomes fast and hungry. She wishes she could stay there forever, but their lips part and Torak smiles. "Renn, in the spirit world, I have learned things. But I cannot tell you about that right now, I have to go." With one last kiss, he turns and leaves. Renn calls for him to come back, she shouts his name, but he has gone. She is alone.
. . . . .
Renn awoke breathing fast, her throat raw. A little face peered over her anxiously. Fin slowly extend his arm out and touched her cheek.
"Mother, are you ok? You've been shouting 'Torak' in your sleep." He said in a concerned tone. His face lightened up in understanding. "Did you dream about the man - father - too?"
"Yes little man," - Fin pulled a confused face at the name she had just given him - "I dreamed about Torak - He always knew you were going to be a boy, he liked to call you 'little man'." She changed the subject – "Anyway, lets get some food and then we can set off again."
When they had finished eating, Renn dismantled the shelter, and they left to carry on the long trek. She thought about Torak and their kiss. It had felt real. Fin had dreamed about him and now she had – there was something odd about this. She shook her head - She just wanted there to be something strange about this, wanted the dream to be true.
Fin was lagging behind, he loved to look at the trees or birds or tracks and identify them. They had been walking all morning and afternoon, and Fin was starting to tire.
"Fin, are you tired? Do you want me to carry you for a bit?" Fin looked up, his eyes drooping, and nodded. Renn scooped him up and sighed. It was going to be a long walk.