Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characheters, places, or anything else which was previously written. This is an update on a story which I had posted previously. All the same, if not slightly better.

Please let me know what you think. This time I will actually post the next chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the same as it always was, but this time she was not afraid. She did not look down, and she did not think of what would inevitably happen to her. She just kept her eyes closed and let the world around her wash over her. The smell of salt lay heavy in the air and taste of the ocean was unmistakable. She could almost feel the full moon dance between clouds in the night sky. Absently, she felt the wind whip around her ankles causing her nightdress to flutter violently. In the distance she could barely hear the scream of the waves against the rocks below her. She knew that in the end she would meet her fate upon those rocks.

In a dream an hour can feel like a lifetime. Standing at the edge of a cliff can make a lifetime feel like forever. As the seconds ticked by in the salty night air she felt at peace, yet she felt as if something was missing. She felt a quiet longing within her chest. It was as if she had a hole within her which could never be filled.

The sudden gust of wind, which by now was expected, tugged at the ends of her cropped brown hair and guided her closer to when the land abruptly fell away. She had fought this wind before; she had tried anything imaginable to escape its pull, but she could never escape it. Knowing now that there was no way to prevent the outcome, she gave in and allowed the wind to push and pull her until she was right at the edge of the cliff. She glanced down, only for a second, and her body stiffened up involuntarily with a fear she could not feel. Just beyond her toes she could see froth building upon the sharp rocks. It was a long way down to meet destiny. She stood there motionless except for the small trickle of wind at her back caressing her and urging her.

Once again the wind grew in its ferocity, and she gave herself to the fates as she let her foot slide off the edge. Her foot hovered in midair as she waited for that final gust of wind to carry her over the edge and into the blackness she knew awaited her below. It was never painful, it was just blackness. A blackness which ate her from inside until it conquered her soul. Her balance was giving and with little help form the wind it would be over soon.

As her body leaned forward to start it's decent a strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back onto solid land.

Her heart began beating fast. In all her nights of torture she had never been saved. She could feel his callused hand on her wrist as his other arm wrapped itself around her waist. Instead of pulling away to look her savior in the face, she gently rested her head on his chest. He was obviously surprised by this, she could feel his finely toned muscles slightly tense up, but after a moment he relaxed again. By now he had released her wrist, and he tentatively moved his now free hand up and began to stroke her hair.

"Kel...." he whispered into her ear, the feel of his warm breath sending shivers up her spine.

"Yes"

"I don't know what is happening here, but I don't want this moment to end." She sighed into his tunic and caught the scent of sawdust and cinnamon.

This was the first time in months that she had not felt the pressure of outside forces. She did not want to think about what she would do when she awoke. This moment was all she needed. If she could stay asleep forever her life would be complete. Even though she knew it was just a dream, it felt as real as the bruises covering her body from practicing. She didn't want him to let go. Ever.

After a time which long surpassed what was appropriate he reluctantly removed his arms from around her.
"My sweet lady squire, if there were as many hours in the day as there are stars in the night sky I would never leave your side. Yet, there are not nearly enough to spend gazing into your beautiful eyes alone. This moment can not live forever. Sadly, we must part."

He grabbed her hand and gently, almost as if he was scared to touch her, and placed a kiss on it. The dream began to fade as the first lights of morning began to drift through her window to invade her subconscious.

When at last she awoke completely she could still feel the impression of his lips on her hand. Oh, if only it weren't a dream.