Silla continued to dream of the crow almost every night.
Then one night the dream was different.
She was working in the garden, planting seedlings. When she glanced up, there was a man perched on one of the wide low branches of the ash tree.
He was pale, dressed in black, and was a wiry, nervous sort of thin.
His head was down, chin to his chest, hands atop his head, nesting in his hair like pale spiders.
Silla stood transfixed, watching him silently, willing him to move, lift his head, breathe, something, /any/thing that would prove he was live.
Silla realized she was holding her breath; she let it out slowly with a whispered, "Who are you?"
The man slowly lifted his head, bottomlessly dark eyes meeting Silla's stormy gray.
He smiled slightly, the expression exaggerated by the painted on harlequin grin, black against his powdered white face.
His voice was calm, soothing, almost hypnotic, "I've lived a thousand lifetimes, to find a soul like yours. A soul so pure, a soul so brave, an angel that takes my breath away." He tilted his head, birdlike, watching her, "Sound familiar Silla?"
Silla could only blink and nod, shocked speechless, of course it sounded familiar, it was her wedding vows.
She blinked again, brow furrowing, "Who /are/ you?"
The man smiled again, then began to laugh, the laugh became a harsh raucous cry as he dropped from the branch, becoming an oversized crow. He swooped at her, buffeting her with his wings, still cawing loudly, screaming even.
Silla took a step backwards, throwing an arm up to protect her face.
She tripped over one of the tools she'd been using.
Tripped, fell, kept falling, the ground dropping away beneath her.
Silla snapped awake, wrapped in Tem's arms. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, like a frightened animal, fighting her way away from him.
Tem let her go and slid off the bed, holding his hands up where she could see them, trying to show he really wasn't a threat, "Silla, Sil, it's just me. You were having a nightmare, it's just me, you alright Sil?"
Silla blinked twice, heart still racing, "Tem?"
Tem nodded, staying where he was, "Yes. Are you alright?"
Silla shook her head, "No. No I don't think I am Tem."
Tem perched on the edge of the bed, draping an arm around her tentatively, "What's wrong?"
She shook her head, leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder, "I don't know, not for sure. It's probably just after-effects of being on ice for so long. I think I should go have a talk with Kyzè."
Tem mock-pouted, "Why can't you have a talk with me?" He wheedled.
Silla half smiled, leaning up to kiss the corner of his mouth lightly, trying her hardest to push the unease of the dream away to the back of her mind for the moment, "Mm, I /could/ but you're a biologist, not a psychologist, and you're also my husband and the love of my life, for a case like this, I'm going to need someone with a little objectivity."
Tem sighed and nodded, kissing her forehead, "Alright, you go take a shower, get dressed, I'll call and see if he's up. We've only got one meeting today, but it'll be a long one, press confrence, with our bosses."
Silla nodded, "And it's only a matter of time before someone asks the question that'll get us all killed."
Tem shook his head, "It's not likely that they'd kill us."
Silla shivered, "No, but they'd separate and exile us."
Tem smiled, "True, but they'd send us to Khurano, as long as we're on the same planet, we'll be able to find each other no problem. This is true love, right?"
Silla nodded, smiling, "Right." She unfolded, stretching, "So I'm going to go take a shower, and you're going to call Kyzè." She was already into the bathroom, "I'll be out in two ticks"
Tem nodded, already ringing up Kyzè, "I'll be here."
Kyzè answered, rubbing a towel across his head, "Tembleton, what's going on?"
Tem shook his head, "Silla's having nightmares again. Think you can manage a drop-in before the meeting?"
Kyzè nodded, "Sure thing, I'll be here whenever she's ready."
Tem nodded now, "I'll let her know as soon as she gets out of the shower."
Kyzè chuckled, shaking his heads, "Shame on you, making your wife of eight and fifteen years shower alone."
Tem smiled, "Fine, I'll go join her then send her over."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Then one night the dream was different.
She was working in the garden, planting seedlings. When she glanced up, there was a man perched on one of the wide low branches of the ash tree.
He was pale, dressed in black, and was a wiry, nervous sort of thin.
His head was down, chin to his chest, hands atop his head, nesting in his hair like pale spiders.
Silla stood transfixed, watching him silently, willing him to move, lift his head, breathe, something, /any/thing that would prove he was live.
Silla realized she was holding her breath; she let it out slowly with a whispered, "Who are you?"
The man slowly lifted his head, bottomlessly dark eyes meeting Silla's stormy gray.
He smiled slightly, the expression exaggerated by the painted on harlequin grin, black against his powdered white face.
His voice was calm, soothing, almost hypnotic, "I've lived a thousand lifetimes, to find a soul like yours. A soul so pure, a soul so brave, an angel that takes my breath away." He tilted his head, birdlike, watching her, "Sound familiar Silla?"
Silla could only blink and nod, shocked speechless, of course it sounded familiar, it was her wedding vows.
She blinked again, brow furrowing, "Who /are/ you?"
The man smiled again, then began to laugh, the laugh became a harsh raucous cry as he dropped from the branch, becoming an oversized crow. He swooped at her, buffeting her with his wings, still cawing loudly, screaming even.
Silla took a step backwards, throwing an arm up to protect her face.
She tripped over one of the tools she'd been using.
Tripped, fell, kept falling, the ground dropping away beneath her.
Silla snapped awake, wrapped in Tem's arms. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, like a frightened animal, fighting her way away from him.
Tem let her go and slid off the bed, holding his hands up where she could see them, trying to show he really wasn't a threat, "Silla, Sil, it's just me. You were having a nightmare, it's just me, you alright Sil?"
Silla blinked twice, heart still racing, "Tem?"
Tem nodded, staying where he was, "Yes. Are you alright?"
Silla shook her head, "No. No I don't think I am Tem."
Tem perched on the edge of the bed, draping an arm around her tentatively, "What's wrong?"
She shook her head, leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder, "I don't know, not for sure. It's probably just after-effects of being on ice for so long. I think I should go have a talk with Kyzè."
Tem mock-pouted, "Why can't you have a talk with me?" He wheedled.
Silla half smiled, leaning up to kiss the corner of his mouth lightly, trying her hardest to push the unease of the dream away to the back of her mind for the moment, "Mm, I /could/ but you're a biologist, not a psychologist, and you're also my husband and the love of my life, for a case like this, I'm going to need someone with a little objectivity."
Tem sighed and nodded, kissing her forehead, "Alright, you go take a shower, get dressed, I'll call and see if he's up. We've only got one meeting today, but it'll be a long one, press confrence, with our bosses."
Silla nodded, "And it's only a matter of time before someone asks the question that'll get us all killed."
Tem shook his head, "It's not likely that they'd kill us."
Silla shivered, "No, but they'd separate and exile us."
Tem smiled, "True, but they'd send us to Khurano, as long as we're on the same planet, we'll be able to find each other no problem. This is true love, right?"
Silla nodded, smiling, "Right." She unfolded, stretching, "So I'm going to go take a shower, and you're going to call Kyzè." She was already into the bathroom, "I'll be out in two ticks"
Tem nodded, already ringing up Kyzè, "I'll be here."
Kyzè answered, rubbing a towel across his head, "Tembleton, what's going on?"
Tem shook his head, "Silla's having nightmares again. Think you can manage a drop-in before the meeting?"
Kyzè nodded, "Sure thing, I'll be here whenever she's ready."
Tem nodded now, "I'll let her know as soon as she gets out of the shower."
Kyzè chuckled, shaking his heads, "Shame on you, making your wife of eight and fifteen years shower alone."
Tem smiled, "Fine, I'll go join her then send her over."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~