A Seller of Dreams
"What will you give for a dream?" asked an old wise-woman to a passerby. He smiled, and disappeared into the distance.. Glancing around, the wise-woman pulled her fingers so that they were hidden in her ragged sleeves. She threw her hood back and whispered a spell into the air around her. Suddenly, a young woman stood in her place. She straightened a silvery- blue, embroidered tunic that sparkled with magic and glimpsed quickly down. The seller of dreams was in her true form. Miriam, the wise-woman, pulled her cloak around herself and stepped into the street. Hidden by her magic, she sauntered easily among the excited crowds. Miriam went into a tavern and up the stairs into her room, where a boy was sitting on the quilted bed. Frightened, she pulled her sword from its sheath. He leaped up and glittering magic filled the borders of the room. "Very subtle," announced Miriam. Looking at him more suspiciously, Miriam discovered he was not a boy, but a young man. Her tone was sharp as she examined him. He resignedly submitted to her stares, sitting down on the bed again.
"The door was locked!" Miriam glared. "I know," he explained comfortably, if impatiently, and offered nothing further. Miriam pulled open a thick wooden door, grumbling an incantation, though it might have been a mild curse at the boy. In any case, the door let her through, and she coughed in surprise at the dense opaque fog that streamed out. It bounced back in minor astonishment at the shimmering blue magic in the corners of the room. The young man followed her, muttering when the smoke surrounded him and waving his arms about in disgust. Stepping closer to her, he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Miriam bit her lip nervously as she gazed at a black cauldron, boiling over with green liquid. She spun the pot around so that it was off of the fire and blew on it. The surface of the liquid cleared, turning transparent into a mirror. Miriam closed her eyes, but abruptly turned around and drew her sword. She relaxed a hair when she saw the frightened boy. Slashing at the air, she relied on her inside vision, killing the evil in the air. Will gasped when he saw the blade covered in blood as she slid it back into the sheath. Gathering up saddlebags, clothes, and food, Miriam gestured to Will to follow her softly. They snuck out to the stables, and moments later they were riding down a country road to the palace. "You know why I came," stated Will. "Yes," answered Miriam. "What did you see in the mirror?" questioned the boy calmly. Angrily, Miriam replied, "I saw something evil. It doesn't concern you. I am dangerous now, Will! I'm not like I used to be, and you shouldn't have come to me." "You know I had to, Miriam," Her brother told her, as they drew near to the city. Miriam led Will and the horses through the palace gate, sliding a coin into the gatekeeper's hand. The gatekeepers' faces almost betrayed them but Miriam and Will were gone too quickly to notice. The boy seemed to feel at home, riding through the crowded streets, yet he hid his face in his hood. Swiftly, Miriam reined her horse in, forcing Will in front of her. He rolled his eyes as she snickered at him. Straightening his cloak, he sat up tall, while the guards gasped in surprise and kneeled to him as he rode through the palace gates majestically. Miriam smirked at the guards when they shrunk back from her, their eyes widening. Will turned around and signaled for her to hurry up, so she dismounted and gave her horse to one of the guards. He muttered crossly at her hastily retreating back, but led the horse off to the stables. She caught up with Will, and they arrived in the throne room, where the Queen embraced her children wonderingly. The King scowled at them sternly but waved for them to sit down. Tersely and rapidly, Miriam's mind whirled. Closing her eyes, she seized her sword for the second time that day. "No time to explain," she screamed as tears of sweat ran down her cheeks from her concentration. Everything moved at once as the courtiers panicked. The King poked a mind-finger into her head and withdrew hastily. "Take them to the river boats," she mind-whispered to Will. Alarmed, he did as he was told. His father stayed and gave looked at Miriam seriously. Miriam grinned grimly, knowing the old King knew her plan and admired her strength of magic. She raced to the gates of the city, leaving her body behind. The guards had already fled in the confusion. Locking the doors, she shuddered inside herself as she saw the armies racing towards them in the distance. The image did not belong in this world, but seemed as if out of a dream. With a start, she remembered the conversation that seemed years ago. Miriam wondered why it seemed quite important. Coming back into her body roughly, Miriam grimaced as she saw Will standing stolidly by their father's side. Busy listening to the guard captain, the King was occupied. Miriam gathered her power and shielded Will and the King. In a whirl, the armies were upon them. Miriam worked furiously, alternating swords with sorcery, and the halls sparked with the fierce glitter of enchantments. In moments, their few hundred were no match for the enemy's thousands. Soon, only Miriam, the King, Will, and about a dozen soldiers were left. Miriam could only hope that the Queen had gotten away safely. The leader dismounted and bowed to Miriam, holding out his hand to her. Curiously, he was the same man Miriam had offered a dream to earlier that day. Miriam stiffened and thought, until she understood. "Never," she hissed. Her hatred turned to sadness, and picking up her skirts, she ran down the hallway, vanishing into the long columns of pillars, stained with blood. The man pursued her, catching her easily. "It is your destiny," he threw at her. "Enough," Miriam warned. " It will never be. I can see that- why can't you?" Drawing his sword, he gave her a challenge.. Miriam commenced to fight. At last, Miriam brought the tip of her sword to the middle of his bare neck. He bowed once again, sinking to the ground, dead. The Queen gasped in relief when her family entered, glad to be together at last.
"What will you give for a dream?" asked an old wise-woman to a passerby. He smiled, and disappeared into the distance.. Glancing around, the wise-woman pulled her fingers so that they were hidden in her ragged sleeves. She threw her hood back and whispered a spell into the air around her. Suddenly, a young woman stood in her place. She straightened a silvery- blue, embroidered tunic that sparkled with magic and glimpsed quickly down. The seller of dreams was in her true form. Miriam, the wise-woman, pulled her cloak around herself and stepped into the street. Hidden by her magic, she sauntered easily among the excited crowds. Miriam went into a tavern and up the stairs into her room, where a boy was sitting on the quilted bed. Frightened, she pulled her sword from its sheath. He leaped up and glittering magic filled the borders of the room. "Very subtle," announced Miriam. Looking at him more suspiciously, Miriam discovered he was not a boy, but a young man. Her tone was sharp as she examined him. He resignedly submitted to her stares, sitting down on the bed again.
"The door was locked!" Miriam glared. "I know," he explained comfortably, if impatiently, and offered nothing further. Miriam pulled open a thick wooden door, grumbling an incantation, though it might have been a mild curse at the boy. In any case, the door let her through, and she coughed in surprise at the dense opaque fog that streamed out. It bounced back in minor astonishment at the shimmering blue magic in the corners of the room. The young man followed her, muttering when the smoke surrounded him and waving his arms about in disgust. Stepping closer to her, he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Miriam bit her lip nervously as she gazed at a black cauldron, boiling over with green liquid. She spun the pot around so that it was off of the fire and blew on it. The surface of the liquid cleared, turning transparent into a mirror. Miriam closed her eyes, but abruptly turned around and drew her sword. She relaxed a hair when she saw the frightened boy. Slashing at the air, she relied on her inside vision, killing the evil in the air. Will gasped when he saw the blade covered in blood as she slid it back into the sheath. Gathering up saddlebags, clothes, and food, Miriam gestured to Will to follow her softly. They snuck out to the stables, and moments later they were riding down a country road to the palace. "You know why I came," stated Will. "Yes," answered Miriam. "What did you see in the mirror?" questioned the boy calmly. Angrily, Miriam replied, "I saw something evil. It doesn't concern you. I am dangerous now, Will! I'm not like I used to be, and you shouldn't have come to me." "You know I had to, Miriam," Her brother told her, as they drew near to the city. Miriam led Will and the horses through the palace gate, sliding a coin into the gatekeeper's hand. The gatekeepers' faces almost betrayed them but Miriam and Will were gone too quickly to notice. The boy seemed to feel at home, riding through the crowded streets, yet he hid his face in his hood. Swiftly, Miriam reined her horse in, forcing Will in front of her. He rolled his eyes as she snickered at him. Straightening his cloak, he sat up tall, while the guards gasped in surprise and kneeled to him as he rode through the palace gates majestically. Miriam smirked at the guards when they shrunk back from her, their eyes widening. Will turned around and signaled for her to hurry up, so she dismounted and gave her horse to one of the guards. He muttered crossly at her hastily retreating back, but led the horse off to the stables. She caught up with Will, and they arrived in the throne room, where the Queen embraced her children wonderingly. The King scowled at them sternly but waved for them to sit down. Tersely and rapidly, Miriam's mind whirled. Closing her eyes, she seized her sword for the second time that day. "No time to explain," she screamed as tears of sweat ran down her cheeks from her concentration. Everything moved at once as the courtiers panicked. The King poked a mind-finger into her head and withdrew hastily. "Take them to the river boats," she mind-whispered to Will. Alarmed, he did as he was told. His father stayed and gave looked at Miriam seriously. Miriam grinned grimly, knowing the old King knew her plan and admired her strength of magic. She raced to the gates of the city, leaving her body behind. The guards had already fled in the confusion. Locking the doors, she shuddered inside herself as she saw the armies racing towards them in the distance. The image did not belong in this world, but seemed as if out of a dream. With a start, she remembered the conversation that seemed years ago. Miriam wondered why it seemed quite important. Coming back into her body roughly, Miriam grimaced as she saw Will standing stolidly by their father's side. Busy listening to the guard captain, the King was occupied. Miriam gathered her power and shielded Will and the King. In a whirl, the armies were upon them. Miriam worked furiously, alternating swords with sorcery, and the halls sparked with the fierce glitter of enchantments. In moments, their few hundred were no match for the enemy's thousands. Soon, only Miriam, the King, Will, and about a dozen soldiers were left. Miriam could only hope that the Queen had gotten away safely. The leader dismounted and bowed to Miriam, holding out his hand to her. Curiously, he was the same man Miriam had offered a dream to earlier that day. Miriam stiffened and thought, until she understood. "Never," she hissed. Her hatred turned to sadness, and picking up her skirts, she ran down the hallway, vanishing into the long columns of pillars, stained with blood. The man pursued her, catching her easily. "It is your destiny," he threw at her. "Enough," Miriam warned. " It will never be. I can see that- why can't you?" Drawing his sword, he gave her a challenge.. Miriam commenced to fight. At last, Miriam brought the tip of her sword to the middle of his bare neck. He bowed once again, sinking to the ground, dead. The Queen gasped in relief when her family entered, glad to be together at last.