Part 3
There was a deep, unsettling feeling. It was something other than her dread and anxiousness over her current plight.
*Little one…*
Misao shuddered at the voice that seemed to suddenly pierce through the silence like a shaft of light through darkness. So clear, so… directionless. It had not come from any one place, but from everyplace. As though… as though… she could not even think of a suitable description.
*Little human…*
She cast her eyes around although she was reluctant to look away from the wolf that was still so intently watching her. She saw no one. She heard nothing but the gentle sounds of the forest surrounding her.
Who was that? she thought to herself, not wanting to startle the wolf into attacking her after all. Which was the reason she was more than a little surprised when the voice that had spoken before, answered her.
*Don't be afraid, I wish you no harm.*
"H-h-how do I know that?" Misao couldn't help but voice her next question, though a quiet whisper.
A deep chuckle was forthcoming and Misao couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine at such a soothing sound. *Now why would I harm you after what I just went through to protect you?*
Misao's eyes widened at hearing this and directed her gaze back at the wolf that had moved to stand a few feet from her. She blinked a few times. Could she be hearing things? Seeing things? She swore that the wolf was smirking at her, but that couldn't be right...could it? Wolves didn't smirk.
*What's the matter, little one? Never seen a wolf before?*
No. Freaking. Way! Misao thought over and over again. This....this wolf was talking to her? But how? It's muzzle wasn't even moving, only stretched back into that infernal grin, as if teasing her. But then, the voice speaking to her didn't carry as a vocal sound. It was more of an echo actually. An echo inside of her head that....
Misao gasped. She had read all sorts of sci fi novels that talked about telepathy and such, but she hadn't taken it seriously. This was something highly irregular and totally insane!
"You're not a normal wolf, are you." Misao stated, managing to keep her voice from shaking despite the slight tremble that had taken control of her body.
The wolf seemed to notice this and shifted once again, silently stalking over to where she lay on the dampened earth. *You are cold.* The wolf projected to her, and again she recieved it in her mind.
Not knowing what else to do, Misao nodded and was shocked yet again when the large, warm body of the wolf settled beside her. It's long bushy tail curling around her legs, wrapping them in warm fur.
"What are you doing?!" Misao jerked up and tried to move away, but the pain in her leg hindered her yet again.
*You are hurt and cold. You will not be able to move from this place tonight. I will keep you warm and safe until morning comes. Now lie down beside me.*
The order was gentle, yet firm. Misao did not take kindly to it at all. Narrowing her eyes, she glared defiantly at the large wolf. This was such an unusual situation she found herself in, it was bordering on unbelievable. Her best friend had nagged her into going on a blind date with a psychopath turned attempted rapist who had chased her into the woods, only to be ran off by an oversized, telepathic wolf? It was nearly enough to make her doubt her sanity. Then why was she still here? Oh right, there was the slight possibility that she had a broken leg.
She toyed with the theory that she might have bumped her head on her tumble down the embankment and that all of this was just some weird dream or hallucination. It almost made sense if not for the very real pain that was coursing down her leg. That in itself was irrefutable proof that she was awake and very much alert. So how to explain having a telepathic conversation with an animal?
"I don't think so." she muttered aloud.
Shaking her head, she turned away, gritting her teeth against the pain the movement caused. She heard a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a sigh and then found herself being flattened to the ground as a large furry body lowered itself down on her. A startled sound escaped her throat and she struggled for a bit before the warmth of the wolf's body began seeping into her nearly numb one.
She stiffened, her body becoming rigid as uncertainty filled her. There wasn't really anything she could do about it and it hurt too much to struggle so in the end Misao found that the best thing--the only thing--to do was to comply. She willed her body to relax and instinctively curled into the inviting warmth of the furry body covering her. He was heavy, but not so much that it was crushing. It felt rather....nice. Pleasant actually. She felt a sense of security wrapped up in the fur of this wild creature. She felt the rise and fall of the wolf's chest with each breath it took and realized it coincided with it's heartbeat, which had a soothing rhythm.
Misao fought the drowsy feeling that began to creep up on her. She didn't really want to go to sleep. She needed to sort through all the craziness that had occured to her tonight, but in the end found it impossible to deny that she was exhausted and in desperate need of rest. Feeling much too heavy to keep open, Misao felt her eyelids begin to drift closed and her mind began to cloud over with the haziness of a deep slumber. Just before she succumbed however, she heard the wolf's voice one last time in her mind.
*Sleep well, little one.*
*~*~*~*~*~*
His eyes sharpened on the young female he'd wrapped himself around. Try as he might, he could not repress the feeling. The pulse of life that had reached his ears like a heartbeat clear on the opposite side of the forest. It had been ages since he'd felt it...the pull, the twinge of hidden power. The power that had been a mark of his clan all those years ago. It had been so many now he didn't like to think of it. But that had been before today. That thundering sound had pulsed in his ears and he'd sprinted at the very first. He'd run straight toward it, straight toward the beakon of life that sprouted so strongly from this tiny female.
Yet she was not what he expected. There was no sign of the heritage he thought he'd felt call him here. She seemed to be nothing more than any other human female. He laid his head down once more, determined to see her safely through the night. When morning came she would return to her world and he to his. So logic told him, but he could not put off or explain the strong feeling that was pulling him to sleep. Sleep. A world created in the mind that enabled communication with humans without otherwordly mediums. He closed his eyes. When morning came... what to do? He determined he would go before she woke and then simply follow her. Yes, that seemed the most reasonable. The pull he'd felt couldn't be reasoned off as his imagination however. He knew what he felt. He knew.
*~*~*Misao's Dreamscape*~*~*
Misao's world shimmered. The landscape in front of her eyes rippled like water. She teetered, struggling for balance, and blinking her eyes to regain focus. The waves distorting her vision slowed. She swallowed. What was this? She was standing in a field. Wide, open field. Tall wisps of grass with feathery heads grew straight up to her knees brushing against her skin. That sensation was what caused her to noticed it. She was not wearing the same clothing as she had been in the forest. There she had been wearing a light blue tank top and jeans but here... She glanced down.
rescued her
A... kimono? It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen and draped off her frame no less. She smoothed her hands across the white fabric and gasped. This had to be a dream. Silk! White silk! There was no way she could afford that. She was barely paying for college as it was. A small smile curved her lips as she imagined how it must look on her. If Okina and the others could see her now... For a moment it made her happy, but then it made her sad. It was too bad her parents couldn't see her now. Now when she felt her most beautiful. Just as she was about to contemplate, there was a shift. A tangible change in the atmosphere of the dreamy landscape. She glanced anxiously around for the source of the feeling. What was it?
She looked up and noticed something--no, someone standing across the field from her. The faux sun shone bright rays of imaginary light down to illuminate the form of a man, tall and well built, standing amidst the sea of multi-colored flowers. Their eyes locked from across the field and held, a moment frozen in a time of dreams. Then he moved. He began to approach her, his movements fluid and graceful, almost as if he were stalking her. Much like a wolf would do, she thought absently.
She never took her eyes from his and as he drew closer she was soon able to make out the color of them. They were a rich, golden amber. Warm and beautiful, much like wolf's. She broke contact with those alluring eyes to take in his other features. He was ruggedly handsome, she noted. His face all sharp angles. His bangs hung before his face in a few strands, only adding to his rugged good looks. His body, tightly corded muscle encased in midnight blue cloth, and long, muscular legs giving him the height to tower above her. She blinked then, realizing that he had already crossed the field and was now standing right in front of her.
"Wh-who are you?"
The question left her lips in a whisper, but the man obviously heard her for his lips quirked up into an almost feral grin. His tall frame bent at the waist as he leaned toward her, eyes level with hers. She stared into the golden pools, startled both at the intensity and the familiarity. She leaned back as his nose brushed hers. It was a frightning thing when a strange man leaned so close to you - especially such a handsome one. Or, maybe it was just amazing confidence. She gave the matter no more thought as his voice rang through the clearing - sharp and clear.
"Surely you haven't forgotten?" At her silence he straightened, turning his head and gazed elsewhere. "Che... humans."
She huffed. "Oh, and what are you Mr. High and Mighty, but a lowly human?"
That icy gaze swung back to her causing her to step back. It was easy to forget how unnerving he was when he was looking somewhere else.
"This is a dreamscape - a spiritual plane so to speak. I can discover anything I want to about you here, girl." He paused taking a look over her. "Anyone ever tell you, you look like a weasel?"
He glanced away momentarily as he searched through his pockets for something a small grin on his lips. "A weasel girl..." he mused to himself looking all too amused.
"Don't call me that." Misao muttered, her eyes narrowing in her annoyance.
She crossed her arms over her chest and silently dared him to call her weasel again. This only seemed to amuse him even more and Misao ground her teeth to keep from screaming into his smug face. It was then that he spoke again. Only this time, his lips didn't move.
"So what *should* I call you then, little one?"
Gasping, Misao stepped back. That voice. In her head. It was his...and it was the wolf's. But how?
"What are you?" She asked. It was a question that she had asked in the waking realm but had never recieved an answer.
"Haven't been paying attention in class, have you weasel? And you even have a mythology class on that high dollar campus of yours, too."
She frowned. How did he know that?
"So?"
He snorted. "If you'd been listening, you just might be able to answer your own question."
"How would you know I wasn't paying attention in the first place?" Misao fumed angrily, poking a finger into this aggravating man's hard chest for emphasis.
He stared at her finger, then raised his eyes to her face. "You're still not listening, weasel. This is a dreamscape. I can know everything about you."
Her eyes widened as though she suddenly realized the implications of his words. Taking a calming breath, Misao's eyes wandered the dreamscape again before returning to the man before her. "Okay. So you can read my mind here. Does that mean that I can read yours?"
His amusement suddenly and completely vanished and silence was her answer. Interestingly enough his entire frame seemed to tense, but no words were forthcoming. This spoke volumes to her, despite his lack of verbal response. A small smile came to her lips then as she realized she could. If she could just figure out how...
Closing her eyes, Misao concentrated. At first nothing happened and her brows furrowed in disappointment. But then, just as she was about to give up and open her eyes, she felt a slight jarring sensation in her mind. It wasn't painful, though it did startle her at first. But she found once she relaxed, that the feeling as quite pleasant, almost as if she were flying in an airplane and the jarring had just been the take-off. She allowed this feeling to proceed and soon an image formed before her closed lids. A large, silver wolf stood where the man was, its predatory eyes gazed at her with a look of begrudged resignation.
The wolf!
Her eyes flew open and he was still standing just like he had been. Tense and silent.
"The wolf?" She murmured aloud. "A human..." She let her mind drift back through her memories. Just last week her professor had droned on for over an hour about the mythological spirits of the wood. She blinked. "Worg!"
Of course.
She looked back to the man....Worg, she reminded herself, to find him looking at her with approval in his golden eyes and a smirk on his lips. "Very good, weasel. You get a cookie."
"Stop calling me that!" she practically growled, "I'm not an animal like you!"
An inky eyebrow arched in amusement. "I wouldn't say that if I were you, weasel."
*~*~*End Dreamscape*~*~*
TBC....
There was a deep, unsettling feeling. It was something other than her dread and anxiousness over her current plight.
*Little one…*
Misao shuddered at the voice that seemed to suddenly pierce through the silence like a shaft of light through darkness. So clear, so… directionless. It had not come from any one place, but from everyplace. As though… as though… she could not even think of a suitable description.
*Little human…*
She cast her eyes around although she was reluctant to look away from the wolf that was still so intently watching her. She saw no one. She heard nothing but the gentle sounds of the forest surrounding her.
Who was that? she thought to herself, not wanting to startle the wolf into attacking her after all. Which was the reason she was more than a little surprised when the voice that had spoken before, answered her.
*Don't be afraid, I wish you no harm.*
"H-h-how do I know that?" Misao couldn't help but voice her next question, though a quiet whisper.
A deep chuckle was forthcoming and Misao couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine at such a soothing sound. *Now why would I harm you after what I just went through to protect you?*
Misao's eyes widened at hearing this and directed her gaze back at the wolf that had moved to stand a few feet from her. She blinked a few times. Could she be hearing things? Seeing things? She swore that the wolf was smirking at her, but that couldn't be right...could it? Wolves didn't smirk.
*What's the matter, little one? Never seen a wolf before?*
No. Freaking. Way! Misao thought over and over again. This....this wolf was talking to her? But how? It's muzzle wasn't even moving, only stretched back into that infernal grin, as if teasing her. But then, the voice speaking to her didn't carry as a vocal sound. It was more of an echo actually. An echo inside of her head that....
Misao gasped. She had read all sorts of sci fi novels that talked about telepathy and such, but she hadn't taken it seriously. This was something highly irregular and totally insane!
"You're not a normal wolf, are you." Misao stated, managing to keep her voice from shaking despite the slight tremble that had taken control of her body.
The wolf seemed to notice this and shifted once again, silently stalking over to where she lay on the dampened earth. *You are cold.* The wolf projected to her, and again she recieved it in her mind.
Not knowing what else to do, Misao nodded and was shocked yet again when the large, warm body of the wolf settled beside her. It's long bushy tail curling around her legs, wrapping them in warm fur.
"What are you doing?!" Misao jerked up and tried to move away, but the pain in her leg hindered her yet again.
*You are hurt and cold. You will not be able to move from this place tonight. I will keep you warm and safe until morning comes. Now lie down beside me.*
The order was gentle, yet firm. Misao did not take kindly to it at all. Narrowing her eyes, she glared defiantly at the large wolf. This was such an unusual situation she found herself in, it was bordering on unbelievable. Her best friend had nagged her into going on a blind date with a psychopath turned attempted rapist who had chased her into the woods, only to be ran off by an oversized, telepathic wolf? It was nearly enough to make her doubt her sanity. Then why was she still here? Oh right, there was the slight possibility that she had a broken leg.
She toyed with the theory that she might have bumped her head on her tumble down the embankment and that all of this was just some weird dream or hallucination. It almost made sense if not for the very real pain that was coursing down her leg. That in itself was irrefutable proof that she was awake and very much alert. So how to explain having a telepathic conversation with an animal?
"I don't think so." she muttered aloud.
Shaking her head, she turned away, gritting her teeth against the pain the movement caused. She heard a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a sigh and then found herself being flattened to the ground as a large furry body lowered itself down on her. A startled sound escaped her throat and she struggled for a bit before the warmth of the wolf's body began seeping into her nearly numb one.
She stiffened, her body becoming rigid as uncertainty filled her. There wasn't really anything she could do about it and it hurt too much to struggle so in the end Misao found that the best thing--the only thing--to do was to comply. She willed her body to relax and instinctively curled into the inviting warmth of the furry body covering her. He was heavy, but not so much that it was crushing. It felt rather....nice. Pleasant actually. She felt a sense of security wrapped up in the fur of this wild creature. She felt the rise and fall of the wolf's chest with each breath it took and realized it coincided with it's heartbeat, which had a soothing rhythm.
Misao fought the drowsy feeling that began to creep up on her. She didn't really want to go to sleep. She needed to sort through all the craziness that had occured to her tonight, but in the end found it impossible to deny that she was exhausted and in desperate need of rest. Feeling much too heavy to keep open, Misao felt her eyelids begin to drift closed and her mind began to cloud over with the haziness of a deep slumber. Just before she succumbed however, she heard the wolf's voice one last time in her mind.
*Sleep well, little one.*
*~*~*~*~*~*
His eyes sharpened on the young female he'd wrapped himself around. Try as he might, he could not repress the feeling. The pulse of life that had reached his ears like a heartbeat clear on the opposite side of the forest. It had been ages since he'd felt it...the pull, the twinge of hidden power. The power that had been a mark of his clan all those years ago. It had been so many now he didn't like to think of it. But that had been before today. That thundering sound had pulsed in his ears and he'd sprinted at the very first. He'd run straight toward it, straight toward the beakon of life that sprouted so strongly from this tiny female.
Yet she was not what he expected. There was no sign of the heritage he thought he'd felt call him here. She seemed to be nothing more than any other human female. He laid his head down once more, determined to see her safely through the night. When morning came she would return to her world and he to his. So logic told him, but he could not put off or explain the strong feeling that was pulling him to sleep. Sleep. A world created in the mind that enabled communication with humans without otherwordly mediums. He closed his eyes. When morning came... what to do? He determined he would go before she woke and then simply follow her. Yes, that seemed the most reasonable. The pull he'd felt couldn't be reasoned off as his imagination however. He knew what he felt. He knew.
*~*~*Misao's Dreamscape*~*~*
Misao's world shimmered. The landscape in front of her eyes rippled like water. She teetered, struggling for balance, and blinking her eyes to regain focus. The waves distorting her vision slowed. She swallowed. What was this? She was standing in a field. Wide, open field. Tall wisps of grass with feathery heads grew straight up to her knees brushing against her skin. That sensation was what caused her to noticed it. She was not wearing the same clothing as she had been in the forest. There she had been wearing a light blue tank top and jeans but here... She glanced down.
rescued her
A... kimono? It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen and draped off her frame no less. She smoothed her hands across the white fabric and gasped. This had to be a dream. Silk! White silk! There was no way she could afford that. She was barely paying for college as it was. A small smile curved her lips as she imagined how it must look on her. If Okina and the others could see her now... For a moment it made her happy, but then it made her sad. It was too bad her parents couldn't see her now. Now when she felt her most beautiful. Just as she was about to contemplate, there was a shift. A tangible change in the atmosphere of the dreamy landscape. She glanced anxiously around for the source of the feeling. What was it?
She looked up and noticed something--no, someone standing across the field from her. The faux sun shone bright rays of imaginary light down to illuminate the form of a man, tall and well built, standing amidst the sea of multi-colored flowers. Their eyes locked from across the field and held, a moment frozen in a time of dreams. Then he moved. He began to approach her, his movements fluid and graceful, almost as if he were stalking her. Much like a wolf would do, she thought absently.
She never took her eyes from his and as he drew closer she was soon able to make out the color of them. They were a rich, golden amber. Warm and beautiful, much like wolf's. She broke contact with those alluring eyes to take in his other features. He was ruggedly handsome, she noted. His face all sharp angles. His bangs hung before his face in a few strands, only adding to his rugged good looks. His body, tightly corded muscle encased in midnight blue cloth, and long, muscular legs giving him the height to tower above her. She blinked then, realizing that he had already crossed the field and was now standing right in front of her.
"Wh-who are you?"
The question left her lips in a whisper, but the man obviously heard her for his lips quirked up into an almost feral grin. His tall frame bent at the waist as he leaned toward her, eyes level with hers. She stared into the golden pools, startled both at the intensity and the familiarity. She leaned back as his nose brushed hers. It was a frightning thing when a strange man leaned so close to you - especially such a handsome one. Or, maybe it was just amazing confidence. She gave the matter no more thought as his voice rang through the clearing - sharp and clear.
"Surely you haven't forgotten?" At her silence he straightened, turning his head and gazed elsewhere. "Che... humans."
She huffed. "Oh, and what are you Mr. High and Mighty, but a lowly human?"
That icy gaze swung back to her causing her to step back. It was easy to forget how unnerving he was when he was looking somewhere else.
"This is a dreamscape - a spiritual plane so to speak. I can discover anything I want to about you here, girl." He paused taking a look over her. "Anyone ever tell you, you look like a weasel?"
He glanced away momentarily as he searched through his pockets for something a small grin on his lips. "A weasel girl..." he mused to himself looking all too amused.
"Don't call me that." Misao muttered, her eyes narrowing in her annoyance.
She crossed her arms over her chest and silently dared him to call her weasel again. This only seemed to amuse him even more and Misao ground her teeth to keep from screaming into his smug face. It was then that he spoke again. Only this time, his lips didn't move.
"So what *should* I call you then, little one?"
Gasping, Misao stepped back. That voice. In her head. It was his...and it was the wolf's. But how?
"What are you?" She asked. It was a question that she had asked in the waking realm but had never recieved an answer.
"Haven't been paying attention in class, have you weasel? And you even have a mythology class on that high dollar campus of yours, too."
She frowned. How did he know that?
"So?"
He snorted. "If you'd been listening, you just might be able to answer your own question."
"How would you know I wasn't paying attention in the first place?" Misao fumed angrily, poking a finger into this aggravating man's hard chest for emphasis.
He stared at her finger, then raised his eyes to her face. "You're still not listening, weasel. This is a dreamscape. I can know everything about you."
Her eyes widened as though she suddenly realized the implications of his words. Taking a calming breath, Misao's eyes wandered the dreamscape again before returning to the man before her. "Okay. So you can read my mind here. Does that mean that I can read yours?"
His amusement suddenly and completely vanished and silence was her answer. Interestingly enough his entire frame seemed to tense, but no words were forthcoming. This spoke volumes to her, despite his lack of verbal response. A small smile came to her lips then as she realized she could. If she could just figure out how...
Closing her eyes, Misao concentrated. At first nothing happened and her brows furrowed in disappointment. But then, just as she was about to give up and open her eyes, she felt a slight jarring sensation in her mind. It wasn't painful, though it did startle her at first. But she found once she relaxed, that the feeling as quite pleasant, almost as if she were flying in an airplane and the jarring had just been the take-off. She allowed this feeling to proceed and soon an image formed before her closed lids. A large, silver wolf stood where the man was, its predatory eyes gazed at her with a look of begrudged resignation.
The wolf!
Her eyes flew open and he was still standing just like he had been. Tense and silent.
"The wolf?" She murmured aloud. "A human..." She let her mind drift back through her memories. Just last week her professor had droned on for over an hour about the mythological spirits of the wood. She blinked. "Worg!"
Of course.
She looked back to the man....Worg, she reminded herself, to find him looking at her with approval in his golden eyes and a smirk on his lips. "Very good, weasel. You get a cookie."
"Stop calling me that!" she practically growled, "I'm not an animal like you!"
An inky eyebrow arched in amusement. "I wouldn't say that if I were you, weasel."
*~*~*End Dreamscape*~*~*
TBC....