Chapter 39

Within the dream

Methos pulled on the reins of his horse and patted its neck affectionately. The pale horse was the latest in a long line of pale horses he'd ridden through the centuries. He'd stopped naming them long ago. They were just "horse" to him these days.

The encampment had fallen to their raid all too easily. A glance at Silas indicated the big immortal had grabbed all the fine cloths he could find… not many in that poor place… and had draped them about his huge form. Only his great ax remained free of adornment for the moment.

The man laughed with a huge grin, his voice rumbling on the wind, "Heh… heh… heh… It was a great raid Methos, Kronos will be pleased." He rode on, his massive black horse carefully finding its way down the rocky embankment. Behind them, the small band of mortal attendants they commanded followed… running on foot… loaded with food, dragging new slaves, herding new cattle. Methos waited until all had begun the descent before following.

At their encampment he rode through the mortal slaves, finally drawing to a stop before the grinning Kronos. Methos alighted and let Kronos clasp him in welcome. "It was a good raid, Methos?"

"It was an excellent raid, Kronos. You should have been there."

"Other plans… other concerns, my brother." He turned to yell at one of the slaves about where to place some of the plunder, leaving Methos to gaze at the small group of female slaves about one of the fires. His eyes fell on the on the green-eyed one, the one Silas had named Mynishka for her odd pale green eyes… like the palest gemstones… lost in her sun-darkened face.

In the years since Cassandra… the immortal slave he'd grown too fond of and had ultimately betrayed to insure his own survival, Methos had been very careful to never show interest in any other slave… especially the mortal ones who could die all too easily. He made certain to never call one to his tent too often… especially this one.

Casually he sauntered over, watching the women about the fire in their laughter and joking with one another… that time-honored way that women had of relating to one another when they thought no man was watching. As he approached they gradually quieted and lowered their heads… becoming still small objects… hoping to go unnoticed by one of the death riders.

He lay his riding crop along her face forcing her to look up at him… those pale eyes widened and then looked down. "Attend me!" he ordered, as he turned sharply to stride to his tent. Once inside he lolled indolently on the furs and silks, observing the shy slave.

She knelt and bowed low… as if properly offering her neck. Methos wondered which of his brothers had taught her that. She said nothing.

"Wash me!" he instructed. The girl bowed lower as she poured water from a stone crock into a bowl. Dipping a cloth into the water she approached tentatively, as if fearful he'd lash out at her. Finally she began to slowly wipe his face clean of dirt and war-paint. When finished she scooted backwards and "assumed" the position of subservience… awaiting his instructions.

Methos sighed. This was likely to be a long evening if he couldn't get her to relax a bit with him. Perhaps in his attempts to not favor her… he'd failed to spend enough time with her. He was a stranger to her. "Feed me," he finally said… a bit more gently than he might have.

Still looking down… the girl collected a nearby tray of fruit and offered it to him.

Methos once more lay his crop along her jaw and forced her to look up… directly at him. "If you are forever looking at the ground… how will you see what pleases me?"

The girl's eyes widened… those mesmerizing pale green eyes that were so out of place in this land. She nodded and slowly raised a piece of fruit to his mouth. He took a bite and then lounged back chewing thoughtfully. "Say something," he finally said. Once more she stared, this time licking her lips as she apparently tried to fathom what to say. "You do have a voice… I've heard you speaking to the other women."

She nodded. "What would you have me say, Deathrider?"

Methos laughed and sat forward clapping his hands together. "Is that who you think I am?"

"Yes." Her voice was so low he almost didn't hear her words. This time he used his hand to stroke her jawline… softly… tenderly. She met his gaze fearfully.

"Death is not always something to be feared," he said with a smile and clamped his mouth on hers… his hand moved to her shoulder and then down her back helping her to lie back while he hovered over her… still in the kiss. Then he raised up on his left arm while his right hand began to loosen and move aside her garment. She did not move… but stared only… his to use as he wished.

Methos shook his head and stretched out beside her with a smile. "Talk to me," he said once more. letting his hand tease up and down her bare chest.

"What would you have me say?"

"Anything… tell me a story," he laughed.

"A story?" There was interest in her voice a last. He nodded letting the smile almost become a smirk.

She stared into the distance, biting her lip. "The old grandmother, she used to tell me stories. Once there was no death in the world. Once all lived together and life was a summer's day. Once children were cherished and raised to embrace the life. But the people became too many… and the gods were jealous. They sent death to walk among the people…" She smiled and looked at him. "My grandmother told me many stories when I was small."

"Then whenever you come to me… tell me one of her stories," Methos said and bent to kiss her once more… carefully darting his tongue into her mouth. One of her hands rose… her fingers drifted upward… and touched his neck… the symbols on his neck… Methos pulled back a moment. "Eleanor?"

His wife lay in his arms and gazed at him with love. Methos smiled… lowering himself onto her and murmuring… "I've missed you… I've missed you." Her hand caressed his neck once more and the unity was ignited.

-----

Paris

"Ellie… wake up Ellie… Eleanor!" Derrick had waited until midday before starting to worry. Finally screwing up his courage… he'd knocked on the door. Not getting a response… he'd opened it and seen her writhing on the bed as if caught in the throes of something and had begun yelling at her. He reached forward to shake her… attempting to wake her up.

She came out of the dream with a scream… slashing at him… knife in hand. The knife sliced through his right forearm. Derrick yelped and fell back on the floor… attempting to stem the flow of blood.

"Derrick… honey? Oh gods what have I done?" Ellie seemed to come to herself in the aftermath of his slashing. She dropped the knife to grab the sheet, rip it into strips and wrap it around his arm. "It'll be fine… I'm so sorry. I've warned you never to wake me like that… It's not safe… whatever possessed you to touch me?"

"I was worried. It's mid-afternoon." Derrick's voice quavered from the pain. "You sit up all night and sleep all day. It's not right. I sit around and there's nothing to do and nothing to eat." He cradled his arm… his long legs drawn up about him. Tears began falling from his eyes.

Eleanor stared. She rubbed one small hand over his face and through his hair… giving it a slight tug. "Sit here… I think there're some medical supplies in a cabinet in the kitchen. She rose to search for things.

Derrick banged the back of his head against the wall and wanted to scream in pain and confusion. Seeing the bloodied knife lying on the floor he kicked it so that it slithered across the floor and under the bed.

"Here take these," Eleanor placed a couple of pills in his mouth and held a glass of water to his lips. "Just some pain pills… They'll help." Softly she brushed the hair out of his eyes and smiled wanly. "I'm so sorry baby. Let me get that cleaned up and I'll get some food. I keep forgetting you need more than I do. I'm sorry."

"I want to get out of here… Please Ellie. I don't like it here."

"Sure baby… we'll go get some dinner shortly. We can eat at that little cafe you liked the other day. Remember?" She smiled as he nodded. "Just sit still and I'll heat some water and take another look at this… You may need some stitches. Good thing I'm a doctor… or I was once upon a time."

Derrick felt the drugs take the edge of his pain. He lay his head back and nodded. Ellie's words became a blur.

-----

Watcher Compound

Rawlins entered Wilderman's office, snapping at the elderly scientist. "So what's so damned important? I do have other priorities… other projects."

"I thought you should see this," Wilderman showed Rawlins the printout.

"What am I looking at?"

"The mind of subject number 47."

Rawlins lifted the print-out into his hands and stared at the double line. The two followed the same peaks and valleys. They were exactly the same… a hair's breadth between them. Gradually he unrolled the read-out from one hand into the other… and then he saw it… a peak of uncommon height… then the two lines diverged. He widened his eyes and stared at Wilderman. "What happened?"

"At the moment that happened… he was… dreaming… of an encounter of an intimate nature. At the moment the machines recorded that… machines all over the laboratory shorted out and had to be re-set. As you can see… the lines diverged. But what that means… we don't know as of yet."

"Intimate nature?"

Wilderman shrugged, "Physically he responded as if it were… real."

Rawlins collapsed into a chair practically laughing. He handed Wilderman the readout. "You're telling me he…"

"Yes… most definitely. But I think whoever was dreaming with him was… participating as well. We need the other."

Rawlins continued to chuckle. "Oh my… well I am working on it. When will you be ready for the first set of tests?"

"Tonight." Wilderman was clearly excited. "I have selected two specimens for the initial test. I do not believe they know one another or have ever met. The scenario is set. We can insert both of them into it… and watch their reactions."

"Excellent. Call me when you are ready to proceed." Henry Rawlins stood and headed out the door… pausing only to chuckle once more. "As for number 47. He is not to be used… not at present. Perhaps not until we have his dream partner. I look forward to seeing what we can learn at that time." Still chuckling… he left.