Bonding in your Dreams

Siriella looked up at Erothine, fighting back her stubborn tears.

"Why do you have to leave?" she whined, her lip wobbling, and a hurt look in her eyes.

Erothine sighed, "There is a little girl who needs me right now," he said, for the tenth time that day, "She has some issues, and I need to help her get over them."

Siriella knew that she was being selfish- she'd heard her mother say that Erothine helping this girl would tell the future of the entire world, and maybe even the universe.

"I don't want you to go," she said- not whining this time, just as a statement.

"I don't want to go either," Erothine confessed, "but you know what? You might be able to meet her someday, too. I'll bet you two can even become friends."

Siriella said nothing, but knew that she would never be friends with this girl who was taking her older brother away from her.

"She can't call you 'Tiny'" she said, stubbornly. Referring to her nick-name for Erothine.

Erothine laughed, "If what they say about her is true, she might think it too childish."

Siriella bristled in indignation, "She's no older than I am!" she scoffed, "We are children!"

Erothine rumpled his sister's hair- a gesture she normally abhorred, but didn't mind this one time, "That's exactly my point. She's only a child. She needs someone older to help her through this. You have Mother. She only has Trigorn, and Azar knows he'll only make things worse for her."

Siriella sighed in defeat, "Okay, but you have to come and visit," she consented.

Erothine smiled with relief, "I will- promise."

Siriella woke up, gasping for breath. She felt as if she were breaking the surface of the ocean- out of breath and heart pounding. A soft knock on the guest-room door caused her to jump. Scolding herself for such childish fear, Siriella opened it to Raven. A look in her eyes told her that she'd had a similar nightmare. Her suspicions about what nightmare were confirmed when she said, "Did you really hate me?"

Siriella started at such an uncharacteristic question from Raven, "Of course not," she said, rationally, "How could I? I didn't know you. I was just going to miss Erothine."

Raven seemed to come to her senses at this, "Right," she mumbled, her eyes losing some of the haunted and small look, and going into their normal unfathomable monotony, "I'd better go meditate," she said, with something of a grim smile twitching at her lips, "I'm getting much too emotional."

As she turned to leave, Siriella brought up the courage to ask, "Raven? Do you think that I could join you?" she asked, hesitantly.

Raven nodded, "Sure. Why not?"

"Azarath metrion zynthos… Azarath metrion zynthos…" Raven chanted.

"Atticus lenthuen arasirdas," Siriella joined in. Their chanting together seemed to blend in perfectly, mixing with the others' magic to cause the room to reverberate with the ancient language. It all seemed to become one, and the two girls found themselves lost in a dimension between time and space.

Until the alarm went off.

Sorry for the short post! I know it took a long time, but I've been really busy. I'll try to get the next one in sooner, I swear!