I awoke, but it wasn't morning, I was still asleep. A dream. A dense fog surrounded me, making me feel like I was caught up in a blustery snowstorm. The moaning, howling wind was swept all around, lifting the early autumn leaves that lay about, into the air, swirling round and round as if they were part of a ceremonial dance. I was outside the abbey, I thought, in the orchard, but then, as the denser fog passed, shapes came looming through the bleakness. I found myself standing in what seemed to be a courtyard, I could just make out fields that lay all round in the distance. It seemed to be part of the mossflower area. It was Autumn, so the crops should have been harvested long ago, but they still lay in the fields, surrounded by the harshness of the fog. I changed my mind, this was nowhere I had ever been before...The air cleared a bit more and I was able to see all the way to the edges of the courtyard. In the centre stood what seemed to be a font / basin. Beautiful images of happier times were intricately carved into the stone work. The focus of the dream seemed to be on this font, because any remaining light was caught up in mid-path and carried to it, leaving darkness where the light had been. As I watched, figures came half walking, half dragging themselves along surrounding paths to it. I soon became to realise that they were forming a circle around the font, and I, who had made my way to it, was in the centre of it all.

From here I could clearly see the faces of the animals, half starved, and staring as if right through me, some with their eyes closed, but all facing the font, they were praying to God for help.

They had crops, I had seen them, why didn't they eat, instead of starving to death?... or couldn't they eat? I scanned the circle of dying creatures, looking for an answer. A figure stood out among the crowds, a female badger, her significant white stripe and shining eyes standing out against her black face. Stepping forward from the circle, she nodded her head towards me in acknowledgement, then spoke.

"Shraim." She spoke in a voice of leadership and authority.

"You have been brought here for a purpose" she continued.

"We need your help!"

At this point, I was certain that it was one of those strange random dreams you sometimes get.

"Shraim." The badger called to me again.

"Do not be fooled into thinking that this is a meaningless dream only because you are asleep, this is real." Now I started to get a bit uncomfortable, how could this be real when the lady herself had admitted that I was asleep, or was it real?

The badger persisted, "Shraim, we need your help, you have to help the world of Reymerstoe."

This time I answered, my voice triggered by the word 'Reymer'. " How can I help?" I replied, my voice shaking, feeling even more wary at the mention of that word.

" Our energy source is dying, we are down to one final shard, its power being slowly drained without the rest of it to sustain its energy. You were given that last part, our light. You have it Shraim, that shard, here with you."

Even as she said it, I knew she was talking about the 'moon' stone. I could feel it cold against my palm, vibrating at its return home. Slowly, I opened my paw, feeling the warmth and light it was emitting, slowly spreading to its surroundings. I could see the pain and hunger being lifted from the faces of the Reymerstoe citizens, as the light touched them.

"My name is Farrah Gahalashield, leader of these creatures," the badger spoke, with a new flair in her voice.

"This renewal of energy will not last long, soon it will drain away once more and leave us to die. It is up to you to find the other part of the stone, only you can find it, hidden in somewhere in your world, or you send us to our death!..." She paused ,then looked me straight in the eye with determination, ready to give the command.

"Now go!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's my second chapter up, I hope you like the story! Please Review!