A/N: Surprise! Inspiration struck and I churned out this little chapter tonight. I leave tomorrow for the month, we are bringing the computer so hopefully I'll update more while there. It does get really boring. I do plan on writing a little 2 shot Prologue thing around the end of August in honor of my Birthday so keep an eye out for that and new chapters of this. Thanks again for all the faves and follows, please review if you can, I like the input. Also, the song the bird and Sofia sing is called "Sylive" it's a variant of a traditional folk song (There's another version called "Once I had a Sweetheart" and I felt like fitting it in here. You should check it out! Okay, need to get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day of traveling. Cheers!
A multitude of emotions filled Sofia as she sat on her bed later that night. She was reluctant to sleep, for she had no idea what slumber would mean for her and no idea what messages her dreams would hold. So she stayed awake. Not that it was that difficult for her to do. She couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. It had been her first. She closed her eyes and tried to replay the moment. It was true, that there were other pressing matters she should be thinking of, namely what secrets she had a feeling Cedric was keeping from her, but she was still just a girl who was young and in the throes of first love and who had just been kissed by the object of her desires. So, she focused on that. Yes, it had only been a split second or so, but his lips were soft and warm, his grip on her shoulders had tightened and he'd smelled of fresh herbs and old books and for a moment he seemed content. She tried to revel in the memory of that brief euphoria, but it was tainted by his reaction of fear and disgust. "That meant nothing. I wasn't myself." She couldn't understand why he'd phrased that the way he had.
Sofia, was generally a very perceptive girl, even if her emotions had been clouding her judgement of late. There was no mistaking the look in the Sorcerer's eyes as he'd bent down to initiate the kiss. The ardor in them had matched her own. His reaction however, had belied that. Come to think of it, his demeanor from the very moment she'd entered his workshop had been strange. He'd been so engrossed in his spellbook he hadn't heard her call his name or knock or enter. While, that in itself wasn't so unusual, the way he'd behaved afterwards was. He'd told her he hadn't wanted her there only to then ask her to stay and the contrary behavior had lasted nearly the whole visit even as he'd declared the kiss meant nothing, the way he looked at her seemed to imply that it had affected him more than perhaps he even understood. He seemed to be fighting with something internally and she wasn't sure what it could be. It worried her.
She hadn't seen the Sorcerer behave like that quite a number of years, at least not so overtly. The whispering, the secrecy. She didn't understand why he wouldn't let her see the parchments of spells. She didn't understand a lot of things about him lately and she once thought she knew him so well. He'd been muttering something about the a spell not working correctly? And then there was the revelation of a woman he'd loved in his youth. He'd been equally tightlipped about that. She had a strange sensation that there was much she didn't know about Cedric and she needed to find out what exactly. In doing this it would explain the dreams. And she needed to know why they were how they were. She needed to know his true feelings for her.
She deduced that the answers would be in his workshop in those books or on the scrolls. She needed to see them. How was she to do it? She knew enough about the man to know he'd be avoiding her for quite a while, thanks to the kiss. Well, how could she get in? There was the spare key hidden beneath the gargoyle, but even if she were to use that, he would more than likely still be in his workshop and her intrusion would not go over well. Then perhaps, she could transport herself there and then use a cloaking spell to look around, unseen. It was the most logical choice. She wasn't sure she could do it though. She wasn't the best when it came to transport spells. She had only attempted it a few times and they hadn't gone terribly well. She'd gotten ill from the motion and a frantic Cedric had told her that until it was perfected he didn't want her trying it anymore without his assistance. She'd promised him she wouldn't and of course she hated to break promises.
How was she to do this? She could Astral travel. Sure, she wouldn't be able to physically search, but perhaps luck would be on her side and he'd have the papers laid out in plain sight.
She needed to teach herself how to do it. She would start tomorrow. She could do it, she knew she could. Even Cedric had said as much. What else had he said, "They say we astral travel in our dreams every night, it's the same principle." Well, she had plenty of practice there. She would do it. It was a bit like spying and she felt guilty for that, but she needed some peace. Hopefully Cedric would forgive her.
She yawned and lay her head upon her pillow. What should she do in the meantime, she wondered? "Sleep, now." said a soft voice in her head. And she was surprised at how so very tired she really was. She thought about drinking the sleeping draught Cedric had given her, but so far her dreams had been giving her insight into… something. What, she wasn't sure, but she knew it was best to listen to them. One had already come true anyway, Cedric had kissed her. She closed her eyes and let the darkness descend upon her, a small smile playing on her lips as she thought once again about the kiss. Everything would turn out right in the end. It had to.
She stood once again in the empty field several yards away from the tree. She thought she saw a figure standing there for a moment, but then it was gone. "Cedric?" she asked softly. There was no reply. She frowned and walked over to the large Ash tree. She swore she could feel his presence. She wasn't sure if he was really here in her dream and cloaked with magic, or if it was the fact he was on her mind. She decided to speak to him whether or not he could hear her.'
"Cedric, if you're here, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry if the kiss upset you. I don't want that at all. But, I'm not sorry that it happened. I'd always hoped it might. It meant so much to me. I like to think that it meant something to you too." she was met by silence. "If you are here, Cedric, please show yourself. You don't need to be frightened. It's only me." but if he was there and had heard her plaintive plea, he ignored it.
The atmosphere of the field changed abruptly. The gray sky grew darker and the chill in the air increased. Something was wrong.
She looked around. In the far distance of the field was a meadow and a river, why had she never noticed them before now? What was this place? Why did they meet here? What was the significance? Was it a place that existed outside her dreams? She wanted to see.
"Please, I need answers…" she whispered to no one.
She heard the sound of wings flapping and looked up to see a blackbird perched in the branches. It began to sing to her.
"Well I once had a sweetheart and now I have none
I once had a sweetheart and now I have none
He's gone and leave me, gone and leave me
Gone and leave me in sorrow to mourn"
Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed that I did see
Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed that I did see
Mine own dearest true love, mine own dearest true love
Mine own dearest true love come smiling to me
But when I awakened I found it not so
But when I awakened I found it not so
Mine eyes were like fountains, mine eyes were like fountains
Mine eyes were like fountains where the waters do flow." the bird continued the song, but suddenly she could hear no more, she was waking up.
Sofia awoke with a gasp. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The bird had come to her again singing, she had heard that song before, years ago, it was about a young maiden abandoned by her lover, she hummed the melody… and the last verse came to her. In a trembling voice she sang the words:
"I'll set sail of silver and steer towards the sun
I'll set sail of silver and steer towards the sun
And my false love will weep, my false love will weep
My false love will weep for me after I'm gone"
and her heart ached as she remembered that the bird had sung of false love once before. She hoped so much that it was wrong and that his love for her was as true as the love she had for him.