Nightmares
Back in summersea
'Why's it dark!' Sandry tried to scream, as the darkness closed around her but no sound came out. She clawed at the darkness, her hands hitting stone on all four sides, above her head and beneath her. 'Trapped!' she flung her magic out, it hit the stone and bounced back. She kicked and hit stone again as tears rolled down her face. She was alone and trapped in the dark.
Sandry awoke with a start breathing heavily. A steady light filled the room and she reached toward it. It was only than that she realised she was no longer in bed. Her sheets had wound around her, suspending her over the side of her bed, preventing her from falling. She took hold of her night light and let its steady glow bathe her in calm as she slowed her breathing.
She untangled herself from the sheets, thanking the threads as she straightened them. Standing up, the crystal still tightly clutched in her hands, Sandry pulled on a light cotton dress in place of her sweat soaked night dress and washed her face.
Feeling better she reached out tentatively with her magic. Relief flooded her as she felt her foster siblings. Daja was asleep in the forge at winding circle. She had gone to help Frostpine work on a difficult order. Tris was up in the astronomy tower, no doubt listening to the wind.
'Briar?' she called, her voice still quivered slightly.
Briar stood on a plain. Rosethorn, Evy, Daja and Tris sat a little way off chatting contently. 'Where's Sandry?' as if in response to his question a plume of smoke rose on the horizon. Briar jogged towards it, 'Sandry?'
'Briar?' her voice shook with fear as it rolled down her magic tie to him.
Briar began to run as fast as possible. A gate in a wall loomed up before him, running through Briar stopped dead.
He was back in Gyongxe, the dead laid everywhere.
'Sandry!' he yelled, his eyes searching the ground before him. Then he spotted her, l laying among soldiers a pool of blood around her.
'No!' He picked her up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Her breath was shallow and rugged, her eyes glassy.
'You can't die Sandry,' he whispered to her, 'I……I love you.'
'Briar?' Briar awoke with a start.
'Briar?' Sandry called again as she stepped quietly around Gudrunny, who was snoring at the foot of her bed. She slipped out of her room and trotted down the hall towards Briars room.
'Briar!' Sandry called outside his room.
Briar opened the door and looked upon Sandry. Her entrancing blue eyes gazed at him in concern. Her hair was loose and cascaded don her back, glimmering in he light of the crystal he, Daja and Tris had made for her.
Sandry stared at Briar, lost in his emerald eyes.
'Is everything ok?' She stammered as her gaze shifted from her eyes. Briar stood onlt in a pair of breeches he'd thrown on quickly. Sandry blushed a deep red, and thanking the darkness, quickly moved the crystal slightly to put her face in shadow.
'Just a nightmare,' Briar said, as he saw her gaze shift. Was that a blush on her face? Briar followed her gaze and noticed why. That made HIS face go slightly red. Briar was suddenly very thankful that he kept in good shape, he'd never had any complaints about his body.
Sandry was fighting an internal battle. She longed to reach out to touch his finely toned torso but she dared not. Instead she shifted nervously and a lock of hair fell across her face.
'What are you doing up?' Briar asked his fingers itching to brush the hair from her face.
'Nightmares too,' she sighed. If she didn't move soon she could stay here forever.
'Maybe we should go see Tris in the tower, might make us feel better?'
'Good idea, outside is definitely better.'
'Mind if we pay you a visit coppercurls?'
'Suppose I don't have much choice do I! What are you two doing up anyway?' She asked, suspiciously.
'Nightmares,' they chimed together, and grinned at each other.
Briars discipline not being as good as Sandry's finally broke. He reached out a hand and gently brushed the hair behind her ear.
Sandry dared not breathe for fear she would explode and her knees threatened to give way.
'Well are you coming or not!'