~ Brianna ~

Brianna crossed the small space in the tiny room Mor had somehow arranged after the tears had subsided. They were in a room above a rather questionable establishment on the outskirts of the town, having heeded to the warnings of her childhood friend to re-evaluate their plan.

She placed her meagre belongings beside the smallest bed by the window overlooking the street below and inhaled a long breath. How was she going to explain to Mor? Did Mor even care to know why she'd tear-stained her strange clothes and why she'd fallen apart so completely? She'd been so kind thus far; not one question or demand passed her delicate lips. But her words were softer, her face containing some understanding there as though she'd seen inside Brianna's memories and lived them alongside her.

Brianna sighed softly and shook her head, glancing at Mor who leant against the small window smiling gently back at her. Brie felt like she'd been cracked open, she wanted to shove her emotions away about the family and home she lost, and the home she thought she could make only to be taken from her once again. That awful day…she swallowed.

"Mor," Brianna said, shifting her weight awkwardly, "I wanted to say, about earlier…" Mor's expression held something almost like dread, but as quick as it arrived, it disappeared, replaced by her usual unreadable expression. It maddened Brianna to not know what the woman was thinking or feeling.

"Don't worry about it, I understand you want to keep us professional" she said confidently, "and as do I, there is a lot at stake after all" she brushed some imaginary dirt from her shoulder as Brianna realised she was referring to their almost kiss in the ally. Brie felt her cheeks growing hotter and cursed her own blood…

"Mor…that's not what I was…" Brianna sat in front of her and cleared her throat, taking her hand, it was soft but callused. "I just wanted to say, thank you," Brie searched her eyes and Mor gazed to their entwined hands "for earlier" Mor squeezed her hand.

"I didn't really do anything but, you're welcome" she let out a small laugh. Brie let her hand fall away. It left her feeling colder somehow.

"It would seem that I'm not really helping you very much, I don't know if I've been running for so long that I've ran out of places to run to." she laughed at her predicament and kicked off her boot to the floor, wriggling to get the other off, hopping on her other leg. "I'm not usually like that you know" she groaned as the other boot flew off her foot and winced as it whacked against a rickety old arm chair in the corner of the room letting out a loud thunk and groan from the old chair.

"Weepy and, and weak" she spat the last word like it were venom on her tongue, she picked at her nail as though it were the most interesting thing in the world.

This is why I avoid forming friendships and relationships with people! She chastised to herself.

Mor frowned deeply; Brianna noticed the faeries lips again, pulled in a tight line, she'd open and close her mouth as though forcing them shut for a time would allow her time to construct a response, it would be amusing if not for that frown.

She stared into Brianna's eyes and she almost got lost in the swirls of gold before she finally settled with. "You are not weak for facing the most painful parts of your past" she smiled so sadly Brie tried to move around the woman, hating the look of pity, but the woman stood firm, so still…Brianna didn't know the fae could be so still. "I want you to hear me Brianna, really listen because I will say this to you only once".

"Mor…" she didn't hide the warning in her tone. This was a conversation that she did not want to have with a woman she hardly knew. Or with anyone for that matter, if she were being honest. Despite that, her heart seemed to beat faster as she watched Mor take a big gulp of air.

"I was once rejected and ridiculed…" she didn't dare break eye contact as the woman swallowed and continued, "naked and beaten with a note physically nailed to my body and left for dead on the doorstep of my betrothed, only for him to turn around and walk away. I lay there alone in a strange land, utterly broken, body and mind and soul. All because I wanted to chose my own destiny. And despite the centuries that followed, despite the fact my body healed and I created my own family…" Brianna was frozen as her mind swam but Mor continued.

"The cold in the mountains where I live can sometimes conjure the smell of the cold and bite in the air that day and suddenly I recall how the dirt sank into my wounds, the blood clotting around it, so itchy and the sounds of the leaves crushed by his footsteps growing further and further…" a vacant expression crossed her face, and Brie wanted to reach out to her but she remained still until Mor's eyes were once again on hers. "Do you know how powerful fae hearing is? It took a long, long time for those footsteps to be replaced with utter, suffocating silence." she shivered and Brianna didn't know what to do with herself, her thumb inadvertently began rubbing the back of the woman's hand.

"How I willed him to turn around, just once…" she smiled gently, as if trying to convey in the small gesture that she was comfortable telling her this truth. Brianna had the startling thought that this woman's power was not entirely given by her fae heritage but in some part, it was from surviving and thriving despite the pain and death and heartache.

Her thumb continued it's slow, gentle rubbing.

"Brianna, I don't tell you this to compare my pain with yours nor to gain your trust" she looked down at the thumb carressing her hand, as if for the first time recognising the comforting touch. Brianna stopped her hand and it seemed to ache in response. "or for you to reveal any part of what haunts your dreams, for that is yours alone to share or not". She smiled sadly. "I am giving you this small part of me so that you know you are never alone. That there are other females and males, human and fae, who are haunted too, and yet they live. We live. That doesn't mean you won't have days, weeks, months, where you are to relive those horrors, but they do not make you weak and nor do the tears that you expel.

You are not your trauma, you're not defined by those moments, you are defined by the kindness in your heart, the life you lead afterwards, the love you give and the laughter you encourage. You are strong, and you are whomever you decide to be. You are defined by so much more, not only one part of your history, while it may be an integral part; it is not your whole story." She smiled "I haven't known you very long but I know that at least" She placed a palm over her own chest as if saying 'we are different yes, but our hearts beat the same'.

Brianna blinked once, feeling her eyes mist over as she allowed Mor's truth to sink deep into her heart, wrapping around it like a new guard.

"There is a dreamer in your heart" she tapped her hand over her own heart "and in mine, I won't ever stop believing in a better world, and don't you stop seeing your family in the stars and hoping and wishing", Mor hugged her closely "after all" she whispered "the world will be remade by the dreamers". The words sent tiny shocks throughout Brianna's body.

"Careful Mor, if I didn't know better I'd say you're growing to care for me" Brianna allowed her brow to raise hoping her humour wasn't perceived as rude or dismissive to the faerie, but Mor simply smiled nodding gently, her golden eyes revealed nothing. "I'm going to brave the bathing facilities" she said abruptly and Mor didn't stop her as she walked away, her head swimming with thoughts of the strong and kind woman with the blonde hair and honey eyes…

Perhaps they were not so different after all? Perhaps I was supposed to meet her? She shook the thought. But something within her seemed to sing at those thoughts…