Sweet Dreams | Dream Of The Endless

16 | The Sound of Her Wings

*1889*

As Dream and Atia approached the pub, they heard a woman singing. She stood before the doors and swayed with her tune, but her eyes didn't stray away from them for a moment.

"Oh. You gave us a start, sir," she told the Endless, when they approached the pub. "For a second, I thought you was Bloody Jack hisself."

"No."

"No, I know that, sir. Just joshing ya," she chuckled, then her gaze moved towards Atia. "And you, lady... you look like a friggin' Wraith, or whatever. White hair and all."

The Queen of the Dreaming gave her a polite, tight smile. While she got used to people commenting on her hair, it was still the reason why she was the outcast in her society.

"So, how'd you like to buy a gal a dam of pale?" the woman asked, turning back to Dream. "And maybe a quick bum dance? Give us a hard drive with your cream stick."

"I think not," he said, putting an arm around Atia's waist and pulling her closer to himself.

"I bet you ain't got it in you, you skinny chickaleary," the stranger sneered.

"Lou!" someone called from the inside.

As they all turned, they saw a familiar figure walking towards them. Atia smiled at their friend, who stopped just before them. He flicked a coin towards the woman.

"Get yourself a drink," he told her.

"Maybe just the one," she stuttered, then pushed past him inside.

"Sorry about Lushing Lou," Hob said, as he turned back around to face them.

"No harm done," Atia waved him off.

They walked inside, before taking a seat by one of the empty tables. Almost immediately they spotted the woman getting herself some alcohol.

"Lushing Lou. Is that what they call her?" Morpheus asked.

"Well, in here, they call her 'the Hospital'," Hob shrugged.

"Why?"

"Because she's in 'em a great deal, and because she's sent so many men into 'em. No idea what her real name is."

"Louise Baldwin. Her father was in the British army. Her cousin raped, impregnated, and deserted her when she was just a child," Atia sighed, as she once again looked at the woman.

"How do you know all that?" Hob breathed out.

The two just glanced at each other, before Morpheus decided to break the silence, changing the topic.

"Your cup is empty. You need more wine," he stated.

Hob chuckled in disbelief and shook his head.

"You knew Lady Johanna. You know Lushing Lou. You know everyone, don't you?"

"We saw her again, you know?"

"Who? Lady Johanna?"

"She undertook a task for me and succeeded admirably, might I add," Dream leaned back in his seat.

Atia remembered exactly what the task was. She knew that thousands of years before they met, Morpheus was married and had a child with one of Greek Muses. Sometime later, his son asked Dream to kill him and the Endless did so. Johanna's task was to recover the son's head.