Sanctum: Evigilationis

Warmth in Light

Explosions in my arm. Explosions of pain. They rip my arm like Arrogance was stll attached and alive. The cold and fear had made the pain almost diasapear, but now, once inside and warm, It was hurting like I had not yet understood. Now I hurredly wrapped my arm in a bandage. It was my third day there, concious at least. And my second wound in three days. At this rate, I might as well keel over and die now.

Then I thought of the dogs. Why had the come? Who sent them? I took a look.

They sat there patiently as I went aroud to each of them. There were five there. They looked at me with great curiosity as I talked to them.

"Who are you guys?' I murmered as I checked their name plates. They had very nice tough but soft leather collars. Each had a brass plate on it, bearing their name. These plates seemed to glow, much different from the wolves' who seemed to suck the light out of the world. I checked the ine closest to me, A Black Labrador Retriever. His name was "Love". I looked him straight into his deep brown eyes. Those eyes seemed to penetrate me and do right through my eyes into my brain. Like he was reading me. His big black ears and lovely soft coat were impossible to resist touching.

He seemed to lean into my hand as I pet him. The other dogs shifted and I remembered that He was not the only dog. I still had questions to be answered. Maybe Catherine or Cecelia sent them. Maybe, like Catherin'e note said, these were just creatures of my internal imagination. I could not imagine THAT. I mean, how could I imagine these beautiful, loyal, dogs. 

There was a Newfoundland dog right next to me. She looked at me with saddnes, but with joy as well. Her name plate said, "Hope". I scratched her behind her ears and she looked at me. I think I saw a glint of hope within her eyes, but It may have been a trick of the light. 

There was a lively German Shepard across the room. He was a little wild, so I went over to calm him down. As I pet him, I read his name plate. "Spirit". The name fit, because he had more than enough of that. I could tell that of most of the dogs, he would be one of the strongest. 

There was an older looking Golden Retriever. I went over and She wagged her tail. "And who are you?" I asked. Her ears picked up a little, but that look was not one of love, or kindness. She was analyzing me. Making sure that I was someone she could trust. After a few moments, she raised her chin so I could see her tag. "Wisdom".

Then there was a Siberian Husky, The final one I saw. She did not cry, nor whine. She just watched me with a look alltogether different from the other dogs. I read her name plate. "Patience". Her startleingly blue eyes looked at me. She also seemed to be able to stare past me, but it was for a different reason.

So that was all of them. "Love, Hope, Spirit, Wisom, and Patience." I said, just barley audible, and they responded by all looking at me when their names were called. They knew exactly who they weere and who I was. I got a feeling of security. Then another Hurracane.

Thoughts whizzed around my head, so fast it would have made a supercomputer look like a Ti-82. They span in different color, and at different speeds. I was remembering things. Dreams that I had had in my real life. Feelings of love, hope. My fighting spirit in life. My wisdom and patience in dangerous situations. I knew these dogs were me. The came the bad part.

The failures, crushed dreams, agonies, pains, faults, problems all flooded my brain like a frenzied pack of wolves. WOLVES! That is what they were. But there was something else bothering me. Those were only faults and some minor problems. I was suddnely afraid to see what the crushed dreams, the pains, the falures, and the major problems looked like.

Simply enough, I blacked out. When I came around, it was still dark out. I had no idea anymore how long I had been out. I could imagine not too very long, because it had not stopped snowing and my tracks from the fight were not covered up. The dogs lay asleep next to me. When I stirred, so did Patience. She looked at me and me at her. I realized she did not go to sleep until She knew I was OK. She looked relieved and placed her head back down on the rough wooden floor. 

I looked around. The fire was still going in the stove, another reason I knew that I was not out very long. Then a piercing howl split the air. All the dogs and myself jumped and looked in the direction that it came from. Then we remembered that we were inside. 

The light of the fire made me relax. It filled me with warmth and strength. My arm was not hurting as badly. I took off the bandage to reveal a mauled arm. It then began to sting, so I tied fresh bandages on to it. I was a wreck. I looked suddenly at the key. They key I was only supposed to use in emergencies. It was looking really freindly. But I resrained myself. I could not use it until it was an emergency.

I sighed. I got up from lying on the floor. The pain in my arm was subsiding somewhat. I Found myself thinking upon what had happened. About the knowledge that I had now obtained. I knew some more things about me, and I guess I was becoming, well, me. That thought alone gave me hope. Hope for me and for my life. Now came the challenge of getting back to that.