Shadows and dust - Purpose of time: Volume 1

Chapter 2

Gwen woke suddenly.

Something smothered her. Soft, yet heavy and thick. Her nails ripped at the assailant, pulling strips from it, before she realised there was no night terror, just her own hair, matted over her mouth.

The same nightmare again.

She strained for a few deep breaths, hoping her heart would steady. She fought for concentration as her body trembled, forcing herself to allow the warm night air to pass in and out of her lungs. The makeshift bedding underneath her rendered useless by the violence of her trembling; the dry stone only offering biting familiarity.

Slowly she regained control. Each lung-busting breath a tad less violent than the previous, until finally she could feel the cushion of straw beneath her, wet with what she hoped was sweat. She swallowed several times, trying to moisten her mouth. Spit was hard to come by until Gwen flicked her tongue around her teeth to lather up what saliva she could. Eventually her throat loosened with a harsh cough and she felt safe enough to sit up.

Samson was watching. His face apologetic in the dark of the outhouse.

When he was certain Gwen was okay, he let his snout rest on the floor, but kept his eyes open.

"I'm alright, buddy," she whispered, before massaging round her own eyes. "A bad dream is all."

She rose from her sweepings of straw, skipping over the coils of the blackened chain bolted to the wall of the cramped building. The night was stiller than of late, but, as ever, the wind was plenty loud enough to erase the sound of her delicate footsteps.

Samson's tongue tickled her fingers as she stroked him, sat cross-legged beside her best friend. Gwen tugged her rag of a dress underneath her, but a few loose stones still stung into the soft underside of her bottom. She swept her hand across the stone to clear the debris and found the floor less painful a second time.

Gwen's fingers wandered from Samson's face to his head and rested between his ears. Despite a coat laden with grit and grime, the softness of his fur always calmed her.

She leaned closer to his ear.

"You know one day, I'm gonna give you the biggest bath. I'm gonna get you safe water and a wire brush, like they use on the ol' mating stallions. We're gonna rid your of dust and you're gonna be so white and shiny. The girls are gonna love you."

Samson showed no sign he was thinking of impressing any girls in his immediate future. He closed his eyes as Gwen continued.

"And then I'm gonna dry you off, pat you down with an expensive cloth, make sure all your claws are looking pretty. We could even scent you like Lordy."

She paused, pulling her dress tighter around her collarbone.

"Well, maybe not exactly like Lordy," she whispered. "I bet you can get all sorts of different potions and you deserve your own. Completely different to his."

Samson snored, so Gwen stretched out beside him. Her fingers clenched tight around his fur as she synced her breathing to his. She knew further sleep would not be hers tonight, she didn't want the thoughts that haunt her dreams to take root again, even nestled at Samson's side.

She thought about vast fields and crystal lakes and all the things that her Ol' Nan had told her about a lifetime ago. All the goodness that could still be found somewhere out there beyond the canyons, across the deserts and under the stars. She thought about anything and everything she could to keep the demons out.

Finally, the first rays of the morning crept through the gaps in the roof.