Misted Deceit

Through Time

The night tortured him with many dreams, some fantastical while others frighteningly real.  Snatches of a past life fluttered just out of reach, wanting to return, but unable to.  At last, Forrest gave up on sleep and lay awake in the dark.  Tiring quickly of that, he got up and stared out the window, wondering at the flowers that once again glowed in the moonlight.  However, he could no longer feel their enticing enchantment.  Turning, he then watched the fire flicker as it died into cherry-red embers.

"Can't sleep?"

He jumped at Breezy's voice.  She stepped out of the shadows, apparently having been awake the whole time.  "I-yes.  Too much on my mind," he said.

"I know what you mean.  There was a time when my mind was free of those sorts of worries."

"What are you saying?"

"I lost my family at a young age, just like your friend did; it's amazing how one's childhood trauma can show in your life.  Anyways, the Elite Hydranian Guard came in the middle of the night and burned everything.  My parents made a stand, but were captured.  They took us to the southern pass, beating and torturing us the whole way.  My younger sister died from exhaustion.  My mum and da resisted wholeheartedly after that.  They knew it would cost them their lives, and I'll just say that I will never, ever forget that night.  Just me and my older sister were left and it was only a matter of time before we too were killed.

It was an early morning when I got into a brawl with one of the soldiers; he refused to give me breakfast.  Kind of pathetic, but I was fed up with them.  He whipped me and spat at me with venom.  Right before he let loose the final shot, my sister appeared and placed herself between him and me.  She got blasted in the chest.  Two minutes later, she was gone.  Now I was alone, devoid of any motivation to keep fighting.  Grief swallowed me as I was taken to RiverWide, a military fort.  I was then held there for...too many years.  Eventually I escaped and ended up here.  And every night, those memories haunt me.  I doubt they'll ever leave."

Forrest gave her a look of surprise and sympathy, "I'm sorry.  I..."

"It's okay.  I've, ah, gotten over it."

A sudden movement made the two of them flinch.  Orchid rose and joined them silently by the fire.  "I couldn't help but hear your conversation.  I hope you don't mind.  And I don't know how you could tell that, Breezy, about me."

"You just have to know what to look for and after spending quite a bit of time with someone who'd also lost someone, I've gotten pretty good at detecting that type of past."

"So, you are like a mystic?  Reading pasts instead of futures?" Orchid asked.

Breezy laughed, "I guess."

"What about me?  Can you tell anything about me?" Forrest piped up, hoping to learn at least something about himself.

She gazed intently at him, studying him.  "No, not really," she said, mystified, "You're like a blank piece of parchment.  Nothing.  I've never encountered someone like you before."

He looked at her, disappointed, "Thanks, I guess.". Orchid glanced at him, a pained expression coloring her features.  "Perhaps I could be of some assistance," she offered.

"How?" Breezy asked, just as puzzled as Forrest felt.

"My story.  You said that I had a traumatic childhood, and it's true.  My father was a horrible dragon when I was young, and is even worse now.  But my mother, she was the most kind, caring, compassionate mother anyone could want.  She loved me for who I am and let me embrace that.  She was always there by my side, no matter what.  Father, on the other wing, was about as controlling as they get.  He told me that I had to be the perfect little dragon and always honor my family.  My passion for becoming a soldier meant nothing to him.  Anything I cared for, anything I was, he was oblivious to them.  His goal for me was to be an empty shell who did everything she was told to.

However, I wasn't exposed to any of this while my mother was around.  She shielded me from him.  I admired her.  I loved her with everything I had.  And when I met For...Talon, she couldn't have been happier for me.  My life seemed perfect, until I found out she was deathly sick.  After that, nothing was the same.  She hadn't changed, but now I started to realize the plans my father had for me, plans my mother had kept hidden.  I became lost.  My mother needed me to care for her while I struggled to begin a relationship with my father.  However, that attempt quickly dissipated.  We argued daily and ignored each other for weeks.  And it was during this time that my mother meant the most to me.  She listened to my rants, my tears, my hateful words.  She loved me and comforted me.  But her time was approaching quickly, and we both knew it.  So, as one last memory-maker, she took me to Prism Falls for a picnic.  Of course, I was much too old for that, but I didn't care.  As long as I was with her, I was happy.  Those hours were the best of my life.  We talked about anything and everything.  However, one last thing she had me do was to promise her that I would be a proper young lady after she'd gone.

Two days later, she died.  Her last hours were heart-wrenching and are still too painful for me to remember.  The funeral I can barely recall.  But every moon after it, I visited her grave, and I allowed no one to stop me.  And at some point after her death, I left home, despite my promise.  I hated myself for weeks afterwards.  Soon, I joined the army, where I re-met Talon, who had become LongClaw in the time I had been away.  There, I forgot about my grief, but the dull ache of my mother's absence never really left.  Enlisting was probably the best thing I could have done, though.  Eventually, I accepted the grief as a part of me with the help of Talon.  He'd been a true friend, and not long after, we were engaged.  But I should have known better than to think that the happiness would last.  Only moons ago, he was...killed..."

Orchid broke off, weeping.  Autumn Breeze stood by her and comforted her.  Forrest just stared at her, never knowing that her past was so dark.  Even though he didn't want to admit it, he was struck strongly by what she said about this Talon.  The name and identity seemed so familiar.  He had no idea why, and it frustrated him deeply.  However, she had said that Talon had died recently, so he doubted that he had ever known the LongClaw.

"Autumn," he said softly, "I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

She gave him a confused expression, "Whatever do you mean, Forrest?  You never said anything like that."

"No, I didn't, but there were those thoughts floating around in my head."

"Oh."

"However, I was wondering if you could do us a favor..."

"You want me to do what?!"  Breezy gaped at him, "The capitol?  Why?  You'll be arrested immediately."

"Exactly," Forrest said.  Even Orchid looked at him in shock, "What are you planning?"

"To free them, if they are there, of course.  If not, then we'll be in a whole lot of trouble.  However, that is a risk I am willing to take.  We need them," he replied, determined.

"And how, pray tell, do you plan on rescuing them?  Water Falls is underwater..." Breezy smiled nervously as the two dragons glared suspiciously at her, "Well, that's what the legends say, right?"

"Right," Forrest drew out the word, "As for saving them, I'm still working on that, and if what you say is true about the water, that will be quite a problem.  I'm sure you know, but wings don't really work well when wet.  Plus, fire isn't, ah, too effective under those conditions."

"So, you're improvising?" Orchid guessed.

"Yes, pretty much.  Figured I'd try something new," he shrugged, "But whether that will work is all up to Breezy."  He stared at her intently.

"I guess, but if anything goes wrong, I am going to blame you," she replied reluctantly.

"Thank you," Orchid said before Forrest could, "This means so much to us."

"No problem.  However, I probably have no idea what I am getting myself into."

Forrest laughed.