Silverclaw

Within Anya's Dreams

 Princess raced back into the camp and over to Anya. Dievra, sat next to her, blinked at her in surprise.

 'Lady Princess. I thought you had gone hunting. Is everything all right?'

 'Yes! I know how I can be with Anya! I can Dream Bond with her!'

 Dievra's eyes widened in surprise. 'That... that is very risky, Lady Princess. It is only accomplished by one Snow Leopard every three hundred years or so.'

 'And the last time was four hundred years ago! Dievra, I have to try. I'm her Bonded Partner, and she's been asleep for so long now... What else can I do?'

 'You could wait for her to awaken, Princess, like the rest of us.'

 'And what if she's trapped, Dievra? What then?' Princess met her gaze, determination shining in her eyes.

 Finally, Dievra sighed. 'Very well, Lady Princess. I think that, if it is you, then it can be done. After all, you are not what you appear to be, much like your Partner.'

 It was now Princess's turn to blink in surprise. 'You... you know...? How...?'

 'I have eyes, Lady Princess. I see how, even when you are attempting to make Her Majesty laugh, your eyes are scanning for danger. Not only that, but your actions and words reveal your intelligence as well.' Dievra smiled sadly. 'You have much pain in your past, just as she does. It is how you were able to connect with her in the first place.'

 Princess looked down at her paws. 'Not even Anya knows, but... when we Bonded, it wasn't just her who was in pain-'

 'Stop there, Lady Princess. It is not me whom you need to tell. It is Anya. Go on, Little Lady. Dream Bond with her, and bring her back to our world.' Dievra stepped to one side, letting Princess pass her to go to Anya's side.

 Princess sent her a grateful look, and then shifted into her house cat form, curling up on Anya's chest so that she was lying over her heart.

 Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and her spirit slipped into Anya's mind.

 The wind blew around her, making her fur ripple beneath it, and she shivered slightly. She knew that wind, it was the same one from the cliff close to Anya's old farm-she had shown it to them all when they first arrived-and turned into it, certain, somehow, that it would lead her to Anya. The wind grew stronger the closer she came to the farm, and it was just getting to the point that it could send her flying back when, without any warning, it stopped.

 Not expecting the resistance to disappear, Princess went flying forward, tumbling down a hill until she came to a halt against a wooden door. She blinked, and sat up just as the door opened, revealing Anya, wearing a green cotton shirt, breeches, and brown boots that laced up her shins. Her long hair, usually left down after she had taken the elven throne, was plaited and coiled on top of her head as she stared down at Princess, frowning.

 'Hello, Puss. Do I know you? You look... familiar...' Anya knelt, holding out her right hand and rubbing the fingers together to catch Princess's attention. However, this was entirely unneeded, as Princess launched herself at Anya happily.

 'Anya! Oh, I've missed you so much!' The instant her paws touched the area over Anya's heart, a jolt ran through them both, and Anya gasped loudly.

 'Princess...? Great Mother Above, it's you! It's really you!' Laughing, Anya hugged her happily, making Princess purr loudly.

 'Rose? What's going on out here...?' A woman appeared in the doorway behind Anya. She was tall, with black hair and emerald green eyes that shone at Princess. She wore clothes that matched her eyes, a deep green with black trimming that stood out against her skin. The top was off the shoulders, with long sleeves that almost touched the ground. It was cut to reveal her stomach, perfectly flat with no sign of any muscles.