Shadow dancers

THREE

"The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself"- Thales 

......

I woke up, as most do after they go to sleep, with a odd feeling. My head hurt a little and I felt a bit, well, annoyed?  It was strange I must say.  However I was awake. Really awake. Every inch of my mind and body was full of energy, it was euphoric enough that the feeling of  annoyance and irritation passed as soon as I opened my eyes. 

"Your awake, finally" Cade said although there wasn't even a hint of annoyance in his voice. 

"Yes" I said with a smile jumping to my feet. I looked to the sky where the moon was still out in all its glory and a star shot over the sky leaving a trail of glitter behind it. A part of my mind, subconscious  I guess, though it was weird. Was the sky meant to be filled with something else? I shook it off surely it was wrong. Why would the sky need to change anyway? It was entrancing though and once again I could hardly pull my eyes away, I wanted to follow the goddess from Cade's story so I could spend my life speeding across the sky and dazzle silver. Astraea. 

"There not something you can ever get over, are they" he whispered following my gaze. 

"No" I whispered back and we stared in silence and shared awe, a finite forever. 

......

The trees changed dramatically, one last identical row of dazzling, carved trees then a new unruly forest began. Though still beautiful in a new way. A battlefield of life scrambling over one another in a race ones eye wasn't patient enough to catch. Where old trees had fallen its children grew in its wake. It was amongst this forest that I started to wonder where Cade was actually taking me, so far I had just accepted that he was here. I knew nothing my memory only going back to yesterday, I didn't even have a name. I was simply a being. Cade had said "our lore" yesterday so he must belong somewhere. "Where are we going?" I asked my eyes flicking toward his for a moment before focusing on a odd creature on the branch above.

"Im surprised its taken you this long to ask" He replied his voice while not quiet seemed less... intense out here. The forest of infinity was so silent and serene it was difficult to adjust to the background noise of this one. I didn't understand it, the language of the animals, which a part of me found normal. But it was odd not knowing what their chatter was about. So far I had only met Cade and it was second nature to understand and respond to him. Maybe it was because he was the first one who found me. Maybe if instead it was one of these animals I would then only understand them.  

"Im taking you to the city, to met someone" He replied his words wrapping around me and pulling me out of my internal wondering. 

"Who" I questioned, yet again feeling my face scrunch up. My eyebrows instinctively pulling themselves together.  I really did need to do something about this. 

"She is a queen, my queen" He said his tone proud. "You will be important to her" he carried on.  

A queen! Words popped into my head powerful, ruler, crown... I would say that this was strange, why was I important to a queen? But that would mean admitting that everything going on now wasn't. Because now that I was thinking about it, right now was spectacularly strange. I knew what some things where, or at least recognised enough to take a guess but I couldn't remember why/how I knew. I didn't even know I was right. I could.. talk. Thats what I was doing, what we where doing. But how did I know how to? The biggest mystery was yet to remain, who was I? How did I become? 

" ...that look again" Cade's voice rang out but I was so lost in my mind I only heard the last words.

"Sorry, what did you say" I said sheepishly, shaking my head in a effort to get rid of the intruding thoughts. I was very good at embarrassing myself apparently.

"You went all quiet and when I looked over to make sure you were alright you had that same expression. Like someone who's reading to much into life" He said his eyes holding concern but his face and voice calm. He chuckled. Heat rushed to my face and touched my cheek concerned for a second, however although my subconscious twisted with anxiety I soon realised it was for a different reason. Embarrassment. I was embarrassed. To make it worse the fact that it took me that long to understand myself embarrassed me further, a new wave of heat appeared and I quickly dropped my hand trying to pretend that nothing happened. Cade thankfully seemed oblivious and I let out a quiet sigh of relief. 

"Oh" I laughed, I thought back to our first conversation. "Well I have to beat those ancient philosophers somehow" I replied. A smile broke out across Cade's face lifting up his features.

"Of course" was all he said.