Memory in the End

Chapter 14: The Dream

Michael had us set up camp for the night. There was still plenty of light left in the day, but he was worried about my condition and didn't want me to exert myself too much. I figured there was no point in protesting. We ate dinner, which Owyne and Aru provided from hunting and foraging. And after reprimanding Aru for making a couple jokes, Michael ushered the rest of them to the other side of the campfire. We all bid each other a goodnight and then went to sleep.

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, an old memory came to me in my dreams. It was from so long ago, that it felt hazy, yet it still comforted me.

In the dream, I was a little girl again. My father's previous advisor, Absalon Ovras - though I always called him Aba - was in the dream. We were in the library like we always were when Aba wasn't working. We were walking through the library. The smell of the ancient, dusty books and the old oak wood shelves was vivid in my mind. There was the familiar wine red carpet with gold trimmings that ran all along the stairs and hall. We ascended those stairs to the second level of the library. Aba held onto my hand, and with my other hand I let it glide along the smooth wooden railing that curved along the stairway. We went and sat at our usual spot in a grand armchair underneath one of the many tall windows. He drew back the heavy curtain, allowing sunlight to pour in and brighten up the space. Then, he helped me up into his lap, and opened the giant book in his hands. The book's pages were made of soft parchment, and gilded with gold. The cover was of fine leather, and gold lines ran along the spine. A blue diamond was set into the front cover. The title was...what was it? What was the title? It looked familiar...was it one of the tales about the Magnificent Five? No, this book seemed different from that one... Everything else up until then had been so clear. Why could I not recall this one book?

Despite the mysteriousness of the book, I still felt the tranquil atmosphere of the dream. Ah, I miss this feeling. Everything was at peace. Life had been so fun and carefree back then. There were no worries of anyone betraying the king. I was a little princess, and my father was a beloved ruler. The Magnificent Five were still undefeated heroes, with victories that were praised all throughout the land.

Then, someone called out from across the library. I..I can't make out what he's saying. Aba placed the book on the table next to the chair and let me down. I began to run down the stairs and through the hall of the library towards the person who was calling. My arms are stretched out, ready to embrace the person. In my excitement, I tripped over the hem of my light green velvet dress. I managed to lift myself up, but my hand was scraped against the carpet. It stung, and tears threatened to fall from my eyes. But then I felt my head being patted. Looking up, I could see he was wearing armor. His face was blurred. I couldn't remember who he was. But I must have been close to him, because he made me smile despite the pain. He rubbed the scrape and sang a short rhyme meant to chase pain away. He lifted me up into his arms and kissed my forehead.

Aba came down as well, walking slower due to his old age. He and this person greeted each other and were talking pleasantly. Again, I can't make out what they're saying.

The only thing I can remember for certain is how happy and innocent I was back then.

I woke up with a start. My breathing was heavy and I sat up abruptly, instantly feeling lightheaded as a consequence. The palm of my hand rest against the side of my head as I calmed down. I glanced over at the others. They were still sound asleep; Aru and Henry each had an hand hitting the other in the face, and I chuckled quietly to myself at the sight.

Thinking back to the dream, I probably feel as happy now as I was back then. It wasn't for the same reasons; back then I wasn't as aware of the world as I am now. But there was the same feeling of being content with the present.

I frowned a bit, recalling the strange person. Who was that? The dream had seemed so much like a memory, but it felt like there were pieces missing. Was it really a memory at all? Absalon was there, though...Maybe it was just a knight at the castle? This was going to bother me for the rest of the night. There was no way I could go back to sleep. The sun wouldn't be up until a couple more hours. As long as I stayed close to the camp, it should be alright to take a short walk.

Being careful not to make too much noise, I stood up and started walking. When we were looking for a place to settle down, we had passed by a small clearing. Looking at it now, I could see the grass was tall, going up to my waist. There were little fireflies floating around, giving the clearing a magical, mysterious ambiance against the backdrop of the night sky and forest trees swaying in the wind.

The grass behind me rustled. I spun around in an instant, but then relaxed when I saw who it was.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I asked.

"No, Aru has a habit of kicking in his sleep, and we were sleeping closer than usual," Michael answered as he rubbed his back. He walked over until he was next to me, "What about you? Did Owyne's snoring wake you up?".

I laughed, "If only it were that..." my voice drifted.

Michael's brows furrowed, "Are you still feeling unwell from this afternoon?".

I shake my head slowly, "No, no it's not that.". I looked up at him, staring for a moment. Could it have been Michael in that dream...? Michael cocks his head at me, a questioning look in my eyes. He's waiting for me to tell him what's troubling me, but I'm not sure if I should tell him about the dream or not.

"Um, Michael..." I started hesitantly, but then changed my mind, "I was thinking about my father, that's all.".

Michael smiled at me, "It's alright, we'll find Ivan and stop Victor.".

I returned the smile, and we walk back to the camp together. Neither of us says a word on the way back. There's only the sound of crickets chirping, and our feet crunching into the ground as we walk. Michael stays awake with me until the sun comes up, and the others start to awaken.   

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Enjoy the update :)

xx S