The Dark Crystal-Along the Silver Sea

Chapter Nine -Aughra and Decisions

Az was sleeping in his bed ( yes bed! Not sleepframe) Az had always preferred his sturdy wooden bed over the more typical UrRu Sleepframe, he loved the soft, warm quilt UrUtt had made for him as well even if it did sometimes take more time to get out of bed in the morning (especially lately!).
He was small, so he didn't really care, he loved having a mattress under him and pillows to sink his long-necked head into, and yeah sometimes he did roll out of bed because he'd forgotten how oddly shaped he actually was or ended up tangled in his own limbs, he sometimes found having four long arms annoying!
His Fizzgig 'Fizzie' was sleeping next to him, people often forgot that the Fizzgig was a girl! But she was, she had had one litter of pups, which is why there was a pink bow in her fur, she was pure white with blue eyes, she was rather pretty and somewhat uncommon, one of her pups had been white too.
"UrAzshar!" said a familiar, no-nonsense voice and felt a prod "wake up. Longneck!"
"Aughra?" Az asked, recognizing the voice, he sat up and looked around and thought it was sleeting outside than realized he was somewhere else.

Aughra stood there, looking unimpressed, but then she rarely did, especially with them and the Skeksis...he suspected she didn't really want them here sometimes.
UrAzshar suddenly felt like that young UrRu that UrSu had sent to her long ago to learn 'some control!' as UrSu had put it.
Az sometimes wondered if UrSu was his father? Or if he wasn't, he suspected he might know who was!
"Aughra?" Az asked.
"Bout time you woke up!" Aughra huffed, "you Mystics! Half asleep, the lot of you!"
Az didn't know whether to be offended or not but said, " but Aughra, it's the middle of the night!! I actually was sleeping!! Not to mention it's cold!!!" he pulled his loose tunic and trousers he wore for sleeping closer around him and said a couple of soft words to warm himself up " where are we anyway?"
"In the Dreamspace" she replied

"But I can't Dreamfast!"
"You almost can, with your ability to read emotions," she said, " try it with your Gelfling apprentice sometime!" she looked him up and down and then Harrumphed and then putting her hands on her ample hips she said "you and your Other! Thra it needs your help, call your Other and use your link summon him here!".
"SkekDurn?" said Az, " well, ok...but I will forewarn you before I do...Grumpy Skeksis incoming, he likes less been woken up in the middle of the night than I do!"
Aughra waved that aside " Call him!!" she demanded.
"How do you know I can 'call him' ?" Az asked then, " we haven't told many people about that!"
"Like how you never said anything about your twin hearts..." Aughra said.
"How do you know..." he said then " about THAT? Durn and I have always kept that quiet! Aughra...if the Others were to find out about that.....!"
"Hah! Think I don't know that! Mmmm?"
"Well, no...I didn't think you did," Azshar said "only a few do!" he paused "it is something Durn and I have always kept quiet! How do you know?"
Aughra said, "I just know Longneck! I've told noone, so tell noone yourselves! Not beyond those who already know! If the other Skeksis were to find out about you and Durn's um....Mutation...it is probably what keeps you and your counterpart so well...preserved and probably why both of you recover quicker than the rest of you do if you are wounded or something but yes, I know about it when you fell that time".
"Don't fall out of the Sky UrAzshar," Azshar quoted softly.

"Yes...exactly!" Aughra said.
"I'm surprised you remember that...it was so long ago," Azshar said referring to a time early on, where Az had been practicing some of his magic, and he had been trying to fly, and as a result had fallen out of the sky, in the Valley, he ( and Durn) had been unconscious for several days as a result, as he had been rather severely wounded, it was why they limped slightly, he'd been trying to fly, Durn could, why couldn't he? It had been that incident ( and probably several others) which had made UrSu send him to Aughra to 'learn some control' he had been with Aughra for some years, much like how Podlings served her now, but she had also taught him a lot and had treated him more as a student of hers than anything else.
Aughra said, "I helped heal you," she explained, "so yes, UrIm told me about your um ...mutation."
Azshar said, " err ok.... But how do you know that I can also 'call' Durn and he, me?"
"Because you probably all can!" she said, " regardless of how I know you can do it...so call him!" she looked him up and down then " still red headed and youthful-looking I see.... Time has treated you well, Azshar".
Azshar said, "I think it is Durn's and I, err....Mutation".
Aughra nodded "if anyone, it will be you two who will see the end of this" she nodded at him, then " now call your Counterpart!!!"
Az sighed and said, " very well, I will summon him...but I warn you...Grumpy Skeksis incoming!"
Aughra said, "Hrumph! Think I don't know that!!"
Az sighed and summoned SkekDurn through their link, and SkekDurn appeared he did indeed very grumpy and hissed slightly at his counterpart and then said "AZ!!!" he complained "you know I hate it when you just do that!" he folded his arms and wings irritably around him and then noticed Aughra, who stood with her hands on her hips looking at him "Arh I see...er, where are we?"
"In the Dreamspace," Az replied.
"But we can't Dreamfast!!"
"You have a similar ability, you both do," said Aughra looking SkekDurn up and down as well "It seems age and time had treated you well too, SkekDurn....you were always one of the brightest and most beautiful! Now! Summon your two friends as well....I know you both can do that too".
"Ok," said Azshar.
Azshar and Durn both concentrated on their friends, and very soon, SkekTael and UrIon appeared, Tael looking as grumpy as SkekDurn if not moreso and UrIon looked sleepily around him.
"What the...," Tael asked.
"I was asleep!" UrIon grumbled, making Az smile.
"We're in the Dreamspace apparently," Azshar explained, " The Mother of Thra, it seems wants a few words with us!"