The Dream

In the days before faekind, the Earth was empty of magic. Each day was the same. The sun rose and set, the seasons came and went. There was beauty, but it was dulled by a strange sameness. All things were born, grew old, and died, the people of the world laughed and cried, loved and hated. They lived in their beautiful world, but when they slept that world vanished. Before the first dream, the slumber of humanity was dreamless. There was nothing but the void.

Until one day a small child fell asleep under the shade of large and mighty oak tree. This tree was alive as all trees are, but not just living. It was sentient, aware. It was one of the first trees - the eldest - and it was intrigued by the dreamless slumber of the child who lay cradled in the safety of its roots. 

It probed the young child's mind gently. Carefully, it sifted through the small store of memories held at its very core and as it looked it grew sad. Humans saw the world around them, but only the surface. They did not see the beneath or the between. 

Humans saw only themselves. They did not see the blood flow in their veins. They did not see the life that pulsed beneath the bark of a tree. Nor did they see the distant planets in the night sky, or the differing realities that existed like layers of an onion. Humans were bereft of any imagination. Their souls held no magic. 

Without magic humanity would eventually destroy itself. Without imagination, they would never grow, or see beyond the now. They would remain in an endless cycle of birth and death until they spiraled inwards and consumed themselves. Without magic all humans would become greedy and arrogant. They would become evil. 

The ancient oak did not want this to be the fate of humans. It enjoyed the innocent laughter of the young children who played at its roots and climbed among its lowest branches. No, humans must learn to dream and create magic with their minds and hearts. With magic the veil between worlds would lift. This would allow humans to see the different creatures who existed in the Ether. They would look beyond their daily existence and see new realities. 

They would not only dream, they would also create and give new life to the energies that existed in the place between worlds. 

So the tree placed a seed within the fertile mind of the child it watched over and delighted as it took root and began to grow. Magic would be born on this day.

*

Jairus twitched and smiled in his sleep. The rough bark behind his head and back were the softest of pillows, the grass beneath a sweet-smelling bed. In a place that was once dark a light now shone. Where once there was the void there was now something other. 

And the child was not alone in this new place. 

A splendid creature unlike anything he had ever seen circled in the sky above the tree. Downward it spiraled, closer, and large it became. Without a sound it landed next to him. Large crimson eyes regarded him with a blend of amusement and curiosity. "Why do you call me from the ether, little human?" 

"Call?" the child asked and reached out to touch the scaly creature beside him. "I did nay call you." 

The first dragon laughed and flexed its sapphire wings. "It matters not if you did. I am here." 

The child giggled in response. "What be you? I've never seen nuthin' as pretty as you b'fore?" 

"I am a dragon, the first dragon. Would you like to go for a ride?" 

The child's eyes went wide. "You mean fly? Way up in the sky?"

Again the dream creature laughed. "Of course..." 

With teeth as long as Jarius' arms, the dragon lifted the child by his tunic and braes and placed him in the groove between its shoulder blades. "Now you be sure to hold on tight, little human. There be a scale ridge just before you. You hold on to it or you may slip off." 

Jarius did as he was asked. His face was bright with excitement. "Where will we go? Can we fly to the mountains? Can we? Can we fly to the sea?"

"We can fly where ever you wish to fly, Jarius."

"How do you know my name?" 

"I am in your dream, child. I know all that you are and all that you think of." 

"Dream? What is a dream?" 

"This is," and the dragon leapt into the air. 

Jarius squealed with glee, but remembered to hold on tight as they flew upwards. In several heartbeats they were above the trees and almost touching the clouds. Everything below grew small and Jarius could see forever. 

The dragon flew across forest and grasslands, lakes and rivers, until the mountains rose before them like mighty beasts of earth and rock. The dragon went higher and began to weave in and out of the snowy peaks. 

There was snow all around, but Jarius felt no cold. The dragon's wings sliced through misty clouds, yet not a droplet or bead of their moisture dampened Jarius' skin. On the dragon's back, the child sat protected from the elements his mouth open in an O of speechless amazement. 

Then just as he did not think his 'dream' could get any better, the dragon's azure wings took them through to the other side of the mountains to where the ocean lapped at their base. From where the child sat, the sea below was an endless sapphire jewel edged with white where the waves crashed against the shore. 

All at once, the dragon began to descend. Down he spiraled towards a wide strip of white sand. Closer they came, until Jarius was forced to shield his eyes from the blinding glare that came off the sand beneath. But as soon as the dragon's feet touched the ground the child was clambering down across its shoulder and down its leg to the beach.

The dragon smiled at the rapt expression on Jarius' face. To be so young, and to take pleasure in all things new was something the dragon had not experienced for many millennia. It felt joy that it could bestow such a gift. It knew this dream would be something the child would treasure forever.

"Oh, Dragon!" Jarius said, his words ending with a sigh of happiness. "I cannot believe I am here!"

The child laughed and clapped his hands together, then turned and ran towards the water's edge. Small dusty feet were quickly washed clean by the cold waves that raced towards him and his squeals and shrieks broke the stillness as he dodged in and out of the water. 

And when he could not run and play anymore, Jarius collapsed in the wet sand at the dragon's side and hunted for shells and treasure with his short, chubby fingers. 

"So where do you live?" he asked while his hands made mountains out of sand. 

"I used to live in the Ether between worlds, Jarius." 

"Between worlds?" 

"Yes, child. There are many worlds like this one. They are all connected by the Ether. The place where we wait to be born." 

"There are more of you? More dragons?" 

The dragon's body shook with silent laughter. "Yes, child. There are many, and not only dragons. There are whole races of fae just waiting for someone to believe in them just as others believe in humans." 

"Someone believes in us? Is that why we are here?" 

The dragon smiled again. "You have a quick mind, child. I suspect that is why you were chosen by the eldest to be the first. Yes, there are other beings that dream of you and when they dream they weave powerful magics. They create and make you real." 

"So 'cause I have dreamed of you, you are now real?" 

The dragon smiled a draconic smile. Its eyes were bright with the same pleasure that glowed in the eyes of the child. "Yes child, you have given me life. You have given me physical form, and now, others will see me and they too will believe, and with that belief I will remain alive."

Jarius leaned back against the dragon. He yawned and mumbled sleepily, "and there are others?"

"Yes, Jarius. There are thousands, and thousands of fae in the Ether. Creatures both beautiful and ugly, both wise and dangerous. They are all there … waiting."

*

When Jarius woke again, the dragon was gone and he was back under the tree where he had fallen asleep. His clothes were dry, the sand and salt was gone from his skin and in their place were the same dirty smudges that were there before. 

Did this dream really happen? Was a dream not real? 

It is as real as you wish to make it, little one.

 

Jarius sat up, and looked around. Suddenly, a large shadow flew across the sky and darkened the sun. The dragon? The child could not be certain. But he smiled. He believed. 

* 

Jarius grew to become a young man, and that young man became the first Bard. He dedicated his life to sharing his dreams and planting the seeds of magic in the minds of young and old alike.

With the planting of each new seed a fae was born. Until one day, they were many and they walked in the lands of humans. They were the magic and magic now had a name. 

Dream. 

An Excerpt from the Journal of Princess A'merellelei

Willow - 5th day.

 

I never know what is going to happen from one minute to the next when she is around. Grandmother always disturbs the peaceful camaraderie of any gathering. Father must want to die of embarrassment sometimes. Grandmother can sit in a room full of starving people, toying with her pearls and diamonds, and whine about the trials and tribulations of having to eat a pear with a bruise upon its surface. 

And she is so very … human. 

I used to dread when she came to the woods to visit. She would blunder about with her big feet, big bust, and loud voice. There is no gentleness to her. Everything is so extreme. Her hair is always over-powdered, her lips are always over-rouged, and she always wears too much jewellery. Simple cotton garments patterned with subtle designs would never suffice. Oh no! All of her clothes must be made of garish silks and satins of clashing colours. 'Subtlety' is definitely something she lacks. 

What's worse is that I am so very small next to grandmother, even though I am fully grown. It is obvious to all that I take after my elven sire. That is why grandmother left me here when I was but a babe. Mother died when she birthed me and left grandmother bewailing that she could not possibly look after a babe with pointed ears and purple eyes. 

When grandmother comes for her monthly visits, she barrels up to me and sweeps me up into an embrace that I can only describe as smothering. Imagine the horror a waif of an elf-child would feel if a behemoth was to pick it up and squeeze it into the cleft between two mountainous, sweaty bosoms? 'Tis just the stuff to give a child nightmares for years to come. 

In the end, I began to hide in the cedar grove when grandmother came to call. As soon as her carriage was sighted, I would vanish. I would remain throughout blazing heat, or mighty storm. No amount of nearby lightening strikes could coax me out of my chosen tree. I would rather die a sizzling death, than be smothered in between grandmother's perpetually sweaty breasts. 

Father reproached me when I began doing this. He claimed I was wicked and heartless. He still loves my mother, and never took another consort after she died. This is something the elvan court is very upset about. They detest Father's ties to the humans. Lord T'ristimerele believes grandmother is a spy for the human King, but the other Lords and Ladies almost died laughing when he voiced his suspicions. 

Grandmother? A spy? She is more than that. Grandmother is actually a witch, a witch in the employ of King Llewellyn. How do I know? Today I did something of which I am not very proud. I followed my grandmother when she returned home. I spied upon her, just like she spies upon us. What I discovered leaves me shaken. 

Grandmother is more than just a spy, she is an ambassador who works to forge a peaceful alliance between humans and elves. Father and King Llewellyn seek to end the years of enmity between the two races, and grandmother is the only one who has ever been able to move freely back and forth between the two peoples.

And she knows I know. 

I don't know what to do with the knowledge I have. I am elf, and personally, I despise humanity for what they have done to my people. I am not sure if I want peace between our races. I am torn. The only real contact I have had with them is the contact I have with my grandmother and I rather dislike my grandmother. But I now wonder if she really is whom she portrays herself to be, or if she is someone I do not know at all. Is she someone I can trust? Father obviously trusts her, but Father has always refused to look at history's pages. Humans have never changed. They are not capable of it. 

Willow - 7th day.

 

I could not write anything within my journal yesterday. Lord D'larshinae asked me to spend the day falconing with him. I was so surprised by his invitation that I could barely stammer out a yes. 

Lord D'lar is the most sought after bachelor in all the seven camps. And he asked me?? 

When we returned, we dined within the perfumed opulence of his tents. Is it possible to die from lust? That man is so deliciously tempting, with his hard body and those soft lips. Last night I dreamed that we made love, and woke this morning with a wet ache between my thighs. That ache has stayed with me all day. 

Yesterday was perfect but for one thing. Why would D'lar want to talk about my grandmother? He asked me about her several times yesterday. Strange little questions they were too. Methinks I will play the naiveté for a while longer and see what it is my beautiful darling elflord is after. 

Willow - 10th day.

 

Men can be so foolish sometimes. He might be beautiful, but if he thinks I am so gullible, then the man is a halfwit. I used to think that an inflated ego was a very human thing, but it is becoming more apparent that elven males are guilty of this arrogance also. 

Why would an elflord, who previously scorned me because of my mixed blood heritage, suddenly change his opinions and try to instead woo the one he despises? Lust is a funny thing. It tends to wear off rather quickly when the object of your desire is out of site. And D'lar has been doing his best to avoid me for the last three days. 

But he does not seem to realize how cunning this female is. I have been watching again. I discovered when I was a child that nobody wants to see me. If they do not 'see' me, they cannot be reminded that their King begot his heir upon a human woman. This cruelty hurt me when I was a child, but over time I began to see its advantages. I now move through the camps like one who is invisible. Nobody wants to see me, so therefore they don't. 

D'lar went riding today. He left just after dawn, and rode west, towards the Summerland. I always ride just before sunrise, so it was rather good timing that I saw him leave as I was returning. I followed him from within the woods that bordered his path. It would seem that my feral childhood has given me several advantages. I know the woodlands well enough to know every pathway through them. 

Much to my astonishment, my no longer ardent admirer met with Lord T'ristimerele in a ruined temple several leagues from the home camp. I must confess, my heart was somewhat wounded when I witnessed the younger elflord lean in his saddle and kiss Lord T'ristimerele most passionately. But the pieces of this confusing puzzle are starting to fall into place. 

They were not the only participants in this clandestine tryst. Within several heartbeats, over a handful of elven nobles joined the lovers. What to do, what to do? By the time I got close enough to hear, much had already been said. Thank the Goddess, I heard enough to give me forewarning of what was to come.

Did I say how foolish men are yet? What I did hear was shocking. Lord D'lar and Lord T'ristimerele were doing their best to convince the other lords to let them approach me? They want me to betray my grandmother, and depose Father? Why would they want me to do that? 

Because they know I hate humans. 

And they are right. I have always despised humans, and revile the human blood that flows under my skin. If I could bleed it out, I would. If I could be wholly elf, I would be.

But I am not. And I love my Father most dear. What to do, what to do? What is this web in which I find myself? Am I the spider? Or am I the prey? 

I also wonder - mayhap, D'lar was not so repelled by my heritage, and was more repelled by my sex. Yes?

Willow - 11th day.

 

I watch. I wait. Father told me that grandmother is coming to visit at the end of the week. There was an urgency in his voice, and more than a little fear. He is worried about something. 

Willow - 12th day.

 

They came. Lord T'ristimerele and Lord D'lar. I am still surprised by their audacity. Lord T'ristimerele informed me that he knows of my grandmother's deception. His underlings have been watching her for years, and know she is both witch and spy. 

Lord T'ristimerele wants me to kill my grandmother, an in doing so, destroy any chance of the treaty being signed. He says I am the only person who can do it. Grandmother trusts me. 

Again I find myself wondering if I am the spider, or the prey. I am no fool. They will get the same results if I should die instead. They will also be rid of a half elf princess. 

Willow - 13th day.

 

I feel sick. My stomach hurts. I cannot eat. Lord D'lar came to me today. They want an answer. I hope I will be forgiven for this. 

I told them yes. I will kill my grandmother as she journeys to the camp.

Willow - 21st day.

 

Father had Lords D'lar, T'ristimerele, Strinariea, P'lansthios, R'linishea and D'slenirea arrested today. They are to be tried for treason. And I am glad. I did say men were foolish creatures did I not? They are foolish because they assume to understand the mind of a woman. 

Since discovering that my grandmother is a spy, I have learned one very important thing. She and I are very alike. I get my cunning and my love for intrigue from the one woman I thought I hated above all others. 

I have known for some time that another reads my journal. That is why I have filled it with half truths, and traps of my own. 

I did spy on my grandmother, and I did despise her for many years. But on discovering the truth, I was allowed to see the real woman, and I found myself liking her immensely. And she is also very cunning. What better way to win over another person than by asking them to help. 

Grandmother knew Lord T'ristimerele was conspiring to destroy any chances of a treaty between the two races, so she asked me to help expose them. They made it so very easy. 

But I hear you wondering why I would help others to join my people in peace to a race I despise. What reason do I have? 

I have no love for humanity. I never will. But I have always honoured the wishes of family above all others. My father desired peace, so peace is my gift to him.