Dream 7-8

June 21, 2012

William opened his eyes to see that he was in Simon’s hut, following Kayla.

“Where are we going?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

Kayla looked at him, puzzled.

“We are going to see Simon,” she said, “Just as I told you only a few moments ago.”

“Right, right,” William said, “Sorry, I lost my head for a moment.”

Again, Kayla looked at him, puzzled.

“But it is right there, still between your shoulders.”

William paused for a minute, hoping she wasn’t serious. By the look of her face though, she couldn’t be more serious.

“No that’s not what I..”

William tried to think of how to explain. Unfortunately, he was not much of a talker, especially when it came to women, so he failed to explain even a simple expression.

“Never mind.” He said.

Kayla smiled.

“Okay,” she said as she pointed into a small room, “Simon is waiting for you in here. I hope you find what you are seeking.”

“Thank you.”

William walked into the room and saw Simon sitting in a chair, waiting.

“Have a seat.” He said with a voice one would expect from a man of wisdom.

William sat straight across from Simon. Simon sat still, eyes locked on William.

William assumed that Simon was analyzing him, but William was doing it right back.

Simon was a tall, older man. His hair was a bright shade of blonde, with not a single bit of hair on his face to hide his intimidating looks or signs of age. Though William heard Simon was an older man, he looked no older than Marcus. Despite of these things, there was something about Simon that made William too intimidated to speak, which made the silence even more unbearable.

To William, it felt like this silence would never end until Kayla walked in carrying two wooden cups. She placed one in front of both Simon and William.

“Thank you, Kayla.” Simon said with a smile.

She smiled back and left the room.

William looked into the cup. It contained a dark colored liquid and what looked like several leaves, like some kind of tea. He was unsure what it was.

“Interesting.” Said Simon.

William looked at him, nervous, as if he and Simon were in a duel, and he had just made a flaw, leaving himself exposed for attack.

“W-What?” he said, slightly stuttering.

“You have yet to drink from your cup,” Simon began, “In fact, you have yet to take your eyes off of it since it was placed in front of you, almost as if you are pondering what it is, which means, of course, that you are unfamiliar with this drink. This means that you certainly are not from Woodspring. Are you even familiar with Aldenin I wonder?”

William didn’t know how to respond to that. His more sarcastic side wanted to apologize for not immediately drinking the dirt colored water coated in grass that was placed in front of him, but he was too nervous to show even the slightest bit of humor. He decided to simply answer the question.

“That’s just it, sir,” he said, “I’m not, and I apologize for not drinking from the cup. I mean no disrespect. I am just unfamiliar with it, and the fact that you haven’t taken a drink yet either makes me cautious.

Simon glanced at his own cup and smiled.

“Ha! I suppose you are correct,” said Simon, “It is I who should be apologizing. The drink that sits in front of you is composed of fresh spring water and some special herbs grown by Kayla. She is studying herblore and is quite good at it. In Woodspring, we drink this sort of mixture quite often. It is good for the body, and the mind.”

Simon took a drink.

“See? It is perfectly safe.”

It seemed logical enough to William, so he took a risk and drank from his cup. To his surprise, it tasted good, and he felt his mind almost immediately calm itself. His head no longer felt bogged down with worry or pain.

Simon could see the relief in William’s face.

“Well now that we seem to trust one another, I believe you have come here for a reason…”

Simon gestured for his name.

“William.” He said.

“A pleasure to meet you, William. Please, call me Simon.”

Somehow, the people of Woodspring had the ability to comfort William with a simple smile, and Simon was no exception. All of the intimidation had left.

“Now then, William,” said Simon right before he took another drink, “You say you are not from Aldenin. Where then are you from exactly?”

William was tired of the question, and even more tired of attempting to answer it. If there was anyone else who needed to hear it though, it was Simon.

“It may sound crazy to you,” William began, “But I remember things from another place, another time, completely different from this one. In this other place, I have lived seventeen years in a world completely different from this one. I know the other place is real, but this place shares many authenticities with the other world. In fact, I only come to this world when I am asleep in the other world, and it doesn’t happen that often. I have entered this world over five times now over the course of about two months or so, yet not even a day has passed in this world. I know it sounds foolish, and equally foolish to expect you to have an explanation, but Simon, I fear I am losing my mi…I mean, going crazy.”

William finished talking and immediately took a long drink from his cup then caught his breath.

Simon sat still for a moment, and absorbed everything he had just heard.

“Is that all?” he asked in a way that William could not decide if he was being sarcastic or not.

“Actually, no. No it’s not.” William said before taking another drink.

Simon took a drink as well.

“Interesting,” said Simon, “Obviously you are not here by chance. There is a reason you are here, because there is a reason for all things that occur. Aldruhim has a purpose for your presence here.”

“Aldruhim?” asked William. He had yet to hear that name.

“You do not know of Aldruhim?”

William shook his head.

Simon immediately stood and walked over to a shelf where he grabbed a small statue of an eagle. It was similar to the one outside of the hut, but small enough to fit in one’s hand.

Simon showed William the statue.

“This statue is a common portrayal of the great eagle Aldruhim,” Simon said as he sat down, “Aldruhim is our guardian, the voice in the wind, the champion over evil.”

William knew where this was going. He couldn’t decide if it was a religion or a cult. Either way, William didn’t like the sound of it. He had tried religion before, but his life was far from good.

“We believe that he watches over us, and that he speaks to us in the wind that blows with the beating of his wings. It is because of Aldruhim that Woodspring and places like it are still a haven from darkness and evil.”

“Darkness and evil?” said William, “But what I have seen of Aldenin is so peaceful.”

“Have you been outside of Woodspring?”

William thought about it for a moment.

“I’m not sure.” He said.

“Well,” said Simon, “Darkness dwells everywhere, even in the hearts of all men and women. However, it can not take hold of the hearts of Woodspring.”

Just as Simon said that, Kayla walked into the room.

“Excuse me, Simon,” she said, “But it is almost time for the village gathering.”

“Of course,” he said, “Thank you Kayla. We will be right out.”

Kayla walked out of the room and Simon stood.

“We must go now, William. The village gathering is happening shortly.”

“But I still have all of these questions.” Said William.

“Do not worry, we can meet again every day until you have every question answered if that is what it will take.”

William was disappointed, but was glad he at least had made a little progress.

“And a word of wisdom for you,” said Simon, “You may not know why you are here, and may be aggravated about being here, but if you come here in your dreams then I doubt you can control coming here. I suggest you make the best of your visits. Aldenin is an amazing place, and its people are equally interesting. You never know what you might discover when you explore with an open mind.”

It was good advice, even if the people were religious fanatics or cultists, it was their way and William would respect it. It was here that he decided that he would go along with it all and try to make the best of it.

“Let’s go, William,” said Simon, “We don’t want to be late for the gathering.”

William followed Simon out of the hut.

July 10, 2012

William and Simon walked out of the hut. Philip was sitting outside, waiting just as he said he would.

“I must be going, William,” said Simon, “I will see you at the gathering. Remember, make the best of it.”

Simon patted William on the shoulder and walked off.

Philip looked at William, stood and showed his familiar smile.

“Well?” said Philip, “How was it? Were your questions answered?”

“Not exactly,” said William, “I learned a little about Woodspring and Aldenin, but nothing about myself or why I am here. Simon told me he and I could keep meeting daily if I want to. Until then, he suggested I make the best of my time here. Now is as good a time as any to start.”

William still had questions, but he figured some down time would be nice, and he planned on starting with this gathering Simon spoke of.

“That’s great,” said Philip, “You can start by coming to the gathering.”

It was good to know he and Philp had the same thought.

“What is this gathering?” asked William, “Simon mentioned it a few times. In fact, it’s the reason we cut our meet short.”

“No surprise there,” said Philip, “The gathering is of great importance, and the whole village attends.”

“Well what is it then?”

“Right, sorry. The gathering is something villages across Aldenin do every harvest. The whole village gathers together and feasts in celebration of our safety from evil and the might of the great Aldruhim.”

Philip paused for a moment and actually stopped smiling.

“I never told you about Aldruhim,” he said, “Please forgive me William! Somehow it escaped me that you would not be familiar with Aldruhim.”

William didn’t want to talk about this “Aldruhim” again, but he was trying to make the best of it all, so he decided to just carry on with conversation.

“It’s okay Philip,” he said, “Simon explained what Aldruhim is.”

Philip’s smile returned.

“Good,” he said, “Because he will be mentioned many times tonight. In fact, we should be going now.”

Philip started walked and William followed close behind.

If nothing else, William was looking forward to getting to see more of Woodspring.

On their way they saw many villagers. They were carrying assorted foods, mainly consisting of fruits and vegetables, some of which William had never seen before.

“Is this all for the gathering?” asked William.

“Yes it is,” said Philip, “Those who are able bring food that they have grown or scavenged from nearby. What we receive is our feast, and it is plentiful every time. Because of this, we give Aldruhim our thanks for our provision.”

To William, this sounded familiar enough.

“That reminds me of something from where I come from,” he said, “It is a similar concept, but is meant to bring families together as well. We call it Thanksgiving.”

“Interesting,” said Philip, “Whom do you give your thanks to?”

William thought about it, and he honestly did not know.

“Well we don’t really thank an individual,” said William, “We mainly just eat and fellowship.”

William knew he was speaking only for himself. He knew that many people gave thanks to their god, but that wasn’t him, not anymore.

“Oh,” said Philip, “Forgive me if I insult you, but I believe that should be different. Look at the trees, the sky. Smell the air, feel the breeze, your own heart beating. It is all a gift from something, someone. If such a being gave such gifts to us, that being must hold us dear, and would keep watch over things so precious as life. For all of this, man should look beyond himself and send his thanks and credit where it is due. For example, tell me about where you came from.”

Normally William would shrug off the question and walk away, but something about Philip made him want to keep talking.

“Well my life isn’t exactly a good one. I don’t have parents to be accounted for, and not a friend either. All in a place I really don’t like.”

“Are you not glad to be alive?”

“I didn’t say that. I just have a hard time finding joy when life can be so mundane and tedious.”

“Learn to find joy in the little things, William. Life itself is a gift, the greatest gift of all in fact. Be thankful for it, and take joy in the fact that your heart still beats.”

It felt like a lecture, but to William, the words felt true. For a long time, William hated the world. Hardly anyone cared enough to even speak to him. If he was being completely honest though, he couldn’t really say he had made much effort of his own.

“Please do not take offense to what I have said,” said Philip, “I tend to talk a lot, and often end up speaking random nonsense. We should find a seat.”

William hadn’t even noticed that they had made it to the place of gathering. He was too busy paying Philip all of his attention.

“Right,” he said, “Lead the way. I will sit with you if that’s no problem.”

Philip smiled.

“Not at all,” he said, “Let’s go.”

Philip began walking again, and William followed close by.

The place of gathering was a very peaceful courtyard-like area with a garden and tables around it. The scene looked almost like a common portrayal of an outdoor wedding reception, without all the white.

Many people were there talking amongst themselves, placing food at tables.

At one of the tables, William saw Kayla. She quickly jumped up and waved at Philip, signaling him to come over.

On their way, William saw Andrew to his left, sitting at a table with Marcus and some of the others from the fight ring.

Andrew gave him a bad look.

William tried to quicken his walking pace to avoid the look. Once he reached the table, he saw the team that had fought Andrew before, though he couldn’t remember their names.

“You may have a seat William,” said Philip, “You remember Jacob and-”

“Thomas.” Said William as he sat in the chair to Philip’s left.

“Oh look Thomas,” said Jacob, “He remembers us. Was our defeat that memorable?”

“It wasn’t that bad Jacob,” said Philip, “Keep at it with a level head and pride in check and you will beat him some day.”

“Knowing how to fight helps too.” Said Thomas sarcastically.

Everyone but Jacob laughed.

At William’s table were Philip, Kayla, Jacob, and Thomas. There was an empty seat across from William though, and he wasn’t sure who it could be.

“Philip, are we missing the person across from me?”

“She should be here shortly.”

William assumed it was someone he had not yet met.

“So when do you plan on entering the ring, William?” said Jacob.

Everyone turned to see his response. He chuckled nervously.

“Probably never,” he said, “I’m not a fighter.”

“You will be,” said Jacob, “Eventually everyone fights some. It’s our pride you know.”

William already had this speech, so he wanted to stop Jacob there.

“Yes I know,” he said, “Marcus told me all about it. I just don’t think I should.”

It was a lie. He didn’t have what it takes and he knew it. He wanted, more than a lot of things, to get in a fight to just let out aggression, but he was afraid.

“Whatever you say,” said Jacob, “But you seem like the kind of guy who would want to get his share of hits on someone like Andrew.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“Andrew certainly seems like the kind of guy who could use a good beating.” Said William.

Jacob, who was on William’s left, gave him a quick pat on the back.

“You catch on quick, Will.” He said.

William wasn’t sure how to take that, so he just grinned, and then looked straight in front of him to see a girl was standing next to the empty chair. He couldn’t help but feel like he had seen her before.

“I’m sorry to have kept everyone waiting,” she said as she placed a basket on the table, “I was tending to the garden so I could pick these.”

William knew that voice. It was Megan, who was with him when he woke up in the dark room. He had yet to see her in the light. She was only a bit shorter than him. Fair complexion, bright blue eyes, and long flowing black hair. She wore a white dress with a blue sash around her waste. She was beautiful; in fact, William was stunned when he saw her.

“Thank you Megan.” Said Philip.

She sat across from William and smiled at him. William could tell that She and Philip were twins, or at least relatives.

“Hello William,” she said, “Feeling better I hope.”

His inability to speak properly to women kicked in.

“Uh..Y-yeah. Thanks.”

For the most part, the awkward response was dismissed.

Shortly after, Simon walked to the front of the tables, much like one would when proposing a toast at a reception or banquet.

“Family, friends,” he began, “By the look of the tables, it has been a great harvest, surely one to remember. Let us rejoice, for Aldruhim is ever gracious and vigilant.”

Simon continued to speak for several minutes, and Philip was right. Aldruhim was mentioned many times.

Eventually, Simon finished his speech, and everyone began eating.

By what William could tell, almost all of the food at his table was fruit. Fortunately, fruit was a favorite of his. Despite this truth, he was still hesitant.

“So William,” said Philip as if he saw William’s hesitation, “Have you ever eaten any of this before?”

He recognized a few. Apples, grapes, and the sort. Some of them though, he had not seen before.

“I have had a few of these.” He said.

One fruit in particular caught his eye. It was a reddish-blue color, and was shaped like a pear.

Kayla noticed his glance.

“Are you wondering about this fruit?” she asked as she grabbed one.

William nodded.

“It’s called a varinela,” she said, “It is very common around Woodspring. It has a very sweet taste and is quite good at waking up a tired mind.”

She took a bite.

“Try one!”

William grabbed a varinela and bit into it. Kayla was right when she said it had a sweet taste. It tasted nothing like a pear at all; in fact, its nectar was syrupy like a peach.

“Good?” asked Philip.

“Very.” Said William.

William continued to try many of the fruits he had never seen before. Some were good, and some were not.

For what felt like hours to William, he had many conversations with the group at his table. For once, he felt included, even if it was just small talk within a group. He seemed to get along with all of them, even Jacob.

Unfortunately, the conversation did not last as long as William hoped. The feast ended, and one by one, the people at William’s table started to leave. Eventually, only William, Philip, and Megan remained.

William felt obligated to thank Megan for bringing the food, but he just knew he would stumble over his own words.

“Megan.” he said. So far so good.

Her eyes met his. He lost his bearings.

“Um..” he continued, “Thanks for the..uh..the..”

She was smiling, but not laughing at him, so he at least had not yet made a total fool of himself.

“The food. Thank you for the delicious fruits. I enjoyed them very much.” He said.

It sounded rehearsed and strange, but William was glad he at least got the point across.

She laughed slightly.

“Well I would not say I had much to do with it,” she said, “I simply filled a basket. Adlruhim is the one who blessed us with a good harvest.”

William smiled back awkwardly.

“Right.” He said, trying to remember exactly how many times he had heard someone tell him the same thing since the feast started. He had lost count.

“I should be going now,” said Megan as she stood from the table, “I will see the two of you tomorrow. Sleep well.”

She smiled and walked away.

At this time, the sun had set, and everyone was heading home.

“Where do I go, Philip?” asked William.

“You can come stay with me,” he said, “There is room for you.”

William accepted, and the two of them started walking.
On the way back, the two talked about various things and places around Woodspring. It was a good conversation, much like the many good conversations he had that day.

After a few minutes, they reached a small hut even smaller than Simon’s.

On the inside, the hut was only one room, with one bed.

“I will sleep on the floor tonight,” said Philip, “I insist.”
William didn’t plan on arguing.

“Thanks.”

Philip laid out a blanket on the floor.

William sat on the bed and began wondering how the living arrangements worked in Woodspring. He had yet to see Philip’s parents, and he seemed to live alone.

“Where are your parents, Philip?” he asked without thinking.

Philip was quiet for a moment. This made William more curious.

“Well,” he said, “I don’t know. No one does. They were here one day, and then they were simply gone. Some people told me they were out scavenging but wandered out too far, but I know that to be false. They were smarter than that.”

Philip was silent again. He stared blankly at the wall, motionless.

William felt horrible. Earlier that day he had been complaining about life when he didn’t realize Philip had a dark past of his own.

“Philip..I’m so sorry.”

Philip looked back at William and smiled.

“Don’t be,” he said, “You had no way of knowing. Everything happens for a reason, even the bad things. Whether it is the absence of my parents, or your being here in the first place. Besides, Megan and I are fairing quite well.”

It was impossible not to admire Philip’s optimism.

“You’re a great guy Philip,” said William trying to push himself through a sentimental moment, “And I could not have gotten through today without your help. Thank you.”

“It was a pleasure,” he said, “But you may want to get some rest, because tomorrow is a new day, and I’m sure there is plenty you want to see.”

“Right.” Said William, though he was not sure if his mind would return him here. To him, this felt like it was the end of a very good dream, and that if it was indeed all just a dream, who’s to say his mind would return at all, or that anything would be the same.

Either way, William felt that he learned a little bit about himself, and truly believed that he would be better for it all. As his mind continued to wander, he slowly began to drift off..