Dream From Below

Am I awake now?

Is this true or dream?

Someone's laughing

Is this what it seems?

So many faces

So much pain

What is this?

Am I insane?

-Dream From Below by Indians

She was in Feralas, standing at the bottom of a small hill, near the ruins of Ravenwind. Another elf was kneeling in front of a marker someone had placed at the top of the hill. The man wore a voluminous robe and had his back to her seeming to be in deep meditation.

She moved quietly, not wanting to disturb as she wondered about the marker. As she drew closer, the sounds of the forest seemed to still. She could make out what looked like writing on the stone. A grave marker then, but who was buried here on this hill?

Closing on the marker she felt a sudden chill. The marker was lovingly crafted from white marble, the writing suddenly clear:

Lady Nouala Irendue Ravenwind -33 - 30

She let out a shocked gasp. The man started to rise, slowly, as she stood paralyzed, wanting to run but somehow frozen in place. He turned, shedding his robes, revealing the uniform of a Sentinel. She barely saw this. Where his face should have been was a dark void, like a tear in the fabric of reality.

A voice that was felt rather than heard said; " Proud of your work? "

''This is a dream. A bad dream. A nightmare. I am not dead, I am here, I am alive!''

The unheard voice laughed. It was not a pleasant sound.

She woke up...

She was in Feralas, standing at the bottom of a small hill, near the ruins of Ravenwind. Another elf was kneeling in front of a marker at the top of the hill. Stepping quietly up the hill, she read the marker:

Lady Anyviel Ravenwind -11328 - 30 Malanore

"Anar'alah belore, shorel'aran Malanore" the other elf whispered to the dark stone marker.

The Quel'dorei rose gracefully, slowly turning to face her.

She was beautiful, more beautiful than anything Nouala had seen, it made her heart ache and she felt very ugly next to this beautiful woman.

"Sinu a'manore", the Quel'dorei made a graceful curtsey, then her face twisted with mad rage.

"Bash'a no falor talah!" she screamed as she threw a ball of ... something towards Nouala.

Nouala watched the ball in slow-motion. ''This is another dream. I am still asleep!''

Dream or no. Nouala knew, that if that ball hit her, she would die.

She forced herself to wake up...

She was in Feralas, standing at the bottom of a small hill, near the ruins of Ravenwind. Another elf was kneeling in front of a marker at the top of the hill. The man wore a voluminous robe and had his back to her seeming to be in mourning.

She moved quietly, not wanting to disturb. Somehow, she knew this marked a grave, but who was buried here on this hill? She stood close behind the kneeling man and read the inscription:

Lady Anyviel Ravenwind -11328 - 30 Murdered by her own blood

She gasped. Slowly, the man rose and turned. Nouala looked into the sad face of her brother Norbrimbor.

Darkness fell over Feralas, the face flashed - Ashana stared at her sadly.

Flash - Blueleaff stared at her in horror.

Flash - Her mother glared at her angrily.

Flash - Sprocket.

Flash - Merwyn.

Flash - Richeron.

''This is another dream, it is not real. Wake up.''

Flash - Stoen.

Flash - Imoen.

Wake up!

Flash - flash - flash.

Nouala tried to scream as the faces of people she knew flashed before her randomly. No sound was heard.

''Wake ... up ...''

It felt like an eternity passed. Nouala fell to her knees, trying to cry but no tears came.

"Nouala?"

''Wake ... up ...''

The faces flowed apart and formed into a line before her. She shook gently.

"Nouala? You're dreaming."

''Cannot ... wake ... up''

A light formed in the distance, slowly growing larger as it moved closer. Gradually, the world grew brighter, the faces did not seem so frightening anymore.

"Nouala, it's Elizabetha, wake up."

Nouala woke up. She was on the floor of the inn at the Allerian Stronghold. Elizabetha was holding her close, using her sleeve to wipe the tears off Noualas face.

She heard Elizabethas voice telling her how innkeeper Biribi had sent for her because she had heard Nouala screaming in her sleep. When Elizabetha arrived the screaming had turned into crying.

"But you are awake now. Are you all right?"

Nouala shook her head. "No, I am not."

/Nouala 13:11, 20 April 2007 (BST)

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