These Dreams

[Verrath]

The grove was beautiful this time of day. The sun was out for a change, its setting rays casting rainbow reflections on the spray from the waterfall.

She was laying on her back in the soft grass, her nose breathing the scent of fragrant earth and lush grass, feeling the softness of the fertile ground, feeling the growth of life under her hands. Mathilda was digging in the dirt happily some way off, enjoying the warmth and safety of the grove every bit as much as she was. It was a perfect moment.

He sat next to her, she could feel his body warmth where he sat nearly touching her. He was here. With her. It was all that mattered. It was a perfect moment!

She sighed dreamily, turning her head enough to gaze into his eyes. He looked back at her smiling gently, then reached out a hand to tenderly stroke her cheek with the back of his finger.

"This is a very peaceful place," he said quietly. "I can see why you like it so."

She smiled. "I told you it's better than stone walls." Gently teasing.

He chuckled. Then, he bent low to kiss her tenderly on the forehead. Her stomach fluttered. Their faces were close, so close, and he looked at her intently. There was only the two of them.

"Annie..."




She woke from the sun searing through her closed eyelids. Birds sang outside the open bedroom window, and by the fresh, clear air wafting in, it had just stopped raining for a change. It promised to be a stunningly beautiful day in Sundren.

Her covers were rumpled, her shift sweaty, and the mattress, she noted, was beginning to sag and needed a new stuffing. She was alone.

A dream. Just another of those thrice-cursed dreams. The sun's light suddenly had a bleak quality. He was not here - nor would he ever be, for her, not like that. He had no idea what was in her heart. And that was the way it must stay.

She was tempted for a moment to just not get up, and go back to sleep so she could dream some more, but only for a moment. There were things to get done, and her friends needed her. He needed her.

Resolutely, she swung her legs down off the bed and began a new day.

[Verrath]

She was sitting on a rock by the waterfall in the druid grove, eyes closed, enjoying the cooling spray from it on her face, and feeling the breeze caress her bare skin. It felt good, and in this secure spot, nobody would be able to see her, so she was safe from prying eyes.

"Very good, Annie, if you stay like that, it will be a masterpiece. You truly are beautiful."

She jerked upright, her eyes snapping open. There was Osclow, an easel set up and painting on a piece of canvas. She hastily tried to cover herself, looking around. To her utter shock, she saw other people now, all watching. Among them where Sehron, Katie.... and Hano.

Uncomfortably aware of her skinny form and her nakedness, she pulled herself into a ball, face heating.

Someone laughed - it was Katie.

Annie tried to sink into the rock.

"you're very pretty, Annaleen," said Sehron, with a chuckle.

And then Osclow was laughing too. And then all the others.

And Hano.


She snapped awake, her face burning with shame. Curse her friends and their suggestions! What annoyed here even more is that they had managed to fluster her so completely in the first place. How could they speak so easy of nudity? Hano must think her a total idiot now. And still she'd only seen concern on his face when he asked her if anything was wrong. Curse the man for being so bloody nice! It was all wrong.

Grumbling, she climbed out of bed and headed to the washstand, where cool water would be a relief to the flush on her cheeks.

If Osclow ever picked up another cat, he had better be careful of his face...

[Verrath]

The grove was beautiful this time of day. The sun was out for a change, its setting rays casting rainbow reflections on the spray from the waterfall.

She was laying on her back in the soft grass, her nose breathing the scent of fragrant earth and lush grass, feeling the softness of the fertile ground, feeling the growth of life under her hands. Mathilda was digging in the dirt happily some way off, enjoying the warmth and safety of the grove every bit as much as she was. It was a perfect moment.

He sat next to her, she could feel his body warmth where he sat nearly touching her. He was here. With her. It was all that mattered. It was a perfect moment!

She sighed dreamily, turning her head enough to gaze into his emerald eyes. He looked back at her smiling gently, then reached out a hand to tenderly stroke her cheek with the back of his finger.

"This is a very peaceful place," he said quietly. "I can see why you like it so."

She smiled.

He bent low to kiss her tenderly on the forehead. Their faces were close, so close, and he looked at her intently. There was only the two of them.

"Annie..."




She woke from the sun searing through her closed eyelids. Birds sang close overhead, and by the fresh, clear air kissing her face, it had just stopped raining for a change. It promised to be a stunningly beautiful day in Sundren.

She shifted, feeling the oddly familiar weight of his arm around her, and his heart beating a steady, calm rhythm in her ear where her head rested on his chest. Her stomach fluttered crazily.

No dream, this time...

[Verrath]

"Annie... is this true? I'll be a father?" Oslcow's face lit up like a candle.

Annie nodded, her smile nearly splitting her face. Oddly enough, the small bulge in her abdomen had escaped her until this morning, and all the other established signs had not been evident either, but such was not completely unheard of. In any event, there was no mistaking it now.

Beside himself with happy excitement, the bard hugged and kissed her repeatedly and with abandon, until she had to plead shortness of breath, laughing with joy herself.

"I'll be a father! We'll be parents! Oh, Annie, this is great news!" Once again, her hugged her, holding her close. It seemed all her dreams had come true - this was what she had been born for.

"It's kicking," she said quietly. "I feel it."

The bard snickered. "So soon? It must be a feisty little thing." He smiled warmly. "Just like its mother." He ran his hand over her abdomen, and his eyes widened. "Wait... this is odd..." His hand almost jumped with the baby's fierce kicks inside her womb, which seemed to have swollen since she had last looked.

Something isn't right...

"How is that possible?" Osclow said, watching in shocked wonder as her belly seemed to bulge more with each passing moment. "Beloved, what is happening?"

"I don't kn- aarrgghhh" Wracked by sudden pain, she doubled over, her fingers digging into the bard's flesh hard enough to draw blood.

No! I can't be in labor already! I am not going to lose this baby! I can't lose it!

The pain was excruciating; a wave of nausea took her, and she vomited all over the bard who held her tight, his face pale with shock and terror as he could do nothing.

When she could bear it no longer, she felt herself rip open, the fruit of her womb bursting forth impossibly large. Maniacal laughter seemed all around, from throats that could not be human, and a sibilant voice hissed.

BANE!!!

"Annie!" The bard shouted, but it was drowned by Annie's own scream of pure terror as the thing, the tainted thing that had torn out of her womb lifted its head - too large already to be a human babe, and its skin grayish and slick with blood and mucus.

Red eyes gleamed with an unnatural light....


"No!" She sat up clutching her stomach, panting, eyes wide. It was dark, and quiet except for the chirping of crickets outside their room at the Ranger's Rest. There was no blood, and only a dull ache in her middle, more like a memory of pain. Her abdomen was whole, without even a hint of any bulge.

"Annie! Beloved, what's wrong?" came the bard's voice, groggy from being woken so abruptly.

She sank back into the sheets, running a trembling hand over her face. "A dream."

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her damp forehead. "It's all right, love. Just a bad dream then." He sounded relieved, and half asleep again. "It's fine now."

Annie lay staring at the ceiling - despite the comfort of his embrace, sleep would not come again.