When Dreaming Comes
The pages flapped in the wind. Christina sat on her blanket trying to read her book while the wind was blowing her pages back and forth. The heat from the sun and the smell of the freshly cut grass on the breeze felt good. The blanket she sat upon was smooth against her bare legs.
Setting aside her book, Christina took a drink of water from the plastic bottle that sat beside her, then laid back on the blanket. The warmth of the sun helped her to relax which was something she hadn't done in quite some time. Her mind drifted as her eyes closed. Slowly, her thoughts changed to dreaming…
It was dark. Christina drifted through fog, unable to see more than a few feet around her. She felt as if she were floating through space. After a while she began to feel solid ground beneath her feet. As she walked along the ground the fog began to clear.
It was night, and the sky was filled with stars. Christina looked for familiar constellations, but found none. She looked around and noticed she was still in the field and her things were still there. She looked to the woods on the edge of the field. They were no longer there. The grassy field in which she stood extended about a hundred feet on either side from where she stood in its center, but instead of meeting trees at it's edge it met sand, a crystalline spectacle that shimmered in the light of the full moon. Looking to the horizon she was astonished to discover a second moon rising. Unsure of what to do and slighly frightened, she went back to her blanket and sat down. She pulled her knees up and rested her forehead against them repeating in her mind This is only a dream, it must be a dream.
Christina sat there for nearly an hour. Time seemed to crawl by. Soon, she heard a faint rumbling, almost like the pounding of horse's hooves upon the dry sand. She looked up and around trying to locate the source of the sound. For a moment, there was nothing. Soon, out of the West she saw a dust cloud rising. Small at first, it increased as the sound grew. She watched the cloud with interest and a little fear. As it came nearer, she began to make out a small shape. It resembled someone mounted on a horse. As it came closer still, she realized that the mount was larger than any horse she had ever seen. Even closer, its size began to resemble that of an elephant. The rider was nondescript. She could not make out any details of the rider other than it being about the size and shape of a man.
The rider slowed the mount as it neared the meadow. At the grass' edge the rider dismounted and let the creature's reigns drop. When it turned, Christina noticed that it was a man, and he appeared to be dressed in some sort of armor plating, reminiscent of a medival knight. She remained seated as she had been for the past hour, unsure of what to do. She watched as the rider walked toward her. He was about six and a half feet tall, wore no helmet, and his long brown hair blew in the soft, warm breeze. When he was but ten feet away he kneeled down and lowered his head.
"Forgive me, Lady. For I doubted your coming."
Christina looked at him, puzzled. He raised his head and she was able to observe his features in the light of the two moons. He had a high forehead and full eyebrows centered above a long nose that appeared to have been broken at some time in the past. His mouth was encircled by a fine mustache and close cut beard the same soft color as his long, flowing hair. A long scar marked his right cheek.
His expression became troubled. "My Lady, do you not understand my words?"
His voice was a gravely baritone, pleasing to the ear. Christina looked at him again, then moved her hands in the air signing to him that she did understand.
"My Lady?" His voice grew concerned.
Christina picked up her book, shoved it into a pocket on her baggy shorts and moved toward the sand. The man watched her, puzzled now at her silence. She sat on the grass beside the sand. After smoothing the sand's surface, she motioned for the man to join her. Using her fingertip she began to write in the sand.
"My Lady, you scribe in the sand, yet I cannot read. Can you not speak?"
Christina shook her head; no she could not speak.
"Come then, I will take you to the one who told me you would come. Mayhap he will be able to help you." He offered her his hand.
Christina looked around again. Where could she go? Here she had no food, no water other than what she had in her water bottle. And no matter which direction she looked, there was nothing but sand beyond the meadow. She lowered her head for a moment, then reached up and accepted the offered hand. He pulled her to her feet.
"I am Kesh, my Lady. I am but a humble warrior and will offer you what comfort I may on the way to Valadius."
Moving first to her blanket, Christina picked it up and folded it. It had been a gift given to her by her great grandmother; she would not leave it behind. Once it was folded, she placed it under her arm, picked up her water bottle and moved toward the mount. Kesh remained a step behind her.
As she neared the creature, she began to pick out its features. It was as tall as a small elephant and almost as broad. Much of its width was due to a long thick covering of fur. Its head resembled that of a bison, and its legs the strong stout legs of a giant Belgian horse. There were shoes on it hooves, and some battered metal plates hung about it like barding on a war-horse. There was no true saddle, only some rough blankets strapped to the creature's back along with a small set of steps and some bags she suspected carried most of Kesh's belongings.
Kesh held out his hands once more. "My Lady, if you wish I will pack you blanket so that it will come to no harm on the journey."
Christina handed him her prized blanket and watched as he packed it into what appeared to be an empty sack.
Kesh then took down the step and placed it beside the creature. He tied a small strap that ran from the step to his belt, then climbed to the top of the step. He turned, took Christina by the waist, gently lifted her and placed her on the blankets. Taking up a couple of straps she had not seen in the folds of the fabric he raised them for her to see. "These are only to help you stay on the Crellet, for they can be swift, but not always gentle. And our journey requires speed. I do not want you to fall."
She nodded her head slightly. Kesh secured the straps about her waist and shoulders, forming a sort of harness. It was not tight, but felt secure.
Finally, Kesh mounted the crellet and sat in front of Christina. He fastened his own harness, pulled up the step and secured it in front of himself, then turned as much as he could to face her. "The beast will be swift and the wind will cool. There is a blanket behind you that will ward you from the wind. It is designed to wrap around the legs of a rider. You will want to use it."
Turning, she found the blanket and pulled it forward. It was thicker than any she had ever seen. Kesh helped her to spread the blanket properly. It wrapped about her legs and torso and partially covered her arms.
"It will be safer if you hold about my waist until you are comfortable with the ride. It will take us some time to reach Valadius. If you have need of anything pull on my armor and I will stop and see to your needs." Christina nodded and Kesh turned to face forward. When she was seated comfortably with her arms about Kesh, he started the beast at a gentle walk, then moved calmly to a trot, and slowly up to a full gallop. The crellet moved with incredible speed. The rhythm of its movements soon became mesmerizing, and within a short time Christina fell asleep once more.