Nightmares and Dreamscapes

[Andular]

The wind blew off the lake in cool gusts blowing Miryana’s long hair out behind her.  A roaring fire blazed in the middle of the secluded stand of fir trees she had selected for tonight’s lesson.  Close by Korrena sat starring into the fire the flames dancing in her golden eyes.  The girls pixie face held the perpetual look of mischief that always brought a smile to the Sage Leader’s face. 

 

The girl had been sent to her for her intermediate dream training though she often wondered if it was Anton’s idea of a joke.  The girl was full of passion but more often than not that passion was directed to pulling pranks on others.

 

The campsite was sparse with only a basket of food to one side and their sleeping rolls laid out before the fire.  Stars blanketed the night sky like so many dreams all full of possibilities. 

 

Tonight she wondered what those possibilities would bring as she turned toward Korrena.

 

“You have been taught to enter the wolf dream and not harm yourself child.  Tonight we will go further and I will begin to show you some of the wonders and horrors that await the unwary and untrained.”

 

Sitting down she crossed her legs and beckoned Korrena to join her.  The girl sat the slight grin on her face as it always was unless she was trying to feign innocence for some prank laid at her feet.

 

“We will meditate and achieve a deep trance and I want you to enter the dream from there.  Remember concentrate on this spot so that you enter the dream right where we are.  After we have entered the dream I will take you to a populated area.  The stedding won’t do as Woflkin guard their dreams and we are looking for those with dreams unguarded.  We are looking for people in the world of dreams who do not know they are there, and perhaps we may even find a nightmare.”

 

She fixed Korrena with a wicked smile as the girl almost squealed in delight.  She had no idea what she was in for and Miryana almost felt sorry for her if they did find themselves in a nightmare.

 

“The wolves will guard us while we are gone so come lets begin.”

 

Closing her eyes she slowed her breathing and within moments stood in the wolf dream waiting for Korrena to join her.  She was dressed in traditional Domani clothing, a dark green dress clung to her body.  When Korrena appeared she chuckled at the others outfit or lack thereof.  It took time to get used to even smallest things in the world of dreams. 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

They day had been surprisingly lax for a Korrena day. Putting a small effort to listen to what Miryana had to offer in turns of knowledge, Korrena was delighted to know more than she did yesterday, or even that morning when she awoke. Few did not think that she would enjoy learning, but the truth was she craved knowledge. She craved to know more and more and sought out answers to everything be it by small or large measures. Even unconventional measures. Those were always the best and far more fun. But even Korrena remembered what it was like back home, in the lonely room alone with her dolls, her toys her books that she had often read more than once not for the pleasure of reading but for the lack of things to do. Strict and unyielding, there was little Korrena felt the need to do as her sisters were always her mum and da's shining glory. Krista with her fanciful idea's for court. Her sisters never but a step apart and knowledgeable in the ways of the court, the Game and in turn seeking a husband. Korrena never liked the ways of the Great Game and took more pleasure telling a truth and surprising most by following through with what she said. It was not what had been expected. She preferred to not do what was expected, but to challenge and out think those around her.

 

She did know more than she would let on. But how much would she let Miryana know. That was a very good question. And she smiled her ever present mischievous grin before closing her eyes and meditating. To enter the dreamworld was easy, she had snuck in a time ore two before being caught by a wolf -More often then not it was Rumble. He was such a snitch!!- who would then tell Anton. Then she got stuck doing something that was not nearly so much fun. She was simply too curious of the Other World, a Dream World, to simply not enter.

 

Beside, it was called a Dream world. Should it not be filled with dreams? Uninspired for such an end, Korrena wanted to know every dream, all of them. To ... to...

 

Her body emerged in the world of dreams. Had her thoughts been more pure she would have at least considered her appearance instead of leaving them as bare as her own thoughts to herself. Unashamed, she gave a small impish giggle and dressed herself as she would have normally entered Ter'Aran'Rhoid. The white blouse was soft and of silk, long looped sleeves delicately laces with soft patterns and ribbon. Her long black hair trailed down her back in in a soft braid tied by a simple black and red ribbon. Her long skirts were suede but light in feeling, easy to walk, and move in but gentle and without chafe against her skin. She preferred softer clothes int his world, and often appeared much older than she would outside of this place. Perhaps she saw herself differently than others would perceive her. How Miryana saw this, she did not reveal in her face. Only Miryana knew what she saw, and Korrena what she herself saw. Neither particularly mattered.

 

Miryana's instructions were for them to find people. People who would not know of them, or of this place, or understand this place. Cairhien, her home, was of one place that would not know, nor would accept their kind. Korrena knew this and did not seek such people out. There was no need as she knew of her kind. There were rumours of a Tower, the White Tower, and their quest for knowledge. Perhaps it would be fun to peak in on their kind, but to do so would reveal their kind. The rumours were but, but the hard truth was even worse. Korrena had no reason to go to Tar Valon.

 

Instead, she found herself roaming south, warm waters, the Sea and life away from flat lands and gray mountains beckoned to her. Where no Aiel of tall and white skin, but those of darker skin, bright clothing and music she had never heard of, she pulled the need, imaged - not her own, rushed passed them as her need found blessing.

 

Korrena smiled as her eyes adjusted to the setting sun, rains had barely passed them, still spitting around them, as if to trick them away from the suns light. But, the sight of the sun setting, a ship not far off the vast sea that stretched father than Korrena had ever seen waved back at them. A lone person not far off from where they stood watched the ship as it floated away. People were around but they were hazy and without true form. ghosts in the dream. All but the far off person, her and Miryana stood there. The waves crashing against their feet. Korrena's smile was as bright as the sun.

 

"Beautiful... I have never seen the ocean before. I wished to see it but was unsure how." She had no need to look to Miryana. "Will this do?"

 

 

 

Korrena

[Andular]

“You have brought us to Ebou Dar child.  It is remarkable you were able to do so having never been here before.”

 

Studying the young woman curiously she patted her on the shoulder before turning back toward the city.

 

“You will make a fine Sage one day if that is where your interest lie”

 

The taste and smell of salt water hung over the city as the two women moved into the city proper.

 

“As a person dreams they sometimes find themselves in the world of dream.”  She pointed out as a young man passed them in the street and stopped to stare at them.

 

“This is very dangerous for the person who finds themself here.  If they are harmed in any way while here they will suffer the same hurt or death in the waking world.”

 

Korrena nodded listening more intently than Miryana would have thought possible for the playful young woman.  The city rose up around them as they walked toward the great palace that lay at the center.

 

“As you can see there are no wolves here.  Wolves live half in and half out of the world of dreams but even here they avoid cities.”

 

Reaching the entrance to the palace the two women walked up the grand stair case leading in.  Stopping suddenly Miryana caught sight of a dark swirling mass in the hall way next to where they entered.  Putting her hand on Korrena’s arm she held the girl where she was.

 

“That child is a nightmare someone has brought into the world of dreams with them.  A nightmare a dreamer creates here can often survive even after a dreamer has woken.” 

 

Korrena was studying the swirling darkness curiously the eagerness to learn obvious in her keen features.

 

“Freed nightmares often wander through the world of dreams and occasionally will latch on to a certain location.  If you ware properly trained as a Sage you will be taught to destroy any of these you come across as it is best to avoid them.”

 

Miryana let her hand fall from Korrena’s arm and looked into the girls eyes judging her strength seeming to decide on something.

 

“No one can explain to you what a nightmare is like they take on a dreamers worst fears.  I want you to approach this one and enter so you may learn what awaits the unwary who fall into a nightmare.”

 

Korrena looked uneasy and Miryana gave her a reassuring nod. 

 

“I will be here and destroy the nightmare before it can do you any harm.  I will know everything that happens while you are in there and not let harm befall you .”

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

'Curiosity' was but the best and only way to describe Korrena's regard for the floating shadow. Although none could tell, Korrena held no fear for anything and flet that there was, instead, a certain amount of respect for such things was often better than fear. Although she would not admit that she feared returning home, it was a fear that would not take root as it simply could not be. Korrena accepted this as fact and thusly the fear carried no weight. But to glance into anouthers fear, the shadow that haunted them. It made her curious.

 

Causiously she approached the Shadow, the swirls of dark around swirling around it, suspended as a fragmented part of this universe. part of it, woven into it, but yet not entirly well paced. It wanted to take root, she could feel its desire to latch onto its victim and give itself birth to full life in this world Miryana had called a place for Dreams. Korrena frowned. If this was a place of dreams there should be no nightmares, no shadows and only happiness. It made her unhappy to see that there was a shadow in a place that felt so beautiful.

 

"How do I rid of a nightmare?" There was a note of curious wonder to her voice. Korrena never approached anything without some basis of knowledge prior. How else would she succeed in what she did?

 

"To be rid of a Nightmare, You will need to Imagine it without, to work out the porblem and dismiss it as if it was never there. To overcome the fear so that it can no longer exist."

 

"And if it is not my fear?" Korrena glanced back at Miryana. The older woman smiled back without giving a verbal answer. Korrena grinned. She didn't need the answer, not really. She stepped inside with Miryana close behind her..

 

|||| The world seems darker, like the night time with the light of the day caught between worlds. Eclipse. She thought, remember her former readings of books back home in Cairhien.  It was hard to tell what time it was, if there was any sense of time in this shadow. However, the room was still the same as the one the they had just left. Beyond the shadow that gave the whole room -what Korrena guessed- the feeling of a charcoal image and the rains outside, there was little to note. Little, but the single sniffle from behind a pillar. Widening her eyes for a moment with a last look to Miryana's serence face, Korrena could only conclude that this Shadow, Nightmare, was still in existance because the dreamer was still with. The Nightmare had yet to gain roots in the Dream world. Korrena could only guess on that, to be certain. But she suspected that she was right. How could she not be? It made sense to what Miryana had already informed her.

 

Stepping forward carefully, Korrena followed the nasely sound of air to a pillar not too far from where Korrena first appeared in this black and white version of the DreamWorld. The sound was young, and the smeel eluding, as if not truely there. There was little Korrena could tell of the sound beyond the higher pitched air in the lungs. A small child.

 

Whispering.. "Shh... dear boy. Why do you hid?" Remembering her own mothers soothing voice when she had gone through her more clumsy stage in life. As she grew so little the stage was short lived, but never the less, the bruises of tripping were still remembered.

 

"The rain." The voice was clumsy, "And lighten-in'..it be scary.."

 

The dream seemed simple, and Korrena sensed this. She also knew that to rid of it would to imagine sunshine. But would not the child imagining the sun in the rain be better? To no longer fear the rain.. water.. lightening..

 

Crouching low, Korrena moved to look at the child. She could guss him to be only 3 or 4 years of age. "Come with me and take my hand." The boy looked at her suspisiously, his thumb firmy planted in his mouth. "Do you like to dance?" The boy nodded, the thumb still planted. "Take my hand, and I will show you something fun."

 

The boy was hesitant, not sure if he could trust her. But Korrena flashed him a smile that only a child would give anouther. The boy smiled with his tumb still in his mouth, placing his other hand in hers. Squeezing it lightly she walked him out of the room and out side. She did not seem to know where she was, but he did. He stoped just before they could take a step out into the rain. He shook his head and pulled his hand out of hers.

 

"Noo.... " He wimpered. Korrena smiled brightly, mischief shined in her eyes.

 

"Do you like to dance?"

 

"No rain."

 

"Dance?" She stepped back, the rain pouring over her head. He squeeled and stepped back. But he did not run away. Korrena knew she had his attention. There was a small ray of sunshine that peak through, giving only a sliver of colour to the nightmare.

 

"...but..." The boy seemed unresolved. She could not see Miryana anywhere, but she had no doubt that she was there, watching, protecting.

 

Tapping here foot, there was a little splash of water that sprayed from beneath her foot. Letting a giggle escape her lips, she winked at the boy, stepping a little further into the rain and 'tapped' anouther small puddle. The boy watched her curiously. Curious...

 

"Did your mother let you plan in the rain?" The boy shook his head. "Your mother tell you the rain was bad?" The boy hesitated and nodded his head. Korrena wanted to find that mother and smack her, but quickly dismissed the thought before it could form. It would not do her well to have the boys mother finding her teaching her child how to jump in puddles. It would ruin her fun. And that would be very bad. Holding out her hand again for the boy as she walked backwards. "The rain is warm." She planted seeds, "And the puddles are warm. Come! It is fun." The puddles grew larger and from the corner of her eye she could see the boy testing the water with his foot, achieving the same splashy results as Korrena. The darkeness of the nightmare started to fade ad the sun started to shine more. Looking to Miryana, Korrena grinned. Unfortunatly there was no puddle near Mira or else Korrena would have indeed pounced on the idea. However, the Boy had moved out into the rain, tapping his way through the puddles, a small giggle escaped his lips. Looking up, there no longer were clouds, just sun and rain. Smiling, she knew it was time to leave. Closing her eyes, she imagined ... trees.. wood.. earth... ||

 

Home.

 

 

Korrena

Wolfcub

 

[Andular]

Miryana watched her young student puzzle out the nature of the nightmare then what she needed to do to solve it.  A sense of pride filled her as she watched Korrena help the young boy and send the nightmare back into the nether.  When it was done the two women stood back in the clearing where their corporeal bodies lay. 

 

“That was marvelous child.”  The Sage beamed leaning forward and giving Korrena a hug.

 

“A word of caution though.  Most nightmares will not be as simple as a thunderstorm and thus will not be so easily dispelled.  A nightmare could find you in the middle of a trolloc camp suspended above their cook fires.  Or you could find yourself in the hands of White Cloaks being put to the question.”

 

Korrena looked as if neither of these things frightened her but Miryana knew thinking of such horrors and finding yourself in the middle of one were two very different things.

 

“Do not think to much on it dear if you come to me to learn the ways of a Sage I will teach you more then.”

 

It was time to continue with their lesson and she believed that Korrena would find the next part interesting indeed.

 

“I want you to visualize yourself going back to your body but stop before you are there.  Listen to my voice and I will tell you when.”

 

Together the two women closed their eyes and began the process of returning to their bodies.

 

“Stop and open your eyes.”

 

The two stood in a empty space a black sky seemed to surround them filled with stars too many to count.

 

“We are between the waking world and the world of dreams.  Those points of light are people’s dreams.”

 

Korrena had a curious look on her face that spoke of hunger to learn.

 

“Finding an individual dream is difficult but once you find it you will always be able to pick it out.”

 

She wondered whose dream her young student would like to seek out the most but did not voice her curiosity.

 

“Entering another’s dream can be dangerous.  The dreamer will assume you are part of their dream and you will have no control over what you do or what happens in it.  You will be at the mercy of the dreamer and will not be released until the dream ends or they release you .

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Ooc: Only thing I can say is... Sorry Estel.....

 

Ic:

 

 

“Finding an individual dream is difficult but once you find it you will always be able to pick it out.”

 

Her nose wrinkled as she listened to Miryana talk. After following the directions back and pausing only just before entering her body - returning being ever so tempting, but of course curiosity over the next part of the lesson kept her from caving into the temptation- Korrena stood beside the Sage with general complacent and curiosity.

 

So, the purpose was to seek someone out and invade a dream and than to escape the dream. Escape? Maybe not escape, but if Miryana's warnings were true, she may or may not find a dream in a good place. Suspecting her last encounter was simply good luck, perhaps she should more forward with caution.

 

....

 

 

There was a smirk on Korrena's face as she moved past the lights in search of her sisters. It was not a nice grin, not one that would make people think that she was in any way innocent. The ironic part was that she was, just that she was never up to anything good. The idea of hopping into her sisters dreams just seems far too entertaining if she wanted to prank them. Of course it's hard to blame a dream. Who was to say she was actually in it or not? It would be just a dream after all..

 

Searching over and over the stars, not one felt like that of Mena or Rena. Of course Stana was just as elusive and that would have been a ball! A sister that was still stuck in Cairhien to haunt with more joy than she could have otherwise have gotten... Ah.. Stana never liked her pranks. It was like a itch to see the eye tick every time and inspired her to do it more.. the soured cream, the salted sugar... ah, the days of innocent pranks.

 

Korrena pouted for a moment in a pause. Miryana was as always just waiting patiently behind her. Choices choices...

 

A small smirk to her face, and soon lights whizzed past them, and soon one shining light ahead of her with a familiar scent. She did not encounter the girl often, but she had been remembered well. Mostly for her rather memorable reactions.

 

"Waiting here?" Korrena asked, inclining her head to Miryana.

 

"I will join you after a time."

 

"If I do not return, perhaps. But Can I try this myself. It was easy last time, and this girl shouldn't be too.. difficult." There was a look in Miryana's eyes that Korrena knew she wasn't fooling anyone. But the nod of Miryana's head said otherwise. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, Korrena slide into the dreamscape...

 

|||||

[pop]

 

 

" .... Oh ..... My  ................"  

 

 

Korrena stared at the forms in front of her. Mimicking a frightened wide-eyed dear that was frozen in place, Korrena simply could not turn away as her eyes grew wider and wider. Leaking what Korrena felt to be blood but tears from the lack of blinking... Korrena popped  back out of the dream... |||||

 

"GAH!!!" Korrena mercilessly rubbed her eyes trying to wipe the image away. She DID NOT just see Anton like.. like .. like THAT. And Naked on top of it all... "My lord, Aleeza...  "  She just started to shake at the sudden intense feeling of revulsion for the very image she just popped into. Maybe not innocent for her age, she did not think that males.. ANY male would be made... like... like...

 

After a moment of one last shake, Korrena steeled herself. She was NOT going to let that blonde haired bitch get the better of her in the dream. Especially after thinking of her adoptive brother like.... (Maybe she should tell Anton of this turn of evens. It would be interesting to see him turn red at she she may describe to him.) She jumped back in before Miryana was even able to speak a word.

 

|||||

 

Being wise enough to mentally picture herself in a different part of the room, Korrena appeared thankfully at a different side of the room. Instead of approaching the woman at a more personal level, she felt to use the dream to her advantage. Clearly she had walked in on a well hidden dream. Well, not all that hidden as Korrena now know of it. Damaging, and she felt she lost a little part of her sanity with her first glance. Yes, definitely lost a few sanity points.

 

"Har.. lot.." Korrena called over the dream. Moving her body to anouther part of the room, she could hear Aleeza's responses but ignored the pitiful pleas and demands. Of course being a dream, Korrena felt her body move with a force to where Aleeza would expect to see her. Not wanting to go there, she allowed herself to split and an image of herself appearing with a wicked grin. Thrilled by this possibility, she sent out a few more cat calls, there were echo's and more and more words that she did not even add into the air, as Aleeza panicked. Feeling that her work was done, she physically forced herself out of the dream to allow Aleeza to deal with her own little world.|||||

 

 

Smiling at Miryana, mustering up as much innocence over a rather certain amount of smugness, "I'm getting a little tired. Are we done for the night, or is there more?"

 

 

 

Korrena

Mischief Wolfcub

 

 

 

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

*friendly bump*

[Guest Estel]

Pant.  Pant.  Pant.

 

"What the...?"

 

Groan.

 

Feeling decidedly guilty and embarassed, Aleeza went to the wash basin and splashed some cold water on her face.  Had there really been someone in her dream or was she just paranoid and worried that someone would discover her little crush on Anton.  Her fantasies of him were coming more and more often and, especially living in a group of people where spying on each other's dreams was even easier than spying on them awake, she was getting more and more worried someone would piece together her blushes around him.  Unfortunately the Tinker had as little control over those as she did over her subconscious.

 

Aleeza blushed even more brilliantly at the thought of someone finding out--especially Anton.  She'd been married before, so it wasn't like she was some innocent virgin, but...  It had been so hard to even trust anyone since her Howling started and now that she felt herself able to trust Anton, she was reluctant to cause any rift for something as stupid as a little crush.

 

But now she was just getting herself worked up over nothing.  No one in the Stedding would dare spy on the dreams of another one of the Kin; the Stedding would never have sruvived this long without unspoken rules about people's privacy.  Surely she must just be paranoid.

 

Curling back up under the blankets, Aleeza fell back asleep muttering "It was only a dream... only a dream..."