Floating within the swirling nothingness that was the Dreaming Expanse Sol relaxed in the peaceful oblivion. The feeling of waves lapping at her form was both a figment of her imagination and very real. Mortal minds were not very good at comprehending this place and thus tended to simply make up wherever they ended up. Perhaps the velvety ocean of void that she was resting in did in fact exist, maybe it was exactly that, but Sol had no way of knowing. An oneiromancer she was not. The weave of this place was far far beyond her, and she was fine with that. Dreamless oblivion was preferable to the nightmares that her sisters sometimes spoke of.
It was then she felt something brush past her. Sol opened her eyes to look round, nothing more than inky black. “Show yourself.” She demanded. She wouldn’t need to speak loudly here, her intent was to be heard and anything as close to her as that ‘something’ would hear. It answered only with silence. Sol righted herself, as much as one can with no frame for up or down, and followed after the feeling. Swimming after it as if she’d been trained from birth to do it. Every now and again she felt the currents shift, trying to push her off her course but she felt determined to find the source of what had brushed past her so close but had not dared to even enter the dream. Or in her case, invite her to theirs.
Whatever path she took it was almost certainly of the entity’s. That was not reason to give up, if anything this could be good practice. If she didn’t dream she may as well simply take part in Dreaming Expanse fun. In the endless void, the swirling abyss that made up the inky darkness that consumed everything, the small glimmer of light that she saw - no larger than even an ember - was as raging bonfire to her light starved eyes. Immediately she had a target and swam for it. Sol did not tire, did not stop, even as it already felt like she’d traveled hundreds of miles already. The light grew brighter and brighter as she swam. Closer and closer. Reaching out into light she almost had a hold of it as its eyes opened-
A smack on her ass nearly threw Sol onto the floor, the shock of it all finished the job. Letting out a surprised yelp she thrashed under the blanket that had come with her, shouting obscene things about her attacker’s mother and relations to whoredom.
“Come on Sol,” A ruby-toned voice laughed. “Sleepin’ with your ass up to the heavens and face down in the pillows?” She approached Sol, who had at least managed to poke her head out from the blanket and ripped the rest of it from the Huntress. “And you’re still in your gear! By the Mother have you even had a shower?”
“Please, please let me sleep some more.” Sol whined. “I had a long night.”
“We all had a long night.” Margaux said as she threw the blanket back at Sol’s face. “Now come on, you stink.”
With a groan that rivaled that of Her Holinesses knees Sol brought herself up. Brushing off the dirt that stubbornly clung to her. Haphazardly tossing her blanket back onto her bed Sol followed her out, she can always make it when she gets back freshly showered and with clean clothes.
“So how did it go?” Margaux asked in a sing song tone.
“It was a mess?” Sol looked at her with no shortage of exasperation. “I underestimated a lycan in one battle, my Mother of all people was the one to save me.”
“Frankly I think I would rather pass away than have my mother be the one to catch me like that, I’d never hear the end of it.”
“I think your mother would save you, slay the lycan, and then flay you alive for having the audacity of being weak.” Sol said with a sidelong smirk.
“I think you’re right.” Margaux snickered.
Entering the part of the grounds that housed the bathing rooms Sol started to peel herself out of her leathers. With as hard as she had to work to even get out of her pants it nearly was a second skin, adhering to her with sweat. Getting out of all of it was just as relieving as it was a pain. Throwing it all in a hamper with her name on it Sol all but collapsed on a shower bench.
“You forgot something.” Margaux giggled as she turned on the cold water, cackling as Sol suddenly jumped up with a shriek.
“There will be naught but wet ash when I’m done with you!” Sol shouted at her, though a playful smile on her face. She stepped out of the frigid water and started to fuss with the valves to get something more appropriate. Feeling the water change from frozen daggers onto her skin gradually to a spray of magma threatening to melt the flesh from her very bones Sol sighed in relief. “Much better.” She said as she stepped into the shower.
As she cleaned herself, scrubbing at her skin with a vigor that would leave it red if it weren’t for the scalding water already doing that, Sol thought back to her dream. Or perhaps her lack of one as that might be more accurate if the others are to be believed. She took extra care to scrub at her hands, trying to ensure that callouses wouldn’t form.
“Margaux?” Sol said softly as she stared intently at the webbing between her fingers.
“Yea?”
“What are your dreams usually like?”
“You know you can just visit mine.” She said flicking some water at Sol.
“I know but, that’s not the same as dreaming them myself.” Sol closed her eyes and let the water rush over her face.
Margaux crossed her arms as she thought, soap trailing dangerously close to her eyes as she did so. “Maybe I should visit your dreams for once.” She said with an air of finality.
“Are you sure?” Sol had nearly dropped the bar of shampoo upon hearing that. Margaux was surely going to think of her as an aberration, a corruption. A beast.
“I’m sure.” She said as she got back to rinsing. “I’ll even sleep in your room tonight to make sure of it. The Realm’s too big to go hunting for you in one night.”
Sol fell silent. Simply letting the hot water cleanse her body. Maybe if she let it got hot enough it would simply leave her as nothing but ash. The soul flame wasn’t enough but maybe that was the problem, the flame wasn’t the element that her body reacted to. She could feel the wrongness but there was time yet to excise it, she just needed to turn the water up more. Maybe it would be enough to-
She snapped out of that train of thought. Every woman felt disgust towards the mortal form. Any one that could be twisted and shaped into that of a lycan it was only natural to feel resentful of it. Sol took a breath and shut off the water.
“Thank you Margaux. I likely wouldn’t have awoken for some time, or even felt compelled to shower if you hadn’t come and got me.”
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“Of course!” She chirped, still happily scrubbing at herself as if she were in one of the more luxurious baths reserved for feast days.
Somehow Sol had the feeling that she wasn’t going to be out of the shower any time soon and simply turned to leave. There was a great deal of work to do now that she was awake and properly cleaned.
There was plenty of time yet in the early streams of moonlight that constituted her ‘morning’, so Sol swung by the refectory to grab a couple buttered rolls and a handful of peaches. The smell of roasting salmon and venison made her mouth water but she couldn’t stay to enjoy it. A light breakfast instead would have to do. She walked down the halls at a brisk pace. She wore a light blouse and loose fitting pants, the soft soles of her shoes not making a sound as she walked down the stone hallway. The only indication that she was there was the gentle glow of the lantern once again affixed to her hip and the light clanking noises it made as she walked.
Biting into the piece she savored the sweetness, trying not to get the juices all over her blouse. Bowing to the priests and sisters as they walked past. Margaux likely would attend to her own duties, or Sol hoped she would, they still had the mid-morning night to get through before Sol could think about sleeping again. When she had arrived at her destination Sol paused before the door, hesitating. She took a moment to pause and collect herself before shaking off the anxiety like a wet dog and entered. Inside was a small room, an off-shoot of the infirmary meant for one occupant. On the bed lay a young girl, dressed in simple light blue linens. Moving next to her bedside Sol offered down one of her uneaten peaches.
“How are you feeling?” She said softly, not wanting to spook the poor thing. To no one’s surprise she didn’t answer. Sol tried to suppress a sigh. The girl couldn’t be more than fourteen, but that was all anyone knew of her. Even that was a guess. Placing the piece down on the nightstand Sol began her inspection. The empty glassy eyed stare had yet to go away, while the pupils reacted to stimuli Sol couldn’t get her to react beyond that. Reflexive actions beyond her control. “Your eyes are still healthy.” She told the girl. “They tell me that they’ll put some stained glass in your room soon. Maybe the colors will bring something welcome to your nights.”
Sol was never sure if talking to her was the right thing to do. It felt like it. However just because something felt right didn’t make it so. She kept doing it anyway. It made the examinations feel less intrusive, made the girl feel like a person and not just a body. Her pulse was normal, there was nothing that Sol could tell about her breathing that seemed off. She turned her to try to prevent bed sores. She dipped her finger into the lantern’s flame and let it catch upon her skin, it spread slowly onto Sol’s finger but felt only like the warm calling of home. Maybe this is what the sun felt like. Slowly Sol lowered the flame onto the girl’s arm and watched. No change. The skin did not redden, crackle, or burn. Shaking out her hand Sol rose to her feet.
“Return to us soon, Eve.” She said softly, trying to make the girl comfortable. “So that we may at least know your name.”
She left the nameless maiden to her endless sleep that seemed to follow her into the waking world. Some part of Sol almost wished that she would remain asleep, whatever dream she was trapped in must be better than the world that her body was left behind in. On the other hand, the idea of years passing only to wake as a woman frightened Sol. She had named the girl so that she could at least have something to call her in her reports. Eve was the first woman, it seemed only fitting to offer it as a placeholder.
The rest of Sol’s duties went smoothly. Her weapons accounted for and left with the smiths. Training the young huntresses in her chosen weapon, a sword wasn’t exactly the most popular but it was good to teach them. Likewise one shouldn’t ever snub a trainee, they were often the most dangerous of foes. It was too early for her to start picking an apprentice, but it was never too early for her to start looking at the younger ones. Maybe she would decide to become a mother, and be to them what Niamh was to her.
There was still time yet for that, but Sol wanted to enjoy her years as a single woman for a while longer. Besides, those girls likely are in dire need of a sister right now. It makes her think of Eve. Yes, that would be for the best. Sister Sol.
The return to her room was an arduous journey that left Sol laying face down on the bed having only managed to kick off her boots. Supper at the refectory was at least wonderful, she actually got to enjoy the venison this time and the creamy mashed potatoes. A day full of training, teaching, and pestering her own sisters finally ending with a hot meal. She was already mostly asleep when the door flew open and a voice shattered the silence in a falsetto voice.
“I’m here! Don’t tell me you’ve gotten started without me.”
Margaux had arrived.
“Not yet.” Sol said, not moving from her place on the bed. “Come on, lay down.” She lightly pat the bed and wiggled to make some room for her on the twin sized mattress.
Margaux took no time at all to sit down and make herself comfortable. Nestling between the wall and Sol as she rested her head against Sol’s chest. Sol wrapped her up in a hug, holding onto her friend as she closed her eyes.
“Just like this?” She mumbled, starting to drift back off to sleep.
“Just like this.” Margaux whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair out of Sol’s face before closing her eyes.
Sol once again felt herself in that inky void. Floating freely being pushed here and there. Letting the current take her where it will. It was the same as all nights, this time the only difference was Margaux drifting in the abyssal tide with her only arms reach away. Sol opened her eyes to look at her friend, studying her expression. Margaux only returned her gaze with a horrified stare. Her hands to her mouth as she gently floated away from Sol.
“This is your dream?” Margaux’s voice was barely above a whisper. “No light no sound no, no nothing?”
“This is my dream.” Sol said, burying her feelings deep in her breast. “Every night I arrive here, and rest in peaceful oblivion.”
Margaux looked around, but there was nothing to see. Her only frame of reference was Sol, more than Sol ever got when she was dreaming. It was the truly void like expanse that held Margaux’s tongue. So many say ‘nothing’ to mean a room without the thing they seek. But this? It was oblivion in all directions: as if Sol were a star too afraid of the dark to be born. She could see it on Margaux’s face, she wanted to say something but by the working of her jaw Sol knew that she hadn’t worked up the courage yet to actually say it. Sol pleaded for her to say it. Anything really. Now that there was another person here the silence was suddenly suffocating. Now that Margaux was here she couldn’t bear the look on her friend’s face, pitying her like some awful creature in a trap.
“Speak friend.” Sol’s voice was much calmer, much more even than she thought she could manage.
Margaux blinked looking past Sol. Somewhere in the great darkness that they were both enshrouded in. “My dreams are nothing like this.” She finally said, bringing her attention back onto Sol. “Even when they become nightmares, Sol, my dreams are nothing like this.” Her eyes were brimming with tears. This was a mistake. “Sol, you need to talk to someone, anyone!”
“That’s not a good idea Margaux.” Sol wrapped her arms around herself, oh how she longed for the comfort of Margaux’s embrace, but she wasn’t going to offer it. Not here. “You know why.”
“Yes,” Her voice was soft, defeated, but it still held a keen edge to it. “But that doesn’t make me wrong. You need to talk to someone about it.”
“And who? Pray tell.” Sol snapped. “I nearly had to execute a woman I very nearly lost my life trying to save because Aurelia didn’t think she was pure.” Sol nearly spat the name, the deacon was kind normally but the encounter had left Sol with a bad taste in her mouth. “I had to test her right at the door.” Sol felt her face getting hot and curled in on herself, her voice growing steadily softer and softer as she spoke. “I already put a woman down as she was transforming, I didn’t want to kill another in the same night.”
“Your mother.” Margaux said after a long moment of silence.
“My mother?”
She nodded, “Our mothers take oaths to keep us safe. You can’t be more than a sister without it.” For the first time Margaux reached out and gently cupped Sol’s cheeks, “My mother has kept things from the church that… had she not? They would have ordered my own execution for by now. Niamh will be the same way.”
Sol pressed herself into Margaux’s touch, drinking it in now that she has been blessed with this oasis. Blinking away her tears. “I’ll talk to Mother.” She reached up to touch Margaux’s hand. “I promise.”
It seemed to satisfy Margaux who immediately pulled Sol into an embrace. “No more of this.” She said softly. “Come to my dreams. There’s gardens, and fruit of all kinds. I don’t even know their names.”
Sol would have answered. The idea was pleasant enough, however right as she opened her mouth she saw it again. That light shimmering in the distance. Margaux must have seen it too as she turned to find what had stolen Sol’s attention away from her. Breaking away from Margaux Sol swam after it. This time the currents worked against her, the tides turning into waves that crashed against her. She fought all the harder against it. Determined not to give up. She was so close last time, she could do it.
Distantly she could hear Margaux somewhere behind her but Sol was focused on the light. Her heart thundered in her chest and her lungs burned but she couldn’t slow, not for a moment. Even with the abyss fighting against her tooth and nail Sol wasn’t going to given in just yet. As she approached the light grew into clearer focus even as it seared her eyes. It was a person. Or person shaped at least. Sol reached out to it as it turned to look at her, and she saw her own face.