Karrina was dreaming. She knew she was dreaming, yet she also knew what she saw as true. The dream started with her walking through the town as snow fell from a white and blue sky. The townspeople went about their everyday business, not paying attention to her though they weren’t as she knew them to be. They were stooped by great burdens she couldn’t see; they dragged their feet and kept their gaze downcast. On the other hand, she felt elated as though if she skipped off, she would start flying through the air. She tried conversing with the people, but they didn’t see her. Her friends would be talking to each other in the town square; they didn’t notice her either. Soziah, who she knew had been interested in her, wouldn’t look at her; she felt it after Cami, one of her best friends actually looked her way; they were ignoring her. They could see her but chose not to. She wandered through the town; it was strange not feeling hurt knowing she was being ignored. Instead, it felt freeing. Taking that feeling to action, she skipped off the ground and went sailing through the air as though on ice. She could see the town from up high. There were the original village homes, the blacksmith’s home and shop, the butcher’s, Brok’s Inn, which was more of a tavern, the mayor’s house, and several others which didn’t pique her interest as much. Then there were the new homes. The ones built after the Darkness had come. She hadn’t realized it before, but now it was clear. They were all little more than ramshackle sheds. They were leaning against one another in some cases, and almost all of them were on the point of collapse. She looked at her old home and saw a smoldering ruin.

Then she heard a voice, not the one that had spoken to her before, “And so your world passes away. What will you make of your new one? Those who are asleep can no longer see the light. Only those who Dream can reach beyond. What will you choose, sleeper, to remain in the darkness or to seek the Light? One leads to death, the other to worlds fraught with peril and Truth. Choose oh Dreamer.”

She awoke with the words in her head; the words she had answered were still on her lips, ‘I want to see the Light.’

*****

“Kallem, keep your guard up!” Tarlin said from the side.

Bem and Kallem were circling him, looking for an opening; Foldrin didn’t give it to them. With a feint lunge toward Kallem, he kicked Bem’s wrist, thatwhich holding his wooden sword, causing him to drop it. Before Kallem could take advantage of his extended position, he pulled his limbs together and spun around, slamming his weapon into Bem’s stomach causing him to collapse with a cough of pain.

Tarlin shook his head at Bem’s poor display. “Kallem, be aware of your surroundings. Don’t become overconfident, eyes on him, not the sword.”

Foldrin had decided to stay with the Cromlins for a week. The first three days he spent with Tarlin helping him remember his old lessons taught to him by his father, while Bem and Kallem went back and forth to the Town collecting their animals and belongings. On the first day, they returned with bruises, having been harassed by the other townsfolk. Tarlin sent them back the next day with a pair of swords and armor. “You don’t need to know how to use them; they just need to think you do.” Was his reply to their protest of not knowing how to use a sword. Which they were currently remedying.

“Bem, you're out this round stay where you are, and don’t try anything this time.” Tarlin barked. Foldrin had noticed him trying to crawl closer, most likely to perform another “Attack of the Fallen,” which ruined the whole exercise.

“Kallem, center yourself in the Truth. You are a bulwark of defense, unyielding, unbreakable; let him come to you.” This was a divergence in their training. Tarlin was taught to envision the Truth as an unbreakable wall surrounding him protecting him, from which he could send out his attacks, a wall that protected his Flame and all he chose to defend. Foldrin’s training, the Truth was an unquenchable fire that burned inside him, consumed him, burned away all that was not Holy, and drove him to action. Cromlin was the defender, while Kelmu was the warrior.

Foldrin allowed Kallem to follow his father’s teaching; closing his eyes, the boy breathed in and opened them on the exhale; he was Centered in the Truth, and his Spirit was calm. Foldrin didn’t enter the Truth; he was still unsure what it had cost him the last time when all other times it had caused him either pain or discomfort. Seeing Kallem enter the Truth so easily reminded him of his early days when it hadn’t been so hard.

Kallem shifted his stance in response to Foldrin’s advance. He lifted his wooden sword to block his swipe, but it never came; instead, Kallem was forced to hop back before he received a boot to the stomach. “Broaden your focus. Keep everything in view, not just the sword.” Came Tarlin’s reprimand. Foldrin just smiled as he circled Kallem, just earlier that day, both Bem and Kallem had fallen because of that trick; he was glad they were learning, well, Kallem at least as Bem’s fallen form came into view again.

“He’s learning fast, Tarlin; he is even in the Truth. Let’s see if he can keep up.” Foldrin said without breaking eye contact with the boy.

“Show him.” Was Tarlin’s reply.

Foldrin pressed into the attack.

Kallem moved with enthusiasm, a born natural; his weapon moved with a grace few men possessed with equal training. Kallem’s sword was always in the proper position to block each attack, so Foldrin increased the speed. His talent was raw and unformed, untested. Foldrin pushed Kallem to be faster to read his movements before he committed to a strike. Sometimes he would do a single attack three times in a row. Other times he would execute a pattern seven times, though most of the time, he did what was most unfavorable to him to keep him on his toes. Just as every other time he did this with Kallem and his brother, he grew better though his endurance still could not match Foldrin’s, even Centered as he was. Foldrin smiled interiorly, glad that his fight would not end with him but continue in this family; though he was disappointed and impressed that Bem had decided to fall asleep, he would have learned a lot; they were nearly fighting on top of him. With a strangled cry, Kallem tripped over his brother as he took a sharp stab to his gut from Foldrin.

“And that is why you must always be aware of your surroundings.” Tarlin rebuked his sons, trying to keep a smile from his face as he walked over to the arguing boys.

“Tarlin, if I may?” Foldrin looked to the man as he steadied his breathing. Seeing him nod, Foldrin continued. “It was smart of you to try to get me from behind, but chances of you fighting single sword masters are very rare. Most combat you would see would be Worngers, which spears are better at killing, while if you do end up fighting Kral, it would be best to fight side by side. So if your father approves, I would advise practicing fighting together, learning how the other works so you can read each other’s moves from the corners of your eyes. The both of you would be impossible to defeat if you can get to that point.”

Tarlin nodded while the boys started considering the possibilities. Tarlin clapped his hands, cuttings his son's excited chatter, “Now Bem, it is your turn; I hope you were paying attention.” Kallem laughed at his brother’s look of despair.

*****

Karrina had felt like she had been in a dream all day after she woke up. She could recall it clearly, and the voice seemed to echo in her mind each time she thought about it. It had been very different than the choice given to her so long ago, she had answered promptly; she hadn’t felt bad about her choice but as if she had righted a wrong. It made her feel as though her father was proud of her.

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She was feeding the chickens as she waited for the boys to finish their training when someone whispered in her ear, “Congratulations, Dreamer.”

She spun around, looking for the person who had spoken. Not seeing anyone, she realized what must be happening.

“You are starting to learn,” the voice continued, “I don’t know what happened, but I see the change in your spirit.”

“What do you mean?” Karrina asked.

“Just that you are no longer sleeping. You have caught a glimpse of what this world is really like, and it leaves you unsatisfied. You seek the Truth now; unlike Foldrin, your journey will take a different shape, but one thing remains. You can no longer stay as you are. Don’t you feel it? That unease as though something was missing?” as the voice spoke, she understood what it was saying. It made too much sense to disregard.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, already knowing.

“Stay with Foldrin.” It said, “This time has helped him see hope in the world; you will find he will be easier to be around. He was much damaged by others. You don’t need to go with him, but he will have an easier time completing his task if you help.”

She was about to respond when the voice continued, “I feel I should mention that even if it will be easier for him, it will still be hard for you. Though a burden shared is a burden half as heavy. Please consider it.”

“What about you? You never answered me.” Was her frustrated response as the voice left on a whisper of wind.

She then heard the groans of Kallem and Bem as they passed her on their way to the house.

*****

After they had cleaned and dressed, they went back to the house.

Foldrin had been expecting to meet Tarlin’s wife when he had learned she had passed some years after Kallem’s birth. Seeta had become the boys' surrogate mother, which explained why she hadn’t married yet. It had been two days since they arrived at the Cromlin’s house and six since he had first arrived at the town.

They found Seeta in the dining room preparing the table for the meal.

“Oh, you are just in time,”Seeta said with a smile.

“You think that chicken was enough?” Tarlin said as he hugged his daughter

“Yes, I have some beans to go with it.”

“Sounds good. Where are the boys?” he said as he sat in his chair.

Kallem and Bem entered the dining with Karrina trailing behind; Foldrin noticed her pensive look. He didn’t much appreciate how she would look at him when she thought he couldn't see her. Even if Bem complained, Seeta had made a wonderful meal yet again.

“So, Foldrin, are you planning on staying?” Seeta quizzed.

Tarlin was wiping his mouth but didn’t answer when he caught his eye, “Well, I was hoping to head out tomorrow if that was alright with Tarlin.” He responded.

“Oh, why so soon?”

“I am on a quests you could say.” Foldrin offered.

“Just like in the stories,” Seeta teased.

Foldrin looked around the table Kallem seemed disappointed, Bem didn’t look too put out, Tarlin wasn’t surprised as they talked about it earlier, Seeta looked like she had been expecting him to leave, but he didn’t know what was up with Karrina. He had to do a double take with; was she crying? She had her head down and hadn’t eaten anything.

Seeta must have seen his reaction, “Karrina is there something wrong?”

“No,” she said, “I just am not that hungry. I am going to take a walk.”

As she left, Seeta said, “I wasn’t expecting her to take it that way.”

Foldrin felt everyone looking at him. “It’s not like I am going to take her away. You are her much closer to her, no one should need to leave their family.”

“Don’t worry; it is hard to lose a friend especially one that has saved your life.” Tarlin said. Everyone else continued to eat in silence.

*****

Karrina was walking along the edge of the house. The light had fallen and the half light would soon follow. There was enough light coming through the windows to see by. She sat on a barrel that was beneath the window. She was amazed, just a week before she had been terrified of the dark. Now she sat in the night as she used to do with her father before the Darkness had come. It was strange being with the Cromlin’s. She hadn’t known much, about them i,t turned out and them having the same ancestry as Foldrin had come as a shock. But being here on t,heir property she felt that same sense of peace that had been around the Laramin. The night was quiet as she pondered the choice before her. She did want to see the world, but she had thought it would be under different circumstances. She recalled the stories that her father would tell her and her brother around the fire.

“Am I in one of those stories now?” she asked aloud. She smiled ruefully, ‘I have all the right pieces to a story.’ She thought. The loss of her father had become a dull ache which alternated between giving her peace and sadness. This past week had been a very confusing one for her. Everything she had held true had been tip on its side, most things had remained stable like day turning to night though when it was tipped on its side it was different somehow. The Darkness a force of nature turned into a creature that could be fought, the world end in a broken jagged edge and their was a God or at least something greater than the Darkness which Foldrin and the Crolmins claimed was the Creator of all things. That she still found hard to swallow.

Lost in thought she didn’t notice Seeta till she sat beside her, “Your going to go with him aren’t you?”

Karrina looked at her surprised, “What makes you say that.”

“Karrina I’ve known you your whole life. You have always wanted to leave this place, go and have an adventure.”

“Haven’t I had enough?” Karrina asked as she pulled her coat tighter against the chill.

“No, I don’t think you have.” Seeta lifted her hand causing her to pause, “Let me just continue. You have run from viscous dogs and seen a giant cliff.”

“Worngers”

“Yes, worngers, and I believe you about that edge I just find it hard to accept. Those are two things are one adventure, but you have always wanted more.”

“Wanted seems like a key word to me.”

Seeta sighed, “Yes, but what is here for you here? Not much, unless things change rapidly it is going to stay that way. Before the Darkness you were always wandering through the fields and chasing birds. I know that you suppressed that part of you for years now but in the past few days I’ve seen it grow again. You don’t look down within yourself for stories anymore, you look out. I’ve seen you gazing at the sky just standing there as if you can see a whole other world. I missed that girl and I am glad to see your back.”

Karrina felt her face flush, “You saw that?”

“I happy for you, is what I am trying to say. I might not like that you are leaving but I know that it is important for you. You weren’t meant to be in a cage Karrina. You need to leave, I see that. Your father saw that too, he would come see me every now and then.”

“He never told me that.” Karrina muttered.

“There is a lot of things fathers don’t tell their daughter such as how little they could keep the house together without them.” Seeta teased

“Oh, he made that very clear.” Karrina laughed.

“He would ask me about you.” Seeta paused, “He asked if I would take you with me after I married Devrin. We were going to move to Mekra.”

Karrina looked at her old friend, surprised, “Why?”

“Because there were too many painful memories in town, we wanted to get away from it all. I guess he loves that trash pit of a town more than I thought.” She said with a snarl.

“Sorry about that.”

“Good riddance is what I say.” There was silence for a while till she continued, “Your father left this for you.”

Karrina looked down in surprise. In her hands, she held a heavy bag of money. “Twenty-three Silver, fourteen Gold, and banknotes for thirty Gold and sixty Silver, not to mention some pocket change of Copper.”

“What? How?” she asked stupefied.

“He has been saving up since you were six. Whenever he would talk about you, he would say his one regret was not leaving to travel the world when he was younger. Though he would always end with, and I quote, ‘Her mother was worth it.’” She ended with a bad imitation of her father’s voice.

Karrina laughed at that as she wiped away tears she hadn’t noticed till then. “Thank you, Seeta. This means so much to me.” She said as she embraced her.

“Sisters forever, yeah?”

“Always.”