when i returned home and dreamed that night this is the dream as it was brought to me, as shiver had found her druid.Shiver and the druid
I have traveled through the paths of shade and shadow, i have sat in the valley of mists, welcomed home by old friends and bade to stay awhile longer, i have lingered too long i fear. It may be too late to be of help. I ran through the edge of the sleeping forest that had slowly crept high onto the mountain. the grass slowly disappeared into a thickening blanket of snow as i ascended. The cold winds howled and circled the rocks above the tree line and threatened to remove me from the mountain trail. I refused to give and continued upward, he was here. my pack shifted as if urging me, to hurry. the rains and hail started to pelt me. i pulled my green cloak to me for warmth. braced myself for the fury of the driving winds and forged my way ahead in the growing tempest. The storm raged and howled about me. thunder sounded and lightning slammed the earth all around me as the driving rains and ice shards stung my icy eyes. The rage of this storm was as fierce as any our mother could create, but this was not a natural storm. Here there be demons. this storm resulted from an epic battle long ago. I couldn't help him then. he had turned his back on us all and denied us. In the end he was alone. He cried for us to help, screamed in agony as the demons enclosed him. I know the battle ground is close for the lightning has changed from a hue of electric blue to fiery red. the clouds roil over head, thunder shakes the very earth underfoot loose. echoes of screams and howls ride the angered winds. Finally i see him. Naked,laying there in a tightly curled ball, half buried in ice. lightning, striking, dancing a close circle about him. i want to run I want to scream, I fear I dallied too long in the peaceful valley of mists. I watched too long.........is it too late to save this one??. The cauldron above is boiling about us, the lightning strikes increase as i approach forming a prison of flashing fire and storms. with each boom of thunder i see him flinch, he is alive, barely, that is not good. he sees me, reaches to me, calls to me in his agony. tears fall from my eyes frozen before they touch the ground. i turn my back to him as he did to us long ago, his cries turn my eyes to ice, my hair from deep black to almost whitish blond, my cloak from green to icy blue. I have found him after all these years of searching, my true form is returning. I turn my ancient blue eyes toward the boiling skies above and scream to the tortuous demons of the storm."He has suffered enough. I come to claim him. END THIS TORMENT.!!" The winds howl louder, the rains now knives in the air pounded the rocks, and the thunder roared. The repeated lighting strikes increased and started joining to one another i watched horrified as the light coalesced into a shapeless form, then into the form of a woman. a woman made of storm, an actual Storm Siren. Her watery sword held in one lightning fist, her shield of air in the other, her thunderous gaze met mine and further chilled my skin as my scales began to return. She leaped forward, and engaged me in battle. As he pleaded for my help, reaching for me, crying out to me, His demons killed him. swiftly. The storm broke immediately, light and warmth returned to the mountain top, The storm Sirens laughter dying on the breeze, as the sun melted the ice near him and i approached him, myself fully returned. no longer walking on two legs but four. my once backpack held in my powerful jaws. I place it near him, quietly and curl myself around him, slipping my blue scaled tail under him gently and cradling him to me, i can see that his demons killed him by stabbing him in the heart, and third eye. The wounds began to heal, in the light. I watched as he was returned to us anew there atop the mountain, he was reborn to us. He had turned his back on us, yet he unknowingly had continued to walk his path. he stopped in a place and dissapeared from us for a while. I was in explicitly compelled to come here to the stormy mountains. An angelic voice prodding me onwards,"one will return from the dark goddess anew, an old friend of yours, go to him and help him as you would a child. I look at him now in the warm sun, cradled in my dragons arms as he opens his new eyes for the first time, "welcome back, old friend. do you know your name?....."
A long silence...I sense none of the fear he had before....none of the feigned disdain for his path...none of the lies....he is truly reborn.....i whispered his name in his ear...confused he looked at me and asked "who am i?" I responded "you are druid. You are as you have always been, and always will be, you are crimson stormfire. welcome back." I smiled when he embraced my arm and fell fast asleep. a while later he awoke, i sensed fear in him a struggle to overcome it. He asked me for strength, willingly i gave it with my name "I am Shiver, young druid, I have you. now and always."
