Dream of the night wind

There was nothing around me but pain. An entire ocean of pain, in which I was literally drowning, choking on a scream. But no one could hear me. No one wanted to come to my aid. Pain and darkness had replaced the entire world. Impenetrable blackness — black as the deepest, moonless, most sinister night — and just as terrifying, pressed in around me from every side, leaving no room to breathe. — Help… Someone, please help… — I whispered through uncooperating lips, fighting with everything I had to hold onto consciousness and keep that terrible darkness from swallowing me whole… But my strength was nearly gone, and I had almost surrendered entirely, when suddenly… the rustle of wings sounded very close by, and then strong hands wrapped firmly around me, pulling me out of the dark, and I thought I heard the darkness behind me hiss with malice. But it no longer frightened me — because he was here. He had come. He had saved me. I could feel the warmth of his firm embrace clearly, yet… I still couldn't see his face. In truth I couldn't see anything at all — only felt. But even that was enough for me to recognize this familiar warmth enveloping me on all sides like enormous velvet wings. — You came… — I whispered, leaning my back against his warm chest, utterly spent. — How could I not, little one? — his warm breath touched my hair, sending waves of trembling through my entire body. — Forgive me that it… took me so long, but do you remember what I promised you? I will always find you… Always. Even at the edge of the Universe. Our souls have been bound together by a silver thread since the very beginning of eternity. It may become tangled, but it will never break. Do you believe me?… I smiled almost imperceptibly, catching my breath, feeling myself enveloped in complete and absolute safety, and tightened my grip on his arms holding me — so firmly, yet with such extraordinary care, that I had nothing left to fear. — I have always… believed… only you. — I breathed, barely audibly, closing my eyes and finally allowing myself to relax. — My girl… — he whispered with a tender smile and kissed my temple, then pressed his cheek to my hair and went still. I turned my head, and then turned fully toward him — but wherever we were, it was still dark, and I could make out only the indistinct outline of his face and… enormous dark wings behind his shoulders. And those wings seemed to me… the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. They were just as magnificent as he was, and I accepted this as simply the way things were — as though I had always known it was meant to be so. — Where are we? — I whispered softly, reaching out to his face and touching his velvet cheek with the lightest, most tender brush of my fingers. He covered my hand with his broad, warm palm, and his lips curved slightly in a smile. — Don't you recognize it, little one? But I only shook my head, looking at him in bewilderment. He held me closer, drawing me to him with quiet authority, and pressed his forehead against mine — never releasing my gaze from his gentle dark eyes — and said softly: — This subspace is called Mizpah — the Meeting Place of Souls. This is where I have been waiting for you all these years. But it is time for us to return, my dear. This particular region of it… is not entirely safe, and we have already stayed here far too long. — But you will… You'll come back with me, won't you? — I tightened my grip on his hands without thinking, unwilling to let him go so quickly, but he smiled gently, cradling my face in his palms and drawing me close to press a kiss to my forehead, exhaling softly: — Don't worry, my darling. We will go home together… and I will never let you go again. Hearing this, I sighed with quiet happiness and let my lashes fall closed, feeling velvet feathers graze lightly across my cheek — and then his enormous wings, black as night, folded around us, shutting out the rest of the world, as he lifted my face up to meet his, cupping my chin gently in his long fingers, and covered my lips with his own — warm and unbearably tender… and the entire world beyond the shelter of his arms simply… ceased to exist. …His kiss was still burning on my lips when I began to slowly come back to myself, and my heart beat faster as I heard, in the waking world, a voice that was achingly familiar — deep, and tight with emotion. — My love… Please, open your eyes… — the sound of that heavy velvet voice seemed to resonate with my soul at the deepest possible level, yet no matter how hard I tried, I could not remember where I had heard it before. — Come now, little one… Wake up. Don't wander in the shadows… Come back to me… — he urged gently, but I still didn't have the strength even to open my eyes and look at the owner of that exquisite baritone. The darkness behind me thickened, becoming alive and dense and tangible. I felt strong, careful arms embrace me from behind and press me firmly against a warm male body, and warm lips softly touched the back of my head… And then… I drew a deep breath and came awake. The bright light cut into my pupils, and the last thing I wanted was to open my eyes, and I went involuntarily still when I heard, somewhere very close: — You've been sitting here all night, my son. You need to rest, at least a little, to recover your strength after what… happened in the Shadows. That battle was very hard even for you… Don't worry — I'll stay with her. — That's out of the question, Mother. She needs me. How can I leave her alone? I must be with her until she comes out of the darkness, to show her the way home. I made her a promise… and I will not break it… as everyone else has, — the stranger answered and exhaled heavily, but though his voice was tired and strained, it left absolutely no room for argument. — But… — the melodic female voice attempted to object again, only to be immediately silenced by a quiet: — I said no, Mother. Go. Leave Rosé and me alone… Please. — My dear… You do… understand that she… may not wake up? Her father… — I will bring her through. I am calling to her and she can hear me — I can feel it. Just a little longer and I will win her back from the shadows. I will not surrender her to the darkness, — pain crept into that deep, heavy voice, making it fragile, and I suddenly felt a desperate urge to comfort its owner — to assure him that I truly could hear him, that I was already here, with him, and that now… everything would be all right. But for some reason I couldn't move so much as a finger, even though I was no longer asleep. From the other side of the bed on which I lay came a despondent sigh, and the same female voice said barely audibly: — Do you see where your recklessness has led? You nearly lost her… And you yourself… barely made it out… — But I made it in time, Mother. In time… just in time. And now… now my girl will be all right. I will not allow anything bad to happen to her… Never again. Now please leave us. I want to be alone with Rosé. What were they talking about? The thought flickered and was gone, and I heard the woman sigh again. — Very well, my dear… as you wish. But if… you need me, you know where to find me. Quiet, retreating footsteps sounded, then the door creaked, and silence fell. And suddenly I felt his attentive gaze on me so acutely that I inexplicably wanted to hide somewhere — even though I sensed that whoever this boy was, he would not harm me. And then the bed beside me dipped under the weight of another body, and I went still as the stranger leaned in and tenderly traced the outline of my face with the pads of warm fingers, and whispered roughly: — I have waited for you so long, little one… a whole agonizing, endless eternity… I thought that… it would be better for you if I… let you go, but… I have never been so wrong in my life. Forgive me, my love… forgive me that because of me you suffered for so long… But now you are home. You are home, beside me, as it always should have been. Don't be afraid of anything anymore. I will not allow anything bad to happen to you. Never. You are safe here, under my protection… and I will always… be near. His gentle half-whisper was mesmerizing, sinking into my very heart, enveloping it in soft, healing warmth and making me believe every word he said — and I shuddered, curling my weak fingers into the bedcover, when his warm lips pressed tenderly to my forehead. His kiss was fleeting, tender, barely perceptible… yet warmth and calm wrapped around me at once, just as they did in my dreams. I exhaled softly, reaching toward him with quiet desperation — toward this source of warmth and peace — but my eyes still would not open. He sighed quietly and whispered several words into my hair in some unfamiliar, melodic language, and I felt myself being drawn back into sleep — but this time it was calm, and long, and healing… And in it there was only his voice, the quiet song of the wind in the crowns of ancient pines, and… the rustle of dark velvet wings, standing guard over my rest.