FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

+++Long story warning!!+++

Shipwrecked

The warm rays of sunlight beat down upon her face, and her mind became focused on the gentle lapping of the water. She gingerly opened her eyes, the sunlight stabbed into her eyes painfully, almost as if she had never used her eyes before. She found that she was lying on a beach, and that there were many pieces of driftwood from her ship cast about the shore. It took her some effort, but she managed to sit up, instantly she wanted very much so to be dead as she felt an overwhelming grief strikes her. Most of her family had been aboard that vessel, and she didn't think that she could live with knowing she was the only survivor. She had a single hope that her family had survived a vague flicker of light in her dark hour. But it was also possible that her family had been borne across the sea to another land, another desolate location where she would never see them again. Somewhere in her heart though, she knew the truth.

A few barrels had washed ashore, and that did help her situation a little bit, because she was hungry beyond reasoning. Slowly and groggily she stumbled her way to one of these barrels. She was in some luck, it was a sealed barrel, and showed no signs of leakage. She picked up a nearby plank of wood and started beating at the barrel with all the might she could muster. She became more and more exhausted with each swing, and the barrel still remained whole. She lowered the driftwood and looked around for any piece of metal she could use to get the barrel open, but only things lying nearby were the barrels and the driftwood.

She instantly collapsed and began weeping. She knew that she was as good as dead on this shore, and she didn't have any clue where she was. A few gull-like birds winged overhead cawing and wheeling, but beside herself that was the only signs of life she saw. A sound behind her caused her hopes to soar, but up further on the shore she turned to see a strange squat-legged creature ambling along searching through the wreckage. It managed to turn up a dead fish that the birds couldn't get and walked away with its prize to the trees along the shores edge. She looked up to the sky trying to see what time of the day it was, and decided that she had best find a safer place on the shore to put some of the barrels. She could only get a few of the smaller barrels up to the edge of the shore, but she was too exhausted to take any of the bigger barrels filled with fish and pork.

It was late afternoon when she finished with the last barrel, and then she collapsed on the beach, tired as ever she had been. Her hunger abated some and she found herself drifting off into a fitful slumber. She was plagued by dreams of floods and seeing her mother and father swirling around and around into the darkness of the sea. She tried to save them, but something kept her from diving down to get them. A shadowy hand shot down into the water, and she grabbed a hold of it. Immediately it was pulling her up through the water, past the pieces of debris and past the bodies from the other voyagers. She broke through the surface just as the hand let her go, and she found herself on a shore with a bunch of barrels yards high and yards across. She tried to crack them open with a plank of wood, but they just thudded softly and caused her arm to jerk. The barrels were like mountains and she slumped down in anguish. Then she saw a dark shape on the horizon, facing her, but the features were obscured by the sun's glare.

Then the figure faded and turned into her mother and father, and her baby sister. They were standing mournfully looking upon her and moving their mouths, trying to tell her something. She tried to run to them, to know some comfort before they too vanished like everything else in her dream. As she took each step they stayed at exactly the same distance that she had originally seen them. Then they melded away into the shore again, and this time a lone person was picking her way through the debris. She had reddish-brown hair and a very downcast appearance about her. As the dream figure looked up, she realized that it was her that was picking through the wreckage. As she tried to run to the dream self, it melded away and was replaced with an image of a dark shape of someone on the very same beach. When she tried to near, the figure held out a hand in offer, but before she could come close enough to take the offered hand, the figure disappeared. She collapsed and began to despair, because she was all alone. Then her world became dark.

She woke and found that it was early morning of the next day. There was a gentle breeze but it did little to ease her mood. Her stomach gave her a pang to remind her of her hunger, but she thought little of getting food from the barrels, because they were all sealed tight. She slowly got to her feet and walked over to one of the nearby barrels. The lid on it looked more open then closed, and at first she thought that perhaps she had grabbed a broken barrel in her attempt to get all the good barrels up higher on the shore. She pulled the lid away and found that the salted pork was still good, and there was no water whatsoever in the barrel. She was glad that at least one barrel was open, but she had a hard time believing that the barrel was open all the time, and throughout the whole ordeal at sea. She looked around to see if there was any sort of footprints, but it was only bare sand that she saw, and a few seashells.

She didn't let her musings get in her way, and she fished a large lump of pork from the barrel. It was the best thing she had ever eaten, or at least it tasted that way after nearly dying and also being starved. She ate until she couldn't eat anymore, but that left her quite thirsty, and she dared not drink from the sea. This made her a bit sour and she was mad at herself, but for what she wasn't quite sure. She lay back and rested for a few more minutes, letting her stomach digest some of the food, and then she got up and began the search for any survivors of the ship wreck, barely being able to believe that only she survived.

It didn't take too long for her to find another person, but she was not exactly looking for one that was already deceased. She almost gagged as she looked on the face of the captain, and the crabs were crawling all over him, picking at his flesh. She recoiled and sped away from there as quick as she could, instantly wanting to search no more. As the day wore on she figured a few things out in her mind. First she needed a shelter, in case of another storm, and also that she needed to find out if she was on an island, or if she was on another continent. This much she was very curious about.

She worked as much as her limbs would allow her to on making a wobbly shelter of driftwood, and rope. Having made the basic structure she found a sail from the ship and draped it over the shelter to protect her from rain, and to keep her safe at night from scavengers. She stowed away the barrel of pork in her shelter as well, not wanting anything to get into it without her knowing. She also made herself a makeshift bed out of some of the sail, but it was hard and covered in sand, so not very comfortable.

As night approached, she ate a few bites of pork and then went and sat on the beach, looking to the horizon where the colors of night spread like ink on paper. A few stars were barely visible on the horizon, and others were springing up as the light faded. Her heart still ached with her loss, and she wept.

Then in anger she raised her fists to the sky and asked with out expecting an answer, "Why, why, why?!"

Then to her amazement she heard a voice speak to her.

"Your wounds take time to heal. You may think that your life is over, and maybe even think that the whole world is against you, but in truth nature is just teaching you. The people you loved and knew have left you, but they do not go to torment, or to pain. They have left this world and gone where they can be happy again. Do not feel that there is a finger to point, because that will make you bitter at heart, and I know your heart is not that way."

She turned around to see a dark figure standing a few yards behind her, but shrouded in shadow so as not to be seen. She felt overjoyed at first, but when she went to run to him he stepped backward and disappeared. She fell to her knees again and wept, thinking she was crazy. She balled up her fist and slammed it into the sandy beach. She repeated this until the sand cut her skin, then she cried. Then she felt a hand take hold of her own and gently start to pull her to her feet. She looked to a shadowy figure near her in fright, but followed him to wherever he led. He brought her back down to the water and told her in a soft, kind voice to sit. Then as she did so, he strode into the water.

Then as he reached the water up to his knees he turned around and knelt. She didn't know what he was doing at first, but then she watched as he touched the water with a hand and it began to glow and ripple. At fist she felt like running, but she couldn't stand at all. He started to rise and then asked her to look into the water. As she did so she saw three fair faces lying in the water. Her mother, father, and sister were under the water. A light played across the whole of the water and she saw that they looked peaceful in this image.

They didn't look sorrowful or pained, but they looked as if finally at peace. She felt her tears working up again and then the image glowed more brilliantly.

"Your love for them was great. You have my pity."

She tried to talk but she couldn't find any words, and then as if a wind swept across the beach he floated away in a myriad of twinkling stars. She jumped to her feet calling him, asking him what his name was, and who he was, but no answer came back to her. She stumbled and fell onto her hands and knees and begged for him to come back and not leave her alone. She felt incredibly alone and started thinking herself crazy, because of the images that she was seeing.

Then she woke and found that she had fallen asleep while looking up at the stars and now it was early morning, before the sun rose. She looked around searching for the man she had seen in her dream, and wished that it was not so. She didn't want to be plagued by these dreams, they tormented her and made her feel sorrow renewed. She felt tears welling up again, but staved them off with thought of food.

She ate a little and then lay back on the beach and stared upward again. This time she did not drift off into sleep, and she heard the many sounds of the night. Insects chirped and sang, small animals scurried about, and even a few strange sounds crept out of the woods. She could hear the distinct crinkle of leaves and broken branched as well and she slowly turned her head to look back in the shadows of the wood. A small dog like creature was ambling along sniffing around for scraps. It caught sight of her and quickly ran away into the woods.

She sighed and watched as the horizon started turning shades of pink and red, painting the dawn of a new day. When the first rays of light hit the island she decided to get up. A warm breeze was in the air, and it looked to be another fine morning. She walked around for a while picking up some scrap wood that she didn't use, and also found a crate that had washed ashore as well. She was excited by the site of it and thought perhaps it would contain something she could use, but as she neared it, the whole inside of the crate was filled with water. It was too heavy to tip over by herself, but she dug away some of the sand under the one side of the crate so that it soon was tilting at a forty-degree angle. Then she applied some force on the other side and it slowly tipped over, spilling water across the sand.

She found that there was a small package that was wedged against the crate's inside. She fished it out and then sat down on the beach with it in hand. The wrapping was made of some sort of cloth, and was tough to tear, but she managed to remove the cover. She stared down at a book, and it was in good condition considering that it rested in water for days. The cover had some spidery writing on it that she couldn't make out and there was a clamp to keep the pages shut. She carefully worked the clamp open, and then opened the book. It had a map in the front, and it showed many numbers on it, then there were keys to each of the numbers, plus page numbers. She saw one that said Grinthak horde, and she found that it gave detailed instructions on where the horde was located, plus what a person had to do to get to it.

She read through a few more of the pages and found more quests and such, some were for gold, others for items. She saw that there was also many pages left unwritten, and probably because the writer had not seen many other places. She gently closed the book and set the clamp in place, and then she went and put the book in her hut. She then began a long walk down the coast. She found many more pieces of wood and also many more shredded sails. After a while though, she started to see less and less of the wreckage, and more of the natural life on the beach. Birds were flocked around a crab site, and gorging themselves on crustaceans. Also a sea turtle was plodding along in the surf.

Up ahead she saw a massive stone structure, and about it many birds perched. The water coursed up in between the stones, and then pulled away leaving a shallow fall behind. A few crustaceans nestled in the rocks quickly scurried to find cover as she approached. She saw a few scrawls on the rocks that seemed to have been made from the water itself, but too like writing to be dismissed as such. She traced the markings with her fingers and then caught sight of a manmade structure a few yards beyond, tucked away in between some of the larger boulders higher up on the beach. At first she had high hopes of finding a living person, but that was soon dashed to pieces as she saw how broken up and unkempt the structure looked. She peered into the window, but did as much as that because nothing was inside, except a few bird nests.

She exited the patch of boulders feeling downcast, finally accepting her doom. She trudged out onto one of the boulders. She felt as if she was being watched from the woods just beyond the beach, but each time she looked, she could not see anything. She slowly got up and walked back to her new home, but every once in a while she would hear noises out in the woods and it sent chills up her spine. She hurried to her hut and found that some wild dogs had tipped over her barrel of salted meats, and had eaten most of what she had. Their footprints littered the area and she found herself growing angrier by the minute. She pulled the barrel back upright and slammed the lid on it as hard as she could, causing a loud bang to resound throughout the area. A yelp was heard outside her hut as one of the dogs had crept close and run off startled by the noise.

She darted out of the hut and saw the little thief lunge into some bushes and then was gone, save the sound of him running in the woods. She found a few scraps of pork outside the hut, but not much else. She went back inside her hut and fished out another piece of pork, eating it swiftly and then laying on the beach again. As the day wore into dusk she found herself thinking about her family once again. She started to cry again in memory of them, and not having anyone to hug and cry to made her feel even worse. She cursed herself for having survived and cursed herself for being on the island. She forced herself to eat yet again at nightfall and then she climbed back into her hut and fell asleep.

There was a thick cloud cover overhead and flashes of lightning erupted from many different spots. She wasn't quite sure which happened first, the wave that smashed the boat, or the lightning that struck the sail? Whichever it was it had robbed her of all she ever loved, her family. She was thrown into the water at the onset, and was drifting haplessly in the ocean, pawing at the surface to stay afloat. Another great wave came and blew everyone overboard in an instant. Some managed to grab pieces of flotsam, but the others were forced to swim. Those that were in the hold were drowned almost instantly. Her mother and father were some of them, not to mention her sister. She paddled as best she could but she couldn't draw near the capsized ship to find her family. Everyone she knew spun around her seemingly mocking her attempts, yet they all cried for help, the help she thought that she could give, but slowly they all started to tire and sink down into the ocean. At one point a great wave crashed down upon her and thrust her underwater. She saw dimly in the depths, the shapes of two of the people on the boat, drifting aimlessly on the currents. She then saw three forms she knew drifting haplessly in the water, her mother, father, and sister. She tried to swim after them, but they sank like stones in a pond and were soon lost to sight. She broke through the surface of the water again and this time from a different vantage.

She peered down from the bow of the ship at a few of the people that had fallen in the water. She kept throwing a rope to them, trying to help them on board, but each time she threw they were pulled under by a wave. She could hear cries for help, and then saw her family in the water before her. She threw the rope hard and far hoping to reach them, and save them, but like the others they too were pulled under. Then the boat began to list, and come apart from under her. A wave crashed down on top of the boat and tore the sails away, then drove down smashing the deck with enough force to crush stone. She was thrown from the boat and ended up coughing and spluttering water. She felt a hand grasp her from behind, and then she went underwater.

The dead captain was gazing mournfully at her with missing eyes, and torn flesh from the scavengers that had gotten him. He floated in the water before her his hair flowing about his skull and then her grabbed her again, holding her firmly. She saw her parents behind him, and they were still alive and kicking vainly to resurface. She tried to pull away and save them, but the captain held her firm and didn't budge when she shoved at him. She kicked as hard as she could and he disintegrated in the water, but her family was no longer behind him. She swam downward into the ocean searching for them, but alas she could not find them. She turned back to go to the surface to find that there was no surface, only endless leagues of ocean. The currents buffeted her like the wind, and shoved her about much like a rag doll. She kicked as furiously as she could and then felt another hand grasp her from below. It was her father.

He looked upon her with unseeing eyes, but great care was in his face. He slowly drifted around in the water, and kept her gaze. She tried to bring herself to grab him and save him, but knew already that he was dead. Then she saw her sister rise from below and she too was lifeless. Last was her mother and she looked peaceful and calm. They too disintegrated into the water and then blackness.

She woke with a dreaded start because of her dream. Her body was coated in a chill sweat and it made her shiver despite the warm air around her. She stared up to the sail covered roof and began to weep. It was early morning, but the sun would not rise and shine this day. A thick covering of clouds spread across the sky at night covering the whole sky promising a storm. She went outside and stared in dismay at the horizon where a few flashes of lightning crackled across the sky. It was dead quiet and as still as a pond. Not even the trees rustled. This was the calm before the storm. She didn't heed the signs the previous day of storm and now she was not prepared for it.

When it did hit, she was still outside, and it came on with a fury. The wind blew the sails with a vengeance and threatened to tear it away from the shabby hut. She ran to the hut and started to tie the ends down with some rope, but it was starting to rain, and each raindrop felt like a stinging fly. She attached as many ropes as she could find to the sails to hold it to the hut, but the wind still tore at it viscously. Then the real rain began and it pelted the sails with loud thwaps. She darted inside the hut hoping that it would hold, but it did not and she had the very hut pulled away from over her. The wind buffeter the barrels and spilt the one that was open across the sand. She crawled along frightened and crying. She followed the way the hut went, into the woods, but it was broken up and now unable to discern from the rest of the debris from the wreckage.

As she entered the wood, she felt less vulnerable, because the trees offered a bit more cover and cut down on the wind buffeting her. She stumbled blindly for the most part in the woods, crying. Until at last she fell over a log and hit the sandy ground hard, knocking the wind out of her. She slowly rose by use of her arms and crawled a little further. She was soaked to the bone, and sand covered from her spill. She came to a dune of sand that separated the beach section from the actual woods and she slid down the side of it and came to a stop just behind it. Lying there she cried as loud as she could, wanting nothing but for the rain to cease and for her to wake from a dream.

She stumbled to her feet again and ran on, trying to outrun the storm, but it only caused her to fall over logs and over her own feet. She scrambled to her feet and ran on, and soon collided head on with a palm tree. She fell again but rose and ran more, her mind stunned by the pain from her collision. She finally collapsed behind a rather large patch of fallen palm leaves and lay there, unconscious. This time dreams did not harass her mind, and she slept in peace.

It was nightfall when she finally woke again, and she found that she now lay deep into the woods. There were many leaves about her and on her, and her clothes were torn. She felt her head throbbing in pain and could feel each move of her body cause pain. She tried to get up and walk, but her head ached her too much. She could hear crackling of branches and the crunch of the sand under something's feet and she painfully looked to where the sound came from. She thought she saw a dog coming at her, so she made a little noise to scare it off. Then she realized that it was larger than a wild dog, and walked upright. She tried to hide herself under the leaves and palms around her, but it didn't help and she felt suddenly very frightened. Her head felt quite pained and she knew that she had given herself a serious head injury. She could feel the pain in her head grow to an excruciating agony, and then she felt weary headed, and soon succumbed to unconsciousness.

She was just barely able to feel herself being lifted, when she slipped into blackness once again. She was bothered by dreams again, but not the same type of dreams as she had before. She was burning alive, and couldn't put herself out. She ran around violently running into things to try to put the fire out, but each time she hit something she was set ablaze even more. She could see her flesh melting away and could see the muscle underneath turning black as the flame charred it. Her vision too was failing as her eyes were burnt, and the fire crept into her head, burning her brain. It crept in many of the openings in her body like a living slime, burning and torching her.

Then she found herself in a plain box-like room with a fire at one end, and it slowly came closer and closer. As she looked beyond the fire, she saw that it was another raging fire below and beyond. She sprang to the back wall scratching at it, trying to find a hold so as to escape from the box. Vainly she threw herself against it and it gave way, sending her tumbling onto a great plain where fire crept up on her from all but one side. The smoke was thick in the air and it blinded her. She ran on as fast as she could trying to outrun the fire, but it licked at her heels and threatened to leap up and catch her.

Her vision soon cleared and she could see a large pool ahead. She ran swiftly for this pool, but as she neared, it turned to flame and crept after her. She saw beyond that there was still a pool, but the fire blockaded it. She went to jump the fire, but her body couldn't jump, and the fire started to catch at her legs. She looked behind and then nervously looked ahead, deciding that she must make it to the water. As quick as she could she sprinted toward the pool. The fire leapt up in opposition, and barred her way, but she barreled through, alighting and tumbling into the pool. The water squelched the fire on her body, and cooled her injuries, then slowly began healing them.

She soon became conscious of a gentle cloth being laid upon her brow, and could hear a slight crackling from nearby. The fire, it was coming to get her! Her eyes shot open with a start and found that she was lying on a bed of leaves. She could see a fire nearby, but it wasn't creeping towards her as it had in her dreams. She looked around nervously, and saw that the whole area was dark. She could just barely make out a form sitting beside her, but the features were concealed in the darkness. A soft voice came from that form.

"Lie and rest. You still are not well."

And with that a hand was laid on her shoulder and gently pushed her down onto the bed. She squinted and tried to look at the person beside her, but he was too concealed by the darkness. She heard the trickle of water and then felt a cloth dab at her brow again. She felt a little more comforted but she didn't know what was happening, and her head felt groggy.

"Who are you?"

The dabbing stopped and then there was a hesitant moment before he spoke again.

"A friend."

She was about to ask what that meant, but her mind started to become delirious, and she started to slide into blackness again. She came to several more times, but she would always slip into dark dreams and wake sometime later on to find herself alone. Finally she woke again. She tried to rise on her elbows but her head throbbed and caused her great pain. She slowly slid into another sleep, this time with no dreams.

When she woke, she found that she was still in a dark room. There weren't even stars above, and the only sound was a trickling sound off to her right. There was also the crackling of the fire, but little else. She couldn't hear the leaves on the trees or hear insects chirping. This time she could rise to her elbows without much pain, but still it throbbed in her head. She was also very thirsty, and the sound of trickling water made it all the worse. She had not drunk anything in for all she knew a week.

She heard some movement, but it was very stealthy and soon she felt a damp cloth touch her head. She looked for where the man was, but couldn't tell in the darkness. He dabbed her forehead some more, and then took it off and put it away somewhere. Then she heard the dipping of something in water and then felt a bowl touch her lips.

"Drink, you are dehydrated."

She took a very satisfying drink from the bowl and then lay back on the bed. Her body felt wet from cold sweat, and she had a piece of fabric about her body. She could feel no clothes on her body and shuddered in fear. She didn't know what this man was like, or who he was really. She rose suddenly, but a hand was placed on her shoulder and gently pushed her down again.

"Who are you?" she asked, "What have you done with my clothing? Where am I?"

"I am a friend perhaps, and as for your clothing. Your clothes are by the bed on your left. As to where you are? You are in my abode."

She tried to get up again, but he said, "You really should be resting. You are dehydrated and had a bad head injury."

She lay back again, but a little ill at ease. She felt around nearby and indeed found her clothes, or what was left of them. She also found that she was lying on sand and the bed was made of just a few layers of palm leaves. She sighed and felt a slight throbbing in her head. She tried to recall what had happened, but her mind was a blank. It was as if that part of her mind where memory was stored faded away. She could remember running through the outskirts of the woods, and then sliding down the dune. She also recalled what her loss was and she started to cry despite the stranger nearby.

Thinking she was hurting again he dabbed the cloth into the bowl and dabbed her head. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and found that she was quite clean. He stood and walked away to the fire where he threw on more wood to burn. She rested for a while and felt a tad bit weary and a bit pained, but otherwise unhurt. She turned her attention to what he was doing, but couldn't rightly follow his movements in the dark. He at one point walked away and she couldn't hear him or see him. She felt around and found the bowl of water nearby. She brought it up to her mouth and took a deep draught from it. It was refreshing and helped to soak her dry pallet. She also felt very hungry.

She sat up and felt the pain return in her head, but she fought against it and looked around, trying to make sense of the room. She felt a little comforted by the nearby fire, but she still was weary of the strange man that she was cared for by. She slowly laid back and closed her eyes, trying to think about what amount of time she had been unconscious. She also wanted to know why this stranger's voice seemed so familiar. She was thinking about this when she slowly faded away into sleep again.

She saw her parents under the water, but this time they were rotting away, and looked like the dead captain from her previous dream. She was horrified by the vision, and tried to turn away, only to find out that she couldn't get away from looking at them. They slowly sank away and then were replaced by the dead captain again, but this time he was nearly gone, picked to the bone. She recoiled and popped out on the surface of the ocean, great waves roiling under and around her. She couldn't make out anything around her save the waves upon waves. She knew somehow that this was the spot the boat listed, and saw there floating on the waves her family. She tried to swim to them, but the waves slowly drifted them further away. She cried for them to come back, but they would not and soon drifted out of sight. She plunged underwater again and saw her mother and father kicking frantically against the undertow, her mother trying desperately to get her baby to the surface, but they were sucked further down and away. She swam after them, but couldn't find them, though she did want to find them...

She woke again, to find a fragrance in the air of cooked food. She could tell it was some sort of soup from the smell it gave off, and she could hear it slowly bubbling away. She heard some movement and then heard the sound of a bowl being filled, and then heard him walking over. He kneeled down and then said, "You must eat now, you are grown weak. I have prepared some stew for you to eat."

She heard him blow on the stew for a moment and then felt a bowl rim touch her lips. She felt the warm stew touch her lips and sucked in some of it. It was very tasty and made her heart less weary than before. She smiled weakly and indeed felt weak. He let her swallow what was in her mouth and then offered her some more. She gladly accepted it and swallowed another mouthful. He then pulled back and she felt almost as if he were smiling. Slowly but surely he fed her more and more but she didn't mind, because it felt good to be looked after. She also felt much better than she had.

He went back to the pot he had made the stew in and fished out another bowl full. He fed her more, at least until she could eat no more and then placed the stew back in the pot and returned the bowl to a different location. He didn't come back to her side, and disappeared before she could ask him anything that she had on her mind. She wanted to know a straight answer on who he was, and also wanted to know a great deal more about him.

She wasn't as hungry as she was before and she rested in peace for a while. Then when he came back she hiked herself up to a sitting position. He walked over to the fire and placed a few more pieces of wood on it and then he walked over and knelt down before her. He felt her head with his hand and then made an approving sound.

"You are nearly back to full health."

He then sighed and asked, "You don't sleep well do you?"

She looked beyond him and at the fire remembering with what her dreams were plagued. She shook her head and looked down.

"Something perhaps you wish not to discuss. I understand."

She felt like telling him everything, but wasn't ready to let it all loose. The very thought made her get choked up a little. He sighed and left her side walking away into the darkness again. He was still nearby from all she could tell, because he still made noises. He also seemed to be humming something to himself. She could hear him walking about for a few moments before he came back and said, "Now lie back."

She did as commanded and found him massaging a jelly-like substance into her temples. A vaporous aromatic smell rose from the substance, which eased her mind and made her feel light hearted. She inhaled the fragrance and rested her head. He began to murmur something unintelligible and massaged her temples until she slowly felt reality slip away and she drifted away into sleep again.

When she woke she found that she was still lying on the bed, and that the fire had died down considerably. When she heard him come over to her, she looked up at him musingly. He knelt again and said; "You slept well I deem?" And with a brief hesitation he continues: "I believe that you would like to know more of myself, but I don't think that you or I are ready."

She nodded and said, "I would think I was ready, but I leave that for you to decide."

He sighed and said, "Well then, I shall tell you more about me if you come with me."

She grinned and said, "I must get dressed first. I cannot walk anywhere with just a linen about my body."

"Your clothes are in tatters. Would you want to wear them anyway?"

She felt for her clothes and found that they were quite shredded. She shook her head and tightly wrapped the linen about her body. He rose and put more fuel on the fire. She made sure that the linen covered her completely and then she said she was ready. He came over and gently grasped her hand in his own, and started leading her away. He led her past many of the hidden grooves in the floor and made sure that she neither stumbled nor tripped. He brought her out to a wider portion of the cave that she now noticed he lived in. She saw a few glittering things on the walls and also heard water trickling away in some hidden stream.

The cave grew lighter as they walked onward, and she found that she could see a bit better than before. She looked over to the stranger's face, but couldn't make out any details worth seeing. He led her a few yards to the cave entrance and then he left her there and walked out into the night. She couldn't quite make out what he looked like in the light of the moon, and wondered why she couldn't come with.

"Come, you have not been out of my abode in a week. You should be glad to see that the moon is full and bright."

She slowly and cautiously walked towards the entrance of the cave. She couldn't find the man at first, but she did see well enough in the night air. The moon was better than any light she had seen for a week by his reasoning. She scanned the surrounding area and soon saw the stranger standing with back turned to her. She saw to both her horror and fascination that the ‘man' was more of a beast than anything. She held back a gasp of shock, and she could see him shudder to her quiet wonder. He slowly turned his head so that she could see a side view of his face and she knew that she had seen him someplace. It was in her dreams!

He stared at her out of the corner of his eye and then said in a soft sorrowful tone, "You know this much about me. There is much more to be learned, but I feel that there is not much else to ask for."

She furrowed her brows and asked him kindly to turn all the way around, and he did so. She saw that he was finely scaled in ebony, and his eyes were the most interesting gray she had ever seen. They held both care and peace. He looked at her pained by what she might be thinking, and he slowly turned to look up to the moon. She crept forward not sure what to think, or even to say and she came up right behind him. He was well muscled in form, and was a few inches taller than she. She slowly reached out a hand and laid it upon his back, feeling his smooth scales. She slowly traced his back up to his shoulder and then rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Now that you see me, do you want to know more?" he asked.

She walked around and faced him, one hand still on his shoulder.

"I see you, and I also see in your eyes that you are not an unsightly thing. You have cared for me, and I am grateful for that. I do wish to know more about you, and it would make me happier."

He smiled and sighed. He didn't think that she would have taken his appearance quite as she had, and was a bit relieved. He nodded his head and then said in his same soft voice, "Come then, let's walk to a place where we both can talk and rest."

He led her away by hand to a pool of fresh water. There he knelt down and pulled her down in front of him. She stared into his eyes and smiled shyly.

He looked from her face to her hand in his own and he said, "I guess you should want my name? It is Mithrilan. And what is your name?"

"My name is Marlene." She replied with a smile.

He smiled too and then asked her to ask him whatever she wanted to know of him or the island itself.

"I feel that I may be rude in asking you this, but of what race are you? I have never heard of anyone quite to your description before."

"I am not of a race known by men. I am a Cathilian, a lizard man in your tongue. We once lived here in great numbers a long time ago, and with a great city. But that city lay in shambles and broken down with time. You can still see remnants of that city in the jungle around you. This area we called Tirthican, the giving shore."

Marlene felt a bit saddened as if this reminded her of something, but she hid it from his eyes. She drew in a breath and looked up to the night sky.

Nodding, she then asked, "How big is this island I heard you call it?"

"It is about five days travel across to the setting sun, and six days across to the north. We are at the southern portion of it."

"Where are the rest of your people? Are they gone off to some other place?"

"No they are not at some other place; they are no longer on this plane of existence. I would have gone with them, but it seems that I am forgotten."

Marlene nodded understandingly and then she sat quietly for a while. He seemed a bit more curious about her and he asked her a few questions that were on his mind.

"Marlene, I saw how dark dreams plagued you at night while you slept, even after your being healed. Why do such dreams come to you?"

She felt stabbed in the heart and she began her sad tale of what caused her such pain. He felt sympathy for her and gently massaged her hand in his to help comfort her. She managed not to break down totally, but still felt an aching in her heart. He gently pulled her to him and let her cry into his chest.

"Why? Why did it have to be them? Oh why? I feel that every time I sleep I see what shouldn't have been. I feel so alone and I feel like breaking everything I touch. I am so broken and filled with sorrow that I don't think I could go on living. I wish that I could see their faces one last timeâ€"" and she broke up crying even louder.

He tried to comfort her, but this was crying that she had to get out so he let her cry on him. He gently stroked her hair and held her close so as to be some support for her. She cried for a while before slowly cutting it off and asking him why such bad things had to happen. He held her close, not knowing how to fully comfort her.

"Every night I see these visions in my head and they pain me so. I look upon my baby sister's face and it makes me think that she is the one that should live, so young and without anything to fear. They meant so much to me, and now they are gone."

He felt her sorrow and knew little that would console her. He just held her as she cried, and could feel her one hand clutched around his forearm, her other balled up on his shoulder. He gently stroked her hair and sat listening. After a long while she stopped weeping and sobbed for a while more. She pulled back and through watery eyes saw his concerned face. He gently took her face in both hands and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Marlene's face slowly cleared and she looked sorrowfully upon Mithrilan. He sighed and said, "Some losses are too great for anything to heal. Life goes on and one must survive. Even though your sorrow may stay with you, you must try to overcome it. They have gone away now to a better place."

She sighed and sobbed some more and then she said, "That is exactly what I was told in my dreams by a figure I could not see well, a figure very much like you."

He nodded and said, "Dreams are things that show strange visions, and days before I found you my sleep was disturbed by something calling me. I didn't know that it would be you that I was being called to, but now I know it is so."

Marlene looked up to the moon in silent brooding and then she said, "Well I am glad that it was you that I met. Now I don't feel so alone."

He smiled and she smiled in return, a tear still rolling down her cheek. He started to rise, but she held onto him and said, "Let us rest under the moon for a while and talk."

He sighed and nodded then sat down and she came and sat next to him. She started by saying all about where she was from, and trying to keep the thoughts of never coming back out of her mind. She also told Mithrilan about the home she lived in atop a hill over a field. She went into great detail about telling him about all that she could remember of her childhood and also went and told him more about the things she wished to see once again. He listened intently to her descriptions and nodded every once in a while in comprehension. She came to some parts of her life that she couldn't avoid crying and she found his shoulder to cry on in the more extreme cases.

As the night wore on he explained to her that he needed to return to the cave because the sunlight hurt his eyes. She was a little saddened by this and asked him if he would have her stay another night. He nodded and said, "I would have you as many nights as you would care for, it is just in the daytime that I will be resting."

She nodded and walked with him to his cave. He led her into the very depths where he actually lived and set her on the nearby bed that she had used before. He put more wood onto the fire and then sat near it. He started to hum to himself again and Marlene lied back on the bed. After a short while she was lulled to sleep by his humming, and she slipped away into dreams of her family again. This time the dreams were of her life with them before they went on the voyage. She saw herself when she was smaller, playing with her dog and picking the grasses in the field. She ran around in the warm sunny air with a smile on her face. She faded from this dream into a second dream that showed the first few days of the voyage before the disaster and could recall all that they had done while on board.

When she woke again she could hear not a single sound, and the fire had died down considerably. There were embers still aglow, but little else, so it was very dark. As if sensing her awakening Mithrilan stirred and asked, "Would you like to go out into the sun?" he shifted and soon she felt a hand grab hers and help her up. "Ill lead you to the entrance."

She was led down the same dark corridor and soon he halted as the entrance came nearer. He said softly, "Just walk straight ahead and then you will see the entrance."

She nodded and asked, "Will I see you tonight?"

"I should believe so, but if not I will find you."

She nodded and said cheerfully, "Then I shall see you later. Sleep well." And she followed his directions and came out into the sunlight.

She looked back over her shoulder a couple times to make sure she could find her way back, and headed east, to where she believed her food was kept. She found that the jungle-like woods were very dense and showed next to no signs of ever being tread through before, which for the moment seemed strange, because Mithrilan must have come out to find food.

She walked for hours, and could not find anything that she remembered from her run into the woods. She decided to walk a little further and then if she couldn't find anything, she'd turn around and head back to the cave. He said he didn't mind her staying another night. She picked her way along at a slow pace, looking for signs that she had been here, but the only things she saw were bushes and vines. As she walked she listened to the birds in the trees. They chirped or cawed and it sounded lovely to her ears. She walked on a little further and then stumbled upon a large sand dune where a few branches were strewn about it. She could vaguely remember the dune, it seemed that it came from out of a horrible dream she had, but she knew that she had stumbled over the dune and collapsed.

Marlene clambered over the dune and came upon the more sparsely spread part of the woods. She definitely knew where she was, and where to go from this area. She walked for a brief time and came out onto the shore, and most of her stuff was gone. Barrels were out at sea, hut was smashed to bits, everything she owned was broken, and it made her feel sad. The storm had blown everything away, and she was a bit disappointed. She found one barrel that was unopened, but it was covered in sand and seaweed. There was a crab smashed under it, testament to the fury of the weather. The day was quickly approaching dusk when she turned and began her walk back to Mithrilan's cave. She knew that she wasn't going to make it before evening hit, but she wasn't worried about getting lost, he had told her that he would find her if she was lost.

She began thinking about what had happened nights before that seemed so vague in her mind. She tried to piece out the things she said or did when in his care, but couldn't come up with much beside when he fed her and when discovering that her clothing was not on her body. She chuckled in retrospect and continued her walk with exuberance. The further she walked the more she became tired, she had spent most of the day walking, and a little time scavenging her old site. She had just entered the denser part of the jungle woods when the last light slowly dipped behind the trees and left her in darkness. There was a slightly cooler breeze this night and she shivered unexpectedly. After a brief break from walking she trudged on, determined to find his cave on her own.

The stars leapt up into the night sky, white specks in the limitless lengths of space. A few clouds lazily rolled overhead, but they only blotted out the stars for a few moments and then the stars appeared again. The air was surprisingly crisper and smelled fresh, almost like being near a waterfall. As she listened she could almost hear the sounds of the waterfall itself. She soon stumbled unexpectedly upon a narrow stream coursing out to the sea, and she could hear a great roaring from hundreds of gallons of water pouring over a waterfall further away upstream. A thick mist spiraled and swept around the bushes and trees upstream and by the looks of it only a few yards or more from the actual waterfall.

Slowly picking her way along, she walked out onto the pebbly shore at the base of the waterfall. The light mist slowly started to soak her linen sheet, and form small silvery goblets in her hair. She looked up to the top of the waterfall and the silvery lining on the brink. A few pillow-like clouds rolled slowly overhead, lit up by the full moon. Marlene walked up to the edge of the pool of water and looked at her reflection in its glassy surface. She slowly pulled a strand of hair from her face and set it behind her ear. She then knelt down to the water's edge and stared long and hard at herself. She noticed a hairline scratch above her forehead from the collision she had with the tree. She reached up a hand and ran a finger across the thin embrasure and then she looked up to the night sky again.

"I feel so lost again." She stated to herself.

"Why do I feel so empty inside?" Marlene felt a tear start to well up in her eye again, but she sniffed and wiped it away before it rolled down her cheek.

She heard snuffing around ahead in a patch of bushes and saw a few of the wild dogs rooting around for rodents or what ever it was they ate. Marlene walked over and sat on top of a large flat boulder overlooking the pool. She loosened the sheet and wrapped it around her whole body. She stared into the crystal clear waters again and for a brief second a recurring vision seemed to glimmer in the water's depths. She felt another tear start to well up in her eye and she wiped that one away as well.

She looked down and began to weep. She knew why she felt empty inside. She balled up her fists and cried to the waterfall. Marlene asked out loud, with tears in her eyes, "Why did this have to happen? I loved them so much and now they are gone forever."

She leaned over and wept even louder. She felt a hand gently land on her shoulder and she whipped around burying her face into Mithrilan's stomach and crying even louder. Mithrilan brought his other hand up and gently held her head, trying to comfort her as best he could. He slowly pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her hugging her to him. She asked again, "why did it have to happen? I loved them so much."

Mithrilan breathed deeply and tried to think up an easy way to tell her it was okay, but he didn't know the right words or the right actions to do so. Marlene sobbed into his chest for a little while more and then she backed up away from him wiping tears away from her eyes and face. She looked at Mithrilan and said with a bit of a sob, "Thank you."

Mithrilan gently scooped her into his arms and walked with her back to his home. Marlene looked up to his face and smiled weakly. I owe you everything, thank you. She clung to him and soon felt sleep pervading her mind. She had been walking most of the day and was more tired than she had thought. Slowly resting her head against Mithrilan's chest, Marlene closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the waterfall fading away and the sounds of the creatures of the night. Mithrilan started to hum as he walked, and Marlene drifted off into sleep.

Mithrilan steadily walked on with Marlene in his arms. He looked down to her peaceful face and smiled. He continued to hum as he walked, watching his footing so as not to dump the unconscious form in his arms. He didn't have to walk long before he found the entrance to his home, and he slowly and carefully walked in. Once in his actual living space he gently laid Marlene on the leaf bed. He knelt near her side and made sure she was properly covered by the sheet, and then he smiled again as he pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

He slowly got up and tended to the fire, and then he fetched a pot to cook some more stew. When he returned he found that Marlene had wakened and was peering around trying to see. He spoke up.

"Are you hungry Marlene? I am going to make more stew."

Marlene looked around in the darkness and stared in his direction.

"I'm famished."

He smiled and said, "Well I shall make more than I planned. Have you eaten anything today?"

"Not really."

He nodded and started to fill the pot with water from the spring. And after filling it he placed the pot on the fire and went to where he stored vegetables and herbs. He pulled the vegetables apart with his hands and sprinkled it into the water, and then he went back to where he had stored food and got a skinned carcass. He sliced off pieces of meat from it with his nails and plopped them into the stew as well. Marlene listened intently, but she still could not see too well.

Marlene looked down to her lap in contemplation. She felt like kicking herself in the head for acting out like that, but she was glad that there was some one there for her. Mithrilan started to hum as he stirred the stew and the fragrance helped to ease her mind. She looked over to the fire and asked, "Have you been living on this island by yourself for a long time?"

Mithrilan sighed and said, "Yes as long as my race has been gone. I regret not having gone with them, but I had to make the better of what happened. I hope that one day I will get to see some of my own kind, but I know that it will never happen."

"Why?"

"Because where they went none can find."

She looked down sympathetically and nodded. Then wrapping the sheet around herself again she lay back on the bed and waited. She heard the water bubbling and every once in a while the sound of Mithrilan stirring the stew. When she felt like falling asleep again Mithrilan poured her a bowl of stew and said, "Here you go."

Marlene sat up and put out her hands to take the bowl, and then she smiled as the fragrance entered her nose. She inhaled once again and then said, "Thank you for all that you have done."

He smiled and replied, "It is my pleasure Marlene. Now you rest up in here, I'll be back in a while."

Marlene nodded and tipped the bowl to her mouth, eating the delicious stew he made. She heard him walk further off and then only the sound of the fire and spring accompanied her.

Mithrilan made his way out into the night, quietly passing through the bushes and trees like a shadow. He looked for traces of animal life, finding wild dog prints and wild pig tracks, and he followed the latter. As he walked he kept his eyes on the ground but his mind was elsewhere. When he successfully flushed a boar from the brush he took off after it like a gust of wind. The boar was like any other animal he caught for food, and was captured quickly and then killed.

When he came back to the cave with his catch over his shoulder he found that Marlene had fallen asleep again, and this time he knew it was for the night. The pot of stew was bubbling away and he smiled when he noticed that she had eaten a good portion of what he made. After putting the kill in a separate area he came back and pulled the pot off the fire and sat down. He ate the rest of the stew and then put the empty pot in the spring to wash the refuse away.

He smiled as he watched Marlene sleep, and for a change it seemed as if she wasn't being tormented by bad dreams. Right up until dawn he watched her sleeping, and even started to make a meal for her to start the day. When Marlene woke she found that the cave smelled of spices and herbs, and the sound of something cooking appealed to her stomach. She heard Mithrilan humming to himself and she smiled cheerfully as she said good morning. Mithrilan even though not being seen, smiled and replied, "Did you sleep well? I see that you were not restless when you slept."

"I slept well, thank you for asking."

"I am making a meal for you."

She smiled and said, "It smells wonderful."

"I'm using local sweet spices and herbs, and some fresh fruits."

Marlene sat up and inhaled deeply, the smell from the herbs and spices made her nostrils tingle. She pulled the sheet tightly around her body and stood up to stretch, yawning loudly. Mithrilan continued humming and she heard some sizzling as he added something else to the meal. Marlene smiled and sat with her knees up and arms locked around them. Mithrilan stopped humming and said, "Here we go, as he slid the contents of his meal into another bowl. He walked over and gently placed it in Marlene's hands. He walked away and disappeared into another alcove along the room. Marlene breathed in the sweet fragrance from the food and felt her mouth water. There was some steam on the food but she slowly tipped the bowl to her lips and let some of the contents slide to her mouth.

The first taste gave her quite a zing and tasted of some sort of sweet sour fruit. The herbs blended with the fruit's flavor well. She ate more of the break fast made by Mithrilan and soon felt sated. Her limbs felt very refreshed and her mind was clear. Mithrilan came back into the room and said sleepily, "I'll lead you out again."

He took her hand and walked her to the exit. He stopped a good deal of the way and told her to be careful as he departed into the darker recesses of the cave. Marlene stepped out into another beautiful day, sky blue, warm air, and a gentle breeze...

A few exotic birds flapped noisily overhead, searching out favorite roosts or food. Marlene didn't venture far away from the cave, but managed to find the outflow from the spring inside. Lush vegetation sprouted out of the banks on both sides of the spring, and vibrant flowers of many different shapes and colors dazzled in the sunlight. The water slowly trickled through the jungle heading out to the sea...the sea.

Marlene felt a little saddened as she thought of the sea. She knew she shouldn't think of them but she couldn't help herself and immediately she looked back to the cave for Mithrilan to come out and comfort her, but he did not come. Tears welled up in her eyes as she started to weep again, all the while cursing at herself for starting this all over again. She wiped the tears away from her eyes and walked further away from the cave. She picked some fruit from the trees and bushes that she passed by, just to hold her hunger over till the night. As she walked she noticed a few birds that flapped overhead, and even some insects were buzzing about.

She focused on some large boulders ahead that seemed to be in a circular formation spread out through the jungle. They all had very faint carvings in them, all too corroded to make out what they were carvings of. Rubble laid all around the inner part of the boulder, all the same material and all with barely visible etchings. Marlene picked her way through the vegetation strewn about the area, heading toward the pile of rock. A few pieces of the stone had gems encrusted into them of a type Marlene had never seen before. They looked like cat's eye agate, but had a green color inside, and a deep bluish color surrounding it. She picked up a gem loosened from the rock and looked at it in the light; it glinted and flashed an iridescent blue...

The night sky greeted her and a cool breeze swept through the area. A great orb was held high in the air by an unknown source, and then slowly her vision crept outward to reveal a single Cathilian whose scales shone like fire in the night holding the orb aloft. Many more Cathilian's were kneeling around him in a circle all holding similar orbs, but none as deep looking as the ones'. Several pillars surrounded them and on each were the etchings and carvings from several moments in their history. Then the one standing in the center looked up to the night sky, and uttered some words that Marlene could not fathom understanding. The whole congregation around started to repeat the words in unison, and the night was alive with the rumbles of their great voices. The sky clouded over for a brief moment and then the stars shone even brighter than before. Marlene was lost in their voices, and then the voices suddenly stopped. A dead silence settled across the jungle, not a single animal stirred, and all the Cathilian's looked as if made from stone.

Her vision panned around and she saw a single Cathilian, to her horror enveloped in flame! Though he did not move a muscle and seemed very peaceful and knelt with eyes closed as the flames bathed over his body. Marlene stared in shock as his scales did not singe, or that his skin did not smolder, then the flames decreased to a mere flickering and vanished into a wisp of smoke. The Cathilian inhaled deeply and then exhaled a purplish smoke. The smoke swirled and wavered in the air before finally being siphoned into the orb in his hands. Her vision panned around and she noticed the next in the line become engulfed in the flames that the first had just come out of.

And so each Cathilian around the circle was engulfed in flames at a steady pace, each one breathing out a purplish cloud of smoke that was in turn siphoned into their respective orb, but Marlene still could not grasp what it was they were engaged in...

She looked out blankly at the trees for a moment, and then realized that she had been given a vision of Mithrilan's people. She stared at the other gemstones imbedded in the stone and realized that Mithrilan's people kept their memories and events stored in each. There were thousands upon thousands of glittering gemstones in the rubble, some of which were still imbedded in their rocks, and others that had been shattered from the rock. Marlene looked up to the sky, and then she looked back to the rubble.

She turned and walked away from the pile, back toward the cave entrance determined to find out more about Mithrilan, and his people.

The night crept upon the small island, and Marlene found herself wandering toward Mithrilan's cave as if she had always lived there. The last birds gave out there cries to welcome in the night, and the insects began to sing. Marlene was feeling alone now, she knew that she was to remain on the island, and even though Mithrilan was company she still felt lonely. She walked to the entrance of the cave and peered in. The shadows concealed everything just yards into the cave; she couldn't even see the walls on either side. She would have to wait till nightfall for Mithrilan to guide her in.

She sat with her back against the escarpment of the mountainside that his cave was carved from and sat listening to the night sounds. And as soon as the sky darkened and the starts leapt into the sky she heard very light sounds from within the cave. She waited intently for Mithrilan to appear, and when he did she beamed at him. He looked at her and smiled, and then he spoke.

"I trust you had a nice day? How do you feel?" asked Mithrilan.

Marlene smiled and nodded, and said, "I feel much better, and did you sleep well?"

He nodded and said, "Did you eat anything today? If not I can find you something."

Marlene nodded and told him that she had eaten some fruit an hour or so ago and that she was fine. Mithrilan smiled at her and then said, "I have to do something, so if you'll excuse me for the time being."

He bowed and then walked off into the shadows of the nearby forest. Marlene smiled and sat with her back to the rocky cave wall, and she stared up into the night sky. There was barely a cloud in the sky, and there was a slight breeze as well. It was the same familiar sounds as before, the chirping of the insects, and the grating sound of chitin covered limbs brushing by each other. Nothing but the insects could be heard, and Marlene leaned her head back against the rocky wall. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her, completely lost to her imagination. She could imagine the small little glitter-winged insects and even the small rodents with bright whiskers scurrying through the forest. She could hear water dripping from within the cave, and imagined it was a sparkling white wine that poured from the mountain, and somewhere in her imagination she brought her family back into existence. She knew they were gone now, but it still ached in her heart to know the truth.

Mithrilan also crept into the picture, greeting her family and stroking her little sisters hair so like her own. Mithrilan was her new protector much like her family had been. Marlene could feel a tear slowly roll down her cheek. It was a tear of mixed feelings-joy and sorrow. She was joyful that Mithrilan was with her, and sad that her family could not meet him.

She slowly opened her eyes, and blinked to clear the tears, and then she looked up to the stars. She smiled at a triad of bright ones, and said to the night sky, "I love you, and miss you. I wish you could all be here with me and meet the most wondrous person I have ever known. He is kind hearted, and takes care of me, but I am afraid and I don't know why. And I am lonely, but I do not know why. I must be losing my sanity."

The leaves in the trees rustled and then a cool breeze swept across her. It was a soothing breeze that made her smile. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the ocean, and the vegetation around her, so sweet and cool. She felt her spirit lift as if the breeze were trying to lift her from the ground and carry her away. She dug her toes into the sand and closed her eyes again. She heard thousands of insects playing ballets in the forest, and heard the leaves rustle to the breeze's caress.

Mithrilan sat at the edge of the woods watching Marlene. He heard everything she said, and he smiled at how positively she regarded him, and he also felt her sorrow. He knew what was like to be alone...very much so did he know what it was like to be alone. He tried to think of how many times the full moon shone since he last saw anyone, but he couldn't remember. He knew that it was far too many cycles, and knew that it was far too long ago. When he looked at Marlene he thought about how he felt when he was left alone. Mithrilan walked on in thought. He handled his people's departure when they left, but weeks went by where he mourned the loss of his people. He found himself wandering through the pillars and ruins of his home, but it was just filled with old memories and ghosts. And old memories of the greatness of the city that once was.

Marlene waited for Mithrilan, but soon she grew bored of waiting. She stood and stared into the jungle where he entered. She wanted to find him and ask him about his people, and also to find out his feelings toward her. She also wanted to put her ghosts to rest, but she knew that it would take time. She walked into the jungle, and headed for the ruins of his ancient home. She had a feeling that she would find him there this night.

The moon kept her path lit as it pierced through the foliage of the many tropical trees around her. Her path wound around through the jungle vines, and she noticed many white stones, and structures growing up through the undergrowth. The moonlight reflected off the white stones and lit the jungle with a soft white light. Marlene had little trouble finding her way through the jungle with her path lit as it was, and soon she came to the same pile of rubble that she had visited before. She knew that she would find Mithrilan somewhere in these ruins.

She saw that many of the gems imbedded in the pile were glowing vibrantly with the soft moonlight, and they radiated a soft blue aura. She walked around the pile and saw Mithrilan knelt before the pile with his eyes closed. She watched as he breathed deeply, and then with a loud exhalation he spoke in a strange tongue. He seemed to be talking to the gemstones, and they pulsed blue light in response to his words. Marlene turned her head to the side in silent contemplation and then saw him open his eyes. He looked across the pile of rubble and stared at her. He smiled and gestured to her to come to him. Marlene carefully picked her way across to him, and when she got close enough he spoke.

"Marlene, I know you have seen these stones before."

Marlene nodded and then asked, "How did you know?"

Mithrilan smiled at her and said reassuringly, "It is okay that you did."

"But how did you know, I saw these stones in the daylight when you were resting?"

Mithrilan picked up a stone and said, "These stones speak Marlene. They speak of times long gone, and stay as mute witnesses to the great city that was. They also reveal things Marlene, and they told me that you had visited them."

Marlene looked down but she couldn't reply. She didn't know how to reply. Mithrilan nodded in her direction and said, "Come sit Marlene, I know you have some questions for me."

She silently walked over and sat across from Mithrilan who kept his eyes on her with a great interest. He asked her quietly, "What did you want to ask me Marlene?"

Marlene looked to the stones and then looked back at him. She saw that he was smiling and she felt a little better. She asked her question.

"Mithrilan, you told me a little about what happened to your people, but what were your people like?"

He smiled at her and said, "We were a proud race, and were very peaceful. We never fought amongst each other and our families were very closely knit, we vanished just as peacefully, at least most of us did. I remain however, and I am all that remain of our race."

Marlene looked to a stone she had unconsciously picked up and she saw her reflection in it. Mithrilan looked down to her hands and saw the stone. He smiled and said, "Right now you are becoming a part of our history."

Marlene looked up to his face with her eyebrow furrowed. She looked down at the stone and said, "I am sorry, I shouldn't be touching these stones."

Marlene placed the stone on the nearest rubble and Mithrilan shook his head. He then said, "We have everything recorded in these stones, our celebrations, our grief, and our loved ones. You shouldn't be afraid to become a part of our history because I truly believe that in order to understand you have to become."

Marlene looked into his serene eyes and asked, "How do you feel about me?"

Mithrilan looked at a nearby stone and said, "I think you should look into your heart for the answer, as I know that somewhere you know how I feel."

Marlene nodded understandingly and said quietly, "Then you care a great deal about me."

Mithrilan breathed softly and then said, "Marlene, it is true I care about you. I see in you what I have been without for many years..."

He breathed deeply and continued.

"I see in you a loved one."

Marlene looked up to him as she felt tears starting to well up in her eyes. She looked down slightly embarrassed that she brought this up, but Mithrilan gently pulled her face upward with his hand. He looked in her eyes and said, "Marlene, I know now that to me you are more valuable then anything else in the world. You have given me a reason to want to stay in this plane, and not join my kin."

He took her hand and picked up a single blue stone, unscarred by the rubble and glowing vibrantly. He whispered in her ear. "Take this stone and become a part of our history... a part of my history."

Marlene felt him place the stone in her hand and then he closed her fingers around it. She looked into Mithrilan's eyes and she hugged him to her. She embraced him for several moments as she let tears streak down her face. She was so confused. She didn't know why she was crying; all she knew was that Mithrilan would always be there for her. She listened to the insects of the night and then heard a change in their music. She opened her eyes to see all the jungle around her sparkling with yellow-orange light. She pulled back from Mithrilan and watched the strange spectacle. Mithrilan smiled at her and shifted to sit next to her. He whispered into her ear, "Watch Marlene, and you will see an event that has taken place on the same evening for centuries past."

She felt the breeze pick up and the leaves on the trees rustled in protest. The breeze blew her hair across her face to the west and then to her great wonder the breeze swept across the many sparkling lights, and they flickered. The breeze intensified for a moment, and the thousands of little lights leapt up into the air. The breeze flung the little lights around like it was a liquid, pushing them this way and that. The little lights danced on the breeze. And they were all over the sky...like a fire...

She rested her head against Mithrilan's shoulder as they both watched the spectacular event. She heard him humming and he wrapped his arm around her. He the whispered into her ear, "I am glad that you are here with me Marlene."

She looked up to his face and smiled. She then leaned back and watched as the little fiery insects danced above. Soon she felt sleep overtaking her and she slowly closed her eyes. The sounds of the insects and Mithrilan's humming slowly put her to sleep, and she slept with a smile on her face. She was glad to be here with Mithrilan.

She briefly woke later when she felt Mithrilan carrying her back to the cave, and she looked up to his proud face. He truly was a blessing. She smiled and slowly drifted off into a sounder sleep. She had a vivid dream this time, but it was a peaceful one.

The night sky was alive with the little glowing insects and she felt the wind carrying her up with them. She looked around, here and everywhere were the little insects, all glowing and dancing on the wind. She swayed and moved with the breeze, helpless to do anything, not caring much because they were going nowhere. She heard a soft humming and then a faint music emanating from the very woods themselves. She looked to the trees and the stones and they all took on the likeness of their ancient selves. Tall pillars jutted up and the vegetation shrank away. She saw the great buildings spring up to reclaim their greatness once again.

Then emerging from the buildings came the Cathilian; they all had different colored scales, and unique patterns. Each one carried an orb, and she saw a predominant Cathilian with gray scales and an ancient appearance walking toward the center of the great pillars. He held the largest orb and it glowed the brightest. She drifted to sit in the ring of Cathilians and saw as they all gathered around the eldest one. He turned to look at them all and then brought his gaze upon Her. He smiled at her and for a moment it seemed to Marlene as if she were actually there. She heard the circle of Cathilians start to hum and make a sort of music. The elder was also humming, and he was swaying from side to side. His eyes were closed and he spoke to them, and to her. She could not understand the elder at first, but as the humming and swaying increased she felt that she understood what he was saying, even though she didn't.

He was speaking to them in celebration of the year, and the maturing. She tried to understand what that was, but the elder did not elaborate on it. He started to chant strange words and she saw the orb in his hand glow from a fire within it. He raised it above his head and kept chanting. The Cathilian across from him started to chant and his orb started to glow, and then in a flash he was bathed in flames. He continued to chant, and Marlene could see that there was no harm to him. As the flames subsided he exhaled a purplish cloud that siphoned into his own orb, and then it passed down to the next. In rapid succession each one was bathed in flames and breathed out smoke into their orbs.

Then it came to her, she was the last and she realized that she had an orb in her hands. It was the same as the others, and glowed vibrantly for her. The elder chanted the same words and she found herself speaking them back, chanting them like the rest had, and then there was a bright flash. She continued to chant and she knew that what had happened to the others was now happening to her. As she opened her eyes she felt a force inside her escaping. At first she didn't know what to do, but it escaped her mouth as a purplish smoke. The smoke swirled and wavered and then siphoned into her orb. The orb glowed brightly and then it faded to a deep dark color, almost a pitch black, it was black so deep that it seemed universal.

She somehow felt more alive, and she felt less afraid, and less lonely. When she looked at the elder he smiled upon her and then walked toward her. The other Cathilians remained motionless, almost as if stone. She found that she too could not move, but she was not frightened, only curious. The elder walked up and placed his palm to her forehead. He murmured some words and she felt a brief wave of peacefulness overcome her. The elder looked into her eyes and spoke to her, but not with his mouth, rather a mental voice.

"You have matured Marlene, and you have become a part of us. We lost one of our own that you now hold dear, and to you he is your guardian, your protector. You will find that you have strengthened, and will find that those things that you mourned should be met with the things celebrated. As life goes on so does one's spirit, don't let your spirit die."

She felt her mind go blank...

She woke in the early morning hours and heard Mithrilan pacing. When he noticed she was awake he asked, "You looked rather peaceful in your sleep. Your dreams were not plagued by nightmares I assume, and I am glad."

She smiled at him and nodded. She stretched and sat up looking for him in the darkness, but it was very hard to see him. She thought for a brief moment about her dream and then she asked, "Mithrilan, do your miss your people?"

He was quiet for a second, and then he spoke.

"Yes Marlene, I do miss them. It is hard living in this world as one of a kind, even if no one knows it."

She nodded understandingly and then said, "But you know life goes on, and so does your spirit."

Mithrilan stopped moving altogether as she said that. He walked closer and sat across from her. He reached out a hand and said, "That was something a person told me a long time ago, before he had to depart with the rest."

"That is not surprising, last night I dreamed of your culture, and one of your celebrations. I saw the pillars and the rings that your people would sit in, and I saw a graying Cathilian, the elder I assumed. And he spoke to me, he told me those same words, and also talked about you."

Mithrilan shifted and said calmly, "Our people used to believe that when one saw a dream, it was a gateway to the middle plane, a place where my people left for. Those that had such dreams could often speak to those that lived there, or so it was assumed. Perhaps your dream was a little more real then dreams are. You were given a gift, a gift I have never seen."

He looked down sadly and breathed deeply.

Marlene scooted over to him and took his hand. She smiled at him and stroked his hand, and she said softly, "I was also told that I will find that I've strengthened, and also that I will find that those things that I mourned should be celebrated."

Mithrilan breathed through his teeth and shook his head sadly, "You are right Marlene, on both accounts, and I forgot his words to me, but now you reminded me. So long have I mourned my loss, but now you remind me that my loss should be met with a positive outlook."

He stroked Marlene's cheek with his other hand and said, "I do have one thing to celebrate..." Marlene looked up to him, "when I met you."

Marlene smiled and hugged him, and Mithrilan held her to him caringly.

"I'll always be here for you Marlene."

He closed his eyes as he gently stroked her hair, and Marlene felt tears welling up in her eyes again. She pulled back from him and said, "Mithrilan, I love you."

Mithrilan felt his heart throb for a moment as she said those words and he smiled. She truly was a loved one. They embraced for several minutes, and then Marlene whispered in his ear, "You sleep well, I'll see you come dusk."

"

I will be here Marlene."

She wrapped the sheet around herself and stood up. She looked at the fire and then walked slowly down the cave tunnel, back out to the opening. She had walked the same tunnel several times and it almost seemed that she knew every niche in the floor and walls, and every turn off in the cave. She walked out into the new day, and the sun peered over the trees bathing her in light. She smiled and walked out into the jungle. To continue living.