Daydreams
We trampled along the barely noticable trail up the side of the mountain, his soft cinnamon fur shimmering in the sunlight, a soft sheen of sweat covering his brow and dripping down his long droopy ears. He held my hand in his as we reached our destination, a small clearing overlooking a waterfall and a peaceful watering hole.
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I was hot, sweaty, but the sun felt good on my pale fur. I wriggled my little bunny nose at him with a grin, wiggling my cotton tail happily as I walked to the ledge and took a deep breath of the cool mountain air.Â
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"It's as beautiful as you said, Ollie." I sighed happily and turned to him. He knelt in the grass rolling out a soft large blanket marked with the tartan of his clan. I smiled down at him as he smoothed the blanket against the soft earth.
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"Worth the hike, wasn't it?" He said looking at me with that quirky sideways grin that always made my heart pitter pat and my knees go week. I nodded and walked over to him, kneeling at his side and kissing him tenderly.
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"It's always worth the hike, the drive, the flight, whatever it takes to spend time with my puppito."
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He blushed and brushed his hand against the side of my face and lightly touched the tip of his finger to the tip of my tiny nose and whispered. "Boopans."
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With a laugh I pounced on him, pulling him down against the blanket with a soft mrr. Our bodies intertwined easily, readily. We sighed in tandem, holding each other close and taking in the serenity of the surroundings from the peace of our soft embrace.Â
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"I love you."Â He whispered and nuzzled his nose against my neck.
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"I love you." I replied stroking his ears, scritching just behind them.
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He looked up at me, his eyes reflecting the blue of the pure open sky and kissed me tenderly before rolling onto his back and staring intently at the clouds.Â
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"That cloud reminds me of a castle with a moat but the bridge isn't down. I bet there's a princess trapped there." He said very matter of factly.
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I turned over and snuggled up to his side trying to follow his eyeline to see this mysterious castle in the sky.Â
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"Well, I'll be. It does! I wonder what the maiden who lives in that castle thinks about her castle constantly being on the move like that."
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"I bet she thinks it's fantastic. Not cooped up on one place waiting for her prince charming. Exploring the world, seeing everything from a birds eye view. I bet she's the freest maiden in all of history." He bit on his lower lip in that thoughtful, dreamy expression that I so adored. I nuzzled my face against his chest and stared at the clouds peacefully, watching the ever changing picture show in the sky.
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The castle never seemed to change, only move, as we watched it drift by.
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"I wonder if there's a prince out there, chasing her through the heavens trying to rescue her."Â
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I sighed and looked at him seriously. "What if she is the one doing the chasing. What if he is the one in need of rescue. No one ever said the fairy tale can't go both ways. What if he is trapped behind those castle walls and she is chasing him, trying to rescue him from his mundane life of luxury. Why can't she be the one having the adventure?"
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He chuckled, "I suppose the princess could be the rescuer. Do you think she would ride a horse? Would she run to save him? Maybe tame something more fantastical?"
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"I imagine her on the wings of a hawk, her dress still delicate but padded with leather to protect her form. She's skilled with the bow, with the sword, but prefers to use her wits to survive danger. Smart, fast, agile; I imagine her to be perched on those hawk wings, flying in to save the day."
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He petted my soft ears cradling me against him.Â
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"I can see her now. The prince, beautiful but lonely, weak and waiting for someone, something to come and take him away."
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I closed my eyes and so could I.
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Ollie, sitting in a tall tower, his whistful gaze drifting out the window to dream of a day when he could run free. He craved danger and excitement but his parents, the Queen and King, held him hostage, kept him locked away and promised to a young princess from a neighboring kingdom. His life was one of absolute pleasure and yet he felt none. All he wanted was to be free, if only for a day.
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And so she came to his window... Perched on the wings of a giant hawk, the small bunny princess looked in on him with love and beckoned for him to come with her. The hawk lowered her wing and allowed him to mount her, his arms wrapping around her waist. Their bodies molded together perfectly, resting carefully on the birds wings they flew away into the open blue skies.
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_He rested his head on her shoulder, she smelled of honeysuckle and strawberries and wood. He inhaled deeply and smiled to himself, the earthen scents reminding him of learning to ride horses in his youth. She stared ahead, her deep brown eyes scanning the skies for any sign of danger, one hand resting on top of his arms the other at the ready to grab her bow at the first sign of trouble. _
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_The hawk set them down on the edge of the forest and she took him by the hand and led him into the depth of the forest. The trees were tall and beautiful, their shade stretching for what seemed to be miles. Even in the bright summer sun and the immense heat they felt cool in the shade of the enormous trees. _
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_She led him to a small log cabin, one she made by hand herself with only things found in the forest. She was a woman of the earth, powerful, a strong and yet still womanly body but she was silent. She didn't speak, just motioned for him to follow, to do as she did. They worked the fields, they gathered the fruits and vegetables, hunted wild game, cooked a fantastic meal and ate in silence. _
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Ollie was hot and sweaty, covered head to toe in dust and mud; his hands covered in cuts and bruises from working the wild earth. He gazed at the quiet princess as she whistled for her hawk to return. Her eyes spoke volumes telling him it was time to return to his home and he stood his ground. Refusing to mount the hawk, walking back into her cabin. He had made his choice.
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She smiled weakly and entered the small home silently. He turned and looked at her, pulling her into his arms with a grand sweeping movement and kissed her deeply. She looked into his eyes and nodded her consent... and they lived happily ever after.
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I sighed deeply and brushed my lips against his.
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"Where did you go, just now?" He asked quietly.
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"The woodsman princess rescued the royal prince... and they lived happily ever after."
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He laughed and nuzzled his nose against me. "Of course they did... they always do." He squeezed me and smiled. "That cloud looks like a dragon..." his voice trailed off as we lay there under the open sky, embraced by nature until night fell and we had to return to the screaming city.
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