Vole’s Shadow Sleep Vole tossed for the forth time in the darkness. After weeks of traveling, she should be savoring the clean linens and soft mattress, but the bed was too big, the room too quiet. She was exhausted, but sleep would not come to her. Everything seemed all knotted up, inside. Her mind kept spinning, hopping from perch to perch. Travel, Love, Challenge, Offer. Dark. This was the eve, perhaps, of a whole new direction in her life. Persea's words wove through her other thoughts. Tonight the darkness seemed oppressive. In time, Presea has assured her, she would savor it. A flip onto her back, under the sheets and soft blanket, she stretched her feet and arms out as far as she could. She had ended up in the middle of a large human sized bed, no part of her gnomish frame could reach the outer edges. At least she wasn’t likely to fall anywhere tonight, due to her size. In the middle of a large human sized bed, without her favorite human. Hmph. She had been so worried about Riade during his captivity in the swamp. Then so glad to have rescued him, she hadn’t foreseen a separation so soon. Indeed, she had neither traveled nor rarely slept alone, since meeting the daring human spy. One gets used to certain things, gets used to love. An audible sigh escaped her lips. This led to an odd sensation of unseen attention swinging its focus onto her. She felt naked, and drew the blankets closer around her. Her hostess had provided her with a soft green child’s nightshirt, it fit well enough though her tossing kept causing it to slip off one side or the other. Perhaps her friends would bring the rest of her gear from Ginghams, tomorrow. She smiled wanly at the thought. She assumed that parts of the party for the Troupe of the Lance was still happening down the stairs, but no strains of music or muffled voices seemed to reach into this guest room. If they were doing more acrobatic challenges like the ones she had participated in, there was no way to tell. Vole was actually surprised that Persea had still wanted to recruit her for the Shadowdancers, after such colossal failure downstairs. True, she had completed all of the tasks on her first try, save for the last. Her cheekbones still ached from the landings of the first three tries. The challenge of squeezing her way across the ceiling between the stout beams had almost been too much for her, especially after the myriad of other tasks that acrobat girl Gau had set her to. Who am I becoming, Vole almost whispered to the dark. There had been fear and worry in Riade's eyes, as he left her with her new teacher. Surely something magical, and wondrous, someone well within the weave. Would that frighten him? Her friends? She understood this was a life altering choice, as well as a chance she might never get again. Her joy of tumbling, aside, it was possible she would become a much more important player in the games she would entertain in the future. Danger, adventure, intrigue, of course these things appeal to her. And yet, being honest with herself in the darkness, engulfed this oversized shift, in the oversized bed, her feelings were mixed. She felt afraid, excited too, and full of a sense of abandonment. Not just Riade and the party, but almost, as if she had left her old self down at the party, and that Vole had left, that self, that past, had walked out the door, while she forged ahead, in this mammoth bed. The training really couldn't start sooner, this self reflection was more than Vole had done for months, and while wearying in itself, was not helping her sleep. She rolled over on her side, staring at the shadows on the wall across from the door, cast by the small slit under the door. Were those footsteps she heard? She paused, closed her eyes and tried to breathe even and deep, mimicking slumber. When the door opened, without a knock or a call, Vole opened her eyes slightly to peek at the shape cast by the intruder, and saw none. Vole's eyes widened when she heard a small clatter of a dish being set on the bedside table closest the door, directly behind her. The light coming from the hallway should have been enough to cast a clear picture of the stranger. She thought her pounding heart ragged breath would give her away, and began to tense in readiness, for escape if needed. Then, the door closed softly, as if someone did not wish to disturb her dreams. Vole heard no steps leaving the door. She sat up, and took a deep breath through the nose, trying to find a hint of perfume, sweat, musk from the intruder. Nothing human seemed to have entered. Something was apparent though, and it smelled good, the sweet smell of warm spiced cider. It was sitting in a delicate cup and saucer, on the bedside table. Vole crawled over to that side of the bed, and placed her hands around the cup, and under the saucer. Truly this is a house of mystery. A closer sniff did not reveal any strange smell signifying poison and Presea had promised her safety here... Vole scooted backwards to support herself on the headrest, and slowly drank the warm, spiced cider. It calmed her more than she'd want to admit in the morning. Warming her chest and stomach, made her feel a bit safer, and less apart. Someone had cared enough to bring her a drink, perhaps she should...a yawn interrupted her thoughts, and she set the saucer and cup down where it had been left for her. Snuggling down in the blankets and pillows on the left side of the bed, she flung her arm casually across where Riade usually lay. Soon, she found herself slipping easily into a dreamless, worry free slumber. The shadows watched over her the rest of the night. *6-24-03 lvl 10 rogue |