To Walk Through a Dream Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven With Wavering Footsteps Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Stone Song Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three A Tale of Winter Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Destiny Inescapable Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Epilogue The Cycle's Continuing Beginnings Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Two Spirits Akin

Beginnings (III) Chapter Eight "DreamWalker? Can you hear me?" The voice was a whisper of pale blue, reaching out like smoke. Rayven resisted the impulse to ignore it and struggled to consciousness. "Rayven." Her own voice sounded harsh in the darkness. "What?" "My name is Rayven. Not DreamWalker." She opened her eyes and took note of the young girl's confusion. "What is it, Melisande?" "I... I'm sorry." Melisande turned away, looking flustered. There was no verbal response, only the presence of the DreamWalker's eyes watching her. She faced the wandering gypsy again and decided to expell her question before she lost her courage. "What happened? What would drive you so that...that you would....." Melisande's words drifted off as the Dreamwalker turned away abruptly. "Nothing has driven me here.....save myself." There was a long silence as Rayven stared blankly at the wall of the tent, hoping the other gypsy could not see the shame that had betrayed itself momentarily on her features. "I...drove myself, too. I was down there in the catacombs because I was ashamed." Their gazes turned to each other again, Melisande's one of embarrassment, the DreamWalker's of surprise. Melisande closed her eyes and continued on in a rush, "I was so angry with myself. With what I did. It was so stupid, I ran and they probably weren't even really after me, but I'm always so scared and insecure and--" She broke off abruptly at the touch of Rayven's hand on her shoulder. "I ran out of fear, too." Melisande looked up and saw an unfamiliar look on the DreamWalker's face, a mix of shame, sympathy, and something akin to amusement. "But you're..... wise, and brave....." The DreamWalker smiled gently "We all are, but we all have our fears and moments of foolishness too." The hand slid away as she leaned back in the bed again and her eyes began to close. "And if the DreamWalker can be a fool, than certainly you can be brave." Melisande reached out and squeezed Rayven's hand gently, reassuring them both. "I suppose we just have to stand up to our fears...." A frown passed across the DreamWalker's features and she nodded slightly. "Melisande? I am ready....for Kheperu." Melisande nodded and left the tent in search of the Egyptian. ~*~ "Kheperu? She's.. asking for you." Melisande looked at the strange man a little nervously, very much aware of how she still owed him for bringing her back to the safety of the Court the evening before. He rose and bowed briefly to her, then headed for the tent where the DreamWalker awaited him. The pair of green eyes that had been watching from the shadows eyed the tent before turning away to go about other business, accompanied by a softly muttering voice. "So *you're* the beetle, oblivious to the raven's hunt. I wonder what secrets she means to pry out when she's cracked your shell..." Chapter Nine