Private Wake From Nightmare To Dream

[Aoede]

Aoede stirred.​

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She was expecting to wake to the same stuffy room as always, thick with ever-present incense and stagnant air. Instead there was a steady breeze as air flowed in through the open windows, causing stray hairs to gently tickle her face. Rolling over, she slowly came to her senses. Set beneath thick and warm blankets, on bed so soft it was incomparable to anything she'd felt before, she relayed the last few lucid hours she'd experienced over in her mind.​

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Was it really true? Had she found a way out of the oppressive City?​

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Truth be told the last thing she wanted to do was get up and find out. There was a comfort like no other cradling her, and who would willingly give that up? Still, curiosity won out and she drew back the blanket and set her feet down to the cold floor below. Little Reed poked his head out from under her hair, nestled upon her shoulder like always. The absence of her other two set her into a state of panic, at least until she noticed the nest which had been set for them up on a shelf. Thank the Force for magical senses.​

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None of this fully cemented her freedom, however, until she saw the man lay by the door. He was on the floor, soundly asleep. No blanket, no pillow, he held a protective aura even in his restful state. Aoede did not say anything, did not look to rouse him, instead she took items of comfort from the bed and brought them to where he lay. Kneeling down, she first set the pillow beneath his head, and then the blanket over his body.​

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At least, she tried to do that. She wasn't expecting him to wake from it.​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrests sense were on high alert for any physical contact from anywhere or anything. Knowing the danger he was in with his exhaustion he put himself into a deep and meditative sleep to recover his energy. He knew he would not feel anything through the force to warn him of any presence and he had promised Aoede safety and freedom. He put himself in a position that should anyone or anything attempt to open the door, he would be the first thing that they faced. What he had not expected was for Aoede to be the one to touch him.

When she tried to get him a pillow and blanket the movement stirred the protector in him. He jumped to his feet taking a defensive stance toward the door putting himself between it and the bed. It took him a few moments to realize that the door was still well and truly shut. Her relaxed himself and turned slowly arms raised in the air.

"I'm sorry I scared you, how did you sleep?"

 

[Aoede]

The sudden movement expelled from Forrest had her jumping back in fright. Her foot caught in the blanket she'd been carrying, which half-dropped in the heat of the moment, and soon she found herself tumbling to the ground. At least it was a soft landing, but it still managed to knock the wind from her sails. She'd never really been exposed to bumps or other such impact. ​

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No, she'd been treated like a fragile, porcelain doll, who couldn't do anything for herself even when she so dearly wished to.​

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Her heart was hammering, but she could tell that Forrest's was too. No doubt he had been startled.​

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"Y's maherr, y's maherr, yrv Gekni" she was hastily saying, words coming so frantically that they almost merged into one, "Y casudir osia falor luddte ebi, yrv Gekni."​

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Y's maherr, y's maherr, yrv Gekni ~ I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my God
Y casudir osia falor luddte ebi, yrv Gekni ~ I did not mean to wake you, my God

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest moved quickly as she fumbled for words. He knelt down carefully and picked her up and moved her back gently placing her back on the bed. "First of all, you have nothing to apologize for. I was in the wrong, I was sleeping to deeply, I needed to heal from the excursion last night. Secondly, call me Forrest please, I am not your God, we are equals."

He bent down and carefully scanned her checking for injury. "Are you hurt? Can I get you anything?"

 

[Aoede]

She found herself quickly whisked back to the bed, barely having a chance to comprehend that he had lifted her at all. Even through her panic his words reached her, and like a boat in a storm she soon navigated through it to the safety of the lighthouse he provided. With the realization that he wasn't angry with her came a frankly insurmountable level of relief which fast tipped her into an overwhelmed state. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, then flowed delicately down her cheeks.​

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The lines formed by those tears might well have seared her skin for all the red shame they left in their wake.​

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Aoede did not answer him with words, not initially at least, she just nodded her head in understanding when he insisted she no longer use a title with him. When asked if she was hurt, or needed anything, she shook her head, yet his decision to carefully check her revealed a fast forming bruise on her outer right thigh where she'd knocked into the bedframe.​

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Ordinarily such wouldn't have caused any bruising at all, never mind one which leapt into existence so quickly, but there was plenty that Aoede's body had been deprived of beyond just experiences and exercise. A tightly controlled diet left her lacking in many vital nutrients, certainly she had some deficiencies to remedy in the coming months.​

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"Y's vippir" she assured him even so.​

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Y's vippir ~ I'm okay​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrests heart broke as he watched the tears run down her face. Slowly he brought his hands upward placing his palms on her cheeks and then using his thumbs to gently slide under her eyes to clear away the tears. "You are no longer in a place where your every action is watched. You are safe and free and allowed to make mistakes without worry of consequences, not that you have, this was my fault. There is nothing you can do here that will trigger violence or repercussion, I can't promise you won't anger me, but that is my downfall not yours."

As he stated that this was his fault, his right hand moved and slowly and carefully worked it's way up her dress and over her leg to the outside of her thigh. He continued to look into her eyes as he moved and when his hand covered the bruise he has caused he channeled the force to heal it.

Returning his hand back to sher face to staunch the tears he spoke once more. "If I ever make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable please tell me. My father is willing to give you your own space here at the Sky temple, but your also free to stay with me for as long as you choose. Now, I'm sure your hungry, what do you like to eat?"

 

[Aoede]

"Suwit..." Aoede's head tilted to one side, "Deyeste... Udai Forrest asom?" He had gently wiped away the tears as they fell, his touch was delicate yet not fleeting the way her handmaiden's had always been. He was not treating her like she was fragile, he seemed to simply be careful of overstepping. Aoede found herself leaning into the touch of his left hand, even as the right traveled to the spot on her thigh which was turning purple.​

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The way his fingertips brushed up her leg, raising the sheer silk skirt in the process, caused goosebumps to rise across her body. It was as though lightning was striking and bringing static to the air, and her eyes widened even as a gasp slipped free. She felt the warmth and pulsing radiance of the healing over her leg, and then he was cupping her face once more.​

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"Y pyva" she promised him, when he asked to be told if he did something wrong, "Roti dera tig ebi pyva enro." As for accommodations, and indeed food, she seemed far less certain. The latter was what she tackled first, for it was the easiest in her eyes. In fact, she seemed surprised that he had even mentioned her eating.​

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"Ott neor dov perr" she said, brows furrowing as that confusion deepened, "Y fil'osa jale utio ott neor dov perr, lo dov zenpulist."​

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In fact, so thrown off was she by the mere idea of eating when the sun had risen that she forgot all about sleeping arrangements.​

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Suwit ~ Safe | Deyeste ~ Free | Udai Forrest asom? ~ Does Forrest promise?
Y pyva ~ I will | Roti dera tig ebi pyva enro ~ But only if you will too
Ott neor dov perr ~ The sun is up
Y fil'osa jale utio ott neor dov perr, lo dov zenpulist. ~ I can't eat when the sun is up, it is forbidden

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest looked deeply into her eyes as she asked the question. He nodded almost immediately. "Yes Aoede. I promise. From this moment on every decision you make is completely yours to make. Never again will anyone tell you what to do or when to do it. Someone may ask, but you're fully capable of saying no with no repurcussions." if anything Forrest needed her to know that her life was now hers.

Something within him stirred as the gasp left her lips. Fire burned through him igniting areas he hadn't thought he would need to have reactions in. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to not immediately capture her lips with his as the noise broke them.

He nodded without thinking. "I don't think you are capable of doing wrong Beautiful Goddess of the Soul, but I promise you, if you do I will make you aware."

Forrests face hardened as she spoke those words. Forbidden? To eat while the sun was up? What has these monsters subjected her to? Forrest shook his head immediately. "Nothing is forbidden to you anymore Aoede. You can eat when you want, go where you want, think what you want And do whatever you want, whenever you want to." Forrest turned and marched to the door rapping on it before opening the door. "Bring us a feast, everything the cooks can think of, every variety of food we have." he closed the door matter of factly and turned back to Aoede with a smile. He walked back and took her hands in his "Today we start your training on how to be free. The first lesson, eating where you want."

 

[Aoede]

No.​

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That had always been a bad word, a banned word. There was no room for 'no' when every minute of your life was expertly etched out for you... Mostly because there were never options to begin with. No decisions to make. What she wanted did not matter, she was a Goddess and as such everything she was, everything she did, was already preordained.​

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No. No. No. It didn't get any easier to say even in her mind, she wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to it enough to say it aloud.​

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"Y swe osia taitton, vek fosc dov. Tiryto dov dalbin y lero udi bakern..." And had. Swift correction had met any misstep, whether that was finding her eating food she'd squirreled away at midday when her stomach ached for sustenance, or changing her clothes herself, or talking to someone who wasn't her High Priest. The list went on and on.​

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She didn't unveil any of that, not least because her next revelation proved to anger him. He reminded her that she was free, she could do as she wished, eat what and when she wanted, and none would stop her. He was gone from her then, approaching the door he'd slept before, and Aoede simply watched as he requested a feast be made.​

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Feasts are for Priests, not Goddesses a voice in the back of her mind reminded her. And yet for the first time in a long time a different, slightly louder voice worked to drown that out. We can eat what we want? Her excitement bubbled up, but so too did the guilt which had been ingrained within her for the entirety of her life.​

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"Ra py'osa krive, pyva ra?" she asked, before meeting his gaze head on. "Ebi pyva kakoph yra suwit riggeo rais? Ebi asom?" It was a very large leap of faith which she was being asked for here, her entire world was being spun on its head, and yet, even so, she found herself nodding. One of her hands reached out toward him, timid and trembling though it was she did so all the same, and rested it within his as a sign of trust. "Vippir, y pyva jale endt ebi, Forrest... Endt ott neor perr."​

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Y swe osai taitton, vek fosc dov. Tiryto dov dalbin y lero udi bakern ~ I am not perfect, no one is. There is plenty I could do wrong.​

Ra py'osa krive, pyva ra? ~ They won't know, will they?​

Ebi pyva kakoph yra suwit riggeo rais? Ebi asom? ~ You will keep me safe from them? You promise?​

Vippir, y pyva jale endt ebi, Forrest... Endt ott neor perr ~ Okay, I will eat with you, Forrest... With the sun up​

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[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest couldn't help himself but laugh when she spoke about being perfect. "You are as close to perfect at I have ever seen, beautiful Aoede. You may make mistakes, but in my eyes, they will never be counted as such. To me you will forever be learning the things you were deprived of. So even if you get something wrong, is just you learning how to do it the right way."

Forrest took both her hands in his and looked her straight in the eye. "I promise you Aoede, for as long as you choose you stay with me, I will make you the most precious thing in my life. No one will harm you without excessive consequences. What I want you to know, no, need you to know, is that the thing they kept from you all this time was your own power. You see, they made you believe that you needed to cower to them, to listen to what they said, that they held power over you. But, my beautiful goddess, you were their God. At any moment you could have struck them down, erased them from existence. They kept you because of your power, and never you believe that it was theirs. Your power of yours once more. Yours and only yours, to do with as you see fit. No one can ever take that from you again, I won't allow it."

He smiled when she finally came to get final decision, and just in time as almost as soon as she finished speaking the sentence there was a might knock say the door. Forrest reluctantly let her go to answer it as servants poured in carrying tray after test of breakfast, drinks and desserts. When they all filed out and his table was in the verge of collapse he turned back to her with a huge smile. "I'm happy you've agreed to eat with me oh beautiful goddess, the question now is where do we begin?"

 

[Aoede]

It was actually kind of sweet, the way in which he seemed to insist that she was pure of heart, good natured, even with how little time they had spent together. The folly of a biased eye, of course, for what seemed certain on the outside was not always what lay within. Beauty was just one facet of a being, it spoke nothing of their nature. Aoede knew this well, she dealt with the soul after all. When next she sought to speak, it was not so held back as before, as basic, shorter statement gave ways to a more poetic verse.​

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"Ebi udi osia krive yra kaal, Gekni iy Morre. Krin stri ebi krive, y ompen swis o sophurtia... Ebi ompen xexes yra vixe ik nisirion, xu falor semiri. Petar iy vina. Mairi tychov, ely fosc, everon dov ospen dov niameda..."​

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All the same a blush set into her cheeks, she was mortal after all, she was still one prone to flattery and pride.​

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"Ebba thimuir dov vanesh ik merino, ik ebba byr mairi dov kevouvant. Y meero xalin krivete ebi lepito, Forrest, roti y udi osia phais ruirte tix krisal iy palli vohn arbia ebi'ras ochniswe yra agazte."​

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In her next breath, however, she tore down some of that. She realized that it was not entirely fair of her to muddy the water like this, to ask in one breath for time to adjust, for them to take it slow, then follow it up with another conflicting request, but she couldn't help herself and she hoped he understood.​

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"Y quero xalin jente ryto endt ebi primben, osp palli injen, tig y gyn? Y pyva prov ott livrek, y swe wyrre te asur."​

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She did not trust this place, or the people in it, she had no reason to believe that they would not whisk her off back to the City of the Muses at a moment's notice. She did, however, trust him, Forrest... He'd already proven the lengths he would go to see her safe. Those charred bodies in the desert lay as testament to that.​

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Ebi udi osia krive yra kaal, Gekni iy Morre. Krin stri ebi krive, y ompen swis o sophurtia... Ebi ompen xexes yra vixe ik nisirion, xu falor semiri. Petar iy vina. Mairi tychov, ely fosc, everon dov ospen dov niameda You do not know me yet, God Of War. For all you know, I might be a monster... You might find me dull and uninspiring, or mean natured. Black of heart. Beauty fades, dear one, what is within is eternal.

Ebba thimuir dov vanesh ik merino, ik ebba byr mairi dov kevouvant. Y meero xalin krivete ebi lepito, Forrest, roti y udi osia phais ruirte tix krisal iy palli vohn arbia ebi'ras ochniswe yra agazte. Your tongue is silver and sweet, and your own beauty Is indisputable. I should like to know you better, Forrest, but I do not wish to rush any aspect of this new life you're allowing me to forge.

Y quero xalin jente ryto endt ebi primben, osp palli injen, tig y gyn? Y pyva prov ott livrek, y swe wyrre te asur. I would like to stay here with you though, in this room, if I may? I will take the floor, I am used to that.

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest laughed out loud when Aoede retorted to his musings. "I assure you that it isn't possible for you to be more of a monster than me. Just look at what my name entails oh Goddess of the Soul. War. Steel. Storms. Unforgiving, unrelenting, unapologetically reaping pain across the land. Look into my soul Goddess, see what you find there. No, your protection of the innocent in your prison city, that was all I needed to hear to know the heart that lies above the beautiful soul that resides in you Aoede. And shame on you for thinking beauty only runs skin deep." the last was said with a knowing and playful smile as she looked at him.

Forrest nodded in understanding at her words. "I'm not asking you to rush, or to choose me. Your decisions are your own from this moment on until forever. I'm glad you want to know me better. It gives me the opportunity to make you want to be mine." he fought away the widening of his eyes as the words escaped and smiled wickedly at Aoede. Who the hell was he and what made him say that?

Forrest shook his head no hard. "You can stay with me just as long as you like, but you will never again sleep on the floor. No, I can get another bed in here for me, if we stay. With my mother's condition, and the fact that is I get permission I'll be headed off to war, it may be best you travel with me and stay in Lord Cordels city." anticipating three fear that would likely cause he grasped her hand and spoke more gently. "Only to his city. I won't make you go back there, even to see it destroyed and those who imprisoned you dealt with. You'll have your own place, one I can share with you before setting it and after if you so choose, you'll be closer to me and much more of danger. I promise."

With that he gently pulled her up before picking her up into his arms and carrying her over to the array of food set it before them. He placed her down before the table standing behind her with his hands on her waist. He leaned in closely and whispered in her ear. "Now the moment you've been dreading. I'm going to make you pick what you want to eat." he said before breaking out into a laugh.

 

[Aoede]

She had not tried to claim that beauty was skin deep, and as she opened her mouth to state as much she caught wind of the more playful nature he was exhibiting and her brows furrowed for a moment. Confused, she tilted her head to one side.​

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"Everon dov asur, asur yambra? Everon udi ebi falor unno lo?"[1] There was much about human interaction that she still found so... alien. A smile was just a smile, a general pleasantry, but this felt like more than that and quite frankly Aoede did not know what to do with such.​

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What came next was even more surprising. Yes, he wanted her to make her own decisions, to have some autonomy, but he also hoped that she would be his..? "Ebi achila te byr yra?"[2] It seemed entirely antithetical to everything else he had said. "Ebi fristi y quero swis deyeste."[3] By this point a wariness had settled over her, and she shuffled slightly back from him.​

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Want she realized after her fears had already been made known, he was hoping she wanted to... Oh. "Ebi falor, ebi ilen yra jente? Endt ebi..?"[4] That... Made a little more sense, and already her taut muscles began to soften back into a relaxed state. "Y ud'osa ilen swiste nicallin"[5] she confessed, "Y pyva jen krin agg huina agg ebi pyva ochni. Agg huina agg ebba... tikerat?.. pyva ochni."[6] At least until such a time as she was no longer safe, or perhaps she would decide to strike out on her own.​

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That seemed... frightening. Aoede knew nothing about this world.​

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Talks turned to sleeping arrangements, and then where she would actually be hosted, and Aoede found herself lost within all of it. "Ebi rass voyvirswe? Krin morre?"[7] Aoede chewed the inside of her lip, and looked away from him toward the window. "Everon tig ebi udi osia alcadras? Y udi osia ilen te achrid ebi, y swe dera sabless vimswe krivete ebi."[8] All of this was to say nothing of this mysterious Lord Cordel.​

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Hand held by Forrest's, she forced herself to breathe. She had trusted him this far, had she not? Why then could she not seek to trust him further? ​

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"Ik vima everon? Par ott skurag tristve? Aslo pyva alat voya vima?"[9] They would not stay here, he claimed, and he hinted at the fact that they would not be remaining with Lord, so then where? Were they going to travel from place to place? Aoede did not mind the idea, quite frankly, though being outside did leave her feeling a little... anxious. But not knowing what the plan would be? That was worse.​

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Food had arrived, and she found herself softly lifted from the bed and brought before the table. Once set down, Forrest leaned in to whisper as though telling some great secret. In truth, he was just beginning her torment. She glanced over the selection on offer, then delicately reached out a hand toward one of the serving platters. Housed upon it were skewers of various roasted meats, each in a different glaze or spice rub. It smelled quite frankly divine. She plucked one for herself, and then another which she fast turned to offer to Forrest.​

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"Systeb krin palli ulysi"[10] she said, in a way which suggested it was a force of habit to utter. Her head even dipped into a gentle bow of reverence and thanks.​

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[1] What is that, that smile? What do you mean by it?

[2] You hope to own me?

[3] You swore I would be free

[4] You mean you want me to stay? With you..?

[5] I don't want to be alone

[6] I will stay for as long as you will allow. As long as your... family?.. will allow

[7] You are leaving? For war?

[8] What if you do not return? I do not want to lose you, I am only just coming to know you

[9] And then what? After the City falls? Where will we go then?

[10] Thank you for this food

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Forrest Dinn ​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest looked confused for a moment before the meaning of her question dawned on him. He nodded. "My apologies Aoede, the smile meant I was joking, a concept I now realize you may not understand. The easiest way to get and explain would be, I said something you had already implied and used it against you in a way that made it seem like you had made the assumption you stated I was making. Hopefully you can understand jokes and sarcasm better. The more you are with me, the more you will begin to learn about those concepts, you can decide if that's for the better or for the worse."

Forrest put his hands up in a show of placation to get concerns. "I promise you Aoede, I will never force you to do or stay, anything or anywhere you don't want to. I merely meant I hope that the longer you stay with me, the more you learn of me, you wish you stay with me, either as my guest, the one I protect, or, and this is my hope, want to pursue a relationship with me. As in more than friends, or more than me as your protector. I have feelings for you I have never experienced before and I wish, should you agree, to pursue those feelings, eventually, when you're ready. If you are ever ready." Forrest nodded his understanding."You will never have to worry about being alone again Aoede, not unless you choose to be. You can stay with me as long as you like, and once I've received my own domain, my own people to govern, you can help me build my city, we can make it together. A place where innocents can come for protection and knowledge. A place of our making."

Forrest shook his head to calm her fears. "Aoede, battle is what I was made for. Rest assured that no matter what happens in your prison city, I will come back for you. You will be safe in Lord Cordels city, he owes me that much, and then once that war is done and I return we shall go and find out own lands, or own settlement and we will build our city, you and I, into whatever it is we want it to become. And if that is too much too soon, if you desire to stay in Lord Cordels city and not come with me, or even go out and find somewhere to make your own without me, well that is a decision you get to make all on your own. Your choices are yours forever now Aoede. No one will make those choices for you anymore. If you stay with me or find someone else to make a life with, or just choose yourself, I will honor any choice you make, regardless of how much I wish to try and make a life with you. This is a lot, I know and I'm sorry, you have surfaced feelings I never intended to feel. My job is to protect the Pantheon and all I want to do now is make the world safer for you. You have stolen my heart, Goddess of the Soul."

He smiled as she bowed her head and gently moved his hand up her arm, across her neck and throat and up to tilt her chin upward to look into his eyes. Gently and with grace he didn't even know he had, spoke once more. "You no longer have to bow to anyone, Aoede. You are your own woman, this feast is no less than what you have always deserved. You're welcome, the thanks I will take, but you do not serve me, and I am no better than you. Hold your head high and become the goddess you so deserve to be. Stay with me, and I will make you one of the most powerful beings on this planet, make our city one that everyone cherishes to be a part of. You and I, we can do great things, amazing and wonderful things. We can make the lives of the people here better, and be able to give them the chance to stand on their own with no worries. Stay with me, and I will give you the universe." he spoke in merely a whisper, but the want and truth behind every word was conveyed with his every word. Before he could catch himself he bent taking her mouth with his in a deep and passionate kiss. When he realized what he had done he backpedaled away from her with his hands up. "I'm so sorry, I…. I got caught up in my thoughts of what could be. If you wish I'll leave you alone now. I apologize for my forwardness, you didn't ask for that, I shouldn't have done it without your permission."