{GORE WARNING}

Silverhand19

Dreams. Dreams are strange and mysterious things that are often wispy and undefined, seeming to have no meaning at all. Yet dreams are a gateway to the mind. Your deepest thoughts, fears, desires, ambitions...memories. Leaving only the impression of a thought, an emotion, an image, or the feeling of the whole world on your shoulders. When this gateway opens, the mind becomes so vulnerable, so– manipulable. The amount of influence something so intangible can have is quite remarkable, don't you agree? Let us see where this next dream takes us, shall we?

Deep in the forests north of the Shire, two elves sat asleep in a clearing, under the stars. Their fire had long been put out, but they were not cold, for it was a warm summer's night. However, as chance would have it, though unbeknownst to them, the shadow of Doom decided to pass them by that night.

"Who does she think she is, ordering me around like some errand boy! Me! How disgraceful. I am Amarth! I am DOOM! I would have destroyed her long ago if it weren't for that @#$&*% dagger! @#$&*%!!!"

Still seething, it was then that Amarth happened upon the clearing in which Tári and Aredhel rested. A wicked grin crept its way onto the dark elf's face and he lept into the tree nearest to the sisters. His task could wait. Now, it was time for some fun.

Passing a quick glance into the taller elf's mind told him very little and nothing to his interest. But the other, ooh yes there was so much more darkness and turmoil here. Yes, this would be his playground tonight.

Tári was having a perfectly nice night, dreaming of happy memories she had as a child, when her dreams took a nightmarish turn. She was practicing archery with her father at the edge of a large clearing. She had just turned fifty and her ada had made her a brand new bow of her own! Her naneth watched from a little ways off with a proud smile as she hit each target straight in the center nearly every time.

Suddenly there was screaming. Their house was on fire and shadowy figures were everywhere, breaking, burning, and yelling. Her Naneth was cornered, fighting off ten at once with her twin blades. Catching sight of her daughter, she yelled at Tári to run, only to be swarmed by another set of attackers. Tári was frozen, shocked and unable to choose to run or to fight. Too late she realized one of the shadows had come up behind her and readied herself for the blow. Then her ada was there, knives flashing and arrows flying.

"Run Tári, quickly! I will hold them off!"

"But what about you and naneth?!"

"It will be alright. We will meet you at the northern lake, now run!"

With that, Tári took off running as she had never run before. Tripping over rocks and unseen roots, she payed no mind to how scratched up she was getting. What she did notice, was that as she ran, the forest began to darken. It grew darker and darker, until the world faded away into a solid black void. She continued to run for what seemed like hours in that empty blackness, and the only sounds she heard, were the sound of her footsteps echoing endlessly, and her own heavy breathing. Finally when she could run no further, she collapsed onto her knees, attempting to catch her breath.

Now, the silence was deafening and the darkness pressing in on her eyes was making her jumpy. Was this what death felt like? A sudden whisper caused her to whirl around. She immediately wished she hadn't. There stood her mother, burned and bloody, along with her father, cut up and broken. Her mother's skin looked charred and cracked. Blood oozed from large gashes and her right eye was gone. Her father was missing an arm and his head hung at a strange angle. It was her mother who spoke first.

"You left us to die. You ran away when we needed you most."

"No, please! You-you told me to run! You said it would be okay!"

"And you really believed us? Haven't we taught you well enough to go with your instincts?! Her father snapped.

"I-I'm sorry, I wanted to save you, I really did! B-but you told me—"

"Tch! What a disappointment."

"You are nothing but a failure and a coward."

"You are no daughter of ours"

"No, no, no, please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorrySo sorry, SorrySorrySorrySorrySorry..."

The darkness was suffocating, her parents voices filled her head and it felt as if the whole world was caving in on her.

Suddenly, she was back in the clearing with Aredhel. Spotting her sister lying in the grass across from her, she quickly went to her side and shook her shoulder. "Aredhel! Wake up, quickly! Something is not right here." Her sister did not move. "Aredhel?" No answer. "Aredhel! Are you all right?! Please, say something, anything!" Shaking her violently now, Tári grew frantic. "Sister please, wake up! Aredhel!" No. No no nononono– she- she wasn't dead, she couldn't be dead, she could still feel her heart beating. But by the stars it was so slow. Slow, slower...No.
"Aredhel! Aredhel please! AREDHEL!!" She jolted awake, screaming her sister's name. Aredhel was immediately up, her sword at the ready. "What? What is it sister?! Are we being attacked?"
"No, nothing. It was...nothing. Just—just a nightmare. Nothing but a nightmare..." But even as she said it, Tári couldn't shake the feeling of horror at what she had just witnessed, nor the sense of dread settling heavily in her chest.