A Winter Dream
Chapter 13

Once they were all assembled in the library, Callum began, “Yari filled me in on the situation in your mom’s dimension. We’ve formed a tentative plan. Lila, Yari will fill you in on the pieces involving the other dimension, but as for our side…the Elder King will be heading over soon. We’re going to be waiting for your return with supplies needed to tend to your mom. Your job is to get in, replace her, discover why she’s stuck and then bring her back here as quickly as possible. I’ve gathered some tools. Ransom, help me get her suited up.”

It was then Lila noticed several weapons scattered over her father’s desk. They were different from any weapons she’d seen in her grandmother’s dimension. They might be made of a metallic substance, but they were all matte black with no shine. Lila instinctively supposed it was to keep them from reflecting sunlight and giving the wielder’s position away.

“I don’t know how to use any of these things,” Lila said as she ran her hand along a scabbard containing what she supposed was some kind of short sword.

Callum grinned boyishly, “These weapons aren’t anything like the ones in your dimension. They aren’t inanimate objects. They’re alive.”

“Alive…how? Like a plant or an animal?” Lila looked skeptical.

“Your mom once said they were similar to a science fiction concept in your dimension...nano-something?” Callum asked.

“Well…nano technology is real, but maybe you mean Nanites like in Star Trek?” Lila guessed.

Callum nodded, “Yes, that’s it. These weapons aren’t really solid if they choose not to be. They are a collection of organisms that can communicate with you on a molecular level. You can command them with your brain waves once you’ve been introduced.”

“How do I introduce myself?” Lila asked curiously.

“Just like you did with the scabbard. You touch it,” Callum revealed.

“Oh, I see,” Lila nodded.

She began to run her fingertips over each piece and speaking to them in a way that Ransom and Callum found cute, “Hello, little friends. I’m Lila and I’m new at this, but I could really use your help, if you’re willing.”

A flat disk taking up a large portion of the desk slid over to her and bumped into her hip. She giggled and picked it up, “Aren’t you a handsome shield? Would you like to go on an adventure with me?”

By way of an answer the disk flopped itself out of her fingers and spread across her left forearm, then shot out straps to securely affix itself there around the sleeve of her leather jacket.

“It’s more lightweight than I thought it would be,” Lila said then looked up at her dad and Ransom to ask how she looked, but after seeing their faces, instead said, “What’s wrong?”

Callum looked shocked and Ransom’s awe was clear in his expression.

It was Remus that answered Lila,“The melds of this planet, that’s what we call the organisms your shield is made of, don’t usually respond to human conversation. They only respond once they’ve been attached and given an entry point to read your brain waves. We’ve never seen one move independently towards someone when they aren’t yet under your command.”

“Maybe he wants to be friends,” Lila teased and then giggled when the shield vibrated against her arm, “See?”

Ransom shook his head in amazement then reached out to grab a small octagon shaped device that was about the size of a golf ball, only flat. He went to Lila and placed it against her right temple, and it attached itself to her, feeling briefly like it was being suctioned onto her skin and then no further sensations were felt on the outside of her body. The inside of her body, on the other hand, felt energized.

“Now…” Callum began, recovering from his surprise, “think about something to do with the shield.”

Lila concentrated on an idea and a small piece of it broke away from the larger whole and hovered back and forth above the desk before floating down to touch the scabbard Lila had previously touched. It formed into a small hand and picked up the weapon, carried it to Lila’s left hip and laid it flat against her thigh. Two straps shot out, one attaching around her waist like a belt near the top of the scabbard, and the other attaching around her thigh near the bottom of the scabbard.

“Ok, I’m ready,” Lila said to her dad.

“What did you ask it to do?” Callum asked out of curiosity.

“I asked it which weapon it wanted to work with, telling it that our adventure might be dangerous, so we’d need an offensive weapon and a defensive one. It told me it was defensive but could be offensive in a pinch and recommended the blade,” Lila shared.

“It spoke to you?” Ransom was appalled.

“Yeah, isn’t it supposed to?” she asked innocently.

“Not really. Usually, they just take instruction from your brain waves, like an extension of your hand or foot. This is unusual to say the least. Callum, where did this shield come from?” Ransom asked.

Callum thought about it for a bit then shook his head, “I’ve never actually used this one. I only brought it here on a whim. It belonged to my great grandfather, and it was his favorite meld. He never told me much about it.”

“I like it,” Lila stated enthusiastically, and the shield vibrated again, which made her giggle.

“We need to hurry. There’s no way to know if Dana is still safe,”Yari urged,“Lila, we think it’s best if we port into the pink grass field you first landed in before we met. We shouldn’t lock ourselves back in the cell. You can climb on my back, and we’ll go up to observe the surrounding area until we replace any structures likely to have a dungeon. I’ll try to scent your mom once we get close. Callum, the saddle please.”

Lila watched as her father lifted a tan leather object that resembled an earth saddle, but seemed more luxurious in that it had a back to lean against, a larger horn to grip and straps all down the sides that Lila assumed would strap her legs to the contraption so she wouldn’t fall off in flight.

Callum placed the saddle on Yari’s back and Ransom helped strap it around Yari and tighten it. When they were finished, Ransom lifted Lila up onto it and she wiggled around until she was positioned comfortably. Once she was settled, Ransom and Callum strapped her in.

“Look here,” Callum said, tugging gently on a strap near her thigh, “this is the release. There’s one on each side and you can pull them straight up to instantly free your legs if you want to jump off quickly. If you’re alone and unable to strap yourself all the way down at some point, then at least buckle in the top two straps around your thighs. It should keep you attached to Yari enough to remain saddled in flight. Any questions?”

Lila shook her head, “Nope. Don’t worry dad, we’ll bring her back,” her voice sounded firm and sure.

“I know you will, pumpkin,” her dad smiled up at her with confidence.

Ransom took one of her hands and brought it to his lip, kissing her tenderly on the back of it, “I’ll see you soon.”

Lila nodded shortly and then faced forward and closed her eyes. She focused on the memory of the field with the pink grass and then began filling in the details with her mind’s eye. Just as she was drawing the hundredth blade of grass, she felt Yuri lurch forward and step into the field.

Opening her eyes, she wasn’t surprised to replace them exactly where she was trying to be. She spoke to Yari, “You saw that?”

“Mmm…yes, I can see your dimensional drawings when you’re detailing them. I closed my eyes with you and stepped forward. I wasn’t sure it would work, but it did,”Yari seemed pleased.

“How delightful,” Lila said with a smile.

“Hold on to your saddle,”Yari said and then expanded her wings, leaping into the air.

With one powerful downward thrust, they climbed nearly thirty feet into the sky. The sensation of wind stealing her breath was a strange one to Lila, but she soon got the hang of breathing through it as Yari climbed higher and then began moving forward.

Lila scanned the horizon back and forth as Yari lead them over the trees in one direction and then circled back into another when they found nothing but mountains beyond the forest. On the third change in direction, Lila spotted it on the horizon. Something like castle towers rose out of the trees. There were flags mounted to the tops and waving gently in the breeze.

“I see it,”Yari said and then flew towards it,“There aren’t any people watching from the towers, so we can get fairly close before we descend.”

When they got within a mile of the place, Yari tilted her wings and changed their trajectory toward the ground. She landed with light feet and little noise.

“Stay aboard. I’m going to run us as close as I can,”Yari told her before tucking her wings up to rest over Lila’s thighs.

Lila was surprised at how smooth of a ride it was. Yari was graceful and precise in her movements, easily pouncing over obstacles and taking care to keep Lila’s head from any low hanging branches.

As they got near enough to see the castle walls through the trees, Yari spoke again,“I can smell your mom, but in light of what Dana told us, I think we might want to try and replace her father first.”

Lila was grateful that Yari always had such good advice to give, and she sent that feeling through their bond. Yari purred briefly then crouched down low very close to the edge of the forest nearest the castle wall.

Lila pulled up on her release straps and hopped off the saddle. While considering the best course of action, the scabbard on her thigh vibrated to get her attention. The shield on her arm buzzed a moment after that.

“You can help, can’t you?”Lila communicated in her mind to the melds.

“Yes,”came the simple reply.

“Do you think you can replace a man who looks and smells similar to me? He’s my grandfather. Can you scent things?”Lila questioned.

“Yes,”the melds replied again.

“Tiny little miracles,”Lila thought, and the shield wiggled with delight.

Lila imagined the short sword in the scabbard melting out of its sheath and floating about in a tiny invisible line of microscopic melds. She willed it to search through the castle for her grandfather. Soon after the thought was completed in her mind, she noticed the weight of the blade was absent from her hip.

“Yari let’s creep along to the side of the castle where my mother’s scent is strongest. We’ll wait there for the melds to replace Dana’s father,”Lila sent into the bond,“At least then we can keep an eye out for any movement near her.”

Quietly they went, staying low in the brush as they slowly made their way to the back wall. When they got there, Yari guided them to where Dana’s scent was the strongest and they both lay down together in the dirt, allowing the scarlet leaves of the underbrush to fold over their bodies from above.

Time passed slowly. Nothing interesting happened for quite some time. After what felt like at least an hour, Yari lifted her head and twitched her ears.

“Someone is coming,”Yari said.

“They return,”the melds informed Lila soon after.

They lay perfectly still in the foliage as a man stumbled around the left side of the castle and headed straight for them. He was tall and lean with a sad countenance. His hair was graying and there were a lot of wrinkles that indicated years of frowning. As he came closer to Lila, she realized his eyes were very similar to her mother’s and she drew in a slow steady breath. He appeared to be focused on something in the air in front of him as if he were chasing it but unable to catch up.

“Here goes nothing,”Lila sent to Yari before she jumped to her feet, startling the man.

“Hello, grandfather,” she boldly called to him.

He froze in his tracks, his chase forgotten, as he gaped, open-mouthed at the young girl before him. He didn’t speak, he just stared.

Lila cleared her throat and plunged ahead, “So…I’m Dana’s daughter. And I’m not sure if you’re aware but your mate is keeping my mother locked in your dungeon right now. I’m here to get her out and take her home. I don’t suppose you can be of assistance in this matter?”

The next second was a blur. Yari tackled Lila to the ground and her melded shield expanded to cover them both just before a projectile collided with it and ricocheted away from them.

The man who was previously frozen cried out in pain. More projectiles rained down on Lila’s shield as Yari gripped the back of her leather jacket in her mouth and started belly crawling deeper into the trees, dragging Lila with her. All the while the shield molded around them, changing angles and shapes to deflect anything that flew at them.

Lila sent a mental message to the sword that had returned to her hip to go tend to her grandfather and stop any serious bleeding if it was able. Soon after she felt it’s weight once again absent.

Once Yari was satisfied they were hidden well enough to not be the target for further attack she urged Lila to climb back into the saddle. Lila did so, and Yari loped through the forest until she found an opening large enough to spread her wings and thrust upward into the treetops. Gliding around close to the trees she searched for a sturdy branch up high on which to perch. Lila ducked down so she wouldn’t hit her head as Yari squeezed into the spot and dropped down on the limb of the massive hardwood.

“Now what?” Yari thought.