[ P ] Broken Sleep

I

t was the dawn of a new day and she woke with sunlight in her eyes, laying in the fields of Melrose nearest the peaks that surrounded Mirror Lake.

“Nim! Come on!”

“Yeah, Nimmy! Mama’s waiting for us!”

“Slow poke, slow poke! You’ll never catch us!”

The sounds of her three younger siblings drew her attention and she laughed, getting to her feet and shaking the morning dew from her coat. The pups scrambled over one another, playfully making their way to an entrance of the cliffs that led to the lake. “Alright, alright! I’m coming, you lot!”

”Ouch! Nimmy, Braon bit my ear!”

A squeal came from one of the girls who ran over and hid beneath her long, slender legs. She rolled her eyes and gave her little brother a stern look. “Braon, be sweet to your sister. Lyra, bite him back next time, love, you don’t always need to tattle.”

“Hurry! I hear Mama and Papa!” The youngest of the three shouted, bolting ahead as the other two took off after her. “Rose! Don’t go to far ahead!” Nimue called after them, slipping through the passage until the lake opened out in front of them. The trio of children were already splashing about and playing while a tall, smoke and ash-colored male surveyed over them. He turned his head and nodded over to her and she returned a serene nod to her father.

“There you are, darling.”

Nimue turned to see the beloved form of her mother, the rays of sunlight practically illuminating her honeyed features. “Good morning, Mum.” The two of them held each other and she didn’t understand why but her heart was moved by this embrace and when she pulled away, concern drifted over the older female’s features. “Nimue, dear, are you alright? You’re crying.”

She blinked, shocked that there were, indeed, tears in her eyes. “Oh…just very happy to see you, I suppose.” Nim smiled politely and then turned when her name was called by one of little ones again, seeing all of them swimming in the shallows.

“Come swim with us, Nim! ”

“Yeah, jump in! Make a big, big, splash!”

“Here I come, then!” She called to them, grinning wildly and trotting over to the water’s edge. Little did she know, her family was not there, and she was not at the lake. Nimue was sleepwalking and standing at the precipice of a cliffside as the ghosts of her past encouraged her to take the leap. The water was just fine.

@Gwendolyn

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

THREAD TITLE MUSE

U

p, my child, get up

Gwen heard the words clearly as she was jerked awake, violet hues wide and glowing in the moonlight. Startled, she blinked sleep from her eyes, the images of a warm hearth and Clodagh’s tender eyes still behind her eyelids. Despite how she clung to them, the dreams faded and left her with her bitter reality. By her lonesome she had traveled to the highlands, the fae forest her intended destination as she wished to view its renewed beauty in the spring. The Goddess had also bid her go there, though her deity’s reasoning had been unclear.

Having reached the edge just when dark had risen, she had taken shelter in an alcove at the forest’s edge. Blearily she stood, finding her feet beneath her and slinging her small pack around her before leaving her place of rest. Gwendolyn followed the tug, her footfalls the only sound as she entered the forest. The silence of the forest would have felt ominous if not for her confidence in her Goddess’ intentions, her presence almost amplified in a place as magical as this.

Rounding a tree, the tug led her to follow a cliff’s edge. Water churned, the white froth clashing against the rocks below. Why am I here? She asked the heavens, rocks from her steps making her nervous as they dislodged and fell. In the distance she noticed a speck at the very edge, her eyes squinting as she tried to make out the form. The tug got more insistent and she broke into a lope, noticing the speck was a very familiar female form. Panic struck her, and she broke out into a furious sprint. “NIM!!’

Sliding to a stop, she noticed the woman’s glassy eyes and froze. Nimue was not present at the moment, but her body was in danger nonetheless. She’d been told it was pressing not to wake a sleepwalker, but she knew no other way. Gwen crawled in front of the female, nudging her gently from the cliff’s edge. Standing before the woman then, she prodded gently with her nose. “Nimue? Nim, can you hear me?”

@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

“J

ump, Nim! You can do it!”

Her brother and sisters egged her on and she stuck her tongue out at them while she began to gather her muscles to jump in after them. “You’d best move out the way little ones! I intend for this to be the greatest leap you’ve ever seen!”

In dream she called out to squealing, laughing children that splashed one another while gazing up at her expectantly. In reality she spoke the words aloud as well, although her tone was murmured. “Ready? One, two-“ There was suddenly a pressure at her chest and she blinked to find her mother now stood in her way. “Mother?” She looked up into the woman’s face only finding her gaze as loving as ever, but with deep concern appearing there. “Nimue, wake up,darling…you need to wake up.”

“Huh? Wake up? What do you-“

She suddenly heard her name outside of her head and when she looked to the beloved matriarch of her family again, she simply smiled and began to fade. Panic set in and Nimue peered around to find the lakeside scenery melting, her younger siblings dissolving into thin air. “No! No, no, wait! This isn’t what I wanted…please, don’t leave me!” This time when she blinked again she was somewhere else entirely, it looked to be the Fae Forest, but she was at the edge of a cliff and to her surprise, Gwen was standing in front of her.

She felt ill immediately and she stumbled backwards, confusion painted across her expression as she tried to understand how she came to be here. Nim stared at Gwen for a long speechless moment, until the overwhelming weight of it all came crashing down upon her, causing tears to begin spilling from her eyes as she choked back a sob.

@Gwendolyn

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

G

wen’s ears swiveled back and forth as she tried to hear what Nim was saying, but her slumbering mumbles were wholly incoherent. The fae could gauge she was following something; what other cause for her to go so far within the forest? She continued her gentle nudging, hoping to peer into her friend’s eyes as she came to consciousness. The fear of Nim falling off the cliff had eased, her body braced should the woman attempt to push forwards in her current state.

She had never experienced a sleepwalker before. It was a startling experience; the body so present but the soul somewhere else. It reminded of a state similar during her practices with her grandmother, the full moon a conduit for communication with their deity. Gwen could feel herself leaving the physical plane then, her essence connecting with something wholly other. The fae wondered if the experience was the same for Nim now.

As Nim’s body went rigid, Gwendolyn copied the stance with her own in readiness for sudden movement. When the woman came to consciousness, the fae leaned forward with interest. “Nim…?”She breathed, her violet eyes suddenly connecting with her friend’s midnight hues. Her heart fell as she watched her face crumble, a pit yawning open in her stomach as she watched the other woman hold back a sob.

Coming closer cautiously, Gwen stood by as it seemed as though emotion overtook the other woman. In all she’d learned in her short life, comforting another was not one. She shifted awkwardly, but lowered her head to peer at Nim once more. “Nimue? It’s Gwendolyn. Are you alright? I found you at the edge of a cliff and I… Pushed you back, I guess. You’re awake now, aren’t you?” She looked back and forth between the cliff and the fae, trying to understand what brought her to a place so dangerous.

@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

he feeling of coming back into her own body was an unwelcome one at best. Gravity felt as though it were caving in on her as she forced the memories of where she had been a moment ago replayed over and over. Nim squeezed her eyes shut, turning her face away from Gwen, her body following suit as she stumbled over to the base of a tree. She leaned against it, pressing her cheek into the bark and grinding her teeth to try to recenter herself.

Gwendolyn’s voice came soft and sweet as she approached, but Nimue still could not bear to face her. Not a one had seen her in such a state aside from her Aunt after the consecutive deaths of the family members whose presences were felt as though they had truly been with her. All she could do was nod slowly from where she clung to the tree when she was gently questioned to gauge her wakefulness. When she thought she might have a steady hold on the strength of her voice she solidified the verdict, “I’m awake…” She stated simply, her voice wavering at the end while she still tried to piece together where she was and what had occurred in the waking world, while she had been lost in dream.

@Gwendolyn

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

he fae realized too late that this might prove to be a more private and vulnerable moment for Nimue. But what was she to do? Allow her to step over the cliffs edge and plummet to her death? The pit in her stomach yawned wider as she watched her fall against the tree, wishing she could help with the whirlwind of emotions her friend must be going through. As much as she wanted to provide comfort, a soft pressure against her chest stopped her. She heard a soft whisper in the breeze, telling her that her physical presence might not be welcomed just now.

Backing away, Gwen sat a distance where Nim could feel she had her own privacy. The woman refused to leave her by herself, though. If anything, she would escort the other woman home. No one should be in the dark wood by themselves; the forest could play tricks. It was the first thing she learned as a highland pup; the town she’d been born in was not far from the forest itself. Despite leaving young, the stories of the forest were not ones easily forgotten. “When you are ready, or if you need to talk, I will just be over here.”

In her urgency to follow the tug within her, she hadn’t gained the chance to say her morning prayers to her Goddess above. Gwen did so now, finding a spot of waning moonlight to sit under and bow her head. Taking a stone from her pouch, she made a clean slice along her paw pad and allowed her blood to flow steadily into the soil. Then she bowed her head, praying for the deity’s wisdom and strength for her friend to face whatever troubles she may be enduring.

@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

S

till trembling she sniffled a couple times and then turned slowly, her eyes meeting Gwen. The typically calm cool of those deep blues hues were wide, the pupils drawn into tight pinpricks as they flickered around. Having settled back into reality, she now took in her surroundings, shaking her head as the confusion only worsened.

“Gwen…?” She murmured the other woman’s name, the inflection hinting at the beginning of a question that she was hesitant to ask. She studied the trees, identifying them by the way their tree trunks twisted upward, branches reaching up into the depths of the night sky. She knew what they were, but she had yet to step foot on lands they grew plentifully. “Where…am I?”

@Gwendolyn

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

N

im’s sweet voice came to her through the veil of her prayer, calling her before she could fall into the deep, meditative status she normally embraced when communing with her deity. Her eyes opened, their violet color catching the light as she turned to peer at the other female. She appeared to have composed herself, the moment of emotion having ended only to leave confusion it its wake. Gwen took that as a sign to come closer, remembering that Nim had asked a question.

“You’re in the fae forest, Nim,” she said softly, stopping just short of embracing her friend. Gwendolyn was glad she was safe, but her polite demeanor halted her from expressing her relief in such a way. “Do you not remember coming here? I was asleep nearby, and I woke to something pulling me, so I followed it and… and there you were, at the edge of the cliff.” Her gaze flicked to the steep drop, the waves below roaring as if in response.

Since she was aware and her job of rescue seemed to be over, Gwen sat and tucked her tail around her paws. “I thought you were going to jump. I didn’t think, I just shoved you back. I apologize for waking you in such a way, I know that’s not a good thing to do with sleepwalkers.” She hung her head sheepishly, hoping Nim wouldn’t be angered for her foiling whatever it was the other fae was attempting to do.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

N

imue stared at her, her demeanor similar to that of a lost child, her eyes still brimming with what was left of her tears. Her bewilderment turned to panic once more as she began to turn her head to look around this space as thought here were going to be a hint or some sort of clue that jogged her memory.

She shook her head, her vision drawn to an area between some trees where she could’ve swore she saw a flicker of movement aside from them. “No…no, Gwen…I don’t-” Her voice broke as she followed the other woman’s gaze to where the drop-off had been. Nim had to pause to take a few breaths before attempting to speak again. “I have no memory of coming here at all…and I…I’ve never even been here before.”

As Gwen sat herself and continued to explain the experience from her point of view, it only became more disturbing. She was staring at her savior with horror written on her features, her mind struggling to comprehend it. “That’s…but, Gwen…I’m not a sleepwalker. I’ve never been known to do such a thing.” Nim began to tremble, more shaken by this news on top of the event itself.

She lowered her eyes and saw something drawn within the earth and then the metallic tinge of blood hit her senses. Her storm-blue eyes immediately filled with concern and flickered up to Gwen’s face. “You’re bleeding! Are you alright? Were you hurt going after me?”


@Gwendolyn

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

G

wen’s violet hues turned soft and sad as Nim expressed her confusion. As a youngling, the fae had heard stories of wolves falling prey to the forest. As generous as the fae could be, they could also prey on the innocent if it was their wish. Her friend had proved to be no exception. Coming close, she rested her paw lightly atop Nimue’s in comfort. “It’s alright Nim. This place can draw others in. I was born near here, and they warn us about the tricks of the fae forest from puphood.” She followed her friend’s gaze to the cliffside and her heart jumped at the thought of what she could have lost.

“Fortunately for you, the Goddess was keeping watch. I woke from the dead of sleep to something pulling me here, so it appears fate has plans for you yet.” She smiled, choosing not to pay mind to Nimue’s vulnerable state. The fae chose not to ask what it was she dreamed of either; they didn’t know one another well enough to divulge the secrets of their unconsciousness just yet. Gwen’s brows drew in concern to learn Nim did not have a habit of traveling in her sleep. “I wonder why the forest chose you, then. I had just been traveling to see it in spring. It always looks so different every season.”

She was slightly irritated with the forest as it were now for taking her friend within its depths, so much so she had not paid her freshly made wound any mind. Jumping slightly at Nim’s exclamation, she hurried to hide the small mutilation. “No, no! I’m alright!” She exclaimed, quick to soothe the other fae. “I did not hurt myself helping you, don’t worry. The wound is self-inflicted, an offering to the Goddess so I might ask her to ease your pain. Both physical and emotional.” She paused, looking to Nim as the part of her craft she did not often speak of lay exposed.

@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck