//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: A prison without walls // Story: Unearthed: Curse Of The Undying // by Talion The DARKandBRIGHT //------------------------------// Details *Thoughts* ~Mental speaking~ "Normal speaking" ~"Mental and normal speaking"~ Songs ... (Radio static)... "Over there, over there, Send the word, send the word over there. That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming, The drums rum-tumming everywhere. So prepare, say a prayer, Send the word, send the word to beware. We'll be over, we're coming over, And we won't come back till it's over, over there. Over there, over there, Send the word, send the word over there. That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming, The drums rum-tumming everywhere. So prepare, say a prayer, Send the word, send the word to beware. We'll be over, we're coming over, And we won't come back till it's over, over there. And we won't come back till it's over, OVER THERE!" I sung the old war song as I was walking down a mountain slope, into the forest valley of the Smoky Mountains. I was able to make it to White Pine valley in a little over five days of walking and climbing through the Smoky Mountains. Other than being dragon owned lands, the Smoky Mountains were extremely hard to navigate through. With the constant thick smoke and fog, anyone could get lost in this mountain range. It was no wonder ponies have never ventured west past the Smoky Mountains. Not even I could tell where the smoke came from. Thankfully I was able to use the sun and moon to guide me west. But of course the dragons seemed to have no problem traveling these lands. Sometimes I wish I could fly like them too. Speaking of dragons, my mysterious hidden admirer has been following me for these past five days. At one point, I would have thought the dragon might eventually get bored of watching me and leave or even attempt to meet me. But instead, it has chosen to keep following me from a distance. It confused me to no end to consider why a dragon would follow and watch me for so long. I had thought by entering these lands, the dragon would finally reveal itself. Weather to attack me or introduce itself. But since the dragon would not reveal itself to me, I will do it myself. All I had to do was wait until I reached the White Pine valley. It was probably close to midnight, as I walked through a forest that seemed frozen in time and space. Black ice and snow had covered much of the forest. The smoke surrounding this valley turned the snow black as it fell around me. It reminded me of the ash that fell across the city of Manhattan when- I suddenly fell to my hands and knees as the memories of 9/11 flashed through my mind. My breathing became stressed and ragged as I tried to breath back the tears and push out the memories of that day. *Stop. Breath in. Count to four. Breath out. Count to four. Repeat.* I mentally told myself while stumbling to stand back up. I moved to lean against a nearby tree as I continued to steady my breathing. It was times like 9/11 that I wished for death the most. I pushed the memories out of my head and forced myself to continue moving. Thankfully the dragon following me hadn't been watching me at this time. An interesting thing about this dragon is that, even though it would not reveal itself to me, it has slowly been getting closer and closer as we traveled. I almost thought I could see a little bit of the dragon at one point, as it hid behind the trees around me a few times. While I was thinking about the dragon, as if on cue, I felt it's familiar gaze return to me. I just sighed and kept walking through the forest of White Pine. Another strange thing about this forest was the lack of any sound other than the occasional cold wind and the crunching of snow underneath my boots. It was quiet. Much like the silent hours before the Battle of the Bulge. Eventually the silence was broken by the sound of rushing water up ahead. Pushing past a few bushes and small trees, I came across a river flowing east. I scanned the area around the river as I approached it. It was medium sized river that flowed gently across rocks and ice. The water was crystal clear and seemed to reflect a little of the light from the stars above. I walked towards a fallen log a few feet from the riverbank and took a seat on it before closing my eyes. Without looking I reached behind me and pulled Iron Hoof's guitar onto my lap and begun tuning it. One of the things I noticed about this dragon was it's interest in my music. It always seemed to draw the dragon closer to me. This time I would play in a slightly lower volume to draw the dragon even closer to me. As soon as my hands started dancing across the strings, I felt the dragon start to slowly come closer. When the dragon got close enough, I started to pick up the paste a little. Eventually the dragon stood still as I lowered the pace of the song again. I could now feel the presence of it's mind brush up against mine as it moved a little closer. It was strange, almost as if the dragon was mesmerized by my music. If I turned around, I probably would be able to see the dragon behind the bushes and trees. It also surprised me how quiet the dragon was as it approached me. If it wasn't for my mental sense of the dragon, I probably wouldn't have noticed it. As the song slowed and eventually faded away into the night, I raised my head to look at the night sky before speaking. "I know you're there." I turned my head to the side. "Why do you linger in the shadows?" I could sense that the dragon was startled at me acknowledging it's presence. But it stayed still in it's crouched position behind the cover of the forest. "Come out... Please." I called out to the dragon. I sat and waited for what seemed like an hour before I heard the dragon slowly get up and walk out of it's cover. I sat still and watched as the dragon revealed itself to me. What stood before me was a large white dragon, about twelve ft. high and almost thirty ft. long from head to tail. The dragon had a slim build. Not as muscular as I imagined dragons would be. There were colorful spikes traveling from it's tail, up it's back and neck before ending at it's forehead between two horns that went backwards from the back of it's head. Although the dragon's scale color was predominantly white, there were small areas around it's whole body in colors of light purple, deep blue and teal. And it's wings were made up of all those colors giving off the illusion of the aurora borialis. Lastly, it's eyes were an icy blue and teal color. Similar to mine many years ago. Around them were scales made up of the same colors as it's wings and spikes. As I studied the dragon, it was also doing the same to me with a look of curiosity. But the dragon also looked a little uncertain as well. Nervous even. Especially when I looked directly in it's eyes and held my gaze on them. From what I could tell, the dragon was probably female. I was staring at the dragon in awe and wonder. It was an incredible creature of legend for me to see in person. It was hard to believe I was sitting in the presence of such a famous fantasy being. Finished with my examination of the dragon, I slowly turned my head back to face the river, pulling myself out of my internal awestruck. "Can you sit?" I asked her as I jestured to my right. Wordlessly, the dragon slowly and cautiously moved to my side before sitting down on her hind legs and wrapping her tail around them. She looked down at me as I gazed across the river. "Are you not afraid?" The dragon asked me in a young feminine voice, confirming that it was female. "Of what?" I asked her in a calm voice. "Of me." She replied back. "No, I'm not afraid of you." I answered. She sat there staring at me in a little shock and confusion. "Why?" "Why should I?" I asked her, still in a calm voice. She looked even more confused and curious at me now. "Because most people fear dragons." "Well, I'm not most people." I told her. She stayed silent for a bit before speaking again. "Who are you?" I looked up at her with a smile. "I am Talion. Talion Drust. May I ask you the same?" She raised her head a little before smiling as well. "My name is Anya... Anya Aurora." "You have a beautiful name, Anya." I complimented her. She seemed to slightly blush at my compliment. "Thank you Talion." Strange. Not the reaction I expected from a dragon. I didn't even think they could blush. I turned my head back to face the river again. "Thank you for saving me from falling, Anya." She looked shocked at this. "H-How did you know?" "The same way I knew you were here." I answered as I set the guitar down at my side. She stared at me in shock, but before she could speak, I continued. "Why have you been following me, Anya? Why are you here?" She looked a little uncertain. As if she was searching for the answer herself. "I... I don't really know." I remained silent and waited for her to continue. "I saw you when you had first started climbing up the lower slopes of the Smokey Mountains. I had thought you were just another Equestrian attempting to climb the mountain, but then I heard your music and I wanted to come closer to listen to it. So I desided to follow you for a little while... I had found it strange that a pony would attempt to scale cliff edges without the proper equipment. And I was fascinated by how well and fast you were able to do so." She paused for a moment before continuing. "It was when you had fallen during the storm that I saw how different you were. But I was really just going to see if you could make it to the top of the mountain and leave after. But when you played your music..." She paused again. "For some reason, I just felt the need to hear more. So when I caught you and learned that you weren't an Equestrian, it only fed my interest and need to learn more about you." She then lowered her head a little while looking down at me. "Since you were traveling into my homeland, I had desided to keep following you as well. And then maybe reveal myself to you, eventually." I stared at her for a few moments as I thought about what she had told me. It was strange to think that my music had been one of the things that caused Anya to want to follow me. "You had first saw me when I had climbed passed the Smokey Mountain foothills?" I asked her. "Yes." She answered. "If this valley and beyond is your homeland, why were you so far out near the edge of it's borders?" I asked her. She turned her head and let out a sigh before answering. "Every once in awhile I travel to the borders of the Smoky Mountains to watch the sun rise and set across the kingdom of Equestria. I also sometimes watch as ponies travel through the forest below the mountains... I just really enjoy watching the lands outside of my cage and often wonder what it would be like to explore the world around my home." "Cage? What do you mean Anya? You are free, are you not?" I asked her. She looked back down at me from the side. "Are we, Talion?" "What do you mean?" I asked her again. She frowned and lowered her head closer to me. "You should know what I mean, Talion. These lands are my cage. For me and all of my kind. We are all banished to the west, never to leave. You know why." She answered with a bit of anger and annoyance. I sat still, without fear. "Bahamut." She closed her eyes and lowered her body to lay down on stomach and then reopened them to look at me again. "He doomed our race to the persecution of others. So now we, a once mighty race who ruled the skies above and land below, hide behind invisible walls from those who once respected and feared us." I looked down at the ground as I thought about her words. "A prison without walls." She closed her eyes again and noded. "No one ever comes in and no dragon ever goes out... Except you, that is." We both stayed silent for a bit as we watched and listed to the river splash against the rocks. "What about you, Talion?" Anya asked, breaking the silence. "What about me?" I asked her. She turned her head to look at me again. "Why are you here, wandering these dangerous lands all alone?" I let out a sigh before answering. "I'm running from something." She tilted her head in confusion. "Running? What can you possibly be afraid of, if not dragons?" "My fleeing has nothing to do with fear, Anya." I told her. "Then what are you running from, Talion?" She asked. I looked down at my gloved hands before looking up towards the night sky. "Peace." She looked at me in confusion again. "Peace? What do you mean?" "Exactly what I said Anya. Peace." I told her. "Why?" She asked. I turned to look at her again. "Because there is no place for me in a world without war." She was taken aback from this. "You mean, you're a..." She started before her voice trailed off. "A soldier... Yes, I am. Or rather I was, a long time ago." I finshed as I looked away from her. She stayed silent for a bit before speaking again. "What happened Talion?" I breathed in and let out a sigh before answering and explaining. "When peace came and war ended, I was cast aside and forgotten. Everyone I fought for then tried so hard to forget everything I did for them, instead of learning from their mistakes and the sacrifices I made. Eventually I tried to forget too... I still try to sometimes. But what I learned from it was, for me, the war is never over. And never will be... If I ever forget that, then others will suffer for it. It is one of the few things that feed my fear and drive me away from the innocent." Anya lowered her head to my level and looked me in the eyes. "What are you afraid of, Talion?" She asked in a concerned voice. I looked back at her and answered. "Myself." She didn't say anything else or move. She just kept staring at me. While I had been talking, I hadn't realized Anya had wrapped her entire body around me. Her head and neck were now between me and the river. I wondered if this was a sign of comfort, affection or both. "Anya, what are doing?" I asked her. "Are you uncomfortable? Do you want me to move?" She asked me. "Well, no but-" I started before Anya interrupted me. "Good! Now relax." She said to me with a smile. I chuckled before leaning back against her side and gazing up at the stars. "Are all dragons like you this friendly to strangers?" "No, not really. Most just treat others as they have been treated themselves, while I try to be different." She told me. I smiled at her. "You are a strange dragon Anya. We have only just met in person and yet you are already treating me like a friend. Why, if I was blind I'd probably mistaken you for an Equestrian." "I could go back to treating you like a stranger or even as a trespasser, if you'd prefer." She sarcastically suggested. "I think we'll stick to this." I said and she chuckled a bit. While I was in this predicament, I took the opportunity to examine Anya up close. Her scales were a brilliant silver white, like diamonds with the colors of light purple, deep blue and teal blending together beautifully. I wondered how hard Anya's scales were. The ones on her stomach looked like they were much softer than the ones across the rest of her body. "What are you, Talion?" Anya asked. I turned my head back to find she was still staring at me. "I am a man. A human, for my race." I told her. She slightly tilted her head. "I've never heard of a human before. Where did you come from?" "A land far away from here." I replied. "How far?" She asked me. "Very far... Where are you from Anya?" I asked her, attempting to change the subject. "My home lies west from here, in the dead mountains. About two week's worth of flying for me. Maybe a few months worth of walking for you." She answered. "A few months worth? Were you planning on following me that long?" I asked her. She chuckled before answering. "Maybe... As I said, I might have eventually revealed myself to you during that time." "At least I know you would have revealed yourself to me weather I had known about you following me or not... But I'd enjoy the company rather than the silence alone." I told her. She smiled and moved her head a little closer to me. "And I'm glad to share my company with you, Talion." I reached over and placed a hand on the side of her face. "Do you not often share the company of others? I mean, there are other dragons out here, are there not?" She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. I couldn't tell if it was from my touch or my question. "Much of the time, I am alone. We dragons don't really get together all that often unless it involves finding a mate or securing each others lands from threats like giant frost worms, ursa minors or ursa majors. Though we haven't had to deal with the latter for centuries." "What is an ursa?" I asked while rubbing the side of her head. Anya reopened her eyes and stared at me in confusion. "You've never heard of an ursa?" "I'm afraid not." I answered. "You really must be from a far off land." She said before raising her head a little and explaining. "An ursa is a large ancient magical bear, with fur made to look like the night sky. There are two versions of them known to walk Equestria and beyond. An ursa minor and an ursa major. As you can probably guess, ursa minors are the young versions of an ursa, which stands at around twenty to thirty feet tall on all fours and twice of that on two. An ursa major is the adult version, standing at over one hundred and seventy to over two hundred feet tall on four legs and twice of that on two." She paused for me. "My God... their massive." I said. "Yes they are. They are also one of the few creatures in Equestria that pose a significant threat to dragon kind. While an ursa minor willl usually attack young dragons like me and seldom attack adults, a major will hunt the eldest and most powerful of us. But make no mistake, both are extremely deadly hunters. They can mask their presence from others while being able to see, hear, smell and sense their prey from miles away, before their even discovered." She finished explaining to me. I was silent for a bit as I tried to picture the size and power of these beings. From what Anya has just explained to me about these ursas was that they might even pose a threat to me. "How do you fight against such powerful predators?" I asked her. Anya scoffed and looked away before answering. "You don't." I stared at her in shock. "What?" She sighed and looked back to me again. "When an ursa minor attacks our lands, we fight back only to drive it away. When the minor flees from our lands, we too must also leave in case it or a major returns. One thing we dragons must never do is kill an ursa minor, else we invoke the wrath of a major. Because if you have made an enemy of one, it will not stop until you are dead. You and everyone you care about. An ursa major will chase you across the world and beyond to enact it's revenge. And it won't stop at your death." Anya explained. "No one, not even dragons can defeat a ursa major?" I asked her. She shook her head. "No one has ever bested or killed an ursa major... No one but Bahamut." She answered grimly. I look up at the sky again as Anya finshed. "That's one of the reasons why other dragons followed him, isn't it?" She lowered her head and closed her eyes again before explaining. "Yes... He was the mightiest of all dragons and was the first and most likely last to have defeated an ursa major, alone. But his rule drove our civilization into ruin and our race into chaos. It is because of Bahamut that the races of Equestria hate us so much and blame us for the death and destruction he caused. Much of our own kind also blame ourselves, even to this day. It is one of the many reasons why we are divided and leaderless." She paused to look back at me. "It is why I am alone, Talion." I placed my hand back on the side of her head and gently rubbed her cheek. "You're not alone Anya." She smiled at this and laid her head down close in front of me. I still wondered why Anya was showing me this much affection, since we have only just met. We had both desided to enjoy each others company in silence while watching the night sky. After awhile, the stars started to slowly fade as a dim glow lit up the horizon in the east. Anya and I watched and waited for the Sun to slowly rise over the snow covered mountains. "Talion?" Anya called me. "Yes Anya?" I asked looking back to her. "Would you play your instrument again?" She asked me. I smiled and pulled Iron Hoof's guitar over to my lap again. "Of course." I said and started playing as we both watched the Sun rise. As soon as the Sun peaked over the horizon, Anya's scales had begun to glow in the morning light. Anya closed her eyes and smiled while enjoying my music and the warmth from the sun, while I stared at her in awe at the sight of her shining with the morning sun. The colors of her scales seemed to come to life and dance across her whole body, as if the aurora borialis had been etched onto her. It was a beautiful sight. As my song slowly came to an end, Anya turned her head and opened her eyes to look at me. "Thank you for sharing your music with me, Talion. It made watching the sunrise much more beautiful." She said smiling at me. "You're welcome Anya... It is a beautiful sight." I said. We stayed and watched the sun rise over the mountains for a little while longer. "Well, as much as I have enjoyed watching this beautiful sight with you Anya, I think its time for me to start moving again." I said as I stood up. Anya uncoiled herself from around me and sat up. "Do you not rest Talion?" "While I can sleep, I do not need to." I explained to her. "Everyone needs to sleep, Talion. You are of no exception. Especially considering the mountains you have traveled over not to long ago." Anya told me. I chuckled at her response. "You're not the first to tell me that." "Good. That means I'm right." She told me with a smile. "Well, right or not, what I need right now is to continue my journey." I said, placing Iron Hoof's guitar on my back, next to my sword. "Where to, Talion? There isn't anything west from here other than my home, the Dead Mountains. And that place is the same home for many of the dragons in the west." She said. "I go wherever I am needed, Anya. And I care very little of anything or anyone that stands in my path." I told her. She looked down at me a little in concern. "Talion, the other dragons are not like me. Some of them may attack you, while others will definitely do so. They hate outsiders, especially other races." I laughed. "Will they can certainly try to kill me. I would be a little disappointed if they didn't." She was completed shocked by this. "Are you mad?!" "Would I sound crazy if I answered yes to that question?" I asked her in return with a big smile. She looked to be struggling to comprehend what I was saying. "Do not worry Anya. I have no current intentions of going towards the Dead Mountains." I reassured her and she let out a sigh. "But why are you so worried about me Anya?" "Because you could get killed wandering these lands! You are the first person in a long time to enter the west dragon kingdom and the first non dragon I have ever met in person. Other dragons will not take kindly to your presence around here." She answered. I stepped towards her. "I know all that, Anya. What I asked was why you care." "Because you're my friend and I-" She paused suddenly before finishing. "And I like you." "Like me? As a friend?" I asked her. She lowered her head towards me. "Of course... We are friends now, are we not?" She asked me, sounding a little hopeful. I smiled at her. "Well I suppose we are... I like you too, Anya." She smiled widely and raised her head back up. "So where are we off to, Talion?" "We?" I asked. "Yes, we. As a friend, I can't allow you to go wandering off around these dangerous lands alone without my protection. So I will be coming with you. We can discuss my payment for such protection later, of course." She explained. "Payment?" I asked as she continued with a big smile. "But for now, your company and music shall be my payment." She finished. I chuckled at her before turning around to face the west. "Well I suppose I can manage that. I would also enjoy some company on my journey for a change." I said to her and started following the river. Anya slowly walked next to me as she spoke. "That makes two of us. Do you travel often, Talion?" "Every day." I answered. "Why? Surely you can find a place to stay." She said. "No. I never stop traveling and I never stay in one place. I must keep moving, always."I told her. "How? Eventually you must stop to rest and eat." She said. "As I told you Anya, I don't need rest, food or water. Surely you have noticed this the past few days of watching me." I said. She looked at me in confusion. "I had thought that maybe you were similar to a dragon, in being able to go without rest or sustenance for about a week. And maybe you carried food with you or even hunted while I did. I wasn't really close enough to be able to tell." She explained. "Well, my body has the ability to sustain itself and produse everything it needs to operate on it's own. Rest, eating and drinking only adds a little bit of energy to that. So I usually only do those things as a luxury." I explained to her. She stared at me in awe. "That's incredible. But how is that possible?" I let out a sigh before answering. "I'd rather not talk about it." "I'm sorry. I didn't know." She told me, sounding a little worried. I smiled at her. "It's okay Anya. You didn't know." I told her and she relaxed again. We both walked in silence for a while until Anya let out a sigh in boredom. "Is this all you really do? Walk around in silence?" "Yes." I answered. "But it's so boring. Don't you do anything interesting to pass the time?" She asked me. "I do sometimes." I answered. "And that is?" She asked. I stopped walking and she did so as well. "I watch and listen to the world around me as I travel it." I said as I gestured to the forest around us. Anya looked around in silence and listened as the wind lightly brushed against the trees. "That's even more boring. Flying high above the mountains is more entertaining than this." She said looking back down to me with a bored expression. I chuckled and started walking again. "Yes well, you're sure to miss out on some amazing things down here if you're constantly flying over them." "I doubt that. There's nothing down here, that isn't more exciting and entertaining up there." She said. "Want to bet?" I asked her. She clearly hasn't spent much time traveling around on foot. "Try me." She said smugly with a smile. "You have spent time watching others, Anya. Now try to spend some of that time watching the world around us." I said as we continued to walk. She let out another sigh in boredom. "Do I not have wings but to soar the sky, Talion? I can gaze across the world around me just fine in the air." "Do you not have feet but to tread the earth, Anya? Try to take on the perspective of those who cannot see through a dragon's eye view." I told her. She stared at me for a bit before looking around us. After a while longer of walking in silence, Anya spoke up again. "I haven't seen anything of interest yet, Talion." "I don't think you're looking in the right places, Anya." I told her. "So I have to actively search for something now?" She asked me. "Not necessarily." I paused and stopped walking to look at her. "First listen. Then look." Anya looked at me in confusion. "What is that supposed to mean?" "You'll see soon." I said to her and continued walking. Anya and I had been following the river for about half the day as we continued to climb in elevation. The river itself was becoming more rapid as we continued to follow it and eventually the sound of crashing water became loader. I pushed passed some bushes in my way to find the source of the crashing waters. Anya gasped at the sight of the waterfall with the sun shinning behind it and I smiled at her reaction. "Have you really never taken the time to appreciate the beauty of the world around you from down here?" I asked her. She turned to me. "Of course I have. Just not from down here all that often." She said to me defensively. I laughed and took a seat on a near by bolder and we both sat and watched the beautiful sight for a bit. "You know, you never did tell me how you knew about me watching you or even where you're from, Talion." Anya told me. "Neither was a mistake on my part, Anya. I'm just not ready to talk to you about those things." I said as I crossed my arms. She looked at me curiously. "You are a strange person, Talion." "And you are a strange dragon, Anya." I said with a smile. "Do you always have a comeback saying in every discussion?" She asked me sarcastically. I laughed a little before returning my gaze to the waterfall. "Well as fun as this is, I think I'll go hunting for a bit while you enjoy the scenery, you land lover." Anya said sarcastically as she unfolded and stretched her wings. "Don't get lost now." I told her as she started walking away. She turned her head back to me and smiled. "Oh please. You're the one who would be lost without me." She said before turning back around and leaping into the air. I watched her fly around for a bit until she disappeared behind the trees. I let out a sigh before getting up and moving towards a small clearing near the edge of the riverbank. Anya is an interesting dragon. She had desided to follow me for a few days, simply because of my music and uniqueness as she puts it. But it felt strange to be treated kindly by her, since we have only just met today. I guess she was just that curious and friendly towards me. But I did wonder why she travels to the borders of the Smoky Mountains, just to watch others. *Maybe she was running from something too.* I thought to myself as I sat down against a tree after leaning my sword and guitar on it. I sat and watched the clouds roll by in the wind, while listening to the sound of rushing water. I sat in silence for awhile before I started whistling 'Hanging On The Old Barbed Wire', while remembering the words I heard from many of the veterans I met, a long time ago. "What is that song, Talion." I heard Anya ask from behind me. I quickly turned around to see her standing at the edge of the small clearing. "How long have you been standing there?" I asked her. "Long enough to hear the majority of that song. What was it, Talion?" She replied and asked again. I turned back around and let out a long sigh before answering. "The song is called, "Hanging On The Old Barbed Wire." It was a song made by soldiers in a war from many years ago, singing about the good lives of military leaders and the unfortunate fate of many regular soldier's... Like me." I explained to her. Anya walked over and laid down in front of me. "Whats wrong, Talion? She asked in a low concerned voice. I stared blankly pass Anya for a bit before turning to her. "You're not the only one trapped in a prison without walls, Anya... Mine is a prison of the mind." Anya just stared at me in silence for a bit. As if she was trying to read my thoughts. She then reached her head over to me before using her teeth to pick me up by my coat. "Anya, what are you doing?" I asked her a little concerned. She didn't answer, but instead chose to lay me down against her side and then preceded to wrap herself around me. "Anya, wha-" I didn't get to finish as Anya interrupted me. "Rest, Talion. Sleep and forget about your worries tonight." She said. I grunted as she forced me to lay down next to her. "Sleep is not something I need nor want, Anya. It only serves to give me nightmares and resurface bad memories." "Perhaps when you're alone. But right now you're in good company. So rest and take comfort in a friend's presence." Anya said as she draped one of her wings over me. I stopped trying to get up. "Why are you doing this, Anya? We have only officially met this morning and spent the day together. You don't owe me anything." "I know, Talion. I am doing this because I want to. Because even if we have only just met today, you are my friend." She told me softly. I leaned back and let out a sigh as Anya pulled me against her stomach. Not being able to do much else, I relaxed my body as I breathed in Anya's sent of pine and lavender. It was rather pleasant actually. "Thank you Anya." I said. "You're welcome Talion." She said. I then closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take me over again.