Walk | Talk | Think She had seen her parents. She had seen her parents. How often had she wished to see them one more time? How often had she wished for one more chance to hold them, to tell them she loved them, to simply be in their loving presence again? As fate would have it, she got to do just that. The dream shocked her, surprised her, and made the conscious part of her that traveled through it wish to stay there for as long as she could. She hugged them, kissed them, cried with them and told them all about her present life in the waking world. It was a struggle, at moments, to believe what she was seeing, to think that it might be real, but in the end it did not matter. She loved her parents, missed them dearly, and planned to cherish every single second that she had with them. Which made waking up so heartbreaking. Her yellow-gold eyes fluttered, blinking into the darkness of the cave, as she drowsily searched for her parents. Not the forest by the river, she thought. No, not the river at all. Darkness, the sound of her claws scraping on the stone of the cavern as she shifted, and the telltale scent of the ocean helped to quickly identify her location, and she felt her eyes fill suddenly with tears as her throat close around a burning lump. It was them, she thought as her lower lip wobbled, I got to see them again. No sooner had her eyes filled, the tears spilled over, her head tucking as she tried to stay silent while Glacier slept at her side. It hurt - oh, how it hurt - to wake up not knowing if she would ever get another chance to see them again. She missed her mother and father terribly, wished they could still be living so that they could meet her mate, see the birth of her pups, be an active part of their lives. But all she had been granted was a dream Wracked by grief that she had long since thought dormant, Anais sobbed and felt her control shatter while the long-quiet emotions swamped through her.

Art by Dancing Crows

Even in the clutches of his own dreams, he felt anais stir beside him. He felt a disturbance in her own sleep that coaxed him back to reality. His own dreams faded before they solidify in his mind and his eyes still closed he drew anais closer to him, thinking he heard her murmuring in her sleep. He knew the moment she woke, in fact he could taste the lightest trace of salt in the still air of their den. Even as he began to scoop her up and draw her tightly into his arms she let loose, her anguish sounding in soft sobs that tore into not just his heart but his soul.

"Anais. Anais, little pearl of my heart." He whispered, drowsy, into her fur. Through his own sleep was quickly fading and his eyes would flicker open. He bent forward, so he could softly, tenderly, lock away the tears that shimmered against the fur below her eyes. "My love, my sweetest soul mate, what is it?" He asked softly, sticking his nose into her around her neck and face and shoulders, sniffing and looking for any injuries, any sign of anything wrong. Pressing his head against her stomach where the little fluttering heart beats of their creations stirred and echoed, the sound soft, soothing, and right. He did not know what could cause her to wake in tears, like one clutching on to a dream already fading,a reality they wished was true. What was wrong in her world? How could he fix it and bring her peace?

Was there anything in her choices that she might regret, such as their coupling? The result of that match? Perhaps the location or the absence of some of her family. Some of the loses she had been dealt. Something not here that she needed? Whatever she was missing or desired. Whatever ailed her he would find it, fix it, change it. He would right whatever was wrong in her world no matter what price it might bring to himself.

Walk | Talk | Think Her much smaller, golden brown body was being drawn back against her mate even before she started crying, and when her distress was realized in full she felt those strong arms around her hold her more securely. Glacier's gentle voice, nothing more than a drowsy whisper filled with concern, repeated her name, trying to grasp her attention, but though she heard him she could not answer. All that came forth was more sobs, more tears, more grief for the parents that she had lost, that she had been reunited with for a fleeting moment and would likely not see again. But it had been so wonderful in the moment, to look upon them and speak with them, and left her with new memories to cherish and hold dear, appeasing the part of her that had wanted to share her new happiness with them. Despair mingled with joy, and she could not decide which outweighed the other. Despite his concern, despite his attempts to dry her tears, Anais remained trapped within her warring emotions for some time, minutes that felt like hours, that left Glacier with no other option but to hold her and soothe her as best he could. She was grateful to him, burrowing her muzzle into his fur, dragging in heavy breaths of his calming scent when she could manage a controlled breath, and clinging to him like the lifeline that he was. It took some time, but eventually the sobs eased, the pain began to abate, and she started to be able to appreciate the gift she had been given in earnest. Tears still gathered and fell from the corners of her golden eyes, and her breath was not entirely even, but she thought she might be able to speak. "I-I had a dream," she stuttered, her voice breaking once despite her efforts to keep it still, "I w-was in a forest...where I used to live. M-my parents..." Her voice broke a second time, her ears folding tightly against her skull as her eyes filled once more with tears. "I got...to see them." It was such a special privilege, something she was sure never to forget, and yet she could not stop crying. "...a wonderful dream," she barely managed to mutter in an almost whine before she tucked her face against Glacier and clung tightly to him once more.

Art by Dancing Crows