Misunderstandings: Understood!

The icy winds blew up over the snow drifts across the lands of Dragonblight, and Xaneria knew her hands should be shaking. By now she and the two warriors ahead of her have been traveling for what looked like days, yet felt like minutes. At this point in time, Xaneria knew her fingers should be chilled to the bone even under the thick leather gloves, her arms should be more stiff and not move as much and her ears should feel the sour tinges of pain at their tips from the air that would ride past them. Yet, something was off. Amist the snow, there was a low temperature, that was getting lower, yet nothing on her body suffered and when the wind picked up Xaneria could hear no cries, no life, feel no bitting from the tundra's lack of heat.

Her chest ached. Something awful beat at her breast like an Elkks hooves, causing her breathing to be difficult yet, she didn't suffer. She was anxious from something, something in the back of her mind calling to her. From time to time when the wind was still, she could no long hear the footsteps of the nightsabers her and her companions rode, and Xaneria could faintly hear her name. As they progressed further and further towards their destination it started to get louder, yet still a whisper taken over by the bellows of the tundra's vent.

The druid was quiet. Even she knew it. Xaneria had not spoken since their traveling started, which she knew was unusual yet so much consumed her thoughts. Do not worry about me. I hope it doesn't worry them, I really can't explain what's wrong... Xaneria stopped in her thoughts, looking up. A shock wave hit her and lumped in her throat. Looking at her companions, Xaneria felt empty. Staring at their backs. Not once did Elizabel's head turn back to check on her, not once did Larimore smile at her or wave his hand just to ensure she was well. The normally precautious and constantly watchful warriors were like mindless creatures riding onward into the snow, not even cautiously moving. There was a leisure to this traveling and Xaneria found it even harder to swallow, when the darkness seaped into her eyes, almost engulfing Larimore and Elizabel before vanishing with the wind.

Xaneria stopped.

"...can't go..." Elizabel and Larimore halted their sabers and looked back at the druid. "I... We can't go." Xaneria continued as she held a hand to her chest, where something was missing, yet she grasped anyways.

"Xaneria, if you really aren't feeling well... we should have had you stay back at the camp, however now that we are already this close, it's too dangerous for you to turn back." Larimore sighed as he tilted his head slightly.

"No. I can't let you go... we can't go. I don't know how to explain this, but looking at you two I feel so empty it hurts to the point I can barely breathe. Something omnious is upon us and I cannot allow us to push forward. I keep getting this voice in my head screaming at me not to go, there's a lump in my throat and my chest aches," Xaneria's voice began to shake, tears building in her fearful face. "Something about this whole thing isn't right, and just feel continuing would be dangerous, more than even the two of you can handle."

A voice called out.

"Xaneria. Do not go." The voice was louder now.

"Xaneria." Elizabel moved around and climbed behind Xaneria on her saber, letting the reigns of her own attatch to Xaneria's and took hold of her hands. "You still aren't feeling well it seems. However, staying here in this frigid air will only make it worse, we will continue on." Elizabel leaned down slightly, whispering in Xaneria's ear. "I'm here with you."

Pain. More pain shot up the druid's spine and into her chest, tears freely rolling from her eyes and forming small ice upon her lap. The embrace that she ofted yearned for wasn't warm or gentle, but it was like nothingness. Here she sat, wrapped closely in her mate's arms, as she tries to comfort the druid, yet Xaneria felt nothingness. This uncontrollable yearning and pain, this quietness and emptiness broke her heart.

The voice became louder, as if a scream of fear beconing her.

"Xaneria! ... return!"

Xaneria froze. For a moment all the emptiness washed away from her body and it filled with fear, sadness, pain and longing. The nastaulgic feeling this voice brought to her head, though still broken, warmed her heart and made the icy wind chill her spine. That voice called to her, so much louder. Xaneria's eyes moved across Dragonblight, taking in the sights, her eyes fixating on a single cliff. She gripped her hand tightly on Elizabel's arms; still nothingness.

"That voice..." Xaneria spoke as she suddenly lept from the saber and took off running.

"Xaneria?!" Elizabel and Larimore called out to her, yet they did not chase.

Her feet tripped in the thick snow as she ran, constantly using her hands to brace her and keep running, fumbling but never stopping. Her body ached and was weak, as if all her energy was being drained yet, Xaneria forced herself. Allowing her body to shift, her skin became golden and her form curled into a green and blue eyed sunflower cheetah that dashed off into the icy tundra, coming closer to that cliff, where Xaneria felt someone, something waiting for her. Someone.

"Xaneria. Hurry! You must wake!" Why couldn't she put a name on that voice! Xaneria could hear it calling to her yet she couldn't say the name, though she knew she remembered it.

Nearing the edge of the cliff, Xaneria once more changed her body swiftly, her arms extending to the air and her body growing dark with obsidian feathers, and tribal markings, her long sharp beak falling under focused eyes, like a hawk, soaring high and swooping down on her mark. A rock like object upon the cliff's edge, that seemed to glow with warmth, yet was burried in snow. Yet there was an air around it that was different from everything else, it was something warm, and memorable to Xaneria.

She reached a weak outwards as she came down to landing, allowing her body to retun to normal form, falling near the stone, her arms gripping it tightly and tears rolling from her eyes like streams of sorrow and ache washing out of her weakened body. Xaneria looked down upon the stone, the name written did not shock her, nor bring her fear, just warm sorrow that filled her heart, her mind still racing. Her fingertips began to trace the crude carved name, a wave of memories washing into her head with the sound of a large bell being rang over her ears.

Memories of the nightmare filled her body like heavy stones, honest memories of the past rolled into her heart and began to fill Xaneria's body with life. She took in each moment with pleasure and pain, the tears fading from her face as she became whole once more, yet exhausted and weaker the more she fought back. The tombstone opened as a small passageway of light, the nightmare slowly eroding the land around Xaneria as it began to call living tendrils up her legs, trying to consume her body of what mana she had left. The druid froze, her body completely weak.

"Xaneria, don't give up. Return home. You must return home." The voice called again, from inside the light.

Xaneria looked down into the tiny lighted path, seeing a form. She reached her hand out to the form in curiosity and desire, trying to grip it. As her fingers began to pass through, she felt the air about them change, becoming warmer and a real breeze gripping it. She bit down on her lip, and tried to force her body to move.

"Get a grip! The nightmare is taking everything my celestial body has left. If I die here I will never wake in the real world, to them, to her." Xaneria began to fill her body with will and confidence. "I am not letting my flaws be the death of me just yet, ... I'm... I'm too old to hide in the candle light from a bad dream!"

Xaneria's body began to harden, bark rolling up the skin and taking its place, vines crawling from the earth as to shield her from the darkness. The black tendrils pressed into her flesh like knives, trying to take from her the very energy that sustained her in this sleeping world. Xaneria fought it off, desperately reaching into the light.

"I... just want to wake up... I want to go home..."