Suddenly he seemed to return there. Vividly he seemed to see its sunshine breaking through the mist. He breathed deeply of its its crisp air, smelt the damp old stones drying in a recent rain...."It is beautiful ...isnt it, son? I have always thought so."
He whirled unsteadily and found himself facing his mother. She reached to steady him, but he evaded her proffered hand. She sighed at his rejection. Her shoulders sloping into her gracious Dni robes. But curious old sense of pleasure he had once taken in thwarting her seemed to be lacking.Instead he felt...sorry? It struck him that she looked no older than he was now. Kind choices had etched her face into a strange, gentle beauty, even as the years had marked his habitual expressions into his visage. She had worn better, definitely, than he was doing. His mind rambled into wondering about his own choices...and.... for just a moment he doubted himself, but then he shook it off. She had contributed to the fall of the Dni! His people and his future-that-should-have-been! Her foolish weakness had condemned them all to this! Thinking on the loss hardened his heart against her.Again she offered her hand. " Walk with me, son. I have some things to show you....in Dni."
He started to refuse, then thought better of it. Even if this was only a dream, he would see Dni! He nodded his acceptance and came to her side, still ignoring the proffered hand.
Her steady gaze went to the core of him. Deep sorrow and righteousness indignation met and mixed in equal parts.Her expression wasnt a surprise, but its burning intensity was. Was it a trick his mind was playing on him? More shaken than he cared to admit, he responded, "Indeed. Well then, Lead on. "
She led the way, her shape forming no shadow on the path to the linking cave. Oh yes, he thought, she would be a ghost. Looking down he realized he was as well. The rock felt solid under his feet, yet he made no impression upon anything. Not a blade of grass moved, no gravel crunched or skittered sideways to mark his passing. He couldnt even determine where his own shadow ought to be. For a moment his heart raced..Had he died?
No, he decided resolutely, it is a pipe dream. Still...such strange details in a dream....
The link was unusually fast, or so it seemed to him. His gaze solidified into the humble abode his clan had once called home.. To his shock, it was restored! How small it seemed! He had expected Kveer.
“How?” he sputtered.
“We are in the past, my son. You see shadows of what has been. We are only observers here.”
Silently she slipped from the chamber through the door. After a moments shock, Gehn followed. The doors and walls parted fluidly around him. Such an odd cool feeling, he thought, not like a link at all. One the main floor he paused as he heard a pleasant voice humming. In the simply decorated chamber, he saw a beautiful woman... his mother..as she had been once so long ago. Anna was sewing. As he came nearer he realized she was doing painstaking embroidery. Her hand slipped as she struggled against the heavy fabric and the metal needle jammed deeply into her finger. She cried out in pain but tossed the robe aside quickly, lest her blood spoil the gift.
