Chapter eight: To Haunt her in Dreams

Battle had taken a toll on Enyo’s body as she clambered into bed, feeling stiffer than she had ever felt before. She was exhausted, but unable to sleep; perhaps the worst feeling she had ever come to acquire and as she lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, a voice quite unlike her own, filling her thoughts with its speech. She tried in vain to force it from her mind, but each time she ignored it, it only grew louder until it became almost unbearable. She fell to the ground in a cold sweat, her burning skin refusing to be cooled by the stone floor on which she lay. A stab of pain enveloped her forcing its way into her lungs until she gasped for breath. Her eyes opened to reveal nothing but darkness and her entire body drew numb. She rolled onto her stomach; her arms sprawled in front of her and sank into unconsciousness.
A soft wind played in the open air slowly brushing against Enyo’s hair and face, enveloping her in a peacefulness that was only granted by childhood. She was lying beneath a towering oak tree, its leaves rustling overhead drawing her awake and then slowly singing her back to sleep. The grass beneath her was soft, dancing against her hands and fingers and the sun, shining high above her, warmed her skin.
She opened her eyes, finally coming to. She rubbed her forehead and looked around. The sound of laughing, similar to two small girls could be heard in the distance growing closer every second. She stood up, stretching her back as if she had awaken from a long sleep, the laughter all the while drawing near. A sudden surge of electricity passed through her body. It was not a painful feeling and aroused a sense that was almost relaxing. A girl, no older than the age of three had passed directly through her midsection, her back turned, as she ran out across the crop field to a house some yards in the distance. She was dressed in a simple frock and completely barefoot. She turned around and smiled, her short black hair blowing in the wind, her bright green eyes shining with happiness. Enyo smiled back, but realized it was not her to whom the girl was directing her attention. A similar surge of energy passed through her body once more as a second girl ran through her. She held no similarity to her sister whatsoever. Her hair was the lightest shade of blonde, bleached by her constant days spent outdoors and came to hang just past her shoulders with a small rose hiding behind her ear. Her eyes were the palest blue; paler than the sky under which she loved to stay.
She uttered a small giggle, and began the chase anew.
“Can’t catch me Isabelle!” the older girl chided, turning and running off in the direction of home.
Enyo followed them. They led her to a small plantation farm. A forest towered in the back and the sound of a small, slow moving river, could be heard echoing out from behind it. Rooted in the center of the farm was a small house, constructed entirely of wood. It was bordered on one side by a pond; a dock resting in the ground, lead out into its waters. On the opposite side of the home was a wired horse fence, housing at least six or seven sleek and roaming stallions. The entire plantation held a youth that brought a feeling of nostalgia within Enyo. It was a feeling that chased away her thoughts of war; obliterated them as if they were no longer allowed to reside inside her brain, leaving only a sensation of calmness in its wake.
The home itself was beautiful, but the woman who emerged from it put a whole new definition to the word.
“Girls come in for supper!” she called, her hands grasping a segment of the porch rail, her sleek, black hair flowing softly down her shoulders. She issued a smile that was naught but perfection; and though her dress was simple, her radiance could not be outmatched.
“Yes mama” the older of the girls called, taking her younger sister by the hand and leading her onward.
The woman disappeared inside the house, her children following after her.
Enyo followed reluctantly, unsure of how to proceed. She walked slowly to porch steps and extended her foot, unaware if she would pass through the foundation. To her surprise she was able to take hold and invited herself inside. The girls had retired to the kitchen, sitting side by side at the table as their mother untied her apron. From the back of the house entered a man, dressed in a pair of rustic overalls; a straw hat sitting lazily on his head. Removing his hat, he kissed his wife on the cheek and sat down at the table, joining his girls. All the while, Enyo watched.
The woman finally joined her family; the table laden with bounties of fruit and bread with a turkey directly in the middle. The woman joined her hands and bowed her head, her family following suit.
“We give thanks to Soteria for keeping us safe, guiding us through danger and into her protection” she uttered softly.
“To Soteria” her husband joined.
“To Soteria” the girls finished, opening their eyes.
Enyo leaned her back against the wall and crossed her arms. Their happiness astounded her. This family lived such as simple life, yet it was filled to the brim with beauty. They had each other, they needed nothing more. This family, she thought, must be the luckiest in the world. Enyo closed her eyes. A burst of wind shot past her and the air around her grew cold. When she reopened them, she was visited by a new scene. The moon shone full in the sky, casting its glow on the pond as the frogs and katydids began to sing. The stars glowed so serenely, they seemed to dance in the night. The woman sat on the porch, barefoot, her dress billowing softly in the wind around her ankles. She held the oldest of the girls in her arms, her chin resting on her head, her arms around her holding her tight.
“Is it possible to travel to the stars mama?” the girl asked softly.
“Anything is possible” she replied.
“I’m sure the stars must get lonely sometimes-standing up there all alone. I don’t think they’d mind if I came for a visit.”
Her mother laughed softly.
“But if you traveled to see the stars, I would miss you every day that you were gone.”
“I’d bring one back and tie it in a ribbon and give it to you . . . to make you happy again”
The woman kissed her gently on the head.
“Put your heart into whatever it is you want to do and you can do it” she soothed.
“Hearts are what make love, right mama?”
“That’s right, and love is something you can never lose.”
“Like you love me?” she asked, turning around to look at her.
“Exactly like I love you-more than anything in this world.”
The woman turned the girl back around into her arms and pulled her into her breast. And then she began to sing; a melody so soft and beautiful, the gods themselves would fall to hear it. She rocked the girl to and fro, slowly lulling her to sleep. When at last the girl had surrendered, her mother lifted her into her arms and carried her inside, Enyo following closely behind her. She placed the girl in a bed beside her sister in a small room at the back of the house. Leaning down, she kissed her on the forehead, parting her hair behind her ears.
“Sweet dreams my sweet Enyo, may they take you on a journey to the stars.”