Zzz
Avelienne shifted in her sleep, staring off into her dreamland with interest. A play began to form; she, the sole audience.
The sun had yet to pierce the sky and already a mismatched pair of figures headed to a clearing, carrying between them a litter covered in wrapped metal objects. Marking the edge of the clearing were strawmen with wooden shields and swords nailed to their crosslike arms, faces painted shades of green or blue with the occasional scowl.
The pair set the litter down and began to unwrap the bundles, revealing swords of varying lengths and hefts. Several minutes were spent idly swinging one weapon or the next until each had found one of decent weight to their bodies.
A playful laugh rang out from the smaller figure - a pale, straw-haired girl Ava recognized as herself- as she planted herself firmly and beckoned her companion in a mock challenge. Stepping forward slightly, the dream revealed her sparring partner to be her friend, Naxal. He smiled at her and nodded, readying himself for an advance.
The forest surrounding them was oddly silent; even the song of swordplay was absent. Still, the dreaming Ava watched the spar continued until the sun rose high into the strange, violet sky. It was obvious that Naxal had the upper hand, but Avelienne had more than once proved her own skill.
They both sank down into the freshly trampled earth, quietly discussing technique and counters to bolster each’s abilities. Naxal spoke with wisdom; the dream-Ava listened with a look of reverence and wistfulness on her face. Again she laughed, and leaned in to rest her hand on top of his own.
Avelienne sat up from her bed, arms half-outstretched. Her face felt flushed, as if she’d just come in from a day in the bright summer sun. Her heart sank as she realized she’d been dreaming; she was alone despite the feeling of someone being nearby.