The secret, that is still ... a secret.

[=Siya Maiden=]

When she had returned to Windstorm, she had promised to herself, once a week, and only once a week should she venture and seek a love that she had, and still did keep secret. It was the reason she disappeared without a trace. But everyday it was getting harder to stay away and now she was venturing out two or three times a week.

This was a love like no other, for if she were to describe this love, she could not. There were no words for it. There were feelings for it, many a feeling for this love that burned so deep within her soul that she would not bat an eye lid in order to sacrifice her life for. That she would not hesitate to kill a man for. A love that every minute she was away from, it broke her heart. A love that must stay secret, she feared what would happen if people found out. The pain it would cause her if people were to find out the truth, they wouldn't understand and it would destroy her if it was taken from her, this love. No ... no she would not let that ever happen. That was the choice she made, that was the sacrifice she gave to have, hold and protect such pure love.

She now snapped from her thoughts and realized she had actually arrived at the edge of the village. She pulled her cloak up about her, pulling the hood over her head to hide her features. She wished not to be recognized within the village. Her eyes were low and kept to the ground. To the people that wandered about, she simply looked like a wanderer that kept to herself. She noticed none, and none noticed her. Though, she would not hide herself under the cover of the night, she visited during the day, she had too. It's what was best for her love.

She never left Windstorm Castle like this though, she did not want to make herself suspicious to any. She would leave, revealed to anyone that was about. To others, she would just look like she was venturing to the forest, the harbor or the inn ... she would lie if asked in conversation where she was going or what she had planned for the day. That's right, she hated the lying. She lied to her friends, her family, her ... husband. All for this love, she willingly lied. She had to, again, she had no choice.

Finally she came to a stop in front of a small shop, she smiled to herself as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The smile, her smile, it was the most genuine smile you would ever see upon her face. Soon her eyes would fall upon what was most precious to her. As she walked towards the counter of the shop, she just glanced around to make herself aware of who occupied it. Today was a good day as it was empty. Well, not entirely empty. Behind the counter stood an elderly gentleman with silver hair and a silver beard. Standing beside him, sharing a light hearted conversation was an elderly lady, his wife. She sipped contently on her tea whilst occasionally stopping to chuckle at her husband.

They both appeared to catch sight of her at the same time. Her head now lifted to meet their welcoming gaze. She spoke not a word, she just offered the usual loving and thankful smile to them and the couple simply inclined their heads in a nod accompanied by a warm smile and then they returned to their conversation and tea drinking.

By now she had come to a stop, at a door which was behind the counter where the elderly couple stood. Her hands reached up and pulled the hood from her head then reached out and pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She now stood in the living quarter of the shop, which is obviously where the elderly couple resided when they weren't running the shop.

By now, she was really excited. She hurriedly took her cloak off and carelessly threw it to the ground, stepping a bit further in to the room she couldn't hold it in anymore and she called out loud, just loud enough to clearly be heard...

I'm here ... I'm here ...

Before she had even finished speaking her last word, she could here hurried foot steps bounding along the wooden floor boards. This was the moment she cherished every single visit here. Her eyes widened as she caught vision of the one she kept secret for 4 years. Her heart skipped a beat. It was him.

There he stood. He was slender. His hair was the colour of what the flames of a fire would burn, his complexion was fair and his eyes were as blue as the ocean. He had lightly sprinkled freckles that perfectly patterned his nose and cheeks. After taking him in once again, she dropped to one knee and with a huge loving smile on her face she called to him...

Cáel an Dana ... come, come here to me ... come come.

And with those words, he smiled and trotted on over to her. Launching himself into her arms and wrapping his own arms around her, he squeezed as tight as he could. She simply could not wipe the smile off her face as he spoke loudly and excitedly to her, his grip still as tight as he could manage.

Momma ... Momma ... I miss you. I loves you.

It warmed her heart to hear him tell her that. Her son. Her 4 year old son. The apple of her eye, the reason she left. He was everything to her yet a deep dark secret to everyone else.

She pressed her lips to the top of his head gently and whispered to him as she pulled him back in for another embrace.

I miss ye too Cáel and I love thee so vera much.

She pulled him tightly to her as she stood hoisting him up with her as she flung him around her, a maneuver she had perfected over the last couple years, and hoisted him upon her shoulders and he laughed and squealed. He loved it when she did that.

Come, let us fix ye some lunch and ye can tell Momma all about ye latest dreams ...

He ordered her onwards and they went about finding some food for lunch. She was never happier than when she was here with her son, but no one could know about him, no ... no one could ever know that he existed it was too complicated, too difficult, too risky. Somehow she would have to find a way that this could work, so she could be with him all the time but not expose him, but for now ... seeing him a couple times a week would have to suffice for she could not live with herself if anything were to happen to him.

[=Siya Maiden=]

She had set out for the village again, she left earlier than usual this morning, she was making a stop on her way. A stop at the inn. She was hoping that her husband had returned. She hadn't seen him in days, hence her staying up at the castle ... she was getting lonely, she needed company, she needed distractions to fill the hours of the days so that it would seem time would pass quicker and it would be time to visit her son again.

She carried an extra large pack with her today. She had bought a change of clothes in case Seer had returned, she would stay at the inn with him then. On top of her change of clothes the pack was also stuffed full of clothes and toys for her son. The clothes she had been making herself. It filled the nights she spent alone, the hours she wished away quicker. The wooden carved toys she assumed were crafted by a well skilled man with rough hands, she had traded them off with a traveler. The pack was almost overflowing and heavy but she could not wait until she could surprise her son with it all.

She had reached her husbands room, at first she knocked gently and whispered his name softy...

Seer ... are ye in there? ...

There was no reply. Perhaps he was asleep? She pulled the key from her pack and let herself in. She paused once in the room momentarily and sighed with frustration. She walked further in to have a more detailed look but no, he was not there. She grunted again with frustration, she threw her pack across the room in anger. Where could he be? What is he doing? Is he punishing her for disappearing for all those years? It had been days since she had seen him.

Well since he was not here, it at least meant she could have some extra time with her son today. She shook her head to herself and strode over to his desk and scribbled him a short missive, just in case he returned today.

M'Love,

I came by the room today hoping that you would be here, but as it has been for many days in a row, you are not.

I hope you are safe and well M'Love, I miss thee more each day.

All my love,

Siya.

She sighed as she read over the letter, shaking her head ever so slightly, then she turned and left the room. Now her mind was focused solely on her son. This immediately cheered her up. A hug from him would brighten her day more than what a thousand suns beaming brightly would.

She walked swiftly and in time she had arrived at the village. Her usual procedure then set in. The cloak pulled about her, the hood concealing her. The entry into the shop, the warm pleasantries exchanged with the elderly couple before slipping behind the counter and disappearing through the door and to her son.

She held her son tightly in her arms, and spoiled him with many kisses to the forehead as she always did for the first ten minutes upon her arrival. This boy was her life, she never thought she would have children nor would she ever be so fond of a child. She now understood what she had witnessed many times. Parents either endlessly nattering about their children, bragging about their achievements, dropping everything when they are sick, grieving when they are lost ... or have ... passed on. She knew exactly how they felt now.

Although, she could not share these feelings with anyone. Oh how she would tell everyone how perfect he was. How much potential he has, how smart he is, how he excels at all he attempts. She was truly blessed with him but he needed her protection and as much as she wanted to tell every person she laid eyes on about him, the stories she would share. She thought back on one, from very early on. It took her 2 whole months before she found the perfect name for him. It had to be perfect, it had to mean something and it did.

She must have drifted of into her own thoughts for a few minutes as her son began to appeal to her for some attention. She chuckled as he tried to climb on to her back. They often played knights and horses. She would be his horse and he would sit upon her back, brandishing his carved wooden toy sword and pretending to battle monsters and what not that his imagination would conjure up.

They were in the midst of a "HUGE BATTLE" when her son dropped his wooden sword and it hit the ground with a thud, she looked back over her shoulder at him to make sure he was alright, she reached out and grabbed his wooden toy sword and then it hit her and her features suddenly turned ghostly white and she froze in an utter terrifying panic.

HER PACK! The wooden sword had reminded her of the toys she had packed for him ... but ... the ... pack ... was left behind in Seer's room. OH NO. OH GOD NO. How could she have been so careless? See, this is why she had to leave. Being careless like this, even with her own husband ... could result in disaster for her and her son.

She helped her son down off her back gently and swiftly then she stood him in front of her, her hands rested upon his shoulders, she smiled as not to alarm him, but spoke in more of a serious tone to him as she reminded him on the little game they would play together if they had been compromised. This had been done many a time over the years. He knew exactly what to do. Her smart little boy. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek and he ran off to his secure hiding spot.

she rose to her feet and quickly made her way out of the room, stopping momentarily to let the elderly couple know that it is possible that they may have been compromised. They too had a procedure they would follow and they had barely begun to follow through with it when she was already out the door and hoofing it as quickly as she could through the village, but only as quick as she could allow herself as to go noticed.

She cursed at herself again for being so careless. If Seer just happens to return and find the pack ... she knew without a doubt that he will see what is inside. She couldn't even begin to imagine how she would explain this. She had never expressed a desire to have children nor rarely had she interacted with children around him. If he was to find this ... well, he is a very smart man ... and ... god she had to stop herself from thinking. She was now out of the village, perhaps not as far out as she would have liked to have been before she ripped off the hood from her head, then she actually unlatched the cloak and threw it off, it was weighing her down and she needed to get back to the inn as fast as her feet would carry her.

Please god, please don't let this be the day he returns, please.

[Lady Edfeil]

((Toys for Dream's children. Toys for Edie's future children. *G*))

[Dream Loxley]

Dream had thought no more about it, an encounter that perhaps could have been, yet as she moved along the row of small shops and buildings she could not help but think it had been Siya she had seen a little earlier. Whatever business the young woman had within that particular shop had definitely taken all her attention for Dream had been quite close and almost called out. She shook her head as if to shake the thoughts away, she may have been mistaken simply because the female had a heavy cloak about her form and was well covered from head to foot. Dream muttered about her age and how at times she was just not so attentive as she may have been in years past.

Now she was selecting new ribbons from a stall just outside the Village proper, so many pretty ones to choose, she found herself deep in conversation with the trader about the weather and how cold Winter may or may not become. She laughed gently as he told the tale of berries and birds, and old wives too, yet still she wondered how deep the snow would become, if it ever did arrive.

It was while she was paying in coin for the selected ribbons that a figure jostled past her and several other people gathered there to pass the time of day. She heard the grunting of a woman who quietly berated the person in such a hurry. Dream looked up and past the small crowd to see the shape and form of whom she had previously though was Siya, only this time she was not mistaken for the hood had fallen and she could see her features clearly. Something must be wrong, as now the cloak was left by the wayside and Siya looked clearly distressed.

With a very quick thank you to the merchant with an apology, Dream began to run behind Siya, calling to her loudly.

"Siya......Siya......wait.......!"

Dream tried her best to keep up with Siya who was younger and fitter, obviously running away from or trying to find somebody.......she just wanted to help.......

[=Siya Maiden=]

Dreamy ... I will/have replied to this under "The Package" thread.