Jasper of Moline

chapter seven

She came to him in the stillness of the cave, in the middle of the night. He didn’t wake with a jolt, he never did. But he did wake with some confusion.

“ It was good. what you did for the lady. it was good.” she was older, her hair longer, her eyes wiser. He sat, and brushed his hair away from his eyes,

“ Hannah.” He said drowsily. He couldn’t say he was much surprised to see her, he had thought of her of and on, the past few days.

“ How is it that you are here?” he asked the question that seemed the most pressing, 

her face screwed up in confusion and then cleared.

“ you’re sleeping.” she said simply, as if that settled that.

“ then why should i be dreaming of someone i’ve never met? why have you come to me?”

“ I can’t answer the first part, but as for the second, that’s simple, you called to me, I Came.”

thought of her often, he did. but called to her?

“ I called to no one.” she shrugged.

“ I don’t understand all of it anyway,”

He folded his legs and watched her as she watched him.

" so you say i'm dreaming?" he asked and looked around, " it's exactly as it was when i fell asleep."

she thought he  looked handsome, confused and searching as he was, and smiled.

" A dream, and then not. I guess you could call it a vision." He barked out a laugh, it echoed in the quiet cave maing her shake her head.

" you'll wake the mountain lions." his eyes grew wide and the he let out a chuckle when she began to smile.

" mountain lions." he mummured, " you look different, from the last time i saw you. Older, your hair... it's longer, quiet." much more beautiful, he thought. held back from saying so.

" Do I?" she said with a hint of a smile.

He just shrugged. 

" I would ask why, seeing as it's you whose mind we're in. but it's my take you don't know as well."

" smart arse." he mumbled, and it was her turn to laugh. it made him think of tinkling bells and flowing water.

" where are you going?" she asked after a while, " is it okay if I ask?"

" you've asked all the same. But i'm not sure if it's time yet to speak about it. The where ore even The Why." he said, feeling awkward that he had to be secretive, given as he'd 'Called' to her as he said. but he felt it, somewhere within him, that he couldn't- shouldn't- talk about it. not yet anyway.

she nodded her understanding and fixed her gaze somewhere above his head.

" May The Creator keep you safe." she said, and looked at him with a quiet smile.

" Amen. thank you, Milady."

" Milady?" she asked, tilting her head.

" Are you no longer The Princess of Brone."

" I am The princess. I just... well, nevermind. you're welcome."

" you're free to speak your mind you know." she let out a breath.

" I guess I had gotten used to being just Hannah with you, " she said with an amused smiled.

" Ahh, you'll always be Hannah to me, I guess calling you milady just came to me and i went with it."

she nodded, " okay."

" will you.. will you still call for me?" she asked, uncertainly, shyly. it warmed his heart that she would ask, the manner in which she asked.

He thought about a while. he hadn't purposely called for her, but he figured it had something tod o with the fact this journey he took had so much to do with her, and maybe, just maybe it had something to do with the way he constantky thought of her. He started nodding,

" I will."

" Good." she said cheerfully, "because i guess it's time for me to go, and for you to wake. Goodbye, Jasper of moline."

" Goodbye, Hannah."

" Avoid the mountain lions." she added, laughter in her voice.

Morning greeted him with the sound of birds chirping. The cave was still the same, except Hannah wasn't there, it made sort of sad, which he found to be unsual, but if he was being honest, her presence even though it was just in dreams had been a source of comfort to him.

He still felt her, almost as though she had left bits of herself with him, almost as  though she was still there.

" Becoming poetic, moline." He said to himself, and got up and headed out of the cave. he stretched and ran his hand over his hair. it was shoulder length and suited him just fine, but he couldn't but think he needed a hair cut.

" soon." he said to himself, but decided that for now he would make do with a pony tail, and so he did- pot it in a ponytail that is- and went about his morning routine.

" Another, Creator. Thank you." He said and picked up his scabbard and drew out his sword, and wielded it, his company, the birds that sang and whatever crawled on the earth that moment in time. He was fine with that, he didn't want an audience for what he did. he was fine with that.

He trained till his muscles bunched and sweat ran down his back. He offered all that up to Heaven, knowing for whom he did all he did, And when he was done, sought out what he would eat for the morning.