"Beyond Dreaming - 01 The Request" by Meike de Nooy

She was very neat and as it was not to big a hassle to keep the few things in her small room ordered that was what she did.

The small wooden cabinet contained her pen and papers and few of her other personal belongings. The big mirror on top was the most precious thing she had. Once it had been her mothers. There wasn’t much she remembered about her. She had died two moons before her 6^th birthday and only left an empty space in Leila’s heart. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to have a mother, someone to be there for her when she got home and someone to take care of her and advise her when she was in need. Usually she quickly pushed those fantasies away, they wouldn’t get her anywhere.

Standing in front of the mirror she brushed her long black curls. She liked wearing her hear down, but it was not the custom to do so outside the house or even in company of men unless you were married and alone with your husband. With a deep sigh she started braiding it and stuck it to the back of her head with a few silver pins.

She put on her plain green/grey dress and her leather boots. Her black cloak lay heavy on her shoulders when she opened the door and she was glad for it because with the mist the morning chill drifted into her room. It would soon be warm. It had been a warm spring this year and there was enough work to do in the gardens.

She left her house and walked to the palace gardens. She liked it when there was nobody around yet, the stillness, everything still damp from the night and only some birds disturbing the silence. She walked by the few farms that were on this side of the river and into the woods. It was at most 40 minutes away but she was used to walking and so it only took her a little over 30 minutes. She was however an hour early this morning so that she would have time to spare after her job was done.

Tending the gardens was something that she always liked. It was not just the looking after the plants that kept her interested but also the fact that everybody who wanted to go into the palace had to come through the palace gardens. She had always been curious and liked to know what was going on. Also she was one of the few who got to talk to the men of the fighting race and most of all, which the other girls were quite jealous about, to the boys in training. She however didn’t make to big a deal out of it. She did not have a chance at a good marriage as her mother was dead and her father not known, at least not to her, and she would especially not marry one of the fighting race. She did however enjoy their company often as she was not always ready to take part in the conversations other girls had. She liked to run and climb and hunt and most off all she loved the woods. A lot of girls were afraid to go in too deep for they had heard too many stories and were afraid they wouldn’t find their way out. Leila knew better and often went there to be alone and take her mind of her daily rituals.

Her daily ritual always started with tending to the ster-flowers. These flowers would, when properly taken care of, bloom all the way through spring and all the way through fall. These pretty little flowers thanked their name because of their shape and because of the fact that they only opened up at night and their oily white leaves would reflect the moons light and so the whole field would lit up and resemble the stars in the sky.

Next she would check all the other plants for snails or lice and take the weeds out that she ran into on her way. As soon as she was convinced they were in good shape she would water them.

This morning however her ritual was interrupted only minutes after she had begun. One of the "boys" had had a fight in the barracks. From Shasti’s face she could tell it was Rodu again. He seemed to be in fights too often lately. He was definitely one of the stronger fighters and also one of the older and this seemed to have gotten into his head.

Fights in the barracks were always reported to the queen as she was the person to select those boys that would eventually be crowned and with that allowed the rights and rituals from the Fighting race.

The selection was very strict and some never even entered the barracks to start their training. When you were seventeen years old you had the choice, but most boys tried at least once for their race had always been fighting and those that didn’t at least try once were considered cowards. It was better to enter and get kicked out after the first year as then at least you would’ve tried.

She greeted Shasti with a small bow as was the custom. The higher the honour of the fighter the deeper the bow, the boys however required a simple bow from the waist down. Shasti greeted her with a sad smile and a bow which wasn’t required as she had no status. However she was well liked by the boys and so they treated her with respect. It made her feel good. She didn’t have any real friends right now except for Shasti. Aeny, who had been one of queen Nours trusted attendants, was given to the queen of Tiscla and so she only saw her once every year when it was time for the ritual of the Moon, the one time that the moon was closest to the earth, fully lit, and the need would be the greatest. It was a month of chastity and was celebrated with; well you could guess what…

The boys were the only real friends she had, at least some of them, but as they were stuck with quite a rigorous schedule she didn’t see too much of them.

Shasti confirmed her idea of the fight at the barracks and the fact that Rodu was the cause again. He looked tired but he still stood straight and carried himself with pride. I will have to inform the queen now so I can’t linger but I’ll find you on my way out. Leila nodded her understanding and he left. He was beautiful to see; he was broad and well built and had an extremely dark skin reflecting the sun when sweating in mock fight. Half waiting for his return, half concentrated on clearing away the weeds she worked her way through the garden. She shouldn’t forget why she started early, she had to go see the queen and she was not easy to get to as she made people wait to make sure they only came for real trouble and not just for anything, there were only very few people that escaped the tyranny of waiting in the hall, total quietness, heat, the guards checking if you didn’t carry weapons and waiting for Raga, the queens personal guard, to open the door and invite you in. She didn’t mind it much but others certainly did. Some could whine about it forever, it could be their main topic of conversation for days to come. She thought it sad that so many people could make such a big deal out of something so small. But who was she to judge.

Still deep in thought about how weird people actually were Leila nearly bumped into Shasti. A deep rumbling laugh caught her pretty of guard. "How long have you been standing there" she stated in a voice that was a bit too harsh to her liking. "Long enough to see you frown a lot" he said "you worrying over something? You know you can tell me!" He sat down in the middle of the path as though he had all the time in the world to listen. "No" Leila said, "you must go or they’ll miss you at training!"

"Don’t worry" he said "queen Nour said we had the day off after she had inspected us and I was pardoned immediately. So spill your guts"

Leila had a vision of her guts spilling all over the floor. Shasti saw her disgusted face and after another good laugh he said: "You really should get a grip on that fantasy of yours!" Leila laughed as well and they sat and talked for quite a while until suddenly Leila realized she forgot about wanting to see the queen. She quickly apologized to Shasti and left to go to the Hall. Shasti still shouted after her: "Hey, what’s the hurry" but although she heard she didn’t answer anymore.

The room was hot and wondering about how different days could be from each other and how different morning could be from night she suddenly realized she had left her cloak at the garden entrance. Stupid! She scolded herself, but there was nothing she could do about it right now. She would have to pick it up after her visit to the queen.

The room slowly emptied, why hadn’t she kept track of the time? How could she have forgotten after so much time preparing for this! Of course, she had been talking to Shasti, definitely one of her best friends but still!

Raga opened the door and told Leila that the queen would see her now. Quickly she got up and bowed to Raga who as soon as the door was closed told her she really didn’t need to make such a big deal out of that. Most people forgot anyway when they came to meet the queen and he had known her since she had been a baby. He was right, but as she had been raised this way it felt awkward to leave the formality away. Raga led her to the queens’ chambers, who, at the end of the day looked like she had enough of everything but still sat up straight and had a tolerant gaze that would make it hard to lie but also one that told you she would listen to you whatever your troubles were.

"Leila rhe Ghana" the queen greeted her with her full name. "I’ve been expecting you"

Leila’s mouth nearly dropped open from surprise and she forgot everything she had planned to say. But there was no need for that: "As is the custom you will need to be accompanied by girls your age, as there are none Raga’s son Rancha will accompany you to the Trifold Mountains for safety reasons and wait there for your return. You’ll leave the fifth morning from now. Leila, still abashed by the idea that they had kept track of everything, started protesting but queen Nour silenced her by lifting her hand. "I know you could travel alone but it is not suitable for a young lady your age to do so." She fumbled in the pocket of her robe and took out a little brown package. "Approach" Raga said. The Queen handed Leila that package. "Take good care of it" she said. "Your mother asked me to give this to you when your time had come. She said you would somehow understand. Take good care of it my child, this is no small gift." With that the queen was obviously done and Leila slowly walked back to the door, clutching at the paper package held tightly in her pocket.

Lost in though she wondered home. She was seriously taken aback by what just happened. They had kept track of everything: her 20^th birthday, the moon ritual, the time it would take to get to the springs, everything!

The next surprise came when she came to her room. Her cloak, which she had totally forgotten about, was hanging over the door handle. A little note sticking out from her hood read:

Leila grinned and picked up the cloak from the door handle and softly pushed the door open. She put the note in her drawer and the cloak on the one coat hanger she had. She hardly ever went to see the mock fights, unlike the other girls who went to drool over all the men. She would go this time though, even if it was only to humour Shasti. Maybe she could even figure out who Raga’s son Rancha was. She had known him when he was young but never seen him in the last five years. Although she didn’t like the idea of being accompanied she was definitely curious what he was like, now that he was coming with her.

She sat down on her bed and fumbled at the little package. A thin silver necklace with tiny diamond and a blue stone in the shape of a tear hanging from it slid out on her hand. She looked at it in surprise. This had been her mothers? Why would she only give it to her now? And what was there that she would understand? She didn’t know.

Carefully she put it around her neck, cold on her bare skin. It felt like she had had it all her life. Still, it was only for after she had turned twenty. She slid the necklace back into the brown package and put it in her drawer. She would take it to the springs and wear it when she came back.

To put her mind at rest before she went to bed she decided to go out into the woods for a bit. Just to get her head clear. Tomorrow would be a nice day, watching Shasti in mock fight and planning her trip to the Agin River springs.

Just as she was about to leave she heard a soft knock on her door. The only one that ever knocked so softly was Tara. Tara was a small girl that lived in the neighbourhood. She was the daughter of one of the queen’s attendants. Her dad, sent to the East of Tisra as a border guard, wasn’t home very often. Tara often sought her out during the day and would either wonder through the gardens untill Leila was finished or wait for her to come home while sitting by her door. But it was too late for Tara to be up and about. Quickly she opened the door. Tara looked at her with her big brown eyes and then ran to hug her skirts at about waist height. Confusedly Leila patted her hair.

"What’s wrong?" she asked.

"I was afraid" said the small voice coming from her skirt.

"So what were you afraid of then" she asked still patting the girls head.

A long silence came. Leila’s head was rushing with what it could be that Tara was so afraid of.

"Come" she said and pulled the girl down on her bed. "Don’t you think your mother is worried about where you are?"

Still seeking the safeness of her arm she said "mother had to work overnight and the house was so dark and so quiet."

"Ok" Leila said "you can stay here for a while, but you’ll have to go home soon or your mother won’t know where you are when she gets back!"

"I’d rather stay here" Tara said, "She won’t be back till noon!"

Leila took a deep breath but then simply decided: "you can stay here for the night Tara, but then you’ll have to wait for me here while I leave your mother a note so that she won’t worry about you." Tara nodded with relief. "I’ll wait!" she said, "I’ll be nice."

"You better" Leila grinned and went over to her desk to write a note.

Tara sat on her bed, her back against the wooden wall. Before Leila left she got another night gown from her chest and gave it to Tara. "It’ll be slightly big" she said "but at least you’ll have something to sleep in!" "Put it on and get in bed, it’s much warmer there!"

Softly Leila closed the door behind her. "You don’t have to be quiet, Tara said from inside! I won’t sleep!" Right! Leila thought and she quickly left to bring the note.

When she returned Tara was fast asleep. She quickly put on her own night gown, shivering against the cold, and crept in the bed next to Tara. It was nice and warm and when she pulled the blanket up a little higher Tara mumbled "I wasn’t sleeping yet, I wasn’t!"

Leila smiled and closed her eyes. "Sleep well then, Tara" she mumbled and then she too fell asleep.

The next morning Leila was up early writing last night’s dream in her diary. She tried to keep track of them since she realized they helped her in making decisions, she analyzed them and realized they mostly told her things she already knew but merely needed to be confirmed. Most of the time she didn’t pay them any heed. Tonight however she had the weirdest dream:

An old woman had come to the palace gardens and not any different then usual Leila had eyed her curiously. The old woman hadn’t shown her face. All Leila had seen was a blinking blue stone shining on the ladies forehead. She had wanted to shout: "Mother" but the words got stuck in her throat as she suddenly knew with great certainty that this was not her mother. Who it was, she couldn’t tell. The lady, covered by a thick black cloak, slightly hunched and leaning heavily on a wooden stick had slowly made her way down the path to the front of the palace. When she had nearly reached the entrance hall she had suddenly turned around. Touching the blue stone on her forehead she had said "I shall name you both for what you are" Then she turned and vanished.

Leila had woken up with the words of the Lady in her head, determined not to forget any detail of the dream. Both? Who else had been there? She couldn’t remember. Dazed, her head still spinning, she was writing down all she remembered. Tara’s clear voice broke her line of thought. "Do you like Shasti?" Leila pulled back from her writing. "Of course I like him" she said "He’s my best friend! Why do you ask?"

"He’s in Love with you, you know." Tara said sounding very seriously and grown up all of a sudden. Leila stared at her in surprise. "And what makes you think that?" "I… I’m not sure" Tara said, suddenly not as confident of herself as before. "I don’t know! I think I just sort of knew when I saw him bringing your jacket and writing that note, but it is true!" she added, very confident again. Leila looked at Tara and shook her head. "I don’t think so Tara. He’s my friend, my best friend." But a seed of doubt had been planted in her mind. For the moment though she decided it was just a small child’s fantasy.

Tara busied herself getting dressed and the subject wasn’t mentioned again. Leila wondered if she should send the girl home to wait for her mother. It wasn’t dark anymore after all. However she didn’t mind her coming along. It was sort of nice to have the ten year old bouncing along beside her.

Tara was from the black fighting race as well. She had the pride and definitely the beauty. Leila thought all the black people were beautiful and wondered why it was that the races hardly ever seemed to mix. Oh really, it happened occasionally, and nobody minded it at all, but for some reason there seemed to be a sort of unspoken rule about the two races keeping to their own kind. Probably it was because, although in both races the males did the courting, in the black race they were given higher authority than the women and in the white race it was the other way around. This was respected by both races but didn’t allow for mixing very well. Once man or woman was used to this control of power it was hard to find a sort of equilibrium between the two.

Tara was eyeing Leila admiringly. "You’re hair is so beautiful! You should leave it down!" Leila smiled at Tara’s reflection in the mirror and said: "I can’t Tara, you know that!" When a girl turned twelve she wasn’t supposed to wear her hear loose anymore, why? She really didn’t know. She really should ask somebody that some time.

Tara sighed a deep sigh of regret. "I wish my hair was like yours" she said and softly stroked it with her hand. "My hair doesn’t look nice whether I let it loose or up. It’s too curly and always a mess."

Leila felt a sudden surge of sympathy for the girl who never seemed to have anybody around to take care of her. She supposed she was a bit like herself in a way. "Come over here and sit on the chair" she said to Tara and got up so she could sit down. "I’ll put your hair up for you"

"Really?!" Tara said as if she had just heard she would be crowned to be the new queen. She ran up to the chair and quickly sat herself down, looking in the mirror as if she was the high queen herself waiting for her attendants to do her hair. Leila smiled at Tara and the Tara in the mirror smiled a big smile back.

First Leila started to comb through the knots in Tara’s hair, it must have hurt but she didn’t flinch. Next she found some coloured ribbons in her chest which she used to wear herself when she was younger. She took out a few blue ones and platted them into Tara’s hair, one on each side so that her hair would be out of her face and let the rest loose on the back. Tara looked wonderingly in the mirror. "It’s so beautiful!" She stood on the chair and gave Leila a spontaneous hug. "Thank you" she whispered into her ear.

Leila lifted her of the chair. "You’re very welcome, but I really have to go now. You may come along if you want to but I do have to tend to the gardens. Then I’ll walk you home if you like.

"Sure" Tara said and jumped ahead to the door.