Asharlyn slowly became aware that she had just experienced a fevered dream state. A possibility that had not occurred but could. A path of choices where she was experiencing them and each one’s accompanying consequences. It seemed real to her, then she felt herself slipping back into the mist of dreams again. She was more aware now that she was observing, not actually living the experience yet.
Asharlyn moved along the walls of the temple. She quietly thought to herself, “It’s structure seemed more like a small fort then a temple or monastery.” She began to move out away from it protective high walls. Suddenly the voice she had experienced before spoke, “Sing the songs of the stone or all will be lost!” She spoke now with a horse raspy voice and tears that were freezing in her eyes from the cold wind, “I am already lost, why is this so important?”
The blowing snow intensified even more, then a voice replied, “To find the answers of what you seek, the songs must be sung. To have hope that you might someday be reunited with your mother. Asharlyn, you must sing the songs to enter, within these halls you will begin to understand your destiny!” Asharlyn dropped to her knees and the snow she knelt in rose in wisps around her. She lowered her head down and began to cry, “You know where she is? Tell me! You must tell me, please!”
Nothing but the howling winds replied for a moment, then a response, “There is warmth, food, and shelter beyond the doors. There are answers to be found inside, our daughter we have waited so long for you, please, come and sing the song of the stones. In performing that act you will find yourself!”
Asharlyn cried out with despair laced in her voice, “I will let myself pass from this world of pain if you do not tell me what you know of my mother! Don’t you understand? They took her from me! Why did that happen? What did we do to deserve such mistreatment. We were just a family, living a normal life. I had friends, a good home, parents who loved me. They took it all away from me. Then they beat me every day and gave me food that not even the rats would eat.”
She paused, out of breath, almost completely spent, then a voice spoke, it’s tone was softer, more compassionate and said, “We know you have suffered; we know what they did to you, we are sorry for all of that. But please, come to the door, speak the song of truth. Warmth and food await you. Answers to those questions can also be found here.”
She crawled her way back to the doors. She felt something, a spark of recognition. A note of something within her growing. She tried to understand what it was, she felt something growing within her, something unfamiliar yet it did not scare her.
She opened her mouth and a tongue she was not familiar with sprang forth, “Sil Do Vahzen!” The runes carved into the archway around the doors sprang alive with color, warmth, and a chord full of harmony. Their chorus and melody calmed her inner conflict. Then the voice again, “Touch us! Hear the heart of truth.” She reached out then touched the runes on either side of the doorway.
There was an explosion of light. It was so bright it almost blinded her, briefly turning night into day. The large doors swung inward, and a whirling sense of smells, warmth, and comfort rushed around her. Then she heard, “Your story awaits for you within…” She slowly stood up and stumbled into the entry and thought, “A chapel maybe or something similar.” Then she collapsed, surrounded by darkness again.