Gilbert Haven's Story

Gilbert Haven

There's no way I can pay all these bills. It's just too much. And Tina's heart is set on going on that trip skiing up in switzerland. That's another five hundred bucks. I can't let her down. I have to get more money. I... I have...

It seemed that just as Gilbert closed his eyes, he quickly opened them again. Sleeping in one world, awakening in another. His surroundings went from the dimly lit setting of the kitchen table back in his apartment to a clear green setting, mainly green and traces of brown from the branch of a tree. Gil blinked a couple of times, wiping his eyes slightly as he cleared his misty eyes. Wh...where am I? The question Gilbert asked himself wasn't easily answered. One moment, he was going through his financial problems, and the next, he was surrounded by greenery, a rather naturalistic setting with trees and shrubs surrounding the area, little orchards here and there and multiple animals roaming around, birds not seeming to fear him as he sat in a branch. In fact, they were sitting closer to him. He smiled a little as a small bird came and sat on the branch he was on. He leant closer, smiling more when it didn't move. "Hi there little birdie." Said Gilbert, watching the bird cock its head to one side.

The bird took a few little hops closer, making a few cheeps before making a surprising noise. "Oit, who you callin' Little?!"

"WAH!"

Gilbert jumped up, startled as he lost his balance and fell off of the branch, falling way way down and going wide eyed. However, when he tried re-angling himself, he actually landed on his feet, and it didn't hurt at all. Gil looked to his feet in confusion, before running a hand through his red hair, looking around him. "This is surreal..." He mumbled, looking up towards a small village and blinking a couple of times. "Maybe there's someone who can explain things to me there..." He said to himself before walking towards the village in question.

With a stretch, Shae wrings out her hair from a morning swim and fixes her clothes, grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows that were leaning against a sturdy oak tree. Talba awakes, her perfect blue eyes flickering open to see Shae walking towards her.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Shae says to Talba and Talba stands, stretching her long legs, shaking her fur out.

Shae sits down sharpening her dagger and she lets out a heavy side.

You had the dream again, didn't you? Talba asks, sitting down next to Shae. The young girl nods, her hair falling in her face a bit.

"Something evil lurks over the land... It will take us all by storm..." Shae says, her Elvish accent thick with worry.

"WAH!"

The sound booms through the woods and Shae stands, sheathing her dagger. She creeps forward, readying her bow and arrow, aiming towards the sound and realizes it was a DreamWalker -- at least that's what she knew them as. She'd seem them before.

Tabla called them Dream Walkers for their ability to walk through different dreams and realms.

"Halt." Shae says, trying to cover her accent with a dull attempt, "Who might you be and what is your purpose?"

"Halt."

Instinctively, Gilbert raised his hands up above his head in surrender, looking up suddenly at the sound of another voice. Please say it's not another bird, please say it's not another bird... Or deer... or bunny... or any animal in fact. Usually bizare places like this, he would automatically assume he was daydreaming. But... this place... it just felt too real. "Who might you be and what is your purpose?"

Gil slowly turned, eyes curious about who was talking before being greeted with the pointy arrow, eyes widening as he stumbled back. "O-oh-okay that's an arrow..." He murmured, swallowing his own saliva and then clearing his throat. "Uhm, good morrow, to you, young... lady, of bow and arrow." He said, not sure why he was talking in such a manner that probably wouldn't even be used by his great great great great great great great great grandfather. "I, uh... fell asleep... and...woke up here. And a bird complained because I called it little." He blinked at the girl, confused as to what was going on. As a moment of silence passed, he blinked at her, before waving his hand a little that was still above his head and then carefully added in, "Hello." He looked between the arrow and her. "Would you mind, uhm, putting that down?"

"I, uh, fell asleep... and woke up here. And a bird complained because I called it little."

She began to wonder if the Dream Walkers had something to do with her nightmares lately. Either they are the reason for the nightmares, or the solution. Talba glided beside Shae and tilts her head a bit to the side.

Who is this, Shae?

Shae sighs quietly, "A Dream Walker." Shae states blandly, almost displeased with the thought, lowering her bow and arrow slowly, "An inexperienced one at that at that."

Gilbert lowered his hands slowly letting out a sigh, but frowning a little at the girl. "Well at least I feel welcome here." He retorted sarcastically, rolling his shoulders back. He blinked at her a couple of times, before noticing her ears. "Now I know I'm dreaming." He broke into a smile. "You're an elf!" He smiled, taking a step closer and looking at her ears and clothing closely. "Elves aren't real. This must be a dream. Oh it all makes sense now." He grinned, feeling less confused and a little bit more relaxed. "I'm Gilbert." He finally said with a friendly tone returning to his mind as he extended a hand towards the elf girl, smile rested softly upon his lips. "Who might you be? And do you mind me asking what a Dream Walker is?" It sounds like a new thing from star wars... he mused to himself, hand still extended towards Shae.

Shae raised an eyebrow as he exclaims, "You're an elf!"

Then he made another statement that caught her even more off guard, "Elves aren't real. This must be a dream. Oh it all makes sense now... I'm Gilbert."

"Who are you to say what is real and what isn't?" Shae shrinks away from his extended hand. She had never encountered one who had questioned her existence. Then again, she had never truly encountered humans at all. Her bold personality suddenly seemed to have shattered a bit as she backs away from the Dream Walker who called himself Gilbert.

""Who might you be? And do you mind me asking what a Dream Walker is?" He seemed amused to hear that term.

"I'm Shae... A Dream Walker, it's what we call your kind of people... Those who can walk between Dreams.. or different certain realities... Those who don't belong here, they belong in a different reality..." She explains chewing on her lower lip.

Gilbert blinked a couple of times, before letting out a small 'wow'. "I can travel between different dimensions?" He tilted his head a little. "So... Are you... real?" He asked carefully and slowly, wondering if he had been mistaken. Whoops. He had just assumed since she was an elf, it wouldn't be real. In reality, this place wasn't Narnia... How was he meant to know anyway. "Shae's a pretty name... Uh... Sorry if I offended you." Gil said, noticing the biting of her lip and frowning slightly. He didn't think before he reacted this time. Damnit...