Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:24:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mary Barrett <mommab_78@yahoo.com>
Subject: To Rise Again Ch. 8 Gay Male/Sci-fi

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction that came from the recesses
of my  own mind. Any names or places are all of my own creation. Any
characters that may  engage in sexual activity are over 18. If reading this
is illeagal where you are  from then please do not continue, you know your
laws. I hope you enjoy what I have  tried to create. This story includes
M/M relationships..if this is not for you,  then please leave now.

This is my 1st attempt at writing anything, so please be kind. Comments are
welcome..good or bad.

I apologize for the delay in this chapter but real life takes over from time to time.

Note: You can also find my story located at http://thestorycloset.org/node/17


Unlike River, Eithen didn't have the chance to think about what had just
transpired between them. Troy was on the phone giving an update on the
search for Raivyn.

"Yeah Troy, I'm listening. Has pops been able to locate the couple yet? Uh
huh...yeah...ok. Let pops know I will get a hold of him later for a more
detailed account...thanks Troy, let me know when you find anything else
out."

"DAMIT-IT to hell, so fucking close." Eithen grumbled slamming the phone
down, startling River out of his thoughts. "Sorry about that; that was
Troy, my uhh...second in charge of security. The lead they had was good."
Seeing River getting worked up he made his way over to where he was. Slowly
reaching out, he waited for River to pull away from his touch. When he
didn't, Eithen pulled River into himself before continuing.

"Shhh...the lead was good, but it didn't pan out. I'm so sorry River that I
can't give you better news. My men tracked down where the couple was last
located. However, by the time they got there, the people were long
gone. It's almost like they know we are searching for them and are just a
step ahead of us."

River tried to keep it together, he had to be strong, not only for himself
but for Raivyn. What good would he be to her when they found her if he
didn't? He knew that Eithen would find his baby girl. Maybe it was time to
start trusting again. After what Angelica did to him, it would be hard, but
he had to do it. Eithen needed to know ALL about the visions and the
dreams. Not just the little bits and pieces that he had revealed to them
the night before.

Looking up from where he was being held in Eithen's embrace, River knew it
was time to be completely honest. He could see the concern in Eithen's
eyes, and something else he wasn't ready to put a name to right now. He
needed to let this man in, and trust him to be there for him and offer his
support and strength.

"Eithen, I uhh...I wasn't totally honest with you and your parents last
night." Looking away, River tried to pull out of Eithen's arms, only to
have him hold on more tightly. Giving up, he leaned into Eithen, struggling
to come up with the words needed.

"I umm...only told you all a part of what I've been seeing during my
episodes. And I have been having dreams as well lately." Stopping for a
second, he looked up again to see if Eithen was angry with him for holding
back. All he saw was a look of confusion, so he continued.

"The dreams actually started a few days before my first episode, but I
thought nothing of them. They were just strange dreams. I dismissed them,
thinking that it was due to all the stress. That is until I saw your
mother. She has been in all of them Eithen. ALL of my dreams, how is that
even possible? I never met her before last night."

"I don't know River, but I do know that nothing is impossible." Eithen
replied softly as he started running his hands up and down River's back in
a soothing manner. "Last night, when you met my Ma, what went thru you're
your head? It couldn't have been easy for you to come face to face with a
person in your dreams?"

River thought back to the night before, to the moment that Siobhan walked
into the kitchen. What did he feel? What did he think? Disbelief, shock,
even that his mind was playing tricks on him. Making him think he was
seeing someone that he wasn't. So many things he thought of as he stood
there looking at this woman who should not exist.

"Eithen, if it's alright with you, I need to sit down. And I think I may
need one of my pain pills before I go any further." River asked quietly,
while looking away.  "Of course it's alright. Why didn't you say something
sooner River? You should have told me. There is no reason you should be in
pain." Not letting go, he lead River over to the sofa in the corner of the
room before releasing his hold on him. Once River was seated, Eithen walked
over to the wet bar on the other side of his office and pulled out a bottle
of water. "Where are your meds at River? You just need to sit there and get
yourself together while I get everything you need."

Looking up into those steel grey eyes, River knew that Eithen was talking
about more than just his meds. He couldn't think about that right now
though. He needed to get everything into some semblance of order, so he
could finish telling Eithen about his dreams and the visions. He could
reflect on what was occurring between Eithen and himself later. It wasn't a
priority right now.

"I think I put them on top of the nightstand beside the bed. Both bottles
please if you would." River said as he looked back down at his hands laying
there in his lap shaking slightly. He watched Eithen turn and walk out of
the room from below his lashes, unable to take his eyes off of this man. As
he waited for Eithen to return, River took the time to try and remember
everything that he has seen in his dreams and those damn flashes of
images. His dreams were pretty simple to explain, just strange. The images,
visions, whatever you want to call them will be tougher. Trying to piece
them together and all the details he had to remember.

"Here ya go, take these and then continue whenever YOU are ready. River, we
don't even have to do this ri..."River stopped him before he could
finish. Grabbing Eithen's hand, he gently pulled to encourage him to sit
beside him on the sofa.

 "Yes I do, I need to talk about it. Maybe if I can describe it to you,
then itmight make more sense. Maybe all of the pieces will finally start
falling into place. Eithen, I NEED to do this." River pleaded while
squeezing Eithen's hand, unaware that he never let it go.

Nodding, Eithen could see this was something that River needed to do right
now. Turning himself, he leaned back against the arm of the sofa, waiting
for River to describe what he had seen and dreamt of over the last week or
so. Eithen still wondered what River's connection with his Ma was, he would
just have to be patient and listen to what he had to say.

After taking his meds, River just sat there for a few minutes gathering his
thoughts. "Ok, well let's start with your question from before. When your
mother walked in last night, everything from my dreams came flooding back,
like someone had flipped a switch. It was surreal ya know. I thought my
mind was playing tricks, there was no way that the woman from my dreams was
a real person. Yet, there she was; standing right in front of me. That's
why I froze up, no way was I going to admit to anything. I told myself that
surely none of you would believe me, thinking that I was crazy and in need
of some serious help.

"The dreams, even though I thought them strange, they are pretty simple to
explain. So let me start with that ok." Glancing up, River saw Eithen
watching him and he knew then that he was really being listened to and not
just being placated.  "Like I said earlier, they started a few days before
my first episode, which was Saturday morning. They are always the same for
the most part, only the location of where the woman enters changes from
dream to dream."

River seemed to go into a trance-like state as he began telling Eithen of
his dream. Staring ahead, yet unseeing, his eyes glazed over as he brought
the dream to the forefront of his mind, remembering it. River was reliving
all that he had dreamt.

{DREAM STARTS}

"It starts out with me walking in the park alone, always alone. I'm
searching for Raivyn, hollering her name, just like I used to when she and
I would play hide-n-seek. Raivyn, oohhh Raivyn, where's my angel? I wonder,
oh gee I wonder where my Raivyn could be? After that I would stop and
listen, waiting to hear her giggle, always giving away her hiding spot. But
it never comes, there is only silence. With the silence comes the fear, I
can't find my baby girl. I start running, still searching, still calling
out to her. By now, I know that I won't find her, I never find her.

"As I slow down to a walk again, the scene changes. I am no longer in the
park, I find myself standing in a field of wildflowers. All around me, as
far as I could see was this field, nothing else. Slowly turning in circles,
trying to figure out where I am, which way I need to go. That's when I see
her, the woman. She just appears a few feet in front of me. Beside her is
the most beautiful wolf that I have ever seen. He is huge for a wolf, but
for reasons I can't explain, I am not afraid. I watch as the woman gently
strokes the head of this animal beside her. She then leans down, whispering
something in a language I don't recognize.

"I am captivated by this animal before me, unable to look away. His coat is
a magnificent shade of black, reminding me of a newly polished onyx
stone. And his eyes, his eyes are the color of brushed steel, they never
waiver from watching me. I feel the need to get closer, to touch, to run my
hands over and thru that fur.  "I can't move, no matter how hard I try, I
can't move. The woman is watching me now. She speaks, but I don't
understand. She keeps repeating it over and over again. The same phrase, I
just don't understand it. As she continues trying to get her message to me,
the wolf at her side walks towards me. He watches me, never taking his eyes
from me as he circles around where I stand. He stops just to the right of
me, I try to reach out, but still, I can't move. He seems to sense this. He
makes his way closer to my side, and places his head against my hand.

"In that instant, once we are connected, it's like magic. I can feel it, I
know that this beautiful animal would never harm me. I also realize now
that we are touching, I can understand the words the woman is trying to
tell me. Turning my attention back to her, I listen to her message. But it
makes no sense to me. Repeating it over and over again, she tells me to
trust in myself, believe the unimaginable, see with my mind, and listen
with my heart.  "I want to ask her what it all meant, but as quickly as she
and the wolf appeared, they were gone. No trace they were ever there, just
gone. After that, the scene changes back to the park, where I began. I am
still searching for Raivyn, always searching. This time however, I am not
alone. This time, my beautiful wolf is beside me."

{DREAM ENDS}

River seemed to come back to himself as he finished detailing his dream to
Eithen, right before he passed out from overexertion. Eithen was
immediately across the sofa and had River held against him. He wasn't sure
what to think, what to say or what to do. He had sat there listening to
River, what he heard was to say the least, amazing.

There were stories of old, which he had read about growing up. Pack myths
and legends, talking of Native American Shamans, being able to take on the
form of their wolf brothers in dreams. They were known as Dream
Walkers. But as far as Eithen knew, only the descendants of the Shaman were
able to enter the dream world. Nowhere in his studies of pack lineage, was
there a mention of any pack member being related to the Native American
Shamans. The question now, how was his Ma capable of doing it and not be
aware of what it was?

What really got to Eithen was when River talked of the wolf in his dream,
the black onyx coat, the steel grey eyes, he knew without a doubt that it
was him. When in full wolf form, he stood larger than any other in his
pack, his fur was the blackest of blacks and his eyes only seemed to become
a more startling shade of grey. Eithen also knew that he was very
intimidating in wolf form, which is why none have been ballsy enough to
challenge him for the Alpha status. They knew they wouldn't stand a chance
against him. But, why would he appear in River's dreams beside his Ma? Were
they all connected some way? The only answer Eithen could come up with was
that River and he are to be future mates.

Eithen sat there, holding River, stroking his hair away from his
face. "What are you River? Normal people don't have dreams and visions like
you've had. I can't even imagine the pain and heartache you have had to
endure. I promise from here on out that I will be here for you, giving you
the strength you need to continue with this fight. Be the shoulder to lean
on when you need comfort. Whatever you need River, I will give to you, this
I promise. If only I could say these words while you were awake." Eithen
whispered as he continued stroking River's hair and face gently, waiting
for him to come around. He had so many questions that only River could
answer. At some point, Eithen fell asleep with River in his arms, where he
was destined to be.