Walking towards the sunny brook she captures a glimpse of a running squirrel. Its fluffy tail swishing behind it, she smiles, loving the cute little critter, Her mind is wandering down a pathway of high daydreams and wishes, playing them over and over in her mind.
She is so young, a sweet and innocent seventeen. But she already has her life worked out in her head the way she "thinks" it should be, swears it will be.
     A light breeze kicks up and blows her long golden tresses out behind her. Her emerald green eyes seeing everything in their path. A sunray catches a beautiful pink flower and a bee flies to its sweet nectar, a doe is running to the brook ahead of her to fill its thirst. A couple of bluebirds are flying low over head between a tree branch and leaves on the soft earths floor. The squirrel runs in the opposite direction it first chose and flies up a tree and turns to watch her kneel at the brook.
     Aereanna runns her fingers through the cool water, making swirls. She knows that she doesn't have long to enjoy her leisure away from the keep. She knows that she will be missed soon. But these escapades are so rare lately and this is her favorite spot to escape to when she finds the spare moment. Her responsibilities are great right now. Her ailing father and all her duties to their home keep her running nonstop.
     She has a need to fill in her own life and it seems that everything and everyone is constantly in the way, stopping her in one way or another. She is at the marraigeable age and knows that she must find her mate before her father dies. But there are so many to pick from and she doesn't want just anyone. She wants to be in love with the man that she chooses and she hasn't found anyone who catches her sight so far. Noone who holds her attention. Brings a smile to her rosey lips or engages her in a topic of conversation that matches intelligence in the slightest.
     Why must it be so hard for a girl? When it comes right down to it she knows that she will have to end up choosing someone because she has to. If only the man she knows has to out there somewhere would show himself. She believes there is a destiny bigger than this for her. Her dreams are so big. At night when she lays her head on her downy pillow and sleep consumes her she sees him. Not clearly, but she can see a form, a muscular form, shoulder blade length hair that seems to be golden like her own just a little darker. She can never get a good look at the face, see his eyes.
     She knows when she wakens in the mornings that it is her sign of what is to come for her, if only time will hold out.
     Aereanna rises from the brook and gives it one last good look before she turns and heads for home. It has been a good outing and noone came in search of her to interupt her solitude and moment of tranquility. She takes a deep breath and mentally prepares for the rest of the days chores.

            ***************************************

     As Aereanna rises over one of the last rolling hills to her keep she is stopped short by a sight she is sure cannot be real. There is a man laying on his side in the tall grass and seems so still. She moves slowly over to him and looks down at the form before her before she carefully leans over to feel for a pulse, a sign of life. 
     As she is feeling his neck for the life beating vein she notices his hair and draws a quick breath. It is the same. It is his hair, the one in her dreams.

to be continued.....