Freedom. That was what flight was. Soaring those seemingly endless skies had always been a source of freedom to her. Even in the less then favorable weather to most. Storms? She loved them. Flying in them never scared her.

Marielle set down on bare feet in the grass and moss of the forest floor. Something was off here though. Everything was too… Quiet. The usual sounds of wildlife were totally absent beyond the gentle flowing water of the small stream. Her eyes narrowed as she looked around.

The strange silence suddenly broken by a hiss of pain. Mari covered her right eye with a hand. Heavens above the pain… Mari staggered, turning as a sudden cackle sounded off to her right. But there was nothing there. Nothing that she could see. Trying to grasp her power only caused her agonizing pain. Dropping to her knees as she tried to figure out what was going on.

Only to find herself suddenly opening her eyes to the starry sky above. Fingers gently touched the mark over her right eye. There was no pain. But her power… It was still effectively silenced. Her freedom gone.

Mari sighed softly as she climbed to her feet. She hadn’t really needed the sleep. Instead she went back to gathering some more herbs nearby. Even some more berries. Needed more berries to share with Bodge after all.

Tonight was just a bad night for rest. The dream didn’t come about all that often. But it was a painful reminder of what she had once had.