The Dreams Keeper

by Paola Elena Ferri

  The Unicorn keeps walking, keeps leading me…..who knows where. This part of the journey is totally unknown, and I have never taken this road, before. I don’t know where it will take me. I know that, surely, it leads to the Eternal Present, but I don’t know what other tests to expect, during this journey. For now there's just this endless wood, where light filters weakly through the branches of the trees. You can hear the birds singing and the rustle of leaves blowing in the wind, but you cannot see any animals or other creatures, or a reference that allows me to hearten the Wanderers. I feel their eyes on me. I feel their expectations. I perceive their questions.

  But I don’t have any answers.

  Thus, I remain silent, and keep on walking. And, as I walk, the clouds cluster above us, threatening. I look at the Unicorn, trying to figure out what to do ... and he goes on, and I with him, even if I am asked several times what is happening.

  I have no idea!

  I walk, in the mud, while the rain falls, strong, abundant, and it leaves us drenched, to walk in the mush that is forming, little by little. We have nothing to cover ourselves with. We do not have a direction toward which we can find refuge. We do not have garments with which to change ourselves, once the rain will cease. IF it will ever cease.

  And the Unicorn goes on, and I talk to you, Guardian of the Land of Dreams, I beg you, to let me understand what I should say or do, if I did something wrong, if I failed, if I am leading the Wanderers astray….

  If your human heart still beats in your chest, please, give me a sign, an indication, make me understand if my assignment is over, if I have brought the Wanderers to a place of no return…..If you still have mercy, order the sun to come back, order the Unicorn to take us where we can restore ourselves… TALK TO ME!

  But you do not respond.

  And now, ahead of me, there is nothing but the road. The Unicorn has disappeared. It has dissolved, in the rain, like a drawing that gets blurred, when wet with water……

  The evening has arrived, and we don’t have anything to eat, nor to drink and we don’t know where to go. You have removed me as leader, and now, I am only a human being lost in the illusion, I am a Wanderer like everyone else.

  I am only a woman, no longer the Dream keeper.

  I am only a woman.

  A woman who hates you.

  WE, WANDERERS

  We have walked for hours. We have no idea, where we are going. Not that this surprises us, but our Dream keeper remains silent. She has been silent, for a long time. She does not answer our questions and we begin to feel uncomfortable. We think she knows what she is doing, since, until know, everything has turned out right. But it never happened before that she refused to talk to us, and that she didn’t prepare us for a test… this is confusing us.

  She goes on, as if driven by something that we cannot feel. She looks straight ahead of herself, lost in her thoughts. She smiles at us, to comfort us in the effort of the journey, but does not say a word.

  Now it has started to rain, and it is raining heavily! We are all feeling cold, and if we look around, all we see are woods, but no shelter whatsoever. Maybe it will be another test that we have to undergo ... but we were not told anything about it. Perhaps, even this is a test? Can we rely on the Dream keeper, even when she does not talk?

  For a moment she stopped and looked around herself. We too did the same thing, and waited for some indications. But we were not told anything.

  We are taking up the journey, as the evening is nearing, and we do not know if we will eat, if we will sleep, if we will stop, if someone will help us ... and, above all, we do not know how long all this will last. Three of us are talking to one another and are considering if it would be wise for them to stop, break away from the group and take another direction. We are keeping an eye on all of them, since, in this situation, even a whisper can be heard, despite the pounding rain.

  Most likely even the Dream keeper is aware of this little conspiracy, but she continues to walk….does she know something that we don’t know? Of course, all of us had been warned of the fact that many of us might give up and that, perhaps, we might desist. Many of us feel like giving in, but just as many are asking themselves: where will we end up, if we turn away from the group? This makes us desist from leaving, because this journey is unknown to us, and without a guide, I doubt we have many possibilities.

  It’s still raining, and it’s almost dark now. We are very tired, so we address the Dream keeper to ask her if we can rest awhile. She stops, looks at us and keeps silent. Then she smiles and puts her sack down, in the mud.

  We look around hoping to find solutions. Perhaps, it’s our turn now to take the initiative. We could build a shelter with some intertwined branches, make a sort of a roof with the big leaves of the trees that are new to us, and very similar to palm trees. We talk about this to The Dream keeper who, after reflecting for a moment, smiles and nods her head.

  We quickly get to a start. Our Guide gives us a knife that he had with him, hidden under the pleats of his tunic, now reduced to a mixture of rain, mud and soil. We decide not to inform the three who want to flee: with a knife like that in their hands we don’t know what they might do. It’s so sad to think badly of another human being, in the Land of Dreams, but what we have learned is certainly to be wary of who isolates himself from the group and decides not to cooperate, to act on his own, and maybe hit from behind. How pleased we would be, if all of us were to reach the goal, but now, it is clear that this will not happen.

  Under the watchful eye of the Dream keeper, we alternate the cutting of branches and leaves. While one of us cuts, the others try to steer away the three traveling companions who seem increasingly determined to go away. The Dream keeper, in the meantime, is collecting stones, and brings them all to a certain spot. We do not know why she has chosen that spot, but, perhaps she might have received a sign that we do not understand yet. However, we do understand that this is the prelude to the lighting of the fire. Thus, I, Soldier of the Border, tell Spark of the Way, to assist our Guide in this operation. She accepts and heads toward The Dream keeper, and we see them search for stones of a very precise shape… discarding some of them.

  We continue with what we were doing, and not long after, we had put together an enormous bundle of branches and many leaves. We quickly start to build a shelter, while Spark of the Way picks branches that have been saved from the rain, the less humid ones and easier to use to light a bonfire. We all work hard, under the watchful eye of The Dream keeper, and we are surprised how many resources we discover amongst us: there are those who know how to tie the branches together, who knows how to weave the lithe ones, lest there be open spaces that can let in too much water, who handles the leaves deftly, who fixes everything ... and we manage to finish in no time!

  I give the knife back to The Dream keeper who thanks me, with a smile. Spark of the Way begins to light the fire.

  We are all holding our breath. It is so difficult to light a fire with this wet wood and with this rain. But we were told that this is the Land of Dreams, and that, if we know how to fight, every desire can be fulfilled. So, we start to hope and liven ourselves up, with the song that we were taught, beating a stone against one another, to spur and instill courage in each other.

  Many, many attempts are made, before we see a small trail of smoke coming from the wood. We are so excited and try not to breathe too fast: if we do, we risk turning off the spark that has been lit. The smoking wood, with some chipboard, is placed above other wood, inside a circle of stones. Spark of the Way blows faintly on that little piece of hope and, as if by magic, we are able to see the spark of a flame.

  We exult like children. It is all so wonderful, now! Hope returns anew, into our hearts.

  But, suddenly, the three conspirators make a leap forward, throwing wet soil on the fire that has just been lit, and it goes out. They laugh. They laugh at our disappointment that becomes more and more intense, since human beings like us do not recognize that we a
re part of the same kind, of a whole which, here, is even more evident.

  While we all fall down to the ground, dismayed, Listening to Heaven comes forward. He has a very sharp look, and we are all afraid of him. He looks at the three, who are laughing, and moves slowly away, but then seems to hesitate. The Dream keeper puts a hand on his shoulder and, returning the same look, nods. Listening to Heaven looks up, and all of us do the same as well: black clouds are clustering in one place, and are headed right over the heads of the three. The Dream keeper raises his arm, and a flame blazes out of his eyes.

  Suddenly, the clouds start to whirl round and round, creating a tornado that, little by little, descends toward the ground. Listening to Heaven looks at The Dream keeper, and she nods again. Thus, Listening to Heaven points his finger in the direction of the three fugitives, and the tornado, with all its power, hurls itself with a thunderbolt, above them, swallowing them up. Their screams are frightening, but we cannot do anything.

  We remain motionless, until the tornado disappears into the sky, taking the traitors with it.

  To our surprise, the rain stops falling. The clouds thin out to let the moon and the stars appear. We look at each other and begin to laugh, because tension is released as such, either crying or laughing.

  Spark of the Way quickly cleans the wood and lights the fire that finally, blazes and warms us. Exhausted, we sit down on the wet grass, in the mud. But we don’t care.

  We have passed this test.

  As we all settle down to sleep by the fire, the Dream keeper approaches me, putting a hand on my shoulder and says:

  “The Guardian was wrong. You are not a Soldier of the Border. You are a Warrior. And, at this time, who, until now had performed this role, has been assigned to another. Welcome to the Land of Dreams.” And, with a bow, she goes away.

  THE SWORD

  Open your eyes. I know you heard my voice. Look: it’s dawn now, and Aurora has already gone by, leaving its trail, gently tinted of pink, on the dome of the sky, which is now being illuminated by the sun.

  I am The Custodian, she who keeps something that, in the Land of Dreams, is so important that it cannot be donated to many, but only for a few chosen ones.

  Now that your eyes are open, you can see me better. Do I look like, perhaps, the ancient Goddess of the Hunt? Yes, I probably do. I stood out among many others, for my skills as a warrior.

  Yes, the question you are asking yourself is correct: I too am part of the human being and am not a creature of the Land of Dreams. I only received an assignment that I am now going to give up.

  Your Dream keeper is still sleeping, with all the others: you will personally refer to her what we are saying now. Don’t worry: I have not bypassed her authority, nor that of any other being more important than me, in this Land. I was given the freedom to choose on my own, and do not have to account to anyone for my decisions. This privilege was not given to me by chance, but by merits that I conquered during the journey to the Eternal Present. At the same time, though I can choose the army according to my intuition, I have to observe the Laws of Balance, and I cannot challenge them, nor change them.

  You were put to a hard test and have passed it. Not all of you, unfortunately, but most of you have. Among all, however, I have chosen you, to step aside: another task was assigned to me recently, so, now, I had to find someone who would be my worthy substitute. And I have chosen you.

  My gift, for you, is this Sword. It is not an ordinary sword, and not the one of ancient tradition. It is a sword forged with the power of those who hoped and fought, without ever giving up, despite the desperate situation.

  You, until now, have passed all the tests, and stood alongside the Warrior, when he took the initiative to guide the Wanderers. You helped him to ensure that they collaborated with one another, without any prevarication, and you did not saved your strength, you never moaned, you did not succumb to fear and worked tirelessly, often doing even the part of others who, too tired, could not keep up.

  To undertake and finish this journey takes courage, but above all, it takes perseverance. Perseverance must be as cutting as the sharp blade of a precious sword, as it must cut into the thick wall of dismay and the loss of any reference point. The Sword will be, for you, but, above all, for everyone, the compass that will allow you to reach the Eternal Present.

  Come forward, so I can give it to you. Do not be afraid.

  Never. But always be careful.

  This is the sword that the human being has helped forge. It is of valuable craftsmanship, as the creatures of the Land of Dreams helped to finish it to give it power and strength. Mind you: you can never take this sword with you, into the real world. It must remain here: whenever you return to your life, you will give it to the Faun who lives in the Tower of Values, not far from here.

  Remember another thing: you'll be guarding the sword, but you can never wield it. Someone else will do it, but not you. The temptation to do so will be very strong, believe me, especially at certain times, but you must resist. If you dis-behave, this sword will disintegrate into dust of light, so light as to be wiped out with a single breath of wind. If that were to happen, the Land of Dreams would lose one of its most powerful weapons of defense. So, please, take care of it.

  You will know in due time who should wield it. It might not be a single person. But never without your consent. Therefore, judge very well who you have in front of you, because you might miss the opportunity to convey the Sword to who could use it for a noble purpose, or you might entrust it to someone who wants death and destruction. Do not rush. Ponder calmly, even if there were to be an imperative urgency. In that case, you'll have a few seconds of time to decide. So, train yourself right from now to try to understand who stands close to you. You will never understand enough, but what must suffice you is the ability to provide yourself with an answer to this question: does he or she deserve to wield the Sword?

  Bow down, as is fit for every Knight, ready for his investiture. You are not bowing in front of me because I represent something bigger, but only as a sign of respect for your given word: that is the object for which you are bowing. You bow to your own desire to keep your values intact ​​and to carry this sword, with loyalty, courage and sense of observation. You bow to what you believe in and what brought you here, so, do not let down your own expectations. Do not make false steps. This is a very delicate task, and there can be no distractions.

  Now, receive this Sword from my hands. Grasp it with yours. Do not pull it out of its sheath, since there is no need to: we are at peace now. Get up and keep the Sword close to your belt. Keep it day and night, because even the most seemingly innocuous Wanderers could turn suddenly into ravenous wolves. The thirst for power is inherent in the human being and needs to be kept under control. Dominance is achieved with the ability to self-control your instincts, and you also will have to control yours. Do not punish those who try to take away your Sword: it belongs to you and will return only to you, but it will not, if your anger blinds who you are and what you believe in.

  I will now give a gift to all the other Wanderers. Not far away from you, there is a basket with something to eat and to drink, and a sack, containing some tunics. You may restore yourselves and get changed. I will give you also another indication: heading towards East, you will come across a lovely creek, where you can wash off the mud of the night you spent outdoors.

  Refer everything I have said to The Dream keeper and make sure she understands every single word. Tell her also that, inside the sack, there is a little gift for her, preserved in a sachet of raw jute. No-one else must touch it and you must prevent them from doing so. It is only for your Guide and there is no need for you to know what it contains. If she wants, she might share it with you.

  There you are, your companions in the journey are waking up.

  Goodbye to you, Custodian of the Sword. I am moving on to a new chapter of this story of mine. You need not comprehend now what I mean: let what you have been given, be enough
.

  Bon voyage, Wanderers.

  The sun is shining now, and you still have a long way to go.

  AGAINST THE TIDE

  Good morning, Wanderer. I know you have heard the good news: one of you has been nominated The Custodian of the Sword, that is a very important assignment, and at the same time so difficult to carry on with. But we are confident of the success of this choice!

  We were lucky enough to be able to get changed and restore ourselves with food and drinks, and are now near the river. I have been given a gift, but I still don’t know what it is: I have learned that, in the Land of Dreams, gifts are often discovered in times of emergencies or in other particular moments, but, preferably, not right away. Of course, then, everyone can do as they want, since this is not a broken rule, but a personal choice.

  Last night I observed the moon and the stars. I brought to mind some ancient traditions that I was taught before becoming The Dream keeper. The moon was full and the stars, once the clouds dissolved, shone more intensely than usual.

  Then the wind rose. It was not a cold wind, and it was not so intense as to extinguish the fire. But it came from a well-defined direction, so I thought we should follow it. The direction, I found out this morning, coincided with that which led to the river. So we will travel along its shores, taking care not to fall. Let’s keep close, so that we can hold hands with each other. I will stay in front of you.