( Author's Note: Obviously this happened before she was kidnapped, but all the interest in my current SL has lit a fire under me to post and well, here I go. Apologies for the delay. Special thanx to Guthorm playa for aligning his schedule with my own. )

Only in dreams
We see what it means.
Reach out our hands.
Hold onto hers.
But when we wake
It's all been erased.
And so it seems
Only in dreams.
- Weezer

Red Dragon Inn
A Week Ago, and Then Some

The scattered thing slipped through a shield of dark, her own soft illumination a natural beacon for what night would otherwise hide. She moved until cobbles gave way to porch steps. Eyes were first up, then feet, which paved the way red and left bits of forest in their wake. She moved inside, aqua cutting through the crowd. Fingertips moved in tune with some mental beat, and she wriggled them in a wave to those she saw both familiar and familial. Patchwork finery swished at bare knees as she meandered to the bar.

Taneth waved. Viki gave a pause when Glanhelmion's secretary (former?) glittered into her line of sight, and though she stared on a bit, she did wave back. Then little flats were at it again, a clipclop to count the paces to the bar, and to Scottie.. and.

?Captain,? she said to Guthorm Othinsson.

?Wiki.?

Scottie grinned at her, then turned to the Captain with an arched brow. ?Well, if I'm going to perform, I should lay a hat out...?

?What, you want silvers?? Said the Captain to the Crow.

?A man's gotta have coin to pay for smoke.?

Chryrie sent motherly smile to the Seer. ?Evening Viki.?

The Bloods were abound tonight. Off-blue lapped up each of their outlines, Tasha and Luse and Scottie and Sid and Chryrie and... who was she forgetting? The girl pressed herself to the side of the Crow, and in silence toyed with his ribbons.

Ahh. Wyh. And she was waving. The little seer mirrored Wyh's wave, and some silent words claimed the shape of her mouth. Something small, and certainly stemmed. It might have been "Cherry".

Tasha was next in the wave parade. ?Viki!?

The starling beamed at Tasha, but kept her fingers tangled in Scottie's ribbons for the most part, though eyes soon aligned with Guthorm, perhaps a bit too harshly. Wrapped in color were sharp edges, things meant to pry...

With a slight roll of shifty eyes, wild under pale brows, Guthorm dug into his belt pouch and produced a piece of Arabic hacksilver.

Scottie worked on getting a fresh cig from his pack. The tip glowed red without any help from him.

The cutpiece of silver was flipped in Scotty's general direction...maybe towards his head.

But Scottie caught it and squinted a the thing. ?Now that's something you don't see every day.? He threw it up in the air and blew smoke at it/

Guthorm watched the smoke shape, wondering what it was going to be. Noting Viki's gaze, he gave it back sidelong. At first it was just a stream of blue gray, but it swirled and curled around the coin like a bunch of ribbons.

A little late but there you were. Scottie was doing smoke tricks. He caught the coin as it came down.

?That was no shape.? Complaint maybe, since Guthorm did pay for something shaped in smoke.

?Oh, you wanted a square??

The ladies' room door opened and closed and shortly jackboots thudded their way back to the commons. A hand soothing over Scottie and then Viki's back, she smiled to Wyheree. ?Sorry I be missin' sayin' 'ello, earlier, sweet.?

Viki?s shoulders rolled, in part to relax, in part in reaction to the Ancient's touch, though her eyes, they never left the Captain. A memory bubbled, and threatened to topple her. ?Snakeskin.? The word was quick. It might have been missed, especially with all the goings on. She just grinned, and it was full of flat little teeth, and the girl moved swiftly, until she was just a rainbow blur in the periphery, claiming a perch between Scottie and Guthorm.

Scottie?s fingers toyed with her hair.

?Kan you make a ship?? Asked the Captain to the Crow.

?Tricks, Scottie?? Off-blue lifted, perhaps to catch sight of his fingers.

?Just smoke starling. Just smoke.?

?I like smoke. The Lover makes birds.? Her stretch of Lover spoke of sand and grey things. She half remembered that Guthorm knew him well.

?Better than me, I'm certain.? Scottie held up the coin between thumb and finger. ?I don't think I've earned this.?

?They sit on my shoulder. And sometimes they burst into pieces and I do naut like it when he does that, though smoke knows no death.? For was it not already dead? She brushed a rebel curl from the corner of her eye, then passed her attention back to Guthorm, more cat than girl tonight.

?Make a ship in smoke and sail it over heads to Tanny,? ordered the Captain. ?Do not put it in her nose,? on second thought, he added.

Viki caught her chin with her right hand, using the left to draw some picture into the air. It might've been a bird. Then, to add to her air art, another creature appeared beside it, and it was definitely S in shape, screaming all things serpentine.

?A ship,? said Scottie, frowning, but he breathed out smoke and sent it sailing... not a fully sailed gunship...just a single sail raft sailed over to Taneth.

Guthorm watched intently, that last curl of smoke.

Taneth laughed merrily and turned to look toward Jack as she knew it had to be from him. ?You did it!? She said with sheer delight.

It vanished in a puff. Guthorm blamed the ship's disappearance on Viki's finger gibbering in the air, stirring the wind.

Scottie shot Taneth a wink as he combed fingers through Viki's hair. Perhaps he was thinking about snakes and serpents and forked tongues.

A touch of the Crow ceased all shifting and idle art of fingers. Viki placed her hands upon the counter, settling her spine against the back of her chair. Inhale, exhale, and half-lidded eyes.

?Nau metal arrows yet Scottie. Cannaut get the snakes yet.? She added, almost absently, in that sleeplike state that touch often acquired. ?Get them before they get us.? An eyeroll into Guthorm, a glimmer of skin beneath lantern light. She was a surreal little thing, and strangely sylvan.

?Not yet...but soon.?

Guthorm kept his curiosity about Viki's motions to himself, but, did she not say something there? ?Hmm??

?Do naut want my head on a plane of silver, spilling paint over the sides.? Lashes fell in beat with her worded rhythm.

?Is she alright??

?The snake.? Said the seer to the captain. ?Latched his shoulders and led him away, but naut astray. I think that is rather the other way 'round.?

?We all have worms we must deal with.? Scottie grinned at the man.

The Captain smiled. ?Ja, ja...? Then paused, as the seer?s words struck a chord. Hva? What are you talking about??

?In the outside air, on the road..? Viki?s words were clipped as she pressed backward, her head into Scottie's hands, a call for comfort, a tangle of fingers and unruly ringlets.

?I have heard some call her Seer. Is it true?? Guthorm addressed Scottie alone.

The Crow kept his touch on her, listening, but watching Guthorm too. ?She is more than that. Can you not tell??

The Captain was beginning to understand what she was referring to. ?Tell me,? he demanded, still speaking of her, around her, as though she were not in the room.

Her lashes fell to obstruct both color and vision, but not Sight. Viki let a sigh break the barrier of unpainted lips, and let the exchange of two men waft over her head. Her answers were often riddle-ramble. The Crow would fair much better.

The coyote heavy on in his smile, Scottie explained. ?There are dreams and there are Dreams. And she is your wildest.? Her hair was like silk...he couldn't stop touching it.

Silk even yet, no matter how many trips through the forest and back again. Someone ought to tell that Gideon Davidoff she wasn't an unwashed urchin.

?What things does she....Dream?? Inquired the Captain.

?Stars. They shine.?