Ralvania stayed awake with the empty skies and her own thoughts. It was peaceful and relaxing, even though she was unsure of how the journey would turn out. She had the ability to read souls but her visions were often foggy and misguided. She didn't always trust the visions, at least not completely. 

Over the next several hours the empress meditated, kept a lookout for danger and listened for all the nocturnal creatures of the land. Exhaustion had finally claimed her just as daylight began to peek over the mountain skyline. 

             Two and a half hours later Vamier woke from a restful sleep, turning to one side, he found the empress still in a deep slumber. He could hardly believe it she was always the first one up. He didn't disturb the empress but sat there and waited the half hour until the dragon had begun to rise. 

He stretched and batted his eyes awake, then turning slowly and looking directly at the gremlin.

"Morning." Soranto greeted him. 

"Good Morning." Vamier responded.

Soranto looked past the gremlin to see the empress still sleeping. 

"She hasn't woke? That's strange." The dragon commented.

"The empress stayed up to keep watch last night." Vamier informed him.

"Oh she didn't need to do that." The dragon replied, shaking his head. 

"I didn't argue, I was too tired." The gremlin admitted. 

"It's fine, give it a few minutes, then I will wake her." Soranto told him.

The gremlin nodded in agreement as he rubbed a slight kink out of his little shoulder.

   "Did you sleep well?" The dragon asked.

"Surprisingly, yes. I slept better than I ever have before." Vamier told him with a puzzled look.

"Oh, good. I'm glad to hear it." Soranto replied.

"In fact, I didn't have a nightmare. Not a single one."  Vamier told him.

"That's because of me." Spoke an unknown voice from behind them.

"Hello there." Soranto greeted what appeared to be some kind of hybrid elf.

"Hi. What do you mean because of you?" Vamier responded.

"I mean no harm. I am a nightmare elf. I don't cause nightmares, I take them away from others." The elf spoke quickly.

"Why?" Vamier asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's food to our kind." She explained.

"Will anything weird happen to me?" Vamier asked.

"No but you may not have nightmares as often." She explained.

Vamier stepped closer and hugged her tightly. Then letting go he just stared at her for a moment.

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome." She answered.

"I'm Vamier, this is Soranto." The gremlin informed her.

"I'm Trine." She told him.

"It's good to meet you." Vamier replied, as the empress began to wake he turned to her then back again to see the elf had darted back into the woods.

"How strange." Soranto commented.