Through the warmthest cord of care.

Her arms held him closely; slender, white limbs that pressed him near to her delicate form. There was darkness all around them; the only light was glowing on her skin and in her eyes, and suddenly, the everlasting moment of his dream was real. Her lips lifted to his forehead, kissing him there gently. She closed her eyes and whispered, her mind falling into a peaceful sleep once again.

Tic gazed at the sleeping form beside him, a new feeling burning inside. The touch was different this time; there was not desire, but something else. There was no man to take the moment away, no flames in her eyes to deceive him; the nightmare of this dream had already passed. He felt safe now; far from the harm of another’s will, or so he thought.

The rain outside became a soothed hum, hushed into whispers by some sudden grace of the Gods. His eyelids fluttered shut, the anxious thoughts calmed and put to rest. The darkness veiled over his mind and silenced his thoughts until he, too, journeyed to a world of dreams.

---

A vibrant, melodious tune pierced through the darkness of his dreams, waking and shaking him from the paralyzing restraints of sleep. His eyes opened slowly to the sound, his mind unable to discern it from the sounds of his dreams. The light grey ceiling loomed in upon his vision, becoming clearer and brighter every blink. When the tune persisted, whistling and calling as if frantic, he realized it was the song of a bird. It was unusually loud, and unusually beautiful.

His stare passed over the day-lit ceiling to the shape lying beside him beneath the covers. He watched her for a moment, and raised himself, eyes glancing around the room as if he was uncertain of whether or not he should be there. The bird’s song seemed to have stopped, quieting itself as he rose. He carefully slid his feet to the floor, reaching for the fallen towel and wrapping it around his waist. He gave another glance to the girl, and stood, walking to the bathroom with footfalls silent.

He tested the dampness of his newly washed clothes, and, finding that it was satisfactory, proceeded to put them on. As he finally brought the shirt over his head, he heard the high-pitched cry of the bird once again. It was too loud to be outdoors, and his eyes went in the direction of the sound, searching for whatever creature sang this tune.

To his surprise, he spotted a small, grey, sparrow-like bird hiding in the corner of the bathroom. It sang out to him in a tone of fear, and hopped away from him as he neared. At a closer glance, he could see its fine, grey and black feathers, its silvery beak and tiny, black eyes. He looked up to the minute window that hung high on the wall of the bathroom; it was left open, and most likely the bird flew in from the storm during the night, unable to escape back into the world.

Cautiously, he placed his hands out before him, gently stretching them down towards the frightened bird to ease peace into its rapidly-beaten heart. His expression softened, and he moved with such gentleness that the bird’s frantic singing came to a stop. It stared up to him, as if understanding his intent, choosing not to fight when the boy’s hands wrapped tenderly around its warm, delicate body.

He lifted it carefully, softly cupping it in his hands and holding it against his chest as he walked from the bathroom and into the room with the bed. His stare never left the bird as he walked towards the window; its head swiveled around its neck nervously, staring back up into the face of its captor. When he reached the window, he brought the bird into one hand, gripping it lightly, and pushed the window open with the other. He returned both hands to the bird, looking out to the street below; the rain had stopped, but the ground was covered and shining with the downpour. The bird cooed softly in his hands, and he looked down at it, pausing for a moment.

Slowly, he lifted the bird out of the window, removed his hands from its body and released it. In a flutter of wings, it flew from his fingers and into the blue sky up above, finding its freedom once again. Tic stared out the window, following the bird with his eyes as it flew farther and farther away from him. He watched it as it disappeared into the distance, and sighed, wishing for something more.