“Running with friends…”
“Finding a mate…”
“Leaving the forest…”
“Growing up…”
“Being a fawn again..”
“Boring Boring Boring! It is the same over and over! Bah. How could one be expected to sustain himself on the repetitive dreams of this place?!”

Draum pawed the ground impatiently and stormed away from the slumbering deer of the forest. He had started a collection of dreams but after merely a few weeks it was becoming short lived. Not one deer in the forest had a unique thought in their head. He had preyed upon them while they slumbered and expertly drew out their dream scapes for his own viewing pleasure.

At first it was exhilarating to become one with the sleeping deer and a part of the dream but it had since become monotonous. At times he flirted with the idea of experiencing one of the troubled’s dreams, but his own uncertainty held him back. How could he risk injury or damage to snatch the dreams of one who can’t even sit still and rest easy themselves? Maybe in another day or year, but for now he stayed clear of those who kicked and screamed in what is supposed to be restful slumber.

He raised his head to the sky and inhaled deeply. The night was still young, but he was already tiring of the usual members of the forest’s community. He needed something new, something fresh, something..different. It did not take long for the unrecognizable scent to drift past.

A Nameless was in the forest. He lowered his stature and crept for the new visitor to the forest. Everyone has seen them at some point. The bare and unassuming visitors who bound around the forest like children. They were unconcerned with the notions of the forest. They did not care about playing with friends, or growing up. Merely tourists to the place so many called home. Draum slipped closer and stood over his quarry. It was almost unheard of to see one sleeping. Most nameless pranced around for a few minutes before disappearing completely.
This was something new.
Fresh.
Unheard of.
He raised his head towards the stars and relaxed, allowing the talisman bound to his horn to work its magic. Almost immediately the cerulean dream matter slid seamlessly from the unnamed deer’s sleep. He sometimes felt remorse about snatching the dreams of the resting for his own gain, but this visitor would most likely never return. He stood poised for some time, ready to bolt with only fragments should a community deer come bounding through the trees. His session was uninterrupted and he sprinted away from his victim to find a private place to enjoy the newest addition to his collection.

He raced to the playground and hid himself away under the diagonal piece of granite that lead to the top of the first boulder. He was not usually bothered here. The occasional hollow thunks as a fawn bounced above him and consequent scrabbling sound as they fell off were the only interruptions on a bad day. He laid down and allowed himself to drift away to sleep, his charm pulsating brightly with the twinkling of the stars above.

It did not take long for him to be pulled into the dream. Instead of the expected dancing with friends or adventures in exotic lands he was met with…The Endless Forest. It was not how he recalled though. It was as if everything was magnified and foreign. He felt himself lead towards the pond by the dream and stood in the shallows for the first time experiencing it. How long ago had he come to the forest as a fawn? Had he forgotten so easily the emotions of wonder and uncertainty? He took a few tentative steps into the shallows and closed his eyes, listening only to the ambient sounds of the forest. The birds chirping, an occasional snap of a twig, and the perfection of silence. No loud fawns splashing around him nor stags sparring to upset the peace of that moment. It was as if the Nameless was completely ignorant to the fact that there were others in the forest. It was only captivated by the surrounding environment and landmarks. He allowed the dream to take him for some time before finally pulling away to join the real world again.

Draum leisurely rose to his feet and rubbed his mask on the side of the rocks to clear away any residual out pour of emotions. There would be more nameless in the future, and he would be there to claim their dreams for himself again. He raised his head towards the heavens and listened closely. Another would come soon, and he would have its dream. The only factor was time and he was a very patient stag.
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The example entry for my 2-way challenge.

For Lurvis and their deer Draum.

Inspired by: Catching-Dreams