This story is part of the Wanderer series.
Night fell. In a small dark room at the end of the north hallway, Sen slept with the little girl on her small straw bed. The blown out candle tray rested on the little table by her bedside. Laid on her back, facing the ceiling with her eyes closed, her forehead subtly pinched as she shifted her weight ever so slightly to the side, away from the child, leaning on her shoulder.
The little girl was cuddled next to Sen, forehead pressed against Sen’s shoulder, her arms and legs drawn in. Her left arm and leg were wrapped around Sen, gripping where they could. Her right leg had more trouble getting a comfortable grip, being pressed up against Sen’s thigh, but it did its best to press under Sen’s knee, while her right arm, unable to slip under Sen’s torso, awkwardly wedged itself under Sen’s left arm, the forearm aligned with the ribcage and her fingers clenched together.
Drawing in a long breath, Sen blindly moved her far arm underneath the sheets, finding the little girl’s thin, bony arm above her belly. As she adjusted her weight again, her knee rose up as she drew her leg in, creating a pocket for the child’s leg to wedge into. Feeling the warm mass smushed against her, she turned her head towards her left shoulder and finally half-opened her eyes to the darkness.
“Dream Child…” she drowsily murmured. “I cannot sleep if you clutch me like that.”
The little girl did not respond, seemingly not hearing her.
“Dream Child…”
Closing her fingers on the little girl’s arm, Sen lightly jiggled it, prodding for her attention. Still, the child did not respond. With a sigh, Sen closed her fingers further and lifted the arm off her belly, collapsing the girl’s arm into a wing and resting it on the side of her own torso. Sen also drew up her knee a little to try and wiggle off the small leg hugging her, but when it instead slid further up to her hips, she quickly gave up. Not willing to make any additional efforts, she tolerated the grasping knees and straightened her head again, closing her eyes.
However, a little while later, Sen felt the girl shift next to her. As if realizing she had lost her support, the girl reached her arm up to her face to grasp Sen’s arm this time, sandwiching it between her two arms and drawing it close to her as she hunched deeper into her shoulders.
Breathing in again, Sen sighed as she opened her eyes. Making out the child’s silhouette against the dim starlight shining through the window, she stared in silence, committing no effort to move. There was no anger in her expression. No frustration. Yet it was not completely tranquil. Like the plains on a calm, yet airy night. A mixture of mild irritation and the endearing gaze of a mother.
Though the child’s face was not visible, buried under the scattered strands of hair, Sen knew she was at peace. Despite her insecure behavior. Despite her uncertain origins. The Dream Child cared only about where she was now, and that was by the side of her newfound guardian.