The Dream Makers of Skye

The Isle of Skye is a mystical place, full of stories and magic. Some parts of the island are much more dangerous than others though, especially the Black Cuillin mountains.

People often went missing amongst those jagged peaks. But those thoughts were far from the mind of the girl picking berries around the foot of the mountains. She was so engrossed in her work that she hadn’t realised she was wandering higher and higher.

Eventually, she looked up to find herself deep in the Cuillins with no idea how to get back. To make matters worse, a thick fog rolled in along with the sound of wild animals scuffling nearby.

Turning around, the girl saw dozens of eyes watching her. She was ready to let out a scream when the beasts stepped forward. It was just a friendly herd of deer.

They seemed to be beckoning, so the girl decided to follow them. After what seemed like hours, they came to a hidden cave somewhere deep in the mountains. Inside, an ancient man and woman sat, staring intently into a pool of water.

The deer trotted over to the old lady and seemed to whisper in her ear. She looked up and stared straight into the girl’s eyes. Clearing her throat, the girl asked if she could stay, just for the night.

The answer came: “Either you stay and help with my work for a year and a night, or you can leave now.”

She had no idea what this mysterious couple did, but the girl agreed. Every day she helped the woman pick herbs, milk deer and make soft cheese. Every night, the old man would stare into the pool of water while moulding small lumps of the cheese.

The girl was fascinated as the old man raised these creations above his head. One by one, birds swooped into the cave to grab them. They were dreams. All made with inspiration from the Pool of Life.

Beautiful birds would grab the cheese from the man’s right hand. These were the sweet, pleasant dreams. Out of the left hand, dark crows would pluck packages of terrifying nightmares. 

It was the same every day until a year and a night had passed. The time had finally come for the girl to leave. The old woman told her she would be rewarded for her efforts soon. With that, the girl followed the deer down a track. 

They came to an unfamiliar shore and the girl began to wander down the beach. Suddenly, the deer nudged her and stared out to sea. A small boat was approaching with a single person inside.