Your Fantasy Sleep Saga (Season 2 Episode 1)

A warm welcome to season two of this fantasy sleep saga,

Where you are the main character.

Throughout this bedtime story series,

You will spend autumn and winter in the rolling hills of your homeland,

Celebrating all of the festivities.

You will also delve into the deep dwarven kingdoms,

Embark on another adventure with the wizard and the ranger,

And visit an enchanted little village that is hidden away from the rest of the world.

Here,

There is magic,

Wonder,

And mystery waiting around every corner.

But first,

Let us take a moment to relax.

We will do a short,

Guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.

This will allow you to slow down and relax,

Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,

Peaceful rest.

When you are ready,

Breathe in through the nose for three,

Hold for four,

And breathe out for five.

Let all of it go now,

Again that's in for three,

Hold for four,

And release,

Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,

Today,

And tomorrow,

Again in for three,

And let it go.

Continue to breathe in this way in your own time,

And with each breath out,

Allow your body to sink just that bit deeper,

And gradually allow the breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.

Enjoy this new peace flowing through your body.

And now,

Let us continue our fantasy sleep saga,

And enjoy Season 2,

Episode 1,

A Journey Home with the Ranger.

It is a cozy late afternoon on a cool summer's day,

And you are strolling through a small woodland accompanied by your trusty companion,

The Ranger,

Who wears a sage green cloak and light leather armor.

His pony,

A brown and white lowland,

Trundles alongside you,

Carrying two packs of supplies and swishing their tail in a perfect rhythm as the three of you weave through the forest path.

Beams of sunlight pierce the woodland canopy,

Creating thin golden spotlights on the floor and a shimmering emerald glitter above that ripples through the leaves.

There is a wonderful sense of peace and calm here.

You feel no desire to rush,

Despite the fact that very soon,

You will be back home.

As you walk together,

You and your Ranger chat idly.

He mentions that after he has escorted you back to your house under the hill,

He has another adventure to see to far up in the north,

And that could mean he is away for a while.

Nonetheless,

He hopes to be back in these parts sooner rather than later,

And you reassure him that whenever he is nearby,

He is more than welcome to stop over for a spot of tea.

You emerge from the woodland now through a small tunnel of trees and are greeted by a vast landscape of rich green hills,

Bathed in golden sunlight as far as the eye can see.

You take a deep breath,

Inhaling this fresh,

Healing air,

And smile,

Knowing that your house is only a short walk away.

You begin to stroll through the tall,

Thick grass that comes up to your waist,

But that is warm and soft to the touch.

Butterflies flit above the glades,

And the smell of fresh country air is a comfort to you.

The Ranger taps your shoulder and points above,

And you see two beautiful birds of prey,

Red kites to be precise,

Weaving across the wisps of cloud.

The Ranger gives a low whistle,

And the birds swoop down in one fluid motion,

Flying towards you now.

One of the kites lands on the Ranger's arm,

And the other perches itself on your shoulder,

Giving your ear an affectionate nip.

I'd like you to meet some friends of mine,

The Ranger says with a smile.

Whenever I am not here,

These two keep watch over this land and report back to me anything I have missed.

They are attuned to my scent and could find me even if I were a hundred miles away.

So,

If you should ever need me,

Come to this spot,

Find my friends,

And they will do the rest.

You feel a wave of reassurance washing over you.

Just knowing that near or far,

Your Ranger will be able to protect you is incredibly comforting.

You stroke the kite on your shoulder and thank the Ranger for all of his help and his companionship on your adventures.

Do not worry,

My friend,

He says,

There are many more to come.

More with the Wizard and new companions,

I am sure,

And I have no doubt there are a few more chapters left for our own adventures together.

The red kites fly up now and resume their place in the clouds,

Watching over you.

Together,

You walk very lazily over the next hill,

Allowing your pace to be slow and steady,

Feeling the enchanted earth under your feet.

And with every step,

Your breathing becomes deeper and longer,

And with every step,

You feel more at peace.

Before you know it,

The golden rays have turned to a soft red sunset,

And you have arrived at a small stone bridge crossing over a familiar winding river.

Ahead of you now is a maze of track roads leading off in all different directions.

And through the hills,

You see houses nestled under the grass with little chimneys poking through,

Puffing out a soft silver steam.

Finally,

You have made it back to your village.

Over in the distance,

You can see the famous party field,

The market square,

And the local tavern.

There are many halflings mingling together,

Some carrying fresh fruit and vegetables,

And others carrying baskets of bread,

Fish,

Or homemade clothes and trinkets.

You take the lead now,

Gesturing for your ranger to follow,

And you walk through the winding dirt track road,

Smiling at some passersby and greeting other halflings in their gardens as they rock gently in their chairs and puff on their pipes,

Enjoying the sunset and bathing in the pinkish red light.

There is a soft,

Cool breeze that flows between the hills,

And it carries with it the faint smell of the lavender fields nearby,

The scent of freshly mown grass and the riverside,

The smells of home.

You guide the ranger through the heart of your village,

And due to his very tall stature,

He receives a few curious looks.

Most of them are welcoming and friendly,

But there are a few raised eyebrows,

And as you share a glance with your companion,

You cannot hide your shared laughter.

There are halfling children playing on the hillside,

And there is a great hustle and bustle in the market square as a solo musician plays a gentle tune on a wood flute.

It is a melody of the countryside that sings to the sunset and dances across the evening air.

It is undoubtedly wonderful to be back amongst all this.

However,

After an incredibly long journey,

The only thing on your mind is walking through your front door,

Brewing up a pot of tea,

And heading straight to sleep.

You shuffle through the crowd and start to work your way down a long,

Winding path,

Slowly leaving all the busyness behind.

The stars are revealing themselves now,

One by one,

As the last light of sunset fades on the horizon.

They pulse in a hypnotic rhythm and start to fill the air with a symphony of sleep,

One that quietens your mind,

Relaxes your body,

And soothes your soul.

And now,

You shuffle over a small wooden walkway,

And the path curves round to the left,

Gradually working its way uphill.

Finally,

Straight ahead of you is your lovely garden,

Your little house under the hill,

And your perfectly round front door waiting for you,

All illuminated by a soft golden lantern.

You stand at your wooden gate and gaze out across the hills.

The view overlooks the entirety of your homeland,

And you have to admit,

Despite all of your adventures so far,

There really is no place like home.

There is a familiar peace and comfort that mingles in the air,

And below,

You can see the nighttime markets in full flow,

The river weaving through the valleys and glistening under the moonlight,

And the little golden lanterns outside each house,

Pulsing like fireflies in the night.

The ranger stops in his tracks and holds out a hand to you.

This is where we bid farewell for now.

I must continue on this road,

But you can see in his eyes that he is weary and almost falling asleep.

Instantly,

You suggest that he come inside.

There is plenty of room to rest by the fire,

And he can leave tomorrow.

The ranger smiles politely,

Opening his mouth to reply,

But you insist before he even gets the chance to speak.

Thank you,

My friend.

I will away at the light of dawn,

Being sure not to disturb you.

The ranger fastens his pony to your garden fence and feeds them an apple,

Whispering an elvish prayer under his breath.

You wander over to your herb garden,

Plucking a handful of chamomile flowers and snipping off a few stems of lavender.

Then,

You unlock your door and the two of you head inside.

You hang your cloak on the coat rack as the ranger shuffles around,

Gradually lighting the oil lanterns on the wall and patches of golden light start to illuminate the room.

Then,

He moves to the stone hearth,

Puts down some logs,

And lights the fire.

You are greeted by a wave of warmth and the familiar cozy comforts of home as you take in all the details of your living room.

You walk over to the kitchen sink,

Filling a cast iron kettle with water and adding the lavender and chamomile.

Then,

You hang the pot over the fire,

Kick off your shoes,

And finally flop down on your big,

Cozy armchair,

Wrapping yourself up in your favorite blanket.

Your body is warm,

Your mind is empty,

Your eyes are heavy.

As your blinks become slower,

You feel yourself drifting in and out of a light sleep.

Your breath is slow and deep,

And you are so relieved,

So at peace.

It is the best feeling in the world to be back home.

The kettle begins to bubble and boil,

And your ranger gestures for you to stay where you are.

He takes the kettle and pours the two of you a nice hot cup of tea.

He passes you a mug,

And you feel this warmth in the palms of your hands.

You can drink it,

He says,

The temperature is perfect.

You take your first sip,

And another,

And another,

As the tea gently coats your mouth,

Your tongue,

And your throat.

You feel the effects immediately.

Your head becomes even heavier,

And you feel the magic of sleep creeping ever closer.

You rest by the fire,

Enjoying the peace,

The quiet,

And the stillness,

And sipping away at your tea.

You give permission now for your body to surrender,

To sink into your armchair.

Permission for your mind to empty of any remaining thoughts,

And permission for your eyes to close.

The ranger takes away your mug,

And you feel it slip away from your grip as your arms hang heavy on your lap.

Rest easy,

My friend,

The ranger reassures you.

You are completely safe here.

I look forward to our next meeting,

And to many more adventures together.

Remember,

I am never too far away.

And with these words,

You realize how safe and protected you truly feel in this moment.

You feel so lucky to live in this beautiful place,

And to have companions that will always look after you.

Your breath is slow,

Like a calm ocean caressing the shoreline,

In and out,

In and out.

The fire crackles low and steady,

And a soft orange glow flickers on the walls.

The cushions underneath you grow softer,

And you feel yourself sinking even deeper into comfort and tranquility.

As the twilight envelops you,

The stars outside will sing you to sleep,

And the moon will keep your dreams beautiful,

Full of magic and adventure.

It is time to let go.

It is time to let go.

It is time to let go,

And drift off into a perfect sleep.