Among the women, some were plain, some were beautiful, some were alone. There was one particular group of impressive looking women gathered into a private group. They talked quietly among one another. And there was one with long dark hair and a knowing, confident face who spoke little outside her group. And she eyed me sidelong. Everyone was able to give up the abilities they had to a great pooling, and then out of the joining each was given their power. You could try to take, to sieze something out of the mixing, or you could surrender your portion in hope to make room for something surging back or drawn out of the pooling.

I let it wash over me, not understanding how the mixing worked, not knowing what to expect, and not expecting much. And then it was done, and each person took their place in a line based on what they felt their ordering was. It was the duty of all to discover and test their abilities to their best, so that the order of powers could be determined. Many took their places in the middle. Some drifted after some discussion and examination and struggle to the end. Some few stepped confidently into the top spots, including the handsome, wolf-like man and the dark haired woman. Her ladies in waiting took their places just below, with other powerful male figures.

I didn’t know where I belonged. So I went to the bottom end and approached someone, wondering if that was where I belonged. I placed my hands against theirs and we struggled to see who could push and wrestle the other back. And they gave way. I was surprised at my strength. So I went a bit further down the line, amused, and tested again, and again they gave way. The others jostled one another, but found their places like a line of kings and queens. I tested myself now against people I had thought I had no hope against, men far taller than myself who I should not be able to overcome. But the powers they had couldn’t stop me.

Bit by bit I moved my way up and wondered how this was possible. The group near the top had not yet tested themselves against one another, but only eyed each other. The wolf-eyed man watched what happened. He watched to see how things went as I approached my tall, composed brother in law. And he eyed the others around him. The dark haired lady and her ladies in waiting eyed me. And although they didn’t say anything, I understood. They were watching a ritual play out. This lady, and her maidens, had made me strong. They had chosen this, chosen to give me strength, so I could face these others. They had given up physical strength and directed it into me, invested power in me, so I could subdue these others.

And so I worked my way at last to the wolf. He was strong and handsome and confident and ruthless and noble. And he had great strength. But he only had his own strength. And I had the strength that had been given to me, the strength of many, small and ordinary as I was. And I threw him back, amazed.

Now there was only one left, the dark lady. And I wondered. This was her strategy. Not to outright defeat all the others by force herself, but to raise up and imbue another to defeat them all for her, to set them in place below me, a tool she knew she could wield and could surely defeat. So what, then, had she kept? If she did not keep her strength, what power had she kept in silence that she knew would give her victory over me? How could she be overcome?

She never said a word, but waited patiently, never revealing her secret, but smiling a little, queenly and unperturbed. And I knew that she must have me trapped and beaten. What could she have kept, what could she have gathered, that would give her that certainty? What did she have that made her know I would have no chance against her, that I was her pet creation to order the powers beneath her? How could I possibly win against her?

I approached, but I did not raise my hands as I had with the others. She kept her hands folded in front of her, as always. Then I knew that there was only one way to conquer her. And that was to surrender and pledge myself to her. So I bent my knee to her and declared my love for her and service to her. And at last she spoke and said that that she was overcome, and she reached out and took my hand, but we did not struggle, nor strive to test strength as I had with the others. And she lifted me up, and I took the place next to her, at the head of the line, hand in hand with her. And our hands were locked together and were like one. And she smiled. And I understood.

In the dream all this took little time. There wasn’t much overt thinking. It was just known. Verbalizing it takes so long, but the images and feelings and experiences were very simple, passing in moments.