Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

"Claudia, you have won the contest. Gocha accepts you as a student, wake up. She will
send us on a dream voyage."
Claudia cast off the invisible veil under which she had been hiding and opened her eyes.
When Alexandra turned around Gocha had disappeared. They were alone in the dark
room.
Claudia looked at Alexandra with large, bewildered eyes. Instinctively Alexandra put her
finger on her mouth and sat next to Claudia. They waited in silence. The last light disappeared
outside, the room grew dark. Claudia began to tremble. Alexandra put her arm around her
shoulders. When she touched Claudia’s eyelids to make her close her eyes, Claudia took her
hand and kissed her fingertips. Arm in arm they overcame their fear.
After what seemed a very long time, the sound of low drumming came from the adjacent
room. At first Alexandra’s mind jumped in alarm, but nothing happened. The monotonous
drumming changed into a strangely soothing tune. She felt immensely tired.
Claudia fell asleep first. She just lost her balance and tilted over sideways. Alexandra
made her comfortable as best she could and lay down close to her, putting her arm around her
friend’s sleeping body.
A raven appeared in Alexandra’s dream who could talk. He introduced himself quite
formally, nodding his head after every word as birds do.
"I am your soul bird. If you quiet your mind perfectly you can hear your soul speak. It
knows everything from the beginning of time and will teach you how to heal people."
She was floating high above the snow fields and mountains following the raven. She
recognized the valley below, the towers of the Dadeshkeliani castle, the river and meadows.
The raven was heading for a small oak grove along the upper river where she had never
been. The sacred grove where the tree grew that connected the three worlds.
On the stone altar lay the lifeless body of a young woman. As she got closer her heart
stopped. It was Claudia.
"Your friend is dying of fright, she has not yet learned how to fly like you. You have to
save her, call her back and teach her."
Her love for Claudia overwhelmed her. She hovered over Claudia’s lifeless shape and
slowly, first her shadow, then her whole self merged with that of her friend.
As she touched Claudia’s heart with her fingertips it began to beat again, and the world
around her exploded into the blinding white light she had seen when Otto was born. Claudia
came to life and dazzled spoke her name.
The sun was shining into the room when Alexandra woke. Claudia was sleeping next to
her. Alexandra, full of a boundless love for her, repeated the gesture of the dream and Claudia
awoke with a strange look in her eyes.
"Is it you or am I dreaming you?"
Alexandra took her into her arms. "It is I, real and full of love and life."
"I dreamt that I was dying. At first I was much frightened, but I felt no pain only a great
sadness. I saw my mother, and Niko, and Katharina. They were all calling me, and then you
appeared floating effortless in space surrounded by a very bright light. You touched me, and I
woke up."
Suddenly with a cackling laughter a black raven fluttered through the room, the door
opened on its own accord, and he flew off cawing.
Claudia grabbed Alexandra’s arm. Alexandra smiled sadly. "He is my soul bird. He
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