Just a Dream

I had a dream a few years ago that I can still vividly remember and I've been turning it over and over in my head ever since.

The dream started out from the point of view of a young man running through an ancient, dark, forest. The trees were thick with low, twisting branches and knotted roots. The young man was being chased by a wolf, who was quickly gaining on him. It pounced on him from the top of a creek bank but then was shot with an arrow. The young man was unarmed and there was no one else in the woods around him when he looked.

The young man continued on and came across a ruined castle deep in the forest. He explored the crumbling walls until he happened upon a door, still standing in its frame. He opened it and was transported back to a time before the castle had fallen to ruins. The room was decorated and painted as a lavish bedroom. The young man was standing in front of a woman's vanity with a round mirror and combs and brushes set out around a jewelry box. He opened the box and peered in at the delicate arrays of stones and metal.

He turned at a voice behind him. A young woman came in through another door that led back out into the ruins. She held a bow in her hand and wore a mask to hide her face.
    “You should take something,” she said to the young man. “Those were your mother's.”
He turned back to the box and searched through it carefully, deciding after a moment on a necklace on a thin gold chain.
    “Are you ready?” she asked him.
    He stayed silent, unsure.
    “Come on, this way.” She opened the door again and waited for him to follow.