Seedling: Reindeer Dreams

It's time I actually posted a little seedling, or the beginning of a story, here.  I found this one when I was going through my short stories folder and I think with a little watering and pruning I think it can grow into something good.

A reindeer ran through her dreams the night the stars fell and her home burned.  A reindeer ran through her dreams, white as snow, with eyes of liquid amber, horns covered in satin.  In her dreams she ran after it and through the sun and onto a cold mountain top where she awoke in the snow.  They said she ran in fear, out of the burning house and into the snow drift to soothe her burning skin, they said she must have screamed for her throat was so dry that she had no voice and for that she couldn’t find an answer in the reindeer or in her memory.

The weeks after were full of fever and pain, and when the bandages were removed the healers clucked and murmured to themselves, but she didn’t need their words to see the scarred, shiny skin and to know her life would be different than it was before.

“It’s okay, dearie,” said one of the nurses kindly, “there’ll be a place for you.  There will be a place.” But what place?  Somewhere for someone like me?  Where?  How?  She looked down at her shiny left hand, so red and angry unlike her left, and clenched it until the skin stretched tight.  “Don’t cry, dearie.”  A tissue dabbing at her cheek and she realized tears had bloomed in her eyes even though she had told herself she didn’t care.

It was then that she buried her memories along with her voice, buried her thoughts and her feelings.  And that was how, on the fifth day after midwinter, Illia came to the great library of Torny to sort books and copy manuscripts in a place they had given her.

Okay, realize this seedling hasn't been edited (well that's the point of a seedling anyways), but I really think it has potential.  It was saved under 'Reindeer Dreams,' and its a good sign I have a title. Also I think it wants a theme, maybe gearing toward forgiveness/revenge.  It feels...right.  But sometimes these things take on a life of their own so we'll see how it develops, when I get the chance of course.