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I Remember
Introduction
Beginnings & Bloodlines
Year 2018, The Third Age
In the snow-capped mountains of Gullacia, a mild wind swept across the jagged slopes, whistling past ravines and chasms as it began its short life. Tumbling down the perilous slopes, the wind streaked past a white-coated rock deer, its three toed hooves easily managing the rocks that would gladly send it crashing to its death below. Pausing for a moment’s rest, the rock deer twisted its powerful neck, flailing its horns in a circle as if a warning against unseen enemies. Catching a volatile scent, the rock deer sprang instantly to a tiresome sprint, thunderous hooves pounding on rock and soil alike. Angry gusts of wind blasted his fur-lined muzzle, yet still he raced on, pitiful puffs of breath bursting from his nose in a futile attempt to cool his body.
Suddenly the rock deer stopped, dead in its tracks, his mind toiling over some unseen presence. Mere spans ahead lay his cave, where his mate and younglings lay hidden. But he knew that to lead his hunters there would mean death for them. Gazing around the rocky outcroppings and passageways the rock deer strained to locate the presence that haunted it so. But all too suddenly the presence of the hunters became apparent. A pack of trollcats lunged upon the tired body of the rock deer, their steel-wrenching jaws cracking its multiple vertebrae into so many small pieces. Violently resisting the clutches of death, the rock deer kicked his rear legs fiercely, breaking the neck of a solitary trollcat, unwise enough to approach the rock deer from its flank. Finally, silence reigns across the icy slopes, as the rock deer collapsed to the earth one last time, its neck split near in two. Howling at the winter wind, razor-sharp fangs and claws ripped through its flesh, turning the clean white snow a deep, dark crimson. Massive slivers of flesh slid down ferocious gullets, all other thoughts oblivious to their attention. Its hunger abated, the alpha male lifted his head, licking his lips and the rest of the pack rose up to follow him. As quickly as it has begun the sudden display of violence has ended. The torn, lifeless corpse of the deer lay motionless amongst the snow and ice, adding its own chill to the surroundings.
Witness the law of survival. The strong prey upon the weak. Predator against prey.
Nearby a predator of a different sort has awakened from a long, deep sleep. Ancient bones creaked and crackled. Long-unused muscles stretched and twisted. Eyes, long unaccustomed to the light, squinted as the sun reflected and refracted into the deepest recesses of the mountain. There was no one to take notice as the tall, thin creature stepped from its cocoon of rock and ice. If there were a creature to take notice it would immediately feel consumed by fear and loathing. As the very shadows of the cave twisted and settled around this being, this predator of old, it began to remember what its life was once like before The Second Breaking. Before The Silence. Before it and its brethren were banished from their hallowed place amongst the gods and driven forth to live amongst the mortals.
Taking careful steps on unsteady legs it felt irresistibly drawn to the light. A light that threatening to blind it, and yet beckoning to it so strongly. And in the light it sensed something it had long forgotten. Tilting its sleek head back it drank in the thick, syrupy nectar that permeated the very air around it. Its black, forked tongue licked the very air like some vile serpent, born in some child’s twisted nightmare. And it smiled with malicious glee.
The world was ripe and ready to be plucked
Leagues below the glacier-like mountains, as the darkness rolled across the countryside, the sun abandoning all the good little girls and boys, a lone silhouette crept across the Smith farm. On the exterior, the Smith household appeared to be the ideal family. Old Man Smith was a well and widely known blacksmith of modest livings and a reputation for earning his keep. His wife, Sarah, was well known and well liked by all the local housewives. Never too busy to lend a hand for a neighbor in need, or a shoulder for a weary soul to cry upon, many considered her to be the nicest woman they knew. Myra, the couple’s blossoming daughter, was a marvel to behold, by anyone’s standard. One of the few young women in Glenn Valley to complete her home schooling, Myra was well known for her tom-boyish look and her propensity for any book within reach. A beaming source of pride to both parents, Myra was the first woman in her family to be accepted into a school for learning, let alone without husband.
But things are seldom as they appear to the outside world. And more often than not, the truth is far uglier than fiction.
Old Man Smith’s reality was an endless blur of drunken nights, pretending that the lack of attention that his wife paid him didn’t bother him. Day after day he stomached the public’s adoration of his craft, grimacing at the sour taste of its sting. The truth was that he poured himself so fully into his work because it was the only tool, save hard liquor, that wiped away all the muck in his life.
Sarah Smith’s reality was an endless attempt at finding solace in her choice of men. In the beginning of their relationship, when her husband had been young and adventurous and full of ideas, Sarah had been excited and honored that such a man would even consider the possibility of marrying her. But now she merely tried to survive each day without dying of complete boredom.
Myra Smith’s reality was an intelligence that surpassed all opportunities for her feminine birthright. Since she was a very young girl, Myra had realized that the more people saw and thought of her as a boy, the more they ignored her mental aptitude. So she played with the boys, like a young man would. She cut her hair short, like a boy would. She grew up with so many bruises from climbing trees and fist fighting that, had you not known she was a young woman, you would have never questioned her masculinity. Her life had gone smoothly, as planned, giving her the freedom to learn at her leisure. Then she had suddenly sprouted and almost overnight Myra’s ample bosom was attracting the eyes of men all over Glenn Valley. Not that Myra minded the attention. In the few months since her sexuality had become apparent Myra had been with more than a dozen men, carefully selecting those she could secretly manipulate into seducing her, with enough to lose from being caught that they would never tell a living soul.
Holding her breasts upright, Myra admired them in her reflection in her wash basin. Her bronze, sun-baked skin seemed almost gray in the darkness of her bedroom. Standing up, Myra peered into the cold reflection of the tiny patch of blond hair that was spreading across her pussy. Dipping her finger into some fragrant oils that her mother had bought her on her nineteenth birthday, Myra ran the finger lightly through her golden bush and rubbed it lightly against her throbbing bundle of excitement.
Slipping her overall’s on with little care for her appearance; Myra slipped her half-worn shoes on and climbed out her bedroom window. Quietly and quickly Myra leapt across her father’s field, landing on the balls of her feet with no effort at all. Once she’d reached the safety of the trees, Myra walked the maze of paths by memory and climbed the old oak without breaking a sweat.
Reaching into the abandoned squirrels’ hollow halfway up the trunk, Myra removed her black leather satchel. Once Myra reached the safety of the ground she untied the bag and spread the satchel’s opening, smiling at her “bag of tricks” as she called it.
A sudden snap of twigs caused Myra to spin around on her heels, a gasp of air almost choking her before she realized that she’d been startled by a gray-spotted hare, darting off through the trees and bushes. Chuckling half-heartedly, her laughter belied the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Old nightmares of creatures so dark and fearsome that the night itself cannot contain them revisit her imagination. So frozen by fear was Myra that she stood there for fifteen minutes before her nerve forced her to walk on to her midnight rendezvous.
Dark eyes easily pierce the endless black of night, watching Myra Smith as she walks onward. A tiny curl rimming its smile, the creature drinks in her spoiled innocence. Stepping back into the shadows of a nearby tree the creature vanishes and steps out into the woods, almost a mile from where it left Myra. Sitting atop a log, whittling away at his flute and stoking his small fire, Tommy Miller awaits the arrival of young Myra.
Tossing a few more logs into the blaze, Tommy rubbed his fingers together, working the warmth of the flames through his knotted joints. Thinking back, Tommy still couldn’t remember how he’d ended up meeting Myra on the outskirts of town after dark. Granted, he’d always noticed her, even before she’d changed. He could remember back when she looked, walked, talked, and hit like every other boy he knew. Things were different now though. Ever since her chest had started rounding out and she’d started showing off her curves, it was hard for anyone to think of her as anything but one of the girls.
Suddenly Tommy was stripped from his contemplation as he heard a twig snap loudly in the woods to his left. Raising up on his elbows he realized that he’d been stroking his penis through his denim slacks while thinking of Myra.
“Getting started without me?” he heard Myra whisper behind him and his heart settled a few beats. Strolling into the light of the fire Tommy realized that he truly loved the way Myra’s body had transformed in the last few months or so. The way her succulent breasts boldly held her overalls at a distance, a much larger duplication of the tent he was now pitching below his waist. Tommy watched with unbridled desire as Myra undid the cold steel buttons of her overalls, teasing him unmercifully as she held the front of them up, just above her cleavage. Turning around so that her back was to him, Myra slowly let the garment slither down her body, exposing her buttox first and foremost and following with her legs. Stepping out of the pool of denim at her feet, Myra turned and treated Tommy to his first glimpse of her stunning beauty that evening. Her toned, muscular legs and arms only heightened the base sexuality of her appearance.
Tommy followed her every move as legs sculpted from years of tree climbing and boyish games of chase strode across the dewy grass and clusters of brush. Setting a black leather bag next to him, Myra sat on the heels of her feet and withdrew two long candles from it. Lighting them from the fire she placed them on both sides of him and straddled his reclining body. Never taking his eyes off her for one minute Tommy fumbled with the buckle of his belt and hastily slid his pants down past his ankles. For what seemed like eternity Myra stood there, poised like a serpent, ready to strike at its prey at a moment’s notice. With a solitary finger Myra toyed with the folds of her lips, spreading them wide as her finger slid in to the first knuckle. Tommy’s cock swelled visibly in anticipation of Myra’s sexual needs.
“Smell it.” She commanded and he instantly obeyed, leaning forward to breathe in the sweet honey aroma of her pussy, the very source of her control over him. He knew it. She knew it. He would do anything for one minute of her heavenly sensuous body snuggly wrapped around his aching manhood.
“Taste it.” She spoke again. He obeyed almost before she spoke, proceeding with the ritual of their nighttime activities. He lingered a little longer than usual on her moist, savory skin, aroused a little more than usual. That is to say the way ice is a little colder than snow. Tommy savored the aroma that danced across his nose while his tongue foraged deep within Myra’s blonde foliage.
Placing her hand on Tommy’s head, Myra gently pushed the older boy backward and watched him eagerly settle back against the tree trunk that he’d been sitting on when she arrived.
“Feel it.” She rolled the words across her tongue as she lowered her hips till his penis slid into her channel smoothly. Leaning backward, Myra braced herself on her hands and slid her legs out so that her knees were elevated to his chest level and her feet were planted firmly on the soil.
Reaching forward, Tommy held Myra’s breasts firmly in hand, squeezing them gently as her hips started pivoting back and forth across his own, capturing and releasing his slick shaft in continuously varying strokes. Alive with the excitement of something frowned down upon, the young couple made love under the cover of darkness, their sweat soaked bodies joining under the watchful eye of something not yet known to the new world.
It watched with intense curiosity as the two thrashed against one another wildly, their movements becoming more intense and hurried, as if they were rushing toward some eminent conclusion to their peculiar actions. Suddenly the two seemed to tense up, almost violently, their bodies near the verge of snapping in two. A small whimper escaped young Tommy as he collapsed from the strain, his body limp and motionless against the tree trunk.
Breathing heavily, Myra kissed his cheek. Curling her fingers deep in his thin mane, she twisted and churned her body against his, her legs wrapping around his like some perverted death grip. And in a rare moment, a small sliver of moonlight glinted in her eye.
In that instant the Darkspawn felt something stir within it. Its bowels rumbled with a hunger it had never felt before. Without hesitation it lunged from the shadows, faster than the human eye could perceive, and suddenly it was upon her. Her eyes wide with fear, she felt herself spreading, like an apple split down the middle, screaming silently under the strain as it slid deep inside her. Her body convulsed madly, twisting and turning with unbelievable pain and pleasure as it strived to make them one.
Her body weak and limp from over-exertion, her head lolled to the side as it took her body. Then she saw him, his broken body draped across a nearby rock. Poor Tommy Miller’s life was at an all too soon end and the night froze under the mixture of laughter and screams.
Sarah Smith frowned when she stepped into the dark, cold living room where her husband had fallen asleep, drunk yet again at his rocking chair. Walking across the room she stopped momentarily to look down at him. Worn and gnarled like a twisted oak, her husband looked almost twice his actual age. His hair was graying in various patches along his scalp and the strain-lines of a hard life since birth had already stolen the youth of his face. His scratchy, stubble-littered face was frozen in a permanent sneer and his empty bottle of whiskey lay discarded on the floor beside him.
Feeling a small pang of sympathy for the old fool she took a knitted quilt from the linen closet and laid it out on him. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d stopped loving him and his meager lifestyle. When she’d first met him he had been a young and handsome tradesman, selling his various tools to the men of her village. Back then he was energetic and inspired, full of wondrous ideas and unlimited hopes and dreams.
She remembered thinking that he was her ticket out of that small town. But then they’d been married and his high hopes and aspirations had fallen by the waist side in order to ensure a future for his family. Instead of unpredictable chances, he’d decided to take the safe path of solid reliable work.
And if there was anything she despised in this world, it was a quitter.
Tip toeing out the back door, Sarah made her way towards the barn, pulling her robe tightly to her naked body. The cool night air sent shivers racing through her skin, causing her to quicken her pace a little. A small light was visible through the far corner of the barn wall and Sarah’s pace quickened to a gentle run with eager anticipation.
Slipping inside the shelter of the simple barn, Sarah walked towards the light when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. Turning with a frightened scream beginning in her throat, Sarah’s lips were instantly smothered under the heavy breathing of her midnight lover. The heat of passion swelled within her stomach, radiating outward through her body as he cradled her in his powerful arms. Standing a full foot taller than her Elijah towered over the tiny woman with an authority of purpose that made her quiver already. Tilting her head back, his full beard tickled her throat as he swallowed her neck in urgent, lustful kisses. She savored the warm embrace of his callused fingers, pulling her robe aside to expose her sensuous nudity. Lifting her up so that her legs coiled around his waist, Elijah carried her awkwardly toward the light, his lips laying siege to her soft, ivory skin. Slowly he lowered her down to the cloak he had resting in a pile of hay, their bodies never losing contact as she felt his massive cock press against her belly. Raising to his knees, Elijah reached for the bucket of grease that he always brought with him. The adulterous pair knew that if Sarah were ever to give birth to a child that her husband would know without a doubt of her indiscretions. So they’d decided to remove the possibility altogether.
Spreading her legs and lifting them towards her chest, Sarah concentrated on the oil lamp burning behind her as Elijah slid a greased finger slowly inside her anus, passing the stubborn ring with surprising ease. Grunting slightly as she felt his finger slide easily into her rectum, Sarah’s tight walls protested in vain as they were forced apart. Slowly he built up a gently rhythm, rocking his finger in and out until they were both comfortable that she was accustomed to it. Removing his finger Elijah took another scoop of grease with two fingers this time and followed the same procedure as before, amazed at how easy it was to slide inside of her. When the rhythm felt right for those two fingers Elijah removed them with a satisfying pop that forced a slight shiver through Sarah’s body.
Next Elijah took a healthy scoop of grease and coated his cock in the slimy substance, watching the thick shaft glisten in the lamp light with a certain pride and satisfaction. Kneeling down towards her, Elijah guided the thick cap of his head inside her asshole, savoring her moans and the tight constriction that came with it. Moving his knees closer and bracing his arms near her shoulders, Elijah rocked his hips forward and back, pushing his cock further and further into the darkest reaches of her. Sarah’s sphincter clutched and relaxed as the first of many mind shattering orgasms shot through her body, tiny ripples of pleasure coursing from head to toe, her skin becoming a living sensory organ.
Sensing the muscle spasms, Elijah increased the pressure of his thrusts, grunting deeply as he felt her tight, warm hole accept the remaining length of his shaft. Elijah could feel the sweat from their bodies, soaking their skin with its foul odor, but the musk tang of their efforts also added an extra vileness to their affair, sending him plummeting over the rocking slopes of his own climax, his pearl-white seed filling the emptiness of her bowels.
Pinching her eyelids shut against the painful enjoyment that always concluded their nightly activities, Sarah focused her strength on fighting against the ache in her stomach. Straining against the tightness swelling around her cheeks, Sarah used what little strength she possessed to roll the both of them over so that Elijah was now lying on his back and she was straddling his hips.
Rising up to her knees she groaned and gasped slightly as she felt his cock slide completely inside her once again, his head poking some inner wall deep within her. Startled momentarily when Elijah’s hands caressed her thighs, Sarah smiled warmly, leaning down to savor her lovers lips in the sultry ecstasy of after-glow, her sphincter somewhat relinquishing its futile battle against his fleshy intruder. Rivers of semen coated his now-limp glands as he churned the slowly softening monster inside her while she reveled in the delicious nastiness of her extra-marital lover.
Sarah slid her hips up and down Elijah’s manhood, embracing the secret release that she found making love in this manner. In this act she wasn’t seeking to procreate in the time honored tradition of housewives. And she wasn’t doing her weekly chore of satisfying her husband’s desires, which for her had become more of a monthly routine. No in this scenario, she was the focus. She was the beneficiary, adding a purposeful moan as she drove her ass home against Elijah’s staff, feeling herself approach the pinnacle of one more climax. Closing her eyes to savor the fantasy of the moment, Sarah’s hips vibrated up and down along Elijah’s shaft, drawing out each jolt of sexual energy until they both lay exhausted amongst cloak and hay.
Brushing a strand of her auburn hair out of her face, Elijah kissed his lover on the forehead. Then her cheek. Drifting slightly sideways he planted a tiny peck on her nose, which led to another one on her lips. But Sarah never left it at that. Clutching handfuls of his dark locks she pulled him into a full-blown kiss, heaving and gasping for breath as her passion took the very breath from her.
“It is time, dear Sarah.” Elijah sighed, regrettably breaking the silence of their fantasy life together.
“I know . . . I just . . . “ God how she hated having to let him go.
“It is time.” They both knew that every moment that she remained in the barn added to the chance that her husband would catch them. And the price for the betrayal of marriage vows was the loss of your head. And that of your fellow vow-breaker.
Sliding off of him Sarah made her way back into the darkness of the barn, shifting around in the shadows for her discarded robe. Sliding the sheer garment on she tied the sash around her waist, pinning the folds across her chest. Stepping back into the light she leaned up and kissed Elijah one more time, savoring the firmness of his grasp.
“Till we meet again.” Elijah whispered as he twisted the lantern key, extinguishing the flame into total darkness.
Readjusting the folds of her robe, Sarah squirmed a little on her feet as she felt the discomfort in her anus that always followed sex with Elijah. Running her hands along the front of her garment, she wondered if she’d ever tire of his simple desires. In truth she knew that she desired something a bit more. Something a bit darker. A bit more dangerous. Pinching her nipple tightly through the gap in her robe Sarah’s knees quivered with renewed delight.
But she quelled her instinct to quest her finger southward. She had been away from the house for too long as it was. Picking up her robe, Sarah tiptoed towards the door, but she stopped short when she saw Elijah creep slowly back into the dimly lit barn.
“What are you doing?” She whispered, her eyes barely able to discern the empty glaze in his eyes.
“Saaaaaaa. . .” He gasped through half frozen lips as he fell to the floor in front of her, his head thumping off the hard, dirt floor of the barn. Sarah’s heart ceased to beat during the moments that followed, recognizing the chopping axe that was protruding from Elijah’s upper back, buried to the hilt halfway between his shoulder blades. A dark black pool of blood eerily filled the room around her lover, forcing the bile within her stomach to rise up into her throat and onto the surrounding dirt and hay. Coughing and choking on her own fluids, Sarah wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, moaning in disgust.
Then she heard footsteps walking into the interior of the barn, directly following where Elijah had come from.
A whimper catching in her throat, Sarah spun back on her heels as the silent silhouette strode across the cold emptiness of the room towards her. Sarah leaned back against an enormous bale of high as the solemn figure purposely made its way across the space between them, stopping just short of her as the moonlight shone through one of the overhead windows.
Old Man’s sinister sneer bore through Sarah like a red-hot poker, searing her sanity as she saw the pure and untainted hatred blazing in his eyes.
Standing before the woman that he had committed his entire life to, Old Man fought against the rage that eclipsed the reasoning in his mind and heart. The death of his wife’s lover already forgotten, Old Man clenched his fingers repeatedly as he stared into the eyes of the woman who had betrayed his faithfulness and his dedication.
The two eyed each other as the silence and stillness stretched on seemingly forever. Both oblivious to the creature approaching them from the bloodless body of Elijah, licking its slick crimson lips with the renewed vigor that came with mortal lifeblood. The shadows stretched and skewed around it as the creature closed in on its prey.
All too late Old Man turned in horrific recognition as the darkspawn closed upon him with deadly efficiency, its razor-sharp fangs piercing his jugular with child-like ease, spilling its intoxicating contents into its mouth. Powerful jaws pumped the rich fluid from his withering body, siphoning the very last drop down its greedy gullet.
Raising its grisly face from the neck of Old Man, the vile abomination of corruption and perversion snarled at the prone women in the corner of the barn. Holding its forearm above her husband’s cold lips, it sliced a deep gash across its wrist and spilled several droplets into his prone mouth. Sarah then watched in unbridled horror as her husband’s body convulsed and cringed as if something were tearing him apart from the inside out. Then suddenly his body went still.
The creature sat upright next to his body, smiling its unnatural smile at her from across his lifeless corpse.
Then, when Sarah Smith thought she’d seen the limits of her horrid imagination, Old Man began to move, his body rising under unsteady arms that threatened to give way at any moment. Slowly, as if beyond the reaches of time itself, he looked around the interior of the barn as if gazing upon this world for the first time. Then, as his eyes fixated upon her, she saw the emptiness in his eyes: dark pools of pitch-blackness that betrayed nothing of his earlier restraint. Cold malicious intent gleamed against his elongated canines as he flashed her a grin. A grin born of hate and nothing else.
Then it spoke. Walking closer to her it’s skin seemed to melt and run like butter left too long out in the sun, smoothing over in some places and bunching up in others like potter’s clay under the craftsman’s hand. Finally when the grotesque scene was finished it stood before her under a new guise, garbed in nothing but the chill air and an ancient cruelty.
The monster that was her husband crept towards her slowly, snarling like a beast. But it was in control, not him.
“No my dear Old Man, I have something much more delicious in store for her. Something much more eternal. Something much more deserving of her unfaithfulness.” It hissed through ruby red lips and a forked tongue.
Standing beside it, her husband resumed his appearance of first-born discovery, twisting his arms and body as if testing it out for the first time.
Then she realized that it was crouched in front of her, its foul breath more inches from her face. Taking its slit wrist the creature placed it over Sarah’s mouth, pinning her easily before its strength until she had no choice but to swallow the acrid blood.
Half-choking on the vile liquid Sarah heaved and hacked as she felt it burn a path down her throat. Suddenly her body was on fire as the tainted blood filled her veins. Doubled over in pain, Sarah Smith cried silent tears, caught in an endless loop of pain that gave her no respite. Several minutes passed before the soreness in her muscles were swept away and Sarah opened her eyes to find a world unlike the one she’d just left.
Above her, in this world, stood her Lord and Lady Masters. Her Lady held out a hand to her and she quickly crawled forward to kiss the palm lovingly. “Now we shall be the family we should have been.” It hissed. “And won’t that be nice . . . Mother.”
Year 3010, The Third Age
Dark eyes suddenly sprang open as the ancient nightmare quickly relinquished its hold on her memory. Rubbing flawless palms against solid black eyeballs, the almost seamless combination of mortal flesh and nigh god-like power rose to face yet another long night among beings not fit to lick her boots.
Raising from her bed, she passively glanced at the knotted bundle of dead flesh in the spot next to her, curling an amused grin at the sight. It was good to know that she hadn’t lost her allure after all these centuries. As soon as she stepped from the covers two liveried servants were there to place a near see-through gown of silk across her feminine shoulders, while two more rushed in to dispose of the body of her most recent lover. Sometimes she hated the eternal ritual of draining the life from her prey, the eternal bond between her and the creature that dwelled deep within her soul. Just once, she wondered, would she ever find someone capable of truly quenching her thirst.
Not by coincidence she stepped into the room adjoining hers and gazed down at the powerful chest of the creature that had once been her father, that was now her consort. Littered around the foot of his bed, for he still liked to think of himself as a man, lay half a dozen female corpses. His taste for feminine flesh hadn’t diminished at all in the thousand years since they had both been given the Cruel Blessing.
But she walked on, unwilling to deal with his cynicism this morning.
She knew exactly what she desired these days. Unfortunately she didn’t seem capable of finding him. By definition, as Queen of her kind she should be able to locate him with ease. And yet somehow, by some cruel twist of the gods, she could no more locate him than a pebble on a beach. Wiping her hand across the wall, she stepped into the long dark stairwell that carried fowl smelling air from deep within the bowels of the ancient castle. There nestled deep within the darkness lay a cool, pool of crisp, pure water, untainted by the hands of mortal man or the earth. Quickly stepping towards the reflective pool, she dropped to her knees at the very edge, tossing her gown open so that the cold hard stone of the well seemed to petrify her creamy, pale skin. Pulling a pure silver dagger from the center of the well, she gracefully sliced one of her wrists and let the thick crimson liquid drip slowly into the water, like a stream of molasses, frozen by the hands of time as the earth itself pulled at the blood with cosmic energy.
“Dark Mother of the Void!” Her voice reverberated against the thick stone walls. “Show me that which I desire. Show me that which shall complete me. Show me my other half! Show me!”
Finally a drop broke free and the silvery pool rippled with its penetration, almost instantly turning black with the corruption of her blood, the corruption of the Other within her. Sucking the wound into her mouth, she bathed it in her saliva until it sealed, after which she wove her hands violently in the air, like some exotic dancer, until the black water began to shimmer and an all too familiar face came into view. Gazing with intense curiosity Myra watched as the scene within the shallow pool unfolded. Perhaps she would deal with the Old Man’s cynical demeanor tonight?
In the cool crisp after-hours of dusk Alexandrii Courtier loved nothing more than to walk among the endless fields of wildflowers behind her home where reds and yellows and pinks and purples littered the ground as far as the eye could take you. Sweet fragrances filled her senses on those wondrous evenings, sending her to lands beyond her hopes and dreams, where the pain and suffering of the world had no hold.
But tonight was not about the naïve fairytales of childhood. Tonight she came to terms with her pending adulthood and the pain that came with innocence lost. Running her hands along her long skirts with their heavy embroidery and thick woolen lining, ideally suited to the frosty air, Alexandrii watched as her breath froze in a wisp of smoke. Her thick leather boots trudged through the mud and dew, leaving deep intricate tracks in her wake. Reaching up she toyed with her intricate braid of hair, hidden beneath the heavy cowl of her cloak.
Pacing reverently through the solemn statues of granite and slate, Alexandrii pulled her hood and cape closer as she made her way towards the far corner of the lonely plot. The ragged tips of her cape brushed across unkempt grass and weeds as she passed, mournful reminders of the forgotten dead.
Stopping at the simple stones that marked the passing of her father and mother, Alexandrii knelt down to kiss the frigid tombstones, drawing forth the tears that she’d held back for so long. Placing the roses of her family crest and namesake across the covered bodies of her parents, she made all attempts to compose herself as her servant and bodyguard approached from the graveyard entrance. Handsome in his simple looks and living, Alexandrii imagined that she would take him on her Coming of Age Day.
Though she was still too sheltered and naive to understand the primal attractions of lust and longing that she felt towards him, she all too plainly understood other attractions to him. The two had grown up together almost as brother and sister since birth, best friends with an edge that split them farther apart than either could admit. Because in the end it didn’t matter how equal she considered him, Jacob would always be her slave. Such was the preordained position of their families, and as a result, their relationship.
Wiping her gloved hand across her cheek, Alexandrii realized that tears that owed nothing to her parents’ untimely death streaked her face in thin lines of dark makeup.
Silent and considerate, Jacob handed her a clean handkerchief from his pocket before she even thought to ask. Ever diligent, the slightly older young man stood next to her with a casualness that only made him appear that much more dangerous. There was a subtle difference in the arrow that sprang from the bow and the arrow that lay poised in anticipation of being let loose.
Jacob straddled that subtlety in a way that made her shiver sometimes. So strong and sure of himself, Jacob didn’t even realize how safe his very presence made her feel. Or perhaps he did. Subconsciously she knew that she loved him for that sense of safety that he radiated.
Caught in the quagmire of political manipulations and masquerades, Alexandrii felt safest only when Jacob’s powerful frame stood between her and her enemies, both known and unknown. So safe did she feel in his presence, in fact, that she’d already taken to moving his sleeping quarters into her own bed chambers; a move that her aunt had repeatedly warned her against, lest she gain a loose reputation. But Alexandrii had already firmly established herself as an unruly youth; rebellious and full of her own notions of the world, much to her aunt’s chagrin.
A light touch on the shoulder and Alexandrii knew it was time to go. Time to let go of the past that had haunted her so fiercely throughout her childhood and threatened to consume her future. At long last she had discovered the fate of her parents.
One final tear dotted her cheek as she turned her back upon them and, with a great sigh, walked away.
Glancing in Jacob’s direction as he took up a pace to her left and slightly behind her, Alexandrii realized that he had severely changed his appearance over the past few months. His solid black cloak swept around in front of him, almost as a greedy miser might guard his coins. Tiny glints of silver and steel proved that he wore his Talon with pride, declaration to the world that he was an official protectorate of nobility. The blade itself was a mystery to the general populous, for the secretive order was oath-sworn never to draw unless no other solution was viable. A true testament to their skills since none had ever seen the enigmatic blades for more than a second’s glimpse, perhaps in transit from saddle to hip. What a true honor it was for him and her heart felt lighter with the private acknowledgement of his accomplishment.
Thinking slyly to herself Alexandrii wondered whether she would wed Jacob as her first husband or make him wait until she’d been tamed a bit, whatever that meant. How she couldn’t wait to come of age. Finally to understand what her aunt and the other “ladies” giggled about behind closed doors. To find out what was so empowering and yet so overpowering between a man’s legs.
Sighing a long bereaved sigh Alexandrii climbed up into Sprite’s saddle. Twenty-three years she’d been waiting and still no closer was she to understanding the taunting secrets of adulthood. Patting the neck of her snow-white gelding, Alexandrii initiated a trot as Jacob pulled up beside her on Storm. “Are you okay?” He asked with that slow, deep drawl of his; that is when he forgot to keep it in check.
“Yeah.” She said with a renewed sense of purpose. “I think I am.” She said more as a certainty than as an issue to ponder. “Should we try for home or make camp here? The night’s already rolled in while we weren’t looking. I’d hate to get lost, at night, in these woods.” Her aunt’s manor was only an hour or two’s ride from where they were, but the darkness of night could more than double that time, on top of concealing the whereabouts of thieves and bandits. Or worse perhaps.
“Surely you’re not afraid of the big bad wolf?” Jacob chided her candidly.
A false pained look attempted to dominate her features but instead it came off looking more like a pout. “I am not afraid of the big bad wolf!” Alexandrii scolded her protector, playfully smacking him on the arm at his immature reference to her fear of her aunt’s nursery rhymes as a child. Somehow Jacob had that always-annoying quality of transitioning from stern seriousness to unbridled gaiety without the slightest warning, and he always caught her off-guard with it. Always.
Then his mood shifted again. Cool, calculating, and deadly. Turning his solid black stallion around to survey the land Jacob pointed in the direction of the sun, which always indicated south in the night sky. “There’s the most direct route to your aunt’s, but we’ll have to navigate through some rocky terrain and a lot of brush with very little light at all to guide us.”
Alexandrii silenced her desire to remind him that she knew the way home. Although many of the older nobility took great pleasure in humiliating and demeaning their own guardians, she was wise enough to trust the judgement of her dark clothed knight.
“I know the way will be hard,” he continued “but considering the recent problems that they’ve been having in these areas with vandals and the sort I’d rather our chances on the move than asleep in a camp.”
Nodding assent Alexandrii followed Jacob’s lead as he galloped off into the mouth of the wooded landscape, thundering through the dense trees as if the darkness itself was on their heels. Twisted branches scraped and tugged at her body and the frantic flapping of her cape as she led her timid mare deeper into the endless maze of bark and stone, wondering if they would ever reach the other side, where greener pastures and friendly faces resided. Alexandrii was determined to keep her mind and eyes focused on Jacob as he plowed on ahead of her, but casual glances to either side revealed that they were not alone.
Fiery gems of green and yellow dotted the black background of the woods as various nightly creatures came out to see what disturbed their silent home. A few times Alexandrii swore she saw a few rabbits and hares racing away from their path, fleeing certain death as steel rimmed hooves threatened to grind them into dust. She also swore she recognized various wolves on the farther edges of her vision, some sitting motionless as they sped by, menacing in their stillness, while others crept after them, vanishing beneath rotted logs and bushes only to reappear farther up the path.
Sprite sensed their presence as well; whinnying slightly as the very fabric of the woods seemed to swallow them deeper inside itself. But still Jacob pushed onward, unrelenting in his pace and seemingly unaware of the beasts that entertained their perimeter.
“I know they’re there, Alex. I just choose not to see them.” She suddenly heard Jacob yell back to her. Alexandrii’s brow curled as the words registered in her mind.
“If we openly challenge their right to be here, in their own territory, then we’ll have more than bandits to deal with.” But that was as much information as he was giving about the situation. Sometimes she forgot that he spent a lot of his time immersed in books. And other hours learning from so many of the men who worked for her aunt. Pondering to herself she wondered how much he knew that she didn’t even realize yet.
Just then something large and quick rushed at her from off to her left and Sprite rose up onto its haunches while she struggled to pull in the reins and gain control of the beast. The wind whipped her face brutally as her cowl fell away from her head; an icy blast that instantly turned her cheeks a rosy pink, dry and sore. As soon as its hooves touched earth, Sprite’s legs pushed off again, fighting off the teeth and claws that threatened it from a safe distance. Alexandrii’s hands flew wildly through the air as she tumbled to the cold frost-bitten earth, where a frenzied mass of fur and foul-smelling breath immediately fell upon her, forcing her skin against the jagged rocks and gnarled roots. Alexandrii screamed hard as she felt her arm explode with a sharp numbing pain, tears swelling in her eyes while the beast tossed her arms round in its mouth, threatening to rip it from the socket.
Her heart mourned as she heard the muffled cries of her poor horse, but her own survival pushed the loss aside. Thrusting her knee upward, Alexandrii heard a surprised yelp from the monster and she felt the pain subside for a split second. Swinging her other leg across and kicking hard, she watched with a mesmerized sense of awe as the heel of her boot cracked and dislocated the lower jaw of an enormous gray wolf, rabid foam bubbling over its crimson canine fangs. Her first glimpse of the wretched creature sent instant chills racing through her spine like a dam that suddenly sprang open. Sweat and spit soaked its dirt-crusted fur all across its grim muzzle, the unnatural tilt of its jaw giving it an added sense of grotesque power. The feral beast growled at her fiercely, apparently oblivious to it’s own loose hanging jaw that crackled and popped with the show of dominance.
Crawling backward on hand and buttox, she distanced herself as more silhouettes close in around her. Whimpering as her arm gave out, Alexandrii threw her good arm around her head and face, waiting for the eventual dog pile, so many bodies piling upon her as their claws and teeth split her skin like rotted fruit. The very thought threatened bile from the pit of her stomach. Silence stretched on for several seconds, the emptiness filled only by the labored breathing of animals on the hunt and the telltale grinding of the all too familiar wolf. All of her nightmares as a child came rushing to the surface; the big bad wolf who came to prey upon the spoiled and unruly children of the world, tracking the scent of their cruel lies as it would footprints in the dirt. Alexandrii cried the tears of childhood, untainted by feelings of dignity and nobility, she curled up tighter and tighter into a fetal ball, all other sounds muffled by those in her mind.
Then suddenly the ringing of steel on bone and the heavy thunder of burdened hooves crashing through the surrounding brush shattered her nightmares.
“Get up.” She heard Jacob’s deep voice command and her frozen joints surged with strength enough to move. Rolling over onto her back, Alexandrii watched as a streaming plane of silver glare emptied the bellies of two wolves in mid-air, letting their lifeless corpses return to the earth. Never removing his eyes from the confrontation at hand, Jacob yelled at her once more. “Get up!”
Shaking violently, she rose to her feet, clumsily sliding her feet into Storm’s stirrups and thrusting herself up and onto the saddle behind Jacob.
“Yahhhh!” He yelled and his unhindered steed tore off into the woods, Jacob’s effortless strokes clearing the way of animal and plant alike. Disturbed to her core Alexandrii wrapped her fingers together around Jacob’s waist and pulled her chest and face to rest firmly against his strong back, confident that she would never fear as long as he was with her. Onward through the all too prickly reach of the woods the pair rode on, the landscape racing past them as Storm heeded his master’s call, pouring every ounce of strength into every stride, clearing brush and bramble while a searing pain built deep in his muscles.
And Jacob knew it.
Heeling Storm in, he leaned over the side of the saddle and brushed a clump of dark maroon fur aside, revealing a deep gouge in his left leg, barely missing his hamstring. Rising to his upright seated position, Jacob seemed more than a little disturbed by the experience; something that Alexandrii was uneasy about noticing.
Just then a shrill howl pierced the night sky and Alexandrii pulled her body tighter to Jacob’s backside, trying to absorb some iota of his strength and courage.
Jacob spun the horse around in a slow paced circle as he surveyed the endless wall of trees, but he also seemed to be looking beyond the trees, as if he saw more than was there. She couldn’t explain it, but it reminded her of the many times as children that they’d been playing and skipping their lessons, and Jacob always seemed to know when the coast was clear and when it wasn’t. He would get the same look that he had right now, dazed over and oblivious to all else, as if in a trance, and then he would snap out of it and lead her away from where they were, just in time to avoid being caught by her aunt.
It had spooked her then, and it spooked her now as well.
“What is it?” She asked him as she rubbed her hand soothingly up his rippled chest, feeling the iron-hard muscles beneath his thin shirt of black silk; a small luxury she afforded him without her aunt’s knowledge.
“Something is out there . . . in the night . . . waiting for us.” Jacob intoned with a monotone manner that reminded her of Sacred Day priests, chanting their ancient tongued hymns with a chilling lack of emotion.
“What kind of something?” she muttered softly, suddenly feeling the airy chill through her cloak, which she drew tighter to her chest.
Then Jacob turned toward her, and the look of helplessness in his eyes frightened her more than anything else could. “I don’t know what kind of something.” He whispered, his breath drifting up towards the tree canopy in thin white puffs.
Once again the silence of the night was split by the call of wolves upon the prowl, causing Jacob to heel Storm around in its direction. Unfortunately, the air directly in front of his left shoulder was split by a solid black arrow shaft, led by the barbed head that ripped his shoulder, bone and muscle, into so many useless fragments. The force of the impact and Jacob’s reaction almost sent Alexandrii and him both spilling onto the ground, but he recovered himself and leaned forward against Storm’s neck, breathing hard as fresh blood spilled across his arm and chest.
Several figures in black stepped from the cover of surrounding trees brandishing axes and swords as they approached the stalwart pair. Alexandrii didn’t even realize Jacob was speaking to her until he had almost finished relaying his intentions. “ . . . Into the woods and trust Storm’s speed and direction, he will get you home or run himself into the ground trying.” Confusion creased her brow just before he rolled himself out of the saddle and tumbled onto the ground, barely catching himself on unsure knees. The cold song of steel rang through the air as his Talon sprang from its hilt, twisting and spinning in his palm as if he did not struggle to keep his left arm from dragging him down.
“Go.” He yelled at her, his body holding her would-be kidnappers at bay. Alexandrii paused as the first two attackers sprang at her savior in opposite directions, dead before their bodies even struck the hard, packed earth. She was mesmerized, as were the remaining attackers, as Jacob spun his unblemished steel around in a tight arc to rest above his head in a defensive posture, preparing for the next man in black brave enough to approach him. Through the corner of his eye Jacob saw his black stallion anxious to take its precious package away from the brawl, and once more he commanded the beast to speed her away. Alexandrii yelped slightly as the sheer force and strength of his command shook her senses, as if he were speaking with the voice of a thousand kings.
Storm responded instantly and, mindless of her commands to halt, carried Alexandrii away with an energy that defied his earlier exhaustion. Turning, she caught one last glimpse of Jacob’s glinting blade as it danced through three more figures, resting across his outstretched arm as half a dozen more men in black stepped from the shadows.
Committed to not wasting Jacob’s sacrifice, Alexandrii gripped Storm’s reigns and rapped her heels against his rear quarter, launching him into a full-tilt gallop. Ducking her head close to his neck, Alexandrii hoped that Jacob could hold out long enough for her to send a battalion of guards to rescue him. Her only prayer lay in the hope that she wouldn’t be too late.
The dark looming walls of the Manor Courtier seemed to tower over Alexandrii more than she remembered as she and Storm slowly trotted onto the silent grounds. Curiously Alexandrii’s eyes darted from building to shadows and back again to building, her mind pondering why her arrival had not sounded on the horns. Even more perplexing was the ghost town appearance of the grounds. She had heard stories from many of the passing minstrels and knights through her aunt’s manor and bedchambers and knew all too well the random villages or towns that lay so far outside of civilization that abandonment often left them forgotten and completely unpopulated by anything, except the ghost perhaps of long dead townsfolk.
Hence the name ghost town.
And that’s what she was in right now, a ghost town that defied explanation. No more than a day had passed since she and Jacob had left to visit the burial site of her parents and all things had been in pure, disciplined order when they left.
Off to her left Alexandrii heard a loud creak, as if a door had suddenly been pushed open on its rusted hinges and she thought she would lose her mind soon if someone didn’t come to take Jacob’s stallion from her soon.
Tricks of the mind convinced her that she saw shapes moving within the shadows, glinting eyes that were there one second and gone the next. Faces that hovered near the very edges of pitch-black puddles that ended up being mirrors and windows when she approached them closer.
Finally Alexandrii grew disgruntled with her increasing sense of dread and forced herself to take charge of the situation and unsaddle Storm herself. Of course she would have to do so quickly, for Jacob’s life was at stake; an all too real consequence that sped her actions a bit more.
Standing in the dank-smelling darkness of the stable, Alexandrii knew deep in her heart that her fear and anxiety over her return home were only left over emotions from her encounter with the wolves. But some part of her knew as well that something here was wrong. Latching Storm’s reins to the stable, she set a pail of oats in front of him and brushed his midnight-black mane with a thankful sigh.
Walking across the stables, towards the manor, Alexandrii quickly realized how dark the world truly became at night. Her throat tightened under the renewed fear within her. Slowly she stepped out of the stable and passed her gaze across the distance between her and the manor. Never before in her life had such a small distance seemed so unreachable. But she resolved herself once more. Right now the only thing that mattered was getting help for Jacob.
Her joints aching with adrenaline and pain, Alexandrii slowly crept out of the safety of the stable. One step and she was suddenly more certain that she would make it. A second step and she could feel much of her trademark courage returning to her. A third step and she felt her heart lurch into her throat. Just behind her and off to the right Alexandrii could hear something that at first sounded like dried corn frying over an open fire. Snap-pop went the golden kernels and she briefly thought of her and Jacob enjoying the light snack over a game of Lords and Ladies. But this sound was no dried corn popping over her aunt’s fireplace. This sound revisited upon her the pain that bit deep into her shoulder.
Turning slowly she knew what she would find awaiting her. Peering from the corner of the stable sat the wolf from the woods; the wolf who’s jaw popped and creaked like an old childhood memory. Slowly, as if not to startle it, Alexandrii took a step backward, towards the manor. Slowly, the wolf began to walk toward her, leaving the consuming shadows of the stable.
One more step backward and Alexandrii thought she might make it to the door. Something must have stirred the wolf however because he was on her before she knew what was happening. Fury and rage supposedly meant nothing to the beasts of the woods, yet this gray mass of fur and teeth and claws seemed to understand anger completely. Massive jaws of steel seemed to saw deep into her aching shoulder, forcing hard tears of pain and helplessness to surface. Screams burst forth from her lungs and Alexandrii hoped that someone somewhere would hear her suffering. Hours seemed to drag on like that, this beast ripping deep into her flesh until she could feel its sharp teeth grazing against her bone.
“Please, help me!” She screamed with all of her might, punching wildly and randomly at the grotesque monster the wolf had become. Suddenly thunder erupted all around her and Alexandrii wondered if this was what death felt like. Soon however she recognized the sleek black coat of Storm as he crushed the back of the savage wolf beneath his awesome weight.
Choking on her own sobs and tears Alexandrii lay there, thanking the gods and Jacob for such a wonderful animal. Despite herself she chuckled lightly as the stallion nibbled at her chin and cheek. Curling her good hand into his reins she let the faithful steed pull her to her feet. Standing on unsure legs, Alexandrii cried out suddenly as her wounded shoulder hung limp to her side. Storm surprised her once more by lying down on the ground beside her. Slowly with the last ounce of her remaining strength Alexandrii collapsed onto the horses bare back, thanking herself for removing his saddle. Softly she whispered meaningless coos and assurances while she petted Storm’s soft mane.
Slowly the sturdy mount stood up and made its way to the door she had been approaching. Alexandrii weakly reached out with her good hand and pulled the door open, marveling at Storm’s intelligence as he used his body to brace the door open and walked into the Courtier Manor kitchen.
Letting the door slide shut behind him, Storm turned round so that Alexandrii could reach out and close the door behind them.
Truly magnificent creature, she thought.
Somehow leading the horse towards the kitchen table, Alexandrii found bits of hard cheese and some dried raisins sitting on a tray and she struggled to gorge herself on the bittersweet mixture. Right now she didn’t care about appearance and regality, scooping the rest of the food into her good hand so that she could snack on it as Storm led her through the manor. Click-clack sounded the horse’s shoed hooves off the hard wood floor of the dining room, just through the doorway of the kitchen.
“Hello?” Alexandrii screamed through the still silence of the manor. Her own was all that came back to welcome her. Vacant, Alexandrii pondered to herself?
Slowly the pair made their way through the all-consuming manor, sensing the countless eyes that most likely stared at them from the perimeter of the house. Hysterical laughter threatened to overtake Alexandrii as she pictured the irony of her wolf-ridden nightmares and tonight’s multiple encounters. So many years of her childhood spent growing up in this household and in the surrounding woods and she’d never once encountered one of the beasts. Now that she had, she wished that fate had spared her the experience.
At first Alexandrii led Storm to every single room they came across, even the inner rooms where only the maids and other servants wandered. But eventually Alexandrii resigned herself to the reality that no one was there. That she was all alone in the manor. And her small food supply was gone, the last slice of cheese leaving a bitter, dry taste in her mouth.
“Well, I guess we’re on our own for now, Storm” Alexandrii breathed a slow remorseful sigh.
Ironically, at that very moment, Alexandrii heard voices coming from her aunt’s wing of the house and her heart lifted a little at the thought. Storm, as if sensing his rider’s intentions, made off in search of the errant voices, dodging her aunt’s obstacle furniture along the way.
Slowly the voices become louder and more coherent with each stride of Storm’s powerful legs, voices that were distinctly divided: one male and one female. And yet distinctly connected. True, though Alexandrii had never experienced first-hand the act of making love, she knew a woman’s moans when she heard them. Turning a long corner, Alexandrii found herself sitting atop Storm’s back in the entryway to the Study, staring open-mouthed as two naked bodies writhed against one another, spread out atop her aunt’s soft, bear-skin couch.
As if in a trance, Alexandrii couldn’t tear her eyes away for even a second, her eyes tracing the hard thick muscled brute of a man as he ground into the thin woman beneath him. Alexandrii couldn’t begin to comprehend how the woman could be enjoying such an experience, wondering how she wasn’t crushed beneath his iron-like muscles.
As Alexandrii sat mesmerized, her right hand slid against Storm’s brow and the well-trained steed reacted instantly, stepping sideways slightly.
Alexandrii’s heart leapt into her throat as the two figures on the couch before her froze immediately and turned to stare at the shadowy figure in the doorway. Shadows and light danced across the couple’s faces, making it more than difficult for her to recognize them. And so the trio sat and stared, time dragging on for a seeming eternity, until finally the woman on the couch spoke.
“Lexa, my dear? Is that you, hiding in the shadows there, like some vagabond?” Her voice drifted into the hallway.
Flustered at the sudden lack of privacy, Alexandrii’s aunt leapt to her feet. Pulling her heavy nightgown on over her naked limbs, the tall, statuesque woman quickly crossed the distance to the Study’s doorway. Anxiously, Alexandrii backed Storm out of the doorway and farther back into the safety of the shadows, where she slowly crawled off of the obedient steed.
“What is it, my dear?” Her aunt once more called out to her.
But Alexandrii’s attention wasn’t focused on her aunt. Instead it was consumed by the large silhouette that silently approached her aunt from behind. Without a word spoken between them, Alexandrii watched in utter terror as her aunt’s lover bit down hard into the flesh of her neck, clasping a firm hand over her mouth that stifled any scream before it began. Petrified, the young woman watched as the life drained from her aunt, until finally the woman’s emptied body lay limp in his arms. Yet still the creature fed upon her.
Then to her utter surprise he lifted his head and looked up at her. Alexandrii sat motionless as his eyes pierced her gaze, enthralling her in his spell. “Such a gentle flower you are.” His guttural voice echoed inside her brain. “I shall enjoy every inch of your body for centuries to come.”
With horrific helplessness, Alexandrii couldn’t force herself to move as the giant of a man began to walk towards her, nary a drop of her aunt’s blood on his vibrant lips. His body seemed to welcome the darkened shadows of the hallway, turning a cool purplish hue in the absence of light. A feverish heat flushed Alexandrii’s body with every step that he made towards her. Her eyes timidly wandered to the thick growth of hair between his legs and the curious appendage that hung limply from the tuft of black curls. She had heard the women servants talking about the enigma she was now seeing firsthand, but none of their descriptions could have prepared her for the unwanted thrill that raced through her spine.
It devoured her attention as it swayed back and forth with his every step. Amazed at her own indifference, Alexandrii found herself wondering how it would feel in her hands. Her mind toiled with the thought of it. The weight of it in her palm. The sheer texture of it as her fingers ran along it.
Then suddenly, he was there before her, towering above her tiny frame. Her breath brushed against his thick shag of chest hair. His hands slid across the base of her chin to eventually cradle her neck and head.
Savoring the musk fragrance of his sweat, Alexandrii closed her eyes and allowed herself to be drawn into him. Ever so gently he tilted her head backward and to the side, exposing the tender flesh of her neck. Anxiously, she moaned as his warm breath engulfed her throat.
All time seemed to stretch on endlessly for her, punctuated solely by the sharp needle-like pricks at base of neck and shoulder.
Then suddenly all went still and silent. A low throaty whisper whined its way from the lips of the man who stood before her. Awakening from his spell, Alexandrii opened her eyes to witness the naked man stumbling backward, clutching his side. Pacing with him was another figure, battered and covered in blood.
With a sharp and sudden jerk, the sword in the naked man’s gut was removed, singing harshly as steel grazed bone. Turning Jacob quickly moved toward Alexandrii and captured her hand in his own. “Come, we must go.” He instructed her.
The two leapt onto Storm’s back and instantly fled the prison of the once-safe mansion. Storm easily traversed the path of the hallways, relying on his rider’s intuition to guide him safely. Again, Alexandrii clutched Jacob’s chest tightly, while she sat behind him on Storm’s saddle, remembering the all too present pain in her shoulder. Spurred by his rider, Storm leapt furiously around the various pieces of furniture, with the promise of the front doorway their primary destination.
Half a dozen men in black, identical to those in the woods, appeared suddenly from the shadows of the main hallway, quickly moving in on the horse and riders. Just below Alexandrii’s ability to hear, Jacob whispered something unintelligible into Storm’s ear and the magnificent steed reacted. Suddenly he changed direction and barreled through one of the men in black, driving him back into the shadows from where he’d come from. Following the charge, Storm once again changed direction and broke through the large window next to the front door.
Then they were suddenly free of the house. Alexandrii almost lost her balance as Storm’s hooves bounced off the hard earth.
Rigid equine haunches launched the pair into the waiting clutches of the woods, forcing Alexandrii to clutch Jacob's waist as they fled the grizzly nightmare. Endlessly they rode with not a word between them. The only communiqué attributed to their sense of touch and the closeness of their bodies. The way Jacob's chest and ribs flexed and rippled beneath Alexandrii's fingers, despite the layering of his garment. The soft jutting of her breasts against his back, all the firmer as she pulled ever closer to him, refusing to ever let go again.
Onward they pressed incessantly until, finally, Storm had reached the limits of his stamina. Jacob and Alexandrii dismounted the tired beast and immediately began preparations for a small camp. As the faithful steed breathed heavily, Jacob unpacked a pair of blankets and led them into a small abandoned cave. Quickly checking the depth of the cave for secondary exits, Jacob returned to his liege satisfied that, for the time being, here is where they'd be safest.
Once he'd established their site, placing Storm across the width of the cave to provide a slight respite from the winds, Jacob knew that his first task at hand was to bandage Alexandrii's shoulder. Taking a small bundle of ointments and creams from his pack, Jacob first helped her pull her arm, carefully, out of her garment. The end result left Alexandrii's head and arm squeezing out of the garment's neck and her garment covering half of her upper torso. Jacob winced slightly at the purple-crimson mess of mangled flesh and blood.
Alexandrii brushed her hair to the side and allowed him to doctor her wounded skin. Cleaning the wound out had been bad enough, noticing the tears and cries that Alexandrii held back each time he had to scoop away the hard, crusted mess so that he could apply ointment and cream to the root of the damage. Now Jacob informed Alexandrii that he had to use some needle and thread to pull the wound closed.
Surprisingly, she steeled herself harder against the invading pinprick of the needle and thread and held herself under control far better than Jacob could have imagined for a wealthy heir and landowner. It tore him apart, inside and out, to have to cause her so much pain, but deep down they both knew that it was necessary. Any failure to deal with the torn skin could result in infection and possibly the loss of her arm.
They'd both seen it before.
Finally, after Jacob had finished, he applied a soothing cream to the wound and used a mild adhesive strip to hold a clean cloth bandage against the sensitive area.
"Well, that should at least keep it from getting infected and help the skin to heal." Jacob told her, rubbing his hands together as he put everything back into the bundle and returned it to his pack.
Removing a loaf of bread and some mounds of cheese from his pack, Jacob walked back to where Alexandrii was sitting and leaned back against the hard rock of the cave wall. Reaching out to her he offered some of his rations.
Surprising him more than the night's events already had, Alexandrii closed the distance between them and drew her body up close to him, dragging the blanket over them both. It wasn't long before the chill have the night had lost its hold on them as their bodies exchanged warmth and comfort.
Resting her head against his chest, Alexandrii savored the soft rise and fall of his chest against her. Instinctively Jacob's arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer to him. So many things he wanted to tell her in these confined quarters. So many things to say that violated the line of status between them: heir and guardian. He wondered internally if she guessed at the pain he'd felt when he had sent her racing through the woods, away from the silent attackers. He wondered if she'd felt the same loss in their parting.
Then when he'd seen her standing in her aunt's home, the cold body of her aunt lying on the floor in front of her and the naked man standing before her, he'd lost control of his anger. Admitting to himself, his highest motivation had been to protect her from the obvious demonspawn. But there had been other, ulterior motives to his actions.
Returning to the present, Jacob realized that he still had the bread and cheese in his hand and that Alexandrii was speaking to him.
". . . if you please." was all he caught from her end of the conversation.
"I'm sorry, my lady, I was thinking of other things. What did you say?"
"I said 'I'd still like some of that bread and cheese if you please.' "
Apologizing for his distraction, Jacob broke a small piece of cheese from the hunk and handed it to her. Surprisingly, she made no move to take it from him, instead opening her mouth to accept it from his hand. Jittery with his most recent thoughts of her, Jacob trembled slightly as he placed the sharp, tangy cheese into her mouth and felt her lips brush ever so delicately against his fingers.
A soft moan escaped her lips as she devoured the nourishment.
"I never would have thought cheese could be so delicious" she whispered into the darkness of the cave. "Could I have another bite, please?"
Again, anxiously, Jacob broke another morsel and placed it against her waiting tongue, savoring the sensations of her breath and lips and tongue as they, each in turn, tantalized his fingers. Gently, his fingers roamed to the side, stroking the side of her face as they both sighed in unison and snuggled still closer together.
So agonizing it was to the both of them, burning with the desires that they held so strongly for one another, yet so afraid of not having those desires returned. So close to another, and yet feeling so far from expressing their true feelings, each in their own mind resigned themselves to enjoy the closeness of the one person that meant the most to them.
Gradually as the night wore on, exhaustion and a bizarre sense of calm and relaxation came over the both of them and they fell asleep, still clutching one another in the combined hope that they would make it through this night together and have the courage some day to share themselves with one another.
Calmly James dreamt of the woman who rested against his torso, feeling her warm flesh against his skin in the dream instead of the course stitching of her garment. Leaning in, closely to her, Jacob kissed a trail of fiery kisses across her face and neck, so intoxicated by the perfume of her skin that he couldn't decide whether it was real or another part of the dream. But the dream swallowed him up and he soon failed to care whether it was reality or fantasy.
Ripe lips returned his own advances, placing a series of moist pecks chaotically across his lips and down his throat. Still lower the kisses trailed until they reached the base of his neck, where they intensified boldly. Almost violently, Jacob felt a tug at his neck and a frustrated grunt, followed by another series of kisses that covered the upper part of his hairless chest. Involuntarily Jacob moaned with the hungry lips that attacked his flesh in such wild abandon.
"I take it you like, my dear." Whispered Alexandrii's voice, raising the hackles on the back of his neck with the tone of her words. Deep and heavy, her voice seemed to draw him out of his restless sleep, where blurred vision awoke to a startling sight.
Immediately Jacob's eyes flew open as he felt another tug at his neck and the second button on his shirt popped off, rolling down the floor of the cave before it finally collapsed. This time he was fully lucid as he felt Alexandrii's lips, in the real world, caressing his lower chest with warm, lustful kisses. Amazingly she looked up at him and smiled warmly when she discovered that he had awakened.
Nervously, Jacob moved to rise as he realized the situation, but Alexandrii would have none of it. Placing a soft but firm hand against his chest, she pushed him back down against the jagged wall of the cave. Leaning upward so that her hips slid forward along his legs, Alexandrii pressed her lips against his own and welcomed openly the passion that he poured back into her. Tentatively, he parted her lips gently with his tongue and licked around the inside of her mouth, their heated breath spilling forth into each other's mouth.
They both moaned in unison as their lips struggled in a thousand different positions, straining to tap the greatest heights of pleasure from the union of their lips. This time when Alexandrii pulled at Jacob's shirt she split the remaining three buttons from the shirt and sent them spiraling out of sight. Eagerly her hands wandered underneath the fabric of his shirt and discovered his naked chest and abs for the first time, tracing the contours of his heavily muscled frame.
She marveled at the sudden exhale of breath as her fingers touched his nipples, savoring his member as it pressed against her nether mouth, hard as steel between her untouched lips. Moaning against him, she rubbed her thumb repeatedly against the pebble like tips and let herself be consumed by him as he lunged like an animal.
Bounding up from his reclined position, Jacob swept Alexandrii up into his arms and forced her down upon the ground, all of his weight pressing down upon her with ferocious abandon. His lips were like on her chest like moths to a flame, peppering her once-hidden skin with the searing heat of his loins. Like a white-hot poker, his rod of iron and steel burned her to the very core with its incessant stabbing, aching to be free of its cloth imprisonment and nestled in her moist cavern.
Then suddenly, he stopped, rising up on his hands to hover over her. Curiously, she turned and looked up into his eyes and saw the change in his features. Danger was near.
"What is it?" She asked him, but a solitary finger to her lips told her that he needed her to be silent. Rising to his knees and then his feet, Jacob quickly made his way to his pack where he withdrew his sword, plainly displayed before her.
"My my my, he is a clever one, isn't he." Spoke a deep, gravely voice from the depths of the cave, where nothing but the darkness of shadow existed. Without the slightest hesitation a face appeared from the shadows and quickly expanded to a powerful body of muscle and strength. Alexandrii could not restrain herself from gasping at the man who'd killed her aunt.
Casually he closed the distance between himself and Jacob as another form, this one more feminine, emerged from the shadows as well. Jacob wasted no time in attacking the naked man, only to find himself thrown back against the cave wall with unbelievable strength.
The woman seemed to be oblivious of the two men as she walked directly toward Alexandrii and the poor, pitiful girl filled the cave with a horrible scream. Using all his strength to feign an attack upon the man, Jacob leapt away from the brute and swung at the woman with the flowing black hair. Jacob's momentum threw him into the opposite wall, as his Talon swept through her body like it was a puff of smoke.
Immediately the larger man was upon him, bashing fists of cold, hard stone into his bare abdomen. Again Alexandrii screamed and Jacob turned to see the darker haired woman clutching Alexandrii's face in her hand, forcing her to watch the scene between the two men.
Turning toward the naked man, Jacob cringed as his own sword was thrust through his stomach and the wall behind him, pinning him to the rock. Mournful sobs filled the cave as Alexandrii was forced to watch the blood that leaked from her lover's wound. Suddenly with a quick and effortless motion the naked man pulled the sword out of the wall by the handle and Jacob with it, and swung it toward the shadows so that Jacob slid off of it and rolled hard against the floor.
Looking at Alexandrii and the other woman, the naked man blew them both an exaggerated kiss and a mocking smile as he followed Jacob to the edge of the shadows. Tossing the sword to the ground with a loud clang, the heavily muscled form kneeled over Jacob's body.
It was then that Alexandrii noticed the long, sharp teeth in the woman's mouth, evident as she laughed so loud and maniacally. The cave then echoed with one final scream as the lonely girl and heir mourned the death of her lover, friend, and protector.
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