Sean Fletcher's Story

Sean arrived in the White Shadows camp in the late afternoon, the Crimson guard that were posted there the last time he had visited were gone, so it wasn’t very difficult for him to argue with the two men trying to hold him back. He didn’t force his way in, it wasn’t how he wanted this approach to begin, but he did make clear that he wanted to speak with Annie, and he wasn’t leaving. After a bit of a discussion they sent someone to alert Annie of his presence, but still insisting that he should come back the next day. The urgency in their tone told him that this wasn’t simply a case of wanting him gone; something had happened.

Sean was quiet as stood at the border of the healers’ camp, waiting for permission to enter, observing the men and women who passed by and noticing that the expressions on their faces were of sadness and defeat. He didn’t ask the two healers before him what was going on, he’d wait and talk to Annie, that if she decided to let him in.

“Let him through. It’s alright.” The girl’s voice sounded behind the two tall men that were blocking Sean’s path. Once they had stepped aside and Sean took a good look at her, she seemed tired, and sad, but no more than the others. Which is why he was shocked by her answer when he asked her what was wrong. It was only after she had led him a few steps into the encampment that he finally managed a reaction.

“Lena is... She died? Just like that?” He mumbled.

Annie couldn’t help a small laugh at his shock. “What do you mean ‘just like that’? What were you expecting?”
“I guess... I just wasn’t.” Sean replied, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head slowly. “It’s hard to believe.”
“That is true.” She said, giving a half-smile. “That is not why you’ve come here though. So what is it?”
Sean chuckled. “You seem awfully fine considering... The situation.”
“It’s comforting that someone finally has the courage to say that, instead of just giving me odd looks.” Annie stated, seeming rather amused. “Funny it’d be you of all people.”
“Me of all people, huh?” Sean asked, tilting his head to one side in fake annoyance.
“Well, guess it does make sense that you bring it up. You’re not exactly known for responding well to the death of a loved one, are you?” She snickered. “The answer you are looking for, to the question you didn’t actually ask, is: Yes, I am devastated. I am angry, I am sad. No I am not in denial in any way. I am simply handling it the one way I know how.”
“Well, you are freakishly calm, Annie, considering you lost someone close to you less than a day ago.” Sean pointed out, hesitating slightly when she pointed him towards the inside of her tent, but stepping inside soon after.

“I didn’t lose my mother, Sean.” Annie stated calmly, starting to make some tea. “Have a seat.”
Sean sat down, eyeing Annie curiously. “Okay, I’ll take the bait: How come?”
Annie heaved a small sigh and sat in front of him. “First you tell me why you’ve come. I believe I asked first.”
Sean was silent for a moment or so, a curious look in his eyes as he watched the girl; he was somewhat unsure of what to say, or if this was the time to say it. Finally, he simply reached into his pocket and pulled from it an old and worn silver ring. “Officially I’ve come for a truce, but what i really came for is an honest answer: Why?”
“Why what, exactly, Sean?” She asked calmly.
“Why give me this?”
“You wanted it.” She smiled. “Took you long enough though, don’t you ever check your pockets?”
“I was stabbed at the Inn, and Sheila found it while she treated my wounds. So, it was about a month ago, but I’ve been otherwise engaged.” Sean explained. “I don’t want it. I don’t think I want to exactly know why you have it either... Just keep it, and leave it be.”
Annie took the ring from Sean and examined it carefully as she spoke. “Am I supposed to believe you haven’t already reached the conclusion of why I have it?” She sighed softly. “You know... It’s not as bad as you think, Sean. I think it’s safe to say it’s never as bad as you think...” She reached out for his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Are you sure you don’t want to know the truth?”

“What does it matter now? It’s in the past.”
“If it’s in the past, then it can’t hurt you. If it can, then it’s not really in the past.” She replied, simply. “It’s up to you, I won’t insist anymore.”
“Maybe someday.” He stated simply, a half smile breaking through his features. “I don’t know about how you people do it, but in the Pack we tend to wait a few days after a person’s death before we discuss their indiscretions.”
Annie snorted quietly, as if holding back a chuckle. “Alright, that’s a valid point you have.”
“Now, you answer my question: How come you didn’t lose your mother?”
“Ah...” Annie smirked slightly. “Well, I was born in this clan, unlike, believe it or not, most of the people who presently live here. These grounds, and the ruins just outside our camp, are alone a constant reminder that people die. If that wasn’t enough, a lot of people do in fact die here.” She stated, moving to pour two cups of tea and offering him one. “We have a saying that goes: Love cannot stop Death, in the same way Death cannot stop love. It sounds silly, I know, but I believe that. And I believe that as long a you still love a person, then that person can never be lost to you.”
“Hum...” Sean mumbled, taking the tea cup from her, but not drinking. “I suppose, that’s one way to look at it.”
“You seem... Weary... Sean. Being Alpha is not as easy as you imagined, I assume.” Annie mentioned, taking a small sip of tea.
“I don’t think I quite imagined anything until it was actually happening.” Sean answered with a small shrug. “People like to think I thought this through, but really they give me too much credit.”
“You are not a bad leader.”
Sean snorted a small laugh, nearly choking on hot tea. “I’m not, eh?”
“You are not a bad man either... Terribly, terribly, stupid, but not a bad man overall.” She added.
“I’m afraid, most people would strongly disagree with that statement.” Sean answered, sipping from his tea and grimacing slightly at the bitterness.
Annie smiled gently. “Well, I tend to not form opinions based on what most people believe, gladly.” She answered, pointing at his tea cup absently. “Is that too strong for you?”
“No, it’s fine.” Sean sighed, setting the cup down and rummaging through his bag. “I have something else I want you to have...” He pulled a book from the bag and sat it down next to Annie. “Ella Page gave this to me. I considered letting Shaykh have it, but... Honestly, I just didn’t feel like doing him any more favors. I’d much rather give it to you.”
“What am I meant to do with this, Sean?”
Sean shrugged. “Well... Read it, and then think about it.” He said, taking the tea cup and going back to drinking from it. “I’d like to say it’s a fascinating read, but it’s really not, I think... That’s what I’d rather you have it; I think that the future generations deserve to benefit from greater minds.”
“And you want them to read from a healer?” Annie snickered. “We’re so awfully dull, haven’t you heard?”
Sean chuckled. “Of course.” He then emptied his tea cup, and quietly set it aside. “You know, I should get going... I don’t like being away too long. Can I just assume we’re in fairly decent terms now? Or should I continue to keep my people from turning to you guys for help?”
Annie sighed. “Make it clear to them that they should be respectful, and we will be fine.”
“Don’t worry about it, getting a little taste of War seems to have calmed the clan’s spirits; they are more than willing to behave.”
“That’s nice to hear.” She said, smiling softly. “After all, I don’t think it’s good for anyone if we don’t get along, right?”

Sean was going to respond but something caused him to stop himself before he could get a word out... The silence of the camp was suddenly disturbed by the sounds of shouting and he was sure he could smell smoke. Annie must have caught the smell as well, or some of the words being shouted by the healers, because she jumped to her feet mumbling “Isaac” as she left the tent in a hurry. Sean knew well none of this was his business, but he couldn’t help but follow after her. It wasn’t difficult to find the commotion, there were at least three tents burning in high flames as a group of healers attempted to control a large man with bright orange-red eyes; calling out to him and trying to get his attention. It was to no use, however, the flames simply kept burning brighter and spreading further by the second. In the commotion Sean could spot healers trying to get patients out of the way, some of them children, and it was without a second thought that he ran over to help them with it.

Annie had never before seen Isaac lose it this way. Even when he lost control of his temper, the fire in itself was somewhat controlled, directed at the focus of his rage, but this was not. The flames were randomly spreading and expanding in such a way that it wouldn’t take too long before they consumed the entire camp. Not only she didn’t understand the cause of this, she also didn’t have an idea of how to stop it, her eyes searching the camp for Alistair, since he usually managed to calm the man, as soon as she spotted the man walking over towards the fire, she ran her way to him, grabbing him by the arm to rush him over. “ Al... What the hell is happening with him?” She asked.
“I don’t know, Annie... It’s not like the other times. I don’t think calming him will do the trick. It may not even be a possibility right now.” He answered, all the while walking faster straight in the firestarter’s direction.
“So what are you going to do exactly?” Annie asked, pulling the back of Alistair’s shirt, worried of what he might try. “Al?”
Alistair stopped for one second to push Annie’s hand away from him. “Don’t be afraid.” He stated simply, opening a half smile. “And stand back, alright?”
Annie didn’t like the look in Alistair’s eyes, she knew that look very well, she usually saw it when people were about to do stupid and heroic things and she honestly hated that look.

Jake had been with Alistair, talking, when the commotion started. Out of nowhere things started to catch fire and even though Jake had seen Isaac lose control of his ability before, it had never been anything like this. Alistair seemed to have thought the same because the man hadn’t given a thought to trying to calm isaac down, since his episodes were usually caused by anger. He simply gave Jake the most potent sedative he could find and said he’d distract the man so Jake could get close enough to him with the needle. It was sound plan, wasn’t for the fact that Isaac was so out of it that the slightest miscalculation would get one of them killed.

At the moment Jake was quietly waiting for Alistair to catch Isaac’s attention so he could get close enough to get shoot the throwing needle accurately. Only, the moment Alistair stepped close enough that Isaac could see him and hear his calls, the man simply gestured with his hand in the empath’s direction, shouting something that Jake couldn’t quite make out, and the gesture alone caused a wall of flames to arise before Alistair, too tall for Jake to see beyond it; the painful cries that came from the other side confirming that the flames had reached Alistair . The new commotion seemed to have done its clumsy job to distract Isaac at least, and Jake ran into the man at full speed, tackling him down and jabbing the needle into the flesh of his neck. The sedative worked quickly, and as Isaac went out of consciousness, slowly so did the flames. Jake didn’t stop to check on Isaac’s condition, two healers had immediately rushed to him the moment Jake stepped away, but he made his way to check on Alistair instead.
Alistair had fallen to the floor, on his back, and had the right side of his chest, his right shoulder and part of his arm, burnt. It seemed the fire had mostly caught his shirt, considering it had been tossed aside and was completely burnt; his flesh didn’t seem like it had be so bad although it didn’t change the fact that the man was visibly in a world of pain. Annie had already rushed to him and she was now fighting him, trying to heal his wounds while he protested, finally he caught a firm grip on her wrist. “I said no! Save your strength... I can take it... It’s not so bad.”
“Al, you were hit by a damn wave of flames!” Annie protested, glaring at him and attempting to free her arm from his grip unsuccessfully.
“You’re not listening to me...” Alistair muttered, his eyes piercing into hers. “Don’t waste you enlightenment on me.” He said, emphasizing every word as if each meant something else entirely.
“What did he say to you?” Annie asked.
Alistair breathed in a painful breath and breathed out shakily. “He said: ‘Stay away... I can’t stop it’. He was... Afraid... Genuinely afraid of what was happening.”He answered, trying to sit up, but growling in pain and falling back again.
“Stop that.” Annie scolded, giving him a severe look. “Just be quiet there a moment.”
“Yeah... I think it’s probably best if I do...” Alistair chuckled. “H-how... How did I do?” He asked, giving Jake a grin.
“Incredibly heroic and astonishingly foolish... I could have been more stupid, but it wasn’t bad.” Jake nodded.
Alistair laughed, groaning at the pain. “Ow... Thanks...”
“That’s not funny you idiots!” Annie exclaimed, standing up from her kneel and slapping Jake in the back of his head. “Don’t you encourage him!”
“It was all his idea, I swear!”
“Heey... I’m hurt... Take the blame for me!” Alistair whined.
“No way... I’d rather face a giant dragon than the wrath of this little girl... You’re on your own.” Jake chuckled softly.

A discreet cough broke through the sound of chuckling as a healer approached them. “Miss Annie, I see that the situation here is under control and well... We have a poison victim. The man is not in a good shape and perhaps he’ll require a blessing by morning.”
Annie heaved a small sigh as she turned to the older man. “Was he just brought in?”
“Yes, Miss... Just a few minutes ago. Also... That Fletcher boy, asked me to relay his apologies for not staying, but that he was in a hurry to rejoin his clan. He also asked to transmit his wished that you... Enjoy the read.”
Annie gave a slight chuckle at the words. “Alright, thank you. Now... Let us see this dying man...” She said, taking the care to look out for nearby healers she gestured them to approach and carry Alistair somewhere more protected before walking away. “Jake, come with me?” She gave a half smile. “You were always far more creative than me with antidotes.”

Jake simply nodded and followed after Annie to one of the tents that had been left unscathed. There upon a sleeping mat lay the figure of an unconscious man, a very familiar figure indeed and Jake slightly twitched at the sight.
“Something wrong?” Annie asked, frowning at the look on his face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“That’s... Pondus... How...?” Jake mumbled, at first not paying attention to Annie’s questions, but then turning his face to look at her. “He’s dead.”
“That’s Grim Pondus?” Annie asked, recalling the name. “And no, he’s not. At least not yet.” Annie stated. “He’s breathing, with some difficulty, I’d say, but still breathing...”
“No... I mean he died over a month ago... The Blacks burned him and everything...” Jake explained. “Does... Do they know about this?” He muttered. “Does Mageria know about this?” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Why won’t anyone just... Stay dead?” He groaned.
“If you have to warn someone he’s here, I suggest you go now so you can get there by morning.”
“Where was he found?” Jake asked the healer who had led them in the tent.
“In the woods. The merchants who brought him also recovered the body of a young woman. They also found other corpses nearby; they appeared to have been Wolves and the Alpha left in a hurry the moment he spotted him.” He informed. “He has scrapes on him only... Nothing more.”
“He was poisoned by blade or needle most likely... Wolves don’t use anything too out of ordinary; even the ones who are more versed in poisons among them just stick to the basic things. Shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, I hope.” He told Annie, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, alright? Try not to let that guy die again... And don’t forget about his gift, he’s weak, but it may be best to numb him before you poke him with sharp objects.”
Annie simply nodded to Jake’s comments. “May the Goddess light your path, cousin.” She whispered as Jake left her to tend to the fallen warrior alone; rushed footsteps soon disappearing in the distance. A weary sigh escaped the young girl’s lips, the night was barely arriving, but she could tell it would be a long one indeed.

[Raven’s Nest - Earlier in the day]

After Evin left, Crys had decided that it was time to go visit the healers, pay her respects and try to get some answers. Even if Ali was being a little paranoid with the journal thing, she did have a valid point; it was odd that Lena was now dead not long after Ali had been attacked. That not to mention that they still didn’t know how exactly she had died.

She walked back from the center of the camp and towards her tent where she slowly started packing a few items into a bag, a little absent to the fact Ali was following her movements.

“I’m going with you.”

Crys snickered. “If you didn’t already know I was going to ask you to stay, you wouldn’t really feel the need to announce that you’re going. So you know what my answer is, don’t you?”
“I want to pay my respects.” Ali argued. “I want to say goodbye.”
Crys sighed softly. “I hate that you make me point this out, but... She will still be dead tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that... Today, I need you to stay here.”
“What for?”
“Well, first of all, if Lena’s death did have something to do with protecting this information that she supposedly gave you, there’s no better place for you than a camp full of former Black Guard.” She smirked. “Besides, you did say you’d help make some furniture, so I suggest you get on it.”
“Humph.” Ali heaved a sigh. “I suppose I did say that.”
“Just let me find out what happened, alright? I’ll be back in a day or so, meanwhile you can find ways to make yourself useful for a change, huh? Maybe make some friends... Just don’t bite anyone.” She said in a playful tone.
“I’m not amused.” Ali muttered.
“Heh, yes you are.” Crys retorted, turning to face Ali with a smile. “It’ll be fine, and you’ll get to say your goodbyes, I promise.”
Ali sigh, giving a slight nod for a response, not caring that Crys couldn’t see. “Do you think Jake knows?”
Crys’ smile faded for a moment and she clenched her fists momentarily. “That I know of, he’s still in Blackpond.” She responded, turning away and starting to walk away. “Do not get in trouble.” She told Ali over her shoulder.

“I’m going to check out this side of camp, meet up with later Irv...” Darren spoke before parting ways, intrigued to find the perfect spot to build the ideal treehouse. Of course there were plenty of spots, technically, all above the camp, but Darren wanted the highest most strategic point. He also knew of a few names mentioned earlier in casual conversation, whom he should go to see if he wanted to be put to work. Still, he thought best to get a better idea of his new surroundings. “Know all your exits...hesitation gets you killed...” He whispered to himself as he nodded to an attractive blond as he passed, only to pause in mid step when he first noticed the redhead. He stood, watching her walk away, only to cross his arms and smile as the familiarity of the form flashed across his mind. ‘Another one of yours, Jake?’ He pondered to himself before jogging forward to catch up with her just as she crossed the treeline past the bridge.

“Excuse me, Miss? Which direction are you heading in? It’s just, I’m not from around here and not sure where to find a decent enough blacksmith. Any recommendations?” Darren hopped around Crys so he was standing in front of her, a charming smile accompanied the deep, gentle tone of his voice.

Crys slowed down her pace only slightly when she heard rushed footsteps behind her, but didn’t stop until she heard someone address her asking for directions. Crys didn’t know this man, but she had an odd feeling that he’d seen her before... Like when she ran into Luckas at the inn. It was an odd feeling, yes, but there was really nothing about this person that made her uncomfortable, so she opened a smile as she replied. “I’m heading out towards the plains at the moment. Not many blacksmiths to be found around those parts, I’m afraid.” She informed, tilting her head slightly as she thought. “I’m not sure if you will find one in camp, I haven’t been here that long to know everyone, but I do know of a good one in Newhaven, answers by the name Blackwell, used to craft weapons for the Wolves about ten years ago. He’s known to be a creative guy, if you catch my drift. The Crimson have a good guy too, but he won’t just craft for outsiders you’d have to travel there only to try and convince their leader to give his consent... Too much of a hassle.” She went silent for a moment, smiling pleasantly at this new acquaintance before asking. “So, where are you from, if not from around these parts? If you don’t know where to find a smith, I take it you didn’t come here with the Blacks.”

Darren shifted his position, absently cracking a few knuckles before tugging at his goatee as if he was rolling over a few ideas in his head. He noted the way the woman’s pale green eyes seemed to pass right through him, causing him to lean side to side with a smile as she appeared to instinctually follow. “Blackwell, hmm? I’ll keep that in mind, thanks much, especially since NewHaven appears to be the closest bet for me. East of here, right? Have business that way anyhow...” Darren cleared his throat, blue eyes flashing a subtle violet hue as his smile broadened. “My apologies...” He began, bowing his head slightly. “How rude of me,...Darren....Darren Hearst. And I was born, raised, trained, and employed in Blackpond, until my most recent liberation from that dreaded place. In a way, I came here with the Blacks....woman named Sham, and I believe...maybe a friend of yours? You seem to weigh heavily upon his mind, leaving a very strong impression.” Darren’s smile dimmed, only a slight smirk present as he continued. “He didn’t say where he was going though. Would of thought he’d come with, but he seemed distracted.”

Crys held back a small chuckle. “East of here, yes. I think... It’s... Uh... That way.” She said, absently pointing in the direction of the city. “A few minutes of walking and you should be able to spot the city walls, or so I’ve heard.” She bowed her head slightly to his introduction. “Nice to meet you Darren. My name is Crystal Rivers, but please do call me Crys, I prefer it. And Blackpond, huh? Trained and employed in what? If you don’t mind me asking. You carry yourself pretty well, but you still sound like a kid to me, late teens, yes? It’s a long way from Blackpond.” She said, her green eyes lighting up a little as she stared at him, her smile shutting slowly into an intrigued expression at his mention of this possible friend of hers. “Hum... You don’t say?” She asked, in a soft tone closer to a whisper. “You seem pretty sure of what you’re saying, that’s unusual for someone speaking of what goes through another’s mind. That’s rather interesting...” Her voice trailed off as she was quiet for a moment before opening a smile again, giving a light shrug. “I take it he’ll be coming here eventually... Suppose I’ll meet him then, but if you see him first ask him if he’s heard news from the White Shadows... Although I have a feeling he’ll pass through there, it’s important that he knows.”

“My my Crys, a lovely name to match a lovely smile. “ Darren commented with a quiet grace, still politely keeping his gaze locked with hers. “Yes, it is a long way from Blackpond, especially with no weapons....kind of makes a young man like myself feel a bit...eh naked I suppose. I lost the weapons after my last job, right before I was tossed into prison. Didn’t even get paid for that either. Makes me want to rethink this whole mercenary thing.” After another short chuckle he nodded to himself. “No one can ever be truly sure, but I come to my conclusions by other factors....as I assume you deduced I have some sort of telepathic ability, although I am still unsure of how, I cross check reactions with facts. I saw certain images in his mind that had a greater effect or impression which can only be absorbed through powerful energies which come from ‘important’ interactions. Guess that is how I can explain it.” Darren naturally winked, followed by a snicker. “I suppose you could be an enemy, but I do not see that kind of focus upon you. Those who are despised...they carry a different....aura...so to speak. Also, there’s the amount of times in those few seconds your face flashed before my eyes with only a simple handshake.” Darren gave a tired sigh, scratching along his chin, adding, “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, Crys, but his memories don’t do you justice...And If I see him before you, I will pass along the message.”

Crys chuckled softly. “Well, if I was to make such a long trip naked, there’s no one I’d trust more to accompany me than one of Mageria’s people... Except maybe my own, although they’d probably never let me forget having to travel naked, but I digress...” She chuckled a bit more before heaving a small sigh and speaking more seriously. “Your assumptions don’t seem so different from mine. I can’t know if you are telling me the truth, but I can know that you believe what you say. I can’t possibly know that you aren’t a threat, except by the fact that you don’t see me as one, I assume based on the fact that Jake doesn’t. Which, if true, I have to say is just adorable considering you can’t possibly know him for very long; I know he hasn’t been in Blackpond longer than a month.” She smiled. “Regardless, I’m definitely not a threat to you... To him, I’m not so sure yet. He should know better than to piss me off.” The tone she used was playful, but she wasn’t joking entirely, at which point she thought it best to change the subject. “Mercenary work is tricky, mostly because people love to get others to do their work for them and then just screw them over. Unless you make a pretty nasty reputation for yourself or have a group to watch your back... It’s bound to happen.”

“Beauty and brains....” Darren quickly glanced Crys in a once over and nodded. “Probably could kick my ass too...something about redheads and tempers...” He shrugged, taking a step back to give her more space. “I’ve learned through my short years that ‘time’ isn’t the only important factor in life; learning the truth about others or one’s self. I find first impressions explain a lot.” Darren sighed, holding a wide smile. “Good to know I don’t have to necessarily keep looking over my shoulder when you’re around...guess I should say a little prayer for Jake, no?” Again the young man chuckled, his cheeks flushing a soft rosy before a serious expression stealing his amusement. “..Maybe mercenary work isn’t for me....I’m not sure if I’m cut out for the work involved with ‘carving’ myself the necessary reputation for that...perhaps my calling is elsewhere....as yours seems to be as well. I won’t keep you much longer, Crys...although I’d love to talk your ear of some more.” Darren was always a laid back kind of guy, even when he was angry. Sometimes he was known for talking too much and was told he could be overly friendly, but the people in this camp just seemed “familiar” and he felt more trusting than normal. That, and he was never one for bullshit or lies. He forced the glow of his eyes away, weighing if he should extend his hand for manners sake, but decided against it when it suddenly dawned on him, a detail he hadn’t picked up from Crys before. He felt almost embarrassed as he kept his thoughts to himself, again taking another step back.

Crys shook her head slightly, a trace of a giggle escaping under her breath, but contained as she spoke. “I always found that term highly amusing... Calling... To be called, implies someone is there to call for you, no? Not sure how that applies to some scenarios, although I believe that if you are lucky someone, at some point, will call for you.” She chuckled. “And yet I’m still not sure how that applies. One can say that a calling is the call of fate, or the Gods, but that implies you believe in fate, or the Gods for that matter... Too many conditions for my liking.” She heaved a small sigh as she thought about it, but still smiling. “I do have to be somewhere else, but... Very nice meeting you, Darren. I don’t know why, but you remind me of someone. I’m sure there’ll be better opportunities for you to talk my ears off.” She chuckled. “And If you do go see Blackwell, send him my regards. I haven’t seen the old man in quite a while, not sure he’s aware that I’m alive.”

Darren shrugged, “Calling...well good points actually...but I wasn’t being metaphorical. More hoping that I’ll find what I’m good at in life...sometimes I don’t feel I’m cut out for the drama, but slowly finding a purpose is always nice to see upon the horizon.” Darren quirked a brow, angling his head in a slanted manner. “The pleasure is mine, Crys...funny how life leads us down those ironies, eh?” Crossing one arm behind his back, one along his waist, Darren bowed low, keeping his focus upon the woman. “I plan on visiting this Blackwell sooner than later, so I will be sure to mention how I was recommended. Safe journey.” Darren turned on his heels, slipping back towards the bridge in his continued search for the ‘perfect vantage point.’

[White Shadows Camp - Present Time]

Crys had made a slow walk to the plains, not in a hurry to deal with any level of grief aside her own and greatly enjoying the opportunity to be alone with her thoughts in the forest. As the afternoon moved on towards its end, and the night fell upon the land, she could feel the air gradually grow colder, but not as cold as it would be about a week before; it was sign that springtime was nearing and soon the remaining ice would melt.
It was after the sun had been down for about an hour or so that Crys reached the White Shadows’ camp. The healers immediately recognized her as she entered the camp and allowed her to visit Lena’s grave alone until Annie was free to talk. So she was left standing alone before the grave, where she remained in absolute silence until Annie came to meet her. She should maybe say a prayer, or say goodbye, or something, anything that would make this real to her, but she didn’t have the words to say or the will to speak. It wasn’t the time for that yet it seemed, she wasn’t ready.

“Do you need another minute?” Annie’s voice sounded a few steps away.
“No.” Crys replied, turning to face the girl. “I don’t think this is the time to pay my respects anyway.”
Annie sighed. “I understand. Come, I was just about to get some dinner... Have you eaten today?”
“I have, but that was hours ago, I wouldn’t refuse a warm meal.”
“Great, we can talk over a bowl of soup.” The girl retorted, beginning to walk towards the encampment, leading Crys to sit by a small campfire, where she could catch the pleasant and comforting scent of something being cooked. She smiled softly as Annie quietly reached for hand and led it to the bow she had been holding out. “Careful now, it’s hot.” She warned, releasing the bowl of soup onto Crys’ hands and taking a seat next to her.
“I will. Thank you.” Crys replied.
“Don’t thank me yet... It’s not as tasty as it smells.” She snickered. “It serves its purpose though, I suppose. I like it better when Alistair cooks, but he’s a little bit indisposed tonight.”
“Alistair cooks, huh? Wouldn’t have guessed.” Crys mentioned. “Is he feeling sick?”
“No... It’s stupid really... Isaac had a bit of a meltdown and Al got hurt trying to stop him. He’s going to be alright, just needs to treat some burns.” Annie replied.
“And how’s Isaac?” Crys asked, stirring the soup idly for a few moments before starting to eat.
“Still sedated, last I heard.” Annie replied.
“Hm.” Crys mumbled. “And what else is troubling you?”
“What do you... What do you mean?”
“You are concerned for Alistair’s health, and mourning your mother’s death, you are also stressed, which is not at all surprising considering what you told me just happened, but... I can tell there’s something else that is deeply concerning you.”
Annie heaved a long sigh and mumbled under her breath. “Damn empaths...”
Crys stifled a laugh. “And I wasn’t even trying. What is it?”
“I can’t talk about it, sorry.” Annie replied simply, digging into her bowl of soup and taking her time with chewing on the soggy vegetables.
“Confidentiality, huh?” Crys asked. “Does it have to do with your mother?”
“Can’t say.” Annie stated.
“Can you tell me how she died at least?” Crys asked, raising a brow as she scraped the bottom of the clay bowl with her spoon.
“My mother’s death was, as far as I can tell, a result of overusing her ability.” Annie said.
“Out of nowhere? Just like that?”
“Look... Talk to Jacob...” Annie mumbled. “And no, not just like that. I think... I think... She wasn’t in her perfect health, and she pushed herself too far, aware of that... So...”
“Alright, I understand.” Crys said, not wanting to upset the girl any more. “Can you tell me, when I last ran into Lena she was in Newhaven Castle. And she seemed, well... Very, very, worried and in a hurry. Unfortunately so was I, and I didn’t get to speak with her since. Do you know... Why she was there and what she has been doing?”
“Not much of it. I mean, I know she spoke with the Captain of the Whites and she planned on meeting with King Rick, but something made her change her mind about it. Other than that, she had been going through the archives repeatedly.” Annie heaved a long sigh. “I tried to get her to tell me, but you know...”
“I know.” Crys went silent, working on the last bits of vegetables in the otherwise tasteless soup.
“She left notes, but... They’re the most encrypted mess of gibberish I’ve ever seen. If it can even be decoded, it’s going to take me months. I’d like to ask for help with it, but aside from Alistair I don’t think I trust anyone else with it until I know what’s on it. Maybe it’s personal... I’m not sure.”
“Lena was a private person, I understand that.” Crys nodded, setting her vegetable-free bowl of soup aside. “Why... Do you say I should talk to Jake?”
“Aside from the fact that it’s about time... He knows some things I’m not at liberty to discuss with you. In fact, he was here just a couple of hours ago, I’m surprised you didn’t meet him on the way.”
“Oh, I passed him.” Crys stated simply.
Annie snorted a small laugh, but didn’t make any further comments on the subject.
“So your mother spoke to the Captain of the White Knights, huh? Maybe I’ll go see him then and ask about it.”
“So... I heard Ella Page made you heir to the throne... That...” Annie chuckled. “Quite the honor.”
“That girl... I don’t know if she’s incredibly stupid, incredibly smart, or just completely insane.” Crys sighed. “But then... She is Evin’s recruit and sometimes I’m not sure about him either.”
Annie snickered. “Of course. And speaking of Evin... When you see him again let him know that my mother left something for him... Whenever he has the time, he can come and get it... Water.”
“Huh?” Crys asked at Annie’s final word, only understanding what the girl meant when she felt something cool gently touch her hand. She took the metal cup Annie had been holding out and took a drink from it, snickering under her breath as she remembered Evin’s comment that the water tasted funny.
“Are you going to be staying the night?” Annie asked.
“Not the full night. I think I’m going to take a one or two hour rest and then move to Newhaven. See if I can get there by noon tomorrow.”
“You should rest properly now.” Annie scolded. “You’re going to make yourself sick you know, like J-...” Annie stopped talking and forced a cough to justify the sudden halt in her scolding, instead finishing with: “Just take care, alright?”
“I always do... Unlike J-... er... Some people.” Crys, smirked into her cup, taking another drink of water. “I’ve gone by on less sleep than this and once in Newhaven I can rest, or take a short trip back to Mageria’s camp and rest there.”
Annie chuckled. “Alright, alright...” She agreed, standing up to leave. "I have to check on some patients and then see if I can get some sleep myself, but make yourself at home Crys."

[Wolfpack’s Camp]

Sean reached the camp to the news that someone was there demanding to see the Alpha, annoyance taking over his expression as he listened to the Wolves who found the woman tell him how she saw the ring on one of them and starting ranting about how she had been cheated and demanded compensation. Sean, even though already displeased with this person, understood why his men didn’t immediately kill the woman; if she spoke the truth then it was his responsibility to compensate in order to maintain the clan’s honor intact. It wasn’t just any contract that was accepted by Wolfpack, as some would believe, but those that were accepted were to be fulfilled as the contractor demand them to be, no questions asked, and any Wolf knew that to sabotage a contract was a serious act of treason not to mention it damaged the clan’s reputation. Sean would have none of that. With a weary sigh he ordered the men to have the woman taken to the Leader’s Cabin after a couple of minutes had passed, and that Franklin accompanied her. Whatever she said, Sean wanted his confirmation that it wasn’t a lie, because if it was... He would gladly kill her where she stood.

Sean only had the time to go into his room to rid himself of his cloak and travel bag and grab a piece of bread before there was movement of people entering the office. He stepped out of his bedroom, locking the door behind him and nodding at Franklin in greeting, ignoring the old skinny mess of a woman he had brought with him; dirt on her clothes and a very freshly bandaged eye immediately drawing his attention, quietly biting into his ‘meal’ as he moved to sit by the desk. He didn’t managed to take more than one step in silence before the woman spoke up, apparently unable to grasp how insignificant anyone was in that forest when compared to the leader of the Wolfpack. “This boy is your leader!?”

Sean would have ignored that, he wanted to even, but he caught the woman’s one eyed gaze examining him from head to toe as if trying to decide whether he was worth her time, or maybe, very possibly, if she could take advantage of him in some way. He knew that look well and it irked him to no end. So before the conversation even took place, he decided to make clear to this woman where she was and who she was dealing with; slowly, he placed the bread he was holding on top of the table and in one swift motion he pulled a throwing knife and launched it in the moment direction, letting fly just past her head. “You better wipe away that condescending smile lest I carve it permanently on that ugly face of yours, old lady.” He muttered. “And you will address and refer to me as Alpha, call me boy one more time and you will be making your complaints in Hell.” With that said he sat by the table and retrieved his bread, taking a generous bite of it and idly nodding at the chair across from his as he chewed on it, motioning for his ‘visitor’ to take a seat.

The woman let out a startled yelp as the blade flew by her face, lodging itself in the wooden wall behind her, a deeply insulted and angered look immediately forming itself on her face as she glared at the Alpha, not sitting as he so rudely suggested, which caused Franklin to give her a very indelicate nudge towards the chair, after which she complied and sat, muttering curses and insults under her breath, out of which Sean only caught the words ‘brute’ and ‘filthy mutt’, after which the woman cleared her throat and remained silent watching him, still in that offended look.

Sean swallowed his bite of bread and groaned, trying to contain his annoyance at the woman’s attitude and the whispered insults towards his Second, simply taking a deep breath and leaning back in his chair. “State your business.” He asked, taking another bite off his piece of bread.
“You know, Alpha, it is considered extremely impolite to eat in front of guests. I expected the Alpha of the Wolfpack to have manners as a leader.” She spoke, her tone annoyed as if she expected, and truly believed she was worthy of, better treatment.
Sean raised an eyebrow at the woman, exchanging a slightly amused look with Franklin at her words. “This isn’t a tea party, and you are not my guest. The gravity of your accusations alone is what keeps me from permanently shutting that foul and petulant mouth of yours, so... And Twins help me for making such request... Speak.”
“Well, lad.. The situation is not a complicated one. I paid your clan to perform a service, not only was that service not provided, but the inconsequent fool who was assigned to perform said service attempted to take my life...”
“He shall be severely punished for his failure...” Sean muttered out, unable to control himself, causing Franklin to audibly chuckle behind the woman’s back.
“As is...” The woman continued. “I demand that the contract is fulfilled, since it was paid for. I also feel I deserve some form of reparation for the attempt on my own life. I will accept the life of the assassin who tried to kill me or another target of choosing as compensation for that.”

Sean didn’t respond to the woman, he looked to Franklin instead, almost hoping he exposed the bitch as a liar, but no; Franklin nodded as to confirm her story was true. With a slightly disappointed sigh Sean pushed pen and paper towards the woman. “Write down the target’s name and physical description as well as the Alias of the assassin assigned to your contract. We will execute the target, as it was established, and the assassin will be punished according to our laws; I see no reason for further compensation.” He told her, patiently waiting for the required information. When the paper was pushed across the table towards him, Sean’s eye caught the name of the assassin responsible for the woman’s contract and his eyes narrowed slightly. “This man is no longer under our authority.” Sean stated simply. “He is, however, a wanted man... He will be taken care of.” Looking further he caught the name of the target of the hit, ‘Jennifer Lessar’ was the woman’s name, followed by a short physical description. Below it, another name. “Essence Talon.” Sean looked from the name to the woman before him with a annoyed look in his eyes. “I said no further compensation.”

“I’m willing to pay, handsomely, for this one... More so if you bring her to me alive.”
“Alive? You don’t seem to understand what assassins are for, now do you?” He asked, contempt clear in his tone as well as his eyes as he continued, not giving the woman the time to respond. “Besides, I don’t believe any contract has ever been refused for such reasons before in the history of this clan, but you are the most unpleasant, arrogant, and disrespectful bitch I have ever met. You displease me to such a point that if someone came here wanting you dead, I would probably pay them just as handsomely for the pleasure of doing it myself.” He tore the extra name out of the paper and crushed it into a ball in his hand before tossing it at her face. “I will pay my debt, in that you have my word. You also have my word that if you do not leave this camp within two exact minutes I will take your remaining eye and shove it down your despicable throat.” As the woman opened her mouth as if to protest Sean cut her off again. “That’s exactly one hundred and twenty seconds... one hundred and nineteen... one hundred and eighteen...”
“One hundred and seventeen...” Franklin continued opening the door and chuckling as the woman jumped to her feet and rushed her way through it; the Second gladly following, keeping the count as he chased after her all the way to the exit.

“You sure ask many questions, sweetie, but it’s very inelegant to answer a question with another question.”

Luckas tilted his head in amusement at the woman’s response, as well as her little discussion with her sister. “I don’t see where I answered you question with a question. ‘We are passing through’ was my answer to your extremely vague question. That was clearly an affirmation and not a question. My question was something separate from my answer in an attempt to continue this conversation, although... If this simple interaction has you confused I should ask myself if it’s worth the trouble. Are you not used to conversation? If that’s the case, I wonder... What are you used to?” He chuckled. “And the weak woman act would not by any means work on me, even if you could pull it off. See... I’m not the type of man drawn to the damsel in distress stereotype.” He paused, glancing up at the woman on the horse curiously, a grin spreading across his face. “I’m also not the type of man you’d like to try and play that way. A predator knows a predator, have you ever heard that? It’s in the eyes, and yours are delightfully dark.” He turned back to the woman who had spoken to him in the first place, finding amusement in speaking with two pretty much identical people. “Do you know what people say of black eyes?” Not waiting for a reply, he shrugged and continued. “If you are not fond of people trying to mess with you, I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong city.” He stated, glancing at Amber as she still whispered to the fallen man and raising an eyebrow.

Amber had been entertained with the fallen man, being friendly and slowly gaining his trust. The man was freaked and he really just wanted to get out of there, but for whatever reason couldn’t run off. It was ridiculous how trusting he was after what (whatever it was) had just happened to him, it was somewhat pathetic. Lovely.

She kept her ears in the conversation, smirking at Luckas’ silly replies. She stood when she felt she was being spoke to, holding back laughter when she felt the man cling to the leg of her pants, holding back the urge to kick him. She’d been asked to introduce herself and without skipping a beat she decided for the very first name that crossed her. Her usual behavior contained in a small polite nod of her head. “I’m sorry, how rude of me not to introduce myself.” She stated, glaring at Luckas as if mentally scolding him for the exact same rudeness. “I’m Wyatt, Miss... At your service... And I’m afraid that’s my one and only name as well.” She opened a very convincing apologetic smile. "It is surely lovely to meet you in this fine day."

*****************************************************

[Raven’s Nest]

Jake was looking for a spot to settle and maybe take a rest from his sleepless night of travel, wandering around aimlessly and looking for a good spot to maybe set up a little camp, if he could get his hands on a tent. If he found a good enough spot, maybe he’d even build something more concrete...More like a home.

Distracted with these thought Jake didn’t realize he wasn’t quite as alone as he thought it was; something that only became apparent to him when he walked under a tree and felt something heavy fall onto him, knocking him to the ground, face down. The ‘something’ turned out to be a person, as Jake felt the very unmistakable sensation of knee pressed against his lower back as well as a forearm pressing the back of his neck.

“Hello there, stranger!” A voice greeted him, a bit of sarcasm hiding underneath its cheerfulness.

Jake groaned as he recognized his attacker’s voice. “Nice to see you too, Ali... Can you please get off me now? You gained some weight I see.”
“You shouldn’t be rude to a lady when she’s got a knee at the base of your spine, Jake.” Ali retorted in a fake annoyed tone.
“Should take it as a compliment, if you lost any weight I’m pretty sure you’d vanish.”
“Nice save.” She laughed. “I’m still mad at you though!” She exclaimed, rolling off of Jake’s back and jumping to her feet before he even managed to pull himself onto his knees.

As Jake stood up and turned to face Allison he caught a clear look of concern on her face. “What?” He asked, scratching his head.
“You’re slow, and you look like crap... Are you alright, Jake?” She asked, reaching for his arm.
“I’m just a bit tired, but I’m fine. I’ll look better in a day or so, you’ll see.”
“Mhm...” She mumbled, giving him a look of sheer disbelief. “Have you eaten yet today?”
“Well, no... But I...”
“Shut up, come with me. I’ve got some oatmeal left... And we’ve got some catching up to do.” She said, pulling him by the arm through a narrow path amongst the trees that led to where she had set up camp.
“You cooked oatmeal?” Jake asked, seeming somewhat surprised by the fact. “How did you light the fire?”
Ali chuckled. “Why you sound so shocked? Gee... I can light a fire....” She started, giving a little shrug. “If I really, really, have to.”
Jake raised an eyebrow at her. “Really?”
“Nope, still traumatized. I asked one of the guys in camp to do it for me...” She admitted. “They’re so very nice, aren’t they?”
Jake chuckled. “I almost believed you there.”
“Yes, well, if you haven’t been away for so long, you’d know the truth.” She scolded as they stopped before a small tent, its colors mimicking the greens and browns of the forest considerably well and almost blending in with the forest entirely. Jake shot a rather amused glance to a small fire pit still lit from breakfast. “So you’re just going to keep asking the grown ups to make fire for you?”
“Until Crys gets back... Yup. That’s my plan.” She replied simply, motioning to a little wooden stool by the fire. “Sit.”
Jake took a seat and smiled softly, pointing at the piece of furniture. “You made this?”
“Mhm... What you think of it?” She asked, going into the tent and picking up a small pot with the leftover oatmeal and reluctantly placing it over the fire to heat. “I said I’d help with making some beds and chairs and such... Apparently the ones they made weren’t quite solid.” She explained with a bit of laughter in her tone.
“I like this. It’s nice and solid, and you’ve gotten much better at this.” He replied. “And hey, I can light your fire for you until Crys gets back.”
“Oh... And by that statement I should assume you’ll actually be here to do that, right?” Ali asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend in order to express her skepticism.
Jake chuckled, shifting awkwardly in his seat. “That’s the plan, at least.” He replied.
“Mhm...” Ali mumbled, pouring the heated oatmeal into a bowl and handing it over to him before taking a seat on another stool. “Crys said she’d be back in a day or two, by the way. I know you’re dying to ask that.” She said with a smile.
“Is she still very pissed?” Jake asked, wincing at the thought and poking the oatmeal with his spoon.
“Very pissed is one hell of an understatement, Jacob. A few days ago I joked about breaking you out of prison and, well, let’s just say that was the last I mentioned your name.” She gave him a slightly apologetic look. “It won’t be easy to get her to talk to you, if that’s what you’re after.”
Jake sighed, taking a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth to keep himself from speaking; it was surprisingly tasty considering he had never seen Ali do as much as boil water. It tasted good and he was actually pretty hungry... He hadn’t really realized how much. Looking around the small camp he spotted several tools lying around, broken arrow shaft and different sorts of feathers; most of them black, unlike the usual white feathers she usually used for arrows. Next to tent entrance Jake noticed the longbow leaned against a tree, and it suddenly hit him that Ali wasn’t holding her bow.

“It broke.” Ali stated suddenly, causing Jake to startle slightly and turned his head to see she had been watching him through his silence. “It was an old bow... It was bound to happen somehow, sooner or later.” She turned her gaze to the newly crafted bow and gave a little snort. “I’m still working on making this one... Special somehow... It lacks personality as is. It’s the first time in ever that I’ve used a weapon fitted to my size though... I never quite reached my brother’s stature, for whatever reason... Go figure...” She chuckled. “Now I’m forced to use a proper weapon, how dull.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, I know you loved that bow.” Jake mumbled, scooping the rest of the oatmeal from the bowl. “Must not have been easy to dispose of it.”
“Easier than I expected, actually.” Ali replied with a small sigh. “Things have been strange, Jake... I can’t quite put my finger on why and how, but they are. Things are changing, people are changing and not always in a good way, and I feel somewhat... Lost, at the moment.” She let out an awkward laugh and shook her head. “I’m sorry, that was random... I just...”
“I know what you mean. I do.” Jake replied, leaning into his knees and staring that the empty bowl in his hands. “You know about Lena...?”
“I do. That’s one of the things I need to talk to you about... The last time I saw her, why we left the desert... My past...”

Jake simply nodded, setting his bowl aside and putting his attention on his friend as she started to tell him about all the things said and done in the past few months. Some things Jake already knew, but he didn’t say anything, not a word, and just let her speak; he felt that she needed to speak a lot more than he needed to listen. As the time passed he rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes, but still didn’t miss a word of what Ali was saying. As she talked to him about her mother’s journal he swore he heard her choke on her words here and there, but didn’t look to see if she was in fact crying only lifting his head when she was done talking. Noting the redness in her eyes, he confirmed his suspicions. Sighing softly, he put one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer in a comforting gesture. “So... Doesn’t this mean that... You’re like Blackhurst royalty and stuff? If your mother was a descendant of one of the King’s children.” He asked.
“Wha-... Shit, it does, doesn’t it?” She chuckled. “Great, Crys will never let me live this down after how I teased her with this Newhaven thing... Twins help me...” She choked on some laughter, and leaned into him. “Oh, boy... Still, I think I might not be the only one... In the back of my mom’s journal there is a list of names, one for each village. I know there are other survivors, so... Maybe there are others.”
Jake laughed a bit with Ali and sighed. “Other journals?”
“That’s my thought. I mean, Lena told me there was some sort of answer here, but maybe, it’s only a piece of it. Maybe there are others and that’s why she couldn’t figure it out.”
“Hmm...” Jake mumbled, going into thought for a second or so, before changing the subject. “So, strange thing happened last night... Isaac had an episode... A really bad one... We had to sedate him. Alistair got a bit burnt, but he’s alright. it’s been a long time since he last lost control, and for what I hear from the others... Never this bad since he joined the Shadows.”
“Poor Isaac, he’s such a sweet guy.” Ali said, shaking her head.
“Oh... I forgot to tell Captain about that... If I recall correctly one of her kids was a firestarter too, I maybe that’d be useful information for her somehow.”
“Jason. He’s the one Xypher attacked at the castle.” Ali informed.
“Right... Jason... How do you know so much about about the people here? You told me you barely got to know anyone.”
“I hear things... I know a lot of names around here of people I haven’t met. Your return was very discussed too, Jake... And it’s only been a few hours. Now I know why Crys finds this place so similar to the Pack camp; news travel just as fast. That’s how I knew you were coming this way.”
“You were waiting on me?” He chuckled.
“A little bit, yes.” She snickered softly and added: “Stealth training.”
“Stea-...” Jake cut himself off with a grin. “Well... Captain seems to think I should train... And if you followed me around so easily I believe she’s right.”
Ali lifted her head from Jake’s shoulder, playfully ruffling his hair as she pulled away from him. “Are you propositioning me, Sir?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at him playfully.
“Why yes, I am, Milady... Or should that be Your Highness now?” Jake teased, unable to hold back laughter at his own words; falling into a small fit when Ali glared at him in anger. “I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t hel-”

Both assassins stopped laughing, jumping to their feet at the same time, Ali pulling a throwing knife and Jake unsheathing his sword, both looking frantically at their surroundings before looking back to each other. “You heard that, right?” Jake muttered.
“Mhm.” Ali replied, nodding. “Something about a ball, in two days. Should we go?”
“I don’t know if I should... I just managed to get out of that place...”Jake muttered.
“So that’d be incredibly foolish, right?” Ali asked.
“Very.”
“Then you’ll go.” She sighed. “We both know you will.”
“Maybe.” Jake frowned, a slightly defiant tone in his voice. “Wouldn’t you go?”
“Eh... I don’t know... Would I have to wear a dress and stuff?... That’d be weird... Where would my knives go?”
“Uh... I...” Jake coughed awkwardly. “Maybe you should ask a woman that, Ali.”
“You’re not supposed to answer that, Jake.” She shook her head. “Was just thinking out loud, is all.”
“Oh good.” He replied, with a smile. “Can we just go train for now, then? It’s in two days... There’s time to think about it later.”
“Sure.” Ali nodded, picking up her bow and quiver and opening a grin. “Ten seconds head start?”
“Take thirty.” Jake chuckled.
“Thirty? Feeling confident, are we?” She snickered. “Alright, I’ll humor you... Thirty it is.” She stated, running of and disappearing amongst the trees.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Wolfpack Camp]

“Alright. Is that all, Alpha?”

Sean sighed softly. The idea of doing what that pathetic woman wanted of him nearly made him physically ill, even if this would hurt Evin. Did he even want to hurt Evin at this point? He poisoned Katie... Yes, Sean wanted to hurt him, even though he was almost sure that if he had taken that contract he would have acted pretty much the same... Or at least he would have murdered that arrogant bitch just for fun... With his bare hands and not some stupid poison...

“Alpha? Alpha? Sean!”

Sean shook his head, snapping out of his fantasies of choking the life out of that ignorant bitch and nodding his agreement. If he could do it his way... He’d take the woman alive, and just use her to get to Evin; he had no reason to actually harm her. However; a hit is a hit and his hands were bound by the contract.
“Why assign so many assassins to kill one woman?” Franklin asked, reading Sean’s notes over his shoulder. “Do you honestly think Bana will be keeping tabs on the woman after all this time?”
“I won’t risk it.” Sean replied simply, not wanting to think any more on this subject. It felt wrong somehow. Was he growing a damn conscience out of nowhere now?

“To all those interested, there will be a Gala Ball in Blackpond Castle within two days. Everyone is welcome.”

Sean jumped up at the sudden strange voice and looked around startled. He was alone in the office with Franklin; the man giving him a concerned look. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” The man inquires, the concern in his eyes increasing.
“Nothing.” Sean mutters, standing from his desk and rubbing his eyes as he walked his way out of the leaders’ cabin; glad that Franklin didn’t follow after him. He sighed, still rubbing his eyes as he walked, half blindly towards the training area, his ears catching the sound of arrows hitting the shooting targets; Sean stopped in his tracks as he came closer and spotted Katelyn there, shooting arrow after arrow without a hint of hesitation, all hitting the center of the target perfectly. Sean couldn’t help but smile at how talented his little sister was. She’d grown up so fast, so strong, and so much better than him... Sean knew that if he was ever proud of anything in his life, it was of how that girl had turned out so different from him. He had the Twins to thank for that, because he certainly had nothing to do with it. With a bit of luck Donovan would grow up as well to be his own man, he was still far from it, but he surely had it in him.

“Brother.” Katie broke the silence, not turning to face him, but walking to retrieve her arrows. “How has your morning been so far?” She asked.
Sean sighed, shaking his head and moving to sit at a log near where Katelyn had stopped to shoot once her quiver was full again. “Exhausting.” He answered. “Tough decisions to be made and such... Boring. You probably don’t want to hear about that.”
Katie smiled softly. “I want to hear it if you need to say it.” She replied, nocking an arrow and drawing her bow. “Isn’t that what you would always tell me?” She asked, releasing the arrow and watching it fly straight into the center of the target.
“I don’t think I can stand to think of it any more, but I appreciate it, sis.” Sean replied with a little shrug. “You’ve gotten really, really, good at this, Katie. I’m amazed.”
“I’m just firing to break in the bow. It’s brand new.”
“Shouldn’t the archer do this?”
She topped shooting and glanced at him before giving a shrug. “It’s for Doni. I’m doing it for him since he’s away at the moment.”
“He’ll be fine, it’s not a difficult task and it’s not an assassination.” Sean stated, reading the expression on his sister’s face.
“If it’s not a big deal then why doesn’t he have backup, and why did he have to leave his ring?”
“I never said it’s not a big deal. It’s a huge deal. And you think I would be crazy to send them without any backup?” He grinned. “I just never told them it was there. I don’t want them being reckless and risking the mission thinking they’ll have a safety net; even if it’s there.”

Katelyn snickered at the revelation. “Oh, Sean Fletcher... Are you being a softy all of a sudden? Are you doing this for Doni or the girl?”
Sean frowned momentarily. “Oh, ha ha...” He muttered. “New Wolves never go truly on their own the first time, for any reason, and you know this. So what are you asking me exactly?”
“I’m asking if you like Ari. I mean she seems nice and very likeable so I could assume so, but you are a grumpy little jerk who tends to dislike people for the oddest reasons, so I’m never sure.”
“She annoys me sometimes, but I suppose I do like her despite that.” Sean replied with a little shrug.
Kate gasped playfully in fake shock. “Oh my... That’s unheard of.” She broke into a giggle. “Well, I’m glad to hear that... Maybe she can be a friend if you don’t snap and suddenly act like a total jerk with her.”
Sean snickered. “Sis... Being a jerk is pretty much all I’ve done since she got here... It’s called ‘training’.” He sighed. “Point taken, however. I might try and be pleasant in the future, maybe, if I’m in a good mood.”
“Good. I’ve been worried for you ever since Indrani...” She sighed. “Are you really going to fight he to the death, or whatever?”
“I don’t want to, but it’s...” Sean sighed wearily. “It’s complicated and I don’t want to think about it now.”
“You’re an idiot, Sean. You should try and talk this out with her. It wasn’t your fault after all.”
Sean shook his head in protest to his sister’s words. “Katie, Indrani has her way of seeing things and through her eyes I betrayed her, and she disgraced herself to trust me. A talk doesn’t fix what’s been broken between us. It’s over.”
Katelyn gave up the thought of shooting any more as she caught Sean’s eyes. Heaving a sigh she returned the arrow she had picked to its place in the quiver and moved to sit by him, rubbing his back as if trying to comfort a child. “How can something so strong shatter so easily?” She asked. “I bet she’ll talk to me. I can find her.”
“It’s just how things are, I’m afraid.” Sean replied, forcing a smile at his sister. “I appreciate it Katie, I really do, but... It’s not safe, and even if she’ll talk to you, she won’t change her mind.”
“I could try, I’ll be safe, I just... I wish I could... Help you.” She sighed. “You are so... You’re stressed, Sean. You’re sad, and weak... Not how I’m used to seeing you. Others might not notice it, but I’ve known you my whole life and you can’t hide it from me. You can’t lie to me.”
Sean smiled softly at his little sister, shaking his head slightly amused although he can’t help but feel moved by her words. “I’m very grateful, little sister.” He said, putting one arm around the girl. “I understand that you want to help me, that you don’t want to see me hurt, but you can’t fix my problems. Alright? I’ll heal... Eventually. It just takes a bit of time, that’s all. You don’t have to take care of me... I’m the older brother.”
Katie chuckled softly, leaning into him in a gentle embrace. “You were always the one to take care of me, but I’m not a child anymore Sean, I can help you now if you need me. It’s okay to need help sometimes.” She paused for a moment then added: “You know I love you, brother; no matter what you do. Don’t forget.”

========================================

[The Manor]

Sam was watching silently as a couple of servants worked to clean the blood off the courtyard. She was displeased, and very much so, with how this person had been allowed into her home; her cold sharp eyes caused the two young servants to occasionally shiver under her gaze, but she paid them absolutely no mind. After a long moment of silently watching their efforts she broke her silence. “If you can’t make it spotless... Tear it down.” She ordered, her tone void of any emotion whatsoever as she let her gaze move from the servants to the face of the statue, a yellow spark lighting behind the darkness of her green eyes for only a moment as she turned to walk back into the mansion; Ezekiel following her every step, awaiting a command like a giant black puppy eager to please. It was something she was use to now; that man’s presence. Ezekiel had been there, like her living shadow, for almost as long as she could remember... Since her father ordered him to kill her. Oh, how ‘Master’ had underestimated her then. Not only had she convinced the man to spare her, but he had done nothing but protect her since. Fourteen years ago, that was... Amusing how far Time flies and yet nothing changes really.

“To all those interested, there will be a Gala Ball in Blackpond Castle within two days. Everyone is welcome.”

Sam flinched, only slightly, an intrigued look momentarily crossing her eyes, but no other reaction to a sudden voice in her mind. Stopping at the library doors she addressed Zeke in a murmur. “Where is Luckas now?”
Ezekiel snorted as if he was holding back very unpleasant words, but answered immediately and politely nonetheless. “He said he was on his way to the city. Amber accompanied him.”
“Do you honestly think Amber is the best to accompany Luckas... That’s just adding more psycho to the list.” Sam questioned.
“Probably, but I am not allowed to injure the boy physically or mentally, therefore there is little I can impose on him and she is the only one he will accept... Barely.” Ezekiel replied, with a small shrug. “Most likely due to her level of psycho, for her young age... It probably feels to him like he’s the one keeping an eye on her and not the other way around. It’s hilarious how he enjoys thinking he's in charge.”
Sam broke into an amused smile. “I find his naivety rather endearing, but he’ll learn. He was always too damn smart for his own sake. Did he say who attacked him?”
“Refused to. Said he would handle it himself.” Ezekiel replied, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
“He’ll tell me.” She stated simply. “Are Lizzy and Adam on their way?”
“Yes, they departed just an hour ago.” The man replied, staring at the door to the library with a bit of confusion in his eyes. “Milady... Are we skipping training this morning?” He inquired, his tone slightly disappointed, and she could tell.
Sam snickered under her breath. She honestly forgot what time of day it even was with all the commotion, but Ezekiel seemed to be wondering if he’d done something wrong not to get his playtime as usual; neither of them actually bothered with pretending he still had anything to teach her despite still calling the sparring sessions ‘training’. She turned to face him and the look he gave her made the idea of denying him very tempting, but she pushed it back and buried it underneath her amusement. “Apologies, my friend. I think I’ve lost track of my day for a moment. We can do this now or in the afternoon, whichever you prefer.”
“Now.” The man replied promptly with a grin.
“I thought so.” Sam replied smiling wickedly and rushing down the hall away from the library and towards the armory. “Come on, old man.” She called cheerfully over her shoulder. "I'm sure you're eager to try and beat me up."

“So, we’re going in to burn the camp of the esteemed Wolves. Funny isn’t it?”

“I don’t see what’s so damn funny about it.”

The two men were sitting on watch for the evening, their backs to each other as the fire lay dead beside them. What had once been a roaring fire now lay broken in red smoldering embers, the wood all used up against the cold and the two were now relying on their own warmth to keep from freezing.

“Well, here we are, a small band of ‘Rebels’ bending to a leader’s will going to destroy perhaps one thing that had been in Valecrest since the beginning of time. It’s funny that the new replace the old.”

“That’s life. Besides, we’re not here to wipe them out, just get the girl.”

The one man shrugged and fell quiet; the only sound around them the shifting of the night creatures and the soft pop of the hungry fire. A group of eight people lay around them, their leader leaning against the roots of a tree, her back pressed against the bark of a tree.

“Do you find it odd that Kirsten is using a girl to catch a girl?”

“No.”

The talkative one fell quiet and Phantom relaxed slightly. Leave it to Lichen to steer the conversation away from her. The new recruits were always talking. It was odd for a female to be part of the Knight Hunters, but she wasn’t the first. That much she knew. Where or what happened to the woman before her remained a mystery. It didn’t matter anyways. She was bound to Kirsten, and likewise he was bound to her. She shifted in her sleep, opening her eyes a crack to survey her surroundings. Though she may have appeared to be asleep against her tree, she didn’t sleep. She just didn’t feel the need too. Lichen turned to look at her, his kind eyes staring into hers understandingly. She smiled at him shyly, for a moment before falling back into her sleep like state.

“So, we’re just out to find the camp.”

“Yes.”

“That’s all?”

“Then we’ll burn it.”

Phantom listened to the carefree chatter, her mind whirling on finding the camp. It wouldn’t be that hard, they had Kie to guide them in the right direction. Phantom wasn’t worried too much. It was the sneaking in. In fact she believed that they were already being watched.
She almost didn’t notice the creak of a branch, the drop of a small twig to the ground. Her hand reached to her dagger, her eyes traveling up the tree a few feet away. There. A shift of movement, much too large to be a cat. Her sharp eyes caught sight of a hand, a human hand. There was no doubt in her mind that it was a Wolf. Perhaps they had been following her band sense they set foot into the forest. But seeing one here, listening in on the Watchers conversation made her start. If she moved to attack now, she would alert the entire camp around her to the fact that she wasn’t asleep. If she didn’t then it was possible that the Wolf could carry word to camp ahead of them. Then it could very well come down to a fight. Her lips curved into a thin smile and her hand moved away from her hip. And for once she was able to fall into a deep sleep.

"We could take them now, I'm just saying. They obviously plan to make a move."

"Not yet, Sean wants to let them get closer. If they're any good they know you're watching by now and you can't surprise them anyway. Not to mention, we want at least one alive to give us answers."

"These... They are the same people who invaded the Inn, aren't they?"

"Yes, Ryan."

"Do we know what they are after?"

Silence followed the question and Ryan shifted uncomfortably in the tree branch where he'd been perched on.

"Franklin?"

"Just... Follow your orders, boy. Let me and Sean worry about what they're after."

Ryan held back a sigh and gestured to one of his companions to let him know they were meant to wait. Quietly he watched as the gestured was repeated and passed along to all the Wolves in his group. There were seven of them, including Ryan himself, but using his enlightenment he could increase their numbers considerably and it was his honest opinion that it would be better to attack the intruders before they came any closer; according to Franklin it was not what Sean wanted to do though. He wanted them closer to camp so they'd have less chances to escape. Ryan wasn't fond of waiting, but so be it... The Alpha's word is law... They'd sit and wait and watch for as long as they were told to. They had someone ready to shoot down their bird the moment they stepped close enough, and that would be their signal to move. Until then... It was his job to keep eyes and ears open in case their visitors did something unexpected. His gaze was, at the moment, fixed on the woman who had been leading them towards the camp; he couldn't tell for sure if she was awake or asleep, but he had caught her momentarily reaching for a weapon and that was a clear sign that she was far more alert than she led on.

In Ryan's mind he couldn't understand what would be so important to these people that they would foolishly invade on the Pack's territory that way. In his eyes, they were either extremely foolish or incredibly sure of themselves, and either way they were as good as dead. Still, Sean seemed to see it differently, and that led him to act with more caution than he usually would; the Alpha was many things, but a fool he was not. The assassin slowly ran one hand through his blond hair, pulling a few annoying strands away from his eyes, not daring to look away from the intruders and their little camp, a cold breeze suddenly blowing across the tree branches and causing him to shiver only slight, one hand clinging to the tree as it swayed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Phantom was wide awake the next morning, her boot nudging the backs and sides of those still asleep. Then she stood, her back to the tree’s where they had been watched, as those she had woken placed their hands over the sleeping victims’ mouths and woke them with cold steel. Phantom smiled softly as she heard the sharp intake of breaths as their skin was split and blood dripped down like rubies from the cuts that now ran along necks. It wasn’t enough to kill, only enough to scold them for waking so late. The sun had barely risen and they were nearly there.

She turned, walking briskly forward to one of the men who were on duty last night, his fingers brushing across a particularly deep neck wound. Her delicate fingers slapped his hand, knocking the pressure away, her other hand tilting his head back forcefully as he growled. Her fingers smeared the blood across his pale flesh as she coated the tips of her fingers in blood. With one quick swipe across her face she smiled at them. His blood shone in small waves across her face, red glistening the same pattern was repeated on the other faces as her fingers moved gracefully over Lichens face.

“Kirsten is a genius,” he said with a smile, blood glistening on his face like his own wounds, one of the stripes dripping down his cheek giving him an added element. Phantom nodded and turned to oversee the reading of camp. They were all dressed in black, dark and hidden in the early dawn light. Their faces were all painted red with brother’s blood and as Phantom pulled the piece of cloth from her pocket she smiled evilly. The red tear was specifically Ari’s, the fabric matching the blood that now rolled down faces as their eyes all turned to look towards her. Her blue and brown eyes glittered as they silently drew weapons and knocked arrows. Without a word she moved forward and they all followed, moving like ghosts through the trees, coming closer and closer to Ari’s home.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The cold brush of air, the light touch of winter clinging to the air as spring threatens to take hold against the heavy cruelty that winter has imposed. Ari loved spring. It was a time of rebirth, of beauty and of life. The birds would be all back, the trees thickening out into green leaves and the people would all awaken as the ice melted from their bones and the sun once again set them free to flit about the land to their hearts content. The land would come alive, and once again winter would be held off until another year passed. Even still, the winter was beautiful, white and clean, snow softly balancing on the boughs of trees. Oh, and they looked dead, but that was not the case, no, not one bit. Instead the trees were in a silent slumber, tucked under the blankets of snow and the soft caress of cold wind, brushing the white flakes to send them descending like stars upon the ground. Like a mother, the winter had ruled with a harsh hand, but not an unfair one. Spring was on the move, it was already marching against the purity that was winter, ready to muddy it up with heat and melting. Green would overtake the white, muddying her skirts as she fled away, and spring would not stop there. Instead, he would take control, chasing winter out of the lands until all that remained were roaring rivers, treacherous slopes, and slick mud. Even then, wars will rage and men will be on the move again. Death came with winter and it marched on with spring.

Ari snickered. Death was an equal to life, why should she be afraid of death? It was better to accept it than live in fear of it. After all, that was almost everyone’s greatest fear, death. Ari sighed, watching as the breath of air swirled in front of her face in a creamy cloud, floating up to vanish into the air as she moved. She was being worked to death. Since that moment she had met Ella, she had been put to the test. Not only was she cleaning floors and furnaces, but also cooking, changing sheets, polishing armor, washing clothing and fetching hot water. Castle life was busy, and after today, Ari was sitting pretty high on the list. Sean better be proud, she thought with a smirk. She was working her tail off to finish everything and get noticed and now, everything was set. Her hands rose to the sky, stretching out towards the heavens as she skipped out of the castle walls, free for the rest of the day. She loved the open air and the freshness, on the way out she had even passed the queen, stopping to wave even if Ella didn’t see her. Ari wasn’t concerned, she would find away eventually. Air turned her way down the path, kicking snow out of her way as she carefully directed herself towards the woods. She needed time for a run, a good long stretch that nothing could halt. Carefully she pulled the cloth of her scarf closer around her nose and mouth, hiding her face behind it as she readjusted her hood. After all, winter might be losing, but that didn’t mean that is wasn’t damn cold.

She glided over the snow, vanishing amongst the trees almost as fast as she had left the path. Her boots crunched, her body shivering as she built up her energy, silver light flooding her eyes as she blinked several times. Her lips twitched as her teeth grew sharper, her shoulders rolling as the wolf rose to the surface. Her hands trembled as she prepared to shift; her body was tingling, her muscles rolling when another body collided with hers. Ari fell to the ground, her yelp cutting the silence of the white before a gloved hand was quickly pressed to her mouth. Sharply she was turned, her shoulders pinned back to the ground as she found herself starring into a pair of bright blue eyes.
“Who are you?”

“Who are you?!” she growled, the silver in her eyes fading to small rivers that lined the green.

“I’m asking the questions girl. Are you a Night Hunter?”

“What? No! They’re trying to kill me.”

“So you currently have no knowledge of the group of them that are heading into the woods as we speak?”

Ari stared up at the man, dumbfounded as she quickly shook her head. She was at a loss for once.

“Surprised that we know?”

“Oh get off of her Liam, she obviously doesn’t know. Besides, she’s one of us.”

“What makes you so sure? Huh, Alexi?”

“This is none other than Ari Lupir, recently adopted by the Pack. I was there at the party, she’s a good singer,” Alexi said, offering a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet, nodding towards her with an apologetic smile. Slowly she brushed the snow off of herself, pulling back up her scarf. The man Alexi had referred to as Liam stood slightly off to the side, hi shoulders bunched and his hand crammed inside the pockets of his pants, his brown eyes angrily looking at her.

“What are you doing out here?” Liam demanded.

“I’m getting something for Sean,” she shot back in a huff, he voice closer to the growl of the wolf. Alexi put a hand on her shoulder and she quietly wondered what she must have looked like from the outside as she reined back in her temper. Wolf didn’t like to be startled, it made her edgy, then again this was family and they were trying to protect the woods from the-

“What was this about Night Hunters?”

“A group has made their way into the forest, nothing we can’t handle, but Sean is letting them get close.”

“Too close,” Liam mumbled.

“Now, what were you getting for Sean?”

“Just some Intel, nothing too big for my first mission.”

“Just some Intel, she says,” Liam mocked quietly, Alexi’s head turning to glare at him. “What type of Intel are you bringing back for our Dearest Alpha?”

Ari took a small breath, her eyes narrowing at the tone he had taken. Obviously this man wasn’t quite in line with Sean’s leadership but that wasn’t what bugged her. What made her hackles rise was the way he had said “our”.

“None of-”

“Liam, mind your tongue! Ari doesn’t have to tell us anything about her mission. It’s not your place to ask anyways,” Alexi snarled, causing the younger one to shrink back slightly. Ari stared at the older man; he was probably in his forties, a thick black beard covering his face and dusted over with ice from his breath. He was still in good health, his muscles bulging under his clothes and as she sniffed the air she caught the sweet scent of something she couldn’t place. He turned back to her, taking a kinder tone as his eyes went from green to brown.
“Sorry about him, he hates the cold weather and hasn’t had anything to eat today.”

Ah. So he was Enlightened. She nodded slightly, trying to look impassive.

“Liam, get back up in that tree and get something to eat. We’re going to be here all day. As for you Ari, I suggest you stay away from the borders or be very careful today. Everyone is on high alert and not all of us were able to see the Ceremony. And I’m guessing that you do not have your ring, am I right?” he waited until Ari nodded quietly before continuing, “I thought so. I’ll let you in here for a run if that’s what you were going to do. But make sure you come out this way too.”
“How did-“

“Enlightenment,” he smiled, tapping the side of his head lightly. She smiled at him, waving as she walked deeper into the forest, ripping into a White wolf the moment she could. The pain had lessened and amazingly, the transformation had taken less time to do. She shook her coat, pink tongue lolling from her mouth as she cocked her ears.

The forest was holding its breath, even the birds had stopped chirping and on the wind she caught the scent of blood. Her head turned as she caught the sound of Alexi scolding Liam, her lips pulling back in a grin as she galloped off. Her feet glided over the snow, her nose taking in every scent she could possibly analyze, her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth as she ran. Enlightenments were perhaps the best ting the Twins had ever gifted. She could run, be free, change into whatever she wanted all the while surviving and thriving. There was Franklin with his booming voice that echoed through your skull, Stephan with his ability to contort wills, and Alexi with the power to read minds. He front paws tripped over themselves as she fell forward with a yelp, the realization smacking her squarely in the chest. He could read minds. Alexi could read minds! And he had read hers! Her paw fell over her nose as she whimpered. That meant he knew what she was doing and who she was and what she was all at once. He could have seen her mission and if it was out then…then Sean would be very upset. Only she and Donovan were supposed to know what was going on! Her head shook as she lay in the snow, carefully checking to see if she had injured herself in any way. When she was satisfied with the result she stood, shaking herself off before pacing.

Alexi seemed like a good guy. Someone who trusted Sean, maybe even liked him, so it wasn’t that big of a deal, right? She huffed as she looked toward the sky. Her nose worked the air, catching scent of her and Doni leaving the forest, a memory consuming her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FLASHBACK

Donovan yawned as he absently kicked a pebble out of his path, crossing his arms behind his head and lazily looking up at the tree branches above as he walked, smiling idly at the morning sky as it shone its bright blue amongst the browns and greens of the trees. Half of his mind was going over the task he would need to perform and the other half was wishing he was still in bed, sleeping away the fun of graduating. It hadn't been too long since he and Ari had left camp, and he was a little oblivious to the fact he hadn't really made any conversation and was rudely ignoring his company; his focus hovering between thoughts of a nice bed and inner questioning of the reasons why Sean needed eyes and ears in Newhaven Castle after all. He wasn't told of anything specific he was supposed to look for, only to keep an eye on the Captain of the Whites and knowing his brother; if he wasn't telling everything it probably meant it was serious business.

Ari padded quietly ahead of Doni, her eyes fixated on the path ahead of her. She had shifted back to her human form a little while into the journey, taking his stillness as an unease of talking to a wolf. Yet still he had made no attempt to talk to her so neither had she. Her bright eyes surveyed the forest around them, her nose taking in the changes of the wind and the paths that animals had taken the night before. Her neck felt bare without the ring hanging around it and though she tried to shake off the feeling, she couldn't ride herself of the sense that they were being watched. She'd rather not draw it to the attention of the rude or tiered; she wasn't quite sure which yet, boy beside her. Instead she moved forward with more caution, her senses sharply focused on getting everything finished without a hitch. Learn, study, report. That was all she had to do, Doni would take care of the rest. Her eyes flicked back to him, catching sight of his arms behind his head, eyes fixated on the sky above with a stupid grin on his face. She felt a pang as she saw a likeness to Sean in his demeanour. Is this what the Alpha had once been like? Carefree and young? She smiled at the thought and her soul steeled its self with the thought of his own troubled being. She wanted to help Sean, but how?

It was a bit further down the path when the silence finally became noticeable to Donovan, and he shot Ari a momentary glance as he realized that maybe he was coming off as rude somehow. Doni didn't consider himself all that good with people, and making small talk was not exactly his favourite thing, but he didn't like misunderstandings. Ruffling the back of his hair and yawning yet again, he lowered his arms, his hand fiddling with his belt as if searching for the small quiver that usually hung there, finally he broke his silence. "I heard you beat an archery contest out where the former Black Knights are camped... Is it true Ali was there?" He asked, a curious tone in his voice; his full attention now on the girl. "I heard... A man named Vane Ross was also there... The man is somewhat legendary. One of the best archers out of the Newhaven army. I'd be proud as hell to just lose to a guy like that. Last information we had on him said he was dead though..." Doni said, only slightly confused by the conflicting information as he shrugged. "He was probably hiding out... That seems to be somewhat of a trend nowadays."

Ari jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, her lips pulling back into a small smile as she calmed her heart. She had almost forgotten that he was even there. She slowed her pace so that she walked beside him.

“Ali was there, I couldn’t forget her face if I tried. She was my main competition. I didn’t recognize anyone else, and names were kept quiet for the most part. I do remember faces though, that and smells.” Ari paused as if remembering, her fingertips tingling with the longing of her bow and the thought of the beautiful quiver she had left in the doorway of her sleeping place. Slowly she shook her head and cast a smile at Donovan, her eyes bighting at the memory, “It’s true that I won. Snuck in and out as a black wolf and no one saw what I was, at least I hope so. See, I dressed as a man. I sure as hell didn’t want anybody tracing me back to the Pack. That could have been dangerous. As for a man named Vane...it didn’t stick if he was mentioned by name. But maybe....” she paused again as if considering something important before she turned her attention back on Doni.

“There were a bunch of men, but there was this one. He was tall, with black hair. He looked pretty wimpy besides the fact that he drew his bow pretty steadily. Oh, and he had a scar. It went from his chin to the tip of his left eyebrow,” she shrugged, “Maybe I could describe him, but this one stood out from the crowd. Perhaps I should return one day and ask?”
She was joking of course; the strong scent of his unease was only slightly masked by the smell of, well, pond scum and she wanted to belong and make the kid feel easy around her. Small talk was not his thing, based on his smell, but from experience, small talk turned to big talk. Maybe, she thought with a timid smile, I can have him laughing at the end of the day.

Donovan grinned some at the thought that crossed him; Ali hated losing, he remembered that about her clearly, and this was probably eating her up inside. After what she'd almost done to him, the thought of her being beaten just made him happy. It was little in comparison, but it was something. Thinking about the description Ari had given him made Donovan suddenly realize he was never told what 'Daemonos' looked like. Sean had talked about him quite a bit, but mostly of his skill with a bow and his military records which were quite impressive. "Hmm... That could be him, maybe, I don't know what he looks like really, but hey... Maybe in the Castle I get to find out." He said in a somewhat eager tone before wincing slightly, thinking that he should probably not mention the assignment so openly without being able to know who might be lurking. He didn't want to make any mistakes with this, he knew it was important, even if he didn't know why exactly, and he wanted to get it right. Once he was done mentally scolding himself, he gave a little shrug. "I'd like to have been there; even if just to watch, although... I'm pretty sure I'd do nicely in a competition... It's in the blood. Six generations of archers." He stated, rather proudly. "Sean is really great too, he just doesn't show it for whatever reason."

Ari laughed lightly, her eyes mirroring her sudden elevation in mood. She kept still for awhile, thinking carefully about her next move as they continued in silence, her mischief plainly showing on her face as she shot Donovan a wicked grin.
“I’m sure if we bugged Sean enough he could and would have no choice but to hold our own little competition. That is if he ever wanted to get the two ‘kids’ off his back,” she said, her voice almost mirroring Sean’s with some difficultly at kids. “I’d like to challenge him to that. Sean, the Alpha of the Wolfpack. Men and women rise and fall at his command and he who shatters the moon with his call. And on the other hand we have Donovan, little Wolf in comparison to his brother, yet stronger than the earth it’s self.”“ Ari grinned; glancing to see what Donovan’s reaction was before continuing. “Then there’s Ari, the REAL wolf, winner against Ali and slayer of training, obnoxious and yet as cunning as the fox in the woods. I can already see one of us possible beating him...and I can guess his response.” She scowled and pulled one of his faces from her memory, contorting her own face to try and mirror it. “Congratulations on the tournament, Kid.”
The smirk faded off of her lips and she cautiously looked toward Donovan.

Donovan was beyond amused by the thought of challenging the Alpha to an archery competition, especially considering he had been holding out on Sean a bit himself; it would be great to see the look on his face if he lost. He didn't even have to worry with trying to picture it because Ari's impression was pretty accurate. So much he couldn't help a small laughing fit. "You... Paint quite a picture, huh?" He laughed. "Well, I'm sure if I ask Katelyn to help nag him about it, he'll do it. She can melt him into doing anything." Donovan playfully rolled his eyes. "It's a little sister thing. Gladly she's not younger than me and that makes me immune."

"But in all seriousness, sometimes it is good not to show your strengths. Sean might hide his skill encase he ever does get challenged to leadership, or if a spy manages to slip into the Wolves ranks. I'm not saying that's the case, but you never know. All I know is that's what he told me our first day. Save your greatest weapon for last, don't give it away; hold it back until the last possible moment."

Hiding his hands in his pockets Donovan gave a small shrug as he found another pebble to kick, this time kicking it not out of the path, but only a bit ahead before taking another step and kicking it again. "Aye, Sean says that a lot. I think this is maybe out of spite or something though... And you didn't hear this from me, but when Ali came into the Wolves our father took charge of her archery training and that pissed off Sean. He trained on his own and he never touched a bow where others could see him. Seems foolish, but things like these make sense when you first think of them, and became habits before you can realize how silly they truly are. Like trying to single handily kill a woman who survived three assassins far more skilled than yourself." He stated, pointing at the missing bit of his ear Crys had sliced off after his pathetic attempt on her life. "I suppose I still owe you a thank you, for trying to help me out that day. I was a tremendous idiot, considering my situation." Again he shrugged, still kicking the small pebble across the ground as he walked.

"Donovan," Ari smiled, she had won! Donovan was laughing, her first step was done in befriending the younger boy. "When I was younger, my parents tried to kill me, or at least my mother did. My father did something else that was...much worse. That's how I figured out I was enlightened. Getting revenge for something like that haunts me to this day. That's why it is a curse. My enlightenment has taken away almost all those I have ever loved. It’s like I have no control over my Change sometime.
I wish I could have done what Sean did do. Just run away, practice something beautiful and peaceful until I had mastered it. Sometimes, running away is the best thing you can do."
Ari frowned and took a moment to kick the pebble that Donovan had been playing with a moment before, down their path a little further. What life could have been for her then? Death came too easy to her parents; it was the simplest thing she had given them, the easiest way to go. What if she hadn't killed them? Would they have suffered more at the loss of her? Doubtful. But what she had done was mercy. Killing them was so much easier than letting them rot their time in the prisons of Newhaven or even Blackpond.

She woke inside a dark room. There was a door. She tried to stand but quickly found that her legs wouldn’t work and she crashed back to the ground with the sound of rattling chains. There was pain, so sharp that she wanted to scream, but found that all she could do was release a breathless plea. Stabbing, ripping, burning, her body writhed as muscles remembered their pain. She bit on her lip, heard the door open as she finally was able to scream. Then it was as if everything went black.

She shook her head quickly and saw that Donavan was looking at her.
"Sorry, got lost in the past. Donovan, listen, you don’t need to thank me. After all I was pretty rude considering I had no idea who you were. All I knew is that you were in trouble and needed help. Ali could have cut you just because she wanted to. I kept her distracted, kept you safe. It’s what any good Wolf would do. And I wouldn’t say you were an idiot. You were brave for going out on your own without Sean standing over you. Brave, but stupid. Not an idiot. You just shouldn’t have missed,” Ari shrugged, her long blonde hair fluttering against her arm as she turned to stand in front of him, stopping their walk. “I know that you’re worried about Sean and Cry’s. I am too. She haunts him. But I am willing to promise you something right here, right now. One day, you and I will finish what Sean started. I’ll chase her down to my dying breath.”

Donovan heaved a small sigh and nodded along to Ari's words as she told him of her parents, quietly examining her expression as she spoke with just the corner of his eyes. There were things he felt the urge to comment on, but didn't thinking it would maybe be an intrusion. He also wasn't sure he agreed with the statement that running away was the best to do. For what he knew and seen... It wasn't even remotely possible to actually escape the past. So running away would just be running for the sake of running and that seemed to him as an unnecessarily exhausting way to live life. At this thought, Donovan was sure he heard a whimper from the girl and turned to face her, raising an eyebrow questioningly and keeping his eyes on her for a little while longer, even after she'd brushed off her own reaction.

At the mention of Crys and Sean, Doni finally starts speaking again with a little half-smile. "Oh, I forgot... You met her haven't you? What did you make of the former Alpha?" He asked curiously. "She can be very intimidating sometimes, I remember... After our older brother died, that was about three years ago... I pointed a knife at her and she just turned to me and told me to go ahead, but that I needed to openly challenge her first or I would be committing treason. I didn't; couldn't. She pushed me further though... Said that she'd pretend I challenged, like she gave me permission, and then she offered me her sword and encouraged me kill her with it. Of course by then I just wanted to get the hell out of there and I didn't do anything. I'm still not sure if she was mocking me or if she really meant that... Either way..." He sighed softly. "I don't know how this between her and Sean will end, but for what he tells me... He'd like it to end with them. I respect that, but I don't see it happening. The clan will react if Sean gets killed, and if he takes Crys down... You've met Allison, and there are others, who won't hesitate to come after Sean for it. Funny as it may be... Everyone is better off while those two are still around to fight each other; it's almost like peace, only not." He laughed, casually looking over his shoulder as he noticed he walked over his pebble without kicking it along. "What worries me is what happens if one of them wins, even if it's Sean, and I think that's what worries him too. He doesn't say, but I know that he would have made a move by now if it didn't."

"You care for him," Ari smiled softly, looked away and blushed. "He's a good Alpha. He took me in. And I owe my life for that. Sean can be such a good man sometimes. Stupid and irrational when the situation takes control of him, but he has a good mind."
Ari brew a huff of air past her lips as she cast her glance heavenward.
"Cry's, though I hate to say this, also has a good head. She's clever. But also like Sean, from the secrets I’ve caught, she also lost it when the situation ruled her. It's like watching two Alpha Wolves fight, no pun intended. They're both wicked smart, both cunning, each one willing to wait the other out. But here's the problem. One day someone is going to sneak in and take the Pack for themselves.
I've seen it happen. That or the Pack leaves. It's funny to watch really."
Ari smiled and then shook the memory from her mind. Her feet moved faster as she made up for lost ground and slowed only when she was dead even with Doni. She cast a glance toward him, reading his reaction before she continued.

"I can already tell you how this one ends. One of them is going to lose their mind and get rash due some unprecedented circumstance. Then, the other will move in for the kill at that moment. One of them is going to have to go, like you said. Then, there's that whole issue with loyalty and fighting clans. Cry's followers and Sean lovers," Ari coughed a bit and then hurriedly added, "And of course his loyal ones. So many could die..."

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I really don't know Doni."

"I care for him. I'm his brother... Comes with the job." Doni stated, amused. "Well, everyone has a good side and a bad side, and my brother... Let's say that his good side is just as good as his bad side is bad. And there's nothing in between except indifference, and that is, trust me, the worse side of him. He tends to treat his enemies with some level of respect, as for those people in the middle... He can be a cruel son of a..." Donovan shrugged and went quiet for a moment, his gaze falling ahead where the walls of Newhaven would soon appear in the distance. He hoped he could pull off his part of the mission without any problems. Newhaven Castle was the worst possible place for an assassin to get caught. A while after Ari finished speaking he sighed and spoke again. "The Pack's fate in my brother's hands... Oh boy..." He grimaced, playfully. "Twins help us all." He snickered, shaking his head, silently hoping Sean could keep it together.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Franklin opened his eyes grinning ear to ear like a fool as he belched, slammed his mug on the table and left the mess hall. None to quietly, he made his way towards Sean’s cabin, whistling as he did so. Oh boy was Sean going to love this. He knocked on the door, slipping inside as he looked at the Alpha. Sean was sitting at his desk, chewing on a cold piece of rabbit meat as he looked over some reports... The attack on the woman Bana has saved failed, and one of his assassins had deserted in the process. It was a mess, this whole thing was just a ridiculous mess... And now he needed to hunt down this guy for treason. Not lifting his head as he heard the knock on the door, recognizing it as being Franklin's, he waited for the man's footsteps to enter before mumbling. "Tell me that whatever you have to say is not a problem... I have my share of those right now."

"You should really look into the no news is good news ya know?" Franklin smiled, taking a seat oppisite of Sean, "It’s all about Ari."

"Thought I said no problems." Sean snorted, his tone mildly amused as he looked up from the desk to look at the man, "What did the kid do now?"

“First she was caught by Alexi and Liam running into the woods. Had a bit of a mix up but Alexi got everything settled. He let her run for a bit. Shoulda seen what was in her head. Apparently, she and Doni have been scheming," he winked, not giving Sean too much information.

Sean nodded, an intrigued look on his face as he wondered what those kids could possibly be planning behind his back this time. "Scheming, huh? How lovely, I clearly made a smart choice by teaming those two up." He spoke, a bit of playful sarcasm in his tone.

Franklin’s smile vanished as he took a more serious tone, eyes narrowing, "And the so called Night Hunters are heading this way as we speak. They got up early and the trap has been laid."

Sean took another bite of his food and chewed on it quietly before moving on. "And that's actually good... Hopefully this goes smoothly for a change. Remind them to capture the leader alive, if possible... I have some things to ask."


Franklin nodded and then smiled again, his thoughts turning to Ari as he laughed lightly, winking at Sean.

"You did the right thing by taking that kid in. Sometimes I wish you could see what she's thinking about."

He stood, stretching as he made his way toward the door.

"Anything else?"

"Nice to know at least I did something right." Sean snickered. "But no, nothing else... Just watch yourself out there... You wouldn't want to fall and break your hip, old man." He teased.

“I’m taking that as an insult and you will pay for it later! Old man my ass,” Franklin snickered, closing the door behind him. His eyes closing as he looked toward the sky.

You know what to do.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Phantom lead her company forward, the bodies tensed. Kie flew forward, gliding low over the trees before flying back. They were getting closer. She nodded quietly and they quietly knocked arrows as their eyes lit up. Like deer they moved forward, quickly yet without making a sound. She raised her hand and Lichen repeated the gesture further down, all the men slowing behind them as their finger tensed over their arrows.
“What is it?” Lichen whispered quietly, watching as her hair blew across her face, her lips moving under her mask as she shook herself.
“Phan-”
She flinched as there was the twang of a bow, the whistle of an arrow cutting through air and then the thud as Kie came tumbling from the sky with a screech. His silver wings tossing bits of light across the ground. There was no time to call for calmness, no time to call out orders as a rain of arrows fell from the surrounding trees.

“Run!” someone screamed a moment later an arrow pierced through the soft flesh of his neck as his body sagged to the ground. She didn’t need to repeat his order; her men were already heading for the base of the trees, using their enlightenments to target their victims. She twisted to see Lichen at the base of the tree, his eyes narrowed as a moment later an archer threw himself from the branches. One of the boys was using fire to catch the limbs on fire. She was surprised and a little amazed to see that the Wolves had taken their surroundings and dressed to match them exactly. They wore clothes that were ash grey, streaked with the colors of the surrounding aspen and birch. Their faces were painted over as well making them hard to spot. Her men were dropping quickly, arrows impaling arms and necks. She looked at Lichen, his knee bent as he muttered something and several of the archers revealed themselves. Instead of shooting at them though, their arrows turned, singing their song of death before crashing into the chests of others.

“Protect Lichen with your life or I swear I will kill every last one of you!” Phantom cried, watching as her Hunters, all in black, blood shinning on their faces moved to form a circle around the man, his blonde hair ruffling in the slight breeze. Already three of her men lay bleeding on the ground and there wasn’t one who wasn’t wounded. She watched as Lichens archers were shot down, leaving three of the Wolves dead. The forest became as still as it was before, no one daring to move as Lichen slowly stood, holding his hand to his head.

“Report.”

“The archer fled. No other brain activity in this aria. I think we got them all,” Lichen groaned quietly, shaking his head. Phantom knew he got headaches when he used his Enlightenment, but it never happened this quickly.

“They were strong,” he smiled, as if knowing her question. Phantom nodded and walked over toward Kie. The poor bird’s neck was broken from the fall, the arrow sticking out of his back. With a small sigh she jerked the black feathered arrow from his chest before laying him on the snow. Kirsten would kill her for this. She slowly stood, brushing her silver hair back under her hood and tightening the black mask she wore around her face.

“Let’s-” she paused, her head turning as she gasped. Running through the trees were ten wolves, leaving her five men shaking where they stood.

“Arrows!” Lichen barked, watching as those that could still draw a bow could, raising them as a volley of arrows stuck the wolves, passing though unharmed.

“Again,” he screamed, the spectral images before him roaring as they charged forward, and leading them was a damn wolf.

“It’s Ari!” Phantom called, watching as her men let loose another volley, the Wolves only trees away. Again the arrows passed through unharmed and the black wolf drew back its teeth as it ran forward, leaping mid air to turn into a girl. Volley after volley fell as her men turned and high tailed it, their arrows doing nothing to the wolves that were running after them. Phantom’s eyes widened as she too turned and ran, her body melding into the trees as her eyes burned bright.

Ryan kept his eyes on his image, the ‘men’ chasing after the Hunters. He didn’t know how the wolf had gotten there or who was creating that image. He didn’t worry about it. The image faded, all except the girl who kept giving chase, and left him feeling light headed, but now it was up to the rest of his men. His image should have done the job in herding the Hunters the right direction. He dropped from his tree, running forward through the snow. He could hear the screaming ahead, his heart racing as he picked up the pace, drawing his sword. Two of his wolves melded from the trees beside him, running forward to make sure that none of the Hunters tried to double back. He ran into the clearing, skidding to a halt as a Hunter ran towards him. The boy was wild eyed and shaking as he tried to knock back Ryan’s sword. The kid didn’t stand a chance. He raised his eyes to see the woman standing back to back with someone, his black hair sticking to her hood as together they managed to fight off three of his men.

“Saved the hooded one!” he roared, watching one of the archers take aim against the man. Before he could take the shot, a white wolf blasted from the trees, jaws agape and claws outstretched. The man was knocked back, thrown back into the snow as he screamed. Ryan didn’t watch his eyes were locked onto the woman who was cursing, but he heard the gurgle of a failed scream, the snap of teeth and the growl that came from the wolf. He nodded and her whirling body froze, the man behind him staring calmly as his eyes went from brown to black.

“Bind her, let’s get her back to Sean,” he nodded, turning to look at the carnage that was strewn up around the snow, blood leaving its red stain against the most virgin thing he could think of, “Someone count the bodies, there were eight of them.”
The Wolves moved around, rolling over people and slitting throats for good measure. Counting to themselves as they racked up the body count. He watched as the girl was pulled through the snow, fighting and kicking until one Wolf had enough and she fell unconscious with a quick pinch to her neck. It was better that way, then she wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of where she went into camp. One of his men walked calmly up to him.

“There are only seven bodies.”

“What?”

“Seven, not eight. Do you think-”

“We’re going to have to tell Sean.”

Ryan looked toward where the white wolf had been, the same thought crossing his mind. He walked over to the body, bending down to see that the entire throat had been ripped out. There were bloody paw prints leading off into the trees. Slowly Ryan stood, running his hand through his blonde hair as his lips pursed. Sean was not going to like this. He was not going to like this at all.

Allison snickered softly at Ess' remarks on how it had been a good idea to bring her along, carefully withdrawing her bow to where it usually rested at her back, her eyes only momentarily glancing at the dead man as she followed the woman out of the alleyway and back into the busy streets, looking around casually as if expecting to maybe catch a familiar face amongst the crowds. "Seems like pretty standard girl bonding to me." She stated with a nod. "Except maybe for the dress part, that was a first... But there has to be a first time for everything I suppose." She pointed out, watching with curiosity as Ess changed her hair. "I would have let you have him, I knew you were aware of him, but... I hate backstabbing... In every sense of the term... So I guess that was just one very unlucky bastard."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Forest, heading towards Newhaven]

“What a lovely little forest this is! Don’t you think? Isn’t it lovely?” Lizzy sang happily, literally skipping around her brother’s pacing as they made their way through the trees of the forest, heading for Newhaven.
“Mhm.” Adam mumbled, rolling his eyes impatiently at her permanent giddiness.
“You... Need to lighten up, Addy...” Lizzy pouted. “You’re not pleased with the assignment? I thought you liked Newhaven.” She questioned, standing before her brother and walking backwards, matching his pace. “I like Newhaven... It’s such a lovely city. Truly lovely, isn’t it?”
Adam mumbled incoherently under his breath, shaking his head to flick a strand of blond hair away from his icy eyes. “Suppose so.” He replied snorting quietly and swiftly getting around his sister, fastening his pace to leave her behind, a smirk escaping him as she huffed in annoyance behind his back.
“Adaam!” Lizzy whined, pouting and running to catch up with him. “Don’t walk away from me!”
“No delays.” Adam stated. “You’re too slow!”
“I am so not sl-” Lizzy silenced suddenly as she spotted the two men who stepped out from the woods to block their path. She turned and noticed two more men appear behind her as if to circle them both. Not seeming too fazed by the situation she sighed and turned to her brother, ignoring the threatening figures. “What do you think Addy; Wolves?”
“Don’t think so.” Adam muttered, his eyes flickering a silver lining forming itself around the blue of his irises. “No delays.” He repeated to her in a tone of warning.
“Aaaw.... Can’t we play for a moment?” Lizzy pouted.

“HEY!” One of the men shouted to catch the twins’ attention, lifting a heavy crossbow and shooting a bolt just past Lizzy’s head. “Shut up, or next one goes between those pretty eyes of yours.” He warned. “Now pass us whatever gold you have on you and no one gets hurt.”
Lizzy stared at the man with a fake expression of fright for a few seconds before laughing loudly and turning to Adam in a questioning way.
Adam nodded in response to her unspoken question. “Fine.” He whispered, turning to the man who had just spoken. “I’ll pay.”
Lizzy smiled cheerfully at Adam’s words as he pulled his coin purse and dropped it to the floor, a considerable amount of coin scattering through the floor. “Sis.” He called, nodding towards the dropped gold, patiently waiting for Lizzy to drop her own purse besides his. As the second coin pouch hit the ground the coins made their way out from it on their on, rolling across the ground one by one like a line of ants until both purses were empty. The trick seeming to amuse the thieves as they simply stood watching the coins travel across the floor to Adam’s will, not making much of it as all the coins assembled into a pile of melted metal that rose into the air. It was in the next second that they realized their mistakes; a second too late. In a fraction of a second the mass of melted gold split in the air; a fraction of it flying towards each man, all of the simultaneously dropping to the floor. Three of them dead with a differently shaped projectile embedded to their foreheads, right between their eyes. The fourth man; the one who had shot towards Lizzy, was still alive, however, emitting sickening choking sounds and muffled screams as the melted gold had forced its way into his nose and down his throat, cutting off his air, and solidified there. Adam didn’t give the man a second glance as he simply kept moving on down the path. “No delays, sis.” He repeated, calling after Lizzy who had stopped to watch the man’s life drain from his terrified eyes. Giggling softly the woman ran to catch up with her brother, cheerfully returning to her previous subject of how lovely the forest was.

===============================================



[Just Outside Newhaven]

Crys had walked most of the night and most day, but she had paced herself and took a few breaks here and there, in order to avoid exhaustion. In Newhaven she could rest, right now the last thing she needed was to get caught camping out in the forest. It was way past noon when she began to near Newhaven, and the afternoon was progressing fast; it was a lot later than she expected, but still considerably in good timing all things considered. There, as she was almost reaching the city... It was then that she was halted by the indistinguishable galloping sound of a horse moving straight towards her; a familiar horse. She froze in place as the horse’s pace slowed and cheerfully made his way to her. “Shadow!” She greeted opening a wide smile and lovingly stroking the horse’s neck. A shiver ran down her spine as she could feel the rider’s presence not too far, a presence she had not felt this close in a very long time... Not far behind and approaching... Crys sighed wearily; Jake was someone she had been searching for and hoping to avoid at the same time. She didn’t know what she would do, or how she would feel exactly when it came the time to speak to him again. She would have tried to avoid him even now, but she was so happy to have found Shadow again that she didn’t have it in her to leave the animal behind. Besides... She knew this meeting was bound to happen eventually, whether she liked it or not.

[Flashback - Desert, approximately 3 years ago]

“We should buy a farm.” Jake announced suddenly, breaking the silence that lingered in the chill desert air.
“What?” Crys laughed. “What would we do with a farm Jakey? You’d be bored in five minutes.”
Jake sighed softly, looking up at star-filled sky above. “Probably... It’s still a pleasant thought though... That maybe we could get away and have a quiet peaceful life together... You know, without all the conflict...” He tore his gaze from the night sky to glance at the woman lying beside him on top of a large boulder; Dastan had told Jake of this spot, of how it was close enough to camp to be safe, and far enough to be quiet, high enough to be out of sight, isolated, and he knew that while he couldn’t truly make the world around them disappear, this was pretty damn close. “... Just you and me.”
“What a very, very, pleasant thought indeed.” Crys whispered softly, absently reaching for Jake’s hand beside her, her fingertips slowly tracing the lines of his palm as she closed her eyes and let the conversation slip into a comfortable and familiar silence. Jake had a point; it was pleasant to dream, to toy with possibilities even though she knew the reality of the situation. If she was perfectly and completely honest with herself, she knew that settling down somewhere quiet was something she was incapable of, and even more incapable of it than her was Jake, still... It was a very pleasant thing to do; to dream of things they couldn’t have right now. Maybe one day, if things were to change, but she wasn’t sure of what to believe in when it came to War and Peace nowadays. Sometimes it was actually easier to believe that Valcrest would never see better days.
“What are you thinking?” Jake asked, now turning his face to look at Crys, a questioning look in his eyes as he tried to read her expression.
Crys opened her eyes and smiled playfully. “I was thinking that the silence was really, really, nice.”
“Oh, sorry.” Jake chuckled. “I’ll shut up, if you want.”
“No, no...It’s okay.” She sighed softly, moving her hand from his to brush a strand of hair away from his eyes, gently stroking his cheek with the back of her hand. “Can we have an apple orchard?”
Jake closed his eyes at the touch of her hand, momentarily forgetting the world at the one simple gesture. “huh?”
“At the farm... Could we have an apple orchard?” She asked. “I always liked apple trees.”
“We can have all the apple trees.” Jake chuckled, nodding along to the words.
“Oh! And puppies, we should have puppies!” She added. “And... Shadow. Shadow would love a farm, don’t you think?” She asked,
“We can have puppies... And I will find Shadow for you... And anything else you want.” Jake replied, an amused chuckle escaping him at Crys’ sudden and unexpected excitement over the idea. His amusement faded however when Crys tried to readjust herself upon the the rocky surface, letting out a painful groan in the process. “Hey, hey... Take it easy now.” He scolded, rolling onto his side, and consequently closer, to face her.
“I’m fine, Jakey.” She assured him.
“Alistair said you should stay in bed yet another week...” He argued.
“No... He said I should have another week’s rest... I am resting.” She snickered, realizing that Jake was not convinced. “Jakey... The wound is nearly healed, if I didn’t die so far... It’s not going to randomly happen now, okay? Can you just stop being all tense, please? Hmm? Pretty please?” She asked, poking his side playfully.
Jake sighed in defeat, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against hers as he whispered. “I’ll try... Can’t promise though.”
Crys smiled. “That’s fair. So... Can we have a pond?”
Jake laughed out. “Sure... Do you want a pink pony too?” He teased.
“Why would I care what color the pony is, silly?” Crys chuckled. “And no, I already told you... I want Shadow.” She stated, running one hand gently through his hair. “What about you, what do you want?”
“Me? How about we put some sharks in the pond?” He played.
“Sharks only live in the sea Jake...”
“It’s an imaginary farm... What does that matter? I want sharks... Oooh, and a dragon! I always wanted a pet dragon!”
Crys burst into a fit a laughter at his words. “Oh, come on, a pet dragon? Now you’re just talking crazy, Jake.”

[Reality]

Memories are a funny thing. When someone dies, it’s the good memories of the good moments that get you by, that keep you from falling into the void a person leaves behind when they are suddenly ripped out of your life forever. When that person leaves willingly, and living, however, the good memories only hurt more than the bad... They make you wish to drown in anger... To dive into that void and let it crush you. They make you wish you could erase your past if only not to feel. Suppose suicide would fit into the leaving category, except for one thing: when a person commits suicide it means they don’t want to live anymore; when they simply leave, it means they just don’t want to live with you.

Is it an absolutely selfish and despicable thing to rather see someone you love dead than to allow them to live without you? Yes, it is. It surely is. But in the moment... It just doesn’t matter; in grief, nothing matters. All one can hope for is that the moment passes, that the wounds heal, and that was just what Crys was afraid of; that the moment hadn’t passed completely, that those sickening, despicable, selfish feelings were still hiding somewhere inside and seeing Jake again would bring them back to life in the most unpleasant way. She was terrified of how angry she still was.

“Hello.”

Bloody hell.

. . . .

Jake was taking a rest, sitting against a tree, not at all in a hurry to return to camp, watching Shadow quietly graze not far from him. It was the middle of the afternoon, and a lot later than he planned on leaving the city, and a lot later than he promised Irvin he would be back, but it was really nice to just sit there by himself. The man sighed, stretching lazily and cursing under his breath at the ache in his body; result from yet another poorly slept night. He has lost Darren after they parted ways at the Inn, but he didn’t make too much of it, they would eventually see each other again at the Nest, and he didn’t see Darren as someone who would get into any particularly concerning messes. Under the shade of the tree, Jake was just thinking he might be able to relax, when all of a sudden Shadow lifted his head, gave a little snort, and began to gallop into the woods.
“Shadow! Where are you going?!” Jake called, jumping to his feet and running after the horse for a good distance before catching up with him on a small clearing. “Shadow what the hell is wrong with y-” Jake froze in place when his eyes caught sight of the redhead woman standing next to Shadow. “Crys?” He whispered, blinking a few times; a dumb look on his face as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. Crys didn’t turn to face him, or pay him any mind at all, she was occupied with Shadow; stroking the horse’s neck and speaking to it in a tone just soft enough so Jake couldn’t make out her words. He knew she had to be aware of his presence, but still tried to be as quiet as possible for some reason as if he feared that she would suddenly run away if he made a sudden move.

Jake hadn’t seen Crys in two years, only two years although it felt like a lot more now that she was standing right in front of him; a cheerful smile lighting up her expression as her focus was fully set on Shadow, it honestly made him envy the animal for a moment. He knew she wouldn’t smile that way for him... Not anymore. “Hello.” He greeted, stepping forth from where he had stopped to stare.

Crys’ smile faltered just a bit. but otherwise she didn’t express her feelings as she replied. “Hello, Jacob. Long time no see.” Her voice was just as void as her expression as she turned her head to face him for a moment. “It was nice of you to let me know you had Shadow. That spared me the time I would have spent looking for him and the little bit of sadness I would have felt when that search led me nowhere.” She snorted angrily, turning back towards Shadow, running her fingers lovingly through the horse’s mane. “Oh, wait... You didn’t do that, did you?”
“I’m sorry... Didn’t occur to me you’d still be looking for him.” Jake mumbled apologetically. “I just thought...”
“Forget it. He’s happy with you, so it’s fine.” She stated, the same emotionally void tone in her voice. “Suppose you’re better with animals than you are with people... That’s surprising.”
“I’m learning.” Jake stated simply. “Besides you can’t bribe people with apples, right?”
“You can’t buy an animal’s affection Jacob.” She replied. “You have to earn it.”
“That was a joke.” Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair absently. “Sheila said you were looking for me?”
“That was over a month ago.” Crys replied, pulling away from Shadow and turned to face Jake, her smile slowly melting away into a severe expression. “But of course, you weren’t there.”
“I was incarcerated, Crys. I would’ve given anything to be there... Anything.”
Crys snorted a laugh. “That... Is so hard to believe. I don’t even have to bother with telling you why, now do I? And yes you were incarcerated, but let’s not forget it was your stupid idea to get locked up in the first place... Or were you foolishly expecting me not to be aware of that? And sending messages through unknown telepaths, Jake? Lena would beat you senseless if she ever knew of that act of stupidity.”
Jake winced at the mention of Lena, he couldn’t get over the fact she had died while he was stuck in Blackpond. “Well, I didn’t have much option... I needed to get the message out... And why bring this up now, huh? Why bring Lena up now? Are you really that angry that you have to use this to hurt me?”
Crys shook her head slowly, reaching out to place one hand in Shadow’s muzzle as the horse nudged her for attention. “How can you ever think I would say anything just to hurt you? I would never do that, no matter how much you truly do deserve it.” She sighed. “Suppose it doesn’t matter now, what I have to say... If you wanted my opinion you could have had it at anytime.”
“Please stop...” Jake protested, taking a step closer to her. “I know I messed up, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want...”
“‘Messing up’ is a humble term for what you did... And what is it supposed to mean when you just disappear one day? Huh?” She sighed softly as she took a step back from him, stopping herself as she felt her voice began to rise, giving Shadow one last friendly pat before walking around him in the direction of the city. “I have something to do in Newhaven, and I really don’t have the time to argue right now.”
Jake waited for her to walk past him before turning abruptly and grasping her arm.“Wait, why were you looking for me?”
“That was a month ago.” She repeated, her voice nothing but a whisper as she turned to face him and pulled her arm out of his grip.
“So, that’s it... Moment’s passed?” He asked, taking a step towards her. “...I’m still looking for you.”
“I didn’t know I was hiding, Jakey.” She muttered, leaning towards him instead of pulling back like before, locking her pale green eyes with his. “I thought the invisible one was you, and the blind one was me. Now I’m not so sure anymore.”
Jake was silent for a moment, lost in thought as he looked into her eyes. The tone behind all of the resentment in her voice was a painful one, and knowing he had caused it made him absolutely sick with shame. Throughout his silence she was unmoving, as if patiently waiting for a justification, an answer, one Jake simply couldn’t give; there was nothing to justify the way he had ran, hid, like a coward... There was no answer. Finally he broke his silence by changing the subject, in a way. “Why don’t you take Shadow with you?” He offered, his voice sounding a bit weak. “He seems to miss you...”
“I’m glad... Someone does.” She replied forcing a smile. “Are you sure though? I might not return him... And disappear...”
“He would be in good hands... In the safest place I know... And I would do nothing but envy him for the rest of my days.” He answered with a soft smile he was sure she would perceive. “Still, I know you will return him.” He slowly reached out as if to touch her cheek, but stopped himself knowing she wouldn’t allow it. “You and I know it; because you... You are so much better than me.”
“I wouldn’t be so certain if I were you.” Crys mumbled. Heaving a sigh she took Shadow’s reins and nodded. “I’m sorry about Lena, Jake. I really am. I talked to Annie, and... She said I should talk to you about what happened. She said she couldn’t talk about it.”
Jake sighed. “Yes, I see...” He mumbled. “Are you going back to the Nest once you’re done with your business?”
“Probably.” Crys replied.
“Then we’ll talk there, if that’s alright with you. I’d rather not discuss this here.”
“I should be back there by morning... I’m going to stay in the city for the night, and suppose I should find something fitting to wear to a party.”
“You... Heard that voice too?” Jake asked, a tone of concerned shock in his voice. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to go there? I mean... Those people tried to kill you...”
“So they have...” Crys replied, a little smirk crossing her features. “Eventually they’ll see why they should have done a better job. Besides... What good is a party if no one’s enjoying it? I take it you’ll be there, right? Only someone with an absolute lack of common sense would escape the dungeons just to attend a party offered by their captors.”
Jake snorted a laugh. “Would it surprise you to know I’m not the only one planning on doing that?”
“Nothing you say surprises me anymore, Jacob.” She replied, a stern look in her eyes. “Just watch your back for once.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it... I don’t think anyone is that interested in me Crys, but... I might have given away a bit more than I’d like while I was there last time.”
“What is that supposed to mean, Jacob?”
Jake sighed, shaking his head and beginning to pace his way towards the encampment. “It means that it may not be a good idea for you to go, but... Since you will either way... Just watch yourself out there.” He warned. “I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”
Crys snickered at his words. “Oh well... You can always just close your eyes, Jacob. It seems to work for you.”
“You’d think.” Jake mumbled, shaking his head as he walked away.

---------------------------------------------

[Wolves’ Camp - Early evening]

The sun was moments away from being fully set when Sean entered the cabin. The windows on the wooden shed were shut tight for obvious reasons and as he closed the door after himself there was no light in the room except for a fading orange light slipping in through the crack underneath the door. It wasn't usual for the Wolfpack to take a prisoner, to Sean's recollection there were only two occasions in the clan's history when that had occurred, aside from this one, when answers were needed and there was no other way of obtaining them; a last resort, that's what it was to let an enemy living and breathing inside their home.

After locking the door Sean took his time with carefully lighting a couple of candles, setting them on strategic points around the room so there was just enough light for him and the prisoner to be fully visible to each other. The woman was at the moment motionless where she sat, bound tight to a heavy chair, head hanging low as if she was still unconscious, although he couldn't be sure if she was in fact, or simply faking it. Once satisfied with the light, Sean dragged a chair to a spot right in front of where the woman was seated, the back of the chair turned to her, just far enough that even if she broke free she couldn't reach him fast enough to catch him off guard. Finally, he sat down, straddling the chair and leaning against the backrest, his eyes examining the bound figure before him, still unsure if the woman was awake. Even so he spoke, his tone casual and nearly uninterested. "So, I wonder... Will your friends bother to come for you? I know one got away... I'm sure there are more of you, although not sure exactly how many... What's your policy on leaving someone behind? Is it somewhat like ours or is it more like 'fuck it, she's probably dead by now'?"

Shuffling boots, the creak of the door opening and closing followed by the soft illumination of candle light. She paused in her efforts to escape, wrists bloody with her struggle as she kept her head bowed, her hair falling in front of her face like a curtain. Its silver strands caught the light and played with it, casting shadows against the wall as someone moved around the room. She quietly closed her eyes, holding her breath as a chair dragged across the floor, the tramp of heavy boots alerting her to the whereabouts of her interrogator. She flinched slightly as the cold sound of his voice cut through the air, and her mind saw the image of a man studying his fingers with a bored facade. She raised her head slightly, just enough to see him from under her lashes as she watched his lips. Numbers. Friends. Policy. Plans and plots. It was all pretty simple and standard.
“You are being extremely rude,” she said softly, her eyes flashing. “If you want answers, I demand to be treated better; after all I am still a lady.”

Sean's seemed to sparkle in amusement at the woman's words, Sean had been taught while still in training that words mean absolutely nothing when compared to what they hide underneath, the first words of a conversation and how to speak them were a subject he had spent plenty of time studying in his youth, for the simple reason that he had always had a problem concealing his emotions in situations like this... He wasn't sure if he had learned by now, but he was certainly not going to allow himself to be bound in order to find out. "You remind of a friend... Or alternatively someone who wants to slit my throat; lines become blurry after a while in our line of work." He stated calmly, the amusement growing in his eyes although his voice remained void of any emotion. "You invaded my territory with the intent of doing harm, and all things considered; I'm being as polite as I'll ever be." He said, eyes fixed on the woman before him. "Now... Unlike the City armies, we don't have a standard procedure for how to treat captives, but personally I have a policy of treating people with the respect they prove to deserve... You've not been touched once brought into this camp, not harmed further, you will be offered food, water, and medical care as needed in due time... By the time I leave you, it is possible you may not even be tied up anymore, because honestly... You are in the heart of the forest surrounded by hundreds of trained killers whose lives were threatened by what you and your companions have done. These fours walls and my orders are the only things keeping you from what they may think you deserve. I take it rope is the least of your concerns." Sean stopped his speech and casually scratched the back of his head, heaving a small sigh. "With all of that said... Let's start this again, shall we?" He asked, the amusement not leaving him as he spoke. "My name is Sean... You may address me as such, as Alpha, or any other cute name that may pop in your head such as 'son of a bitch', 'sadistic bastard'... Murderous asshole seems to be a popular one even though not quite accurate... What should I call you, miss? Or would you rather I give you a 'pet name' as well?"

“Phantom, nothing more nothing less,” she scowled, her eyes narrowing, “and thank you for the lovely reminder of where I am and what predicament I find myself in.”

She flipped her hair out of her eyes carefully, leaning back against her seat as her eyes met his, so flat compared to hers with their dull colors, yet they shone with an amusement that made her want to rip out his throat. She blinked, smiling gently.

“Shall I answer your questions Sean?” she sneered slightly, her hands curling into fists as she examined her wrists, “They will keep coming, with or without me. Kirsten will be upset that I am held. He will be furious if I end up dead. There are a couple more of us than you would expect: twenty in the inner circle, more on the outsides and those in the reserves. We won’t stop until our prey is had, much like your Wolves. We stay unemotional, detached, far away from those that we love, we know no love, and we hunt for the thrill of a kill. The whips of our masters are behind us, driven by a man more powerful than you can imagine and, above all, lead by a man who will be twice the one you will ever be, Sean. Now you tell me, where is that little wolf of yours?”

Sean sighed an impatient sigh, letting out a cold laugh as he shook his head. "Yes, yes... You people are oh, so scary... Not like we've never heard that before around here." He muttered, seemingly bored by the woman's statements. "All you did really was mention all the reasons why you will fail. Perhaps they have worked so far, but you've never faced anything like the Wolfpack before, and I am sure of it because of how you so thoughtlessly threw yourselves into our territory." Resting his chin over his arms he smiled at the woman. "There is one thing that puzzles me, Phantom, it really does... If the kid is all you're after... Why didn't your beloved leader take her in Newhaven, instead of warning me to help her? Why didn't he take her before she took the oath? Before I was bound by my honor and my blood to protect her? Does he have a death wish, hm? Or was there some other reason? Because... Your little friends out there didn't have to die, you didn't have to be here, all he had to do is kill her when he had the chance. Now though... She's a Wolf now... Which means that even if you succeed in getting through each and every one of us to reach her, which I have a feeling is your plan somehow... If she learned what we taught her, you'll just wish you hadn't. If she didn't, well... then you win, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Phantom stared. Kirsten...protect her? Ari? Her puzzled look seemed to amuse Sean as she bowed her head, lip curling.
“Why? Because Ari is weak. She’s careless, thoughtless, she makes mistakes Sean. You know it, I know it. Kirsten knows it. We like the hunt but an easy one...isn’t as filling. You know it and so do I. Why fool yourself? That kid will be dead in less than a month!”

Sean shrugged dismissively at Phantom's arguments on what Kirsten's motives were, as if he didn't believe her or didn't care, it was uncertain which. "Well, all I know is that he was very convincing in urging me to go help her... Compelling words for someone who seeks nothing but a better hunt: 'Keep her hidden, even from me'... 'I can't disobey my orders even if I want to', was very compelling indeed... You know, I'm not one to go for these sorts of things, but if there' something I know is the look of a man who is questioning his own actions. Maybe it was just a momentary thing... A moment of weakness... And it's passed now, but without a doubt he could have ended this right there... Now things are different. The kid may be all that she is, but there's one thing she's not anymore... She's not alone. That weak reckless kid has about two hundred brothers and sisters sworn to protect her, or die trying. As a group, we are a force to be reckoned with. Better Hunters have tried, I can tell you that for sure." Straightening himself up in the chair and lifting his head, arms still resting on the backrest of the chair, Sean smirked; a slightly wicked and playful look in his eyes as he spoke softly. "Life is a gamble, you know... It isn't fun unless you have something important to lose. So this is what you and I are doing now... You're betting on Kirsten, and I'm betting on the kid... Soon enough we'll see who wins. The only question left is; What are you playing for?"

His question caught her off guard. What was she playing for? She had no horse in the race, no qualms against this man or Ari for that matter, in fact, she had sworn to herself to protect the girl before the blood moon. Now would she break that promise for a master? She frowned, closing her mouth quietly as she looked around the illuminated space, her eyes wandering as she toyed with her enlightenment. It wasn’t like she was going to need to walk very far anyways. The girl she had met so long ago in the market stared out from the shadows, bright green eyes blinking as her lips pulled back into a soft smile. She let the image fade, twisting her head back around to stare at Sean. She could have made the apparition suffer, but what was the point. She couldn’t deem people’s nightmares and Sean wasn’t the type of person that should be played with lightly. Her eyes closed as she sighed gently.
Kirsten wasn’t evil, he wasn’t cruel and it didn’t surprise her that he had been so adamant about keeping Ari alive. They had met as children, crossed paths and what she had gathered from Lichen, were almost lovers in Kirsten’s twisted way. Her death was now on his hands, he had to do it, and the higher head wanted it so. Kirsten couldn’t turn away, neither could she. She was bound right? So why did she not feel his niggling presence in her mind? Why was the bond so weak in here? She looked back up at Sean, his lips pulled back in a smirk as the silence dragged out. Her eyes softened, her voice quiet as she asked the first thing that came to her mind. “How much is she worth to you?”

Sean didn't blink or flinch at the question he was asked, and surprisingly so. Maybe this would have been unclear to him a year or so ago, but right now it wasn't something he needed to think about anymore; it was simple. Family. "Everything." He stated simply. "That's what family is worth. Nothing less." Casually, Sean pulled a dagger from his belt, still sheathed, and occupied himself with keeping it perfectly balanced on the tip of his index finger as he examined the woman's expression for a few silent moments before speaking again. "You don't really want her dead, Kirsten doesn't really want her dead... Then, who does? Because I feel maybe I should take care of this problem once and for all instead of fighting you lot and sit here waiting for it to find me again. Who is he?"

"I don't know."

Sean nodded, pushing himself from his chair and gripping the knife firmly in his hand. "Suppose I'll have to find someone who does then, won't I?" He spoke, casually leaving the sheathed knife in the spot where he had been seated. "This didn't have to be my fight, Phantom... Honestly, I'd rather it wasn't, I have my own problems... I'm not the kind of guy who needs to go around defending others, but... Since Kirsten made it my fight, by the time it's over, no matter how it ends... I'll make damn sure that whoever started it knows exactly what kind of man I really am." Sean sighed, giving a polite bow to the imprisoned woman and smiling. "It has been a pleasure, Miss Phantom... We must do this again sometime. Perhaps once you've been treated better?" He asked, a slight mocking tone to his voice as he tilted his head to one side, looking down at the woman. "Within a few minutes, my sister will come bring you food and water... She will take this knife and cut your ropes... You will be allowed to leave this room if you so wish, but you will be watched at all times, and will not be extended the same level of courtesy again should you try to leave the encampment. Are we clear on those terms?"

“Crystal,” she growled, her eyes flashing murderously.

Sean tensed slightly at the name, eyes narrowing at the woman. "How do you know that name?" He asked, picking the knife from where he'd left it as an afterthought.

Phantom had no idea what had pricked him so, a name? Phantom was a bit taken aback but also joyful. She had found a way under his skin, all through a name. A name with history, the way he slowly picked up his knife from the chair across from her told her that much. She kept her face passive, just a lip quiver giving hint to her smirk. “Who?”

Sean hesitated, a slight twitch in his expression showing that he'd just realized what he'd done, his hand tightening around the knife momentarily before relaxing. A few moments more passed before he shook his head slightly letting out a laugh. "Of course... Stupid of me..." He laughed a little bit louder for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and calming himself. "I would be beyond shocked if you knew her... It was a good reminder nonetheless." He smiled, returning the knife to his belt and turning to the door to leave.

She watched him go with a touch of relief, with him gone she could keep working on her bonds and free herself but the moment his hand touched the door she was overcome with a sudden touch of fear. What would happen when he left? She would be dog chow. Her eyes widened as she scrabbled to hold him for a few moments more.

“Don’t you want to know Ari’s deepest fear, Sean?” she taunted lightly, smiling as she did so. “Of course I shouldn’t tell you...but I could. Wouldn’t it be great to know everyone’s greatest fear? You could see how they thought of you, for I’m sure you stalk the nightmares of many of your men. And what is your deepest fear Sean?”

Her body lurched forward against her bonds, her face relaxed and calm as her fingers gripped the wood. The pain was coming through; trickle by trickle she could feel their terror and their deaths. With a snarl she pushed it back again.

“Is it the fear of a leader; the fear of failing? Or do you fear Crystal?" she paused for a moment, slowly collecting her thoughts until the words slipped off of her tongue and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

"I fear for Ari,” she said quietly.

Sean halted, fingertips slipping away from the door handle as he sighed softly. "You know... My father always used to say that there is what you tell yourself is your greatest fear, and then there's the actual fear behind it... The one you never know about until it's too late. To face that fear is to live or die..." He spoke, attaching the sheathed dagger to his belt before pulling the blade out of the leather, quietly making his way to cut the woman's bonds. "...I was born an ill child, Miss Phantom... I lived. I was face to face with the biggest threat to ever cross paths with the Wolfpack as he killed my mother, but I lived. I have disfigured a woman in front of her children, I've dishonored my father's memory, I've pushed my own brother to his death... I've put a knife to a child's neck for the simple purpose of causing a reaction on someone I hate... There are more people out there after my head than I can possibly count... I've been at this too long to waste my time with fearing people... Even Crystal." Sean spoke, a soft tone to his voice as he made his way back towards the door, simply leaning against it instead of leaving right away. "Do you now? You seem very unsure as to how you actually feel... Or perhaps you believe it doesn't really matter?" He shrugged. "Maybe it doesn't."

“You don’t know what it’s like to be me, or how I feel Sean. You couldn’t even imagine some of the turmoil that I face every day.”

Slowly Phantom rubbed her wrists, nursing them as she stood. Her body involuntarily stretched, her joints popping quietly as she smiled gently. Her eyes narrowed as she turned her attention back to Sean, her muscles bunching and her fingers twisting into claws.

“But since you brought it up, tell me this. When you’ve burned towns and slaughtered them: when you’ve tortured someone to plead for their death and then torture them some more: when you dream about your victims faces: when you shoot down an innocent: when you hunt someone down and then make their death slow: when you use a child to practice your Enlightenment no matter what the cost, even if they end up dead or mangled; or even worse, use a child to accomplish your own goal by training them yourself, and then sending them off when you know that they won’t probably make it for very long. At what point do you draw the line? When do you draw a line between morals and duty, Sean?”

"You know..." Sean started, scratching the back of his head casually. "...When I was being trained, I was told that either I would feel for my victims or I would not. Both were acceptable as long as I got the job done, and then my instructor said that... Whether I feel remorse, or feel nothing, the moment that changes it's time to stop. To me that means that lines are drawn when you wake up one day, look at yourself and wonder what you have become, and what you stand for really. I've not reached the point when I had to kill someone and felt remorse. I don't remember my targets' faces. I don't care. It's morally justified for me to kill a person because another wants them dead, while for many people out there what we do is reprehensible. Point being; morals are ambiguous, while duty is not. My duty is to make sure contracts are fulfilled and my people are protected. I don't care who I have to kill, torture, blackmail, or manipulate to do it. If at some point that changes... It'll be my time to stop, if you catch my drift." He smirked. "For me the line is drawn when I no longer see a point in sacrifice, when it turns out I'm doing this simply because it's what I know and not because it still holds any form of meaning. That's the reason the War will never end, and the world will never change... Because people cling to what they know in fear that if it's gone they won't have a purpose in life anymore... And I would prefer death to becoming one of those people; a ghost of someone who used to stand for something."

Phantom was honestly surprised. She had been planning to pounce on him and try and make a run for it but his words gave her pause. She kept quiet, body relaxing. He had given her something to mull over and her eyes closed gently. Perhaps, this wasn’t the worst thing to have happened to her; here she could think, could do some soul searching. Let her silence dismiss him. That was what she needed now, time and peace.

===================================================

[Newhaven Castle - Late night]

“Could you fetch me some more tea, lad?” Donovan muttered in a mocking tone under his breath as he walked. “I’ll show you tea! I’m not a goddamn servant girl... Idiot noble piece of shit... Why won’t he just go to sleep already.... If he asks me for one more cup of tea, I swear to all the Gods, I’ll...” The boy halted in the middle of the dark hallway, taking a deep breath to calm his nerve. He couldn’t do anything to blow his cover, he had to play along... Even if all he could really think about was how badly he wanted to break that idiot’s bones for treating him like his personal slave. If Doni didn’t know better he’d think Sean put him in this assignment just to mess with him. Once he felt his temper was in check he moved on, walking slowly around a corner down a path he assumed would eventually lead him to the kitchens... He was in no hurry to return to his post and stand in the corner listening to whatever bulshit the man he was supposed to protect decided to ramble about while working on his reports; what the man had to report was beyond Doni’s understanding, he didn’t recall seeing the man doing anything all day. If anything, with the assignment Donovan had gained a great deal of respect for Castle Guards for not becoming homicidal in the process of babysitting lazy noblemen.

Once again, Donovan halted; this time however was due to a faint light coming from a crack on the door of a meeting room. Quietly approaching the door he stopped when he could hear a woman’s voice coming from the room; a cold tone of mockery lingering in the air at her words.

“We made ourselves perfectly clear last time, Mr. Bennett.” She hissed. “Wasting our time with yet another reminder is a rather unwise course of action on your part.”

“I can assure you Miss, threatening me further will not protect your cause... I know what is at stake, I took precautions.”

“Oh, really hun?” She chuckled. “You took precautions!? Oh, no! Whatever shall we do?” Her voice changed to a more serious tone as she continued speaking, a seriously threatening tone. “We had a deal with your... Heh.... King... Because some of his goals fit the Brotherhood’s plans. New management, new rules... YOU get nothing, because YOU are no longer useful to us. If you want to ensure that your delightfully pure blood will continue coursing through your veins, you will keep to your insignificance. Do you understand me, George? Play dead, or you will be; that’s the deal.”

The man mumbled something in response, too softly for Donovan to hear, which only caused more laughter from the woman.

“We have plenty of spies, we have Brothers and Sisters all over the city, we don’t need a greedy dumb politician for that.” She stated. “Be warned, Georgie, love, or next time my brother will be the one handling the situation... And as you can see; Adam is not much of a talker.”

At those words another man spoke, in an inaudible mumble.

“Alright, alright... We have a deal!” George agreed, his voice suddenly panicked in such a way Donovan was certain he was shown something awful.

At this point Donovan was sure the conversation was ending, and it would be unwise to stand there in the hallway so he quickly continued on his way, but apparently not fast enough as he heard the woman’s voice call behind his back before he could get far enough to pretend he couldn’t hear her. “Hey, boy... Get over here.”

Donovan stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face a blond woman clad in all black clothing, standing in the middle the hallway. She seemed... Nice... And she was pretty... Pretty was an understatement... She was gorgeous. “M-Me?” He mumbled.
“I don’t see others boys here, do you?” She asked with a smile. “Have you not been taught that it is wrong to eavesdrop, hmm? I would threaten to cut off your ears, but apparently, someone has already started.” She smiled, walking her way to him and flicking him on the ear Crys had sliced with her throwing knife. “I’d say, you should... Buy me a drink for your intrusion.”

Donovan blinked a few times, staring at the woman with a bit of confusion in his eyes. “I... I can’t. I am on duty, Miss. I have to return to my post.”

“Come on now... What is the worst thing that can happen if you slip out for a drink, hmm? You can’t honestly believe someone would want to kill a silly little councilman.”
“Says the woman who just threatened one.” Donovan retorted. “Not just any little councilman, if I did my eavesdropping correctly. Mr. Bennett is the Head of the City Council.”
“Handsome and smart... My lucky night!” Lizzy exclaimed cheerfully. “Georgie and I had a misunderstanding, that’s all. Everything is settled now. Strictly business related. Sometimes one must be.... Aggressive... To get the best results. Don’t you agree?” She asked, teasingly running her index finger down the side of his face to his chin.
“I... Suppose...” Donovan replied, finally able to look past the woman and noticing the tall blond man glaring at him in silence; like a statue. “I think your brother wants to leave.”
“I’m not stopping him if he wants to leave.” She smiled. “What about you... What do you want?”
“Suppose... A drink won’t hurt... I know a place.” Donovan stated.
“Lovely.” Lizzy stated. “If you are going to be my date for the night, what shall I call you?”
“Uh...” Doni flinched at the use of the word ‘date’, feeling an uncomfortable warm feeling spread through the back of his neck and reach his ears. “Kevin.” He answered.
“Kevin... Hmmm... No, you don’t look like a Kevin... Why lie to me sweetie? There’s no problem with giving your name. My name is Elizabeth, call me Lizzy... And my brother’s name is Adam. Now you give us your name.”
“Donovan.”
Lizzy smiled sweetly wrapping one arm around the boy’s shoulder and leading him through the hall. “Very well, Donovan... Let’s go have a drink with us.”

Dastan smiled gently, bowing in a nearly sarcastic act of politeness as Ess shook his hand. “Very nice to meet you miss Talon.” He spoke softly, his smile changing slightly into a smirk as she offered him her flask. “What is there no booze in this party or are you just picky with you liquor?” He asked with amusement in his tone, accepting the flask and curiously sniffing it’s contents before taking a sip and returning it. “How many fall into that category, I suppose depends on context... I tend to be picky, but only for certain things... And while I have only just met you, Miss Essence, I’ve known Crys for about ten years and I have only heard her refer to anyone as ‘interesting’ exactly twice before. And she tends to be right, sooo.... I guess I’ll take my chances with you. I may regret it later, but then... We have a saying in my clan, you know... A man without regrets... Needs to drink a lot more.” He said, winking playfully. “Aye... We all have our own little reason to do things, but me I have a reputation to keep. Twins forbid people start saying that I’ve declined invitation to a party... I can’t have that. No.” Casually the mercenary followed the woman’s gaze as she glanced around the room, his eyes catching Jake staring at them with a rather odd expression on his face, the man looking away almost immediately. It was rather strange, and Dastan wondered what that was about. Shrugging it off, he turned his attention back to his new acquaintance. “What about you, Miss Essence... What is your agenda?”

.....................

Jake had lost Crys in the crowd the moment he turned his attention to Darren, his eyes glancing around the room here and there in a casual search for the woman as he chewed on the apple he’d been given. He wasn’t sure why exactly he felt the need to keep her under his watch, when he knew she probably wouldn’t want to speak to him. Of all the places and moments to pressure her for a talk, ‘here and now’ were not the most suited ones; Jake knew that well, but for some reason he continued to seek her out regardless. After scanning the ballroom a few times, Jake stopped to follow Darren’s gaze as he asked about the wolf, his eyes widening momentarily as he spotted the animal in the company of Dastan and yet another redhead who he immediately recognized. Holding back a wince Jake looked away, running one hand through his hair and scratching at the back of his head. “I don’t know...” He mumbled, forcing a shrug and avoiding the general direction of the woman and the wolf. His eyes catching a familiar figure enter the party, he realized he would possibly have more trouble getting Irvin to behave than he imagine once the boy realized the Alpha had attended.

.................

“I still say this is a mistake.” Ryan muttered out, unable to keep silent any longer.
“Well, then you shouldn’t have come, should you?” Sean replied calmly.
“I shouldn’t, but I promi-...” Ryan cut himself off as he realized he talked a bit too much.
“You promised what?” Sean asked, stopping at castle doors and offering his sword to one of the guards, his eyes however watching the guilty expression on the other man’s face. “What did you promise?”
“Katie cornered me and made me promise to, you know... Protect you.” Ryan mumbled, a look of pure embarrassment in his eyes as he held the Alpha’s gaze. “Your sister can be.... Very persuasive, Sean.”
Sean snorted, turning as he realize the soldier would not take his weapon, indicating that giving it up would not be necessary. Sean attached his sheathed sword back to his belt and gave a dismissive shrug to the oddity of it all as they proceeded into the ballroom. Sean immediately noticed a few glances from some young ladies as he walked past, a smile slowly spreading across his features at the attention. A familiar voice lured his attention away however as it sounded in his ears, a calm and disdainful tone.
“Funny. Just moments ago the guards told a friend of mine that no pets are allowed in this function, and yet... The King invited his. Now, that’s just not fair, is it?”
“Allison...” Sean greeted, reaching for Ryan’s arm as the man instinctively gripped his sword. “Not here.” He scolded. “Every faction known to Valcrest is represented here tonight, do we really want it to be remembered that we were the firsts to draw a weapon?” Ryan groaned still gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, Sean glared at him severely. “Go get something to drink, enjoy the fact that tonight you can... Just don’t murder anyone. I’ll be fine, won’t I?” He turned to Ali questioningly.
“Perfectly fine.” She replied, a fake innocent smile crossing her lips. “If I planned on hurting the Alpha, believe me, I wouldn’t have bothered announcing myself.”
Ryan released his sword, green eyes glaring at the blond woman as if he meant to burn a hole right through her. “Fine.” He muttered, moving towards the foods and drinks. “Traitor.” He muttered in Ali’s direction as he passed.
“He’s delightful, isn’t he?” Ali chuckled. “Are you making him your next Second?”
“The current Second is very much alive and well, thank you very much. So I don’t think I have any need to consider a new one.”
“Give it time.” Ali smirked. “How many have you gone through so far? That has to be a record, huh?”
Sean smirked. “Maybe, but enough about me... How’s your hand? Any better?”
“I was lucky, if the hand wielding the blade that slashed me was just a bit more skilled, I’d probably be unable to fire a bow ever again. As is though, I should be fully recovered soon enough.” She retorted.
“Oh well... Win some lose some, right? I guess I should do better next time.” He replied with a slight shrug, casually nodding towards a young girl who smiled at him as she walked past. The girl didn’t seem to be older than eighteen, about his sister’s age, and it made him momentarily question what he would do if he ever caught Katie smiling that way at someone like him. He’d probably have to kill the guy just in case. “It’s impressive how looks can be deceiving, isn’t it?” He mumbled. “No one would guess just from looking at either one of us... The things we’ve done, and are yet to do. Any man in this room who doesn’t know you too well may be foolish to take you for an innocent young lady, isn’t it so?”
“Just as much as any young lady in this room who doesn’t know you might take you for a charming and respectable young man, Sean... The difference between us, and the sadness of it all, is that even those closest to you won’t actually know you well enough to know who you really, truly are. And then I wonder... Is there anyone left you haven’t lied to or betrayed?” Ali shook her head, giving a slight bow, not bothering to conceal the mockery and contempt burning in her eyes as she turned away from the Alpha. “Enjoy the party while you can. The other people you backstabbed may not be as civil as me.”

.............................

Chaos. Absolute and complete chaos. That was what the White Shadows' encampment was turning into, and in an astonishingly rapid progression. Apparently it wasn't just the enlightened within the clan; a considerable number of people had been experiencing odd and sometimes even dangerous symptoms for weeks now, a sudden and inexplicable increase in the severity of those symptoms causing them to turn to the healers for help, or answers. Answers were something the Shadows didn't have to give this time around. Like many ailments, it was important to know where this was coming from, what could be causing it, and the healers had failed to find anything that was common to all of those affected, except the fact they all possessed a magical gift. The possibility that magic in itself was making those people ill read to Annie like a horrible end of the world prophecy, and her mind was constantly and hopelessly searching for any indication, anything, that showed it couldn't be true.

With all that was happening, the simple task of walking from her tent to where she had originally planned on going took hours longer than usual, and by the time she reached her intended destination she was hoping the person she had gone to see hadn't just up and left as people quite frequently did once they felt it was safe to stand. Gladly, it didn't seem to be this case with this particular patient; as Annie peeked into the tent where she had last seen the man the night before, she found him sitting there. Slowly stepping inside she looked around the tent and noted signs of a recently cleaned up mess consistent with what she had been told of the man's awakening. "Grim Pondus..." She called, taking a seat on a small wooden stool that had been left there by a previous healer. "My mother had nice things to say about you." She stated, a gentle smile crossing her features. "However, I don't believe we have ever met. My name is Annie Turner, I am... In charge of the White Shadows, currently. Considering what you have gone through, I'll understand if you prefer to be left alone, but may we speak?" She asked, her dark brown eyes examining the man with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Have you been offered any water? Or tea maybe?"

It was difficult to look his small visitor in the eyes, it was trying to escape the brooding nature that clung to the corners of the tent hiding where the flicker of candlelight couldn’t reach. There was less comfort even with the company of the White Shadows, and Annie’s kindness did little more then get a mild reaction from the Blade. He seemed to be lost, his eyes glassy and far from the little room where he idled. When at last he opted to respond he couldn’t meet her gaze fully, his tone drawn back into his throat.

“… You must be very brave young Turner, and the White Rose is generous in her words.”

His head lifted from its lull catching the Shadow with his full attention. A frown had worked its way into face and though it remained constant his watchfulness seemed shaky. Often he would glance aside or pull back to consider, thinking. Minutes were spent in silence while he pulled back into the conversation.

“Your formality is wasted. I hold no office, it’s just myself. It is entirely unnecessary we both know what I am.”

Quietly he looked to see if the doorway held any additional forms. He found himself curious to see Annie had entered alone. Especially after the ruckus he had already caused.

“Speak healer, but do not hope.”

Annie was patient with letting the man answer in his own time, her eyes persistently fixed on him despite his reluctance to look at her, a small sigh leaving her as she nodded in response to his words, pulling the bag she carried across her shoulder and fetching a flask of water inside of it. "Please drink, Pondus." The girl asked in a gentle tone, simply placing the flask on the ground before the man as she continued speaking. "Unfortunately I am obligated to go through some formalities before I speak of the more... Particular, reasons that brought me here in person. Since the healers who were in charge of your care didn’t quite get around to it.” She heaved a small sigh and paused for a few moments, fiddling with a loose thread hanging from the sleeves of her robes before speaking further. “First of all, I am required to inform you that anything you tell any healer in this camp is protected by the laws of the clan and will never be disclosed. Second, I must ask about your friend; the young woman you were brought here with. There was nothing we could do for her, as you probably already have been informed, and I would like to know if it is alright to bury her in our grounds... You can see her, if you would like to, of course.” The girl offered as an afterthought.

Once another silent moment had passed, Annie’s expression shifted to one of concern and a bit of weariness as she leaned into her knees, her voice lowering as if by instinct. “As for why I said I’ve come in person... I need to know something, and this is really, really, important... I need to know if your enlightenment has been manifesting itself differently in any way in the past months, or if you have been experiencing other odd symptoms... headaches, insomnia, and bleeds have been the most common as of late.”

Greedily he snatched the flask devouring its contents without restrain. Droplets of liquid began rolling down his chin, and he gasped after draining the flask. The water seemed to help steady the Blade, returning him to some sort of solidity. He appeared more alert, and sat up straighter once his breathing steadied.

“Nothing you could…”
He echoed the White Shadow’s words carefully. It appeared he was the only one who made it. Twice he averted death, and twice someone had paid in his stead. For a moment pain wracked his face but was forced under control.

“I… I couldn’t see her now.. And yes, please. Put that poor soul to rest. She has more than earned the right to peace.”

The silence appeared for the moment. Closing about them like a shroud, the Blade was to his thoughts and if he had to guess so was Annie. There was much to consider, things were in motion now that were irrevocable. So much more was pressing in both their lives, greater threats and purposes. Yet here they sat, Grim in his self-pity, and Annie in her caring nature. Grim wasn’t sure what to make of her honestly, he hardly knew the White Rose, how could he even guess what her daughter was like.

Then there was a question. Like lightning it struck, and his head snapped to attention. His eyes boring down the healer who pulled tighter to herself. He was almost panicked at how to reply, indeed his powers had been acting strange but he had always believed it to be merely part of a change within him. If others were suffering odd effects from their enlightenment, then perhaps there was hope after all. He spoke somewhat excitedly, losing his courage from pressing the words through his lips. Almost wheezing the syllables as though hushing some scandal between his teeth, yet quick to speak as though the gossip were irresistible.

“I had heard that Enlightenments can grow or modify, but that it was rare. Three years before, I began to lose control. In my time away I attempted to find a solution to no avail. Here within my homeland my rage boils over, and I lose my restraints. It has become amplified, and sensitive, reacting outside of its former boundaries. I feel the anger taking over, and in time it will spiral out of my control. It won’t be a year before I’m no longer Grim Pondus…”

“It shall be done.” Annie stated simply in response to Grim’s words on his friend, not lingering on the subject any further than it was necessary as to not to intrude on the man’s grief; her head lowering for a moment in a whispered prayer, her voice soft enough not to reach the man sitting right before her or really disturb the lingering silence in any significant way. Once the last of her inaudible words was cast into the winds Annie lifted her head, her focus now on Grim’s description of how his enlightenment had been manifesting itself, her expression shutting down into a preoccupied frown as she listened. She was silent still for a few moments, contemplating on what to say, on what was safe to say in a moment when she was so unsure of everything. In the end, she settled for being as honest in voicing her concerns as possible. In the end the news of this would spread way sooner than anyone would like, no matter how cautious she decided to be, and she knew she needed people to be conscious of what was happening.

“Three years ago, the very same day you and your men fought Blackpond in these grounds, my mother answered the call of a young healer who had the gift of seeing into the future... She had visions at random moments in time, and that day she had a vision that greatly disturbed her. She spoke to my mother alone and showed what she had seen. Whatever it was, it was not spoken of again once they left that tent, no one knows what happened between the two, but the woman fell ill that night and less than a week from having the vision, she died. My mother left us, with no explanation, days after being rescued from the dungeons. About a month ago she returned, she was... Clearly not in the best of states, but when asked about she would brush it off blaming it on the poor living conditions she endured while away... The past month she traveled across the land, meeting with people here and there... While she was here, she was incessantly seeking something in our archives. Two nights ago... She... died, due to the side effects of her enlightenment. Ever since, more and more enlightened have come to us; some with generic symptoms such as headaches and nosebleeds that have been gradually increasing over the past few months to critical levels... Others are experiencing dangerous changes in their enlightenment. One of our healers, Isaac, has been kept under sedation since last night because if he is as much as barely conscious everything around him starts to catch fire. Alistair, an empath, claims that his ability to sense others is completely gone. I have myself been experiencing severe migraines, they haven’t yet become debilitating, but with the nature of my ability I can guess that eventually this will prevent me from helping others. This... Ailment... Whatever it is... It seems to be getting worse and spreading fast. There haven’t many deaths yet, but I am safe to say that, however it manifests, it will eventually become fatal for those afflicted.”

She stopped speaking to take a long breath. As if on command the aching in her head abruptly returned, the burning pain spreading to her eyes and turning the sight of the man before her into a shapeless smudge before fading; just as quickly as it came it ended, the only indication that it had actually occurred was the lingering blurriness that caused the young healer to quietly rub her eyes and blink a few times to put everything back in focus. “Unfortunately, we are short on answers at the moment, and I am almost certain panic will spread before we have a chance to obtain them. With all our studies... How magic functions in itself is still an uncertainty, something that affects magical abilities this way... It’s unheard of, and we are greatly unprepared. There are herbs that have been helpful with some of the symptoms, but in time they cease to work. I assume you have tried those already, no?” She inquired.

If the Blade was shocked or surprised he hid it well. His face was stone, and he seemed more concerned with reading Annie’s expressions then he did listening. Of course, he heard everything and in short it caused much confusion and even more questions. Valcrest was a beautiful land, but it was a land that seemed to be made of secrets.
He couldn’t help but feel the workings of some unforeseen hand. A power or force that hid itself beyond their sight working against them, always preparing the next nasty step of their plans. Perhaps that kind of thought brought all the complexities to simple terms. If there was someone to blame then it made their course of action easy, and Grim decided he could believe such, if it meant staying steady for a while longer.
“I’ve tried any number of herbs, but you already guess their success. It strikes me as impossible to impact Enlightenments on such a large scale. If I recall there is little in the natural world that can even influence our gifts. Hmmm…”
He paused and found he possessed no answers for the young healer, at least not ones that made any sense. To what end would killing the Enlightened served? In terms of battle he believed one could weaken an opponent’s capabilities. Controlling the spread of such a curse would be next to impossible though or at least to his knowledge. It nagged on him, to what end could such a curse serve?
“Have any from Blackpond been noted with this problem? Such a thing would be a powerful weapon beyond a doubt. The Wolves are far too proud to abandon their traditions, and the desert folk I doubt have the capability. So that leaves only Blackpond or Newhaven with such a power unless….”
Grim cleared his thoughts on the matter and remembered the events of the past four years or so. The strange happenings within Newhaven, and its doppelganger lord that ruled. The events transpired that remained unanswered or unconcluded.
“Do you suppose another artifact was uncovered? The whereabouts of the dagger was never discovered. Yet there are certainly other artifacts, I’ve personally encountered a scythe with some kind of enchantment upon it.”
He stopped all his wondering now expired. There would be nothing concrete shared between them and he knew this. Everything he offered was conjecture, and he doubted Annie would leave anything out that was of importance. It was then he realized his own rudeness.
“I.. I am truly sorry lady Turner. I didn’t know about the White Rose, but… She was truly very brave. The world is poorer for her absence. If there is anything I can do, please count me among your humble servants.”

“Blackpond... Mother was to speak to their King, but... something changed her mind and she returned without having seen him. We have kept distance from the city ever since their soldiers attacked us three years ago, some... Some of the city folk were led to believe we had allied with Newhaven and our relations became less than friendly for a while then non-existent ever since. I do know that the people in charge of the city are mostly enlightened themselves and surely their lives as just as much at risk. Some amongst my people have been whispering that the Gods have been angered by the war and this is their punishment, I have no doubts they won’t be the only ones to think so...” She smiled a bit shaken by the thought. “I read somewhere when I was a child, that the end of times begins in the hearts of men, with the death of hope... And I thought to myself, that even with everything it has endured, Valcrest had never lost an ounce of hope. Lately though, whenever I look around I see it falter and I think, with all I have seen in my short years of life, I've finally found a sight I can refer to as ‘frightening’.”

Annie fell into a short silence, her expression giving away the fact she was making a small effort to collect her thoughts and maintain her usual calm exterior. At the end of that silence her voice came out a bit more steady. “Jake had been trying to get a hold of that dagger. If I’m not mistaken, he tracked it to the hands of the Blackpond king, the news came to me through Mageria before Jake visited, so it was some time ago. For what I understood, the man didn't know what he had, and I can’t say for sure that he still has it, but I know Jake hasn't given up the search for it. He can be quite stubborn that one.” The girl smiled, a hint of amusement crossing her dark eyes as she looked at the man. “I appreciate your kindness, sir. I am sure not all would see my mother’s death as a loss, in fact I've been told the party about to be held in Blackpond is in celebration of her death. I’m sure some would question my sanity for attending, but then... They were so nice to invite me, it would be insulting not to accept. Don’t you agree?” The girl asked, her tone soft as ever although a tone of bitterness was noticeable underneath if one was observant enough. “In light of current events, there is one thing I would like to ask of you, Pondus...” Annie once again reached into her bag, from it she pulled the book Sean had left her and offered it to the man. “I don’t know if you are aware of what exactly this is. I can’t honestly say that I am, entirely, but it seems as some extensive rule breaking has brought it to my hands. Ella Page, for some reason, believed it was fitting to let the Alpha of the Wolfpack have this, he in turn passed it along to me... And I would like you to have it. If there is one thing we seem to agree on, Sean and I, is that the ones writing the history of this Land were never the ones truly living it. I don’t know where this book will end up, if in a hundred or a thousand years it will be discovered and read by someone who only knows the facts that were chosen as real, but I feel it is fitting that we at least attempt to show Valcrest as we see it, from the inside. And you are one of the people I know have seen things most people can’t imagine, and I believe that people would greatly benefit from knowing the realities of the world, even if reality is often not as pretty as history would tell us."

"I see..."
He carefully to the book into his hands. Wistfully looking over its cover touching it with care. It was strange for a simple thing to hold so great a presence but it felt somewhat mystic. It was nothing more then a glorified journal, but it held the contents of three important figures within. He looked to it with curiosity and saw in its bindings great potential. To think that perhaps one day this book would be marked with the ancient histories of the land, or more importantly the truth. Looking up to Annie he found a sense of dread emerge from all the promise.

Such important pieces of knowledge were to be stored away for safekeeping. For Grim this meant there was a threat of losing such things. Could it be that dread had indeed found its way into the heart of Valcrest, that for the sake of preservation they were to fill this book. Perhaps it was nothing but a fleeting childish fear. Yet he couldn't shake the importance of it.

"Ella to the Wolves? Surely this book must be blessed to defy such boundaries. I will take it with care, and see that it is passed as it was given. Who knows, perhaps it will at last shed some light in the minds of Valcrest."

He took a moment to consider how to approach his next question. It was true that he trusted the White Shadows, and had found himself indebted to them. The news of Blackpond's party was fairly widespread, but as a Black Knight he couldn't help but feel distrust in their actions. At the same time he understood the neutrality that the healers had to keep, and to act hostile even if it is toward Blackpond could set some distrust between himself and the White Shadows. Still, he had to take action even if his loyalty could be questioned, Newhaven was still his home.

"A party in Blackpond for the White Rose? M'lady it doesn't require a keen mind to see such a facade. They have held no love as you said for the White Shadows. Why would they go to such troubles now?"

For Grim to be skeptical should come as no surprise. Blackpond has been his enemy for as long as he wore armor. Twice he has repelled them from his home, and drove them from the city of Newhaven. They were his opposition, and though he vied for peace, he couldn't help but feel hate for its people. A contradiction but what was to be expected? He was part of the wars.

“What are you thinking about?” Alistair’s voice pierced through Annie’s thinking as they crossed the gates of Blackpond. “You have been very quiet for the entire trip here.
“I’ve been thinking... About the future and what it may bring. And that is a very distracting subject, isn’t it? I’m sorry if I haven’t been the best of companies so far.”
“No need to apologize, I’m just worried that your brain will overheat or something like that, you’ve been acting introspective and concerned for quite a while.”
“And you have been acting twitchy and nervous because of it, I assume, since you can’t tell what I’m feeling anymore.” Annie smiled kindly at her friend. “I know how that must be frustrating for you, but I’m fine. At least for now.” She assured him.

Heads turned and eyes followed the young healer and her friend as they roamed the city streets, it was clearly a shock to see a White Shadow in Blackpond when they hadn't dared enter the city in the past three years. Ever since the city army made its attack on the healers’ encampment. Annie couldn't help but think of how strange it was to be there now after everything. As they reached the castle and joined the crowds heading for the party Annie noticed that they didn't blend in any more than in the city, the girl’s robes standing out amongst the fancy and colorful dresses. Spotting someone familiar Annie opened a smile and made her way amongst the guest until she reached the dark clad figure, both of the standing out much more while standing next to each other; the girl dressed all in white and the boy in full black. “Luckas.” She whispered, startling the young man. “What’re you staring at?” She asked, following the boy’s gaze to the leader of the Crimson Shadows and the woman he was speaking to.
Luckas winced as Annie called his name, the girl catching him off guard as his attention was caught up in staying out of sight. Reluctantly he let his attention be drawn away from the scene he had been watching and fall on the young healer. “Are you stalking me now?” He asked, raising an eyebrow playfully, his eye moving past Annie to catch Alistair’s disapproving gaze. “I see you brought a bodyguard, that’s clever of you, the city is dangerous after all. Me? You know me, I always find something interesting to stare at.” He snickered.

Sam was carefully watching the guests, a few in particular, but her attention was almost immediately snatched by the entrance of the Newhaven Queen... Well, not the Queen herself, but the man in black armor she had brought along with her. A smile spread through the woman’s features as she caught some whispered protests and comments to the man’s presence.
“Seems the Queen has got a bigger pair than most men in her Council.” An amused voice spoke behind the woman.
“Oh, yes, that seems to be the case, Mr. Wyatt, but she is definitely not any less arrogant. So, have you explored?” Sam replied, eyes still following the Black Knight.
“So I have... We’ve got a lot of interesting folks here... Ravens and Wolfies of all kinds... And a couple of White Shadows... Look, one of them is talking to Lukey right now.” Wyatt pointed out with a chuckle. “Friendly folk these healers, aren’t they?”
“You obviously haven’t met many of them.” Sam scoffed, only glancing slightly towards the girl in white robes, annoyed by the friendly tone she was taking with Luckas. The healers wouldn’t be a problem for long, Sam knew what was coming to them, but the sight of one still had a way of getting under her skin.
“Well, Miss Turner over there is the only person here, aside from Luckas, not carrying a weapon of some sort, but unlike Lukey, her ability is far from being able to save her little pacifist ass if things get ugly. Her friend, though, the cute guy with the judgy look on his face, is carrying a sword. Oh, I saw Lizzy and Addy and they brought a toy!”
Sam flinched slightly and turned to face the redhead boy with a disapproving frown. “What?”
“I saw Lizzy dragging around a kid in Newhaven’s Guard uniform.”
Sam groaned, rubbing her eyes in annoyance. “What the hell were they thinking? Go tell Adam to get rid of him.”
“Yes, Milady.”

”Ella!”

The excited voice echoed across the ballroom and seemed to immediately interrupt all conversations. Sam watched as the redhead woman who she knew had visited the manor a few days back spoke about how historical the night was and meanwhile all the exits were being sealed tight. “Oh well, I guess something like this was to be expected.” She whispered, her eyes following the redhead woman, Lamya, until she vanished in a crowd. “A night to remember, that’s for sure.”

----------------------------

Annie stayed by Luckas even though his attention was gone from their conversation completely, once again focused on a woman with curly red hair; the fact that all the exits had been sealed shut was lost, or unimportant, to him. Annie followed the young man’s gaze and watched as the woman approached an entertainer, joining the man in his fireplay, her form circling the man in a dance of sorts. The healer was momentarily caught up in watching the performance of the two, a fascinated and nearly childish look in her eyes. It was a bit of a mistake on her part, apparently, to let her attention stray from Luke, because a few minutes into the ‘fire dance’ she heard an angered snort and a mumble from the man, followed by the man with the flaming staff losing his hold on the instrument and cursing loudly as one of the fiery ends of the staff ignited one of the legs of his pants before dropping to the ground. As two of the guests ran over to help put out the small fire Annie turned to Luckas with a raised eyebrow. “What was that about?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Luckas stated, trying to conceal a satisfied smirk, as he eyed the scene.
“I know you did it, Luke.” Annie stated simply. Her tone less than severe; she knew that Luckas had done a lot worse for much less than... whatever issue this was, so she wasn’t hoping to scold him, but simply make some sense of it.
“So what if I did? Why can’t I have some fiery fun of my own, hm? I don’t see why I shouldn’t. Absolutely no reason.” Luckas muttered, red sparkling in his eyes as he glared in the direction of the redhead woman and turned away, crossing his arms over his chest.
Annie stared at Luckas for a few seconds not quite grasping what his problem was; as she recalled he always liked fire. “You sound... Spiteful... That’s an unusual tone for you.” She pointed out.
Luckas snorted once again, sounding as if he was holding back impolite words. “Tell me... If I give up something, is it completely ridiculous to not want anyone else to have it?”
Annie flinched, her expression showing a bit of surprise to the question. “Depends on the ‘something’. If it’s something along the lines of, say, a toy... Then probably. If it’s something a bit more... Significant, then maybe not.”
“It’s... Not a toy.” He replied simply.
“Then... I’d say it’s understandable that you feel this way although... Considering what you may do, probably unwise to act on it.”
“Unwise sounds about right.” Luckas muttered. Shaking his head and letting out a small snicker, his tone changed to a more amused one as he turned to fully face the healer. “This may turn out to be a very long night for me.”
“Probably for all of us.” Annie chuckled. “At least you’ll be entertained, somewhat. Would be a problem if you got bored.”
Luckas chuckled. “Oh, either way it’s going to be a problem for someone.” He stated in a soft, almost innocent, tone. “Tell me something... Do you dance?”
“Huh?” Annie mumbled, once again confused by the sudden change of topic. “Do I... Dance...?”
“Yes, you know... Like the silly fancy people are doing.” Luckas nodded his head indicating the dancing people in the center of the ballroom.
“I... Suppose... So...” She mumbled.
Luckas chuckled. “Why are you looking so baffled? I can do normal people stuff, gee...” He shook his head in amusement, hesitantly holding out his hand.
“Really, Luckas?” Annie asked, still in disbelief.
“Yes, really.” He replied. “Unless you’d rather not.”
“Hmmmkay then... Why not.” The girl stated, slightly amused by the whole thing.

It was very subtle, the call, but it was forceful enough to cause Luckas to immediately withdraw his hand before Annie had the chance to reach it. It wasn’t painful, just a feeling of pressure within his mind. “Sorry, I...” He sighed, forcing an apologetic smile. “I feel something tugging at the end of my leash. Suppose it’s best if I go.”
“I guess so...” Annie smiled. “You do owe me a dance now though.”
“Heh, yes Milady.” Luckas snickered, giving a overly pompous bow before turning away. “See ya around, princess.”

---------------------------------------

Crys was walking around the crowd trying to catch up to Ali, but the moment Ella arrived all attention went into the young Queen. Through outraged, and excited, murmurs the assassin discovered that the man in armor Ella had brought was clad in Black, causing tension and in some ways fear to spread through the ballroom. In the commotion that followed the girl’s arrival she lost track of Ali, but noticed Evin amongst the crowd. Before she made a move towards her friend, however, she felt a hand lightly graze her shoulder. She knew who it was before the man spoke, her right hand clenching into a tight fist and then relaxing. “I’m disappointed. I thought I’d have broken fingers before I had to chance to lift a hand.”
“Trust me Sean, the day I attack you... I won’t aim for broken fingers.” Crys stated calmly, turning to face the man. “So, is it true that we’re stuck here?”
“For what I can tell, yes. All exits completely blocked.” Sean confirmed. “Not how I’m used to partying.”
“Have you brought people with you?” Crys asked, a light hum underneath her voice as one part of her mind accompanied the music being played.
“Only one, and only because Franklin insisted.” Sean replied. “I see that Evin is here, and Ali, and Jake... Your fans never leave your side, it seems.”
“Funny of you to say that, I haven’t spoken to any of them yet today. I wasn’t even sure Evin would be here.” Crys smirked, her expression suddenly shifting as a serious tone came to her voice. “Order your man to stand back before I’m forced to break his fingers.” She warned.
Sean quickly spotted Ryan attempting to approach them and motioned for him to stand back. “You shouldn’t blame him. Everyone is waiting for you and me to jump at each other’s throats. I can’t say I’m not tempted to do so either.” He stated. “You know... It’s an historical night, like the redhead said... People will remember this for years to come... Why not give them one more thing to talk about? Take my hand. Or do you still not dance with people?”
Crys hesitated for a moment. There was no doubt she could handle Sean if he decided to make himself a threat, that wasn’t the problem, it was the prospect of closeness with this person who she absolutely despised some days, and simply pitied on others. Sean did have a point in his questioning; she had only danced with Jake a couple of times, and in one occasion with her father, agreeing to this would give a strange meaning to ‘keep your enemies close’. Still, she couldn’t help but feel that they were standing on opposite sides of a scale now. No matter which one of the two was the first to fall, everything else would crumble around it. After everything, they were the only two people in that room who could possibly understand what it was to be in that position. All things considered, they had been dancing all along, why not make it official? Slowly she raised her hand and let it rest upon his. “Don’t worry, it’s been a long time since I’ve thought of you as a person, Sean.” She replied a serious note to her voice despite its softness. This wasn’t a friendly gesture, but then again it wasn’t aggressive. It was simply a moment apart of everything else they had lived in the past three years; as if by simply moving to the dance floor the two also managed to also remove themselves from this particular moment in time and their particular place in the world. It was actually a rather liberating feeling.

As they moved amongst other dancing figures in the room, Sean stopped in a spot a little separated from the rest. Turning to face Crys, he released her hand and took a bow, a smirk crossing his features as the woman immediately mirrored his gesture, down to the amused look in her eyes, as if every act of civility between the two was nothing more than some sick private joke. Standing up straight, Sean took her hand in his once more, his other hand resting on her side, respectfully above her waist. It was an odd thing to act this gentle with a woman he had once kicked around on the ground, someone he had taken pleasure in watching bleed out... The contrast between this moment in the present and the undeniable violence of the past seemed spin in circles inside his mind as Crys lightly placed one hand on his shoulder and they began to move together to the music. After a while he spoke, softly so that only she could hear him. “You know this was never about you and me.”
“Does it matter now what it was really about? We started it, you and me. I’m the traitor, you’re the impostor... This is what we’ve become. There is no turning back Sean. And if my death or yours could change the past, trust me, I would have seen to it long ago.”
“You’re saying we can’t kill each other. So what now, we live in war for the rest of our lives? The shattered reflection of a broken land... How tragic.” Sean snickered through his bitterness.
“I’m not saying we can’t kill each other. I’m saying it won’t matter. Do you still think you did the right thing to try and kill me, hm?” Crys asked, amusement in her tone.
“I did what I believed was right at the time. What I believed was necessary.”
“Not all of it was necessary. Ali told me, how you handled my funeral so Evin wouldn’t have to deal with it, how you tried to comfort her through her moments of grief... Those weren’t necessary gestures Sean, that was pure cruelty on your part. One would think trying to kill me, twice, would be the highest offense on the book, but no... I can understand that if I’m logical about it. You’re not the first to want the Alpha dead. Toying with people I care about, that I can’t understand, or forgive.”
“You stood over Lionel’s dead body, handed my thirteen year old brother a sword and told him to challenge you. Are you really going to preach to me about toying with people in their grief?”
“That was not my finest moment, but I was trying to teach the boy to think before acting out in anger... It’s not too late for him to be the first in his family to learn. I wish him luck. I remember when you were just an angry boy like him.”
“Don’t act like you care about my family.”
“I loved your father like an uncle, Sean. Lionel was my brother, YOU were my brother. The only reason you pulled off what you did was because I trusted you. You like to talk about doing what you felt was necessary, but you never seem to consider what you just carelessly threw away in the process.” Crys sighed softly. “I feel for you. In many ways you’re still that same angry boy, and for that I can’t bring myself to fully hate you.”
“I don’t hate you.” Sean stated simply. “I never really have.”
“And yet here we are. Do you realize now why my mother never revealed the truth, Sean? It was for the same reason that Newhaven would hire us and then set off the Black Knights on us. Because sometimes the illusion of hate is needed to keep the peace.”
“She should have had more faith in her people. We were always the ones responsible for keeping all the little illusions alive. We were the ones who knew everyone’s dirty little secrets, we never expected to be living a lie ourselves for so long. It’s easy to say this was all my doing, but give your mother some credit... Because I wasn’t the only one to feel betrayed by her lies.”
“She never told because to her it didn’t, and it shouldn’t, matter. It was in the past, where it belonged. Some things are better off dead and buried. She didn’t do it to protect herself, if she cared for what others would think she wouldn’t have married my father in the first place... Or even allow me to graduate, because we all know these decisions we highly frowned upon. Maybe it’s a foolish thing to expect that over twenty years of loyalty would count for something in the end.”
“You take this too personally, Crys. It may have been personal for me, but it wasn’t for them. They put their lives on someone’s hands and they want that person to be flawless... Your mother was the closest thing they had to perfect and you were born in her shadow, great things were expected of you and you didn’t immediately live up to everyone’s expectations... The higher the pedestal the nastier the fall, it has always been this way. Even now, people see you as some great leader when in reality, and we both know this, you’ve done nothing to justify that. It’s just simply expected of you.”
“You and I clearly have different views on what makes a great leader, Sean. Otherwise you’d see that in my own way I’ve done plenty; including keeping you alive for the sake of not destroying those around you. A time may come when I just don’t have choice anymore, but until that day comes, brother...” She smirked, bowing slightly as they ended their dance. “We continue to dance.”

Balls were not all they had been made out to be. There were loud eruptions and the occasional Oooh and Ahh over someone who entered with a name or rank, the low growl of people’s private conversations and of course the music and dancing. The room was a whirl of colorful dresses and men leading ladies across the floor to the beat of the music, and everyone seemed to be getting along perfectly well. Sweet, comforting, and yet boring as hell. Why Ella would even want to come to one of these was beyond her reasoning. Orders were orders and Ari had followed in secret for the time being to keep an eye on her. Ari stifled another yawn as she rose from her place on the wall, her ball gown swaying over legs as she made her way across the hall. It, like the one she had worn for her induction into the Pack, was also white. The dress was constricting to her hips before flaring out across a floral pattern that split the dress into two parts. The gap was pushed out by white chiffon, the edges of the silk cloth embroidered with silver threads that swirled out. White flowers wound into her hair and draped off her shoulder and a small silver circlet dipped between her brows in a twisted leaf pattern. Unlike most, Ari had also chosen small touch of paint to circle her eyes in a silver mask that was painted on and left her golden hair free to dip back along her waist. This wasn’t exactly her idea of a gown but if Sean had left it for her to wear, then she would. She figured that he would have perhaps the greatest expertise in these situations after all. The Wolf she had gotten it from was pretty adamant that she wear it too.

Absently she rubbed the palms of her hands, little pieces of earth still stuck to them. Ari had no clue that Ella was actually going to the ball and her little run had placed Ella out of eye sight and out of earshot. Ari did the only thing she could think of. It was back into the white wolf, running along the shadows and earth to get to Blackpond as fast as she could. Of course she had forgotten the gown so it was a miracle that one of the Wolves had been waiting outside of the palace gates to greet her with one. Surprisingly the guards had no questions when he escorted her inside, only to vanish once she was safely inside the ball room. Her hands and feet still ached from the mad sprint against time and somehow she was managing to catch her breath underneath the sweltering heat of the dress, and it didn’t help that she was trying to move freely about. The dress was big.

Her green eyes sparkled as she passed by and through the general chatter that came with the whole dancing thing, catching bits and pieces of it. Most of it was general and proper greetings, however, she occasionally stumbled upon the hushed, yet heated conversations of people who would have preferred to have nothing to do with other. These were the conversations that caught her ears, and sometimes even drew her eyes. Her body stopped, the graceful movement of her procession stopped as she caught sight of a women she knew. Dressed from head to toe in black, Ari was damn sure that it had been the woman who was there for the archery competition, who had set up. Ari licked her lips nervously, unable to pull her eyes from the women as she struggled to put a name to the face.

“Staring is rude,” a voice whispered behind her as a hand gently touched her elbow. Ari drew her gaze away to the face she had hoped to never see again. Kirsten smiled down at her gently; his black coat and pants gave his eyes a special glint as he took a small step back.

“Well, I will give you this, you do dress up nice,” he smirked as his eyes roamed up and down the length of the dress.

“Kirsten? What are you doing here?” she hissed quietly, trying to take a step back as well. He was having none of it and he pulled her forward to him as he took her arm forcefully and led her across the hall.

“I’ll explain later,” he growled, pulling her with him.

“I’ll scream.”

“Lower your voice Ari, people are staring.”

It wasn’t until then that she realized that his words rung true and she quietly let him lead her across the floor. Ari bit her lip nervously, her green eyes tingeing gold as Kirsten came to a stop and gently turned towards her.

“Do you trust me?”

“Trust you?!” Ari wanted to laugh, but all that came was a strangled squeak.

“Tonight I am neither your enemy nor a Hunter,” Kirsten soothed quietly, genuine concern flickering over his handsome features, his brow furrowing. Ari realized that he had taken her question as a sign of fear but before she could protest he again took her hand, his eyes burning red as a wall rose between them and the crowd. A moment later the wall was gone as well as the odd couple that had stood there only moments before. Only a few guests saw it fizzle, most of them coming to the conclusion that they really had had too much to drink that night and politely placed their glasses down.

Kirsten felt Ari shiver behind him the moment they vanished behind the tapestry. He couldn’t tell if it was because she hadn’t realized what was going on yet or if it was because he had dipped into her childhood memories to make the wall appear. It left most victims shaken; after all, he had to flip through her memories to locate the fear. It was an invasion, and according to Eric it was like having a dark presence make you watch the memories you hated most while flipping through them like cards. To him however, memories ran like a silver thread through his fingers; fragile when put through too much but strong and smooth though a gentle touch. He smiled as he couldn’t help but compare himself to a seamstress. Thread was easy to work with if you knew how, as were the memories and fears of people.

“Kirsten,” Ari whispered behind him in the dark.

“Hush, were almost there.”

He wasn’t lying, for a few moments later his hands closed onto a door knob and gave it a small twist. A door creaked open and he quickly pulled her inside. The Night Hunters rose, Eric being the first to move forward to pull the girl to her feet. Ari carefully stood, brushing down the wrinkles in the dress as she looked from Kirsten to Eric and then even to Lichen.

“Took you long enough,” Eric grinned, looking towards Kirsten with amusement as Kirsten laughed.

“She was so pretty I didn’t know what I was looking for. It was only the wolf in her threads that gave her away, that and the description of the dress” he motioned to the silver threads on the dress and he watched as she blushed, “Anyways, I do believe, however, that it’s time for you to change.”

“Wha—”

“The person who got you all this was not a Wolf, in fact Sean has no idea that you are here. It was one of the younger recruit’s ideas.”

Kirsten smiled softly as she shook her head gently, nodding toward Lichen who carefully laid a different dress on the table. Ari was resisting, he could see a bead of sweat on Eric’s forehead as he tried to work with the suspicion they placed there. It was very true that Sean did have no idea she was here, but the dress was from a Wolf. Finally she blinked and nodded. Her hands scooped up the dress and ran off to change out of it, leaving them alone as Kirsten grinned. It was no longer the smile of a concerned man, but the triumphant grin of a wolf who knows he’s got the rabbit trapped at the end of a ravine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When next Ari found herself immersed in the swirl of colors she was hanging onto the arm of Eric. They were caught in the middle of the dance, her face washed fresh and her eyes bright with laughter as he spun her. The new dress moved like water across her skin and the corset let her breathe with ease. The white material fell loosely around her hips and flared as she spun, the golden accents of the string lacing across her chest drawing the gaze of a few people. Her golden hair was spiraled and braided atop her head, her slender neck and collarbone shimmering slightly as Eric pulled her from the dance floor, his own eyes bright as he bowed.

“That was truly magnificent,” he smiled, taking her hand into his before bending to press his lips to the back of it. Her cheeks were hot from dancing and her breath was short as he thanked her again and moved off. Ari smiled and moved to press her back against the coolness of the wall, her fingers moving to touch her heart. She became a wall flower again; content to watch the dancers as she caught a glimpse of Sean out on the floor dancing, Ella talking to the women she still couldn’t name, and she could have sworn that for a moment she had seen Essence out there too. Ari smiled and shook her head gently, obviously she needed air. Carefully pushing herself away from the wall, she began walking toward one of the many windows, turning her back on the whirl of color and organized confusion.

Luckas was set on not turning around as he noticed the sound of a wolf walking after him, growls and whines trying to get his attention. He stubbornly resisted, as best as he could in this situation, to pay any attention to Tala. The last thing he needed was to be asked for explanations for the wolf chasing after him. It was only when the wolf nearly tripped him and sat right in his way that he acknowledged her presence, a bit annoyed by the amused laughter of some people who had been watching the whole scene. “Go away, Tala... What do you want from me?” He muttered, walking around the wolf and trying to find Sam in the crowded room. He could hear that Tala was still following after him, occasional growls and barks reaching his ears almost sounding like unintelligible bits of dialogue. It was adorable, and it obviously drew a lot of unwanted attention, both of which just served the purpose of annoying Luckas further. He had almost forgotten the fact that he was supposed to find Sam, and that’s when he felt a gentle, yet firm, grip on his shoulder. “I was looking for you. How did the exploring go?”
Luckas winced slightly at the touch on his shoulder, as he was not expecting it, and turned to face Sam giving a light shrug. “It’s actually pretty boring here, if the exits weren’t sealed I’d go home.”
Sam snickered, her bright eyes shining a faint yellow underneath their dark green. “And where would that be exactly, love?” She asked him, her gaze now falling past him to the wolf, but saying nothing.
“That... Is for me to know.” Luckas answered, smirking as if he was trying to be playful, even though he was actually being quite serious. He could hear a low growl coming from the wolf beside him slowly rising to a menacing snarl. Luckas looked back to the wolf with a questioning and intrigued look, Tala was baring her teeth, hairs raised along her neck, her blue eyes fixed on Sam. “You two know each other, Sammy?”
“I suppose... Your Beast Speaker friend must not have gotten a good impression of me.” Sam replied, her eyes cold as she looked upon the animal. “Friend of yours, Lukey?”
“I’m honestly not sure, Sam.” Luckas muttered in response. “Especially right now... It’s complicated.”
“How many of these ‘complicated’ friendships of yours will I be forced to deal with, love?”
“I don’t know...... How many have you counted so far?” Lukas asked playfully, but his smile faltered under her annoyed gaze. “Come on, Sammy... Don’t be like this. I really don’t know why she’s chasing me around.”
“Whatever, Luckas... Just... Do something for me, will you? Try and find out as much as you can about the king, just be discreet about it... Having to save your ass won’t make my evening more enjoyable.”
“Well, you can always delegate... I’m sure Amb-..uhm... Wyatt, wouldn’t mind that task. Although I kind of fear for my ass if that happens to be the case.”
“I think it would be wise of you... To fear once in a while... Love.” Sam whispered, giving a slight mocking bow towards Tala and walking to rejoin the crowds.
Luckas watched the woman leave with a concerned frown, glancing at Tala with an annoyed look in his dark eyes, a small trace of amusement in his tone. “Great... See what you did? Now I have yet another pissed off woman to deal with.” He mumbled; the wolf responding with a huffed bark as if amused by him. “So not funny. Bad wolf.” He muttered in response, walking off again; shooting occasional annoyed glares at the ever pursuing animal.

==========================================================

Jake had been watching the fire dancing display with an expression of childish amusement on his face when he felt a nudge and Irvin pointed out to him the fact he had momentarily let his attention slip away from Crys and what she was doing. What little joy there was in the man’s expression immediately shut down as he caught sight of her on the dance floor... With Sean...
“Are you still sure you don’t want to kill him now?” Irvin whispered to him.
Rhetorical as the question was, Jake couldn’t help but let it sink in. It was ironic how being in such an obvious trap provided some people with a safe haven to do as they pleased. When everyone was so mindful of their actions and unwilling to make any sudden moves, it acted like a shield. “I know he’ll get what’s rightfully his some day. Probably a lot sooner than he thinks. I’m in no hurry to see it happen.” He replied, his eyes following Crys’ movements as if in a trance.

[Flashback - Wolfpack Camp, approximately 6 years ago]

“This is stupid. I feel stupid.” Jake muttered under his breath.
“What did you say, Jakey? Jesse asked, an amused tone in her voice.
“Nothing…” The boy mumbled. “I just don’t see the point.”
“Well, Jakey, girls like boys who know how to dance.” Jess stated.
“I don’t even like girls!” Jake protested. “What do I care if they like me?”
Jessica giggled softly at Jake’s protests. “Yes, but one day you’ll feel different Jakey. And the sooner you start learning something the better you’ll be at it when you need it. Just like sword fighting.” She said. “Come on, now… It’s not so bad.”
“Sword fighting is fun.” Jake muttered, dragging his feet around the living room as he walked to the center. “This is just… Lame.”

. . .

Jake chuckled to himself as the conversation between he and his sister played out in his head; his eyes watching the figures moving around the campfire, dancing and laughing without a care. To him that was just the most amazing thing about the Wolfpack; they could, in certain moments, dance and laugh without a care. In these moments it was hard to see them as cold blooded killers and much easier to just see them as just a big happy family. It was in rare occasions that the Pack would have a party or celebration that involved the whole camp; mainly the Alpha’s birthday, a graduation, or a wedding celebration. This was the second, as well as the latter, and both celebrations were mashed together into one huge party.

“What are you smiling about?”
Jake raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at Crys. “How do you know I’m smiling?”
“Why wouldn’t you be? You’re finally free of me.” She chuckled softly before he had the chance to protest. “Oh, I meant as an instructor, don’t be silly now.”
“Yes, I’m a full grown Wolf now. Exciting.” He replied in a soft tone.
“Yes, does that mean you are actually going to go through with it?” She asked, a bit of concern in her voice. “You don’t have to kill them.”
“I want to.” He replied immediately. “I need to see them pay… I can’t… I need… To end it… This is just the only way I know how.”
“Maybe you should have more patience and learn another way, but… That’s not my decision to make.” She sighed, changing the subject. “You didn’t answer me though; what were you smiling about?”
“I was just enjoying the party, in my own way.” He stated, with a brief nod of head.
“From a distance?” Crys snickered. “I see how that is… Are you scared the girls will want you to dance with them?”
“I’m not afraid of girls, or dancing.” Jake shrugged slightly. “How about you?”
“What about me?” Crys asked, leaning on the opposite side of the tree he was leaning against.
“Why aren’t you out there with the others?” He asked.
“Well, I’m here with you. Can’t be in two places at the same time, now can I?” She asked absently.
“Fair enough…” Jake chuckled softly. “And… What if I was over there with everyone else? That would solve the dilemma, now, wouldn’t it?”
“Suppose so.” Crys mumbled.
“Well…” Jake stated, pushing himself away from the tree trunk and stretching lazily before holding one hand out to her. “If that’s the case then… Would you like to dance?”
“I don’t dance.” Crys stated casually.
“I’ve seen you dance.” Jake replied. “Come on, I’m holding out my hand…” He chuckled. “I promise it won’t hurt.”
“I don’t dance with others… I don’t like to.” Crys replied.
“Why are you so afraid of people all the time?” Jake asked. “What is the absolute worst that can happen if we dance?” He paused a little bit to give her time to think then insisted. “I’m just going to stand here offering you my hand until you take it.” He informed. “Please hurry though, my arm is getting tired.”

Crys finally laughed and gave in, finding his hand rather easily and letting him lead her towards the music. “I really hate you sometimes.” She muttered, although amusement was clear in her tone.
“No, you don’t… Because you know you’d never have any fun without me.” He answered, leading her hand towards his shoulder and placing his own casually upon her hip.
“Great, now I’m boring.” She complained, giving him a fake frown as if she was insulted.
“You are many things, and some of them are less pleasant than others, but boring is not one of them, that’s for sure.” Jake chuckled.
“Nice save there, mister.” She snickered, patting his shoulder playfully.
“Why, thank you. I try.” Jake replied, a rather satisfied smile crossing his features as she placed her right hand in his and they began moving to the music being played; the music was not entirely slow, but rather just soft enough.
“People are staring aren’t they?” Crys asked, a tone between amusement and annoyance in her voice.
“You are the Alpha’s daughter; people are just going to keep track of your movements wherever you are.” Jake stated simply. “You really should be more used to it.”
“Hm.” Crys mumbled.
“Hey…” Jake called, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Just forget them... It’s as simple as that.”

Crys let out a slightly bitter chuckle, but didn’t answer directly. She kept quiet for a few moments before speaking again. “Do you think I’m afraid of people?” She asked.
“I don’t know, Crys… You are certainly afraid of something though.” Jake answered calmly. “I just think you don’t have to be.”
“Aren’t we all afraid of something, Jakey?” She retorted. “Why should I be any different than everyone else? I’m just as human as the rest, you know.”
“A little too much at times, but yes… You are.” He replied. “But… What I mean is that you don’t have to be afraid now, because I’m here, and if the stares bother you, well… There’s an easy fix for that, you know.”
“Right, because vanishing in the middle of the camp won’t draw any attention at all.” Crys replied, pure amusement in her voice.
Jake leaned forward and snickered softly into her ear as he whispered. “What makes you think we haven’t already?” He gave a light shrug. “I can’t make the rest of the world disappear for you, but I can do this… So just… Forget them.”

[Reality - Blackpond Castle, present time]

Before Jake could really think about it, he had mumbled something to Irvin along the lines of ‘stay close to Darren’ and began to wander off heading in the general direction of the dancing figures as they parted ways.

==========================================================

Sean stepped away from Crys still mulling over some of the things they’d spoken. The day would come when they would have to face one another, that was an undeniable fact. The consequences would be tragic, that was also true. There was nothing that could be done to change that and they knew it; so why were they still dancing around the matter? He wasn’t exactly sure what was keeping him from making a move against the former Alpha, but he felt as if he was waiting for something to tell him the day had arrived. Distracted with these thoughts Sean failed to notice another presence of, some, importance as he made his way through the party guests, some of them still staring at him due to his little display of... Whatever it was he and Crys were trying to prove; he wasn’t sure of that either. It was only when he felt someone grab his shoulder and a voice call to him that he realized the woman was there, her voice causing him to cringe and reach for the hilt of his sword immediately.
“Tell me boy... What kind of an assassin are you? Have you even noticed that the woman I’ve asked you to kill is in this very room?”
Sean turned around to face Ebony with absolute rage in his eyes, grabbing her wrist and pushing her hand away from him as if it was something that was absolutely vile and also caught on fire; taking notice that the woman had, at least, eight hired goons at her back, who probably thought they were being inconspicuous, when in reality they were failing miserably at being discreet. He hated, hated, being pressured and his already intense dislike for the woman grew to seriously dangerous levels at her words. “If you think it’s that simple, why don’t you go and do it, ma’am?”
“I paid...”
“You paid for a professional hit. Which by no one’s definition consists of committing an assassination in an area filled of guards and other possible hostile individuals and absolutely no way out.” Sean interrupted. “Nowhere in the contract does it say that you own me or has the right to give me any orders either, so I suggest you change your tone.” He stated, pacing towards the woman with a menacing look in his eyes. “Now.”
“Well, excuse me, kid, if I’m not convinced you’ll follow through, considering my history with your kind.”
“I will fulfill the contract. Even if you were to, say, suffer an unfortunate accident, I would still fulfill the contract. Don’t worry... Not about that at least.” He told the woman. “Worry about how much you seem to unnecessarily test my patience, because I swear to all the Gods, you insufferable hag... If you ever touch me or question my integrity again I’ll forget that you are a thing with lady parts... And I will cut off your hands and shove them so far down your throat you’ll never be able subject anyone to another one of your streams of verbal diarrhea ever again.” Sean’s tone was smooth and calm on the surface, but a hint of an angered growl was noticeable underneath as he advanced another step towards the woman. One of the hired mercenaries stepping forth to stand in his way as if trying to somehow justify what he was being paid for. The man was bit larger than Sean and about ten years older as well. The years he had over the assassins bringing an unmistakable air of arrogance to his eyes as he placed one hand on Sean’s chest to push him back; huge mistake. Sean’s reaction was immediate. The moment the man’s hand touched his shirt, Sean grabbed the man by his middle finger, bending it backward and consequently twisting his arm in a way that forced him to turn around to avoid it being dislocated, the pain causing his knees to give in slightly. AS the man turned away from him, Sean reached for his belt and pulled a dagger, pressing it firmly against the man’s throat. “This is a celebration... And we wouldn’t want to cause a commotion so if you scream, or as much as yelp, I will silence you... You understand me?” He muttered, not waiting for any kind of response and proceeding to kick his left knee in, the sickening sound of bone crackin drown out by music and conversation as Sean let go of both the dagger and the man. The man didn’t make a sound at the pain and simply dropped down, two of his buddies rushing to help him up. With an annoyed grunt Sean spun around, pointing a blade toward the eye of a mercenary who had tried to sneak up on him from behind, the weapon partially concealed underneath the assassin’s sleeve. “Are we through now?” He asked. “Because if we’re not, I guarantee you pal... You’ll all be following your employer around with matching eye patches.”
The mercenary backed down and Sean lowered the blade, tucking it into a sheathe in the back of his belt. “Good.” He stated, pushing past the man as addressing Ebony over his shoulder. “You’ll know when it’s done, until then... Do us both a favor and stay out of my sight.”

The woman replied, but Sean didn’t bother listening and simply kept walking away. His complete annoyance making it difficult for him to focus on where he was going and who was on his path, which caused him to collide with someone rather forcefully in his haste to get away from the old hag. Sean stumbled only slightly upon impact, his hand automatically gripping the woman he nearly ran over by her arm to keep her from falling. “I’m sorry... I wasn’t paying attention... You alright?” He asked, releasing his hold on the redhead once assured that she had regained her balance.

===========================================================================

Sam parted ways with Luckas and once again scanned the ballroom. All of the people she planned on maybe bumping into were engaged in conversations... All but one... And so she quietly made her way to the girl in white robes. Annie. It would probably be a quick encounter, there was little to be discussed with a healer. It would still be entertaining however. Approaching the girl from behind, Sam called in a soft tone. “You... Are Annie Turner. Aren’t you?”

Annie smiled in amusement even before turning to face the woman who addressed her, Luckas’ words coming to mind at the sound of the woman’s voice; ‘I feel something tugging at the end of my leash’. They hadn’t met before, and yet something in the woman’s tone gave her away, the tone of someone who never asks a question they don’t already know the answer to. “Aren’t I?” She asked, her tone nearing mockery, but lingering in amusement. “You know who I am. I know who you are.” She stated. “We are both far more perceptive than this conversation has led on so far, so perhaps we should start acting as such, no? Instead of wasting time with silly games. So, might I ask... Milady... How may I be of assistance on this fine evening?”

Sam laughed softly, seemingly delighted by the respectful and yet bluntly aggressive tone of Annie’s replies; no one had ever made her out so easily before. “I am almost absolutely certain that it is not in your best interest to assist me in any way, Miss Anne. I do however have some curiosity pertaining the Myths... If you could spare a few moments of your time of course.” The woman smiled kindly; her green eyes lit up in cheerful curiosity as she stared at Annie. “There are things I always thought to myself, I’d love to ask your mother about, but unfortunately we never had the opportunity to discuss before she... Passed...” The woman trailed off, visibly fake embarrassment in her tone. “I am certain you can handle my simple questions however.”

Annie’s dark eyes glared at the woman with an intensity much similar to her mother’s, it was the look of someone not to be messed around with. It was menacing and nearly dangerous. Not something anyone was used to seeing in the, usually cheerful, young healer. “My mother lacked the time for many, many, things... Miss Samantha. Her passing was a rather unexpected and premature one, as I am sure you know. Please, I would be more than glad to shed some light on your view of the Twins. Ask whatever questions you wish.”

Sam nodded in a playful show of respect, not surprised that the girl already knew her name somehow. “Please, do call me Sam. And I am sure you would be glad to enlighten my views. My questions are simple ones though, as I said... I would simply like some answers as to your clan’s views on the Myths... Specifically... I would like to know what makes you believe in them when you know there is more to the stories than what the public is told.” Sam stated, her tone becoming slightly colder and almost accusing. “What makes you think the Blackhurst Elders had the authority to decide what is true and what is not? What makes their judgement so much better than everyone elses to the point of your clan basing your entire belief system on their view of what happened despite knowing there is more to the story than that? Please... Miss Annie... Do explain to me how do you allow the apprentices taught by your healers to be fed those lies.”

Annie snickered softly, shaking her head in an uncharacteristically condescending way. “Sam... I believe in the Twins and what they represent, regardless of whether they did in fact exist in this plane of existence or not. The veracity of the Myths, in the sense which you speak of at least, is irrelevant to our faith. We teach our apprentices faith, and acceptance. We don’t tell them the Myths are fact nor do we coerce them to blindly believe in anything. The White Shadows is a clan of healers, scholars, and pacifists... We are not a cult. We do not raise sheep, Miss Sam. Any other clarifications you would like me to make?”

Sam laughed. “You do not raise sheep? Did you honestly, truthfully, just uttered those words? Tell me something, Annie... Do you teach your recruits about the parts of the Myths that speak of Terra and her ‘supposed’ origins? Do you speak of Hell to them and all the dreadful things the first Children did to make its existence necessary? Do you tell them of the fact there are several accounts of people gaining enlightened gifts upon entering Valcrest borders and how any records of these accounts were buried by the Elders the moment they were discovered because if they were made public they would cause people to severely question the exactitude of the Myths and the Elders’ own conclusions as to what truly happened between Terra and Life; conclusions that were never really based on any sort of actual proof?”

“There are no actual studies on how magic behaves outside of Valcrest or how outside magic interacts with the Land’s magical source, Sam. Those accounts are proof of nothing, except that there is magic outside the land and that it behaves differently here; which is something we have already established thousands of years ago. Those occurrences were all studied and documented... The records were not buried; they were destroyed along with the City. It is easy to twist words and actions when the entire civilization involved in the actual events has been nearly annihilated. Isn’t it? As for our students... They have access to every bit of written and told history, no matter how obscure, and they are encouraged to take their own conclusions; to have faith in what feels real to them. As long as it harms no one.” Annie’s tone was calm and collected but the look in her eyes remained cold and nearly contemptuous. “I encourage their faith, as I encourage yours... As long as it harms no one, of course.”

“What do you tell them, Annie, when they speak of how the Goddess has personally put you on this world to guide them? Are you going to tell me you also encourage them to worship your existence?”

“I tell them... We are all put on this world with a purpose. On my own personal experience, those who demand or accept worship are those who are the least worthy of praise.” Annie replied simply. “Wouldn’t you say?”

Sam chuckled. “Humility is the only illusion greater than peace; that is my only say on this particular matter. You won’t accept worship because of all the responsibility that comes with it, I think though... If anyone deserves worship is the leader of the White Shadows. Your level of foolishness and patronizing arrogance are match to that of the Gods themselves.”

Annie smiled a bit more truthfully at Sam’s words and gave a playful shrug at the woman’s offenses. “Well, Miss Samantha... If it means so much to you, you have my permission to worship me. After all, I wouldn’t want to deny anyone of their beliefs. I am a faithful individual, as I am sure you are as well.”

Sam’s eyes hardened slightly at Annie’s words but her tone and overall demeanor never left their apparent tranquility as she gave the teenager a half bow for the insult. “You are a... Fascinating individual... Annie Turner. It is a pity that my faith and your cannot coexist.”

Annie gave Sam an intrigued look at those words, and almost innocent expression taking over her features as she nodded in acceptance to her statement. “It is a pity indeed...” She opened a half smile, amusement taking over her eyes, causing the dark brown to sparkle a faint golden light. “I trust the Twins will protect and guide whatever lost sheep you may leave along the way.” Taking a surprisingly sincere bow of respect Annie turned to walk away from the older woman. “Until we meet again, Mistress.”

Sam smirked behind the girl’s back as she walked away; amusement in her eyes, mixed with a slightly predatorial glare as they followed the healer across the room. “Sooner rather than later... Healer.” She mumbled to herself.

Essence knew the general direction of where she’d last seen the Alpha in the ever moving crowd, yet she found herself momentarily distracted as she caught the distant barks of her furry companion from the other side of the dance floor. Coming to a halt she clicked her heels in thought, not even paying attention to the small crowd of people that passed briskly past her, her image appearing small and almost insignificant until it parted again and left her momentarily alone. Her expression was empty, violet orbs darting furiously through the many forms as she tried to pinpoint Tala. In a way, she appeared ‘lost’ in the manner she stood idle and as the thought of moving forward crossed her mind she didn’t even get a chance to turn before someone rammed into her with such purpose she indeed almost lost her balance if not for the firm grip on her arm. The coat of her gown had slipped to the floor at the small collision, her hand instantly covering the man’s and gripping over his fingers, her instincts at the ready. Yet, as her eyes reached his, a sweet smile took over, hiding her delighted surprise and the devilish idea of breaking his hand for touching her but she wasn’t stupid; it was just a natural thought that she quickly brushed aside.

“Oh...nice reflexes...” Ess giggled, shrugging off the apology. “No harm done. Hm, good grip too.” She winked, letting her fingers loosen and trace his fingers along her arm. “How...fortuitous...” Ess sang, shyly pulling her gaze from his. “You’re the Wolfpack Alpha...” She quickly stated, something in her tone that was a mix of interest and distaste, but she remained polite, honestly more curious than anything as it was clearly not her place to say or do anything in Mageria’s name. Again, she was here as a set of eyes and ears, not to pick fights with another’s foe especially when she knew next to nothing about the individual. “I’m sorry, how rude of me...My name is Essence. What is a good looking man like yourself doing here without a lovely woman on your arm? Maybe that’s what had you in such haste? It’s...usually a woman that sends a man in earnest in the opposite direction... ” Quirking a brow she stared at him, the violet of her orbs intensifying into a myst like glow passing across her irises like a fog. “I doubt it was Miss Rivers that sent you this way.” She added, matter of factly. “I just mean, you don’t seem like the type to run, even if it is something you fear.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darren watched Jake wander off from the corner of his eye, noting he went in the same direction as the redhead and chuckled, leaning over towards Irvin. “Hey...I thought you liked girls...” He teased, nodding towards the Alpha. “You keep staring...hey, come now, lets get your mind off whatever that is and onto something more pleasant..” Casually he rested one hand on Irv’s shoulder and slowly turned him towards a group of girls chatting away over their wine glasses, catching one or two pairs of eyes and flashing a debonair smile. “Smile Irv...see that cute, blond one? She keeps looking at you...why don’t you go say hi? I’ll be right behind ya.” Darren gave Irvin a little shove and then crossed his arms to watch, turning abruptly when he thought he caught the wolf he had been searching for following a dark haired individual. He didn’t seen the man’s face as both disappeared in the crowd causing Darren to snort in annoyance. It was then Darren saw a group of men following an older looking woman around in an awkward circular wall-like shield. The scene caught him as odd because although the room was filled with many people who most likely disliked each other and were well armed, none had an entourage at their heels.

“Ah, young Hearst...not surprised to see you here...” A woman’s voice came from behind the men who slowly parted to the sides, backs to the older woman as they watched the perimeter. “Where’s your father? Still in prison? Pity....him and I have some old ‘business’ to discuss.”

Darren cringed when the woman came into view, making it hard to force a smile when she smiled a decaying smile. Even more so when she called out to him by name and asked for his father. Darren bowed in a polite fashion but really it was to avoid looking at the crone, the idea coming to mind that she looked like a walking corpse, especially with the eyepatch that smelled of rot. “I don’t know how my father is doing..” He answered simply. “Anything I can help with?” Darren asked curiously as he stood up straight, towering over the decrepit, hag before him.

Ebony snorted. “You have no authority in your father’s line of work...which I hear he runs pretty well from the prisons within this very city. Word....gets around.”

Darren shrugged, “Maybe I don’t have any direct authority, no.” His brows narrowed as his smile suddenly faded away, his gaze curious with a hint of disgust. “His business dealings never interested or sat well with me. Who are you to know of my father?”

“I know plenty of your father. We were longtime business partners, him and I. I was there the day you were born Darren. I was there when all of them were born.”

Darren’s eyes flashed a sharp blue, a subtle groan escaping him. “Who the hell are you and what the hell are you talking about?”

“Oh, you mean you don’t recognize me, Darren? It’s Aunty Ebony...don’t you remember?” The woman spat. “I remember you. One of the many screaming hells I had to do away with. Lucky for you, you were one of the few who got to live past the afterbirth. Which brings me back to this business deal of mine and Ashers’. You. Usually I send the little harlots off to the dumpster if not to their usual interested parties, but for some reason your father wanted to keep you.” Ebony rolled her eyes, shrugging as if truly confuse to why Asher would do such a thing. “Maybe because you were the first son he ever had..”

Darren’s eyes went wide, a swirling, nauseated sensation filling his stomach. Darren wasn’t one to get angry and not easily, but what concerned him more in that instant was why this woman he couldn’t remember acted as if she knew him. There was no rhyme or reason to her mocking and cruel words except that she was deliberately trying to get a rise out of him. His first instinct was to reach out to her. To hell with her riddle chatter, he could use his enlightenment and find out whatever it was she was going on about. Stepping forward, two of the mercenaries instantly blocked his path, not giving Darren an inch towards Ebony. “You....are not human...” Darren whispered, staring past the men in utter awe as Ebony spoke. “I have....sisters? My own father...sold his own blood? I was bought?”

Ebony chuckled a condescending choking sound that emanated from her haggard appearance. “Say hi to your father for me when you see him again...” The woman whispered, her smile somewhat innocent yet causing shivers to travel down Darren’s back. “Tell him he should remember what happens when he tries to screw me over. I promised I’d start with him, and destroy him from the bottom up.” Ebony sneered, motioning for some of the men to follow as she turned to leave, a feeling accomplishment making her cocky but not foolish. She pointed to two of the men who stayed behind to continue to block the boy as he began to sweat. “Make sure he doesn’t follow..”

The lights, the drinks, the sound of the music unable to calm the rapid beating of hearts couldn’t distract from the tight tension that had her on edge. Ari itched. It wasn’t the fabric of the dress or the hot humid climate that her body had decided to take, it was her enlightenment. Something seemed wrong, out of place and it made her jumpy. Her green eyes were streaked with silver, her nose crinkled at the smell of the alcohol in her hands, her ears catching the soft whispers of those across the hall, her eyes scanning the windows, the doors, the dresses. Everything screamed threat and Ari shifted uncomfortably. Wolf was begging to be let out, to rip, tear, and defend and she had half a mind to do so. After all, she might have been the only one unarmed on the entire premises. However that wouldn’t have been pleasant. Somehow she managed to hold the wolf in check; perhaps it was the image of a girl running across the floor only to tear into a black wolf, or maybe it was the horror of being naked in front of everyone after the fact. Either way, it would have been funny in a couple hundred years to everyone else except her.

Ari took a sip of the drink, her fingers trembling as she then set the glass down. It was supposed to be calming, yet all it did was set her teeth on edge. Something smelled wrong. Ari turned her eyes back onto the crowd, locating her two targets quickly. Ella looked relatively safe; she did have a guard with her. Sean was talking to some girl and he seemed pretty safe too. Keeping an eye out was making her head hurt. Her first duty was toward the Alpha, she would lay her life down to protect him, and it wasn’t just because he had adopted a snot-nosed brat and turned her into this. He had become someone she considered a friend. Ella, on the other hand, was her new charge. If anything happened to her, Ari considered it a failure on her first mission, and wouldn’t Sean just love to gloat over that. And yet, Ella had been so open with someone she saw as just a maid, had listened. Most people didn’t listen to her. Then there were the other’s Ari had to keep an eye on. Dastan, Crys, Ali, Ess, Luckas; any one of them could blow her cover and expose her secrecy to those she didn’t want to know who, or where she was.

Her tongue ran over her lips and she let her hand fall to her side only to be pushed up by a wet nose and onto a head. She felt it rest on fur. Tala whined, her paw tugging into the hem of Ari’s dress and carefully, Ari knelt to the ground. Her eyes became level with that of the wolf and Ari smiled as Tala appeared to do the same, her knowing eyes bright but curious. They remembered each other, even outside wolf form, which was clear in the way that Ari could gently press her face into the shoulder, her face hidden in the musky scent of the wilderness.

“Tala girl. You remember,” she breathed, her fingers gently combing through the fur. The wolf seemed to let her pull everything back together and the anxiety slowly withdrew. As Ari pulled away Tala wagged once and then made her way back into the horde, her nose working the air in front of her as she scampered off, leaving Ari once again alone in the big room. Ari sighed and stood again, her dress moving like water across her knees. It was time to go, let someone else watch for awhile.

Ari cut her way through the crowd, passing many other people, her eyes locked on the way she came in.

“Ari!”

Ari groaned and turned her head, her eyes locking onto the face of Sesh. He waved and gently took her arm, pulling her back away from the doors and into the mob. His snow colored hair caught the light, his eyes dark as he smiled.

“I never thought I would see you here,” he grinned like a puppy, his entire ensemble black again, including the dagger he toyed with at his hip.

“I never thought you would go back to Kirsten,” she mused, her fingers picking at the grapes he had offered her from the food table.

“He is a devil to break from. You know the strength of Blood Moon.”

“Yes, but I really need to get out of here,” she sighed, shifting uncomfortably at the fact that now all of Kirsten’s men knew her attachments and abilities.

“You can’t, not yet anyway,” he smiled as she groaned his eyes bright with mischief, “Perhaps you could try sneaking out the windows up there. But you’d have use your enlightenment.”

“Excellent, then I will.”
He watched as she dropped under the table, a moment later, a small bird fluttering up from under it. It chirped and then flew up and as he looked around no one seemed to be any the wiser.

Ari was airborne. The tips of her wings glowed the same silver as her eyes and her small body drifted up above the palace, her wings tipping and tilting along the air. Her sharp eyes scanned the roofs, her beak clacking as her suspicion was proven wrong. She then dove down toward the ball. The windows above the dance floor, higher than anyone could climb, were slightly open to let in air and Ari had no problem swooping into the ball room. She landed on the grandest chandelier, her wings flapping as her head cocked. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, just bright flowers swaying on the ground and the chatter of those she couldn’t understand. Her talons closed and flexed, watching as some of the glitter balls fell from the light and shattered against the ground. Her body hopped and fluttered, the lamp swinging as the hanging strained and groaned with the extra weight. A couple of people had looked up and were pointing. Ari leapt to another side, her head cocking as she looked toward Sesh. He had his eyes closed and was leaning in a corner, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed in concentration and worry. She laughed. As only a bird could, the laughter rose as a small chirping and flapping of wings. The lamp fell and Ari with it.


People dove out of the way, the music stopping as it came shattering on the ground. Glitter balls flew and popped loose, rolling under heels and along the ground as the candles on the lamp broke or went out and fell onto a small falcon. Sesh opened his eyes, moving away from the wall as his connection broke with the guard. People were screaming, whispering, some even had actually touched their weapons and he shook his head as he looked upon the mess that lay before him. He shook his head, wondering what could have caused the fall when he caught sight of a small flash of silver. He casually moved over towards the mass of brownish feathers, his body bending to gently scoop the bird up. Its head lolled in his hands and his thumbs gently stroked its breast, watching as the wings fluttered in response.

“It’s okay!” someone called but Sesh didn’t need to turn back to know that he was talking about the situation and not the bird. He moved away from the open pit, moving past people he didn’t care much about now, his attention was fixated on the bird. He looked up apologetically at a redhead and what he thought might be the Alpha, having walked between them. He carried the bird away, reaching the other end of the hall where there was water. He dropped a palm full on top of the bird’s beak, watching as it fluttered up to life in his hands, making a strangled chirping noise. Silver eyes stared at him, and Sesh smiled.

“Ari, you little devil,” he whispered, his grin reaching his eyes. His fingers stroked over her feathers, pulling his fingers away as she snapped at them.

“Getting you dressed is going to be hard now, you know that?” he smirked as she stared at him, cocking her head as her body began to melt. “Now? Ari, my dear, you are full of surprises.”

He carefully placed her on the ground watching as she chose, at the last moment to become a black wolf. She shook out her pelt, nudging him in his leg as she sniffed him with a small whine. Her tongue lolled from her mouth as she sat.

“Your dress is currently in the arms of a very confused guard. Don’t worry I will get it back and come up with something, but for now, you better just stay.”


Ari growled, the pun obviously intended as Sesh smirked and left her alone in the corner. She clacked her teeth and stood, walking forward along the crowd to see the extent of her little adventure. It wasn’t pretty, that was sure and Ari’s nose wrinkled as she caught a very good whiff of Sean. She sneezed and turned her head back over her shoulder to catch sight of him, his eyes appearing to glower at her. Just in case she shrugged, turned away, and melted back into the mass of people, all whispering and whining. She hadn’t meant to, but at least this had given her a chance to escape the itchy vulnerable human form. Her tail wagged as she cut her way around, crawling between the red head, Ess, and Sean. There she lay, her eyes looking up at him for a moment and then at the girl. Neither one took notice of her nor neither smelled like anything but suspicion. Well, that was good. They were not in imamate danger, not in the slightest. She wormed her way out of view, some people stepping back as she made her way to try and find Ella, drawn on by the smell of flowers and pink.

It wasn’t long until she saw the queen, her Black Knight and her clearly in conversation. Their whispers hushed and rushed. Ari scented the air around the two, back on her belly against the wall. When she was sure there was no danger to either of them, well, except random falling candles, she smiled. Good. Everything seemed to be alright and she no longer felt anxious. It was interesting how her fears had come to rest with the chaos that was happening around her. Ari smiled, being a small black wolf was cunning and relaxing. Slowly Ari dropped to her stomach, backing away as she caught sight of Sesh waving towards her, a white dress in his arms. The mess was already being taken care of, a speaker quickly answering questions and explaining what could have happened. Ari was honestly quite amazed with how well they were handling the fear and suspicion, almost as if—

“Get under the table and pull this back on, then tie it once you get back up, hurry. People are starting to mill about again,” he warned, as Ari grabbed the dress in her teeth, pulling it with her under the table and sliding into it still in wolf form. Granted it was awkward and tight, but it was better than trying to slide it on under the table. The shift was quick and she rolled from under the table. As she stood and quickly tied the knot in her dress, she whirled, her body colliding against someone as her bare feet tripped on the hem of the dress. Her hand caught herself on his build, his arm gripping hers as she slowly straightened herself out.

“Sorry!” she whispered, her green eyes locking onto a pair of dark brown ones. Her hand was pale in comparison to his tan skin, and her face blanched as she recognized the desert man and it was truly the last person she wanted to see here.

“Dancing with Sean... What are you trying to do to me, hm?”
Crys stopped in her tracks at the familiar whisper behind her back, her body tensing entirely and gradually relaxing as she held back her first instinctive reaction and calmly turned to face Jake. “What, if I may ask, would I be doing to you... Jacob?” She asked, her tone cold with a fake tone of curiosity. “Or rather, what could I possibly do to you that you don’t absolutely deserve?”
Jake flinched at her words, a sigh escaping him, his voice faltering. “Fair point... I just...”
“Don’t. Whatever this is, we’re not getting into it here.” Crys cut him off with a severe look in her eyes. “This is not the time or the place.”
“You do realize this hurts me, don’t you? He asked in a whisper.
“Yes. Yes, Jake... I do. This... Isn’t about you and me though. It’s just a matter of, trying to keep the peace... So find a way to deal. I know I have.”
“Trying to keep the peace... You know, I don’t think that phrase was ever uttered during peaceful times. The lengths we're all willing to go to fool ourselves...” Jake chuckled bitterly, raising his hands in a defensive manner. “I know... Not here. Not now. I won’t make a scene or anything don’t worry.” He played, heaving a deep sigh. “I just... Wanted to see you... I always want to see you.”
Crys closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head and falling into silence for a few seconds, once her eyes opened again, her tone changed to one of warning. “Go back to your friends, Jakey.”

Jake frowned slightly at Crys’ words, eyes darting around the room looking for Darren and Irvin. He spotted Irv first, awkwardly approaching a group of girls, not too far from him he saw Darren, a woman walking away from him leaving two men who were obviously hired mercenaries behind with the boy. He didn’t have to look to know that Crys had walked away the moment he put his focus on Darren, so he didn’t bother looking back and simply started to calmly make his way to him and his... ‘companions’. Things didn’t look friendly between them and if someone was planning on messing with the boy, they’d be messing with him too. Moving around so that he reached the two mercenaries from behind Jake addressed the man in a calm yet firm tone of voice, right hand resting upon the hilt of his sword. “Gentlemen... Do you have some sort of... Issue... With my friend here?”

---------------------------------------------

Irvin wasn’t all too sure about going to talk to the girl Darren pointed out to him, but before he could say a word of protest the older boy had sent him on his way. Irvin wasn’t going to admit it, but he wasn’t too good in talking to girls around his age. There weren’t many of them around in the prisons and before that he was far too concerned with survival to think about socializing. Now that he was thinking about it, he has no idea how to go about actually doing it. The girl Darren had showed was in fact watching his approach with discreet glances and shy, yet welcoming, smiles. The boy was trying hard to keep his focus on what he wanted to do, he’d gone over it again and again in his head: ’Smile, say hi, don’t be weird.’, it seemed simple enough, but for some reason actually following through with the plan was a whole other story. Suddenly Irvin felt as if he had forgotten basic human behavior and he simply stood before the girl in silence, looking a bit as if he was about to throw up. The girl smile at him sweetly, amusement clear in her expression as her friends started to giggle around her. After a few seconds of patiently waiting for the boy to speak the girl let out a chuckle and greeted. “Hi.”
Irvin winced slightly, realizing his brain had momentarily shut down on him, forcing a small cough he tried unsuccessfully to swallow down the knot caught in his throat, his voice sounding a bit weak. “Hey... I... Uh... Hi... I’m Irvin.”
“Irvin, nice to meet you, I’m Joslin.” She said, sounding pleased that he was finally speaking, even if barely.
Irvin smiled back nervously, discreetly wiping his sweaty palms at the hem of his shirt. In his awkwardness the boy began to look around, eyes searching his surroundings for his friends, Darren wasn’t far, but Irv didn’t like the looks of his company and for what he could tell, neither did Jake. The girl was still talking, it seemed, but the boy’s attention was momentarily caught up in whatever was happening with his friends and he began to slowly wander off mumbling an apology.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re the Wolfpack Alpha...”

Never, to Sean’s experience, had that sentence been followed by a pleasant exchange of any sort and he was momentarily taken by surprise at the fact that this woman, whom he had nearly ran over, not only knew who he was, but was acting so pleasant. She mentioned Crys’ name, and yet there was no hostility in her tone... He would have been more comfortable if she slapped him in the face. It would just spare him the trouble of trying to figure out what her deal was exactly. His little flinch prevented him from paying full attention to the woman’s introduction, but as soon as he composed himself he realized why her name seemed so familiar... He’d read it twice before. He didn’t think the name was common enough for this to be a coincidence. “Essence? Are you the same Essence whose name is carved on a table in the Newhaven Inn? You know, I should make you pay me for vandalizing my establishment, Essence... But then it would probably ungentlemanly of me to demand compensation from a lady for such a small act, even if said act inflicted damage to my property.” Sean’s tone made it unclear whether or not he was joking about the table, his eyes playful although his voice was undeniably serious. Opening an amused smile the Alpha shook his head slightly. “Maybe I’m not interested in the type of woman who would find it acceptable to cling to a man’s arm for an entire evening pretending not to be incredibly bored. Or maybe I just can’t find a lady who won’t refer to me as ‘the Wolfpack’s Alpha’.” He stated, his smile growing more amused as he added. “It’s Sean by the way, miss Talon, in case that little detail is not a part of the many things being gossiped about my person. It’s been nice meeting you so far, let’s see how long that lasts, shall we?”

------------------------------------------

Luckas didn’t need to look too long to find the king, the man looked perfectly normal and respectable from a distance... They all did... but Luckas could see something else, something familiar in the man’s eyes; something that made him momentarily forget the nature of his task. He didn’t need to get to close, just wait for a moment where the he could see the man’s eyes, moving to a more quiet corner, where he was unlikely to be bothered he looked into the eyes of King Rick, and waited for the world around him to melt away.

"Do you smell that?" Lamya asked Simon, who had already noticed what was going on.
"Of course I do. Don't take me for a fool."
"I only take you for what-" Lamya said before Simon cut her completely out of the conversation along with the rest of the assassins.
All but Rick and Simon were now connected through mind. There was an extra visitor, however. He was so well hidden that only Simon and, surprisingly, Lamya were able to detect. Not even Rick, who seemed to be the person who was under attack could tell. There was a person within the chaos that was after the King's mind. Simon wouldn't let this happen.
Simon was still thrown off a little. The mental barriers that he had created to protect the people within his mind were top notch. No one should have been able to break through them from the time that he made it into the party. Regardless, before he even tried to evict this invader from Rick's mind, he was going to have to put up some mental barriers for his own safety. His mind was going to be like the mountains in the south of Valcrest. He created a huge wall protecting his mind from the attacker and then he went it.
"Leave now, or forever wish you had."

Luckas was surprised, that to say the least. He didn't expect to find anything interesting in the King, he only wanted a peek into the man's memories for the hell of it; he wasn't expecting to find someone else already there, he certainly wasn't expecting to find a link with several other people, and it made him wonder if there was in fact something interesting enough in this guy's mind that he needed someone to protect it. Luckas wandered from where he was standing until he could feel himself leaning against something solid; a wall or pillar, he wasn't quite certain. The other telepath's presence was sensed at first as a slight pressure against his attempts, it had now gotten a bit more forceful to the point where he could feel it physically as if someone was holding his head and slowly squeezing. It was a challenge though, and it was one interesting enough to take on. The fact that using his ability this way made it impossible to see his surroundings was slightly troubling if it were discovered he was the one trying to prey on the King's mind, but it was a risk worth taking; if anything turned out too badly he trusted Sammy to have his back. Having heard the guy's warning Luckas didn't answer in any way for a few moments, breathing slowly to keep his focus as he tried to assess the situation; the guy was good and it was somewhat intriguing how he managed to maintain such secure links with more than one person at a time, when Luckas had been repeatedly taught it was dangerous and nearly impossible to pull of successfully. This was going to be fun.

"Do you know what they say, mate, that when you run into a wild predator you try and make yourself as insignificant as possible and hope it goes away? You should have done that. I was going to be in and out pretty quick, but now you made this into a good challenge, so why not? Make me regret my intrusion."

Luckas dared the guy to push him out, waiting to see what his move would be, slowly looking for a crack in the armor, a vulnerable spot he could exploit. It could take him time, but if it was there he would find it and once he did, this would be over quite quickly.

People always seemed to think that the mind was a safe place. The only safe place. It was a place that the user only had control of. They thought that if there was something wrong with their mind, it was only their fault. Anyone with that dogma was completely wrong. Simon looked at the mind as something he could make impressions on. He could seep his way deep into the psyche and just put thoughts there. In the place where people feel safe, he could bring them into a whole new world. He could bring them somewhere where they feel completely vulnerable. Vulnerable... that was his first step.
"Call me arrogant, but now that Lena's dead, I'm probably one of the strongest enlightened Mind out there. If you think of yourself as such a predator, prove to me that there is something to be afraid of?"
With his last warning, he started attacking the intruder's mind. The first thing he looked for was a name. The next were a few of the simple images, the ones that he didn't protect. These were images that didn't matter too much for him. When it came to the chain of command of memories, these were at the bottom rung. Mostly full of dead bodies or him toying around with people's minds. Nothing too special.
"You're name's Luckas, now, is it? Interesting life you've lead Luckas." He said, attempting to distract Luke while he tried to creep deeper into his mind.


Weak, this was weak... Sure this guy could do better than this if he was bold enough to compare himself to Lena. The woman had tortured him in ways no one else had ever managed, even in death she still tortured him in the back of his mind... That kind of respect was hard to obtain. "Oh, I don't want to scare you off, friend... Where's the fun in that, hm? So you know my name and you've seen some of my playthings... There's nothing there I'm particularly secretive about. You haven't done better than the healer's dead carcass, oh Great mind!" Luckas mocked the man openly, always keeping his defenses just one step ahead of his advances while he was still only grazing the surface. Either way, Luckas had very little to protect anyway; and most of what could actually hurt him was so deeply buried he could barely reach it himself. "Talk is cheap Simon... I'm sure you can do better now... I feel sorry for you and your king if you can't." He provoked, the pressure building in his temples, but this time he pushed back, making sure the man didn't go any further even though there was nothing particularly meaningful at his reach just yet; simply to show that he could. "You don't want to be going there friend... That's bad for your health." He warned playfully, challenging Simon to push him further. If there was something he'd learned from the healer was that his mind was the one place he could control completely if he concentrated... Maybe not to the point of trapping someone inside, but surely enough to drive them to confusion if they wandered deep enough. He hadn't actually tried that before aside from training and he knew it would take its toll on him, but it was well worth the effort if it worked.

The man had some audacity to think that he could push Simon completely out of his mind that easily. In fact, it was rather pathetic to think that. He knew, however that if you push someone, you better be prepared to get pushed back ten times harder. He hoped Luckas didn't discover this little piece of life experience. With a little amount of thought, he pinpointed exactly where he wanted to attack this person's mind from. He focused his thought into the sharpness of a needle and then quickly trusted himself into Luckas' mind for his second round of attack. With, again, little thought, he focused his thought as big as he could, so it would expand as far out as possible through the mind of Luckas.
"Get out of our head!"
With just that thought, he brought Luckas back into reality. He was back on the wall he was standing on. The people around him were interacting and the music was playing. Everything would seem to be normal.


Luckas frowned slightly as he looked at his surroundings, for a split second he almost believed the man had succeeded to push him out, but then he realized that something felt off... Or rather, what was off was what he didn't feel. There was no pain, no blurriness in his sight, he didn't feel faint... Everything was absolutely normal, as it should be, and that was wrong. So Luckas smiled, an overly sweet smile, as he began to pace around the ballroom... His eyes wandering around and noticing a few more known faces amongst the crowd, but some people he knew to be there were missing from the scene, probably because Simon wouldn't know to place them. Still, it was impressive that he could so easily create and illusion inside Luke's mind when he was usually immune to such things. He took his time to appreciate the small details of the scene, before slowly starting to tweak it here and there... Some notes of the music failing as if the people playing occasionally forgot what they were doing, people's faces blurring beyond recognition as Luke passed them, color beginning to fade as if the room was turning into a black and white portrait... Until all the faces were blank, and the bright and beautiful colors had faded, and everything was blank noise in the background... The only thing standing out in the room being the site of a man with brown hair and brown eyes. A face Luckas didn't know until then, but now he could link to a name. "The was nicely played, mate... I almost bought it... Maybe if I wasn't so inclined to doubt reality as it is..." As he spoke everything else disappeared in the room, but the man and himself. He had let Simon in just enough to play with what the man was seeing. "I said this wasn't a place you'd like to be friend... One last chance to yield? Hm... No, I don't think so. I should teach you something instead..." At those words fire lit up the once darkened room, just a small circle around Simon so that he could see something, but not the whole room, Luke standing in the dark, just beyond the reach of the light. In the darkness there was movement, followed by growls and snarls as if hungry animals were lurking just a step beyond the fire; eyes would appear here and there, sparkling in the dark, the growls occasionally becoming louder and more vicious as if whatever creatures lurking there were growing impatient and unleashing violent attacks on one another. "For an illusion to have the proper effect, you should consider all the little details that make it believable... Not just plant an image and wait for the victim's mind to fill in the blanks with what should be there, as most telepaths tend to do... Control the environment... The sounds and smells... The feels... Like this fire; you can smell it... You can feel its warmth... And if I hadn't been here speaking I bet you would eventually believe that putting it out would lead to a terrible fate, hm? Who knows, maybe you will, but I'd like to think you are better than that... Shall we try it?" Luckas asked, a slight giggle echoing through the empty room as the fire suddenly faded and everything fell dark.

Simon didn't need a lot of time, he just needed deeper. That was all he was after from the illusion that he made. He didn't want to take the time or energy to create complete realism. In that split second that Luke believed he was back into reality as he perceived it, Simon had managed to get deeper into Luke's mind than even Luke knew about. Being this deep, it allowed him to almost guarantee that he will believe almost anything that he wanted Luke to believe. All he needed to do was create a couple of thoughts and plant a few more seeds.
During this entire time, Luke had been playing his own set of mind games. The room had grown dark and now there was a fire. He was about to walk out of the ring of fire surrounding him when Luke started talking to him. He went along his rant about how weak my illusions were, despite the fact that his illusion of a fire was far less complex than an entire room filled with people and things, with music playing and everything else going. Making a fire was far less complex, especially when there was the possibility of a distraction by the noises being made from beyond the darkness.
When the light went out, that was when he was attacked. The noises that came from the darkness came and surrounded him. Nothing was all too painful, he just had an uncomfortable feeling as if someone had shoved him in a cramped broom closet with no possibility for escape. What this Luckas had planned out was working to some degree, but not as he had planned it to. Simon closed his eyes and gave into the monsters, giving Luckas what he wanted. Quickly, he was ripped apart, limb from limb, until the monsters grew tired and left. They then turned their attention to Luckas on the other end of the darkness. Behind him was a wall of fire, so he couldn't move away from the monsters coming towards him. With the light behind him, Luckas would be able to see every detail of each monsters he had created. Each one disappeared one after another until only one was left. This one wasn't one that Luke had created.
It had a long white and slimy body, with enormous blue veins. There were tons of scars around what was supposed to be a face, but nothing was there. There was only one large mouth. It held itself up with two long and lanky legs, which only had enough strength to hold up it's middle. It's lack of head and tail dragged across the floor. It's center was the most interesting part. This is what made the creature look so peculiar. It had muscles that all lead to the legs which would contract and flex after every movement. This made it appear as if the creature was in fact inside out.
When it got close enough, it towered over Luke; it's body spewing out clear sticky liquids strait from the skin. It didn't do anything. It just stood right over him like it was knew he was there despite not having any eyes. Slowly, Luke's skin peeled from his body as if he were an orange getting picked away at from a guy who bites their fingernails often. When it had all fallen off, the monster opened in wide mouth and regurgitated Simon's skin onto Luke's body. It folded nicely over top and seemed to seal in as if it were air tight.
"Reality is only how your mind interprets the world around it. Right now, this is your reality."


Luckas was remarkably calm and still considering what he was faced with... This monster Simon had created was in no way as frightening as the thing he ran into in the woods not too long ago, however, and that thought alone made Luke simply stand looking up at the beast towering over him with mild curiosity, seemingly unfazed but what seemed to going on with his own body, simply staring at the monster as if questioning what it was supposed to be doing. Through the whole thing he was so motionless and still one could certainly question whether he even understood what was going on around it, maybe he was in some sort of shock, it surely did seem that way. "This... Is... MY... Reality..." He mumbled softly, the words were the only thing that seemed to cause a reaction as he slowly looked down at his hands. "Hmph..." He scoffed, spreading his arms wide open and slowly pacing back into the warmth of the flames until they swallowed him whole, the smell of burning skin and flesh filling the air, his sight blinded by bright red-orange flames as he felt the agonizing pain of burning alive; it was intense pain, but it felt somewhat comforting to Luckas, even familiar for some odd reason, it made him feel at peace. "Reality... Is only one figment of our imagination... But not just any illusion can be real. For it to be real, it has to be something my mind is capable of accepting. Let's be honest now... You will not make me accept any form of 'reality', no matter how many you try, and in the end, we are nothing but a couple of fools trying to make eachother laugh at old jokes. You can keep digging deeper, and deeper, and deeper into my mind if you like... I welcome you to... Go for it... But the last person who tried didn't live to tell any secrets, and I didn't have to put in an effort, but... Hey you're welcome, now you get to call yourself the strongest enlightened mind or whatever; although it would sound a lot more impressive if you had been the one to beat the healer instead of just sitting on your ass and waiting for her to drop... As is, I believe that at most you could drag me with you when you finally exhaust yourself from all the fun we're having, but what do I care? Sooner, later... What does it matter?" As he spoke the fire expanded to such extent that all it could be seen was flame and nothing more, as if the world itself was burning to the ground and there would be absolutely nothing left when the fire died.

The fire burned for what seemed like full hours, when it vanished both men were standing in the middle of the ballroom, completely unharmed and back to the ridiculously normal scenario Simon had first created, exactly as he had created it in the first place. "Now tell me, are you in my mind or am I in yours? Maybe we're now playing in your King's head; if so, how much of this do you think he can bear before becoming... Irreversibly damaged? Oh well... Maybe we're dead and this is hell: Fated to play stupid tricks for each other through all eternity..." Luckas laughed at the idea. "Can you honestly still tell one from the other without a doubt at this point friend? Because I tell you... Sooner or later lines begin to blur." Admittedly, Luckas was in no way done playing yet, but he wasn't going to be stupid about it either and he had, in his little fiery trick, pushed the fight back to the King, not dwelling too deep into the man's mind but just enough to maybe get something out of this little game.

Simon knew it. Luckas' plan was to take the battle into the Rick's mind. There really wasn't an option for Simon, he had to oblige, but he was happy to oblige. He would much rather exhaust Rick's mind rather than his own. He also knew Rick's mind better than Luckas did and it meant that he had a home advantage of sorts. He didn't care much for Rick anyways. So what if he went crazy in the process? He wasn't going to survive for much longer anyways, not if everything went as planned and they most likely were. With an entire city against him, things wouldn't look to good.
"You want to take the battle to the King? Fine. He will go insane and we will bring Blackpond to a new low together. Hey, maybe the people will finally decide to do something about it too. Maybe Blackpond will be brought back to its former glory. Maybe you'll be doing Blackpond a service. I'm willing to take the risk if it means I can have some more fun with you."
In this moment, he started walking around the crowd, as if he was supposed to blend in. It was nearly impossible to blend into someone's mind as they could easily change their point of view to wherever they wanted in order to find what they are looking for, regardless, he wanted a moment where he couldn't be seen. From there, he changed his appearance and just acted like the rest of the people. He then changed half of the people in the ballroom into replicas of Simon. The other half into replicas of Luckas. Along with that, there were about ten people who were both Simon and Luckas at the same time. Simon chose to be himself, the easier option.
"So Luckas." Simon's voice echoed through the room as if he were some omnipotent being. "From digging through your mind, I see something very interesting." Slowly, the appearance of every single body in the room started changing. "You knew someone very important to Valcrest. It looks like this person actually tried to help you... what a failure that was." The faces flashed to become recognizable. "Too bad Lena isn't around anymore to help you out with your problem. I take it, from what you said earlier that you were at least partially responsible for her death. That's no surprised; you are one sick fuck."
The Lena's walked around the room, just as if they were regular people, talking to one another in different, mindless conversation. Only the ten, that were once the Simon and Luckas combination stopped what they were doing to look directly at Luckas.
Simon's voice again boomed through the room "Too bad she will never be able to help you with whatever it was that she was helping you with."


Luckas watched with mild amusement in his expression as the figures around the ballroom changed their appearance as if the party was suddenly constituted of far less irritating Ambers. He snorted a laugh at Simon's little speech about Lena his dark eyes scanning the 'Lena clones' as if considering all the fun and violent ways he could tear them apart. "Yes, that's such a pity. I'll never be a functioning member of society. Aaaw..." He snickered, pacing around the room and noting with amusement that woman's copies were still watching him at all times. "Just like in real life!" He giggled softly. "Oh, what fun. You know... Funny of you to call me sick, considering where we are... Considering where you've been all your life mate, and who you hang around with... The King, the psychotic redhead I had some stabby fun with the other day... That dude that likes to play with dead things... Do you ever wonder just how fond of corpses that dude really is? I mean, how do you suppose he plays when no one's watching, or at least he assumes no one's watching, because you never know... You can't ever know, can you?" He whispered the last words, a grin spreading across his features. "You're all a cheery little group, huh? In other circumstances I almost think I'd like the lot of you, but... Nah... You are, as a group, too hypocritical and stupid for my liking, and the redhead's talk of chaos alone almost bored me for a life time. I was almost relieved when she stabbed me, really. I guess some women are better with their mouths shut, are they not?" He smiled, staring at the Lena clones as if asking them the question. "Stupid, stupid, stupid little words and promises... and lies..." He sighed. "They're all just full of it, ain't that right? So tell me friend, what's the point of the King anyway? Or you? You're all just little puppets are you not? Dancing to some random tune... just like the rest... Just like everyone else... And acting as if your existence makes a difference... As if the pathetic little town matters... Fuck Blackpond... Fuck the king... Fuck you and your Gods..." He muttered, putting a firm grip on the throat of one of the clones, squeezing, nails sinking into flesh as the figure's face changed from Lena's to his own, to Simon's, to several other guests of the party, until the figure turned to Sam, and then back to Lena as it dropped lifeless to the ground. Luckas laughed loudly spreading his arms wide, to face the remaining clones. "Who's next now?" He asked, more and more laughter escaping him growing louder and louder to a point where he was almost certain he wasn't only laughing in his head anymore. Slowly he composed himself, still chuckling here and there as he spoke. "You are all dead, you just don't know it yet... And it's freaking hilarious."

"You talk of my friends being boring or freaks, but then look at yourself. I've been standing here, pretty much begging you to play along, but all you can bother to do is stand here and act like you are so much more interesting than anyone else in this world. I bet you are as interesting as the typical person, with the same old problems and same feelings as every other human being. You love, you hate, you try to relive past experiences. You can be convinced to do or not do things by people you deemed important in your life. Then there's the fact that you probably feel alone. Are you really alone? No man's alone. The very fact of life is that human's are social creatures and crave some sort of social attention. That is the reason solitary confinement in dungeons can be enough to drive men insane."
"The only thing that makes you different is that you've killed a whole lot of people whom you don't find particularly interesting. What does that gain you? Does that gain you anything more than I gain from doing what I do or anyone else does for that matter? No, you are a pretty boring guy as well, with a pretty boring imagination. I mean... wow... you can imagine a fire and some monsters which can only be seen and heard and nothing more. Then you go around and kill people just for the sake of killing people. How imaginative and creative of you. You know there are more people in Blackpond prison for what you do than there are people at this party? Than on top of that, there is probably three times more who still haven't been caught. That is in Blackpond alone."
"What you have done bores me. Why you do it bores me even more. You are just an angsty young man who hates something about themselves or about others and loves to take it out on the world. I believe most intellectuals would call it an existential crisis and believe me everyone goes through it. You are boring."
He stopped talking, letting the ideas sink in. Honestly however, Simon knew that these ideas would not sink in at all. Luke didn't want to listen. He just wanted to continue on with what he was continuing on in.
In the mean time, while Simon was killing time shooting the shit with Luke, he was tapping into the memories that he knew Luke couldn't help but share. The things that have happened to him recently that he couldn't help but think about. There were two things. One thing that popped out more than anything was a conversation with Lena. She looked very terrible, probably very close to her death. He couldn't hear anything going on in the conversation, but it went on until Luckas freaked out and next thing he saw was Lena... dead.
The other memory was a recent conversation that he had with a woman who had red hair like Lamya. The woman had a lot of interesting things to say. It was something that he would keep with him to talk with Lamya about later. He knew that Lamya would find something interesting to do with it. So he kept the fact that he found it a secret.
What he wasn't going to keep a secret was the one with Lena. He recreated the memory, but what he did was make sure that Luckas could see it from the outside. He wanted to make sure that Luckas could see every single emotion that both him and Lena had. He wanted to make sure that he could see Lena's dead body so far away, but be sure that he wouldn't be able to go over to touch it. Then, when the whole thing was over, he'd let it happen again. He'd let the entire conversation go. The conversation could not be heard, just like when Simon had first seen it. To make it a little more believable, however, he would let only a murmur be heard by the two of them.
With each repetition, the memory became more clear as well. Things would be a little sharper and each time, Luckas would seem to remember a little more about how he had killed the old hag until he saw the whole murder take place as Simon imagined that it happened.


Luckas snickered softly. He had heard Simon's whole speech at least fifty times before, and hey, maybe it was true and he was just like all the others, but really what would ever change for him if he chose to believe that? Nothing. It was just a waste of energy. "You know, out of all the nonsense you just spat out at me... 'Friends' is the most nonsensical word of all. You have no friends, no one gives a shit if you die, you are expendable, replaceable, the only reason you lived past age 12 is because you proved useful, isn't that a fact? If you stop being useful tomorrow I'm pretty sure your... heh... 'Friends' will stab you in the back, probably just because why not." His tone was calm and casual, and almost bored even. He was starting to care less and less for playing with Simon now... But of course he wasn't going to just leave, even if he just sat there until the King completely lost what little sanity he had, he wasn't going to be the one to cave, it just wasn't in him to do such a thing. "I think this is one of the most amusing things about human behavior though, isn't it? We all think we matter so damn much. Like you right now saying I bore you as if somehow that mattered to me. As if the fact that I failed to make you interested would keep me up at night forever. It's like I said... Everything you and I are doing here is pointless. It doesn't matter. Because you are as meaningless to me as I am to you. I don't disagree with that, I do the things I do for myself... I do what I do because I enjoy it, and I kill who I kill because that's what satisfies me the most. That's what I gain; gratification. Why else would I bother killing for?Money? Power? That's just useless, I don't need it. I'm just an ordinary guy after all."

When the Lena memory began forming itself, Luckas blinked, seeming a bit confused at first, but then understanding what he was watching himself do. His only reaction was a slightly annoyed snort, deciding to turn his attention to Rick for a little while, choosing to ignore Simon and his silly little attempts to affect him, because he knew that the longer they played in there, the weaker the man's mind would get. He got some flashes of what the King liked to do in his spare time, which actually started to make him seem a bit more interesting to him than Simon... Maybe not someone he would bother playing with either, but just someone he'd enjoy seeing gone. He was probably not the only one, but then he wasn't concerned with Blackpond and its people and whatever consequences there may be. That wouldn't matter for long anyway. And then something odd happened; Luckas saw another flash of the ballroom, but this time all the faces had changed to someone else who wasn't him, or Simon, or Lena... It was the blind girl he often saw on Jake's mind; Crys. When the flash faded, the Lena memory was still repeating itself. Luckas shook his head, amusement spreading across his face. "Entertaining..." He mumbled under his breath. "Are you done?" He asked simply. "You know, I read that when Time's daughter went to hell, her punishment was to relive the same moment in time indefinitely, supposedly so that she would learn the importance of all the time she took from others... Are you trying to create some form of hell for me now? Hm? You're doing a poor job of it, if that's the case." He stated simply, with a mild shrug. "You talk plenty, but you still haven't made me leave, or wish I had, like you said you would. So either I don't bore you as much as you claim, or you simply can't do it."

Simon was through with the silly little games. It was very obvious to him that Luckas wanted to take this to the next level. He wanted to see some of the serious stuff. Luckas only really knew the blackness of the world. Luckas would look at the rose with his frigged black eyes and see the distorted blur of a bleeding heart.
"You kill for something better than anyone else does? For no reason at all? If it was for no reason, you wouldn't kill only the low lives of society who cheat and are dishonest. You would kill the honest priest, the innocent child and even the homeless man who is after nothing else but a bit of change to make it to the next day. You'd kill the noble nobleman, who would like nothing more than to just live his life and no one else's. No, from the memories I've seen from you, you only go after the low lives... and Lena, but those were for selfish reasons I'm sure."
Simon then did it. He pulled the trigger on the crossbow. He quickly siphoned through all the memories that Rick had. It didn't take long for him to figure out what he wanted to keep and what he wanted to get rid of. The only memories he chose to keep were those of Rick's sexual desires and also those of anything related to the Shadow's Conflict. In reality, if he wanted to create the perfect weapon in any of the Shadow's Conflict, the members were so comfortable with him looking through their brain that he would be able to remove all memories from them except those related to the Conflict. Their only desire would be to serve the conflict and they would be almost superhuman. What was the fun in that? Someone with a personality to pick through was always far more interesting.
"I don't know about you, but my friends will find usefulness in me until I'm dead. There is no way that they will ever kill me, so I have nothing to fear. Even if I was to betray them, the redhead whom you'd met the other day would find use enough in me. She would defiantly never kill me directly. I have nothing to worry about."
With that, he let all of Rick's sexual memories and fantasies all come to fruition within the scope of the ballroom. Now that this was all Rick could think of, a vision of the real ballroom as seen by Rick could be seen. All the real people in the ballroom could all also be seen. Soon, the scene of the ballroom changed to accompass Rick's real desires. A version of him instantly started to violate every single person in the room. Man, woman or animal in every imaginable way possible. "This is what you wanted to see?"


Luckas sighed softly, a tone of impatience breaking through his tone. "You are what, five, six years older than me, Simon? Don't tell me you are so... um... naive, as to believe there are such things as unselfish reasons to do anything. Regardless, I never said I kill for no reason. I said I kill for me. For my own reasons. That these particular people give me the most satisfaction... If you were as good in what you do as you say... You would be able to say exactly why after all the time we've spent together, but your reading of my..." Luckas paused, releasing his next word amongst a chuckle. "...Emotions... Is just as superficial as your view on human nature seems to be. Nonetheless... I've killed my share of innocents, you have to diversify to find the most suited prey, I've killed good men, women, children, and a bunny rabbit or two, but the low lives... The scum... They are more satisfying to break, because they are usually as arrogant as they are weak. It's a pretty fun combination for me... I like to watch them struggle even when there's no hope. It is as much a personal preference as it is a service to society in a way, even if society doesn't seem to agree with me most times." Luckas paced calmly through the ballroom as the scene began to shift again, a bothered expression crossing his features at what it portrayed, he snorted an shook his head in aggravation. This was actually exactly what Luckas wanted to see, although he didn't feel he needed to see much of it. Still, it served the same purpose. "Hmph, yes, that is in fact all I needed to see. I much appreciate it." He muttered, continuing his constant pacing through the scene, a mild look of annoyance in his eyes. "Now are you done?" He added.

Simon looked around the room, truly disgusted by what he was seeing. It was just... deplorable, but knowing Rick, he understood. It wasn't like he didn't know what would happen behind closed doors in the castle. If anyone knew, better than anyone, it would be him. Simon just ignored what he was looking at and focused on Luke. Luke's gaze made him appear unaffected. "You are really sick, you know that?" Simon said. "But I understand. It all has to do with your past; your brother; the 'special' therapy that Lena would give you. Oh, but you are nothing like your brother though. Am I right? You only go after the ones like him." Pointing to the Rick that was sitting at his throne, cherishing all these moments he was having in his mind. "Too bad you couldn't maintain any humanity while you were at it. Instead, you look at the memories that have affected your life and suppress them until they became nothing to you. That is why you can't remember anything Luke and that is why Lena could never help you. You didn't have any humanity left for her to dig into. You only kept the things that made you less human. If you wanted to become an individual, then you did it pretty well. I bet your brother wasn't even as twisted as you were. Hard to think isn't it? Well, enjoy killing Rick now." With that, Simon cut his connection to Rick's and Luke's minds and fell back into reality.

Ess quirked a brow, playfully biting her lip as the Alpha mentioned her having left her named carved into the table back at the Inn; the night of the Xypher incident. “Hmm, my apologies...it was an act...simply done subconsciously while I had been preoccupied with thoughts elsewhere. I wouldn’t want you to have some sort of notion of me, because of something so small, so..” Essence dipped her head slightly, her fingers sliding along her waist as if checking for a coin purse, pausing in a momentary daze appearing as if she forgot what she was looking for. A teasing smile confirmed quite the opposite when she reached into her corset to retrieve a small pouch jingling with coin. “..This should cover it..” She whispered, dropping the pouch in his hand. “I can assure you, if I was the one on your arm, I doubt I’d be bored, but if I was you’d know by the amount of trouble I may start.” Ess giggled, drawing in a sharp breath when the Alpha mentioned her last name. “Alright..Sean. Funny how rumors are, they tend to be correct but lacking detail which is just another reason I like to meet the subject of said rumors and decide for myself. Tell me...If you know my name from your table at the Inn, tell me how you know my last name. I only carved Ess into the wood. Why would someone so insignificant like myself be known to you? Unless...” Ess was cut off, speaking to downplay herself as much as possible as she was momentarily distracted by a balled up handkerchief lightly bouncing off the Alpha’s shoulder. Glancing around to see if she could find the source of the flying object, something brushed between herself and Sean but when she looked to see what it had been, assuming Tala, a black blur simply disappeared into the crowd. That was when she noticed a dark-haired woman’s gaze upon her. Ess froze a moment, startled to realize she was being watched by the woman from Luckas’ memory; the one she drew for him and who had visited the camp. To say Ess was intrigued was an understatement. It was more like a trance which her curiosity had taken a firm hold of her so that she politely excused herself from Sean with a promise to return shortly and began to walk in the direction of the woman.

Sam had been watching, waiting. If there was one thing she believed was truly valuable it was an opportunity; a chance, because in life there were only so many of those to go around and she wouldn’t dare waste a single one. Especially not one that presented itself to her this way... So willingly. Almost like a gift. It was difficult to keep a politely curious expression as the woman she’d been watching from a small distance caught sight of her and excused herself from the Wolfpack’s Alpha. The man was another of the few people who peaked Sam’s interest, but the right opportunity to approach him hadn’t presented itself yet, unlike his female companion.

Once it was absolutely clear that the woman’s intention was to approach her, Sam moved from where she was standing and started calmly pacing in the redhead’s direction giving her a friendly nod as if greeting a long time acquaintance. “It was just about time... You know, I’ve been meaning to have a word with you.” She said to the woman in a tone of curiosity, her green eyes examining the woman standing before her in a more thorough assessment, her amusement fading momentarily from her features, quickly replaced by a polite smile. “Lukey has a point, you really are a pretty lady.”

The idea of being watched was no longer a paranoia but more of a validation when the familiar woman who caught Ess’ gaze moved to meet her. Ess had been relying on that little bit of time that it took to reach the figure, to ponder what she was going to exactly say to the woman from Luckas’ memory. It worked out when she spoke first while at the same time catching Essence off guard at the woman’s knowledge of her. “I take it, Luckas discovered I wasn’t lying when I told him I had heard of you searching for him.” She stated simply with a sigh, bowing her head slightly. “I’m surprised he mentioned me at all, honestly. You are quite gracious with the pleasantries but I fear I don’t compare much to you, now that we are side by side.” Ess’ eyes glossed over, violet hues burying any trace of their silver decor. She smiled sweetly to push aside any uncomfortable feelings that may have been lingering at the idea of this stranger knowing much of anything about her. It was an awkward disadvantage but this was also something Essence was use to and considering the past couple days, she braced herself, awaiting whatever else would lay in wait. “Luckas..” She quickly rushed over the name as she continued, “..he must be thrilled to know you are alive. I’m happy for him..”

Sam let out a small chuckle at the mention of Luckas being told about her, she wasn’t sure he would get the message, but she wasn’t surprised to know he didn’t believe it. “Oh, good, so he was told about me. I was wondering if he would get the message, not all were pleasant in your camp. Although, can’t blame your Captain for my troubles... She was actually quite nice... Not what I expected I’ll admit.” Sam let her gaze wander from her company to quietly scan the room as if searching for something before she snickered. “Oh, well... Truth be told... Luckas didn’t mention you to me. No. He has been as of late trying to pretend you don’t exist, and even if he is lousy as it... He hasn’t mentioned you once, not directly. I have been, as you know, looking for him for a very long time though... I’ve learned some things about his life in the process. More so in the past couple of days than in the last few years combined.” Sam’s green eyes once again scanned the woman standing before her and she nodded dismissively. “I’m not one for comparisons, miss... I’m sorry, I am yet to learn your name... Or should I just call you Lady?” She paused for a second as if the idea of using the nickname made her awkward. “I guess not... but either way... I would say beauty is in the eye of beholder, so I’m not inclined to disagree with Luckas if that is what he sees. Besides, I know him more than well enough to know he doesn’t usually take an interest on anyone unless they are... Special... Somehow.” The woman’s eyes darkened momentarily at the word ‘special’, but otherwise her tone remained friendly, and curious... If anything she was genuinely curious. “I wouldn’t describe Luckas as thrilled at the moment... Confused surely, angry I would guess, but not exactly thrilled, at least not yet. I can’t blame him, our... Separation... Was a rather traumatic event for us both. Nice that you are happy for him. I’m glad he has such a good friend.”

Ess nodded attentively as she half listened while the woman spoke. “Funny thing with expectations...were you disappointed? I admit, the boys mean well but they can be a bit extreme when strangers come strolling into a camp unexpectedly.” She shrugged off Sam’s comment on not being mentioned, her eyes narrowing briefly as her smile grew wider. “I wish him luck in wherever his path leads him.” Essence purposely didn’t respond at the insinuation of Sam knowing as much as she did without Luckas’ knowledge. ‘The Stalker has a Stalker..’ She thought in amusement to herself. “...Sam.... correct? Essence...”

“My fellow subjects, guests, figurehead… welcome—”

Ess crossed her arms lazily and glanced over Sam’s shoulder, pursing her lips she let out a shrill whistle that resonated in a quick tune. Letting her gaze fall back to the dark haired woman before her, she continued as if she hadn’t paused, acting as if she didn’t hear a distant series of barks and a small crash amidst the the clammer of people. Ess didn't even pay attention to the source of the crash, which was the chandelier that had momentarily interrupted the King's speech. “ Special is an interesting choice of words, but I don’t find it quite fitting for myself. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to matter much as Luckas made it quite clear that he doesn’t want me around. However, I am not one to break my word or lie so when I say I am his friend, that hasn’t and won’t change even with what traumatic experience he may be dealing with. Times like these, we need to hold onto what opportunities present themselves; twisted and serene alike.” Clearing her throat she quirked a brow, a curious and slightly condescending tone creeping into her sweet tone briefly before dissipating back to her gentle allure. “So, I assume it’s safe to believe you’ll help Luckas through whatever ails him, especially since you had been searching for him for so long.”

“Disappointed? Not quite the term I’d use. I mean, I do understand... I can be very, very, territorial, in my own way. I didn’t mind the way I was halted on my way in, and like I said, your Captain was quite nice, considering her history with... Matt...” Sam stopped to clear her throat, a small, very faint, spark of anger crossing her eyes. “I was bothered by one person in particular though, who was very hostile, not only towards me, but also towards Luckas, and that bothered me very much. I’m not, in any way easily angered, but I do hope I never see this man again. I don’t like people who talk too much of things they know nothing of.” The woman took a deep breath to push back the annoyance that had reached her voice as she spoke, shaking her head as if trying to physically push it all aside. “Doesn’t sound much like Luckas... To make anything clear. He’s rarely sure of anything, that boy... I’m sure, sooner or later he’ll turn up again. I’m curious though, Essence... What interest you have in Lukey? Don’t get me wrong, just... I’m sure you are well aware of that fact people don’t tend to warm up to him, and he’s a complicated boy. He sees something in you, and that’s why he comes back, if it’s still there he’ll keep coming back... That’s in his nature, but you... What do you see?” Sam went silent, leaving the question in the air for a few seconds before running her fingers through the strands of her hair, and letting out a small chuckle. “Hey, maybe it’s none of my business anymore after all this time, but I always have been... Insanely protective of my boys... And Lukey is still quite innocent in some ways. I worry for what messes he may get himself into.” Raising an eyebrow as if honestly confused by the question of whether she would help Luckas, Sam replied; her stance changing slightly to a more serious one. “Of course I’ll help him... With anything he needs.”

“Matt...” Ess whispered with a hint of sympathy. She only knew bits and pieces from what Luckas had mentioned of his brother to her, it didn’t seem like his brother’s end was unjustified or that Luckas held any ill will towards the Captain for taking Matthew’s life. Yet, she couldn’t imagine how difficult a situation like that must be for someone to still care and love someone that many only knew as a monster. “I can’t imagine how you could be so resolved around the person responsible for his death, no matter the reasoning. Please accept my.... sincere...condolences..” Ess didn’t know if she could understand, which was more the reasoning behind her inability to imagine how this woman felt. While she did honestly mean what she said, a subtle, sickening feeling was crawling from her stomach and up her throat. Swallowing hard, she tilted her head in curiosity. “I’m sure Luckas’ curiosity will bring him around again, but I just may not realize it. I understand and accept your protective nature over him as you do have somewhat of a claim upon him, which I respect.” Ess’ body shifted, unfolding her arms so that she appeared to be in more of defensive stance, yet her fingers were well away from any of her blades. “You’re right though, what I ‘See’ in him, if you don’t already know yourself, is not your business,...respectively. However, I will say this. Anyone who has the primal urge to do what he does and go against that instinct, has more to them than they let on. Even to himself, it seems. That and I enjoyed..his company...not that it really matters now.” Waving her hand dismissively she took a step back. “I feel you want to know if I am a threat to him. A natural thing to wonder. Have you come to any conclusions yet?”

“Responsibility has many levels, Essence... If I was to start blaming people for Matty, then I’d probably have a huge list on my hands, that would at some point include myself as well, it’s best to just leave it alone.” Sam stated, simply nodding and not addressing the offer of condolences, her gaze lowering for a brief moment before finding Ess’ eyes again. “I have to appreciate your Captain for her honesty, however brutal it may have been at that particular moment... Not many would look someone in the eyes and admit to killing someone they cared for... I certainly would not.” A smile crossed the woman’s expression again at Ess’ replies to her questioning, amusement crossing her eyes in the form of a faint yellow spark of light. “I apologize if this is considered... an intrusion of sorts... I don’t mean to pry, exactly.” The woman’s eyes once again scanned the room, and her smile changed slightly as she seemed to have spotted a familiar face, but she made no mention of it and continued to speak. “Threat is not the term, I think. I do have my concerns for Luckas though. He is young and rather impressionable still... If I have my facts straight, and if not please do say so, but Lukey was still a boy when the two of you met, no? Fourteen or fifteen, if my math is correct... About as long ago as he’s known that healer... The one who died... The one who used his faulty memories as an excuse to run experiments on him... I’m sure you see my point in asking these things. I know he has killed for you at least once before.... I just wonder what kind of influence you may be on him.”

“I apologize if this is considered... an intrusion of sorts... I don’t mean to pry, exactly.”

Essence brushed a stray curl behind her ear, holding back a snicker at Sam’s polite tip toeing as she pushed her questioning further. Ess looked away as if pretending to ponder the answer before focusing back on the woman’s green eyes. “No..I bet you don’t mean to intrude..” She stated with a bit of sarcasm. Listening as the woman continued, she straightened and shifted her stance once again as if she was uncomfortable at the sudden facts of herself that the woman was regurgitating. The reality of it was more annoyance than anything which she hide away, an innocent look of wonder taking over her expression instead. “Funny...for someone who seems to know so much about me, you didn’t even know my name. I find it quite interesting that you know so much as if you been keeping an eye on Luckas, especially if he hasn’t mentioned me to you. I wonder though, if that was the case, what makes now of all times the opportune moment to make yourself known to him?” Pausing to let the rhetorical question linger in the air, she let out a tired sigh. Essence didn’t feel she needed to answer the woman’s questions, especially since she didn’t talk about that encounter with anyone besides Luckas himself. It was definitely not common knowledge. Instead she focused on a detail Sam mentioned about Luckas’ faulty memories, a devilish sneer crossing her lips as her eyes darkened before flickering with a silverish glow. “Fake memories.....and since you are here before me, does that happen to include the one of your death? Huh...No...that didn’t come up around Lena..” Ess trailed off as if she was just remembering something important yet she neglected to revisit the conversation. “Lena, I only met briefly so I am actually ignorant to what you speak of. That’s quite alright though, especially since Luckas and I hadn’t known each other that long, I don’t expect to know everything. Luckas is a bright, young man. I’m sure he came make his own decisions and come to his own conclusions so if anything or anyone makes an impression upon him, that’s his choice...”

Ess’ attention was momentarily distracted as she heard another crash and a series of short barks. She couldn’t hold back her amusement, yet she knew she needed to restrain her furry friend from causing a scene. Bringing her fingers to her lips, in one single breath, she released a lower whistle, calling Tala back to her. Essence didn’t see Tala, but instead felt her as she appeared by her side, a wet nose brushing against her hand. The wolf’s growl was low enough to be heard only as a rumble, yet she could feel the severity of it with the vibrations along her fingertips. Glancing down she smiled at her, gently patting her head. “Shhh...easy, be polite now.” She whispered towards the wolf before pulling her attention back to Sam. “So...you seem to know plenty about me, at least where Luckas is concerned, so why ask questions you already know the answer to?”

"Welcome!" The king continued on with his speech, a faded buzzing of background noise since her attention was more focused with the woman before her.

Sam arched an eyebrow, an intrigued expression on her face as she repeated Ess’ words. “Fake... Memories...? Who told you that now? I guess that explains though, how you knew my face... My death... Did he show you? Not all of it was fake, no... But if you want details, ask him when you see him. I have nothing to say about that... To you. I will say this... I wasn’t really planning to just show up, I wanted him to come find me, ask questions first, because I didn’t want to shock him that way, but instead he showed up completely out of his mind so I had to change my plans. See... Something... Really upset him.” Sam’s tone was losing its gentleness along the conversation, not that it mattered anyway, she was well aware that it wasn’t really convincing anyone. At the wolf’s arrival Sam tensed, only slightly, a look of annoyance crossing her green eyes and fading as she continued on as if she hadn’t noticed the animal at all. “Why do people ask questions, Essence? Usually because there is something they are looking to learn from another, no? If I wanted facts, which yes, I know plenty about... I could simply ask Lukey about them, but what I’m looking to learn here is something a bit more subjective than that. I am... Taking my conclusions. As I’m sure you’ve drawn your own by now.”

“Did I misunderstand you? Only a few moments ago you mentioned Lena and..” Ess scratched the base of her neck as she quoted Sam’s words, as if unsure of herself but knowing what had been said. “...The one who used his faulty memories as an excuse to run experiments on him..” Even if I took that out of context, you confirmed seconds ago that there were false memories, as well when you asked who told me this, when it was you; twice now. How I found out, was simply...unintentional on either our parts.” Ess shrugged, stifling a fake yawn as she kept the details of how exactly she saw the false memory of Sam’s death, to herself. “I tried to ask him questions when I saw him clearly distraught but since he refused to answer them, guess I may never know.” Falling silent she simply nodded, quietly scratching Tala behind the ears, a bit of her smile returning. Ess was indeed drawing some conclusions of her own but they were still far from complete. The reasoning behind Luckas’ outburst and attempt at pushing Ess away from him was starting to make a bit more sense as she began gathering a couple theories in her mind. Either direction her mind went when contemplating the woman before her just ended in that sickening feeling that continued to creep up on her. It really seemed to her that this woman’s true motive of questioning was indeed far from what she was presenting and it was a tactic Ess knew more than most; a game she felt hell bent on not losing.

“Well, unless there’s something else of ernest that interests you, if you’ll excuse me, I have other acquaintances to visit with. I don’t wish to be rude, but there are some matters that need.. attending to...” ..Like a stiff drink... Ess thought to herself. Casually she slid her hand along her lower back, nail tapping gently along the hilt of her dagger as if to verify it was still there before she moved to turn from the woman, giving a polite nod. Tala didn’t move to follow at first, simply sitting on her haunches to stare at Sam, intent on not losing sight of her it seemed. Ess heard the wolf’s growl echo from behind her into a snarl causing her to snap her attention back, snapping her fingers for Tala to fall in at her side. Tala ignored Ess at first before slowly standing and taking careful steps around Sam to follow without taking her sapphire blues off the figure.

Essence tensed with each step, her eyes catching the King of Blackpond continuing with his speech, still only catching bits and pieces. 'Definitely need a drink...' She thought, making her way back towards Sean. On the way she passed by Dastan but after a few steps she turned around, not caring that he appeared to be engaged in conversation with a woman, and reached around him to snatch away a glass he was holding and down the liquor with a surprising haste. Handing back the empty glass she winked, muttering an apology for her rudeness. "...Don't look at me like that...I'll owe you something vintage and worth the impolite intrusion.." Continuing on she took a double take at the woman who had been talking to Dastan, pretty sure she recognized the blond from the distressed encounter the night of the Xypher encounter but she didn't say a word, only smiled, not thinking anything of it as she nodded and continued on.

"My apologies again, Sean, something came up.." Ess began, gently reaching out to lightly tap the man on his shoulder, just as she heard a raspy voice mutter cold and condescendingly behind her.

"Now I think I understand....Looks like you are still very good at what you do, Pigeon." Ebony began behind her. "All dressed up, still trying to be something you're not. No matter. You can try to scrub shit clean but it's still...shit. Once a whore...always a whore.."
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Darren was confused and deeply sickened by the Ebony's words as he tried to piece the puzzle together. He kept thinking of the journal and how badly he wished he could read it. The boy really had no idea what he was getting into as he tried to walk around the two men blocking his path.

“Nice try, Pal...but you aren’t going anywhere...”

“Awe, come now, Guy...I don’t have any issues with you....I doubt the woman is paying you enough to receive a beating for her pathetic troubles, so why not just skip the brutish attempt and let me pass..” Darren stated, crossing her arms nonchalantly.

“Gentlemen... Do you have some sort of... Issue... With my friend here?”
Darren smirked at the sound of Jake’s voice, announcing his presence behind the men, distracting one of them enough so he turned around to answer Jacob. “Hey, Buddie, this really isn’t any of your busin-”

”For Blackpond!”

Darren didn’t delay at the sudden cry followed by the clamor of armor and the metal of swords ringing out as a blockade of men held a line by the stairwell. Now with only one pair of eyes directly on him, the other mercenary left at the attention of Jake, he leapt forward, kicking out at the man’s knee cap with a sharp crack. It caught Darren as odd for mercenaries on the job to not be wearing much of anything for armor even if they were trying to fit in with the party decor. Nevertheless, the man only groaned at the pain, moving to swing his fists immediately at Darren’s face which he bounced in and out of range comically, avoiding every attempt with ease and amusement. Darren hadn’t carried in any weapons and wasn’t the least bit intimidated when he was cursed at, his opponent unsheathing his sword and releasing a flurry of lunges and attacks. Darren sidestepped, spinning so he was beside the man’s extended arms where they fought for control of the sword. Back and forth they tugged and twisted to gain control before finally Darren let go, the sword slicing through his shirt to just miss his torso and deliver a punch to the face followed by a series of snapping motions along the mercenary’s neck. Pinching off blood supply at the nape of his neck to his brain caused the man to stumble, dropping his sword before falling to his knees to receive a roundhouse to the side of his head.

“Man...I never get to have anything nice...” He muttered, complaining about his now ruined dress shirt.

Adam had left Lizzy to play with her new toy. Even though he was less than pleased with her for dragging the boy this far, he knew it would be completely pointless to try and argue about it. So he wandered around the ballroom by himself idly observing the dancing couples and chatting groups, registering some suspicious behavior here and there, but not really making much of it; unless he had direct orders, he couldn’t care less for what other did with their time. In the middle of his quiet observation, the man was beyond startled by a rather forceful hand firmly gripping his... Behind... and an unknown voice speaking out in amusement. “Hello there, pretty, wanna dance?”
Adam responded by immediately turning on this stranger and pinning him against the nearest wall, his eyes meeting a familiar blue gaze as the redhead teenager who had ‘assaulted’ him snickered. “I love it when you play rough, Addy.” The man didn’t need anything else to recognize the assailant and he released the boy, snorting angrily and turning as if to walk away. “Wait, wait, wait... Adam, wait uuuup.” The boy called with laughter in his tone, literally skipping after Adam as he tried to get away. “I have a message for you... Hey... Stop... Hey... Adam... She’s here.”
The words halted Adam immediately and he turned around frantically looking about as if he even knew who it was he was searching for.
“Heh, thought that’d get your attention. Now you know very well Lizzy shouldn’t be bringing souvenirs from Newhaven. I already passed that message on to her. So your orders are to lose the kid... And do it discreetly... Nod if you understand me hun.”
Adam nodded giving up the search for the unfamiliar face of his Mistress and turning to face the boy. “Fine.” He muttered, leading the way to where he had last seen his sister and her new acquaintance.

----------------------------------------------

“That’s not fair...”
“I’m just passing the message along, Lizzy, do you want to disobey? Be my guest.”
“Fine, I’ll keep tabs on the boy, you go find Addy for me, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan.”

Ali opened her eyes, blue specks of light still flickering along her irises as she let her gaze fall to the teenage boy in guard’s uniform. Sean didn’t know his brother was there, that much she knew, and for what the boy’s companions were whispering, it seemed like no one else would either if they went through with what they were planning. She hoped that kid knew how to fend for himself, because those people didn’t seem like they were kidding around. Almost as if on cue at that thought a familiar and unfriendly voice spoke beside her, sounding a bit tipsy. “Don’t think we finished our talk.”
“I don’t think we ever started talking, Ryan, and I also think you are a bit drunk, but hopefully not drunk enough to be stupid... As much as it would be entertaining to watch people’s faces if I pushed you down from this balcony... That would draw a bit of unwanted attention to us both.”
“You think you’re so great because Dani trusted you... Pfft...”
“Dani took a long time to trust me, I’ll have you know, and I earned whatever amount of trust it was...” Ali stated calmly, leaning against the edge of the balcony where she had settled to watch the people below, not turning to face the man. “Don’t try to repeat Sean’s bullshit as if you knew me or what I’ve been through to get here, Ryan... Actually the best part of being exiled is that I don’t have to give a shit about Sean’s opinions anymore... Or move a finger to help that idiot brother of his.” She stated pointing Donovan out on the crowd. “You, on the other hand, better move... I have a feeling the kid’s disappearance would make the Alpha rather pissy.”

Ali waited for the Wolf to rush down to the lower level before moving herself; sure she didn’t have to help, but she had nothing against Donovan and finding who were those people he was with could be a good idea. While Ryan was making his way to snatch Donovan away from the woman that seemed to be dragging him around somewhere more quiet, Ali found the blond man that had been keeping them company just moments ago. She noticed that both of them, as well as the redhead boy that had later joined them, were wearing fully black clothing and it gave the impression they were on uniform; even though the clothes themselves were not the same, and she remembered AJ wearing similarly black clothes. Maybe it was unrelated; a lot of people wore black clothing, but something just didn’t seem right with those people, and Ali felt that regardless of whether they had anything to do with her former friend, it was important to know a bit more. Slowly she made her way after the two men, more trying to see how long it would take for them to notice the fact she was stalking them and not simply trying to cross the crowded ballroom.

The redhead boy didn’t seem to notice her, or maybe he didn’t care, but the blond man tensed slightly as he walked, and she was absolutely sure he was keeping track of her movements as well. She acted as though she didn’t notice the change however and keep following; the distance between them getting shorter every couple of steps until she reached them and grabbed the blond by his wrist, calling out to him as if he were a friend. “Hey, stranger!”
The man reacted extremely fast to the contact spinning around to push Ali away, lunging at her as if he wanted to rip her head right off. It took Ali all of her restraint to not react the way she was trained to and shrink down as if trying to take cover from a blow that never came; presumably because the redhead boy quickly stepped in between the two. “Easy now, Adam... That’s no way to treat a lady.” The kid half-scolded slowly pushing the taller man back a step. “I think he likes you, you two know each other?” he asked, making sure his friend was calm and turning to face Ali with a childish curiosity in his eyes.
Ali shook her head, a very convincing freaked out look in her eyes. “No, I... Mistook your friend for somebody else... I apologize.” She explained, raising her eyes to the man who was openly glaring at her over the boy’s head and directing her apology at him before turning back to his friend. “And I surely don’t want to find out how your friend acts with people he doesn’t like then.”
“I’m sorry if Adam startled you miss... He’s a little bit jumpy right now, that’s all.” He smiled a bit reassuringly. “It’s my fault, I like to play tricks on him and I might have overdone it.” Taking a polite bow the young man extended his hand in greeting. “I’m Wyatt, by the way.”
Ali was listening to the younger man, but her attention was mostly on his companion as the man had not stopped staring at her in annoyance as if she had spat in his face instead of simply trying to draw his attention and she was rather amused by the overreaction. “Wyatt... What a lovely name. I’m Allison.”
“Allison, that... Is a pretty pendant you have...” Wyatt asked, reaching for the wooden bird hanging from a string necklace over the woman’s chest, his index finger lightly grazing her skin in the process. “Did you make this?”
Ali wasn’t unaware of this boy was doing, and in other circumstances some fingers would be broken at this point, but she only reacted by quietly retreating a step and smiling politely. “Yes, I made it myself. It is quite simple, but I think it serves its purpose. Do you... Like birds?”

As she spoke those words a small commotion took place as a chandelier dropped down, Ali could see that the object had fallen, ironically, under the weight of a bird that had perched itself on it. Ali followed with the corner of her eyes as man rescued the animal, and she continued to observe long enough to watch the bird change into a wolf and the man walk away. Ali smirked at the scene and wondered if the Alpha knew what his new pups were off doing. Donovan, she was sure, was not meant to be here, what about the girl? Sean was biting off more than he could chew with that one.

Wyatt’s answer came as soon as Ali’s attention was back on him, which made it very clear he had been watching to see what she was so interested in. “I like many things... Maybe one day we’ll discuss them in detail somewhere more private.”
“You... Are very forward, sir.” Ali stated, her tone lingering somewhere between annoyance and amusement.
“I’ve been told.” Wyatt chuckled. “Is that a bad thing? Would it be preferable to hide my intentions, whatever they may be, behind mindless chatter? I feel that’s a bit dishonest.”
“You can learn quite a bit from mindless chatter, perhaps that intimidates you in some way?” Ali asked curiously. “Honesty now seems like a very subjective term. Personally I think that if attempt to control how people perceive you, you are not truly being honest, but that’s just my opinion.”
The boy snickered, amused by her words. “And now who is being forward, huh?”
“Perhaps I’m only being honest, Wyatt... It’s a bad habit of mine.”
“Perhaps, but then... I don’t know what your intentions are yet... Miss Blake.”
Ali’s eyes narrowed slightly although she made sure to keep a curious demeanor as she noted. “I don’t recall mentioning my family name... So perhaps you are less honest about your intentions that you say you are.”
“Perhaps we’re both being dishonest in some ways, or maybe... I’m just trying to keep you interested. Mystery is always a good thing.” Wyatt replied with a playful smirk. “It’s been nice, but we should be moving along before my friend here gets too antsy... We’ll meet again, I bet.”
“Oh, I look forward to it, sir... And your friend too.” She extended her gaze to Adam and gave the man a friendly nod, holding back amusement as he simply snorted in response and started to walk away. Ali wasn’t as good at reading people as some were, not like Bastian once was or like Jake could be at times, but... She could just tell... Something about her had bothered this Adam guy; bothered him in some deeper level for some reason. She wondered what it could be, and she wondered who they were. The younger boy had a slightly psychotic note to his speech, he hid it fairly well, but it was still there, and how did he know her last name? No one, aside from people she considered friends, was ever given her family name. She was curious, confused, and very suspicious of these people, but there was little time to dwell on it however... Bigger things were being set motion as she distracted herself with her new acquaintances and it all became very clear when a man shouted launching a strike against the king.

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“Hey, Buddie, this really isn’t any of your busin-”

“For Blackpond!”

Jake stood with arms crossed, unfazed by the commotion started by Alexander and his little group and just as unmoved by Darren’s attack on the other mercenary, the man standing right before him turned his attention momentarily to his colleague, and Jake could have taken him out there, but he’d rather not injure a man for simply doing his job. “Look... Buddie...” Jake started, acting as though there wasn’t a fight happening between the other two men. “You got a job to do, I get it, you’re being paid and all, but I doubt you’re being paid enough for what I’ll do to you. So maybe this here is the best time to back off.”
The man turned his attention back to Jake at his words, a look of amusement and disbelief plastered on his face as if he didn’t think Jake could possibly be serious. “Is this the part where I thank you for sparing me, boy?”
“That would be the polite thing to do, but as I feel you won’t be doing the polite thing, this is probably the part where you fail to hit me and ends up seriously injured. Too bad, pal... You seem like a decent guy, probably just trying to support your family, and I’d rather not leave you incapacitated and unable to provide for several weeks, but hey... suit yourself.” Jake spoke in a calm, matter-of-factly, almost bored, tone that made him sound like an arrogant prick, but he was being truthful; he didn’t see a point or purpose in hurting this guy, but he knew that he was going to, because guys like this didn’t back away from confrontation. It was a pride thing, Jake knew it well. He saw it coming as the man started to laugh, shaking his head in amusement, his laughter cut short as he sung his fist at Jake in one swift and forceful blow; it was a good effort, but it just wasn’t fast enough, not to mention ridiculously predictable. Jake ducked under the man’s fist and blocked another incoming blow with his open palm as he straightened himself up, pushing the man’s fist away from his face and hitting him back with an open palm almost in a mocking fashion. At this point he wasn’t bothering with trying to dissuade the man, but actually outright taunting him. “Last chance to walk away, mate... Take it while I’m feeling generous.”

The mercenary didn’t laugh this time, the man was angered by the provocation, the mockery was enough to make this personal for him, his fighting showed in its recklessness and fury, while Jake’s movements were calculated and nearly mechanical, quickly he avoided the man’s advances and breached the man’s defenses landing two precise blows to the man’s face; the first to the nose, the second to the jaw, which were followed by a forceful kick to the stomach which left him on his knees on the ground gasping for air. Jake kneeled as if he was going to check if the man was alright, but that wasn’t his intention in the slightest, and the moment he touched the mercenary the man fell unconscious, face down, to the floor, a glimpse of a dark needle disappearing underneath Jake’s sleeve as he stood up straight, pulling on the dark grey cuff of his jacket.

Darren had knocked out the other mercenary just as Jake looked up from the knocked out man at his feet; a look of utter annoyance slowly melting from his expression. Catching the boy’s complaint about his ruined shirt was enough to put a look of amusement back to Jake’s blue eyes and he laughed lightly. “Better it’d be the shirt than you, huh?” He teased, poking Darren where the sword would have slashed him. “What is the deal with these guys anyway?” He asked, his eyes absently looking around to the confusion Alexander had started, but not much caring to get involved. Not yet at least. As Irvin approached them looking a little bit disappointed to see that the mercenaries were taken care of, Jake gave the boy a nod. “Kid... Go check the ice on the doors... See if there’s something you can do about it.”
“Alright, but... I’m not sure if it’ll work.” Irvin replied, eyes scanning the frozen doors of the room one by one.
“Just go check it out and come right back, try to keep as far from this mess as possible, alright?”
“Okay, sounds easy enough.” Irvin stated, making off and half disappearing into the crowd as he made a way to one of the doors.

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Dastan was having fun at this party, surprisingly so. The music was fancier than he was used to and so were most of the guests, but the booze was of great quality and here and there he’d find something pretty to look at, and here and there... He’d get rewarded for his glances. After getting a few dances with some considerably attractive ladies and starting to get a little too tipsy to be charming in any respectable way, he approached one of the tables to get some food and maybe water for a change... Or maybe just the food... He wasn’t drunk to a point where he couldn’t afford to get any drunker quite yet. Just as he had finished pouring himself another drink he felt something collide into him, a hand grasping his arm for support. The man turned to see himself face to face with a little blond girl as she whispered an apology. Dastan snickered softly, his eyes scanning the girl from head to toe. He didn’t know her, or at least he didn’t think they’d met before but he thought he caught something in her eyes that told him otherwise... She seemed to know who he was. Either that or she was mistaking him for someone else. “No need to be apologizing now, miss... Takes a lot more than a little bump to knock me down.” He stated playfully, still looking over this girl as if searching for something he’d missed. “Do we know each other somehow? Or are you always this nervous-looking when you randomly grab strange men?” He asked with a curious look in his eyes. Just as he finished that sentence his attention was momentarily snatched by someone passing by and grabbing the drink out of his hand. By the time he managed to register what was happening he was being handed back his empty glass. "...Don't look at me like that...I'll owe you something vintage and worth the impolite intrusion.." Dastan scratched the back of his head in confusion as he watched Essence walk away, amusement slowly sinking in as he shook his head at the woman. “Great, that's the second redhead who owes me a drink." He whispered under his breath with a chuckle.

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Sean couldn’t help his complete amusement as Essence dropped a pouch of coin onto his hand as compensation for the table. He had been playing, obviously, and didn’t actually expect the woman to pay him for such a small thing; the one thing the Pack was not lacking was resources, but still he accepted the pay without as much as a hint of hesitation, weighing the pouch in his hand quietly and thinking that this was a bit more than enough for one little table. As he opened his mouth to speak however, his attention was caught by something soft hitting his shoulder, the man snatching a soft handkerchief before it had a chance to hit the ground. Unfolding the cloth Sean eyes narrowed as he read for only a second before he lifted his head to look around. As he turned his attention to his company once again, Essence was walking away, he thought he heard the woman say something about being right back, but he could barely catch her words. He kept one eyes on the woman curiously as he saw her approach a dark haired lady in a dark green dress. They both seemed way too polite with each other to be friendly, and it was an interesting interaction to watch, even if he couldn’t hear what was being said between them. Once again Sean turned his attention to the handkerchief and reread its message: ‘If you dare touch Ella or Jen today, I’ll be sure that today will also be the last day the Wolfpack ever threatens anyone’s lives in Valcrest.’

Sean knew very well who that message had come from and after reading it a couple of times more he couldn’t help a small fit of laughter. “Alright, Evin, I won’t touch them.” He mumbled under his breath, moving away from where he’d been waiting it didn’t take him too long to find Ryan. It wasn’t surprising that the man was hanging around him, what was surprising however was who was standing next to him. Sean frowned at the sight of Donovan, in guards uniform, in Blackpond, what the hell was that kid thinking? As he approached the two, Doni opened his mouth to speak, but Sean silenced him with a gesture. “I don’t want to hear it, Doni. You blew your cover completely by coming here tonight, do you know how many people in this room know your face? When the party ends, no matter how it ends, I want you to go straight back to camp.”
“What about Ari? You can’t leave her without backup.”
“Oh, I’ll take care of that kid, don’t you worry.” Sean muttered out, an annoyed snort escaping him as he handed Ryan the handkerchief. “This woman, Jen, I want you to care of it tonight, do you understand me? No bargaining, no taking prisoners, no nothing; Bana is not the target here and I don’t care about him right now, I just want this over and done with by morning.”

“I understand.” Ryan stated, taking the handkerchief into his pocket and bowing his head slightly. “Consider it done.” The man replied before wandering off into the crowd to tend to his task.
“Sean...” Donovan mumbled.
“Not here, we’ve already talked way too much. Just stay out of trouble and we’ll talk at home.” Sean replied turning away from the boy and looking around to see that Ess was still busy with the black haired woman.

Sean hung around the place where he was previously standing and watched with a hint of amusement in his eyes as the two women parted ways; that was not a friendly conversation, he could feel the tension as far as he was standing, and he was curious as to what could be the issue between his new acquaintance and that stranger. The man was soon distracted from that thought however as he spotted a silver wolf trotting after Essence on her way back to where he was standing. The young Alpha honestly seemed amazed by the sight as if he was a child; he had never even heard of a wolf following a human this way before. The forest wolves usually stayed away from people as much as possible, it was rare to even see one from afar. “Remarkable.” The man mumbled to himself as Ess reached him and the wolf started to sniff the hem of his pants curiously. His eyes only leaving the animal as the wolf tensed and emitted a low growl the somehow didn’t seem directed at him. It was clear that it was not the moment he spotted the woman approaching because his reaction was almost exactly the same; he tensed, and growled under his breath wondering what hell that bitch could possibly want this time.

"Now I think I understand....Looks like you are still very good at what you do, Pigeon."

Sean arched an eyebrow at the woman as she was addressing Essence. He wasn’t surprised that they knew one another; the old hag did try to order a hit on the woman, and it had become apparent to him by some people missing from her little guard detail that the woman had been involved in at least one more confrontation since the moment Sean last spotted her.

"All dressed up, still trying to be something you're not. No matter. You can try to scrub shit clean but it's still...shit. Once a whore...always a whore.."

Sean sighed softly, his clenched fist shivering slightly making it somewhat clear that he was really forcing himself to stand still and not immediately pull out a dagger and stab the woman’s face until it turned into something easier on the eyes. The only thing keeping him from doing so, in fact, was the realization that if he was... displeased... by this woman’s presence, it was nothing compared to his companion. “Well... Miss Talon... You were wondering how I knew your name... There you have it.” Sean spoke softly, his eyes glaring at the old had with nothing but pure contempt.

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Luckas felt the visions of Rick and his filth fade from his mind slowly, and he was glad. The man’s sickness would have revolted him much more if he hadn’t seen worse when he went after Jasper. It was not doubt Rick was equally sick, but Luke wasn’t fully in Rick’s mind, so if he had ever involved children in his depravities, it wasn’t clear, unlike Jasper... And that was the reason that guy was still number one; Luckas would never consider all the punishment he gave that son of a bitch to be enough. His black eyes immediately sought out the King amongst the crowd to see him be dragged away from the center of a huge commotion. It seemed their little playtime had caused Luke and Simon both to miss a bit of the action. From the corner where he had posted himself to watch Rick, Luckas’ eyes took in the sight of men moving on a half-organized attack against the Blackpond people, his mind slowly starting to register the situation. A fight had broken out, all exits were sealed, it wouldn’t be long until that turned into something incredibly ugly. Luke pushed himself away from the wall that had been supporting him through his conversation with Simon, looking around he felt a mix of relief and disappointment as he realized Tala was no longer following his footsteps; the wolf was a distraction, and in many ways an annoyance, but now Luckas felt somewhat alone without her. His eyes quickly scanned the ballroom again, spotting familiar faces one by one until they spotted the redhead woman from Jake’s memories... Crys. Luke’s eyes narrowed slightly and he started to pace towards the woman, but was halted by a familiar voice in his ear. “Another redhead, love? I’m starting to think you’ve got a fixation.”
Luckas snickered at the comment, but he couldn’t help but notice Sam’s tone was again that dangerously sweet one from before. “No, no fixation... Least not this time.” He replied turning to face the woman, his eyes searching her expression for any signs of aggravation, but finding none. Was he that bad at reading emotions was she that good at hiding them? “Are you upset?” He asked, his tone genuinely confused.
“Do I seem upset, Lukey?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly at him. The woman didn’t seem to mind all the ruckus of fighting and shouting going in the background, nor did she seem concerned with being trapped in that room. In fact, Sam couldn’t possibly seem more calm and serene amongst all the chaos.
“I’m not sure, Sammy. If I knew, I wouldn’t need to ask.” Luckas replied, giving her a look of clear annoyance.
Sam smiled softly, reaching out and ruffling his hair playfully as if he were a little boy. “I know... And if you knew I was mocking you, you wouldn’t feel the need to explain that. I guess that’s just part of your charm though, hm?”
“I wouldn’t know about that. I don’t consider myself charming... Why would I?”
Sam snickered, shaking her head in silent disbelief. “Why would you, indeed.”
“Are you mocking me now?” He asked, sounding a bit confused by the whole conversation. Gladly he didn’t have to think about it for much longer as the loud redhead boy version of Amber appeared, bouncing towards them. “Heeeelllooooo!” The boy giggled. “Ain’t this a fun party!?”
Sam turned to redhead boys with pleased smile. “Ah, Mr. Wyatt... Is Lizzy’s little issue taken care of?”
“No, not exactly... Seems the boy wasn’t just a silly little Newhaven guard, we had to let him go, but... I don’t think he even remembers how he got here... You know Lizzy; she likes her men young and confused.”
Sam sighed softly and shook her head in disapproval. “Remind Adam of the conditions I’ve imposed on him and what happens if he can’t keep her in check.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Wyatt’s reply was short and respectful, and very uncharacteristic in its seriousness. Something in Sam’s words or tone had caused that reaction, and Luckas wasn’t exactly sure of what it was.
“Tell Adam to try and unlock the doors somehow, tell Lizzy to provide cover; she’ll know what to do.”
Wyatt bowed at the order and made off quickly to pass the orders along. Luckas had previously questioned the reason why Sammy kept Amber so close amongst all the others when she was so erratic, but Sam’s presence alone seemed to make the little psycho into an obedient and adoring puppy. It was really something interesting and frightening to see.
“Lukey... Are you still afraid of the dark?” Sam asked softly, her hand reaching for his in a firm grip.
“Uncomfortable maybe, but not afraid.” Luckas replied, unsure of what the woman was intending with the questioning and the hand holding. It all become very clear, metaphorically speaking at least, when a gust of wind crossed the ballroom, extinguishing every single flame in its path and engulfing the party and its guest in absolute darkness. As soon as everything went dark, Luckas felt himself being led by the hand, firmly, by Sam as if the woman knew exactly where to go, ignoring all the sounds of the disoriented party guests. “Don’t worry, Lukey.” She stated calmly.

“Well... Miss Talon... You were wondering how I knew your name... There you have it.”

Essence had her eyes on Sean, noting how his expression had shifted from innocent awe, quickly melting to something beyond disgust. Violet eyes brightened and flashed dangerously, something she couldn’t control as the light momentarily bled out from her sockets, appearing as if they held fuses burning to two mini, internal bombs. Tiny, blue veins accentuated the eerie light below her eyelids, her skin actually taking the illusion of a similar delicate and fragile decor of stone cracking under pressure as it spread. Her fingers appeared discreetly along her corset to slowly retrieve a small, purple vile she hid in her hand as she crossed her arms lazily. Blinking a few times, the glow emanating from her orbs dissipated, accompanied by a sly smile through grinding teeth. “Fucking bitch...I guess I was too kind to you when last we chatted...” She snarled, somehow her tone still remaining sweet. “I should have taken both of your haggard eyes...”

Ebony chuckled, staring at Ess whose back was still facing her and her mercenary entourage. “Oh, I’d be willing to forget that minor...transgression, little Birdie...if you give up that dagger of mine and come along quietly. It could be like...” Ebony sighed, pausing as if she were reminiscing about the good ol’ days. “...be like old times. Remember how much fun we had?” The old woman added with a mocking sarcasm. “Well....I remember how much fun I had....” She sneered.

Still holding the small vile, Ess turned slowly to face the group behind her, raising her hand to absently scratch the back of her head, the end of the vile nicked to spill its contents all along the fan like blade that was tight among the braids, nestled in her curls. Lazily she let the vile drop behind her, simultaneously as one of her braids fell loose, the barrette swinging in an almost hypnotizing fashion so that the razor edges were now coated with the sap like ooze.

“Riiight....because standing by and making money while children were raped and tortured was just SO MUCH FUN.... Children Ebony... It wasn’t a secret what kind of Mistress you were...”

“I ran a respectable business!” The woman hissed. “That is, until you tried to have me killed...and not to mention what you did to my brother...”

“At least...when I put a hit on someone..I have the balls to do it MYSELF.......Mistress...” Essence snapped, noting how Tala began to circle the group while staying just out of arm's reach; white foam dripping in bubbling clumps to the floor.

“Oh, we can see what a great job you did, aye Pigeon..” Ebony retorted with a wink from her good eye.

“Lucky for you, I was only a child and -” Ess inhaled sharply, her hands resting along her waist as if she were hugging herself, a chill creeping up her spine as a blond, green eyed man about her age stepped forward.

“Aw, now Beautiful, I seem to remember you had mastered quite a few...talents for one so young..” The man stated in a complementary tone, bowing his head slightly.

“Joffrey...” Essence breathed, nails tracing the outline of her throwing daggers tucked along her curves. “Finally...came out of hiding...”

The man smiled, nodding casually at Ess’ comment. “Well, after the rumors I heard about Vincent..and then recently with the..disappearance of Jasper...could you really blame me?”

“Vincent...Vincent....” Ess tapped her chin thoughtfully and shrugged. “Not sure who you mean..” She lied, not hiding a mischievous sneer crossing her lips. “Oh come now, how many times did you cut your tongue from all that boot licking? Although I think you may have enjoyed it. But, sadly, I can’t take all the credit there...” Essence bit her lip, glancing back at Sean as if to verify he was still there.

Joffrey chuckled, “I doubt you’d forget Vince, Pigeon..besides I saw you...but no worries..” He raised his fingers to his lips as if he was meaning to keep a secret. “You mean...you weren’t responsible for Jasper? How interesting...” Joffrey began. “I may have enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed you. So, since we are admitting things...I also seem to remember how much you liked it...”

“Tsk tsk..” Ess nodded as if she were agreeing with Joffrey’s words, but her attention was directed towards Sean in an unspoken agreement of sorts before turning back to the group. Firmly she stated, “Smart men...know how to treat a Lady... Maybe I’d play nice, if you got on your knees for me...

Ebony thought she was being sneaky, foolishly assuming Ess was distracted as she motioned for three of the men to go for Ess. Tala didn’t even let the first mercenary unsheathed his blade more than an inch before her teeth were piercing through flesh, followed by a girlish scream from the back of the group. The sound of blood gurgling and bones breaking, and the man was down in seconds. Essence’s head was already in full swing, long braids snapping outwards in a whip like motion, the sharp edges of her barrette slicing through empty air and then Joffrey’s cheek twice before the man was able to dodge. Another nearby man-for-hire felt the blade slice below his chin, spilling his blood in messy spurts so that it freckled across Ess’ porcelain skin, yet enough left in the man to not end him. It wasn’t meant to, nor needed once the poison began its work in paralyzing both individuals. Ess needed some leverage, even though she was able to move somewhat easily, the excessive folds of her gown constricting her movements enough to make the oncoming advances a little tricky.

“Ebony!” Essence screamed aloud, not caring that her voice echoed to blend with the chaos that was beginning to spread throughout the room. She was done with this woman and she would be damned if she let this fateful opportunity slip through her fingers. Another figure drew his sword, moving with the others to hold a circle surrounding Ebony. Ess released two of her finger sized daggers into the man whose throat she had cut, aiming for his hands to penetrate through his palms so that he dropped whatever weapons he held. One dagger went clean through, while the other only made it half way so that the man moved to use it to attack despite his anger and fury at the pain. It made it easier to block, Ess’ relic blade pushing back against the larger man for only a few seconds. Tala leapt from the side to rip through the man’s arm, hanging on until he stumbled backwards.

“Get your bloody wolf off me!” The mercenary barked from her feet, attempting to scurry backwards but his movement was slowing between the poison and blood loss which was also noted by the rapid, pale discoloration of his skin.

“She’s not mine....more like I am HERS...” Ess retorted in amusement, yet a look of concern crossed her eyes. It wouldn’t be long now for the poison to work it’s magic. A sudden breeze sent a chill up her legs, making her realize that somewhere along the way she had torn her gown, a clean slit just pausing along her naked thigh. Somewhere around that time it began to dawn on her that there were fewer mercenaries standing and more upon the floor than she could take credit for. Both Ebony and Joffrey had managed to slip away in the hustle but not without Tala already hot on their heels.

Catching Sean out of her peripherals she sighed, staring down at her dress, she slid her dagger along the tear to rip it in a horizontal fashion. Essence looked up to see a familiar dark, curly haired boy rolling to his feet, the image blackening as everything went dark followed by sporadic panic that echoed against the walls. With a sigh, Ess blinked, trying to make her eyes adjust. “Oh, this will not do...not at all..Uh, Sean, you still there? Would you be a gentleman and help a lady out? I can’t run in this thing..” Ess eyes flickered in their familiar glow; a violet beacon that quickly toned down but was enough to give her a glimpse of the man’s expression that sent giggles bouncing down her shoulders.
~~~~~~~~~

Darren snorted, holding back a chuckle when Jake poked at his side, playfully whining still about the shirt. His attention was more distracted so that it appeared he had to put effort into the jest as opposed to his normal, comical self. Quirking a brow he quickly glanced from Jake to the second fallen body, lightly tugging on his goatee in thought. “What the hell did you stick em’ with?” He asked curiously, his attention already wandering through his surroundings in pursuit of where the woman had disappeared into the crowd. “You’re from BlackPond, Jake...The name Ebony sound familiar? We don’t have time to get into it now, but let's just say I discovered she’s an old associate of my father’s...and more of a reason to finish much needed research.” Darren sighed, his expression momentarily blank before shifting to one of loss. He moved in one direction and stopped, turned around glancing in the direction of random shouts of guests as they moved to avoid the staircase. People began to push back; either from choice or by force. If they wanted to be apart of the battle or avoid it all together, Darren knew many wouldn’t be given much of choice as things began to escalate.

Turning abruptly away from the staircase, Darren began pressing through the crowd until he managed to pick out the small group of men encircling Ebony. In all honesty they stood out. It wasn’t hard to spot them as many began to push towards the blocked exits, against every corner and wall within the room. He didn’t need to turn around to know Jake was still within earshot as he spoke, “Hey...think I found who came here with that wolf...that...Redhead with no name..” Darren flashed a curious smile before it slipped away. He quickened his pace, zigzagging his way towards Ebony, determined to finish their conversation. Casually he kept his distance, coincidentally circling the group in the opposite direction of Tala so that they passed each other, only looking at each other long enough to acknowledge each other’s presence.

Only mere seconds went by before he witnessed the wolf take someone down with a graceful ease Darren felt only the female sex, no matter the species, carried alone. She was silent and deadly, and she wouldn’t have been noticed by others if not for the piercing scream of the man whose throat she had clamped down upon, silver fur stained in a sticky crimson. Darren saw a tall, fairly large man wearing a black, large brimmed hat with single red feather hanging off the front, approach Tala from behind. Raising a small ax over the wolf, the man was distracted with the blood feud so he didn’t notice Darren as he approached. “Aye Guy, nice...Hat.” The man hadn’t turned his head even half way when Darren’s fist collided with the side of his cheek. “You’re wearing it all wrong man...” He joked, popping the hat off the man’s head and catching it. “What the hell is this?” Darren laughed, plucking the feather from the hat and stomping it on the ground, his fingers crunching along the flexible brim to create a narrow, slanted point. The hat fit snug just above his ears, curling higher on his left along his temples compared to the right and just dipped low enough to cast a shadow over one eye.

“Thanks, Guy. I know it wasn’t suiting yo-” Darren took the first swing like a champ, barely budging even though his jaw was screaming. Stretching his jaw, he heard a pop, a subtle snort of amusement escaping him. Dropping low he swung his leg to bring the large man down, a smile spreading when the man lept out of the way, sending a series of low and high kicks in a fluid blur. Darren countered with several more kicks, dodging a boot to the face and the man paused to look at him curiously and nodded as if satisfied before attacking again. Forearms crossed before one another’s faces, mirroring each move as if they were dancing and couldn’t decide who would lead. A few moments passed and they shoved each other backwards unable to get in a proper hit and stared into one another’s eyes. Tipping his new hat, Darren winked before leaping forward into the air so his boots used the man’s torso and shoulders as steps to flip backwards while his heel connected with the man’s jaw twice. Hunched over in a small daze, Darren took the opportunity to repeat the move but instead of flipping again he locked his legs around the man’s throat and brought him down to the ground as Darren fell himself, putting pressure along several points at once so that the man’s eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out. He gave an extra squeeze before releasing and pushing the man away and somersaulting back to his feet just as the lights went out and he was encased in darkness. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t be seen, Darren adjusted his new hat in a fashion he thought suited him and stood as still as a statue, listening to the sudden shrieks echo around him.

When the strobbing effect started, Mageria had dropped back half a pace, closing her eyes to avoid being dazzled out of instinct.
"The Council's forgotten about me huh? Maybe I'll have to come back and visit then. Like, when we get out of this bloody mess?" She neatly kicked a nearby combatant in the gut when he swung towards them, taking him out of the fight without killing him. She was about to say something else when Dominic landed beside her and took up a flanking position. Evidently he also decided that they weren't safe enough where they were, and went to grab Ella and take her to a more secure position. At least that's what Mageria assumed was supposed to happen; however he made the mistake of grabbing her arm instead and pulling her away. Mageria actually restrained herself from gutting the man by the barest of margins and only because she knew who he was. She didn't even bother with responding when he finally realize his mistake, mostly because she had been occupied with twisting around to try and keep Ella in sight. Years of battlefields had served her well; that and knowing what crazy idea was most likely to slip into her liege's head next.

"This way." She grunted, slipping between the individual fighters like a fish through water. She was headed, not to where Ella had been, but to where she was most likely to be headed. Which would be the Alpha of the Wolfpack, Sean. And there the little lunatic was, headed towards the man and slipping a small dagger out of her sleeve.

"Majesty!" Mageria just knew she was really going to regret this. With one hand she reached out and firmly grabbed the back of Ella's gown, pulling her backwards and out of the way. "Not the time or the place!" Mageria spun slightly, placing herself between the two of them. Times like this she really missed her old armor. There was a roughly equal chance that either of them was going to do their best to gut her in the next instant.

It only took a moment for Ella to realize it, but something was pushing her backwards. She stumbled back, nearly tripping, but not quite. She felt a bit of pressure on her stomach as well. It was just her hand hitting her on the way back though. It knocked the wind out of her, but she caught it back quickly enough to realize who it was.
It seemed that Mageria had caught her just in time to save the life of the rat bastard Sean, a man who truly didn’t deserve it. The excuse that “it wasn’t the time or place” was just a load of horse manure. Ella and Mageria both knew it. The party had gone to shit already. It was only matter of time before the rest of the fight came to her and Sean and Mageria. She didn’t really care if she was the spark. It had to be done.
Ella looked up at Mageria. She was very close to her. They were so close that the two of them would have to take an effort to look at each other from anywhere below the bust. Ella attempted to let out a word, but nothing happened. Her look said it all, but when she couldn’t speak, it made her a little more panicky than anything. That’s when she noticed the pain. An agonizing pain that forced her to cringe and collapse to the floor. She grabbed at her stomach, where the pain was emanating and she caught another pain in her hand. Something had cut her when she tried to grab at the pain. It took less than a second to realize what had happened.
Letting out an earth-shattering scream, she bellowed in a manic inflection. Tears started falling from her face as she realized that she had no chance in hell at this point. There was so much blood on what was once a beautiful dress.
She finally managed to get a breath. “Why? Why couldn’t you just let me kill him? At least, when I was killed, my death would ha—”
Her voice was cut short by a single breath, expelling what was left of her sentence. Her skin quickly turned an ashen grey and she went limp. The Queen of Newhaven was dead.

Where did the Queens and Kings of old go when they died? Did they go to the same place as everyone else or did they go to a special place? They had to go somewhere. Whether they were more important than common folk or not was something that was beyond intellect or wisdom. If the children of gods went to Hell, it would probably dictate that Kings and Queens, people who were less important than the sons and daughters of the Twins, were also only deserving of a regular afterlife. What a droll thought, living a regular afterlife. The kind of life that should only be fit for a commoner. The things that the common man did were far from the grandeurs that a King and Queen took part in.
For one Royal, the common afterlife would be a handsome reward. The only logical thing was that Ella would as well live that droll afterlife. She would revert back to the world that she once knew, the common life: the one life she always wished on herself. The only difference was that now, it would be after her living life. For once, she would feel normal again, like the little orphan girl who imagined a magical world beyond her knowledge. The life of the Queen killed that for her. It would be great to be back.

Sean was a little torn between venting his frustrations on the surrounding hired thugs, or keeping his attention on the words exchanged between his new acquaintance, Ebony and the man she was with. He had done his research on the woman and her ‘business’, but there was a difference between knowing some things and hearing them first hand. Sean couldn’t quite understand how Dani could actually accept a contract from someone like Ebony, and the more he thought it through the more he felt the little bit of respect he had left for the woman start to rapidly decrease. The conversation managed to distract Sean into standing perfectly still, his eyes registering the movement around him as if politely awaiting a physical altercation to take place; it didn’t take a great amount of perception to understand that that’s what was about to happen there.

"Smart men...know how to treat a Lady...Maybe I’d play nice, if you got on your knees for me..."

There was a subtle, very subtle hint in Ess’ words, but it was more than enough of a hint for Sean to catch and as the woman finished speaking the assassin immediately got down on one knee, feeling something possibly very sharp pass through the spot where his head was just a split second ago; blood spatter hitting the ground moments after. Things went messy and violent after that, and while Sean was somewhat eager to take down a mercenary or two, he suddenly found himself freezing in place as he felt something brush against his shoulder as he got back on his feet, as if someone was walking past him; only he couldn’t see anyone there. In the small moment it took Sean’s mind to process what he already knew was happening, he saw a man go down, and then another, both seeming untouched except for one small dark little metal needle poking out from their necks; Sean wouldn’t have seen it if he wasn’t looking for it, his eyes instinctively searching for someone he knew wasn’t able to see. This was curious, to say the least. In his stupor Sean had absently moved to get out of the way of two men fighting, noting that one of them seemed a bit familiar, but he wasn’t quite sure where he’d seen the guy before.

Oddly enough; the lights going off were the thing that caused Sean to snap to attention as if he’d been startled awake. His hand reaching for a weapon instinctively as all the fire in the room went out at once.

“Uh, Sean, you still there? Would you be a gentleman and help a lady out? I can’t run in this thing..”

A flicker of violet light caught the Alpha’s eye as he turned to Ess with a slightly questioning look, unsure if he should laugh at or not at her request. He couldn’t help but feel amused. “I’m pretty sure helping a woman you barely know out of clothing in the dark is far from any definition of ‘gentleman’, but then... For the most part so am I.” He replied, not hiding his amusement at the situation. His attention wandered from the woman however, momentarily as the lights flickered back on, then off again, then on again, as if sudden bursts of flame were exploding all around the ballroom, Sean started looking around, examining the movement of the crowd as if expecting for something particular to happen; he had a bad feeling about this and it became clear why when he heard a familiar voice speak just behind his back, causing him to turn away from Essence, his grip tightening around the hilt of his still sheathed dagger. Struck a little by surprise by the last person he would expect to actually manage such a thing. The fact that Ella was actually attacking him there and then caused him to momentarily flinch, but not enough to actually catch him off guard.

What happened next was as unexpected as it was confusing. Sean expected Ella to attack him, but something held her back; or rather someone. Mageria didn’t seem to be too far behind the escaped Queen and pulled her back before she could reach the Alpha. It seem like that would be the end of it, but no... It wasn’t... Not for Sean anyway. Ella turned to face Mageria, and Sean couldn’t hear what she said, but he slowly realized what was happening; the woman’s face went pale. and it was noticeable even in the flickering lights, and then she went limp... It was so quick that Sean had to check that even though he had drawn his blade on an instinct; it was clear of any blood. The Queen hadn’t been touched by his blade, but Sean knew that wouldn’t matter. Funny how sometimes no matter how much you try to avoid something, if it’s meant to be, it’ll simply happen to you anyway.

For a moment, it could have been just a second or a full minute, Sean simply stood paralyzed but once that moment passed he looked at Mageria, slowly lifting his clean knife to where she could see it. “Been a pleasure, Miss Essence.” He spoke calmly, not bothering to waste the one moment he had for words on the former Black Knight in any way; sheathing his knife and taking the opportunity to make himself disappear the moment the lights flickered out again. He had to find a way back home as fast as possible. He wasn’t sure what had just happened there, but he was absolutely sure it was going to cause him trouble no matter what.

Mageria sighed wearily, every line of her body sagging in defeat. She had been struggling to hold the wound closed, but life had seeped out of her Queen in a red tide.
"You stupid girl. You stupid little idiot. You couldn't have laid a mark on him no matter what." Gently she reached up and closed Ella's eyes. She was a veteran of the battlefield and to the effects of those who survived one but never really left it. She could tell the difference between a wound that was inflicted purposefully and what it looked like when someone stabbed themselves. She knew what had happened and whether it had been an accident; or the hand of fate, reaching down to make the impossible happen, to bring Valcrest to the brink of destruction, she didn't know. But she knew what was going to happen.

They were surrounded in a strangely still moment, a bubble of serenity in the chaos. Slowly, Mageria looked up at Essence, her eyes shading from a verdant green to empty black. She was very quiet, holding everything that she was feeling inside. Once again, a monarch of Newhaven was dead and once again the Wolfpack would be blamed. Once again, it would be for the wrong reason. And she didn't think that she could stop it this time.

"Valcrest will burn.......And there is nothing we can do to stop it."

“You’re from BlackPond, Jake...The name Ebony sound familiar?”

Jake twitched slightly as the name reached his ears; he hadn’t heard it in so long, but yet he couldn’t possibly forget what it stood for. “I thought that bitch was dead...” He muttered under his breath, not exactly replying to Darren’s words and simply following after the boy. Jake’s mind was racing with memories he hadn’t thought about in a very long time; about things he would hear but was too much of a child to understand properly at the time. As far as he knew both Ebony and her brother were history; long dead... He had been very sure of it. Maybe it wasn’t the same Ebony, for a moment he allowed himself to wish it wasn’t, but something in Darren’s eyes when he mentioned the woman led him to think his wish would not be met. He wondered in silence what kind of business Darren’s father would have with the woman exactly, feeling this wasn’t the proper time to ask the boy questions; even less the right place to do so. Whatever discussion there was to be had, would have to take place much later.

“Hey...think I found who came here with that wolf...that...Redhead with no name..”

That sentence caused Jake to halt immediately. It wasn’t too long before his eyes caught the aforementioned redhead and he cowered for a moment before pressing on, his enlightenment having already activated by itself in the moment it took him to think about it, his eyes seeking the woman he had spotted walking away from Darren earlier; it wasn’t long until he spotted her, moving closer so that he could get a good look at her face and the one of the blond man standing beside her. Jake moved as they conversed, and circling the group consisting on the two, Ess, the woman’s mercenaries, and Sean for some reason, pacing after Darren in the opposite direction of the wolf, stopping a half step behind Sean knowing without a doubt that things were about to escalate. So he waited, and not before too long the first move was made to start a fight. Jake didn’t waste much time, quickly making his way through two mercenaries and pushing through the mess to reach Ebony, but immediately halting as the lights suddenly went out. He couldn’t see anything and at first he hesitated to move, but then he felt something soft go past his leg and as the lights flickered back on he saw it was a wolf. “Tala.” He muttered under his breath, thinking it was probably his safest bet to follow the wolf. The poor lighting and constantly moving crowds made it somewhat of a difficult task to keep up with Tala in her pursuit of Ebony, but Jake was managing to do a decent job of it until someone caught his eye; Rick had just rushed his way right past him with a very determined, not to say manic, look in his eyes. In the moment it took Jake to let his eyes wander from the wolf to follow the King’s intended path he lost track of the animal completely. That was suddenly not his greatest concern however and he snorted angrily as he forced himself to change his course and follow Rick; he had a feeling of what the man was searching for.

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Crys was just a slight bit confused. In moments like this she couldn’t help some form of annoyance from rising at how easily some people panicked. It made it hard to tell if whatever was going down was actually as bad as the panicked party guests made it sound. While she had a blade or two hidden on her person, Crys didn’t feel compelled to reach for them, eyes closed to conceal a dim green light emanating from her irises. After a few moments she managed to focus enough to catch words from some of the frightened guests trying to reach the exits; the lights had been cut off and fights had broken out, but that wasn’t as bad as it could get.

A familiar call of her name pulled Crys out of her little stupor and she couldn’t help but laugh at Evin’s statement that he was having a good time. “Evin Bana enjoying a party... I’m pretty sure there’s a prophecy somewhere listing that as a sign the world is ending.” She played, heaving a slightly weary sigh. “I’m personally rather disappointed so far, I mean... No one died, nothing exploded, things are actually kind of bor-...” Crys stopped talking abruptly her smile slowly shutting down as she felt a man’s approach. She didn’t know this person and she wasn’t sure what was it about him exactly that just made her feel very uneasy, not quite yet. As the man reached them Crys caught herself instinctively grabbing Evin’s arm as if to make sure he was still standing there, releasing him only a second later as if nothing had occurred. “..boring.” She finished her sentence, smirking as the man demanded that Evin leave them alone. “Perhaps I spoke too soon... Hey!” She rose her voice to draw the stranger’s attention from Evin to her. “Who... Do you think you are?”

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Luckas wasn’t sure what Sammy’s idea was exactly, but it seemed as though she had one because she had dragged him along a very specific path, and stopped in a very specific spot... to wait. Most party guests were running towards the exits, but they were not; they stopped underneath one of the balconies. “Sammy, wh-...” Luckas started, but stopped at one gesture of her hand, falling into silence. The woman seemed to be focusing on the crowd so Luckas waited until she turned to face him. “Sorry, was trying to spot Amber in the middle of this mess. Wonder where that kid ran off to...” She muttered. “What were you going to say, love?”
“Wyatt, remember? Luke pointed out with a snicker. “Stupid name... I was going to ask what are we waiting for?”
“We’re waiting for Adam.” Sam replied simply, turning to face the crowd again, trying to spot the red haired boy amongst the startled partygoers. “Where... is that kid?”
“Who?” A voice called out to them in the dark and Luke recognized it as being that of Amber’s chosen persona.
“There you are!” Sam exclaimed, finding the boy and grabbing him by the shoulder. “There is this annoying little assassin man trying to track down Lukey, I assume with the intention of murdering him, would you mind taking care of that for me?”
“Your wish, is my command... Mistress.” The boy replied, momentarily following Sam’s gaze to a man amongst the crowd then smirking and abruptly ruffling up Luke’s hair playfully while walking past him. “Goddess forbid our little Lukey gets stabbed again.” Amber added with a giggle.
Luckas frowned watching the redhead boy wander off. “Are you sure Sammy? Simon is a pretty decent telepath.”
“Then wish him luck. Personally, if I had the gift... That girl’s mind is the last place I’d want to venture.”
“Good point.” Luckas muttered under his breath. “Very good point.”
“If I didn’t know you so well, I’d think you’re concerned for her safety.” Sam pointed out with an amused chuckle.
“Funny, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were too.” He retorted.
“You don’t think I care for her safety?” Sam questioned, her tone changing slightly from its previous calm.
“I think the concept of caring, the way normal people would experience it, is lost on us both. As well as the concept of safety.”
“Hm, fair enough.” Sam mumbled, falling silent and going back to watching the crowd.

Amber walked away from Luke and Sam humming as she made her way through the crowd of people, some involved in fights others frozen in confusion, but most of them panicking like idiots. It wasn’t long until she spotted the man Sam had pointed out to her amongst those idiots. Smiling softly she let her appearance change from the redhead boy to that of a brown haired girl of about the same age, practically hopping her way to to the man and clearly standing in his way. “Hello there Mister.” She greeted. “A little birdie tells me you’ve been looking to kill a friend of mine, and I’m not sure I agree with that. See... I’m not much into letting strangers hurt the people around me; that’s my job. So would you be so kind as to go back the way you came? I’d hate it if I had to stop you...” She snickered. “Well, no, that’s a lie... I’d actually enjoy that quite a bit, but you probably wouldn’t.”

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Annie had lost track of Alistair in the commotion that took place once the light went out and then started to flicker on and off again. Every time the flames lit up the room people had moved in different directions, nothing was where it had been a moment ago. In her confusion Annie failed to notice a ball of flame flying in her general direction, and even less a dark haired boy who suddenly tackled her to the ground. Next thing she knew Alistair was pulling the guy off of her as he mumbled apologies. The healer chuckled pushing herself to stand. “Alistair, there you are!” She smiled, patting Alistair’s arm so that he released the boy. “There’s no need for that now.” She told him calmly, turning to face her ‘attacker’. “Boyfriend? Twins, no. Al is... Like a brother of sorts to me. Thanks for helping me find him, by the way; he wanders off and I worry about him getting into trouble.” She told him in an amused tone, patting Alistair’s arm playfully.

Alistair was still glaring some at the boy, but he relaxed some at Annie’s teasing knowing that the girl wouldn’t be acting this casual if she thought this guy’s intentions weren’t honest. “Riiight....” He mumbled. “Because I’m the one prone to causing trouble.”
Annie snickered. “I don’t know what you’re implying Alistair, but would you be so kind as to go find Allison for me? I have a feeling all these flames flying about are not doing her any good.”
Alistair snorted a trace of a laugh, but didn’t say anything and simply gave the young man one final glare before moving along through the partygoers. Annie watched over her friend as he walked away for a little while before turning to her new acquaintance. “I apologize for my friend he’s a tad bit overprotective. Not as much as my cousin, but gladly for you, I don’t see him around.” Smiling gently at the boy she offered her hand and introduced herself with a tiny bow of her head. “Annie Turner... And who might you be?”