Caleb

The dim light of the moon was casting its spells over the old, blackened bricks. It was nearly morning and his nightwalker powers were slightly affected.

His face was hidden in the shadows. Tracing a lazy finger on the surface, he didn't pressed anywhere. Nor he has the intention to. The book was there, safe, as it has been all these years.

All was unfolding according to his plan, and he will soon have everything he needs.

The only thing for now was going into the lowers' land and take her before the wagon would cross Nix boundaries. And choose another Second.  In a short time, Declan will be no longer of this world.

He has sent the fool on a fool's errand. More precisely, to monitor the journey of the slaves from the Dubh crossing onto Midland, to his kingdom. To make sure it's uneventful, but from afar, as he himself commanded, without intervention. Of course, the three vampires accompanying  the Prince, had other orders.

He couldn't care less of the slaves or of his vampires. The prisoner was important. The most important. He has tasted her blood, and felt the power. Declan's mistake was doing the same. All the way back from those mutts land, the prince couldn't stop thinking of the taste, even saying how her blood is worth more than a thousand lowers.

But she was His. And only His. He went out of his way and prepared a room for her, a fine one. With soft bed and stuffed pillows. With windows uncovered and candles, scented soap and a bathtub waiting. He even ordered logs to be ready for fire and a personal servant awaiting for her.

He looked at the moon, rubbing his fingers to disperse the blackness from the burnt bricks. He didn't like dirt. All was neat and spotless here, except for this chamber where no one had access but him.

It was time.

Time to make a move. He didn't trust anyone for this. He will follow his Second and, under the darkness' cover, when his warriors will attack, he will kill him with his own hands. The other three nixians were a necessary loss.

Taria

The bell rang loudly from the highest white tower.

Grey robes flustered chaotically, rushed by the noise. Feet rushed up the spiral stairs, heavy breaths in the air.

"What is happening?" An elder rasped through gasps of air.
Four members of the council took their seats, looking exhausted.
Only one chair was empty.

Elder Dina said nothing as she acknowledged it, but the mid-aged man at her left clarified that elder Crenn took his leave a couple of days ago.
The black robe, Lady Ewinn, was already seated, hands clasped in her lap. 
She waited till the fidgeting ceased then reached something underneath the round table.
"Bad things," she said, placing a short but thick piece of wood on the table.
"Our nets caught this"
The grey robes eyed the wood and one by one studied its marks carefully, wariness growing in their eyes.

"We must make haste!" They agreed in unison.

.....

Dawn

A peculiar sentiment began to take hold. Unsettling.
In the darkness of the cell, the air stilled. The darkness itself seemed to be holding its breath.
I was struck in a paralyzing sensation.
But the light grew slowly, and I found myself on a hedged narrow alley.

The sun caressed my cheeks, like a mothers loving hand.
"Dawn, behave yourself! You must make a good impression." I was nudged gently forward as I tried to turn my head, to see the owner of the warm, yet scolding voice.
I tripped and regained my balance; the person behind me aggravated her voice. "Dawn!" She shrieked, "You really want to embarrass us? What will your intended think if you behave like this in his presence? What-" her voice stopped as steps approached. "There he is..." She whispered.
I lift my gaze and looked at the silhouette approaching. He came closer and stopped.
"Your Highness" he bowed graciously as he looked past me. His gaze travelled, landing on me. Analyzing for a brief moment.
"You must be my betrothed" he acknowledged. "I am Prince Nuallan of Dirae"

Taking my hand, he lifted it up to his lips. "Very young, yet stunning"

I opened my mouth to say something, but I was at a loss of words. As my mind was trying to process everything, a commotion grew louder somewhere nearby. After a few moments, a lad jumped over the tall bushes that edged our small enclosure, a sword in his hand.
Caught off guard, I hastily retreated and accidentally collided with the woman standing directly behind me, resulting in both of us landing on the pavement.
Likewise, my intended retreated, creating more space between us, as the boy with the sword, whose skin was now marked by the twigs, burst into laughter.
"What is the meaning of this, Cade?" Prince Nuallan requested, trying to suppress his anger.
The lad, Cade, looked at my husband-to-be, his laugher dying, and slowly turned his head to my direction. Our gaze locked, and I found myself lost in a pair of deep, dark brown eyes.

The image faded slowly, the light replaced with dark. Something stirred somewhere in my proximity, and I struggled to get to my senses. Where am I?

"Dawn, right?" The intruder of deadly silence asked.
"Who are you?" I called, a tad disappointed to hear a different voice from the voice that scolded me in my dream. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to go back.
"M- Mira, sh- short from Mirabeth, " she said. " H -how can you tell the pa- passing of t-time here? Tis' s-so d-d-dark..."
I wanted the dream to return. But I could not will it back. And that saddened me more.
" I can't. Days, nights, all the same." I said bitter, hoping for silence.
But hopes are never fulfilled.
"What d-did you d-do to be here?"

A knife was twisted in my soul. Her question was met with silence.
Eventually, the stillness of the air was broken by the faint noise of  fabric rustling, as she moved closer.

"What did you do? I asked back. Again silence. Maybe she will leave me be.

" I-I really don't like this darkness... A-and the silence... "
"Maybe it's better than outside..." I reflected in a low voice.
"It's making my mind ill" Mirabeth said slowly, like she was thinking about that. "I always loved the sun, the noises ..."

"The birds..." I added, "and the crickets..."

My mind took me to the forest slowly. A naive little girl, wondering in the woods. Smiling at the chipping of birds, dancing with the rays of light.

A desire to comfort her rooted inside me. I had no idea of who she was, or of her deeds that brought her here and yet, I drew closer to her. With a mix of determination and vulnerability, I inched my way towards the iron bars that divided our space. In the darkness, she reciprocated the gesture, and our hands meet.

"I don't know what I did..." she whispered, more reflecting upon herself. I noticed that she didn't stammered this time.

"Don't lose hope, Mira." I encouraged. 
I, who had none left. My hand enclosed hers tightly.

"T-thank you"

I didn't answered. My body and mind felt drained, and I slipped again into an abyss of darkness.

"Get up girl!"

Ignoring Uma's urgent voice, I remained sprawled on the ground, hand in hand with my prison companion, eyes still shut. She drew nearer and gave my arm a small tug. Is this real?
"Don't make me wait, I have things to sort out! You need to clean yourself" she grabbed my arm and shook it vigorously.
She let go of my arm with no regard and started talking nonsense about pudding. Despite the fogginess, I could decipher that I was the subject of her pudding-related ramblings.
"Hmmm," she said, hands on her hips, lips pursued. "Don't make me drag you like a puppet! My back is killing me!"

I spotted a small basin filled with water, a cloth in it and a woven basket filled with fabric, on top of which rested a lump of soap.
"C'mon, don't waste time!" She beckoned.

Mira relinquished her grasp on me and propped her delicate body against the wall behind her. Her big, fearful eyes were cast upon the new intruder of my slumber.

My hand reached the basin, trying the water. Warm.

Amazed, I glanced at Uma, yet she seemed unfazed as she retrieved a piece of cheese and an apple from the folds of her skirt and proceeded towards the next cell, keys dangling of one of her fingers.
There was a very young looking guard standing in the corridor. He appeared completely engrossed, his gaze locked onto the single door with no bars situated at the corridor's end.

I rinsed my palm in the basin and looked at the slash in its flesh. Fading slowly, a thin scar  was replacing it.
Thoroughly, I cleansed myself as best as possible, trading my soiled garments for fresh ones from the basket, all while Uma watched with an annoyed expression and hands on her hips.

Maybe she hates me, like everyone else...

With the task completed, she seized the basin and the woven basket with my discarded rags in it and retreated in the corridor, shutting the door of my cell behind her.

"Guard!"
He replied up in no time. "Uma?"
She shoved the basin, the keys and the basket in his arms. "Leave the torch on the wall and lock the cell" she instructed.
He gave a curt nod.

I was stunned. Werewolves taking orders from a lower?
Something hit me in the head and fell at my feet. Dazzled, I looked and saw a big red apple. Why would she waste such a tasty thing on me? I followed Uma with my gaze, but she kept walking.

.....

Five lasses were rushed in a wheeled enclosed wagon, Dawn amongst them. She looked at them as curious and anxious as they were looking to each other. It seems that they weren't more enlightened regarding what is occurring. In the fading light of dusk, she recognized one of them from the barn they used to sleep in, but the others...
Before the door closed, Uma showed up and tried to get in.
"What do you think you're doing?" One beast asked.
Uma feigned deafness and proceeded into the wagon.
Baffled, the guard stood there with his mouth agape, not knowing what to do.
Uma took a seat on the bench right near the door of the cart, ignoring all the dumbfounded faces.
The guard turned around and took a few steps, shouting for his superior.
Aga Liam showed up in no time.
"What?" He shouted back, his gaze falling on the plump woman. His face softened. "Proceed" he ordered to the guard, while Alar, the dungeons keeper, Saeban and a few other wolves waited in silence, ready for the journey. Only Saeban will cross into Nix with the offerings, those where the instructions.
With heaviness written all over him, the guard shut the door and secured it.
A slap on a horse's rump, and the wheels spun.
.....

The moon wove her way through white clouds, silver light bathing still silhouettes.
Three slave girls were sleeping, one was sobbing quietly. Dawn had no clue of the time gone, no clue of the destination. Maybe it was better this way.

Her body shifted slightly, to chase away the stiffness. Since the beginning of their journey she's been clumped and squeezed between the sobbing girl and Uma. She peered at Uma as some rays darted in through the little crack between the planks of wood, and took in her features. So similar to mother's, but yet different...

 Uma joined them, that was another thing that she had no wish to find out.
But she was grateful. The women's presence brought her comfort, just like her mother used to.
Her hand found Uma s soft and warm hand, and squeezed gently, unsure if the woman would not mind the gesture.
Uma's hand squeezed back.
"Get some rest, girl" her soft voice whispered, "we have quite a journey ahead"
Dawn didn't dare to ask. She felt a light tug, and her body followed till was met with Uma s lap.
"I can't" she whispered back.
Uma s other hand touched her hair softly, drawing lazy circles with her fingers.
She couldn't close her eyes. Because every time, she would see mother's hazel eyes. She would see green eyes, and she would see dark brown eyes.

After a while, the horses stopped at a short whistle.

One of the men opened the back of the cart, signaling for them to get out. " Stretch your legs and ease your bladders" he barked, signaling towards the large bushes that edged the forest at their left.

The lasses got down one by one slowly, their feet nearly numb. Some had to keep steady for a bit, with hands on the cart frame, to regain senses and balance.

With shy steps, they all headed towards the coverage of the overgrown shrubs while Uma remained behind, propping herself onto the cart.

Two guards took after them, the wild looks on their faces hidden by the darkness of the night.

Dawn made her way slowly to a place she spotted and deemed it suited. She peered over her shoulder to see if Uma was following. Instead, she saw the guards. Her breath stuck in her throat as she could discern their intentions clear as daylight.

Surprisingly, a pair of powerful arms suddenly encircled her waist. "Not this one!" Saeban growled to them, warning.

The guards held his gaze, challenging. "It's her we want the most" he said in a low, angry tone. "You had her, Saeban. Why so greedy?"

The werewolf pulled the now shivering Dawn behind him, never breaking the eye contact with the men. "She is only mine for now" he claimed.

Intrigued by the noise, Uma trailed after them, only to encounter Alar blocking her steps.

"What is the meaning of this?" she furiously demanded. "Since when you agree to rape?"

Alar nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, refusing to move and impeding any assistance for the captive girls.

The plump woman looked him dead in the eyes. Swiftly, she slapped him. He didn't flinch.

"You always had little regard for them, for me... for everyone...". She made an effort to shove him away, but he seized her hands.

"Not for you" he corrected. "They are the bloodsuckers whores now, and they will not live long enough to tell this tale" he added.

Carefully, Saeban stepped aside, all while shielding her.  The beasts broke the stare, not wanting to fight him. They knew better. As they took after the other slaves, the young wolf turned to her.

"Do not fear me lass, I won't hurt you."

Her blue eyes peered up shyly, her core still shivering. She wasn't sure if to believe him, especially after that night when she tried to free her mother.

"I have learned my lesson," he chuckled. "when you poisoned me". With no trace of ill intends, he smiled at her. Hoping to ease her shock.

"What about the others?" Dawn whispered. Why was he protecting only her?

"I have no taste to kill tonight. It's not easy to take down two wolves, not when they expect it. But I will make sure they get what they deserve!" 

As she saw Saeban approaching the cart with Dawn, Uma gradually relinquished her struggles. Still, she could hear the muffled screams of the other girls, but she knew she couldn't help them much. And that thought tore her heart. Her only mission was walking now towards her, unharmed.

She lift her saddened face to Alar. Without any words, she spat on him and headed towards the wheeled wooden cell.

Suddenly, a deafening battle cry shattered the sky.
A bang followed, so powerful that the planks walls of the cage quaked.
Echoing through the trembling air were blood-curdling screams and spine-chilling howls.
And then SILENCE.

.....

Note: Please let me know what you think about the chapter, about Uma and about Saeban. I am eager to see your opinions!

I will make some changes in the previous chapters, because I discovered sooo many things that are not right and everything will need to match.

And my biggest curiosity: What do you think it happends next? I would looooveeee to read your predictions!!!