laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Kailee fell to sleep near the base of a large chestnut. As darkness in her mind faded, it gave way to a lavish room filled with tall candles in a wide circle around a thickly pillowed center. A heavy acrid smoke filled her senses as the room slowly came into focus. The heavy red fog shrouded someone else also, just beyond her sight. But she could feel his dark taint in her very being hovering in the darkness.

"You wished to see me, my love," the deep, reverberating voice cut through the seemingly small bedroom. "I have nothing to hide from you and I welcome you into my embrace...forever. All you have to do is ask and I will give it."

Kailee suddenly felt a shiver run up her spine and frantically began looking for a way out. She moved away from the dim candlelight and reached out through the thick cloud to find a door or window. There had to be an exit somewhere.

"If you wish to leave, then fine. But know this, I will never be more than a thought away."

Sitting up, Kailee took a deep breath as she spun around looking for the dark presence. Moonlight picked out the shallow edge and the trees around to the west of her. But something else was approaching from down the mountain. Kneeling, she leaned on the tree and peered around the trunk to finally see torches moving slowly towards her hiding place. Focusing her attentions on the group she could smell the body odor of men. They had come to get vengeance for their fallen comrades. She closed her eyes as she leaned her head on the tree.

"Please get me out of here. I'm tired of running," she pleaded as desperation set in.

Suddenly, to her left a door opened up in midair at the edge of the cliff. She watched in wonder as several people filed out into the night with one odd woman standing in the doorway. Was this the answer to her prayers? She knew that the hunters were not far away and quickly glanced down through the trees and could see the torches drawing nearer.

"Get down," she pleaded quietly which gained the attention of all of them. "They'll see you."

"Who's coming," a large, well armed man asked.

"Men from the town. They'll kill us. Hide."

A smaller female approached and crouched beside her. "You don't need to be afraid of them," she informed as she reached out her hand. "Come on, we'll get you out of here."

Kailee felt a kinship with this one as she remembered the words of Sater, "I'm sending someone to free you from this prison..." He had heard her after all.

"You there," one of the mercenaries called out. "Where is she?"

"Who are you talking about," the other male fighter returned.

"We're here to kill the beast who's been hunting our livestock and has killed our children in the night. If you've seen her, inform us immediately."

Kailee knew she had never done any of those things, they couldn't be talking about her as she watched the two men and their female scout square off on the locals.

"There's no one here but us, move along," the larger of her saviors instructed forcefully.

"I'll not be barked at, son," the elder of the hunting party countered. "If you're harboring the beast, I suggest you turn her over."

One of the fighters stepped up as he swung, "We told you to leave," which started a fight. Kailee watched as the trio's silhouettes in the night attacked the armed mob and chased the remaining ones into the woods.

"Alister, let them go," the larger one implored.

Kailee rose and amidst the moans of the dying townspeople, she felt relief. She turned to the petite brunette standing to her left and finally took her hand.

"I'm Tia," she introduced.

"Kailee, nice to finally meet you."

Tia stared for a moment, then led her to the door and the second female whose blood smelled odd. "This is Elsea," Tia informed as the doorguard shouldered her bow.

"Hello," she nodded hesitantly. "What is this place?"

Kailee looked back to the forest as the rest of their companions approached. "This was where I was born." She felt a moment of hesitation knowing that Anush's home was down there along with the wolves that she had grown up around. This was it, she thought as her eyes scanned the forest and distant hills. Time for the new life, as Sater put it.