CHAPTER ONE.~ waiting in the moonlight

The night air carried a chill that swept down to her very bones, the little moonlight that shone down upon the uneven ground before her didn't hamper her eyesight. She shrugged her shoulders as if to shake the cold air out of her bones, glancing at the door to which she was waiting at.

By the height of the moon in the sky it is easily past midnight she thought as she leaned back on the tree just out of the lamplight of the door. How thirsty she was, she could feel the torment of it at the back of her mouth. I should have fed before I came on this god damn watch, the man wouldn't be out till near dawn, she thought not that that was a problem for me unlike the rest of my kind.

Trying to forget her thirst she closed her eyes, knowing if the man did come out her senses will tell her. Taking a deep breath she remained as still as possible, meditating. It was a new concept as Akuji showed her it when he came back from his journey. She nearly broke her concentration frowning at his so called journey, 3 years before he came back with yet another of his female 'companions'. Companions they may be – in bed.

The sound of the man appearing stopped her train of thought of bed companions, his blood pounding hard and quick in his body. He is scared she thought as she pushed her body off the tree, oh well at least he knows his fate and knows that he can't stop it from passing this night.

She looked at the man, he looked around 40, was fat, stunk like a dirty pig pen, and wearing an oversized Cross upon his chest, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Why do mortals believe in this? Does he wear it for the sake of his religion or for protection against the creatures of the night? In the end it will not help him.

She holds in a laugh as he shakily raised his hand and clasped the cross on his chest holing it in front of him as if to fend off the darkness surrounding me.

"I... I know you are there you cursed creature! In the name of God I banish your evil soul to the deepest pit of hell!" He roared getting more courage the more he yelled, she was nearly impressed if it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't the evil soul here.

~...~

The man looked shakily left and right, he could have sworn he saw the dark outline of a human being out there. Believing he was safe till morning at least he turned only to see a lady dressed in black behind him.

"I believe you are misinformed" The strange women said to him in her silked covered voice that raised the fine hairs on his neck. She was looking at him with her purple eyes which held him in a trance until he realised who she was. His legs suddenly got a rush of energy as he took a step back preparing to run for his life, letting go of his cross.

"I'm not going to hell... You are."

That was the last thing he heard on earth before his throat was cut cleanly and his life blood started pouring out of him.

~...~

Looking down on the body of the rapist, and murder of young children she felt nothing. No bloodlust, no pity, no happiness that this man was dead, just a job done. Kneeling down and wiping her dagger on his rough homemade tunic. She closed his unseeing eyes and looked inside the house. Only when she saw the body of a beaten girl about 16 years of age did she begin to feel angry. This man died too swiftly for the pain and suffering that he had brought to others.

Forgetting her rage she turned away from the body of the murderer and young girl and started walking towards the road. Her jobs tonight was just beginning and she still have to feed before returning to her own personal hell.

Glancing once more at the house where the girl laid in her own blood she whispered "Brisingr" as soft as the wind.

At once the house caught fire; it was the best burial she could give the girl in this world of torment. At least she can leave it, where I am domed to walk forever. She turned once more to the dark road ahead of her and continued on her way.

Too much to do and so little time...