The Prince's Bride
Seba watched as his two companions sped forward, trailing the vampaneze's scent. He had stopped suddenly, leaving the other two to continue.
He immediately recognized the creature's path and had an idea.
"Paris! Geoffrey! Hold on! I just thought of something!" he caught their attention.
"Seba? What are you doing!? Come on!" Geoffrey urged. They would lose the fugitive's trail if they waited too long.
"We've nothing to worry about," Seba said in a somewhat laid-back fashion.
"I already know where he's going. We can take a shortcut and head him off."
"What? How do you know?" Paris questioned curiously.
"Never mind that! Let's just go!" Geoffrey shouted impatiently.
"Follow me," Seba turned and led his friends deeper into the woods.
*****
"Hey, Miki?" Naliasar Engel stood from her chair and stepped out into the front yard. Her brother was chopping firewood.
"Yes, Nailey?" Mikial Engel set his axe against a nearby tree and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"What is a hunter?" she tilted her head to the side in question.
He blinked at her.
"A hunter? Come on, now, you've gone hunting with me tons of times!"
"Well, yeah, but…" she paused. "That's not what I meant. I heard Remy's dad say something about a hunter coming here to rest; how the town could be in trouble. What's that about?"
Her brother looked at her, but said nothing, 'A hunter? But that could only be…'
"Miki, why would the town be in danger? What kind of hunter is he? Is he that man who's been stealing cattle from Ben?" she demanded. "If there's something I don't know, tell me!"
Mikial let out a long sigh, "No, Nalia, it isn't the man who took Ben's steer; they caught him. And besides, Ben wouldn't be a threat to the entire town."
"Then who's that man?"
"Nalia, have you ever heard the Tale of the Three Brothers?"
He caught her off guard.
"W- well, Miss Helen was telling us about it, but…"
"But?"
"I was… drawing." She blushed and laughed nervously. 'Such a quick change of mood. I hope that doesn't get her into trouble some day.'
"How are you ever going to learn if you don't listen to your teacher?" He sighed.
"Sometimes I worry you'll turn out to be a slacker and depend on me for the rest of your life."
"Were you going to tell me this story?"
He took a deep breath.
"Alright. Let's go warm up; it's too cold out here." He grabbed his axe and put it in the shed before joining her inside.
"Okay, you ready to hear a story?" her brother asked loudly.
"Come on, already!"
"Well hang on a second, I haven't even sat down!"
"Then sit!" she demanded, pointing at the stool across from her.
He shook his head. I feel sorry for the poor sap who marries this girl.
He took a seat and crossed his ankle over his knee. Naliasar copied him.
"Don't sit like that Nailey. It's not ladylike."
She humphed and crossed her arms. "I don't care about that stuff."
"You will when every man in town knows what you look like down there."
She turned scarlet and looked away. "Just tell your story."
"Okay. Here we go."
A/N: (Interesting Information) Naliasar is an ancient abandoned village in India. Also, Engel is an Anglo-Saxon term for Angel.