Author's Note: Okay so I have some things that are ESSENTIAL TO THE STORY in this paragraph. "Why not just put it into the story?" You might ask. Well, in the story this is somewhat common knowledge and it would be awkward for it to be said. I mean, wouldn't it be awkward if you were a girl and just walked into a room screaming: "I have a vagina!"? Yes . . . yes it fucking would. So that's why I am saying it here. Anyways, in the story, Vampir (vampires )are a race that has the ability to speak through the mind and read the minds of one another. However, they find it very personal to do so and so it is not used. They are also a race that is not very physical. They don't really hug or kiss or hold hands (even though their feeding is very sensual [and so is their sex, especially their sex]) so they don't really understand that kind of stuff. Contrasting greatly with that however, the Lupine are very physical. Touching each other, rubbing against each other, kissing, licking, pretty much everything except sex is a very natural everyday thing (except in royalty. They're kinda "family only" when it comes to that). While Lupine cannot read each others mind they are very much one of those "one body, one mind, one soul" type of bunch. Sex is considered the greatest way to become closer with one another and it is very sacred and kinky. They are very loving and understanding of feelings and it's the cutest fucking thing when you put them with a vampire. Also, the royalty of the Lupine has the ability called "God's Whisper" (shown in chapter) that allows them to perform this sort of dog whistle type thingy. It pretty much just gets all their subjects under control. It is, however, extremely taxing on the body to use and often goes against the morals of the Lupine king/queen to use, therefore it is not used much. Is that everything? Yeah, I think that's it. Either way, enjoy! Gotta go cuddle my cat cause he's licking my leg. (He's a weirdo.)
"POV language."
"POV different language."
"POV mental speech."
"POV different language mental speech."
2
"Princess!" Kaede cried as she rushed to the newly captured wolf.
"Kaede, I'm sorry, I was captured-"
"It's fine as long as you're alive, sweetheart."
Sesshomaru watched as the two women embraced, crying. All around them the captive wolves began to swarm each giving their respective greetings and touches and "thank goodness" to the young woman as she joined them. Eyes narrowed, Sesshomaru regarded the scene with suspicion.
"Sir, shall we depart?" his lieutenant asked. Turning briefly to the man he nodded then turned to his troops.
"We are leaving back to the CovenHaven!" he proclaimed to his soldiers. "Keep the wolves in check along the way! We will return before dawn two days from now so travel light and fast! Do not touch the prisoners, anyone caught doing so will answer to me!" a chill ran over the mass of soldiers, however, all saluted and the move began.
Walking to the back of the line of chained wolves, Sesshomaru's face remained impassive as his soldiers began moving them to the cliff were camp was set up. There, waiting, were their horses and carts to move the large mass of prisoners. Slowing his pace, Sesshomaru spotted the woman and the maid at the very back, holding hands -no doubt a strange wolf custom- and speaking softly to one another. As they passed him he fell into step beside them and instantly they fell quiet.
"The two of you are to translate this Sesshomaru's words to the prisoners when the occasion calls." The statement left no room for argument, Kaede however, did not care.
"Why should we, Vampir brat?" she hissed. Beside her, the young woman caught the somewhat murderous glint in Sesshomaru's eyes at her friend's defiance.
"Kaede," she spoke worriedly, grasping the old woman's hand tightly, "please just do as he says."
The old woman stared at her junior in disbelief.
"But, princess-"
"Please, Kaede. We do not want him to harm anyone."
Sesshomaru watched as the maid and the woman exchanged words in Lupine. He did not interfere in their seemingly heated debate, but in his mind he was loosing patience, quickly. Around him, his soldiers watched in near disbelief at the old wolf's defiance, amazed at the courage to do so. The whispers beginning to spread between them caused Sesshomaru to snap.
"You are to do as this Sesshomaru says, understood?" his voice lowered dangerously. Both of them ceased in their debate to look at him. The woman walking beside the maid looked at him with something he could not comprehend in her expression before nodding.
"We will do as you say, General Sesshomaru." She spoke. Her voice held no poison or underlined hatred, instead, its maturity and odd elegance brought Sesshomaru to suspect her. Earlier, the wolves swarmed her as if she were some higher-up. A chief, maybe? Looking at the worn cloak wrapped around her shoulders and the dirty dress underneath he quieted his suspicion. He would leave his musings of her alone. For the time being.
~ ~ ~ . . . ~ ~ ~
"Guy's a bastard," the man chained in front of them spoke as Sesshomaru moved back to the front of the line. Kaede huffed.
"I couldn't agree more," she spoke loudly, hoping he would hear even if it was in their native tongue. Rin grasped the hand of Kaede and squeezed it, drawing her maid's attention away from a heated discussion on Sesshomaru using words she would not utter so that she looked at her.
"Kaede-" she began, but realizing just how desperate their situation was she raised her voice, "no, everyone," she spoke up so even the wolves at the front of the line could hear using their sharp ears. "Please," she begged, "please just do as the vampires say. I would hate it if anyone got hurt, so please, just keep your heads down."
Gasps and whispers then began to spread throughout the chain, a few children in the group began crying, and the people that had been captured in their wolf form began howling.
"But princess!" some began to protest.
"Why, princess?"
"Bless you, princess!"
"Princess!"
"Princess, please!"
The large clamor that began in the prisons made the white clad soldiers begin to rear.
"Quiet!" they began.
"Shut it!"
Against the shouts of the soldiers, the villagers continued with their ruckus and it soon began to escalate into shouting.
"Everyone!" Rin cried, desperate to quiet the uproar, "Everyone, please! Be quiet! Please, they'll hurt you!"
"But princess!"
"Don't be afraid princess, we'll protect you!"
"Princess!"
Panic rising in her heart, Rin grasped Kaede's hand tighter.
"This is getting out of hand." Wrinkles deepening, Kaede spoke quietly. Rin shook her head, causing a frown to form on Kaede's features.. She could see the faces of the soldiers growing exceedingly guarded and hostile as their trek down the path through the forest from the village halted. Hesitantly she looked to Sesshomaru at the front of the line, reluctant to see his expression. His face was stern as he peered directly at her, golden eyes raging.
"Quiet them, woman."
The sound of his voice in her head caused Rin to gasp in shock of the intimacy. Instantly, dictating the situation as one of extreme urgency she fell back to her last resort. Opening her mouth slightly and clearing her throat and airways she took in a deep breath. She breathed out and instantly all the people in front of her fell silent in shock. The villagers froze as the tone, heard only by their ears, put them in a trance. A daze fell over the group and when Rin closed her mouth it took a few seconds, but slowly, life returned to the people.
The soldiers watched in awe as the people slowly came back to their senses and looked around in confusion.
"What the hell?"
"What just happened?"
"What was that?"
Slowly coming to, Kaede barely processed Rin beginning to fall forward. Reaching out to catch her, she stared at her princess in panic.
"Princess?" she cried, "Princess!"
Rin's vision grew blurry as, slowly, her eyes closed. Her last glimpse before falling into unconsciousness being Kaede crying to her and Sesshomaru, expression grim with slight confusion in his eyes, standing above her.
"What are you?" he asked.
~ ~ ~ . . . ~ ~ ~
The maid whipped around to face Sesshomaru as he watched the woman, browns drawn slightly in confusion.
"What did she do?" he asked her sharply. The maid looked slightly taken aback. Slowly she turned to the unconscious woman. The march had halted, again, and cries and whispers of worry spread throughout the wolves. The maid's face looked as if she was deciding something. Growing exceedingly impatient with the events of the night Sesshomaru's eyes began to glow red.
"What did she do, Lupine wench?" he hissed. The soldiers around him backed off slightly as waves of ill intent began mentally flowing from their General. The maid bit her lip before looking at the man in the eyes.
"It's called 'God's Whisper' in our culture." Kaede spoke quietly, eyes shadowed. Sesshomaru growled.
"What does it do?" He bit out. Kaede shivered under his gaze.
"It's a technique that affects all Lupine that are close enough to hear it. It puts them in a . . . trance, so to speak."
"Is it common in wolves?"
Kaede flinched at the common term given to Lupine, mentally debating to tell him the truth. The princess' words to obey the general entered her mind as she bit her lip.
"No." she finally answered. Sesshomaru looked down at the girl in deep thought.
"Who is she?" he asked. He left no room for lies in his tone.
"She is . . . our princess."
Drawing his sword from its hilt Sesshomaru wasted no time in positioning the blade over the princess. Kaede screamed and threw her body over her mistress. Cries of surprise and shock came from the Lupine as Sesshomaru's blade descended. No cry or scream came from Kaede in that instant, instead, the sound of breaking chains reached the wolves' ears as the cuffs around the princess' wrist was broken.
Sheathing his sword once more, Sesshomaru tore the maid from Rin and slid his arms under her knees and head. Picking her up fluidly, Sesshomaru wasted no time in moving up the line of wolves. Instantly the villagers began fighting against the chains.
"Give her back!"
"If you hurt her I'll kill you!"
"Get your hands off of our princess!"
"Princess! You bastard!"
Sesshomaru ignored the shouting of the villagers while he walked past as his soldiers held them back. At the back of the chain he could hear the maid screaming at him.
"Do not harm her! Do not harm out princess!" she cried. Sesshomaru paid no mind as he approached his lieutenant at the front of the line of prisoners.
"Get them moving. Tell the old woman at the end to translate that if they do not cooperate the princess will die. I am going ahead." He informed curtly. His lieutenant saluted nervously at his general's orders, the seriousness of his command shown in his use of the word "I". He quickly ran to the back of the line to do as he was told.
Sesshomaru began walking again, gradually speeding up his pace till his movements became a blur. The forest rushed round him as he ran up the path, approaching the Cliffside the rest of his waiting troops were stationed atop of. The Lupine princess was small in his arms as he cradled her making it easy to reach the path zigzagging up the face of the cliff and jump up with speed.
He released a small breath as he touched down on the edge of the cliff, the train of villagers far beneath him. His white armor clanked as he strode to the small camp set up within the several hundred horses and large jail carriages meant for travelling. Entering the main tent he wasted no time in setting her down on a cot to the side of the darkened tent. Turning he was met by three of his soldiers that had recently been eating by the scent of blood on them.
"General," they saluted. He noticed their hungry gazes on the princess and instantly shut them down with a glare.
"Do not touch her." He clipped. All three nodded. "Where is Jaken?" he asked, his eyes searching his tent for his messenger gargoyle.
"Sir," his soldier standing nearest to the door reported, "I last saw the gargoyle Jaken near the horses next to B tent."
Sesshomaru frowned.
"What was he doing?" he asked, his voice hinting at suspicion. The three guards looked amongst themselves in confusion, all pondering back to the awkward sight of the green gargoyle hunched over beside the mares.
"We- We're not sure, Sir." The same soldier replied. Sesshomaru, obviously displeased, turned on his heal, his silver hair whipping behind him as he made to the exit of the tent. He did not look back from the entrance when he said,
"If any of you touch that girl I will kill you."
Review, please! ^ ^