When the van slowed, a shoulder nudged Milena awake from her gentle dozing. From the lack of daylight, her brain registered the passing of the day. It also acknowledged the night's temperature, making goose-flesh crawl over her arms after the young Grimm reluctantly stepped into the freezing night. The open door closed behind her and she watched, yawning, as down the line of cars every soul younger than twenty slipped into the night. Once empty of the younger Grimms, the cars would pull away from the side of the path and continue down the dirt lane. In less than a minute a bend in the road made them vanish altogether, leaving only the smell of exhaust. Rubbing the sleep from their eyes, the eight odd teens gathered in a ragged circle, teeth chattering as they watched their teammates depart.
Some of teens Milena knew and some she did not. Lilith, Ruiss, Magda and Renata had all been to the camp before and didn't linger by the roadside for long. As they quietly slipped into the trees, the three other Grimms looked to Milena. She sighed and turned her feet in the right direction, knowing the others would follow. I am Valian's daughter. Milena gritted her teeth together.
Their camp was built a couple of miles away from the road and well hidden. Like everything else, having two camps was a precaution against attack. Most people assumed that all Grimms would house together and that was their mistake. It they found one camp, the other Grimms then had a chance to organize themselves for a counter attack, tactical retreat or rescue attempt. Milena knew the way well enough she could have found the camp blind. If she wasn't lucky, some day she might have to.
Differences between the rank of the older hunters compared to the younger were evident as the small group trudged through the woods. Both Ruiss' and Lilith's eyes swept the trees around them, hands casually near their weapons and muscles at a half awareness. They breathed quietly and at times, they breathed as one. Milena's movements were a mirror image of theirs.
The other teens had a harder time staying silent. Twigs cracked through the silent woods, someone stumbled and a soft oath almost made Milena snap a reply to be quiet. Magda and Renata were better than most but they didn't temper their breathing or actively search for a threat. Stalking techniques didn't matter this deep in Grimm territory but the skill at which they traveled through the woods bothered Milena.
Wesen already had sensitive smell; hearing and some albeit rare wesen could feel the vibrations through the ground. By the next day, many of the younger Grimms would be heading out on their next hunt, assigned to kill and while they might be under supervision of experienced hunters, if their skills weren't enough to conceal them from their prey, they would die.
Milena let out a heavy breath. How well they could stalk prey would not be an issue on the hunts the less experienced Grimms participated in. Most of them would be gone the next day, petty wesen on their schedule while she and other more experienced people would tackle the real jobs.
Milena had been placed on the 'big job team' for two years now, the easy hunts that lasted little over a week replaced with hunts that, on average, lasted four months. Mastering the sword was only part of the job; the other half was filled with stress and careful planning.
"Stalking is more important than killing the wesen." Valian drilled the idea in their heads. "I want to see you alive by the end of your mission. If you kill the wesen but die beside your prey, that mission is a failure."
Easy practice included outings like the previous night, killing large groups of inexperienced wesen for money. Now that she was older, Milena was often given the planning portion of the hunt, learning to use her head now that she had honed her skill with the blade.
A loud snap echoed through the quiet woods and instinct brought Milena to a crouch, left hand on her blade. After a few moments of stillness, she rose and resumed to walk, coming side by side with Lilith and Ruiss as they straightened before pressing on. Continuing through the thick woods, Milena forced herself to concentrate on the task of getting to the cabins. All the Grimms below the age of twenty had their own cabin space, a place they knew by heart because if nothing else the cabins ringing a small fire pit in the middle of nowhere, was secure, safe. It had been years since Milena had last seen her cabin.
Stepping clear of the woods, she had to fight from running to the place she had claimed years ago, barely retaining the calm pace she set. Ruiss gave a loud whoop and raced toward her room, Lilith rolling her eyes as she followed. Most of the younger Grimms copied Ruiss' move and rushed to their doors, groping for the key they had hidden from their last visit. Walking through the quickly dispersing crowd, she ignored the invitations to an after party by the younger kids and quietly slipped up to the front porch of her room.
From an outsider's viewpoint, the oaken cabin would seem intimidating, the ancient structure large, dark and everything but pleasant to look at. Bullet holes riddled the chipped, charred edges of the structure, complimenting the bars crossing the few windows whose glass was bullet proof. Matching twelve other houses spread across the clearing, the cabin she had claimed was not the prettiest picture. Milena gently stroked the wood and let out a breath as her chest suddenly loosened. It only took a moment to find the hidden key.
One story, lacking decorations and spotted with belongings she didn't need or have any sentimental value too, Milena felt herself relax. This was the place safety lived, the place where she learned who she was, the place where she learned how to defend her life against monsters that haunted her waking dreams.
It smelled different. Shutting the front door, the girl inhaled deeply, sank down the wall to sit on the floor. The air had a bitter metallic taste to it, one she faintly recognized but couldn't name. What does it matter anyway? A long awaited smile broke over his lips. I'm home.
X
Screams woke her. A shower, clean clothes and a small snack had left her quiet and content as her body eagerly slipped into sleep. Her clock had read 11:36 Pm and glancing at the time now, the red numbers formed 3:57 Am. Knowing a light wouldn't help her, Milena quickly placed her boots on her feet and grabbed the knife she kept by the door before sprinting out into the night.
As the sound again washed over the camp, the young Grimm felt her skin crawl and gooseflesh erupted over her arms. The sound was one of pure animal terror, a sound bleak of hope and forever lost in the darkness of a person's soul. It was no surprise the chilling wail lead her to the cabin she recognized as Ruisseau's and Lilith's. She threw open the door and searched the room until her eyes depicted shadows near the back of the cabin.
Pressed firmly against the oaken wall, Ruiss let loose another wail, tears streaming down her face as her small body rocked with sobs, the knuckles of her fists already bloody and raw from punching the ancient wood. The only thing that restrained girl from throwing herself at the wall again was her sister.
Lilith's face was an emotionless mask as she held her sobbing sibling, enduring the blows from sharp elbows, knees and heels, resolutely holding Ruiss to protect her from herself. Milena flinched from hearing the blows make contact. Ruiss was not a weak girl.
Rushing forward, Milena dropped her weapon and held the blond girl's feet down as she wailed words Milena now recognized as French, both the sister's native tongue. "Momma, veuillez ne pas y aller! Lutter contre eux, les combattre!"
Lilith retained her deadly calm as she shouted to be heard over her sister. "Hold her arms." Milena received five punches to her arms, shoulders, even face, that left her the skin tingling as she completed the task. The youngest girl snarled as a rabid animal in a trap would, her eyes opened but not aware of her surroundings.
Once secure, Milena watched as her older cousin placed her fingers on Ruiss' neck. The youngest girl screamed one last time before sagging, limp as a doll. Both girls sagged along with the third, the places Ruiss had hit throbbing with their heartbeats, promising bruises come daylight. It took a few seconds for Milena's heart to stop pounding, another minute to steady her breathing and by that time, Lilith was motioning for her to pick up Ruiss' feet.
Gently as they could, the two girls carried their limp burden to her bed where Lilith slowly covered her sister with a blanket. The usually stoic girl hesitated before smoothing Ruiss' matted hair back, an oddly intimate moment that caused Milena to look away.
The young Grimm instead studied the walls of the cabin, a carbon copy of her own. Ruiss' side was covered in posters, most of them bright colors. All of them were hung hazardously, without pattern or problem as if Ruiss had literally thrown them at the wall to decide where they should be. She probably did just that.Milena amitted to herself. Ruiss' had made it clear countless times before she didn't wish to curb her enthusiasm for life, the exact opposite of her sister's perspective.
Bleak and bare, Lilith's didn't have anything on it, not one picture or even a tack. A few boxes rested by the foot of her bed, and by the looks of it, only one was half filled. Lilith had always been a minimalist, practical. Milena turned back to the sisters, watching for a moment as Lilith stood by her sister's bedside, the intimate moment over. "She still dreams of that night?"
The elder girl didn't answer immediately, moving to sit on a chair opposite her little sister, sagging in the ragged chair. She rubbed a hand across her face, the deep black moons underneath her eyes winking at Milena in the dimly lit cabin.
"At least she didn't have her knives." Milena half heartily joked.
The older girl didn't crack a smile. Milena didn't blame her. Ruiss had slept walked with her knives only once but Milena knew it was a sore spot for the two sisters- Ruiss had nearly killed Lilith when her sister attempted to disarm her.
"Her night terrors have been getting worse Milena."
Nodding in agreement, she sank beside Lilith, sitting on a table as they watched Ruisseau sleep in peace for a second. The older girl rubbed her face again and uttered a bitter oath. Her hands curled into fists in her lap a moment later. "It has gotten to the point where I've been taking the knives she normally sleeps with because I don't know whether or not she can be trusted."
Milena tried to imagine sleeping in the same room with Ruiss and didn't think she could live with the fear of receiving a knife to the back from her roommate. These cabins were suppose to be a refuge, protection and security during the days between battles, a home that, despite the chaos, would never change. If you can't rest in the only place on earth that offers peace, where can you go?
"Did she do this on the hunt?" Milena asked quietly.
"No. Ruiss always does better when she can shed blood-"
"Of those responsible."
Lilith sighed again, watching Ruiss in silence, eyes tracing ever line and curve of her little sister's face, as if she was trying to memorize every detail. "I've been trying to prepare her for the day I go to complete the trials. She's gotten nothing but worse in the last few weeks."
A twinge of guilt bolted through Milena. She had forgotten Lilith was now old enough to be sent to the Trials, sent to the ring where she would face the horrors the Royals had brought from the dredges of hell. That's will be me in little less than a year. Milena realized.
"She hasn't taken the news well." The older Grimm's voice was soft as Ruiss shifted in her bed. "I don't know what will happen when I leave."
"We will watch out for her."
"And who will comfort her? Do you want something to drink?" Lilith stood before Milena could reply and poured two cups of water from a near-by pitcher. Lilith had always had been a person of action and Milena accepted the cup handed to her without complaint. The water tasted like the metallic air in Milena's cabin but the girl drank it anyway. Her cousin only held the glass, watching the liquid swirl back and forth.
"She has friends here." Lilith glanced at Milena when the younger girl spoke in accented French, a small attempt to comfort her. A few minutes passed before Lilith responded, her French soft in the near darkness.
"Yes. But Ruiss only finds relief from her night terrors when she spills blood. How long will it take for her to make that connection? How long will you have to wait for her to start killing not just wesen but people as well, simply because they are closer? How long until she looses reason and we have to hunt one of our own?" Her whispered words made translating for Milena difficult but the message was clear. Lilith stood, her face once more emotionless as she addressed her younger cousin in English. "Thank you for your help."
Knowing she had been dismissed, Milena nodded, stood and walked to the door. On her way out, she set the cup near the pitcher and hesitated by the entrance. Lilith had already sat in the chair again, staring at the only thing she had left in the world, bruises darkening her pale skin. Her normally cool manner had dropped and Milena knew no one else would ever see the open, bleak expression Lilith wore at that second. Her words echoed, hammering themselves into Milena's skull as she walked the short distance back and laid down in her bed, staring at the ceiling as sleep evaded her.
How long will you have to wait? Milena closed her eyes, feeling her expression mirroring Lilith's. No matter how hard she tried, Lilith couldn't stop loving her sister, couldn't stop trying to help a girl whose memories were slowly driving her mad. How long? Milena squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tears leak beneath the lids.
How long until you have to kill her?
I haven't done a disclaimer in a while so here it goes, I own nothing of Grimm. All the rights to the characters belong to NBC except those of my own making.