Aurora

Disclaimer: Not mine. Sorry. I'm just playing with 'em. They're fun to play with.

Summary: During Carlisle Cullen's stay at Volterra, he learns there are other creatures that go bump in the night...


Chapter 7

The clouds covered the sky in a way that did seem to match my humor well. I was glad of it. Rare were the days when the sun did not shine in Volterra. I wished for a place where the clouds covered almost always, so that I may no longer hide in the shadows. I wished to blend with the human world, not hide from it or cower in the darkness.

Caterina came through her bedchamber door to her private meeting room. I stood at once, and, on instinct, did bow to her. She smiled at my attempt. I noticed a fine gown, ornate with its silver lace, draped upon her arm. She held it up for my inspection.

"I fear it will be too big for her," Caterina said sadly as I looked at the piece. The gown was too lovely. The lilac silk blended perfectly with the silver lace that did enrich it. Although I found it fitting, I did not want Caterina to part with such wealth for one she did not even know.

"It is a grand gown, Caterina. Surely it must have cost," I started as I fingered the silk hem. Never had I owned anything that could even begin to compare to its magnificence, and yet my sister was easily willing to hand such a dress over. Indeed, never had I owned anything that would even begin to cost as much as this fine frock.

Caterina laughed to interrupt me. "Worry not, Carlisle. It is but a thing," she told me, her eyes still a bit light as she redraped the gown upon her soft white arm. She patted the silk gently and looked at it over her arm thus. "All things change, all things wither away," she said sadly.

Her voice was as such that I began to wonder if she too had any regrets as to what we had become. I knew, by her tone, that it was not of just the dress she did speak. We are the only creatures that I do know of that do not change. Dresses and habits change in style and turn to rags through the years of wear. Their time doth lin and none would think upon it. Humans too change with each passing day. I thought on Laura's soul and how it had left this earthly life. Though I had tried for a good many months, that was something I could not achieve. I found myself rather amazed that it was no longer something I wished to achieve either.

In my ability to not change, I could learn. My existence was something I could devote to the art of learning and to help those with what I learned from my studies. Medicine, one of the scientific arts, seemed like a natural calling for me. No, we could not change, I had told myself, but we could help to change others.

I walked closer to Caterina. She looked up at me with a soft smile upon her lips. "If thee wilt but allow me a moment, I have need to arrange my hair before we leave," she said, placing the delicate dress upon a nearby chair. I could not but notice that her hair hung loose behind her. She had made no pains as of late to place it proper as she had not left the confides of her room. I wonder if she did not leave because her husband, of whom I have yet to meet, be not around.

I had yet to ask her of him though I wished to know the one my sister had long ago chosen as her mate. She may have chosen him prior to my human birth for what little I did know. As I thought on it, I could not recall any speaking of him. This unnamed husband of which Caterina did belong was much absent from her life it seemed.

It be but a small moment before she did whisk back into the main chamber of her suite. She had upon her head a fontange of black lace over her hair in the latest of fashion. The dress was done up in a simple version of the mantua that had become fashionable. It was quite plain compared to what I had seen her wear at other occasions, all of it done in a black wool but for her white linen petticoat. The only adornment was her simple cross she always wear around her neck. It had a small ruby in the center of it. With such contrast betwixt the black and white, and the small bit of red from the ruby, I wandered how any husband could stand to be away from a beauty of a wife such as her.

"Shall we take to the church?" she asked as she retook the gown that she had placed upon a chair a few moments before. It sat prettily now on her arm. I was too grieved to remember my manners and take the object from her. I doubt that I would feel comfortable with a thing of such wealth in my hands either.

I answered her with a slight nod of my head. "Thank thee, for this, Caterina," I whispered. Not only was I grateful for the dress that she was to give, but for her somber dress, for her sending the messenger boy to the priest earlier to make the arrangements, and for taking the life I saw lost as seriously as I did. Or, to at least put face to such. I took her arm to lead the way to the church though I knew not where it was.

Caterina gently squeezed my arm as we went to exit the castle. I noticed that many looked unbelieving as we did pass by. It was if they could not understand the company to which either of us kept. Though I was not meant to, I did hear a few of the whispers.

"The animal drinker? What could she be thinking?"

"…and then I saw both Caterina and the strange one depart the garden together."

"If she takes to that, then she might force us all…."

The last one sounded worried. Force them all to what? What power did this woman upon my arm command over Volterra? And were they fearful that she might be influenced by one, such as myself, to drink the blood of animals rather than of humans?

Why one would be fearful of drinking animal blood instead of the blood of humans, I could not fathom. I did smile to myself. They all seemed concerned that Caterina had shown any interest in me, or at least to their minds. Word had yet to spread that our relationship was nothing more than mutual affection. This brought other troubles to my mind. How could I take a place at her side? Did she not already have a mate?

Once we found our other, or so I am told, we were theirs for the rest of time. Nothing could break the bond betwixt the two and to continue without was an unbearable pain. I knew nothing of it for myself since I had yet to find someone that changed me in that way. Caterina had claimed that she did marry and held a ring upon her finger as evidence of such vows. Yet, the whispers I heard did not match with what I did know. Were none others knowing of her vows? Or did others think that due to her much absent husband, Caterina would find another for his place? Such thoughts were disturbing and I placed them from my mind.

Once outside, Caterina place her hands in her muff. "The church is a short walk past the clock tower," she said quietly. Taking but a step forward she turned slightly towards myself, my arm still in escort around hers. "You will not mind entering a Catholic church for this measure?" she questioned, teasingly.

I did give a small laugh at that. "To quote the great Queen, there is only one Christ, Jesus, one faith. All else is a dispute over trifles," I told her. Watching the smile upon her face turn to laughter was a small joy on this otherwise dark day.

"Well, I do suppose the bastard was correct in that regard," she said so low I barely did hear her as we walked to the church.

The church was neither grand nor simple. It was a bit larger than my own and only bit more richly decorated, but it were nothing in comparison to the chapel in the castle of Volterra. The chapel made the church look grossly inadequate though it be not so.

A priest approached in his cassock and bowed slightly at Caterina. She gently left my arm and curtsied in reply. "If I might, may I change the girl to this?" she asked holding the dress aloft so the priest may know of what she spake.

"Indeed, my child," the man replied. "It appears quite extravagant for a serving maid," he continued, curiosity filling his eyes. When no response came from Caterina, he stole a glance at me. He became more amazed at the sight before him, a handsome man, and most beautiful woman, an extravagant gown, and all this for a serving maid. The priest took a moment to collect himself. I would normally have chuckled at his response to us but felt no humor but ill. The priest looked back to Caterina and gestured to lead the way for her.

Caterina saw his gaze towards me prior to us moving forward. "Oh, forgive me, father," she said quickly and gently tugged at my arm. "This is my brother, Carlisle," she introduced me as properly as she was able.

I bowed in response. "Father," I said, feeling only the slightest hint of a smile tug at my lips. It was gone the moment I remembered Laura.

The priest blinked and looked between us. He did appear most confused by Caterina's introduction. "Brother?" he asked, curiosity coloring his tone.

"Yes, my father was oft at sea. He married a pretty British woman and from their union came my brother," she informed him easily enough. She leaned towards the priest and whispered at a tone a human could not hear from where I did stand. "His mother did get called to heaven at an early age and my father married my mother when he made port in Venice. He believed that Carlisle needed a mother and so married quickly," she told him. I pretended not to hear but kept the information in my head lest such a need to explain should arise again. That we were sired by the same father but had different mothers would explain the differences in our hair and other features yet the similarities as well. Verily, we did have the same "father" given that we are said to have been changed by the same venom.

The priest nodded solemnly. "Come, my children," he said. As we walked, he turned to Caterina. "If you should like, the body lays in state in the catacombs as you did request earlier," he said. Caterina nodded in response.

Once we were at the door that led to the catacombs, for I could tell it was such by the smell of decaying flesh, Caterina turned to me to give me a simple command. "Wait here," she whispered without looking up at me. I did as she asked and watched her take her leave by the wooden door.

The priest and I waited for a few minutes in silence until my sister reappeared from the small wooden door. She looked at the floor, the dress no longer on her arm. "She is prepared now, father," Caterina whispered to the priest.

The man placed a hand on her upper arm in comfort. "She is with God now, child," he said. Caterina scarcely nodded and did not watch as the priest left to go find the gravediggers so that they might be pallbearers for the girl's coffin.

Once the priest has left us alone in the confides of the hallowed church, Caterina moved to embrace me. "I saw the marks," she said so low that had I not been a vampire, I would not have heard her.

I pushed my anger down again, anger at the family that caused such pain and grief. They did was they thought fitting to their class. To them, she was a lesser, more animal that human. None had been raised to respect all life, only the life that existed within their class or those that could help them achieve more power. I needed to remind myself they knew not what they had done when it came to those that had whipped her. "It was monstrous of them, but she is at peace now," I said more to remind myself than for Caterina's benefit.

She shook her head. "The marks," she stated as she broke away from me. "They were not of just the whip," she told me, not meeting my gaze.

"I know," I whispered back. With that, she looked upon me. Her eyes looked a bit more red than normal but I thought little of it. She did not have the look of one that had just fed. Those I had seen. Their eyes showed how the madness had taken them in those moments in which we feed. The madness doth linger in the eyes once we are fed. Caterina's eyes showed only anger, not madness.

"Thou doth know?" she asked, her tone full of shock. "Thou didst see that she had been…ravaged?" she asked, her voice quickly going back down to a sound I could hardly hear. She did have trouble asking and I did not blame her. I could not bring myself to think of it out of fear of what I might do to the family. I lost the ability to do much more than nod given my anger.

Caterina did not hide hers. "And thou wouldst have them live?" she asked, barely controlling her voice to not be raised so that we may not attract much suspicion.

I could not answer. It was the very question I struggled with in my own head. But I could not kill. The destruction of a human life, no matter how monstrous, was not the answer I wished for. I wished for Laura to be alive, unharmed and without any need of healing. Such a thing could not happen so how could the destruction of those that hurt her do any good?

Caterina's temper did show as she turned from me quickly, cross with me. She turned at an inhuman speed and I was glad that none else in the church did see her. The train of her woolen gown touched the toes of my boots. I was but the will of God that I did not try to comfort her. She appeared too cross and a vampire thus angry was not one to bother.

As by chance, such a passion did not last long. When the priest came to lead us to the cemetery, I knew by her look that her anger was fleeting. "Let me destroy them, please Carlisle," she whispered low as she walked by my side. The priest could not hear our conversation

.

She wanted to be rid of them? She thought my stubbornness in this matter was out of something other than the need to preserve human life? "I cannot condone it, Caterina," I said. She merely nodded and retook my arm. Any ill humor I felt to my sister melted at her touch. I could not stay angry with her any more than she could with me.

The coffin was more ornate than I did expect. It was of a rich wood with a cross upon its cover. I looked to Caterina post my inspection of it. She answered with a weak smile, "It is the least I might do."

The ceremony was simple and similar to ones I had heard my father perform whilst I was still human. I had only preformed them as such a handful of times. The most visible difference betwixt the ceremony I had preformed and the one of which the priest now did was only myself and Caterina made up the party for Laura's funeral. That it was in Latin rather than the English I had spoken upon such rites, I did not think on til much later.

The priest blessed us and the coffin was lowered. Caterina and I walked back to the castle with no words passing between us. The mood was not one for talking.

Once inside the now familiar stone walls, I began to escort Caterina back to her chambers. We were stopped by Aro, much to my grievance. I wished to mourn in private today. Only Caterina did seem to understand in any measure my concerns over human life hence why she was the one I did go to last night though I did not consciously think so at the time.

"Carlisle! Caterina! Oh what good fortune," he said in his normally joyous tone. He took not our mood into account as he approached. "I had hoped to find you both," he continued until he was a few feet away from myself.

"What be the issue, Aro?" Caterina asked, her ill humor showing. I still knew not why she seemed so at ease around the family that most vampires saw as their betters.

Aro looked taken back. His smiled was only momentarily gone from his face, however. "Should I have need of an issue to call upon my friends?" he asked innocently. Caterina's eyes narrowed. Aro looked almost nervous at her and only the sadness I felt from the funeral did keep my laughter in check.

"There has been an incident," Aro started.

"Claro," Caterina answered, perturbed.

"One of the guard has gone missing," he said. I could not help but noticed that he did appear more nervous as he spoke.

"Who?" Caterina asked, her ill humor fading. She did not move from my side though the concern showed through her features.

"Claudio," he told her. Claudio. I believe he guarded Sulpicia, Aro's wife. This may explain his nervousness except that he did always appear nervous in Caterina's company. I could not help to wonder why.

Caterina's face changed completely. Her mask was in place as she spoke. "Sulpicia?"

Aro held up his hand to gesture that nothing had transpired of ill. "Well, all is well," he said, relief at that clear in his voice.

Caterina nodded and stepped only a half step closer to Aro. "I shall see what has become of him," she whispered to him, softly.

"Thank you, Caterina," Aro replied.

She turned to me and gave me a quick sisterly peck upon the cheek. "I shall be back as soon as I am able. Study, go about your work. Do not neglect your duties, Carlisle," she told me. I did smile a bit at that and nod. And with that, she did take her leave, her woolen skirts flying behind her.


Author's Note: The next chapter should answer some of Carlisle's questions. But y'all know Twilight-verse, once the questions are answered, that just creates more questions!