Chapter 9

This flying experience with Athan was much better than my last. I trusted him more now. He wasn't the monster I thought he was in the beginning. He was human. He had his own struggles and even though he would probably live until the end of the earth he still suffered. Well at least that's what Jacqueline had told me and she had known him for more lifetimes than I could ever live, so I think her word is truthful.

Athan whispered my name softly as his cool breath made my skin shiver. "Rebecca?"

"Hmm"

"You can let go now. We've been on the ground for a couple minutes now." I opened my eyes. We were on a large open grassy field surrounded by woods. "That is unless you wanted to stay in my arms like this." I could feel him pull me in closer to him, his clear blue eyes looking deeply into mine. I felt as though my body were about to melt away. He looked behind me.

"Your horse is over there." He let go of me sadly, freeing me of his bewitching presence.

Athan walked over to magnificent white horse and stroked its silver mane. I had never seen such a beautiful horse before. "This is your transportation home. If I remember you were riding with that…James was it."

Hearing him say that name hit me like a punch in the stomach. I had nearly forgotten all about him. I felt horrible. He must have been worried sick and here I was indulging every moment Athan held me in his arms.

"Rebecca," Athan's voice while it broke me out of my worried trance made me feel worse about James. "I want to explain some more things in detail that I don't think I was completely clear about before."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the things you can not say while you are with your family."

"Oh."

Athan directed his attention to the horse. "From what I understand your father is a Lead Hunter's Guild member, therefore some rules do not apply to you. He probably knows a lot of the information I would normally not have you say. So I must go into great detail as to what you are not allowed to say. You can speak about us and what we are like your father probably already knows about that, however you can not speak about our abilities. You can also speak about the homes you have been to and your garden but not about the area surrounding or inside the City. You may speak about your experience but under no circumstances are you to speak about that incident with my sister nor about anything you have learned. Are we clear?"

After a moment of soaking it all in I nodded to him. Athan reached behind his back and pulled out a leather bag tied off with string.

"Inside this bag is enough money for you to stay in as many hotels as needed and enough to give to your family as a gift." He handed me the pouch gently. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. My family lived by the mercy of donations to keep us going and this – this would take away all my father's troubles. "No need to say anything I know what you are feeling. You should get going now."

I turned to my snow white ride and as I was about to mount him I was wisped up into the air and placed softly on the ornate saddle of the horse. Athan still had his hands on me when I looked back at him.

"It wouldn't have been gentlemanly of me to just let a woman get on a horse unaccompanied" He smiled softly at me. I could feel my heart flutter at his gesture. "To get back to your village ride east from here. Just over that hill there you will find a road" He paused. "It's the same one I found you on." He was silent again but not for long. "Once your visit is done ride west for about two days then stop in the nearest village, sell your horse and I will be there to take you back. Understood?"

"Why on earth would I be riding west when I will get there from the east? It makes to sense."

"It makes perfect sense just do as I tell you."

"Alright." I was still utterly confused but I would just have to trust him.

"I'll miss your company while you are gone. Please be careful." My cheeks reddened at his words. Before I could respond to him he vanished into thin air. I was all alone now. What else to do but ride east to see my worried family again.

While I rode through the dark I was wary about my surroundings. What was in the woods? Would my "status" protect me? By sun rise I was still alive and had come across the town of Rekine.

As I approached Rekine the guards stopped me at the gate. "State your name and business here."

Just normal procedure. I thought. "My name is Rebecca Fields, Daughter of Steven Fields the Lead Guild Member of Summors and I am here to take rest from traveling."

"You're coming with us. Get off the horse Ma'am."

"Wait! What have I done?" A large man took off the horse and restrained me.

"You are impersonating a dead woman ma'am or you are her aftermath. We have to take you into custody"

"This is stupid, Aftermath look nothing like their pervious selves!"

"And you would know this how, Ma'am?"

"I am Rebecca Fields, the daughter of a Lead Guild Member of course I would know that!"

"I'm sorry but she was reported missing then dead more than two months ago."

Had I really been gone for two months? They started dragging me into the village.

"Wait, where are you taking me?"

"To Lead Guild Member, Hawthorne."

"Hawthorne, that's my father's best friend!"

"Ma'am please refrain from lying! He is still grieving her loss."

"What why?"

"Apparently she was killed in his territory. He and Lead Guild Member, Fields are not on best terms because of it. Stop resisting, Ma'am."

As the two men took me through the village people stared at me with questioning eyes, like I was some criminal. We entered the Hunter's Guild Post where that stares were even more unbearable. We came to the door of Hawthorne's office but went the opposite direction.

"Wait Hawthorne's office is that way!"

"Ma'am I don't know where you got the information but you are not seeing him now. We are putting you in a holding cell until he is ready. It's still early morning."

"A holding cell, why?" They didn't respond. Calm down Rebecca. Once Hawthorne sees you everything will be alright. I stopped asking questions and did what they told me. It wasn't these two that I had to plead my case with, it was Hawthorne.

They took me low into the building and put me a solitary room. Around the door were all sorts of objects from garlic to small crosses.

"What are those objects for?"

As the men locked me in the room the smaller one spoke. "They are things to keep Vampires away. You know about aftermath but not that?" His tone was condescending. After that he and his associate turned and left me there in the room.

It felt like I had been left there for hours. Hawthorne was going to want to know information. Like where was I all this time? Why hadn't Athan killed me? From the rules Athan had laid out I didn't even know if I permitted to talk to him. I needed to ask Athan but he was probably hundreds of miles away not to mention these objects may keep him away as well. As I sat there I came up with the craziest of ideas. Maybe Jacqueline's blood was still in me, maybe I could contact him. Out of desperation I thought his name over and over.

Athan. Athan. I waited a few seconds but, heard no response.

"You called." I opened my eyes quickly to see Athan standing before me.

"Wha- How?"

"Doesn't matter I'm here."

"B-but those things on the door…"

"Are useless. They may keep Aftermath away but, not an Ancient such as myself. Anyway you called."

I was in shock. "Uh- The Hunter's Guild is keeping me here. They think I'm some kind of imposter."

Athan nodded slowly. "Very well, I understand. You have to handle this situation yourself however I will not let this cut into the time you have with your family. When you get out I'll give you an extra day with your family for your troubles."

"Thank you!" I jumped up wrapped my arms around him. I pulled back. "Wait I know that there were rules for what I could tell my father and Hawthorne will want information."

"The same rules apply. Since your father is as close as I think he is with this Hawthorne, He would have told him anyway. I need to go. Call me if you need anything else." As he spoke his last words he was gone.

"Ma'am." I turned and saw two new guards at the door of my cell. "Lead Guild Member Hawthorne will see you now." They opened the door and walked me to the door leading to Hawthorne's office.

"You will go in yourself Ma'am."

I pushed the doors open and saw the old man I had grew up with. He was robust for an older man and even though his face has hardened with years of hardships his eyes were still kinder than ever.

"Hawthorne." He looked up from his desk.

"Oh my God, Rebecca!" He rushed up from his desk and hugged me. "Y-you're alive!" As he backed away I actually saw a tear in his eye. He looked over my clothing. "You're a Societas, to whom?"

"A Vampire named Lord Athan."

"A-Athan, Son of King Kyros, how on earth did you get away from him?"

"He let me go to see my family."

He pulled me back into his arms. "Do you know what your Father has gone through? I'll take you to him myself." He pulled me out of his office. "Hunter, prepare my horse and hers as well." He turned to me. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. We all thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry I worried you."

"No, no don't be."

A Hunter came up to us with my horse and another. "Sir, your horses are ready."

"Thank you." Hawthorne helped me on my horse and mounted his as well.

"Are we leaving so soon?"

"Yes we must move as fast as we can. You have no idea how much your father needs you right now. Come on let's go."

"Is he alright?"

Hawthorne was silent for a moment. " He's fine as man can be when he thinks his daughter has been killed."

Even thought it felt like hours I was in an out of that town relatively quickly. We traveled in silence. Hawthorne seemed to be more concerned with getting me to my family. This was the way he was, once he got his mind on something he committed to it and saw it's to its end.

As the sun started to set I noticed we actually coming up on the exact spot that I had first seen Athan and I had last seen James.

"Rebecca, we need to keep going." I hadn't noticed it but I had come to a complete stop. "This is the area isn't it, where you were taken."

"Yes" I muttered softly. We stayed there in silence.

"Rebecca it's almost nightfall and we're all most there."

"Right." We started off again and before I knew I was looking at the gate of my home town. I couldn't help the welling emotion inside. I didn't think coming back to see something as simple as a wall would cause me to be emotional.

I could hear a soft voice come from beside me.

"Rebecca, is that you?"