There are young ones that scorn the War of Ages, the unending battle for supremacy that our kind is engaged in. For once, they can be excused. They don't possess the perspective to realize that the alternative is much more terrifying.
-Melexes, Archon of the Eternal Freehold
Broodmates that completely trust each other are a source of headaches. The only common thing that they must share is the need to impress you.
-Mysaria of Lys, Grand Praetorix for Clan Ventrue
The sound of the riding crop, urging the horses on resonated through the air. It was followed by neighed responses as the horses increasing their speed to a speedy trot.
Before they left the Tower of Joy, Danelle had instructed her retainers, her Ghouls as was the correct term, to push their steeds as much as they could and then a little more. Similarly bloodied to increase their strength and stamina to the fullest of their potential the horses shouldered the weight of their mistresses demand. "We mustn't be late", she had said. "Punctuality is a highly prized attribute even more so within our Clan. We might have been afforded some leeway as to the time that is available to us due to the size of the congregation, gathering the Ventrue of an entire continent is time consuming after all but our line is expected to be better than the rest. Any delay could be a blemish to my prestige.". Lyanna had found that prestige within the Ventrue, the name of her new family, was everything. They sound like the Lannisters, she thought. They are certainly just as ruthless.
The first three nights were relatively uneventful. Every waking moment was spent being instructed in basic concepts. Lyanna learned of the Ventrue, their traditions, their superior breeding, enough etiquette to survive a night amongst her new kind. So very few changes, she thought. The aristocracy of the dead seemed to be as similar to that of the living. "Do you seal accords with marriages as well?", she asked with a smirk.
Danelle was not as amused. She was an unmovable statue, her skin marble white and her face unflinching save for the rare minor tic that made the sides of her eyes twitch when she was angered in some manner. Her hands, the left one balled into a fist while the right one held a riding crop, a tool that never seemed to leave her hand after she retrieved it when they returned to the carriage. It was a special order, a rod of wood encased in the finest black leather that coin could buy. A bat, the sigil of her Sire's warm House was emblazoned on the base of its handle. A tool of subjugation, Lyanna thought, trying to imagine how many people had been caught on its business end. "You shouldn't be as irreverent as you are, my dear. These rules, they are not superfluous or unnecessary. The Ventrue recognize that our existence is wild and unpredictable. Only through discipline can we thrive and that is why we rule. We ruled when Old Valyria was young and now we rule through the Eternal Freehold. Others may say that it's not the case anymore but they are lying to themselves", her voice oozed aggressiveness, the riding crop vibrated. Instinctively, Lyanna moved towards her corner of the carriage. She'll hit me, she thought. She'll hit me.
As quickly as she had lashed out though, Danelle composed herself. Her trademark smile, practiced and glossed over the years returned to her face. "Don't skulk, my dear. It's very unbecoming. I have my moments is all. Now… yes, marriage. It is still used within some circles, mostly to confirm accords between parties. Be careful not accept any offers while we are in King's Landing. It is a common joke among…", her Sire continued explaining the details of matrimony within the undead but Lyanna wasn't paying attention.
You might not drink the blood of children but you're definitely a touch mad, she thought. In the last three days of their shared travel, Lyanna had seen what happened when her Sire's façade began to crack. Danelle Lothston could be very charming, polite, even kind as far as bloodsucking monsters could be kind. But when things didn't go her way, when somebody irritated her or didn't conform to her demands, she could become violent in a very short amount of time. Lyanna didn't know if the woman had a Beast within her before she was Embraced but she believed that her change hadn't entirely shifted her character.
On the fourth night, trouble found them. It was innocuous at first. Their retainers reported howling sounds coming from the forest, a trio of what they supposed was wolves followed their carriage from a distance. They were unable to shake them. They followed dutifully and just far enough to not warrant a change in course, as if the women with the carriage were their owners.
"Have you seen wolves do that before?", Danelle asked her, eyes scanning the forest outside.
"Despite what people believe, we Northerners can't speak to wolves", Lyanna replied. "I am not sure if I've seen a wolf. They never came close to Winterfell". Lyanna might have never seen wolves before but she suspected that there was more to their followers than met the eye. "Are there Kindred that control animals?", she asked, an idea forming in her mind.
Her Sire nodded before shutting off the window's cover. "Yes. Lots of them, even I to a very small degree. But out here? A Gangrel perhaps. They are vile creatures, my dear, more animal than Kindred. They make for excellent warriors when tamed though", she said, tapping her cane on the side of her boots. "Which begs the question...", she began, her voice trailing off.
"Who tamed him?", Lyanna asked, tapping into her Sire's course of thought.
"Precisely, my dear. Precisely".
The next night, Lyanna felt the pangs of hunger from the first time since the Tower of Joy. They had been forced to stop their journey, much to the chagrin of her Sire. Somehow, the back right wheel of the carriage had been damaged. Their men had to affect repairs. They came to Lyanna when she was talking a stroll, looking out for wolves in the thick woods.
She had been instructed to let her Sire know when she would need to feed once again. Danelle wanted to make a lesson out of it, teach her how to feed properly, perhaps using one of the men as a learning implement. The thought of using a person as any kind of implement appalled Lyanna. It reminded her too much of her own father. There were worse Lords to live under than a Stark but by the way he spoke sometimes, Lyanna believed that while he believed in his duty towards his people, Rickard Stark didn't think of them as people. More like a shepherd things of his sheep, she thought.
Her reservations though were wiped away when Danelle began hitting one of the men with her riding crop. The poor man, a youth named Rodrik, suggested that they should travel at a slower speed so as to not pressure the barely repaired wheel. It was reasonable request. In Danelle's ears, it was tantamount to treachery. She pushed the man to the ground, throwing terrible words of abuse at him before she took it upon herself to reduce him into a sniveling child, to teach him some discipline, as she had called it.
Rodrik screamed in pain, begging for mercy whenever a hit connected with his skin. Lyanna wanted to put a stop to it or at the very least look away but she couldn't, the red hue of trickling blood inviting her in. She began approaching the spectacle with slow, reserved steps. She could see his veins pulsing under the pale moonlight as the smell of blood assaulted her nostrils.
Stopping for a moment as she realized that she had approached, Danelle jerked her head towards her, the first genuine smile that she had seen from her, spreading on her face. "Come on, teach him to be silent", she said, handing the riding crop towards her Childe.
"I… I want to feed", she retorted, hands trembling. Oh Gods…
Danelle looked at her, before waving at Rodrik's cohorts to return to their posts and prepare the carriage for further travel. "It's better than he deserves, but it will have to do", she said. "Go on".
Lyanna kneeled next to Rodrik. He had been reduced to a crying mess, tears and blood, oh the blood, mixing on his cheeks. Carefully, she cradled his head and bared her fangs. Just before connecting with the man's warm skin, her Sire's riding crop was interposed between them. Instinctively, she hissed towards it.
"Careful. He might be a worthless piece of meat and bones but you shouldn't kill him. You must learn to conserve your food", her Sire told her as if she was a Septa teaching her about the Seven.
When she removed the obstacle, Lyanna lunged forward, piercing the skin as easily as if it wasn't there. Warm blood shot into her mouth, eliciting a soft moan as she felt her thirst receding. She could taste Rodrik's fear and pain through the blood, a bitter yet pleasurable aftertaste. As the hot, viscous fluid run down her throat, Lyanna's hands tightened around the man, bringing him closer to her. His heart was beating, still somewhat strong but weakening with every gulp. She knew she would have to stop soon. Soon but not now… not now…
"That's enough", she could hear Danelle, the sound of her voice only prompting her to hold Rodrik closer, like a child whose parents threatened to take a favored toy. "I said that's enough, Childe", Danelle repeated but Lyanna didn't care, taking and taking.
And as she took, Rodrik's heart slowed and after a last, weakened beat, stopped altogether. Lyanna let him go, another moan coming out of her as she rose from the body. She felt warm and fuzzy, like baby with a belly full of milk. Her contentment didn't last. A swift whack in the face, delivered by her Sire's riding crop, brought her back to reality. Blood filled, her own this time filled her mouth.
"I told you to stop", Danelle said. Another whack followed. "Didn't I?" A third whack made her lose her balance. "I am expecting an answer"
Lyanna brought her hands to her face and mouth. Blood, hers and Rodrik's were smeared over them. She closed it into a fist, the sticky fluid making her finger sluggish, glued together.
I killed again, she thought. It wasn't up for any sort of debate. She had killed another person and this time, she couldn't fall back on the debilitating hunger of the newborn. The failure was hers and hers alone. The ease with which she had managed this made her fearful but what made her shudder was how she felt. The She Wolf wanted to feel as bad as she had when she killed her wet nurse, the woman that had cared for her and her boy. But she didn't. The shame was far less than it had been, overwhelmed by the positive reaction of her body to the act. It's already easier, she thought. Should it be or did I have Beast before being Embraced as well, just like her.
"Mysaria?", Lyanna asked. "The White Worm is my… grandmother of sorts?"
"Yes. And she hates that nickname by the way. Don't mention it in her presence", Danelle said, lowering the window's cover for a moment. The wolves hadn't been seen last night and they remained conspicuously absent this night as well.
"I'd imagine so. And what are her duties exactly? You said she was a Grand Praetorix", Lyanna pressed on, leaning slightly forward while testing the sound of the title in her mouth. The titles of the Eternal Freehold, the organization that her Sire and, by extension herself belonged were ancient, belying their Valyrian ancestry.
"She is Anagorix's, which is the Ventrue Archon within the Freehold and our ancestor, right hand woman. The day to day activities of our clan fall within her purview", Danelle said and then put a hand on her Childe's wrist, gently holding her. She turned it around and touched her veins with her free hand. "Within your veins runs the blood of beings of great power, my dear. You are the heir to a great bloodline".
Lyanna smiled just as she was supposed to. "Of course, heirs are expected to inherit at some point", she replied. "If we're immortal…"
A loud bang on the left side of the carriage made her stop. The grand vehicle moved heavily to the right, almost falling over. Men and horses screamed as another bang was heard on the right side a few seconds later. They were under attack. Another bang on the right and they were off their wheels. Lyanna couldn't fully suppress a surprised scream while her Sire swore at nobody in particular while grabbing the lantern that illuminated the inside of the carriage. Its flame flickered but remained burning.
"Sneak a peek, my dear", she ordered Lyanna. The She Wolf didn't completely understand her. "LYANNA!", Danelle shouted, her voice deep and authoritative, trying to get her attention.
"Yes?", Lyanna replied calmly. It seemed to her that her voice was not her own, a disembodied thing.
"Take a look out there"
"Right", Lyanna said. She crawled to the little window behind the position of the guards. Their throats were opened, blood trickling down their necks. The horses were trying to break the straps that connected them to the carriage, moving the vehicle slightly to either side, neighing scared. "They are de…"
Pair of red eyes made her swallow her words as they looked back at her through the woods. It is not an illusion, brought about by the thirst. It is real, she thought as the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. More eyes, three pairs of golden orbs appeared next to them. Wolves.
"There's one of us in the woods", she said, her voice flat as she tried to maintain her composure. "And he…he has wolves". A Gangrel?
"Our stalker shows his hand", Danelle said, pressing herself next to her in order to get a look. "Great". She pressed something into Lyanna's hand. It was a short sword in its scabbard. "I assume you can use this".
"I can… I am sorry, are we going to fight?", she asked, plainly shocked.
"No way around it, my dear. Now, I'll take the bastard on. Can you handle his rabid animals?", she asked matter of factly.
"I…I…", Lyanna muttered. She hadn't been in combat before, her life truly endangered. She had only played at the part of a warrior. Even during the Tourney, she hadn't felt fear for her life, her thoughts more occupied with ensuring her anonymity and winning. Knights didn't kill each other in front of people. This was like nothing she had done before. Do or Die. Truly die this time. It wasn't much of a dilemma.
"I can do it", she said firmly.
"Good", Danelle tapped her on the shoulder and grabbed the lantern that she had secured before. "Follow me"
They rolled out of the carriage, Lyanna from the left and Danelle from the right. Their blades were out, moonlight reflected off the cold steel. Walking slowly towards the eyes in the trees, Lyanna was glad that her heart wasn't beating, giving her enough courage to press on. She approached the horses, putting a gentle hand on them to calm the beasts as they still tried to cut off their straps. One of them was dead, it's entrails snaking out of its belly. The smell is aggravating them, she thought, unsure on how to help before focusing back on the eyes.
"Lyanna. Focus", she heard Danelle to her right. Her Sire was pressing on, the lantern held behind her back. "Come on, Dog. We're here", she shouted at their attacker.
Their stalker as she had called it, remained unmoving but its wolves exited the cover afforded to them by the trees, snarling. "How powerful!", Danelle shot back, mocking her opponent. "You must be so brave". The unknown assailant didn't answer with words, spurring its wolves into a dash against them.
Everything happened so quickly after that. The wolves charged at them. Danelle followed suit, pushing forward to meet them, a war cry leaving her throat. She pierced the wolf that was in front of her before the lantern flew from her hand. Lyanna didn't have time to question any of this, following the example of the others. She picked the animal closest to her and assumed an aggressive stance.
The wolf's teeth flashed white and the animal aimed for her throat. It lunged at her and Lyanna managed to evade the rows of teeth at the last moment, moving out of the way. Only to come face to face with the other wolf. It lunged at her and Lyanna raised her blade to him, taking advantage of its rabid charge. Her sword connected at the wolf's snoot, borrowing deep as the animals momentum forced her to move backwards. As she dislodged her weapon from the carcass, the woods in front of her blazed with fire. She snarled instinctively, her Beast reacting to the great danger of Fire.
More screams rose to the air, mixed with the remaining wolf's fearful howls as its master was hurt, crying in fear. It was chaos, plain, simple and unadulterated. Her Sire dove into the flames with Lyanna only watching her blade, the last part of her to disappear. She refocused her attention to the second animal. It approached her and began circling about, trying to find its opening.
Lyanna mirrored its movements, two predators measuring each other. It probed her with a false attack, tricking her into moving forward, closing the distance between them. Its teeth connected with her hand, cutting through her leather sleeve and remained there. Lyanna felt her dead skin perforated by the sharp incisors but she didn't feel the urge to scream or flinch. Finally, Death has its upsides. As the wolf kept its teeth inside of her hand and began shaking her violently, Lyanna thrust her blade upwards. It connected with the animal's neck. She kept pushing upwards until its flesh proved too difficult to cut through. The wolf's jaw weakened, releasing her hand. Lyanna pushed it forward and fell upon the animal. Burying her fangs into the animals throat close to where her sword had pierced it, she destroyed whatever semblance of neck remained. The foul taste of animal blood forced her back. She spat the bile out, disgusted by the taste. It reminded her of pus and ash.
When she managed to gather herself up, Lyanna scanned her surroundings again. She was alone. Alone and victorious.
But not without a scratch. Lyanna looked at her wound through the remains of her sleeve. If she was mortal, her hand would have been a thing of the past, an afterthought as the Maester would remove it to protect her from rot. Her thumb hanged on her skin by almost a thread. She touched it carefully, bringing it back to its socket, closed her eyes and focused.
Danelle had told her that she only had to focus on her wounds, visualizing them healing and it would be done. Might as well try it, she thought.
She hadn't attempted it before, the wounds that the crop had left on her cheeks too trivial to need a conscious thought to heal but now it was as a good time as ever. Danelle hadn't returned for a while now and she hadn't told her to follow her so there was plenty of time. She merely hoped that her Sire was still alive.
Lyanna sat on the ground and held her finger tightly to the socket. Closing her eyes, she saw her hand being whole again. And then, her hand burned. It wasn't the warmth one felt beside a fire, no. It was more akin to hot wax poured on her skin, not painful but definitely noticeable. A few second later, it was done.
She opened her eyes to find her hand whole. She moved her fingers about, testing their strength and her control over them. It was all there, restored to her. Lyanna touched her new flesh. It felt much the same as before.
Still waiting for her Sire, Lyanna tried to find something to do to occupy her mind. She went to the horses, trying to calm the frightened beasts down. They responded well to her touch, probably realizing that she was connected to their owner. Lyanna found that the Blood they had received had changed them profoundly, when one of them licked a patch of dried wolf blood from her hand. Everything that we touch is warped, she thought.
Before long, she had completely pacified them, using the blood of their former drivers.
And then Danelle reemerged from the forest. Her Sire was to put it delicately, a mess.
Her doublet barely hang on her, her pale skin bearing deep gushes where her enemy had no doubt slashed her. They didn't look like the marks the wolf made to her. They looked they had actually hurt her. Her Sire didn't seemed as mangled though, walking tall and proud like she usually did. The only indication of damage was limp that barely slowed her down. She carried her bloodied sword in one hand while her other hand was balled into a fist, equally red.
Lyanna's heart sank as she saw her in that state. As much as I hate it, she's the last "family" that I have.
"I am alright, Lyanna. Please. It's far less painful than it looks. That's why he's gone and I am here", she said, smiling at her. "You shouldn't try it though. His kind can still hurt someone as young as you".
Lyanna merely nodded, surprised again at how happy she was that her Sire still lived.
"I've kept the horses alive", she continued, reporting her side of things. "But what are we going to do? Just as you said, this area is sparsely populated. Is there any shelter?"
"Ride towards King's Landing as long as the moon is up and hope that we come across an inn", Danelle said, looking briefly up at the sky. "If we're unlucky, I'll teach you how to use a shovel".
"A shovel?", Lyanna asked, clearly perplexed.
"It's a wonderful invention. And quite useful to our kind."
Author's notes:
-An eventful trip for our two vampires, one that is not yet over.
-Thanks to those that have commented and as always any additional feedback is appreciated.
-People having a Beast before they are Embraced is a turn of phrase, not something that can actually happen. I am afraid that I didn't word that well in the text so I am clarifying it here.
-Till we meet again.