November 20, 1800. 3:57 a.m.
the north forest
Michaela glanced around the nearly bare trees in agitation. This was not good. This was really very not good. A whole night of hunting and all they had were three rabbits and some large rats.
"Should we keep searching, or would further effort be futile?" Sharma voiced the Gangrel's concerns.
"I don't know." Michaela admitted. "It's almost December. Most of the big animals have gone into hibernation. The only ones we're going to find at this point are the ones who got confused by the lack of snow and came out to see if winter had skipped a year."
They both paused for a few seconds.
"There's no way in heaven or hell we're going to feed fourteen vampires with this." Sharma finally said.
"Tell me about it." Michaela sighed heavily.
There was another pause, as two Cainites not accustomed to sharing their thoughts moved off into separate little worlds.
After a solid five minutes, Sharma looked up. "Have we considered feeding in the village?"
"Calvicht? Too risky." the Gangrel answered. "The towns so small, vampire rumors would spread before we could blink. And the last thing we need is a pitchfork mob calling attention towards us."
"I suppose not." Sharma admitted. Stupid idea. She was so busy focusing on having been proved wrong and trying to think of a better idea that she didn't notice the animal-like howls singing through the night air.
At least, not until Michaela nearly collapsed.
"Gangrel?" she called across the clearing. "What is wrong with you?"
Mika shook her head. "Nothing." she croaked.
Sharma hopped over a fallen log and went to her ally's side. "What happened?"
Mika sighed heavily and covered her face with both hands. "Do you hear that?" her muffled voice asked.
"Yes...." the Assamite nodded, finally marking the howls. "Is that someone calling you?!" she would assume Gangrel communicated int he same way wolves did.
Mika groaned. "My sire."
"You told him where you were going?"
"No...." she shook her head and crossed her arms. "But I came here with a couple of ghoul canines. They probably went back to him..."
Sharma stared hard at her. "You can't answer. You'll give us all away."
"But he'll come here if I don't go and meet him. Do you not realize that?"
"Then there is only one choice." the Asdsamite stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You must go to him, but tell him you were the only one who survived. Then go back to your haven and never return or speak of this. It is the only honorable way."
Michaela's shoulders sagged and she gave Sharma and exasperated look. "Can YOU sucessfully lie to YOUR sire?"
Sharma realized the validity of that question and looked down at the ground. Of course Michaela couldn't lie to her sire. No one could lie to their sire. At least, that was what she'd heard.
Mika sighed. "I may be able to get him to leave and not say he's seen me. He'll probably do it. And I might be able to get some information out of him on what the official Camarilla position is on what's happened. But beyond that..." she paused. "...I just can't let him think I'm dead."
With that, she bounded off into the trees. A few seconds later, Sharma heard her answer the continued howls.
The Assamite just stood in the clearing holding their catches for a moment. She should go back, even if it did mean facing the others with little sustenance. But the Gangrel's last statement had struck her as odd. She couldn't let her sire think she was dead? Did it really matter that much to her sire? Sharma had no illusions that her death would be any great blow to her clan. Least of all to her sire, mainly because he was completely dead. Her mentor might be angry if Sharma was killed. But only becuase it would mean all the rafiq's years of hard work gone to waste. Not because she had any great love for Sharma.
Well, if the Gangrel had a closer realtionship with her sire than that, more power to her. It wasn't Sharma's affair. She turned and made her way back to the house.