Death comes in packs.
Disclaimer: I don't, there I've said it.
A/N: Thank you all who reviewed for my story! I love you all sooo much! And everyone must see that new mover coming out in September called Underworld, about the werewolves and vampires. I think it'll be great! ^__^
Chapter nine, Hope never dies.
The morning was crisp and cool, as the League trudged out of the Homestead Inn's red door. All of them were still groggy even in the crisp, early morning air that should have woken even the most tired of people, but the League had more on their sleepy minds than the craving of more rest. The whispering danger to east clouded their mind like a fog. No one wanted to wake fully to the realization that these few days ahead could be their last.
All that is, with the exception for Nemo, who seemed to never let down his prefix of perfection. His body was a machine running at optimum efficacy, and until he was too old to walk, it would always be this way. He'd learned that this way was the easiest and no one would ever convince him otherwise.
Sara placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn. She loved the early mornings, and hated the fact that she was never awake enough to enjoy them. A light fog wisped about their ankles as the walked across the, glistening dew covered lawn to the woods to retrieve the automobile.
They found it where they had left it, about one hundred feet into the tree line, the dew glistened off the metal and plastic giving the white mobile a some what angelic look to it. Angelic or not they'd still be crammed into it for most of the day.
One after the other the League pilled into the automobile, Sawyer and Mina sat up in the long front seat this time with Nemo. Sara, Jekyll, and Skinner piled into the back in that order.
Skinner wasted no time in promptly falling back to sleep snoring loudly, it was after all 'the ungodly hour of four in the morning', as he said it. He hadn't bothered with his greasepaint yet, they'd be spending most of the day in the car, Sawyer and Nemo alternating driving while the rest of them sat around trying to amuse themselves in small talk, or lost in deep thought.
Sara yawned widely as she rested her head against the window, she may as well get some sleep as well, no telling what was waiting for them at Holycross. The air outside cooled the pane of glass she rested her warm forehead on, it felt nice, she thought dreamily, as she fell into sleep.
Jekyll glanced helpless at those surrounding him, Skinner and Sara were both asleep, and Sawyer was in deep conversation with Mina and Nemo over the possibilities for the automobile in the future.
Jekyll personally thought this would branch out into a new wave of technology he couldn't even begin to imagine, nor would he live to see. A depressing thought really. He stifled a yawn himself, he was so dreadfully tired, and he glanced to Sara's sleeping form.
She was curled up into the seat as best she could, using her arms as a make- shift pillow, her hair spread across her shoulders. She had dawned her accustomed multi-colored skirts again, they were bunched around her legs in a tangled rainbow, and the two black leather triangles that were her boots peaked out of the colors in contrast.
He smiled down at her. He really did love her.
You're playing with fire Henry, Hyde's voice said inside his mind, surprisingly mild. What do you think she is going to do after you kill the head werewolf? Hm? After she's killed him, she will have no use for you, or the rest of the league.
H-how do you know? Jekyll's shaky voiced asked.
She's not the type of girl to hang around, just look at her Henry, and take her whole appearance in. Jekyll had already he knew her face by heart; he didn't need Hyde nagging him about it. She's got gypsy blood in her. Their not the sort to just settle down.
Yes, but--
Just you wait, Henry, just you wait. The voice of Hyde was silent.
Sara murmured a little in her sleep, no one notice but him, she curled into a tighter, smaller ball and her face tightened as if she were having a nightmare. Tentatively he put a hand on her shoulder. She stopped murmuring and her hand reached up to find his, grasping it tightly like a drowning man's lifeline to shore.
Mina's head turned just the smallest bit and, for the life of him, it looked like she winked at him. Good God! Did she know?!? She smiled a slight bit and was off into the conversation once again, something about a Henry Ford in America patenting a 'Truck'. She does know! Came a dawning realization. Did Sara tell her, or had she figured it out on her own.
'Women!', was his exasperated thought. He leaned back into his seat trying to get comfortable, he reached into his threadbare pocket for his watch, but it wasn't there. He looked again to Sara and saw that she had his watch dangling from her broad leather belt. He could have sworn it wasn't there before. She had a smile on her face and was still holding his hand tightly. It didn't look like she had moved at all.
He slouched down, and left himself drift to sleep, for the first time in a long while, with a smile on his face. She was full of secrets. He thought and began to drift to sleep.
Hyde's voice floated across his subconscious, some worse than others, his gruff not quite human voice said. Jekyll however didn't hear, he had fallen asleep and had no intention of waking up until they had reached their destination, and what ever awaited them there.
**A few hours later**
"We have arrived." Nemo's voice boomed from the front. It had been his hour to drive when they arrived at Holycross, a small town; encompassed entirely by woods on all sides.
The buildings were crammed together as if huddling for safety. All the doors and windows were shut allowing the League to view the different shapes of red warding off danger. The automobile clanked over the carefully tended cobble stone roads that lead through the town's circle. They drove a little ways out of the building nearer to the forest and passed the rubble of the ancient Holycross church, the old steeple still rising straight and tall defiantly reaching for the heavens, its cross still gleamed in the light of the fading sun. Nemo stooped just short of the old abbey bridge, and they all filled one by one out and trudged solemnly to the town.
"Quite a 'how do you do' eh?" Skinner said as they walked into the town circle. He surveyed the closed doors and windows disdainfully.
Sara sniffed the air cautiously, "They are afraid." She said, "The sun is about to set."
"Well I can see that but why-" The group turned on him as if they were trying to melt his head wit their minds. "Oh yeah that's right, night is creepy crawly things go bump." He smiled sheepishly, "I've been sleeping most of the day."
In the middle of the town's center there was a crud wooden cross, craved so hastily that the wooden ends were knobby and a few twigs still clung to it from were they had not been striped smooth. Tied off of it three bones that were tied by red ribbons to the cross, they swayed ominously in the cool breeze that promised that night.
"They lost three to the pack." Sara said observing the cross. "This us to warn travelers that their town had been 'infected' so to speak. They did this in my village when it was attacked."
"So we have some too late?" Nemo asked his eyes darkened at anger, one of the bones was too small to be an adult's. It was a child's rib bone. It was common knowledge that werewolves turned to pick off children more than an adult, but the thought made the group's stomachs turn.
"No, these are fairly new. I don't think that the pack will have left quite yet. If we act quickly, Nemo, this may be resolved tonight."
"We can only hope so." He said solemnly.
"So what now?" Skinner asked stepping in.
They stood and thought about it for a moment before Sara said, "We should split into pair and search the most likely places the pack has been."
"And where would that be?" Mina asked.
"The farms on the outskirts of town, up and down the river banks and the ruins of the old monastery, those would be the most likely places. Food, water, and shelter." She ticked off the reasons on her fingers.
Sawyer looked to the woods that were visible even in their current position. "What if they are just out there in the woods?" He asked, "Just like any other animals."
"They're getting bolder." Jekyll's timid voice said, "Or at least that is what Hyde says."
Mina smiled and nodded, "I think he is right about that. My own instinct tells me as much."
"That's right. From what I gathered, HE gets bolder and bolder with every town he goes through. He's probably close even now."
Nemo looked around and estimated the distance from one end of the town to another, "I suggest that we do split into pairs, as Sara suggested, and meet back here hourly."
No one had any objections so they split into their pairs, Nemo and Skinner decided to search the farmlands, Mina and Sawyer the river, and Sara and Jekyll the ruins of the monastery.
Disclaimer: I don't, there I've said it.
A/N: Thank you all who reviewed for my story! I love you all sooo much! And everyone must see that new mover coming out in September called Underworld, about the werewolves and vampires. I think it'll be great! ^__^
Chapter nine, Hope never dies.
The morning was crisp and cool, as the League trudged out of the Homestead Inn's red door. All of them were still groggy even in the crisp, early morning air that should have woken even the most tired of people, but the League had more on their sleepy minds than the craving of more rest. The whispering danger to east clouded their mind like a fog. No one wanted to wake fully to the realization that these few days ahead could be their last.
All that is, with the exception for Nemo, who seemed to never let down his prefix of perfection. His body was a machine running at optimum efficacy, and until he was too old to walk, it would always be this way. He'd learned that this way was the easiest and no one would ever convince him otherwise.
Sara placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn. She loved the early mornings, and hated the fact that she was never awake enough to enjoy them. A light fog wisped about their ankles as the walked across the, glistening dew covered lawn to the woods to retrieve the automobile.
They found it where they had left it, about one hundred feet into the tree line, the dew glistened off the metal and plastic giving the white mobile a some what angelic look to it. Angelic or not they'd still be crammed into it for most of the day.
One after the other the League pilled into the automobile, Sawyer and Mina sat up in the long front seat this time with Nemo. Sara, Jekyll, and Skinner piled into the back in that order.
Skinner wasted no time in promptly falling back to sleep snoring loudly, it was after all 'the ungodly hour of four in the morning', as he said it. He hadn't bothered with his greasepaint yet, they'd be spending most of the day in the car, Sawyer and Nemo alternating driving while the rest of them sat around trying to amuse themselves in small talk, or lost in deep thought.
Sara yawned widely as she rested her head against the window, she may as well get some sleep as well, no telling what was waiting for them at Holycross. The air outside cooled the pane of glass she rested her warm forehead on, it felt nice, she thought dreamily, as she fell into sleep.
Jekyll glanced helpless at those surrounding him, Skinner and Sara were both asleep, and Sawyer was in deep conversation with Mina and Nemo over the possibilities for the automobile in the future.
Jekyll personally thought this would branch out into a new wave of technology he couldn't even begin to imagine, nor would he live to see. A depressing thought really. He stifled a yawn himself, he was so dreadfully tired, and he glanced to Sara's sleeping form.
She was curled up into the seat as best she could, using her arms as a make- shift pillow, her hair spread across her shoulders. She had dawned her accustomed multi-colored skirts again, they were bunched around her legs in a tangled rainbow, and the two black leather triangles that were her boots peaked out of the colors in contrast.
He smiled down at her. He really did love her.
You're playing with fire Henry, Hyde's voice said inside his mind, surprisingly mild. What do you think she is going to do after you kill the head werewolf? Hm? After she's killed him, she will have no use for you, or the rest of the league.
H-how do you know? Jekyll's shaky voiced asked.
She's not the type of girl to hang around, just look at her Henry, and take her whole appearance in. Jekyll had already he knew her face by heart; he didn't need Hyde nagging him about it. She's got gypsy blood in her. Their not the sort to just settle down.
Yes, but--
Just you wait, Henry, just you wait. The voice of Hyde was silent.
Sara murmured a little in her sleep, no one notice but him, she curled into a tighter, smaller ball and her face tightened as if she were having a nightmare. Tentatively he put a hand on her shoulder. She stopped murmuring and her hand reached up to find his, grasping it tightly like a drowning man's lifeline to shore.
Mina's head turned just the smallest bit and, for the life of him, it looked like she winked at him. Good God! Did she know?!? She smiled a slight bit and was off into the conversation once again, something about a Henry Ford in America patenting a 'Truck'. She does know! Came a dawning realization. Did Sara tell her, or had she figured it out on her own.
'Women!', was his exasperated thought. He leaned back into his seat trying to get comfortable, he reached into his threadbare pocket for his watch, but it wasn't there. He looked again to Sara and saw that she had his watch dangling from her broad leather belt. He could have sworn it wasn't there before. She had a smile on her face and was still holding his hand tightly. It didn't look like she had moved at all.
He slouched down, and left himself drift to sleep, for the first time in a long while, with a smile on his face. She was full of secrets. He thought and began to drift to sleep.
Hyde's voice floated across his subconscious, some worse than others, his gruff not quite human voice said. Jekyll however didn't hear, he had fallen asleep and had no intention of waking up until they had reached their destination, and what ever awaited them there.
**A few hours later**
"We have arrived." Nemo's voice boomed from the front. It had been his hour to drive when they arrived at Holycross, a small town; encompassed entirely by woods on all sides.
The buildings were crammed together as if huddling for safety. All the doors and windows were shut allowing the League to view the different shapes of red warding off danger. The automobile clanked over the carefully tended cobble stone roads that lead through the town's circle. They drove a little ways out of the building nearer to the forest and passed the rubble of the ancient Holycross church, the old steeple still rising straight and tall defiantly reaching for the heavens, its cross still gleamed in the light of the fading sun. Nemo stooped just short of the old abbey bridge, and they all filled one by one out and trudged solemnly to the town.
"Quite a 'how do you do' eh?" Skinner said as they walked into the town circle. He surveyed the closed doors and windows disdainfully.
Sara sniffed the air cautiously, "They are afraid." She said, "The sun is about to set."
"Well I can see that but why-" The group turned on him as if they were trying to melt his head wit their minds. "Oh yeah that's right, night is creepy crawly things go bump." He smiled sheepishly, "I've been sleeping most of the day."
In the middle of the town's center there was a crud wooden cross, craved so hastily that the wooden ends were knobby and a few twigs still clung to it from were they had not been striped smooth. Tied off of it three bones that were tied by red ribbons to the cross, they swayed ominously in the cool breeze that promised that night.
"They lost three to the pack." Sara said observing the cross. "This us to warn travelers that their town had been 'infected' so to speak. They did this in my village when it was attacked."
"So we have some too late?" Nemo asked his eyes darkened at anger, one of the bones was too small to be an adult's. It was a child's rib bone. It was common knowledge that werewolves turned to pick off children more than an adult, but the thought made the group's stomachs turn.
"No, these are fairly new. I don't think that the pack will have left quite yet. If we act quickly, Nemo, this may be resolved tonight."
"We can only hope so." He said solemnly.
"So what now?" Skinner asked stepping in.
They stood and thought about it for a moment before Sara said, "We should split into pair and search the most likely places the pack has been."
"And where would that be?" Mina asked.
"The farms on the outskirts of town, up and down the river banks and the ruins of the old monastery, those would be the most likely places. Food, water, and shelter." She ticked off the reasons on her fingers.
Sawyer looked to the woods that were visible even in their current position. "What if they are just out there in the woods?" He asked, "Just like any other animals."
"They're getting bolder." Jekyll's timid voice said, "Or at least that is what Hyde says."
Mina smiled and nodded, "I think he is right about that. My own instinct tells me as much."
"That's right. From what I gathered, HE gets bolder and bolder with every town he goes through. He's probably close even now."
Nemo looked around and estimated the distance from one end of the town to another, "I suggest that we do split into pairs, as Sara suggested, and meet back here hourly."
No one had any objections so they split into their pairs, Nemo and Skinner decided to search the farmlands, Mina and Sawyer the river, and Sara and Jekyll the ruins of the monastery.