Chapter 3
"Ah, Gabriel. Good morning. How good of you to join us so early."
"I couldn't sleep." Van Helsing turned away from the kind father, and looked to his nieces. The fiery red head was very nervously sat sidesaddle on a horse, clutching to the saddle with dear life. "Can't she ride?"
"No. Gabriella is having a go at teaching her. But it seems, she is having difficulty."
"I can see that." Wham, Izabella was off the horse and a heap ontop of Carl. He had been innocently reading his book, when he was flattened by the blood red haired field medic.
"Bloody hell!" he shouted, before catching his breath. Father Ionache winced at his language.
"He will never advance from Friar if he speaks like that."
"I don't think he wants to advance. He likes where he is, his job."
"I see…" Van Helsing chuckled, as Gabriella had to give her sister a leg up, to get her on the horse. "Oh dear, she isn't taking to it very well, is she?" they both laughed.
"Excuse me father." Van Helsing walked forward, and over into the stable area.
"No I will not 'swing my leg over'! I am having trouble breathing up on this thing, never mind moving an entire leg!"
"Izabella! You will do as I say or you will fall off…too late." She fell off the side of the horse, and into waiting arms. "Ah, Van 'elsing. Did you rest well?"
"I did actually. Up until I heard that scream…"
"At first I thought it was a child, or a dog. When it…"
"Changed." Izabella finished, and slid out of his arms. "Poor thing."
"Or not so poor." Van Helsing looked to Carl. "Was it a full moon last night?"
"Yes…I believe it was." He looked over his charts, and nodded. "Yes, it was."
"Then I think, we heard our furry friend last night."
"Well, I put money on it being a boy. Or a young man, late teens." Van Helsing closed his eyes in thought. "Not far away either, from how close it sounded." He was in his usual black leather garb, and his famous hat was on his head. He looked out the corner of his eye, at Gabriella. She wore leather brown riding pants, knee high brown boots, another brown corset and white peasant shirt underneath it. She looked particle and ready for anything. That, and she had a large sword hilted on her left hip. A knife was strapped to the outside of each thigh, and there was a long gun in a sleeve on the side of a horse, tied up by the stables. It was a white mare, with a large black patch on it's back. Another three horses were tied up next to it, one a small black mare, and the other two were large black, Transylvanian stallions. One was larger than the other, and he wanted it.
"Poor thing…"
"Don't pity werewolves Izzy, they kill as often and as many as they can each full moon. Just to feed."
"Oh Gabi. I still pity the poor boy who is forced by the werewolf venom to do those dreadful things."
"You are just a soft hearted fool." Gabriella smiled and hugged her sister. "Cheer up. You need to be focused to ride a horse."
"No you don't." Van Helsing countered.
"You do, if you're Izzy." She chuckled at him, and knelt down. Izabella stepped on one of her knees, and got up. "Although, you might not have to try as hard to get on a horse, if you weren't wearing a long dress." She rolled her eyes. Her sister was wearing flat black boots, true. But that didn't cancel out the fact she wore a very Victorian looking velvet dress, with a frilly white collar but no sleeves. She had slim green gloves to match the dress, and sat once again, sidesaddle on the horse. "Now hold the reins." She did. "And ease into a slow slow trot."
"slow slow?" he asked.
"Last time we tried a slow trot. It was too fast for her." He chuckled, and watched as the red head hold onto the horse, unsteady.
"Am I doing it?"
"If you sit up, and don't cling to the horse's neck for dear life, then I might be able to see."
"Don't tease me Gabi, it isn't funny!"
"No, you're right it isn't. Although it was when we started these lessons three months ago…"
"That long, and she still can't sit up properly?"
"No…" Gabriella sighed, and folded her arms. Her brown leather riding gloves matched her boots, and she looked up with her emerald eyes at Van Helsing.
Damn, she caught me staring. "So…anymore rules for me today?" he thought for a moment, and then smirked.
"I get the biggest horse."
"Ok…anything else?"
"I have total compliance from you at all times."
"I thought that was covered in 'do as I say at all times'?" she smirked at him, and he mock glared at her.
"Just making sure. You seem rebellious."
"You are joking, yes?" she looked over to her sister, who was now swearing at the horse. "I am the obedient quiet one. Izabella is the hot head and the wild child. But she has such a soft heart too. She has the guts, and nerve, and the heart for her job. She is perfect to be a healer."
"You have your talents too." Her frown turned upside down, and she looked to him with a grateful smirk.
"You are right, my friend. I am good at keeping her ass in line, as you say. And boys away from her, of course."
"Boys?"
"She is quite sought after. She is very pretty, Izabella. Though she doesn't see it. I have had to sometimes force some suitors to leave her be, in the past."
"And is she still unclaimed?"
"Yes, she has fallen for no one. And I fear she never will." She chuckled. "She loves her 'calling' too much."
"And you? Who chases off your suitors, while you protect your sister?" his dark eyes were entranced by her emerald ones, and she smiled up at him softly.
"The have been no suitors." She closed her eyes with a smirk, and stepped forward, so he could just see her back. She then looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes closed and a seductive smirk on her rose lips. "No one has the balls to pursue me." She then walked off, and resumed her riding lessons with her sister.
What a vixen. He groaned to himself. He had met his match in her. He knew it.
Carl looked up from his book, and smiled to himself. The Ionache sisters were a god sent blessing. He had panicked from the moment he learned he would be taking Izabella on as an apprentice, and dreaded Van Helsing meeting her. But the Lord was on his side, as it was Gabriella who he saw first.
I know that look, Gabriel. He chuckled into his ancient book. It was a blessing that the sisters came in a pair, as Van Helsing surely would have said no and threatened to make his book permanently apart of his anatomy, if it hadn't been for Gabriella. Just up his alley.
"No Gabi, that's not fair! I''m not ready!"
"But with a sisterly push, you could just surprise yourself, no?"
"NO!" Van Helsing and Carl were riding the two black stallions behind the two girls." Izabella had her hands dug into the saddle, as she sat to one side, while Gabriella sat fully mounted on the horse, and hold one her reins in one hand, her sisters in the other. "If you even think about it." She warned, but Gabriella threw her the reins. She shrieked, and grabbed the leather straps.
"See, you are doing fine. Now, urge the mare forward." She cooed.
"I'll give you urge the bloody horse forward!" she pouted and stared with fear at the back of the horse. "If you throw me off…" she warned it.
Gabriella laughed at her, and received a glare. "This isn't funny!"
"No, it's hilarious dear sister."
"So why do we have those two with us again?" Van Helsing whispered to Carl, as the girls bickered. Or as Izzy bickered, and Gabriella just took it with a smile.
"Because the order has recognised Izzy's talent as a medic, and Gabriella comes as her protector." He chuckled. "You have to admit, the reason you always gave the order for not having another member to our 'team' was that you couldn't afford to protect them too. This way, she has a protector and you don't have to worry about her."
"This is different. Before, they were men, and they were trying to become a future me. This girl isn't (for once) an Order trick, and I don't want to get either of them involved in 'our line of work'."
"We are here." Gabriella interrupted, and slid off her horse. They had come to a clearing in the middle of the forest, and pulled her sword from her hip. She pointed it at the ground, and looked to Van Helsing. "Here is where the last known attack took place. Although, our people have taken the body for a proper burial already." She used her sword to lift up a large brown cover. "The blood residue is still present." There was a large body sized patch of blood soaking the grass, and large claw swipes in the floor. Claw swipes, which were too big to be made by a dog.
"Carl."
"On it." He fumbled off the horse, and pulled a satchel from the back of the horse. He then knelt by the blood soiled grass, and dipped a small spatula into it.
"What are you doing?" Izabella asked from her horse height.
"Getting a sample." He said, deep in thought and concentration.
"If you get of the horse sister, you may be able to see for yourself."
"Forget it Gabi. I am not getting off this horse. I am not moving off or on this horse." She said with fear in her voice. The only reason the horse had stopped is because Gabriella stopped it for her. Van Helsing stood over the golden vixen and his friar friend, and watched.
"Well? Is it positive?" Carl put the sample in a test tube, then in a test tube rack, and added powdered wolfsbane to the veil. Sure enough, it turned a dark black, and Carl looked up with dread.
"Yes, very positive." He gulped. "That isn't good. That means the blood here belonged to the werewolf, and was spilled very recently."
"Last night I bet." He pulled his crossbow up, and looked along it through the trees. "I am going to go for a walk, and see how our wounded friend left from this spot. If I find blood, I will find him."
"I will come with you." Gabriella stepped forward, but he stopped her.
"No, you need to stay here, and protect your sister and Carl. I am capable by myself."
"They do not need protecting." He insisted.
"I think we do." Carl said nervously.
"What from?" Izabella said with just as much fear in her voice.
"That blood was pure werewolf blood. Something made the werewolf bleed…"
"And for all we know, that something might still be here." Van Helsing finished, and walked forward. His crossbow was high and he walked into the woods.
After about half an hour, everyone was on edge. The blood stained mass of grass was staring at them, and no one spoke.
Carl was sat on the clean grass, over his book. Izabella was still side saddle on her horse, and Gabriella leaned against a tree, bored stiff.
Then all went very silent…too silent.
And then the silence was broken by galloping hooves. From every direction, black horsed with bandit riders stormed through the trees, and shouted towards them. Carl jumped up and stood behind Gabriella, who was already stood with her sword brandished. They stood in front of Izabella, who was rooted to the saddle.
"Hello my lovelies." The leader said, with rotting teeth and a rugged beard. But not in a good way. He had a bald head, and regular bandit clothes on. He looked common, but his gun did not. "I am Petre, and I will be thieving all your worldly possessions this fine day. Now if you don't want to get hurt…" he gave them an ugly, cocky smirk. "Then you better play nice then, yes?"
"No." Gabriella, pointed her sword at him, her long wavy blonde hair veiling her face and her stance strong. Her face was stern, and she glared at him with her emerald eyes. "I do not, 'play nice'. In fact, you will turn around and leave, now." she said calmly, but the horses and bandits all jeered and yelled, startling a certain mare behind the two. She snapped her head over her shoulder, and her hair flew through the air from her quick movement.
It all went in slow motion.
The mare whinnied.
He rose up on its back legs.
It pulled away from them, startled, and ran off into the woods…with Izabella still on its back. "No!" she yelled, and wanted to run after her, as 6 mounted horses pursued her instantly. But if she left to get her sister, Carl would certainly be slaughtered. That, and her horses were now in the hands of the fowl bandits. "Leave, release out horses and leave!"
"Now, you may be pretty my sweet." He smirked. "But you are in no position to be giving orders." The podgy man let his eyes roam over her, and that was the last straw.
"My sweet, this!" she ran forward, ducked round the horse and grabbed his side. She yanked him off the horse before he could blink, and brought her sword up.
But he kicked her over, and raised his gun.
Bang.
The bandit froze to the spot, and looked down. There was a hole right through his chest, and he dropped to his knees, dead. He then fell forward, and the other bandits looked to the same spot that Gabriella did. "Van 'elsing." She whispered, and then jumped to her feet. Her sword ready, she threw it forward and pinned one of the on-foot bandits to a tree.
Through his arm.
She then ran to her horse, pulled her long riffle from its sleeve, and pointed it right at the nearest bandit. In a rage, they all charged forward, to avenge their fallen leader.
Gabriella and Gabriel stood back to back, her riffle aimed along her sights, and his crossbow next to it.
"I want one of those." He smirked at her.
"And I want one of those." She smirked also, and then they both fired in unison. His silver arrows show through the air and either wounded them, or pinned them down. Her shots echoed through the woods, and did the same as her back to back partner. Wounded, or pinned. But mostly wounded.
"And I thought you couldn't handle yourself." He chuckled, and looked over the men she shot.
"Funny that." She smirked. "I was about to say the same thing to you."
"Can we please leave the tough talk until after the fray?" Carl panicked. "If you have forgotten, we are surrounded by wailing bandits, and Izabella is still-"
"Izabella!" she turned on her heels, swung herself up on her mare, and galloped off into the woods.
"-missing…"
"Missing?" Gabriel asked, as he hid his crossbow beneath his robes once more.
"Oh boy, I will explain."
"AAAAAAAAAAA!" Izabella screamed as the startled horse almost flew through the woods, on a full out trot, and letting branches whip at her arms and legs. She was finding it hard to hold on, and tears of fear ran down her face. "HHHEEELLLLPPP!" she cried out, and started to sway on the pelting horse. She could feel herself loosing her grip, and whimpered.
"Jump!" she heard a voice shout, and looked to the side. Up ahead was a young man, his electric blue eyes stunned her at first, and he stood by the side of the road. "Jump! I will catch you!" his voice was far richer than hers with the Romanian accent, and he looked very strong. "Do it now!" the horse assed him, and she pushed off the horse. She screamed, thinking she was going to smash into the floor.
But instead of the harsh, unforgiving floor, she landed in the open arms of the young man. Her arms clung to his neck, and her face buried against his shoulder. After a while, she got her breathing under control and yet, she still whimpered.
"I hate horses…" she sniffled, and heard a soft laugh. She looked up, and once again was entranced by those electric blue eyes.
"As do I." she was in the arms of an angel. His eyes enchanting, his hair was a sleek black, in curtains and came half way down his neck. His skin was pale, and his smile was warm. From the feel of him, the arms he held her with were very muscular, and the chest she huddled against was also very well built. And he was very tall too. "Are you alright Ms?" he lowered her to her feet, but she fell forward. He caught her, and held her to his chest.
"Oh, I, I, I'm fine." She managed, and smiled weakly. "My horse was startled."
"Yes, I can see that." He said…timidly? "Are you harmed?" his eyes still held her, so icy cold and yet so fiery hot at the same time, concerned, and yet analysing her very soul. He blushed slightly, and lowered his arms from her. "I am sorry." She blinked.
"What for? You just saved me." She chuckled, and wiped her tears away. "Thank you." He seemed touched by this. All she had said was thank you, after he had saved her life. But he melted, and his eyes grew wide with shock. He held her shoulders, and smiled.
"Are you harmed Ms?"
"No, just a little shaken." She still gazed up into his eyes, and looked to him with awe. Her hands rested on his chest again, and she felt him flinch. Wait…he isn't wearing anything on his chest! She looked down, and saw all he wore, were a pair of plain black trousers. And they were raggy around his shins, torn to tatters. And no shoes! She looked up again, pitying him. He must be poor, and freezing too. There was still snow on the ground after all. And it was bitter cold. She pulled her riding cape from around her neck, and moved it towards him. He flinched again, and for a moment, he thought she saw fear in his eyes. It was soon replaced with confusion, as she reached behind him with it, and tied it in place around his pale neck. Izzy closed it at the front, and smiled up at him. "Black, matches your trousers." She chuckled.
"…you…you are giving this to me?" He seemed utterly confused.
"Yes. You look awfully cold." Her time in Rome was really doing a number on her language. "And thank you."
"Y…" he was stunned. "Why have you given me this?" he still seemed confused about her giving him her cape. "What do you want from me?"
"Nothing." She chuckled. "You just looked cold."
"You want nothing from me?"
"No." she smiled, and the wind made her blood red hair fall forward slightly. "As you can feel from that wind, you will catch your death walking around in just your trousers…and saving girls from their death." She added with a smile, and was caught off guard when he pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you." Was he whimpering. "But please, tell no one of our meeting."
"What?" now that was confusing. "Why not?"
"I, I am not supposed to be out. If my grandpa found out then…" he trailed off as the sound of furious hooves came ever closer through the trees. "I must leave."
"Wait! I don't know your name!" she grabbed his arm, and he looked to her hand. "Please…" she asked so softly, she could have sworn she saw his eyes water.
"Vladimir. My name is Vladimir."
"Prince…" that is what his name meant. "My name is Izabella Ionache. What is your last name?" he was silent for a moment, and frowned.
"I do not know."
"But-"
"Farwell Lady Izabella." She didn't get to finish her sentence, as Vladimir vanished into the trees, and out of sight.
"…Vladimir…" a smile grew on her lips, and she could still see those crystalline blue eyed gazing deep into her eyes. She so wanted to see him again.
"Izabella!" she whipped round to see her sister, mounted on her mare and pulled to a stop by her side. "Izabella, are you alright? Where is your horse? Are you harmed?"
"I am fine. I jumped and it ran off, and I am really fine." She smiled, and looked back to the trees.
"Izabella…what are you looking at?" Gabriella pushed her golden hair out of her eyes, and couldn't see anything for her sister to focus on.
"Nothing." She lied, and turned to face her. "Shall we?"
"Yes." She reached to for her, but Izzy did not take her hand.
"After what I just went through, you expect me to get back on a horse? I think not!" she huffed, crossed her arms and walked back towards the way she came. "And I don't need to ask if you sorted out those bandits, I assume?"
"They are probably being investigated by Van 'elsing as we speak."
"Good good. How many wounded?" she started to do a tally.
"All." Izzy stopped, and then walked with her sister, who now walked and led her horse.
"And you wonder why I call you brutal?"
"I don't wonder why, I know why."
"Oh?"
"Yes. It's because I took back my favourite corset from you when we were younger, and you have never forgiven me for it." The sisters chuckled as they made their way back to the clearing. But Izabella looked over her shoulder, and thought of the young man who had saved her. Vladimir…the name rolled off her tongue, making it feel native to her homeland again.
But little did they know, a pair of piercing blue eyes shone out of the darkness, and watched their every move. Izabella…
The feel of her soft hands, the kindness in her green eyes, it was all so strange for him. He had never seen such things, towards him. Not even in his dreams. He longed to see her again, and was tempted to go after her, or watch her from the shadows.
But if his grandfather got home before he did, then he would be in a world of trouble. There would be hell to pay, and he would be made to pay for it. And he didn't even know why. Izabella. Her name was so perfect, so wonderful. And she was so angelic in the way she smiled, the way she grabbed his arm firmly, and yet with such innocent grace, it soothed him. Her touch soothed him. if only he could see her again. If only…
If only…
After Gabriella and Izabella reached the clearing again, most of the bandits were gone. But three remained.
One she had pinned to the tree with her sword, another with two silver stakes to the neighbouring tree, and another that was currently being held off the ground by the left hand of God. He three the bandit at the ground, and put his foot on his chest, snarling.
"It seems he negotiates very much like you do." Izzy chuckled.
"I doubt that." She smirked. "He would be blabbering all I wanted to know by now. And there would be more blood."
"Before I clean them up afterwards, you mean." They shared a mirth look, and then walked towards them.
