Chapter Three: Echoes Of War

With the bodies disposed of, set aflame within the house where Elise and Jasper stayed the previous three two nights, the three vampires made their way to the neighboring town, Alba. There was a nice stream nearby, a little ways away from the town.

Since Helena, was a threat to Elise's safety, and Elise herself was only a newborn, Jasper demanded Lucy to head into town, and pilfer new attire, something a bit more proper for Elise and less blood covered, if they were to be spotted by travelers.
Between the three of them, eight had been killed. Elise killed two, Lucy had another two, and including his newborn, Jasper took four lives. They were unsure on how many Helena and the newborn took, it would be too dangerous for them to kill anyone else. The Volturi would get involved.

Lucy didn't like the idea of becoming Jasper's lackey for the evening, but, Maria wouldn't want a blood hungry newborn ransacking houses, and Lucy's suggestion of him leaving Elise with her only fell on deaf ears. He wasn't having it, she was intent on staying by his side. She had no choice aside from swallowing her pride.

Jasper and Elise waited down at the river, far enough away from the town that they wouldn't be spotted. The trees and brush kept them more than covered, and being undead, they didn't need a fire to keep them warm, making them even harder to spot.

The newborn seemed to be enjoying herself, sitting at the edge of the riverbank, feet in the water, gently kicking the water, watching the moonlight reflect off of each bead. Her curiosity was like that of a child, she saw something new, and wanted to play with it. From Jasper's point of view, it was rather adorable, a nice breath of fresh air. Usually he'd spend most of a newborn's first week fighting them, tearing off their limbs, keeping them from seeking humans out. Elise was docile.
Still thirsty, her anticipation giving her away, but, nevertheless, serene.

Amazement easily overpowered her hunger, being excited at how differently the world looked and felt. Normally the water would be frigid to the touch, not something you'd want to willingly stick your feet into. Now, against her frozen body, it felt warm.
The night sky was even more beautiful, Elise still couldn't see the stars in detail, however, the increase in what she could see, how much brighter they sparkled still mesmerized her.
Sight and touch weren't the only increase, her hearing was much better, Elise could hear the wildlife nearby, tree branches and leaves crunching under the hooves of a buck. Jasper was a few feet away from her, in the trees, and she still heard him take a breath.

Jasper was trying to distance himself from her, pretend she didn't exist, or at least that he didn't feel so content around her. He was difficult to understand, but, Elise was stubborn. She wasn't just going to let him ignore whatever spark was between them. They were supposed to be friends.

Sucking in a breath, she called out his name, being sure to keep her eyes on the water. She didn't want to look back and see a disgruntled expression.
He was silent for a minute, light raking a nail through a branch, he'd broken from the tree, gaze fixated on his little newborn, still swishing the water around. Jasper sensed worry, Elise switched from a content mindset to a pensive one. It would be hard to break her attachment to him. He enjoyed it so much.
For now, he decided to cater to her, replying with a simple, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have-" How hadn't he pieced everything together? Of course she was worried about their shared everything Lucy spouted out, Elise was likely scared of how Maria would react, if he'd even tell her. Hopefully, he'd be able to ease her nerves. "Don't worry about it. I'm the one who reciprocated your actions."

Elise didn't blame him, nor did she blame herself. They were both entrapped within a feeding frenzy. As soon as she tasted blood, her emotions and her movements weren't her own. Nothing felt right, not bleeding a man out, not fighting Jasper, not kissing him….
Okay, maybe the kissing was alright. She wasn't trying to convince herself that she didn't like him, when she did. It wasn't just because of the bond formed between them. His body felt good against hers, his scent was amazing and Jasper's lips were soft. Everything invited her in.

Shaking that feeling away, Elise decided to be a little nosey about their so-called leader, daring to ask. "Can you… Tell me about, Maria?" It wasn't that she wanted to get the edge on her competition, she wanted to know more about her. Moreover, she wanted to know what Jasper thought of her.

"Maria." Her name left his lips in a melancholic tone. "She's a very complicated woman." Jasper leapt from the branch, landing on the other side of the river. Humans wouldn't of been able to continue the conversation, two vampires, however, could still hear each other clearly. "As I am your creator, she is mine." There was a bitterness in this reply."
"Maria along with Lucy and Nettie founded our coven. She is ambitious, impatient, aggressive, and merciless. My little ball of spite." The more he spoke, the more she could hear a tender affection surfacing. "She expects everyone to perform at their best, and doesn't offer second chances if you mess up. In a manner of speaking, she's our own personal version of the Volturi."

Since she was already prying, it was a good idea to ask about the others, make it seem like she wanted to know more about the coven as a whole. "And, Lucy? You don't seem to care for her."
"Lucy's the one who doesn't care for me. She's jealous." Voice full of deprecation.
Lucy's jealousy built gradually, over the years, but, each passing day, he could feel what she felt. He was taking up too much of Maria's attention.
"Seven years ago, Maria suggested splitting up the army, in order to take over more territory. Create three out of one, Maria and I lead the main army, Lucy and Nettie would both lead separate armies. Meaning they both had to learn to not kill their victims. They'd needed their own newborns to fight, since they were no longer allowed to follow in Maria's shadow."

"Does Nettie feel the same way?" Elise questioned, half-listening to his story, focusing more on her own thoughts. Doubt surfaced. From the way Jasper spoke, Elise and any other newborn weren't expected to live long. She debated leaving, wondering if she could even make it by herself. She decided against it. Elise didn't have enough knowledge of this new world.

"Why do you care?" He huffed, feeling her emotions fluctuate, yet again. Couldn't she make up her mind?
Elise took a deep breath, not liking how irritated he'd become since Lucy's arrival."I just thought it'd be nice to know what I was getting myself involved with." She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around, before allowing her head to rest. "That, and I do like you." Jasper looked up, cocking his head to the side, caught off guard by a new sentiment. Pity. She pitied him, because of how reserved he acted. It was a nice gesture, to show such compassion for him. He would've liked to have known someone like her in his human life.

Jasper leaped back over to her side of the river, landing next to her. "Really? Didn't seem like you wanted to talk to me three days ago." He teased, deciding to let her warmth inside, just for a little while. Elise smiled, lifting her head, though refusing to look up at him. "Well, I mean, you did murder me." Jasper let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I did." He paused, thoughtful.
"What gave me away?" She'd been so wary of him, when she should've been entranced, engulfed by his beauty, as so many strangers had before. No one realized what danger they were in, until it was too late.
She didn't answer, despite hearing him, she wasn't sure what to say and just muttered a light, "Hmm?"
It was a difficult question to answer. He knew she probably just needed a minute to think, to try and recall any event before being turned was difficult for a lot of vampires. Some found it easier than others, able to recall their prior life for years after their transformation, and there were cases where someone wouldn't be able to recall their own name, if not reminded. The latter cases were less common, but, it really depended on how your prior life was before. Different events had different effects.

"Ah, well….." She stopped herself, kicking the water as she thought. That night wasn't a complete haze to her, she remembered her parents' argument, though now, she had no clue what it was about, and she remembered what all had happened throughout the day. A trip to the bakery, her mother repaired a tear on Elise's favorite dress, not that it mattered much now. She also recalled having a conversation with…. Someone. Her memory skipped over that part.
"I guess, it was because I didn't recognize you. And, well, I'm not exactly dressed properly. My parents would've killed me if they knew."
He shrugged. "If I were still human, I would've let you sneak back into your room."
"A true gentleman." Finally, she turned her head up, looking at him, meeting his gaze, smiling.

A branch nearby creaked, another one snapping, before a whoosh was heard, Jasper reaching out, catching the branch just before it would have collided with Elise. "Lucy, do you really want to anger MY newborn? She's still thirsty, it wouldn't take much for her too rip your head off, and I can't promise that I would stop her. Newborns are fast."
An angry scoff was let out, as Lucy's feet hit the ground, a basket in hand. "First you make me your slave, now you're threatening me? Aren't we supposed to be friends?"
"You don't have to get along with your co-workers, you just have to get the job done. Something you and Nettie haven't been doing."

"Of course. The never questioning soldier. Have you truly never wondered if what Maria wants, is wrong? She made you kill an innocent girl, Jasper. A girl who had a great future ahead of her."
Jasper was getting angry, purposely sending out vibes of intimidation. Maria was his lover. She'd never make him do anything if it wasn't for their benefit.

The branch easily crumbled in his grip, either side falling to the ground. Lucy, being further away, was just now beginning to feel the effects, and was now regretting what she'd said, seeing the anger in his eyes as he moved to a hunched down position, ready to charge her. She knew she was no match, and slowly backed away.

Elise was an innocent bystander, who currently was deathly afraid of him. Collateral damage. Her hearing picked up a low ringing, one that hadn't been present until Jasper got angry. Maybe it was more of a buzz than a ring, she wasn't sure, it faded in and out. Suddenly, everything clicked together. Jasper's ability was emotion manipulation, he'd been using it on her the entire time. He helped keep her calm during her transformation, and he'd used it several times after.
Now, Jasper wasn't himself, letting the anger cloud his judgment. He'd said that he knew Lucy didn't like him, maybe he could feel others emotions too? That's why he wanted to put distance between himself and his aroused newborn, why he so eagerly responded to her advances with his own.

The newborn slowly moved, Jasper's eyes flickering over to her long enough to make sure she wasn't planning to attack him, and when he looked away, Lucy flashed a devious smirk. She was only afraid because he forced her to feel that way, in reality, she wanted him to attack her, it was a trap. Lucy's own hatred was fueling his desire to fight.

Not a second later, Jasper sprinted towards her, nearly taking her head off with the first blow. Dropping the basket, she was lucky to duck under and around his arm, but, not lucky enough to stop him from turning, and catching her leg mid-leap, as she tried to distance herself. Not thinking about the repercussions if a human were to notice him, he threw her across the stream and into the rock wall, her body hit with a loud crack, sending chunks of broken stones into the water, causing quite a ruckus. They were going to get caught, and that was her plan, only she wouldn't be claiming her share of the blame. There was a certain newborn with a tie to the male vampire who'd easily fit in her place.

Jasper charged towards her again, this time, Elise moved to intercept them, knocking Lucy back into the water before trying to deal with him. Trying to figure out a way to calm him down.

He tried to move around the newborn, since Elise was not his target, however, she didn't let him, and reached out, grabbing his arm, pulling him back, surprised at her own strength.
"You need to stop." She tried speaking calmly, only to have him jerk his arm free, pushing her away.
Again, she got up, rushing to move between them, shoving him to the side, having Jasper now concentrate on her, which, in turn, meant that his ability was now on full force, making her fear him. Quite literally petrifying her. The will to move, sapped away.

His hand gripped around her jaw, the other firmly placed against her shoulder, and he started trying to pry her apart. She was helpless, too inexperienced to know what her next course of action should be. The fear kept her from thinking straight. Her eyes glanced to the river, Lucy only stood there, watching the show.
Elise's skin started to crack, she felt her throat begin to swell up, the burn was nothing compared to this new pain the surfaced as her creator tried to decapitate her. Her hands clasped his arms, prying away just a bit of his strength, enough to knee him in the stomach, forcing his grip to release, all while Elise, like Lucy, tried to move away, only to have him grab her, facing her away from him and trap her within his embrace, arms locked around her, preventing her from even moving her own arms. If he couldn't decapitate her, crushing would suffice.

It felt like the wind was knocked from her lungs, at least, that was the easiest way to describe it. The searing pain now across her waist, her skin cracking under the pressure. As much as she thrashed around, Elise couldn't wiggle herself free, she hadn't even managed to wedge her hands between his arms and her body. There was no way out of this hold.

Lucy let out a sigh, growing bored watching the show. It was too one sided. "It's only been three days, Jasper. No need to kill her, yet." She called out in a snarky tone.

His eyes snapped up, locating the woman, the source of his rage, and he realized, the girl he was trying to kill was not her. Immediately he released her, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping as a reaction, as if running out of air was an issue. All the fear and anxiety replaced by calm instantly. Walking around her, he knelt down, one hand on her back, as a sign of comfort. He didn't say anything, just examining her for wounds. She was lucky. All her limbs were still attached, and she was alive.

Standing, he started walking back towards the tree, where the basket lay, taking the clothes, Lucy gathered for him, heading further down the stream. Elise pulled herself together, watching him walk away. She stood, wanting to go after him, to tell him she wasn't angry, that she forgave him, but, she halted her stride, hearing the other woman call out.
"I wouldn't worry about him sweetie, he's an emotional wreck." Lucy laughed. "Just give him some time." Did the blonde think that Elise had intervened to save her? If so, she wouldn't give her a reason not to believe Elise acted in her benefit. "Is he always so… complex?"
"Yes. His first year was pretty bad. The day after his transformation completed was probably the worst I've ever seen him. He attacked the three of us. Took Nettie's left arm off, bit into Maria's shoulder, and nearly decapitated me. He was a violent newborn. He's still hot-headed."

"Well, it certainly didn't help that you were taunting him, and that you've been taunting him since you showed up." Elise scoffed, earning a chuckle. "You know, newborns normally don't get attached to their creators, at least, if they're created on a whim. Most newborns end up attacking their creators if there's no prior bond." The burnette shied away, not realizing how strangely she'd been acting. This caught Lucy's curiosity. "What, did he woo you before turning you, or something?" She raised a brow. "Nah. You seem too innocent." Lucy was quick to dismiss the thought.
"I actually did attack him. In the middle of my transformation." She could bend the truth a little, if it meant she looked more like a normal newborn. "My strength wasn't yet at its peak, but, I bit into his shoulder."

She didn't seem to phased either way, just shrugging her shoulders, headed over to the basket and grabbing it and bringing it closer to the water. "Regardless, you should focus on scrubbing all the blood off. Some of your thirst should go away once stale blood isn't constantly under your nose."

Elise headed down to the stream. It felt a little awkward stripping off her chemise outside, in front of a strange woman she'd only known for a couple hours, with a man she barely knew just a ways down. She was given constant assurance that in her new life, this was fine. A common occurrence among her coven mates.
She waded into the water, the current, which would normally be frigid to the touch, was strangely warm against her cold skin. The stains came off her skin easily, getting the dried blood out of her hair was a bit more difficult, and strange as it was, Lucy was willing to lend a hand, untangling her locks, washing with castile soap, and rinsing a mixture of apple cider vinegar, and rosemary through her dampened hair.

Twenty miles away, Jasper just finished washing off in the stream, and now, he was resting, standing near the falls, listening to the water crash down, while thinking to himself. Lucy angered him to the point where he turned against Elise, and he remembered making the conscious decision to do so. The good news was she managed to defend herself without any training. Albeit he was able to wrap his arms around her, but, most newborns would've lost to his first hold. In a sense, he was proud of her.

His main objective right now, was figuring what he could tell Maria that would upset her just enough for her to give him the okay to dispose of both Lucy and Nettie. He saw promise in Elise, with her ability, and in another newborn, Peter. It'd be nice to have co-leaders, he could actually get along with.

Sighing, he decided to return to the girls, Elise had more than enough time to change. Leaping to the trees, he made his way, from branch to branch. There was no sign of any other vampires in the area, aside from his small group. Helena must've ran. Which was good, it gave him time to train Elise, to understand her ability and help her learn to kill with it.
Jasper stopped, not too far away, dropping to the ground, listening closely to their conversation.

"Is all this really necessary? Aren't we going to be fighting, like, a lot?" Elise's voice was first to speak, as Lucy helped her into her attire. "You're a vampire now, you can dress how you want. With that, don't you want to feel like nobility? Make a few men bow at your feet. Worship you. There are so many fantasies you could play out."
"I'm not really that type of woman."
Lucy shrugged. "Flaunting your body will get you many places."
Just normal conversation. He'd find some reason to have her executed another day.

Walking out from the forest, Elise's gaze instantly met his own, and she gave him a gentle smile. Lucy was currently braiding back the newborn's hair, to keep it out of her face.
Like all the other females, Elise was gorgeous, beauty radiating from her. She now donned a wine-colored evening dress, her collar dipped a little low, sleeves being just barely anything more than straps. A green pendant hung, slightly lower than her collarbone, it was nearly the same shade as her eyes had been as a human.
Seeing her smile, dressed up so stunningly, only reaffirmed that Jasper would have indeed courted her, if they were both human. And if he didn't have Maria. He did love her, even if she was always full of rage.

"There. Now you're perfect." Lucy commented, placing her hand on Elise's shoulder. Her hand was colder, and blackened. But, she was a vampire and shared the same porcelain as every vampire? Where had the dark sheen come from?
Glancing back, Elise realized it was a ribbon, laced around Lucy's hand. It gave off a maleficent aura. Unlike her bond with Jasper, this was not good.

Without thinking, Elise grabbed Lucy's hand, not harsh enough to send the blonde into a panicked attack, but, enough for Elise to get some answers. Again, like before, she was greeted with a vocal scene, an echoed remnant of a past event.

"She killed my newborns for no reason! She killed Charles!" This voice, was strange, not one she knew. The second to speak was Lucy. "Maybe…. Maybe we should eliminate her, like you suggested.. I mean, she's using our territories as shields to protect her own. The only problem is Jasper, he's too head over heels for her, he wouldn't let us get close…"
"So, we kill them both. Create a new army, act like everything is going well, and during a battle, I'll take Maria's head, and you take Jasper's. They won't see it coming." Her voice was spiteful, longing for revenge and pained. Charles was important.

Elise's eyes glanced around, before she lowered her head, smile turning into a frown, and her semi-cheerful mood was glazed over with confusion and worry. She let Lucy's hand go, quickly mummering a 'thank you' to keep Lucy from being suspicious. Her ruse was defenseless against Jasper's ability, easily picking up that something was wrong and he went into action, to separate Lucy from her.

"Lucy. I'd like you to go to Stillwater, ahead of us."
"And why, pray tell, would I do that?" She crossed her arms, cocking a brow. "Because, Maria is ordering us all to fall back. Meaning, someone needs to be there, to defend the territory. And, while we still have some time until daylight, I'd prefer to give my newborn at least one combat lesson."
"I'm surprised you gave me an actual excuse, Jas. I was expecting the normal 'because i'm your superior', Answer." She cackled, irritating walked forward, grabbing her chin in a similar manner that he'd grabbed Elise, leaning closely to her ear. "Don't forget your place, woman." Tossing her to the side, he approached Elise, hands held behind his back, staring down at the young girl. He was rather intimidating, even when he wasn't trying. Elise made a mental note to stay on his good side.

Noticing that Lucy was still just standing there, huffed up, fists clenched, he turned back towards her, shooing her away with a gesture. With a growl, Lucy leaped to the tree tops, ready to leave. She'd play his game for now.

"Now then," His attention was back on Elise. "Tell me what you saw." Jasper sounded like a parent, who'd pulled their child to the side, asking what the true story was.
"Uh, heard." She corrected, a little nervous, not expecting Jasper to realize so quickly. Elise didn't want to rat them out, from the sounds of it, Maria had killed someone important to Nettie. And, that was wrong. But, from what Elise had put together, she needed to earn her place, get on Jasper and Maria's good sides, and stay there. What other way, than to rat out two others in the group, who not only outranked herself, but seemed to hold a higher position overall? She took a deep breath, quickly deciding that it was better to side with Jasper.
He'd felt her devotion waver, as she weighed which side to take. Though she only considered taking the girls' side for a moment, it was enough to send the signal to Jasper, reminded him, that even with how obsessed she seemed to be with him, he needed to keep an eye on her.

"I didn't recognize the first voice, but, the second to speak was Lucy. One of the first girl's newborn's was important to her… She wants revenge. They plan on attacking both you and Maria during the confusion of a battle."
"Oh, really?" He smirked, satisfied that Elise had just given him what he needed to give the girls a death sentence. His little newborn was paying off quite well. "Well, I'd like them to try." Excitement filled Jasper, he couldn't wait to show Maria, Elise's gift. And if her loyalty was a problem, he'd just give her a little incentive to continue her work. It wouldn't be all that difficult to convince her that she's only happy when he's around. Make her dread each time he leaves the room.

To be continued….