Author's note – Sorry it's taken a little longer this time. Been a really busy week. My thanks to all those who have taken an interest in the story and for the great reviews!

Chapter Three

The others found Sam half an hour later, hunched over and staring blankly at the ground. He was covered in blood and gore. Some of it was his own but most was human. The smell of it was almost over powering.

Whilst one guard helped Sam back to the city, the others set about bringing back the bodies of both Benny and the mutilated hunter.

Once he was safely inside the walls, Sam was placed in a small, dimly lit room within the barracks.

"Please wait here," the guard said before exiting. "Commander Orlov will be here shortly."

Sam nodded tiredly as he sat down on a wooden bench, resting his head in his hands.

Commander Boris Orlov was the appointed ruler of the city. At six hundred and thirty years of age, he was by far the oldest Vampire to live within the walls.

Sam had only met him a handful of times throughout his life and though Boris looked harmless enough, he had an aura about him that demanded respect, even fear from all of his men.

A few minutes passed by and Sam tried to get his thoughts together. The commander was going to want to know what had happened to Benny in those woods and what had become of the female hunters. That one was going to be hard to explain away.

As he worried about the consequences of actually telling the truth, the door opened again and Commander Orlov strode in, accompanied by several of the guards who had fought earlier and an incredibly sick looking Luther.

Sam stood up to attention and brought his right hand to his head in salute.

"Sit down before you fall down," Boris grumbled.

Sam did so and the others followed suit.

Boris surveyed Sam with cold grey eyes, taking in the wounds and blood caked clothes. "You look like hell," he stated.

The sides of Sam's mouth quirked up in a slight smirk. "I don't feel much better."

Boris grunted and then leant forward, arms resting on his knees as he swept his eyes over all the men in the room. "So, tell me what happened."

Unease blossomed within Sam as he started off the report, explaining what he and Benny had seen from the tower and how they had acted from there. He continued his statement up to the point where Benny saved him from a beheading, when another guard took over to tell the commander what happened with the others who were fighting at that time.

"And then what happened?" Boris questioned Sam again, when the guard had finished.

Sam took in a deep breath. This was the part he had been dreading. He told them how he and Benny had chased the female hunters into the woods and been surprise attacked by another who lay in wait. Emotion swept through him again, as he told them of Benny's death, but he kept it in check, pushing it back down as soon as it rose up and keeping his voice as monotone and professional as he could.

"What of the females? Did you dispose of them too? We never found the bodies." Sam could practically hear the accusation in Boris' gruff voice.

"They made their escape whilst I fought the other hunter." the lie came easily to his lips. He usually hated being dishonest in any way but this was more of an instinctive thing, knowing that his future would be very bleak if the commander found out the truth. "I looked for them afterwards but could not find them."

"You could not track them? You say the younger one sustained a serious wound and yet you could not follow her scent?"

Sam had nothing to say to that, no easy lie to cover up his mistake so instead he just shook his head remorsefully and replied, "I'm sorry, Sir."

Boris glared at him and for a terrifying moment, he didn't think the commander believed him but then he just sighed angrily. "Leaving them for as long as you did was a foolish, rookie mistake."

"Yes, Sir, it won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Boris growled before turning his attention to Luther. "You haven't said a word yet, soldier. I would hear your record of events."

Luther seemed to pale even further under his scrutiny and though Sam didn't much care for the guy, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him and think that, considering what he had been through over the past twenty four hours, it would have been kinder to debrief him separately.

But Luther managed to successfully give his account to the group. He told of how he, Kate and Lenore had gone on patrol the night before, scouting the nearby area before being ambushed by the group of hunters. Lenore was slain in the subsequent fray and the other two were taken to an abandoned hut in the middle of the forest and tied to chairs.

"They tortured us," Luther continued quietly. "They cut us, beat us, injected us with dead man's blood. They kept asking us questions about someone called Ash. Where we were keeping him and what we had done to him. Things like that."

Sam flicked his gaze to Boris to see that his whole demeanour had changed. He had gone from quietly seething to poorly disguised surprise.

Luther didn't seem to notice as he carried on with his report. "During the interrogation, Kate somehow managed to escape her bonds. She freed me but as we tried to escape…" he gulped heavily and glared at his clasped, trembling hands. "The hunters killed her. They tried to kill me too but I managed to get away. They almost caught me as I neared the city but my comrades saved me before that could happen."

There was a moment's silence before the commander spoke. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that, Luther." he said, voice uncharacteristically soft, almost caring. "I know that you and Kate were close."

They were more than close. They were engaged to be married. Luther only nodded.

Sam couldn't keep his curiosity at bay any longer. He had to ask. "Sir, if I may? Who is this 'Ash' the hunters were asking after?"

Boris looked at Sam and raised his eyebrows. "I have no idea. I can only assume the hunters were misinformed or completely crazy. Personally, I am more inclined towards the latter."

There was a ripple of amused approval across the room but Sam wasn't as easily fooled. The commander was hiding something.

Boris stood suddenly. "Well it is late, I imagine you are all very tired. You should go and rest. You are all dismissed."

Everyone stood, saluted and turned to leave.

"Except for you, Campbell. I would like a word with you."

Sam sank slowly back down, dread churning in his stomach yet again.

After everyone had left, Boris shut the door and sat opposite to the younger vampire.

"I saw what you did to the hunter in the woods." Boris stated and fear surged through Sam. Did that mean the commander had seen him let the female hunters go? That he knew Sam had just lied to his face?

"The body, I mean." The commander amended. "I was shown the body. You made quite a mess of him."

Sam tried to calm his hammering heart, realising his lie was safe for now.

"Yes, Sir, I…I was angry." Sam finished lamely.

"Losing your friend in the midst of battle can do that to you."

Sam nodded, wondering where this was going.

Boris leant forward. "You are herewith dismissed from you place within the Dayguard."

Shock washed over Sam. "Sir, I-"

"Let me finish. I am placing you within the infantry division. We could use someone with your capabilities. Especially given recent events."

"Sir?"

"The hunters have declared war with us, Campbell, and I am more than happy to oblige. And so, two days from now, we will march into their camp and destroy every last one of them."

"You're in the infantry?" Mary screeched.

"For the hundredth time, yes, Mother." Sam sighed.

"And you're leaving to fight in two days?"

"Yes."

"Are you completely insane?" Mary practically screamed at him.

Sam winced. "Mother, please calm down. I thought you'd be happy. I've been promoted."

"Happy? Happy that my son, my vulnerable little boy, is going off to war against hardened, vicious killers?"

"I'm not a vulnerable little boy," Sam grumbled.

Mary looked on the verge of tears. "Yes you are," she whispered. "You are not like the rest of us. You aren't as strong. You could have died today. Benny did die and he was a pure-blood vampire!"

"I know, mother."

"Just…just promise me you'll be careful. That you won't try to be a hero."

Sam wasn't sure he could, in good faith, make that promise but Mary looked so heart broken and scared right now that he just couldn't refuse her.

"I promise,"

Mary nodded, wiping at her eyes even a fresh sob escaped her mouth.

Sam sighed and went over to her, pulling her into a gentle hug and holding her until the crying began to cease.

"You need to wash," Mary said eventually, pulling away from him and wrinkling her nose. "You reek of human and it's making me hungry."

Sam huffed a laugh. "Sure, I'll go do that now."

"And you need to drink some blood. Those wounds will take too long to close up if you don't and we can't have anyone notice how slowly you heal."

Sam grimaced but knew she was right. He was going to need at least two mugs, maybe more. He needed to heal up and be at the top of his game. In two days' time, he was going to war.