This chapter contains some violent descriptions, and sets the scene for a greater awareness on Eric's part of Jankin's place in his life. Please do not proceed if either idea makes you uncomfortable.

Daniel

Part 9

We were silent, even more so than the previous night. Alcide had taken up his wolf form from the first step and was casting about constantly for the scent of more elves; walkers seemed no more than a nuisance just then. I had my sword drawn, as did Jankin. Again he was concealed in his cloak, but even in the shadows of its folds I could see the trial I had put him through. I had done no more than touch his shoulder as we had set out, and nodded my head in thanks. He had covered my hand with his, putting me in mind of so many peaceful nights after the hunts, when he had attended me, when it had meant little more to me than friendship or servitude to have his hands on me. But there was suddenly doubt in my mind, doubt that threatened to distract me, about how much autonomy any of us had really had. I did not want to feel bitterness, not after what he had done to save my life, but I had to wonder if I had been steered in this direction by enchantments beyond my control. Any doubt could be fatal, and I needed to push it from my mind.

Without pause we descended the steep of the chasm walls, avoiding the site of our previous attack. Alcide seemed to know the way, and I expected that he and Jankin had discussed it all as I had been dead to the day. Alcide showed no signs of distrusting Jankin, and I took heart in that. He was a good judge of character, better than I perhaps. When he stopped, Jankin, who was a few steps ahead of me went to his side and knelt down beside the massive shoulders. Alcide was nosing to the left, and Jankin was looking that way as well. The scent of humanity became obvious. Not the undead, but living, frightened, humanity. I could see Jankin tremble, even under his cloak. He was not a devious man, he couldn't hide his true emotions, it was only I that had been unable to see them. I reached out for him again, resting a hand softly on his shoulder, he turned his head to me just slightly before he seemed to catch himself and straighten stiffly. The snap bothered me, but I could not dwell on it. Alcide was bristling again.

"He has prisoners." Jankin whispered. Apparently we had arrived at our destination. The trees were high there, and it was difficult to see much between them but as I looked the irregular walls became more obvious; incongruous amongst the ordered growth of nature. "You had wondered where the walkers were coming from? I think sadly, we have our answer." The sigh that slipped past his lips was so despondent. I had no answer for his statement. "Eric? Are you ready?" He turned to me to look into my face for the first time since we had left the fire. His eyes sparkled with sadness.

"To take our blades straight down this Fairy's throat? Most certainly."

Alcide led the way.

ooOOoo

I could smell the fairy blood before we breached the walls of the small fortification. It wasn't much, certainly not armies of the creatures waiting for us. I began to feel as electric as Alcide looked. There were no guards, I don't suppose this Breandon felt he needed them, even knowing that we were in the woods. The elf who had remained alive, though wounded, had to have told him of the encounter. That misplaced self-confidence would work to our advantage.

Swords drawn we entered the only visible doorway and made our way down the single hallway. It was almost not large enough to walk side by side. The air felt charged around me, Jankin too. It was hard to tell with Alcide, he had a scent he was following.

"He will draw power from an open portal." Jankin whispered. "He has a hidden passageway between the worlds here somewhere."

"Can you find it?" I asked in return.

"Yes." He motioned me forward again, to a narrower hall, where our shoulders could not help but touch. Alcide seemed to want to continue on our original course. I cast the air around us again and understood. I watched as he transformed back into his human form. Of course, our existence was still only the stuff of firelight tales to most of the humans; he could not approach them as a wolf. I handed back his daggers as Jankin gave him his leather pants.

"See you soon my friend." I nodded at him and he took off with a grin, a dagger in each hand, ready for whatever was guarding the stock Breandon was likely using to create his army of the undead. The alarm would soon be raised, no matter which of us found our targets first. I was desperate for the action.

Jankin stopped, just a half step ahead of me, his empty hand reached back touching my chest as lightly as a feather. The imagined warmth was enough to make me shudder.

"It's near." He whispered. I clutched my sword tighter.

"How will I know him?"

"He will be the one I attack first." The words, spoken with a frightening staccato rhythm so foreign to my Jankin, gave me pause. It made me doubt what I had heretofore tried to convince myself of.

"Jankin?" I whispered, needing to ask the question. But I did not have the time. There was a sudden high-pitched shriek, and a body flew from around the corner. My fangs dropped and I raised my blade and slashed forward with it as Jankin ducked, free of its path, sensing my sudden movement. It had not hurt, apparently, that my blade had a measure of iron in it. The taste of Fairy blood filled the air, spraying us both with a fine mist as the body fell. The processes of rational thought were assaulted in my mind. The blood was like a drug and I pushed against the abandon it promised. I offered my hand to Jankin to help him rise, he looking at me with a wash of fear in his blue eyes, and we began to move in the direction from which the first Fairy, now turning to dust at our feet, had come.

We burst into a larger room, both fueled by our own demons, and found a small nest of Fairies, each of which turned to hiss at us, showed twisted smiles, and ebony black eyes whose gaze seemed to bore through to your soul. (Assuming you had one). I knew immediately which one was Breandon, because I could see Jankin's own eyes focus on him, and I watched as he ducked beneath and between the other two that began a charge towards us, to seek him out. He was lithe, but I had little time to think on that, my targets took my attention.

They were not skilled fighters, not as skilled as I was, and though they could move in a blur faster than my own, their blades and clawed hands were not difficult to dodge, for the most part. I cannot say that they made no contact, but I landed my more blows than they did. The scent of their flowing blood filled the air, and my senses, especially as their hearts continued to pump it. The fog of lust for it settled over me, and I could not shake it. My skilled movements became less so, though no less effective, and I managed to grab up one Fairy, bleeding from both arms, and sink my teeth into his neck, the glory of his blood flowing down my throat. He convulsed once, but I was not kind in the way I took him, the jagged wound was not one he could ever recover from. He was dead before he hit the ground and I began my pursuit of the second, a roar on my lips that would have startled me in its intensity had I not been so drunk on Fairy blood.

Having seen his compatriot shredded by my fangs did not frighten him, in fact it made him more bloodthirsty; though perhaps that wasn't the right word to choose. He leapt at me, swinging his arms in an incomprehensible frenzy. I felt the slashes across my arms as he made contact, and as close as he was to me suddenly, my long sword became useless. There wasn't time to sheath it, so I spun the grip in my hand and brought the pommel down on his left posterior shoulder as he tore past me again, trying to cut at my leg as I sidestepped him. He grunted as he dropped to the stone floor of the room. I was on him before he could right himself. Yanking him up by the back of his tunic I sank my fangs into the side of his neck, where the artery pulsed and beckoned me. I felt his fluttering heart beat pounding against my mouth, his hands scrabbled to scratch me, drawing weak lines down the side of my head before his arms dropped lifelessly to his sides as I finished him off.

There was hardly any logic left in me at that point, so full was I of the drug. Only the realization that the scent of more blood laced the air allowed me to look up and around; an animal, slavering for the elixir. I could see the two men fighting, but at that point I did not know who was friend and who was enemy. Both had the beautiful bronze blades, both were moving faster than mortal eyes could see. But I could see them, and I could see that one was certainly having the worst of the battle. I pushed my mind to understand through the red haze. Jankin? His body flew past me, crashing into the wall, sliding down with a horrible limpness. The other; Breandon? was on him again, fingers curled into talons it seemed as he dug them into Jankin's flesh. I heard the scream. It was that, more than the vision, that cleared my head enough to pull the evil Fairy off of my friend, tossing him with all my force towards the opposite wall, where he contacted with as much force as Jankin had previously.

I was on him, but he was stronger than his minions, older perhaps, and he fought me, his sword stinging cuts along my body. I fought him with only my hands and teeth. The air was thick with spilled blood from us both. He panted with exertion, I did not, not that I did not feel the exhaustion. It only enraged me that the prey I wanted so desperately was fighting against me. I dropped my sword and reached two hands to his neck, grabbing him up and tearing the flesh until the satisfying crunch of bones breaking rewarded me. I plunged greedily into the wound, drinking in ferocious gulps, feeling the warmth of his ebbing life force filling me. I had never felt so sated. I pulled every drop from him, only letting the corpse drop when there was nothing left. For a moment there was absolute silence, and then a terrible long breath, laced with pain. It shook me from my fog with a frightening snap.

"Jankin?"