Family Bonds: Dec. 31st 2007

[Angelique]

Laeldril walked quietly along the wrought iron fence enclosing her sire’s haven. From the shadows her fingers slowly slipping from bar to bar as she patrolled the perimeter, the closest she had dared to come for some time. Of all the voices in her mind his had fallen silent, as hers had to him; but for her daily patrol and testing the air to see if he had passed the gate they hadn’t been in each others presence but for meetings with the Seti & Setess in many moons. Istas now being secure, and no reconnaissance to perform this evening Lael took to seeking others she cared deeply for, those bound to her by blood. People in general were crass, tedious and she loathed to have to spend much time around them; but the bond she shared bridged the way to her understanding and developing a desire to share her life with others. It was only a very special person who she could forge a bond with beyond that of blood.

Xander was in the Museum; Laeldril had seen him briefly. When Lael entered his office he was bent over his tools carefully inspecting them picking out specific ones for some rogue purpose or another. Xander was infectious; his free spirit almost an addiction. Lael stood watching him a while before interrupting his reverie, a smile softening her face as he turned his brilliant azure eyes expressing the emotions she felt from him. It was hard to put into words how Xander had been a key to unlock that facet of her unlife, how Xander had reminded her to play, and just enjoy their time shared. The ever deceptive, diligent and on duty drow had learned to giggle, now to live down the horror of not being too dedicated to her job to enjoy herself…

Sorrian… on a primal level Lael knew he was ok, though they had not seen each other since he was last retained, his visits had stretched to almost a full moon between sharing her blood. His return was always the same, his face would light up, his eyes shining as she came into his view, and he would grip her jacket as she hugged him to her. Sorrian would pick her up in his arms and sit her in his lap, his anticipation mounting as he breathed deeply against her neck, no longer however did they greet with lingering kisses, nipping at each others lips sharing their blood as it intermingled in their mouths. Lael would puncture the skin on her wrist and let him drink his fill, for a short time after Sorrian would be affectionate but something held him back, and at dusk when Lael awoke, he would be gone again. Lael waited for the passing of the moon in which Sorrian did not return. Laeldril found some comfort in Soot, the wolf though almost of human intelligence in his being retained, filled a space vacated by Sorrian, but he was not a man; how many of her retainers would she use to fill voids left open in a heart that no longer beat?

Lael thought of Penny and carefully sought to sense the young woman as she slept. Nepenthanes was one of Lael’s hands in the daylight, always ready and eager to do anything needing to be done. Laeldril checked the frostwood barrel that kept provisions for Penny. Seeing the new pies had been brought in Lael brought out her knife cutting what would look like small steam vents into the crust. Lael punctured her thumb and let several drops of her own blood to sink into the filling of the pies bought with special care, knowing they were Penny’s favourite. Their was a new bottle of wine also, once opened that too would be tainted with a few drops of Lael’s blood, Penny would never know the distress of withdraw, so long as she took her meals part of the time at Runescape. Lael felt comfortable with Penny, talking to the woman was as much of a service as mixing her poisons or maintaining her home. One of the few people who didn’t fill Lael with a desire to bolt for the forest and leave civilized people behind.

On the roof of Runescape, as Lael practiced the forms of Neijia sometimes called moving meditation, the whispers in her mind grew in strength… run with us… join the hunt… Love and affection, playfulness and a desire to see her flooded her consciousness as Dart, Lightfoot and Soot called to her, the pack was on the move. Quickly moving to her room Laeldril stripped to the basics of leather armor, then burned the blood needed to fortify her body. Stopping for only a moment at Nocturne, Lael left a rose petal with the relief of a paw print floating in the fountain, Ilharn would see it she knew and he would understand. Lael’s blood lust mounted when she hit the glade around the moongate near Minoc, she could smell what had aroused her pack; fresh meat was in the area, they would eat well tonight.

[Angelique]

Dart bolted from the tree line almost knocking Laeldril back into the moongate as he sprung into her arms. Licking her face and nuzzling into her neck he expressed his affection fiercely. Lightfoot bounded up behind her and bumped the back of her knees till she knelt down and he could rest his head on her shoulder. Always at her back Lightfoot was an ever-watchful sentinel, though not exuberant as Dart his affection ran just as deep. Dart nipped Lightfoot’s nose and with a yip bolted for the trees, Lightfoot fast on his heels. Lael smiled, filled with the joy and love her pack, as she watched Lightfoot and Dart play. From behind she felt him watching, felt the power he had in him; his presence as he broke the tree line hushing the pack, taking a watchful stance on a nearby rock Lael moved to his side, his alpha female. To the pack Laeldril’s submission was absolute but in their minds danced the images of their affection for each other.

Upwind from the deer that had ventured into the pack’s territory, Soot let out the call of the hunt, and the pack took to chase. Laeldril and Soot neck in neck as the bolted through the trees the others hard pressed to keep up, all but Lightfoot falling behind though Dart gave his all with the little legs he had. Around her hearts pounding out like battle drums, stirring the blood lust within her, her beast rising, pushing her on. As the broke into the glen, they launched themselves at their prey taking down the largest first. Soon the pack poured from the trees sticking to the bucks and the elderly, soon the pack had taken enough to sate their needs, the rest of the deer fleeing to safety, none of the pack followed. Lael tore open the neck of her prey cupping the crimson desire in her hands she drank deeply the blood running from her face and hands splattered on her body and matting her hair; though not the vitae of mortals it was hot and fresh and filled her need.

As the pack ate, Soot nudged Laeldril to follow him, and they made their way to the top of a rock outcropping. Lael lied down staring up at the stars as Soot began to lick the blood from her face and body, finally lying down between her legs resting his head on her stomach. Content the two shared broken thoughts of what they had done since last together; in the midst of their quiet reverie Laeldril first caught the sent of humans. Heightening her senses she sought out where they were hearing movement on the far side of the glen. Alert Lael moved to a crouched position over looking the pack and saw the light of torches in the distance. Quickly counting her wolves she was one short, Dart was not with the others…

Anxiety mounting Lael reached out with her thoughts calling Dart to her and heard him howl from the direction of the humans. Focusing her eyes she saw his movement in the trees, and he was not alone. In a heartbeat the archer fired his crossbow the bolt crying through the air, was enough to send Dart back to the pack at top speed. Before the beat was through Laeldril was washed over with blinding white fury, clearing the top of the outcropping in a few steps she launched herself towards the hunters and the man who shot at Dart. Time stopped mid flight, Lael’s anger unleashed with the burning of her blood the power of transformation. Laeldril’s body began to change, joints popping and cracking as the lithe body of the woman she was took the form of a wolf. Anguish and ecstasy rippled through her as muscle and skin stretched into their new shape. Her long white main spread across her body, claws extending from her paws and as her jaw stretched large canine fangs and teeth filled in her mouth. As the bolt hit a tree splintering the wood, Laeldril hit the ground on all fours having for the first time assumed the shape of a white wolf; she howled her anger and the pack was at her heels. These men had chosen the wrong pack to contend with this night.

Soot’s black form hit the ground beside Lael and the charged together into the trees to defend their own. The night came awake with the sound of men shouting the clang of weapons and the tearing of flesh as the pack and the men fought to the death. The archer had no time to react as Soot and Lael descended upon him tearing him apart in their fury. Lightfoot his mind filled with Lael’s and hate attacked the men without caution. Laeldril fighting to maintain control of her beast as she tore into one man after another finally lost the battle in hearing the yelp of one of her pack, his howl silenced by one of the men in the back of her mind Darts presence disappeared. Her eyes whited out till only a pupil remained her body rigid her mind containing one thought… kill them all.

The pack was outnumbered over two to one, but suffered only one loss, though retained Dart was still just a puppy, his body though able to out perform most in the pack, lied lifeless in the undergrowth of the trees, his head severed from his body. The remaining hunters fled the battle, they would not make it home tonight, the pack would decimate them as they had sought to do to the pack. In a fleeting effort to get away the last remaining archer let loose a bolt and missed his target; however as it sailed past it embedded itself into Laeldril from the side, puncturing her flesh and burying itself deep in her heart. The fury of her mind silenced to all connected to her, her body hitting the ground returned to the form of a woman, the shaft of the bolt broken off leaving more than half hidden in her flesh. Inside Laeldril’s mind raged on the frenzy continuing though for anyone looking the woman was dead. Seven hours from sunrise Lael laid exposed unable to call for help; the bonds tied to her by her blood closed from her mind, disconnected by the bolt.

[Angelique]

It had been almost two months, while awake only flashes of events came to her but in her sleep… in her sleep her unconscious mind reveled in the horror of that night, and the loss of her mate and her first cub. Laeldril walked the halls of Runescape listlessly submerged in the vacant spot in her mind that used to love her, Azrael said he knew better when she told him she could cling to the memories of what she had not what she’d lost… he was right. The echo of a love lost was strong; reverberating off a mind that had an eternity ahead of her to listen to it. Dart never held back, his broadcast was constant every bird he chased, ever bug he caught the delight of living, and loving her. His dreams filled with running with her in the moonlight nipping at her heels and protesting being carried off by Lightfoot at Soot’s orders. New tears of blood streamed down Laedril’s face as she rest her forehead against the stone wall of her haven.

These times alone, Nepenthanes deep in sleep, Xander in the rift his thoughts cut off till either of them passed to the other. Sorrian off with his runes, Efanor’s quiet mind rarely stirring now also sleeping. Even the remaining wolves were quiet tonight. Closing her eyes her body remembered the feel of his nose at the back of her knees. Lael reached down to her thigh curling her fingers in the air, she could feel the thickness of his fur in her hands; his tongue against her skin as he licked the blood from her after they’d fed. Soot filled her senses from her memories, his scent in her nose and lungs, his growl in her ears… Lael shuddered with her desire to be with him, rebelling against the understanding he was gone; she howled at the top of her lungs in the anguish still pent up inside. Humans had taken the life of her cub, but in her frenzy she had taken the life of her mate. Fault was not laid at her feet; however no amount of remorse seemed to take that pain away.

Laeldril touched her side, not even a scar to remind her of why it all happened, nothing to say, “look see, this is what they did… why they died…” Images of the human hunters swam in her mind culminating in one single thought, “they killed my baby, I’ll kill them all.” Lael remembered the blinding white fury but nothing of what she did while consumed by it. Out of the anger a flood of images of the aftermath threatened to drown her, Lael slowly slid down the wall to the floor consumed by the sorrow and the guilt. The cell she was confined in, Soot’s lifeless body clutched in her arms his neck torn out by her, the first attempt to calm her and bring her out of frenzy failed and led to his death. The dead man she had consumed to sate the beast and bring her out of frenzy; Xander missing, his own guilt in participating in the strangers death. Her head in Penny’s lap as the young woman stroked her hair; unaware of why she felt so protective of a reagnant she had no idea she was bound to. The darkness filling Laedril’s heart was stopped only by the single phrase that was a beacon she could cling to as her world crashed around her. “I still love those eyes…” Ilharn still cared for her, stood at her side and gave her the strength to rebuild. Even now as the pain was revisited his words were a relief.

Tears of blood streaked her cheeks and dripped to her knees as she pulled the shadow of sadness tight around her, how she hated to be alone. Laeldril knew she needed to break the cycle of sadness, it served no one, there really were those alive and undead to care for and who cared for her, to be with in these moments. In an instant of pain and ecstasy as her body contorted, bones and sinew reforming, ebony feathers cloaking her in the guise of a midnight raven, eyes of ice faceted like cut diamonds as she took to flight out an open window into the cold night sky. Laeldril called to the moon as she flew over Nocturne and into the darkness beyond. She knew where her pack was hunting, running with the wolves would push her loneliness back. Refreshing her bond to them would return the sense of family strong and alive; not dead, not gone, Soot and Dart would remain in her memories for eternity, but so would all those she shared her unlife with as the wheel of time turned. Soaring through the canyon under a moonlit sky Laedril felt a peace creep into her heart, the pain would always be there, but so would the love even for a woman who’s heart no longer beat.