Gabriel said nothing as Jeanne helped her up and away from the terrible scene. Outside, Jeanne felt the urge to let out a sigh of relief as fresh air returned to her lungs and the aura of the cabin began leaving her. The others stood around the front of the home, trying to make sense of the scene. Leonidas went inside, his staff in hand and the stone resting at the top beginning to glow. “What would be the purpose of hitting a place like this?” Silvius asked.

“Supplies, time to heal up, probably an easy target to rebuild their confidence,” Cid said.

“I’d bet good money they wanted to simply kill something just to kill,” Kveldulf followed.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Cid.

“Did it look like the two had taken anything?” Benkin asked.

Kveldulf shook his head. “We didn’t see anything inside. But the cupboards and shelves were empty. So, it’s anyone’s guess.”

“Doc, is there any chance we need to worry about them … you know?” Maeryn asked the doctor as he left the horrid place. Color was gone from his face and he rubbed his eyes while collecting him composure.

“You mean coming back?” Leonidas said with some weakness. “No, not in their state. Even if they did, there’s little chance they’d do any serious harm.” As he finished the doctor turned around, looking at the house with a pained expression on his face.

“So what do we do?” Hypatia asked. “We can’t leave them like this?”

“We don’t have a choice,” Cid said.

“You can’t be serious?” exclaimed Silvius.

“We do anything, they’d know someone was here. And who knows what they’ll do at that point.”

“But we can’t just leave them there like that,” Silvius responded. “Those are people!”

“We’ve already done enough to desecrate corpses,” said Benkin, “can’t we provide them with some semblance of decency?”

“If they come back,” said Kveldulf, “then they’ll know we were here. And they might go back into hiding.”

“We’re assuming they’ll be back,” Benkin said. “Most criminals try to avoid where they’ve been, at least until the attention has gone away.”

“Predators may sometimes come back to a hunting ground, especially if they’ve left food behind,” Maeryn said.

“So we just leave those poor souls to rot,” Silvius said, a pained look on his face. “This isn’t right.”

“I know,” Cid said sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder. “I agree with you, but if we are to stop these men once and for all, we can’t lose whatever advantage we’ve gained so far.”

Benkin turned his gaze away, letting out an exasperated growl. “I don’t like this, not at all.”

“Neither do I,” said Cid, “but we can honor these poor souls by sending their murderers into the chaotic abyss. And making sure they can’t hurt another person again.”

“Then we could set a trap,” said Leonidas, “wait for them to come back and snare them.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“They may spot us before we’d know they were near,” said Gabriel. “And they’d be roaming the countryside do gods’ know what before they come back.”

“And we’re assuming this is a spot for them to rest and recover,” Kveldulf said.

“Wouldn’t the women they’ve been seen with be here then, if that was the case?” said Benkin.

“True,” said Cid. “They would’ve been here with the children.”

“So, this was random then,” Jeanne said. “Needless violence for the sake of needless violence.”

“The whole county is going to be bled dry if this keeps up,” Benkin said.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said, running her fingers through her hair. “And the whole damn countryside is going to be combing the countryside for vampires.”

“Oh gods,” said Silvius, “You don’t think they’ll start a pogrom will you?”

“That’s the last thing any of us want,” said Cid, “but let’s try and catch their trail again and hopefully find out where they’re resting.”

Jeanne turned back to the house, her stomach beginning to turn and her right arm recoiled without her thinking. “I hope we do this soon,” to the rest, “this is becoming a nightmare at this point.”

***

A week of travel passed before they had rode their way out of the forest and came upon a small hamlet, a few buildings clustered together. Most seemed to come out of the earth itself, with short walls and roofs gently rising up and meeting in the middle, with a hole up top to let the out the smoke from hearths inside. Many homes were marked off with hedges forming the borders of the road through the village.

The whole area was surrounded with a fence high enough to stave off wolves and other predators skulking about in the hidden places of the world. As The Wolves arrived, the dark night glimmered with stars. Jeanne looked at the scene and felt that there was a small place in this world where all the madness and chaos around them might have passed them over. Where things could be as simple and quaint as they appeared.

She tried to push the thought from her mind. Not wanting to tempt the sense of ease if another hardship came and placed that much more weight on her heart before she could process everything else happening.

Reaching the first home, Cid and Kveldulf dismounted their steeds and walked to the front door. A moment after knocking, Jeanne could saw a halfling man and his elven wife greeting them. They appeared cordial in their manners and tone, though she couldn’t hear the words being said. Jeanne looked around and over her shoulder as the conversation progressed.

“For what it’s worth I’m not hearing anything,” said Maeryn, who was sitting comfortably in her saddle, leaning with her hands folded over her pommel.

“That actually does help, thanks,” Jeanne replied.

“How are you holding up with everything?” Maeryn asked.

“I don’t even know anymore.”

“I remember when my father would have to hunt down criminals hiding in the woods. Gods he hated it.”

“Really?” Jeanne asked.

“Absolutely. Animals was one thing. There was never any animosity. They did what they had to do, he did what he had to do. Strictly business. But fellow elves, especially those living outside of the law, he never knew what they’d do to try and weasel their way out of their situation.”

“I can’t imagine that was an easy task.”

“They rarely were. And they rarely ended without some bloodshed in the end.”

“How did he deal with it?”

“I don’t know,” Maeryn said. “He never liked talking about it with me or my brothers. But I could tell it weighed on him. Both not knowing what they could do to him and what he’d have to do to bring them in. I think it affected him more than he cared to admit.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to see why.”

As Cid and Kveldulf finished their conversation, they walked back to the others, with Cid saying, “They’ll let us stay in the barn for the night. The wife of the house, Elenwen, will bring out something for us to eat, too.”

“That’s a lot for one family,” Benkin said.

“They insisted,” Kveldulf said. “Supposed they had quite the harvest when their daughter-in-law came to live with them.”

“Oh, that’s most helpful,” said Silvius. “Always nice to have a helping hand around the homestead.”

Cid nodded as he mounted his horse. “Quite, but I for one am looking forward to some rest. Come, the barn is over this way.”

Once inside the barn, The Wolves made themselves comfortable in the open area near the doors. Leonidas, once the doors were shut began running his finger over the wood planks. “Do you really need to do that, Doc?” Hypatia asked, “I thought vampyres weren’t able to enter a place unless invited.”

“That’s true,” he said, “but I’m not taking any chances.”

“I’ll be glad when we can be in a warm bed again,” said Silvius trying to make himself comfortable on a small pile of hay.

“Likewise,” said Hypatia. “A few day’s rest would be a warm welcome.”

“I think my feet have blisters on top of their blisters,” said Leonidas, wincing in pain as he removed his boots.

“Is this even possible?” Silvius asked.

“I’ve seen worse,” said Gabriel.

“And I’ve had worse,” said Benkin.

“You be quiet,” said Cid, “you’ve never had to deal with blisters underneath fur.”

“I’d think the fur would provide a small amount of cushioning,” said Hypatia.

“You would think that,” said Cid. “And the reality is vastly different.”

“Should I ask how that’s treated?” Silvius asked.

“It isn’t pretty,” said Leonidas, pulling out a thin needle and heating it with an orange stone. “Especially when the fluids start to matte the fur up.

“I guess that would be a matte-r of opinion,” said Cid with a smile. As everyone looked at him, his smile disappeared and a grimace look came over his face. “That was a good one, and you all no it.”

“Yeah yeah,” said Jeanne, “That’s what they all say.”