A scream rang out, jabbing Linda's stomach with a pang. She knew that voice. It was her sister. Linda's feet took flight and she ran to her sister's bedroom door. When she tried to open it, the handle didn't turn. She tried again with no luck. She pushed as hard as she could and hit the door. "Lily! Lily are you okay?" She heard sobbing on the other side of the door and she rammed her shoulder into it. All she got for her efforts was a sore shoulder. She resumed hitting the door. "Lily, please! Open the door!"
Linda was about to turn and run for help when she heard a click. When the door opened, she saw her sister, eyes bloodshot and puffy, and her hand holding a lock of white hair. "Oh God, Linda, I'm in trouble."
Linda examined her sister, heart still racing. Other than the fistful of hair, she seemed unhurt. She walked into the room with her sister, wrapping her arms about her. Despite Lily being younger, she was taller and leaner than Linda, who was more on the stocky build. But at this moment, her sister felt small and delicate in her arms, like the flower she was named for. "Shhh, tell me what's wrong."
Lily held up the fistful of white hair. Linda's stomach churned. Lily then pointed to her head, where, upon closer inspection, she could see a few wisps of white hair mixed in with the chestnut waves. "Lily... is that hair... yours?" Lily's lower lip quivered as she nodded. "Lily, what happened?"
"I... I got bit."
Linda felt her whole world crashing. Bitten. Linda quickly let go of Lily, recoiling before she could stop herself. She immediately saw the pain in Lily as she withdrew, letting out a wail. The younger sister turned away from Linda and threw herself on the bed. "You hate me! You're disgusted! I deserve it! I was so stupid!"
Linda shook her head, taking great pains to overcome her initial shock. Pushing away the fear that still roiled deep in her stomach, Linda's placed her hands on her sister's shoulders, feeling her tremble through the flannel night dress. "I'm sorry. I don't hate you. Deep breaths. Tell me what happened. Then maybe, maybe I can help you."
"It's too late!" Lily wailed. Linda rubbed Lily's back as soothingly as she could. How could she comfort her sister, when there was no known cure for the White Plague? Linda hoped in vain, if she could get the story, that maybe it was all a false alarm.
Lily lay there sobbing, wearing herself out. But eventually, under Linda's calm touch and gentle coaching, she took enough deep breaths to speak again. She sat up, and wiped her eyes with her sleeves. "I went to Copperwood to see Jay," Lily began. Linda bit her tongue, narrowly holding back the urge to scold her sister. Her sister already knew how dangerous it was to leave the huddle alone, and Copperwood had a certain taint to it. It was where tramps stopped on their journeys. Why Copperwod, no one knew. It was just another shelled out suburb, long since picked clean, with a few standing houses. Linda just listened and let Lily continue. "We'd, uh... met there before. Week past. He came all'a way from Perch. We uh... well... did it."
Linda gripped her knuckles, and this time it wasn't easy for her to hide her dismay. Lily looked away, and then back at Linda, placing a hand on her lap. "He had a sheath! We did all them things right! Like you taught me," Lily insisted. Linda took in a deep breath, and shook her head.
"You know how I feel about them Hawks. After Jack promised my friend everything, had his way with her, then left her for one of his own. You can't trust them Hawk boys!" Linda berated. Lily's eyes brimmed with new tears, and Linda sighed. She wiped the tears away from Lily. "But... that don't matter now. What happened at Copperwood?"
"He didn't show. I waited and waited and 'membered what you told me, and got madder and madder. I thought he loved me, Linda, really I did," Lily insisted. Linda sighed, shaking her head and slinging an arm about her sister. They were both young women, but Lily was always such a child at heart. "It was getting late. I heard this awful whistle. It was real terrible. Told myself, naw, that's the wind. But it wunt no wind. Something jumped down, and I saw this white man-thing. Like in the stories about vamps. I'd never seen one before! I ran!" Linda's heart began to race as her sister told her this tale. "It hit me behind and I fell over. I tried crawling away and..."
Lily paused. She stood up and Linda just watched as she turned around and lifted up her dress. On the back of her calf were bruises, and amidst them, bitemarks. Wrinkling her nose, Linda looked away. She could not bear the truth. Could her sister be doomed to become one of them?
Lily sat back down, stifling back another sob. Linda took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "But how did you get away?" Linda asked.
"Thought I was done for. But then it screamed and let go. I tried to run, but my leg hurt so bad. I fell and looked, and there I saw him! A man was fighting it! First I thought it was one of our hunters, cause he sure was dressed like one. I couldn't watch. But then it got quiet, and I saw him standing over the thing holding a spade. He kicked the thing's head, and I screamed. Then he looked at me, almost like he forgot I was there. When he came closer, I realised, no, he wasn't one of ours." Linda's brow furrowed as she listened to the daring rescue of her sister. She had mixed feelings. It was reassuring to know someone WOULD help her sister, but as evident by the bite on her leg, it was too late.
"Was he from Perch?" The Hawk clan from Perch were known for ferocious warriors and hunters. If anyone would have the skill, or the brazenness, to fight a Vamp alone, it would be one of them.
"Don't think so. He helped me up, said we needed to get inside. So I followed him into one of the houses. He turned on a lantern and asked to see my leg. Well, it was just then I realised, oh no, I was bit by a Vamp! I mean I knew I was bit, but the Vamp part really drove home that moment! But he told me not to worry, the sickness could be drained out. He tied something round my thigh, and pressed on my leg. I screamed because it hurt. Then he said he knew how to make it drain faster. He began sucking the bite."
Linda bit her lip. Before the long winter drove them away, there used to be poisonous snakes in the area. She remembered if someone was bit to cut the wound more and let it bleed. Was this something like that? Could something so simple actually help the White Plague? If so, then why hadn't it been done before? She then looked at her sister. But it didn't work. Lily's eyes weren't just red from crying. It was a sign of the plague. And her skin looked pale, and her hair going white, they were all signs. "I don't think... it worked."
"I don't either. And then... oh Linda... I don't know why I..." Lily shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears again. "I was so scared, thought I was gonna die, and I was so grateful..." Linda fixed Lily with a steady look. Oh.
"Lily... did this man..."
"He didn't make me! I wanted to!" Lily quickly insisted. "I'm not ashamed! He saved my life!" Lily frowned. "At least, I thought..."
"Lily, who was he?" Linda asked, an edge in her tone. She was going to find this man and have words.
"Don't know. Didn't get his name... but I'd never seen him before." Lily said, her voice choking again.
"He didn't even tell you his name and he... oh Lily." Linda rubbed the bridge of her nose. But none of this mattered. She looked at her dear little sister. Her fate was sealed. She would become a monster. The idea made Linda's stomach flip, flop, and plummet to the ground. "We need to tell Madam Gold. If there are vamps in Copperwood, people need to know."
"But they'll kill me, Linda!" Lily said. "Please don't let them kill me!"
"Lily, you will become a killer if we don't do something! There may be more." Linda exclaimed.
"Can't we say I didn't get bit? Can't we just say I saw one attacking a traveler?" Lily asked. Linda took in a deep breath, looking at her sister.
"Lily, they are going to notice if your skin and hair go white. They'll see your eyes go red. And you know, White Skin, Red Eyes, Bring all us Our Demise."
"Then you must hide me! Please! There must be a way around this! I don't want to die!" Lily begged her sister. Linda wrapped her arms about her sister.
"I don't want you to die either," Linda said. She rested her chin atop Lily's soft brown hair and sighed. What was she to do? "I won't say nothing, but I can't hide you, Lily. You're my l'il sis. I love you, but I can't let you become a beast."
"Maybe that man knows something. Maybe he's still there! I need to find him, but I'm afraid to go alone!" Lily exclaimed.
Linda grabbed Lily's arms, fixing her with a stern look. "Lily! That man took advantage of you!"
"But what if... what if he does know something?" Lily asked. Linda gave her sister a firm shake.
"We're not going back to Copperwood! I'll take care of you, but if you become a threat, I'll have to take you to the elders."
Lily squeaked, but then nodded her head, hugging her sister as a new rush of tears flooded out of her eyes.
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"She what?"
Peter clasped his hands, placing them on the large, hardwood table in the community hall of Fisham. His Uncle's austere face showed even more lines than he remembered, or perhaps that was the flickering light from the covered lantern that sat between them. Peter watched as his Uncle stroked his upper lip and narrowed his eyes, a classic sign that the Chief of Fisham was plotting something.
"She is awaiting a decision on whether to let her return," Peter repeated. Although his uncle now sat up straight in his high-back chair, his chin dipped low as he studied Peter intently. Peter waited patiently while his uncle sorted out his many thoughts, just soaking in the smell of cedar and pine.
"And you say she was with you the entire journey here? She never went off on her own?" the Chief asked. Peter nodded his head, and gave a little curious tilt as to the question. He hoped his Uncle would pick up on it and elaborate, but it seems, as usual, his uncle couldn't see beyond his own swirling thoughts. "When did she last feed?"
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"Two nights ago." Peter rubbed his wrist subconsciously. "I feel I should explain that this is not her idea. I wanted to come home, but I don't want to fulfil the other part of my oath." Chief Fisher lifted a frosty eyebrow at Peter, his chin sliding slightly to one side, but then he looked down.
"You always were soft." Chief Fisher murmured. Peter gave a slight shrug. He'd accepted that label, and it didn't offend him anymore. Not like it did in his foolish youth, when he went out of his way to prove otherwise. Peter began tapping his fingers on the surface of the unfinished wood table top. "But you made it out there, alone. And you say there were abominations to the east?"
"I didn't see them myself. They attacked some travellers who were passing through, and Rena dispatched them. The survivor was quite shaken up." The Chief's eyes widened momentarily and his hand gripped into a fist even as it rested on the table.
"Did she suspect? Does she know?" the Chief asked, alarmed.
"I don't think so. She was rattled by losing her... I'm guessing her husband and just grateful to be shown any kindness, I gather. We sent her further east, at any rate." Peter rubbed the back of his neck.
The Chief sighed, relief filling him as air escaped. For a moment he sat in silence, before shifting in his seat and looking back at his nephew. "Since you left we joined the Westarm Ward. Rena's return would be... complicated," Chief Fisher said, his voice trailing off as he stared beyond Peter.
Peter let out a low whistle. "So we'd be having regular traders and who knows what else traipsing through Fisham. I can see how keeping Rena's secret would be daunting."
"But... on the other hand, we might have an opportunity. Goldilocks and Perch have both had losses, and the corpses they have found were all drained of blood." The Chief's eyebrows drew close together.
"So the abominations are already here..." Peter said. "It's as I feared. It's why I came back. Rena can fight them without fear of infection."
"Yes... but we thought perhaps it was Rena who was killing."
"Not a chance. Like I said, she's been with us," Peter objected. Chief Fisher brought up a hand in a placating gesture, his eyes closed momentarily.
"I know, I know. But two of the bodies were buried. Abominations don't bury their dead. And the sled and supplies the hunters went out with were never recovered. So either we have another vampire in our midst, or we have infected who have not fully succumbed."
Peter took a moment to consider this information. Had he brought his family back into further peril? No. He immediately discarded such a thought. If abominations were coming, their small numbers would have been easily overrun, even with Rena's protection. "What is this opportunity you spoke of?"
"I can tell the other Warders are wary of us Fishers. If we can prove our value by discovering and destroying whatever is hunting their citizens, then it would do well to cement our position. But as part of our membership, we have not only had to send scouts to patrol perimeters around the Ward's borders, but also accept and house sentries that come here. Some of our finest hunters are dispatched to other settlements, and our lumberers are away on a log run. If Rena can kill the threat, then I would be willing to restore my covenant with her." The Chief steepled his fingers as he looked towards his nephew.
"...Well it would be up to her to decide this. But it shouldn't be hard for her. I have every confidence," Peter remarked, going back to tapping his finger.
"I know you do. You've always been fond of her," Chief Fisher remarked dryly. Somehow, he made it sound mocking, as if Peter ought to be ashamed. Peter glanced off to the side, uncomfortably. "I shall write my conditions, and stamp it with blood," the Chief stood up and went to a small writing desk in the corner, taking out some rough, pulpy paper and some ink. "Bring it to her, and let me know if she accepts. It would be better if I do not meet her in person for the time being."
Peter looked down at the paper and then slowly let his gaze travel to his uncle. "If you say so, Uncle."
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"So, you're the help from Fisham? Some help..." snorted a woman derisively. As Rena understood it, she was face to face with Sheriff Black, a compact woman with pinched features that gave the impression of all her bones and muscles being tightly bound in a thin sheath of brown leather.
"Nonetheless, I'm here. Update me," Rena said brusquely as she lifted her chin.
"See this map?" The Sheriff asked, pointing to a map of the district stretched across the wall. "Two hunters were found here, drained." She pointed to a remote area known for its hills. "Another body here, drained and torn apart. Not enough blood anywhere to have been animals alone." A stretch of plains near some sparse woodlands. "A young man from Perch was last seen here," the Sheriff indicated a spot near Copperwood,. "And lastly, one of our scouts went missing. She was heading to a hill the late hunters claimed was a drop point." The Sheriff stood straight, turning a critical eye on Rena. "Questions?"
Rena walked over to the map, looking at the spread of victims. "I'd been away for some time. Is Copperwood still empty?" Rena inquired.
"Yes," the sheriff responded dryly, seeming less impressed with Rena than she was before.
"I heard the hunters were buried. Is this true?" Rena furrowed her eyebrows as she began searching for patterns.
"True."
"But the woman who was torn to pieces was not,"
"Also true."
"And the two disappearances, when were they last seen?" Rena asked, tilting her head.
"Our scout was seen three days ago. The Hawk has been missing for two." The Sheriff's thin, scarred lips turned up in contempt, impatient with what she deemed to be inadequate help.
"How old is the Hawk?" Rena asked.
"Young adult. Late teen. Somewhere around there," Sheriff Black said with a shrug. "The Hawks don't keep detailed records."
"What's his occupation?"
"Builder," was the Sheriff's clipped response.
"So someone strong, but not one of the Hawk warriors," Rena reflected. She crossed her arms as she studied the map for a while. While she was contemplating the information, the door swung open and a young but stout woman entered.
"You're one of the Day girls, aincha?" the Sheriff asked. "Now's not a good time."
"It's important! I fear I need to tell you," Linda said. She then saw Rena and paused. "...Oh..."
"Don't worry about her. Speak your mind, then git," Sheriff Black said tersely.
"I saw a vamp in Copperwood." Linda blurted. Rena, who had been leaning over the map, stood up straight and spun around to face this woman. Sheriff walked over to her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.
"You what? Where in Copperwood?" thundered the Sheriff.
"Uh... I think... about here... or maybe... there...?" Linda said, pointing to a corner of Copperwood. "I'm sorry, it was all so scary."
"What were you doing in Copperwood?" the Sheriff asked, eyes narrowing to black slits.
"Meeting with Jay of the Hawks... he'd been seeing my sister and I-"
"Did you say Jay? When was this?" The Sheriff interrupted. Rena sat back and observed the exchange to glean what she could.
"Yes, oh, uh, not last night, but the night before," Linda stuttered.
"...Hmmm that moves the timeline." The Sheriff grabbed a piece of chalk, adding some notes to a blackboard. "What did you see?"
"Well there was someone I didn't know, a traveller I think, fighting with a creature that whistled and had white skin and no hair." Linda recounted, doing her best to describe what her sister had described to her. She glanced aside, and Rena arched her eyebrow. She suspected that Linda may be lying, but about what?
"The traveller? Did he survive?" Sheriff Black's voice took on a slightly higher tone, apprehension blooming behind her stern face.
"I think so..."
"...Then he may have been infected." The Sheriff let out a string of curses and she turned to Rena, almost as if she'd forgotten she was there. Rena had been squinting at Linda, but with the Sheriff's attention back on her, she smoothed out her face to perfect neutrality.
"Well, I think I know enough to begin my search," Rena responded.
"You aren't... going to Copperwood, are you?" Linda asked, horrified. Rena nodded her head. The Sheriff snorted.
"Now hold on; I'm spread thin and can't dispatch anyone to go there yet," Sheriff Black said, her voice crisp and firm.
"Time is of the essence. I'll go on ahead." Rena tossed something onto the table. The Sheriff peered at them curiously. They appeared to be teeth - fangs to be precise. They didn't look like the fangs of any predator she recognized. The Sheriff picked one up and examined it.
"What are these supposed to be?"
"Vamp fangs."
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"....come in.... Fisham.... Come in...." The radio operator nearly doubled over in his chair as the radio crackled to life, a woman's voice barely coming over the waves. He quickly set about adjusting the frequency to get a clearer sound.
"Wow, it really does talk!" abbered an excitable five-year-old. Ash hopped off of his father's lap and ran over to the Fisham comms operator. Peter scooped him up and pulled him back.
"Okay, buddy, tour's over. Time to let Pierce get back to work," Peter said as he reinforced his hold on the squirming child.
"This is Fisham. Who am I speaking to? Over," Pierce said as Peter set Ash down firmly, holding his hand tight lest he run off to play with all the buttons.
"A messenger. Over."
Peter paused, as Ash pulled against him. He found himself straining to listen, although it was his intention to get Ash out from underfoot.
"That's vague. Well. What's your message?" Pierce asked. Then after a pause he added an 'Over'.
"The Bleak has reached the Old World. I repeat. The Bleak has reached the Old World. The Order of Chamrosh has been supplanted. War has ravaged Europe. Countries have fallen into anarchy. A New Order is gaining traction - you must prepare yourselves. True Vampires seek dominion. No more help is coming. You are on your own. Over."
The silence that proceeded could have drowned out thunder. Ash looked around, wide-eyed, and uncertain what to do with the stricken expression on his father, or the grave look of Pierce. Ash gave his father's arm a tug, as if to remind him that he was still there.
"What's a, uh, an arkey?" Ash asked.
"Anarchy. It means no rules..." Peter responded grimly.
"Really? Can we GO there?"
"No, Ash, we can't."
"Aaaaw..."
"Come on." Peter quietly commanded, pulling on his son's hand to bring him away. The tour of the radio tower was over, and Peter had a lot to process. There was always the hope that aid would come from overseas. But they were truly on their own now. Peter had questions, and he wanted to ask them, but not with Ash within hearing shot. Thus, he coaxed and dragged his son down the long stairs from the old ranger's outpost.