Chronicles of Darkness: Shadows and Dust (30 page)

         Sergej looked at him and
snorted contemptuously. "Awww, is the son of smith Mikahel scared? You are
spending far too much time with the old Ana. You are just as superstitious as
she is."

         "Caution and
level-headedness has nothing to do with superstition!"

         "Argh, just shut
your trap, Dimitri," Sergej demanded as they left the tavern. "Get
your things together. We will meet shortly at the exit of the village. I bet
Anatol is burning to show everyone what he is capable of."

*****

         Sadden pressed her thighs
against her stallion's sweat-covered flanks. The vampire pulled at the reins of
her beloved horse and Stardancer slowed his gait. Finally, she brought him to a
full stop, sliding gracefully from his broad back. The cold night wind played
gently with her long dark hair. She leaned her forehead against Stardancer's
neck and closed her eyes for a moment. "Oh, Stardancer, my dear one. What
am I to do? I am trying so hard, but I cannot think about anything else than
that dream. Not even a ride enables me to free my mind."

         The white stallion
snorted, one mighty hoof impatiently pawing the forest ground.

         Soothing, Sadden stroked
his velvety fur. "I cannot forget them... these eyes. The color of them...
they were shining with endless love... just like Lisander's emeralds always
did..." Doubts rose inside her while she looked into the dark orbs of her
trusted friend. "Perhaps... perhaps it is only another punishment for my
sins... showing me lost love that I will never have again... until the longing
for it devours me completely, driving me slowly insane."

         The stallion pushed his
head against her chest.

         She hugged it to her,
gently rubbing her cool cheek against his forehead. "I do not know how
much longer I can bear this miserable existence without losing my mind,"
she whispered. "But I have to. The dream was a light... a tiny, bright
spark of hope in this dark hell of loneliness... If only I could have that
beautiful dream again. Until now though, that wish has been denied."

         Stardancer whinnied
softly.

         Sadden released his head
to climb into the saddle. Holding the reins tightly in her slender hands, she
turned him around. "Let us ride home, Stardancer."

         The stallion reared up
once, then raced back to the castle at a full gallop.

*****

         Dimitri and Sergej made
their camp at the edge of the forest. To banish the cold of the night, a bright
fire was burning, where they could warm their hands.

         Sergej sat on a fallen
tree, smoking a pipe. Small, blue clouds drifted from his mouth as he blew out
the smoke. "And you truly think that he can do it? I'd say, it's a pretty
hard task for such a slip of a boy, don't you think?" he asked his friend,
who was busy with a knife, carving a small figure from a piece of wood, which
he held in his hands.

         Dimitri shrugged his
shoulders. "Why shouldn't he make it? Anatol knows the woods like no other
and is very stubborn. Too stubborn to die. He was the only one to come back
alive then, even though he never said a word about what had happened at the
wolf hunter's camp. If he has made up his mind once, he is going to see it
through to the bitter end."

         Sergej scratched his red
chin beard. "Yes, he opened his big mouth and now he has to prove his
words. I'm sure the wolves will leave him alone. He is only skin and bones
after all." He slapped his thigh, laughing loudly about his own stupid
joke, but fell silent when Dimitri didn't join in.

         "What are you
carving there anyway?" Sergej asked. "A talisman to protect us from
evil ghosts and demons, of whom the old women in the village are so afraid
of?"

         Dimitri wasn't able to
give the fitting reply that lay on his tongue, because a horrible scream rang
through the silence of the night, curdling the blood of everyone who heard it.

         Sergej dropped his pipe
as he leapt up, gazing searchingly around. "Great God in the heavens! What
was that?"

         More screams, followed by
cracking sounds of splintering twigs came from the woods.       Both men
reached for their weapons. "There is something coming out of the forest!
Directly at us!" Dimitri and Sergej grabbed their shotguns firmly with
both hands, aiming at the darkness in front of them. Barely breathing, they
awaited their fate.

         A figure staggered from
between the trees, the clothes torn and smudged with dirt from its
neck-breaking flight through the forest.

         Sergej nearly pulled the
trigger, but Dimitri's shout stopped him. "Don't shoot! It's Anatol!"

         Anatol stumbled towards
them, digging his shaking hands deeply in Dimitri's coat. His eyes darted
around wildly. His face was as pale as a sheet, his breathing harsh and
irregular. Now and again, he whimpered and mumbled something.

         Dimitri took his cold face
in both hands, trying to make eye contact with the badly frightened, young man.
"Anatol! Anatol! Look at me!"

         "I saw her again...
I saw her again... I saw her again..." he repeated over and over.

         "What? Who did you
see?" Dimitri questioned.

         "She touched me... I
saw her... she spoke to me... I saw her..."

         "Who? Damn it,
who
,
Anatol?"

         "I saw her... I saw
her... she touched me... I saw her..."

         Sergej lost his patience,
grabbed the young man and pulled Anatol roughly towards him. He shook him hard
and screamed, "Just spit it out! Who did you see and who touched
you?!"

         "A demon! A demon
straight from hell!" Anatol whimpered hysterically, clinging tightly to
Sergej's arms.

         The man snorted in
disgust. "Have you been drinking? Let me smell your breath!"

         "Hidden in shadows!
The eyes glowing red, burning like the fires of hell! Pointy fangs, gleaming in
the moonlight! She touched me... this time... on my cheek... I ran again!"
Anatol howled. Suddenly, he shoved Sergej, who staggered back and fell to the
ground. He also evaded Dimitri, who tried to grab him. "It is true! A
curse! This place is cursed!" Anatol panted, before he ran in direction of
the village, as if chased by the devil himself. His arms waving wildly, he
screeched in panic and hysteria, "We all are damned! Everyone of us is
doomed! There is no escape! The demons! They will come and destroy us
all!"

         Shocked, Dimitri's gaze
followed Anatol, whom he didn't recognize anymore. '
What could have possibly
happened in the abandoned camp of the wolf hunters?
' He bent down to help
Sergej up. "So? Do you still think that it's only superstitions of old
women from the village?" Dimtri asked, quietly.

         "Of course!"
Sergej strongly retorted. "Do you honestly believe his absurd story about
demons from hell?"

         "Well, demons or
not, you saw how scared Anatol was. He wouldn't act like that because of
nothing, would he?"

         Sergej started to pack
their things together. He lit two torches for their way home, before
extinguishing the campfire's flames with some soil. "I'll tell you what
I'm thinking, Dimitri."

         The tall blonde crossed
his arms, curiously waiting for the man's answer.

         "Our good Anatol
probably fell asleep and dreamed some weird stuff. His nightmare mixed with
memories. Then he woke up and an owl or some other creepy night thing scared
him. He just snapped. It's as easy as that!"

         "But..."

         Sergej cut him off with a
harsh hand motion, interrupting him annoyed, "One lunatic per night is
enough for me, thank you very much!" He gave Dimitri a torch. "Wait
until Rouven hears about this. He will laugh his head off," he chuckled,
stepping onto the path that led to Ardeal. "Ah, he probably already knows.
I'm sure that Anatol, the idiot, woke the whole village with his
screeching."

         Before Dimitri followed
him, he glanced back to the forest, frowning. "There is something out
there..."

*****

         "A delicious game,
my young boy. I have chosen you. You only belong to me." Lilith's bright
voice echoed through the castle's empty corridors. "You will be ripe
soon." The vampire was in a happy mood as she suddenly felt something
familiar. Straining all her senses, she hurriedly followed the perception that
led her to the door of Andrej's chambers.

         The vampire was surprised
and about to turn back, as she heard a hoarse croak from inside. Without
warning, Lilith burst into the room.

         Andrej jumped, equally
surprised. "For heaven's sake, what..."

         "What are you
doing?" Lilith demanded, running to the table where Andrej stood. A large,
beautiful raven sat on top of it. "Hraban, what has he done to you?"

         "I took care of the
raven. With its last strength, it landed in the courtyard, closer to death than
life," he responded, miffed.

         Lilith caressed the soft
feathers, examining the bird closely. "Did she carry a message?"

         "No. Nothing."

         The vampire sighed. If
only you could speak, to tell me about my parents."

         Andrej blinked
astonished. "The bird came to us from the island?"

         "Now, we both are
far away from home," Lilith said, stroking Hraban's head.

         The tall man stepped between
the two, interrupting the reunion to carry on with his work. "Her beak is
covered with salt crystals, "Andrej said, dipping a piece of cloth into
lukewarm water and began to free the bird of it. "She flew quite a
distance, no wonder she is so exhausted." His voice carried a slightly
accusing tone.

         Lilith didn't care about
it and answered defiantly, "Hraban is stronger than she looks!"

The vampire watched as the young
man took a willow basket and placed a soft blanket inside. "Here she can
rest, get warm and regain her strength. To fly such a distance and find the
way... truly remarkable," he praised.

         "Have you ever seen
the northern sea?" Lilith asked suddenly.

         Andrej followed her gaze
to a small picture leaning against a wall. Sailboats had been painted on it. He
shook his head. "Tell me about the sea."

         "What for? You are a
poor fool, who does not know what he is missing in this seclusion," the
young vampire retorted.

         "Polite like
always," Andrej remarked and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Well, why don't you amaze me with your unlimited wisdom? Perhaps you will
manage to teach something to this
poor fool
, who is standing in front of
you?"

         Lilith was angered by his
mocking words. "Close your eyes," she demanded of Andrej, who obeyed
only reluctantly. "Imagine this... With your bare feet you are standing in
cold, wet sand... It is cold. The howling storm is spraying you with salty
water... it is horribly raving and beautiful at the same time. In some nights,
the sea is calm, black and unpredictable. Lurking and peaceful. And always
mysteriously beautiful. Then again free and independent, always moving. Can you
see the white foam crowns dancing on top of the waves?"

         Andrej nodded.

         "Dark and deep is
the water in front of you, giving you a strong feeling of wildness, untamed.
Can you smell the salt in the air, which cleans your lungs and body at the same
time?"

         Unconsciously, Andrej
inhaled deeply.

         "Giving life and
bringing death. This force of nature will never be controlled by humans. That
is the sea!"

         Andrej opened his eyes,
still lost in the powerful picture she had painted in his mind. Lilith had
disappeared. Shaking his head, he turned to the weakened raven. Gently stroking
Hraban's black, gleaming feathers, he mumbled, "From one moment to the
next, she is a completely different person."

*****

         Sometime later, Lilith
roamed through the castle, lost in her own world, thinking about Hraban.
"Your strong wings carried you across the land to me. You did not bring a
note, but to me that is message enough. Something is going on and I am not to
know anything about."

         Suddenly, the vampire
looked up and stopped, irritated. She had gotten lost. Lilith didn't know why
she was following this certain corridor, but she had been walking it for quite
some time. She took the last steps in an uncomfortable, bent position, because
the ceiling was so low.