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Valley of the Hunted (Frelance & Kikora)

Ross waited until she was ready before he left the kitchen. "You would have been punished but you made an impression me that she hasn't." He put one arm around Teyha and pulled her close as they moved through large ground of people. Once they were out of the group he loosened his grip but left his arm where it was. "Vikki has a score to settle with her. At least that is what I sensed when we arrived and she first saw her." He entered the staircase that led down to the dungeons. He could smell the blood and almost taste is already.
 
Teyha blinked at the arm across her shoulder, tensing visibly as she shot the vampire an odd look, her eyebrow raised. She didn't pull away yet, even if her motions became stiffer. "An impression?" She questioned, eyeing him curiously. "What kind of an impression have..." Her question died off when she began to smell the scent of blood, even with her far less sensitive nose. She made a face in disgust at the sharp metallic smell, dreading what waited beyond the doors. "She's okay, right?" Teyha asked. "She's a good woman, she doesn't deserve this!"
 
Ross laughed at her stare as she asked her question. "Yes, and a good one at that. plus your a chute thing for someone as young as you." He sobered up when he saw her concern. "She should be fine. your smelling the blood from quite a few people." He ruffed her hair playfully but he knew that nothing that he said would make her feel any better about what she was about to see. "Look I am going to level with you. All the really bad criminals that are taken away and well. They are kept here." He opened the door as he said the last words and had to stop for a second as the smell hit him like a wave. "Follow close to me and you will be fine. Oh and don't try to be a hero, if you do i wont be able to protect you." He walked through the door quickly and moved past the cells without looking in them. He was hoping Teyha would not look but he had a feeling that she would.

The Cells we clean except for blood stains that covered most of the floors. The occupants moved away from the doors and tried to hide in the shadows on the cells as they pasted. Ross did not no if these people should be here but he could not do anything about it until he had more power here. He didn't say anything until he reached Ophelie's cell. "I am going to let her be alone with her for a bit. I ... Have other things to attend to." He motioned for the guard who was patrolling the dungeon to open the door. As he did as he was told Ross turned and leaned in to Teyha so that his lips were beside her ear. "The faster she tells them what she knows the faster I can help her." He paused then continued. "They will get what they want one way or another. The less they have to work on her the easier it will be on her." He walked away and motioned for the guard to follow him. He needed to feed and this seemed like the best time plus he was no sure how long he could last down there with out feeding.
 
The more Ross spoke the more uncomfortable Teyha became. "I insulted you, insulted you, screamed in your ear, and denied you when you wanted my body. How is that a good impression?" She asked, but they were already at the cells. Teyha looked around with wide eyes, seeing the horrible condition of the people kept here. Blood stained the walls, and the prisoners tried to slink away, terrified and injured... And Teyha didn't even have her power to help them

Her fists balled at her sides, clenched so tightly she quivered. They reached Ophelie's cage, and Ross left here there alone. "Ophelie?" Teyha called as she entered, watching the small crumbled pile that was her friend slowly rise, a pained expression on her face. "Are you okay?!" Teyha gasped, rushing forward to grab her under the arms.

"You're alive?" Ophelie asked, startled. "Janek said.... I didn't think you'd be able after that, you'd do something brash." She murmured painfully, and Teyha helped her find a place to sit, holding her securely under her arms.

"The vampire I was taken by isn't like the rest." Teyha whispered, hoping her voice didn't carry. "He's keeping me out of harm for now... He's drank of me twice... Tried to violate me once... But he is reachable. I got him to stop."

"Reachable?" Ophelie repeated blankly, raising a questioning brow.

"Listen to me!" Teyha said louder, grasping Ophelie's shoulder's firmly, "Talk to him, he's not from inside this valley. I'm trying to make him understand our side, and he is understanding... So trust me, and only talk to him." She told her, before pausing, sending a message to Janek to give to Ophelie. I did this. Tell him that, it's my story. I told you to bathe in holy water, wear garlic, and take the cross. He's seen Janek, a flash in my mind... Janek is just another healer, he told me the remedies.

Slowly Ophelie nodded, but her eyes narrowed slightly. "I'll talk to him." She said hoarsely. "But only to him."
 
Ross walked along the row of cells with the soldier following close behind him. He was not sure what he was looking for but he knew he wanted something particular this time. He didn't know what it was but he knew he was looking for something. He stopped at one cell frustrated with himself for wanting something in the blood. He was used to just picking the easiest prey or one that he could use to get him were he wanted to go. he had never chosen his prey based on their scent, he had never had that luxury. "Open this one and leave me." The guard quickly opened the cell door and left.

Ross entered the room and moved to the woman lying on the ground. He knew that he should be gentle with her but his thirst was getting the better of him. It was not often that this happened but when it did he had a hard time. He put his hand over the woman's moth as he crouched down. He lifted her with his other hand and placed his fangs on her neck. He was lost as soon as his fangs pieced her skin. He didn't even hear the woman's muffled screams as he started to drink.

Vikki entered the dungeons as Ross started to feed off the woman down the hall. She had been wanting to come down and see Ophelie since she awoke but she had been speaking with the elders and Merth about what they would ask Ophelie. she moved from the door to Ophelie's cell in seconds. The only sign of her presence was the shadow that she cast into the cell and the slight breeze she caused as she moved. "What are you doing here?" She was not happy to see Teyha at all. She stepped forward and grabbed at Teyha causing the cross shaped burn on her hand to shine in the flickering torch light. "If you had spit at me I would have torn you to pieces." She didn't see why Ross have not killed the girl as soon as she had spat at him but it was not her place to cross him. "I suppose he could have done worse though. You will make an entertaining pet. I never thought he you pick a young ling again thought."
 
Teyha and Ophelie huddled together, and for the first time in years, Teyha saw the older woman weak and terrified. She almost shook in her arms, but never once cried or sobbed. They kept close until a shadow passed over them, and Teyha turned just in time to see Vicki snatch at the collar of her shirt, and lift her from the bunk to stand on the tips of her toes before her. Teyha's skilled eyes caught sight of the burn almost immediately, and she frowned some, her gaze softening. "I don't know what you mean by 'pet'." She said softly. "And I'm not that young, I am old enough in the village to be considered an adult."

Her gaze dropped again, settling on the burn, and she sighed. "A foolish one." She murmured. "I had thoughts the 'remedies' I prescribed to Ophelie were simply old wives tales. Hanging garlic at the door, bathing in blessed water, carrying a cross... It was a way to make people sleep better at night, but never kept your kind away." She told her softly, but kept her hands at her side, knowing touching the small burn would do no good now. "I told Ophelie those remedies." Teyha admitted softly, "As a way to make her feel safer as she was moving from one village to the next. I didn't think anyone would be injured. I'm sorry, I... I don't know why the cross burned you, it's never done that before!"

Ophelie watched silently for a few moments, holding her breath before she sat up as well. "She's telling the truth," Ophelie confirmed softly. "People have hung crosses since you took control, it has never harmed your kind."
 
Ross had almost drank his fill when he heard Vikki's voice and then Teyha speaking. He took his fangs out of the woman's neck and quickly licked the blood that leaked out of the wound. He growled as he stood up and walked out of the cell. He didn't know what was happening but he had just been interrupted while he was feeding. If one thing pissed him off more than anything it was having to stop feeding before he was ready.

Vikki snarled at Teyha as she spoke. "You have know idea what you have gotten into. He owns you now, and he will own you until he either kills you or turns you." She raised her free hand to slap Teyha when she started to talk about her burn. She started to swing her hand towards Teyha but her hand faltered as she heard someone growling behind her.

Ross stood there with his blood covered teeth bared and small rivulets of blood running down his chin. "What do you think you are doing?" He knew ex actually what she was about to do but he also knew that he out ranked her. "If you follow through with that swing I will plaster you all over theses walls."

Vikki slowly turned around. As she saw Ross she realized that she was in one of the worst situations she could be in with Ross. She had seen him do exactly what he had just threatened to do to her. "Calm down, I have not done anything wrong and you need to keep an eye on your pet." Vikki lowered Teyha and let go of her shirt before she took a step towards Ross. She knew that she should bite her tongue and just leave but should was getting irritated by the way he was treating her. "If your not careful she might end up just light the last one your had. Now wouldn't that be horrible." She had no time to move before Ross's fist slammed into her stomach making her groan and double over.

Ross grabbed Vikki's shoulders and swung her towards the door of the dungeon. He walked up to her and spat in her face as she started to stand. "Never mention her again!" He pointed to the door as he glared at her. "Get out of here now! Before i change my mind and kill you where you stand!" He watched Her as she stood up and quickly left the dungeon.

After a minute he turned around and walked back to Ophelie's cell. He wiped the blood off his chin and licked his lips clean as he approached. He went straight to Teyha and looked her over. "Are you ok?" He was not sure if Vikki had done anything to her before he hand arrived. "If she hurt you I will make her pay. She has know right to you. Not while your under my protection."
 
Teyha tensed and closed her eyes when Vicki rose her hand, preparing for the jarring pain of the slap. She half heard Ophelie move behind her, as if she could stop the vampiress from hitting her... But the pain didn't come. Instead she heard Ross speak, and opened her eyes, watching him enter the room, and stop the punishment where it was. He looked a horror, bloody fangs bared, and crimson rivets running free down his chin from whoever he had previously bitten. As soon as she saw him, Vikki released Teyha and stepped forward. What happened next was a blur to the two young women, as Vikki spoke, and Ross ruthlessly drove his fist into her stomach.

Ophelie could only stare with wide eyes as Ross paced the room, wiping the blood from his mouth before inspecting Teyha for injury. 'What the hell...' She thought for a moment at the obvious care the man put into protecting her friend. 'That's Teyha though', She thought dryly, 'Damnit, if that girl can't befriend anything...'

Teyha only shook her head, and took a brief step forward, wiping off a thin trail of blood Ross had missed. "No, I'm not hurt." She assured him. "But she had reason to hit me, it was my advice that got her burned after all... And I owe you an apology too, it seems I interrupted your meal." She finished, wiping the blood off on the wall to try to clean her fingers... She certainly didn't want it on her clothes after all. "I didn't want her to hurt Ophelie thinking that there is more going on than I told you. It just isn't right."
 
Ross relaxed slightly as Teyha tried to reasure him. He had let his thirst take control. He could have killed Vikki but the difference from now to then is that he was not in control and would have done it for any reason where as now he had a dam good reason to kill her. "Good, she has no right to harm you. Not while your under my protection." He walked to the corner with the deepest shadow and sat down cross legged. "I would not say it was you who interupted my meal. If she had not come down I would have finished, so its her fault."

He turned his gaze to Ophelie and looked her up and down. " So your the one who burned Vikki. I guss its nice to know tha-." He stopped himself right before he that silver hurts us. He realized that they might not know what hurt her. "Unfortunatly for you now she wants to torture you and make you pain. So what is it that you can tell me?" He wanted to see what she tell him before he started asking questions.
 
Teyha moved away from Ross when he stepped into the shadows, and sat on the floor next to Ophelie, her jaw set stubbornly. The older woman simply shook her head, "I can't tell much." She told him. "I had to move through the woods to another town that night, and felt apprehensive. Not many people travel in the night, because of your kind. I went to Teyha for remedies meant to ward your kind away, just to ease the tension. I did not think it would harm your kind..." She stopped there, almost biting her lip to keep from saying 'but damn if you deserve it, bloodsucker.'

"You see?" Teyha pipped in, "This has been blown out of proportion, it was an accident, we didn't know the cross would burn her, none of the wooden crosses villagers set up ever had." Teyha paused, her eyes going wide as a thought occurred to her, and she glanced at Ophelie. "None of the blessed iron either.... But you didn't have those kinds of crosses..." She whispered, "You had... Your great grandmother's silver cross.... Like the silver coin he wouldn't touch.... Like the silver no vampire will accept in the castle and has tried to rid from the land." She finished, realizing too late that she had spoken out loud, and she jumped, wide eyes turning to Ross. "We... Didn't know."
 
Ross listened to Ophelie's story but he didn't believe her entirely. He didn't have time to ask any questions before Teyha started to figure things out. he ran his hand through his hair and let out a long sigh as she realized the significance of the silver. He looked at the floor for a long time before he looked up at Ophelie and Teyha. "Well, you would have figured it out sooner or later. Some of my kind learn right away while others don't learn till later on." He stood up and walked towards them. He slowly took his shirt off as he approached them. "It burns us in small doses but it is still lethal." He didn't see the problem with telling them since as far as he know they could not tell anyone out side of the castle. "I for one learned the hard way." He crouched down and turned so that the scars that crisscrossed his back were visible. "I was caught breaking the law while I was out side of the valley and my punishment was a hundred lashes. Unfortunately for me the whip had small pieces of silver embed along its length. If it had been anything else I would have been fine and healed within a day as if nothing had happened."
 
Teyha's eyes widened when Ross began to undress, pulling off his shirt as he walked towards them. She took a quick step backwards as Ophelie moved in front of her, hands raised as if to defend them against the vampire. But he didn't attack, instead he crouched down, and turned to let them see his back.

The young witch moved forward, and tenderly put a hand over the wounds, a sick almost silver color next to his already pale skin. She drew in a sharp breath, "I'm sorry." She whispered truthfully. ""I've never agreed with whipping."

She started to withdraw her hand when Ophelie burst out laughing, an awful almost hysterical sound. Teyha spun to face her, looking shocked as the woman stumbled backwards into the wall, and slid down the side. "And you don't fear telling us because there's nothing we could do if we wanted to." She huffed, "A handful of silver coins... A few decorative hilts with silver embedded, a couple old silver crosses.... there is not enough silver in the valley to do more than piss you kind off. And we're here because of an accident, because I didn't have an iron cross."
 
Ross shivered slightly as he felt Teyha's fingers brush his back. "There is nothing to be sorry for, I was foolish enough to let myself get caught and I payed the price." He turned to look at Ophelie as she started laughing. "I didn't fear telling you because you don't have allies in the castle that can spread the word to the villages outside." He stood up slowly as he put his shirt back on. "Before things start to change I need information about this valley. I am not going into anything blind." He walked to the door of the cell. "I will see what I can do about making you more comfortable but keep in mind I will have more questions about this "we" you two keep speaking of. Do what you want for now Teyha, I will see you after I finish the business I have." He walked away and told the guard to lock the cell door once Teyha left and make sure Ophelie got some good food. He left the dungeons and headed for the castle barracks. He needed to speak with Merk.
 
Teyha pulled back slightly, and nodded, moving to sit next to Ophelie. She drew her knees under her chin as she watched Ross turn to leave. "We means two, you know." She said softly to his depearting back. "We're talking about us. We are the we."

He left and Ophelie and Teyha let out twin breaths, even if Ophelie was still chuckling hysterically. "Janek?" She whispered hoarsely.

"No!" Teyha snapped, her eyes locking on the other woman seriously. "I said let me try to reach him. He could stop the need for war... I don't want to be the cause of one if it can be avoided." Slowly Ophelie nodded, and sank bacl again with a sigh.

""He is unusual, but don't trust him Teyha. You know better than that."
 
For the next two weeks Ross got reacquainted with the Valley. It started with him leaving the castle for a day and just riding in the surrounding are. Then he started to send out Merk and his men to explore and map the rest of the valley. On days that he was in the castle Ross would talk with Teyha and Ophelie for a few hours then head off after seeing that each of them had at least one proper meal. He spent quite a bit of time in the elders chamber telling them some of the things he had learned and how they could use the kingdoms outside to there advantage.

Kat rode through the castle gate just as the sun was setting. She had been gathering what information that she could find but so far any rebellion had been hidden from her. She was not surprised by this because she was an outsider so it would not be easy for her to get any information for Ross. She met Ross and they spoke quickly as they made their way to his room. She noticed that the doors to the attached room were closed but she didn't say anything when she realized that the healer Ross had taken from the town must be staying in their.

She told him a few more pieces of information that was not safe to speak about out side the room before they started to undress each other. They quickly climbed into bed and after a few minutes of foreplay Ross entered her as she started to moan with pleasure.
 
The next two weeks passed slowly for Teyha, who felt the strange discomfort of betraying both sides of the revolt. On one side, the humans and Elves waited for information about vampires she could give... But she kept it away. Out of trust of one vampire who had impressed her. Yet, she did not tell him of the revolt. It killed her, being a traitor.

It was likely guilt that made her so restless. She often later to rise, early to bed, but still she felt ill and tired. She spoke to Ophelie each day, and then moved through the castle like a specter, to return to her room and sleep again. It was a day like this that she lay sprawled on the bed, still fully dressed like a man with her hair tousled roughly to add to the illusion. She slept hard, soundly enough that she did not hear the quiet thumping next door. There were moans, and those eventually roused Teyha. She sat up immediately, recognising the sounds. They were made in the clinic often enough. Often enough that she knew interrupting would do no good.

Instead she smiled deviously, and moved to her old clothes. "Sharp senses..." She reminded herself as she pulled out a packet of dark leaves. Skunkplant, she called it. A wonderful herb for stomach illness, but with a stench that would fill both rooms when burned. She grinned, and took the candle from her bedside, moving it to the table closest to the door. She poured the leaves over, and watched them ignite, the immediate stench filling her senses, sharp enough to bring tears into her eyes. She hastily retreated back to her bed and buried her face in the pillow to block the smell... With any luck, when the horrid smell moved into the other room Ross would not be able to stomach it. No man could keep his need with a smell like that in his nose!
 
It did not take long for Ross and Kat to smell the burning herb. They both ground as Ross got off of Kat. "You get the window and I will deal with the Teyha." He quickly pulled on a pair of pants as Kat quickly slipped on his shirt and ran to the window. Ross knew that if he went through the doors between the rooms the smell would hit him lake a wave but if he let it into the halls they would not be able to get it out for weeks. His eyes were already stinging and he knew they would get worse as soon as he opened the doors. Kat was quickly getting dressed. She didn't want to stay in the castle any longer now that the mood had been ruined. Ross saw her intentions and shook ran his hand through his hair. "She will pay, don't worry about that." He got up and went towards the doors between the rooms. He turned back to Kat as he opened the door. "Find out how much silver is in the Valley, I want to know exactly how much they have." Kat nodded as she ran out of his room and into the hall, making sure to close the door quickly.

Ross inched thought the door and closed it. "Get up, Teyha. If I have to smell this than so do you!" He walked to the smoldering herb and crushed it in his hands. He didn't look in Teyha's direction as he went to her window and flung it wide open. he took a breath of fresh air and rubbed his eyes before he turned back to Teyha. "What the hell are you doing?"
 
The herb worked like a charm, and within moments the moaning stopped. Teyha grinned into the pillow as Ross stormed in, and quickly disposed of the plant. She sat up easily, her face clear of emotion. It took her only a few moments to straighten her clothes before she met Ross' eyes boldly. "Trying to get sleep." She said calmly. "You're too loud, and I am used to sleeping in smell."

She raised a brow and glared at him. "I don't want to HEAR you do that. I can always find more skunkweed, for future reference. There are dozens of free rooms in the mansion, stick me in one, or find one yourself."
 
Ross just glared at Teyha. "Don't play stupid, your young but your not ignorant. You have been sleeping more than I have. You don't need anymore sleep, so don't give me that." He took a few steps closer to Teyha and scratched his bare chest as he spoke. "I don't care if you sleep with smell. Thats not something anyone could sleep with." He kept walking until he was standing in front of her. "Do you really want me to put you somewhere else in the castle? Remember I am the only thing standing between you and Vikki." He crouched down so that they were eye to eye. "I am sure she would love to come and visit you don’t you?"
 
Teyha glared stubbornly at Ross, her eyes blued stubbornly on his face, not his half naked body. "It's not the first time I lit it." Teyha protested, scooting away from him until she slid off the bed, but he kept forward until they were face to face, their noses nearly touching. The mention of Vicki was enough to make her blood run cold, and she paled visibly. "I don't want to hear it." She said softly. "I despise it. I want nothing to do with it, not to think of it... Certainly not to be awakened by sounds of it! You had options, and forced my hand."
 
Ross let out a low growl as Teyha spoke. "You have never lit that before. Don't try to lie to me." The corner of his lips raised slightly as he saw her grow pale at the mention of Vikki. "Trust me she is not an 'it' She is a she." He smirked as he thought about what images might pop into her mind after that comment. "As for options, I have kept my word and not made another move on you so I decided to enjoy the body that wanted me." He thought for a second then without warning he kissed Teyha as his hands went to her shoulders and pushed her into a lying posistion on the bed.
 
'Wrong it' Teyha wanted to snap, to correct him quite plainly that she didn't want to be exposed to sex in any form, even just sound. She didn't have time to scream out or protest before his lips met hers, a thorough and deep kiss as he forced her backwards onto the bed. The girl froze, her eyes widening considerably as she stared up at Ross. There was nothing she could do. She struggled, but might as well have been fighting iron, for all the food it did. She whimpered against his lips desperately, begging him to free her.
 
Ross pulled back slightly. “I have stayed away from you for weeks, not just have I kept my word to not have sex with you but I have also not fed off of you.” He let his hands run her body as his head moved to her neck. He smiled and kissed her neck and let his fangs graze against her neck. “Good I have missed the taste of your blood.”
 
Teyha relaxed slightly when he proclaimed his want was for her blood, and her eyes closed for a moment, letting him kiss her pulse. He was teasing her, she told herself. Taunting her to scare her further. "You'll continue to keep your word?" She whispered softly before he bit. "You wont have sex with me? You wont force me to bear the unbearable? I do not care if you bite me, if you drain me... But not not use me, not my body."
 
Ross didn’t answer her questions. He bite down on her neck without pausing to let her adjust to his fangs he sunk them deeper before he started to feed. He savoured the taste of her blood as he waited for his venom to take affect. He moved his hands to her shirt and started to rip it open. He was going to let his actions speak for him for now.
 
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