(Spring 1539: We all lose our heads from time to time)
She had prepared for many of eves for this night and while the woman had many opportunities to flee from him, she decided to stay. Elizabeth did what it was she did best. Watch. She watched Reynold by slipping into his mind each eve, flitting into the man’s memories and picking out the similarities within his nightly rituals. Then, once Elizabeth was certain he would not deviate from the familiar, the woman readied herself for the fight she had been longing for.
The brunette had, what Elizabeth assumed a perfect stratagem in play. Reynold was a creature of habit, preferring the seedy areas of town to work his charm; the gift bestowed to those that followed the path of deceiving humans. The allurists held a kind of power amongst the weak minds of humans than any other vampires in existence, hardly being mistaken for anything but a human. Whores were the easiest for the man to manipulate, for he had enough funds for their every possible desire and so Reynold would not have to use much of his gifts to deceive them.
As predicted, the brunette vampiress had come across the man behind a small home that had seen better nights. A woman with the color of gold waving around her head was propped against a corner with her neck ripped out. Reynold had fed the evening before so the act was pure savagery and while Elizabeth herself had nights that matched the caliber, she never left the weeds exposed for many eyes to see. Reynold had found himself comparable to a God, untouchable to man or vampire alike. Tonight would prove his theory different; for he was not untouchable and he had to pay for his crimes against her and those that may have fallen due to his selfish actions.
All that remained was she and the dead human girl, Reynold and long disappeared from the scene to enjoy the rest of his eve or to return back to his haven. If he was able to return back to the safety of his home, then she would have failed and there might not be another opportunity presented to the brunette vampires. There would be no other eve, tonight was the night. It had to be.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and allowed herself to pressing into the mind of Reynold, taking in his most recent actions and locations; tracking him. Nothing in the world existed for the vampires besides the connection she shared with him this moment. In essence, Elizabeth was vulnerable should he or a hunter approach her during this state of mind. His world suddenly became hers, as if she were walking the dirt roads the man was upon and the lights of the house cast her shadow to that very dirt road. Once Elizabeth had his location deep within her mind, the woman snapped her head into the direction she was certain Reynold was in with such force as if she had been slapped across the face. Blue irises searched the roads as the woman passed by houses, not bothering to actually notice anything about them for she had already seen everything about them as Reynold passed them. She was not here for the scenery, but she would help aid in its beauty when she spilled his blood upon the roads this eve.
He was a few years older than she which meant he was faster. Trailing behind him wasn’t going to aid her in this endeavor; Elizabeth had to put herself in front of him. The moment in which they fought would have to be up to her and not when he happened to hear Elizabeth behind him. The woman stilled her movements and focused herself not on his location but what lay ahead of Reynold. This was a power that Elizabeth had only recently tapped into and so it required much more concentration than that of riffling through memories.
Elizabeth saw Reynold besides her and then she saw more houses, a large willow tree whose branches tickled the ground lightly when the wind blew across them and then a farm house which informed her that he was on his way to the outskirts of the town and would make his way to the haven. His refuge of safety. Elizabeth’s thoughts were once again her own and not focused on the area Reynold was journeying through. Then the woman ran.
Elizabeth ran like she never had before, but her life and the life of other vampire’s depended upon it. The grass the dark haired woman ran through the large blades of grass, the thicket slowing her down before Elizabeth picked up the deep colored material of her floor length skirt. She lost her shoe somewhere within the earth as Elizabeth continued to run, but didn’t allow that to slow her pace as she purposefully slipped her the other foot out of the remaining shoe to increase her speed.
She came around the side of the barn just as Reynold crossed the blades of grass, the two encountering the other at just about the same time. His dark eyes locked onto her own set, his features suddenly becoming defensive. His body grew rigid as his eyes flicked up her petite frame, trying to figure out his first move. Both stood there, waiting for the other to act, seconds turning into minutes before Elizabeth took a step forwards, breaking the heavy air that engulfed the both of them. The two vampires of almost equal age and strength slammed into the other, the weight of the man causing Elizabeth to take two involuntary steps backwards. Reynold reacted quickly, grabbing Elizabeth buy a shoulder and pulled her close to him, the woman’s arms pressed out in front of her, hoping to keep the space between she and him.
Canines from both vampires were elongated and glinted in the moonlight as defensive hisses passed through both lips warning the other to desist with their attack. However, it was apparent neither were going to heed to the warning given by the other for Reynold’s fingers dug deep into the neck of Elizabeth’s before her knee raised and met the man within his gut. This provided the woman with the very moment that she needed to proceed with Reynold’s demise. She slipped away from his grasp and disappeared into the barn where she focused on her next tactic. Confusion.
A doppelganger stood where Elizabeth once was within the barn, the woman finding her way to the top of the barn using a ladder. Her double stood, waiting for Reynold to find her (or the real Elizabeth) as if she might have decided to stop the chase between the two and finally end what it was they both knew was going to come to fruit this eve. One of them would not make it to see another evening after this skirmish between the two. This would not be a battle of just wit and intelligence for both she and Reynold possessed a copious amounts of both.
Elizabeth could not see Reynold given the angle she was above him, but an unexpected howl pierced the night sky from what Elizabeth assumed was his attacking the decoy she had put forth. The woman didn’t wait to react before she pounced off the haystack above his head, her weight crashing into him, sending the two of them toppling. Elizabeth scrambled off the ground, readying herself to attack him again when the man’s boot smacked into her abdomen and sent Elizabeth sprawling backwards. The woman slammed into the wall of the barn, her head smacking against it, causing her to see black orbs in her vision. Elizabeth shook her head, trying to refocus, but this allowed Reynold time he needed to be on the offensive again. Reynold lunged at Elizabeth, grabbing her by her long tresses and shoved her to the ground in a blur of rapid movement. The woman crawled away from his approaching figure, handfuls of hay within her grasp, before the male vampire pulled Elizabeth off the ground. With a fluid turn, the woman shoved the hay into his eyes, distracting him from the minor irritation.
Blue irises darted around for something of use to the woman, finding a few random farming aides that she was all too familiar with. Horse reigns for horses, but wouldn't provide her much help this evening. Wooden Harrows and a sickle in a corner of the barn. Reynold's corner. This would make it difficult to get to, but the man hadn't seemed to noticed the possible weapon. His anger drove him to see only what was in front of him and nothing more. He approached Elizabeth again, the two circling the other, each one landing blows of various caliber upon their opponent with their hands and feet. It was difficult for the woman to fight given the length and weight of her dress and soon she grew tired. It seemed as if she had underestimated her opponent; or perhaps the tactics between the two. Elizabeth's body couldn't endure many more hits, or give much more. As a swarm of insects whirled around Elizabeth, it seemed evident that Reynold was thinking the same thing.
The brunette vampiress had to push herself against all odds. The insects cut into the small parts of flesh that were exposed, most of the material of her dress aiding her this time instead of hindering Elizabeth. As soon as the bugs did what it was they were meant to, Reynold passed through them and grabbed Elizabeth by her neck, his fingers tight as he clamped down. The man's dark pupils bore into the depths of her own and it was here that Elizabeth was certain this was the end of her life. Elizabeth frantically shook her head from side to side, trying to not allow the man to perform upon her what it was he did on others each evening. A few seconds passed and nothing happened outside of her thrashing and then the idea came into her mind. Instantly Elizabeth stopped moving and became void of any look within her eyes, making Reynold believe that his ritual had worked. A few more seconds passed and then his hold loosened from around her neck, the man moving away from Elizabeth.
His strides were long and determined. She knew where he was going; he had seen the sickle in the midst of their battle and if he attained it, she would be dead. Blood ran down the front of Elizabeth's face, wetting her eyelids from the insects that had cut into her flesh.This caused the woman to snap out of her thoughts and back into the fight. The harrows caught her line of vision and a plan deviated within her mind. The woman practically threw herself at Reynold, the move was sloppy for Elizabeth, but it worked.They both went flying to the harrows, the thought of her death along with his entering her mind. At the very least Reynold would be hurt as the bunches of brushwood that were tied together pierced his skin. At the very most, Elizabeth would be killed with him for her haste, but that was something the woman was willing to accept to ensure that she was free of him and vampires like Antigony and her sire were safe from those who did not understand the Masquerade.
Reynold let out an unbecoming cry into the night as the brushwood pierced his skin, Elizabeth mimicking his cry as one of her thighs and some of her chest pressed into one as well. The man beneath her squirmed and lashed about, trying to free himself, only to hurt them both further. Elizabeth yelped as she heard a bone from somewhere make a slight cracking sound, before her hand found its way to his back and used him to push herself off the harrow and Reynold. The woman stumbled to the ground, the bone of her hip cracking that much more from the impact. Fangs bit into the brunette's lips to not cry out again before Elizabeth wobbled up to her feet. Her steps were slow, pausing every few seconds as a shot of pain rippled through her body. Getting to the sickle; her tool of freedom was the most difficult challenge the brunette had been faced with until now.
Reynold screamed out obscenities as he thrashed around more, driving the harrows into his body more. With the sickle in her hands, Elizabeth made her way back just as slowly, Reynold now quieting as his eyes fixated on the sickle. He realized that this was the end. He had lost. With as much strength as Elizabeth could possess, the woman lifted the farming tool high into the air and brought it down upon his head. How that head rolled until it rested at her feet. In fear that she wasn't truly free of her tormenter, Elizabeth kicked the thing away from her, only causing herself to land upon her backside due to the weight pressed upon one leg and not both. A maniacal laughed passed through Eizabeth's lips as she looked up at the roof of the barn, the sense of freedom washing over her completely. Now, she'd only have to crawl a little to attain her life back, but as the woman closed her eyes, she became lost within the darkness of her mind.
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She awoke to the sounds of barking in the near distance. Panic-stricken blue pristine orbs moved from right to left, excruciating pain ricocheted through the back of her skull, as Elizabeth looked up to the sky above her. Slowly, as the woman sat up, pain ripped down her spine as Elizabeth pushed herself further, forcing herself to sit up. Her eyes continued to swivel around her, noting the scraggly field to the right with trees that had seen a harsh winter. To the left were two fire colored barn that Elizabeth had made it out of before losing consciousness from the battle she escaped from. The brunette vampires rested her hands upon her knees and allowed her head to hand limp until all the double images melded together.
Hurt. Alone. Lost. Elizabeth could see bruises upon her arms and legs, through the tears in her high-waisted gown. After a few more moments to collect her thoughts, Elizabeth crawled to that of the barn and used it to help hoist herself upon her feet. A sense of nausea overwhelmed Elizabeth when the woman planted herself upon the soil of the earth, the woman bending at her waist to take a breath of air inwards. After a few more breaths and time the woman finally pushed herself from the barn, no better for the ware than she was seconds ago. However, dawn would be approaching soon and she couldn’t allow herself to be kissed by the rays of the sun, not ever, but certainly not in her current state of being. There was thicket in the distance and past that a row of trees and even further yet would be a village that she could seek refuge within.
With great care Elizabeth started walking, pain searing through the right side of her hip where the bone shifted in its socket. Her feet were swollen; legs cut and scratched which was evident with each step she took. Various pieces of her garment stuck to Elizabeth’s body where bloody wounds had dried; slowly breaking free from her flesh with each step she took. Dragging her right leg through the stalks of the meadow grass, the vampiress realized she was ravenous due to the copious amounts of blood Elizabeth had lost. The woman paused again, allowing her eyes to drift outwards in an attempt to see anything that would help satiate that hunger that resided deep within her. It was then that the woman saw a small cottage on the edge of a blue-black surfaced pond. She had to get there, but her movements were too slow. With a quick thought, Elizabeth’s fingers slipped into a large tear within her dress and ripped it away. Without a second thought, the woman tossed the long dark colored fabric from her persons and took a tentative step forwards.
At the pond’s edge, the woman dropped to her knees and allowed the water to engulf her face completely. The shock of the cold water thrilled her, for all that the woman had endured here she was alive! A slightly manic laugh passed through her lips before the woman stripped herself of the layers upon her body and allowed the rest of her body to become submerged within the pond water. The woman got to work immediately, watching the blood, dirt and grime off of her; washing the time spent with Reynold from her completely. Every few moments the woman submerged herself within the cool pond water, allowing the water to remind her that Elizabeth was indeed alive! Thrashing back to shore the woman collapsed onto the brittle grass and smiled up at the large white orb above her head.
“Nadya?” A woman’s voice called from across the field Elizabeth had just crossed minutes ago. Blue irises looked backwards to see a lumbering figure come closer; appearing to be a woman in her forties. With quick fingers, Elizabeth grabbed her filthy garment and slipped it over her head as the woman continued to approach the pond. She’d have to run for it, for if the woman heard her, who knew who else might have? With great haste, Elizabeth used her fingers to push herself off the ground, only to let out a cry of pain as her right leg gave out from beneath her, causing Elizabeth to crumple to the ground.
The woman stopped at Elizabeth’s cry, peering at her in bewilderment. “Nadya, are you alright?” The older woman’s eyes were sunken in with pupils that were dark as they rested upon Elizabeth and then darted away quickly. Blind! The woman was blind; for her eyes kept demanding to see what it was she could not. “Who’s there?” The woman cried out, her voice more earnest than before. “Why won’t you answer me? I know someone is there!” The woman grabbed at a piece of twine around her neck, as if that twine would protect her from whatever deadly foe might be standing in front of her. Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed as she focused upon the piece of twine and then her eyes doubled in size. A witch! A laugh passed through the lips of the vampiress, informing the blind woman that there was someone in front of her after all. “I knew it!” The woman began thrashing her arms around as if that would scare Elizabeth away and after a few more thrashes the older woman tumbled into the pond. The older woman would have been easy to feast upon, but Elizabeth knew better than to attempt such a thing upon a witch; or someone the brunette vampiress suspected of being a witch.
”I’m not here to harm you.” Elizabeth crawled to the lip of the pond and then without a concern to herself, she made her way back into the pond and pulled at the woman’s arms. After a few struggled from the witch, the woman realized that she needed Elizabeth’s help and soon the two of them were upon the bank of the pond.
“Why did you not answer me earlier?” The accent of the woman was thick and almost difficult upon Elizabeth’s ear as she looked up at Elizabeth, trying to find the truth within Elizabeth with her cataractous eyes.
”I, I was but afraid.” Elizabeth’s words held some truth, for Elizabeth was afraid of the power a witch wielded, knowing what her siress was capable of.
”Is that your cottage on the rise? I’ll take you there if you’ll allow it.” Elizabeth continued to hold the woman’s arm and walked her back to the small estate. It was strange to admit that the woman’s presence; a human’s presence comforted Elizabeth, but it did. “I had thought you were my daughter, my Nadya. She’s been gone since dawn to trade for some wheat for our soil here does not allow us to grow it.” The woman let out a resigned sigh as the two approached the cottage together in steps of unison.
Elizabeth did not answer the false hopes of the woman, for it was late in the evening and with the woman being gone so long, the vampiress was certain Nadya would not be returning any time soon. The brunette vampiress was starting to black out again for Elizabeth could barely hold her weight up, let along the older woman’s. Her field of vision narrowed as the entered the small home, but Elizabeth fought to stay awake until the woman was safe, sitting upon a chair within her home. “When Nadya comes back from trading, I’ll have her fetch you some dry garments. She enjoys going into the larger town for when she comes back she talks about the soldiers and how they all carry themselves in the broad daylight with girls. Can you believe it, girls? Not my Nadya of course. She wouldn’t dare let them touch her, but some of those loose girls…they have husbands even. It’s disgusting, but she likes to tell such tales of it.” Elizabeth pressed a finger to her temple as her focus began to waver again. “I imagine you must be cold.” The woman reached out, allowing her fingers to roam the drenched garment upon Elizabeth’s legs. “Why, you are not properly dressed! Don’t your parents know how to clothe you? Or is it your husband?” Elizabeth let out a sarcastic laugh at the absurdity of it all, causing the woman to pause her words for a few seconds. “I shouldn’t ask so many questions. Forgive this old lady. What’s your name did you say?” The woman prattled on further, informing Elizabeth that there was some left over soup of sorts on the fire if she desired some.
Elizabeth. No, she could not tell the woman her true identity. What was that whore’s name she met a few evenings ago?
”Ruth.” Yes, that was it, Ruth. How very ordinary of a name; it would be easily forgotten like Elizabeth would be after a day or two of rest. The old woman fussed in her chair, pulling herself closer to the fire that burned before she spoke again.”You’ll want to hang your garments by the fire to dry for the morning. My Nadya has something that you can borrow for the evening, to sleep in. I wouldn’t advise taking anything from here.” Elizabeth only nodded her head in agreement before she disappeared into the direction of a room on the other side of the small cottage. The brunette vampiress prayed that Nadya wouldn’t return. Ever.