Night it would seem had fallen, Marriska taking the rest from the day that she had needed. She slowly awoke within the cave that Kylie had left her in. With a deep breath, she got to her feet slowly and brushed herself off. Looking far from neat, wear showing in her features and face, she remembered a bit of the dreams that plague Carinda and closed her eyes. What horrors had come to the woman, mirroring many of her own when she was younger. She slowly made her way to the mouth of the cave and out of it. Kylie sat at the base of a tree, ankles crossed, dagger along her thigh, resting with it clutched in her hands. She'd spoken to Vash, they saw eye to eye on things and she was at peace with that. She'd spoken to a wolf who remained loyal to Myles and she'd reached her own conclusions regarding that as well. Her eyes shuttered open like a doll's as Marriska came out from the cavernous darkness.
Marriska rubbed at her head slightly, shaking it as well to vanquish the dreams in her mind. She walked over towards Kylie soundlessly and stops not far from her. "So... what's to happen now?"
Kylie blinked her stony moss colored eyes. "It's your task to handle...I am here to bear witness if we find him..." She took a deep breath. "And intervene only if you should fail, if he should overpower you."
A distance away a body slowly emerged from the ground as moonlight shown upon in from the night sky. The pack had gone to hunt knowing he would follow. He was stilled covered in Carinda's blood, and as he sat up he looked down upon himself causing him to shudder .... what had he done .... fear gripped at him, but hate was on the fringe of it. He quietly listened to the forest around him. Marriska nodded slightly. "Then let us go and find him." She closed her eyes for a moment, sensing out the other energies about her and then smelling the air slightly. She opened her stormy, pale blues eyes slightly and then made her way in the direction she feels that Myles is in.
Kylie crouched to her heels, then stood, unknotting the reins of her horse and leading the mare behind her. She was dressed as she'd been before and sheathing her dagger, she unclasped her short sword and trailed Marriska a good length. Marriska walked through the forest, using what she can to find Myles as she did before. ~Myles...~
Myles looked quickly about hearing her voice in his head he knew she would come, but he kept quiet allowing to sense where she was he slowly crouched to defend himself .... and he sensed another with her it was Kylie. Fear ran thru his mind as he waited for them to get closer. Marriska narrows her eyes slightly, feeling him, sensing his presence slightly. "It'll do you no good to hide from me Myles. Come out and receive what you know you deserve." Kylie moved off to tie her mount to yet another branch, whispering to the mare that it'd be over soon and she'd be munching sweet corn and barley come daybreak. Kylie's hair stood on the back of her neck as she turned back around and stood near her horse, just watching as she said she would. Her eyes scanned the forest before her.
~Why is she with you?~ He spoke to Marriska's mind. He tries to stay calm knowing there was once again going to be another night of bloodshed, but he knew what he must do if need be.
~She comes to make sure you are taken well care of. They don't trust me any more than they trust you at this moment.~ She continues to move closer to where he is.
Myles slowly stands without a sound his hand upon his dagger a tree covering him partly as he stands to its side. "I can take care of myself....I have for this long," He talked tough or tried to at least, but he was truly afraid, and wishing his childe was near.
"Your actions show me and the others otherwise Myles. Your line is nothing but trouble. I gave you pity when I should have sent you away to see those that had sent me to watch over these lands to begin with."
Kylie grumbled to herself. ~The wolves have cared for you...you were never alone.~ She waited, seeking the inner calm with a deep breath.
"I am the product of my sire, and I do not believe you in what you say, for it should not have taken five long years for you to come watch over these lands. If you or another would have been here sooner maybe none of this would have happened, for I traveled alone up until now." Upon hearing Kylie's words his head snapped to her, and a glare of hate was for her and her only.
"As I said before Myles, you were nothing to take notice of. You seemed to watch yourself well up until now, when curiosity has taken the best of you." Her face growing colder with each word. "I have been here for the past five years, if you will remember. However... I returned to the Council and then Beniroc came to me, telling me of what was happening."
"And curiosity has never become you? Like as in your lost love, or are you too frightened to search and learn from it. That all I was trying to do." Myles asked.
"I have had my curiosities, but they have never caused anyone else harm, anyone to take notice of me. You fail to learn what I attempt to teach you." Marriska hissed at him, the words sliding from between her dark red lips like snakes.
"You have not yet begun to teach." He had no excuse other than anger and betrayal, since coming across this wolf, this woman, things spiraled out of control for him.
Kylie shifted her boots in the pine needles and grimaced. This conversation was banal semantics. She growled softly, "By tearing at the throat of a woman!? You would learn only the sharp dagger of my retribution..." She cast a glance to Marriska, "If I did not realize the importance of patience..."
"You have failed to remain where I can teach you! Running off, causing this trouble!" Marriska's voice becoming commanding.
"The Inn is no place to teach yet that is the only place I see you." Myles protested. Kylie gripped the hilt of her short sword and bit the inside of her cheek. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. She watched them both.
Marriska nearly growled at him, her eyes holding fast to his position. "What of the haven I offered to you. It is mine as well. I told you to stay there, to remain while you learned that which I have to teach you. You threw it away with these actions. I will have no more choices but to kill you and those that have come under your line." She stepped forward slowly, making her way closer to him, her nails extend from the end of her fingers, razor sharp and to points.
Myles backs away his one razor sharp nails coming forth, "No I shall not die tonight," He only harmed one person, and she betrayed him. Because of fears he had no idea Kylie may have had this elder cause him pain the scar upon his hand was proof, but not again. "Try what you might, but I believe you wrong in your action, you murder a childe, and you..." he looks to Kylie, "you caused this..."
Kylie arched a brow calmly, "How so?" She breathed out and felt her fingers twitch. She thought of the wolves, not him.
Marriska continued to move forward. "You cannot out run me Myles. You cannot escape. Accept your punishment. You know the laws of the Kindred. One cannot and shall not make a childe without permission of his elders. You have started the process and it will not continue." Her fangs slowly unsheathed from their place in her mouth.
Myles stills moves backwards as if almost floating upon the ground his senses helping him to guide him, "And you also are wrong," His eyes began to glow that eerie red his fang out. "I do not wish this ... I only wish to be left alone."
Kylie thought that he had never quite obeyed the laws, why would he now? She remained on guard, both of them in front of her at least ten feet or more away. She frowned, quite certain he could disappear if he wished to. She had thought Marriska would have been more clever about this, but then what did Kylie know of kindred? Only terrifying things, as the imagery of Aeren and his scythe flickered over the scene before her, in her mind.
"Then you've left me with no choice." She jumps at him, moving faster than the normal eye can see and is suddenly behind him, standing there.Myles was waiting for such a move he knew she was stronger, and he had to be smart he wished no fight, but she pressed it on. Almost as quickly as she had moved to behind Myles his direction changed he was headlong charging at Kylie. Marriska growls and runs after him, gripping at his shoulder quickly. "Not so fast." Marriska breathed.
Kylie 's gaze narrowed as Marriska moved like a blur and then another blur was charging her. She growled out and thrust her short sword forward as quickly as she could, seeking only to defend herself. Myles let Marriska tear at his coat with her nails, and he didn't attack Kylie his idea was to charge past. ~I will not die another death~ He could feel the graze of her nails against skin, but he didn't let it slow him he only wanted to be away from these two. Marriska pressed her speed faster, wrapping both arms about him as much as she can.
Kylie pulled her arm back toward herself as it seemed there was not an attack being made upon her though they still were forward moving in her proximity. She shouted in exclamation and growled in her frustration not to simply slice off his head. "Take responsibility for your actions..."
Myles felt her grasp and it slowed him yet he tried to shrug her off with each stride reaching up with a hand to try and remove hers. Marriska curls her hands, pressing her nails into his body. ~The more you fight, the less chance you have of living longer Myles.~
Kylie couldn't help herself, restrained as she was, she kicked out to try to reach the center of his gut five or so feet away with a rapid movement that while not vampiric was still the strength of a former tournament champion. "You bastard...you cowardly donkey's ass..." She felt herself slipping her rage.
Myles screamed in fear and pain for the nails that sunk into his flesh new blood to cover the dried blood from the previous night. As he reached with a clawed hand he tried to sink his own nails into her arms his ability to withstand pain none the less he is caught of guard by Kylie's kick stunning him more than hurting. "LEAVE ME BE!!!"
Marriska growls and then closes her eyes. She tilts her head to his neck and bites into it deeply. ~Is this the only way? Must I drain you?~
"LEAVE YOU BE?! You scum sucking bottom dweller....how dare you spit those words out of that foul mouth! That's what I asked of you....asked nicely....that first night...begged you to leave me be..." Kylie circled away and fumed, adrenaline pumping through her, coiling about her rage.
Fear gripped at Myles as he felt fangs sink into his neck he used his nails to gouge at Marriska's face to push her away, "No please .....noooo" The fear running thru him he has to break free if not he shall die. His mind was not on Kylie she was nothing to him anymore all Myles thought of was his beloved Crysania .... instinct or is it fear has him grasp at an arm of Marriska's and as he attempts to sink his teeth into her. Marriska's fangs buried themselves deeply into his neck, and she began to drain him.
Bloodlust. Something all creatures who hunted knew to some degree. Kylie shivered as it coiled through her. Yes, he'd wronged her. He'd wronged Vash. He'd wronged Carinda. And he'd wronged that poor artist woman whose name she didn't know. All in her opinion. She wished retribution, for what he'd done. And was it wrong to seek retribution for that which another had caused? Kylie didn't pause to think about it, pacing as she was to prevent herself from lunging fully at him.
Myles slowed his breathing as fear grips his ever beating heart his eyes fix upon Kylie ~Why?~ All he thinks of is his childe he struggles once more, "You are the reason...." His body weakened as his life slowly ebbed from within.
Marriska finished and slowly crouched with him in her arms, having weakened him further and further. Finally, she laid him down on the ground, totally spent. She sat there beside him, a lilly white hand reaching to his face and closing his eyes. "Sometimes we should not give into our curiosities."
Kylie turned in time to catch his fading gaze as his voice seared into her mind. She replied verbally, perhaps it would matter to Marriska "Because the prince who lost his love killed mine, now yours becomes my retribution...next time ask, don't threaten first..." Kylie's eyes grew watery and she lifted a hand to her mouth. She felt such empathy grip her, for the wolves would be lost without this one's control over them.
Marriska looked up at Kylie. "See to the wolves... Make sure they are all right... They should be. I will take his form back to the Council and they will deal with him."
Kylie eyed the fallen body of the dark creature who had terrorized her. She stepped closer, her nose twitching. It seemed....to easy, her cautious instincts stated. She wet her lips and nodded to Marriska's words as she grew closer with an outstretched hand, "May I?" Morbid as it was....
"Be my guest." She watched Kylie, stormy pale blue eyes taking her in.
Kylie's own nails gripped at the flesh of the arm, sinking in and ripping the motion downward, five long marks. She wrinkled her nose at the stench, for it was not the appetizing scent of a fresh kill. This was death rotting within. She lifted her green gaze over his features, pitying that he'd never been nice the way Marriska had been. Kylie sighed, "I need something...proof...to take to the others..." Her gaze searched his figure. And she thought she heard the whine of a wolf nearby. The pale woman took in a deep breath, searching for something on Myles' person.
Marriska licked at her dry lips slightly, dark red and supple. She reaches to Myles''s hand and then takes his pinkie into her hand. "How about this?" Damn, Kylie was worse than the Kindred, asking for body parts and everything.
Kylie had something to prove to two others and wanted more than just her word, though she was sure they wouldn't question it. She eyed the graying skin of the fingers. "The one with the ring on it..." She shifted her boots to get closer with her sword. "Will his body be burned?"
"I do not know... That is not entirely my decision. I will give my report, and the Council will
decide." Marriska took the finger with the ring on it and broke it off. She then handed the thing to Kylie.
Kylie withdrew a cloth from an inside pocket of her cloak and wrapped the finger in it, as she straightened she said, "It would be so much easier to just burn it now...I could help you build a fire..." She shivered a bit, feeling the coldness in her words.
Marriska rose to her feet. "I have placed him in torpor as I have been asked to do. Now I will take him to the Council. He is dead, the burning of his body would leave me with no evidence for them. Especially since you have taken his ring."
Kylie blinked and stepped back. "So he is not dead....not really..." She gripped her sword and eyed Marriska. "If we cut his body apart, you would still have something to show them..." She heard her own words and shook her head, "I -- I just -- he cannot come back...." She stepped away further.
"His actions will be judged, will be taken into many accounts. Perhaps his form will be placed in torpor for years, decades." Wiped at the blood on her face, the nail scratches having healed after time. "Would you like your own kind to slice you up before you gave your defense?"
Kylie frowned, "My daughter will live years...decades...you said this would end...but even you cannot be sure that it will."
"And it will end... It has ended. But his death, as I said, will bring forth more wrath than I think you would like. I will gather his Childe as well, do not worry of that. She will not be... loose."
Kylie stepped away. "I could save that poor woman..." She turned to mount up, looking over her shoulder to be sure of what she'd witnessed one more time.
"How so? By giving her back her life?"
Kylie nodded, "I don't know if it would work....the purification ceremony....it is probably too late, her mortal soul has died...or something..." She didn't understand it all, only knew that her mother had been saved. Once atop the horse, she glanced down at the scene. "I carry sorrow but also relief. My thanks to you for seeing to justice." With that Kylie turned her horse and began to ride away.
"It is my honour. Crysania... I do not think that she was prompted to what this life would be like... But, perhaps, none of us really are. I thank you for bearing witness to this and showing your support." She whispered to the woman's departing back. Marriska looked to Myles' body and then took him up into her arms. "I fear the web that is being woven Myles." Her voice continuing in that soft whisper of hers. She walked off with him, towards the house in the forest, under the shadows of the mountains.
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