Don't Go Into the Woods (fantasy)

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I figured I would post the first part of the story I have been working on for the past month. So, I presernt you... a monstrous fairytale. (ora t lesst, the behginnings of one) Starring members of a certain band.

*****

Once upon a time in the far north, where the city of Rovaniemi would later stand, lived a girl by the name of Anna…

She was not a big girl. In fact, she was only five years of age when she came to live in the big house belonging to her father. It was a strange and wondrous place for the small girl who had lived all her life in the city, and helped her to bury the sadness of her Mama passing away… even if her father, too, left her. But unlike Mama, Papa kept his promise to come back.

Anna wished her papa did not have to go away at all, but he was a grown-up and he had Duties; and Anna could not go with him. So Anna was left alone at the big house but for the servants – and they, Anna had decided early on, were mostly boring. And the old woman who seemed to be in charge was mean, too! She had called Anna names, she was sure of that, even if she couldn’t understand a word of what the servants were saying…. They spoke so strange here!

Anna was really glad that unlike the servants back in the city, these ones did not tell her what to do. No one was telling her how she should act, that she should wear those awful shoes that hurt her feet or that she should not go out and play with the kittens in the barn.

However, something did make Anna sad; the fact that she had no other children to play with. The servants’ children shied away when she approached, and they spoke funny, too – how could they play if they couldn’t talk?

It was on a very hot summer’s day, when the kittens had already grown up and it was so hot that even the flies had stopped buzzing that Anna first found her way to the woods.

She had been told by the old woman, in her very broken Swedish, to not to go there. But she was mean, so Anna did not pay her much heed; the huge firs and pines offered shade, and she knew there would be blueberries – the other children had been chased out of the kitchen with their mouths and hands blue by the cook no more than a few hours earlier.

Without anyone noticing, she slipped away, heading along one of the near-invisible paths leading to the heart of the forest…

**

The forest was cool and mysterious, and filled with sun-ripe berries; happily, Anna ran from one tuft to another, taking no note of where she was going…

When she finally sat down at the root of a huge fir, her belly was full of berries, her fingers and lips stained brightly; the sun was beating down on her and making her sleepy. The moss was both soft and cool under her, and without any conscious decision she laid down, pillowing her head on her arms. She would just rest a little…

Her dreams were filled with kittens and sunshine and new playmates.

It was a sudden chill creeping over her body that woke her, something blocking the sun. Her eyes fluttered open and then went as wide as they had ever been as she gasped, for the creature standing over her was the most magnificent thing she had ever seen.

Tall and proud, taller than any man she had ever seen, with glittering red eyes and sharp fangs, he was breathtaking. But it was not thins that made Anna cry out.

“Wings!” she cried out gleefully as her eyes travelled from one extended wingtip to other, “You have wings! Can I please touch them?”

The creature blinked, slowly, as Anna clambered on her feet.

“What,” he growled, “Did you just say?” ‘

Anna blinked as well. Maybe he hadn’t heard her all the way up?

“Can I touch your wings?” She asked again, a little louder. “Please?”

“And why would you want to do that, little girl?” he growled, baring his fangs at her.

Anna frowned a little. “Cause they are so pretty!” she blurted out. “Can I? Please... sir?” she hastily added. She didn’t want him to think she didn’t have any manners!

He blinked again. “You think my wings are… pretty?”

Anna nodded eagerly, her smile wide. “Yes!”

The proud head was tilted to the left as the creature chuckled. “Very well, little girl… you may touch my wings.”

”I can? Oh thank you, sir, thank you so much!” Anna could not contain her joy; she dashed towards the creature, wrapping her small arms around his leg; she did not care about the evil, grinning faces that were carved upon the cool metal of his greaves as she buried her face in the soft reindeer fur

**

The fact that his intended lunch was now clinging to his leg, obviously not the least bit afraid was quite confusing to Lordi. Humans were supposed to freeze in terror at the sight of him, not… this.

The girl looked up to him, her eyes wide and a smile on her face as she let go of his leg and reached to touch his wing; she was so small she could barely reach it, her fingers brushing futilely against the lower edge.

Not quite knowing why, Lordi found himself bending down to one knee, twisting to the side to allow the girl better reach. Why, he did not know, but the look of wonderment and awe on her berry-stained face had something to do with it.

“It’s so soft!” she exclaimed as her little fingers slid over his wing, soft and gentle. “Like… like silk…”

He laughed at the little frown that came over her face. “Still think my wings are pretty, little girl, now that you have gotten a closer look?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed, nodding furiously. “They are.”

Lordi smiled indulgently, reaching out to raise the girl’s chin with a clawed fingertip.

“You are very pretty, too,” he noted, a hint of amusement in his voice. “What is your name, girl?”

Her smile did not falter despite the touch of his razor-like claws. “Anna Eriksdotter,” she replied. “What’s yours?”

For a moment, the monster hesitated. Was he not the one all children were taught to fear, the one worse than the devil himself? The idea of seeing the little girl… Anna... frightened seemed distasteful, all of a sudden. But he was nothing but true to himself.

”I am Lordi,” he said, his voice low, almost a growl. “And these are my woods.”

Her blue eyes widened at that, but not with fright.

He smiled.

**

The shadows had begun to creep as he guided her to the path that would lead her safely to home. She held onto his hand, her little fingers dwarfed by his strong hand and long claws. But Anna did not care; she knew her friend wouldn’t hurt her.

He halted, and pointed through the trees. “There is your father’s house, Anna. Walk along this path and you will be home... safe and sound.”

Anna craned her neck and looked at him. “Will you come with me?”

Lordi shook his head.

**

It was Anna’s first visit to the woods, but not the last one. The day after dawned every bit as hot and stifling, and it was not much after breaking fast that Anna once again made her way to the woods.

She did not really know which way to go, to find her friend. But she knew this was his forest, so he would find her.

And find her he did, sitting at the bank of a brightly bubbling brook, letting small boats made of leaves and twigs into the water.

”What are you doing here, little girl?” He growled.

Anna stood up, her face lighting up in joy.

“I came looking for you, of course!” she exclaimed, tilting her head. He was being silly, wasn’t he?

”Will you play with me?” She asked, reaching out to tug his hand. “I‘m making boats. I can make them float all the way to the big rock, I bet you can make them float even farther!”

When he did not speak, she tugged his hand again. “Please?”

His smile was accompanied by a slight sigh. “All right, girl.”

Anna had been right – his boats did indeed pass the big rocks; just like the little cows he made for her out of pinecones stood steady and did not fall apart like hers did.

Come evening, he escorted Anna home, and again she asked him to come with her and he told her no.

The third day dawned just as hot as the first, but the sky was heavy with the promise of rain. Anna did not think of it as she made her way into the woods, eager to find her friend again…

**

The clouds gathered swiftly, the fierce rain falling upon the forest with almost no warning.

Lordi grimaced as he unfurled his wings, intent on heading to the caverns he made his home when he felt a slight nagging doubt.

What if the girl had come again?

He knew he should not care for a mere mortal slip of a girl – What was it to him if she was left in the rain, or accosted by the wild beasts of the forests? Nothing, he should not care of her at all!

But, for some unfathomable reason, he did care. That was why he found himself making his way through the rain to the brook where he had last found her, not quite sure if he was hoping to find her or not. If she had half a brain in that flaxen head of hers she would have stayed home, safe and sound…

He found her huddling underneath a mighty fir, her small arms wrapped around her knees and her little body shivering; a pitiful sight that should have elicited nothing but contempt in him. To his surprise, Lordi found a stab of concern go through his dark heart as he made his way to her.

“Little girl...” he began, his voice a growl; he intended to tell her just how foolish it had been to leave home with the clouds gathering in the sky, that she should stop coming into the woods – but it was not quite what came out.

“Don’t cry... I am here.”

Anna raised her head; the tear-streaks clear on her cheeks despite the rain. She blinked, once, her eyes slowly brightening as she saw him.

Before she could stand up, he bent down to scoop her up in his arms, to cradle her sodden form against his chest as his wings came around to shelter her from the rain.

He did not know what else to say so he simply began to walk away from the brook, deeper into the forest. His clawed hand stroked Anna’s plastered hair soothingly, and he felt her body become still, no longer shivering.

“Are you taking me to your castle?”

The question surprised him. “Why do you think so, girl?”

She raised her head to peer at him from beneath the canopy of his wings. “‘Cause these are your woods! You should have a castle, just like in all the stories!”

Her earnest tone had him chuckling before he realized what he was doing. “No, girl, I don’t have a castle to take you to. Who has been telling you silly stories like that?”

Anna’s face scrunched at the words. “My Mama used to but she went away….”

Ah, that explained why the girl was able to run into the woods so freely… humans died so very easily, and it was no wonder her mother had passed…

Her next words took him by surprise. “You want me to what?”

”Tell me a story, Please, Lordi?”

His eyes widened. A story? What sort of a story could he tell to a little waif of a human girl?

“What sort of a story would you like to hear?” he asked.

Anna’s face lit up with glee. “One with a princess! And monsters!”

Lordi raised an eyebrow at that. “Very well. “ How did one go about this sort of a thing? “Once upon a time…”

**

When they reached the entrance to the caverns that her friend called home, Anna was already yawning. She no longer felt cold at all, being held against Lordi’s chest, her face burrowing into the fur trim.

“… And then the princess kissed the prince.”

”That’s stupid,” Anna said drowsily, frowning a little. “Why would she do that? He was so mean!”

“What do you think she should have done?” she could feel the chuckle in his voice, just like she could feel his steady heartbeat under the black leather of his armour.

“She should have kissed the monster!” was Anna’s reply. She tilted her head and looked up at him; he grinned, his fangs glinting in the dim light.

“Very well, then… the princess kissed the monster. And then the prince cried out ‘why?’…”

Anna smiled and snuggled closer to his chest, listening to him tell how the prince met his end at the hands of the monster’s friends while he took the princess back to his mountain hall.

Anna did, in fact, fall asleep in his arms; she did not wake until he lowered her on a bed of furs.

“Lordi?” She called out, her voice small; wherever he had taken her was so very dark and she could not se much beyond his crimson eyes glinting above her.

“I am here, girl… you can’t see, can you?”

She shook her head. He saw her, didn’t he? And with that thought, the little chill of fear that had threatened to creep upon her disappeared; she was with him, she was safe! He wouldn’t let anything hurt her.

The sudden shower of sparks startled her and she squealed, scrambling back on the soft furs she was sitting on. The fire Lordi had started upon what looked like a fireplace of sorts roared into life, red-gold light filling the room… no, the cavern!

Anna’s eyes were wide as she looked around, taking in the rough walls of stone and the ceiling that seemed to be so very high; there was not much in the room beyond the fireplace and the furs, but it still looked more mysterious than any palace she could ever have imagined.

**

Smiling at the look of wonderment on the girl’s face, Lordi began to carefully unbuckle his armour. He was not soaked to the skin but it was close, and he had no desire to wait for the water to soak any deeper.

“Do you need help?”

The small voice surprised him, and he looked at her; she was tilting her head and wringing her small hands in her lap.

”Why would you think so, girl?”

She wrinkled her nose. “’Cause you have claws.”

Her matter-of-fact tone made Lordi smile briefly; his claws could be a real pain when it came to the buckles that held his armour to his body, and under normal circumstances he would have called upon Awa to have her dextrous fingers divest him…

Oh, what the hell. It would keep the girl occupied.

“Perceptive of you,” he said, making his way to where she was sitting. “Yes, you can help me.”

She frowned a little. “Per- what?”

“Perceptive, girl. It means that…” Lordi found himself faltering, “That you are good at noticing things.”

The girl’s smile lit up the cavern more brightly than any fire could.

**

Awa knew her liege had returned to the caverns. He would be in need of her, for the rain that beat upon the woods outside was harsh and he would wish to change attire.

As she approached his chambers, she heard a low murmur, something that sounded like… a child? But that would be impossible; the strange, cheerful chatter could not be…

A small girl-child, sitting in the lap of her liege, deft little fingers working on the buckles of his armour as she spoke excitedly…

This could not be – any child should be filled with unholy terror in the presence of Lordi!

Her gasp must have been audible, for Lordi raised his head, crimson eyes meeting Awa’s across the chamber, the expression on her liege’s face was unreadable but she thought she caught the barest hint of embarrassment.

The girl twisted around, following his gaze; her blue eyes met Awa’s clear and bold, not the slightest hint of fear visible as they grew wide.

Awa watched incredulously as the girl quickly slid down from her liege’s lap and dashed across the floor to her, her eyes. The look on her face was that of endless curiosity; but it was the girl’s words that completely bewildered the sorceress.

”You have really pretty eyes, miss!”

Awa blinked. And laughed. “Why, aren’t you just precious,” she said.

She glanced at her liege, not quite sure of what would be the right thing to do. Who was the girl? Why was she here?

“Awa,” Lordi spoke quietly, “This is Anna. She is… She will stay till the rain passes and I can take her home.”

Awa blinked again. “As you say, my liege,” came her reply; she looked at the girl and noticed that her hair was plastered against her skull with water and not grime, and that there was a small puddle forming at her feet.

Immediately; Awa felt concern. Humans were so very fragile when it came to sickness! “You’re all soaked!” she exclaimed, “My liege, I must make sure she gets properly attired! She should not get sick while she is your…” She hesitated for a moment, “Guest. “

Awa watched Lordi tilt his head, nodding in acquiescence. “All right. Girl, go with Awa, and do as she tells you… do not worry, no harm will come to you when you are with her.”

Awa did not flinch when his eyes bored into hers; she knew an order when she heard one, even though it had not been phrased as such. She had no intentions of harming the precious child, so the ultimatum was unnecessary... but acknowledged.

She looked at the girl whose eyes had gone wide. “I promise we will be right back, precious,” she said soothingly. “We just need to get you into dry clothes... if you stay like that, you will catch the chills.”

“Promise?” The girl asked, biting her lip.

Awa smiled. “Promise.”

**

Free of his armour, Lordi made his way to where Awa would have taken Anna. He heard them well before he entered the chamber, a mingling of high-pitched voices and laughter, Anna’s clear like the finest silver, Awa’s tinged with an edge of madness…

It was a surprisingly pleasant combination.

“… And he made the boat go all the way to the fallen tree!” Anna was explaining cheerfully as he stepped into Awa’s chambers.

The sight of the girl sitting in the sorceress’ lap, Awa’s hands pulling a brush through the golden locks with sure strokes should have felt out of place. But it... did not, and Lordi watched with amusement how the girl fidgeted in place, eagerly explaining just what she had been up to with her friend….

“He did, did he?” Awa’s voice was filled with slight wonderment as she raised her head to look at him. His red eyes met her yellow gaze unflinching; he would not need to explain his actions to her, no matter how... ridiculous they seemed in hindsight.

“Yes!” Anna’s voice lost none of its cheer, and when she turned to follow Awa’s gaze, her cheer burst out in a small cry as she squirmed off the sorceress’ lap, dashing across the floor to Lordi.

It was without thought that he leaned down to pick her up, lifting her to lean against his shoulder, but it came as a surprise that she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck and squirmed in his hold until her head rested under his chin.

“She is so very precious,” he heard Awa say, her voice barely a murmur. “So very fearless.”

“So she is,” Lordi murmured thoughtfully, stroking Anna’s hair as gently as his claws would permit.

**

There is a peculiar scent to the woods after the rain; even more so, when you possess the sort of sense of smell as Kita did. It was refreshing and invigorating and made him hunger – and told him just where to find his prey.

The scent of a human – a human child, at that, paused him on his tracks. Humans did not come this far into he woods, especially not their sweet children. This intrigued him for a moment, but since it did not truly matter... she would be his prey no matter what… he just shrugged his broad shoulders and loped along, trailing the scent.

As the scent grew stronger, Kita became confused; it seemed to be seeped through with another, very familiar scent. Why? What would the Alpha do with a human child? There was no scent of blood and death upon the air…

As Kita neared the caves, the scent became stronger, and still there was no hint of blood in the air… and he could not taste fear, either. Curiouser and curiouser.

She saw the girl dash out of the mouth of the cave and his instincts screamed for him to pounce upon her, to wrap his powerful jaws around her fragile body and relish in her sweet flesh, but the force of will that separated him from mere beasts held him back.

It was a good thing, for the girl was followed by Lordi no more than a heartbeat later; the crimson eyes immediately landed on Kita in his vantage point upon the rocks.

“Kita,” Lordi growled, "Come here.”

Kita did not hesitate as he obeyed the leader of his pack; he leaped down, landing on all fours on the ground not too far from the girl, who was watching him with wide eyes.

Still no scent of fear.

“Wow!” she exclaimed, “That’s the biggest dog I’ve ever seen!”

Kita blinked. And growled, “I am not a dog!”

He had not thought it possible for the girl’s eyes to widen any more, but they did. “Oh Gosh I am really sorry sir!” she blurted out. “I really am!”

Kita growled, his hackles rising; but the girl did not cower in fear. Rather, she bit her lip and took a step closer to him.

“I am really really sorry,” she said, her voice wavering a little. “I was not perps... pers.. perceptive enough.”

Kita did not know why Lordi smiled with approval at the girl’s words, but it made things clearer. She might have been human, but she had Lordi’s scent all over her; she was here, at the nest. She was pack.

With a small grunt, Kita padded forward and licked the girl’s face.

**

As the days of summer passed, Anna came to know the rest of Lordi’s band as well; Amen the mummy, who upon Anna seeing him had been asked if he wanted her to help him darn his bandages, and Ox, the bulltaur who let Anna ride on his broad shoulders. In fact, the spot soon became Anna’s second-favourite spot in the world-

Her favourite, was, of course, in Lordi’s lap when he was telling her stories or letting her help with his armour or hair. He had allowed her braid his hair, something that had made Anna really happy.

Anna was able to sneak off into the woods easily enough; no one really paid her much attention, and she could afford to be away for a few hours practically every day. Well, except for Sundays, because she would go to church. It was a long and tiring journey and when they got back she was so tired that she would go straight to bed, rather than go to her friends.

The days of summer passed onto days of harvest and days of winter, but unlike often with the magical summertime of childhood, Anna’s did not end when the wind tore the bright red leaves from the tree and the first snows fell…

*****

Any and all comments appreciated and yes, there are several more parts to this, in case someone actually wants to read 'em.

 

Wow. I love it. Wonderful.

 

You've already got my opinion, but I'm still waiting for the last parts.

 

I am glad you like, Nakia THere's lots more of this story - about 9 chapters mor , to be exact, but before I post them here's, ah,a lot of clean-up to do. After all; ia m the Typo Queen (amongst other things )

 

“I swear, sir, the girl is a dullard!”

Anna closed her eyes and hung her head as she heard the words the priest spoke to her Papa. It was not fair, she was not dull! She just couldn’t read very well, not from the stained old Bible the priest was using! The words were so different from the ones in the books Awa had showed her, those she could read!

She bit her lip; she knew she couldn’t tell her Papa that. Because she knew that she should not, ever, tell anyone about her friends or her trips to the woods. In the past six years that she had spent here, she had learned just what it was said about the woods - that the monsters that roamed in the woods were the minions of the Devil himself…

Anna had to stifle a very unladylike sound at that. Lordi was no one’s minion – if the Devil would have the gall to go against her friend, he would surely lose!

Absorbed in her thoughts, she did not hear what her father said to the priest, but she did hear pastor Mullander’s next words clearly.

“It has been an year and she can’t even grasp her letters properly!”

Anna bit her lip again; that was not fair, either! She had taken lessons with Pastor Mullander every other Sunday for the past year, yes, but half the time he had not even tried to teach her! When Awa had taught her, she had learned her letters quickly, and Lordi had told her she was bright, not dull!

She did not say anything while her father told the priest that the lessons would continue; it was not her place. But after the Pastor left, she approached her father warily.

”Papa… do I really have to?” She asked, looking up at her father. He was a tall man, who easily towered over her eleven-year old form.

“Yes, Anna... you must. It is your Christian duty to try to better yourself so you will be a good wife when the time comes.” Papa’s voice was soft and quiet. “Tell me the truth; are you doing your best in the Pastor’s classes?”

”Yes, Papa, I am,” Anna said, nodding furiously. “But it is so difficult!”

She was about to add, ‘because he is not a very good teacher’ but bit her lip; she should not speak ill of her elders, especially not of a priest.

Her Papa smiled. “Promise me you will keep trying,” he told her, a hint of sadness in his tone. “Your mother would have wanted it.”

A wave of sadness came over Anna at the mention of her mother, and she lowered her eyes, blinking a little. “Yes, papa,” she said quietly. “I promise.”

As her father was at home, Anna was not able to go into the woods that day; in fact, it was not till a week after that her father departed and she knew for certain that she could sneak away for a few hours.

The fallen leaves rattled around her feet as she made her way deeper into the woods; the chill of the wind made her draw her cape tightly around her body as she hurried along the familiar path.

It was upon the brook where she loved to let boats float during the summer that she happened upon Kita, feasting on the flesh of a fat hare.

“Hello, cub,” he greeted her between bites, his long tongue flicking out to lick blood from his fangs. “Been a while. Think someone has been missing you.”

Anna smiled. “Likewise,” she said, making her way to Kita, carefully ensuring no blood splattered her brown skirt as she reached out to scritch the beast’s ears. “Where is he?”

She did not need to elaborate on which of the band she meant. Kita knew, as always. “He’s at the pond,” he grunted, a toss of his head indicating the direction. “He’s alone.”

Anna nodded, rubbing the back of Kita’s neck and getting a small grunt of satisfaction from the beast. “Thanks, Kita.”

”You welcome, cub, now hurry along and let me eat in peace.”

”Of course,” Anna smiled, giving Kita’s head one final scritch.

She followed the stream through the trees, into the small cove where it pooled as a pond filed with clear water. That was where she found her friend.

**

He grunted as he emerged from the cold water, his skin prickling as the chill wind met the rivulets running down his body. Wading towards the shore, Lordi deemed that his hair had dripped enough and shook his head firmly, to get rid of the excess water when he heard a small, unexpected gasp.

Intently, he spun around, to see little Anna standing at the edge of the pool, her eyes wide.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t meant to intrude on you!” Anna stammered, her face reddening. Lordi watched her turn around quick enough to stumble.

Lordi smirked. Silly human notions of modesty.

**

Anna ‘s cheeks were flushed and she looked down, her hands twisting her apron as she waited for her friend’s reply. She should have realized he was bathing…

“You weren’t intruding,” she heard him grunt, accompanied by a splash that she took as a sign that he was out of the water. “You’ve been missed for the past fortnight.”

Anna blushed again. “I missed you too,” she said sincerely. “I wish I could have come here but Papa and Pastor Mullander made it impossible.”

“They left, then?”

Anna nodded, and then realized he probably wasn’t looking at her. “Yes, they did. They left this morning.”

She couldn’t help but compare her Papa to her friend, her father was a large man, standing closer to six feet than five, and was built very broadly. He was bigger than most men she knew and yet… compared to Lordi, her father was so very small…

Lordi was so very tall and powerful; a warrior and a hunter. She had seen him slay a bear barehanded, once; something that would never leave he mind as long as she would live.

“Come here, girl.” Lordi’s voice was close to a growl and Anna started: Just how deep in thought had she been?

Quickly, she turned around, knowing that her friend would be decent if he was telling her to come to him. And he was, mostly anyway; his armour was still off and droplets of water clung to the bare, rough skin of his chest.

“Do you want me to help you?” Anna asked as she made her way to him, more out of habit than needing actual confirmation.

Lordi merely nodded, and with a smile; Anna began helping him with his armour.

The pieces were heavy, but much less so than when she had been little; now she could actually lift them up and help him put them on, rather than just fasten or undo the various buckles and snaps that held the black leather in place.

Lordi expressed his curiosity about her father’s visit, and as she helped him, Anna chattered on about how happy she had been to see her Papa and to spend time with him. When she mentioned Pastor Mullander, she bit her lip. She knew she shouldn’t speak ill of him.

“Something is troubling you, precious,” Lordi growled. “Tell me what it is.”

Anna lowered her eyes and leaned her head against his chest, squirming a little. “Pastor Mullander told Papa that I’m a dullard,” she said quietly.

Lordi’s reply was preceded by a wordless sound of anger. “And did you correct him, precious?”

Anna shook her head, “N-no.”

With a little more coaxing from Lordi, Anna told him everything the priest had said, and how her father had reacted.

By the time she finished, Lordi’s anger was palpable.

”That miserable fool,” he growled deep in his chest; Anna felt it more than heard and bit her lip. She didn’t want him to be angry.

She looked up, biting her lip. “Please don’t be angry,” she asked softly. “He’s not a bad man.”

“He might not be bad, precious, but he is a fool,” Lordi growled, but as his red eyes met hers she could see the anger receding. “You are a very intelligent girl, and no one should ever say otherwise.”

He warmth in his voice made Anna smile and reach out to wrap her arms around his neck in a grateful hug.

**

The fallen leaves were soon covered with snow as the chill in the air grew into cold of winter. Everyone knew that this would be a harsh one, with heavy snows and brittle cold that stole breath from the lungs.

It was close to Yule when a wave of sickness swept through; many of the servants fell ill, and even though it was not a pestilence akin to the plague it was still bad enough.

Anna had asked if she could be of help by tending to the sick but she had been vehemently denied by Hilda, the woman who took care of the running of the household. She was the same woman who had brokenly warned Anna to not to go to the woods, back when Anna had been but a little and had not even understood the language around her… unlike now.

Now, she understood quite well Hilda’s mutterings about her, how the “pampered little dullard” had no sense in her head. It made Anna really angry but she knew that even though Hilda was a servant, Papa had told Anna to do as she said and not speak out against her.

Nevertheless, Anna persisted until Hilda told her she could do some work in the kitchens, to help with the tasks normally done by the now-sick servant girls. Nothing strenuous, of course, but she could do her part.

Anna knew that Hilda only wanted her to stop pestering her, but she knew that even the little bit she could do, helping with the dishes, would help. She saw the grateful look on the face of the two still-healthy girls, even though they did not speak out loud for fear of angering Hilda.

Helping in the kitchens was tiring work; it took the time Anna had used to go to her friends, but she knew that they would understand. Night after night she was so tired that she went to her room that she very nearly fell asleep when doing her reading, and each morning it got harder and harder to get up as the darkness seeped over the land in a shroud that lifted only for a few scant hours each day

On her fifth day of helping, Anna was helping Ruusa dry the heavy pans after they had been washed. It was then that the strain that had been placed on her became too much.

Everything started to spin and Anna felt her knees go weak; a small whimper escaped her lips before she was taken by sweet unconsciousness.

The next thing she realized, she was lying in her own bed, covered in blankets; there was a wet cloth on her forehead and Hilda was standing over the bed, her expression stern.

“Fool of a girl,” the woman snorted, “Trying to work too hard. You’ve gotten sick and your father ain’t going to like it. You ain’t going to get out of that bed, either, until you’re better.”

Anna was about to protest but as she tried to sit up, the room started to spin anew and the darkness descended upon her again.

When she next woke, the room was chilled by night and there was but a lone candle burning on her bedside. No one was in the room, but Anna knew something had stirred her from her fitful stupor.

“L.... Lordi?” she croaked, her voice filed with hope. Had her friend come for her?

”No, precious... he is not here.” The words were spoken softly in a familiar voice.

”Awa?” Anna blinked. ”Where are you?”

The air next to her bed began to shimmer and in a few heartbeats, the sorceress stood there, her golden eyes glowing. “Right here, precious.”

Anna smiled weakly as Awa reached out, touching Anna’s forehead with her cold hand. “Why... Why are you here?”

”I had to come see you, precious,” Awa said gently, running her hand over the side of Anna’s face to touch her neck, letting it rest there. Anna knew she was counting her heartbeat and tried to be as still as possible.

“You worried us,” Awa continued. “We knew something was wrong. Lordi is… quite worried, but he could not come... so I am here instead.”

Anna’s smile disappeared. She had hoped her other friends were nearby. “Can.... can’t he come at all?”

Awa shook her head sadly, “No, precious, he won’t be able to come... but you can come back to us before the winter tides and the day of bright candles and you will see him then. He will be waiting eagerly, Anna, but you must become strong again to brave his woods.”

The girl nodded at her words, a sudden wave of tiredness coming over her again. “I miss him, Awa,” she murmured, fighting to keep her eyes open. “So very much…”

“I know,” Awa’s voice sounded distant, “We’ll make sure you will be well again soon.”

The next thing Anna knew was sunrays tickling her face and she blinked; she must have fallen asleep while Awa was still in the room. Now it had to be well into the day for the sun to be up…

There was a brisk knock on the door and Hilda came in, followed by Ruusa who was carrying a tray. “God is watching over us,” Hilda said as a matter of greeting. “A wounded moose stumbled into the yard this morning. and we have plenty of meat now. The cook made some soup from the heart, just for you, girl, so sit up and eat.”

Anna’s eyes grew wide. “Wounded? How?”

Hilda snorted, as Ruusa set the tray on the bedside table. “Beasts. Had torn its legs so it barely made to the yard before it fell. A big bull, to boot. Shows the woods are dangerous,” she added, glancing at Anna suspiciously.

Anna bit her lip, trying to avoid looking guilty. But deep inside, she felt elation; it was much more likely that it had been Kita – or maybe Lordi himself? – who had wounded the moose and left it for the men to kill. Hadn’t Awa said they would make sure she got better soon?

After all, she knew that fresh meat was very good when you were hurt or sick… had not Lordi said so after he devoured the bear’s heart? She had asked to have some herself, but Lordi had said she should not have her meat uncooked… but he had saved her a bit and later cooked it upon the fires…

Anna’s thoughts were interrupted when Ruusa reached past her to fluff her pillows and to help her sit up; she moved obediently, leaning against the headboard as Hilda left the room.

“I hope you will get better soon, miss,” the girl offered shyly as she took the bowl and offered Anna a spoonful. “It was very brave of you to want to help us.”

Anna blushed.

**

It was but a few days till Saint Lucia’s day when Anna finally was strong enough to leave the house to go to her friends. She had wanted to go earlier, as soon as she had been able to move about the house, but during another midnight visitation Awa had forbidden her from doing so.

“You would only fall ill again, precious,” Awa had said, “And what would my liege Lordi say to that?”

The idea of disappointing Lordi was abhorrent to Anna and so she had stayed in the house, trying to catch up on her studies until the final visit from the sorceress when Awa was satisfied with Anna’s health. ‘

”Come to us tomorrow, precious,” She had sing-songed, “We miss you so very much.”

Now she was making her way to the woods, wrapped in a woollen cloak lined with warm fur that kept the cold well in bay. By the time she reached the now-frozen stream she felt a little hot, even, but she knew better than take her cloak off and let herself be chilled.

Lordi was waiting for her; in the stark light of the sun he looked magnificent, dark and sinister against the backdrop of trees shrouded in snow and ice.

As soon as Anna saw him, she let out a small cry of joy and dashed forward. Her small feet slipped on the ice and she stumbled.

She would have fallen, if strong hands had not caught her by the arms and hefted her upright and then straight into Lordi’s arms.

“I missed you!” she cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck as she clung to him. “I hate being sick!”

**

Lordi held on Anna tightly, doing his best to not to let his relief to be audible as he told her that yes, he had missed her too. Anna’s sickness had been a reminder of human frailty, of how very weak the mortals were…. How weak and frail Anna was.

He knew he could protect her from any man or beast who would do her harm, but from her own flesh, so easily ailed with sickness... he could do naught but hope and have Awa work her remedies.

Holding Anna’s small body, hearing her chatter excitedly as she told him of what she had learned while in recovery finally made it sink in that Anna was once again healthy and whole as they began to make their way towards the caverns. .

“Did you kill the moose?” Anna was asking, her eyes wide. “Hilda said it was an animal but I think it was you or Kita. Was it?”

Lordi smirked. “Yes, it was Kita who drove the moose to your home.”

He did not add that Kita had done so only after Lordi had slain two of the animals himself, unable to contain his fury to keep them alive long enough to reach where the humans dwelled.

“I knew it!” Anna exclaimed. “I really must thank him cause it made everyone really happy to have good meat.” She wrinkled her nose, “I got lots of soup. Because they think it’s good for the sick.”

“It is,” Lordi said, shifting her to a more comfortable position in his arms. “But you aren’t sick any more, are you?”

”Nope!” Anna said cheerfully. “Ruusa said I need to get my strength back up so she snuck me some of the roast last night. It was really nice of her cause Hilda would be mad if she knew. She thinks I should have nothing but soup,” she grimaced a little. “I like soup but not that much.”

“Well, precious,” Lordi smirked again as he sighted Awa, already waiting at the cove near his home. “We have something to strengthen you up a little more.”

**

Anna’s eyes widened when she saw the spitted haunch of a moose over the fire. The scent in the air had told her that there was meat cooking, but she had expected a hare or a grouse, but not this!

She knew very well that her friends considered cooking meat to be a disservice to it, but they also knew that she, a human, couldn’t just eat raw meat, despite the fact that she had always wanted - still did - to partake in her friends’ fare. They always made sure to cook her some, of course, often more than she could eat but… a whole haunch? Just for her?

“Hello, precious,” Awa greeted her from where she was tending to the fire, “You came just perfectly. Come, feed!”

Anna tilted her head to look at Lordi, who smirked and lowered her on the ground. Almost shyly, Anna looked up at him and smiled, before she made her way to where Awa was cutting into the meat with an ornate knife that had appeared out of nowhere.

Anna sat upon the fallen log that had been wiped of snow, patiently waiting for Awa to finish. She knew the meat would be so very hot and juicy, and she would be careful to not to let it burn her or drip on her clothes.

“Hello, cub,” the growled greeting came form behind her, and Anna started a little. She had not heard Kita’s approach at all.

Quickly, she twisted to face him “Hey Kita!” She greeted him, “Thank you so much for sending that moose our way.”

Kita grunted noncommittally, but Anna knew he was happy to have been acknowledged. “Nothing, cub. Now has Awa done burning the meat for you? You look like you could eat a bull all by yourself.”

Anna giggled. “I don’t know. Are you?” she looked at Awa, who smiled.

“Not quite yet, precious…. it would burn you if you tried eating it now.” Awa grinned, her sharp teeth gleaming. “Soon, you can feed.”

“All right.” Anna smiled, She looked at Kita again; the beast had settled on the ground next to her: he didn’t need to ask, Anna’s hand reached out to scratch his ears.

“Thanks, cub,” Kita grunted, tilting his head to give her better access. “Little to the left.”

**

Lordi watched the scene unfold with amusement, the weariness that had set into his bones during Anna’s sickness finally dissolving. The fearless little girl who had wormed her way into his blackened heart was back to health, every bit as bright as she had been before illness befell her.

He stood at the edge of the clearing until familiar shapes came to be at his side. “Where were you?” he asked, without turning his head.

Amen shrugged, the sound of sand ever-present in his movements. “Around,” he said noncommittally, clicking his tongue. “I see the little one is in full strength.”

”Not yet, but soon,” Lordi growled in reply.

“Good.” The reply, a heavy snort, came from his left where Ox stood. “I missed her.”

Anna had spotted the new arrivals and was waving eagerly; it was Ox who crossed over to her first, his heavy hooves leaving deep marks in the snow as he bent down to scoop Anna up, first into his arms and then to his shoulders. Even though Anna had grown quite a bit now – she was nearly four and a half feet, not an inconsiderable height for someone her age – she was still small enough to settle there easily.

“Let her feed in peace, you big oaf!” Lordi heard Awa admonish Ox as he turned towards Amen, who was leaning against a tree.

The mummy’s eyes were half-closed and he was wrapped in a woollen cloak similar to Anna’s; he hated the cold and the snow, and it was understandable. Lordi had hated the ever-present sun of Egypt just as much.

“’Around’?” Lordi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Amen shrugged. “Didn’t want the little to stumble on us. Knew you’d be fetching her.”

“Good,” Lordi growled. Anna was far too precious for some things, would be for a long time coming.

**

When Santa Lucia’s day came, Anna was ecstatic; her father had kept his promised and had sent for Anna, to have her brought to the town where there would be a procession. The first one in several years, but Anna remembered very faintly the one she had witnessed as a child and could not wait to see the candles and hear the beautiful songs again.

She’d told her friends as much, and Lordi had looked really strange when she had described of what would happen.. But it had not been a bad expression, so she did not trouble herself with it. He probably was just sad because he could not come watch, too, so she was prepared to make sure she could tell him all about it.

Anna slept for most of the trip, bundled in warm blankets as the sleigh raced through the snow and ice, in the wee hours before the sun was in the sky. She was woken by her father, offering her a warm sticky bun, baked specially for the celebration, the scent of it stirring her from her dreams of summer woods.

The procession itself was incredible; Anna’s eyes were wide as she watched the girls clad in white trailing behind the one lucky girl who had been chosen to portray Lucia, a wreath of evergreens and candles in her hair as she led them to the edge of the woods and back to he church. She held a candle, too, and Anna wondered if she was afraid of burning herself, or getting wax on her pretty white dress.

The girls were all so pretty, with their wreaths - only Lucia’s had candles, though - and white dresses; Anna wished she could be there, too, but she knew she was too young; these were all girls of sixteen or more, ones who would soon find husbands and be girls no longer.

“Will I be one of them when I grow up?” Anna asked her father, looking him in the eye.

Her father smiled at her. “Yes, Anna, you will be, God willing“

Anna smiled. “I really want to be,” she said shyly. “They’re so very pretty.”

”They are not about being pretty, Anna,” her father said gravely. “They celebrate the strength of Saint Lucia and ask for the same courage and blessing themselves, in this dark time.”

**

Afterwards, when Lordi held Anna in his laps and listened to her excited chatter of what had happened in town, he found his thoughts straying from her words.

She had reminded him of how things had been a long time ago. When in the darkest time of the year as the sun did not touch the sky, the candle-bearing maiden did not turn back and go to their church, but continued, into the woods... an offering for the darkness personified.

Even though he know he had nothing to do with the way world kept turning, Lordi had accepted the offering gladly… after all, lovely young maidens knew better than to come to his woods, where beasts of horror dwelled.

But now, the maiden would turn back at the edge of the woods, since the churchmen were in power... It gave him no particular consternation; nothing would stop him from claiming a girl if it was his will.

Perhaps it was Anna’s happiness at her father’s promise that she would one day be one of the girls escorting the maiden that was sending him to this wistful reminiscence; why, he could quite not pinpoint, but it was something that he did not like. At all.

Lordi growled. He needed to kill something.

“Are you hungry, precious?”

 

Here's chapter 3 of the story. Any and all comments still appreciated
**

The days passed; Yule came and went, the winter’s back was broken and the days of spring eventually arrived. The days grew long and the summer came, but eventually the cold winds returned and the leaves turned red and gold again.

It was a bright, crisp autumn day when Anna was walking through the woods, chattering excitedly to Kita. The beast’s replies were noncommittal grunts but she knew quite well that he was listening, and definitely would not be forgetting anything she said.

All of a sudden, Kita halted. “Cub,” he growled, “Get into a tree. Now.”

Anna’s eyes grew wide; she knew Kita wouldn’t have said that if he hadn’t been really serious. She nodded affirmatively and looked around, her eyes settling on a big heavy fir. She dashed over, pulling her skirts up as she clambered up the tree, not stopping until she was a good ten feet off the ground.

Just in time – because as soon as she looked at where Kita stood, a huge bull moose emerged through the junipers, rearing at the ground and charging straight towards Kita.

Anna’s eyes widened and she bit her lip to stifle a shriek as she clung tighter to the tree. The bull was enormous, its head easily high enough to reach her if the animal would come to her; the antlers on his head were huge and many-pronged, and stained with Anna thought might have been blood.

Kita roared, standing up from his usual crouch as the bull barrelled on; his muscles bunched and he leaped at the bull, meeting its rush.

Anna did cry out as the bull tumbled down, as did Kita; despite her vantage point, she could not see what was going on, couldn’t see if Kita had been hurt…

She didn’t think as she quickly climbed down, dropping the last few feet as she dashed to where the moose had gone down. She pushed through the junipers, her heart in her throat, worry filling her as she saw the moose on the ground, its enormous body twisted and still. .

”Kita?” her voice faltered; had he...? “A- are you all right?”

”Yes, you stupid cub, I am!” the growl came but a heartbeat later, and the moose’s side heaved. “Why the hell are you not up that tree?”

Relief flooded over Anna. “You’re all right!”

”I said I am, cub!” Kita grunted as he clambered up, yanking the edge of his ragged bearskin cloak from beneath the bull’s body. “But you didn’t answer me.”

Anna flushed. “I... I thought you were hurt!” she blurted out.

“No moose is going to bring me down, cub,” Kita growled. “Next time you stay up the bloody tree.”

Anna nodded, biting her lip. “I will, Kita. I’m sorry for not doing like you said.”

“Good. Now come, shouldn’t waste this.“

**

Kita buried his teeth in the moose’s throat, tearing into the hot flesh. Blood splattered his face, but it did not gush forth like it would have had the animal not been already dead.

Anna was a few feet away, pulling her skirts back to keep the blood from hitting her.

”It’s dead, cub,” he grunted as he swallowed the bloody meat, “The blood’s not bad.”

”Wh.... Why did it do that?” Anna asked him. “I mean, why did it attack you`”

He snorted as he bit into the carcass again. “Rut.”

“What’s that?”

The genuine curiosity in Anna’s voice made Kita pause and tilt his head to look at her. “Rut. You don’t know?”

The girl shook her head. “Nu-uh. What’s a rut?”

”’s when the moose mate,” Kita said matter-of-factly. “Happens every year.”

Again, Anna frowned. “When moose do what?”

Kita blinked. Just how clueless was the cub? Didn’t those foolish humans teach their young even the bare bones of life?”

“Mate. That’s when the bull mounts the cow,” Kita said. “‘S the way young are made. The bull mounts the cow, the tom mounts the queen… then it grows heavy with the young and will birth after time passes, the cow to a calf, the queen to kittens.”

For a moment, Kita thought of the small creatures and how delicious they could be; he’d given up on them, though, when the cub had been so happy to play with the food…

“What about humans?” Anna asked curiously. “Are babies made that way, too?”

Kita nodded affirmatively. “Yes. But humans don’t have a rut; humans mate around the year.”

Anna’s eyes grew wide. “Is that why babies are born every month but calves only in the spring?”

“Yes. Done with questions?” Kita snorted. “Good.”

He took another bite from the moose’s neck before he looked at Anna; the cub had grown another inch or two in the past year, and was looking good and strong. “Hmm... I suppose you’re grown enough”

Her confusion was plain for him to see as his claws tore into the moose’s side, slicing through the skin and extracting a good chunk of meat.

“Here,” he held it out for the girl to take. “Feed.”

**

The wind was cold and the trees bare when things changed.

She was waiting for Pastor Mullander, eager to start her lessons. But he was nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that she had seen him come to the yard… and his horse was unmistakable, a bony brown gelding as bad-tempered as his master.

Anna knew she should just stay and wait, but she had already checked over her lines twice now, and she really did wonder why the priest was stalling. Feeling a little guilty, she got out of her chair and made her way to the door, opening it quietly.

The corridor was empty, but she could hear noise; it seemed to be coming from one of the unused rooms along the corridor. The door to the room was ajar and Anna peeked in…

Her eyes grew wide and she gasped at the sight of the priest and one of the servant girls – Saara, she realized. Even to her there was no mistaking what was going on.

Anna felt her cheeks flush and backed away quickly, running back to her room and slamming the door shut behind her. She was not meant to see that! Not that she had seen much; if she had not been told by Kita what mating was, she wouldn’t have known what they were doing but still... she should have just stayed in her room!

The door banged open, startling Anna.

The priest barged in, his reddened face twisted in an expression of fury. “You fool of a girl!” he snarled, raising his hand.

Before Anna could react, the priest backhanded her.

”Don’t you dare to ever tell a soul what you saw, you little whore,” the priest continued, “Or else…”

Anna could only nod in shock, her ears ringing, tasting blood on her lips.

“Good,” the priest sneered, raising his hand again; Anna shied away. “If you will, I’ll beat you black and blue and have you in the stocks for a month!”

Anna watched mutely as the man spun on his heel and left, slamming the door after him. She felt numb, not even feeling the blood that has started to steadily drip from her nose or the bruise that had began to form on her cheek.

How could he have done that?

Anna couldn’t think; she was still in shock at the priest’s fury, the pain starting to slowly seep through. She didn’t think as she stumbled out of the room, down the stairs, out of the door to the yard and to the path that led into the woods.

**

As she slowly glided over the leaf-covered ground, Awa could tell something was wrong. She could feel it, a taste of something terrible to come in the air; it was in the way the wind cut into her and the trees groaned; something horrible would happen.

Awa smiled.

When her cat-eyes spied the small form upon the path, her smile vanished and she felt dread:

In what would have been a heartbeat, had her heart not been a blackened husk, she made her way to the girl who was stumbling along the path, her face smeared with blood and tears.

“Oh, precious,” Awa breathed, kneeling to wrap her arms around Anna’s body as the child gratefully collapsed into the embrace, sobbing quietly, “What happened? Who did this to you?”

The trees groaned with fury, and Awa knew why, the fury of her liege Lordi had been awakened; there would be hell to pay now that which was his had been harmed.
‘
”Come, child, “ she whispered gently, lifting Anna into her arms with preternatural grace, “I will take you to him.”

The wind rushed past, cold and unforgiving as Awa sped through the swiftly darkening woods; Anna did not even try to speak, just clung to the sorceress, her arms wrapped tightly around Awa’s neck.

Awa knew she had to bring the girl to her liege; Lordi would wish to deal with whatever had hurt Anna himself. Even though the desire for retribution had begun to boil beneath Awa’s skin, she knew that there was no question of what was the right thing to do.

She reached the edge of the clearing just in time to see Lordi emerge from the caverns, a feral scowl on his face and his wings outstretched, her liege was out for blood.

Anna shifted in the sorceress’ arms, her eyes fluttering open; the bleariness receded as she saw Lordi and when the strong arms relieved Awa of her burden, her little hands reached out to her friend.

**

When Anna finally fell into exhausted sleep upon the furs of his bed, Lordi let his anger rise to the fore. He stood up, his eyes flaring crimson in the darkness.

The priest would pay.

He would pay for daring to lay a hand on Anna, for daring to hurt her, for marking what was his – the memory of the bruise brought forth a snarl from him.

Oh yes, the priest would pay.

He stalked out of the caverns, spreading his wings as he reached outside. He saw Awa hovering at the edge of the clearing, her anxiousness clear.

”Go to her,” he snarled.

The dark glee of the hunt flowed over him as he stalked forth, stoking his wrath further.

Somewhere in the darkness, a wolf howled in fright.

**


Swearing under his breath, Jan Mullander spurred his horse on. He could hear the howls in the darkness and cursed his foolishness for deciding to head back home rather than to spend the night. But if that little whore had not riled him up and then disappeared, alarming half of the household…

When his horse reared, he swore again. His heels dug into the animal’s sides to no avail, he was thrown off, impacting with the ground heavily.

He uttered another oath as he looked up: the horse had taken off, and he could not even see it any longer, there was something on the road…

The clouds parted, revealing the full moon and the creature that had frightened his horse.

Mullander froze; his heart sped up like that of a racing hare and his mouth went dry with sheer fright at the sight before him; a beast, taller than any man, with leathery wings spread out to block the stars and eyes that glistened red like heartblood.

”Stay back, devil!” he cried out as he scrambled up. “God is on my side.”

The beast laughed. The sound chilled him to the bone, as did the sight of sharp, gleaming teeth.

”I am no devil, fool!” the demon growled, “And your god won’t save you now.”

The priest took a step back, brandishing his cross with sweaty hands. “God will protect me, foul fiend!”

But even as he spoke, terror and doubt quickly took hold of him.

“You struck against me and mine,” the beast snarled, as if not having heard his words, “And for that you will die.”

Mullander faltered, his hold of his cross slipping, as doubt rose in his mind. What could have he done to raise the ire of this creature?

Then it hit him. “The little whore!” she spat out, the anger overwhelming his fear for a moment. “The witch!”

The beast growled, and terror struck through the priest a moment before the beast’s hand did, the sharp claws tearing into his cheek as he was struck down.

”What you did spawned your fate,” the beast growled. “Now... you will burn.”

**

Hot blood still clung to his claws as he stepped into his chamber and strode over to where Anna lay peacefully, curled up and looking so very fragile and small.

Even in the near darkness, the bruise on her cheek was clear and it sent another wave of anger through Lordi, no matter how futile; the man who had done this to his precious little Anna was beyond his retribution now... sent there by his claws not much earlier.

The girl shifted on the furs, raising her head blearily. “… Lordi?”

Instantly, his anger receded and he strode to her, kneeling next to the furs as he reached out o pull her into his arms. “I am here, precious,” he growled. “Sleep… you need the rest, my princess.”

For a short moment his mind drifted into more pleasant times, a summer’s day when the curious girl-child in his arms had demanded yet another story…. And what she had asked.

“Am I your princess?”

And his reply.

“Yes, Anna... you are my princess.”

She was his. He growled quietly as he pulled her tighter against his chest. Nothing would ever change that. He would never let her go.

Even in her sleep, Anna squirmed to get closer to him and he accommodated her, her cheek coming to rest against his shoulder as he pulled up a bear pelt to wrap around her small shoulders to keep the chill in the air from seeping to her.

For a very long time he simply sat there, cradling the girl in his arms. His eyes were closed and he listened to her even breathing, as he contemplated what he intended to do.

It was several more hours until Anna stirred again. Outside, the darkness had begun to recede and the rays of the false dawn were bringing light to the land; within the cavern, it was still very nearly pitch-black.

Lordi’s clawed hand brushed her golden locks gently aside form her face as she opened her eyes, still hazy with sleep, to look at him.

“Lordi?” she asked, her voice roughened by sleep.

“I am here, princess,” Lordi whispered, stroking her cheek with his claws. “Never fear.”

Anna smiled.

After a long moment that seemed to stretch on till eternity, Lordi’s claws caught her chin and raised her eyes to meet his.

”There is something I must do to you, precious,” he growled, his eyes flashing crimson. “Just… relax.”

The girl blinked, her eyes filled with confusion, but she nodded and closed her eyes.

Lordi growled again as he shifted his hold of her, bringing her to sit up straighter so he could bend her head to the side. Carefully, his claws brushed over the tender white skin before burying themselves in her hair, his grip firm to make sure she would stay still.

He closed his eyes as he leaned forward, inhaling her scent; so very pure and innocent, so very full of life. He could feel her heartbeat and hear her quickened breath as her small body trembled in his arms.

She cried out when his teeth first grazed her throat, but the sound soon became a whimper as he bit in deeper, his fangs piercing into her flesh, drawing blood.

The taste of her blood on his tongue was hot and heady, and as he pulled his head back, his tongue flickered out to dance along the marks, lapping up the sweet scarlet drops.

His actions prompted a whimper from Anna and he felt her hands tighten their grip on him, her body growing tenser by the moment as he cleaned away the blood. He ran his claws gently over her back with a low, soothing growl.

As he ran his tongue over her skin one last time, now dotted with two rows of small, red marks that would forever mark her as his, she opened her clouded eyes and looked at him.

“It is done, princess,” he growled quietly as he bent forward to softly brush his lips against her forehead, “Sleep now.”

**

The sun was already beginning its journey across the sky when Anna slowly drifted awake in the dim depths of Lordi’s chambers.

The first thing she became aware of was that she was not in her bed; in fact, she was held tightly by strong, leather-clad arms, and covered by a warm pelt, a steady breath warm against her neck.

The next thing she realized was that she was sore, all over – and the memories of the day before came rushing in.

Her eyes that had began to flutter open squeezed shut and she bit her lip. She remembered running into the woods, remembered Awa taking her to Lordi... remembered how gently her friend had cleaned the blood form her face and listened to her sob her story and then laid her into his bed to rest….

She must have fallen asleep in his arms, she thought a bit hazily. Not that she minded – being cradled like this felt so wonderful... his strength made her feel so very safe and cherished, the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek was so very comforting…. And it was probably the reason why she was hurting, she thought hazily. As magnificent as his armour was, it was also covered in metal studs and rivets… that was probably why her neck stung, too.

“Good morning, princess,” the low rumble of his voice halted her thoughts.

“Morning.” Anna’s reply was a yawn that surprised even herself; she looked up, blushing a little as her eyes met Lordi’s crimson ones.

He was looking at her, his expression inscrutable, almost unnerving in its intensity, and Anna’s smile faltered for a moment. Was something wrong?

“How are you feeling, princess?” He asked, his voice quiet.

“Sore,” Anna murmured. “But better than yesterday.”

She knew she didn’t have to say anything more; she knew he understood.

“Does your… does your throat hurt?” Lordi asked, his voice hoarse as his hand came to brush against a particularly sore spot in her neck.

The touch sent a shiver through Anna; it must’ve been because the pelt that had covered her fell off. “Not really,” she whispered. Because it didn’t. The ache was almost pleasant.

“Good,” he growled, stroking her hair with his claws.

She thought he was going to say something more, but at that moment her stomach growled very loudly, causing her to blush and him to laugh.

“Come, princess… lets get you fed.”

**

Ruusa was on her way to the barn when she spied the small form making its way towards the house.

”Miss Anna!” she exclaimed as she dashed across the yard to her, “Where have you been? Everyone’s been looking for you!”

The girl’s eyes went wide and she bit her lip; from what Ruusa could see, the girl was in no way badly off after having gone missing the day before, the bruise on her face was probably the same Saara had heard the priest inflict on her…

At the thought of the priest, Ruusa swallowed hard, bile threatening to rise in her throat. She had seen a glimpse of the man’s mutilated corpse and heard the farmhands talking... of how he’d been bitten and clawed and gutted like a pig…

“I... ran,” the girl whispered. “Into the woods. Pa.... Pastor Mullander scared me... and I didn’t want to come back until he was gone…”

“You don’t know?” Ruusa blurted out, her eyes going wide for a moment, Then she realized that there was no way the girl could know, if she had spent the night in the woods…

“Know what?”

”P... pastor Mullander was attacked last night,” Ruusa said quietly. “They found his body this morning.”

Without thought for propriety, Ruusa wrapped her arms around the girl who had started to shake. “It’s all right, miss Anna… don’t cry. He’s with God now. Let me take you in and get you something to eat…”

“O- okay,” Anna sniffed and bit her lip. “T... thank you, Ruusa.”

As she began to lead the young miss towards the house, Ruusa noticed something; a small mark on the girl’s neck, mostly hidden by her hair, but definitely visible form a close range. It was a faded red row of marks, nay, two rows; clearly a bite of some sort, and looked half-healed.

Ruusa knew it had not been there the morning before when she had helped the girl dress.

She was started out of her thoughts by the appearance of Hilda; the older woman barrelled out of the kitchen in her customary stride, paying no heed to the geese she sent scattering. “Ruusa, why aren’t you…. Holy God, you found the damned girl!”

”She was in the barn,” Ruusa said quickly, without thinking. “She was sleeping in the nook, the one where the kittens were last summer, ma’am.”

Hilda frowned. “Why, the little fool’s had us all runnin’ round for naught. Especially with what happened to the poor Pastor, she ought to be beaten black and blue!”

Ruusa started; Hilda wouldn’t dare to do that, would she? "I don’t think she knows what she did, ma'am," she said, squeezing Anna's hand. "She was just scared to come out before she fell asleep.”

Hilda regarded the girl suspiciously, and for once Ruusa felt glad that the older woman thought Anna was barely above a babe when it came to wits. “Bah, fine. Get her in and make her eat, and send her to her room.”

“Aye, Ma’am.”

Ruusa led Anna to the kitchen where she made her sit on the bench and began to quickly cobble together something for the girl to eat.

“Thank you,” Anna whispered quietly. “I know I shouldn’t go to the woods. Why didn’t you tell her?”

Ruusa hesitated. Why had she lied to Hilda? She couldn’t tell. Perhaps part of it was fear – of what Hilda might do to Anna, of what might happen if someone hurt Anna again and… offence was taken; maybe it was gratefulness still lingering from last winter when Anna had worked to help in the kitchens. She did not know.

She said as much to Anna. “But… your secret is safe with me, miss.”

“Thank you,” the girl said, looking down.

When Ruusa handed the girl the plate she’d prepared, Anna looked up with teary eyes. “What happened to Pastor Mullander?”

*’

It was later, when night had crept in and cloaked the sky, that Anna lay awake in her bed.

She had not seen the body of the priest herself, but she had heard what had happened. She knew it was because so many thought she was too slow to understand, but she wished really hard she had not heard the details.

The poor pastor’s body had been torn so badly that the only reason he had been recognized at all was because of his distinctive clothes, and the cross that had been lying next to his body. Clawed, bitten, torn to shreds in rage – the work of beast but not an animal.

Anna shivered and pulled the down covers tighter around her body.

A part of her feared that it had been one of her friends... that she was to blame for the poor man’s fate, but that couldn’t be! She’d spent the night cradled in Lordi’s arms and if he hadn’t done anything the others… the others would not have done it if he hadn’t. Because he was their leader and they wouldn’t go against him, no matter what.

She had said as much, at least to a degree, earlier. When one of the men had tried to scare Ruusa by leaning in close to her and whispering loudly how it could have been the monsters of the woods, Anna hadn’t been able to help but blurt out a denial.

When both of them had looked at her queerly, she had silently thanked God for the fact that they thought her slow; saying that since pastor Mullader had been, well, a pastor, he couldn’t have been killed by hell-spawn had made the man smile and look at Ruusa in that way Anna knew meant someone thought she was really really stupid.

Anna squirmed a little at the idea. She had not lied. After all, hell-spawn couldn’t have killed the priest; he was a man of God. But her friends were no hell-spawn….

She should not think about it, she decided, resolutely closing her eyes again. Because whatever had happened upon the poor pastor had been God’s will.

Eventually, she fell into sleep filled with troubled dreams.

**

 

Keep up the good work, Ara.

 

Loving it.

 

*bows* thankee here's chapter four; hopefully still likeable. After this, might be a while until I get chapter 5 edited down.

**

The new priest arrived before the snows fell, but it took well into the spring until Anna could resume her lessons under the guidance of pastor Viktor Belan.

Anna waited for her in her room, anxiety filling her; she could remember the last time she had waited for her tutor and how that had ended… but she knew that pastor Belan was nothing like pastor Mullander had been… he was much younger, for one, with quick dark eyes and easy smile and Anna knew everyone liked him, herself included.

The door to her room creaked slowly open, and the pastor stepped in. “Good morning, miss Anna,” he said carefully in his accented Swedish, “How are you today?”

Anna smiled timidly as she curtsied. “Good morning, Pastor. I am fine, thank you for asking. May I ask how are you?”

the priest’s reply as one of his bright smiles that made his brown eyes twinkle. “That is good to hear, miss Anna. I am fine as well.”

He gestured towards the desk. “Sit down, and we can get started on charting how far you are in your studies.”

Anna nodded, and warily made her way to thee desk where she had arranged her slate, as well as the quills and the ink at the off chance that he might let her write on actual parchment. She sat down and looked at pastor Belan who was watching her, a strange expression on his face.

”Now, miss Anna… I don’t know how much you know, so I have to ask. Do you know your letters and numbers?”

Anna blinked. She’d known both for ages! Did he really think her so dull? She could only nod mutely.

“Good. Can you write your name?”

Again, Anna nodded.

The priest smiled. “Good. Write it down now.”

Anna nodded silently. For a moment she wanted to reach for thee quills and parchment, just to show him, but instead she picked up the piece of chalk and quickly wrote her name on the slate.

Belan made his way to her, leaning over the desk to look, his eyes growing wide. “Very good, Anna.”

Anna smiled. Awa had praised her hand in writing more than once; not even the sorceress had a finer hand than she did!

Apparently the priest had taken note of her skill, too; the tone of his questions changed and he began quizzing her in earnest; like a proper student and not a dullard.

It took a while but eventually he seemed to be satisfied, he made his way to the window. Looking out to the yard with his hands clasped behind his back for a long moment before he turned back to her.

”Well,” he said as he took a step away from the window, “I would say…”

What he said was a string of curse words in French, as he stumbled onto the cat that had wandered into the sunny spot while his back had been turned.

Anna gasped, her cheeks flushing at the sheer crudity of his curses and stood abruptly, running to rescue the cat before he would kick it; the cat looked indignant at her manhandling of him, but purred as he was clutched against Anna’s chest.

”Please don’t hurt him, sir!” she begged, her eyes going wide. “He didn’t mean to get in your way!”

The expression on the priest’s face was not that of anger but Anna was still scared and took a step back, clutching the cat tighter against her chest. The tom meowed in protest, squirming nearly hard enough to escape her grasp.

“You speak French?” the priest asked, frowning.

Anna began to shake. He was angry with her, she was not supposed to speak French, he was going to…

As if sensing her fear, the priest raised a hand, his expression gentling. “Anna, please answer me,” he said softly, tilting his head to the side. “I am not angry. And please, let go of the cat before you strangle him, I promise to not to harm him.”

Anna flushed as she realized just how tightly she was holding the cat and immediately let him go; the tom landed on the floor gracefully, giving her another indignant look before he went to Belan and began rubbing his face against the priest’s leg.

Belan crouched, his eyes not leaving Anna’s face as his hand found the tom’s ears and rubbed them. “Anna, please, talk to me. Did I frighten you?”

Anna nodded, unable to speak. The cat had begun to purr, and it made her feel a little better. Cats didn’t purr at bad people.

“What was it?” The pastor’s voice was still soft. “Not just the cat?”

Anna nodded, biting her lip again. “I thought you... I thought you would be mad if you knew I spoke French.”

The priest frowned, but it was not an angry expression; his confusion was nearly palpable. “What would make you think so? You are such a bright girl. Did pastor Mullander think it too frivolous?”

At the mention of the priest, Anna froze again; the memory of the man’s fury rose again in her mind and she whimpered, a deep shiver going through her body.

Belan was at her side in an instant, his arms wrapping around her small body in a tight embrace. Anna couldn’t speak, couldn’t help the tears in her eyes as she was held against him, his hand brushing her hair as he murmured soothing words.

She couldn’t help but wish that the arms around her were stronger, that the hand stroking her hair had claws, that she’d be hearing the steady heartbeat of her friend under her cheek and the near-growl of his soothing words… but the priest was warm and solid, and eventually, when he let go of her, she smiled tentatively.

”Now, Anna,” he whispered. “Do you think you can tell me what made you so frightened of… someone dead and gone who will never again be able to hurt you?”

**

Viktor fought hard to suppress a shudder of disgust as Anna finished her story of what had happened the last time she had seen his predecessor alive. It was of utmost importance he present a calming front to her, lest she go into hysterics again… and he had no desire to see the girl so distraught.

“He is dead now, Anna,” he said quietly. “Fear him no longer. And please,” he added, his voice even softer, “Do not fear me just because I am your tutor now.”

The girl nodded hesitantly. “I... I will try,” she said, sniffling a little. “And I’m... I’m not afraid of you, pastor Belan.”

Viktor smiled at her. “I am glad you are not afraid of me, Anna…. And please,” he added as the thought struck him, “Do call me Viktor during these lessons. Do you think you are able to continue or should I go and leave you to rest?”

Anna was willing to continue, and after a brief pause as she cleaned her tear-stained face, they did so. Viktor was rather amazed at the eclectic mix of knowledge the girl seemed to possess, including French and a smattering of Italian but no Latin or Greek.

By the time he left he still did not know just who it was that had tutored Anna; he knew that the bastard who had preceded him could not have taught her, and as bright as Anna was, one could not pick up the pronunciation of a language such as French just from books.

Not that it really mattered, he thought as he made his way to the stables where his bay mare awaited. She would be comfortable enough to tell him in time.

The thoughts of his predecessor troubled him as he took on the road; he had heard many a rumour but had been disinclined to believe until now, until Anna spoke so heartfelt of what had happened. It was such a minor thing – many tutors struck their students, after all, not that Viktor had ever done such a thing – but the fact that the girl had obviously seen something she shouldn’t have, something Mullander should have not been doing at all…

Viktor shuddered. His mare seemed to sense his agitation and raised her head, ears perking. He smiled and leaned down to pat the horse’s neck. “It’s all right, girl,” he murmured. “Just keep going.”

But for the long hours his journey home took, his thoughts kept returning to a very bright young girl…

**

Lordi could hear Anna’s excited chattering well before she and Awa entered the clearing; he frowned, anger slowly starting to build inside him.

His princess was talking about her tutor again.

Lordi knew he should not have been angered; he should have been happy that Anna was so joyous about her studies now, looking forward to the visits from the priest rather than dreading them like before. After all, the new pastor was a young man, kind and gentle who had won her over from her very first lesson with him…

Lordi growled, baring his teeth. He did not trust this priest the least.

When Anna came into sight and immediately cried out his name, Lordi buried his anger by sheer force of will and smiled at her, swooping her up into his arms as she ran to him.

”I missed you!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into his shoulder.

“I missed you too, princess,” Lordi growled, stroking her hair with his free hand; the other was wrapped around her tiny waist, holding her up against him. Even though she was no longer a little girl, she was still as light as a feather to him and would always remain so.

For a long moment he only held her silently while she watched him with contented blue eyes; until she finally spoke.

”Will you tell me a story?” she asked, smiling.

Lordi found himself answering his simile. “Of course. Princess. What kind of a story?”

”One with a princess and monsters!” She exclaimed, looking at him as if he’d grown a second head; she never did ask for any other kind of a story.

”Very well, Anna,” he purred as he began to make his way to a better spot where he could sit down and pull her properly into his lap.

“Viktor only tells me f... fables,” she stumbled over the word. “He likes Aesop and La Fontaine. But I like your stories better.”

Again, anger rose in Lordi: the priest had gotten overtly familiar with his Anna! But he was also pleased, greatly so, by her preference for his tales.

“Once upon a time…” he began the familiar routine, his claws unconsciously stroking Anna’s golden hair as he began to tell her the story of a beautiful young princess who found herself lost in the dark woods… a story that enthralled Anna till he very last words.

“And as the prince’s façade melted away to reveal the beast of the woods, the princess cried out in joy and embraced him; from thereon, they would live happily ever after.”

Anna giggled and squirmed, sitting up straight form where she had rested against his shoulder.

“I knew it!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “You tell it the right way!”

“The right way?” Lordi raised an eyebrow at her words.

Anna nodded. “Yup. When I asked Viktor to tell me a story with a princess and a monster she told it all wrong! The princess kissed the beast and he turned into a prince.” She wrinkled her nose.

Lordi laughed; both at her expression but also to mask the anger that had flared at the mention of the priest’s name. “He did, did he?”

”Yup.” Anna nodded solemnly. “I did tell him he was telling it all wrong, but he just laughed.” She wrinkled her nose again; “He’s so silly for someone so smart.”

“That he is,” he growled as he pulled her closer, masking his anger carefully.

“He’s nice, though;” Anna said as she snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder. “I like him a lot.”

Lordi growled.

**

Ruusa could not help but look up from her task of shelling peas at the shade and stare at the priest who was mounting his horse at the courtyard; Pastor Belan was easy on the eyes and so very kind to everyone that Ruusa couldn’t help but be just a bit sweet on him – just like every other woman in the parish, no doubt.

For a moment she felt a brief stab of envy towards the young miss, who got to spend several hours alone with the pastor every time the man came to tutor her; Ruusa shook her head, driving the notion away.

Young miss Anna was barely thirteen, for God’s sake! She had barely began to get any sort of womanly shape and pastor Belan was not the sort of a man who would take advantage of a young girl’s infatuation, not in a million years!

Not that Anna was infatuated with him, Ruusa reminded herself. Ever since the last fall, she had befriended the girl and although she knew naught of what exactly it was that the young miss was up to most of the time, she knew enough. There had been no sighs of longing or doe-eyes made at the priest, no wistfulness at all in the way Anna acted when the priest was away.

Well, maybe a little, Ruusa amended as she continued with her task. Anna was so very eager for books and learning, that she often wished she could get her lessons more often, and in the meantime practised her Latin so very diligently that Ruusa had ended up taking away her book a few times, to keep the girl from studying well into the night.

Ruusa wondered if the priest knew of Anna’s trips into the woods; those, she knew, Anna made as often as she could, and they were the only thing Anna ever neglected her studies for. Ruusa had toyed with the idea of following her more than once, but she knew it would mean a fate worse than death in the hands of the Lord of the Woods…

Ruusa shivered. Her grandmother had told her plenty of tales form the old days, of the beasts that made the forest their home… beasts far worse than any wild animal.

She knew that when pastor Mullander had died, they had said it was wolves. But wolves did not possess such brutal rage as the man had been subjected to… someone, or something, had found cause to utterly destroy the priest…

Ruusa knew it was wicked of her to think so, but the man had deserved it! He’d hurt her sister, and she knew there had been others… but a priest was the most respected man in any community and above such things… so they had suffered in silence. Then, he had met his end…

Because he had struck a little girl.

Ruusa shivered again and picked up her basket; she wanted to get into the sun, out of the shade. She knew that what she should have done was to tell pastor Belan, to tell him of the beast-bite on the girl, of those trips in the woods… it bore all the signs of witchcraft and devilry.

But she knew she would not. Because Anna was not wicked. She could remember the look in the girl’s eyes as she told her that the pastor was dead; no wicked being could have mimicked that look of horror. She could not have known of the man’s fate and couldn’t have sent the beasts after him… she had denied that any hell spawn could hurt a priest, even!

But Lord of the Woods was no hell spawn.

Again, Ruusa shuddered; angrily, she popped the peapod in her hand and began to work twice as hard as before. She would be better off not thinking about this!

**

Despite the sun, the air was unusually chilly for such a high summer’s day, and Viktor found himself spurring his horse forward. There was something in the air, some strange, sinister feeling that he did not like at all.

His hand clutched the cross he wore around his neck and he muttered a brief prayer; he knew from what he had been told that he was on the same stretch of road that his predecessor’s body had been found on.

Viktor had been born and raised in a small hut no more than an hour’s ride from where his horse now halted, rearing and neighing in fright; he knew all the stories of what lurked in the woods but right now his main concern was to calm his horse and therefore he would not think of just what might be coming upon him.

He didn’t succeed and fell to the ground, air escaping his lungs as his mare reared for one last time, taking off in a frightened gallop. He could tell he couldn’t have hung on anyway…

The jumbled train of his thoughts halted as he caught sight of just what had frightened his gentle mare into bolting – or who, more like it.

The creature that stood less than ten yards from Viktor’s prostrate position was monstrous, no other word for it. Horns on its head, wings on its back, with red eyes that shone like hellfire and fangs that looked razor-sharp as the creature growled. Clad in strange, barbaric armor and holding a double-headed axe, there was no mistaking of just what Viktor was facing.

He bit his lip to suppress the instinctive Lord protect me as he scrambled on his feet; it was probably the worst thing he could say at the moment.

“What do you want with me,” he croaked instead, “Lord of the Woods?”

The Lord of the Woods growled and stalked forward without words; Viktor swallowed hard, standing his ground. Whatever would come, would come and he would face it with all the strength and determination he could muster.

The creature growled, tossing its... nay, his head. “What do you think I want?”

Viktor swallowed again. “I don’t know,” he said, proud of the fact that his voice did not shake. “What have I done that has raised your ire so?”

The answer came in that same bone-chilling, low growl. “The girl.”

Viktor did not have to ask what girl? – There was only one girl the Lord of the Woods could have meant.

“Anna.” He whispered her name quietly.

”The last one died for touching her,” the beast growled, taking a step forwards.

“Mullander?” Viktor asked, although he knew the answer. “He deserved it.”

He could sense hesitation in the creature, and knew his one chance in making sure he came out of this alive was here. “For everything he did. For... touching what you had claimed.”

Viktor knew he was treading on thin ice, he could not know if the Lord had indeed claimed Anna… but he could see the red marks on the girl’s neck clear as day in his mind’s eye, the little dots he thought had been a peculiar birthmark rather than what he now realized them to be.

“And yet you dare,” the creature growled, taking another step close; he was barely three yards from Viktor now, towering over the slight priest.

“Dare what, Lord?” Viktor asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “I have only…”

The backhand that hit his face came out of nowhere and Viktor stumbled, going down on one knee.

“You have dared to lay your hands on her!” the beast growled, nay, roared.

“She’s a child in need of comfort!” Viktor groaned, tasting blood in his mouth. “I am not… I would never... she’s just a little girl!”

The implication of the beast’s words made Viktor feel sick in his stomach; did the Lord of the Woods truly think of him capable of such depravity? He was… he knew he was not right, but he was not something like that!

He looked up, his eyes wide. “I swear to God I would never, ever do that,” he choked. “She is… she is yours.”

Some part of him wondered just how monstrous the Lord of the Woods was, but those thoughts were quickly abolished – it was not out of sheer jealousy that he was being confronted; the beast was protective of Anna, more than anything.

The fact that Viktor had told him that Anna was his seemed to calm the Lord slightly, but not much. “She is a child now,” he growled, the implication clear in his voice.

Viktor swallowed hard. Would he have to reveal his shameful secret to gain enough ground with the creature to prevent his death, to be allowed to guide the bright young mind that he had grown to love like a sister in such a short time?

“I became a priest for a reason,” he whispered hoarsely. “I do not prefer the company of women.”

**

Lordi was taken aback by the priest’s bluntness at admitting to being a sinner by his very nature. He had not expected, such, especially not since this was a clergyman.

The angers that had began to dissipate at the priest’s acknowledgement that Anna was his slowly ebbed away completely as Lordi regarded him with eyes no longer clouded with fury.

The priest had straightened up and was now looking him in the eye, his expression that of resolve; Lordi could tell, from the speed of his heartbeat and the shallowness of his breath, that the man was still frightened – but he was not letting his fear rule him.

Perhaps… perhaps he might let the priest live.

“And how do I know you tell me the truth?” he growled.

The priest bit his lip, but his heartbeat did not quicken any further; it was one of the telltale signs of honesty that Lordi was an expert at reading.

“Because no one can lie to the Lord of the Woods,” the man said matter-of-factly, licking his lips. “I learned that from my grandmother.”

Lordi laughed. “That is true, priest.”

The moment of silence that passed was but a few heartbeats, but Lordi knew that for the priest it had to feel like an eternity. Eventually, he spoke again. “You will live this day, priest. But know that if Anna ever comes to harm from you...”

”I will die. I understand.“ the man nodded.

“Anna would miss you,” Lordi admitted grudgingly, if without anger. “So see that it won’t come to that.”

“I will.”

“Good.”

With that, Lordi turned away from him and stalked into the woods, becoming one with the shadows. He did not wish to risk his anger rising again, now that he had decided that the priest would live... for the time being.

**

Viktor stared at the trees, where the Lord of the Woods had disappeared; a deep shiver went through his spine as he realized that he had survived the encounter.

Breath escaped his lungs in a sigh of relief and his knees nearly gave way as the terror that had gripped his spine slowly ebbed away.

He had encountered the Lord of the Woods, and survived to tell the tale.

No, not just that, he realized, guilt welling up as his hand came to clutch the cross around his neck. He had specifically aroused the ire of the creature, and he had lived. Not that he had ever had any intention of causing offense but… he had still survived something he shouldn’t have.

Relief threatened to bubble out with hysterical laughter but Viktor bit his lip; he shouldn’t, for he couldn’t tell if the creature still lurked, and would regret his decision if disrespect was shown...

Besides, he was going to need all his strength for the long walk that awaited him now that Silvia had bolted.

He gave his clothes one last brush as he began to trek along the road; he was hoping that he might run into his horse before too long, but his hopes were not very high.

That was shy the fact that Silvia was waiting for him just around the bend was quite surprising.

However, majority of Viktor’s surprise came from the fact that rather than grazing, Silvia was being fed some sort of a treat by a creature that, even thought it bore no resemblance to the Lord of the Woods, was clearly monstrous.

”I do hope you don’t intend to eat her,” Viktor blurted out before he could prevent it, “Because she is a fine horse.”

The creature tilted its horned head, the green eyes meeting Viktor’s across the road. “Not likely,” it snorted as it stroked Silvia’s long neck.

“Good, then,” Viktor said cheerfully as he began to walk to wards his steed again. “Might I ask what you were intending to do?”

A part of him was screaming for him to be terrified by this monster, but Viktor knew that it would be futile – the Lord of the Woods had not slain him, and had said that Anna would be disappointed if he died... so how likely would it be that any of his minions would harm him?

The creature tilted its head, the slowly returning sunlight glinting off the ring of metal piercing its… his nose. “Take care of her, till they found your corpse. But you aren’t dead.”

“I like to think so, yes,” Viktor said.

“Why did Lordi let you go?”

Viktor shrugged, his mouth going dry; he did not know quite what to say. “He deemed me… someone who would never hurt Anna or interfere with his claim:”

He resolved to not think about what such a claim might entail.

“Unexpected... but good.” The monster snorted again. “She would be sad if you were to die, I think. And none of us want to see her so.”

At that moment, Viktor became aware of small things; of the sound of hissing sand, the smell of dead roses, the unmistakable knowledge that one was being observed by a predator, and nodded solemnly.

“I hope I will never give reason for her to be sad,” he said quietly. “Now… still have a long journey ahead., so might I get my horse back?”

Without words, the creature stepped back. Viktor nodded his thanks and went to Silvia, who tilted her head towards him and whickered gently.

“I’m afraid I have no treats for you, girl,” he said quietly. “But when we get home, we’ll have to see about that.”

When he turned to thank the creature again, he faced only thin air... and hoofprints on the ground.

 

and here's chapter five; we're about halfway through now Hope you gusys still like this.. andy and all feedback is appreciated. (especially cause it makes me look less self-indulgent & spammy )

**

The summer faded into autumn and winter, time passing on. Anna continued her lessons with Viktor, as well as her visits to the woods, blissfully unaware of the fact that her friends had clashed.

It was on the fall of her fifteenth year that things began to change.

“Ruusa,” Anna asked plaintively as the older girl helped her tighten her stays. “Could you not tie it so tightly? My chest hurts.”

Ruusa’s expression was that of immediate concern. “Trouble breathing, miss? Have you been coughing?”

Anna shook her head. “No. Not like that, it hurts,” she raised a hand to gesture vaguely, “on the top.”

Ruusa’s eyes widened. “Ah, I think I know what it is, miss Anna.”

”What is it, then?” Anna asked, fearful. The way Ruusa was looking at her was rather alarmed and she did not like it.

“It’s something that’s not going to go away for a while, miss,” Ruusa said, blushing little. “If... if your Mother were here, she’d be telling you about this sort of a thing¨

At the mention of her mother, Anna started. “What... what sort of a thing?”

”Oh, I better tell Hilda ma’am to talk to you, miss,” Ruusa said hurriedly, “It’s not my place to speak of such.”

Anna bit her lip and nodded. “All right. So can you let it a little loose?”

Ruusa nodded. “Yes, miss. But you will be needing new stays in a few months, I wager.”

Anna blinked. “Why? I haven’t grown an inch in the past year!”

And it was true; she had gained height steadily, now standing at full five feet and being able to look Ruusa in the eye. But it had slowed down in the past year and right now, Anna was rather certain she would never be any taller.

“Hilda will tell you why,” Ruusa said cryptically.

It was on this that Anna mulled when she later made her way to the woods, carefully avoiding the puddles of water on the ground. It had been raining hard and even now, the air hung heavy with the promise of a downpour. Anna did not particularly care – her cloak would keep the water away if that happened, and the caverns her friends made their home in were not that far.

As she made it to the stream she had once played with leaf boats at, she encountered Awa. .

”Hello, precious,” Awa cooed as she slid across the forest floor. “How are you? You have been absent and he has been missing you.”

Anna blushed a little. She had missed Lordi too, but since it had been raining so hard a she’d had to study – Viktor had said he would quiz her thoroughly when he would come next Sunday - it had been nearly a week since she had lat set foot in the forest.

”I missed him too,” Anna said. “And I missed you as well.”

As Awa’s cold hand grasped her smaller one, Anna hesitated for a moment. But there really was no one else she could really ask, was there? “Awa…. Can I ask you about something?”

Awa paused, looking down at Anna and reaching out to brush a strand of golden hair from Anna’s face. “Of course, precious... what is it?”

Anna bit her lip. “This morning… I told Ruusa my chest hurt, but not like when I was sick… and she said it is something my Mama should have told me about, if she lived, and now Hilda will talk to me about it tomorrow... but I don’t like her. Could you tell me instead?”

Awa tilted her head and Anna bit her lip, nervously. She didn’t know if asking this had been proper, or if she had offended the sorcerers.

“Of course, precious,” Awa said softly, tugging on her hand. “Come, sit with me… I think he will forgive us the wait because this is something you need to hear.”

Anna followed the sorceress to beneath a small canopy of trees, where the earth was moist but not wet, and a fallen log offered a good space to sit.

”Now...” Awa started when they had both seated. “Precious, do you remember that summer, a long time ago, when you embraced me and told me how different it felt from embracing Lordi because I was… soft and squishy, I believe your words were.”

Anna nodded, blushing. “Yes, I do.”

“Good,” Awa smiled. “Your chest feels tender and swollen, doesn’t it?”

Anna nodded, blushing a little more. “Yes, it does… wearing my stays hurts.”

Awa’s hand came to stroke her cheek sympathetically. “It is something all women go through, precious... your chest hurts because you will become soft and squishy yourself, soon enough. You’re growing up.”

Anna frowned. “Am I going to be as tall as you?”

The sorceress giggled. “No, precious, not like that… you are a young woman about to bloom, not a stripling tree!”

**

As she witnessed the joyous reunion between her liege and the girl, Awa could not help but wonder.

It seemed like yesterday that she had happened upon Lordi with the girl, then but a slip of a child, and now… now, little Anna was starting the path that would make her a girl no more, and everything would change.

**

The shadows had deepened into a cold winter’s night when Viktor heard a knock on his door.

It was not unexpected but he jumped a little nevertheless, giving a quick glance at the room to make sure everything was in check.

His visitor waited for him to come open the door; Viktor smiled as the bulltaur stepped in, shaking melting snowflakes out of his mane.

“Evening,” Viktor greeted him. “I didn’t realize it had started to snow.”

”Not for long,” Ox shrugged, his powerful shoulders rippling underneath the studded leather. “It’s a good night to be out.”

Viktor nodded. “I certainly hope so, since you did come here. “Wine?”

The bulltaur nodded his acquiescence and for the next few moments, Viktor busied himself with the familiar task of preparing mulled wine for the both of them. It was a comfortable silence that reigned, born out of many such nights.

Viktor carried the two goblets to where Ox was already seated, in one of the old, heavy chairs with a table holding a chess set between them.

It had become a tradition for them, these late nights spent over a game of chess; ever since Viktor had realized that the bulltaur was observing him on behalf of the Lord of the Woods, he had found it prudent to invite him to do so in plain sight.

“So,” Viktor said as they had settled into their game. “Has Anna been studying of late, or has she been running into the woods again?”

Ox’s reply was an amused snort. “Both. As usual.”

The priest smiled. “She is such a spirited child,” he said, thinking of the young girl who had been his student for a while now. “Although she is not quite a child any longer; she’s started to mature in the past few months.”

The bulltaur nodded. “Aye, she has. She’ll be a woman before the snows melt.”

Viktor’s expression became thoughtful and he stapled his fingers, leaning his chin against them as he stared at the game board. Finally, after a long moment of silence, he reached out to move his queen.

“What does he think?” Viktor asked quietly.

Ox shook his head. “I don’t know. He still treats her the same way he always had – with care and indulgence.”

“I see.” Viktor fell silent, his eye straying from the game to the crackling fire that warmed the rectory. He was not quite sure what he had expected Lordi’s reaction to be, but this… denial, for lack of a better word, had not been what he had expected.

He had known ever since that fateful encounter two and a half years ago that the day would come when his bright little student would no longer be a child, and the Lord of the Woods would act upon his claim. He had seen Anna unconsciously stroke the mark on her neck often enough. But now, as Anna was upon the brink of womanhood…

Viktor shook his head, driving the thoughts away. There would be plenty of time to mull upon them later. He looked back at the board, reaching out to move his rook. “Check.”

Their game, as well as their discussion went on, to things that made Viktor less wary, such as the preparations for Santa Lucia’s day.

“My mother is quite happy,” Viktor admitted. “Since little Eva is going to be in the procession. “

Ox tilted his head in acknowledgement. “She is the youngest, is she not?”

Viktor nodded. “Yes. I know mother had hopes of Eva playing Lucia, but... I don’t think anyone is going to dispute this year’s choice.”

Ox nodded solemnly, and for a moment Viktor wondered if he should tell him just who the Lucia would be.

But perhaps it would be for the best to keep Ox – and hopefully, Lordi – in the dark about the fact that Anna would carry the candle come the day.

**

Anna fidgeted in her seat, unable to concentrate.

She wanted to concentrate on the book before her, but it was so hard; her stomach was hurting, and not like it had when she had eaten apples not yet ripe... no, it hurt differently, like something heavy was slowly tearing her apart from the inside out…

“Anna?”

She started; had Viktor asked her something?

”Are you all right?” the priest frowned, his eyes full of concern. “You don’t seem well.”

Anan blushed. She didn’t want to admit that her stomach hurt – it was an excuse unruly boys used to skip their lessons and nothing serious! She shook her head no.

“Are you sure?” Viktor persisted.

“I am,” Anna said, biting her lip. She would concentrate.

It was perhaps an hour later when Viktor asked Anna to fetch a book from the shelf; Anna nodded and rose from her chair, wincing a little at the pain. The first step she took felt so painful and her head began to spin…

“Anna!” Viktor cried out and Anna realized that she was being held by the priest. “Can you hear me?”

Anna nodded. “Yes, Viktor,” she whispered. “Did…”

”You fainted,” Viktor said, his hand finding her wrist to hold the pulse. “You are quite not all right, young lady… “

”My stomach hurts,” Anna admitted. “Real bad.”

She watched Viktor’s expression become inscrutable. “How does it hurt? Has it ever hurt like this before?”

Anna shook her head. “N-no.”

“Let’s get you to the bedroom and I will call on Ruusa.. I think I know what this is and she is much better equipped to deal with it.”

Anna only nodded weakly.

It was not very much later that she found herself curled up in the bed that was hers in her father’s townhouse, holding a bundle of hot rags against her stomach and whimpering in pain. Ruusa’s explanation had not been very detailed but Anna knew now what was wrong… she was bleeding her courses.

That was what Awa had called them; but with the way her insides felt like she was being devoured by some ravenous creature, Hilda’s words of “the curse” seemed more apt. How could she take this? Ruusa had said it would pass in less than a week, well in time before Santa Lucia’s day, but Anna knew it would happen again in a month…

She was distracted by the knock on the door.

It was Viktor, bearing a tray with a pot of steaming water and a bag of something that smelled pungent even across the room.

”I hope this will help you feel less wretched,” Viktor told her as he shook some dried leaves into a cup and pored water on top o them. “It is something my mother suggested I give you. It should numb the pain, at least a little.”

Anna blushed “T... thank you.”

After Viktor left and Anna had sipped the hot tea, she began to feel just a little better. She wished that there had been cats in this house – what wouldn’t she have been given to have a soft, fluffy kitten sitting on her stomach, warm and soft, purring soothingly…

Or a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and sharp claws stroking her back, just like so many times in the past. She wanted to bury her head in Lordi’s shoulder and hear the soothing rumble of his voice, making everything go away, including the pain…

It was to these thoughts that she fell asleep.

**

In the two weeks that had passed since Anna’s departure to the town, Awa had watched her liege grow increasingly agitated.

It was there, in the tilt of his head, the snarl in his voice, the way his kills were unusually bloody and brutal – the knowledge that Anna was not there, would not come visit until well after the day of the candles and young girls, the day that was today.

Awa did not know if Lordi was even aware of the fact how keenly he missed Anna; in the past months, ever since the sorceress had spoken with Anna about what it meant that she was blooming into womanhood, Awa had expected... something. Anything. But not the fact that Lordi as still treating Anna like a little girl, not a young woman of fifteen…

Her thoughts were interrupted by her liege’s impatient growl and the sound of smashing wood; Awa twirled around, only to see that Lordi had buried his axe in one of the great firs surrounding the clearing. The tree groaned under the strengths of the strike but was in no danger of falling, from the looks of it.

Awa hoped it wouldn’t. She quite liked that tree, and the squirrels that nestled upon its branches. They were so very delicious.

“My liege?” she asked quietly as she glided across the clearing them; she did not dare to lie her hand on his arm; so tense was the set of his shoulders. “What troubles you so?”

”None of your business,” Lordi growled, “Leave me to be.”

Awa knew she should obey, but the concern for her liege was too strong. “Lordi... it is the day of the candles,” she murmured. “May I suggest that you go witness them, the maidens who will come to your woods to present themselves?”

Lordi’s scowl deepened and for a moment Awa was afraid that she had overstepped her bounds too far.

”They no longer come to my woods,” he snarled instead. “They go back to their homes and families!”

”You have not let that prevent you in the past, my liege,” Awa said quickly. “It might ease your frustration.”

Lordi growled again, but from the deep glint in his crimson eyes, Awa knew he would do as she had suggested.

**

The deep, dark anger and frustration were still plaguing Lordi as he waited in the shadows of the woods. His fangs were bared, his eyes burning with fire that turned the crimson into pure hellfire, his wings raised like the hackles of a wolf on the prowl.

He could hear the voices of the maidens; singing songs for their little martyr; soon they would be in sight at the edge of the woods, and he could see if the one they had selected was worthy.

Oh, it had been quite a while since he had taken it upon himself to give the girl a night-time visit, to sample the fruits of innocence… but now, with the way he felt, lightning crawling under his skin and fury so very close to surfacing? Awa had been right; it would be good for him.

The girls came in sight; seven of them, led by a slight blonde with the crown of candles upon her bent head, a candle held in her small hands; Lordi growled appreciatively.

The simple white gown brought out the girl’s shapely form, lush beneath the pale fabric; the sun gleamed off golden tresses and from where he stood Lordi could tell her scent was ripe and heady, alluring in the way it pleaded to be plucked… oh, he would greatly enjoy wreaking wickedness upon this one!

He growled, licking his lips, imagining the taste of that pale skin as he bit her. She would beg him, beg to be taken, for him to take everything she was, a truly dark offering that was only his due… for she would be his for the night…

The procession stopped.

The girl raised her head, her hair falling away from her face as she looked into the woods, straight at where Lordi stood hidden.

Lordi froze as his eyes locked into very, very familiar blue ones.

Anna.

**

Anna smiled. She knew he was here; she couldn’t see him, but she knew. She could feel it In the air, the familiar, comforting presence that always made her feel so very happy and safe…

She felt her neck starting to tingle and fought the urge to tilt her head, to let go of the candle she was holding to scratch at it, the red marks she had gained all those years ago felt so hot all of a sudden.

In fact, she felt so very hot all over, but her neck was especially tingly; even though her dress was so thin that she had felt cold but a few heartbeats before, now she could not help but wish for a cooling breeze to drive away the heat that had so quickly spread over her body.

She did not dare to look into the woods any longer than it took to complete the turn and to head back towards the town; she wanted to, wanted to see if she could catch a glimpse of him but she couldn’t.

Anna bit her lip; she would not be distracted. She had a duty to perform.

As the procession headed back to town, Anna could not help but feel a sense of loss as the heat slowly ebbed away and left her shivering with the cold.

**

The sorceress heard his approach long before she could see him; heedless of what was on his path, Lordi thundered through the dark woods towards the caverns.

Awa’s cat-eyes went wide when she caught the first glimpse of her liege, blood was still dripping from his claws and fangs, and his eyes blazed with rage unlike Awa had ever seen.

She found herself frozen on the spot as Lordi approached, dark and terrible in the moonlight.

”My liege?” She whispered, her voice hoarse. What could have happened?

His response was to be at her side, lightning-quick, his claws tangling into her hair and yanking her head back. Awa shrieked, as his fangs found her throat and tore into her flesh, bringing ecstasy and agony in one terrible moment...

In the aftermath, Awa was left utterly spent, dark blood dotting her ashen skin. But as her liege stood, still as dark and powerful as always, she could not help but smile since she knew he had not escaped unscathed.

The sorceress licked her lips, tasting the blood of not only her liege but also the creatures he’d slain before his return; wolves, most likely. Her entire body ached from the force of their coupling, especially where his claws and fangs had pierced her flesh.

She watched Lordi stalk into the caverns, his entire body still rigid and not at all affected by his release. A part of her wanted to speak out, to ask that it was that had spurred this on – had not the Lucia been to his liking? Or perhaps he had been affected by the fact that little Anna was one of the girls trailing her…

Awa froze.

What if Anna had been the one they set up on offer?

A deep, cold shiver went through her spine.

**

The church was cold and empty as Viktor finished his tasks for the day; only a single candle illuminated his handiwork as he made sure the altar cloth was ready for the next service. This close to Christmas, things were more than quite hectic for him.

He did not hear the door open, but he did hear the heavy steps, nay, hoof beats and felt the cold wind upon his skin.

With a sigh, Viktor straightened up and turned around to face his visitor.

“Why did you not tell me?” Ox did not skirt around the issue at all; his green eyes were flashing and his fingers twitched against his crossed arms.

Viktor did not reply. What could he say? That he had not wished to let the beast know that the one he had claimed would be the one playing the part which had previously been an offering to him?

“It was because you didn’t want to give Lordi an incentive to realize that Anna is now a woman, isn’t it?” Ox asked, his voice low. “And you know I would have told him, friends or not.”

Viktor nodded, unable to speak.

“Well, priest, you failed. Lordi is quite bloody perfectly aware of the fact now!” Ox spat, taking a step forward.

Viktor flinched, but did not step back. “What happened?”

Ox snorted. “He was frustrated. Intended to pay a visit to the girl come nighttime; then he saw it was the little one. So he didn’t.”

”So what did he do?” Viktor asked quietly, a sickening terror starting to creep upon him. What, indeed, might the Lord of the Woods have done? .

”Tore a pack of wolves apart,” Ox snorted again. “Got himself more than a little torn up. Then took what was left out on us when we got in his way.”

It was then that Viktor realized that it was not a shadow he saw upon Ox’s face, but rather, a dark bruise. “Holy God,” he murmured. “Just what…”

”Good brawl,” Ox interrupted him. “But would not have happened if not for him seeing the girl. Awa says he was more than livid when he came back.”

Viktor’s eyes widened at the mention of the undead sorceress he had only seen in passing. “Did he… “

”Awa’s no waif,” Ox snorted again, raising his head to gaze at the altarpiece. “She welcomed him. And she will in the future, because Lordi is determined to deny that anything happened, and it is eating him.”

”He’s adrift in denial,” Viktor murmured.

His words brought forth a roar of laughter from Ox. “Oh, yes. And that reminds me… we must meet Amen together and he can tell us the tale of the time when Lordi was, indeed, adrift in the Nile.”

Viktor’s eyes widened at that, relief flooding through him; it appeared that his fears had not come true, and he still held true to his friend.

“Shall we adjourn to the rectory for a game, my friend? The priest’s voice was hopeful.

Ox nodded sharply. “Aye... friend.”

**

It was not until after Christmas that Anna had a chance to visit her friends again; her father had decided that they would stay in town, despite Anna’s protests. She had wanted to come home, to be able to go to the woods, to go find Lordi and tell him how happy she was that he had been there to see her... and how much she had missed him

Anna felt a small blush creeping on her cheeks and pulled the cowl of her woollen cloak deeper. She had missed all of her friends but Lordi especially – she had even dreamed about him!

The night after the celebration, she had been hard-pressed to fall asleep, her thoughts too jumbled by everything, and when she finally had, she had had such strange dreams!

Anna had dreamed of Lordi; she had been in his strong embrace, her face tilted upwards by his sharp claws as he had gazed down on her, an inscrutable expression in his eyes… she remembered feeling so very hot and tingly all over, just like she had at the edge of the woods…

When she had woken she’d felt a twinge in her stomach, a feeling of loss and emptiness she had never felt before; the way she had felt, she had wondered if she was about to pass her courses again but she knew it would have been far too soon.

She was deep in thought as she made it to the small creek that was now frozen; and just like she had expected, her friend was waiting for her there.

A small cry escaping her lips, she dashed across the icy ground to him; she saw him smirk, baring his fangs as he caught her, lifting her up so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

She did not bother telling him how much she’d missed him – he had to know! Instead, she just clung to him, silently burrowing her head on his shoulder as her friend carried her beneath the canopy of firs where he sat on the logs, still holding her in his arms.

“Thank you,” she murmured after a moment.

“For what, princess?” He asked his voice a soft rumble she could feel vibrating through her body; it made her skin tingle just a little, a small shiver running down her spine.

”For coming to see me,” Anna said simply, her small fingers rising to untangle a lock of his hair from a stud in his armour.

”And how do you know that I did?” Lordi tilted his head, giving Anna better access to his hair and she smiled gratefully, her deft fingers stroking through the tangles.

”I just do,” she answered, smiling.

**

As he held Anna in his arms and let her play with his hair, he felt the anxiety that had been turning his spine into ice slowly ebb away. She was still his little princess – a little girl, not the vision of innocence to be ravished that had plagued him for days after the day of Santa Lucia.

The raw desire that had taken him over at the sight of her and had not abated even after he had realized it was his princess who inflamed him so was but an illusion – borne of his expectations and the long tradition of offerings. Nothing more.

“Very perceptive of you,” he said softly, and raised his hand to brush aside a golden curl that had escaped her bonnet.

Anna’s smile was bright and she leaned a little closer. “Will you tell me a story?” she asked. “I missed your stories, too.”

Lordi smiled. Indeed, still his little one. “Of course. What kind of a story?”

Anna bit her lip. “Can you tell me a true story?” she asked.

Lordi raised an eyebrow. “And here I thought you would want a story with a princess and monsters,” he chuckled.

Anna shrugged, “Can’t it be both?”

Lordi frowned. “I do not have you a true story to tell about a princess and a monster.. but I can tell you the story of a countess and a monster.”

The girl’s eyes went wide with delight. “Oh yes please!”

Lordi smiled indulgently, adjusting his hold of Anna and running his claws over her back. “Once, not that long ago, a monster left his woods…”

When he finished telling her the slightly abridged and much censored tale of how he had met the undead sorceress who now resided within his halls, Anna’s eyes were still wide and her lips reddened from all the times she had bit them to not to interrupt him; for a moment, a traitorous thought of just how red her lips were surfaced but Lordi buried it ruthlessly.

”That was you in the story, wasn’t it?” Anna asked. “And the countess is Awa. That’s why she knows so much about manners and taught me, isn’t it?”

Lordi nodded. “Yes… you did ask for a true story, princess.”

”I am glad you told me,” Anna smiled, her arms tightening around his neck. “Will you tell me how you met the others, too?”

Lordi chuckled. “Maybe another day, princess. Now, I know they want to see you, too, so we should head to the cavern.”

With a nod, Anna slid off his lap and stood up; even seated, Lordi was still taller than she was. It amused him briefly, but the loss of her warmth prompted him to stand quickly and offer her his hand.

Together, they made their way into the heart of the woods.

 

I have mentioned in FAI how much I am enjoying this but I'll just post it here so others will know.

I love this story and eagerly await each installment.

 

this is great - good work Arab

 

Oooo...nice.

Engaging characters, good pacing, an overall great read, Ara. I'm eager to see where this is going.

And I never use phrases like "Oooo...nice".

 

thanks, guys ;D

@ el: Most of them arenät mine, but I am glad that you like my intreprretation of the big bad monsters

And here is chapter 6; hope you gusy like. editing ch. 7 is probably going to take, ah, a bit.

**

Kita had to wonder if there was something wrong with the Alpha.

It had been more than three moons since the cub had gotten her first heat. Since then, instead of doing what Kita had expected – taking her and turning her into his bitch – the Alpha had been almost avoiding her. In fact, after witnessing Anna’s first heat, the alpha had gotten senseless and wasted a lot of good meat when he slew that pack of wolves – and orphaned the three cubs that now trailed Kita everywhere he went.

Not that he minded that overmuch – they were good pups, strong and obedient. He remembered the alpha bitch of that particular pack with a certain fondness, having happened upon her a few times in the past. He would miss her.

But, there had to be something wrong with the Alpha. Because why would have he come back to the undead one, and to fight his pack rather than take what was his? Kita shook his head, feeling a tinge of frustration. Alpha still acted like a bear with a bee up its arse, after every single time the girl came to the woods, even if she had remained at home when in heat.

It was not as if the girl was unwilling to mate, either – the way she acted around the Alpha should have been a clear indication that she wanted to be his bitch. It was all over her, in her scent, in the way she moved... the age-old instinct of all females who were of age to find a mate. She probably had no idea what she was doing, though, since she hadn’t even known where cubs came from until he’d told her.

Kita snorted. It was none of his business.

He had prey to hunt.

**

It was shortly after Easter, after Anna’s father had returned from one of his many trips, that Viktor was invited to dine and spend an evening with the man.

The dinner invitation, he did not mind overmuch – Anna attended as well, and it was always a delight to spend time with her, even if she was unusually quiet when in her father’s presence.

No, it was being forced to play chess with such an amateur as Erik Ulfsson that Viktor did not like.

The chairs of Erik’s study were softer, the set more beautiful, and the wine better than when he spent the evening playing and talking with his bulltaur friend, but Viktor would have preferred it vastly.

For one, Erik never could remember how the knight moved, and Viktor did not dare to correct him.

It was after one such erroneous move that Erik finally spoke of the matter that had prompted him to invite Viktor over.

“I had the fortune of convincing Jakob Nótt that Anna is a suitable bride for his younger son,” Erik remarked, lifting a hand to rub his bearded chin. “Took me a while, but eventually he agreed.”

Viktor blinked. He could not have heard right. “Say again?” He blurted out.

Erik frowned. Leaning forward in his chair. “I said, I have betrothed Anna to Jakob Nótt’s younger son, Gustav.”

Sudden dread flooded over Viktor; he knew that this could not end well. “Is that wise?” he inquired. “She is, after all, quite young…”

His host snorted and waves his hand. “Old enough. If she doesn’t wed soon, she will let some peasant boy ruin her for good!”

Viktor bit his lip. “I don’t think that is very likely. She is a very pious girl and mindful of her Christian duties…”

”Bah!” Erik waves his hand before he took a deep drink form his goblet. “She’s a woman and they are all like that. Better get her wed before there’s a chance of that. You keep telling me she’s bright, but she ain’t that bright.”

The idea of Anna engaging in any sort of relations was absurd, and Viktor choked on hysterical laughter. Anna was already spoken for, had been ever since the Lord of the Woods had first marked her!

But he couldn’t tell that to her father.

”I want you to post banns next Sunday;” Erik was saying. “Should be all done by the time the boy and his family get here in three weeks’ time.”

”I cannot do that,” Viktor said quickly. “Not until they have at least met.”

Erik glared at him. “Why the hell not?”

Viktor drew himself up straight in his chair. “Because it would not be proper and legal otherwise. They both have to be present.”

”Can’t you make an exception?”

The priest shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”

”Well, damn,” Erik groused. “Looks like I have to entertain Nótt and his family for a while longer than I expected.”

Viktor tilted his head. “Have you told Anna yet?”

Erik looked taken aback by his question. “No. Why should I have?”

The sheer lack of caring in the man’s voice made Viktor shudder. “For one, she is the one who will be wed. And she will be quite busy with wedding preparations. If the banns are posted after the groom and his family arrive, it still gives only six, seven weeks for preparations. I would think the Nótts would find insufficient preparations a slight.”

Erik snorted. “I have that taken care of.”

As the man launched into an elaborate explanation of how the wedding preparations would be minimized, Viktor sat deeper in his chair and tried to sort out his thoughts.

This was not good.

The lord of the Woods would not hold with this; not when he had claimed Anna as his so long ago. From what Ox had told him, it was quite clear that Lordi was battling against the urge to claim Anna, and for that, Viktor had been glad. Anna was such a sweet, young innocent and he had hoped to keep her from descending into the wickedness that surely would await her at the hands of Lordi just a little longer…

No, this would not end well. Viktor wanted to stand up, to tell Erik that he would refuse to post the banns, that Anna was already spoken for – but he knew what that would lead; there was no Lord of the Woods, not in the eyes of the law. There were only demons, and consorting with demons… was a death sentence.

The only thing he could be sure of was the wrath of the Lord of the Woods.

**

Anna trembled as his arms came around him, pulling her snug against his armoured body. His claws caught her face, tilting her face up and she gasped at the look in his eyes, both tender and terrible as he leaned forward, his hair falling down around them.

“Am I your princess?”

”Yes... you are my princess,” he growled, baring his fangs.

Anna felt her entire body grow hot, a slow, steady throb starting in the pit of her stomach as her neck tingled in a way that sent a wicked shiver down her spine and she licked her lips.

It was as if he took it as an invitation; his razor claws tangled into her hair as he bent his head, his rough lips touching hers ooh-so-very gently…

“Miss Anna?”

The voice was loud enough to startle Anna awake, but as her eyes flew open she could still feel strong arms around her body and her lips tingled, like if only she closed her eyes she could have it again…

“Miss Anna!” this time the voice was more insistent, and a hand grasped her by the shoulder, shaking her into awareness. The dream was driven away as her hazy eyes opened and fastened onto Ruusa’s face.

”What is it?“ she murmured.

”You should get up, miss, and get dressed!” Ruusa said promptly. “It is early but Pastor Belan wants to talk to you and he is in a hurry.”

Anna blinked. Viktor wanted to talk to her?

”All right,” she murmured and pushed the covers aside.

With Ruusa’s help it did not take her long to get dressed; when she was done, Ruusa left her alone, promising to bring her something to break her fast with.

Viktor waited her in the small sitting room. “Anna. I regret having to wake you this early, but...”

”It’s okay, Viktor, Anna said soothingly. “I don’t mind.”

She winced a little; that was a lie. She had wanted for that dream to continue so very badly... she wanted Lordi to kiss her again…

Viktor apparently noted her blush. “Anna? Are you feeling well? If you’re unwell this can wait till Sunday…”

”I am!” Anna exclaimed, flushing a little more. “Why did you want to see me?”

Viktor frowned, gesturing towards the chairs. “Sit down.”

Anna raised an eyebrow. Why was he looking at her like that?

She sat down, folding her hands in her lap. “”What is it?”

”Anna…” Viktor bit his lip, his brown eyes full of something Anna could not place. “Last night, your father told me that he has found you a husband.”

Anna blinked. She couldn’t have heard him right! “Excuse me?”

”That was my reaction as well,” Viktor said, shaking his head. “But your father has decided to betroth you to a young man by the name of Gustav Nótt.”

“But I don’t want to get married!” Anna exclaimed, disbelief still welling up in her. Papa couldn’t have done that!

“Your father believes it is in your best interests,” Viktor said quietly, reaching out to take Anna’s hand in his. “He thinks that it is or your own good.”

”It’s not!” Anna cried out, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears that had appeared. “It’s not for my good, I do not want to marry someone! Why does he think it is good for me? Why?”

“He believes that you need a husband, someone to... keep you safe,” Viktor said quietly, squeezing her hand again.

Anna raised her head, sniffling, and looked him in the eye. “If he just wants to keep me safe,” she choked, “Then why couldn’t he have betrothed me to... to you?”

Viktor’s eyes widened at her words. “I don’t know but I think that would have been a very bad idea, since I do not wish to die. Even though he knows I would never hurt you…”

Anan’s eyes widened as well. She knew that the “He“ Viktor meant was not her father. There was something in the tone of his voice that made it implicitly clear just who it was.

“H- how?” she squeaked, her anguish at the idea of being betrothed momentarily replaced by confusion. How could he have known of her friend?

Viktor blinked, and Anna realized he might not have meant to say as much as he had. “I… I was confronted by him once, not too long after I started tutoring you,” he said slowly. ”I know he cares for you very much and wished to make sure I was not someone like my predecessor...”

Anna was proud of herself for not shuddering at the memory of Pastor Mullander. “He never told me,” she said quietly.

”I am sure he did not wish to distress you, Anna,” Viktor said gently. “I know he cares much for you, all your friends do… I know you have been in good hands during your trips to the woods.”

”How do you know that, if he only confronted you once?”

Viktor gave her a small smile. “I only confronted him once... but I have had the pleasure of spending quite a few evenings over a game of chess with Ox…”

When Viktor eventually left her, Anna’s tears had been dried by his handkerchief and he had held her for a long time as she cried. But he had told her that he would do his best to make her father change his mind, and that he believed everything would be all right.

Anna prayed it would be so.

**

If he’d still had eyebrows, Amen would have raised them as Ox thundered out of the priest’s house less than half an hour after he had entered, before amen had even picked out his chosen prey for the night.

”What happened?” Amen called out, “Did he finally get tired of your yammering and throw you out?”

”Hardly,” Ox snorted, his green eyes blazing. “There’s trouble.”

Amen smirked. “There always is. What is it?”

”The little’s father has promised her hand to some fool of a mortal.”

The words froze Amen mid-grin. “Damn.”

”Not to put too fine a point to it, yes.” Ox snorted.

Amen inhaled deeply through his teeth. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, this was quite the worst possible. Lordi had it bad for the no longer so little girl, and the idea of someone else touching her…

”I pity the bears,” he said. “He’s going to tear the forest apart.”

Ox nodded. “Aye, that he will.”

Amen shook his head. It was clear to everyone else but Lordi that the little was no longer a girl but a woman – the mummy had been hard-pressed to not to do something very stupid himself a few times since she had bloomed.

It was one of the reasons he was accompanying Ox for his visits to the priest – while the bulltaur engaged in his pursuits, Amen engaged in seduction of willing women who would think it all but a dream when morning came. Warm, willing human flesh was, after all, something quite distracting.

Amen’s tongue flicked out in a habitual motion hat had not died in the past centuries despite the fact that he had long ago lost anything resembling lips. “Think he will go after her?”

Ox shook his head, his heavy mane swaying. “I do not know.”

Amen clucked his tongue. “He should.”

**

As it turned out, the role of the bearer of bad news would not fall upon Amen and Ox; Lordi found out differently.

He witnessed Anna telling Awa of just what her father had decreed, and the knowledge of such sheer impudence made Lordi livid beyond belief.

How dare that fool think he had any say in what would happen to his little Anna? She would not wed some fool of a boy, would certainly not leave his lands to go into someone else’s house… she would remain here till the end of days! No one would steal way his princess!

It was his quiet growl that alerted Anna to his presence; she lifted her head from where it had rested on Awa’s shoulder, her blue eyes going wide as she saw him.

At the sight of the tear-tracks on her face, Lordi was filled with fury; no one, no one would make his little Anna cry and not pay for it!

He watched Awa gently disentangle herself from Anna and rise to her feet, her ashen face full of worry as she tilted her head questioningly; Lordi gave her a curt nod and without a word, the sorceress left.

”Did you hear what I told her?” Anna asked, her voice barely a whisper as Lordi approached her.

His answer was another nod; just as curt as the one he’d given Awa.

Anan sniffed, biting her lip as she lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t... I didn’t want to make you angry…”

Her words struck through the rage welling up within him; did she think he was angry with her?

He dropped down to one knee, his claws coming to gently cup her face and raise her eyes to meet his.

“You didn’t, princess,” he growler d softly. “I could never be angry with you. I am angry at that impudent little fool who thinks he can treat you like chattel!”

Anna bit her lip. ”Really?”

”Really,” Lordi nodded, pulling her into his arms. She was still so small and soft in his arms, even though she was a grown woman now… her head fit under his chin so very perfectly as she curled up against his chest.

He held her, his anger at the fool daring to think that Anna would ever be anything but his returned; it was a slow, gnawing beast that was turning his black heart into a raging inferno of unimaginable wrath. His eyes burned slow crimson as he raised his head, seeing Kita up in the trees.

Lordi growled, and as Anna raised her head, blinking, the hunter landed on the ground not ten feet from them.

”Kita,” Lordi growled. “Look after Anna.”

With that, he gently disengaged form her, settling her upon the fallen log and stroking her hair out of her face. “I must go,” he growled softly before he turned away from her and took off into the woods.

He needed to kill something.

Whatever beast would cross his path would die; the urge to rend into warm flesh, to feel bones crack under his hands and taste blood on his lips was too strong to ignore. He needed the kill, needed the satisfaction of tearing the heart out of his opponent’s chest with his bare hands…

Otherwise, he might turn back and prove Anna that she was his.

He shook his head, abolishing the thought; his nostrils flared as he scented the air, looking for prey.

Lordi found what he was looking for amidst a cove of firs; a huge bear, standing as tall as he did, tearing into a reindeer carcass.

He bared his fangs, growling a challenge; the beast raised its head, the yellow eyes flashing.

The fight was fast and bloody, and left Lordi with a bleeding gash across his forehead and teeth marks on the leather of his armour; the bear fared worse. He left it a mangled, bloody heap, his claws ad teeth rending into its flesh as he tore out the heart.

He did not care that the beast’s heartblood was still hot on his lips as he went in search of another kill.


**

Anna watched Lordi leave with wide eyes. “Where is he going?” she asked, her voice small.

”Hunt,” was Kita’s answer as he came to her, lying upon the ground next to her. Soon enough, the wolf cubs that followed him everywhere appeared, all three of them coming to surround Anna.

Anna couldn’t help but smile at the way the eager pups crowded around her, wagging their tails as if they were mere hounds and not fierce wolves. She reached out to scritch each one in turn.

The pups tussled for who could be under her fingers until Kita growled and they all backed off a little; Anna smiled, and reached out to scratch Kita’s horns. .

“So, cub, what did you do to get him so worked up?” Kita grunted a question.

Anna fidgeted uncomfortably, biting her lip. “I… I told him that Papa betrothed me to someone.”

Kita tilted his head. “Your sire did what?”

Anna frowned, then the realization hit her; of course Kita wouldn’t know what a betrothal was! He always scoffed human customs, after all. “It means he... he promised that I would marry someone,” she said quietly.

Kita tilted his head again, giving her better access to his head. “You mean you’re supposed to mate with someone of his choosing?”

Anna blushed at his matter-of-fact words: she supposed that was right. After all, only married couples had babies… “Yes.”

Kita snorted. “Fool. He’s not alpha. Doesn’t have the authority.”

His words made her bite her lip. “Then who does?” she asked him.

Kita tilted his head, his black eyes boring into her; there was a look she associated with incredulousness on his alien features. “The alpha,” he snorted, tossing his head to indicate the direction Lordi had disappeared. “Who else? You’re pack.”

Anna blushed at his words. She remembered her dream, of being held in Lordi’s strong arms as he bent his head to kiss her… the feel of his chapped lips on hers, the way she had felt so very warm all over.

Her neck tingled, and she raised a hand to brush her hair away. The tingling did not lessen, rather, it increased as her hand brushed against her skin and she shivered, suddenly feeling so very cold.

She knew Lordi was taking his anger out on the beasts of the forest; he must’ve been livid at the idea that someone was trying to usurp his authority. That her father was doing something he saw as his right…

“Thinking about him?” Kita’s question interrupted her.

Anna nodded, blushing. “Y... yes.”

“You should. He’s the alpha. Its his right.”

Their conversation was interrupted by two of the wolf cubs starting to tussle, Anna could not help but giggle as Kita growled, his paw striking out to grab the larger pup by the scruff of the neck.

Nevertheless, Anna’s heart remained heavy as she made her way home.

**

It was the day after he had delivered the news first to Anna and then to Ox when Viktor was subjected to the visit he had been dreading.

Almost as soon as the sun had set, the cold wind blew the church doors wide open, and the Lord of the Woods strode in; the holiness of the place did not affect him, and all Viktor could do was to mutter a quick prayer before the beast descended up on him, a clawed hand grasping him by the throat and slamming him against the wall.

“You were supposed to keep her safe!” Lordi growled as his claws tightened around Viktor’s throat, pushing him against the altarpiece. “And you have not.”

”What was I supposed to do?” Viktor choked, his heartbeat thundering in his ears as he gasped for breath. “There is naught I could do!”

Lordi’s grip relaxed just a fraction and Viktor gasped. “I swear, I am doing my best to dissuade him from this madness!”

He watched with growing terror as Lordi’s red eyes flashed dangerously, and the black wings swept up like a cloak made out of living shadow, blotting out the light of the candles.

When a familiar hand came into view, grasping Lordi’s shoulder and yanked at the beast hard enough to make him lose his grip of Viktor, the priest fell bonelessly to his knees and gasped for air.

He raised his head, watching through a curtain of dark hair as Lordi was shoved back by the Bulltaur.

”Think, Lordi!” Ox was growling. “You kill him, they just get a new one. At least he knows his place!”

Viktor’s eyes widened with horror as the Lord of the Woods struck his friend across the face, but the blow that would have sent a mortal man flying simply had the bulltaur rocking back on his heels for a heartbeat before the green eyes met Lordi’s crimson ones.

For a very long moment the two simply stared at each other while Viktor did not dare to breathe; finally, after what felt like an eternity. Lordi nodded curtly.

The crimson eyes turned to Viktor; instead of cowering as a part of him was screaming for him to, the priest clambered to his feet and straightened his back, lifting his chin. “You have my word,” he croaked, “That I will do whatever I can to keep this from happening.”

”See to it,” Lordi growled, before he turned away and stalked out of the church.

As the door slammed shut, Viktor felt his knees go weak and leaned on the altar, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.

Once again, he lived despite the ire of the Lord of the Woods.

”I hope you will keep your promise,” the familiar rumble of Ox’s voice came to him, making him open his eyes again. The bulltaur was standing in the aisle, watching Viktor.

”I am not in habit of breaking promises,” Viktor croaked. God, but his throat hurt.

“Good. Because I would hate to lose my friend,” Ox grunted. “Come. I will tend to you.”

**

The news of Miss Anna’s impending nuptials sent the entire household into a hustle of activity that seemed to give no one a moment’s rest.

Ruusa was no exception; the small brunette found herself working twice as hard as before, working in the kitchens helping with the preparations as well as acting as Anna’s personal maid, helping at everything including the speedy completion of her trousseau.

She knew that the young miss was dreading the arrival of her betrothed, and it showed; Anna was listless, smile lost from her eyes even if it was still apparent on her face. She was going though the motions. Nothing like a bride-to-be should have been.

She wondered if the listlessness had to do with the fact that Anna was unable to go into the woods; with the preparations, most of her waking time as taken by sewing or fittings or various other things that seemed to overwhelm the poor girl completely.

Really, barely two months till she was to be wed –that was scandalous, and Ruusa knew that some were whispering that the reason a tailor was coming all the way from Uleåborg to work on Anna’s dress was because it would have to hide a burgeoning belly – and the guesses for the father ranged from the lowest stable boy to pastor Belan.

Ruusa had wondered, when she saw the destitute expression upon Pastor Belan’s face; had she been mistaken, and was there indeed something going on between the two? But she knew curiosity would not do good for her so she kept her head down. Rumour-mongering was a sinful occupation, after all.

**

[ August 01, 2006, 14:10: Message edited by: Arabwel ]

 

Well, here is chapter seven. It was not as difficult to edit as I feared. As always, any and all comments are appreciated, even tl;dr

**

The sun was high in the sky and the icicles were turning into water before her eyes as Anna looked out of the window, sighing deeply.

It would not be long – a few days, at most – that her betrothed and his family would arrive. She would see the man her father wanted her to spend the rest of her life with.

She didn’t want it.

Anna had not gone against her father’s wishes, doing what she was told when it came to preparing not for only the wedding but also for the arrival of the guests. She knew that what she should have done was to be joyful that her father had found her such a smart match and simply gone with it all, like a good daughter.

But she hated it.

The idea of being a stranger’s wife made her belly churn with bile and tears threaten to spill out; it would mean leaving her home, leaving the woods, and leaving her friends. It would mean that she would never again be able to scritch Kita’s horns, or help Awa brush her hair, or…

Anna blushed. She knew she shouldn’t have had such thoughts, but she did… the dream Ruusa had interrupted had come again and again, every time leaving her so very flushed with warmth and filled with yearning… a part of her was almost thankful of the fact that she had not been able to go into the woods since the day she had learned of her engagement.

The thought made her shiver, and she turned away fro the window. She had been cooped up in the house, so very busy working.. it had exhausted her and she yearned for a chance to go into the woods... but there would be no such chance.

At least today would be a break from the ceaseless toil; she would take lessons with Viktor, although she knew that she might end up just crying in his arms as she had already done once.

“Anna?” the knock on the door was almost tentative “Can I come in?”

”Of course,” she called out, smoothing a crease off her apron. “Please.”

Viktor opened the door and stepped in, frowning as he saw her. “You look dreadful,” he said as he strode across the floor to her, “Are you all right?”

Anna nodded. “Yes. Just…just a little tired,” she said quietly. “Not indisposed.”

Viktor nodded in understanding. “Anna... have you been outside at all in the past weeks?”

Anna shook her head. “Not really. Not enough time.”

“Then come with me and we shall go… you need to get out of here. the fresh air will do you good.”

Anna’s eyes grew wide at the idea. “Are you serious?”

”I always am,” Viktor smiled gently. “Now... let us go. I shall ask Ruusa to come with us, too. I think that since she is your maid she has been running just as ragged as you are.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “That would be wonderful!” she exclaimed, stepping forward to embrace the priest. “Thank you, Viktor!”

”It’s all right,” the priest said gently, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. For a moment, Anna wished that the hand would have had claws, but quickly shook her head to drive away such thoughts.

**

With every step they took along the path, Anna’s stride became lighter and the smile on her face bled into her blue eyes. Viktor felt immensely glad that he had thought of this; it must have been dreadful for Anna to not to be able to see her friends, and from what Ox had told her as they played the night before, she was just as missed.

Viktor glanced to Ruusa, who was trailing them with a serious expression on her pale face. The grey eyes ere narrowed against the glare of the sun, but Viktor wondered if there was more to it than he had thought before.

”What is it, Ruusa?” He asked as Anna dashed forward, towards a patch of ground free of snow where cowberries gleamed red in the sun, “Why do you look at me like that?”

He girl bit her lip and straightened her back, raising her eyes to meet Viktor’s. “I know you know the rumours as well as I do, Pastor,” she said quietly. “That’s why I am here, You couldn’t go for a walk with her without tongues being set a-wagging again. “

Viktor nodded, frowning. ”I am aware of the fact that some people believe I spend too much time with Anna, yes.”

Ruusa bit her lip. “There’s more talk than that. Some say she’s being married off to the city because she is with child, and not many disagree on the father.”

Viktor felt his jaw fall open at her words. “That’s... that’s preposterous.”

”That’s what they say.” Ruusa tilted her head. “I don’t know if it is true, it is no business of mine, but if you want me to trail behind…”

Viktor shook his head. “No! I swear... I would never touch her. Not even if I was that way inclined, I would not wish to anger…”

He broke off, realizing what he had just blurted out in sheer shock at the girl’s words.

Ruusa seemed to not to have taken any notice of what he had inadvertently revealed, but was looking at Anna. “She spends so much time in the woods, Pastor,” Ruusa said quietly. “That I think she has… friends.”

Viktor bit his lip, uncertain; was Ruusa implying that she knew of Anna’s friends

”If she did,” he said carefully, “I would think they would find her very dear to them.”

He watched her reaction, noticed the uncertain tremble in her expression; it was clear to him that she, too, was unsure of just how much he knew.

“Her father is a fool,” he said decisively, “To do this. To think he can just find her a husband and be done with it. He can’t make such a decision, she’s…”

”She belongs to the woods,” Ruusa whispered. “She always has. And they will not let her go.”

“He will not let her go,” Viktor said quietly.

**

When she saw Anna approach, Awa’s eyes widened with surprise.

In the bright sunlight, no longer clad in heavy woollen clothes and wrapped in a cloak, Anna looked much more a woman than Awa had believed. The blue linen of her dress cling to her, making it abundantly clear that Anna had bloomed into a very epitome of fresh young woman..

“Precious!” Awa cried out, coming forth to embrace the girl. “Where have you been?”

”They’ve kept me busy,” Anna said as she hugged her back. “But Viktor and Ruusa helped me to get away.”

As Anna chattered, Awa regarded her closely. If her liege had not already been so very affected by her, the way Anna had emerged form the cocoon of winter would have made it certain.

Awa knew that if she had not regarded Anna so very close to her heart, akin to a sister more than anything else, she would have been dying for a taste of such sweetness herself. As it was, she knew Amen was going out on his way to avoid Anna right now… such lush ripeness unclaimed was proving hard to resist.

She knew Amen would continue to keep away from Anna until their liege finally claimed what was on the offering.

”… I don’t think Ruusa likes Viktor that much, though,” Anna was saying. “It’s sad, because Viktor is such a nice man and should have a good wife.”

Anna’s words startled the sorceress out of her thoughts as she realized just what Anna had been saying.

“You think he likes her, then?” She asked carefully. Had not the priest repeatedly said he was not interested in women?

Anna frowned. “I don’t know.”

”You shouldn’t puzzle yourself with it, precious,” Awa cooed. “Lets go find the others, shall we? They have missed you just as much as I have.”

As they made their way through the woods; Awa wondered how Ox would react to the idea of the priest with the servant girl.

**

When Amen caught sight of Anna and Awa approaching the clearing, he decided that he would do well to get the hell out of here.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like Anna – no, he adored the little to bits. The problem was that he was rather certain that if he spent much more time with her, he would adore her too much and he did not fancy the idea of being torn into pieces to be blown away by the wind.

He clicked his tongue as he thought of Lordi, the one who would tear him apart if he as much as looked at Anna the wrong way… Damn, but Lordi was being obstinate – why though hell he didn’t take what was so obviously on offer and make life easier on everyone?

“You’re going somewhere?” Ox’s voice came from behind him.

”Yeah. Figured I’d leg it,” Amen shrugged, “Come along?”

He knew Ox was in no way bothered by the little’s sudden blooming, but the mummy did not exactly fancy stalking around the woods on his own, either.

“Where are you going?”

Amen shrugged again: “Nowhere in particular. Maybe heading to the village.” Oh yes, the pretty village girls were always worth the trip. “You could go see your priestly friend,” he added with a click of his tongue.

Ox snorted. “He’s in the woods. Viktor brought Anna, here, together with a servant girl.”

Servant girl? Amen’s interest perked up. “Going to find him?”

”Maybe.”

”You should.” Amen grinned. “I’ll come along.”

**

After Anna had headed deeper into he woods, sent there by Viktor, Ruusa could not help but stare at the priest with new eyes, not knowing what to say.

“So…” the man finally turned his warm brown eyes to Ruusa. “How long have you known?”

Ruusa started at the question. “Ever since… ever since the last priest died,” she said quietly, lowering her eyes. “I... I saw she’s been marked.”

The priest nodded thoughtfully. “That... makes sense.”

The silence that fell upon them was uncomfortable and Ruusa fidgeted, her hands curling into her apron.. She wanted to leave the woods behind; she wanted back to the house where beasts would not lurk... she felt as if she was being watched by hungry eyes…

When she heard the branches pushed aside behind her, she spun around; her eyes went wide and she choked on a scream as she saw the monstrous creature standing not ten yards from her.

Taller than any man she had ever seen, it had horns on its head and a face that resembled a bull’s skull, with deep-set green eyes.

Ruusa backed away quickly, bumping into he priest and they both stumbled, Pastor Belan fell on the ground but Ruusa managed to stay on her feet, taking another step back…

When a pair of strong arms wrapped around her she did scream.

The arms tightened their hold of her and she thought her terrified heartbeat would make her burst as she watched the bull-like creature come forward. She felt hot, dry breath on her cheek as whoever it was that held her bent his – it had to be a man! – head forward.

The tongue flicking wetly against her cheek prompted another shriek from Ruusa, and a snort from the creature that was... helping Pastor Belan up?

“Leave the girl alone, Amen,” the creature spoke, its voice low and smooth.

“I don’t want to,” the one holding her… Amen… spoke, the grin audible in his voice; Ruusa felt another gust of hot air before the same wicked tongue slowly traced the shell of her ear, prompting a deep shiver of terror from her. “She’s tasty.”

Again, the creature snorted. Pastor Belan was standing up, his eyes wide but obviously not afraid. “Amen, for God’s sake, let the poor girl go!” he exclaimed irately.

It was with obvious reluctance that Ruusa was freed; she stumbled forward but did not fall, and spun around to face whomever it was that had captured her.

She gasped at the sight of him; wrapped in dusty bandages, his face torn, his eyes boring through her with intensity she had not thought possible as he grinned, baring teeth and bone.

“Seriously, stop frightening her!” The priest spoke and Ruusa suddenly felt a familiar hand on her shoulder.

There was something in the priest’s touch and voice that made the icy fright slowly relinquish its grip of Ruusa’s spine; he obviously knew both the bull-beast and the walking corpse, and if he did…. He wouldn’t let them hurt her, would he?

“It’s all right,” the pastor was saying, his voice low and soothing. “They will not hurt you. Just calm down and it will be all right.”

Ruusa closed her eyes and nodded. “A... all right, pastor,” she whispered, swallowing hard.

**

Lordi tore off his armour, tossing it aside without care for the broken snaps and buckles.

The pond had lost some of the ice that covered it, but not all; the water hit his skin like a hail of blades, cutting deep into his senses as he dove in.

It barely chilled the ardour still inflaming his body.

As he dunked his head under the water, memories of what had happened but a little while ago surfaced; of how Anna had leaped into his embrace, her small, lush body curling up against his as she wept, lamenting the fate that her father had decreed to her.

Now, that the winter was almost over, Anna was no longer clad in the heavy bulky wools and it was clear for all to see what he had been denying for months; she was a woman now. A beautiful, desirable woman who made his blood burn in his veins with the urge to simply take.

She was his, had always been. And now he wanted to make her even more so. To sink his fangs into her sweet flesh, piece the pale skin with his claws, make her cry out with want and need as he claimed her innocence…

The memory of how sweet she had tasted all those years ago when he’d laid his mark on her brought forth an angry roar. He ducked under the water again, determined to drive the thoughts away.

When he’d held Anna, when he’d brushed her hair away from her face and looked her in the eye, when his claws had brushed against the mark on her throat… that small gasp, the way her eyes turned hazy and she squirmed in his lap…. It had been all he could do to not to push her on the cold ground, to fulfil the yearning he could see…

He would not take advantage of her! Even if Anna had truly wanted him she would not have had any idea of what she was asking for. Of what he would do to her if he let go – how he would make her his in ways mortals had no names for!

It was a long time until he left the water, the cold wind cutting into his skin as he rose from the pond. Unbidden, his mind returned to the day, years ago, when Anna had happened upon him bathing; if she were to happen upon him now…

Growling with frustration, he smashed his hand against the rocks. He would not think of her.

**

As he padded alongside Anna, Kita once again reflected on the state of the Alpha.

He had seen what passed between the Alpha and the girl – the alpha had stroked the mark on the girl’s neck, his claim from years back, and the girl had shown that she was more than willing to become his bitch – and the Alpha had not done anything.

Kita had expected to be ordered away while Lordi had his way with the girl, but instead, he’d been called upon and told to take the girl back before she was missed.

He obeyed – what else was there? – but he could not help the feelings of puzzlement and frustration.

The angry howl he could hear in the distance proved that the Alpha was filled with frustration, too. Briefly, Kita wondered if the Alpha would take the dead bitch again

The wolf pups perked their ears and Anna paused her chattering. “What was that?”

Kita tilted his head and looked at the girl; she was still flushed, hints of readiness to mate still easily visible on her even if she was not in heat.

”He’s angry,” Kita grunted. “Frustrated.”

”Why?”

Kita shrugged. He didn’t know why the alpha was so reluctant to mate with her. “Don’t know.”

They continued their way in silence.

Kita scented Anna’s companions long before they came in sight; he was surprised to discover that they were with pack, and there was only a lingering remain of fear in the air, not the stench he had expected. And… something else.

Curious.

As they approached, it became clear that one of the not-pack Anna had come with was in heat; and it was clear that the corpse was more than a little interested in her. Kita snorted in amusement as he sighted the girl shying away - no puzzle there. Who would want to mate with a dry corpse?

Kita watched with amusement as the humans shied away from the playful pups that were the first to reach them. He hadn’t taught the pups how to hunt humans yet – all they knew was Anna so they wouldn’t be any danger. But they didn’t know that, did they?

”Don’t be afraid!” Anna cried out. “This is Spot and this is Scruffy and Silly. They’re really nice, they won’t bite... Kita takes care of them.”

Kita grunted a short greeting that was not responded to: obviously, the humans were still wary of the wolves. Especially the girl – her heat was mingling with fear, now, and as she shied from the one Anna had b named Spot, she found herself backing right into the corpse.

Her shriek made the hunter wince with its shrillness.

”Amen, can you let her down please?” Anna asked, her eyes wide as she scratched the ears of the pup she called Silly. Why she saw the need to name them, Kita did not know. “So she can come pet Silly, too.”

Kita watched as the girl was let go and very tentatively touched the pup’s head; the response was a long happy whine from it, and Kita could smell her slowly emerging from her fear.

Lack of fear was good. They would be good companions while she was away from pack.

**

Later that night as Anna lay in her bed, her thoughts had still not escaped the woods.

She just couldn’t stop thinking about him, of how he had held her against his body, how very safe she had felt in his arms... like she belonged there, her head under his chin, her hand tangled in his hair as his claws slowly ran down her spine to soothe her as she had cried…

Anna flushed at the memory; the way his claws had felt on her had been so good, not only soothing but bringing warmth to her, the same kind of warmth she felt in her dreams. When she had raised her head he had cupped her face, stroking her cheek gently with those same claws she had seen rend wild beasts apart.

How could his touch be so very gentle? She did not know, but it had never been anything but with her.

He had tucked away a strand of stray hair and softly caressed her cheek, an unreadable expression in his crimson eyes. Anna had wanted him to kiss her, then, so very much!

Instead, he had just stroked her face and neck; and when his claws had ran over that special spot Anna had been instantly flushed with heat as intense as any she had ever felt in her dreams. She had gasped, her eyes going wide, as she’d felt the need for him... she couldn’t call it anything else; she had needed his touch at that moment.

Instead, he had gently lifted her off his lap and asked Kita to take her back to her friends…

Anna had shivered, then; at the loss of his touch and the expression on his face. He had told her he could never be angry with her, but what if he was? What if she was being wicked, wanting him to kiss her so? She wanted it so very much, wanted the wondrous feelings he could elicit in her…

It was with jumbled thoughts that she fell asleep.

When morning came and Ruusa came to help her dress, Anna was not rested at all. She had been plagued by dreams that left her so very flushed and filled the same yearning, the same frightening need for his touch.

It was not much later that she managed to get away from Ruusa and the women she had been sewing with. Anna was intent on going to the woods, to… to...

She didn’t know what she was going to do once she saw Lordi, but she knew she had to go to him.

Luck was not with her that day; she had not even made it across the yard before Hilda intercepted her.

“Don’t you think you got any chance of runnin’, girl!” the old woman near-growled at her. “Your groom will be here any moment now, so up you go, to get dressed in your best!”

At the word ”groom”, Anna froze.

**


“What a dump!”

Privately, Gustav agreed with his sister’s loud assessment as he surveyed the small manor and the grounds; this place was not worth his attention, and after the wedding he would definitely not return here.

However, as Ulfsson came to greet them, he was quite polite and admiring of the mansion and the grounds- he knew that he would have to have good relations with the father of his future wife, at least for now.

As for his future wife… well, he supposed she would be passable. A small, pale thing with dull blue eyes and a manner akin to a frightened rabbit. But she had the curves, all right, so he wouldn’t be having too much trouble making sure everything would be legal and proper.

He smiled at her, his blue eyes flashing as he reached to take her hand. “Enchante,” he murmured, bending down to brush his lips over the back of her hand.

From the way the girl flushed, it was clear she had never been treated to such courtesy; no wonder, if she lived here in the middle of nowhere.

Gustav suppressed at the shudder of living in a place like this; he belonged to the city, were it not for the fact that Erik Ulfsson was a very rich man with no sons he would not have been willing to marry this waif of a girl who was now clumsily curtseying to his sister and mother.

His mother was actually treating the girl like someone civilized, but Silvia’s haughty toss of the head showed just how little regard she had for the girl. Gustav was not surprised – sometimes Silvía was too arrogant even for him to bear.

Gustav found himself bemoaning the barbaric surroundings as they settled in; for God’s sake, his sister was even forced to share a room with his bride-to-be! Silvia’s tantrum at finding that out had been horrible to behold. Gustav nearly took pity on the poor girl who would have to endure her, but it was pretty clear that Ulfsson had been right when he said the girl was dull.

The young man snorted; he knew very well why his sister wanted a room alone for herself; he’d already seen her eye one of the men who had taken care of their horses, and knowing her, she would be tumbling that one – or maybe both of them – before they left.

Thankfully, by the time dinner rolled around Silvia had calmed down enough to be civilized. Not that the dinner was very much so – the food was barely adequate, and their host’s manners were worse than they had been back home in Uleåborg. It was a miracle that his future wife could eat just as daintily as his mother did.

“... So the first banns will be this Sunday.”

Gustav blinked. “Excuse me? I believed they would be done by the time we got here.”

Ulfsson cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortably. “Ah, well, you see, Pastor Belan refused to post the banns until you would both be present.”

“That’s preposterous!” Gustav exclaimed. He would have to stay here far too long if that was the case. “Who does he think he is?”

”He is the pastor,” the quiet voice came from the girl who had not spoken until then. “He wouldn’t say so if it was not the proper thing to do.”

Gustav suppressed a growl as his mother nodded approvingly. “Quite so.”

If only his father had been here! He would have set these fools straight!

**

The Nótts had not been in the house for more than three days and already Ruusa found herself detesting both Master Gustav and Miss Silvia.

Master Gustav was treating miss Anna so very badly –as if Miss Anna had no mind! And his arrogance, criticizing everything as if the house had already passed to him in dowry was infuriating!

Not that his sister was any better – the young blonde was a shrew, who had thrown temper tantrums and made impossible demands since she’d arrived.

Ruusa had never minded the fact that she spent her nights at the foot of Miss Anna’s bed, and most of her time attending to her; it was completely different with the horrible harridan!

She could not help but be very glad that since the first night, miss Silvia had not been abed. She did not know where the woman had been and by God, didn’t want to know!

Ruusa had spent the past nights first comforting Anna until the poor girl could fall asleep. There was some thing horrible oh her mind, something Ruusa did not dare to even guess at. Had been ever since the day she and Viktor had taken her to the woods and been beset by monsters.

The thought of monsters made Ruusa shiver and nearly stab her finger with her needle. The bull-like creature, Bulltaur, had turned out to be not so frightening at all – much like Pastor Belan. But the one who wore shrouds wrapped around his body…

Ruusa shivered again; she could feel a ghostly brush of heat on her face every time she thought of him: She had dreamed of him, too – of running, running as fast as she could but always being caught by the vise-like arms and being pulled against the furnace-like body. She always woke gasping, only to lie alone on her pallet at the foot of Miss Anna’s bed.

She knew miss Anna was plagued by dreams, too – dreams that left her so very shaken. Ruusa wondered if it was the Lord of the Woods calling to her that made Anna’s dreams so fitful – she knew that Hilda had, after all, caught Anna on her way to the woods the day the Nótts arrived.

Ruusa hoped that Pastor Belan’s impending arrival would help Anna feel better; she knew that the priest was someone the young miss loved, even though it was not anything like what the rumours suggested.

It could have been, easily – Pastor Belan was a very, very handsome man, with a wonderful disposition and a gentle manner with everyone he dealt with. By all accounts, he should have been wed already.

She could not help but wonder why he was not. He had said that he did not find interest in women when they spoke in the woods – perhaps his chosen vocation was dearer to him than love? But as a pastor, he was supposed to find a wife…

It all made Ruusa’s head hurt.

Biting her lip, she concentrated again on her task.

**

 

Great stuff Ara.

There's a tiny spell-check error in Chapter 6 - I think you meant dread rather than tread.

 

Thanks for pointing that out

here be chapter 8; Still working on the editings.

**

After his first meeting with Gustav Nótt, Viktor was not impressed. An arrogant buffoon with no regard to those around him, he was someone Viktor had not wished upon anyone, let alone sweet Anna!

With, perhaps, the exception of the young man’s sister.

Viktor had not liked the way Silvia Nótt had looked at him, not at all. It had made his skin crawl – like he was a piece of meat waiting to be devoured.

No, the Nótts had not endeared themselves to him at all.

It was not until the day after he arrived that he finally had a chance to be alone wit the very distraught bride-to-be; or rather, he had a chance to be with her while Ruusa sat on the other side of the room sewing.

“I heard her last night,” she sobbed quietly against his shoulder. “She... she told him that I am a.... a dull little cow, and that he’s… that he has to marry me because I’m a t-trollop,” she stumbled over the unfamiliar word, “and that he will be raising a cuckoo.”

Her words made Viktor bite his lip to not to say something he would regret saying in Anna’s hearing – how dare that… whore try to imply Anna was anything but pure?

Anna raised her head, blinking away. “W-what’s a trollop? What did she mean?”

Viktor frowned, not knowing just what to say. “A trollop is a... woman of loose morals, who commits carnal wickedness,” he finally said. “You are not one. You could never be.”

His words made her start, and Viktor frowned. “What is it?”

”I’m… I am afraid I have committed... carnal wickedness,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What makes your think so?” the priest asked gently.

Anna’s cheeks flushed. “I... dream;” she whispered. “Of... wicked things. Of him.”

There was no need to ask who he was.

Viktor raised a hand to stroke a lock of blonde hair from Anna’s face. “Anna… dreams, no matter how wicked, are not under your control. They are not sinful. Carnal wickedness is... wickedness of the body. It is partaking in things only meant for those who are wed. You never have done any such thing.”

He watched Anna blush and close her eyes. “Are... are you sure?”

”Absolutely,” Viktor whispered, murky memories from his past threatening to rise and getting squashed again. “Anna, I... I swear I will do my best to help you.”

Later that day, Anna did not come down to dinner, pleading indisposition; Viktor was left alone to face Silvia’s sly barbs, Gustav’s thinly veiled contempt and the unexpected frostiness from Erik.

Viktor did not think that the man would believe the rumours; it had to do more with his reluctance to do anything to speed up the wedding. It was clear that both Gustav and his sister wanted everything to happen as quickly as possible.

After the miserable dinner, Viktor excused himself from socializing and retreated into his room for a brief while. He felt restless, the frustration from all the times he’d bit his tongue during the dinner nearly palpable.

It was almost without thought that he made his way outside, to the edge of the woods. He could feel something tugging at him, telling him he should do so.

The house was not out of sight as he met with Ox and Amen.

“How is the little?” were the bulltaur’s first words.

Viktor shook his head. “Not well. She... she is distressed, by both this travesty as well as her own feelings.”

”What does she feel?” Amen asked from where he was leaning against a tree, his arms crossed across his chest.

”She’s... torn,” Viktor said quietly. “Between what she sees as her duty and between feelings she doesn’t even understand.”

”So, you mean she doesn’t realize that what she wants is for Lordi to have his wicked way with her?” Amen clucked his tongue. “Damn. They both need to stop thinking.”

Viktor could not help but agree.

It was not much later that he made his way back to his room, exhausted, he was hoping for dreamless sleep.

But as he glanced out of the window of his room, he froze.

There was no mistaking the small form that had disappeared between the trees.

Anna.

**

Anna lay in her bed, wide awake.

She could not stop thinking of the hateful things Silvia had said, or the way her groom-to-be was treating her. Or the dreams that plagued her. Her furtive attempt to go into the woods had not worked… but she needed to go see Lordi.

Not even Viktor’s presence was helping.

Silvia was, as Anna had come to expect, not with her, and for that she was glad; Ruusa was sleeping soundly on her pallet and the room was almost eerily quiet as the light of the full moon bore through the window.

It was almost without thinking that Anna quietly got out of the bed, stifling a cry as her feet hit the cold floor. As quietly as she could, she pulled on her dress and boots, not bothering with any of the underthings; she didn’t care if she was improperly attired, she only wanted to go see Lordi.

Miraculously, no one intercepted her as she made her way out of the room and down the stairs, outside where the moon turned everything a mass of silver and black, the remaining snow brilliant instead of dirty. Somewhere in the distance she could hear a wolf howl.

The moon gave enough light for her to make her way unerringly to the small cove by the stream that held so many wonderful memories to her.

Something made her follow the stream, through the trees, to the pond; maybe it was the way her neck tingled or something deeper, but she knew she would find him there.

And she did.

Lordi was standing waist-deep in the water, his head thrown back as rivulets raced down his body. The moonlight lent a silver cast to them, as it did to his bared fangs.

The sight of him stole the breath from her lungs. The need in her awoke anew and her body cried out for him, as she stood rooted on the spot, unable to tear her eyes from him. How could any man be so magnificent?

But Lordi was no man.

He knew she was watching him; he turned his head, wet hair plastering over his face as his crimson eyes searched the woods and found hers.

Anna gasped and turned on her heel, stumbling thorough the trees; she couldn’t face him, not like that, not when he looked so strange and alien and alluring all at the same time!

She did not run far; as she reached the cove here the firs sheltered the fallen logs, she stopped, leaning against a tree. Her heart was beating fast enough to make her fear her chest would burst and blood rushed through her ears, making her feel so very dizzy.

By the time her breathing had evened, she could hear the familiar heavy footsteps, and a small shiver went through her. She stood motionless until he was close enough for the scent of leather and wet hair fill her nostrils before she felt claws gently brushing her cheek.

”What are you doing here, princess?” His voice was a soft growl. “You should... you should not be here at night.”

Anna turned to face him, craning her neck to meet his eyes. “I had to see you,” She whispered. “I... I couldn’t take it any longer. I’m sorry if I... if I did something wrong.”

The mere thought of the look he had given her made her shiver. Had she angered him? Would he send her away?

His claws brushed her face gently. “Don’t be, princess... you did nothing wrong.”

Anna took a step closer, biting her lip. “Will you hold me?”

Without words, she was enveloped by his strong arms.

**

Ruusa woke with a gasp.

She fought to even her breath as yet another wicked dream faded from her mind. She shouldn’t wake Miss Anna…

It took a moment, but Ruusa realized that something was wrong; she couldn’t hear miss Anna breathing!

Quickly, the brunette got to her feet and gasped again; the bed was empty, the covers tossed aside

Ruusa blinked, for a moment hoping she was seeing things. But no, the bed remained empty, and as she glanced across the room, the door of the dressing room was ajar.

Where could miss Anna have gone?

There was only one true answer to that; Ruusa new she would not be found anywhere in the house, not in her fathers library – even though she had snuck there often as a girl – or in the rooms of her groom: She would have left the house… and gone into the woods.

Ruusa bit her lip; she did not know at all what she should do. Should she just go back to sleep, or alarm Pastor Belan, or…

The decision was taken from her as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her body.

“Stop fretting,” a dry voice purred in her ear. “The little’s finally stopped thinking. And so should you.”

Ruusa did not shriek; she bit her lip, terror flooding over her body. She had no doubt that this was the same walking dead he had met in the woods that had plagued her thoughts and not some strange intruder.

”Please let me go,” she whimpered. “Don’t hurt me.”

His reply was a raspy chuckle. “I have no intention of hurting you, sweet sister,” he paused, his hot breath washing over Ruusa’s neck, “or letting you go.”

**

“Will you tell me a story?”

Anna’s eyes were wide as she whispered her request; Lordi could only nod, tightening his hold of her and drawing her closer.

He could tell her a story. It was something he was very familiar with. Something she had asked of him ever since she was a little girl… and that was what he needed to remember.

She was so very lush in his arms, her eyes wide and her lips reddened, her dress half-hanging off her leaving her pale skin visible or nearly so. The vision of her at the edge of the pond, after her alluring scent had alerted him to her presence, had been nearly enough to drive him into taking her then and there

The fright in her, the sadness, the hopelessness she exuded when she had asked him to embrace her – it had barely dampened his ardour and stoked the flames of his anger; his princess should never face such grief!

Eventually, like all stories, the one he told her came to end. “... And they lived happily ever after.”

Anna bit her lip, looking up at him. “What happened then?”

Lordi raised an eyebrow. “They lived happily ever after,” he repeated. “What else is there?”

”I don’t know, “ she replied, a hint of petulance in her voice. “What is there? What happened after the princess kissed the monster?”

He unleashed all the wickedness of hell upon her and made her his for all eternity!

But he couldn’t tell her that.

Anna tilted her head. “I want to find out.”

It was as if in a trance that Lordi watched her close her eyes and reach up, her small hand tangling in his hair as her soft, red lips brushed against his.

His arm around her waist tightened its hold as his other hand came to gently cup her face; he could not help but to respond to her kiss, let her sweet lips explore his in what was exquisite torment.

She overwhelmed his senses completely. Her scent filled his nostrils as he parted his lips to better taste her sweetness; the feel of her body, so very warm and lush against his, and oh hell the small moans that were escaping her lips…

He growled deeply as his tongue lashed against her lips; he needed to taste more of her… but only if she let him.

She did, with a small whimper that was swallowed in the kiss; she parted her lips and it was all the invitation he needed.

Lordi’s hand tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss with a savage growl. He wanted her even closer, her soft curves burning him even through the leather of his armour. He shifted his grip, releasing her waist and gripping her thigh instead, pulling her lush against his body.

He would have her; he would take her, make her his in all senses of the word, he had been denying himself far too long.

It was time to show her what the monster did to the princess.

Anna gasped when he ended the kiss; her eyes flew open, wide and hazy with want. For a moment she looked as if she was about to say something but all that left her lips was a long, drawn-out moan.

The moan became a whimper as his hand tightened in her hair and pulled her head back, allowing him to bend down to run his tongue over the mark on her neck that shone an angry red against her pale skin,

She screamed when he bit her; but as his tongue lapped at her sweet, intoxicating blood she began to whimper again, her hands tightening in his hair and pulling him closer. Oh, he would get closer!

Anna shifted in his lap and nearly lost her balance; only then did Lordi realize that they were still upon the cove, on the dirty ground covered by half-melted snow and dead, rotting leaves.

His princess deserved better.

He pulled away from herm his crimson eyes flashing.

Anna’s eyes fluttered open again, still hazy with want. “Please,” she whispered. “More…”

”No,” Lordi growled.

The difference his ill-spoken denial made was immense; Anna grew rigid in his arms, her expression turning into that of rejection. “No?”

”No,” her repeated, drawing a deep breath. But before he could finish, before he could tell her not here, let me take you to my home and make you mine in a way you deserve, Anna had already clambered out of his lap.

When he saw the expression on her face, that of mingled fear of disgust, he found himself unable to do anything but watch her turn and run away.

White-hot fury crashing through his body, Lordi threw his head back and roared.

**

 

Here cometh chapter 9. Please be pointing any idiocy if there is any

**

With the morning, came chaos.

Viktor had been woken by the gleeful shrieking of the harpy, Silvia; apparently, Anna had not made it back from the woods before she was missed.

Viktor cursed himself for a fool for not having followed her, for not having stayed up and made sure she got home safe… but the stress of the day had laid him out in deep, if troubled sleep so very easily…

He shook his head; he could reprimand himself later. Now, he would have to find out what had happened and how to best minimize the damage.

“Oh, she wasn’t in all night!” Silvia was waving her hand theatrically as she spoke to her family and Erik, her voice loud enough for half the house to hear, including the approaching Viktor. “She came in at the wee hours of the morning, extremely improperly attired and that love bite on her neck!”

Her words started Viktor. Love bite? Had... had she been bitten again by the Lord of the Woods?

Silvia noticed him across the room. “Where was pastor Belan last night?” she said gleefully. “Were you running about in the woods?”

“Now, Silvia, don’t be preposterous,” the harpy’s mother, Eva, said haughtily. “Do not cast aspersions upon a clergyman.”

“I would like to know what this is all about,” Viktor said gravely, thankful for the older woman’s intervention. “Did something happen during the night?”

Erik frowned. “Silvia claims my daughter spent the night away from the house.”

”With her lover, no doubt,” the blonde added snidely.

“What does Anna say? And what about her maid?” Viktor frowned; Ruusa at the very least would stand in Anna’s defence.

“Anna is in no state to talk,” Erik said promptly. “She’s... indisposed. Her maid is tending to her.”

The man’s tone of voice suggested that the word of a servant was worth naught; Viktor bit his lip from saying something he would regret, and simply nodded.

“I see.” Viktor replied.

He listened as Erik kept talking, of how he would, of course, arrange for a midwife to examine Anna to prove that she was still virgo intacto; that she had not, in fact, been meeting anyone in the woods.

”Why not call a real doctor?” Gustav asked, his voice filled plaintive. “I am sure that if we called upon, say. Doctor Levander rather than some crone…”

”Nonsense, Gustav,” Eva interrupted her son. “Doctor Levander is a busy man and simply could not take the time it would take to come here. The midwife will do just fine; I will assist her myself.”

Viktor was surprised by the woman’s words, but taking into account how sensible she was, especially compared to her children, it was not as surprising as he suspected.

He did not for a moment doubt that Anna was anything but pure – if she was here, even if she was indisposed… it meant the Lord of the Woods had not taken her.

Viktor shuddered; what could have happened at the woods? His only hope of finding out was to talk to Anna, alone…. Or as alone as possible; from the withering look Gustav was giving him, it was clear that the man thought him a rake that had been abed with the bride-to-be.

Yes, he decided as he excused himself, he would have to talk to Anna. As well as Ox.

**

Several days later, Anna lay in her bed crying. She had cried herself to sleep every night since she had returned from the woods; this evening was no exception.

Both Ruusa and Viktor had tried to console her but to no avail. She endured Ruusa’s fussing but with Viktor, she had lost her composure and screamed at him to leave her alone and post the banns come Sunday, she no longer cared.

What would it matter who she married? The one she loved with all her heart and soul had rejected her.

The memory brought forth a fresh gush of tears; Anna sobbed quietly, pulling the down pillow already stained with tears closer. She remembered the look in his eyes, the mixed anger and disgust as he’d told her no.... when she had let her wickedness overcome her and kissed him, when she’d been set afire by his touch and felt like she was upon the brink of some heavenly experience…

And he’d rejected her.

Lordi had kissed her. He had bitten her – the mark was still on her throat, sore and red, but not inflamed. Every single whisper of air or touch upon it made her knees weak, at the memory of how it had felt to have his fangs tear into her flesh …

Oh, God, she wanted to be with him. She wanted to love him, wanted to spend the rest of her days in the safety of his arms... what wouldn’t she give to feel his strong heartbeat beneath her cheek like she had so many a time before!

But he didn’t want her.

She was just a silly little girl to him, a weak human... something that disgusted him. She would never have his love.

So it wouldn’t matter what happened, if they married her to Gustav, if they sent her off, if they burned her at the stake – she didn’t care. Without him, she felt so lost and alone.

They would wed her to Gustav, she knew. She’d spent an agonizing hour answering to the midwife’s question, and another equally horrible, if in a different way, examined by the same midwife as her groom’s mother watched. Anna had never felt so humiliated in her life, not even with all the reassurances Ruusa’s grandmother had given her.

Anna had been declared virgo intacto, to that horrible Silvia’s great consternation; there was nothing that would keep her from being wed in less than a month, not with the first banns already posed and her heart having been torn from her chest.

She had no words for how much she hurt.

**

Ruusa was very worried.

She could not help but feel dread over miss Anna’s condition; of how listless he had become, barely leaving her room, not eating unless cajoled. Both she and Ruusa were no longer taking part in the preparations, Anna because of her condition, Ruusa because she had been assigned the task of looking after the young miss.

Ruusa knew some were afraid that Anna would try to take her own life, or that she had lost her mind; rumours were aplenty of what the midwife had discovered, but Ruusa knew they were all untrue.

Her grandmother had gently questioned Anna while Ruusa held her hand; Anna’s answers would have done anyone proud! She knew naught of what passed between a man and a woman, and grandma Elsa had been able to tell she was untouched with a look. The groom’s haughty mother had agreed, with her, too!

Anna was completely innocent. Not that Ruusa wasn’t, but... she did know what passed between a man and a woman, her grandmother had taught her that much. And she had kissed some of the village boys, and…

Her cheeks flushed and she lowered her eyes to her sewing. She had dreamed so very vividly that night when Anna had been to the woods! It was such a wicked, wicked dream, nothing like the ones she had ever had before. She could still remember Amen’s dream-touch and it flushed her from head to toe with the sinful heat…

She shook her head, biting her lip; she should not think of such things. A part of her wondered if she had been spellbound by him, but... she could feel it, deep in her heart, that this wickedness was all from the depths of her soul; he could have only awakened it, not unleashed it on her.

The idea frightened her.

It was best to not to think about it, she thought as she straightened her shoulders and looked at the bed where miss Anna lay curled up on her side, surrounded by cats. She would finish this piece, and then go fetch something for Anna to eat.. God knew the girl would waste away if she continued like this!

**

Ox found Viktor anxiously pacing in the empty sacristy, a look of distress on his face.

”I posted the second banns today,” the priest said as soon as the bulltaur stepped into sight. “I assume he knows?”

Ox nodded heavily. “Aye. He does.”

”Then why is he not doing anything?” Viktor asked, his eyes flashing. “Anna is… she’s lost all hope and life, after whatever it was he did to her! She refuses to talk to me about it.”

Ox sighed. It would of course be that there was nothing to be gleaned from the girl, either. “I was hoping she would have told you,” he rumbled, “Since Lordi is unwilling to even hear her name spoken.”

He watched Viktor blink slowly. “That is… unexpected,” the priest said, “I thought he would be… that he would wish to claim her as his, no matter what.”

Ox shrugged “So did I. But whatever happened between them, it has sent him to unimaginable fury. He’s been on the hunt come nightfall ever since.”

He watched the priest slowly shake his head. “God, I wish I knew what to do to make her talk,” Viktor said quietly. “She… she’s stopped speaking unless spoken to, she nearly refuses to eat at all, she’s… God, she is but a shadow of her old self!”

The bulltaur tilted his head in contemplation. Could it have been possible… “Does she act as if she were… violated?”

Ox did not believe it possible of Lordi, but if he had been overwhelmed by what he felt for her… he was, after all, a beast. They all were.

Viktor’s eyes widened. “No! It... it could not have been. After that despicable shrew make allegations against her honour, there was… well, the midwife spoke to her and examined her. She is virgo intacto.”

Ox inhaled sharply at that. “Did someone…”

”Visual examination only,” Viktor hurried to add. “No one... no one touched her. No one needs to die, I hope... although I was not present, Ruusa was.”

Ox nodded remembering the small dark-haired girl that Amen had been so happy to assail with his charms.

“Ruusa is staying with her now,” Viktor continued. “She… well, she is good at making Anna respond, but Anna has not talked to even her.”

Ox nodded. It made sense. Women were like that - they tended to be closer to each other than anyone male. “I will ask Awa to go talk to her,” he rumbled quietly. “Perhaps she will be able to persuade her to talk.”

Viktor nodded. “That is good.”

Ox watched the priest bite his lip in the way that had become so familiar and endearing in the years that had passed. “Shall we… shall we go have a game?” the priest asked. ”I don’t know about you but I need to stop thinking about this.”

Ox nodded. “Aye.”

He would not mind spending more time in the priest’s company. Not at all.

**

His cheek throbbed viciously where the bear’s claws had struck, but Lordi did not care. The blood was still hot on his tongue as he stalked through the forest, his fury still burning bright and bold.

He had driven her away.

His sweet, beautiful Anna, the one who had stolen his black heart all those years ago… had run from him. In disgust, in fright... both emotions she had never shown in his presence!

Lordi growled deep in his throat, his claws striking out to tear deep into the bark of an ancient pine. He should not have given in to his desire to take her! She might have been overcome by the effect he had on all women but as soon as she had had but a moment to let her head clear, she had fled.

She had ran from him, to her family, to her groom-to-be, to her life as nothing more than another one of their mindless flock.

Every fibre of his being was screaming for him to go find her, to claim her, to take her as his no matter what her wants – she was his, had always been so, had been happy to be so! – but he would not.

She did not want to be his.

He would never be able to hurt her. Never. And if he took her, if he brought her to his lair and made her his for eternity… he would hurt her. He could not bear the thought of seeing tears in her blue eyes, of ever seeing that fear and loathing again.

She was lost to him forever. She could have been resting in the cold depths of earth, her spirit long passed, and she could not have been further away from his reach.

The rage rose in him and he threw his head back, howling out his frustration and pain.

**

Silently like only the dead can, Awa made her way to where she knew Anna rested. There was no light but for the half-moon hanging heavy in the sky.

The door opened without a sound and she glided into the room; the little light that came through the window turned Anna’s pale face as ashen as that of the sorceress as she lay on the bed, deep asleep.

The sorceress felt a stab of worry in her heart as she made her way to the bed and sat on the edge, gently reaching out to stroke the pale hair.

“Please don’t wake her, ma’am,” the quiet whisper came as a surprise. “It is rare she can sleep for true.”

Awa’s cat-eyes narrowed as she looked at the direction of the whisper; the door to the dressing room was ajar and a small girl, not much older than Anna, was standing there wearing nothing but a shift.

Of course... this had to be Ruusa, Anna’s maid. The one Amen coveted; no other would have dared to speak upon seeing a spectre.

Without words, Awa rose from the bed and slid over the floor, where the girl stood, trembling slightly. But there was no true fear in those clear grey eyes, only worry and resolve. .

“Then you will tell me, little one,” Awa cooed softly, “What is it that keeps her from my liege.”

The girl bit her lip and looked at Anna before answering. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “She won’t talk to me about it. She won’t talk to anyone, not even pastor Belan.”

Awa listened to the girl tell of how Anna had returned form the woods in a complete state of dishabille, bleeding and shaken; how the girl had not done much beyond crying ever since, as if all life had been sapped from her by whatever had happened in the woods.

”She asked Viktor to post the banns, ma’am,” Ruusa said quietly. “It’s like she no longer cares what will happen to her. I... I fear she will do herself harm, if she stays like this.”

The sorceress nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. “You will stay with her, won’t you, little one? To make sure she will not come to harm by this.”

The girl nodded vigorously. “Yes, ma’am. I will do my best. I worry for her so…”

Despite the determination in her voice and expression, Ruusa’s eyes held the gleam of unshed tears. Her worry and anxiety were nearly palpable, threatening to rise to the fore.

Gently, Awa reached out to stroke the trembling girl’s face. “You can cry, little one,” she whispered quietly.

**

It was late in the eve of the day of the third banns that Viktor found himself pacing in the church, distraught.

There was naught he could do; it was all but done now, that Anna would be wed to the arrogant fool of a boy. In three days’ time he would marry them in this very same church…

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of the side door quickly opening and closing; Viktor spun around to see whom it was that had come seeking him.

“Miss Silvia,” he said, barely hiding the distaste she felt as he recognized her. “What is it that brings you here?”

The woman smiled coyly from the depths of her hood, “Oh, I came to see you, Viktor,” she practically purred.

Viktor frowned; why was she wearing a cloak when it was warm outside, with no hint of rain? “Is your spirit troubled, then, that you would wish to speak with a priest?”

“Oh, it is not my spirit that is troubled,” she said in the same insidious purr as she slowly made her way to where Viktor stood. “And I don’t want to talk.”

Viktor gasped when she let her cloak fall open, revealing what she wore underneath; he had seen whores more decently dressed!

“For God’s sake, woman, what are you thinking?” he blurted out was he took a step back. “This is a house of God, how dare you come here attired like...”

”Like a common trollop?” she laughed and stalked forward. “What, you don’t like this?” She pouted. “Would you have preferred me looking all sorts of lost and innocent like that little whore my brother will marry?”

How dare she speak of Anna? “You harlot,” he said quietly, “Have no right to speak ill of her.”

Again, the woman laughed, throwing her head back. “Really, Viktor, you don’t have to pretend to me... I know you’ve been with her, everyone does.”

Viktor was too shocked by her brazenness to answer.

Silvia smirked. “I saw that little love bite on her neck,” she purred, “Do you like it rough, Viktor? Do you want to just bend me over that altar and…”

Her words snapped Viktor out of his stupor, “Enough, woman!” He snarled. “Do not blaspheme in the house of God. Leave or you will find yourself in the stocks!”

Again, the blasted woman laughed! “Hardly, Viktor… my uncle is the bishop. Don’t you think he would quite disapprove of such treatment of his darling niece?”

Before Viktor could answer, the side door opened again; his eye flicked to the newcomer, relief flooding over him. Ruusa was someone who would not misunderstand the situation.

”I suggest you leave, miss Silvia,” he said again, his voice firm.

The blonde glanced over her shoulder and snorted. “What, think the little mouse will squeal?”

Before Viktor could answer, Ruusa dashed forward. “Pastor Belan,” the girl called out. “Master Erik would like to have a word with you. He will be here soon.”

Viktor felt relief flood over him as he saw the blonde’s expression sour. “Leave,” he said for one more time. “Now.”

”Don’t think this is it,” Silvia snarled as she pulled her cloak back around her. “Bastard!”

Viktor watched her sweep past Ruusa imperiously and slam the door behind her.

“That was unpleasant,” he remarked as he looked at Ruusa. “Now, is Erik coming or...”

”I... I lied, Pastor,” the girl blushed and lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry but I thought you wanted to be rid of her.”

”So I did,” Viktor said quietly. “I am sure your lie is already forgiven. Now, why did you really come to see me?”

**

Strong hands caressed her, trailing fire over Ruusa’s skin as she moaned.

Ruusa woke with a strangled gasp, her entire body flushed with heat and her heart hammering in her chest.

She blinked, seeing the low ceiling of the chamber she slept in, and despite the tremors still going through her body she knew it had to have been a dream. Thank God.

The slow, wet flick of a tongue along her skin proved otherwise.

Ruusa’s eyes widened and she choked back a scream as she realized that Amen was crouched over her, a wicked grin on his torn face.

“You really are sweet, sister,” the mummy rasped, his tongue flickering out as if to lick his lips.

Ruusa trembled, every muscle in her body tensing as Amen slowly crawled up the bed, looming over her; his eyes gleamed eerie blue in the dark as he bent his head, the same wicked tongue flickering out to lick Ruusa’s cheek.

“Please,” she managed to whisper, “Don’t…”

”Don’t what, sweet sister?” he chuckled, his breath hot against her face. “You want this, don’t you? Your body cries out for it, yearns to be touched by skilled hands…”

A deep shiver went down her spine, a shiver born of anticipation of the sinful pleasure he’d wreaked upon her. God help her, but she wanted it. She wanted hi.

“No,” she whispered despite the cries of her body, “Please…”

”No?” he tilted his head, clicking his tongue. “Really?”

Amen’s hand slid over the curves of her body. “Think of what you will be missing out on, sister,” he rasped. “I could bring you to unimaginable heights of pleasure, make you weep with rapture and joy as your body sings praise to the gods… make you beg and whimper and cry until the very universe hangs on the brink …”

His heated words made Ruusa tremble; she closed her eyes, trying to force away the sinful waves of yearning they brought forth.

“But you don’t want that, do you?” The words were accompanied by a sudden loss of touch, of heat, leaving her cold and wanting.

Ruusa’s eyes snapped open and she stared at Amen, who was now standing next to her bed, his arms crossed across his chest as he regarded her.

“Please,” she heard herself whisper. “Don’t...”

”Don’t what, sister?” Amen leered, tilting his head. “Don’t go? Or don’t ever come back?”

Ruusa closed her eyes, shivering in anticipation. “Don’t go.”

**

Kita tilted his head, watching the undead one pace. "Why fretting?"

She tilted her head, looking at him. "I worry. For both my liege and the precious."

Kita grunted, he could understand that. The alpha was on the hunt again this night, the scent of blood and death strong in the air. It was not right for him to hunt like this, not when he should have been busy mating with the youngling. '

"She was so very hurt," the sorceress murmured quietly, "So very distraught by whatever it was that he did to her."

Kita tilted his head, confused. "What he did?" he grunted. "More like what he didn't."

He knew Lordi had not mated with Anna. If he had, he wouldn't be killing everything in sight, and she wouldn't have run.

Females never ran after a successful mating. They might curl up and purr, or try to bite your head off, but they didn't run. Since the youngling had run, it was clear that the alpha had not been successful.

Awa shook her head. "You don't understand humans," she murmured, "And their very fragile hearts."

Kita snorted. "True."'

The undead one looked like she might have wanted to say something else, but her attention was drawn to the edge of the clearing.

It was Amen who came through the trees, his entire demeanor smug. The scent of mating was still strong on him, and Kita perked his ears, curious.

The scent mingled with the corpse's was familiar, and it did not take him long to place it; it was the human who was one of Anna's companions when she was not with pack.

Curious.

"You look happy," Awa remarked. "Why?"

The corpse grinned, showing bone and teeth. "I think I found a keeper in that little sweetling Ruusa."

Kita saw the undead one's feline eyes widen. "You didn't…"

"I did," the corpse grinned. "What, you jealous?"

Kita snorted again; he had no patience for the argument they would have. He would lead the pups to hunt instead; the woods were ripe with prey.

**

As Ruusa left the rectory, Viktor found himself sinking into his chair, leaning his head on his hands.

Just how had it come to this?

Not only would he wed Anna to Gustav tomorrow – there had been no escape from that, no word from the Lord of the Woods nor spark of life from Anna – and after that…

After tomorrow, banns would be posted for himself and Ruusa.

The poor girl had been nearly senseless with shame and horror as she'd come to him; he had listened to her tale of wicked dreams becoming wicked deeds, of how she had let Amen claim her innocence and ruin her... and when he had asked if he should return, she had begged him to.

The desperation in the girl's voice had led to Viktor asking her if she would wed him – after all, she knew of his predilections already, and that he would not care if she was untouched or not. Indeed, he was rather certain that he would not have been able to consummate the marriage in any case.

It had taken him some convincing, but eventually Ruusa had agreed to become his wife. Now, he was left alone with his thoughts, and a desire to go find Amen and have some choice words with him. "Imbecile", "rake", and "thoughtless bastard" all came to mind.

When the knock on his door came, Viktor started; he had not realized just how much time had passed.

In the upheaval that everything was going though, the familiar game of chess he began with the bulltaur was a comfort.

"… I swear I have seen whores dressed more decently," Viktor said with vehemence as he sipped his wine. "If not for Ruusa, I don't know what I would have done."

Ox tilted his head, his green eyes regarding the priest steadily. "So she came to your rescue, then?"
"Aye," Viktor said. "She led that harlot into believing we were to be beset with more people. Ruusa can be quite resourceful…"

Viktor trailed off, not knowing just quite how to continue. "Ruusa also had the misfortune of attracting your friend's attention," he finally said quietly. "She's… distraught over the fact that she is now ruined. So I asked her to wed me."

The bulltaur's eyes widened almost comically. "You what?"

"Asked her to wed me," Viktor repeated, unable to meet the green eyes, instead, he regarded the board closely before reaching out to grasp his queen. "She will not need to fear disgrace this way; she knows that I do not care for women…"

The strong hand that clasped his wrist came as a surprise, and Viktor lifted his eyes to meet Ox's steady gaze.

"Then who do you care for?" the bulltaur's voice was a low rumble.

Viktor's mouth was too dry to answer; he felt his heartbeat speed up, his breathing turning laborious as he was slowly pulled to his feet, to stand so very close to his friend…

"Do you care for me?"

Viktor closed his eyes for a moment before he nodded shyly.

Ox smiled and reached past him, to the table where their game still stood. He moved a piece before he looked back at Viktor.

"Checkmate."

**

 

here's chapter ten; nearing the end here... any and all commentary is welcome

**

Anna stared at her reflection in the mirror listlessly, as Ruusa ran the thick brush through her golden hair.

It was the night before her wedding and she should have been filled with joyous anticipation, mixed with dread, but all she could feel was the gnawing sorrow that had been her constant companion of the past weeks, filling her with a hollow ache that made her not care.

Tomorrow, she would wed Gustav. The day after, she would leave for Uleåborg with her new husband, to never come back to live in her home, to never again visit the wood or see her friends….

The thought sent a fresh wave of sorrow through her; tears rose in her eyes, slowly trailing down her cheeks. .

Ruusa paused and laid the brush aside as she came to crouch next to Anna’s chair, wrapping her arms around the blonde. “Please don’t cry, miss,” the maid whispered.

It was as if her gentle words had broken a dam within Anna; she felt something shatter within her as the tears burst forward, huge sobs wreaking upon her body as she fell into Ruusa’s embrace.

“How can I not?” Anna sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut. “I will never see a happy day in my life again!”

She felt Ruusa’s arms tighten around her, as the words kept spilling from her lips. “I love him,” she whispered, “I love him with all my heart and soul, I always have… and he turned me away. Oh God I wish I hadn’t been so foolish he hates me now. If only I had not... if I hadn’t I would still have my friend and I could be with him. But I wanted so much more and he hates me…”

As Ruusa held her, Anna choked out what had happened that fateful night; how she had dared to kiss Lordi, how he had responded... how she had felt her heart burst with joy... how he had looked at her in disgust and anger when she had asked for more and how she’d fled, unable to bear it…

“I love him,” she whispered hoarsely as Ruusa gently brushed a handkerchief over her cheeks to wipe away the tears. “I can never love another. He’s in my heart, in my head, I… I’m his, even if he doesn’t want me, I’ve always been his…”

Anna knew the words she spoke were true, she could feel it I every fiber of her being, the fact that she belonged to him; the mark on her neck where he’d bitten her throbbed viciously, as if in agreement.

She did not resist as Ruusa led her to the bed and allowed herself be wrapped in the covers as if she were a small child. She watched Ruusa sit on the edge of the bed with eyes sore from tears.

“It will be al right miss,” the girl cooed, for a moment reminding Anna of Awa; a fresh surge of sorrow fell upon her at the thought of never seeing her friend again. “Please, miss… rest. You will feel better in the morning.”

No I won’t! Anna wanted to scream; she would be wed to a complete stranger, forever separated from Lordi, taken away from her home and never again to set foot in the woods... but the exhaustion from crying for so very long was heavy upon her and she could only shake her head weakly as her eyes slowly closed.

Mercifully, she fell into dreamless sleep.

**

Ruusa watched Anna slowly drifting away with a tempest of emotions raging within her; now she knew what had happened, what had driven Anna away from the woods… not abuse, like she had feared, like everyone had feared, but rejection.

How could the Lord of the Woods have rejected her?

Ruusa knew it was not her place to ever dare to question him; he was the Lord of the Woods, a creature of myth and legend and immense power, far above mortal ken. But she couldn’t help it; Anna had always been so very loved by the Lord! Why had he turned her away? Why had he rejected her?

The thoughts jumbled in her head and Ruusa rose, nearly stumbling. She would have to talk to the Pas… no, Viktor about this. The man she had trouble thinking of as her future husband would know what to do! He knew the wood-beasts so very well, after all, and had dealt with the Lord himself…

It was easy enough for Ruusa to make her way to the rectory without being seen; the sky was dark and clouded, thunder breaking in the distance. But as hard as she knocked at the door, there was no answer.

Ruusa felt despair well in her; where could Viktor be? He was not in the church, nor in the rectory... perhaps he had been called elsewhere? But Silvia, the wonderful bay mare so unlike her namesake the shrew was in the stables…

It was almost without thinking that Ruusa’s feet led her to the edge of the woods. She knew that she was out of her mind to even think about going to the woods alone, to go to the Lord of the Woods and…

And what? To beg him to reconsider? To ask him why he had rejected Anna? A part of Ruusa was almost tempted to let him hear what exactly she thought of men who played with the hearts of young, innocent girls but... Lord of the Woods was no man.

She stumbled on, through the darkened paths. She just knew she had to go to him. She had to try to make this right.

Ruusa could not bear the thought of watching Anna wed like a lamb led to slaughter, not when Anna loved another with all her heart.

She did not know how deep in the forest she was, or if she was running in circles. She had pressed on for what felt like hours, had to have been hours! The sun’s rays were starting to turn the sky a warm amber, heralding the morning of the day her mistress would be wed…

The low, dangerous growl took her by surprise; Ruusa stumbled, falling on her hands and knees. Her heart hammered in her chest and blood rushed through her ears as she looked around frantically, trying to see where it had come.

When her eye landed on the creature standing at the edge of the small clearing, not ten yards form her, she gasped; she felt as if her heart would stop with the sheer terror of his magnificence.

Tall, taller than any man, winged and horned, the lord of the Woods was everything Ruusa had ever dared to imagine – and more. The hellfire of his eyes burned with wrath and blood dripped from his fangs as he stalked forward, his clawed hand holding a wicked-looking axe.

“You dare to come to my woods, girl?”

**

The girl’s eyes widened at his words; Lordi could hear her heart speeding up, could smell the fear and desperation welling up in the foolish little girl…

“I…” the girl tried to speak he words tying on her lips as he stalked forward.

”Well?” He growled, towering over her. “What has brought you here?”

“I came to seek you!” the words spilled from the girl’s lips, almost too fast to discern. “I beg you, Lord, hear me out!”

Her words startled Lordi, and he tilted his head, regarding her more closely. There was something about her that was familiar - a lingering scent of dust and….

“You come form her,” he snarled. “Why does she send you? Is she too afraid to come to me?”

The thought stabbed deeply into his heart and he snarled, his grip of his axe tightening. It did not matter if his... if Anna feared the woods, she was lost to him!

“She… she doesn’t know I came, Lord,” the girl whispered as she scrambled, to rise on her knees if not her feet. “She… she’s heartbroken, Lord. You are killing her!”

Her words struck a painful chord through him, ad he turned away from her, taking a few long strides. He could never hurt Anna!

“Please, Lord,” the girl was pleading. “Don’t turn her away from you. Please, if she cannot have your love, please at least grant her your friendship!”

“She ran from me!” Lordi roared, striking out; the blade of his axe was buried deep in the trunk of an ancient fir.

“She ran from me,” he repeated in a low growl, again stalking towards the cowering girl. “She ran from me in fear and loathing!”

The girl’s eyes grew wide at his words. “She... she thought you rejected her, Lord,” she whispered. “She… she believes you were disgusted by her wickedness.”

“She ran,” he said for one more time, his voice low and hoarse.

“Anna could not bear the thought of your displeasure, Lord,” the girl said softly. “She ran because you are everything to her.”

It was impossible to deny the conviction, the truth in the girl’s words – he could understand it now, he could se it clearly, too clearly, how his little Anna could have mistaken his disgust at the idea of taking her upon the filthy ground as a disgust towards her…. How could he have been so foolish as to let her run, to believe…

Anger welling up within him, he threw his head back and howled.

**

It had not been Awa’s intention to follow her liege, but at the sound of him talking to someone, and then howling with such anger and frustration that she had never heard anything like it, she could not help but speedily slide into the clearing.

Her cat-eyes widened as he saw Ruusa kneeling on the ground before Lordi, whose wings were unfurled and his expression that of unadulterated fury and determination. What could have caused it?

When the hellfire eyes turned her way, Awa froze.

“Awa!” her liege growled, “Stay with her.”

Without waiting for her reply, he stalked way from the clearing, through the woods; he didn’t pause as he yanked his axe out of a tree, just strode on, leaving the mighty fir trembling.

Awa quickly glided over the ground to where Ruusa was shaking on the ground. “Why are you here, child?” She asked gently, crouching to take the girl’s face in her hands. “Why did you invite his ire?”

”I... I had to come,” the girl whispered, terror slowly abating from her eyes. “I had to come ask him to come for Anna.”

Awa listened as the girl slowly choked out the entire story; Anna’s teary confession, the girl’s attempt at finding the priest, how Ruusa had stumbled through the forest until she found Lordi and had told the beast the truth of Anna’s feelings.

“He has her heart,” Ruusa whispered as Awa gently drew her into her arms, “But... does he care for her?”

Awa sighed gently, stroking Ruusa’s tangled curls as they embraced on the cold ground, “Little one… Anna is his heart.”

For a long moment she just held the shivering girl, who did not seem to mind it at all. Awa wondered just what Lordi would do; would he go to Anna? Or would he think she would be better off wedded to a human, no matter how deep it would scar his heart?

Awa shook her head. He would not let Anna go – not like that. Not when the girl was so heartbroken that she had lost her will to live.

The scent of long-dead dust came with the wind, and Awa raised her head to see Amen striding to the clearing. It was obvious from the leer on his face that he was about to deliver a lewd comment, but as soon as their eyes met, his expression changed.

”What is this?” he said instead as he approached. “What brings you here, sweet sister?”

Ruusa lifted her head, her eyes growing wide at the sight of Amen. “I…”

”She came to ask Lordi to come for Anna,” Awa said gently, sparing the girl the need to go through the tale again. “And he has gone.”

Amen tilted his head, clicking his tongue. “So he’s finally stopped thinking. Good.”

Awa sighed; Amen’s way of thinking was more akin to Kita’s than that of someone who knew the power of emotions... but she did not wish to argue, not now.

She felt Ruusa start to tremble in her arms, but it was not born of fear, or desire. No, Awa realized that the girl has been running through the woods all night and must have been on the brink of complete exhaustion.

“Come, little one,” she cooed, slowly letting go of Ruusa. “Let us go somewhere where you can rest.”

”Let me help,” Amen said with a grin, suddenly looming over them and scooping Ruusa into his arms; the girl shrieked, but her arms came to rest around the mummy’s neck anyway as she nestled against his broad chest.

Awa rolled her eyes as she rose gracefully, laying a hand on Ruusa’s arm. ”Do not fear, little one,” she murmured. “You will be safe.”

**

The hunt for the wounded deer had led Kita and his pups to near where the humans made their lairs.

He did not like it; the pups would do well to be wary of humans.

Although most of them were harmless – like the loud bitch crashing through the underbrush, heading where Kita and the pups lay in wait - some of them were cunning and strong enough to slay wolves; good fighters, brave hunters.

But most of them weren’t. Especially not this bitch.

Kita could hear her speak loudly, to the think air. “… last time I take a shortcut, bloody idiot wasn’t good enough of a lay…”

The beast growled quietly, his hackles rising as the bitch came in sight; the stale scent of mating wafted from her, bitter and sharp; this was no one’s bitch, but one who laid wherever she could land, and the stench sickened him.

“… How dare that bastard of a priest turn me down? I, Silvia Nott? He should have been crawling at my feet, not running back to that little whore, little miss Saint Anna, my ass…”

The mention of the priest made Kita growl louder. Had the bitch tried to make the priest to mate with her, when it was obvious that he was already taken as a mate by the bulltaur? And the tone of the bitch’s voice spoke of Anna with derision – such disrespect toward one higher in pack should not be tolerated. Anna was, after all – or would be – the Alpha bitch.

The bitch stumbled into the clearing and froze as he saw Kita. Kita growled, rising to two legs form his customary crouch and started to slowly stalk towards her.

”Oh God!” the bitch’s eyes went wide and the stench of fear filled Kita’s nostrils. “Please God, don’t kill me, don’t hurt my beautiful face, Ill do anything just don’t…”

The words were cut out by a strangled scream as Kita leaped, his powerful jaws locking around her face and biting down with a wet, sickening crunch.

As her lifeless body fell on the ground, Kita landed on all fours and spat, the strips of skin and flesh upon his teeth unpleasant. She tasted just as rotten as she smelled.

But the pups, slowly circling the carcass didn’t seem to think so.

Kita grunted encouragingly, as the pups gathered to feed.


**

Gustav was grateful of the clouds that had started to roll in, darkening the sky. The bright sun cut into his drink-sore eyes, and the clouds were a small blessing in what was proving out to be an abysmal day.

First, his bride’s maidservant had disappeared - off with some man, no doubt of that. The peasants were all like that. Then his sister had been nowhere to found! Gustav knew, though, where she must have been.

After all, why else would have the priest been so magnificently late? No doubt his sister was in the rectory, probably brazenly asleep in the pastor’s bed while everyone else was suffering through this little mockery of a wedding.

In less than an hour it would be over, Gustav thought as he stood before the altar, waiting for Ulfsson to bring his bride in.

He did not know just what to expect, but when Anna stepped in, Gustav found himself nodding appreciatively. The dress she wore was white-gold samite, embroidered with pearls; it must’ve cost a fortune, and proved that he was indeed marrying someone who would provide him with great wealth.

As they slowly shuffled down the aisle, Gustav found himself growing impatient. It was clear that the girl was crying and all that – really, foolish women, always weeping at the drop of a hat. He could only hope she didn’t ruin the dress with her incessant weeping.

He supposed she looked all right in the dress – not that he cared. She was not too hideous to make sure the marriage was consummated, even though he did not intend to touch her more than was necessary to get a son to continue the family line. After all, he preferred his women lusty, not inexperienced, fearful little waifs who would keep weeping and crying and make it a chore instead of a pleasure.

After what felt like an eternity, Ulffson brought the girl to him and Gustav grasped her hand in his, turning to face the priest. Belan’s eyes were dark and his brow furrowed as he looked at Gustav first, then the weeping girl.

The girl did not raise her eyes to look back and the young man smiled grimly. That was good - the faster he got her away from the bastard of a priest, the better.

The priest began to speak. His voice loud and clear. “We have gathered here…”

A sudden loud crash at the church doors jolted everyone, Gustav included. He let go of his bride’s hand and spun around, only to witness the doors slamming open as thunder clashed upon the sky.

And then the Devil himself strode into the church.

 

Well done Ara! I really like this so far (I assume we are near the end). Other than a few typos it's been good. How many more are there?