An Untold History

Werewolf! The scent had been haunting us for days. I looked at the tired faces of the elite and suppressed a chuckle. I was the only one left standing when we eventually stopped for a drink and a rest. Despite the sun being hidden behind a thick blanket of cloud it's warmth still laid heavy on the earth, hindering our progress. This time of year the sun is hidden for two months. It has always been like this since the enslavement of the werewolves. So it's this time that my father has chosen to hide the object. The captain was anxious, the wolves were not far behind, but the men could not go any further in the condition they were in. each man carried a flask of blood that was supposed to do them for two weeks, every one of them drained it. I looked into there eyes with pity, fear echoed in every face. It didn't take a genius to realise that they would be slaughtered if they faced the wolves in the state they were in.
“Raven.” Dregor, the captain had gotten unsteadily to his feet and came over to me. “Raven, you must go on alone. We can hold them off for a while, but I fear it will not be long enough.”
I attempted to protest, but he mearly pointed out that they weren't going to take me much further anyway, either way it would come to a fight. So I agreed.

I reached down to grab the bundle, my eyes lingering for a moment at the reflection in the water behind me. My face was pale, to pale for any human but not pale enough to pass as a vampire. My body was designed to kill, every muscle was toned to perfection. The clothes on my back were not there to protect me from arrows, they were designed to allow unhindered movement. Mind you a black leather corset style top and trousers that hugged my body and held together with a few flimsy looking laces attracted a lot of unwanted attention. My boots were made of a sturdier leather,coming up to my knees. Hidden inside them were two small knives. Two sword handles were visible above my shoulders and one long slender blade hung by my side. I would pass for a pure blood human, if I wore a dress eurgh, except for almost black, blue eyes. To human eyes my hair would look jet black, but an immortal would see the blue tint, like the feathers of a Raven. My beating heart saw that I was not mistaken for a pure blooded vampire either. I was a hybrid. My mother had been killed as soon as I was born so that she would not become a slave to the king. It was said she was a great assassin, and her skill had been amplified when it passed onto me. I was one of the best fighters that vampires have. But not the best. Even so I was seen as a great prize, one that is waved in every face possible by my father and by the king. As both a sought after bride and a deadly weapon. Yet despite all this all I saw was a shell. My heart might be beating but I was a not alive.

The trees flew passed as I ran. Faint cries of agony echoed through the forest. I didn't stop running until I came to the cave. It took me a few moments to find the loose stone, but I found it in the shadows. As soon as it was hidden I burnt the rags I had used to conceal the shape of it to stop anyone from using my scent to try and find it. I left quickly, deciding to avoid the clearing and take the longer route across the cliff top. It wasn't until I reached the edge of the trees that I noticed them at the cliff top. Werewolves! Two of them. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but this was different. Lucan was one of them, the other was much younger and didn't pose as big a problem...or so I thought. Still he, like me wouldn't have been alive when the war started. Behind them the army had arrived, swooping down to join the troops on the ground. None of them seemed to notice the two wolves at the top of the cliff. I couldn't turn back, any sound would alert them to my presence but I couldn't get past them unseen. Just before I was about to run for it the clouds suddenly parted, granting the suns deadly rays to touch everything. Shrieks of pain rose up from the bottom of the cliff as the entire army was disintegrated. Even if I made it across the top I was on my own until I reached the city. I decided just to wait until they moved off, hoping it would be in a different direction. I could here small animals scurrying around the undergrowth behind me. All it would take was for one of them to step on a twig and I would be discovered. Snap! I didn't even breath. I thought for a fraction of a second it would go unnoticed, but then Lucian turned round and spotted me. A shiver went down my spine- I could handle two wolves right? It took all of half a second for Lucian to make the first move, drawing his swords. Aware that I would stand a much better chance of surviving without the hindrance of being surrounded trees I walked into the clearing unsheathing the blades from my back. Immediately the younger wolf took a sword from Lucan and tensed ready to fight. No one moved, it seemed as though Lucan was unsure of what I was, my hair was half hidden in the shadows so it looked just plain black. I would not smell like a vampire so my scent wasn't a problem. He began to relax, coming to the conclusion I was mortal. Until a small breeze of wind swept through my hair, allowing it's unnatural qualities to be seen. Lucan lunged, turning into a wolf mid-spring. I crouched waiting until the black mass of fur was almost on top of me before I sprung up, burying my blades deep into his flesh. Landing onto the ground he was unable to move. I thought that dealing with the other would be easy. I was smirking at his constant growling. Even so I took out the blade that hung by my side. It looked as though he would just let me pass, but he unexpectedly attacked. I snarled once out of annoyance as the blade narrowly missed my side. I brought my foot up and pushed with all my might against his chest. It was like kicking a brick wall. But it was enough to throw him onto the ground. Before I could attack however, he was back on his feet and coming at me again. Our blades clashed together in a cloud of sparks. His strength was immense, I just hoped for my sake his skill wasn't as good as mine. I jumped back, away from the fight. Landing flawlessly into a crouch and elongated growl escaped my lips. He attacked again, but this time I never saw it coming in time to stop it. I managed to move out of the way only just in time. When I regained my footing he still had his back to me, so I attacked, lunging onto his back. Before I could get to his throat however, he managed to wing his blade and body round. We looked blades in a flurry of metal, I realised instantly his skill was better than mine. Now I was afraid. My heart was beating so fast I couldn't understand how he couldn't see it. As
my fruitless attempts to get free got more desperate and uncontrolled I felt a growing sense of unease. I felt power far greater than I had even felt, and managed to gain the upper hand. It was only then that I noticed his eyes. They were so much younger than I had expected, he must only be a few years older than me. At the same moment I felt a searing pain across my left arm. Blood trickled down it, going unnoticed by my attacker. Before I even had time to defend myself I was sent crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust. My ribs landed on a rock and a couple broke on impact. My head slowly turned of it's own accord. My eyes widened in horror at the sight before me. He was towering above me blade raised above his head just about to strike. I raised my arm to protect myself...sometimes I wonder what is the point in instincts, my arm isn't going to stop a blade powered by a monster piercing my heart! Or would it?

Just before he brought the blade crashing down his gaze flickered to the blood on my arm. He froze in confusion. Vampires don't bleed. My gaze met his but I could not tell if he would kill me or not, there was no emotion in them. I only hoped he wouldn't kill me. But a few words from Lucan dashed what little hope had built up inside me. “She's a hybrid. And if I'm not mistaken it's Raven.”
My name seemed to light a spark inside him, once again he raised his blade above his head, this time he wouldn't stop for a trickle of blood...