The Heart Impaled

Frida had stalked deep into the forest as she paced back and forth now between the trees. She could not shake the visions from her head. She could still see his shinning hazel eyes, and unruly mop of hair. Frida found herself growling in her distress. Closing her eyes she punched the trunk of a tree leaving a deep splintered dint.

"show yourself...." Frida snarled her back turned to the lurking presence behind her. A shady man, thin and very frail in appearance slunk out of the covers of the threes. Frida flung the drops of sap away from her knuckled and slowly turned to face the man. She gave a bitter smile. "you, did the demon send you? To temp him" Frida snarled more and lowered her gaze and she extended her claws, flexing them carefully. The man's eyes darted to her stone like claws and fear flicked in them.

"I can get rid of you know, but you are already very week, and ailing more by the day, you seek a master is that right?" Frida asked. Slowly but surely calming down. The Man bowed deeply kneeling. "I wish to share the same mast as you" he said. Frida gave a spiteful smile giving a glimpse of her back teeth, not that of a human, but fully Canid.

"I am sorry to inform you" she said a soft snarl rumbled deep within her words, getting louder and she took to feral form. "but he is not my master int he way that you think" she said.

The man trembled under the gaze of the towering black she wolf. Frozen under her golden gaze. "You're not a vampire?" He stammered. Frida gave a wolfish smirk. She could try and talk to him sure, but without a bound, he wouldn't hear her anyway. But her eyes said it all as she stared him down.

"run" they read, and the man did just that.

Meanwhile back at the tent, the sun was finally starting to set. Vlad had finished dressing and gathering his things. He turned to look at the tents entrance. "were had she been for all this time?" he thought strapping on his sword Vlad opened the tent flap as the sun vanished behind the mountains.

The sky was a deep purple, almost night, but the sun had gone enough for him to venture out. Stars were already in the sky. Vlad's eyes darted around, he could sense someone near. But no one knew their route, "it must be Frida" Vlad walked out into the open "where have you?" he asked but was stopped as a sword tip stretched before him, aimed at his neck. Vlad glared at the Turk soldier. "how did you?" he asked. "we are well trained, I shall bring you back to my lord" The Soldier said.

Vlad's eyes flicked up for a moment as his Vampire eyes could see the body heat of a large creature bounding towards them, gaining quickly.

"will you?" He asked softly in amusement.

With a thick guttural snarly Frida leaped at the Soldier. And before he could scream she had his neck within her jaws. Snapped. She dropped his lip body to the ground and licked her chops. Nothing was more satisfying as a venting kill. Vlad smiled a bit as he watched her, she looked pleased. If she had of been a cat, he could imagine her purring at that moment.

He looked at her paws they were soaked in blood. Vlad shut his eyes tight as a burning sensation was coming to his throat. Frida took to mortal form, and licked her hands clean. "were have you been?" Vlad asked the words he wanted to ask were "why did you run?" but he found as much as he did want to know, he felt that he wasn't ready for the answer. But why this was so. That was another pestering thought.

"I went hunting" Frida said in a smooth lie. "but when I looked behind I saw an easier prey" she said. Frida reached into her long thick locks and untangled a bone from it. She examined it, sniffed it and then tossed it to the side. "I always have been a messy eater..." she muttered watching as Vlad picked up the bone and looked it over. "it's a finger?" he asked. He looked past her into the forest. "how many?" he asked.

Frida brushed past him, walking ahead in the direction Vlad's people had gone during the day. "40 men..." Frida said. "very few, considering...it seems that Mehmed has forgotten who you are" Frida said she stopped and allowed Vlad to catch up as she took to Feral form.

Vlad grabbed her soft top coat and pulled himself onto her back. "did you devour all of them?" he asked almost timidly, he didn't like how childlike his question had sounded. Frida chuckled. "yes. I am a very big Canid with a very deep gut" she said. Vlad chuckled a bit as Frida headed for the hidden forest paths into the mountains she narrowed her eyes. "why only 40 men?" she asked herself. She could feel something coming.

And she didn't like it.

"and just how are is this monastery?" Frida asked, "a while away, but she should be catching up with my people soon" Vlad said. Frida pressed her ears back and lowered her head. "tired?" Vlad asked arching a brow "no" Frida said lowly slightly offended and he could hear it in her voice, he smiled at this. But soon frowned he could feel tension pouring from her like a river. "then something bothers you?" He asked.

"it does not both you? Why only 40? When you have killed thousands?" Frida asked. Her gaze fixed on the path ahead. Vlad's eyes hardened "perhaps a trap?" he asked. "to buy time" Frida said quickly, Vlad latched onto her fur the second she tore off at full speeds once her speed had maxed out, the two erupted into a cloud of bats taking to the skies.

The landed into the middle of the Frey. Mehmed's mean had attacked the small convoy of Vlad's people. His target, The Prince and the Queen. But where were they? In the confusion Frida and Vlad parted to search.

Frida's eyes darted back and forth, "were are you?" she thought as she tore her teeth through Turk soldiers.

Ingeras hid his face in his mothers side as Merina prepared to protect her son, as she watched Dimirtu fall from the sword that pierced his body. Ingeras looked around, he could feel something, a warm feeling radiating through his body, he wasn't afraid, he could feel something was near.

Looked around, he spotted a large black mass in the night, over taking Turk soldiers like a shadow. Ingeras glanced at his mother and the approaching soldier before whistling loudly.

Frida's head snapped around, the movement popped the man head from his spine. Dropping it to the ground. Frida ran to the whistle. Her eyes flared with anger as the Soldier reached out towards Ingeras and Merina. Frida lunged at him from over Mother and Child's heads. She didn't bite him, she didn't have to as her speed and weight crushed his chest in. He could feel his rib cage splinter into his lungs before the end. "Frida!" Ingeras called as he broke free of his mother and threw his arms around Frida's large neck. He nuzzled her face into her fur. Frida sat, a nuzzled him back, before glancing back at Merina. She nodded to her, Merina was confused but nodded back.

"Ingeras!" Vlad called, the boy pulled away from Frida and ran "papa!" he called. Vlad embraced his family. Frida, ignore the ache in her chest and padded over to the body bleeding against the tree. She looked down at Dimitru's fading eyes.

He didn't know if it was because of the loss of blood, but he could have sworn the animal had a softness in her eyes. "you protected the little prince" Dimiru's eyes grew large at the found of Frida's voice in his head. "I can...then I must be?" He thought, Frida nodded. "passing," she said. "Dimitru!" Vlad called rushing to his friend's side. "he won't make it" Frida said to Vlad. He looked up at her. "no, the Monastery is close there they can" Vlad thought to her. "she's right" Dimitru muttered for Vlad's earshot only. "it is ok" He added. "you can?" Vlad asked him. "yes" Frida answered for him. Vlad closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"are you ready to die?" Frida asked Dimitru, he looked at her for a moment, fading faster, he looked to his lord and to the prince and queen, he shook his head. "I wish to live to see days of peace again" He thought to her.

"what's going on?" Merina muttered as she watched the two men focus on the the wolf.

"then I can help you, but...rejecting death, always comes at a price...remember this" Frida warned. Dimitru nodded. Frida turned to Vlad. "you must take Merina, and the prince and go now to the monastery it is not safe here" Frida paused "and you haven't any spare time, it will likely take you the night" Vlad frowned "I cannot leave him-" Vlad stopped his thoughts as Frida looked at him sternly.

"you need to trust me" She snarled.

Vlad fell silent and stood up he walked to Merina and Ingeras, taking their hands in his he lead them away. "come with me" was all he said. "but what about?" Merina asked. "he will" Vlad paused he knew what he was saying would sound crazy even still there was nothing else he could say. "Dimitru will meet us there" Vlad said. Ingeras looked up at his father and stole one last glance at Frida.

She looked at him and a gentle wolfish smile came to her muzzle. Ingeras gasped and smiled back before turning his gaze back to his parents and trying his best to keep up.

Once Frida knew that Merina and Ingeras were out of eye shot, she turned to Dimirtu. "I haven't time to warn you of what is to come." She said as she took to mortal form. Dimirtu's eyes grew larger, she crawled over to him and gingerly lifted his arm. She put her lips to it. "this is going to hurt a bit...maybe more than a bit" she muttered before a snarl rumbled in her throat and she clamped her fangs down upon his flesh.

And though painful he didn't have the strength to scream.