The Heart Impaled

Frida padded slowly through the last tips of the forest with the shivering shell of a man on her back. Dimitru groaned and bit his inner jaw.

He knew not full what was happening only what Frida had told him. His body was changing.

"once we get to the monastery you are to stay in bed til nightfall the change will be all but over by then. From there, you will be left to me" She said dryly. Dimitru shivered and grasped her top coat.

"what've you done to me?" he muttered. "what you asked" Frida stated. "you no longer feel death do you?" at these words he fell silent.

Frida coming near the mountain pass stopped. Her ears perched high on her head as she leered at the man in the shadow of the rocks. "I told you to go ahead" She said her eye lingering on Vlad whom seemed unfazed by the she wolf's irritation. "how is he?" Vlad asked. Frida sighed and relaxed her body as her gaze softened. "He means a great deal to you doesn't he?" she asked. Vlad looked away uncomfortable for a moment. Before with a nod and looking Frida in the eye.

"He is my only friend" He said. Frida lowered her gaze and in almost a purr, a deep saddened whine "then I understand" she said softly padding around Vlad to his side, she let him mount her back behind Dimitru before continuing on.

"you are out to late, dawn is near" Frida warned. Vlad helped Dimitru sit upright "I know, but I have seen your speed, you will get me back" He said. Frida gave a wolfish smirk at his confidence in her. "you forget I cannot just bound through the remaining pass with him riding along too. It will take some time" she warned. Vlad nodded, and Frida broke into a trot.

As they came upon the Monastery gates, They received odd looks from some of the monks. Frida lowered her posture and hung her head in attempt to seem more of a dog than a while animal. Even with her unearthly size. "maybe I should go on alone?" Vlad offered. "no..."Frida's eyes shifted through the crowds. 'it isn't safe' she thought to herself. "get down and lead me, walk" she said. Vlad nodded and dismounted in the shade. The sun had finally risen. "to my side, I can shield you form the light" Frida said. Vlad did so and lead her on, careful to take the shadowed paths.

Frida's eyes fell on a sole monk who watched them intently. Their eyes locked. He nearly shivered under her cold warning gaze.

They were nearing the castle church.

Frida pressed her ears down on her head. "Vlad" She rumbled He nodded. "I have noticed him too" He said "to that tent" he said Frida followed his gaze "no you should stay in the open" she warned. "I know this, but there are no more shadows" Frida sighed at his words and Twitched her body waking Dimitru. "can you stand?" she asked. He nodded stiffly his body shivering and melting with fever as he climbed down from her back. "good boy" she praised gently. He hadn't the slightest clue why, but the praise itself gave him more moral to resist the urge to collapse.

Frida looked to Vlad who handed Dimitru his sword to use as a cane of sorts. "can you walk?" Frida asked. "I can manage, I know the church infirmary is not far from here" he spoke. Frida gave a canid smile. "you'll be a strong one" she said. Dimitru squinted, a strong what exactly? "go now" Frida said and with a nod Dimitru left.

Frida looked to Vlad who lead her into the tent. He sighed in relief to be away from the sun. Frida stayed close behind him as he moved through what looked to me a smithy's tent.

Her body froze instantly and deep growls came from chest deep. As she turned to face the Monk. Vlad to turned his gaze upon him calmly.

"Prince Vlad, the vampire is vulnerable to daylight" He said. Frida's fur spiked, Vlad rested a hand onto her top coat. "Down Frida" He said as the monks eyes flickered from the big black beast to the approaching vampire He held out a wooden cross. And Frida all but laughed Vlad eyed it as the young monk seemed to have expected some reaction but Vlad felt nothing. "And to pure silver. Yet the holy cross exerts no power over you." The monk dropped the cross to the ground and unsheathed his sword. Frida's fur spiked more her sharp undercoat piercing through the top coat. Vlad removed his hand from her and glanced at the tiny droplets of blood from needle thin pricks in his palm. "That can only mean you have yet to seal your fate with human blood." The Monk said aiming his sword at Frida his arms trembling as she dug her claws into the ground.

She would have lunged at him, she could have his neck in her maw before he could swing.

But, He was an innocent, and she could not take his blood. Vlad's pulse raced from fingertip to toe, at the silver sword pointed at Frida. He didn't know where it was coming from. Somewhere along the way of her being his weapon she had become his friend. Why she had not attacked the monk by now he did not know.

He slowly tried to tip in front of her. But nudging him slightly with her now prickly body he could not pass her. "Please my Prince, let me kill you know. Rumors will spread of what you have become. Let me do it now before your people do!" The monk pleaded. Frida had lowered her body as if she would pounce soon. She had hoped a bluff would be enough to run off this young inexperienced monk.

But he was standing his ground with trembling hands. "you can still repent" He pleaded.

Vlad glanced between wolf and Monk. "Lucian" he said calmly, he had known this monk, he had christened his son. The last thing he had wanted to do was attacked. But if he had left him no other choice. "it would do you well to run" He said inching closer. The Monk drew in a deep breath and with wide fearful eyes he turned. With his sword slashing open the tents wall.

Sunlight like a rushing river poured into the smithy's tent.

Vlad roared in pain as the light burned away at his flesh. Frida grabbed him by his armor and flung him further into the tent, as on lookers screamed and sounded alarm. Crying of the monster, shouting that the few rumors had been true. The Monk went to go after him, Frida stood in his path, snapping and snarling. "Demon dog be gone!" He called out, trusting out his sword. Frida swirved her body and took the blow through her shoulder. She could feel the silver cut through her undercoat, her flesh and trusted straight into her she could feel it burning the inner meat in her body, but it was just through the muscle above her ribs down the side of her body.

And through the pain was enough to make her want to crumple and was quickly draining her strength she only whimpered a bit before snarling with a cold gaze down at the Monk. He pushed the sword in deeper. "Frida?" Vlad questioned, he didn't understand it was silver, had they not shared the same weakness.

"so you are no a demon?" The Monk questioned, Frida glared at him as he ripped the sword from her body, she howled in a pitch shared only with a eagles cry and stumbled a bit "Frida!" Vlad got p and rushed to her side. Placing a hand on her wound. He looked up at her with wide eyes as her four legs shook under her own weight.

Meanwhile, hearing all the commotion. Merina wandered out of the castle church. With the talk of monsters, she didn't need to ask any questions. But as for now she needed to find her husband.

The Monk fled and hoards of villagers mobbed the tent with torches. Vlad took his eyes away from Frida to see fire climbing up the walls of the tent. He covered his mouth. And turned back to Frida who in that instant collapsed. "no, no. Come on get up" he said kneeling at her side shaking her gently. Frida opened one closed eye. "get beneath me until the wind blows out the flames" she mustered with labored breathing. Vlad lifted her body a bit and crawled under. "even that bit of sunlight would have taken some of your strength away let that bit return before showing yourself, I know you are angry and I know you are hurt. It is hard..." Frida spoke in a horse voice. "what is hard?" he asked her "see hate in the eyes of the people you love" she muttered softly shutting her eyes as her dream in a sharp painful rush came back to her all at once.

Vlad watch the pool of thick black blood form next to him from Frida's wound. "Frida?" he asked as she had become quiet. "do not concern yourself" she said heavily, she could feel her top coat melting away under the flames. Some of it falling off in embered tufts. "you're fur!" Vlad gasped. "it's just the top layer." She reasoned, but the second coat had already started to burn away in patches.

As the wind blew the flames murmured and were drowned int he sounds of the furious crowds and Merina's calls lost among them.

"no!, Please he is your Prince! Even still!" she called out to the shouting masses who pushed past her small frame "He has done this only for you! You've not given him a chance to explain!" She yelled.

"Papa?" Ingeras called softly making his way to his mother with some trouble as his eyes focused on the burning tent.

Frida could hear her calls and shut her eyes tightly "you foolish little thing! Can you not remember something!" She called out.

Merina then felt a foreign and yet familiar surge in her body as if something were being pushed forth from it as she cried for the people to the stop. The water mill burst sending water onto the inferno of a tent. And a thick black could of smoke rose into the sky blocking the sun.

Merina's midwife, and Ecbane, Vald's soldier, pulled her and her son away from the chaos.

Frida sighed and gave a wolfish smile "not entirely stupid" she said before passing out. Vlad shook her "Frida?" he called. But she didn't move. He could feel her breathing faintly with trouble. "Frida!" he gasped crawling out from under her as they flames had gone. He went to pick her up. He could hardly see her black form in the smoke. But he could see her body heat with his vampire sight.

He picked her up with surprisingly little effort, he'd knew he was strong, but he would never guess he could lift her. He cringed at her needled fur sinking into his skin. But by now she had enough places were the flames had burned palm sized patches down to her skin and he managed to place his hands in such places ot carry her.

Feeling her blood seep onto his body, hands and through his armor he could no longer hold in the growing anger and betrayal. It became to much and Vlad let forth a monstrous yell. If they wanted a monster, He would show them one.

Outside of the tent, Merina looked around. She would not let Ingeras suffer the sight of his father this way. She turned to another Midwife "take him to my chambers and do not let me look out side!" she ordered the woman nodded and grabbed the boy "but! Mother!" He called out fighting against the pulling woman. Merina ignored her son and turned her eyes to the tent. Holding her breath.

However the Midwife did not leave as this was all to amazing to miss instead she with Ingeras went to the balcony of wooden shack and watched there.

Vlad removed his armor and licked away the blood that was covering him before he carefully walked through the remaining flames. The limp giant of a wolf in his arms as his people watched him exit. The burns on his face quickly healing themselves. He paced for a moment, looking down at Frida's body not wanting to look up at his people for the anger he felt was overwhelming.

More so than the sadness.

"this is your loyalty!" He barked at them. Everyone was silent and still.

"This is your Gratitude?" He asked getting louder with each statement.

"Fools" He said softly as in his anger he nearly threw Frida's body to the ground. But he caught himself and lowered her quickly but gently to the ground. He stroked her head once before standing again and glared at his people. "do you think you are alive because you can fight!" he barked.

Ingeras watched with a heart racing, he looked over the people who looked more and more ashamed with each second. And tears started to well into his eyes as he watched the limp animal.

Vlad turned and pulled free a large thick plank from the tent, and held it in front of him as he stood over Frida defensively. "You are alive because of me and what I did to save you!" He roared.

Merina teared up at her husbands evident pain and slowly made her way to him. She rested a hand gently on his should stepping over Frida's paw and moved it to his chest, she looked at him sternly "This is not who you are" she warned as is disciplining a child. Vlad looked into her clear eyes and then down at the hand on his chest. He found it felt unnervingly cold to him. Merina searched his eyes, eyed the large plank and then the wolf beneath him. She then turned her gaze up to Ingeras and Vlad's eyes followed. He threw the plank aside in frustration and looked to his people. "return yo your stations!" he hissed slowly calming down. He knelt down behind Frida "Believe me, there is still more to fear!" he warned gathering her back into his arms he headed for the Castle Church.

Ingeras pulled away from the Midwife and ran to his father, he rushed past his mother who tried to hold him at bay and followed his Father into the Infirmary where He was laying Frida down on a cot next the Dimitru who has risen. "My Lord?" He asked. Vlad side glanced at him anger still burning in his eyes. He continued to pet Frida's head. "She protected me" He said as Ingeras foot steps could be heard against the stone floors.

"Frida!" He called out running to her he threw his arms around her head his face hidden in her burnt fur. He cried. "She will be alright Ingeras, she just needs rest" Vlad said. Ingeras still cried and pet her muzzle. "she's my friend papa" He said sniffling. "Mine too" Vlad managed resting a hand on his sons shoulder.

Frida let out a struggled huff, and opened her eyes Ingeras stepped back so she could see him. Slowly Frida wagged her tail just a bit. It was enough to make Ingeras smile before rushing to throw his arms back around her neck.

Merina stood in the entry way. As she watched her boys pet the wolf's fur and her son's face was a glow. She found herself Leering. Something about this sight was frightfully familair and deep inside she did not like it. All the same. She couldn't worry to much on it for what was concerning her more than anything was the surge of power she had left moments before the mill busted.

" what had happened?" she asked herself. To many things were changing all at once.

Though she felt the need to walk in and stop her family from interacting with the wolf. For the smile on her sons face, and the fleeting glimmer in Vlad's eyes so soon after heartache. She found she was not able and instead left silently.