The Nosferatu Adventures
page 203, chapter 203
Our heroine found herself face down in a puddle of mud. Her leather bag and the Seer's book somehow landed a few feet away on a clean patch of grass. Sighing to herself, at lest the book was okay. The sound of horses caused her to turn, as she scurried out of the mud, the noise causing her heart to jump.
"You there!" a loud angry voice screamed just as the horses came to a stop. The man was dressed in leather, with a small patch of armor on his right shoulder. "Woman! Where are you to?"
"I have ...don't remember. I fell...hit my head." she was only half lying as she had no clue where she was, or what timeframe.
"Can you cook?" she nodded. "Come with me then. You're prince is in need of you." She gathered up her things, following the horseman. "You're English?" it was said with bitterness and suspicion. She nodded again. "You read as well?" he gestured to the large spellbook. Clutching it tight to her chest she said yes. "You coming from a nunnery then?" Not sure how to answer him, she just nodded once more before saying yes. Well, hell, living in Victor's estate sure had her feeling like she'd been in one. The man said something under his breath in a language she didn't understand, causing the second horseman to laugh. Before long, they slowed down just as the tents came into view. There must have been close to fifty of them scattered on the field, the men all in various states of wounded. A select few had little to no injuries, but most knew this was their last days.
Our heroine followed the first horseman as he dismounted, handing the horse off to a young man. Gesturing for her to follow him, he led her to what it seemed was a cooking tent. "Our last cook was a spy, sent to poison the prince." he took a hold of her shoulders moving her around the back of the tent, pointing to something off in the distance. "He's there. A warning to anyone who tries to harm the prince."
Our heroine's mouth feel open as she saw the impaled body. "Oh my god."
"I'll have fresh water brought for boiling. Everything else you need is in here." our heroine was stunned as she processed what was being told her. The horseman walked away from her, heading into another tent not too far to the left.
"Sebastian..." the voice was low, smooth as it seemed to float across the room, snaking it's way out of the shadows. "Did you find a replacement?"
"Yes my prince. A woman, lost." he poured himself a goblet of wine.
"A woman? Was that really the best idea?" the prince moved around the tent, the shadows seeming to wrap around him, even with the light of the candles touching every corner. Sebastian brought his hands out in front of him gesturing to our heroine's size.
"I'm more then certain she is capable of decent food." he laughed finishing his wine.
"Bring her to me." Sebastian put down his goblet and went to get our heroine. She arrived a moment later, still clutching her bag and the book.
Our heroine couldn't catch her breath. The prince stood about 5'11, with short dark hair, a high forehead, a thin mustache and thin beard that barely lined his jaw. Not the image she'd seen a million times before in wood carvings or drawings. "That will be all Sebastian. Leave us." he nodded towards the other male before gesturing to the wine. "Can I interest you?"
"Thank you...no." she was in total awe staring at this man.
"What is your name?" he plucked a handful of grapes from a bowl rolling them gently in his palm.
"Nosferatu." she whispered. "My prince." she blushed wildly at the realization of how that must sound to him. The dark haired male turned from her, a smirk spreading across his pale lips.
"I'm surprised to find a woman traveling alone. Tell me, what has brought you here?" he waited still smiling, his back still turned to her.
"My prince...I am afraid it's a story I can not tell. I don't remember." she hoped her voice didn't give her away, but she didn't think she should be announcing that she opened a portal through time. He finally turned to face her again. Our heroine's eyes went wide when she saw Vlad's. They had turned as white as her own when her banshee nature takes hold.
"Come come now." his eyes flashed back to their normal brown. "I know you are no ordinary traveler. You, I've seen in a dream. The old gypsy woman who sells trinkets to the foolish, told me to listen to my visions." he tapped his temple. "Said I'd learn of a female like myself." he sniffed her. That caused her to be taken aback.
"Uh, let me guess you were hoping I was pretty. And thin." she closed her eyes letting her shoulders sag. The smile returned to his pale lips. "Wait! You saw me in a dream? Me?" Vlad nodded
"You were standing in the forest surrounded by wolves, only you were not afraid." It was our heroine's turn to smile. "I've said something to amuse you." Vlad ducked his chin an inch to stare at her.
"No my prince. I mean..." her hand instantly went to her throat, as she felt flushed. "I'm very sorry, it's just that...I've heard of you where I am from. To be standing here with you now..."
"Only believe half of what you hear. But I'm keeping you from your duty. My men haven't had a proper meal in a few days. Please, feel free to join me later, there is so much I would like to know. I've never met another of my kind." Our heroine found herself blushing still as she left the tent and made her way back to the cooking area.
She was deliriously giddy, completely star struck at what just happened. He wasn't a cartoon, or a movie actor, he was the real deal. Vlad Tepes.
"You're swooning already." the voice startled her. She hadn't been paying attention, lost in her own mind. Otherwise, Sebastian would not have been able to sneak up on her. "He seems to have that affect on women." He wasn't much taller then the prince, little bulkier in the shoulders, shaved skull, piercing blue eyes. He crossed the length of the tent, putting the large buckets of water near the iron pot. "I'd be careful if I was you. He's a powerful man. In more ways then one." Sebastian stood there for a long few seconds looking her over, his feet apart, arms crossed over his chest. "Some say down right unnatural. But something tells me you already know that." he winked at her as he smiled, turning to leave the tent.
Our heroine was busy chopping carrots and peeling potatoes, a broth already under way when her ears began to twitch. Stopping everything, she left the tent the echoing footsteps in the distance having grabbed her attention. There were another set of horsemen coming towards the camp. It looked like they had prisoners with them. There was no mistaking the wild scent of wet dog as it held thick in the air. She found herself the center of attention suddenly as the little parade passed her, Reuben screaming her name.
Rolf roared as he pulled back hard on the shackles breaking the iron chain that was tied to the horseman's saddle. Dirt and mud flying around them as he did.
"What are you doing here?" Reuben spat the sentence as if he were scolding a child. She wanted to ask them the same thing.
"What is going on here?" Sebastian asked just as he spotted Vlad exit his tent. "Answer me woman, how do you know these men?" Our heroine took a deep breath as she watched Vlad's reaction to the sight. Turning to the prince she said a silent prayer hoping he wouldn't leave them all on wooden pikes.
"My prince. I beg your forgiveness for lying to you. When you commented on the fact I was a woman traveling alone, I did not correct you. For I wasn't." she pointed to Rolf first. "I was searching for my brother and..." she hesitated before gesturing to Reuben and Finn. "my betrothed." she flashed the ring on her hand that Loki had given her. It was all she could do to keep a straight face when she spotted Rolf's eyes light up at the lie. The large werewolf was practically tearing up he was trying so hard not to laugh.
"Let them go. There has been more then enough excitement for one day." Vlad's voice was soft, low steady as he locked eyes with Reuben. The three males followed her then back into the cooking tent.
"What are you doing here?" everyone seemed to say at once. Reuben raised his hands telling her to chill out as he explained what happened with the magick mirror and Loki. "So we're looking for the magick mirror. What are you doing here?"
"I didn't want to be in the estate anymore. Couldn't brake the locks on the magick wards, but I was able to open a portal." she tapped the Seer's spellbook.
"You couldn't just say we were both your brothers?" Reuben commented running his fingers through his hair. "Huh?"
"No. Seeing you gave me an idea." she crossed her arms, the knife still in hand.
Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me(straight up story. Now this should be interesting...)
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