The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 4

† Braddock †

Feeding Yalena took barely a few moments, then Braddock watched her sleepy eyes droop with exhaustion. Her battle with the monster had been fierce and had no doubt taken every ounce of energy she had.

Braddock rose from her bedside and left her to rest in peace. He headed for the camp fire and watched the sun rising with dread. The scouting party began to trickle in, one by one taking up a seat by the fire or continuing straight into their individual tents to rest.

It had been a long night and he had no intention of preventing them from getting all the sleep and rest they deserved. Finding the monster would take all of their time and energy, over the next few nights, as it appeared obvious that no one had discovered the culprit this night.

"Sir." Eryk's voice was quiet and tired, as he approached the fire and withdrew his uniform cap to speak. "We scoured the entire woods, but were unable to find any sign of the monster. The trail led back to Yalena's camp and there were signs of a struggle, but nothing to indicate another person was present," he admitted. "I hate to ask, but perhaps if I could speak with Yalena, she could provide clues we may follow tomorrow evening?"

Braddock nodded, unable to argue with the logic of such a request. "You are right. She has just fed, so now would be the best time to speak with her. Then she must rest."

With Eryk's nod of understanding, he led the way into Yalena's tent and pulled a small chair to her bedside.

Yalena looked exhausted, as she lay curled on her side, her hands tucked beneath her head.

"Eryk needs to speak with you," Braddock announced, as he gestured for Eryk to take the seat.

Eryk watched him closely, until he got a nod of approval from Braddock. Then he began speaking. "Yalena, if you could tell us about the attack and what you saw, we may learn something about this monster that has not yet occurred to you. Then we may leave you to rest, while we continue to search," he said, with all the compassion and importance that the situation demanded.

Braddock swung his hands behind his back and clasped them, in an attempt to keep himself under control, if Eryk's questions became too demanding or he had the urge to intervene.

Licking her lips, Yalena sat up and drew the blanket over herself, to contain her modesty. After all, she had changed into a loose nightgown, to alleviate the pressure of clothing against her injuries. "I made camp and all was quiet for a while. Then the horse began to act strangely, so I rose from the fire and attempted to soothe him," she began, her voice hoarse and sounding painful.

Discreetly, Braddock grabbed a cup from the side counter and bit into his wrist, to let the blood drip into it. Standing behind Eryk, the young soldier never saw him providing sustenance for Yalena, which he handed over when the cup was half full. The cuff of his shirt, and a quick whispered word, adequately disguised the wound.

"Thank you." Yalena smiled and nodded to him, as she accepted the cup. After a tentative sip, she continued. "The horse acted as though it had been injured and there was blood on its mane. But no wound. I made a torch and began to search the area for a sign of where the blood had come from. Then I was attacked from behind," she said, taking a deep breath as she paused.

Eryk smiled consolingly and reached out to place his hand on Yalena's arm.

Braddock's jealousy rose furiously, until he had to dig his fingernails into his palm to stop himself from overreacting and demanding that Eryk remove his hand before he tore it from his arm.

"You are doing very well, Yalena. Just a little longer," Eryk asked, seeming aware of her struggle.

She nodded and averted her gaze, deep in thought. "I did not see a face, but I believe it was a vampire who attacked me. Male, from the intensity of the attack, unless it is a female with the gift of strength," she admitted, with a wrinkle on her brow that was all too familiar.