An Eternal Vow

            By the time he'd found her, her once beautiful eyes were now glazed over with death, and the loss of hope.  It was obvious she was beyond ready to die when Death finally took her clammy hands.

            He ran a hand through her thick, bloody, black fur.  Her body was colder than usual, a sure sign of Death.  He was standing in something, something sticky upon the stony floor.  Inhaling deeply, he smelled the unmistakable stench of metal. The metallic scent of blood was something that could not be mistaken.

            He felt terrible for his longtime friend, for the Heiress of Raven was no longer about to protect her parents' lands.  He could see her, sitting on the floor beside her dead father's throne, his large build making her seem like thin, delicate glass.  In this sight, her eyes were glazed with torture and pain of the thousands of years she'd roamed about.

            A tear fell from his black eyes, mixing with the blood and stone without a sound…

            Kirada whimpered as the barbed wire cut deeper into her flesh with even the tiniest movement.  She longed to be free again, to shred out her assailant's throat.  She moved a paw, wincing in pain when she again felt the wire.

            For once, she was at the mercy of chains and wire.  Was this how her father's slaves had felt, in the fields working and being whipped to the point of Death?  She had never felt so helpless and cold.  She had lost all hope, and was simply waiting for Death to claim her…

            The traffic today in the large city was more congested than normal, but Ephit and Nightmare paid such matter no heed as they made their way to their apartment.

 Nightmare nudged her way through the crowded sidewalk, trying to keep pace with Ephit.  He had been in this haze for weeks, and she was unsure as to the reason why. 

            They still had no word from Lady Kirada, and it had been almost a year later from her first day of absence.  Nightmare had first thought Lady Kirada was sent on another mission by her parents; but no matter how hard the task, she would have been back by now. 

            Nightmare was spacing out, moving idly through the crowds close behind Ephit.  Her mind blocked out all noise, all aspects of her vision.

            Thus is the reason she did not hear the horn blare, the tires squeal, or Ephit's cry for her to move.

            She had somehow managed to stop in the middle of the street…

            Ephit sighed as he lay down for the night, fearing that horrid dream again.  It had kept him awake for several nights now, and he was beginning to become unhealthy from the lack of sleep…

            Nightmare wouldn’t wake up.  She had never felt so great than what she was feeling now, so free, relaxed and care-free.  But something bothered her…The sound of unfamiliar voices.  A lot of them.  Not only did she not know where she was, she also felt a soft, nagging pain in the back of her neck, and in a few other places. 

            She dared to do it, she opened her eyes slightly to be staring at a white room, doctors running about with blood covering their hands and little doctor coats.  Those blue ones, and some with a little bit of blood on their caps, as well.

            It took her a moment to realize that the blood was her blood.  She wanted to scream, but passed out before a word could escape her partially opened lips.

            And the sound of a solid beep filled the Emergency Room…

            Kirada was tugging as hard as she could on her restraints.  She knew that something was wrong with Ephit and Nightmare.  She just knew it! 

            Not only had she seen her pack’s fates, but she had felt their pain.  Overpowered by a newfound strength, she yanked one more time on the chains and they shattered.  With the collar and part of the steel chain still about her neck, she ran toward where she had heard the hallow thud of that rock hitting the wood so long ago.

            She rammed at the wood with all her force.  Not only was it her weight and adrenaline, but it was also sheer power hitting the door. 

            The door splintered about her as she spotted her assailant, and lowered her head and snarled, lunging at him with incredible speed…

            The police could not figure out what had happened.  But, Joana MacNiall could.  He looked around the mansion, seeing the tiny room filled with blood and tangled, bloody barbed wire, and a broken chain. 

            Also, the living room and parlor were shred to bits.  Glass was strewn all over the floors, several placements of blood, some of chunks of flesh chopped off by the glass.  Also large wolf-prints.  The Department was guessing that a wild dog or another canine had gotten into the house, attacking the staff and owner of the mansion.  The question was, the owner was nowhere to be found.  There was no sign that he had fled the grounds, for his belongings and vehicles were all still in their rightful places. 

            The question that puzzled Joana was where had he gone, along with his potential murderer? 

            One of the deputies came to Joana, looking pallor. “Whoever, or whatever, tried to kill him had reason to.  The chain we found was shattered, not broken… Something broke a re-enforced steel chain, Joana.  No way can this be a ‘normal case.’”

            Joana just shook his head.  “Just get the job done.  I quit.”

            The deputy looked appalled. “You quit? For what Joana? You’re our best officer!”

            Joana merely removed his badge and removed himself from the mansion grounds.  He too, knew what was going to happen.  Also, he knew that it was going to happen soon…

            Jorje MacNiall shook his head at his little brother’s assumptions.  He knew what was going on just as well as he did, he just did not want to face the fact that their sister might be dead…

            Kirada hoisted herself up onto the hill, just before the city entrance.  Changing to her human form, she was still battered, her cloths bloody and torn from the barbed wire.  She had no energy to heal herself or to gain more cloths.  She should just go straight to their apartment. 

            Hoping that Nightmare and Ephit would be there, she opened the doors to no one.  Walking stiffly into the bathroom, she stripped down and started the shower water, happy to feel the warm mist against her skin. 

            Standing before the mirror, she watched her wounds heal slower than usual.  It was then that she heard familiar voices, and turned to face them, still unclothed.

            “Make yourself appropriate, Kirada.  We have business to attend.”   One of the cloaked males said to her.

            Not daring to disobey them in her weak state, Kirada grabbed her towel and stared worriedly at the men, as one moved closer…

            Ephit paced in Nightmare's hospital room, she had been in a coma for about a week now, and given her previous harm, if she stayed within the coma for a matter of days more, she could die.

            Ephit was losing everything… First his family, his little brother Vanity, Kirada, and now Nightmare.  He shook his head in disbelief as he sat down in the small recliner next to her bed.  Kissing her hand, he put his head down on her bed and fell asleep…

            Kirada shook her head.  "Return to Raven? But why, why put oursel'es at such a risk before we e'en know what's about?"