While Dejah worked on creating new spells for the CAD, Hadrian was helping Lycan get out of the Viktor's prison.It was easy a memory modification spell here and there was all needed for them to forget about any new Lycan's.
The rescued Lycan's were given a base and Lucian was there leader, but he could not be around all the time.So William would take charge of them, it was simple routine.
Also love blossomed between Lucian and Sonja, they kept a frosty relationship when outside.But when they are alone, both were inseparable.
Two hundred years later… The horsewoman raced through the dark, primeval forest. The hooves of her ebony steed pounded against a muddy dirt road as she urged it onward. Skeletal trees, their jagged branches denuded by winter's chill, snatched at her flapping black cloak. Moonlight filtered through the dense arboreal canopy overhead. Swirling mist blanketed the ground. Inky shadows filled the gaps between the encroaching trees and underbrush. The trail winded through a maze of naked oaks and beeches. Grayish lichen clung to the mottled bark.
This was Sonja, who eyes searched the sylvan shadows, fearful of what they might hide. Polished black armor, handcrafted to fit her svelte figure, gleamed in the moonlight. Intricate runes and rosettes were embossed upon her ebony cuirass and gorget, which she wore over a chain mail gusset, skirt, and leggings. Forged metal plates guarded her shoulders and knees. A menacing steel helmet concealed her features. A matching shaffron and crinet shielded her horse's head and neck. Steam jetted from the steed's flaring nostrils. Lather dripped from its sides. "Easy, Hecate," Sonja whispered to her mount. She drew back on the reins and the horse skidded to a halt.
Trees lined like the narrow road like the columns of some forgotten temple. The crisp night air smelled of damp wood and loam. Every sense alert to danger, she looked about her in all directions. She listened tensely to the nocturnal murmurs of the forest. Unseen animals rustled through the bush and bracken. An owl hooted in the branches above her. Bats flapped in the darkness. A cold wind shuffled the fallen leaves hidden beneath the fog. Sonja held her breath, every muscle in her lithe body primed for action. Her tongue traced the smooth contours of her fangs. No obvious threat presented itself, and yet… A savage howl tore through the night, sending a thrill of terror down her spine. Glancing back over her shoulder, she glimpsed large dark shapes skittering through the canopy behind her, bounding from tree to tree. Flocks of crows, abruptly roused from slumber, flapped noisily as they took to the sky in panic.
Hecate reared up onto her hind legs, almost throwing Sonja from the saddle. The horse's eyes rolled wildly. It whinnied in fright. Hellfire! Sonja cursed herself for her recklessness as she struggled to bring the agitated mount under control.
Hadrian,Lucian and even her own father had often warned her against riding alone at night, yet the desire to escape the claustrophobic confines of the castle, as well as the stifling proprieties and expectations that came with being an Elder's daughter, had driven her to ignore there advice on more than one occasion.
Tonight, it seemed, she had tempted fate once too often. I'll not hear the end of this… should I be lucky enough to survive. Drawing her sword from its scabbard, she dug her spurs into Hecate's flanks. The horse sprung forward without hesitation, no doubt as eager to flee as Sonja was. She held on tightly to the reins with one hand as they galloped swiftly through the foggy woods. The silver-plated blade caught the moonlight. Silver stars glinted upon its ornately crafted hilt. Greedy branches grabbed at Sonja, making her grateful for the helm protecting her face. She ducked beneath an overhanging branch only seconds before it took her head off. A fallen log blocked their path, but Hecate vaulted over the obstacle with ease.
Sonja's heart pounded beneath her burnished steel breastplate. Cold vampiric blood raced through her veins. A chorus of blood-chilling howls erupted behind her as an entire pack of werewolves dropped from the trees and bounded after her on all fours. Fierce growls echoed through the lonely wilderness. Glancing back again, Sonja was alarmed to see the wolves gaining on her. They tore up the trail at such frightening speed that she doubted that her exhausted steed could long outpace them. Tearing her eyes away from her rabid pursuers, she peered desperately through the fog before her, hoping to catch sight of sanctuary. If she could just make it back to the castle! They burst from the woods into a rocky canyon. Gravel was heaped at the bottom of steep granite, banks that rose sharply from both sides of the road. Sonja braced herself for an ambush, which came upon her almost at once. A snarling werewolf lunged at her from the right, its dagger-sized fangs and claws extended toward her throat. Foam sprayed from the monster's lips. Its cobalt eyes blazed with carnivorous fury. Not so fast! she thought defiantly. Her own eyes shifted from brown to azure. She slashed out at the beast with her sword, the silver blade cutting a bloody gash across the werewolf's chest. Roaring in pain, it somersaulted backward, landing hard upon the floor of the canyon.
Sonja smiled grimly behind her helmet, but there was little time to savor her victory as a second werewolf leapt at her from the left. The creature's powerful forequarters slammed into Hecate's side, knocking both horse and rider into the canyon wall.
The impact jarred Sonja to her bone and threw Hecate off her stride, but, to her vast relief, the horse recovered from its stumble and kept on running, even as the determined werewolf climbed up its side toward Sonja. Its frothing jaws snapped at her back—until she buried her steel-shod elbow into the beast's mouth, breaking several of its teeth. The move bought her a precious moment, which was all she needed to flip her sword into a backhanded grip. She drove the blade through the wolf's skull with all her strength, then yanked it back out again.
The slain beast tumbled to the ground, throwing up a plume of pulverized dust and rock. Hot blood streamed from the claw marks upon Hecate's flanks. Sonja didn't look back. Instead she squinted through the fog to see yet another werewolf racing to intercept her. The monster was several yards away from her but closing fast. It seemed to grow before her eyes as it charged at her like a shaggy black thunderbolt. Sonja realized she had to move fast if she wanted to avoid another battle at close quarters. Despite her thick metal gauntlets, her nimble fingers found a concealed latch on the guard of her sword. She released the latch, freeing the two shining silver stars cradled in the hilt. Steel points radiated from the miniature pentagrams.
In a practiced motion, she swung the sword at the oncoming werewolf. The stars spun along the edge of the blade before flying past the sword point as though propelled by a slingshot. They whistled through the air to strike the werewolf in its head and shoulders. Their keen edges, which had been honed to razor sharpness, sank deep into the monster's hide and the beast yelped in agony. Acrid white fumes rose where the toxic silver burned the wolf's flesh. It crashed to the ground directly in the path of the speeding horse.
Sonja thought"Thank you,Tanis."
Although she had little respect for the sniveling scribe, whom she regarded as both a toady and a lecher, she had to concede that his ingenuity had it uses. The built-in throwing stars had been his idea. Proving her valor, Hecate vaulted over the convulsing werewolf, who clutched frantically at the poisonous missiles with its clumsy paws. Sonja left the writhing monster in the dust as the horse's hooves thundered against the ground.
But another werewolf was spotted running along with her on the other side of the woods, Sonja frowned and thought"I should test it out now."
With that Sonja took out, what looked like a small ball and threw it at the werewolf.
There was just a sudden, whooshing sound as a large net of extremely fine, alloy wire came flying across the forest, snaring werwolf and pulling it backwards. Selfdriven bolts made of an unearthly alloy bored their way into the forest floor, pinning it. The wires of the net drew taught, digging into werewolves skin and producing a fine latticework of blood all over It's face.The werewolf couldn't move or cut it with it's claws.
It couldn't move and was holding and growling with pain, trapped against the ground by the superstrong alloy net.
Sonia saw this and with sadistic smile muttered"I have to say Aunt Dejah and Lena created a very ruthless trap."