For the rest of the journey, they heeded her advice, taking the pass through Gildean Hills. They didn't even rest throughout the day and night was once again falling. Finally, deciding it was best to rest, he used mindlinks to alert the Elite Guard to spread the word. Half of the group continued to track for food and the other half set up camp for the night.
Theo had been helping Samson prepare a fire. A few of the others left to find water and wood to tend to the fire. Grateful for the fire, he sat down. His back rested against the roots and trunk of a tree. Soon the others were coming back to the camp with provisions. Miraculously, nobody was lost in the ambush.
“Thank you Elvish armor,” Aiden said, having just shifted back to human form and eyeing his garments.
Amos grunted at his brother. “Be very grateful that you nabbed that.”
All of them purchased the new enchanted elvish armor before the ambush that left the village in ruins. Aiden nodded and Theo wondered if the others in the village made it out. His attention was drawn to the hooded and cloaked figure.
“And be grateful to that mystery stranger,” Amos reminded. “She saved all our lives.”
Busying himself with the boar they found on the hunt, Jethro nodded as he took his knife out to cut into the animal. “Fighter was a lady?”
“Yes,” Amos said, glancing over at Theo. They held eye contact before Theo sighed then nodded his consent. “It was Calyx.”
The knife Jethro was using dropped momentarily before he quickly continued to take out the impertinent parts of the beast. It was Aiden that bounced forward in shock.
“You really think so?” he asked. His eyes immediately focused on Theo. “I thought it was Caly too. Do you really think it was her?”
Biting his lip, Theo remembered her smell in wolf form and her red hair. “Smelled like her,” he confessed. “Also sounded like her. She had her red hair as well.”
“She also said my name,” Amos supplied. "And Theo's."
Theo got up abruptly. “I'm going to check the perimeter and take the first watch. When everyone is filled up, I want everyone to buckle down and get some rest.”
“Okay, mom,” Aiden grumbled, the edge of his sarcasm wasn't as sharp as it usually was.
Theo glanced around at his men. He could feel their pity bearing down upon him and he couldn't stand it. They all knew what she meant to him and he couldn't even be properly angry with her since she just rescued them. It wasn't fair. The first time he finally was in the same vicinity as her, it was in a dire situation and he couldn't just go chase after her.
“I'll go with you,” Amos finally said, taking his cue from him.
Others agreed as well to take the first watch. They all headed out and shifted into their wolves, breaking up into groups to check and maintain the perimeter for the duration. It wasn't until half the night was over that the first watch came in to eat and rest for the night.
As he ate in silence, he wondered if that would be only time he would ever see her again. Was that his only chance? At least, he got to see her again and she saved them. She saved him. She didn't hate him. He glanced up at the stars and wondered where was is. Had she escaped the vampires? Probably. She obviously knew what she was doing by how she handled them.
*I don't think that'll be the last time we will see her,* Amos suddenly broke into his thoughts.
Theo glanced over at his beta. *Why do you say that?*
*Didn’t you see how she was fighting the vamps and how the vamps targeted her afterwards?* Amos questioned through the mindlink. *I think her parents were murdered by a vamp, Theo. I think she's been fighting them for awhile. We'll see her again. It's inevitable. We're all on the same side.*
The feeling of inevitability of their paths crossing again thickened around Theo like smoke. When there was smoke, there was a fire and he was more than willing to take on the heat and get burned if that meant he could finally get answers.
~
Silverd was surrounded by vampires when Theo and the Elite Guard arrived. Just like most of the villages in the Elovaisus Forest and beyond, it was enclosed by stone walls and a gate. There was a moat surrounding the entire village. It was most likely the only reason why it hadn't received the same fate as Delsni. The drawbridge was up, preventing anyone entrance in or out of the village.
Perfect for a situation dealing with vampires during the Sun Season since by the time dawn rolled up, the vampires needed to find shelter from the sunlight. The Moon Season would prove to be difficult especially if Silverd needed supplies and resources beyond what the village could provide.
*Men,* he addressed the Elite Guard by mindlinking. *What do you say? Let’s clear house!*
With that, Theo and his men took off towards the vampires. The vampires realizing they had company turned and approached them as they clashed in front of Silverd with the guards watching above upon the wall.
It was nothing more than a skirmish and it was quickly over with the vampires running away cowardly. They weren't so tough now when they were the ones being ambushed. None of the enchanted vampires were here yet, but Theo was certain they would come during the Moon Season.
Theo glanced over as the sound of the drawbridge lowering caught his attention. He watched when the drawbridge lower completely. The gates were already opened and that familiar hooded and cloaked figure stood before them flanked by elves and dwarves.
His heartbeat quickened as the figure approached them as he and his men shifted back into their human form from their wolf form. All of them watched the figure, waiting for something to happen. When it did, it caused a collective sharp intake of air among them when the figure pushed down the hood of her cloak to reveal unruly red hair spiraling about her and framing her face. Those green eyes that haunted his dreams locked on him like a key sliding into a lock.
“I see you have made it through incredibly well,” she said, surveying all their faces. “Come, I am quite certain you have questions you would like answered.”