Two men appeared standing above. They held flickering oil lamps and looked at her with intrigue and cautiousness.
Her joy vanished as soon as they bared their long fangs and hissed at her.
"No!" She screamed as she pointed the dagger at them. They looked confused at her reaction but quickly recognised her state.
"A human?" One vampire started to speak to another.
"Definitely a human." Another nodded in agreement.
"What are you doing here?" The first one directed his question towards the woman.
Woman shot up, still pointing the dagger at them.
"Do not come near me." She demanded. Only now she noticed their armour and emblems. It wasn't a relief but they weren't rogue vampires. There was some hope that she could argue her way out of this. "Are you from Ironwood?" She enquired trying to steady her breath.
"You are in Ironwood." The vampire replied, still studying her. "What are you doing here?"
"I-…" The woman stuttered. "It is none of your business." She grumbled. She hoped that if she refused to answer their questions that they will bring her to their ruler.
"It is very much so our business. You are intruding on our land." The vampire said surprisingly calmly. They knew that it wouldn't take much effort to kill her but also they could recognise a very well tailored dress in the shreds of the fabric. The woman certainly came from a good family and killing her could bring an unrest between humans and vampires. "What happened to you?"
"I have killed two vampires tonight and I won't hesitate to kill you too." She hissed. The vampires looked at each other, furrowing their brows. They didn't believe that she could kill. No one would. She had a young and innocent face that was decorated with a halo of light blonde hair that usually cascaded in waves but now was all messy.
"Look, we can't just let you parade around here. If you do not answer our questions, you can face our ruler. It is your choice." The vampire warned her with a shrug. They were both nonchalant. It made the woman feel equally comforted and uneasy.
"I am not telling you a word more. Where is the nearest human village?"
"I can't let you go without knowing how you've got here." The vampire sighed.
"That is your problem, not mine." The woman suddenly set off into the run, and not completely unexpectedly, she was caught by the two vampires who easily unarmed her and confiscated her dagger and tied her hands.
They've led her down the hill towards their base.
The woman barely protested now. She looked at tens, if not hundreds, of vampires in some level of armour. Some looked up with interest at her and some didn't seem to care.
Many have rested in the shade, away from the sun.
The woman wondered if the tales were true and if vampires were burnt by the sunlight.
The two vampires that caught her wore armour that covered nearly every inch of their skin and so did almost every other soldier.
Their long fangs rested on their lips in an unnatural sort of way. They were so inhuman, even if from afar they looked so alike the men that the woman saw before.
The woman was put in the saddle on a horse and the two vampires continued to walk towards a castle on the horizon.
The castle was towering over a city and a base. The tall spires broke the sunlight, casting long shadows all around. As they neared the castle, the woman observed vines and roses climbing high up its walls.
The woman felt the burning gazes of the vampires around her. Some looked at her with curiosity and some with hatred. Her skin crawled as she remembered her maid's fate and when she saw so many fanged teeth around her as they've passed through a town.
Her chances of survival were minuscule but still higher than what she expected them to be since the attack earlier in the night.
They've entered the castle grounds leading the horse up to the steps. The two vampires helped her down the horse and pulled her inside of the enormous castle. Once inside, they've whispered something to the guards who went on ahead, likely to warn their lord of the fact that they've brought a human into the court. The woman's eyes darted across the large entrance hall decorated with gold sculpted arches and low hanging chandeliers. The court was full of liveliness for this time of the night but it was a well known fact that vampires preferred the nighttime over the day.
The woman and the two vampires stopped in front of the huge double brass door, awaiting permission to enter the throne room.