The Vampire & Her Witch

When Ashlynn declared that she intended to see the Lothians fall by year's end, the expressions of everyone present grew solemn. Toppling the forces of the march by the end of winter felt achievable to everyone, but to achieve victory in just a few short weeks was another matter entirely.

"Tell us what you need, Ashlynn," Thane said, dropping the formality as his amber eyes met her emerald gaze. She'd taken a seat at the table instead of taking her place on a throne above them, and she had come to ask for help instead of issuing commands. The end result might be the same, but looking into her eyes, Thane didn't see a hurt and wounded woman who would use her forces like a lash to whip her enemies.

Instead, he saw a woman who trusted them enough to be vulnerable and to ask for their help. He hadn't been entirely sure she would make it back this far in just five short days, but clearly her time with both Sybyll and Nyrielle had done wonders for her mental state, and he wasn't about to put up walls of formality when she made it clear that she wanted to lower them.

"We're here for you," Thane said in a pure, earnest tone. "Every one of us is. Just tell us what you need."

"Thank you, Thane," Ashlynn said with a deep sigh of relief and a frail smile. "The next week will be demanding on everyone," she said as she turned to address the group. "And there are some things that we need to move on very quickly if we hope to capture all of our objectives. Marcel," Ashlynn said, turning to the dark-haired vampire who was still leaning back in his chair and cleaning his nails with a small, sharp knife.

"Your report mentioned that Lord Liam was likely to return home to the Town of Dunn this morning," Ashlynn said. "My guess is that he's made it to the Village of Maeril by now, and he's spending the night there before crossing the River Luath and heading north. What do you think?"

"I think that's very likely," Marcel agreed as the knife in his hands vanished into his lace sleeves and he set all four of the chair's feet back on the floor. In an instant, the idle playfulness fell away from the youthful-looking vampire, and a dark gleam appeared in his eyes as he looked at Ashlynn. "Has young lord Liam offended you? If you want him dead, I can likely arrange an accident on his way home."

"Not dead, I want him alive," Ashlynn said firmly. "He's too useful to allow him to slip through our fingers at a time like this. Besides, since the Lothians have seen fit to abandon the Dunns and their barony to us, I see no reason we can't extend an offer of safety in exchange for collaboration."

"You want to use Liam as your messenger," Marcel said as the playful smile returned to his lips. "He may not come willingly," he pointed out. "And once I snatch him, his men are likely to raise a cry about his kidnapping."

"You can't let that happen," Ashlynn said, shaking her head and frowning at the Black Merchant. "I hate to send you to slaughter, but if the only way you can ensure his men's silence is to kill them, then do it. We only have a few days before his father notices he's missing, and not long after that, the Lothians will know that he's vanished. I need as much time as possible before they learn that we have him."

"I can go with Marcel to handle Liam's men," Zedya offered. "It would be a good opportunity for Lenny to learn to use his gaze against people who are afraid of him. The soldiers of the Vale have been generous to allow him to practice, but he needs to use his gaze for real against men who would call him a 'demon.'"

"No," Ashlynn said, smiling as she looked at the newlywed vampire. Zedya's demeanor had shifted subtly in the weeks since she took Lennart as both her husband and her progeny, and much of her cold detachment had faded. In its place, she had become both softer and more affectionate when she could, and much, much fiercer when she felt that something threatened her family in the Vale.

"No," Ashlynn repeated as she met Zedya's amethyst gaze. "I have a different mission for you and Lennart. Owain poisoned his own father, but he also poisoned the wife and child of Sir Tommin Pyre," she explained. "I need both of them brought to the Vale. Alive. The sooner the better if I'm going to save them from the poison."

"My lady?" Heila said, tilting her head to the side and looking at Ashlynn in surprise. The name 'Sir Tommin' was familiar to her and anyone who was close to Lady Ashlynn. He was one of the two knights who had buried her alive at the edge of the Vale half a year ago, and Ashlynn had long ago sworn to claim her vengeance against him. Saving his family from Owain's poisoning felt… odd.

"I will still claim my vengeance against Sir Tommin," Ashlynn said with a determined look in her eyes. "But… I do not require his life. If his faith has become pure enough to wield a Holy Light Blade, then I'm sure watching a witch save his wife and child will be profoundly unsettling or worse. Ignatious," Ashlynn said, turning to face the fallen Inquisitor. "I may present you with a broken Templar before this is over. With your guidance, maybe he can still be redeemed."

"I'll do what I can, my lady," Ignatious said. "It took me years to recover from the breaking of my faith. His path… it may not be an easy one. He might prefer to die. I know there was a time when I would rather have died than…"

"None of that," Heila interrupted before Ignatious could say more. "You did it the hard way," she said gently. "There was no one to guide you. If it's you… I just know that you can help others find their way out of the hatred and darkness of the Church. You can show them what pure flames are, and you can help them heal. And, if you want me to, I'll be there with you to help, too. Just say the words," the diminutive horned witch promised.

For a moment, the great hall went quiet as a tender look passed between Ignatious and Heila. Even on opposite sides of the table, their closeness made it seem like there was no space between them, and the gentle warmth that flowed from both of them wrapped around everyone like a soft blanket against the winter chill outside the walls of the great hall.

"Ah hem," Thane said, clapping a hand on Ignatious's shoulder and giving the man a brotherly squeeze before turning to Ashlynn to speak. "Since you're sending Zedya and Lennart to collect Sir Tommin's family, how about leaving Liam Dunn to me? I'm sure he's traveling with at least one other knight," he said, pausing when he saw Marcel hold up two fingers. "Two other knights then," Thane corrected.

"If I leave soon, it shouldn't be difficult to command them to turn themselves in at the gates of the Vale," Thane explained. "No one in the Village of Maeril will think much of their leaving, and the men themselves won't realize anything is wrong until they're standing in shackles. Or did you have other plans in mind for me?"