Daughters Of The Moon Pt 16

Thanks to Liter Knight for her careful editing!

Siobhan stood next to Gwen, looking at the faint outlines of the town about a mile away. It was a mid-sized town with a simple wooden palisade, a few inns, and enough houses for a little over a thousand people. It was the middle of the night and the windows were all dark. Siobhan would have barely been able to make out the buildings when she was human, but now the buildings looked like they were bathed in cool blue light, illuminating every detail.

"Do you know what this town is called?" asked Gwen.

"No, I've rarely traveled this far north," she replied. Her time in the army, both her clan's and the blooded's, had made her realize how narrow her world had been growing up. She had rarely left home and then only to go to the capital for the big clan meetings. Siobhan was still coming to terms with being freer now than she ever had been when she was human, and having all the time in the world to experience that freedom.

Cari, one of their revenants, approached them. She was a Cambrian, a hard looking woman who had worked as a caravan guard before she had been turned in service to the house.

"Do you see her, my lady?"

Siobhan shook her head, they were waiting for Lucy to return from scouting the village for signs of resistance. To see if any of the remnants of the Tallisian army were garrisoned in the cluster of houses or manning the walls.

Siobhan glanced back at the assembled foraging party behind them. There were about three hundred of them altogether, a few blooded from each house with revenant retainers, a squad of Dracul mercenaries and a small horde of larvae for emergencies.

They were ranging out east from the army as it traveled to Lorraine, the Tallisian capital. Their mission was to collect the blood needed to fuel the main army's march. Lucy had been eager to join the foraging parties and Siobhan had not wanted to be parted from her. She had felt terrible guilt at first for - stealing the blood of her people, but she had justified it to herself by vowing to keep the other blooded in line. Sophia had decreed no one was to be killed by the foraging parties. Civilians were only to be drained of a single block of blood each and the scattered pockets of resisting clansmen were to be captured alive whenever possible and drained of three blocks, as much as they could give without permanent injury. Although this was Sophia's official decree, the blooded of the foraging party couldn't be trusted to obey when no one was watching. Siobhan had taken it upon herself to enforce Sophia's edict and save as many of her people as possible from the hunger of their conquerors.

Siobhan looked back to the town and stiffened. She saw the faintest hint of movement for just a moment; she couldn't see her love returning, but she knew she was there anyway.

"Here she is," she said. Gwen jumped, scanning the ground ahead.

A moment later, Lucy faded into view as the Shroud melted off of her. She gave Gwen and Siobhan a little nod, and as she did the other blooded began to converge on them.

Siobhan took a moment to take in her love for the thousandth time. The Lucy she had fallen for was still there. The determined set of her jaw, the wild tangle of her curly hair, the stiffness of her shoulders, always ready to fight. Lucy always seemed tense and relaxed at the same time. Despite the yellow eyes and black fingernails, Lucy was still decisively the same woman she had fallen in love with, and that, more than anything, had given her confidence she was still herself as well.

Lucy twisted her head and ran a hand over her chin, giving her neck a little crack.

"Looks like we may have a little fight on our hands."

There was a general grumbling among the blooded. Siobhan got the impression her people were putting up more resistance than the Cambrians or Northumbrians had after losing to the invading vampires. Siobhan had privately enjoyed their irritation even as she had helped keep them safe from her people's resistance.

"There's a few squads of soldiers garrisoning the town. I think it's about fifty or so. They're doing the usual trick."

Gwen rubbed her eyes.

"Fucking goddammit," muttered one of the Savon, voice low and burning.

The fleeing Tallisian soldiers had quickly perfected ambush tactics against the blooded army; they would sleep near windows or on roofs, muskets in hand. When the foraging parties came into town they'd pepper them from the cover of the buildings. They'd have to clear them house by house, which was a tedious and bloody business. Siobhan admired her people's stubbornness and strength while dreading having to deal with it.

"They're mostly in the houses around the town square, as far as I can tell," continued Lucy.

"Well, at least that's something," said Gwen. "Alright, let's try it the sneaky way, just like last time. Blooded and revenants break into pairs, at least one blooded with the Shroud in each pair. We'll do this clock style. Siobhan, Lucy, you're one o'clock."

Siobhan nodded, they had used the same tactics in the last town. They were to surround the town square under the cover of the Shroud, positioning themselves at the points of a clock, and work their way around the town square, clearing houses as they went. Once things were clear or if they were discovered, the rest of the soldiers would come in and help.

She nodded to Lucy and they started jogging toward town, behind them Gwen was still giving out assignments. She had given her and Lucy the farthest point to travel to, so they left immediately and Gwen knew they didn't need any more instructions.

As they jogged, the faint noises of the countryside at night - the rustle of leaves in the wind and the sound of crickets - faded away. The air got thick, a little heavier than it should have been, and Siobhan knew Lucy had covered them with the Shroud. Siobhan extended her senses and tried to feel the magic Lucy had covered them with, to understand the aura of silence and shadow that hid their presence from the world. Her blood stirred uneasily as it became aware of the power of another blooded, like a predator recognizing the scent of a rival, but Siobhan ignored it and it quickly faded. She felt the contours of the Shroud, it was a sensation she could never describe, trying to understand the very essence of absence, but there was a sense of familiarity to it that made her feel like she would understand it soon.

"Oh, they're clan Silaban by the way," said Lucy, her voice sounding deceptively innocent.

Siobhan's lips peeled back and she hissed before she could help herself. She gave Lucy a guilty look and saw her smirking.

"I don't see why that matters," said Siobhan, hating the tightness in her voice.

"I just thought it might help you enjoy yourself."

"I'll enjoy spending time with you after the mission is finished. My duty to the house. Nothing more."

"Of course," said Lucy, her voice suspiciously neutral.

Siobhan gritted her teeth. Clan Silaban were her clan's closest neighbors, so of course they had raided each other for centuries. There had been decades, even periods of twenty or thirty years, where their clans had been at peace. But around when Siobhan was twelve the conflict with their neighbors had flared up again in a particularly fierce series of raids. The theft, murder and kidnapped wives and daughters had kept the clans at each other's throats for seven years. Part of the reason her parents had supported Siobhan's training so readily was because of the constant threat of the Silaban.

Her father and uncle had finally beaten the neighboring clan into a reluctant peace a few years ago, at the cost of her eldest brother's life. Her next youngest brother had been betrothed to the Silaban's eldest daughter she they came of age. Siobhan wondered if the marriage was still going to happen now.

Siobhan knew it shouldn't matter that these fighters were her clan's old enemies. All of Tallis was her enemy now. But a week ago they had foraged a town garrisoned by her clan, and when Lucy had told her that her clansmen were waiting for them she had simply walked off without a word, climbed a hill, and looked at the stars until she felt she sun over the horizon. Lucy had joined her, sitting silently next to her while the sounds of her people fighting the blooded raiders could be heard faintly in the distance. Gwen had said nothing to them when they had returned the next night, aside from mentioning that none of the resistance fighters had been killed, and Siobhan was confident Gwen would see they were well-treated. Siobhan silently vowed to herself she would not let her anger rule her as they faced the Silaban. Her father had fought hard to forge peace between their clans and she would honor his work by treating the Silaban with the same respect she treated fighters from any other clan.

"Could I get a little preview of that time we're going to spend together later?" asked Lucy.

Siobhan clicked her tongue. This was one thing that had changed about her love. Her time with the Gevudan had seriously eroded her discipline. She was much more willing to indulge herself. Perhaps a little too much for Siobhan's taste.

"No, not until the mission is complete."

"I was afraid you were going to say that. We are invisible, you know. It's not like before, when it was so easy to get caught. No one is going to hear us. No matter how loud we get."

Siobhan cleared her throat, "I don't like using our powers as a crutch. We need to stay sharp. And it's not about being seen, it's about not letting down our allies."

"Oh please, we'll have our whole section clear before Billy and Melody even get in position. They probably stopped for a quick lay."

Siobhan sighed, Billy was Melody's new childe and she was absolutely besotted with him. The Savon couple was at that terrible stage of a relationship, and were the kind of people, who did baby talk loudly and constantly in front of others. Gwen had asked them multiple times to use the Shroud in the hour before sunrise, as Melody was very... expressive in bed. Lucy found the whole thing funny but Siobhan was seriously considering killing at least one of them.

"We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. A much higher standard."

Lucy gave a dramatic sigh, "Are you at least tempted?"

Siobhan glanced at her love, there was an edge to Lucy's voice, and even though the whole conversation was in jest, Siobhan sensed a glimmer of Lucy's uncertainty underneath, the fear that Siobhan would turn her away, see Lucy as the monster she saw herself as. Siobhan stopped suddenly. Lucy took half a step before turning back, surprised.

"You are extremely tempting," said Siobhan, leaning down. Lucy's lips were small and soft, a little cooler than she remembered, but the small satisfied noise she made was all too familiar. Siobhan's entire body flushed with pins and needles. Her nipples rubbed against her shirt. She pulled back and put a hand on her lover's cheek, Lucy's eyes were wide and vulnerable.

"And that's why I can't indulge. Once we started I'd never be able to stop."

Lucy licked her lips and smiled, her fangs extended. Siobhan felt her own fangs grow long, pressing against her lips.

"Alright, alright. As long as you're struggling."

Siobhan nodded in false seriousness, "It is a terrible struggle. but when we get back to camp we can try to drown out Melody and Billy with cries of our own."

Lucy gave a sharp laugh, "Could you imagine the look on Gwen's face if she had to yell at us to keep it down?"

Siobhan snorted.

They started moving again, using the low, quick run they had learned training with the daughters. The semi crouch used to make her muscles burn, but not anymore. Soon the outlines of the houses were in view. She knew she'd barely be able to see the houses when she was human, but now they looked lit as if from an invisible torch, clear in the night vision her shining eyes gave her. They made their way over the palisade, Lucy using her claws to dig into the wood and Siobhan using her strength to leap and catch the top of the log wall. They walked past two watchmen sitting by a fire. The regular soldiers would deal with them if they were discovered and there was no way for them to be seen through the Shroud.

Lucy led them through the town square. Siobhan felt the back of her neck tingling, instinctively afraid of discovery even though she knew it was impossible under the protection of the shroud. Lucy led them to the other side of the square to the section of houses they were tasked with clearing. Lucy opened the back door, the Shroud unlocking it for them, and they made their way up to the second floor.

The resistance fighters were in the second bedroom they looked in, facing the town square. One was asleep next to the window and the other was sitting quietly cross legged, apparently praying. Siobhan read his lips, recognizing a prayer to the Father. She felt a temporary pang of loss; such prayers were denied to her now. Then she moved forward.

She called on her battle sense and told it what she wanted. Carla had named it the Oracle, though the gift functioned very differently for her then most of her sisters. Guided by the voice of the blood, her blow struck one of the soldiers lightly on the temple and he tumbled bonelessly to the floor. Next to her, Lucy had the other fighter in a chokehold, his legs scrabbling uselessly against the floor. Lucy stayed frozen as the scrambling became more desperate, the man might as well have been choked by a statue. After another minute the scrabbling turned to spasms, and then the man was still. Lucy let him drop with a thump, Siobhan went to go check on him but Lucy gave her a yellow eyed glare and she backed away. Lucy put a hand under his nose to check for breathing; the daughters had taught them the line between unconsciousness and death when choking someone was much closer than most people realized. Lucy tilted his head back slightly to make sure any swelling didn't close his airways. Then Lucy paused, going statue still again, just for a moment. Her lips peeled back and her fangs were stark white in the night. In another moment Lucy was on her feet, turning to Siobhan. She jerked when she saw Siobhan looking at her then she looked down, her lips twisted in shame in a way that had become all too familiar.

"Let's go," said Lucy, her voice strained, "we have more houses to clear."

Lucy walked up to her to put them under the Shroud again, but before she could, Siobhan leaned down and put a hand on her love's cheek. Siobhan felt one of Lucy's fangs through her lips; a hard little bump. Siobhan ran the tip of her tongue just inside Lucy's lips. She felt their sharpness scrape against the tip and Lucy made a surprised little noise. Siobhan pulled back and Lucy was staring at her with a small half smile.

"I thought we had to hold ourselves to higher standards."

"Perhaps I was being too harsh. A little indulgence can be good for morale."

Lucy's half grin became a full one. Her fangs were still out, but Siobhan knew it was for a different reason than before.

"My morale does feel raised."

"Excellent."

They left the bedroom and continued on their mission. They worked their way through the houses in their section of the square, ambushing and incapacitating the resistance fighter house by house. The next few houses passed without incident, the resistance fighters stood no chance against the gifts the blood gave them. They were able to knock the fighters unconscious before they even knew they were there. Siobhan made sure to give Lucy the occasional smile, to brush her arm, and that seemed to help. She didn't notice Lucy tempted to feed again.

But just before they entered the last house in their section, their presence was discovered, as it always was. There was a shout from across the square and a musket discharge. All around the square there were shouts and screams and more musket discharges as the remaining resistance fighters became aware of the vampires hunting them.

Siobhan looked at Lucy, who was rolling her eyes, and they hurried into the next house. They tried to maintain the same slow pace, it helped maintain the magic of the shroud, but they couldn't help being a little more tense, and when they opened the door to the bedroom of the next house the door squeaked. The Shroud was able to hide the noises they made, muffling them or erasing them from the minds of the people they passed, but the fighters in the next house were on high alert, and many of them were skilled hunters and skirmishers themselves. As they came through the door one of them whirled from the window, pointing a musket directly at them; the flash and thunder of the powder dazzled Siobhan's senses. The Oracle whispered an urgent warning and she moved her head slightly to the left. She heard the high pitched buzz of a musket ball, like an angry bee, as it passed by her ear.

Then she was moving forward, she saw the soldier who had shot at her had dropped his musket and was reaching for a knife, but the musket was falling to the ground at the speed of a leaf and his hands were going to the sheathed knife at a glacial pace. Even in her haste she held back her kick, so she only broke a few of his ribs. The fighter flew back against the wall, giving a pained grunt. She still had the presence of mind to call on the Oracle so her blow to his temple was only a little harder than it needed to be. He'd wake up in a few hours with half his face purpled and broken ribs, but otherwise unharmed. It seemed a fair trade for almost shooting her in the head.

The world returned to normal speed and she turned to see Lucy on the floor. She was gnawing on the forearm of another fighter. The wet sounds of her feeding filled the room. The fighter was staring at the ceiling, eyes wide and blank, his breathing was harsh and shallow, like he was drowning. He was young, in his early twenties, with the sandy blond hair and fine features many of the Silaban had. However, his eyes were the characteristic grey of the Tibernack, just like Siobhan's used to be. Siobhan idly wondered if they were distantly related. Many of the Tibernack women the Silaban took in raids ended up marrying their captors. It was the best they could hope for when they had been ruined for any marriage back home.

The smell of the blood rolled over Siobhan and she felt her own fangs come out, but the hunger barely bothered her. She had struggled with her own hunger but in this moment she was totally focused on her love. She could imagine the look of self loathing on Lucy's face when she came back to herself and saw the fighter's lifeless corpse.

Slowly Siobhan walked toward Lucy. She knew from experience if she moved quickly or violently Lucy would turn on her before she could get control of herself. The scars from a past attempt to pull Lucy off someone still hadn't completely faded. Lucy tensed as Siobhan got close, freezing for a moment, then her head bobbed as her feeding continued. The boy whimpered and Lucy shuddered slightly as the pleasure of the blood filled her once more.

Slowly, Siobhan knelt next to her love and whispered in her ear.

"Lucy Westerly Barcroft."

Lucy went still again as Siobhan said her human name. It wasn't her name anymore and Siobhan knew it hurt Lucy to hear it, but it was also the best way to break the hold of the blood on her.

"You've taken enough," said Siobhan, "you don't want to hurt that poor boy."

Slowly, Lucy's head came away from the boy's arm. Blood started pouring out of him onto the floor. The daughters had taught them that a cut to the blood vessel in the forearm would kill a man almost as fast as the throat.

"Now close the wound," said Siobhan.

Lucy stared at the fountain of blood coming out of the sandy-haired boy for another second. Just as Siobhan was about to move to close the wound herself, Lucy slowly leaned down and licked the ragged bite. Her eyes scrunched shut as the fresh blood from the wound lit up her tongue. She blew out a short sharp breath before giving the wound a few more licks. In a moment the wound was gone, the skin left smooth as the strange property of the magic that filled their veins healed the wound. The boy took a few more sharp breaths, then his eyes closed, he gave a small sigh, and started to snore.