1310:

Viola looked out the window as the caravan started to slow down.

"Why are we stopping?" She questioned with an air of authority. Beneath her mask of calm a heaviness began to grow in her stomach.

"I do not know my Lady." One of her handmaidens, Merina, answered peering out the window herself.

The horses shuffled and whinnied outside as their driver urged them to move onward. The horses thrashing only grew more violent.

Merina went to a window and investigated the disturbance.

"All of the carriages have stopped my lady. Something has the horses spooked," Merina continued worriedly. Her breath fogged up the icy glass as she spoke.

"I told you it wasn't safe to be traveling at night." Bastet, an older handmaiden said glairing daggers at Annaya, a lady in waiting who was guarding the door of the caravan. Annaya ignored her as she reached up and slowly pulled out her sword that was strapped to her back. The metallic scraping of the blade against sheath sent chills into the convoys' hearts. All the other handmaidens stood up from their seats and followed her example. All swords unsheathed, the women surrounded their mistress.

Viola, their charge, pushed herself to the edge of her cushioned seat, her back erect,

"Numban?" She called.

A large bearded man standing next to Annaya bowed.

"Yes my Lady." With that he drew his sword and opened the door to the caravan. A cold rush of wind entered from outside. Everyone stiffened from the cold except for Numban who was investigating the surroundings. Once satisfied he jumped down from the caravan to get a better look.

Annaya kept a freezing cold hand on the door, ready to slam it closed at a moment's notice. Her shaky breaths came out in streams of fog as she clenched and unclenched the hilt of her sword. She watched Numban intensely as he ventured further out onto the trail.

Helene, the youngest slowly walked up to Annaya's side. Her heart rate was surprisingly calm and her senses were strangely magnified. At the same time both she and Numban's ears perked up.

"Numban!" Helene screamed. It was too late; two silver discus-like blades lodged themselves into the warrior's chest causing him to collapse. A whole band of vampire warriors charged out of the woods and attacked the caravan train.

Annaya pushed Helene back into the caravan.

"Stay put," she ordered. "Ladies, get ready to fight!"

Annaya approached the door of the caravan once more to keep off the attackers. She then caught a smell of something strange coming from outside. It was only when she saw one of the vampires light a torch that she recognized the smell,

"Oil," she breathed as the vampire threw the torch onto the snow. It was a trap. Fire shot up into the air and ran a ring around the line of caravans, trapping them. Half the carriages had rolled through the oil from before and immediately went up in flames.

Annaya violently chopped the head off of the first vampire that approached the door. Then she plunged her blade into the stomach of the next. As Annaya held off the intruders at the door, the convoy heard footsteps atop the roof. Nervously holding their swords at the ready the warrior maidens eyed the ceiling. Suddenly two blades sunk through the wood of the roof and stabbed into Helene and Bastet. The swords retracted from the ceiling and their bodies fell to the floor. Viola let out a frightened gasp and kneeled down to avoid the blades. Merina went to follow her lead but two silver discusses flew through the window and lodged themselves into her chest. The handmaiden fell lifeless onto Viola who in turn screamed in shock.

Annaya, who was continued to battle at the door heard the scream of her mistress and turned to see if she was in peril. With her concentration now lost a vampire took advantage of this and knocked her heard in the temple with the hilt of his sword. Annaya fell to the floor unconscious.

The vampire allowed himself a satisfied smirk as he kicked the lycan maiden out of his way. His eyes then trained themselves on Viola.

"The last of the lycan nobility, Viola Idwidge, daughter of the late William and the recently late Aurelia Idwidge. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Viola said nothing as the vampire approached her. She stood tall and still with her eyes staring forward. Her regal face held a stony expression although her jaw was tightly clinched shut. Her chest rose and fell with heavily controlled breaths. The vampire came so close to her that the fronts of his muddy boots were stepping on the hem of her white dress. Viola turned her head away from him; her eyes now gazed intensely out the window of the caravan. She kept her breaths slow and measured as she prepared herself for the end. The lycan noble then caught sight of a slight movement out of the corner of her eye. One of her handmaidens had just then regained consciousness from the pervious siege. It was Annaya.

The noble's heart leaped in a spring of hope but immediately ceased; although Annaya had her sword in hand she was too far away to reach her in time. The two women's eyes met and the lycan maiden's grip tightened on her sword as she forced herself to stand up. Her wounds from the fight earlier had left her crippled and weak. Overwhelming fear pressed down in the Annaya's stomach like a brick of led as the vampire spoke,

"Viktor sends his regards."

The next moment passed before the two lycans in the blink of an eye. The vampire stabbed Viola in the stomach with a long silver blade hidden in his cloak. Annaya watched in horror as her mistress's eyes roll back in her head from the pain as her attacker stabbed her again and again. Forcing herself to stand, Annaya quickly limped down the narrow isle towards them. The vampire grabbed Viola's hair and angrily yanked her head back exposing her white throat. Without a second of a pause he viciously bit down into her flesh.

"M'lady!" The wounded lycan maiden screamed as she lunged towards the vampire, her sword firmly held overhead.

Quickly dropping the lycan noble, the vampire whipped around and stabbed Annaya in abdomen. He watched as her sword slipped out of her hand. There was a loud clatter of steel on the floor coupled with the light pitter patter of dripping blood. Thoughts of what happened and what was soon to come buzzed around frantically in Annaya's mind. A panic stricken look passed across her face then her body crumpled to the ground.

The vampire tilted his head slightly so he could look her in the eyes. He regarded her with a fleeting grin then leaned down and pulled his weapon from her stomach. He watched fixated as her body began to spasm. He slowly wiped the blood off the silver dagger with a silk handkerchief.

Hearing the maiden's last breath escape her, the vampire slipped his weapon back in his coat. He dew in a deep breath, savoring the moment. His bright blue eyes flashed in the dim light as he turned to the exit of the caravan. As he made his speedy departure his heavy velvet cloak painted a thick stroke of red blood on the floor behind him. The soaked material made light slapping sounds as it hit each step on the way down from the coach. Moments later the vampire was gone. A chilling breeze replaced his presence as all fell silent and still. Lycan blood continued to pool onto the floor of the caravan as the lonely wind whistled gently through the open doorway. The ruby life essence of the last lycan noble was shamelessly spilled till there was not a drop left to drain.

AN: Hey! If you like this chapter please let me know by way of Review :) If not I might just keep this as a one-shot. Thanks for reading!