A/N: Wow, so it has been quite some time since I've updated. Mucho appoligies! Please enjoy! Thank you everyone who has reviewed and kept on reading my story despite my tardiness with updating.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Chapter 11

- XI -

A foggy mist was settling in over the moors, followed by a tense feeling in the air. The mist was heavy and created a bleak landscape with nightfall closely falling. A middle-aged hunter was walking with a bag of rabbits slung over his shoulder. He was returning back to his house after trapping some game in the moors and got caught in the fog. The fog can come rather swiftly. He was humming himself a song with heavy breathing and was thinking to himself if his wife would make a stew with the rabbits.

He was humming merrily, until he heard something in the distance. He stopped and listened for a moment. It sounded like hooves thundering on the ground. He looked around trying to find the source of the noise, but couldn't discern in what direction it was coming from; the fog hindered sight and distorted sound.

The noise became louder and the hunter could see a black figure emerging from the mist.

A horse trotted through parting the mist with its hooves on the sodden ground. The horse's nostrils flared as it took in the hazy air.

The rider's silhouette was cloaked in black and appeared intimidating against the bleak fog. It was like a phantom appearing out of the thick air. The horse stood still for a moment, as its master tugged the reins to render the horse still.

The hunter stood speechless, thinking that it was death appearing to him, for it certainly looked like him, but he rode no pale horse, but a horse from the shadows.

A very low and still voice emerged from the rider, which made the hunter's being chill at the sound. The voice was enticing, but was like ice. It contained no emotion from the empty shell beneath the rider's cloak.

"Have you seen a young lady walk through these parts?" The rider questioned in his hollow voice.

The hunter stumbled with his words; he didn't know what to say to this death-like visage. This rider certainly gave no warmth or feel of a human. It had to be Death wanting this poor lass's soul.

"No, m'lord, I haven't seen the likes. I've just finished snaring some rabbits for me wife at home," said the hunter in a feeble tone, averting his eyes from the dark rider, hoping that he wouldn't take his soul in her stead.

The rider remained silent and the horse grunted while it shook its head. The hunter's legs began to quiver a little from the dead silence and the unnerving sensation surrounding the threatening rider. The hunter couldn't take it any longer; the coldness emitting from the rider was infiltrating his very soul and made him very anxious.

"If that'll be all, m'lord, I'll go now back to me wife," the hunter stammered, and lowered his head as he turned away from the rider, wanting to get as far away from the damned creature and its damned rider.

The hunter looked behind him and saw the black figure and horse slowly being enveloped in the fog. He breathed a sigh of relief, and continued back on his route to his house.

The hunter looked out into the fog in front of him, and his heart stopped. Like an apparition, the black figure and horse was before him. A veil of coldness and muteness descended around the hunter.

"Blimey, it's bloody Death…" was all the hunter could mutter with his mouth agape. His eyes were wide as orbs and his eyebrows were skewed.

There was a sound of iron cutting flesh. The hunter's head flew severed from his body and rolled on the moor's muddy floor. The body then fell lifelessly down and made a thump on the sodden ground.

"There will be a wake of corpses leading to you, Isabella, let us see how long this aisle runner will be," the rider spoke to no one, with his hollow voice falling in the fog. His lips curled in a smirk under his black hood, "I will always haunt you."

The rider then clucked his tongue and the horse began to gallop at a fast pace, treading up earth in its wake. The rider's ebony cloak billowed behind him … it could have been mistaken for a pair of black wings flying through the mist with hell following behind him.

Guards of the Turks with their bows and scimitars were chatting on guard on top of the gateway of a good sized fortress. There were fires burning, trying to berate the infiltrating cold night. The guards were dressed in traditional garb with layers of garments and had tan complexion with strongly etched features and black wiry beards. Their dark eyes glinted in the firelight.

They were chatting and laughing, talking about stories of the past and rumors of a black dragon wreaking havoc over the land. They laughed over this, saying wolves are more cunning and dangerous than one dragon.

A dog, just outside the fortress, began barking out in the night, with its breath coming out with quick puffs of vapor in the cold.

The guards quickly became alert and looked out in the darkness with their bows at the ready, their eyes peering into the night.

"What do you see, Felek?" one guard muttered down to the dog as he gazed out in the night. The sound of horse's hooves became prominent in the distance and slowly the visage of a rider came into view.

A guard squinting closely, quickly recognized him as the King's son with his garment attire and horse. He called out,

"It's the Prince! Quickly open the gates! Acele et!"

The guards at the gate's doors quickly clutched the rope to hoist up the gate, heaving with all their might. Their arms were powerful tools and they groaned at the extraordinary weight.

The Turkish rider trotted into the small fortress gateway with the dog happily following alongside the horse. Guards brimming with relief immediately ran to greet him. The prince was well liked with the military and was himself a great strategic leader. He had fought many battles alongside his men and proved to be a dominant adversary. They knew that even though the prince was a young man, he had acquired much knowledge and skill that extended far above the levels of most of the guards. They regarded him highly and with great respect.

"Hoş geldiniz!" yelled out the captain of the guard, walking up to prince's horse with a grin, and patted the horse warmly, but he realized something wasn't right.

"Hoş bulduk," replied the prince hurriedly, "Quick, I need your assistance with this young lady. She is in need of treatment and I fear she is close to death."

"Who is she?" The captain suddenly asked, looking at the figure wrapped in the prince's azure cloak. He could see a face that looked frail and delicate, but almost lost all of its liveliness and color.

"I do not know," replied the prince swiftly, "but she is on the verge of passing if we wait any longer."

The captain didn't question the prince at that moment for he saw the concern in his eyes. There will be questions about the commoner, with no doubt, but the captain decided to leave that till later for other people to discuss. The only concern the prince had was for the safety of this woman, which was enough for the captain to allow her entry. The captain reached out his arms and took the figure in the cloak from the prince's arms.

"You are too good of a Samaritan," the captain muttered as he held the woman in his arms, while the prince dismounted his horse.

"No, I just do what I am able to do," the prince stated unquestioningly, quickly handing the reigns to the stable boy to take the horse to the stables.

"As what a great king would do," the captain added sarcastically.

"Please take care of her, and give me news of her condition," the prince hastily added, "I have to speak to my father on some issues that have arisen while he has been away from the country."

The captain nodded his head, and the prince departed to his father's chambers. The captain then went swiftly to find aid for this woman in his arms.

"You are quite fortunate to have fallen in such good favor with the prince," the captain whispered to the unconscious woman he held, whose head swayed back and forth in his arms with each step he took.

In a dream..

Bella was running in the woods that were covered with snow, she was gasping for breath with flushed cheeks.

She was trudging in the snow, falling over with her feet getting stuck in locks of snow. She was pushing away branches and running with all her might. She was afraid of what was behind her.

She looked behind frightfully, hearing things off in the distance. She could hear twigs snapping and yet she couldn't see anyone, but she knew he was there.

Her adrenaline was flowing through her veins and her heart was beating madly. She was truly afraid and scared to death. She knew she couldn't stop; she had to keep on running. She will always have to run. She couldn't sleep, or he will finally catch her.

Bella's steps crunched in the snow and her hair was blowing in chestnut cascades in the wind. Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her eyes watered. She was running, but she suddenly tripped over a snow covered tree root that caused her to fall to the floor.

She tried to get up, but her ankle screamed in pain, and she suppressed a cry, by placing her cold hands to her mouth. She pushed herself up, and limped a few paces with agony, but only to fall back down on her back on the snowy floor. Her hands were burning in the snow, and her body was numb in the cold, but all she could do was lie there.

Her head quickly turned to where she heard branches snapping, knowing that he was not far away. She waited there for a long time, yet there was no one there.

Bella closed her eyes tightly and her lip was quivering from both the cold and fright. She then felt a warm finger on her lip, stopping her lips from trembling. The finger was then replaced with lips kissing hers softly, giving warmth to her cold mouth.

Bella then opened her eyes and were met with eyes the most brilliant hue of the sea. She just stared into those eyes, lost in them, as if she was under a spell.

The kisses became more possessive and hungry with Bella lying there transfixed by his stare. Bella's body became motionless under his with a burning fire filling her body.

"Let me fill you," were the words murmured hungrily into her mouth.

Bella woke up to a dog licking her face, and she coughed, trying to shove the muzzle away. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and made a sour face from her canine visitor. The dog was panting happily and resumed lying down by her legs on the bed.

Bella took a moment to collect her thoughts, and then it dawned on her, she wasn't in her captor's keeping and managed to escape alive from him, but the question was, where was she now?

"Where am I?" Bella asked feebly to the dog. The dog just continued staring at her, with its smiling panting face and thumping tail.

All she could remember was being carried away by dark waters, and that was the memory she had last. Someone had to have rescued her from her from the waters. She thought she had drowned with her recollection of how things went.

Bella let out a sigh of relief, she was alive and she could see her father again. She started laughing to herself, because she was overwhelmed with relief, but her laughing soon ended when she remembered her captor's threatening words…"Anything that you dare to do that involves in escaping in any way possible will result in severe consequences" .

Bella knew she had to escape for she was certain her life depended on it. However, she wasn't so certain what consequences would unfold.

She brought her knees under her chin and bit her lip. Where was her captor? He probably is searching for her this very moment, but wouldn't he think her dead from drowning? What will he do now? Bella frowned and began worrying about her father. Would he go after her father? She had to go see her father as soon as possible; she would never forgive herself if he was harmed. He was her only family and friend.

Bella tried getting up from the bed, but she wasn't strong enough with her muscles screaming for her to rest. She groaned in frustration and sat upright to look around the chamber.

It was nicely lit compared to her other bedchamber with the Black Dragon. There were furnishings that weren't from this country, but from some other land. She felt like it was from a different world. It looked beautiful with the brilliant fabrics and intricate pieces that adorned the table. She couldn't explain, but she felt safe here – anything far away from her captor is considered safe.

She leaned over to pet the dog lying by her legs and scratched the back of his ears.

"Are you my guardian?" Bella smiled to the dog. The dog leaned its head further in Bella's hand, enjoying the attention.

"Who is your master? I would like to thank whoever rescued me and brought me here," Bella sighed, and reclined back into the comfortable pillows. She stared up at the ceiling and was anxious to travel to her father as soon as possible. She coughed a bit, and groaned. The frigid water and bitter weather gave her a terrible cold. She smiled faintly; it's the price she paid for escaping from that demon.

There was then a light knock on the chamber's door. Bella sat upright and nervously said, "I'm awake."

An older woman entered the chamber, wrapped in garments, which enveloped her hair and circling her face. She looked over at Bella with small watchful eyes. Her eyes were covered by cataracts, which gave them a milky sheen. Her skin was wrinkled and discolored from the sun, which gave her an aged wizened look.

Bella stared at the old woman, particularly her eyes; they look like they could somehow see everything despite their foggy white appearance.

Before Bella could speak a word, the old woman cut her off, "You are bad luck here! You are betrothed to the Demon King," she hissed through her teeth in broken English and followed by spitting on the floor, "No one else may see, but I can see your soul and know it belongs to a demon!"

The old woman quickly placed the pitcher of water and cloth on the table and hurried out of the room. Bella could only stare at the door where the woman had left, completely shocked with eyes wide and a frightened looked etched all over her face.

A/N: I hope you continue reading!