Helga laughed as she visualized the story Keji told her. She could practically see his gray eyes widening as the adult swooped down upon him in rebuke. “You are lucky zat you did nok fall from vindow,” she said, for in her mind she pictured him being quite startled. The story reminded Helga briefly of her own childhood, although she and her little gang normally stole chicken eggs and booked it, scattering in all directions. Keji's ending sentence did unsettle her some.
“Vhy? Vhy did you pray?” She remembered praying especially hard for her mother to get better when she was sick, and wondered what doom loomed on the young friends' horizon that inspired Keji to pray. Or perhaps it was only that he wanted to remain youthful and constantly caught in life's goodness. She couldn't blame him there. However, as long as Helga could breath and the sun and stars hung in the sky, she knew she could find some contentment. Before Keji could answer, she asked a new question. Dread lacing her next words, “Vhat happened to your frriend, Drama?"

"Killed."
The blunt statement was riddled with bitterness as Keji spoke. Suddenly standing, the elf offered a hand to Helga.
"Killed by what we are - by a vampire." By what I am, and always will be. "It was only last week, just around the time I met Esmme."
The second in command didn't elaborate, but merely shrugged. "We should head back."

Keji's one word explanation seized Helga's breath. Her brown eyes wide, she felt something pinched behind her ribs. Helga was stunned into muteness as Keji even gave a species to the killer. A vampire. Helga fearfully wondered if it had been one of her old clan. "Do nok be silly," she thought, "Ve vere in Russia."
Silently, she took Keji's offered hand, ready to follow him anywhere, although she would much rather stay under the stars. Keeping her gaze low, she avoided his eyes. Something about his revelation seemed to be utmostly personal. "I should nok 'ave asked," she told herself.
Finally she spoke, "I am very sorry. I vish for you justice and 100 times past joy. And you vill have it, I prromise." She put her fist over her heart and looked at him with fierce determination. Helga knew enough not to pry much further into this murder just yet, but it seemed to be that an adventure with cause loomed on her horizon. As the wind picked up loose strands of her auburn hair, she emphasized her hope of Keji's happiness, "Your face vas made for to be laughing. You vill have the joy again."

Seeing her so enthusiastic about helping him find joy, Keji smiled grimly. The elf kept hold of Helga's cold hand all the way back to the den; through the forests. When they arrived, Esmme was waiting at the entrance.
"What took you so long?"
Keji bowed his head and released his clan member's hand before stepping forward. "It is my fault, Es. We were talking after the hunt."
The clan leader nodded, seeming distracted. "I want you to keep an eye on the door," she said, motioning toward the front of the cave. "I've been smelling something different."
Keji nodded, and moved to crouch near the rocks at the opening.

Curiosity perked in Helga. She sniffed at the air, but her senses were clearly not as highly trained as Esmme's. Again, appreciating her clan leader, Helga asked her, "Vhat is it dat you are smelling?" She lifted her nose again to the air and inhaled deeply. Still nothing. "Dis is somet'ing nok good, yes?" Helga creased her brow and put her hands on her hips. She wanted to be a useful part of this clan. Doing her best to appear determined and strong, she mentally prepared herself for whatever may happen next.

Esmme met Helga's gaze with her own cold blue eyes, and motioned toward Keji. "Keep an eye on him. What I smell is an enemy clan, or perhaps some of the human's getting too close." The leader stepped into her room in teh back of the cave, leaving her clan to watch the night fading away.

Keji sniffed the air, not sensing or smelling anything out of the ordinary. His senses were definitely not honed toward his vampiric ways, and elves weren't the best 'smellers'. He heard Helga ask Esmme what was wrong, but the elven woman was as vague as ever. Crouching lower, Keji looked out into the lightening night. Was that movement? Or just his imagination?

The sky was growing more and more hazy and purple. There was light enough for Helga to see the clouds on the edge of the horizon easily. Instead of enjoying the softer colors creeping into the sky, Helga crouched low to the ground. She narrowed her eyes and pinned her vision to crust of the earth. Something was coming, but all the while, she did her best to pay equal attention to the elven vampire near her. When he lowered himself even further to the ground, Helga felt her muscles grow taut. She wondered if he saw something. “There!” her mind shouted. “Somet'ing shifted over there,” she thought. She closed her eyes for a second, her lips parted slightly, in an attempt to raise her sensory skills. She wanted to feel, smell, taste on the air whatever it was that had Esmme keep them posted out there. The air moved slowly over trees, rustling their leaves and tasting a bit like rain. Rain and. . . something else. She could not sense anything more specific. This brief time focusing on all but sight raised her awareness, though. Her heart beat just a little faster. Without a doubt, she knew something or someone was coming. Were it merely a couple humans, the threat would exist, but the fight would be so unbalanced in her clan's favor that she wasn't too worried. Were it a full rival clan, the chances of the Cullyn clan being smaller by the next night were a lot higher. Opening her eyes, she peered out once more, the sight before her making her eyes wider.

dear god i'm thirsty. if i dont find water soon, im toast i thought to myself. my name is Auda and I'm a wolf. nothing special, im ice blue in coloring, with blue eyes, and a black nose. that's about all that's special about me. other than the fact that i have no clan. that and i havent eaten or drank in about 5 days. i really need to do something quick. *then suddenly, i trip and fall into a clearing with a cave in front of me. the hair on my back rises, I can smell something, but i dont know what. but there's more than one. i dont like this. but i'd better play it safe. i can't let them know how weak i am *growls and bares his teeth, waiting for the inevitable confrontation ahead in the fight to survive*

Keji's grey eyes widened, and he backed away slowly. "Es?" he called into the back of the cave. With his fangs bared, the vampire seemed unsure. He cast a glance at Helga. "Should we attack it?"
Examining the blue wolf, the second in command stepped further back into the cave. The sun was rising, much to his disdain. He used to love the sun, but could no longer bear it's touch. The elf watched the animal in the mouth of the cave, envying the creatures ability to stand the warm rays.
Esmme appeared suddenly, staring at the pale wolf with a strange look in her icey eyes.
"What should we do?" Keji asked, crouching defensively in front of his leader. Esmme shook her head - not a solid answer.
"Why are you here?" the vampire asked, her voice strong as she stepped toward the wolf. "You shouldn't be on our lands, animal. You'd end up our dinner if we hadn't fed already." With the dimly glowing rays of sun hitting the ground just in front of her, Esmme didn't shy away from the light. Instead she stood tall, her blue eyes locked on the intruder, her short hair flying about her pale face.

Helga stared, eyes wide, at the blue wolf. Never in all her adventures had she seen such a creature. Almost unsure that she was seeing it even now, she squeezed her eyes together to make sure the color of the growling creature was seen correctly the first time. It was.
Keji had asked her, "Should we attack it?" At first she only answered with a lame shrug, still stunned by the wolf. "I do nok know," she whispered back after the briefest moment.

The sun, growing ever more eager, pushed its territory boundaries closer and closer to the members of the Cullyn clan. Having it's warmth on her skin was one experience that Helga knew she wanted nothing to do with. At least not after being bitten. Following Keji's lead, she moved away from it's advances. Esmme, though, stood her ground. "Not'ing can phase her," Helga thought proudly. At the same time, she admired Keji's prudence for stepping away.
As Helga listened to the clan leader question the wolf, she kept her attention on the canine, anticipating some sort of response.

what is this? this woman in front of me. yet not a woman. she sure smells like one. but thats not the only thing i smell on her. death. definitely the stench of death, but there's more. i smell fear, but what courage!? she is definitely afraid but i sense it's not because of me. but more for the fact that i am here and am a threat that she had not anticipated please, don't force my hand. I am weak and I am hungry. treat me as you would a plant that has been neglected by a small child after its interest has waned. show some kindness, let me eat and then, do with me as you will. Allow me to stay and work off my debt for the rest of my days, or allow me to leave with good-will. but please, just let me eat the world gets blurry and begins to spin. it's at this point that darkness takes over and...

Esmme stepped forward, wincing visibly as the sun's rays struck her pale skin. "Keji," she hissed, wrapping her strong arms about the wolf's furry neck and pulling it into the cave. Keji was a bit more hesitant before stepping out into the sun's rays. They burned more than anything he could ever imagine. Taking one step into the light, the elf hissed and yanked back.
"I can't, Es." The desperation in his voice made him sound younger. Already there were scalding marks on his white skin; burns.
Esmme gritted her fanged teeth, pulling as hard as she could and dragging the huge wolf further into the darkness. By the time she had gotten the animal far enough into the shadows, the leader collapsed beside the blue beast. With her skin smoking and blackened, patches of her seemed to burn steadily and glow like embers. Painful, to say the least.
The vampire clenched her teeth and motioned for Keji and Helga to pull the trespassing dog further back from the sun.
"Pull him into the dining area," she said, sounding pained.
Keji quickly obeyed, despite his small burns. His leader was far worse than he was, and he wanted to help however he could - after all, he had failed her when she had asked for his aid. He had to make up for it.

Helga had seen time and time again the effects of a vampire in the sun. Her old clan leader decided it was a decent form of punishment and entertainment. Never had Helga been forced to withstand the full force of the sun. More often than not she was left in the shadows, punished by having to watch the smoke curl up from her fellow clan members skin. The sun light against the white white skin of a vampire was almost a blinding reflection in itself. Well, at least it was for as long as the skin remained healthy enough to be white. None of Helga's old clan lasted as long as Helga just witnessed Esmme do.
This more than stunned her. In fact, it wasn't until they had retreated completely into the cave, with Esmme collapsed on the cool stone floor, that she was able to blink her amazement away.
Keji was quick to obey after his burns, Helga saw that. Helga herself paused as Keji dragged the wolf into the dinning area.
"Vhat is it dat I can do for you, Esmme?"
Even with all of her punishment viewing, Helga remained unaccustomed to the healing process of such burns, because there never was one before.
"Is it vater that you need? Or the cream for the skin?"

Esmme met Helga's eyes with her own, gratitude within them. "I need to return to my room," she said, running a blackened finger over a scalded cheek that still seemed to burn slowly. "And I need to feed." She grimaced as she pulled herself to her feet. "Will you help me, newcomer? Not only as your leader, but as your friend?"

Keji watched the two women after he pulled the wolf into the dining area. Helga could help the clan leader. It was his job to keep an eye on the unconscious animal. Sighing he sat down beside the creature, running a pale hand through it's fluffy blue fur. Why did the wolf come to their den? Most creatures stayed far away from vampires, especially their home. Keji kept his grey eyes on the dog as he thought.

Helga felt her chest puff with pride. She could not remember feeling so honored in the past. Perhaps the closest she got to this feeling was any time her father asked her to join him on a particularly dangerous mission. She had nearly screamed in delight, when her father asked her to join him on the first treacherous adventure. It had been a slippery struggle up a mountainside to investigate rumors of a reclusive group of werewolves in one mysterious and dilapidated mansion.
But now, her clan leader had called her her friend. There was no such thing as friendship in her previous clan, especially with the authorities.
"Vhy yes, I vill help you vith anyt'ing." From the outside, her smile may have seemed inappropriate as her leader ("No, friend," she thought) was so seriously injured and the blue wolf was unconscious, but internally she knew of no other reaction to gaining what she had.
Helga maneuvered Esmme's arm around her shoulders carefully. "Ve vill first put you on your bed, yes?" Helga stood slowly. "Den I vill go and bring back dinner. This is good, yes?"
She smiled brilliantly over her shoulder at Keji (now kindly patting the wolf), and started their slow sojourn to Esmme's room.

hmm, this is weird. I didn't think I would be cold when i died. I was always told that I would see a warm, white light at the end of a tunnel. But it's cold.....and dark..FUCK!!! I'M GOING TO HELL!!! BUT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, I LIVED A GOOD LIFE! FOR SHIT'S SAKE, I EVEN SPARED A SQUIRREL THE OTHER DAY!!! ....Wait. What is that noise? Innnnnn Outttt. Innnnnn Outttt. Why do i keep saying that? Oh! It's breathing... but whose?? It's rhythmic, like a person lost in thought. Is it me? And why do I feel pressure? Not bad pressure, but it's continuous. More like a loop, beginning, then ending, only to begin again. Humph! I don't like not knowing what's going on. Time to wake up!! Hello Auda!!! Wake up!! Wake up before i chop off your tail!!!!! *makes a barely audible groan as the weak wolf begins to stir*"wha...?"*my eyes slowly begin to open*"wha....go...on??"* he attempts to say through dry and cracked lips*"why....so...dar???*then just as suddenly as he wakens, he falls back to sleep again*

((I hope I don't sound too stupid in asking, but is the blue wolf a werewolf?))

hahaha no worries, no, just a regular wolf. that can talk lol

((Okay, that's what I thought at first, but I wanted to check. Thanks. :) ))

hehe no probs. love the accent btw hehe

((Oh, thank you very much. :3))

Esmme grimaced, but nodded in agreement. "Rest, then food. Thank you. You have the makings of an excellent clan member in you."
When they were in the leader's warmly furnished room, she gently pulled away from Helga and sat on her bed. "If you'd bring me . . . dinner, I'd really appreciate it." She caught the joy that radiated from the vampire's eyes, the skip in her step. It made Esmme smile slightly as she watched.

Keji started back in surprise, leaping away from the wolf and dropping into a crouch. When the animal once again lay still, the elf slowly crept back up to it and resumed his spot. Sitting down, he stroked it's blue flank. It spoke, he thought in confusion. Did Es know that when she talked to it? Shaking his head, the vampire stood. Food and water were customary when keeping an eye on guests. Gathering a slab of meat from the only icebox in the cavern, Keji brought it over to the wolf.
"Hey," he whispered, feeling rather foolish to be talking to an animal. "Are you hungry?"

*sniff sniff* *starts to drool abit* mmmmm. stupid monkeys.

Keji glanced over at Helga as she left Esmme's blue curtained room. His grey eyes followed the woman into the kitchen area before he spoke. "Is she doing alright?" he asked, worry lancing through his voice. The elf glanced back down at the blue wolf before tossing the slab of meat in front of it's nose. "Do you think Es'll be okay?"

Hegla was more than pleased to hear that Esmme thought that she had the makings of being a good clan leader. While her grin seemed to be pushing the boundaries of her small face, she nodded eagerly to Esmme and made her way out of the clan leader's room.
As Helga made her way to the kitchen, she looked over Keji taking care of the worn out wolf.
Keji wasn't able to find any joy now, that was obvious. His brow was knit together with worry and his eyes shone with concern.
"Do you think Es'll be okay?" he asked. Instantly, her smile faded. She paused where she was, just within the kitchen.
"Yes. I think she vill be fine. . ." but the tone of her voice belied her apparent certainty. Helga inwardly shook herself. With more courage behind it, she said, "She vill be fine. Give it time."
Helga busied herself grabbing a green glass bottle of blood. Thinking again, she grabbed a second, just in case. . .
Pausing, she turned again to her companion. Again he seemed so sad. "Vill you be okay?" she asked softly. "I know that Esmme will make it. She is strrong."