ℭacoethes Scribendi - The Ƙeeper's Musings

[Boots]

Foreword

"I often find myself pausing for thought when beginning a new story.
After all, there are many ways in which one could begin their tale.

Once upon a time... perhaps a compelling flashback, or a strong,
declarative statement? No, in this- as all things, I must write from
the heart; and so I will begin with a simple introduction.

I am no hero, nor renowned scholar, I am no-one of importance, really.
From the moment my gaze first fell upon the pages of a book, I found
myself transported to a world unlike anything I knew. I've since had
countless adventures with my imaginary friends, the characters I have
come to know, and adore. It was no surprise to my father that I wished
to continue in the steps of so many great writers who came before me.

I must implore you understand, dear reader- that while some of the
stories within these pages may seem silly or foreign to you, they are
everything to me. May you find solace in them as I did, in my time."

~ Felicia Defleo, Darkonian Refugee & Wayfarer.

[Boots]

I. - The Father Dwarf

"I bet you half this apple you can't hit it in the head!"

The skinny, dirty boy howled at the eight year old Book Keeper,
who's knobbly knees buckled at the sight of the being in the
darkness. Her stomach let out a hungry growl as she spied
the other half of the apple in his hand. She knew her parents
would just about murder her for being out after dark, and
doing a thing like this, no less.

Fighting back a mixture of fear, anxiety and dizziness, The
Book Keeper bent, and with a shaking hand, hurled a pebble
that hit it's target with a small clack. Relief flooded through
her as she saw it disappear into the shadows, and she turned
back to the boy with a smug grin.

"I hit him! D-Did you see? I hit him right in the head!"
She stammered excitedly, hugging her book to her chest,
her twin braids bouncing- her wide smile however, quickly
fading into a worried frown... for the boy, too, had vanished.
The young Book Keeper realised just how dark it had become,
and as her sea-green eyes turned up to the sky, she gulped.

The moon was completely covered by stormy clouds, it seemed
to the child a large blanket had been thrown over it. She reached
out a small hand, mesmerised, until her fingers brushed against
something... cold. Something slimy.

Her terror filled shriek echoed into the village nearby, but the
Father Dwarf had already known this was going to happen. He
had followed the little girl out of the city and into the surrounding
forest, watching. The Book Keeper felt herself jerked back and
lifted by something strong, and just as she sucked in a breath to
scream once more-

A revolting, squishing sound filled the keeper's ears! As she looked
down, she saw the Father Dwarf leap onto the beast that had
grasped her, and bring his mighty axe down upon it's grasping limb
with a powerful swing. The Keeper fell, rolling down the hill and
scraping her elbows and knees.

At the bottom of the hill, feeling very sorry for herself, she stared
up at the thick bearded, barrel-chested dwarven man with his full
head of mahogany braided hair and the stubborn, angry look in his
eyes as he lifted her carefully and carried her home, to a lecture
and a stifling hug from her weakened mother.

The other children came to visit the very next day, asking all about
what it was that had attacked her in the wood, and the Keeper told
them all a tale of a ferocious giant- looking across the yard and sharing a
thankful, secret smile with the Father Dwarf, ever watchful, ever
vigilant- to be known as her own father in a way, from that day onwards.

[Boots]

II. - The Shepherd (& The Mouse, Part I.)

The night was dark and miserable, the bony arms of dying trees
scratched and slapped against the windows filling the draughty
home with eerie sounds. It was far too cold to play outside,
and The young Book Keeper was coming down with sickness again.
She had run into her parent's room this night, curled up between
them hot with fever, tossing and turning through her nightmares
as The Mother stroked her pale hair softly, making soothing sounds
until she fell asleep.

She was woken up by The Mother, panic in her eyes- shaking the
Keeper in her bed. "Get up, you must get up. We have to leave."
Lifting the confused, sleepy child into her arms, The Mother hurried
around the room, ensuring that the child was dressed as warmly as
possible. They did not have much, but every last bit of the parent's
earnings went to ensuring their child was content.

"Mother, where are we going?"

The little Keeper whimpered, her gaze straying to the open window
that let the frightening cacophony from the streets outside into their
home.

"I'm s-scared. My chest hurts."

The Mother looked down at her with tears in her eyes, pressing a kiss
to her forehead.

"I've got you, my love. I'll not let anything touch you. We must go now,
and we mustn't tarry. It is very important. Do you understand?"

With the Keeper clung to her for dear life, The Mother hefted a
bag of what little food they had left, mostly rotten, and blankets,
onto her back to carry. The deafening sounds of terror grew
louder as they got outside, and the Keeper saw a scene she
no longer recognised as home. Flames licked up the walls of the
other houses, catching to the next along the road, and families
of all ages fled the buildings carrying whatever they could.

The night air was filled with screams and cries, both of terror
and of desperation. Thus, the Keeper began to weep. Not
because she was afraid, but because she knew they would
not be coming back.

The mother and daughter continued on slowly, pushing through
the violent throng of people and keeping to the edge of the chaos.

She couldn't see her Father, anywhere. The Keeper feared that
he had crossed over into the grey realm. Up ahead, the road
began to thin out. The throng of people merged into one, slowly
moving train of now refugees.

A muffled squeak up ahead caused The Keeper to lift her
sleepy head up from The Mother's shoulder, and directly
behind her she came face to face with a large, terrifying
warrior boy. His face had been cut recently, directly across
one side, and as their gazes met,  sea-green to piercing
glacial blue, she swallowed, and pointed.

"Y-You have a mouse in your bag, Domine?"

The Shepherd laughed somewhat bitterly, tiredly, and turned
slightly to reveal the little messy haired girl on his back. She
was staring at The Keeper, just... staring. She looked about
her age, and her eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

She reached out one gloved hand, brushing it curiously
against the girl's forehead. And for another hour or so, the
two girls just.. stared at one and other. As the days went on,
she began to shiver. The shivering, quickly turning into fatigue,
she was so tired. She was exhausted. She began to slip in and
out of consciousness, fever rose in her little body as a haunting
reminder that they had a long way to go.

"Where are we going?"

She murmured to The Mother, who was not looking in good health
at this point.

"Karg, love. There is room for us there."

As the arduous journey wore on, the four began to pass the
time swapping tales of how good the food would taste,
how warm the blankets were and how hot the tea was.
Even The Mouse began to join in, asking The Shepherd
what kind of food there would be in Karg to eat.

Nearly seven days it took them, to make that walk. The Keeper
and The Mouse became fast friends, clinging to each other's
hands when The Keeper was healthy enough to walk, though
the Shepherd was never far behind and her free hand was
always clutching to her mother's. Among a chaotic throng
of mothers parted from children, husbands parted from wives,
brothers from sisters. Were they finally on their way home?

[Budly]

A small note is tucked into the book.

Dearest Feli. What are these stories? Are they true? What is this? Seriously. Feli? Are you okay? Feli? Papa knows everything, dear.

Papa Defleo

[Boots]

III. - The Grumpy Dwarf

The Book Keeper pushed her spectacles up her nose somewhat,
peering over the counter at the large dwarven man beyond, pounding
away at something she couldn't quite see. His powerful arms sent
sparks flying into the air, sparks that her gaze followed with wonder
to watch them spiral upwards towards the sky. 

She called out, hugging her book to her chest. "H-Hello? Hello!"
It was in vain, her voice was far too soft. Fortunately, someone seemed
to have heard her! A thick hand clapped down upon the Keeper's shoulder,
causing her to yelp and adjust her glasses, peering over said shoulder.

"What'dye wan' kid." The Keeper gasped and then beamed,
recognising the young female Dwarf with the perpetual grumpy expression.
The keeper would inquire about the Father Dwarf, and if the Grumpy Dwarf
had seen him or not.

It became noted, that this was indeed the Father Dwarf's little sister.
The Keeper immediately embraced her, giggling childishly and taking
her hand much to the Grumpy Dwarf's surprise. She introduced herself with
an excited hand shake, and followed the Grumpy Dwarf back to her home,
where a rather.. plump Dwarven woman had begun laying out a thick, low
table with all kinds of great smelling food.

The home was warm and cozy, brightly lit, with colours on every bit of
furniture. The chairs felt like satin to her tired backside, and the cake
was at least four tiers high.

The Keeper had never -seen- so much food before. She blinked, standing
in the doorway as the Father Dwarf offered a hearty laugh, standing by his
mother with his arms folded across his barrel-like chest. The Grumpy Dwarf,
seemingly more at home in this small, modest home offered an awkward half smile.

"S'a special occasion, little Flea." How could it be that they had
remembered her birthday, and The Mother had not? The Keeper closed the
door behind her and quickly sat down with the others, reaching for a buttered
roll and stuffing it into her mouth.

She paused, frowning. "Wait, wait right here!" She yelped, leaping
from her seat to call for Mouse down the street. Hand in hand the girls came
running back inside, and The Keeper fed the little Mouse until she was fit to
burst. A night of merrymaking and laughter, perhaps strange in this difficult life
they had found for themselves, a night the Keeper would not soon forget, nor
the Grumpy Dwarf when she had fallen over from drinking too much ale. She
had such lovely braids, too..

[Boots]

IV. - The Wood Cutter

It had grown quiet in the Old Mill, And the Keeper had just
put the last patron to bed upstairs. "Goodnight, Book lady."
The woman teased, as the Keeper shut the door quietly with a
soft smile and padded back down the soft carpet of the stairs to
the prettily decorated rooms below. She swept quickly, putting
up the chairs and wiping down the bar. The others had already
gone home, leaving her to her solitude.

The Keeper enjoyed these quiet times, where she was able to sit
by the fire and read her favourite stories, where nobody could
disturb her. However this was not a night she was to find peaceful,
as the moment her rear touched the seat by the fireplace, the
door burst open, and a large, ferocious beast stood in the night.

He was at least ten feet all, and -HUGE-, the Keeper cried out
with fear and ran behind the counter, hiding.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Large footsteps approached the bar. A shadow loomed tall over
The Keeper, who stood bolt upright, staring her attacker in the face!

The Wood Cutter muttered lowly to himself, sticking his thick hands
into his pockets as he trudged through the field. Mud stuck to his boots,
and his heavy axe swung up onto his shoulder. He hadn't eaten in days.
Gods, was he hungry.

He'd planned to hit the Old Mill after dark, raid their pantry. As soon as
the sun set he made off, the huge man trudging through alley ways and
under small bridges, until he arrived at his destination- and simply booted
the door in.

A mousey squeal of fear was heard, as a teenaged, pale-haired
vision flashed across his sight, behind the counter. He stomped
over and glanced down, raising a brow. Sea-green eyes met to
his own, wide, and... afraid.

"Ah, hell." He thought to himself. "I can't hurt a girl."

He awkwardly stared at her for a while, before extending his
large paw. "M' The Wood Cutter." He introduced himself.
"I'm the K-Keeper." She said, placing a hand in his and
allowing him to help her up. His hand dwarfed hers, and it clearly
made her uncomfortable.

Though it didn't stop her from sitting him down and filling his belly,
and keeping him warm and entertained with stories until morning.
"I don't entirely mind this girl." He mused to himself,
before passing out on the rug before the fire.

[Boots]

Once upon a time there was a little snow flake.
The little frostling enjoyed spending time floating around in the kingdom
of clouds with her sisters and brothers, delighting in the beautiful dancing
of their kind. She'd always ached to see the world below, and was filled with
hope as it was soon to become winter.

Her father floated down to announce that she was to be the one to deliver
winter this season. Knowing of course what that meant, the little snowflake
danced with joy and immediately began the journey down from the cloud, whirling
and twirling towards the wide green pastures she had always dreamed of.

As she began to descend, her vision was assaulted with a thousand colours.
She gasped, astounded at how lovely the world was without the blanket of
snow her family brought each season, there was just so much... life. She
descended further, and floated closer to the small village below to get a
closer look. But as she did, parents began ushering their children inside,
and soon the village was empty. Had she scared them away? She didn't understand.

She floated through the village, and moved through to the next town,
where the same thing happened. Villagers ran for their homes shouting
"Winter comes!" A little upset by this point, the little snowflake
began to move slower, on her way to the next city. She dragged her
little icey limbs through the air, and didn't twirl. Not even once.

Once she had visited all of the villages in the land, she began her slow
float back over the land. But as she reached the first village again, she
saw the strangest sight. The very same children who had fled indoors,
had now come outside. They were.. laughing! One small boy had begun
making a man from the snow at his feet, and his brothers and sisters
giggled as they pelted each other with balls of snow and ice.

The little snow flake beamed with happiness, soaring high into the sky
with a hundred spins, as she began to dance her way back home to
the coldest cloud in the sky. Something caught her eye, however, in
a frosted meadow below her.

A spot of bright yellow, against the snow. She danced towards it,
mesmerised. And as she came closer, she realised with surprise,
 that it was a rather proud looking daisy. "What are you doing,
flower? You'll die in this weather." The little snowflake exclaimed.
The daisy looked up at her and smiled, announcing happily.
"Yes, but I will return with the spring, as I do each passing
winter. You cannot stop me, little snowflake."

Amused by his stubbornness, and willingness to stay, she danced
around him, and the two grew close. She promised him she would
return before spring, and they would dance together on the edge
of frost, and sun.

The days flew by, and soon enough, the frost upon the ground
began to melt away. Flowers began to bloom all over the daisy's
meadow, and the little snowflake realised, with horror, that she
did not have much time. She ran as fast as her little arms and
legs could take her, tears welling up in her eyes. As she spotted
the familiar yellow spot amongst the slowly lessening white, she
began to feel something that she had never felt before.

She felt... warm.

She tried to reach out, to call for him, yet she found her voice was
completely gone. Her vision fading until... nothing. The Daisy stared
in the direction of the coldest cloud in the sky, waiting for his dancing
snowflake to return anxiously. The heat began beating down on the
meadow, and he turned his face to it becomingly. He was greeted
by a splash of freezing cold water instead, as it began to rain.

And there he stayed, waiting for his snowflake, always waiting.

Suddenly, he realised. His dancing snowflake was here all along. He
saw her in the morning dew, in every drop of rain, and finally-
in the first fall of winter snow.

[Apsalar]

Dear Felicia, your stories are very depressing and I do not wish for you to be unhappy so I wrote you a happy story about a happy unicorn.
Love Arianwen.



Once upon a time there was a happy little unicorn and her name was Starburst. Starburst frollicked through the happy little forest with all the other happy little animals for she was the forests protector.

Starburst felt a melancholy in her heart however, as it had been many years since she had spied another happy little unicorn in the happy little forest.

She decided to set out on a quest to find the other happy little unicorns so that she would not be so lonely.

Leaving the happy little forest was very scary, never before had she left the happy little forest to explore the big wide world as the big wide world was scary and full of dangers.

Whilst she was exploring the big wide world looking for happy little unicorns she came across a wicked witch. Her name was Varden and she wished to take the happy little unicorn because the blood of happy little unicorns was potent for use in the wicked magic of wicked witches.

The wicked witch captured the happy little unicorn and trapped her in a dark little cage and the happy unicorn became the sad little unicorn and she thought to herself, “I shall never find the other happy little unicorns, I shall be in this cage forever.”

The wicked witch had a little gnome servant and his name was Smandrok. He did not like working for the wicked witch but he was too afraid to disobey her. However the plight of the sad little unicorn touched his tiny gnome heart and one night when the wicked witch slept, he released the sad little unicorn from her dark little cage and bid her flee the wicked witch.

“Come with me,” spoke Starburst, “climb upon my back and we shall flee the wicked witch together.” Smandrok climbed upon Starburst's back and that is exactly what they did.

Starburst and Smandrok eventually came to a deep dark forest. They wandered through the deep dark forest until they came across a tall dark tower. As it began to howl with wind and rain, they decided to shelter in the tall dark tower.

They were awoken by a wicked cackling. The wicked witch had found them!

I will finish the story later, I need to roast the boar for dinner!

[Boots]

V. - The Hunter. (& The Actress.)

The Keeper and The Elder sat beside the fire, glad to be away from the bitterness of the cold that awaited any who stepped outside this dreary night in Barovia. Suddenly, the door was booted open, and a fierce looking hero strode inside with heavy boots. The sounds of odds and ends jingling upon his person, concealed behind a thick winter coat.

Those inside the small tavern went silent in awe, as he approached the quivering innkeeper and inquired in a deep voice about apparent troubles below. The Keeper rose immediately, as he requested she and The Elder accompany him below to aid him in his quest.

They descended the steps slowly, the hall was near pitch black, the only light- the gentle flickering of The Keeper's candle to illuminate the area directly before her. Strange shadows danced upon the walls, sending shivers down her spine, they had entered the basement theatre of the small Barovian inn.

"You will go inside, and you will find a seat, and sit." He ordered, simply. This confused The Keeper as she had assumed he would ask her to help him with his weaponry, or perhaps the assortment of different herbs. However it appeared, the two lost heroes had become bait.

As they took their seats, an ethereal audience began their applause, it seemed a show was about to begin, for their viewing pleasure. The Keeper looked around for The Hunter, but he was nowhere to be seen. An odd form slowly appeared mid-stage, naught but shining light beneath a thick black robe and a theatre mask of ivory. As she raised her arms, thanking the audience, music began to ring out through the room from no direction in particular.

A pang of sadness hit the Keeper, as the music took form, a slow and tragic melody that cut to her very core. The Actress, lifting a white pale, gaunt hand, and began to sing. Yet there were no words to her song, and somehow The Keeper was able to understand, she could feel the overwhelming grief The Actress put out.

Tears began to well in The Keeper's eyes, spilling onto the colourful pages of the heavy book in her lap. She leaned forward, weeping openly into her hands as painful memories, some- not even hers, flooded into her mind. As she continued to weep, The Book Keeper felt a story taking place through the music on the stage before her. Little did she know, that The Elder had begun to feel a sense of growing dread within this gloomy room. Something, was not right. The room had grown very, very cold.

~The Actress was a hideous maiden, her appearance twisted and unfortunate. But she was blessed with the voice of an angel, and just once- she sang for a crowd, and they cheered. She sang behind the comfort of a face mask, for it gave her the courage to step out in front of all of those eyes, those eyes that judged her and hated her.

At the end of the beautiful song, The Actress stepped forward and let the mask fall, offering the crowd a courageous bow. The cheering and weeping of the crowd quickly turns to angry, disgusted screams and yells. The audience leap from their seats, horrified- mother's pull children to their chests as the room is emptied, and the town guard charge the stage, stabbing The hideous Actress repeatedly.~

Suddenly The Keeper is overcome with the pain of The Actresses' wounds, and each stab wound to her was one to The little Keeper. She could feel the sickness rising once more as she fought to draw breath from her battered lungs. The Elder, writhing in pain on the ground, looks up at The Keeper with a deep sorrow in his eyes.

On stage, the song begins to come to an end. The Keeper realised, if this is how the story went.. what happened at the end? As The Actress took her final bow, she removed her mask. The Keeper looked away immediately, but The Elder..

Finding his gaze locked upon the spirit, The Elder began to wither, paling, almost as if he was.. dying right before The Keeper's gaze. She screamed, she begged him not to look, not to let the sight of her face disgust him as it did the audience in the story. There was still no sign of The Hunter, and The Keeper's ever lasting hope was slowly beginning to fade..

Just when she thought all was lost, the theatre door burst open, The Hunter sprinting in and lifting a bow in his powerful grip. He shot a single arrow, an arrow that pierced the unveiled, face of shining light. With a whoosh of air and a blast of white, the spirit began to disappear, leaving The Elder crumpled on the ground.

The Hunter ran to The Keeper's side, crouching over The Elder as he instructed The Keeper to sprinkle a life reviving substance over the decaying form of the old man. She began to sob, as it did not appear to be working, emptying the entire bag. "Patience- Look.."

And there, right before her very eyes, life and colour began to flood The Elder's face. Her throat caught, and she near fainted, right then and there. Many minutes later, The Keeper stared at what she imagined was a guilty Innkeeper, as she heard The Hunter say gravely "The dead come back for a reason."

And she turned, then. Watching him exit, placing a tattered hat upon his head before disappearing into the gloom of Barovian night once more.

[Boots]

VI. - The Wanderer.

The Wanderer looked upon his filthy hands, watching them shake. The fire was not too far away, he could make it if he tried. Just one foot in front of the other, just one at a time. The putrid stench of his Tsuika bottle had become second nature to him, as he lifted the bottle to his stubbled lips and took a deep drink.
He stumbled into the encampment, startling the girl by the fire who looked up from her book. His face throbbed, his vision slashed red with pain. Noticing the deep welt across his face, The Keeper shot to her feet and ran to his side.

She lead him carefully down the darkened streets, clutched to his free, large and grubby hand. It may have confused him, and it definitely put him on his guard. Why would such a small creature aid him for nothing in return? The forests of shadow had not granted him such reprieve.

The Keeper watched him curiously as they walked, believing him to be released from the wild, raised by wolves, some sort of ill fortune having befallen him. And so she took him in, leading him step by step by the hand, uncaring of the putrid stench emitting from him or the vicious wounding that covered his face. She would look after him as she did the others, and not take no for an answer. Even if it meant upsetting The Elder again.

[Boots]

Once upon a time, there was an old, but beautiful tower.
A stunning construction of white stone, with wonderful
wildflowers growing between the stones, the climbing
flowers reaching almost to the very top...

And inside the beautiful tower, there lived an even more
beautiful Princess and her loyal matron. Her name was
Periwinkle, and her skin as pale as freshly fallen snow.
Her shining hair, the colour of spun gold. She lived there
in that tower with matron, safe in the enchanted woods
from her evil, rogueish uncle, the very cruel Lord Snapcase.

Lord Snapcase wanted to get rid of Princess Periwinkle
before her kind and noble father, The King, returned
from a war with the trolls to the south of the kingdom.
This war had been raging for decades, and The King
had ridden forth with his honour guard to turn the tide.
And so he left his brother in charge, trusting him to rule
in his stead, but the power of the position had sadly
corrupted him and turned his mind to greed.

Only one of the King's loyal guardsman remained behind,
Sir Mellionoble Knight, a brave and noble man with
flowing hair and sky blue eyes. The envy of every man
and the secret wish of every woman in the kingdom,
yet he wanted none of them, convinced they were vain
and selfish.

Alas, Sir Mellionoble Knight was kept imprisoned for his
brave objections to the new rule of the evil Lord Snapcase.
One day he was dragged from the dungeon and brought
before Lord Snapcase. He loomed over the Knight from
his high throne, snarling- "I will make a
deal with you Knight, Go forth into the enchanted forest
and return to me with the head of the unicorn that resides
there... if you succeed I will allow your freedom. If you do
not, I will have your head instead!"

As the Knight knew the enchanted forest lay north of the
kingdom, he realised there was no way he would be able
to make it to his King in time to save the kingdom unless
he completed this terrible task. And so left with no choice,
Sir Mellion rode like the wind in his hair to the north and
the enchanted forest that awaited him there, to begin the
search for the magical creature that would allow him to
save the kingdom.

He wandered the forest for a day and a night, swiftly
becoming disoriented, lost in the endless wild of the
magical forest that surrounded him. For this forest was a
thinking, feeling entity of it's own mind, and it was capable
of turning you about if it had a mind to do so.

Separated from his camp, his food, his water, this did not
look good for the brave knight. He awoke in a clearing to
the rosy light of dawn, to the sound of the most beautiful
voice he had ever heard..

Believing himself to be in a dream, he dragged himself to
his feet only to see, not thirty feet away, a babbling brook
lined with redcurrant bushes. There, by the water's edge,
he beheld the beautiful Princess Periwinkle, picking currants
for one of Matron's pies.

So beautiful, so lovely was the sight of her, her song so uplifting-
that he rushed to approach her, forgetting for a moment the
weakness of his starved and dehydrated body. He made it as far
as the bank before his legs gave out, and he plunged into darkness,
the last thing he saw was the startled face of the lovely princess.

His eyes fluttered open, only to be met with the dazzling sight of
the princess leaning over him, her long lashes brushing against
her cheeks as she gazed at him worriedly- and he immediately fell
deeply, madly in love. "Good sir knight, you must
really be more careful.. you have been drained by the denizens
of the Leech meadow and have lost a lot of blood. You are lucky
to be alive, and it will.. be some days before you are strong
enough to move."

He looked shocked. "But I must continue on my
quest, the fate of the kingdom depends on it.. for all that I would
give to remain here with you, for all time, please.. please gentle lady,
I must know your name." His voice was gentle, noble
and ringing with adoration.

"Oh, gentle sir knight, I am the Princess Periwinkle.
The daughter of your lord, exiled these past years and I too would
wish nothing more than to have you stay here forever..."
In her time nursing him, the Princess noted the trauma the knight
had endured these past years.. and she too, had fallen deeply in love,
his kind and strong soul shown by his refusal to bow to the evil lord Snapcase!

Sir Mellion, of course, was stunned by this revelation.
"Princess, if you can aid me in my quest I can save
your father's kingdom and lift your exile, you will be able to return
home in triumph.. and now that I have gazed upon you, I will be
unable to sleep, eat, I cannot rest until you are returned to your
rightful place."

The princess could not help but smile, and blush the colour of the
red, red roses that grew along her tower at the passion of the knight's
conviction. "Tell me of your quest, good Sir Mellion, perhaps I can help?"


Sir Mellion immediately told her everything, about seeking the
unicorn that lives within the forest. The Princess smiled sadly
but nodded. "I know this creature, and in two
days hence it will appear in the glade just to the north. You will
have to go alone, otherwise it will not feel safe enough to approach,
but it can only be bound with the hair of a maiden pure.."

The Princess then reached to her own head, pulling forth a single,
shining hair of the purest gold, as long as her own body was.
"We have two days to get you well, good Sir Mellion.
Then... you must save my father's kingdom."

The two days passed far too swiftly for the young knight and his
beloved princess, they shared stories and jokes, tales of their lives,
their love deepening minute by minute into an unstoppable river of
mutual bliss. And then, on the morning of the third day, he reluctantly
said his goodbyes. The princess smiled, a tear upon her cheek as she
begged him to make haste to save the kingdom.

"My love, I will return when my task is done. Nothing
will stand in my way." And with that, he started north, the
strand of the princess' hair at the ready. He arrived at the glade around
midday, and settled in to wait. The day faded slowly, and the moon
chased away the sun, stars beginning to spangle the sky.

And then suddenly, a rustling. He looked over and had to rub his eyes-
for there it stood. The unicorn, it's flanks were as silver as the moon,
it's body perfect and sleek beyond words.. atop it's head, a horn of gold.

The brave knight stood, approaching the beautiful creature from it's blind side,
but as he drew close, he stepped on a dry twig with a loud CRACK! in the silent
glade. The unicorn, startled by this, turned to face him, lowering her sharp horn
to charge!

Hooves thundered upon the grass as she bore down on the noble knight- the
unicorn being possessed of unnatural grace, closing in on him much faster than
he could react. Her horn pierced his chain and plate like a hot knife through
butter, as it tore past..

The sound of hooves died away after that, and all was silent in the unicorn's glade.

...Apart from the sounds of Sir Mellion struggling to his feet, nursing the wound in
his left arm. The resilient knight followed the trail of fragrant, crushed grass to find
the unicorn on her side, not a dozen paces from him with the strand of hair around
her sleek neck, but holding her to the ground faster than a chain of dragon forged steel...

She looked up at him with sad, panicked eyes as he stood over her, blade in hand,
ready to do the deed. He raised his shining blade high, moonlight glinting from the
razor's edge. but the knight could not. -Would not- murder this graceful beast for a
man so foul as Lord Snapcase.. if the deed had to be done, it would not be done by his hand.

And so the knight lifted the hair from the unicorn but held it tight, she could not resist
him, though she tried before exhausting herself. The man and the unicorn made their
way out of the forest, one plagued by fear, the other plagued with the guilt of what was to come..

The journey back was torture for Sir Mellion, each night sleeping beside the warm
bulk of the enchanted horse. Each day waved on by Lord Snapcase's guards. They
eventually reached the castle and stepped into the courtyard of the central keep.

"Stop RIGHT there!"

Lord Snapcase stood on the battlements, flanked by a dozen crossbowmen, all with
their wicked weapons pointed at the Knight and the unicorn.
"You were commanded to bring me the head, not the whole thing,
foolish boy- if it escapes I am doomed! MEN! Shoot it immediately!"

The sound of crossbows being cocked seemed to be the only sound in the world
for Sir Mellion. "Wait! Please, sir, wait! The creature is leashed
by the oldest of magic, any who hold this hair can control and command it! Would
it not be better to have this beast your pet, a sign of your glory, than a mere trophy?"

Lord Snapcase stroked his scraggly beard, his beady eyes glinting with terrible
calculation. He lifted his hand, halting the bowmen. "Perhaps you
are not such a fool after all, boy.." The cruel tyrant made his way
down the steps to the courtyard proper, smirking. "How do
you control this beast?"

He explained the powers of the maiden pure's hair over the beast, reluctant
to give such a graceful creature to such an evil man, but it had to be so, for
the kingdom. The wicked lord smiled and nodded. "Of course."
"Even I've heard this legend, now give me the hair!"

Hanging his head, Sir Mellionoble Knight extended the hair to the foul lord,
who cackled evilly and snatched it from his grasp, clutching it tightly to himself
and pulling the unicorn along with the slightest twitch of his hand.

He grinned, leaning towards the unicorn.

"You hear that? You're -MINE- now. You will not escape me again..
Princess Periwinkle!"

Sir Mellion stumbled back, aghast. "Periwinkle!?"

"AYE, you fool boy, the true scions of this land are blessed with the ability to
become a mythical beast! And now she is mine, I will marry her and become
true ruler of this land!"


The lord's laughter rang out about the courtyard as the knight fell to his knees
in despair, he had just given up his one true love to an eternity of servitude to
the foulest of lords..

His vision blurred with tears as he hung his head. "Now kill
that boy and be done with it!" Grated the victorious lord Snapcase.
His terrible rasping laughter once again filled the yard, as the bowmen lifted
their weapons. There was a moment of silence, perfect stillness, broken only
by a gentle exhalation and a quiet choking sound.

Sir Mellion lifted his head, blinking away tears, only to see the lord and the
unicorn locked in an embrace, his arms about her neck, her horn piercing
through his wicked, wicked heart. Just as suddenly, the unicorn was gone,
and there stood beautiful princess Periwinkle, holding her dying uncle, her
face a mask of grief and gentle sorrow..

"But how" Gasped the dying Lord.

The princess placed a kiss on her uncle's forehead, letting his lifeless corpse
crash to the ground, never to be mourned by any other. As she approached the
kneeling knight, the world seemed frozen in the wake of the Tyrant's death..
she lifted her love to his feet and he echoed the dying man's question.

"How?"

The beautiful princess smiled sadly. "You cannot bind a
unicorn with it's own hair, my love." The knight was stunned,
and then laughed, taking her in his arms and kissing her soundly as the
bowmen lowered their weapons and left, abandoning the body of their
master where it fell.

And so the evil Lord was vanquished, and Princess Periwinkle ruled the
kingdom in her father's stead with her true love by her side until his
victorious return over the trollish nation to the south.

Upon his glorious return, the Good and Kind King welcomed Sir Mellion
with open arms, and the two were married the following day. The Kingdom rejoiced-

And they all lived happily ever after.

[/size][/font]

[Boots]

VII. - The Hunt Begins(Part I.)

The Keeper sat quietly by the lake, pondering the days past. The water was still and calm, a complete turn about from how she was feeling. Her family was away on business, for The Keeper had not been well. This time, she had spent a full week in bed. She hated it, she wanted to break free, and run along with the others.

She curled her hands into fists around the hard cover of the book in her arms, scowling for a moment. Her moment's thought was broken by a whimper to the left of her, and she looked up to see a slender wolf, limping in her direction, with pleading eyes.

"Oh! You poor thing.." She stammered, getting to her feet to meet the beast half way. Gently stroking it, she kneeled to inspect the animal. It favoured it's left paw, but would not let her near it. "You speak to wolves?" A male voice spoke from behind her, causing her to whirl around. "Do they ever speak back?" The hooded man asked with snark in his tone. The Keeper backed away a little, one small hand upon the wolf. ".. Minime." The wolf began to lead her inside the cave, as the hooded man remained outside, watching, shaking his head.

As it turned out, the wolf, was not a wolf. For as The Keeper lifted it's paw to inspect, there was nothing wrong at all. And the paw, the paw began to shift into a hand, the hand moving upwards into a slender, pale arm, which formed the rest of a tall, heavily armored young woman.

The Keeper Screamed, lurching back- unfortunately far too late as the Vampiress lashed out to grab her arm, inhaling deeply. "I will give you a choice, mortal. His life for yours. For he is cruel, and you are kind. Your life is surely worth more than his.. yes?" "Minime!" The Keeper screamed, pulling her arm away and taking several steps away from the woman. "No life.. no matter how cruel, or how g-good.. is worth more than any other."

"Then you are wrong." The Vampiress lunged, grabbing The sickly Keeper in a death grip, just as a childish laughter filled the cavern walls around them, making each pause, and lift their head to the sound. A little boy, no older than perhaps ten, The keeper thought- sat on a rock, swinging his little legs and smirking.

[A few pages have been torn out.]

When she touched his flesh, he was icy cold, and pale, just like the Vampiress wolf. Was it possible that he too..-

[The writing cuts off here.]

[Boots]

VII. - The Hunt Begins (Part II.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdZP5JKviQ

She was running. The last few moments seemed a blur of action to her now, as she flew as fast as her feet could take her to the exit of the cave. Stumbling into the sunlight, she shrieked and ran directly into the man from earlier. "Vampire!" She choked out the word, panting and shakily fumbling for her handkerchief, coughing violently into it. As usual, The Keeper shoved it away before prying eyes might see the few specks of crimson staining the silk.

"Keeper." Her name came from a tree behind her, she turned, her gaze locking onto the familiar sight of The Hunter, one strong hand gripping his longbow. "What happened." She flew at him, words flooding from her lips- "Calm down, take a deep breath.." It was all too much. There were too many people, too many voices, The Keeper took off and sat alone by the lake once more, calming herself.

She watched The Hunter step into the caravan, and there she remained, waiting. He did not return until the next evening, at which point The Keeper was half asleep, head resting on her book. "Keeper. I need to talk to you, please.. come in." She followed him inside the gypsy van, peering curiously at the bookcases that lined the walls.

She explained to him the events as best as she could remember, the details of each person she had met inside that cave- her fingers curling nervously around the corners of her book, bringing her at least some comfort. 

Amongst the conversation, as The Keeper idly inspected each title of the shelved books- she vaguely heard the word "Dhamphir." She looked up, blinking. "I am sure you've heard the rumors." "Um, well.. I tend not to surround myself with gossips, Hunter." This drew a faint smirk from him. ".. Are you?" "Nu." "Very well, then."

He needed her help this time. It was not the usual, her following him into danger, baiting the unwanted, the unbelievable. "Your eyes, your ears.. you have magic in your blood. This can be useful." He told her what to look for, where to go- and The Keeper immediately took off, towards the city- without listening to his final words.

The night was cold, but The Keeper did not mind. She had a job to do,  and she would prove herself to The Hunter. She was not as weak as everyone made her out to be, she could do it. She thought. She could be strong like The Mouse and The Shepherd.

The only way inside was through the sewer. She made a face, and began her descent. A local Ezrite had taken to following her, she had seen him in passing, though the Keeper did not much like spending time in crowded places, talking to strangers.

Her booted feet created a soft thud as she entered the underground, immediately covering her nose at the foul stench. It was flooded with mists. She mentally ticked off one of the words in her list, Mist. Mist was a sure sign, there was something down here. She made a desperate hushing sign to The Ezrite, whom insisted upon making a loud racket with his blessings and shouting.

The Keeper inwardly kicked herself for letting him follow, though having him near gave her a faint sense of unfounded safety. Safety, what a joke- The Keeper mumbled as she followed him into the thickness of the fog, her bow clutched tightly at her side.

It was almost immediately, that she spotted the tall figure amidst the fog, sword raised. The Keeper cursed inwardly. "Come here, child. Make my job easier." A man's voice boomed, causing her to shiver. The Ezrite immediately attacked, throwing himself in front of The Keeper. But it was too soon that he was struck down by the Mighty undead Warrior, and The Keeper was being lifted off of the floor via her throat, a pair of razor-sharp fangs embedding themselves in the bronze of her throat.

She tried in vain to reach the ball of garlic she -always- kept within her skirt pocket in between pained sobs, but she was so frozen with fear that she found herself unable to move. It was at that moment, a familiar sound boomed in her ears. The arrow whizzed through the fog, directly into the Vampire Warrior's heart, he dropped The Keeper into a crumpled ball on the ground, screaming in agony, clutching at the wound on her neck that poured blood between her fingers.

Her blood was on fire. Everything hurt, pain, -pain unlike she had never experienced before flooded through her every vein. Somehow, through her blur of pain and near unconciousness, she looked up to see the face of The Hunter, leaning over her, wracked with worry. She remembered feeling a sense of comfort seeing him like this, a sense of comfort quickly overcome with agony and darkness. "Hold her. Ezrite, have you any healing magics left?" The Hunter spoke quickly, pressing a hand over The Keeper's throat to stop the blood.

Many minutes later, The Book Keeper's tired eyes fluttered open to that same face. Had she been walking this entire way? She could not recall. She knew he was yelling at her, telling her she needed to start -listening- to him, but all she could feel was an overwhelming relief in her throat. He carefully applied a salve to her throat, that seemed to have taken every ounce of pain away. But before she knew it they were screaming at eachother, why was he so stubborn? She had a feeling she would never understand. She felt the same way she had each time The Elder had scolded her for getting a lesson wrong. She so desperately hated being wrong..

The Hunter was overwhelmed with a mixture of anger and guilt. He did not want to see The Keeper throwing herself into these situations, which she seemed intent on doing again, and again. He hated to think of what would happen if he was not watching, unable to protect the meek Keeper from an untimely death. He did something he never expected of himself, reaching out with one strong hand to pin her against the wall. "I do not want you along. Stop following me." And watched as the colour and happiness flooded from her cheeks at his comment, he had hurt her. And it hurt him to think this. But it simply had to be done.

And so he left her there, silent in staring at her book, fingers curling in a sad way around the edges as his heavy footsteps faded from hearing, that same motion she did each time she was upset, or angry. The Keeper knew there was no changing his mind, not this time..

[Boots]

VII. - The Hunt Begins(Part III.)

The Keeper and The Hunter stood face to face-- or rather, face to chest in The Keeper's case. She had spotted the familiar figure from her perch on the hill that overlooked the local graveyard. Still filled with bitterness from the harsh words exchanged between them in the inn, she tried her very hardest to ignore him.

The Hunter paid her no heed, as he heaved the coffin -the very small coffin- into the hole he had just finished digging. He wiped a hand across his brow, scowling. It was always hard to bury a child.

"Um, H-Hunter?" He looked up to see The Keeper stood before him, clutching her book of stories tightly in her arms. The damned book. Did she ever put it down? ".. Da?" He stared down at her, causing her to shrink somewhat.

"Nothing." She changed her mind and turned on her boots, white gold hair whipping around in it's braid- stomping back to her hill and burying her nose into the book in her arms. She smoothed a hand over the page, sighing slightly. "I -will not- cave."

The Hunter stood there, and bent to place a small doll atop the newly filled grave in silence. Eventually, he moved to sit beside her on the hill, and the two stayed like that for what seemed to The Keeper, hours. After a while he stood, peering down at her with a frown. He invited her for a drink that evening, to The Keeper's surprise. But he did not give her a chance to reply, stalking off with his coat thrown over his shoulder.

The Keeper stared at her reflection nervously, the plain, mousy woman she'd always known staring back with a frown. "Don't be silly, girl. Don't do anything stupid." It was at that moment, that The Book keeper decided she would indeed meet The Hunter this evening, and began lacing up a dress she never thought she would wear.

And so donned in pale silver and purple silks, The Keeper pushed open the door to the fanciest inn in town. She held back a gasp as she realised where she was, and quickly hurried to the furthest corner, by the fire. He wasn't coming, she told herself. Could she really be so naive? But he did. As she looked up, there he was. Sat lazily in the chair across from her, finishing off his bottle of whatever it was he drank.

They spoke for a few awkward minutes, and he gave her some books. She was pleased with this, but still suspicious. She stared at him, and with a heavy sigh, he lead her upstairs. He proceeded to scold her on the fact that she never listened, and acted without thought. When really, there was not a single thing that The Keeper did in fact, without thinking it through.
They came to a deal, as morning broke. He was going to train her to hunt the things she hated more than anything in this world.

Mortis.

[Boots]

VIII. - Clarity.

The Keeper pushed her way through the door of the tavern, her boots splashing loudly upon the cobblestones she thundered across once outside, kicking up sprays of tiny diamonds as she went that seemed to embezzle her white gold ponytail. She was dressed as practically as any proper Hunter might, though her heavy book was tethered tightly to her waist.

He raised a brow as he spotted her white blonde crown in the distance, allowing an amused grin to spread upon his face as she approached excitedly, waving. "Hunter!" "Over here- Keeper. Follow me." The Hunter lead her down a near hidden alleyway behind the slums temple, one she had not realised was there before. "This house, what do you think of it?"

The Keeper stared at the run down slums home, the door hinges rusted over, a film of dust and weeds growing over the steps giving it the appearance of.. a place that had not been lived in for a very long time. The Keeper reached out and touched the door, glancing up at The Hunter, who leaned around her to push it open and usher her into the darkness of the abandoned home.

In the faint light of the morning, The Keeper could see a few things that immediately startled her. The place was run down, sure- but her gaze was locked on the hobby horse that lay forgotten and forlorn in the middle of the living room floor. She choked back a whimper. But The Hunter was all business tonight, and did not give a second thought to the effect this place had on her.

-A year ago, a plain Barovian family had moved into their first marital home. Husband and wife, and their four year old son, the joy of their lives. By day they worked the docks, hauling crates and nets, so they could come home each night to that child and wish him a sweet sleep. One night when they returned home, the place had been ransacked, a childish scream rang out from the corner of the room where two hulking were-beasts stood with their son clutched in their claws.

The mother was the first to sacrifice herself. She threw her body at the beasts, screaming and beating at them with all of her might. The father was not far behind, trying as hard as he could to pry his son from their hands but ultimately failing. The family was torn to shreds, their agonising screams plaguing those in the homes around them for many months afterward. Nobody went near that house anymore. It was considered cursed.-

He talked her through what would have been, her first real hunt, if it was real at all. Before she had even set foot in the room, The Hunter had made her list off what she would need. She wracked her brains, thinking back to the stories a fanatic uncle would tell around the dinner table. She made a brilliant list, in her opinion, but when she looked up at The Hunter for approval he simply smirked. "You will know what you missed out on when you meet your foe."

She swallowed. Was she already failing? She was terrible at this, she found herself distracted by the muscle movements in his arms as he moved to the table, picking up a plate and- throwing it at her?! The Keeper ducked with a yelp, and then ducked a flying mug. "Act, Keeper! What do you do! The sounds of crying fill your ears, it comes from all around you!" She cried out the first words that entered her mind. "Show yourself!"

The Hunter stopped throwing household objects at The Keeper, and took a single heavy booted step forward. "A large man appears at the table before you, he is angry. What do you do."  The Keeper froze as The Hunter advanced on her diminutive self, towering over her in anger. "What do you do!" He barked, moving even closer. "I-I-" The Keeper stuttered, her eyes going wide as she stared up at him, and one large hand enclosed around her throat. In that moment, she could not decide what was more ridiculous. The fact that she had been strangled at least four times these two weeks, or that she enjoyed having The Hunter this close rather than having to chase him around for training.

And suddenly, The Keeper clicked. As The Hunter's hand slowly tightened around her neck, she opened her mouth, an eery, beautiful children's lullaby spilling from her throat, causing The Hunter to stare down at her in disbelief and release her neck. After a moment he stated gruffly- "Bun. But you would have been dead before you tried that." The Keeper sagged, and just stared at him. The sun had gone down at this point, they had spent hours in that house running over the situation, but in the end she had figured it out. Sometimes, violence was not the answer. This was something she knew well. Something she could have taught him, even.

They stood in silence in the pitch blackness of the room, The Keeper's heart racing with fear. She hated the dark. She always had. He calmed her though, and moved her to sit on the edge of the bed with him. In the darkness, The Keeper looked.. tired. She let her guard down and simply stared at the floor with eyes that seemed far too old for such a young girl. They spoke for a while, until The Hunter turned to her and said. "What if the rumors -were- true. What if I was a.. " "D-Dhampir?" She mumbled in surprise, looking up in the direction she assumed his face was. "Da." "Well.. well I suppose.." The Keeper trailed off and placed a hand over his.

This time, he did not shy away from her, and as they embraced she squeezed her eyes shut. She felt as safe here as she did with The Mouse and The Shepherd, only now there was someting else inside of her, a new feeling. Fight. Hope. Courage that had not been there before.

"Everybody needs friends, Hunter. Even you."
 

[Boots]

IX. - Frustration.

The Hunter watched from his perch on the chair across the room as the sun slowly filtered into the boarded up, abandoned home. The Keeper lay sleeping in a ball around her book, and he moved closer to plant a kiss atop her white-blonde head, before slipping out into the sunshine.

The Keeper awoke with a start, clutching at her book and remembering where she was. She rubbed her ankles before slipping back into her boots and escaping the dingy home where they had spent the night previous. She found herself idly wondering what it was he did during the day, was it true? Was he really normal, just like her and everybody else? Somehow she couldn't imagine him like that.

Biting into an apple, she padded through the graveyard with her nose buried into her book- she'd begged The Librarian for every book he had on Mortis, and had taken to studying it as much as she was able to. She would impress him, and get it right this time. She found her secret spot nestled in the trees and set down candles as the sun began to set, reading away the rest of the day, and.. not noticing when a shadow appeared before her.

"What have we here?" A silky woman's voice filled The Keeper's ears, as her spectacled gaze snapped up to meet the eyes of someone she wish she had not set eyes on. Mortis. The world filled her head. Escape. Run. Escape. Get out of here. His words battled against the fear that now held her completely still against the tree, the mysterious woman trailed a dagger up the side of The Keeper's neck, leaning in to inhale her scent and commenting on how wonderful it was to find someone as young and delicious at this time of night.

Something about her accent was off, and in The Keeper's ears the word "Family" rang. This creature of the night was from her home. She was Darkonese. Just as she was about to become Mortis-dinner, a familiar sight stepped from the treelines, his blades gleaming inthe moon light.

"That one is protected." His deep voice sounded through the trees, through her hears, and into her rapidly racing heart. The Hunter. He was here. In the moment of confusion, The Keeper wrapped her fingers around the ball of garlic she -always- kept in her skirt pocket. With a spurt of unexpected strength, she crushed it into the face of the Vampiress, who hissed and threw The Keeper to the side, clutching at her face.

"Move away, Keeper.." "H-Hunter, I'm s-sorry, I-" But it was too late for her to say anything more. The Hunter leapt at the Vampiress, and the two battled for what seemed an eternity. The Keeper crept closer, in awe. He was fast. Far too fast to be natural, darting and whipping about the unnatural predator as if he was taking a leasurely stroll. When it was over, she nearly fainted- if it wasn't for him keeping her up. "Move. Quickly."

She was back in that room. That same room he had yelled at her in the first time, and she knew she was in for it. As soon as he locked the door he turned and howled. "WHY WERE YOU OUT THERE!" And she argued. She wish she had not argued, now. She wished she had left it alone. She wished she had been nothing but sweet and helpful, not stupid--and simply stopped writing about The Hunter after their first encounter. But by this point.. she could not.

They had agreed on something, at least. She would no longer have his mock hunts, not until her family was gathered together once more. She was to stay indoors, play it safe. She finally caved, moving to rest her head on his shoulder and drown out the world once more in her ridiculous, silly thoughts.

[Boots]

X. - Awaken.

The Keeper sat boredly on the bench, her long hair let loose to dry down her back as she read the poetry on her lap that just seemed bland to her now. The words didn't mean as much when there was nothing true behind them, what writer wrote without an ounce of truth? She sighed and placed the book down, moving to peer out the window of her inn room.

After a long moment of thought, she turned and threw her cloak on, storming down the steps and catching the first boat she could. The Keeper placed a delicate hand on the edge of the ship, watching the boat take her far away from her new boring life. Naturally, it had only been a few days, but to her it seemed an eternity. She hated being confined to her room like a child. Yet she felt as if she was betraying The Hunter if she did.

Stepping off of the boat, she let her eyes take in the sight of the unfamiliar terrain. Beauty, colour, and music fooded her senses. She spent a few days there, laughing with her family and forgetting about the horror that remained back in Barovia. When it came time to return, a carriage was waiting for The Keeper.

Clutching tightly to The Mouse's hand, she stepped inside to be met with a hard gaze from The Hunter. It appeared it was time, and carefully, she broke The Mouse into the world she had been hiding for the past few weeks. Now, this family was not just any regular family. From infancy they had been taught to be wary of Mortis, how to run, how to hide, what to do in dreary situations. But as the two sisters looked at eachother they realised, they had been running for far too long. Now was the time for action.

Back in Vallaki, nestled in the basement of The Keeper's favourite bookstore, The Hunter, The Silver Moon, The Shepherd, and The Mouse sat around a large table piled high with books. They discussed the issues of Darkonese vampires being in barovia, and went over the whys and hows. A plan was set in motion, and it brought The Keeper joy for the family to be together on a mission such as this. Working together as they always should have.

[Boots]

[The huge book Felicia is seen carrying around without fail, all the time, is no longer with her. A few charred pages are all that remains, but the words upon them are smudged out.]

[Boots]

ღ

She saw him approach from across the graveyard in a dreamlike state, his heavy coat billowed in the strong winds behind his heavy boots as they thumped along on his path towards her. She was afraid to even say his name, now- yet the sight of the angry man still brought her a guilty sense of overwhelming joy, she almost did not believe it was him.

He had returned against his better judgement, she assumed. Yet she knew in her heart that something was forcing the two into eachother's company. Perhaps it was her own blind drive and refusal to take no for an answer, perhaps he really did want a friend that had a pulse. The Keeper reached for her book, and found nothing, quickly wringing her hands.

"I suppose I acted too harshly." He grumbled down at the little woman, and that was that. She did not expect him to return, let alone.. apologise. -If he could call that an apology.- She peered up at him, and then, she smiled.

Sitting so close beside him was near suffocating her, she was unsure whether he was going to hug her or strangle her. Most likely the latter, if she knew him at all. Her heart went out to him, this anger filled husk of a man who had lost everything and had nothing else to give, he had given up on happiness and devoted himself to preventing the same fate to others. A noble purpose, but a lonely one all the same.

From the beginning she had  forced her hand with him, and she wondered if it was beginning to work as she hugged him tightly. She was never going to leave him, she considered him part of her family now. And her family was the most important thing to her in the world, they were all she had now..

[Boots]

☠

Ʈhe Ƥhantom had become something of an interest to The Keeper. It was clear to her that she was a similar thing to him, as they kept running into eachother. They would talk, and eventually it came to be that they became friends. One particular evening they were hunted by something far larger or more fierce than any of them, the brave men guarding the small village were slaughtered brutally, their many corpses littering the now blood splattered dirt roads.

The Keeper lured the beast from it's shadow, a giant wolf the likes of which she had never seen in person, only in horrifying stories. It loomed over her, and with a mighty howl it struck her to the ground, her vision swam before the world went dark. She awoke to The Phantom leaning over her, holding her head up as he bound her deep wounds. He had slain the beast, and saved her life. For that, she owed him.

In recent times, the two had taken to even laughing over certain things, running about like carefree children, her smile infectious to the grim Phantom. But she knew something was wrong, this lover he spoke of so often yet with such vagueness, she was beginning to wonder about this mystery woman. One evening he left with word he would return, and one day ask something of her. He warned her their paths should not have crossed at all, told her that one day she might see something she wish she had not, that she would be repulsed by him.

"I will need you one day, Keeper. Somehow I know this, and I know you will not like what you hear when I do come for your aid." He murmured to the tiny woman before his departure into the cold Barovian night.

[Boots]

ACTUS REUS

☠

The Keeper burst through the door to the worn out little bookstore tucked away in the arms of Barovia's night city backstreets, to the sight of The Phantom's shadowy figure slumped in one of the armchairs. He seemed a black smudge in the vibrant store, the warm lights almost bouncing off of him rather than warming him.

"Phantom..?" She crept around the chair, blinking down at him. "Ah, I was looking for you.." He straightened up as The Keepers friends burst in behind her, chattering loudly and then going silent as they all took their turn eyeing the shady man. She lead him to the back, frowning as she took in his exhausted appearance.

"I need you. I need your help. I.. I need.." He rasped beneath his breath, reaching a strong hand wrapped in black leather to brush a pale blond strand of hair back into his cowl. His ice blue eyes seemed to stare through her, something was wrong with them. It wasn't the same. The two walked briskly towards the tavern where privacy awaited them, and as the door shut behind them she pulled his hood away and took his appearance in fully. "I need what you have, little Book Keeper."

Despite the warmth of the insulated room and the roaring fire, The Phantom shivered as if he were freezing cold. The Keeper sat, and after finally forcing what it was out of him, she nearly fainted. There was a demon inside of him, controlling him, and he had to feed it, or he would perish. She knew if she did not give what she had to him and this.. thing, more innocent people would be harmed.

Fighting back sobs of disgust and fear, she screwed her eyes shut as The Phantom's tall figure loomed over her, a gloved hand carressing her cheek, moving down to her throat.. a split second of sharp pain before his mouth enclosed around her throat. A gruesome sight, this human man playing pretend at something darker, slurping at the liquid within The Keeper's veins, crimson spilling from around his mouth, down her throat, staining her blouse and his chest and hands.

It seemed to go on for an eternity. Her head swam with sorrow and hatred, anger at The Phantom for putting her in this situation, yet concern for his life. He could be saved, he was not yet dead. She personally vowed to put a painful end to whatever it was plaguing him, and the creatures she somehow knew he was around more than usual.

Eventually, he stopped, leaning away and looking down at the chaotic mess he had created of the beautiful Keeper in shame. He cleaned her wound, and then sat beside her as she hunched forward, letting free a dry heaving sob. He explained quietly that this was a way for him to find personal gain, to find his father, to help the woman he loved. There she was again,  the mystery woman that seemed to have an unnatural control over The Phantom.

Weakly, she pushed herself to her feet and fell into the tub of warm water, quickly staining it pink. He had taken quite a lot from her, and her head was spinning. She could tell noone of this pact with The Phantom, what he was doing to her in secret--not that anyone would think her right. She was disgusted, at him, at herself. Yet she knew she would not stop helping him.

She only wished The Hunter had burst in at the perfect time as he always had, and stopped the entire thing from beginning. She wished he would hug her and tell her she was doing the right thing. She wished he could help The Phantom. That night she curled up in bed, finally letting her tears free. They did not last long, and after hours of painful tossing and turning, slumber took her into it's arms- and gifted her with nightmares most awful.

[Boots]

☆

She was a vision, her hair of pale silver and gold shining softly beneath the full moon's light. She seemed to glow as she turned to look at him, smiling sadly. For it was not he that she was looking for, and in the reflection of her eyes he seemed to change into the one she wanted to be near.

The Phantom lead her in a dance with perfect steps that evening, each with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience, each wishing for something that was equally impossible and ridiculous. She was drawn to him for reasons that confused her, she could see the good in him being slowly suffocated and forced out by insistent shadow.

She knew the pact they had made was wrong, it went against everything she thought she knew about herself and fought for, but in some twisted sense of right and wrong, somehow she believed she was truly doing good. Not a week earlier he had finally sought her out in the quiet book store tucked away in the silence of Barovian streets, clouded by shadow and struggling with something within him she knew she would never quite understand in full.

The road ahead was bumpy, and she had no clue which way she should travel along it. For once in her life, The Keeper was completely, and utterly confused.

[Boots]

VICTIS HONOR

☠

They were a full day's journey from the border when the sun began it's quick descent beneath the horizon that evening, and had reached a peaceful enough valley between a pair of hills in which they hoped they could find at least a few hours rest.

The Wood Cutter brought the fire's wood, and he and The Shepherd quickly made camp for the family to rest beside until dawn's light. The Keeper and The Mouse sat huddled, their arms wrapped tightly around one and other, while The Dwarve's prepared their shared meal, which still wasn't enough to keep their stomach's from collectively growling in protest.

The wind was cool against the adventurer's faces, heads of stark blonde and brown ducked low to stay warm against the oncoming night chill. Eventually, they fell asleep in a heap of cuddled bodies, human and dwarf. The Keeper awoke in a cold sweat midway through the night with a sickly pain in her gut, her green-blue gaze straying tiredly to the last dying embers of the campfire.

After thirty crackles, the fire went out, and The Keeper gently wrestled herself from The Mouse's tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stood, moving away to pick up the makeshift longbow that lay against a nearby tree. Slipping an arm through her quiver's strap, she hefted the light bunch of arrows onto her back and made her way up the slope of the surrounding hill.

She did not mind the dark, and did not fear as much as respect it in all it's mystery. She knew what lurked within the trees surrounding them, and the gnarled wooden hands that seemed to reach for her in her nightmares did not plague her so much these days; not now she had something more important to fear.

At the top, the wind was stronger. Her wispy white blonde hair was almost forced from it's restraining braids, and the pain in her stomach began to subside as she took a deep breath in, and let it out with a soft hum. In the corner of her vision something sparkled faintly, and The Keeper turned, just slightly, to peer into the darkness beneath her on the road they had left hours earlier.

It was not a sparkle, as she had thought. But a shine. The dull shine of gauntleted hands, the dull shine of a dirty arrow-head being raised in her direction. In the moment it took for her eyes to widen, before she could even move, an arrow had buried itself in her left thigh. The Keeper reacted instantly, snapping up with her weapon to send one of her own feathered arrows directly into the helmet of her attacker, and when it did not drop immediately, a sinking feeling crept into her stomach. She dragged herself back to camp with blood streaming from her leg, screaming one word: MORTIS!

Though they had been asleep, the family of adventurers all snapped awake at the word. The Mouse lunged for the giant Grass Cutter kept faithfully at her side, The Shepherd heaving his huge sword onto his shoulder as his free hand ruffled his disheveled blonde hair, The Wood Cutter grunting as he lifted his axe. The worry in their eyes sparked as they saw the wound in her leg, but she shook her head pointing behind her. "M-Mortis." She muttered again, limping behind them.

From the surrounding trees, the sounds of low moans, groans, and dragging footsteps came. The family backed into eachother, each raising their respective weapons in a defensive stance. As The Keeper looked between those faces around her, she felt a pang of protection and a deep love well up within her. She would do whatever it took to keep these people safe, and they would fight until their last breath for her.

Droves of undead came shambling from within the trees, a few archers here and there, which The Keeper quickly pinned down with her own expert aim. The Shepherd, Mouse, Wood Cutter and both dwarves rushed forward, the violent clash of steel against steel reaching deep into The Keeper's ears, long into the night.
 
Finally, as the sun began it's groggy ascent into the sky, they dropped to their knees with exhaustion, a pile of bones and rotting meat littering the valley of rest. The Shepherd aided The Wood Cutter in piling the corpses up, as The Mouse held The Keeper still so that she could wrestle the arrow head from inside her leg.

When the sun was finally high in the sky, and the birds began to sing melancholy songs, the smell of burning flesh spread through the valley and over the hills. The Keeper struggled to her feet with an arm draped over The Mouse for support, and they all moved in around the burning piles. She looked to the sky, then, murmuring with her head against The Mouse's, her free hand clutching tightly to The Shepherd's.

"Ex umbris ad lucem."

And so our heroes and heroines continued their journey, out of the shadows, and into the light.

[Boots]

MEMORIAM AMISERIT

☠

"Lock.." The Phantom gasped out the word as he collapsed to the heavy wooden foors of the inn, looking like a dark spot on the ground. The Keeper rushed to the door, turning it's key before moving back to help him to the bed. She layed him down, pulling away the shadows of his cowl, removing the heavy black cloak from his shoulders. He sat still, his pale eyes heavy and alert, darting around each corner of the room before settling back upon her visage.

"It's getting worse, isn't it." Murmured the Keeper, silently offering her wrist, and looking away. Her heart began pounding in protest, every inch of her screaming at her to run, to give him up. But she could not. He was now family, and she protected and looked after her family. As she looked away, she felt his hands close around the base of her jawline, tilting her head to look up at him as he gazed down at her, with a look of almost love in his eyes. That look was quickly replaced with almost hatred, as he jerked her hair away and bit forcefully into her throat with unpracticed canines.

Her inner voice began to cry in horror, and tears welled once more in her eyes as she squeezed them shut, ignoring it. In a horrific few moments, The Keeper felt almost dead. She sagged into The Phantom, curling her hands around in the material of his leather shirt, curing her tiny hands into fists of protest. Her vision began to swim, and finally he ceased, immediately tending the wound he had created, thankful she could not see the torn look of guilt spreading across his bloodied face.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, mostly so that she would not crumple useless at his feet. There were too many secrets, now.

"I think I need to go see someone."

"Who?" The Keeper shot back quietly.

".. Someone."

She sighed, moving away from him unsteadily to grip the bedpost, her head spinning. "This isn't going to work if you keep hiding things from me."

"They.. do not like uninvited guests."

She stared up at him, and he looked back, staring in return. How was she meant to trust this shadow-man, when every voice in her mind told her to run, when he kept so many secrets from her? Deep down, each time they met, a nudging thought that he may have been connected in the things she wanted to end the most, those things that threatened her family and all mortal kind.. knocked over and over again at the door to her mind. A bead of blood rolled from The Phantom's left nostril, his sickness was worsening, and it frightened The Keeper.

"Then invite me."

And so they went-

[The writing cuts off here, as if the writer had run out of inspiration to continue the story, it is continued only by a random entry that make no sense.]

----

A pair of stark blonde haired individuals walked the long dusty road side by side, covered overhead by a blanket of night fallen stars. The littler one looked up at the bigger, and said "I'm going to help you get better, because that's what friends do, right?" The bigger, simply stared down at the littler, and nodded his stark blonde head to her beaming, adoring smile.

[Boots]

[In the cluttered Storybook, a time withered, dog eared piece of pink parchment is wedged in the very back, the handwriting looks to be a child's.]

I'm afraid of the monsters living under my bed,
The ones on the roof and the ones in my head.
If I make a sound then they'll know I am here,
So I build a fortress of blankets to cover my fear.

One has an eyepatch and stands eight feet tall,
He uses his spider limbs to climb up the walls.
Another, his brother, with a smile far too wide, he comes through my window in the middle of night.

There's one with teeth like knives,
and one with eyes sewn shut,
There's one with pulled out nails,
and another who likes to cut.
Sometimes they make noises, and I want to yell.
 I want to run, but there's noone to tell.

But I know I won't run.
Because it's all in my head.
I'm afraid of the monsters living under my bed.