One by one the outlanders were called in for questioning, eventually leaving Elana the sole occupant of the detention cells. She felt weak, shaking in the cell, as she sat on its cold stone floor. Her hands were bound, and she knew she would not be released like the others. Hours passed as she stared blankly at the wall, when suddenly she heard the door open. It was the Captain of the guards.
He was kind to her, she could see that it pained him to have her punished for trying to save lives. Yet, he was bound by duty, and told her as much. The Countess had claimed that she trespassed, and that was a death sentence. There was nothing the man could do to stop it, and he asked to listen to her story.
"
I wanted nothing more than to stop the headless rider from taking more lives. So, myself and the Anchorite set to head to the Castle to ask the Countess for her help. The legend of the rider claimed that his head was once taken to there, I had hoped she might know something about it. I had hoped that she truly cared about her people, like her actions had shown. I was wrong.
When we arrived there, we knocked at the gate, and waited. After some time, two guards came and asked us our business and names, then bid us to follow them up to the castle. We did not trespass, we were told to follow those guards. We had told them about the legend and that we sought the aid of the Countess to help her people. When we were finally at the castle, they told us to wait in the entry way.
We had arrived around noon, and the hours slowly passed by. Soon it was night, and a few hours into the night the guard reappeared. The Anchorite had fallen asleep by this point, and so it was just me who was taken to see her. Had I known what I know now, I never would of knocked.
Anyway, the guard led me to the dinning hall, Lyssa was seated with five other women. She asked me why I had come, and I told her. I told her about the legend and the riders head, the woman laughed at me, calling it just a story, she didn't care that her people were dying. But, I tried, and looking as esxhausted as I was, I was bid to join her for dinner. I did not dare refuse her, for fear of what would happen if I did.
I sat between two of her guests, and as the Countess raised her glass in a toast, I picked up the goblet infront of me. Whatever it was, a tiny little sip was all it took. I remember the women giggling, a sudden feeling of lust, pleasure and pain, then it all went black. I came to in that cage. Nearly naked and covered in a multitude of vampire bites. I'm sure you know the rest..."
The Captain nodded and promised her that she would die well, that it would be swift, and painless. What an empty promise it was. Come morning she was informed of the Countess' decree that the deal with Strahd and the Vistani was no more. There was no more protection for them, Elana knew she would never see the light of day again. She was afraid as they led her through the town, and towards the gallows.
She begged and pleaded with them not to kill her, afraid that action would cause a war between Barovia and the Vistani. Yet, she believed that this was the kinder fate, for surely the wrath of Madame Eva would be far worse than death. Fear took her as the noose was tightened around her neck, and tears flowed freely from her dark brown eyes. This was it, this was her end. All she had done, all the risk she took, was to save people, and she told the Barovian and outlander alike that. She made it clear that they were killing an innocent woman who only wanted to save them.
Shackled and with the noose around her neck, there was little she could do when Rin appeared to try to save her. As if she were cursed, things went awry. Rin became a murderer, entirely by accident. She hadn't entirely seen it through her tear fogged vision, but she heard it.
"Wait stop! I never meant to harm anyone!" The old man cried out. Elana was raw with emotion she screamed for salvation, and when it became clear that she was not to saved, she uttered a curse to the dark powers that ruled the land. She begged for them all to die at the hand of the horseman. She screamed the curse in Patterna. She begged them to kill her, to end her life, to save her from the Raunies wrath.
Well, she got what she asked for. The fat corporal, now seargent, pierced her neck with his sword. All that came from Elanas lips was a bloody gurgle. Blood flowed down her nearly naked form, pooling at her feet until she hung, by the noose, limp and dead. This was her end, or so she thought.
A kind man, who knew her attempt was pure, stole her corpse away from the Charnel house. At great risk to himself. He carried her cold, lifeless body far from Vallaki, all the way to the Tser Pool, when a miracle happened.
Her body became warm, hot, he had to set her down. Suddenly, an unearthly scream erupted from her as the ground became red like fire, and she began to move. In a panic, Elana crawled away from the scorched ground, incredibly confused. She wasn't the only one confused that night. It truly was a miracle, she lived again, not a single prayer was uttered, and all her belongings were returned. She couldn't explain what had happened, neither could Kian.
That night she left Barovia, weakened, confused, but alive. She was not the same though. Her execution chilled her heart, and a hatred began grow. She wanted nothing but to save people, to stop the headless rider from killing, but her attempt to help was met with hostility and cruelty.
That day she learned just how cruel men can be.
