The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 3

† Braddock †

The stallion stopped by a bush and whinnied, while attempting to back away.

Braddock yanked the reigns tighter, to encourage it to continue forward. So far, after nearly an hour of searching for Yalena's camp, she had not been found. She had not been gone long, but had travelled far in that time. "There must be a reason the horse does not wish to continue," he called over to Eryk, who followed but never strayed into his horse's path. "We will dismount and continue on foot, to ensure we miss nothing."

Eryk nodded silently. He dismounted and slung his supply bag over his head, an action Braddock copied.

They had warned Braddock's second in command where they ventured and what to do if they did not return. If neither returned by the break of day, they were to proceed as scheduled towards their next mission. The camp would only move a few miles in that time, but it would be far enough that neither he nor Eryk could reach it if they lost their horses or were injured. But that was a risk they had to take, if they hoped to save Yalena or finally capture the monster attacking young women.

"Do you think Yalena is near?" Eryk asked, in a whisper.

"It is hard to say, but something spooked the horses," he replied calmly. He had to retain his composure. He could not go running through the woods searching for Yalena. There was no need to panic, as yet.

Eryk stepped forward and spent some time lighting a torch made from a piece of torn cloth. Once it had a strong flame, he turned back. "Let me go first, captain. If we encounter danger, it is best that you are spared," he said, with a look that said he meant every word.

Braddock appreciated the concern, but took the torch and offered the lad a smile. "I am the captain and I will give the orders," he teased, with a wink. "I cannot allow a subordinate to put my safety before his own. I will go ahead and you will stay with the horses. We cannot lose them, if there is a monster on the loose. We must have a way to leave, in safety."

With reluctance, Eryk stepped back and nodded his agreement.

Once he knew he would behave himself, Braddock forged ahead and fought his way through the wild woods. It may be a long trek before he found Yalena, but he would not give up. He would not return to camp unless he found her or the monster terrorising the locals.

Finally, he would have his answers.

The snow crunched under his boots as he took each step carefully, watching the ground for any sign of disturbance, blood or footprints. A fresh flurry had fallen over the course of the night, so he would know if the tracks were fresh or old. If old, he could rule out Yalena's presence, but that would only be a small comfort.

Stupid woman, he thought to himself. She simply cannot act sensibly. She must behave like a hard nosed man, fighting every battle herself. She refuses even the help that any other man would accept, he complained.

A crack far off in the distance made Braddock pause momentarily. He listened, utilising his extraordinary vampire hearing. Off in the distance, a fox cried to the left and, behind him, a crow cawed. In amongst the sounds of the woods, a faint sniff and a moan of pain pinpointed a possible location for Yalena. And if it truly was her, she was in trouble.

Big trouble.

Braddock set off in a run, keeping a careful eye on the ground as he went, until he found a prone figure crawling through the forest floor, one clawed hand at a time. He saved his breath and only swore inwardly, as he stopped by her side and mentally evaluated her health.