What does lurk in the shadow of the night

[Mircea Dracul II]

“Lucius, come here…” Mircea paused in his walk to turn to glance at the large hound who had trotted off the path. With a soft bark the dog came back, wagging his long tail at his master. “You know better.” Mircea smiled as he patted the hounds head, then turned to continue on his walk, his hands shoved into his long coat pockets. The autum evening was cool, but relaxing, warmer than usual and yet the sky was clear as day, casting the beautiful painters purples and pinks across the horizon, throwing it’s blood orange and crimson red to the specks of clouds that dared form. Yet…in the east, looming like a storm was the dark edge of the sky, the blacks and purples that crept in after the light, chasing it away. It was just that prime time, where Mircea knew that he shouldn’t be lurking outdoors, and yet, the walk was relaxing. It gave him time to be to himself and think, about nothing in particular, but just everything in general.

About his wife of course, Beautiful Elena, who had to be annoyed by him wandering off on walks with the dog, but then again, she never seemed angry when he returned to her and kept her warm and safe in their bed. About his brother, who was slaving away day in and out over the peace treaties and decisions he must make with the Ottomans, the wretched idiots they were. Vlad didn’t get much sleep, Mircea knew that, and he often felt it was his fault his brother was slaving away. If Mircea would’ve been able to keep control and a good hold of the empire, he wouldn’t have lost it, and lost his mind, thus having Vlad regain control and order. But as Mircea always said to himself and others, Vlad was more fit to lead now, he had the mindset of a great ruler. Of course, then he would think about the people of Transylvania, listening to them talk out in the markets and streets, watching them farm their good harvest and smelling the baking breads and foods as he would ride down the street…he would think of them prospering, and he only had Vlad to thank for it.

He would also think about silly, trivial things, as in, what book was he going to read later in the day? Why the weather was unusually warm, why the leaves changed the way they did, going from lush green to orange…or red…purple even, why not brown, then die off…what made them so lively? Perhaps the sun kissed them just as they died, and whatever beam touched them, they would hold onto, like watching their lover leave for a war they may not return from. Simple things…simple, stupid things to ponder when one was a Prince of Transylvania, those were things peasants pondered when they harvested their fruits. Yet Mircea wasn’t king, so he didn’t really, exactly need to worry about everything. He knew Vlad could hold his own, steady and strong as he was. Mircea did worry often about political things, and his brother’s health, but on times like this, when the sun was stretching her arms to the sky to hold onto it, and the darkness of night was pushing it down, he thought of simple things…things that wouldn’t unsettle his mind before bed, so he would lay awake…wondering.

Lucius barked, his low, heavy bark that stirred a slight jump from Mircea, but he paused, pursing his lips as he turned slightly to look over his shoulder, brows furrowed as he watched Lucius staring down the path they had just taken, barking. “Lucius…come.” Mircea’s tone had no effect on the dog, shockingly. Raising a brow Mircea paused, stopping and sighing with slight aggravation. “Lucius!” The dog barked again, this time a more defensive bark, than a warning one, a low growl caught in his throat. Mircea stepped forward, towards the dog as a wolf ran from the woods, across the path, then into the forest once more. Lucius made a motion to lunge and follow, but Mircea’s firm hand was on the hounds collar by that point. “No. Come now.” Mircea gave the hound a tug, and the black-gray beast followed his master, now and again eyeing the path behind them. “You’re a good dog, but you don’t know when to stop do you?” Mircea smiled down at Lucius, who just watched him, tail wagging, tongue draped unceremoniously from his mouth. “..Exactly.”

[Mihaela Dracul]

[x][x]
Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains...

It was much, much too early for Mihaela to be out about and wandering the grounds. The sun may have been down, the last rays long since disappeared from the evening sky; but there was the risk of people. No, humans to be exact. Humans were a big risk at this point. With all the latest immigration, and the scents she had as of yet to acquire herself to. Taking a human life wasn't something she would regret, she wouldn't lie, not even to herself. But if it were an Ottoman... the filthy creatures. And yet despite her personal dislike for them, their blood only seemed to smell sweeter with each passing year of bitterness. Maybe it was just the kill she wanted when it came to those defilers. Maybe it was all just psychological, in her head, maybe that was all that made the blood smell so much sweeter. The thought of her teeth sinking into their warm flesh, tearing into what they had taken from her. Taking away the very life they'd cost her. And she was dying, nay practically dead, to do so. And yet with the upcoming peace treaty her brother was trying so hard to commence, she couldn't afford to follow what she wanted. Which is why as of late she'd been sleeping in, or staying put to the castle. But she'd woken today, when the sun was still out, the burgundy draperies that kept the sun from her room flashing in the breeze from beyond the open window, her eyes just barely seeing out into the lighted world of beyond. When was the last time she'd sat in the sun, warm rays sinking into the pores of her exposed skin. Half of her had wanted to walk out unto the balcony right then, and see if truly the sun could harm her... and yet the thought of her skin burning had kept her in bed, eyes slanted against the darkness the heavy draperies provided.

And try as she might, sleep evaded her from that point on. So she'd sat, in bed, eyes staring blankly into the wall across from her, thoughts raging rampant beyond her impeccable facade. By eight the sun had sunken below the horizon, the last shreds of sunlight faded. With little pause she'd summoned one of her serving maids, beckoning with little patience for them to hurry and help her dress. She wanted little else other than to escape the castle, run from the duties that bound her to the place, run from the memories that clouded her vision so easily. She was in an antsy mood. She knew that even before she'd called the girl. And while she was newer, and younger than most of her other serving girls, she'd never really been on the job by herself. But seeing the time, and her status among the other servants; it only made sense that she should be the one sent up. And judging by the dark circles under her pale skin, this was not the first job she'd been on tonight. Mumbling impatiently Mihaela jerked her hand in a rapid motion, the girl behind her clumsily trying to tie up her corset. She heard, more than felt, the fool prick her skin. But nonetheless her reaction was immediate, her body swinging round in a flash of movement, arm striking out quickly and connecting with the girls face with a loud crunch. Blood spurted from both mouth and nose, the thick liquid sliding down her face with an ever growing quickness. Stomach muscles knotting, pupils dilating, and breath coming in slight pants she turned away, hands folding over her stomach carefully. There was always a risk when you employed humans... especially with her appetite. Closing her eyes she pulled her lips together tightly, jerking her head towards the door. "Leave. Now!" No requests. No delay, her voice rang harsh and loud against the girl's whimpers as she rushed from the room.

There was nothing to be said for the obvious idiocy of the girl. And nothing to be said for her reaction. She was left to tie her own corset, slipping the filmy black dress over her curves silently, and tying the back as tight as she could. The straps clung to her shoulders, bodice catching against her as she slipped the golden belt around her waist. It would have gone much faster with a competent servant, much faster even with one that didn't bleed. One without the distraction of the pulsating beat that charged beneath the skin in a torrent. And seeing that it was much to difficult to braid her own hair, she let it hang loosely in curls, cascading down her back. While pants would've suited much more nicely, it was still early, and there were bound to be people about. Shoes on the other hand were rendered useless. Her dress covered all but the peak of her toes. Barely pausing to grace black liner on her lids she slipped silently from the castle, barely glancing at those who were already up and about in the hallways.

Though the path would be far easier she let her figure slip into the treeline that surrounded it, her figure covered by the overhanging of trees and their foliage. She'd kept on her way barely ten minutes before she heard a commotion ahead of her. A guttural barking that all but ordered her to retreat further into the woods...and yet her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, the bark sounding so familiar, tickling her memory that she was instead skirting the very treeline, eyes on the pair not two yards in front of her, the scene playing before her like that of a play. Yes, wolves... And her brother and dog as well. Her lips quirked slightly, the familiar scent washing over her, calming the frayed senses that seemed to plague her so much lately. Her human brother at least. Letting a small smirk grace her lips, she stepped out onto the path as he was talking, her feet not making a noise. Breath suspended as she stifled a laugh at his words. "And you do dear brother?" Lilting, almost musical she asked of the question, stopping two feet before him, a laugh playing in her eyes. "They do say," she mused dropping without decorum to her knees to look the dog in the eyes. "That dogs and their masters mirror one another." She broke the contact, holding her hand out gently towards the beast as she looked to Mircea. "So my question is how you ended up with such a majestic beast." The gentle teasing underlying in her tone as she wrinkled her nose in an expression reminiscent of her childhood days.

[/blockquote][/color][/size]

[Mircea Dracul II]

Mircea’s hand rested on Lucius’ head as he continued walking. The night was setting now, the darkness fully taking over the once lit world. An eerie blackness seemed to wash everything down, like a thin ink spread over too much paper, thankfully the moon was bright today, nearly full, but just a sliver off from it’s fully luminous glory. Thankful for Mircea, that moonlight would spread down, throwing its bright light rays upon the ink washed world, while it would only give off a sliver of view…it was something, compared to walking blindly. The night never really bothered Mircea, as long as he had Lucius with him. The hound was a sort of eyes and ears, he was Mircea’s guide and guard when he went on walks that were not accompanied by guards or his horse. Lucius made the night more welcoming, then offending. Thankfully for Mircea, they were close to home. If Mircea’s eyes weren’t failing him, he could see the looming castle in the distance, protesting night’s inky consumption, and capturing nearly all the bright blue rays of the moon.

A voice caught Mircea off guard, and he slightly stumbled in his step before he regained composure. At first he would’ve been more on guard, but when he heard the word brother carried across the night air, he knew exactly who was lurking in the shadows there. A smile crossed his features as Mihaela stepped into his short ranged view. Her comment made him raise a brow in a humorous grin. “ I like to believe I do yes…though I’ve been proven wrong before..” Mircea grinned, a light laugh teasing the edge of his words. As she dropped before Lucius, the dog began wagging his tail widely, nearly hitting Mircea in the leg as Mihaela was before it. Mircea listened to her words, and tilted his head curiously at her, wondering where she was getting at with that sort of statement, of course, her continuation of it only had him grinning at her, and shaking his head. Mihaela did always pick on him, or any of the brothers for that matter, no matter what her age.

“Very funny.” He rose a brow at her, his smile still on his face as he let his hand trail across the back of his hound. “He found me after all, so perhaps he’s drawn to such majesty that he is?” The playful tone was obvious in Mircea’s voice as he watched his sister. She was always a curious one, coming out at night all the time, and yet, she had such an ethereally dark beauty about her. It was no wonder that she carried the feminine side of the Dracul line beautifully, even if she had a different mother than Mircea. He could see Vlad Dracul I in her, very easily.

“How have you been dear sister? It’s been quite some time since you and I last crossed paths.” He kept his tone light, and calming. Mircea didn’t like to jump to anything abruptly, and it had been quite some time since him and Mihaela had last had a good conversation, considering their relationship, which bordered on the brink of love and hate. Some days, the two could get along like peas in a pod. You would think they were married for how well they would get together, laugh and joke with one another, some days it was obvious they were brother and sister by the playful bantering and teasing. Yet on other days you would think they were an Ottoman and Transylvanian facing off. Mihaela and Mircea had such a dramatic relationship it was no wonder that the few times they did meet up with one another, it was always uncertain where it would end up, in irritation and anger? Laugher and jokes? Or perhaps, just good, old fashioned friends.

[Mihaela Dracul]

[x][x]
Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains...

Despite all the years of desensitization, it was still difficult to remind herself that the blood held before her was not hers' for the taking, that the warm, pulsating liquid residing beneath the thin layer of human skin and the blood lust it inspired within her was something to be avoided. It helped, that this was her brother she was talking to, if only marginally. After all, she'd grown up with him, she knew him. Even if they didn't always get along. Taking a deep steadying breath through her lips, she cut off all other air flow, letting the scent travel through her, letting her mind set at a rest with it. She'd always felt that maybe she should thank some sort of fate, some deity for the lack of appeal for his blood in particular. Maybe it was because it reminded her something of her father. Either way, there was sure to be some sort of conversation to ensue from this encounter. Whether it was good or bad couldn't be decided yet, the two had an odd sort of relationship, that much couldn't be ignored. She'd been in a fairly horrible mood when she'd descended from the castle, but such as it was after one of her dreams. And this one had by far been the most vivid as of late.

It could only be hoped that the night air had cleared her head, and she'd become in better spirits, though judging by her range of emotions she was fairly sure she had... but one wrong word... shaking such thoughts off she smiled at his comment, a shrug befalling her slender shoulders. "I haven't." It was a simple statement, neither boast nor brag. Just a fact, or one she chose to be fact. The right side of her lips edged up in a small smirk, her eyes going back to the beast before her. Her hand continued it's path, lightly, almost feather light for her strength, ruffling through the creature's ears. It was hard sometimes, to remember that if she acted spontaneously with any mortal she could crush them. In just an instant. Her lips tilted again, though they held more of a grim, sick kind of tint. Why try and deny what she was though? Another tilt of the lips and she shook such thoughts off. If she continued thinking along these lines, if she continued having to shake away any sort of thought, her mood would indeed sour. Her pale green orbs staring into that of the beast before her, she let herself calm, fingers running lightly over his head.

She let out a laugh at his words, the musical bells sounding off gently into the night. "Right, because your ever so majestic brother." Her eyes came from their resting place, once again looking up, her lips stretching into a small, amused smile. Well... maybe he was, but that was beyond the point. There was no need to inflate his ego after all, and it was her job as the younger sibling to keep him in tow. Nodding just slightly to herself stood quickly up, in one of those blindingly fast moves that she usually kept hidden from observant eyes. It was nice to be herself with someone outside of her own kind though. Running her hand slowly through the mass of curls atop her head she shrugged lightly.

"It has been hasn't it...," she mused thoughtfully, her head tilting slightly to the right. "I've been decent enough. Though I've obviously lost the track of time again." An innocent shrug escaped her shoulders, it could only be expected with how she was. And when one held an eternal night, the passing of days meant little. "How about yourself?... Or your lovely wife Elena?" She questioned, eyebrows raised with just the right shade of curiosity. Lovely certainly was the right adjective in this place, and she found she rather liked the human girl. She found some of her tastes ...odd to be sure, but she held just the right amount of quirks and intelligence to keep Mihaela amused.

[/blockquote][/color][/size]

[Mircea Dracul II]

Mircea flinched gently when she stood up so fast. With a sigh he watched her, his eyes focusing on his sister. Her vampire blood weirder him out, to say the least. There was just something about her, and the skills and abilities that vampires held that were just unnatural. One could only figure, seeing as she was unnatural to the real world. Yet, moving that fast, holding that amount of power just wasn’t right. And be her blood or not, she was still his sibling, and with that he would need to treat her with the respect of the princess she was, he could only hope she didn’t get too bloodthirsty and go rampant on him. After all, one in bloodlust is often blinded by hunger. He heard that once, a soldier told him that. It was just all the more true now looking at his sister. He could only hope her vision was clear enough to keep her bloodlust at bay.

“Elena is doing wonderfully, as always.” Mircea smiled, reaching down to pet Lucius, who was now back at his master’s side. Taking a few steps forward Mircea approached his sister. “And I’m fairing well enough, care to join me on the walk home sister, or would you like to part ways and shall I let you wander the night?” His tone was calm, relaxed and content as he spoke to her. Mircea took steps past her, relaxed ones, with his hands tucked away in his pockets. He felt slightly on edge with his sister around, if only a little. It seemed when she was around he felt a strange prickling sensation down the back of his neck. Perhaps it was just his slight fear of the unnatural, the undead, or just fear of the whole, sucking blood thing that she did. Either way, he could put it aside when it came down to his sister. She was family after all.

“Elena and I are breeding horses now, at least, starting too finally.” Mircea smiled softly, a slight pride in his voice. It had been one of his childhood dreams to breed horses, and he was glad he was finally getting the chance. He then had to think about anything else between him and his wife, or in his direct personal life Mihaela didn’t know about. There honestly wasn’t much, Mircea did as he always did. Slept, ate, worked, trained and spent as many hours with Elena as he could. Turning his head to his sister he gave her a polite smile. “What about you, seeing as I usually don’t get the chance of running into you that often, how has life been treating you as of late.”

[Mihaela Dracul]

[x][x]
Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains...

His flinch was far from lost on her eyes, though she kept such comments as she could make on it to herself. There was no need to point out that it was her nature, that it was who she was. Because, she was fairly sure that while he could accept it to a minimal degree, he wouldn't be able to totally comprehend by what she meant. If only because their differences, he was human...and she was not. A fine line drawn much earlier than either had ever anticipated, and one she would do well not to cross. A small sigh flitted past her lips as she reminded herself for the need of caution, if not for his safety[for which she believed needed no terms] than for his comfort. Odd at that, seeing as the chances were fifty fifty on this ending in an argument. But her mood was bettering as she talked with him, and the price for that couldn't as of yet be named. She wanted him to trust her, she knew he was in no immediate danger, she might worry yes. But that was most likely a good sign for his well being. She would be far more worried if she didn't think on it, didn't test herself to see that it was fine for her to accompany him. Almost as in response to his action a small smile fell upon her lips, gently, calming. There was no need for any awkwardness today, especially from such a small source as species.

She nodded at his statement on Elena, her head dipping forward slightly as she consented a slight 'I'm glad' before he continued on. "Well enough isn't well," she commented lightly turning as he passed her, her own feet moving without answer as she trailed beside him. "I suppose I can walk with you," her tone held the smallest note of musing, as if she were still considering the question even as she walked beside him. "Seeing as your not well and all, and I'm fairly sure we can find much to talk about as of late." Especially seeing the time that had lapsed since they had last spoken, many things were sure to have befallen them, and even without that... there was always the conversations to be held on politics... religion... She felt a smirk grace her lips. Oh yes, she was sure they would find something.

He was practically bursting with the exultation of pride, something she usually only saw when he spoke of his wife. Not of course, that they evened in natures. There was a very noticeable difference between the two types of pride. She couldn't help the tender smile that pulled at her lips though as she turned her gaze upon him. Yes, it made sense. He'd always had a way with horses from her viewpoint. Though saying so, she was really only capable of handling one for a minimal amount of time. Enough for riding, the cleaning... sometimes just feeding and sitting with one... Any more required a skill she couldn't handle though. She was too afraid to try and break one in, what when anything was possible. She was still young, and had yet as she knew herself, to exercise full control of herself. Maybe another hundred years or so, she paused musing. Forever nineteen or twenty. Something that would bring a smile to any female's face. Immortality was glorious, when you thought about it. But still at the same time... She shook herself out of her musings, her lips turning up even further as she turned to him. "I sleep, eat my unusual diet, repent for loss of life.... Walk...," she trailed off a small glint in her eye. "Other than that... absolutely nothing..." Her smile fell from her face as the truth of those words hit her. Nothing. And that was all she could see for a while. Her lips pulled in a small grimace as she turned her gaze away, staring stonily ahead of her.

[/color][/blockquote][/size]