There Is No Me Beyond You

~36~

"So you did not finish him!" Andrei chuckled when he saw us approaching.

"You..." I called back, stopping short, unable to find the most appropriate words to express what I thought about him. "I wish you were dead..." I muttered sotto voce, so he could not hear me.

Vlad, who heard me well, wrapped his arm tighter around my waist and pulled me closer. "Let us pass, Rareş!" he said then, purposely ignoring Andrei.

But it was Andrei who spoke again before Rareş could reply, "Already? I was hoping we would have time to exchange a few words... We share some interesting memories, Lady Samara, don't we...?"

That was the last drop.

Throwing all caution to the wind I found Vlad's sword attached to his belt, unsheathed it, freed myself from his grasp and jumped off the horse so fast that he could not stop me. I stood in front of our men facing Andrei and the Council, holding the heavy sword high, in both hands, ready to strike whoever dared approach me.

"I've had enough of you, Lord Andrei." I said, my surprisingly clear and unwavering voice filling the perfect, shocked silence momentarily reigning in the clearing.

It only took a few instants before first Andrei, then Rareş and all the other members of the Council started to laugh. However Vlad, Lucas and Radu were already standing around me, and so were my wolves who had crawled out of the shadows cast by the trees and now drew nearer, ready to protect us.

At the sight of them, Rareş managed to compose himself enough to reply, still chuckling. "You really can't handle your wife, Lord Vlad, can you? Off you go, take her home now and finally teach her some proper manners before we decide to take her act as an offence..."

"Father!" Junior's voice carried towards us on a gust of wind from the direction of the chapel.

He must have taken a different, longer way leading to the lake, but he brought all the Knights, making our number more or less equal to the Council's. Thank goodness that Vlad sent Frost back home, it must have been his sudden, unexpected return that alerted Junior... I mused as Vlad turned around and nodded to him. Then, while the newcomers drew closer, he took the sword from me, but did not put it away.

"We take your behaviour as an offence, Rareş. As Lady Samara said, we've had enough..." he said, facing the Council again.

While Andrei, followed by Rareş and the others dismounted and unsheathed their swords, Vlad pulled me to him and whispered so only I and Lucas, standing close at my side, could hear, "Take my horse and leave, Lucas will take you home. Now."

"No!" I protested, but Lucas was already pulling me away, towards the frightened horses stomping nervously nearby.

Then everything happened too fast to properly understand what was going on. I heard the swords clash even before we reached the animals.

"Let me go, Lucas, let me see..." I had to struggle against him as he was determined to follow his orders and take me away, undeterred by the wolves' silent, warning growls. "Lucas!" I called again, his hands on my waist ready to lift me into the saddle.

"Running away, Lady Samara?" Andrei suddenly emerged from the bushes, scaring us and Midnight equally-- she took running home without us, followed closely by a couple of other horses.

Lucas let go of me and drew his sword, pointing it against Andrei's chest while he pushed me behind him. I moved out of their way but stopped close by, petrified, watching as the two engaged in a fight. It didn't take long before I saw Lucas' sword fly from his hand, then land on the grass a few steps away.

Before I could gather my wits and send the wolf pack to his rescue, Radu, materialising out of the surrounding confusion just in time, noticed what was happening. He picked up Lucas' sword and tossed it back to him. The two men then advanced on Andrei together, followed by the wolves but he, instead of defending himself, turned and fled, the Council's grey cloak billowing around him like a wisp of smoke.