Blue by Moonlight

The thick, close trees that made up the dense forests of Northern France parted only for the moonlight; if there were people around to notice this they might have considered it ironic. But there rarely were, for the people were afraid of the forest and refused to enter it, even under the protection of full sunlight. They were considered superstitious, backward even but they cared not for the opinions of the outside world; they knew what they knew and that was enough to keep them away.
         The forest however was teeming with life, woodland animals and wildflowers covered it and it was certainly beautiful enough to be considered wasted on the suspicious locals. But it was not wasted, for it was not, as the more learned people believed, uninhabited. The centre of the forest was home to a small grove where nothing lived and nothing grew save a thin blanket of worn brown grass. The moonlight shone straight through the gap in the trees and illuminated the grove in a way that was both magical but vaguely ominous. To see the forbidding trees, bathed in pale moonlight was to immediately understand the fear of local people.
         On a balmy, and what would later be considered fateful summer’s night, three solemn people stood in the grove. The tallest, and oldest of the three men stood in the middle; and this, along with an air of confidence that radiated from him marked him out as the leader of the outlandish trio. Like his two brother’s he was red-headed, although his hair was clean and combed neatly backward. His brown eyes were calm, and only slightly too big for a normal human face. The companion on his right put a reassuring hand on the leader’s shoulder.
         “They’ll be here Lupen, they owe us that much.” He said, in a confident voice that didn’t match his nervous eyes. Lupen nodded serenely.
         “I know. Frederick will not let us down, but it means much that you stand by me in this decision Sebastian.” He said and the man nodded, the pride at his leader’s gratitude visible on his face. The third man, whose red hair was long and wild and almost covered his face, snorted derisively. Lupen and Sebastian exchanged glances, but they said nothing; after all, they had both been young once.
         “I’d rather they didn’t show up at all.” Snarled the youngest of the men, whose accent was Spanish, unlike his French brothers. Lupen nodded.
         “Yes I know Jonathan, you have made your feelings on the subject quite clear.” He said, his voice still professionally calm. This seemed to infuriate Jonathan even further.
         “We are in great danger from them. We always have been and we always will. I respect you Lupen, as my Alpha, but I do not agree with this decision.” His voice was challenging, to a degree. His nature was such that he couldn’t bring himself to disrespect his Alpha, as much as he might wish to.
         “Then why are you here?” Sebastian asked, although not unkindly.
         “I would not leave my brothers to face this threat alone.” He said, and Lupen sighed, for the first time that evening sounding a little impatient.
         “There is no threat Jonathan. Enemies of old should not necessarily stay enemies long after the initial insult is past. That is simple pettiness, not honour or tradition.” He said and Jonathan spat on the ground, to the disgust of his elder brothers.
         “You consort with those we are sworn to defend the world from. You talk of treaties and agreements like our ancestors never fought to keep these monsters off our land. You are not a diplomat Lupen; you are a coward.” He said defiantly, and Lupen rounded on the young man with rage in his inhuman eyes.
         “You have overstepped your place by a long way tonight Jonathan. I have little patience with you as it is, do not push me further than you can handle. If you do not wish to help in this matter then leave. I do not wish this to be any more difficult than it has to be.”
         “Quiet!” Sebastian hissed, bringing his brothers back to reality, “They are here. They kept their word.” Lupen and Jonathan spun to face the way Sebastian pointed and three other figures stepped out of the soft glow of the full moon into the glade. They were far paler than any human would naturally be, but apart from that all three of the newcomers could pass for normal. To suspect anything, you would have to know what you were looking for; the graceful way they moved, the glitter of steel in their pale eyes. The one leading the newcomers glanced upwards into the night sky and smirked.
         “How brave of you.” He commented innocently, and his smirk was gone, replaced by a smile of such charm it would have left any human helpless but to conclude the earlier scorn had been imagined. But the three red haired men were not human, and though they might be desperate they were not stupid. Lupen bowed politely, as was his guests custom and the smiling man bowed in return.
         “Greetings Frederick. Welcome to France.” Said Lupen, and Frederick’s smile widened.
         “Thank you. It is very…hospitable for you to meet with us here.” He said, and his eyes flicked from Lupen to his two younger brothers. Frederick’s grin turned sour, and he didn’t try to hide it. Charm, although out in the real world it was his greatest weapon, would be of little use here.
         “Why Jonathan, how you’ve grown!” he remarked with a heavy amount of sarcasm. Jonathan growled but said nothing. Lupen rolled his eyes.
         “Please Frederick, if you could try not to antagonise my brother. He is young and not in control of himself yet.” He said and Frederick grinned manically, as though the barely concealed threat delighted him in some way.
         “Of course. I apologise. I forget how…temperamental you creatures are.” He gave a sickly smile and Lupen scowled.
         “If we could put the games to one side for a second Frederick, I would rather get this over with.” He said and Frederick nodded, suddenly serious.
         “Of course you would, and it is not particularly pleasant for us to be here either.” He said, gesturing to his two companions, “We have a simple proposition for you.” He said and Lupen nodded.
         “I know. You want to come to France.” He said and Frederick nodded soberly.
         “In a manner of speaking. I must say…” he glanced at his surroundings critically, “it is not quite home. But England is no longer…comfortable for us. Superstitious locals are one thing but…well this is an enlightened age unfortunately. Ah for the days of witch burnings. So many innocent women to take the blame for our misdeeds. Such an easy time.” He sighed nostalgically and the three red headed men scowled at his callousness. “In any case, home is no longer very homely and I’m not convinced we could stay there safely any longer. Ironic, that in a time when people believed us, and openly hunted us…we were so much safer.” He mused. Lupen shook his head.
         “I do not see that France is so much different.” He said, and Frederick nodded.
         “Well indeed, we couldn’t exactly settle in Paris could we? But ah, you have such a beautiful home here, with its quaint little villagers and beautiful thick forests to keep you safe.”
         “Wait just a moment.” Interrupted Sebastian, “You are saying you wish to share our home? Our particular spot of France? Wanting to share our country was bad enough but that is just out of the question.” Frederick’s grey eyes gleamed with anger, but Lupen held out a placating hand.
         “Shush Sebastian.” He calmed his brother, “Forgive him his temper but he speaks the truth. For our two races to live side by side would be…impractical.” He said politely, but Frederick waved his hand abruptly, shaking his head.
         “Enough of business for the time being, old friend. Tell me of your pack; how fare you here these days?” he asked, in a seemingly casual tone. Jonathan scowled and even Sebastian looked hostile, but Lupen was determined to continue this as the diplomat Jonathan had observed he was trying to be.
         “We get by. The people here, as you pointed out, are suspicious. Living here is like living one hundred years ago. But we see the world much as you do. To be feared and hated…it feels familiar to us.” he said, a little morosely. Fredrick nodded, his grinning face suddenly serious.
         “Yes, I fear we will always be doomed to the outskirts of civilised society, despite the fact that we could almost pass for human.” He threw a scathing glance at Jonathan, “Most of us anyway.”
         “But what of you Frederick?” Lupen interceded before another argument could begin. He glanced behind Frederick to his two companions, “You have new children it seems.” Jonathan and Sebastian shuddered slightly; Frederick calling his companions his “children” was no different to the three of them referring to each other as brothers; incorrect but convenient. Still the word sent shivers down their spines. Frederick however, smiled with something like affection as he gestured to his companions to step forward.
         “Yes, this is Marilyn. Exquisite isn’t she?” he boasted. Lupen nodded grudgingly. There really was no other way to describe the girl; with her long blonde curls and perfect curves she would have been beautiful as human but now, with that other-wordly glow she was nothing short of breath taking. Still she looked…so terrified, so unsure of what was really happening. Despite her appearance, she could not be more than five or six months old. She still had that horror behind her compelling smoky eyes, which she lowered to the ground as soon as she realised she was being stared at. She’d have blushed, Lupen realised, if she were still able to do so.
         Frederick’s “son” however, had no such inhibitions, and pushed his way past the girl, who gladly returned to the shadows. Frederick gazed at the boy with undisguised pride.
         “This is Vincent.” He said, “He’s my pride and joy. My greatest achievement.” The pride in his voice was as real as a father’s, and Vincent beamed at Frederick’s praise. Like Marilyn, he was almost unnervingly attractive, and Lupen wondered if Frederick picked them for their looks, or whether it was coincidental. Certainly charm went with the many other features of Frederick’s race, so perhaps physical perfection was just another of the side effects of the process. This boy, this Vincent, fit the bill perfectly. Luminously pale skin set off by longish black hair and huge, liquid black eyes. His features were vaguely feminine; very delicate and refined but marred by arrogance – Frederick’s creation through and through.
         “I can see why.” Lupen remarked dryly, after a few moments assessing Frederick’s latest project. Jonathan growled deep in his throat, and for once Lupen made no move to shush him. They could all feel it; the growing tension in the air, the feeling that something could erupt at any moment. Why would Frederick have brought his “pride and joy” to such a trivial thing as this negotiation were supposed to be? Lupen wasn’t so naïve that he’d expected Frederick to come completely unassisted, but this seemed a little overboard. Lupen frowned.
         “To business, perhaps Frederick? It is late for pleasantries.” He remarked and though he endeavoured to keep his glance upwards casual, his discomfort was evident on his face. Frederick smirked, and Vincent’s face was a mirror image.
         “Of course. Well, as we previously said we intend to come to France but we felt it would be…impolite to arrive without warning you. We know how uncomfortable that would be for us were it the other way around.” He said, in his honey sweet voice. Lupen nodded abruptly.
         “Yes I realise that. And Frederick we are not the enemies we once were, we agreed there need to be aggression between our races for all time. But you can’t seriously intend to move here? To this forest, alongside us?” Lupen’s voice was incredulous; Frederick merely stared. Jonathan shook his head softly, despair evident on his painfully young face.
         “He doesn’t.” he said quietly, but not quietly enough to evade the ears of anyone in the glade. Lupen turned sharply.
         “What?” he demanded and Jonathan scowled at Frederick.
         “They don’t intend to live here…alongside us.” He said and his meaning hit Lupen straight away as always. His eyes widened and turned sharply back to Frederick.
         “You can’t be serious?” he said and Frederick merely shrugged. “What about…what about the truce? We were supposed to be finding a way to co-exist.” He said and Vincent snorted.
         “There is no way to co-exist. Not for us. We are enemies when we are created, it’s in our bones, in your blood. There’s nothing you can do about it.” His voice was far harsher than his delicate face suggested, and it was full of spite. Frederick shushed him.
         “Now now, there’s no need for aggression Vincent.” He scolded gently, then turned to Lupen with his piercing grey eyes, “But he’s right Lupen. Touching as it was for you to try and forge ties between us, it’s never going to happen. Our races our born to destroy each other.” He said, and from behind him a muffled sobbing came from the young woman.
         “So…what?” Lupen was shell shocked, “Are you declaring war on us?” he asked, and his brother’s recoiled at the suggestion. Frederick’s expression was blank.
         “If necessary.” He said, “We would, of course give you chance to surrender. Give up your lands to us and leave and we would consider leaving you unscathed.” He grinned a bloodthirsty grin and Jonathan shook his head, and began to speak in a way that only the brother’s could.
         “No Lupen.” Jonathan’s voice rang in both Lupen’s and Sebastian’s head, though he had said nothing, “I know you wanted this, but this is not the time for negotiations. I’m sorry for challenging you, I really am but…we can’t trust them. We know that now. If we surrender they will kill us anyway, and the only difference will be to die in shame rather than battle.”
         “I can tell you are communicating but you don’t really have a choice. Lupen, you need to exert some authority over these children. This is your decision.” He sneered and Lupen growled fiercely. It was a sound no human could make and it was terrifying from the normally placid leader. The young woman whimpered and cowered even further into the shadows. Frederick and Vincent however, looked unmoved.
         “They may be children but they were right about you. We will never surrender our lands to monsters like you.” He snarled, “If you want war then that’s what will meet you here.” Frederick’s face twisted in rage, but there was defiance in his eyes; he did not look surprised by the decision.
         “Very well. If that’s the way you want it.” He turned away from the brothers and signalled to his children. “For now, we leave.” He said, and Marilyn was gone before the sentence was even finished, bounding effortlessly through the close trees. After a nudge from his father, Vincent reluctantly followed. Frederick turned to Lupen and narrowed his eyes. “Do not underestimate us Lupen. Your ancestors did, and it was a mistake. Au revoir.” He said, in his straight English accent, and he was gone before Lupen could respond.
         “Run.” He said quietly to his brothers, “We must warn the pack. I will not lose my land or my brothers to vampires.”

That night, the night that would go down in history, the villagers slept peacefully, unaware that their darkest nightmares, their most paranoid suspicions were being played out right beside them, in the sleeping forest under the watchful gaze of the new moon.