Alorian Rose Chapter 1-1

Chapter 1
         Ravena Joven sat at the back of the tavern, she watched her men dance and sing like merry little children. One of them was twirling a maid around in dance. It was loud and the men were delirious and excited. The thrill of victory was running through their veins. All of them were drunk excluding herself. They had just taken out a nest of vampires outside the city limits, so everyone was celebrating except her. She had other old thoughts on her mind. Her thoughts always got the best of her.

         Being so close to her hometown disturbed Ravena. Yra was a place of happy memories shattered. Her mother had worked hard to keep them fed and housed, she was a medicine maker. Ravena remembered growing up with plants all round the house; on the table, in the sink, on all the window ceils and by the beds. Her mother could always be found over the cauldron making a poultice for this or that noble, it took most of her time but dinner was always mother-daughter time. Just one on one for them. That’s when it happened one night, Ravena remembered the door being kicked in and harsh winter wind blowing in, her mother rushed to the door, she screamed. She saw her mother slam into the far wall. As a child Ravena only climbed under the table to hide, as an adult she would have stabbed the vampires with the fire poker. She saw her mother fall to the floor, her gray eyes clouded and distant, the door slammed again. Ravena soon saw blood begin to trickle toward the kitchen, it was red and so warm still that little wisps’ of steam rose from the trail. 
         

         “Ravena!” a voice called her out of her trance.
         Ravena focused on the man in front of her, Logan was one of the best in the war band. He stared at her with wary yet concerned eyes. The laughter echoing in the background and shouts for glee from one maid.
         “Did you even hear a word I said?” Logan asked looking at her
         “No Logan my mind was elsewhere. What did you say to me?”
         “Yra is reporting five attacks in one week, that means a nest somewhere near the village.” Logan said flatly. “I think we should head that way for our next assignment. What do you think?”
         “You want to know something Logan?” Ravena asked her voice distant and her eyes somber.
         “Sure.”
         “Yra is my hometown, it’s the reason I am in this war band. We are going to Yra, they are my mothers’ people, and they need help. Have the men ready in the morning Logan, I am going to the inn to sleep.” With that, Ravena rose and walked out of the tavern. Logan just stared after her.
         Ravena went to her room at the inn, it was small and homey. She got into her nightclothes and crawled into the bed. As she closed her eyes all she could remember was the trail of blood slowly seeping toward her beneath the table.

         Ravena woke the next morning with an odd feeling in her stomach, she knew this mission was going to be harder than the last. She put on her chain mail over a shirt, then she donned a black leather vest. As she put on her black boots; the maids she had called for tied up her hair. Lastly she put on her long black cloak and her belt. She looked at herself in the mirror, she was a hardened fighter and still she noticed that her face was that of a woman, soft with pale skin and no blemishes, she would have to fix that one day. Other than the face her frame and clothing screamed fierce. Her leather armor making her seem larger than her simple 130 pounds. She sheathed her sword and walked down into the main room.
         The war band and Ravena rode out that morning toward Yra. They totaled a hundred men and horses. It was a long and hot, they had not spoke nor had they stopped to rest, they just pushed further. When they arrived at Yra they entered a ghost town, no one was in the streets or the square, houses were bolted against them and no faces look out from the windows. It was deathly silent. The place looked deserted but Ravena knew that the people were fearful of them.
         Ravena halted her men in the square. She told Logan to keep them alert and check the city. She made her way to the inn. Inside it seemed like it was empty, but she could hear the ragged breathing of a scared man. She walked over to the counter and let her hand fall on it, it thumped loudly against the wood and she called out a hello. Slowly to her left a man stood from crouching, his face was pale and his hands were shaking, he came over to her.
         “I  need rooms for my war band,” the man’s face relaxed a little at the word, “and myself.” Ravena said
         “How many rooms will you be needing miss…”
         “Miss Joven, Ravena Joven. And I will need sixteen rooms.”
         The mans eyes widened in surprise at her name, he started to stammer out something and Ravena interrupted him, “Yes I am Ariel’s’ kid and yes I am alive.”
         A smile broke across the mans face as he handed her the keys to the rooms, he spoke, “It’s nice to see you again Miss Ravena. There will be beer for your men and a hot bath for you ready in an hour.”
         Ravena smiled to the man as she walked outside. Her men were fooling around in the square and hitting each other.
         “Gentlemen!,” Ravena said loudly as the men turned to her in attention, “we have rooms and ale for this night compliments of the innkeeper, remember to give him thanks and tomorrow the real work begins.”
         The men stumbled by her with their grunts, thanks and into the inn. She still had to do something so she walked off; down a quiet street in the direction of a well remembered house. She knocked on a barred door, it echoed loudly through the town. There was no answer. Ravena knocked again.
         “Go away you cannot have my children!” A distraught voice yelled from behind the door.
         “My name is Ravena Joven and I am the leader of the Marion War Band. Please allow me entrance to speak with you.” She spoke to the door.
         The door opened now and a stout auburn haired woman greeted her. “Did you say Joven was your last name girl?”
         Ravena smile down at the woman, “Yes Marta my name is Ravena Joven and I remember you.”
         Both the women smiled and Ravena lifted the other in her arms, there was laughing and tears, then she let the woman down. Joy showed in the others face and a sparkle lit up her eyes.
         “Come in and get warm by my fire darling, it has been a while since I have seen your face. Children,” she called into the kitchen, “get your butts out here and meet our guest.”
         Three scraggly children came running into the small entry way, they all had the same brown eyes of their mother but the blonde hair came from their father. Two girls and a boy stood before her in silent contemplation each slightly shorter than the other like a set of stairs.
         “The oldest is Gwendoline, next is Stephan, and last Ariel. I named her after your mother because Ariel is the reason she lived. Oh how I miss your mother, as much as I miss Stephan. Stephan was taken from me two years ago; he disappeared into the night like many others have.” Marta had tears in her eyes.
         Ravena stared at the children, they all were skinny and fearful, these monsters had been here a while. She knew this was going to be a very hard mission that would test her group both mentally and physically, but they were strong she knew they would prevail but at what cost?
         “Marta I want to ask you some questions concerning what has been happening here, I suggest you put the children to bed and make some tea it will be a while before we are finished.” Ravena said smiling at the little kids. They all smiled back with toothy grins.

         After the children had gone to bed and Marta had made sure they were asleep they sat down at the table with their tea.
         “Marta, when was Stephan taken?” Ravena got to the point she needed answers as soon as possible.
         “Well I will start from the beginning. It all began really after you were taken. The men who took you came back about a month after and they seemed different, they took anyone’s child, from the school house five were stolen. Annie’s babies that time, she was so heart broken that she hung herself from the church steeple. After that adults started to disappear, at first it was the woods man Tomas, we thought he was late but his supply of wood never arrived. That was a cold winter, many died because of it, the Wallens did not make it, nor did the Peters. After it just got worse with the teacher vanishing, then the other woods man Rick. Stephan went out with four other men to fetch wood for the town, only one returned and he stopped talking after that. Something made him quite. He was Kathryn’s oldest boy, but he disappeared just last week. People of the town have stopped sending the kids to church or school, no one is out after dark, and the doors and windows are always bolted closed. All of our harvests are failing and we might not make till next spring. The fire wood is coming from the houses of the dead.”