Under Alune

Shady Acquaintances

Four days passed in all their ways. Though there were a couple of attacks on Wolfhelm under Ala'une, they were minor skirmishes compared to what was to come. Every night afterwards, hordes of gobold-kin stormed toward the walls. Large stones were catapulted into the hamlet from afar whilst battle-crazed orks raced toward the gates. The humans in the Norths of Theyeark had no clue of what occurred on the High-hill above them for the gobold-kin delighted in night assaults.

Aeisha was kept busy during the days with her children, and every night she pleaded with the elders that they should allow her to seek her husband. But they answered back only that it was too dangerous for her to leave during the siege. Late nights, she wandered near the battlements to see the sorties; always watching for a shifter approaching from the Splitway, always hoping for Keysean to return to her.

Rumors spread that Latyurik and Vosque had gone to rescue Keysean without the elders' permission. Chedrex denied any involvement, for it was well known that he favored his grandson. As the days passed and neither returned, the rumors began to portent ill outcomes for the two shifter-men.

Aeisha's memory of the Gathering was hazed. Those who had been appointed watchers were the only ones who would have any recollection of what happened beneath Hollow-tree hall. But when her mask had come off, the apothecaries fumes affected her just as they did the others. So she could recall being attacked, and even that it had been a canine, but no other details.

By the fourth evening, Aeisha had made her decision to find Keysean herself. She made an excuse to leave Kyresh and Aeryka with Taleese and was making her way to the battlements when Hunter came diving in front of her. The eagle climbed a bit on the wind then circled to a smooth landing.

At first all he did was stare at her as if he knew what she planned to do. Then he hopped and flapped a bit and pointed his beak toward the gates. "Follow" was the meaning of this pantomime, and Aeisha agreed by offering the eagle a perch on her arm. He declined, preening his shoulder, then took to the sky.

The gates were shut and barred and had yet to be touched by any crafty gobold device. Upon the battlements were the apothecaries- mostly those of serpent and other reptilian forms- who tended to the wounded and on occasion tossed cantrips down onto the enemy. Hunks of scrap metal arched over the walls at odd intervals and smashed into the hamlet. Howls and piercing screams mingled with throaty battle-cries beyond the gates. Aeisha growled to hear them.

"Oh... its not that bad," said a voice as they approached the gatehouse. A thin door opened and out stepped Daijaru and Krixtyle, as well as two very pale men in dark clothing.

The one on the right, was tall, lanky and wearing a long black shirt and jeans with a worn black-cotton coat draped over his shoulders, He had the hood pulled all the way down over his eyes. He rambled on; "Remember the time we had to run through the Lows?"

"I try not to think about it." The other wore a black trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat, also covering his eyes. He was shorter and much stockier than his compatriot in a way that suggested fat, but no doubt was more muscle than anything else. His voice was low and concise and he had his hands jammed in his pockets.

"Ahh... Aeisha, how are you this evening?" asked Daijaru taking her hand gently and placing another wrinkled one of his own over it. Krixtyle came beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder expressing his own aching hopes for his son.

Aeisha shrugged. "Good evening Daijaru, Krixtyle-"

She caught a scent of ancient decay from the odd men and stopped in her tracks. Her face contorted into a ghastly frown, then as she noticed Daijaru's calmness and the jovial natures of the men, she made herself relax. But still she whispered, "Vampires."

"Ahh, guilty, guilty," said the taller one. "I am Viyku and he is Iyfril."

"They came to speak with the elder council at my behest," said Krixtyle.

"So you are Aeisha? Krixtyle and Keysean have told us alot about you." Viyku smiled charmingly and reached for her hand. He shrugged as she recoiled.

"What do you know of my husband!" she snapped.

"No more than us, Eesh." Krixtyle shook his head in emphasis. "They are old friends of our family, and recognized by the Mage council as Counts."

"Col's brood."

"Sharua's technically, but that is irrelevant," said Iyfril. "What is of relevance is the disappearance of the young one Keysean."

Krixtyle nodded. "My son, yes. He was tricked by the druid's daughter."

"Was she hot?" asked Viyku leering. His countenance sobered immediately under Aeisha's stern gaze. "I'm sorry, I..."

"Daijaru, what is the meaning of this?" asked Aeisha still glaring, "Why are these soul-leeches here?"

"Now, now, this is no time to be insulting, please," said Daijaru. "These two are here to help and deserve a bit of respect at the least."

Aeisha cast her eyes to the ground and was silent. The vampire Iyfril frowned slightly and said. "it's ok, Aeisha. We understand there is a lot of tension here with circumstances being as they are."

"Yea, and considering the battle going on just beyond those walls..." Viyku allowed his eyes to wander to the battlements. The sounds of struggle had drifted eastward a bit.

"Anyways we're here to help you and these old timers," Viyku's hand snaked out from the folds of his coat and slapped Krixtyle heartily on the back. "We found him looking for us yesterday and turns out, we have something we need help with too."

Daijaru nodded. "I'm sorry Aeisha, I had the council stay you until Hunter had recovered. I was hoping Vosque or Latyurik would return as well, but we can no longer wait."

"Yes, we help you find Key, then you help us." Iyfril nodded to emphasize. "And that's what makes the world go 'round."

"What about love?" asked Viyku.

"For the birds and bees." They laughed as if nothing was wrong and at that moment, Aeisha envied the vampires. She wished she could be like them with all the time in the world.

Daijaru grinned and allowed them their time, then said, "there is trouble in the Lows, Aeisha. These two need a scout or two to help them figure out who the culprits are."

"Four days ago, a radical organization made public by attacking the B-F spire in the Lows. Most were able to escape custody," added Iyfril. "Since then, there have been similar occurrences in other areas and even on the street."

"I don't mean to be rude," said Aeisha, "but I would think two Counts and their servants would be able to handle a few misguided humans."

"So you wonder why we need you?" asked Viyku. Aeisha nodded.

"We don't think the culprits are human," he answered. "Or at least whoever is behind them isn't."

"Several bodies have been recovered," continued Iyfril, " those we believe are the radicals have been identified as wearing a thick cosmetic, dobul makeup."

"That was our first clue."

"The second is that none of them project shadows that we can see from the shadow-side of things. Which means, like you shifters and Wolfhelm, we cannot spy on them using our normal methods."

"We tried to hunt them down, but that has been pretty hard as well," Viyku shook his head, sending the hanging cloth of his hood this way and that. "We are not quite mobile enough and we lack the 'man-power' to cover all of the Lows."

"You and the one called Hunter would be a very welcome help in this situation. You can go places and see things we can not."

"When do we leave?" asked Aeisha, deciding that any cost was worth saving Keysean.

"Right now, if you want," answered Viyku.

"Taleese will be informed. I'm sure she will not mind keeping Aeryka and Kyresh for a while," said Daijaru. "Hunter has already gone ahead to scout a safe route to the Splitway."

"Daijaru!" shouted a voice from higher up the road. Nyeleried the elder came rushing toward them in war-form, a cougar. "Our forces have pushed the enemy..."

He stopped when he saw Viyku and Iyfril. "You two.."

"Wild-cat," said Viyku, smiling.

"Viyku and Iyfril. You seem well, I suppose." Nyelereid nodded to each in turn. "How is your master?"

The vampires shared a sad look then turned toward the gates. Viyku got a running start then leaped completely over the battlements. Iyfril pressed his lips together, thinking, then parted them to say, "He is gone from us. Aeisha, Hunter will know the rendezvous point when he returns. Until again we meet, elders, Krix."

He followed Viyku over the wall and was gone.

Aeisha left quickly to set her affairs in order. Krixtyle went over the gates to speak with the shifter war-lords on the field. Daijaru and Nyelereid watched as Aeisha disappeared up the road then made their way to a set of stairs that brought them up to the top of the battlements. They strode slowly and looked over the carrion-ridden mountainside to where the shifter forces had caught a large number of gobolds in rout.

"What do you think, Nyelereid?" asked Daijaru scratching sullenly at his back.

"We set a portion of our forces ahead to the mountains north of the Splitway. The rest remains to defend from counter attacks and the like." Nyelereid caressed one side of his hanging mustache between two fingers.

"I would expect the orcs have taken the mountains too."

"Yes, but their main forces will most likely come from the Splitway. Our eyes have scouted the paths of the enemy where they can find them and have determined that the Druid's bush fortress is no doubt there as well, though we are still uncertain of its exact whereabouts." Nyelereid and Daijaru came to where the apothecaries were hard at work with the wounded. Most would heal before the night was over, but a few had silvered wounds that required immediate attention. Nyelereid gave each wounded shifter a nod and a look of gratitude as he passed them.

"I see the soul-leeches have gotten themselves involved; Most like their kind." Nyeleried frowned at Daijaru. "I trust your judgment, but still..."

"Forget-not the one Col and what good he did for us and for Theyeark."

"Yet it was his own master and one of his blood that started that awful mess some forty years ago." The feline-shifter spat. "I can not yet allow myself to trust their kind."

Daijaru simply nodded his head, for he knew the younger elder would make rational decisions despite his prejudice. The waning gibbous moon, Ehma'zanue, sent its light from the seat of the horizon. Daijaru sighed, under the moon of resolution and wondered if there would be any rest in days to come.

"What of the mages, Daijaru?" asked Nyeleried after a time. Presently they walked to the walls to where the High-hill peered over the Norths of Theyeark. The spire-complex of Mage-hall stretched skyward far south of the structures of the Lows. "Should we seek them and their aid?"

Daijaru shook his head. "No, they will come when they feel the need. Until then we can be assured that the humans remain ignorant of our happenstances."

"Sometimes I wonder," said Nyelereid slowly as they continued around the battlements. The Norths were left behind to show the wild and rocky outskirts of the city and a lonely stretch of highway beyond. Sparse copses of spruce trees dotted the High-hill's swift slope. There was an odd scent on the wind of splintered yew-wood. Neither thought much of it.

"Eh, Nyelereid?"

"I wonder if there remain any humans to be ignorant."

"You can be assured of that." Daijaru allowed himself a wrinkled smile. "So long as we do not affect them personally, the will have no reason to care."

Nyelereid gave a snort and faced forward. Neither elder could see what waited in the dark beyond the battlements, so lost were they in thought; but it waited the just the same. Until more of Alune was taken by the darker side Alura, it would be patient. It watched as the shifters were out of sight, then signaled to the rest of its kind that all was clear.

---

Keysean was dreaming. Or was he dead and floating in an unlit abyss? He couldn't decide. Surely it was similar to the real thing, only it didn't quite make sense in a sequentially. He was home again, not in Wolfhelm- which would always be his cradle and nursery- but back in Albuquerque. There was his human apartment and all his mortal things. His Rook trophies and favorite chair. His seldom-watched television and the balcony that looked over a suburb built on top of another and another still beneath that, all done up in ivy and clinging bushes.

Was it a dream? His family was there, and surely that meant a good dream. They all laughed and played, but never ate or talked of anything important. And wasn't he still in Wolfhelm? Did he not have a job to do, a very special job at that.

He couldn't quite piece it together. There was something missing, a jagged bit of memory that should have been his farewells and embraces with family and friends. There was only the apartment and the view of the terraced suburb and his children playing. He focused on the cubs, and found himself being whisked, or whisking them, to a field where they all three tumbled and wrestled over clovers and freshly mowed grass. Yet through the revelry of it all, he could still feel something missing. He searched for it out of the corner of his eye, and waited for epiphany to spring upon him