Shadows Of Desire

It seemed like hours they had been riding. Moving past farm land and driving through wild, overgrown, fields. Rowan was amazed at the beauty of the land and a bit saddened that this was the first time he was seeing any of. It was all just so wonderful, being able to admire the serene and majestic gift that the Gods had bestowed upon them. Even the fields of wheat, corn, and other vegetation was a sight to behold. The way the sun seemed to caress it, making the colors pop with vibrant hues. He suddenly wanted to jump out of the cart and run into the fields so he could touch the stalks and let the silken leaves slip between his fingers.

“Keep yer head down.” Bhalor said suddenly, bringing Rowan out of his thoughts. “Ya see that large rock over there?”

He pointed to a boulder about six feet high and twice as round. Rowan nodded. “Yes, I see it. What is it?”

“That’s the check point between Basmorte and Wolfhaven. They usually ’ave patrols on the border.”

Rowan looked around. “I don’t see anyone.” He told Bhalor.

“Ya wouldn’t.” Bhalor told him. “They’re prolly hidden just in the tree line there.” He pointed in the direction of the woods and Rowan turned his head to look. He didn’t see anything, but a gentle gust a wind brought an unfamiliar scent with it that had Rowan covering his nose and frowning.

“Don’t do that.” Bhalor whispered. “Most Fae don’t ’ave a strong sense a smell. They see ya cover yer nose and they’ll spot ya as a vamp.”

Rowan nodded, letting his hand drop back into his lap. He immediately put his head down, pretending to study his hands while his eyes still scanned the surrounding area. The closer they came to the boulder, the stronger the scent became. It was like a mixture of wet dog, human, and nature. A variety of natural smells crept up around him. It was a heady blend of pine wood, dry leaves, and musk. The mixture of scents led Rowan to believe that there were at least three wolves watching the cart approach, maybe more.

No sooner had he made this observation when two large and heavily muscled men stepped out from within the tree line and up to the rock that he and Bhalor were approaching. Rowan glanced up only briefly, trying to get a good look at the men though much of his vision was obscured by the hood he wore as well as the bright rays of sunlight that seemed to illuminate the area, possibly reflecting off the large stone. Though no one else stepped out to greet them, Rowan could feel the eyes of others still watching from within the trees.

Bhalor pulled on the reins, bringing the mare to a full stop. The mare whinnied and shuffled around nervously as the two men approached. Rowan wondered if the horse sensed the beasts behind the human facade.

The first man to approach, a younger man who looked to be in his mid twenties with shoulder length black hair and dark brooding eyes, stepped up and took hold of the horses reins. The second man, older, maybe in his thirties and with a shock of red hair and matching beard moved to stand beside the cart on Bhalor’s side. The man was wearing brown slacks and a leather vest that barely covered his broad and hairy chest.

“State your purpose here, Bog Giant.” The red haired man demanded, his voice dripping with authority. Bhalor looked down at the man who, by Rowan’s standards, was hulking yet still small in comparison to Bhalor.

“Taking the young Lad here ta Rosegate. We’re suppose ta meet up with a caravan there heading to the outskirts of Millbarrow.”

“A human?” The man looked over to Rowan who still had his head down.“He don’t smell like a human, what is he?”

Rowan tensed but Bhalor didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the man. “Not human.” Bhalor told the man. “Fae.”

The red head gave Rowan a scrutinizing glare as he walked around the cart to get a better look at him. Standing next to Rowan, the man took a deep, long, sniff of him. “Fae?” He huffed, angrily. “He smells like a vamp.”

“E’s been enslaved by the vamps most of ’is life. E’s one of the refugees we been tryin ta save.”

The man raised an eyebrow as he paced back and worth beside Rowan, thinking hard. Rowan could see the suspicion on the man’s face. He obviously didn’t like the scent of vampire that apparently clung to him. Finally the man stopped and glared angrily at Rowan. “Remove your hood.” The man growled. “Let me see your face.”

Rowan held his breath, desperately willing his heart to stop pounding from fear. The wolf must have heard his heart because he suddenly had a strange look on his face. That’s when Rowan suddenly realized what the wolf must be thinking...vampire’s didn’t have heart beats. Rowan was never so glad for his odd anatomy as he was in that moment. He looked to Bhalor for guidance. He wasn’t sure if this wolf would recognize him but, he didn’t want to take the chance.

Bhalor gave the wolf a stern look and without missing a beat said, “Can’t do it. ‘Es a Fae o’ the night court. Sunlight ’urts ’im.”

The wolf narrowed his eyes and a deep, low, growl rattled his chest. “Why the hell did you bother rescuing an unseelie?” He sneered. “They’re no better than the vamps.”

The red of Bhalor’s eyes suddenly began to burn brighter and he scowled at the wolf, causing the smaller man to take a few steps back. “Fae is Fae.” Bhalor growled. “Make’s no difference if they be seelie or unseelie. No one deserves ta be a slave ta them blood suckers.”

Rowan cringed, feeling the hate that Bhalor had for the vampire race oozing off of him. He realized with a heavy heart that this was probably the reaction he would get from most people outside of Basmorte. He was just glad that Bhalor was on his side and didn’t fault Rowan for the sins of his people.

The wolf ground his teeth as he clenched his jaw then, after a moment, he nodded. “Yeah, I suspect you’re right. Just keep him under control.” The wolf said with a snarl.

“No need ta worry ’bout that.” Bhalor told the man, sternly. “He ain’t no threat ta anyone.”

“So you say.” The wolf glared at Rowan with much disdain. “But, forgive me if I don’t take your word for it. I’ve never trusted dark elves and I’m not about to now.”

Bhalor shrugged. “An’ I don’t trust a wolf. Suppose we’re even.”

The wolf growled low, narrowing his eyes. “Go on, get out of here. Sooner you’re off our lands the better.”

Bhalor nodded. “Couldn’t agree more.” He took up the reins after the dark haired wolf had released them and then urged the mare forward. Once they were out of ear shot, Bhalor chuckled a bit. “Arrogant pup.” He said. “Who’s ’e think ’es talkin to?”

Rowan stayed silent, pulling his hood down further over his face, just in case there were any more wolves watching them from the tree line.

***

It was mid day when Bhalor pulled off the road and tied off the horse on the side, next to the road. He stroked the mares mane then handed her an apple that she snatched up at once. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I’ll make sure yer watered and groomed when we reach Rosegate, old gal.”

Rowan slid off the cart easily, having gotten a bit more used to riding on the hard, wooden, seat. He bent over, stretching his back then stretched his legs some before turning his attention to Bhalor who was now walking over to him, carrying the bit of burlap that Guth had given him. He thrust the food towards Rowan as he walked past him and into the woods.

“Come on.” Bhalor bellowed from within the trees. Rowan followed behind, having to run to catch up with the giants long strides. He wasn’t sure where Bhalor was leading him but he trusted him and so he never questioned where they were going. Luckily though, the hike was a short one. Maybe ten minutes had passed when Bhalor finally came to a stop, Rowan only a few feet behind him. When Rowan entered the clearing that opened before him, he froze. Never in his life had he ever witnessed something as enchanting as the scene that was laid out before him.

The thick, lush grass in the clearing was greener than anything he’s ever seen before. A stone path lead way through the trees that stretched out, hovering over the area and shielding it from the hot rays of the sun. Vines of dark green and yellow leaves hung throughout like curtains and all around wild flowers of soft, vibrant, colors sprouted up between the rocks along the path. The path itself was strewn with flower petals and tiny green leaves.

More flowers littered the grassy area on either side of the path, some white, others yellow, and in varying shades of violet and blue. Rowan was in awe of the beauty of the place as he looked around, taking it all in. He stumbled a few times, nearly falling into Bhalor who gave him an annoyed look and told him to watch where he was going. Rowan apologized but his attention was on the magical scene around him.

The path they followed led to a small lake, hidden within the charming little forest. The lake itself was like something out of a faerie tale. There were more colors present in this place than what existed in nature, Rowan thought. Tiny white lights flickered like fireflies, floating through the air, some circling Rowan’s head then flitting off and over the water. Rowan swore for a moment that he even heard giggling. For a brief moment the tiny lights flickered in Bhalor’s face but then he raised an enormous hand and waved them away. “Off with ya now!” He scolded the lights.

Rowan looked at him, confused.

“Pixies.” Bhalor grumbled.

“Pixies.” Rowan repeated the word in a whisper. A huge smile spread across his face and his eyes lit up as he watched the lights continue to flutter around. He’d heard of pixies but had never actually seen any. “They’re beautiful.” He remarked.

Bhalor huffed. “Damn annoyin if ya ask me.”

Bhalor walked to a large boulder and sat down with a loud, audible sigh. Rowan continued to look around, completely amazed with everything he was seeing.

“It’s like another world.” He whispered, awe struck. He moved to the edge of the lake and looked across it to a small water fall. The fall itself looked white and a sparkling spray of water erupted from the surface of the lake where the water fell. A soft mist covered most of the lake on the water fall side. A thin layer of mist crept out over the rocks that lined the edge of the lake giving the area even more of a mystical feel. Rowan slowly moved to the edge of the lake then lowered himself to his knees as he bent over and looked into the crystal clear water.

“Don’t get too close, Lad.” Bhalor warned. “There be at least two sirens live in these waters.”

Rowan looked up, eyes wide. The look of astonishment clear on his young face. He pulled back his hood and Bhalor saw the flicker of child like wonder in his eyes. “Sirens?” He gasped. “Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.” Bhalor grumbled. “And they ain’t as wonderful as ya may tink, Lad. They like ta drag folk down to the depths and drown ’em.”

Rowan frowned. “How deep is this lake?”

Bhalor shrugged. “No one knows. No one who been in it ever come out alive. It’s called the Devil’s pool fer a reason.”

Rowan sat back on his heels, frowning. “It’s hard to believe that anything this beautiful could be so deadly.”

At that, Bhalor laughed out, his loud, booming voice echoing off the rocks. “Ave’ ye ever looked in a mirror, Lad?”

Rowan grinned. “You think I’m beautiful?” He asked with a snicker.

Bhalor rolled his red eyes. “Don’t get full a yerself, boi. It weren’t no compliment. Tis a wicked trick a yer kind. Hide the monster away behind the face of an angel. That’s how ya lure yer victim in right before ya rip out their throats.”

Rowan cast his eyes to the ground, sulking. “I’m no monster.” He said softly.

“Aye, Lad. But yer no angel either.”

“No.” Rowan said sadly. “I suppose I’m not.”

Bhalor felt a twinge of guilt when he saw the look of shame and sorrow cross the young Prince’s face. He shuffled uneasily on the rock he was sitting on. Rowan wiped at his eyes that were now wet with tears.

“Oh, fer the love of Danu, boi.” Bhalor sighed. “I meant no disrespect. I know ya ain’t a monster. Far from it. Just yer kind. Vampires I mean. Hell, I ain’t no angel me self. We all got our dark sides I suppose. No need to cry over it though. As far as vamps go I tink yer a pretty good one. At least ya ain’t tried to eat me. Don’t imagine I’d taste very good though. Prolly like pond scum or toad farts.”

Rowan suddenly burst out laughing and Bhalor smiled. “That’s it, Lad. Now, eat yer food. I’d like to reach the Elven city a’fore night fall.”

***

Rowan swallowed down the last bit of cheese Guth had packed for him and washed it down with a cup of water that Bhalor had scooped out of the lake. Apparently whatever deadly creatures lurked beneath the calm surface were not dumb enough to attack a bog giant. At one point Rowan swore he saw a pair of greenish eyes looking out from just above the waters surface. The moment he’d looked in the direction of what he assumed was a siren, the creature sunk below once more.

Rowan’s heart sunk with the creature. He would have loved to have seen it. His mother had described Siren’s to him in the past but it was more a warning to keep him from wandering too close to the lake near Ravenskeep. Rowan had never been a good swimmer though he would often chase frogs and other small animals to the lake and more than once attempted to follow them in. He was having fun and never thought of the danger he was putting himself him. Looking back now he felt bad for the way he’d acted. He was such a curious and impulsive child. His mother must have had a difficult time dealing with him.

“What do they look like?” Rowan asked, nodding towards the lake. “The Sirens, I mean.”

“I don’t rightly know.” Bhalor admitted. His eyes moving away from the bowl of some ungodly concoction of still living red worms, moss, and slugs, that he held in his large hands. “Some say ya see what ya wanna see. What ever strikes yer fancy. They could appear as a beautiful woman or, in yer case,” He smirked, “A handsome man. It’s the song ya gotta watch out fer tho. Their song will weave a glamour round ya making ya bend to the will of the siren. That’s how they catch ya and once they do, yer doomed.”

“I think I’d be safe.” Rowan said, a bit arrogantly.

Bhalor raised an eyebrow. “Do ya now?”

Rowan nodded. “How can they kill what’s already dead?”

“True.” Bhalor agreed. “I suppose they’d just keep ya trapped down below, an’ torture ya fer all eternity. Ya’d grow weak wit no blood to feed on ’n eventually ya’d go blood mad and start clawing at yer own face and body till ya eventually rip yerself to shreds. But, I could be wrong. Ya might be just fine. Wanna test the theory? I’d be happy to throw ya in.”

Rowan gulped, looking down into the water in his cup. “Um, no. I think I’d rather not push my luck.”

Bhalor smirked. “Smart decision.” He chuckled, his attention returning to his meal. Rowan nearly gagged when Bhalor popped a slug into his mouth and started chewing. If Rowan had to live on such a diet, he’d probably starve. Suddenly the idea of drinking blood didn’t seem quite as disgusting as it once had.

Several minutes passed and Bhalor had finished the revolting stew or whatever it was called that he’d made. He stood up from his rock, walked to the lake and dipped his bowl into the water. He scooped up a good amount then brought the bowl to his lips to drink. Rowan noticed a rippling in the lake not far from where Bhalor stood but whatever creature was there did not surface. They were probably watching the giant, wondering what he was doing in their territory or when he was going to leave.

If Bhalor even saw them, he paid them no mind but Rowan secretly wished they’d surface enough so he could at least see their face. Alas, they did not and he was once again disappointed at his inability to see an actual siren. After waiting several minutes to see if the siren was going to peak out above the surface again, Rowan gave up and turned his attention to his large companion.

“Bhalor?” He asked as he sat his now empty cup aside. “Is there really a caravan in Rosegate waiting for us?”

“Indeed there is, boi.” Bhalor answered, not bothering to turn and look at Rowan. His gaze seemed focused on the waterfall, or perhaps something beyond it.

“And it’s going to take us to Millbarrow? To the human realm?”

Bhalor did turn and look at Rowan then and Rowan noticed something in the man’s eyes. It was a look he’d not seen in Bhalor before. It was a look something akin to remorse. “Nay, child. Ye will be takin that journey alone. My job is ta see ya safely delivered there and then I will be takin me leave.”

Panic gripped Rowan suddenly and he stood up, staring at Bhalor with pleading eyes. “No, wait. You can’t just leave me there! I’ve never been to Rosegate before, what if someone recognizes me? I won’t know where to go or what to do!”

“Relax.” Bhalor walked to the young Prince and placed his hands on Rowan’s shoulders. “I’m not gonna abandon ya, child. I promise. I’m ta deliver ya to an old elf and ‘is wife. Yer ta ride in the back o’ their wagon until ya reach Millbarrow. Once there, Folen’s arranged for ya to be taken to a small cottage on the outskirts o’ the city. There be mostly humans in the area but also some Fae. You’ll stay there under the care of a human family until Folen kin send fer ya. After that, I don’t know what she has planned but ya needn’t worry. Yer in good hands, trust me. Folen wouldn’t ’ave set ya on this journey ’ad she not planned it all out. Ya believe that don’tcha?”

Rowan let out a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He nodded. “I believe you, it’s just...” He shook his head as he trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.

“What is it, Lad?” Bhalor asked.

Rowan sighed. “It’s just, my entire life I’ve felt alone. The one person I knew I could rely on was my mother. After her death, I didn’t think I would ever recover. Not until I met Folen. She had been my rock for so long then I met you, and Guth, and you’ve both been so kind to me but it seems that once I really get close to someone and begin to trust them, they leave. I’ve gone from having no one to having so many, but losing each of you along the way. I knew this journey would be difficult but I never dreamed that I would find it so hard to say goodbye. I’m just sick of losing the people I care about.”

“I understand.” Bhalor told him. “It’s never easy to say goodbye. But it ain’t goodbye fer ever. Just fer now.”

Rowan nodded. “I just wish that I had something constant in my life. Something I could rely on.”

“Ya do.” Bhalor told him. “Ya kin rely on yourself. Sometimes yer the only one ya kin rely on. The only one ya kin trust. Remember that. Just because someone is kind to ya don’t mean ya kin trust ’em. Always trust yer instincts first. If yer instincts tell ya somethin ain’t right, trust ’em. Ain’t no body know ya better than ye know yerself. Might just save yer life one day.”

More words of wisdom that Rowan filed away in his mind. The last few days had taught Rowan that the world was vastly different from the world he thought he knew. He was a stranger to this world and greatly unprepared for the journey that awaited him. All he could do was heed the advice given to him by the people he now thought of as friends and hope that his new found experiences would aide him in the days to come. As he followed Bhalor away from the lake and back to the cart he found himself offering up a silent prayer to Danu, asking for her guidance. He’d never prayed to the fairy Goddess before but some how praying to the vampire God seemed...out of place.

What had Sheul ever really done for him before? Nothing. That’s what. Nothing but condemn Rowan to a lifetime of misery and regret with the archaic and sometimes barbaric ways of the vampires. Sheul, Rowan realized, was a cruel and petty God that only rewarded strength, ruthlessness, and power. He rewarded cruelty and demanded the blood of the weak. This was a spiteful God who abandoned his own people if they were less deserving in his eyes. This was a God who urged his people to destroy those who were different, like Rowan. The last living omega in the vampire world.

Why were omegas so hated by his people? Rowan couldn’t understand. There was a time when they were as common in the vampire Kingdom as they were in the other realms but the priests declared omegas an abomination, claiming that their God Sheul despised them. Omegas were thought to be cowardly and weak and so it was ordered that any omega child born be killed immediately after birth. Why Rowan had not been killed at birth was still a mystery to him.

Was it his mother’s doing? Had she begged for his life and accepted exile just to keep her child alive? Had King Desmond refused to kill him because he was of royal blood? Or, was there a chance, albeit some small chance, that King Desmond just couldn’t bring himself to harm his own child? Rowan highly doubted that that was the case but still the mystery remained. Why had King Desmond allowed him to live when their cruel and heartless God demanded his death?

That was perhaps something Rowan would never know for who truly knew what lay in the depths of the Kings blackened heart? Maybe it was something that King Desmond himself was unaware of for, if he had any love in his heart, he certainly never showed it.

Bhalor was nearing the tree line when he suddenly stopped. He put an arm out, indicating that Rowan should stop as well.

“Put yer hood up.” Bhalor whispered, sternly.

Rowan did as he was told, pulling his hood up over his head and partially concealing his face as he looked past Bhalor, wondering what was going on. Bhalor seemed to take a moment to compose himself then, with his head held high, he shoved his way out of the forest and over to the cart and mare. Rowan stayed close behind him, his heart beating loudly in his chest, his nerves on edge, especially when a familiar scent suddenly caught his attention. There were wolves near-by.