Black Blood

The days passed to the sound of hooves in the grass, the rushing of the wind and conversations deep into the night.

We left the black forest behind us on the second day and continued our journey across long green plains without end. Here and there, you can see an absent-minded person walking, but otherwise, there is nobody to be seen. Our only company are the horses, Rave and here and there a herd of sheep. We have seen sun and rain, day and night have passed. They are long days that turn into short nights, day after day.

Little by little, I am getting to know the person Novak. Novak can talk for hours about his long journeys around the world. He has seen elves, lived with werewolves and learned a lot from witches. He knows a little about everything, every form of nature and magic. I can listen for hours with sincere interest, having learned a lot in the past few days.

I am slowly becoming more at ease, telling more and being less nervous. I told him about my childhood, Elien and my mother. I don’t reveal much about Christiaan and my father. It is the subject I keep avoiding. Novak did ask a question about it once, but fortunately we didn’t go into it too much.

I like travelling, despite the difficult moments. Still, it takes its toll on my body. Although the wounds had healed by the second day, I am very tired. We had planned to quickly stop by the half-moon pack to replenish food and drink. Meanwhile, Novak thought it would be a better idea to stay for a few days to get our rest, eat well and lie in a normal bed. Although it will take us time, it doesn’t work this way anymore. The horses are walking slower and slower and we are less alert.

I am glad when our destination comes into sight. In the distance, a town is coming into view. It is the wolf pack that we have been heading for for days. From my point of view, the houses don’t look bigger than a barn in the distance, but I know better. The closer we get, the bigger the houses become. The small huts turn into full-sized houses.

‘The half-moon pack, the second largest in the world. It has thirty thousand inhabitants.’ I look at Novak from my horse and nod slowly. We have been thinking the last few days about what we wanted to achieve here.

We know that I am not loved, that I am wanted and that there is a big price on my head. Rave must not be seen and no one must know who I really am. Maria is my name to others, Rave stays at a distance and my magic remains hidden. That is the beginning of our plan, the rules of the game. Novak knows the Alpha and Luna of this pack, is friends with their son.

Apparently he lived in this pack for six months as a peacemaker between wolves and vampires. It helped, the vampires and wolves have less fight with each other.

We ride closer and closer to the pack’s border. Novak told me that there are four borders, all guarded by the warriors of the Alpha. On each side of the village is an entrance, like a cross running through the village. The rest is cordoned off with huge stone walls.

We gave Rave the command to hide himself until I whistle for him, just as Nora had done when she entered the castle.

The wooden houses now tower above my sight. The houses are made of two colours of wood, a light one and a dark one. The base seems to be made of the light wood. Slanting stripes of the dark wood run across the house, forming a kind of grid around it. The roofs are made of red-brown tiles that run up in a point. The windows are almost all oval and have shutters of the same dark wood as the stripes. Here and there, there is also a stone or half-stone house, but the wood predominates.

As soon as we are a few metres from the border, we slow our horses down. There are two warriors on either side of the path leading into the village. They take a step onto the path and hold out their hand to give us a stop sign. Both are wearing light blue and white suits.

We let our horses stop a metre in front of the warriors. A bit nervous, I slide better onto the saddle.

‘What is your business here?’ the warrior on the right asks. His face is serious and devoid of emotion.

‘Good day gentlemen. We come to speak to Alpha Troy and Luna Mercie,’ Novak answers the warrior. The other warrior takes a step in our direction and lets his eyes slide over both of us.

‘Are you known to the Alpha?’ the warrior asks Novak further. The other warrior’s eyes glide over me as if trying to read me.

‘I think he will know the name Novak.’ The warrior nods and seems to disappear into his thoughts. His eyes are empty, he stares ahead and doesn’t move. Suddenly he disappears from his petrification and nods his head.

‘Beta Alex has granted you access and is aware of your presence, welcome.’ I look at the warrior, confused and not understanding. Granted access? How can that be if the man hasn’t left his spot? Apparently there is still so much I don’t know about this world, although I learn more every day. Novak nods his head at the man.

‘Thank you.’ The warrior nods his head again and then takes a step aside. Novak is finally the one to get his horse moving again. Together we ride into the pack.

The sounds of daily activities come to me, something I have missed during our journey. From the outside it looks like a quiet town, but inside it is busy and full of life. Dozens of wolves in human form walk down the street, you hear doors slamming and loud chatter. The sound of running water, birds and various animals echoes in my ears. There is even a wolf walking here and there, which is a strange sight to me.

Our horses take us through the streets at a run. Here and there, passers-by look up, stare for a while and continue on their way as if they had not seen anything. The town is bustling with residents who seem happy with the way things are going.

Before my eyes, a wooden door creaks open. An eight-year-old boy is pushed outside by an older man. In some unidentifiable way, my eye is drawn to the scene. I stop my horse and look at the man and the boy a few metres away from me. The man grabs the boy by his shirt, pulls him violently towards him and then hits the boy in his face. I look at the scene in front of me in total bewilderment. The boy grabs his red cheek.

‘You little brat,’ the man shouts. The boy shrinks. I sit stiffly on my horse. I would like to look away, but I cannot.

‘Why did the Moon Goddess give me such a failure as you!’ As soon as the man raises his hand for the third time, something snaps in me.

‘Stop,’ I shout through the street. Several residents raise their heads and look in my direction. The man looks in my direction in surprise and lowers his hand. He is still holding the little boy by his shirt.

‘What are you meddling with?’ the man spits out at me. His whole facial expression is aggressive. The man has grey hair and a small grey beard. His brown eyes look at me angrily; they remind me of Christiaan’s.

‘Maria, we are expected,’ Novak tries to distract me from the scene. I cannot and will not leave the situation. I let my horse take a few steps towards the man.

‘You should not hit your son.’ I wish it came out confidently, it didn’t. I stammer and the fear is audible in my voice. I hoped the man would do something with my disapproval but on the contrary, he grips the little boy even tighter. The boy’s blue eyes look frightened and his cheek glows from the blows.

‘And who are you to tell me that? Get out or I’ll slap you too.’ My fear begins to give way to a placed anger. I clench my fists around the horse’s reins.

‘What are you thinking? Are you too emotionally unstable to take your aggression out on a child? You should be ashamed of yourself. Keep your hands to yourself and take your aggression out on something that has a part in it.’ The man only becomes more aggressive by my words. He pushes the little boy hard to the ground and takes a few steps in my direction.

‘Excuse the lady. We have a long journey ahead of us and fatigue is taking its toll. What she is trying to say is that you have different values. Now if you will excuse us, we are expected,’ Novak cuts off the conversation. I look at Novak as if he has gone mad. That is certainly not what I meant and I am also not finished with the man. I want to open my mouth, but am stopped by the man.

‘Keep your lady in tune.’ I am able to jump off the horse and do something to the man. The past few days, something has come up in me that was hidden for a long time, aggression. Aggression against men like those who wrongfully harm someone. Novak just nods his head at the man, looks at me and starts his horse in motion. Reluctantly, I go after Novak.

‘I’ll get you for this lady.’