Chapter Text
The wheels of your carriage creaked along the cobblestone road. The only sound you could hear above them was the faint clacking of the hooves of the four horses that pulled the carriage. Your body was jostled around as the carriage made its way across the uneven road. With a sigh, you put down your book. It was too hard to concentrate on the words on the page with the movement.
You decided to stare out the window, watching the passing trees. They were green and thin, birds chirped in their branches as they flitted around. You found yourself spacing out as you wished you were at your destination already, some distant Kingdom miles away from your home kingdom.
The journey there was long, and you wished you didn’t have to go. But your parents were forcing you to go. It was some kind of public appearance thing. They were unable to attend a ball and sent you in their stead. You did like attending balls and parties, yes, but that was when they were a town or two over, max. Not on the other side of the god-damned country. At least you weren't alone, your mother had sent a maid to help you. And a guard.
With any luck, the ball wouldn’t be all bad. Perhaps you would finally find your soulmate. You unconsciously rubbed at the spot on your neck. Everyone is born with a matching birthmark to their soulmate. Yours was about the size of a thumb and, to everyone else, was a weird, unintelligible shape. But to you, it always looked like a bat in flight. You were already well into your adult years and hadn’t found your soulmate yet. Most other nobles and friends had found theirs and were happy. Whenever you saw that, your heart felt a pang of envy. With any luck, this coming ball would be your ticket to that life.
Outside the window, you slowly watched the scenery change from normal to creepy. The sun was previously just beginning to set but now you couldn't even see it through thick grey clouds and mist that seemed to cover everything from the sky to the trees. Speaking of trees, the trees had shifted from green and lively to twisted and dark. They had no leaves and black bark that formed into suspiciously hand-like branches. You couldn’t hear any birds. In fact, you couldn’t hear any animals except for the horses pulling you along.
The carriage suddenly swerved, knocking you back from the window and into your maid. You heard the driver swear and horses whinny in distress as a huge bump caused the carriage to lurch to a sudden and screeching stop. A little upset, you opened the door and stepped out, catching a faint glimpse of two white things darting into the woods. They were gone before you got a good look.
“What was that? Why have we stopped?” You asked, crossing your arms. You were trying not to be too mad. It probably wasn’t the driver’s fault.
He got down from the seat and crouched to look under the carriage. He swore again. With some effort, he rose to his feet again to look at you.
“I’m sorry, your grace. A couple’ a white things ran out of the woods. Spooked the horses bad. Looks like the axle broke too.” He said sheepishly, moving to calm the horses. You huffed, annoyed at the situation. Your maid quickly spoke up, though.
“I remember us passing a village gate a few moments ago. Perhaps myself, your grace, and the guard could take a horse and go find help?”
It was a logical idea, not one that you loved, though. You wished your father had sent more than a single guard along with you. The surrounding forest was beginning to freak you out. It was simply too quiet and with a fog rolling in; it became even worse. There were no better ideas, though.
The driver freed a horse from the front and brought it around to you. After laying a blanket over its back, you and your maid sat on top while the guard held the reins. She led the horse forward along the still uneven path. It nickered uneasily as the fog got thicker. You patted its neck in a hopefully calming manner.
After a few minutes, you began to see the outline of a tall iron fence through the fog. The guard walked the horse closer to the fence to keep it in her sights. You could make out more faint outlines of houses behind it and the dim glow of fire in windows. A few more minutes later and you all came upon an opening in the fence. The entrance to a village.
Inside, the fog seemed to dissipate slightly, giving you a better view. The houses were like any other house you might see at home along the outskirts of the city. Simple brick walls and wooden roofs. Some had chimneys with smoke drifting out. Some had pens outside, with animals milling around. But strangely, no people.
The Guard led you further inside and it became obvious that this wasn’t just a village, it was a full city. The deeper in you went the nicer the houses became. It was eerily quiet beside the occasional animal bleat. You finally came across someone at a well, filling buckets with water. When she turned and saw you, a scared look crossed her face. She squeaked and scurried into the fog, leaving her buckets behind. Weird .
“Wait, come back.” You said as she disappeared. Sighing, you cautiously addressed the white, hazy air. “Is anyone else there? We need help.” Nothing.
Your guard looked at you with a questioning look; push on or go back. You urged the horse on in response. A bridge over the road you were on came up. Above it was another layer of houses and shops. Still empty. The guard led the horse under it, but a sudden flurry of bats spooked the animal. Your horse reared back, knocking you and your maid to the ground. It ran into the fog, braying wildly.
Immediately, your guard was at your side, checking for damages. You insisted you were fine and to go fetch the horse. She’d be able to hear you call if you needed anything. It took some convincing, but eventually she stood up and followed the sound of the horse into the fog.
Nowhere to go from there but forward. Maybe you could find a mayor or some other leader. The fog suddenly got worse as you walked though, and colder. You shivered in your thin clothes. They were made to stay comfortable during travel, not walking around in brisk weather. You decided to venture another call into the air.
“Hello? Anyone? We need help, please.”
Nothing again, but then a faint clattering of metal on wood. Like the gate of a fence being swung open. An orange light suddenly danced in the distance. A flicker of hope sprung up in your heart. Taking your maid by the arm, you pulled her toward the light.
As you got closer, you saw the figure of a woman holding a lantern approach. She looked surprised to see the two of you.
“What the-? Who are you and what are you doing out here? It’s not safe during dusk. Come inside, quickly.” She urged, pushing you towards an old wooden gate and house. The door swung open as a man held it. The warm light inside washed over you, along with a gust of warm air. You didn’t need to be told twice and practically ran inside.
The interior was cozy and somewhat cramped. A simple wooden table was decorated with trinkets, and three plates were set out. A small kitchen had something bubbling away on the stove that smelled amazing and a hunched woman tending to it. Three doors branched off from this main room, presumably bedrooms. The woman who helped you had a hushed conversation with the man and older woman. They were close to you, but were so quiet you could only catch snippets of their words.
Outsiders, Help them, Food, and Danger.
It seemed like the two women wanted to help you while the man did not. Eventually he folded with a sigh, giving into what the other women wanted. Looking closer, you noticed a similarity between the younger two. They were likely siblings. The older woman was possibly a mother or grandmother, though she seemed very old to be their mother. The brother walked into the kitchen to tend to the food with the older woman while the sister spoke to you.
“I’m sorry you can’t stay long. You have to leave before the sun sets fully. The Count and Countess don’t like outsiders. Especially after dark. You’ve got maybe an hour. We can offer some food in that time.” She said, auburn hair falling into her face.
You nodded in agreement, accepting the steaming bowl her brother brought over minutes later. Eating quickly, you finished up in maybe 15 minutes. Before you left, she pressed a wooden cross into your hands. It smelled faintly of garlic. You were puzzled, but took it anyway and clutched it in your hand. It might have been some kind of tradition or cultural thing you didn’t want to offend. Even if it did seem weird, it also felt important, like you shouldn't lose it. You stowed it in your pocket for safe keeping. The three people sent you two off with a small lantern, all they could spare aside from the cross.
It seemed much darker outside than you remembered. It had already been pretty dim from the fog, but now the sky was noticeably darker. You called out for your guard, ready to just get back to the carriage, even if there was no way to move on. Maybe you could try back in the morning.
You looped your arm around your maid’s, to prevent either of you from getting lost. But something suddenly ripped her arm from your grasp. In a panic she tried to grab at your arm but it only ripped a scrap of fabric from your sleeve. It went unnoticed as she disappeared into the darkened haze with a cry. You shouted out for her, trying to find her in the fog. A low growl from in front of you pushed you back. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound friendly.
You turned and ran. You didn’t know if it was following you, but you didn’t want to know either. The lantern did little to help you. It cast a glow, maybe a yard around you.
Your legs screamed as you pushed them to near exhaustion. Your clothes again didn’t help. The expensive fabrics made it hard to get a full range of motion. You tripped on the hem multiple times before you finally came to a stop, heart racing. Trying to calm your breaths, you listened for the growling again. Hearing nothing, you let yourself calm down.
Now you could finally get a good look at your surroundings. At first you were squinting through the fog, but then it suddenly lifted completely. A crescent moon was just peeking over the horizon and stars had begun twinkling high above you . That didn't seem good.
Around you, dozens of gravestones stuck out of the ground in haphazard rows. Nearby was a small white building with a tall steeple. Another tall iron fence surrounded it on all sides, and the gate was swung wide open.
Did I just run into a cemetery? You thought to yourself. Taking a weary step backward, you felt your body collide with a much taller person.
“Not so fast, Love.” A husky male voice echoed around you. “Where do you think you’re going? You know it’s rude to enter a graveyard at night.”
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m lost.” You said. The man cackled. You tried to turn to face him, but his hands grabbed your shoulders and kept you in place.
“That much is obvious. But I’m afraid I don’t care much for strangers in this town.”
In a single swift movement, he grabbed both of your wrists in one hand and grabbed a handful of your hair with the other.
“You shouldn’t be here.” He whispered darkly. The man pulled your head to the side, exposing your neck. You wanted to scream, kick, scratch, anything. But fear had you paralyzed. You squeezed your eyes shut, waiting for whatever was about to happen.
But nothing did.
“That mark.” He was staring at your neck where you had your soul mark.
“W-What?” You choked out, still captured by fear.
All he was able to answer with was, “That... mark...”