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Description
"I seriously don’t have time for this… Come on Beam! Faster!” The clearly annoyed woman glared at a trio of other horsemen behind her, “Blasted slayers..."
   She snorted to herself, wiping her face clear of rain and wet brown hair. The 23 year old woman’s sharp green eyes looked ahead again, seeing a rather thick part of the forest. She grinned to herself, knowing the stallion that she rode would be able to get through without a problem. She heard them shouting loudly, something about night monsters… or was it just monster? She couldn’t hear through the thunder and rain… What she did hear quite loudly over the rain was the screams of the horses being taken down by something… something big. Before she could turn to see what had gotten them, her horse carried her deep into the thick forest.
The woman sighed softly with relief as the horse known as Beam to her slowed to a fast trot. They both were breathing heavily, her horse for putting so much effort into running and the woman for being so stressed. She straightened the plain white shirt she wore under a black leather bodice. With another sigh she patted her horse’s neck.
   “You did good, Beam,” She said over a loud clap of thunder, “You deserve a good, long rest when we get to Alexander’s manor…”
   The horse nickered tiredly, continuing at a trot through the forest. No more then five minutes later, they finally reached a large, dark, and overly cliché eerie looking manor. The woman rolled her eyes as a flash of lightning lit up the front of the creepy house. She dismounted and led her horse through the gate slowly. A servant hurried up to her, taking her horses reins and telling her something in a strange language. Nodding slowly, the woman made her way to the door, pushing it open without even bothering to knock.
   The grand manor was rather... warm and inviting despite the outward appearance. The main hall was huge, decorated in rich golds and deep blood reds. The main staircase reached up to the back of the hall, flaring at the end, and framed by two powerful lion statues. Two hallways lead off into the back of the manor, and another pair of hallways continued through the front.
A door opened on the second floor, a tall man, dressed in all black, stepped out of the room, snapping at those still in the room to be quiet and stop fighting. He sighed, closing the door again and starting off down the steps to greet his late visitor.
   "Dear Alue," He said, as he pulled her into a hug, "I trust it was only the weather that kept you?"
   "...Yeah..." She replied slowly, hugging him back, "It was only the weather... How is everything here?"
   "Fine... quite fine... I was just talking to the others-" He began, but stopped when a shout came from the other room.
   "IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME!"
   "Calm down, Jeff, we'll think of something..."
   "WHEN!? My family is at risk because of this... I can't wait any more!"
   "You'll have to... no one here can stand up against such a force like the one that’s coming!"
   "THEN WHAT WILL WE DO!?"
   Alue looked at her host, "You brought Jeff here? Did you really think he would actually stop being who he is for one moment to think logically?"
   "His home is at a very important place, his family is at risk, and he is a respected member of our community," the man said, sighing deeply, "I had no choice."
   "Sometimes I wonder what goes through your head, Alex," Alue said, starting up the stairs.
   Alex chuckled, "sometimes I wonder if you really want to know..."

   When the two entered the room, the argument was silenced. A man was standing by a fireplace, staring at the dying embers angrily, another was pacing in the back of the room, and a third was sitting on a leather couch, studying a map that was spread out over the coffee table. A pair of women were whispering to each other in the corner, completely ignored by the men. They all dressed alike, with either peasant clothes of a white shirt and brown breeches, or in all black. Even the ladies wore men's clothes, much the same as Alue was wearing.
Alue nodded to each man in a silent greeting. The one at the fire glared at her briefly, grumbling something in a strange language. He didn't have time to blink before Alue was at his throat with a blue topaz hilted dagger. The men tensed slightly, but knew she wouldn't attempt to kill him that way...
   She hissed something in the language before nearly throwing him to the ground and taking his place at the fireplace. The tension in the air disappeared as Alex took his place in a big black leather armchair. His icy blue eyes studied the map, deep in thought.
   "You know the pattern of the slayer's attacks?" He asked, his eyes darting to Alue.
   "Aye," She said, nodding, "They'll strike closer to morning... So they can escape the Code's law of fair fighting... and still have the advantage..."
   "Of course... We'll have to draw them into an attack earlier then dawn then," the pacing one said.
   "Easier said then done, Jer," Alex replied, "They'll know that we have her, and not fall for any tricks..."
   "We won't play any tricks," Alue said, "We'll fight fairly... Show them how a real army would fight..."
   "And how do you suppose we'll get enough help? The slayers have the mortals on their side too," Jeff said.
   "Well, the vampires have me," Alue replied, "And we'll think of something..."
   Planning continued well in the day, the curtains pulled tightly shut so no sunlight could reach the vampires. While Jeff had his ways of attack first ask questions later idea in his mind, by the end of the meeting, the only idea that was decided on was to wait and attack at the last possible second.

   At noon, the vampires went their separate ways. Most of them went to their own rooms, except Alue and Alex went up to the attic of the mansion. A secret little hide away for them alone...
   "You're putting too much thought into this," she said, gently rubbing Alex's shoulders.
   "I can't help it," He said, closing his eyes, "Every time I think of what the slayers have done... I cant help but worry about... everything else..."
   "We've decided on a plan... passed it with the council and all we have to do now is put it into action," Alue replied, "Relax now... it will all fall into place..."
   "Mmmhmm... I just hope you're right..." He said softly.

Description
"I seriously don’t have time for this… Come on Beam! Faster!” The clearly annoyed woman glared at a trio of other horsemen behind her, “Blasted slayers..."
   She snorted to herself, wiping her face clear of rain and wet brown hair. The 23 year old woman’s sharp green eyes looked ahead again, seeing a rather thick part of the forest. She grinned to herself, knowing the stallion that she rode would be able to get through without a problem. She heard them shouting loudly, something about night monsters… or was it just monster? She couldn’t hear through the thunder and rain… What she did hear quite loudly over the rain was the screams of the horses being taken down by something… something big. Before she could turn to see what had gotten them, her horse carried her deep into the thick forest.
The woman sighed softly with relief as the horse known as Beam to her slowed to a fast trot. They both were breathing heavily, her horse for putting so much effort into running and the woman for being so stressed. She straightened the plain white shirt she wore under a black leather bodice. With another sigh she patted her horse’s neck.
   “You did good, Beam,” She said over a loud clap of thunder, “You deserve a good, long rest when we get to Alexander’s manor…”
   The horse nickered tiredly, continuing at a trot through the forest. No more then five minutes later, they finally reached a large, dark, and overly cliché eerie looking manor. The woman rolled her eyes as a flash of lightning lit up the front of the creepy house. She dismounted and led her horse through the gate slowly. A servant hurried up to her, taking her horses reins and telling her something in a strange language. Nodding slowly, the woman made her way to the door, pushing it open without even bothering to knock.
   The grand manor was rather... warm and inviting despite the outward appearance. The main hall was huge, decorated in rich golds and deep blood reds. The main staircase reached up to the back of the hall, flaring at the end, and framed by two powerful lion statues. Two hallways lead off into the back of the manor, and another pair of hallways continued through the front.
A door opened on the second floor, a tall man, dressed in all black, stepped out of the room, snapping at those still in the room to be quiet and stop fighting. He sighed, closing the door again and starting off down the steps to greet his late visitor.
   "Dear Alue," He said, as he pulled her into a hug, "I trust it was only the weather that kept you?"
   "...Yeah..." She replied slowly, hugging him back, "It was only the weather... How is everything here?"
   "Fine... quite fine... I was just talking to the others-" He began, but stopped when a shout came from the other room.
   "IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME!"
   "Calm down, Jeff, we'll think of something..."
   "WHEN!? My family is at risk because of this... I can't wait any more!"
   "You'll have to... no one here can stand up against such a force like the one that’s coming!"
   "THEN WHAT WILL WE DO!?"
   Alue looked at her host, "You brought Jeff here? Did you really think he would actually stop being who he is for one moment to think logically?"
   "His home is at a very important place, his family is at risk, and he is a respected member of our community," the man said, sighing deeply, "I had no choice."
   "Sometimes I wonder what goes through your head, Alex," Alue said, starting up the stairs.
   Alex chuckled, "sometimes I wonder if you really want to know..."

   When the two entered the room, the argument was silenced. A man was standing by a fireplace, staring at the dying embers angrily, another was pacing in the back of the room, and a third was sitting on a leather couch, studying a map that was spread out over the coffee table. A pair of women were whispering to each other in the corner, completely ignored by the men. They all dressed alike, with either peasant clothes of a white shirt and brown breeches, or in all black. Even the ladies wore men's clothes, much the same as Alue was wearing.
Alue nodded to each man in a silent greeting. The one at the fire glared at her briefly, grumbling something in a strange language. He didn't have time to blink before Alue was at his throat with a blue topaz hilted dagger. The men tensed slightly, but knew she wouldn't attempt to kill him that way...
   She hissed something in the language before nearly throwing him to the ground and taking his place at the fireplace. The tension in the air disappeared as Alex took his place in a big black leather armchair. His icy blue eyes studied the map, deep in thought.
   "You know the pattern of the slayer's attacks?" He asked, his eyes darting to Alue.
   "Aye," She said, nodding, "They'll strike closer to morning... So they can escape the Code's law of fair fighting... and still have the advantage..."
   "Of course... We'll have to draw them into an attack earlier then dawn then," the pacing one said.
   "Easier said then done, Jer," Alex replied, "They'll know that we have her, and not fall for any tricks..."
   "We won't play any tricks," Alue said, "We'll fight fairly... Show them how a real army would fight..."
   "And how do you suppose we'll get enough help? The slayers have the mortals on their side too," Jeff said.
   "Well, the vampires have me," Alue replied, "And we'll think of something..."
   Planning continued well in the day, the curtains pulled tightly shut so no sunlight could reach the vampires. While Jeff had his ways of attack first ask questions later idea in his mind, by the end of the meeting, the only idea that was decided on was to wait and attack at the last possible second.

   At noon, the vampires went their separate ways. Most of them went to their own rooms, except Alue and Alex went up to the attic of the mansion. A secret little hide away for them alone...
   "You're putting too much thought into this," she said, gently rubbing Alex's shoulders.
   "I can't help it," He said, closing his eyes, "Every time I think of what the slayers have done... I cant help but worry about... everything else..."
   "We've decided on a plan... passed it with the council and all we have to do now is put it into action," Alue replied, "Relax now... it will all fall into place..."
   "Mmmhmm... I just hope you're right..." He said softly.