Sneaking Around

Ash lay in bed, eyes open, staring up at the uninteresting ceiling. There was too much going on around her, from old Madame's erratic magic to the golem attack, the council's aims to her solutions of them and yet, her mind chose to focus on one conversation that was almost an insignificant part of her day.

She was walking down with Sven when the man applauded her, "I have to give it to you. You can even make Karlene help you when she was at your throat not long ago."

"Ash did not respond to him. He said, "B said you are what the council needs right now. But we didn't guess you were so effective."

Ash frowned, "effective?"

"B explained that there was more behind the favor that you are showing the dwarfs." 

"Indeed. As young as she is and running a coven all by herself, I'd expect nothing less from her."

"It's wierd how the two of your just met and she already holds you in high regard."

"I hold her in high regard too."

Sven laughed. "that is weird too but Karlene helping you out was even weirder."

This small accomplishment was her personal delight. Perhaps that promise to stay at a arms length had helped. She was only getting happier when Sven dropped the news. "Karlene found her mate but she refuses to acknowledge him because of me."

Was the matter of mates that huge? Ash was confused. Was it such a road block that his years of relationship couldn't overcome this hurdle. Before she could give Sven her piece of mind, Karlene arrived. And Karn and Vance arrived with her. She did her best not to look at Vance. Every creature was born with a mate, but only a few of them ever receive a blessing to cross paths with them.

Vance was the reason this conversation was swimming in her head. She liked Vance, and Vance had some interest in her. Though their interest in each other was not the same, there was potential for development. Or no development, seeing her position in the big picture. She knew finding a mate was a rare blessing, a kind of blessing Mayra would give anything to have. Even if she could be together with Vance, would she survive against a potential mate?

"It is always better to go out and get it and than daydream about it." The warden said. It was like she had spoken right into her thoughts. Ash threw herself out of the bed, into a shower, into some clothes, packed her bag and left the room as quickly as she could.

It was useless cooking tall tales of incidents impossible. She knocked on Lady Bree's door and faced Drew, "she is busy. She will see you at the council," and shut the door in her face. If Bree was in the room, she wouldn't turn her away. Ash went to the library and began working on her assignment while she texted Mayra, "See you after classes."

Mayra's immediate response was, "be safe."

She headed to her classes with kelpies and centaurs and found the whole lot, divided into two groups, racing across the field. She sat down by the back stairs as the centaurs and kelpies ignored him. The two groups, though competitive, got along better than some of the others. Ash's caught a small movement behind the group of Kelpies and found Irla sneaking away behind the building while Orla kept a watch on the other kelpies. So her sister was in on the matter?

Ash smiled at the youthfulness of their romance and watched the kelpies and centaurs compete in a relay lap around the lake. Time passed slowly as more and more kelpies began to disperse and centaurs lost interest in the race. Their professor, the siren did not turn up.

At some point, a fairy shot out over her head and called to the entire gathering, "the professor will not be coming today. She will see you at the next class."

Ash watched the back of the little creatures wing flutter like that of a dragonfly while lits tiny legs dangled under. When it turned around, it looked at Ash straight. Not expecting her to be looking back, the little creature zoomed out of their, over her head again.

The building was line a long box with a corridor running from front to back. While most centaurs and kelpies chose to go around the building, forgoing the inconvenience of going through the doors, no matter how large, Ash chose to cross th building from the middle. Perhaps that is why she was the only one who found Mondin Rockwish, looking over his shoulder as slipped a yellow packet into his tweed jacket. He looked ready for a date. 

She thought of Mayra and how this would liven up her worrisome mind. As she walked to the next class, Ash dropped by the dwarf's digging site. In the early parts of the night, there was no one around. She watched down the giant hole in the ground. The utter darkness seem to call her. For a moment she had the urge to jump in. It couldn't be that deep. Then the urge passed and she felt the darkness cold and empty.

Ash moved away from the site and headed into the shack, down the staircase and into the unknown. The only part of the underground she had ever visited is the meeting hall. She opened the map and found her classroom, almost empty, except for a few vampires. As usual, she took the last seat, closest to the door. Apart from her, a pair of friends sat at the very front and lone boy strode in with a pile of books and started working on his assignment. They each, ignored her tactically.

Ash thought if the class went by with the same tactical ignorance she wouldn't have much trouble for this class. However that was not the case. As more and more people began to file into the room, she heard murmurs and whispers of. "isn't she that?"

"I recognize her scent."

"Why she?"

"What's so special about her?"

Ash had not the vaguest idea what was going on. This was her first time with the vampires and it was her normal in the university to have a bad first experience.

"Alright. Settle down. Settle down." A craggy old voice filled th room. The class turned to see a shortest and stoutest creature she had ever come across waddle into the room. his feet was the size of his body. It had a shaggy christmasy white beard with crumbs of metal stuck in it. Before reaching the professor's spot, it paused and said, "you three, find another spot."

The vampires in the front desk scrambled out and the creature jumped onto the desk with a, "ah. Now this is much better."

"What happened to professor Black?" someone asked. The gnome pointed his little stubby fingers at the vampire and cflicked it up. The vampire stood up. 

"You will stand up if you want to talk to me." His seriousness dampned the murmurs in the room, then the gnome smiled behind his beard and said, "or else I cannot see you."

From where Ash was sitting, she could barely see half his face. "Mr Black was called back by the knights on an urgent matter. Utill his return, I will be the one taking over. Any questions?"

someone giggled and said, "and will a gnome teach a vampire?"

The gnome clicked his finger and the person who spoke stood up, body stiff. The gnome warned, "you will stand up."

The class feel silent. The gnome dark eyes bore into each student around the room, even looking at her once and clicked his fingers again. The speaker slumped into her chair.

The gnome jumped from the desk and landed on the desk behind, "I will be teaching you about your own abilities, collective abilities like speed and strength and your personal abilities, like a blessing." then he jumped onto the third desk and the vampires were in awe, "Now, has anyone is this class recieved a moon goddess' blessing?"

The man working on his assignment raised his hand. "I received a moon blessing at a random blessing ceremony. The ability to abstain from blood."

The vampires all looked at him, some even craning their necks to take a look. Another hand shot up, "I can turn into a bat."

The gnome jumped and this time landed across the room at the speaker's table who stood up quickly. Satisfied he looked around, "anyone else?"

A woman stood up, "Sleep hypnosis."

Another man stood up, "paralysis."

Another one said, 'I can turn into a crow."

The gnome hummed, "I have heard a few of those lately too. Looks like the humans will have a new urban legend on their hands."

The vampires snickered. for the rest of the class, the gnome went back to the front desk and kept chatting with the class. It was another kind of orientation.

Ash learned that vampires' moon blessing were all suited to their temperaments. she also learned that a moon blessing does not necessarily had to be on special occasions like they did on the island of Kalai. The supernatural world held a moon blessing all around the year, on every full moon and hoped they'd be the one to receive a moon blessing. On the island of Kalai, every full moon was a temple festival but only special occasions warranted a moon blessing ritual.

When she left the class, it had already stretched far beyond the normal time. Instead of going to the library she went straight to the meeting room for the club. She had good news for Bree and wanted the woman to hear it first.

However, instead of Bree, Karn came in. "No one's here yet?"

Ash shook her head. Karn stood there for a while, neither speaking nor coming in. Ash offered, "take a seat. I have good news to share with everyone."

Karn nodded, "let me go and get Vance. Can you please recieve a mail for me?"

Ash nodded and was left alone. Not long after Karn left, a fairy flew in holding a familiar yellow envelope. "For Princess Aishwarya of Kalai."

Ash took the thick envelope and opened it. Before the first fairy had left, the next flew in, "a parcel for Karn."

Ash pointed to a spot on the table and the fairy dumped the envelope there, zooming after her companion. Ash, focused on her own envelope did not notice that Karn's envelope was the same as hers. Inside her parcel was stack of photos. She slipped them out and saw in them Vance.

Vance holding a sword, Vance hunched over someone's body, Vance standing over the same body, teeth showing. Bree pushing Vance as he stood dazed with blood on his mouth. The pictures were all from the top angle. Like a security camera. With them was another picture, Vance driving his hand inside a golem. It looked like Vance had murdered a creature when he had actually saved her. There were more photos. Of Vance picking up a dwarf by his scurf. Of Vance chocking another vampire by his neck. All of those photos look inciminating but she knew that after the first three pictures, anything close to a normal situation could end up looking incriminating.

She quickly put everything in her bag and found another yellow envelope, identical to hers on the table. Karn's envelope. Ash pulled the envelope to herself and opened it. Same pictures. Ash slipped everything in her bag before anyone could return.

Karn returned with Vance and Drew and asked her, "any mail?"

Ash shook her head. Her heart beat loud enough to echo in the room. Vance stared at her but she did not have the heart to stare back. What had she just seen? What happened back then with the kelpie? And if Vance was the one involved, why did he ask for her opinion yesterday. He ought to know why Bree was connecting the two incidents- because of him. Yet, he looked pretty clueless yesterday. Was he playing her?

Ash looked between Karn and Vance as they sat side by side in the farthest corner from her and Drew sat on the other side, chin on her hands, smiling. Karn and Vance were close friends, any cracks in their relationship would convert to become cracks between two supernatural powers. Hiding those pictures until she knew more was paramount. If the person causing trouble was not targeting Bree or the council, they were targeting Vance. Bree must have taken the blame for the kelpie's death to keep Vance in the clear.

If she could find out who could have access to the security rooms and the security footage, she could find whoever was targeting Vance.

"Ash?" Karn called. Ash looked over, still dazed. "Are you feeling alright? You seem lost?"

Ash smiled slightly, "simply tired. I am not used to night schedules just yet."

"Go ahead and rest. Bree will be a little late today. She went scouring the forest between the wall and the backwaters." Vance said. Hearing his gravel voice, Ash felt a knife twisted into her heart. What kind of a person was Vance really?

Ash stood up. "I am going to find her."

Vance felt the heaviness in her heart like his own. What was that for? Why was it there or why it was directed at him, he had little idea. All he could do was stare after her as Karn left his spot, "it is unsafe to walk alone for a few days. I will come with."

When Karn fell in step, Vance had the urge to pluck his friend away from there and... And what? He couldn't take Karn's place. Then again, Karn shouldn't be able to stand there either.