The wind whispered through the trees of a vast forest, telling tales of death and destruction from eons ago, the scent of fear heavy in the air that night... fear that history would repeat itself as a figure stirred in the darkness of a crypt deep within the bowels of the forest. An ancient resting spot... long forgotten, overgrown, and completely unknown of by the younger generations.

~dark lashes lay, perfect crescent moons upon the palest of skin. Skin drawn taut over skeletal features of what was once a stunning creature. Long wavy blonde hair once shiny, was now coated in layers of dust and grime and hung about an emaciated figure that rested upon a cool stone slab platform a few feet above the floor. Eyelids flickered and twitched before a small frown of irritation furrowed the brow... the first sign of movement in years..~

~irritated at the interruption of slumber Sini furrowed her brow before slowly opening her eyes... pools of pure onyx veritably glittered in the dark as they slowly studied the surroundings. Rats had managed to burrow in through the heavily packed dirt floor and appeared to have made this their domain. Stupid rodents... at least they were there to snack on. Sliding her tongue across rows of pearly white teeth and two pearly black fangs a sickly smile slowly creased the brittle skin of Sin's face... her lips cracking.. but not bleeding. Slowly she tried to lift herself, finding it near impossible. No wonder she had awoken... it was feasting time. Using the little strength she did have available to her after so many years asleep she pulled herself over to the edge, and then over the edge of the stone platform upon which she had rested. Landing with a sickly "thud" upon the packed dirt floor, rats scurrying about in panic at this sudden intrusion upon what they had considered "their" space... not realizing the crypt was already inhabited~

~closing her eyes once more, Sin allowed her other senses to take over... she could hear the blood coursing through their furry little bodies, their footsteps carrying them closer and closer with curiosity and anticipation that perhaps the intrusion might be a new food source... one hand lay palm up, fingernails resembling claws more than anything else. A brush of fur, a few steps and the first victim was trapped before it could so much as inhale its next breath... a few short seconds later its bloodless corpse tossed up onto the stone platform, the rest of the rodents unaware...~

Nights were silent... an air of unease and apprehension gripping the minds of all animals in the forest. Something was stirring... awakening.... growing stronger night by night. And it wasn't anything good.

~rubbing her eyes Sin stared bleakly about... rat corpses littered the floor of the crypt, the stench of decomposing rodent permeating the air. Rising to her feet she looked down at herself, a snort of derision flaring forth at the sight of herself. Dust and cobwebs covered her from head to toe, making her as gray as the slab of stone upon which she had rested for so long. Stretching, she moved towards the entrance... wanting out. Needing out. A scream of pure fury rose up in her throat and ripped forth, echoing about the cavernous crypt. The hatch wouldn't open...~

Birds and Bats took flight as a scream ripped through the night... a scream which struck near paralyzing terror into the hearts of all animals in that region. Predators and prey alike ran aside one another in a mad attempt to get away. Neither knew what *exactly* had made that noise, but none of the night creatures wished to find out what it was either.

For years, nature had worked at concealing the crypt... vines and brambles entangling it, wrapping it ...holding it... and for now it was secure. For now it withheld the steady repeated attempts of release from whatever was within... relentless pounding echoed through the forest as the creature the crypt contained fought for freedom.

~relentlessly she continued pounding on the door, desperate to get out while she still had the energy from the rats she had consumed. Days and nights merged into one, as her energy slowly waned away. Scrapes covered her hands and arms where she had worn away the flesh from her efforts to escape... the hatred in her towards whatever wouldn't let her out, growing by the second...~

The forest outside grew stiller as time passed. Unknown yet to Sinistress her scream of pure fury -had- been heard, and by something other than merely the animals which inhabited the forest. The time she had spent in her deep slumber suddenly seemed like no time at all, while the mere few days she was trapped within the crypt extended on into what felt like an eternity.

~...finally she stopped, turning and moving back to the stone slab where she had lain for so many years. Sitting on it Sinistress contemplated her options... were she to lay down and let herself drift off into the dark of the unconcious realm again it was likely she wouldn't ever awaken. So she sat... unmoving, the glint in her obsidian eyes fading off as her mind wandered elsewhere for the time being, body tense from the fury simmering just barely contained below the surface..~

~Thoughts ran through Sin's head as she pondered the fate of her chylders... the last time she had seen them Juniper had been on the run from the clans and Markus had been trying to get her to change her ways in a desperate bid to save her existance. She only hoped Markus had managed to survive the battles though she had little doubt he had... just then she heard noises coming from outside the door. Not moving she continued to sit there, willing whatever it was outside the door to continue it's plight to get within... not caring about the reason, only wanting the meal and freedom that should follow it's success..~

~Fully alert she sat perched on the edge of the stone slab, crouched down in a predatory stance, fully prepared to pounce upon whatever might free her. Meals first, thanks later... moments later the door swung open bathing her in the gentle loving light of her beloved moon, a figure outlined in the doorway. Uncurling herself from her crouch Sin slowly moved to stand before him... eyes glinting with hate as though he was personally responsible for her entrapment within the crypt, instincts urging her to feast, her own will holding her back so that she may relish the moment when it did come...~

A sorry sight she made....

Hair and clothes were still covered in layers of dust and cobweb, skin emaciated and pale, drawn taut over her facial features, black eyes glinting with hatred from within their sockets... giving the stranger a once over followed swiftly up with a sneer of derision at his own appearance... unaware yet that her own was so terrible.

Not forgetting her own manners, the brittle and cracked lips finally parted, uttering a single word which slipped between them and caressed the ears of the stranger in haunting tones... the whisper of death itself could be heard within her voice and even the short two words spoken managed to carry a full impression of promised pain, and very probable death...

Thank you....

A wicked smile curved her lips upwards, her tongue running over her onyx fangs once more before lips parted to reveal them glistening in the dark... still seductive and alluring despite their owner's bedraggled appearnace.... those fangs weren't just a tool of death... they hadn't only delivered it.... they were death.

Fresh air hit Sin's features like a slap in the face, the gentle aromas of the forest infiltrating her, smothering her with their purity. Her eyes settled on what must have been the face of the one who had set her free, facial features contorting as various expressions ran rampant through her face... surprised, threatened, suspicious, angry, hungry... upon that thought she glanced around with a slight sulky expression. Realizing that her scream had probably driven any form of wildlife far out of the region she continued to stand there and ponder her options.

While she stood there, the one who had set her free turned and walked away, and then almost as if he was as confused as she, turned around and walked back... standing before her once more.

~dark eyes glittered suspiciously, instincts within her screaming Attack, Feed, Drain.... Kill.... Live... nostrils flared as the stranger lifted his wrist and slit it before her... eyes narrowing as the urge to feed became deafening within her skull, shooting a look of pure hatred at the one who stood before her bleeding. Torn between feeding on what was readily offered, or retaining her stubborn pride she continued to stand there a moment longer... her mind replaying the events...~

A look of sorrow flitted briefly across her features, regret staining her face while her eyes remained hot with hatred... a shake of her head and she shoved the outstretched arm away, running off into the brush while licking the blood her fingertips had gathered, giving her that last boost of strength to hold her until she found another source that didn't reek of pity and amusement combined...

Running through the forest with strength waning, Sin found it harder and harder to maintain stealth. Her head turned sometimes, eyes narrowing as she imagined seeing animals... or at least shadows drifting between the trees that reminded her of food. Nostrils flared she paused for a moment to take stock and re-awaken herself to her new surroundings. So much had changed since she was last here... fear wasn't ever anything she felt because she hated who she was, what she was... curiosity piqued her senses however and kept her moving once she had caught the scent of the living creatures.

Finally after what seemed like miles further through the rugged terrain of the forest, she came across an injured deer... with hate heavy in her heart for what she was about to do she sank her teeth into its flesh, drawing deep and quick upon the fount of life which flowed forth from it's neck. What wasn't enough to keep the deer alive, restored her enough that she would be able to go on until she could find a human, and drink of her own species. When the last drop had been taken by her, and the last breath taken by the deer she remained a moment out of simple respect for the strange way nature provided... even for creatures such as herself which were no longer accepted....

As her mind came out of its haze, her liquid black eyes fell upon the sight of her hand resting upon the hide of the animal... widening slightly in shock and surprise at how far she had gone this time before awakening. Knowing that change would not be imminent she sat back a while, leaning against a tree just resting and allowing her form time to restore itself. Idly she brushed one hand across the leg of her pants, curling her lip in distaste as it came away covered in dust and cobweb... This simply wouldn't do... but for now she remained there.

Brushing her hand on some nearby moss after having thoroughly inspected the grime which soiled her skin and clothes, she rose. With eyes closed she allowed her sleepy yet awake senses to take note of her surroundings on a different level. The piercing scream of a falconer hawk arrested her attention immediately, memories flooding back of a woman that reeked putridly of life, power and above all, awareness.

Turning in the direction she had heard the birds cry come from she followed the path trampled by the forest beasts earlier... regardless of where they eventually led, there had to be water somewhere along the way and where there was water, she could bathe herself free of the grit and settled grime from the crypt.

Mercury silver eyes darted across the vast expanse of the night sky which was littered with the sparkling of stars save for only a few patches where clouds glowed white with the light of the moon. Long dark brown hair was intricately woven in plaits which circled her head, skin as pale and soft as that of a young child. Lush lips curved in a gentle smile across her face, as two perfectly manicured fingers twitched idly at her side.

Slippered feet rested softly against the ground, feeling the warmth of the earth through the thinly padded fabric, and a cream colored gown with gold embroidery along the hems was barely visible under the rich red cloak which adorned her shoulders, held together by a carved silver clasp o'er her chest.

Lifting one hand, two fingers slipped into her mouth... an intake of breath and then a piercing whistle ripped out of her mouth, ricocheting through the hills of the forest and across the night... not disturbing the animals in the slightest. Unlike that scream which had pierced the same forest a few eve's earlier. A falconer hawk's cry echoed across the sky in reply to the call of its mistress, the bird angling sharply to the left in alteration of its course, diving down towards the source of the sound with talons outstretched.

With arm lifted, Aurora watched the approach of her dear pet... her second pair of eyes. She had been awaiting this moment for a while now, anticipating its arrival yet not knowing for sure when it would occur until she had heard the scream a few nights earlier. The scream of a woman she once knew, the sire of the chylders she had kept watch over in the past years. Since then she had remained next to this spring of water, thinking it an ideal place for her to observe the newly awakened one. She had seen the dark stranger enter the forest, and through the mind of her falconer hawk she had kept watch of the one named Sinistress. Now all she had to do was wait...

Pushing aside tree branches and plowing through the underbrush, Sin pondered the meaning of the falconer hawk's cry. She didn't trust the Priestess at all but was indebted to her for having rescued Markus from walking into the sun a while ago. Maybe with any luck the Priestess would have some news or knowledge of the whereabouts of her chylders... or chylder.

Light shone through the trees ahead where the moon filtered down into a clearing... illuminating a pool of pitch black.. water. Without a care for who might be there besides herself, Sin broke into a run and dove into the water, a bubble of dust and soggy cobwebs immediately floating to the surface... freed from her leather outfit, skin and hair. Remaining submersed for a while Sin swam to another spot and sat on the bottom of the pond, gazing upwards at the now watery view of the sky. Rubbing her hands along her legs and torso, combing her hair with her fingers she finally freed herself of the last of the dirt which had soiled her appearance for so long.

Knowing that someone had followed her, having seen the shadowy outline dart behind the treeline after they had mistakenly followed her beyond the edge of the forest she pondered who might have had the nerve to track her. She had been asleep for so long that nobody she could think of knew she was awake ...except that dark stranger who had set her free. Pushing off the bottom of the pond, she made her way to the edge. For the most part the blood of the stag had restored her shape, the minor details of restoring the vitality of her skin would come with feeding from a human. Her leather pants and corset wiped clean of the dirt glistened wet in the dark, clinging to her full figured form as it departed the comfort of the pond. Standing there she wrung out her hair, studying the forestline.

Not wanting to wait all night she slowly arched one delicate eyebrow upon her forehead, lips parting to let the quiet tones of her voice slip through.

"I know that you are there. Who you are, why you're following me is what I don't know. I don't want to know right now... more than that I don't need to know. "

The words flowed forth, her voice the female version of the dreaded Hannibal Lechters. Undercurrents of pain and torment rippled through the sentences... hints of probable death accenting the mix.

With that said, she slowly circled the pond while staring at the forestline, curiosity piqued as to whether the Priestess was anywhere near, wondering mildly if her shadowy guest would remain a shadow or join her and hunt. Not wishing to wait too long for her next meal she set off along a well worn path which was littered with rubbish. An indicator of the so called "civil" society which humans inhabited..

The initial appearance of the vampiress had startled her. The beauty which she had previously known was nearly invisible. Hair lay limp and dull against a creature soiled gray save for a few patches where the journey through the brush had wiped away some of the grime. Emaciated, though visibly in the restoration process the only recognizeable feature of Sin was the deep pools of liquid black which were her eyes... darkened over time by hate.

A gentle smile gave way on her features as the formerly stunning creature of the night dove into the water and remained there for quite a while. Fascinated at the creature she watched arise from the water, Aurora remained concealed in the trees. Shape was back and the tired muscles were evident through the glistening leather pants and corset.

Her perceptive gaze pierced the spot where she had watched the shadowy one conceal himself after blundering out into the open, when Sin spoke. Moving a ways back into the trees she quietly released the falconer hawk. Forming the link between their minds so that she may remain here physically, yet stay aware of the happenings of the stranger and Sinistress she settled down to await the events as they unfolded. Getting in the path of a newly awakened vampire was never a wise idea and while she had no qualms of herself being in danger it was a simple matter of respect for the wrath she knew Sinistress was capable of releasing. So she continued to wait...