10 The Keeper

The cave was considerably colder than the den that the fox was used to.

Sionna crawled under the dress to add warmth but still found herself shivering. Cool air seeped into the cave and she wondered why she wasn't as cold earlier. Then she remembered the heat radiating off of the man who sat next to her. Picking up her head she glanced at the black bundle of fur. Carefully she crept closer and closer to the wolf until she could curl up next to him. As soon as she touched his body she felt the heat his body generating from his body. Feeling much warmer she feel asleep instantly.

From the mass of black fur two blue eyes opened and looked at the fox, then he closed his eyes again and fell back to sleep.

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A women in a black cloak stood at a long stone table, various parchments and maps were spread across it. A crystal ball sat in the middle. She was fixated on a map that showed a mountain range east of her. There wasn't much east of the mountains besides a few small villages and large expanses of woods. She was following a blue dot along the map but it disappeared when it got to the mountains. She tried to contact Sullen through the crystal ball but got no reply.

"Lucas! Get in here," she said sharply. A small mousy man scurried into the room and bowed towards the lady. He wore an all brown shirt, brown pants and had brown hair. His fingers were small and thin with long unkept finger nails and his body was shaped kind of like egg. His middle was the largest part of his body while his lower legs and arms were disproportionately smaller.

"Have some horsemen sent out to check on Sullen, he might be dead." She said not even bothering to look up at the man.

"Yes Miss," he said before hurrying away.

The women then walked over to a large open window. She was wearing a long black cloak with a hood and when she put it down her silver hair glowed in the moonlight.

She had fierce red eyes that glared at the darkness outside the window. Her skin seemed to have a pale youthful glow to it, but just by the way she held herself anyone could tell she was anything but youthful.

She reached out with her left hand to touch the stone windowsill and the cloak fell back to expose strange glowing markings.

She looked down at them and pulled her sleeve up to expose a variety of marks in different colors adorning her entire forearm.

This was why the women was called the keeper, she controlled a variety of magical beings through an ancient curse. The curse was thought to be forgotten magic for hundreds of years. Yet she came form a strange bloodline and her ancestors held onto the curse for that time. It was through them that she was able to discover the curse. At least that is what she told the elites and royals that she sold the people to.

She was a rare sight to many which made the story believable. Her red eyes and pale skin made one think she must be a vampire, yet her silver hair and ability to proficiently use magic made that unlikely. She was also tall and slender with pointed ears like a forest elf. Making everyone curious as to what she was exactly.

One thing was certain, she was someone you wanted to keep on your good side. As she was cruel and heartless. The kingdom had been searching for her for years always unable to track her down. Mostly because she payed off or killed anyone that came for her.

The woman turned away from the window, leaving the room she was in, she headed for her bedroom.

Slaves helped her undress from her stunning all black dress, previously hidden by the cloak. She put on an simple red silk dress that matched a silver amulet with a bright red stone that hung around her neck. She kept the heavy necklace on when she crawled into bed. When the last of the slaves left she stayed awake plagued with the thoughts of what happened with the red fox shifter.

Though red foxes weren't the rarest of the foxes it would still make her lots of money. Foxes were prized pets because they looked pretty and were smaller then other shifters. Wealthy men liked to buy untainted female shifters to use as play things. Wealthy women on the other hand liked to buy them as accessories. They could even double as a blood banks if the buyer was a vampire. Either way the Keeper did not care, she was going to make her money. If she could get that fox.

'What happened?' She thought to herself, and she thought of the reason she picked that road.

It was rarely traveled because of rumors of a giant wolf that attacked anyone who tried to take the mountain pass. She figured they were nothing but rumors and that if they did encounter anything Sullen could use his magic against it. Yet she started thinking she over estimated him, but if the rumors were true. She thought aloud, "maybe I can catch the wolf as well."