Grief

The walk to the branch house was short, considering that it had been the birthplace of humanity after the vampire's war the building seemed small. The city streets where a relic from the time of man and most big enough to drive 8 or 9 horse drawn carts down and not risk collisions. What a difference and the evidence is lying all around and most of these people still see only their own shelter, or next meal. The ones that had survived the war had an excuse, barely 100 people and a lord that has to eat as well. I was glad I had not been born back then, our lord would have destroyed me without hesitation.

I had stopped at the foot of the stairs leading to the house. The messenger priest stopped at the door watching with his head just slightly tilted to the right. I snorted and started walking up the stairs. When I got to the top I tilted my head to face the messenger as I stepped by him, "The lord is good to us."

I felt his confusion as I continued on as if I hadn't said a thing. Three of my brothers were with nine of the women in the dining area. I know which ones they were even from the main doorway, my abilities seemed to still be growing. I could also feel the priest watching me, he had become a little shadow that I think I might miss now if he wasn't there.

The conversation stopped abruptly when I opened the kitchen door, the tension skyrocketed for a moment until they noticed it was just me and the priest. "Talking about something you shouldn't be?"

Travis shrugged and looked at one of his wives, she was a beauty by any standard, young and healthy, with her own first child due any week. Travis was one of my most vocal brothers in how foolish he thinks the whole notion of wives is but he was also one of the most loyal. His beautiful but strong willed eldest wife clearly ran his small house within the larger branch house. "No, not really, have you returned to us then, eldest?"

I got the feeling she was asking about more then just my visit with our lord, "Move on or die, and I have much left to do." I took my normal chair and Isa jumped up to get something for me to eat. She returned in moments with fresh rolls and veggies. I frowned at it, though there wasn't anything wrong with it, just the thought of eating was making my head spin, what I really wanted was meat, but it was hard enough to get plants in the city. I blinked and started eating a roll. Both Isa and Bella where watching and I felt their concern at my reaction. They seemed to be the only ones to notice though.

"Our lord is sure he found all the people who were actively involved in this plot to kill Isa and Bella."

I looked at Bella as she nodded and Isa took back up her place next to her sister. "Three matriarchs," I didn't look away from Bella as others in the room gasped, "Some of the priesthood, those two groups will learn first hand why you don't actively work counter to our lord. Our lord will give the branch house the 20 women who were involved that could still have children under the proviso that they have at least 7 children a year. Out of those 20 at least three will only be able to have my children and any children they have will count towards the law as if they had come from my two wives. Exactly how you want to work that out will be up to you two. The term was at least three so you could pick more if you wanted." Bella looked over at Isa who was watching her. They seemed to have some sort of telepathic communication going because they both looked back at me clearly expecting more.

"The 12 men involved will be transferred to the house of Estro as dirt. I didn't ask the specifics of their debt but I have a feeling it is a bit more permanent then most debt." Travis shivered at the thought. "I think the only reason they aren't dead is our lord doesn't want to have such a surplus of blood around all at once."

"No shit brother." I glanced at the younger man down the table. Which is completely not a right thought, I am not even 18 yet. Which around here made me an old man only a year or two younger then Travis which everyone thought of as an elder.

One of his wives covered her mouth as she giggled at him. I raised an eyebrow at him and he ducked his head, "At least that is our mother's problem. Either way, the break we have been enjoying is about over." Travis and the other man looked at me in confusion. "Tomorrow morning I want three teams to be ready to practice, there is enough room on the fourth floor."

"I wouldn't count on anyone else showing up, alfa. We are set for years."

The woman who had giggled looked back down at what she had been working on. Men fight, women do anything and everything else that gets done. They might not die as young but they work more then the other men might think. "You want to tell your poor man why he is wrong?"

She looked up at me and then over at Bella and Isa. I felt her fear spike that I had addressed her. I found it strange the women all seemed to feel safe with their husbands but not with any of the other brothers. Which is probably why most of them when not with their husband hung out here in the dining room with each other. While the men normally were just about anywhere else.

I tilted my head as she looked back from Isa, I hadn't seen and her nervousness hadn't eased, "What are you afraid of?" My eyes widened a bit as I caught a flash of something, I had a hard time following it. It wasn't her husband, or any of the brothers. I growled as I placed the flash of memory that wasn't mine. Everyone jumped as my fist hit the table as I stood.

They hadn't been afraid of me but the randomness of my reaction had the whole room on edge. I looked at the messenger as he peeked in to see what was going on. "I am done with this, priest!" I forced the glimpse of what I had seen on the messenger before he could make the mistake of telling me to calm down.

The priest's eyes lost focus for a moment and I started to move by him but a shield sprang up in front of me. I turned my head to glare at the priest. It had no effect, "Do you think I don't know what happens beyond the walls of the city? My control over the humans in the land weakens as you move away from the city. I have tried to purge the problems before and come up short. How is your plan any better? My approval of the wives was partially because I understood what they faced where they were as opposed to what you were trying. I am trying to be lenient as revolution is rarely bloodless, but this hunt is not one I can give you just yet."

I knew the words were those of our lord and not the messenger that was in front of me but I was seeing red still. "Your priesthood is supposed to enforce the laws."

"If I thought they were doing that well I wouldn't see a need for you, wilder. You will have to figure out how to work with what you have."

"Fine, but then I want to start holding a weekly service already."

The messenger blinked, "What does one have to do with the other?"

"Clearly your priests need an example of what they should be doing. The priests have two roles they should be filling."

"Hum, alright, I can see the point of what you want and how it might give me a bit of breathing room, maybe. Not that it matters it really should be done anyway. You liked the Septum that served your last city?" I nodded once, "I will tell him to send you someone. I don't imagine that it will be an easy thing to find. You can start without the priest, if the wives are ok with that arrangement."

I bowed slightly to the messenger and he blinked, taking a step back then catching himself on the table as his knees started to give. "How can you stand that?"