It was three weeks later when Barkley and Franklin upset Councilman Klaus so much that he called Shaun to have them flogged fifty times each.
The Councilman went outside with Lizzy and Liam when they returned the Gladstones were smiling and Councilman Klaus had no expression on his face except when he looked away from the prisoners smiling just as broadly as Liam and Lizzy.
After the prisoners were flogged the Vampire Council surround them. "Are you going to feed us?" Barkley said hoarsely.
"No," Councilman Klaus finally smiled at them, "because you can not stop complaining and we have quite frankly have become tired of listening to you. We have come to an agreement. We are going to stop you with this." Councilmen Klaus and Antonio held up two stakes. The two men screamed as they drove the stakes through their chest.
"Finally silence," Councilman Klaus sighed, "when we remove the stakes, they are not to be fed."
"Yes Sir." We said together.
"Shaun put them into their cell."
"Yes Sir." Four werewolves pick them up and put them into their cell. Shaun locked the door.
Victoria May and Katey came in the entrance. "Oh Mama what a horrible smell." Victoria May cried.
"Yes Vicky. It smells like Barkley and Franklin have had some more lashes."Katey told her.
"Oh!"
"Hello Kylie." Katey said walking up beside me.
"Hello Katey how was your walk?"
"It was excellent. The air is so refreshing."
"That it is."
Victoria May was standing close to me. "Victoria May are you feeling all right? I can feel the heat coming off of you."
Katey gasped. "Is it close to her time Katey?"
"Yes very close."
Benjamin walked up beside his mother. "The moon will be full in three days." Katey gripped Benjamin's shirt. "Soon, Mama. Soon."
"What is Soon, Benjamin?"
"You will see Vicky." He smiled at his sister.
"Okay." She turned and went down the kitchen corridor.
"I hope we have prepared her enough." Katey cried.
"I remember you telling me the same things you have been telling Vicky Mama and it helped me. Do not worry Papa and I will be with her."
"I know Ben." She patted his arm.
"Come on Mama. We better help her with the next meal." They walked down to the kitchen.
"Mama, what is wrong with Victoria May?" Pearl asked looking sad.
"Nothing really. She will be just going through some changes soon." I said.
"Oh something like me?"
"Yes something like that."
John and Quinn came walking up from the storage levels. "Do you need any help with dinner, Mom?" John asked.
"Yes."
They smiled. Paddy looked at me strangely. I do not normally accept help when I cook but I have learned when they ask to help usually means they want to cook dinner.
Our sons continued down to our quarters. I signed to Paddy, 'they want to cook tonight.'
"Oh!"
We followed them down the corridor.
I walked into my kitchen and walked back out a few minutes later. The boys had every thing under control.
We could smell all the spices the boys were using. John had brought back kegs of spices for Katey. He brought two kegs of every spice he could find. One was for Katey, the other one he made into small vials for anyone who wanted to use them.
We sat in our common room discussing plans for the emergency gathering next summer. "Councilman Klaus told me it will not be as long as our normal gatherings. He thinks a week maybe." Shaun told us.
"That is fine, I hope no one will be upset for coming all this way for a week." Colleen said.
"I think when they hear the reason for the gathering it will be erased from their thoughts" Shaun said.
"That is so true Dad." Gen agreed. The rest of us nodded in agreement.
"We will have to take extra precautions with all our people here. If anyone with a tracker is near here they will find quite the reception party." Shaun commented.
"I wonder how far away they can pick any of us up?" William asked.
"That is a very good question. We should ask the scientists to find out." Shaun said smiling at his Grandson. "I do not think anyone has ever thought of that."
"It would help with our patrols and where to put our sentries." Cory said.
"Yes. Yes Son. It would. We will go see them after dinner."
Everyone ate in silence. They were all in deep thought. I noticed Gen and Quinn looking at William with pride. He thought of something no one else had.
Shaun, Paddy, William and Brian went to see the scientists.
The next day Athos, Scott and Elder Camarillo were talking with the Councils to set up some experiments.
For the first experiment they tracked a vampire they made sure only one was outside all others had to stay in the cave. They were using werewolves as markers. One was positioned every fifty feet.
They started at five hundred feet moving closer to the tracking device. At two hundred feet away the device picked up the vampire.
The next experiment they used two vampires to see if it changed the distance. It did. The device picked them up at three hundred feet away when there was three vampires it was at three hundred and fifty feet. Four vampires could be detected at four hundred feet. Five of them it stayed at four hundred feet.
Elder Camarillo kept adding vampires the device would only detect them at four hundred feet which was very good for us because we could smell a mortal well before that.
Next they tried the same experiment with werewolves. They could be detected at two hundred feet but with five of them they had to be six hundred feet away not to be detected.
The shifters could be as close as one hundred feet to be detected but as a group they were detected at three hundred feet. They were harder to detect.
The manimals had to be as close as fifty feet before they were detected but as soon as the three of them were a hundred and fifty feet away they could not be tracked.
