The Waning Hour

Chapter 7: Into The Heart Of The Den

"The waning hour is almost here." A soft, broken voice sniffled on from behind him.

Niklous cursed silently as he continued on. Where could they go? The pack grounds were definatly out of the question. She would be killed on the spot, and as for him for his betrayal... that just wasn't an option. Time was literally of the essence and it was burning up quick.

With nowhere else to go Niklous turned towards the direction of the only person he could trust, and so with a sharp breath took off as fast as he could. All the while the small sobs of his Elizabeth kept taring at his heart. This was all his fault and by the Gods themselves he vowed he would fix this. He need to make it right, if just for her.

The sunlight was burning up quick as Niklous passed the river bend marking the end of their territory. A sigh of relief escaped him as he came to a stop just outside of an old set of iron gates. His relief was short lived however as anger begun to surge threw his veins. This was all her fault and now it was time for her to fix this mess before he fixed her.

With a slight adjustment of the girl upon his shoulder, Niklous leaped over the iron gates and strode straight into Juniper's log cabin. The door flung right off the hinges as he pushed past her demon hounds and headed straight to the couch. With a gentle touch Niklous lowered his dear Elizabeth onto the soft sofa before baring his teeth in warning to the demon hounds still close on his heels.

"What is the meaning of this!" Juniper hollered as she rounded the corner, only to see her door in pieces and her lovely hounds huddling in the far corner.

"I know what you did today and so help me if you don't fix this mess it's your head I'll be coming for!" Niklous shouted before dragging a blanket over an exhausted Elizabeth.

Elizabeth let out a small moan of protest before closing her eyes and pulling the thick wool blanket up just under her chin. Tear lines stained her cheeks as chapped lips slightly opened and closed with each slumbering breath. Seeing his light in such a state tore Niklous apart. Never did he intend for things to go this far.

"You brought her here! To my home! Are you insaine!" Juniper started screaming as stray golden locks fell down behind niklous.

"Not here!" He growled low in warning as he strode across the room, taking Juniper by the arm and leading her into the small cramped kitchen.

"By the gods Niklous! What are you trying to do? Get us both killed?!" She hissed as she ripped herself from his grip.

"Don't even start Jun, if you didn't release the shadow reapers none of this would be happening right now! Seriously are you insaine! Murdering hundreds of people all over one simple girl?!" Niklous roared as large fists slammed down upon her table creating a thick split in the wood.

"Oh no, no no no. This is bad, very very bad Niklous." Juniper managed to whisper out as a shaky hand covered her plump red lips.

"You don't think I know that? Do you know what you have done?! What you have started?!" Niklous boomed as he gripped the table for support, the anger he felt only stirring the beast within more.

"You think I would do something like this?! Sure I wanted the fratinizing to stop but I would never do something of this magnitude! There is only one answer Niklous and only one person to truly blame. I warned you nikki, I told you what would happen if you continued and now you might as well have brought death down on us all!" Juniper angrily snapped back.

"What are you talking about woman! My patients is to thin for your silly back round answers! If you didn't do this than who?!" He yelled, all his anger pooling into his glowing yellow orbs.

"The visions you damned fool! The ones I warned you about! I warned you of what was to come if you didn't stop and now look where we are! Detries has made his first move, his declaration of war. Blood will rain down Nikki and you are to blame!" Juniper shouted back as she brushed past Niklous, headed straight to the herb cabenet.

"He wouldn't bee foolish to do something like this. There is just no way." Niklous argued as his keen eyes watched Juniper hard at work, grabbing herb after herb placing them all down next to her cauldron.

"You fool, that man has been waiting for a reason to start war and you foolishly gave him one. If what I have seen is true then we are all in grave danger." Juniper huffed as her hands worked quickly mixing and grinding down the herbs into a fine powder.

Niklous wiped his hand down his face in frustration as he weighed the magnitude of her words. A part of him knew war was coming. He had been silently preparing for such the occasion since the first sign of the divide amongst him and the other origonals. But all that ended up on pause the day he first laid eyes on his dear Elizabeth.

War, he was definitely not prepared for war. His mind begun to race of possible solutions or outcomes. He was made for this, bred for this. Elizabeth however, a defeated sigh escaped his lips. After realizing who her father was Niklous couldn't help but wonder if she knew anything at all. Anything about who she really was, who her father really was. Things were only becoming more complicated by the second.

"Here, you need to shake this all around the house as well as the path in which you came. It will only be a matter of time before Derek smells her out. It's a special herb that will mask her sent. While you do that I'll finish preparing a more... long term solution. God's above know I don't need Derek and his goons busting down my door. No be quick! We havnt much time." Juniper urged as she pushed a leather pouch into Niklous's hands.

"You're going to help?" Niklous spoke in shock as he gripped the pouch tight.

"Do I look like a monster? Some ones gotta clean up your mess, now go! We don't have a lot of time!" Juniper urged as she pushed the big brute towards the door.

Niklous gave her an appreciative nod as he made his way back threw the livingroom. Suddenly a soft sigh rang in his ears causing him to freeze. He carefully turned and gazed down at Elizabeth. He admired how peaceful she looked as she slept. Yet a small pang in his chest grew as he knew this would probably be the last peaceful sleep she would ever have.

"Go, I'll look after her. She will be safe here I promise." Juniper whispered as she put a tender hand against Niklous's arm.

"Thank you." Niklous lightly smiled before making his way out the door and into the crisp, autumn night.

All was quiet as he carefully retraced their steps sprinkling the herb as he went. Yes, the night was a rather beautiful serene night. But how long would it last, Niklous wonderd, how long before it all fell.