The thunder rolled again, making the entire coven jump as one. The leader, Nikolis, raised a pale hand to his lips and sniffed at the faintness of the wine; his brothers, Jakobi and Ricardo, watching him silently.

"So, Nikolis, since we are in the midst of war, how are we to bring the dogs we go against down?" Jakobi asked, flicking his hand as a female servant came and knelt at his feet with another wine bowl.

Nikolis sighed, waving his female servant away, "I am thinking, Jakobi. Ricardo, what do you think?"

Ricardo, ever the silent one, finally answered, "I think..that we should surprise them."

Nikolis and Jakobi looked him, then back to the commander who had just come in with two men behind him, dragging a small blonde girl between them.

"We found her, Lords, sneaking around outside. She will not speak her name, nor will she speak at all." The man said, gesturing his men to throw her at the leaders' feet.

She shivered, brushing her long blond locks behind her elf-like ears, looking away from them all.

"I-i was sworn to secrecy...that is why I cannot speak! Torture me if you must, you will not get any words from my lips!" she cried, picking herself up from the ground.