Sean shifted on Mark's lap, asking with concern. "Vampires and werewolves? How many exactly...?" The lord took a swig from his goblet, then shrugged out. "Thousands, I'd guess. I'm quite a few generations down from the original inhabitants. Almost my entire family line can be found here on these grounds." Sean exhaled nervously, while Mark slipped in curiously. "This Hag that your relative made a deal with. Was she ever found?" The lord casually nodded, openly informing him. "Yes. She was. Her name was Mira Raven Sherwood. One of my relatives did manage to track her down. See for yourself." The lord reached out to pick up a newspaper that sat beside the dark bottle with his drink of choice. Handing it out to them, he told Mark as he accepted it. "They didn't report what happened to her, but my father filled me in with an old family journal before he was found hanging from the stairs... Upon capturing her, she was dragged into the family graveyard and buried alive in the only unmarked grave. My relatives were not very forgiving. Having their kin turned into savage beasts riled them up. They blamed her."

Shivering, Sean mumbled out. "Sure. Seems rational..." Mark held up the worn and faded old newspaper, reading aloud for Sean. "Villagers are to be warned to beware of Mira Raven Sherwood of Grim Hollow Manor. Reports of missing children and pets have circulated around her residence. While no evidence has been found to confirm this, a strict curfew has been established to avoid further disappearances." Mark briefly glanced up at the lord before reading on. "Mira Sherwood was once apart of the community until the death of her newborn twin boys during the last plague. While others weathered the plague fairly well, Mira's family wasn't so fortunate. The plague horribly disfigured her, resulting in her husband leaving her. Which resulted in her turning to the dark arts. Though some claim she was practicing it long before and was the very cause of the plague. Her children serving as sacrifices for more power and her own disfigurement the result of her corrupted soul."

Rolling his eyes, Sean said to Mark softly. "Sounds like she was nothing more than a woman who suffered tragedy and loss. Man, people are cruel." Mark nodded, reading a second newspaper behind the first with less excitement in his voice. "Mira Sherwood was confirmed to be a witch this fortnight when Priest Godric forcibly took her from her home on Tuesday. This was to purify her soul by forcing her to confess where the missing kids and pets were. Tying her to a holy blessed chair, the priest dropped her in the river and told us how if she was human she would die by drowning. If she lived, she was a witch." Sean blinked, mumbling out. "Ya, well... That seems really stupid." Mark pointed to the paper shrugging out. "Maybe not. Witnesses were left awestruck. After two hours of being held under water and presuming her dead because she didn't thrash or scream. She was pulled up and found to be still alive."

Sean leaned closer to Mark as Mark finished off. "Spitting water at the priest's face, she announced to everyone present. 'Death will come on swift wings for your daughters. And wolves will hunger for the flesh of spineless goats. Your shepherd who herds you goats will live for as long as I do! For I will be the one to kill him and set things right! His heart shall be mine and my youth restored!" Sean met Mark's eyes, his blood turning cold when he whispered softly. "Is the priest still alive?" The lord huffed, flatly telling them. "No. He's been dead a long time. Shortly after she was put to ground, in fact." Mark slipped the newspapers into his inventory and asked curiously. "Your brother. Was he acting strange before he died? Was he set to inherit anything? Any news he was going to get?" The lord took a longer sip from his glass, avoiding Mark's eyes when he told him. "No. Not that I... Actually. As a matter of fact. There is one thing. He was having these bad dreams about a raven. Said he kept seeing one at his window. Then one day, the raven turned into a beautiful woman. Far more beautiful than his wife. So, he fucked her rigorously. He didn't have anymore bad dreams... but died two days after. Is that weird?"

Mark raised an eyebrow, asking lightly. "Did he say what she looked like exactly?" Sean shot Mark a jealous glare, while the lord chuckled out. "Of course. He said she had glowing skin like starlight. Eyes as grey as ash. Hair long and as shiny black as a raven's feathers. With lips as black as coal. He went on and on about her smooth long legs and arms. How graceful she moved. The works. Why? You think she wasn't a fever dream brought on by lack of sex with his troll of a wife?" Unable to stop himself, Sean snapped back. "That's not very nice to say." The lord snorted, waving off coolly. "You'll see her at breakfast tomorrow. You tell me. If you had to pick between her and some dream girl. I'd pick the dream girl too. At least he had a good time. Cause his wife didn't do him any favors since having her face nearly bitten off by a wolf." Sean opened his mouth to say something, but Mark covered his mouth and quickly piped up. "I think we have taken up enough of your time. If we plan to help you, we'll need our rest. Thank you."

Getting up, Mark kept his hand over Sean's mouth and guided him toward the door with a firm arm around his waist. Sean struggled against him, muffling out whines as Mark walked him down the long hallway. Back at the door to the study, the lord called out nicely. "Sleep well, Boys. And follow the shepherd in the pictures. He'll never lead you astray in these winding halls." Mark followed the pictures on the wall that showed a shepherd with sheep whenever he came to a fork in the hallway. Eventually finding their way back to their room. Slipping inside, Mark finally released Sean to lock the door. Coughing and straightening himself up, Sean whirled Mark to snap out. "Why did you do that?! You didn't have to drag me around like some damn-!" Sean was cut off by Mark pulling a paper from his inventory to hold up in front of Sean. Sean took a step back, taking in the old black and white picture that was on it. Pointing to the woman, Mark asked him seriously. "Does she look familiar to you?"

Sean shrugged; he had never seen her. Mark pointed to different things on her, telling him softly. "Long black hair. Pale skin. Long arms and legs. This is a picture of Mira BEFORE the plague disfigured her." Sean took the paper to look at it better, honestly informing him. "It's a strong coincidence. But it doesn't make sense. Why would she sleep with him and then kill him? Wouldn't you want to just kill him?" Mark quickly equipped his gear, telling him seriously. "I don't know, but I'm going to the graveyard. You coming?" Jerking his head up, Sean pointed to the door, stating out. "But we just got in and you said we were going to bed?" Running a hand through Sean's hair, Mark walked over to the window and said excitedly. "You wanna sleep or solve this? Cause I wanna explore now." Pointing to the bed, Sean strained out like a child. "But Mark... I just... Couldn't we just...?" Mark opened the windows, telling him excitedly. "We can drop down to the next floor balcony and take the spiraling stairs down the rest of the way. Come on."

Cursing, Sean folded the paper into his inventory, muttering under his breath. "Fine. Probably wouldn't be able to sleep in this haunted fucking place anyway." Changing into his gear, Sean watched Mark climb out the window and drop onto the balcony below. Raising his hands, Mark told him to jump. Rolling his eyes, Sean stepped out bravely from the window and let his fairy wings glide him down to the ground. Peeking over the side of the balcony, Mark snorted out playfully. "Show off." Chuckling, Sean waited for Mark to join him before they snuck off to the cemetery. The cemetery behind the house was surrounded by a tall stone wall and went on for a mile or two. Approaching the iron gate with the family crest of a wolf and bat on either side of a book, they easily slipped inside. Upon seeing the rows of gravestones stretch out into the distance, Sean huffed out. "What are we looking for exactly?" Mark started walking the rows of gravestones, answering distantly. "Mira. I wanna see her grave. Because I don't believe him."

Sean's shoulders fell as he grumbled out. "Mark...This will take weeks. And I'm not so sure we should be looking for her. What did he do that makes you not want to trust him?" Mark kept walking the rows of tombstones, forcing Sean to follow him as he said casually. "It's just a gut feeling. Something about the way he talked... and I don't think he was drinking wine." Sean thought about it, then added cautiously. "Ya... I noticed that too. You think he's a vampire?" Mark stopped to clear dirt off a stone, before replying simply. "Ya. I believe he is. He kept that room dark enough. I could barely see him." Sean winced, forgetting that Mark couldn't see in the dark like he could. Crossing his arms over his chest to fight the chill in the air, Sean told Mark lightly. "He didn't seem all that shaken up about his brother either." Mark blinked, blurting out over his shoulder. "What do mean?" Keeping pace with him, Sean informed him. "Remember? The maid said he couldn't see us because he was shaken up over his brother. But then-"

Mark stopped, turning to face him as he cut in to finish. "But then he goes and insults his brother's wife. Talks about his brother's fever dream... Ya. I forgot that." Walking past Mark to finish out the row, Sean continued. "It is possible that he didn't love his brother and is just shaken up because he is next to die. After all, they always pin werewolves and vampires against each other, right? Was his brother a wolf?" Mark shook his head, informing him coolly. "No. I don't think so. But... his brother's wife might be. He said she got her face almost bitten off by one. Maybe she is the one who killed him. The brothers were close enough to talk about a fever dream. Maybe they agreed that she was... not so pretty anymore. As awful as that is..." Sean nodded, telling him unhappily. "I guess. Guess we will know when we see her... but I feel bad for her. Her and Mira. To be deformed and have their husbands just... leave. That is sad." Mark stumbled on a rock, before whirling around and asking him. "What did you say?"

Sean blinked, nervously rephrasing. "I said I feel sorry for them. Mira and the brother's wife. They were disfigured and their... husbands left. Wait... You don't think...?" Mark cupped Sean's cheeks and kissed him. Pulling away, Mark chuckled out. "It's a connection. The hag could be the center point of this whole thing. We just need to find out how and why." They continued to search as the hours passed, only for Sean to stop and take a seat on a rock. Rubbing his eyes, he grumbled out. "Ugh, Mark. I can't walk anymore. I'm tired and all this thinking is making my head hurt. We aren't going to find her." Mark continued to walk a bit father, telling him firmly. "She has to be around here. They would have started burying people close to the house. They expanded as the generations went by. So, if we assume that they moved into the house. Lived here. People died. And after a few years, they found her and buried her. She would be somewhere here. Right?"

Sean yawned, his eyes starting to close as he mumbled out. "Ya. Sure. Whatever you say, Mark." Sean heard Mark's footsteps walk away but didn't bother to get up. He was too tired. His stamina bar was too drained from all his running and walking. He just wanted to rest for a bit. The snap of a twig in the opposite direction of where Mark went prompted Sean to open his eyes and call out softly. "Mark?" In the open air, Mark's voice answered from the far other side. "Ya? Found something?" Scanning the cemetery for movement, Sean called out. "Mark. Please come here." Mark began jogging over and Sean got to his feet. Keeping his back to Mark, he kept scanning for what made the sound but saw nothing. Until he saw something move between the headstones. Something small and black. Like a shadow. Sean strained his eyes, hoping to see it move again in the distance. When it suddenly shot over the headstone in front of him. The raven cawed at him angrily, its talons raised to scratch him.

Stumbling back, Sean missedgetting his eyes clawed out when he fell backward over the stone he'd beensitting on. Dashing up beside him, Markasked aloud in a worried tone. "Jack?!You ok?!" Panting, Sean pointed to the directionthe raven had flown off in and said shakily. "The raven! It just... It almost...!" Mark raised a hand to stop him, stating a little excitedly. "You found her." Sean dropped his legs on either side of therock, noticing the crudely carved raven on it. To Be Continued...