The early hours of the morning were the best for a mouse to scurry about in. Its the time of day when things where just starting to stir, and wake and a mouse could gather her whispers unnoticed. Lani was looking less and less like a frightened half starved field mouse and more like a sleek little pet.

The streets were teaming with life this morning as Lani passed, but none of it was what she sought. Ten, Ten was the magical number of the morning, and nowhere that she looked was she finding what she needed. Threes and fours, and single girls everywhere but Lord had told her they did not have time to hunt them down one by one. Church bells began to toll the hour drawing the eye to the doors as seventeen novices filed into the doors under the watchful eyes of the priest... Seventeen... and most young enough to live through the breaking.

The mouse hurried back through the streets, stopping in the market place to deliver the Lord's instructions before hurrying home to deliver her whispers.

Kneeling by Travanix's side in the most respectful manner she delivers her news "Lord, I have found you a flock of doves, seventeen of them roosting in a church."

The night was quiet as he stood in the shadows across from the target. The girl had been right. He counted 17 young ones watched over by at least 6 others. There was no guards or watchdogs or the such.

Why would there be? What safer place is there than a church. He smirked quietly in the darkness that surrounded him. None of the girls saw him. They were all in bed a couple of hours after dark. There were two dorms that housed the girls, on on either side of the school.

This would be fairly simple to break into, but needed to be done quickly and quietly, and all at once. Another night or so to watch what was going on, and make sure his count was right - didn't want to miss one of those delicious young girls. The older ones would need to be terminated on the spot, and then transportation needs to the selected sites he had picked out and brought into operation.

Yes, two more nights of preperation and this contract would be filled.

It wasn't just the reward that motivated him at this point - he had to find out if he could infact take 17 on at once. Maybe it would be better to focus on the 10 needed, and just "store" the other seven. Yes, a better idea.

The rest of the night remained the same, watching and waiting and listening.

A preditor in ever sense of the word.

The marketplace was busy, making the mouse want to cringe in the noonday sun, but to do that would set a bad example for the girl who followed her.

"Sarah, today our task is to purchase food for the seventeen doves that Lord will soon bring in for breaking. We will turn this into a lesson on how you are expected to act in public when you are sent on an task."

Steady seeming steps carried the pair to a market stall "Lord wishes us today to order produce and other goods of a healthy nature, in amounts large enough to feed the doves, without being so large as to be wasteful. This task will need to be performed regularly in the time that the doves are with Lord, and I need to be able to trust you to do this when other duties keep me busy."

Sarah looks around the market stall "What is expected of me Sister?"

"Be still and respectful. Always address the vendors as Sir or Madam. Never meet their eyes. And always sign for the purchases with Lords mark. When you make purchases in the market you make them in his name so never shame him by accepting inferior goods. Always select the freshest and cleanest goods only, and do not hesitate to refuse the goods and walk away to another stall."

The girls move about the stall examining the offered produce, Lani making notations as to the items and amounts they would need to purchase. Sarah occasionally stopping to to look to Lani for her approval of a bit of lettuce here or a fruit there, each time earning a nod or a short head shake of approval. When they had examined all of the goods on offer Lani approached the stall keep, quicksilver eyes downcast in a respectful manner.

"My Lord requires these supplies Sir, in the amounts indicated." She offers over the list she had written.

"Twenty nine gold and seven silver crowns slave. No less." the vendor vastly over inflated the price of the goods thinking to slip something by the girls.

"Do you take me for a fool who knows nothing about produce Sir? My Lord Travanix will pay twelve gold and three silver for the lot and not a coin more, or we will take our business elsewhere. Also the goods will be delivered to the address I will provide." Lani kept her tone respectful and emotionless, never meeting the vendors eye. Something about this unnerved the man who swiftly assented. Lani signed the note of promise with the mark assigned her by the Lord for just such a task, and the delivery instructions were swiftly exchanged.

As the girls left the stall Lani turned to Sarah "Have you any questions Sister?"

The shadows of the night prepared the path for him as he cleared the fence easily. The time was now. The "doves" as lani called them were all sleeping now. The church was unsecured thinking no one would ever harm anyone inside its walls.

They will think twice about that after tonight. He studied the habits and routines of those that lived here and knew what to do, and what needed to be done. The first floor was school rooms and meditation areas as well as the chapel. He moved like a ghost up the stairs to the first room on his right. This was the head school marm. A lovely lady, kind and vibrant in her elder years.

Her death was quick and silent as he snapped her neck. He searched through her room to make sure no valuable data could be missed. He would also go through her private office. A few things about the girls histories which might be useful in their breaking would be very beneficial.

He moved from room to room of the teachers and instructors at the church, ending their lives quietly. He did not forget the grounds keeper. Their deaths swift and silent. He wanted no traces of his time there. Back to the stairs and up another flight: The living quarters of the doves were next.

He stopped at the stairs and listened for a moment. It was so peaceful and quiet. The gentle breathing of the girls. A small smirk formed on his lips just before his eyes glowed a dark blood red. They returned and he moved to the first room. Each room had 4 girls sleeping, but the last. It was a private room - it must have been the eldest girl. Regardless, he pulled a small bottle from a pouch on his belt and poured some clear chemical liquid on the head of each girl. The first girl began to moan slightly before her body completely stiffened. Her eyes opened in terror as she spotted the black form standing over her, his unnatrually chilled fingers pressed against her neck to check her vitals. He placed a finger gently against her lip.

She could not see the silent smirk in the dark. He repeated the process for every girl. Some would sleep through it, others would awaken as the first. But none of them could make much more nose than mouse stumbling through the night. He walked down the stairs slowly, his senses telling him that there were only the girls upstairs still alive, but he didn't want to take the chance of discovery none the less. Not now, not when he was this close.

He moved around to the back side of the building and found the delivery entrance which he quickly opened. The covered wagon was drawn back and prepared. He moved back up the stairs, his arms folding behind him as he walked. He reached the third floor again and picked up the first girl, his unnatural chill coursing through the girls flesh. He felt the terror rise in the girl.

It was a matter of a few minutes as he loaded all the girls in individual tubes that would put each girl into suspended animation for transport. After 30 minutes, he was completely done. He moved to the front of the transport, and moved it out into the darkness.