Fear of the Dark [M]

[Lion]

He squeezed her hand and let go with a small smile.  "Then maybe we should get going then.  I think Darryl's siblings are going to wonder what's keeping him so."

[DragonSong]

"Yeah, You're right." Gwen's eyes flickered around warily and she scented the air. The rain was letting up just a bit, but she could at least smell a little better. She couldn't sense if any of Lorian's other sons were close, but she figured Darryl hadn't come alone.

"Well. Lead the way, Mister Vampire Slayer." She waved a hand at him vaguely. She probably would need to learn his name at some point.

[Lion]

"Decebal," he said, cutting her a look behind him, as he went back to the horse he'd tethered just a few yards from here.  The animal was clearly scared and at the presence of what he sensed was another monster, the horse gave terrified whinnies and tugged at the reins tied to the branch that secured him.

"Hey!  Hey there!  Settle down.  She's okay," Decebal said and reached for the horse, petting his neck to sooth the mount.  He held the reins firm with one hand before untying them from the branch and keeping the animal steady.

[DragonSong]

Gwen sighed as the horse spooked away from her, biting her lip. "Easy," she said softly, taking a cautious step forward. "I won't hurt you, easy, easy..."

She kept up a stream of soothing nonsense as she drew closer. It wasn't so long ago that all she would have had to do was touch the animal and he'd relax. Her heart ached a bit at the creature's instinctive fear of her.

She hung back just a bit, watching Decebal. "So...what exactly is your plan?"

[Lion]

"Well, if I said I wasn't going to use you as bait, I'd be lying," Decebal admitted.  "But I think we've seen what trying to get away on your own gets you, no offense.  I'm not here as your enemy, let me just set that firmly.  Once Lorian is taken care of, you're...well, I guess we'll get to that bridge when we cross it."

He mounted the horse, soothing it's side before pulling Gwen up behind him.  The animal relaxed when he realized no danger would come to him.

"Easy boy."

The horse shivered but relaxed and turned his head to look at Gwen.

"We're headed deeper into the Highlands.  There's a sacred ground in the moors, if we can get there.  Lorian won't be as powerful if we're there."

[DragonSong]

Gwen nodded slowly. Well, she'd rather expected something like that.

She cupped the horse's muzzle and breathed gently into his nostrils before she mounted up, saying hello and teaching him her scent. Hopefully that would ease the animal around her.

"Sacred ground," she repeated cautiously. "Ah- is that going to be a problem for...well, me?"

[Lion]

"It's possible.  But we won't know for sure until we get there.  Oh and..."  he paused to look at her.  "You're not hungry are you?"

[DragonSong]

She tensed.

"If I was?" It had been a few days since she'd fed- some idiot who'd tried to pickpocket her in a back alley. She should last another week before the hunger got too strong, but the sooner the better, really.

[Lion]

"Then I'll have to find something for you to feed on that isn't me or my horse," Decebal said and put the horse into motion.  Not that he was certain that she would be stated by his blood, but he was still part human and if a few droplets would satisfy her hunger, keeping it under control, he would be willing.

"Although...perhaps you could feed on me...but I we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

[DragonSong]

Gwen flinched. "Thanks for the offer- but no. I try to make a point not to drink from people I'll be spending time with."

Not strictly true. She'd never really had such an opportunity before. But damn if she wasn't willing to make up a rule for herself!

[Lion]

"Well, good.  It's nice to know you're not just a wild animal," Decebal said.  "Still, we should see to that hunger before it becomes a problem."

[DragonSong]

She sniffed and glared at his back. "Of course I'm not a wild animal." She huffed a breath and looked away, though there really wasn't much she could do to distance herself when she was seated behind him on a horse.

"We don't have to worry about it right away," Gwen murmured after a few moments. "I have another few days at least."

[Lion]

"All right.  But I want you fed by tomorrow.  Some way that doesn't involve stealing a human life, if you can help it," Decebal warned, although he figured it was probably unnecessary.  No doubt she'd be on her best behavior now that he was going to be hanging around.  Which was good, one less thing for him to worry about.

[DragonSong]

Gwen gritted her teeth and her hands clenched unconsciously into fists. "I don't like killing," she said softly, voice just a little bit dangerous. "I'm not some sort of feral monster. I can control myself."

Most of the time. But she kept that thought to herself.

[Lion]

"Alright, alright.  I'll take your word for it," he said with a definitive nod.  He kept on riding, passing through the trees and the scene of arcane horror behind them.  Decebal wanted to gain as much ground as possible between now and the eventual finding of the bodies, if they somehow managed to evade turning to ash in the sunlight.  He very much doubted it.

And yet he doubted that Lorian would kept his children lag behind for very long.  There would be pursuers, but for now, they had the option to gain as much ground as possible.

[DragonSong]

As they rode, Gwen started to become more and more anxious. Sunrise was approaching, she could feel it creeping up on them, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

She kept glancing up through the trees, searching for the first sign of light.

[Lion]

Creep as it might, Decebal found shelter just as the sky began to turn sharp shades of red and purple.  He pulled his horse to a halt when they approached a cabin lingering in the woods.  He swung his leg over the horse's head and led him around the back.  It seemed the cabin was empty for the most part and that gave the hunter much needed relief.

He still had his wounds to attend to after all

[DragonSong]

The moment the cabin was in sight and Decebal swung off the horse, Gwen launched herself to the ground and darted for the door. Locked, and the frame had warped enough to make it nearly impossible to force her way in, so she tried for the window.

Fortunately, there was no glass in the frame and she managed to slip inside quickly, just as the reddish dawn light spilled over the sill. She hissed, catlike, as a band of light fell across her arm. It wasn't as though she burst into flame, but her skin went red and there was a sharp burning sensation that spread across her body.

The vampire darted for a shadowed corner, curling in on herself as she desolately tried to hide from the light.

[Lion]

Decebal came in quickly, bursting in through the warped wood door and closing the shade when he was inside. The cabin was adequately darkened once he closed the rest of the rotting curtains.


"You okay?" He asked.

[DragonSong]

Gwen relaxed just slightly as the shade was drawn. "I'm fine, don't worry about me," she said stiffly. Already the burn on her arm was beginning to heal itself.