Fear of the Dark [M]

[Lion]

Tilly did return with Tom behind her. He kept his eyes down until he stood before Gwen, looking at her with red glazed over eyes. 

"Tom's been a slave once. Before he came to me.  He couldn't say it, but the mark's familiar. Seen once before.  Show 'em Tom," Tilly said.  Tom shrugged off his coat, and turned around, pulling up his tunic and revealing a deeply cut mark of ownership on his back, an old vampiric crest.

[Lorian's crest maybe? Or someone that served Lorian? Just thoughts.]

[DragonSong]

[I'll run with it!]

Gwen hissed, shrinking back slightly when she saw the mark. "Alestair," she growled. Her eyes snapped up to Tom, caught between rage and pity. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She glanced to Decebal and murmured, "One of Lorian's...banner-men, I guess. He was in the manor a lot."

[Lion]

Tom gave something that sounded like a whimper, that faded into a low throaty growl at the mention of Alestair's name.  Tilly ran her hand over his head and he buried his face against her shoulder, rubbing an arm tenderly over his shoulders.  "There, there, boy," she muttered, cooing softly to him.

Decebal frowned and glanced at Gwen. But he remained quiet.

"Tom here will go with you. He's from Moonspear.  And knows it well. He can take you to Asafel's landing."

[DragonSong]

Gwen's eyes widened and she shook her head quickly. "What- no! If Alestair was really his master, I can't-"

She looked at Tom, eyes wide and suddenly softer. "I can't ask that of you," she murmured. "I won't drag you back into this world."

[Lion]

Tom shook his head and moved only to grab his coat again moving back into the other room.  Tilly sighed. "He'll do what it is that he wants. There's no use in trying to stop him.  So you asking him was never part of the equation, dear," Tilly murmured.

Decebal frowned. "We'll accept whatever aid you're willing to give. It's been a rough time getting here.  Thanks, Tilly."

"It's no trouble dear. Just take care of my Tom."  And she followed her wolf back into the other room.

[DragonSong]

Gwen sighed, but nodded firmly. "We will." She offered Tom a smile.

It didn't occur to her immediately that just a few days ago she'd wanted nothing to do with this insane quest.

[Lion]

Decebal wished he was optimistic as he had been before. Even with Tom to lead them to the Landing, there was no real way to know if they would even make it there alive. They could only take one thing at a time. Once they were there, then the real work would begin.

"I thought before, having you to lure Lorian out was all I would need. But I had no idea that he had an army behind him. I have my training, but I'm no general. I...I'm sorry I dragged you into this Gwen. Really, I am," Decebal replied in genuine contrition.

[DragonSong]

The vampire tilted her head to look at him, then offered a small smile. "It's okay," she murmured. "Really. It was bound to happen eventually. At least now I'm not going into it alone."

[Lion]

"Suppose I didn't find you first though," Decebal mused a bit darkly. "Suppose one of Lorian's cohorts found you first.  What would have happened to you? Would he have killed you?"

[DragonSong]

Gwen's face fell, her pale skin blanching even further. "No," she murmured, lowering her voice slightly. "No, he would have...taken me. He wants me alive."

[Lion]

"To make more of his minions," Decebal breathed, remembering they had his conversation before. He didn't want to stir up any more negative feelings, than he already had.

He didn't know if it was as weird for her as it was for him, but the moment felt right about it, and Decebal stepped forward to embrace her.  It was brief and he pulled away in time to clear his throat uneasily.

[DragonSong]

Her eyes widened and she tensed up in his grip, surprised.

But it felt...nice.

Just as she was beginning to relax and return the hug, he pulled away. She blinked up at him, not quite sure how to react. "Um...thanks," she murmured, feeling her face heat slightly- a deep blush, for a vampire.

Clearing her throat, she shook her head and muttered, "We, ah, we should get moving, yes?"

[Lion]

"Yeah, in a little bit.  Look, are you um...feeling hungry?  Do you need to feed?" Decebal asked. He wanted to make sure she was okay enough before they had to head off. It would be dark in a few hours. They didn't have to rush right away.

[DragonSong]

"I-" She ducked her eyes and frowned. "I...could last a while longer, but if I want to be at full strength..." She sighed with a small shrug. "But what am I supposed to do? I can't very well just ask Tilly to munch on her neck."

[Lion]

Decebal moved closer to Gwen. "No, you can't ask her that. She'd probably slap you silly if you tried. But...I told you if you needed blood you could feed from me. My arm still has the scar tissue. Please, by all means."

[DragonSong]

"Are you...sure?" She looked up at him guiltily. Of course she'd been joking about Tilly, but she couldn't deny that the thought of feeding had made her mouth go dry, pupils dilated slightly. Her hands shook with the effort it took not to just reach out and grab for his arm and she clenched them into fists.

Glancing side to side, she murmured, "Not- not here. I don't..."

She didn't want people to see her drink from him. Ashamed, she dropped her head with a small sigh.

[Lion]

Decebal saw her expression.  His own eyes fell. "Come here," he said, and took her hand to pull her back to their room. Tilly paid them no mind when they passed where Tom was packing a small burlap sack. Decebal slowly closed the door and rolled up the sleeve of his tunic.

"What about here? Just between us," Decebal murmured, sitting on the bed.  "You don't have to be ashamed. You need to feed."

[DragonSong]

Her eyes flickered over his forearm, unable to look at his face, and she nodded slowly as she moved to sit beside him.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, still not quite able to meet his eyes. Hand shaking slightly, she reached out to wrap her fingers around his wrist, pulling his arm a little closer as she bent down, fangs glinting in the soft light.

Eyes tight shut, she took a sharp breath and bit down, hoping it was quick and wouldn't hurt too much.

[Lion]

He didn't know why she was apologizing. After all, he was the one that volunteered, and so he braced himself as she sunk her teeth down into his flesh. Decebal did wince considerably, but he did not protest her feeding. He instead curled his body around hers and almost seemed to hug her as he did so.

Perhaps the pain was some kind of anchor, and feeling her drain him almost made him wide awake to the half-waking dream he'd been wandering in. 

[DragonSong]

A soft rumbling that was almost a purr started up in Gwen's chest and she lapped at the small wound she'd created, her grip on his arm tightening slightly as she curved into his body.

She hadn't realized how bad the hunger was, how much she needed to feed. With a sudden, low growl, she tore her mouth from his forearm and gripped his shoulders, eyes burning crimson as they fixed in the beat of his pulse in his throat.

She licked her lips and leaned forward, dragging her teeth surprisingly gently over his neck, a few soft pants making her chest hitch as she did so.