I Know My Target {DragonSong}

[Lowen Thorn]

"Sure," he nodded, finally getting the picture. "As you wish. I will be right outside if you need anything."

The man walked through the door, closing it behind him.

[DragonSong]

Rory huffed out a breath and nearly collapsed back against her bed. She buried her face in her hands with a soft groan.

What on earth had she just gotten herself into?

[Lowen Thorn]

"Are you really Rory's boyfriend?" a student asked just outside the girl's door.

For the sake of "playing along," Epirus nodded in concurrence. "Yes, young lad," he said calmly. "For a long time, at that."

"L-Long time?" the boy outside asked skeptically. "Just how long are we talking?"

"Well, we have been lovers for at least twenty years now," Epirus lied, not really understanding the concept of age amongst humans.

[DragonSong]

Flopped on her back on the bed, Rory's eyes widened as she heard the conversation outside. Swearing under her breath, she jumped to her feet and threw the door open.

"Joking, he's joking!" she said with a forced laugh, "playfully" hitting Epirus's arm.

[Lowen Thorn]

"Ah, yes," Epirus muttered. "Just a joke. Now, go away boy."

The other student stared quizzically for a few moments before shrugging it off and walking away. Epirus peered over at his shoulder to see Rory still in the same clothes as she was wearing before. "Does it normally take someone this long to change wardrobe?"

[DragonSong]

Rory glared up at him balefully. "If I didn't have to babysit my almost-assassin it wouldn't," she hissed.

Arms crossed she nodded into her dorm room. "You, in there. You are officially no longer allowed to mingle without supervision. You can guard me perfectly well from inside."

[Lowen Thorn]

Epirus gave her a gentle nod and stepped back into the girl's dorm. "As you wish," he said as he walked through the door.

The man closed the door behind him, and then turned around to face it. "Go ahead," he said. "I won't look."

[DragonSong]

Oh, right.

Maybe she hadn't entirely thought this through.

But he had his back to her, and he didn't seem all that interested in turning around, so...

Rory changed as quickly as she could and hurried to climb into bed. She was just lucky it was an acceptable time to be going to bed, otherwise she'd have to be up and...socializing with her new "guard"?

A dubious prospect at best.

"Ah, alright. You can turn around now."

[Lowen Thorn]

With another nod, he turned around to see the woman sunk into her band covered with blankets.

Quite the unusual transition from earlier when he had her marked for death.

Satisfied, he slid down the door until he was sitting, and folded his arms. "Feel free to go to sleep any time you wish. I will be right here."

He still needed to figure out when and how he was going to replace her spared soul with the man who hired him, but he needn't let her know that. For that moment, he was content with his decision to spare her life.

[DragonSong]

She blinked at him. "You're just going to...sit there? Don't you sleep?"

[Lowen Thorn]

He actually mustered a light chuckle.

"Yes, I do sleep," he replied after some thought. "But I wouldn't be a good guard if I fell asleep before you did. Get some rest, and we can decide what to do about your other... pursuers... in the morning."

[DragonSong]

"Um...alright." Rory huffed quietly and rolled onto her side, curling up with her back to him.

It took a long time for her to fall asleep, but eventually she managed it, some of the tension bleeding from her bunched form under the covers as she slipped into unconsciousness.

[Lowen Thorn]

Epirus watched her diligently until he was absolutely sure the woman had fallen asleep. Once she had, and he was satisfied, he slowly closed his eyes. He highly doubted anyone else would be on their way, so he may as well get some rest while he had the chance.

He slept, but never moved from that spot against the door.

[DragonSong]

Rory slept fitfully, but she slept. By the time she woke, groggy and a little confused, the sunlight was creeping through a crack in her curtains.

She yawned and sat up, reaching her arms upward and arching her back in a long stretch.

Then her eyes lit on the man sitting by her door and she recoiled with a sharp, "Ack!" before she remembered who he was and why he was there.

[Lowen Thorn]

The man went undisturbed by her sudden outburst, and continued to sleep. He had woken up several times over the course of the night, routinely checking his senses to make sure no one was on their trail.

What's more, there was a small noise coming from the corners of his mouth.

He was snoring.

[DragonSong]

Okay. Right.

Demon.

Slowly, Rory tried to creep out of bed without waking her new guard.

[Lowen Thorn]

Epirus shot one eye open.

"Hello Rory," he said with a yawn. "Sleep well?"

[DragonSong]

Damnit!

She squeaked and nearly fell over, clutching at her desk to stay upright. "Kia! When the hells did you wake up?"

[Lowen Thorn]

He perked an eyebrow up as he watched the woman struggle to stay on her feet.

"Just now," he replied honestly, and dully. "I have very sensitive hearing. I heard the sheets move as you tried to slip out of your bed."

[DragonSong]

"Well, that's unsettling," Rory muttered. She eyed the demon, then sighed and rubbed at her temples.

"Okay. Just...turn around for a minute. I need to change into day clothes."