[Tags to
@DragonSong ]
The hunter deserved a darker road. That's what he told himself.
The forests of these Serenian Highlands had an ethereal majesty to them, one that made Decebal feel distinctly out of place. For a Connlaothian, the hunter had never felt like one of his countrymen. The memories of his past sunk in deep, and he knew no matter what he'd never been one of them, likely to never be.
Coming south had been a temporary relief however. It was better to keep wandering than to remain and let the shadows of his mind overcome him. Decebal kept the horse beneath him steady, easing his hand into the mane of the animal, as they trudged into the lonely village of Aveiard. Rain soaked the ground beneath them, hooves sinking into deep mud and hair clumping here and there.
The horse chuffed and paused when Decebal pulled back on the reins, instead walking with his mount, a gentle drizzle dotting the soft cloth of his hood. He kept his left arm hidden beneath his cloak, just so, and pulled the animal along with his right, keeping easy footing.
For Serenians, the locals didn't seem all that inviting here. But honestly he hadn't known what to expect. He reminded himself he wasn't here to socialize, except where necessary. He had a job to do, and finding the little fledgling that would lead him right to it. He'd managed to come this far on his own, seeking out the vampire Lorian Croft.
Some said he was killed long ago, gone from the face of the Earth. But Decebal knew better than to believe silly rumors. Still, those rumors had led him here to this very village. He hadn't hoped of finding his quarry right away. No, he still had a ways to go for that, however every step was one that brought him closer than before.
Decebal tied the horse at the stable, paying the young man there generously to care for his horse. He gave the animal a few light scratches on his nose, the cloth slipping from his left arm. Decebal eyed the burned and grotesque flesh there, meeting the stable hand's gaze. There were no words exchanged. Decebal turned around and walked away, stepping lightly into the tavern.
It was a start.
The tavern proper was well-maintained, if a little shabby but the village wasn't exactly swimming in gold. Decebal smiled and sat down at the bar. There the bartender welcomed him and nodded. "What can I top ya off with, friend? You clearly don't look like you're from around here."
"Oh, water for me. I haven't had a proper drink of water since coming down the road."
"Where ya hail from?"
"Connlaoth. I've come to Serendipity to get away from the war. And to look for an old friend. I got my last letter from this village. And I just hope that they're still around. Have you ever heard of a woman by the name of Gwen Cooper?" Decebal asked, taking a small sip from the tankard served to him.
[left it open for you to respond as you wish! Hope it's okay.]
[Looks great! ^.^]
It was hearing her name that drew her attention to the newcomer. Before that he had been an idle curiosity- one more rain soaked traveler staggering into the tavern.
At least until he asked the bartender for her. She froze, back stiffening as a wary shiver ran up her spine. Tucked away in a corner near the rather pathetic fire that was burning in the hearth, Gwen's eyes flicked up from under the hood of her traveling cloak as she listened. It took a little effort to tune out the general chatter of the tavern and focus her sensitive hearing, but she managed.
The bartender was far too friendly for his own good. "Cooper? Not sure about that, but a lass called Gwen blew into town a few weeks ago. She stops in here every now and then. Bright red hair? Little bit of a thing?"
And that was her cue to leave. Making sure her hood obscured her rather tell-tale hair, Gwen stood and tried to surreptitiously make her way to the door.
She had no idea who the man was, why he would be looking for her, but she certainly hadn't sent any letters. Which meant he'd been tracking her. Which meant Lorian probably sent him. Which meant she needed to leave this place yesterday.
She'd almost made it to the door when a rather drunk patron stumbled into her. She twisted to the side to avoid him, but his hand flew out in an attempt to find something to catch himself and his fingers grabbed at her cloak.
Her hood was pulled back as he went down. Shit. She jerked the fabric away from the man now struggling to get to his feet and darted for the door.
The racket behind him drew Decebal's attention. It would draw anyone's attention even if they weren't looking for a red-headed sprite that was clearly now trying to vacate the premises. The hunter whirled around in his chair as soon as he saw her form right herself and bolt for the door, the drunk man stumbling and falling again. This time his body collided into a table and another patron.
Decebal flew to his feet and turned tail toward the door. He didn't bother calling back to the woman running away, he just rushed after her, pausing but a moment to watch where her shadow had darted.
Gwen started to make for the inn she'd been staying at the past few days- then suddenly made a sharp turn to slip between two houses, darting in and out of shadows, hood pulled back up to hide her eye-catching hair.
He was following her. He had to be following her. Her breathing picked up a little in something approaching panic- a silly reflex left over from when she was human, as she no longer needed to breathe- and she resisted the urge to check over her shoulder.
Whoever Lorian had sent after her wasn't a vampire, she could tell that much. So hopefully she could lose him in the night, then sneak her way back to the inn, grab her things and be gone.
He was no vampire and perhaps not as nimble as she but he was just as dogged to capture her as she was to get away from him. Decebal turned tightly when she skirted around the corner. She was too fast to stay in his sight for long, but he pushed harder, tearing up dirt in the process as he saw her hood round another corner.
"Come back," he hissed, getting irritated that she couldn't simply slow down.
Gwen paused, tucking herself into a small patch of shadow and forcing her breathing to calm so she could take a deep breath, scenting the air.
Damn the rain! And the fact that she hadn't really been able to separate the man's scent from all the others in that tavern. She couldn't quite make out her pursuer's scent, she wasn't sure how close he was, if he was even still following.
Decebal stopped before a crate where the moonlight was cut off from the edge of a wall. The howl of wild dogs could be heard nearby, some going off at the disturbances around them.
He pulled the whip from his belt, and when he turned the corner he lashed it out at the shape he saw in the shadows.
"Ah!" Gwen clapped a hand over her mouth but the cry of pain had already escaped. She ducked to the side, wincing at the cut on her cheek, and turned to sprint off into the dark.
Only to realize she'd back herself into a corner. The only way out was around her attacker.
Shit.
She whirled, a snarl twisting her lips, and fell into a crouch. "Stay back. You don't know what you're dealing with."
"Easy now," Decebal growled. A flick of his wrist brought the whip closer to him and he drew closer. "There's no where else to go, Cooper. Come with me and I'll take this nice and easy."
He kept the bull whip handy because moments like this never could go nice and easy. Still she deserved one chance to negotiate. Just one.
Gwen swallowed her panic and bared her fangs. "Who are you?" she snarled, backing up a step- her back thumped against the wall of the building behind her. "How do you know who I am?"
Her eyes flicked around wildly, desperately searching for a way out of this situation.
"I just want to talk with you," he said warily. "You know something I need to know, and thus that makes you more important than you're probably thinking. I don't want to hurt you. But I will if I have to."
He saw her fangs and he kept his gaze steady. "My name is Decebal. Is that fair enough for you? Can we talk?"
Gwen scoffed. "Talk? Yeah right." She glowered, warily taking a shuffling step to one side. "If you wanted to talk, you could have just asked, instead of using that." She gestured to the whip he held.
Drawing herself up, she took a breath and tried to sound firm, confident. "Look, you can just tell Lorian I'm not coming back, alright? That isn't up for discussion. Now...run along." She swallowed nervously but held her ground.
"Like you made talking real easy when you bolted," Decebal scoffed. He kept the whip steady.
At the mention of Lorian, he straightened and said nothing further. He darted for her then, throwing out the end of the blessed whip, flicking his wrist just right and bracing for a connection.
Gwen's eyes widened and she tried to dart to the side, but the man was fast, faster than a mortal had any right to be. The whip lashed out and caught her wrist, wrapping around it with a sharp sting.
"What the hell?!" She tried to jerk away, wincing. "You call this talking?"
Decebal yanked the whip hard against him and pulled her with it. He stepped forward, keeping his stance steady and stepping in closer. "Relax and it will turn into talking," he hissed, and gave another yank.
Relax? Was he serious?
"Fuck you," Geen snarled, tugging back with a small growl. Her hand lashed out, aiming to strike his face.
Fine, she wanted to do this the hard way? He was just fine with that.
He growled when her hand connected with his face, nails raking across his cheek. Turning swiftly on his heel, he whirled around her, intending to wrap the whip around her body.
Gwen gave a sharp cry of surprise and pain as the whip wrapped around her body, leather digging into flesh. She writhed and bucked against the restraint, desperately trying to free herself but to no avail.
Glowering at her captor, she tried to kick out, but even that motion made her lose her balance and stumble. She just barely kept herself from falling to the ground, staggering as she tried to keep her feet under her.
Decebal wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her up and threw her over his shoulder. It may have looked like an easy task but her squirming wasn't making this any easier. That and coupled with her strength, Decebal fought to keep her under wraps.
"Stop struggling!"
"Drop dead!" Gwen retorted, wriggling in his grip. Damn he was stronger than he looked!
"What the hell do you want with me? Let me go!" She twisted around and tried to bite him, teeth barely grazing along his shoulder.
Decebal dropped her to the ground, holding her until he was sure she wouldn't nab him with those damn teetg. He was pretty sure a bite from her would have little effect on him, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He straddled her and kept his hold firm, presenting the mangled burnt mass of his left arm beside her head.
"I want to talk about your former master Lorian."
She cried out in surprise as he actually managed to pin her and glowered up at him.
Then her already pale face blanched. Gods, just hearing that name sent a shiver down her spine. She bared her teeth in a snarl, panic flashing in her eyes.
"I haven't seen Lorian in months. I heard he was dead," she blustered.
"Last I heard he was skulking around the Thunderblacks, but that was many months and moons ago," Decebal growled. "I want to find him. And cut off his miserable head. Now I was thinking before you ran, that maybe you might a piece of that, because I can tell you're none too fond of the bastard."
Gwen stilled. She stared up at him, incredulous. "Kill him?" She barked a laugh. "Sweetheart, if that was possible I would've done it ages ago."
Her eyes narrowed and she bit out, "And if that's what you wanted, what's with the fucking whip? Didn't anyone ever teach you how to say hello? Damn."
"Look if you settle down, I'll let you go. But the second you try to run, I'll hogtie you, got it?" he hissed and slowly released his weight from atop her.
Gwen stopped struggling long enough for him to get off, then slowly sat up. "Got it," she muttered. Wriggling in the confines of the whip, she arched an eyebrow and added, "If you wanna have any sort of conversation, I'd appreciate it if you'd get this damned this off of me."
Decebal was hesitant at first. The whip would keep her confined where he needed her and he wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't just bolt at the first opportunity. But he supposed one of them had to take a leap of faith and he figured why not him.
He untied the whip and coiled it back before wrapping it back into the loop on his belt and helping her stand. "Let's go back to the inn. Or some place quiet where we can talk." He kept his hard eyes glued to her however.
She nodded slowly, mute, and pulled her hood up over her hair. "This way."
Slowly, Gwen turned and started back toward the inn. Her mind was racing- she couldn't risk running now, he'd be on her again in an instant. She had to play for time.
Decebal kept close, enough to be able to snatch her up should she try anything. He followed her toward the inn once more. He looked between her and the few other people on the dirt paths within the village. He stayed quiet, following her until they reached their destination.
Gwen was silent, thinking, desperately trying to work out a way out of this situation. She led them to the inn, then quietly up a set of back stairs and to the room she'd rented.
"Alright." She turned to face him once they were inside, eyes flicking over his shoulder to the door, then back to his face. "You wanted to talk? Talk."
"Before, when I was wrestling you to the ground," he said. "You mentioned Lorian sending me after you. How long ago did you run from him?"
She cocked her head at him. "About half a year," she replied slowly. "Why?"
"It's just quite some time to be looking over your shoulder. How can you be so sure he would send anyone after you? What makes you such an asset to Lorian?" Decebal pressed suspiciously.
Gwen was quiet for a moment, just staring at him. Then she sighed and shook her head. "Honestly? I don't know. He..."
Memories flashed behind her eyes and she shuddered. "He said I was the first he'd turned in a while, but he- he was planning to make more. He said I was...special." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "That's all I know."
"How did you get away?" Decebal said, leaning back and gauging her carefully. He hadn't thought of the arm he'd expossed, laying it out before them and tapping his fingers in rhythm with one another. It was idle action that he hadn't really noticed until he felt his nails digging into the material.
Gwen's eyes flicked to his arm and widened slightly. Well no wonder he'd been able to overpower her- it didn't look like he was anymore human than she was.
She cleared her throat and pulled her gaze away, looking to his face. "I got lucky," she said bluntly. "He didn't realize his thrall on me was fading as I got stronger. More comfortable with...what I am. I faked it for a while, and then one night I took a horse from the stables and just- went."
"I guess every woman really does fake it," Decebal sneered with a chuckle that edged on a scoff. But he wasn't here to judge her sex, personally or generally. He had a vampire to catch, and hopefully kill.
"Nevertheless," he sighed. "As you can tell Lorian didn't send me. But I am looking for him. And you'll help me find him. He's killed a lot more since you've been gone. Apparently your little departure pissed him off pretty bad.
She glowered at him for that, but didn't try to defend her actions. She didn't need to- he had no idea what it had been like, what she'd had to do just to survive.
"And what makes you think I'm going to stick my neck out for this?" Gwen demanded, fisting her hands on her hips. "I've been doing pretty well keeping away from him so far, thanks very much. I don't care if he's pissed or not, you won't get me within a hundred miles of that bastard."
"You will if you still want your neck attached to the rest of your bod," Decebal said warningly. "And not necessarily by my hand either. If I found you, no doubt Lorian can do the exact same thing."
He sighed and shook his head. "Look, I'm here to help you so long as you help me, okay? I can protect you if necessary. Lorian is my target, not you. If you help me...I'll think of some way to compensate you."
Gwen swallowed slightly. He was right- she'd been lucky these last six months, she knew it.
That, and she was pretty sure this guy could kill her fairly easily if he really wanted to. Best to play along for now.
But that didn't mean she had to be happy about it. "Fine," she snapped after a moment. "Fine. But I'm not sure what sort of help you expect me to be."
"Just tell me what you know," Decebal said and gestured for her to sit. "Tell me about Lorian. How did you meet? How did he trick you into compliance? And how you managed to evade him this long. And if there's something you want or need, I'll do my best to see that you get it."
"I- I don't really know anything," Gwen protested. She hesitantly sat on the edge of the bed.
Still, she tried to start with the easiest question first. "I've been able to keep away from him because I'm always moving." She shrugged. "Obviously I spent too long here. Usually I'm never in one place for more than two or three days at a time."
Decebal moved over and reached into his belt. "Good thinking. Although maybe a change of plans is in order. We should back track, go where you were before and see where he's looking," he suggested. Decebal found what he was looking for and offered her a pendant with a small onyx orb caged in a spiral.
"This is a seer's pendant. It allows long distance communication between those that wear its sistered pair. Not that I've given you much of a reason to trust me, but it will allow us to talk if separated."
"Uh huh." Gwen eyed him warily, then the pendant. Very cautiously, she reached out and took it. "I definitely don't trust you," she told him with an arched eyebrow, but nevertheless she tucked it into her pocket.
She huffed a breath and shook her head. "I'm not going back. What if he's closed in on my trail? If you found me he certainly could." A little shudder ran through her even at the idea.
"That did cross my mind." He was quiet for a moment, thinking. "What do you think Lorian will do if he finds you again?"
She threw her hands up. "Torture me? Kill me? Put me back under his thrall? Some combination therein? I don't know, take your pick."
She sort of collapsed in on herself, shoulders hunching with a sharp sigh. "Look. I want him dead too. But..." Gwen bit her lip, eyes going sort of distant, fearful. "You can't kill him. He's too powerful."
Decebal shook his head.
"Everything dies. Even supposed powerful vampires like Lorian Croft," he argued. "I'm sure he just hasn't met anyone willing enough to get the job done. I've faced pretty terrifying things. He's just another in a long list."
"Well, good for you." Gwen huffed and sat down on the edge of the bed with a scowl. "But I haven't- and I'd really like to continue that streak, thanks very much."
Her eyes flicked around him to the door, then over to the window. Maybe... "Look, I think I've done all I can for you. I'm not sure how much help I could really be hunting Lorian."
"You're right," Decebal agreed and his eyes met hers. He had an inkling of what she was thinking but he said nothing of it. She wouldn't get far, wherever she was going. "I'm going to get my horse, I'll return in about a half hour. I know I don't need to watch you...right?"
He gave a smirk and bowed his head before exiting her room, and closing the door gently behind him.
Gwen scowled. Why did she suddenly get the feeling running was pointless? "Yeah. Right," she grumbled, and folded her arms over her chest with a huff.
[She should totally try to run anyway! 8D Because then Lorian can send some cronies or whatever out to get her.]
Decebal left the room quietly and moved across the village to the other tavern he had wandered in and had left his horse behind.
He didn't think Gwen would stay put, but he had some hope that she might. After all, he didn't leave her with the seer's stone for nothing. It was a harmless device, but if she did run, he'd be able to find her afterward. That was his little secret to keep.
[Totally read my mind ^^]
Gwen waited about a minute and a half after Decebal left before she started to move. She gathered up her things, at least what she could throw quickly into her pack, and moved to the window.
Maybe scrubbing was pointless, but it just wasn't in her to sit around and wait. She couldn't face Lorian again- she just couldn't do it.
Quiet as a shadow, she dropped from the window and landed in a crouch. Though the rain still dulled her sense of smell somewhat, she was familiar enough with Decebal's scent at this point that she knew he wasn't close.
She could do this. She could get away. Turning on her heel, she started running. She didn't even care where she was going at this point, as long as it was away from here.
"Fuck!" he hissed when he came back to the room and found Gwen long gone. He knew he was right not to trust that little rat! But all was not lost, not yet anyway. He didn't know if it was wise to take his horse just yet. Maybe she didn't get that far.
It was a chance he had to take. After the previous chance fell through.
He grabbed his pack and bolted out the door, following the light left by his own seer's stone.
Oh what she wouldn't give for some trees. Some nice, concealing trees. The moors of the highland were pretty enough, but they offered no cover for her to hide as she ran.
Which meant she just had to be fast. Faster than the man hunting her. Or, well, faster than his horse. Which shouldn't be too difficult, all things considered. She just had to outrun him for a while, long enough to disappear again.
Gods. It seemed that all she did now was run, from one thing or another.
Yes it did seem so. Because few things truly were as they seemed. In this however she was absolutely right. As she ran, something...or many somethings shadowed her and stirred at passing movement. And they were a lot closer than Decebal was.
She'd gotten a decent headstart and had left him a ways behind.
Things moved quickly from behind rocks and just beneath the highland moors a patch of trees would provide refuge or entrap her, or both, depending on how swift she moved.
Gwen reached the trees in record time where she stopped, panting, and tried to take stock. That man didn't seem to be in her tail, which was the first bit of good news she'd had in a long time. Her shoulders slumped and she sagged back against a tree trunk.
"Why in such a hurry?"
Ice ran down her spine. She snapped away from the tree, eyes flicking about wildly as her lips pulled back in a snarl and she scented the air. Damn, damn, damn the rain! How could she not have noticed before.
A shadow seemed to detach itself from the gloom and move toward her, smirking. "Hi, Gwen. Been a while."
"Where you off to?" the shadow asked before appearing further in moonlight. "Maybe we're headed the same way. Let me walk with you."
He was pale and had life clinging desperately to straws. But he was a fairly handsome man, the lines of age only now seeming to show in the creases of his mouth and brow. And his tone didn't seem like it was going to stay nice for long.
It clear from movement behind him that he didn't come alone.
Gwen backed away slowly. "Um, how about no."
Without another word, she turned and tried to dash back out onto the moors. If she ran into the man with the whip, fine. Anything was better than this.
He moved in a blur and snatched a clawed hand onto her arm.
"You're going back to Lorian," he hissed. "He said not to rough you up too much, but I could get handsy if I needed to!"
"No!" She tried to jerk her arm away but his grip was too strong. Snarling, Gwen lashed her hand out to smack across his face, nails raking into his skin.
"The only way I'm going back there is in a pine box, so you can just back the fuck off!"
"What a lovely idea!" He hissed at the bite of her nails but still his hold on her didn't relent. He rushed her hard with the intent of knocking her clean down and the others in his stead following to surround her.
"You just couldn't make this easy on yourself could you?"
She gave a sharp cry of pain as she was knocked to the ground, her head cracking into a tree root. Seeing stars, Gwen tried to push herself up, but she was held in place by the others, the creatures he'd brought with him.
"Burn in hell, Darryn," she spat, kicking out and catching someone- she wasn't sure who- in the knee.
"I don't know what father sees in you. But he always keeps his possessions close!"
Darryn growled to keep her under control and what she had latched onto was one of his thralls, a tall and thin flesh-marred creature with no facial features. It reached down and plucked Gwen from the ground, holding her firmly with inhuman strength.
"It was nice chatting, Gwen, but it's time to go home."
"No, no!" She was panicking now, throwing herself this way and that in the creature's arms, but to no avail. "I won't go back, I won't!" she shrieked desperately. Gwen twisted and sunk her teeth into the thrall' neck- then reared back with a cry of disgust.
Whatever ran through the thing's veins, it wasn't blood.
She'd get little more than a mouthful of dust at that bite. The thrall released a hissing sound but didn't budge in its hold. They were moving again through the trees as Darryl led the way and soon there were hooves ringing out behind them. The thrall paused and made a grunting noise.
Darryl turned around and the hooves stopped and then swerved away. A a deer rushed passed them, making noises of terror and Darryl grunted in annoyance. "I hate the forest," he mumbled and continued on.
A blade struck out and severed the left arm of the thrall and the creature turned abruptly about, stmbling from the blow as Decebal stood at the ready, cutting the thrall at the knee.
It happened almost too quickly for her to process. Once she realized the grip on her had weakened though, Gwen tore away from the thrall and spun in a circle, hissing and snarling like a wild animal as she lashed out at the others as they moved toward her.
Her eyes lit on Decebal and briefly widened, but she didn't get out more than, "You!" before she was on the defensive again.
"Hey, meatbag! Find your own dinner!" Darryl growled. Without prompting the others around him lunged for Decebal and Gwen. "Don't damage the merchandise dammit!" He growled and stomped on a smaller thrall that clawed at Gwen.
Decebal slashed head after head, dust clouding up and around, billowing about and clouding his vision. Teeth sunk their way into his right arm and he wrenched the thrall from his shoulder, stabbing it through the heart.
Gwen's eyes flared, almost glowing blood red. Her body suddenly started to move on instinct as she lashed out at the thralls. Her nails and teeth ripped at throats, gagging as the taste of grave dirt coated her tongue.
Her eyes flicked to Decebal. "On your left!" She lunged forward to knock an incoming thrall away from him, unwittingly putting herself in Darryl's path.
Decebal didn't have time to realize how narrow that was or the fact that Gwen had taken it upon herself to team up with him. As strange as it was, he would take it. The enemy of my enemy is a friend, right? For now that was all they had.
When she moved into Darryl's path, he lunged for her, changing abruptly and projecting himself outward. Body doubles, three of them in fact all appeared around them, and when the last of the thralls were torn apart, they set upon Decebal, clawing and biting into his flesh.
The hunter howled and turned to slash at one of the images, but it seemed to vanish and reappear behind him.
"Stop! Stop it!" Gwen threw herself at Darryl- or what she thought was Darryl, but the figure disappeared, insubstantial as smoke. 'Leave him out of this- he's got nothing to do with this!"
Hissing, catlike, she spun and lashed out with feet and fists. She'd never been properly trained in hand to hand combat, but the past few months of experience coupled with her heightened strength and speed went a long way.
Seeing an opening, she did the stupidest thing she could ever recall doing- she launched herself at Darryl's throat, fangs bared.
Darryl tumbled backward with the weight of Gwen's body launch. He felt teeth sinking into hia flesh, but grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and flung her away from him. "Stupid bitch," he growled before throwing himself at her.
Even without his influence, the projections were capable of harrassing Decebal. He turned and lunged his blade in time to disrupt one. But with Darryl distracted, it gave the hunter the moment he needed to disrupt the rest.
Darryl clawed at Gwen's face, trying to hold her down, even as blood gushed from the wound in his throat.
Gwen shrieked like a wild thing and lashed out with nails and teeth whenever she was able, but there was only so much she could do. She was still a fledgling among her kind, still coming into her powers, and for all that Darryl was only half vampire, he was still much older than her. Much stronger.
"Get off! Let me go!" she cried, though she knew it was useless. She squirmed under him, wincing and hissing as his blood spattered over her skin and clothes. "Let go, let me GO!"
Something happened. It was only a flash, but for one moment Gwen's voice seemed to almost double, as though there was a choir of her speaking, and it carried an undeniable sort of authority that seemed to almost deaden the air around them.
But it was only a moment. Then the world righted itself and she was stil pinned under the dhampir, clawing desperately at his face in an attempt to free herself.
The shriek was deafening and sent a chill down Decebal's back unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was terror, and he turned to see the monster that threatened to tear the throat out of her. Darryl was monstrous and his eyes glowed red and his skin appeared burnt.
Decebal bolted after them and kicked hard along his side. Darryl was stunned that he was knocked away, rolling until he struck a tree. He was swiftly on his feet and lunged for Decebal's neck. The black deformed hand struck forth, wrapping around Darryl's neck and sticking his thumb into his open wound.
With one strong yank his throat was torn open, blood draining in droves.
Suddenly she was free. In an instant Gwen was on her feet, ready to attack- but she didn't need to.
Her eyes widened and for a moment she just stared, almost unable to believe what she was seeing. Dhampir or not, Darryl was one of the most powerful creatures she'd ever met. And Decebal had just ripped into him like paper.
Maybe he really could kill Lorian.
Decebal growled, dropping the corpse to the ground. Eyes were blackened and filled with a primal rage, but he stayed still, looking at Gwen and seeing prey. He stopped himself though and he eased out a steaming breath. Relaxing the black dissipated from his eyes.
"Didn't...I tell you to stay....put?" he panted.
For a moment Gwen was speechless, stunned and panting. Something primal in her recognized the predator that stood before her and she took a few steps back.
Then something about him seemed to change and she let herself relax fractionally.
"You did," she said softly, breath still coming rather sharp. "I never explicitly agreed to do so."
Decebal could only now feel the throbbing from his wounds, the deep scratches and marks where the teeth of thralls and Darryl's clones had set in. He sighed and too careful steps toward Gwen, his arm still dripping with the vampire's blood.
"Now just who was that?" he asked, kicking the corpse on the ground.
She stared at Darryl's body. "One of his- Lorian's...sons," she answered quietly. "One of the middle ones. He-" She cleared her throat. "He never liked me very much..."
"I see. Then I guess you're glad he's gone," he sighed, and looked her over. Decebal approached and held out his normal hand to her. "What do you say now? Are you willing to work with me?"
Gwen continued staring at him for a moment in silence, then let out a sharp breath and reached out to take his hand.
"Alright," she said quietly, meeting and holding his gaze. "Deal."
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."
"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.
"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.
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?"
"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."
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?"
"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?"
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.
"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."
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!
"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."
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."
"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.
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.
"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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
"Very well," Decebal said with a sigh and moved deeper into the cabin. It was dusty and had seen little use in recent years it seemed, but it was good enough for the day and would allow them to rest up as needed.
"You sure you don't need anything?"
Blood. She needed blood. She was exhausted and hurt and she needed to feed.
Gwen shook her head. "I'm fine." Her eyes flicked over him and her brow furrowed. "You should worry about yourself. I think some of Darryl's little minions took a chunk out of you."
Hm, point taken then.
Decebal didn't respond and instead have a sniff that bordered on a scoff. They were going to be traveling together for some time and needed to learn to get along. But for now he'd give her her space and went to set his gear down. He pulled off his pack and had the right field equipment for medical dressings, and went about binding his wounds.
Gwen turned her face away from him and swallowed. Gods. The scent of blood used to turn her stomach, but now it just made her hungry.
She licked her lips, throat dry, and closed her eyes with a shaky breath. "U-um." She winced at her stutter and tried to breathe through her mouth to lessen the scent. "So...Decebal, right? What's your plan once we get to this sacred ground?"
Decebal was cleaning the claw marks on his shoulder. His brow twitched a the sound of her licking her lips. Eyes flicked to her and he narrowed them suspiciously. "My plan?" he replied with a raised brow.
"And why do you need to know?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Because it involves me being bait, that's why," she snipped in reply. Gods, she was so sick of that look- only three people had learned what she was since she's been turned, but once they had that was the look they all have her, as though she was a feral animal ready to snap.
"Yeah, and you'll come out still intact by the end of it, so what difference does it make?" he murmured, working at the straps of his weapons and slipping the harness from his shoulders. Setting them aside, he pulled off his armor and was able to better access the wound.
"I have a plan. But I'm not sure telling you would be the best thing. We need to be prepared for anything, right? So what if you find out, have a change of heart, and go running off to tell Lorian? Not that you'd get very far if you tried," he said, tone in warning.
Gwen hissed at him, catlike. It wasn't exactly that she didn't understand his distrust- in fact, it was probably smart, all things considered. But the implication that she would ever aid her sire had her hackles raising.
"Believe me," she growled, "there isn't a power on earth that could make me go back to Lorian. If anything, I'll just bail on this secret plan of yours and keep running."
"Hmmm," was the noise he made.
He finished up patching his wounds before knotting it and pulling his tunic back over his head. "You've got a point," he said with a nod. "The sacred place is called Afasel's Landing, where there remains a relic with legendary magic. Holy magic to be exact. A spear weilded by a warrior of the same name, a former member of the Serenian Order of the Moon to be exact. I figure if the place is real, why not the spear, and the power that it holds. Afasel was a warrior of the Order of the Moon, and subsequently left because of some disagreement."
"The Order of the Moon?" Gwen repeated with a frown. "What- and you think whatever power it had is going to kill Lorian?"
That seemed a bit far fetched to her; her sire was old, and powerful. She'd seen him survive things that would have killed a dozen of their kind when she was under his thrall.
"And what if you're wrong?" she asked. "What if it doesn't work? Or it doesn't even exist? You have some sort of exit strategy?" Gods knew they would need one if things went south.
"I could be wrong. But I'm trying to stay positive here. Can't you do the same?"
She snorted. "I'm being realistic. If something goes wrong, Lorian will kill us. And it's not going to be quick." She shuddered slightly. Her tone was snippy, but her eyes betrayed a very real fear.
"Then we'll just have to make sure we kill him quicker," Decebal said with a low griping tone. However, he knew she was right. What if his plan didn't work? What then? What if Lorian didn't die as easily as cutting off his head... Decebal looked to Gwen for a few seconds.
"What do you recommend then?' he found himself asking. "You've lived with Lorian. You know him better than I do. What do you know about him that i don't?" He was completely serious and sat before her.
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Not much, really. It wasn't- I wasn't like a confidant or anything. More like a...toy. Or a pet."
Gwen gritted her teeth. "He's not like the others. I mean, he is, but...he's just more powerful. I don't know how he did it, but I've seen him stand in sunlight. Not for long, and I think it hurt him, but he did it." She shook her head. "And he's fast. And- and he can control people, even other vampires, like it's nothing."
She shrugged and looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I really don't know much."
"Control people? What does that look like, when it happens? Is that what happened to you?" he asked.
Gwen nodded slowly. "Yes. Before- before he turned me, he...didn't really need to," she admitted, scowling. Gods she wished she could go back and smack her mortal self upside the head. "After...I tried to leave. I called him a monster, I was panicking. And he..."
She frowned as she remembered, working through it slowly. "He sort of took me by my shoulders, and me made me meet his eyes- and then it was like I couldn't look away. And he was talking to me, I think he was telling me to calm down, and then I just felt...nothing. Well, not nothing. Sort of vaguely content."
She shrugged, looking away. "I did anything he asked after that. He'd have to do it over again every once in a while, it would start to wear off. When I figured out what was happening, I started faking it, making it seem as though as was still under his thrall even when I started to feel myself again. That's how I got away."
"Wow," Decebal murmured after a while. His eyes roved over her a moment, wondering why Lorian wanted to capture her in the first place. However did it matter? He executed his power how he pleased. And if there was a specific reason, then that remained to be discovered.
"That's heavy," he said. "When did his power start to wear off? After you turned?"
She nodded slowly. "Sort of. When I was...a newborn, I guess, it seemed pretty easy for him to control me. As I started getting used to what I was, what I could do, he had to- enthrall me or whatever you want to call it more often."
Her eyes flicked back to him, blood red and hard as diamond. "That's a vampire power, but he could do other things. I think he was a mage, back when he was mortal. That magic shouldn't have stayed with him...but I think some of it did, somehow."
"I didn't know that could carry over," Decebal admitted. "Then again I of all people should know that though. My...mother was a witch. And something happned to her when I...when."
He frowned and looked at his arm. "I should have never been born. She changed when I became like this. Turned into some reaver. I don't think it's much like Lorian, but she found a way to keep her power during her transformation. In fact it grew in strength. You think the same thing happened with him?"
Gwen blinked and suddenly focused on him, surprised that he'd shared that. "Um...maybe. I'm not sure, I never really was much good with magic."
She cleared her throat and dropped her eyes, mumbling. "I'm uh- sorry. About your mom and all."
"It's all right," Decebal said and waved it off. "It's who I am now, why I do what I do. And why I intend to kill Lorian despite the odds against me. Against us in our temporary...alliance."
He smiled, just a bit and moved to his things, pulling out a roll of jerky and munching on it.
"Yeah. Right." Gwen's eyes flicked away, then back to him, and she licked her lips. She couldn't help it, she was getting so hungry. And seeing him eat was just making it worse.
And it wasn't like she could leave, get some distance. She cleared her throat, licking her lips again and trying to put it from her mind. "So, uh- you said something about beheading? You think that will work?"
He ripped the jerky with his teeth and munched on it eagerly. It would sate his hunger for now, and he kept enough left over for a week or so on the journey ahead. He wagered it would take them at least a few weeks to get to their destination. But that was if they could go ahead without interruption.
"Unless you think he can function without his head, which would be a feat in and of himself," he murmured.
Gods. She could hear the blood rushing through his body, and it was just about driving her mad.
"Yeah. Right." She swallowed thickly and looked away, forcing herself to breathe. "Well, six months ago I would have told you vampires are just a story. I'm not willing to put much past him."
She couldn't take it anymore. Scrambling to her feet, Gwen muttered, "I'll check out the rest of this place. Maybe there's a bed somewhere."
"Yeah, go on. I'll be here," he said as he watched her depart. There was a strange desperation to her that made him give a grunt of curiosity. He ate quietly for the next few minutes before cleaning up his area and setting out a thin bedroll. Of course if there was a bed here, he could sleep in that. They would need to rest up as much as they could for the journey ahead.
"Did you find anything up there?" he called up, as he laid out on his makeshift bed, and wrapped himself up in a thin blanket.
Gwen- who had been poking about the second floor- came to the top of the stairs when he called up. "Two locked doors and one open," she relayed. "There's a bed, but it's pretty much half eaten at this point. Rats or moths or something."
Slowly, she made her way back down the stairs, casting a glance at the bedroll he's set up. With a soft huff, she settled herself into a corner of the room, leaning her head back against the wall.
Decebal made a tired grunt and closed hIs eyes. He wasn't going to stay awake for much longer and soon he was lights out.
The sun was officially up now, and Gwen's whole body felt heavy with sleep. She let her head loll to the side and closed her eyes, arms wrapped around her middle as she dropped off to sleep.
The sun would creep in with tendrils of light, poking in through holes in the curtains. One such tendrils snaked it's way through the day closer and closer to Gwen until it touched her foot. Meanwhile outside things stirred in the dark.
A sharp pain woke her and she leaped to her feet with a cry, cringing back into the corner.
Unfortunately, the fledgling vampire had essentially trapped herself, the beams of light falling through the holes in the curtain as effective as iron bars for keeping her in place. She could make a dash for it, but honestly she didn't want to risk the burns.
"Decebal," she hissed. "Oi. Wake up!"
He made a grunt, rolling over and making a face at being disturbed. "What?" He grunted. "What's so important?"
She glowered at him. "Sunlight, mister vampire slayer. Burning. Bad things. Any of this ringing a bell? I could use a little help over here."
He rolled up and moved toward the window, wrenching the curtains closed and double taking when he saw something moving outside. Or thought he did. He grunted and used his body like a sunlight shield. "Go on then," he replied.
Gwen darted from the corner to the other side of the room, curling herself up under the window sill. At this point, it was her best shot in this room, judging by the angle of the light.
"Thanks," she muttered almost petulantly.
"You didn't...hear anything by any chance did you?" Decebal found himself asking. "I thought I saw something move outside."
Honestly, she'd been too panicked to pay attention. Gwen tilted her head and furrowed her brow, listening.
Her eyes suddenly widened. "You're right," she hissed quietly. "I can't make it out too clearly- but something's definitely out there."
The sounds abruptly stopped when Decebal turned around and pulled the curtains again. Light shone in through the partition, and above the treeline the light was fading fast. His heart stopped a moment, long enough to feel fear seep into it.
Shifting from the window, he quickly rolled up his sleeping gear and strapped it to the rest of his things. "I guess we can't wait too long to see what it is now, can we?" he hissed as he put his armor back on.
Gwen hissed as she suddenly had to squint against the light and pressed a little closer to the wall. "Guess so," she mumbled, slipping sideways in an attempt to circumnavigate the beams of sunlight.
Whatever was moving stopped, and stayed quiet as the sunlight went down fully behind the treeline. Decebal waited only a few minutes as purple spread through the sky. "Read to go?" he asked.
She nodded, still wary and listening, but whatever she'd heard before she couldn't make out. "Ready when you are."
She started making her way to the door, growing more comfortable now that the sun was down. It was sort of funny- before, she'd always been a morning person.
Before, the pair of them likely wouldn't have even crossed paths. But these were uncertain times, and strange things were happening on the wind.
"You go first," Decebal murmured. "I'll cover you."
She nodded, eyes flicking around warily as she slipped through the doorway and gave a soft whistle for his horse.
Gods, she couldn't remember the last time she hadn't felt like a hunted animal.
The animal moved quickly at the whistle, although he was hesitant at first. A rustle and a growl near his stall only made the animal spook and bolt toward the least threatening of the creatures outside. And that currently was Gwen.
Seeing his steed, Decebal flew from the door, and quickly threw himself up into the animal's saddle. There was the crack of glass behind them as molotovs were thrown at the cabin and it took immediately to flame.
Gwen cried out at the sudden heat and light, throwing herself forward to swing up onto the horse behind Decebal, clinging to him and turning her face away from the flames.
"Go, hurry!" she cried, not sure if she was really talking to him or the horse.
It didn't matter. The sound of screeching fire sent the horse flying away through the trees as whatever was ghosting them made itself apparent. It was not Darryl. It was unknown, shapes that were similar to the thralls that had followed Darryl.
These seemed more intelligent however, and moved swiftly through the trees, the purple sky darkening above them.
Gwen swore colorfully as the shapes chased after them. In an impossibly quick movement, she lifted herself up on the horse's back, gripping Decebal's shoulders for a moment before she simply vaulted over him to sit on the front of the saddle, taking the reins.
"Hold on," she hissed, taking a fraction of a moment to feel the animal beneath her, his breath, his racing heartbeat. She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them, leaning low over the horse's neck and murmuring something on his ear, making a hairpin turn through the trees, then another, impossible zigzags intended to lose their pursuers.
He hadn't been expecting that move! And it hurled her right into his lap. Decebal wasn't easily removed from his seating, and when he was able, shuffled back to give her the room to control the steed. The fear was enough to make the horse beneath them run top speed, sweat already coating the soft hair that covered the horse.
And behind them the trees were covered in swarms of ferals, young fledgling vampires that were driven mad by the thirst, and trained to hurl themselves at anything they could kill and devour.
"Fuck," Gwen hissed, glancing out of the corner of her eye at one of their pursuers. She'd heard Lorian talk about ferals before, but she's never seen so many at once. What they lacked in power and precision they made up for in sheer tenacity.
They would run the poor horse into the ground, then be on them like a pack of rabid dogs. Her eyes flickered around wildly as she desperately searched for a way out.
Well...there was one idea.
"Split up," she barked to Decebal. "Take the horse, keep running. I'll break away."
"WHAT!? SPLIT UP!? YOU'RE INSANE!" He huffed and tried to hold on to the running horse for dear life. But what other choice did she have? Would she just run then? Disappear, like she had planned to all along. He knew it was a risk, but they were going to be taken upon if they didn't do something now.
"Go!" he called back. "Go!"
She nodded sharply, intending to simply launch herself off the horse- the hesitated.
Without turning her head, she said firmly, "I'll come back."
Then she jumped, arching gracefully to the ground. The moment her feet touched she was off, racing through the trees. She desperately tried not to look over her shoulder, relying on her nose and ears to alert her of how close her pursuers were.
"Goddammit!" Decebal hissed beneath his breath, but pushed the horse with dangerous fury as they were being hounded. Half the pack behind them split up, and chased after Gwen, while the other half continued to pursue him. His heart rattled in his chest, and the terror he felt creeping on him was growing.
He could feel them inching closer and closer, and the hackles on the back of his neck stood on end. All of a sudden something darted in from the corner of his eye, coming in close and landing hard against him. It knocked him off his horse, sending him tumbling heavily to the ground. And his horse skidded down as it fell onto it's side.
And in his daze all he could hear were the screeching cries of his mount being eaten alive.
The horse's cries were what drew Gwen's attention, her heart breaking with every terrified sound. Swallowing a sob, she whirled suddenly, arching around the half of the pack that had chased after her.
If the horse was down, Decebal couldn't be far behind. She's seen him fight, but there was no way he could take on the whole pack of them by himself. She darted back through the trees, using lower branches to travel as often as the ground itself.
Decebal turned swiftly around once he had his feet underneath him, and the small but nimble forms of feral vampires swarmed him like flies to honey. His sword swung out, connecting with flesh and bone, and severing limbs from bodies and heads from shoulders. But there were more than what could be taken with a single slicing arc, and he was knocked to the side when three of them piled on him at once, clawing at his flesh, hungry for the blood that seeped from him.
Gwen barely took a moment to understand the situation before she bolted forward, grabbing two of the ferals and throwing them off Decebal.
The creatures hissed and whirled on her, lunging for her with teeth and claws bared. She snarled right back, lashing out with one hand to rake through one's throat while she lunged for the other with her fangs.
Blood coated her throat and for a moment there was pure relief. It wasn't the strength she would get from human blood, but it was enough to dampen her thirst for now.
In the savagery of their full assault, Decebal was bleeding from wounds renewed. The ones that had been sealed were reopened again and he cried out in pain. He was soon seeing red however, trying to use the opportunity brought on by Gwen's distraction to get his bearings once again.
And when he did, he drew his blade upward and cleaved three of them cleanly through. Their bodies were flung clear across the forest floor, and Decebal vaguely saw Gwen from the corner of his eye, looking just as savage as he.
Gwen tore through the ferals, snarling like a wild animal as claws and fangs ripped at her, but she never slowed, never stopped. A quick glance showed her Decebal was back on his feet, which was a flash of relief, but she didn't have time to address it.
It was only once the herd had been thinned that she turned back to him, darting forward to stand with her back to his as she sunk into crouch and hissed at the remainder.
"You alright?" She could smell his blood, but honestly her senses were so closed with andrenaline and bloodlust it was hard to tell how badly he was hurt.
"Yeah," he managed to bark out haggardly, as he cleaved another blow into a pair of ferals.
They screeched and tried to keep their bodies from falling apart, however more were soon climbing on him. Decebal growled and threw the pair from his shoulders and smashed their heads in, one with a boot and the other with the hilt of his sword.
"HOW FUCKING MANY ARE THERE!?"
"Too many!" Gwen shouted in reply. She lashed out at a feral aiming for Decebal's arm, scooping out most of its throat.
Her eyes flared and she panted, not with exertion but with the effort it took not to leap at one of the feral vampires and drink.
"Run," she panted. "I'll hold them off, just run!"
Decebal hesitated when she said that. His instincts told him to stay. But the very fact that these ferals came in blinding hordes did not bode well. He was already bleeding furiously and despite his added strength and endurance he was still able to fall. And so he followed Gwen's command and ran as fast as he could into the darkness.
Gwen couldn't beat them. She knew that. But she didn't know how to take down Lorian, and Decebal did.
And the ferals hadn't been sent to kill her. Her sire wanted her alive for some reason. She still fought like a wild thing, but there were just too many of them. Eventually, one came at her from behind, knocking her to the ground, and they were on her like a pack of rabid dogs.
Biting and scratching and snarling, Gwen was tossed like a rag doll and her head smacked into something hard. The world went black.
When nothing came after him, only then did Decebal stop. Something was wrong, even more than what had just transpired. The ferals had completely forgotten about him, it seemed. And perhaps they had achieved in reaching their target after all.
He caught his breath momentarily, hating then how easily he'd lost his mount. The horse hadn't stood a chance and it broke his heart to think the beast could not have gotten a more merciful death. But he wouldn't be daunted.
Decebal trodded back the way he came, running back quicker, stronger pushed the adrenaline that he might catch where the beasts were dragging Gwen off to now.
Gwen came to fuzzily and it starts, flashes of jolting images and a throbbing pain in her skull. She was being carried, though in whatnot by whom she couldn't tell. It was still dark out. Well, that was good...
She felt sort of trapped between waking and sleeping, half dreaming and unable to think clearly, to really move her body or use her voice.
The box she was encased in was sealed with bolts. And in case she somehow broke through that, the magic would secure it for a while. While the ferals carried her with a hidden hunger most had not sated. They growled softly and squabbled amongst one another.
"Drop it," a voice called about before them. They obeyed. With a slam the case dropped into the dirt like a sack of bricks. And when the seal was removed and the bolts unlatched, Gerald, Darryl's brother, smiled down at Gwen.
[I don't remember if we named who the ferals belonged too earlier. D: If you remember, I'll fix it!]
[Haha, I don't think we did, it's all good!]
Gwen hissed and tried to bolt up, but her wrists and ankles were bound and the best she could do was thrash awkwardly from side to side.
"Go to hell," she bit out, heart hammering against her ribs as she arched her back and kicked out with her bound ankles at a feral that had leaned in to sniff at her hungrily.
Gerald smirked, very sure of his quarry and happy his ferals had done their job without tearing her apart too much. They'd be well fed later on.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Lorian said you'd be testy. Just relax and this will be a lot less painful for the both of us. And by that I mean you."
Gods she wanted to hit him, but she really couldn't do much with the way she was tied up. "Just what are you sick bastards planning?" she hissed at him, twisting from side to side and only succeeding in bruising herself against the side of the box.
"We'll surprise you. Lorian wanted to make sure you were mostly intact. He'll be happy about that," he admitted. They were off again with the box sealed back around Gwen to protect their prize.
"Careful, Gwen. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself doing something stupid," he commented aloud.
Gwen shrieked as she was sealed back up, throwing herself from side to side and kicking desperately at the edge of the box with her blind feet, uncaring of the bruises and cuts she collected.
They trundled along, attaching the box to a wagonbase and began the journey back. Lorian would have his prize one way or another.
Decebal spotted a moving wagon and screams coming from within. He resided at the edge of the trees and he began pursuit when they were far enough away.
Gwen screamed until her throat was raw and her voice finally gave out. Still she continued to hammer at the inside of the box, thrashing about like a wild thing with low growls that tore out of her chest unbidden.
The wild animal sounds were definitely Gwen.
And Decebal raced down toward the carriage. And when he was close enough he jumped on the back of it, blade drawn, wounds scabbing and blood dried on his flesh. "Hey, fuckface! Where do you think you're taking this box!?" he hollered.
Gerald turned around on his horse, a bloodied steed that seemed unaffected by the ferals around him, and likewise of the ferals with him around. "Kill him!" he barked.
A swarm charged forth and Decebal was ready now cleaving through bodies in droves, wielding both blades in hand now. He tore through them with ease, enraged and burning with adrenaline.
Decebal? Gwen froze, then started her thrashing and kicking anew as she heard the sounds of conflict escalate.
The ferals had left the box unguarded, and she managed to rock the damn thing out of the back of the carriage. The lid shattered open with a crack and she started to clamber out, then hissed and froze as the seals prevented her.
Watching the box from the corner of his eye, he saw it drop and break open. In the midst of the clamor, Decebal broke away, braving between claws and he moved through the trench toward the box. With a jump covered half the distance until he landed next to the lid.
Only then did he feel a great force slam onto his back, Gerald pinning him to the ground. A sword dropped from his left hand, flinging toward the box, landing oblong across it.
Gwen ducked away from the blaze with a cry, thinking it meant to harm, then froze.
She couldn't really get out of the box, but she had to do something. Forcing her raw throat to make sound, she rasped out, "Decebal!" and gripped the hilt of the sword, doing her best to throw it back to him.
He rolled with ferocity and gripped at Gerald's throat, and with all he could muster, shoved the bastard off him. He rolled for the box, shifting and gripping Gwen by the shoulders, and yanked her through the seals.
A cry of pain, then she was through. Gasping, Gwen pressed the hilt of his sword into his hand and staggered to her feet, rasping out, "Run!"
She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him with her, stumbling away from Lorian's son and the hoard of ferals.
Gerald was clasping his throat, fangs bared. "Get them!" he howled. He'd gotten off his horse to attack Decebal, leaving the animal unattended.
And ripe for the picking. "Quick!" Decebal said as he grasped onto the bridle and hopped into the saddle. He clutched onto Gwen, pulling her up with him, slamming his heels hard into the beast and bolting into the trees.
She didn't need to be told twice. Clasping her arms tight around his waist, Gwen leaned into Decebal as they took off, clutching the horse with her legs and urging under her breath, "Faster, faster..."
The horse hurled onward after some protest with growing speed. As he charged on a full gallop, dirt was kicked up in their wake and the shape of the animal under them seemed to transform into an ethereal shape, smoke billowing up from behind.
He didn't know what sort of supernatural animal this was, and this wasn't the moment to question it. He pressed his feet in harder and the animal charged forward. "We're....we're losing them!" he said, looking back only a moment to see the dots of pursuing ferals getting smaller and smaller.
"Don't look back!" Gwen shouted in response. "Just- just keep running." She didn't recognize the horse they rode, but she'd be willing to bet it was one of Lorian's creations, a creature of magic as much of flesh.
She didn't know if that meant the beast was loyal to his master or not, and she wanted to be as far from the ferals as possible before they fund out.
Decebal whipped his head back to the front and rode hard, keeping the soreness at bay, doing what he could to keep himself alert. The adrenaline was passing, flowing out hotly until it left little more than simmering traces.
They stopped, the horse panting but showing no sinces of real duress.
"Come on." Panting, Gwen slid off the horse and moved around to his head, cupping his muzzle in her palm and blowing gently into his nose. The animal seemed to calm very slightly and huffed a breath back at her.
"You're hurt," she murmured as she raised her head to look at Decebal. "We need to take care of that."
Decebal slipped off the horse with a thud. "Gah..." he hissed at the tearing of his skin.
"Are you a healer?" he asked, looking at her with glazed eyes.
She swallowed thickly. "No. But..."
Breathing through her mouth in an attempt to lessen the smell of blood, she muttered, "There's...something I could do. Won't heal you completely, but it'll help. I don't think you'll like it though."
Decebal laughed sharply. "I don't think there's anything I'd much object to after what we just went through."
Gwen huffed out a breath. "Alright. Then c'mere."
She beckoned him over to a patch of relatively even ground, giving the horse a soft whicker as she did, telling him to stay close. "Just, um...sit down, I guess, and show me where you're hurt."
Her nails were biting into her palms now as she resisted the urge to simply pounce on him, the scent of blood just about driving her wild. She clenched her eyes shut. This was going to be difficult. "Vampires- we- have a sort of...I dunno, an antitoxin? Anyway, our...saliva can be healing, a little. It's- it's how some of us can feed for days on a human and they wouldn't know."
She waved a hand airily. "Thrall them, bite them, lick the wound when you're done and there's no evidence." A small shrug. "I'm not sure how much good it'll do for big wounds, but it's the best I've got."
He saw her body and he watched her tentatively. He was bleeding however, tired wounded and didn't have any better ideas. "All right," he nodded to her.
He relaxed, easing back until his back touched a tree. "Just take it easy. I'm already bleeding over as it is."
"I know."
She knelt beside him and held her breath, hoping that would help dull her senses a bit. Hesitantly, she leaned forward and tugged at the collar of his shirt to expose a bite on his shoulder.
I can't believe I'm doing this... Doing her best not to look at his face, she ducked her head and licked the wound, screwing her face up at how odd this was.
The expression didn't last long. The taste of blood- real blood- on her tongue made her pause and shiver as hunger flashed through her. Gods she wanted more. She needed more.
No. Stop it. Focus damnit! Gwen took a shuddering breath and leaned back, covering her mouth and nose with a hand. "H-how's that feel?"
Decebal held his breath, not quite knowing what to expect. Did she even have saliva? Weren't vampires just corpses with an intense thirst? He paused and surprised himself when he felt a shiver course up his side. But he kept it to himself, and looked at her from the corner of his eye.
He felt his wound sting a little from the sensation. He shivered again and found himself relaxing. "A...little better, it feels less....stinging," he said. "Are you...okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." Still holding her breath, Gwen waved a hand at him. "Show me where else you're hurt."
"My back is pretty torn up from being pinned," he said with a soft breath. He knew something wasn't quite right with her but he would let it go for now. Instead he undressed carefully and exposed the claw marks and bruises against his back. He had a strong form, muscles protruding and blood seeping out from wounds that reopened as he leaned forward.
Oh gods. She swallowed thickly and held her breath.
"Alright. Like I said, this isn't a cure-all, but it should help," she mumbled, risking using that air before she gently placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to lick at the wounds, starting up near his neck and working her way down.
Gods this was bizarre. And holding her breath only did so much good with the actual taste of blood coating her tongue. She found herself lingering over the cuts as she moved down, her tongue passing over his skin in tasting strikes rather than quick licks, and quite without her noticing an almost purring sort of rumble started up in her chest.
Decebal held his breath. The sensation made him shudder to say the least and when she was lingering longer and longer he closed his eyes, feeling the slightest scrap of teeth against him. Then when he felt the soft vibration of purring he jerked away and he whirled on her.
"Gwen..." He just looked at her and kept his body angled away. And there was a look to her eyes he'd seen before, one of hunger - perhaps even of desperation.
"If you need to feed...then all you have to do is ask. I don't know how sustaining my blood will be, but if it will help stave off the hunger, then I'm willing to submit."
Panting, Gwen stared at him for a long moment as though not quite understanding what he was saying. Then realization seemed to light her eyes and she whimpered, covering her face with her hands.
"I'm sorry," she gasped out. "I'm sorry, I really was just trying to help..." She looked up at him hopelessly, hunger burning in her eyes. "I'm just... It's been days, and fighting the ferals...I'm so hungry, I'm sorry..."
There was no other option in his mind. For once bearing mercy was at the forefront. And having her starving could potentially make her like those crazed beasts that chased after them. And he'd much rather have her sane than not.
"Don't apologize. You can't help it."
Decebal moved closer to her and presented the soft flesh of his human arm. "Here. Feed."
She didn't want to. Really she didn't. It felt like some sort of invasion of privacy, a kind of strange betrayal of who she tried so hard to be.
But she couldn't resist, not with him offering like that. She was just so hungry... Hands shaking, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, drawing his arm closer and dipping her head. Her eyes flicked up to his, then quickly away. With a shuddering breath, she slid her fangs into the flesh of his forearm.
There would be a flash of pain, then a quick numbing as her saliva worked to heal him even as she drank. Gwen had heard that some people even experienced a sort of euphoria, but she wasn't sure if that would work on someone not entirely human.
But honestly she didn't care. Blood touched her tongue and she growled softly, clenching her eyes shut. Her lips wrapped around the bite and she lapped at the tiny wound like a starving dog, tongue swirling over his skin- it was almost more some sort of corrupted kiss than anything else.
To feel her feed on him left Decebal gritting his teeth. The sensation was weird and as the blood flowed out of him he felt his breath hitch. It stuck within his throat, and he made a gutteral sound that mimicked close to a whimper.
"Gwen," he murmured, unsure if what he felt was remotely pleasurable. That confusion did not sit well, and he pat her head with his demon hand, to get her attention.
The touch took a few moments to get through, but once it did Gwen jerked her head back, gasping.
"I- I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. "I'm so sorry..."
Decebal nursed at his arm, which was red and sore where she had lapped, but the blood flowed no more. And she was right there was no pain, with the faint exception of arterial throbbing. But that was merely the sensation of his blood refilling the empty space.
Kneeling in front of her, he shook his head. "It's okay. You have to feed. And it's better than risking you going feral," he said, pushing her shoulder. "And I'm still alive yeah? Unless you have a reputation for killing all of your victims do you?'
Gwen shook her head, hiding her face in her hands. She felt ashamed, despite his assurances. "Just- just the first one," she whispered. "Lorian made me..."
Gods she didn't want to think about it. She scrubbed at her eyes and lifted her head with a huff. "Alright. You good to move?"
"I'm still alive. I'd say that is pretty good news. And probably the best news I've had all day. Who was that guy anyway?" he asked, soothing his arm over.
"Another of Lorian's sons," Gwen sighed, getting slowly to her feet. "Another dhampir. I didn't know he could control ferals like that though..." She shuddered at the memory and moved cautiously toward the horse they'd stolen.
Decebal got up, holding his arm against his ribs. Already he could feel his wounds beginning to heal, closing up in small increments that felt like a gently pulling of the skin. He already healed pretty quickly, but the addition of her saliva certainly didn't hurt anything.
"I've never quite seen a horse like this," he breathed. There was a smoky quality to the animal as if it had once been a living horse, and was somewhere in a cross between a living and dead state.
"One of Lorian's experiments, I think," Gwen murmured, moving to the animal's head to cup his muzzle and blow gently into his nostrils. The horse returned the gesture, but it took a moment, as though he couldn't quite remember what should have been instinctive.
"Poor thing," she said softly as her hand stroked over his neck. She glanced back at Decebal. "How you feeling?"
He waved it off. "Tender," he replied, chuckled. "You have a surprisingly gentle touch...for being a bloodthirsty vampire."
Her brow furrowed and she fixed her eyes on the horse, checking over his body for injuries he may have picked up in their mad dash. She couldn't find any- or perhaps exhilarated healing was one of Lorian's "tweaks".
"That's not all I am, you know," she murmured, not looking at Decebal. "When you ask someone what they are- they don't say human, or elf, or vampire. They say- they say cook. Or knight. Or hunter, scholar, mother, brother, whatever."
Keeping the body of the horse mostly between them, she let her head rest against his neck and sighed. "It's not all I am."
Decebal sobered. She had a point, and one well put. He was not a demon, not by his own definition or how he looked. Despite his origin, he felt his place a noble one. Or attempted to exemplify himself that way.
"Then tell me what you are?" He asked. The animal turned his head in against Gwen's form, as if senssending some emotional or mental anguish.
Gwen smiled a bit and wrapped her arms around the horse's neck gently, murmuring her thanks for the simple, affectionate contact in his ear. Gods she missed that.
"A hostler, once," she told her companion, finally looking at him. "My da trains horses. He's the best in Serendipity, but he'd never say it. I helped... I'm a decent dancer too, but I've really always been something of a tomboy." Her eyes took on far away look and she scratched at the horse's mane.
"Now... I'd say I'm a daughter, mostly. My parents probably think I'm dead, but I'm afraid if I go back... This is better for them, me staying away." She sighed and shook her head, then suddenly seemed to focus on him. "What about you then?"
Her story was not really what he expected, but then again he wasn't exactly the type to feel sorry for her. He was rather certain she wasn't asking for his pity. She didn't ask for this, but here she was all the same. Sort of like him, though he would be hard-pressed to admit it.
He was quiet and listened without interruption, until she looked at him and he found he couldn't look her squarely in the eye. In comparison his upbringing had been privileged.
"I...am...was, the son of a knight. My father was well-bred and brought me up the same way. I was told my birth was a miracle, but I don't know if I believe that. My mother was a witch, it was the only explanation for what happened after my coming of age. She made a deal she couldn't uphold, and now I know she hunts me still. She killed my father to find me. I don't know where she is now or what she is doing.
"But I decided to turn my existence into something useful. I hunt creatures of the night, most of them anyway. Some of them are harder to kill than others."
Gwen's eyes widened slightly as she listened to him and the rhythmic stroking she'd absently been delivering to the horse's neck stilled.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "About your da. And your mum, I suppose." She sighed and looked back to the horse. "Gods, I can't even imagine- no wonder you hate me," she muttered.
Decebal shook his head. "No...I don't hate you," he said quickly.
"You couldn't help what happened to you no more than I could. No, I hate Lorian and his kind that prey on humans."
She nodded slowly, keeping her eyes fixed on the horse. She'd always been better with horses than with people.
"Well, you can't blame a girl for getting the impression you dislike her when you tie her up with a whip," she said jokingly. A wry smile twitched at her lips and she added, "That, or she'll think you like her too much."
Maybe a joke in poor taste, but she was trying to lighten the mood.
He smiled at her jest. He could appreciate the nature in which it was told. "In the end, we all get whipped I suppose." Another laugh and he approached the strange animal that had spirited them away.
Such a strange creature but rather mild tempered from the looks of it. It's eyes were red, clearly no longer the mortal beast it was before. "I don't suppose we ought to call him something. Maybe her something."
"Hmm." She bent to check and said with some mild surprise, "Oh. Her. Funny, she honestly felt more like a stallion."
She smiled and stroked the mare's neck. The horse bobbed her head and pressed her nose forward into Gwen's shoulder and she chuckled.
"What do you think?" The smile still on her face, she tilted her head to look at Decebal, the horse's head now hanging companionably over her shoulder.
The demon hunter straightened, this was an unexpected but not an unpleasant surprise as it were. Petting the mare, he combed fingers through the mane. "I think Chestnut is a little generic isn't it?" He chuckled and the horse seemed a little less than pleased. "Maybe Janir. It was my father's horse. Is that good enough?"
"Janir." Gwen smiled crookedly and looked the mare up and down. "What do you think, girl?"
The horse nickered and tossed her head. Gwen laughed, eyes sparkling in a way Decebal had probably never seen as she looked back to him. "Janir it is. It's a good name."
She hesitated a moment, then suddenly reached out and squeezed his shoulder briefly. "I- I really am sorry about your father. That sounds like hell." She was quiet a moment, then: "Lorian needs to go down. If we survive that... You'll have saved my parents, and countless others. I'd...like to help you, after. If I can."
"After?" he asked. Although he knew what she meant, he didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. For now just getting out of the area with their new steed was reward enough before the ferals came after them again. No doubt they were still on their scent.
"Come on, let's get going before the sun comes up. I'd hate to run into more of those ferals," he admitted, climbing up into the readied saddle.
"Yeah." Gwen mounted easily, then held her hand down for him. "Not to mention I'd like to not catch on fire," she added with a wry smirk.
"You and me both, friend."
He hadn't realized the last slip of his tongue, and likely wouldn't even in the hours that followed and as Janir seemed to trot on tirelessly, Decebal frowned as he saw no shelter appearing before them. "Just trees and clearings and I can't see anything remotely resembling shelter."
She started slightly, but didn't comment as they set out.
She was starting to get a little nervous as they kept walking with no shelter in sight. "Do you have a blanket?" she asked, glancing back at him. "Worse comes to worse I can curl up and try to cover myself- or wear it like a cloak and we can just keep moving."
It wasn't much, but all of his gear had been left on his dead horse many miles behind them. He looked at what Janir had equipped on her saddle, and found a blanket rolled at the rear. He dismounted to unstrap it, throwing it over her afterward. "Will this do?"
She clutched the blanket around her body, giving the ever lightening horizon a wary look. "It's better than nothing," she muttered, hunching into the saddle.
She held her hand out to him. "C'mon, get back up here. We should keep moving."
"So just let me know if you start sizzling okay?"
Decebal's sad attempt at a joke was half-hearted, but it was genuine all the same. They kept on, Decebal doing his best to avoid open sunlight, sticking to the dense copse of trees.
The terrain was unforgiving, and Janir protested a little as the ground seemed to turn sharply downhill.
Gwen snorted and rolled her eyes, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Whoa, easy girl," she soothed as Janir protested the incline. "Steady on, good girl."
She twisted a bit to talk to Decebal over her shoulder. "Don't try to push her here, let her find the best path down. She can probably do it better- and faster- than us."
"The ground seems too soft here," Decebal grumbled. "It doesn't feel right." He didn't force Janir, and the otherworldly animal found the soft footing unsteady even in the incline, stepping carefully. Until a snare snapped around the horse's leg, what looked like spider webbing ensaring it momentarily.
"Fuck!" Decebal cursed, slipping from the saddle. At least they were in the shade for the time being.
"Oh!" Gwen leaped to the ground and went to the spooked animal's head, murmuring soothing nonsense as she tried to calm her down so they could free her leg.
"Damnit," she muttered, bending to inspect the snare. "If it had been night, I would have seen that."
"Does sunlight disrupt your vision?" he asked as he took out a dagger from his boot. It was vaguely decorated, a carved blade and a wrapped leather handle. It was smaller in his demon hand as he snagged at the webbing and managed to sever it with a powerful yank.
Janir gave an unsettled grunt, something not sitting right with her. Decebal could feel the hackles on his neck beginning to stand on end.
"In the way that darkness disrupts a human's," Gwen replied, frowning softly as she sensed Janir's- and Decebal's- unease. "It's too bright. Hurts my eyes. I mean, I can see, but only about as well as I could when I was mortal."
Her mouth tightened slightly as she talked about being human so casually and she huffed a breath, lowering her voice. "That snare wasn't an accident..."
"But from what?" Decebal hissed back as be stayed focused on unraveling the rest of the webbing. It was strange to see anything like this, but in the middle of the Highland moors, there could be anything out here. And the mist that formed in this grove did not help with Decebal's vision. "Gods, please don't be fucking spiders."
She had to cover a chuckle with her hand. "Spiders? Really? you're afraid of spiders?"
He held his breath, seeing shadows move about them...
"When they're bigger than me...yes," Decebal breathed. And he took hold of Janir's reins and tugged then through, down into the mire.
Gwen's eyes widened. "Bigger than..?" She gulped and hurried after him. "Fuck."
Janir was not pleased with being pulled through the muck and the water thickened at her ankles. However she was also determined not to be a meal and the feeling as if they were being watched by many eyes was more and more nerve-wracking.
Decebal slogged through, reeds and longrass poking up through the streams and he pulled hard, trying to keep stride when chittering could be heard close by. And there were webs becoming more and more apparent through the grove of trees they passed through. He could feel the fear ebbing into him, about as much as being chased by ferals. He could only hope they had made some coverage in travel.
"Oh gods." Gwen skittered to the side, spooking like a horse at the chittering. "Do you know what they are?" she hissed under her breath.
Decebal could barely see through the mist and he did not see the large web that was formed in front of them until Janir stopped ahead of them. And on it were the wrapped forms of desiccated corpses. "Shit. I fucking knew it! Spiders!"
"Do you see a way around the web? Janir, come on girl, settle down," he said.
"Easy, easy." Gwen tried to soothe the mare as she blanched at the sight of the webs. She peered into the mist, clutching the blanket tighter around her body.
"Maybe left?" She shrugged hopelessly. "I'm sorry- night vision doesn't mean I can see through mist."
[Oh no they're gonna get eated! D:]
"Left is good enough for me," he panted and worked at that path, using the dagger to cut at any reeds blocking their path. And there was swift movement coming down from the trees.
[Oh dear 0.0 Should I change something?]
"Hurry, hurry," Gwen hissed, suddenly passing Janir's lead to him- along with a soft snort for the horse to tell her to follow him- and darting around behind him to guard his back.
She snarled, the sound rippling out through the mist, a challenge and a warning.
[Lol. No it's fine. I was just teasing xD]
Decebal veered onward, pulling Janir with protest. But it didn't matter how they tried to warn those that surrounded them. The shadows in the mists grew darker, and out of the shadows came the forms of massive arachnids.
[Oh, hahaha. Sorry, I'm awkward!]
Gwen suddenly discovered a deep-rooted fear of spiders.
She hissed at the massive creatures, taking an automatic step back toward her companions. "I'll hold them off," she shot over her shoulder, voice only shaking a little bit.
"I don't think that's helping," Decebal hissed back to here. "Here! Grab the sword, we'll have to fight our way out."
"What?" She stared at him for a moment. "I- I don't know how to use a sword!"
"Jab it with the pointy end!"
He drew his second blade and lunged for the closest spider. It hissed and he turned swiftly, hacking off a leg.
"Great advice, thanks!" Somehow she still had the presence of mind to be a smartass as she drew the blade and slashed wildly at the first massive spider that leaped at her, shrieking nonsensically.
[Just picturing her doing that made me laugh hysterically xD]
Decebal shouted for the both of them to keep moving. In the confusion, Janir got loose somewhere between Decebal's back and a spider that blocked her way. The horse whinnied in fear, but would not be thwarted by giant fangs and hissing jaws.
The otherworldly destrier rose up on hind legs and pounded down on the spider and crushed legs and eyes and torso until a path was opened and she galloped away, whinnying for Decebal and Gwen to follow.
His blade was covered in slimy gunk, which made hair and eyeballs get stuck to the blade, making cutting all that much less effective. Decebal turned and lunged for Gwen, grabbing her arm with his demon one and yanking for them both to make for the opening.
[Hehehe xD]
For once Gwen was glad of being a vampire. She managed to fend off a few of the creatures through the sheer speed and strength of her wild swings, for there was certainly no finesse to her "attacks".
When she felt Decebal grab her she moved with him almost instinctively, following him after Janir while her now fire blade hung awkwardly from her other hand.
Decebal couldn't see where the horse went for the life of him. And there were more spiders here than what they battled in the mire. And there was a strange whinny coming from...above them?
"Janir!"
As the mist cleared, there above them the horse was snagged in a large web spanning between two evergreens.
Gwen looked up.
"Oh fuck."
Her brain kicked into overdrive and she said quickly, "If you can hold them off I can try to cut her down."
"I'll do it. Go!" He shoved Gwen off and made a large gaping cut for a particularly large spider that skirted out of the way just in time.
Decebal was determined however, just to keep the sheer number away from them. He spun swiftly on his heel, turning and taking out three legs and jabbing his blade deep into the thorax of one of the massive critters.
She nodded and leaped for one of the trees anchoring the web, clambering quickly up and slashing madly at the sticky threads. She called quietly to Janir all the while, hoping to keep her calm enough that she wouldn't end up laming herself when she hit the ground.
Slowly but surely, the web started to come loose. With a soft cry of victory Gwen managed to cut her side of the web loose enough that the whole thing gave way, sending Janir to the ground with a frightened neigh, but at least she was free.
A relieved huff and she turned to climb down- only to find her path blocked by one of the spiders. She shrieked and swung the sword wildly. "Decebal!"
Decebal felt his vision growing red, and anger taking over. Ever since this whole adventure started it was one mess after another and another.
They were being hounded time and again and he saw these spiders as no different than those goddamned ferals that had killed his horse. Decebal cried out and slammed a heavy fist down on a spider from his demon hand and he rushed through an opening, scrambling up the embankment.
He wasted no time trying to climb the tree and when he had the momentum he threw the sword in his hand like a spear, piercing the rear carapace of the spider, knocking it to the ground.
Gwen could have cried with relief as she leaped down from the tree, stumbling in her landing slightly. "Thanks," she gasped, looking wildly around and sinking into a guard stance, sword raised.
"There are too fucking many of them. And without fire to smoke them out we're as good as dead, Gwen," Decebal said as he ran behind her and snatched the sword from the dead spider.
He was tired of the running certainly, but he'd rather not be spider food. "Janir!" He called and the horse was on her feet. He ran after the steed, and leapt into the saddle when he was close enough, tearing through the webbing as they went.
Gwen tore after them, slashing and hacking wildly before she threw herself up onto the saddle behind Decebal. "Run, Janir!"
She had to grab for her companion's waist as they raced forward, praying they'd be fast enough.
Decebal's blade found eyes and exoskeleton when it connected with a few other spiders. Riding hard made it so that they tore through webbing, even the strongest of it all.
The murky water and mud collected at Janir's feet, but she did not let it impede her and made for the fog's exit, dashing wildly.
Gwen could do little more than hold on during the mad dash, cutting a few arcs with her borrowed blade but honestly just as likely to hit Janir or Decebal as she was one of their attackers.
The opening was small, between two boulders that allowed them a narrow opportunity, one that Decebal shot for. Janir whinnied, and soon they were free if barely from the nest of spiders.
She could have cried with relief, clinging to Decebal's waist as she glanced back over her shoulder to see the nest disappearing into the mist behind them.
Of course, it was suddenly made clear that the mist was what had been protecting her from the rays of the sun, and her blanket had been lost gods knew where. With a sharp cry of pain Gwen found she suddenly couldn't hold on and she slid to the side, hitting the ground with a sharp crack.
Janir whirled around with a snort and was suddenly standing above her, blocking some of the light but just not enough.
The tendrils of light threading through the boughs above had been forgotten by the both of them. However, Decebal shifted off the horse when she did and immediately took his cloak off. He threw it over her and scowled above them. "We can't catch a break can we?"
Wincing, she pushed herself up on her elbows and huddled into the cloak. "Looks like no," she chuckled bitterly. "I'm sorry, we can't move because I'm..." She scoffed, clenching her eyes shut.
"Stop apologizing. Like any of this is your fault," he said shaking his head. He looked down at his arm, flexing the tainted flesh there.
Well. It sort of was her fault, but she really didn't feel the need to explain all that to him at the moment.
"Here." She pushed at his shoulder lightly so she could wriggle out from under Janir. "If I keep myself covered, we can at least walk."
Decebal kept his body against whatever sunlight might be touching Gwen. They had to keep moving, and despite the exhaustion brought on by the previous battle, he was in no mood to rest. "If that doesn't give someone the fear of spiders, I don't know what will," he muttered as they walked.
Gwen laughed raggedly. "You can say that again. They never bothered me much before, but..." She shuddered dramatically.
"Just don't get anxious on me. We've got enough things to worry about right?" he said with a smirk. His eyes fell on her a moment, and he sighed.
"We'll find shelter soon enough, let's just keep walking."
She snorted. "As long as we don't run into any snakes, I'll be fine." Tugging the cloak a little tighter around her body, she added almost reluctantly, "I can go for a while like this, don't stop on my account."
They didn't. And they trudged on like this, painfully slow. Decebal was somewhat thankful for the sun, that hopefully the daylight would temporarily stop the horde of ferals that had gone after them. Maybe not Gerald, but at least his minions couldn't get any further.
But soon the sky turned purple, the sun was going to fade behind the horizon. Decebal turned to Gwen. "Do you know where we are, Gwen? I'm afraid I haven't traversed Serendipity much. Assuming we are still in the same country."
"Well, we're coming out of the highlands." She looked around, cautiously reaching a hand out from under the cloak before snatching it back with a hiss when a fading beam of sunlight cut across her skin.
"See those plants? We're coming down into the moors. But honestly, with all that mist and whatnot, I've gotten pretty turned around." She frowned, looking around again, and added, "And I really didn't travel much before I was turned. Sorry."
"It's all right. Coming out of the highlands is direction enough. And already I can see a drop in the land," he said with a nod. Decebal walked slowly along until they reached the inlet of a cave.
"We could rest here. I don't know about Janir, but I'm pretty fucking tired. i want to be rested when we have to fucking run again," he said with a sigh.
"Yeah." Without much ceremony, she dropped onto the ground, curled over so the cloak still protected her from what little sun was left. "Gods, I don't think I've been this exhausted since I was turned."
Decebal was quiet, mulling over where they were and what they ought to do. Janir seemed at home for now, reaching down and munching on some of the grass around them. Decebal glanced at Gwen. "How did you meet Lorian?"
Gwen started slightly, surprised by the question, and looked up at him. "I- He came to our farm. Said he was looking for a horse, a good one."
She glanced at Janir, lips twisting sourly. "Maybe for an experiment, I don't really know. I don't remember much from the first few months... Anyway, Da had me riding this colt, to show him off, y'know? Put him through his paces."
Face expressionless, she looked away. "He said- gods, I don't remember exactly. Something stupid, which at the time I thought was utterly charming. Something like, That's a beautiful creature, but he was looking at me, not the colt." A shake of her head and she tsked impatiently. "I was an idiot. I thought he was handsome, and charming, and I'd never so much been outside of the town where I grew up. He was...new. Exciting."
Decebal listened with interest, no judgment passing on his features. "And your father let him take you away from there? Just like that?" He scooted closer to her, wanting to share the warmth of his cloak that she was sort of hogging.
"Or did he just charm them too?"
Realizing what he wanted, Gwen held the cloak open in invitation. It was his, after all, and the sun had nearly set by now.
"Not...exactly," she murmured. "We- I guess you could say it was courting. Well, it went on for a few weeks, and then..." She bit her lip and looked away- not embarrassed, ashamed. "He asked me to come to his room at the inn in town. We always met around dusk, but this...it was late. Dark."
She scoffed. "Like I said, I was stupid. A stupid girl who wanted to believe she was special enough that a handsome stranger would want her, of everyone he could've had. So I went. We met, and..." Another glance away and she cleared her throat. "It was sort of...during. That he bit me. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but then after I started to feel different. And..."
Once again she trailed off, but this time she shook her head and didn't continue down that trail of thought. "He took me away, thralled me. When I escaped, I tried to go home, but- but I knew what he'd do. I knew he'd kill my family to get to me. So I've stayed away."
Decebal held the cloak up to his shoulders. He didn't hog it all, not that he thought that she needed it, as her body was unusually cool. He kept it between them however and kept his expression thoughtful.
"How...sad. I guess you sort of lost everything. A little like me. Maybe Lorian killed your family anyway, I mean, he doesn't seem above it. Just to show you that no matter where you go, you're never beyond his reach," the hunter murmured. "Nevertheless, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."
He was quiet for a time and slipped in a little closer. "If it makes any difference, I don't think you were stupid."
Gwen barked a humorless laugh. "Wow, that's comforting, thanks," she muttered. "Here I am trying to keep away to protect them, and they're probably already dead."
Not that she hadn't known that was a possibility. In fact, it was probable. But she didn't want to think about it.
She didn't move closer, but didn't move away from him either. "I- you're welcome, I guess." She felt a little guilty for some reason- she still hadn't told him everything, but then again she didn't really think it was necessary.
"What about you then? I gave my sob story, what's yours?"
"Well, I told you about my mother, and all that nonsense. I guess you could say my childhood wasn't exactly ideal. But I try not to mourn my own loss. Life is hard enough as it is without adding insult to injury," he said. Sniffing, he turned on his side to face her.
"I guess if I'm to admit something I do kind of miss is the things I never got to do. I never had the opportunity to court, to become a knight as my father probably meant me to become. I learned the basics, but I am not knighted to be sure. And I know no matter what I'm always separated from everyone else. People look at my arm and all ready I am a monster. I think that's why I do what I do. To protect others and hopefully change their minds, that...I guess like you, they might be different, but that doesn't mean I want to hurt others. None that don't deserve it anyway."
"Mmm." Gwen twisted, finally allowing part of her body to move out from under the cloak now that the was little enough light. She propped herself up on one elbow and seemed to study him for a moment, then suddenly reached up and ran her hand over his distinctly non-human arm.
"Well, for what it's worth I'm glad you're doing what you do," she murmured. Her hand swept up to his shoulder, then down again, eyes fixed on his arm rather than his face.
"Never courted, huh? Really? Like, never?" A small smirk started to tug at her lips and her eyes glinted with a merciless kind of laughter. "So have you never- y'know...?"
He knew what she was getting at, but he decided to play dumb instead. "Done what? Walked on a hot bed of coals? Nope, I didn't think that was a requirement when it came to courting." He shrugged and played it off. "It's not exactly high on my list of priorities."
Gwen scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean." She knew she should probably move away from him, but...well, he was warm. It had been a very long time since she'd felt real, living warmth, and it was nice.
Deciding she'd take advantage while she had the opportunity, she shifted a little closer, splaying her fingers over his shoulder. "I can understand that. Who has time for fun when you're constantly hunting monsters?"
Living warmth certainly did feel nice. And Decebal finally felt comfortable after all their constant running. Which was a first, and he'd enjoy it while he could. Even if he was on the hard ground. At least he wasn't by himself.
Decebal never stopped for long to let his mind linger on loneliness. It was in moments like this however, that he did think about it. And realized he craved contact as much as anyone. He was not spared the feeling of complete emptiness solely because of his condition. And he cherished that part of his humanity, even the pain.
"Time for fun, time for running wild," he said with shrug, feeling her touch a little soothing. Not that he would tell her that. "What about you? You ever run wild with anyone other than a leeching vampire lord?"
She chuckled and looked away, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "Um...yeah. Two boys, one before and one after. The first was my sweetheart- I mean, we were kids, we never actually did anything, just...met in secret corners, stole a kiss or two, that kind of thing."
Gwen looked back to h with a wry smirk. "Sorry. Over sharing, huh?"
Decebal laughed. "Too much sharing? I think I did ask if I remember correctly," he chuckled. "Besides it's interesting to hear other people's stories, I don't really have to think so much. So, which boy did you like more? Did you want to marry him?"
"Oh, the first one, it's not even close," she laughed lightly. "The other... Well, he was a vampire too. He was nice, really, taught me a lot. Made me realize we don't have to be monsters."
She looked away again- it was fairly obvious she'd avoided answering the marriage question, but she supposed it really wasn't a secret, all things considered. "Yeah," she murmured eventually. "I did want to marry him. We talked about it. He was going to make some money first- I told him I didn't care, but he wouldn't listen." Her breath huffed out and she rolled onto her back. "He went to Connlaoth, to learn from a smith there who's supposed to be amazing. I got a letter a few months later saying the town had been destroyed in the war. No survivors."
Silence a moment, then she cleared her throat and looked to him again. "So. What about you?"
"I think I remember a girl from my childhood, a friend. Her name was Emily Danton," he said, tone a little droning and clearly sleepy. "She had...red hair and bright green eyes. Damn, she probably would be devastatingly gorgeous if I saw her now. But I don't I ever got the chance to tell her how I felt. She was probably already engaged to someone else," he said with a sigh.
"I'm sorry about your friend... it It seems strange though that someone would send you a letter if everyone was dead. How would they know where you were or who you were?"
"Thanks," she murmured, eyes fixed on the sky above them. "And I don't really know why, but the letter was from a soldier. Some Connlaothian who must've been sent to clean up the mess. Said he found Billy in the smithy, and that- that he was writing a letter to me when they..."
She cleared her throat. "People are strange. A girl will make a stupid choice because she wants to be special, a soldier will send some poor dead bastard's sweetheart a letter to try to relieve his guilt for what he does."
With a small shrug she turned into her side, putting her back to him. "Sorry about Emily. Bet she had a crush on you too, you just never realized."
Maybe, but somehow he doubted it. That was many years and a lifetime ago,
Decebal smiled and shrugged tiredly. "I guess anything is possible. At least you got news on the fate of your friend. I think I try not to linger on the past too much because it just makes me long for it you know. I try to keep moving forward."
He turned to lay on his belly. "Thanks for talking with me. You're a good listener."
"One of my many talents." She smiled and continued looking up, folding her arms under her head. "Get some rest."
Her eyes flickered over the stars. She may have been up all day, but now that it was night she was revitalized, something nocturnal in her rising up and making her fidgety.
Decebal hadn't thought about whether the night would make him alone. Whether she would depart or not, he also didn't know. He would fall asleep and stay that way for the next few hours. Janir too crawled in beside him and kept watch, laying on her side, as if watching over them both.
Gwen dozed a few hours, but she was restless, waking in starts until finally she admitted defeat and got up, slipping out from under the cloak.
She moved to Hanir's side, giving the mare an odd look- horses normally didn't sleep lying down unless they were ill- but a cursory examination told her the animal was fine. Maybe it was something of Lorian's influence.
She patted her neck and sighed, looking up at the stars again as she leaned into Jani's side, arm around her neck.
Janir turned her head and made a soft noise, nickering and gently rubbing her nose against Gwen's cheek. Unlike the previous horse, this one did not fear Gwen's nature, perhaps seeming to sympathize with her and wanting only to give comfort.
[I think I've seen horses lay down to sleep. I could be wrong, but it seems a lot of them do it.]
Gwen smiled softly and turned her head to press a quick kiss to Janir's nose. "Good girl," she murmured almost absently, scritching her fingers in the mare's mane at the base of her neck.
The horse turned to lay her heavy head on Gwen's lap and exposing more of her neck for Gwen to scratch. But there she would find the wounds of a tortured animal, where teeth had made their way into her flesh, cuts where blood had been drained from her. She seemed oddly comfortable with Gwen, and perhaps sensed no danger from her because their masters had once been the same.
A small frown stole over her features and Gwen bent to kiss the horse between her ears, her hand stroking soothingly over her neck.
"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you again," she murmured, sort of absently. "We're gonna get the man who did this to you."
The horse nuzzled her nose against Gwen, playfully teasing lips on her hair. Decebal had stirred somewhat in the noise, turning over onto his side to watch her interaction with the horse and not making a point of making himself noticeable.
The vampire smiled and kissed Janir's nose, oblivious that their other companion was now awake. "Yes, good girl, clever girl," she murmured in the soothing tone she automatically slipped into around horses. "you deserve so much better, don't you, pretty thing?"
She sighed and let her forehead rest against the mare's. "I wish I could fix you. But I promise I'm never going to let that man hurt you again. Never."
The horse looked at her seriously and she gave a soft nicker. But it was that however, that made Decebal sit up. "Do the two of you need a moment?" he asked, smiling. He got up and rolled up the cloak, moving to stash it in the back of the saddle.
"Gods above!" Gwen leaped to her feet, causing Janir to spook slightly. "How long have you been awake?!" she demanded, glaring at Decebal.
It was hard for a vampire to blush, but the faintest tinge of pink had dusted across her cheeks.
"Just a few minutes, but long enough to see that exchange," he said. "Why are you embarrassed?"
"I'm not embarrassed. Who said I'm embarrassed?" Grumbling, she tried not to look at him as she set about "packing up"- though at this point they really didn't have enough with them to justify the action.
"C'mon, let's get moving."
Going back on the horse was a simple task and Decebal found Janir did not need much guidance in order to traverse the harsh terrain underneath them.
He was still mulling over what he saw, that somehow Gwen had more compassion than he thought. Maybe because Janir wasn't really a horse anymore, but something closer to her than to what she was. He supposed he could understand what it was like to be in an inbetween state. They really were three of a kind weren't they.
"Do you still know where we're going?" Gwen asked abruptly after they'd been riding in silence a while. "We got pretty turned around in that fog."
"We'll need to find a town soon, or a village to get a better idea of where we are," Decebal admitted. He hated feeling hounded, which they had been up until that point. "But I still intend to head down to the site. Where I told you before, which in theory would weaken Lorian. But so far nothing has worked out as planned."
She huffed and let her forehead fall against his back. "Y'know, before I met you I was perfectly content running for my life," she muttered with a dry little chuckle. "Somehow the stakes seem to have been raised."
He admitted to himself that he wasn't used to that contact. Such proximity made him stiffen but he didn't pull away. Not that there was anywhere to pull if he did.
"Really? Just running and hiding in the dark like some kind of smelly rodent?" he said with an amused chuckle. "Not that I'm saying you smell or anything. But running does have the potential for that."
Gwen snorted and pinched his side in retaliation for that. "Yes. Running and hiding. At least I knew I'd be alive more than a day at a time," she grumbled a little vindictively.
"That you can admit that with dignity is enough for me to give you credit," he chuckled. "And try to watch the nails. They're sharp!"
"Oh, don't be a baby," she laughed, tickling his ribs vindictively before she relented and let her arms just rest around his waist.
She glanced around, eyes searching the dark a little nervously. "Y'know, looks like the eastern sky is getting lighter," she noted with forced levity.
"Then we ought to find real shelter soon enough," he said. "Because travelers coming in from the dark, running from the light, don't tend to bode well for most villagers. Let's find some water, follow it. Settlements tend to stay nearer toward them."
Gwen nodded. "Right. Let's just do it fast, please. As exciting as that was yesterday, I'd rather not have to barrel roll off poor Janir's back again and wait for the two of you to come rescue me from sunlight," she grumbled.
"So what exactly does it feel like? Does it just feel like a really bad sun burn?"
Decebal leaned back against her a little easier.
She thought about that for a moment. "At first, yeah. A really bad sun burn. A couple seconds later and it's like a burn from a hot kettle. Any longer than that..." She trailed off with a shrug. "It's not like we go up in a dramatic ball of flames, but we do...cook."
"I suppose it all ends in ashes," he said with a curious tilt in his voice.
Gwen blinked at his back. "Well. That's certainly a cheerful thought," she muttered.
"Oh, sorry." Clearly this was a sensitive issue for her, one he wasn't going to press. What more was there to know anyway.
The village soon came into view as they traveled along the river, one that looked desolate, but it was shelter at least.
"Nah, don't apologize." She fell quiet, a little morose, though as they came upon the village she perked up a bit. "Gods, a real bed seems like heaven right about now, yeah?" she chuckled, squeezing her arms around his waist gently.
"Much better than sleeping on the ground," Decebal agreed, feeling her hold tighten around his back. He just kept himself relaxed and when they were close enough to the outskirts, he carefully slipped off Janir. Pulling the horse along by the reins, he led them between thatch huts and shacks.
Taking her cue from him, Gwen quickly dismounted and walked along beside the horse as he led her. "Err, I just realized- do you have any coin? Because I kinda left everything back in that last village..."
"I have some. Let's hope it's enough," he said. Gods in all their scrambling, he was lucky his purse hadn't been on his old mount. As a shame as that was, they had no choice but to keep moving onward.
They happened upon a small, less rundown building, a lantern hanging above the door. A smell emerged out of it that hinted at smoked herb, incense, and sweat. But Decebal braved it and entered within.
Gwen almost gagged at the strength of the smell, but she switched to breathing through her mouth and told herself she could manage. She trailed behind Decebal warily, eyes flicking around the establishment like a hunted animal.
She found herself walking so close to him she was almost treading on his heels, mumbling an apology when she accidentally bumped into his back.
It wasn't quite acknowledged, as Decebal was currently distracted with surveying the contents of the room. Even with the shack looking much larger on the outside, you couldn't tell from inside. It was very cramped, and the smell coming from inside probably lent to the belief that many bodies frequented the place.
Except for now.
It was half empty.
"Excuse me? Anyone in charge around here?" There was no reply, and his presence met with a few scowls and grunts of displeasure. Only one person came rushing in through the door behind them, shoving them in and ushering them toward the back.
"Hey!"
"No time to explain, but you two must hide now!" Said the older woman's voice from behind them. "Quickly, into the cellar."
"Wait- what? What's going on?!" Gwen didn't resist much, casting confused glances between Decebal and the woman, but her companion seemed just as confused as she was.
They didn't have much time to resist when they were shoved and locked into the cellar. Decebal only whirled around on the door and braced his hands against it as if somehow that would knock it down. But despite the panic that would set in, he took a deep breath and held it at bay.
"I don't know," he whispered, as the woman rushed back up the stairs and noises outside could be heard of riders approaching.
People's voices could be heard, mens and one of them sounding familiar.
"Gerald?" he asked softly. "Does he sound like that?"
Gwen pressed her ear to the door, listening. Her eyes widened and she nodded, suddenly pressing a finger to her lips. She grabbed Decebal's shoulders and pulled him away from the door, whispering, "Don't make a sound. His hearing is better than mine."
A few small shivers rippled through her frame and she eyes the door warily.
Nobody said a word when the hulking figure stepped through the door of the tavern with a leashed feral in one hand. A sibling followed behind him, holding two on a lead that pried uselessly at their collars, trying to lunge for some of the patrons that now stepped away.
"Who's seen two runaways?" Gerald demanded. "Stragglers clearly deformed. A man with a wretched arm, and a woman that looks like one of these ferals... anyone?"
Dead silence followed. Only the old woman spoke up. "Ain't nobody like that pass through here." She remained composed, thankful she'd had time to stash away Janir.
Gwen was clinging to Decebal's arm, almost without realizing it, her eyes wide as she stared at the door, waiting.
Why were these strangers helping them? How had the woman known?
"I find that very hard to believe," Gerald said delicately. The feral on his leash lunged for her, and the woman jumped backward, but she quickly regained her mentality.
"I told you what I know. Now why don't y'all get out of my place!"
"Or what? I don't take threats lightly. Even from some old woman. But someone here must know something. I can make you admit too. Shall I make an example out of you?"
Gwen looked at Decebal with wide eyes. We have to help her, she mouthed, glancing between him and the door.
The woman backed away, and kept her gaze level. She saw Tom in the corner, a skinny rough looking man who was terried, and she blinked at him twice.
He nodded to her and found himself suddenly crying out. In a state of sudden shock, the man turned into a large werewolf, and lunged for one of the ferals, tearing them to shreds with ease and before long Gerald had little time to react, and when the wolf turned to him, he flew out the door.
The sudden commotion had Gwen flying out the door. Probably a stupid decision, but she didn't want to see innocents hurt because of her.
She froze quickly though, eyes wide as she looked around. "What- what the hell?!"
[The cellar door was locked D:]
Decebal tried to reach for her in vain. "Gwen! What are you doing?"
[Oops! Hang on.]
She stood in the doorway, shoving slightly as she came down from the adrenaline rush and glanced back at Decebal. "U-um."
She looked to the woman, then to the door, hung rather haphazardly on its hinges now, then back. "I, uh...sorry? I'll- replace the lock."
[Fixed?]
Forget the door! There was a fuckng wolf on the other side of it, licking his chops in delight. The man soon transformed back however and the woman was checking on her guests.
"Are you dears all right?"
"How did you-? What...?" Gwen looked between the woman and Decebal again and took an almost unconscious step back toward her companion.
"What. The hell. Just. Happened?"
Decebal stepped forward instead, as he watched the woman work free the latched door. Or what remained of it.
"Don't worry, I saw that you were coming, and they were coming. Lucky you, I got t'ya first," she said stepping in close and inspecting for herself whether they were okay or not.
"How did you know to find us?" Decebal asked.
"I just toldja. I SAW you. Gives me headaches sometimes, but it has it's uses. Don't worry, I stashed ya horse away too. Ain't no one gonna find her. Names Tilly," She said. "My hound there scared off them bloodrats for a while. Their kind don't stay far for long though."
"Tilly," Gwen repeated, eyes wide. Her gaze flickered to the werewolf. "Hound. Right."
She blinked, then cleared her throat. "You, um, you're a seer?"
"I just get visions sometimes. I wouldn't call myself as seering anything. Come on let's getcha outta that damn cellar," she said, guiding them back up to the ground proper.
By then the room was an empty bloody mess. And there was Tom, idly mopping up the blood, smiling at them and nodding.
Gwen shook her head as she warily crept out into the room. "But why?" She frowned slightly. "Why help us? You don't even know us."
"And what difference does that make. Tcha!" Tilly waved a nonchalant hand to Gwen and she looked to the pair. "He's a nasty one that man. "
"B-but-" She shook her head, eyes wide. "You know what I am, right? I mean- why help someone like me? Someone...not human."
She didn't even realize she'd left Decebal out of that statement.
Decebal knew what she meant, but he didn't take it to heart. He looked at Gwen, content to let her do the talking. And again the woman waved her off.
"Pah, what's human anyway? Don't make you any better than anyone else. Come dears, least I can do is get ya cleaned up. Don't mind the mess, Tom'll fix the door."
Utterly bemused, Gwen twisted to look at Decebal, eyes wide. She shook her head slightly and mouthed, What the hell?
But she followed the woman, slowly and constantly glancing back to make sure Decebal was with her.
Decebal shrugged but he followed the old woman nonetheless. "This is as strange to me as it is to you," he whispered back. He would be the first to be wary of a strange woman, but after what she just did for them, there were definitely worse people to deal with.
"I got a spare room in the back. You're welcome to it dears, we'll see about some munchins." And closed the door quietly behind them.
"Dears." Gwen gave her companion a baffled look. "She keeps calling us dears." With a sharp exhale she sort of flopped back onto the bed in the smallish back room. "Gods. Wake me when things make sense again."
Decebal looked around. There was an oil lamp that hung from the ceiling, it wavered and wiggled as it swayed. It was fully loaded and offered plenty of lighting for the small backroom. The bed was enough for one, but being two, he didn't know how much use they'd have for it.
"I'll admit, it's weird. But...are we really going to extensively question whether or not we can trust her?" he asked in a soft voice. "She did put her life on the line for us..."
"I know, I just-" She shrugged and covered her face with her hands. "I am excessively tired and confused."
Another sigh and she scooched over on the bed so she was pressed against the wall and patted the small space beside her. "C'mere. You must be as tired as I am."
"I am, but I don't think I could sleep after a show like that," he admitted, taking the spot beside her and laying down, staring up at the ceiling. "I didn't think Gerald would turn tail and run, did you?"
Gwen shook her head. "No. I've never seen anything that scared one of them before." She shrugged and turned onto her side to look at him. "They aren't Lorian though- thank gods- they must have some weaknesses."
"I don't suppose sunlight being one of them, is it? But they're only half-breeds. You're not. You're closed in..."
She let out a long sigh. "Right. Sunlight doesn't hurt them. It'll hurt the ferals though, so that's something."
She twisted onto her side to put her back to him. Suddenly, unbidden, she found herself muttering, "You forget how cold it is, y'know? After a while, not being able to stand in the sun...you sort of forget how cold the dark is. And then something happens, and suddenly you remember, and it's all you can think about."
The change of conversation made Decebal turn to her. A curious phrase... And one he found himself sympathizing with. He could feel the heat of the sun of course, knew what it felt like. It did not burn him like holy water did - only on his left arm - however, he knew he couldn't enter a place like a church without feeling ashamed of himself.
But she - she was separated from the rest of the world. Even others of her kind.
He turned on the bed and faced her, leaning on his human shoulder. "Does it...make you feel alone?"
Gwen hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yes," she admitted quietly, curling in on herself a bit more. She wasn't really sure why she had said anything, only that the words had refused to stay inside.
"I guess that's a perfectly normal reaction," he said. "I feel that way too, sometimes. I don't quite blend in..." He shrugged.
"I have no one. And I've reconciled with my loneliness a long time ago. Or, try too most of the time."
She was quiet for a few moments, then with a sigh rolled onto her side and reached out to touch his arm lightly. "Well, you've got me, for what it's worth. For now, at least." She tried for a small smile and squeezed his shoulder gently.
The touches were so unusual for him, and yet not unwelcome. Decebal had never been close with anyone before. Definitely not someone he had threatened to kill on their first meeting. He was okay with being close with Gwen however. They seemed to be in the same boat. They both needed someone, even if it was technically an enemy.
He said nothing, feeling her touch, however dull beneath the disfigured structure his shoulder had become. He leaned forward, perhaps out of thanks, and pecked her cheek gently, a soft kiss that he smiled shyly for afterward.
A blush rose to Gwen's cheeks, alabaster skin coloring to rose pink- which was the equivalent of scarlet on a human, she supposed.
"What was that for?" she muttered, ducking her head shyly.
"For...listening I guess," Decebal said. He knew it was strange enough for him to do just that, but he didn't mind.
"Sorry if it was weird. It was weird for me too. I guess I've just never had the chance to talk with someone like you before. I mean..someone that understands. People say they do, but you know they probably don't. They aren't separate."
"Well...you're welcome I suppose." Still blushing a bit, she glanced up at him with a small smile and shook her head. "It wasn't weird. I just- wasn't expecting it, that's all."
Decebal had been expecting a much worse reaction, and he was extensively relieved when it didn't come.
"Thanks," he said. "You're a good listener."
"You too." Her blush refused to die down and she ducked her head, almost inadvertently snuggling into his chest in her attempt to hide her face.
He didn't know what else to do. So Decebal did what he felt appropriate and he wrapped his arm around her, securing her against his chest. She'd feel his heart reverberating against her head, warmth flooding his body. Day would bring heat, a familiar sensation.
Quite without her conscious permission, Gwen began to doze off. "We, um...we should get back on the road soon," she mumbled through a yawn. "They'll come back. With more ferals. We shouldn't...put these people in danger..."
"I don't think it'd be wise to stay either," he murmured, tired and closing his eyes but for a moment. However, he made no move to get up.
"Decebal." She shook his shoulder gently, then her hand fell tiredly. "C'mon, we gotta move..."
She made no move to get up either though, trying and failing to swallow another yawn before her eyes fluttered closed and she had to force them open again.
"Just ...for a little bit. What could a nap hurt. Don't you think we've traveled enough as it is?" he asked with a loud yawn. He closed his eyes and turned to lay on his back. "Just...go to sleep, Gwen."
"Mmn." Gwen rolled onto her side to give him a bit more room. "Maybe you're right," she admitted in a sleepy mumble as she allowed her eyes to close. Her body felt so heavy, she was almost surprised she was still awake as it was.
He too felt himself drifting off beside the danger imminent around them. He just laid there heavily, wrapping an arm around Gwen, holding her close to him and finally passing out from exhaustion.
Despite her best intentions, Gwen was asleep quickly and deeply. She wasn't sure how much later it was when she opened her eyes and found she'd snuggled even more into the curve of Decebal's body as she slept.
Well. Carefully, she tried to disentangle herself without waking him, moving as slowly as she could.
Decebal was not easily disturbed, and he merely turned when Gwen crawled over him. Tilly opened the door slightly. "Would you care for some tea?" she whispered.
Awkwardly perched half over her companion, one hand braced by his shoulder and her opposite leg still stretched back over his hips, she gave Tilly a sheepish smile and a nod, mouthing, "Thank you."
She considered a moment, then nodded at Decebal. "One for him too, probably." Finally she managed to crawl over him and slip off the bed,
Slipping off of him only made him aware of the bareness beside him. He shivered, but otherwise stayed asleep for the time being.
"So how are you faring?" Tilly whispered,
"We're alright." Gwen shuffled her feet a little awkwardly and almost unconsciously reached out to smooth her hand down Decebal's arm as he shivered. "We're...very grateful, but I don't want to impose too long. We should probably leave soon, it'll be safer for you."
"Do you always consider yourself a burden or do you just not appreciate fortune when it turns its grin upon you?" Tilly asked.
Decebal stirred at the other voice, grunting and sitting up in bed. "How long did we sleep?"
"I-I, um..." Before she could stutter out an answer Decebal starting moving and she turned, grateful for the distraction.
"I'm not sure, actually," she admitted, then glanced at Tilly. "What hour is it?"
"I'd say half past noon near most," she said. "Tom did all the clean up. Believe you me, those hooligans won't be back any time soon. I knows you want to skedaddle, but at least have something to eat first. Except you Gwen, I've got store for ya. Trust me, dealing with Tom makes me savvy enough."
Decebal rose and took Gwen's hand, quite unconsciously, following Tilly out the door. He nodded to Gwen. "We'll leave by nightfall. Until then, I'm actually really hungry."
Gwen started slightly when he took her hand, but she didn't try to pull away. "Alright," she conceded with a small nod. It wasn't like she could travel in the daylight anyway, may as well rest while they had the chance.
Going up toward the mainfloor, the scene was spotless, almost as if there hadn't been a blood bath there just hours earlier. The daylight didn't seem to bring any patrons. And the village had an eerie feel to it. Decebal was worried, although he tried not to show it.
Seeing Tom at the counter, wiping glasses, he waved to him. "Hello. Thanks for what you did for us. I don't know how I can repay you."
But Tom said nothing, and instead just smiled and kept cleaning the glasses.
"He don't speak. Are ya crazy? You know hounds don't speak back," Tilly said, snickering and moving backwards into the kitchens.
Gwen frowned a bit at Tilly's dismissal of the man as a "hound". It felt too much like how she'd been treated since she'd been turned. Unconsciously, she gripped Decebal's hand a little tighter and ducked her head in an effort to hide her expression.
"Thanks, Tom," she murmured in the man's direction, despite what their hostess said.
Tom just smiled again, saying nothing.
Decebal just nodded to Tilly. As they ventured into the kitchen, the smell of freshly cooked food caught his nostrils. His eyes widened, and he felt his mouth water at the scent of freshly cooked bacon.
Once upon a time the smells emanating from the kitchen would have had her drooling. Now she just bit back a sigh- food didn't have the same taste it used to, but at least she could still eat it.
"Why are you being so helpful?" she asked bluntly. "I know you said you saw us, but- why did you care?"
"I...don't know," Tilly admitted. She just shrugged and moved her hands around the pots and pans setting up plates and dishes to serve the pair.
Once the food was out, Decebal took his seat at the table. "So you just decided helping us would...?"
"I dunno, dear. I get the sight sometimes. I can't help everyone out here in this stick village. But I saw you were close. And them there ferals, they was closer. So I decided to actually do somethin'. If you think I might have something up my sleeve, think again. Most of my dresses don't even have sleeves," she chuckled.
Gwen took her own seat a little more hesitantly. "The village doesn't seem that remote," she muttered. "Are...people like Tom common here?"
"Sometimes. They come and they go. But I wouldn't say they're much like Tom. No he's very special. He's my wolf, dear. But few people can accept a wolf walking around in places that aren't wild. So he disguises himself as human. Helps better to blend in, and people don't mind he can't say a word. But he's mindful of his manners, and has learned to wear his sheep clothing well," Tilly explained thoughtfully.
"This place is very strange. I just wonder, you knew to hide us but where did you put Janir?" Decebal asked.
"In a cave a short walk from here. Don't worry, there's plenty of hay and I set her up with a blanket just in case," she said.
"Hmph." Gwen curled in on herself a bit and leaned further back into the chair. "Good. Poor girl's been through a lot already." Her eyes were still partially narrowed, wariness in every line of her body.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Tilly, exactly. She just kept expecting something to go wrong.
Tilly sighed, cleaning her hands on her dress. "Well, if ya two need anythin' I'm just a room away. Or ask Tom. He can get it fer ya too."
She bowed her head and left.
Decebal eyed the food on his plate, not quite comfortable with eating just yet. And yet unable to resist the urge to dig in. So he took some bacon and bit it tentatively. He knew Gwen's look. "Well, it doesn't taste poisoned."
"Would it?" She snorted and shook her head wryly. "Nah, I'm just paranoid. Besides, I don't really...eat anymore. You go ahead."
Decebal chuckled, and did just that. When he finished, after eating quietly for a few minutes, he looked up at Gwen.
"So are you hungry again? I know you need to feed at some point. Can't have you going blood-crazed on me?" he said with a smirk.
Gwen scowled at him and rolled her eyes. "Are you offering?" she quipped. "I hardly think Janir would be thrilled if I fed from her."
"I am," he said flatly. "If you need it. Your vampirism likely won't affect me so I'm not worried. But you need to communicate with me."
"I-" Her voice choked off and she blinked.
With a sharp sigh, she glanced away. "It won't...affect you. Not as long as you don't drink from me in return." She scrubbed her hand down her face, then admitted quietly, "I'm tired, Decebal."
She glanced back at him. "It's harder. When I'm running, fighting, if I don't get enough sleep, I get hungry faster. So yeah. I'm...thirsty." She lowered her eyes again. "But I can manage, for a while."
"I think managing is all we've been doing. We need to try and get ahead. If we can anyhow," he said. He took her cup and drank whatever was in it, using a blade he had at his side and taking it across his palm, the blood dripping out into the cup.
He made a small face of discomfort before sliding it over to her and nursing his palm.
"I-" Gwen hissed in a breath as he cut his palm, looking away as her eyes flashed deeper scarlet. She covered her nose and mouth with a hand and tried not to breath until he slid the cup toward her.
She downed the contents in one gulp. It wasn't much, but it was enough to tide her over, at least for a day. She hoped. "Thanks," she mumbled, refusing to look at him.
"Is something wrong?..." He looked at her after he'd wrapped his hand in a cloth beside them. "Is it that terrible tasting?"
She gave a jerky shake of her head. Actually it was sort of the opposite- but she didn't want to think about that.
"Don't worry about it." She ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh and forced herself to look at him and give a small nod. "Um, thanks."
"Oh, okay," he said with a shrug. He chuckled and looked at their place settings although she hadn't touched any of her food. "This is the first time I've ever had...a meal with someone, in years. It's strange."
She offered him a shaky soft of smile and arched an eyebrow. "Here, do you want this?" She pushed her plate toward him a bit. "I'm not going to eat it, doesn't make sense to waste it."
He looked at her, not sure if she was serious. But it didn't take much thought to realize that she was right. And he pulled the plate forward and scraped the food onto his plate, and ate small bites of it. He didn't want to seem like a pig, just scarfing it all down.
"So you were just going to keep running?" he asked idly, snapping some bacon between his teeth.
Gwen blinked, a little surprised by the question. "What- you mean, before you...found me?" she asked with a tilt of her head and a small frown.
"Yeah," he murmured. "What were you going to do?"
"I guess...yeah. Keep running." She shrugged and dropped her eyes. "What else could I do? I'd...run as long as I could, I suppose."
"Really? That...sounds rough," he said. "What if they caught you?"
Another shrug. "Then they caught me. And Lorian... Well, Lorian wins." She glanced up at him and shook her head slightly. "It wasn't really a matter of surviving, Decebal. It was just...delaying the inevitable."
"Then we should do something about that," Decebal said. "What do you know about Lorian? What did he plan when he caught you again?"
For a long moment she just stared at him. Then she answered bluntly, "A baby. He wants a fully vampire child, not another dhampir, and apparently something about me makes me a good candidate."
The very thought made his stomach turn. He almost choked on his eggs at what she said and he managed to swallow it down on a dry throat.
"You can't be serious," he muttered. "How could he even manage that?"
Gwen shrugged, eyes on the table. "I don't know. He never actually told me how, just...that it was going to happen."
She shook her head with a quiet snort. "I'm not even sure how dhampirs happen, let alone what he wants."
"That is a revelation certainly," he said with a nod. He grew quiet for the moment and reached across to grip her hand. "We'll find a way to stop Lorian. Though it may seem it, he isn't invincible. Everyone has their weakness."
She started a bit and looked down at his hand on hers, brow furrowed and lips right. "If you say so," she murmured after a long moment, hesitantly squeezing his hand back.
He wished he could believe everything he just said. He wished he didn't sound as if he were simply spouting out empty words. But he was a dogged hunter, and he didn't make empty promises. He finished the rest of the food on his plate, feeling his belly grow full. With a cough he drank the rest of the tea and stood up.
"I suppose I shouldn't just leave Tilly for the clean up. We should find Janir and make ask about the area. See where we are better," he suggested.
"Yeah, right." She smiled- small and tired, but it was a smile- and got to her feet as well. "I'm right behind ya."
Going out into the kitchens, Decebal found Tilly scratching Tom on his head and behind his ears. He was smiling, eyes closed, and incredibly pleased.
He cleared his throat.
"Oh sorry, dears? How can I help ya now? Yer full yes?" she asked. Tom took his leave, nodding to them and heading for the broom closet.
"Yes we were wondering what you can tell us about the area?"
Gwen trailed after Decebal, tilting her head at Tilly and Tom but refraining from making a comment, and nodded slowly. "And Janir, we should check on her."
"Janir is out back. She's safe. I can take ya too her, but it's still plenty light out. Here's Frear Hollow. we're about oh- twenty miles into the border of Moonspear. Why?" she looked at Gwen.
She shrugged and shuffled her feet a bit. "We're, um...heading in that direction. Got a bit turned around."
"Ya don't need to lie to me," Tilly said gently. She put a soft hand on Gwen's shoulder. "Or stretch the truth. We're a village of refugees of sorts. From all over. Tom there is a werewolf. More wolf than man so he don't speak. Me...I know things, sometimes. Can see into the future. Visions sometimes don't make sense. But I try to help people like me, like yourselves, whenever I can. And Tom hates vampires."
Decebal finally understood now. But the woman still didn't answer the question. "We're looking for a holy place deep in Moonspear. A place where vampires can't cross into. Do you know where we might find it?"
At the words "Tom hates vampires" Gwen shifted uncomfortably and sidled a little closer to Decebal. She kept quiet, hoping Tully would give them an affirmative answer and they could be on their way.
It wasn't so much that she didn't appreciate the hospitality, but at this point she was ready for this hunt to be over.
"Afasel's Landing," Decebal said. "Have you heard of the place?"
Tilly blinked at the pair. "Only in legend. Why?"
"Because it's a place we need to find. Where we can help my friend Gwen here be free of her master, Lorian Croft," Decebal replied. He didn't see any point in lying to the woman. She'd helped them easily enough.
However her face blanched at the name he had mentioned. Tilly took in a deep breath and waved her hands to them. "Excuse me for a moment, please."
Gwen blinked at Tilly's reaction, glancing up at Decebal. "Um..." She shifted uncomfortably. "Was it something we said?" she muttered out of the corner of her mouth to her companion, one eyebrow quirked up.
"Probably. Do you think she knows how Lorian Croft is?" he asked pointedly. Decebal waited a few seconds to see if Tilly would come back. "You said Lorian has lived a lot longer than you. I imagine he's made quite a few enemies in his past? Any that you know of?"
She shrugged helplessly. "I don't really know- other vampires didn't like him, but they respected him. Well, I guess it's better to say they're afraid of him. I didn't really see him interact with anyone but the other vampire lords."
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.]
[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."
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."
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."
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.
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.
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.
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."
"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?"
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."
"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.
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?"
"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.
"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."
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."
"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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
Decebal was taken aback and when she drew her gaze up to his neck he kept his arm out to brace her with some distance. He didn't completely push her off, however, and he turned his neck away from her. Instead he ducked his head in and pressed his lips to hers.
Gwen's eyes widened, the shock of the kiss snapping her out of the haze of bloodlust. She was frozen for a moment, fingers digging into his shoulders as her grip tightened and her body shivered with tension.
Then she melted, kissing him back with a gentleness that was surprising compared to the ferocity of her feeding.
Ferocity aside now, and Decebal found himself responding to her touch, her kiss, and even then he could slowly feel his arm heal those bite marks she'd torn into him. A soft moan and he wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging lightly at her lips.
"Gwen," he breathed, her name soft and rolling off his tongue between kisses. After a few seconds of deliberation, he slipped his tongue within to taste the hollows of her mouth, never once wanting to pull away.
Her breath hitched and the vampire closed her eyes, a soft moan caught in her throat when she heard him breathe her name. "Decebal," she murmured in response, another gasp slipping passed her lips as he deepened the kiss.
A shiver rippled through her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, twisting so she was practically perched on his lap.
Gods she shouldn't be doing this. It was such a bad idea. But she couldn't seem to stop, desperate for the sense of touch, craving affection like it was air and she was drowning. Her hands slid down his spine, feeling the lean muscles of his back with a soft groan as she pressed closer.
He wanted her then and there, and through hungered kisses, Decebal only gazed up at her for permission to take her. His human hand cupped the side of her face, his lips lingering down to kiss throat. They were soft tender tastes, and he breathed heavily against her.
Did it have to mean anything? Could not two souls yearn for the touch of another? Decebal didn't question it, and he only held her firmly against him, pausing but a moment to pull the shirt off his back and cast it aside.
The silent question sent an electric tingle through her body and Gwen paused, panting gently as she looked down into his eyes.
A very small smile curved at her lips and she leaned into his palm before twisting her head to kiss it. Her hands swept up his back once his shirt had been discarded, then moved to the hem of her own tunic and tugged it off easily.
For once she wasn't going to question this. She just wanted to be close to someone, close to him. She leaned back into him, feathering kisses over his neck and nipping delicately at his skin- not a threat of a bite this time, something more playful, and full of a different kind of hunger.
The chills that coursed through his body made him momentarily breathless. It had been some time since he shared his body with another. Normally once a person got a good look at him, his physicality was far too off-putting to form any sort of attraction. None, of course, would have more repulsion toward his form than he to himself.
Decebal simply opened his neck for her to taste and laid back against the bed, pulling her up and over him. He reached up to grasp her breasts firmly in hand, feeling the coolness of her flesh, wanting to make her feel as good as she made him in this moment. Tearing away just a moment, he leaned upward and pressed lips to her breasts, lapping at them, tasting the hardened points as he his other hands felt along her form.
"Mm!" Gwen's body hitched slightly at the unexpected movement and she blinked down at him. Her breath came in sharp little bursts and she closed her eyes and moaned quietly, arching her back to press closer.
Twisting to get a better angle, she dove back into kissing him, fierce and hungry, a soft growl rumbling in her chest. "Gods, Decebal," she murmured, nuzzling into the crook of his neck as she kissed along his jaw. Her hands slid down to his waist, eagerly exploring exposed skin.
A soft moan, deep hitched breaths and shivers coursing through every fiber of his body.
Decebal hadn't felt this vulnerable before, and he responded to her touch with equal fervor. He chuckled a little as her weight pressed down on him on the bed, and his hand briefly pulled away so that he could wriggle out of his trousers, undoing them with what little space could be found between their bodies.
"That's much better," he breathed, coaxing her hand down to touch his hip, and down further, wanting her to explore him.
Her smile widened, cheeks dusting pink, and she wrapped her fingers around him carefully, almost testing.
"Touch me," she murmured as she leaned down over him for another kiss, starting to pump her hand up and down. Her other hand moved to his demonic arm, drawing his hand up so she could kiss his palm, eyes locked on his.
Her hand, though cool, brought chills up his body. He watched her grasp his member firmly, tugging at him, and he shivered, biting his lower lip, panting.
Lips met hers again, desperate, and his body was flushed with heat. "Yes, milady," he breathed, smirking between kisses and pushing away the rest of his clothing, until he found her heat, letting his human hand down between them. He kissed her still, coaxing her leg apart, and pressing fingers inside her.
Gwen's eyes fluttered closed and she moaned quietly, quickly discarding the small remainder of her clothing to remove the last barriers between them.
She kissed him back hungrily, her hips rocking forward against his hand as she continued to stroke the length of him gently, her other hand moving to tangle her fingers through his hair as she nipped lightly at his lower lip.
"Oh gods," she murmured, pressing her face into the curve of his shoulder. Her hips twisted and bucked almost without her conscious consent, searching for heat and friction.
Rocking her hips made his hand slip deeper inside her. He didn't know why but she was wet and he kept up his motions, slipping a third finger within her and gripping her firmly against him. Hw could feel her body quiver and it only made him ache for her all the more.
Decebal flushed and rolled them over so that she was laid out on her back, and he gently coaxed her hands away from him. He slipped down, pressing hungered kisses down her belly and letting his fleshed hand grasp her left breast.
He only briefly looked at her before he bent his head down to taste her clit, gently sucking on it between her legs. His demon hand found fingers deep inside her folds, moving to the rhythm of her body, holding nothing in reserve.
Her eyes widened and she gasped softly, then clapped a hand over her mouth, suddenly remembering that Tilly and Tom would hear them if they weren't careful.
Still, she closed her eyes with a soft groan and whispered, "Oh gods, yes..." One hand slid down to grip his hair gently and her hips hitched slightly as he lavished attention on her, a small whimper caught in her throat.
He pressed his face against her sex, tasting her until her body trembled on the edge of ecstasy. Only then did he find enough desire to pull away and kiss her form, dragging warm lips over her until he reached her face once more. Decebal grinned and kissed her once more, perhaps even a bit possessively.
His hands guided her legs around him and he pressed his manhood against her folds, slipping within by a mere shift of his hips. "Gwen," he murmured. "You feel so good. So wonderful."
Gwen wriggled and arched under his attentions, panting lightly as she felt herself drawing closer and closer to the edge, so enraptured she gave a soft whine of frustration at first when he pulled away.
Then he was trailing kisses back up her body, her legs wrapped easily around his waist, her hips hitched up as they connected and oh gods she'd forgotten what this felt like. Or maybe she'd never quite felt anything like this, she wasn't sure.
"You're- gods." She took a breath, eyes closed tight for a moment. "Perfect, Decebal," she breathed, blinking and looking up at him. Her arms twined gently around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss as she rocked her hips into his languidly, moaning against his lips.
They had plenty of time to savor, and there was no need for them to rush the act. The more care to the process that Decebal took, the more he found he enjoyed it. She made his belly ache with need and he twitched and trembled with the urge to control his motions.
He nestled easily within the confines of her body, gloving his member like a second skin. Stoking the fire slowly, sharing his body heat with one who lacked it, he continied to roll his hips against hers one deep slow thrust at a time.
Within a few motions Gwen was trembling again, heat pooling low in her body as little shivers ran up her spine and pleasure thrilled through her. She hissed in a breath as she learned his rhythm and fell into sync with him, rocking her hips to meet his in deep, languid rolls.
Lips were made raw with hungered kisses and as Decebal felt the heal rolling inside of her body, a strange sensation to the normal coolness he felt, he too trembled with growing ecstasy. He quaked and groaned deeply, stealing her mouth with his, sealing it, and clasping her too him when he shuddered suddenly, and felt himself burst within her, holding her to him in that rush of body heat.
Gwen's back arched and she muffled a cry by biting down lightly on Decebal's shoulder, giving a few abortive jerks of her hips as she went tumbling over the edge moments after him. Her body tensed and shuddered and she mewed softly, lapping and kissing at the bite mark she'd left on his skin as she settled back down into the bed.
The bite she left made Decebal quiver over her and he relaxed his form over hers. He was flush with heat and sweating from their rutting.
"Gods," he panted, kissing her neck and shoulder. "It's been....a while." He chuckled before shifting off of her and to the side, brushing a hand along her cheek.
The vampire was panting lightly as she turned onto her side to face him, stroking his arm absently. She leaned into the touch to her cheek, twisting her head to kiss his palm.
"I...know what you mean," she murmured with a small smile. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink and her normally chill skin was actually warm to the touch.
"I feel so strange," he said. "Do you feel strange? I mean... like...relieved. Even if it's just for now. I haven't felt peace in a long time. Thank you."
He smiled gently and brushed his thumb along the underside of her lips. "You're beautiful. I don't know how anyone could attempt to crush you who you were. You don't deserve that."
The faint blush dusting her cheeks burned hotter and she ducked her eyes. Absently, she tilted her head to press a kiss to the pad of his thumb.
"Thank you," she murmured, not quite sure what else to say. A little hesitantly, she reached out to lay her hand on his arm, wanting to extend the contact between them. "I...think I know what you mean. About...feeling relieved."
He smiled, chuckling at her awkwardness. And his to mostly. "When most women look at me, they see my arm...and see a monster," he said gently. "I don't blame them. I see one too. But, it does make for a rather lonely existence."
Gwen frowned. Silently, she reached out and took his inhuman hand with hers, drawing it closer to press a small kiss to his knuckles.
"You're not a monster," she said firmly but quietly. "I know monsters, and you aren't one." She kissed his wrist, feeling his pulse but for once not tempted to bite.
The soft gentle touches brought chills to Decebal's skin and he got goosebumps the more she touched him and he leaned into her touch. Decebal twisted his neck, craning his face in to kiss her softly.
"You're not either. You're definitely not what I expected.... I like you Gwen...I really do. I never thought we'd end up like this though." He grinned, not disappointed in the slightest.
She chuckled quietly and returned the kiss softly. "Can't say I was exactly expecting this either," she murmured, scarlet eyes glinting as she snuggled a little closer.
She knew they would have to move soon, but for now she would take advantage of the closeness.
Decebal relished that quiet moment and pulled away when they had to go. Lingering here any longer would just make it harder to leave. Tom was waiting for them once they were dressed and ready to go.
Tom gestured for them to get their horse and Tilly followed them out. "You better take care dears," Tilly said and pulled Gwen into a tight embrace.
Feeling a little awkward considering what had just happened, Gwen gave Tilly a small pat on the back and her best approximation of a smile.
"Thank you for all your help," she said sincerely as she stepped back to Decebal's side again.
Tilly also pulled Decebal into a firm hug and gave the demon hunter a kiss on the cheek and pulled Janir from the stables with an apple in hand. The horse munched on it here and there, while she was saddled and mounted.
"Be safe. And keep my Tom safe, won't you?" she said, and turned to her hound, where she hugged him too, and promptly slapped him so that he was wider awake in that cool evening.
Tom nodded to Tilly and kissed her cheek. Soon they were off, Decebal guiding Janir by the reins and letting Tom lead the way.
Gwen winced and growled at the slap, but she mounted Janir silently and pulled Decebal up behind her once they were on their way.
She kept glancing toward the eastern horizon, getting edgier and edgier as the night ticked by.
"What's wrong?" Decebal murmured, noticing her fidgeting. "You feeling on edge?"
Decebal shared the sensation although he didn't voice it. Not right away. "You worried about Tom?"
She sighed and admitted, "A little." Another glance skyward. "I'm also kinda worried about finding shelter before dawn..."
"We'll be okay," Decebal replied. "I believe we can make shelter as needed. But Tom... I think he has a few scores to settle. I really don't think we have to worry about him."
She grumbled a halfhearted affirmative and flicked her eyes to the wolf again, then away with a soft sigh. "Well, it's not as though we can send him back," she murmured, frowning slightly.
"You're concerned for his safety then?" Decebal countered curiously. "I don't think he'll allow himself to get into anymore danger than he has to for our sake. Even if he has a score to settle, he doesn't strike me as the kind of wolf that would let himself simply be murdered."
Gwen sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I know, I just..." She huffed and glanced away. "I hate dragging people into this with me."
Decebal was bad enough- though to be fair, he hadn't so much been dragged as he had...jumped into the middle.