Trousers of time
Part 1
The city of Ankh Morepork was currently expensing spring , that is to say, the turgid bown green and grey colour of the river ankh was now turning from mealy the colour of ick to a luminous colour of ick. Other than that there wasn't much of a change.
Sam Vimes steered at himself in the mirror over the basin, yes that was his refection, he recognised the glare. Recently he had found himself spending more and more time looking in mirrors. Not out of vanity of cores. It was just well…to check if he was still there, to check if he hadn't become someone else overnight. His skin was starting to look like it had belonged to someone else, someone a size up from Vimes. And his hair look worn out, grey was defiantly trying to become the new brown, and skin was patiently trying to become the new hair.
Vimes sighed and got back to shaving. Movement behind him in the slightly convex mirror got his attention. He ducked suddenly. Who was it? The assassins? or had his work followed him home again? Nothing happened. He glanced around to see his young son looking at his daddy with a triumphant look on his face. He held aloft his treasure and proclaimed "horsey!"
Vimes blinked and looked at the wooden goat in the chubby figures. "goat." he corrected. The boy froze looking perplexed. He looked at the beast again more sorrowfully. "goat."
Vimes stud up and ruffled the toddler's hair. Before turning back to the mirror and the task at hand.
Jr. Sam still looking downcast that his big profoments in front of his farther had been misguided , toddled out.
Vime sighed again, that boy got everywhere, it was much easier when he couldn't walk. Vimes had recently spent one long afternoon exacting his son from the crawl space in-between the walls. Gods knew how he had got in.
Vimes finished with the razor, and wiped the remaining suds from his face today was not going to be a good day he could feel it.
He woke up, he was liying on a stone floor. Funny he thought, in his experience if he woke on the floor not knowing where he was or how he had got there, it was normally accompanied by a massive hangover. He tried to sit up, but there was a weight on his chest that growled in protest. That's when panic stuck him. "How many times do I have to tell you not to use me as a pillow? You know the trouble it coursed when the Times got hold of a pitcher of you hugging me. They would have a bloody picnic if they got a pitcher of you snuggling in to me like this" he said pushing her off him.
"wasn't snuggling." she yawned "any way the times only hinted that we might be doing stuff . The Quibbler still goes on about it, they say we have like seven kids together witch are kept secretly locked away in the palace. Because they can only eat human flesh .I'm sure impossible unless I hit puberty at nine or something. But in there little fantasy world its probably did" She blinked sleepily at their surroundings. Her eyes were much better in the dark than his. The small room was basically a stone box there was straw on the floor and a big iron door. It seemed to be made to make the occupant fell as claustrophobic as possible, walst still making the room big enough to gat properly cold. "What the hell just happened?"
"I don't know. and don't say hell, it unbecoming. all this talk of puberty and eat humans has to stop."
"I think it is perfectly justifiable under to say hell the circumstances. And im sure my mother has eaten people before." She still seemed half asleep .
"Okay, let me think. We just woke up. we don't know where we are. We're in the dark, smells like its damp. It's cold… have we been kidnapped?"
"Yes but…well, was that thing with that old man real, or was I dreaming?"
"If you were dreaming then we might have had the same dream."
"That son of a-"
"Aurelia Language!"
"I'm allowed to say that one! I call my brother it all the time."
"effectually yes. But if you use it as a swear than no you're not allowed to say it."
"Hey .You have no right to limit my vocabulary." She muttered irritated. "its treasonous."
"You always say that I'm committing treason, whenever I do things you don't like."
"That, kind of the idea yes."
"Well whatever, I most have committed treason over a thousand time hand I haven't been thrown in jail yet."
"Until, now." She muttered.
"What your acutely going to press charges?" he said sarcastically.
"What no! I mean we are in prison right now. Well a cell anyway. Smells like it's for the inebriated." She seemed unsure about something. "On treacle mine road…I think." Her brows knitted, Something was wrong, not just that they were kidnapped, that could be dealt with easily. It nagged at her. Something basic wasn't wright and she didn't like it.
"You think? I thought you could tell were you were in the city at all times. what's with all this I think baseness?"
"I don't know it just seem different somehow." She scratched behind her ear nervously, like she always did when she was worried.
"How?"
"I don't think I can explain so that you can understand. It's like the city is still mine and not at the same time."
"Did you hit your head? Or maybe we were drugged and its taking longer to were of on you because you're smaller."
"I don't think so, and if there were sedative in anything I would know." She sighed "let's just get out of here I don't like this feeling. It's like not quite belonging…yet."
Carrot sat finishing of his report as the babul in the canteen washed over him. He was at the stage where he would go back and sprinkle the page with comers were it looked to blank. He smiled to himself. It looked better now all he would have to do was read it.
"Slow night isn't it, dose the hart good, to see a slow night for once." Said Fred Colon plonking a hot mug of tea down beside him. "'cors there's always the feeling that their all somewhere together plotting how to really stick it to us."
"I don't think it works like that Fred." Said carrot politely.
"you mark my words, by the end of the week we'll be up to our ears in assholes." Said Fred taking a warm glug of sweet tea.
"thank you Fred I will keep that in mind."
"Hello, Anyone out there?" Aurelia nocked on the iron door it echoed ominously. There was no antsier. "what did you do that for! don't draw attention to us!" He squeaked and grabbed her arm "if they have captured us then they might not be very nice people. Might even torcher us if they know we're awake."
"the darkness getting to you Sammy?" she scorned but not to unkindly , gently trying prying his figures from her wrist. All that talk before had just been to keep him calm he hated the dark, so much that he still had a night light, she didn't really understand it. All she knew was that it terrified him. "so, What do you suggested we do then."
"hey. It's okay for you with you stupid night vision. But I can barely see a thing. You don't know what that's like!" he heard her shrug. "just brake down the door or something."
"what just like that. I'm sure it belongs to someone-"
"just do it!" he yelled, His face was pale with fear. She sighed and tured back to the door "fine. But we realy need to sort out this sceared of the dark baseness, you know."
He heard her grunt There was the creake and grown of metal, then light poured in.
Nobby nobs who had herd the nocking and had come to investigait was just in time to witness the door of the cell buckled and peeled back like a tin of sardines. "oh, good morning, sorry about the door. But it was in the way." Nobby doped the biscuit that was half way to his mouth. A young lady stood there looking slightly embarrass. "err, I'm sure my family will pay for any damages iv caused. They live in the-"
A younge man darted white faced past the girl steered at him. Then the boy punching nobby square in the nose. Before grabing the girls arm "come on Aurelia, now is not the time to be polite." They were gone before nobby regained his senses.
"this way."
Sammy sprinted along the dark, dank corridor Aurelia kept pace just behind. Up the steare and…into a room full of trolls, humans and dwafs, all of which was armed. There was a very orkword silence. Then the sound of a sword getting drawn. Aurelia slowly and deliberately stepped in front of him and then grind at the crowed.
Sam vimes looked down at his dress uniform miserably, there were plumes, there was feathers, there was embroidery and frogging with lase. But above all there was tiyts. How he loathed his old enemy! They lay there with all the ordasity that the red tytes could muster. No matter how hard he stared at them they wouldn't go away. He gave up and forced himself to put them on before, Sybil had time to scold him for not doing so. sat on the bed chewing the foot of a toy elephant. Vimes sighed at his son "what most you think of me. Dressed like a clown but without the licence." He ruffled the boys hair again "this isn't me you know, the real me wouldn't be going out to posh party's thoughn by the putition. No the real Sam Vimes would be out there with real people. Doing real things like stopping murderers and unlicensed thieves and actually making a different. Not stand around a bunch of old farts I don't know and putting up with their bloody bigotry. Because they don't live in the real world and have never met real people." He sraghtened up as Sybil walked in a vision in pink, that is if your vision was obstuckied by a rather dumpy woman of a sirton age, wearing what appears to be a wedding cake with pink frosting.
"sam you look absalutly smashing." She said picking up the toddler. "now then mummy and daddy have to go to a party but you have to stay here and be a good boy." Planting a kiss on his head before She said passin the child to the maid who was dithering in the door way.
"oh sam please try to lighten up, it's a party after all."
Carrot stood up slowly the room had gone quit quirt. somebody had already unsheathed there sword this wasn't a good sign. He took a breth to begin speaking but was cut off. "sorry about this," the voice came from the girl, it was hard to tell her age she seemed to be somewhere between 16 and 20. She wore her hair long, it was red but had been sub bleached in places to almost blond. carrot guest that she probably wasn't human due to her ears, which were pointy, she could be some kind of elf. The boy on the other hand was almost certainly human, aged about 20,21 .he was about average height but seemed taller. His hare was dark brown almost black, his cloths suggested that he was from a well of family. he wore a look of uncertain terror on his face. For reasons unknown to Carrot he completely and utterly disliked the boy. Witch was a surprise.
The girl coft nervously "me and my friend here just woke up in one of your cells, which I must say you keep quite clean. And kind of panicked. But as you can see it was all just a miss understanding, also there's a fellow down there who could probably do with some help, he's got a bit of a bloody nose. Now we should probably leave before we get in to even more tubal." She grind out of imbursement blushing slightly at the attention. Mutterers of agreement came from the crowed as they stared to get back to work or whatever they had been doing to avoid work.
Carrot seared as the two figures made their way unhindered to the door. She had practically admitted to vanilisume of police property and to assaulting an officer. And now they were making their way to the door was if nothing had happened. "stop! In the name of the law!"
They both tern around and looked at him. "is that my-"the girl began. "doesn't matter, run!"
Sam vimes watched as the little silver balls of chocolate were handed out. And lessened to the insane prattling of an old man saying how he didn't mind dwarves to much as long as they washed up a bit and stopped eating rats they were practically people. It was all though dammed trolls fault. Witch was accompanied by a general mutter of agreement. He hated these dam human surmises they made his blood boil and his knuckles itch.
"oh there you are sam." He turned in releafe at the distraction of his wifes voise. "have you met Avocard yet he's just moved here from Ubavald."
His heart sank, as he watch his wife swan off leveeing the vampire behind. she had just made things ten times worse, not only did he have to be polite to a bunch of basterdes who judge people by speeches , now he had to be polite to a bloody vampire as well. He realised what he had just thought and felt ashamed with himself.
"a vampire ah. Well at least you fellers have manners." Said a cracked voice of the man who thought dwarfs were practically people. Vimes noticed the black ribbion pind to the vampires shirt and relacsed a little. He forst himself to smile and hoped it didn't look as fake as it felt. "so avocard was it? Whats brought you to ankh morepork?"
"if I am truthfull, the lack of angry mobs with touches and pitch forks." He said sipping what vimes hoped was wine from his glass.
Peter Rooberts was a grosser, he hadn't wanted to be, he had wanted to be an actor. He would have been good at it to. But then his farther died and he had inherited the job. Just like his farther had inherited the job from his farther. he sighed. He had just finished stacking the cabbages at the front of his market stall, wondering over the grater mysteries of life: Like if there was anyone out there who lived a more boring, depressing and mundane life than he.
That's why he didn't deserve it when a mad eyed youth cannoned in to him, pushing him to ground, screaming breathlessly "a horse where did he get a bloody horse from!" as he tried to get to his feet A girl jumped over him saying "borrowed it from someone back there. Just concentrate on making tight corners and look out for narrow alleys and we should lose him." And then they were gone, lost in the crowed.
Peter picked up one of the cabbages that had fallen on the ground, dusted it off and put it back on the pile. "youngsters." he snorted.
He admired his handy work, it wasn't a stage but it was good to put on a good showe for the customers, he fancied that it look very artistic. Then the stall exploded in a mass of splinters cabbage, horse and captain carrot.
Sammys lungs were on fire, his leged ached and his head was swimming. Worst of all he could hear hoof beats not far behind . Aurelia pulled up beside him, he looked at her she wasn't even breathing heverly." you take the ally on to Cunning Artefacts and I will draw him away. Meet me at the brass bridge. Okay, latters" she let herself fell behind.
The mouth of the ally came up .Dam it, he hated leaving her like this it felt like betrayal. He ducked in. he looked out and watched Aurelia make a long ark in the opposite direction. The horse and rider got within feet of her, before she sped up and was lost from sight. The horse and watchman close behind her.
Buildings wiped past her .Dam it she was right, this place was wrong. It was ankh morepork, but it was wrong. It was dirty, dingy and stank! It shouldn't be like this. Her bier feet splashed though puddle of what she hoped was mud. And that guy on the horse smelt like…but it wasn't…Dam!
Okay, that was long enough time for Sammy to get away.
She sweved violently chusing a wall at random rebouned off it, dived toward the horse. The beast reaed on it hined legs, The rider despratly try to control it.
Aurelia stepped clammy in to the crowd, letting it flowed around her and following its tide until she was lost in it.
Okay, now all she would have to do was fined Sammy and… dam the watch man was wading through the crowed towars her.
She took to her heels.
Angua arrived at the satiation after completing her rounds, just in time to see Nooby nobs nursing a bloody nose. He both trying to mop up the blood and smoke a dog end at the same time. He seemed to be failing at both. Fred colon was brewing a kettle, which seemed to be the fifth he had on today. "What happened to you." she said helping herself to some tea. Colon grin "he got beaten up by a girl."
Not surprising, knowing the stuff Nobby got up to, Angua said in the practice of her own head.
"It wasn't the girl, it was this guy-"
"yeah, and I bet there were three of them, and they were really big, and armed and you managed to take down two, of them but the last one got a lucky hit?" said Angua who was used to Nobbys stories. Nobby looked at her blankly "no, there was just the one, ouch. All I know is if it was the girl who hit me I would be dead. Ouch. There wasn't even meant to be anyone in that cell. Ouuuchhh!" he groaned wretchedly.
"Nobby what are you talking about?"
"Go check your self, carrots out looking for them."
"Looking for who?"
The vampire grinned his sharp white fangs flashed in the light. "and that's why the black ribbon is so use full, it helps people to relax around you and stops them diving for the stake and holy water." The group chuckled, Vimes groaned. Why did vampires get accepted so easily! He knew some of these men who disliked other coulers of human and here they were chuckling along with a vampire. Were was the sense in that!
If there's a god out there spear me this small talk. Thought Vimes. Or maybe there was a god out there and he was dead and this was his eternal punishment. It had seemed to be going on for ever.
There was a crash, one of the long high window imploded. A figure stud up in the carnage and glanced nervously arrowed.
Aurelia cursed herself for coming here; it was the move a friend child would make. And she was all sliced up now, it hurt but she was more worried Sammy would lecture her again about ruing her cloths. But that watchman just wouldn't give up would he, it was actually getting annoying now. she became aware that there was a lot of people looking at her.
"sorry about that."
Colon stared in horror at the mass of twisted metal designed to keep drunken trolls in. The cell door hung off its hinges squeaking gently in the breeze. "Told you. Wasn't just my imagination, was it." Said Nobby carefully examining the contents of his handkerchief. Angua ran her hand alone the still warm metal, you could see figure print were it had been griped. "And carrots gone after whatever this thing is? Alone?"
"well you know carrot. You can always rely on car-owww! I think I just restarted it."
"Well maybe you shouldn't pick at –Fred are you ok?"
Colon had gone very quiet. his soldiers were shaking "I bloody knew it! Just one quite day, just one day! and then there all against you! All them screaming away, plotting! Oh and what a plot they is a plotting, I can tell you! Plotting how to stand in front of you and stab you in the back, that's what they're doing! Plotting stuff like were to put thing you're going to stand bare foot in the midal of the night so they can put hair brushes down! Plotting to move your keys when you know you put them down for just a sec and then there gone! Plotting to steal reasons out of your head so you can't remember why you went up steers in the first place! assholes right in are bloody ears." he stood there red in the face breathing heavily.
"um, Nobby why don't you take Fred up stares for a sit down and a biscuits?" Nobby nodded slowly his nose forgotten about.
After they were gone with mutters of "its bloody typical" and "plotters the lot of them!" She stared refrctivly in silence for a minute before getting to work. It was always easier to work without having to worry about someone peeking at you. There was a clang as her brest plate hit the floor. The tight squeezing sensation of the change in morphic field. Then the world was a light with scents and sound only a lupine can expirents. There was the rich dark and yet daserling smell of nobbys blood, the sharp blue sent of Freds anger. The mixture of sounds and sents coming from upstairs in a swirling rainbow of couler. Now we can tell what we're dealing with she thought.
She took a nose full of the air of the cell, the floor the door. There was the normal smell of acid and brimstone associated with drunken trolls …but. There was the smell of hot red fear, human. That wasn't all there, and It was odd the smell dint make scents; her nose said that she had been there and carrot and Vimes's boy. It just didn't make any…not quite baby Sam a little different, older, an older brother? No surly stone-face wouldn't have had a son he didn't know about. Would he? And Nobby had mentched someone ells but she couldn't pick up that sent at all. There was an odd nagging feeling in the back of her head, but it…nothing made scenes.
She looked at the door, if her nose wasn't helping than perhaps good, old fashioned policing would.
Sammy was getting worried, Aurelia was wright this place was wrong. He looked down at the water and wished he hadn't. Sammy had made sure to tored the city frequently, as his farther had done before him, so that he could see and meet real people with real live. But it had been nothing as bad as this. And the stench; he wondered how his friend was dealing with that. Looking up at the grate stone hippo, if he remembered correctly if the city was in real danger the eight hippopotamuses on the brass bridge were supposed to run away. He never liked that story, besides hippos were furiously territorial and would put up a fight if someone tried to invade. Anyway this one didn't look like it could run anywhere, not under all that painted and with all its toes chipped off.
Aurelia was taking her time, not that he doubted her abilities at all. Well maybe a little tinny. She had probably been distracted he told himself, she had a habit of forgetting what she was doing. He heaved a sigh; she was just like a kid really.
And that glared had looked like… but that was imposable. Maybe her farther had been unfaithful, he told himself. he hated Aurelia farther with a passion, the man was always there watching him, with that look in his eye witch and that slight grin that said: I have the power to have you killed, so be a good boy and keep your hands were I can see them. Not that i was going to do anything anyway, Sammy hastily added. He liked the idea of catching the man out like this. However that might cause his friends family to break up and that would cause more pain and trouble than it was worth.
The thick gloopy mess that called itself the river ankh started making a guttural slurping sound as the tide began to come in. the sky was getting dark to.
"Not a very a nice places is it." He muttered to the hippo. He didn't expect an answer "you will find it's far better than many." He turned in astonishment to see a short bold man in orange robes, he had a broom and was patiently sweeping the cobbled street.
"You! You're that guy from before!" he struck out his with his hand and grabbed the man by the shirt but his fingers closed on empty air.
"Please calm down your excellency. I'm not here to start a fight." He could feel pressers in-between his shoulder blades, the voice was behind him said calmly. "I am here to antsier any questions you have …that is providing they are the right type of questions." Added the man happily. Sammy tried to turn but his body felt as immobile as dwarf pound cake.
"Who are you!" he spat "what do you want!"
"Temper, temper. My name is Lu Sai, and what I want is to ceep everything spinning."
"You're a mad man! Let me go or I'll-"
"Please calm down. Have you not noticed your surroundings to have some what changed? This is because you are no longer in your original timeline. We have moved you so that you can shape what is to happen, because you already have."
The pressure on his back was released, Sammy flue forward and landed in a heap on the ground before fighting his way to his feet. "What the hells are you?"
"I am lu sai a history monk. My job is to keep history spinning. Now do you have any other questions?"
"Spinning?"
"Yes."
"Why should I believe you?!"
"Because I speak the truth. You are no longer in you time line. This is the time of tyrants. You are a baby. They haven't invented the kebab sandwich supreme yet. And you will have to make some choices."
"What bloody choices!"
"They shall avail themselves in time. Now in afraid I most go, there's a young man trying to invent a flying machine who needs a good dose of gravity." The old sweeper turned to leave "Don't turn your back on me!" Sammy aimed a punch at him, against all probability it connected with the stony flank of the hippo. There was a crunch "now real would you want your little friend seeing you behave like this?" resonated the voice of the old man.
The music had stopped playing. "Young lady, I do believe that was rather an interesting entice, however you appear to be somewhat leeking on the carpet. And blood satins are rather hard to remove." She knew that voice. Aurelia glanced up at the tall dark figure of the vampire proffering her a handkerchief. "Avlcard!"she exclaimed happy to see someone she knew.
"we, have met?" the vampire took an uneasy step back , looking her over. She hesitated "…possibly…not?" there was a long silent. "then… how do you know my name?"
The gears in her head were trying to make sense of the senseless. "I thiiiinnnk, time travel…possibly, maybe."
"I seeee?" There was another silence.
Vimes stepped forward "does someone mined telling me what's going on?"
They turned and looked at him, the girl cocked her head to one side. "I think she may have hit her head, or the blood loss is affecting her mentally." Said the vampire picking glass from the girls hire.
"Don't you think someone should be sending for a doctor" said vimes to the room in general, glancing arrowed at shocked goggled eyed, unmoving faces. Until one of the women decided that the attention should be more on her so fainted. After a few minutes of no one helping her she gruginly got to her feet again. Sybil suddenly reinterred the room "I sent a runner Sam." Good old dependable Sybil in all her wedding cake glory.
"a doctor? No really I'm fine this stuff shouldn't kill me, at worst I'll black out." She said nonplussed. "doesn't it hurt at all" said vimes weekly. she shruged "I think I'm in shock…" her intense gaze boring into Vimes skull. She seemed to come to some sort of disishion "hay is it ok if i- im going to-oh screw this!" before vimes had a chance to react , she had grab the front of his ornate brest-plate in both hand, dragged him forward and buried her face in vimes neck. She breathed in sharply.
The vampire wore a mask surprised. She let go and stepped back "well that supports the time travel theory, good evening everyone." She said and walked out through the crowd.
Vimes pulled himself together "does anyone know what just happened?" the vampire shrugged he turned to Sybil she looked blank. There was a tinkle of glass as carrot pulled himself though what remand of the window, panting.
Back in the canteen Nobby stubbed out the remains of his cigarette in the sugar bowl. He'd never seen Fred take a turn like this, never. A chill ran up his spine.
Sargent colon was sitting steering at nothing, the colure had come back to his face and he had stopped shaking, but he still seemed distant.
"Don't worry Fred, carrot will have those kids no problem. Then it's all cheese and crackers again, right." Said Nobby nobs incorrigibly, Helping himself to a biscuit. It was not good to see his old friend in such bad ways, colon was always so…so…well Fred always new were you could get a free pint out of the cold. And he always got by, plodding on as it was. But you always knew were you were with Fred colon, even when you were drunk of your head and in the gutter, sleeping face down. Now colon seemed to be a shell of his normal easy going self. "You sore what they did to that door Nobby. 'snot just some kids messing around, this is going to turned out to be something bigger. It always is." They sat for some time, then Fred added "And it's going to have politics written on everything, so we can't touch them." He sighed.
Nobby leaned forward conspiratorially "don't suppose they was spies do you? I mean no one was supposed to be in there, not according to the books. Plus they wouldn't have been put in there any way cos of not being drunk trolls. So all I'm saying it may vetinarys up to his old tricks again. Or the ancient empire sticking their nose in, finding out the score. I heard that they have spies all over the place, but no one can see them. They were cloths woven from darkness its self. And there so good they could sitting in your dinner and you wouldn't know."
Colons brows furrowed "Why would they want to sit in my dinner for? If I had cloths of woven darkness I wouldn't want to get someone's dinner all over them. It would cost a fortune at the laundry to get all those stains out."
"I don't mean that they would actually sit in your actual dinner, I just mean they could if they wanted." said Nobby desperately " And they got all they secrets passwords and codes and stuff. kill you soon as look at ya'"
"Sounds like the assassins guild to me." Colon murmured, he looked down at the stained and sticky table for comfort, but it had non to give.
Angua was trying to stay calm. She couldn't go upstairs with Fred Colon and Nobby expecting her to have all the answers, maybe she could sort of sneak past them? Okay this was a serious crisis. Her nose wasn't working properly. May be she should go straight to Igore, but then she might bump in to someone there that she knew there. Maybe she should just go home get some rest and see if everything had sorted itself out in the morning. But leaving it might make it worse, what if she completely stopped being able to smell! She could lose her job, maybe lose carrot too! What good was a werewolf without a nose!
After carrots breathless account of events, the taking witness statements, and the fact that there was a lagoon of broken glass now covering the ballroom floor the party had miraculously ended.
Sam vimes didn't know what to say. Sybil hadn't said a word the whole coach journey home. He suspected he was in deep trouble. It wasn't even as he had been wearing a particularly interesting aftershave, why did that girl have to grab him right in front of his wife. Not that he wanted to be grabed by her behind his wife ether; Blood and glass were not this year's look.
Vimes decided to risk it "I suspect that the window won't easily be replaced." He queried. There was silent for a while. "Sam, who do you think that girl was?"
"I haven't the foggiest idea, Carrot says she turned up in one of the cell back at Treaclemine road, were her and a mail accomplice broke out."
Sybil continued to steer out of the window. "it's just not good to think of that young lady all beaten up and bleeding walking around on her own. Even if she says she's fine."
Vimes was surprised he thought that Sybil would be furious at and jealous of the girl. But that was Sybil all over, she wouldn't just not hurt a fly, she would give it a good meal, a hot bath, some clean and send it on its way. "I don't think we have to worry about that, dear. carrot said he didn't think she was human, so she probably was telling us the truth when she said she was going to be okay."
"I hope so Sam, I really do." there was a pulse "she looked formilyer don't you think Sam?"
Aurelia was not alright she felt light headed, people kept glancing at her and then away as if they were frightened. The city wasn't quite right either, she had walked down more than a few allies that should have connected too other streets and had found her paths blocked. And now she was starting to feel hungry. On top of that it was getting darker and she hadn't found Sammy yet.
The sun had completely gone down by the time she had got to the brass bridge. She found her friend standing under a street lamp nursing his hand. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" he jumped at the sound of her voice. "Nothing, I just sort of-" he turned around "-what do you mean what happened to me! Have you looked in a mirror! From the looks of it you have, face first! Gods! Hold still, I'll try to get this stuff out. What on disc happened?"
"A window got in my way." Aurelia shifted her wait nervously; she hatted getting told of by him. "You jumped through a window! Did anyone else get hurt? No? Your bloody lucky, you could have killed someone doing that you know." he sighed, she hated it when he sighed like that, it made her feel really small. "At least you're not too badly hurt." He sighed. "But You've got to be more careful with yourself, and pay attention to what you're doing. Gods know how many times you've burnt yourself on silverware. And can you please try to get through a day without completely obliterating your cloths."
She glanced up nervously at him, it was well past dark now and he hadn't seemed to notice.
He had removed most of the shards the cuts began to heel over. "Sammy?"
"What?"
"Your dads alive."
There had been a bit of an issue about false coinage but somehow they had mange to get a room for the night. It would have been praferibal to have a room each but at least thay had seprate beds. It was in a dirty tavern witch stank of piss and was the home to probably thousands of undiscovered types of mould. It was call the Something Drum.
The sound from the bar below wasn't muffled at all by the floor boards, the mattresses were stuffed with straw and old straw they had an organic feel to them, walst the pillows were as hard and flat and as comfortable as chalkboards. The bed linin had versus stains of who knew what. And the bed side table had a book as one of its legs. Also the wardrobe looked as if it was plotting to murder them in their sleep. Sammy would have pointed all of this out had it not been for the thought that kept swimming around in his head like a small fish in a wellington boot.
His Dad alive! The man of whom he had tried to emulate all of these years! All the story's he had heard! fighting dragons! bringing peace to nations! Stopping wars before they had started! killing werewolf with his bare hands… okay that one didn't sound so grate. But the man was a hero! And he was alive!
He stared at the corroded wall, eyes wide open trying to will this life not to be a dream. All Sammy's life he had been trying to fill his father's shows and now he could meet the man in person. He wonders if he would be somehow recognised; he could see it now his farther standing there with open arms and a proud expression on his face "run in to my arms oh son of mine". It was too much to hope for.
"sam?...Sammy?"
"huh, what? Sorry?" he rolled over then remembered why he had been facing the wall. Then rolled sharply back. To search every inch of the exposed brick work.
"I was just saying that it's going to be difficult to meet up with your dad again, wasn't he in charge of the police force." Aurelia Said covisatinaly from the vicinity of the tin bath.
"yeh, he was the sergeant at arms."
"a knight?"
"yes."
There was the sound of pouring water. "well, its just that we don't realy have any fiends in the police fore, and you did punch that guy in the nose. So its going to be difficult to get near him without being arrested. Unless we go to his house but I have a feeling that we will run into your mum there. And she'l tell you off for not wearing a clean shirt."
"says the one who has destroyed the only cloth she owns. i swear you do it on purpose."
"yeh, but your mum never tells me off."
"I'll get you new cloth in the morning and you better not wreck them."
"and what will happen if I do?"
"simple, I will be very disappointed in you."
She almost whimpered. it allways astonished him how no one ells seemed to know; That to contole his friend you just had to have a steern voice and a hurt expression. Privet tutors had tried in vain to get her to pay attention and sit still or in some cases to put her cloths back on. with Punishments like writing lines or running laps, or even by kain. they had no effect. With wrighting lines she would make it in to a game and use as many different styles of hand writing she could think off, and in as may different languages as she knew. She loved running. And kains would snap before she showed any sine of discomfort. The only teacher that had had any effect on Aurelia was one that had got fired a week later for saying something completely inappropriate to her. Sammy hadn't heard what it was and would feel embarrassed asking so long after the event. But he knew Aurelia wasn't the one who had ratted him out for it, it had been one of the maids. No doubt Aurelia hadn't understood the meaning. He could rember what the man looked like though and his fists itched for a class reunion. But then he remined himself that he was a gentle man and his farther would not approve.
His farther.
"Aurelia, tomorrow we will meet my farther at his house."
"Oh, okay." There was the sound of her getting out of the bath. Aurelia had no concepts of getting embarest over something as simple as nudity. You just wore cloths to keep you warm. However she also didn't understand why her maternal ancestors hater baths ether. She did how ever understand that it did make some people feel uncofitabul. That's why she put her torn up cloths back on before sidiling up to his bed and saying "sammy, you know how you my best friend ever riiight?"
"yes?" he grunted and rolled on to his back.
"well, I was just wondering if-"
"no, you may not sleep in my bed."
"I hadn't even asked yet. And whats so wrong with sharing beds anyway?"
"please don't make me point out the blatant connotations."
" But we both know we're not going to try anything on the other. Come on please, you can even have all of the blanket."
"I thought you had out grown this!"
"grown out of what?!"
"this! need to contenly be climing all over people licking there faces!"
"I don't climb all over people and I'v never licked anyone face!"
"yes you have! Every time you go into heat you always-" He paused "wait you're not due to go in to heat are you?"
"what no!" she protested turning red to the tips of her pointy ears, Sammy relaxed a bit and sighed "good because I don't think I would be able stop you all by myself."
"well im probably not due to anyway."
"you not keeping track!"
"it one week a year! And it can change!"
"Only by a few days!"
She took a deep calming breath "look, im not in heat. I am simply asking you as a friend if you will let me sleep in your bed tonight. And even if I were in heat I wouldn't try to do anything to you because I know you love Princess Spelly of Lancre."
There was a sharp pause, it felt like the air had turned to was a very long an drawn out moment"…you shouldn't call her that." He mutterd and roled overe to face the wall again.
"why her people do…so can i?"
"go to bed I don't want to hear any more of this."
Eventual she got up and went and slept in her own bed. feeling more upset than she should, but not being able to place why.
It was coming to the end of her shift when Cherri the dwarf who was on the desck for the night suddenly found herself being pinned down by a blood shot and mascara run glare! The eyes of the glearer were attached to a woman this didn't make the glare any less intence. Cherri couldn't help but notice the woman's hands her on the table, her nails dug a solid inch in to the wood work. The woman's dress indicated she was of the guild of sesterces and at fist impressions she was probably one who specialized in something, possibly involving needles.
"can I…er help you?"
It was in fact very odd to see a member of the guild in here at all, usually they had ways of sorting out their own problems, and the agony aunts came to mind. Cherri had seen some of their work and didn't wish to again.
"I doubt it. Don't know why I even came here for." There was a pores and then the woman burst in to tears. Big dark mascara fild teaers that stuck to the table and would probly need a chizzle to remove. "don't know how you can help at all. Just look at you." She wailed. "would you like to tell me what has happened then maybe.."
"but I cant can I the gulds sworn us to secretes." she sniffed "but if you was to follow me then maybe… you'd see something, yeh?" the woman winked conspiratorially.
"I would just like to point out that I am in fact openly female!" squeaked the dwarf "I know that the beard sometimes confuses humans, well half the times it confuses dwafs." There was a far off look in chirres eye the dwaf heaved a sigh. But snapped back "but I am a female dag it!"
The woman's tear stopped "I'm on a brake." She said blankly. "And any way what I've got to show you ant like that. it involves your line of work copper, not mine."
"Fine I'll send some of the boys to have a look."
"No, it has to be just you. Otherwise if Madam Palm finds out I'll be out of a job. If it's just you , you know, it could have been an accident you finding out."
Cherri would be the first person to admit that she was not cut out for all these coat and dagger cases. She worked in forensics for goodness sakes. But this person was I need, and she could never turn someone in need down, that's what being a copper was all about right. Not to mention that the scary woman had just grabbed her arm in an eagle like grip and was towing Cherri like a small rabbit out off the door.
Angua woke up, she had got home last night without attracting the attention of Colon and Nobby by climbing through a window in a very nonchalant style. She sniffed the air, well her sineces seemed clear and everything seemed to be working just fine. Maybe her nose had just been confused by a new type of bleach or something, or she had been working too hard. But right now everything was all right, nothing to worry about, take it one day at a time. The thought of losing your scents of smell woud be unthinkable to a werewolf, it would be worse than going blind.
Cherie was dragged so fasted that her feet made little contacted with the ground, instead she hopped along it like a skimmed stone. Right now she was being manhandled through a maze of musky allys and side passages, passed sleeping beggars and not quite sleeping muggers. she was shore she was some wear in the shades, which was uncatigoricly bad. But what seemed worse would be to protest to the woman with a razor talon grip on her wrist. Cherie was wondering if her hand were sliced clean off if she could save it if she got it on ice state away. The woman turned with Cherie in tow and stalked of sharply in a new direction. Down a narrower ally filed with cratels and stopped. Pushed Cherie in front of herself.
There among, on and in the crates was.
What Cherie remembered most about the sight was the well geography of it, the spread of blood and…
She see dead bodies before, in fact she had seen more than most people. and normally in bad conditions. And this one, this one was deader than most. …a lot of …organic things, that should be on the inside were… not. The red brick work now was…redder.
Aurelia frowned at her feet as if they had betrayed her with every step.
He had made her wear shows, she hated shows! They were like putting your feet in cages. In fact they were boots but that was just a formality, they made her feel smothered. She didn't care much about the rest of the cloths, which Sammy was being fussy about, worrying if he should have gone to a proper tailored instead of getting theses "off the rack rags" as he had called them. But he dint have the time to worry much about it now. He was off to see his farther after all.
She had chosen not to go with him, incase she was recognised from quite litany crashing the ball or dinner party or whatever it was. Plus once she had told him the details Sammy had given her a telling off for "inappropriate behaviour !" towards his farther. She hadn't ment anything by it, she just needed to be shaw it was him, and getting a lung full of his sent was the only way she knew how. but that didn't matter, it was not the correct behavure for a young woman of royal desent, or a youge woman of common desent, or anyone at all. She hated herself sometimes, she found it hard to keep to one set of scotshial rools. She hadn't real discussed it with anyone, but from the way pedigree werewolf acted it was like they had a wolf half and a human half. and they though had the same memory and perinality were well, two halfs, With one half keeping the other in check. It wasn't like that with her, it was all one mixture of thought. It hadn't woryed her when she was little but now she was grown …was like having a mental illness sometimes.
Aurelia wasn't dageres to people,she had never felt like killing or biting anyone and even had some pet chickens when she was a kid. she had never felt the uge to chase carts, or snap at the poastman and she sertanly hadn't rolled arouned in anything. Yes she liked getting muddy but that was the line MUD.
She had never voiced this not even with her younger brother, who may or may not have the same concerns when he starts to grow up.
It wasn't as noticeable when she was a child, or people had accepted it more. The hole nuzzling up to people she loved, wasn't allowed anymore. Neither was forgetting to put your clothes on in the morning, or jumping in to the water fountains. Or chasing squirrels*. And squeaky chew toys were out of the question. Her little brother slept in her bed with her most nights, but she got the feeling that this was being frowned upon too. It was difficult, she was a mongrel but what people wanted her to be was a pure bread, and a pure bread human at that.
And there was the heat thing to, that had surprised everyone. Igor said it was a through back gene, all she knew was it led to being locked in the ice room and a lot of embarrassed apologies after she had gotton over it. It was also why implyment at the palice could ask very perianal questions, no one who had any chance of caching her eye as a potential mate was allowed to work there. Unforchently this was a bit more complex than just hiering girls.
Aurelia went red. Some of the apologies she had to make were frankly, well, surprising.
She tried to shake the toughts out of her head, this wasn't like her. regretting about stupid stuff you couldn't change. she found that her feet had brought her to another dead end. What was here normally? Joes ice-cream parlour? Shame she liked that place.
Aurelia turned to leave and almost walked in to someone. 'oh, sorry.'
'oh no, it is I whom should apologise. Say aren't you that young lady whom broke the pations window?'
she glanst up 'avlcard? Oh, yes that was me. Is he pissed?'
'hah, I didn't hang around to find out. Although I'm glad to see you looking better, glass really didn't suet you. sorry but I don't believe you told me your name'
'it's Aurelia. Aurelia Stella Ironfouderson.' she proffered a hand to shake 'nice to meet you.'
'and you are a time traveller? And know me in the future?' he took her had bowed low it and kissed it. 'or you are a spy whom has more imagination than common-sense , or possibly you are just mad.' He glanced up to gage her reaction. She wasn't shaken by the kiss at all. 'why would you need spying on?' He staend up. And smiled 'now isn't that the sort of thing a spy would say?'
'no, I general the best spies are everyday people you just ask them what they have seen, you can normally tell if they are the type to added false detail or not.'
'You seem to know an awful lot about that my dear.' She shrugged, and glanced down avlcard still had her had in his. He put his head on oneside and smiled at her ' young lady, I do believe if I am not mistaken that you are in fact a werewolf.'
'is that a problem?'
'surprisingly no. it isn't often that I meat a werewolf whom don't appear to be suppressing an erg to rip me apart. It is the most unassail feeling.'
'we can be like that I'm afraid, the smell vampire automatically makes us think we are being threatened.'
'But not you notice. come let me buy you a drink.'
Sammy took a big gulp of air he was standing outside of the house he had grown up in. this was it he was going to see his farther. The man, the myth, the legend. He took a ferm grip on the knocker and-the door swung open slamming him in the face. A man in black stud over him 'dreadfully sorry sir, I sore you had been standing out here for some twenty minutes. So I came to see if I could help. Don't worry sir I'm sure we can fix that nose of your right up."
'dam it Wilkins I was trying to make a good impression! Ahg!' of cores this wasn't the Wilkins he knew this Wilkins hadn't raised him, this one was younger. He also appeared to have opened the door like that deliberately. 'well sir you have made an impression on the wood work sir.' He said coolly. 'Forget the door show me to my…show me to Sir Samuel vimes imeaduty!'
Biers was not the biggest party seen this side of Morpork. Nor was it a refined jentalmans club smelling of port and cigar was not even the spittoon of a wine drinking corse. Biers was more like a charnel house of other drinking establishments, the bones of which were so intermingled that it would be impossible to see were one ended and the others began. The only thing that biers could offer you was darkness, well darkness and alcohol, well darkness alcohol and the pork scratching weren't that bad.
Bears was a bar for the undead. Or as some members of the community were pushing a pub for the " Differently Alive." The thing about bears was it offerd you privacy, it was some were were you could be yourself without being decapitated, exorcized, turned in to stone , staked trough the hart or be set on fire. Witch in Angua's book was a great big tick. Currently she was drinking whatever the hell you got when you asked the barman hear for bear. She stared down at the sticky and stained counter , watching how the versus liquids pooled in different blobby ways. Angua hadn't seen carrot yesterday, which was a mixed blessing. And although her sense of smell had only failed her only once the very idea of it ever happening again had sent her into a vague unnerved state of spiralling depression.
'well, hi there.'
She didn't even look up 'piss off Jeremy!'Angua barked. To the mans credit he only steped back one pace, he was a large man, if that's what you wanted to call him it was hard to see him as he was shrouded in a very large and very grubby rain coat that smelt of a sick goat. He wore a battered black bowler hat that looked as if it was perched on top of his head, if he terned his head quickly it was quite likely that the hat would remain in the same place without turning with his head.
He pulled up a stall beside her. Gods knew she didn't need this right now. 'is everything all right Anggy?' he had been sniffing round her for months why didn't he get the clue. 'Did that human guy you seeing do something?'
'Carrot is none of your bissenness' she growled. Jeremy was a fundamentalist omnipotent, and a were wolf , which was odd because according to the teachings off om all werewolves were cursed humans forced to think and act like animals. And what any good omnipitent would do would be to help them by ending there futile existence.
'its hardly surprising really when you look at their idea of loyalty. Iv always said mixed speeches relationships never work. and quite frankly there disgusting and perverse , no don't look at me like that, if the creator had meant us all to bread together he would have only made one race .Now I have nothing against humans a lovely people in their own way but, that's just it. There's their own way and then there's our way. I mean leaving him will be the best thing that's ever happened to you, trust me on this.' he smiled at her putting his hand on her shoulder.
Angua was surprised at how calm she feeling under circumstances, replied simply 'me and carrot are doing fine, but thank you for your concern.' and as an afterthought added in honeyed tones 'please move your hand before you lose you figures.'
Wilkins decide imedutly that he didn't like this overgrown ,over bearing, little puke, but Wilkins had to admit that he thought that of nearly everybody and he was one of them. He would let him see sir Samuel Vimes evenuchaly but as of now he would inflict some minor torcher on the lad. He had already led the little twerp in to every other room of the grand house in search of a man he knew had left the house and hour earlier. And was now crossing the lawn at a brisk pace with the letch tripping over himself to keep up. 'Watch your step sir it's a bit slippery there.'
'sorry sir, I had no idea that there was a garden rake there.'
' Oh dear me, we appear to have found the pond, quite forchunent you can swim realy. don't worry if you find any fish in you underwear I am shore you can keep them.'
Now for a real scear and may be some 2ed degree burns too. He headed towards the dragon house.
Sammy was not in a good mood, he was soked to the skin, brused and covered in mud, and why was he obediently following this faults Wilkins like a lost puppy, because it was a test. A test set by his farther to see what he was made of, to see that he was as horrible and hard going a he the son of Sam Vimes should be. He didn't have to look up to know where they were going , so it was a baptism by fire was it, then he would match it. No matter the distance he would go it to impress his farther.
Wilkins pushed the door open wide, 'if sir would just step this shore I sore his grace here.'
As he steped in the door wong shut behind him to the muffed sound of 'ooops.'
The acrid chemical air hit Sammy as soon as he had entered, the dragon house was a large building not unlike a warehouse, in theory it should be dark but it never was. He could hear the almost nostalgic sound of dragons claws skittering across the stone floors of their pens. There was always a warm light in the dragon incosher through the thin roof and the ocashinal fireing off dragons.
'hello sir are you there? the door appears to have locked itself sir. I will just nip in through the back. if sir would be so good as to meet me at the other end of the hall.' He herad the crunch crunch sound of someone trying to make it sound as if they had walked away welts staying in the same position.
Sammy sighed, this real was going to be too easy Sammy had grown up breeding dragons for shows and taming ferial ones for adoption. He looked along the long hall, there was indead a nother door at the end of it, he could see the pad lock on it from here. But if this is what his farther wanted, Sammy started to whistle a tune. Several dragons reared here heads out of the cages to look at him, and then he quite simply walked to the other end of the hall. Rataled the chain a bit so he was shaw the faults Wilkins could hear he had reached the other side unscather and wondered back, witalstling the hole time.
'hello any one there?' the voice came from behind him an all to familiar voice. 'well done young man. I must say that was quit unusawal, normally thay will try to flambay a stanger on sight.'
He turn in slow horror, that only a doting mother could cores. Lady Sybil Ramekin stood behind him holding a pink-snouted-omnibus under her arm. He glanced down at his muddy, bled on and soaking shirt, and shuffled his feet.
Aurelia sneezed, she always did when she drank anything alcoholic. The fumes got cort in her nose or something. Avlcard laught 'that's adorable.'
'huh? What is?'
'whenever you dink you sneeze and whenever you sneeze you look confused. I've never seen anyone react like that before. You really are quite a mystery young Aurelia.' He lent back his hand toying with the black ribbon on his lapels. 'so, how close are we close in this future of yours?'
She sneezed .'actually I haven't seen you in years, but I would consider us as pretty close. You pretty much tort me everything I know.'
He grinned broadly, and a vampires Idea of a grin is definitely broad 'oh, that kind of relationship.'
They were sitting in one of the booths of some undead bar that wasn't supposed to be there in Aurelia mental map. Aurelia wasn't bad at drinking in theory, her gradperent were dwafs after all. And she had spent many a happy summer visiting the low king at Copperhead. even if the memories visits were a bit frayed around the edges. But The thing was, the thing was… she was having truble getting to the bottom of this one glass.
She sneeed, avocard topped up the glass. 'slow down I don't want you falling asleep on me.'he frowned 'do you have any idea why I left?'
'my mum and dad wanted you dead, deader than dead. but you a citizen of ubawald with high up friends and that could have started a war, but I don't want any of my pack dyeing for something as stupid as that. So you were exiled instead.'
'a war?'
'I have a very big pack.'
she sneezed then looked at the wine glass in his hand, it contained a dark red viscous liquid. He followed her gaze 'does this make you feel unconfitabul?'he rased an eyebrow. She rinkel her nose 'no, it's only pig and goat blood. But that's the weird thing a lot of vampires don't do to well on that stuff but you look grate.'
'Thank you. i have my own little seacate for that.' he took a sip.
'Can I try pleazzz' he almost snorted it out of his nose. 'What blood?'
'sokay if you don't wanna share.'
There was a pause, then he said in a stern voice 'I don't think you understand how very much I want to share with you.' a smile played on his lips 'but I am to feed it to you, do you understand.'
She sneezed 'why?'
'I thought if you know me how you say you do. You would know how very much I like to be in control. Now Do you want to play or not my dear?'
She glanst up at him he was suddenly a lot closer with a sireus expression on his face. His eyes were litaly glowing. 'play what?'
"now then thats all better isnt it."
Sammy stud there uneasily in a clean pear of clothes , trying not to make eye contact. Syble pased around him her head on one side looking at him scewtinusly. then she made a sucking noise throw her teeth like a master mechanic on the world's most expensive and excusive car with the world's most gullible driver as its owner. she decided he was passable.
"you know you look formilyer, have i seen you some where before?" for a second his blood ran cold, he didnt want his mother to recognie him. well not before his farther. otherwise she would be the one to intriduse him. and he had be introduced to people by his mother before it all way ended up the same with the 'look how tall you are' and the too damp kisses and pinched cheeks not all of whitch were on his face. but that normally happens at parties, he was sure that his dad wouldn't complement him on 'looking just like his farther' and leave the lingering smell of lavender on him. but his mother was not to be the one to make introductions. he was resolved on that font.
"have i seen you at the anual dragon breeders show in Slice?" she questioned "you do seem to handle them so well, whats your seacrate? i simply m dyeing to know how you weren't burnt to a crisp!"a devus glint in her eyes. Sammy hadn't realized he had stopped breathing until he crocked out the words "A-flat."
"pardon? what type of fat? do you smear it on yourself? dose it hide your sent to them?" she was practically jumping up and down eager for this new information.
"no, no, no, no, i said A-flat. it's the same note that a happy and content hen-dragon makes before feeding her young. you whistle that and no one's going to bother you because you might be their mother, or so they think." he decided to use her enthusiasm to his advantage and not bring up his name or where she had seen him before. he wached as his toddler self lumbered in to the room haphazardly holding a large block of cheese. he was embarrassed to see how much his infant self was dribbling and how bigger a snot bubble he had. the child took no notice of him. " um...i was looking for FartheeeeeeuurSamuel Vimes do you know whe-" but he was cut off.
"Do you know what this means my boy! stray dragons will no longer be an empoison hazard when catching! intadusing a new mate to be breed wont be as lethal! there are so many somany posibilitys!" she grabbed his hand shaking it hole heartedly and crushing it with gratitude "thank you. thank you. thank you! where did you ever learn a thing like that?"
the shacking was so iritic that it must have shaken his brain because he almost made the fame mistake again "from yowaaammmm my mother."
"my word , you do have an odd speech impediment young man." he reilized she had stoped shakinging hs hand a few minutes ago, but his hand kept going out of shair momentom. "what was it you kame here for? do you need a serton breed or a bull that needs a lay?"
"ah, um, no, i was actually looking for your husband." he said released to finely get the point across.
"why?"
he stud there, baffled. he hadn't expected that, to have to give a reason. he hadn't planed this out he needed an excuses! he looked around the room wildly looking for inspiration.
"me...ahh...and my firend...umm"
his eye latched on to something! his younger self was now prodding the cheese along the ground with a old truncheon. "Me and my friend want to watchmen!" his mouth said it without interception with his brain. there was a stop. and then his mother laughed.
dam it he had said the wrong thing!
"i think you have come to the wrong place, try the old lemonade factory that's where you sign up."
"I umm."
"oh i see you wanted a reference from the top to boost your carrier along, is that it?"
"well you see i...we..."
"dont worry you will have as good as have it after dragon breeding police work must be a walk in the park. you will have that reference my good chum, i will make sure of that."
"wait you can do that?"
"i sertonly can for a fellow dragon lover, yes. and same will agree unless he want to sleep on the couch! what was your name old boy? frightfully impolite of me not to ask before. "
crap! "its ssssssDave? yes Dave. Smith. Dave Smith. can i meet him!"
"sam? sorry he went out a while ago. but... oh why not. i think as your such an enterprising young lad i will take you down to his office and have you shined in my self. so i can see him actually do it and not just say he has."
"thank you" he sighed in relief. it didn't happen they way he had wanted it , but at least he would get to meet him! or Dave would at least.
the girl was feeling realy unconftobul with all this. it wasnt the idea of being fed, it was just that stern look on his face that made her feel like she was being told off for something.
The glass brushed gently against her lips. her hand automatically came up to meet it. this reseave a impatient tut from the vampire, his free hand softly pushing hers away and then keeping his and on hers as a reminder.
he tried offering her the glass again, her hand twitch slightly under his. but her lip parted obedently, he tilted the glass allowing the liquid to slowly seep into her mouth.
Avlcard licked his own lips. "that's it, good girl."
Aurelia was supised it tasted kind of nice, rich, salty, tangy and almost bittersweet at the same time. it was odd being fed. she had said she and only wanted a taste but avlcard seemed to be feeling genourss, anyway how did he expect her to tell him she had enough if she wanted to stop? it was also weird drinking like this with your eyes open, so she closed them, it felt more natural than looking at his knuckles close up. "thats right." he luled.
the blood contuned to trickal in to her mouth at a steady pace.
the vampires hand had left her own and was now trailing is fingers traced their way slowly up her arm. she only became awear of this when it reached her neck, she almost chocked in suprise. he took the glass away.
"easy sweetie, easy. so we are sensitive here are we." he grinned his thumb still caressing the side of her neck. "or" he lent in close his lips almost touching her pointed ear. "do you fear me?"
"it tickaled that was all." she felt confused like something else was expected of her and she was shure what. his face remained millimeters from hers for several seconds more then she thought normal. he moved away with a short laugh.
"i wonder where else your ticklish?" he said sitting up on the table directly infront of her, a foot either side. he removed his evening jacket tossing it where he had been sitting and picked up the wine glass once more. without asking he lent forward cupped the girls face in is hand and applied the glass to her lips.
why was he so eager to shair? it tasted nice and all but why wasn't she allowed to hold it? it was also real difficult to drink without spilling with his thumb playing with her bottom lip like that.
he suddenly tipped the glass causing an unexpected flood that spilled from the corners of her mouth. the class was ton away. only to be replaced by lips. thousands of confused thoughts fought for space in her head.
The big oaf lent on the bar a ditermid expression on his face "all im saying is think about and Om forbid if you have kids with that over grown runt. what the hell would they be like? all teeth and tumors in my opinion. and what about if that kid has a kid with-?"
"Jeremy just stop. im shore that none of that is going to happen. we aren't even thinking about children at the moment and probably never will." this was pointless whatever was in them it wasn't working quick enough to keep out that bastards voice. gods she hoped one of the drinks would just make everything go away for a while. but it wasn't working. "what and you would be happy with that? every werewolf needs a pack. where eles can you get that love and support as well as dissaplin? without one they would go mad. shortly you have seen loners?"
"neither of us have pack. are you saying we are mad then?"
"hah. i have a pack its not the best but its there. i work at the dog shelter on weekends remember? and you get all your regimenting and pecking order and stuff from being a copper. but you and me we could make a real pack together." he looked at her hopefully.
this was just sad now, she stud up to leave. "good buy. I won't say it's been nice seeing you again."
there was the sound of a muffled yelp and glass shattering, that caused her to turn.