A/N: Stick with this chapter. It sets the scene for the next few following ones, and the won't be much talk of the Cirque of Vampaneeze just yet, but it will happen.
It had been six years since Darren was blooded and alot had happened in that time, more than he could have ever imagined and the next chapter of his journey was about to unfold. He and his mentor, Mr Crepsley were slowly making their way to Vampire Mountain, and has being doing so for the past few months. The two still had their moments, bickering and childish insults but they had realised that they were together for the long run and began to get along. The trip had been kind to them up until this point. They were easily able to find food and shelter, and the weather had not slowed them down, but as they made their way towards to north it had started to take a turn. The inital snow showers started turning into snow storms and sourcing food was difficult.
'Can we just flit back? I can't do this.' Darren moaned, slightly muffled by the scarf he had wrapped around his face.
Mr Crepsley turned and looked at him. 'No. No flitting allowed.'
'But i'm so cold and hungry..'
'You're beginning to sound like a child. Am I not cold and hungry also? Do you hear me complain?'
Darren kicked the snow with his foot and carried on walking behind. Idiot. He thought.
'Anyway, as we're on this route there is somewhere we could try and take shelter at. I don't see the weather improving and neither of us are in a state to continue.'
'Oh?' Darren enquired.
'Yes, however it's still a few miles away yet past the next town, so keep walking!' He replied, smacking Darren on the back of the head.
They walked up to the door of a small stone cottage. It was a little way out from the village nearby and was surrounded by fields deep with snow, and a woodland behind. It looked like it could be a farm but the absence of animals made Darren doubt that.
Larten knocked.
'So who did you say she was?' Darren asked.
'Lillian. She calls herself a witch, though her magical abilities are to be questioned. I met her years ago on my travels.'
'And she knows we're Vampires?'
'She knows I am a Vampire, but as she does not know of your existance, probably not. However I don't think it will take her long to pick it up.
'What about her husband?'
'I'm not sure. When I met him last it wasn't a subject he bought up.'
'She takes her time answering.'
They could hear talking from the other side of the door but couldn't quite make it out. There were a few clicks and the rattle of a safety chain and a short, middle aged woman with long brown hair, big glasses and even bigger earrings opened the door. She was dressed in what looked like a very itchy olive green knitted jumper, and well worn grey jeans.
She smiled the instant she saw the orange haired Vampire and clapped the hands together.
'Larten! How good to see you!' She pulled him into a hug.
'Hello Lillian.' He replied, smiling. 'I hope you don't think I am being too bold in asking, but me and my assistant Darren are in need of a place to stay for the night atleast.'
Lillian moved her head to the side to see Darren who was standing behind Mr Crepsley, with his hands in his pockets and shaking slightly. She couldn't make much out of his apperance as he had a scarf covering most of his face and a hood pulled up, but he noticed her looking and raised a hand in acknowledgement.
'Of course! It's always nice to have company. Come on in.' She said holding the door open.
They entered the house and found themselves facing the staircase, one that didn't look as safe as it should, with a rather loose looking bannister.
'Come on! Sit down, sit down.' She ordered, gesturing to the dumpy sofas to the left. 'I'll get Dom to get some more firewood. DOM!' She shouted, wandering off to the kitchen.
The two sat on the sofa nearest to the fire, Darren instantly throwing off the hood and scarft and putting his hands infront of the flames.
He looked around as he warmed up. There just seemed to be one large room, with the living room being where they were, the wooden coffee table in the middle was littered with half drunk cups of tea, playing cards and magazines, and there were stacks of beaten up board games undernearth.
There was also a dining table, once again with allsorts of rubbish covering it, and all the chairs around it were mis-matched. The kitchen behind had a large stove and several pots on top that were bubbling.
He couldn't help but noticed the several display cabinets scattered around full of gemstones and figurines of fairys. One looked like is had some animal skulls in it, but he couldn't be sure.
There wasn't much light in the house either. Most of it seemed to come from the fire, and everything else from candles.
'Here you go.' Lillian smiled as she placed a tray of tea and biscuits on the table.
'Thank you.' Mr Crepsley said as he reached over and grabbed a mug.
'Yeah, thanks.' Darren echoed with a mouthful of biscuit.
Lillian chuckled and sat herself down just as an older looking, and slightly larger balding man came through a door at the side of the kitchen, his arms full of logs. He walked over to the fire and dropped the load before extending a hand to Larten.
'Good to see you again.' He said curtly before sitting next to his wife.
'And you too Dominic. I hope you've both been well?'
'Yes, we've been fine. Plodding along as they say!' Lillian laughed.
'That's good to hear. And the children?'
Dominic shifted uneasily. 'They're fine. Infact i'll go and find them. They were feeding the chickens..' He got up as quickly as he sat down and scurried back out the door.
The woman sighed. 'I am sorry about him. He had a bad week at work.'
'Not to worry.'
'So,' She started, turning towards Darren, still by the fire, 'Tell me a bit about yourself Darren.'
He looked up and was quite obviously still munching on biscuits. 'Uhm.. Wel-'
The was a loud bark and a large grey dog came running in the house, followed by three children chasing it.
'No Scratch you're all wet!' The young boy shouted, waving his arms and trying to grab it.
'I thought I told you to keep hold of him!' Dom shouted, following.
'Dominic, please.' Lillian said, reminding him of their visitors. 'Children come over here, we have guests.'
The dog layed down in the middle of the floor and the three walked around him as they stood near their mother. 'Do you remember Larten? He came by maybe.. well I guess you were all quite young. Well yes, this is my friend Larten and this is Darren.'
They all muttered hellos. The boy came and sat on Lillians lap.
'Niall?' Mr Crepsley guessed, and he nodded. 'So that means, you must me Astrid,' pointing to the youngest of the two girls, who had strawberry hair and was wearing a pink jumper, 'and you're..'
'Arianna.' The eldest spoke. Darren looked at her. She had messy dark blonde hair that stopped just below her shoulders, and light brown eyes. She seemed a little bit shorter than he was.
'That's the one.' Larten smiled.
'I'm Darren.'
Everyone turned to look at him. To be honest, his random introduction took him by surprise a little, especially considering it wasn't addressed to anyone inparticular.
Arianna chuckled to herself.
'Right then. Dinner!' Lillian exclaimed, walking over to the kitchen.
The next few hours were spent around the dining table as Lillian produced pot after pot of different stews and soups. Everyone was in good spirits in the warm house, and were talking amoungst themselves and getting to know each other. The chatter was only stopped when Darren asked if there was any meat and Lillian rattled off a little speech about being kind of the animals of the earth.
He actually found out quite a lot about Lillian just but listening to the conversation going on between her and Mr Crepsley. It seems she developed an interest in Witchcraft when she was younger and was one of those free spirited sorts. She was an artist and music teacher, and her husband was an artistic director at a theatre in the town. Astrid was a keen writer and despite her young age had won local competitions, and Niall seemed to be musically gifted like his mother. They weren't a particually well off family, but made enough to get by, and didn't seem that taken by the modern world to miss not having the mod cons everyone else had. Arianna was sitting at the other end of the table and he had not hear anything from her. She just seemed to stare out of one of the small windows or push the hair out of her eyes.
'Right you three, off to bed.' Dominic said, getting up and putting his plate in the sink.
'Awwh I don't want to daddy.' Astrid sighed, pushing her chair out.
'No, come on you've been up late enough.' He replied taking her hand. Niall got down from his chair and ran over, with Arianna taking her time.
'Night Ari.' Lillian smiled.
'Yup.' She replied, dragging her feet behind her as she walked up the stairs.
Darren yawned and stretched his legs out, finally feeling full after days of what he considered starvation.
'Will you both be okay on the sofas?' Lillian asked. 'I would offer Darren a space in Nialls room atleast but Scratch has taken to sleeping on the floor in there and can get quite posessive.'
'No, that is more than enough thank you.'
'Okay, well, I'll clean this up in the morning. I'm off to bed also. Goodnight Larten, Darren.'
'Night..' Darren said.
'What's been bothering you?' Larten asked as he and Darren sat watching the last few embers in the fire burn out.
'Nothing.' Darren replied.
'You've been quiet since we got here, and that is most unlike you.'
Darren shrugged. 'I don't know. I'm just drained. I just want to eat and sleep.'
'Well that is the plan for the next few days. The snow doesn't show much sign of stopping and we can't go much further in it.'
'Good.' The young vampire yawned, stretching back on the sofa. 'I was wondering though, where are we gonna get blood from..'
'The village down the road. That will still be reachable to us, don't worry.'
'I'm going there tomorrow.'
I'd go there now if I had the energy. When was the last time I even slept properly?
'Excellent, I am off there now.' Larten said standing up and walking towards the front door.
'Yup, okay.' Darren murmed before falling into the best sleep he had in months.
The peaceful calm was broken by a clatter bowls in the kitchen.
'Astrid! Be quiet!' Arianna hissed, shoving her younger sister out of the way and putting the bowls back.
'But i'm hungry.' She moaned.
'Here, have some fruit.'
'Ow!' Astrid rubbed her arm as an apple hit her. She gave Arianna a glare, picked it up off of the floor and went upstairs. 'You used to be nice..'
The girl sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear before going to the table and carefully picking up the plates from the night before and putting them in the sink.
'Hey can I have a drink?'
'Jesus Christ!' Arianna jumped round, coming face to face with Darren.'Don't sneak up on me!'
'I didn't.'
'Well I didn't hear you come over here.'
Darren put his hands in his pockets. 'Sorry.'
'It's okay.' Arianna smiled. 'What did you want to drink?'
Your blood. Your blood. Your blood. Just a bit, please?
'Uhm..'
'Tea?'
He nodded. 'Sure.'
Arianna took some mugs from the cupboard and filled the large kettle with water before placing it on the stove.
'It will take a while, this things old.'
'That's fine.' I'll have you whilst we wait.
The two stood for a moment not sure of what to say.
'Do you want to go upstairs and chat? I don't want to wake your dad up.' She proposed, looking over at Larten who was asleep on the sofa.
'Okay.'
Darren followed her up the stairs, which we as unstable as they looked and onto the small landing, made smaller by the piles of books stacked in the corners. They went to the room at the very end and Arianna held the door open.
'Thanks.' He smiled as he went in.
Her bedroom was small also. It was a cream sort of colour, with a bed shoved against the wall on the right, a tiny window by the side of it and a little bookcase underneath. There seemed to be a stack of boxes beneath the bed where Darren guessed she kept her clothes because there was no wardrobe. There wasn't much on the walls, only a mirror and a drawing.
She sat down on the bed and patted the space next to her.
'I don't bite.' She laughed.
'Maybe I do.' Darren said matter of factly.
Arianna stared at him confused.
Shit.
'I was kidding.'
She smiled. 'Okay.. haha..'
He sat next to her.
'So.. Arianna. That's a nice name!'
'I'm guessing you don't do small talk?'
'No.'
She shook her head and layed down, shutting her eyes.
'What are you doing?'
'Going back to sleep.'
'What about my tea?'
A smile slowly appeared on Ariannas face, and she grabbed Darrens wrist, pulling him down so he was laying next to her.
'I told you, it takes a while.'
