Chapter Two
I awoke with Eric sprawled across me still snoring, I checked the clock and realized that it was two in the afternoon and I was starving. I moved him off of me and he rolled curling into the bed. I turned and left the room, looking for a telephone, I needed to watch Eric and I didn't much feel like going out. I found it and used 411 to get a delivery service and ordered a pizza.
I sat on the couch waiting until someone rang the doorbell. I let down my guards just to make sure it was a normal deliveryman, before I opened it, paid for the pizza and closed it quickly. I sat on the couch and gorged myself on pizza, I didn't know when Eric would come down from his high so it could be the last food I would have for a while.
I finished eating and decided to explore, the house was really big and there were a lot of rooms. However I eventually found a music room and explored it, there were so many different instruments from all over the world. The one that looked the most used however was a lyre, I saw a less used one and picked it up. I hesitated a moment before playing a melody on it. It was similar to a guitar and I could play a guitar fairly well.
I saw some musical notation books and found the right one by trying to play them. When I found the one for the lute, the music was so haunting that it brought tears to my eyes. I finished that piece and started on another this was more lively and joyful somehow. I smiled as I played and decided to surprise Eric. I went into the bedroom and watched as he slept for a while. I hesitated a moment before entering his mind.
I stood in a forest, a battle-axe in my hands. I smiled as I fought my enemies, they would die this night and my father would be proud. Father was seldom proud of me, he thought me to be irresponsible and much too young.
Though I had training, this was my first battle and I would make father proud. I moved towards a man with a battle-axe, he was so strong and I was going to lose, I couldn't die.
"EKKIE!" Eric shouted and sat bolt upright in bed, before starting to cry. I moved towards him, putting down the lute and taking him into my arms. He continued to cry against me and I hesitated.
"Eric, please stop." I said, my shirt resembled a horror film. "Its alright, your alright." I added and caressed his hair. "There now brother, you're fine and you did honor to our family in that battle. I love you Eric and regardless of what father thinks I think that you are turning into a great warrior." I added, he continued to cry and I sighed, before going into his mind and changing it slightly so he was no longer sad.
He said something in Norse and I sighed, well this was getting old. I nodded and stroked his hair.
"Go back to sleep now Eric, you need your rest." I said and smiled at him. "I'll play for you until you fall asleep." I added and picked up the lute, turning the page and smiled when I heard the soft sweet music. It was beautiful and Eric sighed and relaxed against the bed. He said something sleepily and I smiled at him as his eyes closed and his breathing deepened until he was asleep once more. I hesitated a moment before deciding to take a nap, as I'd most likely be staying up late if not all night with Eric.
As Eric slept I dozed, surprised when he wrapped a arm around me and started snoring in my ear. I laughed lightly, before settling into the bed and letting my mind drift until Eric's breathing changed.
I opened my eyes and met his black ones. I smiled at him and he spoke, his voice childish, though I didn't understand the words. I looked into my mind and saw the same woman as a little girl of six, I didn't want to think about how old Eric was in this vision.
He touched my arm, before running away laughing. I felt confused, what on earth did he want me to do? Then I remembered playing chase with other children and ran after him. Luckily he thought he was human and a slow human at that, so I caught him easily and started tickling his sides, he laughed delightedly and tried to slap my hands away.
"Oh no you don't Eric." I said and continued to tickle him until he was on the ground and speaking Norse in between gasps for air. "Oh you want me to let up don't you?" I asked and grinned. "Well too bad, big sister is merciless!" I continued to tickle him a bit longer, until he started crying and I got off of him. "I'm sorry Eric, I didn't realize you couldn't breath." I said and held him as he cried."There now, you must be hungry lets get you some food." I suggested and took his hand in mine and led him to the couch. "I'll be back soon, I'm just going to ask mother to make something." I added. "I already ate before you woke, but you must be hungry little brother." I added and he nodded.
I got some true blood and went to the kitchen where I poured it into a bowl and microwaved it, before heading back to Erick. "Mother made soup, I had some earlier." I added and he took the bowl from me, drinking it noisily. I chuckled as he got blood on his chin and watched as it dripped onto his clothes. "You should be more careful Eric, you've got your clothing dirty." I said and he finished the bowl, before I took his hand and led him to a room that I assumed was his. I found another shirt and unbuttoned his, he held out his arms as I dressed him, looking annoyed at the whole process.
I chuckled, little Eric was cute and a handful, but there was nothing little about his chest. I eyed it for a moment, before pulling on his shirt and going into the bathroom. I found toilet paper to my surprise, but I was glad for it, I went back to Eric and wiped at his face.
"There now little warrior, can't have you all messy now can we?" I asked and he shook his head, pouting slightly. I kissed his forehead and he giggled. "Now come into the other room and I'll tell you a story." He shot up off the couch and I smiled as he raced to the library. I fallowed after him and took down the book of Norse myths. I read about the different ways in which Loki would trick the different gods. Eric laughed and clapped happily at the tales, I paused when there was a knock at the door. "Wait here Eric, we might have company." I said, I realized that I was enjoying myself and didn't want Eric to come down from his high.
I went to the door and tried to hear with my mind who was outside, when I couldn't I realized that it was a vampire. "Who is it?" I asked.
"Pam."
"Who?" I asked again.
"Pam, Eric's progeny." She replied and I nodded, Eric came from the other room and said something to me in Norse. "How old is he."
"No idea, lets just say he's a little warrior at the moment." I replied and Eric puffed out his chest. I laughed, he was just so adorable as a man child.
"A what?" She demanded.
"He's going to make our family proud one day." I added.
"Why are you play acting?" The woman demanded.
"Cause we like to play, don't we brother." He said something that sounded like agreement.
"How old are you in his mind?"
"Six or so." I replied and standing on my tip toes, ruffled Eric's hair. "Mother said not to invite strangers into the keep." I added.
"Why not?" She asked and I hesitated.
"Your father might not like you seeing Eric." I replied and she stood outside the door.
"I'll come back." She said.
"I won't harm your Father, I've bonded with him."
"Whatever." She said in reply. "Who ever Eric is now, its not the real Eric."
"I know, see you soon." I replied and took Eric's hand, he looked so happy and it had been a long time. I went into his mind and saw that it was slightly fuzzy. I lead him into the living room and sat him down, before giving him true blood to drink. He gulped it down and after he did his eyes cleared.
"How long was I out for?"
"A day and half the night." I replied. "I wasn't sure if you needed to get back to things or not, I didn't want to keep you from your life."
"I don't feel like going back quite yet, I haven't taken a vacation in a hundred or more years, I deserve this time and thank you." He added. "You didn't have to interact with me, as well as you had."
"You were cute." I replied. "I like kids, it was no bother."
"Liking kids and telling them stories are two different things, not to mention feeding them and comforting them."
"How much older was your sister?"
"Three years."
"I thought so." I replied and smiled. "Now could you teach me some Norse?" I asked and he nodded, we worked on it the rest of the night and much of the day, by the time we finished I understood a lot of it. I'd always been fast at picking up languages, when I had someone that spoke it with me and although the Norse was completely foreign to me, I picked it up by relying on Eric's mind a bit.
"I'm tired." I admitted and Eric nodded, blood dripping from his nose and ears, he'd been using toilet paper to stop the bleeding. It was nice of him to stay up with me, so I could learn his language, I loved learning new languages though I'd never been out of Louisiana.
"Go rest then, I should get some sleep too." He admitted and I smiled. "Guest rooms are that way." He pointed and I moved to the room he gestured at. I settled onto the bed and fell asleep quickly.
