Approx. 937AD
Eric Northman sighed a little, shifting uncomfortably on the stiff couch. "Why did we agree to stay here?" Godric sighed, looking up from is writing. "It is a light tight room with amenities that I know you haven't seen in five years, and I haven't seen in close to twenty, at least not to experience for more than a few minutes. Now hush and continue your studies." Eric grumbled. "You never said being a vampire meant educational work as well."
"If you wish to blend in with changing times, you will need to know how to read, write, and learn quickly. We must go into the general public at times, I'm afraid."
"I can't do it." Eric finally admitted, pushing the book away in frustration.
VVVVV
The two had been traveling for six years now together, and Eric was proving himself a strong and capable vampire every day. Godric feared he would soon be useless to his young offspring. Eric showed no signs of boredom with Godric however, until he began pushing books on him. It was then that Godric learned Eric could not read, even his own native Swedish. They now sat in a cellar of an empty home in Hungary, spending their evenings reading and writing in numerous languages that Godric knew. Well, Godric read and wrote... Eric mostly grumbled.
VVVVV
Godric smiled patiently and rose, walking over to Eric and scooping up the book. "You mustn't get so frustrated with yourself, my Childe. Reading is difficult for everyone beginning."
"Why is reading so important? I went thirty years not knowing how to do it."
"And you cannot spend another hundred thousand not knowing. The world is becoming more advanced and civilized daily, Eric. My native tongue died out long before you were born. Where would I be if I had not learned Swedish? German?" Eric shrugged. Godric reached out and stroked his cheek. "Would you like some help?" Eric nodded. Godric smiled and pushed Eric over to sit comfortably. Eric rested his head on Godric's shoulder, watching his maker's fingers slide over the symbols that were supposed to form words in his mind. Godric spoke slowly, pronouncing each letter.
"Your voice is hypnotic... Eric murmured after a bit, reaching out to trace his fingers over Godric's. The older vampire smiled. "You were not listening to a thing I said, were you?" Eric groaned, throwing himself against the opposite arm of the couch. "It's difficult!" Eric cried, rubbing a big palm over his face. "I have never been good at education... My father always said that if it weren't for my looks and fighting abilities, I would have been hopeless as a king."
"Oh Eric." Godric said, a little sad. "Come back to me, we will finish this section and then rest." Eric groaned under his hand. "We haven't had sex in months, Godric..." He said softly. Godric smiled. "Is that what this is all about? Eric, come now. We have eternity to spend in each others' arms... But only a while to teach you to read and write. We will have to move again soon, and you will need to know German."
Eric moved over to him and began kissing over his maker's neck. "Perhaps... You should give me some incentive..." He purred against his neck. Godric smiled. "Ah, son, I made you. I am immune to your unbelievable sexual prowess." He looked at Eric with a sly smile when Eric deflated. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Godric shrugged. "The catlike grace with which you move, and the beautiful growl of your words, they have no effect over me in the long run, Eric."
"So I am not very attractive to you?" Godric laughed heartily. "No, you absurd Viking. You are incredibly attractive to me, you just cannot seduce me. All seduction you were able to do for me was done in those caves when you offered your body as mine." Eric smiled fondly at the memory then shook his head. "But in all reality Godric... A bit of motivation could help... I miss your body."
Godric sighed, not with impatience, but with slight amusement. "Fine. If you allow me to get through this section and are able to point out three words and their letters, I will permit us to... Say mutually masturbate." Eric thought about it and nodded. "And if I am able to do more?"
"If YOU finish half this section, I will use my mouth." He said simply, handing the book over to Eric.
Eric sighed, looking at the words. He focused, mumbling each letter under his breath and sounding them out. Slowly he began, stumbling over bigger words. He whined after the first sentence and looked to Godric, who smiled and nodded. "That was very good, Eric... Come on, a few more lines." Godric moved behind him and began to slide his hands under Eric's tunic. He brushed his hair to the side, kissing over the pale neck as Eric stumbled through a second and third sentence.
He began a fourth, and stopped. A long, intricate word caught him. He struggled to pronounce it out and sighed in frustration. He looked over at Godric, who had stilled his touches to watch Eric. "This is the point at which I normally give up in frustration." Godric smiled against Eric's neck. "The word, Eric, is 'henceforth'." He prodded gently. "Continue... I think you'll enjoy the rewards." He reached down and cupped Eric's groin. Eric cleared his throat, taking a breath to focus himself. He picked up reading again at a shaky, stumbling pace.
VVVVV
It was times like this he truly did feel like a child. Thirty years of age, and he wanted to cry over the reading of simple words like and, begat, and war. He felt insecure. The moment Godric learned he couldn't read was one of the most shameful moments of his human and vampire life. He wanted to curl into a ball, or run away. A sixteen year old child knew more of education than he, and was to become his teacher. But Godric did not laugh, or tease. He only grabbed a sheet of parchment and began writing out the alphabet in various languages, then pressed a kiss to Eric's mouth and crawled onto his lap, beginning to read the letters out to him.
VVVVV
Eric leaned back into Godric's embrace when he'd finished the part he was to read. Godric smiled softly. "Very good... Go and get me a sheet of parchment and a pen, Eric, please."
"But-"
"Eric." Godric's voice was gentle but firm. "Yes, Godric." Eric mumbled, rising. He went to the table and grabbed a clean sheet of parchment, looking over the words Godric had been writing. "What language is this?" He asked, looking back at his maker. "Mine. I won't bother teaching it to you, it would be redundant information." Eric nodded. "Will you speak it to me sometime?"
"Why? The words are not even similar to your own, you'd have no idea what I was saying."
"Isn't it you that said sometimes, the words themselves are not important, but the emotions given in the speaking of them?" Godric paused, then smiled softly. "I was speaking of the word love."
"What is love in your language?" Godric's face darkened a little with emotion. Finally, he spoke it, soft, lilting, tones of a native speaker, something he never had when speaking Swedish. Eric smiled. He repeated the word and Godric nodded. "Very good... I have not heard that word from someone else's mouth since my mother. Come now." He beckoned Eric to him.
"Write your name." Godric commanded when Eric sat next to him. "What?"
"Your name. The most basic of things to write, but one of the most necessary. You remember the letters, I told you what they were." Eric nodded. He sighed and looked at the parchment, and the pen in his hand. Slowly, he began to write. Godric helped when he stumbled over his last name. "Pronounce it, Childe... North. Man." He whispered in Eric's ear.
Finally, Eric produced a readable version of his name. "Splendid!" Godric said proudly. "Now, see if you can write mine."
"I can't write your name... You haven't told me it."
"What do you mean?" Eric frowned, realizing. "I've been with you for six years... And you have never told me your last name."
"Because I do not have one."
"How?" Godric laughed. "Eric, I was born in a time long before yours. My tribe had no need for surnames... I was simply Godric. When formalities were needed, I was called as my father. Godric, son of Edric."
"But times today... Everyone has a last name."
"This is true."
"Give yourself one." Godric laughed. "Oh, what shall I name myself? Perhaps Augustos, after my master's last name?" Eric winced. After a long moment. "Take my last name. It is no good now, my Uncle will have pronounced me dead and taken the throne... Use my last name and we can pass as brothers, or father and son, if we need to desperately." Godric smiled. "I simply couldn't. I am not a Viking, Eric."
"You are my family. Therefore, you need a last name. My name is my father's. He always wanted a good son... One that took the job of King seriously, was intelligent, wise with education and speech. If he'd met you during his life... He would have adored you. And he would have been glad for you to call yourself a Northman." He turned and began to write, his brows furrowed in concentration.
After a few moments, he pulled back, and showed the paper to Godric. Under his name was Godric's, spelled correctly, with the addition of Northman as a last name. "See? Even looks good." Godric smiled and ran his finger lightly over his name. "It does." He pressed a kiss to Eric's cheek and rose, snagging the paper and pen. He set them on the table and looked over his shoulder at Eric. "Come, Childe, if you wish to claim your incentive." He began walking toward the bed, stripping out of his clothing as he did so. Eric smiled softly at him and rose, following.
Godric crouched under the bed and withdrew a box. "Aha, I knew it was here." He said. "What?" Godric grinned devilishly. "Do you remember when you asked me, last time we had sex, if I would teach you everything I know about sex?" Eric laughed. "I was joking... I'm pretty versed in it." He said, an air of arrogance that made Godric's evil smirk widen. "Oh, well then, you must know what this is for." He withdrew a switch of willow with the tip split back into six parts, a strip of leather attached to each one and a small shard of bone on the end. "It's a beating stick, but... It looks different." Godric grinned. "This, Childe is a flogger. And I am going to use it on you." Eric backed up, putting his hands up. "I am sorry, but you must be mad, Godric."
Godric smiled. "Oh no, Childe. I've wanted to do this to you since you offered your body to me in those caves... Do you remember your words, Eric?" Eric swallowed hard. "I submit to you..."
"Completely." Godric finished, approaching him. He reached up and grabbed Eric's shoulder. He squeezed near his neck, making Eric wince and drop to his knees in front of him. "I intend to have you make good on that sentence."
Eric whimpered, in shock that his boy maker could have such a sadistic streak. Panicked, and trying to find any way out of his current situation, he leaned forward, pulling Godric's shaft into his mouth. The vampire groaned. "Ah... Sweet Eric..." He breathed. He brought the flogger up, running it lightly over Eric's bare arm. The younger vampire hissed, shying away from the sudden burn. He pulled away, looking down in surprise. "Each bone has its edge laced with pure silver particles... When I hit you with this, they will enter the broken skin, prolonging the healing process." Eric blinked a few times, too in shock to speak.
Finally, he looked up at Godric imploringly. "Why would you be so cruel? What have I done wrong?" Godric sighed a little. He crouched in front of Eric and stroked his cheek. "Nothing at all, my Childe. Do not mistake my actions for cruelty. I am doing this to show you a level of pleasure you have never experienced... And it is beautiful... Pain is such an aphrodisiac for our kind... Think about it..." He smiled gently. "You must trust me."
"I do trust you, Godric, I just... I cannot grasp the idea of allowing someone to injure me so for pleasure."
"Then do not seek to grasp it. Seek to submit to your maker, as you swore you would... Do not make me command you, Eric... I would like this to be of your own free will."
"What would you have me do?" Eric whispered, hanging his head. Godric smiled, a little sadly. "You are truly dead set against this, aren't you?" Eric paused, considering his answer. Godric grabbed his chin, lifting the Viking's face to meet his gaze. "Answer me honestly, Eric."
"Yes. I am not a woman, I do not wish to be beat for the enjoyment of someone else." Godric sighed but nodded. "I understand, Childe... Though you have it wrong... The flogging you were to receive would not be for my enjoyment, but yours." He said as he turned back to the box. He dropped the device back into it and kicked it gently under the bed. "Come, join me and I will pleasure you as promised." Eric rose and stripped off his shirt, but crawled into bed with his pants. "I apologize, Godric... I fear I do not really... Want to do anything tonight after all." Godric smiled sadly. "I understand. Please do not be so terribly angry with me, Eric... I was only trying to teach." He pulled the blankets over them and rolled to his side, facing away from his angry progeny.