Upon entering the stables that night with Alucard, D was surprised to not see horses for them, but rather chickens. The feathery poultry were pecking at the stone floors covered in hay and feed, slowly wandering about. Other chickens were nestled upon the gates of the stable, or perched upon the support beams. There were two horses in their respective stalls, but those were Trevor and Sypha's horses. He watched the dhampir step ahead to begin moving about hay bales and tearing them apart for the birds.
"Oh- sorry. I came here to tend to my birds. I would be quite upset if they starved while I was gone." He said with a little smile. D flinched as a teeny rooster gave quite the mighty crow into his ears."We will be on foot until we hit our first town- but that should not be a problem with our vampiric speed." Alucard hummed, moving to turn a rusty knob to let water flow out into long metal water troughs. Chickens were quick to swarm the area, with a few falling right into the waters and flapping their wings to scramble out. There were even a few chicks that waddled around the stables. D couldn't help but simply stare at the strange site before him before moving to help without much direction. D would roll over a wooden barrel of oats and dry corn, grabbing fistfuls and tossing them about for the chickens.
"Oh, Thank you." Alucard would express with quite a warm smile.
"It's nothing." D would murmur back, moving over to what was a massive metal disc with a lip. He would fill the disc with feed as Alucard would fetch eggs for the last time that night.
"Trevor and Sypha better take some eggs. I'm going to have a mountain of them to deal with when I return." Alucard would say aloud as he placed said eggs into a metal wire basket he kept nearby.
"They should. Winter approaches in a month." D would reply softly, helping Alucard with his chicken chores until the task was complete.
Elsewhere, Trevor sat with Sypha with a comforter across their lap, nestled in front of a fire in one of the many sitting rooms. Sypha was beginning to doze off as Trevor enjoyed a warm mug of ale. He looked down to his sleepy lover, smiling at how peaceful she appeared. He looked back to the fires.
"Maybe we should just stay here for the winter." He piped up as Sypha opened one of her eyes.
"Hm? I think so...keep it clean for Alucard. I don't wanna travel much more either." She would admit with a yawn and stretch. "He does have chickens in the stables...poor birds would starve if we leave em' here."
"Oh yeah- the chickens in the stable." Trevor would snicker as another would enter the room.
"Trevor, Sypha." Alucard greeted fondly as he moved to sit across from the pair. Trevor gave a raise of his glass in acknowledgement before bringing it to his lips.
"Oh, Hello Alucard." Sypha smiled as she went to fully sit back up, giving him a look of restful peace. "Good timing. We needed to discuss a few things with you."
"As do I with you. But- I have been itching to ask about what's happened on your adventures. Alas, I depart sooner than we anticipated."
"It really isn't anything special." Trevor insisted with a shrug, looking at his drink before finishing it off. "We just went around, killed demons. Found a possible time traveler with a triangular book who jumped into a mirror that lets you go to other worlds before the entire church collapsed. Ya know. Normal stuff."
"I...I see." Alucard would nod with a quirked brow. "Anyways- what do you need to discuss with me?" Alucard then inquired, to which Sypha would reply.
"We wanted to know if you would be alright with us becoming more like semi-permanent members of the castle while winter rolls through."
"Oh of course! You do not need to ask if you can stay. My home is also yours." Alucard would reply with a smile. "Just don't trash the place, please."
"No promises." Trevor would reply with a smirk, enjoying the way Alucard would roll his eyes at his remark.
"I mean it, Belmont." The dhampir would huff in reply, and Trevor merely chuckled, finally placing down his empty mug.
"He's obviously kidding, I'll kick his ass if he dares try. He won't get away with acting like a pig in a mud pen." Sypha would say with a playful grab to Trevor's ear. Alucard was only further reminded of how much he was going to miss the couple. But, their friendship was strong,they would remain in the castle, and he was sure to return before the end of the several month Romanian winter.
"Would you mind pouring me another glass, Alucard? I'm a little stuck." Trevor would ask, and Alucard was glad to oblige as Sypha splayed out across Trevor's lap with quite the cheeky grin. the flames of the fire decorating her skin in hues of amber.
"Would you like a drink as well, Sypha? I'm about to go get a glass for myself." Alucard would then offer as he stood. Sypha looked over, before shaking her head.
"I would love a drink, but it's best I don't." Sypha would smile, which got a perplexed look from Trevor.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? What's stopping you? Alcohol is the cure to any ailment!" He would insist with a not-so-straight face. Sypha simply continued to smile, and that's when it struck Alucard to what she meant. His eyes went wide as he looked to the pair, and then his shock became joyous.
"Sypha, do you truly mean what I believe you mean?" Alucard would breathe out, with Trevor seemingly out of the loop as he looked between them with a suspicious squint.
"What the hell are you two up to, Sypha?"
"Well it depends." Sypha would reply to Alucard. "It depends if Trevor can figure it out."
"Figure it out? What- Alucard, tell me." Trevor would plead, and the blonde simply laughed in response.
"Come on, Trevor, think." Alucard would then state. The room would be silent for several moments as Trevor put those gears to work. He seemed to be really trying, and that left Sypha shaking her head as Trevor finally came to his conclusion.
"I have zero idea. Enlighten me- please." he asked with a frustrated sigh.
"Trevor." Sypha would begin, cut off by her own gentle chuckle, shaking her head as she looked to him very fondly. She moved then to grab ahold of one of his hands with her own, delicate and soft wrapping around his, scarred and calloused.
"Trevor, I'm pregnant." she breathed out to him lovingly, her hands giving a gentle squeeze. Trevor looked absolutely flabbergasted at first, but then the smile on his face was greater than either of them had ever seen.
"Holy shit- oh my god! Sypha!" Trevor bellowed in excitement as he pulled her up into a proper hug, Ale spilling from his glass as he joyously moved to kiss her on the cheek, which made her laugh as she wrapped her arms around him. Alucard watched the beautiful scene playout before him, filling him with both joy and envy. "This is amazing news! I'm going to be a father- aren't I?"
"I would assume so." Sypha couldn't help but giggle more as she was held, with Alucard smiling just as fondly, as if it were to be his own child.
"Congratulations. Sypha, how long have you known?"
"Not too long- maybe a week? I wanted to make sure I was indeed pregnant before I said anything." she would admit with a gentle pat to her stomach. "Kinda funny how we affiliated ourselves with being very much not kid friendly, eh, Trevor?"
"I'm afraid that must change pretty quickly if we're going to be having one." He would then laugh, turning his head to take a drink of his ale.
"I am not giving up my beer- rather, I shall drink in moderation. But not tonight, tonight is a celebration! The Belmont line is to be continued!" He bellowed as he raised his glass, and Sypha would shake her head, hand moving to hold his stubbled jaw as she planted a firm kiss onto his cheek.
The time for departure was then realized by the arrival of D in the doorway. Alucard looked over to the other dhampir with a nod before looking at the excited couple.
"It is time for me to go. I shall celebrate on the road." Alucard would smile at them, with the pair standing to pull him into a warm embrace.
"Stay safe, remember I will not be there to heal your wounds if you do something stupid." Sypha would express fondly as Trevor gave a harsh ruffle to Alucard's perfect locks.
"Don't die out there, yeah? Kid is gonna need a good uncle." Trevor grinned. Oh, how Alucard's heart would swell at those words, hugging with a firm squeeze before finally stepping back, waving to them both as he left the room. He then turned to D, who sharply turned on his heel for the other to follow him. The hall they traversed was dimly lit by the flameless torches upon the stone walls, with the moon nowhere in sight within the suffocating darkness outside. Alucard picked up the bag he prepared by the front door, adding his sword to his hip as D pushed open the grand castle entrance, sharp winds hitting them both in the face, sending back their coats and making the hair upon their heads dance with the sheer force of it.
"Windy." Alucard couldn't help but comment as he stepped forth first, looking back to D. "Just keep close and follow. I shall lead us to a town with a stable, though even with our speed, we may not reach there until dawn. The roads fester with evil at night, but it is the best time for us to move quickly without suspicion. Especially on a night like this." Alucard would say as he looked out into the darkness. "The moon is completely shrouded, no human will see us."
"What are we waiting for?" D would reply, though his voice was almost too hushed to hear over the sound of the wind, especially with his back turned away from Alucard, pushing the castle doors closed. Any comforting light was cut, and now it was only them, and the darkness. Alucard would dart down the castle stairs with inhuman speed, D close behind. This ability was limited in its uses, and could not be used over long distances, rather, one would ricochet off objects, pushing themselves forward faster than the human eye could see. They would bounce between the thick trunks of trees, the wind nothing more than a mere sound to them both as they moved, covering hundreds of feet in a mere few seconds. D's reflexes were as sharp as Alucard's, and so he had little issue keeping up with his movements.
Around five hours of travel would pass before the light of a hamlet would come into view, which would have been nearly a three days journey by foot. The wind had continued it's intense onslaught upon the trees, and showed little sign of calming any time soon. Alucard would perch upon the side of one of the trees, his claws digging deep into the trunk to keep him still. D perched parallel to him, and he looked to the blonde for orders.
"It is unlikely we'll find a man willing to sell his horses this late at night. But, it is worth the effort." Alucard decided as he slid down the tree, landing gracefully, with D doing the same with equal grace. Before they would walk into town's view, Alucard slipped on a cloak from his bag, flipping up the hood to conceal his face. Into the small hamlet they went, cloaks flailing in the heavy wind, light flicking from within the wooden homes. Alucard would make way towards a home on the very edge of the hamlet, to which it had an attached stable. The pair would approach, and knock upon the cracking wooden door.
"What do you want at this time of night?" A disgruntled man would say upon cracking open the door, eyeing the strangers upon his front steps. He was an eldery man, hair visibly grey with liver spots upon his wrinkled face.
"We need horses, two to be exact. I noticed your stable when we finally arrived on foot." Alucard would explain, "We lost our own to wolves early into our journey, and have been walking since. The walk has been treacherous- and we have the money to pay." he was quick to add, showing him a small cloth sack attached to his hip. Of course, the man was suspicious of the two, though the heavy sack of coins was very tempting. The man eyed them both for a few moments longer.
"...very well. Go around back to the horses. I will meet you there, and do not try anything, you will surely regret it." he expressed firmly, the door closing with a heavy clatter. D and Alucard would walk around back, standing before the shack-like stables. Their thin roofs were arched from years of heavy snowfall, and the support beams were crackled and greying. The pair could see that these stables held about five rouncey horses. An inexpensive, well rounded, common breed of horse. They were no palfrey, but they would serve the pair well. The old man would amble towards them, hand firm on a wooden cane. With a visible hunch, his dwindling time on earth was plain. In his other hand, he bore a torch, the winds making the flames eagerly lick and dance in the cold night air.
"Have you decided?" he asked as he stopped, looking to the pair with superstitious eyes.
"We will take the two biggest ones." Alucard would point. "The one with the black coat, and the other with a white patch across it's snout." He would then demand of the older man, and he was quick to oblige to the other's wishes, hobbling over to the horses and moving to equip the horses with reins.
"I do not have saddles for you. You'll have to venture over to Dolly's farm in the morning. Her husband is a leather maker." The old man would explain, eying Alucard hungrily as he rummaged to count his coins.
"It's alright, how much?" Alucard would ask.
"Two-hundred fifty gold. Each."
"Very well." Alucard would murmur, tossing the man his pay without little question. He knew the old man was overcharging for such simple horses, but he didn't want to argue, Alucard brought more gold than he knew what to do with just for such situations after all. The pair would get their horses, and be quick to go on their way, hooves galloping down the dirt roads until they could no longer be heard by the old man, who was too busy counting his coin.
-
The wind didn't settle that night. Alucard and D eventually decided to settle only a mere five hundred feet from the town, nestling just beyond eyes view of the dirt road, tying their horses close to their camp, nestled under a large willow tree. The branches draped down and made shelter from the winds as the branches swayed weakly due to their girth. Alucard was attempting to set up his tent while D watched, arms crossed and an amused glint in his eyes as he saw the other's patience quickly diminishing when the tent would collapse with a gust.
"You can just rest against the tree. It is not raining nor snowing." D would murmur as Alucard yet again tried to stick the wooden poles into the soft earth. "I feel dawn is closer than we both suspect. It isn't worth the effort."
"It's windy as all hell- aren't you cold?" Alucard would huff back.
"You shouldn't be cold. I personally have a numbness to mild elements. I just think you're spoiled."
"If I don't have to sleep out in the dirt then I won't- it's a simplistic comfort." Alucard would grumble, the wind was really fighting him, wasn't it? Upon the tent collapsing for the final time, he sighed, and began to roll it back up and gently tuck it near his bag of supplies. D watched all of it with heavy amusement, though when Alucard would eye him, he looked away with his hat dipped down to cover his smile.
"Well- move over I guess." Alucard would grumble as he approached. "There's only one tree trunk after all." he insisted, and D would slowly shuffle over to let Alucard lean back against the trunk with him. Alucard leaned back, crossing his arms and tilting his head to rest it upon his own shoulder. D did the same, the brim of his hat gently dancing in the wind. They attempted a few moments of shut eye before dawn, but it was obviously Alucard was restless. He kept moving himself, constantly adjusting against the tree, before finally letting out an annoyed huff as his face was tickled by D's curled locks with a gust of wind.
"Tie your damn hair back-" Alucard hissed, with D opening one of his eyes as he turned his head.
"Hm? Oh-" D would murmur upon seeing too how wildly Alucard's own hair danced, which he was tying back as he spoke. "Ah, sorry. I have nothing to tie it."
"You have that absolute mane of hair and not a single thing to tie it?" Alucard expressed almost in shock, and he rummaged into his coat pocket to hand him a long, narrow clip with fine teeth. "Pull your hair back, and use it to secure it. I don't want to be smacked by your hair all night if this damn wind doesn't give up."
"It sounds as if you may not get any sleep at all." D would murmur, but he did as he asked. "You could have simply moved to sit on the other side of me." D pointed out, to which Alucard didn't want to admit that sitting where he was, D perfectly blocked most of the wind that seeped through the willow tree's branches.
"Just go back to sleep." Alucard grumbled, leaning in to tuck down his hat himself. But D was very quick to grab a hold of his wrist, looking at him with eyes that made Alucard tense.
"Please, do not touch my hat. You're getting awfully friendly with me."
"I- sorry." Alucard said quickly as he pried his hand back, gently rubbing the wrist as he looked away. "That was not appropriate of me, we are not friends."
"Acquaintances, yes." D would nod. "But, I am very protective of my personal items." he would explain further, as seeing the blond looking like a kicked puppy did make him feel a little bad, not by much though.
"Right." Alucard spoke softly, and he looked out beyond the Willow's branches, and into the forest. "I just- I guess I was used to the sudden friendly banter I gained from Sypha and Trevor. They were very quick to welcome me into their little group."
"I see. Well. I am not like that." D replied bluntly. "I just want to get home, and you are aiding me in it. There is nothing more to it."
"Right…" Alucard would nod, and he looked over to the older dhampir. "I guess that means then- where did you enter from? Or- awaken? Do you remember the landscape, any landmarks?" he would ask, and D remained still, and silent for a few long moments.
"...I do, but it's very vague, I remember the sound of waves, there was sand, the smell of salt. I was exhausted and drained of my strength. Those first three days are an intense blur to me." D would admit, and Alucard would frown. Well- that was some help but not a lot. He just knew now that they would need to venture south towards the sea as a starting point.
" I remember though, where I was before I entered your world." D would continue. "I was traveling through a mountainous ravine, on my way to deal with a noble who had been terrorizing a local village..."