Brief blurb before we begin: Thankyou my reviewers, it really does keep me going. One of these days I'll get enough of a brain together to make a nice personalized section in each chapter... and I apologize in advance for the cliffhanger. Ja. --Shade
.
.
.
Chapter 3
Dear Friends and Old Names
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
D opened his eyes to see Rosalind tip-toeing in with a tray of breakfast food in one hand, and a portable med kit in the other. The form on the bed, who somehow managed to be completely submerged in the thin sheets, didn't stir. He watched, bemused, as the blonde lady of the house tried to avoid several random-seeming boards in the floor, only to step on one and make a rather loud creak. Shae turned her head, her dark hair still reflecting silver, even in the morning light, and she smiled weakly at Rosalind. She was indeed very pale, her face holding barely more color than the cream-colored sheets. Her eyes caught D's attention- they were different than before, a deep tone, the color of wet slate.
::D...::
::I know. Her eyes changed color.::
::But they're grey, not hazel...::
::It's not unheard of.::
::Yeah, not unheard of for nonhumans.::
Rosalind set the tray with food down on the small bedside table, opening the med kit across an empty space on the bed. Shae slowly sat up with a barely noticeable wince, a hand pressing against her side. Her expression was calm and the weak smile was back when Rosalind turned to her, worriedly.
"I thought I told you to rest... let me help you do anything, ok? The doctor prescribed at least a week of bed-rest."
Shae shook her head with a soft smile--though, was that sadness in her eyes?
"This one would probably be unable to do very much for a little while under the circumstances... not with as weak as sessha is right now, anyway."
The blonde nodded briskly, satisfied with the admission. The brunette's voice was soft, as it had been the other night, momentarily calm, but it seemed to have the potential to convey worlds of meaning in a single word if she wished it, the soft inflections alluring even to the most antisocial of people.
"Good, then you'll let us take care of you for once, instead of running off half-healed as is your habit. Now, let me take a look at that shoulder; how is your arm doing?"
There was a pause as the patient slowly moved her left arm, the one connected to her bad shoulder wound.
"... Useable... it does not feel as though anything serious got cut, it will just take a while to heal properly."
"Good. I'd hate to see you out of commission because of my Grove."
That earned a dry chuckle.
"Who better for? Besides, that one was for little Abagail. You know how this one feels concerning her."
A roll of fresh bandaging came out of the med kit, along with a pair of sharp-looking scissors. As they spoke, Rosalind snipped at the bandaging on Shae's shoulder, and began to rebind the wound before responding.
"Hai, I know. Would that my one-time hunting partner and longtime friend cared as much for her own life."
There was a long silence broken only by the sound of fabric on fabric.
"Sessha has her reasons for living the way she does, Rosalind Annamaria Simhareen. You know some of them. You have guessed at others. This is one conversation sessha promises you do not want to revisit."
::Sounds a lot like you when I try and ask how you're doing, D. Only, you threaten to cut me off.::
::She is nothing like me.::
::D, you can't trust her. She's too much like a bought barborois.::
::She was a hunter once.::
::That's only if you believe what they're saying.::
Though she had spoken quietly, the reply was a sharp one, the tone clearly stating what was not spoken. Grey eyes met green as Rosalind looked at Shae, the blonde's own expression unreadable.
"Yes, you're right. I remember all too well the last time I tried to talk to you about this. You ended it with that same tone, too, saying my full name like that. It is a conversation we will continue someday, but not now."
Rosalind tied the shoulder bandage, and began working on Shae's abdomen, their conversation not missing a beat.
"Hai, someday. But not today, Rose. Listen, sessha has to warn you, the vampire who was after the group, this one does not know how well she can follow a trail, but she is still on the loose. Keep a watch, ok?"
A nod.
"I'll tell the sheriff. He'll post a night-watch until she can be handled."
Shae nodded past Rosalind, at D.
"You've been quiet back there. You're a vampire hunter, are you not? What's your name?"
Sym muttered at D telepathically, saying things unsuitable to be repeated here.
"I am… D."
Shae raised an eyebrow.
"D? Ah, that explains quite a bit. Sessha owes you her thanks for your help the other day. This one would probably be quite dead right now if you had not stepped in to help. Sessha wa Shae des."
Rosalind had apparently finished by this time because she turned around to face D.
"If there's any way I can repay you for that, let me know. You saved my fiancée, my baby, and my dearest friend."
::Dearest friend? D, you don't really believe all this, do you?::
:: ... ::
"It was nothing," D replied, in his low soft monotone.
"I mean it. You will be welcome in my house for several generations to come, dhampire." Shae spoke up again, her voice still soft-spoken, and seemingly naturally so.
"You can walk around town without hiding your heritage here, for what it's worth. The only ones disliked here are the barborois and full vampires. Natolois has several stories of dhampires and dhampyres who have saved more than a few people in these parts. It's a haven for people like you."
::People like y-::
::Quiet or I really will cut you off. I can do without my left hand.::
Rosalind looked at Shae with a raised eyebrow, but spoke to D.
"True. If you would like, I can probably easily find someone to be your guide through town. It's not big, but none of the shops have good signs anymore."
The blonde firmly pressed Shae back down onto the bed with a hand on her "good" shoulder.
"Now, can I trust you to stay in bed and rest for a while, Shae?" The grey-eyed brunette chuckled.
"Hai, Rose."
Rosalind left, and Shae turned her head so she was looking at D.
"Rosalind was once one half of a hunter duo known as the Twilight Sisters. Perhaps you heard a rumor or so, in your travels?"
D considered the enigmatic woman.
"Perhaps."
There was a long silence.
"So you're the famous dhampire vampire hunter. Sessha has heard quite a lot about you over the past several years. You really killed Carmilla?"
He nodded.
She closed her eyes with a quiet sigh.
"Good. One less piece of ancient evil hell spawn to haunt the world."
One deep grey eye cracked open, curiously.
"If memory serves, she was quite old. You must have used vampiric powers to help you. Strong ones. Stronger than many of the remaining full-blooded vampires."
::She assumes a (long censored phrase) lot.::
::She is simply not stupid. For an ex-hunter, she's surprisingly well-informed.::
She eased herself onto her right elbow, looking at him.
"Have you always been this quiet? Or was it the years as a Hunter, Prince Tepes?"
::D... what name did she just call you? *Tepes*?::
.
.
.
Chapter 3
Dear Friends and Old Names
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
D opened his eyes to see Rosalind tip-toeing in with a tray of breakfast food in one hand, and a portable med kit in the other. The form on the bed, who somehow managed to be completely submerged in the thin sheets, didn't stir. He watched, bemused, as the blonde lady of the house tried to avoid several random-seeming boards in the floor, only to step on one and make a rather loud creak. Shae turned her head, her dark hair still reflecting silver, even in the morning light, and she smiled weakly at Rosalind. She was indeed very pale, her face holding barely more color than the cream-colored sheets. Her eyes caught D's attention- they were different than before, a deep tone, the color of wet slate.
::D...::
::I know. Her eyes changed color.::
::But they're grey, not hazel...::
::It's not unheard of.::
::Yeah, not unheard of for nonhumans.::
Rosalind set the tray with food down on the small bedside table, opening the med kit across an empty space on the bed. Shae slowly sat up with a barely noticeable wince, a hand pressing against her side. Her expression was calm and the weak smile was back when Rosalind turned to her, worriedly.
"I thought I told you to rest... let me help you do anything, ok? The doctor prescribed at least a week of bed-rest."
Shae shook her head with a soft smile--though, was that sadness in her eyes?
"This one would probably be unable to do very much for a little while under the circumstances... not with as weak as sessha is right now, anyway."
The blonde nodded briskly, satisfied with the admission. The brunette's voice was soft, as it had been the other night, momentarily calm, but it seemed to have the potential to convey worlds of meaning in a single word if she wished it, the soft inflections alluring even to the most antisocial of people.
"Good, then you'll let us take care of you for once, instead of running off half-healed as is your habit. Now, let me take a look at that shoulder; how is your arm doing?"
There was a pause as the patient slowly moved her left arm, the one connected to her bad shoulder wound.
"... Useable... it does not feel as though anything serious got cut, it will just take a while to heal properly."
"Good. I'd hate to see you out of commission because of my Grove."
That earned a dry chuckle.
"Who better for? Besides, that one was for little Abagail. You know how this one feels concerning her."
A roll of fresh bandaging came out of the med kit, along with a pair of sharp-looking scissors. As they spoke, Rosalind snipped at the bandaging on Shae's shoulder, and began to rebind the wound before responding.
"Hai, I know. Would that my one-time hunting partner and longtime friend cared as much for her own life."
There was a long silence broken only by the sound of fabric on fabric.
"Sessha has her reasons for living the way she does, Rosalind Annamaria Simhareen. You know some of them. You have guessed at others. This is one conversation sessha promises you do not want to revisit."
::Sounds a lot like you when I try and ask how you're doing, D. Only, you threaten to cut me off.::
::She is nothing like me.::
::D, you can't trust her. She's too much like a bought barborois.::
::She was a hunter once.::
::That's only if you believe what they're saying.::
Though she had spoken quietly, the reply was a sharp one, the tone clearly stating what was not spoken. Grey eyes met green as Rosalind looked at Shae, the blonde's own expression unreadable.
"Yes, you're right. I remember all too well the last time I tried to talk to you about this. You ended it with that same tone, too, saying my full name like that. It is a conversation we will continue someday, but not now."
Rosalind tied the shoulder bandage, and began working on Shae's abdomen, their conversation not missing a beat.
"Hai, someday. But not today, Rose. Listen, sessha has to warn you, the vampire who was after the group, this one does not know how well she can follow a trail, but she is still on the loose. Keep a watch, ok?"
A nod.
"I'll tell the sheriff. He'll post a night-watch until she can be handled."
Shae nodded past Rosalind, at D.
"You've been quiet back there. You're a vampire hunter, are you not? What's your name?"
Sym muttered at D telepathically, saying things unsuitable to be repeated here.
"I am… D."
Shae raised an eyebrow.
"D? Ah, that explains quite a bit. Sessha owes you her thanks for your help the other day. This one would probably be quite dead right now if you had not stepped in to help. Sessha wa Shae des."
Rosalind had apparently finished by this time because she turned around to face D.
"If there's any way I can repay you for that, let me know. You saved my fiancée, my baby, and my dearest friend."
::Dearest friend? D, you don't really believe all this, do you?::
:: ... ::
"It was nothing," D replied, in his low soft monotone.
"I mean it. You will be welcome in my house for several generations to come, dhampire." Shae spoke up again, her voice still soft-spoken, and seemingly naturally so.
"You can walk around town without hiding your heritage here, for what it's worth. The only ones disliked here are the barborois and full vampires. Natolois has several stories of dhampires and dhampyres who have saved more than a few people in these parts. It's a haven for people like you."
::People like y-::
::Quiet or I really will cut you off. I can do without my left hand.::
Rosalind looked at Shae with a raised eyebrow, but spoke to D.
"True. If you would like, I can probably easily find someone to be your guide through town. It's not big, but none of the shops have good signs anymore."
The blonde firmly pressed Shae back down onto the bed with a hand on her "good" shoulder.
"Now, can I trust you to stay in bed and rest for a while, Shae?" The grey-eyed brunette chuckled.
"Hai, Rose."
Rosalind left, and Shae turned her head so she was looking at D.
"Rosalind was once one half of a hunter duo known as the Twilight Sisters. Perhaps you heard a rumor or so, in your travels?"
D considered the enigmatic woman.
"Perhaps."
There was a long silence.
"So you're the famous dhampire vampire hunter. Sessha has heard quite a lot about you over the past several years. You really killed Carmilla?"
He nodded.
She closed her eyes with a quiet sigh.
"Good. One less piece of ancient evil hell spawn to haunt the world."
One deep grey eye cracked open, curiously.
"If memory serves, she was quite old. You must have used vampiric powers to help you. Strong ones. Stronger than many of the remaining full-blooded vampires."
::She assumes a (long censored phrase) lot.::
::She is simply not stupid. For an ex-hunter, she's surprisingly well-informed.::
She eased herself onto her right elbow, looking at him.
"Have you always been this quiet? Or was it the years as a Hunter, Prince Tepes?"
::D... what name did she just call you? *Tepes*?::