A/N Thank you so much for kind comments after last chapter, was very nervous posting. And another thanks to fangtasyinred, it was your story that got me into doing this.

Eric's Demons

Chapter Eight

Outside Eric's door one of his guards was reaching for the handle, his face full of concern. He'd clearly heard the woman who'd gone inside with Eric scream.

Pam put her hand on his to hold him back. She was grinning broadly.

"Don't think there's any problem in there," she told him with a wink.

Sookie tried to prop herself up on one arm, but it shook so violently she gave up. Her sweat soaked body was still naked, her skin flushed red. Idly Eric was making circles around her short pubic hair while he watched her. She was even more beautiful now, sweat soaked and exhausted as she was. He grinned as he remembered how she had clung on to him for all she was worth, giving back all she got, egging him on.

"Again lover?" he asked when she grinned up at him.

"You have got to be kidding," she laughed, but against her thigh she could feel that he wasn't.

Closing her eyes she drifted off to sleep, aware of the huge comforting presence of her beautiful vampire lover.

In a lush rolling meadow Sookie watched as a troop of light cavalry rode past. Their breastplates shone in the bright moonlight, their horses pranced and capered proudly. At first she was horrified to find she was naked in the meadow, tried to cover herself, but none of the riders saw her.

I'm dreaming she thought.

By a slight rise on the edge of the meadow the mounted men were gathering, forming a line. The horses were excited, becoming difficult to control. Most of the men wore helmets, but she could see a few faces.

What are they so afraid of?

Terror was etched into the lines of every face she saw. There was a fight coming, and these men were afraid they would lose.

Along the line rode a huge warrior, dressed in black leather, spurning the armor favored by his comrades. In one hand he held a small metal shield, the other a huge sword that any normal man would need two hands to hold.

Eric.

Sookie knew him, even from this distance. Magnificent on his massive charger he steadied the line, spoke words of reassurance she couldn't understand. Clearly he was in command here, but the men seemed reassured as he passed, heartened by whatever words he shared with them.

Behind him rode a woman on a smaller gray mare. Again even this far away Sookie could make out the detail. Raven hair flowed thick and free away from the rider's round face. She was a beauty, fine chiseled features, strong chin and cheeks. Even in the dark Sookie could see the pale glow of her gray green eyes. Under her black leather cloak she wore a tight fitting leather tunic and trousers, the tops of which were tucked into leather riding boots. Eric paused to embrace her passionately before turning his back on his men. At his side the striking pair began to lead the long line of horsemen.

Jealousy filled Sookie. Even in a dream, her dream, how dare he kiss someone else like that. For a moment she felt a rage that she knew was irrational.

Then she heard the howling. Across the meadow, growing louder as it got nearer, something was coming. Fearing for Eric, brave beautiful vampire lover, Sookie tried to see what animal was making that horrendous noise. At first she could make out nothing but the howling, but gradually she picked out a new sound, like distant thunder.

Running feet. Thousands of running feet. In seconds they were in view, a motley assembly of men in leather tunics, carrying long spears and swords. In a few minutes they would close with Eric and his mounted men.

In horror Sookie covered her eyes with her hands, afraid that in her dream her viking would be hurt or worse. She could hear him laughing, a booming roar that carried as a challenge to the enemy as they charged towards him. He was not afraid, he was enjoying this.

But behind the running men the howling was getting louder, and there was another noise too. Laughter. Something behind the men on foot laughed a twisted lunatic laugh that froze Sookie's soul.

Eric led the mounted men in a charge, sweeping down into the footmen, cutting them to pieces. He was almost out of his saddle, hacking around him with that fearsome sword. A roar went up from the men behind him as they lost their fear to the lust for battle.

And still the howling came.

Many of the footmen died in the first wave, cut down or trampled by the better armed and now evidently better experienced horsemen. But once the energy was gone from the charge they became embroiled in a heaving twisting melee, savage in intensity. Sookie looked at the faces of the men who followed Eric, saw extended fangs, realized for the first time that the men following him must be vampires. Dead or dying were piling up on the ground from both sides, bodies tripping the horses, snaring their feet as they danced to their riders' commands.

When it was over more than a dozen horses had lost their riders. Eric gathered those who were left around him, celebrating their fallen comrades. Always at Eric's side was the beautiful raven haired woman, her blade bloodied where she had joined the battle at her lover's side.

More running feet. Sookie's breath stuck in her throat when she saw the source of the howling and the laughter. She guessed there were two hundred of the blue painted savages racing at the riders, with hundreds more of the footmen coming behind. Eric and his men were heavily outnumbered by their enemy.

Tears streamed down her face as she begged them to run away to flee before what must be certain slaughter. She was aghast when they dismounted, slapped the horses to drive them away.

This would be a fight to the death then. Already they were forming a tight circle, blades and axes ready.

Standing alone at the edge of the meadow, Sookie imagined she felt the first shock wave as the two sides collided. Savage cuts from the vampires felled many of the blue painted men, but still they came. In the confusion she sought Eric, found him in the thick of the heaviest fighting, the raven haired beauty still at his side. Her blade was gone, she seemed to be fighting Eric's opponents bare handed.

What's she doing, Sookie wondered. Doesn't she fear them.

She was trying to touch them, not kill them. Sookie watched as the woman would grab a savage before Eric cut them down. But why?

Losses were huge on both sides. Most of the blue men were dead or dying, but still the footmen came on, charging headlong against the shrinking wall of vampires. She calculated from the losses she had seen so far that Eric and his men had only a few minutes left. Real tears coursed down her cheeks now, as she realized she was about to see Eric's death.

Less than fifty of Eric's men still stood. It seemed they had no chance at all, but as she watched the number of attackers was dropping faster than the vampires. When the fighting suddenly stopped it was Eric and his warriors who held the field.

On the ground the wounded moaned piteously. As Eric's injured allies struggled back to their feet, recoiling from the dying men on the ground, Sookie saw for the first time that there could be too much blood even for vampires. She watched as Eric and the raven haired woman began stooping over the fallen one at a time. At first she thought they were giving aid, or at least a sharp end to the suffering. But as she watched she saw the raven haired woman would hold each with both hands gripping their head before Eric hamstrung the ones she waved him to.

Those maimed by Eric were separated from the others before the vampires fed on the rest of the wounded or dying.

Eric knew she was dreaming. He covered her over with his jacket and lay beside her as she slept, watching her intently. Too long he had waited to possess her, had watched while that fool Compton and his mistress worked out their dirty little scheme. When the chance had come to claim her he took it, but he wondered just how much danger he would put her in before this was over. Might she have been better to stay with Bill.

From a distance he had felt love grow for this little female, the passion in her love making only confirmed what he had suspected all along. She was meant to be his. He had known a love like this only once before in his life. Eric winced at the pain that memory carried with it, a hurt full of regret and shame. He had known love like this before, and hoped that this time it would not end the same way.

Sookie woke to find Eric staring intently at her. His handsome face was incredibly sad. She wondered what melancholia had overcome the big warrior.

"Was I that bad?" she asked him.

"You, miss Sookie, were beautiful," he said, and as if to confirm he leaned in and kissed her passionately.

Beneath him she felt her body respond to his touch, but there were more pressing needs she had to attend first. Reluctantly she pushed him away, climbed to her feet.

"I need a shower," she told him.

Smiling, fangs only showing slightly, he nodded. When he lay back, hands behind his head, Sookie stared again at his perfect naked body. And he definitely isn't shy she thought as she turned away, heading for the shower.

Enjoying the rush of hot water on her skin, Sookie took her time in the shower. It gave her a chance to mull over the things that had happened tonight, and the dream which had stuck in her mind like a real memory. She wondered who the raven haired woman was, and what had made Eric look so sad. Her thoughts turned to the love making, a passion and intensity she had never known could exist. Eric was both technically and emotionally a lover beyond anything she had ever hoped to find. She could love this vampire.

Back in Eric's office he was just hanging up the phone when she came back. The sad look was back.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"An old friend needs me. We have to go now," he told her.