Nord

Teachers Pet

"I agree. It is an option, and it would be a very good one at that. But you do not even know what being a Vampire means. You cannot simply just say that you could be one. And what I meant was, you have spent your life confined inside castle, you have travelled within the safety of a carriage with a guard of men to protect you. The knowledge you have of life is pretty much what you have read in your books. Humanity is not such a thing that should be so readily discarded, even if it would make our journey easier."

Azrael removed the cloak from around himself and placed in on to the ground next to him. He stood up as a cool breeze gently rustled the leaves up in the tops of the trees. The fire flickered against the wind.

"You do not have to worry about forced marriages or such 'upper class issues'. Here we are, miles from the place that you once called home. We do not let just anyone be a Vampire. There are rules to follow."

He crouched next to the fire and grabbed one of the sticks. He poked the fire and watched the embers rise into the air. He stared into the fire as reassured the girl.

"Believe me, If I did not want you here, I would of let you die when Elizabeth attacked you. As for your blood. I cannot say it is a unique thing, and extremely addictive, but that is not why I decided to travel with you. Truthfully, I was eager to watch as you discover this world on your little adventure. You will see the world through a fresh perspective. I have long since grown tired of what this world has to show."

Teachers Pet

“I cannot say what will happen if anyone finds us, but I was hoping that it would not happen in the first place. You can be sure that I will not let them take you if you do not wish to go with them though.”

They sat quietly next to one another for a while until Evangeline spoke again. Azrael mused over her words for a moment.

“Are you asking to become a Vampire?”

He let the words hang in the cold air for a while.

“I cannot let you become a Vampire. You know nothing about us, or the real world. You said it yourself that you have only ever lived in seclusion, never seeing the world for what it truly is. You do not even know what it is like to be a human. Did you think that a person could so easily become a Vampire? We do not just let people join our ranks because they want to, or just to make their life easier.”

His words were gentle, but he felt a little annoyed at the girls mention of a quick fix to their situation. The fact that her ‘dying’ might make the situation easier, but to just be a Vampire was preposterous. The Vampires didn't just ‘blood’ whoever they wanted, there were strict rules and practises to adhere to.

Teachers Pet

“I am surprised that the King and Queen would tell you that your parents were peasants. In fact, I am surprised they would tell you anything other than that you were their own child, but I suppose they would not want you to find out by other means.”

Azrael watched as the small embers rose from the dwindling fire.

“There is nothing to say that Evangeline is not your real name. I grant you that it is not a typical name for the common folk, but, nonetheless…”

The princess pulled her knees to her chest. Azrael wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or because of how what she was talking about was affecting her, but he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, trying to comfort her.

“The past is nothing to worry about right now. If you decide you want to explore one day then you will be free to do so, but for now, let us focus on keeping out of the sight of the King and Queen shall we?”

He said smiling at the thought of running from a powerful force such as the Royal Family. He would have to admit that this was a first for him, amongst many other things that had happened over the past few days.

Teachers Pet

As Azrael sat next to Evangeline, she wrapped the cloak he had given her around the two of them. Azrael wasn't affected by the cold like the girl would be, but he appreciated the gesture, she was a very kind girl.
She pulled a book out from her belongings; Azrael had been unaware to the fact that she had brought such a thing with her. He glanced at the book but could not discern what it was or what it was about, he had spent a lot of time without reading anything that wasn't larger than a piece of paper meaning his knowledge on books was quite limited. He knew of no great authors or famous literature.

As she read her book, the young princess’s head started to wilt and soon it was leaning against the Vampires shoulder. He smiled and rested his own head on the rock behind him. The time they had spent together had already been so hectic and Azrael was impressed by her willpower, whether it was how she stayed awake for long periods, or the fact that she’d already survived a fatal attack so early on in her adventure. Since becoming a Vampire, Azrael had rarely experienced such excitement as he had travelling with this human girl. He hoped he could continue to travel with her, albeit, with a little more protection over her from himself. He didn't want her to be put in a similar situation as she had thanks to Elizabeth.

“You do not miss home? I only jest… but surely you miss the safety that being the Kings daughter provided. At least there you would not have suffered such a wound as you have done.”

He words flowing into the cold night air, his head angled slightly up as he stared at the stars through the gaps in the tree tops. No matter where he was, he was always attracted to the stars in the sky.

“I do hope that such a thing will not happen to you again. I admit my guard was dropped with Elizabeth around, but I will not make the same mistake again. I promise you that.”

He looked at her pale face as he said those last words.
The girl rubbed her eyes and yawned softly.

“Perhaps you should try and get some sleep while the fire is still burning. I will keep watch tonight, but I do not think anyone will find us here. Tomorrow we will keep going north until we find a town, and we can find you some better fitting winter clothes.”

Teachers Pet

"Hm? It might be safer for us to stay out of the nearby villages and towns, even if for just one night. It may be the difference between a confrontation with the kings-guard and missing them entirely."

He looked further into the woods and saw a little area, naturally sheltered by a rock.

"Come, there is a place just over there that I can see which should shelter us from any adverse weather."

As they walked, Azrael sparked up a conversation.

"How are you doing? You have been through more in the last few days than I would imagine you have been through since you were born, heh."

They found the area to be very comfortable with none of the wind managing to affect the girl. Azrael sat her down against the largest rock.

"Will you be okay for a few moments while I find some wood to make a fire? I think having a small fire will be okay as we're fairly sheltered here so the light will not attract any attention. If anything does happen just call out to me, I will hear you."

It wasn't long before Azrael returned with firewood, and two dead rabbits. It took almost no amount of time for Azrael to construct a fire and light it, he didn't usually bother with this kind of heat source when he travelled as Vampires weren't affected by the cold much, but with the girl noticeably cold, Azrael endeavoured to make her comfortable.

"I hope you don't mind Rabbit. I was lucky to even find these two, but please, eat as much as you like when they are cooked."

Teachers Pet

"Well, I do not have a plan in mind at the moment, we just need to keep ahead of your fathers soldiers, if they find you then they will take you back, and I guess that is not an option for you."

He felt her hand clasp around his own. The action threw him for a second as he realised that he'd never held anyone's hand in his life, that he could remember anyway. Vampires weren't the sort of people to show affection that way, or at all really. And when he was human, well, he'd of been lucky to of been even looked at by a girl, let alone touched by one.
He reciprocated the sensation by squeezing a little tightly for a moment, just to let her know that he would keep her safe, and then he started walking through the small town, down the main street.

"I have never been there myself, but Father Matthews mentioned that to the snowy region to the north there are many small villages that are quite remote. I thought we could head there, even if for a little while, until we decide where we want to go. There are many fishing villages up there so we can always get on a boat and go somewhere. Either way, when we get there, we can sit down and decide, we can go anywhere in the world."

As they walked through the town, Azrael noticed that near the end of the houses, a couple of guards were nailing up a poster. He didn't have to see it to know that it was a sketch of the Princess. It seemed that the King was not messing around or keeping the Princesses disappearance a secret.
As they got closer, Azrael pulled back on Evangelines hand, pulling her back so that he was between her and the vision of the guards. The walked past without any trouble.

"S'cuse me, sire. Can I talk to ya for a mo."

It was one of the guards addressing Azrael. If he got too close, the guard would surely recognise the Princess.

"Hide behind me."

Azrael muttered to Evangeline. Pushing her behind him.

"How may I help?"

Azrael asked. The guard preceded to ask Azrael about whether he had seen a girl matching the Princesses description, even going so far as to handing Azrael a spare poster.

"I am afraid I have not seen such a girl, if I do I will be sure to report it. Good luck finding the her."

Azrael turned to leave, but the guard noticed something about Evangeline and ripped her hood off as they both turned to leave. He shouted out and reached for his sword. Azrael acted quickly and thrust his open palm into the guards chest, lifting him off his feet and covering several feet before landing on his back. The second guard, having finished his poster nailing duties had started walking over when he saw the commotion. He thrust his spear at Azraels face who turned to dodge the spearhead and brought his hand down on the spear, snapping it in two. Snatching what was left of the spear from the guard, Azrael smashed it across the mans head, hitting his helmet with a large clang. With both guards now on the floor, the Vampire turned to Evangeline.

"Excuse me."

He said, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"We no longer have the luxury of taking our time to move on from here."

When they were a good distance from the town, Azrael stopped and put the girl down.

"Damn. I was hoping that we wouldn't be found at all, let alone so quickly. Are you okay to walk? It will be some time before they catch us up... Hopefully."

Teachers Pet

“Then you do not have to be alone, we can carry on travelling together. If Elizabeth choose of me again, then I will deal with it then. And if you are worried that she will attack you, then the safest place for you would be with me.”

He said with a genuine smile.

“Surely all the best adventures involve adversaries. I cannot imagine that she will make a move so soon. Hopefully she will reflect on her actions, perhaps she may even return and apologise, who knows.”

He shook his head as he spoke.

“You are young, and Humans live fast. A lot can happen between now and the age that you consider old. There are an endless about of probabilities and routes to take. For all we know, you might even outlive me…”

He pulled the covers up to her neck.

“For now, get some rest, you need to recover your strength before we even think about going anywhere. When you are better, we will leave.”

_____________________________________________________________________________

“Evangeline.”

She shook the girl gently until she was awake.

“It is time for us to leave."

He placed some new clothes at the end of the bed for her to put on.

“Put these on. It seems your parents have unleashed the kings guard upon the country in an attempt to find you. I do not wish to get the Father in any trouble for attending to us, even though he has kindly offered us sanctuary, but it would not feel right. Thankfully it is quite dark out now so we should be able to slip away without attracting attention. I will be outside when you are ready.”

Azrael stepped out into the main room, he knew Father Matthews was in bed and it would be much easier to leave without his protesting. The doctor had been very generous during their stay, and Azrael wasn't sure if he had identified the girl as the princess or had chosen to not get involved, either way, Azrael was happy that they'd met such a kind man. He exited through the front door and stood outside the house. He looked into the cloudless skies and stared at the glistening stars. He hoped that this part of the journey wouldn't involve the attention of the kings army too much. It would make things a bit difficult, but it wasn't the first army that Azrael had had to evade.

Teachers Pet

"Yes. A long time ago. Elizabeth and I... We were... Very close. We spent a lot of time together and shared many memories."

He stroked his cheek as he talked about the past.

"Of course, Elizabeth will always be special to me. But, any strong feelings for her withered long ago. I moved on after we parted ways, Vampires live a long life, and to spend eternity with only one person was something I wasn't interested in at the time. I cut my ties with her and hoped that she would find her own place within our society. Perhaps I was a little misguided, but then, I was still young at the time too."

He smiled reassuringly at Evangeline.

"It was nice to see her again, initially. But it seems she is not the person I thought that she was, I have no interest in searching for her, and if she chooses to show her face to me again, well, I guess I will deal with that when the time comes. I will not let her hurt you again."

He said, stroking her hair, trying to make her feel a bit safer about the whole situation. He wasn't sure just how she was coping right now.

"Listen, if you want to be own your own, I cannot stop you. But, I would be very disappointed. It has been a long time since I found anyone I felt was worthy of spending time with.. Heh, not since Elizabeth."

He leaned in close to her.

"Plus, I thought you wanted an adventure. I could show you the world."

Teachers Pet

Azrael stood up from his chair and gently pushed Evangeline back down onto the bed.

“You should not move around too much. You have lost a lot of blood; if you become too active you might get dizzy and pass out. Just rest quietly for a bit longer.”

Recomposed himself, straightened out his clothes, and then sat back in his simple wooden chair that was next to the bed and crossed his arms. He exhaled deeply.

“I must apologise. Elizabeth… Well… She was the one who attacked you. I was blind to her feelings for me. We have a… complicated… history. We have not seen each other for a long time and it was my belief that she had moved on. But alas, that was far from true. Apparently when I kissed you, she was observing through the window, and she did not like that. She does not seem to have some dislike for humans, which I suppose is not uncommon amongst Vampires, but still… Anyway, she seems to believe that I do not care for her anymore, but I do...”

He flicked his gaze to the princess.

“… And now you too. I must admit, I tend to keep my distance from Vampires and Humans alike, but after meeting you that first night in the city, you have become very interesting to me. If you wish to stay with me, I promise I will not let something like this happen again.”

The side of his mouth curled as he formed a tight smile. He picked up a small cup form the bedside table. He handed it to the abnormally pale princess.

“Here. Drink. Father Matthews, who is also the towns’ doctor I might add, said that you need to keep hydrated, and eat as soon as you feel able. He said you were lucky to survive, and the most important thing now is to keep up your strength. Make sure you thank him before we leave.”

He leaned back into his chair.

“Until you feel better, just let me look after you.”

Teachers Pet

"Elizabeth, let me explain..."

Azrael had begun to explain when Elizabeth pushed passed him, and entered the house through the front door. He went to grab her by the arm so he could explain what had just happened. Not that he was entirely sure himself. There was something about Evangeline was starting to affect him.

These last few days he had spent around the human girl had caused him to become somewhat smitten with her. She was refreshing change to his usual life of seclusion, or his infrequent meetings with other Vampires. He'd never met someone as uniquely interesting as her. A human who could have it all, but passes it up for the chance at adventure. It was a truly rare thing to see, at least from Azraels understanding of the modern human society. The days of travelling seas and exploring new worlds was a thing of the past, all of that sort of thing was romanticised in stories. Perhaps knowing a Vampire was an adventure in itself for this little princess. Whatever it was, Azrael had a feeling that Evangeline could cause him quite a bit of trouble, a possible future that he would look forward to. It was no drawback that her blood was of the highest quality. He was not quite ready to part with her yet either, so he was eager to travel with her for a bit longer. He was sure that there was more to discover about her, or even help her to discover.

But, his hand grasped thin air as Elizabeth moved instantaneously from the doorway and appeared in front of the girl. Unfortunately, Azrael wasn't quick enough to realise the impending danger and made his next move far to slowly.
Elizabeth wrapped her cold fingers around Evangelines warm throat and preceded to squeeze the life from her. The small girl was powerless against the strength of the Vampire and struggled violently until the air no longer reached her lungs and she suddenly fell limp. Elizabeth bit into the lifeless dolls neck and bit off a chunk of pale flesh. She threw the girl, now bleeding quite profusely, to the other side of the room before turning to look at Azrael, who was quite shocked at what he just saw. He stared at the blood pouring from the giant gash in the humans neck, he could easily tell that the flow wouldn't stop until there was nothing left.

The words from Elizabeths mouth swept over him like nothing but a dull humming, his attention focused purely on the little princess, her unique blood which he had been so fixated on minutes before, now staining the pale yellow floor as her body lay still.

He felt the rush of wind as his fellow Vampire quickly passed him and entered the dark night, heading for the woods.
Azrael took a few slow steps towards the girl lying on the floor, his shoes now resting in the blood, he crouched down next to her and brushed the blood soaked hair from her face. He studied her face for a moment, he thought he could see her very own life force draining from her eyes. He traced his fingers down her face and placed two of them on her neck. He held them there for a few seconds before he felt the weakest of heartbeats.

She was still holding on. Barely.

He ripped off one of his shirt sleeves and looked at the wound on her neck, still spewing blood, if only at a much slower rate than before. He paused. Staring at the blood. The blood which he knew could send him into ecstasy with one little taste. He shook his head vigorously. There was no point letting this girl die just so he could get blood-drunk.

He tied the torn sleeve tightly around her neck. It wouldn't save her, but the pressure might slow the bleeding just long enough for Azrael to get Evangeline to the next town, and a doctor. If he sprinted hard, he could have her there in no time. Not that this situation allowed him any time at all.

"I do not know if you can hear me, little princess. But hold on for just a bit longer. I will not let you die in such a horrible manner."

Once again, he found himself carrying a human, the same one for a third time in less than twenty four hours. He slipped one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back and then exited the house. He briefly looked for Elizabeth in case she decided to attack again, but saw nothing, with that, he sprinted as fast as he could in the direction of the next town.