Ayden hadn't been allowed to remove his blindfold that night; Nikodemus hadn't been available when he and Lenox arrived to discuss exactly what Ayden's goals were by coming to the Rogues. He was taken to what he could only assume was a tent or some form of structure that they could dismantle at a moment's notice. The night was cold, and he did not sleep, but when the first warmth of the morning sun seeped through the material surrounding him, he was greeted by someone removing his blindfold. "I didn't even hear you come in," Ayden indicated to the ground. "One would think that it would be difficult to be quiet, with the snow and dirt."
The young vampire smiled, his six fangs glinting in the light. His golden hair was long, and had a gentle curl to it. His eyes held the faintest tint of red, divulging that he hadn't fed for at least a day or two. "Perks of being born a vampire instead of bitten and turned into one," with a flourish, he gestured to his feet; they seemed to not be touching the ground, or if they were, just barely. "Weightlessness has its perks, and flight is always nice…but Lenox said your shroud was particularly impressive," he smiled again. "I am Nikodemus, and welcome to my camp."
Ayden took his outstretched hand, and shook it warmly. "Ayden Walker," a wave of realization washed over Nikodemus' face, and he lowered his head. "Please, don't feel sorry for me. My mother made her choices, and she suffered the consequences," the words cut through his very core, but in order for this ruse to work, Ayden had to play off that he had no cares for any of the Council. In reality, Ayden missed his mother and father every day, and if this was the way to catch those who had destroyed his family, then so be it.
Nikodemus, who was obviously shocked, shrugged his shoulders. "My particular sector had absolutely nothing to do with the Massacre of Oitsa. We don't destroy, unless it's deemed unavoidable. Mostly, what we do comes across as embarrassing pranks. In the long run, it hurts their pride and reputation far more than it hurts their physical being," Nikodemus looked to Ayden, searching for understanding on his face. Ayden nodded, waving his hand to allow him to continue speaking. "We have a few things planned for the Autumn Festival, but I still don't know if I can trust you enough to divulge that, just yet."
Looking around what Ayden now realized was a tent, he was sure of one thing; he wouldn't be seeing the rest of the camp until its leader trusted him. How long is this going to take? Ayden wondered to himself, never taking his eyes off of the golden haired leader. "I'll be back with something for you to drink, later. Please, don't leave this tent until I've given permission. I'd hate to have to hurt you," there was a lilt of playfulness in his voice, but Ayden could tell that Nikodemus wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Ayden agreed, albeit reluctantly, and sat, watching his captor disappear through the flaps of the tent.
Nikodemus returned to the tent where the newfound bitten one was being kept until he could decide if he was trustworthy or not. Nik trusted most people, he always had; there was something about this Ayden that he simply couldn't figure out. Was he a spy? Nikodemus had dealt with spies before. Was it that he was a survivor of the Massacre of Oitsa? Possibly, Nik had never heard of anyone surviving before. There were rumors of a seven year old girl escaping, but they had never been corroborated. He looked at the outside of the patched, mostly cream colored tent. Nikodemus could deny him blood, causing him to become more irritable and therefore make Ayden easier to get information out of. No, Nik thought to himself, I'm not one for torture. As he entered the tent, he noted that Ayden was asleep.
Clearing his throat, he woke the sleeping newcomer. "I brought you a rabbit," Nik said, releasing the animal from the pouch he had slung across his chest. The animal sat, momentarily frozen. In that moment, Ayden was upon it, his jaw clasped around its throat. Slowly, the struggling ceased, and he drank his fill. His eyes returned to their normal, golden brown tone, and when he was finished, Nikodemus took the limp body and skinned it, tossing its deflated, useless meat aside. Ayden cleaned his face, hating to seem like a wild animal. "I'm going to ask you honestly, and I expect honesty back; what are you here for?" Nik locked eyes with the bitten one, boring into him.
"I'm here because I believe in what the Rogues are doing. The Council has too much power, and it needs to be diminished," the secondary part of his statement, at least, wasn't a lie. Ayden did think the Council had too much power, but that didn't necessarily mean he agreed with the way the Rogues went about their cause. However, Ayden's eyes never left Nikodemus's, only increasing the look of his honesty. Over the years, Ayden had had to become an adept liar. Nik watched him for a moment more, looking for any glimmer of dishonesty, any small tell of a lie. Once he was, momentarily, satisfied, the born vampire extended his hand to the bitten one, and they embraced hands.
"Welcome to the cause, brother," Nik said with a sincere smile. Ayden flinched at the fact that he called him 'brother', however Nikodemus wrote it off as being used to being an outcast, never knowing what his place in society was. "The Council has made all of us, but vampires specifically, feel like outcasts. They've made the mortals fear us, which they shouldn't. We aren't evil and I now you understand that, Ayden." Nikodemus gestured towards the exit of the tent, and Ayden, almost reluctantly, followed.