The witch dozed against Ender's chest while he wrestled with a host of emotions, the first and foremost being hunger. He had barely fed on the march to the border, and the elk he had sampled earlier had done little to curb his appetite. The fool girl had no right smelling as appetizing as she did.
To make matters worse, she then had to tempt him further by drawing blood only mere inches from his nose. He had come dangerously close to unceremoniously throwing her from the horse and sending the witch on her merry way. She could find her own way back to wherever it was she had come from and leave him to his solitude. Ender preferred to be alone.
Reason won out in his mind, though. He hadn't lived over two hundred years by acting rashly. Ever ruled by a practical nature, he tried to make himself soften toward the girl, hoping to gain her trust. She would be of no use if he were to throw her from the horse.
He knew she would need to remain compliant until they reached his home. Lucian would be severely displeased if he found out Ender had tied up an uncontracted witch and dragged her through the villages. While he wasn't overly concerned if his older brother was pleased or not, it certainly made for more comfortable exchanges if the two remained amicable.
His father had sent them both to look after Castle Mont and its ever contested borders, giving no indication they would be relieving their posts any time soon. Logic prevailed, and Ender practiced restraint in the majority of his affairs. Whatever the brothers disagreed upon, they could usually find common ground when it came to Astrophel's forces. Though they had never laid eyes upon the ancient vampire, his army was always pushing their way onto Mont land. Having this witch might be just what they need to stop the frequent incursions.
On the other hand, the option remained for selling her contract to the crown or another high ranking official—the latter option being more lucrative. Either way, she would need to stay somewhat trusting of him until they reached their destination.
Ender continued to mull over the ideas as he guided Murf through the woods. The vampire was glad of the cloud cover. His eyes receiving a must needed repast from the bright sunlight that had been glaring all morning. He felt the breeze and tried to ignore the barrage of scents pouring in from the farmland. Even with the years of acclimation, the vampire had never really gotten used to the smell of animals and people condensed into one location.
He longed for home. The stone walls of the keep generally kept the melee of sounds and smell from assaulting his senses. The trees slowly began to thin out as the two made their way into the beginnings of the farmland that bordered the villages closest to Castle Mont.
He found himself staring at her hair for a long moment before gently shaking the girl awake. "Put on your hood brundah," he told her gruffly. Practically speaking, the girl's beauty and uniquely colored hair would surely draw attention, it would be prudent to keep her face as hidden as possible. The absence of a neck tattoo could create a host of problems he was not ready to address if anyone should notice.
"What? Why?" she asked groggily. The faerie in her lap awoke as well. It fluttered up to her shoulder and continued to fly along with them, keeping pace with Murf.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" Ender grumbled, not waiting for an answer. He continued, "Do as I say and send that thing back to the forest. It can't keep following us."
He almost laughed to himself as she put extra emphasis on placing the hood over her head. The too-large garment hung about her as she jerked the fabric to obscure her features. She certainly had a flair for the dramatic. The witch might be powerful, but she was proving to be a challenge he had not anticipated.
Witches were, as far as he had experienced, calm and docile for the most part. Flowing with the tide instead of beating against it. Caroline was forceful and stubborn, and in many ways, Ender found it exhausting. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't also acknowledge that her attitude was also a bit refreshing. It had been a very long time since someone, let alone a woman, challenged him in any way. A soft sigh escaped the girl's lips as she held out her hand for the faerie. His jaw nearly dropped when the little creature settled onto her hand at her beckoning.
"It's time for you to go now, little one," she cooed to the creature, stroking its hair like it was a lifelong pet, "my name is Caroline, come find me again, yes?" The faerie nodded its head in agreement and flew off into the distance.
"The faerie did your bidding," he said, trying to keep the awe out of his voice. He had only ever known the creatures to be the winged demon rats his brother had so often referred to them.
"Of course, he did," Caroline replied. He couldn't see her face but could hear the smirk in her voice. "All I did was treat him with a bit of respect-"
"And a bit of magic," Ender interjected
"You should try it sometime. It might put a damper on your knife throwing impulses." she snapped.
Ender was just about to point out that she, too, had thrown a knife, albeit with much less accuracy than he, when he spotted figures further down the road that cut through the farmland. The witch's eyes wouldn't be able to make out the two riders on horseback settled on either side of the road in the distance, but Ender could see their black uniforms trimmed in gold from where he was now.
"We are coming up on two Ibudali soldiers. Men from the king's army." He whispered in her ear. He was almost certain one, if not both, of the men were also vampires. There was a good chance they could see Ender and Caroline too, and it would not be long before they were also within hearing distance.
The girl nodded, headstrong as she was, he appreciated that she took in the seriousness of tone and listened as he went on, "Do not speak, do not make eye contact, do not let them see your neck and more than anything else...are you listening?" he asked. She nodded her head again more vigorously. "Do not use your magic at all. Not even the smallest amount."
"But-" she whispered back to him.
"I know," he said, cutting her off, "you're not a witch."
"Right," she whispered back as her blonde head nodded in front of him, shaking the folds of fabric surrounding her head.
"Be that as it may, back when you tried to stab me with all the grace of a drunken goat, the magic in the air was so strong it felt like we were in the middle of a lightning storm. So, mind your temper and let me handle the soldiers. Aye, brundah? No more talking now, they will be able to hear us soon."
Accepting her final nod as understanding, he continued to lead the pair along the road. It wasn't uncommon for the king's soldiers to make their way out into the provinces, usually collecting taxes for the king or acting as witnesses for public executions under the crown's decree.
Occasionally citizens needed to be made examples of, to remind the people that while the lords ruled the provinces, the king ruled the people. Ender wondered what brought them so far out into the country, though and why not one, but two, vampires were traveling out here. Vampires held only the highest-ranking positions in the king's army, and their presence did not bode well.
"Greetings, Lord Mont." The first soldier spoke when Ender was close enough to hear. Caroline must not have been able to make out the vampire's words quite yet.
"What did he say?" she asked in a whisper.
Ender hushed her quickly, and he swore he could feel her rolling her eyes from where he sat. He tightened his grip slightly about her waist, causing her to draw in a sharp intake of breath and felt her lithe form press against him as the vampires came into view. He braced himself for the encounter.
"Greetings, soldier. What may I call you?" Ender returned the formality with his own.
"I am Captain Greir. This is Captain Basla," he replied, gesturing to the man at his side. Riding up to the two vampires, Ender could see the one speaking was likely as tall as he, black hair and eyes that matched his uniform. He had a small mouth and nose set close together. His features appeared almost feminine. The other soldier was stockier of build, light brown hair atop a squared head, crimson eyes gleaming. Captain Balsa must have fed more recently, Ender concluded, denoting the vampire's more golden eye color.
"How can I be of service to the crown today?" Ender asked the traditional refrain given to any high ranking military official. He could feel Caroline's measured breathes against him. Ender felt a need to protect the girl at all costs. She wasn't channeling any magic currently, but he could tell by her movements she was nervous.
"We were passing through. After collecting the taxes from your brother, we thought we would venture out into the country and slake our thirst. I've heard the fresh air makes the blood taste sweeter." the Captain told him with a grin. The man's face was unsettling even to Ender. "But, I see that you have already brought us a little something to dine upon." He could feel the witch start to shake as her body inched back into him even further, looking for protection he wasn't sure he could provide. Not from these vampires.
"Aye, you are not wrong about the air out here, Captain, but I am afraid the lass is nearly drained. I would loathe to kill her before she reaches the keep. She is due to start work there in the morning." Ender desperately hoped the explanation would dissuade Captain Grier. The look in the vampire's eyes gave no indication of relenting, though.
"Surely you could spare but a taste? I have been riding for nearly the entire day looking for a delicacy of the region. I can smell her from here, innocence and fear makes the perfect combination don't you agree, Basla?" The squat vampire nodded his agreement a little too excitedly. Ender could see the lust in his eyes and swore to himself under his breath.
He could tell Greir was not often refused requests, the many medals adorning his uniform indicating his status made that apparent.
"Don't you need my permission?" Caroline piped up from in front of him. The hoof began to fall back slightly, and Greir's eyes widened in surprise. Ender groaned internally. He should have known the girl would not have kept silent or cloaked. The only remaining option now was to mitigate the consequences. The two captains would indeed have many questions about why Ender was carting around a free witch that happened to be as beautiful as the morning sun.
Greir's gaze shifted from Ender to Caroline quickly. The vampire's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the young woman from head to toe and lingered on the possessive grasp with which Ender held her. Greir moved his horse closer to them until his face was inches from Carolines.
Leaning down, he spoke directly to her. the words dripping from his mouth with cruel indifference, "Would you not permit your king, and to those who serve him, under penalty of treason?" His words dripped out sardonically, tempting her to retaliate.
"Y-yes, of course." she stammered back. At least the girl had enough common sense not to argue any further with the Captain, but still, Ender could see no way out of this situation. She would need to give herself to the Captain or face charges of treason. He didn't know where she was from, but he had never heard of a place where the penalty for treason was less than death. Either way, the witch's fate was nearly sealed. Ender could stop himself from killing a human when he fed, but he was doubtful Grier was bothered with such restraint. "Come here then," she said, leaning forward, exposing her delicate neck.
A look of delight spread across the Captain's face just as one of shock spread across Ender's. What was the fool girl playing at? "Save some for me." he heard Basla sneer from behind. Captain Greir leaned in, taking in a deep breath inhaling the girl's scent. While Greir was savoring the moment, Ender felt his stomach drop, and the instinct to protect Caroline nearly overpowered him.
It would be treason to kill the two vampires before him, but he suddenly found that he didn't care. He tried desperately to hold on to practicality and reason in the moment just before Grier bit down on Caroline's outstretched neck but found the exercise useless.
As Ender leaned in to rip the heart from Grier's chest, he saw the vampire's eyes widen in surprise before shutting rather abruptly. That's when Ender felt it, a soft humming on his skin, and noticed the absence of sound. The three of them were wrapped in a peaceful void. The magic was not as pronounced as it had been back in the clearing.
This time, the spell was more subtle, taking everyone by surprise. Murf cantered backward as Greir slumped off his horse, and then Basla followed a moment after later. Both men hit the ground with a low thud. Basla was already snoring.
Panic surged through his body as he gripped Caroline by the shoulders, turning her torso to face him in the saddle, "What did you do?" he asked her through gritted teeth looking down at the witch. He was nearly a head and a half taller than the girl, but her blue eyes showed no fear, only astonishment.
"I remembered the sleeping spell," she said simply with a wide smile. Ender felt his anger receding at the sight of her smile. It was a sight he didn't think he could tire of seeing. Releasing her, she turned forward again. The vampire kicked the horse into a fierce run.
"I've seen soldiers in that uniform before," Caroline yelled back to him as they galloped through the countryside. The two sleeping vampires were quickly fading to specks in the distance.
"Where?" he asked.
"Back home," she told him. "In Ovandale."
Ender felt a shock run through him. What were Ibudali soldiers doing in Ovandale? What kind of magic had sent her an ocean away? He couldn't dwell on the revelations any longer. He wrapped one arm tight about her again, and this time didn't feel her shiver. A small smile spread across his lips as he kicked Murf into an even fiercer run. They needed to get back to the castle before both their heads were on the chopping block.