21 Caroline

The soup wasn't too terrible, Caroline thought as she left the tavern with Ender. Keeping pace with his long stride meant she had to move at a brisk walk. Even with her moving at near jogging speed, she was still hopelessly lagging behind. Reaching out a tiny hand, she pulled on the end of his shirt sleeve while attempting to catch her breath.

Ender turned around so quickly she almost tripped backward over her own feet but steadied herself before the vampire could knock her over fully. He didn't look at her right away. Instead, his deep scarlet eyes scanned the surrounding area with profound scrutiny. It seemed every muscle in his body had tensed and noticed the fingers of his right hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. Ender always seemed prepared for some unknown danger.

"Could you perhaps walk a little slower? I can't keep up," she told him meekly. His expression didn't change much, but he did give her a short nod. She noticed he now measured his pace to keep in time with her shorter gait once they resumed walking. They continued down the street at a leisurely pace while passerby made way for the towering vampire and his rather much smaller companion.

"Tell me, brundah, just how did you escape that alley unharmed?" He finally asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well, it's like I already explained. I went into the town, and I saw a stall that sold leather goods. I asked the merchant about a bag, and at first, he didn't want to sell it to me because I'm a witch." Caroline exhaled deeply and shook her head, her long blonde braid swaying from side to side.

She absently rubbed the marking on her neck. "Which doesn't make any sense, but then I told him I work at the castle, and I would be glad to barter for it. He agreed as long as no one was with me or saw the transaction. Then we went to the alley, and he gave it to me." she continued with a shrug, "I was, of course, worried following a strange man in a strange town, but when I expressed that maybe it wasn't safe, he told me no harm would come to me. It was strange. I could sense he was genuine, or else I wouldn't have gone." she said, finishing her story.

"You can sense when someone is truthful? That is a valuable skill, brundah." the vampire told her, slowing his pace further.

Caroline absently ran her fingers along the braid hanging over her shoulder, "Hmm...I suppose so. It really was more of a feeling."

"Well, I look forward to the bill he will be sending to the castle," Ender replied with a smirk.

"Bill? Oh, my gods, I didn't realize-" she began.

The vampire's laugh was low, and his smile dazzling. Caroline couldn't remember seeing him smile or without his usual stony demeanor. It was breathtaking. "It's alright, Caroline, it is no matter," he told her.

"I'll work it off, the price of the satchel that is. I can help Mara in the kitchen!" She told him almost frantic. Caroline did not like the feeling of being indebted to anyone, least of all, to the vampire who held her contract even if it was something as small as a simple leather bag.

"You can help Mara in the kitchen if you like, but the gesture is not necessary. Consider it a gift. After all, I am the one who dragged you here into this mess in the first place. I am sorry for that." he told her, his tone sorrowful. The crowd was becoming thicker as they approached the primary market. Conversation would be more difficult here, she thought as they start to weave between the crowds. Caroline could feel a slight sense of apprehension begin to take hold of her.

When she had first ventured into the busy city earlier that day, she had been too enamored by all of the new sights and smells to feel any real sense of danger. After Ender's words though at the tavern, she could begin to understand his reasoning. While many of the townspeople were going about their business, she could pick out a few seedier persons at the edge of the crowd eyeing her and Ender as they passed. Caroline cursed herself for being so naive and impulsive.

Her shoulders began to tense as the unease spread throughout her limbs. The crowd was becoming tighter in the afternoon hour, and it was difficult to see anything due to her small stature. Not for the first time did Caroline wonder if everyone in Ibudal was a giant.

A hand nestled at the small of her back, stirring in her a familiar sensation. She could feel Ender's muscled arm wrap around her waist as he guided her steps through the throng of people. As domineering as the vampire could be, she had to admit she felt safer with him at her side.

Once the crowd thinned and reached the edge of town, Ender quickly retreated from his protective stance, giving her some room. She took a deep breath, exhaling some of the panic that had wound its way around her mind as they moved through the market.

He had steered them to the back of the castle instead of approaching the grand front doors, and for that, she was grateful. She did not want to make a conspicuous entrance back into the keep. She stopped abruptly then, in a small copse of trees, realizing she did not want to go back indoors but had no desire to wade through the crowds again.

"Do you mind if we stay out here for a few more minutes? I just want to enjoy being outdoors for a bit longer," she asked. Ender shrugged, and she could feel his eyes on her while she perched herself on a nearby log.

Instinctively she reached into her new pouch and uttered a soft curse remembering the book was still on the table in her new room. Instead, she settled for observing the flora around her and hoped the memory would be enough to sketch the leaves later.

She let her mind wander while studying a flower with brilliant purple hues before remembering what Ender said back in the tavern,

"You said you understood what it's like to not make your own decisions. Why is that?" Continuing to stare at the blossom, she tried her best not to look at Ender while waiting for his answer. His muscled form stood tall and looming, quickly blocking the afternoon sun in her periphery.

"Witches are born, brundah, but vampires are made. I had little choice in becoming one." was all he said, his accent lilting softly.

"I'm sorry, Ender, that must have been terrible," she told him, shifting her gaze to the vampire standing before her. His crimson eyes held little expression, but she could feel a melancholy emanating from him.

"It was a long time ago and cannot be changed now. Life does not always happen on our terms," he told her. At that moment, the vampire sounded much older than his youthful features portrayed. She could only imagine what he must have lived through in the many years since being made into what he was. She was vaguely aware their lifespans were much longer than hers but knew little else about his kind.

"Nim used to say that to me when terrible things would happen," she said while trying to hold back the sudden onslaught of emotion.

"Who is Nim? You have mentioned her before," Ender asked.

"My grandmother. She raised me after my mother died when I was very young. I don't remember her at all." Caroline said, bending as she sat to now examine a fern by her side.

"Aye, she sounds like a wise woman," Ender said.

"She is. I want to get back to her, but I think it was she who sent me here. I'm not sure going back is the right course. I'm not sure of anything anymore, to be honest." Caroline told him as she folded her arms over her knees, the blue satin of her gown crinkling beneath her.

"I am not sure either, brundah. I do know that you and I are bound to one another for a time, though." Caroline felt her heart rate rise slightly in her chest at his words. Her cheeks reddened as she wondered if the vampire could sense it, causing them to blush even more. "Please try and do as I ask. Nay, I will not command you, but I do ask it. For your safety and for those around you." He asked calmly, holding out his hand to her.

Caroline took his cold hand in hers, rising up from the log in one fluid motion. Years on the farm had kept her nimble. She realized then just how close Ender was to her at that moment, and it reminded her of standing next to an open door in the winter. She could see his stern red eyes waiting for her response through the curls that framed his face.

Nodding, she said, "I understand. I will."

"Thank you. We should be getting back now. I can inquire about dresses with pockets if you like." He said with more levity as they walked at a leisurely pace towards Castle Mont.

Caroline choked back a laugh at the vampire's mention of dresses. She would wager he knew as little about dresses as she did about battle tactics but appreciated his attention to her words. "I'm quite fond of the satchel, thank you," she told him, patting the bag at her side.

"Good, you can explain the bill to Lucian then," he said, stony-faced as ever but after a moment, Caroline could see the edge of his mouth twitch. Unable to hold back the laughter any longer, the sound rang out throughout the small wood as the pair continued to the keep in the waning afternoon light.

Neither of them noticed a faint blue streak bob between the trees as they passed.