20 Ender

The vampire watched Caroline from his balcony. Having heard a door open from the floors below, he assumed that it was one of the servants letting in a food delivery but decided to get up and inspect the noise anyway. Unable to sense the heartbeat of the person exiting from where he stood, he could still make out the cadence of their steps.

A bit disappointed in himself for having slept through most of the morning and then remaining his room reading, Ender lurched himself from the chair he had been occupying. Interactions had started to become tiresome, especially with his brother.

He let out an exasperated sigh as he observed the Caroline stumble out into the clearing behind the castle and begin to examine her surroundings. What was she doing? He thought while shutting his eyes for a moment and running a large hand through the think curls that sat upon his head like a mop.

He couldn't imagine what was going through the girl's mind as she stood there with her eyes closed, skin glowing in the sunlight. Her waist-length hair gleamed in a single braid behind her as her tiny feet carried her in slow circles. He briefly wondered if all witches were this strange. Strange as she was, she was equally mesmerizing—a novelty he had never experienced. Ender observed with amusement as her eyes darted open, and she started a march towards the path that led to the town with a purpose.

"You need to follow her. You know that, yes?" a voice said at the vampire's side. Entranced Caroline's graceful movements, he hadn't heard his brother dart into the room next to him. Lucian, still dressed in the same black suit from yesterday, strolled back into the younger vampire's room from the balcony.

Ender noted that Lucian must not have slept at all the night prior. Likely scheming, Ender mused. He looked up to his older brother, who stood a few inches taller but much leaner, and nodded in agreement.

"I suppose I do need to follow the girl." he lamented. "And do not sneak up on me like that," Ender told his brother, a slight sneer lilted in his accent.

He quickly pulled a white linen shirt over his and pulled on a pair of worn leather boots. "It is unnerving when you do that. You make my skin crawl, brother." Ender said as he finished dressing.

His room was neat but cluttered. There were small stacks of books arranged in tidy columns throughout the room, and different weapons lay on table surfaces in various states of repair. Lucian idly brushed his long fingers over a set of throwing knives and threw an exaggerated eye roll at his brother.

"I am observant, and you are letting her get away," Lucian said with a weak grin.

It was true, Caroline had already disappeared from view and would be halfway to the edge of the city by now. Ender gave a half-hearted wave to his brother and, without looking back, launched himself over the edge of balcony jutting from the side of the castle. Landing with a soft thunk, he quickly picked out the girl's scent from the surrounding area.

It took less than a minute for Ender to reach the edge of the city at his significantly faster pace. The path at the back of the keep led down a steep hill. The trail meandered through a small gathering of trees before opening up to the outer edge of the city. Mainly tiny houses that quickly led into a section of trade in the town proper.

The area was known for vendors of various wares but also had a reputation for pickpockets and low-level criminal activity. Likely due to the staggering amount of commerce that took place. It was simple supply and demand, and Ender did not bother with low-level criminals.

Caroline had gotten to the town quicker than he had expected; her scent fading away quickly away as he entered. It was harder here to decipher which way she had gone now. Between street food vendors grilling different meats and the odor that could only be attributed to throngs of people gathering for afternoon shopping, the scents mingled together wildly.

The sounds were not any better; for that matter, Ender thought, trying to decipher the voices around him. To a vampire's hearing, a place such as this was pure cacophony. He usually tried to focus on one or two people speaking at a time to better focus his mind. The smells and sounds could overwhelm a vampire's senses quite easily, but he had learned long ago how to temper those sensations.

Ender pulled the hood of his cloak up, hoping to obscure his features. It would do no good for the people milling about to recognize one of the lords from the keep sauntering through the market in broad daylight. Guards could have been sent to retrieve her, or the city watch alerted, but the risk of startling the girl into using her powers inadvertently was too significant. Ender would have to rescue her himself.

The thought crossed his mind to stop by the Wilted Rose and ask Silas for his help in finding Caroline, two sets of eyes would be better than one, but that would take too much of his time, and Silas was likely already drunk.

She couldn't have gone far; He thought while milling around the square. He filtered through the crowd that was mostly made up of more well-off peasants in plain garb searching for the makings of their evening meal at the vendor stalls. Some wealthier merchants were passing by the storefronts with pricier wares but still no sign of the escaped witch. The city itself, Montilan, as it was called, was not so subtly named for his family.

Ender listened in on the surrounding conversations filtering the noise for any mention of a witch, or beautiful lass, as he scanned the crowds for her distinctive blonde hair. She was so small, though. It would be hard to notice her form among passersby.

He heard a woman arguing over the price of fish and a businessman in a sharp suit muttering to himself in front of a clothing store. Ender was even close to letting out a chuckle when the vampire heard his name mentioned by a group of women. Thankfully they had not noticed him under his hood.

"You have Laman following the witch?" Ender picked up on a gravelly voice emanating from a side alley. Coming to a halt and focusing his attention further on the conversation, another man, younger sounding replied,

"Aye, sir, Laman is following her, and two men will be waiting by the taverns."

"Good, and no sign of her contract holder?" the gravel-voiced man asked.

"No, she's alone still." the younger man replied.

"Good. Good. We'll make sure we get our money's worth out of this."

Ender could feel his blood began to boil and a rising heat in his chest. Taking off at superhuman speed while simultaneously starling a group of children near him, the vampire moved quickly in the hope he would reach here before anyone else did. Or before she unleashed an uncontrolled spell in the general area. What had she thought when she left without someone to look after her?

Briefly, he blamed Lucian for not explaining how vulnerable a witch traveling alone was. Without her contract holder present, there was no one to hold thieves and rapists accountable for their actions. Crimes committed against witches could be prosecuted after the fact, but the women themselves were not regarded as people to be left untouched. Still, it often came down to the witch's word against the offending party, thus making any punishment challenging to come by.

Ultimately Ender blamed himself. He was responsible for the girl now, whether she liked it or not, and it was his duty to inform her of such things. Racing towards the barrows, as the seedier section of town was called, Ender cursed himself silently for neglecting this point. The street vendors and storefronts thinned out as more taverns and cheap inns popped up around him.

Slowing his pace, he listened again for different conversations. This area was less populated in broad daylight. By the time night approached, though, the drunks and whores would be littering the streets with little regard to the city watch who Ender was sure had been paid off to leave the area be. With no mention of the witch, he turned to his sense of smell. She had been here, and not long ago, a faint whiff told him, even among the varied aromas of the city streets. Her scent of fresh apples and grass mingled with the odor of refuse and stale ale.

He followed her trail until he came upon a shadowed alley, not far from the Wilted Rose, in fact, with two men standing guard at the end. He wondered how the girl could be naive enough to follow someone down this way. Ender took down his hood as he approached the men, both dressed in shabby street clothes.

The two men looked to each first and then to Ender as the giant vampire marched up to the opening of the alley. He began to unsheath the sword at his hip as the bell-like voice that could only belong to Caroline mumbled in the alleyway and drifted sweetly to his ears. A thousand scenarios ran through the vampire's mind of what could be happening to the girl. Rage burned within him.

Before he could impale the first man standing guard, a blonde head poked out from between the two. Caroline emerged from the small side street, smiling broadly and thanking the stranger in the alley.

Ender stood there, stunned. The girl was unmarred and smiling? She looked precisely the same as she had when leaving the castle, not a hair out of place. Except for a well-made leather bag hanging from her shoulder, she was no different.

Almost running into him, she stopped short, noticing his presence for the first time. Suprise and then guilt washed over her delicate features before she spoke. For a moment, Ender thought she resembled a young child caught in the act of stealing from the pantry and forced himself to remember how angry he was with her disobedience.

"Ender! What are you doing here?" she asked, slightly startled, her crystal eyes pointing directly towards the ground in front of him.

"Excuse us, Lord Mont," one of the men said before the pair scurried away quickly. They had recognized him and did not want to linger—a wise move on their part.

Ender watched as they fleed from his sight quickly before turning to Caroline. He made no effort to hide the anger in his voice, "I could ask you the same, brundah. I almost killed those men where they stood, and their deaths would be on your shoulders."

Caroline stepped back, shock at his words radiating from her small body. Eyes widening, anger began to seep into her voice, making it more shrill than he had ever heard from her, "On my shoulders? I didn't ask you to follow me. They were standing guard while I purchased this bag from a merchant. There's no need for killing anyone! What is wrong with you?!" she screeched.

"Do you even know what happens to witches who go out without their contract holders? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?!" The vampire's voice was raised now too. A small crowd had begun to gather, watching the altercation between lord and witch.

"I told the merchant I lived at the castle, and he agreed to make a deal with me but not where other people would notice. I am an adult, and I am fine! I don't understand why you are yelling at me!" Caroline hissed.

"You disobeyed my command!"

"I am not yours to command Lord Mont!" she screeched the word lord as if it were an insult.

"You are my responsibility!"

"I am an adult!"

"Then act like it!"

The small crowd had now become a large one, and he watched as Caroline's cheeks reddened suddenly.

Ender realized this as well. Shaking curls out of his face, he pulled the hood of his cloak back up sharply. The last thing the vampire needed was a word of this getting back to Lucian, and it would surely now. His brother knew everything that happened in Montilan.

"Let's go somewhere more...private to finish this discussion." he finally told her quietly. He didn't wait for her answer before grabbing her elbow more roughly than he intended. She looked up at him, frowning, and nodded after a pause.

Thankfully, static was absent from the air, indicating she wasn't soon going to cast a spell. Ender moved his grip from her elbow and instead placed a hand on the small of her back to guide the girl away from the alley.

A brief moment of relief that she didn't pull away washed over him and his breathing began to steady. The small crowd continued to stare as the pair left, eventually losing interest since the yelling had ceased. He reluctantly led them to the Wilted Rose, the closest option fora relatively private discussion.

The vampire knocked at the door of the tavern and gave the password for the second time in twenty-four hours. Caroline looked askance in his direction with a questioning glance. Ender shrugged and then motioned for Caroline to stand behind him.

"Back so soon, Lord Mont?" Abram greeted opening the door, sunlight reflecting off his bald head as it poured into the dark bar.

"Aye Abram, we won't be very long," Ender told the barkeep.

"We?" Abram asked.

Caroline popped out from behind Ender, not giving him the chance to introduce her. Abram was generally wary of letting anyone into his establishment he wasn't familiar with, and Ender could feel a groan beginning in his chest. "I'm Caroline," she said brightly, "it's wonderful to meet you."

Ender shook his head. The girl had no tact that he could tell. He could only watch as her blonde head bobbed around him as she held out her hand to the gruff older man. He observed as Abram, who must have been too shocked to do anything else, take her hand in his, only briefly glancing at the witch's marking that sprawled across it.

He now knew how she got the bag from the merchant without being robbed or worse. She charmed him. He realized then that Caroline was kind. Simple as that. To every person she encountered. It dawned on him that the only reason she was suspicious of him, to begin with, was that he gave her a reason to be wary when they first met. It probably did not help that he threw a dagger at her as well.

Feeling a right fool, he followed behind as she moved into the bar before him and continued to chatter at Abram, telling the man her every thought. She chattered on to the barkeep about how she admired the design of the bar top and even named the wood it was made from. She asked if Abram was married and if he had children. She inquired whether he liked his job and had he seen any exciting people during his time as owner of the establishment.

Ender observed the young woman engage a man he had known for twenty years and glean more information about the fellow than Ender ever had.

Thankfully Silas wasn't there, and the only other patrons present were seated at the bar. Ender sat at a dusty table in the back of the room, and Caroline quickly followed suit, her eyes darting around curiously at her surroundings. Abram brought Ender an ale and asked the witch what she would have to drink.

"Oh, I don't drink spirits," she told him. Ender felt himself crack a small smile at the look of shock that washed over Abram's face. "Do you have anything to eat?"

"Abram doesn't serve food here, brundah," Ender mumbled her from across the small table.

"I can get ye some soup and bread if ye like," Abram told her with a grin. It was the vampire's turn to look shocked. Ender saw her eyes light up from across the table at such a simple request being granted.

"That would be lovely, thank you, Abram," she told him with a smile.

"You've never offered me soup and bread," Ender grumbled at the older man.

Abram shrugged, "Ye have never asked." The pot-bellied gentleman left to fetch the girl's soup. Ender could feel his temper rising at the man. Before he could snap at the barkeep, he heard Caroline laugh. It sounded like morning bells ringing.

The vampire calmed himself quickly. It was not difficult to do so in her presence, he noted and wondered if it magic she used to charm everyone she met or just how the girl was. There was still the matter of her leaving the castle unescorted to deal with, and he cleared his throat to begin. No longer angry but still a bit frustrated, Ender told her,

"Listen to my words, brundah, you cannot be leaving the keep without someone with you. 'Tis not safe."

THer face changed quickly. The mirth that settled there a moment before turned to a look of sadness mixed with guilt. "I know," she said, "I don't like being inside."

Was that all it was? He asked himself. She didn't like being indoors? Ender was baffled. He thought he understood how people generally worked for the most part. People were selfish, greedy, and devious. Nearly every vampire, human, and witch in Ibudal had an agenda, some ulterior motive lying under the surface. She continued after a moment of him staring at her with no response.

"And I needed a bag because this dress doesn't have any pockets for my book and I wanted to write things down after visiting the library. I saw the door that led outside and started to feel angry about not having any choices, and well, I left," she said so quickly, Ender could barely make out the words. "I am sorry. I know I can't control my powers yet, but I just wanted to make a decision for myself." she finished, a little more measured.

Ender sat there, speechless before the girl. The giant vampire at a loss for words in front of such a small woman. Never had he encountered anyone who spoke so frankly about their emotions, or who talked quite so quickly. He took a deep breath, pausing to allow Abram to place a steaming bowl of soup before her with a near toothless grin. Caroline thanked Abram and looked to Ender before starting her meal.

The vampire let out a small sigh. "It's okay, brundah, I am not angry with you. At least, not anymore. I understand what it's like not to have choices," he told her.

"You do?" she asked, looking up at him with big eyes over her bowl of soup.

Ender nodded. "Now eat your soup, I cannot promise it will be any good. Never have I seen the man cook a damn thing in the twenty years I have known him." Caroline let out a small giggle at the remark and began to eat. He wondered if the girl was ever not hungry.

They could speak more on the way back to the castle, but it seemed he too had been pulled in by whatever spell she cast on those she met. Listening to her bell-like voice explain the sights she had seen in the market, Ender forgot he had ever been angry with her in the first place.