The wind was whistling through the trees, adding to the soft surreal
sense of the autumn night. The young woman pulled her shawl closer to his
bosom, trying to keep the dry, chilly wind out. The waxing moon cast its
light upon everything, creating frightening and unfamiliar shadows.
However, the woman was not deterred. She checked her basket again, and continued walking. This was no time to let imagination run wild, she thought. The Midwife Maegan Potts had specifically told her that she needed to get the Yellow Root, for they feared Mrs. Constin will have a difficult birth by the lateness of it. Do this right, and I may become a full-fledge midwife myself, The young woman thought as she smiled briefly, passing through a thicket which temporarily plunged her into complete blackness.
There was another traveler inside the pitch-black thicket, of which the woman was not aware. She brushed right by him, distracted by the necessity of time. The stranger, on the other hand, did notice this young lady as he shout out a strong, icy hand to grab her free arm.
"Who's there?" She cried as she struggled against the grip, but finding it holding onto her arm as fast as a shoe to a horse's hoof. "Please let me go! I'm in a hurry!" She pleaded, with a surprising lack of fear in her soft, melodious voice. She felt the figure tugging at her, strong, but gently towards the end of the thicket.
"You'll soon not to need to worry about time." A regal, yet gruff voice of a man replied as the thicket thinned, and the moonlight started to reveal the presence.
"Who are you?" She asked as she looked upon the face of the man. He was a kingly figure of pale skin and hair, his red eyes glowing brightly like hot embers. His clothes were likewise befitting of a noble, and was without dirt or grime, unlike the green dress she was wearing. She gasped as she recognized the unnatural entity for what he was. "Are you. a Vampire?" She asked nervously.
"Yes." He answered briefly as he looked upon the woman he had taken. She was quite beautiful, with long pearl blonde hair that shine like platinum in the moonlight, her crystal blue eyes sparkling in the same light. "It is quite unfortunate that you choose this night to venture out, for I will need blood to sustain me, and it just happens to be yours."
"Sir, will you please let me go? I know that will not be likely what you will do, but I must deliver the Yellow Root to the Midwife, or else a woman and a child she will be bringing will die!" She pleaded earnestly. "I'll come back then, so you can take my blood, so you don't have to take anyone else's." She added hurriedly.
"This can easily be a trick." The Vampire retorted gruffly.
"I know, but I will not deceive you! What can I do so you'll know I am saying this in honesty? I swear to god I will not try anything!" She cried out.
"You do seem to be honest.." The immortal trailed off, but shook his head. "But what fool will willingly allow his life to be taken away?"
"Sir, How about if you would just follow me, and when I give the Midwife the Yellow Root, then you can see I was not trying to run away." She said, looking up at him with pleading in her eyes.
"I don't know.." He trailed off, normally he would've brought such an encounter to a quick end, but there is something about this woman's integrity that made him reconsidered. "All right, but if you are trying to lead me astray, I shall kill you swift and painfully." He glowered as he relaxed his gripe.
"Thank you. I promise I will not do anything." She nodded as she continued on her way, knowing that the vampire will always be only a few yards behind her. Had she been someone else, she might have tried to lead him to the local monastery, but she didn't. She always keeps her promises, no matter who she gave the promise to.
For nearly ten minutes they walked in complete, and uncomfortable silence, immortal following mortal like a shadow. The woman smiled as she started to see some flickering lights from not too far off. She turned to look at the vampire, to gauge his reaction. The man merely nodded, he seems satisfied that as so far that she had kept her word, but the real test of faith is yet to come.
The young lady then quicken her pace as she walked towards the hut that was at the edge of the little hamlet, with the vampire close behind. She brushed a lock of hair from her face as she knocked on the door. The vampire hid behind a tall oak as the door swung open, sending the yellow light of candles into the darkness.
"Oh, Lisa! I've been worried! Why are you so late?" The elderly woman cried as she hugged the woman. "Lisa, did you get the Yellow Root?"
"Yes I did, Mrs. Potts." Lisa replied. "I was late because I found a man by the road-" the vampire winced, expecting the worse. "He was wounded in the leg, I had to help him." She lied as she handed her basket to the older woman.
"I see, I see." The Midwife nodded. "I would've been quite furious with you if you haven't. Why don't you come in? It's late, and it's not really safe to travel out on these roads."
"Ah, so that is her scheme." The vampire muttered darkly, he started to feel foolish that he forgotten this simple trick, for after Lisa comes in, she would warn the woman not to let him in!
"Oh, no I can't, really. I have to get back soon, thank you though." Lisa shook her head, taking a glance at the vampire.
"But Lisa-" The Midwife started.
"I know it's dangerous, but I have to risk it." The young woman replied as she turned around. "Good bye Mrs. Potts."
"God Bless you." Mrs. Potts called out as she went back to her house.
Lisa hurried to the waiting vampire, who was quite shock at the turn of events, he was sure she was going to slip out of his grasp.
"You could've escaped me, you know." The immortal told Lisa. "For you could have accepted the invitation, and warned her not to invite me in."
"I know." She answered demurely. "But I always keep my promises." The man nodded, genuinely impressed by her integrity, and the 'manly' courage she had displayed. "Even ones to vampires." She added as she brushed her hair from her neck, exposing it the vampire.
Though the scent of her sweet blood, and her willingness tempted him greatly, he shook his head as he gently pushed her back.
"No, I can not." He said. "Such courage needs not be taken away." He explained as he turns to walk away. "We may meet again, Lisa." He added as he slowly disappeared into a misty form.
"Who are you?" Lisa whispered to herself, while mentally thanking god she had escaped with her life. This was the most unusual creature, she thought to herself; he seems to be quite noble despite his evil roots.
Vlad Tepes Dracula on the other hand wondered why he let such a willing victim live, did her kindness have anything do with it? He shook his furry head, snorting at the thought. It was not something to think about, he still need to hunt.
However, the woman was not deterred. She checked her basket again, and continued walking. This was no time to let imagination run wild, she thought. The Midwife Maegan Potts had specifically told her that she needed to get the Yellow Root, for they feared Mrs. Constin will have a difficult birth by the lateness of it. Do this right, and I may become a full-fledge midwife myself, The young woman thought as she smiled briefly, passing through a thicket which temporarily plunged her into complete blackness.
There was another traveler inside the pitch-black thicket, of which the woman was not aware. She brushed right by him, distracted by the necessity of time. The stranger, on the other hand, did notice this young lady as he shout out a strong, icy hand to grab her free arm.
"Who's there?" She cried as she struggled against the grip, but finding it holding onto her arm as fast as a shoe to a horse's hoof. "Please let me go! I'm in a hurry!" She pleaded, with a surprising lack of fear in her soft, melodious voice. She felt the figure tugging at her, strong, but gently towards the end of the thicket.
"You'll soon not to need to worry about time." A regal, yet gruff voice of a man replied as the thicket thinned, and the moonlight started to reveal the presence.
"Who are you?" She asked as she looked upon the face of the man. He was a kingly figure of pale skin and hair, his red eyes glowing brightly like hot embers. His clothes were likewise befitting of a noble, and was without dirt or grime, unlike the green dress she was wearing. She gasped as she recognized the unnatural entity for what he was. "Are you. a Vampire?" She asked nervously.
"Yes." He answered briefly as he looked upon the woman he had taken. She was quite beautiful, with long pearl blonde hair that shine like platinum in the moonlight, her crystal blue eyes sparkling in the same light. "It is quite unfortunate that you choose this night to venture out, for I will need blood to sustain me, and it just happens to be yours."
"Sir, will you please let me go? I know that will not be likely what you will do, but I must deliver the Yellow Root to the Midwife, or else a woman and a child she will be bringing will die!" She pleaded earnestly. "I'll come back then, so you can take my blood, so you don't have to take anyone else's." She added hurriedly.
"This can easily be a trick." The Vampire retorted gruffly.
"I know, but I will not deceive you! What can I do so you'll know I am saying this in honesty? I swear to god I will not try anything!" She cried out.
"You do seem to be honest.." The immortal trailed off, but shook his head. "But what fool will willingly allow his life to be taken away?"
"Sir, How about if you would just follow me, and when I give the Midwife the Yellow Root, then you can see I was not trying to run away." She said, looking up at him with pleading in her eyes.
"I don't know.." He trailed off, normally he would've brought such an encounter to a quick end, but there is something about this woman's integrity that made him reconsidered. "All right, but if you are trying to lead me astray, I shall kill you swift and painfully." He glowered as he relaxed his gripe.
"Thank you. I promise I will not do anything." She nodded as she continued on her way, knowing that the vampire will always be only a few yards behind her. Had she been someone else, she might have tried to lead him to the local monastery, but she didn't. She always keeps her promises, no matter who she gave the promise to.
For nearly ten minutes they walked in complete, and uncomfortable silence, immortal following mortal like a shadow. The woman smiled as she started to see some flickering lights from not too far off. She turned to look at the vampire, to gauge his reaction. The man merely nodded, he seems satisfied that as so far that she had kept her word, but the real test of faith is yet to come.
The young lady then quicken her pace as she walked towards the hut that was at the edge of the little hamlet, with the vampire close behind. She brushed a lock of hair from her face as she knocked on the door. The vampire hid behind a tall oak as the door swung open, sending the yellow light of candles into the darkness.
"Oh, Lisa! I've been worried! Why are you so late?" The elderly woman cried as she hugged the woman. "Lisa, did you get the Yellow Root?"
"Yes I did, Mrs. Potts." Lisa replied. "I was late because I found a man by the road-" the vampire winced, expecting the worse. "He was wounded in the leg, I had to help him." She lied as she handed her basket to the older woman.
"I see, I see." The Midwife nodded. "I would've been quite furious with you if you haven't. Why don't you come in? It's late, and it's not really safe to travel out on these roads."
"Ah, so that is her scheme." The vampire muttered darkly, he started to feel foolish that he forgotten this simple trick, for after Lisa comes in, she would warn the woman not to let him in!
"Oh, no I can't, really. I have to get back soon, thank you though." Lisa shook her head, taking a glance at the vampire.
"But Lisa-" The Midwife started.
"I know it's dangerous, but I have to risk it." The young woman replied as she turned around. "Good bye Mrs. Potts."
"God Bless you." Mrs. Potts called out as she went back to her house.
Lisa hurried to the waiting vampire, who was quite shock at the turn of events, he was sure she was going to slip out of his grasp.
"You could've escaped me, you know." The immortal told Lisa. "For you could have accepted the invitation, and warned her not to invite me in."
"I know." She answered demurely. "But I always keep my promises." The man nodded, genuinely impressed by her integrity, and the 'manly' courage she had displayed. "Even ones to vampires." She added as she brushed her hair from her neck, exposing it the vampire.
Though the scent of her sweet blood, and her willingness tempted him greatly, he shook his head as he gently pushed her back.
"No, I can not." He said. "Such courage needs not be taken away." He explained as he turns to walk away. "We may meet again, Lisa." He added as he slowly disappeared into a misty form.
"Who are you?" Lisa whispered to herself, while mentally thanking god she had escaped with her life. This was the most unusual creature, she thought to herself; he seems to be quite noble despite his evil roots.
Vlad Tepes Dracula on the other hand wondered why he let such a willing victim live, did her kindness have anything do with it? He shook his furry head, snorting at the thought. It was not something to think about, he still need to hunt.