LORE: Training a Hell Hound (MATURE)

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad turned and made his way back into the castle, where food was being set up for the feast. The vampire ignored the fact that the event hadn't started and piled a plate high with breads and other food. He was about to go, when he reconsidered and picked up a second plate. He brought it over to where they were staging an enormous amount of meat, and to the chef's horror, he collected several of the best cuts, bone included, and hoarded them onto the plate.

"Sir...we're not ready to start... it is one per person," the chef stammered worriedly.

Vlad just smirked at the man, returned a turkey leg into his apron pocket with a conciliatory smile, and strolled out of the banquet hall with his booty. He paused in the entrance hall, where an odd procession was leading someone inside and up the stairs. The vampire raised an eyebrow, unsure what could cause such pomp and circumstance other than Tenele, who was still upstairs.

At the moment, though, he wasn't particularly interested in meeting any Outerland officials or nobles or whatever this was. Diplomacy was tiresome to the no-life king 99 percent of the time. He followed the strange group upstairs, but then branched off in his own direction to return to Tenele's room. He teleported himself inside across the locked door and observed its inhabitants. Both were lying right where he'd left them. Vlad didn't see any point in waking Tenele when she'd only had a half hour's rest since he'd left, so he left her plate on the dresser and brought the other over to Stalker.

The hound regarded the steaks and turkey legs without much interest, instead looking mostly at Vlad. Apparently he didn't want to eat. Don't look at me like that. I can't fix you, the vampire thought. As if he understood, the hound closed its eyes. But then it raised its head to look at Tenele. "Are you trying to say I'm not much fun?" Vlad demanded quietly. Well, he had to admit that he wasn't offering much comfort to the creature. Comfort? he thought to himself incredulously. An elemental of death wanted company? He wasn't going to sit here and stroke a hell hound like some kind of pet. But Vlad couldn't seem to ignore the creature, either.

"If you want company, you can have it from her," he muttered, collecting the wolf into a secure hold and carrying him over toward the floor next to Tenele's bed. The hound's eyes flashed eagerly as Vlad was about to put him down. "Don't be spoiled. You can't really expect to be in the bed," Vlad said, setting him on the tile. He sat down on the blankets next to Tenele and brushed some stray hair from her face.

Stalker remained obediently on the ground, resting its head on the stone floor and looking up at them with big, dull red eyes.

[Emora Deen]

About five hours later a bright flash of lighting illuminated the room, coming in through the window in the ceiling. Now, that wasn't entirely out of the norm from what had been happening for so long, but this time it was followed by an unusually loud clap of thunder. Tenele's jade green eyes flashed open, and she just stared at the ceiling for a moment before slowly shifting over onto her side and sitting up, favoring her good arm. The room had gone so dark since the storm seemed to position itself over the city and inconveniently stayed there.

She felt a bit drousy, as one would after sleeping and suddenly coming awake, but she felt so much better than she had a few hours ago. For a moment she wasn't sure if she knew where she was, and that frightened her a bit. After all, the last time she checked torrential downpores didn't happen in the dessert.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad was sitting up against the headboard, where he could watch both of his wards, when Tenele snapped awake. "It's only a storm," he said, grinning down at her groggy features.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele turned in his direction. "A storm?" She yawned, stretching out across the silk sheets. "Are we back in Ighten?" she asked, curiously wondering if the Queen had gotten them back home. Another clap of lightening and quick loud thunder that actually shook the bed they were on. She jerked, giving a heavy sigh.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad absently touched the collar that was magically bonded to his neck. "We're in Atul's palace. When the rain lets up, he'd agreed to provide us with a ship to return. The feast is done; the men are singing drinking songs downstairs and generally making a mess. If you want food, I brought some up."

[Emora Deen]

"Hmmm..." she closed her eyes and smiled. "Food." She rolled to step out of bed, but stopped when her feet almost touched something furry. She looked down at Stalker, her smile slipping away. Her hand reached down and she rubbed the top of his head. "It will be okay. We'll find a way to make you better," she told him comfortingly, shifting around and getting off the bed just behind him. She balanced on one foot at a time and tugged her boots off, the holy dagger clattering to the ground. She'd forgotten it was there. She set it on the dresser next to the plate off food. Her hunger got the best of her, and usually a very lady-like eater, she suddenly transformed into a pig. Though, it was a good deal more lady-like than most people even if it wasn't with her usual charm. It was pretty dark, so while chewing on a breadstick she searched the tables for a flint and when she found it she lit a couple of oil lamps, giving the dark room some warmth and light.

"Gods, I could use a bath and some of those seeds that crazy gold plated priest had," she muttered after swallowing her food. She glanced over her shoulder at Vlad, who was still mostly in darkness from where he sat on the other side of the large luxirious room. She thought she could see his eyes better than any part of him, as if they glowed just slightly compared to the rest of his features. Lightening flashed, sending a pale flash of white across the bed, and suddenly his perfectly still form was undeniably visible. However, just as quickly, he disappeared back into the shadow.

[Soran Nightblade]

"There is a washroom adjoined to this room," Vlad smirked at her healthy appetite. It seemed she would recover well, if given a few days with less stress than they'd seen recently. Today a battle, yesterday a concussion, and the day before that, he and Verin had nearly killed her. Both she and Vlad were well overdue for a vacation. "I'll draw some water. If you didn't have enough meat, help yourself to Stalker's plate. He didn't show any interest," he said, standing up and heading into the next room.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele watched Vlad as he disappeared into the next room. Her eyes fell on Stalker, who was curled motionless at the foot of the bed. She went to him and nelt down, resting a hand on her knee. "You should eat," she told him, and watched his eyes for a moment. She scooted the plate closer to him. "Eat or I won't scratch behidn your ears again."

[Soran Nightblade]

Stalker looked at her with dim red eyes and then sniffed at the food. His ears pricked up at her, and he seemed more interested in her than the meat. He finally pulled a steak off the plate and pinned it with a huge paw as he pulled a chunk of meat off and swallowed it. Then, he ignored the rest of it and looked at her expectantly. If wolves could smirk, one could swear Stalker was smirking at her now. He'd met her demands, after all. A hint of light rose back to his eyes.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele arched an eyebrow at him. Then, a gentle smile spread across her face and she reached out and scratched him lovingly behind his left ear. She drew her hand away and waved a finger at him. "You have to eat all of it! Eat it all and I might not put bows in your hair and rename you Foofoo." She beant and kissed his forehead before rising to her feet and shifting the coat off her shoulders. She tossed it to the couch that Stalker had been sitting on when she'd fallen a sleep. That was easy, getting the shirt off with a sore shoulder was going to be something else.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad emerged back into the room a few minutes later. "It's filling up," he said. His eyes then locked on the hellhound, who was slowly gnawing the meat off the bones. Ok, he was also eating some of the bones with about as much trouble as if they were pretzels. "He's eating, he muttered before looking over at Tenele, who was undressing. "Need any help?" he offered with an accommodating smile.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele glanced over her shoulder. For a moment she was tempted to take that as a question that had some unseemly intention behind it, but then again he could very well be sencere in his actions given the fact she wasn't exactly the most fit person at the moment. In any case, she wouldn't mind either way. "Actually..." she smiled brightly at him and turned to him. "I need a little help with this." She tugged up on the shirt until it was just above her belly button. "This arm is being uncooperative."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips, his fingers brushing against her bare waist. "Well, do you plan to wear this shirt again?" he asked mischievously.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele thought for a moment. "Honestly, I don't think its salvagable," she hadn't the slightest idea about what he meant in the question. The only thing she could think about suddenly was how she wanted to lean back against him. She shook the thoughts from her mind, figuring now wasn't exactly the best time to think such thoughts. Her energy wasn't even close to being able to handle that. Lightening flashed, and she glanced up to the ceiling. "Is it normal for a storm like this to happen?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"According to Atul, it's not abnormal, but it's uncommon," Vlad said as he ran his hands up the back of her shirt. He used one razor-sharp claw to start at her collar and draw a slit straight down the center back of her shirt. His cool hands ran over her back and massaged the muscles lightly.