Heirot

"What are you doing?" Espha asked, walking out into the sands to stand next to him. "You can't teleport in the sands."

As if her words had drained the last of his power, the vampire looked over at the girl with a grim, empty stare. "I need to reach the capitol. I must do it immediately. Is there a way?"

Espha frowned at him. "No," she whispered. "Only through the desert, or by a ship... Desert is two days. A ship three. Why do you need to go there? Is there something worst in the city... Is the King not coming back?" Espha turned her eyes up to the birds. "We're going to die, aren't we? I mean... us, not you."

"You won't die," Vlad snapped, more startled than angry. "For god's sake, if I planned to let you die, I would not be here, with my wife on the other side of the sands."

Espha clamped her mouth shut. "Is that why you want to get to the capital? She's there with more Arken men. You're worried about her. I'm sure she's fine. I've heard she's a great warrior like you. You're just tired. Have you eaten?"

"She's not fine," Vlad said in a daze. "She needs help. Now." It was like the rest of her words didn't even reach him. He was glaring at the sands.

Espha frowned. She didn't know what to tell him concerning his wife. She couldn't reassure him that his wife was fine, because he seemed so certain she wasn't. "Well, you have two options. You can travel two days back to the capital through the desert. Or, you can wait two days for the King to return with word on your wife. If you travel back you could risk getting lost by yourself in the sands, or missing the convoy as it passes. If you wait, you risk time waisted here when you need to be there, in the event something is wrong."

Vlad was just surprised enough by her words to tear his eyes from the "capitol" and look at her for real. "You're an analytical girl," he observed without judgment, studying her. She was confusingly practical. He found himself considering her question from a moment ago, which he'd assumed was plaintive, in a new light. She wasn't a young girl whining for her life. She was a curious child trying to understand what was happening. "You are correct. It makes no sense to leave this city now. If the worst has happened...I am already too late. And running across the sands will compromise any hope of being useful when I arrive." The thought of his uselessness, of the very possibility something had happened to Tenele, took his ruby eyes to a dull garnet. "I do not know how to help the city yet, but there are some ideas. Would you care to discuss them?"

Espha nodded. "I would like too, though I cannot promise much help."

Vlad nodded. "Okay. Let's find a place for you." His eyes didn't leave the sands as he spoke, and despite his words, he didn't move a muscle.

Espha started walking back towards the city, frowning at him as he seemed frozen. She went back for him, taking his hand gently. "Come on."

Vlad jerked, startled by the contact, though her heartbeat was loud enough to hear from a mile away on the quiet sands. He allowed her touch, though. His protectiveness for Tenele had no outlet, and so he found himself full of custodial warmth toward this young girl. "Touch nothing. I will handle any knobs," he said as she led him into the main street. Buildings where families had died or were still dead inside had been marked with yellow stones on the front steps. Homes with shut-ins were marked with green-painted stones. Others were unmarked, either locked or unexplored.

Espha led him to an abandoned gatehouse on the other side of the city. "It doesn't get used much," she told him as they ascended the steps. "It should be fairly safe from whatever is making people sick." Once inside Espha went about lighting candles as the sky had finally grown dark.

It was a dusty place, and clearly hadn't been used in a while for nothing other than storage. She pulled out a set of blankets and cots and situated them on the floor. "I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier. I guess I just was too afraid to come back into the city..."

Vlad followed her into the small space and waited patiently while she made herself at home. He couldn't concentrate well on his surroundings. His head kept moving back to Tenele. What could have possibly prevented him from going to her? Was it the sands?

"It should be a good place," he broke from his thoughts when he realized he hadn't answered her in some time.

Espha smiled softy at him, laying wearily back on one of the cots. "You're still worried," she observed. "I'm sorry, for what its worth. I know how it feels to want to help the people you love and have no power to do it. That's why I need to help you figure out what this is, so we can stop it before it claims more lives. So, let's talk this out."