The Cost of Peace

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's eyes fluttered open after a while, realizing that she had once again fallen a sleep. Her eyes found Vlad sitting there next to her. Her eyes roamed up his toweled waist, his muscled chest, to finally rest on his eyes. A faint smile played on her lips. "Damn the desert has made me weak, when all I can think about is strenuous activities." She scrunched down further onto the bed, stretching out her arms above her head. Her leg slipped out from underneath the towel, her foot sliding over towards his leg. She poked him with her toes, a mischevious smile playing on her lips.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled at the concept, sliding down on the sheets to lie on his side facing her, his head propped on his arm. "Damn the desert, indeed," he seconded, admiring her slender body and the way it lay barely covered under the cloth. He could feel the blood in his veins jump slightly in response to her pulse, like it was something alive in the room with them. "I fear we are both too near our limits for our joining to be safe," he admitted, maintaining a safe precautionary distance from her on the bed, though his instincts expected him to slide forward against the heat of her form.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele didn't like the distance between them. She wanted none of it. In fact, she wanted to be much closer to him. The ache to do so was overwelming. So she smiled carefully and slid across the bed until her warm form, thinly covered in the towel, pressed firmly against his. "We should rest," she whispered to him, her lips touching his very gently. Barely, enough to tickle. Her hand wormed its way free from between them and slid up his chest and across his side. It ran down his side before cupping around his back to hold him close to her. "Will you rest with me?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stiffened against her, all too aware of her pulse now, thrumming softly where her belly and chest met his. His breath was thin as he spoke, "Tenele, I cannot rest like this." If not for the passion rising in his eyes, it might have sounded like a plea. Instead it was a somewhat impotent warning. He raised his hand to stroke the soft skin of her cheek, and his fingers drifted to the birdlike pulse just under her chin. His lips parted in a faint sigh as he stared at her, his scarlet eyes burning into hers. He knew he could go no farther with her.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's eyes never left him, but after a while she kissed his lips very softly. Then, she pushed away from him gently. She rolled across the bed, sitting on the edge and allowing the towel fabric to fall to her hips. She stood up, wobbly at first. Her hands stayed low and close to the bed as she turned to grab up the rust colored fabric. She wormed her way into it, getting lost at first. But, then she managed to figure it out. The dress was hung long on her, since Nadia was an even taller woman. The fabric hung in the front and in the back, with a one inch opening down the sides. It was sleeveless, the fabric gatthered at the shoulders and held by bronze clasps. The fabric in the back hung low, so that if you reached back and lifted up the excess amount could be used as a hood of sorts. In the front the fabric drooped down to hang elegantly across her bussom. The dress, being fabric down the front, and fabric down the sides, was held closed by three brown leather straps held to the fabric by bronze clasps. She arched an eyebrow, spinning uneasily to make sure she was covered. She was, just very differently from what she was used to.

"I'll ask Fero if he can bring you some... food," Tenele told him, sitting down on the bed and putting a hand to her head.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad managed to stop thinking about her blood as she looked unsteady on her feet. "There's no need for that," he insisted firmly, standing up. "I'm not so bad off that I need a human to hunt for me. I'll take a look at my options, you sleep."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele nodded. She reached up towards the head of the bed and grabbed the covers. She pulled them down and eased the silk sheet back over her, resting her head on the soft feather pillow. She favored her good shoulder to rest most of her weight against. "I'll do that." She gazed at him as her hair spilled out around her on the pillow. It was comfortable to be resting in a bed. "You go on and do whatever it is you need to do. I'm deterimined to gain back my energy. Please find something to feed on... I worry about you whether you like it or not." Her voice grew more and more faint as sleep begged to take her once again.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad chuckled arrogantly at her concern. "I will be fine," he smirked casually, watching her settle into the sheets. A moment later, he spotted the loose robes that had been left out where he would find them. The muslin fabric was dull and scratchy, but he pulled the robe on and discarded his towel next to the bath. He made his way outside, to where Atul was still engaged in his conversation with Fero. This was somewhat inconvenient, as truthfully, the vampire had planned to seek Atul's private conversation. He approached the two calmly, curious what they'd discussed after the talk he and Atul had earlier.

[Emora Deen]

Atul glanced up, straightening as Vlad came over. "Fero says that my father has probably warned the small batallion of soldiers that patrols the village. Seems that you will have a meal soon," Atul muttered, scratching the back of his head. He took a seat next to Fero who was scribbling in the sand of the garden with stick he had snatched from the low branch of the tree.

"I'll call the villager leaders in the morning and tell them that you will speak before them," Fero said to Atul.

"And what shall I tell them, Fero? Convincing your village leaders that rising up against a well trained army will not be simple," Atul replied stiffly.

"I never said it would be simple," Fero laughed heartedly. He glanced to Vlad. "Simple. Hah, the boy has lots to learn, don't you think? He expects everything to be simple."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked, interested. "The king's army would make a fine meal indeed, but why should I, a creature of darkness, side with you against Verin in this effort?" he asked Atul craftily.

[Emora Deen]

Atul looked at him with narrowed black eyes. For a moment he didn't understand where he was going with it. But, a wirely smile came to him. "Why indeed," he muttered.

Fero, completely lost looked back and forth between them. "What are you saying?"

"He's saying we stage something. Paints him as the evil one, and me as the savior." He leaned his back against the tree. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"Well, the first thing I have in mind is pummeling your face into the dirt, but that wouldn't inspire much confidence in the populace," Vlad noted, crossing his hands behind his head nonchalantly. "I suppose I would have to go easy on you. Put up just enough fight to show my power and rough up that pretty face of yours. The troops stationed here won't be expecting it, so it's a way to preempt them and take control of the situation. No one here knows I'm from Ighten. I'll look like I'm among the king's forces, and if you manage to defeat me and turn me against the throne, I'd imagine it would set a pretty clear example for the others."

[Emora Deen]

"Hey, don't go too easy on me. It won't be fun to beat you to a pulp if you aren't putting up a propper fight," Atul muttered, standing to his feet.

Fero laughed, clapping his hands together. "Oh, this is going to be good fun."

Atul blinked, glancing to Vlad. "Lady Tenele, how is she?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"The worse for wear," Vlad said to Atul, "Though she'll be difficult to control if she hears word of this," he warned.

[Emora Deen]

"I gathered as much. She doesn't seem like the type to go for such plans," Atul muttered and then a grin spread across his handsome face. "Good thing she's resting."

He could hear a number of people coming towards the gates as they talked. The walls around the house were high, but that sound was unmistakable to his ears. He had heard it since he was born. A well trained union of soldiers, unmistakably his father's men.

"Yes," Atul said stepping towards the center of the garden, by the fountain. His head tilted as his eyes found the water. His hands stretched out at his sides, arms out straight. A gust of wind tore through the garden, hot and sticky against his clammy skin. Atul's eyes, now a see of stormy electric blue, glanced to the open gateway. A wicked grin tugged at his lips and his nails extended. Blue flame crackled around his hand, twining up his arm. "It is good that she is sleeping. We best cause a disturbance, the calvary is coming."