Heirot

After about a half mile, Stalker bounded up to them, looking like a small black horse against all the snow. He plowed his way up to them and sniffed at his master's hands and then Tenele's.

Vlad used the opportunity to turn to Tenele. "Well, this makes two of us who can see in the dark, and one who can't. Quite tedious. How shall I transport my prisoner?" he mused, stroking his chin.

Tenele looked at her husband warily in the dark. She couldn't really make out the details of his facial features, but she definitely picked up on the mischievous glint in his eyes. "How... do you transport your prisoner?" she asked a bit warily.

Vlad just set down their pack and opened it up, pulling free the heavy canvas they usually used as a sleeping mat and a length of rope. "It is with great regret that I must enjoy this completely," the vampire announced, tying Tenele's hands and ankles together. He spread the mat out on the ground, Lifted Tenele onto the middle of it, and tied the remaining rope between the two corners with extra length between. He placed the middle of the rope over Stalker's head, and the hound clenched onto it agreeably. "Remember, my love, that we are married," Vlad implored her as he gave Stalker a pat on the head. "Mush."

Tenele didn't protest when he started to tie her hands, she expected that. But, when he laid her down behind Stalker on a pallet of fabric she gawked at him. "Oh, don't worry," Tenele called to him. "I'll have my vengeance, and then you'll have to remember, dear... we're married." If Tenele could pull off an evil smirk, then what she had on her face was truly devious.

A part of her couldn't deny though that she was truly thankful to be off her feet and to give her leg a rest.

Vlad snorted his approval of her reaction as he walked swiftly alongside his hound through the snowy silence of the night woods. It was some time before the dim glow of torchlight flicked in the distance ahead of them. As they grew closer, the trail widened and grew better traveled, even showing numerous footprints as others joined it. They came to a number of cabins with a few larger buildings in the middle. Most of the lights were out for the night, but a few men were joking outside in the street, and one of the larger buildings was aglow with candlelight and rowdy conversation inside.

"And we've found ourselves a tavern," Vlad smirked as he entered the village with his wife in tow.

Tenele's night vision was so bad that she couldn't tell if the men standing outside the tavern were off-duty Arken soldiers or just regular men out for the night. Since the Arken military had infiltrated so far into the kingdom there was no telling anymore. Tenele decided to keep her mouth shut and act like a good prisoner...

Wait a minute, prisoner's don't act good.

So, Tenele decided to act asleep, which wasn't hard to do given how drowsy she still felt form the sedative. She just barely kept her eyes closed, enough to watch the twinkly of the stars in the sky.

"This is ridiculous," Tenele breathed, knowing Vlad's keen hearing could tune into her soft words. "We are completely out of our minds for doing this. I blame you for taking me seriously."

"I've been accused of many things, but never of taking anything seriously," Vlad hummed smugly as they approached the tavern.

"Evening," one of the men addressed them gruffly outside the tavern door. "Thought the general said no souvenirs." He nudged Tenele with his foot.

"Only a souvenir if you're planning to keep it," Vlad scoffed, reaching down and slinging the girl easily over his shoulder.

"Oh, you're a bad man," cackled the soldier, impressed. "Believe in sharing, pal?"

"Oh, but you've got your own right there," Vlad thumped the slender soldier next to him on the chest. That sent the taller man into a laughing fit and his slender friend into a defensive sputter. "Night, champ," the vampire smirked, raising a spread hand in salute as he passed the two and entered the inn with his cargo. Stalker released the harness, leaving it on the ground as he settled down into the snow to guard the door.

Tenele exhaled a groan when Vlad through her over his shoulder, a small jolt of pain shooting through her bandaged leg as it bumped a hard surface. She glanced up to the two men laughing behind them, feeling a swell of relief as they took to the lie so easily.

She was going to save her celebrations for whenever they got settled into a room, away from the riff-raff.

The warm air on the inside was pleasant, and the whole room was filled with a cheerful glow. It was a little bit odd considering the inhabitants. It smelled of food that made Tenele's mouth water, but a second after she smelled the men. Needless to say, her appetite disappeared rather quickly.

One of the soldier's Vlad passed nearly feel drunkly from his seat as he turned in it. He reached out his hand and passed it through the soft locks of Tenele's silver hair.

"Soooffft..." he gurgled before fading into a fit of giggles.

Tenele glared at him, and then lifted her eyes to the others in the room who were turning to have a look.

"Breaking the rules a bit, aren't we, pal?" one of the men chortled as the whole room became aware of the beautiful female strung over Vlad's shoulder like a string of gigantic pearls.

"It's not cheating if I brought enough for the whole class," Vlad smirked. Interested chuckles sprinkled through the room. "Boss thought we could use some entertainment."

Tenele's glare faded into something more along the lines of horror. She shifted so that her feet kicked him in the gut hard enough to let he know he better not get carried away. Vlad had a tendency to do that.

One stood up and grabbed a handful of Tenele's hair, lifting her face up to look at him. "Oh, she'll do nice!" Tenele jerked away and burrowed her face against the warmth of fur draping Vlad's back.

Vlad turned calmly, spinning Tenele's face out of reach of the man who was poking at her. "Now, now. I don't want to see all you ugly bastards naked, and I suspect you feel the same. We'll be taking turns. I'll leave a sign up at the desk." There was a literal crowd behind them as Vlad scrawled out a schedule on some loose parchment at the innkeep's desk. They burrowed in around it as soon as he and Tenele made off toward the staircase with their key. "208, boys," he called out as they disappeared from sight.

Up two flights, Vlad finally turned the key in the door and waltzed into a decent-looking suite with two small beds and a bathroom. He set Tenele down on the bed and looked pleased with himself.

"Would you like room service?"he asked, strolling to a little bell that was connected to the kitchen downstairs. "I've already ordered mine."

Tenele half-lay on the bed, looking up at her husband completely perplexed. "I want to kill you, and at the same time I'm in awe of your genius." She sat up, dangling her legs off the side of the bed. "Food would be nice, but I'm not sure they'd be inclined to serve once they see what you do to their other patrons..."

Tenele gave a heavy sigh, leaning back across the width of the bed with her tied arms above her head and stretching. She eyed Vlad out of the corner of her eye, finding something about the quaint room, the bed, her husband, and possibly the combination of being tied up oddly appealing.

"I believe we have some time before our guests arrive," Vlad said offhandedly as he rang the bell for service. He cast her a dark smile. "After I all, I reserved the first time slot for myself."

Tenele smiled at him from where she lay on the bed. She lifted her legs, feeling the stiffness in her wounded one. She was pretty banged up, but that wouldn't stop her from having a little fun. "Oh you did?" Tenele mused with a sly smile. "How thoughtful of you."

She shifted on the bed, sitting up and drawing her knees towards her slightly. "I'm very helpless at the moment," she admitted to him, showing her arms with her small wrists bound in rope. "Will you untie my legs?" Her ankles peeked out beneath the soft dress she wore under the fur mantle, and she stretched her legs out again along the floor.

Vlad's casual gaze sharpened a bit, a flash of something more carnal coming into his eyes as she moved gracefully along the fabric. He liked the way her limbs were tied. He liked the way she looked nearly helpless on the sheets. He crossed back to her side and leaned over her, effortlessly predatory in his posture. "Playing with fire, my lady," he whispered into her ear huskily.