Moonlit Fields (Savvy/Frozen)

Dacre sighed and shook his head. She was probably feeling horrible and she was still trying to comfort him. Why did she care so much about him? They didn't even know each other that well. It didn't make much sense to him. He turned his back to the wall and leaned against it. He saw her rub her head and sighed. She really needed her rest.

"You should sleep. You were rubbing your head so that means you are in pain. Please go to sleep. If not for yourself do it for me. I don't want you to be in pain. I want you to get better. If you died because of me... I don't know what I would end up doing. I can't loose another person to this... this nightmare," he admitted and slumped

"I'll... stay here if it makes you go to sleep. I just want you to get better..." he whispered and curled up. He lay his head down in his knees and looked at the floor. He started tracing words into the carpet for the lack of something better to do. Images were racing in his head about his past and his parents.

Synnara looked over at Dacre and smiled. He looked so cute, curled up like that. She shook her head. What was she thinking, referring to a vampire as cute? But then, he was nothing like the vampires she had always heard stories about. He was sweet, and innocent, and full of regrets for the life he was forced to live. He wasn't bloodthirsty (on purpose, at least), or mean, or heartless. She knew she was just asking for trouble, but she laid down next to him anyway.

"Would you really stay?" she asked quietly. "It'd make me feel much better." She knew that her request made not sense. After all, how could she feel safer when she was with the man who had almost killed her? But that was what she felt, and she couldn't change it. She wasn't even sure she wanted to. Dacre was the only person that made her feel normal. In her village, healers were considered second only to the High Priestess herself, and therefore above any normal friendship. So no matter how friendly she had tried to be, she couldn't find anyone who really connected with her.

She wanted to wait to hear what Dacre would say, but she could already feel herself drifting off into sleep. It had been a long day, and her body just couldn't support itself anymore. She could only hope that Dacre would still be there when she woke in the morning.

Dacre felt her move but he didn't look up to her. He figured that she was just switching a position until she sat beside him. He glanced her way and tensed. Her scent was so close and she was too close. The temptation could easily overwhelm him once more. Why did she have to make things so hard on him? He was trying to protect her for God sakes and it seemed like she was trying to egg him on into biting her.

He extended his fangs and hissed at her, hoping that it would scare her away from him. He inched slowly towards the opposite section of the couch and watched her with caution. She asked him to stay again. How could he refuse her again? He had already left her when they first met. He would at least keep to this one promise. It couldn't hurt, could it?

He watched her doze into sleep. Her head lolled to the side and he braved coming closer. He settled her down in a more comfortable position and pulled his jacket off. He covered her up before he sat down on the ground next to the couch. He sighed and leaned his head down into his knees. He couldn't sleep. It wasn't his time to sleep, but he tried anyway. At last as the sun began to rise, he drifted into a dreamless slumber.

Synnara smiled in her sleep as surprisingly pleasant dreams played through her head. She rolled over in her sleep, nearly falling off the couch. As she felt the empty space under part of her, she awoke with a start. She stared around for a minute, bleary eyed, as she tried to remember where she was. It was the sight of Dacre sleeping just inches from her that brought her memory back into focus. She couldn't help but smile, glad that he had decided to stay. She was surprised to see a bit of sunlight through the drawn curtains. Usually she was awake before the sun. But then, usually she wasn't drained of over half her blood, either.

She sat up, wondering what to do. Dacre seemed to be deep asleep still, which she supposed made sense. After all, weren't vampires nocturnal? She yawned deeply. Perhaps she would just go back to sleep. A deep rumble in her stomach protested that idea. With a silent laugh, she stood up, careful not to step on the sleeping vampire. She wandered around the house until she found what looked like a kitchen. As expected, there was nothing in the cabinets. She dug through her belt pouch, hoping to find something in there. It was mostly full of emergency herbs, but she managed to find a handful of dried fruit. That would have to do for now.

She sat down, and opened the shutter in the kitchen, after making sure that the light would not flow into the living room where Dacre slept. She let the warm sun slide over her face, and sighed. Perhaps she could go out and gather some things while they slept. She folded her arms over the window sill, and lay her face down on them. But no, they might get upset if she left the house without telling them. The last thing she wanted to do was make Dacre worry.

Leonardo had dozed in and out of sleep for most of the night. He had so many worries on his mind and it seemed like none of his thoughts would let him rest. He sat up on his bed with a groan. He rubbed his face and glanced at the window. It was closed and he could barely see the sunlight it held at bay. Seeing the sun behind those blinds always filled Leonardo with anger and remorse. He would never be able to feel the sunlight again and it had all been because he had been stup;id. He was young, naive then, but now he wished he hadn't been.

He idled in bed for a while before movement outside his door caught his attention. He closed his eyes and sniffed at the air. It was the elf. She was moving. From her soft footsteps, he could easily tell she had gone into the kitchen. She must have been hungry. He wondered if he had any human food. He sometimes brought his prey into the home so he should have had something to offer her. He got out of bed and quietly opened the door. He didn't want to wake the new born after all.

He stepped slowly towards the kitchen room and glanced inside. His caution had paid off. The window was open wide and if he had stepped through, he would have burned. He glanced back at Dacre before he turned his gaze on her once more. There was a small shadow in the room he could reach if he moved quickly. He jolted forward and managed to reach the shadowed corner before clearing his throat to announce his arrival to her. He didn't want to scare her. She would scream then Dacre would wake and come running. That would end poorly for them all.

Synnara couldn't help smiling to herself as the sunlight played over her face. It had been a long time since she had been able to enjoy a morning without worrying about work that needed to be done. She even found herself humming along to some of the familiar cries of the local birds. She laughed quietly as she heard a jay scream, protesting a meal that had obviously been interrupted. She was so absorbed in listening to the natural symphony that she didn't hear Leonardo get up and enter the kitchen. She had expected him to be sleeping most soundly during the day, as Dacre was.

It gave her a jolt then, when he cleared his throat to announce himself. She jumped a bit and gasped. Almost instinctively, she pulled the curtains over the window. This left the room only dimly illuminated, but she was able to recognize Leonardo in the shadows. She relaxed a bit, and leaned her elbows against the window sill as she turned to face him completely. She gave him a friendly smile as she waited for her heart to return to her chest from the position it had taken in her throat.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't hear you come in. I was expecting you to still be asleep." She laughed a little nervously. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of this senior vampire. She cocked her head to one side as she took him in. She really didn't know what to say.
"I guess I need to thank you for last night," she said finally. "I'm glad that Dacre has someone to help him now. He seems. . . troubled."

Leonardo heard and felt her heart beat race at his announcement. He closed his eyes momentarily to listen to the soft and enticing melody. Once he heard the sound of the curtains, he opened his tired eyes once more. He walked lightly towards her making not a sound. He gave her a small smile and wondered if she could see as clearly as he could in the darkness. Probably not so his smile would have been wasted.

"Don't me frightened. I am not going to bite you. As for me coming into the room, of course you didn't hear. I am a predator after all," he whispered smoothly in a honey sweet voice only to end with a chuckle. He stopped in front of her and crossed his arms. She really was an interesting thing. She was in a predator’s lair and she closed her only protection. She was fully exposed. It would be so simple to kill her right then and there.

"As for the help I offer, I wouldn't thank me just yet. All new born, if not all vampires are tormented my dear. Sometimes my help does nothing for the person I lend a hand to. I have many scars from vampires that have gone mad and turned on me." He pulled down his shirt to reveal a long scar starting from his throat and down towards his chest. "Sometimes I wonder why I even try. I guess it is my only humanistic trait that has lasted these long, long centuries. Now here is a question for you: Why do you want to help him? He is not your kin."

Synnara was a bit taken aback by his response. She supposed it was true; he was a predator. She had just never thought of them like that. But here, in the dim light, she could kind of feel it. She didn't have much time to think about it, though. She had to think for a bit before she could answer. She hadn't given it much thought. Up till this point she had just been acting on instinct.

His comment about his previous 'charges' concerned her, though. She couldn't help but wonder how many he had taken under his wing. And how many he had been unable to save. She shook her head. Obviously, Dacre would not be in that category. He had already proven that he was strong willed. Her presence here, alive, proved that.

"Well," she said slowly. "I'm not sure that I can give you a satisfying answer. Perhaps it's because I have no kin," she smiled sadly. "I was taken in by the Priestess. Perhaps it's just because I'm trying to make up for that; return what the universe has given to me." She stopped there, not wanting to get more in depth with Leonardo. Although everything she had said was true, she felt like there was more to it then that. She couldn't explain it, not even to herself, but she felt honestly happy when she was with Dacre.

Leonardo raised an eyebrow at her response. She was using Dacre as a substitute for a family. It was cute and sad. Dacre could never be part of her family unless Synnara was turned into a vampire. Something Leonardo himself would prevent if Dacre got any bright ideas. He wanted them to be happy, but he knew all too well the trauma that would ensue if this 'relationship' continued. Leonardo had to scare her away.

He hissed a little in her direction and got closer to her till he was only inches away. He lifted her chin up with one cold finger so she could look him in the eyes. "You forget one thing my dear. He is a predator now and you are prey. It is a sad fact, but a fact none the less. Nature calls to nature. You cannot be safe forever. He can protect you from other things, but I cannot always be there to protect him from you. We are something to be feared and exist in nightmares filled with terror. You belong to the light. Stay there. You'll be happier."

He made the motion to let her go, when something about her caught his attention. It was in her eyes. A fire was burning. She was very strong willed. He almost lost himself in here bright orbs and slipped into a vision. Both of which would have been disastrous. He had the temptation to read her future but thought better of it. He couldn't change fate. He tried before and it only ended in disaster. He let her go and gave one final show of fangs.

"You are not safe here. I brought you here as a lesson for Dacre and because if I left you, you would have died. I advise that as soon as you are well, you run. Go back home where you are safe and among your own. Don't tempt death."

Synnara felt her heart speed up as Leonardo leaned in closer to her. She could definitely feel the danger and hunger radiating from him. She was tempted to do as he said. Every ounce of sense in her body told her to run as far as she could and never look back. Just as she was about to give in to those warnings, something else in her rebelled. She sat up straighter, putting herself closer to him. She knew she was taking a risk. She had already cheated death twice now, but she wouldn't - couldn't - stop now. She couldn't risk loosing the only real connection she had made in a long time.

"I won't run," she said in a hushed whisper. "My world will be filled with as much - or as little - light as I choose. I trust Dacre. You may not understand that, but I do. I won't leave unless he asks me to. Or if you kill me." Her eyes flashed with a hidden determination as she addressed him. She didn't know what he would do if he actually tried to remove her. She was no match for him physically. She would just have to trust her instincts. If he moved, she would have to be faster, somehow.

Why did he care this much, anyway? Hadn't he been the one that suggested that she come along. Although it was true that she would have died if he had left her there, she couldn't believe that that was the only reason he had brought her along. He had made it seem like a permanent situation last night. Of course, her memory could have been altered by the blood use. Her fingers dug into the windowsill in frustration. She would figure something out - she had to. There was nothing for her to go back to, not now. Once the Lunar elves found out about her dealings with vampires, she would be kicked out. And then she would be alone. Again.

Leonardo turned his attention back to her at her response. He tried to keep a straight face, but his lips tugged at the edges and he started to laugh. It was a restrained laugh, but a laugh none the less. It turned into a low chuckle before it ended, but a menacing smile didn't leave his lips. He would have circled her, but her back was against the window so he could not get behind her.

He gave a small throaty growl and barred his fangs. He ran to her and grabbed her throat and pushed her against it. "Listen girl, you don't understand the dealings of vampires. He can't control himself! He would have killed you and you trust his judgment? He isn't even a week old. He had as much control as a rabid dog. I have no reason to kill you. More than likely he will kill you before I decide to. I gave you a chance to run away and save yourself. You won't have many more of those."

Leonardo let her go and turned away. He admired the fire in her soul and decision, but being stubborn often left someone dead and lying in the street. It was one thing to have a firm belief in something, quite another to believe in it blindly. He reached the hall before he remembered why he had come into the kitchen in the first place. He turned his head to look at her before saying, "If you decide to stay, there is food in the back of the pantry."

He slipped into the hall and looked down at Dacre. He was sleeping soundly as was to be expected. At night he would be invigorated and may be more than Leonardo could handle. He had fed in a while and now he was feeding another off his own reserve of blood. He'd have to hunt and soon before he ran out of blood. With a groan he wiped his eyes and returned to his room where he lay down and hoped to at least get some rest.

Synnara was left speechless. Her heart was still pounding in her chest from his 'tough love', and she decided to sit down before her legs gave out on her. At least he had left her alone to think. She pulled the curtain open again. The sunlight soothed her as much as it protected her, but it still wasn't enough to keep her hands from shaking.

She knew he was right. She had been given more chances than a person could ask for when it came to vampires. She was even still alive. But here she was, the lamb begging to be left with the lions. She put her head in her hands and closed her eyes. She began doing her meditation breathing. Before long, she was sucked into the rhythm of it. She made her mind blank, and let all of the worry and anxiety melt away from her body. When she was in this state, she found that she could think better. It was like she was looking at someone else's life rather than her own.

The first thing she knew she had to address was her uncanny attachment to Dacre. She knew it wasn't natural, or even safe. Any feelings towards him at all would be taboo even if he was only a human. But a human vampire. . . contact with him should have been unthinkable. She was also concerned with her apparent lack of importance for her own life. She wasn't suicidal; she had even been happy before she met Dacre. What was it then that made her risk her life so? Perhaps it was the possibility of a new one. Would she trade her old life for one that could be better? The answer was apparent. She sighed, and opened her eyes. She had made her decision, and she would stick to it. She just had to hope that it had been the right one.

Remembering Leonardo's parting words, she stood up and began looking around in the back of the pantry. Sure enough, she found some dried meat and some bread that only had a little bit of mold on it. She ignored the meat, and began picking out the bad spots in the bread. It would do for now.

Dacre had slept soundly surprisingly. He hadn't even heard the commotion in the kitchen that had occurred between Leonardo and Synnara. Maybe he had just been very tired or maybe he had chosen to ignore it. Either way, he woke when the sun went down and gave a stretch. He yawned and looked around himself. He was alone in the room. Where was Synnara and Leonardo? Had Leonardo done something to her? In an instant he was up.

"Synnara?" he called and whirled around. "Synnra!" He walked around and entered the kitchen where he spotted her. He gave a relieved sigh. She was fine. He didn't even see a scar on her. Maybe he had been to quick to assume that Leonardo would do something to her. He did save her from him after all. He needed to give him more credit. He leaned against the wall and gave her a small smile. "How are you feeling tonight? Better I hope."


Leonardo didn't want to get up. He knew he should but that didn't mean he desired to. Then Dacre was yelling Synnara's name. He grumbled and sat up. He tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes a little less than successful. He crawled out of bed and entered the family room before slipping into the kitchen. Synnara was just fine. Why had Dacre been screaming her name?

Synnara jumped slightly as she heard Dacre call her name. She looked out the window, surprised to see that the sun was already down. How long had she been sitting there? She shook her head, and smiled as Dacre walked into the room. He had seemed worried when he was calling for her, but he looked calm enough now. She stood up, stretching muscles that were sore from being in the same position through out the whole day. She made a face as her cramps began to work themselves out.

"I am feeling a little better," she responded quietly. "Leonardo told me where I could find some food." She twirled around, wanting to prove that she was fine. The action caused her a little bit of dizziness, but she didn't let it show. After all, the whole point was to cause him less worry.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked, wanting to change the subject. Her meditation had been similar to sleep, but she still was beginning to get a bit sleepy. She would have to ignore it, though. If she was going to be traveling with vampires, then she needed to adjust her sleeping schedule to match.

"I am glad you are feeling better. I slept fine actually. It was an improvement from last time when I went to sleep in a hole. At least you had something to eat and get your strength back. I really am sorry for putting your life in danger twice. I shouldn't even be near you the way I am now. I could lunge at you again or something. The only reason I haven't is because I am breathing through my mouth," Dacre said and wondered if he had said too much at once.

Leonardo entered the kitchen and rubbed his eyes. "You should listen to your own advice and get out of the room. You could attack her again. I don't know if I'd be quick enough to catch you a second time. You need to feed. It would be better if you didn't feed in front of her I think. I don't want the young lady to feel too awkward now. She is already is a little week from the loss of blood." Leonardo eyed Synnara a moment before looking over at Dacre and grabbing his arm.

He pulled Dacre out of the room and into the family room, just out of view of Synnara. "I'll let you drink from me for a while until you learn to control yourself, but eventually you are going to learn how to hunt and not kill every person you bite." Leonardo pulled his collar down and pricked his throat to entice Dacre to drink. It worked like a charm. Dacre had lunged at him as his instincts would guide and he began drinking his fill.

Synnara smiled at Dacre.
"I'm glad you feel better, too," she said happily. "And don't worry, I trust you completely. I know you don't though, so I will trust you for the both of us." She laughed lightly. She didn't know why she was feeling so giddy; she hadn't been this happy in years. She looked up as Leonardo entered the room.

Her carefree smile turned into a frown at his words.
"How will you ever know if he's getting better if you don't let him around me?" she mumbled under her breath as the older vampire dragged Dacre out of the room. She sighed, and looked around. Now what?

She walked back to the window, since it was really her only source of entertainment. She stared up at the moon for a little bit, not really wanting to know what was going on in the other room. She put one tanned hand out the window, and smiled as a few lightning bugs began to circle it.
"Cormamin lindua ele lle," she whispered to them gently. My heart sings to see you: a common elven greeting. They nuzzled against her in response.

Leonardo winced a little as Dacre drank. He should have gotten used to it by now but every bite made him think of that one night he had become a vampire. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the abstract and not the bite or the rising fear in his heart. He always had issues with it when he was weak. Once he was sure Dacre had enough, he pushed Dacre off of him and leaned against the wall and wiped his throat. Leonardo needed to feed and badly. He was so weak. He could hardly walk without being dizzy.

“Now that you don’t have the craving of blood as intense as before, go have fun with the elf. I need to hunt.” He started to walk away when Dacre grabbed his arm a little too tightly. Leonardo’s eyes narrowed and he looked at Dacre.

“I can’t let you go hunting. You would go hunt humans and I don’t want you to kill them,” Dacre said sternly. He was thankful to the man but he couldn’t let innocent people die either.

Leonardo hissed at him and pulled his hand away and nearly fell backwards. “I never said I was going to kill a human! I feed on hosts unlike you. Now get out of my way.” Dacre blocked him again.

“How do I know you aren’t going to kill someone?”

“You have my word and my own pride that won’t let me kill someone. If I don’t feed, I die and then you have to go back to killing animals. You want that?”

“No…”

“Then stop fussing.” He walked away from Dacre and left his little home to find his host.

Dacre entered the kitchen again a little distraught. He couldn’t believe he had done that. He had gotten in his savior’s way of food. Hadn’t the man offered his own blood to feed him? He was lost. What was right and what was wrong now? He couldn’t make up his mind.

Synnara played with the bugs for a little bit longer. It was nice to talk to someone that understood her language, as most 'dumb' creatures did.
"Fly free now, my little Lirimaerae, dear ones," she said to them as she heard a little ruckus coming from the other room. She didn't want them to become too attached. That was the problem with speaking clearly to the animals. They often tried to follow you everywhere, which could be a problem. Elves were only supposed to take one familiar, and she didn't want to accidentally get a firefly.

She heard someone leaving the house, and went into the other room. She was glad to see Dacre there, rather than his teacher. Although she was indebted to Leonardo, she didn't like him very much. And she wouldn't, until he stopped trying to push her away from Dacre. She smiled at Dacre now, a small, tentative smile.

"How are you feeling?" she asked pleasantly.

Dacre looked up at her and gave a small smile. "I feel just fine. Leonardo went to go hunt. Did you hear what we were talking about?" he asked a little embarrassed. Had he done the right thing, or a bad thing in contradicting Leonardo? Being a vampire was beginning to change his view on things and he didn't like that. The changes were scarring him a little bit. Maybe he should ask Synnara's opinion.

"Hey Synnara... Is it bad to try and prevent someone from hunting for food? I know Leonardo needs to feed since I have been feeding off of him, but I still hate the idea that he is going to be drinking the blood of a human. What if he kills the human?" he asked a little more that distraught. He started pacing just as his teacher would but he hadn't realized he picked up that habit.

"I don't know what's right anymore! Everything is changing around me and I hate it. I don't want it to be okay for him to go hunting a human but he said he wasn't going to kill him. Should I even believe what he says? He is a vampire and for all I know he could have lied to me get me off his back." He sighed and combed his hands through his hair and stopped pacing. He leaned back against the wall and starred at nothing.

Synnara frowned, pained by his inner turmoil. At least she could help a little bit. Or, she hoped that she could. She walked closer to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense, but she ignored it.

"I don't think you need to worry," she stated honestly. "If Leonardo was not in complete control of himself, do you think he could have carried me last night, in the condition I was in?" She hated to bring that up, since it would almost certainly make Dacre feel guilty. It was the best example she had, though.
"He's old, right? Old enough to know how to control his urges. You've already proved that it's possible to feed from someone without killing them, and we have no reason to doubt Leonardo. Try not to worry," she repeated.

She looked up at him, glad to see that he looked okay. He must have been fed. She was still a little uncomfortable with the thought, but she knew that she would get used to it. After all, her new relationship with Dacre was much more important that any silly squeamish feelings she might have.

Dacre sighed and rubbed his face. He still didn't like the idea. "Okay, so what if he can control himself? He is still going to be feeding off a human. What about that person's feelings? Wouldn't they be scared? Probably terrified that some vampire is drinking their blood! I am surprised he isn't hunted down. He was yelling about how I need to be careful, but what about him? He is attacking humans for crying out loud!" Dacre countered and glared at the wall. He felt her hand on his shoulder and tensed. He shrugged away from her touch. He couldn't trust himself.

"I don't know anymore... What I know to be right isn't right anymore. I wish I wasn't turned into a damn vampire. I just want to go back to my old life where no one was killed and vampires didn't exist. It isn't as glorifying as the stupid stories say they are. It's worse. Knowing that I have to live like this forever is daunting. I don't want to live this way but I don't have a choice now..." he muttered. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground. He sat there starring at nothing.

He was probably annoying her. He had been singing the same tune ever since he met her. It was the only thing on his mind recently and she was probably fed up with it by now. She didn't deserve a life like this. Why had she followed him? Why did she care about him so much? "Why did you come after me? Was it pity?" he asked. He didn't want to be pitied. He wanted to live again. "I am sorry about what I did to you. I know I have said that like a million times, but I can't help it. You should have stayed home. You would have had a life there."

Synnara shook her head.

"You are looking at this all wrong," she said, resisting the urge to put her hand back on his shoulder.

"It is hard to get used to new things, yes. But you are not the monster that little kids read about at night. You are still you. Having to do different things to survive, this is not your fault. As a human, you killed your meat before eating it, yes? You are not even doing that, now. I know it's different. I know it's hard. But you cannot hate what you are."

She stopped there, not sure if she was helping or hurting at this point. She fell quiet, and plopped down next to him. She was still holding out hope that she would find some way to reverse the process. Or at least find a substitute for blood. But in case she could not, she wanted him to feel comfortable with who and what he was. His question threw her off however.

"I came with you because I wanted to help you. Not because I feel sorry for you, but because I like you, and enjoy being around you." She blushed, realizing she might have said too much.

He hated to admit it, but she was right. He wasn’t doing much different. Even as a human he had to kill to eat. It was still horrible though. Now he wasn’t just attacking humans; he was drinking the blood of his own kind. He had killed his family in the process of it all. How could he not hate himself for killing the people he loved most? She couldn’t understand that pain. She probably hadn’t lost anybody in her family. And what about Sayo? He had been a vampire for years. Centuries even. How could he go by each day know what he was and feed off humans? Did he enjoy it?

She said they weren’t like the monsters in the story books. It was beginning to sound like they were. He rubbed his forehead and looked up at her. She was right. Sitting here and mopping about it wouldn’t change the fact that he was still a vampire. Maybe there was a way to live like this and still keep some sort of sanity. It seemed to be working for Sayo at any rate. Maybe he could ask him about his trick or something. He had to have some way around it. He still looked like sane person and tried to help out. He didn’t kill her when he could have. He even took Dacre under his wing. He had to give him credit.

“Yeah.. I guess you’re right. Sorry I went off like that. I just need to get used to it if I can. And you like me? I find that hard to believe. We barely knew each other when you decided to come along. I am grateful to you though. I have someone to talk to and be with that isn’t a blood sucker,” he joked. “You are my sanity it seems. I hope you don’t mind that fact.”

((By Sayo. . . did you mean Leonardo? D: ))

His criticism of her comment only made her blush all the harder. He was right though. She didn't really know him, nor him her. But she still felt as if she was meant to be by his side, to guide him through his problems and help him to overcome them. But how could she possibly put that into words? She would sound like a loon, to be sure. She sighed.

"How can I not like you?" she said quietly. "I look at you, and even though I haven't known you for long, I see a good man who has been pushed into a bad circumstance. But where some would crumple and give in to what they know is wrong, he instead fights it. He feeds to live, but does his best not to kill. You're remarkably strong." She smiled.

"Imagine," she chuckled, "me, being someone's sanity. Nobody in my village would have ever anticipated that."

((oops XP. Yeah I did lol. My book is influencing my vampires! AHH))

Dacre smiled at her and shook his head. He was strong? He didn't really feel strong in that moment. He felt like he was a child again running around his mother's skirts for protection and whining about some bruised knees. He chuckled at the thought and looked up at her. She was still speaking and her words made him smile. She was down grading herself like he had downgraded himself. "I don't think they would laugh at you. You are a good person. Always helping someone I bet. You had no reason to save me, but you did. Thanks." he muttered and stood up. He dusted himself off just as he heard a noise in the other room. He tensed and glanced out.

Leonardo had come back and he looked healthier than he had been moments before and not as weak. He strolled into his house and glanced at the two lodgers in his abode with a raised eyebrow. What had they been talking about, he wondered. He straightened his cloths and cleared his throat. "As I had said before, no one died tonight by my hand. One day, you'll learn that control Dacre and be able to feed on other things without killing them. However, you still run the risk of being caught. We cannot stay here much longer. Someone is bound to notice a bandaged neck at one point and go hunting."