Wanderers on the Road

[Snapespersephone]

I pulls my hand back and look at the ring you just slide onto it and squeal, "Oh James it is so beautiful. When did you have time to find me a ring without my noticing? Oh you are the best almost husband a girl could ask for." I then throw myself up into you arms and kiss you soundly bringing on some whistles from the men in the sails as I seem to be attacking you face and body with my joy.

[guardtherealm]

"So is that a yes?  I snuck off when you were buying clothes.  The ring has been growing heavier in my pocket ever since."  I rejoice in your embrace, and actually start to shed a few bloody tears.  I never thought I would be happy again, and now I am here with you and things are not looking so dark.  I wipe the bloody tears from my face, not wanting to have the crew find out what we are.  If the crew were to discover our secret, I imagine we would be locked in our quarters and not allowed to leave.

"Once we reach the Isle, we can have a ceremony on the beach if you like.  Or we can just take this ring as a symbol and both agree that it has bonded us together for life. I am fine either way, as long as I get to spend my life with you."  I pull you close and look out at the stars. 

"I love you Liliana, and can not wait to see what life has in store for us next."

[Snapespersephone]

"I want the ceremony Love. it is what every little girl dreams of. we can do it just the two of use and the officiant, and if you like we can have the officiant as our wedding feast." Smiles up at you with love filled eyes.

[guardtherealm]

"I do not think the gods would smile on us if we ate the person who married us." I laugh

"However I am sure we will find a willing candidate to quench our hunger, but  I can imagine at that point, you will be the only person I want to devour." I give you a knowing look and hold you while we watch the sea ahead.  "With this speed, we should reach the Isles quickly.  I took this same trip as a boy, and remember the beaches well.  We should be able to buy ourselves a nice cottage on the beach and live quite the life, and once we are settled and sick of devouring each other we can get ourselves a ship and explore the world together."  I start to daydream, as the door from the crew quarters opens again and the captain comes out have a full on fist fight with one of the crew.  There is blood streaming down the mans face, and we make eye contact, our animal instincts trying to pull us towards them. 

"Now that is interesting, I say we let it play out, I am sure they are just three sheets to this wind, and will not even remember tomorrow.  Too bad we can't eat them though."  We laugh as the two men roll around on the deck like school boys.  "So much for a peaceful evening."

[Snapespersephone]

I smile up at you my eyes shining. "Oh it is to bad all the sweet blood going to waste, but alas from the smell of them it would not be good anyway. Now dearest is there an alternative food source for our wedding feast then? Something just as tasty but not so emotional?"

[guardtherealm]

"Well we can pay someone just a Gandos did with the young girl.  Or we can feed from animals, but they do not give us as much strength as humans.  I wish we had better alternatives as well, it is hard to take lives, but I if we have someone willing to let us feed, then we need not kill them.  Maybe once we have a ship, we can search the world for alternatives or possibly even a cure.  Surely somewhere in the world, there is a sorcerer working on this sort of thing.  Until then, we may need to practice our hunting and stealth skills, we will surely need them from time to time."   I look around the ship, thinking about our future.  It doesn't have to be grim, and with work we will make it easier. 

"This should be a romantic evening for us, but I guess we should be use to not getting what we want by now.  All I desire is to take you to our quarters and get to know you more intimately, but we will wait for our wedding night.  It would be wrong for me to try sooner.  So how about we have a little fun." I point to the crew, who was stopped fighting and is now on the opposite upper deck singing, and largely ignoring us.  "Why don't you use your new skills of speed and quiet to see if you can pluck those keys from the captains side.  We will of course return them soon, but only after I have a look through his quarters of course." 

[Snapespersephone]

I wink at you and then faster then the eye and behind the captain. I give you a quick wave as my hand shoots out and takes the keys hanging my his side with out a sound and then run back to you snuggling back into you in a flash. "here you are love. Shall we look through our esteemed captains things now?"

[guardtherealm]

"Well, that was easier than I imagined.  Yes I think the men will be enjoying themselves for a bit longer now."  I take you by the hand and we head to our quarters, I give the captain a wave and shout as we descend down, and he barely notices.  Once in our room, I pop open the locked hatch that leads to the storage hull under the ship, we drop down and are in the mostly empty area underneath the ship.  On the other side we try the first trap door and it leads into the messhall, the other however opens right into the Captains chambers. I grab you and lift you up through the small hole and follow you behind.  "Look for anything that may help us on our trip, money that he may not notice missing, contacts, weapons, anything." I am feeling excited, and am starting to love our new sneaky, somewhat devious lives.  I kiss you, and start looking around.  With our enhanced senses, we make the best thieves.  We can hear the men still reveling uptop,and are able to distinguish each of them separately, so we know none have left...

[Snapespersephone]

I make a slow turn around the room gathering bits and bobs when I find a chest full of female cloths. "Uh James why would or captain have women's cloths?" I hold up a dress to myself and recognize it. "better question, why does our captain have the cloths I sold? Maybe we should keep a better eye on this man dearest."

[guardtherealm]

I look at you worried.  "Gandos was planning on kidnapping you and selling you, but it seems that maybe the captain had other plans.  My dear, you seem to be quite a wanted woman.  If I was not so mad, I would be flattered that you are with me."  I scan through the captains desk, and make mental notes of his routes.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Then I see that after he leaves us, before making his way south  to trade, he stops at a small island marked with a green initials.  I.T.C.  I tell myself to ask around about the island once we land. 

I grab a dusty bottle of wine, and see you poking around, enjoying yourself.  "I think we should leave, the men are growing quiet.

[Snapespersephone]

I follow you to the hall but as soon as the door closes behind us the men are going to turn the corner so I jump up on you for a deep soul searing kiss. I put my all into it and get quite a few whistles and grumbles from the assembling men.

[guardtherealm]

The men are drunk and stumbling down the hall.  "Hey did I not see you going to your room over there." He points somewhere across the ship.  "You bring us the lady for payment. The cap said we was to keep her."  Another less drunk man elbows him.  "I mean, he said keep her safe." "Yeah" the others agree. 

I position myself in front of you and work our way through them towards the door to the upper deck.  They make comments, and are too drunk to cause harm to us. "She is not an object to be bought and sold, I shall speak to the captain of this"  We quickly head outside and find the captain snoring heavily in the middle of the ship.  I think about throwing him overboard for a second, but decide against it.  I do help myself to the shining, intricately carved knife on his side. 

Once in our room we look at each other nervously.  "I think we have trouble here."

[Snapespersephone]

"you think? there is a crew of men who think the captain some how owns and is willing to share me. does this mean we can feast after all? Or are you going to pay our good captain a nocturnal visit to scare him straight?" I cling to you shaking in fear of being taken away again, feeling a semibalance of relief and safety next to you.

[guardtherealm]

"I am not sure how to proceed yet, we need the crew to get us to port, but once we see land, we will have trouble.  Luckily we have our little secret on our side.  I have a feeling we will be dining on the crew shortly.  When we do dispatch of them, we will be the owners of a very nice vessel. All we will need to do is dump the crews personal items, and maybe make a few changes to the appearance, and we will be set.  Lets just hope they don't try anything before we are close to land.  The sun should be rising soon, so for now lets just be together."  I lay you down on the bed, and hold you, trying to make you feel safe for once.

[Snapespersephone]

"do you regret taking me and falling for me now? Now that you find the trouble I cause you that is." I snuggle clinging to you like I am afraid to let you go or you will vanish. "Do you wish you have never turned me or turned yourself?"

[guardtherealm]

"you are the best thing to come out of all this.  I have no regrets.   And yes maybe part of me wishes we were not turned,  but if I had to lose you by not being turned,  I would not go back." I hold you and wish that you grow to accept my love.  But I understand I feel the same. 

"Tomorrow night. I saw we dispatch of a crew member.  The less there are at the end the better.  Now hold me and do not let go until nightfall. "

[Snapespersephone]

I wrap my arms around you laying my head on your chest and sigh, "as if I would let you go once i have you in my grasp. silly boy I shall make you trust my love yet. you just wait and see. as for the meal tonight i elect the one who dared to try and touch me. he looked like he desires to be beneath me did he not?"

[guardtherealm]

"I will let you strike the first bite if you wish.  I have yet to figure out how to get him alone, let me know if that sharp mind of yours has any ideas."  I think about each of the crew, only 7 of  them.  We should have no trouble taking this ship. 

"Lets save the captain for last.  Pick the crew off slowly, leave 4 men for the end, and then strike at dinner.  We will have a feast, neither of us will ever forget."

[Snapespersephone]

"well we could always go with my tried and true get grabbed by dinner meathod. It seems to do wonders for me." Smiles at her own joke as they snuggle and plan their mutiny of the ship. "when the ship is ours can we call it the Liliana? I always wanted something named after me."
A knock sound on the door and a shy sailor comes in. "Sorry to bother you miss but this little guy", Holds up Scamp, "was found in the galley eating our bacon."
"oh Scamp you naughty boy come to Mama." at my words the ball of fur jumps from the young man's arms and races to me in our darkened room.
"Oh Miss did you need the windows opened for you?"

[guardtherealm]

"Scamp you little rascal.  He must have snuck out when we caught some fresh air.  Thank you sir.  And yes the lady would love to have the windows opened." I look at you, and wonder if you are thinking the same thing.  This man might suffer a tragic fall out of our window.  I am sure men fall overboard all the time.  He comes in and stands on a stool to unstick the window that has been stuck shuck by years of humid weather.

[Snapespersephone]

"are you crazy it is still daylight out there." I whisper and then seeing your plan in your eyes I smile and glide off the bed. "best close the door so scamp doesn't get away again. silly pup could get hurt on a ship like this." As the door clicks shut I throw the lock and smile. "you are a sweet lad to help me like this. Your mother would be so proud I bet." Then I jump and ponce on his back pinning him to the floor and lean forward to take a bite.
"Wait miss I came to give you a warning please to drink until you have heard me out. I will be you and your man's drink if you wish. I will even help you slaughter the pigs on board, but you need to keep your door locked during the day. The crew and Captain wish this mans death so they can use you and then sell you when we reach shore. we are not heading for the isle as you were promised we are going to a slave island instead."
I look at you for what to do now as I sit on the boy.

[guardtherealm]

"Easy to say with teeth at your throat.  Do the other know of our affliction?"  He shakes his head.  "Is this the Island initialed on the captains books?"  He nods yes. "How do we not know, that you will not run and tell the others if we let you go."  The boy pulls his sleeve up to his shoulder, "Drink from me, not my neck so as to be discreet, but I would not offer this if I was not serious, the captain took me from my home on the very isles you thought you were sailing.  Let me help you, then I will disappear once we reach land. " 
I look to you and see that you trust the boy.  "Alright then, we must start taking this men out slowly.  I want it too look accidental.   First, bring me the man that groped my bride here.  Tell him you had your way with her, and she is ready for another, but to keep his mouth shut.  If I know how that man is, then he will be here  quickly.  Also, wait until the sun sets, so we can actually open this window and dispose of him once we are done." 

"If you betray us, rest assured we will save you for last, after we make you watch the others perish."  The boy gulps audibly, and hold both his arms out.  We smile at him, then greedily take just enough to fill ourselves but not weaken our new ally.  He actually seems to enjoy it, which makes me think this is not his first time.  I poke my finger with the captains knife, and use my blood to heal the boys wounds.  He looks at me amazed.

"Now go child, and send the man in 5 hours."  We laugh as he leaves, feeling elated from his blood, and the prospect of a new ally in clearing the ship.  "Such a nice lad" I say and wipe the blood from around your mouth.

[Snapespersephone]

"yes he was a very nice lad.I just wonder how he could know of our affliction." I grin and wipe a few stray drops of blood off you mouth sucking them off my finger with a grin."now kiss your young bride she is so very lonely and kissable you know."

[guardtherealm]

"I am guessing he has had close contact with our kind before.  The look in his eyes while we were feeding looked like he was remembering something."  I stop talking and kiss you.  Holding myself back is growing harder, but alas I stay true to the promise I made myself.  Only a few more days and we can be husband and wife.  I taste the blood on your lips and shudder.  The boys blood is the sweetest I've had since tasting yours.  then I remember your taste, and wish I could have it again.  But soon I will have something much sweeter, and I lay my head back happy. 

[Snapespersephone]

"shall we rest then until our next meal arrives? OR would you like to kiss your young bride?"