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Fandom Castlevania: Night's Dirge [Closed]

It would have been sensible for Trevor to stay in the carriage so they could get the shopping done, if the village remained. Speculation, however, was clearly starting to bother old wounds. Alucard could see it, before Trevor spat venom and caused Aveline to back down. He wanted to be angry on her behalf, but even then, the most he could muster was annoyance with Trevor – he did try to apologize right after, but Aveline’s smile seemed to cut it off.

They all knew Trevor was hurting, and this was hard for him. He hadn’t quite shown it until just then, though.

Alucard didn’t have a moment to stop Trevor before he walked out, the gust of wind chilling them all. His eyes stayed on the door a few seconds longer, debating if he ought to go after Trevor. Somehow, he had a feeling that might end in a punch if he tried to speak with him, tried to express some understanding for his pain, given his own situation – given how his mother had been innocent, but burned, too.

He wasn’t sure Trevor would take it well, but someone had to go, right? Aveline and Sypha were already talking about how he might open up to someone, though Sypha seemed doubtful.

A motion caught his eye, and as he glanced to the side of the door, he realized Lucia was gone. The door hadn’t opened again. ‘Shadows.’ She shouldn’t be using her magic but no one could talk sense into her. She’d been prepared to destroy the entire town at sunset, after all.

Still, he did speak up to side with Aveline, aware that he was the one who Aveline opened up to. The situation was different, they weren’t heading to Aveline’s home or to confront the haltija, but he knew it was important to have someone to share the burden with.

He was still keeping his close, still afraid of speaking too soon and losing his resolve, but the knowledge remained that in the future, she would be there. It helped him to think of that moment, and to push through, “If he was willing to confront it by going to his hold, he’ll find a way to deal with it,” perhaps it would have been alcohol on any other day, but that was taken from him now. “We may have to get used to him lashing out for a bit, but we don’t need to let him think he can keep doing it, either.”

Johann arched a brow, “And how do we do that, without getting punched in the face?” It seemed Alucard wasn’t the only one who thought that was a possibility. Johann liked Trevor, but he was willing to keep his head down in regards to this and not poke the bear. “I mean…even assuming he opens up to someone…is that really going to help him not lash out at the rest of us?”

“Speaking of, shouldn’t someone go after him?” Sypha asked.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Danica said, moving to help with washing up, collecting Johann’s empty bowl and bringing it over to the bucket. She’d help dry things off, seeing as Aveline seemed to have the washing down.

“Hu—oh!” Sypha realized that Lucia was gone then. She hadn’t heard the door open, but she was clearly no longer in her spot by the door, or in the room anymore.

~***~

Marius and Sulla had returned by then, and as Lucia materialized by the carriage, the shadows as remembered, she used them to dim her presence, as well, blending the shadows around herself so she wouldn’t immediately disturb Trevor as he went about tending the pelts – assuming he didn’t notice in his fit of emotion.

Marius was sniffing the pelts, clearly debating if they were a tasty salt lick or not. Seeing Trevor, he decided they were not a tasty salt lick, and he backed off from the pelts while Sulla seemed to make a noise reminiscent of laughter as Marius looked wholly guilty, even if he hadn’t gotten a lick in.

Gradually, however, she let the shadows dissipate from around her, so she’d seem present. “So, I’m still for robbing that town blind if you are,” she spoke, eyes on the pelts at first, before she’d lift to Trevor, “I’m sorry. I should have gotten them off the topic,” she meant to do more to help keep Trevor even, but she’d failed to recognize how difficult the conversation was becoming for him.

She’d blame her fever for not being as attentive as necessary.

She wouldn’t ask for more. In fact, she’d settle into silence if it was what Trevor preferred right then, but she didn’t want to stay in the shadows for too long. Trevor would have noticed sooner or later. She only wanted to step out without alerting those inside that she’d left so soon. She figured they would realize she left anyway, but at least it wouldn’t have drawn their attention.
 
" I think we should be understanding, if he bites someones head off we shouldn't take it too personally." Aveline spoke up, she felt like she had been a good example of what to do. Just a moment ago she could of yelled at Trevor or been hurt, but she hadn't. She knew that he was hurting and since he didn't have his normal crutch to fall back on he was trying his best.

Sypha didn't look impressed in the least, " If he speaks to me that way then I will light something of his on fire," she promised.

" Sypha no!"

Aveline looked around the room, hoping that maybe that was just a joke she hadn't gotten but Johann looked a little worried. Danica didn't look bothered by it and neither did Alucard, but then again he was always rather stoic especially when Trevor was the topic of conversation.

After handing a cleaned bowl over to Danica she spoke again, " Trevor wouldn't punch one of us, we've all really bonded during this trip. I think he acts like a strong lone wolf but he is soft under all that fur and all those scars."

She wasn't an expert on these things but when you watch your whole family go up in flames she could only imagine that you keep your distance after that. Watching your whole world crumble and everyone you love die? Why would he go back to caring after that? It wasn't even possible in her opinion. He had probably made a hard stone shell after that happened, and she didn't doubt they were the first people to get this close to him emotionally in a long time.

" He hit you with his whip though," Johann pointed out, Trevor was clearly capable of anything.

Aveline huffed a bit and submerged a bowl under the water with a pout, " That doesn't count he was brain controlled. You did some not so great things too when that happened." Johann winced, he still felt horrible for what he did to Alucards shoulder. Plus he was always a bit worried Alucard would try to get back at him for it, he didn't think the Dhampir would try to hurt him but with how Alucard ganged up with the others and tried to get him to agree to wearing a dress earlier he knew Alucard was looking for a bit of revenge.

" I can only speak for myself, but when this is all said and done you all have a friend in me." Aveline said with a determined nod as she handed the last of the washed dishes to Danica to dry off. To her Trevor and everyone else was a friend, so she'd take anything they dished out at her. " If any of you need my spear for any reason you have it." Lucia wasn't here for the announcement but she was sure Danica or Johann would pass the message along.

This group, despite the reason they had to form in the first place, was the best thing Aveline had ever been part of. She had spent 2 years wandering on her own, never making true lasting friend, and this groups company had been wonderful. She was accepted and appreciated, so her loyalty was more than earned.

" Thank you Aveline," Danica spoke up and gave her a smile, " But friendship isn't just for the hard times. Hopefully when this is all said and done we won't have to get together to save the world. I'd much rather getting together to catch up or celebrate something."

Sypha nodded in agreement, " When this is all done i plan to tell the story to the speakers, but i'd like to travel on my own helping people still affected by the hoards. That means i can visit you all easy enough. I would like to visit Chernihiv, so you three would have to show me around and introduce me to the local culture." She imagined that if Chernihiv was as cold as Johann and Danica made it seem then there would be lots of soups and stews. Hopefully also preserves of what ever fruits grew around there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The back of the carriage was thrown open with more force than necessary, and Trevor moved with a deep set tension in every step. He just felt shitty, the others didn't deserve his wrath but things were getting hard. He could kill demons, he could handle physical pain and having everything from hell spat in his face but this? This wasn't something he knew how to deal with.

How do you fight the demons inside you?

Before now he drowned them in boose, and god he wanted that bottle of Brandy he had left behind in the dugout. He knew it was for the best he left it behind but he still regretted it in the moment because that boose had kept him cynical and uncaring. It would of hindered him for this, because he wanted to help Wallachia, but that was easier when you didn't think of faces or specific people.

He was doing this for the Wallachia, the country that let his family burn, because this was still his duty. He was raised to die for this country, and he loved it god he loved it so much. But this wound had festered and he would rather leave it to rot honestly.

He ripped open the bag, no need for his blade this time, and sighed as he tossed some of the salt down. " No one told me stopping Dracula would include this kind of bullshit," he grumbled.

His temper seemed to have disappeared, what ever anger had made him walk outside had been snuffed out in the cold, but he still jumped a bit hearing Lucias voice. Compared to a normal man it didn't seem more than a shift in his shoulders but he knew Lucias eyes were very particular, she saw more things than she let on. " Didn't hear you come out here, did you do your shadow thing just to scare me?" He joked to try and lighten the mood.

" Or are you out here to tell me to keep my attitude in check, because honestly after the look I got from Alucard i expected him to come out here and rip my throat out." He shouldn't of snapped at anyone in the group because none of them deserved it, but Aveline in particular was one of the more cheerful members. She also appeared to have a protective wolf looking out for her when ever her Hell Hound wasn't around.

He looked away from the pelts and to Lucia was a tired look in his eyes, her apology didn't seem right given everything. " It's not your fault the conversation went there. I was a snarky bastard, should of expected someone to tell me to play nice." He didn't need to say he'd rather the town fall on hard times, someone in the group was bound to tell him to take it back. " It's just hard. To the others this is just a normal area to them, it's means as much to them as Gresit or any other town we've gone through does. But this used to be my home. I knew the faces of every person in the mob that killed my family."

He had seen the Baker, farmers, the blacksmith, he knew every face. Even with 20 years having gone by they could still very well be alive, and even if they weren't and it was their children in the homes now that didn't mean everything was OK. When someone really ruins your life and you hate their actions you hate everything that involves them, the kids probably didn't deserve this wraith but his anger carried over to them as well.

" This is personal, and that makes it so much fucking harder." He could save the abstract concept that was Wallachia, the people that turned on him, but now that they were basically in his old backyard things were hard. He wanted to shout and cry that what happened to his family wasn't fair and they should be avenged because he hurt, but he didn't because that wasn't justice. So all he could do was hurt and try to cover it up in front of the others because he knew these feelings were biased.
 
Alucard definitely gave Johann some serious side-eye when he mentioned Trevor hitting Aveline. A very ‘did you forget’ look, because Alucard had not forgotten, though Aveline seemed to have to remind Johann of his issues. “Like shooting me,” Alucard still made it painfully clear, even if Johann looked like he might sink into his guilt.

It wasn’t because of Trevor’s attack on Aveline that Alucard thought that he was potentially dangerous like this. It was only that, well, Trevor did seem to prefer going to booze. And he was certain not all of those fights were because he was a Belmont. It just wasn’t hard to imagine Trevor as someone who got into fights for the hell of it sometimes. To feel something.

And that was dangerous.

But he didn’t dwell on it. The topic of lasting friendships was a better one, and he gave a nod to that, “In good or bad,” he said, “we’ll come visit in Chernihiv, as well,” for he knew Lucia would eventually return to her home base.

“You’ll want to make sure to have your winter clothes. Even in the summer,” or what would have been a summer season. It was still fairly chilly in Chernihiv. Perhaps spring or fall attire would suffice then, but Danica wouldn’t want them to risk it. “But we’d love to host you all in Chernihiv one day! You should come in the winter, though. It’s so much prettier.”

“Speak for yourself,” Johann definitely didn’t agree.

“There’s a lovely festival of lights that kicks off the Christmas season,” Danica gave a longing sigh. She would be missing that this year, no doubt. While it was framed in the workings of Christianity, Lucia had confessed that much of the idea behind it was quite pagan – a celebration of how the sun would start to show itself more and more frequently as the days went on, that the end of the long nights was in sight. The night of it was always lovely with so many lights shining, and the celebrations out in the streets, as well as the scents of so many foods. “It’s when many come to visit.”

It was when she’d truly met Johann’s brother, when his pack had come down to mingle. His brother took some time adapting to his new life, but he seemed to have accepted it all right, the last Danica saw. “But besides that, it’s when everyone in Chernihiv seems to come together, and get out, after holing up for the coming winter. The season just makes everyone so…happy.”

And they were fighting to protect that, to try and keep the spread from there.

“I still think summer’s the best time to visit,” Johann said. “It’s at least comfortable outside. And Kupala is fun!” Danica gave a face at that, but it was clear she wasn’t sincerely disgusted, “It’s a summer holiday that the church doesn’t really smile on, buuuut…it’s fun.”

“There’s lots of water fighting, jumping over bonfires, and pranks,” Danica sighed. It was obvious why someone so young as Johann would like it. “Though there is a story of ferns blooming on that night, and producing a magical flower,” she noted, realizing Aveline might like that idea, and could have fun going out with others to try and find the magical fern bloom.

Alucard smiled, “I’m sure we can visit at both times,” his gaze moved easily to Aveline, including her in it, “Dracula’s castle can go anywhere easily,” they could be there at a moment’s notice, though he suspected that Lucia would want them on the outskirts so as not to cause any troubles with things being destroyed by the castle landing.

~***~

Lucia lifted one shoulder in a shrug, “Shadow thing,” she agreed with the assessment, “It wasn’t intended to startle you, though,” she added, though she had noticed the tension that moved through him when she spoke. She wasn’t there to tell him to keep his attitude in check, either, and she shook her head to that query. He didn’t need a lecture on it. He already, clearly, felt terrible about it.

He knew the others didn’t deserve his wrath.

That wasn’t going to stop it anytime soon.

“It may mean the same as Gresit to them, but they could have been more empathetic to what it meant to you, as well,” encouraging violence or hatred was not the best way to go about it, and even Lucia knew talking of robbing them blind was not a good idea, either, unless she could pass it as a joke. Yet it was no joking matter with Trevor. She couldn’t even joke of burning it all down.

He never had to offer to take them here. He never had to help. He was choosing to do all this – Lucia wouldn’t accept prophecy. These were his choices, this was his struggle and his grief – a personal one that the others didn’t have to deal with in confronting Dracula. Sure, for her and Alucard, it had levels of being personal. For him, he was killing his father. For her, she was killing a friend.

Only she’d been here before. And she knew that weary look in Trevor’s gaze, only too well, and it hurt to see it. “You can deck anyone you like in that town. I’m not going to stop you,” because he knew the faces, and they deserved it. Just because twenty years had gone by, it didn’t make their actions any better, or any more forgivable. If they had come to regret it, they could find a way to prove it.

Confirmation was all she could provide. Another voice to add to Trevor’s own. “Twenty years doesn’t make what they did forgivable. Twenty years doesn’t make it right, or any less, just because they failed to get you and complete the job they set out to do. Blindly following the authority of the Church doesn’t absolve them. So I’m not going to get in your way if a town remains with all their wretched faces in it, but I suggest you pick the one you hate most – I can’t stop the others.” It was a weak way of acknowledging the pain, of letting him know it was real, and it was justified to feel the way he felt. It was personal, but it was also completely justified.

“I know it’s not sufficient. There will never be anything to make what happened right, and no way to make them feel what you feel,” she kept it present tense, rather than past. Trevor hadn’t felt it, Trevor was still feeling it. “I suppose…I only wanted you to know that you don’t have to feel guilty, or bad, for feeling how you do.” Angry, bitter, vindictive, vengeful. He had every right to those emotions. The others might want to guilt him, or tell him he should get over it, contain it, or not feel it – but that was just foolishness. From the looks she saw, she knew Trevor’s outburst hadn’t been understood, or received, well by all. Aveline seemed the closest to understanding before Lucia left.
 
Both festivals sounded wonderful and Aveline was immediately interested. " I would like to go to both, a beautiful snowy place filled with lights does sound like heaven on earth, but a fun festival during the summer sounds just as good!" She said, though she gave a confused tilt of her head hearing about the fern. " Ferns do not bloom though, At least none i have ever seen."

" Danica did say it was magical, maybe magical ferns bloom." Sypha suggested with a chuckle. " Have you not gone to many festivals? Many of them don't really make sense, but people are always looking for something to distract them from their day to day lives. It's hard to stay happy when you're rooted in one place and have to deal with hard work and disease every day." Humans were certainly a people that were always looking for an excuse to party.

In the past pagan festivals gave the people just that a reason to party, but even the Church getting involved hadn't changed much. They could change the names of festivals or try to stop them completely but people would always find some way to blow off steam, and this Kupala did sound fun.

" I haven't gone to any festivals. Actually no I take that back." Aveline said, " I've been to one, the Haltija have festivals but I avoided them because of the crowds," When you're not wanted the last thing you're going to do is go someplace where everyone is trying to have good time, " but one time I did sneak around the edges of a winter festival because I forgot to grab some books from the library. I didn't see much but it looked fun. If Human festivals are half as fun then we'll definitely have to visit for them both."

She beamed and smiled at Alucard, she felt her heart racing a bit. He had included her earlier like it was as easy as breathing, which meant their plans were still on. She lived with the small constant panic that he'll change his mind and decide he didn't want her to stick around when everything was said and done, but at least at this moment he still wanted her in Draculas castle with him.

Sypha raised an eyebrow hearing the two make plans right in front of her, when had this developed? She cast a quizzical look to Johann and Danica, the former looking as confused as her but the latter smiling softly to herself.

" It's nice to see all of us already making plans for after this," Danica spoke up. It was a good sign that they were all planning for the future. Fighting Dracula and his generals could be their end, but none of them were focusing on that.

Trevor had already agreed to travel with Lucia and the others, Sypha had just expressed her own plans to travel and help once her speaker duties were carried out, and apparently Aveline and Alucard were settling down together. Whether romance had secretly bloomed between them had yet to be seen, but Danica had a good sense for these things. If nothing had happened yet, then it would eventually.

" Well i'm not planning on dying at any point during this adventure, so I don't see a reason not to make plans," Aveline said as she returned to her earlier spot to work on sharpening everything else.

With an amused shake of her head Danica chuckled a bit, " Well if you're planning on visiting then you'll need better pants. We have time i'll grab fabric soon and work on something more suited for the weather." She was confident with the supplies she had she could make pants Aveline could use for the next leg of their journey, maybe they'd even last until they went to Chernihiv.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Lucia had appeared from the shadows and pulled Trevor from his moment of self pity and bubbling anger he had expected confrontation at first, all he ever got in life was confrontation. He was born to fight and thats all he had been doing even before his family died. He fought creatures of the night, and then he fought man. He fought them in bars because they had pissed him off, because they saw the sigil on his chest and talked shit, because they had started the fight first, and sometimes he started a fight just because he was angry and this was the closest he'd get to revenge.

Because in every town he went he saw people that reminded him of those villagers. Every town had a baker, a black smith, a midwife and if he couldn't fight them when he was 10 at least he could fight them now that he was a grown man with nothing to lose.

So now instead Lucia was here confirming the anger and injustice he had felt all these years, it honestly took the wind out of his sails. He fought and fought until he turned into this, a sad tired man and he didn't know the person he was when he wasn't fighting anymore.

The man in front of Lucia now was tired, and hurting from a wound he had gotten 20 years ago. A wound people thought he should of gotten over already, but he hadn't because he never confronted it. It had hurt then, but it hurt worse now that it was being aired out.

Her words struck a cord though, and it felt good to know someone understand. It wasn't right what happened to his family, the people who had hurt him weren't innocent, and even if they regretted what they did he still wouldn't forgive them because this pain wouldn't go away. But Lucia at least acknowledging that he had every right to feel this way helped a bit. It was like a balm put on an old wound, it didn't work miracles or suddenly make everything better but it helped.

" I bet I could punch at least two people if they're both right there before the others stop me," He joked, voice croaking a bit despite him trying to keep it under control. It was a weak attempt to keep his guard up, to keep being the sassy hunter everyone knew instead of the Orphan that the fire had left behind.

He swallowed but found his mouth dry, he tired to speak but the words were lost to him for a moment. " Thank you, Lucia." Thank you for letting me feel and hurt.

He felt like he had passed his window to mourn and feel over this issue in the eyes of society, waiting until now to let these feelings hit him seemed insane. It was probably the reason why the others looked at him like they did, why it was Lucia out here comforting him and not one of them, but he was grateful. So fucking grateful that with her out here he didn't have to apologize or listen to a lecture about forgiveness and letting things go. Out here with her he felt understood and justified.

" Christ we're not even at the hold yet," He grumbled. If this was how things went before they got in the mountain pass he couldn't imagine how much worse they would be when he got back on his families land. " Do you think I have to go back in there and have a heart to heart with everyone?" He asked Lucia with a frown. This little moment with Lucia was all he felt like he could handle, he had already proven he wasn't very in touch with his emotions.

He didn't know if he could handle going back instead and telling everyone he was still trying to recover so he'd be really on edge until they were done here. Hell just apologizing to Aveline would be awkward enough, he was pretty sure Alucard would glare at him until he apologized but then still glare at him because it wasn't good enough.
 
Johann couldn’t help but be amused by Danica’s insistence on making warmer clothes for them all, though in Aveline’s case it definitely made sense. The slits of her pants would let in way too much cold air, though it might be tolerable in the summer. “If you haven’t been too many festivals, you’ll definitely have to come to Chernihiv’s,” he did agree, though, “You too, Sypha. It can be a way we can come back together.”

“You’re not going to come visit me?” Sypha teased.

Johann quickly shook his head, not denial, but, “No! We would – if we knew where you were, I’m sure we’d come visit! And you as well, Alucard.” They had visited Dracula often enough, “But seeing as we don’t have a magical moving castle, or a nomadic life, it might be easier to come to us since we’re probably pretty stagnate after this.” After they went to Rome and dealt with setting up the new vampiric order.

Alucard gave a nod, “We’ll welcome you. We may have to go see other celebrations around the world,” speaking of Lucia’s festival of lights did make him recall of one he’d heard of in India that he had seen once with his mother and father, in what seemed another life. There would be many things to see after Dracula. He just had to keep looking forward.

“I suppose it might do good to plan some good things, besides just dealing with the remaining hoards and seeing the Speakers again,” Sypha noted, “I should come up to visit Chernihiv and even you, Alucard. With your traveling castle it would be easy to see so much more, and bring back even more stories to the Speakers! Maybe we’ll find this magical blooming fern!”

Danica chuckled, “Good luck. I haven’t known anyone who has,” of course, she wasn’t so sure the fern bloomed at all – it wasn’t meant to be a magical thing, just that ferns only bloomed that one night, which was why no one ever saw it. Yet, she’d gone out searching in her youth, and never found one.

“Don’t think you can hijack the castle, Sypha,” Alucard warned. He’d seen her try and learn more about the runes quickly – he could only imagine what would happen if she ever saw the device used to make the castle move.

Again, that innocent expression crossed her face, “I would never hijack the castle. I’d only come to you with ideas of where we could go….” Alucard narrowed his eyes a bit, but Sypha didn’t falter.

Johann couldn’t help but laugh a bit at the exchange, “You’re doomed,” he told Alucard, fully expecting Sypha was going to figure out how Dracula’s castle worked, and then find ways to either hijack it, or make her own miniature one so she could travel anywhere, whenever she liked, without worrying about Alucard agreeing or not. “Can the castle go through planes, though?”

“What do you mean?” Alucard asked.

“Like…the demons come from hell, and the nightmares come from the astral plane. I was curious if the castle could only travel our plane, or stop in others, too?”

Alucard’s brow knit together, “I don’t know,” he’d never seen it done. He’d never heard of it being done. Of course, he didn’t exactly understand how it worked in the first place.

~***~

Lucia did smirk at Trevor’s assessment that he could probably punch two people before the others stopped him. She allowed a nod. He probably could. Then the others would get to him and have to try to hold him back. Still – she heard the croak in his voice. The pain there was raw, even as he tried to joke, but he wasn’t lashing out now. She took that for a good sign, that her words at least…gave him something. Some form of acceptance of his own pain.

She thought to shake her head, to deny the need for gratitude when it parted his lips. She was doing what she knew to do, in trying to help him, because she wanted to. Gratitude was unnecessary. Yet, she didn’t. Best not to seem ungrateful, either. “You’re welcome, Trevor.” She’d agreed to be there, and she would.

Though, she did chuckle a bit at his complaint about the thought of how they weren’t at the hold yet, and how he didn’t want to go back in and have a heart to heart with everyone. He had truly thought he would make it to the Hold before having issues, hadn’t he? “No, you don’t have to go have a heart to heart with anyone,” she denied. They would probably appreciate an explanation, or an apology, but a heart to heart wasn’t necessary. “A small explanation might help to smooth things over going forward.”

She knew Sypha wasn’t happy with Trevor’s actions. “But you can also go back in and just ignore it,” odds were the group had moved on from thinking of Trevor storming out. Well, perhaps not from thinking of it, but from discussing it, and they were likely to give him his peace to allow him to remain sane, or comfortable. Ignoring it wasn’t the best option, but it was one open to him. “I left them when they were talking of nobles, and came back to find them talking of dragons. For all we know now, they’re talking about hats.”

None of them wore hats. Why they would talk about hats would be a mystery, but it was entirely possible. And a way to help Trevor know he could avoid it if he wanted to, or interject his explanation later. All he’d have to do would be to tell them the pelts were coming along fine, since that was the lie that drew him out into the cold again.
 
The castle itself wasn't something the group had ever really talked about, there had been a discussion in the beginning that since the castle could move it would be close to impossible to getting there, but that was about it. The fact Aveline hadn't really hounded on the fact this was a moving castle when they first met really drove home the point that they were living in strange times.

" It will be interesting to finally see the castle, when the time comes." She mused as she sat aside a newly sharpened throwing knife. What kind of castle was this that it hoped around from place to place. To Alucard it was home but even castles were still a sight Aveline was getting used to, the Haltija had lived in normal looking homes build in harmony with nature and her fathers home had been a modest 2 bedroom cabin he had built them. " What does it look like? It moves right? Does it have wings or legs?"

Aveline tilted her head to the side pictures of a large stone castle flying through the air like a dragon came to mind, or worse a castle with legs walking around. She shivered and pushed the image away, if that was how the castle moved she wanted nothing to do with it.

Danica laughed, but tried to reel herself in. She wasn't making fun of Aveline, she didn't know any better, but it was still funny. " It doesn't have legs or wings. I don't know how the castle moves, i think that's something he keeps to himself for the most part," but she directed a curious look at Alucard.

Dracula wasn't going to tell the world how his magical castle moved like it did, in all their visits to the castle Danica and Johann still had no real idea how it moved they only knew that it did, but if anyone had answers then it was probably Alucard.

" It's probably magic," Sypha offered up, but that was vague. " They say Draculas castle is home to forgotten knowledge, it has to be full of magical tomes," Her eyes were shining at up the thought. If it wasn't for the other duties she had she wouldn't mind settling into the castle herself, but the speakers needed to be told of everything that had happened and there were surely going to be innocent people that were still being affected by Draculas hoards even after he was defeated. " Surely some type of lost knowledge is what makes his castle move."

" That's not even a guess, " Aveline insisted, " The fact nothing else in this world can just magically move is basically a guarantee the castle is moved using lost knowledge." Whether it was magic or science she didn't know, but it was something lost or hidden and maybe even for the better.

Aveline naturally trusted Sypha and the others, but Syphas inclination to learning dangerous runes that could be used to harm did make her a bit concern. She doubted Sypha would use her knowledge for evil but there were people out there that would, and the focus on power was concerning regardless of who was being taught. So she could understand that just maybe inside Draculas castle was the safest place for that knowledge, even if now Dracula was their foe. He had clearly kept the knowledge safe for centuries and out of the hands of anyone but himself and he had been more reclusive for a while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What kind of explanation could he give the group? His feelings were his own and maybe it was wrong from a moral standpoint to wish bad things on the people and families that had wronged him, but he still did. They were supposed to be on a mission to save Wallachia and her people, including the people that had killed his family. If someone wanted to argue with him that he was in the wrong they would win, and piss him off in the process. Sometimes feelings weren't logical or right but emotions were never logical. Anyone that tries to hold them to that standard was a fool.

" What kind of explanation could i give?" Trevor asked Lucia with a dry chuckle and a tired shake of his head. " Sorry for snapping at you Aveline i just really hate the people that may or may not still live here. Now that I apologized please keep both your dogs from biting my balls off." Yeah that probably wouldn't go over well.

But he owed them an explanation, he knew that much. He had lashed out and until he showed he could handle himself they would treat him with kiddie gloves, and he hadn't spent weeks gaining everyone trust to lose it when they were so close to the finish line.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, he'd apologize in the least. He'd give them something small, something that showed them he knew he was wrong and he was trying. That was all he could really give them for now, but it would keep the peace for a bit.

" I just don't want them treating me like i'm fragile or about to snap," If they started walking on thin ice around him honestly it would just piss him off and make things worse.

He tossed some salt down on the places that needed it, at least the pelts were going right. He could see they were working, moisture was being drawn out which was why he needed to add some more salt in places, he might actually have the pelts done in a day or two at this rate. " If I could get away with just giving Aveline a nice pelt i'd do that, but I already promised the nicest one to Sypha." He confessed with a chuckle. Gifts would help wouldn't they?

" Well that and I don't think Aveline wants anything to do with these pelts. You were sleeping when I started working on them yesterday but she looked like she was going to get sick," He chuckled again, something about this group felt like more than friendship. It felt like a kinship was forming, because sometimes he looked at Johann or Sypha or Aveline and thought of them like younger siblings, so of course he liked to tease them or gross them out a bit.
 
Sypha was getting no where near the device that controlled the castle, that much, Alucard was certain of. At least for a bit. Until he was certain she wouldn’t do something heinous with it. “It may be science,” he allowed, “I’m not…completely certain, though I suspect it to be magic,” he would admit that much, “But there is a lot of science there, just as well,” the lanterns that lit automatically, for one, were definitely science.

His mother had been able to figure those out. She’d been so proud of herself. Alucard could still remember her standing in the library, hands on her hips, and explaining it to Dracula himself - who of course knew how they worked, but was so impressed that Lisa had figured it out all on her own.

Even he’d been impressed with her, though he didn’t fully understand it then. He was certain if he tried now, he’d get it. There was probably a book or two on it in the library.

He’d have…a lot of learning to do on this castle. “But the castle just looks like a castle. There are some towers that seem like they ought to have more grounding or stability to them,” he knew how eerie some of those looked, seeming to hang off of other towers and stretch out into open air, “but there’s no wings or legs or anything that would suggest it can move on its own from the outside. I’ve been shown it, but I don’t fully understand it. There is…much about the castle I do not fully understand,” he admitted.

He was still young, after all, and even if he’d grown up there, he’d also grown up with Lisa, and in her home. He’d learned at her side, too – more, it seemed, than he had at his father’s side, sometimes. He wondered if it was because he knew he would have more time with his father.

Or…thought he knew.

He had the same amount of time with both now.

“Well, if you do need some help with it….”

He chuckled, “Yes Sypha, if I need any help with it, I’ll ask you.”

Sypha seemed cheered a bit by that, but then gave Johann and Danica a quizzical look, “So Lucia’s home isn’t like this? Magical, lots of hidden knowledge? This isn’t normal?”

“Well….” Johann exchanged a look with Danica.

She elaborated, “Her home isn’t so advanced as Dracula’s, but it certainly has more amenities than most human homes, and is ahead of the times, so to speak, but Dracula’s always been ahead of everyone.”

His own interest in the science and arts, while it seemed to only benefit himself, were truly spectacular. “But he still can’t rival the plumbing systems in Chernihiv!” Johann cheered, “That’s the one thing we have on Dracula.”

“How are you so sure of that?” Alucard asked.

“Because Lucia has a problem, that’s why.”

Danica shook her head, “I’d hardly call it a problem…but she is a tad obsessed,” Danica agreed, “she’s been trying to upgrade the sewage and plumbing systems throughout all of Chernihiv, and also avoid being called a witch. She keeps bringing in ‘foreign engineers’,” Danica did the air quotes, “every decade or so with a brand new idea to upgrade things in the city proper, trying to put it into language the laypeople of Chernihiv would understand,” that was probably the hardest part, making it clear it was technology with the slow upgrades. Well, slow by her standards.

It was still ages behind what Lucia had in her home. “But no, besides that, Dracula’s home is not the norm for any vampire. He had a vast amount of knowledge…but he didn’t share.”

Alucard's gaze dropped a bit. It was ever a problem with his father. His unwillingness to share, to help - Lisa had known that all that Dracula had could be so helpful...but still, he only gave the knowledge to her, and she could only do so much with it.

~***~

‘But you are.’ Lucia didn’t say as much as Trevor said he didn’t want to be treated like he was fragile. He might be, but there were still wrong ways to handle fragile people, and acting as if they couldn’t handle anything, especially when they were used to bearing burdens, was not the right way to go about it. Unfortunately, people weren’t taught how to handle others who were emotionally compromised. People were taught empty platitudes and to distract, rather than confront.

Confronting was something an individual was supposed to do on their own. To get over their grief out of sight and out of mind, and come back ‘normal’, whatever the hell that meant.

“Well, Aveline seems to be a vegetarian for ethical reasons, it’s no surprise,” Lucia chuckled as Trevor wished he could just give them all gifts to make it go away, “I imagine furs of animals are also difficult for her to accept or endure.” The others would like them, and Sypha would get the nicest one. No doubt she’d enjoy it, and Lucia was honestly looking forward to when Alucard was given one, if only because she imagined he was thinking he wouldn’t – because he was a dhampir, and he didn’t need it so much.

Counting it out, there seemed like there could be one for Alucard, if Aveline was left out of the equation. Of course, she was counting herself out, as well. Alucard did get cold. She didn’t. And after wearing Trevor’s cloak, the blanket just wouldn’t suffice. “As for explaining, leading with the apology to Aveline is good. Something like, ‘I’m sorry for reflexively responding with anger to you, Aveline. I am aware that I was in the wrong to do so as I am not angry with you, and I will be working on tempering my reactions. I need all of you to be aware that returning to the Belmont estate is effecting me in ways I have not had to deal with, and I appreciate your understanding as I work through this’.”

It left it vague enough, his apology was only for his reaction, not his emotions – because Lucia would never claim he needed to apologize for what he was feeling, or explain much if he didn’t feel comfortable with it. Everyone knew they were approaching people who hurt Trevor, and that he’d avoided it for years. She imagined they could at least understand that this new closeness to lands he’d left behind for so long, that his emotions might be a bit raw. He’d have to at least confess to having the emotions, and being troubled by them – but admitting was his own way of acknowledging it.

Of working through it.

The more he remained aware of them, and could pinpoint them, the more he, too, would understand them and be able to work through them. “Something like that should work. Obviously in your own words,” hers were probably too…well, less profanity laden than his might be.
 
There was really nothing that could be said of Draculas issues with sharing. Alucard looked ashamed by it, this conversation left him looking lost or mournful for most of it and Aveline noticed. How could she not? His lack of understanding and his own fathers issues really seemed to bother him, which was more than understandable given the situation they found themselves in.

" Well we can change that," Aveline suggested. There was no need to focus on what had or hadn't happened, it wouldn't do them any good. " Lucia seems to be doing something good, introducing the people slowly to something good for them."

Johann chuckled a bit, " She's mostly done it because she hates being dirty and our way of living doesn't meet her standards," He joked, then held his hands up like he surrender when Danica hit him with a playful glare.

" Tease her or call her obsessed all you like, but I know you enjoy the baths and running water back at the castle." Johann at least looked a bit sheepish, but he really did enjoy not having to lug water around just to get clean.

Another dagger was sat aside, Aveline happy with her job and the skills her father taught her coming in handy. " Though I imagine it will be hard to share the knowledge in Draculas castle if it looks creepy," After this the castle wouldn't be associated with anything good, though she doubted it was anything good in the minds of people even before this war.

" All castles look creepy," Sypha shrugged like it was common knowledge, " Staying in one place for too long has always made the scenery a bit weird for me, but castles are especially bad." When you live the nomadic style of life like she did you come to get used to changing views. Staying in one place too long always proved to reveal the darker secrets of a place or just making it so boring it might as well be scary. " I don't know why castles need all those pointy towers or the statues hanging over the edges of things."

She knew that the statues were supposed to help with draining water, and for the church it was also about warning people of evils, but still she didn't think you needed an ugly demon statue to do that.

" Oh," Aveline looked a little sad to hear that, " So the castle will definitely look creepy,"

" Oh yeah, it's creepy," Johann agreed then gave Alucard an apologetic look. " Sorry. I know it's your home and you were raised there, but to someone who wasn't raised there it's a bit much."

" Maybe it just needs some flowers," Aveline suggested.

Sypha raised a spectical eyebrow, " I haven't seen Draculas castle yet, but something tells me flowers won't help it."

" A lot of flowers then." Aveline said with a sure nod of her head. Her fathers cabin had been very bland when he finished it but adding flowers to it made the cabin into a home. "Flowers make everything better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucias suggest was worlds better than what Trevor had been planning. She seemed to understand better than he did what he was going through, must come with being older than jesus. He had spent the last 20 years avoiding his emotions and his feelings and that had already been hard, he had turned to boose to get through it, he couldn't imagine being roughly 1500 years old and trying to keep something bottled up. He had no doubts that Lucia had her own issues and had confronted them to at least some degree, just like how she was helping him confront of his own.

" What you said was so good you should just apologize for me," He suggested with playful smile, he knew she wouldn't but it was still worth a shot. " guess I should get this over with before I forget what you said."

He tossed a few more handfuls of salt down on the pelts, If he had come out here to have a moment alone then he might as well make this emotional outburst useful. The pelts were coming along well though, by the time the group was packing up for the night he was certain most of the moisture would be out of the pelts. He'd still need to condition the pelts though, which meant a lot of pulling them this way or that to wear the stiffness out of them before he could even think of applying the oils to them, but it was a step in the right direction.

The salt was returned to the back of the carriage, and Trevor took a moment to give Marius a warning glare. " Don't think I don't see the way you're already moving towards the pelts," He had seen where Marius was when he had first walked out here. He wouldn't be surprised if some of the salt was missing later, and heavens help either of the nightmares if he came out later and he found bite marks some place they shouldn't be.

Marius at least had the nerve to shake out his mane and look the other way, but the side eye he was giving the pelts was still pretty oblivious.

Stepping back inside Trevor didn't realized how cold he had been outside until the warmth of the fire hit him, his fingers had gone numb outside and his nose had been a silly shade of red.

" You could fill the Foyer of Draculas castle with fresh flowers and it still would not convince a single sane person to step inside," Johann insisted, but Aveline held fast despite the fact she was still sharpening away.

" Thats because too many flowers would make it seem suspicious. I'm saying a vase of flowers on a couple tables in the foyer, then one in every room after that, and people would feel comfortable enough to stick around for tea and maybe a lesson or two on general health and welfare."

Trevor paused, he had thought Lucia was joking when she talked about the group getting into some weird topics, but for all the things he had prepared himself for when coming back in this hadn't been it.
 
Alucard sighed but waved off Johann’s apology, “No, I know how it looks to others,” he’d heard enough commentary when he was around Lisa to know the castle was creepy, and it apparently had looked a bit worse before Lisa showed up, though that was mostly because it hadn’t seemed lived in at all. Still, he didn’t think flowers were going to help.

His mind immediately started to place the flowers around the statues, and being held or adorned in fashions that just seemed to make them more creepy – or at least more weird. Johann and Aveline argued over how many flowers, and Alucard shook his head a bit, “I don’t think flowers will hurt it – but it will need more than flowers.” He noted, conceding both points.
Flowers alone weren’t going to make Dracula’s castle welcoming.

He noticed then that the door opened, the sudden cold drawing his attention to Lucia and Trevor as they stepped in, Lucia returning to her place by the door after sharing a shrug with Trevor, the oddity of the conversation not lost on her. In fact, she asked, “Why are we talking about putting flowers in Dracula’s castle?”

Johann pulled out of the argument to answer, “She wants to make it welcoming so it’s easier to share knowledge with people – you know, have them come up and get knowledge, or something. You’ve seen it. You know flowers aren’t going to work."

“Dracula’s castle also isn’t creepy to me,” Lucia pointed out, “I’ve seen worse,” a few other vampire’s homes came to mind that did a better, or worse, job than Dracula at having creepy homes. Depending on how one was rating it. “I suppose a less dark atmosphere would help, but the entire castle is just so…bleak.”

“So what would you do?” Danica asked.

Lucia swiped her hand through the air, “Destroy it all and rebuild.”

“That’s not an option.” Alucard frowned.

“She asked what I’d do, not you,” Lucia shrugged. “Or maybe replace the statues with something not so monstrous. I’m half-convinced they’re golems or gargoyles.”

“They aren’t.” or at least, they weren’t, the last time Alucard was there. That could have changed by now. “Or…they weren’t.” Johann whined hearing that, thinking of one particular statue he really didn’t want to see come to life. It was creepy enough as a statue, but he was pretty sure it was at least 10ft tall and winged, and worse than any demon he’d come across – some sort of lizard-lion hybrid of winged death and fury.

“Maybe we should just plan to…not remove the statues, but lighten up the interior. Add more light colors. And have plenty of flowers outside or around it – I suppose it moves too much to have a proper outside. You’d want to replace the doors, though, or add something to lighten up the stairs.” Danica quickly moved around the thought of the statues coming to life. That was also not a thing she wanted to consider for too long.

Interior decorating was far better.

Alucard finally chuckled and shook his head, “We’ll have plenty of time to figure it out, later.” When Dracula was gone. When they could actually think about what they wanted it to be. What their life was going to be. “How are the pelts, Belmont?” He wanted to shift the topic from how he’d destroy…or renovate…his family home.

Even if bringing the attention back to Trevor might not have been the most advisable move.
 
" The pelts will be good to go in a few days, but that's given they're still out there when morning comes," Trevor said with a sigh. It was hard to come back in here when the conversation was so lively he didn't want to ruin it honestly.

Sypha looked concerned, after all she had been promised the best pelt. " What do you mean if they're still out there?" Her mind swirled with possibilities, maybe there were creatures out there that were promising to steal the pelts away. Or the wind was so strong they would blow away.

" Marius looked eager to give one a taste earlier. Between the fact they're pelts and that they're covered with salt he might as well see them as treats."

Sypha let out a relieved breath, Marius was better than wind or strange animals stealing the pelts away in the night.

" Trevor," Aveline said, catching his attention, " I'm sharpening weapons, would you like me to sharpen anything of yours?" She asked. She had finished the last of Danicas throwing daggers and returned them to her, shiny and promising. She still had Alucards sword to do but it would be rude to not extend the offer to Trevors weapons as well.

The look Aveline gave him was understanding, there was no pressure. She looked ready to ignore what had happened ealier, and Trevor thought about not addressing anything for a moment. " No thanks, Im good." He said with a nod, his mouth dry again.

With a nod Aveline started to work on Alucards sword but Trevor cleared his throat a bit, rubbing at his neck as he found his words. " Aveline I want to apologize for earlier. I know you said it was fine but I think it's important i tell everyone right now that coming home for me is hard. I've spent years being angry about what happened, but I know it's not right to take that out on all of you. I'm trying-" he tried to find the best way to put this. "- I'm working on coming to terms with things. It's a work in progress though so, um if I do snap again know it's not because of you."

" Thank you for being honest with us Trevor," Aveline was the first to speak up, " I thought returning would be hard for you, but I had no idea how hard." She had suspected things would be hard for Trevor, she shared a bit of his feelings about returning home but her feelings weren't anywhere near as dark or heavy as his, but knowing how he was doing was helpful and important.

Sypha pushed herself up and walked over to Trevor, putting a gentle hand on his bicep then gave it a squeeze. " You have all of us as you work through things, thank you for putting yourself through this for our journey."

He looked away, this was quickly becoming too touchy feely for him. " Well I can't very well let Wallachia get destroyed just because of some old ghosts. Or well I could, but I won't."

" You're really not good at being reassuring," Sypha said it bluntly before returning to her seat.

" I'm plenty good at being reassuring," Trevor rose to his own defense. " Like I can assure you all it will be snowing by morning." It might of been 20 years since he was last here but the weather hadn't changed, he knew the signs of snowfall when he saw them.

Syphas eyes widened and she sat forward, insistent, " Snow by morning? But the pelts aren't ready!"

" Winter doesn't wait for you to be ready for it. Better get used to cuddling, because I still need to desalt, soften, and oil the pelts before they're ready." Trevor said with a cheeky grin. He had his cloak so he wasn't as worried about the snow as Sypha clearly was.
 
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Lucia didn’t know if Trevor might give in to the easy way that Aveline passed the topic, but he didn’t. He didn’t accept her help with the weapons either, but moved right into the topic of his apology and explanation. That gesture of his hand at his neck was becoming familiar when he was uncomfortable. He had a few tells, though Lucia wasn’t about to let him know that. She was just glad he didn’t drop the topic, but pushed right through it.

She smiled to herself and sunk to sit on the floor by the door, catching Alucard’s brief look when Sypha rose. She just allowed a shrug to it, as if she had nothing to do with this. His gaze returned to Trevor soon enough, not quite a glare, but he definitely saw something lacking. Or perhaps it was just his addition that he could allow everyone to die. Perhaps even Alucard could but it was against him to do so. No matter who his enemy was.

Sypha and Aveline were immediately supportive, Sypha reminding him of the group he had in them. Trevor’s response was not reassuring, but honest as ever – enough to make Lucia chuckle as Sypha denied it’s comfort. Johann didn’t seem that comforted when Trevor mentioned snow. He just groaned again. “Please no,” he pressed his forehead into his one bent knee.

“Oh, we have enough blankets to deal with the first snow,” Danica shushed him, “and we’ll have more later when it gets colder. The interior of the carriage should be plenty warm for you.” There Lucia groaned and Danica chuckled, “I know, dear. Once you get rid of those burns I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, too.” But there’d be no helping it. They’d all be craving the warmth and all be bundled up together. Lucia would despise it while burnt, but she would deal with it.

“So that’s why you’re all the way over there….” Johann hadn’t thought much of it, though he did think it might have been the ward as well. It wasn’t too unusual for Lucia to drift some distance. Now it made sense, besides the door was likely the coldest place in the shack.

“We just have one blanket to use for outside, don’t we?” Alucard asked, and Danica gave a sad little nod. It would be cold for those driving. She had heavier clothing, and gloves and a hat, of course, but she knew the others might not fair so well. Fox Aveline could hide under the blanket, and thankfully Alucard didn’t get so cold as others, but he still might not enjoy it much. At least he knew what to expect. “I think we need gloves.”

Danica certainly agreed and rose, “Well, now that food’s been prepared, I think I have some time to try and work on a few things,” she brushed her skirt off, knives all put away, “I’ll see what I can do!” Gloves were a good idea, the extremities tended to suffer first, and their fingers wouldn’t be protected by the blanket. They’d be curled over the reins.
 
Danica disappeared outside, the door letting in the cold and whispering to the group that Trevors prediction was almost certainly right there would be snow on the ground come morning. At least they had the shack, it was better to be inside and warm while it was possible before being snowed on.

" You said the mountain pass could be dangerous, didn't you Trevor?" Aveline asked curiously. The snow wasn't her biggest concern, snow was snow and while it could hinder a journey that didn't seem to be what Trevor had been worried about. He had already warned them the journey onward would be hard and dangerous, the possibility of snow was something he had only tacked on at the end.

Trevor rubbed his hands together then held them over the fireplace, it would be hard to keep hands warm once the snow hit so he was going to enjoy this moment as much as possible. "Yeah, even if the village is full of villagers that want to burn me alive to keep warm we'd have to get there first. The mountain pass will be all winding roads overlooking steep drop-offs with the possibility of landslides. If the snow is heavy that's also something we'd been to worry about."

Johann groaned louder from his seat, " I hate the snow," he grumbled. Snow was bad enough when It was hindering day to day life, but it became the devil when it came to traveling. No one wanted to travel in the snow.

" Sounds like your family picked a dangerous place to build their home," Aveline didn't understand why a noble family would decide to pick a home on the other side of a dangerous mountain pass, human nobles needed villagers to be able to get to them easily didn't they?

" Yes, when the Belmont family came to Wallachia from France hundreds of years ago they picked this area because it was easy to defend and out of the way." From the standpoint of a hunter the area seemed good, they wanted to be on their own so they could practice their craft and better their skills. They also didn't want to risk getting run out of any towns or bringing something dangerous back to a village of innocent people.

Sypha pulled her legs to her chest and tilted her head to the side curiously, " I thought nobles needed peasants around though. They give you taxes, work your fields, things like that."

And Trevor laughed a bit at that. " That's true but the ancestor that came to Wallachia was my ancestor Leon. He was an orphan that earned the title of Baron and Knight in the beginning, but he renounced all that to fight the creatures of the night. He hadn't planned to ever regain any status or wealth, and it was a few generations before the Belmonts became known and respect for hunting." While Leon was one of the most respected members of his family he doubted the man ever wanted to become a noble again, he just wanted to do what was right.

" Yes well Leon should of picked someplace easier to get to," Sypha insisted playfully.

" You can take it up with the big picture of Leon inside the hold when we get there if you'd like," Trevor offered with a cheeky grin.

" If I have a few words with any of your ancestors it will be to tell them how annoying you are,"

" Yes and I can always find your grandfather when all this is said and done and tell him about how you're a menace."

Danica returned from outside with her sewing supplies, it wasn't much but she didn't think it was worth getting out everything when she was running out of time. She didn't have long to get Alucards gloves ready for morning. " What did I just come back to? Can you two really not argue for more than a few minutes?" She chastised them, and both looked sheepish like they were being scolded by their mother.

" He started it-"Sypha started but Trevor cut her off. " He started it? You started it Sypha."
 
The bickering between Sypha and Trevor did seem endless, though amusing in its way. The two never really seemed to upset each other too much, despite all Sypha’s threats to burn him. So, of course, when it was brought up and they started to blame each other for starting the fight, Lucia glanced up at Danica, “They’re adorable, aren’t they?”

Alucard raised his eyebrows as Sypha did a quick double-take, then laughed, agreeing, “Yes, they argue like an old married couple.”

“We do not!” Sypha immediately disagreed, but Johann was already snickering along with it.

“You kinda do,” he added, as Danica just shook her head but walked further in and went to sit down near Alucard, taking the fabric she planned to make the gloves with out and stretching it out a bit, while grabbing her pin-tomato. “And Sypha started it,” she was the one to call Trevor annoying first.

Danica just rolled her eyes, “I don’t care who started it,” she didn’t mind it, though she was amused with how that comment got Sypha to clam up a bit. “You can pick on them later, hold your hand out, please,” she said, and Alucard did so, holding it in place as Danica instructed so she could get the measurements outlined with her pins and a bit of fabric chalk.

Sypha cleared her throat and shifted topics, just a bit, “What’s all in the hold? I mean, there are books, and this huge picture…what else?” Trevor had probably been interested in things besides the books, so she imagined he could remember a few more of the interesting things in the hold that could be of interest to them.

“I’m still more concerned with how we’re going to find any information in that hold,” Alucard said as Danica was finishing up the measurements and placing her pins. “If there is that much knowledge, it’ll be hard to find just what we’re looking for.”

“I’m sure they have a system,” Johann indicated, “Lucia’s library has a system, it can’t be that hard to implement one,” he wasn’t clear how it began, given when he came into things, but he was familiar with the system now and it made sense to him.

“Either way, this is what we have to do,” Lucia shrugged, before adding, “and we’re not going to get out of it by the nightmares running us off over a cliff’s edge. They’ll be sure-footed, I promise. They’re more used to snow and these kinds of environments than most horses,” given where she came from, and the travel during winter. They would be able to handle this pass. They might go slower, but that was a given – they would have at least retained memories of similar passages, and know how to place their feet, and what to look for.

They couldn’t have better steeds for this journey.

“I wasn’t hoping we would get out of it that way,” Alucard noted. He’d prefer they get out of it by someone else killing Dracula, but he knew that wasn’t bound to happen, either.

Danica finally drew away, measurements taken, to go to a place near the fire to begin actually preparing the gloves for Alucard.
 
The memory of the hold wasn't a strong one for Trevor, he had only ever been down there a handful of times honestly. " I don't know whats all down there honestly." He shrugged, " My parents only led me down there less than 10 times before.." He trailed off, then coughed so he wouldn't have to continue. The others had to know what he meant by now, " From what I remember it's a lot of books and anything my ancestors stumble upon that they thought needed to be down there. So relics, bones, statues, armors, and other weird things, lots of things floating in jars."

Avelines nose scrunched up at that, you generally didn't keep things in jars unless they were things that were once alive and now weren't. " Your family keeps dead things in jars?"

" My family fought the creatures of the night and anything else weird that they came across, so yes." Trevor didn't understand it much himself but it was part of his families legacy, so he felt like he had to defend it a bit. That history was all that was left of them.

" and we weren't mentally ill hoarder or anything," He assured Alucard, " Its a library and a trove, there was a large master Index at the foot of the stairs and other indexes throughout the library."

Despite what ever mental picture the vampire world had painted of the Belmonts, and he knew his appearance and the way he acted also gave people an idea of his family, but they were professionals. They kept proper track on information because it would be useless if they wouldn't find it. " The Library truly is a managed collection, it's everything generations of my family have collected or archived for close to 500 years. If there's an answer to how to find and kill Dracula i'm confident we'll find it there."

He was certain the hold was the place to go, but it would still be a bit of a struggle when they actually go to the hold. Like he told everyone back in Gresit he didn't know magic, so many of the books in the hold were useless to him. Sypha, Alucard, most likely Lucia and maybe Aveline would be able to go through some of what was there but all he could do was take them to his old estate and offer his whip when it came time to fight.

" Since it's really your families collection of knowledge on how to kill monsters, I guess that means I won't be finding any heart warming stories or folktales in there," Aveline joked, but she held out her own hopes to find books on the Haltija and runes. She was eager to work backwards and increase her own knowledge of runes.

" That's not necessarily true, I remember a bit of a funny story about a severed hand kept in a case I found when I was younger. One of my sisters also told me she found a whole section of phallic spells," Trevor said with a grin. Now that was a good memory.

He chuckled a bit, " I remember it was Lottie who found it, my sisters weren't taught how to fight but they still got lessons down in the hold on the history of our family and things like that. The library is massive though, she wandered off and I found her with her nose buried in a book. She about burst into flames when I asked her when she was reading, sound familiar Aveline?" He teased her, just saying the word phallic seemed to bring some color to Avelines cheeks, and she regretted her witty comment from earlier.

" Those books don't sound useful for hunting monsters," She argued weakly.
 
As Trevor mentioned the things in jars, Alucard’s brows raised in intrigue, rather than disgust, while Lucia’s nose did wrinkle. She wasn’t imagining wholesome experiments from the Belmonts. Idly she wondered how many remains of dead vampires they’d have. If they had any. Bit hard to acquire when vampires dusted.

It seemed there were quite a variety of books, though. The one about phallic spells had Johann red already, “Er, yeah, I’m with Aveline on that.”

“Clearly none of you have ever had to deal with an incubus.”

Johann gave Lucia a long stare, clearly trying to determine if she was joking, before he finally gestured out with both hands, “What.” Just simply that, and Lucia laughed.

“You do know what they are, right? Shapeshifting lust demons. Magic that would…hinder their performance is also likely to break the spell of their form, and weaken them substantially.”

“Why do you—how do you—how many—?” Johann was sputtering a bit, wondering both the factual nature of this working, and how Lucia had any idea of it working.

“It’s a theory, I haven’t tried any such spells, but if we want to give the Belmonts some credit and not presume they simply had troubles in the bedroom….” Lucia shrugged, figuring that was a better way of thinking of it to explain why the Belmonts would have a book on phallic spells.

“Or we can give them no credit.” Alucard suggested.

“He had a lot of sisters, Alucard,” Johann stated, then grimaced, “I really don’t need to be thinking about this.” Danica couldn’t help but laugh, stifling it a bit as she shook her head.

Sypha rolled her eyes, “They probably just kept it because it was a book of magic,” no other reason to it, “though I am interested to see what other useful things they have! Oh, if they have the way to get to Dracula, I imagine that would just tear up your ancestors to know the answer was there all along!” Locked in magic, probably, something the Belmonts couldn’t use. If only they’d thought to look for help outside of their clan!

Or understood what they had.

That was probably more the truth of it. They didn’t understand it. “There may be some nice stories in there. Lots of fables and fairy tales hide truths of the world. So they may have picked up some stories about monsters that are actually nice, or ones that have magic used in them,” Sypha considered then, “Oh, there will be so much to look at when this is over!”

“And after you’ve gone back to the Speakers,” Alucard noted.

Sypha let out a deep sigh. “Yes….” And she wanted to. She missed them. Yet she couldn’t help but be enthralled by the thought of all that potential knowledge, too. “Well, the sooner we get there, the better for all of us!” Better for the world.
 
" Hey," Trevor said in response to Alucards comment about not giving his family any credit, but it was mostly playful like he assumed Alucards comment had been. " I can assure you that my family doesn't have any trouble in the bedroom," he added, he had to defend his family pride.

" You're the last Belmont Trevor," Aveline pointed out. He couldn't possibly speak for the whole family when he was the only one left.

" Exactly," Trevor said with a cheeky grin and Avelines blush intensified when she realized the implications.

Trevor laughed hard at Avelines reaction, then walked over and playfully ruffled her hair despite her squeals of protest. " Christ you're just a kid," He teased her. He felt like he was teasing one of his sisters all over again, they might of been older than him but they were at least trying to be proper ladies. They didn't grow up hearing the same vulgar language he did, and only god knows just how vulgar their father could be when he was mad.

Aveline swatted his hands away and playfully jabbed his side with the hilt of Alucards sword, " I'll stab you with this," she threatened but Trevor just laughed more. " Nice try," He teased, "You're not anywhere near as threatening as Sypha is when shes mad at me." Which left Aveline wondering if that was a compliment or an insult, but she was leaning towards insult at the moment.

Trevor stepped away from Aveline, he didn't want her to actually follow through with her threat, and returned to his warm place in front of the fire. His only complaint about this spot was that Lucia kept away from it, but he kept his eye on her regardless of what he was doing. The room was comfortable to him but he was sure to her it was like being in a hot box and her skin was most likely complaining.

" Trevor before I forget, I wanted to make sure it was ok with you if i did some modifications to the crossbow you gave me," Johann spoke up. He had been working on it since he got it. He had oiled parts, adjusted things to work for him, and in general was learning the ins-and-outs of it so he would feel confident with it when the time came to use it, but Avelines runes came to mind.

Trevor raised an eyebrow, " Modifications? Is it that old it needs modifications? " He didn't really know anything about crossbows, he thought it was a fine weapon himself but Johann was more an expert than he was.

" It's not the age," Johann was quick to reassure him, " Actually despite the age it's still a great bow even by modern standards, It just needed a bit of touching up to get it back in working shape," he was confident the crossbow wouldn't fail him in the field, nothing would snap or jam once he was totally done with it. " but Aveline mentioned some runes that would improve a few things, like power and distance." Immediately Trevor was nodding along, that made sense. What hunter didn't want the very best weapon he could get his hands on?

" You're not borrowing that crossbow from me, Johann." He said, expression softening into something fond. " I gave you that bow, you can do with it what you want. Make it your own," Johann wasn't standing in his shadow or anything, he was his own man.

Still Johann looked determined to get Trevors permission, " But it was your families crossbow first, it still has your sigil. I feel like i'm representing you," That left him a bit flustered for some reason, maybe because he just respected Trevors skills so much but also because he liked Trevor as a person, " I want to do justice by you."

" You don't want to represent me," Trevor was quick to insist, he might have skills and carry the Belmont name but he knew he hadn't always been the best man. Hell he was just now trying to change 20 years of being a cynical ass, " I can already tell you'll be better than me, so represent yourself Johann. I'll be here to help you and teach you what I can, but that weapon is your own. Do what you think is best."

He knew Johann would make the right choices, he had already proved that when he spared his brothers life years ago. The fact he thought for himself and wasn't restrained by traditions that even Trevor had been following at one point told him Johann would be one of the best, he just needed some more experience under his belt.
 
There was a briefly shared look between Danica and Lucia as Trevor and Aveline bantered, this time not that familiar ‘children’ thought, but ‘men’ as Trevor’s implications were more than clear, before they both laughed to themselves. They were both too familiar with men’s boastings on these subjects – enough to be easily amused by it.

Alucard could only roll his eyes, before eying his sword as Aveline used it to jab at Trevor, “You’ll need to use the other side of the sword. The pointy side,” he was aware Aveline knew which side, but he couldn’t resist the comment – and he was smart enough to edge a bit away in case she tried to jab him with either side of his own sword, before Johann shifted the topic to one from earlier, one that had carried on in Trevor’s absence.

Lucia did smile a bit as Johann expressed his desire to want to upgrade the crossbow through runes. It would definitely make it more useful against agile foes like herself, and other vampires. She wasn’t surprised that he was asking Trevor for permission, though. So long as that emblem remained on the crossbow, he would be indirectly representing the Belmonts. His actions would be seen as if they had the Belmont approval.

If he used a magical crossbow, that meant the Belmonts approved it – even if they seemed to want to steer away from a reputation of being magical.

Still, Johann accepted it without arguing or explaining further. Trevor apparently approved, he had no negative reaction to the idea, “Thank you,” he did feel a bit humbled for Trevor to assume he would be ‘better’. He wasn’t so sure about all of that, but he would certainly improve from where he was now. “Don’t blame me if people start asking you why the Belmonts have a magic crossbow, though.”

“What sort of magic are you adding to it?” Lucia asked.

“Oh! We were talking about adding something with the wind to it, so it would have more speed and pressure behind its shot,” Johann explained, “It’d be on the crossbow itself. I thought of adding it to the bolts, but Aveline thinks it’d be too difficult to do – since they’re so small. Aveline’s spear has some things on it to keep it hard,” Sypha snickered, the jokes and conversations of earlier not lost on her. Danica let out a slight sigh, before laughing a bit as well at the childishness. Johann was able to continue, “and another to strengthen it!”

“Mm. I can see how those would be useful.” Lucia agreed, on all counts – for the crossbow and the spear. “Are you getting anything done to your sword, Alucard, or only sharpened?”

“For now, just sharpened,” he said, “but I have considered seeing if I can talk Aveline into adding something more to it, but I thought it best to save that for another time,” like the Belmont hold when they might find more books on runes or be able to do it in a semi-safe environment. “I’d need to consider my options, but I wouldn’t see the harm in strengthening it,” no one wanted a blade that would break. "If she's willing, of course."
 
Trevor scoffed a bit at Johanns comment, " People already think my family uses magic, I've learned it nots worth giving two shits over," He shrugged off the concern, but it was mostly Bravo. He knew he got pissy about the subject of magic and his family. He could say what people thought about his family didn't mean shit to him, but it did. He could live with knowing people didn't think the best of them, it was just hearing people express their very wrong opinion that had gotten him into fights over the years.

Still he could stand by what he always believed even if Aveline put runes on an old crossbow with his sigil on it, there was no black magic in his family. Aveline certainly didn't look like a black magician about to toss babies off cliffs to grant the crossbow demonic powers so he wasn't too worried. What mattered was that the people that he was close to, the people with opinions he valued, knew the truth and those people were in this room with him.

" I can add runes to your sword easily enough," Aveline assured Alucard, hearing that he was also thinking about her offer. " But the runes I would be adding to your sword and Johanns crossbow would be enchantments, which is different from the transformation runes I used on that cup a few days ago. Enchantments need to be engraved into what ever they're being added to if you want them to last, and even then if the engraving is messed up then the ability goes away." Something like too much stress on the blade or a large scratch would destroy what ever enchantment was at work.

" The crossbow will be easy, i'll carve the enchantment into the wood and fill in the carving with something durable like metal or stone, but you're blade is already a hard metal. I might need to show you what needs to be done since you'd have an easier time than I would carving into metal," she felt a bit sheepish for admitting it, but unless she had a hammer and a series of small chisels she didn't think she could put anything on Alucards blade that would stay. She could always just paint something onto it, but if the paint was chipped away or scratched off then the enchantment would go away, an engraving into the sword itself would be more long lasting.

Sypha huffed and turned to Aveline quickly, " Hey you can't show Alucard how to use runes but not me," She insisted. Nothing was set in stone yet, but if Alucard was taught something then she wanted to be taught it too!

Aveline was startled a bit by Syphas passion, she hadn't thought she was that eager to do stuff with runes yet and had thought the books would keep her busy for some time. She was a fool to think Sypha was ever content when there was other things out there she could learn or be a part of.

" If I show Alucard anything I promise i'll show you too, Sypha." She assured her. " I would never leave you out."

" Well I would certainly hope you wouldn't. I know i'm not as blond as he is but I've known you the longest out of everyone, that should count for something." She said playfully.

" I'm going to ignore the blond comment," Aveline sighed softly, but her smile returned when she pulled Alucards sword away from the whetstone. It was a bit more difficult to sharpen a sword, with a long blade it was very important but difficult to keep everything even, but it was done. She wiped the blade down, then rubbed her thumb against the blade to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

With a hiss Aveline pulled her thumb back from the blade and quickly pressed the cut to her mouth to stop the bleeding. " It's sharp," She chuckled sheepishly but returned the sword to the sheath easily enough. " Let me stop the bleeding Johann, then I can work on your crossbow."
 
That the runes were different never occurred to Alucard. Given the way they seeped into the cup and changed it, he thought it would be as simple as that, and he did cant his head in confusion, “Is there not a transformation rune that would just be able to transform the sword and make it stronger?” It seemed like it should be so simple to transfer his sword into something that was of a firmer material and unlikely to break, so that he wouldn’t need to beat it into his sword.

Given he hadn’t made his sword, he was wary enough to consider trying to craft a rune in it. “We may have to find a blacksmith….” He wasn’t sure if he’d end up damaging his weapon, but he could too easily imagine chiseling the rune in and striking the nail too hard, which would cause his blade to break.

Or Sypha. Who seemed fairly encouraged to learn the runes. “Perhaps you would be able to weld them in with a hot flame?”

Sypha hummed, considering how easy or difficult it might be to engrave it with fire. She would, of course, “So long as—oh!” Aveline cut herself then, and Alucard flinched, the scent of her blood quickly reaching him, but beyond that acknowledgment of it, he made no further reaction.

Lucia’s was a bit more; she drew her knees up and pressed her forehead to them, burying her face as if she was just going to sleep sitting up. She didn’t go out to hunt that night, nor was she planning to. She’d sleep in the day – and she imagined she’d be well enough to hunt tomorrow. One day wasn’t going to murder her but that didn’t mean she liked the smell of the blood right then when she knew she wasn’t going to drink it.

Sypha’s sigh seemed almost a laugh, somewhere between exasperation at Aveline’s energy and amusement, “You should be more careful!” She chastised, “But I can, so long as Aveline thinks that would work!” That would make sure she was a part of the learning process, after all.

Alucard reached across to take the sword back so it wouldn’t risk cutting her again, “There’s still some clothe bandages in the carriage, right?” Alucard was already rising to get them out, as Danica gave a nod. “I’ll go get that.” Even if it was small, it was better to have it wrapped up until it had healed, and put a bit of salve on it to make sure it didn’t get any worse.

“Yeah – you can work on the crossbow tomorrow, when your finger is feeling better,” Johann said, not wanting her to risk getting a splinter now after her finger was wrapped. It’d probably be better to wait until the wrapping was off at least, lest it get in the way. “I should be fine until then, I’m not in any rush to use it!” Well, he was, but there was nothing to use it on. “Besides, I should get a feel for how it is normally before we do anything fancy to it,” that should give him some time to practice when they had a new camping spot, probably outside.

Alucard was already moving out the door but his boot likely touched Lucia’s arm on the way out. She didn’t even bother questioning it, just moved up with the gesture and followed him right out the door.
 
" A transformation rune could certainly turn your sword into a different metal," Aveline mused, though Alucards sword already seemed pretty strong so she wasn't sure what it could be turned into. Were there stronger metals that what ever his sword was made from? It was probably a type of steel in the least, but maybe she could test out some rune combinations and find a stronger steel that what he already had, but any thoughts on the matter were gone with a quick prick of pain.

It wasn't that bad, but while looking for burrs in the blade she had sliced her thumb. The cut was thin but long, spanning from one corner of the pad of her thumb to the other and seeing the way the flesh was split was certainly gross. Aveline stuck her thumb in her mouth to try and stop the bleeding even as Alucard got up to get bandages and salve from the carriage. She wanted to argue that her thumb wasn't worth it, but it wouldn't take much to patch it up and honestly she'd feel better knowing it was taken care of.

It was one thing to have a large wound on the stomach or shoulder, those could be wrapped and basically ignored, but given how hands were so important and always being used it was probably best to not risk anything by leaving it exposed.

" That's probably for the best, thanks Johann," She thanked him sheepishly hearing his offer to wait on the runes. It would be for the best if he learned how the crossbow acted before they did anything to it, and waiting until tomorrow did give her at least the promise of something to do tomorrow. It also gave her time to sketch out the runes and make sure they were perfect, she certainly wasn't going to carve into Johanns crossbow before making sure everything was as it should be, a few drafts in the dirt or on some paper wouldn't cause any harm, and since she'd be working on runes for Alucards sword it was no trouble.

Lucias reaction to the small cut had been mostly ignored by the group, though Trevor was certain everyone was aware of it they just hadn't commented on it. He tsked slightly to himself though, the thought of feeding Lucia tonight had slipped his mind and he cursed a bit, he had just given her blood yesterday and so had Danica, Lucia would probably deny taking more from them even if they offered.

With the groups Dhampir and Vampire outside Aveline signed softly, " I messed up," and pressed a bit more forcefully on the cut on her thumb to try and stop the bleeding sooner.

" A little accident isn't anything to beat yourself up over," Danica assured Aveline, but Aveline just signed again because she wished she could help Lucia. She had just given blood to Alucard the other day though, she doubted she'd be allowed to give so soon after.

" I can offer," Sypha spoke up, and everyones heads turned to her. " What? I'm very aware that i'm the only person in the group not giving blood," It was hard to not notice honestly, "Lucia hasn't eaten tonight and is still healing, I can always offer." But that made Trevors stomach dip a bit.

He was noticing a weird jealous streak starting to appear when it came to feeding Lucia and he wanted to stop it before it got any worse, because of all the things he thought he'd be one day he never thought he'd be jealous to not to be only meal for a vampire.

" I don't know if i'm comfortable with our only magic user being a little low on blood," He spoke up, " What if you get loopy and light something on fire?"

Sypha scoffed and put her hands on her hips, " I have better control than that, and i'm not some weak woman like the ones nobles are raised hearing about in stories. I can handle some blood loss." If it made things easier for Lucia then she didn't see a reason not to.

Trevor bit his lip a bit though, his deal with Lucia would probably keep Lucia from accepting. She had taken blood from him and Danica outside the city yesterday because she was hurt so badly, but with her up and around it probably wasn't necessary. Still now that time had passed and he and Lucia had gotten to know one another better he didn't want her to starve. If he had learned anything about Lucia though it was that she was a woman of her word, and if she learned anything about him It was that this last leg of the journey was the one he needed to stay sober for the most.

If he could return to the ruins of his family estate and stay sober through it, he was pretty certain there was nothing he couldn't handle.
 
Lucia walked with Alucard around the pelts, noting that the salt on them did seem intact. Marius was behaving. He just liked looking like a little shit, it seemed. “Are you all right?” Alucard asked once they had gotten around to the back of the carriage and he opened it to dig out bandages.

“Mm. I was,” she wouldn’t deny it, “then I remembered I was hungry,” hunger was the bane of her existence. She never wanted it to control her. Being injured, she knew rationally it wasn’t controlling her so much as trying to keep her alive, but she still felt annoyed that she’d had such a reaction at all. “I’ll be fine.”

Alucard frowned a bit at that, drawing out a tin of salve, “One of us can go hunt something for you.” He imagined that despite her walking around, she wasn’t prepared to actually try and hunt, to run something down or kill it by other means. “You don’t have to starve tonight, Lucia.” Though she waved it off, his eyes narrowed a bit, “I didn’t realize you were this proud.”

Lucia was proud, but the comment did strike her with some understanding. She knew she was weak, of course. In Chernihiv, or even on the road, any other day, it wouldn’t have mattered. She usually did have humans to drink from, but right then she didn’t. The thought of asking someone to go get a deer or something similar for her, just so she could take its blood, somehow seemed…low. It seemed better to just sleep through another day and make up for things tomorrow, but there was nothing sanely better about it.

“I’m not a vampire, but I do know what it is to be hungry,” for regular food, for blood – he knew. He hadn’t ever needed to go hungry, but he did recall at times trying to go without blood because as he learned more about it, it seemed like something he should be ashamed of. He heard those same conversations that Lucia heard, of vampires losing themselves to hunger, and of how it made humans hate them. “I can get you something.” He made the offer plain as he finally pulled back from the carriage with the bandages.

There was no right way to refuse, and Lucia knew she shouldn’t want to refuse. She did – but Alucard was right. “Okay. Please.” Even if she could endure the scent of it in the air and not do anything, it was an unnecessary reminder. Having a bit of blood in her system, even animal, would help and she knew it. It would also still help with healing her the rest of the way.

She didn’t move to head back in, but gave a glance to Marius as Alucard left to take in the bandages and salve. “Why aren’t you as nice as Veidr?"

Veidr brought them a goose.

Marius snorted a laugh at that query. The answer was fairly obvious. Anything he tried to drag back would have a gaping wound and probably not have much blood worth drinking left, let alone veins to draw it from. His teeth weren’t kind.

~***~

Johann wanted to note that he hadn’t, either, though he knew that was partially because he was wounded. If he wasn’t, he would have offered last night. As things were, and given his familiarity with the deal, he didn’t think it would be good to do so. He wanted to tell Sypha as much, but Danica beat him to it, “It’s nice of you to think to offer, Sypha, but she won’t accept.”

“Why?” Sypha demanded, “Is my blood not good enough? It’s got to be cleaner than his,” she pointed at Trevor.

Danica chuckled a bit, “Oh I’m sure it’s fine, Lucia just will refuse on principal. She’s not dying. If you want to help, you could get her an animal,” Danica suggested instead. They were all willing to eat animals, save Aveline, yet she knew how weird a thought it was to consider getting an animal, most intact, for a vampire to drink from. Besides the fact anything worthwhile would be heavy to drag back, it always seemed to go to waste, too. While Danica didn’t understand it, the meat was not good after it had been drained.

Sypha seemed to consider this. If she burned an animal, it didn’t lose any blood. It’d be a good way to kill one, but bringing it back might be difficult. “It seems fair,” she said at last, “we do enough hunting for everyone else,” one time hunting for Lucia didn’t seem too bad. Though, as she said it, Alucard returned – sans Lucia. “Where’s Lucia?”

“Just outside,” Alucard answered as he walked over to Aveline and knelt down, “Johann, would you help get this tight around Aveline’s thumb?” He said. He would have liked to himself, but he did think he shouldn’t leave Lucia out there too long without a word, even if she may have suspected he would stay to help. Johann gave him a quizzical look and Alucard offered what explanation and reassurance he could, “Lucia’s all right, but the mix of the warm room and the scent of blood did bother her a bit.” She may not have said it, but he couldn’t imagine the room helped any, “I’m going to hunt something down.” He knew well enough what would be good and figured it’d be better if he went.

Lucia might not want him mentioning it, but it was going to be fairly obvious the longer they were both outside.

“Uh, sure,” Johann took the bandages and the salve, and started to open the tin, not sure if Sypha was going to be annoyed with this shift. He didn’t chance a glance her way. It was nice, either way, that people were considering it. Lucia would have kept on like this until she could go hunting on her own. Johann knew he would have allowed it. That silent resolve to handle things was still in his own bones, too. “Let me see your hand, Aveline,” he’d get the balm on and then get wrapped up nice and tight so it would heal without great concern.
 
Trevor let out a indigent scoff when Sypha basically called his blood dirty, it was a weird insult but an insult all the same. " I'll have you know I have perfectly fine blood! There's no alcohol in it, hasn't been since Gresit." he wasn't sure what Sypha thought was less clean about his blood, but if it was Alcohol then there was none of that to be found and it wasn't like he had a disease or an illness. Lucia accepted his blood with no issues and she certainly never complained about it.

" I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it, Trevor." Aveline chuckled softly, but Sypha didn't take back what she said. " I just mean my blood is as good as anyones here." she insisted.

Eager to placate Sypha Johann spoke up, " Lucia is just a bit...stubborn Sypha. It's no insult to you."

" This is such a weird conversation," Aveline mused around her thumb and the taste on blood in her mouth. That was what was really weird, she hadn't tasted blood in a long time. Of course she got hurt sometimes, a split lip always got some blood in the mouth, but it happened so rarely that she had forgotten the iron-taste in blood was so strong.

" You shouldn't put your cut in your mouth," Danica said, already filling a small cup with water so they could at least wash out the wound before they tended to it. " It might stop the blood flow but mouths are dirty things."

" Blood tastes weird too," Aveline said before thanking Danica for the water to clean her cut with, " it's reflex though." She wasn't sure if it was something everyone did or if she just saw her father do the same thing all the time but she did it without even thinking.

When Alucard returned it seemed their concerns for Lucia would be settled, he would go out and hunt something for her. " Thank you, Alucard." Danica said and gave him a thankful nod. It was nice to know there were more people looking out for Lucia than just her and Johann. She knew this group was becoming something more than just people together for a cause, bonds normally happened over journeys like this, but Alucard and Lucia already had history.

Despite the large difference in age the two got along well, and had the best relationship out of everyone in the group (Minus Lucias relationship with Johann and Danica) when this trip began.

" When you go back out there threaten Marius for me will you?" Trevor asked Alucard, " Tell him if I see those pelts messed up i'll know who did it." He needed to go out and check the pelts again honestly, but he was enjoying the warmth for the time being. But he already knew that when Alucard left to get Lucia something to eat he'd slip outside and use the pelts as the excuse for it.

With the topic of feeding out there he had some questions for Lucia now, the first being how long he had to wait before he could give blood to her again. He had only given blood yesterday but he felt fine. Knowing how often he could hound her into drinking would be pretty useful, especially since they probably wouldn't run into an active town for a while. The animal blood would take it's toll on her again, so as long as it was from him he could probably talk her into drinking from him despite being out in a forest.

Johann thanked Alucard for the supplies and went about applying the salve to Avelines cut, then bandaged her up, but he worried for a moment something was wrong because she kept staring at it. " Is it too tight?" he frowned, already reaching out to adjust everything, but she shook her head and put her hand down.

" No it's great Johann, I was just thinking to myself is all. I've never had a group of people I wasn't related to care about me like this before." Before this it was only her and her father, and of course he cared for her but that was parental love. It was really something new and wonderful to experience people helping because they wanted to and because they worried about her. "It's really nice," she concluded with a soft smile and a nod of her head.

Because this felt like more than them doing their duty to Wallachia and the world, this felt like friends working through hard times together. She had always felt like she missed out on having friends as a child, and while growing up she knew the other children would never be her friend sometimes she had still wished that would change because what child doesn't want friends? Now she had friends, and she felt a little bit more fulfilled than before.

" Plus I had a pretty handsome healer wrapping up my thumb," She teased him and enjoyed the way his face flushed. Johann was clearly so awkward around girls and things involving romance, but she was in the same boat. Still since she was pretty much on the same level of awkward it was nice to be the teaser instead of the teasie for once.
 
It was fairly tempting to ask Trevor what he thought he was going to do about Marius eating the pelts, but Alucard did not. Trevor wouldn’t be able to do anything about Marius eating the pelts and he had to know that. Unless Lucia allowed it, which somehow, he imagined was unlikely. Instead, he said, “The pelts looked fine, but I’ll mention it,” he was sure Marius was familiar already with the threat that he shouldn’t eat the pelts, or else he would have by now.

Alucard was out as Johann started to bandage things, and found Lucia where he left her. He glanced to Marius, “Trevor says not to eat the pelts.”

Marius let out a shaking breath of irritation as he tossed his head and stamped one foot, perhaps a protest that he wasn’t going to, no matter how appealing the salt was. Every warning was making him want to eat the pelts, though.

Alucard took it to mean that he wouldn’t, though. “I’ll be back soon,” he offered to Lucia, who gave a silent nod, seeming almost defeated to have to accept the help, but she wasn’t going to protest it. There was no point in protesting it, it was just her stubbornness shining through.

“You can take Marius if you want the extra eyes,” Lucia did offer that. Might ease Trevor a bit to know Marius was away from the pelts. And had a second meal. Or a third. She didn’t know how often or how much Marius had eaten when he did leave.

Alucard wouldn’t deny it. They didn’t seem to have any issues with demons over here, so far out from a town, but nonetheless, it remained a possibility. Marius came forward then, and walked off with Alucard so they could find more.

~***~

Within, Johann did feel his cheeks heat, “Er—g-glad I could help make it more comfortable?” He clearly wasn’t sure how to respond to that kind compliment and his eyes dipped down to the extra bandages, which he quickly wrapped back up and set atop the tin.

Danica did smile, “You’re going to have to get used to it, Aveline. Even the handsome nurse,” she winked, “Even when this is over, we’re hardly going to stop caring about you,” even when they returned to their duties in Chernihiv, she and Johann weren’t likely to forget about them. They’d enjoy their visit to Chernihiv and the festivities there, and they would find ways to visit Aveline, as well as Alucard. “And at least you and Alucard are staying together, that will make finding the pair of you easier. If Trevor stays on with us a while, that will help, too – Sypha might be the only difficult one to find.”

“I think rumors of her will be easy to follow, she’s not quiet,” Johann pointed out. “I mean that as a compliment! You’re very opinionated…and people will be talking about you….”

“Uh huh,” Sypha seemed to hold doubt in her tone, though it was more to mess with Johann. “How long do you think you’ll stay with Alucard, Aveline?” Now that Alucard was gone, it felt a bit safe to ask that question. To at least gauge Aveline’s thoughts without her having to be concerned with Alucard’s reaction to it.

Danica certainly shared that curiosity, given she and Lucia both seemed to think they’d make a cute pair. But she wouldn’t want to force it on them if it was more friendly – but she didn’t think so.

Alucard being blonde certainly had to help matters, and the fact he was generally a gentleman. Perhaps a bit cold in his mannerisms, but never uncaring or unconscientious.
 
" I can certainly get used to teasing Johann," Aveline agreed. She imagined the only problems she would have when this was all said and done was all of them going their separate ways. She'd be with Alucard of course but that wouldn't stop her from missing Syphas sass, Danicas cooking, Johanns earnest nature, Lucias advice, and Trevors generally funny commentary. It would be hard to leave the friends she made, but the promise of visit each other when they found was reassuring, and it wasn't like it would be her first time missing someone dearly. She was more used to being alone than she was with being in a group.

Syphas question made Aveline realize she hadn't thought about how long she'd stay with Alucard, and she blinked thoughtfully as she tried to come up with something. " Originally i told him i'd stay until he got tired of me, but he told me that wasn't likely to happen," Always the gentleman Alucard had basically offered her a home in the castle. " but i'm not sure, honestly." she confessed.

" When we've defeated Dracula, I know from experience things will be hard for him. I don't want him to go through that alone," She kept her promise to him to herself, he didn't need the others more aware of the fact he was just trying to keep it together.

She worried for him though, he was focusing on what needed to be done and not his feelings. He hadn't grieved for his mother yet, and probably wouldn't until Dracula had been dealt with and he was left an orphan. Recovering from the death of one parent, let alone two, could take years and with his immortal life span she wasn't sure if that would change things. It was possible what felt like years of grieving to a human could be hundreds of years of grieving to a Dhampir.

" You don't want to continue wandering?" Sypha asked curiously. She had thought that if anyone in the group would want to keep traveling after this it would be Aveline, after all she was the wanderer in the prophesy and had been wandering for years already. Sypha had personally spent her whole life on the road, she couldn't imagine suddenly giving that up and living anywhere for the rest of her life.

Aveline leaned back against the wall of the shack, pulling one of her legs to her chest before continuing, "Alucard asked me the same thing, but I travel because i don't have any place to go," There as no place that wanted her for what she really was, in human villages she'd have to pretend to be human and her old mountain wasn't an option in her mind either, " With him I don't have to pretend to be something I not."

Danica gave her a knowing smile, it was becoming more clear to her that Aveline and Alucards gravitation to one another was more than it appeared, even if the two weren't aware of that yet. " It sounds like he's offered you a home, if you'd like."

And Aveline nodded, " Yeah I guess he has. Though I won't stay if I get in the way of anything for him." If Alucard feel in love with someone, and for some reason that thought made her stomach churn, and wanted to start a family she wasn't going to hang around. She told herself she'd be happy for him and step back to let him live his life, even if leaving him behind would be painful.

She just wanted the best for him and everyone else in the group, regardless of the costs to herself.

" Having a home isn't something to take lightly," Trevor spoke up as he walked away from the fire place, already missing the warmth from the flames. " If you have one I suggest holding onto it for dear life."

He wished he had done that, god he wished he had fought tooth and nail for his home and sometimes he wished he had died with his family because at least they would of died in their home. Now he didn't have a home, there was nothing he went to at the end of a hard day and could just relax in. He and Aveline shared a look, that was something they both understood.

Because even though Trevor was ' the hunter' in this stupid prophesy he was a wanderer too. That feelings of not knowing where you're going, not knowing what was ahead of you, and being alone was horrible. Aveline was lucky she had only been doing it for a few years, instead of the decades that he had. Now she was being offered a place to lay her head at the end of a hard day with someone she clearly cared about, and since he wasn't saying it out loud he'd admit Alucard wasn't a bad person. He was someone willing to do what was right despite the pain it would cause him, and Trevor could respect that.

" I'm going to go and start putting away the pelts," He added, sunrise wouldn't be too far off even if the cloudy weather would keep the sun hidden for a bit.

Danica opened her mouth like she was going to suggest otherwise, but Trevor gave her a reassuring nod. It wasn't dangerous to go outside, at least no more than normal. He had already accepted that Lucia wasn't a slave to her thirst, she wouldn't jump him just because she had smelt a bit of blood from Avelines cut.

So with that he slipped outside, where he found only Lucia and Sulla outside and all the pelts were still looking just fine, but even he acknowledged the pelts were more of an excuse at this point.
 
Things would be hard for Alucard when all was said and done. Danica didn’t doubt it – but she imagined that Alucard wouldn’t be able to allow himself to feel with such an audience. Perhaps around Lucia, but Trevor? Sypha? She couldn’t see it. Though, she could see it with Aveline, too. The young woman clearly had his interests at heart, and it helped that Alucard seemed to be offering Aveline a place, too.

Danica chuckled, “I doubt you’ll get in the way of anything with Alucard. If anything, he might need you to go pull him out of his slumps and bother him some. I would hate to see him end up isolated and lonely like his father, before….” Before Lisa.

She hadn’t known Dracula before Lisa. Lucia hadn’t gone to visit him with her then. It was after Lisa that Lucia’s visits increased in frequency.

The thought of home soured Trevor a bit, and he left them again to check the pelts. Supposedly. Sypha grumbled, “What does he know?” She didn’t have a home.

Johann pointed out, “He lost his home, Sypha, he knows. You haven’t lost your Speaker family, but I imagine if you did…it’d feel similar. Still, he’s right. If you can find a home there, Aveline, you should stay. I bet you’d help Alucard a lot.”

Sypha turned her focus back to that easily, “And I’m sure him being a blond would help,” she teased, “You did say there was romance in his future – maybe we should get some tea and read your future?” She bet there might be romance in it, too. If Alucard was already looking to have Aveline move in with him, why not? If nothing else, it was more fun to tease her about the possibility.

~***~

The door opened, and Lucia’s eyes were drawn to it, away from Sulla who had drawn tentatively closer to sniff more at the pelts. Sulla knew he couldn't lick them, but it didn't make them any less enticing. Especially with Lucia out there watching there'd be no sneaking a lick and blaming it on Marius. His head snapped back and away from the pelts, though, as he heard the door opened.

There was no surprise that it was Trevor, he seemed to be the one hovering around her more than even Danica. Danica was allowing it, of course. Lucia understood why she was, but she almost wished that Danica wouldn’t allow for it. Or would have come out herself.

“The pelts seem fine,” Lucia noted, “and Alucard took Marius with him so I don’t think they’re at risk,” Sulla was a good nightmare. One could almost imagine him peacefully eating grass, if it wasn’t for his canines.

“I’m sorry if my reaction worried anyone,” she added, figuring it probably had, and Alucard probably hadn’t made it much better if he explained anything. She wasn’t going to bite anyone, of course. She’d been surrounded by the scent before and never snapped – nothing in becoming a vampire ever made her a feral animal. At least, not yet. Sometimes she certainly wondered based on how others acted.

~***~

Alucard had learned to at least trust Marius’s sense of direction when it came to hunting. Given how much the nightmare seemed to enjoy being a glutton, it was no wonder he was good at hunting down food, even if it wasn’t for himself. It wasn’t a deer they ended up finding as they moved closer to the path and the mountains, but a chamois – and before Alucard could move to deal with it, Marius had.

It was then he recalled that the nightmare made almost no noise in running, at least, when he wanted to.

The chamois was overtaken before it knew what was coming, a kick to its side cracking ribs and taking it down. Alucard moved swiftly afterwards, noting the creature still seemed alive, albeit clearly in pain. He arched a brow at Marius, knowing well that Marius could have dug its fangs in and ripped the creatures throat out. Apparently, Marius was thinking of keeping it as intact as possible.

Alucard snapped its neck, and hefted it up onto Marius’s back. He could see why Marius wouldn’t be effective alone in bringing back anything. The fangs it had would do no good, and he didn’t think Marius could hold anything ‘gently’ when he had next to no blunted teeth. “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting your actual help with hunting,” though perhaps he should have.
 
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