Haven: Journey's End

DemonBlood


She walked along the aisle, her ice blue eyes penetrating the crowd on the other side of the auditorium. It was her place at this meeting to move among them, to protect her people from the others that sat across from them, leering and threatening with their very presence. It was her place and normally she would have reveled in the responsibility, in the trust that her elders had given her, but today she wanted nothing more than to move closer to the council and try to hear what they whispered softly among themselves. Not that it would matter if she could leave her post and get so close. Even her patron didn' t have hearing good enough to hear when the Council wished to be silent. The art of silence had long been mastered by her elders though she had never sought the art of it herself. Hers had always been the call for healing and protection, two such strong callings that were normally not found together. But she was an oddity among her own kind and always had been.

She pushed a stray lock on white blond hair out of her eyes, wishing that she had thought to tie it back before the meeting began. She didn' t dare let herself get distracted by such trivial things though. As her eyes met a man across the way he seemed to grow larger somehow, his presence seemed to loom around him and her eyes detected a faint silver outline that dwarfed him. She felt the call of her Patron and knew that to his eyes her own body was outlined in blue, a magnificent dragon that hovered over her to protect today. Sensing his own Patron was no match, the man' s presence subsided to normal. She let out a deep breath and she continued walking along the path.

The auditorium was filled but there was no one on the floor to speak today. The floor sat empty except for the two tables, one at each end on a raised dais. Her eyes flickered momentarily on the Council of her own people before moving back to the other end. She tried to avoid looking there as much as possible, but she was there to protect and they were the most likely to commit violence. Their images changed constantly as if their Demon Patrons battled as they whispered among each other, their eyes constantly on her as if she was the reason they refrained from unleashing their chaos on them.

In truth, she probably was. Their kind was not known for their patience and from what she had been taught, were more likely to settle things with violence than with words and communal understanding. It sickened her to think of what they were, to be in the room with them and know how they fought. If she hadn' t seen it first hand she wouldn' t have believed anyone was capable of such acts. In her fifteenth year though she had been deemed ready to join the ranks of the Protectors and she had been to villages that had been Demon Plagued. The few people that had survived the initial Demon attack hadn' t survived long. Just long enough for her to arrive and to try to heal them. The backlash from that had caused her to black out and had killed the man instantly. She had never tried to heal another Demon taint again.

Another form across from her began to grow and she didn' t bother with her Patron this time. The girl was too weak to be a real threat. She was probably sizing herself up on another of the Demon Marked. Put to the test, the girl would have found out just why all the others sat back when she walked among them. She was strong, stronger than any Dragon Blessed in a thousand years, and those few that had crossed her path had been quickly dispatched.

She continued her perimeter, walking across the front of the arena, nodding to her Elders as she passed before them. Ewane, the Eldest nodded his head in acknowledgement before continuing. She didn' t know what he said as he spoke, but they all continued to watch her for unknown reasons. It was an uncomfortable feeling and she wished she understood what she had to do with any of this. None of this had anything to do with her, anymore than it did with anyone else.

She turned her thoughts back to the task at hand. She was moving among the Demon Marked now, walking with a determined stride to let them know she did not fear them or their Patrons. She was here to patrol for the peace of the proceedings. Others would come to the call if need be, but she hoped a show of strength would keep them at bay. Today of all days they needed this peace.

She stopped walking suddenly as a man caught her eye. Standing at the bottom of the amphitheatre, he made no move towards her, nor did his Patron stir. He simply watched her with assessing eyes that seemed to touch every part of her. Short brown hair with bright green eyes, he looked more serious than his fellows who seemed more interested in who they could scare than anything else. This one seemed to be taking it all in, her most of all. What bothered her the most about this man was that she felt nothing from his Patron. Either he was very talented at hiding his strength, a rare trait indeed among beings so determined to show their own power, or he was as strong as she was. A chilling though if it was the latter. Even a weak Demon, let loose into the world, could wreck havoc. One that strong could destroy villages before they were able to get to them and put an end to the chaos.

And yet this Demon Marked man sat among them with a sense of reserve and patience that would make most of her kind envious. She felt almost naked, the way his eyes seemed to bore into her. Her eyes tightened in anger, unable to respond to such passivity and yet aware of a threat from him. He nodded his head slightly, a simple nod that seemed to conclude his perusal of her.

" The agreement is made." She heard the Eldest say. Turning to look she saw him stepping down from the dais and walk towards the center of the room. She hurried to his side as he walked to meet with the head of the Demon Marked Council.

" The agreement is made." The sentiment was echoed at the other end of the room and their apparent leader stepped forward to join them. He walked alone, but she was there to protect them both as were the terms of the agreement for truce. Now, she had to wonder what agreement the two councils, so opposite in cause and ways, had come to.

The matter at hand was not simple. Ewane had spoke to her of it before the council had begun, before the swarms of Demon Marked had shown themselves at NeverKeep. Long the home of their leaders, they had arrived in droves as well, feeling the same call from the Patrons as their Demon enemies had. Their magic called them. Ewane had told her simply, the magic wasn' t working right. They had to fight harder to control their Patrons, they had to fight longer to keep them down and to keep the Patron from controlling them completely. It was a struggle that shouldn' t be, he had explained.

They met in the center and Ewane spoke again. His voice was soft, but the design of the amphitheatre was such that everyone could hear. " In times past, this meeting would not have been possible." He said to his counter part. " In times past we could not have agreed to anything, no matter the stakes. But now all our lives are at risk. If our Patrons come to control this world, our lives, whatever they are, will be forfeit. The lives of the Freemen will be forfeited. The Patrons will turn our lands into another Never Land, a place of spirit and thought but no flesh. We have agreed to send a party to learn what they can of our lessening control over our magic, to the Summit, the very birthplace of magic."

There was a hushed exclamation from both sides of the room. Neither would trust the other to lead such a group and it was a hard undertaking. They would have to travel hard roads and move among all kinds of beings to get to the Summit.

The leader of the Demon Marked laughed. " A party you call it? Unlucky souls I call it. Just enough to tuck their tails and run unseen towards a distant goal they will never reach."

" You have agreed to the terms. Would you go back on your word already?"

He shook his head. " No. I will not go back on my word. You will have the help I offered. No more and no less. And they will leave at nightfall, as you agreed."

Ewane nodded his head and another murmur ran through the crowds. The Demon Marked were stronger in the night and it was an obvious advantage to them in this endeavor. " Yes, it is agreed. Let us begin our preparations now." He turned back to his brethren then. " Council is adjourned."



As the others began filing out into the warmth of the NeverKeep summer, a familiar set of eyes caught her again. There was nothing quiet about them now. The demon was close to the skin and she felt it pulling at her skin like an itch. If she could feel the call of his demon so strongly, how did he resist it? With the dark hair and light eyes, he was attractive with a strong, well defined body. She realized she was looked at him as a physical creature to avoid looking at the spirit of him. In a world where she had to fight cruelty daily, his spirit gave off such violence that she wanted to hide her eyes and pretend she had never seen him. Then why could she not look away from his eyes?

" Caitrin," She heard her name called but instead of turning away from him, she gave him a small nod, an acknowledgement of their earlier interaction and recognition of his threat. He smiled at her, then walked out, not seeming to notice that the man that led their kind followed closely after him.

Caitrin turned to look at the Eldest. " Yes, Eldest, what service can I do for you?" She asked formally. He silently motioned her to follow beside him as he walked out of the Keep.

They walked out into a broad walkway. Tall windows let in light that illuminated through stained glass depictions of their struggles. It showed the story of both Demon Marked and the Dragon Blessed. She didn' t understand why anyone would want to understand the demons, but it wasn' t her place to question the ways of politicians of the NeverKeep.

They walked some ways in silence, stopping at a seldom used hallway. She watched as Ewane pointed to two men at the furthest end of the hall. The leader of the Demon Marked was speaking heatedly with the man she had seen. Demon spirit began to form in her sight but before they could start to take flesh, the leader struck the man across the face. The Spirit battle ended and he stared hatefully at the other. A moment passed before he seemed to realize they were there. He turned to look at her, a choked laugh coming from him.

" Caitrin, come." She followed though her eyes followed the other man until she could see him no longer. " The party must leave tonight. We were both aware that our truce here would not last long. Though none would want to spill blood at NeverKeep we don' t trust it enough to hold to that. Animosity is too strong between us. "

" How can it not be Eldest?" Caitrin asked. " They treat one another as beasts. How can we stand by? "

He stopped walking again and looked at her. " You must hear what I have to say Caitrin. You were ever a good pupil, heed what I say. That which doesn' t bend will break under enough pressure and they will try to break you." He grabbed her arms as she started to back away in surprise. " You will be our champion in this Caitrin. We need your strength and your conviction, but be careful and remember what I say."

She was speechless for a moment. They were going to entrust this with her? If the whole thing hadn' t been so ominous she might have been happy. " Eldest, why me? There are others who have more experience."

His smile was sad as he answered her. " You are young my child. You have strength of body, or spirit, and of conviction. Too many of our brethren grow soft over time. I need you to be our voice now. You will go with the company of one of the Demon Marked. The truce will hold between the two of you and I have been given assurances that the man they send will abide by that. I don' t trust them but we must know what has happened and to get to the Summit you will need his help."

She was almost afraid of the answer to the question she was about to ask. " Who' s help will I need Eldest? Who will they send with me?"

" My name is Andras." She turned quickly, placing her body between the Eldest and the Demon Marked. It was the man she had seen, the man she had seen with the leader of the Demon Marked.

He smiled at her, as if understanding her motives. " We have to move out at nightfall, though I would prefer to get a little bit further out by then. Do you have any objections to that?"

Caitrin shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. " Good, a silent journey might be best for us all."

He turned away then, walking through NeverKeep and disappearing before Caitrin could begin to form any questions.

" He is strong Caitrin." Ewane warned as Caitrin stood looking out over the private gardens of NeverKeep. There was something calming to her as she looked over the manicured grounds. She needed the calm. Life was swirling around her too quickly, too much had happened in the past few hours. As she sat with the Elders others made preparations for a journey she would undertake, alone with only a Demon Marked man to help her, on a quest that would take her to the edge of their world. She didn' t want to think about it, but there was no way around it now. The Elders had chosen her for no reason that she could understand. Their insistence that she was strong enough and had conviction enough to see it through simply made their choice all the more confusing. There were others who were strong, if not as strong as her who would willingly take this mantle up.

" Yes, I believe he is my equal in this." She said quietly.

" There has been no Demon so strong in all our time Caitrin." Ewane' s voice was chiding, as if she were a small child.

" Perhaps, but I know my own strength Elders, and I could feel his Demon. If he is not my equal then he misses it by a short mark. There are no stronger to take my place, but why should we send only one? Why can' t there be more to this party?" Caitrin asked.

" Would you trust them enough to send more Caitrin? Would you not think they were plotting and planning? If we sent more than one they would sure demand the same and we cannot afford betrayal on this Caitrin. We all depend on you to see this thing done."

She was saved from answering by a knock at the door. She could feel the Demon on the other side, feel the strength being battered back and forth. On instinct she placed herself again between the danger behind that door and the Elders she was destined to protect. Ewane shook his head at her, but moved past to open the door slowly.

The leader of the Demons walked through with Andras following behind him. Caitrin understood then that the battle she had felt was between the two, and not directed at them. She nodded to the man that was to be her traveling companion.

" Sadwin, I thought you would already have left NeverKeep by now."

" And I thought your knew I would see this started before I left." The leader of the Demon Marked said in disdain.

Even in truce the two leaders seemed on the verge of fighting. Caitrin tensed, but a small nod from Andras stopped her from stepping between the two men. She watched him then, the feeling of threat rising again, causing her Patron to call to her. She pushed it down with great effort. The Dragon wanted to protect but she was the one that would chose when and where. The other man watched her but gave no sign of any sort of struggle within himself. Whatever was happening behind those eyes was closed to her.

" Enough of this." Andras said to the two men. " We have agreed to go so let us. I have had enough posturing of fools for my lifetime."

Sadwin didn' t take his eyes from Ewane as he back-handed the other man. " There is always time for the posturing of fools." He said, finally turning away from Ewane. Andras was still on his feet, the blow having rocked him back a bit. His eyes were daggers, but he looked down at the other man' s stare.

Caitrin looked over at Ewane, trying to understand the power struggle that kept unfolding before her eyes. She knew that the Demon Marked ranked themselves by the strength of their Demon Patron, but she knew that Sadwin should have been scraping and bowing to Andras, they were so far apart. And Sadwin was the strongest of the Demon Marked she had ever met before. It chilled her to think what Andras would be like if she had to face his Patron unleashed.

Ewane didn' t seem concerned and she realized in surprise it was because he couldn' t feel the Patron from Andras. His Patron Spirit was so much stronger than Ewane' s that he was able to mask himself. Masking was a particularly hard thing to master and she herself could only do it on occasion when she had no distraction. His almost unconscious use of it meant he had studied it for sometime or he had a natural talent. She hoped it was the latter. The former meant that he had not only the ability, but the will to master what arts were available to him. A student meant a thinker, someone devious and cunning, plotting for his own ends. Natural talent could just mean he was lucky.

" It is time for us to depart Eldest." Caitrin said, trying to cut off anything more than might happen between the two men in the room. And to stop her own realizations of the man she was to travel with and the man that had trained her most of her life. " We have agreed to put as many miles between us and NeverKeep as we can before settling tonight. Surely our horses and provisions have been seen too by now."

Sadwin looked angrily at her, as if she had taken away his chance to kick a stray pup, but she kept her gaze level, neither blinking nor looking away until after he did. There were many ways to show strength, Ewane had taught her, and determination was the first. She just hoped it worked as well on Andras.

" As I have vowed to protect during this time of Truce, I will continue to do so as we travel. Andras will be under the protection of my Patron until such time as this Truce is ended." She said to the leaders of both factions.

A small smile pulled at Andras' s lips before he stood forward and bowed at the waist to Ewane. " And as I have vowed to be a member of this party, I swear that I will protect your Protector until such time as I deem her safe."

It was an odd thing for him to say and his eyes went to Sadwin for the briefest second, his smile edging slightly higher at the outrage on the other man' s face. Whatever had been spoken between them had not been about her safety, she was certain. She was certain Andras wanted her to know that too.

Ewane nodded his head, whether in acceptance or simple confusion she wasn' t sure. She didn' t like second guessing her Elder and she wanted nothing more than to take him aside and ask his thoughts on the odd exchanges she had seen today, but she feared it would only make her doubts worse. It was a hard realization, learning that she had surpassed her teacher in all ways. Still, he was a good man and there was no other more fit to lead them.

" Then I believe we have said everything that needs to be said." Ewane walked away from the two Demon Marked men and held an arm out for Caitrin. As he led them out of the study she felt his arm trembling slightly. " I have always known you had a great destiny Caitrin." He said in a voice that she alone could hear. " Since they day you were born you have worn your Dragon Patron proudly and fought for it' s cause well. I had always thought that you would follow after me, to lead our people in the days that seem to always grow darker, but it seems you have been chosen for a destiny far greater. Be brave, be true to yourself, be careful as you travel, and remember, no matter what he says or does, Caitrin, he is still a Demon."

His last words surprised her. How could she ever forget that? She had seen villages ravaged by a Demon Patron let loose. She had spent her life fighting the Demon Marked, protecting the Freeborn and weaker Dragon Blessed. How could she ever forget the Demon in the man? She had no response to his words so she simply nodded as they continued on.

He led them down a side hallway and Caitrin realized they were headed for the smaller stables on the north end of Neverkeep. He must have sensed her unease. " Your horse has been brought around for you." He said with a pat of her hand. " Light will bear you as well in this as he has on your other battles. We couldn' t bring his mount to the other stables. There were too many horses that were not trained for the Demon Taint and it would have caused them too much distress. You have no objections, do you? Your way leads North either way so you will be on the North road with less delay."

She nodded. " Of course." She hadn' t thought about the horses. She simply didn' t like walking down the halls of the Demon Marked. NeverKeep had long been the home of both kinds, the halls were sacred to them both and those that called it home mostly stayed to their own kind. The south wing of the keep was Dragon Blessed territory and it was the only part she had ever visited. Where the walls had been hung in tapestries of gardens and birds and things in bloom, the walls on the Demon Marked halls were tapestries of blood and gore, vicious fights and degradations that she quickly shielded her eyes from.

Ewane took his arm from her as they reached the stables safely and went to speak with Sadwin. Another part of their agreement had been for those not involved in this to stay out of the main hallways while preparations were made.

" The nature of the beast." She heard, a bare whisper at her side. Andras' s voice held something she couldn' t quite identify. If it had been another she would have thought disgust, but from him she couldn' t place it. " They revel in it, but it is more here. These walls have been baptized in innocent blood more times than you could possibly believe."

She turned to face Andras. " Do you think to scare me?" She asked. " Do you think I am so green to my duties that I have not seen worse than these things?" She asked.

He looked at the scene she had shied away from and smiled. " You have seen your share of carnage, I do believe that." He said, his voice soft as he whispered. " But you have led a sheltered life for all of that. Tell me truly, do they raise you in a celibate clan where the temptation of flesh is never raised?"

She swallowed against a lump in her throat. It was true that her kind mostly took a vow of celibacy. Who could you give your heart to when you knew you would have to leave them for your duty? Who would understand that your Patron was always more important? And among the Dragon Blessed, who would ever be able to take a mate that was more or less than they were? How could a relationship stand up to the sort of pressure that would bring? " Some chose celibacy, but not all." She answered.

His light laugh made her shiver. " If you cannot look upon an act of love, how can you claim to defend it?"

" Your provisions have been seen to and all is ready." Ewane said coming over to her, his eyes hard on the man beside her. " Be safe, and remember all I have told you." He said, holding Caitrin tightly for a moment before releasing her.

Another hard look was directed at Andrus before he turned and walked back through the halls. To her surprise, Sadwin was already gone and she was alone with the Demon Marked man for the first time. " We should be able to put a good deal of miles between us and NeverKeep before we need to stop for the night."

He nodded, his eyes going back to the tapestry for a moment longer before he walked into the stables. She followed, moving instantly to her mount to sooth him as the Demon Marked man moved into the stall next to them. " tstststs Light. No fighting this Demon. We' re working together this time." She said, a hand petting the white back and mane of the horse she had been given upon her first mission. She checked the saddle quickly, making sure all was well, that there was no strain on the saddle and that it had been fitted well for the beast. Her provisions were packed well in a set of double saddle bags behind the saddle.

" For one who talked about getting miles between us, you move slowly."

There was nothing malicious in his words or in the smile that Andras directed at her. She forced a polite smile on her face. " I would not have us stopped because my saddle was not well tended." She answered, her voice more uncertain than she would have liked.

She hadn' t been prepared for the sight of him, astride the huge black horse that he rode. She would be dwarfed by him, having to look up to him if they talked as they rode. But it was the man himself, not the horse that was striking to her. She had vaguely recognized his change in attire, but now she realized he had changed into all black with a blood red coat. His green eyes stood out as he took the coat off and wore nothing but black.

He looked down at her and cocked his head to the side. " Do you always show your Patron off so?" he asked as he watched her.

She saw the way his eyes lingered and raised a hand to the Patron on her skin. She had been born with the Dragon figure on her skin, a blue dragon whose tail curled down her arm and cradled his head at the curve of her neck. It was the symbol of who she was. She wore a plain blue dress of sturdy fabric with a darker bodice that left her shoulders bare, showing the Patron to all eyes. " Yes. Do you not?" She asked as she climbed up into her saddle, aware of his eyes on her as she did so. Her boots would cover most of her leg and she was not as concerned with modesty as some of her peers would have wanted her to be.

He shook his head as she mounted. " Pray you don' t ever see it. If you do, prepare for battle because my Demon will be unleashed." Without waiting for her to respond, he healed his mount forward and left her sitting in the stables.

She took a deep breath before following him out. He wasn' t at all what she had expected. Of course most of what he said was probably meant to unsettle her, but why was there such a sound of pain in his voice as he spoke of his Patron? Why, when all she had been taught of their debauchery and violence, did this man defy those things from the start?





From across the fire she watched Andras moving with the horses, talking lightly to his own mount and working his way over to Light. The horse was well trained and let the man handle him but he accepted no food from the Demon Marked man and tossed his head when he tried to give him an affectionate pat. He mumbled under his breath thought she couldn' t make out his words.

She threw a handful of herbs she had gathered into the pot she had on the fire. It was his fault they were there. If he hadn' t been so adamant about not staying in a Dragon Blessed village tonight she would have been in a hospitable home or an Inn, talking with civilized people, filled with warm bread, roasts, and thick gravies, and looking forward to a warm bed. She huffed loudly as he took a seat across the fire from her.

" Your horse seems to have your personality." He said with a shake of his head.

She looked up at him but didn' t speak, all too aware of being out in a deserted off-path that offered him more chances of secrecy than she would have wished. A town full of people might stay a hand where a solitary woman might tempt. He stood suddenly and she jerked back.

He took a deep breath. " You have nothing to fear from me. I might be Demon Marked but I' m not a Demon myself." He said as he turned his back and started to walk away.

She smiled at the words that were such a contrast with her Elder' s. " You are a Demon as much as I am a Dragon. We cannot deny what we are."

He had stopped as she talked, but moved on again. In a voice so low she was sure he hadn' t meant for her to hear he said " Perhaps not, but we can try."



She watched him walk away and didn' t try to stop him. She had to trust that he would return. Their goal was important enough that she knew he would see it through. She hoped he would. It left her alone to think about his words though. Of course, if she were Demon Marked she would want to deny it for as long as she could but there was no use in it. Was he one of those that came to his Patron later in life? Those she knew who had been raised partially as a Freeborn had more trouble adjusting to the life they were called to. It was rare for the Demon Mark to come later than infancy, but it did happen on occasion. He must have been one of those poor souls who could remember life before the Patron. It gave her new light to his personality and she hoped that it helped her to ease the passing of days with him. They were only out of NeverKeep a few hours and they had already started a row. She got up and decided to make amends. She followed the tracks he had left behind and made her way towards him quietly.

She found him sitting in a smaller clearing; his back was to her with his head tilted down as if wearied by some inner burden. His shirt was unbuttoned and his hand worked at the muscles of his right shoulder. She came closer, her hands reaching for his shoulder as she spoke. " Are you injured?"

He whirled around, grabbing her hand before she could touch him. Her eyes widened and she tried to back away but he held tightly. His eyes held anger and something darker that she couldn' t read. " What are you doing?" His words came out sharp like stakes that meant to cut through bone. " Why are you following me?"

In that moment she knew another problem that she hadn' t foreseen. She was traveling along with a man. She knew how to fight the Demon within him, but she had never thought of his physical form being stronger than hers. Her voice shook as she answered. " I came to talk to you. You looked in pain and I' m a Healer as well as a Protector."

He suddenly let her hand go and she took a couple steps backward to put distance between them. Pain filled his eyes as he understood her movement. " This is no pain you can heal." He said as she looked away from her.

" I could try." She said, taking a small step forward. She might be frightened by many things in this world but she was determined to be what she had to be. Tonight it might mean that she was a Healer to a Demon.

" You cannot take the Demon from me and that is my pain. Let it go Blessed One. Take what comfort you can from our rest tonight. Tomorrow we rise early."

" And if I chose to sleep late?" She asked, wondering when it had been determined that he would lead them.

" Then I' ll leave without you." He said still looking away. " And I will pray that we meet at the Summit to complete our quest."

She shook her head, deciding against saying anything more tonight. He had made his choice clear, he wanted no help from her and she was in no mood now to continue to try. She believed his words that he would leave without her in the morning, so she made sure her things were stowed and ready. She ate her dinner with little fuss and soon settled into her blankets for the night.

The stars were bright tonight and with everything that had happened she stayed a long time, thinking of their task and the Demon Marked man she had been sent with. As the fire began to die down he came back, adding a little to it to keep the night breeze from chilling them.

He lay down across from her with the fire between them, but as she looked across she could see his profile clearly. He was lying on his back, his eyes starring forward into the heavens. He seemed to have found some measure of comfort on his own. His face seemed more relaxed than it had earlier, the worry lines around his eyes less prominent. He let out a deep breath and turned to his side, facing her. The moment he saw her watching the lines came back. It was there again, the darker emotions that she didn' t understand. It made her uncomfortable to see it again, a part of her wanting to comfort him and a part wishing he' d just go away. He looked at her for a few minutes, studying her face, before he finally turned the other way and went to sleep.

As she lay trying to define what she had seen, it was her turn to look up at the stars. Only for her there were no answers. Perhaps he had found none either. Perhaps the stars themselves were just as helpless in their plight across the sky as they were. It was an oddly comforting though as she finally fell into dreams.





The day passed with little conversation between them. He had wakened her with an unexpected gentleness and had kept his distance from her all day. The closest he came was when they shared their midday meal and he handed her a flask of water that he had just filled. She understood this man less than she had ever understood any, thought truth told she has little experience with men. With people in general unless they were in danger or sick. Ewane had been her closest friend and he was in truth thrice her age. Her dedication to her Patron gave her little room for anything else. Unlike most of her kind, she had never been among the Freeborn, had never had a life that wasn' t dedicated to this cause. She knew that those who had often pitied her lack of friendships and saw her never ceasing duty as a replacement for other things. She couldn' t answer to that because she had never had those things to miss them, to find a need to replace them. She had been raised among the Dragon Blessed and knew nothing but that life. Even when she was among the people, traveling from one destination to another they treated her with great respect because of her mark.

It made her wonder how long Andras had lived among them. The oldest she had ever read of a Patron Marking was 11 years of age and that had been a rare case as most came by the age of 8. For the Demon Marked it was even younger. Though the two fought a never ending battle, the libraries at NeverKeep were open to all and there was no segregation there. The knowledge of their patron was often shared though the knowledge of their infrastructure was hidden beyond the knowledge that their strongest lead. The eldest a Demon Mark had ever come forward was 8 years of age, where most came forth between 4-6 years of age. Among them children born of the Mark were rare as well.

For those born into the Freeborn, they remembered their families and lives of their own choosing. The longer they lived away from their own kind, the hard it was for them to integrate into the clans of the Patrons. If Andras had come into it as late as 7 or 8 it would have been extremely difficult to move past the life he had once known and embrace the Demon Mark ways. It was something she needed to learn from him. In fact, if this was to succeed, she needed to know a great deal more about him than just his Patron age.

Staring at him as they rode, she decided it would be best to try to set him at ease. " I am sorry, for last night." She said in a quiet voice as she rode Light closer to him. " I didn' t mean to interrupt anything."

He looked down at her from atop his great black steed. It was a magnificent beast, no matter who rode it. He nodded, a slight tilt of the head as he tried to read her. " And I would apology for overreacting. It has been a long time since I was among someone other than the Demon Marked. Perhaps we would be better off if you moved more noisily." He said giving her a small smile.

She returned it, feeling a little better about the ordeal. And for the fact that he had left an opening in their conversation for her to learn more about him. " I will try, of course." She said. " You lived among the Demon Marked exclusively? I always thought your kind tried to move out into the world of the FreeBorn." He nodded his head. " Most try to get away from the others, though inevitably something drives them back. For me, I was considered a threat and therefore they kept a close eye on me. One that required me to stay close to the Strongest." Before she could answer he stopped his horse and jumped out of the saddle. He took the reins in his hand and came around to stand between her and the animal.

" Life might be a good mount, but he' s not always good to ride when you wish to talk, and you seem to be in the conversing mood." He said in explanation as he started them walking again.

" Life? An odd name for a mount." She said, feeling unbalanced by the change. She had expected him to take advantage of the mount' s height and use it to intimidate her.

" And Light isn' t?" He asked with a grin. He gave the horse an affectionate pat on the neck with his free hand. " Life is a reminder that there is more to me than the Mark upon my back. Where did the name Light come from?"

" She was a gift to me for my first mission. I didn' t name her until afterwards, but when things seemed to be at it' s worst he was there to steady me. He gave me Light when my first battle was at it' s darkest, when I thought my heart might give out and my courage desert me. Light held his ground."

He nodded. " Your first demon must have been fierce." He said.

She shook her head. " No actually. A small monster that was more an annoyance to the local population than a real danger but I was new as a Protector and it seemed much worse then it really was. Looking back, I think the Eldest probably laughed for a week after I reported back to him."

" Your Eldest does seem to have a sense of humor about him." He said, giving her a small grin. " I met with him in the Library the other day. He seemed quite interested in learning about the Strongest."

" It is wise to learn about your enemy before going into battle."

" Did you think of the truce and the council proceedings as battle?"

She smiled down at him. " If it was not a battle, why did both sides require a Protector?" He didn' t answer and she continued on. " Anything to do with a Demon is battle, no matter how necessary and important." " So this conversation itself is a battle?" He asked in a closed voice.

She cocked her head to the side slightly. " Even if I knew you well enough to trust you, I would never be able to trust your Demon. So how could I ever know which spoke and which was silent?"

" The Demon doesn' t control me." He said quietly.

" Perhaps not. Perhaps you allow it access whenever it wants. I don' t know these things about you and I will not trust the future of my kind and all the Freeborn on the word of a demon."

" Freeborn? You fight for something you have never known."

" You have asked about my past?" She asked, suddenly guarded and uncertain. Who among her kind would have told a Demon Marked man anything about her?

" No, but there is no need in this. The certainty you have is common among those born of the Mark. The ones that came to the Mark later remember to live their own lives."

" And what life would they live, without the work we do? Even among the Demon Marked you must recognize what we do is necessary."

He nodded his head. " Some do. Others would want chaos to continue and to let the world burn with it."

" Which way do you think?" Caitrin asked.

He smirked. " If I believed that the world should succumb to chaos I would hardly be chosen for this quest."

" Why exactly were you chosen for this?" She asked, cutting off what he had been about to add. " Why did they choose you among the others, when your Strongest so obviously dislikes you?"

" Do you think he dislikes me?" He asked with a smile.

" I only saw you twice together and both times he struck you."

Andras laughed. " You would need to look further than that to see true dislike. There are few of the Demon Marked that are as violent as the Strongest. Even his most favored pupil is treated no better."

" You haven' t answered my question." Caitrin reminded him.

" I was not chosen. I chose. There are few brave enough to challenge me for that right."

" You mean strong enough."

He nodded his head in agreement and she continued. " Including your Strongest. Why is it that he is called Strongest when you certainly surpass him."

" To take that title I would need to challenge him. It is not something I would do lightly."

" Why?" she asked. " You are much stronger than him. Do you really fear losing to him?"

" First Blessed One, understand that though I am stronger, he is devious and cunning. Things that I would never think to do he would unleash without hesitation or concern about how many others it takes out. The other thing to remember is that if I was to challenge him, I would have to lead. I have no desire to be a part of that. I have lived most of my life staying as far away from the Demon Marked as I could be while still one of them. I would not put myself in a position to have to defend myself from them on a constant basis."

" So you stand aside while someone corrupt rules you?" she asked, abhorred by the idea.

" I stand aside while a strong leader leads. No matter what else he is, he leads the Demon Marked to their best end. If he didn' t, he would not have agreed to the meeting with your Eldest. He would have let the Patrons take us all over and un the world. Many of my brethren" the word seemed a curse in his mouth. " would do just that. He at least recognizes the true threat."

" And do you?"

He shrugged. " What world would we live in if the Patrons broke free? This place would be destroyed and those of us that wore the Demon would die as well as the FreeBorn. I have no desire to end my life, not matter what it had become." As if to end the conversation Andras stopped Life and mounted the great beast, putting himself above her again.

She had more than enough to think about as it was. The idea that he had chosen to be a part of this frightened her for some reason. Though she would never have denied then eldest in his choice, she would never have asked to be a part of this. It was too much responsibility, too much to put on someone that didn' t have enough experience. True, she had years of training and battles among the Demon Marked, but there were those that had been fighting for longer than she had been alive.

His insistence on being a part of it made her wonder even more about the man and his body language clearly told her he would not talk anymore. For someone who spoke so openly of his kind, he had yet to speak of anything truly personal. Who was he and how had he come to a point in his life that he wished to undertake a quest like this? As they rode in silence, it was these things that consumed her thoughts.





For days they traveled with little change. The terrain around them was the same and though they passed many villages they avoided them. She respected Andras' s wish to remain away from the villages when possible though she wished he would relent. The longer they spent together the quieter he became and the more moody she became. The constant curiosity about her companion was driving her almost to distraction but when she tried to talk to him he found ways to turn the conversation or to simply ignore it. He didn' t ask much about her except to show concern over her welfare. It was another curiosity. If she was tired, she found them starting later the next day. If she was cold, she woke with extra blankets. He seemed to be catering to her. When she had thanked him for starting late the next morning he had scoffed at her and said not to thank him for sleeping in. When she questioned after the extra rations or the way he set her close to the fire, he said if she grew sick he couldn' t complete their task.

In turn, she tried to be as accommodating. She stopped pestering him for answers and instead talked as they rode, filling the spaces with the knowledge she had of the places they traveled. He knew little of it and when she stopped, thinking she had bored him, he began asking questions. He listened attentively and seemed to enjoy what she passed on to him. The day was turning out far better than the others and she had some hopes of getting him to open up that night when it suddenly began to get windy. Storm clouds rolled in and as she looked up at Andras atop Life' s back.

" Do you plan on staying the night out again, even in the rain?" She asked.

He took a deep breath as he looked away from her. They rode on for some time, the clouds looking worse every moment. Finally he stopped his steed. " I will agree to a night in a village on one condition, Blessed One. For the night, you will hide your Patron and spend the evening like the FreeBorn."

She frowned as she looked up at him. " Why do you want me to hide what I am?"

" Because you defend a way of life you will never know. Perhaps for a night I can show you what it is really like? For one night, let us forget the Marks that dictate our lives."

It was as close to an entreaty as she had ever thought to hear from him and it was what made her agree. " For one night. Then let us find a village. I for one would like a bath before nightfall."

He gave her a small smile, less than he had before, but she thought she understood his reticence to be among common people. It must be hard to be among people and remember what his life had once been like. In truth, she wondered how much of the people' s behavior would change if they thought her a commoner.

They had passed the closest village not long before and they turned back, making it before the clouds could unleash their tears. It was a large village, at a crossroads for traders. The Inn was of a fair size and she was shown to one of it' s better rooms. She had worn her cloak pulled tightly to hide her Patron and she didn' t let it fall until she was finally brought to a bathing room, ready with a tub of warm water, a fresh cake of soap, and a large towel.

Andras had been shown to a room next to hers and he had asked for a bath as well before agreeing to meet with her in the Common Room for a warm supper. There were no perfumed oils as she was used to and she made note of it in her head. It was a small thing, but there was no doubt it was something she would have been offered if her Patron had been known.

Bathed and dressed in a simple brown gown with blue flowers embroidered up the side, she fuzzed with the sleeves, feeling strangely overdressed with her shoulders covered. She had given her word though and even though it was to one of the Dragon Marked she would keep it. Besides, as irritating as it might be, she wanted to see what it was that Andras wanted to show her.

She walked down the stairs and into the Common Room that was in full life. The storm had began and other travelers had made the same choice they had. With little else to do on a stormy night some of the village folk were there as well, eating and drinking as a harper played in one corner.

Andras saw her coming down the stairs and stood from a table in the corner to catch her attention. He eyed the people around her as if looking for anyone that might cause her trouble, then met her halfway across the room. " I arranged for a table and dinner. It should be out soon." He said, offering his arm to her.

It was a common gesture among others, but it was much to ask of her like this. To reach out and touch the arm of the Demon Marked meant giving her trust to him. So far there had been no foul play but she reminded herself that no matter how the man might differ from his Demon, it was still there, ready to reach out and control him.

In the end she had little choice in the matter. They had been thrown together by circumstances they had no say in. Tonight she would have to trust him, and perhaps for that she might get more from him as well. She gave him a small smile and took his arm as he led her back to the table. Dinner was being set out as he brought her back and she thanked the Innkeeper for his generosity.

" Think nothing of it ma' am." He said, wiping his hands on what had once been a white apron. His best apron was undoubtedly hanging in the back, awaiting use for someone of higher stature than a simple man and woman traveling on their own. " If you need anything, you let us know My Lady. We' ll see to it, as soon as we can. Never enough hands around and always some as have two left feet if you know what I mean, but we will do a' right by you My Lord, My Lady." He said as he bowed his way away from them.

" And we won' t see him again if he can help it." Andras said with a smile. " He' ll make sure one of the serving girls is around, in case My Lady or My Lord have a violent streak and want to take it out on someone else."

She frowned at his words, but realized that the man was indeed sending a girl over to them to watch over them. When the girl got close, Caitrin called her over. " We would like some privacy." She told her quickly. " If I need anything, I' ll send my man for you."

The girl bowed in a grateful manner and it bothered Caitrin that people would live in a state of fear because of people that were supposed to help and protect them. If they weren' t able to do so, why would they claim the title and lands of a Lord? She kept quiet on that observation though, certain that Andras would think her na\'efve for it.



The food was good for all the man' s words. The bread was still warm with a soft crust, buttered peas, a mild cheese, and thick slices of meat with a rich gravy. A decanter of wine was brought over and thought it wasn' t the best like she was used to it was still good and she allowed herself to relax for a while, enjoying the meal and surprisingly the company. No matter what she had been taught about his kind and what she had experienced, this man was nothing like the other Demon Marked. His manners were impeccable and his conversation was light, commenting on the people around them, the food, the music. He was pretending that there was nothing more to them than a simple man and woman and as she had promised she went along with it.

They had little disturbance as they ate and Caitrin found herself wondering what other things life as a Freeborn had to offer. The music around them swelled and Andras smiled as they heard voices raised in song. She looked questioning at him. " It looks like the locals needed more of a distraction from the rain." He stood up from the table then and held a hand out for her. She wasn' t sure what he was up to, but his smile was genuine, warm and soothing as she reached up and allowed him to pull her away from the table.

At the other end of the room a few more people had found instruments and had joined in with the harper. They played with a practiced ease and Caitrin figured they had done this on more than one occasion. Tables had been cleared from the center of the room and people clapped along on the sides as couples began moving through a simple dance.

Caitrin had heard about this sort of dancing but she had never seen it before. It would be considered beneath the Dragon Blessed to join into such a thing, but tonight she was a commoner. Andras' s eyes questioned her and she gave him a small nod. He bent closer to her, talking into her ear to be heard above the din of the Common Room. " Do you know this dance?"

She shook her head and his smile grew as he pulled her closer and wrapped one arm around her waist. " You will before we' re done. And many more." Before she could answer, he had them out in the middle of things, spinning her in time with the others.



She was agile and a fast learner and with Andras to guide her she quickly figured out the steps. He knew the dances and though she was surprised that he knew them so well, it was with a delighted joy as he continued to show her new dances. Each time the music stopped they rushed to their table for a drink and she pulled him back into the middle of the room when the music started again. They danced to simple folk dances and to more elaborate jigs. She danced with him and was traded off for others partners in the song, to be handed back over to him, winding her way through other' s until she found her way back in his arms.

As the musicians died down and the last of the dancers settled in, she smiled up at Andras as he brought her another glass of wine. The harper played by himself now and she stood watching from across the room. She felt a blush rising as her hand brushed his for a moment. " Thank you."

He bowed lightly, in good humor, but she reached a hand out to touch his arm. " I don' t mean for the wine. Thank you for showing me this. They teach us to protect and serve, but you were right. Unless you know it, they don' t truly teach you want you protect."

His hand reached up and touched her cheek lightly. " For some, it is kinder to not know, but you have a right to see this. You have a right to know what you risk yourself for." There was pain in his eyes, and she feared that he had willingly put it there for her sake.

She pulled away slowly, her eyes never leaving his. " And for some, they say it is cruel to make them face it again. There are those of my kind that lived among the FreeBorn who can never leave NeverKeep because they fear they cannot face that world again. In your eyes I see that pain. I would not have put it there, and I' m sorry you did so for me."

He shook his head. " No, I will not be sorry for it and I don' t want you to be either."

She looked away from the Demon Marked man, trying to understand what she was feeling. It wasn' t pity or sympathy, it wasn' t anything she could place. She put a hand to her stomach and looked back across the room. One of the serving girls sat in a corner, taking a stolen moment to nuzzle one of the patrons. It was obvious from the expression of those around them that it wasn' t an uncommon sight, nor was it an unwelcome one. What would it have been like, to have grown up, expecting to find love and to live with a man' s warmth?

" His fianc\'e9" A voice said in her ear.

She nearly jumped out of her skin, but his hand around her waist stopped her. " She' ll work here until the spring has come once more and then they will be wed."

" How do you know?" She asked, breathless. She knew she should push him away but she couldn' t make herself move. Her eyes were glued to the young woman and the man she obviously loved.

" The ribbon around her wrist matches the one on his. It' s the custom in these parts. When winter comes she' ll move it to her other wrist. It is a reminder to them of the time they have to remain apart and the time they had already spent. When they are married she will wear that ribbon in her hair and the Dragon Blessed who marries them will take the ribbons from both of them, entwining them into a glass vial that they will place over the door of their new home. It will be a reminder always of this time and the love they share."

" I knew the custom, but not why it was important to hand the glass vial to them. I' m not a Teacher or a Guardian."

" Now you understand it."

She looked up at him over her shoulder, his eyes turned to her. " Why did you bring me here?" she asked, trying to stop her stomach from flipping over.

His hand came up from her waist, touching her cheek as she turned slightly. " For understanding."

She pushed away then. " There is nothing you can show me here that I do not understand as well as you." She said angrily. Was he trying to play her for the fool? She remembered the way he had watched her in the corridors as she had viewed the tapestry. She remembered Ewane' s words as well. " Do not think you can break me with visions of what I have never had? Think hard before you try it again Demon. I will not be broken."

His eyes narrowed in anger and as she tried to walk away he grabbed her arm, spinning her around to him. " You can run from yourself if you want Blessed One, but you are not so sure as you want. I know what I see in those eyes of yours and it isn' t your high and noble cause that lurks there unfulfilled."

She jerked her arm away from him before storming off to her room. How dare he touch her like that? And how had she abided his touch before that? She quickly undressed and settled for bed, knowing he wouldn' t follow her there. As she lay in bed though, she couldn' t help but think about the smile on his face as he had held her tight, dancing through the crowds of people that never knew the battle that threatened to break free in their very midst.

The next morning dawned far too early for Caitrin' s comfort. She had spent most of the night tossing and turning, her nightmares beyond recall but for the vague sense of loss and the heart pounding terror that woke her each time she had managed to fall asleep. Between bouts of sleep, Caitrin tried not to think about Andras in the room next to her. Was he there, asleep? Or was he thinking of her as well? Was he remembering how it had felt to dance? To feel warm flesh around her and to see the warmth in his smile, to look for the next touch he offered?

It made for bad sleep and a worse wakening. She wasn' t sure how to face him this morning. Andras had been warm and kind the night before, showing her a side of life that she had never seen. Understanding the freedom that the FreeBorn had and seeing it first hand were different things and she was glad to have had this small taste of it. That Andras had his own agenda didn' t take away from the experience, except the small regret that the first time she had beheld such freedom was with a man that could destroy it.

He was already in the Common Room as Caitrin walked down the stairs. His eyes were heavy with dark circles as he watched her warily. There was something in his manner, a hesitance about him that made her wonder what was happening in his mind. Had he spent the night trying to figure out how to seduce her again? Had he tried to work out where it had gone wrong? Or had he simply stayed up late drinking and carousing, forgetting about his decision to seduce her away from her beliefs?

She took a seat at a table across the room from him and placed her back so that she didn' t have to look upon him. The serving girl brought a plate of warm rolls and cheeses with fresh fruit slices. She ate quickly, trying not to think. It only ended in her stomach tied in knots. No matter how she tried to think of it, no matter what she decided Andras' s motives were, she had enjoyed dancing with him. She had enjoyed being a past of it all and he was the reason she had been able to join in. That morning she had made a conscious effort to make certain her Patron was covered so that she would be treated with the same warmth she had been the night before.

It was strange how formal and cool these same people could be, and would be, should she show her Patron. She didn' t have the best room in the Inn, or the extra things that she had become accustomed to, but it was a small loss to the informality that she could watch now. No one tried to bandy words with her or tried to get her to tell tales of her conquests. In truth, she despised talking about her battles with any. Even when she gave her reports to Ewane she did so in a quick and concise manner. The battle she had fought were never pretty, nor were they the things of tales. The harper' s song was always of love and light and heroic deeds. It rarely told of the blood stench or the battle fever, or the simple knowledge that the Demons she destroyed took their human host' s life in it' s wake. Those details were left behind so that others would look at their duty with kinder hearts. She understood the politics of that, had been taught the politics of it to ensure the continued support of the Freeborn for her kind, but part of her had always felt like she was deceiving people for leaving that part out.

She heard laughter behind her and she looked over her shoulder at Andras. The serving girl was leaning over the table, her bosom exposed to an almost obscene level, laughing at something he said to her. He reached out a hand lightly, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Caitrin' s eyes tightened though she didn' t understand the sudden urge to make the girl turn away from him. It would be easy enough to simply let the word Demon slip from her tongue, but that would be a disservice to him and she wasn' t ready to pay the price for that sort of thing. The Freeborn were mostly tolerant of travelers and strangers, but if they knew that he was one of the Dragon Marked it would be a different story. She' d have to protect him from the same people that seemed to think him so charming now.

She could see the attraction though. When he chose to be, Andras could be very charming. Last night he had been warm and attentive, charismatic and entertaining, always catering to her wants and whims. He was light on his feet and laughed with as much ease as he danced. His hands had been strong, but gentle, and he had a way of looking at you that made you feel there was no one else there. The way he was looking at the serving girl now.

Her appetite was gone as she stood suddenly and walked out of the room. She was half way to her room when she felt someone grabbing her hand.

" What was that about?" Andras asked her, anger coloring his voice though he kept his face and words neutral.

" Perhaps I just didn' t want to watch you break someone' s heart before we leave today." She answered quickly. He still held her hand and though she wanted to pull it away from him she didn' t think he' d let go so easily and she wasn' t about to get into a pulling match over her own hand on the stairs.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips but he didn' t smile. " So, that' s what this is. Fine, if you want to protect the young hearts of the world, perhaps you shouldn' t leave me along with them next time. Perhaps you should have stayed last night, instead of getting upset with me for showing you something you can never have."

" You think much of yourself D- "

" And you should watch what you say, before you say it."

The lack of title or name made his point obvious. She mentally berated herself for the lack of discretion. No matter how she had been thinking it before, she hadn' t meant to call him Demon Marked in front of anyone, or at all as long as she could avoid it. " You are right." She said, bowing her head slightly at his admonishment. " But if you think I will stand aside and watch you play with every young girl we pass, please think again. I will not have you toying with people' s lives no matter the mission that we are on."

Andras sighed heavily. " I have never promised anyone more than I was willing to give." He said the words as though a heavy burden came with them. " If she expected more than a single night, then she didn' t listen to a word I said. I cannot be blamed if she thinks I lied when I told her I was off to save the world."

She could have laughed at the simplicity of the lie if she didn' t feel like he had kicked her in the stomach with that comment. So, he was already playing these poor girls for the fool. The next time they came to an Inn she would make sure he didn' t corrupt anyone. It was common knowledge that demon' s loved that sort of thing and she wished she had thought to keep an eye out for it earlier. It would have to be enough, to keep on guard for it the next time. She couldn' t control the girl' s fool ideas of what Andras really was, but she could make sure she didn' t give him another chance to hurt someone else.

She pulled her arm aw