For a minute or two Tore refused to accept defeat. He lay there huddled under his cloak eyes firmly shut, trying to force his head empty of thoughts. He didn’t need to look around to realize he had once again woken up before sunset. Dusk was most likely just around the corner – close enough for him to venture outside, at least – but every minute the daylight still lingered on the steppes was a minute he would have rather spent dead to the world. Finding this place and convincing himself it was safe enough to sleep in had taken days of uninterrupted activity. Tore had had his fill of sunrises, sunsets and every damn thing in between for a good while.
But it was no use. Despite the vampire’s best efforts, sleep evaded him. The forced silence inside his head grew heavier; his senses started to reach out. The noises, the shadows he could see through his closed eyelids, the warm hum of blood emanating from a nestful of little sparrows somewhere close by…
Before Tore even realized it, he’d started breathing.
With one drawn-out sigh he rolled on his back and opened his eyes. It was dark inside the old stone building which now served as his temporary home. The wind had picked up since last night. Its soughs pressed against the walls, finding their way in through the gaps and filling the house with long melancholic whistles. The golden light of a day nearing its demise shone in from the far end of the building where the door had someday been. Tore watched as it danced on the wall, and as he did so, a displeased frown slowly settled on his face. He’d fed only recently, so hunting would be unnecessary; he wasn’t sure how long he’d stay here, so cleaning felt like a waste of time; but finding anything that could substitute as a door sounded like something he should get done as soon as possible, no matter what. Nrgh.
Tore got up, dusted his clothes, made sure he was fully protected against the sunlight and strode out. The old settlement laid in ruin amongst the weeds, as silent and peaceful as it had been in the morning. The vampire made a quick round to ensure he was alone, and once satisfied, headed uphill.
So far his stay in Mo’Mey Steppes had been a pleasant one. The abundance of prey more than made up for the fact he had to go through the trouble of actually hunting it. The locals weren’t exactly… vulnerable when it came to things like extortion. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Tore hadn’t quite managed to make himself at home yet, despite the scenery and the blissful quiet. He often found himself casting furtive glances at the headwind half expecting to catch someone trying to creep up from behind, even though he hadn’t met a single sentient being during his time in the region. He was more accustomed to forests and farmlands, where one could disappear with ease and people had their roots deep in the soil. Here, hunters and warriors had replaced the farmers. People were constantly on the move, heavily armed and more than prepared to take down anything they happened to come across.
He reached the top of the hill and halted. Holding the hood of his cloak firmly in place he peered down at the seemingly endless green expanse of the grasslands. For a moment Tore relaxed; everything seemed to be in order. No hunters, no obvious disturbances, no smoke columns to betray nearby campfires. Just him and the- Except- Wait.
Was that a person?
Tore stared. Something red had caught his attention on a nearby hillside – something that unfortunately seemed to be attached to a human body. The vampire hastened to scan through the scenery again, but the only anomaly he could spot was this lone unmoving figure. That didn’t make any sense. If there was one, there had to be more somewhere nearby. Tore had heard enough stories about the local orcs and their habits to know it would take someone really desperate or foolhardy to venture into these lands alone. That, or someone really powerful.
He stood there lost in thought for a minute or two, and then, reluctantly, started downhill. Soon he disappeared from view.
———————————————-
“Hoi. You there.”
This terrain truly wasn’t made for sneaking. Tore had ended up taking the long way around in the hopes of staying hidden, perhaps even catching a scent of other humans, but in order to get into hearing range he’d been forced to leave the safety of the boulders and their shadows behind. He now stood in the open at a polite distance from the stranger, contemplating her with curiosity and suspicion. She looked young, almost a mere child, and was either very much alive or extremely good at faking it. Tore wasn’t sure whether this was a relief or not.
“Tell me… What business does a lone child have here at this hour? Are you lost?”