Nine decades? Fen wasn't certain how much time that was, exactly, but he was certain that it meant she had been alive way longer than he had. With the decrease in distance between the two, the similarities in their heights had become even more apparent. His disappointment in realizing that he was in fact the youngest of this motley trio quickly gave way to surprise when she shuttered, which then turned into confusion as she turned away. Fen slowly his hand, worried that he had perhaps done something he wasn't supposed to. When she returned her gaze back to him, he felt some small bit of relief, although her smile wasn't entirely comforting.

Her proposition left him with a lump in his throat, rendering capable of only a simple nod as an agreement. Though curious as to what secret she might possibly be withholding, that curiosity internally warred with fear over the price he might pay to obtain that information. Equal to his fondness for asking questions was his dislike for answering them. Fen sat silently through her introductions, diverting his gaze only for a moment to glance at the wolf, having been reminded of its existence upon learning its name. Fen thought to voice concerns over how far the creature was getting away, but the beginning of her confession quelled the idea.

When she paused, Fen gave a small tilt of his head before opening his mouth, intent on explaining how she didn't have to tell them if she didn't wish to, but he pressed his lips shut before any words left them. Whether it was curiosity as to what she was about to say taking over, or nerves blocking the word's escape was anyone's guess, though the likely answer was some combination of both. It felt like hours had passed before she spoke again, despite it being only a moment. Regardless of how much time had actually gone by however, Fenriz likely would not have been ready for the admission that followed.

She spoke so fast, Fen was almost certain that he had misheard her at first. His initial gut feeling was one of disbelief, even having to resist the urge to wave his hand in front of her face. Yet when he started putting it all together, the inability to fly, her jumping at his touch (which only made him regret it even further), it made sense.. Even despite his own recent hardships, owed to his own condition, he couldn't even imagine what going through life without sight might be like.

Speaking of his own condition…

He stood up, once more taking his hood off to reveal his messy white hair. He didn't turn away, but his blood red eyes refused to meet any of theirs. He clasped his hands together in front of himself, his fingers fidgeting anxiously before speaking.

"Well umm… Miss Raziel. If it helps, I have a secret too. My name is Fenriz, and I… I… I'm a vampire". Whether or not this was what she was going to question him on he was uncertain, although something about her willingness to share her secret made him feel a bit more comfortable in trusting her with his.

"I'm not really certain what that means completely. I just know that I can't travel during the day, and it means that I have to drink… blood" Although he didn't much like answering questions, when he did he did so like a tsunami, giving much more detail than anyone had asked.

"I'm also… not a mage. I don't know any magic at all" he added on, as if this was equally as surprising. Though this latter half of his confession did however make him acutely aware that there was still a third among them.

"What about you?" Fen said to Frey, marching directly up to him, face turning as red as his eyes. His embarrassment stemming more from accidentally admitting that he essentially threatened Frey with nothing earlier. Uncomfortable with the situation, he decided to pepper the last of the trio with questions in a desperate attempt to deflect attention "How come we don't know your name? And what's with your weird arm, huh? Can you hold stuff with it? Does it break easily?"

Each question had a very slight accusatory tone to them.

His hand remained midair, half expectant as he waited for her to take it - to no avail. Eventually, upon coming to the conclusion that he was bound to stay that way a good while yet if he waited, the aerkai retracted the extended limb. Brows furrowed in consternation, he rose to his feet, just in time for the boy to arrive and startle the angel. Suspicions niggled at the back of the mage's mind, but for now he pushed them aside. Nine decades, huh? Really couldn't trust appearances. Then again, he was no different.

At the mention of a curse, he felt a shiver course the length of his spine. Something wasn't adding up, that much was clear. Even so, curses were tricky business, and the mage knew as much from personal experience. With a gulp, he made to speak, but Raziel's quiet voice halted him mid-thought. Curiosity further piqued, he lent an attentive ear. No matter how much he had already seen over the course of his travels, he was not prepared for what he heard next.

"You're blind," he echoed dully, brows lifting in surprise. One mystery solved, he supposed. "Hmm."

But there he kept the rest of his mulling to himself, leaving room for Fen to take the floor. It seemed, to all appearances, the boy had something important to say - who was he to deny him? And so, in a flash, that was two mysteries solved. Three, if one counted the admission of lacking magic a part of the equation. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Nor, soon, what he was seeing when Fen walked straight up to him and commenced assaulting him with questions.

For a fraction of a moment, his eyes narrowed at the tone Fen was taking. Giving pause, he had to remind himself Fen was (most likely) just a kid. Fine. "It simply had not come up before. My name is Frey. Happy now?" Evidently not, judging from the remainder of his questions. Bringing the skeletal limb in question level with his face, he flexed his fingers experimentally. "This thing is from a curse of my own. Was trying to defend a friend. I used more magic than I had reserves for."

Padding over to the edge of the bridge, he reached the skeletal arm over the water. A glowing violet circle began to form around it, spinning and readjusting until the runes within it aligned and locked. "Unlike you, I was not pretending earlier at being a mage." There was no bite to his tone, merely fact. As he worked, prying an aquatic plant from the depths and manipulating it to his whims, he grinned and continued: "I can hold stuff with it, yes, and no, it won't break easily. It's become rather useful, even if it sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. It can even detach!" He punctuated that revelation with a whimsical chuckle, unwilling to share whether or not he was speaking the truth.

Meanwhile, the plant he'd been manipulating had grown many times its size and adhered to the bridge, fashioned to form a ramp. "There. Your Zander should be able to rejoin us shortly now," he announced. His work finished, he turned back to his company.

"You two are a bit overly trusting of complete strangers though, aren't you?" He looked to Raziel first, then to Fenriz. "What if I meant you ill?" He shook his head. Naive… but it was nice to see that some people still saw some good in the world.  "You asked about the Silver Wheel earlier, and I'd advise you exercise more caution if you do make your way there - strange, unfortunate places like that tend to draw hunters looking to do right by the world. And word on the street is some of them don't like your kind much at all. They'd probably side eye an angel, too."

Then, with a small smile, he distanced himself from the edge of the bridge - wet dog smell was such a pain to be rid of, after all.

Without her promoting, the child answered the question. Raziel nodded knowingly, pieces falling into place, so she altered her question, saving it for a proper moment to inquire. Yet, he presented her with more than she asked for. Fenriz was not a mage. Was he just bluffimg, for personal defense? Puff up and appear big?

"So, all that about fighting was a ruse? Nothing was going to happen?" Den then proceeded to proper the other with questions, accusatkry. While Raziel could pipe in how it wasn't nice to accuse, it was not her place to correct the boy. Another question came when Frey's "weird arm" came up. What was wrong with his arm?

She blushed when things were turned back to her, and Fenriz. There was so much to say, to ask. Turning away, she whistled two high and long, one low and short. In response, the water splashes began to get closer as the wolf turned around. "To start things, I have never been away from home alone. My… Disability makes my people protective. But my mother…" Her throat closed on the word, causing her voice to break momentarily. "Insisted. I'm to find someone named Gabe and Rammie. You don't happen to know anyone, would you?"

Zander managed to come back into the bridge, shaking himself vigorously, sending showers upon any close to him. Reflexively,, Raziel threw up her hands with a laugh. "I'm sorry, but may i ask what is weird with your hand? And Fenriz… Born or turned? How old are you?"

Fen managed to calm himself down enough to actually take in Frey's response to his various inquiries. A few things stuck out to him as Frey spoke, his name of course being one of them. He personally felt the name Frey was kind of silly, but he didn't say it aloud. Secondly, and more importantly, how his arm came to be the way it is. Hearing him speak about trying to protect his friend sent another wave of guilt flowing through 

He snapped out of his own thoughts when Frey moved to the edge of the bridge. Fen stood behind him as he worked his magic, standing close enough to where he could see, but also cautiously keeping his distance, just in case. He watched silently, flipping between impressed and jealous the entire time, though never once taking his eyes off the spectacle. When Frey finished and turned back to them, Fen swung his head in a random direction, attempting to play at nonchalance. True to his nature, Fenriz had several responses to the information that Frey had granted him, but before he could voice any of them, Frey had started grilling the both of them.

The boy simmered for a moment, reflecting both on Frey's critique of their trusting nature, and his warning about the Silver Wheel. The latter caused him to blush a bit. Frey was right. He had been so careful about not sharing his secret with other people, and yet for some reason, he felt it okay to tell these two that he had just met. 

"Well Mister Frey" he started, mulling over his statement as he spoke "You didn't attack me, even when I said I would light you on fire. You said it yourself that most people wouldn't take that well. Besides, you got your weird arm trying to protect a friend, right? I think that makes you one of the good guys, and that's the important thing"

He finished his evaluation of Frey with a wide smile. Growing increasingly comfortable with his present company, he allowed his hands to rest on the back of his head. Yet, still nagging at the back of his mind was Frey's warning of the Silver Wheel. In the time that he had spent traveling alone up until now, he had grown quite adept at weaving in and out of locations unnoticed. Whether he was there to gather information, safely rest away the daylight hours, or take care of the less pleasant aspect of his vampiric nature, he was talented at coming and going with little trace. He had always thought that as long as he could hide from vampire hunters, he would never meet them. It never occurred to the young boy that he might inadvertently walk into their territory. And yet, he couldn't just not go, could he?

He sat on his own thoughts long enough for Raziel to speak up in his stead. Fen silently sifted through his memories, attempting to recall if he had ever bumped into the people she asked about. Unfortunately, he hadn't really "met" many people in a formal sense up until this very moment. If he had crossed paths with them, he wasn't aware.

"The names don't sound familiar" he said shaking his head "But isn't that kind of mean, to send someone out alone without being able to see? My mom never would do that. At least, not on purpose…"

He stirred uncomfortably when she questioned how exactly he had become a vampire. Placing a single finger on his cheek, he explained "I don't know. My parents always told me that I was just born a little different, but that one day I would grow to be just like they were. I turned ten this year, and on my birthday they told me that I had finally grown up enough to be just like them. My mom told me that they had set up a celebration for me, and led me to this room. Other than feeling really sick for a few days, that's all I remember until we got split up. I didn't even know anything had changed about me until… something bad happened"

He looked away from the both of them again, slowly walking over to one side of the bridge. He placed his chin on the highest part of the railing that it could reach, and allowed his arms to dangle forlornly over it.

Frey nodded, before sharply remembering Raziel would not be able to see him. He shook his head at himself. Would take some getting used to, but that didn't stop him feeling inhospitable just the slightest bit. "I for one had no intention of fighting so, aye, most likely nothing was going to happen." Just two boys being silly. Nothing more.

Then came the onslaught. It was half tempting to bristle and turn away, for the mage was not in the habit of entertaining personal questions, but… He'd always known he would have to start opening up if he wanted to make any progress on his quest. No time like the present to work on it. Others' insight had in the past proven too valuable to dismiss out of hand. And so, he answered best as he could, without gutting himself overmuch in the process. There still had to be some boundaries, some limits.

Fen's reply brought to Frey's face a gentle smile. For some reason, the boy increasingly reminded him of someone - someone with a boyish grin and a trusting-but-not-TOO-trusting attitude, and a flash of bright cyan hair - but he couldn't place who. That was both of these individuals now teasing memories at the back of his mind, and while part of him was grateful and hopeful both, another part of him was wholly terrified. Maybe there was a reason his memories had been buried so deep he couldn't reach them. Maybe he was better off that way. As Fen finished his assessment, Frey's smile faded just a tad.

"I don't know about 'good guys' but…" No, he wasn't quite selfless enough for that. "Suppose I don't consider myself one of the 'bad guys' either." For what it was worth. "My apologies, though. I did not mean to come off harsh. Us travelers must rely on our instincts, and it seems like yours are sound."

He, too, shook his head at Raziel's inquiry. "Never heard of them. I can keep an ear out though, if you like. Might get lucky and cross paths with them - or their names at the least - during my travels." It was the least he could do. And in the next instant, he was glad he had distanced himself some from the water's edge, albeit not quite enough. He was not spared the entirety of Zander's drying process. Regrettably.

It was with no mild surprise - and another sliver of remorse - that he looked down at the arm in question upon being asked about it. Right. She couldn't see that, either… Would she have the same reaction many a towns person had? Once upon a time (or whenever he didn't feel like dealing with people's crud) he had kept it covered. Not so much, these days. Maybe he cared less, or just couldn't be bothered. This, though - this was new. "It's, er. A skeletal arm." Best to be blunt about it. Maybe. "It still functions n' all. Just missing the fleshy bits that would constitute a normal arm, I'm afraid. Thanks to the aforementioned curse. That's all."

Next was Fen's turn, and Frey felt his stomach dip just a little. Oh, that sounded grim... Perhaps that was the lot of many a vampire but this was a kid. Just a boy. Keeping a respectful distance, he too approached the bridge and leaned on it, glancing skyward first, then at the sky's reflection below. "Do… you wish to talk about it?"

Then, recalling just a speck of tact, he added: "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Whether or not Fenriz wanted to talk about it was a tricky question. When Frey asked, he fervently shook his head. Despite his demeanor, the truth was, yes, a part of him greatly wanted to talk about it. The mental image of their mutilated corpses, his blood soaked hands and clothes, this was an image that was forever burned into his memory. But it wasn't just the incident, but all of it. So many questions trapped in the young boy's head about his very own existence: Why was he a vampire? How long would he be this way? Why did so many people seem to hate him just because of what he was? These weren't things that he constantly thought about, of course, but they were questions that always seemed to be swimming around in his subconscious. But who even had the answers to them? As far as he could tell, only his parents, and where they were was anyone's guess. 

So until the day came, that the Hallowthornes were reunited, if that day ever came, Fen was left with two options. Either constantly be haunted by these questions, or find someone else to speak to about it. Frey definitely seemed smart enough. And Raziel, even if she wasn't exceptionally well traveled, had been alive longer than he could literally imagine. They already knew of his condition, and seemed to be accepting of him despite it. But would it stay that way if they knew he had killed people before?

"I did… a very bad thing", he started, seemingly changing his mind. When Fenriz typically talked, especially among people he liked, it was very hasty, seldom giving much thought into what he had to say until after it had already been said. But this time he spoke slowly and softly, each word mentally hand-picked well before they left his mouth.

"But I didn't know that I did it, until after it was done. Some men attacked our home, my mom just told me to run. And I did. I ran far, far away. But when I got back home, mom and dad were gone. So I went to go find them. But they never had time to tell me that I had changed. After a while I just started to feel sleepy all the time, even at night. And I guess one night I must have just fallen asleep, because I don't remember anything. But when I woke up, I had… this family… they were…"

It was a verbal dance, waltzing around the incident without outright explaining what had happened. He trusted them enough, given all they had already shared this night, but the memory was still too painful to outright say. The snow haired child didn't budge from his spot, didn't turn to face the two to which he was speaking. He had lost the battle to not cry handily, tears streaming steadily from his face to the lake below. Though they likely could hear it in his voice, he was still a bit too proud to let them see it.

"Maybe you're not a bad guy, Mister Frey, but I think I am…" he wiped the tears from his face, only for them to be instantly replaced with more "Vampires are monsters"

That last statement echoed something he had overheard numerous times on his travels, to the point where even he had to wonder if there was some truth to it. A silence followed, before Fen turned back to them.

"I-I'm sorry, I got a little carried away" he presented them with perhaps his saddest smile yet "My mom used to say I talk maybe a little too much. You guys are looking for people too, right? Maybe we can go look for them together!"

Little Fenriz theorized her mother cruel for sending her blind daughter to find two people. Maybe he was right. Already, she has questioned the sanity of this quest she has been given. Who could ever expect a blind woman to find two people she never met without even a description of who she is to search for? When asked, her mother simply said “you know who they are.” But she didn’t, having never met a Gabe or a Rammie before in her life. Or had she?

As she listened intently, she felt more withdrawn than ever. Zander sensed her mental struggles and laid down with a huff, his wet head heavy in her lap. Absently, Raziel scratched behind his ear, wanting nothing more than to throw her arms around him and cry into his fur for the first time since she started this crazy journey. Although, the image of a skeletal arm was a bit humorous, a small flicker of light in a falling mood of sadness, it was a curious sight to think of. Yet, her mind could not quite picture things properly, since she had never felt a skeleton before. Were the bones super skinny?

Barely resisting the desire to feel her own arm to assist in her imaginings, Raziel did notice the fall of the mood for everyone. Knowing what she did about vampires, it was easy to picture the child in a room full of mangled corpses, scared and alone, horrified as well. Carefully, the angel stood, hand finding the rail and used it to guide herself to the child. Her hand rested upon the child’s shoulder, surprised to realize they were about the same height. ”You are not a monster, Fenriz. People say that out of prejudice, hatred for your kind. From what I hear, this is borne from the cruel, malicious monsters who use their status as a vampire to their advantage without care for consequence. But you regret what happened. Monsters don’t regret.”

She tried to present a smile, but her previous thoughts weighed down heavily upon her still. With a sigh, Raziel sighed, and gave a silent prayer that she could get through this without tears. ”And you’re right… My mother may have been cruel to send me alone. But she is…. Not doing well. She… This was her… Last request. The angels back home are… They’re doing all they can to keep her… Until I find them. Problem is, I don’t even know what they look like.” The angel was halting, not wanting to admit her mother was dying. Talking about her quest was an easy turn of the subject, which can hopefully turn them away from the harder subject. ”She said I knew them, but I’ve never met anyone with those names before. How can I find someone with a name alone? How many Gabe’s or Rammie’s do you think there are?”

A rare patience guided the mage, instinct warning him to wait even after the boy had so vehemently shaken his head - and this patience rewarded him with a tale just as grim as he'd imagined. Frey stood still as he listened, akin to a statue as he leaned against the railing and stared at his reflection whilst in contemplation of Fen's words. He did not look the boy's way, mindful of privacy and of his own probable lack of tact in this kind of situation. Only when Fen returned to them did Frey shift his glance, brows knitted in consternation but neither in fear nor in disgust.

"Miss Raziel is right," he interjected softly. He could have said more. Could have gone on about how Fenriz had clearly not been himself at the time. About how, as the angel had pointed out, he regretted what had happened. But he kept to himself for the time being, deferring to Raziel's kind words. Something about the whole of this nagged quietly at the back of his mind, but he could keep it for later. Better to move past the moment for now, let the boy gather his composure anew.

This newly returned topic of conversation could perhaps suit that quite well. "Hmm…" Scratching idly at nonexistent fuzz on his chin, brows furrowed in thought. "And you are searching at the same time for 'Gabriel' or any possible extensions of 'Rammie,' aye?" Just to be sure. "Were I to seek a person, specifically, I might look at heavily trafficked areas or persons of influence… Asking of those in the know may be a sound strategy… But, did she give you no clues at all?"

Then, with a couple quick coughs to clear his throat, he continued:

"I will say this much: you've already made it this far on your own, milady. Perhaps your mother was not so remiss in her faith in you and your task."

For a moment, his thoughts flashed back to his parents. In his head Fen could almost picture the scene clearly. His father at a loss for words, face worn with a hint of disappointment at his teary-eyed son, coming to tears in front of two people he barely knew. But overall demeanor more a stoic concern, as he mentally scrambled to put comforting thoughts to words. Inversely, his mother would have squeezed him so tight as if she was trying to dam up the tears on her own, before somehow verbally stating what his father was thinking. Just another reminder that they were gone, and no matter how hard it might be, he was going to have to carry on without them.

The thought alone brought it all rushing back, and surely enough, the child felt the overwhelming desire to simply cry all over again. This desire was quickly suppressed by a gentle hand landing on his shoulder, a hand that belonged to the lavender-haired angel. She offered some words, words his young mind did his best to reflect on. Words that Frey echoed, albeit with far less elegance. Although certainly a hand on the shoulder was no replacement for his mother's embrace, and Frey certainly lacked his father's… rigidness, the moment brought his thoughts back to home all the same. This time it was with a warm feeling of nostalgia, and suddenly all the fear of never seeing his parents again faded into memories of the time they had spent together, and thoughts about the long list of things he would have to tell them when they were reunited. Either forgetful of the knowledge she had just shared, or perhaps naively hopeful that the sentiment would transcend limitations, Fenriz offered Raziel a bright, warm grin.

"I-I guess you're right" he said. Whether or not regret was actually something monsters were incapable of, Fen couldn't say for certain, but certainly these two would know better than he would. Speaking of the other "And I guess you're right too, Mr. Frey. But I'm not sure it counts since Miss Raziel said it first" his tone blatantly teasing.

With his own gloomy mood temporarily quelled, the vampire felt a renewed desire to assist the angel with her task at hand. The trick was figuring out how. Upon learning that her mother wasn't feeling well, a twinge of guilt came over the boy, although this was gone as quickly as it came. Even if she was sick, that's no excuse to send her daughter out all on her own, especially given the apparent lack of useful information. Perhaps this was a harsh judgement on the child's part, but the greater subtext about her condition was lost on him.

"I think Mister Frey is trying to say you're doing pretty good so far". This time it was his turn to echo Frey. Fenriz spoke as if he was explaining to Raziel, although it was more for his own benefit, as he had gotten caught up on the word 'remiss'

Following off of Frey's questions, he added "Did your mom tell you a place to start looking? We could go there and ask people" he added, inadvertently involving both himself and Frey. He buried his chin in his hand "I think if anyone had heard of them they'd remember. At least I would remember if I met someone named Rammie…"

"If nothing else" he added with a youthful, prideful grin "We can always go somewhere with a lot of people. People tend to talk a lot when they think nobody is listening. I would know"

Frey opened her mind to the possibilities of longer names, her cheeks growing red with embarrassment. Why had she not thought of that herself? For being a century old, sometimes she wondered just how smart she truly was. ”No…” she replied meekly, committing his suggestions to memory. The blush deepened at the compliment, accompanied by her chin attempting to rest on her collarbone.

”Thank you,” her voice even softer than before. He was right, she had managed to leave the mountains safely, with very few problems. Of course, now that Fen seemed to perk up, he had his own suggestions to add to the mix. Raziel shook her head sadly. ”I’m afraid not, Fen. The only time she ever uttered the name Gabe, it was only in her dreams. Unfortunately, I am an apothecary, a healer; not a dream walker.”

Once, the angel tried to imagine what it would be like to walk through the dreams of others. Would she see what they saw? Could her mind’s eye see shape and color? But her mother caught wind and explained that active pursuit of such a skill robs people of their privacy. So the idea was abandoned long ago. ”Would you like to help me? I could use all the help I can get. Even if it is a letter, anything will help.”