Fondness for an Ancient Warrior

Fondness for an Ancient Warrior Part 1

Aro had decided he had had enough of Caius' temper tantrums and fits of depression. Ever since Athenodora had left him, he was angrier than usual. When he found out about her demise, he went into mourning that included lots of wailing in between fits of anger and bouts of silence. Calling Caius into his office, Aro waited for his brother to sit. He watched as the blonde vampire sat brooding, his elbow resting on the arm of the couch, his fist holding up his chin. He never even gave Aro a glance. Sitting next to Caius, Aro placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Brother, I know how difficult this has been for you, but there is nothing to be done for it. You're in a deeper depression than our brother Marcus. At least he doesn't threaten to destroy the castle's furnishings on a daily basis." In his touch, he sensed conflicting emotions in Caius. Hurt, anger, sorrow, bitterness, and fear. "Perhaps you should go on sabbatical, brother. Leave Volterra. Go far away. Take the time to think and meditate. We will be here when you feel you're ready to return home."

When Aro was told Caius had departed, he gave an unnecessary sigh of relief. At last there would be peace in the castle.

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Caius was in his sports car, typically driving over the local speed limit. Why should he follow human-set speed limits anyway. His enhanced reflexes made it impossible for him to lose control, while not fearing physical damage even if he did crash.

He found the country roads had little traffic until one reached the city limits. Where those cars were outside the city was the mystery. They just seemed to appear out of nowhere, and then you were suddenly in the middle of a traffic jam with no way out. That was why Caius avoided any roads leading directly into larger cities.

While he was driving along one such road, he happened to see on the opposite side, a large field. He glanced over to see a woman riding on horseback. When he slowed down to watch her, it wasn't long before he came to admire her riding skill. She was galloping the length of the field, her dark hair streaming out behind her while her polished chestnut animal raced alongside the wood and wire fence abutting the road.

Intrigued, Caius sped ahead, then pulled a sharp U-turn, parking his car alongside the field. He got out and stood at the fence, watching the human while resting his arms on the top railing. She and her horse were magnificent together. Finally, he shouted to her.

Pulling up, the woman turned her horse in the direction of the voice. She raised her hand over her eyes, even though the sun was far from bright today. She saw a man standing by the fence. A creme-coloured sports car was parked behind him. As she studied him, she noticed he was wearing a pair of black jeans and a button-up black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows.

She kneed her horse as they headed to the fence. She was in no hurry, and it gave her more time to inspect this man who was watching her. His hair was as fair as fresh creme, his face noticeably pale but flawless. When she got closer, she noticed his eyes to be a medium blue. She had never seen a man who looked like him. He was beautiful. She stopped alongside the fence and looked down at him.

"Were you shouting at me?" she asked, one brow raised.

Caius looked around the field. "I see no one else here, so yes, I suppose I was shouting at you." He grinned, his teeth white even under the cloud-covered sun.

The woman laughed at the man's boldness, but she wasn't averse to speaking with him. Curiosity compelled her to know more. "What did you need?"

Caius smirked. If she only knew what he needed, and wanted. "I'm a rider too, and I just had to tell you I think you're very good." A stupid reply, he knew. Why would anyone pull over just to tell a stranger they rode a horse well.