Blood and Silver [slash]

Part 5 - Truth

They moved forward quickly. Early the next morning, Kelron was able to buy two horses and some supplies at one of the farms. The farmer, who knew the paladins, of course, didn't get suspicious; on the contrary, he pointed out to Kelron that a wandering young swordsman might find work at Castle Northwall. Kelron thanked him politely and took the way back toward the castle before he changed direction behind a hill to avoid any suspicion.

He met Silverian in a little cave underneath some old, gnarled trees. The vampire had made himself comfortable there and was sleeping soundly. Kelron had of course made haste to avoid leaving the vampire alone in daylight too long. They had already discussed during the previous night how to make their way as fast as possible, but if they only travelled at night, they had to hide well during the day. But first, they needed to get more distance between them and the castle, and Kelron had suggested that they continue to travel by daylight. Silverian had hesitated a bit before agreeing.

The paladin was still a bit baffled by the trust the vampire was putting in him. After all, Silverian had no guarantees that Kelron wouldn't just deliver him to the paladins. But of course, Kelron had no such intention. He took the oath he had sworn seriously, including his resolve to protect the creature that was still his enemy.

Kelron knotted the second horse's reigns at his own mount's tack before he carefully lifted the vampire up. Silverian was very light, thus it was no problem for the paladin to hold him in the saddle and continue the journey.

Kelron had just a vague direction to follow, but it was enough for the time being. He stopped only for short periods to eat and rest a bit, and as dusk fell, he was sure he had covered quite some distance. And even more importantly, he hadn't encountered anyone so far or spotted any pursuers.

The paladin noticed that Silverian was slowly awakening. He seemed to be disoriented for a moment, before he pulled down the hood he was wearing to hide his glowing hair and looked back at Kelron.

"I hope I was not too heavy for you?" he inquired.

"Not at all," Kelron replied and reigned in his horse. "But I think it'll be more comfortable if you ride on your own now."

"And there you are, worried about me once again," Silverian teased him and dismounted gracefully. He untied the reins of the second horse and mounted it in a fluid motion. "I would like to speed up our pace for a while, if you are not too tired."

"I'll survive another sleepless night," the paladin said. "Or rather, a sleepless day. It seems I'll have to adapt to your sleeping habits for a while longer."

Silverian smiled. "I appreciate that."

Then he drove his horse into a gallop and flew across the plain stretching before them.

Kelron followed him.

They stopped about two hours before dawn to rest for the day, when they had reached a little forest with a clear river. Kelron tended to the horses and ate some of the food. It was too risky to start a campfire, but it was warm enough that he didn't need one. Finally, he leaned against a tree and watched the vampire who had, despite the cold, decided to take a bath in the river to get rid of the dungeon's filth.