At the Fire: Tenbul & Lara

At the fire with Tenbul, Lara realized she was hungry again-but not for blood, for the stew the little man was preparing over the fire. The savory aromas of mutton and the herbs that Tenbul sprinkled into the concoction caused her stomach to rumble. She felt almost human. Tenbul, sensing something was different, glanced at her. And then his eyes widened and he dropped the spoon he was using into the small kettle and rushed to where she was at.

“You have color in your cheeks!” He exclaimed. He touched her cheek, and she closed his eyes. He smelled of herbs and the dust from the desert.

“Your cheek is warm!” He exclaimed again. “Maybe the curse wore off…” Here, he trailed off. He furrowed his brow, and shook his head answering his question.

“No, Raven is very strong. This is a trick somehow. “

“But I am hungry, I feel sore and tired. I feel like me again!” Lara laughed then. Maybe there was hope after all.

“May I have some of that stew?”

Tenbul backed away from her then, and sat back down to attend to the stew. He eyed her warily and a little sadly.

“I don’t think it is as simple as that. Maybe you won’t be a vampire at all times of the day or night. Maybe the queen allowed for a brief respite, or maybe there is a hole in the spell somehow.”

Lara wanted to argue, but she was too weary from the excitement of the day and she fell asleep before she could try any of his delicious smelling stew.

When Lara awoke, she found she was chained again-with thicker chains that she could not break. She wasn’t frightened this time, and assumed she had turned vampire again. She smelled blood and looked to see if Tenbul had left her a snack. What she saw caused her cold, still heart to freeze even more. She saw Tenbul sprawled nearby with a wound on his neck. He wasn’t moving.

“Oh no.” She whispered. “Oh no oh no oh no.” She tried to reach him but couldn’t.

How did he chain me then?

Lara put her face in her hands and wailed. She could not reach him to help. He must have crawled away after she attacked him-to get away from her. Lara felt that with extreme effort and concentration she could break even these chains on her-but she only slumped to the cavern floor. She stared at the hurt and maybe dead man. A part of her wanted to finish him off and see if any more delicious blood could be found in him. She could taste his blood in her mouth. Part of her felt disgusted and repelled at the thought.

Lara wailed again.

You will pay for this, you bitch. I will kill you.