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Strangers and Bloodletting (Vahn Seele x LaPieta)

Ospina is finishing a sorry meal of mashed turnips as Corinth begins to awaken, his too-still form finally beginning to shift and move. Her own movements had begun to seem sluggish, having only had about a half hour of sleep in the last 36 hours.

"Good evening sleepyhead! Brought you some breakfast; should be there in the larder. When you're done, if you're feeling well enough to walk, we can perhaps check the trap line? I'd feel better with another person with me, the woods can get dangerous at night."

Among the available prey were a marten, a badger, a possum, a jackrabbit, and numerous squirrels. It had taken a good deal of her savings to acquire all the animals, and she suspected that the town believed her to be conducting profane rituals with the corpses; they would look for any excuse to "other" her. But surely it would pass, like all the other rumors eventually did whenever she did anything remotely out of their narrow view of the ordinary, only to be replaced by the next vicous slander. Such was life.
 
Corinth sat up and looked over to Ospina as she ate her meal, his crimson eyes not fully focused yet. "Evening." He said, not having much more that he could say at the moment. If his internal clock was working, the sun would be setting soon. This gave him some time to wake up, as well as inspect the wounds on his body.

At the mention of food, Corinth was a little surprised. Had she gone to get blood, so quickly? Standing up, he moved to where she had indicated, seeing a few animal carcasses laid out for him. Taking one of the squirrels, Corinth rolled it in his hand and examined it. Not freshly dead, likely within the last day or so.

"Do you happen to have a knife?" Corinth asked, going to take a seat on the bed he had woken up in. In a testing manner, he pressed his fingers against one of the spots along its side, poking into the fur and feeling his finger sink into meat, cool blood dotting the tip of his finger, but not flowing out. As long as there was not a hole in its circulatory system, Corinth could drain what blood was in the squirrel. If he had known she was going to go gather the carcasses, Corinth would have offered his assistance.
 
She nods, handing him both a kitchen knife and a scalpel; the latter would likely be better for making an incision, but the former may be needed given the amount of coagulation.

"When you're done eating as it were, I'm going to check your wounds, okay? Replace what poultices I can. Does garlic harm you? Wild garlic poultices may help, and I'm pretty much out of broadleaf plantain. Comfrey can work, it's just more suited for broken bones than wounds, so it's not ideal."

Ospina had indeed been careful in selecting the carcasses, making sure to select ones that had been killed via a snare or koolyomka trap; ones shot with arrows would hardly be useful in regards to containing blood.

"Oh! Also managed to get you some new clothes; I imagine you don't want to be wandering about the cold night in either blood-soaked rags or without a shirt."

Folded on the small table in the dining area is a simple set of clothes, a plain white shirt and black paints.
 
Corinth took the offered blades and set them aside. "Thank you." He said, setting to work stripping back a bit of the fur on the squirrel with the knife. Having a bit of experience with a knife, his movements were swift, only peeling back fur in his precision. Bare veins, uncut by the knife, were laid open as Corinth turned his gaze back to Ospina.

"Garlic is a myth. Vampires spread that rumor to hide true methods of harming us." He said, not feeding yet. Whether it was a self-conscious thing or not, Corinth didn't like the idea of trying to feed while having a conversation with her. Something about it seemed personal, or perhaps too animal-like to reveal during a human conversation.

Looking over at the clothes that she had bought, Corinth furrowed his brow. "You live modestly, on the outskirts of a village. While the kindness is appreciated, Ospina, I know these things cost you money." He said, a faint bit of guilt in his features. Corinth wanted to tell her not to do these things anymore, to force him on his way. Perhaps exile by trade was her own weakness, having her bleed herself dry in any manner possible, all to be of use to someone.

"Thank you." He said. letting his prior point die in the silence. With exposed flesh beneath fur, Corinth sank his fangs int the small veins and worked to extract what blood he could from the squirrel. The taste was cold and bland, just as he would have expected from an animal that died recently. He would have to make several hard pulls to draw the blood from the creature before moving to check if any had been left in another pathway of its circulatory system. When he had completely drained it of blood, sating his hunger for the moment, Corinth began to skin the animal, stripping the fur away and leaving only a small skeleton of meat. With a neat cut along its neck, he removed its head and looked to Ospina. "The meat is still valuable, if you want it." Corinth said, unsure what she planned to do with the remains of the squirrel he had stripped and drained.
 
The girl nods and gathers the wild garlic poultices, a fresh batch of sterilized bandages ready for when he was done eating, as it were. A shudder is suppressed at the sight of him exsanguinating the squirrel, its glassy eyes almost judgemental.

She gives a halfhearted smile and a shrug. "They did, but what use is money if not to acquire the things to help those in need? I don't want for much anymore anyways."

Ospina takes a carving knife and begins butchering the creature at the kitchen counter, separating the meat and miscellaneous edibles from the skeleton. This involved her being turned away so he may drain the rest of the creatures out of eyeshot, though the sounds still raises the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Yes, I can use some of the pelts for winter gloves, sell the rest to the tanner. The meat I'll be salting and smoking; it's always good to have a supply, especially for the winter."

Indeed, the larder and her kitchen cabinets were filled with any number of vegetables she had jarred herself, dried fruits, various jams and preserves, jerky, sausages, cheeses.

"Besides, I examined the arrows; they were solid silver. I should be able to recoup the costs by selling the heads, though I'll need to lie as to how I found them, if I'm unable to melt them down; metallurgy is not my specialty. Not every day one finds silver."
 
With Ospina setting to work on preparing the meat from the animal he had drained dry, Corinth would take the rabbit and squirrel, giving each the same level of treatment he had the first squirrel. The sound of stripping flesh and draining blood left squelching noises to echo off of the walls of the cottage, Corinth taking in enough blood to sate him for at least the night. It left some for tomorrow, or later that evening, depending on how active he would be with the walk that she had proposed to him earlier.

Wiping his mouth to remove any bit of the blood he had not caught with his tongue, Corinth left the skinned pelts of the animals in a small pile, offering her the last of the animals he would be consuming that night. "It would require a crucible, to melt the silver down into proper coins. Before I was turned, my father had a blacksmith that he would see often. I spent time working with one of his apprentices, learning a thing or two. It would take part of an evening to do, as well as access to a crucible, a forge and molds to reshape the metal." He said, watching her as she worked.

"I will find a way to repay your kindness. It may not be quick, but I will return the favors I owe you, Ospina." Corinth said, smiling at her as he watched her efforts to strip the usable meat from the carcasses he drained. "Do you often have visitors to your home here? I know you have a spare bed for treatment, but my worry comes from the chance of someone coming to pay you a visit during the day. If your windows are covered, and you do not allow someone in, will it bring problems for you?" He asked, again showing his concern for her over himself. Her attitude and personality were slowly rubbing off on him, both from her care and her willingness to be around him, even as he feeds.
 
"Ah, a shame. I'll hold off on selling them until you're well out of the area; I'll say I found them lodged in a tree in the woods. They'll likely grow worried and superstitious, the find some way to paint me as a either a hideous monster wearing a woman's skin or a concubine of the devil. Depends on their mood, really, but it'll eventually pass; it always does."

A part of her saddens greatly at the thought of his eventual departure; it seemes the supposed monster had treated her with more respect and kindness than the people she had lived beside for over a decade. But this place was too small for him to remain, too fearful;he had things he wanted to do and this place could offer him little but contempt.

"I don't tend to get visitors from the village unless they need me for a medical energency. But you are right in that they will likely react poorly if I were to refuse them entry."

The girl ponders what precautions she could take to ensure the safety of her patient and keep her home open to others in need.

"I was working on digging out a root cellar to the side of the house, but the work is hard and slow-going. I think that tomorrow I could dig enough out for a safe sleeping area, however. If somewgat uncomfortable."

She nods to confirm the plan to herself as the last of the animal meat is placed on the drying rack.

"You don't have to repay me anything if you're unable, but thank you. I'll be okay if you can't spare anything, and if you can, even the smallest thing would be greatly appreciated. Now let's take a look at those stitches."

Ospina sits him down on the bed and begins to carefully unwrap the bandages; now that he was no longer on death's door, her eyes linger on the chiseled expanse of his chest; her breath nearly hitches, a blush rising to her cheeks as her heartrate increases.

"You're healing well! Everything seems to be beginning to repair itself nicely; no signs of infection or swelling or particularly painful scarring, though it's still a bit early to tell."

The girl brushes away the thoughts; he was her patient, ogling him like this was taking terrible advantage of his state and the doctor-patient dynamic. Trying her best to remain clinical, she washes the area again, touches lingering perhaps a bit too long as the poultices are replaced, new bandages wrapped.

"You mentioned you sometimes worked with blacksmiths? What was your childhood like, if I may ask? Your father must have been well-off to have a personal smith."
 
The idea of selling the arrowheads as is was not a bad idea. He would have to look at them to make sure there were no identifying marks that would tie them back to the knights that had captured him. Something about the thought of drawing the knights to her home, knowing what they might do to get information on him, had a tension building in his chest. Simple villagers wouldn't be able to identify the markings, but there was always a risk when it came to dealing with the church and their knights.

"Before I go, if you would like, I can help you with digging up the cellar. As far as uncomfortable places, the stories of vampires in coffins rings a bit of truth for some. If I had to stay there, and I knew it wouldn't bring risk to you, I would be fine with it." He said. Corinth wanted to return something to her, to give back at least a little. To vanish in the night, leaving her with less than when he had arrived, would not be alright with Corinth.

With the focus of repayment being shifted to his healing, Corinth took a seat on the bed, the bandages coming off easily enough from his skin. The stitching on the slash would appear to be healing much faster than the ones where the arrows had been. It appeared that the silvered wounds were far slower in healing, regardless of how small they'd been in comparison to the wound that the sword had inflicted.

Corinth's focus would turn to her heartbeat, hearing it begin to race as she looked him over. Closing his eyes, Corinth tried to focus on saying and doing nothing, letting her do the work that she needed. Her slower pace of observing and placing the new wraps would not go unnoticed, Corinth recognizing what she felt.

Once the bandages were all smoothly applied to his skin, adhering well and working to heal the stitched wounds underneath, Corinth opened his eyes, fingers lightly gripping his knees. "You had mentioned going for a walk. If the sun is down, perhaps we should go do that, or, if you'd rather, I can let you stay here to rest. Tending to a creature of the night, while being from the day, cannot be good for your own health." He suggested, eyes locking onto hers. She'd probably ignore his idea, but it was an attempt, and that was the most he could make.
 
She beams at him as he offers to help dig the root cellar. "That'd be lovely, thank you! More than enough to pay me back since you feel the need to." She'd be able to significantly increase the amount of herbs and roots she could store in the long-term once the cellar was in place, and that very much appealed to the part of her that adored hoarding supplies.

"You're right; I should get some rest, but not until we empty the snares, okay? They can't snag more animals if they're filled and we don't empty them." A yawn is stifled as she stands to take a peek out the slightest crack of the door, ensuring Corinth was well away from any potential sunlight. Thankfully, the sun had set, leaving a warm summer night for their traversal.

"It's a beautiful night, a brisk walk and a bit of fresh air will be just the thing before a good night's sleep."

Ospina looks at the moon, full and bright and round as a coin, surrounded by pinpricks of light; a gentle breeze rustles the waves of her hair. She turns to face Corinth again, a blush painting her cheeks at the sight of him.

"I'll go make sure the chickens are back in their beds while you change, meet me outside when you're done."

And with that, she exits, the pine-scent of the forest drifting gently through the air.
 
Corinth smiled as he could see Ospina's face light up at the offer to dig out the cellar for her. With his increased strength, something like this would be an easy task. He only hoped that she had proper tools to be able to dig it out right. While he could do the work by hand, exerting himself too much with her bandages on him would not be proper repayment for the healing that she had offered to him up to this point.

Saying nothing as she agreed to get some rest, Corinth moved to where she could see out the door. While a vampire's sense of daytime was more keen, vampires knew better than to be cavalier about when the sun was up or down. Better to be safe than sorry. When the door opened, revealing a beautiful night, Corinth smiled at the smell of the pine trees, being treated to the sight of Ospina in the moonlight. The night that he had arrived there, Corinth had not been able to fully take in and appreciate her appearance. Even through all of their interaction thus far, there had never been a moment to stop and admire her. It was quite tragic, someone with such a beautiful body and soul outcast for a profession that only offered aid.

"I'll be out in a moment." He said, looking through the clothes that she had provided. There were brown pants with a faded green shirt, along with gray socks and a black cloak that had a red line of string to help fasten it around the neck. Stripping out of his blood-stained pants, Corinth pulled on the clothes with a careful effort, not wanting to undo the bandages that she had placed along his back. Slipping on his black boots, those thankfully still in good shape, Corinth looked himself over. While he was a mixture of mismatched colors, the attire was suitable for now.

Stepping outside, Corinth left the black hood of his cloak laying across the back of his shoulders, the moonlight catching along his mess of vibrant red hair. The movement of the wind in his hair gave it the appearance of being alive, Corinth looking to see where Ospina had gone off to. She had mentioned checking on the chickens, Corinth realizing he had not set foot outside of her home in nearly 24 hours. Perhaps now was the time to figure out the lay of the land.
 
By the time Corinth exits, she had finished wrangling Henrietta back to the hutch; poor thing would get snatched by a fox one day with how often she snuck out of the coop.

Thankfully the moonlight was bright enough to break through the canopy of trees, enough to guide their way; Ospina's lantern had been lost along with her basket when she encountered Corinth.

She returns to the front of the cottage, her walking companion awaiting. His hair looked somewhat like a crackling fire with how the wind tousled the vibrant red locks, and hecut quite the figure, even in clothes as humble as those.

Ospina blushes in embarassmwnr at what she perceived to be the plainness of her appearance, oblivious to the almost ethereal cast the moonlight gave her. The pale blue of her dress nearly glowed. accentuating the brighter blue of her eyes as her hair seems to move in waves with the wind. Even the chestnut brown of her hair had a silvery look to it in the moonlight, like light over rushing river.

"Ready when you are! I'm just going to check the snares before I rest, but you're welcome to continue walking or doing what you like once I'm asleep. Just be careful if you near the village."

Ospina begins leading him to the first trap, one she kept by her fish traps in the stream.

Recalling that he had dodged her question regarding his childhood, she asks again. If he outright refused, she would no longer pry, as everyonehad a right to privacy.

"May I ask about your childhood? You mentioned your father having a personal smith whose apprentice you'd work with. Was he a knight? Perhaps a lord of sorts?"
 
As Corinth took in Ospina's details in the moonlight, he slowly approached, drawing his eyes away to look toward the sky before drawing them back down to her blue eyes. "I'm as ready as I can be. I'll need you to show me the root cellar area before you can get any rest, though." He said, following alongside her toward the trail that would lead to the first snare along her path.

The wind had a chill in it that was signalling the coming winter. Corinth hoped that he wouldn't have to worry about traveling in the winter, possibly finding a quiet spot to relax for the winter. Scanning his eyes along the path, Corinth looked over to Ospina at the question. "My father was a merchant. We would travel around the region, looking for items to buy and sell for profit. The smith wasn't so much a personal one, more of he preferred his work over anyone else's." Corinth said, explaining a bit of detail that he had left out from the brief mention earlier.

"My father wasn't always on the road, thankfully, as he took on the trade of being a merchant later in my teenage years. My sister and I would sometimes travel with him, if he was going to be gone for more than a month. It was cheaper that we tag along, rather than being watched by someone and owing a huge favor." Corinth said, his lips frowning at the edges as he mentioned his sister. "I was meant to take his place when he passed on. I picked up his route after he died when I was 19." Corinth said, speaking no further on the subject than that.

The faint vision of his sister, his elder by two years, appeared as if she were standing in the path nearby, waiting for him. Corinth knew it was not her, merely a torturous vision.
 
"Makes sense, favors are a valuable commodity in that trade, and it let you all remain together."

Ospina smiles as they walk, the chirping of sleepy birds and the hooting of waking owls providing fine company. Not quite as fine as her walking companion, but still helping in their own way.

"Did you and your sister get along? I have three sisters, two older, one younger. Well, last I was informed at least. I miss them dearly."

The trap was empty, alas, as were the fishing baskets. Not unusual, but disappointing nonetheless. A stiff breeze travels over the water, wracking her with a shiver.
 
Corinth had been tactful about not mentioning some details about how old he was when he was turned. He, also, had taken great care to mention as little about his sister as he could manage. The memory of her was one he had never truly forgotten, even if it had been years ago.

At the question of his relationship with his sister, Corinth gave a nod. "We were inseparable. We had grown up together, me working with my father and her taking time to learn from our mother. When our mother died of disease, my sister took it the hardest. It took a few years, but she managed to get to a point of acceptance. She wanted to accompany me on the trade routes, to learn the work as I had and start her own route. The home maker life was not for her." Corinth said.

The mention of her sisters had Corinth curious. As he was about to answer, he saw the wind cut through her and send a deep shiver, Corinth reaching up and undoing the knot that held his cloak in place. Holding out the black cloak, Corinth laid it over Ospina's shoulders, letting her take hold of it before he let his hands drop from her shoulders. "Do you not visit your siblings? Surely they would entertain the thought of having a healer among the family, living near and tending to their ailments when they come along." Corinth said, saying nothing of his gesture to help cover her shoulders with his cloak she had bought him.
 
"I'm glad she managed to make her way as a merchant; I hope she's doing well."

Ospina turns and smiles brightly at Corinth as the cloak is wrapped around her, reveling in the brief contact of his hands on her shoulders; she snuggles into it; even though it had only been with him for a short time, his scent lingered in the threads. She resists the urge to snuggle more deeply into it at the realization.

"I would if they let me. The journey to Talbrean is a long and dangerous one, but aside from that, when I tried to visit the family manor I was turned away at the gates. Forcibly kicked out when I pressed further; the bruises took a while to heal after that."

The next trap was equally empty, located somewhat deeper into the woods that lined the south edge of Barovia.

"I still send letters, though I doubt my sisters receive them. They're probably spun some tale about iniquities I've supposedly committed; they likely think I've become a lady of ill repute in some dockside tavern. Thank goodness it didn't come to that, though I'll admit I came too close to that for comfort."

Sorrow sags her frame as they continue, her gait fatigued with the lack of sleep. Just a few more traps. Perhaps they could stop for a rest at the hilled clearing; the stars were so beautiful from that hill.
 
"I'd say she was a better merchant than me. When I was human, i had a kind heart and a bad eye for value. Bargains at the cost of a person's well-being didn't sit well with me. She was far more practical, always saying 'If they didn't want to buy it, then why have the coin in hand?' I couldn't argue with the sentiment, but I could never adopt it, mostly when it came to trading in towns that relied on barter more than coin." Corinth said, sighing as he walked with her.

The story of her family sounded to be quite sad. A family that wants nothing to do with each other is a dark thing. The notion that a person could cut out their own blood, without considering what it would do to the other person, had Corinth wondering if he should ask for more. He thought better of it, though, as he did not want to have her prying into his own stories. She'd given him the courtesy of speaking when he was comfortable, and he should give her the same.

Noticing the wavering in her gait, Corinth moved to place his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to lean against him as they walked. "The only ill-repute that you have garnered in your time here is harboring a vampire, and that is only perceived as such by the eyes of the world." Corinth said, smiling as he kept his eyes forward. "I find your efforts to be extraordinary, and deserving of respect. Anyone that cannot see the value that you have is a merchant who sells a diamond for a copper, merely because he doesn't want to be bothered to see past its blemishes."

Each trap had appeared to be empty along the way, and her steps were sporadic, leaving Corinth concerned and worried for her. She as pushing herself to do a task, not for herself he might suspect. "Shall I carry you back to the cottage? I can spend the night gathering your earnings and resetting any snares while you recover." He offered, uncertain that she'd take it.
 
She smiles as he explains his difficulty with the more unscrupulous side of mercantilism. "See? There's no way you're inherently evil with a heart like that."

Ospina does indeed end up leaning against him as they walk, more out of wanting more contact with him than need. Despite his unearthly chill, his arm around her, him at her side, it was all immensely comforting. For the first time in quite a while, she felt safe with someone.

"I'm sorry, I'm being a terrible physician, leaning on you like this." But she cannot bring herself to separate; he had such a beautiful smile; she hoped to see him smile more often.

A furious shade of red hits her cheeks at the flowery compliment; a few small stammering sounds are made before she can articulate a "thank you". She giggles at his offer to carry her, regaining some semblance of coherency.

"I don't think that'll quite be necessary, at least nothere's a grassy hill in this clearing here, let's get to the top and take a rest there, if you're feeling up to it. We can get a view of the village so you can see what it's like. Don't strain yourself with the climb though, if it feels too tough don't be afraid to stop."

She marches up, careful to allow him plenty of time for rests or a return if he felt the need. When she reaches the top, the expanse of land lies before them, miles and miles able to be seen in the clear night, the trees shadowy points. On the one side was dense forest, growing ever deeper and darker, opposite it was the treeline giving way to smooth and verdant cultivated fields.

"It's a bit tricky to see, but that's the village right there." Ospina points to a series of buildings, seemingly the size of children's blocks from this distance, dotted with a few bits of light. Simple buildings of daub walls and thatched straw roofs, not a one above two stories tall.

She moves to sit on the cool grass, then laying on her back to look upwards, beyond the village and to the stars.

"They're beautiful, aren't they? Their constancy is a comfort. Each in their season goes and returns, consistent in a way that clockwork can only aspire to be. Whatever goes on down here, they'll still be there, watching and burning bright."
 
Corinth gave a chuckle at her encouragement, as well as her self-depreciation over her physical fatigue. "Your patient keeps you up too late at night. If he keeps it up, you'll have to cut him loose, for your own sake." Corinth said, joking as he took any directions she indicated to get them toward the next snare to search.

At the mention of a hill to lie on and look up at the stars, Corinth raised a brow. There were a lot of pretty places in the world that he had seen. Of them all, Corinth never had a chance to truly enjoy them. Being there, with Ospina, it seemed the best time to let himself enjoy a moment.

"I think you'll be the one to have issues keeping up with me. I've gotten stronger over the last 24 hours. As I said, feeding and resting will usually do the trick. Your poultices speed it up, though, which I greatly appreciate." Corinth said, following alongside her toward the indicated hill that she wanted to take him to go see.

With some effort, the two managed to make it up the hill to where Ospina had indicated. For part of it, Corinth wouldn't proudly admit that he had become a bit winded. Feeding only on animals, and partially on her, hadn't truly restored his stamina quite yet. If he were to do as he had promised, digging out the root cellar for her, he'd have to be careful not to overwork himself. Both for the sake of his healing, and for the sake of not being drawn to drink from her again. Even now, as close as she was to him, Corinth could hear her heart beating in his ears, that steady drum calling to him to drink.

Looking out over the landscape, Corinth could see the small buildings she was talking about. They were really close to it, compared to the distance of most homes to cities in the region. Taking a seat to lie next to her in the grass, Corinth listened to her musings about the stars, their consistency and their stable nature. "There is a lot to be said for what the stars are. They never changed from the time I was human to... now." He said, trying to keep his point upbeat. "If I live long enough, they may soon change for me. Can't imagine I'd be staring at the stars for long, though. I've never been one for astronomy." Corinth said, closing his eyes as he listened to the rustle of the wind against the trees and grass, its chill warning of winter and attempting assault on the warmth of the living.
 
"I'm sure the people thousands of years before us stared at these same stars, and the people thousands of years after we've turned to dust will too. I don't think they'll be changing for you any time soon." Ospina tries to reassure him.

The pair continue to stargaze for a time, Ospina wrapping herself in the cloak like a warm blanket. It is peaceful and comfortable enough that her eyes begin to droop closed, her breathing and heartrate slowing as she drifts asleep. When it takes her fully, her head lolls to the side, chin brushing against Corinth's shoulder.m; there were no worries forher safety, not with him there.
 
The sentiment of what Ospina had to say did resonate with Corinth. The thought of turning to dust was quite literal in his case, with the sun having the power to turn him into a powder that the wind would carry in a matter of seconds. Corinth said nothing of this, though, as it was a thought that he knew Ospina would not be fond of hearing. She'd come to care for him quite a bit, and he felt something similar to her.

When the sound of her heart had begun to slow, her breathing becoming a passive sound as he knew she had begun to doze. Moving his arms, Corinth drew Ospina to lay against him, his eyes focused on the stars and the moon. Gauging the time that he had to lay with her like that, Corinth debated on his options. If he were to pick her up, he could carry her back to the cottage and tuck her in. She'd been kind to him, and he had the strength to carry her back. There was still plenty of time in the night, though, that he could wait at least a half hour for her to get some rest, in case she awoke the moment he went to lift her up.

Leaning over her, Corinth lightly pressed his lips to the top of her head, pressing his cheek against it and closing his eyes. If he could find a way to stay longer, Corinth would. Ospina was a rarity to find, someone who did not shrug away from him at the realization of what he was. Even if she showed her displeasure at the animal-like sounds of his feeding, she still tried.

If he stayed, though, Corinth wouldn't be able to find his sister. That was a hardship that had consumed a good bit of his vampire life. Could he give up on finding her to settle down with Ospina? Would Ospina even want that? These were thoughts that he'd have to shelf for now.
 
Ospina snuggles obliviously into Corinth as she is pulled into him, her slumber deep and dreamless; it would likely take a small earthquake to wake her at this point. Her own scent of lavender soap has begun to effect the cloak currently acting as her blanket, mixing with his own; a contented smile is painted on her face, even as she sleeps.
 
As Ospina continued to rest against his side, Corinth would wait at least a half hour. Once he was certain that there was no chance in waking her up, he moved to stand, helping to wrap the cloak around her in a warm bundle and curling an arm around her back and under her knees. With a bit of effort, as well as some strain on the bandages that were lining his back, Corinth walked back down the path that would take them back to her cottage.

The walk was fairly quiet, with Corinth hearing no signs of wolves as he had the night before. The blood that he had spilled from his body had probably drawn the predators to the path, the effects of the day removing his stain he had made from the ground. Stepping up to the cottage, Corinth carried Ospina inside and laid her down carefully on her bed. Tucking the white blanket underneath her chin, he leaned down and pressed a light kiss to the side of her cheek. "Sleep well, stargazer." He said, grinning as he stood up, walking out of the cottage.

Taking survey of her property, Corinth was able to find the root cellar she had been talking about, along with some basic tools to be able to construct it. With some effort, Corinth would be able to expand the root cellar by several feet on each side, making sure to check the makeshift ceiling of it for stability by tracing his hands along it. The grass above was strong enough that the roots would hold the dirt in place, but he made some effort to make the root cellar a bit nicer, smoothing out edges here and there to give it a proper polish.

Throughout the process, Corinth would have to stop and take a break, carefully going back inside on one trip to gather the remainder of the animal carcasses she had bought. With tool in hand, he stripped the remaining animals and drained them, filling his belly as best he could with the cold creatures. By the time he was done with the work he wanted, he had less than an hour to get back inside. Going to the stream, Corinth stripped and waded into the nearby stream, letting the flowing water wash away what dirt he had gathered on his lower body. With care, he washed his upper body with a cloth dipped in the cool stream, returning his skin to its polished white before he would need to get back inside. Drying off, slipping on at the least his pants and undergarments, Corinth stepped into the cottage and laid out all that he had done. Dirty clothes were laid at the side of his bed, stripped furs were added to the others from earlier that day. The meat was laid out in the larder, awaiting her knife to have it dried and salted.

Laying back on the patient bed, Corinth closed his eyes, his muscles aching from work and his fingers singing their own displeasure. It felt good, being this tired, the darkness of sleep taking him in seconds as he became still and left the world to awaken with the rising sun.
 
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Ospina's head turns to lean into Corinth's kiss, a wide, sleepy smile breaking across her face before she turns to nuzzle into the bedclothes.

When she awakens, it is not at night on a grassy hill as she expected, but back in her bed; it takes a while for her to truly awaken, but when she does she feel rested and languorous. She checks the corpse-still Corinth, transferring the quilt to wrap around him. A stray hair had fallen in front of his face, one she delicately takes to draw back behind his ear. The fruit of his labors was then noticed, the fur pile larger, the larder more stocked; it brings a smile to her face. From there, the hearth is rekindled with fresh firewood, a meal of black bread and soup devoured, and the rest of the meat is salted and cured for drying.

She gathers her and Corinth's clothes, her washboard, and a strong bar of home-made soap, infused with lavender she had gathered; a small luxury she allowed herself. On the way to the stream, she sees the used tools and checks the root cellar. Much larger! It seemed he had been far from idle in the night, and had more than paid her back, not that there was any need to. She just hoped the silly thing hadn't strained his stitches or over-exerted himself. Ospina continues down to the stream, laundry and supplies in tow. A bath would do her well, and a good deal of clothes needed a wash.

While Corinth worked and Ospina slept, the Inquisition was not idle. The regiment that had sent word of their devilish discovery did not arrive at the designated meeting point in time; thus, an investigation team was sent, led by Sir Laurentius, an ambitious and cunning young inquisitor, known for his thorough and implacable investigative techniques. It did not take long for them to find the site of the escape, nor the logs regarding the nature of the escapee. Their attention turns to the nearby forest; the light would be their ally.
 
As Corinth remained in his bed, resting underneath the softness of the blanket that she placed upon him, a group of knights, led by an inquisitor, would be searching among the forest near the escape of the vampire. One of the knights, a man by the name of Sir Alric Jondron, would be musing quietly to himself as he worked among his compatriots. There were spots that had been disturbed by the tracks of a powerful creature, along with the traces of what appeared to be wolf tracks. From what the group knew, creatures of this kind, vampires, were still far more unknown than they would have liked. If they could only get their hands on, and keep, a vampire, they could learn how to remove the evil from the land for good.

With the group of knights splitting off, Alric found a broken lantern, looking over the scene where the item had been found. Next to it, faint heavy tracks could be seen, with one side almost dragging its feet while the other set tried to keep a struggled pace. "Seems our friend found an ally." He said, musing to himself as the armor clad knight drew off his helmet. His hair was a deep brown, looking almost like slick oil in some instances of the light. His armor was adorned with crosses, denoting his loyalty to the church. His eyes were a piercing green, almost looking as if he were capable of looking through to a person's soul.

Following the trail, Alric slowly drew near a cottage in the woods, his brow raised. A home, in the middle of the forest? Its presence alone brought imagery of witches that they had burned at the stake to mind, Alric sighing at the thought of having discovered two problems to deal with. If a vampire had found a witch, the two were likely to be conspiring together.

Walking up to the cottage, the knight's armor would give him no air of silence. Looking around the home, he contemplated if anyone might be present to question. If he could get answers, Alric would be able to report back to the head of his squad, the Inquisitor Laurentius, gaining some favor to move up the ranks.
 
The clanking of armor makes itself obvious, even above the sound of the stream; her blood runs cold. She hadn't really asked about the people pursuing him, how he had gotten so badly injured. It just seemed irrelevant at the time, it hadn't quite occurred to her that his hunters may still be searching for him. More the fool her.

"Hello? I'm doing laundry by the stream if you'd like to talk; yell if it's urgent and I'll be right over." She calls out, loud and clear.

Ospina had to draw him away, keep him from investigating the shuttered house. If Corinth was found in his weakened state, it was over for him. She figures her best bet is to try and play cooperative, bluff whoever was looking for him into looking elsewhere.

The gentleman's clothes are hidden underneath the pile of her own; it wouldn't do for him to be questioning whose clothes those were. But if it came to it, it'd be easier to explain away those than the corpse-man lying in her bed.
 
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