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Strangers and Bloodletting (Vahn Seele x LaPieta)

A sob tries to escape through the cloth as she realizes her home is burning; all of it. The quilt she had made from pretty patches, gradually scrounged over the months from scraps the closest thing the town had to a noblewoman would sell after her dresses were made; the tools inherited from her mentor; the years of food and miscellaneous supplies she had built up and gathered over the years.

Her arms writhe against the bindings, a deep breath taken as the gag is taken.

"Not guilty. On what grounds do you propose the former?" Her voice is shaky, but clear, eyes turning icy as well. She does not vocalize the other thoughts playing for her mind: that they would not listen, they would use whatever they said to try and affirm their own conclusions, ignore all else, and justify her death by whatever twisted means would make sense for them.
 
Laurentius smiled, almost too wide, as he watched the way that Ospina vehemently argued against the claim of her crimes of being a witch. Whether she knew it or not, Ospina did not have a choice in the matter. She would be burnt on the pyre that night. There was a faint commotion from outside of the enclosed room, someone shouting about needing more oil or more lumber for the pyre.

"Not guilty. It's a shame. That claim almost always will warrant a bloody death." Laurentius said, sitting back in his chair. He was very calm as he thought on how to approach her refute to his listing of her crimes. "Your practice of 'medicine' is very closely tied to the satanic and darker arts practiced by other witches of your kind. While your wordings are different, there are enough similarities to base the claim the same. You use herbs, in place of spiritual healing. You live as a recluse from your own community, with none of them eager to share any sort of relation to you, even proximity." He said, leaning forward on his elbows, fingers folded under his chin.

"A confession, and repentance, would have earned you your life, though you do not deserve such kindness from anyone. Whatever services you feel you have given this village, you brought the stench of the night creatures here. The vampire, whether in your coven or a passerby, was drawn here by the familiarity of your darkness. I encourage you to try and argue against me, but I warn you that I am not a man easily swayed, should you prefer to save your breath to pray for vengeance and safe passage to your personal hell." Laurentius was a cold man, and there was something off about him. Others had assumed it a personality quirk that one adjusted to over time, but Ospina would be able to see that his eyes held no life to them. There was also the fact that he lacked a pulse.
 
The too-wide smile unnerves her, another addition to the fear of imminent death. A deep breath is taken.

"I fail to see any similarities between the use of herbs and the dark arts; is a meal seasoned with rosemary satanic?" Her voice is laced with bare-suppressed sarcasm.

A weary sigh is given; she had no illusion that he would let her live, even if her defense were the absolute pinnacle of speechcraft and logic. But she must try, nevertheless.

"I acted as midwife for Rosa the weaver's two daughters; the youngest was a breech birth. Johann the cobbler has gout I had gotten to a manageable state. Lorenz the carpenter would have died if I was not there to tend to his broken leg. Marcus the veteran can sometimes sleep peacefully now thanks to my treatments. I could go on."

Her eyes lock with the soulless ones of Laurentius. "The people of Barovia may not want me around, but they have certainly benefitted from my services and are willing to utilize them. If you do not believe me; merely ask Rosa if her monthly courses still cause her agony. Or for Lorenz to show you the scar where his bone poked through his calf. If Marcus still dreams of Skallitz. You will see that they have allowed me close enough to utilize my services, at the very least."
 
Laurentius listened as she spoke, keeping his gaze still and observant of her. While it was obvious that he had already made up his mind on where things were going, he appeared to be going through the ritual as if it were an important matter. Ritual was everything to him, and he wouldn't dare break away from the basics of what had been laid out by the church.

"The people in which you speak do not have kind things to say about you. While you have treated their ills, you were not given any such testimony to prove your actions otherwise." He said, sitting back in his chair. She could probably predict where he was going with this, but it would still come across his lips anyways.

"Rather than torture you with the possibility that you might be able to scrounge up some allies in this village, I can assure you that Barovia has no eagerness to side with you over the church. Those that would speak for you remain silent in our presence." He spoke his words with a cruelty that led one to believe their silence was likely coerced or, perhaps, was truly their own silence to have.

"Once the sun has set, you will face your maker and answer for your crimes. Enjoy the silence while it lasts, Ospina of Barovia. What good deeds you might have sown here are wasted on flesh that is too weak to contain a conviction to the truth..." He said, standing up. "Unless..." There it was. "You can give me the vampire. His soulless body would be more adequate to burn than a youthful witch. His life is who we seek, and need not bar a 'witch' from her redemption for a soulless, blood-sucking leech with no value to life than the death he has left in his wake."
 
An almost-manic, desperate laugh escapes her: "Of course they'd stay silent. You'd burn anyone who dared oppose the course you've already taken. And god fucking forbid anyone attempts to change the status quo, no matter how monstrous it is, how horrible the regularly-perpetuated atrocities are."

The bitterness she had been suppressing for years roils up in this moment, the village she had cared for for years killing her. Hatred roils in her stomach. Hatred for the townsfolk, those that would see her dead for nothing, after all she had done for them. After treating and comforting and ameliorating nearly all of them. Those that would see her consigned to the void to satisfy their own primal need to vengeance.

But then her heart softens; they couldn't help it. They were scared and ignorant and frustrated. Another thought occurs to her, however; was that thought not condescending? The pinnacle of arrogance? Pretending they had less agency and thought than they did, holding them to lesser standards than she would hold herself, ascribing a false benevolence, and in doing so implicitly permit her fellow man to continue their wrongdoing?

His next question rings in her ears. She had to be better than those who would sell a fellow out to save themselves, if only so she could die with some scrap of self-respect. Arrogant as that reasoning may be.

"I don't know of any vampires."
 
Laurentius kept that same smile on his face throughout her miniature rant. She was right, and he wasn't going to argue that point with her. The church, and all of its members, would never let someone practice an art that was superior to their own. Prayer kept the people dumb, ignorant, seeking guidance from the powers of an invisible hand. While Laurentius would never admit to it publicly, he often found the church's methods of handling the masses to be entertaining. Keeping the foolish down, while allowing those skilled enough to rise the ranks of the church to truly understand what the world was like.

"It is a shame. I've often found medicine to be a practical thing, something the world would be better with than without. Being as your word is tainted, I'll leave you with a snippet of the truth that you might already know yourself." Laurentius said, leaning close across the table toward her in her bound chair.

"Ignorance is easier to control. While finding the occasional true witch is a good deed, keeping the ants busying themselves with meaningless knowledge, control is all the church wants. Your death will help to keep them dumb." He said, leaning back in his chair. "We'll find the vampire, without your help. He left quite a mess, but the daylight hours keep him from putting too much distance behind him. It is too bad that he will miss the show. It would be a nice preview for what we have in store for him."

Seeing that there was nothing left to discuss, Laurentius stood and walked away. "I'll see you at sunset." Laurentius said, closing the door behind him and getting the preparations sealed. She would be left alone in the room for hours, a guard standing by and waiting outside of the door in case she managed to find a way out.

When sunset began to come, kissing the sky with a mixture of orange and purple, her door would open again, a man in a black cloak coming do undo her bindings and take her to the pyre.
 
Ospina resists the urge to spit at his feet as he leaves, though why she resists is a mystery to her. Ingrained propiety? Some sense of wanting to die as dignified as one can? But death is never a dignified thing; hopefully the wood would be damp enough for her to die of smoke inhalation, rather than immolation.

She almost wishes she was an actual witch; it'd make her death marginally less pointless. And perhaps she'd be able to utilize such powers to escape, or at least curse her executioners with her dying breath, maybe the town. Dying curses always seemed to hold more power in stories.

Her head is held high, gaze guiltless as she is marched to the pyre; she knows that such composure will not last.
 
As the knight in the black cloak, face obscured from view, grabbed Ospina by her wrists, she would be led out of the small home and taken outside. There was a gathering of the villagers, some she might notice that were not in attendance. Those that knew she was not a witch, the ones she had personally helped, were nowhere to be found. As she was moved into the light of torches, there would be rocks flung at her, some sharp and striking her hard in the shoulders, chest and along her face. With her arms bound and held, she wouldn't be able to defend herself from the rocks that were hurled in her direction.

"Witch!" "Betrayer!" "Monster!"

The outcries were cruel, and were not close to the kindness that she had paid the village by her presence and her healing. As she was brought about, she would be met by a large pyre. a single stake standing out of the middle that was tall enough for her to be bound to. Alric and Laurentius were standing there, ready to witness what was unfolding before them. Laurentius would speak up, addressing the crowd as she was moved onto the pyre, wrists bound to the stake in a rough manner.

"You've all attested to the presence of a witch among you. Our swift investigation has led to your culprit, a witch going by the name of Ospina. She claims her magic is the act of natural healing and medicine, herbal and pure. We know this is not the case. Her practices have brought the plague of a creature of the night, a vampire, to feed upon you, to rob and terrify you."

Laurentius loved to talk, it would seem, making a true ceremony of what was happening. Torches were laid out near the pyre, the mixture of hay and wood layered so that it would burn swiftly, a faint smell of oil filling the air around it. There would be no chance of a fast death for Ospina. The fires would feast on her, something that Laurentius would make sure of.

"As is our charity, the church offers one final chance at redemption for any creature that bears sentience and soul. Ospina, will you seek redemption through the church, to devote your life to a better purpose than the life of witchcraft you have devoted yourself to?"

It was Ospina's chance to speak up, the heat of the torches looming dangerously close to the oil-soaked hay and lumber.
 
The girl cries out as the rocks hit at her, battering her chest, scratching her up and brusing her.

"I have participated in no witchcraft. I die innocent, and my blood is on your hands" She says simply. Not that they'd feel any guilt for killing her, in their minds they were perfectly right and justified.

The absence of those who truly know her is all she needs; she was not betrayed. The thought is enough comfort to let her accept her death. Maybe not peacefully, the fire would forbid that, but enough for her peace of mind, to free her from resentment. One lastlook is given to the sky, purple like a mottled bruise. The girl closes her eyes with a sad smile, sweat and a tear running down her face.
 
As Laurentius is putting on his show, making a spectacle of the burning of an innocent, one of the knights, clad fully in his armor, looks to the crowd curiously. Whether it was something that felt off, or a breeze that was blowing from the north, he's not able to catch his attention onto what is being said by Laurentius. It's then that his eyes catch in a glimmer of red among the crowd, a pair of crimson eyes that scream murder.

At about the time he would've shouted to Laurentius, a gray and silver furred wolf lunged from the shadows of a building, tackling the knight to the ground and promptly ripping flesh from throat. The torch he had held fell safely away, Laurentius and the crowd drawn to the gory sight as the knight screamed out before falling apart in a gasp of gurgles. The first wolf was joined by a second, all of them seeming to prioritize the knights with the torches above all else.

"Witch! She has taken the wolves to do her bidding!" Laurentius shouted, a look of confusion in his face as he looked out at the crowd, finding nothing but scared villagers running away.

Corinth climbed the pyre in the chaos, the smell of the oil keeping the feral blood crazed wolves at bay as they went for the easier targets that the knights and villagers made. "Don't you give up on living, Ospina." Corinth spoke, undoing her bindings and tossing her onto his shoulder. Corinth was wearing the familiar cloak that he had worn the first night that she had found him in the woods, the edges of it billowing out behind him as he ran at full speed away from the pyre. Kicking a torch leg on his way away, Corinth felt the heat as the pyre went up immediately, even as he was running out of the village square and into the forest.

Corinth didn't stop running until he was a good distance away, pulling off the trail and revealing the carriage and horse that he had stolen the night before. Setting Ospina down near the carriage to give her a support to lean on.
 
The ferocious growl that cuts through the air has her opening her eyes in an almost detached curiosity; just her luck that something would come to drag out her death.

A manic laugh escapes at the sight of the wolves chasing off the villagers, nipping at the heels of those who would lynch her. Her eyes calmly scan the crowd; death by rabid wolf would likely be quicker than burning, but then her eyes lock with Corinth's and she gasps in relief and joy. Her arms try and reach out to him, her savior. though she is bound.

Ospina is hefted over his shoulder before she can hug him tight, the wind brushing over her skin as they move at supernatural speeds away from the village; she has to keep her eyes squeezed shut lest the wind sting them.

Eventually, she is put down, the adrenaline beginning to wear off, letting the pains of the thrown stones beginning to lance through her. Her breath comes slow and rattling, but she wraps her arms around him, a sob of relief nearly splitting her in two.

"Corinth, thank you so much, thank you-" another sob, but she has to move, they have to get as far away as possible.

"I have a pack I stashed along my trap-line, it has my life's work, my mentor's life work. We don't have to go for it now, I can always come back at a later date, but I think the supplies in there will help us be able to get more distance without having to stop by another village."
 
Corinth was happy to see that Laurentius, the man he had seen giving the mock pity act toward Ospina, had not taken away her spirit. Ospina was strong, Corinth knew that, but there was only so much a person could handle until their mind and body would break. Thankfully, she was made of stronger resolve than that of the villagers and their hate.

"We can swing by that way. There are a few paths along the forest I found that would work. Once we have your things, we need to head far from here." He said, offering to help Ospina into the carriage. It was a small enough craft that it could navigate the more extreme terrain of back trails, It had a cloth covering that was low to the ground and flat. If Ospina were to look into it, she would see a human-sized open box with blankets stuffed into it. The lid to it was wrapped in cloth, with latches fashioned to lock it in place from the inside.

With the two of them taking their seat in the carriage. Corinth spurred the horse down one of the nearby trails, keeping his pace slow as he kept his ears toward the village to make sure that there were not any signs of the knights. They'd have no reason to think that Ospina would return to her burnt home. Regardless of the logic, the church was not the kind to take simple measures. While the wolves kept them busy, they'd be able to use the distraction to get back to her home.

As they moved along the trails, Corinth held Ospina close to his side with an arm around her shoulder, using his left hand to guide the horse down the various paths. "I guess this makes us even, doesn't it?"
 
The girl gladly takes his help into the carriage, battered as she is. She smiles and leans into him as they cut through the forest, taking comfort in his touch.

"I suppose it does! Would you... do you want to continue travelling together? I'd very much like to, but I understand if you'd prefer not to; you'd likely be able to cover far more ground far more quickly and safely without me."

"There's a map in the pack, we can determine where-" her sentence ends in a wince as she breathes a bit too deeply, the bruised rib making itself known. Thank god it wasn't broken at least, else she end up waylaid for months. Ospina hopes beyond hope that he'd want to keep travelling with her; she couldn't stand the thought of being alone again, the whole world against h

"Where we wanna go and what paths to take. Oh, there we are!" She points out, limping off of the carriage to gather her pack, back to the carriage where she rolls out the map for her and Corinth to peruse while they travel.

"Okay, the way I see it, we have three potential options. There's Luskan, it's a port city so we may be able to get out of the country once we're there, but there's little forest cover and few villages between here and there, so we'd be pretty exposed to any hunters, supplies would be scarce, and it's a heck of a trek. There's a smaller village called Vallaki, it's on the way to Talbrean, pretty wooded, but they're along the road network that goes through Barovia, so news about us may get there quickly. And then there's Birchwood; they're quite isolated, good forest cover, far from most road networks. No one really goes there, so our entry will not be inconspicuous, but perhaps a life could be made there. Strange rumors surround them, but nothing concrete."
 
When the question came up about traveling together, Corinth gestured with a thumb toward the back of the carriage. "Already thought of that. During the day, I can seal that container closed from the inside. With the light being blocked out by the cloth, as well as the covering of the carriage, I'll be fine to travel with you by day." Corinth said, giving her shoulders a comforting little squeeze.

At the guided exclamation, Corinth moved the carriage to draw them toward the hollow log she had hidden the pack inside of. Once she was back on the seat beside him, Corinth looked over the map. Tracing his fingers against one of the trails, Corinth looked at the name of one of the villages she had mentioned. "Birchwood seems a good spot, if we are looking to hide in a village that is isolated. There's no guarantee of us ever being able to settle down, as the church will look for the both of us now. That said, my bet would be to either go toward Luskan, cash in some favors I am owed there and leave, or we could go to Birchwood and see if we can try to give ourselves some peace while we work to make a more informed decision. Going out of the country, while a good option, throws a lot of uncertainty our way. Small steps would be my vote." Corinth said, looking to Ospina as he gauged her reaction.

"What do you think? Take a stop in Birchwood, see what kind of life we could have there, even in the short term, or rush to the port and flee?" Corinth asked, curious what kind of life that Ospina wanted to lead now that she was a fugitive of the church.
 
"Oh, that's a good idea! We can cover more ground if we take shifts when driving, the one resting while the other drives."

"I'm inclined towards Luskan as well; the more distance between us and here the better. But I don't think there's enough wildlife or forageable forest between here and there for the journey to keep us both fed. Birchwood's not too much a diversion though, I reckon we can linger there while we build up enough of a surplus to make the journey. Worse case scenario we make a temporary gathering camp either on the outskirts of the village or deeper in the woods depending on how accepting of us they are."

She pauses as a thought occurs to her.

"There is also the option of going deeper and deeper into the Darkwood, setting up a new life there, independent of and away from everything. But complete self sufficiency and isolation, particularly without a good starting point is hard and carries its share of risks."

A blush paints her cheeks: "I'm sorry, I'm being presumptuous, travelling with someone is much less of an ask than building a life together. I'm not even certain what sort of life you want to live."
 
Corinth listened as Ospina began to spin the tangents. There was a lot of things to consider, and the hardest part of all of it was going to be the two of them finding a way to live. With the church hot on their trail, the two didn't have a lot of options. The port cities wouldn't offer much shelter for them, while a secluded life in the forest would be hard to start, but potentially viable within a few seasons. With Corinth's vampiric strength, and Ospina's knowledge of making a home, the two could find a stable life, eventually.

"I think that you may have the better idea, with us making a home in the forest. While we wouldn't be able to hide from the church forever, we could use the time in the forest to gather enough money to secure boat passage. I could work on gathering the debts I am owed by merchants, while also selling things that we have no use for in the forest." Corinth said, his smile small but present on his face.

If he committed to this, Corinth wouldn't be able to find his sister. Then again, she was immortal, just like him. There would be time to find her someday. "We'll have to be mindful of the horse. Running an animal day and night would be bad, so we will have to find a balance that works." He said, stating the obvious. "Shall we head to Birchwood, then?" Corinth asked, smiling to Ospina.

As he asked the question, Corinth drew close to her and pressed his lips against her cheek, his cool touch spreading through her skin for a moment as he drew back, smiling wider as he waited for an answer.
 
She nods along; the course of action did make sense, furs and herbs and other forage from the forest could easily be sold; she had less marketable skills in a city environment than in a more agrarian area.

Her breath hitches in delight as he kisses her cheek; an urge arises that she seizes upon. Opsina takes his face in both her hands, bringing him to look at her as she places her lips upon his, lingering there as long as she can before she must separate, lest they crash into a tree.

"Thank you Corinth. I'm happy I met you."

The girl blushes and turns her head, moving to pet the the horse as something to look occupies by. And for the sake of petting the hardworking thing.

"Sounds like a plan to me! To Birchwood we go!"

The girl helps navigate as best she can; the encroaching nightfall makes it difficult for her to make out much of the trail, but the map and compass are still discernible. A lanternt hung in front of the carriage, but lighting it may bring unwanted attention.
 
Corinth felt the pull to deepen the embrace, her hands forcing his lips to meet hers. The gesture made Corinth smile as he let her hold the kiss, only opening his eyes when he felt that they had been closed for too long and the horse had not been guided properly.

"I'm happy that I met you, save for getting you nearly burned at the stake. That part is not something i will fondly remember." He said, sighing as he settled back against the carriage. His eyes were able to see things a little better than her, and Corinth did his best to steer them in a path toward the best direction of Birchwood. After traveling for the better part of an hour in the dark, Corinth drew his gaze up to the sky, finding that the lack of moonlight was not very helpful.

"Ospina, you're free to get some rest while I take us far down the path. If we put a few hours between us and the church, we should be able to sleep a little easier. The church doesn't have a presence in Birchwood, last I checked, and we are a few days away from them." Corinth said, curious to get her response.

Even as he talked, Corinth continued to guide the horse along, not eager to increase the pace of their trek until he had better visibility. Even with his enhanced senses, there were still blind spots that even he had to be careful of.
 
She nods; much of her day had been spent either running through the woods or sweating in the interrogation room.

"Okay, and once it's day I think we can either stop to gather food and water while letting the rest and graze, or push the poor boy a bit more, depending on how much ground we cover."

Ospina kisses him on his temple before handing off the map and compass, climbing to the back of the carriage.

"G'night Corinth."

A small meal of hard tack and jerky is had, as is some water from the packed waterskin, before she moves to lie down. Some blankets are taken from the onlong box, her backpack used as a pillow as she snuggles next to the coffin. Soon the thundering hoofbeats and the creaking of the wheels meld to a rhythm, a soothing pattern that sends her weary mind to sleep.
 
Corinth gave Ospina a nod, taking the map and compass. The idea was favorable, and they had the advantage of being able to run day and night. If they couldn't put distance between them and Laurentius, then they were definitely dealing with something supernatural. The feeling that Corinth had gotten from Laurentius lingered in his mind. His thoughts were drug from the memory as he felt Ospina's warm lips against his temple. "Good night, Ospina." He said, listening as she began to make herself comfortable in the back of the carriage.

With Corinth taking the reins and focusing on the map, he tried his best to navigate the horse down the dark paths. With as little moonlight as there was creeping through the canopy of the trees, there was only so much that even he could see. Between squinting at the map and keeping an eye on the horse's path, Corinth had a lot to split his time between. Soon enough, though, the path would open as it dumped them onto a larger, more driven path that matched one of the major roads that he recognized on the map. With a quick inspection of both directions, the path appeared as clear as it could be.

With some confidence, Corinth righted the horse in the proper direction to take them toward Birchwood and leaned back in his seat. Even as he was calm, Corinth knew that the church wouldn't ever let up. They'd bide their time, waiting for the two to slip up, leaving some trace of themselves to be tracked. As it was, there wasn't much they could do for the horse marks, but those would fade within a day or two.

After a few more hours of trotting along, Corinth felt the nearing of dawn and drew the carriage to the side, reaching out to give the poor horse a comforting pat. "You did well. We'll try not to overwork you." Corinth said, setting the reins on the seat before moving toward the back of the carriage. Moving into the back carriage, Corinth smiled as he reached out, giving Ospina's shoulder a light shake. "Hey, sleepyhead. Time to get up." He said, glancing around before looking to her to see if he woken her or not.
 
Images of lapping flames run through her dreams, the haunting gaze of Laurentius. But she is soon shaken out of it, her pains coming to the forefront now that she is awake and there is no more adrenaline in her system.

"Mm, being awake hurts though." Still, she sits up and reluctantly forces herself awake.

The girl ensures Corinth is settled before pulling an apple from her pack and feeding it to the weary horse. Sure it could graze andshe was taking from her food supply, but the poor thing would be working far harder than them and deserved a treat.

"Do you think I should get us further, or let the horse rest while I forage? I have enough food and water packed for a few more days, but I'm unsure how often you need to eat, and I don't have anything of that nature packed."
 
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