Tears can Blind you… Smiles can break you…
Chapter 10
"Well this is a fine mess," Brent sighed as he watched the women return to their homes and families.
"Shut up," you glared at him not wanting to be anywhere near him after the secret he had kept from you. It made you wonder what else he was hiding. That wasn't important at the moment though. Biting your lip you looked around the village wondering what to do next. *Where can we go... I have to find Oria some help or she'll die...* Then it hit you. "Of course," you said out loud and began walking.
Brent looked confused as he followed you, gently cradling Oria in his arms.
"Where are we goin-" but then it hit him as well as the church came into view. "You plan on taking them to the church?"
You didn't answer him. You were still too angry and hurt to even look at him. But it should have been obvious enough since that's the way you were headed. You reached the double doors and even though it was the middle of the night you knocked loudly hoping someone, anyone would answer to help these children.
After many long moments of waiting one of the doors creaked open and the face of the old priest peeked out at your group with quiet fear and then what seemed to be disbelief.
"Aiyana...?" He whispered, cautiously coming out to meet you. "You're alive?"
"Yes and talking now," you replied remembering that you had not been able to speak when you stayed with him.
The old priest looked like he might faint. "Praise the Morninglord... you can. Who have you brought with you?"
"We need help," you said showing him the children. "They are both ill and need your help right away."
"Yes of course, bring them in at once," he said leading you into the back rooms of the temple where you and Brent laid the sleeping children down.
"You should stay with them," Brent whispered as you began to walk back toward the door. "He may very well kill you if you go back..."
You looked up at him now, your eyes clear and like ice. "If you're so afraid of him then stay here yourself. I'm going back."
Brent knew there was no arguing with you. There never was since you wouldn't listen to reason. So all he could do now was follow you and hope that Strahd wasn't too angry. *He might even think it's funny...* Brent thought hopefully, but he knew in his heart he knew it was going to be bad...
You returned to the castle without incident. Nothing bothered you as you entered through the gates and went straight up the stairs and to the door of Strahd's study. You knew he'd be in there without a doubt so you walked in without even knocking. You were ready to face him, mad mood and all. Somehow you felt all too confident that he wouldn't hurt you.
The fire burning low in the fireplace casting eerie shadows on the walls. Strahd sat at the table in the room, hands folded in front of him, eyes closed, completely unmoving. You sat down in front of him, Brent standing behind you somewhere, waiting for the yelling to begin as you were sure he was well aware that you were there.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity of waiting he opened his eyes and looked down at you with the slightest hint of red in his eyes. You met him, stare for stare, your fear of him gone.
"Perhaps you need a lesson on what a vampire is," his first words were as he at last spoke.
"I'm perfectly aware of what a vampire is and what they do," you replied calmly, though your own anger wanting to seep through. "What you were doing... it is completely monstrous."
Strahd's eyes now flicked over to Brent. "Leave us."
"But, my lord-"
"I said to leave us," Strahd growled and Brent, with one final mourn filled glance towards you, left the room. Strahd rubbed his temples as he looked down at the table and sighed. "You were not meant to go into that room."
You shook your head and laughed. "So that makes things better? If I had never found out about it it would be alright? It would make you less evil?"
"I am not evil!" Strahd said angrily as he hit his fist against the table. "Everything I ever did was for you!"
Now you were confused. What had he ever done for you?
Strahd stood and walked over to you offering you his hand. "Come. I have something to show you."
Reluctantly you took his outstretched hand and let him lead you to a door in the study that you had never bothered to examine. Strahd said a few magic words and the door silently opened revealing a small room with a leather-bound book on a table. He led you inside the small room until you reached the other end where there was another fireplace.
You didn't understand why he had brought you into this room until you looked above the fireplace. You gasped at what you saw and felt lightheaded for it was a picture of a beautiful young girl in a white dress. What was amazing about this picture though was that the girl looked exactly like you...
"Shut up," you glared at him not wanting to be anywhere near him after the secret he had kept from you. It made you wonder what else he was hiding. That wasn't important at the moment though. Biting your lip you looked around the village wondering what to do next. *Where can we go... I have to find Oria some help or she'll die...* Then it hit you. "Of course," you said out loud and began walking.
Brent looked confused as he followed you, gently cradling Oria in his arms.
"Where are we goin-" but then it hit him as well as the church came into view. "You plan on taking them to the church?"
You didn't answer him. You were still too angry and hurt to even look at him. But it should have been obvious enough since that's the way you were headed. You reached the double doors and even though it was the middle of the night you knocked loudly hoping someone, anyone would answer to help these children.
After many long moments of waiting one of the doors creaked open and the face of the old priest peeked out at your group with quiet fear and then what seemed to be disbelief.
"Aiyana...?" He whispered, cautiously coming out to meet you. "You're alive?"
"Yes and talking now," you replied remembering that you had not been able to speak when you stayed with him.
The old priest looked like he might faint. "Praise the Morninglord... you can. Who have you brought with you?"
"We need help," you said showing him the children. "They are both ill and need your help right away."
"Yes of course, bring them in at once," he said leading you into the back rooms of the temple where you and Brent laid the sleeping children down.
"You should stay with them," Brent whispered as you began to walk back toward the door. "He may very well kill you if you go back..."
You looked up at him now, your eyes clear and like ice. "If you're so afraid of him then stay here yourself. I'm going back."
Brent knew there was no arguing with you. There never was since you wouldn't listen to reason. So all he could do now was follow you and hope that Strahd wasn't too angry. *He might even think it's funny...* Brent thought hopefully, but he knew in his heart he knew it was going to be bad...
You returned to the castle without incident. Nothing bothered you as you entered through the gates and went straight up the stairs and to the door of Strahd's study. You knew he'd be in there without a doubt so you walked in without even knocking. You were ready to face him, mad mood and all. Somehow you felt all too confident that he wouldn't hurt you.
The fire burning low in the fireplace casting eerie shadows on the walls. Strahd sat at the table in the room, hands folded in front of him, eyes closed, completely unmoving. You sat down in front of him, Brent standing behind you somewhere, waiting for the yelling to begin as you were sure he was well aware that you were there.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity of waiting he opened his eyes and looked down at you with the slightest hint of red in his eyes. You met him, stare for stare, your fear of him gone.
"Perhaps you need a lesson on what a vampire is," his first words were as he at last spoke.
"I'm perfectly aware of what a vampire is and what they do," you replied calmly, though your own anger wanting to seep through. "What you were doing... it is completely monstrous."
Strahd's eyes now flicked over to Brent. "Leave us."
"But, my lord-"
"I said to leave us," Strahd growled and Brent, with one final mourn filled glance towards you, left the room. Strahd rubbed his temples as he looked down at the table and sighed. "You were not meant to go into that room."
You shook your head and laughed. "So that makes things better? If I had never found out about it it would be alright? It would make you less evil?"
"I am not evil!" Strahd said angrily as he hit his fist against the table. "Everything I ever did was for you!"
Now you were confused. What had he ever done for you?
Strahd stood and walked over to you offering you his hand. "Come. I have something to show you."
Reluctantly you took his outstretched hand and let him lead you to a door in the study that you had never bothered to examine. Strahd said a few magic words and the door silently opened revealing a small room with a leather-bound book on a table. He led you inside the small room until you reached the other end where there was another fireplace.
You didn't understand why he had brought you into this room until you looked above the fireplace. You gasped at what you saw and felt lightheaded for it was a picture of a beautiful young girl in a white dress. What was amazing about this picture though was that the girl looked exactly like you...