Nightwalker Fan Fiction ❯ Bloody Moon ❯ Bloody Moon ( One-Shot )

The two young velassi sires watched their companion climb up the path to the Forbidden Caves with horror on their faces.

"Deikan, we aren't allowed to go up there!" one of them shouted.

The brown-haired, older youth turned and laughed. "What are you afraid of, old legends? Because I know it's not your father's scolding. Come on, live a little!"

The two exchanged uneasy glances, then turned back and ran back towards the dwellings below.

Deikan shook his head. "Cowards," he hissed once more, then resumed his climb up the steep path. He was sure there was nothing to be frightened of lurking inside the Forbidden Caves.

As he climbed, his path lighted by the full moon above, he wondered if there was some truth in all the legends, if there really was a velassi 'Executioner' living up there. But if there was, wouldn't he have to come down into the city? He surely needed nourishment... Or, for all he knew there had been no one going up to the caves (or coming down, for that matter) in a few centuries.

Sure, they had never found the body of the last sire that had dared go up the mountain - but that didn't mean anything!

Reaching the end of the path Deikan snorted again, stopping for a moment to look at the lights below. The city looked very nice from up there. Maybe he should come here more often. At least nobody would be bothering him - not his parents, not the flocking young sires, and not those stupid council members.

"Take a mate," they kept saying. Well, Deikan did not want a mate, nor did he want children. In fact, sprouting little brats was the last thing on his mind. What he wanted to do was leave this place, which for all its cold beauty he knew by heart, and travel the world. See distant places, like some of the velassi coming there now and again had.

His parents, of course, had been terrified by the idea. He had wondered then from whom he had inherited this wanderlust, since no one in his family seemed to have it.

Nor did the latest bunch of sires courting him, for that matter. The coward sods! They were still afraid to disobey those stupid rules of the council! Well, they would not keep him from having his little adventure that evening.

He watched the entrance to the Caves with fascination. Here was the only little bit of this realm which was still a mystery to him, after twenty five years in this place. And after he'd seen this one, he would find a way to escape, and the world would be his.

'But I can't do that with the fear of the Executioner following me, can I?' he reasoned. 'So I'll just go in here and make sure he's not real, first.'

Deikan lit the torch he had brought with him and went in.

The tunnel was narrow enough for only one person to pass through, and after a few dozen feet it began to gently slope down. Deikan followed it until he reached a small cavern where two different tunnels seemed to meet. One of them was blocked by a stone carved with strange symbols, and the other went deeper into the rock, the only alteration to the natural tunnel the steps carved into the floor.

Deikan's torch flickered as he followed these steps, careful as they grew a bit slippery. When he reached out to steady himself on the wall, his hand caught hold of an old wood banister, which creaked under his hand but did not break.

Finally he entered a vaulted chamber, rebel strands of moonlight flowing in through cracks in the high ceiling to reflect on a small lake. Looking around, Deikan discovered a few more torches set on their supports, and lit them too. And with the flickering light the cave came to life, limestone formations dropping from the ceiling and rising from the ground, sometimes uniting to form beautifully-moulded columns.

But there were other objects in this cave, made by human or velassi hands. Objects which did not belong in a place like this, which somehow disrupted the sight's impact on the mind of a young velassi.

Deikan drew closer to study them, two large lockers made of stone but with wood doors currently held closed by horizontally-placed metal bars, a stone-carved table with strange contraptions at each corner, and most amazing of all a stone sarcophagus.

Well, this meant that the cave had obviously been occupied, but there was no sign of recent activity. A layer of condensation covered everything, the wood of the lockers' doors was as old as the banister's had been, and the metal had rusted. Even the torches looked old, their light fainter then the one Deikan's emanated.

Still, the sarcophagus was intriguing. How had one brought it down there? It was far too wide to fit through the narrow tunnels. Had it been built there, or was there another tunnel Deikan did not know of that led to this cavern?

It, like the closed entryway above, was a mystery. And it too was covered in the strange symbols, now barely noticeable. Deikan couldn't help but draw closer and trace some of the lines with his fingers.

Yes, whoever had lived there had obviously left a long time ago. There was no Executioner in these caves... maybe Deikan should simply take residence up here for a while. He would get rid of that awful table, clear the lockers, and sleep in the sarcophagus. No one would come bother him, which was, in a word, perfect.

Letting his imagination run wild, he explored the rest of the place. The small lake was just a few inches deep, but seemed bottomless. There were a few niches in the walls, carved by hand, which could hold oil lamps, and more old torches. With a bit of work, the place could be made habitable, if one did not mind less comfort than the city's rooms offered.

However, there did not seem to be a secondary entrance - a clear disadvantage, in case one had to get away. In the books on architecture Deikan had read as well as in the city, houses always had a back entrance. And there were no windows to jump down from, either. But besides from that, everything seemed fine.

There was one place let to look, though. In order to be able to live here, one had to see the state one's "bed" was in. So the young velassi approached the sarcophagus again, decided to push the lid open. It took a bit of time to move it at first; it was a bit heavier than Deikan had thought, but not unbearably so.

Inch by inch, the lid moved; with the sarcophagus halfway-open, Deikan peered inside it...

... and right into a pair of glowing red eyes.

The poor velassi didn't even scream until he was halfway up the stairs. He hurried out of the caves, stumbling on the stairs and always looking back to see if he was pursued. It didn't seem so, but one was never too careful.

Reaching the upper corridor, he took a moment to rest. He'd dropped the torch back in the cave, but his sight was enough to find his way from this level. He had to get out of here, had to reach the safety of the city before whatever was down there caught up with him. Had to...

A flash of white in the darkness as he had looked back over his shoulder had him on the run again, this time thankfully faster because the tunnel to the outside world was moonlit. He faltered for a moment on the small plateau, drawing his breath. He could still feel a presence close by, someone watching him from the shadows, but thankfully whoever that person was he did no follow Deikan outside.

With a final glance to the dark entrance into the caves, the young velassi hurried down the path he had climbed to get there. There was no fucking way he would come back here again. Ever!

The fear he had felt diminished in the next few days. His parents had scolded him, of course. Thankfully they didn't know he had actually gone inside the Forbidden Caves, only that he had climbed up there in order to get rid of his suitors, something he did very often. Evading his suitors, that is.

Life wasn't easy for an unmated velassi father, and flocks of sires tried to capture one's attention. Unlike most fathers, Deikan hated it. He didn't see the point in taking a mate so early in his life. There was plenty of time for it, wasn't there? Besides, the suitors he had had could be divided in two categories: young and reckless, and old and patronizing. Not to mention that both groups were very annoying. Deikan had yet to see a sire that cared for something else besides having a pretty father at his side and hopefully start producing children as soon as possible. None of them had been interested in Deikan's opinions, or on what his plans for the future were. Not one. They wanted a mate who fitted a profile - attractive and obedient - and nothing else mattered to them.

Plus, the only gifts they seemed to bring were humans. And one thing Deikan really didn't like was the suggestion that he couldn't hunt for his own food. What the hell did these sires think he was, a helpless child?!

Well, he'd gotten rid of every single sire his parents and the council had thrown his way. Nobody wanted a rebellious father for a mate, and with those that had been more persistent he'd acted so jaded that they got tired of trying to capture his attention.

His older brother called him a spoiled brat. Deikan supposed that, compared to Takhi, he was. Takhi already had a mate and his first child, a young sire, had left his parents' home decades ago. The older father was the epitome of what the velassi saw as a proper mate; not to mention his mate, Edran, was now the youngest member of the velassi council.

Had it not been for that, perhaps the council would have not taken such a great interest in mating Deikan just yet. He was after all only two centuries old - quite young, by velassi standards.

When Deikan had asked his own father, Sorya, why everyone seemed to want him mated and with a belly up to his neck, the reply had been that such was the duty of a father. And when he had asked his sire... Deikan had the impression that Kleitos had expected him to be a sire, and that was why he'd been allowed such freedom as a child. But what was done was done, and they couldn't just take away that freedom now. So Kleitos' reply had been a shrug and an off-hand comment that it was not for Deikan to decide on such matters.

So Deikan did his best in trying to discourage any advances he may get, never accepted any gifts, and tried to look the complete opposite of what a father should be like. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not; but he had yet to find a young sire that would defy Kleitos' order to stay away. And if there was one thing Kleitos constantly did for his younger son, it was to order those Deikan had rejected to never come back.

Months passed, and the young father seemed to enjoy a brief respite as most of the unmated sires in the city had decided to leave him alone for the moment. Oh, there was still the occasional annoyance, but that was rare and Deikan really didn't bother to acknowledge it. He spent most of his time reading or playing his harp for his family. Takhi and Edran would come by occasionally, and he'd listen to yet another lecture as to not shun the sires that courted him, which he of course ignored. Sometimes he would even go gallivanting through the city, alone or with Sorya and Takhi. It was a nice enough experience - until he came along.

Not that Deikan knew who he was, not at all. In fact, he had no idea who this was, or why he was following Deikan's every move. But he did, and did it often; at first just an intruding presence, and then a few sightings of a figure hiding in shadows dark enough to mask his features.

Deikan had a stalker. A very good stalker, too, for no one except the young father had managed to sight him. When he'd told his parents, they had said it must be another sire trying to draw attention to himself by giving the impression of stalking Deikan. Edran had not been sure what to tell him, except that he shouldn't worry, for no one would attack him within his home, or in the city's perimeter.

The young father was not reassured. He did not like being stalked. But he endured, hoping that whoever it was, he would give up when he saw he wasn't acknowledged.

For a few days, it seemed that way. After three months of being followed, the stalker disappeared. Deikan was very happy. So happy, in fact, that he decided to keep Takhi company while Edran was in council and their parents were busy, and even managed to ignore the lustful stares of unmated sires that passed them by as they settled on a bench in one of the smaller courtyards.

He'd been most sociable that night... until he felt the presence again, and caught sight of the offender behind a colonnade, fair-haired and wearing dark clothing.

Deikan had had enough. He didn't care who this idiot was, but he was sick of being followed around. And he would show his displeasure very clearly.

Standing up, Deikan made his way toward the colonnade. The other noticed him coming, and did the obvious - tried to disappear. But Deikan couldn't let that happened, so he followed, regardless of his brother's alarmed look as he rushed out of the courtyard.

"Deikan, come back here!" Takhi shouted, but he ignored it. He was going to catch this mysterious stalker of his and make clear once and for all he did not appreciate the attention.

The chase led Deikan past the city limits and onto the vast expanse of snow-covered land beyond. It seemed the one he pursued took pleasure in this game, keeping out of sight most of the time. But then he would catch a spot of black on the white horizon, and hurry there just to find the fair-haired velassi gone. He would look around then, trying to find the faintest traces on the snow and would once again see the man waiting for him in the distance, so he would once again follow.

This game of hide and seek lasted for a couple of hours, until Deikan finally stopped at the edge of a frozen forest. He had never seen such tall trees before, and stared at them in awe. He had always asked himself what wonders lay beyond the city, and yet had never dared stray away from the others. But there he was now, miles away with no idea in which direction he had run, and yet he had already found something fascinating.

He was nearly lost in contemplation when he heard faint noises coming from beyond the first line of icicle-loaded evergreens. Grinning at the other's carelessness, he ventured towards their source, using the massive trunks to hide from his 'prey'.

Guided by the noises, he soon found his target - but it was not what he had hoped to find.

His stalker was not quite alone. Down on one knee, he was petting a large white wolf while two small balls of grey fur were playing in the snow nearby.

Deikan held his breath, overwhelmed by the simple beauty of this tableau. He had not known that wolves could be tamed, let alone that they would allow one so close to their offspring. He clung to the tree and watched the two cubs' antics, and could not help a little laugh at their clumsy movements.

This obviously caught the other velassi's attention, but he did not seem to mind. On the contrary, he beckoned for Deikan to come closer.

Something in that movement mirrored the way in which sires moved, going against what he could see of the other's body - middle height and slender, he could have easily passed for a father himself. But then again, he had seemed to move freely through the city whenever he liked, which was again something only sires were allowed to do.

There were a million reasons for Deikan not to obey him. Yet with a sharp intake of breath, he moved away from the tree, curiosity and fascination winning over the instinctual desire to flee. He wanted to speak, but the other raised a finger to his own lips, and when Deikan was close enough he held out his hand.

The young father took it, and allowed himself to be pulled down on his knees. The black-clad sire's hold was firm, yet strangely gentle, and silver eyes met Deikan's over the wolf's head as the animal had turned to sniff at this new arrival, showing just a hint of her fangs. Soon she calmed down though, and deciding that Deikan was no threat she left to play with her cubs.

He watched them for a while, quite aware of the sire's scrutiny. Yet they wandered away, and suddenly the other velassi stood up and smirked before running off again.

Cursing, Deikan followed him, out of the forest and across the plain once more, noting that this time there was no more play of hide and seek. The other simply ran ahead, allowing Deikan to follow at a close distance and merely laughing at the young father's summons to stop.

It was less than two marks until sunrise when Deikan caught sight of familiar grounds, and knew they were going back to the city. He could not help but feel a little gratitude for the one he had chased so carelessly - the sire could have easily disappeared and then Deikan would have been lost, with little hope of finding shelter from the approaching light.

His companion in this adventure stopped again, just beyond the city limits. He watched the sky for a moment, then looked up at one of the caves. Deikan followed his gaze and discovered they were actually near the Forbidden Caves. A shiver ran through him when he recalled what had happened when he had dared visit that place.

Then a memory assaulted him, and he could not help but startle. He'd known he had felt this sire's presence before, but only now did he realize where. It was inside the Forbidden Caves, after he had opened the sarcophagus.

Before he could bolt, the sire gripped his upper arms, thin long fingers digging into Deikan's flesh not quite painfully.

"This was a most pleasant night," he said smoothly. "But you should go back home. Your parents must be worried." Then before Deikan could blink he was gone again, but the green-eyed velassi caught sight of a dark shape disappearing inside the Caves.

Deikan shivered again, but did not give in to the sudden urge to follow. For once, he obeyed and went back to his family.

There was no sight of his stalker for a few days after the little escapade, and Deikan had actually started worrying. His sire was still mad at him for the incident, and thankfully he did not know the whole truth or he would have been downright furious. Deikan had confessed to running away without telling Takhi where he was going, but had said he had gone for a walk through the city. He did not want his parents to worry endlessly, nor did he want them to watch him more closely from then on. What little freedom he had, he intended to keep.

Still, his blood ran faster at the memory of the chase across the frozen plains. It had made him feel careless and free like he had been as a child, not subjected to the pressure of unfulfilled expectations.

At the same time it had left him longing to experience it again, and he wondered if that was just what the mysterious white-haired sire had intended. And since the other had not made his presence known for days, Deikan decided to take a bold step and go looking for him. Perhaps they could just run off again, and the velassi had not looked as dangerous as the sires Deikan had been introduced to thus far.

So he made up the excuse of wanting to go play his harp in one of the courtyards; he even took the instrument along so as not to make his parents suspicious. Strangely enough, the two exchanged odd looks then his sire shooed him off with a strange grin on his face.

Wondering if the world had gone insane, he left his parents' rooms and went straight for the Forbidden Caves.

He did not dare venture inside again, but instead paced up and down the space before the entrance for about a mark waiting for someone to come. Finally growing bored, he wrapped himself in his cloak and sat down against the rocky wall, gazing at the multi-coloured curtains of light crossing the evening sky.

Before he realized it, he was playing his harp. It had been so long since he had played for his own pleasure rather than to entertain his fawning suitors. But nobody could hear him now, except perhaps the one he was there to see. Maybe it would even persuade him to come out, if he was indeed there.

Which it did, actually; halfway through the song Deikan saw a familiar stir in the shadows and finally he emerged from the cave's mouth, sitting down on a nearby boulder and supporting his chin on his hand as he listened to Deikan finish.

A moment of silence passed before the sire smiled and asked, "Did you come here looking for me, sweet nightingale?"

Deikan found himself blushing, though he was not quite sure why. Others had complimented him, certainly, but their elaborately-built phrases had never gotten to him as easily as those two words had.

"As a matter of fact, I did," he replied, putting away his precious instrument and leaning against the rocky wall. He would not act like his brother did, all coy and finely-mannered! "Why, does it bother you? Do you think it is not something a father should do?"

The other gave a startled laugh at this, and shrugged. "Why would I tell a father what to do? Especially stubborn young fathers with a sense of adventure? And no, your presence here does not bother me. Quite the contrary."

'Cheeky bastard!' Deikan thought with a sneer. But strangely, his heartbeat quickened a bit at those words.

"If you must know, I did not come looking for you, specifically. I came looking for answers."

That seemed to capture the other's attention readily enough. "Oh? But if you look for answers, first you must ask the questions."

"Who are you and why are you stalking me?"

Black-clad shoulders shrugged. "Most sensible and pertinent. I must say that, once again, you do not disappoint me."

"Answer already," Deikan snarled. He had come to expect young sires to patronize him, and older ones to frown down at him and remark on his improper conduct and speaking out of line.

"You know, interrupting other people when they speak is considered rude for everybody, not just fathers. Now, as I was trying to say, my name is Greyan and I am the one they call the Executioner."

Deikan laughed. And laughed. He laughed so hard, in fact, that his stomach started hurting and he had to stop to draw a few breaths.

Ridiculous, really, this sire's claim to be the famed Executioner! Not only did he look outrageously unlike a sire should, but to say that he was the terror for many generations of velassi, Deikan's included...

"The Executioner! You! Now there's a good one! And next you are going to tell me that fairies really exist and that swans are black."

The sire watched him with humour in his eyes. "Fairies do exist, but it is not for the eyes of the velassi to see them. And there are black swans, in a land far, far south-east, beyond a great sea. As for who I am, you can easily ask your brother's mate to confirm my identity."

Deikan shot him a dubious glance. "Look, you aren't anything like they describe the Executioner. And you do not have to try and impress me by claiming that you are someone else."

It was Greyan's turn to raise a questioning brow. "Why would I want to impress you?" he asked matter-of-factly, leaving Deikan to stare disbelievingly at him for a good while.

It was a very good question.

The young father pondered his answer before replying. "Because you still haven't told me why you were stalking me." Had the council ordered him to do it? Were those bastards trying to make sure he would not escape their clutches or something? But if so, it would not account for some of the sire's actions.

"It is... difficult to explain. Mainly because you intrigue me."

Deikan blinked up at Greyan in disbelief. He would have understood being called irritating, disobedient, too bold, a nuisance - but intriguing?

"Do not give me that look," the sire tsked. "You do, and not because you are trying to escape the life patterns being forced on you by others. Oh yes, I have seen plenty of fathers and sires trying to break free from the council's influence. Some managed to, others gave in. But you are... different, in some way. So I watch you, trying to understand you. Is that a bad thing? Does it bother you?"

"And if it does, what difference would that make? I certainly cannot order you to stop."

A flash crossed the sire's eyes, but his stance or attitude towards Deikan did not change. "Order me, no. But if you ask me to stop, I shall. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable."

"You are odd," the young father pointed out. He truly did not know what to think anymore. If Greyan was who he claimed to be, why would he listen to anyone except for the elders - and not even to them, rumour had it. And if he wasn't... he was still a sire, and no sire Deikan had met so far did things to accommodate others. Well, perhaps his sire... but that was an entirely different matter.

So what should he do now? Ask the other to stop? It would certainly prove if his words were true. Still, had Deikan not worried why Greyan was not following him earlier that very evening? Everything was so confusing all of a sudden, and it really wasn't fair. Besides, he had to admit that there was something about this white-haired, fragile-looking velassi that made Deikan want to know him better, too.

He groaned and buried his face in his hands; thankfully, there was no clue that Greyan intended to do anything than sit on his rock and wait for Deikan to make up his mind.

Finally, the young father stood up, pushing his hair out of his face as he faced the older velassi and crossed his arms across his chest, trying to look as solemn as possible. "Fine, you can keep stalking me. But only if we go for one of those runs every now and then."

It was Greyan's turn to laugh, a rich genuine sound that held nothing but humour, which was again a change from those who had laughed at Deikan's demands and called them childish or impossible, and which made him a bit more comfortable in the other's presence.

"It shall be a pleasure, my sweet nightingale," Greyan said, standing up to bow at him and making Deikan notice that he was actually a few inches taller than the sire. A silver eye winked at him. "Especially if you can manage to escape your chaperones."

"I don't think that will be a problem. Especially not if my parents start giving each other funny looks again..." Deikan hissed.

"Especially not then," Greyan agreed. "But doesn't being alone with an unmated sire bother you?"

The young velassi snorted. "Oh please! You don't look too frightening, you know. Besides, you had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of me so far, and did not do it." He looked Greyan in the eyes. "And I'm not easy prey," he said in his best threatening tone.

The sire smiled. "I would never assume that."

True to his word, Greyan did keep stalking Deikan, but his presence no longer seemed so intruding as it had before, perhaps because the young father now knew who was hiding in the shadows watching him and why. Also, much to Deikan's delight, most of the unmated sires that approached him - far less than there had been in the past - seemed not to find him to their tastes after their first meeting. His parents, too, appeared more and more distracted by one another, so he was often left in Takhi's care - and Takhi was easily evaded.

Being in Greyan's company was enjoyable. He'd taken Deikan not just back to the forest, but to other places nearby that Deikan had never seen, and had taught him how to use constellations in order to find his way back to the city on his own. Pretty-faced and smiling, he didn't feel at all threatening. He also didn't avoid getting into a snow fight when Deikan was in the mood, which made him fun to be around. And there were nights when he would tell Deikan of his travels, capturing the younger velassi's imagination with vivid descriptions of faraway places and the people that lived there.

It was a bit embarrassing for the young father to admit that, when the sire was away for a few weeks doing whatever secret business he was off doing, he started craving for Greyan's presence. He'd just look over his shoulder and realize nobody was watching him, and he'd go back home to sulk in his room for days. And when he felt the sire's presence once more, he'd suddenly become his cheerful old self.

This change of moods did get his parents' attention. Sorya's at first, because it was his father who came to make sure he was not feeling ill when he shut himself in his chamber. But when Sorya had brought this matter to his mate, Kleitos had been the one to decide that there was nothing physically wrong, but that Deikan may be experiencing a sudden interest in one of his suitors.

Deikan had blushed and, in spite of his firm reassurances that he felt nothing of the sort, his sire had not been convinced. Kleitos had kept a sharp eye out from then on, and for two months the only hint he'd gotten of Greyan's presence was the extremely rare glimpse of white hair.

It was somewhat annoying, that the one claiming to be the Executioner would be frightened away by another sire. It sometimes made Deikan wonder if the white-haired velassi was not a coward.

No, that was not why Greyan had kept away. When Kleitos had finally dropped his guard and Deikan had immediately taken advantage of the situation to go look for his friend, Greyan had told him the most extraordinary thing.

"I am not sure your parents would approve of me."

Deikan had been perplexed. "Aren't you a little too old to be worrying about what my parents may think?"

"One is never too old to worry about these things," the other had replied. "But think about it, what parents would want their son to be in the company of the Executioner? Not that they may ever find out who I am. One look at me would be all it took for your sire to deem me unsuitable to be around his precious treasure."

Deikan had blushed, like he always did when he received a compliment from the weird velassi, but had tried not to make his embarrassment obvious. "After throwing so many sires my way and me refusing to be near them, I would think he wouldn't mind your presence as much as you think. Besides, he's too busy preening himself for my father to really take notice on your appearance."

Greyan had done a strange thing then. He had stood up and approached Deikan, then ran the back of his fingers over the father's cheek, smiling almost sadly. "That is where you are wrong, my nightingale. He would take very much notice on my appearance. You are his son, after all, and we sires are always overprotective of the fathers in our care."

Deikan had found his lap most interesting, and had hoped Greyan hadn't noticed that his flesh was positively burning from the touch. "Does my sire frighten you?" he had whispered.

Thankfully, Greyan had pulled back and his attention had turned on the heavens above.

"No, he does not. But your father does. It is he who would fight the fiercest if his child's safety were threatened. The wrath of a father is not easy to face, even for one such as me."

The brown-haired father had been amazed at this. "My father has never been anything but fine-mannered and submissive. Just like every single mated father that I have met."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe. You must have inherited that rebellious streak from someone, and I remember your sire as one who always complied with rules and regulations. No, Deikan, I think you are very wrong about your father's personality."

"How can I be wrong? I live with him! He's the perfect example of what a father should be like, and so is my brother Takhi! It's irritating!"

Silver eyes had turned to study him, then. "Perhaps you should watch your father and brother a little more closely," Greyan had suggested. "You might be surprised by what lies beneath the mask of compliance they put on nightly. I have met your brother; his mate is my link to the council, just like the sire whose place he has taken had been. Edran is the type to be drawn to strong personalities, and I do not believe a passive mate would be at all to his liking. It is plain he and Takhi adore each other, so there must be something that has drawn Edran to him. Perhaps the same thing that has drawn me to you."

"Then why are they so outraged by me not being the perfect father when all those suitors fawn over me?"

Greyan's reply had surprised him. "Maybe because they are afraid to see you repeat their mistakes from when they were your age."

This had left him thinking, and he spent a lot of time pondering Greyan's words and studying his father and brother. He did not see them any differently at first, but after a while there were enough clues to prove that Greyan was right, and that he had indeed missed seeing certain aspects of Sorya and Takhi's personalities - bits of conversation when they didn't know he was listening, hidden gestures that may have escaped one's notice if one wasn't looking for something out of the ordinary in a person's behaviour... Sorya's muffled moans when he and Kleitos locked themselves in their room on certain nights and the fulfilled look on his face when he would come out again. The image Deikan had had of his father ever since he had been a child was changing; as was the one he'd had of his sire. Greyan was right about Kleitos being overprotective. Not just with his mate but with his sons as well. He had once gone as far as to argue with Edran, in spite of Takhi no longer being his responsibility but Edran's.

The young father stared wondering what other things about his family, and velassi in general, he had misunderstood. He considered running to Greyan with his questions, because now he was sure his parents had done their best to explain them to him but he'd either ignored them or misinterpreted their words and he did not want them to think him ignorant.

But there was one thing he had to find out before going to talk to the white-haired velassi.

Deikan's parents had been giving each other 'the look' again that evening, which meant they would end up in their bedroom sooner or later. Deikan had decided to go visit Takhi, rather than be subjected to their elaborate dance of seduction - he refused to think of it as preening and drooling any more, for it was nothing like that - and overhear their lovemaking. Again. He really didn't know why they still made such a big deal out of not telling him what they wanted to do, for he would have left them alone and gone somewhere else for the rest of the night. So he'd simply made up the excuse of visiting his brother to get out of their way.

Takhi's mate was at home as well, but luckily they didn't seem to be involved in anything indecent. Deikan did not let the opportunity pass, and once they were all seated comfortably in the receiving room and making pointless conversation he dragged up the courage to ask, "Edran, do you know the Executioner?"

The blond sire exchanged an uneasy glance with his mate before saying carefully, "Why do you ask?"

All right, so Deikan couldn't fault the sire his precaution. He'd done enough crazy things for his family to suspect the reasons for such a question, and Takhi's mate was incredibly cautious.

"No reason. Someone told me you did, and I was curious about what he's like."

It seemed that Greyan had been right about Takhi, too. Judging by the look on his face, that 'someone' was going to pay dearly if his brother ever found out who he was.

Thankfully, Edran didn't seem to be in favour of denying Deikan this piece of information.

"He is... odd," the tall sire replied.

'Well, duh! That's nothing new!' Deikan thought, shifting on his couch. "Odd, how? Come on, Edran, it's not like I'm going to run off to find him as soon as I leave here." No, he would wait at least a few days until doing that. If Greyan was really the Executioner, that is.

"Why would you want to know more about that cruel being?" Takhi sounded irritated by his younger brother's insistence.

"Why not?" he asked back.

"Alright, you two, let's not argue about this," Edran intervened. "There is nothing wrong with the little one asking questions about the Executioner, as long as he asks the right person." He, obviously, was the right person; he was a member of the council, after all.

Takhi snorted and stood up. "Well, I am not going to stay here while you tell my little brother tales of violence and bloodshed, and of velassi killing each other." Giving his mate a dark look, he walked out of the room.

Was it Deikan's impression, or had Edran just gulped? He recovered quickly, however, and smiled at the young father. "Oh well, don't mind him. I'll make it up to him somehow. It is nobody's fault that the Executioner does what he does, and if he wouldn't be doing it then someone else would."

"But what does he do? I heard that he is violent and all that, but if he is really a threat then the council would do something about it, right?"

"I don't know who told you he is a threat, Deikan, but he is not. He is, however, the only one willing to deal with those of us who overstep their boundaries and can no longer be contained by traditional means. This is very rare, of course, but there is the occasional rogue among us, or a quarrel that gets out of hand and threatens to expose our existence to the humans. When all else fails, we call upon the Executioner for help. He is very old, older than any of the council members, and also very powerful. He decides what is to be done about the situation and deals with it. Honestly, the council is very happy to have him do whatever it is he is doing, and he has never failed."

Deikan listened carefully to the blond's words, and nodded when he was done. "I understand. And how is he odd?"

Edran shrugged. "He is simply like no one else I have ever met. His appearance, for one; you could easily confuse him for a harmless velassi, in spite of the whip he always carries with him. And he acts friendly with everyone, unless of course his will is crossed." Edran leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Don't tell Takhi, but they met and he didn't suspect a thing."

Deikan glanced towards the door his brother had gone through. "You didn't tell him?"

Edran hid his embarrassment behind a small cough. "He would never forgive me for bringing someone so dangerous into our home, and wouldn't be comfortable with the idea of me having the Executioner as a friend."

The young father's eyes widened. "He is your friend?"

"Well... yes, in a manner of speaking. Once I realized that my predecessor had the dubious honour of acting as the liaison between the council and the Executioner, I thought it would be best if he saw me as his friend and not just someone he had to deal with once a year."

Nodding again, Deikan lingered in his brother's home for a little longer before leaving. He had more things to think about, and more questions to add to the list. And he would go see Greyan as soon as possible.

"Isn't there somewhere else where we could talk?" The days were getting colder, and it was no longer very comfortable to stay in front of the Forbidden Caves, even if one was warmly-dressed.

The sire nodded and went back into the caves. Deikan followed him, trembling a little at the recollection of his prior visit. He'd sworn never to go in here again... but it was safe to go in if the owner allowed it, was it not?

'This is stupid. He wouldn't harm me. I know he wouldn't.' But then, why was he shaking with trepidation when they reached the first cavern and he caught sight of the stairs leading below? He took a hesitant step in that direction, but Greyan's sudden grip on his arm halted him.

"Not that way," the sire said. "I think you've had enough of the place on your last visit. Besides, it's not very comfortable, and barely warmer than outside." He turned Deikan around and guided him to the symbol-covered blocked entrance he had seen before. Now that there was a torch lit nearby, he could see that the designs all sprang from one place, coiling on the stone in strange patterns before meeting again to determine a rectangular perimeter on the wall.

Greyan took his hand and guided it to the centre, and Deikan's fingers traced the lines on the stone with fascination. But it wasn't until he reached the point of convergence that he found out that this was a little more than just a wall covered in symbols. Something moved under his fingers and a loud clack made Deikan jump back, but he encountered strong arms that held him in place as the wall started moving and light streamed out from the revealed entrance.

Forgetting all precautions he followed that light. The carved stone had guarded the entrance to a cave smaller then the one below, but much more habitable. Torches and candles burned gaily all around the room, and a large gap in the rocky wall allowed moonlight to stream in. There were a couple of tables, couches and cushions scattered around, a large bed dominated one of the corners. And most fascinating of all, the shelves filled with scrolls and tablets that immediately caught Deikan's attention. He must have gone around the room a few times, looking at this or that item, before Greyan called him back to the door and showed him how to close it, by pulling on what looked like an empty torch holder nearby. The door was moved using pulleys and weights in a hidden compartment inside the wall, he said, and then explained the way this mechanism worked.

This was another thing Deikan liked about the sire. He would teach him lots of interesting things without being asked to do so, and explaining them until he was sure they had been understood and memorized.

And he was just so damned easy to talk to!

While Deikan explored the room, Greyan built up a fire in the stone-carved fireplace and reclined on one of the couches, watching his wayward guest with a smirk playing on his lips. When the young father declared himself satisfied with his examination, he was offered the couch opposite to the one his host was occupying, and he sat down emulating the strange position Greyan was currently in. He had to admit, it was not as uncomfortable as it seemed.

"It is a Roman custom," Greyan said, smiling as Deikan finally gave up and just leaned back and threw his hands over the backrest.

"Roman customs be damned," Deikan said under his breath. "I asked Edran about you, like you said I should, and Takhi got upset." He sighed. "You were right, he is not at all like I thought him to be. Nor is my father. But now I'm confused. If they really care about me, then why did I have to suffer through those innumerable nights with insipid sires? Maybe my parents want to be rid of me..." he mused.

"What makes you say that?"

Deikan blushed. "Well, they... you know... and they do it a lot lately. I've never seen my father so randy before, and my sire is always showing off. What else am I supposed to think?"

"That your father has a healthy sexual appetite? Really, what else is there? Maybe they want another baby, too. Most children your age have already moved out of their parents' homes. Perhaps they feel that, if they act more liberally around you, it will motivate you."

Deikan glared at him. "Great, now you start with the mating nonsense as well. Did Edran put you up to it? Or worse, the council?"

"Nobody put me up to it. And it is not nonsense, simply another step in one's life. Besides, I was only making a suggestion regarding your parents' behaviour."

Feeling quite immature, Deikan stuck his tongue out at him.

Greyan laughed. "Honestly, Deikan. At first I thought you didn't want a mate, but after spending time with you I know you are not really adverse to the idea. So what is the problem?"

"Sires are the problem! Every idiotic moron that showed up on our doorstep or circled around me in a common room, looking at me like I was a piece of meat. They don't see me, just a pretty face that would look good next to them when they walk around showing off like peacocks. They are overconfident and patronizing, and act like they own the whole damned world!" He bared his fangs and snarled.

"I see. In other words, they act like sires are expected to act, and want you to act like every father they have seen so far. And since usually those fathers were the ones who gave them birth, they would expect you to be obedient and subdued. Yes?"

"What would you know?! You're not even mated! Or are you?"

"No, I never had a mate. But I believe I can safely claim that I am old enough to know the way in which velassi think. Tell me, did your parents ever tell you of the differences between fathers and sires?"

Deikan shrugged. "Of course they did. It was so boring I must have dozed off through most of the conversation. I know what makes me a father, after all."

Greyan nodded, shifting a little on his couch. "Then tell me what makes you a father, Deikan."

"Well... I look like a father, first of all. I also like to spend a lot of time at home, am not easily angered, don't argue with my sire all the time, don't throw myself into a fight head-on, I generally like children, and... ahem... well, I am... you know..."

"Do I?" Greyan smirked, moving to the couch Deikan occupied and sitting down next to him. "What are you, my nightingale?" he said in a low voice, making Deikan's heart beat faster.

"Submissive," he whispered, looking down so his hair fell over his face and hid it. He felt mortified to admit that in front of a sire.

Long fingers coaxed him to look up. "There is no need to be ashamed of what you are, Deikan." The sire's voice was gentle, and he stroked Deikan's cheek before letting go. "Now, tell me what you would be looking for in a mate. What you want, not what is expected of you."

Deikan nodded. "I... I want someone with whom I can have what my parents have. They look so happy together, and understand each other even if they do argue occasionally, and don't do things that would anger the other. And he... he shouldn't be violent, listen to what I have to say, and see me as his equal. Which is impossible, I know."

Only it wasn't, was it? He'd already found that in one sire.

"Not impossible," Greyan replied. "Except for the violence bit. It is in a sire's nature to be violent. We sires are a temperamental lot. Even if we are not violent with our mate, there will be occasions on which we must unleash our rage - if our mate is threatened, for example. Taking a mate is very important for us as well, Deikan. It isn't an easy step in our life, and we must choose carefully. It wouldn't do to spend centuries with a mate who hates your guts, even if that mate is very pretty indeed."

"So that is why every sire I met lately didn't come back? Because they thought we didn't match, or that I would hate them?"

"Some of them. As for the others... well, it is also very common for sires to chase other sires away from the father they are courting."

Deikan blinked. "But nobody is courting me right now." Then he caught Greyan's speculative look, and found himself blushing furiously once more. "Oh."

"I thought it was obvious enough. Apparently not."

"Well, you didn't give me any gifts, so... No, wait. My mistake. You did give me gifts, just not material ones." The trips outside the city and tales of foreign countries, all while keeping him company and answering his questions. The stalking that had bothered Deikan so much at first... calling him 'intriguing'...

"I thought you would like what I offered you more than material goods. And you made it quite clear that you didn't want me to bring you offerings of food." Deikan made a face. "Although that, too, is important. It shows that a sire is capable of providing for his mate, when it becomes necessary."

When it becomes necessary...

Deikan trembled. "But I don't want any children! Not when I have never been to Rome, or India, or... or the place where the dark swans are. Not while there are so many great things left to discover. I don't want to be shut away from the world and lose what little freedom I have left!"

"You would not lose your freedom, but gain more. Even if, depending on the mate you choose, he will more or less want to keep a watchful eye on you in order to make sure you are not in danger. You get to choose where you live; who is to say that cannot be in Rome, India, or wherever else you want to. And velassi do not get with child very easily - it could be centuries before that happens."

Deikan nodded. He had to think. He had made a big mistake by misjudging what sires were, and what was wanted of him. But he really didn't want to leave yet.

As usually, Greyan was most accommodating and made himself scarce for a few hours. When he returned, close to dawn, Deikan had reached a decision.

He did not try to pull away from Greyan's touch when the sire took his hand in his. Instead he looked at him and asked, "I am curious, why did you never take a mate?"

"Because I rarely find a father that is truly fascinating, and when I do... telling him that I am the Executioner usually frightens him off. After, of course, he has proof that I am telling the truth."

That sounded right. Even Deikan wasn't sure enough if he could handle that, especially if a situation arose and the council called on Greyan to deal with it.

"But still, Greyan... for how long have you been alone? Don't you want any children? Everyone wants children, right?"

Silver eyes studied him, and the sire pressed a kiss in Deikan's palm. "It is a little more complicated than that. There have been several attempts of mating me with fathers in order to get offspring. The council would be thrilled to get a child out of me. I mostly went along with it because yes, I was - I still am - alone. But even if they got a father willing to mate with me, even if it was on All Souls' Night... nothing happened. Perhaps it is because of my condition."

"Condition?"

"In all species, there are those born like me. Albinos, they are called, and can be told apart from the others by their colouring. To the mortals, they are abnormal, aberrations of nature. They are also, in all the species in which I have encountered one, unable to reproduce."

"So that means you may be unable to have children?" It was all very interesting, even more so because of Deikan's own aspirations.

"Yes. Or that it is very difficult for me to reproduce. And if I do, my condition could be passed on to my offspring."

"But you couldn't have any children so far?"

"No."

Deikan grinned. "Good!"

"Good?"

"Yes. If I don't want any, and you can't have any, then it's good, no?"

Greyan... stared. And stared. Then he stared some more. Finally, he seemed to recover his wits and smiled. "Does that mean that I can continue to court you?"

"Only if you have serious intentions. And you must give me some gifts that my parents can actually see. Not that I object to chases under the moonlight and stories; but Greyan, I cannot keep this from my parents. I won't tell them who you are if you don't want me to, but they have to know. Otherwise they'll just keep throwing sires at me and you'll have to scare them away. What if one of them goes to the council complaining?"

The white-haired sire grunted. "The council does not matter. What are they going to do, send myself to catch me? But -" he leaned over to whisper in Deikan's ear "- if you want me to give you something that you can wear, I'll send you something tomorrow."

The following night, Sorya returned from answering the door with a parcel in his hand and held it out to Deikan. "Here's another one," he said wistfully. He would have liked his son to finally keep one of the gifts his suitors left.

Deikan unwrapped it slowly, wondering what he would find. He really enjoyed getting presents, even if he had returned all those that sires had left him, not wanting to give the wrong impression.

Inside there was a box of polished dark wood and a note attached to it that read, "Sweet nightingale, not even the palest jade from the Far East can match your lovely eyes."

With a little shriek, he hurried up to open the box and pulled out a heavy necklace made out of thin gold chains that held together lovely pale green stones.

Close by, his father fainted in his mate's arms.

It was nearly one year since Greyan had left for Britannia, and Deikan was starting to get really, really annoyed. Whatever the Executioner had had to deal with for the council, he should have been back by now. He had said it may take a few months or maybe half a year, but once that time had passed Deikan had started getting more restless than he had been thus far.

The anxiety had begun sooner, two months after Greyan had been called away, culminating on All Souls Night. Never before had his body felt that way, a raging beast awoken whose appetite could not be quenched by mere blood. He knew what it meant, and yet had not allowed anyone to touch him. Instead he had fled the city and the company of others and taken refuge in Greyan's caves, which had been left in his care while their owner was gone. The beast had been extremely annoyed by the lack of the sire's presence, but in the end it had been put to rest.

Deikan hoped that Greyan would not mind the new bedding.

But as days had bled into months, and half a year easily passed, there was still no trace of the white-haired velassi. On top of that, Deikan's parents had informed him that they would be going on a trip soon, and that Deikan would have to live with his brother for the duration of their absence. No matter how much he had pleaded to go with them, his sire had been most resolute. Sorya had finally given in and explained to his son that they did not love him any less, but they really wanted another child and that they would travel to a place where nothing would distract one mate's attention from the other. Among much pouting and acting offended, Deikan had had no choice but to accept his parents' decision and had finally moved in with Takhi and his mate, who occupied a lavish suite not far from the council hall.

Staying there was not as irritating as he'd suspected, aside from the new influx of sires that struggled to get his attention. With nobody there to chase them off and Edran taking a personal interest in "finding him a proper mate", he'd endured through their visits with clenched fists, but had nevertheless tried to judge them taking into consideration Greyan's revelations about a sire's nature. There had been two or three that had captured his interest, but none of them had made him feel the way his 'personal stalker' had. He hadn't accepted any of their gifts and had apologized for not being the one they were looking for. They had left, although the oldest of them had not taken the refusal quite well - Deikan could see it in his eyes. Still, none had caused any troubles; and the young father had decided to wear the gifts Greyan had given him, the jade necklace and the matching bracelet and ring he had received afterwards, to keep others from getting too close.

There were many times when he had wanted to ask Edran what was taking Greyan so long to get back, but then he remembered that not only was he not supposed to have met the Executioner, he wasn't supposed to know of his whereabouts either, and that knowledge could get him into trouble. So he'd bit his tongue and kept silent, though the wait was really getting to him.

Then a visitor arrived, one Takhi sounded most excited to greet.

Edran had been in a meeting with the other council members that evening and had not returned yet, so at first Deikan had though it was him at the door. The lack of the sire's enthusiastic replies to his mate's questions made the brown-haired father most curious though, so he finally gave in to the urge to leave his room and find out who it was.

And there in the parlour stood the familiar figure of a slender-built, pale sire with shiny silver eyes and hair of spun spider silk, smiling charmingly and nodding his head at Takhi's suggestion that he should visit more often.

Deikan's startled intake of breath gave away his presence, and two sets of eyes turned to him, light blue ones berating him for his curiosity even as a silver one winked at him.

"This is my brother Deikan," the older father said, clearing his throat. "Deikan, this is Greyan, one of Edran's errant friends who really does not come to see us often enough."

The sire chuckled. "Come now, lovely, you know I was away. And if your dear brother is here, then this parcel I found at the door must be for him. A present from a secret admirer, perhaps?"

"He gets many presents, but never accepts them," Edran's voice came from the door at the same time that the youngest of the four practically pounced to retrieve the rather voluminous package that Greyan held out to him. "Which is a pity, really, as many sires find him quite attractive."

"I can imagine they do, wolfie," Greyan replied meekly, causing the elder to splutter. "And it is good to see you too. Any trouble while I was gone?"

Edran shook his head, coming forward to put an arm around his mate's waist. "Not really."

Deikan paid them no attention, his focus currently on the parcel. He tore a bit at the canvas binding and peeked inside, then carefully touched the revealed whiteness with a finger. Finding it to be soft, he tore away the wrapping and pulled out a silver-white mass which, unrolled, proved to be a cloak made entirely out of fur. Shrieking with delight, he held it to his chest and rubbed his face against it. This was, simply put, magnificent.

"Great gods, is that silver fox fur?" Takhi exclaimed, untangling himself from Edran's arms to go see his brother's present from closer by. "It is silver fox fur," he announced, grasping a handful of the material and petting it longingly.

Deikan bared his teeth at his brother and pulled the cloak away from his grasp. "Mine!" he snarled, snuggling it more firmly.

Takhi pouted. "Now why don't I get anything like this?" he asked his mate.

Edran managed to keep remarkably calm, considering he was in the company of two currently excited fathers and... well, Greyan. "Because silver foxes are notoriously hard to catch."

Greyan laughed. "Oh, I don't know Edran. It seems to me you already have a rather feisty one on your hands." He ignored the glares he was getting, and winked. "Well, I really only came to tell you that that little matter we talked about has been properly handled, Edran, so you can inform the council about it."

"You know, spending a few hours with us really wouldn't hurt you," Takhi told him. "Why must you always be on the run?"

"Because it's getting late and I have to get home safely."

"Greyan, your chambers are just around the corner," Edran replied, making a sudden move to grab his 'silver fox', which resulted in Takhi's startled cry and a chiding slap over the sire's hand. Deikan shook his head at their antics and turned pleading eyes on the white-haired sire.

For a moment, Greyan seemed to give in, but then he shook himself. "Only if I want to dig through three centuries' worth of gathered dust," he informed them. "I do promise to come back and visit at a more convenient time, though." He waved is hand at Edran and Takhi, then turned to Deikan and added, "Enjoy your gift, pretty one."

Too busy keeping the blush from his face, the young father didn't even notice him leave. He did notice Takhi's hand sneaking towards his cloak, though, and bared his fangs at his brother, who cleverly redirectioned his hand to rest on a stool's back. Satisfied that nobody was taking his new gift away, he locked himself in his room and stayed there long enough to make sure his brother and his mate had retired for the night. Finally, when no more noises could be heard, he wrapped himself in the cloak and sneaked out of the rooms.

It was close to sunrise so he had to make a run for it, but the city was nearly deserted at that hour so nobody stopped him from reaching the Forbidden Caves. He rushed inside and opened the entrance to Greyan's small sanctuary, causing the sire to look up from where he had been kindling the fire.

"Is this from you?" he asked, holding out the cloak. "Because if it isn't, I'll give it back. I don't care how nice and expensive it is, I'll give it back!" Even if it was the most lavish present he'd gotten so far, even if later he would probably kick himself for being such a fool, if the cloak was not from Greyan then it would have to go. So he looked at the sire with wide and hopeful eyes, practically begging for confirmation.

Greyan took the cloak from him and shook it out, placed it around Deikan's shoulders and lifted the father's hair so it would fall over it, then took a step back and for a few moments he seemed lost in contemplation. "I do believe chasing all those foxes was the right thing to do after all," he eventually said with an emphatic nod. "You look ravishingly decadent wearing it, sweet nightingale. I really do hope you will decide to keep it."

Since it seemed Greyan always made him blush, Deikan decided to simply ignore that fact from now on and pirouetted, cloak grasped tightly to himself. "It's beautiful, Greyan. I don't think anyone has given me a present such as this, ever!"

"Ah, good. I shall rest much better knowing I'm still the only one who gives you outrageous gifts." His face took on a worried look. "But what are you doing out at this hour? The sun will be out soon, there's no time to get you back home."

The brown-haired velassi crossed his arms and gave Greyan a pointed look. "Then I'll just have to stay here, and you can tell me all about Britannia, and the reason you were so many damned months late! Do you have any idea how worried I was? You said half a year! I had to fend off all those nosy sires for six months more then I should have, while you were off having fun in whatever part of the world you were. It is not fair, Greyan! Next time -" he stopped to hide a yawn behind his hand "- I'm coming with you."

The elder velassi sighed. "I am not sure you would enjoy watching me do that kind of work, Deikan. When the Executioner passes, what he leaves behind is never a nice sight to behold."

Deikan yawned again. "Don't care... you'll be there." He could feel his eyes closing, but he really didn't want to go to sleep. He still hadn't found out why Greyan hadn't come back sooner, and where he had gotten the fabulous cloak, and... and...

His eyes closed but a strong grip steadied him, then he was being carried and deposited on the bed.

"Sleep," Greyan whispered, brushing his lips over Deikan's forehead. "We can talk tomorrow."

Deikan woke up to the feeling of a body spooned against his back and an arm circling his waist. Then he noticed the dark sheets and the really pale, long fingers tangled with his own, and remembered he had fallen asleep on Greyan the previous night, which had surely not been very nice of him.

"Awake already?" a sleepy voice mumbled behind him, and the arm around his waist tightened its hold.

"I rise early," he replied. "Can we get up?"

"Hmm? No, I like holding you like this." Deikan felt lips against his neck, a quick kiss being deposited over the artery there. "Unless, of course, you've changed your mind about me and you really want to leave."

Deikan snorted and gave him a playful elbow in his ribs. "You know, Greyan, sometimes you act like an idiot! How could I change my mind in one day? You are not getting rid of me that easily," he assured the sire. "In fact, you're going to have to pry me from your side."

"Now, why would I want to do that? But seriously, Deikan, if what you say is true and you are willing to travel with me, then you shall have to become my mate. Which means having to wait for your parents to come back, I suppose."

"How do you know they are away?"

Greyan stroked his companion's stomach and kissed his neck again. "Because last evening I wanted to drop off your gift first, so I went by their home. There was nobody there, which had me worried until I stopped to tell Edran everything went well in Britannia."

"Good." The younger velassi couldn't help but smile as he thought of a worried Greyan turning the city upside down to find him. "Consider even the slightest worry that you might have lost me as a fitting punishment for not coming back on time. Now, will you tell me about this place you call Britannia? What's it like?"

Greyan kept him entertained with stories about the remote island for most of the night, and fed him his own blood when he was hungry. They also shared their first true kiss that night, and Deikan left the caves feeling slightly light-headed. He cooked up a viable story which would explain his absence, endured Edran's vigilance for a couple of days, then went back for more kisses and storytelling.

Once more nights easily blended into weeks, and All Souls Night was not that far away when Kleitos and Sorya returned to their home in the north, unfortunately without the good news Takhi and Deikan had expected. No, they would not be having a brother yet... but Kleitos seemed happy all the same, and he and Edran spent a lot of time discussing some secret the others were not part of.

Deikan moved back in with his parents, although he didn't plan his stay to be a long one. Greyan's gifts were getting more frequent, though not less extravagant. More jewellery, an outfit made of a deep green silk with nightingales stitched in gold thread, quite different from the robes Deikan normally wore because it consisted of trousers, a tunic and a matching sash, and finally a gold hair clasp with that frequent green jade embedded into the metal.

His parents were by now overjoyed by the prospect of Deikan getting a mate, and unfortunately he didn't notice something was wrong until it proved to be too late. They had not once asked to meet the sire who had finally captured his heart, and this alone should have had him thinking. But it had not, and there was a price for his ignorance.

He finally noticed something was wrong when he returned home on the night before All Souls to find his parents, Takhi, Edran and a familiar-looking sire all seated in the parlour and waiting for him.

Greyan and he had been hunting together that evening; watching Greyan stalk his prey was a strange experience, and it had revealed yet more facets of his future mate. Even the most subdued father could turn into a fierce predator, but it was astonishing to see the nice, soft-spoken sire make each kill seem like a triumph over a fierce enemy. This was not what he made him the Executioner, he had said, but what made him a velassi. He had also expressed his hope that Deikan would never get to see the Executioner surface. For although he was comfortable with that part of him, the sire became very protective when it came to Deikan, and wanted to spare him the horror - something the father did not really agree with, since he knew that there was nothing about his chosen mate that would frighten him.

But here he was now, back home to find such an odd assembly. Then Edran stood up and started speaking.

"We have been waiting for you, little one. And let me be the first to congratulate you, on behalf of myself as well as the council, for your choice. Flavik shall be an excellent mate for you."

Frozen in place, all thought of Greyan forgotten as he stared in horror at Edran, Deikan must have been quite a sight. He didn't even see his father and Takhi approach, only felt their hands coaxing him to move in the direction of his own room. But only as he passed the strange sire, whom now he remember as the older one he had turned down, did he truly realize what was going on there.

It was enough to make him snap out of it and shake off the other two fathers' hands with a defying growl. "I don't know what you think you're doing here," he snarled at Edran, his eyes the colour of molten amber from his rage. "I didn't choose anyone by the name of Flavik to be my mate. And if Flavik is this dolt who obviously can't take no for an answer, then I do believe you don't know me at all. What could I possibly see in one such as him?"

"Deikan, don't talk that way about your future mate," Takhi warned him.

"Future mate? No, I don't think so! He bears as much semblance to my future mate as a flea does to a hawk. There is no way I am mating with... with... him! I don't even know him!"

The dark-haired sire was content to smirk at him, as if he held some hidden card Deikan didn't know of. Kleitos stood up, though, and grabbed his son's hand, making him wince.

"Deikan, I don't know what has gotten into you all of a sudden. For two months you accept all of Flavik's gifts and carry on like becoming his mate was the best thing that could happen to you, and now you make a scene in front of the whole family and decide you don't want him anymore? That is not proper behaviour, young one, and I will not tolerate it. The council has already approved of this match, and you will mate with Flavik tomorrow night, just like planned. Understood?"

Deikan bit his lip, his mind hurriedly searching for a way out. So that was why the sire had been smiling - because the council had already given its approval! Well, so be it then. If this Flavik thought he could come out of nowhere and take what belonged to someone else, then he was seriously delusional.

So Deikan did what he did best: played coy. He nodded and quickly assured his sire that he understood, trying to look as frightened as possible. When he was finally released, he smoothed the front of his robes, and smiled shyly at the irritating dark-haired velassi as he approached him.

"Yes, I shall accept you as my mate... when you have given me as many wonderful gifts as he gave me; when after a year I feel longing waiting for your return; when you care nothing about what the council finds proper; when you make me feel the way he does, and finally when you can get through him to take me. Then, I shall accept you as my mate - but not before."

When he was close enough, his hand shot out without warning and before anyone could stop him he clawed four deep gashes on the sire's cheek.

Then he ran out of there as fast as he could.

He had to reach the Forbidden Caves, had to tell Greyan what had happened. Harmless as he may look, Greyan surely knew how to deal with this impertinent sod that had the guts to claim all the gifts had been his, that he had been the one to finally capture the rebellious young father's attention. And Greyan was not afraid to stand up to the council.

Aware that he was being followed, he used his full speed to climb up the narrow path that led to the caves. Almost there, almost within reach. Surely no one would dare follow him in there... no one would risk the Executioner's wrath... no one who knew the Executioner still lived there!

His foot slipped and he fell, bruising his knees. He scrambled up as best as he could and kept going. If only he would only dare to call out, to warn his future mate that he was being followed... but that would draw attention, and his pursuer was getting close. Only one, thankfully, but he couldn't tell who it was. He hoped it was Edran, or maybe his sire. They could be reasoned with, if Deikan were given the chance to talk to them alone and tell them... Tell them what? No, not tell them, show them. Show them whom he had chosen as a mate, show them it had not been the foreign-looking sire who had claimed to have given him the gifts.

He stumbled onto the small plateau outside the caves. The gloomy entrance was just a few feet away, drawing him towards it. He scrambled on his feet and took one step, two, three. Nearly there, just a little longer and he would be safe. Four, five, six...

A hand grabbed him from behind and he screamed, struggling wildly as whoever held him refused to let go. Then he was thrown down and the harsh ground scraped his hands and cheek. He found himself being turned and pressed against the cold rock, a heavy body settling over his just as a hand covered his mouth in an attempt to silence him.

He bit down hard and tasted blood. Whoever had him pinned down pulled his hand back, only to slap him across the face. Deikan roared and renewed his struggling, which resulted in him getting his hands pinned over his head but not before he'd landed a few gashes across his attacker's chest and arms.

Hatred crossed his face as he looked up at the dark-haired sire. "Get off me," he snarled.

Flavik grinned, but would not let him go.

"Such a pretty one," the velassi said, his thumb pressing against Deikan's mouth painfully. "A pity you're not at all obedient. Unfortunately, now I shall have to hurt you as you refuse to submit."

Deikan looked the man in the eyes and snarled. "I'd rather die than submit to you!" he spat.

"Now, now," the sire said, his grip on Deikan's hands tightening painfully. "Killing you would not be pleasant at all, and would bring the wrath of the council upon me. I shall claim you as my mate, and turn you into an obedient little pet. You'll enjoy having my big cock in you night after night and bearing me strong, healthy children."

"Never!" Deikan shouted as he started struggling again.

The sire's eyes narrowed as he grabbed the brown-haired father's throat in his free hand and pressed down until his captive began choking. Deikan's sight blurred as he started losing consciousness.

A fearsome snarl distracted the older velassi, however, and Deikan was suddenly able to breathe again. More snarling was heard, as well as cries of pain, but he was too busy coughing as air came back into his lungs at full force to pay them notice. Then there was a sharp scream and everything went silent.

The young father struggled up and looked around, wildly searching for his attacker, but the sire was nowhere to be seen.

He was not alone, though. Greyan presently bent over him, studying him with strange silver eyes. The gentle breeze caused snow-white hair to float around his unearthly face, and moonlight reflected on his skin.

Deikan felt something inside him crumble as he grabbed onto the sire's jacket and pulled him closer, burying his face in the soft velvet as he sobbed uncontrollably. And as Greyan allowed him to cry in his arms and stroked his back soothingly, he knew that this was really where he belonged.

Skilled hands brought Deikan into awareness with gentle strokes over his hips and stomach. He half-opened one eye and peeked at the one lounging next to him. The white-haired sire's expression was one of deep concentration as he followed his hand's movements with his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling into an impish little smile.

Whatever Greyan was doing, it was causing the younger father's body to react in very interesting ways. He moaned a little as the talented fingers found their way to his nipples and teased him with barely-there touches. This made Greyan's lips coil a bit more. He moved, bending over the other velassi to lick a wet trail from his collarbone up his neck, and bite down on the vein there, causing both green eyes to open wide as Deikan's body shuddered and he tangled one hand in the fine hair, holding his mate's head down.

Greyan took only a few mouthfuls of blood; he pulled back and licked the tiny canine marks until they stopped bleeding, then planted tiny kisses on Deikan's jaw. He brought himself up so his body would rest atop the young one's, his lips searching Deikan's.

This kiss was different than the one they had shared before; maybe it was the night driving him, or tasting his own blood, but Deikan felt the painful need to... do something. Run, jump, scream... bond with his chosen in a most primitive way.

Greyan's tongue wasn't helping, coaxing his own in a breathless duel, alive as it hadn't been just a few moments ago. The sire's body, as naked as his own, pressed against him in all the right places, not intruding in his private space but somehow rounding it, giving it an entirely new dimension.

He allowed his hands to slide up the sire's back and grip the almost delicate-looking shoulders, fingers digging into the tightening muscles. He felt the tenseness one moment before blood invaded his mouth, the powerful essence of Greyan's being feeding him in small droplets at first, then a steady steam.

Deikan swallowed, then mimicked his mate's action, feeling the sharp fangs prick him and the dull pain that followed, but refused to pull back. His nails dug into the other's flesh, earning a gasp from the strange creature pining him to the bed.

So he thought, that it was a different creature possessing the familiar body; for surely the seductive predator that pulled back to watch him with slit-pupiled red eyes was nothing like the Greyan he knew. The exploring hands couldn't belong to the sire that had waited for months before initiating even the briefest sensual touch, the blood-stained lips to someone whose kisses he had thought to know.

But then it smiled, and it was Greyan, kind and elegant as he touched the still-tender cheek that had been crushed against crude rock merely the night before, and spread tendrils of brown hair over the pillows.

The hands returned on Deikan's body, their strength concealed underneath careful touches, exploring his arms and his sides as Greyan rubbed against him, causing the father to groan as the fire inside him burned brighter, stronger. Flesh came to life and with it desire grew, prompting him to move, to match the rhythm his mate dictated. The beast inside him roared, wanting to be released, but he still retained enough awareness not to abandon himself to it, to find out the meaning of these new things he felt and experienced.

Thankfully, Greyan was in no hurry, offering him enough time to accommodate but not enough to ponder things over, which was truly a blessing.

So many different kinds of touches, of new sensations... The rising heat, glorious and bright...

He didn't even realize when his legs had been parted, only that he had just coiled them around a slender waist earning a small laughter from his mate and a whole new set of kisses. More passionate, more violent in their urgency... just like Greyan.

But blood was flowing into him like a potent tonic, feeding the beast and making it stronger. Deikan fought for control but was losing the struggle, was being pushed aside for the predator to rise.

Free now, it studied the other through slit-pupiled yellow eyes, trying to determine if it was friend or foe. But the other didn't seem intimidated; instead it bared its fangs in a full grin and started moving faster. Unable to deny that it enjoyed what this felt like, the beast roared and pushed its claws deep into the body above it, leaving long gashes on the smooth back.

There was a sharp moment of pain and then the sensations changed again, a feeling of being filled soon turning into one of ecstasy. Fangs bit down and feasted on deep red nectar even as the two bodies struggled to reach a common goal which seemed just beyond their reach.

Faster, faster, faster, the heat rising with every move, every breath, every blood-drop... until they were one, and alone, trapped in a field of red flowers under a bloody moon.

When he came down to the city the following night, Deikan felt like an entirely new person. Gone was the spoiled, rebellious little velassi that had left the night before, replaced by a confident young father who had his life before him and whose future looked quite bright.

Greyan was... Impossible to explain what he was like, except for the fact he was what Deikan had always dreamt of, the only difference being the medium-sized body - a difference that was more than easily overlooked. This year, All Souls Night had no longer been a painful reminder that Deikan was all alone with no one to please him. His mate had pleased him; five times, actually, and they would have carried on had dawn not crept up on them. He was a little sore that evening, but it was ignored in the overall feeling of contented bliss.

When they had risen, he had asked his mate to leave this place as soon as possible, and Greyan had agreed. There were two things Deikan needed to do before they could leave, however, and that was why he was returning to his parents' home. Alone, for two candlemarks; his mate had sworn to come looking for him if he didn't return by then. Witnessing the sire's fierce protectiveness had been a little annoying, but with Flavik probably still lurking somewhere Greyan was not taking any chances. He had explained that he was willing to offer Deikan as much freedom as he wanted, as long as he knew that the father was safe, so they had come to an understanding. Besides, two candlemarks were more than enough for what Deikan had in mind - say goodbye to his parents and brother, and gather what little possessions he wanted to take with him. Not knowing when or if they would ever return to the city, he didn't want to leave any of the gifts he had received from his mate behind.

The streets were strangely deserted after what must have been the previous night's frenzy, but he did not linger to find out the reason for this sudden lack of population. Keeping an eye out for one particular sire he really didn't want to see that evening - not that he could force Deikan to do anything anymore, but the sight of him would ruin a perfectly nice evening - he hurried to his parents' home.

Only Sorya and Takhi were there, and at first Deikan thought that was for the better. But noticing the worried looks the traded as he entered the small house, he knew something was wrong.

Sorya seemed exhausted, and pulled his youngest son into a tight embrace, barely concealing his sobs. Deikan returned the embrace and threw an inquisitive glance at his brother over his father's shoulder. Takhi refused to meet his gaze or say anything.

But Sorya did. Letting go, he took his son's face in his hands and told him to take whatever he could and get as far away from this place as possible, before any of the sires returned. And when Deikan didn't do anything but blink and look confused, he shook the young velassi's shoulders painfully. "You have to leave now, Deikan. The council has gathered tonight to determine your fate, and Flavik sounded furious. Your sire is over there, as is almost every velassi in the city. Edran promised to do his best to delay their decision, but Deikan, you must go! Now!"

Deikan's eyes flared with rage. "How dare they! I thought I'd made this clear, I already have a mate. And once he hears of this he will not be pleased."

"There isn't anything we can do," Takhi suddenly said, standing up. "Nor can this mysterious sire you claim to have bonded with. Don't you understand, Deikan? This is bad! Flavik is the head elder's brother, and that gives him more than enough leverage to claim you as his mate, willingly or unwillingly. So you'll either get the hell out of here and hope they don't send someone out to find you and bring you back, or accept Flavik as your mate."

Deikan snarled. "I'm not going anywhere. Last time I checked, there was no rule that the council can choose our mates. I'm sick and tired of hearing about how all-mighty this Flavik is. The only place I'll be going to is to the council hall." He put an arm around his father's waist, noticing the panicked look in Sorya's eyes. "Do not fear, father. There is nothing they can do to harm me now."

Judging by Sorya's pained whimper, the older father was not at all convinced by that.

"Please, father, have faith in me. Takhi... can you please stay here? Greyan said that, if I'm not back in two candlemarks, he'll be coming to get me. And if he doesn't find anyone here to tell him what happened, he might do something drastic."

Takhi spluttered. "Greyan? You mated with Greyan? Deikan, of all the sires in this city..."

The brown-haired sire glared at his brother. "Greyan is better than any sire in this city, and the last thing I want to hear is a sermon." Turning on his heels, he left the house and made straight for the council hall.

Sorya caught up with him on the way, his light blue eyes narrowed as he declared, "I'm not letting you go in there all alone. You might do something stupid."

Deikan shrugged. "Don't I always?"

There were a lot of velassi gathered in the hall, and for a moment all Deikan wanted to do was get as far away from there as possible. But he steeled himself and kept walking. If he ran away, even if he only went to get his mate and have him deal with this (as a father would normally do), he would see himself as a coward for the rest of his life. No, he would go in there and let the council and Flavik hear what he had to say. He wouldn't let the impertinent oaf win without having to fight for victory.

And he absolutely hated to be seen as an object to be passed around according to the wishes of some pompous old sires.

Velassi started noticing him and stopped whispering to one another, parting in his way as he advanced towards the middle of the room, where Flavik and Kleitos stood facing the massive podium behind which the members of the council were seated. They too turned and saw Deikan arrive, as did the council members, Edran alone allowing a resigned sigh to escape his lips.

"I see you have finally come to your senses and decided to yield to this council's decision." The head elder seemed quite pleased by his arrival, as did Flavik. Well, Deikan would see to that... and if he couldn't, then he knew somebody who would.

Flashing his fangs at Flavik, Deikan said, "I refuse to bond to this sick excuse of a sire. He a liar trying to take credit for other people's actions, and all he cares about is himself. Not to mention that he looks like he's been thrown off a cliff." Which, obviously, he had been, and there was a set of half-headed gashes on his neck that Deikan did not recall causing. "I already have a mate, so let Flavik find someone else."

Some of the audience shifted slightly, the implications of Deikan's revelation being discussed in hushed whispers. It was not very common for a sire to try and take away someone else's mate.

The head elder didn't look too convinced, nor did the other three sires; Edran was still keeping a neutral expression. "Nobody informed us that you have chosen a mate prior to All Souls Night," one of them finally spoke. "Nor were we informed of this presumed mate's identity." Deikan's sire seemed to wish to intervene, but he was ordered to silence on the pretext that, being there, Deikan could speak for himself.

"Where is he, this mate of yours? No true sire would allow you to defend yourself, he would stand before us and do it for you."

Deikan gritted his teeth. "My mate so happens to trust me. And why would I have to defend myself in the first place? I did nothing wrong."

"You led me on and then backed out on our agreement," Flavik rumbled in a dangerous tone, making Kleitos, who had stepped down to stand next to Sorya, tense.

"I did no such thing. I refused all your gifts and told you I was not interested in you. And this was half a year ago. It isn't my fault you can't take no for an answer."

"You were to bond with me!"

"No, I wasn't."

Edran cleared his throat. "Then tell us, Deikan, if not Flavik then who did you agree to bond to?"

"Greyan."

The name caused different reactions. A few fearful mutters and confusion from the velassi in the audience, doubt and disbelief from the elders.

Still, the head elder seemed more careful with his words when he spoke next. "Greyan, you say. You are, of course, quite aware who Greyan is."

Deikan nodded. "He is the Executioner."

Flavik grew a little pale, but the elder smiled. "Yes. And since you know this, you must also know that Greyan has never chosen a mate, nor did he intend to the last time I spoke with him."

"That was a long time ago," Takhi's mate intervened. "True, he did not tell me about this either, but if he did take Deikan as his mate then there is nothing we can do about it. Unless, of course, Flavik wants to challenge him."

The dark-haired sire in question gulped, then stole a glance at Deikan before facing the podium again. "He has no proof of this," he said sharply. "What worth do words have without proof? And who is this Executioner, anyway? Surely not that pretty white-haired friend of yours that helped you escape the other night. That little one's as fragile as a doll."

"Fragile enough to throw you off the rocks before the Forbidden Caves," Deikan said dryly, watching Edran and two other council members grasp.

The dark-haired sire didn't seem to take it lightly and lunged forward, his hands closing on Deikan's upper arms and dragging him closer as the sire growled.

Deikan tried not to move and looked at him hatefully. "You'd better let go of me and end this charade before Greyan finds out about it, because if he does, he won't let you get away with it."

Whatever Flavik's reply was going to be, it turned into a scream of pain at the same time as a loud crack resounded in the hall. The sire pulled back, clutching his right arm with his left, and Deikan could now see the gash on it, the sleeve's material darkening with blood.

"It's a bit too late for that. I already know."

The young father hadn't noticed how tense he had been until he realized his mate was indeed there. Greyan's voice had been as cutting as his weapon of choice, a whip which never left his side and whose braided tongue was reinforced with thin metal wire. A whip which he now held, instinctively caressing it as he coiled it in one hand only to lash out with it again as Flavik tried to throw himself at him. The dark-haired sire screamed again as he pulled back, the mark this time across his chest.

Reaching the place where Deikan stood, Greyan turned to smile at his mate. "Go stand with your family and let me handle this, my nightingale." When Deikan was about to protest, he shushed him with a finger. "No arguing, Deikan. There is a time for doing as you wish, and a time for obeying. This situation is for me to handle, not you."

Noticing the way in which Greyan's eyes were darkening, Deikan nodded and went to stand next to his parents and Takhi, who had joined them. His brother seemed frightened, but Deikan could not say for what reason.

Greyan was now facing Flavik with a smirk on his lips. "I have warned you to stay away," he told them, "but here you are trying to take my mate from me again. I do believe I shall make a lesson out of you. A lesson you will all remember," he added, throwing a hateful look towards the council table, "since it seems you have forgotten what happened the last time you tried to cross me. Well, I have had enough. I am leaving this place; and if you ever disturb me for anything less than a serious situation I am going to come back and do a repeat performance of tonight."

With a snarl, his whip stroke again, tearing into Flavik's flesh like a sharp knife through parchment.

Most of the velassi in the hall ran away after the first few strokes. Those who remained had closed their eyes and covered their ears, trying to block out Flavik's horrified screams. The sire had tried to get away, but Greyan hadn't allowed it. Deikan couldn't help but watch in fascination as the whip hit again, and again. After a while, his mate abandoned it and continued his 'lesson' with clawed hands. Blood was everywhere now, on the floor and columns that supported the ceiling and even on the council's podium.

And on Greyan, as he tore viciously at the one who had dared touch his mate. When he was done, there was no piece left of Flavik larger than a fist. Then he just stood in the middle of the hall, undeterred amidst the carnage.

Deikan dared take a step forward, instinctively pushing away the restraining hand his sire held out and carefully making his way to his mate's side, trying to ignore the fact that the pieces on the floor had once been a body. Greyan had warned him about the darkness that lurked inside him, about what being the Executioner meant; but there had been no way to really prepare Deikan for this scene. Still, as he walked forward, Deikan realized that in spite of all this power, Greyan had never been anything but nice, sometimes even exasperatingly polite, and very much obliging. Not just with Deikan but with Takhi and Edran as well, and they had not seen that behaviour as out of the ordinary. For as long as Greyan didn't hurt him, Deikan would be fine. Better, he would know he was truly protected.

He treaded carefully, aware that his mate was watching him. When he was close, he reached out and took Greyan's bloody hand in his own. Trying not to look disgusted, he leaned over and licked at the blood covering it. When this didn't draw an adverse reaction from either his own stomach or the older velassi, he licked again. When he finished cleaning one hand he did the same with the other.

There was blood on Greyan's face too, and Deikan wasn't sure if he should clean it the same way. But the sire was smiling at him encouragingly and so he dared, shuddering in delight as Greyan's hands closed around his waist and pulled him closer, their mouths meeting.

The sire wasn't the only one making a statement tonight. Greyan had wanted the council to know just how far he was willing to go in order to protect his mate. Well, Deikan would let them know that he had chosen to bond with Greyan, and understood what that implied. He would accept this side of his mate just as he had accepted the others.

No, Deikan wouldn't mind being Greyan's mate. Not at all.