The Present

Vero and Dora had no destination in mind when they had left Whitegate, only that they wished to get out of the city. So, they continued traveling north across the Kingdom of Velois. The land had become well settled since the end of the civil war, and there was no business for Vero. Fortunately, they stocked up well with supplies before leaving the Republic.

Dora had also been more successful than Vero in finding employment.

The weather was very warm and they often bivouacked rather than try and hire rooms. They traveled all day, and at night Vero studied Friar Theobald’s book by the campfire. She started at the beginning, since she was still much too far south to need specific directions as of yet, and because that seemed like the most sensible place to start.

Sometimes, Dora curled up next to her and they read together.

She had forgotten how good it felt to be so near to someone she loved so much. Vero was going to miss that once she needed to leave Dora behind. It was going to hurt, but she was prepared for that.

Vero put it out of her mind. She needed to focus on remembering Mama’s lessons of old Imperial if she was going to ever decipher the friar’s book.

Theobald had been a priest of the Goddesses of Learning in one of the free cities to the east of Velois. There, the Lady was known as Thesmos, but Vero had heard other names across the sea, or on the other side of the mountains. The Reasoning Goddess shared a church hierarchy with Orphia, the Goddess of Art, and Theobald inscribed prayers to both in his introduction to the text.

Vero found the tenants of the faith and their devotion to study rather dull, at least for her own tastes, but she appreciated the work they did. Most of the books she had collected in the past few years were originally produced by that church in one form or another.

The friar had traveled across the Archduchy of Teutonia on a survey of the land, investigating what crops were grown and in what yield, detailing the topography, and making sketches of the local flora and fauna. Vero found the drawings the most interesting.

Mostly, the book was rather boring. Vero still had not found anything interesting by the time she and Dora reached the northern edge of Velian territory.

They planned to stop at a small trade city built just short of the cross roads between Teutonia in the northeast, and the Umbrian marshes to the west. Vero knew the place; she had been there many times before. Dora would be safe there.

When they came through the heath, the first thing Vero saw across the broad plain were the town walls in front of them. She stopped Papillon and pulled the coin purse off her belt; it was heavier than usual. She removed enough money to finance the rest of her journey and gave the purse to Dora.

“Why give me this?” Dora asked.

“Keep it for me.”

Dora looked back and forth nervously and tried to hide the purse in her arms. “I’d really rather you held our money.”

“You’ll rent a private room at the inn. I’ll stay there with you tonight and go on alone tomorrow morning.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s dangerous further north. I’m not certain I can keep you safe there.”

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“I don’t care about that. When we left Whitegate, you said you’d take me with you to see new places. So far, the only place you’ve taken me is this swamp.”

Vero put Papillon back into motion. “It’s not a debate, I’ve made my decision. You’ll wait here.”

They entered the town, found the inn, and ate dinner in stony silence. The place was almost full with traveling merchants, but not very rowdy. Everyone around them seemed to be entirely concerned with their own business, which suited Vero’s tastes just fine. The quiet was one of the things which recommended the location to her.

Dora left after a few minutes with a mumbled excuse that she was going to take a bath. Vero finished her own meal as well as the remainder of Dora’s, which had only been lightly picked at.

When she was finished, Vero followed Dora to the back. There was a stout door leading into the bathing room, but it was left open a crack to keep the room from becoming too warm. Vero entered and found Dora lounging in a large wooden tub. Vero closed the door completely and made certain there was no one to see her before removing her own clothes.

Dora moved aside and Vero slid into the steaming hot water next to her. There was not much room in the tub between them, but Vero certainly did not mind. Dora moved herself into a horizontal position sitting on Vero’s lap. Vero closed her eyes and tried to just enjoy the moment.

She might have fallen asleep; she had no notion of how long they stayed there together. Dora took her attention by the gentle application of pressure to her lips.

“You can’t really expect me to stay here in this moldy place all alone do you?” Dora asked, in her best pout.

“You wouldn’t be alone for long if I don’t miss my guess.” Vero’s words were just a fraction too sharp to be playful, and Dora returned them with an elbow to the ribs which was just the same.

“I’m serious Virgil, I want to come with you. You promised we’d go someplace wonderful. This ‘city’ isn’t much more than a country village.”

“It has a wall around it. That makes it a city.”

“It’s so quiet here.”

Vero cradled Dora in her arms and held her close against her chest, which Dora went along with very readily. “It’s also safe here. The Marquis de Fer owns these lands, and his justice is strictly enforced here since order was restored. Farther north than this- they’re still in the midst of an interregnum… And the land is infested with the living dead.”

“We’ve faced the living dead together before.”

“Not like these. The creatures ahead of me are more than a hundredfold greater in age, and in power, to the vampyres we destroyed in Whitegate.”

“If it’s so dangerous, then how do you suppose that you’ll come out alright- especially without anyone to help you.”

“Perhaps you don’t understand. I have no assumptions about my own survival. In fact, I think there’s a greater chance that this book is some kind of elaborate trap, than not. And if that is the case, then I’ll certainly be killed. If I haven’t returned by the end of spring, then you should presume that I’m dead, and go… wherever you like. So long as you don’t dare consider following after me.”

Dora sat up suddenly in the tub, displacing both of them. “You think Pentarch was some kind of- evil undead spy?”

Vero steadied herself, and the two of them now sat facing each other. “Possibly. I hope not. He knew all the signs and phrases I was taught to use to recognize our own. If we are turning on ourselves, then things are even worse than I’ve feared. My impression was that he had the same suspicions about this being a trap that I had. Which is why he passed it on to me and made himself scarce.”

“Coward.” Dora struck the water in front of her.

“Don’t be so harsh in your judgement. He’s obviously less foolhardy than I am. Even so, if he hadn’t seen the opportunity to use me as a canary- it’s my feeling that he would have gone… regardless of the danger.”

“For the gods’ sake, why would either of you want to follow this damn book?”

“We were never numerous, but Pentarch is the first slayer I’ve met since my master’s death. That was years ago. My master was an illiterate mercenary before he was trained by his own master. Everything I know is second-hand information, and what I could find out on my own. The ancients may have had spells, or other knowledge- artifacts, relics… I can’t afford to let that chance escape me.”

“I don’t see how you going off and getting yourself killed will do anything to help your order.”

“One more or less slayer in the world won’t make any difference. But, if I can find the intact ruins of one of the old Imperial academies, then the gods only know what I may find inside.”

Dora moved to her side and slumped her head on Vero’s shoulder, apparently resigned to defeat. “I wish you really were my husband in truth. I never have this much trouble making men do what I want.”

“No, I don’t suppose you do.”

Vero kissed her. Then lifted Dora and herself out of the water, which had grown tepid.