Part Three
I woke to the sounds of birds and the sun beating warmly on my tent. I lay on my back and stretched. I could hear others outside, talking quietly and I could smell the last of the night’s fire and the beckoning of strong coffee. I got up and stretched and picked up my jogging pants and snagged my zip up hoodie and cigarettes and slipped from the tent. I discretely checked on West and Renee, the Kid and Violet. Renee had slipped in 20 minutes before dawn and she looked radiant. Now she was sleeping the sleep of the angels. That Bill, he can sure knock a girl out. I slipped out of the tent. God Speed was standing there by the fire, drinking a cup of coffee. I sidled up to him.
“Where is Jen?” I asked.
“Asleep in the tent,” he said.
“Have a nice night?” I asked, looking at GS, who looked like the proverbial cat.
“I had a wonderful night,” he said. I looked at his neck and saw two little fang marks.
“I just bet you did,” I said.
“A gentleman never tells,” he said.
Fairy was chatting with Aolani. I went over to them and looked at Aolani. “That was a great ceremony last night,” I said.
“It was, thank you,” she said.
“Go hunting last night?” I asked.
“I did,” she said.
“Do any good?” I asked.
“I did,” she said. The smile was one you could not obliterate with a jack hammer.
“Good for you,” I said. “Where is Minnie Mouse? Is she up yet?”
“She is, her husband is going off to a computer gaming conference for the next two days,” said Fairy.
“Well, that is good for Minnie Mouse, at least she can be with her Viking sometime or other,” I said. Minnie came and joined us.
“Bill was with Renee last night,” said Minnie.
“Oh yeah, it was great for her,” I said. “Renee is taking him tonight. It was her birthday last night, so I think he is celebrating with her late.”
“Very cool,” she said. “You know, if they were human guys, we would not share them.”
“True,” I mused. “Did they all sleep in the house last night?”
“They did,” said Minnie. “They are so quiet.”
“Well they have had a lot of practice,” I said. “How far is Solitude from here?”
“About a twenty minute drive. I think the boys are going up there to the lake to fish,” said Minnie.
“I don’t know about that Minnie….GS spent the night with Jessica last night. Would hate to think that Sal and Dude would do something to him,” I said.
“I think Chris and Scarlett and Nicky are going with them, so the girls will keep them from poking each other in the eye,” said Minnie.
“Good,” I said. “Well, tonight will be Sal’s night, I am sure, to make it all even out.”
“Do you think Bill has explained the concept of the plural marriage thing to her?” she mused.
“Well, she is young but she sees what the others are doing,” I said, lighting another cigarette. “I imagine that is the best part of being a Vampire, the ability to have more than one lover if you want it.”
“What are you going to do Aslinn?” asked Fairy.
“I am going to trap me a few rabbits,” I said. “It will be good to have rabbit and trout for supper.”
“I have some venison in the freezer. With the left over pig and the game meat and fish, we will have a good feast,” said Minnie.
“We will,” I said.
After coffee, I got up and made my wire traps and went up the road about a mile to the farm where Minnie had asked permission for me to set my traps. I put out some corn bread and corn on the cob from the last couple of nights and sprinkled salt on them and left them. I took a seat several hundred yards away and sat under an ancient apple tree and smoked a cigarette and wrote for a while in my journal. Finally I got up to check my traps and they were all full. I went on ahead and cut off their little heads and feet and gutted them. I carried them back to the house just as the sun set. Eric was squatting by the edge of the road.
“Good evening Eric,” I said.
“Hunting?” he asked.
“Yeah, I got four rabbits, not very big, but will make for good eating,” I said. “How long have you been up?” Eric slowed his pace to match my little short stride.
“Not long,” he said. “Humans are strange.”
“Just figuring that out?” I asked, laughing at him. “Did you have a nice night with Aolani?”
“I did,” he said. “She too is a very special huntress.”
“Um, I bet,” I said.
“Does it bother you to hunt and dress your kill?” he asked.
“No, I have an intimate relationship with food,” I said. “I come from a hunting culture.”
“You know, I still believe you would make a great Vampire, Aslinn,” he said.
“Well, I would have to get used to this whole night time thing, it kind of sounds good when you can get out in the day when you want or have to, but to be unable to get out in the day in real life if you had to, that sort of blows,” I said. He laughed.
“I suppose so,” he said. We walked into camp together. GS was cleaning the trout they had caught. I went over to the side, out of the way and proceeded to skin the rest of the rabbits. Bill came over and watched the process with a stoic look on his face.
“That doesn’t trouble you sweetheart?” he asked.
“Nope. Did you ever eat rabbit before?” I asked.
“Oh hundreds of them before I became Vampire,” he said. “But modern times have seen a shift from hunting.”
“Very true,” I said. I picked up the skinned rabbits and put them in a large bowl and poured a pint of beer over them and rubbed them with onion powder and cumin and salt. Garlic would have been better, but Bill was still standing there watching me and garlic is irritating to our Vampires. I threaded two short sticks in to the breasts and the hips, to pull them open and then a large green stick along the spine and took them to cook over the fire. I brushed them occasionally with butter and turned them. We chatted with the Vampires in our midst, GS and the boys talking about fishing and the ones that got away, When the rabbits were nearly done, GS went and fried up some bacon on the grill in an iron skillet that Lafayette would have swooned over, then dipped the trout in beer and corn meal and laid them in the pan and began to fry them up.
Renee came out with some of our food that had been warming in the oven in the house and Bill got up and helped her. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close and kissed her warmly. I think the Vampires pretended they were human sometimes, because though they were uninterested in the food, they would sit with us, drinking their bottles, and though Pam would not deign to pick up dirty plates or wash dishes, it was not unusual to see Chris and Jessica washing a few dishes that were sitting in the sink in the parlor. Bill would carry things for us, but he and Eric would never lift their hands to more menial tasks beyond rinsing their bottles for the sink.
After supper and the clean up, we lounged around and chatted. Eric came and sat close to me for a moment, so I knew it must be serious.
“Aslinn, did you make a will? When you were sick?” asked the Viking.
“I wrote a letter explaining where I wanted special things to go and what I wanted done with my body. Nothing formal, just that. Why, Eric?” I asked.
“I wonder if Barrister would write my will,” said Eric quietly.
“Do you need a will Eric?” I asked. “I mean…”
“Vampire doesn’t mean immortal. Vampire means hard to kill. I plan to live as close to forever as I can, but incase, I want certain things done on my behalf,” he said.
“I am sure Barrister will be able to take care of things for you,” I said.
“Thank you dearest,” said Eric. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek and got up and went to join Jen, the wife he intended to be with this evening and I sat, wondering at Eric and what he thought might be happening.
I woke to the sounds of birds and the sun beating warmly on my tent. I lay on my back and stretched. I could hear others outside, talking quietly and I could smell the last of the night’s fire and the beckoning of strong coffee. I got up and stretched and picked up my jogging pants and snagged my zip up hoodie and cigarettes and slipped from the tent. I discretely checked on West and Renee, the Kid and Violet. Renee had slipped in 20 minutes before dawn and she looked radiant. Now she was sleeping the sleep of the angels. That Bill, he can sure knock a girl out. I slipped out of the tent. God Speed was standing there by the fire, drinking a cup of coffee. I sidled up to him.
“Where is Jen?” I asked.
“Asleep in the tent,” he said.
“Have a nice night?” I asked, looking at GS, who looked like the proverbial cat.
“I had a wonderful night,” he said. I looked at his neck and saw two little fang marks.
“I just bet you did,” I said.
“A gentleman never tells,” he said.
Fairy was chatting with Aolani. I went over to them and looked at Aolani. “That was a great ceremony last night,” I said.
“It was, thank you,” she said.
“Go hunting last night?” I asked.
“I did,” she said.
“Do any good?” I asked.
“I did,” she said. The smile was one you could not obliterate with a jack hammer.
“Good for you,” I said. “Where is Minnie Mouse? Is she up yet?”
“She is, her husband is going off to a computer gaming conference for the next two days,” said Fairy.
“Well, that is good for Minnie Mouse, at least she can be with her Viking sometime or other,” I said. Minnie came and joined us.
“Bill was with Renee last night,” said Minnie.
“Oh yeah, it was great for her,” I said. “Renee is taking him tonight. It was her birthday last night, so I think he is celebrating with her late.”
“Very cool,” she said. “You know, if they were human guys, we would not share them.”
“True,” I mused. “Did they all sleep in the house last night?”
“They did,” said Minnie. “They are so quiet.”
“Well they have had a lot of practice,” I said. “How far is Solitude from here?”
“About a twenty minute drive. I think the boys are going up there to the lake to fish,” said Minnie.
“I don’t know about that Minnie….GS spent the night with Jessica last night. Would hate to think that Sal and Dude would do something to him,” I said.
“I think Chris and Scarlett and Nicky are going with them, so the girls will keep them from poking each other in the eye,” said Minnie.
“Good,” I said. “Well, tonight will be Sal’s night, I am sure, to make it all even out.”
“Do you think Bill has explained the concept of the plural marriage thing to her?” she mused.
“Well, she is young but she sees what the others are doing,” I said, lighting another cigarette. “I imagine that is the best part of being a Vampire, the ability to have more than one lover if you want it.”
“What are you going to do Aslinn?” asked Fairy.
“I am going to trap me a few rabbits,” I said. “It will be good to have rabbit and trout for supper.”
“I have some venison in the freezer. With the left over pig and the game meat and fish, we will have a good feast,” said Minnie.
“We will,” I said.
After coffee, I got up and made my wire traps and went up the road about a mile to the farm where Minnie had asked permission for me to set my traps. I put out some corn bread and corn on the cob from the last couple of nights and sprinkled salt on them and left them. I took a seat several hundred yards away and sat under an ancient apple tree and smoked a cigarette and wrote for a while in my journal. Finally I got up to check my traps and they were all full. I went on ahead and cut off their little heads and feet and gutted them. I carried them back to the house just as the sun set. Eric was squatting by the edge of the road.
“Good evening Eric,” I said.
“Hunting?” he asked.
“Yeah, I got four rabbits, not very big, but will make for good eating,” I said. “How long have you been up?” Eric slowed his pace to match my little short stride.
“Not long,” he said. “Humans are strange.”
“Just figuring that out?” I asked, laughing at him. “Did you have a nice night with Aolani?”
“I did,” he said. “She too is a very special huntress.”
“Um, I bet,” I said.
“Does it bother you to hunt and dress your kill?” he asked.
“No, I have an intimate relationship with food,” I said. “I come from a hunting culture.”
“You know, I still believe you would make a great Vampire, Aslinn,” he said.
“Well, I would have to get used to this whole night time thing, it kind of sounds good when you can get out in the day when you want or have to, but to be unable to get out in the day in real life if you had to, that sort of blows,” I said. He laughed.
“I suppose so,” he said. We walked into camp together. GS was cleaning the trout they had caught. I went over to the side, out of the way and proceeded to skin the rest of the rabbits. Bill came over and watched the process with a stoic look on his face.
“That doesn’t trouble you sweetheart?” he asked.
“Nope. Did you ever eat rabbit before?” I asked.
“Oh hundreds of them before I became Vampire,” he said. “But modern times have seen a shift from hunting.”
“Very true,” I said. I picked up the skinned rabbits and put them in a large bowl and poured a pint of beer over them and rubbed them with onion powder and cumin and salt. Garlic would have been better, but Bill was still standing there watching me and garlic is irritating to our Vampires. I threaded two short sticks in to the breasts and the hips, to pull them open and then a large green stick along the spine and took them to cook over the fire. I brushed them occasionally with butter and turned them. We chatted with the Vampires in our midst, GS and the boys talking about fishing and the ones that got away, When the rabbits were nearly done, GS went and fried up some bacon on the grill in an iron skillet that Lafayette would have swooned over, then dipped the trout in beer and corn meal and laid them in the pan and began to fry them up.
Renee came out with some of our food that had been warming in the oven in the house and Bill got up and helped her. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close and kissed her warmly. I think the Vampires pretended they were human sometimes, because though they were uninterested in the food, they would sit with us, drinking their bottles, and though Pam would not deign to pick up dirty plates or wash dishes, it was not unusual to see Chris and Jessica washing a few dishes that were sitting in the sink in the parlor. Bill would carry things for us, but he and Eric would never lift their hands to more menial tasks beyond rinsing their bottles for the sink.
After supper and the clean up, we lounged around and chatted. Eric came and sat close to me for a moment, so I knew it must be serious.
“Aslinn, did you make a will? When you were sick?” asked the Viking.
“I wrote a letter explaining where I wanted special things to go and what I wanted done with my body. Nothing formal, just that. Why, Eric?” I asked.
“I wonder if Barrister would write my will,” said Eric quietly.
“Do you need a will Eric?” I asked. “I mean…”
“Vampire doesn’t mean immortal. Vampire means hard to kill. I plan to live as close to forever as I can, but incase, I want certain things done on my behalf,” he said.
“I am sure Barrister will be able to take care of things for you,” I said.
“Thank you dearest,” said Eric. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek and got up and went to join Jen, the wife he intended to be with this evening and I sat, wondering at Eric and what he thought might be happening.
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