The Blood Raven

It was the morning on a cold and blustery day. Everyone hustling and bustling through the city no one really caring what another did or didn't do, just going about their business. A small-framed woman barely clothed enough to keep warm, tattered jeans with a fur belt?! A ripped up long-sleeved shirt with a punk rocker t-shirt over it with a long since worn out jacket on top. Her shoes were taped together more times than she would care to admit and a tattered backpack on her back. She began darting down the alleyways of the city avoiding people as to not be seen. She stopped at trashcan after trash can looking inside for anything she could make use of. A few warm shirts here that were in one bag and a few pairs of pants in another. 'Jackpot!' she thought, as she moved on towards the more business districts where shops throw away the day-old bread and muffins. Finding a freshly tossed bag of about 8 muffins and she says to herself 'score!' and even a loaf of bread wrapped in foil. She takes them placing them in her backpack and continues to wander the alleyways looking for any more “forgotten” treasures in the bins, as she travels along unawares through the alley. A bit of a growl came from the alley that she was in, Glowing red eyes piercing the blackest shadows as clean black boots stepped forward. "Could you be any more noisy? You're scaring off my breakfast." a male voice spoke, Licking his lips with what appeared to be fresh blood. Two gold earrings in his right ear while a single sterling silver stud was in his left. Dark navy jeans with a black belt holding them up. He shook his head, Bringing one of his hands out of his jean pockets to run it through his moonlight silver hair. "Such a pain in the ass... Keeping prey still long enough so you don't kill them.." he spoke before shaking his head. His torso was almost fully exposed if not for his jacket which flowed behind him like a cloak. The sleeves rolled up just above his elbows. She gulped backing up putting her backpack on slowly so that she could turn to run if needed. " I... I am sorry I... I didn't mean to..." her words cut off as she looked over, seeing the blood on his lips and she froze. Her eyes went wide and her ears threatened to poke through her hair as everything in her told her to run... run NOW!. She stood there almost frozen in place as she watched the man. His fingers gliding through his silver hair caught her attention as it shone in the light. She swallowed harder as what he said caused her to shiver. She started to back up slowly looking behind her as if judging her distance from the middle of the ally to the end so she could get away. He shook his head as he let out a heavy sigh. "No need, I got my fill... Other than a bit of anemia, They will be fine. Just not one for loud noises so damn early..." he said before making his way towards the end of the alley. "One of these days... I swear... The world just keeps changing around me." he grumbled. “S... Sorry I didn't mean to intrude. I... I just usually go through these cans in the morning as that's when the shops throw things out from the night before ... it.. its how I find food....” she said softly as she backed up into a large can and freezing in place as it rattled and made noise. "Food?" he asks as he comes to a stop and looks her over "You look like you have seen better days. Tell me.. how on earth did you end up like this?" he asked curiously, gears seeming to turn in his head as he waited for an answer. “I... I was abandoned as a child,” she said nervously and flatly. “I... I have had to live on my own and survive the best way I could.” She was shaking being so close to this man. "Sounds like a pain in the ass... I wonder what for... You don't look like anything is wrong with you.." he said, shrugging. "Most runts that get abandoned have something wrong... or their parents just can't deal with them..." his curiosity getting the better of him before shaking his head. She looked down and bit her lip revealing a small set of k-9s " I... I dunno...." Although she did know she was a freak and her parents made damn sure to make it known she was. She shuddered at the memory and then looked up just as she saw the man start to leave. He chuckled a bit as he watched her. "Probably will never know... I have to make my runs... Can't let my territory become infested with Vermin after all... Keep on your guard never know when low vampires may try to sneak in for a bite." he said before walking off. She gulped shivering and nodding letting him walk off and she runs away in the other direction her heart beating extremely fast. Vampires? f**k they are real to??? She thought to herself. Her heart was racing and beating so fast that she didn't notice him looking at her as she ran off. “See you later, Little rabbit.” he thought as he looked back, His glowing red eyes turning into a soft gold in color as he turned his attention to the road ahead. She dived into another ally where there were abandoned homes and buildings and she hid in the one she made her home for the last year and a half. She panted hard using herself to barricade the door as she shook in fear, her back pressed hard against it. “ God damn that was close...” she said to herself. "My territory has some interesting toys, Maybe I should come out more often." he muttered as he continued walking. Starting to start his patrol. She sat there listening hard her ears starting to twitch under the hair straining to hear. After a few moments of not hearing anything, she barricaded the door with a large dresser and goes to the tattered couch and pulls out her food that she was able to find, and began to eat. She started to feel safe again and relaxed drifting into a slight slumber. The day dragged on into night. Nothing was seen nor heard. The vampire that she had seen had begun to return to his home of residence "I should probably go looking for that girl... Who knows... She might prove rather interesting..." he muttered as he began to look to the way she had run. "Down that alleyway... towards the abandoned homes.." he muttered to himself. She had fallen asleep on her couch and curled up with a tattered blanket and she shivered deeply trying to get and stay warm in her slumber. The night started to get colder she couldn't help but wake up as she was freezing. She groaned getting up and gently looked around and went into the stone garage of the house and lighting the burn barrel and sitting on the couch in there, hoping just hoping to keep warm. Curling up with her blanket and watching the flames. The vampire looks over and sees the flickering of flames coming from the stone garage's broken door. "Jeez... is she really that desperate?..." he muttered as he went over, Taking his hand and easily lifting the door, or bending it rather as if it were made of paper. "You look like you could use a break..." She gasped jumping hard eyes widening "Whoa.. what the... how di....." she stammered fear obvious on her face as she clambered back on the couch as if trying to hide in it. "I thought I made it obvious this morning. I'm not one of the human variety. However, let's not speak of this right now. You're going to get sick staying out here. Come. I have a place with a warm bed and actual blankets to keep you warm. You can stay there." he said. She thought for a few moments and nodded and grabbed a bucket of water and extinguishes the fire in the burn barrel and gently held out a hand to him as she grabbed her backpack with all of her possessions. She put on the pack as she approaches him carefully and takes his hand trembling. He nods and gently takes her hand before he began to walk with her towards his home. "Granted where I live isn't a fancy castle. It's what humans call a house. Though I am sure you know about that.." he said. She nods "Th.. Thank you fo.. for your help." she couldn't help but stammer as she was trembling like a leaf not just from cold but fear as well, she didn't know his intentions and she pulled the blanket even though tattered around her tighter and covering her neck slightly. "Nicolas...Though friends have given me a rather odd nickname..." he said, giving a bit of a laugh. "However you are free to call me by whatever name you see fit..." he spoke as he stopped in front of a two-story house. "This is it. Now I am mostly downstairs so technically other than getting yourself food. or whatever, the upstairs is your domain.." he said. She nodded and followed him " thank you, Nicolas, " She said as she looked at the outside of the house, it wasn't boarded up. It looked like it could withstand the wind and rain something that she hasn't had in a while and it made her shiver a bit at the thought." c.. can I stay with you a while?" "You're free to stay as long as you wish," Nicolas said, going over to the door and opening it for her. "Granted, I don't have any comfortable clothes. So you may have to deal with over-sized men's clothes till I take you shopping.." he said as he opened the door letting her inside. "Thank you," she said as she went inside carefully looking around. "These are comfortable ... even if tore up, and I did find some new pants in one of those trashcans earlier so.. I .. I should be ok for a while. Besides why, would you take me shopping ?".. she asked as she was shivering a little bit now but not from cold, as the place was rather warm, but her fear was getting to her a little bit, wondering why this self-proclaimed vampire was being nice to her. "Because, I would rather you looking decent while out and about rather than like a street urchin, and don't worry so much. I don't feed off pets.." he spoke as he closed the front door behind him. Going to his room downstairs. She smiled and nodded letting him go as she started to look around and found the bathroom and decided to draw herself a hot bath to calm her nerves. She closed the door to the bathroom and locked it as if that would matter. If he wanted in he would just break the door, but it helped to ease her nerves. As she draws the bath and even puts a little bubble bath in the water as she lets the water run to fill the tub. She starts to undress out of her dirty tattered clothes, and slip into the warm soapy water, and turning it off as it got high enough and she laid back in the tub relaxing closing her eyes. She sighed in the bath and relaxed for a while before washing away the dirt and grime easily, then she let the furry belt of a tail uncurl and let her ears relax letting them out from under her hair as she relaxed fully in the waters feeling as if she was alone..... "I... I could get used to this ......I... I wonder what he meant by pets....." she shivered and curled into the warm waters and let her self relax Nicolas chuckled as he listened to the bath running, Taking his jacket and pants off to lay in bed. Tossing his boots over to the side of his bedroom door. "Let's just see if my good deed goes unpunished," he muttered as he began to close his eyes. After an hour opened his eyes, looking up to the ceiling as he thought of what all he had to do in the early morning. "If I had left her out there, those idiots that have been sniffing around my territory for an easy meal would have more than likely found her. At least now she is under my protection, I need to find out where they are hiding then kill them. It's not all that wise for a vampire to have intruders on his turf for this long." he growled. She had almost fallen asleep and then began to shiver as the waters got cold, sighing heavily she slowly exited the bath feeling better then she had in a while. She gently and slowly dried off, putting on clean underwear and a pair of the jeans she had found which were about a size too big but it wasn't that bad, and another clean shirt as she didn't have a bra. She once again laced her tail through the loops of the pants and was able to mimic a large belt with her tail thankfully. She brushed her hair and tucked her ears under her hair using a headband to help keep them under it, and began to look around the house, going towards his room curiously. She knocked on his door softly and waited. Nicolas raised a brow over to the bedroom door, "The door is open..." he said as he began to sit up as she opened the door softly and entered. "is there something you need?" he asked, His eyes glowing slightly in the shadows of the room. She swallowed hard, her hair was almost dry as a trait of hers she never stayed wet long, at least from water. She shivered and stammered. " I. I was wondering if I... I could stay with you tonight .. if... if you don't mind?" Nicolas tensed up a bit at hearing her question. "I don't mind...Just know that I am not a warm-bodied person. Hell, if anything I am cold like death.." he said rubbing the back of his head. "However.. that's what blankets are for... So I won't stop you.." She nodded and came closer she, was fully dressed and warm from her bath. She smiled brightly blushing a little bit "Th... thanks ... I .. I know I should be afraid of you but I strangely feel Ok around you, even if I am a little scared, and nervous. " she chuckled. " An... and I always have a hard time sleeping in a new place.” She said looking down a bit embarrassed. "You are a strange one, alright. You're free to stay in my room for however long you wish." he said giving a soft chuckle as he adjusted to lay down on his side. She gently crawled into the bed with him and softly laid next to him carefully being the little spoon as she was only 5ft tall even, she laid on her side as well her back gently against his chest. "Thank .... thank you" Nicolas sighed a bit as he wrapped his arm around her. "It's no trouble... I'm a rare breed among vampires as of late. Now all you find are the ones that are so hungry for blood, it's almost like they have gone feral..." he spoke. "Get some rest...You need it.." he whispered. She listened to him and felt his arm wrap around her and she stiffened a moment but then relaxed softly and slowly. "Y.. you're the first I have found or met... I.... I thought you .." She yawned softly " where all myths and legends....." she nodded " mmmhmmm," she said as he whispered as she started to relax as if feeling like she was under a spell but no her body was just exhausted. The soft comfortable bed was like a massage to her body, the bath soothed her aching muscles and now the bed lulling her to sleep. She softly began to purr in her sleep as she wasn't aware of it and she nuzzled his arm gently as she slept. "We prefer to keep it that way, Only when we are needed do we make an appearance.." he muttered starting to fall asleep to her purring as he held her tightly in his embrace.