The Visitor, FK, gen, Prompt #4 - Hovel
Aug. 5th, 2006 11:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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tamingthemuseTitle: The Visitor
Author: meredevachon
Fandom: Forever Knight
Characters: Javier Vachon
Prompt #4: Hovel
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1444
Spoilers/Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Forever Knight, its characters and situations do not belong to me. This is all in fun and for love of the characters.
A/N: Cutting it really close this week. This was my third attempt at this prompt, and the only one finished. I hope it turned out okay.
Summary: Vachon seeks shelter from the sun.
~*~*~
The winter sun was pale; milky white light barely piercing the thick leafy canopy above. Still it was more than enough to worry Vachon. After running from the Inca, he’d traveled too far in search of shelter, and now dawn found him in a forest with no relief in sight. He had spent days in shallow graves before when more comfortable accommodations were unavailable, but the ground here was frozen solid. It would take time, even with his strength and speed, to dig a hole large enough to hold him. And time was something he did not have. The sun would turn him to ash before he finished. His skin was already beginning to blister and smoke as he stumbled along the forest path.
Then he saw it. An abandoned, dilapidated shack leaning drunkenly against a pair of trees off to his left. It looked as though it hadn’t been used in years, and even then only occasionally. It had probably been a secondary shelter for a gameskeeper or woodsman whose responsibilities forced him to travel too far to return home each night. Now it looked like it would fall down with the lightest breeze. Still it offered better protection from the sun than the forest alone.
Vachon pushed through the trees and into the hut. He propped the broken door back in the doorway; its hinges had fallen apart long ago, but it stayed where he left it. Once that was done, he was reasonably sheltered for the moment. He patted down his smoldering clothes, wincing as he brushed against his burned and blistered flesh, before taking a look around.
Inside the hut was in better shape than he expected. It was clean… well, cleaner than an abandoned shack should be, and there were patches over the holes in the roof. The good news was he should be well-protected from the sun’s rays. Vachon didn’t want to think about the bad news. So he curled up on the dirt floor next to a pile of rags and covered himself with his cloak. He couldn’t leave the hut before nightfall, so he might as well try to get some rest. Hopefully sleep would distract him from the burns he’d suffered until he was able to feed again and let them heal.
He woke hungry; the beast within sensing prey was near. The sound of the forest were blotted out by a pounding heartbeat, and the warm, rich smell of blood filled his head. He felt his fangs drop in anticipation, and knew his eyes were now the reflective amber of a nocturnal predator. There was someone in the hut with him; someone who either had not yet noticed his presence or had, but was unafraid.
Vachon slowly pulled his cloak down inch by inch, exposing the tips of his fingers as he gripped the cloth. Better his hands get burned than his face if sunlight now filled the small space. When he was fairly sure he could look without getting burned, he pulled the cloak down further.
He saw her just as she noticed she wasn’t alone, and he groaned, both inwardly and aloud. One way or the other, it was going to be a very long day.
“Are you okay, mister?”
She couldn’t have been more than ten, thin and frail as a reed, with pale blonde hair hanging to her waist. Her big, blue eyes widened as she came closer.
“No! Stay away!” Vachon’s voice was more a growl, and she jumped back in fear. He clenched his fists so tightly he could feel his nails digging half moons into his skin, but it was all he could do not to take her right then. He shut his eyes, but the sound and smell of the blood rushing through her veins still called to him, and he knew exactly when she stepped forward again.
His cloak slipped off his shoulders as he pressed himself into the far wall, and she got her first good look at him.
“You’re hurt.”
“Stay. Back.” Vachon didn’t yell this time. All his energy was focused on quieting his hunger and not attacking the child. He knew his burns would not heal until he had fed, and the combination of pain and hunger made it that much harder to control.
“But…” She still sounded unsure, but she came no closer.
“I’ll be… all right. Just don’t… come near me.”
Vachon still had not opened his eyes, but he heard the rustling of cloth and the rasp of grit on the dirt floor as she sat down a few feet away from him.
“What are you doing here? Are you lost? No one comes here but me. Not for a long time.”
“I just… needed a place to sleep. I’ll be moving on tonight.”
“You don’t have to go. You could stay. I can cook… a little. I know where to find mushrooms and berries and nuts and things, and sometimes I catch a rabbit or a squirrel. I’m really good at that. You don’t have to go.” She sped up as she talked, her voice rising higher.
Another deep breath and Vachon felt calm enough to open his eyes. “What’s your name, little one?”
“Isabelle. Isabelle Tourneur. And I’m not little!”
Another time Vachon might have laughed at the way her face screwed up in indignation, but today all he could manage was light sarcasm. “My apologies, my dear Isabelle. I misspoke. Still, I cannot stay. I only stopped to get some rest, then I must be on my way.”
“But you could… and I could… I would be a good girl. You don’t have to leave. You’ll see. You can sleep now. I’ll be really, really quiet. And I’ll look after you while you sleep. Then when you wake up, I c-“
“When I wake up, I’ll have to go. I have… business. Important business. It can’t wait. Now I’m going to go to sleep. Maybe you’ll catch a rabbit today. I think you should try, and not come back until after dark.” As he said the last, he focused on the girl’s heartbeat, holding her gaze and modulating his voice so she would do whatever he said.
Vachon rolled over, pulling his cloak back over his head. He listened carefully, waiting for the child to go. He didn’t always feed on evildoers as he’d been instructed by the one who brought him across, but even injured he was unwilling to feed on an innocent child if he could help it.
Isabelle did not leave. She started toward the door, but after a few steps she shook her head in confusion. Turning back around, she returned to her spot in front of him and sat down again. To his dismay, she spent the day watching over him just as she’d said she would. Just his luck, she was a resistor, able to overcome his power of suggestion.
The only good thing about the day was that it was short. Still every minute of it was a struggle. The vampire part of him wanted nothing more than to feed on the girl. It would sate his hunger, allow him to heal more quickly, and eliminate a possible threat. The human part of him just wanted to get through the day without killing the child, if possible. He didn’t sleep. He couldn’t. He pretended though, and Isabelle was as quiet as she had promised… to human ears. He heard every slight movement, the steady in and out of her breath, and the intoxicating rhythm of her heart.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, darkness fell. As soon as it was safe, Vachon flew from the hut, no more than a blur to Isabelle’s eyes. There were deer in the forest. Not nearly as satisfying as a human, but enough to take the edge off his hunger and save the girl. From there it was easy to find a village with more appetizing fare. Vachon drank his fill and then some, hiding the bodies of three village women when he was done.
Isabelle had no idea how the mysterious stranger had disappeared so suddenly, and she stayed awake half the night waiting for him to return. Eventually sleep overtook her though, and she slept through till morning. When she awoke, she was surprised to find a large sack full of food in the same spot where the man had slept the previous day. It was then she knew. From that day forward, she told anyone who would listen about the day she was visited by an angel. A dark haired angel, with kind eyes full of sorrow.
*fin*
Author: meredevachon
Fandom: Forever Knight
Characters: Javier Vachon
Prompt #4: Hovel
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1444
Spoilers/Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Forever Knight, its characters and situations do not belong to me. This is all in fun and for love of the characters.
A/N: Cutting it really close this week. This was my third attempt at this prompt, and the only one finished. I hope it turned out okay.
Summary: Vachon seeks shelter from the sun.
The winter sun was pale; milky white light barely piercing the thick leafy canopy above. Still it was more than enough to worry Vachon. After running from the Inca, he’d traveled too far in search of shelter, and now dawn found him in a forest with no relief in sight. He had spent days in shallow graves before when more comfortable accommodations were unavailable, but the ground here was frozen solid. It would take time, even with his strength and speed, to dig a hole large enough to hold him. And time was something he did not have. The sun would turn him to ash before he finished. His skin was already beginning to blister and smoke as he stumbled along the forest path.
Then he saw it. An abandoned, dilapidated shack leaning drunkenly against a pair of trees off to his left. It looked as though it hadn’t been used in years, and even then only occasionally. It had probably been a secondary shelter for a gameskeeper or woodsman whose responsibilities forced him to travel too far to return home each night. Now it looked like it would fall down with the lightest breeze. Still it offered better protection from the sun than the forest alone.
Vachon pushed through the trees and into the hut. He propped the broken door back in the doorway; its hinges had fallen apart long ago, but it stayed where he left it. Once that was done, he was reasonably sheltered for the moment. He patted down his smoldering clothes, wincing as he brushed against his burned and blistered flesh, before taking a look around.
Inside the hut was in better shape than he expected. It was clean… well, cleaner than an abandoned shack should be, and there were patches over the holes in the roof. The good news was he should be well-protected from the sun’s rays. Vachon didn’t want to think about the bad news. So he curled up on the dirt floor next to a pile of rags and covered himself with his cloak. He couldn’t leave the hut before nightfall, so he might as well try to get some rest. Hopefully sleep would distract him from the burns he’d suffered until he was able to feed again and let them heal.
He woke hungry; the beast within sensing prey was near. The sound of the forest were blotted out by a pounding heartbeat, and the warm, rich smell of blood filled his head. He felt his fangs drop in anticipation, and knew his eyes were now the reflective amber of a nocturnal predator. There was someone in the hut with him; someone who either had not yet noticed his presence or had, but was unafraid.
Vachon slowly pulled his cloak down inch by inch, exposing the tips of his fingers as he gripped the cloth. Better his hands get burned than his face if sunlight now filled the small space. When he was fairly sure he could look without getting burned, he pulled the cloak down further.
He saw her just as she noticed she wasn’t alone, and he groaned, both inwardly and aloud. One way or the other, it was going to be a very long day.
“Are you okay, mister?”
She couldn’t have been more than ten, thin and frail as a reed, with pale blonde hair hanging to her waist. Her big, blue eyes widened as she came closer.
“No! Stay away!” Vachon’s voice was more a growl, and she jumped back in fear. He clenched his fists so tightly he could feel his nails digging half moons into his skin, but it was all he could do not to take her right then. He shut his eyes, but the sound and smell of the blood rushing through her veins still called to him, and he knew exactly when she stepped forward again.
His cloak slipped off his shoulders as he pressed himself into the far wall, and she got her first good look at him.
“You’re hurt.”
“Stay. Back.” Vachon didn’t yell this time. All his energy was focused on quieting his hunger and not attacking the child. He knew his burns would not heal until he had fed, and the combination of pain and hunger made it that much harder to control.
“But…” She still sounded unsure, but she came no closer.
“I’ll be… all right. Just don’t… come near me.”
Vachon still had not opened his eyes, but he heard the rustling of cloth and the rasp of grit on the dirt floor as she sat down a few feet away from him.
“What are you doing here? Are you lost? No one comes here but me. Not for a long time.”
“I just… needed a place to sleep. I’ll be moving on tonight.”
“You don’t have to go. You could stay. I can cook… a little. I know where to find mushrooms and berries and nuts and things, and sometimes I catch a rabbit or a squirrel. I’m really good at that. You don’t have to go.” She sped up as she talked, her voice rising higher.
Another deep breath and Vachon felt calm enough to open his eyes. “What’s your name, little one?”
“Isabelle. Isabelle Tourneur. And I’m not little!”
Another time Vachon might have laughed at the way her face screwed up in indignation, but today all he could manage was light sarcasm. “My apologies, my dear Isabelle. I misspoke. Still, I cannot stay. I only stopped to get some rest, then I must be on my way.”
“But you could… and I could… I would be a good girl. You don’t have to leave. You’ll see. You can sleep now. I’ll be really, really quiet. And I’ll look after you while you sleep. Then when you wake up, I c-“
“When I wake up, I’ll have to go. I have… business. Important business. It can’t wait. Now I’m going to go to sleep. Maybe you’ll catch a rabbit today. I think you should try, and not come back until after dark.” As he said the last, he focused on the girl’s heartbeat, holding her gaze and modulating his voice so she would do whatever he said.
Vachon rolled over, pulling his cloak back over his head. He listened carefully, waiting for the child to go. He didn’t always feed on evildoers as he’d been instructed by the one who brought him across, but even injured he was unwilling to feed on an innocent child if he could help it.
Isabelle did not leave. She started toward the door, but after a few steps she shook her head in confusion. Turning back around, she returned to her spot in front of him and sat down again. To his dismay, she spent the day watching over him just as she’d said she would. Just his luck, she was a resistor, able to overcome his power of suggestion.
The only good thing about the day was that it was short. Still every minute of it was a struggle. The vampire part of him wanted nothing more than to feed on the girl. It would sate his hunger, allow him to heal more quickly, and eliminate a possible threat. The human part of him just wanted to get through the day without killing the child, if possible. He didn’t sleep. He couldn’t. He pretended though, and Isabelle was as quiet as she had promised… to human ears. He heard every slight movement, the steady in and out of her breath, and the intoxicating rhythm of her heart.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, darkness fell. As soon as it was safe, Vachon flew from the hut, no more than a blur to Isabelle’s eyes. There were deer in the forest. Not nearly as satisfying as a human, but enough to take the edge off his hunger and save the girl. From there it was easy to find a village with more appetizing fare. Vachon drank his fill and then some, hiding the bodies of three village women when he was done.
Isabelle had no idea how the mysterious stranger had disappeared so suddenly, and she stayed awake half the night waiting for him to return. Eventually sleep overtook her though, and she slept through till morning. When she awoke, she was surprised to find a large sack full of food in the same spot where the man had slept the previous day. It was then she knew. From that day forward, she told anyone who would listen about the day she was visited by an angel. A dark haired angel, with kind eyes full of sorrow.
*fin*
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Date: 2006-08-06 04:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-06 04:21 pm (UTC)