‘You married a human?” Vancha frowned.
“I married a beautiful, loving woman,” Arrow corrected him. Larten saw a smile dart across Sarah’s lips as she half-turned to look at her husband. “Now answer my question.”
Vancha scratched an armpit. ‘You weren’t this grumpy before. The soft life doesn’t agree with you.”
“It agreed with me nicely until you and your assistant turned up,” Arrow said.
“Larten’s not my assistant, just a friend.” “No matter. I’ve asked twice already, Vancha. Don’t make me
“The Generals aren’t interested,” Vancha said. “We don’t approve of vampires mating with humans, but it’s been a long time since we banned such unions, so why are you worried?”
“Times change,” Arrow noted. “I wasn’t sure what the current mood was. When you turned up, after I’d asked to be leftalone, Ithought-”
“Slow down,” Vancha interrupted. “Who did you ask? You dropped out of sight without a word to anyone. That’s why I came.”
Arrow frowned. “I told Azis Bendetta of my decision when I chose to abandon my studies and not become a General.”
Vancha sighed. “Azis is dead.”
“When?”
“Four years or more.”
“Even in death may he be triumphant,” Arrow muttered, making the death’s touch sign. He looked sad as he lowered his hand, but relieved too. “He must have died before he delivered my message.”
“Aye.” Vancha was smiling now.
“So I’m not in any trouble?”
'No.”
Arrow shook his head and chuckled, then boomed, “Sarah! Ale and warm milk for our guests.”
“I’ll take mine cold, thanks,” Vancha laughed, then leaned forward and clapped Arrow’s shoulder. When Larten saw that, he relaxed and smiled at Sarah as she passed him a mug of ale. When no one was looking, he shifted his knives around to the side. This wasn’t to be a night for fighting after all.
Arrow’s story was short and simple. He had met
Sarah and fallen in love. He’d told her the truth about himself early in their relationship, that he was a barren, bloodsucking night creature who would live for hundreds of years.
“His sterility was the hardest thing to accept,” Sarah said. She had a soft voice and a shy smile. “I wasn’t worried about the vampire part — I could tell he wasn’t evil — and I’m glad he’ll live so long. But not being able to have children…”
‘We’ll probably take in some orphans one day,” Arrow said, rubbing a finger down Sarah’s arm. “But at the moment we’re still enjoying being a couple. The novelty hasn’t worn off yet. We’ll start a family in a few years, aye?”
“Aye,” Sarah giggled.
It wasn’t unheard of for a vampire to take a human mate, but usually only Cubs crossed that divide.
“Five years ago I’d have said you were crazy if you’d told me this would happen,” Arrow insisted. “I didn’t approve of those who mated outside the — ”
“Arrow…” Sarah said wamingly.
“Sorry. Those who married outside the clan.”
‘What’s wrong with mating?” Vancha asked.
“Animals mate,” Sarah said frostily. “Humans marry.”
“But we’re neither,” Vancha noted.
‘You’re more human than animal,” Sarah said. “At least Arrow and Larten are.” She cocked an eyebrow at the odd-looking, green-haired General and he hooted with delight. To Vancha, an insult from a beautiful woman counted as a twisted compliment.
“Anyway,” Arrow went on, “I was content as a vampire. I never meant to look for a human mate — wife,” he corrected himself quickly as Sarah narrowed her eyes. “But we met while I was recovering from a wound and…” He shruqqed.
'… you lived happily ever after,” Vancha finished with a smile. Then his smile faded. “Except you won’t, will you? Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Sarah, but human lives are short compared to ours. Do you plan to let Arrow blood you?”
“No,” Sarah said with conviction. “I love the sun too much to hide from it. I’d rather have a short life of days than centuries of nights.”
“So what happens when your heart gives out and Arrow has to stick you in a hole to rot?” Vancha asked.
“As diplomatic as ever,” Arrow said drily, sharing a sad look with his wife.
“That worries me,” Sarah whispered, grasping Arrow’s hand. “I almost didn’t marry him because I don’twantto leave him like that, but…”
“The future will bring what it brings,” Arrow grunted. “There are no guarantees in life. I might die before her, of disease or an accident. If I don’t, I will grieve as any husband grieves when his wife dies. Then… I’m not sure. If we have children, I’ll finish rearing them. If we have grandchildren, I might stay and watch them grow. If not, o r afte r that… who knows?”
“The clan will welcome you back if you choose to return,” Vancha said. “We won’t cut you off just because you fell in love. You can finish your training — you were only months away from your final test, and you know we all thought highly of you.”
“That’s kind of you, but I can’t see myself ever becoming a General now. Maybe that will change, but I doubt it. Perhaps, if I outlive her, I’ll just sit by Sarah’s grave, drink no blood and waitto join her.”
‘You’ll do no such thing!” Sarah barked. “If you do, and there’s a Paradise, I’ll make your life a misery for the rest of eternity.”
Arrow leaned forward and kissed her flushed
forehead. ‘Whatever you say, my dear,” he murmured.
They stayed up late, eating, drinking, chatting. Sarah went to bed a few hours before sunrise and then it was just the vampires. When they were alone, they spoke of the clan. Vancha told Arrow about Azis Bendetta’s death and brought him up to date with all the latest intrigues and happenings.
“The anti-vampaneze brigade is going strong,” he said at one point. “The fools are spoiling fora war. As if one wasn’t enoug h.”
“Do you really think it might come to that?” Arrow asked, alarmed.
“No,” Vancha said. “The Princes know that war would be catastrophic. One ortwo might be swayed if the situation was different, but as long as there are the likes of Paris and Chok Yamada to talk sense to them, the truce will hold.”
They slept in Arrow’s house that day — Vancha reluctantly made his bed on the soft (by his standards) wooden floor, not wanting to offend his host by sleeping outside — and ate with him and Sarah the following night. After their meal, Vancha wished the pairthe luck of the vampires, then he and Larten took their leave.
Larten was thoughtful as they slipped through the forest. He’d never considered returning to the human fold as Arrow had. Part of him liked the idea of finding a mate, marrying, adopting children. He’d thought that he had left that world behind forever, but now he saw that it could be his again if he truly wanted it.
“That’s a waste of a good vampire,” Vancha sighed, disturbing Larten’s train of thought. “Arrow was a greatfighter. He could have gone far.”
“But he is happy where he is,” Larten noted.
Vancha shrugged. “Since when did vampires care about happiness? A creature of the night feels satisfied when all is well with his world. That’s nature’s way. Happiness is a human folly. Vampires who seek it usually come to no good.”
“That is a cynical way of looking at life,” Larten said.
“I call it like I see it,” Vancha huffed. “If Arrow had taken a vampiress for a mate, that would be different. But marrying a human…” He shook his head, then chuckled. “Mind you, having cast my eye over the vampiresses at the last Council, I can’t blame him. They’re a grim lot, aren’t they? Fine fighters, but you wouldn’t want to kiss any of them!”
