[Keelin] You Never Let Go

[Keelin de Lune]

There was no use struggling against his hold - she knew that. Besides, there was something particular about his touch that reached somewhere deep inside and calmed her -
but because she was still trying to harness her rage, she didn't let it become too apparent. There was nothing more disappointing and embrassing than wasted passion - even if it was destructive.
And especially because he laughed at her, she wouldn't be forgiving him all too soon. Stupid, fast, incredibly strong vampire - who did he think he was? she thought, crossing her arms and avoiding eye contact.

Oh right, a prince.

especially for you - his words were like salt on a wound.
"I'm not useless!" she exclaimed, finally meeting his eyes - only now hers were pushing back tears and there was an edge of hysteria in her voice. She tried to control that, calming herself down.

"I can think of a plan." she tried to affirm with some metal, but it ended up sounding like a desperate offering. "Plans are good - we'll think of a plan, then we'll move."

[Brone Van Estra]

"I never said you were useless, I'm just doing what i've been doing---trying to keep you alive." he said, looking at her carefully. "Most would find you fun to snack on. I doubt you really want that." Those words would probably frighten her, they should too, she would be crazy not to be afraid to walk willing into a place so full of vampires. But he didn't add all that, she was trying to help after all.

A smell of a witch was quiet obvious, there was no way to get to blend in. Maybe he could make her smell like a human, or a vampire. something was slightly wrong with her scent. "Might I try something?" he commented, but it didn't sound like a request. He leaned very carefully to her neck and sniffed. Then he pulled back, regarding her. He said nothing for a moment, which probably drove her crazy. "You don't smell right." he said. But that wouldn't make sense to her. "You don't smell like normal witches." he clarified, tilting his head to one side. Thinking hard, a look of concentration covering his face.

[Keelin de Lune]

Ending up as a snack - how lovely.

When he mentioned his constant endeavor to keep her alive, Keelin couldn't help but feel, not only grateful, but ... the only word she could think of was loving, but it didn't quite ... fit ... not in that context anyway.

When he leaned towards her neck, it threw her off guard, and for a brief moment she felt truly fearful.

Then Keelin couldn't help it - she could never stay too angry for long and the fearful andreniline rush he just gave her ended up having her let out a nervous chuckle.
"My skin ... my smell ... just more evidence that I'm a freak. Maybe I really am part troll." she joked lightly, despite her recent hissy-fit.

[Brone Van Estra]

"Not troll," He assured her, his eyes narrowed as he thought. His lips in a line, eyebrows furrowed. "Its a familiar smell, not as sharp as human blood. And the only thing I can think of...." He said nothing more. But he reached out, figuratively, with his sense. Vampires always knew their own kind. But he couldn't quite feel her the way he could Serena, or Tobais, or his family, or a stranger on the street. But... she smelled soft of like a vampire. Maybe. He felt a connection to her, but it hardly felt the same. He couldn't name it. Not at all. With all his knowledge, he had no idea. None in the slightest.

"It simply makes my idea more plausible," he finished, not letting on what he was thinking. "I'm going to try smuggling you in. It shouldn't be too hard..." He was going to get her in, maybe the guards would believe he'd brought her to mutilate her, pay back of sorts for Serena. No one would really put it past him. Or maybe he could get her in through the kitchens. Either way, he had to hide her, and then somehow, use her to get Serena out. that was teh part he wasn't sure of.

[Keelin de Lune]

His peculiar expression and quiet contemplation were staring to really trouble Keelin, who frankly had no idea what to conclude or assume. The only smells she was particularly acute to were the ones found in the kitchen: flour, spices, vinegar - all those were branded in Keelin's mind like carvings etched in stone. There was no place more familiar ... no sounds more dear than the clangs of pots and pans and bubbling off a stew ...

Keelin found herself reminiscing while Brone himself pondered unknown speculations.
Brone - it was the first time since he formally introduced himself that she found herself thinking his name. It sounded nice - right. It was easy to speak without sacrificing any beauty or elegance with the simplicity. It was a strong name, and also a soft name. It fit him perfectly.

Suddenly there was talk of smuggling, and Keelin's stomach lurched forward like a violent ocean wave. Hopefully she wouldn't get sick, but she could feel a slight cold sweat come over - which really wasn't good. In this sort of environment, that predicament guaranteed pneumonia and consequently death.

Death everywhere I turn. Keelin thought grimly, but that's how it was her whole life. The bitter acknowledgment left her fear stifled and her heart set.

"Let's go." she said, trying for a reassuring smile.

[Brone Van Estra]

"Just follow my lead," Brone said looking at her carefully. "And at least try to look scared of me---or would you rather I frightened you so the feeling was more acute? Because we can smell fear, they'll ahve to believe you." Brone said throwing her on his back suddenly, and in a half second--they were at the bottom of the mountain and he had set her down again.

He could hide her in the human corners--more smells--or he could hide her in the old sections of the palace, where no one ever went, but she'd be much easier to find if anyone should come by. Brone began to pace, still waiting for her to answer his questions. He tried to imagine the palace in his head, trying to think of how possibly she might help once he got her there.

[Keelin de Lune]

At first Keelin wanted to open her mouth and argue that it was seemingly impossible to be afraid of her hero - her angel;
but she found herself in midair and then on the ground; it all happened too fast for her non-vampiric rendering. The previous first inklings of nausea become more apparent, along with fear that she had been trying to squash. She wanted to tell him, in a sarcastic overtone, that fear would be no problem now -

but it was fear, and fear of vomit, that kept her mouth closed now. All the blood seemingly drained from her face, making her appear - if possible - more pale and the cold had gotten her shivering, despite the extra layers. Fear would definitely not be a problem now.

For balance and some sort of comfort, she clutched his arm, which ended up being an awkward gesture because he was moving. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a muffled "mnf."

[Brone Van Estra]

Brone looked at her as she grabbed his arm. "Oh." he said suddenly. "I suppose you arent used to that.... i should run slower, my apologies." He looked at her more carefully, feeling bad that he made her feel so queasy, but she'd have to look bad if he was going to smuggle her in. Probably. But he realized he would not use the front door.

"Okay, I'm going to smuggle you through the servant entrance, then up to the empty and old part of the palace, you must stay very still and quiet, we have good hearing, so if they ehar anything too out of the ordinary, they will come looking for you. As for food... I'll find a way to let you outside in the day time when no one would follow you out." Brone explained, watching her carefully for any hint that she did not understand his words. "I'm afraid there might be more running, but I'll go slower."

[Keelin de Lune]

"It's ok." Keeling managed to mumble as she tried to make heads and tails of his plan. Whenever faced with a long explanation, Keelin made a list in her mind:

servants entrance
keep quiet
food later

Ugh, she almost wanted to tell him that food was the very last thing on her mind, but she didn't press it. Who knew how she felt hours from now? In all hopes, she'd be still alive, maybe well rested, because she couldn't imagine doing anything else during the night in a vampire castle - although ... on second thought, she might be too scared to sleep.

"It's ok." Keelin repeated. "You don't have to go slowly - I'll close me eyes. That way I won't even realize we're moving because you go so fast." Keeling reasoned - she would hate if she slowed down their master plan.

Some master plan ... Keelin tried to remain optimistic, and though she was very dedicated to the cause, she couldn't help but wonder: What am I going to do after I get inside a foreign, dangerous, vampire castle ... other than hopefully not get caught?

[Brone Van Estra]

"Its all I have for now.... but your distraction idea might work. Or I'm thinking, you can be out in the sun, we can't. if I can distract my father, you might be able to run and untie her as the sun comes up and get her back inside...or hidden anyway..." It was a poor plan, but it was all he had, For some reason he felt like Keelin was the key to this whole thing. It was a strange feeling, but he didn't question it.

He slung her on his back again and took off into the night, as they got closer, he reminded her to stay very still and not say a word. He crept softly upon his home. Like a lion before the kill, tentative and silent. Brone was worried about running into guards so he went towards it from the lake, staying close to the border of trees, near where the barn was where they kept animals they could eat in case of snow or changing herds.

Then around to the kitchen, there were humans here, and the smell made him wrinkle his nose. he was not sure if she had opened her eyes, he was moving much slower now. Creeping around, humans coward away from him but said nothing, they were too scared to tell secrets, they knew almost anything that went on, but they never spoke of it. The punishments were much to great.

[Keelin de Lune]

Keelin clutched on for dear life and shut her eyes - but then it became so hard to believe they were actually moving, because Brone ran so fluidly that there was no sudden turning, so shift in pace, no evidence that they even touched the ground at all. The only thing that had indicated that they were moving around was the rush of wind past Keelin's ears that became almost painful. She eventually tried burying her head in between her arms - and then there was nothing. All her body's instincts told her they were not moving -
eventually she became too curious and stole a peek.

Only to find that they were in a kitchen:
first, Keelin felt instantly relieved by the familiarity of such a setting,
then, she grew apprehensive by the scared eyes all around her. Eyes that radiated a fear that was rooted deep within.
And all the while she wondered why vampires needed a kitchen anyway.

The one comfort she had was that she was with Brone.

[Brone Van Estra]

Brone crept up a staircase, on his toes, the steps inaudible. He had no time to look back and warn her before he ran again, darting up and up and down corridors and other stair cases. It all passed in a defined blur, he did not slow until they reached a massive oak door. He came to a complete stop as he opened the door. There was dust in these areas of the castle, old and closed off, no reason for anyone to clean. he'd like to keep the dust mostly intact.

He walked through the first large room and into another. This room had an old bed, a chest of drawers, stacks of books and photographs and old papers, slightly less dust in here--Brone had looked for a ring in this room earlier and dusted off some of it. Then he set Keelin down. The silence was building and when he spoke, he kept it low. "You'll be safe here, as long as you dont start dragging things around often or anything. Just try to keep as quiet as you can so no one suspects anything." Brone said.