Haldred Chronicles: Alyssa (12 page)

“Sorry,” said a
female elfin voice hesitantly, presumably belonging to the eyes, “the bar
entrance is round the front.”

“Council of
Peace,” said Victoria by way of explanation, having unhooked her belt clasp and
was now holding it up for the eyes to see.  “We were here last night and my
colleague left his crossbow behind.  We're here to collect it.”

The eyes blinked
again, now looking unsure.  “I don't know about that, I wasn't on last night. 
I could check with the boss.  If you'd both like to wait inside?”

“Just me.” said
Victoria, stepping forward as the door opened.  “I'm afraid my colleague has an
unnatural fear of kitchens.”

She didn't need
to see Malak glaring at her back to know he was doing it.

Victoria stepped
through the door into a very large kitchen.  It was indeed busy.  All around
her meals were being prepared by a variety of young girls of various species
and a single very large, very out of place orc.  The same one who had served
Malak and her
the
meal.

Victoria
suppressed a shudder.

She hoped they
didn't want to thank her again with another cow.

“I'll just find
the boss.” said the tall, blonde-haired elf maiden who had opened the door before
she darted off through one of the kitchen’s doors, presumably the one that led
into the tavern itself.  Victoria felt rather in the way, standing near the
door as girls moved to and fro, busy with their work and hardly noticing her. 
She couldn't see Alyssa.  Maybe the girl was off that night.

Quite suddenly,
Victoria felt an oddness, a sudden bad feeling creeping up her spine.  She
frowned.  She turned to find Alyssa just about to bump into her.

Fortunately the
collision never happened as Victoria rather deftly grabbed the plate the girl
was carrying, preventing it both from hitting her and its contents (chopped
tomatoes) from spilling all over both of them.

“Woah,” she said
to the startled girl.  “Careful.”

“Oh, I'm so
sorry...” Alyssa began.

The girl's eyes
went wide.

“Oh.” she said,
in surprised and very weak sounding voice.  “Hello again.”

She looks
rather nervous
thought Victoria
I wonder why?

Victoria then
noticed what the girl was wearing. 

“Ah!” she
exclaimed.

Victoria
suddenly found what was over Alyssa's right shoulder incredibly interesting. 
She was not herself fond of the same sex, but the girl was wearing some kind of
outer-garment corset that was leaving little to the imagination, as well as a
skirt that was at least one size too tight.  It seemed only polite not to
stare.

Maybe best
Malak didn't enter after all.

“Well
it's...nice to see you again miss...ah...”

“Alyssa.” said
Alyssa, going red (an action, unbeknownst to Victoria, that she had been doing
repeatedly throughout the night).

“Yes, Alyssa.”

The two of them
stood, Victoria looking over Alyssa's shoulder, Alyssa blending in rather
nicely with the tomatoes she was carrying and both of them still holding the
tray.  Around them the other serving girls seemed not to have noticed.

“Um,” said
Alyssa presently after a few seconds, “sorry, but I need to pass these on.”

“Oh yeah, of
course.” responded Victoria, her momentary shock abating as she let go of the
tray.

“Sorry.” she
said, apologising and managing to get an eyeful again.

“Sorry,” Alyssa
replied, “slight clothing...problem.” she stammered, before hastily moving
away.

Victoria
breathed a sigh of relief once the girl was out of assumed earshot.  It wasn't
the bumping into her that had surprised her, more like what she was wearing.

Is that even
legal?
Her
detective side asked but was quickly told not to ask such stupid questions and
concentrate instead on trying to forget the scene as opposed to analysing it.

Victoria felt
the unpleasant feeling from earlier leave her as well.  At the same time as
Alyssa was leaving...

Wait a
minute.

She turned to
see the girl hurrying into another part of the kitchen.

“Here's your
crossbow,” came a voice and Victoria looked down to find the female dwarf from
last night holding up Malak's K-12.

“Ah yes,” said
Victoria.  “Sorry about that.”

“No bother.”
said the dwarf, one hand on her hip.  “It's lucky none of the customers nicked
it.  Anything else?”

Victoria glanced
around to where Alyssa was, now collecting fresh vegetables.  She wanted to
have a word, but given current circumstances wasn't sure how with so many
people about.  That and until she knew more about what a vampire could or could
not do she was in no position to judge if the girl was anything other than
human.

But there's
something odd about you and I will find out what it is.

“Uh, hello?”

Victoria
blinked, realising she had been staring off at Alyssa.

“Sorry.  Many
thanks.” she said, taking the crossbow then shouldering it.

“No problem.”
said the dwarf, leading her out.  “Make sure to tell your colleagues if they
want good food, they come here!”

“Of course.”
Victoria lied.

Though I'll
maybe tell those I don't like.

The door closed
behind Victoria, and Victoria started thinking again.  She looked back at the
door, eyes taking on a faraway look.

“You got it!”
said Malak.  “Thank the Gods.”

Victoria handed
it to him as he approached, but her lack of response betrayed the fact that her
mind was elsewhere.

“Uh oh.” he
said, after checking the weapon and noticing her look.  “You're doing that thinking
thing again aren't you?”

She glanced at
him and nodded.

“Walk with me.”

Malak fell in
beside her as they headed back to the coach.  He was well used to the procedure
now.

“Met that Alyssa
girl again,” she said.

“Oh?”

“Yes.  Remember
our meal?”

“Hard not to”
groaned Malak.

“Well, I
remember at one stage Alyssa came over and talked to us both.  And I
felt...something.”

“At the time I
thought it was just me feeling ill from too much food.” Victoria continued,
glancing left and right as she and Malak crossed the lane to the waiting coach.

“But I felt the
same feeling just now when we talked.”

Malak nodded
with understanding.  “You know you're right, I felt something too.  You saying
it wasn't just you feeling ill?” He took her hand as she offered it to him,
helping her up into the coach “it was her?”

“Exactly.” she
said, pulling him up before leaning back into the coach.  “So right now we can
attribute two unnatural characteristics to that girl.  Unnatural strength and
an unusual aura.”

“Not a lot to go
on.” he said in reply.  “No real evidence.  Not been in this game long but last
time I checked, even Council of Peace needed some kind of proper 'ard
evidence.”

“Yes.  And we
won't get that until tomorrow.”

She regarded the
tavern again.

Unless...

“When do taverns
close?” she asked Malak

“About two I
reckon, that's the latest.  Why?”

Victoria
frowned, crossing her arms.

“I think it
would be useful if we found out where this girl lives.  I'm thinking maybe
following her home might be an idea.”

Malak looked
across at her.  He shrugged.

“I've nothing
better to do.  Got one request though.”

“Name it.”

He smiled. 
“Let's go eat first.” 

“At a different
tavern.” he added hastily.

No argument
there.

* * * * *

* * * * *

It was later on
when Katy let Alyssa know that James had arrived.  Gretna took a little
persuading but eventually let Alyssa go and meet her boyfriend, a particular
requirement being that Alyssa never wear the corset again.  Ever.  Alyssa was
all too glad to adhere to that request.

Alyssa had very
carefully wrapped her cloak round her.  It was going to look odd in a crowded
tavern and she hoped no one would notice her lack of sweat, but it was
necessary unless she wished to attracted unwanted attention from the militia
retirement party.

She slipped out
of the kitchen and soon found James in a corner by one of the smaller tables. 
He smiled warmly up at her as she sat, though his expression turned to
confusion when he noticed she still had her cloak on.

“I've a slight...clothing
problem.” she said by way of explanation, flicking her hair back nervously and
hoping he wouldn't ask for more details.

“Ok” he smiled
again.  Understanding as always.

“How are you?”
she asked.

Again, they
talked.  For a good forty five minutes, which was longer than she should have
had but Gretna didn't seem to mind (for a change).  Despite being in a busy
tavern, they were not disturbed by anything around them.

He talked about
work mostly but it wasn't boring.  It was quite interesting actually, hearing
about how the steam engines of the docklands worked and how
great advances
were being made for the betterment of everyone.  He let her talk as well, keen
to know more about her, but she told him only so much.  Some of it true, some
of it not.  It was actually he who had to go in the end, his face turning sad
when he glanced at the wall mounted time-keeper set above the bar top.

“Will you be
back later?” she asked, eyes hopeful through her glasses.

He shook his
head solemnly.

“We're working
into the late hours tonight.” he said.  “That's why I popped in before.  I
wanted to see you.”

It was sweet,
and she felt her cheeks going red for a reason other than the garment under her
cloak.

“I'm glad we met
up again.” he said.

He leaned in and
kissed her.  Only quickly, as they were in public after all.

“Thank you.” she
said.

He turned to
leave but she put her hand on his arm.

“Wait,” she
said.  “ah...I've an idea.  If you like?”

He nodded. 
“What are you thinking?”

“Well would you
like to...walk me to work tomorrow?”

“Yes,” he said,
almost immediately, smiling again.  “yes, I'd like that.”

Beaming at him,
she gave him her address and agreed a time.  Then she pecked him on the cheek,
just to cement things of course.  This resulted in a silly grin spreading
across his face, that he did his best to hide as he left.

Alyssa slipped
back into the kitchen, passing Katy on the way and getting a grin and thumbs
up.  Alyssa returned the grin.

She opened the
door to the kitchen, closing it behind her and slipping off her cloak.

Just in time to
bump into Sarah.  Sarah promptly fainted, again.  Alyssa rolled her eyes.

“Oh come on,”
she said to the unconscious girl.  “it can't be that bad.”

She found the
rest of the kitchen staring at her.

“It is that bad
isn't it?” she sighed despairingly, finding her hand fidgeting with her glasses
again.

The kitchen, as
a whole, nodded.

Oh Gods.

Alyssa hugged
her chest and slid over to the vegetable preparation area again.  She resolved
not to leave it for the rest of the night.

* *
* * *

The
embarrassment of the night began to dissipate as Alyssa made her way home.

Her cloak
wrapped round her, she hurried through the night, keen to remove the offending
corset.  The meeting with James had been a welcome distraction.  Particularly after
the Council of Peace woman had appeared again.  That had been unexpected, but
then, nothing had come of it so she didn't feel the need to worry about it.

She smiled
again, for what would be the hundredth time that night.  For exactly the same
reason.

I have a
boyfriend.

The concept was
nothing alien.  She'd had boyfriends before, good ones too.  She had taste
after all.  Just never one since she'd become a vampire.  This was something
new, and very welcome.

Can't figure
out how though.

The thought wasn't
exactly a killjoy but it was...odd.  Why wasn't he affected by her aura?  For
that matter, why wasn't Katy affected either?  Two people who, as far as she
could tell, were definitely human, and yet showed no signs of being affected by
her aura of...fear, or something?  She certainly wasn't complaining.  A
relationship affected by her aura would have been short lived indeed.

Sorry, I'm
afraid I'm not free tonight honey.  I don't know what it is but when I'm around
you I feel utterly freaked out.

There was a lot
about being a vampire that Alyssa didn't know.  Some stuff she was happy enough
not to know, such as turning someone else into a vampire.  No way, she had no
wish to inflict this way of 'living' on anyone else.  There was also some stuff
that she didn't know but rather wished she did.  Like how to turn into a bat or
bats.  That would be much faster than walking after all.  Vlad, useful thing
that he was, had enlightened her to very little.  Other than the bits and
pieces she picked up as he rambled on about such-and-such the great and
what's-his-name the brutal and she-who-should-have-been-named-better.

At least he'd
been quiet the last few days.  She hoped that would last a bit longer.  Having
another voice in your head, particularly when trying to sleep, was
distracting.  Having another voice in your head whilst kissing...oh that would
just be weird.  She had the distinct feeling Vlad didn't like kissing men.

I'm going to
need a better box for him in the future.

It was at this
point that her hurried walk home was interrupted.  By a mugger.  Alyssa
recognised him as a mugger almost instantly as he stepped out from a side alley
grinning in that wonderfully overconfident way.  In his hand he was brandishing
a rather brutal looking blade, though he didn't seem to be terribly skilled
with it.

“Right girly.”
he slurred, waving the knife clumsily.  “Hand over the goods and ah won't have
to cut yeh!”

Oh for God's
sake.

Alyssa had been
in this situation countless times.  It was an accepted hazard in the post war
times and despite the fact she was a vampire, idiots like the guy opposite her
just seemed to appear all the time.   Then again this was one of the few
occasions where having a
frightening
aura actually came in handy.  She
had developed an effective method of dealing with muggers.

She stepped
forward.

The mugger,
flinched back, as if forgetting that he was the one armed and dangerous.  The
aura was taking effect.  He seemed to correct this by noticing he had a knife
in his hand and rallying noticeably, but he didn't step forward again.

“Don't get all
ballsy with me sunshine.” he growled with an obvious drop in confidence. 
“I'll...I'll gut you good and proper!  Hand over your coin!”

“No” said
Alyssa, rather pointedly crossing her arms and glaring at him.

This defiance
seemed to utterly confuse him for a few seconds.  Alyssa had always marvelled
at the way muggers just couldn't seem to figure out what to do when someone
defied them so openly.  They just seemed to lose their train of thought.  If
she had been a bit more skilled in close combat she could easily have disarmed
him by now.  She wasn't though, and secretly she took a certain glee in
watching them trying to figure her out.  She might not like being a vampire but
there were rare moments where she could get a little enjoyment out of it.

Eventually, if
they had the guts, they normally went for the kill as this one did, rather
foolishly.           

His face
contorted into a mask of rage as he swung for her, blade thrust forward in a
very unsure manner.  Almost casually her arm shot out and grabbed the blade,
sharp side on.  The mugger had the briefest moment to blink in surprise before
Alyssa twisted her hand and snapped the blade in two like a pencil.

“Idiot,” she
muttered and smacked him across the head, hard, with the open palm of her other
hand, the blow knocking him out cold before he hit the ground.  A human slap
might be painful.  A vampire slap by contrast easily knocked a person out. 

She sighed “They
never learn”.

She checked the
hand she had grabbed the blade with.  Nothing.  Not even the smallest mark. 
She never understood why her body seemed able to take damage with minimum
effect, but she certainly didn't mind about that particular taint of vampirism.

She bent down
and pulled him up by his shirt, looking him over.

I
've not
drunk in a while.

It had been a
few days.  The most she could wait was two weeks so there was no danger if she
didn't drink.      

But if she did
drink now...

DRINK HIM.

Oh Gods. 
Perfect timing.

“Hello Vlad”
muttered Alyssa, rolling her eyes.

DRINK HIM!
insisted Vlad more sternly

She cast the
unconscious mugger another look, the man effectively hanging limp from her
outstretched hand.  Vlad, in his own uniquely ignorant manner did have a
point.  This guy was a mugger (and to Alyssa's mind classified as a 'bad'
person), unconscious (so wouldn't know), and she was in an empty street. 
Drinking him would be a twisted kind of righteousness and reasonably safe.

She cast her
eyes about, just to be sure.  She couldn't see anyone at either end of the long
street and her sharp hearing could detect nothing except the ambient sounds of
a city asleep.  She beheld the mugger again.  His neck was exposed, his head
hanging to one side.

Her mouth
opened.  Her two needle like fangs extended at her mental command, flashes of
long white bone jutting forth from her upper jaw with a hiss.  It would be an
almost comic scene, if it were not for the intent of those fangs.

She leaned
forward.

And stopped. 
Her mouth agape, the teeth a mere inch from their intended target.

James.

A single word,
with such deep meaning.

What would he
think if he saw me?

She shut her
mouth, expression turning timid.  As timid as a girl with two huge fangs
jutting from her top jaw can look.

“Goops” she
said, mouth full of teeth.  She pulled her fangs in with a slurp, blinking. 
The damn things always got in the way.  She had never considered them a
particularly effective method of acquiring blood.

No, she would
not drink him.

DRINK HIM!
Vlad insisted but Alyssa
shook her head.

“No, not this
time.” she decided.

Idly, she tossed
the mugger one handed across the road, letting him roll into a pile of rubbish,
snow and what looked like discarded fruit and veg sitting to one side of the
road.  Let him enjoy the aches and pains tomorrow, it would serve him right.

Drinking him
would just dull that.  She'd let this one have a chance to learn.  Particularly
as he hadn't been drunk.  Well, at least it hadn't smelled like he was drunk. 
Mind you he had still managed to slur his words like an ill-educated mud
skipper.

She continued on
her way, without even casting the would-be mugger another look.  Vlad continued
to insist that she go back and drink.  Alyssa, for a change, did a good job of
tuning him out.

She was unaware
that she had been watched the entire time.

* * * * *

Victoria and
Malak exchanged looks.  Both of them had their mouths slightly open in gestures
of shock.

“You did see
what I just saw didn't you?” asked Malak, cradling his crossbow as if the
weapons presence somehow reassured him.

Victoria nodded
slowly, hardly believing it herself.

“She tossed that
guy across the road like a bloody rag doll.” he breathed, reliving the scene in
his mind's eye.

“And just so
casually.” added Victoria.

The two of them
had followed Alyssa as agreed.  Keeping their distance and moving slowly,
always letting the girl move ahead at her own pace and never venturing too
close.  Fortunately for both of them the area she had walked through had been
relatively well lit.  It was only when she turned down Jackals Street that it
got darker and they then had to quicken their pace to catch up.