She thought she would die in the snow. She could still feel the cold and the damp. She could still feel the snow entering her mouth, taking her last breath away. It was a horrible way to die.
She moved her eyes, looking around. It was then that she saw him, a tall man with black hair on a horse, coming towards her. She stared, frozen, unable to move. She thought she was going to die by a stranger's hand. But as he approached, she saw that he had a kind face. He looked down at her, confused, but then his face lit up.
"Ah! Thank God! I found someone alive. Come, this is no place to rest. We need to get you warm." He reached down, taking her hand. She gripped his, grateful.
The two of them trotted away. She could feel the warmth of his body, which was so at odds with the cold weather, keeping her alive. She said she had no place to go. He said he knew a place. He explained how he was on his way to that place when he saw her. The woman was curious. The man said that he had an old friend there. He let go of her hand suddenly, galloping on ahead, welcoming her to his home, when she arrives.
"You're almost there, now," the man told her. "That is my home."
The woman looked at the building before her. It was a cottage. The walls were old, and the roof was a bit outdated. Still, the inside was well kept, despite the lack of a man in the house. She looked at the man, grateful.
"Thank you… I thought I had lost everything."
He shrugged.
"I've lost so much in my life, it is a shame that I could not save a woman to accompany me. But I will be the one to take you home, and treat you. My friend has a whole library of medical books, and I am certain that he would have a potion or flower that would make you better."
"Thank you," the woman said, looking at the man.
"You're welcome. But you need to rest. I will find you a room, after you have some food."
"Thank you," the woman said again. She was the same woman that had screamed into the frozen night. In less than a night, she had changed mood. He was kind. He was the first person she had seen in months of her journey.
"Follow me," the man said, walking up to the door of the cottage. "I know you will be hungry."
He swung the door open, and beckoned her inside.
"Come in, come in. You must be tired."
…..
He explained, as he cooked a large meal for her. She had not eaten in days. He had brought a plate of food for her, asking her to eat as much as she could hold. She had not been this well fed in so long. The man was a good cook, as much as a good hunter. All the while, he was talking about the herbs and flowers themselves. The woman, though, did not understand. She had no interest in magical flora. But she still ate everything the man gave her. She waited for him to eat.
"Ah, you are hungry."
"Yes, I am… Thank you."
"There is plenty more, if you would like it."
"I am full."
"Ok. Ah… wait. One moment."
He put down his nearly empty platter. He went to a cupboard, hunting there for something that he wanted. The woman was curious. She looked over to the cupboard, and saw that it was filled with small vials. They were all filled with different colors. She quietly asked what they were.
The man smiled.
"These are narcotics! Some are mild, but others can be strong. It is all in the dosage. But I have also prepared a variety of popsicles for you."
He walked across the room, handing the woman a glass of some sort of liquid.
"A drink? Not too strong, I hope. I am already tired."
"Indeed, don't worry."
She smiled and took the glass from the man. She sipped, and her eyes opened wide. She quickly handed it back to the man, but he laughed and denied her.
"It is fine, my dear. I drank it myself. It did not harm me."
He took a long gulp from the glass. The woman was surprised, but she obliged. She took the rest of the cup, making a scrunched face as she drank it. The man laughed.
"It looks bad, but it tastes better."
She laughed.
"Well, you said it yourself. Ah, it tastes horrible. What is in it?"
"Honeydew, I suppose."
"I am not familiar with the fruit. It is a strong one."
"Lies! It is just a very sweet fruit. Now, down to business. You are not familiar with drugs, I take it. Yet, you have already seen the power of the wizards of your time."
"Yes. They unleashed plagues upon the land, and destroyed it. I am from the future, and my name is Emily. As you would guess, I have not come a long way."
"I have long suspected that. Well, do not worry. I am not a wizard. I am a vampire. But my family is magical. Magic allows such things as drugs to be created. Therefore, they have enhanced my senses, allowing me to taste the flavors of this drug, and to determine the strength of it. The sugar is… subtle. Let me test it. Here."
He took the glass from her suddenly, taking a big swallow of the liquid.
"It is… very strong. But it is very sweet. It is not so bad, but you will get sick if you use too much."
The vampire looked at her, and smiled.
"You will live, just as you will live after your injuries heal. I felt so sad for you, suddenly finding yourself in that frozen battle. I saw the blood, and I felt your need for medical attention. That decides it for me. I will take you home. We will leave this place. We will go to my friend."
He quickly took up a plate of food and put it in front of her. She took a bite. It was warm, and delectable. She tasted vanilla, and honey, along with the dulce de leche. She tasted the fruit as well, and was surprised, finding the flavor of honeydew. When she was finished, she smiled.
"You are a wonderful cook. The food on the plate was so, so good. You really surprised me. Again, I thank you."
"No, thank you. I never enjoyed the taste of blood. It is like the taste of some sort of resin, and it is so bitter. But I am glad that you find the taste of this fruit good. I find it delicious. So often, people are sad when they have to partake of the bitters of blood. But I found you, my dear. A kind woman, needing nothing more than to survive. That is a kind act indeed."
