ELDRA AWOKE TO the sound of Vincent moving about the cavern, a deep chill had settled into her bones after a restless night spent upon the hard, cold ground. She longed for more coverings than the two furs they had brought with them, and grimaced as she pushed herself upright.
A groan escaped her as she slowly rose to her feet and then stretched.
If they were to remain in the cave for much longer, they would have to find a way to make their sleeping arrangements considerably more comfortable.
Eldra retrieved a woolen cloak from her bag and wrapped it tightly around herself, drawing what little warmth she could from it before turning her attention toward Vincent.
She watched as he positioned a pan beneath one of the long, icicle like formations hanging from the caverns ceiling, as clear droplets of water slowly gathered upon its surface before dripping into the pan below, joining the small puddle that had formed upon the ground.
"Do you think we could start a fire, my love?" she inquired. "I'm freezing after spending the night upon that cold floor."
Vincent turned toward her, seemingly realizing for the first time that she was awake.
"Not yet," he answered. "I need to ascend the cliff and make certain the men are no longer wandering through the forest searching for us. We cannot risk lighting a fire so close to the cave entrance. If Johnas's men notice smoke rising from it, they may come to investigate."
He crossed the cavern toward her and picked up one of the furs.
He draped it snugly around her shoulders, wrapping it securely about her to shield her from the frigid air blowing in through the caverns entrance. "I want to investigate the cave system further, discover if there is a natural vent in one of the deeper chambers that may be better suited to conceal the smoke from a fire so that it can be carried away on the wind on the other side of the mountain, making it less likely that Johnas and his men may observe it from the forest, giving away our position," he said.
"Come with me if you wish. Perhaps moving will help to warm you."
Eldra considered his offer, though it would be a welcome distraction to exploring the cave with Vincent, the book was calling to her.
She needed some time to herself to investigate its pages for more information about her visions, and hopefully, their meanings.
"I think I will stay here my love. I'm exhausted after my restless sleep," she answered him, feeling guilty for lying about her true intentions.
But she knew he disliked her reading the book. Feared it in fact, for some unknown reason.
Vincent stared at her for a moment, then silently nodded his head, before setting out to survey the innermost passages of the cave.
* * *
Eldra removed the book from her bag, settling as close to the caves entrance, and the sheer drop below as she dared. Using the natural light that shone through the opening to read by.
As she scanned the ancient pages something caught her eye.
Within was a spell for clarity, it called for the use of a candle and some simple herbs that she had in her small apothecary box. She studied the spell carefully, reading it over and over, memorizing its incantation.
There were symbols that she had too inscribe onto a candle, and she unfastened the Brooch from the neck of her cloak using the pin to scratch the strange symbols into one of the candles that lay close by the ashes of the fire.
Next she cast a circle from Rosemary, Bay and Mothers Wart, from the herbs in her box.
She looked around for a moment in panic when she realized the embers of the fire had gone out during the night and without them, she had no way to light the candle.
Then she remembered something her mother had once taught her, a simple method for starting a fire when neither flint nor steel was available.
Eldra hurried toward one of the rock icicles, searching around its base for a loose crystal of the proper size.
After a moment, she found one.
She picked it up and hurried back toward the caverns entrance, where the morning sun shone brightly through the opening, spilling golden light across the stone floor.
Eldra moved the crystal between her fingers, carefully angling it until she managed to capture a ray of sunlight upon its surface.
She directed the concentrated beam toward the dry kindling upon the cavern floor.
For several moments, nothing happened. Then a thin wisp of smoke began to rise. Eldra smiled triumphantly.
Cupping her hands around the smoldering kindling, she blew gently upon it, coaxing the tiny ember to life.
The smoke thickened, followed by a flicker of orange flame.
She quickly used the newly kindled flame to light the wick of the candle.
Then she returned to her place before the circle of herbs, carefully settled herself upon the cavern floor.
Holding the candle steady, she allowed a few drops of melted wax to fall from the wick onto the ground at the center of the circle and before the wax had time to harden completely, she pressed the bottom of the candle firmly into it, securing it upright.
The small flame flickered gently above the circle, casting wavering shadows across the floor.
Placing her hands on either side of the burning flame, she closed her eyes, reciting the incantation from the book to the empty chamber around her.
The flame leapt higher as she continued to speak, suddenly swelling until the cavern was bathed in its brilliant light.
The flames flickered wildly, their glow reflecting from the crystals embedded within the cavern walls and scattering dancing patterns of light across the stone.
Then Eldra's head jerked sharply backward. Her body going rigid.
Her emerald eyes slowly darkened replaced by an impenetrable blackness as the candles flame surged higher.
Something ancient had awakened within her, and she could hear his thoughts as clearly as though he were speaking directly into her mind.
Beneath them, she could feel the restless presence of the beast stir within him.
It was hungry and it needed to feed.
Eldra watched through his eyes as Vincent suddenly reached into the darkness snatching up a rat as it scurried past.
She felt the creature struggle within his grasp as he raised it to his mouth sinking his teeth into its flesh.
Eldra gagged as she tasted the foul blood upon her tongue, felt it sliding down her throat as Vincent drank.
She felt the powerful muscles in his arms flex as he drained the creature of its life, and when he was finished, he cast its lifeless body into the shadows beneath the tunnels wall as he continued deeper into the darkness of the tunnels.
The connection suddenly severed, like a rope snapping beneath too much strain, and she rose from the floor on trembling legs.
Her gorge rose at the revolting taste of the rat's blood that still coated the inside of her mouth.
How could he abide such a vile taste, she wondered.
Eldra staggered toward the pan Vincent had placed beneath the rock formation.
She scooped up some of the collected water and used it to rinse her mouth, swishing it vigorously before spitting it onto the stones at her feet.
Yet the nausea remained.
The taste seemed to linger upon her tongue, despite her efforts to rid herself of it.
She hurried toward the cave entrance, desperate for fresh air and once near the opening, she drew in several long, deep breaths, filling her lungs with the crisp morning air.
Before doubling over and vomiting.
* * *
After leaving Eldra in the main chamber, Vincent made his way deeper into the tunnels.
His preternatural eyesight allowed him to see every detail of the winding passage despite the darkness that surrounded him.
Then he noticed a faint glow ahead. Curious, Vincent moved toward it.
As he entered the next chamber, he stopped and stared in astonishment.
The walls shimmered with a soft blue iridescence, the strange light moving sluggishly across their surfaces.
At first, Vincent could not determine its source, but then he stepped closer.
Only then did he realize that the walls and ceiling were covered with hundreds of tiny, iridescent worms. Each creature emitted a faint bluish glow from within its translucent body as it slowly crawled across the stone. The combined light made the entire chamber appear to breathe with an eerie, otherworldly radiance.
Turning his gaze from the strange insects, Vincent noticed a clear spring bubbling from a fissure in the caverns wall.
The water flowing gently into a naturally formed basin carved into the stone floor of the chamber.
It reminded Vincent of the Greek bathhouses he had visited with Aurelius three summers after his turning.
They had gone there to feed upon its late night bathers, slipping through the shadows while the unsuspecting mortals soaked in the warm waters.
Vincent knelt beside the basin and dipped a hand into the crystal clear waters.
They felt warm, remarkably warm.
He let the liquid run between his fingers, studying it thoughtfully.
There was only one explanation he could think of, somewhere deep beneath the mountain, a volcanic hot spring must be feeding the spring, sending warm water upward through cracks within the earth.
Vincent resolved to bring Eldra to the chamber as soon as he had finished exploring the cave system.
She would be delighted at the prospect of a proper bath after so many days of living rough within the forest.
The thought of seeing her reaction brought a smile to his lips.
Perhaps, for a little while at least, they could forget about Johnas and the men searching for them, and maybe the warm waters would help Eldra forget the cold, hard floor that had served as their bed the previous night.
Leaving the chamber of the glowworms behind, Vincent continued deeper into the mountain, following the winding tunnels in search of a suitable place where they could safely build a fire and to keep warm.
Although he was far less sensitive to the cold than Eldra, her discomfort after spending the night upon the frigid stone floor had been painfully obvious that morning.
He feared that if he could not find more suitable accommodations within their new sanctuary, she would insist upon returning to the shelter in the forest.
He was determined not to let that happen.
Suddenly, an odd buzzing sensation passed through his head, and Vincent stopped dead.
The strange sensation lingered for only a heartbeat before dissipating as quickly as it had come.
He stood perfectly still, listening to the silence around him.
There was something strangely familiar about what he had just experienced, it reminded him of the sensation he had felt when he first placed his hand upon the cracked cover of the ancient book Eldra's mother had hidden within the false bottom of her apothecary box.
A faint unease settled over him.
Whatever was happening within these mountains, Vincent suspected it was connected to something far older and far more powerful than he had yet begun to understand.
He could sense his hunger suddenly awaken, as if being prodded from its slumber.
Spying a fat rat scurrying along the tunnel's floor, he reached down, scooping it up as it moved past him, draining it before discarding its empty carcass into the darkness that surrounded him.
Vincent abruptly stopped, turning on his heel.
An uneasy felling had seized him, a deep instinctive certainty that something was amiss with Eldra.
He could feel it tugging at his guts, as it urged him to return to her.
Abandoning any thought of further exploration, he spun around and sprinted back through the winding passageways, his footfalls echoing through the tunnels as he raced toward the main chamber where he had left her alone.
For the first time since entering the mountain, Vincent was no longer concerned with finding a place to build a fire.
Only Eldra mattered.
* * *
He could not understand what could possibly have transpired during the brief time she had been alone.
When he had departed, she had been cold and uncomfortable, but otherwise well.
Now she looked pale and exhausted, trembling violently in his arms.
Vincent searched her face, desperately trying to determine what had caused such a sudden and drastic decline in her condition.
Had whatever strange force he had felt within the mountain somehow reached her?
The last thought sent a chill through him far colder than the air surrounding them.
Vincent lifted Eldra into his arms, brushing the damp strands of hair from her brow with trembling fingers.
She was shaking as though half frozen, yet her skin radiated an intense heat that seemed to scorch his hands.
"My little raven," he whispered.
Her eyes held that same faraway look he had seen in them before, as though her mind had wandered somewhere beyond the confines of the cavern, and into a distant world he could neither see nor reach.
Vincent tightened his arms around her, fear gripping his heart.
He brushed his fingers gently across her cheek, desperate to draw her back to him.
Gathering her into his arms, Vincent did the only thing he could think of in that moment, he carried Eldra to the glowing cavern and the warm waters he hoped might revive her.
After removing her clothing, he carefully lowered her into the basin, supporting her head as he slipped fully clothed into the water beside her. The warmth surrounded Eldra's trembling body and slowly, the violent shaking began to subside.
Vincent held her close, watching anxiously as the tension seemed to drain from her limbs, her breathing gradually steadying, and the feverish heat that had radiated from her skin beginning to lessen beneath the soothing warmth of the natural spring.
Then her eyes seemed to focus, the distant, faraway gaze that had frightened him when he found her lying senseless upon the furs slowly departed.
Vincent released a breath he had not realized he had been holding.
"It's beautiful," Eldra breathed, gazing upward at the luminous ceiling of the chamber seeing it clearly the first time.
The soft blue radiance of the glowing worms shimmered across the cavern walls, and reflected within the warm water that surrounding her.
She could feel the soothing liquid sliding gently over her skin as her senses gradually returned.
"It's like a bathing chamber in an enchanted castle," she sighed, turned her head toward Vincent, who still held her securely above the water.
"How did I get here?"
Vincent studied her face for a moment before answering.
"You were ill."
Eldra frowned, trying to piece together the fragments of the memory. "The last thing I remember is dragging myself across the stone floor toward the wolfs fur as an overpowering feeling of nausea over-took me."
A troubled expression crossed Vincent's face.
"When I returned to the chamber, you were lying upon the furs, shivering violently. Yet you were burning with fever, and you seemed half frozen and I could not wake you."
He tightened his arms around her.
"When did you find this place?" she asked him.
"While exploring the tunnels. I was hoping to surprise you with its discovery, and in a way, I suppose I have," he sighed, a faint smile touching his lips.
"How are you feeling now?" he inquired.
"Better, the waters seem to have soothed the nausea. In fact, I feel completely rejuvenated."
Eldra slid carefully to her feet, testing her strength as the warm waters rippled around her.
Then she turned toward Vincent, a mischievous smile slowly spreading across her face.
"Why don't you slip out of those wet trousers, my dark love, and I shall show you just how much better I am feeling?"
Vincent stripped off his trousers and tossed them beyond the edge of the pool before slipping back into the water.
He swam toward Eldra, gathering her gently into his arms and pulling her close against him.
His expression remained concerned despite the playful smile upon her face.
"Are you certain you're feeling well enough for this?" he asked softly.
Eldra responded by reaching below the waters surface, finding his manhood already rigid between his thighs, as she stroked him gently with her fingers, a low moan rose from Vincent's throat.
He lifted her from the water positioning her over him, then guided his length into the tender flesh between her legs.
She let out a long sigh of pleasure, settling her legs around his hips, her body responding to his thrusts as they moved together in the water.
Their cries of ecstasy echoing off the radiant walls of the chamber, and when their release came they remained pressed closely together, reluctant to uncouple as their shared climax rippled through them in waves.
When they finally broke their embrace, Vincent pulled Eldra to the side of the basin, lifting her onto its edge.
He spread her legs, and began to explore the moist tunnel that lay before him with his mouth and tongue. His fingers gliding into her heat, teasing sharp cries of pleasure from her leaving her quaking as she surrendered to her release.
She lay back against the smooth stone edge of the basin as Vincent pulled himself from the water and settled himself beside her.
The warmth of the spring clung to their skin, while the soft blue glow from the cavern walls shimmered across the surface of the water.
Eldra curled her body around his, tracing her fingertips along his stomach, then moving lower until she reached his member.
She grasped it tenderly in her hand, and began to stroke its desire to life once more, feeling it grow hard beneath her moving hand.
Then she lowered her head, drawing it into her mouth, and moving rhythmically allowing her tongue to trace its way along the shaft.
She sucked softly at first, then increased her efforts as Vincent moans grew more fervent.
When she felt his body begin to tense, she removed her mouth from around him, continuing to stroke him rhythmically with her hand, until his body erupted in a wave of shivering pleasure, spilling his seed over her hand.
Eldra sat up slightly to rinse her hand in the warm water, while Vincent lay beside her, still quivering from the intensity of the moment.
"Ye gods, woman, where did you learn how to do that?" he asked, staring at her in astonishment.
"I heard some of the older girls in my village whispering about it," Eldra confessed, her face turning a deep shade of crimson.
She lowered her eyes slightly before glancing back at him with a mischievous smile.
"Did you not enjoy it?"
"She asks me if I enjoyed it?" Vincent exclaimed, to the caverns softly glowing walls with an incredulous grin spreading across his face.
"You had the proof of my pleasure upon your hand, did you not, woman?"
He threw his head back and laughed heartily before pulling Eldra into his arms and capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.
"I thought I had experienced all that coupling had to offer, until my innocent little raven showed me otherwise."
He kissed her again, still laughing softly against her lips.
Eldra smiled with quiet satisfaction as she rested in his embrace, though a deep blush still warmed her cheeks at the boldness she had shown.
She hid her face against his chest, unable to suppress the broad smile that tugged at her lips.
Vincent chuckled, and wrapped his arms more securely around her.
"My innocent little Raven," he murmured affectionately. "I think you have surprised us both."
* * *
As Eldra and Vincent coupled, Johnas was plotting his next step to ferret out Eldra's hiding place. The village men, having proved themselves of little to no use in his pursuit of the witch, had prompted Johnas to send a communique to an old friend from his time at court who owed him a favor, or two.
Johnas sat at his large oaken desk, quill in hand scribbling furiously on the parchment paper laying before him. He put down his quill, blotted the ink from the parchment, before folding it neatly, and using sealing wax and his Stewards signet ring to seal it.
Using the bell pull in his study he called for his housemaid Bertha, Johnas instructed her to deliver his correspondence to the local courier, for delivery to the man to whom is was addressed, before handing her two gold coins from his purse to ensure its prompt delivery.
Bertha hurried our of the room to do as she was bid.
Settling her cloak firmly about her shoulders against the morning chill, Bertha made her way along the cobblestone streets in search of Henry Sneed, the man responsible for carrying correspondence between their village and destinations beyond it.
Bertha knew precisely where she would find him, provided he had not already departed on one of his deliveries.
She quickened her pace, hoping she had caught him before he had left. Confidently, she made her way into The Wolf And Lamb and signaled to Robert, who was busy polishing a glass behind the bar.
"Have you seen Henry of late?" she inquired.
Robert glanced up at her.
"He was in here a day or so ago, Bertha. Said he had a message to carry to the Vicar over Norfolk way," he chuckled. "He reckoned he'd be back in the village soon enough, provided that old nag of his could make the journey there and back without gettin up to any mischief."
Bertha smiled faintly.
"Did he say when he expected to return?"
"Not precisely, no" Robert replied. "Knowing Henry, he'll arrive when the horse decides she's had enough of the road."
Bertha turned the letter over nervously in her hands, a look of distress on her face.
"Now, now Bertha, don't get yerself in a tizzy. Old Johnas will just have to wait until Henry returns to send his letter. I'll tell you what, why don't ye let me take the letter. I'll make sure Henry gets it when he returns from down Norfolk way. You know he always stops in for an ale after he finishes a delivery. Ye just go on home, tell Johnas that ye gave the letter to Henry. It won't make a difference who gives the old bugger the letter as long as he gets it delivered," he remarked, trying to sooth Bertha's nerves.
"How about I offer ye a drop of cider to steady your nerves before you return to yer duties at Johnas's?" Robert coaxed. "I won't tell a soul."
He placed a finger against his nose, tapping it lightly. Bertha giggled.
"Go on with ye then. I suppose a wee drop of cider never kilt anyone," Bertha replied, an impish grin spreading across her face.
"Give us a wee dram, but just for me nerves, mind ye." Robert chuckled as he reached beneath the bar for the cider.
"Just for your nerves, Bertha. Wouldn't want them getting the better of you."
Robert felt sorry for old Bertha. She was a short, pleasantly plump, woman with hair just beginning to grey under her kerchief.
How she got mixed up with that old viper in the woodpile Johnas, he would never understand. But he guessed every widowed woman deserved to do an honest day's work, and he supposed keeping house, even for a devil like Johnas was better than being sent to the workhouse.
Once Bertha had finished her cider, she bid Robert a good day and bustled out into the street once more.
She stopped only long enough to purchase some meat from one of the market stalls to take home for Johnas's supper that evening before continuing on her way.
With the letter safely out of her hands, she felt a little of the tension leave her shoulders as she made her way home.
* * *
Eldra sat curled upon the furs, the ancient book open within her lap, while Vincent was outside in the meadow gathering long grass to fashion into a sleeping mat.
She had been searching the book for an explanation as to why she had become so violently ill after seeing through Vincent's eyes in the tunnels.
Perhaps it had been nothing more than the foul taste of the rat's blood in her mouth, she wondered.
But another question troubled her.
What would happen if she entered the mind of a mortal?
Would experiencing another person's thoughts and senses have the same effect upon her?
She turned another page, and another.
Just as she was about to abandon her search, a passage caught her eye.
Eldra leaned closer, studying the words, her heart beginning to beat faster.
"This may be it," she whispered.
She straightened upon the furs and began to read the passage aloud.
"Delving deeply into another's consciousness can consume massive amounts of magical stamina and physical energy, sometimes leaving the witch weakened. Leading to madness, temporary unconsciousness, or a total loss of magical control."
Eldra gasped, Vincent had described finding her in a similar state, when he had returned early from his explorations.
He had described to her the far off look in her eyes, as if she were gazing into another realm only she could see.
The heat like a raging fire which threatened to consume her body, and the uncontrolled quaking as if she had been plunged into the icy waters of the river once more.
Thank the Gods he had discovered the warm spring, and been quick witted enough to place her within its waters.
Did the waters possess some healing powers she wondered?
Her mother had told her stories of waters that were believed to possess healing qualities.
Perhaps that was the truth of the waters in the glowing cavern? Eldra collected her thoughts, before continuing to read.
"If one desires to protect themselves from mental influence, they could carry a charm bag with Garnet, Hag stone or amethyst within it. Charms could also be made from Rosemary, Rue, Yarrow, Mug Wart, Black Pepper and Sage."
Eldra's herb box contained all of these ingredients except the Yarrow, but she suspected it would be easy enough to find some growing wild in the meadow beyond the cave.
She would have to have Vincent seek some out for her when he returned from his present task.
What would she tell him if he inquired as to why she needed the yarrow? She decided that she could say she still felt a bit queasy, and a tea made from the yarrow would help to settle her stomach, but how to prepare it if they could not build a fire?
Perhaps she could use the warm waters from the spring? She decided that was a problem for another time.
For now she was more interested in studying the contents of the book, so that if another ability should manifest itself she would not be taken unaware for a third time.
* * *
While Vincent gathered bundles of tall grass from the meadow to make a sleeping pallet, his thoughts were occupied by the toll Eldra's latest experiment had taken upon both her body and her mind.
She had confessed to him that she had performed the candle spell in search of clarity.
Fear twisted in his guts as he recalled her telling him that she had somehow entered his mind while he made his way through the tunnels.
That, he suspected, had been the cause of the strange buzzing sensation he had experienced within his head.
The memory unsettled him.
What frightened him even more was the thought that Eldra might have unknowingly opened a door between their minds one that neither of them yet understood how to close.
Vincent gathered another bundle of grass, his expression darkening.
He could not help wondering what else she might encounter if she began delving into the minds of others.
She described the disturbing sensation of feeling the beast within him stirring from its slumber, and the draining of the rat, and how ill the taste of its blood had made her feel.
Vincent feared for Eldra's sanity if she continued delving deeper into the ancient book's pages.
A darker thought had plagued him ever since she had first opened it. He could destroy the book.
He had considered it more than once.
Yet the thought terrified him almost as much as the powers it contained.
What if Eldra had become so deeply entwined within the book's magic that destroying it would destroy her as well?
He remembered the violent surge of energy that had passed between them when their hands had touched over its cover.
He remembered the strange transformation of its pages after their connection had been made.
The book was no longer merely an object. Somehow, it had become connected to Eldra.
Perhaps even to the very power awakening within her.
How could he risk destroying it when he could not know whether its destruction would take her life with it?
Vincent gathered another bundle of grass, his jaw tightening. No.
He could not bring himself to gamble with Eldra's life.
Whatever the book was, and whatever it intended to awaken within her, he would have to find another way to protect her from herself.
Before returning to Eldra, Vincent was determined to gather some food for her.
He knew of a small cottage not far from the meadow, surrounded by fruit trees and a modest garden. If he was careful, he could gather enough provisions from it to sustain them for several days.
He would also try to find some fresh meat without having to venture back into the forest.
Eldra's nourishment had been inadequate during the weeks she had been with him, and Vincent could no longer ignore the effect it was having upon her.
He had noticed the changes in her body, particularly after they had shared the warm waters of the grotto.
The woman who had once possessed such healthy, womanly curves was beginning to look thinner.
The thought troubled him deeply.
She had already endured too much, hunger, cold, exhaustion, and now the frightening awakening of powers neither of them understood.
Vincent gathered another armful of grass before glancing toward the distant cottage.
He would make certain she had enough food, whatever else he could not protect her from, he could at least see that she did not go hungry.
The cottage belonged to an elderly farmer and his wife.
Neither possessed particularly keen eyesight, and Vincent felt confident they would not notice him as he pilfered provisions from their garden in the gathering dusk.
He made his way toward the small stone building, slipping unnoticed through the open garden gate.
The windows were already dark.
Keeping to the shadows, Vincent crossed the yard and reached up to gather several ripe apples from the tree.
He tucked them carefully into the sack he carried before crouching beside the garden beds.
He then pulled several carrots from the earth, followed by a few potatoes, brushing the loose soil from them before placing them with the apples.
It was not much, but it would provide Eldra with something fresh and nourishing.
Vincent glanced toward the darkened windows. The old couple remained oblivious to his presence.
As he grew nearer to the cottage a putrid smell caused him to stop moving. The noxious odor was coming from within the darkened structure.
He recognized the fetid smell from his days spent hiding in the opened crypts of cemeteries while he was being hunted.
Vincent settled the provisions he had gathered upon the wooden bench beside the cottage door.
He paused before entering, steeling himself for what he knew awaited him within the darkened windows.
The moment he opened the door, the overpowering stench of decay assailed his senses.
Vincent grimaced, forcing himself onward into the darkened room. The elderly farmer and his wife lay side by side upon their mattress. The man appeared to have died first.
His wife lay beside him, one hand resting upon his, as though she had chosen to spend her final moments beside the man she had loved rather than face the rest of her life without him.
Vincent stood silently beside them.
He had witnessed countless deaths during his long existence, many violent and terrible, yet there was something profoundly sad about this one.
There had been no struggle. No fear.
Only two old people who had apparently chosen to leave this world together.
As Vincent gazed upon the two corpses lying entwined upon the bed, he could not help but feel a deep sense of melancholy.
These two mortals had lived together, and they had died together.
Vincent brushed away a blood tinted tear from beneath his eye, a painful thought settling within his heart.
As much as he loved Eldra, she too would one day grow old, her youth fading with the passing years before death eventually claimed her, just as it had claimed the elderly couple.
And when that day came, he would be left behind. Alone once more.
The thought was almost unbearable.
Taking pity upon the couple, Vincent found a spade leaning against the cottage wall and carried it into the yard.
He dug a grave large enough for them both, then returned inside and carefully wrapped their remains in the bedclothes.
With surprising gentleness, he carried them outside and lowered them into the earth side by side.
He covered the bodies with soil, pausing when the grave was filled. Vincent wished he could offer them a prayer.
But it had been so many centuries since he had been a mortal man that he could no longer recall the blessings the priests had spoken over the dead.
Instead, he bowed his head.
"Rest well," he murmured, it was all he could offer them.
* * *
Eldra was delighted by the sight of the fresh fruits and vegetables Vincent carried in his bag when he climbed through the cave's entrance, yet despite the welcome sight of such provisions, Vincent seemed unusually quiet when he returned from his trip to the meadow.
As they spread the grass across the caverns floor to make a more comfortable place to sleep, Eldra found herself repeatedly glancing toward his shadowed face. There was something troubling him, though he had yet to speak of it.
She hesitated to ask what he had discovered. A quiet unease settled within her.
Perhaps Johnas's men had finally found their way deep into the forest and had discovered his dwelling, or perhaps they had searched the cottage, looking for some sign that she had been there.
The thought sent a shiver through her.
"Vincent," she finally said softly, unable to bear the uncertainty any longer. "What happened while you were away?"
After the furs had been spread atop their new bedding, Vincent took Eldra gently by the hand and silently led her back to the glowing grotto where they had made love.
They sat together upon the edge of the water filled basin, their feet dangling in the warm liquid held within its depths, as the soft, otherworldly glow of the luminescent worms danced across the water, illuminating their faces in shifting shades of blue and silver.
For a while, neither spoke, but Eldra could sense that Vincent had something weighing heavily upon his mind, and though she longed to know what had happened in the meadow, she remained silent, waiting for him to speak.
He turned to her, telling what he had discovered inside the cottage, and where he had dug the hole for the couples grave.
About placing them side by side as he had found them lying on the bed.
Though he did not tell her about the thoughts that had left a hollow place within his heart.
Tears traced down Eldra's cheeks as she listened to Vincent's story, she had known the old farmer and his wife, had treated John's crippling arthritis in his hands.
He and Maggie, always treated her sweetly, and Maggie always gave Eldra a cup of hot mint tea, and would insist she take a fresh loaf of her delicious rye bread for her services.
The couple had been married since they were sixteen years old, and though never blessed with children of their own, they remained devoted to each other.
Maggie had at one time been a midwife, before her sight began to cloud with age. She once told Eldra that she had safely seen over three hundred babes safely into the world during her time as the village midwife.
As a proud smile lit her face, smoothing the deep wrinkles that time had etched deeply into her skin, making her appear almost young again.
While Eldra felt a deep sadness gripping her heart at the news of the couple's passing, she was happy to know that they had departed this world as they had lived it, by one another's side.
She leaned closer kissing Vincent gently upon the cheek, quietly thanking him for bestowing on them one final act of kindness, by laying them to rest together in the garden of the cottage they had so dearly loved.
For a moment, she rested her head against his shoulder, imagining the old couple finally at peace beneath the earth, together as they had always been in life.
Vincent slipped his arms around her, pulling Eldra close as she wept tears for the kindly couple.
After a while, they disrobed and slipped quietly into the still waters, moving languidly through their soothing warmth. The grotto's gentle glow shimmered across the surface as they drew close to one another.
They coupled again, slowly and silently, their movements gentle and unhurried.
There was no urgency between them, only a quiet tenderness that seemed almost reverent in the wake of the old couple's passing.
Together they remained in the warm waters, holding one another as they thought of the two who now slept in each other's arms for eternity beneath the earth of the cottage garden.