The Hunt

Chapter 25



Another late evening after Aikido-lessons. River liked sitting in the nearly empty bus, listening to some mellow music while the lights of street lamps and lit houses flashed by outside.



Andreji had been gone the past week, to take care of several jobs abroad, so he had said. River had used the time to go out and sleep a bit more than usual. This morning, however, Andreji’s motorbike had been back.



River’s stomach growled as he got off at the bus stop. He wondered if he had another pizza in the freezer. Andreji mocked him for his fast food addiction sometimes, but River was simply too lazy to cook for just one person. He contemplated learning some more vocabulary while he ate. Ever since he had talked Andreji into letting him have an internet connection, he had used it to print out themed lists of words to improve his French. There was still a long way to go until his knowledge of languages could keep up with Andreji’s.



The kitten of the old lady who lived opposite them strolled over the street, its eyes reflecting the light of a passing car. As River entered the house, his mouth watered. A strong scent of delicious food lay in the air. Perplexed, he went into the kitchen and switched on the light. Several dishes stood on the table – a good bowl of soup, salad, and dessert.



“Andreji?” River called out. No reply. River went into the library, but found it empty. So were the bathroom and the beach. Still, he had seen the motorbike. River opened the first door to the smithy. No sound could be heard. As he opened the second one, though, the sound of hammer on metal was unmistakeable. As was to be expected, heat engulfed him.



“Andreji? Is that food in the kitchen for me?” he asked the man who stood in a corner, hair bound loosely back, grinding the blade of a sword.



“I am not feeling particularly hungry, yes.”



“Yeah, I figured,” River retorted, leaning with crossed arms against the door frame. “That’s why I wondered. What reason would someone like you have to stand in front of the hearth for hours to prepare a meal?”



“Boredom.” Andreji eyed the blade in the light of the fireplace. “And your dislike for cooking shows. You do not even know how long it would take you if you cared to do it. It took but one hour.”



River snorted and shook his head amusedly. He went into the kitchen and warmed up the soup. While the oven buzzed, he set up his laptop. The bathroom door fell into its lock. The bell in the oven rang and River pulled his meal out. He loaded the game he had started again in the last week, out of boredom. Symphonic music streamed out of the speakers.



Andreji came into the kitchen in fresh clothes. He pulled a chair next to River’s and sat down.



River glanced sideways.



The elder man sat calmly, legs crossed, gazing leisurely at his fledgling.



“So, what’s this for? What are you concocting?”



A smirk. “You complained hat I never cook for you.”



“In which century was that?”



Andreji shrugged. “Fine.” He rose to his feet. “I am sure I will find someone who values my cooking.” He reached for the bowl.



“Hands off!” River said and secured the soup.



Andreji smirked again and sat back.



“What was that job you took care of?” the blond asked as he loaded the savegame and tried the soup.



“A client of mine reported some bizarre incidents and asked me to examine the matter. Turned out to be martens.”



River turned around to look at him. “Martens? Are they supernatural beings?”



“Not to my knowledge.”



“So it was false alarm?”



Andreji shrugged. “As usual.”



River snickered and turned back to the computer to travel to a city called Skingrad. He sold some loot from his last trip to a dungeon, then set out to find the daughter of the merchant, travelling on horseback.



“By the way, I’m having my last removal appointment next week,” he told Andreji.



“So it will be completely gone afterwards?” the elder man asked interestedly.



“Sure.”



“Good.”



After a few minutes and a fight against a wolf, Andreji stood up and put the chair back in its original place. “You can have that for real, not in an artificial world, you know?” With that, he headed for the library.







After three hours and a tasty meal that made River silently wish that Andreji were plagued with boredom more often, he finished his gaming. Over the week-end, he had easily played eight hours in a row, but never until past three o’clock in the morning. He stretched, yawning, and went into the library. He had smelled the fire that cracked in the fireplace for some time already. It gave the room a comfortable, warm atmosphere.



His Master lounged in one of the armchairs while soft string music came from a record player. He moved his gaze from the window to River. It almost seemed to River as if he could see his age in the thoughtful face.



The young man straddled Andreji’s lap and kissed him tenderly, holding him by the shoulders. The kiss was returned. Soft fingers running over the small of River’s back underneath his shirt made him shiver.



They sat like that for a while, gently caressing each other, kissing.



Suddenly the doorbell rang. River started and looked towards the entrance in irritation. The watch on his arm told him it was almost four o’clock. Who rang a doorbell at this hour? He looked at Andreji questioningly.



The man obviously did not expect a visitor.



A muted voice sounded through the door, now.



That changed something in the vampire. His face carried something like recognition and disbelief.



“What is it?” River asked concernedly.



Andreji shook his head, as if he was not certain, and gently pushed his fledgling off his lap to answer the door.



River followed him.



Andreji motioned for him to stand back as he reached the door.



River frowned. What was going on? Andreji looked almost hesitant as he pressed down the door handle. The way he opened the door inch by inch… The vampire’s yaw hardened as he laid eyes upon the visitor. River’s heart beat faster.



“Andreji,” a male voice sighed in a mixture of relief and surprise.



Andreji remained motionless. Was his breathing speeding up?



“Am I still welcome here?” the unknown voice asked gently, almost submissively.



No reply.



“Andreji?”



River wanted to go to his Master, wanted to see what was going on, but Andreji had told him to stand back, and River was not sure he was allowed to disregard his orders. Of course, as long as they were by themselves, Andreji never asked for obedience, but River guessed things might be different when another vampire was around. Someone ringing the door bell at this hour and leaving Andreji in such awe probably was not human. And even if obedience was not asked for – River did not feel completely safe with Andreji acting so strange.



“Andreji?” the voice asked again.



“He said you were dead,” the white haired man suddenly said in an icy tone. “I saw the house burn down; the house in which we were to meet.”



“He captured me and set the house alight after he had chained me and pulled me out of the house. Andreji, I…”



The voice was interrupted by a second, calling from farther away. River could not understand it.



“He waits for his payment. I obtained enough money to convince him to bring me here all the way from London, but I…” the voice sounded exhausted, now, weak.



“River,” Andreji’s hard voice turned to the young man suddenly. “Please take care of that. My money is at its usual place.”



River hurried to fetch it, a little relieved to have a part in the events and to see Andreji take the reigns back into his hands.



Andreji stepped aside to let him pass.



The gazes of River and the unexpected visitor met. The man looked worn out, haggard; that much was plain even in the dark. He supported himself with one arm resting against the wall. The way his eyes were fixed on River left the young man with an uneasy feeling.



“A fledgling,” River heard him say after he had passed him. And subdued, “I should not have bothered you.”



River looked back while reaching the gate. The man attempted to turn and walk away, but his knees gave way and Andreji hurried forward to catch him.



“Two hundred twenty-seven pounds thirty-five,” the cab driver on the other side of the gate said.



River turned around, handed him two hundred pounds thirty and wished him a nice trip back to London.



The guy grinned at him, saying he would like more of this kind of taxi ride and got back into his car.



The entrance was deserted as River turned back to the house.