Eric's room - for Athelstan

[onceaviking]

Eric's room is neat and bare.
He hadn't been expecting to return.

He opens the door and lets Athelstan in. Then he switches on the bedside lamp and turns to look at him.

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"But they won't kill him, in and of themselves?"

[onceaviking]

"He is too old for that."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan nods.

"And there will be nothing he can do to end it himself, away from the sun."

[onceaviking]

Eric turns his head to look at him.
"No," he says, calmly. "There won't be."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Then perhaps he had better hope starvation is possible."

[onceaviking]

"I am sure he will," Eric says, quietly intense.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan looks back at him.

"You can trust this were not to talk?"

[onceaviking]

"His father owes me money. This is how he is going to pay me back."

[athelstanthescribe]

He nods.

"So if he does, he knows what will happen."

[onceaviking]

"He does," Eric agrees.
"His father is a drinker and a gambler and a great embarrassment to him. But they are kin."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Kin protects kin", Athelstan agrees. "If they can."

[onceaviking]

"Even if they have to serve a vampire to do so," Eric says with a small, somewhat unpleasant smile.

[athelstanthescribe]

He smiles slightly.

"No doubt he thinks one favour isn't such a high price, for his father's safety."

[onceaviking]

"Oh, but it grates," Eric says.

Sometimes, it would appear that his life is one big pissing contest.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan eyes him, amused.

"And would that be part of why you chose him?"

[onceaviking]

"It's a greater qualification that he owns a car large enough and has access to a building site," Eric says.
"Besides, he already knows more than he ought to. I have had him watch over Sookie during the day."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Is she in danger during the day, then? More than other people?"

[onceaviking]

"Because of what she is. Yes. She is highly alluring to vampires."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Can they tell what she is, without being told? I suppose you mean they would send those who can walk in the sun to take her?"

[onceaviking]

"They would. And we can all tell that she is different. Her scent is - she is hard to resist. As for the were, I knew that Edgington wanted her so I had to do something to keep her safe from harm"

At least harm caused by other people.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan nods. "Since you couldn't simply warn him away from her, with his position so far above yours."

[onceaviking]

"He couldn't know that I had - that I knew her as anything other than something to possess," he says.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Ah, yes, because after you killed his Consort, anything he could do to hurt you..."

[onceaviking]

"And my indifference to her was one of the reasons he wound up trusting me enough for me to get close."
To Talbot amongst other things.

[athelstanthescribe]

"And it also made him believe you'd really offer her to him."