Forever Bound

Alexis had spent the last two days in her room sleeping off all of her injuries, her body no longer showed any signs of the fight.
Her face looked hollower though, black bags graced under her eyes, she looked worn and broken.

The metal collar around her neck clinked with each step she took as she headed towards the infirmary where Taylor rested.
Her head swam with images of the fight and her downfall, she would have won if the wolves had not interfered.

She sighed softly, she did not have the capacity to be mad at the moment, her body was still numb with shock.

She entered the room silently, Taylor was asleep, she perched herself on the floor in the corner, simply watching the woman rest.

Taylor sighed quietly in her sleep and shifted, sensing a presence in her room even in sleep

she slowly opened her eyes and looked over to where the presence was coming from, and raised an eyebrow when she saw Alexis sitting in the corner of her room

and looking so small and shocked that it really didn't seem like alexis

she reached out in the bond to simply see what the girl was feeling, and could only find a slight hate for her at Taylor and just plain shock...even those voices in the girl's head was muted somewhat

sighing quietly, she sat up, wincing, and looked properly at Alexis

you can come over you know. the fight is over, so nothing is going to happen Alexis.

she no longer felt the need to call the girl parasite....the bond made her see that what she used to do was simply in her nature.....it wasn't something she was going to be able to control herself

She twitched slightly as the woman spoke, she looked up at her with her big dark eyes though her head remained down cast.

She recalled her time locked in that box, unable to move, unable to scream, all alone in the dark with just the voices in her head as company, it was maddening. And at this moment she would have lived through that for another thousand years instead of being in her current situation.

She rose to her feet slowly, grasping onto the wall for support. Healing her wounds has sapped the energy from her body.

She moved closer to the bed, her eyes locking onto the large cut that run up the majority of the elf's chest.

Taylor gave a tired smile

admiring your handywork? *chuckles* you would have won if you hadn't hurt my family. i was spent by that point. you really are a great fighter. i guess that was part of the reason why i wanted to fight you again. i felt a bit like a cheat last time because i had help of a priest. this time i didn't, and this time i was close to death like last time.

she gestured for the vampire to sit down and then pointed to an errant bloodbag on the side. a left over from her transfusion.

have that. it'll make you feel better. she said idly and without thinking

now that the vampire was hers, she felt a need to take care of her

damn, this bond changed her view drastically of the other

She shook her head softly.
"I'm not hungry."
She muttered, crossing her arms to hug herself as she took a seat.

"If the werewolves hadn't of turned up I would of bitten you and you'd be dead."
She said bluntly, still looking at the wound, the blade of her scythe had sliced through the elf with little to no effort at all.

she raised an eyebrow at the 'not hungry' comment....Alexis was always thirsty for blood

but she shrugged it off. she, for some reason, didn't want to order her around too much unless really needed

suit yourself. but yes, i'm well aware. you are much stronger than me....but, i think what tipped the balance more than my family attacking you, was the fact i had something to fight for. it gives you one last kick when you're at the very end....did you have anything to fight for Alexis?...or was it simply a revenge thing like what mine used to be. at first, it was a job...that was why i nearly died last time...this time i had something, which is why i won in the end. Taylor explained, settling back against her pillow

it...was kinda sad that the girl didn't seem to have anything other than the voices in her head

Alexis timidly touched a hand to her head as Taylor spoke about fighting for something.
Even the voices which use to cloud her mind and guide her had stopped talking, at times she thought she could hear a whisper but it quickly disappear.
She disguised the movement by sweeping a piece of hair from her face.

"I.....no."
She said as she brought her legs up onto the chair so she could hug her knees to her chest.
Her entire world had been inside her own head, she had never needed anyone before.

Taylor raised her eyebrow again at Alexis's gesture

she could feel the different emotions running through the bond

that...that's kinda sad in all honesty. *sigh* she muttered

without really thinking, her hand reached out to Alexis and stroked some of the hair out of the Vampire's face and then let her hand rest on Alexis's cheek while giving a small smile

so how's about i give you something to fight for. you help me fight against my enemies, give me aid and protect me when i need it....and i'll do the same for you. i seriously can't muster up the same hate i had before simply because i see from your point of view. if you looked in the bond, you could see my point of view as well, and i can already see you can't muster up the same hate either. yes, you dislike me a lot. but that's natural. but still...i won't order you around like i had planned before, Alexis....i'll simply let you exist and call on your help when i need it. TAylor said, her voice strong and firm...commanding and definative as she spoke

she had an urge to try and get closer to this one in some way...to help her a bit

Alexis leaned into her touch, a soft purr escaping her lips.
The vampire did not notice what she had just done, too reoccupied with looking at the elf.

I'll simply let you exist and call on your help when i need it

She looked at Taylor unsure of whether or not she truly meant what she was saying.

"Let me exist like you just said, and when ever you need me I will be at your beckoned call, just call me name and I will be there. I will not resist you, or rebel in any way."

If this woman truly intended to be kind to her she would serve her with respect and loyalty.

Taylor chuckled quietly and winced as her ribs moved a little too much

aye. i won't abuse you in any way as long as you follow requests. i won't order you....you can choose to obey. but there will be times when i do order you for both yours and my good. for example, i'd much prefer it if you fed regularly, but not go on rampages or you'd be noticed again. while we're here, we follow rules of the place. nothing unnecessary.

Taylor sighed and leaned back once more, letting her hand fall away as strength left her a little

....in all honesty...i hate slavery....what i did, i'm ashamed of.....i shouldn't have done that...but i guess i can see where that drago guy was coming from. sometimes it may be needed *looks at Alexis* for example, with us. we haven't once tried to attack each other...but i guess that this is more of a bond than a slaving. but that doesn't matter. i won't treat you as a slave. you're very much my equal...and my superior in strength. i'm quite weak due to my species, it's something i can't help. but you are much stronger. agh, i digress. any ways, thing is, i'm not gonna use and abuse you. i'd much rather try to improve a realtionship....binding with Corbett again has allowed me to loose some brashness and to calm down and have a clearer head. and i now think it would be better to set old hates aside Taylor explained, running a hand through her hair, her words sounding slightly saged

the fight has definately allowed her to grow up a little, becoming a turning point in her life

Alexis looked down at the elf, still covered in bruises and cuts, it seemed unfair that she should heal so quickly, without so much as a scar remaining anywhere on her body whilst Taylor lay stuck in bed, barely able to lift her own arms.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
She asked softly, she knew her blood would help mend the elf's wounds but whether or not she would be willing to accept it was a whole other story.

She nodded softly as the woman spoke.
"I may have been strong but I could not control my own powers, rampaging and slaughtering as I did.
I don't hate you for what you've done to me, I....I just need time to adjust to how things are now, how I am.
So many things are different now."

She said, referring to her voices, her head felt empty, there was too much space to think and to feel, she missed them in a way though they still lingered somewhere in her mind.
A tear slipped down her cheek which she swiftly wiped away, she didn't like feeling, everything she had done before was done without emotion, driven only by the need to survive and to kill.

Taylor chuckled tiredly

if you're refereing to the wounds, i won't ask for help on them. i'd much rather have them heal by themselves. it simply means i can continue under my own steam, and it reminds me of significant moments in my life. i think of scars as a map of my life, and i can't forget it. *smile* i think that's the one thing i like about not having your kind of healing. i like being reminded of mistakes so i can learn. and then i can teach. she paused and sighed heavily gaia i sound so old right now, ugh, blegh. i'm only around five hundered! i'm not near my 1000 mark yet! uuuugh! she moaned

she hated sounding old

as for your powers, i guess we can work together on that now. you help me get stronger, i teach you control. also, if there's anything you need any help with, for example these changes you're telling me, just ask. might as well start somewhere in this, yeah? we'll fight through any problems from here. after all, *grin* i'm your 'master', and i feel that means i will take care of you properly if this is to work. she said, and wiped away the rest of Alexis' tears

damn...she really couldn't hate Alexis anymore as the Bond began settling and strengthening

"If I did not heal the way I do my body would be covered in scars far worse than yours."

She said, her eyes scanning over the woman's body.

"Hunters had been after me since before you were born."
She added, her arms encircling tighter around her knees as she let out a soft sigh.

Slowly Alexis started to feel more like herself and less like a lost child.

"You might be able to tell already that my voices are gone, whether or not they will return to me, I don't know."

Taylor chuckled and rubbed her face

i can imagine. hence all your fighting abilities. but i guess your healing abilities are an asset to you. i don't think scars would suit you m'dear. scars seem to suit me. at least, that's what Kyler, an old Lover, told me.*weak chuckle* and yes, i can tell your voices are no longer there......it must be odd to not have them there. i mean, i had Corbett for a while in my head, but she was me and not me at the same time...since that fight, she deemed me strong enough to meld back with me because i was fighting for something else other than myself...but yeah....it feels odd not having her give me biting remarks or saying something snide yet helpful in my head....it must be very....lonely for you as you you had a lot in your head as i understand.

she ran her hand through hr hair, and then over the bite mark in her side

she looked up at Alexis and gave a weak smile tucked some hair behind the girl's ear

but it seems you're coming back to yourself. you're not acting so lost.

she let her hand fall back and her eyes became halflidded

"It feel empty not having them there, everything is far too silent, I feel too sane."

She looked down at the large bite mark over the girls torso, smirking softly recalling the events from the previous days, highlighting the moment where she cut off her own arm so her beast could attack.
She chuckled softly.

"Yes, I am not feeling so lost, granted things will never be the same as they once were; perhaps after all these years it is time to find a meaning for my life other than taking the lives of others."

Taylor snickered

what a pair we are....mortal enemies turned master and servant and both once having voices in our heads. not that long ago we were at each other's throats. now we're having a civil convorsation. how things change, don't you find? she snickered

but yes....i hope you find a reason to fight. i doubt i'm that good a reason to fight for. i'm simply the one at the other end of your collar. but, know i'll do my best to fight for you now. you're connected to me, and anyone connected to me i protect as much as i can. she said solemnly, feeling a great responsibility of care for Alexis now

she simply gave up trying to understand these emotions now

all she knew is that she'd do anything to keep this vampire safe and alive

"I'd be less worried about protecting me and more worried about protecting yourself and your family, I was not the one that was dancing with death.
Don't be so concerned about me, it is unfitting, like you said, you are my master and I am your servant, allow me to be the one that worries.

You're reason for living and mine are one in the same.
I'll fight because it is all I've ever known and to give that up is the lose a part of myself, a part that I will not so easily throw away."

Alexis really was feeling more like herself, she was not some sniveling child who sat in a corner crying, she had live almost a millennium surviving off of pure hatred and spite she just had to replace that bloodlust with something more stable, loyalty to her new master.

Taylor smiled and waved a hand a little

do what you will. but i think i will always worry about you on some level Alexis. and that's the spirit. keep walking. don't ever stop. and always keep fighting. i bet before this, you thought your fate was to be mad and full of hate, just as mine was to be forever childish and irresponsible while killing simply for money. now i have a family to take care of, and you are now calmer and connected to me, been given a different reason to continue to live. *laughs* you continue how you think is right, and i will let you walk your own path. but like i said before, there will be times when i need your aid, and you may need mine. i'm here to help however, and i will ask no more of you m'dear. she said, grinning brightly at the girl and forcing herself to sit up a little more, wincing a bit as her wounds stung a fair amount, the stiches tugging against each other

this could work out well, yes? at that, she held out her hand to Alexis, a sign of wanting to make things work instead of constantly fighting

she was getting tired of fighting all the time against peopel she'd rather not

"Feel for me what you will, it makes no difference whether you like me or hate me.
I may be calmer and more sane but I am still the same monster I have always been.
Don't think for a moment that I do not yearn for what I use to do.
If I could, I would kill and I would feed and I would burn.

You're the one who holds my leash, and with that you're the only one who can unleash my powers.
If you do ever need me, just call my name and I will be by your side to do your bidding and if I need yours, I will find you.."

She spoke firmly, in her old voice as she gripped onto the collar that lay against her neck. The elf had proved herself to be the only one worthy of commanding the vampire. She rose to her feet and slid her hand into Taylor's, bringing her lips down and kissing the top of her hand.

"If nothing else simply let me be another weapon on your belt." She spoke as she straightened back up, she seemed older again, though her body looked young her aura was what made her seemed old.

she grinned darkly, a glint in her eye as the lips met the back of her hand.

ignoring any and all pain she stood up, her wounds making her seem more gloriously dark as the bandages clung to her, blood stained, and the smile decorating her face gave dark promise

she used her free hand and laid it atop Alexis's head and looked down at the vampire that held her hand

there...and Alexis is back again. you will become a weapon upon my belt, and treated with the same care and affection i do with all my weapons. all i ask is your loyalty now, and i will see no reason to yank on your chain. i hate people who are yanked to their knees, so don't become one. she said, still grinning as her hand ran down Alexis's hair and unde rher chin to make the other look up at her this will be the beginning of something very interesting m'dear she chuckled

there was a beat of silence and then she began feeling the pain again and had to sit down once more, and carefully got back into bed, wincing at every move

be that as it may, she still somehow didn't loose her magesticness as a new Master

She tilted her head up obediently as she was guided by the elf.
"Yes I am feeling much more like myself again."

She answered, assisting the woman back into bed.
"You should not be moving around so much, you'll tear open your stitches."

Alexis knelt down on one knee and placed her hand over her heart as she looked back up at her.

"My loyalty is already yours, there is no need to ask for it, after our last battle you have earned it."

Taylor snickered, her face showing hints of pain

only just, Alexis, only just. *chuckle* and i won't move around too much now. i'm beginning to feel the fight a bit more now *snicker* she murmured, looking down at Alexis

but it is good to hear. i'm going to need someone i can unfaultingly rely on in times to come....we won't be here forever, i know that much. this is simply a refuge to come to when rest is needed. she sighed, rubbing her forehead, and looking exhausted

she let her hand rest on Alexis's hair, still loving the feel of another's hair and simply toyed with it idly

She rose to her feet again and shook her head.

"You horribly weak at the moment, rest, get some sleep.
I will always come when called, don't ever doubt that, regardless of the situation and how dire it may seem."

She walked to the window and opened the shutters, letting in the moonlight and breeze.

"I smells of illness in here, I dislike it."

when an Elf gets injured or sick in any way, the scent of illness tends to be stronger for some reason. i guess it's like when a plant is injured...things rot a little before repairing itself. the edges of my wounds have gone a little infected, but that's normal. i'm healing just fine *sigh* not saying it doens't hurt, but still. once i'm more healed, the scent will go away and smell heavily of fresh plants and flowers...i always hated that bit. i'm not usually associated with flowes..... she grumbled, sighing quietly and rubbed her face

but thanks for opening the windows...it was getting stuffy and unbearable here....mild case of claustrophobia she muttered, looking to the side

the thing with Taylor when she was injured, she'd either act quite vulnerable, or, if threatened, would have her hackles right up and attack all that came close to her

a woman of extremes

"Is there anything else I can do for you? If not I may take my leave so you can get some rest."

She replied, glancing down at the blood bag on the table, she should go feed soon, repairing her wounds had taken a lot of energy out of her and her hunger was higher than usual.

She remembered where the kitchen was, she doubted she would be permitted to leave the grounds to hunt in town simply for the fact that with her hunger how it was it was unlikely that she would be able to stop before killing.