Lex flinched at Loyal's scream, but couldn't make any more of a reaction due to his fatigue.

Turning around he smiled.

'A little bit... How are you feeling now?' he asked concerned.

Walking over to the sink, the elf grabbed a cloth and soaked it with cold water, squeezing out the excess and returning to his bed where Loyal was.

Lex pushed on the sorcerer's chest, forcing him to lie back down and gently sponged the sweat off his face.

'You may think what I am about to say is strange, but I am proud of you Loyal. What you did before I mean... Don't say anything more about it, but just know that what you did was justified. One day you will understand, killing is a hard concept to grasp, alas one day it will come to you.' Lex brushed a strand of hair out of Loyal's eyes, 'Now go back to sleep, you over exerted yourself.'

Fishing in a basket, he pulled out a small pouch containing a sweet purple powder. Lex opened the man's mouth and poured a bit on his tongue.

'Swallow that, it will cure you of your nightmares. Now rest.'

The elf resumed his spot next to the vampire and looked at her, pulling out the fang he had ripped off Loyal's serpent.

'This, Jacquey. This is what is bugging me. What do you think this is made out of? Ivory, or magic? Or is it a part of Loyal himself?'

Jacqueline watched Lex fuss over Loyal. She couldn't help but give a small smile. And what made the situation even more humorous was the the fact that Loyal was older than Lex, but somehow he was the one being fussed over.

Her grey eyes inspected the fang that Lex was holding.

"May I?" she asked, taking the fang out of Lex's hands.

The thing that surprised Jacqueline the most about it was that, unlike ivory, it was warm to touch. She had noticed that when Lex had torn the fang out that Loyal had felt the pain. Particularly in the chest. It gave her an idea. She stood up and walked ovr to Loyal's side.

"Loyal, forgive me for this," she said.

Jacqueline then, holding the fang with both hands, plunged it into Loyal's chest.

Loyal did as he was told, but with a frown on his face. "I'm older than you, I can take care of myself."

The Sorcerer didn't respond instead he 'hmph'ed and turned away, an annoyed face obviously there. "I can kill...I just don't want to." He pulled the covers up until it covered his face.

The powder was sweet but left a bad aftertaste. Loyal made a face before glaring at Lex and pulling the covers back up, covering his face.

Loyal pulled the covers down, curious of what was going on. Then he saw Jacquey walking over to him, the fang in her hand. She raised it over his chest, that's when he got afraid. "W-What are you...?" She plunged it down. Loyal gasped as he felt the fang pierce his skin, the pain grew for a minute, until it became unbearable. He arched forwards as a reaction, caught mid-breath. He fell back and laid still for a moment as the fang disappeared into his chest. When it totally disappeared it left him with a coughing fit.
"G-God...give me a warning!" He yelled, clutching his chest. Amazingly, he felt his energy come back, like a part of him came back.

"Great idea Jacquey..." He sighed, rubbing the place he was stabbed. A smile returned to his face, aimed at Jacqueline.
"Thanks."

'Age makes no difference Loyal, you should know that.' Lex replied with contempt.

'Geez!' he exclaimed, 'Why the bad attitude!? I'm just trying to help!' Lex got up and stalked out of the room, quite annoyed.

Without thinking he ended up on top of Winter, the cold night breeze sending chills down his spine.

'Ungrateful kid...' he muttered, kicking his horse into a canter, 'Can't see help when it's right up his nose.'

Lex cantered his horse round a ring he had built. It was time he worked on Winter's fitness again, the horse, barely 5 years of age was already becoming lazy; but that was Lex's fault besides.

Once Winter was dripping with sweat and the elf's thighs were burning, he slowed him down to a trot and then a walk, leading him over to the well. Pulling a grey cloth out of his cloak, Lex dipped it into the stone cold water and began washing down the horse.

'You're a good boy aren't you?'

Winter whickered and nudged the elf in the side.

'Okay, gentle boy.'

He led Winter back to the stables and sat down on the coarse straw next to the horse who pulled viciously at the feed he was given. Now there was the matter of building a new outdoor room, preferably one that was indestructable...

Jacqueline took a step back when Loyal reacted naturally to being stabbed iin the chest. She sighed in relief when the fang disappeared into his chest. She grinned.

"Well, I figured it would do either one of two things.
One: heal you or Two: kill you. I was hoping for the first," she explained, glad that Loyal wasn't mad.

Jacqueline then realised that Lex had left. She went outside, searching the air for Lex's scent. She followed it once she found it. Jacqueline leant against the stable door.

"Don't be hard on him, or yourself. He may be an adult, but on the inside he's just a kid. Let him find his own way to get through it."

She smiled softly and walked over to where Lex sat, sitting down next to him.

"I would be hoping for the first too..." Loyal sighed. Smiling as Jacquey walked outside to join Lex and his annoyence.

As soon as she disappeared from view, he indulged himself in his thought again. He stared at his hands, still shaking with fatigue. Loyal sighed, he had no idea what just happened. All he knew was that he killed the slayer and he destroyed the house...the seperate one anyway. He was lucky that Lex stopped him...

Loyal felt awful, he actually killed someone that didn't deserve it. He pulled off the covers, staring at the splatter of blood on his pants. He gently smoothed it out, his magic cleaning it off. Slowly he turned to the window, staring out. 'Why did he make me?' He thought sadly before falling back onto the bed. He pulled the covers on and fell asleep, hopefully the powder worked and the nightmares won't come back...

Lex sighed and fell back heavily against the wood of the wall, his body making a hollow thud. The elf decided that it was probably safe to confide in Jacqueline.

'Well, to be honest Jacq, I am scared for him. If I hadn't have been near the cottage Loyal would be dead, and right now we'd be digging a grave for him. I have already had to do that once for someone I love Jacqueline, and I don't want to have to do it again.' Lex's face became shadowed as he unconsciously put up his guard.

'You know the worst thing about it? He still thinks that the man didn't deserve to die, even after he tried to kill you, me and Loyal himself. If anything, just let me teach the man to hold himself in a higher regard, he needs to learn to respect himself. e believes that scum's life is worth more than his own good, honest heart.'

Winter neighed sorrowfully at Lex's despair and abandoned his dinner to nudge his owner lovingly in the side, before doing the same to Jacqueline.

'It's okay boy...'

Jacqueline shifted closer to Lex and put her arms around him. She sighed softly.

"I understand the fear that you feel. I've felt it for a long time. That's why I was hesistant in my feelings for you, for the same reason," she said, looking into Lex's eyes to show she was being serious. Jacqueline let herself smile when Lex voiced his concerns.

"Loyal feels too much. He empathises and feels compassion. It can be a good thing when used at the right time.." she trailed off and shook her head.

"Hopefully, he will learn from his mistakes," she said, resting her head on Lex's shoulder.

Lex folded his arms around her in return, dropping a kiss lightly on her head.

'Hmm...' he mused loudly, 'but that's the problem you see? He doesn't think that not killing him before was a mistake, he thinks that killing him was the mistake. I can read people's emotions fairly well...'

Lex took his cloak off and spread it out along the straw in front of him and Jacqueline. Edging forward he layed himself down on it, picking up Jacquey's hand he tugged it forward, prompting her to lie down with him.

'Come...' he whispered quietly.

Jacqueline made a small sound and gave Lex a quick look.

"Sometimes I worry about that. You should talk to him when he wakes up. Get to know the whole story," she said, surprised at how philosophical she was beginning to sound. She closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them again when Lex tugged her hand.

Jacqueline obliged, lying down next to Lex, propping her head up on her arm. She smiled.