William
Amelia bit back an annoyed groan. If this man had been tracking the horse and it's rider, this could get a bit more complicated, depending on how well he knew the man. It occurred to her that he might be lying. She was fairly certain that the horse lying in the snow belonged to the man that had run from her and he had been traveling with a companion. This stable owner hadn't mentioned a second rider. 

She slowly began approaching as the one speaking started walking towards her, making sure to keep an eye on the silent one as she did so. When she was within 60 feet of the man she halted her walking. Her elven eyesight picked up on the magic slithering its way across his exposed skin. She gave him a critical look over. He appeared too well dressed to be a stable owner. That in addition to the magic was making her think that he wasn't being honest. What kind of stable owner had the means or time to study magic? He was well dressed indicating that, if he was a stable owner, he was a successful one. Why was he out in the snow recovering his own horses? Certainly, that would be beneath him? It was a ballsy move to approach a stranger directly instead of having the hired muscle move up first. Although, perhaps that was excusably given that he seemed to buy her concerned sister story.

"I am but others know that I've gone out looking! They'll expect me back." She said appearing put off guard by him asking if she is alone. "Is-s the man still alive? If I could just make sure its not him I'd feel a lot better." She cocked her head slightly to one side and put on the sweetest smile she could manage without exposing her teeth.
Imogene
*Elias looked back to the fallen rider. Whatever he planned to gain from this was quickly slipping away, but at least he could help the stranger out. If she did go for the dead man's coin purse or something, he'd know it was a ruse. Looking back to the lady, Elias nodded.* "Sure, go ahead. I think whoever that it is must have passed in the cold, but I'm not sure." *He was silent for a moment, then:* "There was a second rider, though I didn't hear their relation to each other. Do you know where they might be?" *Saying this, Elias stepped back and out of the way, allowing her to pass, but not with so much breathing room as she might like.*

*He wasn't sure if he trusted her, but wasn't sure would part she could be playing in this otherwise. Maybe a meager thief, hoping to loot the dead? It wasn't much better than he was doing. The idea of feeding on her danced across his mind, but he wasn't that depraved. Or truly, that hungry.*
William
Amelia smiled wider when he gave his blessing for her to inspect the body. How grand it was when things went to plan and people weren't needlessly difficult. A rare blessing. She began closing the 60 foot distance between them as he moved aside slightly. "I don't know. I think my brother went out by himself. He liked to take rides to clear his head." She answered flippantly. As she came up close it became apparent that he wasn't going to move fully out of the way. Amelia would bring her right hand up and place it on his chest before leaning in closer and saying, "Silly of him. The roads can be *So* Dangerous." She would then proceed towards the body lying pinned beneath the horse while carefully make sure the soldier didn't move towards her. If he caught her hand or if the magic repelled her hand she would say stiffly instead, "Silly of him. People can be so distrusting." She would again, then proceed to the body. 

Amelia crouched down and gently took the side of the man's face and turned it towards her. Found you. She gives her first real smile to the seemingly dead man. Poor thing. Crushed to death beneath your horse? She let out a low tsk. How ignoble. Her smile dropped as the man let out a small groan and his eyes opened slightly. His slitted eyes widened and he reached up to grab Amelia's arms in an attempt to free himself from her grasp. "No-no ple-" Crack. She quickly and smoothly snapped the man's neck. 

She swiftly stood and turned to face the two men. "Oh well, definitely not my brother. A Macen from the looks of it. Sorry about your horse." She eyed them warily wondering if they were going to let her go or if they were going to make a big deal out of this. It sounded like the man was a thief so what did it really matter if she killed him?
Imogene
*He said nothing as she placed a hand on him and went forward. In the darkness of night, Elias was completely in his element. It wasn't always his home, but one he was forced once he was bitten, turned to a vampire. As a Water Macen, he could see into the dark, but as a Vampire, he could see nearly half a mile into the night. His hearing and sense of smell were far enhanced, too. As he understood, his was further along in Vampirism than most others were. How lucky.*

*Elias watched in perfectly clarity as Amelia took the man's face into her hands and snapped his neck, silent to her murder. Her suddenly ambivalent nature once gaining access to the body was the reason he was watching her so intently. It only now made sense. He said nothing for a moment before whistling at the summoned soldier, which quickly walked to his side.*

"Why kill him?" *There was no intense emotion behind his voice. He'd killed men before, sometimes on accident, sometimes on purpose. Part of him always wanted to kill and drink anyone that crossed his path. His voice was flat and calm, with but the slightest twinge of curiosity in his voice. All the same, though, he moved a hand his back and began summoning his Partizan, which would appear in the next few moments, mostly covered by himself. Elias was not the one to be caught unready.*
William
Amelia tenses as the man calls her out on her actions. His tone is even but his body posture is more rigid, more guarded, more on edge. She laughs lightly trying to diffuse the tension but seeming unconcerned. "Why did you say that you are a stable owner?" She moves slowly to the left so that she is not standing directly behind the two dead bodies. "Why lie to a young lady, braving the cold night air in search of her silly, stupid brother?" She turns up both her palms and held her arms out clearly in view. "I'm not your enemy. In fact, I get the feeling we both wanted this man dead. Does it really matter why?" 

She considered summoning her barrier but the fact that he knew some magic, it was possible he might take that as an aggressive action. She was confident that with her enhanced vampiric abilities she would be able to outrun these two if things went south. It would, however, be ideal to not have them going around talking about a lady in the woods snapping people's necks. They hadn't outright attacked her for killing the man so it was likely that they were bounty hunters. The man was marked for death if one of the two wasn't a healer. Plus, would carrying a cripple be worth the extra coin they'd get for taking him alive? Probably not. The man was a waste of life that's only purpose would be to expose her. A pity the cult won't get to taste his blood.
Imogene
"Maybe you wanted him dead because he wronged you." *Elias spoke evenly as he strode forward, still blocking the weapon with his body. The soldier came as well, standing at his side.* "Maybe you wanted him dead for something more benign, like being the wrong race, for being poor, for crossing your path." *He wondered what she was truly capable of, snapping a man's neck with a simple motion. She wasn't monstrously strong, but could beat a grown man down, at least. Someone worth being careful around.* "I just want to know what your game is before I let bygones be bygones." *He was closing into 60ft of her now, close enough to use his spell if he needed it.*

"Wouldn't want to see you coming if I ever fell off my horse." *He was attempting humor, even smiling lightly, hopefully playing towards her flippancy. She seemed sadistic, though he wasn't too sure yet.*
William
Amelia kept smiling as the man moved towards her, despite feeling uneasy as the second man moved closer as well. Still, they hadn't drawn weapons and neither of them were posturing aggressively. She cocked her head and let out a genuine, delighted laugh at his jest. "My, my a sense of humour. What a rarity amongst stable workers." She gave him a curious look. "Quite the contrast to your friend. They haven't so much as coughed." She gave the vacant man's face a quick look over. He could be a slave. One of the ones they breed special; the ones that have their tongue cut out and all that. 

She gingerly stepped another 10 feet closer to the man that was speaking, disregarding the silent zombie. They were now 50 feet apart. Despite the distance she leaned forward as if she was saying something secretive. "Let's just say our mutual acquaintance was somewhere he shouldn't have been and saw things he shouldn't have seen." She brought a hand up and idly tapped the side of her cheek, acting like she was in thought. "You're more than welcome to the body. If this man was ...Wanted you can bring him back to whoever was missing him."
Imogene
*She was already admitting to quite a bit. A black heart, maybe, but she wasn't any kind of professional. Someone who fell into their physical power, it seemed. Maybe a different kind of power as well. She wasn't really letting the lie of who was go either, not without pithy remarks. Vindictive, cold-blooded, dangerous. Elias was trying to put the riddle in his head together.* "Yeah, I wouldn't worry about him," *Elias said, now looking to the summon and handing the partizan off. He could just recall it whenever he needed.* "The body." *As it dutifully marched around them and towards the corpse, Elias bit his lip, thinking.*

*Asking what he'd seen might be rather on the nose, putting her coy game to an end if he made her too defensive of whatever slim secret she was still keeping. It really wasn't any of his business, anymore: one dead horse was enough to assume the other met the same fate and to collect the small purse as a reward. Still, Elias was puzzle-minded and curious. Now free of the large weapon, he straightened his stance. What question would get her to say more without making her feel interrogated?* "And anything on the matter of his friend? If I don't have the body, I better have a convincing story." *Playing into her assumptions would be the best course of action, he believed.*
William
Amelia raised an eyebrow as the man handed his weapon off to his man servant. Well, that was a surprise. Not as trusting as he was letting on. Taking his decision to hand his weapon off as a sign of truce she steps closure to him as he thinks about what to do with the body. She grinned triumphantly as it seemed like he mulled over all his options. She was fairly certain her prediction was correct. He was hunting these men down. They hardly seemed dangerous so she didn't imagine the reward was all that much. Then again, who's to say they didn't do something to piss off someone important that was willing to pay someone to fetch them in this weather. 

Amelia gave the man a sly smile in response to his question. "Not the creative type then? You can't imagine all of the horrible things that could befall two lone men in the woods?" She gave an airy laugh as if she had told an old joke between the two of them. Her hand would lightly brush a loose strand of hair from his face if he didn't move to stop her. "They say that cultist live in these woods." She said in hushed tones. "They snatch people from their homes and unwary travelers from the roads. The locals say that every full moon the woods are alive with the sounds of the screams of the all the missing men, women, and children." She watched his face carefully for a reaction as she said this.
Imogene
*Elias watched the summon move towards the body as Amelia spoke, doing nothing as she put her hands on him once again. Likely her game to lower his guard or draw a reaction. Possibly hoping to make him squirm. What she said went along with that, obviously trying to get a rise out of him if he was some do-gooder. Of course, he'd seen her snap a man's neck like it was nothing, so this was also a threat. Elias' expression didn't change at all as she spoke. Of course, not until he realized what his summon was doing.* "Hey!" *Elias quickly leaned away from Amelia, extending hand to his summon.*

*The summoned soldier drove its halberd through the corpse's chest, likely confirming the kill. Stupid thing.* "No, pull it out from under the horse." *Realizing this damaged the image of servitude the woman had built in her hand, risking his game, he spoke out again.* "You'll sleep with the dogs if you're going to act like one!" *This matched the cruel tones he'd known for slave drivers to have with those under them.*

*He looked back to Amelia now, assuming a more relaxed posture. As strong as she was, he'd assume that he was probably faster, reaction-wise, anyway. The Vampirism had made him lethally quick, something that might've shown in his outburst. Hoping to pull her attention back on the intimacy she forced, Elias pushed back his hood, revealing his face in the cold air. He was about to say something to further cement the idea that the soldier was a slave, but he stopped himself. Slave owners didn't both talking about them, and she had revealed more. The cult.*

"*They* Say a lot of thing. Cultists, sacrifices, vampires. What do you say?" *He took the slightest of step towards her, crooking his neck slightly more to maintain eye contact he'd hoped to re-establish.* "How much truth are in those little horror stories?" *He knew the cultists to be all too real, but figured that if he could keep her talking, she'd give enough to sate his curiosity or provide an advantage.*
William
Amelia startled a bit at the cloaked figure's outburst. His slave seemed to interpret its master's wishes in an unorthodox manner. Is it ever customary to stab a dead body? She didn't think so, especially in this case where they had watched her snap the dead man's neck. She gave a soft chuckle as he vented his frustrations. It was interesting that he decided to have his lackey attempt to pull the body from beneath the horse. She had assumed that he would just decapitate the man and take the head in as proof. Why lug around more than you need to? 

His ire soon simmered down and his attention was back on her. Perhaps in an effort to reassure her after his outburst he lowered his hood, revealing his face fully to her. She took a moment to take in the details of his visage just in case she would need the information later. He closed the distance between them a little bit more, forcing her to angle her head upwards to maintain eye contact with him. From her estimation he had to be a couple inches over six feet; certainly much taller than her five foot six frame. "So curious." She teased, appearing to not be put off guard at his proximity, as he inquired as to what she knew about the cult of Aventurr that inhabited parts of these woods. "Why so curious? Are you one of the sellwords looking to hunt down cult members for coin?" She tilted her head to the left, her eyes searching his face. She placed a finger gently to her lips as she smiled, appearing to be both amused and considering. "Or" She said slowly moving her finger to his lips. "You. Are. Curious." She punctuated each word with a gentle tap. She looked up from his lips back into his eyes and flashed him a full smile. Her canines were obviously pointed but she did not bare her fangs fully. It was a tease; was she or wasn't she. If he stops her hand from touching him she instead attempts to back away from him and say that she has only heard rumours about the cult from the locals.
Imogene
*Elias let her playfully tease him with her light touches and coquettish tone. Each taunt held less and less substance in them; she was running out of little secrets. Whoever she was, this was a little game to her and she realized she was losing, so she was slowing it down. Elias had all the pieces he needed, though, She was clearly familiar with the cult, though didn't strike him as the religious type. No, this came from somewhere else. She was revered, accepted as what she wanted to be seen as: important. And if there was something he knew that damn cult liked...*

*Elias moved his hand up, attempting to take her hand in a delicate grip as to not spook her. Could she overpower him? Probably, but if she thought this was still playful, she likely wouldn't bite. His eyes flicked from her mouth then back to her eyes.* "Shouldn't I be?" *Elias blinked, and the entirety of his eyes instantly became a deep, murky gray.* "Things get stranger with every passing moment."
William
Amelia giggled softly as he grabbed her hand. It had been awhile since she found anyone to play her little games. Life had become a bit dull with all the running and information gathering. This was truly a treat. She smiled, prepared to try to tempt him into coming to see one of the cult hideouts when his eyes changed. The hazel colour was drowned out by a thick smokey grey. She froze, her lips parted but no words spilled forth. How-w was this possible? I was a mark of status. Only the most powerful among them could alter their eyes like that. Grey was the mark of a Dusk strain, if her memory was correct. One of the rarer strains. 

"Y-you... Wh-...You're a member of the cult?" She stumbled over her words. Could this be a trick. Obviously he knows some magic but it was a bold trick to play in a situation like this. The initial shock was slowly passing and she realized he still held her hand in his. She didn't pull away but started to reassess the situation. Was he hunting this man for the cult? For food? Maybe he was a bounty hunter, that's why he wanted both of the riders; one to eat and one for money. She couldn't imagine he would be thrilled to find out she had already eaten the other one if that was the case. It was likely the local wildlife had gotten to the corpse by now leaving nothing useful for him.

She knew this was partly a test. She wasn't far enough along in her transition to manifest the ability he had displayed. He would know she was of a lesser power rank than him. Part of her resented him for the fact and a wave of jealousy crashed over her for a moment. It passed as her mind worked over the details of their encounter. There was an opportunity here. He had clearly risen in rank. He could teach her; show her how to grow her power more quickly. 

Seeming to recover from this startling revelation, Amelia places her free hand on the center of his chest. "Stranger indeed. "Her face takes on the familiar amused expression. "I find that strange moments such as these often bring... Opportunity."
Imogene
*Her reaction to his eyes was enough to know she was a vampire as well: instant recognition. Her follow up question troubled him slightly, as he knew that he didn't turn in the way that most other Vampires did these days. He stayed quiet a little longer, and she thankfully moved on. He nodded at her insinuated proposal. Her meaning to recollect herself meant that this little engagement wasn't quite finished. Elias looked over to his summon, lowering and releasing her hand as he realized the body was moved.*

"Tell me," *He said, walking over to the corpse, not looking to her as he spoke,* "What type of opportunity do you have in mind?" *Likely she'd want some of his power if she could have it. Hell, she'd probably snap his neck and drink it from him if that was how it worked. That, or she wanted him to join her cult. Less ideal. Arriving at the bloodied scene, he'd stoop low to the body, pushing the head away at its now awkward angle before sinking his teeth in a drinking the blood he needed... And then some. It never hurt to feel the surge of power that came from overfeeding.*
William
Amelia eyed him, her expression carefully neutral, as he walked over to the body and started feeding. Hopefully, it was just nerves that prompted his withdrawal. A tinge of mistrust was understandable. From her experience vampires tended to be a secretive lot. There first meeting started with a lie that escalated to a murder. A sketchy beginning admittedly and she could see that. She hoped that's what this was and not him feeding to gain a boost in power to then attack her. They already have her two to one and he is clearly hirer ranked. It would seem overkill but perhaps someone doesn't get that powerful by taking unnecessary risks. 

Idly pushing some loose strands of hair back behind her ears she strode over to stand directly in front of him and on the other side of the body. She waited for him to finish feeding before making her proposal. "We could come to a...*Mutually* Beneficial arrangement." She paused taking note of where his slave was. "The way you dress," She gestures towards the stiff soldier, "Your slave, I don't think you're a simple stable owner. Mercenary, spy, recruiter, whatever you are, I can help, work for you, if you prefer. In exchange all you'd have to do is share some of your knowledge and experience. Help each other grow."
Imogene
*Elias didn't bother looking up as he fed, instead finishing off his meal before looking back to her. He learned to feed cleanly enough that there was hardly enough blood on his lips left to wipe off. This arrangement definitely did favor Elias, though it very well couldn't be built entirely off lies. Well, no more than a few good lies.* "If this is going to be a prolonged engagement, then I suppose a few truths are in order." *He clenched his right fist, making the soldier dissipate into nothing and having his Phantom Guard disappear.* "The soldier was nothing more than magic, though he fights with the same ferocity when needed." 

*Elias bent down to pluck the coin purse from the dead man. As much as he wanted to loot the coin, he understood there was a now an image to maintain. Instead, he drew a single silver coin, holding it in his hand. He ran it through his fingers as he continued.* "I am someone. Was, really. The curse works like that. I came from nothing once, and rose to be more." *This was only partially true, and possibly a mistake to admit weakness and a low birth in front of her. Though if he was beginning to understand her right, this curse had elevated her far beyond what her former life ever could have. He tried to play with that idea without outright stating it, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it. He wanted her to silently relate, even if she did sneer.* 

"And rise again I will." *The coin had been in his hands for twenty seconds now, but showed no signs of burning him, not even reddening of the skin. Maybe she was capable of the same by now. Maybe she wasn't. Flaunting power, though, was clearly a road to walk around her.* "If it's more power you seek, then we share a path." *He paused before extending the silver coin to her, flat in his hand. She could take it as a test, final proof that she was in fact a vampire. Maybe she'd take it as a symbolic token. Maybe she wanted the silver. Either way, it felt like the right move.* "My name is Elias."