He nodded when she agreed that he should help out.  Then he went out to the room with the fireplace - there was even some wood stacked, bone dry.  It was easy for him to start a fire, and outside there was a barrel full of water.  It even rained often enough that the barrel overflowed which kept the water clean.  He took several pots from the old kitchen, filled them at the barrel, placed them by the fire.  He crouched and waited, looking into the flames.<br/><br/>Though he had suggested it, and would go through with it, Geraint was worried about mental contact with a vampire.  There was something dark inside of him.  It was under control, but its strength grew day by day.  He had touched the mind of lesser vampires and they were... tough.  Stronger than their status as "lesser" would indicate, or perhaps they shared in some of their master's power.  Either way, he expected Blackvayne to be much stronger than his lessers.  Of course, he would not be alone.  And there were things he could do - things he could take - that he learned from the witches... but it might not work the same way.  He touched the pouch at his belt.  Inside were mushrooms that grew on frozen mountaintops.  You had to be quick to get them - the sprouted after a freeze and thaw once every winter.  He had collected and dried them.  They were strong magic, but he could not control where they took him.  The witches said they brought like to like, though.<br/><br/>He checked the tub, made sure it was plugged, and poured the hot water into it.  It was near boiling, so he could add more water from the barrel outside to keep it a reasonable temperature and set more water by the fireplace, too.  When the bath was ready, he said to Vara, "I suppose we'll have the chance to find out, one way or the other."  He smiled, though his heart wasn't in it.  "The battle will soon be commenced.  But I think the bath is ready.  It's hot, anyway."