Humans were easily identifiable in the forest. They were loud no matter how quiet they tried to be. Perhaps that came with being at the top of the food chain. Their footfalls were heavy and he could hear her long before he smelled her. Of course vampires had enhanced hearing in comparison to humans. It was a natural biological function of the only beings who could be considered their natural predator.<br/><br/>Of course vampires didn't often hunt humans these days. Once humans discovered silver it became a lot harder to feed upon them. Silver had magical properties that resisted vampires. Exposed to silver too long and a vampire would die. Not to mention the fact that when silver came into contact with human skin it made their blood taste foul for about a week. Most humans these days did not leave home without wearing silver.<br/><br/>She wasn't too far away when her footsteps seem to hesitate. That seemed to suggest that she had intended to watch from the shadows but obviously she knew he knew she was there as he had suddenly stopped playing the lute and stopped singing. She stepped out of the shadow of the trees as he looked over in her direction. He scented the air curiously. She smelled lovely. One might think all blood smelled the same, but it did not. Vampires also tended to have a preference for virgin blood although there was no real scientific explanation for it. At least none that they had been able to figure out.<br/><br/>Perhaps it was a similar reason as to why vampires often didn't target children throughout the ages unless they were desperate. Or why vampires often picked targets of the opposite sex. Perhaps it was a sign of luxury that some vampires had had the ability to choose their prey. The horror stories of mindless vampires were usually because of starving vampires. Vampires didn't produce their own blood which is why they needed to feed on it to survive. When it began reaching critical lows it could lead to all kinds of nasty side effects. Memory loss and aggressive behavior were the most common two.<br/><br/>One thing that caught his attention immediately was that this woman was not wearing silver. He would have smelled that almost immediately. The moonlight seemed to illuminate her lovely white hair as a gentle breeze caught it. Her deep purple eyes were a deeper shade than his. That was curious. Purple eyes were a commonality among vampires but it was incredibly rare to see a human with them.<br/><br/>Slowly the vampire got to his feet as she spoke. There was a lilt to her voice that suggested to Valor that she was probably not a commoner. Who she was though he had no idea. Her questions brought about a soft chuckle from the vampire. Humans were such curious creatures. Unfortunately more often than not that curiosity is what led them to premature deaths.<br/><br/>"Of course, I know that," Valor said. "However when one has unexpected guests it's always polite to stop making a ruckus and see if they might be inclined for a little moonlit chat. I find places like this to be an ideal location to practice my craft. There's only the sounds of nature to disturb me on most evenings and there is a certain charm in playing to the heavens above."<br/><br/>He adjusted his lute so that it was positioned on his back again before straightening up.<br/><br/>"Do you make a habit of wandering the forest alone?" Valor asked, a playful hint to his voice. "They say everything from werewolves to imps patter through this forest, and yet you wander freely and without any discernible protection. That's either brave or foolish."