They didn’t find a cave. What they found was both better and worse. Orc’s rest town. Population six thousand and nine hundred. With two whole inns and a mass of gray flags waving like battle banners from every building.

“The symptoms are coughing up blood and coughing, correct? I have dealt with this case just a couple of hours before. Let me inside, and I will even point you to the source of the sickness,” said Edwin to the guard.

“Healer’s permit,” repeated the guard, not impressed. “Or, are you a charlatan?”

“I may be a hedge healer, but I am not a charlatan,” said Edwin. Suddenly, his boot clad feet were very fascinating to him.

“Hedge? So, a charlatan. I tell you what, there are some prisoners working in the fields. They are as sick as anyone else, but, who cares? Heal one and I will put forward a word about you with the captain,” said the guard. “This way.”

And the three of them were off. Edwin was led to a field with people laying down on it, blood staining their lips. They may be prisoners, but this was inhuman. Edwin turned to rip the guard a new one, when he saw him looking at the prisoners with remorse.

Edwin had to pick his battles, just like this guard had chosen to do so. But he needed blood root. And to get his patient out of the elements.

“I would need dried blood root and a dry place to stay. I can pay for the blood root,” said Edwin, and Hadrian waved his coin purse in front of the guard childishly.

“I’ll pay, not he,” said Edwin as he untied his coin purse.

“Nonsense, don’t listen to Eddy. I’ll pay for the blood root. Here you go, keep the change,” said Hadrian, and he placed a single gold coin in the guard’s outstretched hand.

“I don’t care who pays, really. I will get you the blood root. Wait here.”

“What are you doing?” Snapped Edwin to Hadrian when the guard walked away.

“I am not a charity case, Eddy. You saved me from starving to death. You risk all kinds of health conditions by feeding me your blood, yet you continue to do so. I told you already, your meals and whatever you require are on me. Just like my meals are on you,” Said Hadrian, then he flicked Edwin’s nose and ruffled his hair.

“How old are you, Hadrian? Five? Behave with some decorum,” said Edwin, although there was no bite in his voice.

“I’ll have you know I am three thousand and fifty years old. If I behaved my age, I would be yelling about young ankle biters, you ankle biter,” said Hadrian cheekily. The guard came back with a single blood root and handed it to Edwin.

“Just one more thing, quack,” said the guard as he pointed at the sick prisoners. “If any of them die, it will be murder. You will be trialed and put behind bars. Then made to work these very fields. The same goes for you too, vampire.”

And the guard turned his back to them and marched off.

“He seems somewhat adequate as a guard, considering he realized what I am,” said Hadrian, sounding impressed.

“All the farmers from Mitestone to here knew what you were,” reminded him, Edwin.

“Yes, but I wasn’t trying to hide it then. Look at me, what is different about me?” Asked Hadrian. Edwin turned to look at him. There was nothing wrong with the small, straight nose. Now were there fangs pocking out of Hadrian’s lips. Wait, he saw it!

“Your eyes don’t glow anymore,” said Edwin. Then he looked around. “The guard didn’t provide me with a sick room! Darn him!”

Edwin let out a storm of curses as some prisoners looked at him. One, who seemed to still have some strength to his limbs, moved towards them, dragging his chains with him.

“Are you a new one?” Asked the prisoner. “You are too clean to be a new one.”

“I am a healer… hedge. But I am competent, and I can heal you,” said Edwin with more certainty than he felt. After all, just because Bern was now well didn’t mean that he could replicate the result out in the elements.

“You hear these boys? The guards want to see us all in the grave faster!” The prisoners began to laugh, bar one.

The grim boy, one missing a hand, the sure mark of a thief, stepped forward.

“Can you really heal?” Asked the boy. He, just like everyone else, had blood on his lips.

“I already healed a patient with similar symptoms. Do you have a cooking area?” Asked Edwin. The boy turned and walked down the road, and Edwin saw shacks in the distance.

“What are you in here for, my boy?” Asked Hadrian.

“I am not your boy, you old fart. I was the best thief in town. Stole from the merchants to feed my siblings. But with the plague, the merchants all went home, and as it turns out breaking and entering is harder than weaving through stalls,” said the boy bitterly, then he doubled over and began coughing.

Hadrian went to his side and picked him up and cradled him in his arms.

“We will get you healed. And we will get you out of here,” said the vampire. Edwin turned to him. How was Hadrian going to do what he just promised? The boy was a thief. That was a five-year sentence.

“Right, Eddy?” Asked Hadrian with his lopsided smile. Edwin didn’t want to promise something he couldn’t deliver, so he promised only what he could.

“We will get you healed,” said Edwin, and Hadrian looked at him with deep disappointment in his purple orbs.

They entered a shack and found that there was a moth-eaten bed in the corner. Hadrian placed the boy down and pulled out a small pick, and then proceeded to get the child’s chains from him.

“What are you doing? We will get in trouble for that,” said Edwin. Hadrian just shrugged.

“I’ll pay for a new trial, not that the little sunshine was given one in the first place. Right, little sunshine?” Said Hadrian as he removed the chains from around the boy’s legs.

“I am guilty, old fart,” said the boy, brows furrowed and mouth set in a thin line.

“Yes, but can they prove it?” Asked Hadrian, as he smiled in such a dazzling way that even the boy cracked a grin.