"The feast will begin shortly." Her words emerged with evident reluctance. "You should join us."
Sebastian stared at her, certain he had misheard. "Join...?"
"It's your offering," Ochrehand said simply. "It would be improper not to invite the provider to share in its blessing."
"I don't eat," Sebastian reminded her, still processing the unexpected invitation.
"I'm aware." Her expression softened slightly. "But community extends beyond mere sustenance. Or it should."
Sarah's hand found his, small fingers wrapping around brass with complete trust. "Come," she urged. "Please?"
"Boarstaff will be there?" He wanted confirmation that his presence wouldn't create unwelcome complications.
"Boarstaff should return from border patrol shortly," Ochrehand confirmed.
"Come," Sarah repeated, tugging at his hand. "I'll show you where they cook the meat. There's a big fire pit, and everyone sings while they prepare the food."
Sebastian looked toward the forest, toward the isolated cave that kept both him and the settlement safe. Then back at Sarah's hopeful expression, at Ochrehand's careful assessment, at the community that had begun to emerge from dwellings as the rain eased.
"Just for the feast," he agreed finally. "Then I return to the cave."
Sarah's smile brightened the rainy afternoon. "I'll show you where to sit."
As the rain died back further and the settlement stirred to life around them, Sebastian allowed himself to be guided toward the central clearing. Warriors emerged from training halls, children from learning circles, elders from council chambers,all converging on the space where the buck would soon be prepared.
Through it all, Sebastian maintained careful awareness of boundaries, of distances that should be respected. Yet something had shifted within him since his arrival. The copper threading beneath his skin pulsed with different warmth,. not the hunger of feeding, but something his transformation had awakened alongside it. Something the synthetic modifications would have deemed dangerous rather than merely inefficient.
Hope, perhaps. Or belonging. Or simply the recognition that isolation, while necessary, need not be absolute.
Boarstaff returned as the feast preparations were underway, his weathered cloak still damp from travels along rain-soaked borders. He paused at the clearing's edge, surprise evident in his expression as he spotted Sebastian seated beside Sarah at the gathering's periphery.
Their gazes met across the distance, warchief and vampire, leader and outsider, two beings whose connection had deepened with each passing day. Boarstaff's expression shifted to something warmer as he approached, positioning himself deliberately beside Sebastian.
"I received your offering," he said quietly, as others focused on preparations for the feast.
"I took only what I needed," Sebastian replied. "It seemed right to share the rest."
Boarstaff's hand found Sebastian's shoulder, resting there with casual weight that felt anything but casual. "It was well done. Thornmaker approves, which is no small achievement."
Sebastian placed his hand over Boarstaff's, savoring the simple contact. After so much isolation, even this brief touch sent warmth through him. A moment of connection that reminded him what he'd been missing in his solitary cave.
"Thank you," he said simply. "For the invitation. For..." He gestured toward the community gathering around them, orcs accepting his presence if not entirely comfortable with it. "For this."
Boarstaff's thumb traced a small pattern against Sebastian's shoulder, a gesture hidden from others yet deeply significant between them. "Everyone needs connection," he said. "Even those who walk between worlds."
As the feast preparations continued, Sebastian remained at the gathering's edge, respecting boundaries while being allowed, briefly, to exist within them. Sarah's presence beside him, Boarstaff's steady hand against his shoulder, the community's cautious acceptance, all created something his transformation had awakened him to crave.
Sebastian listened to the orcs' songs as they prepared the feast. He wouldn't stay the night, that would be pushing too far, too fast. But for that moment, sitting beside Boarstaff as the settlement moved around them, he wasn't alone.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The feast had wound down. Fires burned low as the village settled into late night routines. Boarstaff watched as Sebastian said his goodbyes to Sarah, the child reluctant to see him leave despite the late hour. She extracted a promise that he would return for another feast before finally allowing him to go. Throughout the night, Boarstaff had observed Sebastian's careful navigation of the gathering, maintaining appropriate distance, speaking only when addressed directly, his posture neither challenging nor submissive. A perfect balance that had gradually eased the warriors' wariness, if not eliminated it entirely.
"I'll walk with you," Boarstaff said as Sebastian prepared to leave.
Sebastian glanced at him, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "The settlement will notice."
"Let them." Boarstaff met his gaze steadily. "You brought food for our table. The least I can do is ensure you return safely."
