#i mean... obviously

'What would you consider proper punishment?'

'Dunno, don't care. I just want his head or his heart. I leave the rest to you.'

Gaura gave him a resolute nod. 'Is there anything else you can tell me?'

The mayor stroke his beard, lost in thought. 'Mother used to tell me these... tales about a witch living deep within the forest. Or was it a sorcerer? Doesn't matter,' he shook his head. 'If the stories are true... and you can find them, they might be able to help.'

'That's a lot of ifs,' the huntress sighed.

But such uncertainties never stopped her before. Although in that moment, in the depths of the wilderness, she felt that maybe it should have. Her legs seemed to have moved on their own at that point, trudging ankle deep through the mud. It seemed that with each step, the storm grew worse and the darkness deepened. Gaura could no longer rely on her senses. All the sounds were drowned out by the winds, all sights were clouded in shadows, all smelled like water and dirt and she was so cold she felt nothing else she touched. After a while, even time seemed to have ceased to exist. It was a monotonous march that seemed to have lead nowhere.

And then Gaura tripped in a branch.

The huntress reached out to break her fall, sending sharp pain through her injured limbs upon impact. The sensation was overwhelming just for a moment and Gaura was almost convinced that even the storm stopped when she fell.

Only to realize she was right when she looked up.

Gaura shook her head as if she could shake whatever spell took hold of her mind out of herself. Because she was certain that what she saw couldn't have been real. An old, massive manor reached toward the gloomy sky above. The huntress saw no sign of it on the way there, however, and when she looked back at the path she was taking, she saw nothing of the storm she waded her way through, only the tracks that she left in the mud. Gaura pushed herself up and limped to the entrance. She had to roll her shoulders a few times to muster the strength she needed to bang on the massive doors.

The moments seemed to have stretched into infinity while the huntress waited. She was just about to turn and leave when the door opened slightly and let light stream out right in her face.

The man in the door did not hesitate: a small orb of fire formed in his palm as he stepped closer to examine Gaura.  Long, dark hair flowed down his shoulders and piercing blue eyes peered into hers, his features were sharp but his skin looked soft - it was a combination that the huntress would have adored as it was due, had her mind not gone into a haze of exhaustion after her journey.

'Fine evening to you... friend,' she tried smiling but it looked little more than a pained grimace. 'If I may ask... I need some help.'

The man pondered her words for a short while. Then he closed his fist around the blazing orb. When he opened his palm again a small ball of light was in its place.

'How fortunate, you chose to show some manners,' he said as he turned his attention to Gaura's injuries. He stepped to her side and offered his arm. 'May I?' He asked. To his surprise the huntress flung her healthy arm around his shoulder, then once his initial shock wore off, he reached for her waist in return.

The man guided the huntress inside, to a study filled with different herbs - both for medicines and poisons. He found a stool for her to sit on and stepped away with an apologetic look on his face.

'I will need a moment of your patience,' he said, 'I need to get a few more things before I can see to your aid. Just... don't touch anything in the meantime.'

He did not need to ask twice. Surrounded by the walls of the manor, Gaura felt strangely safe. She could have just fallen asleep right there on the stool. Just as she was drifting off, the man returned with a stack of books and someone else following behind who carried a couldron filled to brim with steaming water.

'I haven't had the chance to introduce myself: my name is Aloth. This is Edér,' he gestured at himself then at his companion.

'Real pleased to meet you,' unlike Aloth, Edér sounded like he was from the village nearby. With his bulky frame and straw colored hair, he could have fit right in. However, there was still something about him that sent a shiver down the huntress' spine. Maybe it was the suspicion in his eyes even as he flashed a friendly half-smile at her. Or maybe it was the way he carried the  water. Not a single drop left the couldron as he put it down beside her, in fact the surface of the water was almost too perfectly still.

'I'm Gaura. Adventurer and monster-hunter. In case, you're looking to hire,' the huntress said jokingly but she also kept a keen eye on the pair for any telling reactions.

'Thanks, but we got things covered,' Edér replied. ' The storm takes care of most things around here and we can handle the rest.'

'The storm? You almost sound like you are responsible for it.'

'It... is a long story,' Aloth approached the huntress and carefully started to remove her scratched through armor, leaving only her shirt on for discretion's sake. 'And it is one that does not concern our guests. No matter how polite or... friendly they are.' His gaze met hers for a moment and that alone was enough for her momentary discomfort to disappear. 'What is of concern, however, is your reason for being here.'

'Yeah, most folks don't come out here unless they're looking for trouble,' Edér added.

'And if I am looking for trouble?' Gaura looked at Edér, but he merely shrugged.

'You won't find much of that here.'

'Indeed, the wilderness around this place is much more perilous than what you'd find in here. Well... as long as you keep acting on your best behaviour, that is.'  Aloth commented as he pulled away the torn, bloodied cloth covering Gaura's shoulder and examined her wounds. 'Are those... bitemarks?'

'Uhm... yes, I got into a bit of a fight with a-'

'A bear,' Edér interrupted the huntress as leaned in, taking a closer look at her shoulder, 'a real big one at that too.'

'Yeah, well, whatever it was, it's dead now. I think. I hope. I left my sword in its side,' Gaura hissed as Aloth pressed a wet washcloth against her wound.

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I'm not quite as practiced at healing as I'd like to be.'

'Me neither, so reckon I'd be better off checking on that bear. They usually don't attack like that unless there are cubs around,' Edér gave Gaura a wink. An excited smile lit up his face and she couldn't help but smile back at him. 'Gonna keep an eye out for your sword too.' Just as he turned to leave, however, Aloth grabbed his wrist.

'Not so fast. She was limping when we came in, check her leg while I make the ointment, will you?'

Edér deflated. He gave Aloth way who picked up one of the books he brought, and started collecting herbs grown in the room. Edér then awkwardly knelt before Gaura.

'I mean no disrespect...'

'I know, go ahead,' Gaura stretched her injured leg towards him. He hesitantly took it in his large, meaty hands, but even his cautious touch felt like steel clamps closing around her. He took off her mud covered boot and flinched at the sight of her foot.

'You dislocated your ankle. You might wanna find something to bite on,' Edér held her leg and tried to ready himself to put her joints back in place. The huntress got the impression that the act would hurt him as much as it would her.

'I can handle it,' she answered as she dug her fingers in the stool under her. Then she gave him a nod which was answered by a horrible snap and a moment of overwhelming pain.

'Sorry,' Edér apologized through gritted teeth, 'told you I wasn't any good at this.'

'You did fine,' Gaura didn't see Aloth approaching, only his hand being placed on Edér's shoulder. 'I'll take it from here. You can check on those bears now, if you'd like.'

The two of them quickly and seamlessly switched places. Aloth busied himself with applying an ointment on the huntress' leg that eased Gaura's pain and rejuvenated her almost immediately. She was almost convinced she was no longer hurt. Only Edér's sympathetic gaze reminded her of her predicament. He gave her one last half-smile with a nod before he left.

'How do you feel?' Aloth asked as he put the huntress' ankle in splints.

'Good as new,' a grateful smile tugged at her lips. 'Thank you.'

Aloth returned the smile. 'Don't thank me just yet. According to my tomes, this mixture only eases your pain, you are far from healed yet. Whatever it is you're after, it will have to wait,' he explained as stood up and started applying the same ointment on her shoulder.

Gaura didn't reply. If her suspicions were correct, she already found both her prey and the one who was meant to aid in her mission. And if her suspicions were correct, she was alone against both of them. The thought of it formed a knot in her belly, but her tension didn't stem from fear, but from guilt. Aloth and Edér were... not what she imagined facing when she set out on her journey and she didn't know how she could fight them - let alone slay them - with a clean conscience.

'I was hired to hunt a vampire,' she said eventually. 'My contractor told me of a witch living in these woods who could tell me of the creature,' she looked at Aloth, waiting for a reaction, but he merely continued treating her quietly. 'That would be you, I take it.'

Aloth chuckled nervously. 'I imagine, I must be very different from what you've expected.'

'That you are,' Gaura allowed her gaze to wander along his features and to enjoy the soft touch of his slender fingers, 'but it is a pleasant surprise.'

That drew another nervous laughter out of him. 'I'm... flattered,' he said as he stepped away to pick up some bandages. 'Lift your arm up, please.'

The huntress obliged. For a short while, the room was silent once again. The only sound that lingered in the air was the soft noise of the bandages brushing against Gaura's skin. Normally she would have found it pleasant or even calming. But then and there, it felt almost oppressive.

'Your contractor was right, I can tell you about the vampire,' Aloth broke the silence. His voice rang with regret. 'I created it, after all.'

Gaura's eyes widened. Aloth avoided her gaze until he finished bandaging her up, then, as he handed her armor to her, he looked at her once more with eyes that only reflected guilt. The intesity of it brought her out of her shock. She knew that some of the oldest vampires were created through magic, but she hasn't heard of such a beast in a long time. As far as she knew only those vampires remained who were turned by the hands - and teeth - of other vampires.

'Sorry, I just... didn't realize...'

'That such magics are still practiced? They're not, but the knowledge of them still exists, although they're nothing more than lore now, pieces of our dark history.' Aloth crossed his arms. The gesture made him look small and uncomfortable. 'If one has the power, the willingness, and the... the stomach, one can still perform such a ritual.'

'I... I see,' Gaura replied uneasily. 'No offense, but you didn't strike me as... you know,' She gestured vaguely at him, unable to find a tactful way to express the dissonance between what her instincts told her and what Aloth has just said.

'Not really, but I can imagine,' the witch found a stool for himself and sat down facing the huntress. 'It was a one time occurance, I can assure you.'

'But... why would you do it?' Gaura asked quietly and leaned closer to him. Speaking of the unspeakable left her with an unreasonable sense of anxiety. There was no one listening, after all.

Aloth let out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. 'Out of a misguided sense of generosity.' He leaned forward as well and clenched his hands together. He kept his eyes fixed on the weave his fingers formed as if the threads he saw in them could be followed to his past. 'You must understand: those were... turbulent times. I assume you passed by the village by the edge of the forest. Imagine that place being ravaged by one scourge after the other. Raiders, floods, diseases, famine... There was not a single family that hasn't lost a member.' He raised his gaze at Gaura's face. His eyes pleaded for understanding. 'And then one day a couple showed up at my doorstep, like you did today. They asked if I could... use my magic to make sure that they would never lose one another, that not even death could force them apart.'

'There was no other way than vampirism?'

'There were, but those options were just as bad, believe me. Regardless, they agreed to go through with it.'

'Wait, both of them?' Gaura straightened up as a terrible thought formed in her head.

'Yes, but only one of them completed the ritual,' Aloth sighed and let his head hang in shame. Regardless, Gaura felt relieved. 'I... I was not confident enough in my skills to try turning them both at the same time. And I foolishly allowed that girl to watch... I didn't realize how monstrous the ritual would be based on the texts alone. The memory of it haunts me to this day, I can only imagine what it might have done to that poor girl's mind.'

Something about Aloth's words was familiar. The huntress' felt like she could tell exactly what happened to the girl in the story if she just listened to her instincts.

'When exactly did this happen?' She asked, probing for an answer that supported her idea.

Aloth rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 'Time is rather difficult to keep track of here.'

'Has it been long enough for a generation to grow up?'

'Yes, I believe so, maybe even longer,' he said. 'Why do you ask?' The trail of his thoughts were derailed only to the slightest degree and yet, that alone was enough to have him relax.

'I'm just curious,' Gaura shrugged. Aloth's lips curled up faintly and shyly. 'The better question is:' she continued, 'why have you told me all this? This all seems rather... personal.'

For a short while, there was only contemplative silence.

'Out of a sense of generosity,' Aloth said eventually. 'Please, prove it that I'm not misguided this time. Show the same generosity when the time comes.'

'You've certainly convinced me of a... few things,' she replied. With every moment she spent in that manor, and in the company of its residents, the huntress felt less and less certain what she'll do when she got her hands on her target. The more she knew the more her conscience was burdened.

'Regardless,' Aloth broke her line of thought, 'you are not in the state of hunting anyone.' He stood up and offered his hand. 'You need rest and sleeping on your experiences could never hurt, could it?'

'Now that is generous,' Gaura said as she somewhat hesitantly took his offer. 'Does this extend to the duration of my recovery?'

'Of course, these woods are far too dangerous to tread and I would rather not tempt fate by letting you go in a state worse than perfect health,' Aloth stepped to her side and supported her by her waist as he did earlier.

Aloth guided the huntress to a stairway. 'I'm really sorry about this,' he said as he helped her up those stairs. 'The good news is that we only need to climb to the first floor, where I live. Edér lives on the second and he only cleans the rooms he uses. He never takes guests into consideration.'

'Do you get a lot of guests?'

He didn't answer at first, only frowned which turned into a slight pout. 'No,' he said, prompting a laugh out of Gaura a moment later. He laughed with her and the huntress couldn't help but note that Aloth's laughter sounded quite pleasant when it was genuine.

They continued on in comfortable silence It wasn't long before they reached the first floor and Aloth quickly lead Gaura to the third door along a long hallway. He apologized as he let her go while he unlocked the room for her, but the huntress was preoccupied by the sight at the end of the hall: a large double door with a sigil she could've sworn she had seen before.

'It's just one of the libraries,' Aloth's voice directed her attention back to him. 'If you need me for anything, my room is right next to yours.'

'I was only looking at the decoration.'

Gaura's comment prompted Aloth to follow her gaze to the sigil. His eyes slowly filled an emotion she couldn't put her finger on: a strange, discordant mixture of regret and defiance. The clash within him only lasted for a moment and it happened without any real turmoil. He looked back at her with clarity, firmness, and conviction.

'It is my family's sigil,' he said matter of factly.

The huntress got the impression that it would have been wiser if she didn't ask anything else. 'Does anyone else live here? Aside from you and Edér, I mean.' She asked anyway.

'No, it is just the two of us. And you for a short time, if everything goes as currently planned,' he gestured towards the open door on their side.

Gaura took a step inside and was met with a room much too big for a single person. At least, in her opinion. The bed looked big enough to fit a family in it and she counted at least two sofas to lounge on - one of them was the same size as the last bed she had in an inn. The furnishing was both thorough, gilded and yet strangely understated. The room seemed to have had everything one could need and yet it still didn't feel suffocating. Still, the huntress couldn't bring herself to accept the offer of letting her stay there.

'I insist,' Aloth said. 'Let it never be said that I'm not a gracious host to those who offer their friendship on my doorstep,' he smiled with a hint of kind mischief in his eyes. 'Sweet dreams,' he said his farewell as he closed the door, leaving Gaura alone for the night.

She, however, couldn't sleep. If it wasn't for her injured leg the huntress would have paced around the room, driven by the whirlwind of her conflicting emotions. Instead, she took off her torn, muddied clothes, wrapped herself in a blanket she took from the bed and sat down by the window. She watched the storm whirling above, dancing along her feelings and guiding her thoughts. If Aloth could be believed and if her conclusions were right, the mayor was wrong about his own mother: the vampire didn't hurt her, her mind was scarred by the image of his creation. There was no reason to make him pay as her contract said, and Gaura couldn't bring herself to target Aloth instead. He only wanted to help, after all, the same way he helped her. How could she possibly betray the trust he placed in her? How was she supposed to finish the job? Who was supposed to take accountability for the mistakes of the past, if all her options felt like mistakes too?

Just as she was musing, Gaura glimpsed a figure outside, coming towards the manor with long, swift strides. The huntress rushed to the stairway as fast as she could with her leg in splints. Luckily she got there just as Edér was about to pass by her floor. He made a poor attempt at feigning surprise when he reached her, then he switched to a kind, playful smile instead which Gaura would have found endearing, had she also not noticed a small splash blood drying on his beard.

'Got your sword,' Edér said and he was about to offer the blade when he realized her hands were full with the blanket covering her. 'Uh... Guess I'll hold on to it for now.'

'Did you find your bear cubs?'

'Nah,' an intense sense of disappointment washed over him. 'Turns out, your bear wasn't a bear. Only had the snout of one. Small miracle you managed to get away from that... thing alive.'

A deep, bitter chuckle bubbled up from Gaura. 'If you could call blind stabbing that. Did I at least kill it like I thought I did?'

'Mostly. It was gonna die for sure, but it still had a few hours left. If I didn't show up that is,' he winked at the huntress. 'Reckon it's my lucky day, I was getting a bit thirsty.' Edér's smile disappeared. He gave Gaura a pointed look and when he saw her holding his gaze, he stepped closer to her. 'You figured it out by now, didn't you? What I am.'

The huntress laughed more resigbed than nervous and stepped closer to him as well.

'Even if I didn't, the blood on your beard was a bit of a giveaway.'

Edér's expression turned from cold to confused. He wiped at his beard but didn't get the blood off. The huntress reached out and scratched it off his surprisingly velvety beard. She was caught off guard by the texture - she could guess it was soft but the reality of it felt different... it felt... more. She turned her gaze to his hair, wondering if those strands would feel the same if she dug her fingers in them. Then her attention was caught by his eyes. She didn't notice how... warm they were before. As were his lips and she wondered if they were soft too, if she ran her fingers along them like she traced the blonde strands under their corner...

'You're my target,' she said breathlessly, mostly to herself as a reminder. She faltered slightly but was caught by Edér swiftly. But instead of helping her back up, he picked her up and held her close to his chest. Whatever allure affected Gaura was gone only for a moment, but she held onto her clarity as dearly and firmly as she held onto Edér's shoulder.

He, however, didn't seem to be aware of the effect he had on her. 'Which one's your room?' He asked just as casually as he cradled the huntress.

'The third one on this side,' Gaura replied after a gulp, almost too aware of his superior strength.

'Huh, figured Aloth would keep you close,' he chuckled as he made his way to the room. 'Mind opening it for me?' He inclined his chin towards the door.

Gaura obliged and Edér in turn swiftly approached her bed and placed her on it gently. He reached for the blanket covering the huntress and just before she could protest, pulled them tighter around her. He hesitated for a moment keeping his gaze fixed on Gaura, then sat down beside her.

'You know, I'd make a pretty bad host if I killed a wounded guest,' there was a hint of humor in Edér's voice as he spoke, he never let go of Gaura's gaze but there was no threat or agression in his eyes. 'And you'd make a pretty bad guest if you tried killing me. Aloth would be disappointed in both of us. Dunno 'bout you, but I'd rather avoid that.'

'I wasn't planning on attacking you,' Gaura sat up, 'or at least, I wasn't decided on it.'

'Can't tell if you're smart or soft.'

'Maybe, I am going soft,' the huntress mused. 'Tell me something: have you gone to the village for... feeding purposes?'

'Nah,' Edér waved the question off, 'it's too far and there ain't any place I could hide from the sun on the way there. There's plenty of beasts in these woods that need a sword driven through them. I only got these teeth but reckon they make a good substitute.'

'You're telling me there was not a single day all these years when you could've gone there? Not an eclipse or a winter solstice?'

'There were,' the vampire answered after enduring Gaura's suspicions glare for a while. 'But Aloth took responsibility for me. He thinks every last drop of blood I drink is on him. I can't just go around killing those who didn't have it coming.'

'Has he cast some sort of spell on you, or...?'

'Yeah, it's called "decades-long friendship". It's a real potent one.'

'Very funny,' Gaura rolled her eyes.

'Trying my best here,' he laughed heartily. 'But seriously I haven't been back to that village since I left it. Not that I wasn't tempted, just... couldn't bring myself to do it.'

'Because of that old sweetheart of yours?'

'You know about that, huh,' Edér raised an eyebrow. 'Yeah, it's cause of her.'

'I'm really sorry, by the way,' the huntress was about to squeeze his shoulder but she decided against it. Still, the vampire gave her a faint smile.

'Thanks, but no need to be. Had plenty of time to make peace with what happened.'

Gaura considered telling Edér about the mayor, his children and the fact that the woman the vampire once loved was no longer alive. But she couldn't find the right way to say it so she kept it all to herself.

'Well, then. It is decided,' she said instead. 'I won't be attacking you.'

'You can have this back then,' Edér laid the huntress' weapon on her lap. 'Tell your contractor I'm real sorry for his bad investment.'

'I wasn't paid up front.'

'Then sorry about you not getting paid,' he pat Gaura on her healthy shoulder. 'Real shame about it too, that beast was a pretty impressive kill.'

The huntress chuckled quietly. 'Thanks. But I don't really mind. I was mostly signing on for the adventure. Getting paid would have a been a nice bonus though.'

'Then I sure hope you'll have fun while you're staying here. Otherwise I'll just feel bad.'

Gaura didn't answer, only flashed a reassuring smile at Edér which he returned.

'How 'bout... you work for us instead? I mean... this place is pretty big. Old too. Could use your help maintaining it.'

'So I can imagine,' the huntress' voice rang with a hint of laughter as she remembered what Aloth said about the guest rooms on Edér's floor, 'but I'm not a maid.'

'Could also use a hunting partner,' the vampire added. 'Sure, I don't really need you but it would be more fun, I bet. Or if that's not to your liking you can help Aloth with his... magic stuff. You left a good impression on him, reckom he'd find something for you to do if you asked.'

'I assume I would also be an occasional snack for you.'

'If you'd like,' Edér shrugged. 'Not gonna force anything, I promise,' he said with a hand on his heart.

Gaura squinted at him with feigned suspicion as leaned closer to him. 'And why would I like that?'

A knowing smile appeared on the vampire's face. 'I'm told it feels good.'

'I wouldn't know, I've never been bitten by a vampire before.' Gaura laid her sword against the side of her bed. 'And as you might have guessed by now, I wouldn't mind if this was the first time.'

'Just so you know what you're getting into, I get it, I get it,' Edér laughed as he stood up. ' Might wanna lie down first.'

'I don't get lightheaded that easily,' Gaura protested but acted along anyway.

'Good for you. Still ain't gonna risk it with those bites you got,' Edér said as he looked around the room and found the huntress' battered shirt. He ripped off its sleeve with a single tug.

'I was going to fix that up,' Gaura complained.

'You can have one of mine if that makes you feel better,' the vampire replied as he rolled up the fabric into a small packet. He approached the huntress lying on the bed, to which she responded by exposing her neck to him. 'Oh. I thought we were gonna go with your wrist.'

'Is this a problem?'

'Uhh... Not really,' he said. Gaura couldn't tell for sure in the dim lighting, but it almost looked like he blushed. 'You gotta move a bit then. Unless you want me to lie on top of you.'

The huntress scuttled to the side slightly leaving just about enough room for Edér to kneel on the bed beside her. He leaned so close to her, he may as well have been lying on top of her.

'Just so you know, if I go for the throat, I go for the kill. I ain't used to being gentle here but... I'll try,' he whispered directly into Gaura's ear. 'Stay very still.'

The first thing she felt was the beard brushing against her jaw. Then his mouth being pressed against her neck once, then again, slightly lower, then again, lower, looking for the perfect spot and finally stopping. His tongue traced a vein encircled by his lips, warming and slickening the skin and easing the nerves. Gaura felt his teeth grazing her softly at first, but a few of those teeth pressed against her harder and harder as of they grew with each moment.

And then her skin surrendered to the pressure of those fangs. For a moment a sharp, piercing sense of pain shot through Gaura's body, prompting her to grab Edér's shoulder. He stayed still for that moment and only dug deeper in her when her grip relaxed slightly. His teeth penetrating her no longer hurt, they only gave her a sense of strange discomfort as they slowly pushed inwards. Soon she didn't even feel that: the inside of neck felt numb. But on the outside, on the surface of her skin, she felt everything: Edér's hair, his breath, his lips caressing her, his teeth being pulled out only to the slightest bit, just enough for her blood to spill onto his eager tongue. He lapped at her slowly at first, still getting used to her taste, but once he did, he picked up the pace. But even then, the touch of his tongue felt kind... gentle... almost loving. The huntress' common sense told her she was merely feeling Edér's mouth being heated by her blood, but her senses told her she was feeling passion in that heat, that there was a promise of something more in that mouth sucking on her, that he would get even closer to her than he already has, that he would seize her inside and out, and she would love every second of it. Her reason held onto whatever was left of her sense of danger but the rest of her wanted to take on his unspoken word.

Then just as suddenly as his teeth pierced her, Edér pulled them out and pressed the piece of fabric he was holding on Gaura's neck.

'Just until the bleeding stops,' he said as his hand wrapped around the huntress' throat firmly, but carefully not to choke her. 'How are you feeling?'

'This was so far your most compelling argument why I should stay,' Gaura said and yawned.

'Sleepy? Told you it was good to lie down,' he kindly laughed. 'You're real sweet by the way. In every sense of the word,' he wiped her blood from his mouth with his free hand, then licked it off his fingers, savoring and cherishing every last drop.

The huntress couldn't answer, however. No matter her efforts, she was already drifting off. The last thing she saw was Edér lying down beside her, while holding that piece of fabric to the mark he just left on her.

'I'll stay then,' he said. 'You can rest now for as long as you feel like. It's not like time has any meaning here.'