2. "You Cannot Sleep!"

A few hours later:




I must have fallen asleep. Not clever, Kynaston Dane; not clever at
all - we could both have frozen to death out here. Hmm. Snow seems
deeper now, too.... Oh dear Gods, Perseus! Is he...?



Hmm. Hard to tell. Do vampires have pulses? ... wait, I feel something.
I think he's alive. He seems to be breathing, thanks be! But he can't stay sleeping here....


Satin: "Perseus... Perseus! You have to wake up! It's not safe for you to sleep
here like this; you're going to freeze to death!"
Perseus: *drowsily* "But I'm already dead...."


Satin: "No, you're not - but you will be if you stay out here much longer!
Come on, you can't sleep now - you have to get up!"


Perseus: "...Satin? Where... where are we? I was dreaming...."
Satin: "I don't know; we're lost somewhere. how are you feeling?
Perseus: "Frozen."


Satin: "Unsurprising; you were unconscious in the snow for hours.
We both were. Can you sit up?"
Perseus: "I think so... oh... I feel so weak and cold...."


Perseus: *moans* "Ohhh... so cold it hurts.... Satin, vampires
can't tolerate the cold for long. We go into hibernation... we
can die. It is only the blood of living things which keeps us
warm and sustains us."
Satin: "Here, take my coat, you need it more than I right now.
Blood, you say?"


Satin: "Your skin is like ice, and I can feel your heart slowing
down. You need blood.... Perseus, take mine. I have enough to
share, and I heal fast."
Perseus: "No... no, I can't... if I drink from you, you will not be
able to fight off the cold. You would risk hypothermia and worse. I
cannot allow that - not even to save my own life...."
Satin: "But without it you will die!"
Perseus: "Better that one should die and the other live, than for
both to perish - and you could not spare enough, my friend, believe
me. I refuse to be your death."


Satin: "But...."
Perseus: "Enough, Satin. I haven't the strength to argue this
further. We must pray that aid comes soon."

Satin: Yes, we must pray.... Hold on, Perseus! Let help come soon! Surely someone must come...?


To be continued....