Darren woke with the sun. He moved from the cavern's entrance to change his clothing from the dark things he'd worn the day before in preference for a white long sleeved tunic, and dark leg hugging pants. Once that was done, he crept to the river and put out a line. By the time he returned to the cave, he had two fish and set about preparing them to be cooked. Darren had also taken the time to fill many bottles of water, and some of these he put aside near the cave entrance.

Once he had a fire started, he put sharpened sticks through the salmon and put them over the fire to cook. "Breakfast will be ready soon." Darren followed his words into the cavern and stepped to the pallet. The sight that met his eyes made the spy's breath catch and warmth flood his body. "Am I going to have to carry you there?" Such smooth limbs ... All he wanted to do was make a repeat of what had happened yesterday happen.

The words were from someone familiar. Felix returned to consciousness enough to remember Darren, but the words themselves were evil. He wanted to ignore them and fall back to sleep. In response, though, he breathed in deeply and moaned, pulling his hair over his face and curling up a bit more as if to escape the morning. "Ugh... Noooo..." He'd always found it hard to wake up, and even more when he couldn't get comfortable or really clear his mind to actually sleep. The draft that hit his legs made him curl away in search of warmth.

In his mind Felix was back at home, in bed and asleep, and the person that wanted to wake him up was some form of outward interference---a bird pecking at the window, perhaps, or the creak of a tree above his home. And if he ignored it long enough, it would go away.

A sigh escaped Darren as he folded his legs beneath him to kneel beside the prone man. "You have to get up now, Felix." He reached out to tug lightly at the exposed tail firmly. If that didn't work he supposed he could go fetch some cool stream water and let that shock the other man into wakefulness.

The spy didn't want what had happened yesterday to happen again, at least not until it sat easier with him. It was hard to say what exactly had taken place. Felix had certainly seemed willing enough, but he had never really invited it. Still, those were thoughts for another time. Today they needed to set off for their next destination, the more permanent one, after buying supplies and clothing in the city.

Felix's eyes snapped open and a shocked yelp escaped him. He would have gone forward had the wall not been there, so instead he made a muted attempt to lurch away and bring the cloak with him, staring around for the one that had grabbed his tail. Darren's features swam a little in the combined blurriness of seep and suddenness of the adrenaline shot that had buzzed through his body. He sniffed, wrapping his tail around him along with the cloak. "D-don't do that!" He barked hesitantly, feeling a bit stupid for saying it at all. Especially after yesterday. Still, he shook his head quickly, moving to stand and use the rough wall as a support as his head stopped spinning.

He stepped around Darren, grabbing his dry---if a little wrinkled---clothing and sliding them on, not bothering to hide his tail this time. Felix didn't know where, specifically, they were going, but hoped he wouldn't have to be around too many people. If he was even allowed to be around them. Darren might already be thinking about that---the risk of bringing Felix around others he could possibly call out to for help.

He chuckled. "You didn't seem to mind yesterday." Darren smirked a little, though inwardly he was still mulling over the way things had played out the day before. He averted his eyes when Felix stood to clothe himself, and turned his thoughts to how he would keep the other man from crying out when they went to market. It was definitely going to be difficult, but then he supposed he could use what he'd discovered about Felix to prevent him from running or drawing unwanted attention.

Standing, the spy motioned for his captive to follow. The smell of fresh roasted fish filled the air as they walked outside. Without further ado, Darren moved forward and plucked their breakfast from the fire quickly. He held one of the well cooked fish out to Felix, and waited expectantly.

As he did so, Darren glanced to the horse and was satisfied to see that the rowan munched peacefully on grass nearby. The gelding would probably be very glad to see the cottage, with its large paddock and grazing area.

Felix cinched the buttons around his shirt's cuffs, growling quietly to himself. From his pocket he pulled a spare string, tying back his hair, which still had a wildly curly look to it from yesterday's impromptu bath in the river. He didn't reply to Darren, though, as he grabbed his discarded shoes nearby and slid them on, following Darren quickly as he was waved along. Stepping out into the morning air, he looked around and caught the scent of whatever Darren had quickly prepared. Fish, by its distinct scent as it rested over fire. Tentatively, Felix took the one offered to him and studied it for a moment, biting through the crisped outer shell and into the meat of the fish. He didn't eat often, but did enjoy the taste of whatever it was he'd find or catch when he did.

"Th...thanks." He muttered quickly, sliding the thing off its stick and looking away while he bit right through the head, crushing everything from eye to bone to fin. His digestive system was far harsher than a human's, and could handle what humans might find inedible or disgusting. To him, it all had the same taste with different textures. But Darren probably didn't want to see that.

He watched, tilting his head, as the incubus took a big bite of the fish. Meanwhile, he prepared his own for human consumption and gave a slight moan at the delicious taste. After a few moments more of silence as they ate, Darren finally thought of a rather pressing question. "Felix, how often do you need the energy your kind needs to survive?" He did wonder, and as he thought of such things ...

"If you try speaking with anyone of your situation, I'll tell them what you are and I can guarantee that you'll end up in a worse situation then the one you have now." This one, if Felix proved himself, had an end in sight. He forced himself not to think of how lonely he would be without any kind of company once more, no matter how unwilling.

Felix paused, then bit through the fish's tough back, considering the question for a moment. What did that mean? Did he really want to give an answer...? "A...about a week." He finally muttered, staring at his feet and feeling his face grow a little warm. He'd handled that the day before Darren arrived at his door, so he could go at least five or six days more. And if he was nearing desperation, he'd sometimes have to take it. He didn't need to convince or coddle, though---his more natural demonic hypnosis could take care of the unwilling and make them far more willing.

He crouched, staring at the thing in his hand. He'd thought about that... The thought of condemnation... it was harsh. It made him set the fish down and crawl away from the fire on shaking limbs, and use a tree nearby to sit against. He'd done well to keep his race away from the crowds. Even those that saw all of him would forget it later, after he had drained them and they were deep into a heavy sleep. It seemed he either had to serve Darren and recreate all the hundred or so documents he'd copied through the years, or he could hope that word didn't get out of town that he was an incubus and condemn him to desperate measures.

He had known saying such words would get a reaction from Felix, but he hadn't expected one to glum. Apparently the results of such knowledge being known were far worse then even Darren could imagine. It worried him, to see his captive crawling away to cower beside a tree. Darren shook his head. Worrying over Felix wasn't why he was there, and yet he did.

"This doesn't have to be bad for you. It could be an enjoyable time, if you work with me to make it pleasant." The assassin crept forward to kneel by Felix. One of his hands snaked up before he could think the action through. Darren found himself running his fingers lightly through the other man's head of curling hair, marveling at the texture. "You could even take your turn at giving me a taste of what I did yesterday, when your hunger arises again." He found himself thinking of how interesting that experience might prove to be.

Felix shrank back from Darren as he approached, but couldn't really move into the tree itself. That was impossible. Instead, he settled with looking away from the man that had threatened to inadvertently push him into utter isolation and weakness and desperate searches for random thieves or caravans that might have someone with enough energy to sustain him for a while without killing them. But when Darren ran his hand through Felix's hair, he shuddered in pleasure and sighed, putting his mind back on what had put fear in him, and trying to hide the sudden excitement that had come from what the spy said. It would feel so... strange... Wouldn't it?

"I... might kill you." He muttered simply. "I've done it before." He recalled those times he got so carried away he forgot what he even was. Leeching so much energy, so much life, from the person that it killed him. Felix had guiltily buried them in deep, marked graves behind his home so no wild animal could pick their bones.

He wrapped his fingers around sunny locks and tugged lightly at the absurd thought. Him, without enough energy to withstand a single night with Felix? Perish the thought. "Do I really look that easy to kill? I don't think so." Darren was beginning to understand why the scribe lived so far from the city.

The spy grinned a little as he tilted his head nearer the other man. "Come on, why not take a taste now and see if I'm delectable enough to be worth staying near." He was pushing it, plucking intangible dreams from the air and assigning his nebulous thoughts to the man he'd captured. Darren wanted Felix to stay. The day before, that night, had brought more closeness then he'd been able to find in a long time, and he didn't want to have to destroy that.

He felt something jump. "No!" Felix turned away, staring hard at the tree's rough bark. "I... you don't know, D...D..." He couldn't quite say the man's name yet. "I... Incubi, that is, and succubi. They can d-drain a human's energy, no matter how strong, physically... If they don't s...stop... or if they get carried away..." Most of his kind did kill. They found humans a stimulating activity and food source, little more than that. And if they did keep a human alive, it was only for a few days, and they would keep them in an infatuation so that the didn't try to leave and did their bidding, kept the demon happy even as they grew weaker and more frail, until they collapsed from exhaustion, and fell into a fatal coma.

And Felix wouldn't do it! He'd wait... Maybe find someone worthy of death, an arsonist or thief or murderer or... someone. He wouldn't kill someone that worked for the king, even if he didn't mean to kill them at all. Even if he desperately wanted to give in.

Darren sighed, letting his hand fall. "Get ready, we're leaving." He stood abruptly and moved to the horse. Deft movements had him guiding the gelding to the cart in but a few minutes, and hitching the strong backed animal to the leather straps. The gelding might not have looked like the handsomest beast, but he was intelligent and hard working. It helped, having such a steadying presence so near, even if it was nothing more then a horse.

"Though I wonder what you'll do when we're at the cottage and no one else is near," said Darren over his shoulder. Then the other man would have no choice, and probably no control. The situation would be riskier then, and yet the spy still found the idea all too interesting.

Felix sighed, and stood up straight, shaking the unease away from his legs and following Darren toward the fire. He kicked some dirt onto the small flames, smothering them entirely and tossing some damp grass onto the top, and feeling a horrible kind of nervousness clutch at his stomach. No, he wouldn't be able to get away with it when his desperation reached a high enough level. When he was starved beyond rational thought. And then, he'd have to act. And he'd have to kill.

"You might not like to know..." He muttered, watching Darren through his hair. "I... When it gets to that point, I kind of... kill. It might not be a good idea to taunt me with things like that... Unless, I mean... unless you bring me someone. Like a thief or killer... or someone that deserves to die... so I don't kill you by mistake." He did feel he would kill Darren if things were drawn out like that. If he didn't give in to his urges until it was absolutely crucial.

The spy whirled around to face the other man, a thunderous expression upon his face. "Do you want to kill me so? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised after what I've done to you." He supposed speaking of it in the open was best. "You didn't exactly as for what I did." It had been troubling him so, and Darren couldn't find it in himself not to let it go.

So out he let everything flow. "It doesn't matter what you are, or that you seemed to enjoy it after a while. It wasn't asked for." And he kept reaching out, it was like a shout. He wanted attention, company, someone to stay by his side no matter how dangerous the life of a spy was. The truth was, Darren was lonely, and he had let it encroach upon his work.

Felix's eyes widened in shock, but not fear. He wasn't afraid of being killed now that it was obvious Darren needed him to copy those hundred-or-so documents again. Still, Darren's sudden, almost manic switch made Felix back up. "No, it wasn't asked for!" Felix's voice wasn't as resounding as Darren's, but still loud, and obvious. "So why'd you do it!? Why didn't you let things be!? I thought spies had more composure than that!" He turned, moving to a crouch and grabbing his hair.

"What if I'm holding back my nature because I don't want to hurt you?" He muttered roughly. "I don't want to kill you. It's not like you're... the one trying to uproot the king's influence across the land, are you? You're the one helping him keep his power. And if I did something... to kill you... I'd be a murderer. I'd... set whatever you've been doing back." And to be killed in such a way... How ridiculous... Felix didn't know why he wanted to protect Darren from him on such a personal level, but he did, and didn't try to question that.

"Mostly curiosity," said the man gruffly. "And then again, mostly because ... for once I could make someone feel good." Instead of making them cry out in pain, it had been pleasure. That had been so exhilarating. Darren shook his head, and moved forward to crouch down beside Felix. He was only just beginning to wrap his mind around his own thoughts and feelings, even so the auburn haired man pulled up his facade of indifference.

"Your nature is who you are. If something happens to me, well," he chuckled,"I've never really expected to live long... Not in my line of work." And this death would be different, if it ever did happen. Someone else would be holding him tight and close. He wouldn't be alone.

Curiosity? One would call that more of a morbid curiosity. Darren didn't know what Felix was! He didn't know how long it had been since he'd 'hunted', last. He could have gone crazy... Those ropes weren't strong enough to hold an incubus intent on their human target. "Who says I want to be the one to kill you?" He asked shortly. "I don't... like to kill. Unless they deserve it. And you don't deserve it." He'd heard people say before that they wouldn't mind dying with him. Or his kind, anyway. It seemed like some ridiculous fever dream that someone would come up with if they were really thinking about mortality. Like if they had a chance to decide how they died, they would die the 'best' way possible.

Darren reached out to squeeze Felix's shoulder. "I didn't ask you to. All I'm saying is that I'm more then aware of my mortality, that's it. So breathe, calm down and we'll figure out how to keep you healthy when it comes to that, alright?" He wanted to hug the other man, but pushed the impulse down. They needed to go, it would take a few hours to reach town, and then a while more to get all their supplies, and then at last reach the hidden away cottage.

Even so, Darren couldn't find it in him to push Felix. "Breathe. I don't even understand why you're so concerned about me anyway, after everything I did."

Felix closed his eyes to the touch, breathing shakily. At least he had five or six days to come to some sort of conclusion... But if no common ground was reached and he didn't find someone to completely drain by then... He'd attack Darren without a second thought out of pure animal instinct, he'd kill Darren and be left with nothing... If he killed a spy of the king, what would happen then? He couldn't lie... He was a horrible liar, anyway. Maybe he'd be killed, or just placed in a prison where he'd recreate the documents at the discretion of the king, with no contact... He could almost imagine it, sitting in a little room with a few candles and papers and quills, no window to the outside, and a murderer or thief pushed in every week. Like a little executioner... Felix shuddered at the thought, and stood up.

"I'm concerned because... you don't deserve to die prematurely. Or before you can do what you're meant to do. I'd... I don't know." He sighed, glaring at the ground. He'd have to somehow rebuild his life with the knowledge that he'd helped the rebellion, because he wouldn't even know where to start on his own.

Darren pushed himself up from the ground and steered Felix towards the cart. This time he would let the other man remain awake, and aware of where they traveled. It seemed like things would be much easier now that Darren knew what kinds of things to say and do to get reactions from Felix. He hoped he wouldn't have to do any of that anymore.

"You wouldn't have anywhere to go, or any idea what to do." Darren had once known that feeling all too well. Those times were long gone. Maybe if he made some kind of admission, speaking of his past, he could gain some trust at last. "I know what it's like. " That was surely enough.

The cart creaked as the well muscled man scrambled onto the driver's seat and took the reins. The well worn leather felt good against his palms, a comfort. Darren knew he could trust his horse, like he could trust no other.

Felix stared harder at the ground. That was just how he felt already. Finally he'd decided on where to live, he decided on what to do with his life, and now it was all stripped away and he felt worse than bare. Like Darren could reach in and grab his soul and hold it out for anyone to see. He crossed his arms, but still felt that hole in his chest, a window for anyone to look into.

Glancing backward, he saw Darren get into the front of the carriage and hurried forward, getting into the back and crawling as close to the front as he could. He might as well listen to Darren---it was for a good enough cause, the king. And he was a good king so far as Felix was concerned. He kept order, kept good will. But he, like most, feared his kind. For legitimate reasons, of course, but it always weighed heavily on Felix's mind.

With a quick flick of the wrists, Darren snapped the reins and set both cart and horse in motion. He could somehow feel the warmth of Felix being so near, though the other man wasn't really so close as that. Trees passed, leaves rustling like waves as the wind danced through their branches. No one else was on the road, which made traveling much easier. It was morning still, and they were in an out of the way part of the world.

After a while, travelers began passing the cart. There were all manner of people, even an incubus once, though he seemed to be so forlorn, and for good reason. Darren shivered at the sight of the spelled collar around the being's neck. Thinking of something like that around Felix's neck made the man's earlier words seem so much harsher and crueler then he'd ever intended them to be. He hadn't really meant his threat, though he could never let Felix know the truth of his thoughts.

Felix gasped when the cart jolted into action, throwing a bag nearby into his leg, both of which he pulled up to hold onto. He didn't think he could get out of the back without Darren knowing, especially with so much to move out of the way and crawl over... Paper that would rustle and quills that would snap, and bags with bells on them... Perhaps to deter any extra movement. And with the lurching of the wheels through uneven ground from time to time, he'd probably fall this way and that and make a huge racket if he tried to get to the back of the cart. But curiosity was so strong he couldn't help but lift the cover, tie it back with the ribbon that was usually around his neck, and spy outside.

As people began passing with more frequency, Felix's eyes slid left and right incessantly, watching everyone he possibly could. They wouldn't be able to see him from his position, or through the little hole he'd made himself, but there were plenty of people. And one whose... being... felt so familiar. An incubus, but something glinted on his neck. It drove Felix back without thinking, across the cart and to the other side with a gasp. The feeling it gave him... like a god's fist around his throat and heart to stop his breath and heartbeat. Would a spelled collar feel like that...? He glanced toward where he could see Darren with tears in his eyes.

He felt the jolt in the cart, brought about not by any bump in the road. Darren shifted, tugged at the reins to guide the contraption to a clearing at the side of the road so it didn't block the road. The spy leaned over and tugged at the incubus's shoulder. "Come on, sit beside me. I won't let that happen to you, not now that you're co-operating." He would protect Felix now, as well as he could, and take care of him.

The thought made him smile. It was going to be a wonderful change from the usual, though he doubted things were going to go smoothly. He had done wrong by Felix, something which he doubted the other man could forgive him for. He didn't know if he could forgive himself. So he waited to see if he would soon have company.