On my knees

Once he was flying, he knew there was no way back. He wasn’t scared to fall either though. If he got hurt, he would heal, simple as that. It didn’t really hurt either. Honestly he couldn’t help but be amused about himself and the situation. When he was sure he didn’t break anything, he pushed himself up, a big grin on his face. The Commander came back, stepped down from her horse and looked at him with a frown. Oh she would have a hard time figuring out while he was smiling, wouldn’t she? Fact was that he didn’t even know for sure himself.

“Are you okay?” She asked, a worried tone in her voice. The vampire nodded a couple of times. ”I decided walking is more my thing”, He chuckled. Safely close to the ground. Yes. Perfect. It was kind of cute that she wanted to make absolutely sure he was alright though. She knew he had fast healing abilities, yet she had turned around to actually check up on him. Who was the most adorable person now, huh?

The involuntary flying lesson he had gotten from Scourge had left him unharmed yet without a mount. Something that could be a slight issue. He also kind of worried about the horse. He had stormed off right after, and Mort couldn’t pick up his heartbeat even with his supernatural senses. It meant that he was either too far away or.. Already killed by whatever was lurking in the woods. Lexa assured him the horse was trained to run back home if there was something wrong though. ”Won’t they send out people to come look for you though?” He asked. If the horse of the Commander got back, alone, wouldn’t that raise any concern?

A vampire would have no problem with keeping up with a horse. But the physical effort would drain a lot of energy, and he didn’t want to bother her for blood any time soon. That was not the reason he had come here. So he decided it would be best to follow her instructions. ”I will hold on to you just to be sure”, He joked, in an attempt to hide his uncertainty. Was this going too fast again? Was he ready to be that close to her? Of course he trusted her, but still.. Eventually he needed to stop overthinking though. He had always been one to follow his heart, and his heart was telling him to get on there and hold her as tight as he possibly could.

The vampire expected her to call off their little expedition to go back to the Heart. There would be people worrying about her for sure. Even if he had been the one riding Scourge, it was still the Commander’s horse. If it came back without a rider, then they would start guessing what could have happened. So the most logical thing to do was to ride back and make sure everyone knew she was still alive. But she wanted to do the entire opposite. “They might, so let’s make sure we get out of here,” She said with a wink. For a second, he was perplexed. Was she serious now?

Then he decided it was best to just go along with her and not make a big deal out of it. She sure knew what she was doing, right? Besides, had he ever regretted letting her take the lead in anything? No. Even though she had mentioned ‘danger’, he was sure having fun. She pulled the saddle off the horse and put it on the ground, after which she jumped on her back effortlessly. Mort walked over and grabbed her wrist. He allowed her to pull him up a little when he too jumped. Without a saddle it would be hard for him to keep balance, so he made sure to wrap his arms tightly around her waist. ”Let’s not go too fast to begin with, shall we”, He suggested. Partially because he didn’t want to fall and pull her with him when he did. Partially because he also didn’t want this to be over soon.

It was pretty obvious the young vampire was engaged in one of his bad habits. Whenever something bad happened, he closed himself off from it. Running, hiding. Afraid to get hurt, he made sure to shut it out completely. That was one of the reasons why he could just hang out with Lexa as if nothing happened. Because to him, in this moment, his biggest concern was staying on top of this horse while she was taking him to some place hidden in the forest. It was horribly wrong, but he just didn’t realise. Or he didn’t want to realise. For now, the only thing that truly mattered to him was this, them, without any complications. He simply didn’t allow himself to think about it too much.

And his heart, cold and dead in his chest, how it burned when he wrapped his arms around her. She was warm, just as he remembered her to be. Her scent was everywhere at once and he enjoyed every second of it. When she joked that she didn’t want him to fall off again, he rolled his eyes, yet he had the same grin on his face. ”No we don’t want that. Because if I fall, you fall too”, He replied, the grin turning into a cheeky smile when she looked back in front of her and told the horse to get going.

“It might take a bit longer now, so I hope you’re comfortable.” She said softly. The vampire hummed, a deep sound that made his chest vibrate lightly. She would probably feel it more than actually hear it. ”I’ll make sure I am”, He said, sounding very innocently. He placed his one hand a bit higher, pulling her backwards in his embrace while making sure he didn’t make any unexpected movements that would cause them to fall. "Much better", He noted, failing to keep the smirk off his face. Luckily she couldn't see that from the position they were sitting in.

Was she aware of the fact her heartbeat was doing all kinds of things? It caused him to smile subconsciously. He knew his actions were the cause of that. While she was leaning against him a bit, he opened up his vampire senses a bit more. Not only to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them, but also to just let her presence kind of consume him. This was easy. After spending weeks living with his brother, he had almost forgotten that there were times he was allowed to enjoy himself. Now he was with her, he was reminded of that. ”You know I can hear your heartbeat, right?” He said, teasing her a bit. He simply couldn’t let this one slide, could he?

After some time, they seemed to get out of the forest and into a chain of mountains that extended far beyond what he could see. For some reason he felt a bit more vulnerable here, which made no sense at all. At least they could now see if someone or something was trying to attack them. Even though he felt kind of relaxed around her, he hadn’t forgotten how she had mentioned that it would be dangerous. Astral was taking them on a path that lead up the mountain. Soon after, the mountains made way for what appeared to be an abandoned temple. ”Is this where you wanted to take me?” He asked, obviously kind of impressed. There was this.. Vibe coming from the structure. It made him a bit uncomfortable and curious at the same time.

Perhaps it was a bit mean to emphasize the fact that her body was reacting to his actions. There was not much she could do about it anyway. It just made him feel somewhat satisfied, proud. Knowing she couldn’t hide behind her war paint when it came down to him. “Unfair,” She protested softly. “Can’t hide a thing from you, can I?” She continued, which made him laugh amused. ”If I were you I wouldn’t even bother to try”, He chuckled. When she placed her hand on top of his, a blissful smile settled upon his face. It was only her that mattered now and he wished it could all go back to being this simple forever.

While she was telling the story about the temple, Astral slowed down and eventually stopped. So, this was the most sacred place in Vanaheim? Mort had never been a believer. Didn’t really reckon there was such a thing as a God. Let alone that they could come to Earth and have some kind of influence. Still, in the presence of the temple, he started doubting a bit. He tried to contain his nerves when he jumped down from Astral. ”So, what are the chances I spontaneously combust when I set foot in Her holy temple?” He asked. He knew the Mother wasn't too fond of vampires after all.

Of course the vampire was slightly worried about his safety now he was in the close presence of the temple. It had the same kind of vibe around it as the mountain next to the Watch. It made him feel uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. Just.. Humble, unimportant, just a speck of dust in a universe that was too big to understand. Her words made him a bit more confident though. If anything, this God sounded like a gentle one. A God of love and acceptance. Or that was what Lexa made her sound like at least. ”If what you say is true, she sure deserves a temple like this one”, He joked quietly. Was he allowed to make jokes about the Mother? Probably not. But, he was nervous. So no one could really blame him.

The vampire followed her to the entrance, looking around with curiosity and excitement in his blue eyes. “After you,” She said with a smile. He nodded before fixing his gaze on the arch that probably used to hold a giant wooden door. He took a deep breath, then reached out for her hand again. If he died here, then he sure wouldn’t do so alone. He intertwined his fingers with hers before taking the final steps that took him over the threshold.

The atmosphere around the temple made everything feel so different. He was probably being a bit dramatic, but he blamed that on the fact that this place was considered holy ground. He was no Child of the Mother. He had no business here to begin with, even though Lexa had dragged him along. Aside from that, her people believed vampires were an insult to their Mother. When she had shared the story of Her origins, she had promised that the Mother Herself didn’t hate his kind, but still. He needed some sort of reassurance while entering the temple. And who made him feel safer than Lexa? So he grabbed a hold of her hand, seeking support in her presence.

To no one’s surprise really, nothing happened. They entered the temple and he found himself standing in a large empty hallway. It lead to nowhere in particular, or at least not something he could see from here. He followed her while she was talking. ”Something else?” He repeated, curiosity in his voice.

Since he had no clue about the hidden traps, he wasn’t paying as much attention to his surroundings as she was. After a while, he had let go of her hand again to wander off a bit. Exploring some corners on his own. It was in that moment, he fucked up. The familiar sound of a bowstring was audible, followed by the buzzing sound of an arrow tearing through the air. Only thanks to his supernatural speed and reflexes, he was able to locate the arrow and catch it mid-air as it was heading straight for his chest. Even if it had hit him, it wouldn’t have killed him, but still. With the arrow in his hand he turned towards Lexa, a shocked expression on his face. He realised she had been right all along. This temple was not at all a safe place.