It was late at night by the time the encampment was completed, but the men weren't complaining. Nobody cared if they traveled till late hours, because the more they traveled, the closer to home they were. Mathias listened to a couple of guards chatting cheerfully about getting back home, and he smiled to himself before walking away from the camp and stopping to stare at the darkness. The night wasn't actually that dark, with a full moon in the sky and countless stars shining their light upon the camp.

The wind blew from the mountains, chilling the night air, and the tactician wrapped his cloak around his shoulders. One of the guards came to ask him what he was doing, and he said he wished to get some fresh air. It wasn't far from the truth; he was simply enjoying the fact that they were almost back home, and the area started to seem more familiar as the days of their travel passed.

The sounds coming from the camp died down slowly as the soldiers went to sleep or gathered into small groups to chat before retiring for the night. Mathias smiled as he studied the scenery under the moonlight. The mountains were a definite landmark; once the company would go around them, they would only have a few more days to travel before reaching home.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp howl from the direction of the mountains. He raised his head and looked into the direction of the sound, and he smiled again. The sound was joined by another, then another, and he listened to the wolves in silence.

"Kind of creepy," a voice from behind the tactician said. Mathias frowned then made a mental note to not get distracted again. He couldn't afford allowing anyone to sneak on him like that, although he recognized the voice and knew the speaker quite well.

"If you say so, Leon" he replied. "I suppose it could be considered to be creepy. Scary, even. I don't find it frightening though."

Leon stepped to his side and stared into the darkness for a moment. "You don't?" He asked then. "There's a pack of wolves somewhere in the mountains there. Isn't it common sense that we should feel at least a little wary of them?"

The tactician laughed. "Why? Or are you saying that times have gotten so bad for wolves that they would start attacking men armed to the teeth? Wolves avoid humans if they just can, and I'm certain there's enough prey for them somewhere there."

"They could start attacking someone's cattle," Leon pointed out. "Then it is our problem."

"True," Mathias admitted. "But I haven't read anything about anyone having such problems in the messages we've received from back home. And yes," he then added before the younger knight got a chance to continue. "It could be that they don't want to bother us with minor things like that, but I trust that Elisabetha would tell me if something like that was going on. Since there have been no reports of any incidents with wolves, I would say standing here and listening to the children of the night is quite safe."

Leon shook his head but laughed a little, then just stood there next to his friend for a while. The wolves continued howling, although it seemed that the sounds were fading away, like the wolves had been moving away from them.

"Hah. Sounds convincing, sure, but then again what doesn't, coming from you," the young knight mused aloud. "You just seem to think of everything. Children of the night, indeed."

Mathias turned to his friend and smirked. "Ah, dearest Leon, if you really wanted to worry about the children of the night, then..." He took a step to the side and raised his hand. "See that forest starting from far behind those hills over there to the north? It is said that vampires live deep in those forests. Horrible creatures, they are; they'll prey on you in the deepest night, come to you in a form of a beautiful young man, then they will seduce you and take your body... And your blood too. When you wake up, you have become one of them, a child of the darkest night, only to walk upon the earth when it's dark."

"Stop that, Mathias!" Leon said, laughing again. "Are you trying to scare me or something? That's not going to work you know."

The tactician gave him a slight grin. "Ah, but you wouldn't mind a handsome young man in your bed, now would you, Leon?" He teased. "Not that you would notice until it's too late... Then, the only things you would remember after that would be a sharp pain on your neck, and the feeling how your blood is drained away..."

"Quit it damn it," the younger knight replied, unable to stop laughing. "All right you win, I'm really scared now. How horrible. At this rate I won't be able to sleep tonight. Oh woe is me!"

"Ah poor Leon. But you can sleep in my bed," Mathias offered. "I'll keep you safe from any horrible creatures that lurk in the night."

Leon suddenly grabbed him by the collar. "I'm sure you will," he said with a wide grin on his face. "And I'm sure you would also keep the beautiful young vampires from taking my body, considering they can't exactly do that if I'm already occupied." He pulled the older man closer for a quick kiss on the lips, then smiled. "But who am I to say, if you're willing to protect me? Guess I'll have to take up the offer then."

He turned and walked back towards the camp, his laugh echoing in the night. Mathias smiled as he watched his friend go, then went after him, leaving the night and its inhabitants behind him.

Author's notes:

Some random idea I had for a challenge. Nothing too interesting really.

- Lady Harken (January, 2006)