Sui Generis – 54

 

The training mission, which involved tracking and hunting with Ulrik as the 'bait', ended successfully. At least according to Ulrik it did, although Brand seemed to think he hadn't done as well as he could have.

"I should be better, faster," he grumbled, exhaustion showing in every line of his body. "I can find a vampire and follow him like that." He snapped his fingers.

"Of course you can. It's what dhampir do," Ulrik consoled him. "However you're learning a whole new skill set now. One that's foreign to you, for the most part. Practice and you'll get better. You'll have to if you're going to be hunting rogue werewolves as well as vampires."

"Can we do this again tomorrow?" Brand asked hopefully.

"Probably. Now, home with you and get some sleep. Both of you. Mag looks like he's about to fall on his face and all he did was watch."

"Which meant I had to stick with Brand and he wasn't exactly taking a stroll through the woods," Mag muttered. "If I keep doing this, I'll need running shoes."

Brand laughed, hugging him. "I think that can be arranged. Right now though, I wish I knew how to do the whole transporting thing."

"If you did, we'd only have to come back for the car later," Mag pointed out.

"True enough, and we need it to get to school."

"Aw hell." Mag sighed. "Okay, let's get back, pick up our stuff and hope we don't fall asleep during classes."

Ulrik chucked. "If you want, I can call the school and let them know you're not going to make it tonight."

"Nope," Mag said firmly just before he yawned prodigiously. "Once we start doing that, it could become a habit and we'd never graduate."

"It would just be one time," Brand said.

"No." Taking his hand, Mag pulled him toward the car. "We made a vow and damn it, we're keeping it."

"Yes, sir," Brand replied, mimicking Antton's salute from a few hours ago.

*****

"Why haven't we heard from Antton?" Mag asked early the next morning, as he got dressed.

"Maybe because he has nothing to report?" Brand replied. "He did say it could take them a couple of days until they're fully healed."

"I know, but…"

"Mag, relax. When he knows anything positive, he'll let us know. He promised."

"What if it's negative? Then he wouldn't."

Brand sighed. "Let's eat and then if it'll ease your mind, you can call him, or we can stop by the clinic."

"The clinic," Mag said without a second's thought.

They arrived there less than an hour later. Just in time to hear Randulf shouting, "What the hell do you mean he's gone?"

"Damn, now what," Brand muttered as he and Mag hurried through the waiting room and into the clinic proper. They had no problem finding Randulf's room, since Ulrik and one of the doctors were standing at the open door.

Mag had the feeling Antton was in there with Randulf. His suspicions were confirmed when he wriggled his way past Ulrik, closely followed by Brand. Antton was standing beside a vacant bed. Across from him, Randulf was pulling on a shirt that was just about as worn as the jeans he was wearing.

"Find him," Randulf ordered, glaring at Antton.

"Easier said than done," Antton retorted tightly.

"How can you not know where he is?" Mag asked hesitantly.

Randulf turned to him, spitting out, "He took the easy way. He teleported. Who the hell knows where he ended up?"

"But I thought…"

"That he was too injured?" Antton sighed. "He was, but apparently it didn't stop him."

Mag looked at him in dismay. "He could be dying somewhere."

"Or having a good laugh at our expense," Randulf said angrily. "At my expense," he muttered under his breath.

"He wouldn't do that!" Mag protested.

"You don't know him." Randulf dropped down on the bed with a shake of his head. "Wherever he is, I'm sure he's fine. He's a survivor. We all are."