Igor

        Ever since that day, Igor became Arnold's companion in the forest. The vampire finally had someone to talk to even though the dog couldn't understand him. He told him his story since he was a child until the day he found Igor. The dog just listens to him silently.

        "When your leg finally healed up, I'll bring you to the nearest town. You're still young so you might still get adopted you know."

        The dog just tilt it head and Arnold laugh it off. Arnold is glad that he can keep talking and someone responds to him unlike talking to wild animals and plants. He feels that he is slowly losing his mind alone. 

        When Arnold hunt's down animals, he feed their flesh to Igor while he drank their blood. When humans get closer to them, Igor always perk up and silently growl. This gives Arnold a heads up and runs away with Igor without being noticed.

         During daytime, Igor acts as Arnold's guard when he is asleep. Igor normally just stay in the entrance of the cave and sometimes bark if some animals come close to the cave. There are times that Arnold gets bother on his sleep when some big animals enter the cave, so he was thankful for Igor that he gets fully rested every day. Arnold's stress has lessened thanks to the dog, and it helped him lessen his urge to consume human blood.

         "Here. Get it from me."
     
          Igor tries to take away the bone of a deer from Arnold's hand. Arnold plays with Igor to past time after feeding since he has no other things to do in the forest. He cannot do anything that might be found by humans and get them alerted that someone is living in the forest. He simply plays with Igor with tug-of-war or hides and seek but only in short distance. Igor can only limp so Arnold can't do anything that might cause damage in the dog's wound. Most of the time, He just rub the dog's belly while he is talking about anything he could thought of.

          "Maybe it was destiny made by god. I became a vampire to test my faith on him while I also got to save you. Don't you think so?"

           Igor just rubbed his face on Arnold's leg, and the vampire just smile at the dog. His body is always cold so he can feel the warm of Igor, and he is glad to always feel it. It reminds him of how human he is before. A body that can feel warm from others.

           Months has past and Igor's wound has been healed. The dog is happy to be able to run again and started to play tag with Arnold.

          "You idiot. You just got healed."
 
         But seeing Igor runs with enthusiasm also made Arnold happy. Caring for Igor finally paid off just in time because winter is coming soon. The vampire feels that he finally did something right ever since he became a vampire.

          One day, Arthur prepared dried meats with him and some handmade water container using woods he carved with his own sharp nails. After many months, Arnold and Igor finally went outside the forest. Arnold has to find Igor a family. 

          Arnold and Igor followed the trails of road pavement where people travel with carriages. When a carriage comes from afar, Arnold hides with Igor to avoid being detected. They continue their journey once the carriage disappears in the darkness. It took 3 nights of walking to finally reach the first town near the silkwood forest. There are a lot of carriages and wagons that is line up to enter the town. Most of them are merchants and traveller from other towns.

          Arnold checked each carriage to find potential people for Igor. He then spotted a young girl playing with a young boy. They are probably siblings. Arnold picked up Igor and waited for the clouds to cover the moon. It would create enough shadow for Arnold to get closer without being spotted. When the right timing finally come, Arnold immediately runs without sound under the shadow. He quickly got underneath the carriage and placed Igor outside with his dried food to distract him. When Igor started to nibble the meat, Arnold knocked on the carriage then quickly backed off while the shadow is still remaining.

       "Look a dog." the young boy pointed at Igor.       

      "Oh wow. He is cute." the young girl exclaimed.

       Arnold heard those words before he finally disappeared in the shadow. He is glad that the children liked Igor. Watching from afar, he saw the kids get closer to Igor while two adults who appear to be their parents is angry. The commotion started to attract the other passengers. It appears the children is begging for their parents while hugging Igor and the parents are talking with the other people who heard the commotion. As the children started to cry, the parents sigh in defeat and picked up Igor to their own carriage. And then, the line of vehicles started to move again.

      Arnold watches every carriage and wagon to enter until the carriage of the family get inside the town. Arnold is finally able to feel relief that Igor is now inside the town. The dog is now the family's pet. A pet of normal humans unlike him. Arnold hoped that the children will take care of Igor and fed him well. He wishes for Igor to accept his new family because Arnold can't be his family. Arnold is a vampire.

      "Igor."
       It was the first time after months has passed. Arnold felt a familiar sensation he had during his early days of him being a vampire. Tears is falling in his eyes. His heart is sunk in sadness and grief. He is lonely again and he cries quietly. He muffled his sobs and wipes off his tears. He kept telling himself that he did the right thing. He might end up killing Igor. This is for the best for both of them.

       As the moon finally clears the clouds and its moonlight shine the earth below, Arnold turns his back and walk to his isolation. Back to silkwood forest to be a prisoner of his own existence.

       "Arf! Arf! Arf!"
     
       Arnold knows that bark. How he couldn't? He heard those barks for months. Those are barks from a companion that never left his side in those days his heart and soul is suffering. Arnold turns around and saw Igor running to him. Arnold doesn't know if he will be mad that Igor wasted his chance to have a normal family or to be happy that the dog still followed him. But Arnold already found his answer as his kneel and open up his arms. Igor happily jumped to his arm and licked his face. Arnold hugged the dog with tears still falling from his eyes. But the tears this time is accompanied with a big smile on Arnold's face.

      "You idiot. How could a monster like me deserve you?"     

      The moon disappears in the cloud to blanket the two's reunion in darkness.  The two manage to return back to the forest safely.

      "Alright, let's have a boar feast tonight."