Chapter One: Waiting

"Hey, Adalardo! Are you going to get up or lay there all bloody day?!" A voice came.

I opened my eyes and found the owner of the voice. His name was Henrick. A 18 year old, red head fool of a boy. His green eyes looked down to mine as he hovered over me. God he looked a mess, but he always did. He was always a scruffy little man. He was only 5'6 in height. I looked at his ripped brown tunic and brown bottoms, "Are you a slayer or a farmer?" I asked as I stretched up and pushed him away and on to his back. I shook my head slightly as I sat up, looking at him, "What the hell happened to your hair?" I asked, even though it always looked the same, I always made wise cracks at him. He was just so funny to look at.

"Nothing happened to my hair." He replied and raised a ginger eyebrow.

"That's my point." I said as I watched him and shook my head again and laughed. "God, Henrick, you were beaten with the 'ugly stick' , wasn't you?" I asked and tried to stop myself laughing.

"Hey, hey, hey, Adalardo!" Henrick called to me. "Don't you start! Not all can be blessed with looks!" he told me as he stood to his feet and tried to make himself as tall as he was. But at 5'6, he wasn't doing very well. "Some… well most of us are blessed with other things…"

"Like ginger hair and being a short-ass?" I asked, teasing. Grinning happily, I was only playing and he knew it.

He stepped heavily on my foot as he walked pass me two steps, "Like charm, good manners and inner beauty."

"Inner beauty?!" I asked loudly, "Inner beauty?!" I asked, staring at him, "You?! Inner beauty?! The cheek of it! The smell that was coming for you last night had nothing beautiful about it!" I said, "Henrick, you stunk!" I said and still stared at him.

"Better out than in…" he said slowly, "I'm sorry… my fart doesn't smell like roses."

"I am not saying that." I tell him. "I am just saying that no man should smell like you do. It's damn unhealthy!" I watched him as he blushed, looking away. I had him now, I was winning! "Just wait until I tell the others…"

Henrick stared at me, "… Oh, Adalardo… you wouldn't…"

"I would. I think that it's only right to warn them, Henrick. For Gods' sake, you could kill someone."

"Come on, Adalardo… Please…" Henrick begged. "Please, for me?"

"For you? What about our two friends safety?" I ask, teasing him.

"I'll pay you, I will! I really, really will!" Henrick said and felt around in his pockets. He pulled out a few coins and took my hand, placing the coins in my palm and then closed my fingers over them.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "Henrick?" I asked, "What are you doing?"

"Paying you, old buddy, old chum, great friend, Adalardo, King of the slayers." he said and tried to put an arm around my shoulders, but I stood at 6'2. A giant standing next to him.

I gave a smile, I couldn't help but smile, "Henrick, I won't tell. I promise…" I said and placed the coins back into his hand and patted him once onto back before walking towards the river. Henrick had stayed back at our camp, waiting for our friends. But I walked on until I came to the clear running river. I knelt down and cupped my hands full of water before washing my face with it.

I looked very different to Henrick, I hate to say it, but I was a good looking man. I stood at 6'2 in height and was 25 years old, had black hair that flowed just past my shoulders. My black boots shined in the sunlight. I wore a dark green frock coat and a white linen shirt on underneath. I also wore black bottoms, my eyes were blue, a deep rich blue, they stood out with my hair. I was everything Henrick wasn't… and oh how sorry I felt of him. Even though, for what Henrick didn't have in looks, he made of for in his character.

"Your Majesty!" Henrick called, "Are you going to wash behind your ears?" he called as he walked towards me.

I looked over the river before I looked up to him. "Shut up, Toad." I said and laughed.

"Toad?" Henrick asked, "How dare thee!"

"I dare myself." I say and look up to him as I stayed down on my knees, "At least behind my ears has seen water." I mutter and looked to his legs. Henrick was mumbling about how he shouldn't have to wash, but I wasn't listening. A grin spread across my face and I swung my arm around the back of his knees and sent him down into the river.

"Adalaro!" Henrick yelled as he splashed about in the water, his arms and legs everywhere. "How… why?!" he yelled and whined as he sat up in the water.

I looked down upon him and laughed hard as I stood, he really did look like a wet alley cat. "Oh… I'm sorry." I teased. "I seemed to have wet you…"

"Wet me?! Wet me?!" Henrick called out and climbed up upon the bank, holding his arms out as he stood, "I'm completely wet!" he moaned.

I laughed… I laughed hard. Henrick was my funny little friend.

We made our way back to our little camp and I sat on a fallen log. Watching Henrick was funny. He moved and moved around and around, unhappily in his damp clothes. He hated to have a bath, he reminded me of a child, he had the innocent of one. His eyes had the feeling of being lost most of the time. Once again; I shook my head as I watched him. I smiled and looked around our camp, it really wasn't much. Four fallen logs spread out and in the middle was ashes from the nights fire and a small pile of logs and twigs for if we were going to stay another night. I didn't think we would, we were only waiting for our two friends. For two nights Henrick and myself had stayed here. We had finished our job… for here anyway. A vampire by the name of Jasth. He was our job, but not anymore, he was now slain, another vampire… just another vampire. Nothing more. Not a life, for he was already dead, and now he was back in hell… where he belonged. I opened the pocket to my frock coat and slipped hand in, I pulled out a wooden stake and traced my fingers over it. The tip of my finger stopped at the point of the stake and I looked upon the weapon in my hand that had killed so many of the walking dead. I seemed to go quiet, I didn't speak as I just looked at the stake and blinked slowly. Henrick, our two friends and myself were four slayers, a group… a gang. We loved what we done, the thrill was a great feeling to have, we all loved it.

I didn't know that Henrick was looking at me as I was in my 'day dream'. "You fallen in love with that stake, Adalardo?" he asked and that's when I came back to the world.

"Love?" I asked.

"Yeah…" Henrick said, looking at me oddly, "Okay, Adalardo… your just continue to freak me out, aren't you?" he asked and raised the ginger eyebrow again, tilting his head to the side.

I hadn't fully understood him yet, "Sure."

"Sure?" Henrick asked, "Adalardo… are you okay? You are acting oddly…"

"I'm fine, Henrick." I answered and waved a hand, "Just thinking."

"Of what?" he asked. Henrick was always one to be nosey…

"Work, mostly." I answer and watch as he green eyes look over me, as if trying to see if I were lying of not.

I wasn't lying, I didn't like lying… I shot him a smile and he smiled back. He was still in damp clothes. "Henrick… Sorry, I was thinking." I say, looking to the stake as I placed it back into my pocket.

"You're always bloody thinking…" Henrick said and looked to the trees and then out to the open land, "Where the hell are they?" he asked. "Adalardo! When will they be here?!"

"Oh, hang on…" I said and he watches me. "I'll just look into my crystal ball." I teased.

This made Henrick laugh, he smiled as he laughed, "Adalardo! You know what I meant!"

"I know, I know…" I say and smile, "but, I don't know when they will be here." I say and shake my head.

"Damn it…" Henrick muttered and walked back a few steps after giving me a playful push. He walked off and I balanced myself as I knelt, watching him. Henrick made his way to stand on a hill and looked out over the land. I knew what he was doing, he was being the look out. I smiled and yawned, laying on the ground. I rolled to my side to watch him as he placed his hands on his hips and the raised a hand and rubbed his nose. I could only wait now; wait for my friends. I lie, I wait for my friend and the other; my love.

(next chapter coming soon, hope you like it so far, please leave a review)