Coming Home

[sully]

Reserved for Billiam

"God that felt fucking good." Royce muttered to himself as he flicked his dying cigarette into the overflowing ashtray and lit another. He looked over at the couch in front of him, taking in the sight of the two lovers slowly drifting off to blissful sleep. The man and woman, their skin a light olive, their hair thick, black, and curly, and their bodies covered with tight, bulging muscles, were naked and lay spooning one another, the man softly stroking the woman's thigh. Small puncture wounds dotted their neck, arms, and legs, where thin threads of blood had begun to slowly dry. They were nice people, a young couple from Italy visiting America on their honeymoon who he just happened to run into as he arrived at the airport. While they spoke little English, they had been very happy to accept Royce's offer of giving them a ride on his jet, especially once he had hinted at what he desired in compensation. He couldn't say for certain, but it seemed likely that they were fang bangers, even if they would not refer to themselves as such. They happily offered their blood to him, going as far to beg him to drink from them as their passionate love making became hotter and hotter.

Royce reclined in his chair, feeling the cold recycled air of the jet's AC against his naked body and savored in his first feeling of drunkenness in nearly five years. The Giovanni had forbid him to drink from any inebriated humans and had given him little room to try and circumvent that rule. He desperately wanted to get fully trashed, since it had been FAR too long, but he had felt bad pressuring the couple to drink to such an amount and also knew that Ari would not be happy if he showed up drunk as a skunk.

At the thought of Ari, Royce's chest ached with longing, guilt, and just a hint of betrayal. He had gone over that night a thousand times over the past few years, but still could not say with certainty that he thought Ari had approved of his punishment. While the crime itself hadn't been much, the clear message from Charon and the rest of the family was that Royce had become an annoyance that needed to be sorted out. And in his heart, Royce feared Ari felt the same. He'd received no communication from his sire during his time in LA, although he did not know if it was by Ari's choice or Charon. Royce wouldn't put it past the old geezer to decree that Royce was to be kept at arms length while he was away. But he feared that it had been Ari's choice to cut off contact with his fledge, desiring a few years of peace and quiet before Royce came back to cause more trouble.

A soft chime echoed through the cabin as the stewardess left the cockpit and walked over to Royce. If she was bothered by the state of the jet or the nakedness of its passengers, she gave no notice. She gave Royce a polite smile and said "Sorry to bother you Master Royce, but the pilot wanted to inform you we'd be landing in a few minutes. Is there anything more I can do for you before then?". Royce smiled back and replied "Nah, I'm good love. Seeing your pretty smile's enough." The woman lightly giggled and returned to the cockpit. After the door closed behind her, Royce stood and began to dress himself, feeling the plane begin to descend gradually toward the ground. His wardrobe consisted of black leather pants, a tight dark maroon dress shirt, unbuttoned down to his chest, alligator leather shoes, and a large black overcoat with a fox fur collar. He walked over to the couch, preparing to shake the couple awake, but saw that they had both fallen fast asleep. Deciding to leave them be, Royce sat back down and waited for the thump of the plane landing.

Fifteen minutes later, the jet's door opened, allowing the cool, moist air of the City flow into the cabin. Royce took a deep breath of it and slowly descended the staircase. The pilot and stewardess were waiting at the bottom, chatting with the limousine driver which had been waiting for him. He walked over to the group and took out a large wad of cash. He handed some to the pilot, some to the stewardess, and gave a little more to the latter, telling her to give it to the couple once they'd awaken and asked her to help them arrange flights to wherever they liked. She happily agreed and the pilot gave a thankful nod, both quickly turning back to the aircraft to finish their respective jobs. Royce greeted the driver warmly and slipped through the open door and into the dark confines of the limo.

Neither Royce or the driver spoke as the limo drove on towards the Penbrook Estate. Royce felt his buzz slowly drifting away as the nervous thoughts about what awaited him grew louder and louder in his mind. He knew that his punishment was still not truly over and the true test would come when the family would assess if he had truly changed his ways. Royce knew he had not, holding onto his hedonistic desires and rebellious attitude with a vice like grip in his soul. While he knew his personality had gotten him into more troubles than he could remember, he was loathe to change who he was simply because Charon and the rest of his family demanded it. Royce hoped Ari was not of that opinion as the limo entered the Penbrook Estate grounds and he exited the limo, gazing up at the mansion and wondering where Ari was waiting for him.

[Black Philip]

An ax swung daringly through the air, slicing a firm piece of oak into two smaller pieces. The bearer of the weapon stood shirtless, and barefoot, his long blonde hair messily worked into a long topknot. His only clothing was a pair of shorts, and that was only because he'd been told that total nudity made some of the servants uncomfortable. The ax swung again, and another piece of wood was split evenly in two. Ari stacked the wood on a pile meant to be burned in the fireplaces of Penbrook, and smiled at his good work. Being a vampire made the job quick and easy for him, and the repetitive task was soothing to his troubled mind. His thoughts had been darker in general lately, and he'd been spending more and more time in the woods that flanked the estate. Each family member had a theory about their already isolated family member's increasing isolation, but none had dared approach him about it, not even Charon.

His nerves were especially cooked today, for Royce was due to arrive. Ari thought with annoyance that Royce might venture off to Europe for a few weeks and miss his return date just to spite Charon. He never could resist the call of the old world, and he so loved to never arrive anywhere on time. What started as annoyance turned to longing, and he thought of his fledge's pretty face, and disarming smile. He remembered the words of the latest meditation book he'd been reading.

Focus on the task in front of you to discipline your mind.

There was wood still to be cut, and so Ari picked up another log and placed it on the chopping block. Slice! Two more pieces fell to the ground, and just like that Royce's arrival was wiped away. Only Ari's chores occupied his conscious thoughts. After he finished the wood pile, he needed to feed the horses, then there was the fence to tend to, and of course he had to check the dead pieces of lawn and tell Charon where new grass seed would be needed. Maybe Hugh would end up doing the planting. He'd noticed the two men shared gardening in common. Hugh made Ari think of Royce's nickname, and he snickered privately at the title. "The butler" wasn't as rude as Royce was capable, but it was far from kind. Now with his thoughts back on Royce, Ari was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate. He threw down the ax and gathered up the wood instead. This was more than enough to light the manor's many hearths.

He made his way towards the stables, and as he walked, thought of the last time he'd seen his darling child. He loved Royce more than any other being in existence, and sometimes feared Royce was the only thing he loved at all. Love was such a strong feeling, and Ari resented being subjected to anything more emotionally intense than mild amusement. Royce brought out those strong emotions, and it was both what had made Ari want to sire him, and the reason he'd let Royce get away with murder - no pun intended - for so long. Things had to be different this time. Ari felt his own relationship with Charon grow more distant after Royce's banishment, that was called an exchange program. He didn't resent his grandsire for the action. Royce was truly out of control, and Ari had failed miserably at managing him, but he hated being kept away from his fledge for so long. He hoped these Giovanni had taught him at least how to play the game better, but was happy that Royce was no longer surrounded by necromancers. As he'd told his sister just days before, he feared Royce would come back with a zombie as a pet, or something else just as scandalous.

Around the time he was due to arrive, Ari had finished all his activities, and made his way over to the shower hut he'd installed. He'd tracked in mud and dirt one too many times for Hugh's liking and he'd felt bad for the poor human servants who'd ended up cleaning up his messes. Now he could get the dirt off of him before going inside. The hot water felt nice after the long day of work. It's not that he was physically tired. He never felt anything like exhaustion at his age, but for his own mental health he imagined what that would be like. How was it to have aches and bruises, and want to relax after a hard day's work? It was something he asked humans about regularly, and while they all told him being sore and tired was awful, it was still something he longed to experience again. Once he was clean, he put on a pair of socks and shoes and made his way into the manor house. He was greeted with a glass of blood and thanked the human who'd brought it to him. He ended up in the southern drawing room and sat with a book on bird species. He felt the aura of his fledge drawing close, and waited with a dull apprehension.

[sully]

Royce stared blankly at the large ornate entrance to the mansion. He heard the limo drive off slowly behind him, half wondering if he could still call out, hop back in, and go somewhere else. The instinct to run had been ingrained in him since childhood and that familiar itch was rearing its ugly head. But Royce knew he had no real choice. While he refused to change who he was entirely, he knew if he continued to cause trouble without at least pretending to mended his ways, Charon might see fit to finally be rid of him for good.

Letting out a long, frustrated sigh, Royce pushed open the door and entered the mansion. Human servants walked briskly through the foyer, carrying various items intended for some unknown purpose. They all greeted him warmly and by name, which felt a bit odd since many of them he didn't recognize. Those he did greeted him warmly, putting aside their task and embracing him. For the first time, Royce began to feel very happy to be home. But in the same instance, he felt the pull of his sire above him, locating him in one of the drawing rooms upstairs. Royce took out a cigarette, lit it, and began walking towards the room.

Again, Royce became frozen as he stood before the door. He knew Ari would sense him waiting there, but he still could not build up the courage to open the door. So many things unsaid between them over the past five years. He wondered if Ari was the same man he knew. Five years was nothing, especially to a vampire of Ari's age, but Royce still feared the unknown that stood before him. He know that as soon as he opened the door and laid eyes on his sire, the unknown would be gone, replaced by only cold reality that could not be wished away. I should have just flown to Paris he thought to himself. With a deep drag of his cigarette and the biggest cocky smile he could muster, Royce opened the door and loudly proclaimed "Honeyyyyyy I'm homeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!"

[Black Philip]

Ari smelt Royce coming up the stairs, the revolting stench of cigarettes being unavoidable to one of his age. He'd told Royce a million times that cigarettes were dangerous, and why any vampire would put fire near them by choice was something Ari would never understand. Still, it was strangely welcome. Nobody else in the house smoked, and so in an odd way it was yet another sign that Royce had returned to him. He felt Royce come up the stairs, and his own nerves began to rise.

He wondered how Royce would present himself. Had he learned anything in exile, or did he merely do what had to be done to be allowed to return? Ari hoped for a bit of both. Royce was exactly the person Ari wanted him to be in many ways. It was Royce's spark for life that had drawn Ari to him, but unfortunately moderation was not a concept Royce understood. It was the root of many struggles between the two. Ari closed his bird book, thinking if it was open Royce might suspect him of theatrics. He was unsure if he should stand, stay sitting or be doing something else.

Why am I so nervous, he thought as his eyes darted around the drawing room. He settled on standing by the fireplace, and winding the clock that was on the mantle. He felt Royce just on the other side of the door, and while he knew it wasn't really occurring he imagined a racing heart within him. Royce was taking his sweet time coming in, and Ari had half decided to go open the door when Royce made his entrance. Ari wanted to be mad at him. It was so loud and unnecessary, a sign Royce hadn't taken his time away seriously, but as he turned and looked upon his sweet fledge he was filled with only love. He even found the American phrase cute, and realized that it meant on some level Ari was hunny. He liked that very much.

The ancient crossed the room and stood only a few inches from Royce, towering over him due to the difference in height. His eyes looked the same steely cold that Royce would remember, and his mouth was a pensive line. He couldn't think of what to say. A million possibilities crossed his consciousness in a matter of seconds. 

You're back. Wait he just said that.
I missed you so much. No too cheesy.
Don't be so loud. No, too cross.

He ended up just wrapping Royce in an embrace and kissing the side of his neck, letting his body do what his words could not. He decided to say the bare minimum, and to say only something he knew was one hundred percent true. "I'm glad you've come home."

[sully]

As Ari swept Royce into his arms, for the first time in five years, Royce allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. His brain told him that this relief would only be a brief reprieve from the trials ahead, but he forced himself further into his sire's embrace and quieted his mind. Despite Ari's recent shower, Royce could still smell the faint traces of the outdoors, sweat, and animals on him. It reminded him of their first hundred years together, Ari trying time and again to get his fledge involved in his agrarian interests. But Royce would always half-ass the job and complain until Ari eventually let him run off to the servants quarters or his favorite tavern.

A familiar sense of guilt bubbled inside of Royce, that gruesome thought that always came to him right before going to ground; the simple fact that he would never be good enough for Ari, either as a fledge or a lover. The man was a force of nature, a being born of the very earth itself, with the power and resolve to match. Royce on the other hand was like a leaf on the breeze, constantly trying to stay airborne, dreading the inevitable crash to the cold hard autumn ground. Monica Anderson had been the closest Royce had come to crashing, and only the smallest wisp of wind had kept him from fully falling apart. Royce's fear of stability and hatred of authority had caused Ari centuries worth of annoyance that he knew he'd never be able to make up for. And while in his heart he knew that Ari held none of it against him, Royce couldn't help but feel that he should.

Casting those thoughts aside, Royce extracted himself from the embrace and said "Me too love, me too." He looked over to the book Ari had been reading. "Really??? You spend all your time outside, clomping around in the mud and the brush, and as soon as you're inside, you just want to read about the birds you JUST saw??" Royce asked with a wink and a deep drag of the cigarette. He walked over to a window, opened it, and sat on the small ledge, blowing smoke out the window.

[Black Philip]

When Royce squirmed out of the hug, Ari wondered if he'd been too emotional. He knew Royce was about the only thing that made him act like a fool, laugh uproariously, or shed tears. It was almost impossible for him to cry at this point, but the night Royce was banished Ari had cried very hard indeed. Even now, as his hobbies were mocked, the annoyance he felt was only because of Royce. He wondered if it made him weaker or stronger overall, and decided like most things that it was likely both. He moved to put the book back on it's shelf, but stopped short, holding the tome in his hands.

"Well, that's not quite accurate. This book is on African birds. I won't see any like them around the estate."

His explanation was lame, and he knew it was. He suspected Royce had some clever retort ready to throw back at him. He'd never been good at games of wits like that. He placed the book on the shelf, and moved towards the window. His face turned into a puzzled one, and he undid his top knot, shaking out his long hair and pushing it behind his shoulders. It needed some tending to, and in the old days Royce had insisted hair like Ari's should properly be cared for. He was almost embarrassed to be seen so unkempt.

Ari now stood over Royce, who looked even smaller sitting. It should be easier to speak to him, to say all the things he'd rehearsed before his arrival. He opened his mouth but closed it again.

"Charon will want to know you've arrived," he finally observed, fully sure Charon already knew. He knew everything that happened in his house it seemed.

[sully]

If Royce had heard Ari's response, he made no sign of it. His eyes looked out the window, tracking the slowly rising crescent moon over the treeline. Charon's face, twisted in a pitying grin, plagued Royce's mind as it had in LA. The terror was made worse by the fact that Royce could swear he heard Charon's voice emanating from somewhere on the grounds. Royce was sure Charon had been keeping a close eye on him since he left the Giovanni estate and highly doubted he could have entered the estate without Charon knowing the exact second his foot crossed the threshold. The ancient was probably biding his time somewhere in the estate, allowing Ari and Royce a nice reunion until it was Charon's queue to enter.

With the same intensity Royce had felt joy at being reunited with his sire, he had dreaded his inevitable reunion with his great-grandsire, imaging both scenarios countless times during his five year banishment. Charon would give him a respectable level of welcome on Royce's return, asking him how his time in LA was (even though he had been getting monthly reports from the head of the Giovanni family), and mentioning the accomplishments of the family since he'd left. All would seem fine until the moment Charon left the room, and finally said what he had looked forward to saying since entering the room. "Hope you've learned your lesson now about your behavior. I hate to imagine what punishment you'd have to endure when you screw up again." a smug fucking smile across the old son of bitch's disgusting face...

Royce shook his head softly, dispelling the imagined mental constructs he'd spent crafting over five years. He was no longer banished. He had Ari. He was free. He didn't have to create possible scenarios for what was to come because it was about to happen. Turning back to his sire's face, Royce gave him a weak smile, letting out a sad chuckle as he said "Aye, but something tells me the old bastard knew I was here the moment I walked through the door. He'll come ruin our fun when he's good and ready. So... how you been?"

[Black Philip]

Ari frowned as Royce disparaged their progenitor Charon could be rough there was no doubt, but he was wise and worthy of listening to. He'd survived three thousand years after all. He had to be doing something right. While Ari thought of himself as independent and fully grown, Charon could make him feel like a fledge again. There was never a moment when his grandsire wouldn't be double Ari's age, and that fact was a sobering one. Royce needed to learn that Charon was not someone to fear, but a person to seek counsel and learn from. Ari had tried pointing all of this out to the fiery young one before and to little avail. He saw the ancient one as part of the old world. The young so often felt the old had nothing to offer. He wondered if Royce though he had nothing to offer as well.

Ari also didn't know how to answer Royce's question about how he'd been doing. He'd been detached, empty and unsettled. The hunt helped, as did all his meditation and spiritual practice, but there was an emptiness in eternity that had been exposed. It was why he'd begged Charon to let Royce come home. He hoped being around his child would help him reconnect to the world. While he didn't like showing his feelings, he wanted to have them. Royce had made him feel in the past. He hoped he'd do so once again. He should've told all this to Royce right then and there, but instead he simply looked uncomfortable and stammered through his reply.

"Well, I'm... I'm glad you're home. Things will be better for me having you close."

He walked over to one of the room's bookcases and shelved his book on birds. He hoped Royce wasn't looking at him. He didn't want to appear weak. He decided now was also a good time to tell Royce his other decision.

"I've been investigating the idea of making another." He now turned to see Royce's reaction.

[sully]

Royce unceremoniously stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill, leaving a light black stain on the white wood. A voice in the back of his head reprimanded him for leaving work for some poor human follower, but he wasn't in the mood to worry about consequences. He was stewing over Ari's confession. Before he had been banished, Royce would have instantly stormed from the room, cursing out Ari and everything he stood for, and gone to some bar to get blind and filthy drunk. And the next morning he'd come back, apologizing profusely to Ari and knowing that all would be forgiven, no matter what he said.

But now, Royce was unsure how to react. The rebellious fire that had raged in him for the past 300 years was only softly flickering now, a hollow sense of emptiness filling his heart. He wasn't sure if Ari's confession was truthful, or simply a way to guilt him for his absence. Regardless, Royce was hurt at the idea, although did not blame Ari for his desire for another child. Perhaps he'd be able to get it right this time...

After a short period of silence, Royce gave Ari another sad smile and said "That's wonderful. Any fledge would be overjoyed to have you as a sire." He returned to staring at the window, lighting another cigarette as he stared out into the warm night.

[Black Philip]

Ari crossed the room and stood directly behind Royce, arms stretching out and wrapping around his child. He'd expected a tantrum. Had he wanted Royce to pout? An image of a surly Royce making a scene and storming off filled Ari's mind. The passion of Royce's emotions led to Ari feeling that passion too, and without it he was lost as how to respond. He didn't miss the sad smile, and felt it was enough to know that on some level he wasn't as excited and happy for Ari as his words had sounded.

On another level he was proud of Royce. Perhaps L.A. had changed him. Why didn't that sit right? There was something unsaid between them, and Ari didn't know what it was. He decided to continue the conversation for now, but searched their bond for the hidden element. His arms squeezed Royce firmly but not painfully, and his hands ended up on the younger's chest.

"Will you help me when the time comes," he asked. "I want your input for whoever joins our bond."

[sully]

The cold emptiness vanished as Ari embraced him tight and Royce returned the gesture. The sadness continued to try and force its way to the forefront of his mind, but he fought it back. Five years without his sire was too long for him to spend their reunion sulking on things he could not change. Life was going to be different now, that was just the fact of the matter. As long as he had Ari at his side, Royce knew that he'd be able to handle anything that came his way.

Royce chuckled at Ari's question and replied "Of course! Lord knows you don't have the best choice in fledges." Shooting Ari a wink, Royce moved back to the windowsill and continued to smoke. He felt his buzz from the plane finally wearing off and wondered if he'd get a chance to go out and feed tonight. Worst comes to worst, he knew he could feed from one of the followers, but always felt awkward about asking. They almost always said yes, but he worried after what had happened five years ago, they might be a bit more cautious.

Putting that thought aside for now, Royce asked "So how have you been Ari? Not getting into too much trouble I hope. I know I was always your guiding star to keep you on the straight and narrow." His smile was now sly, his fangs slightly peaking out from his lips.

[Black Philip]

Ari felt so whole being this close to Royce, and was having difficulty keeping his feelings in check. He was happy Royce returned the embrace, but almost grumbled when he pulled away back to the window. He followed suit, but kept his hands to himself for the moment at least. The shy smile, and cute fanged face, only made Ari more happy, and he finally smiled himself, wide and broad and full of white, although not straight, teeth. Much of what he'd been feeling recently seemed distant and surreal. Right now, it was like they'd just met all those years ago. Royce had seen Ari smile more than most, but even he wouldn't be used to seeing the full thing. Royce had agreed to help him look, and for that he was grateful, sending a warm feeling through their bond. He decided enough had been said verbally. He projected his thoughts.

I had one in mind, but I dismissed him for being too like me. I need a fledge who can get my heart going, metaphorically of course.

Murphy would make someone an excellent fledge one day, and he thought based on his information that it would be Ben Samson or Jake McCloud. He would be better for one of them, a calming presence for two who's lives seemed at the center of a maelstrom. Royce would find a person like Murphy boring, and thinking that was all he needed to dismiss the idea of Murphy for the last time. Ari had made a Lovebite, feeling silly for doing so. He wasn't looking for love in the true sense of the word. He already loved, and was willing to wait for eternity for Royce to love him back in the same way. He theorized that on some level Royce already did, although it went unspoken.

I have been bored, he admitted to his fledge. I felt like I had nothing to do the last few years. I had no one to train, or look after, or go crazy over.

On that last point, he shot Royce an annoyed look, but it quickly returned to smiles. Royce made him crazy, but he also made him feel connected to the world. Was that what was the point of living, feeling crazy about the ones you love? He decided to check his self help books later.

[sully]

Royce continued smiling at his sire, but the sly humor had been replaced by loving kindness. He reached out with his mind and replied Oh thank god. I don't know what I'd do if I had to manage two of you. Internally laughing at his own humor, Royce's eyes turned once again out the window towards the dark forest grounds. The moon had risen above the tree line at this point and he felt the cool light wash over his face. A memory wafted softly through his mind, the smell of deer and wet leaves filling his nostrils as Royce thought back to his and Ari's first century together.

His sire, in his efforts to share his interest, had taken Royce out to the wooded area, now known as Richmond Park in London, a decade or so after Royce's siring. Royce, however, had felt no desire to learn about the finer points of nature that Ari reveled in, and after a few hours, gave his sire a wink and ran off into the forest with his newfound speed, calling out to Ari to chase him. For hours Ari "hunted" him as Royce continued to tease and goad him into catching him. Eventually, Ari found him, bursting through the trees and pinning Royce's lithe body to the cold ground with one hand wrapped loosely around his neck. For a few moments they stayed there, both savoring in the end of their hunt. Royce then reach towards Ari's crotch, rubbing his hard member and pleading with his eyes for the true completion of their little game. Ari was more than happy to comply and kissed Royce deeply as his free hand brushed his fledge's hand aside and began unbuttoning his pants. They spent the rest of the night taking the other inside of them, their cries of carnal ecstasy ringing out through the forest.

Though the place had changed, the two lovers had performed this ritual more times than Royce could count over the centuries. But it had been nearly a decade since they had last "hunted" one another. An idea sprouted in Royce's mind and the sly smile returned to his face. As he stood and walked towards his sire, Royce sent the memory of their first "hunt" into Ari's mind along with his carnal desires. He pressed himself close to the other man, softly grinding his crotch against his and softly kissed his sire's neck. Speaking out loud, Royce asked quietly, "Think you can still catch me old man?" Before Ari could respond, Royce turned and ran with inhuman speed, bursting through the window, somersaulting twice in the air, and landing softly on the grass two stories below. He looked up, finishing the last of his cigarette as he waited to see if Ari would give chase.

[Black Philip]

As normal, Ari hadn't been expecting what Royce did next, but he had to admit it's what he wanted. Five years without touching Royce's body once was far too long, and as their crotches connected, a low growl escaped his pink lips. The older vampire was about to scoop up his fledge and take him to a place more suited to what he knew would come next; or at least what he'd thought would come next. Once again Royce defied expectations. Ari felt the primal urges of their first hunt and he shuddered at the memory of final pinning Royce to the ground. The rebel had fought so hard, but Ari had proven that he'd always catch Royce, no matter what. Now he'd get to hunt Royce again, and Ari admitted to himself as Royce jumped through the open window, that he couldn't wait to see the look on his love's pretty face when he was finally pinned to the floor of the nearby forest. The Huntsman's dick was hard under his shorts, and he walked to the window, flipping off Royce with a smile before doing an effortless jump into a somersault before landing gracefully on the freshly mowed grass.

"Better get your head start," Ari teased back. "I want this to last a while."

There was something assertive about the last statement, like Royce almost had no say in how long the hunt would last. He stripped down till he was naked, and waited for Royce to run. Once his fledge was a reasonable distance away Ari bolted off in pursuit.

Continued in The Hunt