The halfling walked hesitantly and with great stealth along the cold stone hallway. Ahead, a soft light flickered from underneath an old wooden door.

Reaching the door, he tried the handle and the door creaked open. The halfling’s eyes looked around the room, moving like a bat’s eyes might if it was looking around a room. In contrast to the grey and dark hallway, the wood panelled room was lit by the warm light of torches and scented candles, and soft violin music drifted from an adjoining room. Who was playing the music, he wondered.

From the adjoining room, a voice. “Have you ever heard such a song?” the voice said in an unusual tone, soft, yet sharp like a bat’s tooth.

“There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea You became the light on the dark side of me -”

The door to the adjoining room opened and there was the Count. Behind him an antique chaise longue.

“I thought you slept in a coffin…?” the halfling said.

“Not when there are two of us,” said the count.

THE END