[There's an overall pattern to it. Sure, the length of time that Trevor is away is different each and every time, but that's just fine by all of them. The little variations mixed with the comfort of familarity is good for the vampire, who has managed to at least let Sypha hold his wolfy paws once a day. She's gotten a few scratches behind the ears in on Alucard's best days, and that's amazing if you go by Sypha.

Alucard still isn't sure how he feels about it. But Sypha smile at him in such a way that it's impossible not to react, and so he keeps going with it all. Slinks into the room during the winter and dozes beside the fire either as a man or a wolf. (It's unrequired, the fire, since the castle is heated. It's still nice.)

All is well until it isn't, the night creature's presence a thing of horror (the blue of it's eyes is the first thing Alucard reacts to.) Immediately his nose flares when the bundle is opened. The ear? Fine. Creepy, but fine. The liquid?

He's almost knocked to the floor. He never wanted that smell in his life again, and he chokes out Carmilla's name before there's that wildness on his face that matches the same wildness when he chased Carmilla out of the castle.]

Intercepted. She'll expect us to mount a rescue, or she'll threaten us until we make the attempt. We plan, then we go. It's impossible for her to anticipate everything.

[Sypha doesn't like it. Doesn't like the change in the vampire's behavior or his declaration, but as Alucard explains the possibilities if they stall, it's...it's understood that pretending to go along with the plan is for the best. So they prepare. Sypha lives int he Hold for a week while Alucard draws diagram after diagram of what is likely to be where and how to outsmart it.

And then they leave for Styria, Alucard a wolf and Sypha herself, pretending to be a traveler and her very large dog.]