There's a small cavity in the rock, curtained by the waterfall. I step inside the opening, entering a surreal world. The curtain of water morphs the land to a mixture of green and orange, and the once loud splashing is now a low rumble.

I open my palms and touch the stream, cleaning my hands and then my face. It feels good to be rid of the crusty blood and dirt from my panicked run last night.

I dump the remaining water out of the waterskin and fill it in the falling veil. It's much slower than simply shoving it in the river, but I don't mind spending a few extra minutes here.

A woman's laugh shatters the peaceful atmosphere. I jump back from the water curtain and press my body against the stone in a bid to hide.

The black scars that stained Jaclyn's skin pop to the front of my mind, the mark of the lethal venom often delivered by a vampire woman's bite.

Whoever's out there may want my blood or even my life. I feel sick.

There's a splash. She's in the river, just on the other side of the thin water curtain. The woman giggles and screams, and a man's laugh follows. There are two of them – a vampire couple that will happily turn me into their drink for the evening.

My shaking fingers struggle to find the handle of the sword in my backpack. I have to press one hand against the wet rock to keep myself steady. They haven't seen me. I need to keep my nerves under control and slip away without being noticed.

Finally finding the sword's hilt, I pull it out the bag and step back the way I came.

The splashing grows louder. They're close.

I near the edge of the water curtain and prepare to make a dash toward the trees.

Two figures jump out from behind the boulder, and my heart leaps out of my chest. It's a human woman – a naked human woman. A laughing man shoots out behind her and wraps his arms around her middle. One look at him shows that he is just as human as her, and just as lacking in clothes.

At the same moment, their eyes land on me, and their bodies go rigid. The woman screams and bolts back into the river, and the man hurries after her. There's a wild splashing as they race away from me.

The woman has tanned skin – the same as some of the Farian traders that would occasionally pass through our village. Jacob insisted that I memorize directions to reach Fekby, but the path started in my village and involved following a series of roads and landmarks, none of which are anywhere close to where I am now. These people are Farians. They can guide me to Fekby.

I step out after them. "Wait," I call. They probably think I'm trying to ambush them since they found me hiding away with this sword.

They scramble onto the shore and rush to a third man with a black beard, tanned skin and a large frame. The bearded man reaches behind his back and grabs a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other.

They think I'm a threat – possibly even a vampire with this suit. Not wanting to get any closer to the bowman, my feet stay planted on the boulder.

I slide my sword back into the bag on my back to show I don't intent to attack them. "I'm not one of them," I begin, "Listen to what I have to say."

The nude pair are haphazardly digging through a bag. The bearded man has an arrow nocked, but it's pointed at the ground. Taking that as a sign that he's not outright ready to murder me, I step off the boulder and onto the riverbank.

The first man stands beside the bowman with his own sword, making no effort to cover his God-given sword. The woman positions herself beside him with a sling in her hand, seeming to have the same lack of modesty as the man.

Despite the urge to grab my sword again, my hands rest uneasily at my sides. I focus my eyes on the bearded bowman, as he appears to be the most levelheaded. The bowman and the woman's tanned skin along with his red, yellow and blue checkered robe are just like the Farian traders which I remember. These people know their way around Faria, and they probably have food. A few weeks ago, I would have run like a mouse when encountering a group of armed strangers, but compared to vampires, these three aren't so intimidating.

"Are you headed back to Faria?" I ask.

Coming to the sensible conclusion that I have no plans of singlehandedly robbing the three of them by myself, the bowman's eyes leave my frame, opting to scan the surrounding trees instead.

Less sensibly, the nude man spits his answer back at me while keeping his sword drawn. "Get lost, Northerner."

Northerner. They have to be from Faria. I can't imagine the invading vampires wanting anything other than servitude from any human they encounter, so these three must be returning home.

"Do you know the village of Fekby?" I ask.

"I said get lost!" The wild man steps closer with his sword pointed at me.

I step back in sync and grab the hilt of the sword on my back. The bowman's eyes return to me. I'm not a trained fighter by any measure, but wielding a sword may make the man think twice about charging me.

He stops.

My hand remains on my weapon, but I keep it on my back. "I need escort to Fekby of Faria," I say loud enough to make sure they all hear.

"We have no time for charity, Northerner," the man spits. "Leave."

Despite his quick temper, he's deduced that I'm a refugee fleeing from the vampire army. The invasion is probably the reason their group is trekking through the woods instead of following a road.

I glance at the vegetation behind me to confirm that I have an escape route if this situation explodes. "I can pay with gold," I say.

His eyes move up and down my frame, and he chuckles. He doesn't believe someone like me could have anything of value.

"I have it with me."

"Show us!" the woman shouts. They're traders, and by their lack of a wagon I assume that the invasion made their journey into my country less than profitable. They need this gold just as much as I need them.

"I will," I say. While the wild man's lack of red eyes assures me that I can ward him off, turning my back and digging in my bag for the doorknob may be the catalyst that gives him the confidence to strike at me. They need my gold, which means I have some bargaining power. "Over dinner, after you put your weapons away," I add.

The man glances at his companions, and the woman gives him a sharp look, as if commanding him not to oppose her. She's a little taller than me, and she shares the same black hair as the other two.

"It's a trick for a free meal," he grunts.

"It wouldn't be a loss," the bowman says, "We are overstocked."

The wild man maneuvers his sword as if it was an extended finger pointing at me. "Don't hope to deceive us," he says, "I will not hesitate to cast you out."

I let my hand fall back to my side, away from my sword.

Resting his blade sideways over his bare shoulder, he turns his butt to me and walks away. The man and the women drop their weapons beside the bearded bowman and begin getting dressed.

I avert my eyes to the river, but my ears remain alert.

The man takes the woman's hand, and they sit together on a rock bordering the flowing water. Their sword and sling rest beside them, no further than an arm's reach away. They still suspect me, which I suppose is a reasonable response to a stranger that they stumbled into in the middle of the woods.

The large bowman begins unpacking a set of pots in a grassy clearing. This is where they're setting up camp, and more importantly, where they're cooking dinner.

I approach the bowman, stopping a small distance away on the opposite side of his pots so that he doesn't have to worry about me.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"I am Aled of Sharlo," he says. There was a giant stone near my home village called Aled rock. This man shares not just the name of a boulder, but also its size. He's large enough to pass for a vampire soldier.

He points to the couple. "and that is Ina of Sharlo and Bevin of Calden."

Bevin takes a giggling Ina in his arms, and they share a kiss. It's a pleasant moment with joyful lovers, one I'm not used to seeing after spending so much time traveling with bloodthirsty vampire soldiers.

"And you?" Aled asks, drawing my attention back to his eyes.

"I'm Julia of... Heldana." The last word sticks to my tongue, like I hadn't committed to saying it.

His brows draw together at my pause. "I do not walk beside liars."

"It was not a lie. I just don't travel often." Heldana was my home a month ago, and it's not like people there would refer to one another with an 'of Heldana'.

He pins me under his gaze, waiting for me to say more.

I avert my eyes to the river. The last time I saw Heldana was the night I fled with Neil and his companions, and a column of smoke rose behind us not long after we left.

"I'm not sure if Heldana is still a place," I say.

Appearing to accept my answer, he focuses back on his task – piling snapped twigs and dry grass for kindling.

By the time the sunsets, he has a fire boiling a pot of soup. I don't like the idea of lighting a fire with the possibility of ravagers around, but I decide to keep my concerns to myself for now.

Using my bag as a backrest, I've made myself comfortable. I'm facing Aled with the idea that I can watch for anything sneaking up on him, and he can do the same for me. Still feeling a little uneasy, my ears listen for any unexpected sounds that are out of my sight.

Bevin and Ina return from the river and take their places around the fire. Bevin gives me a sidelong glance, and I return his sharp look. If he wants this gold, he better get used to my presence.

Aled sprinkles ingredients over his boiling pot. I was just hoping for simple bread, but it seems these traders like to travel in luxury.

Aled pours the soup into four bowls. Steam from each one is only just visible under the fire's glow. He passes a bowl and spoon to each of us. I've been watching him cook, and with his frequent taste tests, I'm confident that it has not been poisoned.

A silence hangs in the air, no doubt due to my unwelcome presence. Paying no attention to Bevin and Ina's suspicious gazes, I sip hot soup out of the wooden spoon. A sweet pumpkin taste greets my mouth, quenching the void that has been growing in my stomach since last night. I fail to hold back my smile. I'd be in a stronger bargaining position if they didn't know how much I'm enjoying this soup, but whether it's from Aled's cooking skills or my empty stomach, I can't hide my reaction.

"It's really good," I say between mouthfuls, abandoning the idea of trying to hide how much I need them to make this journey.

Aled chuckles.

Ina begins slowly sipping her soup, as if my existence has made it sour.

Bevin puts his bowl by his feet without even having a taste. "You've had your dinner. Show us the gold."

He's desperate. Desperate and rude. Without having to worry about Rahlan's ridiculous table manners, I bring the bowl up to my mouth to make sure not a drop is wasted.

Aled is wearing a proud smirk under his black beard.

I reach into my pack and feel around until my fingers touch the smooth doorknob.

Ina gasps as I bring the doorknob into the firelight.

Now Bevin is the one failing to hold back his smile. It's more gold than any of them were expecting. He stands and approaches. "Let me see."

I jump up from my spot on the ground and swing my pack around my back. Now wouldn't be the time to abandon my sword. "You can see fine from there."

He stops, aware that I could easily reach back for my weapon. "I need to check that it's real," he says.

"You know it's real." I strap my pack tight on my back, sending the message that I'm ready to run if he tries pushing his luck. "You can hold it all you want after we've arrived at Fekby."

His lips make a thin line. "How do I know I'll actually receive it?"

"You know what has happened to this country," I say, "I'm not heading to Fekby to trade, and if I knew the route well enough to slip away, then I wouldn't need your guidance."

Ina stands. "All of it will be ours?" she asks. I suppose that she's justified in being suspicious that I'd be willing to pay so much. Living with my uncle in a free land makes shiny metal worthless in comparison, though I am wagering everything on the fact that he'll actually be there.

"After reuniting with my family, I'll have no need for gold," I say.

Ina smiles and tugs Bevin's arm, urging him to take a seat again at the fire, as though she's worried that his advances may scare me off.

They sit again, and I return to my place on the grass. Bevin's soup still sits untouched.

"Are you going to eat that?" I point at the soup.

He passes it to me without a word, staring into the fire, most probably contemplating all the goods he'll purchase using the gold.

"Big stomach for a small girl," Aled says.

I nod, not wanting to waste time talking when I could be eating.

Soon I've finished my food and have stacked my two bowls with the others. The sky is dark, and my previous sleepless night is weighing down on my shoulders, pushing me to get some rest.

I grab my bag and step back under the cover of the trees, scanning the leafy canopy over my head. Spotting a thick set of high branches, I swing my bag on my back and begin climbing.

By the time I reach the top, Bevin is standing at the base with his hands on his hips. "What are you doing?"

"Finding a safe spot to sleep." I wrap my body in the thick coat which I pinched on my way out of the castle.

"Or finding a spot to slip away after getting cold feet?"

I position the bag to be my pillow. "Demons give me cold feet, and that fire is a beacon."

"Vampires don't wander aimlessly through the forest, girl." His tone reveals that he thinks I know nothing. I've spent weeks traveling with vampires, I've met their king, I've been drunk from more times than I can remember, and I know that the threat of ravagers in these woods was great enough that Rahlan stations a guard over the village every night. This man's probably never even seen a vampire in his life. He has no idea what he's dealing with, and he dismisses my concerns, considering me a clueless village girl.

Though I cannot use my experiences to give credibility to what I'm saying, as admitting that I've spent so much time with vampires will lead to further questions, and the knowledge that I escaped them may spook these three into leaving me behind out of fear of incurring a vampire's wrath.

I lay down on the branch, facing my back to him. When I was too exhausted to keep running from the ravagers, Rahlan refused to stop, choosing to pick me up and keep going. It was good to travel with someone who took safety seriously, even if his captive was the only one in danger. Thinking back, Rahlan was more concerned for my safety than even I was, scolding me when I threw myself into the hunt by chasing after Jaclyn. Now that he's no longer here to protect me, I need to look out for myself.

If the ravagers attack these arrogant Farians, I will not hesitate to slip away.