"That explains your fear!" Bevin shouts, "They're chasing after you!"

"No. There's no... I hid my tracks. Nothing's following me."

"Our agreement is over." He stalks towards me. "Give me the gold and get lost." It's not a request, but an order. He's not approaching to shake my hand, but to pin me down and take the doorknob by force.

I draw my sword.

He pauses just a few feet away and draws his too. A stone sinks in my stomach. All I've done is escalate the situation.

Ina looks to be searching for a stone, and Aled has his arms crossed, not taking his bow off his back. At least he's above resorting to violence.

My eyes search for an escape route. Thick vegetation surrounds the campfire behind me, making a quick exit impossible. Bevin blocks the way to the clearing by the river. He has me trapped.

My arms begin to shake. My only choice is to abandon the gold and pray that he'll let me pass without a fight.

A terrible cackle rips through the air, and my heart falls into my stomach. It's an unmistakable sound. Behind me – a ravager.

I whip around, and the blood drains from my face. The crooked figure stands by the fire where Aled and I were sitting just seconds ago.

A gust of wind pulls at the creature's long unkempt hair, revealing red eyes and jagged teeth underneath. Its fingers are wrapped around a large branch with pale torn wood at the end, making it look like it was freshly ripped off a tree with unnatural strength.

I take slow steps backwards, completely forgetting about the threat that Bevin posed a moment ago.

The creature's skin shows every pointed bone underneath, almost resembling a corpse. If it gets its claws on me, the decaying leftover fragments of my body would share the same look.

I flinch as the ravager screeches with its terrible scratchy voice.

An arrow whistles past my head, and the ravager leaps to the side, easily dodging it. It still has the speed of a vampire.

Bevin charges past me with a roar, aiming his sword at the creature's chest. It swings the branch upwards, deflecting his sword without even taking a step back.

Bevin rips is blade back around, going for the ravager's neck this time. It ducks down and swings the branch into Bevin's side. The force sends him to the ground, and his sword slides along the grass.

Another arrow shoots past, and the creature easily sidesteps it. It stands straight and raises the branch into the air, preparing to bring it down upon Bevin with the force of a bolder.

I was the closest to the ravager before Bevin charged in. He could've retreated and left me as a meal to slow it down, but he didn't. Against a ravager, we're on the same side.

Dropping my backpack, I rush forward with a shout of my own, swinging my oversized sword wildly from side to side. The creature's eyes jump to me, and it turns the raised branch to strike me instead.

My boots dig into the dirt, and I come to a sudden stop, keeping a number of sword lengths between myself and the creature. Rushing in would put me in the same position as Bevin, but my shout and bluffed charge draws the creature's attention for just long enough that Bevin manages to get up and move away.

I stand with my legs apart and my blade ready, gripped in two hands, with the dominant hand on top – just like Rahlan taught me. The ravagers scowls at me, letting out a guttural sound.

Afraid of looking away from the enemy for too long, I glance at Bevin through the corner of my eye. He's put some distance between himself and the imminent threat to his life.

I step back again, wanting to get away as well. How did Rahlan manage to defeat three of these things when one took down Bevin in seconds? Rahlan never rushed in like Bevin, instead he always waited for the ravagers to charge. I try think back to what Rahlan said about them. They're outcasts. They're addicted to bone marrow.

The creature's hollow eyes follow me as I step back.

Rahlan said that bone marrow deforms their bones and damages their vision. That's it. It can't see clearly, and its perception must be even worse when it moves. It could be relying on sound too, and if it ran at me, the rushing wind past its ears would hinder it even further.

I plant my feet into the ground and pull my sword back as if I'm about to strike air. The creature's eyes dance between the three of us before settling back on me. I'm the closest, and attacking the others would leave its vulnerable back to me. The Farians have retreated to the riverbank, not that Bevin could be much help without his sword.

I'm not getting any closer to that thing. It'll have to come to me. Rahlan would wait for them to charge, then he'd strike the instant that they came within his range. He was waiting for them to be at their most vulnerable.

The ravager bends to the grass and picks up Bevin's sword. My body shivers. It's a diseased vampire. It wants me to run, to make it easy, so it can pounce on my back.

The ravager lurches down, like he's readying himself to spring forward. The image of that sword impaling my stomach makes my hands shake. There's no Rahlan to defend me now, and one strike is all the ravager needs to kill me. I resist the urge to move, knowing I need to be ready to dodge the moment he charges.

The ravager screeches again and rushes towards me, pointing the sword forward like a spear. I lunge to my right, losing my confidence to attempt a strike. The ravager runs right past me as if I hadn't moved, stopping just before the river's edge.

It may have the speed of a vampire, but it senses are clouded.

The ravager twists around and charges towards me again. I jump out of its path and swing my sword the moment it rushes past. The blade makes contact, and a thrill shoots through my heart.

Coming to a sudden stop, it screeches and reaches for its back. Despite the urge to run at it and strike again while it's distracted, I don't allow myself to get lost in the rush. Instead, I ready my stance and plan which way I'll lunge the next time it charges.

Bevin, Ina and Aled have split up in fear, but the ravager's attention remains focused on me. His eyes narrow, the red irises barely visible.

I glare back, daring him to charge again. Try one more time, demon.

It bolts towards me, swinging the sword wildly in every direction. I leap out of its way and stretch out my sword to intercept its path.

It runs right into my strike, and my blade cuts deep into its arm. There's a screech and a thud as Bevin's stolen sword hits the ground.

The ravager cries out but keeps running, heading straight for the river. Its foot slips over the wet rocks, and it collapses into the water only to spring up a moment later. It scrambles through the river and emerges on the opposite bank, supporting its injured arm with the other.

Its figure disappears into the darkness, and soon the sound of disturbed leaves and snapping twigs fades into nothing.

My gaze falls to my hands. A tingle bounces through my fingers. Maroon blood drips down the sword, marking my hand. I'm reminded of the purple cut still healing on my forearm. The ravagers injury from my blade was of his own doing, not mine. While striking him sent a rush through my body, he was the one who charged with the intent to kill, not me.

Bevin's on his feet again, seemingly unencumbered by the ravager's initial strike. The three of them all stare at me with wide eyes. This victory was from nothing more than knowing about the ravagers blind spot, and luck that there was only one, not due to any non-existent swordsmanship ability.

My bag lies on the ground where I dropped it. Digging through it confirms that the golden doorknob has not been swiped.

Packing my sword away will stain my coat with blood, and I think I'll feel a little better with it in my hand right now.

Ignoring the Farians, I swing the bag on my back and begin walking south beside the river. The ravager ran off in the opposite direction. While I do feel a little more confident with my ability to fight them off, I'm not going to hang around a glowing beacon anymore, especially with people I don't trust. I should get out of here before they regain their confidence and try take the doorknob by force.

"Julia," Bevin calls behind me.

My pace quickens, and my eyes remain forward. He attacked the ravager when its attention was on me, and I did the same for him. I owe them nothing.

"Julia." He's right behind me this time.

My grip tightens around my sword. He believes that the ravager was the thing that bit me before, that it was following me and that this is all my fault. I've got nothing to prove to him.

His hand wraps around my arm.

I swing around and aim my blade at his chest with my other hand. "My tracks were hidden. Your fire drew that creature," I spit. "Let go."

His eyes land on my sword. He may think I'm overreacting by aiming my weapon at him when he's unarmed, but he could easily overpower me in a fist fight, and he's been less than friendly so far.

He removes his hand from my arm. "I believe you."

I step back. He does?

"Do you think..." He turns to look where the ravager ran off, "Do you think there are more?"

"Don't know, and I don't plan on waiting around to find out." I begin walking again, wanting to get away from this area as quickly as possible.

Bevin hurries to walk beside me. Ina and Aled abandon the light of the fire and catch up to us. Aled's carrying Bevin's sword, maybe to avoid repeating the mistake of allowing a vampire to pick it up.

"So there could be another?" Bevin asks.

My eyes scan the dark vegetation as I walk. "I've seen three in one place."

Ina gasps. "Three? How did you beat them?"

I didn't. The man which left this mark on my neck did, and even he was wary when there were that many.

Ina doesn't get her answer, and she deduces that I'm not interested in talking about it.

"Can you wait a moment while we pack?" Bevin asks.

I stop, turning back to face the three of them. Do they want to travel with me again? Is it because I predicted a ravager finding us, or that I managed to ward it off?

"You will guide me to Fekby?" I ask.

"Yes," Bevin says, "with the same arrangement as before."

Ina and Aled nod too.

I don't know where Fekby is, and without their guidance, I could be traveling for weeks before stumbling upon any village. Ivan will eventually move on, and every day longer it takes me to reach Fekby, the greater the chance that I'll miss him.

I nod once. Traveling with these Farians doesn't mean that I have to like them.

Aled hands Bevin his sword and heads back to the fire with Ina. Bevin stays beside me, probably not trusting that I won't leave them. After his threats a few minutes ago, they couldn't blame me.

I clean my sword off on a large leaf and slide it back in my backpack. The river water washes the ravager's dark blood off my hands.

Holding his side in discomfort, Bevin sits on the ground. "I never imagined that vampires were so beastly."

I shake my hands dry, still keeping a watchful eye on the vegetation. "The normal ones aren't."

He gives me a puzzled look.

"That was a ravager – a vampire crippled by addiction," I say.

He glances back in the direction it ran off. "It did not appear crippled?"

When Rahlan and Ohan dueled in the vampire camp, their movements were fast and precise. Their strikes came in a barrage, each one hitting with so much force that I thought their wooden swords would snap. They quickly reacted to each other's moves, fully aware of the world around them.

"If it was a normal vampire, we'd be lucky to survive as prisoners," I say.

The look on his face seems to show that he understands my apprehension.

When the ravagers ambushed Rahlan and I, I had no idea they were upon us until he called them out. They were creeping in the long grass, stalking us. How long was this ravager watching us? Did it follow us throughout the day? The thought that I could've been snatched up whenever I was near the thick bushes makes my stomach flip. From here on in, I'm staying as far out in the open as possible.

Soon Aled and Ina return with their bags, and we follow the river south under the black of night.

* * * * * * * *

After a few hours of walking beside the river, the forest opens up to a meadow. My legs are exhausted, and it'll be dawn soon. In this open field, the trees are sparse, too far away from each other to allow a ravager to sneak up on us. The grass only reaches to my knees – short enough that it can't hide anything.

I turn to face the others. They look just as tired, but the shock from our earlier encounter suppresses any complaints.

"We'll sleep in shifts," I say. Even Rahlan was wary after driving the ravagers off. I'd be a fool to have more confidence than a vampire.

The look on Bevin and Ina's faces indicate that they aren't pleased with my decision, but they keep it to themselves. Bevin wants to be the one in charge, but he knows that overruling me here will result in me leaving them behind. I'd rather spend ages searching for Fekby than be eaten.

"Two will watch, two will sleep," I say, "Who will join me for the first shift?" They're less likely to argue if I volunteer to be the first to stay awake.

"I will," Aled says.

I nod, and we all find a comfortable place on the ground. Bevin and Ina layout blankets and make themselves a bed, and Aled and I sit facing opposite directions. I'm not taking any unnecessary chances. It goes without saying that we're not lighting a fire.

Digging in my bag, I find the thick coat and wrap it around my body, keeping out the cold air. At least if I get too comfortable and fall asleep, Aled will be here to wake me up.

Bevin and Ina soon still, leaving just Aled and I to watch the field.

I take out the sextant and look through the eyepiece. Rahlan's instructions replay in my head, and I line the sight up with various stars, all while being careful not to take my eyes off the grass for too long.

"What's that?" Aled whispers.

I pinch the string tight along the ruler arc and lay the instrument down on my lap. "A Sextant. I'm measuring how far we've traveled."

"Looks expensive," he says.

I shrug. Rahlan's the one who paid for it. First the doorknob and now his sextant. The thought of him growling in annoyance every time he discovers another one of his expensive possessions missing makes me smile. I'm not a thief, but I suppose that there are some hidden costs that come with keeping a human captive.

"What's the reading?" he asks.

Tallying the numbers in the dirt makes the calculation easier. "Ten miles today," I whisper.

Aled reaches for one of their bags and picks out a wooden slate covered in engraved markings and curves. It's like the map that I saw at the trade post. "Here's Fekby." He points to a symbol. "Ten miles means we should be somewhere here." His finger runs along the line representing the river.

He picks a stalk and lines it up with the symbol marking Fekby. "If we keep pace, we'll reach Fekby tomorrow night."

Tomorrow night. After all this traveling, I'm so close. It doesn't seem real.

I pack the sextant away and lean on my bag.

My gaze falls back on Ina and Bevin's makeshift bed. She's tucked under his arms, her nose just poking out from under the blanket. It's clear that she's precious to him. Protected in her little cocoon, I imagine that she'll get the best sleep of any of us tonight.

I pull the large coat tight around my frame, imagining a particular set of arms holding me too. I'm not going to torture myself anymore over the fact that I found comfort with Rahlan. Life is hard enough as it is, and if imagining Rahlan holding me makes things better, then I'll pretend all I want.

* * * * * * * *

I sleep against my bag, as Bevin hasn't given me a reason to believe that he is above stealing the doorknob.

The next morning, we travel over foothills, following a series of obscure paths and streams. The three of them are moving faster, with more confidence than in the forest. They know this land well.

By midday, our path leads us to the edge of a rocky cliff. Crouching down to eliminate any chance of falling, I peer over the edge. The ground looks like it's suddenly fallen fifty feet into the earth.

Bevin steps onto a lower ledge on the cliff face and offers his hand to me.

I catch it and take my first step down the sharp cliff.

Aled and Ina follow closely behind me, and we begin our descent down the cliff face along a path barely wide enough to accommodate one person. The route Jacob taught me also involved climbing down small cliffs, so we must be getting closer.

The wind attacks us as we climb, as if it's trying to knock us off the edge. I hug the rock face as I move, refusing to look down.

We take slow steps, though I suspect they'd be moving faster without me.

Bevin leaps off the ledge, and I gasp. Keeping my body plastered to the rock face, I peer over the edge. There's solid ground – with Bevin standing safely on the other side of a thin ravine.

"Jump." Bevin holds out his hands.

I swallow a lump in my throat and stare into the dark four-foot crack that separates me from safety. It's pitch-black and just large enough to swallow me whole.

Aled gives me a reassuring nod. I've come this far. A little fear of heights won't stop me.

I slide my feet into position and rock back and forth, preparing myself for the jump.

I suck in my breath and leap off the rock. My body crashes into Bevin's arms, causing him to stumble back and fall on his butt.

"Thanks," I say. I may have jumped a little too far.

Aled and Ina make the leap before Bevin and I are back on our feet. I gaze back at the high cliff. It brings back the image of the tall black walls surrounding the vampire city.

Bevin taps on my shoulder, bringing my attention to the vast fields of waist-high brush ahead of us. "Welcome to Faria."

A smile crosses my face. I'm in Faria, the human kingdom, free of vampires.

We weave our way between the brush throughout the afternoon. By the time dusk settles in, the cliffs are out of sight.

As the last of the sun begins to disappear, a thin column of gray smoke rises in the distance. It's from a small fire, like one built to heat a home. "Is that..." I trail off.

"Fekby," Bevin says.