"Oh." The short blacksmith jumps up at the sound of my boots. "Welcome back miss."

I step inside the barn where he has both horses tethered. After changing my arm bandage, Rahlan told me to fetch the horses while Jaclyn packs her things. He took the task of watching Bevin, Ina and Aled, as if they could do anything while tied up.

The blacksmith runs his hand over Ari's mane. "Her new shoes are fitted. She's yours."

I pull two gold coins out of my pocket. "I need them both," I say.

He pauses for a moment, probably unable to believe his luck. Even if it means that he'll have to borrow a neighbor's horse for the harvest, two gold coins for two cart horses are well worth it.

He nods. "Then I will replace Ano's shoes too."

"No. I'll be taking them now, and I'll also need three silver coins in change."

He stops, and his eyes run from my boots to my head. I suddenly realize that my hair is disheveled and there are specks of blood on my hands. He knows that I'm in a hurry and am carrying an unusual number of coins. Has he deduced that I'm essentially a criminal about to flee the village?

I shove my incriminating hands in my pockets and take a step back. "Should I go somewhere else?"

"No, no." He fumbles with Ari's reins. "You can have them both immediately."

Taking both horse's leads, he brings them to the entrance of the stable. I hand him the two gold coins, and he passes both leads to me.

He glances at my fingers again, then he reaches into his pocket. I watch his hands, staying just out of reach in case he tries to grab me and turn me over to the townsfolk.

Three grey coins emerge from his pocket. "I wish you luck on your journey," he says.

Careful not to get to close, I stretch my arm out and take the coins with my free hand. "Thanks."

Keeping one eye on the man, I lead the horses out the stable and into the dusty street. Instead of following the road back to Jaclyn's home, I bring the horses behind the blacksmith's barn.

Ano keeps trying to pull away, and Ari is staring at me with her beady black eyes, occasionally letting out a snort. I take one lead in each hand to prevent the antsy one from agitating the other.

Hoping not to draw any extra attention to myself – a foreign girl walking off with both the blacksmith's horses – I guide them through the shrubs behind the village homes, out of sight of the main road.

After a few minutes of tugging, Ano finally gives in. While I may not be a confident rider, I learned how to handle farm horses by the time I was ten. Two wary cart horses won't be a challenge.

Upon arriving behind Jaclyn's house, I tether both horses to a post and head around to the front. There are a couple people on the road in view of Jaclyn's porch, but none of them appear to be paying any attention to me.

I knock on the wooden door. A moment later, the latch unlocks, and the door opens just enough that I can slip through. It's shut once I'm inside, and my vision takes a moment to adjust to the dark living room.

Rahlan's the one who let me in. Bevin, Ina and Aled are in the room where Rahlan was treated, now hidden behind a closed door.

I give Rahlan a nod, confirming that I've acquired both horses.

His curved sword is sheathed on his belt once again, and another sword is wrapped in linen on the other side of his waist. It has the same hilt that I held onto when fighting the ravager – the sword Keld gave me.

Jaclyn pops out the kitchen and places a sack on the floor. Since Rahlan had found another way to arm himself, she must've returned both swords to him.

Rahlan glances at the two measly sacks at her feet. "That is all?"

"Well I didn't live here for very long," she says. "This isn't the first time I've been displaced by vampires."

She's upset at having to uproot her life again, and she's taking it out on Rahlan. A good portion of her fury should be directed towards me, but her past experience with vampires led her to immediately drop the blame on Rahlan's shoulders. I will make it up to her. She will have a good life at Litton.

"Let us go," Rahlan says, paying no regard to her tone. I'll probably have to serve as a mediator between the two of them for a while.

I quickly move to the closed door across the room that leads to Bevin, Ina and Aled. Not wanting to face their judgmental gazes, I open the door just wide enough to place the three silver coins inside – one for each bottle that I purchased from them.

"What purpose do those serve?" Rahlan asks.

I close the door again. "It's payment for your treatment."

He smirks, and his hand slips into his coat pocket. A coin is tossed through the air, and I catch it.

"I'd assert that my life is worth a gold piece at minimum," he says.

A smile crosses my face. I open the door and place the gold coin beside the others. A nearby linen rag will hide them from any greedy rescuers.

Jaclyn tries to lift her traveling sacks, but she can't get them off the ground.

Rahlan snatches them both up in one hand, and Jaclyn stills for a moment. She's never had an ally with the strength of a vampire, and I guess that treating him as a patient and having lunch across from him may have led her to forget what he's capable of.

Taking my backpack in the same hand, Rahlan whips open the front door and steps outside. Not expecting him to just barge out into the open, Jaclyn and I race after him.

The street is sparsely dotted with locals, and almost all of them have stopped to stare at us. Rahlan has made no attempt to be inconspicuous, and his huge stature draws attention on its own. His foreign black coat and cape don't help, and if the villagers look any closer, they'll notice his pale skin and red eyes too.

I grab his hand and tug him around the house. Ano and Ari are waiting, still tied to the post.

"These do not appear to be destriers, nor are they fifteen hands tall." Rahlan circles around the horses. "Their hindquarters look as if they may collapse. Did you not heed any of my requirements?"

I run my hand over Ari's beautiful fur. "They're both older than seven years," I say.

Annoyed, he glances at the horses again. "I suppose they are."

"Ari and Ano will grow on you," I say.

Before I can attempt to climb up myself, Rahlan's hands find my waist, and I'm lifted up onto Ari. I hope that Jaclyn didn't see him lift me like a child.

Rahlan ties the two sacks together with my backpack and rests them onto Ano's shoulders, then Jaclyn climbs on Ano without any help from him. I turn away, my cheeks pink again.

Rahlan climbs on behind me and takes the reins. He directs Ari forward. Jaclyn follows right behind us, looking sharp and confident with her sleek black hair and jacket. I need to learn how to present myself like her.

Thankfully, Rahlan doesn't lead us through the middle of the village. After a short detour, we head North, back to Litton.

Fekby grows smaller behind us. I'm relieved that we don't have any pursuers. The fighting is over.

Rahlan places his free hand on my middle, pulling me closer to him.

I rest against his stone chest. We're on our way back to Litton, just as he wanted. After all the trouble he went through to reach me, it's hard to imagine him returning without me.

I lean my head back, looking up at him. When he asked if I was willing to go back with him, I thought that it was about what I wanted. What if he was simply probing to find out whether it was necessary to have to drag me back?

He glances down at me with his maroon eyes, meeting my gaze.

What if I had said no?

Before I can react, he plants a kiss on my forehead. I shrink away in surprise, but his hand around my middle keeps me close.

A warm feeling bubbles up inside me. I don't think that I'll ever get used to his adoration.

A point on the sword's hilt on his belt hooks on my thigh, and I nudge it out of the way. It's the sword that Keld gave me.

"You know, I beat a ravager in a sword fight," I say.

He chuckles. "There is no need to tell tales to impress me."

"It's true."

"Mm." He ruffles my hair.

"Rahlan."

100k words, 45 chapters, (probably 40 cliffhangers), definitely the biggest project I've made so far. Thank you so much for reading this book and for all the comments, votes and messages. It makes me so happy to see others interested in this story. I'm grateful for you all.