Her Father's Daughter: Ch.1
By: Randa A.
I do not own Carl or Van Helsing besides the ones I created.
Riding the black stallions, Van Helsing and Carl rode to the banks of a slow creek with the sun burning on their backs and the wind playfully playing with the horses' hair. As they dismounted they led their horses to the edge of the stream, and relaxed as their horses started to drink and ret. "Van Helsing, we've been riding for three days shouldn't we take a day's rest?" asked an exhausted Carl who collapsed on a tree stump, where he put his head in his hands. "We have to keep moving, if we want to reach St. Adamson by tonight." Van Helsing told his tired comrade. St. Adamson was a small village he was sent to protect from a dangerous foe, but they didn't tell him from who or what he was assigned to protect the village from. It was good enough for him.
After a couple of minutes, he had hopped back on his horse and looked at Carl. "Ready to go?" He asked Carl. Carl gave a nod and then too mounted his horse; Van Helsing took off in an alarming pace. "Hey wait up!" Carl shouted as he gave his horse a little nudge with his foot and took off after him. Van Helsing smiled to himself, and as it started to get gloomier and the gentle blue skies were now turning a deadly gray, his smiled disappeared. He suddenly stopped the horse in its tracks and stared upon St. Adamson. And he shook his head. Then Carl caught up to him and also gazed upon St. Adamson and looked down to the floor, both men then did signs of the cross. What they were looking upon was a destroyed St. Adamson; it was thought to be the most protected village ever. "We're too late." Carl moaned. As the men rode into the silent village, the stench of death filled the air. He dismounted his horse, Van Helsing discovered a corpse of a woman hanging out the window, and her skin was pale as winter's snow as her mouth was open in a mute scream. With her eyes still open, he gently shuts them with two of his fingers so he can escape the woman's terrified look in her eyes. "What monster did this?" Van Helsing asked gritting his teeth. As he traveled down the path, he heard a small moan.
Taking out his gun, Van Helsing stalks into one of the cottages he heard it come from, but soon regretted his decision. A man was pinned to the wall through his shoulders, stapled by two skinny but large thorns. While a woman layer gently on the floor on her stomach with another thorn through her back. Van Helsing shook his head, as he heard rattling from a small basket. Slowly he walked towards the basket and quickly opens it thrusting the gun forward but stops when he spots what's inside. It's a small baby girl wrapped in a light green blanket, her finger wrapped around her ear and holding her toe with the other hand she smiles at Van Helsing with a toothless grin. Van Helsing, in spite of the environment around him smiles too. He then hears a noise behind him and spots a shadow on the wall, turns around spying Carl. He turns his attention to the little girl and gently picks her up, cradling her in his arms. "Were there any survivors?" he asked. "Their all dead, Van Helsing." Carl replied. Van Helsing turned around with the baby in his arms, "Except for her," He said showing Carl the little lady in his arms, "The only survivor of the St. Adamson Massacre is a mere child."
"What are we going to do with her?" Carl questioned peering down on the baby, who gave a small cute yawn. Looking at her, Van Helsing was surprised to see the youngster staring into his eyes deeply. On her finger, was a small cut but it wasn't bleeding. "We, are going to take her to a family where they can properly raise her." He answered as he placed her back in her basket. As he started to turn away from her, he felt a small tug on his finger. Van Helsing turned around to see the young girl gripping his finger strongly in her grasp. She gives a small giggle; her emerald eyes sparkled with joy. He gently tugged his finger from her grip, placing the top on the basket; with care he picks up the basket and carries it out of the cottage. Handing the precious cargo to Carl, he mounts his horse taking back the basket. When Carl climbs on his horse's back, both men start to make their way out of the village. At the edge of town, Van Helsing stops looking back at the fallen town and then lifts the basket top and peeks at the baby to see her sleeping soundly. With a sigh, he places the basket top in its place and continues with Carl.
As they rode into the night, they see a small cottage. Handing the sleeping baby to Carl, Van Helsing silently got off his horse and snuck up to the house peering into the window. It was a family that he saw through the window relaxing, enjoying each other's company. Biting his lip, he made his way back to Carl, taking the baby in his arms the little one awakened. Stretching her chubby arms and yawning, Van Helsing couldn't help smiling. He places the basket top back on and walks up to the front porch. Gently lowering the cargo, he gives it one last look as he walks back getting ready to ride away when he hears muffled crying. Looking desperately at the cottage, he sees that the lights go out and watches for a moment. Giving a sigh, he walks back to the basket, picks it up and hands it to Carl. Back on his horse, he takes the basket from Carl and listens and hears nothing. The crying has stopped and he takes off the top to see the little girl's tear stained face staring up at him, her lower lip curling. When spotting Van Helsing, she grinned and gave a small giggle. Placing the top back on, he holds on to it dearly and is about to head off when Carl asks him, "What are you going to name her?"
Thinking for a moment, he replies, "Prudence, I'm going to name her Prudence." Carl gives the new father a warm smile as they ride off with the precious cargo that they now bear in Van Helsing's arms.
