Just A Chance Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Darksiders or Darksiders ll or any of its characters. I do however own myself, Willow, the property in the story, and plot.

A/N: This is a combination of true events, since yes I did get thrown recently, I did lose my other horse, Honey, recently and I am having issues getting back on a horse. The other half is a weird dream I had the other night and bless my poor husband's heart; he got punched in the nose for trying to wake me up. I will give him all my reader's sympathies I am sure he will appreciate them.

Oh believe me, my confidence was as shattered as if I had picked up one of the Zen candles from my coffee table and threw it against the wall. I stood trembling from fear and it wasn't of some bedtime monster come to life. I was facing the saddle with one foot in the stirrup, one hand resting on Willow's shoulder and the other the back of the saddle but I lacked the conviction to actually pull myself up.

I removed my foot from the stirrup and leaned my head against her shoulder trying to catch my breath. I could say I didn't know what had come over me to make me so afraid of my own horse, I could say it was a fear of a new horse, or even that I still physically lacked the strength to get on but it would all be lies. Lies that I had convinced myself were the truth even though true enough my ribs still pulled painfully at times.

It had been over a month since I had done a header off a horse, a horse I had gotten from a friend that ran a rescue. This mustang she assured me was dead broke with no bad habits. Well guess what she lied. I took the stupid thing on a trail ride that ended with me in the hospital because he decided to bolt on me. I tried stopping him but he run through the bit and then at a full out run, about 35 mph for those non-horse folks, decided to come to an abrupt halt. I of course flew over his head and bounced off two pines trees.

I winced at the memory of how I had lain there until a friend had come back to check on me. I had sworn I had screamed only to be told I did not scream, maybe it was only in my head. Who knows? I was well on my way to healing from a cracked shoulder blade, bruised lung, and torn cartilage between three ribs. The header off Tex wasn't the only thing preventing me from working up the nerve though.

I spent all my recovery time taking care of my mare that had gotten injured in a botched theft attempt. I will not go into particulars but it was horrible to watch her suffering and in the end after a massive vet bill it was for nothing. She didn't make it and a piece of my heart died with the young rescue mare who had been my friend, my trusted partner for almost two years. I had nursed this horse back from death's door and for you non-horse people out there that think I am stupid; it hurts like hell because we are partners with our horses, we are friends. How can you not have trust in your partner when they are a 1200 lb. or better animal, but I digress?

"God damn it." I mutter, still resting my head against the shoulder of my Peruvian Paso mare, a gift from several friends who had gotten together to purchase her for me. She didn't like other people but she loved me and I admittedly loved her at first sight.

Maybe that is another reason I haven't rode her yet? Guilt? Despite everything I knew she wouldn't buck, my farrier had ridden her the day before for me and she was good as gold. Perhaps her pissy attitude and general lack of trust in people was the reason she was sold so cheaply.

I shake my head and stare into her soft brown eyes as she turns to regard me in a 'well what are you waiting for' manner and I sigh heavily. I almost stop, I almost back away and decide not to ride. I give myself one more shake as I take one more deep breath before putting my foot back in the stirrup. Once again I would like to say I swung into the saddle without any hesitation but I hesitated for a minute and then slowly pulled myself up on her back.

I had to sit a moment and just breathe before I picked up the reins and clicked my tongue at Willow to move her out. Oh my God was all I could think for a few seconds as she clipped off down the road towards the other property I owned about two miles back into the woods. She was fast and she was smooth, I listened to the sound of her shoes hitting the blacktop and in an odd way it was soothing and I smiled happily to myself as I patted her neck.

As far as I was concerned I didn't want to have to go home anytime soon, there were miles and miles of dirt roads crisscrossing my property and the hunting clubs bordering it. I always felt a sense of freedom when riding and I won't deny that I had missed it. I tipped my head back and let the cold wind brush across my face and I swear it tasted of pure freedom, so much so I sighed in contentment. I slowed Willow down to a slow gait and enjoyed the ride.

Let me introduce myself since I have already told you my deepest fears and pain. I am not one of the slender little dainty heroines in story books; however I am a more heavily muscled woman but not unattractively so. I am just accustomed to working hard around my place without the help of a man anymore. I have deep golden hair with natural highlights of every color but black and light blonde, the light blonde was added, and it reaches just past my shoulder blades. I have deep green eyes most the time, though they change in different lights, like outside they are light green with a dark ring around them. Finally I am 5'10 and 26 years of age, well 26 on the 26th of October which is in just a few days.

Skip ahead a few hours and I had been riding Willow down the many dirt roads and was finally heading for home as it was starting to get late and frankly I am pretty damn scared of the dark. I stopped her long enough to pull a cigarette from my saddle bag and light it before moving her out again.

I felt the wind pick up and I scented rain on it. Up until that moment I hadn't really paid the sky much attention but I looked up and sure enough ominously dark clouds had moved in and I groaned in irritation. This kind of shit happened to me and Honey quite frequently, we would go on a long ride and it would rain. Of course.

I urged her on just a little faster and just as we got to the split in the road that curved along the border of my heavily wooded property towards the blacktop and home the bottom absolutely fell out of the sky as lightening cracked overhead.

Willow reared up, not much but enough to tell me she wouldn't likely go far in this weather. "Damn it all to hell. Well let's see if we can stay warm at least until this rain passes girl." I dismounted and grabbed the lead rope that was tied around the horn of the saddle.

I led her into the trees along a fairly beat down path. This trail led down to my deer stand. It was homemade, huge, and had a recliner and a heater. Also probably most importantly I could turn her loose beneath the stand. Yeah I know weird right? Nope, not at all, this set up allowed for several things. One: I hate loud noisy four-wheelers and you can hang up sneaking up on deer with them. Two: I trust my sturdy reliable horses. Three: it allowed me to gun break them without risking them tearing anything up.

See my stand has the usual cross girders on the bottom but I also have extra ones to form a kind of corral with a removable slat that allows me to put one in and out besides I feel safer off the ground behind a bolting door anyway. Genius I know. Reaching the stand, which thankfully I had just cleaned and restocked for the hunting season, I placed Willow in the small corral under the stand where she was only too happy to be out of the pouring rain.

I climbed the steep steps to the stand and pushed the door open. Sighing I walked over to the lantern and primed the butane bottle under it so that it lit when I stuck a lit safety match to it. What can I say commando Susan to the rescue. I chuckle at that thought before lighting the heater in much the same way. Once all this is done and the 20 by 20 stand begins to warm a little and the lantern and heater cast a calming dim light I move to one of the corners to break into my case of water and box of granola bars.

Most people would think this stupid but this is not only my stand but my retreat as well when I just want to get away and we don't have many bears here to break into goodies either. I take my bottle of water and granola bar over to my chair where I sit down, grateful I wasn't completely soaked, and wrap my thermal blanket around me.

Suddenly the little light goes on in my head as I am finally realizing me and Willow are stuck here until morning. I will just call my friend Julie to go come get me and Willow with my truck and horse trailer, hell I can lead her as far as the black top half a mile down the road.

I am feeling much better with that thought in mind as I pull my cell phone from my pocket, pleased to see the glowing screen the minute I hit a button. Then I let out a slow breath and resign myself to spend the night, 'No Service' is flashing across the top. "Really? That's weird, I always have service here." I mutter to myself completely confused now.

Grumpily I shove the stupid, over-priced, and unreliable piece of junk back in my pocket with a bit more force than really needed. I can't help it; it just pisses me off when shit fails me. I sit back in the recliner and watch the sky grow darker around the cracks of the shuttered windows. The lightening is getting worse and I think back to the weather man saying it wasn't going to storm today. Relaxing I prop the recliner back and fall asleep to the sound of the howling wind.

I sit up and bleak the sleep from my eyes wondering what in the world woke me up. I listen and can still hear the wind howling and see lightening flashing but I don't hear the rain anymore. Maybe that's what woke me up, the lack of sound from the rain. I am like that though. Shrugging I settle back down in the blanket, knowing somehow that it is still night. That's when I hear it again, at the edge of sleep. Voices.

I sit up, now fully awake and alert. I slide the boot knife from the sheath inside my boot and ease closer to the door trying to be as silent as possible. I press against the bolted door and hold my breath listening; two distinct voices, both males, both heading this way, and both completely unfamiliar.

"War, will you stop complaining about a little rain." The first voice said a dry gravelly voice. "Brother, it has been raining all night, we are lost. Even Dust cannot fly above this damn storm to find where we are. All we know is we are on Earth." This voice was deep and husky. I was officially creeped the hell out now. It is dark, I am alone, and there are two strange weirdoes walking close to my stand. Oh God Willow just be silent. I send the prayer up.

"Look, maybe you're right. There is some type of human shelter up ahead; it looks big enough for us. Let's get out of this damn storm." The first voice said and the second grunted a reply. Then I heard the heavy footsteps heading my way. I suppressed the urge to groan, whimper, or otherwise make a noise yet. Maybe when they realized the door was locked they would go away because apparently they hadn't spotted the lights yet.

I carefully but quickly eased across the room and squeezed behind the recliner, between it and the wall and I barely made it in time as the door jiggled. When it stopped and didn't happen again I let out a breath of relief. A short lived breath of relief as one of them kicked open my door, popping the bolt loose from the frame. A bolt of fury shot through me but once again, short lived.

In stepped one of them, and he was definitely something from a nightmare come to life. A bone white mask covered his face, along with shoulder length dripping black hair and his eyes burned, oh yes burned, a bright orange. I bit my knuckles so hard, I figured it would draw blood to stop myself from crying out when he stepped further into the light, addressing someone just out of sight. "The steps will hold you brother."

His spine protruded from his skin and said skin was tinged purple slightly, like a corpse. He wore a deep purple cowl about his neck and shoulders, his torso bare and he was covered from the waist down in some type of archaic looking armor with tatters of purple cloth hanging almost to the floor. Two faintly glowing scythe looking weapons hung at his waist. Oh this was just perfect, fucking Halloween freaks in my stand with me and I waited for his brother to step through the door.

All thoughts of using my knife, of bravery stopped right there, I mean screeched like a banshee to a stop in my mind as I took in the second one. Now the first one was odd but not too incredibly large, maybe pushing 8 foot. This one was at least a good foot to foot and a half taller and broader by half.

He had on medieval looking armor only it was carved with screaming faces, some human looking and others not so much. He too had a cowl, only it was red lined with gold and hid his face under a hood. He had glowing blue eyes and a reddish-orange upside down trident across what I supposed would be his brow. His weapon was longer than he was tall and as wide as me, carved with those same horrible screaming faces and faintly glowed red.

I closed my eyes as they fully entered my stand and closed the door behind them. I listened as the recliner pushed back as one of them sat in it and it creaked loudly. I heard the other one slide down the wall on the far side. I grouched in my mind that sneaking out the door unseen just yet was not happening and hoping they wouldn't notice the homey way things were scattered about.

No such fucking luck. "Brother, what is that?" The second one asked and there was some movement. "Well it would appear to be water and that someone vacated here not too long ago." There was a dry chuckle as the first one answered the second one. I clenched my knife just a little tighter and fought to control my breathing. "We probably scared them away; you are loud enough to wake the dead." Once again the first one spoke and then the second did, "That would be your job brother."

I strongly resisted the urge to face-palm myself. Here I was stuck hiding behind my recliner, in my stand, with a couple of wackos in here with me. Shit just couldn't get worse. I should have never thought that because apparently somewhere in the universe, someone just loves to prove me wrong. Sick person must get a kick out of it. My 'No Service' hunk of junk started ringing in my pocket as someone text it. My heart stopped and dropped.

"Son of a bitch." I muttered, hell it didn't matter they knew I was here now. That only proved itself as faster than thought the one on the chair was out of it and yanked it to the side. I gave a startled yelp, how brave right? I scrambled to my feet and bolted for the door, just maybe I could reach it. Nope, no such luck.

I caught a flat slap from the back of a massive hand to the chest, my ribs screaming in protest as I was flung back against the far wall. I hit with a sickening thud. Stars flashed across my vision as I slid bonelessly to the floor. Oh yea that wasn't no getting right back up lick, that was a stay the fuck down lick.

I growled low in my chest, hell I couldn't help it, when cornered and afraid my animal instincts surface. Every human has them but mine stay close to the surface anyway. I received a growl back for my troubles and tightened my grip on my knife, somehow I held on to it while flying through the air.

A booted foot caught my hand at the wrist and the knife flew from my hand as I clutched my wrist back to my chest. I wasn't brave at that point, hell I figured I was dead anyway. I curled my knees up to my chest, covering my arms as I tucked my head against my knees. I could feel my whole body trembling and I guess I was going into shock as the situation worsened.

"Enough War, it's only a young human. Likely she was caught in the storm and took refuge here." The first voice held no compassion but it was calm and it stopped the attack of the other one, for now. "What the hell was she doing out here in the woods anyway?" Growled out the second one and I tensed at the irritation evident in the voice.

I was yanked up rather roughly by my hoodie and I swayed when I was released. I cowered back against the wall, half sinking to the floor as my knees weren't wanting to hold me up. I was scared out of my mind and ready to try anything to escape with my life. I dared not meet their gazes. "Speak human." Came the softer voice of the first one.

I took a gulping breath and flinched when cold fingers grasped my jaw, not painfully but firmly, and forced my gaze to meet his orange one and I flicked my eyes over to the other one. He was standing with sword drawn and looked for the entire world ready to kill me.

"I was out riding my horse and it got dark, I live nearby and this hunting stand belongs to me. If you don't believe me look under the stand and my horse is there." I pleaded in desperation with them. "I can prove it, just don't hurt me."

"Prove it and we won't…yet." I gave a shuddering breath and let out a shrill whistle. Willow, bless her soul, gave out an answering whinny. That seemed to satisfy them for the moment and he released my jaw. I slid back to the floor on my knees, praying for this to be over as my strength was spent. "Who…who are you?" I managed to get out.

"I am War and this is my brother Death." The one called War answered, fine I at least had names now though surely not their real ones. "What are you doing here?"

"That is none of your concern human." War snapped as Death watched and I gulped, pushing myself further against the wall. "Over look my brother, his injury has made him a bit grumpy I am afraid." I looked at Death and then back at War, noting that he did indeed have an ugly gash running across the base of his throat. Well my better nature lent itself to me and I crawled away from the wall, keeping my head tucked submissively. Something told me these two wouldn't tolerate anything less.

I stopped inching forward when I heard the low growl from War again. "If you would let me, I have a first aid kit in the pouch of the recliner." I said, motioning towards the chair and looking at Death. He gave a curt nod and I got to my feet and walked over, closer to him than I wanted to be since he was seated in my chair to retrieve the item.

I carried it in trembling hands, all bravado gone in this situation, everything about them screamed not human and dangerous. I kneeled in front of War and waited for him to move to allow me access to his injury and I cursed my good nature silently. He moved just a fraction but it was enough. I grabbed the peroxide and poured it over the injury. It hissed and bubbled more than I have ever seen a wound do before it fizzed out and I used a piece of gauze to wipe it away.

I took the alcohol next and I thought of warning him it might sting but I figured he had received worse in his life time and poured the alcohol on the still weeping gash. He let loose a roaring growl that shook the whole structure and I did the only sane thing at that moment and bolted backwards to the wall so fast that my head thumped loudly against it before sliding down it.

I started crying then and oh how I hated that but I couldn't help it. The whole damn thing just came crashing in at once and I realized probably for the first time in my life I was in very real danger that I couldn't possibly face alone. I felt the hot tears coursing down my face and sobs racked me, making me cry harder because my ribs were aching fiercely.

"Now brother look what you have done. You have sent the human girl into hysterics. If you don't stop being so loud and scaring her half to death I will have to tend your injury." War grunted and gazed at me intently, I could feel his eyes on me and I calmed down slowly. He motioned for me to return and I crawled forward again, unsure. I calmed more when I noticed his growing impatience with how long I was taking but he tempered it in an effort not to scare me again.

I sat in front of him again and found what I needed; all the while I refused to look him in the eye again. I gently applied the antibiotic salve and smeared it in with a finger, noting that he didn't even flinch this time. Finally I placed several butterfly bandages on the wound to keep it closed and it ceased bleeding.

I sighed in relief and moved away from them to sit against the far wall, as far from them as possible. I jumped like a ninny when a particularly loud clap of thunder made the stand tremble. They both looked at me in clear amusement and War spoke with clear amusement in his voice. "Flighty little thing isn't she Death?"

Chuckling Death nodded his head in agreement and in a rare fit of bravery born from somewhere I have no clue about I snapped at them both. I had been laughed at my entire life and I would be damned if some creeps were going to laugh at me too. "My name is Susan and God forbid I should be afraid of two giant creeps who broke into my refuge after trespassing on my property who then decide to play tennis with me against a wall. Oh and Heaven help us all if I were to be so on edge that thunder scared me." I practically growled it out and figured I would regret but they only regarded me blandly.

Okay so not really blandly but differently perhaps not in a bad way. "My, my, my the girl has claws." Death said out loud, not really sure if it was to himself or his brother. "She certainly does. A rare trait for even terrified humans to defend themselves, the girl has remarkable constitution." War chimed in and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I really hated when people talked like I wasn't there, especially about me.

I grumbled softly and snuggled against the wall as I watched them I really didn't know if they were going to kill me or if they were going to let me go. What the hell were they doing here anyway? Were they really from somewhere other than here? I figured now that things were calm, maybe they would answer my questions.

I cleared my throat and it drew both their gazes to me. "What exactly are you?" I blurted the question without realizing it was the one I was most curious about. Death answered me. "We are two of the last four beings of a race once called Nephilim. We four serve a council that is vigilant over the universal balance. They are the servants of the creator, what your race would call God. Your race calls us the Four Horsemen."

I scoffed and started to laugh but it died in my throat as I realized he was serious and most likely telling the truth since they certainly weren't humans and they certainly weren't wearing costumes. "Oh now I have put up with a lot but…that's…just…probably the truth." I ended with a sigh and slumped back against the wall as I digested the information.

"Okay, so what are you doing here?" Death sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in a very human show of emotion despite the fact the mask prevented him from actually pinching his nose. "That is something entirely uncertain. The council sent us to deal with a threat to the balance and somehow we ended up here amid this ridiculous storm." I nodded.

"This storm was unexpected here as well and I haven't seen one this bad in a long time. Now as for this threat, would it have something to do with Samhain?" This had them both jerking their heads to face me fully and I gulped again, so much for getting comfortable with these two.

"You know the ancient name for this?" I nodded and waved a hand in a vague way. "Oh yes, Samhain, All Hallows Eve, and All Souls Night; they are all names that Halloween had before humans turned it into a holiday for children." They nodded in agreement.

"I might be able to help." War growled out something in a language I didn't know at Death and then returned his gaze back to me. Those blue eyes unsettled me more than Death's appearance. "Speak." I noted they still hadn't used my name but hadn't called me human again so I let it ride.

"Well, I have been having trouble over here myself. I have caught some rather unsavory characters lurking about on my property. One of them, I believe he may be the leader, is quite scary. He is nearly as tall as you Death and has these weird amber colored eyes, almost like the sky in autumn at sunset. He has long yellowish hair. They are a cult that moved here recently and has upset the delicate internal balance of our community. They say they are Satanists."

The two exchanged a long look with one another and I was only too pleased to rat those creeps out to these two if it meant removing both their threats to my community. "Susan?" I looked at War, surprised to hear my name come out of his mouth. "Yes."

"Can you show us where they are practicing; they would have an altar set up?" I nodded before creasing my brow in concentration. "I have run them off my property several times, in fact, not too far from here the trail they use comes to the road. I can take you in the morning at first light."

This seemed to satisfy them and it satisfied me. They were not a threat to me at the moment and I hoped that by helping them they would let me go on about my life and forget about them. There are some things you wonder about in life but you just really don't want to know the truth about in the long run.

I curled up on the floor with my back pressed to the wall, it was colder here but I would be damned if I asked them to give me my blanket or let me sleep closer to them and my heater. I had almost fallen asleep, despite the shivering when War spoke to Death again in that strange language. I heard him stand and move towards me.

Instinctively my eyes popped open and I cringed back despite my best efforts not to do it when I saw him towering over me. He must have seen the fear in my eyes, along with the fast forming bruise on my wrist where he had kicked me earlier. Much to my surprise he draped my blanket over me and then returned to sit against the wall in front of Death. I stared at him a few minutes and hugged the blanket closer to me before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.

I woke up groggy still and noted that it wasn't raining again yet but the wind had gotten even worse though the lightening had passed for the most part. I started to sit up and hissed in pain as my ribs pulled, they always did that first thing in the morning but getting abused last night hadn't helped it. I lay back for a minute breathing heavily, well aware of the two creatures watching me as they stood close to the door. I muttered curses under my breath as I managed to finally get up.

I turned off the lamp and heater before walking out behind them, turning to lock the outside lock on the door before heading down the steps. Willow gave me a soft whinny in greeting and I dropped the slat to walk her out of her makeshift corral. I turned to look at War and Death and was about to ask where their horses were but they both let out shrill whistles.

I gripped Willows lead rope as two columns burst from the ground nearby, one of blazing red fire and one of sickly green flames. War's horse, Ruin, as he introduced him was a massive black horse with a billowing smoky mane and tail. Red runes were carved into his neck, veins of red laced up his legs, his hooves burned the ground around the edges, and his eyes glowed bright red.

I turned to Death and he introduced Despair and the rotting corpse of a horse was frightening. He was still powerfully built and not quite as large as Ruin though with his whole body, including mane and tail, engulfed in green fire. Willow trembled behind me and I patted her gently until she calmed down.

I tried to get on her but it wasn't happening, I was just too sore. I trembled with the effort as I leaned against her side. Suddenly large armored hands wrapped around my waist and lifted me onto my horse. "Are you well?"

"I wish I could say I was War but no I am not. You did hammer me pretty hard last night." He tucked his head and I could have sworn he blushed under the hood but I couldn't see to be certain. They both mounted and looked at me expectantly as I moved Willow against the wind and back up the trail to the road.

We were all silent as we rode the trail back to the road and once reaching the road the wind picked up fiercely, howling through the trees. I shivered and mentally shook myself as I deliberately turned Willow away from the direction that would have led us home. After about 10 minutes of traveling at a brisk pace down the road I turned her onto a trail to the right side of the road that disappeared into a grove of old growth cypress trees and man they were creepy looking in this weather and present company.

"We are getting close, maybe another half mile down this trail." I turned in the saddle to see them both nod. We were once again silent as we moved up the trail but it wasn't long before I pulled Willow to a stop and looked around intently. I heard the two of them pull weapons over the howling of the wind. War moved alongside me, "Something is following us now." I nodded and gulped before moving my horse forward again.

We reached the clearing and they were both on high alert and I looked around in confusion for a moment before following their leads and dismounting. I secured Willow to a tree at the edge of the trail and returned to them. Hopefully if something happened she wouldn't freak out and hurt herself. I approached a large altar with them, something in me curious.

The altar was a large block of marble that faintly glowed a sickly gray color and sent shivers skittering down my spine. I slowly reached a hand out towards the altar, completely mesmerized until War's hand grasped my wrist gently and pulled it away. I gazed up at him intently; suddenly it clicked in my mind. They were not just strangers, they were not enemies, at this moment in time we were all comrades and I had no clue what to do next.

Suddenly laughter filled the clearing, and not nice laughter and I felt strong arms wrap around my waist like a steel trap. I struggled against them as the wind rushed unnaturally fast past my face. I yelped when I opened my eyes, hell I didn't even know I had closed them but I was across the clearing from them and standing in front of the altar. I heard Death and War speaking in that ancient tongue again and the rumbling vibration against my back of the person holding me answering them back.

I turned my head to see that the creep I had mentioned before was behind me and was holding me tightly in front of him by my waist. I started thrashing around in his grasp. "Let me the fuck go you son of a bitch." I yelled, practically in his ear. With a chuckle he let one arm loose long enough to give me a stunning slap across the side of my head. It dazed me for a moment as my mind wrapped around that this wasn't just some weirdo human this person was something different and had me in his grasp.

I looked desperately at War and Death. "Let the human go, Charon." He chuckled darkly close to my ear and I tried to flinch away. "I must thank you Riders, you hand delivered my future mate to me." I was struck dumb at that point, not fully digesting what he said before he grasped my chin and turned it this way and that as if showing me off to the Riders. "Rather lovely isn't she? You wouldn't think she was anything special by looking at her but special she is, though I do not intend to tell you why other than she is the destined mate for the strongest among you."

He smirked directly at War and dawning crossed his features about the same time they did mine. "The fuck you say, I don't belong to any fucking body." I growled, okay bravery back because I was pissed and he obviously didn't intend to kill me. Oh bad mistake as he laughed against my ear and I shivered. He motioned a hand and his 'followers' erupted from the woods to attack the Riders and they were more a diversion than anything.

I screamed in agony, blinding mind numbing agony as the thing behind me sunk his teeth into the junction of my throat and shoulder. I felt a combination of weak and sick as I heard the slurping sounds he made as he feasted on my blood. I fought like a wild cat, the Riders completely forgotten when my life was in danger. I clawed at any part of him I could reach until I simply hung limp in his grasp, too weak to fight.

With a laugh he released me and I fell painfully to the ground and leaned my face against the altar, feeling its coolness against my suddenly too warm face. I looked up at the horrified looks on the faces of the Riders as they started towards the thing standing over me having dispatched his little minions. However they couldn't reach me as he placed some kind of barrier between us and them.

Death's face was unreadable behind the mask but War's was one of abject fury. "Watch Rider, watch as your future intended dies at by my hand and rises to become my consort." Feebly I reached towards my boot, my hands not wanting to work right. I grasped the handle of my knife and worked it free without the thing above me noticing it. I felt him lift me bridal style and was repulsed but helpless to resist at this point.

He moved to stand behind the altar, smirking at the Riders. I made my move then and drove the blade to the hilt where his heart should be. He dropped me onto the altar and my vision blurred as my head cracked against the stone. Laughing he removed the blade, not noticing that the Riders were through his barrier now. He flung it away and laughed at me, "A mortal weapon cannot kill me you bitch." I smiled up at him, "No but it made you look away."

He glanced up to where the Riders had previously been and saw they were gone. Before he could move, draw another breath, or utter a word a blade sprouted from his chest and warm blood splattered across my face and neck. I would have gagged if I had had the strength but I did hear what War said as he leaned forward to whisper in the thing's ear. "No but mine can."

He yanked the weapon out and the thing fell, dead before his body hit the ground. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment, I was afraid to die but I couldn't deny that was what was happening. I opened my eyes and saw War and Death standing above me. "I didn't think they were real…fucking vampires." I muttered and drew a shaky breath. "I didn't think you were real." War said softly as he placed a hand to the wound on my throat.

"Brother the venom is spreading can we do something to save her?" Death was silent and watched me closely, I didn't want to die and he seemed to sense it. "Normally no, but she is struggling to live, her soul refuses to leave her body yet." I had a weird feeling he could see it as he regarded me. My eyes pleaded with him, with War to save me from this fate. Death approached me and removed something from a pouch hidden in the armor about his waist.

Carefully War pulled my upper body into a semi-sitting position and held me there as Death approached with the glowing yellow vial in his hand. "Drink this; it will purify the poison from your body." He unstopped the vial and handed it to War who placed it to my mouth and tipped it back.

Oh mother of God I wanted to gag, to spit the nasty shit back up but I couldn't so I swallowed it lest I should choke on it. I felt warmth and strength returning to my body as I gingerly sat up and placed my hand on the puncture wounds on my neck. I winced as they stung, probably going to be another damn scar.

War helped me stand and I swayed dizzily for a moment as what little blood I had left rushed to my head. "Oh what a head rush." I mumbled, trying to make light of the situation and not wanting to dwell on the fact of what had transpired. War scooped me up and carried me to a waiting Ruin. He handed me off to Death who held me until War was on the horse and then handed me back to him. He held me firmly in front of him. "What about Willow?" Even now I wouldn't abandon the little horse that had faithfully carried me through all this.

"I will lead her back behind Despair." I smiled weakly at Death. "Oh wait my house. Follow this trail to the road; take a left when you reach it. Follow it until it turns into blacktop; follow that another two miles and you will see my house sitting on the right side of the road." I mumbled softly before finally giving into exhaustion and passing out.

I woke up warm and comfortable if not still extremely tired, sore, and weak. I glanced around and saw War and Death in my bedroom. Somehow I just didn't have the strength to be surprised, irritated, or anything else but grateful. War sat on the bed next to me and grasped my hand in his much larger one. "We must go; the council and we have some things to discuss about this threat and about our mates. You are safe now."

I nodded, I didn't want to hurt his feelings and say that I was ready for them to leave so my life could return to normal. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and placed something into it before standing to leave. He and Death both left as quickly as they had appeared in my life and I was left staring at the door they had left through. I nodded off to sleep again and slept like the dead the rest of the day and all night.

When I woke up the next morning I felt much better, if not still a little weak and light headed from blood loss, though I would have loved to have convinced myself that it was nothing more than a twisted dream. However the puncture marks in my throat, the bruise on my chest, and the bruise on my wrist were pretty nasty reminders.

Suddenly I remembered he had placed something in my hand and its weight still remained there. Slowly I opened my hand and looked down at a heavy necklace of pure silver with a pendant in the shape of the mark on his forehead. I heard it then, a whisper, seeming to come from the necklace but heard in my mind, not in my ears. Wear this and we will always be connected, I will be back for you soon. I found it oddly reassuring despite my earlier conviction that I wanted to forget about it altogether.

Smiling I slipped the necklace over my head and let it settle heavily between my breasts. I did oddly feel a connection to him, as if he were still standing in the room with me and could hear everything I said to him. I snuggled back into my pillow and closed my eyes again. It would take some time to heal completely but I wouldn't have traded this adventure for anything in the world…now.

A/N: Okay so reviews are welcome, flames as well since they don't really bother me. However I apologize if they seem OOC but hey come on this was my damn dream and it was what it was. So anyway hopefully you liked it and will enjoy this little oneshot.