Disclaimer: I don't own D or Left Hand.

Sorry for the VERY late update. I swear I won't do that ever again.

2. Curiosity

Judith took no time whatsoever to enjoy the feeling of the comforting hot water running down her skin, and hurried, making her shower last only a few short minutes. Shutting off the water, she then stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel that had been resting near the small, worn-down sink. Grabbing the clothes that she had tossed onto the floor earlier, she then stepped out of the bathroom, allowing Chris to have his time.

Closing the curtains in the room, noticing as she did so that it was darker out. Sighing, she dressed quickly into clean clothes from her bag, then sat down on one of the beds, the towel now on the floor by her feet.

Unlike his sister, Christopher had taken a change of clothing in with him, so when he emerged from the bathroom, he was wearing a baggy long-sleeved white shirt and dark pants. The clothes he had previously been wearing were held in his right hand, and he deposited them on top of his bag. Without the ash covering him, his dark-blond hair was a little more obvious, as were his eyes. Hazel, just like his younger sister's.

Without saying a word, he exited the room, and after a moment of staring at the open door a little confused, Judith hurried to follow him, making sure to close the door behind her once she had left the room. She caught up to him by the front desk, where Joseph was there. He greeted the two siblings with a kind smile. "Nice to see you kids got cleaned up."

Christopher sighed. "Hey, do you mind if we ask you something?"

The older man hesitated for the slightest moment, and then nodded.

"Who was that man who was leaving once we got here?"

"Him? Not that I think you will, but you don't want to mess with him. That one, he's a Hunter. Not just any old plain Hunter either…"

"A Vampire Hunter?" Judith cut in, eyes gleaming with wonder that was tinged with the slightest bit of fear. Christopher, although older than his sister, seemed to share the same idea, though he didn't voice it like her.

Joseph chuckled. "Yup, he's a genuine Hunter of the Nobility. That's not all though. You see, he's not like you and me. If the rumors are true, he's one of them dhampirs. Not what I personally would call good company, and I know that plenty of other folks would think the same. But since he ain't done me no harm personally, I'm fine with him staying in my place while he's doing his job. Like I could keep him out anyway, seeing as how I owed his employer a favor and all."

Christopher hesitated, and gulped. "So then, is it-"

"Is it him? Well, if we're talking about the same damn man, then yes. That there, that was the man who goes by the name D, in the flesh. Exactly the same, if not better looking than the rumors say."

"What's he doing here though? This place seems peaceful enough. I thought that the Noble ruling over this area didn't—"

"That's nothing for you to be concerned about now kids. Now, run along now to the pub and get yourselves something to eat before curfew. No-one is ever out after ten at night, so you have until a little before then."

Without waiting for a reply, he pushed then outside and closed the door behind them. Together, the siblings stood for a few minutes, looking at each other rather confusedly. Christopher then sighed, grabbing Judith's hand as he did so. "We better listen to him. Come on."

Pulling her away from the Inn, he led her to the main street of the village, and headed to what seemed to be the most crowded building. It was the pub of course, and they entered hurriedly, happy to be free of the slight unease they had felt outside. It had felt almost like they were being watched.

The pub itself was full of people who seemed to be enjoying themselves, emerged in their drinks as much as they were. Not a single person turned to look at the pair as they came in and hurried to reach a table in the back, that was placed near a window. They sat down, and put their heads together, whispering to one another in voices so low anyone would be hard-pressed to hear them.

"Okay, I think we can talk here without being overheard," Christopher grumbled, knowing full well that he was right. It was terribly loud, and several of the men were already horribly drunk.

"what I really want to know is whats really going on in here. Its obvious that Mr. Marks was hiding something at the end, right before he shoved us out in that rude manner."

Judith nodded slightly, then froze as a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties walked up to them, carrying a tray. "What'll ya have?" she growled, not even looking at them.

"Just two meals please. Also, some water would be nice." Christopher stated, smiling politely. As the woman left to get their order, his smile turned into a scowl and he turned to look out the window. After a moment, a sincere grin spread across his face.

"Look outside sis."

Judith turned to the window, and noticed that rain was falling. She sighed, relieved. "Good. That fire obviously won't be reaching here now."

Christopher nodded. "Indeed. But now, lets get back to what we were going to talk about previously. Truthfully, I can't help but feel as if that the Noble in this area has returned to preying on this town's inhabitants. Just look around. Wouldn't you agree that the way they're acting is a little odd? Also…"

The woman had returned at that moment with their order, and sat it on the table. She stood there expectantly, while Christopher sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out several coins which he handed to her. Seemingly satisfied, she left the two to their meal of beef and potatoes.

Fiddling with his fork, Christopher continued. "Some of the women. The ones that keep to themselves. Some of them have scarves around their necks."

"But that might just be a coincidence!" Judith exclaimed.

"Then why would someone go off and hire D?"

"You know that I know nothing about him Chris. Nothing at all, and yet you seem to know so much.."

Christopher sighed., and lowered his voice, leaning in even closer to Judith. "Like Mr. Marks said, D is a dhampir, and has been a Vampire Hunter for who knows how long. If the rumors I've heard are true, his skill with a blade has never been matched, and he can block a laser-beam like its nothing. He keeps to himself, and when he finishes the job, he moves on. That's the kind of man he is."

Saying no more, the siblings ate. When they finished, they sat in silence, watching some of the others in the room that had emptied somewhat. One man in particular caught their interest. He was a balding older gentleman, and he was sitting alone at a table, seeming to wait for someone. After several minutes, the door of the pub opened, sending a chill into the room. It wasn't just from the cold weather outside, but also from the man who had just come in, water dripping off the brim of his travelers hat and coat. A numbing aura that seemed to penetrate to even the deepest recesses of the soul lurked about him. Not a single person spoke, or even moved for that matter as they watched him walk over to the old man. Sitting down in the chair that had its back to the wall, he said something in a low tone, and listened silently to something the old man was saying.

People had begun talking to one another again, but the atmosphere in the room was nothing like what it had been before. It was almost like the people were trying to gain some feelings of ease back by distracting themselves with talk.

"Well, look who it is." Christopher mumbled, looking at Judith after a moment of staring at D.

"Wonder if that's his employer."

"Could be. Who knows though."

"I think it is. Why else would he be talking to someone, if what you said is true?"

Christopher didn't reply. His gaze had returned to the Hunter, who had just stood up and was heading towards the door. Judith noticed a moment later, and after exchanging a glance with one another the siblings stood and followed the Hunter out, though at a slow and wary pace.

It was still raining outside, and mud squelched unpleasantly under their feet. Within moments, they were soaked to the skin. A trivial matter though, compared to that which the pair was currently concerned with. Judith wanted to know more about D, and Christopher just wasn't about to let his sister follow the Hunter around on her own. He knew that the dhampir probably knew he was being followed, so that made the young man a bit more wary than he'd be ordinarily.

Oblivious to her brother's thoughts, Judith blinked water out of her eyes and noticed the Hunter, on his horse and riding off back towards the Inn. Judith exchanged a look with Christopher, and then followed after D, trudging along through the mud. The pair paused by the general store minutes later, and after Judith gave an almost longing look, they entered the store. For now, learning about the Hunter would have to wait.

With some of the money that they had left, the pair bought the basic traveling supplies that they'd run low on, and then after a though, Christopher purchased a hunting knife, a pistol with a supply of shells, and a slightly curved sword. The sword itself had seen some use in the past, but from what Christopher could tell, it would be serviceable for some time.

Laden down with their goods, the siblings left the store and trudged through the mud and rain back to the Inn, where Joseph was waiting for them. "Ya'll planning on leaving soon?"

Christopher nodded. "Yes, we have to keep going until we've seen the frontier. I'll help out around here tomorrow, but the next day we'll be leaving. Thanks for all your hospitality." Judith nodded in agreement under her load.

Joseph frowned. "Very well."

Not saying another word, he let the siblings in and closed the door.