Tieka watched the two riders and their horses approach from her hiding place in the trees. The noisy creature traveling with them had given their position away to the three vampires a good twenty minutes before their actual arrival. Tieka glanced over at her traveling companions; Rasha and Boris were also ready to attack.

^Tieka, take the boy, he should not be hard to handle, then come help us with the hunter.^

Tieka scowled. She was tired of being treated like a newborn fledgling. She was almost fifty years old now, there was no reason for the others to continue to hold her back. Still she must obey them, they were her elders and she had agreed to obey when the coven took her in; a young fledgling uncertain even of what she was. But that had been a long time ago and she was beginning to think it was time to be on her own.

Rasha's hand flashed in the pre-arranged signal for attack. Tieka gladly leapt from her perch and launched herself at the boy. She would have preferred to try and take the hunter, but orders were orders.

Much to her surprise the boy managed to block her first attack, which would have been fatal had it connected. Angered that she would have to spend even more time on this mortal boy, instead of hunting the hunter himself, she launched a second attack following right on the heals of the first. Her hand came up under his staff, polymorphing into claws at the last instant and slashed across his face. The warm blood and fluids from his eyes rushed over her hands as he was thrown backwards off the horse, sating just a little her anger.

The horse lunged out of her way as she started towards the boy again. He raised one hand blindly above his head trying to ward off further attacks. She disdainfully knocked his hand aside, allowing her claws to tear away at the flesh, spilling more of his blood. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up, the scent of his blood was maddening, there was another familiar scent laced with it but it made no difference and she pulled him close and sank her fangs into his throat.

She had barely tasted his blood however when vampiric power suddenly lifted her off her feet and hurled her backwards into a tree. She shook her head to clear it and looked around to see her attacker, but no one was in sight. Rasha and Boris were busy fighting with the hunter, surely neither of them had had time to throw her back, even had they wanted to. Perhaps the hunter, no one knew exactly how powerful he was, but he might have had time to send that short stab her way, however such power was hard to sustain and the others had him too busy to attack her again.

She leapt back to the boy and pulled him up again. He pushed futilely against her, his hand flailing at her full bosom as she tore at his throat again. She was vaguely aware, as his blood began to pour down her throat, that his hand had settled right between her breast. She pulled back in shock as sharp pain shot through her, glancing down she caught a glimpse of the silver knife protruding through her chest, before her vision faded completely.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Lynke knelt on the forest floor, breathing heavily. He could hear the sounds of D fighting the other two vampires. His fingers felt their way down the blade in his hand, then carefully tucked it back into the concealed sheath tied to his wrist.

He felt an old familiar heat pouring through his veins and every curse he had ever heard in his life flitted angrily through his head. Stupid vampires. He had rather grown to like D.

There was a startled gurgling scream and the sounds of the battle became less loud. D must have finished one of the vampires off.

The heat in his blood was beginning to burn like fire, especially around his injuries. The pain of the original wounds faded as the burning erupted around them. Soon that at least would be over. But Lynke was not sure what would happen after that.

Already he could feel the strain on his body. It would not be long before the repercussion of the chemicals burning through his blood would be exacted from him. He could feel the heaviness in his mouth and knew that it would not be long.

Lynke could still hear D and the other vampire exchanging blows.

What will happen to me when D finishes that vampire?

He covered his face, as if to shield his eyes from the fire burning behind them, at the same time trying to gather what little strength he had together. He feared that things would not end well.

^^^^^^^^^^^

The male vampire hissed and lunged at D claws stretched out. It was the opening D had been waiting for. He ducked under the raise claws, catching the hand and pulling the vampire further in raising his sword in the same moment and impaling him. The vampire made no sound as the blade sunk in and pierced his heart. He vanished in a burst of wind and smoke.

D turned to see how Lynke was holding out. Hopefully he had been able to stay alive while D finished off the other two vampires, but with injuries as severe as what D had seen the boy would probably never be the same, even if he had survived.

To his surprise, the other vampire was gone. Lynke was kneeling on the forest floor, one hand covering his face, where his eyes should be.

D took a step towards the boy but was stopped by Lynke's voice, "Don't come any closer D."

"Are you all right? That was a bad blow, you need to let me look at it."

"No-I-don't!" the fierceness in Lynke's voice startled D.

"What's wrong Lynke? Let me help you."

"You can't help me," as he spoke Lynke lowered his hand from his face and shook his head as if to clear cobwebs. There should have been blood but there was not. Slowly Lynke raised his face to D.

The clear silver eyes that stared up at D shocked him into taking a step backwards. He took quick note of the shredded arm of Lynke's shirt, Lynke's arm had healed the new skin taking a pale grayish color. The same color skin surrounded his eyes.

He stepped towards Lynke again.

"Get away from me D!" Lynke shrieked. D could see the too sharp teeth as he spoke.

"Lynke." D tried to step towards the boy, but Lynke panicked. There was a flash of silver in the moonlight and D felt something bite into the thigh of his leg, as Lynke turned and fled.

He dropped to one knee and pulled the silver throwing knife from his thigh and cleaned it on the grass.

^What happened D? Did they turn him?^

D ignored the hand and rose to find the horses.

^D, you're ignoring me. Did they turn him?^

^It looks like it.^

^Too bad. He's a bright kid. Are you going after him?^

^Of course.^

^What are you waiting for?^

^It's almost sunrise. He'll have to stop soon. I have the horses. No fledgling will be able to outrun me in that amount of time.^

^D, it's not like you to postpone something like this. Do you wish you did not have to kill him?^

^I don't want to kill him, but that isn't it. Something doesn't seem right. Fledglings get scared and disoriented. They don't usually have sense enough to run, usually they attack. Lynke didn't just run, he tried to prevent being followed. That took some planning.^

D carefully studied a bottle of lotion he'd found in one of Lynke's bags.

^So he's more coherent.^

D replaced the bottle in Lynke's saddle bag and mounted his horse.

^Anything else I ought to know about that's bothering you?^ the hand asked sarcastically.

^As fast as he threw that knife, he could have tried to hit my heart and I would not have been able to stop it.^

^So.^

D rubbed at the newly healed skin showing in the tear of his clothes.

^He didn't. That's all.^

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lynke did not think the knife he had thrown would slow D down very much. D was one of those rare people who would never give up as long as they breathed.

D would probably stop long enough to bandage his leg and then be after Lynke, with a horse.

Lynke knew the hunter would be faster. His best chance at survival would be to find a place D could not get too, before the sun drove him into hiding. Of course that would be later than what D would expect, which might just save his life.

He wished he had time to grab his horse, but it had been too far away. He could make better time on a horse, and was rather fond of it.

Lynk dashed through the woodlands with unnatural speed looking about his as he did for a hiding place that would be inaccessible to the hunter, but nothing afforded itself.

My one saving grace right now, he thought to himself, Is that D doesn't know what he's dealing with. I can use that to my advantage.

His blood was burning with the desire to feed but he ignored it, pushing himself onwards. A telepathic lift shot him twenty feet straight up a gorge. Maybe that would throw the hunter off a little, not enough, but a little. And every little bit was a step closer to surviving. He continued for miles until he found a sheltered place where he could stay.

A series of small boulders cropping out of a gorge wall provided him a meager shelter. Over time the wind had picked up and deposited dirt in a small wedge in the boulders. The heat was finally beginning to get to him as he curled on the cool, shadowed rocks to rest.

^^^^^^^^^^

^D, D are you listening to me? We should have caught him by now.something isn't right...it's already full daylight.^

"You noticed too. I thought it was just me," D said aloud.

^D, quit trying to be funny. You suck at it. Did the trail go cold?^

^No.^

^If you're not careful you'll get heat syndrome again. There's no way a fledgling could survive this kind of heat.^

D glanced up the gorge at an outcropping of rocks. He tied the horses to a tree and began to climb the cliff face.

^Ow D. That was my nose. And you still haven't said anything.^

"Lynke," grunted D as he pulled himself up slowly. "Is NOT a fledgling."

^WHAT!^

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lynke opened his eyes as the sun set. Glancing through the opening in the boulders he smiled at the irony of it. He stretched, listened then crawled to the opening.

"You get heat syndrome pretty bad don't you. That's why you usually sleep during the afternoon, even if you're on a horse."

Lynke jumped fearfully at the sound of the voice, nearly cracking his head on the low ceiling. He hissed and narrowed his eyes as he spotted D half sitting half leaning on a nearby rock.

"You thought I would kill you if I knew didn't you?"

"Most hunters," Lynke spit out resentfully, crawling out of the opening and taking up a defensive stance. "Don't exactly see a difference."

Faster than Lynke would have thought possible D had closed the distance and grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to look into his face. Despite his surprise Lynke had time to bring his hand up to D's throat, letting the claws rest against the veins.

"I am not most hunters," D replied, pushing his face close to Lynke's. Lynke found himself captivated by D's clear grey eyes. D opened his mouth slowly, letting his long sharp fangs drop for just a moment, just long enough for Lynke to see. Lynke withdrew his hand in awe as he studied D's face.

"You're a dunpeal," he realized. "You're the great dunpeal hunter everyone talks about. The one that finished Carmilla, and Lee, and countless others."

"Yes."

D released Lynke's hair and walked a few steps away.

"You are too."

"I think so."

"You think so?"

"There's some speculation that I might be a dhampire."

"A dhampire, now that's rare, although most people don't know the difference."

"Well, whoever my parents were, they abandoned me after I was born.

"Because of how powerful I was growing up, and because of my strong heat syndrome, a lot of the people I grew up around think I might be a dhampire. But there is no real way of knowing if my mother was a vampire or if my father was. And as far as most hunters are concerned there is no difference between a dhampire, a dunpeal, and a vampire."

"A lot of hunters have given you trouble?"

"Yeah. I.uh.I had to kill a couple. I feel kinda bad about that."

D turned his back on Lynke and began to descend the cliff again, Lynke followed him down.

"Hey, you have my horse. Thanks." Lynke remarked as they climbed down. "Are you sure you aren't a dhampire? You seem too classy and calm to be a dunpeal. Dunpeals are usually more rowdy and crude."

D hid a small smile, "My father was most definitely the vampire."

"Oh."

D dropped the last twenty feet and landed soundlessly near the horses. Lynke landed effortlessly a few feet away and looked around. Tied together near the horses were three very frightened rabbits. He glanced questioningly at D.

"I'm a dunpeal. I know what it takes to heal. Besides your teeth are still showing, if you tried to convince some kid you weren't a vampire now you wouldn't pull it off. Some people think the blood is what turns you, but it isn't."

"I know that. Thanks D," Lynke smiled gratefully. The hunger pain burning through his veins was almost unbearable, despite the front he had up for D.

D turned and found something else to pay attention to as Lynke satisfied his supernatural hunger on the rabbits. Like most dhampires, or even dunpeals, Lynke seldom needed blood except to heal.

"So, kid. How old are you?"

Lynke glanced around trying to find the source of the sound, no one was in sight but D and himself.

"D, what was that?"

"Another of the reasons I usually work alone," D removed his glove and allowed Lynke to see his left hand.

"A parasite?"

"I am not a parasite. I'm a symbiote. There's a difference."

"Yeah, well, it's about as fine a line as the difference between a dhampire and a dunpeal."

"A dhampire has a vampire mother and human father and is therefore more vampire-like and has more beauty and less heat endurance, a dunpeal has a human mother and a vampire father, with a few exceptions dunpeal are ungraceful and very human seeming and the only thing they share in common with a vampire is bloodlust, and they seldom need blood to survive.

"A symbiote helps its host, a parasite just lives off its host, thank you very much."

"Touch-y."

"You half brained dimwit of a." the hand continued to rant at Lynke incessantly as D turned and began inspecting his tack.

"Does he always talk so much?" Lynke asked over the babble. He took the dead rabbits and began skinning them to make a stew.

"Do 'I' always talk so much? You're a fine one to talk."

"Yes."

"How'd you manage to keep him quiet for so long?"

"He's telepathic."

"So instead of babbling audibly he just babbles in your head? What a pain."

"You should try it sometime Lynke. It's really fun."

Lynke smiled slowly, ^Perhaps I shall. It's not hard you know.^

The hand continued to mutter angrily as D and Lynke prepared and ate their dinner. At one point during the evening D reached out and took Lynke's hand studying the strangely colored skin.

"That's my natural skin color. I have some lotions and stuff that can cover it so it looks normal."

"What about your eyes?"

Lynke got up and took a small case from his saddlebag. He opened it and held it out to D who took it and examined the small glass plates. They fit over my eyes and change the color just enough to pass for human. They guy who makes them for me said that they're actually a human invention. In the years before vampires humans used these all the time, but few know how to make them anymore.

"I suppose you knowing about me has a lot of benefits for us."

"Like what, we can both travel faster, since we aren't worrying about the human weaknesses of the other. Huh?"

"True."

"So kid, you never did tell us how old you are."

"Yeah I did. I'm two hundred twenty-seven."