A/N Wow, what a great way to come home from my trip! Thanks for all the great reviews!! I can't respond to all of them now, so here's a general response: Yes, I had way too much fun writing that last chapter, yes I have a phobia of my stuff being too long since I have been told that I often write too long of chapters, and YES all of us want Anna back!! You'll see how it turns out, be patient!
Chapter Four:
Shocking Misunderstandings
It was hard to say who was in a state of more severe shock: Carl or Van Helsing. Dracula led them through the castle, his cheerful banter a constant undercurrent to the thoughts of each. For Van Helsing, his thoughts were mixed and felt like they weren't his own. He felt that he knew this place, had walked this hall, admired that tapestry, and met these servants before, but some part of him kept saying that these things should all be entirely foreign. Carl's thought's were mostly ones of awe and fearful musings on whether he was really going to Hell or not for his recent conduct.
At last, Dracula led them to a huge wooden door with large iron handles.
"Finally! We are home!" He lilted merrily. "Prepare a story you two." A devilish grin spread across his face. "Our comrades are more ravenous for gossip than our most nosy servants!"
With that, he planted his hands on the two doors and swung them open, walking through. As Van Helsing and Carl followed, they felt as though they were walking to their execution. Upon seeing the hall, both decided that it would be a good place to die. The hall was bright and beautiful, with several tables all covered in the remains of a decadent feast. At one end of the squarish room was a high table with eight chairs all on one side of it, at which sat six men doubled over in howling laughter at something.
"Cease your laughter and see who I have found!" Dracula called out to them.
"Well, look who has returned!" laughed one, a dark blonde sitting to the far left.
"Marry, and from the dead it seems by his coloring!" joined in one two seats down. His hair was brown and shaggily cut.
"Who's the other, though?" asked a quiet sandy-haired one in the middle of the other two.
"Oh, don't ask him that, he'll give no straight answer." Dracula said wickedly, leaning on the table and eyeing Carl and Gabriel as they circled around the table to sit down. Numbly, Van Helsing sat down at the largest chair, roughly in the center, and Carl flopped into the one at his right.
"You ate my food." Van Helsing whispered dismally, looking at his empty plate.
"Oh, sorry, you were taking so long and you should know Daniel has a horrendous appetite!" another seated next to Carl look pointedly at the black-haired man on his left.
"What use has a dead man for food? So we thought him." He asked in return.
"I saved some food for you, Gabriel." The sandy-haired one said shyly, standing and bringing his plate over to Van Helsing.
"Honestly James, you're too soft." said the black-haired one derisively.
"And you are too hard, Daniel." James stuttered, his fist clenching slightly. Van Helsing accepted the plate wordlessly and began to eat.
"Come now Daniel, James. We all know that James probably belongs in a monastery, but we wouldn't have him anywhere else. Few are as good with the horses as he." Dracula said evenly, coming to stand behind Carl. "This would be my seat, Friar." He said with the faintest traces of ice in his voice and eyes.
"Ah, well, I shall just..." Carl sighed and stood, leaning against the back of Van Helsing's chair just as he finished eating. Smiling again, Dracula sat.
"A Friar, are you?" asked the one who had first spoken.
"Not a very chaste one, I think." Dracula whispered conspiratorially.
"What makes you think so, Vlad?" asked the one to his right.
"Only, Michael, the circumstances in which I found these two." Vlad said with another wolfish grin. Carl and Van Helsing groaned almost simultaneously; the latter drowned out the sound of the tale being retold in a goblet of wine also offered to him by James.
"Is it TRUE?" asked the man on the far right as he fought tears of laughter.
"It is the furthest thing from it, David." Van Helsing snapped, the man's name coming to his lips unbidden.
"Well, we always did have out doubts about you. You think too much, and you haven't even given a girl a good looking over since Mary. And she was two years ago!" chortled the brunette on his righ.
"Peace, be kind William! Doubts we have had, but remember he did take a nasty knock on the head after we got him drunk when Mary left, and he probably took a good one today too." laughed David.
"Nevertheless, the truth still stands." William's eyes twinkled with a smile. "We need to find you a beautiful woman." Daniel said. Van Helsing lifted his eyes to the sound of a door opening; instants later, his stomach lurched and his heart stopped. A woman was indeed standing in the doorway.
It was Anna.
A/N Well now, that one was a bit short, but the ending was too perfect for me to continue! I already have the next chapter written! Reviews will motivate me to type it up and post it!!
Chapter Four:
Shocking Misunderstandings
It was hard to say who was in a state of more severe shock: Carl or Van Helsing. Dracula led them through the castle, his cheerful banter a constant undercurrent to the thoughts of each. For Van Helsing, his thoughts were mixed and felt like they weren't his own. He felt that he knew this place, had walked this hall, admired that tapestry, and met these servants before, but some part of him kept saying that these things should all be entirely foreign. Carl's thought's were mostly ones of awe and fearful musings on whether he was really going to Hell or not for his recent conduct.
At last, Dracula led them to a huge wooden door with large iron handles.
"Finally! We are home!" He lilted merrily. "Prepare a story you two." A devilish grin spread across his face. "Our comrades are more ravenous for gossip than our most nosy servants!"
With that, he planted his hands on the two doors and swung them open, walking through. As Van Helsing and Carl followed, they felt as though they were walking to their execution. Upon seeing the hall, both decided that it would be a good place to die. The hall was bright and beautiful, with several tables all covered in the remains of a decadent feast. At one end of the squarish room was a high table with eight chairs all on one side of it, at which sat six men doubled over in howling laughter at something.
"Cease your laughter and see who I have found!" Dracula called out to them.
"Well, look who has returned!" laughed one, a dark blonde sitting to the far left.
"Marry, and from the dead it seems by his coloring!" joined in one two seats down. His hair was brown and shaggily cut.
"Who's the other, though?" asked a quiet sandy-haired one in the middle of the other two.
"Oh, don't ask him that, he'll give no straight answer." Dracula said wickedly, leaning on the table and eyeing Carl and Gabriel as they circled around the table to sit down. Numbly, Van Helsing sat down at the largest chair, roughly in the center, and Carl flopped into the one at his right.
"You ate my food." Van Helsing whispered dismally, looking at his empty plate.
"Oh, sorry, you were taking so long and you should know Daniel has a horrendous appetite!" another seated next to Carl look pointedly at the black-haired man on his left.
"What use has a dead man for food? So we thought him." He asked in return.
"I saved some food for you, Gabriel." The sandy-haired one said shyly, standing and bringing his plate over to Van Helsing.
"Honestly James, you're too soft." said the black-haired one derisively.
"And you are too hard, Daniel." James stuttered, his fist clenching slightly. Van Helsing accepted the plate wordlessly and began to eat.
"Come now Daniel, James. We all know that James probably belongs in a monastery, but we wouldn't have him anywhere else. Few are as good with the horses as he." Dracula said evenly, coming to stand behind Carl. "This would be my seat, Friar." He said with the faintest traces of ice in his voice and eyes.
"Ah, well, I shall just..." Carl sighed and stood, leaning against the back of Van Helsing's chair just as he finished eating. Smiling again, Dracula sat.
"A Friar, are you?" asked the one who had first spoken.
"Not a very chaste one, I think." Dracula whispered conspiratorially.
"What makes you think so, Vlad?" asked the one to his right.
"Only, Michael, the circumstances in which I found these two." Vlad said with another wolfish grin. Carl and Van Helsing groaned almost simultaneously; the latter drowned out the sound of the tale being retold in a goblet of wine also offered to him by James.
"Is it TRUE?" asked the man on the far right as he fought tears of laughter.
"It is the furthest thing from it, David." Van Helsing snapped, the man's name coming to his lips unbidden.
"Well, we always did have out doubts about you. You think too much, and you haven't even given a girl a good looking over since Mary. And she was two years ago!" chortled the brunette on his righ.
"Peace, be kind William! Doubts we have had, but remember he did take a nasty knock on the head after we got him drunk when Mary left, and he probably took a good one today too." laughed David.
"Nevertheless, the truth still stands." William's eyes twinkled with a smile. "We need to find you a beautiful woman." Daniel said. Van Helsing lifted his eyes to the sound of a door opening; instants later, his stomach lurched and his heart stopped. A woman was indeed standing in the doorway.
It was Anna.
A/N Well now, that one was a bit short, but the ending was too perfect for me to continue! I already have the next chapter written! Reviews will motivate me to type it up and post it!!