You are greatly upset about one thing in particular as you ride. Vladimir had said that Dracula sends a storm to stop you. How can he possibly know that you two are setting out for help to vanquish him?
The ride drags on for hours. There is always an intense expression of concentration on Vladimir's face, but he never seems to be worried. Perhaps he is worried, but he is not showing it.
You are forced to take a break at dusk; but at least you are under the shelter of a grove of trees. If Dracula flies tonight, he will have difficulty in finding you. Vladimir is very quiet. He watches the west sky.
"We cannot rest for long," he finally says, "This storm must be out-run. And as soon as that sunlight vanishes from the sky, we are in terrible danger."
"How does Dracula know that I am betraying him?" You ask. Vladimir looks at you.
"Intuition. He knows everything and anything he wants to…especially regarding you. He knows that he took a risk in trusting to a decent mortal, so he has kept a restless mind on your thoughts and your actions. You cannot lie to Dracula, Mira. He will kill you," explains Vladimir. You gulp. After a quick bite to eat and a rest, you mount your horses again. Vladimir is very alert. At every sound, his head turns swiftly.
The sun falls beneath the horizon.
"We won't get far," mutters Vladimir, "Stay close."
Around you, the dark shadows of the sky and trees walk by like creatures. The forest is still as if it has been silent for a century. The stillness makes you very nervous and you gaze around the trees. You think you see the flash of eyes here and there, but it is so faint that you think it is your imagination. Still, you stay close to Vladimir.
"Vladimir…" You whisper quietly, seeing eyes flashing around you. He silences you.
"I know," he says, just so you can barely hear him. You continue onward in silence. Danger seems to be fast approaching by the minute.
"Vladimir," you say again.
"Sh. On my word," says Vladimir. At this point, the horses are beginning to react to the sense of danger. They snort in restlessness and paw anxiously at the ground. A tree branch overhead creaks threateningly. You don't dare to look up. "Now," says Vladimir. At this point, you both whip your horses into an open gallop and fly through the trees.
There is a large crash behind you and a menacing growl. The growl strengthens to a horrible snarl and you squeeze your eyes shut, just hoping this is a bad dream. But you know it is not, and you must ride on. Vladimir is in a frenzy already. He keeps looking back and urging the horse to go faster.
Then, you hear the distinct sound of large wings flapping overhead. An evil scream is emitted and you lose control of the reins, covering your ears from the horrid sound. You are somehow able to balance yourself and crouch low to the horse. The horses are whinnying in terror.
"Faster, Mira!" Cries Vladimir. You kick the horse again, but both of you realize that the horses are going the fastest they can go right now. Vladimir turns on his horse and fires a couple of stakes at the beast flying over you. You cringe as it lets out surprised cries and then falls back.
You notice that the stars can no longer be seen overhead and a few flakes begin to flutter to the ground.
The creature regains its composure and resumes the chase once more. Finally, you dare to look back at it and nearly pass out. You are absolutely horrified by the appearance of a large, dark, winged devil. Its eyes glow terribly in the darkness but soon, the snow starts falling thickly.
"Come on Dracula! You can't follow us forever!" Yells Vladimir, shooting at it again. He seems very calm as he does this, as if it is second nature to him. Soon there is a thick curtain of falling snow and the creature disappears. You keep riding at the same pace, regardless. But horses are living things, and they too can tire. Soon, they are struggling and you are forced to let them slow to a walk. You are breathless.
"Vladimir…" You begin, but you cannot talk. You are overwhelmed and exhausted already.
"It's only the beginning," says Vladimir, "But I promise you. Under Van Helsing's protection, we stand a much better chance. It seems that the Count has regained all of his strength and more."
"The horses are tired," you say softly. Somehow, you feel as if your words are lost amidst the falling snow. It is very cold and you have doubts about making it through the night. "Is he going to come at us again?" You ask. Vladimir shakes his head.
"I doubt it. More than likely he is making more intelligent plans than continuing a chase in the middle of the night during a snow storm," replies Vladimir, "Such as, taking over the city."
"Taking over the city?" You repeat. Suddenly, this awful thought fully sinks in and you look at him desperately. "Surely he would not…"
"He owned it centuries ago. He would not fear retaking it," says Vladimir, "I am sorry." He turns his head away from you, forcing his horse to trudge along in the snow.
It does not matter to you anymore whether or not you survive. With no town left to go to, where else will you go? Dracula will pursue you no matter what.
"Mira," Vladimir calls you back to attention, "Do not worry for the city. None shall be harmed, I assure you. It is too valuable to him to kill everyone." You are slightly comforted by this, but not as much as you would like to be. You watch Vladimir and find yourself wondering about him yet again. The snow in his hair gives him a very mysterious look and once more, you ask yourself if you should be trusting this man.
"What will happen if we stop now?" You ask suddenly. Vladimir meets your eyes. There are snowflakes dusting his eyelashes and his sky blue eyes look darker.
"Then we will die," he says, "If Dracula is not following us, something else is by now. I'm not going to wait around to find out what it is." He turns back to the path ahead.
Emotionally, you are overwhelmed and ready to collapse. You will be happy if you can just stay awake. But that is not happening. You are too sleep-deprived to let it go. Slowly, but surely, you sink forward in the saddle, hunching over until you fall into a deep sleep.