lil-blonde-pirate: damn you and your puppy-dog eyes!!
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Chapter 64
The mounted party had been riding steadily east for over two hours now, the midday sun serving as a guide for Van Helsing through the enormous Transylvanian forest.
Anna, Carl and Van Helsing were all experienced riders having had few other travelling options in their lives. For the others the going was more awkward, Amie was the only one with any real riding experience.
It was up to her and Carl to try and keep the others on course yelling instructions now and again when they saw mistakes.
The horses were mainly double mounted; Carl shared his mount with Chris, while Amie stayed with Bob.
Marston and Jory rode another; Tony had opted to ride behind Anna, ensuring that he would be the first to know when the trial was found.
Van Helsing rode alone leading the group; now and again he dismounted to note disturbances in the foliage that might indicate Sarah's route. It had become clear that she must have flown constantly and not walked as he had hoped. There was no trial to follow and so he lead them constantly east knowing that eventually he would find her final resting place.
After another few minutes the trees around them began to thin, eventually disappearing altogether to reveal a wide meadow.
Van Helsing shared a glance with the Princess they were close now and both knew it. Behind her Tony sensed the princess become more alert and he tensed in anticipation. The meadow seemed to stretch endlessly on the trees became a distant memory the further they went.
It was long past noon when the group dismounted, some of them slightly bowlegged from the long ride. Van Helsing noted that none of them complained and he respected them all the more for it.
They led the horses forward for a few more minutes until the land abruptly ending ahead of them to transform the meadow into a cliff face.
Van Helsing went ahead of the group searching the ground for scorch marks. Sure enough at the very edge of the cliff no more than a meter away from the sheer drop, he found the ground and grass blackened with sudden fire.
He knelt and examined the turf around it noting where she had landed and where she had sat; he closed his eyes and removed his hat crossing himself when he saw how she had writhed against the pain, unable to escape it. Mumbling parting words in Latin he stood and motioned for the group to come forward.
Tony and Amie were the first to stand above the ashes, neither of them had any more tears to shed. Amie closed her eyes and raised her head as the others stepped up behind her. Bob's hand quickly found hers and she felt it shaking. She looked over at Van Helsing who stood a respectful distance away with Carl and the Princess.
"Can you tell what she did?" she questioned.
He nodded and stepped forward pointing out Sarah's last movements. When he had finished Amie stepped up to the cliff edge and sat where her friend had sat hours before.
"She would have liked it here" she decided gazing at the magnificent view before her.
Chris, Jory, Marston and Bob looked away from the ashes and settled on to the grass some distance away. Tony remained over the ashes bending he examined them more closely.
"What are you looking for?" asked Carl stepping beside him.
Tony didn't answer right away; instead he scrutinized the ground at his feet.
With a shaking hand he pushed some of the ash aside and picked up a small disk. Placing it carefully in his palm he wiped ash from it to reveal the pentagram on its surface.
"She always wore it" he whispered smiling slightly "I called it the devils symbol once, she just laughed it off, told me it represented that everything is connected and everything happens for a reason." His expression clouded over again "wish I knew the reason for this." He said.
Anna approached Van Helsing who was still examining the turf.
"What is it?" she asked startled by the malicious look spreading over his face.
"Damn it!" he hissed, angrily he gestured to his feet. Anna knelt and studied the markings her own tracking skills coming into play.
"Claw marks? But there to big for Sarah's and I saw her landing spot it's over there" she gestured vaguely towards the cliff, suddenly she realised what this must mean.
What colour was in her face disappeared "No he didn't" she whispered.
Van Helsing nodded his assent "Dracula" he spat the name "he couldn't let her go in piece, he took her on the very edge of salvation!" He gave an anguished cry and hurled a large rock over the cliff face in his rage.
Amie jumped to her feet in shock as it barely missed her head; Bob was instantly by her side.
They watched silently as Van Helsing marched away to catch his horse for the ride home.
It was left to Anna to inform the group of their findings. "Dracula has her now, and he will use her against you" she noted relief pass over Jory and Marston's faces.
"Thank god she's alive" Bob muttered closing his eyes holding Amie close.
Amie's face showed anything but relief and Tony shook with suppressed anger.
Taking a deep breath Anna regarded them all "Sarah is dead. Your friend does not exist to come back to you now. When you see her remember that you are not seeing your friend. You're seeing the thing that murdered her."
Note: It's short because its very late more 2moz!!