Chapter Seven: Time to Go
Carl had been mortified when Praepondero had asked him to cut her hair. He had refused to cut it no shorter than to her hips, which she had quickly agreed to. It was cut not long after Helsing had left, and right at the beginning of a whole new list of things to train for. For the first few months, she continued her lessons with Tseng Ti, while studying up on the different characters that were suppose to be Helsing's type of prey. A few weeks after that, she was lucky enough to receive training almost immediately on different types of firearms with a man who claimed to be from Zulu, Africa. A cleric who was apart of the Vatican clergy and the Order took it upon himself to educate her more about the modern world and medicine; the latter was his specialty. Needless to say, when Van Helsing comes back again, which he had to do frequently for briefing and debriefing, her mind will be a mass of tangles with the new knowledge that will have been crammed into it over the last year.
She still helped Carl whenever she could. The poor man was rather unhappy with her choosing to become 'Van Helsing-like,' in his opinion. Secretly, she knew that Carl had become rather attached to her. The man had little other people who could appreciate and understand his existence other than Helsing and her.
The year had passed by far too quickly in her opinion. She had received word from the cardinal that Helsing would be later this time than expected, giving her time to make last minute preparations.
She had to admit, it was great to be back in comfortable leathers. She hadn't worn such material in...since she was last in her village. The boots were wonderfully crafted. The buckles were silver, and the leather was soft and ebon. Her good friend Tseng Ti even had his wife embroidery the neatest looking silver and white dragons up the full length of them, which was mid-thigh. She buckled on the metal kneepieces over the kneecaps. Carl had made a very befitting piece of makeshift mail, armguards, and thigh (cuisse) and shin (greave) plates for her to place underneath her tunic and leather riding pants. They were very light and comfortable, as he had designed them to be. He had to point out their durability and resistance to most of the elements before he had handed them over to her. The overcoat was made for all-weather, and its supply of pockets and loop holes were endless. She could only imagine what sort of contraptions that each of them were designed for. Lastly, there were her gloves, scarf, and hat, which were nothing elaborate, just simple and durable.
Carl came into her chamber just as she had finished buckling the stirrups to her boots. "And now the weapons."
Praepondero gave him sad puppy eyes for to stare at. "I don't get to choose them?"
Carl grinned at her fruitless attempt to make him feel pity. "If I know you, you'd try to haul off the all the weapons I have in store for Helsing." He emptied out a large sack onto her cot. "I've pretty much the same sort of things for you, my dear, only designed for a woman."
"Carl, you're an angel!"
Carl rummaged through the contraptions on the cot. "I'm a genius too, and a damn good one at that." He started rolling up her sleeves, attaching small spring loaded devices which held beautiful little silver daggers. "This is for emergencies." He tucked an array of small daggers into the sheaths at her belt, including a rapier, which she had little practice with. "Those are for emergencies too. These," he raised what resembled thick throwing stars attached to makeshift handles and small springs, "will be very handy. Tojo blades. Helsing likes them. You just pump the handles and then ...do your job." He began to fill her overcoat with several rolled up small cables, switchblade, picks, bottles of holy water, several grappling devices, small cupped climbing devices, and all sort of other little things that were nicely padded in leather. "And wouldn't you guess? All of this is for emergencies too. Helsing should explain the most of these to you though. Now, the firepower."
"Goody," was all that she could manage in response. She felt like she had more metal on her body than if she had worn a suit of armor. It was a good thing that all that training had put more muscle on that little frame of hers. "Do you know what you're doing, Carl?"
He strapped on a holster with two small modified pistols. "I think so. It's nothing a genius can't do." A third one with small pipes and gas cartridge was placed into one of the pockets of the overcoat. "That one is for werewolves and anything else allergic to silver. The supply of silver bullets along with the regular rounds is around your belt." He tightened the bandolier and stuffed a few throwing stars into the extra slots. He handed over a remodeled looking crossbow, made much in the same way as the gun. It had a bandoleer strap so that she could throw it over her shoulder and wear it comfortably. "All the other supplies have been loaded onto your horse along with your saddlebags and Winchester rifle." Carl stepped back and took in the site of her tiny form, now bulked with gear. "Now you're a modern warrior, more or less. Almost exactly like Helsing, minus around forty-five kilograms."
"Modern or no, I'll sink like a rock in this stuff if I get thrown in water" she mumbled. She had a good intention of going through all of it that Carl had put on her and limiting some of it.
Carl sniffed. "If you're referring to the plating you're wearing, no. I make it incredibly light, and it has a thin layer of cork underneath to help you float better."
She plopped down on her knees to dig underneath her cot. She pulled out a small cedar box and a long handled whip. It was made of the thinnest cords of cable inside of the normal leather. Small silver bands were fitted every few centimeters along its long length. She pulled out a blowgun and several darts from the handle of it.
Carl gave her a suspicious look. "And when, within the gates of St. Peter's, were you able to find the time to make that?"
She smirked. "I never did tell you about how little my race sleeps in comparison, did I?"
Carl had been mortified when Praepondero had asked him to cut her hair. He had refused to cut it no shorter than to her hips, which she had quickly agreed to. It was cut not long after Helsing had left, and right at the beginning of a whole new list of things to train for. For the first few months, she continued her lessons with Tseng Ti, while studying up on the different characters that were suppose to be Helsing's type of prey. A few weeks after that, she was lucky enough to receive training almost immediately on different types of firearms with a man who claimed to be from Zulu, Africa. A cleric who was apart of the Vatican clergy and the Order took it upon himself to educate her more about the modern world and medicine; the latter was his specialty. Needless to say, when Van Helsing comes back again, which he had to do frequently for briefing and debriefing, her mind will be a mass of tangles with the new knowledge that will have been crammed into it over the last year.
She still helped Carl whenever she could. The poor man was rather unhappy with her choosing to become 'Van Helsing-like,' in his opinion. Secretly, she knew that Carl had become rather attached to her. The man had little other people who could appreciate and understand his existence other than Helsing and her.
The year had passed by far too quickly in her opinion. She had received word from the cardinal that Helsing would be later this time than expected, giving her time to make last minute preparations.
She had to admit, it was great to be back in comfortable leathers. She hadn't worn such material in...since she was last in her village. The boots were wonderfully crafted. The buckles were silver, and the leather was soft and ebon. Her good friend Tseng Ti even had his wife embroidery the neatest looking silver and white dragons up the full length of them, which was mid-thigh. She buckled on the metal kneepieces over the kneecaps. Carl had made a very befitting piece of makeshift mail, armguards, and thigh (cuisse) and shin (greave) plates for her to place underneath her tunic and leather riding pants. They were very light and comfortable, as he had designed them to be. He had to point out their durability and resistance to most of the elements before he had handed them over to her. The overcoat was made for all-weather, and its supply of pockets and loop holes were endless. She could only imagine what sort of contraptions that each of them were designed for. Lastly, there were her gloves, scarf, and hat, which were nothing elaborate, just simple and durable.
Carl came into her chamber just as she had finished buckling the stirrups to her boots. "And now the weapons."
Praepondero gave him sad puppy eyes for to stare at. "I don't get to choose them?"
Carl grinned at her fruitless attempt to make him feel pity. "If I know you, you'd try to haul off the all the weapons I have in store for Helsing." He emptied out a large sack onto her cot. "I've pretty much the same sort of things for you, my dear, only designed for a woman."
"Carl, you're an angel!"
Carl rummaged through the contraptions on the cot. "I'm a genius too, and a damn good one at that." He started rolling up her sleeves, attaching small spring loaded devices which held beautiful little silver daggers. "This is for emergencies." He tucked an array of small daggers into the sheaths at her belt, including a rapier, which she had little practice with. "Those are for emergencies too. These," he raised what resembled thick throwing stars attached to makeshift handles and small springs, "will be very handy. Tojo blades. Helsing likes them. You just pump the handles and then ...do your job." He began to fill her overcoat with several rolled up small cables, switchblade, picks, bottles of holy water, several grappling devices, small cupped climbing devices, and all sort of other little things that were nicely padded in leather. "And wouldn't you guess? All of this is for emergencies too. Helsing should explain the most of these to you though. Now, the firepower."
"Goody," was all that she could manage in response. She felt like she had more metal on her body than if she had worn a suit of armor. It was a good thing that all that training had put more muscle on that little frame of hers. "Do you know what you're doing, Carl?"
He strapped on a holster with two small modified pistols. "I think so. It's nothing a genius can't do." A third one with small pipes and gas cartridge was placed into one of the pockets of the overcoat. "That one is for werewolves and anything else allergic to silver. The supply of silver bullets along with the regular rounds is around your belt." He tightened the bandolier and stuffed a few throwing stars into the extra slots. He handed over a remodeled looking crossbow, made much in the same way as the gun. It had a bandoleer strap so that she could throw it over her shoulder and wear it comfortably. "All the other supplies have been loaded onto your horse along with your saddlebags and Winchester rifle." Carl stepped back and took in the site of her tiny form, now bulked with gear. "Now you're a modern warrior, more or less. Almost exactly like Helsing, minus around forty-five kilograms."
"Modern or no, I'll sink like a rock in this stuff if I get thrown in water" she mumbled. She had a good intention of going through all of it that Carl had put on her and limiting some of it.
Carl sniffed. "If you're referring to the plating you're wearing, no. I make it incredibly light, and it has a thin layer of cork underneath to help you float better."
She plopped down on her knees to dig underneath her cot. She pulled out a small cedar box and a long handled whip. It was made of the thinnest cords of cable inside of the normal leather. Small silver bands were fitted every few centimeters along its long length. She pulled out a blowgun and several darts from the handle of it.
Carl gave her a suspicious look. "And when, within the gates of St. Peter's, were you able to find the time to make that?"
She smirked. "I never did tell you about how little my race sleeps in comparison, did I?"