Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Van Helsing characters. The only ones I can lay claim to are Mara and Kai who are figments of my imagination. But they're still mine. J

Author's note to Destiny's Dragon.: I give you my most solemn vow I will never take a year to update. 364 days maybe, but never a year. I enjoy writing too much.

Chapter 10:

Fear overwhelmed Mara as the weight at her back knocked the breath from her body and bore her to the ground. She gasped, desperately trying to breathe and felt air rush in painfully to fill her deflated lungs. She inhaled once, then again as she opened her mouth to scream. Sharp teeth bit into her neck, pricking her skin and silencing her abruptly. They tightened their hold briefly then released her as Mara became utterly still. Suddenly the weight was off her back and the girl scrambled up and around to face her attacker, her eyes wide with fear.

Standing not three feet in front of her was a cat easily the size of a small horse. She felt the blood drain from her face as she noticed the four inch long canines. Her hand flew to her throat as she realized how close those lethal fangs had been to biting her head off.

giant cat stared at her unblinkingly and after several minutes Mara felt the liquid feeling of fear leave her legs. Maybe he doesn't want to eat me. She thought hope rising in her chest.

Her gaze left the frighteningly intelligent amber eyes and wondered back over its shoulders. The cat was covered from head to toe in thick, tawny fur, the color of the falling sun and with a satiny sheen that made her small fingers itch to pet it.

The great cat moved over to her, lightly butting her shoulder with its head to and she stared again into it's face, keeping her gaze on it's velvety nose this time, instead of staring it in the eyes. She knew many animals, like the dogs on her parent's land, would take that as a challenge. The cat nudged her shoulder again impatiently with its nose as the sound of metal on metal crashing was heard behind them. It turned from her and pointed it's nose to the trees.

The sounds of armor and sword fighting were coming closer. Mara shot a furtive glance over her shoulder and saw horned helmets cresting the hill that led down to the beach. She looked back at the cat and saw it walking away from her to the forest, and made up her mind. She was safer with this strange fairy beast. The cat stopped and looked over its shoulder as Mara trotted to catch up to it, crouching low in the tall grass as she ran to keep from being seen. When she was only a few feet away, the cat started moving again. If there had been any doubt before, Mara was now certain. It wanted her to follow it.

She was so intent on keeping pace with the lithe golden form that she stopped paying heed to the raid behind her. She felt something large and meaty grab her arm and yank her roughly back. She screamed, as she found herself looking up at a large man with hair so oily it looked brown. Only the few streaks of yellow told her he was naturally a blond under his helmet. He leered at her through a mouthful of rotting and broken teeth, around his neck he wore the necklace that Mara's mother had worn everyday for the last three years. Her daughters gift to her, made painstakingly from seashells found along the beach.

Mara screamed, fear forgotten in her rage as she faced her mother's killer. Her free hand twisted into a claw, nails pointing outward as she swung at his face. She missed. The Viking laughed as her small arm fell ridiculously short of it's goal. But that small distraction was all that was needed for the great cat to leap over the girl and hit the man full in the chest with his claws extended. The man howled in pain and went down, dragging Mara with him. She noticed blood pouring from his chest where the cat's claws had dug in as she struggled violently, trying to wrest her arm from his grip and claw his eyes out at the same time.

The cat lunged for the big man's throat, hampered only slightly by the arm thrown up to block his jaws. The Viking released Mara and struggled with to free his short sword. Mara, thrown off balance by her sudden release, stumbled backwards and fell on her butt.

Instantly, the child pushed herself up to attack again, just as the man managed to draw his sword, and the cat managed to rip out his throat. His arm flailed wildly in his death throws and the sword caught the small girl across the face.

Mara staggered backward, screaming as pressed her hand over her left eye. Through the red haze of blood and pain she saw the cat jump clear of the twitching body, blood streaming down his jaws and matting in the fur of his chest. It sniffed the weeping girl and gently licked her face. It was a futile gesture, the cut still bled freely and Mara was more terrified now than when the barbarian man had grabbed her. She didn't want to lose her eye! The cat nuzzled her again gently with it's nose.

Little one.

Mara jerked her head around, looking for the source of the voice.

In front of you little one. She looked with her one good eye into the golden eyes of the cat, momentarily rendered mute by shock. Get on my back. I'll carry you to safety.

Gingerly pulling her hand from her wounded eye she gripped his fur, wincing at the blood she smeared on his lovely coat, and pulled herself up onto his back.

Hold on tight little one. The cat said gently. You'll be safe now. My name is Kai and I'm taking you back to my family. Too numb to feel anything, Mara hung on as Kai loped gently off toward the forest, leaving the sounds of battle behind her.

"Mara," A voice called gently but insistently. "Mara."

She moaned and rolled over, then instantly wished she hadn't. Her head felt like it had been used as a drum for the last few days. "Wha...?" She asked incoherently.

"You've been out for over a day." Said a pleasant sounding tenor voice. A hand slid behind her head, lifting it slightly as a wet cloth was pressed to her lips, dripping water into her mouth. "We were beginning to worry about you."

Mara opened her eyes, the last of her dream fading as she stared up into dark eyes filled with concern.

"Welcome back." Velkan said softly.