i know that some of you have been most eagerly awating me to get another chapter of sunrise put up. and i feel bad that's its gotten neglected in light of my recent hellsing obsession. but, here it is. and the next one is almost finished and should be up soon! hope you enjoy this one, cause i'm not pleased with the overall turn out. it just feels off to me. dunno.

eerian


Chapter 15

The clothes did not fit right. They were, in fact, made for someone several inches shorter than himself.

Vincent sighed as he pulled the homespun sweater over his head. The plain brown wool would keep him warm enough, but he wished for his own shirt and pants. There was no telling when he'd get clothes his size again, though.

I might as well wish for Yuffie. He gave a forlorn sigh. Hopefully, these people can help me get supplies and be on my way.

A soft knock sounded on the door, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"May I come in?" It was the girl.

"You may."

The girl came into the room, hands gripped tightly in front of her, a worried expression on her face.

"What is it?" Vincent asked.

"Your beast. It won't let my brother back inside. Perhaps you should…" She trailed off, obviously uncertain of what to say.

"I'll call him off. I imagine he just wants to know that I'm all right."

"Please, this way." The girl walked away quickly.

Vincent followed her to the door of the cabin. The girl stood nervously to the side as he opened the door.

Almost the instant he stepped off the porch, he was confronted with seven feet of snuffling Galian Beast. The creature reminded him more and more of a loyal dog as time passed.

Tentatively, as he'd never petted the Galian Beast before, he reached out with his good hand and rubbed him between the horns as he'd seen Chaos do. The beast calmed almost instantly, and sat down on the cold ground.

"Beast, we mustn't be rude to our hosts. They've taken good care of me. Be nice to them."

The Galian Beast belied his dog-like tendencies by snorting and nodding like he understood exactly what Vincent had said.

Vincent stepped back from the Beast. "Now, I'm going back inside before I freeze again. Go find yourself something to eat."

The Galian Beast did not have to be told twice. He bounded off immediately into the trees surrounding the house and barn.

Vincent turned to his second rescuer. "He shouldn't bother you now."

"I hope not," the young man said. "I don't think I could handle that again."

With that, his rescuer walked to the porch and inside. Vincent followed.

Something isn't right here.

Quickly, he found out what it was.

They'd been inside for all of thirty seconds when the young man demanded, "How long until you leave?"

"What?" Vincent hadn't been expecting open hostility.

"That thing outside is dangerous. It frightens the livestock and nearly killed me." He leveled an angry gaze at Vincent. "I want it gone, and I want you gone. We've had nothing but trouble since Jaya made me pull you out of that cave."

"Vhan, please," The girl, Jaya presumably, said. "He has nothing. He needs us."

"Like hell! We don't even know who he is!"

"My name is Vincent Valentine," the gunslinger said. "Of AVALANCHE."

"The terrorist group?" Vhan looked plainly suspicious.

"They have not been terrorists since long before I joined them." Vincent had a pretty good idea of where this was goin.

"If you're one of them, you can take care of yourself. Get out." Both Vincent and Jaya could see in his stance that further argument was pointless. The young man had made up his mind.

"Very well." Vincent turned and walked back into the cold. If he died—again—from exposure, his death would be on the boy's hands when the Planet looked at his deeds.

As he moved away from the house, he heard the girl shout, "How could you!"

He chose to ignore the rest of the argument as he moved out of hearing range.

He was moving into the tree line when he heard the girl shout, "Mister Valentine! Wait!"

At her shout, Vincent stopped, waiting in the cold air.

"I'm sorry about Vhan. He's been like that since Papa died." She held a coat and a backpack out to him. "Take these. I told my brother that I was helping you no matter what he said."

"I have no way to repay you for these things." He didn't want to refuse her generosity, but neither did he want to deprive her of supplies that she would need out here.

"I've seen your beast at night, killing the monsters that tried to attack the farm. That was payment enough." Her face was determined, and Vincent couldn't find it in him to refuse again.

"Thank you," he said, taking her gifts. "The planet will not forget your kindness."

Jaya seemed taken a bit aback by his statement, but smiled anyway. "Good luck."

"Thank you."

Without another word, the girl turned and walked back to her house.

Vincent entered the tree line, then stopped to put the coat on. It was leather, line with wool and doubtlessly made by the family. It had a hood, which he quickly pulled up.

When he put his good hand in the pocket to warm his fingers, he felt a familiarly shaped piece of metal. Surprised, he pulled it out, and wondered if she had meant to leave him the pistol.

Its small, but what it lacks in power, I can make up for in precision.

He found one full clip of ammunition in the gun and three more in the coat's other pocket. He'd have to ration the ammo until he got back to civilization, but with the Galian Beast around, that might not be much of a problem.