A/N: Now that I've left you all hanging, the next chapter is here.
Kai, Brynne, Hazel and I stood rooted to the spot in horror. Favian, the rangers' comrade in arms and my recent acquaintance, just stared back at us blankly.
"Like, what is with you guys?" he asked us quizzically, tipping his head to one side.
"AHHHHH!" everyone except Favian screamed. I scrambled as far away from him as possible. Arwen, looking at once terrified and guilty that Favian had taken the blow for her, reined back her horse.
"Sweet Eru! The boy's possessed!" she cried. Kai was for once struggling with her emotions. I had to admit, the situation was…unique. I'd never heard of a Sue possessing someone. I quietly crept closer to Favian.
"What's your name?" I asked. Favian's eyes widened.
"Destiny Ambar," he replied. I nodded.
"We have problems," I announced to the others.
"That's obvious," Brynne agreed.
"We need to take him back to camp, and lock him up," Kai managed to choke out. We al looked at her.
"Lock him up?" Hazel whimpered miserably. My eyes widened in understanding.
"Oh I see, so he can't hurt himself! That gives us time to find a way to help him!" Just then, however, Legolas chose the wrong moment to sneeze. Favian (or should I be calling him Destiny?) squealed and started drooling.
"Grab him!" Kai ordered as she ran forward. Brynne and I sprang into action and tackled the poor boy, who was trying to run to Legolas. After a few halfhearted punches in our direction, we managed to hold him down long enough for Kai to tie him up and slip a blindfold over his eyes. Now unable to see the object of his possessor's affection, Favian lay still. Brynne dragged him to his feet and stood panting.
"You're right," she gasped, "we do have to lock him up. He could kill someone!" Hazel, I noticed, was standing off by herself, crying softly.
"We're going to have to kill him!" she wailed. I clenched my jaw grimly at the thought.
"No we're not," Kai comforted Hazel, "We'll find a way to help him." The ranger captain looked at me expectantly. As if I could do anything to help!
"Let's get moving, before more Sues come," Éowyn suggested. We needed no second prompting.
Back in our own camp, we all sat around mournfully, listening to Favian yelling back in his cell. Kai remained sitting next to the campfire for a long time, staring into the flames. Now that she didn't need to give out orders for a while, she had time to think and probably beat herself up. As the leader and captain of the rangers, I'm sure she felt somehow responsible. Arwen was just plain miserable. She paced back and forth in the stables while Éowyn groomed Gabriel. Brynne was distracted and could hardly find the strength to make a proper dinner for everyone. Hazel was torn between helping Brynne, comforting Kai, and perhaps visiting Favian in his cell to try and talk sense into him. I don't think it would have worked. I spent the time mentally searching for a way to rid us of the fiend without killing Favian in the process. Since this case was so very special I didn't even know where to start.
Later, with a plate of overcooked stew resting on my knee, I conversed with the rangers and the royals. The mood was growing darker as the sun set. No one wanted to talk about Favian or the day's events, and at the same time it couldn't be avoided. Éowyn and Arwen couldn't bear to look anyone in the eye: they had gotten it into their head that their reckless chase after the Sues was the cause of all this. Despite their husbands' firm assurances that this was not so, they both sulked.
"I did get an idea while I was off alone today," I said as the conversation turned onto the subject of Sues and vampires. Everyone looked at me hopefully.
"It's not much," I added as Hazel started to smile, "But it's worth a try." Kai pulled herself out of her musings.
"Exactly what is this plan?" she asked skeptically. I licked my lips nervously.
"We go and find the Sue's body and de-vampire it." Hazel choked on her stew, Brynne dropped her plate, and Arwen looked up sharply.
"And sneak into the Sues' headquarters? You're insane!" Brynne gasped. I smiled at her unpleasantly.
"Yes, we know that one. Anything else?" Hazel glanced at the door to our makeshift prison.
"Will it hurt Favian?" she asked in a small voice. My smile vanished.
"That's the thing: there's no way to know unless we try it." She whimpered pitiably.
"All the other ways would kill him for sure," I added hastily. It was true: stabbing him through the heart with a stake certainly wouldn't be good for him, nor would slicing off his head and stuffing it with garlic.
"I don't know, Rana. Maybe we should give it a couple days and see what happens," suggested Kai. I frowned.
"But Favian's life and future well-being are at stake!" I pointed out. Terrible pain and sorrow flashed in Kai's eyes, but she stood firm.
"I can't risk everyone's lives to help one of us. I'm the captain, and it's up to me to make sure no one else gets hurt." Hazel sniffed and Brynne nodded stiffly. I turned desperately to Aragorn.
"My lord, please," I begged as I humbly dropped to one knee, "Surly you see the sense in helping one of our own? You of all people, the king and chief of the Dúnedain, understand that risks have to be taken if anything is to be achieved?" Aragorn looked uncomfortable and very unhappy to have been put on the spot like that.
"Rana, I see the sense in your plan. However," he added with a stern look, "Kai is in the right. We cannot risk everything in times like these. If we fall, the Sues will take control of all of Middle-earth, and then even more lives will be lost. We must have patience –." I stood up quickly and glared at them all. Fiery wrath was welling up inside me and I fought to keep it in check.
"My lord, if that is your decision." I bowed curtly and stalked off to my corner, near the entrance to the prison, and sat down on my straw mattress. There was an awkward silence before the others changed the subject and started talking amongst themselves. I watched them for a while before I got tired and fell asleep.
I was awoken once more by the pattering of feet. I half opened one eye groggily and watched as a pair of boots stepped past me. It didn't quite register until the boots stopped. I shut my eyes again tightly and pretended to be asleep. I could hear heavy breathing drawing closer, almost right next to my ear. I opened my eye a crack and almost cried out. It was Favian (though I suppose I really should be calling him Favian-Destiny by now), leaning very close to me.
"So hungry…" he hissed, using a high voice that was definitely not natural. Fear gripped me as I realized the one factor I had forgotten – Destiny was a vampire, and vampires drink blood!