At first they didn't see that they were being at watched. At first they didn't notice the low growl mingled with the sound of gnashing teeth. They were too busy talking to each other in their small tent outside of town to hear anything beside their own voices and their eyes were too busy opening and closing in sleep to see that the dark shape was advancing slowly towards them. Already it had a thrown a shadow on the front of the tent which made it look bigger than it actually was but they didn't notice it or its clear warning that something was coming. Had its progress not been silent across the ground save for its panting breath and occasional snarls and had they not been talking all the while they would have known of its presence and of its advance towards them. When one did finally realise that something was there it was too late, it was practically on top of them and blocking their only exit out of the tent.

Acke looked round when he felt a hand nervously patting his left shoulder. To his annoyance he saw that it was Jakob who had disturbed a conversation he had been having with another of his companions. At first he thought that Acke was being his normal, jumpy self but his mind was quickly changed when he caught sight of what the other man had seen. In his surprise he too began tapping someone on the shoulder. It was Faas' shoulder. He would know what to do. As soon as Faas responded to his beckoning he pointed at the shape outside, all three men stared at it while trying to work out what it was.

Even through the canvas they could see the glint of teeth shining brightly in the unrestricted moonlight. The teeth were sharp and bared ready to attack at the slightest provocation from anyone that dared face it. Beneath their fearful panting the three men could hear the low guttural growl leaking through the bared teeth threatening to rip them apart. It was an inhuman sound that seemed to echo around their tiny surroundings and deep down into the insides of their ears.

"What…what is it?" Jakob stammered as he trembled.

"A… ghost? A…monster? I don't know." Acke replied also trembling.

Faas licked his dry lips, "It has to be something. An animal perhaps."

"But what kind?" Jakob whined.

"I don't know. Stay here you two, let me…let me look."

Closing his eyes tightly and building up all the courage he could muster in himself, Faas unzipped the tent and pushed himself out into the night air. Finding enough strength to go another step further he opened his eyes quickly so as not to go back on his intention.

What he saw made him yell in fright. After that initial scream several more followed ringing out into the night.

Sat at the small table with their legs crossed and a row of playing cards shielding their faces, Rico and Alejandro looked at their hand. One used his poker face well while the other inwardly and outwardly grimaced at theirs. They knew there was no way they'd beat the other with their unlucky deal. Trying to guard his disappointment, Rico levelled his eyes with Alejandro's face. He lowered them again instantly when he noticed that his brother had thought alike.

Steeling himself against all possible mockery from his brother, Rico took a deep breath and placed his cards face up on the table while exhaling more air than he had taken in. He didn't breathe in again until his opponent had begun to lower his cards as well. It was sight he never got to see, however, as both of their crystals flared into life. With a single look at one another they ignored their game and left the airship leaving only enough time to nod a farewell at their watchful mother.

As soon as their feet made contact with the ground both twins ran as fast as they could in the direction their ears told them the screams were coming from. They could see very little in the darkness but continued running in the hope that they would see something to guide them closer. Both of them knew well of the attacks of a few days before and both hoped that this was an unrelated incident, something simple that they could deal with quickly and with little trouble. Neither of them was feeling up to fighting off a potential attacker or attackers to whoever was screaming.

Reaching the brow of a small hill, both brothers skidded to a halt as they saw a familiar shape making its way over to a dome shaped object in the distance.

Acke wanted to run, he wanted to run far away, to burst from the tent and to be free from whatever it was that was holding him and his friends hostage but their screams mingled with own as they too struggled within their confines. Below their screams they could still hear the vicious growling sound, a sound that rumbled from deep within the belly of a beast. Unable to take it any longer he broke from his friends, he had to be away, and threw open the door of the tent but something forced him back in.

The beast.

It had leapt at him as he had tried escaping and now ran over him and his colleagues. Their small electric lamp was knocked over and they were plunged into even deeper darkness than before. It increased their fear ten fold and incensed their screams still further as the growling and gnashing heightened its volume while the rap of in human feet tore around their confined surroundings. None of them knew how long they could keep their minds under such immense fear but their questions were soon answered as their ordeal ended.

Three pairs of hands shredded the tent around them and all three men ran off in different directions, tripping over themselves in their panic to get away. Each of them rolled desperately around on the floor in fear that they were being pursued. None of them cared to wonder how they had escaped or what had been terrorising them in their tiredness. All they were concerned with was getting as far away from where they had been as possible.

Rico and Alejandro took off after the men who had strangely drawn level with each other in a group. In the state that they were in there was a good chance they'd do damage to themselves of some description and both brothers knew they had to prevent that from happening.

With his hands on his hips, Ché peered down at what remained of the tent. What had caused such panic amongst the men? Bending down on one knee he looked closer at the dishevelled canvas below him. Something was moving. He was ready to apprehend whatever it was when he heard a familiar panting sound, a much gentler sound than that he'd hear before. As he continued to watch he saw a head poke out from the wreckage, in its mouth it held one of the biggest rats he had ever seen in his life.

"Skip?" He asked, recognition coming to the fore.

As if to answer the dog dropped its bounty and barked once while wagging his tail.

Finally having taken stock of the situation and remembering the fright the men had been put under by a little dog, Ché burst out laughing. His laughter echoed across the space between him and the three men that had been successfully rounded up by his sons. Each of them looked puzzled as to what could be so funny but their puzzlement turned to embarrassment when they saw what had been hiding outside their tent. Only one out of the three men became angry at the animal and the trouble it had caused.

"Stupid animal!" Jakob yelled and raised a foot to kick at the dog.

Ché quickly blocked the blow and pointed an angry finger at what Skip had dropped from his mouth, "You see that? He wasn't after you, he was after that. It was in your tent and would have been there all night long if he hadn't shown up. You may not realise it but he saved you more than we did, that rat could have tried harming you in your sleep."

"What is it called?" Faas asked kneeling down beside the animal.

"He's called, Skip. He's a friend of a friend."

Nodding, Faas stroked Skip tenderly and thanked him for his good work. In reply to Faas' thanks the dog held out a paw and when it had been shaken, barked once and took his leave from the group as he hobbled off into the night.

Faas stood up as soon as the dog had left and gave Jakob a reproachful look, "If I ever catch you trying to do something like that again, I'll report you." Turning to face Ché he continued, "What happens now?"

Looking down at the tent and then in the direction of town, Ché looked back at Faas. "I know a place where you gentlemen will be welcome."

With a sweep of his arm Ché bid the men follow him and his sons into town. He hoped it wouldn't be too late at night to disturb Bessie and the Mayor. He was eager to be rid of the men and be reunited with his wife and to also hear news of Robyn and Kit.