Chapter 13

Van Helsing and Catherine were looking around them, for any clue of where Amelia might have gone. Catherine kept suggesting to follow the trail to the field at the other end. Van Helsing continuously told her that they would use that as a last resort. Catherine didn't know why though.
Finally Van Helsing agreed to follow the trail to the field when he found no clues to anywhere else Amelia may of disappeared off to. Catherine and Van Helsing mounted their horses and trotted slowly toward the open field. They kept their eyes on the ground, searching for any tracks.
They reached the small field and found it empty. Catherine sighed.
"Don't always be so hopeful. Come on though, I see a trail leading back into the forest over there." Van Helsing pointed to the northern edge of the field, where a trail of trampled grass led back into the forest. Catherine was first to turn her horse and run across the field. Van Helsing followed behind and when they reached the trail they found it not as clear as the one that they were following before. It was mostly just an animal trail. It was barely wide enough to fit a horse.
But they reluctantly followed the trail, Catherine first. They had to duck under branches, and lean from side to side avoiding curved tree trunks and bushes. They continued on like this for about fifteen minutes. Then once again the trees began to this and a field could be seem in the distance. Catherine was questionable about this at first. On their hike through the woods they made enough turns to go in a circle. This might be the same field the saw before.
The sound of people talking met their ears. Catherine looked back at Van Helsing who nodded his head to allow her to go ahead, but to be careful.
Catherine hurried her horse as there was now enough room through the thin trees to move around more freely. As she approached the clearing she saw a person sitting upon a log bench, it was Amelia. Catherine didn't even notice her at first but she then saw a girl sitting up against a tree. There was a fire pit in front of the two girls and a large tent behind them that was as green as the surrounding forest leaves.
Catherine broke through the last few trees and hurried her horse across the field. She was so glad to see Amelia, she didn't even stop to think that the girl that was with her might be dangerous. The talking stopped but Catherine didn't notice because all the sound was blocked from her horse galloping towards them.
Amelia was standing there. The girl just continued to sit down as if she didn't mind she had new visitors. Before her horse even stopped completely, Catherine had jumped down from the saddle and was running up to her sister, who she had thought at first to be lost by a vampire, and then kidnapped by an unwelcome stranger.
Catherine stopped in front of Amelia and then gave her a hug that trapped the poor girl's broken wrist down by her side. Catherine hadn't noticed this, she also didn't notice the streams of dried blood that were recently crawling down her neck. Catherine was just blinded by joy.
Meanwhile Amelia was watching Van Helsing enter the field with the runaway blood bay tied behind him. He wasn't in a hurry. He was observing the camp and it's only resident, who was still just sitting down against the tree, now staring at Catherine. She was amazed how someone could be so happy to see a sibling. Nikki had no siblings herself, and she had been separated from people for so long she mostly forgot about their common feelings towards one another. It felt good to be reunited with people that weren't merchants in town trying to sell her something.
Amelia was wondering what Van Helsing's response to her being a werewolf was, because she didn't get to see it earlier when they had to flee from the oncoming vampire. She knew what she was, or what she was to be. And she knew what Van Helsing was. When her full moon came it might be him that would hunt her.
Van Helsing finally arrived at the camp and dismounted his horse. Nikki finally got up from her spot against the tree to inspect the newcomers, to make sure they weren't a threat to her living here.
Van Helsing saw the bow and the tube of arrows. This was the person that had killed the vampire. He hadn't expected her to be this young.
"So you're responsible for the death of the vampire. You have my respect. Not many people as young as you can defeat a well known and such a difficult enemy." He was troubled by her display of arrogance. When he held out his hand in a proper greeting, she ignored it.
"I did what I had to do. It was only luck that I could help her when I could." was her only response. She spoke proudly. Van Helsing knew she was lying though.
"And I suppose that you having the proper weaponry only used to hunt vampires is luck too." He pulled the arrow out from inside her jacket. "These arrows are especially made to hunt vampires and werewolves. The point at the end is a small silver stake. Plus the fact that you used Holy Water doesn't help much in your defence, does it? Who are you? And why are you so prepared for the attack of vampires when there hasn't been one spotted in this area for over a decade." By the expression on Nikki's face, she did not expect this man to be so clever. He was obviously a monster hunter himself. She could see that from the mechanical crossbow strapped to his horse. No person would use that against any human.
"My name is Nikkolette Botha. The reason I have those arrows is because yesterday I saw a Vampire fly by. A couple hours later it came back going the opposite direction, this time with a little girl being carried underneath it. I thought I might as well prepare to help if another one comes by, and so I got these from the fishing village down by the shore not far away, from a travelling merchant. It was only luck mostly." their expressions were unexpected. The youngest one's mouth was opened in amazement. Amelia had held her breath when she heard this. Van Helsing didn't change his expression much, he only stood in a way to show he was now paying close attention.
"Michelle, she's alive? Did you see if she was alive? Did you?" Catherine was taking her relief out in anger. She had her short sword unsheathed and poised against Nikki's neck. Nikki held her chin up as the cool metal was placed against the delicate skin of her throat.
"Catherine, no. Michelle is obviously alive. Now put down your sword before you do something you regret with it." Amelia had come up between the two girls and pushed the sword down with her hand. It was only then that Catherine saw the extent of the damage inflicted on her sister.
"What happened to your neck? And your wrist?" Catherine asked. Van Helsing said nothing during all this. Amelia wondered what his problem was now.
"Vampire caught me by surprise." was Amelia's only response. Nikki, now free from the wraths of Catherine's sword, dropped down onto the wooden bench. She pulled a packet of matches from an inside pocket and struck one on along the length of a nearby rock. It ignited and she carefully dropped the burning stick into the awaiting logs of the camp fire.

The company ate supper that was packed in the saddlebags. It was early to be ending the journey that day so soon, but they all wanted to learn more about the unexpected vampire slayer. They didn't get much out of Nikki, it was clear she revealed all she wanted to. Amelia didn't tell Van Helsing or Catherine about what Nikki could do.
When the sun fell over the mountains in the west, Nikki said goodnight and retreated to the privacy of her tent. Not long afterwards Catherine could be heard snoring silently underneath a thin cover that hardly blocked out the chilly air of the mid summer night.
"Why do you act so differently now?" Amelia directed her question to Van Helsing who sat across the fire from her. The light illuminated his face. He was staring into the flames.
"Why didn't you tell me before? Your making this harder on me now." He looked into her face. She was propped up on one elbow and didn't show a hint of tiredness. She appeared upset with his response.
"Hard on you? I'm the one who got bit? How the hell can you make this about you. I'm the one whose fate has been decided. I know what is going to happen to me. And I don't like it, just as much as you don't." she was very upset now and she sat up straight.
"Yes, but my job is to protect the innocent from the evil. At the moment you count as both. And soon you will only count as one. I have to protect the ones that you might hurt. And saying as what I am, probably worse." Van Helsing was concerned. He wasn't mad at Amelia, just confused about what he might have to do to her, for the sake of others. It was his job.
"You never seemed this concerned with your other missions." Amelia knew the answer. She was one of Van Helsing's only friends, well closest thing to it anyway.
"I never knew a werewolf or any other monster that I've killed while it was a normal human. They never had anybody that cared so dearly about them like your sisters apparently do for you. They were loners, had no families, made no good in anybody's life. Nobody missed them dearly when they were gone. No one came to the burial, no one was there when they were sent to heaven, or hell. Nobody said goodbye." Van Helsing wasn't a heartless murderer like so many thought. He did what needed to be done. Yes, he has nightmares about what he does. He carries his name proudly, as a protector of the people, slayer of the evil, not as a murderer of the unfortunate like many thought he was. "I care about you. I've missed you in the past few years since you left, and I was glad when I heard it was you who was thought right for this job. I'm going to be truthful with you. You matter a lot to me, more than most people I know do. I'm not at all satisfied with the thought of having to hurt you in any way. I'm not looking forward to losing one of those few people who matter so much to me." Van Helsing didn't speak what he felt often. Amelia never heard him talk like this before. He didn't have a lot of people that mattered a lot to him. Just losing one was hard enough as it is, but having to be the one to murder one was too overwhelming.
Van Helsing looked at his hands. Amelia thought he looked so lonely, physically and emotionally. She got up and wandered over to him around the fire. She sat down beside him.
She didn't care if he was caught by surprise by it, or was glad by it, but she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. She placed her head in the crook of his shoulder and just stayed there. She was relieved when he wrapped his arms around her too.
They fell asleep arms in arms, leaning against the trunk of a large oak tree.