Two weeks. She had two weeks at the most before D caught up to her, if he even followed. There was only a small feeling of doubt on whether he would come. The body she carried and the mess she left in that canyon would at least be interesting, provided he realized she had taken the boy instead of burning him.

She placed the last piece of wood and stood back. The small pyre was laid and the sun would soon rise. This little valley was half a day ride from the boy's former town; it was as close to home as she could take the child for rites. She un-wrapped the oil cloth, slid the small vest off, laid the body on the wood, and placed the head. A square of cloth separated the head from the neck, he was too newly turned for it to be necessary, but she preferred to be cautious.

Birds whistled and fluttered in the predawn as she settled herself tailor style on the ground. Everything was prepared; all that was left was to wait. Studying the small form before her was a sadness. He reminded her of her own childhood in a way, fear and hunger and pain should not have been his last days. He should be greeting the dawn with his family not lying on a pyre made by a stranger with those he loved far away.

Thoughts of his family and death led to thoughts of her own, ones she tried not to dwell on but inevitably surfaced. Home was dark. Father was fear. Mother was pain.

No. I will not think of that. Not here, not now. Now is not for me. Now is for the dawn and a child and I will not soil the peace to be had with my pain.

She stood as the sun crested the horizon.

"I commit this child to the earth that is our bones,

She dashed the salt.

I commit this child to the water that is our blood,

She sprinkled the water.

I commit this child to the air that is our breath,

She felt the breeze.

I commit this child to the fire that is our spirit.

She lit the pyre.

May your soul rest forever in peace."

She stood witness.

Hard riding put him half a day's ride from the town in a week and a half. Only the symbiote's insistence had him turning into a small valley nearby. In the center of the valley was a patch of ground burned bare.

"Let me see."

He placed his hand on the blackened earth, felt the coolness. This fire was long finished but the earth around was warm.

"Rites."

"Yeah, good ones, too. Someone raised this kid up with a weird library. Or a Court upbringing. Either way, she knew what she was doing. Dawn ceremony close to home, and she did it about four days ago."

D rose and remounted, he was close.

Early evening saw him to the door of the boy's aunt. A willowy woman with red eyes and baggy clothes, testaments to her grief.

"I already paid the girl, she came to me first and she brought me Calebb first." Firm voiced for the hoarseness.

"She did not bring the boy here."

More tears. "No, she brought me his vest, said she was too late, that Calebb had already been turned, that she made sure he didn't suffer." A sob. "Why? Why would he take a child like that, destroy a family, kill a little boy!"

"I don't know," D turned to leave.

"Wait, why did you come here if not for the money?"

He waited.

"You're looking for her aren't you?"

He nodded.

"She said to tell you she was heading north, to the forest."

D looked at the woman, saw her slight smile.

"Will you follow her?"

D walked out the door. There was no need to answer. He would not follow.

He was hunting.

Someone was following her. Had been for half the day.

Wren loosened that grip she kept tight within herself and felt the area, they had yet to get close enough for her to feel them otherwise. Aggressive, with something familiar in the stalking. She had only been in the woods for a few days and was expecting a dark figure. She had no idea what had possessed her to leave a message for a bounty hunter with a grieving woman, but she had.

She continued riding north, deeper into the forest. This time of year there would be a small caravan of people camped in the north of the wood and she looked forward to seeing them again. Although her shadow was not something she would lead there if she could help it. They were behind and to the left, more than one person. Well that ruled out one possibility, unfortunately it left several others open.

Maneuvering Nephrime around a large tree with low hanging branches made disappearing easy. Just reach up, grab hold , and lift herself into the tree. Nephrime ambled on.

It took three hours for her followers to pass by, using the trail left by a horse with no rider. Four men, all human, all armed. Lust and greed and the sick anticipation she had come to learn to avoid. She knew their plans as clearly as if they spoke them out loud.

Rape, murder, sell what was left.

They thought she was human, then, thought she was helpless. Ridiculous.

Another ten minutes before she dropped to moss covered ground, soundless as the coming night, and followed her hunters. These men would have no idea of the trouble they had asked to join them.

She had followed them for an hour, honed in on each man in turn, drifted between trees with none the wiser as she balanced on the bitter edge between self and other as she learned the taste of these pathetic humans.

They had camped at dusk and she had left them to it, sprinting ahead to Nephrime. Her horse had wandered at a slow pace to a small hollow. She huffed in greeting and settled with warm words and soft hands, nosing for a sweet. Wren fed the sugared fruit to her as she scanned the area. It was a good as place as any to leave her horse, no predators were near and Nephrime carried her scent so none were likely to close in on her.

The only thing to worry about was the delay this day and night were costing. If he was following then he could find her sooner than she planned. There was no need to let him corner her while she was alone, not this early in the game. As much as she wanted to get to know him there was no way that someone so used to being alone would volunteer information about themselves freely and without censure. So, a chase, in a way. There had been intent in him that night on the roof, intent and restraint.

But now was not the time to think of that, now was the time to show those four fools what it meant to be stalked.

Echoes in the night had them jumping awake all throughout. Washes of terror made the animals cry and fight for freedom, made shaking hands and stumbling feet work hard through fear and exhaustion. Missing weapons made them angry and bicker among themselves. Eerie eyes had blinked from trees and shrubs and the tug of sleep would hit hard only to be shattered by the scream of a predator moments later.

Something was out there and there was nothing they could do about it.

Wren couldn't help the self-satisfied smirk as she lounged in a nearby tree. She had harassed the men and their animals all night, playing on their fears and magnifying them, pressing their exhaustion and spiriting the weapons away. The fire had been used to her advantage as well. She knew well enough what the gleam of light off her eyes seemed like, it was any easy thing to move around the camp, let them each catch a glimpse of gold glowing in the dark. They were all spooked, wide awake and fearful, waiting for dawn.

Still an hour away. Almost time.

She waited a little more for the grey light and the smoky wisps. She had them ragged and weak. A little longer and it was so easy to slip the leash she held on herself, on her power.

Never could resist a dramatic opening.

It was like something out of a dream. Danny had no idea how long the woman had been standing there, he had almost missed her with how she blended into the mist. Dark cloth bled into the shadows and pale hair drifted loose over her shoulders, like she was formed as a spirit of the woods. Pale skin, so pale blood would glow against it like fire.

Beautiful.

She smiled at him, pale eyes locked on his face even as the others turned and asked what he'd said. But he couldn't say, she was smiling at him, just for him, only and always for him. Quite and still and smiling just like he always wanted them to be. He could feel the others go quite, knew they had finally seen her. He wouldn't let them have her, she was his. His dream made of forest mists and morning shadows. His dream come to give him the perfect ending.

Mine!

There was a knife in his hand, the weapons had disappeared in the night but he has his knife back. His knife that had carved up those pretty face because they wouldn't smile for him. She gave it to him, to protect her. He looked at it to make sure it was there, make sure it was real. There were hands on him and voices asking things but it didn't matter. He had to protect her, make sure he was the only one who touched her. Danny looked back up to the woman in the trees. Her eyes were still on him, she was still smiling, she nodded.

He struck. Driving his knife back into the gut of the man behind him and twisting as he pulled it back out. The voices rose but the hands fell off and he twisted around to face them.

Mack on the ground with a belly wound, Stonn with a lit branch, Ben empty handed.

He went for Ben. Ducked the fist and tackled him to the ground driving the knife deep into the ribs. He rolled away in time to see the branch come down and land on Ben's chest making the man yell and Stonn to drop the branch. Danny rolled to his feet grinning. Just one more and he'd take the dream into the woods. Take and strip her, watch pale skin frame red lines, watch her smile even as he killed her. It would be perfect.

Stonn was yelling something but Danny didn't care just walked towards him grinning. Stonn turned to run, turned right toward the woman in the mist and Danny couldn't let him. Wouldn't let him get near her alive. He lunged and took the man down at his knees. Stonn was struggling, trying to get Danny off his back but he wouldn't roll. Danny brought the knife down hard. Then he did it again and again and again. He didn't stop, could stop, not until her hand touched his shoulder.

Close up she was beyond beautiful. She was the glory of death in her face and the light of forever in her smile. Her eyes were gold but in them he could see storms stretching on an endless horizon.

She is rapture.

Danny didn't hear the pained sound of his men dying, didn't feel the dead man under him, didn't know he had died. There was a knife in his chest with his hands around the hilt and she was smiling at him, just for him, only and always for him.

There were four men in a clearing in a wood. They were all dead, all killed with the same knife buried in one man's chest. All the blood that should be there was. D rode on.

A/N: Ok so there have been a few words said about chapter length so I combined this chapter and 7 since they went together really well. sorry for the false alarm. The new chapter 7 is under way and should be posted this weekend at the latest. I have been working hard on length and I hope to hear from you guys on what Wren does to those who followed her.

Next chapter: D finally catches up to Wren.