Shifting metal and shuffling footsteps woke Lisa from her sleep. Her feet silently hit the cold wooden floor as she reached for her housecoat. Objects jangled and fell followed by a string of muttered curses. Lisa snuck over to the door and peaked around to see Trevor checking the belongings in his pack.

Her heart leapt into her throat and she rushed into the dining room exclaiming, "You can't leave yet!"

"Sweet fucking mother-," Trevor yelped with a startled jump. He put a hand to his chest and leaned on the table. "Don't scare me like that. Sneaking around like some kind of... nevermind."

Standing there, she looked closer. Trevor had laid everything from his pack on the table. Dried rations, tools, cooking gear, and thin bedding looked sad and lonely next to Trevor's diary. In Trevor's hand was a small book covered by dark blue fabric. Perhaps three inches high and only about an inch thich, it seemed very out of place amidst Trevor's belongings.

Seeming to look for anything to resolve the awkward pause in the room, he held up the little book and asked, "Is this yours?"

Lisa's eyebrows lifted in curiosity and she admitted, "I've never seen that before. Where did you find it?"

Trevor leaned on the table and shrugged. "It was among my things, but..." He flipped the cover open, the small book looking ridiculous in his hands, and scanned the contents. His brows drew close. "Wait a second, this is a speaker magician's spell book."

Lisa slowly approached the table and glanced over the top of the book to see what looked like several different languages painstakingly written in the smallest handwriting Lisa had ever seen. "Speaker? Isn't that the name of the nomadic people in this country?"

"Nomadic, yes." Trevor explained with a smirk, "They pass knowledge generation to generation via auditory history. Wherever they feel their knowledge can provide the most good, that is where they go."

"Auditory, but that book... did you say spells?" A chill ran down Lisa's back at the idea that the clergy had reason to believe in witchcraft if other's professed to practicing it.

Trevor tucked the book into the inner breast pocket of his vest and poured a cup of hot tea for both of them. Gesturing to a seat, he sat across the table from her and said bluntly, "You aren't from this land. How much do you know about Wallechia?"

Lisa sipped her tea to delay a response before deflecting, "Your perception is quite startling, Trevor Belmonte."

"A product of my short lived education," he shot back. "This land is haunted by horrible beasts that make monsters of men seem like harmless kittens. Before I was brought to your clinic, I was hunting a werewolf."

Lisa sputtered on her beverage and put a hand to her mouth, coughing to clear her throat. He continued unhindered, "Of course, I didn't realize that when I took the job. All I had to go off of were a couple livestock mutilations and a raided henhouse. So I figured a wild animal would be responsible. Never is that easy, though.

"Third night tracking, the beast caught me by surprise. Only escaped because we tumbled into the river and the bastard couldn't swim. When I pulled myself up the embankment, I almost dropped the case. I wanted to believe it'd drown."

When he trailed to silence, Lisa lightly rested her hand on his. His fingers stopped drumming nervously, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. Remembering his journal entry, she prompted, "It's never that easy."

Trevor pulled away and crossed his arms. Looking at the floor, he admitted, "I was careless. It scratched me so even if I wanted to drop the case, I couldn't be so irresponsible. That monster could attack and kill a person before long. I had to kill it first."

Lisa mulled over his conflictions, drinking her tea to delay a response. He admitted reasoning on a higher level than the people she usually treated. She smiled to herself about him saying he wanted to leave it then immediately speak to the contrary. Her pride quickly turned bitter knowing this 'responsibility' as he seemed to believe it, should never have fallen to someone so young.

She tensed every muscle in her body to keep from crossing the floor and wrapping Trevor in a reassuring maternal embrace. One that would surely send him running for the hills. Instead, she waited for him to speak at his own pace. He clearly hadn't been able to do so in a very long time.

"I finally tracked the beast to a traveling caravan. A group of speakers let me stay in their camp. I knew they would know the signs, but the rest of the caravan had been infiltrated and I had no idea who the monster was. I bode my time, waiting to strike when they revealed themselves.

"But I was on a time limit. Maybe I said something I shouldn't, the result was the same. The creature planned an attack to kill everyone in the caravan. I remember fire and chaos. I'd waited too long."

Lisa stood and turned to tend the furnace, wiping a tear from her cheek. He'd been too sick. Too delirious with fever and pain to fight back at that point. Hardly trusting her voice, she volunteered, "A hunter brought you to me. He handled the wagon and what belongings there were while I worked desperately to save your life. I'm sorry... there were no other survivors."

"Then that-" Trevor's voice broke and she turned back to see him clench one hand in the other in his lap. "That bastard is still-"

She couldn't resist any longer and strode back to him, gripping his shoulders and forcing him to look up. The regret and devastation in his eyes morphed into confusion before she leaned down and hugged him tight. She now understood what she had to do. The speaker had given her life to protect this child and that responsibility had been passed to her.

He froze against her for several seconds before he began to squirm like a feral kitten. When Lisa let go, she didn't move away completely, leaving her hands on his shoulders to keep him grounded. "You did nothing wrong, Trevor. You were a victim. Whatever happened, the only one who is guilty is the murderer. Am I being clear?"

Trevor seemed to freeze again, eyes growing distant for a moment. What other guilts had he held himself accountable for? Had anyone been there to support him? Fearing she'd pushed too far, she stood fully and crossed into the kitchen. "Now, while I cook us breakfast, I want you to make a fresh saline solution."

"Solu-saline? Salinity? As in the ocean?"

Lisa chuckled at his bafflement. "To a point." She reached for her medical journal and turned to a well noted, well worn, page. "This is my 'recipe' book. Your hands are covered in sores and the best way I can think to help with that is to soak your hands in an antibacterial solution and then wrap them to prevent more contamination."

Sidestepping him, she pulled several jars and a distilling apparatus close. "Here. I'll bring some water and show you how to set it up. As for the salt…" she pointed to a scale across the room, "we need that over here as well. My usual workspace… well…"

Trevor looked from his hands to the book and then followed her gaze to the bare station where most of the instruments had been either destroyed or moved after the attack. "I don't remember the last time I was in a kitchen, but if you guide me, I'll do what I can."

Lisa smiled to herself as he walked to the scales and gently picked them up. It reminded her of Adrian when he'd been younger. She smothered the expression before Trevor noticed and settled the book on a stand. "Do you know how to use this equipment, Trevor?"

"It's been some time, but I think I remember."

She pushed the little weights into a line and stepped away to see him settle in her place. He glanced from the page to the scale, hands moving amidst the items he needed. Satisfied she'd distracted him, she set about her own task making breakfast. Cured ham in the ice box and a basket of eggs next to a fresh loaf of bread she'd expected to sacrifice for penicillin made for a hardy meal.

All the while, she watched as Trevor first started distilling the water then added sea salt she'd collected herself from a vacation she and Vlad had taken while she was pregnant. The focus he had varied slightly, but he never needed clarification on some of the more specified terminology. Yet again, she made note of his education. Flipping the ham, she pursed her lips and wondered if he'd balk at the idea she had. Too soon to tell, but she couldn't risk asking him yet.

"Let that work while we eat, Trevor," Lisa suggested as she placed their steaming plates on the dinner table. When Trevor sat at the table, he shivered from head to toe. Pursing her lips, she placed the back of her hand on his forehead and noted he seemed warm. "You still have a slight fever."

She grabbed a blanket and draped it around his shoulders, pleased when he tucked it close around himself. She threw a few more logs into the fireplace before sitting to eat. The book she'd used to treat him had been placed near his things. "Do you enjoy literature?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen anything worth my time," Trevor answered between bites.

"So that's a yes? What did you think of this one?"

Trevor wiped his hands on his pants and slid the book over. "My family kept similar tomes in our vault. My mother and I used to pick out which ones she would read to me at bedtime. I learned how to handle monsters and men before I knew how to write my name."

She didn't know how to handle that. Had his family pushed him into something so violent? Was he abused? She wished now that she'd focused harder on the psyche books in Vlad's library. The only way she knew how to help was to make sure he knew she was here to help. How could that heal what she didn't understand?

Lisa finished her meal lost in thought, frustrated with her lack of knowledge. She didn't even notice Trevor had resumed his task until she finished her second cup of tea. He kept the blanket tucked tight around his shoulders. Angry with herself, she went into the clinic half of her home and prepared her salve, antibiotic, and pain killer. Cutting the strips of cloth finally made her relax. Methodic. Nothing out of place. She straightened her surgery pack and finally returned to the dining room.

Trevor removed the salt from the scale and gently stirred it into the near boiling water. The swirling crystals dissolved in a cyclone. Lisa grabbed her kettle out of the fireplace. "I boiled this last night, so it should suffice. No need to add burn to blisters." She took the bowl of salt water and diluted it by half as her recipe instructed. "I want you to soak your hands in this for at least a quarter hour. It may sting, but please try to bear it."

He hissed as his hands first entered the water but his discomfort immediately vanished as if he'd been expecting worse. She transferred her tray of materials to the table and picked up the book. "Doctor, I-"

Lisa glanced over to see him clench his jaw. "Yes? Is there anything I can do to help?"

He worked his jaw, brows furrowed, before admitting, "I didn't get very far in the book, but I can't ask you to stand next to me and turn pages. Will you- nevermind. It's stupid."

Lisa grabbed her shawl and the book before settling in her rocker. "What chapter did you leave off at?"

Trevor sat with his hands still in the bowl. "I believe I left a marker."

Lisa flipped through pages until she found a shred of fabric with the same insignia as his clothes bore. Half of it was yet to be embroidered. Lisa slid his embroidery aside and looked at the beautiful drawings of statues.

"Petrification vs fossilization. While it is true that it can be difficult to determine which to be the cause of death, one most certainly has a faster mortality rate." Lisa kept reading while Trevor listened, eyes focused in the middle distance to better comprehend what she was saying. Every now and then he would nod in agreement. She didn't make it more than a chapter before Trevor's salt bath ended and she put the embroidery back in as a page marker.

Trevor stood as she did and she gently lifted his hands out of the water. "You're as wrinkled as a prune, but your sores look better already. Here. Rest them on the towel while I debride any dead tissue or other contaminants."

The next hour was spent examining her patient's patience. After thoroughly drying and cleaning his hands, the morning had already passed. When she finally finished treating his wounds and he had been bandaged, she insisted, "Now, back to bed. You still need rest."

Trevor looked like he wanted to argue, except he had already slumped in the chair over half an hour ago. Had he not been focused on sitting still for her, she doubted if he'd be awake now.

Lisa herded Trevor back to the clinic, leaving the book for him to read on his own. At the moment, he looked moments from sleep, but that was the benefit of books. They could always wait.

Unlike the rest of her chores. Returning to the kitchen, she pumped more water into the still and set it to automatically fill her reserves. Then she checked on the livestock. The few animals she kept had mostly been gifts as payment for her medical help. Of course, there was no way they'd survive here on their own.

Gathering eggs, she considered her options. Of course, she could always harvest them, but it didn't seem like she'd have the time required to fully preserve them. Perhaps baskets? Returning to the house, a quick check showed Trevor settled in bed with the book tucked close. Lisa put the eggs in their place and returned to the barn.

The wagon had been left by the hunter. A simple box with a canvas stretched overtop, she considered alterations. Would it be big enough? One of the horses came close and rested its chin on her shoulder. She absently stroked the side of its face. Funny, it seemed to have grown fond of her despite her lack of attention.

She spent the rest of the day trying to find ways to make this work. All the while, the chickens and the goose she'd tried to refuse kept close to her feet, pecking curiously wherever she went. Until now, she hadn't even spent more than a few hours with them, but she couldn't help but return a small attachment when she finally turned in for the night.

A loud banging at the door forced Lisa awake. She instantly clutched the bedsheets in fear, but saw Trevor leap out of bed, a hand on his knife hilt. He looked her way and caught her glance through the half open doorway. Despite waking from an apparent dead sleep, Trevor had put himself between the intrusion and her.

Mouth suddenly dry, Lisa felt a pang of guilt and called out, "Just a moment." She threw on her lab coat and slipped into her shoes when a second pounding started assaulting her front door. "I said I'm coming."

Trevor reached for his coat and threw it on, hiding his weapons, if only slightly. He followed closely as she buried her concerns behind a professional smile and opened the door. "Welcome to my clinic. My name is Dr. Lisa Tepes. How can I help you?"

A black carriage with an overbearing amount of religious insignia took up most of the yard. A large man in black robes filled the doorway, pushing past her into the house. Others followed and Lisa swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Fear made her freeze as she recognized the clothes of the church, the same as the ones who had tried to kill her just nights ago. Then Trevor shifted in front of her.

Last to enter was an old man in white and red robes. Recognizing the stole, she regained a morsel of composure, closed the door and asked, "To what do I owe your visit, Cardinal?"

The holy man glanced around at the room's curiosities. He dipped a finger into her fresh distilled water and she repressed the need to chastise him for contaminating her supply. Rubbing his fingers together, he kept up his search. Whatever he was looking for, his expression soured the longer he didn't find it. Discontent, he wiped his hands on a silk handkerchief and threw it into the fire in disdain.

"Sir, if you have no need for the good doctor's services, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Trevor insisted brusquely.

The cardinal raised his nose and glared down at the teenager. "And who, might you be? Some brat the 'good' woman has taken in, judging by your poor manners."

"He's my assistant," Lisa said before Trevor could worsen the atmosphere. "Though, I do not appreciate being disturbed during the wee hours with nary an explanation. Unless there is an emergency, which," she raised a hand to prevent any interruption, "I would be more than happy to apply my skills toward, I'm going to have to insist you depart my practice. Perhaps we could schedule an appointment at your convenience to prevent such impositions in the future."

The cardinal's men glared at her, but said nothing. The cardinal lifted an eyebrow and quirked a lip in disgust. "That... won't be necessary. I doubt your methods would be suitable for clergy. No, I am here because a vicar who was transferred to my cathedral has yet to arrive. A horse bearing the crest of his transport was found in a nearby village."

"Oh, dear," Lisa replied.

"Yes," the cardinal agreed. "The hope is that he simply fell when his horse spooked, however, the evidence points toward an attack."

Lisa raised a hand to her mouth. The fear in her eyes had nothing to do with a missing 'vicar'. Then Trevor put a hand on her arm and said, "Wolves have been seen roaming through the trees for the past few weeks. Folks told us they'd move on eventually. Though, they rarely attack people, so if they did spook your vicar's horse, he's probably alive."

The burly man in black narrowed his gaze on Trevor and asked, "You a hunter, boy?"

Trevor glared back and answered, "I know the basics."

The man strode toward Trevor, the floor groaning under his heavy footsteps. "Do you track?"

Lisa stepped between the two and paused the man's advances. "My assistant's skills are not for you to commandeer." She glared at the cardinal. "Surely if you formed a search party, you will find your man, however unless you bring me your injured vicar, I cannot assist you. Cardinal, I bid you good day." She stalked toward the door and held it with a stiff arm. "Please, leave my clinic."

The cardinal's men looked about ready to corner her when the cardinal raised a hand. "Very well, madame. We will take our leave. There is always a chance we might need your... services. Good luck to you."

Lisa maintained her composure as they filed out and resisted the urge to slam the door. When she heard the carriage roll out of the yard, her knees gave out and she leaned her forehead against the cool wood. Her eyes watered and she cursed her fragility.

"Dr. Tepes?" She took a deep breath and turned to see Trevor drop the curtain and reassure her, "They're gone." After a moment, he asked, "What are you going to do if they come back?"

Lisa shook her head, her bile rising again. She rushed to the sink and dry heaved. It took a few minutes to get her nerves calmed. Then she covered her mouth in a silent sob. Everything she wished to achieve, all of it a waste because of the delusions of religious practitioners.

"Little people fear what they don't understand."

Lisa turned to see Trevor in his gear with his pack over one shoulder. "I... I just wanted to help..."

Then Trevor smothered a grimace, wounds still not fully healed. She wiped furiously at her tears and stalked toward her room. She began dragging a trunk toward the door. She'd only made it a few feet before Trevor took one side and silently assisted as she carried it outside and into the wagon.

She returned to the bedroom and took a small ring of keys from her bedside table. She used a small key to unlock the secret shelf and began throwing books onto the bedspread. When she started ransacking the next room, Trevor wrapped up the bedspread and used it to transport the books to the wagon.

Lisa grabbed the box of solutions she'd need in an emergency, only for Trevor to take them from her hands. She tried to prevent it, but he simply stated, "If I'm your assistant, let me assist you, doctor."

She stared holes into his back. He knew she'd been following through with the ruse, right? Then she took a deep breath of early morning air and turned back into the house. If she truly did have to leave this place, what could she afford to leave? She spent what few minutes she could wrapping up her audio recordings, storing them in their transport case. She brought them to the wagon, watching as Trevor carefully placed her books into the trunk amidst her other personal belongings.

Three more trips was all it took to clear what memorable irreplaceable items she had in the house. Another to take what belongings she would need for travel. Once the animals had been caged and secured, she returned to the house one last time. Trevor stood in the entryway, watching as she prepared to leave for good. So many memories. Then she left and used the key ring to lock the front door.

Trevor helped her climb aboard the wagon, settling in the back amid a pile of cushions and blankets. In all, what they had taken barely filled half the space, a testament of her short time here. She heard the reins flick and the wagon rocked into motion. The clinic remained dark and, as the locals would soon discover, abandoned.

When the clinic lay far behind them and they were close to the main road, Trevor finally asked, "So... where do you want to go? I could take you to a port for travel to your homeland... or further inland to the border of Wallechia."

"Home. I wish to return to my husband."