"He's your problem then," one of the blond men huffed, slinging his rifle back over his shoulder. "We ain't got time for this." They both pushed their way back through the crowd and began loading the ferry once again, barking out orders as they went.

The crowd drifted back to the shoreline, a few stragglers watching them warily as they moved away. Doris ignored their scowls, unable to take her eyes off the Hunter, her lengthy tresses quickly becoming heavy with rain.

It was like a dream.

He looked just the same as in her memory, completely untouched by the passing years. His pristine face was as expressionless as ever as, half shadowed under his wide brimmed hat, water dripping down to bounce off his heavy black cloak. A reserved stillness seemed to coalesce around them as he stared down at her with those familiar gray eyes, still alluring in their secret sorrow. A silent string pulled at her heart there in the rain, unspoken words rising in her throat, a dozen different emotions swelling in her chest.

She wanted to reach out to him, to touch him and make him real.

Doris swallowed down the rising multitudes of emotion and cleared her throat, pulling her lips into a grin. "It's been a while, D. What brings you back to these parts?" She quirked an eyebrow. "Not coming for a visit, are you?"

"No," he stated, tugging the scarf down from the lower half of his face. "There's word of a potential job in Eastwick, but I was detoured by the rain." His tone was indifferent but not cold.

"Well, what a coincidence," she said, trying to sound as neutral as possible, ignoring the rush of excitement pooling in her belly. She pulled up the hood of her cloak. "I'm headed South myself."

Doris took a step closer as the crowd thinned around them. D dismounted, bridle in hand as he started towards the river. She fell in step beside him, sneaking a glance up at his gorgeous profile. Her right arm brushed his side as they made their way down to the ferry, sending a sweet, curious flutter through her belly.

"You're traveling alone?"

"Yep," she answered. "Just delivering some goods to the Helman ranch." She looked to the horizon, frowning at the rapidly darkening sky. "I had intended to be there before dusk but it was slow going in the mud. Got stuck half a dozen times. But I always come prepared." She patted the coiled whip strapped on her hip.

"And Dan?" he asked.

Doris smiled, touched at the unexpected question. "He stayed to watch the farm. We've had a problem with lesser fire dragons lurking around the property the last few weeks." She shrugged, glancing up at the sky again. "I don't like traveling this late in the day if I can help it. For obvious reasons," she added, her fingers brushing her collar. D saw she still wore a scarf around her neck.

They reached the ferry platform. A sour-faced old woman collected the fare from the Hunter and they shuffled aboard without incident. As the river water roiled beneath them a thought popped into Doris' head and she glanced back at D; his face was as placid as ever. Dismissing it, she led them through heaps of cargo and away from the other passengers, making their way back to her covered bull wagon. The rain pattered off its rigid plastic covering noisily.

She stepped up on the rear wheel arch and turned, motioning for him to follow. "Come on up. It'll be good to get out of the rain, just for a little while."

D paused, assessing her open expression silently for a moment before securing his mount to the back of the wagon and climbing up next to her. The wagon bed was full of sacks and boxes all containing the various bounties that the Lang farm boasted. Doris made herself busy shifting aside a few bags of grain, clearing the wooden crates beneath.

"Here," she said as she sat, indicating to the crate across from her. He took a seat, his knees just a few inches from hers. She shook the moisture off her hood and leaned back, exhaling softly as she took him again. He really hasn't changed a bit, she thought wistfully, tugging at her sodden hair.

The Hunter sat with his arms folded, his chin tucked down at an angle as he watched the other passengers shuffle about from underneath the brim of his hat. Doris' eyes were drawn to the slightly pointed ear that peeked from under his hat, very nearly hidden under the waves of his long, dark hair. She followed the pale curve of one cheek down to the line of his jaw. His form was bleached of all hues and color under the cold gray light of the afternoon, adding to his already unearthly aura. She saw that he still wore the same heavy coat, though it bore a few new stitches from what she could see. And, of course, the well worn pommel of his long word loomed over one shoulder.

Her focus shifted, eyes trailing back up to the curve of his lips, scarcely visible under his brim, and she was caught, momentarily dazed, by a sudden memory: Her breath on his cheek. Her body, bare, pressed against him. His hands in her hair. The phantom touch of lips…

His head tipped up with the faintest movement, the depths of his eyes glittering darkly when they met hers, his expression as unreadable as ever. A faint heat warmed her cheeks and she averted her eyes, suddenly realizing that he could probably sense the change in her breathing.

The short report of a whistle cut through the rain and the ferry shifted beneath them. It jerked when they dislodged from the dock, pulling them sharply out into the rapid current of the river. Doris stood, taking the opportunity to distract herself with securing the wagon's cargo.

He watched her then out of the corner of his eye, allowing himself to study her as he had not been able to on the riverbank. She had aged beautifully over the last few years, the tender fullness of youth having developed into sleek, well toned maturity. He saw that her hair had gotten longer and was somehow even wilder than before, scarcely tamed by the rain. Her sun kissed skin gleamed despite the oppressive gloom of the afternoon, radiating with the scent of fresh tilled earth, sunlight and blooming petals: vibrant and alive.

Doris settled back on to the crate, her momentary shyness dissolving. She leaned forward slightly, smiling when he met her gaze again. "I'm really glad to see you again," she said warmly.

D made no response; though, she hadn't really expected one. A dozen different questions came to her mind-Where had he gone after his battle with the Count? Had he come back to this region before, and missed them? How long would he be here?

Do you ever think about us?

She had imagined what it would be like to see him again many times, especially in the first few months after he had slain Count Lee. But as the years passed she had tucked away the memories of him in her heart, chalking them up to be nothing more than girlish infatuation.

But now he was here, in her cart, watching her as she stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. A rush of renewed emotions threatened to overwhelm her once again. She opened her mouth to speak, then thought better of it, strumming her fingers on the crate beneath her instead. She bounced one knee nervously.

Seemingly oblivious to her mood, D asked, "Where is the Helman ranch?"

She exhaled, grateful for the question. "Just on the outskirts of Eastwick." She tilted her head. "Mind if I tag along with you?"

He paused for a moment as an unexpected, unfamiliar sensation raced up his spine at her words. He clenched his fists, pushing it away.

"No," D said, lowering his head. He felt her eyes on him, imploring, searching. "The road to Eastwick can be treacherous this time of year," he added.

"Hmph," Doris huffed. "True enough. But it's all Dan and I can do to keep afloat since that business with the Count." She crossed her arms, plucking at the edge of her cloak idly. "Most folks around town don't want anything to do with us."

With Doctor Ferringo gone there hadn't been anyone to shield them from the backlash after the castle's destruction. Greco's surviving goons had made it a point to fan the flames of suspicion concerning her and her brother, claiming they had been tainted by the Noble and the dhampir Hunter. They had been all but shunned by their neighbors, with only a fraction of the tensions having lessened over the years.

Such was the fate of a Noble's victim.

"We've made some good connections though, with a few of the larger ranches and suppliers outside of Ransylva." She shrugged. "It's a lot more legwork, but it hasn't all been bad. With Dan's help we've actually expanded the farm another two acres since the last time you saw it. We've got a new orchard and a couple meat beasts, too."

The ferry jostled sharply then, shifting the bags and crates around them. Their knees brushed together for a moment, sending a hum of electricity through Doris' body as she resituated the disturbed cargo. On the far side of the platform a man hollered, and the ferry straightened out again.

D handed her a sack that had tumbled on to his left shoulder. "I'm glad to hear you are doing well," he said.

"Thanks," she beamed. "How have you been? I hadn't heard of any Nobles around Eastwick. But I suppose they could pop up anywhere." She thought back to the foreboding Castle Lee which had lain dormant for generations, just a few miles from her home. "It must keep you busy."

"I go where I am needed."

Doris scoffed gently, smiling at his noncommittal remark. "Oh, yes, I see."

Breaking away from her mirthful golden eyes, D looked to the rapidly approaching shore. The rain fell in sheets, the rising waters nearly obscuring the line between the river and the bank. The ferry jerked again roughly as it slowed, lining up with the dock. The crowd started to disembark, unloading cargo as they went and rocking the platform.

Doris smiled and yanked her hood back up. "You're welcome to join me up front," she said, motioning to the driver's bench of the wagon. "Can't promise it'll be comfortable but it keeps off the worst of the rain."

"I will ride," D said, standing. He stepped down from the wagon and untethered his cyborg horse, mounting it in one fluid motion.

"Suit yourself," she said, shrugging. She hopped down and made her way to the front of the wagon, hoisting herself up onto the driver's bench. D pulled ahead of her on his mount, riding up the dock to wait for her on the shore. She grabbed the reins of the bulls, the wagon creaking noisily as it disembarked the ferry.

"Lead the way," she said, beaming as she pulled alongside him.

The afternoon sky was beginning to darken into the heavy gray of evening as they climbed the slope up the river bank. Reaching the road, D tugged the reins of his mount, turning South. His pace was much slower than earlier, seeming to keep in step with Doris' cart as they started on their way to Eastwick.