The rain was coming down in earnest now, turning the road into a slick, undulating stream of mud. The constant din of the water filled Doris' ears, hammering down on her cart and smothering any chance of further discourse with her quiet companion, much to her chagrin.
She looked to the horizon again, grimacing at the rapidly encroaching dusk. They would lose the faint, hazy light of day soon enough. Doris glanced at D, his face composed and unperturbed, eyes locked on the road ahead. Despite his presence a bitter tightness began to creep up the back of her throat. The prospect of traveling the Frontier at night stirred an undeniable primordial fear within her.
If he had noticed her growing restlessness, D made no indication. The road was busy due to the worsening weather, with several riders and pedestrians scurrying quickly around them. He could feel Doris' gaze on him as they carefully proceeded through the crowd, at least once catching sight of a small, thoughtless smile on her lips.
In truth, he was glad to see her too, despite the circumstances. The Langs often visited his thoughts between one thing or another. Precocious young Dan, stalwart and brave, who was no doubt growing to be a fine young man.
And Doris...
He cast a glance at her, her face pinched against the wind and rain, drenched raven hair clinging to her cheeks and forehead. Even still, she appeared to him like a fresh Summer morning; warm and calm and sure. A creature of genteel light with a keen tenderness that emanated from every inch of her sun-drenched skin.
So unlike himself.
D frowned, tucking his nose into his scarf. Perhaps a mile away he saw the vague, muddled lights of an outpost struggling against the darkening sky. The wind was whipping them ruthlessly as they trudged on, flinging debris and blinding rain. They bore through for another few minutes, pace steady and slow in order to remain sure-footed. Though, Doris suspected, that was more for her benefit in the cumbersome cart.
When she finally spotted the electric lights of the outpost a rush of relief washed over her. A vast number of people and their livestock bustled around the shabby collection of buildings, primarily the inn and pub. A collection of tents and lean-tos were hastily being erected along the road to compensate for the overflow.
Doris glowered at the crowd obscuring their path. Tugging on the reins, she came to a muddy stop and called over to D. "Don't suppose you'd consider stopping for the night?" she asked, voice raised over the storm.
The Hunter paused, surveying the sodden crush of humanity and beasts before him. It would be difficult to find lodging for Doris by herself in this situation, let alone in the company of a strange dhampir. With the weather and road conditions, he would at least see her and her cargo safely to shelter.
"We will see," was all he said.
Accepting that with a nod, Doris led her cart off the road proper, circling behind the inn to the large, steeple-roofed livery. D followed a few paces behind, trailing the cart. All hands were on deck within the livery, handling and stabling animals, collecting fees, parceling out supplies, and the like. Doris stopped the cart in the lee of the building in an effort to shelter them from the worst of the wind and rain. She stood up in the driver's seat, scanning the throng of people and livestock.
"Wait here!" she commanded, hopping down to join the throng of people. D watched her hooded figure dart through the crowd, coming to stop before a tall, dark-skinned man in a green poncho holding an electronic tablet. They chatted amiably for a moment then he saw her motion to where he was, mounted, next to her cart. The man's posture changed, his expression grim. Doris drew herself up, arms crossed. D could not make out their conversation over the din but saw the man pluck at his whiskers, his shoulders tense as Doris confronted him. After a brief exchange she dug into one of her belt pouches and pushed something into his chest. Sighing, the man grinned sheepishly and shook her hand, passing her a set of keys in return.
Doris returned quickly, beaming up at the Hunter. "The stablemaster, Sal, said we could use the bunkhouse of his old silo." She pulled herself up onto the driver bench, tossing her chin toward the hills that lay behind the livery. "His place is just up past there. I'll have to part with some of the Helman's order, but I'm sure they'll understand."
D tugged the reins of his horse, facing her. "It is not necessary for you to forfeit supplies for my sake. If you are able to find lodging for yourself you should-"
"Nonsense!" she said, disarming him with an easy smile. "It's the least I can do for a friend. Now c'mon, let's get out of this damn rain." She cracked the reins, urging the bulls towards the hill. After a moment, D nudged his mount to follow.
They fought their way against the wind and rain to a narrow wagon path. Winding around the steep hillside they soon found themselves surrounded by a dense copse of oak trees, the canopy providing some respite from the downpour. Further up the hill they passed a sizable brick farm house tucked away from the road at the end of a long cobbled driveway. Continuing on, they came across the beginning of a tall perimeter fence lining the opposite side of the road. Through the fence they could see a handful of industrial buildings nestled amongst the trees, quiet and empty with the lateness of the hour.
A security light flickered to life as they approached the front gate of the compound, an electronic camera whirring at them from overhead. Doris rode into the ring of light and took down her hood briefly, waving to the camera and flashing the set of tarnished keys. There was a moment of tense anticipation as they waited under the muddled light, soon broken by the rattle of a buzzer. The front gate swung open and they hurried through, making their way toward the back of the property. After a few moments the security light snapped off and the gate closed noisily behind them.
Their strange little caravan pulled up outside of a concrete grain silo. Doris climbed down from the driver's bench, bridle in hand, and led them to the adjoining cabin at the base of the structure. A squat, disused stable that had seen better days sat behind the cabin. As if on queue, they locked eyes and shared a brief look. Doris gave a small nod and D dismounted, collecting the bulls' reins from her. They divided up their tasks seamlessly, with D making short work of unhitching the bulls and stabling them along with his cyborg mount. Meanwhile, Doris secured her cart under the stable's outcropping, covering it with a weatherproof tarp.
D waited for her in the eaves of the small cabin, rain pouring off the roof to puddle at his feet. He watched as she dashed from the stables to the cabin, a worn leather bag now tucked under one arm. Digging out the borrowed keys, Doris unlocked the door and pushed it open, anxious to be out of the rain. But before she could take a step she froze. A cold, unexpected panic seized her as she peered into the pitch dark room before her. Her heart felt like it had jumped into her throat and her fingers itched for her whip. Still, despite her years of training and finely tuned instincts she found herself unable to move, paralyzed with fear.
D was there in the span of breath, stepping up next to her and placing a cool, reassuring hand on one shoulder. Doris looked up at him and was relieved to find his posture was relaxed as he surveyed the dark interior of the bunkhouse. She knew he could see perfectly well despite the lack of light. He released her shoulder gently before brushing past her into the room. She heard the steady pace of his boots on the floor as he crossed the cabin soon followed by a soft click.
The cabin's generator roared to life outside and Doris nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. The lights flicked on a second later and she saw D standing on the far side of the cabin, his dark eyes trained on her. She smiled sheepishly and shook her head, shrugging. "Thanks," she said, trying to catch her breath. She did her best to force down the lingering unrest as she made her way into the bunkhouse, setting her travel bag down a little harder than necessary. She pulled the door closed and locked it behind her.