Serena shrugged. She had no idea what life was like outside of Boston. Now they had a little girl with them. Best think this through first. She saw a slight shadow in the trees and realized the vampire girl guarding them wanted something from her. She replied, "Give me a second to think about that. I am going to get water for us to drink. I'll be right back." She jumped up and carefully put the food down. Then she turned and stopped by the bags for the empty canteens from the night before. With them in hand she raced to the creek.

As Serena reached the creek, the vampire slipped into the foliage nearby and whispered quietly to her while she was filling the canteens. She didn't like making herself obvious to potential watchers. "Serena, you will need to think of a disguise involving you and the girl. West might have some ideas. If need be, you can be older and younger brothers. But think of something and get out of here today. Father said that people are in the last town you were in and might pick up on the horse act. Maybe West should be a dog or something."

Serena thought as the vampire finished. Maybe. She pulled the last of the canteens out of the creek and pondered how to go about disguising themselves.

West watched as Serena left and wondered if everything was okay. She had looked kind of jumpy right before she left. But then agian she probably just wanting some time to think about what to do. When Jordan came and sat down in his lap after he was done he smiled and stroked her head. When he heard her he laughed and started to tickle her gently before she jumped up and started to run around. He then chased after her, laughing and actually relaxing for the first time since Serena came into his life.

JOrdan wondered where she was going. But wasn't to worried, she was strong and smart. Once she was done she walked over to West and sat down in his lap, getting comfortable. She then looked up at west when he stroked her head and smiled, "can we play a game?" she asked since she wanted to have some fun. Her answer wasn't waht she expected and laughed as she was tickled. Jumping to her feet she ran for it as he chased after her.

Serena sighed and closed the canteens. They at least didn't have much of a camp to breakdown. No tents or anything. Hiding traces of the fire was really it. So getting out of here would be easy. Just the disguises might take work. Maybe she could pass off as the boy's tutor? West could take to the air as an eagle or something. West might not like it, but they could pretend to be a displaced farming family too. She asked, "If we disguised ourselves, how would we go about as far as clothes are concerned?" The shadow in the brushes started to back away, but whispered the monastery before disappearing. That's right. That was where she found other things too. They could probably find a few things they might need there. She stood and headed back to camp hoping that no one thought her actions weird.

West laughed as he chased after JOrdan and then slowly let himself change into a dog. He barked at her playfully and continued to chase her. After a little while he manage to get her and he licked her face gently. He then layed down next to her when she yawned and smiled as he watched her fall asleep. He should of guessed that she woudl be tired after that and after everythigng, she was still getting her energy back from before.

Jordan laughed as she ran and soon a dog was chasing after her. She squeeled and ran faster then she had been before. But slowly she was getting tired and soon she was tackled to the ground. She laughed as she was licked in the face but then yawned. She watched as West layed down and she layed down next to him. Before she knew it she was falling back asleep.

Serena walked into camp and raised an eyebrow at the sleeping pair. Shaking her head, she quickly and quietly packed up their bags. Then she doused the fire and made the area look as if no one had ever been there. The only obvious blotch to the picture was the kid and dog. She knelt beside them and smoothed Jordan's hair from her face. "Hey. Wake up darlings. Time to get a move on. We should probably make tracks soon. Come on now, wake up." She shook Jordan just a little to get her to wake up.

Jordan groaned as she felt someone trying ot wake her up and slowly her eyes opened. Yet she didn't see Serena. Instead she saw men with dogs and they looked to be on a road. But not just any road, a road close to them. The sight then vanished and she saw Serena again. "we need to go, they are close." she said instantly as she shot to her feet and wrapped her arms around Serena, shaking a little bit. She didn't want them to catch them, she wasn't sure what they would do if they got them.

West wasnt' really asleep, he was just relaxing and smiled when he heard Serena waking up JOrdan. He looked at the two of them yet when he saw the look on jordan he knew she was seeing something. Once she was back with them she looked stared and his furr stood up when he hear her. Barking he got to his feet and hoped that they could get out of there in time.

She blinked in surprise at Jordan's shaking and West's agitation. Soothingly rubbing the girl's back, she slowly picked her up. Looking at West, she suggested, "How about a horse carrying two boys through the creek. That should buy us time by losing the dogs." She used her free hand to swing the bag up onto her shoulder.

JOrdan clung to Serena and slowly calmed down as she felt her beign picked up. When she turned to see if west was still a dog he was now a horse. But not like before. He was bigger, more like a work horse then the other time. She gently reached out and patted him before she turned to look up at Serena, "how are you going to make me look like a boy?" she asked.

West nodded when he heard Serena and in seconds he was a horse but had changed himself to a more muscular horse. The kind of horse you would see plowing a field. Hopefully that would give them some more time. He then looked at jordan and relaxed as she patted him.

Serena winked. "It is me. I have a plan silly. Come on." She placed her up on West and then climbed up herself. "West, head to the creek and head upriver. There is a monastery up there where I found these clothes earlier. She gave West a pat. She was pretty familiar with the route since where she had her early morning practice was nearby.

JOrdan nodded as she listened to her and got herself comortable on West. She watched as they made there way to the monastery and hoped that they weren't caught. She didn't want to be used to see things for others.

West nodded when he heard her and headed down the way she told him. He made sure that he left as little marking as possible in the dirt as he went. he didn't want anyone to follow them if he could. After a bit she came up to the monastery and he wondered who would leave clothing here.

Serena hopped off of West and quickly went into. Going through the main rooms, she soon found the chest of clothes from earlier. Shuffling through them, she found an appropriate outfits for all three of them. Sensing a movement in the hall, she followed and found a room with a saddle, a hackmore, and saddlebags. Grabbing the stuff, she packed the outfits into the saddle bags for future use and carrying the tack back out. The vampires had come through again.

Handing a boy's outfit to Jordan, she picked her up and set her down. Then she quickly saddled West and put the hackmore on him. The beauty of a hackmore instead of a bridle was that there wasn't a bit. That made it easier on West. Securing the saddlebags filled with costumes, she double-checked the straps and smiled in satisfaction.

JOrdan stayed on west as she watched Serena go in and hoped that there was something that coudl help them in there. Soon Serena came out with what looked to be stuff and she smield as she was set down on the ground. She then ran off inside and slid on the clothing that Serena had brought her. When she came out she looked like a small little boy and they didn't even have to cut her hair since there was a hat with the clothing. She had tucked her hair up into the hat and she smiled up at Serena, "do I look okay?" she asked

West wasn't to happy when he saw the saddle and everything. Yet he let Serena put it on him and was glad that there was no bridle to go with everything. He shook himself once everythingw as on and gave Serena a look that told her he wasn' tto happy. He then watched as jordan came back out and sniffed her to make sure it was her, she looked nothing like a girl anymore.

Grinning and with a wink to West, she used the stirrups to mount back up. Wrapping an arm around Jordan, she picked up the reins and neck-reigned West back towards the creek. Best make fast tracks in water where they wouldn't be able to be as easily followed. The grin was quickly replaced by determination. She had two friends now and they were in as much a danger as she was. She noticed a shadow keeping pace with them in the forest. The vampire preacher wouldn't be caught so close, he most likely was investigating their pursuers. So it would be the daugter. For a vampire, she took well to being around in daylight. That was a thoughtful idea worth more thought.

West whinnied softly when he felt her and jordan get back up on him. He wasn't use to all this weight but was really glad that he had changed into a animal that could handle this. He then moved forward as Serena motioned him to and followed where she wanted him to go. He had a feeling that something was following them as he did but it wasn't threatening so he let it go for now.

Jordan smiled as she got back up on the horse and felt Serean wrap her arms around her when she got up. Settling into the motion of west. She leaned back into Serena and wondered where they were going. As they went she watched everything around them and was glad that she had found these two. They were nice and she liked being with them.

Soon they were splashing at a good pace up the creek. When the creek split into two different creeks, she paused. The shadow slipped ahead of them and her alert eyes saw it head west. "West is further from civilization, maybe we should go that way." She said it allowed to give a reason the girl and horse. Then she motioned gently left and urged West left.

The Vampire Girl watched her turn her friends towards her. She knodded in satisfaction and took up the lead. For a human, Serena was unusually bright. That she was able to see her, however dim, was impressive. Using that to Serene's benefit, she felt taking the lead a wise move. Her father would object that it was interfering. But they had done that long ago when they befriended the spoiled rich brat. Now she was tolerable to others, but had a long ways to go for the vampire family taste. Humans were just so darn arrogant at times.

West let her lead him in what ever direction and went willingly. He knew that she might know best though he got a chill when he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. It was the shadow again and it was leading the way when they got to the split. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to follow at first but he had a feeling that Serena trusted what ever it was. So he went down that way and hoped that it was the right way.

The river spread out pretty shallow and flat now. Serena relaxed her grip on Jordan and settled easier on West. At least the going was easier now. The shadow paused and ducked out of sight. She sat up and looked warily around. What was she hiding from? Wait, she didn't need to hide. They were the ones out in the open. Tightening her legs around West and grabbing the saddle horn, she said, "West, quick, out of the river and under the trees!" She could see the shadow falling across the land as the blimp neared them. She knew that it was her father's blimp. Nothing made such a large shadow on a cloudless day. If it came in sight of them before they reached cover, well, they would have a harder time escaping.

West continued to walk along but then he realized that the shadow had dissappeared and his ears flattened. He was already moving when he heard Serena and in a matter of seconds he was under the cover of trees. He moved slightly behind a huge tree and hoped that what ever was coming there way would be friendly to a degree.

JOrdan pressed against serena more when she heard her voice and started to shake. Her small hand grasped onto Serenas and she looked up at Serena. "we will be okay, right.?" she asked softly as she looked at her.

Serena looked up through the branches as the blimp came into view of the area. She couldn't really see it and knew that they had less of a chance of seeing them. They had gotten out of view quick enough. She sighed in relief. Hugging and making hushing sounds to Jordan, she soothed her. "I think we were quick enough. To be safe, let's continue moving. We will have to stay in the woods. I'm sorry West. Let us all walk. We are far from where we started. Surely there won't be dog teams this far out. And you can move easier if you weren't a big horse." She looked down at the ground. No clear place to land. Oh well, looked like she would have to just deal with the tangled undergrowth.

JOrdan stayed close to Serena and listened to her as she calmed her down. LIstening to her she nodded and hoped that she was right, she didn't want to be caught by anyone. Though when she saw how West shook his head she chuckled and stayed close at West just continued to walk. "I dont think we are getting off anytime soon." she said as she looked up at her.

West listened to her and then shook his head when he heard her. Slowly he changed into a sleaker horse and then started to wave his way threw the trees like it was nothing. He could move faster if he carried them and he knew he didn't want anyone to see any of those men again any time soon.

She quickly righted herself as they took off under the trees. That was weird. Being on him while he shifted was a new experience. Though now the saddle was loose since he wasn't a... big... as he had been a moment ago. She wondered why Jordan had chuckled... but put it off for now. Staying on seemed a better use of her time. "West, I want to get as far east as we can. They hopefully aren't expecting us to get that far away. I don't know where else to go." Her shadow was gone. So she felt pretty much left in the dark. It was nearing lunch time too.

West knew that the saddle was lose and had to be very careful as he moved. He didn't want her to slip, fall and hurt herself or jordan. NOdding when he heard her he headed west and continued on his way. After a while of walking he noticed that the land was smoothing out. There were still a lot of trees, infact it seemed liek there were even more trees now. Looking around, west wondered just how far they had come from his house.

Serena looked up thoughtfully at the sky. Not that she could see much of it. The larger cities where they could have (but most likely not) gotten lost in the crowds had been south of them. Then there was the area they were more familiar with back east. She guessed her father figured that a sweet, city girl like her wouldn't head out this way. Far as she could tell, the blimp wasn't overhead anymore. It was hard to tell though. Maybe it was safe to stop for a little while. "Hey West, do you think it is safe to stop for lunch?" Her shadow guide wasn't around, or at least couldn't be seen. That must either mean that they were safe or that they had had enough help and needed to work on their own.

West continued to go and when he heard her he slowed down to a stop. Looking up for a bit he then looked around, listening for a bit. Once he didn't hear anything that sounded dangerous he nodded. Walking a little bit further he found a nice clear spot for them to have lunch. ONce both of them were off and they had taken off his saddle and everything he changed back. "well what do we have to eat?" he asked

JOrdan smiled as they got to a spot and slid off of West. Once he changed back she grabbed ahold of his hand and smiled as she tugged on it so that he would sit down. "I dont know, what can we eat?" she asked as she looked up at both of them.

Serena grinned and suggested, "Jordan, start building a fire. West, turn into a chicken." She busted up laughing and started walking back towards the creek. Fish was the only thing she could think of without foraging for plant life. It would have to do for now. And with her secret morning sword lessons, she needed all the protein she could get. Also, West probably needed the energy since he was shapeshifting and carrying them a lot. Of course, they were probably thinking she was out of her mind at the moment. Still... some laughter was needed after the somber morning. As she reached the creek, she saw across the way a group of traveling fair people.