West laughed when he heard her and shook his head. He then started to gather up some sticks and went to work on getting a fire going. He then turned ti Jordan and smiled, "could you do tell Serena that up stream might be better for fishing." he said and smiled as he watched her run off.

Jordan helped gather up sticks and wanted to help start the fire. Though when he heard west she nodded and the. Ran after Serena. She finallygot to her at the stream and grabbed ahold of her shirt, "west said to go up stream." she said and then saw the people on the other side, "who is that?"

Serena shrugged as she looked at them. "I'm unsure. They look like gypsies... but those kinds of people are in Europe so they probably belong to a traveling fair." She looked down at the girl and tosseled her hair. "Let West know that they are here. I'm going to move up stream." She turned and slipped back away from sight of the strangers before heading further up stream. She found another empty place and was about to wade into the creek when foul, beer breath flooded her face and cold steel pressed against her throat. Afraid to breathe or swallow, she froze. Behind her a voice rasped out, Looks like I found me a piece of meat after all. How about you and I roll around in the leaves for awhile sweetheart."

Jordan nodded and was about to run off to go after west when she realized she didnt' really remember exactly the way back. She knew where Serena was so she decided to just follow her. She tried to run after her but then heard something. Freexing for a second she hid behind a rock. When she looked around she saw a man had a knife to Serenas neck. Without thinking she screamed, screamed so loud that anyone could hear.

West smiled as he got a fire going and was starting to wonder where Jordan. Was she should of been back by now. Yet when he heard a scream instantly he knew something was wrong. Shooting to his feet he ran, he ran as far as he could and soon he came to the river. When he looked around he saw JOrdan staring at two people. It was then when he saw the sun hit hte knife and a animalistic growl came from him. Slowly his body changed and soon a puma stood in his place. He growled deeply as he moved closer, his claws coming out and his eyes on the man, ready to kill him.

The man's breathe was breathing down her neck when a scream split the air. She jumped at the same time he did. Feeling the blade cut into her neck a little bit she gasped. That made the cut only a little bit deeper. She stood there quivering, trying not to move. The pain was burning hot though and she struggled to not choke on her tears. Serena had been raised in high society. These scenarios were not normal for her and now in the course of three days she had been through the orientation to troubled times that anyone could go through. He was cursing under his breathe when she felt him stiffen. Hearing his gasp, she looked up through her tears to see two forms heading towards her.

The first and most easily seen was the cougar. Walking with deadly eyes fixed on her attacker's face, he came up the path towards them. She could almost see the waves of anger flowing off of him. That wasn't the only form to have her attention though. Swiftly speeding through the branches was a black shadow. The flash exploded from the branches and landed. Separating themselves into two people who stood crouched. She stared in disbelief at the half circle around them. A cougar, a pale white girl, and a priest. All crouched for action. Behind her she could hear crashing through the underbrush as the fellow's crew that had been part of the traveling fair across the creek joined up with them. They formed the other half of the fighting ring. Feeling her blood slipped down her throat and into her shirt, she grimaced. Vampires liked blood didn't they?

West was surprised to see two people come out of no where but didn't object. They had Serena's sent on them a little bit so he knew that they were friends. His mind was more on the man who had Serena. THen when he saw more people his anger only increased. It was almost as if you could feel his anger and when he stepped forward it was clear to all that if you didn't get out of his way he would kill everyone in his way. His claws then dug into the ground and with deadly speed he lunged. HIs claws dug into the leg of hte nearest person and west pulled him down to the ground, slashing his face before moving onto the next. Yet all the while his eyes never left the man who had Serena, his eyes clearly saying he would tear out his neck.

Serena felt the man holding her starting to shake in terror. She didn't blame him. Her allies were a little unorthodox and their methods brutal. He deserved every last bit of it though. What he had been planning to do to her was no less hideous. He grasped her tighter like a safety net and dragged her backwards, stumbling against a tree. Bracing his back against it, he breathed down her neck adding his foul breathe to her bleeding neck.

The vampire girl watched the cat leap and start slashing down some of the men. It was gruesome. The scent tasty and sweet to her, but she knew it was no place for children. Swiftly placing herself between Jordan and the scene, she picked the girl up and moved to the tree branches and out of sight. Her cold, steel arms kept Jordan safe and her musical voice began a soft lullaby. Drowning out the blood curdling screams with hymns of praise to God, she did her best to coat the child with anything but what was happening below.

The vampire priest moved quicker than the eye could almost follow, taking out men with the sound of snapping bones and tearing of flesh. Pinning one man to the ground by the throat, he created terror in his victim's eyes by showing his teeth. Leaning down almost like a lover, he gently caressed the neck with one fang and then bit in with force. He looked up and with a wicken smile sent two others watching him running. He caught up with them in half a second and lifted them up on to throw them hard into the ground. They groggily tried to move but were dead before registering the fingers crushing their hearts.

Before Jordan could see anything a girl stood between her and them. She looked nice qnd before she could object she was in her arms and being carried away. She tried to struggle away and to see if her friends were okay but after a bit found it was useless. She then heard a voice, it was beautiful and enchanting. As she listened she found her eyes slowky starting to drop. Leaning intothe girl she started to slowly nod off.

West continued to knock down person after person. Blood was splattered over his paws, face qnd fur. He looked llexactky like what he was, a animal. When no one stood between him and the man with Serena he growled. He moved towards him, with deadly grace and slowly he changed back into a human.he moved towards the man, his eyes still had the same look he had as a puma. Blood coated him Exactly where it had when he was a cat and he looked evil. Once he was close enough he said, "you die." and grabbed the mans head, his fingers dug into his skull as he ripped him away from Serena and threw him to the ground. Jumping ontop of him he body shifted right back to that of a cats and he started to rip into the man. Nothing of the human that had been west was there, he was a animal.

Serena looked at West in terror. He was nothing like the easy-going West she was more familiar with. And all the blood did little to help his looks. She cringed as he reached towards them and then felt pain as the man began slicing her throat. He cried out behind her and she collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe. Looking up through blurring eyes, all she saw around her was blood. So much blood. Her vision dimmed and she fell unconscious, blood oosing from her throat. Her vampire friend looked around at the dead and then walked over to her. The bleeding needed to stop but he was a vampire. He clenched his fists and jaws tightly, resisting the urge to pounce on her too. He felt his fangs come out and took some deep breathes.

West continued to rip into the man till he smelled something. Blood. Yet it smelled kind of familiar and that was when he started to come back to himself. Shifting back into his human form he looked over at Serena and fear ran threw him. Running over he ripped the clean shirt off and started to wrap it around her neck. He applied the pressure and hoped to god that it stopped. He knew this was his fault. If he had been thinking clearly he could of gotten to her and made sure she did t get Hurt. After a while the cloth was soaked and he pulled the rest of his short off and pressed it against the wound. If she died he knew he would never forgive himself, never. Yet after a while the blood didn't soak threw his part of the shirt and he knew it meant one of two things. She was okay and he had gotten to her in time or she was dead. He hoped it was the first. "please be okay.. Please." he muttered to himself as he looked at her.

The vampire eased backwards, forcing himself to leave the girl alive. Her white pale face and limp body gave the impression of one dead. Faint as her heartbeat was, it was still a temptation. "She lives. Your girl child, Jordan, is sleeping back at camp. Please, pardon me." He turned and vanished into the forest. Determination was one thing. Following through was another. He refused to be the murderer of the one he had guarded the last couple years.

The girl vampire heard the instructions as clear as a bell. Craddling the child gently to not disturb her. She made her way quickly through the tree tops back to where a fire was brewing. She eased the child down so that she lay against the saddle. Her vampire father appeared with fish quickly snatched from the river. Laying them beside the fire to be fixed, the two of them faded into the background of the forest. They both felt guilty for not looking more closely as the party across the river. They should have known ruffians hid among the gentle and kind folk.

West was surprised when he heard the vampire but nodded and reliefe crashed over him before fear started again. He went to work ripping to pieces his clothing into bandages. The only clothing he left on him were the shorts that he had made out of his once nice pants. He then slowly pulled away the cloth from her neck and when he saw the bash he frowned and knew he would need a doctor. Gently he placed a patch of clothign over the wound before wrapping it up with the rest of the clothing. He then picked her up as gently as a new born. Setting off he headed back to the camp. When he saw Jordan asleep he relaxed but fear still filled him. Gently laying her down on the ground he then stepped back. He could only think of one place right now that might have a doctor and he wasn't too thrilled about going there. It would be in the party that had attacked him. Yet he wasn't sure if he risked leaving her like this. After a bit he decided to stay and turned into a snow leopard. Curling up around the two he waited to see if rest would help her.

She felt gentle hands rob her of her drifting state. Ignoring them, she tried to sleep. She was so tired. Why she was tired was beyond her. She couldn't even remember at the moment who she was. She simply knew that she didn't want to wake up. Drifting in and out of blackness, slowly more consciousness came to her. She became aware of the sound of birds and the breeze moving through the trees. Then she realized something super soft surrounded here. Feeling comfortable and safe, aside for a strange and annoying burning sensation in her neck, she mentally curled up tight and drifted away.

The priest vampire patrolled. He was quite the quick one and kept a wide radius around the group. The only people in several miles easily was the baffled group on the other side of the river bank. They weren't fond of the ruffians that had been traveling with them. Their apparent deaths were no loss to them. The manner in which they were slaughtered was their cause of their alarm. Splattered blood and slash marks were an ominous scene after hearing the bloodcurdling screams.

The girl vampire kept personal guard above the camp. Sticking to the tree tops, she inflicted drowsiness on anyone who came to close causing them to turn back before discovering the stricken snow leopard, sleep-induced child, and injured youth. She was tempted to force sleep on West but knew that at this point it would be a disservice to him. Besides, he had just seen a vampire go crazy right along side him in that blood path. If he didn't fear himself, then he should fear that unknown figure that had bathed himself in blood red stickiness right along with him. She figured she could always go catch them more fish if they needed it. The dead corpse's blood was unappetizing to her. She was rather picky of where hers came from and what flavor it held.

West stuck close to his sleeping friends and felt one of them move slightly. Looking at the two, he expected it would be jordan but instead she was asleep. It was Serena. He hoped that was a good sign and relaxed a bit. He then smelled something and looked around. He then looked up into the trees and knew right away it was one of those people that had tried to keep Serena safe. But she wasn't thanks to him. Looking down at her he sighed. He was a animal and had caused this when he was trying to protect her. Slowly he changed back into his human form and let the two rest against him before looking up into the trees again. "I know your there, I smelled you." he called out and waited for a bit. "do you think you can do something besides stand there, like find a doctor? I can protect them, I just want someone to see Serena." he said as he found himself gently stroking Serenas head.

Listening in shock to West, she paused. So much for staying a secret. That left some interesting options. She didn't want any witnesses left alive that met her charge, but there were ways around that. She turned and sped away at high speeds. Reaching a main road, she hid until a group of people went by. None of them were what she was looking for. Another traveler came along with two companions. The companions were nice and friendly, but the one she had her sights on had a shifty look to his eyes. Taking a gamble, she followed them. Sure enough, when they stopped for a break, she could see that he was a con artist. However, he obviously had skill at taking care of himself. When the other two drank a good portion from their canteens and were out five minutes later, she was certain he was her mark. She waited. Patience was a virtue.

He first went through their things and found money and such that he liked and repacked them in his bag. Then he moved everything else out into the bushes and hid them. Going back to the two men he had drugged, he pulled an evil-looking but dull metal hand claw. With a quick swipe over each man's neck and chest, he effectively killed them. Cleaning the device, he put it away and stood to head on his way. With speed granted her due to her nature, she was ahead of him and for all appearances a lost and frightened girl.

The con artist and murder walked around the bend in the road and stopped. A girl was stumbling out of the woods and onto the path looking pale-faced and on the verge of tears. Realizing she was frightened and desperate, he wondered what had caused her to be in this state of mind. Gently, he called out a greeting to her. She jumped as if he had shot her. He smile a gentle smile at her and knelt down. She looked like she was fighting between running away and coming to him. He waited patiently and finally she slowly walked over.

A few minutes later he was following the eager child through the woods. She had high hopes and faith in his ability to help a friend. From what he could gather, someone was badly hurt. Sounded like opportunity to him. He wondered momentarily how she managed to keep just ahead of him but brushed it off as overeager. The child truly was a helpless girl. How she was not on the ground in a dead faint with those pale cheeks was beyond him. Perhaps she had been gently raised and already pale before this disaster that had evidently befallen her occurred. Soon he saw a small clearing ahead and her racing to it.

The vampire girl quickly began working her sleeping ability once she was close to the clearing. Keeping Jordan asleep was her main concern at the moment. Fooling this guy was so easy. She wasn't as young as she looked nor as frail. Keeping up appearances was important though. Right now she was a child, not the mature being that was used to more death and violence than her prey could imagine. And prey he was. He would use what first aid and medical expertise he had picked up thanks to his profession, then she would enjoy supper. One thing all con artists had to learn was some basics in the medical field. Pulling off a doctor otherwise was difficult if you didn't know the jargon or how to keep a person from dying on you in the office. She burst in the clearing and called as if talking to lifelong friends. "Mr. West sir, I found help like you said I would. He said he can help her." She gave the most pitiful, little girl act she had ever given anyone. And enjoyed it.

West had changed back into a snowleopard for a while and layed there, curled around the two. He wanted to make sure that they stayed as warm as possible. yet soon he heard the sound of feet and smelled someone new. Yet this new person smelled of blood and it made his furr stand up. Yet he forced himself back into his human form and watched as the Vampire girl came into the clearing with a man in tow. From the looks of it he could tell that the Vampire was doing something to the man yet didn't care as long as he could look at Serena. Smiling when he heard her he nodded, "good good, bring him close." he said and played along with her. Looking over at the man, he watched him carefully. "please, if you can do you think you can help her." he said and really hoped that he could.

Hearing his words, the con artist stopped surprised. She had not said anything about a man or a child. Just an injured girl. The child was asleep though and the man was no threat or he would have gone for help instead. He knodded and walked over. Kneeling beside them, he pulled off his backpack and opened up the side where his medical supplies were. Carefully, he gently pulled back the cloth and saw the knife would. It was deep but hadn't gone through an artery or anything serious. He checked her pulse and noted her pale face. With any luck, she would stay asleep for a good long time.

He pulled out the surgical needle and thread and deftly stitched up the neck. Easily as pie. Then he added antibiotic ointment and placed a bandage over it. Softly, he suggested, "Perhaps you should let let her rest. Keep her down as much as possible. Get liquids into her. If she wakes up, she most likely will be dizzy and weak. I don't know how much blood she lost, but it will have affected her ability to travel."

The vampire girl stood behind him appearing to watch his work with interest. Instead, she was eyeing his neck. He was a murder and in her book, a bad guy. Fair game for a good meal. He had done his job and was no longer useful to them. She was just that way. To let him live and leave? To let him live and stay with them? To kill and enjoy? Those were the options and she wondered which she should take, though his blood would be most tasty. Her father wasn't exactly around to give guidance at the moment.

West watched the man work and kept his eyes on him. Every part of him was on alert just incase he tried anything and if he did he would kill him. Yet soon Serena's neck was patched up and he relaxed some. Gently stroking her hair he nodded, "thank you, I am not sure if she would of made it if you hadn't of done that." he said to him softly before looking at him. He then saw the vampire girl out of the corner of his eyes and saw her staring at hte guy, or more importantly his neck. Hoping that she didn't drink form him right here, but if she did he would understand since he didn't like this guy but was greatful to him for helping her.

She pulled herself in. If her inhuman abilities hadn't given her away, then the pallor of her skin would have. She gazed thoughtfully at the unsuspecting prey. Perhaps letting him live just a bit longer wouldn't hurt. She dropped down beside them instead and waited quietly.

The con artist was putting his stuff away when he paused and offered, "I can look after them for you if you need to get a bath." He was a bit concerned by the sheer amount of blood on West. It was a lot and he hoped it wasn't all the girls. If it was, then she had a super slim chance of surviving. That being said, some of it could very well be West's. He might have injuries as well from whoever had attacked them.

West was surprised that the vampire didn't go for her meal but was greatful. He wan't sure if anything else would happen and they might need him. Yet when he heard hte con artist he looked down at himself. He was still covered in the blood of the people he attaked and killed. He probably looked bad but at the thought of leaving them he shook his head, "I wont leave them, I need to protect them." he said as he found himself gently stroking jordans head.

He then looked at the con artist, "By the way what is your name?" he asked as he kept close to his friends. "I would rather like to thank you properly for helping my friend and keeping her alive." he said and still watched him carefully. He still smelled of blood and he wasn't sure if he could really trust him.

The con artist looked surprised. The name is James. Dude, it is just a bath in the creek. Your over edgy. He turned and saw some fish laying in a stack by the fire. Reaching for them he suggested, You really should go clean up. I'll fix these here fish and when the missus wakes up, she will have food and a more pleasant sight to greet her. He looked up at the girl who had led him here and asked, Never caught your name young one.

The vampire girl blinked. She had done an excellent job playing her part. The name part though, she did indeed forget that part. She shrugged and quietly said, Sarah. Looks like she was stuck in this group as long as James was around. She wondered where her father had taken off to. She couldn't even sense him.

West nodded as he heard him, "it is nice to met you james." he said as he watched him carefully. He then nodded and guessed he was right. "okay I will go and take a bath quickly." he said and slowly forced himself to pull away from his friends. When he heard the vampire girl he smiled and then looked at Sarah, "watch them and if anything happens, scream." he said before making his way into the forest. Once he was out of right he ran to the creek and jumped in.

Taking a bath as fast as he could, washing his clothing at hte same time. IN a matter of five minutes, he was out of the creek and letting the sun bake him and his clothing dry as he slowly made his way back to the group. He hoped that everyone was okay and james didn't try anything.

The con artist couldn't help the smile that came to his face at West's advice. He offered Sarah some consolation. "I'm sure that screaming won't be necessary." He got the fish set up over the fire and roasting. Then he looked around the clearing. It was a mess. Also, he could smell blood. If he could, then so could every wild animal in the woods. He walked to the edge of the woods and found two strong limbs. Dragging them back, he started lacing them together with rope that he twisted together as he went.

Sarah watched in silence. She preferred the silent part. It fit almost any persona she took on and was easier to not blow. Also, that was just who she was. Had always been. Even before becoming a vampire, though she didn't remember those years very clearly anymore. When he started to put together a sort of stretcher, she guess his intent. The smell of dried blood was almost driving her crazy inside, but if he could smell it then common sense said the massacre scene was indeed too close. Yet he would want to head back towards the road. She wasn't sure her charge, Serena, would be safe in that direction.

West soon came into the clearing, still slightly damp but deffinatly cleaner. Looking around, he relaxed seeing that nothign was changed and his friends were still here. Walking over to serena and jordan, he sat down and smiled as he watched jordan move closer. Slowly her thumb found it's way to her lips and she sucked on it as she stuck close to him. West gently stroked her head and then looked at Sarah and James. He wondered how long both of them were going to stick with them. He hoped that James didn't stay too long. He still stank of blood and he hated it.

James looked over at West as he walked into the clearing. He settled in with the two girls like he couldn't bear to leave their side. He raised an eyebrow at that but shrugged it off. The guy must have gone through a lot or something. He finished with the stretcher and brought it over. "We can carry her on this. She will be comfortable and we can get to a town where there are better skilled people than myself."

West continued to stroke jordans head as he kept them close. He then watched at James brought over what looked like a strecher and smirked. If only he knew he could turn into something that would make things ten times easier for them. He then nodded, "okay but we have to be very careful." he said and wasn't sure how he should explain this. He knew he shouldn't tell him the truth and soon a story popped into his head, "some men are looking for us, I was charged with the task of Protecting these two. So we hav eto be very careful." he said as he looked at him.