Geronimo ran Ruechari ragged. 

"Again."

"Is he always like this?" Jujube asked leaning over to Van Helsing who was taking his time caring for his gear.

"Can't say. Never seen him in action before."

"But I thought the last time Ruechari was out here..."

"We fought the same battle just not on the same field."

"Oh," Jujube looked back at where Geronimo was trying to teach Ruechari how to mentally block someone with mind control like that vampire used. Ruechari tried again and it would seem, failed. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion.

Jujube had enough.

"Again," Geronimo said, banging his walking stick on the ground. 

"No! No more!" Jujube stood and helped Ruechari to her feet. "She needs to rest."

"She needs to master this if she is to protect herself against Drake and his vampire minions," Geronimo said.

"He's right, Jujube." Ruechari stumbled slightly, and Jujube steadied her.

"Rue you can barely stand without help. How is depleting your physical self make you of any use to anyone? You need to rest."

Ruechari pushed him away. "No! I need to get this right."

Geronimo looked at the young brave and reflected. "He makes a good point. This IS taking a lot out of you. We can continue in the morning. Early... in the morning."

"But I can..."

"It is enough for now, Ruechari."

Ruechari glared at her savior and pushed away from Jujube and went storming off.

"A bit of a hot head that one is, isn't she?" Van Helsing said, trying not to smirk at Jujube's look of utter disbelief.

Jujube sighed. He missed Autumn. Right now he should be introducing her to his family and making her his wife. Instead he's stuck out here with that head strong, wild child he knew from his youth, only now in adult form.

"So, you two an item?"

Jujube looked up, shocked. "Us? NO! Whatever would give you the idea... that her and I... she and we...well that there is an us?"

"Wow, that was a mouthful! I meant no disrespect. I just assumed, is all."

Jujube sighed. "She was betrothed to me, but that was a long time ago and we have... we've both moved on."

"I see. So you came all this way for," Van Helsing dared to use air bunnies, "a friend." Jujube shrugged, he didn't know what to say.

"Truth is I'm a bit jealous. I could use a few friends like that myself." Van Helsing started to pack up his gear. "Well best be getting some shut eye. Daybreak will be here before we know it."

"Yeah," Jujube said pensively, "See you in the morning." Van Helsing went to find his resting spot and Jujube went looking for Rue.

He found her already asleep on her bedroll by a small fire she had made, near the encampment. She looked so peaceful as she slept. He thought again how unfair he believed it to be that she was forced into all this without a choice.

On the one hand he was grateful she existed because she was integral to the balance of things and lets face it most people were happier not knowing what goes on when the sun goes down. But on the other it was hard not to wonder would things be different if she were just Ruechari, Indian daughter to the Chief of the Kittana Kitari tribe.

Would she have chosen him then? No... that was a dangerous thought path he must not go down. He rolled out his bed close by and decided to call it a night.

Ruechari seen the dark figure of her dreams or should she say nightmares. "Wraith, you are not welcome here."

"Yet here I am. Ever present and always with you. I do so miss our talks."

Ruechari turned her back to him.

"Now, now no need to get all snippy. It is you who banished me here. You can't expect me to just go away. You're power is growing Ruechari, I can feel it and with it so do I. Quite the dilemma don't you think?"

"You're a liar. That's all you know is hate, deceit, darkness. I will never succumb to you."

The black shadow of her dreams had a rather sinister smile. "Are you so sure?"

Ruechari wasn't sure, she wasn't sure about anything anymore. Her foundations had been shaken leaving her feeling unstable.

She thought of Billy and her heart ached. How she wished she hadn't left him behind. How she wished he were here.

"He's probably moved on without you. Besides he's an immortal and you well... you get older with every passing day. You really think you're meant to be together?"

Ruechari wanted to believe. So much so she felt desperate.

"And there in lies your weakness. You can't possibly defeat Drake. He will exploit you and when he sinks his teeth into you, he will possess you body and soul."

"Enough!" Ruechari said, wishing she could beat him, physically just pound her fists against his chest and scream.

The Wraith smiled. "Just trying to help," and he vanished.

She was left alone in the darkness and as much as she hated his presence, she hated the emptiness more. She forced herself awake. Her eyes flew open. It was nearly sunrise and she instinctively moved to the horizon to see it. Wanting that flood of light to wash over her, to push the darkness away.

She climbed a little cliff and sat on the stones that would give her the best vantage point. The desert still held it's evening chill and she shuddered, or perhaps it was from her thoughts.

A blanket was placed about her shoulders. She turned to look up, expecting to see Jujube but instead seen Van Helsing staring down at her. "Can't sleep?" he asked.

Ruechari just shook her head and stared off towards the horizon. "May I?" By his gesture she knew he was asking to sit with her and shrugged in response. He sat down next to her.

"It can all be a bit daunting, can't it?"

Ruechari tried not to sigh as she looked over at him. So, much for peace and quiet, she felt her chance to reconnect with Mother Earth slipping away. She just stared at him.

Van Helsing wanted to laugh at that look. Ruechari was not a complicated woman, her eyes so expressive, though she didn't say much if you paid attention, she spoke volumes.

"We'll chat after the sunrises, shall we?"

Van Helsing's grin made one break out on her stoic features and she was stunning. It stripped years from her and it was hard for him not to see, the young girl underneath this stoic warrior. He wished for a moment he could take this burden from her.

She'd seen that look before. Her Grandfather wore it often when he spoke of her future. She never knew what it meant then but she did now. Ruechari looked away and stared a the horizon, almost willing the sun to rise, wanting to pull it up with her bare hands, to feel it's warmth, to be bathed in it's light.

It did not disappoint slowing it peaked its head through the darkness, reclaiming inch by inch the world the dark had stolen in the night. It was never his to keep, only to borrow for a while, he knew he must give it back.

When it was high enough in the sky Ruechari closed her eyes and prayed to the Great Spirit to guide her, help her survive, to get back to Billy once more. She opened her eyes and felt Van Helsing staring at her.

"How long have you been doing this?"

He looked back to the horizon and said, "Too long."

"You mentioned outliving all those that you love."

"I have."

"Were they taken from you?" Ruechari asked, thinking of her Grandfather, her Grandmother, her parents, her tribe.

"Some, but most I just outlived."

"Outlived? What do you mean by that?"

"I'm guessing the rules of this game have yet to be explained to you."

Ruechari looked at him, the confusion clearly written across her face.

"Rue, I am possibly over 300 years old, give or take a year." He added to add a bit of humor to take the edge off of what he was telling her.

"You don't age?"

"I do, but at much slower pace than the people I've been chosen to protect."

She looked at him with renewed interest. "How is that... how can that be?" He looked to be in his 30's at best. She blinked as her brain tried to absorb the information.

"It's part of the gig you signed up for. We are connected to this place," he said grabbing a handful of sand and letting it slip through his fingers. "We are as eternal as it is, and although it may be slowing dying, its rhythm is much slower than the life of those that pass through. This world is already ancient but will still be here long after we have gone."

"You said we."

Van Helsing nodded.

"Are you trying to tell me I can't die?"

"No, were not immortal, but should we manage to keep ourselves alive, we will survive a very long time."

"And I will not age?"

"You will but not like those around you. That's what I mean by outlive. I've seen generations of Van Helsing's come and go. I've outlived them all."

This was a lot to take in. Ruechari looked at him again, and he'd suddenly seen hope for the first time in her eyes. She smiled. Kissed his cheek and jumped to her feet. She let out a Native War Cry that would wake the dead...well he hoped not, as most of his gear was still back at camp.

She looked down at him and she was positively beaming. She bounced suddenly on her feet and took off running in the other direction. 

Van Helsing had no idea what he had said to, illicit such a response but it was clear, it was exactly what she needed to hear. He looked at the sun and prayed a note of thanks to the Almighty for finding the words to help her.

He picked up the blanket she left at his feet.

He had a sudden feeling, things were about to get interesting.