Jasper and Jujube followed the trail out to the plains but then the tracks took a drastic turn.

"You think whoever Ruechari is traveling with saw us and decided to change direction?" Jujube asked. It amazed him that Jasper was able to follow the tracks so accurately when the night had fallen and it was dark as pitch.

Jasper looked around his cat like vision quite excellent in the dark. "I can't say. It does seem that way. Definitely no one is following them. Well, except us. They haven't been joined by any others."

There was a question that was nagging Jujube since they left Busted Gulch. "How exactly are you connected to Ruechari?"

Jasper smiled at him and Jujube seen the tips of his canine teeth appear and repressed the urge to shudder. Jasper reminded him of those stories his tribe would tell of the Wendigo and it was creeping him out.

"Rue and I? Well... we have a special relationship," Jasper said and turned his horse around so to follow the new direction.

"Special?" Jujube asked, he could almost tell that Jasper had wanted him too. Like he was being set up for more.

"Let's just say if it were not for Billy. Rue and I would be living quite happily together for the duration of our lives."

Jujube who had also turned his horse about pulled on the reins causing his horse to nearly buck him off for such rough treatment.

Jasper laughed under his breath. He knew all about Jujube. How they were expected to wed. How they were betrothed since Rue was three. How he came to the Jamboree with the intention of letting her know how much he loved her. He was however surprised how easily Jujube let Rue go.

"You? And Ruechari?" Jujube felt like such a fool. He had saved himself all those years for her. Never once thought to look elsewhere for love, knowing he was intended for her and her alone. What was the point? Yet for her... well there was Billy and now if what Jasper was saying held truth...

Jasper smiled again and this time the shiver ran easily down Jujube's spine. Jasper frowned, wiping the smile from his face and turned away. "We need to keep moving!" he said rather gruffly.

"I didn't mean offence," Jujube said. Jasper just sat ridged in his saddle and Jujube continued, "I didn't know you and Ruechari..."

Jasper held up his hand and the movement silence Jujube. "What is it?"

Jasper wasn't sure but there was the smell of blood in the air, fresh meat. To most the acrid smell would most likely induce vomiting but to his cat like senses it drew him in. He took off in a gallop and Jujube had no choice but to follow.

They came upon the scene of several men mauled it would seem by the tracks and claw marks by a bear. Jujube jumped down alarmed to see if any of them men could be saved but it was too late.

"I've never known a bear to savagely attack people like this. They are capable but it's so rare and there are so many." Jujube said looking at the bodies. 

"How do you know it was the bear who was the killer?"

"What do you mean?" Jujube asked, when Jasper looked at him he could catch the night shine in his eyes and backed away nearly stumbling over one of the dead men's bodies.

Jasper had sniffed the air. The scent of mongrel was strong. "Wolves," he said.

"What?" Jujube felt more unsettled by the second, he reached back and grabbed his bow and an arrow. "Where?"

"Here," Jasper said, pointing to the men lying on the ground.

Confused. Jujube pointed his arrow at one of the bodies, but close enough he could hit Jasper in a heartbeat if he needed to. There was more to him than Jujube knew and he wasn't exactly certain he wished to discover what that was.

"The men?"

Jasper shook his head. "There are no men here, just wolves, werewolves to be exact."

Jujube stepped away. He was a farmer. What the hell has Billy gotten him into? "You mean to tell me werewolves... exist?"

"Do you see a camp? Horses? A fire?"

Jujube looked around and found none of those things.

"So what would several men be doing wondering the desert in the middle of night? Taking a moonlit stroll?"

"So, the bear attacked the wolves?" Jujube asked, feeling very slow on the take. His mind was having trouble wrapping around this new reality.

"Not a bear."

Jujube looked at the tracks, they were most definitely a bear. He looked back at Jasper... "A Werebear?"

"Don't be ridiculous there is no such thing as Werebears?" Jasper scoffed. Having found the new horse tracks Jasper jumped back into his saddle. "Come on! We go this way."

Jujube stood his ground. "I'm not going another step further until I get whatever information that you have that is keeping you from not being freaked out by all of this. What do you know that I do not?"

Jasper sighed. They really didn't have time for this, but he knew he would not get Jujube back on his horse until he gave a reasonable explanation. He sighed. "Okay, we are entering Destiny County. The residents of this area are not your typical farmers and whatnots. There are many things that go bump in the night around here. Werewolves, Vampires, to name a couple."

"And the Bear who's not a bear?"

"That would be, Rue."

Jujube blinked, then blinked again. "I'm sorry I thought you said, Rue."

"I didn't stutter, did I?"

"Ruechari can turn herself into a bear?"

"Yes and a wolf, an eagle, and just about any native totem animal she finds useful although she has not had much practice. Which is why you need to get your butt on that horse so we can go after her."

Jujube did not know why he was doing this but he put away his bow and his arrow and climbed on his horse. "Why do you sound concerned?"

"Rue transformed and battled those weres. She is not practiced at using her powers. She will be drained and at an extreme disadvantage should she be attacked. She may be too weak to defend herself. We must find her and soon."

Jujube nodded and spurred on his horse. Jasper hated to admit he was impressed. All things considered Jujube took things rather well.

Jujube was totally freaking out inside his head. Vampires?! Werewolves?! Rue changing into animals?! If he survived he was going to kill Billy on sight when he returned. Seriously, the man could have given him some kind of warning.

Chief ThingaMajig said he had a vision of Ruechari. That she would face great peril and darkness. She must prevail or the balance will be disrupted and the darkness could very well spread across the entire west.

Jujube of course had no idea what all that cryptic talk was about but he had a feeling he was going to find out.