The three travelers walked with purpose and with direction. Along the way, Ruth, Cain, and Abel marveled at the scenery and at the creatures that crossed their paths.

As they weeks passed, Ruth began walking more slowly. Her breath became shorter, and she ate more. She was also frequently ill, and they often wasted half a night or more waiting for her to become well enough to continue. Abel took to offering her his arm and helping her. Cain had viewed this at first with suspicion, but he finally came to see the truth: Ruth was lost to him, if she had ever been his. The prophecy had come true.

He looked away when they touched, when they curled up together to sleep the day away. At times, jealousy burned how within him; but usually, there was only pain and sorrow.

Once Amos is dead, he took to telling himself. Once we reach Eden, I'll-"

He'd what? Leave them? Die?

He didn't know. There was no plan he thought of that he could bear.

"Does your stomach hurt?" Abel said, one evening, when Cain had left them so he could hunt alone.

Ruth dropped her hands from where they had unconsciously wrapped around her stomach, not for the first time.

"Are you all right?" Abel said, stepping forward closer to her. He put his hand out and rested it on her shoulder. "We haven't been alone for a while," he went on, his mouth pulled up in one corner and slightly twitching.

"No," Ruth whispered. By now she had brought her hands down from her belly.

"Ruth, you're pale. Is the journey taxing you too much? You've been so very unwell. Perhaps at the next village, we can get you medicine or warmer clothes."

"No." Ruth shook her head. "We have to talk, Abel."

"Okay, I am ready when you are," Abel said. He squeezed her shoulder and looked at her, encouraging Ruth to share. She took a deep breath.

"Do you remember that afternoon we spent together? When I helped tend to the wound on your leg from the fire?"

"Of course I remember that," Abel said with a sudden smile. He winked. "How could I possibly forget?"

Ruth was not smiling back. "Well, I haven't forgotten, either. And it looks like we will have a reminder of it for a long time to come."

Abel's brow furrowed. "I don't understand, Ruth. What are you talking about?"

"Abel, I'm pregnant. With your child," Ruth said quickly, hoping that the faster she said it the sooner the relief would come from harboring the secret from Abel.

In response, Abel blew out a breath through his lips. "No," he said. "That's impossible. I'm a vampire. I couldn't have. The legends-"

"The legends," Ruth said firmly, "are wrong. Trust me on this one."

The moments between when Abel looked completely gob smacked and when he broke out into a tremendous grin felt like the longest in Ruth's life.

"This is great news," he breathed. His hands went up to his chest, his face, her face, all in a flurry and not knowing what to do. "Wow. When are you due?" He pulled Ruth in for a huge bear hug.

Ruth savored his closeness. He was here. He wasn't leaving her. They were safe. "In five months," Ruth whispered. "Maybe less. I wasn't counting."

"Of course not. Of course not. I understand. Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?"

"No, I don't know. The only way to know would be to ask a medicine woman, I suppose," Ruth said. "Or wait until he or she is born."

"You know what? It doesn't matter. Girl can also be heirs where I come from. Heirs. What could she inherit? I have nothing to give her except vampirism. And love. Do you think she'll be half vampire? I know, I know-how could you know. I suppose we'll find out when she's sixteen. Or he's sixteen."

"So you are . . . you are happy about it? About the baby? Our baby?"

Abel's smile was as radiant as the sun he could no longer easily stand beneath. "I could not be happier if I tried. I love you, Ruth. I always have," Abel whispered in her ear. She shivered at the sensation, and he pulled back. "That being said, I think we should be careful about how we tell Cain."

"Why? Do you think he will be upset?" Ruth asked, searching her lover's face for an answer.

"Cain is very . . . sensitive, and his stability is fragile, and I know he cares about you. I am just afraid that if we throw something like this at him now he will not come to Eden with us. Cain can be quite an annoyance, and yes of course I love him, but he is better kept under supervision. The last thing you want is for him to go off and do something cavalier or careless," Abel said.

"I agree. I mean, I hardly know him as well as you do, but I think it is better for all four of us if we are united," Ruth murmured.

"Four. Four! Yes, my love. Indeed," Abel said while softly caressing her shoulder with his warm, calloused thumb.

"But there's a problem with waiting to tell him," Ruth said.

"Oh?"

"Oh. You see, I'm starting to show. And with your sense of smell . . . well, he'll figure it out soon. Besides, as you might have noticed, I'm not in much shape to travel. I want to find a village, Abel. A village of nice, normal people. And I want to stay there until the baby is born."

Abel gazed a long time at her. He thought about Amos and about Cain. He thought about how quickly he and Cain could get to Eden traveling at their full speed, without Ruth to slow them down. He thought about the fallen angels, and their information that Amos was waking and, if not soon stopped, would start another ice age. He thought about all these things, and when he had, he said,

"We'll stop at the very next village."

***

The people of Scotia were simple folk, hunter-gatherers who spent their days in medial labor, working hard just to eat and survive-not unlike Cain and Abel had, so long ago. Their huts were constructions of mud and stone, their leaders strong and brave, their religious men keen on building stone circles.

In general, the people lived in peace. They had neither money nor time for war, which would only distract them from their hunting right before the snows came, and which killed off needed men and women when disease and poverty already did enough of that. However, there are always exceptions, and Drust the Bloody was one of these. He called himself a chieftain, but others knew him to be a bandit, a robber who took from villagers what little they had and often took their lives as well.

It was at such a village harried by such a man that the travelers arrived three days later.

There were huts made out of low rock walls, dried grass and wood built closely clustered together, and outside of each there were small holes in the ground where they lit their fire and cooked. Abel looked at Cain, but his back was to him. Abel tried to follow Cain's gaze and saw another cluster of huts burned down to the ground. An elder was standing and looking at the wreckage, but he turned to the travelers as they approached.

"What happened?" Abel asked before he could think about it.

"Like any other man could do such a heinous act against another human," the elder replied viciously as he looked at the burnt huts. "Drust, that wretched demon."

Abel was about to ask him who Drust was when Cain spoke. "You have men in this village; why won't anyone fight back?"

Abel was astonished at the new note to Cain's voice though, something commanding and . . . grown up.

"Huh, that tells me you've never seen his men before, young man," the elder said, looking away from the huts, shifting his gaze.

Abel followed it and saw what Abel immediately recognized to be corpses. It was cold, but they would begin to smell soon if someone did not bury or burn them. He wondered if there were enough villagers left to bury their dead. There must be, he told himself, or the elder would not be here. He would be dead too, or gone to another village-not standing around talking to strangers.

"You have no idea how many men have sacrificed their lives to protect this village, so do not speak like you know, stranger," the elder said, shooting the brothers a disgusted look. "Or have you come simply to mock us?"

"What is that?" Cain asked. He gestured towards the shed behind them, ashamed of how strangled his voice sounded.

The elder's voice was sad when he replied. "The wounded, the dying. Drust leaves his fallen where they lay and we burn their dead, but we can't just leave their wounded to die. Perhaps they will remember this, and next time they will have mercy on us."

"Mercy." Cain snorted. "Every one of his soldiers you save is just one more liability. You should have killed them while they bled in the mud." He turned his attention to the villagers, who had gathered to stare at the strangers. "I'll lead you," Cain finally said as they stared out over the village. His voice was firm and decisive.

"You!" the elder cried. "That would be the day."

"Let him speak," said a newcomer, emerging. It was a woman in her prime, strong and leaderly. "You man, if you can lead even a single band and succeed against Drust-"

"Then you'll let these two stay with you, and you'll take care of them," Cain said, gesturing at Ruth and Abel. "The woman is with child. Your midwife will see to her"

Abel stared at his brother, suddenly understanding his sudden harshness, his desire to fight. "Cain . . ." he murmured in an undertone.

The look Cain turned on Abel was stony. "My choice, brother. My life. Stay with your woman and your child. You have everything you want."

"We agree to your terms," the leader said.