return to sleep. I stood and
walked to the fire.
"When the sky clears, it will be colder. The castle could
give us shelter," I suggested. "The men are sure to come
there." He shook his head. "You especially must not rest within the
walls," he said.
"Because
of the bodies?" I asked him, the sharpness of my voice betraying my anger.
He looked at
me curiously, paused for emphasis, then said, "The women are dust, Madame
Mina. Their souls are at peace. No,
you must not go because it is
his lair. The very walls will call to you. No ... you must not."
I didn't have the strength to argue. Instead, I helped him collect
our bundles. Then, burdened by the weight of our baggage and the exhaustion
the day always gives me, slipping often on the snow-covered rocks, I followed
Van Helsing down the path to the distant road.
We had
traveled less than a quarter mile when we saw fresh wolf prints in the snow. A
bit later, I saw a pair of the beasts on the
path below us.
"Professor," I whispered and pointed.
Two more appeared, the pack blocking
our descent. Van Helsing scanned the rocky ground around us and motioned me
into a little hollow. There, an overhang made it impossible for the wolves to
attack from above, and the narrow entrance assured that they would have to
pass into the space single file. "We shoot them if they come," he
said, lifting a revolver. I pulled Quincey's pistol from my pack and crouched
beside him.
The wolves
seemed content to stop our journey. Hours passed and they did not attack.
Though the snow continued, occasional
clear patches of sky to the
west showed the height of the sun. We waited anxiously as the afternoon
stretched on forever.
"Is the
vampire close, Madame Mina?" Van Helsing asked.
I nodded and pushed myself to my
feet. As I did, I noticed that the valley below us was visible from the stand
of rocks. On the road that wound through it, I could make out a number of
riders and a can of some sort heading toward us. Even more distant were two
riders-no doubt some of our party in pursuit. "They're coming," I
called to Van Helsing.
Van Helsing
looked from the road to the setting sun, measuring the time the men had before
Dracula woke. I did not need to
look. Dracula was already
awake in his box, waiting for the moment when he could rise in his own
land-powerful, ready for the kill.
I felt
Dracula's rage rise in me as well, and fought it down with horror. Whatever I
had become, I was still Mina, wife to
Jonathan. I recalled how much
I loved my husband. The thought was all that sustained me as I helped Van
Helsing collect our furs.
"We go
down to them," he told me, "There is a path ... see it?"
I considered the road we had been
traveling-icy and treacherous even before this heavy snowfall. To me, the
straight descent appeared impossible. "Wait," I said and scanned the
landscape below, pointing to a second pair of riders coming from the west.
"This is the only road to
the castle. If we remain here, they will have to pass right by us," I
said.
Van Helsing
smiled. "Ah, dear Mina, you are right. We stay and trap them. We shall
make certain that the cart does not pass."
I nodded my agreement, and the two
of us waited as the cart and riders began the ascent on our path. There were
nearly a dozen of them, all colorfully dressed, with turban-shaped fur hats
covering their heads and ears. Some carried rifles, others only knives. It seemed
to me that our little band was terribly outnumbered, but I knew Jonathan and
the others coming up behind them were desperate.
Through the
windblown snow, I could see the sun nearly touching the peaks in the clear
western sky. The men would not reach
the cart in time.
"Remember your promise," I whispered to the creature being carried
toward me.
"Madame Mina?" Van Helsing said. "Did you
speak?" "A prayer." "Good," he replied and crouched
lower behind the concealing stones.
As the gypsy leader approached the
place where we were hidden, he raised his hand and the group
walked to the fire.
"When the sky clears, it will be colder. The castle could
give us shelter," I suggested. "The men are sure to come
there." He shook his head. "You especially must not rest within the
walls," he said.
"Because
of the bodies?" I asked him, the sharpness of my voice betraying my anger.
He looked at
me curiously, paused for emphasis, then said, "The women are dust, Madame
Mina. Their souls are at peace. No,
you must not go because it is
his lair. The very walls will call to you. No ... you must not."
I didn't have the strength to argue. Instead, I helped him collect
our bundles. Then, burdened by the weight of our baggage and the exhaustion
the day always gives me, slipping often on the snow-covered rocks, I followed
Van Helsing down the path to the distant road.
We had
traveled less than a quarter mile when we saw fresh wolf prints in the snow. A
bit later, I saw a pair of the beasts on the
path below us.
"Professor," I whispered and pointed.
Two more appeared, the pack blocking
our descent. Van Helsing scanned the rocky ground around us and motioned me
into a little hollow. There, an overhang made it impossible for the wolves to
attack from above, and the narrow entrance assured that they would have to
pass into the space single file. "We shoot them if they come," he
said, lifting a revolver. I pulled Quincey's pistol from my pack and crouched
beside him.
The wolves
seemed content to stop our journey. Hours passed and they did not attack.
Though the snow continued, occasional
clear patches of sky to the
west showed the height of the sun. We waited anxiously as the afternoon
stretched on forever.
"Is the
vampire close, Madame Mina?" Van Helsing asked.
I nodded and pushed myself to my
feet. As I did, I noticed that the valley below us was visible from the stand
of rocks. On the road that wound through it, I could make out a number of
riders and a can of some sort heading toward us. Even more distant were two
riders-no doubt some of our party in pursuit. "They're coming," I
called to Van Helsing.
Van Helsing
looked from the road to the setting sun, measuring the time the men had before
Dracula woke. I did not need to
look. Dracula was already
awake in his box, waiting for the moment when he could rise in his own
land-powerful, ready for the kill.
I felt
Dracula's rage rise in me as well, and fought it down with horror. Whatever I
had become, I was still Mina, wife to
Jonathan. I recalled how much
I loved my husband. The thought was all that sustained me as I helped Van
Helsing collect our furs.
"We go
down to them," he told me, "There is a path ... see it?"
I considered the road we had been
traveling-icy and treacherous even before this heavy snowfall. To me, the
straight descent appeared impossible. "Wait," I said and scanned the
landscape below, pointing to a second pair of riders coming from the west.
"This is the only road to
the castle. If we remain here, they will have to pass right by us," I
said.
Van Helsing
smiled. "Ah, dear Mina, you are right. We stay and trap them. We shall
make certain that the cart does not pass."
I nodded my agreement, and the two
of us waited as the cart and riders began the ascent on our path. There were
nearly a dozen of them, all colorfully dressed, with turban-shaped fur hats
covering their heads and ears. Some carried rifles, others only knives. It seemed
to me that our little band was terribly outnumbered, but I knew Jonathan and
the others coming up behind them were desperate.
Through the
windblown snow, I could see the sun nearly touching the peaks in the clear
western sky. The men would not reach
the cart in time.
"Remember your promise," I whispered to the creature being carried
toward me.
"Madame Mina?" Van Helsing said. "Did you
speak?" "A prayer." "Good," he replied and crouched
lower behind the concealing stones.
As the gypsy leader approached the
place where we were hidden, he raised his hand and the group
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