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WARNING: Some portions of the following work of fiction contain explicit sex. If you are under 18 (or whatever age is appropriate for your location), HIT YOUR BACK BROWSER BUTTON NOW. If you find explicit sex offensive, please don't offend yourself by reading further.

The full disclaimer for this work of Vampire Hunter D fanfiction is at the beginning of Chapter 1.

Author: Charlotte MacFarlane
Email: duckey@ns.sympatico.ca
Feedback: Please, yes, lots.
Forward to others: would be flattered if you did.
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Of the Heart

Chapter 9 To Save A Child

"Well maybe if we all gang up on her?" one asked.

"Now you're talking crazy. Look. The camp was getting ready to move today anyway. That's a big risk in this area. But they should be here by now. We just make it through these wood, warn the camp, and let Reaches & the elders deal with the crazy bitch."

"Reaches is dead. He's gotta be. She's got his uniform."

"Just cause she's got his clothes, doesn't mean he's dead."

"Then you explain it. He sleeps in that thing, and he never goes to the whore's tent. He's gotta be dead."

"He's dead all right," said a cold voice. The group turned to see Trexa, using her knife to clean her fingernails, standing against a tree behind them. "He's dead. I killed him, I'm Master Tracker now, & you little pricks will get moving right now! Or one by one I'll blow you away." She drew and pointed her gun at each of the six trainees to emphasize her promise. The boys turned and continued on through the bushes. In the direction of the horse tracks she'd found.


D helped Kale out of the cave, pulling leaves the twigs from her hair. She followed his gaze to where Densa & Rilu waited. Still with quickened breath and tearing eyes, they made their way to them together. She stopped in the middle of the tiny clearing, just staring at them. Mostly, Kale looked at Rilu. She had long brown hair, like she did. The long triangular ears, tanned skin, and blue eyes. She could almost see herself friends with this woman, but not her as the mother of her child.

She slowly stepped away from D, to gage what the two were like. The man, who D had said was Densa, stood next to his mate, who sat on the ground, trying to fight off a fit of tears. Her puffy blue eyes met Kale's straight on. Her face reflected the worry she'd had over the last weeks her child was missing. Her long ears drooped, and stuck out straight from either side of her head. Her strength to hold them up at all nearly gone.

Rilu's eyes begged Kale to return her baby, but she & her husband remained silent, at D's urging. Kale stepped back a bit, her heart aching at what she had to do. She looked to D, her mind telling him they could still run, they could still be the family they had started out to be. D shook his head ever so slightly, and directed her attention back to the couple.

She looked to the baby she still held. Her eyes looking around trustingly, not really knowing what was about to happen. Her tiny hands curled around the fabric of her cloak she'd been wrapped in. She tenderly kissed the little girl's brow, and handed her to D. He too carefully kissed the little girl, removed Kale's cloak, and had Densa come and take her. While the parents rejoiced at the return of their little one, D held onto Kale, as she completely fell apart.

"Densa! Rilu! RUN!! I've got a clean shot!!"

Densa turned to see Trexa with her gun pointed at Kale & D. Before D could move them out of the line of fire, Densa reeled around, throwing one of his daggers.

The blade landed hilt deep in Trexa's forehead. Killing her instantly. Densa straightened his shoulders, glaring at the woman's body. "She protected my child!" he threatened, "If you wish her, or her mate, harm, you'll have to go through me first."

The other trackers raised their hands to show they had no quarrel, retrieved Trexa's body and left.

Densa went to D, as he held Kale close and knelt down. "Thanks," said D, over Kale's muffled cries on his chest.

"No. Thank you," offered Densa. "I know this was not an easy thing for you two to do. But I thank you, from both our hearts, for taking such excellent care of our child. Please. Come back to camp with us. It will give you both some time to say good-bye." By now Kale had ceased her cries, she barely breathed. D shook his head to Densa, saying with a look, they would go. But good-bye was something already said.


"Kale, please drink." He asked again, but she wouldn't take the water. She just lay there. The group of Densa's people had arrived just as they had worked their way out of the trees. The tracker trainees explained what had happened with Trexa, and Densa insisted on a tent be made available for D & Kale. Now she lay on the mat over the trunks, her cloak balled up and tucked under her arms. It was now nearing evening the next day, and the elders were worried about being in the open and wanted to move on.

D sighed, left the cup on the side bar, and left the tent. Outside he only managed to stop Rilu from entering the tent, Lessira safe happy, and awake in her arms. "No," he hissed, his own heart jumping into his throat over seeing the baby.

"I just wanted to..." she began.

"Your intentions are good. But Kale won't see you, and if she sees her," he tugged his cloak gently out of reach, as Lessira's little hands extended to the flowing fabric in the wind. "She'll only fall apart again. Please, don't."

"Alright. Look...um...the elders are making plans to move again, but we aren't sure which way is safest. If you spoke to them..."

"I'll see what I can do." He turned inside the tent, hearing boxes fall over, to find that Kale had moved one of the boxes next to the bed, and was intently pouring over the map of the southern area. 'No!' he thought, 'she's going to go back! She's going to leave me anyway!' he curled his hand around his left fist. He couldn't' tell her about the sym. Not after all this. It would kill her. "Kale, please. Don't go. I..."

"GO? Go where D? I don't know where I am to go anywhere." Her voice shook on every word, her composure completely gone.

"Kale, when I get back from the elders we'll talk. OK?"

"You won't be talking to them!" she snapped. "I will!" He nodded. He didn't want to upset her any more than she was. She grabbed the map and left, D right behind her. "Your elders," she addressed one of the young trackers. "Where are they?"

"They're in counsel. Not to be disturbed."

Kale pushed him to the ground. "Where! Or I'll break your arm!!"

"Kale! Stop it!" urged D, pulling her off the man.

"Your bitch is crazy!" the man yelled, as he got to his feet. "All you humans are alike. Densa should have killed you after Trexa."

She lunged at him again, only D held her back. "Enough!!" Densa shouted. "Kale is not like the others. You only have to look at Lessira to know that." He turned to D, his expression softer than before. "Come with me, I'll take you to the counsel."

He guided them through the camp to where the wagons were parked. It was here, on one of the flat bed wagons used to haul the bundled tents, the elders sat, going over tattered maps and debated which way to go. "Wherever you go, you won't be safe," Kale chided.

"And have you any suggestions? Human!" snapped the oldest of them.

"I do, but the journey will not be easy," they began waving her off. "DO YOU ALL WANT TO DIE!!" she shouted. "I know a place where there are nearly no humans. That other alien races, who've come here, live peacefully together. Where their children...their children play and learn, and are friends.! Now what would you prefer?!"

"Listen to her," pleaded Densa. "If it were not for their kindness, we would never have Lessira back."

"They could be the ones who arranged her kidnapping in the first place," said a cold familiar voice. The group turned to the unseen man. Kale couldn't believe who stepped forward. Balldie, and beside him was Lunk.

"You!" she hissed angrily, trying to board the wagon to get to him, only to be held back by D & Densa. "You're the one who left her in the wagon!! You gave her the spiked milk! You left her!!! She could have died!!!"

"She lies," snapped Balldie. "I'm an honest merchant, who works with his son."

"He's conducted much business with our people," called one of the elders. "His credibility is far better than yours, child stealer."

"Elders please," pleaded Densa. "Do not judge her so harshly. She has cared for Lessira, as though she were her own. Does that not count for something?"

"No, it does not!"

"Please!!" she cried. "They're killers!"

"Can you prove that, wench!?"

'There's no need for that!" warned D. Kale remained silent.

"I didn't think you could. Now leave our camp. You've over stayed your invitation." The elders returned to the table & crates they used, as D & Densa pulled Kale away.

"You'll all die if you listen to them! Please!!" she screamed, but they wouldn't listen. "Densa, please. Listen to me!"

"Calm yourself Kale. I'll do what I can. Come to my tent in an hour. I'll hear what you have to say. Maybe I can persuade them. Perhaps if I could get others to come, we'll have a majority vote."

An hour later, Kale & D met in Densa's tent, the baby asleep in her repaired cradle out of sight to not upset the woman. Around their table sat a number of the fathers and mothers of other families, as well as a few of the young trackers. They explained how they ended up in the southern lands, and how the map they had was useless now. They told how they met Lunk and Katlyn on the road, and how Kale knew of the bald man with the elders. They marked the locations of the villages in the southern lands, and of the Thundarian's Lair, and described what few dangers they'd find along the way.

"It's really just obstacles to get through," said one of the fathers. "We can handle that."

"When you get south," Kale finished. "I suggest you look for the Lair. Ask for Liono & Tygra," she wrote the names on the map. "Tell them we sent you. They'll help you resettle. As a request, ask Tygra if he's over his bout of insomnia."

"Will they need to know that to prove you sent us?" asked Rilu.

"No. Not really. But it will let them know I haven't forgotten them. Also those of you who've been branded, ask Tygra to try an remove the brands. You'll be surprised how."

"Painful?" asked a man, whose son was one of those branded.

"Not in the least," answered D.

"Densa, whatever happens, promise me that you and your family will go south. Regardless." Densa nodded to Kale his agreement. It was the least he could do. He understood that what she was trying to do, she was trying to make sure that Lessira would be safe. He admired that. Kale nodded back. "That's all we can tell you. The rest is up to you." As the group began discussing what to say and how to go about re-approaching the elders, Kale and D left to return to their tent.

"Kale?"

"Don't talk to me D. I'm not in the mode."

"You need to..., we have to talk."

"Why D!? Is it going to change anything?" she pulled a piece of paper off the tent flap where it was pinned. "That figures." and she balled up the note.

"What?" She tossed the note to him. "LEAVE OR DIE." he read. "Well, there isn't much else we can do here. Either way, they will be heading in the wrong direction. They only came this way for Densa and Rilu. Kale?" She brought their horses from around their tent. "I'm not staying here another second D. Lets go. NOW!"

"Alright," he tossed the note into one of the torches, mounted up & led the way out.

"D, Kale! You haven't any supplies!" called Rilu, seeing them go. But they didn't stop.