A STRANGER APPROACHES

Soraya finally emerged from the lavatories, feeling a bit worse for wear as she did so, though she detected some voices in the common area. One of them was an excited Brianna, another Naitachel's and a third.... Could it be?

She emerged in the room to the sight of Brianna standing stock-still in that strange way vampires were able to do, with her hand held out and being sniffed. Naitachel was perched atop his stool, and across from him, just as she had suspected, was the large native-american she had sadly thought gone for good.

"John Eagle!" she called happily, making her way toward the two. "What are you doing here?" The question was a rather rhetorical and obvious one, but it was such an automatic one that the words were out before she could catch them. She quickly followed up with, "How did you find us? Are you well?"

Soraya wrote:"John Eagle!" she called happily, making her way toward the two. "What are you doing here?" The question was a rather rhetorical and obvious one, but it was such an automatic one that the words were out before she could catch them. She quickly followed up with, "How did you find us? Are you well?"

He turned to the new voice. Soraya, pretty as ever, but with more of a glow than usual. He'd always felt close to her, like a big brother - probably because they were the only humans in the Prince family. "Drinkin' coffee right now," he answered her first question. To the others, he replied, "Tell you all about it when everybody's here." No point in repeating himself.

Soraya couldn't help but smile. John, it seemed, hadn't been changed all that drastically by whatever madness he had encountered out there.

"Well, either way, it is good to see you. I am glad you managed to find your way back to us." She left the rest unsaid, that she was glad of more than just his ability to find them, but also of his ability to survive the horrors of the world outside.

The redhead's gaze then landed on her daughter who remained still, apparently afraid to frighten John Eagle's companion off. "You can breathe, Brianna. Something tells me that if he can handle John Eagle, he is not so easily scared off," she teased the Native American gently.

<He does seem friendly, right?> she asked Naitachel, watching as Brianna unfroze, though she continued moving slowly, trying to pet Tsosie. Not that she doubted John Eagle, but vampires did tend to elicit strange reactions from animals, and she wanted to be sure she didn't need to keep Bri away from it.

"I am certain Radu would not deny you," Nait informed John cheerfully. "By all means, make yourself at home!"

Naitachel watched Tsosie and Brianna, and grinned cheerfully. <I doubt much this one fears anything,> he chuckled quietly to Soraya. <And she is the friend of a friend, so...>

Considering John had little in the way of equipment with him, Naitachel wondered if he had possibly left it all outside. He doubted John Eagle went anywhere unprepared. The man seemed to like to have items of serious destruction on his person, even when he was bodyguarding for the family.

"Do you need help bringing anything here?" the Seraph asked. "As you can see, I am free to offer a hand." The rest of the family had security to deal with, after all--and he, being useless with such, was here reading.

"As am I," Vlad offered. "I admit I'm curious to hear how you found us as well."

Radu entered then, stopping short when he spied their guest before him. "Welcome home, John Eagle," he said at last. "I am pleased to see you made it."

Naitachel wrote:"Do you need help bringing anything here?" the Seraph asked. "As you can see, I am free to offer a hand." The rest of the family had security to deal with, after all--and he, being useless with such, was here reading.

"Left a bag full of clothes and toys in a room back down the hall," Kahtenny answered. "Looked like it might be your playroom," he added with a grin. "Somebody will have to let me back in."

Radu entered then, stopping short when he spied their guest before him. "Welcome home, John Eagle," he said at last. "I am pleased to see you made it."

"Thank you, Radu," the warrior replied. He started to extend a hand but stopped, unwilling to presume on Radu's dignity. "If I'd known it was you, I'd have been here a lot sooner. All we had to go on was rumors, and they didn't mention any names. It's good to be here."

Noting his old friend and former employee's halted action, Radu extended his hand and smiled. "Better late than never, then?" he asked.

"Yep." Kahtenny took the proffered hand, happy with the affirmation of friendship from the patriarch of the family. "Glad to see your coffee's still as good as ever."

"We provide what few comforts we can." Radu nodded. "It is little enough in times such as these."

"Lots of places don't have nearly this much," Kahtenny nodded. "There were some really nasty situations in a place or two. One of them wanted me to stay for dinner. As the main course. Don't know which is worse, the crazies or the mutes." He slowly shook his head, as if reluctant to believe his own story. "Well, I'd better collect my gear. Could one of you let me back into the Holy Place? It locked behind me when I came out."

Radu smiled, glancing sidelong at his mate. "I suppose you should come with us," he told Naitachel as he gestured for Kahtenny to follow him. "It seems he has found the place I had made for you."

He led them back the way Min had brought the newcomer only a short while ago.

"Place you had made...?" Naitachel asked, bewildered by their exchange and looking at Radu with a confused furrow to his brow. "I thought John was referring to something regarding the chapel, it being the only holy place I know of here and my only 'playground'. Then again, as far as I know, that has but the double doors and nothing else, and it is never locked..."

As pleasantly intrigued as a child on Christmas morning, the Seraph rose to his feet to join them, occassionally giving Radu curious glances as they walked along the halls. <I take it this was to be some sort of surprise? Though it still is, I must admit,> he teased his mate gently. <Was I supposed to stumble across this pleasantry on my own? That would explain why you have let me roam the hallways so much of late!>

Soraya watched Radu, Naitachel, and John Eagle as they left the room, and she raised an eyebrow in Vlad's direction.

<What is that all about?> she asked him, glancing toward the kitchen. Now that she had purged her stomach again, she had the strangest urge to eat something.

Well, to be specific, she found herself desperately wanting some chocolate chip cookies with salsa.

Kahtenny and Tsosie followed along, both alert for danger, even in these supposedly secure corridors. When they reached the door, he laid a hand gently on Radu's arm. "Careful how you open that. I sealed the opening into the main cave, but we don't know what could be down the side passages. Better let us check it out." As Kahtenny spoke, he realized the others had no idea what he was talking about, but explanations could wait. Right now their safety was paramount. drawing his 12-guage revolving shotgun, he stepped up to the door, the wolverine at his feet. He nodded to Radu. "All right. You can open it now. Easy...."

Brianna was clearly saddened by the fact that Tsosie was leaving her, just as John Eagle was following Radu and Naitachel out.

"Awwww," she breathed, making to follow after them. "But you're coming right back, right?" she asked loudly, making to follow after them herself.

She stopped, however, at a silent warning from her mother that apparently there was something going on intended for Radu and Naitachel only, though John Eagle was going too, and that made little sense. Adults could be difficult to understand somehow.

The girl stopped and looked at Soraya, who herself wore a bit of a distant expression that indicated she was in conversation with Vlad.

"I'm hungry," she announced. "I'm going to go see if Billie's around." With a quick wave, she skipped out of the room in search of her usual volunteer.

As soon as the door had opened wide enough, the wolverine slipped through. <Search,> Kahtenny told him. Working his way around the wall, Tsosie cast about with his (mutated?) mind for evidence of other life. <Empty,> he reported. <Fish, no more.> He ambled back to the door in that curious rolling gait peculiar to his species.

Kahtenny stepped back from the door, holstering the shotgun. "Okay, it's clear."

Radu held off reminding the big Indian that he was very capable of protecting himself and his mate, instead gesturing for Nait to wait with him as the newcomers searched around. When they indicated it was safe, he led Naitachel inside. "Welcome to your safe haven, beloved," he told him with a smile.

While Naitachel looked around, he turned to John Eagle. "Perchance you should show me how you found yourself in here?"

***

Vlad frowned, having hoped for a more detailed answer to his own and Soraya's question than they received. "Maybe we'll learn more when they get back," he muttered, glancing at his wife and shrugging.

Naitachel watched Kahtenny and the wolverine move with surprised, interested eyes, curious about how they worked and what might be so very dangerous about caverns this deep, but a glance at Radu beside him and he sighed, acquiescing to remaining where he was until all was "clear". If they felt it necessary, so be it. He was the least expert on security, after all.

Radu wrote:When they indicated it was safe, he led Naitachel inside. "Welcome to your safe haven, beloved," he told him with a smile.

Naitachel whirled, looking around with wide eyes, his jaw dropping. It was beautiful! Softly glowing mosses and fungi, a stream with koi fish, the cavern wide and tall enough that you couldn't see the far end or the ceiling--plenty of space to fly over the rolling terrain. Bounding up onto a rise, he tried to catch a glimpse of the far end, but even his night-sight wasn't up to making it out.

"It is wonderful!!!" the Seraph sang joyfully, voice ringing musically in the massive cavern as he spread wings to see how high it went.

Glancing over at John Eagle, he asked, curious and confused now, "However did you get in through here? Is this not fairly well below the ground?"

Soraya glanced at Vlad and shrugged in response. "I certainly hope we will," she answered.

Their earlier conversation about current things had been cut off by her dash to the bathroom, though this hardly seemed the place or time to reprise it. They would have to discuss revealing this to others as well as plans for how to handle it all at a future point.

For now... "I am famished," she announced to him. "I am going to see if we have any cookies and salsa, if you care to join me."

She then headed off toward the kitchen in search of her quarry. There didn't seem to be much else to do for the moment.

Radu wrote:While Naitachel looked around, he turned to John Eagle. "Perchance you should show me how you found yourself in here?"

Quickly, Kahtenny recounted his finding of the cave and the stream, and his entry into the cavern. "I sealed off the cave entrance," he finished, "but like I said, there's no tellin' what might be up one of those side passages, and if I could swim in here, something else could, too. That's why I wanted to check before you came in. We'll have to rig a surprise or two, just in case." Seeing Radu's sardonic smile, he flushed. "Huh. You already knew it was clear, didn't you? Forgot you could read minds. I've had nobody but me to depend on for security for so long, I didn't think about anybody else bein' able to help. Well.... hmph. "

Stepping carefully between the stones, he retrieved his dive bag and rifle. "Might as well leave these here," he commented, as he removed his diving gear and put it back in the hiding place. "I'll need to go back up there after I get settled in; there's a lot more gear in the truck. Might want to find a handier place to park it, too. Now," he said, taking a pair of small flat objects out of the bag, "a little welcome for unwanted guests." Stripping off his coveralls, he slipped into the water and disappeared into the tunnel. In less than a minute, he reappeared, grinning. Wringing water from his hair, he explained, "Mini-claymore mines with proximity fuses. Anything weighs more than 40 pounds comes down that tunnel, it gets shredded."

Watching Naitachel soar around the cavern, he told Radu, "Sorry I spoiled your surprise, but I figured he was using it. When I came in there was such a ... well... supernatural feeling I knew it was special, and then when I learned Nait was here, I just assumed.... sorry."

Radu shrugged, smiling softly. "He still seems surprised enough." After a moment's thought, he looked at his friend, his expression serious. "It seems you have arrived at an opportune time. We have need of your particular skill set here."

***

Vlad blanched visibly at the suggested food combination. "I'll accompany you, but I think I will abstain at the moment."

Laughing happily, Naitachel soared back down to hug Radu, almost tackling the taller man in his enthusiasm when he landed.

"It is absolutely lovely! No wonder you thought it a spiritual place, John--for it truly is a place for the soul to revive and hearten." The Seraph beamed with happiness at them both.

Soraya laughed at Vlad's reaction. Though she genuinely wanted said food herself, logically it was hardly lost on her that it would sound horrendous to anyone else involved. Still, it was always amusing to suggest the foods to others, if only as a tease.

As she walked, however, another thought dawned on her.

<Speaking of food, I suppose we will have to share with the others sooner rather than later. You will need to find yourself a volunteer for the time being, after all> she reminded him. She normally served as Vlad's source of human blood, and in fact admittedly became jealous when it was necessary for someone else to do so. For the next several months, however, it would be dangerous for her to donate any blood to him, and there would be no getting around having someone else volunteer. <Perhaps we should suggest a family dinner tomorrow evening? It could celebrate both John Eagle and Naitachel's returns, as well.>

Naitachel wrote:Laughing happily, Naitachel soared back down to hug Radu, almost tackling the taller man in his enthusiasm when he landed. "It is absolutely lovely! No wonder you thought it a spiritual place, John--for it truly is a place for the soul to revive and hearten." The Seraph beamed with happiness at them both.

The big Indian grunted. "I'll be happier when it's secure. Need to do a little more with the upper end, early warning, and for the downstream end... Radu, where does this stream flow to -- do you know? I wouldn't want any pieces of animal matter or noxious chemicals going into your drinking water supply if some intruder met with an accident."

"Fresh water flows in, flows down through the narrow channels beneath us, then out to the water table below the city," Radu assured him. "It comes nowhere near our drinking water."