Snyder rode on his horse with the strange girl sitting in front of him. Snyder intended to drop off the child in the next town he crossed despite Reverend's warning of no. Snyder knew he couldn't take care of the child. He wanted to but....he was half vampire for goodness sake and this was a girl who probably had a family worried sick somewhere.

The child was silent though not daring to speak to Snyder. She swallowed afraid. She was afraid of men. After her experience with her father she was afraid that all men would do the same.

"What's your name?", asked Snyder.

The little girl winced as he asked but she remained silent glancing back at him only to turn her head around again to look up ahead. Snyder sighed, "You must go by something other than girl", said Snyder annoyed that he was getting the silent treatment.

"She doesn't like men", said Hezelwiggins from his pouch.

"What do you mean? Your a male", snapped Snyder.

"I'm an owl, your a man, half man I should say", said Hezelwiggins.

Snyder glared he didn't like the term half or halfling. It segregated him and made him seem less than what he actually was. Snyder preferred the term Dhampir rather than halfling.

"So?", asked Snyder.

"Her name is Penelope. Her father was a drunkard farmer. Her farm was burned down by some wagon band of strangers three days ago", said Hezelwiggins.

"How did you come about to learning this?", asked Snyder towards Hezelwiggins.

"I told him", said the girl quietly.

Snyder looked back towards the child named Penelope and stared at her. That was the first thing she had spoken since Reverend had left. That was the first actual sound all morning and afternoon. It was already two hours past noon likely judging from the sun's height in the sky.

"Ah, it seems you did", was all Snyder could manage to say.

Snyder didn't want to press the family matter of the girl. It seems he'd have to drop her off with a willing family in the next town. Snyder knew he was close.

"Are you going to leave me?", asked Penelope.

"I'm only taking you to the next town", replied Snyder.

"But she told you not to", said Penelope.

"We can't take care of you. We have other obligations", said Snyder. Then he added, "Besides its too dangerous", said Snyder grimly.

"The woods were dangerous and still she protected us", said Penelope.

Snyder was silent. Penelope was right. He could recall the grizzly that he had passed several hours back earlier that morning. The dull hairs and soulless eyes. Snyder wasn't sure entirely if Reverend had been the one to do it. He couldn't smell anything. In fact Reverend gave off no distinctive scent at all. Just quiet and reserved.

Snyder's gut churned twisting as he thought of Reverend and his skin prickled. His adrenaline began to pump and rise up as he suddenly naturally tensed. His conscience began to debate fight or flight just at the thought of it. Instincts kicked in. What was this? This feeling of adept survival suddenly?

"What do you mean we are dropping her off?! There isn't a--"

Hezelwiggins fell silent as he stared. He slowly huddled back into the pouch.

There as they broke into a small clearing of the woods and the trees spaced out was the dirt trail. Snyder's nostrils filled with the scent of ash and smoke as he looked towards the remains of torn down and destroyed town at the base of the wooded mountain range.