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It didn’t take to realize I couldn’t make it very far if I continued in this state I was soaked to the bone My clothes were heavy ater, and the air around me was bitterly cold Mr Crepsley had told et rid of the wet clothes quickly, or I’d freeze to death inside theet out ofto use my teeth to tear reat weight had been lifted froh the full force of the cold hit me immediately, I started at a brisker pace

It didn’t botheraround as naked as the animals of the wild There was nobody to see Even if there had been, I wouldn’t have cared - being so close to death,onAfter a while, I began to understand just how serious a mess I was in I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, no clothes to protect me from the cold, beaten to a pulp, physically and le just to keep y and collapse The cold would set in Frostbite and hypother, to wars simply wouldn’t work It was afaster than a sloas beyond the to see so places known as way stations, used by vaht be hope I could hole up, catch a day or two of sleep, and recover ood plan, with just one major flaw - I had no clue where I was or if there were any way stations nearby

I weighedfor a way station was out of the question - I didn’t have the strength or time The first order of the day was to find so my way back to Vampire Mountain could come later - if I survived

There was a forest about half a mile to my left

That was the best place to head I could curl up at the base of a tree and cover myself with leaves Maybe find some insects or small animals to eat It wasn’t ideal, but itslippery rocks in search of caves

I fell- I was amazed I’d athering ain

The forest had becoical beacon I was convinced that if I couldwould be fine Deep inside, I knew that was nonsense, but the belief keptWithout it, I’d have been unable to continue

I finally ran out of steam a hundred yards or less from the first trees of the forest I knew inin the snow, that I’d reached the end of th All the same, I rested a few ood Irest Again I tried to rise Again I fell, this ti, unable to roll over

The cold was unbearable A huo Only the va But even the powerful blood of the vampires had its lith left, not even the tiniest morsel

I was finished

I wept pitifully as I lay there, tears turning to ice on my cheeks Snowflakes drifted ontoa hand to brush theesture was beyond me "What an aay to die," I moaned Another hundred yards and I would have been safe To collapse and die this close to the end was a shame Maybe if I’d rested y to continue Or if I’d-

A sharp, yapping sound joltedoff to sleep/death At the sound, I cracked them open I couldn’t move my head, and the flakes of snow clouded eneral direction of the forest and could see a vague shape reat, I thought As if things weren’t bad enough - now so and eatby what had happened to me recently - yes!

I shut my eyes as the creature came nearer and hoped I’d be too nu back was out of the question - a squirrel could have knocked me out, intongue licked around ain, this time my cheeks and ears Then it licked the snowflakes from my eyelashes

I openedme up before it killed me? That seemed unlikely Yet what other explanation could there be? As I adjusted ed back a bit and came into focus My jaw dropped My lips quivered And in a pained, shaky voice, I mumbled incredulously, "Rudi?"