By the Brook (open)

[Delta Nicole Dracula]

Delta walked down the rocky path that lead to the forest from her house, it was a warm summers day and Delta walked with a spring in her step, she loved these days when the birds sung and everything sparkled flourishing under the sun. She wore a simple grey dress that tied under the breast in a bow and simple flat shoes, it wasn’t that she couldn’t afford finer clothing but she much preferred to be free, even though she was a grown woman she had never grown out of wanting to be with nature.

Delta knew the forest better than anyone, it was like she was apart of it none of the creatures harmed her and simply let her pass. It was if they knew she wasn’t a threat to them, Anna often came to Delta for directions through a certain part of the woods and marshlands.

She paused at a small brook and couldn’t resist slipping of her shoes and dipping her toes into the cool water, as she did so she thought about her family. She wondered what fate had in store for them, would they end up like her youngest had? Forever cursed to be a werewolf? Delta was even more determined to discover a cure…she was sure that whatever it maybe it would dwell in the forest.

[Dawn Van Laman]

"Oh the joyous joyous sun!" Dawn said with a bright smile and a small giggle. This was her kind of day, warm and sunny. It was strange weather for Transylvania but Dawn would not argue about it, she was just happy that it wasn't cloudy. In all truths, Dawn hated rainy and cloudy weather that seemed to be dormant in this land. Since her arrival here in September she dreaded the weather and have been nothing but miserable here, but with such weather Dawn couldn't help but smile.

She grabbed her favorite summer dress, a green dress with puffed sleeves going to the elbow with a high neck and a belt around the waist. It might be a long time until she could dress in summer clothes again so she might as well wear it now. She fixed her hair up in a ponytail with her lavender ribbon and placed a straw boater hat upon her head. She stuffed in her journal, pen and ink bottle, Romanian plants field guide, and a mystery novel into a satchel bag and ran out the door. She was reading the plant field guide she had, and decided she would spend the day tracking them down. Some were very interesting, but with the weather here they would have to be.

Dawn walked into the woods and on one of the many paths. As long as she stayed near them, she shouldn't get lost. She found some interesting plants both not and in the field guide and had pressed them into her journal before she decided to find a good place to write. The sound of flowing water caught her attention so she walked off the path toward the direction and came upon a quaint brook. She looked around and notice that she wasn't alone. There was another women there as well cooling her toes off in the cold water. Makes since that Dawn wouldn't be the only one to adventure out on a beautiful day like this. She had decided to quietly go over to rock big enough to sit on and not bother her, but had stepped on a branch making a loud crunching sound that would have diffidently catch the women's attention. 'Oh bother,' Dawn thought to herself, before standing tall and looking at the women. "Is it alright if I read here?" she asked her.

[Delta Nicole Dracula]

Delta had been staring at the running water slowly washing over her feet and hadn’t noticed the girl approach. Delta often forgot other people ventured into the woods, she sort of took it as her own place that only her and her family ventured into.

Delta pushed her long black hair behind her ear and smiled at the girl, “Of course not” she said, in the end she didn’t own the forest and even if she did she wouldn’t mind the young girl reading there. She looked at the girl, something about her reminded Delta of someone but she couldn’t think who, she was sure it was the eyes and how much they shone.

“Sorry,” Delta said not wanting to disturb the girl but she needed to know “Do I err Know your parents?” she asked, being the local midwife Delta knew most people and they often sent her gifts as payment for her services, just last week she had received two sheep much to her daughters excitement. They had placed them in the large field behind their cottage with the few horses they owned.

[Dawn Van Laman]

Dawn took her boater hat off and gave a small smile. "Thank you miss," she said and walked over to a rock not to far from her, yet far enough that she would not bother the woman, and took a seat. She slipped her bag from shoulders and ransacked though it until she came across a book titled "A Study in Scarlet" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A mystery novel centering around a detective named Holmes. It wasn't a very old book, maybe only three years old, but it was a good read all the same. Dawn had opened it to somewhere in the middle where a small black thread was placed as a book mark and looked for the paragraph she left off.

When Dawn finally found it she looked up at the women who had presented her with a question. She had quite the lovely accent, but most here seemed to have it, and Dawn gave a smirk. She was used to that question by now. She was not born and raised here, and though apparently she had loads of relatives here they didn't even know her either. People who knew everyone in the small village pondered at her and wonder who her parents were because 'Surely they knew her parents'. Wrong, but that was the world of small communities. Dawn shook her head. "No, you don't, I'm not from around her," Dawn answered her bluntly and placed her book on her lap. "But you might no my great uncle, his name is Zoltin Van Laman," Dawn added while she was reading her book. Zoltin from what she heard was not the most well thought of man. Unlike the rest of the Van Laman family, he became a man of science rather then of business and trade. Dawn turned the page of her book and thought for a moment. She was in a good mood, and maybe she could actually chat with this women without the topic of monsters coming up! "I'm Dawn by the way. Dawn Van Laman," she told her.

[Delta Nicole Dracula]

Delta watched the girl curiously as she rooted through her bag for her book, she was quite impressed that the girl read for fun, it was unusual for the girls to read for fun around here most married young and rarely seemed to show much interest in books.

Delta nodded noting the girl’s bluntness and deciding not to disturb the girl again, she probably just wanted to be left alone and not bugged by her. “ahh okay” she said, “yes, I believe I met him at a meeting once…” she said, although she couldn’t be too sure.

She gazed back at the brook watching the water trickle over her feet, “Hello” she said in reply to Dawns introduction, “Im Delta Dracula” she said, wondering how Dawn would react, a lot of people in the village feared her family because of Dracula himself being related to them, however Delta had gained there trust over the years.

[Dawn Van Laman]

Dawn looked up from her book at the young women when she replied about meeting Zoltin. She seemed unsure, but she rather have her uncertain then snickering. Zoltin was an odd ball, but he was really a mind to respect. Dawn didn't know what all he worked on, but the few notes she read of his there was no doubt he was brilliant.

The girl bowed her head as the young women introduced herself as Delta Dracula. To Dawn, the name had historical value, but nothing more. Sure she heard some whispers about vampires and the name Dracula popped up, but being she didn't believe in such non sense she never really payed much attention. She stuck her name in a lot of history books, and as of late Romanian history books and read about a prince long ago with the nick name 'Vlad the Impaler', and knew his last name was Dracula, which translated to 'Son of a Dragon' or 'Son of the Devil'. But the chances that Delta was at all connected to that prince of along along ago was unlikely.

"It a pleasure to meet you Miss Delta," Dawn said as she finished reading another page. She flipped the paper over to the next page and continued reading. "Do you spend a lot of time out doors?" Dawn asked her eyes still glued on the page before her. She had a reason for asking it wasn't just for pleasant conversation. She had found a few plants that weren't in her field guide, and knowing this place it was probably known and named just not put down on paper, so no matter how much she researched in her books she might not find it. It was not usual for Dawn to ask someone for help in finding an answer, but she knew herself well enough that it would bother her until she found out what they were.