Friday and Eron stayed in town until late that night, figuring that they may as well do some patrolling on their way back to the caravan. What they didn't expect was to find a young woman with an arm in a cast battling two vampires. One of the vampire managed to get close enough to bite her, but before any fangs could clamp down, one of Friday's sai-stakes dusted him, much to the surprise of his friend.
He was dust not long thereafter.
"Thank you," panted the girl.
"No problem," Friday replied. "Slayer?"
The girl looked up, and a brief smiled crossed her lips.
"Yeah. You too?"
"Absolutely. The name's Friday."
"Sheila."
"People actually name their kids Shelia?" Friday asked in surprise.
"Someone actually named their kid Friday?" Shelia returned.
Eron chuckled.
"Point taken," Friday grinned. "You're out patrolling with a broken arm? Are you sure that's wise?"
Shelia shrugged.
"There's only one of me. And there's a bit og a crisis at the moment. I can't really skip nights."
"Why not? What's happening?"
"There's a vampire who's out to get me," Shelia replied grimly.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Showed up a couple of months ago. Been eating and turning the local population, and passing on snide little messages to me. I only know him as 'the Vampire'," Shelia rolled her eyes. "You'd think he'd come up with a more original way to sign his letters."
"He sends you letters?"
"Creepy isn't it? And of course, everyone's noticed the string of vampire murders, and missing people. They're talking about introducing a curfew."
"That might help," Eron frowned thoughtfully.
"I wouldn't be able to patrol," Shelia pointed out. "Well, I could and risk being picked up by the police, maybe even suspected of being the murderer. And the last thing I want them to do is search my room."
"Weapons?"
"Hell yes."
Friday chuckled.
"Well, we're just going to have to hang around and find this guy."
"I've never even seen him."
"Minor detail. There's three of us now."
"Three?"
"Eron, my husband. He's a paladin."
"Paladins are real?"
"We get that a lot," Eron smiled.
"Oh sorry. I thought you were a watcher."
"Nah, my watcher is back at the slayer school teaching world history."
"You come from the slayer school?"
"Yep. First graduating class."
"Cool. I wanted to go, but I'm needed on the farm. C'mon, I think this night of patrolling is over. We can umm, strategise or something."
Friday chuckled.
"Sounds like a plan."