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Ryan just nodded, falling back to sleep. A layer could be seen on his forehead, and he began to shiver. Fever came quickly, and Valerie could feel the heat from his body radiating into her own. She just continued to run her fingers through his hair, whispering loving words to him. "Shh.. Get some rest." She said, looking at Sebastian's hands. "That's not needed. Thank you though." Her eyes were worried as her gaze turned to Ryan again.

Selia looked up at Valik as he left. She was tempted to go after him, but decided against it. She was still exhausted and drained, mentally and physically. With what little energy she had gained in her sleep, she started a fire. "We should stay put for a while if Ryan is this sick." Selia looked over the new flames at Valerie and just glanced down at Ryan. Though he wasn't much of a talker, he had grown on Selia. Too many had been lost, and the thought of him not getting well soon laid heavy on her mind.

Valerie smiled at Sebastian's playfulness. It wasn't something she had seen before, and she hoped it would stay for some time. "Everything is fine, Ryan is just a little sick." She said, stilling keeping a hand on him at all times. He was growing warmer with each minutes, it was worrying her. Even vampires had limits, and Ryan was reaching his.

Selia smirked at Sebastian with Valerie. Things were almost normal. The scars on his collar did stand out a bit, but she wasn't one to talk. She was a walking piece of ink splattered paper, after all. She hummed to herself, pulling her knees to her chest and rested her chin there. The smoke from the fire was lovely, almost a purple grey rather than the normal haze. Pictures folded out before her, sending her into a trance. Everything seemed to be miles away.

Ryan shivered, twitching his body in ways that were not natural. His ribs cracked under the pressure of his coughing. His eyes flashed open, flushed like his skin now was. It all happened so quickly, all he heard was Valerie scream as he choked on his blood. He was on hands and knees, spitting out mouthfuls of the red liquid. Valerie was at his side, trying to help in anyway she could. Ryan's body was convulsing from the loss of blood and oxygen. His eyes rolled back. Selia was at his side with Valerie, her scream bringing her back from the trance. She acted quickly, forcing him on his back and doing short, strong compressions. "Clear his airways." She looked at the stricken Valerie with wild eyes.

The two worked hard, keeping his airways open for only for a few more seconds. With one last spasm, Ryan coughed once more, splattering Selia and Valerie with blood. His body went limp, and he stopped breathing and choking all together. It all happened quickly, taking only a minute or so.

Valerie sat in shock, her face still in the look of fear and concern as it was moments before. "Ryan.." She reached out, placing a hand on his chest. "This isn't funny.. Wake up now." The usually mature vampire seemed like a lost child, tears spilling down her cheeks as she just repeated "Wake up now." Each time was louder than the last, and soon she was yelling at the motionless body. Selia sat back, shocked still. No tears, no emotion. Just a blank stare at Ryan's body. It was already fading to a grey color, like most vampires do when they die.

Valerie stopped talking, and just stared. "It was something rare. Vampires have a code in their genes that is faulty. Almost like the cancer gene. Something set his off." Her voice was hollow, her face not a blank slate. She looked to Selia, who was crying silently. "Pull yourself together." Valerie snapped at the elf, hardened as a reaction to the pain of losing Ryan. It was a quick transition, but there was no time for mourning.

Selia bit her lip and nodded, not reacting farther to Valerie's sharp tongue. She was right, after all. Tears were a sign of weakness, and after this, well, there was no place for weakness in the group. She stood and looked at the four, opening her mouth to speak. "I.." Her words caught in her throat. "We.. We need to bury him soon." Her voice broke at the last word.

Valerie nodded. "Go, Selia. Find something for a grave marker." Her voice was still hard and icy, though her eyes showed the pain. Everything she hoped for, gone. In minutes. Just gone. What of her child? How would she tell the others? It would show soon... Her child would have no father. Just like her. A shaky breath broke free, and a tear rolled down her cheek. 'Ryan... Come back!' She was silently screaming, letting the tears truly fall now.

Selia stood for a moment, then turned to the woods, but not before kneeling next to the vampire and hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry, Valerie." She whispered, then ran into the woods. Finding a grave stone was easier than expected. A medium sized rock was standing out of the ground, dark with ruby marbling. A vampires chest stone, rare to find, and a sign of respect. Selia let out a long sigh, and began to dig at the bottom. After a while, a sheen of sweat covered her skin, and dirt had been smeared everywhere on her body, but the stone was out of the ground. It was hard to take it back, but it was done. Every few feet sent Selia's muscles screaming in protest, making her body throb with exhaustion. She rolled the stone the rest of the way when getting out of the woods.

Valerie hadn't moved from her spot at Ryan's side when Selia returned. She looked up and gave a weak smile. "It's perfect, Selia." She said, gazing at the marbled stone of respect and dignity. "It's perfect.." Valerie cut done the rough edges easily, making it look closer to a cross than a misshapen stone. The engraving was the difficult part. Her nails scrapped Ryan's name in elegant script, as well as his birth year and the current year. Nothing more was needed. Valerie stood, teary. "We're done here." She called to the boys.

Valerie stepped aside. "Of course not." She said, bowing her head, as tradition for her people. She thanked Valik for carrying the gravestone and walked over the grave. She knelt, keeping her head low. "You will be missed, Ryan of the Vampire race. You have served your time on this world, and I wish you well in the future. May your traits stay with us in memory, as well in spirit. Remain by our sides, protect those you love from beyond. Rest now, for it has been long since you've slept without wake." Valerie's voice was clear and sorrowful as she recited the most basic goodbye for those who have died. She stood now, moving so he could be lowered into the grave.
Selia stood by Valerie's side, and was shocked when she grabbed her hand. "It'll be okay, Val. I promise." Selia whispered, giving her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze. Loved ones gone was difficult, not only in the present, but in the future to. Snow swirled around the group, falling in heavier flakes now.

Valerie stood at the grave for a moment, then turned. "Well, that's that." She couldn't think straight, nor did she want to. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she began to walk towards the horses. "I don't think we should stay here any longer."

Selia nodded in agreement. "We should at least relocated. We all need the rest soon." Her voice was still shaky, but it was more from the chill than the loss of her friend. The temperature was dropping quickly, and they all still wore rags. Valerie mounted Ryan's horse, and began to trot slowly. Selia just walked behind her, still refusing to take a horse.

Valerie felt sick to her stomach as they continued through the woods. What from, she didn't know. It was getting dark earlier as winter came on stronger. "Should we stop soon?" They had be traveling for hours now, and night would soon fall. The area was heavily wooded, and almost clear of snow. Trees crowed the area, their roots wrapping around each other on the ground.

Selia shivered in the chilled air, and nodded. "It seems like a decent place to stop, I suppose." Her teeth rattled, and the tattoos spun on her skin, moving in time with her walking. One step, one swirl of a rose, one twist of a vine. Selia was exhausted again, and the feeling of nausea settling in her stomach.

Selia and Valerie had been sitting a few trees away from the men, and Selia's head snapped up when Valik said something of an army. "It would work, though." She said, just loud enough for them to hear.

Valerie had stayed in a shocked state, clutching her abdomen and sitting on her knees. She looked like a lost child without Ryan by her side. Selia wrapped an arm under her legs and the other around her shoulders, lifting her with strained muscles. She carried her to the fire, setting her down gently. "Get some sleep." Selia said, sitting next to her. "It would take time, yes, but it would work." The idea of building an army against the neko's intrigued her, and it seemed possible. Time was really the only time, and a supply of soldiers with experience. "What do you think, Sebastian?"