"You think to baffle me, you - with your pale faces all in a row, like sheep in a butcher's. You shall be sorry yet, each one of you! You think you have left me without a place to rest; but I have more. My revenge has just begun. I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side."
Dracula,
by Bram Stoker
25 July 1914. Bistritz
Jonathan felt a twinge of guilt. He knew they needed to be careful, but with the midday warmth of the sun on his back, and with a grand view of the Carpathian countryside in front of him, he found it hard to repress his good spirits. Even the mountains, with their thickly forested peaks rising above the well-tended fields and the small villages, sent a thrill of excitement and expectation through him.
He gave his horse its lead as he surveyed his companions riding in front of him. Quincey was reining in his horse as it tried to get ahead of the other horses.
Further on, Dr. Van Helsing and Sabina rode side by side. He watched as Sabina now checked her horse, which was just as determined to keep the lead position as Quincey’s horse was to claim it. A loud chuckle escaped him.
Quincey turned around in his saddle, a questioning look on his face; Jonathan shook his head and waved him on. He nodded in reply and swung back, resuming his scan of the road and of the surrounding countryside; with Jonathan wryly thinking that he was taking their situation a little more seriously than was called for.
He liked Quincey; having met him in London only a month ago. His mother, Mrs. Devereaux, while visiting relatives in France, had sent a letter to Lord Godalming requesting to make the acquaintance of her deceased brother’s friends, which included not only Lord Godalming, but the professor, Dr. Seward and Jonathan's own parents.
He still wondered at the timing of their visit. They appeared in London at about the same time that Sister Agatha, Abbess of the Bistritz nunnery, had sent a letter requesting the professor and he come to Transylvania “concerning a troubling incident at the castle”.
When Quincey was told of their upcoming expedition, he immediately asked that he be taken along.
Jonathan understood why Quincey‘s mother, and indeed, everyone else, excepting the professor, protested so strongly against his going. After all, his mother had lost her brother in Transylvania, might not she lose her son also?
He admired Quincey’s determination in the midst of so many adults urging him to reconsider. At age eighteen, he was very much his own man, and would not be dissuaded. More than four years younger, Jonathan could not imagine himself, even at eighteen, being able to withstand that well-meaning barrage of objections to Quincey’s taking this trip.
He shifted uneasily in the saddle as he recalled his own parents’ reluctance, and then their resignation, as Sister Agatha had asked specifically that he accompany Dr. Van Helsing. There was a strong bond between Sister Agatha and his parents, and so he was not too surprised when they finally gave their permission.
But he also had his own reasons for taking this trip. For one thing, after years of corresponding with Sister Agatha, he would finally get to meet her. He had so many questions.
Watching Quincey, he wondered what might he be expecting to find on this journey. But, then again, the same could be said of him. Here he was; traveling alongside Quincey; just as his own father had traveled alongside his late friend, Quincey Morris, so long ago.
But Jonathan suspected that was not the real problem. He knew Quincey was not at all comfortable with their present circumstances.
Things started to unravel the moment they stepped off the train in Bistritz. The professor expected Sister Agatha to meet them, but instead, Sabina, whom he knew from previous trips to Transylvania, greeted them.
“Come quickly,” she had said in heavily accented English, “the world has changed.”
When she noticed Quincey following them, she stopped suddenly. “Who is this?”, an edge of panic in her voice.
“Quincey Devereaux, Quincey Morris’ nephew, he is with us,” the professor sputtered; a little taken aback by Sabina’s sharpness.
A look of comprehension, and then surprise crossed her face, “Oh,…”. She then pointed to his large cowboy hat, “Take that off quickly, we cannot draw attention to ourselves.”
Quincey had asked, “What could be so important that Sister Agatha could not be here? After all, she was the one that requested we come.”
Sabina,impatiently tucking a stray black curl back into her bright red kerchief, had snapped back, “Sister Agatha did not request you.”
He still recalled, with some amusement, the look on Quincey’s red face.
The professor clapped Quincey on the shoulder and drew him away from Sabina, “It appears that we must be a bit more circumspect on this trip than usual. Sister Agatha has not alerted the local authorities to our coming, which she is not required to do, but has always done as a courtesy in the past. The elders had asked her to wait until they can hold counsel with us before deciding whether to notify them.”
Sabina, leading them down the platform with some haste, turned back to add, “Martial law has been declared today, we must get you out of Bistritz quickly.”
Silence prevailed as they tried to keep up with her. Suddenly she stopped at the opening between two coaches.
“Here, follow me.” She proceeded up the steps, removed the chain blocking off the opposite steps, and jumped down to the ground.
“Hurry!”
As they clambered down, luggage and all, they were greeted by two young girls who acted as if they knew them. A young man strode over and took one of the professor’s satchels.
They crossed several tracks and made for a carriage parked on the road running parallel to the tracks, occupied by two young boys waving at them.
The professor dropped his other satchel and promptly collapsed onto the running board of the carriage, startling the horses and causing the carriage to rock.
“My dear girl, are we done with this racing around?”
She knelt on one knee to face him,”It was for your safety, we have had to change our plans. Give me your baggage claim tickets, Peter will take care of that while we meet up with Karoly at the stables.”
Sabina issued instructions to a young boy who then ran off; she then hustled everyone into the carriage.
Their entry into Bistritz had dampened Jonathan’s spirits somewhat. However, once they were on their way, Sabina seemed to relax, and even offered an encouraging smile to them all.
This was definitely not the scenic part of Bistritz. Loud clanging noises issued from open foundries; along with the unmistakable smell of molten metal; and interspersed between them were large warehouses bustling with trucks and wagons loading and unloading produce and wares.
Soon, they left behind the noise and activity, and up ahead, corral fences, painted white, signaled their arrival at the stables.
Sabina busily ordered everyone about; but in Hungarian, so the three guests stood apart and just watched.
The checked baggage arrived; accompanied by four horsemen, whom, to Jonathan, looked like they had just stepped out of a cowboy movie; except for the tri-cornered hats and the white flowing skirts they wore over their britches and boots. An extra horse was requisitioned for Quincey, and the checked baggage had to be re-packed onto two horses.
One boisterous horseman was constantly making remarks that caused the others to laugh, and earned him scowls from Sabina. But, all worked fast, and finally they were ready to leave.
Sabina’s companions accompanied them to the outskirts of Bistritz. Once on the main road to Borgo Pass, two of the men headed off ahead of them, while the other two pulled off of the road and soon disappeared into the southern foothills behind them, leaving he and Quincey to tend to the pack horses.
He had wondered then where they were going; and under whose orders. But the countryside distracted him and he had soon forgotten about them.
A piercing whistle brought Jonathan back to the present. Before he could locate where the whistle came from, Sabina was hurriedly leading them into a tall thicket of trees that lined the southern verge, making her way as quickly as possible through the overgrown underbrush and trees.
He kept his eyes on the uneven ground, allowing his horse to pick its own way, but staying alert in case it slipped. The rest of his concentration focused on the roaring noise coming from the road behind them.
As the noise increased, he realized it was a small motorcade traveling up the road. He did not look back; he wanted to get as much distance between him and whatever was coming down that road.
Sabina pulled her reins sharply to the left, leading their group to cover behind a tall hedgerow. She stopped only when she was sure all the horses were safely hidden from the road. She and the professor quickly dismounted, handing their reins to Jonathan. They traced their steps to a small opening in the hedgerow and looked towards the road. The noise steadily increased, magnified by the echoes bouncing off the surrounding mountains.
Dismounting to better calm the horses, he glimpsed flashes of reflected light flickering through the trees marking the progress of the motorcade as it sped past them. Quincey was steadying his horse while checking the bundles on the pack horse making sure their hasty flight had not loosened their cargo.
Jonathan secured his horses and went over to help him. The noise from the road was fading quickly when he picked up another sound.
He froze. This noise was behind them, coming from the woods. Concerned that this might be a new danger, he put out a cautionary hand to Quincey as he slowly turned around to face the sound. He spied a faint movement through the thick trees located fifty yards away. He pointed in that direction.
Quincey reached for one of the bundles and, with a quickness that surprised Jonathan, extracted a rifle and handed it to him. As he caught it, Quincey rummaged around and pulled out a box of ammunition. All the while Jonathan kept one eye on the woods.
The movement resolved itself into two horsemen, picking their way carefully among the trees. Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief; these were Sabina's people.
Sabina came over and put her hand on Quincey’s shoulder and lifted her finger to her mouth, indicating that silence was still in order. She then waved to the two horsemen. The two men picked their way slowly, and quietly, down the slope, staying within the shadows of the trees bordering the small cultivated fields.
He experienced mixed emotions regarding his new friend’s actions. Had he been prepared to shoot these strangers, if he deemed it necessary?
A rush of adrenalin accompanied his thoughts. His ears burned. He became acutely aware of his surroundings. His eyes swept the fields and the dark line of the forest before him. He saw the meandering river that cut them off from the safety of the forest.
Jonathan pushed his thoughts farther, gathering in the surrounding countryside, noting the birds as they tentatively resumed their songs while the noisy motorcade receded into the distance.
Quincey laid a hand on his shoulder. Startled, Jonathan looked at him as he nodded in the direction of Dr. Van Helsing and Sabina, “More changes.” He followed his glance.
"We cannot go to the village, it's too dangerous. We do not know if that motorcade will leave behind troops in any of the villages along the Pass. The First Army has many Vlachs (1) in their ranks; they are still flush with the success of Rumania’s wars against Bulgaria and they would like nothing better than to cause trouble for our people."
Sabina looked at Quincey. "We do not want to provoke their curiosity by riding into the village. We will have to cross the river and travel through the forest. There is a hunting cabin about fifteen kilos from here where we can stay for the night. Tonight, Stefan and Karoly will go to our village and find out what is happening."
With a note of frustration, Dr. Van Helsing asked, "What if we are unable to enter your village?"
Sabina turned to Stefan and Karoly. Jonathan could not follow their conversation as they lapsed into Hungarian, but his ears pricked up at the mention of dracul. He saw the doctor stiffen in response to the word.
Sabina turned back to the doctor,"If we cannot enter the village, we will go directly to the outpost that has been set up to watch the castle of Count Dracula.”
Jonathan grabbed onto the saddle to steady himself. Knowing the stories was one thing, confronted with the reality of their existence was quite another.
Scenes of home flooded his thoughts; the woods in Exeter, the warm evenings spent on the grounds of the Westenra Foundation, and the crackling fireplace at Lord Godalming's mansion where he had first heard the stories of Count Dracula.
Back in England, warmed by a fire and surrounded by friends and family, those stories seemed like such a grand adventure. Jonathan did not feel adventurous now. Not when he was behind a hedgerow hiding from local authorities.
His excitement vanished; in its place was a sense of loss, and a feeling of annoyance towards Dr. Van Helsing. A flash of anger momentarily overwhelmed him. What had the doctor dragged him into?
He looked around at his newly met friends and realized he knew nothing about them; except for Dr. Van Helsing. Another thought intruded; if the stories were true, then Dr. Van Helsing’s part in them was true!
Unconsciously he felt for the handle of his father’s knife, safe in its sheath in the small of his back. He remembered how excited he was to get it; now he felt a small chill creep up his back as he recalled that this was the same knife that had hastened the Count's demise.
He shook his head. Thoughts of home needed to be tucked away for a safer time. Better to follow Dr. Van Helsing’s lead if he wanted to sit by a fire one day and tell stories about his own adventures.
Sabina untied a yellow cloth strip from her belt and slipped through the hedgerow. She quickly tied it to a nearby branch and, with a wave of a hand, directed everyone to remount.
Not another word was spoken as they packed up and left. Sabina led the way, with Stefan and Karoly dropping behind the rest of the party, taking charge of the pack horses.
They stayed within the shadows of the trees bordering the small path between the cultivated fields. When they neared the woods, Sabina darted under the trees without pausing, Quincey following. Jonathan resisted the urge to glance back as he entered the woods.
They followed along a small deer trail running parallel with the Bistritz River. He had no time to take in the scenery; he was kept busy dodging low branches and keeping up with Quincey.
He was beginning to think they were going to follow this trail indefinitely when Quincey suddenly stopped. Jonathan had to rein in his horse quickly to avoid slamming into him. He moved to the side to prevent Stefan and Karoly from running into him.
He caught sight of Sabina carefully making her way across the river. The water came up to her horse's flanks, but there did not to appear to be any dangerous current.
He felt exposed when it was his turn to leave the woods and enter the river. He did not need any urging to dart back into the woods on the other side and to follow the riders that were now disappearing into a dense thicket of trees. He urged his horse on, keeping his eyes on Quincey’s horse and the faint, twisting trail rising above him.
Finally the ground became more level and the trail opened up into a small, sunless clearing. Sabina waited until everyone was in the clearing and then started off again, this time, at a more leisurely pace.
The forest floor was covered with dry pine needles muffling the sounds of their passing. The tall straight trunks, shooting up to the sky, were devoid of any green. If he stretched his neck and looked up, he could see patches of green in the canopy overhead. He took a deep breath. The resinous smell, not unfamiliar to him, was very pleasant. This forest was old. He felt it.
His mind wandered, picking up stray sounds and smells. He was mildly aware of the doctor, shifting in his saddle for comfort, and of Quincey, who, like he, was paying attention to the sights and sounds around him.
This forest felt like home to him. He smiled to himself knowing full well that these woods were nothing like his beloved Exeter woods. But it did not seem to matter. He was being drawn under the spell of this strange place and felt kindly towards the surroundings around him.
He closed his eyes and let the rhythmic motion of their progress lull his immediate attention into a more expansive exploration of the woods around him. It was a trick of his that he engaged in at home; well, what used to be home,they had moved to London over a year ago to be closer to most of his father’s clients, Lord Godalming being the major one.
He let his mind drift and his senses expand to catch the sounds of the myriad activities commonplace in any woods. He relaxed, spreading his thoughts further afield.
It was amazing how loud the littlest skirmishes of the ground creatures in Exeter sounded when he focused his attention on them. In his woods he played a private game of trying to guess which creature was the cause of the latest noise. However, he was disappointed this time. The forest was strangely quiet. Becoming bored, he tried reaching out farther, expanding his range.
He was rewarded immediately by sensing a new, mysterious presence, a very strong presence. What kind of animal? He could not even guess; something feline, or cat-like maybe. He felt a vague familiarity to the fox that he tracked back in the woods at Exeter.
Excited, he tried to track its direction, almost tasting its nearness. Unexpectedly, he had the distinct feeling it was now aware of him! A strange sensation of intense concentrated focus was now being directed towards him, searching him out. A tendril touched his mind.
Sabina!
He felt her become aware of him! Confused, he opened his eyes and looked in her direction. She turned in her saddle and smiled at him. Dazed, he nodded to her.
Had he really touched her thoughts; and had she really touched his? His mind went blank; he felt thrown into a strange world. Admittedly, a bit frightened, he fought to regain a hold onto his immediate surroundings, finding reassurance as he concentrated on the slow plodding of the horses, and the presence of Doctor Van Helsing and Quincey in front of him.
Eventually the forest floor inclined downward leading them to a clearing between two hills. Sabina called for a halt. There was a small stream and plenty of meadow grass for the horses.
"We can give the horses a rest here. Afterward we will follow a trail behind that hill in front of us. We will be hidden from the road and will be able to make better time."
Jonathan busied himself with the horses, trying to avoid any private conversation with Sabina. He needed time to think. Of course he was not sure how any amount of time was going to help, but he certainly was unprepared to acknowledge that he read her mind. Well, maybe not read her mind, but close enough to make him uncomfortable. He shook his head, just thinking about it scared him, never mind the fact that she might be able to read his!
Karoly, leading the pack horses, now unburdened, joined him as he took the riding horses to the stream. He showed Jonathan how to fetter the horses. He followed Karoly’s instructions, not letting on that he had worked at a stable in Exeter, but noting that Karoly’s technique was different enough to hold his attention.
Satisfied with their handiwork, Karoly motioned him to sit with him by the stream bed so they could watch the horses. He was more than happy to stay in Karoly’s company.
"Doctor Van Helsing; he is a famous man in your country?”
Karoly’s accent was very pronounced and he was not sure he had heard him right. “Pardon me?”
Karoly repeated his question. Jonathan leaned back against the tree truck wondering how to answer him. It was obvious Karoly thought very highly of the doctor and he had a suspicion that the good doctor commanded quite a following here among the Szekelys.
After all, Dr. Van Helsing had traveled to Transylvania several times over the past few years. He had been working with an old friend of his from Budapest, before his friend’s untimely, and mysterious, death. He knew their work had something to do with the papers they uncovered in Count Dracula’s Castle, but that was all he knew, except, the doctor was also the administrator of Lord Godalming’s funds that supported Sister Agatha’s work of restoring illuminated manuscripts at the Abbey in Bistritz.
He could see how the professor’s continued presence, along with the generous funds from Lord Godalming, may have given him favored status among the Szekelys.
Karoly relieved him from having to answer right away, as he continued, “His wisdom has helped us keep our children healthy, and, he has, many times, helped us with the authorities.”
He nodded in agreement. “He is known for his wisdom and respected by all who meet him. But he does not seek fame, because that would intrude on his research, which may not be understood by many people.”
“Oh, yes I understand.”
Jonathan sighed. He wanted to do justice to Doctor Van Helsing’s reputation while trying to explain why the good doctor was not well known in England.
Deciding it might be safer to talk about something else, he asked, “Karoly, how did you learn the King’s English?”
Karoly brightened, “Sister Agatha teaches us, and now Sabina also. I am learning to write too.”
So he listened, and helped Karoly practice his English until Sabina called them to bring the horses back to the clearing.
They made good progress in the late afternoon. The southerly face of the hills was warm, but he was amazed how fast darkness descended upon them once the sun set behind the mountains.
In the long, gray twilight, Sabina continued to lead the way, the horses appearing to be familiar with the terrain. At last they headed up one of the many hills, Sabina promising that the cabin was only a short distance ahead of them.
They cleared a rise and as the trees opened up onto a small clearing, he saw a few lights to the north twinkling in the valley below them, marking where a small village resided near the main road through the pass. A lone motor vehicle, with wavering lanterns, was making small progress a few kilometers outside the village.
Pointing to the lights, he asked, “How far to that village?”
Sabina, already dismounted and walking her horse to the small railing outside the cabin, answered back, “About 10 kilometers.”
He had momentarily forgotten his reluctance to talk to Sabina; embarrassed, he quickly dismounted and helped Karoly with the pack horses.
The cabin was disappointingly small. It looked like everyone would be sleeping under the stars. Stefan and the doctor went inside the cabin with Sabina while Quincey joined Karoly and Jonathan in caring for the horses.
He heard the doctor exclaiming about something inside, followed by laughter. They all turned around in time to see Stefan and the doctor come out of the cabin carrying huge bundles of quilted blankets.
"We will have hot tea tonight and Turkish coffee for the morning!" Doctor Van Helsing dropped his bundle under a large tree, avoiding the cold fire pit in front of the cabin.
"The cabin is the entrance to a large underground store room. We may be sleeping under the stars, but we will still have the comforts of home."
Sabina appeared in the doorway carrying large leather bags of feed for the horses. Stefan and Quincey raced over to help her.
"Jonathan, can you draw some water from the pump in back of the cabin?" Jonathan nodded as he made his way to the rear of the building.
The camp was in merry disarray as hooded lanterns were fetched and a camp stove set for their evening meal.
Jonathan's eyes were beginning to close as he stretched out on a blanket, a saddle under his head, with his stomach rumbling contentedly after a light supper prepared by Sabina and her two companions. He was ready to surrender to sleep when Dr. Van Helsing called out his name. He sat up and looked over at the doctor.
"You and I and Karoly and Stefan are going to sleep first. Quincey and Sabina will take the first watch. We will take the second watch. Karoly and Stefan will leave for the village during the second watch, so get some sleep now because we will be up early."
He nodded, turning over to get more comfortable, adjusting the blanket to cover him, and, at the same time wondering why the doctor had to wake him up to tell him to get some sleep. He shook his head to dismiss the thought and, curling up under the blanket, he gave way to sleep.
