The trek to Vampire Mountain was long and rough. Mr. Crepsley gave Darren thin, gray clothes to wear, they chucked their shoes aside, and were off. The first two months weren't too bad. However, as they journeyed farther, the trek got colder and the nights got longer. They ate mostly plants Mr. Crepsley said were safe and small rodents. Mr. Crepsley brought along vials of blood, but they had to drink from them sparingly.

Darren was nervous about going to Vampire Mountain. Not only did he have to be placed in front of the "Vampire Princes" – who did not sound incredibly friendly based on Mr. Crepsley's brief description of them – and allow himself to be judged and analyzed, but he also realized that apart from Mr. Crepsley and his uncle, he had never encountered another vampire before. That both excited and nauseated him. He was curious about what other vampires would be like but was worried how they would view him. He wasn't the best lip reader in the world and he did not want to look weak for having Mr. Crepsley translate for him all the time. However, he knew that when it came down to it, he would not have the guts to leave Mr. Crepsley's side when in the heart of vampire culture.

Mr. Crepsley made sure they kept a steady pace. Only stopping for a few hours at a time to sleep and eat. As their path got rougher, Darren's feet began to take the hit. At one of their rest stops, Darren looked and found the bottoms of his feet shredded by numerous small cuts. Mr. Crepsley rubbed some spit into them and made a balm out of some sap that helped shield him from further cuts and stopped the bleeding. He had to carry Darren for a few nights and told him to let him know when they started to bleed again.

Then the snow came. First, it was just flurries and a light layer on the ground, but that soon turned into downfalls, hail, and blizzards. Within the next two months, they were trudging through snow that came up to Darren's thighs. They walked single file, with Mr. Crepsley leading and pushing most of the snow out of the way, for miles on end until they finally reached a designated rest stop. This rest stop would contain shelter and coffins for sleeping. They were far from luxurious but seemed heavenly after weeks of sleeping in the snow.

Mr. Crepsley and Darren slept huddled together to preserve body heat and ensure no wild animal targeted either one of them individually. When they woke the next morning, they shared a blood vial and prepared to leave when Mr. Crepsley held out an arm to stop him. Darren looked up at him. His head was cocked slightly to the side and his eyes squinted in suspicious determination. He was listening for something. Darren stared at the cave entrance, on guard, and waited anxiously.

Suddenly, a large figure walked into the cave. He stood in the entryway, blocking the exit and Darren got ready to fight along Mr. Crepsley's side, but Mr. Crepsley relaxed and stepped forward with a smile on his face. Darren's tension released and he looked on with curiosity as Mr. Crepsley greeted the stranger with excitement and joy. They both stepped in from the cave entrance and Darren could get a look at the man Mr. Crepsley walked in with.

He had broad shoulders and dressed similarly to Mr. Crepsley and Darren. His hair was brown and short and he had a friendly face, despite the small scars covering it.

Larten spoke to Gavner with a smile on his face, but he was facing away from Darren, so he couldn't tell what they were saying. Darren stood where he was, unsure what he should be doing.

Finally, Mr. Crepsley turned to Darren. "Darren," he signed, "this is G-A-V-N-E-R. He is a friend of mine."

Darren smiled at Gavner and waved.

"What are you doing?" Gavner asked Mr. Crepsley.

"Darren is deaf." As Mr. Crepsley spoke out loud to Gavner, he also signed along with what he said so Darren could follow the conversation. "He speaks through sign language."

Understanding dawned on Gavner's face. Then his face fell, like he was just realizing something. He turned abruptly to Mr. Crepsley and said something, but Darren couldn't make it out. Mr. Crepsley noticed Darren's confusion and translated,

"Gavner just noticed how young you were." He turned back to Gavner and signed as he spoke, "Darren is my assistant. He is a half-vampire. I am presenting him to the Princes."

Gavner still looked shocked and a little furious. As he spoke, Mr. Crepsley translated to Darren. "But- what- why turn him at all?"

Mr. Crepsley remained calm as he responded, "I did not turn him. I found him after his old master abandoned him."

Gavner's eyebrows furrowed and he looked Darren up and down for a moment. Darren shifted uncomfortably. Finally, Gavner turned back to Mr. Crepsley. "Who turned him?"

"I do not know," Mr. Crepsley said. "I know no one by his name. Mark Shan."

Gavner paused to think. "I can't say I recognize it either. Some of the other Generals may though."

Gavner looked back at Darren, who looked on at the conversation with interest. Gavner sighed and turned back to Mr. Crepsley. They muttered some things quickly to each other and Mr. Crepsley said that they could finish discussing things after they hunted for food.

Later that night, the three were sitting in a way station eating roast venison – although they usually ate their meat raw. As they ate, Gavner and Larten spoke amongst themselves. Darren didn't read their lips, not really having the energy to guess what they were talking about. Instead, he just ate and got lost in his own thoughts.

"What vampire would do that?" Gavner was asking.

Larten shrugged.

"The Princes are going to look for his head."

"He may not even be alive," Larten pointed out. "He may not have abandoned Darren at all."

"If he is…" Gavner looked towards Darren then back at Larten. "How does Darren feel about the whole thing?"

"You can ask him." Larten gestured to the boy.

Gavner looked hesitant. "I can't sign."

Larten smiled. "He can read your lips so long as you speak clearly and face him directly. I will translate what he does not understand."

Gavner nodded and turned back to Darren, who looked back at him curiously. "Do you enjoy being a half-vampire Darren?"

Mr. Crepsley signed along with Gavner just in case. Darren sent a hesitant look to Mr. Crepsley, not sure how to respond. Mr. Crepsley only nodded encouragingly.

As Darren signed his response, Mr. Crepsley translated out loud, "'I'm not sure. I hated it at first because I was confused. I didn't know anything about being a vampire. Now that Mr. Crepsley has taught me so much I don't mind it that much.'"

While Larten and Gavner continued to catch up, Darren left to fill their animal sacks with water in the river nearby. While he was filling up the last sack, he could feel eyes on him. He slowed down as he tied the animal sack and tried to turn his head enough to see behind him without being to conspicuous. When he finally did turn around, he was met with a pair of piercing yellow eyes watching his every move.

Darren froze. He felt his fear begin to rise until it caught in his throat and he gulped. He didn't have time for much else before the wolf lunged at him. Darren cried out as he was hit and knocked to the ground. The gray beast weighed him down and Darren felt it's paws digging into his shoulders. It bent its head down toward's Darren's face and…

Licked him!

Darren laid in shock. When he realized he wasn't in danger, he laughed nervously and reached up to lightly grab the fur around the wolf's neck. It was thick and slightly coarse. The wolf leaned into Darren's hand and he scratched behind it's ears for a moment before the wolf stepped off him.

Darren sat up and stared at the wolf curiously. Why was it being so friendly? Darren was always taught that wolves were shy around people and stayed away, but this one didn't seem shy at all.

The wolf brushed it's head against Darren's arm roughly. Darren took the hint and began to pet him and scratch behind his ears. As the wolf leaned into it Darren smiled.

Darren spent a few minutes playing with the wolf and when he picked up the water bags and began to head back to the rest stop they were staying in the wolf followed him.

When he got back to camp, Mr, Crepsley and Gavner were cutting up a deer they hunted. Mr. Creplsey heard Darren come up and turned around. He wasn't surprised that a wolf would befriend a vampire, but he was surprised that this wolf seemed to be alone.

"I see you've met one of our cousins," Mr. Crepsley commented. He got up and walked over to the wolf slowly, holding his hands palm-up so the wolf wouldn't be alarmed. Once the wolf caught his scent, he padded over and sat in front of him.

"Cousins?" Darren asked curiously.

"Wolves and vampires are related," he explained with one hand while with his other he ruffled the wolf's head to make his ears and mane erect. Gavner stepped up to the wolf and began to pet him as well. Mr. Crepsley stood up straight and turned to Darren.

"Legend says that once we were the same, just as man and ape were originally one. Some of us learned to walk on two legs and became vampires – the others remained wolves."

"Is it true?" Darren asked.

Mr. Crepsley shrugged. "Where legends are concerned, who knows?"

"Why are they so friendly?" Darren asked, eyeing Gavner and the wolf bond. The wolf had rolled onto his stomach and Gavner began ruffling the fur on his belly. Darren noticed a streak of black fur running down the wolf's stomach and thought how Streak would make a good name for the animal. "I thought wolves shied away from people," he continued.

"From humans," Mr. Crepsley corrected. "Vampires are different. Our scent is similar to their own. They recognize us as kindred spirits. Not all wolves are friendly – these must have had dealings with our kind before – but none would attack a vampire, not unless they were starving or provoked."

Gavner stood up and walked over to where Mr. Crepsley and Darren were. He asked, "I wonder where this one's pack is."

"Did you see any more of them?" Mr. Crepsley asked Darren, who shook his head.

"It is curious that a wolf would be traveling alone like this," Mr. Crepsley said to Darren and aloud to Gavner.

"Maybe it was shunned," Gavner suggested. "And traveling to Vampire Mountain for scraps."

"Perhaps," Mr. Crepsley said. "Any matter, we should eat quickly and resume our trek. We are nearly there."

They finished eating and left the way station. Gavner and the wolf that Darren began to think of as Streak, travelled with them until they got to Vampire Mountain. As they got closer, Mr. Crepsley told Darren, "When we get to Vampire Mountain you will need to speak to get recognized by the gate."

Darren shot Mr. Crepsley a worried look. "What do you mean?"

Mr. Crepsley responded gently, "Just one simple line. We can practice first if you wish."

"What do I have to say?"

Larten replied, "'I am Darren Shan, come to seek Council.'"

Darren fidgeted with the end of his shirt. He never felt comfortable speaking out loud before.

"Or I can speak for you," Mr. Crepsley suggested.

Darren hated the idea of seeming so weak for having someone speak for him, so he signed, "No. That's okay. I can speak. Can we practice first?"

Mr. Crepsley nodded.

When Darren first spoke, his voice was much too loud and his words were barely intelligible. Mr. Crepsley and Gavner both flinched and Streak looked up, alarmed. Upon seeing that, Darren's face flushed with embarrassment and he turned his face away. Mr. Crepsley quickly backtracked and signed,

"It is alright," he assured. He did not want to embarrass the boy. "That was good, just a bit loud. You can speak softer."

After taking a deep breath, Darren tried lowering his voice and spoke again. Mr. Crepsley nodded. His words were still unclear, but through repetition and Mr. Crepsley's gentle coaching, Darren could eventually say the line without much issue.

Once they reached the mountain, Mr. Crepsley and Gavner found a tunnel and the three climbed in, Mr. Crepsley leading, Darren in the middle, and Gavner at the back. Mr. Crepsley and Gavner had expected Streak to go off on his own once reaching the Mountain, but the wolf remained with them as the ventured into the tunnels, rarely leaving Darren's side. Once they were crawling, it was too dark to see and Darren had to trust that Mr. Crepsley was still ahead of him until the tunnels widened and the tunnel got brighter. He would have been scared if he hadn't felt Streak following close behind him. Once the tunnel opened up, they all stood up and Darren asked,

"Where is the light coming from?"

"It is…" Mr. Crepsley stopped as he realized he did not know a sign for luminous lichen. There probably wasn't one at all. He said instead, "It is a type of fungus that grows on the walls. It gives off light and it grows all over the mountain."

"Everywhere?" Darren asked.

They continued walking through the tunnels as Mr. Crepsley answered, "Not everywhere. We use torches where it doesn't."

They traveled deeper in the mountain, taking tunnels marked with arrows. After what felt like ages, they came to a large wooden door. Mr. Crepsley made himself look presentable and knocked on the door with his bare knuckles. After a moment, a man in green came out with a spear in his hand. He eyed Darren suspiciously and turned to Mr. Crepsley and Gavner.

He spoke and Darren could make out, "Address…to the gate."

This is what Mr. Crepsley had told him about. Darren rehearsed his line in his head as he saw Mr. Crepsley and Gavner speak to the guard. After Gavner addressed himself to the gate Mr. Crepsley gave Darren a small nod and Darren spoke,

"I am Darren Shan, come to seek council."

After he spoke, he looked on the guard anxiously, but he did not respond as if anything was unusual. For that, Darren was relieved. Mr. Crepsley nodded at him proudly and he felt a small twinge of pride.

The guard spoke, "Larten Crepsley is recognized by the gate. And Gavner Purl is recognized. But the boy…" He pointed his spear at Darren and shook his head.

Darren eyed the spear nervously as Mr. Crepsley answered. Darren spared a sideways glance and tried to read Mr. Crepsley's lips, but he couldn't read them from a sideways angle.

The guard answered whatever Mr. Crepsley said by asking, "Do you vouch for him?"

When Mr. Crepsley answered with what Darren assumed was a 'yes' the guard lowered his spear and said, "Then Darren Shan is recognized by the gate. The Halls are open to all of you. Enjoy and farewell."

The guard let them pass and Mr. Crepsley and Gavner led the way through the tunnels. The guard didn't seem bothered by the presence of the wolf. Mr. Crepsley said that while it was odd that a wolf would choose to accompany vampires this far in the mountain, they were not unwelcome visitors. The first place they went was an open cave Mr. Crepsley called the Hall of welcome. There were seats build out of animal bones surrounding the walls. There was also a small bonfire in the middle of the room. There were a few vampires in the Hall already, chatting and warming themselves by the fire. Mr. Crepsley led them to a bench in the far end of the cave and sat down.

Darren was relieved to be sitting down somewhere warm. He didn't realize how tired his limbs were until he let himself relax against the wall. Gavner and Mr. Crepsley seemed to feel the same. When Darren sat, Streak placed himself at his feet and laid down. After a few minutes of sitting, another vampire walked into the room. Darren saw him first. He was old and gray and dressed in all red. Mr. Crepsley stood abruptly and walked to the man across the Hall. They were both smiling and Mr. Crepsley slapped the other man on the back.

They both returned to the bench and talked amongst themselves. Darren wished he knew what they were saying but did not want to stare too intently and eavesdrop, so he leaned back against the wall and stared at the fire.

Mr. Crepsley rushed forward excitedly when he saw Seba Nile walk into the Hall. "Seba!" he roared and slapped his former master on the back. They sat down and spend a few minutes catching up. When Larten got to Darren, he briefly explained how he found Darren in the woods with no knowledge of what he was and how he planned on presenting him to the Princes.

"They will not approve of this," Seba commented.

"I know," Larten replied. "It took me a year to even learn what happened since he is deaf and can only sign."

Seba nodded. "That will make life as a vampire more difficult for him, but not impossible. We have had deaf vampires join the clan in the past."

"Have you known any?" Larten asked, surprised to hear that vampires had a place for deaf vampires. He only heard of vampires who developed an impairment and sought out a noble death because of it. It gave him little hope that the Princes would treat Darren mercifully. However, if other vampires have been able to make decent lives for themselves, then perhaps Darren could be accepted by the Princes after all.

Seba nodded. "I knew one several decades ago. He worked in the kitchens for a while. I learned quite a bit of sign language from him."

Larten's eyebrows raised. "So, you can speak with Darren?"

"Possibly," Seba answered. "From my knowledge, signing is different depending on your country. The man I knew learned American Sign Language. What can Darren sign?"

"I am not sure," Larten answered. "I was not aware that there were different kinds."

Deciding to test it out, Larten and Seba turned to Darren, whose eyes were focused on the fire pit.

Mr. Crepsley got his attention by waving his hand up and down in his peripheral vision. Darren looked over and Mr. Crepsley started to introduce him to the man he was with.

"This is Seba Nile," he signed.

Darren smiled and waved, like he did whenever he would meet someone who did not sign.

Darren was surprised, however, when the older man Larten was introducing him to signed back, "Nice to meet you, Darren."

Darren stared, wide eyed for a moment, before replying excitedly,

"You too!" Then they began to have a full conversation. Seba signed very well and Larten was slightly surprised that he remembered so much from decades before, but then came to realize that he expected no less from the older, wise vampire.

Darren was smiling while he told Seba his story, despite it being a sad one, seeming just pleased to be able to talk to another person.

When he finished, he asked Seba how he knew to sign and if he had a sign name. When Seba said no, Darren thought a moment before moving his fist shaped in the letter 's' by his chin. He made a motion that combined the signs for old and red around his chin, assigning the motion as Seba's sign name.

Seba memorized the sign as his name and said, "Thank you."

Darren smiled in return.