Croeria's Ruins - Usque - Midlands

Cael ran through the thicket, the wolf yipping as she wriggled beneath low branches and breaking out into the broken cobbles of the old road. She had been looking at her Mistress' command, for clues that might be of help to the beast mistress. The hawk soared through the sky in the same mission, but eventually perched atop the sturdiest section of battlements.

Inside the old castle, sitting upon the throne of her ancestor in the dim light of the moon as it poured in through a hole in the wall. She whispered to herself in rapid tongue, taking in the news from the creatures of the forest. Tension filled the air from all around as the story of the burnt down section close to where Verri had been. She opened her eyes and stood, walking to the hole and peering out. "But Camilla was not among the dead," she whispered in deep thought, mind feeling more clarity since she had made the mistake of wandering into a certain wooded copse.

"Cael," she said softly as the wolf approached, "Rest, dearheart... We've much to do."

The boy had made it halfway up the road, barred feet sloshing through a thin layer of leaves as if wading through water when he froze. A voice had called out to him, familiar, as if he had heard it before though in the woods it was but a quiet murmur as if being stifled by the mist itself. He froze looking up towards the top of the tower as a shadow swept across the ground and the faint call of a bird, though for the moment his attention was on the voice which had called out to him. A subtle breath which seemed to tingle against the back of his neck near yet not close. Fabric seemed to whip about his form, fluttering softly in the wind which swept through the limbs of the trees above as if their shadow’s were somehow grasping at his cloak, pulling it this way and that before releasing it from their grasp and allowing it to fall once more upon the child’s back. A eye, a bright silver orb, seemed to pierce the darkness as the moon itself looming beneath that single slit in his mask. A blur of motion and the boy shot off, leaping up onto the stone ledge before heading down the shallow slope. The castle would be there when he returned he figured, it seemed that it had been there for quite some time judging from the state it was in a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. And he slid down the incline, looking for the source. Not many had known his name so it must have been something important. Sooner or later, he would find it no matter how far it had taken him from the castle and the stranger within. The soft sound of water running over rocks, a small brook, a shallow pool. He moved towards the edge of the water, which somehow seemed to call to him. “Hello?” he called out softly.

Not much for her to do. Cael lay by her feet and the hawk fluffed his feathers. She draped a leg over the arm of the throne. Her attention was on nothing in particular until she heard the flutter of a fairy near her ear. There were more in the forest. She said "Find out what they want, pretty. Send relay." The fairy disappeared.

Watched as the woman slowly emerged from the waters to stand upon the surface, chin tipping upward as he gazed up at her that single eye meeting both of her own. He did not seem to mind the darkness in them, the coldness of her skin, nor the fact that her face was half hidden beneath the hood of her cloak. His own hood might have been lifted if he could remember, instead silver fibers were allowed to flow freely across the surface of the porcelain face, hovering just above his shoulders in straight strands. He held onto her hand a moment to help steady her if she should need it, though what little help he could offer there was an obvious difference in their stature- no not quite as stark as with his previous companion. He wondered how long she had been following him. Slowly his hand dropped once more towards his side as she spoke. Contract. had he accepted such a thing?

“You know my name.. how should I address you? I’m not supposed to speak to strangers.” Lips curled slightly from beneath the mask hinting a faint smile which was carried by his words. He felt as if he knew her somehow; she knew him at least. He supposed he could accept her help after all, The Creature never said he couldn’t. Which was evident by the three golden coins that were given to him.. If they could not be charmed, perhaps they could be bought. He was supposed to use everything at his disposal in order to win their little game.

The sudden flurry of wings drew his attention, as the speckled creature’s flew past them towards the castle. Scintillating across the surface of the brook like a host of lightning bugs he followed them with his eyes a moment as they disappeared into the surrounding trees. Xin began following after them as one might expect of a child, forgetting about Sione for the moment, though he moved at a leisurely pace allowing her to follow if she wished. Heading back to the castle took a little longer than it did the brook, uphill and over the roots of trees which broke the surface of the ground like veins, though soon enough he found the road, stopping just at the main entrance. Hesitantly, as a single hand moved to rest upon the door. Perhaps I shouldn’t intrude. a passing thought . Though it was too late for that now. The door would slide open unless met with some resistance. If not he did not mind sleeping out under the stars once more.

She called out below, her mind seeming to clear of some madness as a peace came to her. "Do come in, it will soon be cold. You are not who I wait for but I will not turn you away." For the love of gods, don't let their appearance be from the Misty Woods and talk about it to her... The mere thought of the woods gave chill to her. She attributed a good chunk of madness to that place.

Kaylie continued to let the Ranger Commander speak, nodding in agreement to the assertion that this was most certainly the place they were supposed to be. She was less inquisitive and more cautious, a life spent in the deepest woods, where the law could not find you, had taught her not to approach strange castles, particularly ones that woodland fae creatures led you too. A non-enchanted arrow was held loosely to the string of her bow, but it was pointed down. More of a precaution than anything else.