[FIN] The Fallen Knight and Her Guards [Kari/Jenn]

[Vyn]

Xylia nodded and stretched as Rosemary got up. "Juice, if you have some, but water otherwise. Thank you, Rose."

Odd would follow Rose into the kitchen to help, if she needed it, but ultimately just returned with Xylia's drink. The doe swirled the cup slightly, staring into the liquid for a second in thought. This really did put her in something of an awkward situation. The rest of her story wasn't exactly... well, a story. Really, it felt like more of a plea for help.

That's probably exactly what it was.

"Well, I suppose my life is pretty casual other than my suit and weapons." She spent most of her waking moments training for her eventual goal to become a guard somewhere, hopefully in the Court of Spades now... but, with Seki missing, that was being postponed. The doe sighed. "I guess that really only leaves me with why I'm here in the first place. While I may disregard some rules, I never thought I'd be one of the idiots venturing out into The Wood." Fascinating and all, but... not her idea of a vacation. She'd grown up with a Torquehelm as her 'step-father', she had more than a healthy respect for Tulgey.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary returned with a small sandwich for herself along with a bowl of water for herself. She raised an eyebrow and Xylia's comment about idiots and the Wood. If she thought that, why the hell was she here?

"So enlighten this Tulgey," Rosemary said after scarfing down her food rather unceremoniously. She rolled onto her back to look up at the deer. "Why were you in my Wood? And do you even realize how lucky you are to be alive right now? Any other "proper" Tulgey would have had your head by now. Pswh. I'm sure my father who isn't even a Tulgey would have had your head."

Her tail curled as she waited for the woman's reasoning. If she called herself an idiot it must have been some grand amazing reason for her to be in this place. To risk your life on a whim wasn't something people did on a regular basis.

[Vyn]

Xylia sighed once more and sipped her drink to keep from laughing at herself. "I do, and that's the worst of it. I've nothing against Tulgey, mind you, but I favor my life over useless conquests." As she finished her drink, she set the cup down and tried to gather her thoughts.

"I mentioned my family earlier, and my half-brothers Seki and Rindal? Now, Seki's a meek boy - frail, underweight, too sweet for his own good - and Rindal's just about his opposite in every way and he had it out for Seki. All siblings have their tiffs but Rindal took things too far and Seki just couldn't stand up for himself... and we couldn't be there to protect Seki from him all of the time." The deer shook her head and went on. "What I don't believe I mentioned was that their Mother, Maxwell, was a Torquehelm who traveled between there and Corvistowne where my Mother lived on a regular basis and on regular occasions he brought some of us along with him.

Among them this last vacation was Seki and Rindal. No one's really sure what happened. They're nearly adults now, they should be able to handle themselves, but Rindal came home and Seki didn't." Now Xylia's ears pressed back against her skull and she glanced nervously toward the window into the darkness. "Rindal never admitted to anything, but Helen, our sister, said she saw them on the outskirts... near, well..." Xylia waved her hand to encompass The Wood beyond the walls of Rosemary's humble hut. "This was the only place he could have gone that Rindal would not have followed..."

There was a growing sense of hopelessness creeping up on Xylia's thoughts and the doe seemed to crumble a little beneath it. Family meant the world to her, accepting that Seki really wasn't coming back wasn't something she was ready to do.

"My little brother is not like me... he's frail an delicate... The Woods are dangerous, more so than I had hoped..." Slowly Xylia glanced back over at the wolf squirrel. She'd been avoiding her gaze for the majority of this portion of the story but now her eyes were pleading. "Am I fool to come looking, Rosemary? His only hope is to have found someone like you, but I'm afraid you're one in a million." Seki had gotten the short end of the stick all of his life, could she really trust in the hope that Lady Luck had finally smiled on him?

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary listened quietly as the deer began to explain.

And her eyes widened with each passing word. So her brother was a frail outsider who... shit this had to be some sort of joke. He kind of matched the description of that poor bastard who her neighbor had gotten his hands on. And then... gifted to Aunt Joe.

One in a freaking million.

"Uh... this... you're not going to be happy," Rosemary said as she rolled onto her feet. "You see he kind of fits the description of a poor guy who our neighbor kept in his basement. He was a rather frail little cat with a binding. Lord Ghi ended up force feeding him and then gifting him to my Highlander Aunt."

She chuckled rather awkwardly, "So uh... with any luck if it's the same person you'll find him in the Highlands. He's probably... physically fine."

[Vyn]

As Rosemary rolled to her feet, Xylia shrunk back and her heart began to hammer erratically against her chest only to be replaced by a cold, creeping dread. It turned her skin clammy and left her trembling slightly against Thal's supportive grip.

That Rose had confirmed he was a feline verified that it probably was her brother. He was hopefully alive then, which was amazing, but that was the extent of her relief. Though she tried to fight it her eyes welled suddenly with tears and she choked back a sob of mixed horror and relief.

She opened her mouth, closed it, and then simply gave up to tears.

Odd and Thal exchanged looks, each male nervously biting their lip before Odd turned to Rose. Xylia probably wouldn't be speaking for herself for a bit. "You're right," he returned the nervous chuckle and bit his lip briefly. "It's certainly not happy news, but it's better than we could have expected before. Thank you, for that..." He glanced over at Xylia as the doe composed herself once more. "Is there anything you can tell us about your Aunt, if you believe Seki's in her ... possession?"

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary watched with drooping ears. Well, at least there was a chance her brother was actually alive. It was amazing considering this was the Wood and Lord Ghi wasn't particularly fond of parting with his pets.

Aunt Josephine hated cats though. So there was a risk that Seki (if it was him) was beat up thanks to her. "Josephine e'Devya is a King of Hearts, pure Highlander. She hates cats and birds, is particularly fond of wolves and horses regardless of regions. During the day she's a rich old lady and during the night she breaks people mentally for money. That's why I'm a little worried.... but it's a lot better than being in Lord Ghi's basement. When he breaks a person he keeps them for as long as he can, and he does make them his perfect little pets. With Josephine there's at least a chance that he's still alive."

[Vyn]

It took Xylia a couple minutes to regain her composure, but by the time Rosemary had begun to elaborate on this Highlander Aunt she had gotten control of her tears all together. She ran her fingers through her mane, fidgeted, and still found no solace.

'Aunt Josephine' did not make Xylia any more confident that her brother was okay, but there was still hope he was alive. If the woman's hatred of cats didn't get the better of her...

"Is there... anything I can do to get him back from her? I don't know any well-to-do Highlander than would be okay with being bluntly approached over something like... enslaving someone... but maybe..." Xylia shook her head, hardly able to believe what she was suggesting. "Maybe for a price? I'm certain my mother would have enough from her business in genetics to buy him from someone..." The image of Seki as a pet, owned and shackled like some Ace was horrible. Better than dead, but still hard to get her mind around.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary sighed as she watched the woman. Damn, she didn't like it when things got depressing. But there was no point in lying to her about how horrible things could be. The wolf mix's tail curled around her as she eyed the deer and her weapons.

"Josephine is a proper Highlander Heart bitch in every sense of that word. Money she would take, but I assure you the entire time she'll talk down to you like you were nothing." She sighed, "And you can only hope that she still has Seki. She might have sold him off by now, it's been a little while since he left and my darling Aunt has a very short temper when it comes to most things."

I hope for your sake that he's all right. But... for now we have to get you through the night so we can get you out of the Wood. I'll give you her address in the morning. How about a more cheerful story eh?"

[Vyn]

Xylia did not like to be a downer, it seemed so unfair to Rosemary, but this was why she had come here. She had risked her life to find her brother and, at last, put her parents' fears to rest. She had done that. Seki was not here, dead or alive, and that was the first step and putting this to closure.

"I'll take any manner of talking so long as I can verify where he is, or isn't. Even if he's not alive, I'd want to bring him back to the family..." It was only right, as hard to say as it was. "I'm so sorry this had to take such a miserable turn. I wish we had met on a happier occasion."

Settling back down again so that she was resting somewhat easily against Thal once more, Xylia attempted to smile gently at Rosemary. "What sort of story do you have in mind? I'm afraid I don't have many to tell, but I would love to hear some if that's what you're offering?"

[Kari Muffin]

"Of course that's what I'm offering," Rosemary said with a smile. "Stories are like water for me."

Rosemary was more than capable of telling stories until the morning light. And when the first rays slipped in the cracks of the covered window the Club instantly perked. The dangerous creatures (well, most of them anyway) were asleep, and most of the neighbors had yet to wake up. They had to get moving and they had to get moving fast.

"Let's get moving," Rosemary announced as she trotted to the door. "I hope you don't mind a lack of breakfast. I don't have my food left anyway. Let's get you to Torquehelm." Her tail twitched impatiently as she waited for the woman and her summons to get to the door. They needed to hurry before someone caught them. Rosemary didn't want to get in trouble with the neighbors or anything.