Private Tales A Chance Meeting

[Anais]

Ana felt paralysed as she held the cat's gaze for a moment, her racing pulse and panicked breaths slowing as she calmed. She hadn't realised that she'd been staring until the cat broke eye contact and she frowned and blinked, her hand settling on her chest as she gazed distantly into the ground.

The man's voice made her flinch and she looked up to see the smile he offered despite what he had to say. These two were giving her a more arduous headache than the children did. Anais pinched at the bridge of her nose with a huff.

"Alright.." she muttered, deciding not to ask any more questions for now. "Lets go.." her eyes rolled, and she followed the cat out of the alleyway and toward the estate.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac only smiled as they wandered out of the alleyway and into the street.

He had absolutely no idea where they were going of course, but he didn't need to. Teekle lead the way, quite happily jaunting through the crowd. The Cat never looked back towards the two humans, confident that one of them at least would be following.

It did not take them long to pass into the inner-city, strolling through the guarded gate without much of a bother. Soon after that they found themselves within the Estate District, and it was there that Lorraine Manor came into view.

The building was a huge and gaudy thing, with enough banners to make one wonder if it weren't the start of a military parade.

Outside a small crowd had gathered, all of them dressed in ostentatious outfits that were almost enough to hurt the eyes. Isaac glanced over towards Anais, then down at his own trodden clothes. "This won't do, will it?"

He asked.

 

[Anais]

Anais stuck to the shadows of an ivy-covered wall as she watched. The children were supposed to 'attend' this soiree tonight, and instead she had four of them hunting for ingredients to stop the other becoming some sort of demonic beast. Tonight was not going to plan.

She looked at the stranger as he spoke, her eyes slipping to his boots and back to his face with a light shake of her head. "No, it won't. Unless you intend on portraying a stable hand." her brow quirked.

Underneath her cloak, her clothes were simple, too simple to blend in with the sort of guests in attendance. A white shirt with a brown leather corset and tan skirt. She hadn't worn finery in some time now, but her cloak was a crushed velvet the colour of fresh heather with a silver acorn pin at its collar. As long as it remained on, she'd pass as nobility, though if she took it off - perhaps a kitchen wench.

"What scroll are we after exactly?.." she huffed. "Might it not have suited you better to send one of the children after this too?.."

 

[Isaac]

Isaac looked down at his clothes. "Stable hand?"

He'd thought a porter or at least a butler, but stable hand? That was somewhat insulting. A frown touched his lips, and then he gently pulled Anais nearer towards one of the few alleyways in this district of the city.

"You want to send the kids in there?" Isaac raised his eyebrows, shaking his head. "If they get caught those bastards will lop off their heads just for the fun of it."

There seemed to be more than a tinge of bitterness in his tone. "Whatever revolution they had, these bastards still hate whatever is below them."

Lips thinned for a moment, Isaac shaking his head as if dispelling some memory. Then quietly he concentrated. His features changed to something altogether more serious. For a moment he searched his mind, and then he snapped his fingers.

An odd shimmer surrounded the both of them, flickering, and then their clothes seemed to shift.

Within the span of a breath the brown leather corset and skirt that Anais wore changed into a silken dress of color and tight cut. The drab and rotted clothes Isaac wore turned into nothing less than the finest suit, shifting within the beat of a heart. "There, better?"

"Mreow."​

Teekle answered before Anais could.

 

[Anais]

"They wouldn't get caught." Ana growled quietly, unable to help but sneer at the thought.

Her lashes narrowed at him and her jaw clenched as he spoke of them as 'bastards'. This was not the time to argue, but she could feel her skin heat either from shame, or the rage she felt in knowing that what he'd said was entirely true and she couldn't argue at all. She let out a huff, and had been about to further discuss their plan when the shimmer of magic distorted the air around her and she felt a cold shudder as her clothes shifted.

She looked down at the gown she wore, her mouth slightly agape as she took a few moments to breathe and collect her thoughts. "Did you... Just dress me?.." she asked incredulously, her eyes raising to look at him. Her mouth went slightly dry at the sight of him in a suit however, and her skin heated all over again.

"Are you a Dreadlord?" she blurted when the power of speech returned to her, her fingers untying her braid and combing through her hair until it sat in golden waves around her shoulders.

 

[Isaac]

"I think that dress sits well on you." He said with a smile. "Really brings out your ey-"

Isaac half chocked as she accused him of being a Dreadlord. "What?!"

His voice was a tad too loud, the incredulity more than clear as he practically spat the denial from his lips.

"No." Quickly Isaac glanced to some of the people in the nearby crowd. None of them had looked over, and if they had it seemed they simply thought he and Anais were a couple in an argument. The dropout shook his head. "I'm not one of them."

There was disdain in his voice, though why was hard to say. "I studied in Elbion."

He explained quickly, not wanting even a shadow of...Dreadlordism hanging over his head.

Isaac patted at his new clothes, reaching up to thread fingers through his own air before he shifted and looked down at Anais. Clearly desperate to capture some sort of charm back from his outburst.

 

[Anais]

She felt her shoulders tense as he yelled, knowing she'd caused offence, but she was more bothered that he might garner unwanted attention by it. She wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid that he might not help her save Alix.

"Oh." she frowned. "I didn't mean anything by it, just.. Where I come from, the people who can do things like that are, them." she huffed and lifted her chin and threaded her arm through his, tugging him toward the manor.

"Lord and Lady Carter of Smallhaven." she murmured to him quietly as they approached.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac opened his mouth to say something else, but his lips sealed shut and head simply shook as her arm threaded through his. Before he could say anything at all Anais tugged him forward towards the front of the manor.

He stiffened slightly as they approached the guard, lips thinning.

The dropout had never much been one for authority. He'd grown up in a noble family, though nothing like what was in Vel Anir. For some reason he felt the tingle of nerves running along his spine, fingers tightening as the Porter at the door looked them up and down.

A moment passed as the man looked down at his sheet of paper, frowning.

"There must have been a mistake, your name is not here."​

"Are you sure?" Isaac asked, leaning over slightly and pressing a finger on the sheet of paper.

The Porter looked down, glancing at the paper as Isaac brushed his finger over a set of names. They changed as he touched them, the ink shifting to read out the name of Lord and Lady Carter.

"Ah-oh... my mistake sir. I deeply apologize, please, go right on in."​

He gestured quickly, his brow tinging with sweat.

 

[Anais]

Ana gave a quiet curtsy to the greeter as he stepped aside for them, glancing up at Isaac as they wandered up the path. "Nice trick." she said with the soft smile of a wife to a husband.

"Now what is this scroll that we're looking for?.." she asked in a low murmur, dipping her chin politely with a shy 'Good Evening' in greeting as eyes shifted toward the newcomers.

 

[Isaac]

"One of the first I learned." He mused. "Parents never knew that I failed transmutations."

The irony of that statement did not escape him, but nor did he have time to dwell on it.

As soon as they stepped into the vast Hall Isaac's eyes were bouncing around the place. He sifted through dozens of faces, through the crowd, and across dozens of paintings and tapestries that lined the place. A frown touched his lips as he saw guards standing by each of the doorways leading out of the main hall.

"The Writings of Zaruth Tel'Failin." He doubted that the name would mean anything to Anais.

The man was a mad priest, having fallen into the practice of demon worship late in his life. "The scroll will be written in red."

Blood. "There will be a picture on the top of it. A man holding a golden crystal."

He hoped that might help.

As the two of them spoke, Teekle seemed to sneak around the edge of the room. The cat quickly tucked itself between legs and beneath tables, wandering towards one of the guarded rooms at the end of the Great Hall.

 

[Anais]

"Transmuwhatnows?" Anais murmured with a look of confusion as they walked arm in arm.

She sighed and nodded at his description of the garish scroll they were looking for, her lips pursing as her eyes were drawn to the guards at the doorway.

"Then, we're going to need a distraction.." she turned to smile at him as though partaking in a pleasant conversation with her 'husband'.

 

[Isaac]

"Indeed we will, My Beloved." Isaac finished as a woman dressed in what he could only assume were peacock feathers swept passed the both of them.

The dropout glanced at her for a brief moment, frowning, and then glancing over towards the doorway.

It stood almost directly across the Hall from them, and as Isaac looked the floor began to clear. He shifted, about to move in that direction when suddenly a loud voice boomed out. His head immediately shot towards the sound.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please join us on the dance floor as we play Anir's Valor!"​

Before Isaac could take another step the once empty floor filled with dancers, intricate steps sweeping them through the room as a grand orchestra began to play.

Isaac cursed quietly, then looked to Anais. "I lead?"

He asked.

 

[Anais]

Anais forced a smile but her jaw was clenched behind it. "Hmhmhmm...." she fake-chuckled as the woman passed them.

She turned full circle as dancers surrounded them, her gaze lifting to Isaac with a mute 'what now?' written plainly in her expression. It shifted to incredulity as he suggested they dance? People were already starting to move around them, and she growled quietly with impatience.

"Are you sure we have time for a dance, My Love?.." she asked through the gritted teeth of her forced grin, settling a hand on his shoulder and allowing him to take her other.

 

[Isaac]

His other arm wrapped gently around her waist, "Of course we do, Schmookims."

Isac said as he suddenly swept Anais backwards in a twirl.

Anir's Valor was a song that held a special place in the heart of many Anirians. It was a thing of the old days, before the Houses and when their people still had gods. The song was high tempo, yet somber, and the dance matched with it quickly.

The Dropout seemed oddly keen on his feet, sweeping Anais back and forth as the two of them moved through the crowd and across the Dancefloor. Each step took them closer to the Guarded door, and as they passed by the couples Anais would spot Teekle over Isaac's shoulder.

Swift as a blur, the cat darted along the edge of the room, moving towards one of the massive banners of House Lorraine.

It seemed to bound upwards, touching the great Red and Blue standard with a swipe of it's claw.

For a moment nothing happened, and then the great wooden beam which held the banner seemed to shift, and then tumble down towards the dance floor. The great sail drifting down to cover half the dancers as Isaac and Anais swept past them.

 

[Anais]

Schmookims?!

Ana did nothing to hide her disdain of the word, her nose wrinkling and brow dipping. “Really?…” she murmured irritably.

She’d hated dances like these at the best of times, but that she’d left one of the children alone and in peril only made it more frustrating. Still, she knew the steps as all Anirian men and women above a certain class did, and so she danced with an air of impatience until Terkel caught her eye.

Her eyes followed the feline and her brow quirked as it seemed again to act with more intelligence than was normal for a cat. It was both intriguing and unsettling, but as she realised what the creature was doing, she wasn’t about to complain.

She took Isaac’s hand and rushed toward the door amidst the chaos, unable to help but laugh musically as they made it through the now unguarded doorway and down a long corridor.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac rushed after Anais as quickly as he could, have dragged along as she grabbed his hand and swept him forward. The Guard who had stood in front of the door rushed forward, moving away from the door and towards the fallen banner.

Chaos sprang out on the dancefloor, a new of the noble ladies letting out screams that would have been more at home in the midst of a massacre. Some men shouted obscenities, though most simply seemed wrapped up in the confusion of the moment.

In the midst of it all Anais and Isaac managed to rush through the open doorway, Teekle snapping into being just behind them. The Dropout offered one last glance back towards the Grand hall.

Then his hand swept up, a snap of his fingers ringing out.

The heavy double doors suddenly shifted and quickly slammed shut behind them. The loud click of a lock falling into place just a second later as the pair came to a stop. "Not a bad little dance."

He said with a smirk to Anais. "Eh?"

 

[Anais]

Ana watched him snap his fingers and turned to see the doors close, her expression still bright with amusement and mischief as she caught her breath amidst her chuckles. She caught herself laughing though, realising how little she did that and remembering why she was here. Her cheeks flushed and her smile was drowned by a wave of guilt.

"Hm." she huffed at him with a light smirk. "Not bad." she shrugged nonchalantly and turned back to the corridor ahead.

"Alright.. Scroll.." she murmured and took off. "Any tricks to find this thing any faster?.." she asked. The manor was huge, and checking every room would take hours when they had to move quickly.

 

[Isaac]

"Not bad." Isaac rolled his eyes, glancing towards Teekle who was sauntering down the hall besides him. "Can you believe her?"

"Mreow."​

His mouth fell open. "It's a two step! You're supposed to do that."

The Dropout said in a slight huff, shaking his head as he returned his attention back towards Anais and her question. A frown touched his lips for a moment, and he ran through a list of spells in his head. After a moment he shook his head.

"No, none that would help here." If he'd seen the scroll before he might have been able to, better if he'd touched it. Yet as it were he only knew it was here because of Teekle, and that wasn't enough.

"Lorraine likes to display what they have, from what I've heard." He said. "Maybe the library?"

Seemed logical enough.

 

[Anais]

Anais looked between Isaac and his cat as though he was completely deranged. "Mhmm.." she answered as he suggested the library and she turned to start searching for it.

"So, you always have conversations with your cat?.." she asked casually with an undertone of concern.

 

[Isaac]

"Of course." Isaac said, as if he did not even notice the judgment in Anais' tone. Teekle trailed after the two humans for a few moments before it suddenly pulled away, darting behind a few of the grand statues on the room.

"He's a great conversationalist." The Dropout said. "As you can tell."

"Mow."​

The sound rang out ahead of them, and Anais would see Teekle peek out from the corner of the hall. The Cat sat itself down, clearly waiting for the two humans to catch up. "And he always knows where to go."

He offered her a smile as he stepped up beside her, then walked toward the bend in the hall.

As they turned the two of them would discover not just a library, but a whole archive. Shelves upon shelves filled with books, scrolls, and individual parchments. Arrayed around the grand room were statues, tapestries, and trinkets which seemed to shine with no light upon them.

 

[Anais]

She couldn't help the quiet laugh under her breath nor the bemused smile she wore as she gave a slow nod.. "Right..."

The sound dragged her attention back to the cat and her brow rose. "Oh.." She glanced to Isaac with a light smirk and shook her head as she followed into the room, if room was something you could call it. Her mouth fell open slightly as she stared up at the museum of treasures, her fingers twitching subconsciously. Oh how her little thieves would love this place.

"Does he know how to find certain scrolls?.." she asked as she approached one of the shelves to start looking.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac gave her a shrug, smiling as they stepped into the hall of treasures.

His gaze swept over half a dozen things, lips pressing together in a whistle. "If the Maester's saw this."

The Dropout shook his head, his former Professors would shit themselves knowing such a collection was in the hands of a few nobles instead of them. That thought alone tickled him. Slowly he stepped over towards one of the pedestals, inspecting a glove that had been placed upon it.

It was a pretty thing, bright silken white with braids of gold running along each of it's fingers.

"He's a cat." Isaac said in response to Anais. "He can't read."

Not really true, of course, on either counts. "But..."

Isaac mused, finally pulling himself away from the glove. He slowly stepped over towards Anais was looking, lips thinning as he glanced at the massive shelves. A frown touched his features.

"I can." Isaac offered, his hand coming up to pluck a random scroll from the shelf.

 

[Anais]

Anais snorted as Isaac insisted on informing her that cats couldn't read, not that he was a normal cat, but still. "I just rolled my eyes so hard I saw my brain, and it told me to tell you to fuck off." she grumbled and slid a ladder along to a promising looking column of shelves.

The piles of parchment and scrolls had not a spec of dust on them. Nothing seemed to, and Anais glanced around with a light frown before continuing to pick through the trove. "They either have some enchantment on this place, or someone who has the sole job of keeping it clean. We need to be quick." she sighed, leaning a little too far to reach an old looking scroll that she almost lost her footing and sent the thing falling to the floor.

"Shite!"

 

[Isaac]

"Oh did it?" Isaac said, idly plucking another scroll off the shelf. He looked at the seal on it, read some of the text, and then gently slipped it into the inside of his coat. "That's not very ladylike."

He mused. "What do they teach you Anirian girls in Finishing Scho-"

Before he could finish his sentence he heard Anais curse. Almost immediately he turned his head, watching as the scroll fell towards the ground. The wax seal that had held it shut broke as it struck the hardwood floor of the library.

A loud hiss followed by a screeching meow echoed out, and the scroll began to unfurl. "GET DOWN!"

Isaac shouted towards Anais, rushing towards her in an attempt to get her away from the scroll.

Before he could reach her dozens upon dozens of sparks of lightning suddenly erupted from the scroll. They arced all around the room, jumping to furniture, books, and anything else within reach. They scorched and burned everything they touched, scarring the ancient collection.