((Chris, if you are reading this, I'm sorry, but we really must move on.))

“We’ll pick up the pegasis when we need them, for now, we must go without them.” Lizzia waved her arm and opened a portal.


This led directly to Kathaway, she gestured the others to enter. It soon became apparent that Tamara and Lizzia would be the last to go through since before any of the others knew it, both of them were standing aside of that portal, talking to each other while everyone was on the other side.

The woman crossed her arms. “A word of advice, Tamara, you would fine more information coming along with me.” Lizzia said in a matter-of-fact tone. Then she continued, “Your plans might be different than mines, but you don’t know the city, you’re not familiar with the people.” Tamara shook her head and seemed to laugh, “how will visiting Isabella help? Besides, how do you even know the girl?”

One of the Lizzia’s brow raised a little, “Oh, I know her. And I would certainly have no time to help you talk to Prince Faalkon. I don’t even know the man. But I promise you, will fine more information if you come with me.”

Tamara scowled, “fine.” She wasn’t a helpless child as she was before. Lizzia seemed to always treat her like one and it was getting irritating. Then again, she was still a child, not a helpless perhaps, but she wasn’t a considered a woman yet. “Good.” Lizzia said with a smile, satisfied with the girl’s submissive answer.

Tamara started to walk towards the portal, then she turned around, “How could you have been where Lord Andrew was when he died if his body was found in several months after he was reported disappearing?”

“Oh...” Lizzia eyed her with a mysterious glint in her eyes, “I have more than just two eyes.” She meant she had spies! No wonder the woman knew so much! Lizzia shook her head and frowned, “No, not all of the information are from secretive watching,” she corrected her mind. “But I was watching carefully from the eyes of a hawk. I didn’t know his location, but I watched how he died. He fell off his horse”

“So you agree with them it’s a lousy accident?”

“The best rider of Kathaway, a perfectly healthy looking young man, goes on his horse on his weekly hunting trip, in the forest that he’s known his entire life. Then one day, he just falls off his horse. The horse didn’t rear, Tamara. He just fell like a rock. That sounds a little odd don’t you think?” Tamara stood there thinking, and Lizzia walked towards the portal and entered it. Leaving Tamara still pondering. What would cause a man to just fall of his horse like that? Being bitten by a tree snake? No...didn’t seem logical, Lizzia would’ve spotted and known. Poison? But wouldn’t that be immediate? He would have to be poisoned in the forest if he were to be poisoned, perhaps-

Lizzia poked her head out of the portal. “Tamara, are you coming or not?!”

“Yes, yes I’m coming!” Tamara ran through it and appeared on the other side.

They were in an alley, and Tamara looked at the city, which seemed to be faring well in its economy. It wasn’t as busy as Gandle was, and down the road stood a large mansion.

Lizzia stood looking out of the alley. Without even turning to look at Tamara, she spoke “That’s Isabella’s estate,” she said, pointing toward that mansion, “mind you, the people here aren’t comfortable with magic, then again, lots of people aren’t. You must not forget Tamara, there are many places where magic is not a common subject.” she finally turned to look at her student, “Now, I need you to give Wyndstorm, Nekoelet and Sill something to cover themselves in. People here are not used to seeing creatures other than humans and the common animals.”

Tamara took off her ring and reached into that pace, pulling out two cloaks and handing them to the three.

Nekoelet had a bit of trouble covering her tail; the cloak wasn’t long enough to that. Unfortunately. Tamara smiled sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I have none that are longer than that.”

Wyndstorm’s cloak covered him rather well, and underneath it, it wasn’t that apparent the creature beneath was not human.

“That’s Okay!” Nekoelet chirped happily and handed the cloak back to Tamara, “I shall do the transformation once more. Although it would be harder...”

Tamara nodded and placed the cloak away.

Nekoelet’s form changed once more.

“Is everyone ready?” Lizzia asked, but she didn’t expect an answer, because she had walked out of the alley already.

Silhouette wraps her cloak easily about her and pulls up the hood.. she's easily concealed. "If you'll all excuse me, I've picked up a familiar scent and I'd go investigate, if you don't mind." She doesn't wait for an answer, turning around and moving down the ally, disappearing swiftly into its depths...

Tamara looked at Sil a bit confused. Maybe it was the fact that Sil had tried to kill her before and the employer of such an action was in Kathaway. Was she going to..?

She didn't trust her enough.

Larissa scoffed, "what's her problem? Mangy little fur ball she is...." The graceful young woman purposely bumped Tamara as she left the alley. Tamara scowled and left the alley along with Wyndstorm and Nekoelet who was now in a human form. The group moved through the stream of people and Lizzia was only slightly relieved that they didn't catch anyones attention. Slightly, because her god-daughter, Isabella would have to be explained about Wyndstorm. She only hoped Sil wouldn't reveal herself too much to these people around this area. People were not used to seeing creatures they haven't seen before and would react unpredictably.


((Celia hasn't posted yet so I'll assume she's moving along with us since I have to get things going in a quicker pace here for reasons even I can't comprehend yet...))

Humans. Everywhere. Sil shudders slightly as she moves accross a busy street, pulling her cloak tightly around her. Disgusting.. blech.. She recieves a few suspicious glances, as she is entirely concealed in a large cloak. She continues through to the city outskirts and makes it out of the city without trouble.
"He's here somewhere.. I can smell his cowardice in the air," she growls to herself as she enters a forest, and walks on alone..

A large mansion surrounded by a tall iron gate, stood in front of them.

“This would be Isabella’s Estate now.” Lizzia looked at the place as if pondering what she was going to do. Then she muttered something in another language to the gates. The gates opened. She smiled, “Very clever, but not clever enough...the password was common enough...” she started talking to herself, “although she was sort of expecting us, I had told her before. Still...not clever enough....” She walked in, leading the others.

“Not good enough...” Tamara whispered to herself, “Nothing is ever good enough for her. Not even my best.”


Larissa said nothing but she glared at Tamara as she followed her, what did Tamara know about not being good enough? Tamara was Lizzia's "prodigy." The perfect student. That goody-two-shoes knows absolutely nothing...

The wolf and the dragon looked at each other, expressions which were questioning what was happening infront of them.

:::"It appears we have a bit of some personal problems here amongst these people..."::: Wyndstorm overservantly told his companion.


When they had finally entered the mansion, led by an old man who later led them to the guest room, Tamara noticed Celia was missing. She frowned, "Celia's not here...."

The way from the entrance of this mansion to the guest room resembled a maze, knowing Celia, Tamara wasn't surprised that she got lost. Although...they were being led by someone and Celia should've been smart enough to follow them... what happened?

Nekoelet looked up to Tamara impassively, "She was here when we entered..."


"Not a problem, Lady," although Tamara couldn't tell weather he was adressing her or Lizzia since the old man was looking at Lizzia while talking, "I shall find this Celia in which you speak of. My Lady Isabella shall be with you in a moment, she's currently tending to another visitor."


Lizzia sat down in a queenly manner, "Oh? What other visitor?" Her brow was raised.

"Prince Faalkon's former brother, Prince Kile'bri"

"Former?"

"Yes. His grace, the Prince passed away yesterday."

Tamara stopped breathing. Her main suspect for the being the employer of Sil was dead.

Nekoelet looked at the wolf with a funny expression, :::"Fluffy, who's this prince?":::

Wyndstorm grumbled something that could not be heard and wraped the cloak closer so the human could not see what he was. :::"How am I suppose to know? Stop calling me Fluffy.":::

((Oh bother,....SORRRY!!!!!! >.< Lost this board and well fell behind..sorry again, anyhoo..))

Celia had been following, until something had caught her eye. In one of the hallways leading off of the one they were being led down she saw, what appeared to be a small orb on display. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she went over to look at it. * Wow, it's so pretty.* She though to herself. She blink, "Oh no!" She looked around, but no one else was there. "Not again!" She rushed down to the corridior she was in, but found no one. "Great." She muttered under her breath. For some odd reason she had had a strange draw to orbs. She never knew why, and is not even sure if she ever will know.

((There we go! Sorry 'bout that ^^
ah to RP again! *sighs with happiness*))

As Celia wandered about, the silence of where Celia was lost was suddenly disturbed,

“Three thousand! That’s one third of what I have!”

Whoever had said that was upset, awfully upset. Even in it’s anger, it had not lost it’s feminine and delicate quality, the voice belonged to that of a young woman and it had came from a room nearby, with it’s door opened just an inch.

A cold taunting voice replied to the woman’s “If you want me to keep my mouth shut, you would give me what I ask.”

“No! Enough is enough! I can’t give you that much, you’re already rich, why bother to rob me of my own riches?”

The man laughed, “a man can never have too much Isabella. And if you are wise, you would pay me the sum of money I demand.”

“Scum! Do you know what power I have, now that Andrew is gone? I can easily throw you in prison.”

“Power in Kathaway?” He laughed, “and what power is that, Isabella? You were nothing but a lowly girl before your father married you off to Andrew, and you weren’t even a good wife afterwards, were you?” He laughed cruelly.

“*******!” The Isabella screamed at him.

“*****!”

There was a sharp sound of a slap and the man’s voice turned even more venomous.

“Agree to pay the money, Isabella, or everyone learns, that the noble Lady of Kathaway bears the ******* child of Faalkon.” There was a long dead silence, and then Isabella obeyed.

“Fine.”

Silhouette walks for another short while, her hood now pulled back so her ears could freely move about. They stand upright as she stops suddenly. They flick and swivel towards a nearby bush, as though they have a mind of their own, and she turns the rest of her head to lock yellow eyes on the source of a faint noise, noticible only to ears so delicate...

"Come out of there, you coward. I could hear you snivveling a mile away," she hisses, a hateful venom in her voice.

Slowly a creature that can only be of her race stands into view. This one is male, his features less defined than her own, and his fur bedraggled. He seems unhealthily thin, with tattered ears finalizing his unkempt appearance. Indeed, his expression is far less locked than hers, and he fails to hide that he is fearful. "Silhouette," he says, barely hiding the wobble in his voice.

Celia blinked as she overheard the conversastion. Isabelle? Andrew? Faalkon? These names sounded familar to Celia, but she couldn't place who they were.

As the conversastion ended Celia took a step back. I should get out of here before they find me. She looked around and choose a hallway to wonder down. Thoose names...wait, Tamera knows them, doesn't she? I think she was who mentioned them..I'll have to ask when I get the chance. Thinking to herself Celia contiuned to wonder around the estate in search of the others.

((I should've posted this earlier, Jerid in the informal name of Kile'bri. While Isabella will use that name in personal conversations with him, he is usually adressed as "Prince Kile'bri" from everyone else. Think of it as a nick name.))

"Ahem!" The sound of the old man clearing his voice to get the attention of Celia echoed in those halls.

"Miss? I believe you wandered off. Please come with me."

Everybody else waited patiently and Tamara was in a dead end to exactly who hired Sil. If it wasn't Faalkon...who was it then?

When Celia was clear of the halls and in the room, Nekoelet looked up, "Welcome back, where were you?"

"Oh yes, I'm sorry." Celia said to the man.

Once back with the others, "Hello," She grined at everyone,"Sorry that I got lost."

She turned to Nekoelet, "I just wondered off into one of the hallways."

((ah..sorry..short..))

"So, have you been hiding around here the entire time? Leaving the rest of us to rot?" Silhouette's voice is venomous as she scowls at the one she called "coward."


"N-no.. I've been going around, trying to get money, you know, try to make a living.. And I didn't leave you to rot.." He flattens his tattered ears, sinking down submissively.


"No? You left so long ago and I see you've made no attempts to go back for everyone else," she snarls.


He shakes his head. "Sil, you know I can't.. Like you said, I'm a coward. I can't stand the thought of going back.. you know what they'd do to us if they caught us?" He shudders.


She growls. "I know. But I would rather fail and suffer their punishments than live knowing I hadn't even tried."


He hangs his head. "I know you would, Sil.. you're strong like that. I couldn't do it.."


"You can and you will."


"What?"


"You will help me free them, or you will face my punishment!" She snarls, fur bristling and fangs bared.


His face twitches. His body tensens as he seems to consider running, but he apparently decides against it. After a few moments of considering he sags visibly. "Alright.. I guess I don't have a choice.. I don't know what help I'd be though."


She snorts. "Your use will be found. Now let's head back to the city." She turns and starts walking briskly, without an explanation as to why the city.


He sighs, then shudders and slowly follows.

The door of the guest room finally opened and a young woman walked in, older than Tamara, younger than Lizzia. Her hair was the color of charred wood and her tired eyes were gray, her gown was black, a mourning color. It appeared as though she had cried a lot, for those gray eyes of hers were red. Her eyes found Lizzia and she smiled at her.
Her eyes found the rest of the guests, and then rested on Tamara, whatever she was thinking when her eyes laid on Tamara, it was definitely something about her, for her eyes stayed on her longer than anyone else, a second more perhaps. She finally turned to Lazzia, who embraced her. Tamara’s teacher stepped back to look at Isabella,
“It is good to see you again my dear, you look more like your mother every single day.” Lizzia’s eyes laid on Isabella’s belly, and Isabella laughed, “It’s only been a month, Godmother, you can’t expect the size to be any larger.”

Tamara stood there, silent, watching those two. Replaying the name ‘godmother” in her head. So Lizzia was Isabella’s Godmother, which would explain why Lizzia was so close to the government back in Turandle.

Lizzia finally introduced them stepping aside and gesturing to the crowd she brough along with her. “That’s wyndstorm, don’t mind him, he’s supposed to be furry. The little girl is Nekoelet.....” she didn’t bother to explain she was a dragon, Tamara assumed that Isabella wasn’t used to any sort of species other then the usual that she saw on her table.

“....You already know Larissa, as she is my other god daughter....”

Tamara’s brow rose. Lizzia was also godmother to Larissa as well? Why didn’t she know about this?

“....That one is Celia. She got lost in your halls earlier. And this one...” Larissa said as she pulled Tamara forward. “Is a student of mines, Tamara, she can’t do anything right as far as I’m concern.” Larissa giggled and Tamara wanted desperately to frown, but she controlled her facial expression, forcing herself to smile and curtsies, as it was a protocol since she would be considered lower ranking.

Isabella nodded, “it’s good to meet you all. Especially now since I’m...rather alone. But hopefully the baby would bring me new joy.”

Was it just she or did Isabella seem to strain her voice when speaking, as if she was forcing those words out?

Lizzia smiled once more, “Isabella, may we talk to you alone?”

“We?”

“Yes, me and Tamara.”

“Alright then...” Isabella seemed confused enough. Lizzia herself took Isabella and Tamara out into the hall, leaving the others in the guest room. “There,” Lizzia said with a smile once they were alone, “now we can talk with more air. Is your father around here?” Tamara couldn’t help but notice Lizzy’s worried expression.”

“He’s out right now.”

“Good.”

“You don’t have to be so blunt, godmother.”

Lizzy’s telepathic voice interrupted Tamara’s observations, ’Use a lie detecting spell, Tamara.’

“I have never liked your father and I never will.” Lizzia continued, “The less we bump into him in this city the better.”

Tamara knew better than to question the woman, Lizzia had no ability to detect lies, but she did. She could it as long as that person wasn’t a powerful mage that could make the results opposite of what they really were. She felt her magic gather again. This time, her spell had no flashy signals like the one before, she was much more together and cleaned up with Lizzy around, avoiding any chances of criticism.

“Now, was it true Prince Faalkon died?”

Isabella nodded, “he committed suicide, jumped off a roof.”

She was speaking the truth.

“I see,” Lizzia intoned. “You were rather busy with Prince Kile’bri as I had heard. I suppose you two were discussing grieving matters?”

“Yes.”

That was a lie.

Lizzia nodded and continued, her mind giving Tamara the signal to drop the spell. But her questions unraveled onward. “Was it true that Andrew’s portrait of the Lady Chasity was stolen?”

Isabella looked at her godmother with a confused expression. “Yes...you seem to know a lot about my life don’t you? It....it was returned some days ago.”

For some reason, Tamara detected a slight hint of discomfort when Isabella said that. And she wondered weather Isabella truly knew Lizzia all that well.

“Good,” Lizzia said crisply. “Is it possible you could lend us the portrait for a just a while? We just want to see.” Did Lizzia knew that Sil was the assassin? Why would she want to take a look at the portrait? What was she looking for?

Isabella’s jaw fell open, “I’m sorry but I can’t do that. It’s over a thousand years old, it’ll fall apart!”

“I can assure you it won’t do anything like that, if it could survive being stolen, it can survived being seen.”

Isabella seemed to have lost

The two walked back to the town, Sil donning her cloak around her, but her new companion lacked any clothe article capable of concealing what he was.. so he walked uncomfortably after her, glancing nervously at the blatant stares and suspicious whispering.

Sil led him back to the allyway they had first arrived in. "We wait here," she says firmly. "I don't know where they went."

((eh.. *shrugs helplessly*))

Noticing that Sil wasn't around, Tamara volunteered to find Sil.

"I..I think Sil should be here right now..."

Lizzia looked her, her expression bland, "Uh huh?" she said, expecting more out of Tamara.

Isabella was looking at her with a ***** expression. "You have another friend?"

"One that isn't here yet," she said, tangling her fingers from both hands together, then pulling them, nervously trying to think of something more to say. "Sil's...well...I just don't want her to get lost. She hasn't been back for a bit now."

"It really hasn't been that long," she heard Lizzia reassure her. But she didn't need reassurance. She needed Sil to be there to see the portrait. The portrait wasn't brought into the room yet. Lizzia wouldn’t understand, she didn’t know that Sil was sent to kill her and therefor she needed her to identify the portrait. Wait, did Lizzia know about that incident last night? Lizzia didn’t seem to show it when she had introduced Sil to her.

Wyndstorm and Nekoelet were busy talking about something or another while they waited for whatever Tamara and Lizzia was waiting for. They didn't know they were waiting for a portrait, but they trusted these people to be sensible enough to wait on something that's useful.

"But I'm really worried. I think I'll go now." She walked briskly and exited the mansion in a matter of seconds, much less then the time that she took to go in. She was running.

Sil I need you, here, now! Where are you?

Through the crowd of people, she stuck her head in every direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone cloaked.

She finally saw someone who was clocked remarkably well. That figure was then swallowed by a crowed. She wove her way through the people, trying to reach that figure. Finally, the glimpse of the cloak was in sight against and she practically forced herself through the condensed amount of matter in the street, reaching that person, she grasped the figure’s arm and turned the figure around. For a while, the area cleared as if it was leaving room for light to beam down for her to see whom it was she had turned around.

A man faced her, confused at the sight of this girl whom he had no recognition of.

Tamara felt her face turn red as she realized her mistake. “Sorry..I thought you were someone I knew.” The figure turned and walked away as people engulfed Tamara once more. How was she ever going to find Sil?

Silhouette was sitting on a box in the ally they had first arrived in, her new companion standing nervously in the nearby shadows, hidden from view.

"What are we waiting here for, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Some companions. They should be back, I think.." she stopped as she though she saw Tamara rush by, then stood and moved so she could peer down the street.
Yep, there was Tamara alright, seeming to be frantically searching for something.. Sil turned, "Stay here," she growled firmly, then pulled up her hood again and moved after Tamara.

She tapped her on the shoulder when she finally got close enough. "Looking for something...?"

"Ah!" Tamara jumped and then sighed when she saw Sil. She did not expect Sil to appear right there, something about her popping up without her noticing seem to accent what had happened the night before, she was both relieved and spooked.


"I've found you!" Well actually, it was the other way around, but Tamara didn't care too much to correct herself.
In one breath, Tamara summerized what was going through her head at the time..
"Isabella's showing a portrait, I want to see if it's the same one that was shown to you. Lizzia doesn't know anything about what what happened last night so I'd rather you not tell anything."

Celia blink as the woman was introduced. Isabella? That was the woman that had been threatened! Celia shifted where she was. What was being said faintly reached Celia as she played the conversation over in her head. As she "paid attention" again she discovered Tamara was just leaving to find Sil.
Drat, she though, hopefully she find Sil soon and then I'll tell her what I heard..but she did already talk to Isabella. Oh well.." Celia sat in thought waiting for Tamara to return.

Silhouette blinked baffeledly at Tamara. "Eh.. alright, then.. Where are we going, then?"

She glanced uneasily back at the ally where she had left her "friend," wondering if she should have him go with her or leave him there.. in which case he might run off..

"What do you mean where we're going? You're going with me!" Taunted by the urgency to get back so Sil would be able to see the portrait and they could get moving to saving Sil's people, she took Sil by the arm and tried to get her back to the Estate...

Silhouette growled as Tamara grabbed her arm and yanks it roughly away. "I can walk unassisted, thank you," she snorts, rather rudely.

She follows Tamara, pausing by the alley to jerk her head towards the estate, as though telling someone to follow...


The male invisket slinks uneasily out of the shadows where he had so easily been hiding moments before. He looks nervously at Tamara, but says nothing.


Skipping introductions, Sil turned back to Tamara and motioned for her to lead on.

Tamara felt totally embarassed when Sil had made her statement. She had forgotten how Sil would act in her own urgency.

As she led Sil onward, she, along with pretty much everyone else on the busy street, couldn't help but notice the other inviskit.

It was actually inevitable that she did. People were starting to stare. At first, she thought they were staring at her, then she realized they weren't. There was another inviskit, right behind her and Sil.


"Who's he?" she asked as she continued to walk towards the estate is a brisk pace.