Search and Rescue|Squallstorm, Maelstrom

[Northen Light36]

Amaro and Acqua both grow tense and nervous as they near Squallstorm. From the group's vantage point on an overlooking cliff, Amaro points out a house. "That's the one," he says grimly.

"Well someone's there," Acqua comments. "There's smoke coming from the chimney." As if to support Acqua's claim, a faint howling echos up to the group on the cliffside. Amaro pales slightly and shudders.

[Kender Bard]

Valen frowns deeply as he observes the scene. "I'm going to get closer. I think I can mute our sounds, and keep the wind from blowing our scent about." He smiled, and flexed his left hand. "I gained a second sign since my last mission for the Crown. Are you two ready? I think we'll just peer through the windows for now."

[Northen Light36]

"We're ready," Acqua and Amaro reply together, although Acqua slips her hand nervously into Amaro's. Her brother gives Acqua's hand a reassuring squeeze as the group make their way down toward the house.

[Kender Bard]

Valen hums and chants quietly as he deadens all the sound that they make, and subtly shifts the breezes to die around them, mimizing the scent trail they made. Approaching the house, he crouched down beneath the sill and looked in the window.

Inside, Alethia cradled the princess in her arms. She talked quietly to the babe, looking a little more relaxed. Talon was watching them both with a thoughtful look, though from the way he squirmed on occasion, he was very bored to boot.

[adris]

Vortai was very much still chained to the same support beam he was every night up to this point, although now he was more in a sitting position thankfully enough. He looked scraggly and beaten physically, but that was only because he was anything but defeated mentally, and tended to give Mathew just as much of a hard time as he could and still keep alive. There was now a thick leather glove over the hand with his storm symbol on it, meaning that during one of these exchanges the thief remembered he still had it.

[Northen Light36]

At the sight of her siblings, Acqua forgets herself enough to cry out - mostly at the state Vortai's in. Luckily for the group though, Amaro clamps a hand over Acqua's mouth before she can get more then a small sound out. Neither look away from the sight of their family though.

[Kender Bard]

Valen shoots Acqua an annoyed look as he surveys the inside of the room from his standpoint. Softly, he whispers, "Should we get their attention or pull back and form a strategy? I can't see anyone else in there."

[Northen Light36]

"Pull back," Amaro says. "We don't know enough to just go charging in. Someone could come at any moment."

"Let me go," Acqua pleads quietly. "Talon, Alethia and Vortai might be able to tell us more about what we're facing."

[Kender Bard]

Valen sighed and shook his head. "You two head back and I will talk to them. I'm the fastest of all three of us." He rubbed his sign self consciously. "The second I hear anything, I'll zip out of there faster than you can blink."

[Northen Light36]

"You might be faster, but I bet I'm sneakier," Acqua counters. "And I'm smaller. If need be, it's easier for me to hide and be over looked if someone comes. And slaves and servants both learn to move quietly, you might not hear them. I will, I'm trained for this sort of thing." Amaro doesn't like it, but Acqua has a point and so he stays silent.

[Kender Bard]

Valen narrows his eyes again. He holds up a finger, "Be very careful. I understand this is your family at risk, but we're also dealing with the life of the Princess. At the slightest sign of danger, you'd better either run or hide." That concluding things, he motions with Amaro to follow him and starts to head back to their stakeout point.

[Northen Light36]

"Be careful kid," Amaro says simply before following Valen. Acqua takes a few deep, quiet breaths to calm her nerves and sharpen her focus before making her way into the house as silently as possible. "Just another job," she tells herself, trying to keep at least calm enough not to jump at every shadow.

At last she finds the door to the room her family's in. Pressing her ear to the door, Acqua listens to be sure it's just her siblings in there before pushing the door open and looking in, instantly lifting her finger to her lips to warn her siblings to stay quiet.

[Kender Bard]

Talon sits straight up, while Alethia freezes, blinking at Acqua in shock. The Princess coos softly at the sight of another person, but quiets down at Alethia's soft squeeze.

Talon's mouth turns up in a grin, back to a scowl, then a grin again. He is, obviously, of two minds about seeing her here.

[adris]

Vortai looks up to her, and although he is tired and beaten it is very obvious what his thoughts on Acqua being here are. He scowls slightly, rather being beat then think of what would happen if Acqua were mixed up with Mathew again.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua slips into the room, looking around uneasily. "Are you all all right?" she asks, then glances at Vortai and adds, "Aside from the obvious?"