Out After Dark

[Northen Light36]

"And that's the hand," Amaro comments to Acqua. "The legend says that it lead the first Earths to Mount Humontis." Snuggled up against her brother, Acqua follows Amaro's finger, trying to make out the shape of a hand in the night sky.

"I see it!" she says, smiling happily. "Amaro?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Do you think the legend is true?" Acqua asks. Amaro glances down at his sister, then back up at the hand thoughtfully.

"I've seen stranger things," he allows, then smirks at Acqua. "Like learning to love a smelly little brat out of Flux."

"Or an arrogant Storm merc," Acqua counters with a laugh. She loves these evenings. They were Amaro's way of making sure Acqua knew she was still one of the most important things in his life, a reasurence Acqua insisted she didn't need, but was glad to have anyway.

Sighing, Amaro shifts his position and mutters, "I'm getting to old for sitting outside all night."

"Rubbish," Acqua says with a snort. "Aria just isn't letting you sleep enough." Amaro laughs.

"Either way, it's time for bed," he tells Acqua, then kisses the top of her head before standing up. "Come on, we're both half asleep."

"Am not," Acqua replies, but she still lets Amaro lead her inside and tuck her into bed.

"Sleep well kid," Amaro says, picking Acqua's teddy off the floor and giving it to her. As he reaches the doorway Amaro pauses an adds, "Your room is a pigsty. Clean it up in the morning."

"Goodnight Amaro," Acqua sighes. Amaro chuckles and heads down the hall to his and Cass' room. Downstairs, Faith slips out the window to go out and hunt and in no time at all the house is quiet, with the only sounds being that of sleeping people.

[Kender Bard]

In the middle of the night, the window opens silently. A figure clad in all black, making naught a sound, slips into the room. He sets something down nearby and then leans over the bed, a small and wickedly sharp knife held to Acqua's throat even as he clamps a hand firmly over her mouth.

"Don't move, don't make a sound," the man whispers. "Or I'll cut you. Nod once if you understand."

[Northen Light36]

For a second the mixture of sleepiness and shock leave Acqua unable to think, then fear pushes everything else out of her mind. Not so much for herself, although that's certainly part of it, but also for Aria, Amaro and Cass in the next room.

Keeping very still and quiet, Acqua nods slowly.

[Kender Bard]

"I have a small cake," the man whispers, no trace of humor in his voice. "I set it down on the floor by your wall. Tomorrow, after dawn, you're going to take it to the guard's guild. I will be watching you. If you tamper with it, if you tell anyone about me, if you do anything suspicious, I will kill you. If someone asks why you're taking a cake to the guards, make up a reason. If I see you being followed or escorted, I will kill everyone in this house. When you give it to a guard, tell them that you admire their hard work and just wanted to give them a little treat. Do not give it to the guard you were speaking with today. Do not even talk to him. If I see you conversing with him at any point between now and the rest of the day after you deliver the cake, I will kill you."

The man paused, and then went on. "If you make any odd hand signs or body language, I will take that for messaging someone and kill you. I think you understand where I am going with this. Do anything other than deliver that cake, anything give me reason to believe you tipped someone off, I will kill you and everyone in this house. Nod once if you understand."

[Northen Light36]

Acqua looks at the man, her eyes dark with hatred, but she simply nods. Already a plan is ticking over in her mind.

[Kender Bard]

"I will be watching," the man warns. "Close your eyes. You will hear the window open and then close. Wait a few seconds until after it closes before you open your eyes again. I will have a hand crossbow trained on you the entire time so if you open them before that, I will kill you."

[Northen Light36]

Acqua's only too happy to close her eyes. She needs to focus now, and the sight of the man standing over her is not helpful with that. Closing her eyes, Acqua thinks hard, Faith?

~Yes kitten?~ Faith replies, letting the mouse she was stalking vanish into the garden. She hisses softly as Acqua tells her what's happening. ~I'll alert Aaron, Kitten. You just do as you're told and be careful.~

Bracing herself for another round of 'convince the stupid humans that yes, the cat IS talking', Faith pads off in the direction of the guard house.

[Darastrix]

Aaron is sitting on the guard house steps, mulling over the situation between the thieves and guards. He wishes right now more than anything that he knew a trustworthy Mind that could alert Echo to their suspicions, but oh well. It's probably too late for Khelek's guards by now anyway.

"I need a drink," he mutters to himself. He hasn't found out anything of use since speaking with Acqua anyway. "Hey kitty," he says idly to Faith, noticing her as he starts to get to his feet.

[Northen Light36]

~We need to talk, Aaron,~ Faith says bluntly. ~Kitten's in trouble and I don't have Echo to talk to. So if you waste time by squealing or panicking, I will remove your ability to produce kittens.~

[Darastrix]

Aaron stares blankly at Faith before resuming his seat with a soft 'thump.' He wasn't a Beast, so how...?

"Who...who is Kitten?" he murmurs dazedly.

[Northen Light36]

Faith gives Aaron a 'how stupid are you?' look and lightly thumps her head against the stairs in frustration. How was it that the human race survived when the only intelligent ones seemed to be Acqua, Amaro, Cass, Alethia, Talon and Echo? Well... Perhaps not Talon...

~Think, Aaron. Who else would I be calling Kitten? Who does Echo and half the guild call Kit or Kitten?~ Faith growls in annoyance. ~Acqua of course.~

[Darastrix]

Aaron shakes his head as though to clear it and looks at Faith again. He does remember seeing the cat with Acqua, now that he thinks about it.

"What's going on?" he asks, not entirely sure that the past few months haven't finally caught up with him in a very bad way.

[Northen Light36]

Faith sighes, frustrated. ~You're not losing your mind. Or hearing things. And you haven't gained a beast sign... unfortunately. Lady Etaf gave me a gift so I can better look after my Kitten. Now that's out of the way, a man broke into Kitten's room tonight and threated her. If she doesn't deliever a cake, which I assume is poisoned, to a guard other then you, he will kill Kitten and the rest of our family.~

[Darastrix]

"I wasn't asking what was going on in the first respect," he says distractedly. How were they going to handle this? "You didn't happen to get a look at the guy, did you?"

[Northen Light36]

~I'm afraid I was out hunting,~ Faith admits, sounding slightly guilty. ~And it was too dark for Kitten to see much.~