Searching in the Dark|Darkthrone, New Morilanta

[Northen Light36]

Acqua sighed softly to herself as she leant against a wall at the mouth of an allyway, though she didn't let her guard down even as she rested. It had been a long few days, even if you didn't considered the trip here where she'd had a few narrow escapes from what she strongly suspected were Ekaitz slave hunters. The near constant fog at night had been very useful in slipping past the Morilanta guards, even if it did remind Acqua uncomfortably of Flux. And even that was useful, since the unease of the memories kept her alert and her nightmares meant she didn't sleep for too long at a time. Acqua had quickly decided her best chances of not running into trouble was to be constantly moving.

So far she hadn't seen a sign of the little princess, but Acqua wasn't giving up this early. Pulling her worn, ragged and heavily patched cloak more tightly around her shoulders (common sense had told her looking poor and helpless would attract less attention then looking like either a noble or a merchanry - although that didn't mean she didn't have a few carefully concealled knives with her), Acqua glanced down at Pixie. "Ready to go?" she asked the cat softly, trying not to sound as tired as she felt.

~What? No breakfast?~ Pixie asked dryly.

"Maybe later," Acqua murmured with a smile, then drew a small bit of dried meat out of her pocket and offered it. "You can chew on this if you want?"

~Chew on it, yes, but my future kittens will be having kittens before I can swallow it,~ Pixie sighed as she took the offering.

Reflecting that the problem with cats and mind signs is that a full mouth was no barrier to complaining, Acqua set off into the still foggy dawn. Today she planned to spend her morning poking quietly around one of the more well-off areas of the city in hopes of spotting Lumi. If that didn't pay off, well, she'd spend the afternoon farther emptying her purse in the role of a young mother trying to gain information on her 'lost daughter'. Of course, around here you probably couldn't get information on the colour of the sky without paying for it.

Stiffling a yawn and firmly telling her grumbling stumach to shut up, Acqua started her search.

[Kender Bard]

The area Acqua found herself in, on outer appearances, wasn't that much different than the poorer part of the city. It wasn't that the buildings were run down but that not a great deal was invested in the facade of the homes and shops. After all, why waste good money on looking good when someone was likely to destroy that beauty out of pure spite? Only the very wealthy tended to waste money on outward appearances of their homes. The 'middle' class, such as it was, here preferred to use their money on themselves. Here the people wore finer clothing, jewelry, and other adornments. And of course, were tended to by their slaves.

Luminous had found herself hastily bought up by an aging woman; an herbalist of sorts, though that didn't translate precisely into healer. She was a healer, but she was also a merchant of poisons and anything else to do with plants and herbs. Luckily for Luminous, though she didn't know it, her mistress was not very demanding or harsh. She was swift to deliver a slap or some other form of punishment if Luminous dared falter in her tasks, but she didn't go out of her way to be cruel to her slaves and she didn't need much to find contentment. At the moment, she had Luminous carrying purchases for her as she idly browsed the market. Luminous struggled to keep all the parcels in her arms because she knew if she dropped one, it would mean a beating.

[Northen Light36]

Wandering through the market, as careful not to draw attention to herself as she would have been if she were there to pick pockets, Acqua subtly glanced over the faces of every child she passed. When she walked by Lumi and reconised the girl, Acqua had to fight the urge to grin widely or grab the child and run.

Foolish urges aside, Acqua's plan had been to simply follow Lumi and her master to find where they lived, then come back under the cover of the night and the fog to steal the child back, without letting Lumi know anything was going to happen until the last minute. Now though, seeing the fear on Lumi's face, Acqua couldn't bring herself to not give the little girl some hope. With a thought, she told Pixie of the change in plan and what to say.

~Lumi? No, don't look around or do anything but what you're meant to be doing,~ Pixie whispered. ~I'm a friend, your parents sent me to rescue you. So you just have to be brave a little longer. Are you hurt at all, princess? Just think what you want to say and I'll hear it.~

[Kender Bard]

Luminous blinked widely; her head had started to turn until she heard the order not to look around and she managed to stop and look straight ahead. She listened carefully to the voice in her head and a mix of fear, hope, caution, and disbelief all vied for places in her mind.

I'm not hurt, she thought, spacing the words and focusing on them so she 'spoke' slowly. She ached, yes, something fierce. She was sore, dirty, and had bruises and scratches. But she'd long learned what it really meant to be hurt and she wasn't that now.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua breathed a very soft sigh of relief when Pixie relayed that to her, then silently prompted the cat on what to say and ask next.

~Good, I'm glad to hear that, little one. We're going to follow you back to where you've been staying, so don't worry. You've got a friend nearby at all times now. But can you tell me where you sleep, Lumi? Is it somewhere you could get out of easily?~

[Kender Bard]

The cellar, Luminous thought. She scuffed her foot and had to scramble to keep her parcels in her arms. Her mistress paused and glowered at her, but as Luminous managed not to drop any, she did not bother caning her. Instead she paid for another purchase and dropped it on top of the stack.

[Northen Light36]

~All right, focus on your task,~ Pixie whispered. ~We'll come get you as soon as possible. You just keep being brave, little one, and you'll be on your way home very, very soon.~

Pixie feel silent then and she and Acqua took it in turns to follow Lumi through the market, swapping places whenever either of them even suspected they might have been noticed.

[Kender Bard]

After a round about the market, the herbalist led Luminous back to their home; they lived in the middle-class area; the building was not luxurious looking at all though a peek inside would reveal fine furnishings. Luminous carried the packages inside and then hastened to hand them off to another slave who was more trusted to handle the goods than she was. She then threw herself into her chores, tending to the woman's every beck and call while making sure the house was completely clean and fragrant smelling. After her work was done and her mistress had retired, Luminous found herself locked in the dark cellar with a single, guttering candle stub as light to keep her company. She sat down on her straw pallet and waited rather than grasp at the desperately little sleep she normally snatched at this time.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua watched the house until the last of the lights went out and idly wished she'd could have dragged Talon along. Having someone who silence their steps would have been useful for this part. Or failing that, she half-wished she'd taken Mat up on his offer/demand to accompany her. He was better at breaking and entering that Acqua would be if she lived to be 100.

But no, Alethia would have had her head if something had happened to Talon and the children needed Mat, as did the guild. She could manage this. Glancing at Pixie, she murmured, "Your eyes are better then mine in this light. Make sure I don't stumble over anything and warn me if you hear anyone."

It had been a few years since she'd picked a lock, but some things stay firmly in one's memory and within a few minutes - though it was still too long in Acqua's mind - she had the front door open.

Pixie slipped in first, creeping through the dark rooms keeping her eyes and ears open. Twice she stopped Acqua from stumbling on a rug that wasn't sitting flat against the floor or stepping on a floor board that looked like it might squeak.

In this slow, cautious way the pair made their way to the cellar door, where Pixie kept watch as Acqua carefully and quietly worked to pick the lock.

[Kender Bard]

Unfortunately for Acqua, some of the occupants of the house were restless. The elderly couple tended to sleep into the night, though lightly. But the other house slave, permitted to sleep on the floor of a storage room instead of in the cellar, tended to get up and roam about. It was her personal thrill and luxury since, so long as she touched nothing (master had an eye for things being out of place), she could enjoy the illusion of some freedom.

She was wandering now, quiet so as not to wake the master and mistress, and tread silently into the room Acqua was. She froze, mouth gaping open in sheer surprise before she could utter a sound.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua didn't stop to hesitate, lunging forward to clamp a hand tightly over the slave's mouth and pin her bodily against the wall. With her free hand, Acqua drew a black bladed dagger and pressed it against the girl's throat, just hard enough to make a shallow cut in the flesh. "Be quiet and you won't get hurt, girl," she hisses softly, trying to sound harsh and dangerous. "I've no interrest in you, only in the job I was paid for. So be a good girl and you'll see morning, understand?"

It was a bluff, but Acqua knew it didn't matter. Mat had insisted she take Echo's old daggers on this, rather then her own, and there was a numbing agent on this one - the same one she'd used against Daniel after he had attacked Amaro, Alethia and Talon. Acqua just had to keep her slave quiet for the few minutes it took to take effect.

[Kender Bard]

The slave's eyes were wide with fear and she made a sound to indicate her agreement; she dare not nod with a blade pressed against her throat the way it was.

[Northen Light36]

"Good girl," Acqua said, in the same harsh whisper. "I do hate unneeded bloodshed. Makes things so messy." Pressed up against the slave's body as she was, Acqua could easily feel when the girl's muscles began to stiffen, rendering movement impossible. She stepped back and lowered the slave gently to the floor, but kept a hand over the slave's mouth until she was sure the girl's jaw had locked shut. "Sorry, but I can't risk you sounding an alarm."

Satisfied the slave was taken care of, Acqua gave Pixie a sharp look by warning to pay attention and returned to opening the lock, just about holding her breath until she finally heard the faint click that signalled it had openned. With Pixie keeping watch above, Acqua slipped silently down into the cellar. "Princess, come quickly and keep quiet. We need to leave fast," she whispered.

[Kender Bard]

Luminous had started to nod off - she was so tired - but started awake at Acqua's voice. Scrambling up, she ran over to Acqua, reaching for her hand. A whimper escaped her, despite her best attempts to be silent, and tears burned in her eyes. She took nothing with her because she had nothing to bring; any personal items of worth she'd had - including her finer clothes - had been taken from her while she had been in Pip's care.

[Northen Light36]

There wasn't really time to waste, but Acqua's heart melted when she heard Lumi's whimper and her mother's instint overrode her coldly practical mercenary/thief side. Kneeling down she gave Lumi a quick hug and whispered, "It's nearly over, little one. Be brave for me, princess, and we'll both be home soon."

Standing, Acqua took Lumi's hand then glanced at the little girl thoughtfully. Well, the child was a wind... "Lumi, can you use your sign to make sure no one hears us?" she whispered.