Juliette Coulombe (clearyourmind) wrote in emillion, |
Audrey had made her way back, missing the Duke by only a few minutes. In the distance she could see Juliette struggling as the cats whipped away from the other figure who she assumed was Genevieve. As the distance was shortened, it was confirmed, and Audrey took a hold of Boris’ collar from her sister, pulling it roughly and snapping his attention away with a loud hey. The quakes had stopped. Audrey had found no monster so they were safe to stay in the Nobles’ District. “There’s a hole,” she finally spoke to the two. “A giant one, in the park. It looks like the ground just split open.” It had only been then that Audrey noticed her puppy missing. Her heart dropped. “Where’s Mercutio?” Dagger finally struggled free - damnable claws, perhaps she ought to have held them as Reinholdt had instructed, by their furry scruffs - and took off to join his sister. Boris whined as the cat disappeared into a tree, and Genevieve sighed. She would have to find a way to coax them down once things had settled. Audrey’s return, and the news she brought with her, were of greater import, however. “A hole,” she echoed. “Gracious, where and how big?” She was quickly running numbers through her head - there was no doubt structural damage to the manor, and there were bric-a-brac to replace. While the city would undoubtedly pay for the repairs - the nobility were given many concessions that the commonfolk were not - the gil would need to come from somewhere. At the very least, it kept her mind from following after Reinholdt’s shadow. “I believe he is beneath the trellis,” she added in response to Audrey’s question. “Not anymore,” Juliette said mournfully. That sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was familiar: I failed, again. “I was trying to get him and then… the Duke and… the cats escaped, and then Boris...” As an explanation, it was woefully inadequate. “I’m sure he couldn’t have gotten far.” And with no monsters on the rampage -- or so it seemed -- he was no doubt terrified but safe enough. The walls around the estate were tall, so he couldn’t have left the property. Unless… “You didn’t see him by the gate, did you?” “It’s alright,” Audrey knew the girl was probably rolling in guilt. That’s how Juliette was, she had learned. “There’s snow on the ground,” Audrey had already let go of Boris, crouching down and looking beneath the trellis. “He should be fairly easy to track. I’ll go on ahead and search for him, the shaking seems to have stopped.” She paused, “Both of you should go back indoors, it’s too cold right now.” “It is probably best to find stable shelter,” Genevieve advised. “The extent of any structural damage is unknown, and aftershocks are quite common.” There was no need to endanger their lives further to keep warm, though perhaps a quick jaunt back in to retrieve some blankets would not be remiss. She looked about the ground, trying to spot the puppy’s tracks. “Check the other side of the trellis; I shall retrieve some blankets.” With that, she turned and made her way back to the main house. It always surprised Juliette when Alys didn’t get angry. Perhaps it shouldn’t have, but it was an old habit, deeply ingrained. Still, she reached out, squeezing her sister’s cold shoulder with her equally cold hand. “We will find him. And… perhaps while the Coutness is gone, I can climb the tree to get the cats.” She felt responsible for that too (Boris, after all, was to blame). It seemed as though it would be a long time before any of them could return to their beds. |