Narratives: Hide and Seek WHO: Micah Kaden and open to Jack Cavanaugh and Oliver Branson for response WHEN: Sunday WHERE: Outside the Warlock's Mines - Academy Hallways
The forest was dense this far north. Kaden had been searching for two weeks in the wild areas of the far northern corners of Maine, crossing into Canada's New Brunswick province once word arrived to the werebear that a student had seen a sign. A literal sign. Once a Mystic himself, Micah was familiar with the natural ebb and flow of the earth lanes and the magical currents and veins of their planet. Gold and other precious metals that became dense in the rock were natural deflectors to scryers and it made sense for them to seek their enemy warlock in those places. Of course, there were more gold or silver deposits around the globe than could be searched in any reasonable time, and it was with relief that Micah received word from Ms. Hallowfen that one of her students from Hydra House had found them a clue.
A sign mostly faded out and written in French narrowed down their search significantly and Kaden took his path next into New Brunswick with its constitutional dual languages and he went straight for the gold mines in the province. It was luck or grace or perhaps only chance that after traveling in bear form through the woods for days, the second mine he checked out had a distinct taste of something not as it should be.
Kaden approached with caution. Kodiak bears were not seen this far east, especially not one nearly three times the size of an average bear, and Kaden crossed through without interference from other animals. Spending so much time in his bear form made it easier to focus and keep his mind on the task at hand, rather than worry and grow over anxious that he'd at last found something worth investigating further. The bear knew the importance of his task and he was not rushing due to any human emotions. If the students were there, they would not be helped if he were detected and unable to get back to St. Margaret's to send for help. The warlock, whoever he was, would kill him without a thought, and all of Kaden's muscle and wits would be for naught against the workings of powerful defensive magic.
He placed a paw down carefully out of the thicket and stepped clear, large wet black nose sniffing in steady puffs as he moved closer to one of the mine entrances. From the outside the mine still looked abandoned. There was no sound coming from inside that he could detect, but sounds and the lack thereof could be deceiving. What was much harder to trick was Kaden's sense of smell. It told him there was something different about this mine that the others didn't have. A something out of place.
The bear moved closer, then paused, wathcing, listening, and smelling, and then he caught it. The smell was faint but it was definitely present. The students. Kaden's nose dissected the smells of each of them individually on the small vent of air coming out of the mine. Mickey, Caleb, Bushara, Ashton, Davian, Ripley, Jae, Kana, Adrian, Thérèse, Adina, and Rob. Some were more faint than others, and Kaden could also smell the fear they carried, spilled blood, tears, all of it now assaulting his senses as the mine breathed out a sigh with its torture within.
It took all of Kaden's self control not to rear up onto his hind legs and roar his rage at what he had discovered. These students were his charges, his cubs, and someone was hurting them. The bear desired to be in control and Kaden almost let it, taking one step closer before he smelled something he'd missed before. A magical defense, sizzling at the entrance, ready to go off at the first sign of an intruder. Reigning in his animal instincts, Kaden thought with his human side and though he couldn't see the spell itself, his training at the very same academy he was scouting for now had taught him how to read the signs even without magical vision. The place was secured beyond just being shielded by the gold. He wouldn't be able to get through to help them on his own.
Turning away was a painfully difficult action, but Micah retreated back into the woods. The sooner he returned to the Academy, the sooner the suffering of the students and Ms. Edouard within would be stopped. Kaden almost felt sorry for the warlock. He did not wish Ms. Menides' wrath on even his worst enemy.
*****
"Jack!" Kaden called out, his long legs taking quick strides down the hall on his way to Ms. Menides' office later that night. "I found them." He caught his friend by the arm and ushered him along down the hall with him, continuing in a lower voice. Students were nearby, he knew, but Kaden was in a hurry. They needed to send out a rescue mission as soon as possible, and Ms. Menides was calling a meeting of the staff members to formulate a plan of attack.
"New Brunswick, Murray Brook Mine. It's been abandoned for years, but they're there. I smelled each of them. There's no doubt. They're alive, but not in great shape, if my nose knows anything. Come, Ms. Menides is calling council for the staff."