The Rescuers

The Sunguard carries a heavy burden. The apartment that Andelena shared with Dolan, despite the fact it has two calico kittens of disparate sizes, feels much lonelier now that it's just her and all the things that Dolan left behind--which is why she isn't there. She'd put out a bowl of food for the kittens to fight over and left for the day, taking the things that he'd told her to bring with her.

This is what brings her to Auranar and Verna's home wearing a frown and a listless stare, like she's hoping vaguely that she'll turn a corner and Dolan will be there. But despite all the turns, she walks up to the doorstep with only herself and what she carries in her rucksack.

And she knocks on the door. And she waits. Her eyes close and she breathes in for a moment.

There's a call from inside, barely audible and thus difficult to distinguish between which of the two women who live here it might be. The door is answered a moment later however by Auranar. She doesn't wear her usual smile this morning, but she does wear an apron over her bright pink dress. It's practically covered in flour. Which her hands also are up to the elbows. "Andelena!"

The sight of the other woman brings a small smile to her face, and then it turns into a more worried expression as she recognizes the sense of 'doom' that hangs around the other woman's head. "Come in, come in. What's the matter?" There's a mew from upstairs, and Auranar hastens to get Andelena inside and out of the cold before Hunter can come downstairs and spot the open door. "We've got some tea, would you like some?"

"I have him!" comes a call from upstairs, presumably related to kittens that may or may not wish to escape. A few moments later, perhaps to allow ample time for doors to close, Verna descends the stairs. She is currently in a simple house robe, rather than her vestments, and carries Hunter in one arm while fingers from the other hand waggles at him

Andelena seems almost slightly placated by the sight of flour on Auranar's apron. Even despite all the bad in the world, there are people doing ordinary things... like baking. A light smile finds her face. "Hey Auranar," she says. "I'd love some tea." She gets out of the cold and closes the door behind her.

Then her attention's ensnared by the calico-colored menace in Verna's arms. She blinks, and then grins. "Aww, hey. I didn't know you'd gotten a little cat too," she says. But then she pulls her rucksack off her back. "Wish I was here just to gawk at the little one, but... Yeah. Got news to share. I think we'll all probably want to be sitting down for this."

Auranar's smile returns as Andelena accepts the offer of tea, and moves immediately toward the fireplace to get the kettle and pour it into the already waiting tea pot. Seems that Andelena is just in time for fresh tea. "That sounds ominous." She replies as she moves the tea pot to where it can brew and motions to the couch and chairs that are reserved for guests before settling down in what has quickly become hers.

He is not a menace. No, not at all. Not -now- at least, though Verna does not dwell on that. Instead, Andelena has her entire focus, despite kitten claws nabbing her finger. Her lips purse and she nods with Aura. "It does. Please..." She echoes the gestures to the chairs and claims her own seat in a favored chair.

Andelena takes a seat at one of the chairs pointed out to her. She sighs a little, and reaches into her rucksack.

She pulls out Dolan's amulet of Daeus and places it on the table... followed by Dolan's artificial eye.

"Bry left," Andelena says, soberly. Her steel-grey eyes fix onto both Verna and Auranar. "He went with Kol and told me to give these to you. Said you'd fill me in on the rest. So... I'm hoping this plan can include me driving my blade through the chest of a godsdamned vampire, or I'm going to be /really/ upset."

Auranar lifts her hand to her mouth as Andelena reveals the eye. The holy symbol itself is a surprise, but not recognizable. Dolan's eye... Much more so. "He did it." She murmurs to herself, sounding a bit shocked. She blinks and looks at Andelena in surprise. "Wait, he didn't tell you that he was planning this?"

Verna is expectant as she is suspicious. The moment that the artificial eye is reveal, she exhales. "His plan is enacted, then." She then promptly rises from her seat and offers Hunter her chair. "There is much to do. We-"

She stops cold at Auranar's comment makes her also re-evaluate. Her frown deepens. "He should have informed you." Another inhale and exhale. "Dolan is expected to be taken to the lycanthrope camp by Kol. He becomes the beacon to find their camp."

Andelena stares at Verna for a long, long moment. The words have to take time to sink in. But... the Sunguard doesn't explode with anger.

Instead, she sighs deeply. "Gods damn it, Bry," she curses. "He probably didn't tell me because he didn't want me to talk him out of it. Because... I probably would have. And now we're here."

She breathes in again and turns her eyes up towards the ceiling, like she's trying desperately to find something up there--answers, reassurance, or maybe just her composure. She seems to find the last as she breathes out again, her shoulders deflating a little.

"Okay. Dolan's the beacon. What's the plan from here? Who's coming? When do we strike? Because I'm not gonna get fucking sidelined. That's my man that Kol's got in his shitty little party and I'm not about to let that two-fanged /fuck/ have his way with him." Andelena's rather firm on that last subject.

Auranar lets the other woman have as much time as she needs to process. It's a lot. She can... relate. Her eyes slip toward Verna and then away again, remembering a little too clearly how she'd felt when she found out that Verna had gone willingly with the enemy and that she'd... Died. That, would _not_ happen this time! "We go in and get him out." Her voice is firm on this fact and she looks at Andelena solidly. "We'll scry his location, and then go get him."

"Then he is both wise AND foolish," Verna opines on Dolan's choice. Steps forward to gently retrieve the eye from the table, though most of her focus is upon Andelena. "With this, I can scry upon him. With that knowledge, I can take myself, yourself, and any others willing to him immediately. We will secure him. He is our first and highest priority."

She rises before continuing. "The second priority is to raid the camp to reclaim and secure as many of the totems as we are able. That is the purpose of locating their camp." There is a long pause before she notes, "Kol Demontry is -not- our goal. Not yet. The scrying spell requires an hour to cast. If enough are called and respond, we can depart as soon as it is complete."

Andelena scowls just a little when she learns that Kol isn't the goal--but the expression is tempered by the rest of Verna's explanation. "Okay," she says. "Flush out the fuzzy fucks, get the totems, get my man back. I can agree with this. Just... Fuck me in the ass." That's a mumbled expression of exasperation, /not/ a request, as she massages her face.

"I'm gonna need to offer up all the prayers I can," she says, hands still clamped to her face. "All of them. Daeus is the one, obviously, but probably wouldn't hurt to go pray to Althea and Eluna, either. Maybe more. Whoever will help me get Bry back and have him be okay when we get there. That we're not too late for..."

The thought hitches in her throat, and she shakes her head. "I can't despair," she says. "Not becoming of a Sunguard."

Auranar rises from her chair and moves to Andelena, kneeling by her seat and laying a hand on her hand. "It's okay to be upset and worried. I know how it feels to know that someone you love is in danger and... that there's nothing you can really do about it right then. It makes you feel so weak and powerless. If we can kill Kol while we're there... we will. But Dolan is the priority. Him and as many of the totems as we can grab."

She squeezes Andelena's hand reassuringly. "Despair might not be becoming of a Sunguard, but your a woman too, and that means that it's okay to cry if you need to."

Verna's thoughts are already shifting to her upcoming tasks. It is not that she is without worry or concern; far from it. She looks to Auranar: ever a bright spot; even through her own worries she is re-assuring Andelena. Verna is quiet for this, and moments after before she speaks.

"Aura..." Another pause as she considers, reconsiders, then re-reconsiders. "If you wish to accompany us... I only ask that you be cautious." The thought is both heartening and terrifying to her simultaneously, but Dolan is her friend and ally, as well.

Andelena looks at Auranar and offers her friend a small smile. "Thanks, Aur," she says, "but I already did enough crying last night. I'm sure I'll do more later. Right now, I'm just... filled with a desire to go out there and do /something/ more productive than wallowing at home like a wilting flower."

She shakes her head. "Maybe I ought to send a letter to my baby brother. I, uh--I reconnected with him. I dunno how much either of you know about my past, but that's a pretty big fucking step forward."

Andelena sort of scratches her head in thought for a moment. "Goes to show there's... You know, bright sides with the dark. Even with all the bullshit I've been through lately, there's still bits and pieces to celebrate."

A beat. "Where'd that cat of yours go to, by the way?"

Auranar nods, understanding Andelena's meaning exactly. She gives the other woman a gentle pat and then starts pouring out tea for everyone. She gives the first cup to Andelena, and then sets a cup down near Verna for when the other woman is ready for it. Lastly she pours for herself. "Reconnecting with family is a good thing, and you'll have a chance to do something to help Dolan soon enough." Here she glances at Verna and then sighs. "I'll stay behind Verna. I just... haven't learned enough magic yet to be more than a hostage."

"I do not agree," Verna notes firmly (firmly relieved?) to Auranar, "but someone does need to look after Hunter.." with that, and Andelena's mention, she suddenly thinks to look around for him. Unsurprisingly, the chair was not exciting enough for him. "...Not to mention come to my rescue, in the event such is necessary."

She concedes after a time, even as -someone- does his best to dart past behind her. Possibly towards a toy, or furniture, or persons; they are all toys, really. Rising, Verna turns her attention to the tea cup and takes an accepting sip, though she does not re-seat herself.

"Shit, I'd happily look after the cat if I wasn't expecting to be occupied with a raid," Andelena says, eagerly looking at Hunter as the boy-calico darts around with a little grin. "Y'know, I've got two calicos now with Bry. One of them's almost a year old now, and the other one's this tiny little thing we found at the barn where Bry's parents live."

She looks back at Auranar. "Y'know, sometimes big and flashy magic isn't all it takes to help people. You've got knowledge, and you've got baking skills, and sometimes all people need is a good meal to keep them going."

Then... her stomach gurgles. And Andelena sighs. "Fuck. I haven't eaten yet today," she says.

The wild elf laughs, setting down her tea cup and heading for the kitchen. "There is fresh baked bread to be had! I'll get you some. Would you like cheese with that? I think we have a couple of little apples left." There's not much fruit left to be had this late in the season, but she manages. Auranar busies herself in the kitchen, finishing the loaf she'd been working on, and putting it in the oven whilst she also cuts Andelena some bread from the fresh loaf.

Verna's eyes follow Auranar as she heads into the kitchen, a slight smile growing without any effort. "She is stronger than she knows, in so many ways," is softly commented as she admires. "Though her baking is renowned across Ea. By the spring, I will need to widen the door so I can still utilize it."

A wistful moment is chased with a last sip of tea. "I must begin preparations for the spell. Please, gather some rest, food, and comfort. We shall return him, and the totems." She then steps away to another room to begin her preparations, lest she might be diverted by Hunter, sweets, Auranar, or some combination thereof.

"Yes please, I'd /love/ some cheese to go with bread," Andelena says with a grin. "Don't trouble yourself with the apples, though. I know they're hard to come by this time of year."

The Sunguard looks to her own symbol of Daeus around her neck and looks contemplative. She lifts it up and inspects it, closing her eyes for a moment. "Knight will bring him safe to me," she says with conviction. "I know He will."

After a moment for the cutting of cheese, Auranar arrives in the kitchen with a plate full of bread and cheese. She sets it down within easy reach of Andelena and sits down in her chair, picking up her tea as she does so. "As Verna said, it will take about an hour to work the spell. Hopefully... Hopefully Daeus and Eluna will keep an eye out for him until then."

-End