"As close to human as you can get." Whixan uttered, eyes drifting off into the dark as though counting all the differentials in the empty space "But even if he is the same one as you believe, what would make you two so skittish about him?"

"He's a lying piece of CRAP. That's why." Rico sputtered out, still not moving.

John took in a breath, "There are a many rumors about him. Some people say that he's the leader of a third sect, one that rejects all Warden beliefs.

Other people say he's some sort of really powerful hybrid and thats he's been alive for centuries with magic abilities that rival the Warden Masters. Same people say he's here to destroy both Warden sects.

Kane believe's he's not even human. That he's some kinda evil spirit called Raven thats taken human form. He also said that he's just using the events here to his own end, manipulating everyone he comes across like pawns. Then again, Kane says a lotta crazy @#%$.

I don't know what to believe but one thing people tend to agree on is that he's up to no good."

Though reply hadn't been too far cry from what the boy had expected, he still felt a twinge of anger at Jonathan's insinuation. The person (or creature) Johnny had described cast about as much of a reflection to 'his' Michael as a charcoal black inglenook dose for the fire it holds. Then again, even though he felt secure in his judgment, there was still the strange nagging feeling he always got whenever the human was around. And though he hated the correlation, it would answer a few questions about Mike's peculiar nature,
"Its defiantly not the same person then," The cub said, voice resolved in its absolution, "That doesnt sound like Mike at all. Besides, I'd know if he had bad intentions."

Dammit.

Why did she have to be so soft-hearted? Not even five minutes had passed since that conversation with her mother and already those words were stabbing into her like knives. Ryn felt torn; one part of her didn't believe a thing Darlena said, yet another part did.

She decided to try and pretend it didn't happen. That would be for the best. After all, she never trusted anyone in this house, and she wasn't about to start, either.

She entered her room and immediately flopped on her large canopy bed on the other side. Rolling onto her back, she stared vacantly at the large window nearby. Silhouettes of tree branches outside seemed to sort of dance with the yellow orange light from the sun and the gentle breeze.

Then there was that dark figure that went zipping by...

"Wha--?"

"Stupid." Came Rico's cutting snort.

"Can it mama's boy." John fired back in a rather monotone fashion. The young fox just muttered and went quiet. John continued looking at the ceiling, "I'm not here to tell you want to believe kiddo, but Gallagher is up to something. Whoever he really is."

Whixan hummed flatly, eyes wandering again as he altered a few segments of the calculations.
"So what is going to happen then?" The kit said openly, looking back at the rabbit to judge his reaction. "From what you've said, I assume it has something to do with religion?"

"Not really sure on that. I really don't think anything has to do with religion anymore. Just fear, and ego's of the people in charge. All I know is there's only one clear choice in the matter, for me at least. Unless I want to live like this the rest of my life." The rabbit sighed and shook his head a little, "Guess you wouldn't know much about that though, being a noble an' all. Only noble that understands our situation is right over there," the rabbit make a slight jerking motion with his nose toward Rico, "And you can see what it did to him."

What... the...?

Quickly getting to her feet, Ryn half-scrambled to the window and pulled the curtains open...

Only to find nothing.

Deciding her mind was playing tricks on her, she turned away and headed towards the closet.

"I've been through enough for one day," she muttered to herself under her breath. "I'm going to bed."

In that instant something clicked together in Whix's head and the first line of a riddle was complete, the reasoning behind the young fox's false exterior.

"Only from the outside of a situation can you understand its complexity." The boy mused, voice brimming with revelation as he reciting some line of text. "and yet, he is far from the peripheral of events. Little wonder his confused state."

"oh, and I suppose you are then?" trailed the youth's voice from the opposing bed.

The child hesitated, "I thought I was. I wasn't exactly raised in either social circle. But now" He turned to Johnny, crossing his arms over the bedstead and resting his chin upon them to stare at the rabbit laid out upon the sheets "I find myself dragged into an equation with nothing after its equals sign, and with so many gaps and undecided functions that not even the best mathematician could so much as hazard a guess at its answer. Its all becoming scarier the more I think about it."

Something about whixan's demeanor shifted a little, like a pebble being dropped into the other end of a large pond, the ripples barely visible by the time they reached the side. He looked up toward the far wall, squinting at it momentarily as though he were trying to see though the stones themselves. After a moment though, he returned his chin to the bedstead, a deepening look of thoughtfulness his soft hazel eyes.

"Shadows..."

"My older brother once told me that fear can only effect us if we let it." The phrase was Rico's this time, and was perhaps the first rational thing he'd said.

John smirked and laughed a little, "You dork, I told you that." Rico didn't react, instead muttered back in a monotone voice, "I know."

John's smirk faded, an a wave of embarassment washed over him as the implication of that response settled in his stomach.

Night time can be something of an old hag as her time wears on into the early hours. The occasional passing of cars on the main road dwindle in frequency, leaving the space within the house empty and devoid of the random illuminations. A hollow darkness settles in under the awns of doorways and casts pail monotone over even the most colorful of decorations.
Having left the bedrooms behind, whixan found himself silently pacing the long corridors of the stately home. It was nice to be somewhere interesting for a change, as usually he simply remained in his room when the insomnia took hold. Here however there were ornaments to examine, paintings to admire and tapestries to gaze at despite the lack of light. Darkness, though its shadows concealed any number of horrors that his imagination could conceive, was one of the few times the child felt in charge of himself. Everything was quiet, orderly, his mind unhindered by the sporadic wisps of unnatural presences, a dull awareness of the residents slumbering peacefully in their rooms. Remnants of the day's trauma still lingered around the vestibule to the lounge and though silence had descended long before, Whix could still practically hear the shouts echoing through the calm dcor.

Ryn stirred as a cold breeze flowed gently over the sheets. It had began a few minuets ago and slowly but surely the persistence of the cool air against her fur had brought her closer to the very edge of slumber. Groggily the kitten turned over, opening one lazy eye by a hair to seek the source of her unrest, the burry shape of an open door meeting her irritated gaze. It happened occasionally, all it took was an open window somewhere to push open every door that wasn't fully closed. Yet she could have sworn that the door had clicked home when she first entered to bed down for the night. Mumbling quietly to herself, the girl prized herself above the oh-so tantalizing surface of sleep, propping herself up against one hand while using the other to rub the sleep from her heavy eyes. Until this point she had believed herself totally alone within the room, but it was as she massaged her eyes that a heavy sent of clean soap and slightly damp fur made its presence known. With an edge of confutation, Ryn removed the paw from her face, and finally noticed the dark figure stood at the very end of her bed.

"She's worried about you, you know."

The words only made the kitten puzzled as she struggled to identify this stranger in the darkness. "Who's there?" she questioned. "What are you going on about?"
Who ever was there didn't answer. Ryn had to admit, this silence was making her a bit uneasy; the almost frigid wind wasn't helping at all.

The figure lent in a little closer to the bed, moonlight filtering in from a gap in the curtains falling upon his young features.
"Your mother." The stranger said plainly, still staring with curiosity at the kitten "She's worried about you, though her reasons have altered since our arrival.".
Ryn's eyes focused upon the now lit face and finally placed the voice with an appearance. It was the kit that had arrived with the rabbit, leaning on the shallow bars of the bed end.
"But the question is, why are 'you' so worried? What are you afraid of?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Death..." The first word she spoke that came to mind. "I could never stand it, though it's a natural thing. My real mother is died when I was born, and now my adoptive mother says she's not going to be living for much longer... I hate it."

...Beacause I can never do anything to change it...

The cub paused as the silhouette of his ears fell to merge with the darkness that was his head.
"This place is filled with anger and self loathing." The kit muttered, "Yet there is also love. A strange sensation, like being both hot and cold at the same time what would you do?"
Ryn looked up a little at this question, its odd position leaving an edge of confusion where the answer was concerned.
"I know what I did, but what would you do? If they fell into silence?"

Ryn looked down at her hands, smiling a bit.
"Truthfully," she whispered, "I don't have a clue. It's quite... funny... I suppose it's what I get for being the way I am."
Ryn looked directly into the cub's face. "I wonder... do you think I can be responsible for another person's life? You know, raising them, just like a parent would? I certainly don't think I'm cut out for the job."

"Thats probably a good thing," The cub muttered, his head cocking to one side "From what mom told me, no one is ever ready for that kind of responsibility. But if you felt you were ready, it'd surprise you more."
Whix rested his chin on the edge of the bedstead, "then again, thats not really the true question, is it. What you should be asking is 'would you accept the responsibility should it ever be thrust upon you'?"

"mmfm..."

"TOBIAS!" The loud yelp made Johnny sit bolt upright from a quiet doze. He quickly shook his head and turned to the origin of the cry for a moment to seen Ricky holding his head in his knees.

"Whats wrong now kiddo?" The hare finally spoke in a carefully selected tone. The fox whimpered a little, "I had a dream that Toby hated me. But, but I don't know why."

John sighed, "You're too hung up on that kid man. You need to put a little distance between him and you, give him some room to breathe." Ricky shot a glare at the older boy, "Shuddup, I won't abandon him." The rabbit groaned in frustration, "I didn't say to... oh nevermind, just get some sleep."

He leaned back down and rolled away from the fuming foxboy. Ricky growled a little and tensed up, then relaxed and flopped back in the bed staring intently at the ceiling.

"Yes," the kitten answered with little hesitation. "If it meant protecting this kid from bullies like Nathan, then so be it. I... I won't let anything happen to 'im..."

She trailed off there, one part of her wondering just what she was getting herself into, while the other told her everything was going to be okay...

That is, until she thought she heard someone shouting through the wall.

"Then why worry about it? Questioning yourself isn't going to change how you would react, so why not leave the other questions alone until their answer is really needed?"
The cub visibly flinched as the muffled yelp drifted through the walls, as though the sudden sound had caused him to stub his toe on something.
"for the love of god, why can't he just stop shouting for once."
For what the kitten could make out, the child seemed to have become more distracted, his previous build up of fidgeting before the yell now turning to confused glances.
"no thats not his shout though, another one where's it coming from? The walls. Don't you hear that?"

Ryn nodded as she carelessly tossing the sheets aside as she set foot off the bed. It was the child's curiosity nagging her now, though the other issue at hand still hadn't remained unresolved in the back of her mind.

She turned to Whixan again. "I'm gonna check this out," she said. "Whether you're coming with me or not is up to you."

"No" whix muttered bluntly, eyes suddenly snapping back to the present time "its alright. He probably just had a bad dream or something. Nothing to..worry...about.." he trailed off again, gaze wandering and ears twitching to different angles as though trying to catch an almost none existent sound. "What is that?" He murmured again.
Gradually, the kit turned and began walking toward the door.
"I think I'd better go now. Sorry I woke you." and with that the kit carefully opened the lock and disappeared out into the hallway, still looking rather distracted and vacant.

Ryn couldn't help looking puzzled as the younger child left out the door. She couldn't go back to sleep now; she had too much on her mind.
Retrieving her slippers from underneath the bed, she walked over to the door and pulled it open.

She was going to investigate that noise she heard, whatever it was...

"Why are adults so stupid." Rico muttered to himself, "Why don't they listen? Why do have to believe stupid things?" The barrage of low aggressive questions quickly annoyed Jonathon back to an alert state. The rabbit sighed, "Because people who have no will of their own need something to cling to that quantifies their own existence." The fox snorted quietly, "That's retarded."

The rabbit raised an eyebrow, "Really? Why do you think you're so intent on 'saving' that squirt half-breed brother of yours?" Rico turned over and glared this time, "Because he shouldn't have to give up who he is because a buncha old douchebags say so." John smirked, "Really? Did you ask him what he wanted? Or did you tell him what he should want?" Rico ruffed and turned away again, "He trusts me, thats all there is to it. Kid that little shouldn't have to go through that."

Kinnear nodded, "But it would say him heartache later in life wouldn't it?" Rico let out a low growl, "I didn't see you getting in line to get your body mutilated. So shut up."

The rabbit shrugged, "You asked me first, I just answered." Rico snorted, "It's all Russell's fault, and Diana's not doing anything to stop it either." John sighed again, "I take it this is why you don't call them mom and dad?" the foxboy didn't respond, instead pretending to be asleep.

edit: ooc: will wright this in the morning, too late now.

Would you accept the responsibility should it ever be thrust upon you?

The question replayed itself again and again in Ryn's mind as she wandered the halls. She didn't really know where she was going; she just let her feet guide her. She was still on the lookout for anything suspicious, but she hadn't seen anything...

There's no reason for you to have to worry about anything. Just go back to bed and forget all this stuff happened.

Please. YOU gotta figure that out for yourself. Just remember what you're doing...

Ryn paused, remembering what Darlena said to her earlier in the day and what she said to Whix...

Do what you think is right...

If it meant protecting this kid from bullies like Nathan, then so be it. I... I won't let anything happen to 'im...

"Heh." The child looked up towards one of the windows, gazing at the moon through the trees. "I just answered my own question... How funny..."

He was listening to them again.

This was a bad thing.

He had tried to ignore them, distracting himself with various other things. But now the more he tried to wipe them from his thoughts the closer his attention payed to them.

Strange flickers of images and echoes of razed voices cascaded around him. A vast array of emotions from vulgarity to sincerity streamed through his every waking thought, constantly pulling his attention deeper into the unseen void.

The cub fell almost limp against the wall, catching himself with a hand and forcing himself further along the corridor. It wasn't that his strength was leaving him, more like it was getting harder to distinguish what he wanted to do, as though a tonic of various alcohols were causing through his veins. He clutched the side of his stinging head with his free paw, trying desperately to get to where ever it was he had been going before the attack had taken a hold. The gaseous outline of two figures fell through the doorway ahead, sprawling onto the floor in their brawl of fists and claws. Another shadow went running past, tears streaming through its fur as a barrage of sadness over took the lone child.
Finally, through all the tormenting screams of anger and violent surges of hate, a entrance encroached upon him. Gradually he steadied himself against the double doors and pulled on them weekly. They opened with ease unto a dining room, its long ornate windows bearing sight to the patio and grounds beyond, large glass doors leading out into gardens. Before them though, a shimmering distortion stood crouched and elongated. Eyes watering, the cub staggered forward, missing his footing and firmly introducing his face to the rose wood floor boards. Still bombarded by the unfaltering symphony of voices and screams, the child forced his head up, his attention immediately coming too the figure by the patio doors. Shadows and dusty mists were moving all around him, all centered around this one solitary event. His eyes focused, and stillness descended. Before him the shadow had been replaced by a lupine figure, sitting in mournful silence, the body of another resting in her arms.
She looked at him, straight at him, her bloodshot tear stained eyes instantly conveying every ounce of the horror and loneliness she felt in her bereavement.
Her scream of grief shook his soul, and briefly as the light around him faded, the eyes of Ryn looked back into his own

--

A sharp intake of breath heralded the boy's return to the world of the living. For a moment he thought that his experience the night before might have been a dream. But the cold stiffening along his entire body caused by his stay on the wooden floor told him otherwise. Slowly, Whix turned over on to his back and sat up, assessing his surroundings and rubbing his weary eyes from the burning sunlight that now poured though the day lit windows. Morning had arrived on time as always, yet his unconscious state had yielded little rest. Standing up, the kit looked down at where he had seen the figure, now not much more then a sketchy recollection of a terrible dream. He could have sworn that Ryn had taken the lupine's place in those last moments. But the subconscious can play such tricks on the weakened mind.
With a short sigh, the cub walked away from the room, eye deep set and looking worse for wear despite his now clean and de-grimed state.

It was a surprisingly short walk back to the rooms, but then again he was rather distracted. Silently he opened the door and slid through, taking against the wall with his legs pulled in close and waited for the others to awaken, if they weren't already.

Ryn had spent the rest of the night back in her bedroom, though she was never able to get back to sleep. The lack of sleep didn't seem to affect her as much as she thought, though if she decided climb back under those warm blankets, she'd probably stay there all day.

She was thinking about what she would say to Darlena; she probably would be expecting an answer from her right about now...

*WHAM!* The sound of something slamming outside startled the kitten, followed by a familiar, furious growl.

"ESTELLA!"

What could possibly be going on now?! Ryn thought as she irritably walked to the door and pulled it open. She didn't care what she'd find, she just wanted to give whoever it was a piece of her mind.

Johnny had been in a conscious limbo all night. The slamming of a door jolted both him and the younger boy to full alertness.

The growling voice once again aimed at the bucktooth of the household sent a a wave or paralysis over John's body forcing him to stay perfectly still and quiet. The yell had much the opposite effect on Ricky. The boy snarled and bounced to his feet, promptly yelping in pain and falling to the ground.

"Dammit!" The boy yelped out holding his still badly injured side and struggling to his feet anyway. "I swear I'm going to KILL that brainless dog this time! OW!" The small fox forced himself to his feet holding a piece of molding he'd apparently taken the time during the night to rip off the wall and hobble his way into the hallway.

Nathan stomped his way through the hall, ignoring the two cronies who were trailing at his heels. After slamming yet another door in rage, he yelled again at the top of his lungs. "ESTELLA, YOU GET UP HERE AT ONCE!"

"Uh, Nate," Terald spoke up in a small voice, "I don't think she's up here..."

"SHUT UP!" Nathan spat, raising his fist at the younger teen. "That rodent around here somewhere, I know it..."

"Don't you think it's rude to be making all this noise so early in the morning?"

The eldest adolescent looked up to see Ryn standing just a few feet away, arms crossed and glaring straight at him. "Don't you have anything better to do than throwing your muscles around?"

"You," Nathan drawled, making his voice sound as disgusted as he could. "Stand aside, I'm looking for someone."

"So I've heard." The kitten narrowed her eyes. "What do you want with Estella?"

"I don't have time to sit here and talk with the likes of you. MOVE ASIDE, RYN!"

"What do you want with Estella?"

"Uh," Terald started to say, scratching his head, "Dad says someone needs to call the hospital... I think Ma's gotten sick..."

As soon as the words reached her ears, Ryn's heart seemed to stop. Oh, no...
After a moment, she pushed her way past the trio and ran off, ignoring the strange looks she was getting from them.

She had a lot more to worry about now...

Whixan watched the young fox hobble away on his crudely fashioned crutch, ears twitching distractedly as more shouting followed. Curiously he glanced up at the bed upon which Johnny still lay motionless.
"I think everyone's angry again... You going to follow him?"

John blinked stammering out shakily, "Uh... no. You can if you want, I've learned not to go near that guy when he's got a weapon."

Whixan pushed aside his freshly groomed hair braid. It had been brushing against his eyelashes for sometime and now warranted attention, fur was so much more difficult to control without grease holding it in place. Silently he had to admit it was nice to be clean again, it was like shading several pounds and growing a new coat over night, an analogy that wasn't far from the truth either. Minus the grime and filth from the streets he still appeared remarkably presentable; his fur gleamed with a certain edge of vitality that could only be attained through a healthy lifestyle and he still looked relatively well fed despite his resent living conditions. The only thing that detracted from it in fact, aside from his scruffy torn clothing, was his deep set eyes that truly gave him a sickly nire pail appearance.

The cub glanced at the door briefly again, furrowing his brow and staring once more at the bedside "Its just a piece of plaster? ... hmm... never mind then."
Ignorant as the cub may have sounded, he had noticed the youth's unsteady tone. Truth was he was far too distracted by his own revelations to worry about that, and what he said next took an awfully long leap of faith.
"Jonathan. If you thought that you knew something, something important, but couldn't be sure weather it wasn't just something you'd dreamt. Would you still act upon what you thought you knew even without proof?"

The rabbit smirked, "That would depend on what it was. Most likely I wouldn't, I've learned not to act on anything until I'm positive. Gets you into more trouble than it's worth."

He paused and looked at the door, "Take Ricky for instance, he used to be the happiest kid you'd ever met. He had all the power and money of a noble, but he hung around with us and had the simple life of friendship and politic free world we do." He looked back at Whix, "I know you're wondering what happened. It's both simple and complex really, his father had an illegitament kid. That would be simple, right? But it's not, ya see, Ricky wasn't all that upset with his dad till he actually happened on the kid and his mother down in the slums. Kid was outside sitting quietly, mother was inside, dead. Rick's world came down around him that day. And for the most part the pieces are stilling slamming down around him now. The only way he's found to deal with it is to focus on his new little brother. Everything he does is to protect that rugrat, he doesn't make allowances or concessions for anything. In fact he's made some pretty damn poor decisions and assumptions about his family and his life. But I don't think there's anyway to knock any sense into him. He's pretty much a lost cause.

See what I mean about leaving things alone unless you're sure?"

The boy remained silent, staring into the floor with a semi-focused expression as Johnny's words sunk home along with the relevant peaces of the equation. Even a casual glance from a passing onlooker would have been enough to hear the gears of the boy's mind meshing in conflict, some parts knowing he should go on while others were already wound to far for comfort.
Finally, he came to an unheard conclusion, eyes remaining on the floor as he droned out the rest of what he had to say.
"Something happened here a long time ago. Something that was so bad it is still hurting people to this day. And what's more..." the cub's voice trailed off to a nearly none existant whisper, as though the very thought of it would trigger the event itself "..I think that same bad thing is about to happen to Ryn."

John shrugged, "I dunno man, you're the noble with the mind powers, not me."

Whix looked up at this comment, one ear slightly crooked though it was unclear what part of the rabbits reaction had given rise to the boy's response. However, his eyes soon returned to their original point on the polished oak boards, humming in a light sigh.
"Thing is what do I do about it? Ugh.. in fact forget I said any of that." The pup lifted his hands to cover his face, making small massaging movements over his eyes and temples as though trying to ease the stress "it was probably just another stupid dream anyway, why am I even worrying."

"Because it's gonna worry you 'til you stop being a damn coward and face it. Quit listenin to Mister 'Scared of the dogs' over there. If you think somethin bads gonna happen, @#%$ stop it." Came a snide growling voice from the door. Rick was in the doorway, put looking up and down the halls for any sign of other people, baseboard held like a sword.

Nathan made a noise that sounded something like a snort as he watched Ryn leave. "Hope she falls on her face," he muttered as he turned and started walking.

Robert was going to follow, but turned back to see Terald still rooted to where he stood.

"Ter, come on," he called. "If we don't, Nate's gonna clobber us."
"Didn't you feel that?" Terald asked.
"Feel what?"
"The fear... and the worry. Something's wrong here."
"Aw, come, on, Terry, it's nothing, 'specially with your brain. Let's go."
"You go." Terald started to in the opposite direction down the corridor. "I'll go make that phone call."

It didn't take Nathan long to realize that he was alone walking through the manor. Stopping in his tracks, he briefly forgot about them, noticing Rick's head popping out from one of the doors along the wall.
It's that Underwood kid again...

Whixan stared at the youth with an air of childish curiosity before shaking his head darkly as he turned his gaze back to the spot on the floor.
"No. I can't be sure, and worse things tend to happen when I try help. But surely you've felt it too? It's like a shadow is hanging over this whole place."

The cub whinced slightly, his left eye twitching involenteraly.
"Ugh, I can't think properly, there's too much noise."

Her mind was flooded with various thoughts as she raced through the corridors, all of them filled with dread as to what could happen or will happen to her mother or the life that had yet to begin.

As she finally reached the west wing of the manor, Ryn's running pace slowed to a walk, just in time to catch the taller figure of Vincent leaving the bedroom he shared with his wife up ahead. When he turned to see her heading his way, he froze.

"Ryn? What are you doing over here?" he inquired as soon as she was just a few feet away from him. "I thought I told Nathan to tell everyone else not to come this way."

"Who the hell cares?!" Ryn muttered irritably, reaching for the double doors. "I need to speak with Mom."

"For what?" Vincent questioned again as stood in her way. "I don't want anyone in there bothering her about anything trivial, you know."

His behavior was starting to tick her off. "None of your business, now move," she growled, keeping her voice low.

As though sensing her fear and anger, Vincent stayed silent for a moment, puzzled, before sidestepping past the child. If anything, he wasn't going to risk another shouting match with her.

Ricky's eyes suddenly narrowed more, his form tensed. He growled out into the hall, "Why don't ya take a picture, KAT, it'll last longer."

Whix had taken on a slightly vacant look, staring blankly into the floor boards as though his mind had suddenly deserted its mortal entrapment, leaving the body to mutter lowly to itself.
Almost in the same moment as Nathan's footsteps began moving up the corridor, a look of alarm suddenly overtook the boy's face, hands leaping up to his head to try cover his ears. His mumblings became more frantic and he tucked his head between his knees.
"no, not now. Every thing's going wrong... Why hasn't anyone tried to stop this? Your making no sense... stop it..."

"You... little runt," Nathan snapped as he advanced towards the fox, "What do you think you're doing here?!"

"... So, someone's coming straight here? Uh, all right, then. Can you tell 'em to hurry, please? Thanks a lot."
Terald sighed as he hung up the phone in his father's study. He felt glad to be doing something different for a change, even if it was sorta small. He may not be that bright, but he knew how to do something.
The adolescent's mind kept going back to the look on Ryn's face when she heard about their mother, and it made him worry a little. As he pondered about what he should do, he didn't notice Estella's footsteps approaching him from behind.
"Master Terald? What are you doing up so early?"

The master bedroom had to be the most elegantly decorated of all the other rooms she'd been to in the manor. Every time she set foot through the entryway it was like she'd never been in there before.
Usually, it would be a bright,warm, and vibrant atmosphere with the morning sunlight illuminating the place, but today, it was bleak, dismal, and uneasy.
Everything seemed so silent in the room except for her mother's labored breathing from the large bed on the other side, along with the kitten's own racing heartbeat and light footsteps.
As soon as she reached the foot of the bed, Ryn paused for a moment, hearing Darlena's voice speak softly inbetween each difficult breath.
"Ryn... I knew... you'd come here..."
"Who else would? I wouldn't let anyone be left alone while they're sick, you know."
"It's... okay, dear... That's why I knew..."
The child's expression became puzzled. "You knew what?"
"You'd make... a great older sister." Darlena smiled this time, making Ryn turn away in embarrassment. "You don't... have to worry. I can go peacefully now... knowing that my son's life will be in good hands."

IC:

With a few tentative taps, like a cub on a toy drum, the first droplets of water began to fall upon the roof of the car. Soon enough, the sporadic drips rose to a deep and heavy thrum, as the fresh band of rain washed over the city.

Kenji does have a supreme sense of irony...

The fox watched the water streaming across the car windows, still visible through the darkened glass. His eyes were weary from lack of sleep, and his body felt even moreso.

It had been a long trip, from his former life.

"My lord..." The cat sitting to the left of him spoke quietly. "...we are almost there."

Lord Kyle of House Glenrade glanced back towards his guardian with emerald eyes, a colour that had run in his tewe for generations.

"Excellent, thank you Todd." Generations... Was he to be the last of his line? Granted, his was but a minor house, but was this how Kenji rewarded years of service to the Warden? He gazed out again at the now-pouring rain.

Exile?

Some fifteen minutes' drive through city slums and sheets of rain, they had arrived. The black automobile pulled up to the kerb, the driver swiftly killing the engine.

"This is the safe house. Let's get you inside quickly m'lord, before anyone notices the car." Todd spoke, tension now rising in his speech and emotions. The bodyguard sitting on Kyle's right, a coyote, nodded in agreement and they both produced sidearms from their dark jackets.

Todd got out first, blinking slightly as the rain splattered across his ginger fur and whiskers. Scanning the sidewalk with well-trained eyes, he turned back towards the car and gestured.

All clear.

As he stepped out of the relative safety of the car, Kyle looked up at the building before him. It appeared to have been a warehouse originally, then refurbished as deluxe apartments in happier times, and now dilapidated and empty, decaying along with the rest of the slums. Broken windows, rusting iron and grafittied brickwork.

Welcome to your new home, the fox joked mirthlessly to himself.

Now flanked by both guards, Kyle approached the stairway up to the front entrance. Furtively - instinctively - he glanced either side of him, searching for anything out of place, any sort of movement, any source of dang...

"Come...come...for the poor..." A cracked and squeaky voice mumbled to his left. Immediately Todd and the coyote raised their weapons.

Approaching them was ...something... clad head to tow in rotting rags, bags and other assorted clothing, its hand grasping a dented little tin cup. Kyle couldn't make out the creature's face under the dingy, rain-sodden garments, or even its gender.

"Come on, you, move along now, we don't have any money." Todd moved forward and grasped the creature's outstreched arm, seeking to push the urchin off with minimal fuss.

Everything that happened next, seemed to happen in slow motion for Kyle.

With a single, sweeping motion, the 'beggar' threw off its disguise with its free arm, lobbing it into the cat's face. Startled, Todd released his grip, allowing the attacker to swiftly produce a long dagger, and plunged it into the cat's chest cavity.

Before the other guard had any time to react, a pile of rubbish and street debris to their right erupted, as another hitman, a wolf with a snarl of pure hatred across his face, blasted the coyote with three rounds from a semi-automatic.

Kyle ran.

Diving over the hood of the car, the fox deftly crossed the rain-slick street, trying to make his movements as erratic as possible. He glanced behind him, as the wolf moved after him, but not before putting another two rounds into the car to terminate the driver. Then, with a growl, the wolf took after him, letting off another couple of shots which richocheted off the brick walls of the surrounding buildings.

Sliding across the ashphalt, Kyle launched himself down the next adjoining street as fast as he could. Rain blinding him as he ran, he couldn't tell if the wolf was keeping up with him.

.........

Panting, lungs heavy from exhaustion and his fur and clothing drenched with rainwater, Kyle practically crawled up the front steps of ...he didn't know...some large building. He didn't know how long he had been running for, but he appeared to have lost his would-be assassins.

He had discarded his heavy jacket, and was wearing what was once a neat and simple white shirt and pants, with little in the way of personal belongings. Shivering slightly, he reached the threshold of the door, and reached for the knocker.

Kyle hesitated. He didn't know who or what was waiting for him beyond this door. His old life as nobility in the Warden appeared all but finished. He didn't have anything left to lose.

With that final thought, he knocked three times, as hard as he could, hoping someone would hear him. His body wracked with exhaustion, drenched and cold, Kyle's hold on the knocker and consciousness was slipping.

He collapsed.

OOC: Howdy. ^_^

ooc: welcome aboard. ^_^

The boy snorted, "Whatever I want, why don't you go lick Russell's boots or something like good little noble."

The start of his insult barrage was cut short by a commotion at the door. Knocking, then the sound of something falling against it. Ricky snorted, "Better yet why don't you go answer your own door. Or are you so stupid you have to have someone do it for you."

OOC: Hello there. 🙂 @ CTTF

I can go peacefully now... knowing that my son's life will be in good hands."
That last sentence echoed in Ryn's mind like a nightmare that wouldn't end.
"Don't say things like that," she finally said. "Do you really think dying is going to make everything much better?"
"No... I knew... I was headed for death, anyway," came Darlena's delayed response. "It was just... a matter of time.
It's been this way... for a few years now... It became... a lot worse after I found out... I'd be expecting again. Some mornings, I... I don't have the strength to get out of bed."
"I don't understand. Just the day before you were fine!"
"You never... know when things are going to change, Ryn... some things... are never definite, while others are. My death... is imminent. I just hope... I can hold on long enough... to see his face..." Darlena trailed off, shutting her eyes as her expression became suddenly pained.
At the same time, fierce knocking was heard coming from the door just downstairs, making Ryn as well as Vincent, who had been standing just outside the open door, panic.
"Stay here," the father instructed the kitten as he scrambled inside to retrieve his bedroom slippers, "and don't you dare leave her side!"

Much to his dismay, once again Nathan was forced to back down from the younger fox, only because he wanted to know who dared interrupt at a time like this.
Giving Ricky a nasty glare, he muttered, "I'll deal with you later."

Terald and Estella were the first ones already at the door by the time Vincent arrived in the front hall.
"What's going on here, now? Where are the doctors?"
Noticing that Terald seemed to be carrying something, he further inquired, "What is that?"
"Not 'what' Lord Vincent," Estella stated, "but 'who?'"
"He was lying on the front step outside the door," Terald spoke up, turning around to reveal an unconscious fox. "Dunno what he was doing out there, but--"
"What are you still doing, then?" Vincent snapped. "Get him to a guest room this minute!"
"Right away, sir," Estella said, leading Terald away from the open front door.

Kyle groaned, as warm cocoa slipped down his throat. Blinking awake, he found himself staring into the caring eyes of an elder female hare.

"Yes now, drink up friend, it's only cocoa."

Groggily, the fox sat up and glanced around to take stock of the unfamiliar surroundings.

"He's pretty awake for someone who was out cold just a few minutes ago."

Kyle's eyes immediately tracked to the source of the voice, a young cat who watched him with suspicion.

"Shush Terald, you don't know his circumstances. Show some good manners." An older cat stood next to the younger, chiding him. Turning back to face the fox, he introduced himself.

"Good friend, I am Lord Vincent Sonata, and this is my home. This is my rather...abrupt...son Terald, and Estella, our maidservant. And who sir, if I may, might you be?"

Kyle hesitated, noticeably. He couldn't feel any ill-will from the Lord Sonata, nor from the the other two. Should he give them his real name?

They were nobility, and even acted with some, which was more than he could say for a large number of lords and ladies.

"Kyle, sir. Kyle Glenrade...I thank you for your hospitality and apologise for the manner of my arrival."

"That is quite alright...it appears we are hosting a number of guests tonight. May I ask how you came by my residence in such a sorry state?"

The fox looked down, recalling the events that had brought him to this place. A wave of regret and sadness washed over him for the killing of his trusted bodyugards, but knowing he was in the company of a feline, he quickly covered up those feelings. They musn't find out. It was still too dangerous.

"I am afraid...that I cannot quite remember..." Kyle turned and pushed his legs over the side of the bed, before getting up and taking a few steps forward, appearing deep in thought.

"All I can recall is walking home alone from a dinner party...and, yes...I decided to take a short cut down a side road and ...no, I... just cannot recall what happened afterwards... I'm sorry."

Kyle knew that he could not hide his background as nobility - his speech and posture would have already given it away to the cats.

He could only hope and pray that his on-the-fly story would be accepted.

"Ha, if my brother was here you'd get an earful. He just loves talking about how strong the stupid nobility is." The cocky voice came from Rico, the curious youth had followed the commotion and was leaning against the wall opposite the room, arms folded with a scowl on his face. "Looks like you got tossed by a bunch of starving kids. I hope you at least had enough money on you to feed 'em."

Meanwhile Johnny still sat along in the other guest room. He seemed to be in a trance, staring blankly at the wall across from the bed he was sitting cross legged on.