[RP] Thorn - Fire and Ice

[Lordblackhawk]

Upon hearing the ladys words Lbh looks down, gathering his thoughts.

"The Lady of the Manor `departed` this world." he says.
"Her body became an empty shell, that which `was` her essence passed onto another plane of existence."

Lbh sighs.

"However, I for one, believe that somehow, someday she may return."

He looks at the lady.

"I know that sounds silly and stupid but....."
He looks around.
".......there are some things of which I am not allowed to speak of. That is why I have kept this Manor safe, against the day she may return."

"It will be something I will pass onto my son and onto his son if needed, until the day she comes back."

Lbh laughs softly.

"Sounds like I am rambling a bit but I just 'know' that she will come back to us."
"She loved this town and people too much to just leave them."

As he says those words he feels that shiver again up his spine but stronger now.

He looks at the lady and concentrating he can make out a familiar aura surrounding her.
Weak, but there.
However he 'feels' that is not the cause.
Casting his feelings out he senses it is coming from the Manor, from within the building itself.

"You feel at home here?" he asks.
"It is a large house to get used to but time will pass quick."

[Thorn]

Thorn watched the mentor as he began to speak again and saw his need to think before answering. She heard his words and was confused. Her essence? What did he mean she wondered. This man believed the lady of the Manor would return, and yet from his words she knew she had died, though he did not say how.

How can you be so sure she will come back if she... if... Thorn looked at him confused, unable to hold back her question. If someone dies there is no choosing to come back. It would be over.

Thorn felt a paid in her chest as she spoke, the last words hurting her as she said them, her voice trailing off. She looked at him, and then in the direction of the Manor building, her mind going to her baby, feeling a pull to be near her.

Its as though I am home, yes, Thorn answered him quietly. It is big, and I have not looked in many of the rooms, she added thinking how the day she moved in the only rooms she went near were the kitchen, library and sitting room downstairs, and the large white bedroom upstairs. She had almost started to explore the other bedrooms but on going near the door to one near the top of the stairs she had felt such evil and backed away feeling cold. Thorn shook her head to shake the growing feeling of panic. Looking at the mentor again she forced herself to smile.

Would you like to come inside... have a drink with me? she asked him, adding almost in a whisper, Please.

[Lordblackhawk]

"Have a drink?" Lbh says.
"On a day such as this it would be most welcome, thank you."

He stands up and awaits for the lady to lead the way.

Suddenly he 'senses' a dark force!

Calling on the powers he casts a protective invisible shield around himself and the lady.
With the shield in place his mind seeks out the source of the 'dark'.

It appears to be coming from the Manor!

Looking sideways at the lady he says.."Would you mind if I took a look around the Manor?"
"Just for old times sake."

[Thorn]

Thorn is relieved when the mentor accepts her offer of a drink and stands and takes a step towards the Manor when she paused at the sound of his voice. She looked at him, and then simply nods.

I will take you round if you wish that, she said nervously, then puzzled as to why she felt this, and something similar to what she had been thinking of just before.

Come, let us go get that drink, she said walking to the Manor, weaving through the garden as though she had done so all her life. She felt a strangeness near her and wondered if she had been too much on her own of late. She nearly laughed aloud as she thought how she was never alone, Annabel always with her... usually.

Reaching the Manor Thorn opened the door and stepped in. Come this way, she said smiling to the mentor as she walked immediately to the sitting room where she had left Kathryn with her daughter.

[Lordblackhawk]

Lbh escorts the lady into the Manor.

He smiles as he sees the little girl with Kathryn.

Looking closer he senses that the child is more than she seems but decides to say nothing....yet.


"I see that you have settled in and found some staff." he remarks to the lady.
"The Manor feels better now it has someone living in it."
"Are there any rooms that appeal more to you than others by any chance?"

Lbh looks at the lady, "Perhaps now would be a good time to show me around."

[Thorn]

Thorn saw that Annabel was chuckling and waving her legs about when she entered the sitting room and hurried to her daughter smiling.

Hello sleepy head, Thorn smiled, scooping the baby up into her arms, and cradling her, her eyes checking her silently before looking to Kathryn. Would you go see to some drinks for myself and the Mentor... in here thank you.

Thorn waited for the girl to leave the room before she turned her full attention to Lbh. She nodded to him as he spoke.

The staff it seems used to work here for the previous lady, Thorn answered quickly, looking to the door where Kathryn had just left. She could not form the thought that flitted into her head, confused she shook her head and turned to Lbh again. The Manor has it's own soul... there feels as though there is a presence here at times... I don't know. I'm talking nonsense.

Thorn frowned, glancing down at Annabel who seemed to be listening to her, watching them. It made Thorn uneasy at times when she watched Annabel. It was as though she knew, but she was just a baby.

I spend too much time alone... I need something to occupy my mind, Thorn said more to herself but aloud and she looked at Lbh, unsure how to explain what was in her mind.

Rooms... there are many rooms here, Thorn said before his question registered properly. Oh my favourite room is the library... all those books, and the different languages and the wide range of subjects. Thorn stopped, remembering how that first day she had known what bedroom to go to, to call her own. Then she shivered. The room at the top of the stairs to the right... it scared her.

[Lordblackhawk]

Lbh watches as the lady picks up the little girl.

Unseen by any without the `sight` to "see" such things he `see` a ribbon of ethereal light reach out and connect the two of them.

Lbh raises his eyebrows in surprise.
He had heard of such a phenomenon from his tutor `The Hooded Man` but never witnessed it before.

He looked more closely at the little girl and could see that behind the baby eyes that there was another presence.
Probing gently with his senses he `felt` the presence was, somehow, familiar.

"You say the library is the place that is your favourite room." he says to the lady.
"And the little girl. How does she feel about such a big house?"
"She have any rooms which she likes?"

While speaking to the lady and at the mention of favourite rooms Lbh can `see` the ribbon glow brighter.

[Thorn]

Thorn saw the look Lbh had on his face as she picked Annabel up but said nothing. She just assumed he had thought of something. She had the distinct impression Lbh must have known the previous lady well.

Yes the library intrigues me, the books, the space... Thorn said, glancing down at Annabel gurgling in her arms, looking across at Lbh. Thorn watched her daughter looking at the mentor and smiled. She seemed so much more awake these days, especially since the move. It was as if this Manor had woken her, yet at the same time Thorn felt unease at times, the familiarity of things, or rooms, the servants... Nothing made sense and she was unable to put her finger on what ever was controlling... and she felt there was some force controlling things here.

Annabel gets excited when we go to the library. But this room, Thorn said looking round smiling, her eyes passing by the piano. In here she is most able to rest. I don't know why but elsewhere Annabel won't sleep for long. The Manor being large doesn't bother me or her, though there is much we haven't looked at yet. We have our rooms.

As Thorn spoke she smiled, and Annabel smiled at her at the same time.

[Lordblackhawk]

Lbh listens to the ladys words.

"This room is the one she is happier in you say."
"It was always full of music maybe that is why she feels more comfortable here."

Lbh smiles at the two of them.

"Children always seem to be able to sense these things."
"Some more than others."

Lbh walks to the piano and presses some of the keys.

"Still in tune I can hear."
"Now, thats unusual. Most go out off tune when not used."

Once again he can `feel` something, something `calling` to him but he cannot place where nor what.
Deciding to wait and see what happens if he lets it find its own way to him he says, "You havent explored any of the other rooms yet then."
"When you do may I ask you a favour."
"If you happen to come across anything which may have belonged to the previous Lady, can you let me know?"
"She left very suddenly and may very well have not taken everything with her."

Lbh looks at the lady.

"It could be something small that she overlooked."

[Thorn]

Thorn nodded at Lbh's words, watching as he walked to the piano. The moment he pressed some keys Annabel's eyes went to the man, and Thorn sensed something. She could hear music, and shutting her eyes picked out a violin, unable to see who or where, then she felt the music, the piano flow through her.

Please don't do that, Thorn asked Lbh looking at him, a little shaken by what she had just felt. She thought a moment at his request. It was an odd one, and she was confused.

That she left? From what you and the maid has said I thought she died? Thorn blushed feeling stupid for having to ask. Yet everything seemed to point one way, and then now... it made no sense. There is a drawer in the dressing table that holds clips and a hairbrush. Is that what you mean? She paused and looked down at her daughter. Maybe if you would like I can show you the library, and the bedroom which I have assumed was hers... and the room that scares me... would you go in there for me?

Thorn held her daughter to her, waves of fear coarsing through her, sensing unease in her Annabel, unsure if it was her own fear, of her baby's.