[RP] A Home Coming

[thorn]

Thorn scowled at the cat.

That breed, she nearly spat the last word out in anger. Never mention it to me again.

Thorn took another sip of her brandy. Thinking. Hearing the cat's thoughts about her drinking she shook her head.

A drink is as good here as anywhere, she thought. Don't nag...

[Duke_of_Earl]

[-They-who-must-not-be-named- it is then.]

[That which dulls the mind is as good in the library where the sharper the mind the greater the glean?]

Duke begins walking back and forth along the table looking while looking at Thorn
[It is interesting how much stronger your power seems now you are angry - to be able to hear me so well; and not one word impressions. It should not necessarily be so. Not to worry though. You aren't the first to have such power who first needed anger to tap it before learning focus.]

[thorn]

Thorn was quiet, keeping her eyes om the cat, her mind blank as much as she could. It had been a while, but she would learn that trick again if it gave her peace.

My mind is clear as a bell, Thorn said sharply.

The cat's walking back and forth made Thorn nervous, and she did not like the feeling. Stop the pacing, she growled.

Anger? You think... do you want to see anger? she asked. I hear you clear. What are you going on about cat? I don't have a problem hearing your whining nags.

Thorn stood up suddenly, still holding the glass, and reaching down she grabbed the bottle, turning to walk across the library the way she had entered before. At the door she opened it, and leaving it open, she left the library, moving across the hall to the sitting room where she pushed the door to after her, leaving it only slightly ajar, and walked to the piano where she set the drink and bottle on top. Quietly she sat down, and running along the keys she listened to the sound, then shutting her eyes, positioning her fingers about the keys she thought of some music and began to play, all other sounds shut out of her mind.

[Duke_of_Earl]

[The brick wall is easier to master than the stillness of thought; the focus on one is the easiest to learn. The easiest of hard skills of course. You will master each technique with the fullness of time.]

Duke blows another sigh from between his nostrils
Even being a cat, I know how Brandy works.

Duke leaps up onto a chair then up onto the table. He stretches sits back on his haunches.

[Yes, anger.
No I do not particularly want to see anger, especially not when it is dared to be directed at me.
You do now, yes.
I am going on about how your depth and range seem to have expanded significantly over the course of a single conversation and long before I ever expected it would.]

Duke stands up again arching his back and raising his hackles. He hisses most harshly at Thorns last comment. As she leaves the library Duke settles back down on the table and begins to groom himself furiously.

[thorn]

A little later a tired Thorn stood up from the piano, having been sat a while, her glass now emptied, sat on the top of the piano. She had heard the cat's responses to her words before leaving the library and had chosen to ignore him, till now. Thorn smiled wondering if the silence she heard now was because he had found rest, sleep. She hoped so. There was too much for her to take in, and she had felt bombarded by him. Thorn had not understood what the cat, Duke, had meant about her thoughts. All she knew was that when she focused on music, the playing of it, she was able to shut all else out.

Glancing at the brandy bottle Thorn was tempted to pour herself another glass, but the two large glasses were enough. Leaving the sitting room Thorn looked at the door to the library, turning towards the stairs, and walking quietly, not wanting to be given a lecture for anger.

You'll learn I need time to process things, and when you learn that you will know not to push me, she thought to Duke as she started to climb the stairs.

Reaching the top of the stairs Thorn turned towards her room and reaching it entered, finding a lamp on, probably left for her by Kathryn. Closing her door Thorn prepared herself for sleep, and when ready she turned out the lamp and got into bed.

Thorn did not sleep well that night. When the first light began to shine into her room Thorn stirred, waking lazily. She laid still for a while, eyes still shut, before finally opening her eyes and sitting up. The house was still silent. Getting out of bed she went to where she left her clothes and quietly dressed, getting her brush from the dressing table and brushing through her hair.

Leaving her room Thorn went downstairs, walking to the library, entering quietly and looking round.

[Duke_of_Earl]

You find Duke asleep on the table in front of the tray, his head lowered over his front paws, a gentle purring emits in a steady rythem.

[thorn]

Seeing the cat sleeping on her desk Thorn quietly walks over to it and gently scoops him up into her arms, careful of startling it and the claws.

Lets go find food, Thorn said quietly moving towards the door behind her desk that led into the morning room, the warm sheltered room.

Thorn smiled to see a fire already lit in the fireplace. Kathryn must already be up, and that meant work might be in progress in the kitchen. Going to the fireplace she pulled the bell rope and then moved to sit in an armchair to the side of the heat, settling the cat on her lap, wondering if he would stay there or want down.

[Duke_of_Earl]

Duke opens his eyes, yawns, stretches out, then tottles in a circle a moment before plopping back down.
He turns his head a moment taking in the surroundings than puffs some breath out through his nostrils.

[Morning.]

[thorn]

Thorn looked at the cat silently, interrupted by Kathryn who hurried in.

Ahh, there you are, Thorn said quickly. Any chance of breakfast... not just me but this bag of fur?

Kathryn nodded slowly, casting a look at the cat and wondering what might be in the kitchen for an animal.

Thorn waited for Kathryn to leave the room before looking again at the cat.

If you're going to be staying around we'll have to find you somewhere to sleep... not my desk, she said quietly.

[Duke_of_Earl]

At the comment about being a bag of fur, Duke promptly hacks up a hairball onto Thorns lap.
In reply to her next comment, Duke thinks:[Your bed?]