Post by Liessel on Apr 22, 2024 12:48:02 GMT -5
Travel by train was better than coach, but it did have its drawbacks. She'd come to Edinburgh via a line that needed to make its pitstop there, and a return trip to England, which left her with the need to find lodging for the night. It was expected, and had been accounted for, all the same Liessel found herself walking the streets near the train station with a slip of paper in her hand. Quick glances were made to it, and then looks were shot up at buildings as she passed. Her other hand was heavy, burdened by the weight of a bag that carried her change of clothes for this trip.
She had decided to travel light, bringing only that small bag made of paisley carpet. The tortoise shell handles picked up and matched some of the red-brown threads that off-set the gold that ran through the design. She was dressed for travel, her clothing light weight and comfortable, if something could ever exist in London fashion.
On a street corner, she stopped and placed her bag down at her feet, looking at the paper again and then the street sign that hung above her.
Adeline Webber knew she needed to return home soon if she were to make it home by curfew. The last thing she wanted was to be locked out of her flat for the night because she lingered too long in Edinburgh chasing memories and ghosts.
She walked with him along the street discussing spectral dragons and flying airships.
He shot her a sharp look at the sound of the name. The pull on his mouth was almost a smile, but for how tight it was. It transformed into a silent snarl when he shook his head. "How many more mutineers am I carrying?" he muttered before eyeing her again.
Her heart ache was more than enough to pull her back into the present.
A present where she could have sworn there was Miss Eprhale standing at a street corner, looking at a piece of paper with her bag on the ground. Hastening her steps, Adeline hurried to the corner, clearing her throat loudly to make sure any nearby piickpocketers would see the young woman was clearly not alone.
"Miss Erphale?' Adeline asked, unable to think of anything clever to say with her confusion being so strong. "You are a long way from London."
Miss Erphale?
The paper was lowered, the mentioning of her name had her looking about swiftly enough until she spotted Adeline coming her way. There was a quick stoop, a little drop to grab up the bag at her feet, before she was moving to meet Adeline as she got closer.
"Miss Webber! A pleasant surprise!" Her smile was warm, but brief and bled into a small nod, "I have some business in Fortingall regarding the research of my home. You are here -- visiting your family?"
Had she told Liessel about her family? It was hard to say. Perhaps she heard it through Aurelia or the Flynns, then.
"Uh, yes." She nodded. "It has been some time since I've seen them. They are restless but well."
"I am glad to hear they are doing good," There was sincerity there, and another little nod. After a moment Liessel shifted the weight of the bag she carried from one hand to the other, "I don't imagine there are any clues as to when they'll be free to return to England, is there?" Because the last she had heard, the dragon was still out there somewhere, and things were still very much questionable in those regards.
Unknowingly confirming Liessel's suspicions, Adeline nodded and said, "The dragon is still out there with Dole on the hunt. It is more complicated than that as the bounty is the true reason why they have not returned to London."
She cleared her throat, taking a half step back to increase the distance into a formal space. "You said you were researching your home in Fortingall?"
Suspicions confirmed, Liessel felt herself frown slightly, but Adeline changed the subject and that gave a little room for her thoughts to ease away from the topic of dragons and headhunters. "I was told," she answered Adeline with a small nod, "By Missus White and Lady Ashbroom that there is a yew tree there that might know the names that were listed in one of the scrolls that Avery and Felix found in the Surveyors' care. I'm heading there to see if the tree will speak with me."
"Oh! So you've only just arrived and not departing?"
She cast a glance to the setting sky. It would be dark soon.
"Yes, that is correct," Her frown had eased off with the changing of subjects, replaced by a tentative smile that seemed on the verge of slipping away from her as she turned to look up the street one way and then the other, "My connecting train for Fortingall departs tomorrow morning, so I am here for the night. The only trouble is, I cannot seem to find my hotel."
"You have not made payment for the night, have you?" Adeline asked, eyeing the streets for some time though not truly taking note of them.
Her mind was elsewhere.
"No, not yet. Mister Fletcher helped me make the arrangements, but I was to pay once I arrived to claim the room," The little piece of paper with the address on it was still held in her hand, now slightly crumpled from making the journey tucked into her pocket. Liessel let go of her own searching and frowned down at the little note before looking up Adeline's way. Adeline, who looked as if her mind had flown back to England on wings of its own. "If you could point me in the right direction, I would be so grateful, Miss Webber."
"What if I were to point you towards another direction?" Adeline asked. "Fortingall to be exact."
For a moment the idea hung there between them while Liessel's mind latched onto the idea. Within her head there had been a whole map laid out of where to be's, and when to be there's, and this notion caused that entire list to implode on itself faster than she could breathe the words, "You know how to get there?"
"I might know someone who can." Adeline said, looking around the city streets once more. "How long was the travel to be if you left tomorrow morning?"
"A full day's ride, by train. We were to depart here, with stops in Falkirk, Stirling and Perth before going to Fortingall." Adeline was told, Liessel's brow creasing as she resurrected some small piece of the trip's itinerary within her head.
"'We?'" She looked around then. "Is someone to meet you here then?" '
"No," The shake of her head was gentle, "I had meant me and the other passengers on the train. Mister Fletcher has remained behind to help Mister Whitmoor and Mister Larrow with a case that Adam brought to us. I am making this journey on my own."
So many Misters. Adeline only recognized a few of them. Taking in a slow breath, she cleared her throat.
"I can take you there tonight or you can stay at the arranged hotel and we can depart in the morning. The choice is yours, Miss Ephrale."
"If we leave tonight you will not be missed? That is, you have no prior engagements to see to?" The question was asked carefully with Liessel weighing out both the options and what a trip like this might do for the strained relationship she shared with Adeline.
"There is no one in London to miss me." Adeline replied with the shake of her head. "I can take you there tonight or first in the morning. Whatever you wish." She paused, her brows pushing together with thought. "We will need your hotel room either way."
"Let us go tonight, then," Liessel said, offering Adeline the little slip of paper she'd been holding. On it was written a few addresses -- the stops she'd had to have made on her way to Scotland -- along with the address for her hotel in Edinburgh, and her hotel in Fortingall. The handwriting was crisp and clear, and in English, with the lines of it bold and strong. It was not Liessel's handwriting. "I am anxious to get there."
Unfamiliar with Liessel's handwriting, Adeline took the page and looked it over carefully. Then she was glancing at street signs and the movement of carriage traffic before nodding.
"The hotel is this way." She directed before heading off in the proper direction. "You're actually very close to where you wanted to be. The hotel is nearby."
With a little dip, Liessel had her bag back in hand and was making quick work of catching up to Adeline. It was only a quick step, or two, that it took her to come up even with the young reporter, "I thought for sure I was going to be out here all night trying to find the place," She said with a relieved sigh as she came up even with Miss Webber, "Thank you so much, Adeline."
Adeline's shoulder stiffened a hair. Forcing them into a more relaxed position, she simply nodded. "You're welcome. When we arrive at the hotel, I will need you to ensure the room has a fireplace and milk sent to the room." She paused. "Oh and sugar. We will need some sugar."
"Fireplace, milk, and sugar," Liessel gave Adeline a little glance, tearing her eyes away from watching the buildings and street ahead of them, "Something -- to help you sleep?" She guessed, having heard that some made it a habit of consuming warmed milk, sometimes sweetened, before bed.
"No. I," Adeline's face pinched. "I apologize, Miss Eprhale. I should give you some background so that you may decide if this is the best course you wish to take. I have an associate who can move us through sets of tunnels within Faerie that will connect to different points in the world. Sort of like your, uh what is it called, Limbo? It's how I am able to visit my family as often as I'm able."
"Is -- " That one word snaked its way out of her mouth and then stopped there, cut off by Liessel as she shut down the rush of thoughts that came to her. She took a moment afterward, breathed, and then gave Adeline a small nod and tried again, "Limbo is a dangerous mode of travel, I would not recommend it lightly. This mode that you use -- you trust it, or you would not be suggesting it. I will trust you here, Adeline. If you say it is safe enough to use, then we will use it."
"I trust it. The Fairy that runs the transport, I know them well and they know my bloodline. We have an agreement and an arrangement. Stay on the path and stay close to me. You will be fine."
"Oh," Liessel let go of a nervous laugh and said, "I would not wander even if my feet would want me to. I have no desire of getting lost in Faerie. But this Fae that you know, would you be able to speak to them on my behalf? It concerns the case that I left in the hands of the gentlemen in London. If not -- that is alright, I just thought I'd ask since it is Faerie that is of concern in our case."
"What is the case?" Adeline asked.
"A young woman, about our age, disappeared from a farm outside of Bristol. Her name is Mary Hodgkins. Her grandparents, Dame Cora Murphy and Mister Winston Hodgkins, have asked for our help in finding her. Adam did a reading for them, and is absolutely sure she is somewhere in Faerie, stuck."
A woman lost in Faerie.
"Of course. I will speak to my associate tonight as we make our walk and see if there is a way to help." Adeline said before hesitating. "Might I.." She paused, sucking in a deep breath. "Would it be too many to help if I asked to join the case?"
"Honestly, Adeline," Liessel told her, "I had wanted to ask, but did not want to impose. Without the Flynns, Mister Whitmoor and I have been trying to figure this out on our own, with Mister Larrow, and it very much feels as if we are in over our heads with this. I will gladly take all the help we can get."
"I will help." She nodded. "I'm not certain I have the skills that you or the others do. But I'm quick on my feet and I know a small bit about Faerie." Granted, her experience did not go far beyond the Fens and the tunnels but it was a start for certain.
"Thank you, Adeline. I think we both know just as much about Faerie as the other," A small smile was shot toward Adeline, and the weight of her bag hefted from one hand to the other as they walked, "Adam has some friends from The Bells looking for her already, but it is tricky work and so far he's heard nothing back from them, and I had the thought of going to The Fens to see if I could figure out a way to see if I could reach Cyrus, but so far I've had no luck. Other things have gotten in the way of that."
"How have you tried to reach him?" She asked, looking over at Liessel as their hotel was coming into view.
"The plan was to head down, Eli and myself, to speak with Mother Willow and see if we could get some direction from her on what to do. But my business with Missus White has sidetracked those efforts a little bit for me. I asked Eli to wait until I get back as I would not send him down there with Adam, or Mister Fletcher. I know Mister Fletcher is capable, but I still do not like the idea of it. And Adam is struggling enough without the added stress that The Fens might bring to him."
Adam was struggling...
Adeline made a note to address that later.
For now, she cleared her throat. "The business with Missus White that has sent you here?" She concluded with a quick glance to Liessel.
"Yes, the names that I took to her," Liessel answered, giving a nod, "She recognized The Guardians, she knew their names to belong to giants of an old, and ancient age. But she didn't know them, and she knew not the names of The People that I had taken to her. She suggested that I talk to The Yew to see if it recognizes any of them. If The Yew does not know them, and cannot guide me toward another who would, then I am not sure what my next step will be. So, I am here and hoping that the Yew will let me hear its voice."
"I think we might need to go further down the street." Adeline said, when it became clear that their hotel was not the Hillcrest Inn. In fact, they were standing before The Shoebill. Leaving the front door of the hotel, she thought about Liessel's quest.
"It is an interesting tale to learn." She said. "Certainly, our own historians have searched for many years, looked into odd and unusual sciences and religions, to explain how we came to be. It seems fairly natural that you would want to know more about your own people's origins. Especially you," She looked at Liessel then even as they navigated through the busy streets of Edinburg. "After being kept in the dark for so long about so many things."
Liessel followed with, deftly ducking past any that would cut between herself and Adeline as they came down off the steps of the hotel and started their way further on, "The ties all look so obvious. The evidence that I have clearly points to the connection between worlds. So that isn't really at all what I am interested in. It is the how of it. How did they get people from here to go with them to Harroway? Why did they choose the people that they did? Who was left behind when they went, and how did those who were left behind cope with the fact that they had loved ones who had gone?" She shook her head slightly, shifting the weight of her bag from one hand to the other again, "And there is more than that -- more personal to me than just that general knowing. When I was with Missus White, I saw a --" She almost said the word vision, but that hardly seemed fitting so she stopped herself and stumbled over it for a moment before settling on, "something. It had to do with Ki-- It had to do with Arthur."
"Some of those questions you might never know the answer to." She said at the little pause when Liessel shifted her bag. "You might never know what those people did or how they felt." Her shoulder shrugged. "Then again, maybe you might. It's not strange to think people wrote their grief, fears, hopes, or whatever they felt and that those written journals are still around."
Though they would have to be quite old, she surmised without trying to dash Liessel's hopes.
Missus White.
Ah, yes. Adeline was eager to learn what came from the visit with their slippery friend who had a penchant for incandescent meetings.
"What did you see?"
It was a reality, she knew. The knowledge was so old, and there were so few left who could even recall hearing stories about such things. She gave Adeline a nod. Those were the ghosts she was trying to follow, the reason for the hunt. It wasn't impossible, but it was unlikely.
"I saw him lying there at her waters' edge. He was injured and dying, and tending to him was a woman who was deep in her heartbreak over his condition. But it was more than seeing," Liessel's brow furrowed as she recalled feeling her hands move even though they were still, and feeling the coolness of the water against her skin even though her hands were dry, "I felt everything she did. I breathed with her lungs and heard with her ears. I saw with her eyes. I saw him the way she saw him. Her name is Koulm, and she loved him."
"What do you think seeing that vision means for you?"
"I'm still exploring that with Missus White. If I were to guess, given how I felt while seeing what I saw, I would say that there is a piece of her in me," Her free hand came up and rested over her heart as they walked, "Her heart beat as my own. I've never experienced anything like it before, but when Missus White asked me where I felt her it was there. It was like we were one in the same."
"Perhaps you are a descendant?" Adeline guess.
Liessel considered that for a long moment as they made their way down the bustling street they were on. "The ties of the Second Born," She said the words softly, rolling the idea around in her head. It was not the first time it had come to her, but it still required consideration, "If that is so, I wonder if that is why my reaction to Arthur was so strong. Everyone else was able to overcome it in some way. I had not been able to. I could feel it, even through what I saw in the waters."
She nodded. "It could be an explanation. Though I do not think anyone faults you for what happened that way. Not even myself."
"I know, but it was consuming. It did take my focus. It changed my perception of things that happened that day. It was stifling, Adeline. Everyone else seemed to pull themselves from it so easily. I know, for fact, that neither of the Flynns felt it. And Ethan, he was able to free himself with the tasks he was given throughout the day. Did you feel it, too?" She asked, eyeing Adeline with a little sideways glance as they walked, "If so, what was it like for you?"
"I felt something at first." She admitted. "Some pull or draw and I hated that. I hated it with every fiber of my being because I cannot allow... I will not allow myself to be pulled in one direction or another. First and foremost, it will be my choice if I follow someone. And Arthur had done nothing to earn my loyalty. He did nothing to deserve that reverence I initially felt. Him simply existing was not enough for me to fall into his boon."
"So it was your hate that allowed you to overcome the pull of it?" She had turned back to watch where she was going, and now found herself glancing Adeline's way again.
"My circle is small for a reason." Adeline met her gaze. "King's and their boon do not automatically merit access to that circle."
Stubbornness, then, or perhaps strength of will, Liessel thought. But strength of will -- how many different ways could that be measured?
She blinked, the natural motion batting away that thought with the ease of her eyelids' movements, "I must admit that I wish I had possessed that same fortitude against it. It seemed so easily done, your fighting it off."
"The Flynns and Aurelia made it look effortless." She admitted.
"Avery and Felix didn't feel it at all. They were utterly unaware of it and did not understand the depths at which it could be felt until I had been driven by it to run off after the Drake. If Aurelia felt it, I couldn't say. I haven't talked to her about it yet. But I do know the Flynns were blind to it, so it wasn't effortless for them. They needn't put any effort into it at all."
"Well," She took in a quick inhale. "Everyone is different. It is good they were unable to fall into it's rapture and I am sorry that you felt it as deeply as you did."
Everyone is different.
Liessel gave a nod to that, the low profile had she wore shifting not an inch from where she had it pinned up in her hair, "I am only glad that no one else form our group was as swept up in it. I hope, and pray, that it is a force we never run into again."
"If we do, then at least we are better prepared for it." Adeline replied. "Ah, I think that is your hotel just ahead."
Beside Adeline, Liessel craned her neck a little to see if she could spot the hotel from where they were. As Adeline had said, she wasn't too far off the mark for the place. Liessel just hadn't gone down the street far enough. As if confirming that for herself, Liessel cast a glance back over her shoulder to see just how far away she had been, "That is, certainly, the truth," Settled on the idea of the distance, Liessel was looking back to Adeline, "There was some talk during that whole thing about filters being made to combat it, but I am not sure if Avery and Felix made any progress there or not."
"It's hard to say. There's so much that's happened between the Lost Day and our departure to Harroway. Then our return. I wouldn't blame them if they didn't have the span to make progress on it." She went to the door, opening it up for Liessel. "After you."
"I wouldn't either," Liessel said as she stepped up and slipped past Adeline with a quiet, "Thank you." The hotel was modest, not grand, and the lobby reflected that with its polished wood and shiny brass fixtures and flashes of tartan here and there. There were some people milling about in there, causing Liessel to stop for a moment as she came into that space to take a look around.
The front desk was across the way with a young man standing behind it. His pillbox hat was settled square on his head, and though it was easy to see he was uncomfortable wearing it, and though it matched his uniform well, he still attempted to smile warmly to anyone who came toward him.
As Adeline would come up beside her, Liessel would turn and say "Fireplace, sugar and milk, right?"
"Yes." Adeline confirmed. "I'll hang back while you make arrangements for the room."
The details of the room were settled, with Liessel needing to pay just a little bit more for the change between a room without a fireplace to a room with a fireplace. That only took a few moments to secure for her, though, and in short order a bellboy was taking her and Adeline up three flights of stairs. He carried Liessel's bag for her, and used the time to try and converse about Scotland's weather, asking what they were doing there and what their plans were while they were visiting with so few pieces of luggage between them.
Once they got to the proper room, the bellboy opened the door for them then gave the key to Liessel making certain to tell her that checkout time was ten am sharp while holding his hand out for a tip. She gave it over easily, slipping the small snap-lock clasp of her bag open to dig out a coin for the young man.
Their milk and sugar would be along shortly, he also told them, and then he was gone having shut the door behind him on the way out. The room they had gotten was a suite with one large bed in the middle of it, centered across from an old and well used fireplace. It wasn't currently housing any wood, but a pile was stacked neatly in a wrought iron holder just next to the fireplace.
Taken to their rooms, Adeline’s job consisted of moving ash and logs out of the fireplace in a clear effort to create space. Then milk was poured into the bowl of sugar and mixed with her dirty finger, leaving smudges of grey on the pale white drink. The floor shifted, and then caved in on itself where the ash and wood had been, leaving behind a perfectly cut hole in its wake. Adeline watched, saying nothing, before dropping a glass marble down the hole she retrieved from her bag. An animated shadow reached forward to grab the dish filled with milk and sugar, drawing it over the edge of the hole and down into the darkness until nothing of it was left.
A grey, hunched creature with skin of stone popped its head out of the hole. It was a creature made of the same geometric patterns that made up a cobbled street or the exact fireplace she sat before. Adeline took the creature’s hand fondly, whispering soft words that drew a smile that was certainly alien on the faerie’s face.
“Wordweaver.” It greeted in its gravely voice.
Before long they were walking.
This trip was nowhere near the length of London to Scotland. What was normally hours ended up being a thirty-minute trip along a worn dirt pathway. Stones that glittered with water and other minerals reflected light making it impossible to determine how they were able to see along the walk. Adeline kept quiet for most of it, though she hummed softly various times that seemed to please the faerie.
Thirty-minutes and they were departing the tunnels that took them into Fortingall.
Liessel had watched silently as Adeline went to work. She used those few short moments to settle herself on the bed, her bag on the floor beside her feet. The little grey creature that popped its head up through the hole got a good studying as Adeline greeted it, then she was up on her feet with her bag in hand and moving forward at Adeline's bidding.
She hated faerie holes, but would it be better than sitting for hours on end on a train ride that would take her up and down the Scottish landscape? There was only one way to find out.
Through the duration of the journey, Liessel made not a sound letting the only noise heard be that humming that Adeline did along the way, or whatever noise was to come from their cobblestone-faced guide. True to her word, in that place where water spattered stones shown alongside glittering minerals, Liessel stayed close to Adeline and gave no indication that she was about to stray.
Where they came through to was a small courtyard-like garden in the shade of some overgrown rowan trees.
Stepping from the dirt path and out into a world that was shadowed by the low hanging limbs felt like breaking through the surface of water to catch a breath of fresh air. Liessel found herself utterly relieved when it was the dirt of Scotland she could feel beneath her shoes, and not that of the fairy hole they'd passed through. She held her breath, though, waiting until the hole was gone to let go of her relief.
She had decided to travel light, bringing only that small bag made of paisley carpet. The tortoise shell handles picked up and matched some of the red-brown threads that off-set the gold that ran through the design. She was dressed for travel, her clothing light weight and comfortable, if something could ever exist in London fashion.
On a street corner, she stopped and placed her bag down at her feet, looking at the paper again and then the street sign that hung above her.
Adeline Webber knew she needed to return home soon if she were to make it home by curfew. The last thing she wanted was to be locked out of her flat for the night because she lingered too long in Edinburgh chasing memories and ghosts.
She walked with him along the street discussing spectral dragons and flying airships.
He shot her a sharp look at the sound of the name. The pull on his mouth was almost a smile, but for how tight it was. It transformed into a silent snarl when he shook his head. "How many more mutineers am I carrying?" he muttered before eyeing her again.
Her heart ache was more than enough to pull her back into the present.
A present where she could have sworn there was Miss Eprhale standing at a street corner, looking at a piece of paper with her bag on the ground. Hastening her steps, Adeline hurried to the corner, clearing her throat loudly to make sure any nearby piickpocketers would see the young woman was clearly not alone.
"Miss Erphale?' Adeline asked, unable to think of anything clever to say with her confusion being so strong. "You are a long way from London."
Miss Erphale?
The paper was lowered, the mentioning of her name had her looking about swiftly enough until she spotted Adeline coming her way. There was a quick stoop, a little drop to grab up the bag at her feet, before she was moving to meet Adeline as she got closer.
"Miss Webber! A pleasant surprise!" Her smile was warm, but brief and bled into a small nod, "I have some business in Fortingall regarding the research of my home. You are here -- visiting your family?"
Had she told Liessel about her family? It was hard to say. Perhaps she heard it through Aurelia or the Flynns, then.
"Uh, yes." She nodded. "It has been some time since I've seen them. They are restless but well."
"I am glad to hear they are doing good," There was sincerity there, and another little nod. After a moment Liessel shifted the weight of the bag she carried from one hand to the other, "I don't imagine there are any clues as to when they'll be free to return to England, is there?" Because the last she had heard, the dragon was still out there somewhere, and things were still very much questionable in those regards.
Unknowingly confirming Liessel's suspicions, Adeline nodded and said, "The dragon is still out there with Dole on the hunt. It is more complicated than that as the bounty is the true reason why they have not returned to London."
She cleared her throat, taking a half step back to increase the distance into a formal space. "You said you were researching your home in Fortingall?"
Suspicions confirmed, Liessel felt herself frown slightly, but Adeline changed the subject and that gave a little room for her thoughts to ease away from the topic of dragons and headhunters. "I was told," she answered Adeline with a small nod, "By Missus White and Lady Ashbroom that there is a yew tree there that might know the names that were listed in one of the scrolls that Avery and Felix found in the Surveyors' care. I'm heading there to see if the tree will speak with me."
"Oh! So you've only just arrived and not departing?"
She cast a glance to the setting sky. It would be dark soon.
"Yes, that is correct," Her frown had eased off with the changing of subjects, replaced by a tentative smile that seemed on the verge of slipping away from her as she turned to look up the street one way and then the other, "My connecting train for Fortingall departs tomorrow morning, so I am here for the night. The only trouble is, I cannot seem to find my hotel."
"You have not made payment for the night, have you?" Adeline asked, eyeing the streets for some time though not truly taking note of them.
Her mind was elsewhere.
"No, not yet. Mister Fletcher helped me make the arrangements, but I was to pay once I arrived to claim the room," The little piece of paper with the address on it was still held in her hand, now slightly crumpled from making the journey tucked into her pocket. Liessel let go of her own searching and frowned down at the little note before looking up Adeline's way. Adeline, who looked as if her mind had flown back to England on wings of its own. "If you could point me in the right direction, I would be so grateful, Miss Webber."
"What if I were to point you towards another direction?" Adeline asked. "Fortingall to be exact."
For a moment the idea hung there between them while Liessel's mind latched onto the idea. Within her head there had been a whole map laid out of where to be's, and when to be there's, and this notion caused that entire list to implode on itself faster than she could breathe the words, "You know how to get there?"
"I might know someone who can." Adeline said, looking around the city streets once more. "How long was the travel to be if you left tomorrow morning?"
"A full day's ride, by train. We were to depart here, with stops in Falkirk, Stirling and Perth before going to Fortingall." Adeline was told, Liessel's brow creasing as she resurrected some small piece of the trip's itinerary within her head.
"'We?'" She looked around then. "Is someone to meet you here then?" '
"No," The shake of her head was gentle, "I had meant me and the other passengers on the train. Mister Fletcher has remained behind to help Mister Whitmoor and Mister Larrow with a case that Adam brought to us. I am making this journey on my own."
So many Misters. Adeline only recognized a few of them. Taking in a slow breath, she cleared her throat.
"I can take you there tonight or you can stay at the arranged hotel and we can depart in the morning. The choice is yours, Miss Ephrale."
"If we leave tonight you will not be missed? That is, you have no prior engagements to see to?" The question was asked carefully with Liessel weighing out both the options and what a trip like this might do for the strained relationship she shared with Adeline.
"There is no one in London to miss me." Adeline replied with the shake of her head. "I can take you there tonight or first in the morning. Whatever you wish." She paused, her brows pushing together with thought. "We will need your hotel room either way."
"Let us go tonight, then," Liessel said, offering Adeline the little slip of paper she'd been holding. On it was written a few addresses -- the stops she'd had to have made on her way to Scotland -- along with the address for her hotel in Edinburgh, and her hotel in Fortingall. The handwriting was crisp and clear, and in English, with the lines of it bold and strong. It was not Liessel's handwriting. "I am anxious to get there."
Unfamiliar with Liessel's handwriting, Adeline took the page and looked it over carefully. Then she was glancing at street signs and the movement of carriage traffic before nodding.
"The hotel is this way." She directed before heading off in the proper direction. "You're actually very close to where you wanted to be. The hotel is nearby."
With a little dip, Liessel had her bag back in hand and was making quick work of catching up to Adeline. It was only a quick step, or two, that it took her to come up even with the young reporter, "I thought for sure I was going to be out here all night trying to find the place," She said with a relieved sigh as she came up even with Miss Webber, "Thank you so much, Adeline."
Adeline's shoulder stiffened a hair. Forcing them into a more relaxed position, she simply nodded. "You're welcome. When we arrive at the hotel, I will need you to ensure the room has a fireplace and milk sent to the room." She paused. "Oh and sugar. We will need some sugar."
"Fireplace, milk, and sugar," Liessel gave Adeline a little glance, tearing her eyes away from watching the buildings and street ahead of them, "Something -- to help you sleep?" She guessed, having heard that some made it a habit of consuming warmed milk, sometimes sweetened, before bed.
"No. I," Adeline's face pinched. "I apologize, Miss Eprhale. I should give you some background so that you may decide if this is the best course you wish to take. I have an associate who can move us through sets of tunnels within Faerie that will connect to different points in the world. Sort of like your, uh what is it called, Limbo? It's how I am able to visit my family as often as I'm able."
"Is -- " That one word snaked its way out of her mouth and then stopped there, cut off by Liessel as she shut down the rush of thoughts that came to her. She took a moment afterward, breathed, and then gave Adeline a small nod and tried again, "Limbo is a dangerous mode of travel, I would not recommend it lightly. This mode that you use -- you trust it, or you would not be suggesting it. I will trust you here, Adeline. If you say it is safe enough to use, then we will use it."
"I trust it. The Fairy that runs the transport, I know them well and they know my bloodline. We have an agreement and an arrangement. Stay on the path and stay close to me. You will be fine."
"Oh," Liessel let go of a nervous laugh and said, "I would not wander even if my feet would want me to. I have no desire of getting lost in Faerie. But this Fae that you know, would you be able to speak to them on my behalf? It concerns the case that I left in the hands of the gentlemen in London. If not -- that is alright, I just thought I'd ask since it is Faerie that is of concern in our case."
"What is the case?" Adeline asked.
"A young woman, about our age, disappeared from a farm outside of Bristol. Her name is Mary Hodgkins. Her grandparents, Dame Cora Murphy and Mister Winston Hodgkins, have asked for our help in finding her. Adam did a reading for them, and is absolutely sure she is somewhere in Faerie, stuck."
A woman lost in Faerie.
"Of course. I will speak to my associate tonight as we make our walk and see if there is a way to help." Adeline said before hesitating. "Might I.." She paused, sucking in a deep breath. "Would it be too many to help if I asked to join the case?"
"Honestly, Adeline," Liessel told her, "I had wanted to ask, but did not want to impose. Without the Flynns, Mister Whitmoor and I have been trying to figure this out on our own, with Mister Larrow, and it very much feels as if we are in over our heads with this. I will gladly take all the help we can get."
"I will help." She nodded. "I'm not certain I have the skills that you or the others do. But I'm quick on my feet and I know a small bit about Faerie." Granted, her experience did not go far beyond the Fens and the tunnels but it was a start for certain.
"Thank you, Adeline. I think we both know just as much about Faerie as the other," A small smile was shot toward Adeline, and the weight of her bag hefted from one hand to the other as they walked, "Adam has some friends from The Bells looking for her already, but it is tricky work and so far he's heard nothing back from them, and I had the thought of going to The Fens to see if I could figure out a way to see if I could reach Cyrus, but so far I've had no luck. Other things have gotten in the way of that."
"How have you tried to reach him?" She asked, looking over at Liessel as their hotel was coming into view.
"The plan was to head down, Eli and myself, to speak with Mother Willow and see if we could get some direction from her on what to do. But my business with Missus White has sidetracked those efforts a little bit for me. I asked Eli to wait until I get back as I would not send him down there with Adam, or Mister Fletcher. I know Mister Fletcher is capable, but I still do not like the idea of it. And Adam is struggling enough without the added stress that The Fens might bring to him."
Adam was struggling...
Adeline made a note to address that later.
For now, she cleared her throat. "The business with Missus White that has sent you here?" She concluded with a quick glance to Liessel.
"Yes, the names that I took to her," Liessel answered, giving a nod, "She recognized The Guardians, she knew their names to belong to giants of an old, and ancient age. But she didn't know them, and she knew not the names of The People that I had taken to her. She suggested that I talk to The Yew to see if it recognizes any of them. If The Yew does not know them, and cannot guide me toward another who would, then I am not sure what my next step will be. So, I am here and hoping that the Yew will let me hear its voice."
"I think we might need to go further down the street." Adeline said, when it became clear that their hotel was not the Hillcrest Inn. In fact, they were standing before The Shoebill. Leaving the front door of the hotel, she thought about Liessel's quest.
"It is an interesting tale to learn." She said. "Certainly, our own historians have searched for many years, looked into odd and unusual sciences and religions, to explain how we came to be. It seems fairly natural that you would want to know more about your own people's origins. Especially you," She looked at Liessel then even as they navigated through the busy streets of Edinburg. "After being kept in the dark for so long about so many things."
Liessel followed with, deftly ducking past any that would cut between herself and Adeline as they came down off the steps of the hotel and started their way further on, "The ties all look so obvious. The evidence that I have clearly points to the connection between worlds. So that isn't really at all what I am interested in. It is the how of it. How did they get people from here to go with them to Harroway? Why did they choose the people that they did? Who was left behind when they went, and how did those who were left behind cope with the fact that they had loved ones who had gone?" She shook her head slightly, shifting the weight of her bag from one hand to the other again, "And there is more than that -- more personal to me than just that general knowing. When I was with Missus White, I saw a --" She almost said the word vision, but that hardly seemed fitting so she stopped herself and stumbled over it for a moment before settling on, "something. It had to do with Ki-- It had to do with Arthur."
"Some of those questions you might never know the answer to." She said at the little pause when Liessel shifted her bag. "You might never know what those people did or how they felt." Her shoulder shrugged. "Then again, maybe you might. It's not strange to think people wrote their grief, fears, hopes, or whatever they felt and that those written journals are still around."
Though they would have to be quite old, she surmised without trying to dash Liessel's hopes.
Missus White.
Ah, yes. Adeline was eager to learn what came from the visit with their slippery friend who had a penchant for incandescent meetings.
"What did you see?"
It was a reality, she knew. The knowledge was so old, and there were so few left who could even recall hearing stories about such things. She gave Adeline a nod. Those were the ghosts she was trying to follow, the reason for the hunt. It wasn't impossible, but it was unlikely.
"I saw him lying there at her waters' edge. He was injured and dying, and tending to him was a woman who was deep in her heartbreak over his condition. But it was more than seeing," Liessel's brow furrowed as she recalled feeling her hands move even though they were still, and feeling the coolness of the water against her skin even though her hands were dry, "I felt everything she did. I breathed with her lungs and heard with her ears. I saw with her eyes. I saw him the way she saw him. Her name is Koulm, and she loved him."
"What do you think seeing that vision means for you?"
"I'm still exploring that with Missus White. If I were to guess, given how I felt while seeing what I saw, I would say that there is a piece of her in me," Her free hand came up and rested over her heart as they walked, "Her heart beat as my own. I've never experienced anything like it before, but when Missus White asked me where I felt her it was there. It was like we were one in the same."
"Perhaps you are a descendant?" Adeline guess.
Liessel considered that for a long moment as they made their way down the bustling street they were on. "The ties of the Second Born," She said the words softly, rolling the idea around in her head. It was not the first time it had come to her, but it still required consideration, "If that is so, I wonder if that is why my reaction to Arthur was so strong. Everyone else was able to overcome it in some way. I had not been able to. I could feel it, even through what I saw in the waters."
She nodded. "It could be an explanation. Though I do not think anyone faults you for what happened that way. Not even myself."
"I know, but it was consuming. It did take my focus. It changed my perception of things that happened that day. It was stifling, Adeline. Everyone else seemed to pull themselves from it so easily. I know, for fact, that neither of the Flynns felt it. And Ethan, he was able to free himself with the tasks he was given throughout the day. Did you feel it, too?" She asked, eyeing Adeline with a little sideways glance as they walked, "If so, what was it like for you?"
"I felt something at first." She admitted. "Some pull or draw and I hated that. I hated it with every fiber of my being because I cannot allow... I will not allow myself to be pulled in one direction or another. First and foremost, it will be my choice if I follow someone. And Arthur had done nothing to earn my loyalty. He did nothing to deserve that reverence I initially felt. Him simply existing was not enough for me to fall into his boon."
"So it was your hate that allowed you to overcome the pull of it?" She had turned back to watch where she was going, and now found herself glancing Adeline's way again.
"My circle is small for a reason." Adeline met her gaze. "King's and their boon do not automatically merit access to that circle."
Stubbornness, then, or perhaps strength of will, Liessel thought. But strength of will -- how many different ways could that be measured?
She blinked, the natural motion batting away that thought with the ease of her eyelids' movements, "I must admit that I wish I had possessed that same fortitude against it. It seemed so easily done, your fighting it off."
"The Flynns and Aurelia made it look effortless." She admitted.
"Avery and Felix didn't feel it at all. They were utterly unaware of it and did not understand the depths at which it could be felt until I had been driven by it to run off after the Drake. If Aurelia felt it, I couldn't say. I haven't talked to her about it yet. But I do know the Flynns were blind to it, so it wasn't effortless for them. They needn't put any effort into it at all."
"Well," She took in a quick inhale. "Everyone is different. It is good they were unable to fall into it's rapture and I am sorry that you felt it as deeply as you did."
Everyone is different.
Liessel gave a nod to that, the low profile had she wore shifting not an inch from where she had it pinned up in her hair, "I am only glad that no one else form our group was as swept up in it. I hope, and pray, that it is a force we never run into again."
"If we do, then at least we are better prepared for it." Adeline replied. "Ah, I think that is your hotel just ahead."
Beside Adeline, Liessel craned her neck a little to see if she could spot the hotel from where they were. As Adeline had said, she wasn't too far off the mark for the place. Liessel just hadn't gone down the street far enough. As if confirming that for herself, Liessel cast a glance back over her shoulder to see just how far away she had been, "That is, certainly, the truth," Settled on the idea of the distance, Liessel was looking back to Adeline, "There was some talk during that whole thing about filters being made to combat it, but I am not sure if Avery and Felix made any progress there or not."
"It's hard to say. There's so much that's happened between the Lost Day and our departure to Harroway. Then our return. I wouldn't blame them if they didn't have the span to make progress on it." She went to the door, opening it up for Liessel. "After you."
"I wouldn't either," Liessel said as she stepped up and slipped past Adeline with a quiet, "Thank you." The hotel was modest, not grand, and the lobby reflected that with its polished wood and shiny brass fixtures and flashes of tartan here and there. There were some people milling about in there, causing Liessel to stop for a moment as she came into that space to take a look around.
The front desk was across the way with a young man standing behind it. His pillbox hat was settled square on his head, and though it was easy to see he was uncomfortable wearing it, and though it matched his uniform well, he still attempted to smile warmly to anyone who came toward him.
As Adeline would come up beside her, Liessel would turn and say "Fireplace, sugar and milk, right?"
"Yes." Adeline confirmed. "I'll hang back while you make arrangements for the room."
The details of the room were settled, with Liessel needing to pay just a little bit more for the change between a room without a fireplace to a room with a fireplace. That only took a few moments to secure for her, though, and in short order a bellboy was taking her and Adeline up three flights of stairs. He carried Liessel's bag for her, and used the time to try and converse about Scotland's weather, asking what they were doing there and what their plans were while they were visiting with so few pieces of luggage between them.
Once they got to the proper room, the bellboy opened the door for them then gave the key to Liessel making certain to tell her that checkout time was ten am sharp while holding his hand out for a tip. She gave it over easily, slipping the small snap-lock clasp of her bag open to dig out a coin for the young man.
Their milk and sugar would be along shortly, he also told them, and then he was gone having shut the door behind him on the way out. The room they had gotten was a suite with one large bed in the middle of it, centered across from an old and well used fireplace. It wasn't currently housing any wood, but a pile was stacked neatly in a wrought iron holder just next to the fireplace.
Taken to their rooms, Adeline’s job consisted of moving ash and logs out of the fireplace in a clear effort to create space. Then milk was poured into the bowl of sugar and mixed with her dirty finger, leaving smudges of grey on the pale white drink. The floor shifted, and then caved in on itself where the ash and wood had been, leaving behind a perfectly cut hole in its wake. Adeline watched, saying nothing, before dropping a glass marble down the hole she retrieved from her bag. An animated shadow reached forward to grab the dish filled with milk and sugar, drawing it over the edge of the hole and down into the darkness until nothing of it was left.
A grey, hunched creature with skin of stone popped its head out of the hole. It was a creature made of the same geometric patterns that made up a cobbled street or the exact fireplace she sat before. Adeline took the creature’s hand fondly, whispering soft words that drew a smile that was certainly alien on the faerie’s face.
“Wordweaver.” It greeted in its gravely voice.
Before long they were walking.
This trip was nowhere near the length of London to Scotland. What was normally hours ended up being a thirty-minute trip along a worn dirt pathway. Stones that glittered with water and other minerals reflected light making it impossible to determine how they were able to see along the walk. Adeline kept quiet for most of it, though she hummed softly various times that seemed to please the faerie.
Thirty-minutes and they were departing the tunnels that took them into Fortingall.
Liessel had watched silently as Adeline went to work. She used those few short moments to settle herself on the bed, her bag on the floor beside her feet. The little grey creature that popped its head up through the hole got a good studying as Adeline greeted it, then she was up on her feet with her bag in hand and moving forward at Adeline's bidding.
She hated faerie holes, but would it be better than sitting for hours on end on a train ride that would take her up and down the Scottish landscape? There was only one way to find out.
Through the duration of the journey, Liessel made not a sound letting the only noise heard be that humming that Adeline did along the way, or whatever noise was to come from their cobblestone-faced guide. True to her word, in that place where water spattered stones shown alongside glittering minerals, Liessel stayed close to Adeline and gave no indication that she was about to stray.
Where they came through to was a small courtyard-like garden in the shade of some overgrown rowan trees.
Stepping from the dirt path and out into a world that was shadowed by the low hanging limbs felt like breaking through the surface of water to catch a breath of fresh air. Liessel found herself utterly relieved when it was the dirt of Scotland she could feel beneath her shoes, and not that of the fairy hole they'd passed through. She held her breath, though, waiting until the hole was gone to let go of her relief.