“Yes Ma’am,” Oliver responded to Charianne. Charianne looked satisfied enough with the answer so she let them go and was alone in the house. After Oliver and her daughter left, she decided to get to business. Leaving Oliver alone with her daughter was a risk, but a calculated one. Her ears were perfectly primed to react lest Luna scream. And, if Oliver did hurt her daughter, she could just threaten him and his house until he gave her back. In the meanwhile, she started her search. For what? She was unsure, but there had to be something. First she searched the living room, her eyes searching over the dusty wooden floor which barely peaked through the piles upon piles of books strewn about. She looked at the cover of each book, checking for any signs of suspicion. An odd cover, a foreboding title, or worse, the hunter’s insignia. The symbol that brought nothing but terror in its wake. If she found any sign of that darned crest she would not hesitate to kill Oliver in his sleep, for hunters are nothing but evil.
Her search continued. She scampered over to the kitchen and turned everything inside out. She sniffed around and tested some food to make sure of its safety. She grabbed every spice on the shelf and paused. She looked into the vibrant colors of the jars and for a moment, she got a tad sentimental. The smell of the spices permeated the air when she opened the vial. Her ears twitched and her tail wagged slightly. She could name them all. Rosemary, Oregano, Lavender oil, and an almost empty container of Bay leaves. She wondered how Amorius would use these spices. She wondered how much she could stack onto her plate at the dining hall. She wondered if he would learn magic just so he could cook. If he cooked that day, none of that would have happened. They could have both been warned and fled. “Maybe.” Charianne caught herself gripping the glass as tears rolled off of the vial. Her claws left visible scratch marks on the vial.
Charianne brushed off her tears. She chastised herself for being so weak. Her tail dropped back down as she closed the vials and the smells ceased. She picked herself back up and moved along to her and her daughter’s room. She dare not let Luna sleep in a separate room. She pokes and prods in the wardrobe to the side, which doesn’t have much except for basic clothes. She honestly should have done a thorough check sooner but the allure of a warm bed was too much. She risked her daughter’s safety, even in a small way like that. The only reason she’s not watching her daughter now is because she needed to do a check while Oliver and Luna were out the house. Upon further inspection, they were women's clothes, but for a woman much taller than Charianne or even Oliver. The clothes were quite plain. A few fur coats for winter and beige pants. The fabric had slight tears, abrasions, and even burnt fabric crept through the patchwork. Charianne inspected further. She moved the clothes off the rack and looked in and saw a small shoebox. She opened it without much hesitation. She needed to know if her daughter was safe here.
The box was wooden. It was no more than a foot in length. She opened the lid and found memorabilia of someone, although she wasn’t sure who. Small keychains and hair ornaments were strewn in the box. Old tea leaves laid in a paper bag that was pushed to the edge. There was also a book. It was on the older side, the leather cover dark and cracked. Inside were words Charianne couldn’t begin to understand. Odd confusing words that jumbled her tongue as she tried to pronounce them. The words seemed to catch in her throat and she began to cough. She stopped trying to read it and put the book down. The most eye-catching item in the box were the heels. They were matte black and unlike the rest of the stuff in the box, it was in stunning condition. Good enough to sell at a market in the capital. She picked up the shoes and inspected them. They didn't smell the same as Oliver did. All Lycans held an innate talent for identifying based on smell and Charianne was no different. It was faded, but this was another person entirely. Charianne put them off to the side, noting them for later if she ever needed some quick cash. She then continues to rummage around both the box and the rest of her room but finds nothing else of note. She puts everything away and starts to inspect the cabin.
The cabin was quite big for one person, and it sported multiple rooms as well as a common room, completely separate from the living room. Charianne could deduce at least one other person lived here, but even for two people it was quite large. The dust caked the walls and floors and the furniture looked almost degraded. She wandered the decrepit rooms, peeking inside each bedroom and hallway to find them almost empty. Nothing was left except for the cobwebs and bugs and the occasional furniture that was nailed to the floor. It was like no one ever touched the rooms. She wandered further into the cabin and came to one doorway labeled ‘Storage.’ Naturally, Chariane was intrigued. She traced her hand and claws over the doorknob before attempting to turn it…and realizing it was locked. This was no matter, she opened her pack and grabbed a lockpick. She couldn’t help but feel a tad guilty, first the box and now this, but she had to be sure there was nothing that could hurt her daughter. She had to make sure not to let another loved one die in front of her.
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She inserted her turning tool and then her pick. As her pick maneuvers back and forth, she stresses her ears for any feedback. She finally finds a pin after minutes of accidentally losing her grip. Her claws constantly get in the way. She finally sets it and…
A flood of boiling water almost scorched Charianne’s face right off. The water splashed on the floor a few feet away. The door remained locked. “Makes sense, probably some magic lock.” She scoffs and stands on her feet. The puddle remained on the floor, still giving off some steam. Charianne breathed in and out and then decided to come back to this when she had a key. It would be too much of a hassle to continue without one. She looked outside and the sun had moved a tad, but she figured she would still have time. Her daughter was obsessed with magic after all. She hoped that would buy her enough time.
She headed over to Oliver’s room. There had to be something incriminating in there. A key to that storage room or explanation on the empty rooms. She started rummaging through his bedsheets and looking under furniture. She found not much. A few clothes. A few more books. Books, it’s always books. How many books does one person need? She continued her search. There has to be something. This entire escapade was untimely pointless if something wasn’t found. She had discovered that someone else had lived in the house, but that meant nothing. At most, Oliver once had friends which was new information but it didn’t help. At this rate, she would have searched through all of his things for nothing. Something had to be here. Charianne started to pull up sheets and moved furniture to find anything suspicious. Charianne became more frazzled. She started searching over and over again. She needed to find something. If not, she’d just be the odd woman searching through a person’s house, much like a bandit. She ran her hand through her hair, the feeling of her fingernails on her scalp doing little to calm her. She moved the mattress, tore off the sheets, and looked behind the headboard. Then she found a key, hidden away on the underside of a drawer, it seemed inconspicuous. It was rusty, flakes of iron chipping off at the handle. She grabbed the key
So off she went, Charianne was getting into dangerous territory now, her sense of time slightly skewed by her earlier frenzy. Even though getting caught was a very real possibility, she couldn’t help but cackle quietly. Finally, there would be something incriminating. She’s not crazy, she’s just protective is all. It will all be justified. She bolted to the storage room door and inserted the key and on the other side was something she couldn’t believe.
It was just boxes. She searched frantically inside of them… but found nothing special. It was all normal items. Clothes. Broken furniture. Old knives. She continued to search desperately. There had to be something. There had to be at least a crest of some kind. Or else. Or else she would just be the person digging through the stuff of a kind man. A man who has done nothing but give them housing for a night and feed them the first real meal Charianne or her daughter had in years. The man who had amused her daughter and entertained her intellect. A man who is offering his services, which also would cost a fortune normally, and he offers them for free. What was she doing?
Charianne cleaned up her mess. She put back all of the furniture she moved and all of the sheets she tore up. She heard the door to the front open and then walked out of a room.
Oliver spoke up, “What have you been up to?” He was more confirming than asking.
“Oh, just lounging around.” Charianne straightened her posture and yet was unable to look Oliver directly in the eye. She looked off to the side. The shame she felt overwhelmed her. She saw the way Oliver’s eyes traced the slightly off skew books and the like. He knew and that just made it worse.
“Momma!” Luna’s arms wrapped tightly around her mom. “Momma momma! Oliver is a great teacher. He said all of the things about magic, and modifiers, and starters, and-” Luna abruptly cut herself off. ”Did you know there was so much going into magic momma? There’s so much you need to know and keep track of. Like your breathing!” She smiled down at her daughter. So bright eyed. She must have had fun. She pondered if Oliver would even let them stay at this point. She hadn’t been the most kind guest. She would apologize, only if the need arises however. To keep that smile on Luna’s face, she would do anything. She continued to wonder as her daughter regaled her with tales of Oliver’s powerful display of magic and then Luna spoke, “Oliver was a little harsh, but I did mess up today. But it’s ok! He wasn’t mad!” Charianne twitched slightly at the mention of harsh words but let her daughter continue. “Magic is powerful. I tried to cast it myself and I coughed blood.” Charianne glared towards Oliver. Oliver winced and shrank under her gaze. She had one main rule. One rule. But she couldn’t bring herself to be truly mad. Luna was still smiling as always, in fact, her eyes were even more radiant. Oliver apologized and rushed off. That is to be expected. She had not been the best and Oliver likely wanted to be alone. She gently caressed her daughter’s face. “Come on Luna, let’s quickly eat and go to bed.”
“Will Mr. Oliver be cooking for us again?”
“No, not tonight, he seems too tired.” Charianne sighed as she looked at her daughter’s slightly disappointed expression. Charianne opened her satchel and pulled out some dried meat and stale bread. She figured she could indulge Luna a tad and also pulled out the dried fruits. Charianne ate silently while Luna kept chatting away.
“I can’t wait to learn how to cast my own spell!” Luna’s tail wagged wildly at the notion. Charianne put her hand on her daughter’s head and looked down. Her smile wasn’t quite wide and her eyes began forming beads of tears. Had she erased the one chance Luna had at learning magic? She wipes her tears before they can fall.
“Twice in one day. A new record.”