A Private Correspondence (Morrigan, Thaddeus, Alfarinn)

Mai walked quietly but quickly towards Morrigan's office. That seemed to the most likely place to find her here in the manor. While she did not understand what was so fascinating about pieces of paper Mai did understand that there were those around her that spent a great deal of time looking at them.

She had to admit that it was sometimes very nice to sit at Thaddeus's knee and listen to him read aloud from whatever text he found of interest at the moment. Though she believed that a good part of the enjoyment was the company more than the topics, she would admit that she had learned plenty from their reading sessions.

Standing in front of the door to the office, Mai sensed others in the room with Morrigan. She could tell with her abilities and with long acquaintance that it was Thaddeus and Alfarinn. Nodding approval at this turn of events, if only to herself, Mai knocked lightly on the door.

"Bara-chan, may I interrupt to ask a question?" She would be brief and then leave, the others would be meeting her shortly.

Morrigan nodded politely to the fellow elder.

You have put much faith in us by entering unfamiliar territory alone. My trust in you is a return of that faith. I also understand Emma was your friend and you have just as much reason to seek justice as I or any of the clan save Thaddeus most of all.

Having been sensing the surrounding area due to the sensitive nature of the discussion, she detected Mai's presence just before her knock allowing her to be less alarmed had she been unaware. Mai's presence was reassuring that they were safe for the moment. She went to the door and unfastened the locks. Opening the door, she found Mai standing calmly as usual and gave the smaller elder a deep nod nearly resembling a bow.

You are quite welcome do so, Mai. Please join us.

Morrigan held the door politely for the leader of the Hunt and waited for to enter.

Thaddeus sighed internally, too frustrated with himself to keep up the light banter in the midst of the dark conversation.

[I admit...I completely forgot to inquire further on the correspondence Emma sent home while in Bulgaria.] He shook his head. [Though that is likely for the best at this time; if anyone from my order were to find out I had inquired after the letters, innocent as it might have appeared at the time, Sorin and I could both be in greater danger. I imagine the Elder of the Night would quickly turn into persona non grata should word of an internal investigation get out.]

He frowned and rubbed his chin.

It seems there is a pattern of murder here. Perhaps there is a trail to be found in investigating that letter further, though I agree, first things first.

[And I have every intention of being 'up to it.']

It was yet another frustration to Thaddeus that he could not seek help from Sorin, especially when the Elder could be of real and specific use. Still, the longer he appeared to be acting on his own, the safer everyone concerned would be.

In spite of his current mood, he could not help but smile softly in pride at Morrigan's response to Alfarinn. Her reaction to the entire situation was a weight off his shoulders, though her information had left him heavy of heart.

[Have I mentioned how much I admire that woman?]

He refrained from elaborating at the sound of a knock on the door, and rose respectfully as Mai entered.

Shall we give you a moment?

He nodded his head to Alfarinn and gestured to the door.

Mai shook her head at Thaddeus as she entered and gestured him back to his seat.

"Iie, Ba-di-kun, You do not need to leave."

Standing in the center of the room with her hands clasped together in front of her, Mai looked up at Morrigan.

"Go-men nasai. I do not wish to interrupt for very long."

Nodding slightly, she got to the point.

"When is the last time you saw or spoke to Chryseis?"

Closing and locking the door, Morrigan turned to give audience to her clanswoman. She raised an eyebrow at Mai's question.

It has been several days at least. Is there cause for alarm?

Morrigan felt a pang of worry within her gut. Chryseis was strong, but Morrigan still cared for her deeply and had concern for her safety. Worry turned to anger as she thought of what some careless soul may have done to her child. If any harm had come to her, Morrigan would not be able to hold back the warrior spirit that rested deep within her.

Thaddeus took his seat again at Mai's request and did his best not to eavesdrop, though one could hardly call it that if you were asked to stay. At Morrigan's question, though, he no longer bothered to hide his concern, looking up at Mai and frowning.

He realized that he had not, in his wanderings of the Manor, seen Chryseis's Birseis at all. Her ubiquitous dogs had, in fact, made themselves unusually scarce in the course of this visit. That could be encouraging, could mean that they were simply in her company.

He would, however, let Mai say her piece.

Mai frowned and tilted her head to the side.

"Her dogs are restless. It is not like Chryseis to leave them without word of comfort."

Resting her gaze on Thaddeus, she reached out a hand to his sleeve.

"You might sense something from the neck strap, nee?"

Turning her question back to Morrigan, she asked.

"Do you know where she went? If not, we will hunt for her and find her."

Mai wanted to reassure Morrigan that they would do everything they could to search for her missing child, knowing that the Elder of the Rose would need to continue her work here while they began the search. Sometimes the path of duty was difficult when feelings told you to take another path.

The feeling in Morrigan's stomach grew stronger and more persistent.

She has told me nothing. When last we spoke, she was making a short trip out of the manor to feed, but I had seen her on the grounds after that.

She looked at Mai with sadness. Few things could push her true emotions to the surface, but this struck her right at the heart.

Mai...

Morrigan was truly at a loss. Find her? She didn't need to tell Mai that. Anything she could say, the Huntswoman already knew. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked to the two who sat without a sound.

Thaddeus, if you wouldn't mind?

Thaddeus agreed immediately, deciding to sort out the complications once he had assured Morrigan of his intent.

I will do what I can.

[I imagine Morrigan would both welcome and benefit from your presence if you would like to stay here, at least while I examine the leash. If you are willing, of course. I believe both of us will be safe in our respective companies.]

Thaddeus looked over at Alfarinn, trying to stay focused. His mind was already halfway across the manor to Chryseis's quarters as possible scenarios flickered through his mind, and he couldn't apologize for that. He realized that leaving Alfarinn in this situation alone was not exactly fair to him...but things like options, and time, and justice were all in very short supply. As much as he would have liked to deal with this situation with a little more grace and tact, those qualities seemed to be wearing thin as well.

[We can work out other arrangements for you should my clan have further need of me.]

He realized that he was already on his feet.

Alfarinn looked down at Thaddeus, he felt a sharp stab of absence even before Thaddeus rose to leave. Pushing it down with a great deal of difficulty, he nodded slowly. He realized that a good portion of his easy confidence here had been because Thaddeus was standing next to him. He knew in his mind that he was not in danger and in fact he didn't feel a fear of harm coming to him here, it was more the uncomfortableness of a being a brought to a party by a friend and suddenly finding yourself alone and having to make conversation. Normally social situations were something he did with ease but his emotions had been worn ragged and worry drug him down. Alfarinn knew he'd be distracted every minute Thaddeus was gone and he hoped Morrigan wasn't going to want to chat about anything that required a great deal of thought on his part...though idle conversation about nothing sounded equally unpleasant. He would rather just sit alone, pretend to read while staring blankly at a book until his companion returned to him but this wasn't an option, there were things that needed to be done.

[I am sure Mai will watch after you for me.] Alfarinn managed a weak smile though he doubted it fooled anyone. Reaching out a hand, he squeezed Thaddeus's once gently.

[Be careful.]

Thaddeus squeezed Alfarinn's hand in return before releasing it, the desire to pull his companion close and kiss him thoroughly before leaving having grown too strong to hold on any longer. He instead looked to Morrigan.

If we may have the advantage of your hospitality a bit longer...he nodded in Alfarinn's direction...I shall return as soon as possible.

[I will be careful. And thank you...I know this puts you in an awkward place.]

It was not much in the way of comfort, he knew, but he could think of nothing more helpful to say.

Mai looked from one man to the other as they said their goodbyes. This was hard for them, perhaps she should not ask Ba-di to come with her or take them both, they had the same ability. Still the others might not feel comfortable with a member outside of their clan joining them and she did not believe either of the others knew Alfarinn well.

Reaching out a small hand, she took the Evenhet's long one in her own. Focusing her white gaze upon his own, she said.

"He will return to you safely."

Turning to Morrigan, She nodded again before turning to leave, smiling once more at Alfarinn, Mai released his hand and headed out the door.

((OOC: Mai out ))

Alfarinn looked down at Mai holding his hand and smiled the best he could for her.

Answering Thaddeus, he sent

[Don't worry about me, I'll be fine enough... I shouldn't be a distraction to you.]

In response to Mai's kind words he bowed deeply and replied.

"Domo arigato, Mai-sama."

Alfarinn figured it was best to remain standing at this point, Morrigan might want to continue whatever research they had interrupted her from and thus he'd be in the way. It would be prudent to be ready to leave if it looked like he was imposing upon her. Alfarinn hoped Thaddeus sensing wouldn't take long and they could both go home soon, he was finding himself quite tired.

Morrigan felt oddly comforted in seeing Thaddeus agree to help and she pushed back her whirlwind of emotion telling herself she had no reason to become upset at this point and there were other matters to attend at the moment. She smiled at the couple.

I thank you.

She nodded at Thaddeus' request.

I will do what I can to ensure our guest is as comfortable as possible given the circumstances. It is best he remain here with me - it would be unwise to alert others to his presence. Morrigan looked at Alfarinn and nodded.

She was somewhat relieved Thaddeus would be leaving the room for a short period. There had been something she wished to tell Alfarinn in order to aide in Thaddeus' protection, but his knowledge of this information would likely create more harm than good at the present.

Morrigan gave another respectful nod to Mai as she passed through the door held open for the Huntswoman.

Thaddeus could not help but smile at Mai's words; she had such a way of saying what was needed in a given situation.

[You are not a distraction, and I only hope you do not feel I have treated you as such.]

He nodded at Morrigan's response, relieved that they were of a like mind on the matter.

Your welcome is appreciated.

He had every intention of walking swiftly to the door, as the sooner he left the sooner he would return, but sparing a look at Alfarinn proved to be his undoing.

To hell with propriety.

He stood on the tips of his toes and kissed Alfarinn once, quickly but softly on the cheek, and walked out the door without looking back, lest he meet Morrigan's eyes and blush. He rather thought that would ruin the whole point.

/ooc Thaddeus out

Morrigan smirked slightly at the exchange. That certainly wasn't going to make Alfarinn any more comfortable in her office. Slowly closing and locking the door after Thaddeus, Morrigan took her seat behind her desk.

I'm sure this is awkward for you, but I would like you to know... She smiled warmly. if I had to choose someone outside of the clan for Thaddeus to fall in love with, it likely would have been you. Your position within Evenhet will make things complicated, but I'm sure there are ways to work around it.

I may not have the empathic gift, but I can sense you care for him deeply. And so I choose to arm you with another bit of information that might help you to protect him.

Morrigan took a slow, calming breath before she continued.

I have much reason to believe Sorin is the accomplice we seek. This is why I asked specifically about the apartment building. I mentioned that there have been Anantya taking up residence there when there has been only one. It is not an area highly-trafficked by our clan. Of course, he rented it under an assumed name, but he could not assume a new appearance and was noticed in the area in the last few weeks by one of my informants. His visits there seem to have been infrequent and he still kept his usual apartment in the theater district.

The main question has always been what would someone have to gain by Emma's death. Sorin had an entire order of the eldest clan. He would never do such deeds on his own so he naturally would have hired a killer to do his bidding. His connection to Lykaios is unknown, but I do not believe he was aware of his employee's origins. You mentioned a woman's hand writing the letter to you. This fits Sorin's character a great deal considering his disdain for...opinionated women. He would have easily dispatched of any woman that would go unnoticed.

She took another breath to calm herself and realized her fists were clenched in her lap. She stretched out her fingers and rested them on the arms of the chair.

Thaddeus believes Sorin cares for him and seems to trust him implicitly. It is unlikely he would be able to accept this line of reasoning and possibly would endanger himself by going to Sorin with my theory. Having known Sorin and his temperament a great deal longer, I am hoping you will agree he is worthy of suspicion.

Alfarinn smiled, genuinely touched by Thaddeus's parting kiss. There was more to love about his companion with each passing day. He resisted the urge to reach out for Thaddeus again, the Anantya had things to do and he had no right to delay them.

[No, of course not, I simply mean don't let me be a distraction to you when you've got to focus on other things. You can still speak to me even over a distance though.. should you find something I could relay it to Morrigan its just that the further away the harder it gets.]

Alfarinn moved to the front of the seat that Thaddeus had recently vacated, leaning back and closing his eyes a moment as his senses picked up the after images of his lover's energy on the chair .

He opened his eyes startled at his fellow elder's words and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Morrigan, that means a lot to me. I care for him very much."

More than life itself, or more importantly to Alfarinn, more than death itself. He had been willing to die for love before but was pulled back from that dark place by those who cared about him, still he knew better than anyone that he remained reckless without much thought for his own life. Now, he was more willing to add caution to his actions for the sake of another, it had been a long time since he had truthfully wanted to die but now Alfarinn very much wanted to live.

He snorted ruefully when she was done speaking her concerns.

"You know I spent ages trying to figure out how he was involved. I -wanted- it to be him because I -knew- how he felt about her and his ambition but I could never prove it." Alfarinn sighed and ran a hand tiredly over his face before looking back at Morrigan. "And now.. Now, I'd have loved to be wrong, for Thaddeus's sake. For him I'd swallow my ill feelings for the man and hope that somewhere in that black heart of his that he really did care for Thaddeus."

"Thank you for trusting me with this. It does match my own suspicions. This is going to kill him, though. I can't imagine how he'd take this revelation along with everything else. Lykaios being Emma's child was bad enough."

Alfarinn subsided into silence, he felt a great deal of sympathy and pain at the thought of Thaddeus's image of the man he had looked up to his whole time in the clan being shattered, his trust betrayed so easily time and time again. He pushed aside those thoughts and the anger that was rising within him for the sake of Emma and her child Alfarinn knew he'd strangle Sorin with his own bare hands but his emotions would worry Thaddeus who could still feel them.

Then there was the thought of keeping this from Thaddeus, though it was for the best. Had he not promised that he'd never hide anything from him? He wasn't sure what he should do and right now he didn't have the time to think about it, nor the focus to give it his proper attention.

Morrigan nodded in understanding.

Yes, this could serve to put him in more danger and cause him to lose focus. We must do what we can to keep those two apart. Sorin is likely expecting Thaddeus to take an interest in Emma's death, but his feigned affection may not last long if he discovers just how close Thaddeus is to the truth.

She frowned in contemplation.

And, of course, there is the possibility we are wrong and we would have shaken Thaddeus' world for nothing. No, we must find a way to confirm these suspicions so that there leaves little doubt.

Leaning back in her chair, Morrigan thought over the possibilities of the situation. Mai would surely help if she was not involved already. All of this would need to be discreet lest they point a finger in the wrong direction. A thought occurred to her and she looked a bit concerned.

Is Megan or any other Evenhet aware of your relationship with Thaddeus, this investigation, or your presence here?

Alfarinn nodded slowly, worrying Thaddeus needlessly would not help anything. If they could find out quickly though he'd not need to hide anything from his companion. Even the notion of doing so still bothered Alfarinn. The sooner the evidence was there to prove the truth, the better.

"I agree with that, besides Sorin is going to be none too pleased with our involvement simply for its own sake and I wouldn't put it past him to be petty about it. I only hope that it won't be taken out on Thaddeus."

Alfarinn leaned against one arm of the chair and rested his head in his hand, crossing his legs before him.

"I have not had time to tell Megan though I intend to within the next few days. However, Zone knows." Alfarinn watched Morrigan at the mention of her child. "You know I couldn't keep anything from him even if I tried, however, he made the cameras we installed for security and the tracking device for the ring that Thaddeus mentioned earlier. As far as my presence here...only my limo driver. Why?"

Alfarinn looked up at the message from Thaddeus and frowned. He was leaving the Manor, Alfarinn was tempted to suggest going with them but this wasn't his clan and he had no place there. More over, Morrigan had just informed him of some very disturbing news.

[I'm not leaving without you. So I guess I'll wait here until you get back to claim me.]

He sighed tiredly, there was very little chance of concentrating now but Morrigan had asked questions and this new information was important to her as well.

"Thaddeus says that they are headed to the museum and that it was the last place the dogs have seen Chryseis."

Letting people know they were bonded was a risk, of course, but he could not begrudge Morrigan information that would put her at ease while she waited for news of her child. He'd been there before and not knowing was hell. He didn't think she'd use the information against either of them in any case.