andres ♔ you're gonna catch a cold | from the ice inside your soul

[unhappily]

♬ jar of hearts - christina perri

WHO || Emma, Snow, Regina, Wynn. [closed]
WHAT || Wynn asks some of his Knights to investigate a strange matter on Andres Isle.
WHERE || Andres
WHEN || At the same time as this log ; mid-October
HOW || Actionspam

[ A few weeks into October, Wynn sends a message back to the castle asking Snow and Regina to make their way to the Isle, saying he has a small matter that bears investigation.  When they arrive at the castle, they're ushered by Woodhouse to a small parlor where he's waiting...  And moments later, their other mission partner arrives. :D ]

Comments

[unlost]

Mm.

[There's a quiet nod of her head before she keeps silent, watching as Regina does her work, waiting patiently until her squire can tell her what she's learned.]

[unhappily]

[ what she learns causes a deep frown to carve its way across her features. ] Necromancy. Dark magic. Although that much seems obvious.

[unlost]

[Necromancy? That's...even worse than just 'dark magic' in her mind.]

Is there any kind of trail to follow? Would you be able to recognize who cast it if you were near them?

[How does magic work, Snow has no idea.]

[unhappily]

It doesn't work that way. I'd have to see them cast something similar.

[unlost]

Were there any spells cast other than the one on the little girl? Or does it not work like that, too?

[unhappily]

That's the only one that's left an aura here.

[unlost]

Then we'll try it the old-fashioned way. Maybe Emma missed something.

[So she'll try to track the physical evidence. She can follow Emma's trail, too, since she'd been on the suspect's as well. (Survival/Track 18).]

[unhappily]

[ over the river and through the woods to a ... really creepy fucking shack they go?? that seems to be where the trail leads, but it looks like emma already went inside it and came back out again. ] This must be where she lost them.

[unlost]

[Wow, creepy doesn't even begin to cover it.]

We should probably go inside and see what we can find...

[Maybe there's some clues Emma missed?]

[unhappily]

And catch something while we're at it.

[unlost]

For all we know there's victims inside as well.

[She tries to move quietly through the brush as they approach the house, moving toward a window so she can maybe peek in. (move silently 25, spot nat 20)]

[unhappily]

[ The contents of the shack are incredibly sparse, and what is there happens to be noticeably singed, perhaps even relatively recently. there's no movement whatsoever inside, however. ] Well?

[unlost]

It looks like...there might have been a fire recently. I don't see anyone inside, though.

[She motions for Regina to follow her and she heads toward the front door, quietly opening it while staying alert. (listen 28, spot 26)]

[unhappily]

Whoever was here certainly isn't anymore. [ regina follows her inside, not bothering to be quiet about it. and indeed, snow doesn't hear anyone moving around inside either.

closer inspection reveals that the singed areas are the victim of strangely shaped scorched mark, and regina follows her gaze to them. ] That has to be magic.

[unlost]

[Snow just takes her word for it.]

Do you think they were...practicing?

[Or was this malicious?]

[unhappily]

It would seem rather foolish for them to do so inside.

[unlost]

I...yeah, that makes sense.

[Duh. Good job, Snow. She'll just...see if there are other floors. A basement, maybe?]

[unhappily]

[ naw, the house is pretty small as is, and doesn't even have a cellar ] Whoever was staying here may have expected someone to come looking, with the way Swan was tromping about out there.

[unlost]

And maybe they destroyed whatever they couldn't take with them.

[Getting rid of potential evidence?]

[unhappily]

Maybe. [ she doesn't sound convinced ] Again, I'm not sure why they wouldn't have done that outside.

[unlost]

It's possible they didn't have time. Or maybe they really aren't in control of their magic.

[A beat.]

Should we see if there's another trail to follow?

[unhappily]

We can try, although they're likely to have quite a head start now.

[unlost]

There's always the chance that they're still in hiding. A trail could lead us to where.

[And so she heads back outside to do a lap around the small home to try and locate anything they can use to pick up the trail (spot 26, track 24).]

[unhappily]

[ whoever left is no idiot. apparently, they know how to cover their tracks, and she'd find clear signs of their attempts, before it became impossible to figure out where it was going, partway into the woods.

it makes one thing clear at least: they deliberately didn't want to be followed. ]

[uncurse]

Hey!

[ Emma catches up with them out near the woods, looking between them like WOW FUNNY FINDING YOU HERE. WHAT'S UP, LADIES. There's a slight discomfort there, like she's questioning Snow silently about whether her mother trusted her or not.

She doesn't say it out loud, though. Tucks one hand into her back pocket and gestures with her other hand up the hill. ]

Good timing. I think I found something.