Luna gratefully followed the dog, barely scenting what he was clearly following. Had she been on the trail herself, she'd have dismissed the faint scent as her imagination. Instead, Dog brought them to a house where someone came to the door to greet them. It was a nice structure: the stonework had intricate carvings into the stone, there were graceful arches and designs worked into the eaves, the porch was spacious and well kept with a nice rug, and the front garden was tidy. The person themselves was a woman. Her pale hair was pulled back and she was dressed modestly middle class in a flowing blue shirt with a black underbust, black pants, and embroidered boots. A badge of some sort was on her shirt. Was it a mark of some kind? Luna wasn't sure, and Dog was standing over her protectively, making it awkward to get a good assessment in.
Well. Dog being protective wasn't a bad thing, but they needed inside. Luna wove her way out from under Dog and flicked his chin with her tail as an instruction to follow. She went up to the woman and flopped down in the universal language request for pets.
"Mrraow?"
The woman looked down at her with a frown.
"You have a translation collar, so I know you can talk. If its broken, I'm not fixing it for you. Now shoo, before you get me in trouble!" The woman said sternly. Luna sighed and rolled on her feet.
I'm looking for my James. Dog has led us here like my person is here. Is he?
The woman looked up and down the street nervously, then ushered the cat and dog inside. The reception room where she guided them was comfortable. Lots of plants and flowers were being nurtured in pots, lending the whole room a garden-like feel. The woman went to a wicker bench in the room and sat.
"James was here. He may return, I don't know. Are you his cat, Luna?"
The cat affirmed her identity and the woman continued.
"Well, he thought you'd been eaten by the demon that tried to kidnap him. You see, he was a part of a chain of smugglers...well, not smugglers, but...he helped families get out of Connlaoth if their children expressed magic. And if a child was taken by the church, our group tried to get them to freedom, but...well, something happened. I don't know too much about the incident. Something about slave traders and a death threat? He came by several nights ago on his way out of town. He may be back in a month or two...He was heading to Thanatos, I think?" The woman spoke quickly and quietly as if she was in a confessional booth. Luna listened, understanding that the rush of words was due to panic. The stink of adrenaline was starting to perfume the woman...had she been lying? Why was she so scared?
Thank you. If James isn't here, then Dog and I should get going. Do you know where in Thanatos he was headed? Luna jumped up onto the bench by the woman and loafed next to her, trying to ease her nerves.
The woman shook her head.
"Sorry, I don't. Why don't I make you some supper and let you spend the night here; maybe I can get word to James?" She asked, sounding more polite than hopeful they'd say yes.
Luna thought an image of a bowl of food and a blanket bed, then an image of a road in the morning light to Dog with a question feeling. Did he want to stay the night? she waited for his answer before affirming or denying the woman's offer