Spirits of the Earth

Juniper had only been a few hours from home when the messenger beetle had delivered the letter. At first the girl had assumed it would be something minor, like a progress report on her Auntie's projects, or a note letting her know she'd forgotten her toothbrush again. It was for this reason that she didn't actually read the letter until the next day.

When she did, it would only take four words to make it the worst day of Juniper's life.


Juniper stormed through the door of Whitechalk Manor, slamming it behind her. Her wooden clogs clacked loudly against the jade floor, alerting everyone within earshot that the noblewoman had finally arrived. Servants quickly moved out of the girl's way as she passed- Juniper had a tendency to walk through people when she was upset, which was never a pretty sight.

Finally, she arrived at the family dining room. Her parents and older sibling were absent, seemingly having chosen not to wait for her. Juniper looked around the room frantically, one foot tapping on the ground impatiently. "Come on, come on!" she muttered under her breath. "Were all of you kidnapped?"

 She put the quill down, locking the drawer up. Hysminai had no information for her - but Siana didn't expect miracles, at least not that early. She would end up owing the dwarf some favours, but her network was not to be underestimated. Even if she found nothing, her ability was credible enough to at least falsify some hypotheses.

Of course, Siana would never disclose information that could put her family at risk - especially to someone as intelligent and scheming as Hysminai. The only grains of truth were Basil's description and the need to find him. She claimed that the boy was a former protegee who took advantage of her generosity and absconded with expensive equipment. It was believable enough - not every researcher she funded was blessed with self-preservation instinct, after all. The dwarf should understand the need of having him back unharmed, to fully take the brunt of punishment. Siana hinted at wanting to make an example to be remembered, something her ally also utilised.

She hurried to the dining room - the servants informed her that Juniper called the rest of the family there. Siana doubted that everyone would answer the summons - while the Whitechalks knew better than to ignore Basil's disappearance, they were a willful lot. Why listen to scolding when they could find the boy on their own and bask in the glory. No, they would appear only when their well-trained minds couldn't come up with anything else.

Siana's resources weren't exhausted yet, but she and Juniper had a good and reliable working relationship. And she didn't exactly want her favourite niece to waste time sitting there, waiting for people who would never come.

She pushed the door open and entered.

The sound of the door creaking open caused Juniper to spin around, enchanted robes flowing behind her. Her face softened somewhat when she saw her aunt walk into the room, though it still retained it's sharpness. "Auntie..." she said, an uncertainty in her voice that was rarely heard by others. "I'm..."

The girl shook her head, anger overtaking her. "How." she spat. "All I want to know is how, and who. 'Where' can wait."

 Being comforting was never one of Siana's strengths - it required a degree of softness she would not be willing to develop. She could deal with problems easier with people, so she felt a bit relieved when Juniper chose to confront the situation head-on. Better for her favourite niece to seek consolation from someone better equipped to provide it - the chronomancer would focus on offering solutions.

"You were the last person to see him, correct?" she asked. Better to get her facts in order before making any plans. "That should help us narrow down the time frame for the event. Then... I'd like to think that our staff was unusually incompetent, but I know better than just to rely on my assumptions. It's possible that we're dealing with professionals, who left no discernible traces. In this case... Perhaps we should lower the wards on the manor in order to scry on it."

The Whitechalks valued their privacy, and had more than enough money and power to secure it. The manor was covered in arcane wards that protected the house and its owners. One of them - a necessity for any Serenian noble, considering the magic that ran in the blood of their people - was a preventive measure shielding the grounds from any means of magical investigation. It has served them well, but now it has become a bit of a reflecting curse - as long as it functioned, no one could scry on the area it protected - and they couldn't find any information on what happened to Basil.

Juniper's mouth grew thin. "Yes... I was the last to see him." she said slowly. "He had wanted to tag along with me on my trip to Wyrdwood. I wished for him to return to his room."

"If I had let him come with me, would he still be here?"

Juniper crossed her arms. The prospect of lowering the wards wasn't a pretty one, but at this point what choice did they have? "If you think it would help, then It woud be for the best the wards come down." she said, albiet unenthusiastically. "While we're at it, we may want to check if any of our servants have gone missing as well. If they have, then they're likely connected to this."

 Wording mattered. If Juniper used up one of Basil's wishes to make him return, then the magic should have forced the boy to arrive in his room. If he was taken from from inside the manor, that meant the culprit was far more capable than they suspected. Infiltrating the grounds was no easy task, getting inside was even harder.

It wasn't a possibility she should discount - even if it was far more probable that Basil simply left as soon as the magic was completed. All of this could have been avoided if only Myyla blessed her people with common sense from birth, rather than putting them through the idiotic period of childhood first. She would need to fire the hired tutors - if the family head decided to hide Basil's disappearance from the public eye, it would have to be done anyway, to hide their pupil's absence. If they couldn't keep the child from wandering off and being taken, they did not deserve the Whitechalks' money.

She nodded, acknowledging Juniper's advice. "I'll have my husband look into this." Her niece was right - Basil's disappearance would be made much easier by help on the inside. Or perhaps someone fell victim to the culprits. If that was the case... Serenian law forbade necromancy, but Siana refused to let law get in the way of her family.

"But I might be getting ahead of myself with the wards. The first order of business would be finding someone who can look into the past. Do you know of anyone who fits the criteria?" Juniper's ability frequently caused her to come into contact with people who had interesting skills.

Juniper smirked despite the grim subject matter- it was practically instinctual for her. "Oh, I know just the person- in fact, I've already sent a letter requesting her presence."

This much was true- she did know a chronomancer in Tirial, and she had made an effort to contact them. What Juniper left out, however, was her contact's attitude. Detective Aldenshine was notoriously ill-tempered, and had rather explicitly told Juniper to "fuck off and die" the first last time they'd met. She needed her aunt to think she was on top of things though, so what was the harm?

The girl crossed her arms, smirk fading. "I imagine it will take a few weeks for her to get here, however. Maestoso isn't exactly a hop, skip, and jump away." She pursed her lips. "Until then, we're on our own."

 It was difficult to sometimes account for the fact that not everyone had access to high quality teleportation or dimensional doorways. That was an inconvenience, but one she could accept - there were other avenues to explore before Juniper's contact arrived.

"Very well" she concluded, lacing her fingers together. "Let me know when your specialist arrives. I will have the wards lowered for the investigation." There was no point weakening their defences prematurely.

"My children have already chosen the subjects of their own investigations" she continued. "That would be the grounds not covered by wards and therefore susceptible to proper spellwork, travelers recently coming nearby, and people who could have known about Basil's existence."

Clarisse Aldenshine stepped out of her carriage and onto the path leading to Whitechalk manor, a bottle of cheap liquor in hand. It had taken two letters from the annoying Verdan girl to convince her to come- the first gave no description of the crime that had occurred, and it was only after Clarisse had sent a note back telling her to piss off that she got a second fully explaining the situation. If it hadn't been a child who'd gone missing, she almost certainly wouldn't have bothered coming- that Juniper girl gave her the creeps.

Soon finding herself at the manor's front door, the detective hesitated. There was something eerie about this family for sure- she could feel it in the ground she stood on. It may not have been the most precise of metrics- hell, it didn't even make much sense- but it'd never steered Clarisse wrong, either. Still, to turn back now would be imbecillic.

With a grimace, the woman knocked on the door. "Ay, open up!" she said grumpily. "You called for me, yeah? I thought thr nobles here were supposed to be welcoming."

 The door soon swung open, attended by two servants wearing the Whitechalk family livery. "We have been informed of your arrival. Please follow me" one of them spoke in a clear, trained voice, while his companion headed back into the mansion. Rather than lead her inside, he exited the manor and locked the door behind him with a key. Upon slipping it back into the pocket, he headed off the main path, making his way to someplace on the manor grounds.


The second servant, upon assigning another pair to guard the entrance moved upstairs to the second floor where Siana Whitechalk's study was located. She knocked on the door and waited respectfully until the enchantment opened it for her. "Highmaster" she began, "the detective Mistress Juniper called has arrived."

The chronomancer put down the report she was studying and rose. "Tell our head of security to be ready for my signal. Go find Juniper if you haven't done it already. Where is the investigator?"

"Brian is already taking her to the indicated area."

The Whitechalk nodded, walking up to the door. "Go" she commanded. The servant bowed and left.

Clarisse exhaled sharply, following closely behind the servant. "Can't even be bothered to meet me in person, huh?" she thought, a bemused look on her face. "Figures."


Located on the third floor of the manor, Juniper's room looked like something out of a young girl's princess fantasies. The walls were a light shade of blue, with a pattern of black feathers painted by Juniper herself. In the center of the room was a large canopy bed with white sheets. A single mirror hung from the wall, too high for anybody to see their reflection in.

Juniper sat on her bed, painting her nails- something that had always helped her to decompress. Her mind was cloudy as she gently ran the brush over her thumbnail, eyes glossy. It had been almost two weeks since her little brother had been taken, and it left the young noble wondering if there wasn't more they could be doing. Keeping the boy secret had seemed so important before, but now it left them with next to no means of tracking him down. How did you ask people about somebody who wasn't supposed to exist?

A knock on the door caused the girl to flinch, brush slipping and streaking her hand with white nail polish. Eye twitching, she got up and opened the door. She glared at the servant, her yellow eyes boring into his skull. "This had better be good."

 The servant bowed hurriedly, apology instantly slipping to her lips. "I'm sorry, Mistress! I didn't-" she quickly bit her tongue. The Whitechalks had little patience for wasting their time with needless words. She should focus on her task. "The investigator has arrived. I informed Highmaster Whitechalk. She's expecting you on the grounds." She stayed with her head bowed.

Juniper's lips quivered, and she let out a deep sigh. "Yes, of course." she said, maybe a bit too professionally. "I'll... be on my way, then."  The teenager walked past the servant hastily, embarressment masked in icy stoicism.


Clarisse leaned against a tree on the roadside, tapping her foot impatiently. What, exactly, could be taking the Whitechalk brat so long? Wasn't this supposed to be important?

"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Aldenshine."

A voice from behind her caused the detective to groan. "Ugh. I forgot just how annoying your voice is. You'd better actually need me for something this time."

 Siana made her way to the grounds, activating a minor enchantment on her ring to protect herself from the chill and other environmental hazards. She walked without care for mud on her shoes - two figures that must have been Juniper and her contact were visible in what little sunlight pierced through the clouds. Apart from the usual conveniences, she also carried two minor artifacts from her collection - trifles, really, but would serve her purpose well.

She was close enough to overhear the last line. As displeased as she was with someone showing such disrespect towards her favourite niece, she knew better than to react or even let it show. This was to be a professional exchange. She slipped a pair of glass spectacles on - the first of the trinkets she took. It was enchanted to record whatever the owner saw, then replay it once someone else wore them. It should allow them to view the effects of the detective's work whenever necessary, and hopefully would save them the trouble of calling upon the irreverent woman again.

She caught up, gave a nod to Juniper, then turned towards the investigator. "Do you need anything for your work?"

Juniper's friendly smile slipped as the detective insulted her, hands opening and closing restlessly. Before she could say something nasty in return, however, her Aunt had arrived. The girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Myyla..."

Clarrisse stared at the noble. "Eh? No." She huffed. "Lets just get this over with."

The detective closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she did so. When she opened them again, her eyes had turned stark white. Juniper watched in amazement as apparations of her and her family moved quickly in reverse, as if time itself was rewinding. She bit her lower lip hungrily. "Whoa..."

After a few minutes, the figure of her younger brother came running towards them- backwards of course. The figure froze abrubtly, as if put on pause. "Ok." Clarisse said. "Looks like he must have been taken futher down the road." The boy began to move again, this time running away from them as normal. The detective began to limp after the figure hastily. "If we want to know what happened, we need to follow him. Let's move."

 Siana noticed that Juniper was on edge - she had every right to be, considering Basil's disappearance. The whole family was concerned, but her niece was very close to her missing brother, after all. The investigator's demeanour didn't help the matters, but Siana couldn't make her disappear - not yet, at least. They still needed her power.

Juniper wasn't the only person impressed with this unique ability. Both of the Whitechalks have made it their life's work to seek out and foster talent, and probably couldn't help to view it from this perspective. Siana was already wondering what would happen if she acted with her own magic upon this rewinding - would it skip forward at a faster rate? Would they cancel each other out, as they were essential opposites - the magic of the past and the magic of the future? But she would hold her scholarly curiosity for now - Basil's disappearance took priority.

When the boy's phantom appeared, Siana's gaze flicked briefly to Juniper. She was the one who saw him on the day he went missing - the chronomancer wouldn't know what he wore and how to tell him apart from other ghosts of the past. Since her niece raised no objections, she would accept it as accurate.

A mix of scholarly interest and a noble's attention to words finally broke her silence. "'Taken'? Where does this conclusion come from? Is there something that the rewind didn't show?" So far all that Juniper and she were privy to was an image of Basil running free. It was possible that someone could be controlling him - very troubling, concerning the amount of wards and protections put on the Whitechalk grounds and every member of the family, but couldn't be ruled out. But it was impossible to guess just from the current scene. Did the investigator's power grant her knowledge not included in her visualisation?

Clarisse huffed, ignoring the woman's questions. Stopping to explain her hunches took time- something they only had a finite amount of.

Five or so muinutes down the road, the detective stopped. The apparation of Basil was stopped by another- a female figure in leather armor. The woman slipped a cloth over the young boy's face, an he proceeded to go limp. Juniper inhaled sharply, covering her mouth in shock as the apparition was carried off into the bushes, disappearing from view.

Clarrisse looked back at the two nobles, face grim. "That's how I know."

 Siana folded her arms, watching carefully. The replay only confirmed what they suspected and feared, but she wasn't concerned about not enough information. There were probably hints that she missed but a mind more accustomed to dealing with the criminal element could pick up on. And the investigator's prior knowledge indicated that she had full awareness of all the events before she played them out - or perhaps she's just made an educated guess and only now saw it proven right.

She was curious to test her theories, and fortunately it just so coincided with the main priority of the investigation. The next step was to follow the trail of the past to the limits of its vessel. She examined the figure from every angle, careful to catch every inch in the area of her spectacles. She would not see any hint missed because of laziness. Of course, they could only cover one sense. She would have preferred to be able to convey all of her perception, but she would rather rely on words than miss out on clues.

"Can I touch it?" she asked, her eyes still watching the images.

A soft buzzing began to fill Clarisse's head as she watched the apparations. Her vision began to go fuzzy, and she struggled to stay standing. "Damn this stupid time limit... she grumbled under her breath. "No. You can't touch it."

In an instant the apparition would vanish, and the detective fell to her knees. "And... and no you can't look either." she gasped, eyes wide. "Show... show's over."

 That was a pity. There was a lot she could have learned from other senses, but sight would have to suffice. Still, she was never the kind to give up where there could be improvements made, and this ability was useful enough for her to be willing to expend resources on it. "What governs this power?" she asked. "Is it a question of stamina? Time limit, perhaps?" If it was something the Whitechalk family could acquire - and the laws of probability supported this hypothesis - she was inclined to do so.

Clarrisse's chest heaved, her breathing hoarse. She sat cross legged on the groung, eying Siana with suspicion. 'I'm under no obligation to ex-"

"It's stamina." Juniper said matter-of-factly. "Her power drains it." The detective curled her upper lip, but the young noblewoman ignored her. "Had she not been expending additional energy by leading us to this spot, she'd have been able to go longer."

"Bitch." Clarisse spat defiantly. "You really have no respect for anyone, do you?"

Juniper raised an eyebrow, smirking coyly "Hey, I'm paying you, aren't I? Calm down."

 "Respect," Siana said, "is something to be earned, not demanded. To use a metaphor more on your level, it can be seen like manure. A precisely chosen amount may foster growth, but sprinkling it around liberally without any thought would just make everything smell." Should the investigator want respect, it was on her to grow to warrant it - no Whitechalk would lavish it upon the undeserving, and she trusted Juniper's assessment enough to support it.

She brought a bright-patterned handkerchief out of her pocket and waved a signal in the direction of the manor. As she put it back inside, she twisted a gem on the side of her spectacles and took them off. No use wasting recording - the spell has ended and there was little they could do about it, especially with the subject so unwilling.

"A servant will come by with payment" was the last thing she had to say. She and Juniper headed off in the direction of the mansion. Siana lowered her voice in order not to be overheard. "You've done well. Good job finding a specialist. Was there anything in the rewind that drew your attention?"

Juniper walked away with her aunt, an amused grin plastered on her face as she gave the detective a backhanded wave goodbye. The girl had long since learned to take incidents like this in stride- it was more akin to a mouse trying to bite a cat than it was a real insult.

It was, however, only a momentary distraction. Siana's words brought Juniper back to reality, and her mouth thinned into a grimace. "If the kidnapper waited for Basil to leave the house rather than breaking in, then they must have been staking out the mansion for a while." Her eyes narrowed. "How they knew is more important than where they went, at least for now. There's nothing preventing them from coming back otherwise."

 Siana nodded. "We should start by making a list of people pertinent to the information." They would both be on it, as well as every other member of the family. It was only reasonable - if it was her careless words that caused this whole incident to occur, she had to be held responsible, and be more cautious in the future.

Juniper's gift allowed her to pinpoint the best person to do any job, but this part of their investigation was very sensitive. Should an outsider learn about Basil's gifts, they would have to be eliminated, and Siana never liked destroying tools that still had their uses. "This would be delicate work." Work she was not really suited to. "We will have to come up with a measure to counter it, and add to our wards in order to prevent any further surveillance... But I am getting ahead of myself."

Juniper nodded. "Might it be best to start with his caretakers? I know Mom already questioned them, but you know how..." Juniper paused, trying to think of the right words to use to describe Siana's sister-in-law. "Distracted she can get."

The girl frowned at the thought. Of everybody involved, it was probably her mother who'd been affected by Basil's disappearance the hardest. The woman's already severe mood swings had only gotten worse in the two weeks that had passed, and her hysteria showed no signs of slowing anytime soon. If they didn't make meaningful progress soon, they'd likely have to deal with her as well as the missing child...

 Moments like this made Siana wish for a capable mentalist in the family - perhaps something to be requested of Basil once he was found. She usually was willing to allow people their emotional responses, but her tolerance ended the moment those responses began to get in the way of Whitechalk business. She wasn't heartless, it was only natural for Rosemary to be upset, but if her state prevented her from assisting with the investigation, the only sensible thing was to remove herself from the proceedings.

"I'll talk to them" she promised. Perhaps there was a silver lining to it - after having to endure a desperate mother, they should be more amenable to sensible persuasion.

"Where is Fiorina? If she's late for this meeting, I will assume guilt!"

Rosemary Whitechalk paced the common area, glaring nastily at the servants who had gathered in front of her. An air of dread filled the room- the tall, diamond-studded woman was intimidating enough when she was good mood, and the first interrogation session she'd held had ended with her beating a housemaid unconscious for not answering her questions quickly enough. "Don't just stand there! I asked where-"

"Here!"

A young kulshedra in a servant's gown entered the room quickly, stumbling over herself in an attempt to curtsy. Rosemary gave the handmaiden a steely glare, which then softened considerably when she saw her daughter Juniper following behind her. "I'm sorry Mrs. Whitechalk!" Fiorina squeaked, bowing her head in apology. "I had to alert Miss Juni-"

"It's fine." Rosemary said, cutting her off. "Your transgression is forgiven." With another rushed curtsy, Fiorina joined the line of servants, and Rosemary turned her attention to Juniper. "Siana is on route?"

The white haired girl nodded, shooting a quick smirk towards the visibly shaken kulshedra. "Yeah. Should arrive any minute now..."

 Siana had a servant carry her spectacles away - she wanted her men to examine the image within as soon as possible. She headed to meet her sister in law immediately. She didn't have to look long - the servants were hurrying into one specific direction. Siana hoped that Rosemary at least didn't demand all the staff of the manor to gather - the Whitechalk estate was a finely tuned machine that could work without a cog or two, but not when someone chose to stop it in its tracks!

She entered, taking measure of the room. The servants were terrified, and rightfully so. Siana turned her gaze to her sister in law, the customary words of greetings before moving on to business. Surely, Rosemary would appreciate it - it was her child that was missing, after all. "Have you discovered anything?" she asked. She doubted it, judging by Juniper's earlier comment, but the possibility that some new information could have come up existed, therefore she had to account for it.

"No, but we will." Rosemary said, glaring at the line of servants. The tone of her voice was odd- was it determination, or desperation? She held her arms behind her back, pacing back and forth in front of the lineup. She stopped in front of a short woman with green hair, who was trying her hardest not to tremble. The girl was one of Basil's caregivers- his favorite, if she was being honest with herself. "We'll have an answer by the end of the day."

"M-Mistress Whitechalk, please!" the woman blurted out suddenly. "It wasn't-"

A loud smack echoed through the room as Rosemary backhanded her, leaving a nasty gash where her rings had connected with the girl's face. Some of the other servants flinched, trying desperately to keep their composure. "Did I give you permission to speak?" The noblewoman asked coldly. "If you're so confidant of your innocence, then you would have waited!"

It was at this point that Juniper stepped forward, mouth thin. "Mom..." she said slowly, a flicker of fear on her face. "Are you sure this is the most effective way of questioning them?"

 There was plenty of problems with Rosemary's conduct - she was sending confusing messages, lacking composure, and probably her methodology left much to be desired as well. Siana held her tongue - she would not damage her sister-in-law's authority even further, and she had a feeling that the irate woman would not take feedback to heart. She felt bad for Juniper.

"What method of interrogation are you utilizing? I would like to know in order to assist you to the best of my ability." It was an... exaggeration, but a properly founded one. If Rosemary didn't want her here, she would probably already have said so. There were several objectives to be achieved here: acting on behest of Juniper to prevent her mother from worsening the situation; making sure that her irrational behaviour wouldn't damage the Whitechalk authority, as they had enough on their plate without having to execute the current staff and find a replacement; as well as ensuring that the further investigation would proceed as smooth as possible. The objective of actually gleaning some information was too optimistic to achieve.

There was no need to weigh one goal against another, decide what she was willing to give up to achieve something else. This math of losses was the art the lessers had to learn. She was a Whitechalk, she would not accept anything but the absolute perfection.

Rosemary lowered her arm, slowly turning to face her daughter and sister-in-law. He face was stoney, an expression offset by her watery eyes. "The interrogation method where they tell me everything I want to know because they know what I'll do to them if they don't." she said shakily. "Why?"

Juniper grimaced. "I... feel that may not be the best method." she said cautiously. Her mother had done this last time too, to no results. "Perhaps a more delicate, fine-tuned approach would be better?"

The girl scratched her neck- a nervous tick. Having this conversation in front of the very people they were trying to interrogate was enough to embarress even her...

 Discussing methods in front of the target was not a good idea, unless it was a part of the interrogation process - and it was plain to see it was not the case now. Then again, most of the manor staff should have been already used to Rosemary's volatile's disposition.

"I see you've already made your decision on the method" she observed. "Allow me to assist with verification of their claims. One of my researchers has been working with the verawax - are you familiar with it? It's produced by a rather rare species of insect endemic to" she halted. There was no point explaining the fine details to her sister in law, and if Juniper wished to know more, she had to only ask.

"To the point. He can produce a candle that would act as a verificator - its flame would be snuffed out, should the one holding it speak a lie." The design was experimental, but it was a good opportunity to test it. "Although producing it would require a lot of money."

Wealth was no issue to the Whitechalks - Rosemary's ability ensured that. Perhaps it was for the best - if the volatile woman was given something to do, she could focus on growing diamonds to cover the expenses and feel like she's doing something to move the investigation forward.

Juniper eyed her mother nervously. Rosemary had never been very open to trying new things- especially when they were reccomended by anybody who wasn't Coriander. Even now, the woman stared at Siana with pursed lips, jaw moving slightly as she grinded her teeth...

"...Very well. I shall supply the funds."

Juniper's features softened, and she silently thanked Myyla for her mother's change in attitude. From behind her she could hear Fiorina begin to let out a sigh of relief before hastily stifling herself. Ignoring it, Rosemary took a step towards Siana. "How long will this item take to prepare?"

 Miracles did happen, quite frequently in Siana's line of work, but such an easy success with a notoriously difficult person like Rosemary was still a very pleasant surprise. Apparently Basil's disappearance pushed her sister-in-law to extremes such as trying new measures. Had this suspicion come from anyone else, Siana would have taken it as a personal offence, as she was not in a habit of endorsing unreliable measures, but she has long since learned not to let anything Rosemary-related bother her.

She glanced at Juniper. She could have the candle brought to the manor in about a week, but this time could be shortened or lengthened to an extent. Keeping Rosemary waiting too long could be a bad move, as she might get some new idea, but any period of peace should be prolonged as much as it was possible. Siana caught on quickly, her expression unchanged. The faster the better, then. "A few days. I shall have you informed once it arrives. I will leave it to you to make sure that no suspect slips the net until then."

Rosemary's mouth thinned, and Siana would be able to feel the woman's gaze as if it were piercing right through her. She exhaled sharply. "A few days..." she repeated softly, her eye twitching. "Fine. I trust you'll be able to keep your word."

The noblewoman turned on her heel, leaving the room in what Juniper had come to recognize as a huff. It wasn't quite "storming out", though it couldn't be called "graceful" either. The door slammed behind her, and the line of servants all seemed to relax slightly. Juniper eyed them disdainfully, sneering. "Everyone but Fiorina is dismissed. Get back to work!"

"Mom is right. It has to have been one of them."

The girl turned to Siana as the help filed out of the room. "This will only take a few days, right? There's not any caveat to that time frame?"

 Glaring silently was an art that Rosemary perfected to the point that even Siana had to admire it. She ignored the jab - the last thing she wanted was to continue this troublesome situation, and her sister-in-law's paranoia couldn't damage the reputation of her skill anyway.

Juniper's dismissal of the servants were rather... selective, but Siana didn't comment on it. Perhaps she had some assignment to give to her maid; she shouldn't read too much into it. "Yes, I gave you the fairest estimation I could" she assured her. Even if the artificer she mentioned calculated incorrectly, she could speed up any process to its natural conclusion. She would rather not speak of her ability openly with a servant around, but Juniper would understand. Time, in this case, was on her side.

Juniper nodded. "Good. The last thing we need right now is another setback." The image of her mother screaming and breaking things flashed through her head, causing the girl to grimace. "We... have enough to worry about."

Juniper shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Basil..." she thought sadly. "Just hang in there. We're gonna get you back, just as soon as-"

"Um... Mistress Juniper? You called for me?"

Fiorina stood at attention, arms held behind her back. A nervous grimace played across the kulshedra's face, making her look even more unfortunate than she already did. Juniper eyed her oddly, half a smile on her face. "I never called you." she said matter-of-factly. "I just told you not to leave."

The servant looked at her feet, taking a small step backwards. "O-oh..."

 Siana really wasn't too good with the emotional side of things. She far preferred the firm, unbreakable rules that governed the natural world. Clear cause and effect, repeatable results, every secret in creation just waiting for her to find the right route to reach it. Approaching interpersonal relations with the same attitude served her well - she was yet to find a noble without something she could use as a leverage. Pity this wouldn't work in this situation.

But as much as she'd prefer to provide rational support in lieu of emotional kind, she was not about to leave Juniper be. Rosemary couldn't be trusted to deliver any help - she was more of a part of the problem rather than a part of solution - and Coriander clearly was not here. Well, fuck.

She took a step forward and pulled her favourite niece into a hug. "You're doing amazing" she muttered. "This is a terrible situation to be in and we all wish it was just some nightmare we could wake up from. It must be especially hard on you, and I'm sorry that no one is here to give you the support you need."

Juniper froze for a moment, then shakily returned the embrace. "I-I..." she mumbled. Crying would be so easy right now, but her pride wouldn't allow her to do so. "...I'll be okay." she said finally. "We... have bigger things than me to focus on..."


Juniper had to have been blind.

Rosemary strode though the hall at a brisk pace, eyes narrowed. How could her daughter not see it? It was so obvious- the setbacks, the insistance of doing things her way, the obvious motivation...

Siana Whitechalk was behind Basil's disappearence.

It all made sense- clearly, Siana resented Coriander for siring the main branch of the family. Basil was their prodigy, their pride and joy- what better way to strike a blow to their prestige than to remove him from the picture? And then there was her sister-in-law's little secret...

Throwng open a large pair of doors, Rosemary stepped out onto the manor's balcony. She smirked. "Did you think I wouldn't keep tabs on her, Siana?" she mused softly as she placed her hands on the railing. "The only person here with ties to a criminal orginization is you."