There were advantages to having been a thief years ago. Pepper found those instincts never really went away, when she'd spent the better part of her life living and planning like each day could be her last, like each person was a potential threat that needed assessing. When she'd lived on the streets, she'd mentally mapped her gang's small section of town, noting all the exits and entrances and escape routes she could take if she wound up in a bind.
Instinctively, she'd done the same thing when she arrived at the college. She'd spent a lot of time exploring (something she'd gotten in trouble for plenty, as sitting in a closed in room with only one door and a closed window had left her an anxiety-ridden mess those first months, and still made her twitchy), and she still quickly assessed any situation she walked into. She did it without even having to think about it.
That came in handy now, because it meant she knew exactly which room was Arianne's and the quickest route to get there, and all the places she could hide along the way if there were staff milling about. Bitch got her own room and everything, while most everyone else had to share. But, of course, she was special--though right now, Pepper was grateful for that.
It meant no one else would be in the room, except Soren--if that was indeed where Arianne had taken him. With no other leads, though, it seemed her safest bet.
Class would already be well into session by the time she reached the room, and no doubt there would be people asking questions and trying to track her down, though no one would really be worried because this was the sort of behavior they'd come to expect of her. She'd just get in trouble. Big whoop. Reaching the door after only having had to duck into a few broom closets along the journey, Pepper found it locked.
Which, again, no big deal. Pepper pulled a hair pin she'd stolen from another girl from a fold in her sleeve, checked around the corners to be sure no one was around, and then slipped it into the lock and began to maneuver it around.
Click! For a mage's college, this place was woefully insecure.
Opening the door quietly, Pepper peeked inside to make sure no one else was there--but all she saw was the wolf, chained up in a corner, sitting upon a velvet pillow.
It was...kind of funny, if it wasn't so sad.
"...I'm surprised she didn't put bows on your ears," Pepper said as she carefully shut the door behind her and slipped the pin back into the fabric of her sleeve. "Aren't ya lookin' all fancy."
