This is a log of an online roleplay on PernMUSH. This is not fanfiction, and the characters Rhi and Aralia are copyright their respective players.

Rhi's Quarters
This is a fairly plainly decorated room, with a large pile of varying sized pillows which lay thrown in the far corner. (Please feel free to use them, for almost any purpose.) A pair of matching chairs have been placed nearby to catch the warmth of the fireplace, and a small table sits between those chairs. There is a large chest sitting under the window, padded on top, providing both extra storage, and also a comfortable seat to watch the goings on outside. To your left, is a small desk and chair, and a large circular rug covers the center of the floor. (Places are available here.)

Arro blinks into view from *between*, a flurry of bronze wings and chitters, he shows off with a flashy spiral.

Rhi turns at the sound and holds an arm out for Arro. "Hey, Now where's that pet of yours?" she asks happily "On her way down to see me no doubt."

It's with no small amount of noise that three firelizards make their entrance, bursting from between, eyes whirling the stark reds and white of terror and their screeching so piercing as to hurt the ears. Arro divebombs about the room, unwilling to settle even for a moment and tiny green Bitty flutters around Rhi so closely as to blind the woman with her wing flairs. Snitch, in the most extreme display of activity the fat little blue has ever shown, screams as if he's on his way to death and zooms in random circles aimlessly. Images immediately bombard Rhi's own flits : GLINTING METAL... RAW MEAT... DARKNESS.. FEAR.

Dimity looks over to the big bronze, and then to the other 'lizards. Her eyes start to whorl faster and the colour starts to change dramatically. Chirruping with a note of panic she jumps up to Rhi's shoulder, and hides herself in her hair. Obviously something is upsetting these usually placid creatures.

Rhi ducks out of the way of the panicing trio, careful not to loosen Dimity from her hiding spot. "Well something is bothering you five." she says, her brow starting to crease as slight emotions enter her mind, emotions that she doesn't like the feeling of at all.... I think that I'd best take a walk up to Tillek and see if all is well with Jax." So saying, she's out the door, and on her way.

On the way out of the hall, Dimity takes flight, and Rhi follows her down to the Seacraft Docks and onto the Creeping Clouds.

The covers are all tangled up on the bed, although it appears Lia is hugging a pillow instead of the person she thought she was. But alas, the dark haired girl is still sound asleep, purring like a kitten though some would say she snores. Benrak is sleeping somewhere on the floor - having given up his bed to Lia.

Rhi tiptoes over the sleeping Benrak and shakes Lia gently "Lia.....Lia..." the shaking gets a little rougher as there is no response "Lia!"

Aralia mmphs a few times, batting balled up hands at Rhi. "Whaaaa?" dark eyes flitter open slowly, "Rhi? Whaddaya you doin' in.." she trails off a moment, then snatches at the covers, dragging them up to her chin - just in case- and the girl continues to just /stare/ at her friend. "Benrak's asleep."

Rhi nods quickly and waves her hand to shush her friend. 'I know, you wherry... didn't Danyelle wake you?" She looks around briefly "Dimity went between in such a state, and I assumed that she'd gone to her." She sits herself down at the edge of the bed "There's something terribly wrong with Jaxelle. And I can't work out that it is.. all I'm getting from Dimity is Darkness and fear, and Jax's 'lizards are all flappy, and ..." drifting off, she looks as if she might cry. "I just don't know what to do, I'm going to go and see if Jax is ok, are you coming up with me?"

"Don't call me a wherry you wherry-headed wherry!" oh yes, Lia is soooo very coherent in the morning. "Danyelle? Huh? I think she was off..ohh.." the tiny gold *BURTS* from /between/ with a hiss of chill following after her, and the creature latches onto Lia's shoulder with an excited chirp. "Slow down, SHUSH Danyelle, I'll knock you off." Lia turns to stare at Rhi again, then lifts rolls her eyes slightly, sighing as she leans across - since she is indeed clothed - to give the girl a hug. "Now, slow down.. I'm getting nothing from Danyelle but a mixture of darkness and you!"

Rhi stands quietly, well as quietly as she can in the sate that she's in. "Please Lia," she almost begs "Will you come with me and see that she's alright?" She shakes her head several times quickly "You didn't see what Arro and the others were like, and Dimity was just soo scared." Her eyes fill again "Please???"

Aralia mutters softly, not that she -doesn't- want to help, but she just doesn't get how very urgent Rhi wants to get out there. "Alright, alright I'm coming, hand me that jacket.. I don't care if it's Benrak's, it /cold/ and I'm not prancing about in my knickers looking for an escapee holder girl!" the gold on her shoulder just digs her talons in harder, giving a plaintive screech to make her get on with things.

Rhi watches to make sure that Lia is actually standing up and turns to head out and off the boat again. "Hurry up!" she whispers .. almost whispers anyway on her way out of the door.

Aralia is still muttering under her breath, cold winds whipping her hair away from her face despite the hint of spring in the air. "Which way are we going?" she asks of Rhi. Trudging up the docks, the pair must look quite a state, Rhi freaking out, Lia in her underthings with a firelizard latched onto her shoulder.

Overhead, the entire fair of Jaxelle’s firelizards are whirling, as if waiting for the pair to reappear from the ship. High in the skies, their keening can still be heard, their hides flashing dully in the pale light cast from twin moons.

Rhi looks around a little before pointing up towards Tillek Hold. "The best place to start would be there." She says nodding almost her herself as she starts off up the docks "So let's not waste any more time."

Aralia tramples across the courtyard, trying to stay bundled up in the jacket so conveniently snitched from Benrak's pile. She follows Rhi into the hold with another sigh.

Rhi looks round the hallway quickly and then back to Lia 'I'm going to go up and check in her room." she says quickly as she heads up the stairs.

(They head through the Hold and up to Jaxelle’s bedroom.)

Jaxelle's Hidy-Hole
Spicy smells swirl through warm air, rising from the corner hearth before which sit two delicate rocking chairs. Between them and back a bit, a magnificant tub of water, large enough to fit perhaps six people into it's bubbling cauldron glistens, the wooden barrel of it a deep reddish tone which throws off the light of the flame . Indeed, the steam it creates is lovely after the chill halls of hold on this sea coast - setting the bones right again as it chases off the chill. A huge and muchly cushioned bed rests beneith the strangest contraption in the opposite corner from the fireplace - it appears to be a drawsting shutter system in the ceiling which is presantly open, the stars and one of perns twin moons framed beautifully. Furs cover the floor of the rather large room lushly, only the entrance bare of rug in a half circle, and that where all shoes are left to rest. A desk sits to the right of the door, several parchments and stylus' scattered over it's surface. Yes, it would appear her room is as simple yet complex as Jax herself.

Aralia doesn't have time to wander off and change - so the girl enters the room in her underthings still, though she does at least manage to keep herself slightly warmed with the help of that coat. "I don't see her in here." Lia states wisely.. and it might be known the girl should really be blonde. No offence intended. "Check under the bed?"

Rhi moves around the room, looking for things that might give her some sort of an idea of where Jaxelle could be. She sorts through a pile of clothes, then turns to Lia "All of her warmest clothes are missing and her walking boots are too.." She shakes her head again, but leans down to look under the bed anyway. "A ton of dust" she says in a very head-womany tone "But no Jaxelle. Hang on " she says, crawling under a little way and then emerging with a piece of paper. "Look at this." Holding a piece of paper out to Lia, she frowns "I don't like the look of this at all."

Aralia steps over to peer carefully at the little scrap of paper - blue eyes going wide suddenly. "She wouldn't.." but anyone who knows Jaxelle knows she would, and Lia starts hopping from foot to foot. "Oh for Faranth's sake, this is getting ridiculous, it's probably just all a big joke and we'll find her having drinks in the waverider with either some nice holder boy or one of those horrible riders." S'ris included. "But.." and delicate brows slip into a worried frown. "Perhaps we /should/ go looking for her, but where? And /what/ is that anyone? Looks like some wild feline."

Rhi nods slowly "You've heard the rumours about that then? They've reached the hall too." She flops down onto the edge of the bed, the colour all but drained from her face "What if she really -has- gone after it herself.. It's the type of thing that she'd do isn't it?" She looks up to Lia, eyes pleading "What'll we do? I suppose that we should go and find Lady Selchin, or someone and see what they think. Maybe they'll know where she is, and we'll have just blown all this out of proportion." she says hopefully.

"Well, we could go and find that silly Emira in the kitchens, if anyone's heard any gossip, it'll likely be that pudgey sweetroll of a girl." Lia nods thoughtfully though, and makes a motion towards the children’s quarters. "It's a shame Alexin isn't out there, then we'd have more than a good excuse to go and find her without looking like wherries if it all turns out to be a silly hoax." she takes the paper from Rhi, peering at it again before stuffing it into her pocket. "Woods.. where are there woods around here?"

Rhi sighs as she rises from her perch on the edge of the bed. "That's a much better place to start than with Lady Selchin." she says nodding approval and starting towards the door. "She's usually up with what's happening." the slightest smile crosses her face as she looks back to Lia top make sure that she's following.

Rhi heads out of the door.....

(And so the search begins)