Madeira fit the key into the lock, twisted, and pushed. The door opened with a creak to reveal the gloom inside, unlit and cold, with a stirring of dust and stale air. Moonlight shone in behind them, carving tall shadows lined in silver across the floor. The first floor was huge, three times larger than their entire cottage and twice as tall, lined with art and fine, mismatched furniture under a thin layer of dust. The open kitchen gleamed dully with expensive metal works and spider webs. It was grand, but after being abandoned for seasons it the place felt unloved and cold. Madeira's heart broke to think this was where the end of their long, impossible journey had taken them.
Allister, it seemed, had a different impression. He deposited his burdens and swept towards her with glee shining between his bloody teeth. Sinking low, with rough sailors hands as gentle as can be, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head upon her breast. “You kept your promise, love", his voice was all adoration and happiness as he spoke of a promise made in the bedroom of a very different manor nearly a year before. “You promised me a home just for us and you’ve done it!”
Love and victory rushed through the bond, delighting in how far they had come and what met them on the other side. Madeira brushed his hair with soft fingers and smiled. In the tide of his joy she swore she could see what he saw in this abandoned place. She saw space and potential, with their warmth spilling over to infect every centimetre of this house. This was a place to raise a family and care for those they loved, a place she could implement magic into the very roots of the manor and he could finally know peace. Through his eyes this house felt like home.
He asked what he could do, did she want rest, food, pampering? She watched the purple swelling of his brow where it met her body and knew he needed tending much more than she needed service. But the Kelvic wanted to help her, and she suspected he would feel better if he did. She came to a quick solution and kissed his upturned face.
"A bath would be wonderful, if you joined me." What a pleasure that would be, to scrub the salt and stink from their skin and to sink into precious fresh water. And if she could get Allister naked and to hold still, she could clean and examine his wounds as best she could. Tomorrow they would find a medical facility, but tonight all he had was her. Yet tonight, if she were gentle, and he was strong enough, perhaps there were other ways she could show him just how much she appreciated him and all he had done to get them here. "There's bound to be a bathing room here somewhere. Find it and draw us a bath, while I settle everyone down."
The chicken was still a ruffled, anxious ball of feathers in her wicker basket, the cat still sunk low and snoozing in her hood, and the tiger was still stuffed in the great chest. Little Emma was excitedly exploring their new house with great interest, and she looked like a proper ghost as her form flickered and blinked in the dark corners of the abandoned structure. Kneeling, Madeira lifted the sleepy Spooks from her cloak and the confused chicken from its basket. The cat roused itself just enough to waddle dazedly away and plonk itself on the floor in a patch of moonlight from a dusty window. The chicken meanwhile clucked nervously and stayed by Madeira's feet, her long neck craning around to find Jomi. It saddened the Spiritist that she had no proper place for them to be comfortable, but she did her best. Rustling up some bowls from the kitchen she cleaned them with the front of her skirts and set out food for both them and a nest of blankets for the chicken. With the flint and steel at the bottom of her bag and the stack of bone dry logs crawling with spiders in the kitchen she even managed to make a little fire in the ashes of the great big hearth.
"Emma!" she shouted as she finally detangled the tiger head from its prison of linen and leather. The ghost blinked to her side at once, all wide-eyed with sleepless wonder. "I need you to watch over everyone tonight, kitten. No wandering off. And... stay down here. Can you do that for me?" If Madeira got her way she wouldn't want Emma anywhere near the upper floors. To remember the fiasco aboard the ship still brought an embarrassed flush to her cheeks.
"Yah", the girl nodded, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. "Did you know there is a basement?"
"No, I haven't seen it yet. We'll have plenty of time to explore tomorrow."
"There's also a big workshop! With tool and stuff hanging-"
Madeira laughed and ruffled the girl's curly hair. "Tomorrow, sweetheart. We'll be here a long time, there's no rush."
Only once she had hung up Raj over the hearth, and made sure everyone was okay in this strange new place, did she finally ascend the spiralling iron staircase to the second floor. The stairs rattled slightly, announcing her every step. At least the black iron felt sturdy under her feet, she reasoned, stepping off on the second floor landing. The round hallway had no windows, and the scones were unlit. But she could see a sliver of golden light and a curl of steam rising from under one of the doors, and with that found her way to the bathroom.
WC: 965
Allister, it seemed, had a different impression. He deposited his burdens and swept towards her with glee shining between his bloody teeth. Sinking low, with rough sailors hands as gentle as can be, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head upon her breast. “You kept your promise, love", his voice was all adoration and happiness as he spoke of a promise made in the bedroom of a very different manor nearly a year before. “You promised me a home just for us and you’ve done it!”
Love and victory rushed through the bond, delighting in how far they had come and what met them on the other side. Madeira brushed his hair with soft fingers and smiled. In the tide of his joy she swore she could see what he saw in this abandoned place. She saw space and potential, with their warmth spilling over to infect every centimetre of this house. This was a place to raise a family and care for those they loved, a place she could implement magic into the very roots of the manor and he could finally know peace. Through his eyes this house felt like home.
He asked what he could do, did she want rest, food, pampering? She watched the purple swelling of his brow where it met her body and knew he needed tending much more than she needed service. But the Kelvic wanted to help her, and she suspected he would feel better if he did. She came to a quick solution and kissed his upturned face.
"A bath would be wonderful, if you joined me." What a pleasure that would be, to scrub the salt and stink from their skin and to sink into precious fresh water. And if she could get Allister naked and to hold still, she could clean and examine his wounds as best she could. Tomorrow they would find a medical facility, but tonight all he had was her. Yet tonight, if she were gentle, and he was strong enough, perhaps there were other ways she could show him just how much she appreciated him and all he had done to get them here. "There's bound to be a bathing room here somewhere. Find it and draw us a bath, while I settle everyone down."
The chicken was still a ruffled, anxious ball of feathers in her wicker basket, the cat still sunk low and snoozing in her hood, and the tiger was still stuffed in the great chest. Little Emma was excitedly exploring their new house with great interest, and she looked like a proper ghost as her form flickered and blinked in the dark corners of the abandoned structure. Kneeling, Madeira lifted the sleepy Spooks from her cloak and the confused chicken from its basket. The cat roused itself just enough to waddle dazedly away and plonk itself on the floor in a patch of moonlight from a dusty window. The chicken meanwhile clucked nervously and stayed by Madeira's feet, her long neck craning around to find Jomi. It saddened the Spiritist that she had no proper place for them to be comfortable, but she did her best. Rustling up some bowls from the kitchen she cleaned them with the front of her skirts and set out food for both them and a nest of blankets for the chicken. With the flint and steel at the bottom of her bag and the stack of bone dry logs crawling with spiders in the kitchen she even managed to make a little fire in the ashes of the great big hearth.
"Emma!" she shouted as she finally detangled the tiger head from its prison of linen and leather. The ghost blinked to her side at once, all wide-eyed with sleepless wonder. "I need you to watch over everyone tonight, kitten. No wandering off. And... stay down here. Can you do that for me?" If Madeira got her way she wouldn't want Emma anywhere near the upper floors. To remember the fiasco aboard the ship still brought an embarrassed flush to her cheeks.
"Yah", the girl nodded, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. "Did you know there is a basement?"
"No, I haven't seen it yet. We'll have plenty of time to explore tomorrow."
"There's also a big workshop! With tool and stuff hanging-"
Madeira laughed and ruffled the girl's curly hair. "Tomorrow, sweetheart. We'll be here a long time, there's no rush."
Only once she had hung up Raj over the hearth, and made sure everyone was okay in this strange new place, did she finally ascend the spiralling iron staircase to the second floor. The stairs rattled slightly, announcing her every step. At least the black iron felt sturdy under her feet, she reasoned, stepping off on the second floor landing. The round hallway had no windows, and the scones were unlit. But she could see a sliver of golden light and a curl of steam rising from under one of the doors, and with that found her way to the bathroom.
WC: 965
x