Ysabel let out a breath she hadn't been aware of holding as Amir headed away from them. She turned Vivace and heard Ambrose fall into step with her on Midnight. Aware of his gaze, she waited several moments until she was sure they were out of earshot.
"So. Now you've met Amir."
She turned pleading eyes on Ambrose. "Just avoid him, Amber. Please. He's not a bad person... not really, but - well, you and he wouldn't get along well."
Ysabel winced as she said the words. How could she explain Amir's prejudice to Ambrose without virtually ensuring her lover would pick a fight the first time they saw each other at the manor? It was exactly what Ambrose would do. And he would not come out well from it.
Knowing that what she said wouldn't be enough, she continued. "He's one of the Clan's ancients. He's been around for a very long time. That's how we know him; he travels a lot on Clan business. I've never been informed of the specifics of his job but I believe my parents know a bit more."
She sighed. "When Dayle left Anantya for Tacharan, Amir was very vocal on the subject. He has some very rigid ideas about who should be a vampire and who should not, as well as what should be done with those who go against the flow."
Ysabel couched her next words in far more subtle terms. "I'm afraid he would question Damaris' choices, too."
Be Very Very Quiet We're Hunting Wabbits...
It was the night following his meeting with Diane. Something about the whole thing hadn't set one hundred percent with him. It wasn't that Ambrose was a paranoid freak or anything, but he'd spent years relying on his instincts, knowing when something was off and potentially dangerous. So, they were out following up on it.
He didn't think there was too much reason to worry about things so he'd asked Belle to join him. If he couldn't find anything else suspicious at least they'd get a nice ride in the moonlight and there wasn't anything wrong with that.
Still not being terribly patient he'd reversed his route of the previous evening. They should be coming up on the bit of the rocky overhang/drop off where he'd encounter the young woman the night before. And even with Belle beside him Ambrose was very focused. Probably too focused for casual surveillance, but it had been a long time since he'd had something to hunt, really hunt, and it felt good.
Ysabel
14 years ago
Ambrose
14 years ago
This was not what he'd expected, not at all. Avoid? Wouldn't get along? Ambrose was truly puzzled. He didn't get along with any number of people and he never bothered to avoid them. Now if they wanted to avoid him that was OK.
An ancient, well that explained some of the extra formality and the feeling that the punk thought he had some kind of authority. As Ambrose listened more it did sound like Rashid had authority beyond just being old. Not that authority ever intimidated Ambrose...
So far none of this was making much of an impression on him. It was Belle mentioning her sister that actually made him think. He turned every thing she'd said over in his head and wasn't thrilled with any of the answers he came up with.. He was even less enthusiastic about what Belle wasn't saying, he'd be a target. A target of what, well given that she was asking him to avoid Rashid Ambrose doubted it would be anything warm and fuzzy.
"Huh."Â?
Was all he said before continuing to follow the track they'd started. They road in silence for a while, Ambrose slowly but surly guiding them along.
"I won't go looking for him, but I'm not gonna run and hide either."Â?
That was the best he could offer, it would just have to do. It had taken Ambrose a long while to realize being down a leg didn't mean he was worthless. Rashid could just learn that too or he could just leave Ambrose the hell alone. He didn't need to make friends with this guy.
An ancient, well that explained some of the extra formality and the feeling that the punk thought he had some kind of authority. As Ambrose listened more it did sound like Rashid had authority beyond just being old. Not that authority ever intimidated Ambrose...
So far none of this was making much of an impression on him. It was Belle mentioning her sister that actually made him think. He turned every thing she'd said over in his head and wasn't thrilled with any of the answers he came up with.. He was even less enthusiastic about what Belle wasn't saying, he'd be a target. A target of what, well given that she was asking him to avoid Rashid Ambrose doubted it would be anything warm and fuzzy.
"Huh."Â?
Was all he said before continuing to follow the track they'd started. They road in silence for a while, Ambrose slowly but surly guiding them along.
"I won't go looking for him, but I'm not gonna run and hide either."Â?
That was the best he could offer, it would just have to do. It had taken Ambrose a long while to realize being down a leg didn't mean he was worthless. Rashid could just learn that too or he could just leave Ambrose the hell alone. He didn't need to make friends with this guy.
Ysabel
14 years ago
Ysabel knew Amber hadn't liked what she was telling him, but he seemed to mull it over and come up with his own compromise. Although Ysabel would have preferred he take her at her word and be a little more proactive about avoiding Amir, she would be happy with what she could get from Ambrose. Perhaps the fact that they would clash was a foregone conclusion and she was merely trying to delay the inevitable, but she would avoid it altogether if she could.
"That's all I can ask," she said with resignation.
In the meantime she would do what she could to avoid that confrontation, and when it came, hopefully she wouldn't have to scrape bits and pieces of either Clanmate off the manor walls.
"That's all I can ask," she said with resignation.
In the meantime she would do what she could to avoid that confrontation, and when it came, hopefully she wouldn't have to scrape bits and pieces of either Clanmate off the manor walls.
Ambrose
14 years ago
Ever unpredictable Ambrose simply lapsed into silence. He appreciated that Belle wasn't going to push the issue though. While he would like to know more and part of him did want to press Rashid, he had enough respect for Belle and her judgment to not go off half cocked... this time. Maybe he'd do some asking around and see if any one knew more about this guy. He'd either wait a few days and feel Belle for more information or he'd try and find Mai or he'd track down Damaris or one of his sibs. He obviously wasn't an unknown entity, mysterious and shady maybe but not unknown some one would know more.
The trail had become rougher and more erratic. It looked to him like this wolf was trying to find something to hunt or had been having trouble getting a clean scent to follow. That gave him hope. Maybe they were near the starting point but they had looped around a bit and seemed to be near the beginning again as well. Finally they reached a sheltered secluded patch, it was defiantly off the beaten path and it wasn't easily visible from any of the trails and it left Ambrose very perplexed.
The tracks were over lapping, but to his eye made about the same time and there were three kinds, a bare human foot, a boot and the wolf they'd been following. The foot and the boot appeared to be about the same size and he could give any number of reasons why you'd see them together but with the paw print? If he'd seen all of them together through out this exercise he might have concluded some one was walking their dog but...
"What did he say about questions?"Â?
Belle must see this too and even to her untrained eye he was certain it would look strange.
The trail had become rougher and more erratic. It looked to him like this wolf was trying to find something to hunt or had been having trouble getting a clean scent to follow. That gave him hope. Maybe they were near the starting point but they had looped around a bit and seemed to be near the beginning again as well. Finally they reached a sheltered secluded patch, it was defiantly off the beaten path and it wasn't easily visible from any of the trails and it left Ambrose very perplexed.
The tracks were over lapping, but to his eye made about the same time and there were three kinds, a bare human foot, a boot and the wolf they'd been following. The foot and the boot appeared to be about the same size and he could give any number of reasons why you'd see them together but with the paw print? If he'd seen all of them together through out this exercise he might have concluded some one was walking their dog but...
"What did he say about questions?"Â?
Belle must see this too and even to her untrained eye he was certain it would look strange.
Ysabel
14 years ago
Ysabel was trying to work Ambrose back toward Heolfor but whether by intent or circumstance, he simply refused to follow her subtle directions. It didn't surprise her. Ambrose was capable of being ornery and contrary in his sleep. Doing so while distracted should be cake.
She submitted, finally, and followed him as he continued to track whatever he'd found before. Looking down at the path she lifted her shoulders.
"So, we have another shapeshifter," she said, that being her best guess. "It isn't as though we haven't seen one yet tonight."
It was entirely possible that someone was doing something clandestine around the Park, she supposed, and Amir didn't want them to know what it was. It followed a logical path.
"He did say," she told Ambrose in her most appeasing tone. "But what's dangerous about it?"
She shook her head to herself. Clearly there was more happening here than either of them knew about.
She submitted, finally, and followed him as he continued to track whatever he'd found before. Looking down at the path she lifted her shoulders.
"So, we have another shapeshifter," she said, that being her best guess. "It isn't as though we haven't seen one yet tonight."
It was entirely possible that someone was doing something clandestine around the Park, she supposed, and Amir didn't want them to know what it was. It followed a logical path.
"He did say," she told Ambrose in her most appeasing tone. "But what's dangerous about it?"
She shook her head to herself. Clearly there was more happening here than either of them knew about.
Ambrose
14 years ago
Shape shifter made sense. If they hadn't met Rashid and if he hadn't ever so politely suggested that they would only find questions with no answer and that being out here wasn't totally safe Ambrose would have bought that. But they had met him and all of a sudden, this felt more ominous. Besides, he'd met Diane and he'd lay money on the fact that she -wasn't- a vampire.
Ambrose shook his head and skirted Midnight around the edge of the evidence.
"She wasn't a vamp. No way in hell, she defiantly had a pulse."Â?
So what the hell was she? Maybe she was human and she'd just stumbled on the wolf tracks? Maybe this had nothing to do with her.
He pulled a few loose strands of human hair out of the bushes, there seemed to be one or two more caught down low, but Ambrose wasn't going to dismount to grab them. They seemed to be the same color as Diane's hair.
There was no doubt in his mind Rashid knew something. What he knew Ambrose couldn't guess but he knew something about this and it was possible Ambrose was in over his head.
"So what -is- going on here?"Â?
Ambrose shook his head and skirted Midnight around the edge of the evidence.
"She wasn't a vamp. No way in hell, she defiantly had a pulse."Â?
So what the hell was she? Maybe she was human and she'd just stumbled on the wolf tracks? Maybe this had nothing to do with her.
He pulled a few loose strands of human hair out of the bushes, there seemed to be one or two more caught down low, but Ambrose wasn't going to dismount to grab them. They seemed to be the same color as Diane's hair.
There was no doubt in his mind Rashid knew something. What he knew Ambrose couldn't guess but he knew something about this and it was possible Ambrose was in over his head.
"So what -is- going on here?"Â?
Ysabel
14 years ago
Ysabel stared at the few hairs Ambrose pulled off a bush. That, for her, was odder than anything yet tonight. if the person who'd been here was indeed a vampire, those hairs would have turned into ash... not remained where they were.
She shivered. "I want to go home, Amber," she said softly. "This isn't right. Amir knows something, and he was trying to warn us in his way. We should go."
Ysabel knew Ambrose had taken an immediate dislike to Amir, but she was not thinking with her ego. She trusted Amir's opinion on this particular matter. She looked at Ambrose. "Please?"
She shivered. "I want to go home, Amber," she said softly. "This isn't right. Amir knows something, and he was trying to warn us in his way. We should go."
Ysabel knew Ambrose had taken an immediate dislike to Amir, but she was not thinking with her ego. She trusted Amir's opinion on this particular matter. She looked at Ambrose. "Please?"
Ambrose
14 years ago
Ambrose was weirded out, and something was prickling at him. He knew this wasn't right. But Belle was taking this a bit harder. He looked at her and was immediately concerned. If she hadn't been here he'd keep poking at this until it made sense.
But part of his job, as Ambrose saw it, was to protect her. He might be a total bastard on occasion but he wasn't going to ignore that request. Ridding up next to her he kissed her hand.
"OK we'll go home now."Â?
He'd be back later, with out a doubt. But Belle and the waif would not be out here unsupervised.
It took very little time to get back on to the bridle path and from there it was easy enough to trot home. Ambrose refused to go any faster, this might be one of the stranger things he'd seen but he'd not be chased off by a mystery.
((OOC... both out))
But part of his job, as Ambrose saw it, was to protect her. He might be a total bastard on occasion but he wasn't going to ignore that request. Ridding up next to her he kissed her hand.
"OK we'll go home now."Â?
He'd be back later, with out a doubt. But Belle and the waif would not be out here unsupervised.
It took very little time to get back on to the bridle path and from there it was easy enough to trot home. Ambrose refused to go any faster, this might be one of the stranger things he'd seen but he'd not be chased off by a mystery.
((OOC... both out))