Home at last

[Camilla]

It was late in the evening when Camilla finally reached the Coven grounds, a red hood was pulled up over her head with her hands in its pockets and strands of black hair wafted out from beneath it, riding the evening breeze. There was a backpack at her back and her low rise jeans gave a small sneak peek at her fair skin, her eyes were always changing colors depending on her many moods; a smile crept to her face as she set off for the entrance, past the gate and garden up towards the main door. There seemed to be more places to haunt now, and it looked like the manor had been rebuilt; she hadn't known about the war. No, she had left long before it even started; soon after Dart's disappearance. Camilla would wager that she could still remember the way to the laboratories hidden underground in the nearby wood, some things never changed.

Her fingers flossed around the door and she took in a deep breath, allowing her hair to bleach out and return to its natural blonde. Her eyes were a vivid blue and her lips pulled back in a smile and she pulled the door open and peered inside. It was a dark and empty place, nothing like it had been; bustling with life when she had been here as a child. Four years had gone by and after a long absence she had finally returned to the place where she had felt she had always belonged. Thoughts of Dart were painful but she didn't linger on them, he had been her first love and first loves were always bittersweet. Drawing breath into her lungs after closing the door behind her, Camilla called out "Hello?! Ajax? Sauri? I'm home! Anyone?" Reaching up she pulled the hood off her head and blinked to adjust to the darkness, the subtle shift in color of her eyes making them turn violet to adjust and better blend in with the surroundings. Though she kept her hair and the creamy pigmentation of her skin.

[Darcassan]

Stood in silence behind the door, watching the woman carefully. He assumed she had once been a member since the woman knew both the coven leaders by name, he stepped free of the shadows before giving a formal bow, the tall elven like male had his usual slender build and the darker skin of a drow more then a actual elven. "Greeting young miss, I do not believe we have met, I am Darcassan or as my friends call me Dar, it is a pleasure to meet you and I do hope you enjoy your stay once more at the coven"

He straightened up and gave a polite smile, it was not often he showed much emotion more so for the fact his race was not high when it came to emotions, he was 6'1 in build it was more due to his elvin nature yet the darker skin coloring was due to his drow nature, he was not usually found in the coven grounds, he was more found in the forest since Ajax had asked him to keep guard of it, this was only a chance meeting that he happened to come across the young woman, he was more used to solitude then the friends around him.

[Camilla]

Camilla whirled around at the disturbance and set tri-colored eyes on the man behind her. She tilted her head as he spoke and ocean blue colored her irises before her smile blossomed and she dropped the pack, closing the distance and giving the solemn male a hug. "Nice to meet you Dar, I'm Camilla. Wow! Sauri and Ajax went all out in hiring a butler!" She chirped as she stepped back and gave him his space again. "But you should answer the door."

Camilla picked up her backpack and slung it over one shoulder, looking towards the stairs. "Is the attic room still free? It better be because that's my room." She reached under her hoodie and pulled out a key, dangling on a chain then looked over her shoulder at Dar. "Where's everyone? This place is a ghost town. Are Xio and the others still around? How about Cerverous? Angelique?"

[Darcassan]

Raised an eyebrow. "You mistake me. I am guardian of the forest on these lands, not the butler as for the attic I am sure. It's a ghost town cause of the war that still haunts this place even though it is over" He folded his arms over his chest, he was not to sure on how to take the hug he was given, he was not usually one for physical contact, he pointed to the side room and walked toward it. "You may wish to see this to better understand things miss Camilla"

He held the door open for her to expose the wall with so many names on it, it was a tribute to the coven members who had fallen during the war, he had to admit since that time none that had survived it were the same, himself included. "You will find very little action around here now days, but sometimes you may get lucky" The meeting between the two of them was a such an event, had he left at his usual time he wouldn't have met her, it was his heightened senses in the spirit world which had delayed him.

[Camilla]

She could see that he didn't get the joke and there was the briefest flicker in her smile but she shrugged it off and continued to smile at him. Adjusting the strap of her pack, Camilla was about to head up the stairs towards her old bedroom when something in the man's voice made her stop and glance over her shoulder. He was directing her onto another path and somewhere in the pit of her stomach she felt a horrible acidic burn. Instead of going up the steps, Camilla followed after Dar, digging her fingers into the strap of her pack with each step. "I'm not going to like what you're going to show me, am I?"

She could feel the sadness weighing in the air, in the stillness of the coven. She wished she could breathe life into it. Licking at her plump lower lip, Camilla steadied herself for what was coming, not wanting it to knock her on her ass. "You're taking me to see... the outcome of the war." Guilt flooded her, but it hadn't been her fault. She had been a child and nothing more; how was she to know that such things would befall her comrades? And yet, she felt that some part of her should have known this was going to come to the shores of Lacrimosa sooner or later. They had become too powerful.

[Darcassan]

A silent nod was all that showed as he pointed to the wall, he himself did not like much to come to his room himself, he remained at the door and just looked over the names, so many had been his friends and some not yet they were one and the same to him, all names had fallen, he shook his head at the thought within his mind right now and just turned away from the wall, walking past her, he lifted a hand and gently messed her hair. "You were not to know" Was all he said, he gathered by her aura she felt guilt for what had taken place.

He remained at the door now, half debating if to remain or return to the forest, he watched her for a few moments. "You seek one do you not?" He studied her carefully, most only came back here to seek another, he himself just remained cause he really had no where else to go.

[Camilla]

Camilla was grateful for some of the dim lighting as Dar ruffled her hair and she bit at her bottom lip. She stepped forward not wanting to be a coward still, she had grown up and she would prove it but it was too much, she hadn't even gotten to the wall with the names when she started crying. Why hadn't she been here? No matter what Dar said, it was till her fault that many of them had died. She had dared to call this place a home and she had failed to protect it.

Both palms touched the wall and she slid down, falling to her knees with her forehead pressed against the cold stone and the tears falling freely. She was crying like a child who had lost a parent, but she had never been that great at hiding her emotions and she felt better whenever she cried. "I'm afraid to look. What if the name is on here? I can't look." she hiccuped, breaking into tears yet again at the thought that perhaps this person was dead too.

Why did she still care?

[Darcassan]

Moved into a crouch beside her and remained quiet, it was not in his nature to cry or show morning but that was him, not everyone was like that, he simply placed a hand to her shoulder in a slight comfort, he was not really sure what else to do more so cause he was not the sympathetic type, he wondered which name she was looking for, not one to ask he simply sat there and remained by her side as best he could, it wasn't really known to him why people mourned, to his kind death was a time of celebration rather then morning but that was him.

[Camilla]

She turned her face towards him after wiping it clean with her sleeve, it was to painful to speak but she cleared her throat several times and only opened her mouth when she knew that she could formulate the words. "Dagger... The name I'm looking for is Dagger...Is it on there?" There was no hope that the boy had returned and survived the devastation, not when so many names had been written on that list. But then again, here was no hope that he had returned at all. Given the nature of his departure, returning was more than unlikely.