outer_divide | Third Howl [Private Messages, late Friday night]

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Third Howl [Private Messages, late Friday night]

A series of private audio messages:

[To Eliot, left on his phone:]

Eliot, this is-- Professor Lyall.

[Yes, there's a brief hesitation there. He's still not entirely sure he oughtn't go with his first name, since Eliot insisted he use his.]

I have found a scent trail for the Oracle. If you would like to help me investigate, I would be glad of your company.

---

[To Kaidan, who has now graduated from title status into last name status:]

Alenko, this is Lyall. I seem to have found the Oracle, or at least some sign of her. I would like to speak with you in person about it, if possible.

---

[To Tony, since he was so... helpful last time, and proving he did indeed learn how to make a private call:]

Mister Stark. I thought you might like to know I have found some sign of the Oracle, though not her, herself. I will keep you updated, if you like.

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Tell me when and where. I'll be on my way.

Meet me at the ship, in perhaps an hour and a half's time. I have to speak with a couple people first, but then I will be ready.

[And traveling as a wolf would at least get them there quicker. Though then he might be stuck walking back in human form, this late in the evening... oh, well.]

I'll be there. Headin' out now. [ He'll get there early, but Eliot could do other things in the area. ]

[Lyall isn't late, but he's not early, either. He had to have a chat with Kaidan, first. He arrives, though, in full wolf form, with his specially made pack slung between his shoulders, straps tugged tight with his teeth. It has clothes and a torch inside, plus one of his surviving maps of the mountains, not that he thinks they'll need it.

He bounds up and greets Eliot with a bark, a lolled tongue, and a tail-wag of welcome.]

[ Eliot turned at the bark, and brow arched when he found himself facing a wolf. The scent was familiar, so was the appearance, somewhat. The last time he had seen Lyall like this, he had also been a wolf himself.

But most curious was that Lyall, as a wolf, was wearing a bag.

Eliot's expression turned amused in greeting. ]

Huh. Alright, but I hope you're plannin' on keepin' pace with me cause I ain't comin' with you lookin' like that.

[Though Lyall gave a little derisive snort, and shot Eliot a somewhat disapproving (and yet somehow amused) look, he flipped his tail as if to say, "suit yourself". Then he set off, not at a lope, but at a trot. Eliot could surely keep up with that. Even werewolves in human form, in his own London, could keep up with that.

Maybe the man ought to have brought a horse. Ah, well.]

[ He would've brought a horse, assuming he could get one and tame one in time to bear him, not to mention bear him andtravel alongside a wolf, if he had known he needed one. Lyall's message had not specified and Eliot had never thought he would be traveling with a wolf.

He kept pace though. Being in excellent health and one who worked out, he actually kept up very well. Except he had no idea ]

Where are we goin'?

[Oh, did he forget to mention that? Lyall pauses and lifts a forepaw to point in the direction of the cave tunnel and its hidden door, his ears perked and tail high. He's most definitely pointing deeper into the mountains. Did Eliot think that the good lady would be held somewhere easy to find? Especially when it has taken Lyall this long to catch a scent?]

[ The werewolf might have neglected that tidbit, yes. Not that his answer now was easy to decipher. As far as Eliot was concerned, a wolf paw pointing into the forest only gave him a direction, not a location. Sighing, Eliot tied his hair tighter and continued keeping pace. ]

Guess we head further out of town then. Got it.

[Lyall dropped his tongue out in approval, then trotted off into the trees. It actually took about an hour of traversing the woods climbing up the mountainside, maybe a little more, before they reached the tunnel in question. It was only there that Lyall changed back into human form, with the accompanying crunching and grinding and shifting of bones and skin. He immediately shrugged off the backpack-like satchel and extracted his coat, looking over his shoulder at Eliot as he pulled it on.]

I do apologize for not giving you more details before. But with how insecure the network is, it didn't seem prudent.

[ The noises of that change drew grimaces from Eliot as his own bones seemed to twinge with sympathy pains. He looked away and didn't look at the man until the newly returned man spoke. ]

Yeah, I got that. [ He grumbled the words softly under his breath. His next ones, still complaints, were louder. ]

But the next time you decide to suddenly appear as a wolf, huh, you write down what you wanna say first and you hand me the paper to read.

Hmm, probably a wise idea, you're right. Or better, simply not change until after I've come met you. My apologies, Eliot, I'm afraid the whole situation has me a bit befuddled.

[Him, befuddled! His pack would be stunned. Lyall blamed Tony Stark and his obnoxious phone noises.]

[ It was just as well that Eliot hadn't a clue what was going through the other werewolf's mind. ]

So, now that you can tell me... what's goin' on and where are we headin' in?

[Lyall finished with his coat, and led the way inside, explaining quietly as he did so.]

There is a door at the end of this tunnel. The Oracle's scent is here, as is Nem's. I don't know whether he is complicit in keeping her here against her will, or merely checking on her while she hides for reasons of her own, or some combination of the two.

[ Eliot gave Lyall a look, then put his hand on the hilt of his knife. He would rather be armed if he was to venture into the unknown tunnel like this. ]

Only one way to find out.

[ He gave Lyall a look and indicated for the werewolf to take the lead if he wished. After all, he was the one who had been here before. ]

With any luck, we will not have to deal with Nem tonight, at all. His scent isn't strong enough for him to be here.

[Still, Lyall takes the lead as intimated, and starts confidently enough down the hall. The Oracle, he's sure, is behind that door. It only takes a couple turns down the tunnel to reach it, but it's still just as inaccessible-seeming to him as before.]

[ Eliot followed, hand at ready on his weapon and senses extended completely to pick up any strange traces. Lyall was right, Nem's scent definitely came by this way although it was old. He smelled something else too, but it wasn't one he was familiar with, probably the Oracle. ]

Unless he comes back often, but we'd have noticed.

[ They stopped before the door and Eliot stared at it. ] I take it this stopped you last time?

Exactly.

[Lyall put a hand on the door, smelling cold metal and electricity.]

It appears to be locked, as far as I can tell, and I cannot budge it. I was hoping you might have some insight into the problem, or at least a second pair of werewolf arms to put to bear on it.

[ Eliot gave the door a push, but they couldn't budge it at all. He looked down at the physical door set up and frowned. ]

We can try, but it didn't budge even a tiny bit. Way door is built, pushin' in will make it twice as hard to open.

Would pulling be preferable?

[It didn't look like that sort of door, but Lyall supposed he could be wrong. He had been before, and fairly recently, after all.]

Or would pushing warp the locking mechanism?

[ And Lyall was right in thinking that it wasn't that sort of door for Eliot was shaking his head. ]

You can, it's how it's built, but not with nothin' to get a solid grip. This door ain't meant to be broken into from this side, man...

[ Eliot gave Lyall a look. ] Way this is built, it's to keep people on this side out.

[Lyall is still a moment to consider the possibilities of that.]

How interesting. I may have misjudged Nem's intentions, if that is the case. So there is likely no way for us to get through now, with the methods at our disposal.

[Less a question than a statement, there.]

Not if the both of our strengths combined can't budge against the design of this thing. It's solid, and it ain't locked with a simple lock and key.

[ Eliot knocked on the metallic structure then shook his head. ]

If it's really to protect rather than imprison, if we knock this down, it's gonna destroy whatever protection inside has.

Then I suppose we are at an impasse, then.

[Because Lyall didn't want to destroy something potentially useful and, it seemed, possibly in the Oracle's best interest. Now all he could do was wonder at the reasoning, and consider whether he could-- or should-- bring someone with a different skillset out this way.]

I'm sorry to have dragged you out here for naught.

[ Eliot gave the structure another look then shrugged. There was no more to be done here. ]

Don't worry 'bout it. Not gettin' in doesn't mean we didn't learn anythin'.

[ He tilted his head back to the entrance. ] Let's go before we're caught here.

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professorwolf - 2012-10-30 03:10 (UTC) - Expand

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Third Howl [Private Messages, late Friday night]

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