As all of this seems to be a rather private thing Faerveren decides not to intrude on the talk of Father Grimburrow and Lady Eleanor.
Looking at Triss who is also in shock there isn't much for her to do here. She looks for the butler and tells him "I'll leave for today. If the lady asks, please let her know I'll be back tomorrow in the morning."
Then she leaves for the day and visits The Pig's Whistle. There she goes straight for the bar. "Hi. Get me an ale or two."
Isabella slides over two mugs. "If you plan on becoming my best customer of the day, you're already behind more than two ales. You co8uld change to more expensive beverages to compensate for that. I have a very good wine if you'd like."
"How much of that wine have you left?" Faerveren inquires. "I just want to re-hydrate after a long day. So keep the cheap stuff coming."
"It is still a few bottles. But it's not a big deal. It has a long shelf life." She puts another mug of ale in front of Faerveren.
Persephone dresses up in normal clothes and leaves the house. She looks into the evening sky searching for the moon on her way to the House of Flames. She takes the usual 'secret' entrance and waits.
Merileth appears a few minutes later. "Put on the white dress." she orders.
Then she leads Persephone inside. A different way this time, into the basement. There are no fancy carpets, no intricate wall papers. Just plain stone walls without decoration. But still impressive compared to the average house. She opens a heavy door made of oak reinforced with steel. Inside there is straw on the floor and a fat grey rabbit. A single magical flame lights the room.
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll check on you every hour."
After Persephone is in, Merileth closes and locks the door.
Persephone lays down on the straw, trying to get some sleep. There is nothing to do here anyway. She watches the bunny that tries to stay as far away from her as possible, while nibbling on the straw.
Merileth also receives Cilas Graydon and brings him into one of the neighboring basement rooms. For being rich, he gets some more comfort in this room.
She checks on Persephone again and casts a spell on her.
Persephone suddenly finds herself in the situation that this rabbit looks very tasty. Staring at it she ducks, tenses up shortly and with one leap across the room, she grabs the fluffy animal and rips it apart.
As she chews on the warm bloody animal, the bones breaking between her jaws, she recognizes that her hands look like paws with black fur. She looks at that confused, but on the other hand, she doesn't really care. What matters is that fresh kill that sates her hunger for meat.
Faerveren downs two mugs and takes along the third. She walks over to the table where the Variel's sit. "Lady Eleanor's husband died today." she tells.
"Surely not. He seemed of well health. Was it an accident?"
"Kind of." Faerveren replies, looking around that no one listens in. She leans over and whispers "He hanged himself."
"I found a contract at his feet, that was ripped apart. About some large investment. With Marinelli."
"I would like to inspect that in a more private environs when time permits."
"Oh my...Eleanor must be in serious distress. Is anyone attending to her?"
"Father Grimburrow is with her."
"Oh, good. We need to do something for her. She has hired help so that is covered. What should we do, Faerveren?"
"I don't know. Bring flowers? Write a letter? I left their home, because I had no idea what to do."
Menan moves over to Fae and says "May I have the contract?"
"Let's meet at the market in the morning and see what we can find for her."
Before he sees the contract, everything he knows swarms his mind at the same time. Levels like a chess board play out in his mind. The many options and maneuvers and counter manuevers all fall into place. It is Gorm, not the Marinelli family. Not even the retarded kid...Could be.. You never know until you know.
"I only cross-read it, I didn't bring it along."
"The market is a good idea. Let us see if we can do anything to help father Grimburrow."
Menan and Arawyn head to Eleanor's manor and ask to see the cleric.
Faerveren downs the content of her mug. "Another ale please."
The butler at the manor asks the Variel's to wait and informs Father Grimburrow of the unexpected guests.
As the butler comes back he invites them into the green salon.
Shortly thereafter Father Grimburrow comes to the salon followed by Lady Eleanor. "It is nice to see you here. I would appreciate it very much, if you could stay here for the night to keep the family company. Especially Lady Eleanor."
"To keep their thoughts off stupid ideas."
"Gladly, father. Where is the contract? I would like to review it."
Arawyn moves over to Eleanor and gives her a hug. "May you find strength."
Father Grimburrow looks at Menan quizzically.
"Thank you. I have no clue what came over him. He was fine yesterday and today this!"
"A torn up contract was found beside him. I need to see that."
"I didn't notice. You'd need to ask someone else to see the deceased." Father Grimburrow replies. "But I don't think this is the time."
"Agreed." Menan walks over to Eleanor. "My sincerest sympathies, Lady Eleanor. I will do whatever I can to help you through this."
"Can we have some tea?" Lady Eleanor inquires.
She asks the butler to prepare some and serve it.
Over tea she tells of her husband, how he was never one to talk much about his feelings, or what went on in his head. "But I can't really think of a reason, why he would do this to himself. He had a good life, didn't he? We have everything that matters. We are a family, we're well respected, we are wealthy, what else would he want from life?"
"There is a reason he did what he did. Would you like for me to investigate this?"
"You think you could find out?" Lady Eleanor asks unbelieving. "How?"
"I seem to have a knack for investigating. I have already done some successfully for the city guard. Do you wish for me to proceed?"
"Yes, please."
"Eleanor. I enjoyed your discussing Campbell. I never got to know him. Could you tell me more? Perhaps some of your best times together."
Arawayn looks perked for some nice tales. She sips her tea.
Menan sets his tea down and exits the room. He politely and somberly inquires from the help until he finds out who discovered lord Vanderbuilt. He then inquires as to the location of this person and goes there.
Menan is pointed to the sleeping room, where the lord is laid out on the bed. The contract lies ripped apart on the night stand.
Menan places the contract pieces in his pocket. He looks down at Campbell. There many things he would like to say but he witholds that. "May you find peace."
He joins the ladies and their tea.
"It is all my fault. Faerveren heard when it happened and I played it down. Said, it was only the clumsy maid. He could still be alive if I had listened!" Eleanor breaks out into tears.
"Doubtful, Eleanor. A broken neck is instantaneous. You cannot take any blame for this."
Arawyn moves over to Eleanor and gracefully touches her on the shoulder. "There is nothing you could have done. Nothing before and nothing after. From my own experience the grief has been lifted knowing that the more it hurts is only because of how positive an influence the person was on you. Had he not been a positive influence, there would be no pain. Know that and we will move on together."
"Thank you." Eleanor sobs.
The tea is very somber, with long times of silence and as it is already late finally Lady Eleanor excuses herself to go to bed. This causes some ado, as she can't sleep in the master bedroom.
The butler and the maid prepare some of the guest rooms for Lady Eleanor and the unexpected visitors. It's two rooms with large beds next to each other.
The night passes without any more tragedies happening and the new day dawns. Again the bell reminds the people of the start of a new business day.
Persephone wakes on the straw bed, next to some bloody, torn apart fur. She is somewhat tired. The white dress now looks a lot like the one she cleaned from her last full moon experience at the temple. But at least this time it is not her own blood. Her hands are full of dried blood and she guesses that her face also looks like it took part in a massacre. But she is strangely calm. There is no panic or distress, just the annoyance that she has to clean all of that up and lacks the tools for it.
Merileth retrieves Cilas Craydon from his cell and leads him to one of the fine bedrooms to prepare himself to leave.
In the meantime she visits Persephone in her cell. She brings her a cloth, a towel and a wash jug and bowl. As well as a clean set of white clothes. "Clean yourself up." Merileth orders. Seeing the calm state of Persephone she supposes that it worked and Persephone remembers what happened last night.
She oversees the process and then continues "Now change again into a cat. Your body wants to transform into a cat, it is easy."
Persephone is uncomfortable changing in front of the elf, but it is clear, that there will be no discussion. She washes her hands and face, dries herself up and then changes clothes as quick as possible.
It is easy! Easy for you to say. Persephone is skeptical, but casting new spells is easy too. Maybe it's the same? She closes her eyes and feels if there is a new way her powers could flow.
There is something, but it is different from the powers she knows.
No, it is not easy.
She tries again to concentrate on this new thing she feels, and suddenly her body transforms. It shrinks in places, grows in others, and becomes furry. At the end of the transformation process she finds herself in the form of a black panther again.