Location: Talink Estate (Inside)
All seemed quiet within the walls of the Talink Manor, at least for the time being. Thalken begrudgingly resigned himself to the fact that there was nothing he could do about that pesky Soulless right now. If the creature was merely in hiding, stalking the halls would not give it reason to make its presence known. And if it had indeed left the premise, he had not the skills to ward the place to prevent its inevitable return. He let out a growl of frustration. He didn't do well with the knowledge that he was basically a sitting target.
He made one last vain attempt at scouting the halls with his shrewd gaze before finally returning to his chambers. He wasn't quite ready to retire for the night though. No, he wanted to wait for his father and sister's return from whatever deal they were making with the Lady Crypt. After that, well, he wasn't entirely sure that he could get any real sleep knowing a Soulless had been, and may still be, lurking in the privacy of his own home. It gave him an uneasy feeling, the feeling of being watched. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.
Upon entering his chambers, he began rummaging through his stuff, eventually finding what he was looking for. He pulled out his blade sharpener and tossed it onto his bed. He unsheathed his Dao then sat on the edge of his bed and went to work on sharpening the edges of the blade. He had a feeling he would be needing his blades in tiptop shape.
Meanwhile, Thalcona had taken on a passive role in the Lady Crypt's affairs. She quelled her curiosity and instead focused on the task at hand, protecting the young Master James. Her dark eyed gaze diligently surveyed their surroundings. As she had said earlier, monsters lurked in the dark, and she would do well to keep them at bay. Her scouting was suddenly interrupted as the Lady Crypt addressed her. Her eyes widened in surprise at the lady's words before subsequently narrowing. "I hope you know what you are doing, for your sake and for the sake of your brother," she warned. Her disapproval was clear, but she made no move to stop them.
Alexandra smiled warmly at those she passed by as she made her way to the makeshift stables of the Russian Imperial Circus. She ate the remainder of her meat on a stick in a few big bites, more or less inhaling the exquisite food rather than properly chewing it. She then twiddled with the bare stick between her thumb and forefinger, drumming it to a mindless beat. The smell of musty hay and horse manure wafted to her as she neared the stables, and soon enough the smell hit her senses like a slap in the face. To many this would be gag-inducing, but to her this was the smell of home. No matter what tragedies befell her, horses remained a constant in her life. They were always a source of comfort in the darkest of times.
Her smile broadened at the sounds of horses shuffling in their stalls and munching happily on hay. She walked through the aisles to locate the stall that was occupied by her Brivaldi horse, a bay Russian Don by the name of Balaur. With all its twists and turns, it was like a maze to get to her beloved horse's stall, but nevertheless, the trek was always worth it. She rounded one last corner before his large form came into view from behind the bars of his stall.
"Балауры!" she exclaimed in greeting as she approached his stall. Balaur let out a gusty exhale, his ears twitching slightly, but he was otherwise unmoved by her presence.
"Vell don't get too excited, you might have a heart attack," she remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Amusement lit up her dark brown eyes, making them sparkle in the dim lighting, and the corner of her lips was quirked up in a smirk. She placed the stick from her long since eaten food onto her tack trunk and grabbed a halter off of the stall door. She paused for a moment as an idea popped into her head. A grin overcame her features.
"I knov vhat vill cheer you up!" she exclaimed, bending down to rummage through her tack trunk.
"Угощения!" She pulled out a small handful of treats and waved them in the air.
Balaur suddenly came to life. His ears perked up, and he let out low nickers as he excitedly paced over to the front of the stall. This elicited a giggle from Alexandra. She entered the stall and offered the treats to her horse, who eagerly scarfed them down.
"Ve both love our food, da?" she stated with a grin. She haltered Balaur and tied him to the side of his stall, before setting to work gussying him up. She curried and brushed his coat to perfection. She devotedly picked the pieces of hay and manure out of his mane and tail, before combing out the knots and braiding the hair. She finally tacked him up in her trick riding gear, and soon enough, she was leading him out of the stables by the reins.
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