Summer & Collin

The road was a nightmare to drive on during the winter with its twists and curves, but thankfully there was no fresh ice or snow to cover the pavement, leaving the small family to retreat to the house quickly enough. Their escape had gone unnoticed thus far, and Summer could only hope that Freya's plan had worked to buy them a precious few more minutes - and that the woman herself had gotten away without injury.

Summer slowed down and pulled the vehicle into the gravel drive, cruising carefully along the overgrown path that curved around a small bend before reaching the house, partially obscuring the vehicle behind a low hill in the front yard. "This place looks abandoned." Collin murmured as he stepped out of the vehicle and gathered up the hastily packed sacks. Summer exited the driver's side and went around to open the door for Conan, "I've called Greg and Nadeem, and they haven't seen Laurence yet. Ryan is on his way to the house right now."

Conan*Others

The teen had been a little tense on the way here, but all of that had been made up for by how gloriously happy and relieved he was to have Raimi returned to him. For the whole ride, he'd been almost continually touching the toddler, tickling him or stroking the red curls, and smiling quietly everytime the child spoke or laughed - overall, he looked more content and relaxed than he had in several months' time, his multiple strains lessened by the return of his beloved little brother. The airy sound that was all that remained of the teen's rolling laugh sounded several times on the way, despite the tense situation - it wasn't until they began to rumble up the driveway that he quieted altogether and got tight and tense again. As the vehicle slid to a stop and Conan lifted the toddler from the carseat, he instinctively held Raimi very close, his eyes upon the overgrown yard and the ragged American flag that topped the rusted pole in the middle, and the shutter on one of the front windows that had lost a hinge and now hung at a ridiculous angle. It took him a moment to gather his mind and answer Collin, 'It is... it has not been lived in for about six months or more. Even the dogs are gone now - I believe the horse may still be here, however.' After a moment, he bent to pick up his ragged backpack - which was full of a few of Raimi's clothes and toys, and a few of his own things - from the backseat and slung it over one shoulder, still studying the house. 'You will find the front door is unlocked. It likely does not have electricity at this date, but there is a wood-burning fireplace that will keep most of the building warm, and a woodpile out back; there is also a barn and a rather extensive garden behind the house, and a well. I believe that you will find most of the bed linens and other basic accoutrements intact.'

Summer & Collin

Collin stopped halfway along the sidewalk, or what he figured must be the sidewalk, buried under clumps of weeds and wind-blown snow. With the hurriedly packed bags hanging at his sides from either hand, the pony-tailed man took a few moments to look over the property from where he stood. He could only imagine there might be rodents in the place now, and possibly a raccoon or so, if the place hadn't been boarded up tight enough.

As soon as Summer had finished relaying Conan's message to Collin, who was still needing a bit of help here and there with his sign-reading, he nodded and replied, "I'll go gather some more wood. Honey, why don't you take them inside, out of the wind, and see if there isn't anything to cook with?" To that the wife smiled in agreement, remaining pleasantly cheery despite their situation. After all, they had Raimi back with them, and to see how completely transformed Conan was now, it was impossible not to feel some delight. "Lets get you two inside then and get the fire started. I grabbed a few cans of food, and a box of cereal. It'll be an interesting dinner."

Conan*Others

'Straight in through the front door, and on the right, there is a kitchen, with a wood-burning stove,' said Conan's fingers, moving no slower even as he had Raimi propped on one of his hips. The toddler himself was overjoyed to be returned to his brother, and was currently occupied by holding the teen's large face in his two tiny hands, meeting Conan's gaze with the complete adoration of a younger sibling. 'Pots and pans, plates and cups will be there - perhaps a little dusty and in need of a wash, but all intact. Down the hall to the left there are two small bedrooms and a master, all sharing one bathroom at the end of the hall. The master bedroom is cold at night though... I'd recommend staying in the first of the small bedrooms. It shares a wall with the kitchen on one side, which is right in front of the stove, and stays warmer than the rest of the house.' So saying, he began to lead the way toward the building, keeping calm but darting his eyes about here and there to account for everything - though this could be accounted for by his fear that Lanny would suddenly show up to take the toddler back. It took him little time to swing open the front door - which groaned so heavily that one would almost expect it to fall from the hingers - and step inside, but from there, his steps slowed as he led the way to the kitchen. He didn't set Raimi down; rather, he kept the child close as he passed what looked to be a walk-in pantry with a padlocked door and led to the old-fashioned, woodburning stove. 'It is nothing fancy,' he signed, in an almost apologetic way, 'but at least it will serve our purposes for a good while.' Indeed, 'nothing fancy' was quite the phrase for this whole house - a couple of inches thick in dust and grime and smelling of old wood and a few too many months of no occupancy, this was no house of dreams, and would have driven Officer Sohmers right out of his mind... but as a safe haven where the Cryptic Silvers would not find them, this abandoned-looking, out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere house was ideal.

Summer & Collin

In the dead of winter, the house wasn't entirely appealing at first, at least not so much until they were able to get a fire going. Yet if it would keep them safe and hidden from the CrypticSilvers, Summer would have happily traveled wherever need be to keep the small family safe, and never voiced a complaint about their current new residence. "This isn't so bad. Soon as we have a fire lit and a good meal going, it'll be just as good as the cabin." The woman was all to happy to address the bright side of the situation and steer clear of the dangers that they were all in, and the fact that they had to flee their home in the first place. "Conan, could you see if there isn't a pot in one of the cupboards? I'll start some soup, then we can see about getting the sleeping areas arranged." Acting more like this were some mini vacation, an attitude that was her own way of coping with the stress and not panicking, Summer went right on with getting things organized. After setting the bags on the counter, she was crouched in front of the fireplace and organizing the wood and bits of old paper to use as tinder. Out of the blue, her smiling face turned towards Conan and Raimi, "Raimi, how're you doing? We've all missed you!"

Conan*Others

It took Conan a second or two to react to what Summer had said - he was looking around the room, seeming to assess their surroundings a little and figure out what needed doing. But after a moment, he snapped to, and wordlessly pointed to a cupboard to Summer's left. She'd have to stand on her toes, indicating that this house was built for a tall family, but on the second-to-top shelf of the cupboard he'd indicated was a selection of pots, large and small. And in the next second, he seemed to recover some from his silence, and his fingers went to working again. 'The lock on the pantry is old and rusted - with a hammer, I could break it. And if I recall, some of my stash of herbs are still in there... and I believe there may still be some dried jerky on one of the upper shelves. And this is... January. So it should still be good for eating. It might make the soup go a bit farther.' So saying, he moved into a tiny room that was just off of the kitchen, and after a bit of shuffling, came up with the tool he'd mentioned. Since he needed both his hands to work at the lock, he passed Raimi off to Summer, and the toddler subsequently squealed in joy. "Summmmmmmmmm! Missss my Summ."

Summer & Collin

After she'd gotten a quick but satisfactory bundle of wood and tinder assembled, the woman was on her feet again and watching Conan's fingers move to shape the words he couldn't speak. "We'll be eating good tonight." The lighthearted jesting couldn't be downtrodden by the circumstances. Her smile was a little lacking however, the only sign, subtle as it was, to show that there was worry brewing under the calm facade. Raimi instantly fixed that in the next moment when he was handed over to the woman, "I missed you so much, big guy!" Summer took hold of the child and enveloped him in a tight hug before she shifted him to her side. "I bet you missed your big brother, didn't you?" She ruffled a hand through his hair while she spoke, and in the back of her mind, mused over what a privilege it was to be holding Raimi as she was now; it spoke a lot of the trust that Conan had put in her.

Conan*Others

It had taken a great deal of time and patience on the part of Summer and Collin, but the teen had finally, finally reached a place where he was prepared to trust them with the safety of not only himself, but his beloved younger brother, and that was definitely revealed in how he handed the child to Summer even when he wasn't comfortabe setting him down. He didn't make a big deal out of it though - he just gestured for the woman to step back out of the way so that he would have sufficient room to take out the padlock. Now nearly four inches over six feet, broad-shouldered and growing thick in the waist, he was a long way from the thin, scraggly teen that had first stumbled into their son's house; this young man was a bundle of muscle and power. It took only two hits frmo the hammer before the lock split and fell to the ground with a thump in a twist of metal. Conan bent to pick it up and turned it over in his fingers for a few moments, looking it over intently before tucking it into his pocket. After that, he lay aside the hammer and moved into the pantry. It was large enough for Summer to follow behind him, if she wanted to - but first her attention might fall on the inside panel of the white-washed door, which sported a large, rust-colored stain. Conan walked right past it without seeming to notice and reached up to one of the shelves to fetch down the promised jerky, looking behind himself for a moment only to confirm that Raimi was still safe with Summer - which he was, curled against her and still cooing contentedly.

Summer & Collin

A whine and tortured creaking announced Collin's entrance into the house from the back door, where he struggled with a bundle of wood and the rickety, uncooperative door. "Do you need any help?" "I've got it." The pair exchanged brief words that had the heated air from their mouths puffing into frosted clouds when it hit the cold temperature inside the house. "See if you can't find any more tinder for the fire, if you would." "I'm on it." As she spoke to her husband and showed affection towards Raimi, Summer stood ready to follow Conan as he entered the pantry. She never said a word when she passed into the room with him, moving by the stain on the wall and knowing what it was without having to think twice. Blood itself didn't make her squeamish in the least bit, but all at once, she was reminded of the conversation they'd had with Dr. Marachek at the hospital, and it caused her stomach to tightened uncomfortably. An idea of how the blood had gotten on the wall, and why there was a lock on the pantry door didn't take much imagination to work out. Tactfully however, she didn't dare breath a word about what thoughts suddenly raced through her mind.

Conan*Others

Where Summer noticed the stain on the door, but neglected to comment on it, Conan seemed unaware of its presence, either because he chose not to notice it... or perhaps because he was so accustomed to it that he didn't attach the significance to it that the woman did. Either way, those words ended up unspoken between them because Conan was reaching to hand Summer a neatly-packed bundle of jerky, and then proceeding to kneel down so that he could place a hand to the rear wall of the pantry. He closed his eyes and felt his way along, taking a couple of moments to find the right place - and eventually his fingers caught on an invisible seam in the wall paneling. It took him only a moment to lift aside the whole bit of panel and reveal a small hollow in the wall, into which had been built a handmade, crudely-formed shelf. The contents were few - a small, polka-dotted hairbow that had to have belonged to a very small infant, an old pocket knife that looked like it had been rusted shut for many years, a pair of bedgraggled socks that might once have been white but now were muddied and sported holes in heels and toes, and a small bundle of handsewn leather that turned out to be a sack. It was this last thing that he reached for, producing the promised herbs, which would add spice and color to the otherwise drab possibility of soup. He took a moment to settle the bit of panel carefully back into place without touching any of the other things in the makeshift cupboard, and turned to hand the little back to Summer. 'If I remember, there are a few leaves of cilantro and dill in there, and a few kinds of mint that are good for tea. The jerky's venison, and maybe a few strips of rabbit... I don't recall exactly.'

Summer & Collin

Summer was mindful of where she stood, so that she didn't block out all of the light that was fading in through the opened door, which itself was filtering in through the windows of the kitchen. It was near impossible for her to see what he was reaching for in the cubby hole, and could only imagine that if this had been carefully carved out by Conan, it likely contained items of significant value to the young man. "Mint, now there's a welcome herb. We might yet have some hot tea with our meal." She stepped backwards, out of the pantry, and into the kitchen to let Conan out again. The bag and jerky were clutched in one hand, and both arms were snug around the toddler. At the slightest indication, she was ready to hand him over to his older brother again, "You mentioned a horse? Should we check outside, after we get the fire ready?" Partly for herself, but mainly for Conan, Summer had it in mind to keep the small family active and concentrated on tasks. Conan didn't appear bothered to her, but the blood stain remained a pertinent focus in the back of her mind, and for what it may be worth, she didn't want to give the teen time to reflect on what horrors he might have gone through in the house.

Conan*Others

'If Chivalry hears us, he'll come around and start peeking at the windows,' Conan answered, now standing up and moving back out of the pantry, shutting the door firmly as if to put that out of both of their minds. 'It kind of reminds me of the way Abhay does that when he thinks he's being ignored. Except Chivalry's a little more cautious; he's looking to see if there's anything amiss.' Also very focused on keeping the conversation neutral and away from any thoughts of what may have occured in this house - and any mention of whether he remembered it or wanted to discuss it - the teen moved back into the kitchen, and came up with a teapot, and a large bucket. 'Here - come on, and I'll show you the well and the outhouse.' Heading toward the back of the kitchen, Conan unlatched a door built right into the side of the kitchen itself and let himself outside, signing to Summer to watch her step in the mud that caked the ground. From here, they could see the barn, which pretty well looked abandoned, and the well. It was as the teen set the bucket on the edge of the well and reached for the hookline that a soft snarl sounded; he dropped the line and backed up, putting space between himself and the sound, and also darting in front of Summer. A moment later though, he relaxed some; a mangy-looking, muddied dog darted out of the trees, took one glance at him, and sprinted in the other direction. The form of the dog's body and the gait would tell what the muddied coat could not - this was a doberman, likely purebred. And Conan slowly relaxed, his fingers coming back into play. 'Harth. One of his dogs. It's okay, though - he's got no bravery of his own. Without Harlequin, he's blamed useless.'

Summer & Collin

That got her to looking towards the window, half-expecting to see the horse in question peering back at them. When he was not there, and Conan was already moving on to show her a bit more of the property, she hefty Raimi to a more comfortable position on her hip and followed seamlessly after the elder brother. "Ah, the outhouse - we may as well be at the cabin." Personally, she didn't mind having to use an outhouse, as they had to when they stayed at their cabin house. But in the winter... it was even less pleasant. Aside from that, she looked towards the well that Conan had mentioned, spotting it easily enough as they left the kitchen and stepped outside, "I wonder if this is from a fresh spring, or whether it's got that sulfur-taste to it-" Summer rambled in the spirit of making conversation, speaking on the tendency for water around geothermal areas to have a funny 'taste' to them. She about jumped when Harth skittered along from the trees, suggesting that she wasn't quite as calm and collected as she otherwise appeared to be. Regaining her composure as quickly as she'd lost it, the woman mindfully kept an eye on the doberman, "Harth is his name? We'll have to see about leaving a bit of a meal for him when we're done with supper." Having worked with shelter animals so long, it went without question that she wanted to help any stray cat or dog that she saw. She was wise enough to understand the potential danger the canine might pose though, and had a keen eye for judging their temperament and body language.

Conan*Others

Still watching carefully as the dog retreated from view behind the barn, Conan waited until Harth disappeared before he drew away from where he'd stepped in front of Summer. 'Be careful with him... he has attacked me before, though that was on command. Still, he may take to Collin a little better than to you; he's really a man's dog. But I don't think that he would actually go after anyone besides me without an order, unless he really felt threatened.' So saying, he again went back to the well and went about drawing the water, feeling a little more secure now that Harth was gone. 'The good thing is that if he is frightened enough to run from us, then Harlequin cannot be anywhere nearby. If she was, he would be much more confident. Harlequin only ever answered to him - I do not think she could be tamed by anyone else.' As he finished that, he looked over his shoulder to another small sound... but this time, he smiled. A large, tawny horse head was peering out of the trees behind and to the left of them, and Conan set aside the bucket immediately to go to the horse, as he often did when there was any equine in the vicinity. The horse responded with a whicker as Conan drew near, even as it wouldn't draw out of the trees, apparently cautious of Summer's presence. But Raimi immediately squealed, "Chivie!" and the stallion's ears twitched forward, and Conan was soon stroking the horse's neck and smiling softly. It took several moments for him to remember that Summer was there, and when he did, he turned back toward her with a more relaxed expression than he had been able to harbor since he had set foot in the house. 'Chivalry was my first friend... the poor fellow is getting old now, but he is still just as sweet-natured. He just doesn't know what to think of you. She was never nice to him.' He continued to use 'he' and 'she' instead of 'Mom and Dad', as if to detach himself from his family, but at the least he was acknowledging their former existence and speaking about them with less fear than usual.

Summer & Collin

Summer took Conan's words to heart when he went along with warning her of Harth's behavior. In any case, she didn't plan to get anywhere near him while she held Raimi in hand, or while there was still plenty of things to do to get the house in shape for living in again. "I'll set out a bit of food later on, and leave him be until we're better settled." She looked away from him and to the surroundings as she replied, looking for any sign of the second dog that would mean a greater level of threat. Not seeing Harlequin or any sign of a second canine, she relaxed her vigil and turned in step to move closer to the well. Summer wasn't aware of the equine's presence until Raimi cheerfully called out the horse's name. "What a sweet thing, he is." Because she knew plenty about animal behavior, and furthermore because she didn't want to intrude on the reunion between Conan and Chivalry, Summer hung back by the well while the young man greeted the horse. There was no stopping the smile that stretched across her face at seeing Conan genuinely happy after so long worrying about his brother; now he had two important figures back in his life. "I wonder if there might be a brush in the barn? I can imagine Chivalry might enjoy a good scrub down if he's been on his own all this time."

Conan*Others

Raimi was now wriggling in Summer's hold, trying to worm closer so that he could say hello to the horse, too. But rather than take the toddler from her, Conan instead lay his hand on Chivalry's withers and led him slowly forward, muttering nonsense noises under his breath to encourage the timid stallion. It took a little bit of doing, but finally the horse meandered forward and lipped a little at the top of the toddler's head, causing him to giggle sharply and reach to pet the huge nose. 'He remembers Raimi well,' the teen signed, his eyes watching as the tyke cooed at and petted the horse in the same manner that his older brother would often do. 'For a long while, Chivalry traveled with us, when Raimi was a baby after I first ran away. When he got shot I had to bring him back here, though - I knew at least they'd see to it that he got his leg taken care of. He still has trouble with it when it gets cold like this though. See there? He likes you.' And indeed, after thoroughly sniffing over Summer and her clothes to be sure that she didn't smell frightening, the stallion was now gently bopping her shoulder with his nose, trying to prompt her to pet him. 'He's a gentle-enough thing. It's his son you have to watch out for these days. You remember Bishop? The horse that Ben said he found? That's Chivalry's son. And he's about as man-aggressive as they come. Might take to you, though, if we ever run into him.'

Summer & Collin

While Raimi wriggled and fidgeted in his excitement to see Chivalry, Summer tried to placate him with soft words until Conan could bring the stallion forward. She remained standing mostly still, again letting Chivalry have all the time he needed to greet the toddler, then get accustom to her scent. She only moved a hand to stroke at his muzzle after he openly invited her for the petting by bumping her shoulder, "You're a nice boy, aren't you? We're not so scary, there's a good boy." The woman murmured to the horse, then spoke to Conan after watching his signing, "If you'd like it, we can see about moving him out to Greg's place later on. They have Apple and Tagger out there for company, and Kate has the supplies to see that he stays as healthy as possible." Her hand move from the soft muzzle to the horse's neck, patting lightly at it, "Bishop, I remember Ben talking about that one. I have to admit, I don't know as much about horses as I do dogs and cats, but I'll tell Collin to keep his distance."

Conan*Others

Sometimes, it was very difficult for Conan to accept help for himself or those he cared about, but in this case, the teen understood that Kate was already caring for a couple of horses, and that one more would not be a strain on their situation. So he eagerly nodded to Summer's offer; after being more than half raised by this horse, he wanted to be sure that the aging stallion had a nice life for whatever amount of time he had left. 'He was a present from one of our neighbors, in celebration from when I was born. He was just a little guy then. I learned to ride on him, just after they broke him when he was about two. He taught me all about horses...' The quiet smile was back now; as dark as those days had been for Conan, there had still been the simple joy of being with a horse - that had never changed, and even remembering the horrors that had soon followed those innocent days couldn't ruin the memory. 'I think there's a brush in the barn somewhere... and I bet he'd appreciate some clean hay to sleep on. Not to mention Freya's horse, when- well, speak of the devil.' He paused halfway through his thought because the sound of horsehooves coming up the half-overgrown drive announced the young woman's arrival. She didn't pause as she directed the gelding around to the back of the house and used her knees to call him to a stop only a few feet away from the pair. The way that she swung down from the gelding's back spoke of no injuries on her, thankfully enough, and in the next second, she was offered the clothed decoy-bear to the toddler. "Here, Raimi - brought your bear back."

Summer & Collin

For as long as Conan had been with them, Summer had grown to understand a lot about his personality, even those things that were never talked about or easily seen. After a life of getting no help and not expecting any, she could understand without ever asking that he wasn't one that easily accepted assistance from others. "You know, Nadeem finally found a bit of land to start that foundation of his. Greg and a few of his friends have said it's really nice. A lot of land, and new equipment - Chivalry might enjoy that, too." She was still stroking at the aged stallion when Freya showed up, safe and sound after their harrowing escape. Lanny had spotted her and given chase after leaving the Wallock's, but thankfully, Freya had far more maneuverability in riding her horse than Lanny did in driving his car. Where he'd been restricted to the roads, she could easily slip into areas that he couldn't follow. For now, they were safe still. "Are you alright?" It was instinctive for Summer to ask, even if an initial look at the dark girl suggested she had gotten out of it without harm.

Conan*Others

'I knew that he'd been looking for a place,' the teen answered, shifting his weight a little until he could use a gentle touch to turn the stallion around. Chivalry turned obediently, leaving behind Summer's stroking as he followed the light touch that Conan had pressed against his shoulder. 'He's got a soft mouth on him; I never did have to use a bit on him. He'll turn at the softest touch...' The movement of the fingers was slow, and if he'd been speaking aloud, it might have been construed as an expression of wonder. 'I'd almost forgotten that.' There was a long pause where he leaned in and put most of his weight against the stallion, who shifted his stance to accommodate the teen without so much as a thought. For a second or two, he forgot they were there... and then the fingers started moving again. 'Nadeem'll take good care of him for me, til I can find other arrangements,' said the fingers, firm and decisive in their movements. 'Freya... you will take him there for me?' His gaze turned to the young woman, who had spent his moments of quiet assuring Summer that she was fine, and she nodded. "I believe it may be best for me to stay here for a couple of days as backup, but when I go, I will take him to Nadeem for you. Until then, Arram will keep him company." Her fingers idly stroked the dappled gelding beside her as she spoke, and the two horses were exchanging greeting sniffs; with one a gelding, these two would get on just fine. "Are the two stalls still intact?" That was her next question, and Conan's fingers were moving again. 'They were the last time I was here... but, wait. How do you know all of this?' His gaze, as he turned it to her, wasn't suspicious; after all, she'd brought Raimi back to them. But he was definitely confused. How could Freya know about this place, when he hadn't even brought Summer and Collin here before?

Summer & Collin

Between learning that Freya had gotten out of the chase unharmed, and that Conan was having a second friend returned to him in the form of Chivalry, this situation could almost be one of celebration... if they could forget that they were in hiding from the town's most powerful gang. "If we need more supplies for the horses, Kate can bring some here for us. With as much as she travels through the backroads and hauls supplies from place to place, I can't imagine Lanny would even consider following her. On that same end, she can bring us more things when needed." The young woman was a frequent sight driving through the country as she went about her research and field studies; to see her driving down Plank road would be nothing to arouse suspicion. "There's plenty of room for you in here." She jumped from talking of supplies, to inviting Freya to stay in the house with them when the woman declared that she would stay as backup. "We have enough food for about three days as it stands." When Conan questioned Freya on her knowledge however, Summer didn't say a thing; it made her just as curious as Conan.

Conan*Others

"All the same, it may be wise for her to bring one of her dart guns along, just in case," Freya warned, her tones low. "I do not believe he would think it odd for her to travel the valley, but as a woman who travels by herself a great deal, she is an easy target; he might think to waylay her on one of these backroads for questioning and threats. I know you don't like weapons... but one of the stun guns she uses to work with the larger animals would suffice to bring him down and keep her safe, and yet do him no lasting harm." Of course, straight after that, she had Conan's curious inquiry to deal with - but she chose to semi-deflect the question for now. "We can discuss that while we see about getting the horses settled," she murmured, which would give her a few moments to gather her thoughts if Conan accepted. With a new light in his eyes that was half interested, half confused, the teen finally nodded, and with the same gentle touch he'd used before, began to lead Chivalry back to the barn. As they walked, with Freya leading her gelding by the reins, the young woman spoke up. "When you were in third grade, you had Mrs. Griswold at the local elementary school, just like most of the kids from this area up until she retired about a year ago. A bright child, showed an early capacity for reading, enjoyed math and history, and obsessed with drawing dinosaurs and horses. At that time, I was landbound - my first year away from the sea when I'd spent my whole life upon it, attending correspondence schools and mailing in assignments whenever we hit port. I was attending the local highschool here, and not enjoying it all that much. I was surprised when Mrs. Griswold came to me and asked for a favor; I'd mentored some of the elementary school kids before, but that wasn't what she wanted from me. She wanted me to see about making some clothes for a boy that was in her class who came from a rather poor family. Only it turned out as a little more than that."

Summer & Collin

Weapons were highly frowned upon by the couple, even something like a taser. Yet, she could hardly call it fair to expect Kate to drive to and fro and help keep them supplied when their enemies wouldn't think twice of using a gun on her. "When Greg calls us back next, I'll mention that to him. Kate is a smart girl though; I'm sure she'll be fine." Summer may not approve of such things, but Kate sure didn't have a problem with it - she owned a small handgun herself, meant to defend herself against humans, rather than animals. But this little fact was one that only Greg was privy to among the Wallocks. Summer fell in line behind the horses as they went for the barn, putting the idea of the taser on the back of her mind so that she could listen in on what Freya had to say about her extensive knowledge on Conan. "You've known Conan from when he was young, then?" The woman questioned to confirm, now understanding why Freya had the knowledge she did of the red-head. It went without saying that she probably knew far more about him than Summer herself did, and why she was keen on helping him as she was now.

Conan*Others

The teen was silent as they made their way into the barn, not because he couldn't talk to Freya - after all, she'd proven perfectly capable of reading his sign language - but because there were a great many thoughts running through his head. But that was alright; Freya hadn't finished talking yet. "Mrs. Griswold had her suspicions, and knew better than to try to go through the town's justice system; she knew also that my father was a regional authority and had the power to see that something was done, despite Atroe's politics. But he couldn't very well show up on your front stoop and expect to get anything; that's why they sent me. Unfortunately, my father was killed in a stand-off before anything could actually be done. It's been a theory for years that either the CS or Brushfire took him out; no one's really sure. Anyway - I couldn't stick around much after that. Mr. Carlyle started putting two and two together." She smiled a little to herself, even as Conan paused by one wall to take up a stiff brush, beginning to drag it through Chivalry's coat to rid it of a few years' worth of dust and grime, which also gave him time to take in what she was saying. "It's not really all that incredible that you don't remember... you were barely eight at the time, and we've both changed a lot since then. In fact, it took me awhile to recognize you, even after I'd come to the farm. And of course, when I figured out your father was still alive, I went about seeing to finishing the job I started. I've been following you and keeping an eye on him for quite awhile. Though there's one thing you didn't quite get - the flag was from me, not him." Conan looked up from what he was doing as she said that, instantly connecting it back to the tiny flag someone had poked down into the yard of the mobile home some months back, which he'd taken as a grim message from his father. Connections were made quickly in his head, and finally the fingers came back into play. 'You're Melissa - that girlfriend of Raven's. That's how you know signs, and about the flag.' She shook her head just a bit, but didn't deny his words. "My name was never Melissa - but it was a handy-enough name to give your brother. And certainly, it afforded me the opportunity to look out for you for a while, and to learn the signs."

Summer & Collin

Things were making quite a bit more sense now, and Summer was getting a better insight on who Freya was and what kind of person she was. She had to admit that she was greatly surprised to learn about the origins of the flag, which they all had assumed was from Conan's father; and after his death, had worried no more about. But what really caught Summer off her guard was the length at which Freya had gone to watch over Conan, even so far as to be Raven's girlfriend and create for herself an alias. "You've had a guardian angel looking out for you." To more or less sum it up, Summer quietly spoke this to Conan. "You've done more than any of us could ask of you Freya. Looking out for him, and helping us to safety - it's remarkable." Summer was always something of an optimist and one who looked for the good in others, even when there was so much bad to be seen in this town; yet it still struck her quite powerfully at how dedicated Freya was in her task. And yet, for all that Freya had done to watch out for Conan, the woman feared that all of that could be in vain if Lanny kept up his antics; what could they do against the gang that could literally get away with murder?

Conan*Others

"That's taking it a little far, Mrs. Wallock - there have been times when there was very little I could do. The time he got shot not being the least. I'd been- Shantii, triklek." She had looked down to the white dog that had suddenly appeared at her feet, not surprised to find her there, and apparently not about to explain just what the dog had been doing that had caused her to arrive only now. Nevertheless, Shantii moved as instructed, enabling the young woman to work her way around Arram just as Conan was doing with Chivalry. And from there, Freya continued just as though she hadn't interrupted herself. "I'd been out of town on another assignment at the time. I cannot tell you all the details, but I can warn you that things are about to change in this town. A few certain things have come to the attention of certain members of state legislature - things which I've deliberately put in their fields of vision. The days of this town remaining in the grip of its gangs may be numbered." 'So you're with the government,' said Conan's fingers, from where he was peering over the stallion's back and now taking up a hoofpick to try and pull some of the grime out of the horse's feet. And Freya nodded vaguely. "In a way, I suppose. It's not my chief responsibility, but their interests and mine cross in many places."

Summer & Collin

"You can call me Summer." The woman insisted before she said anything else, being one to favor first names over more formal titles. After that she went on to defend her words in Freya's favor, without being too overdone about it, "Compared to many in this town that I have known, you deserve such credit." The white dog took up Summer's attention next, and she was tempted to comment on Shantil, but was pleasantly surprised by the talk of Freya and the local government. She herself wasn't terribly involved in politics, though her husband could talk the ears off of anyone, and tended to be very passionate about what he said. "Government workings? I'd give anything to see a bit of control brought to this town. That's- I hope it works." Part of the gang's success was due in part to the city's isolated location and small size, and another part in how they could manipulate so many of the influential members of the local government with money and protection. If the corrupt individuals could be taken out of power, and honest individuals safely put in place... there was the potential for change.

Freyati*Others

"Part of the problem is that the regional legislature doesn't want to notice that there is something wrong," Freya answered, shaking her head a little as she brushed the last of the road's dust out of her gelding's coat and put the brush aside, waiting for her turn with the hoof pick. "If on the surface, all looks well with a town, they tend not to dig deeper because they know they may find a corruption that they need to deal with. It's laziness, essentially." While she was waiting, Shantii came over and sat neatly at the young woman's feet, and one of the brown hands reached down to scrub distractedly at the soft ears. "But when that information is directly brought to their attention, they must do something - either correct the problem, or take the blow to their reputations. I'm leaning toward them loving their precious reputations too much to ignore the problem." She paused there, because Conan was shaking his head behind the horse, and making an airy noise that Freya recognized as a chuckle. "What?" He had to pause a moment to collect himself, still shaking his head some, and finally answered, 'I was just thinking of those first few days on the farm; Aralyn and I weren't sure if you were just a little eccentric, or flat out crazy. Funny, how wrong we were on both counts.'

Summer & Collin

The woman nodded slowly, now shifting Raimi to her other hip and adjusting her stance when he started to grow a little heavy. It had been a little while since she last held a toddler, and Raimi had done some growing. "I'm glad someone finally had the initiative and the right connections to force this on them." She and Collin both had put in their effort to make changes, Collin in particular, but their voice was one that could easily be ignored - they just didn't have any sort of significant standing in the city. "Hopefully enough pressure can be put on them in time for this year's elections; it's high time we got a new mayor here, as well." Mrs. Spelts, the ringleader of the dirty politics in the city, was a definite obstacle to get out of the way. When she heard the noise that was the equivalent of a laughter from Conan, she looked his way with a smile, in time to see what he was signing. Half jestingly, she chuckled to both of them, "I think a lot of people confuse creative intelligence with 'crazy'."

Conan*Others

It took the teen very little time to get Chivalry's hooves all cleaned out, and once he was finished, the old stallion looked much better. With all the dust brushed out of his coat, it was clear that he was a much darker color than he had first appeared. He was a nice, dark shade of mahogany brown, and even though it was silvering around the nose, flanks, and hooves to show his age, Chivalry was still a fine looking animal. A little on the lean side, perhaps... but that was nothing a little TLC wouldn't fix. Now occupied by mucking out the two stalls and laying down clean, dry hay, Conan had fallen silent simply by virtue of his hands being occupied, but Freya took up the conversation again. "It does not always help, having the sort of background that I do. People tend to write me off as an eccentric nobody... some of the lesser-educated have sent spies after me; I caught one of them who was convinced I was involved in voodoo and devil worship. I got a bunch of jabber out of him about witchcraft and hexes... that's by far the weirdest one. But that's why I was able to shake Zelkovii earlier... I've had a little practice." Meanwhile, still sitting contentedly with Summer, Raimi had been watching the white dog, and was now repeating over what he'd earlier said to Sheryl. "Summm... puppy owies! Puppy..." Sheryl had ignored this plaintive request from the toddler, but then no wonder - after all, unless the dog opened her mouth, it was hard to see the misshapen tongue. But Raimi remembered, and he remembered that Summer could heal things, so he was saying it again.

Summer & Collin

Part of Summer wanted to help the two in tending to the horses or cleaning the barn up for the both of them to stay in, but she wasn't going to put Raimi down right now. Not so much that she was afraid something might happen to him, after all, she felt they were relatively safe right now in this distant house, but because she knew Conan wouldn't like it just yet. To make herself a bit more worth while, she moved over to Chivalry so that she could pet the stallion, and get the toddler close enough to pat at him too, if he was inclined. "At least you're smart about what you're doing. If they're sending such people after you, you've got to be careful about watching your back." This came from the woman who always liked to find the good in people, and showed that even with this trait, she was far from naive about what some individuals were capable of. It was a sense that was much more refined in her than it was poor Nadeem. "Do you want to see the puppy?" A look was shot to Freya, wordlessly questioning whether it was alright or not for the toddler to get near the dog. "I don't think she's got any owwies, Raimi."

Freyati*Others

"Shantii." This time, there wasn't even an order; just a name and a look, and the dog knew what to do. Now that the situation was relatively calm and stable, it was alright if the dog wanted to play with the child and, knowing Freya well enough to tell when she was being released from guard duty, the dog dropped her serious stance and instantly thumped her tail with a swish against the hay floor. Still, she was ever silent as she crept forward and waited patiently for Summer to kneel down so that she could greet Raimi; she was too well-trained to jump up. And in the next second, Freya had jumped topics to discuss the dog. "He speaks of her tongue; he saw it when we went to fetch him. But it is an old wound, from many years ago, and long since healed. The only problem it produces is in her voice. I have had her seven years, and to this day she has never produced the slightest sound." So saying, she bent briefly and put her brown hands to the dog's mouth, gently propping it open so that they could see the shred of tongue that remained. "It also provides her some issues with eating and drinking; she cannot use a bowl as most do. But we have adjusted to that."

Summer & Collin

Permission granted and the okay given, Summer knelt down on the ground, planting one knee against the cold wooden floor of the barn and resting Raimi on her other leg so that she was still holding him, but also putting him at the right level to interact with Shantii. "Hello, girl." Summer held a hand out to be sniffed before she lent her fingers to scratching at the dog's head and ears briefly. She then listened to Freya's explanation, and understood what Raimi had meant when he talked about the 'puppy's owwies'. "Oh my... you poor girl, whatever did you get into that did that?" She'd seen a lot of things in her voluntary work at the shelter, but this was the first time she'd seen this kind of thing, and she could understand the sort of difficulties it would bring with drinking, eating, and making noise.

Freyati*Others

Apparently either unaware or uncaring that she was currently under discussion, Shantii waited for the young woman to release her muzzle before she stretched it forward to snuffle over Summer's fingers. After deciding that this new person was okay, she went straight into adorable mode; it was hard to tell now that this dog was the business-like, almost vicious one that had cornered and bitten Sheryl just over an hour ago. Bereft of the ability to whine, Shantii instead resorted to closing the lilac-colored eyes and wagging her tail so quickly that it whacked against Freya's legs with a resounding 'smack' every time she moved. Seeming not to notice the occasional contact that couldn't be altogether comfortable, Freya told Summer, "Puppy mills happened. She was a brooder for a long time, as I understand, prized for the white of her coat and the rare color of her eyes. She's pure Akita, so the pups could be sold at a high price, particularly if they shared her coloring. When the mill was raided, she and four others were recovered, along with seventeen litters of puppies; by that time, her tongue was already gone. The idea that the shelter staff came up with was that her tongue had been deliberately removed to silence her. You probably remember that raid; seven summers back, on the McWilliams property at the edge of town." Well, by this time at least, Raimi had stopped whining about Shantii's 'owies'... he was too busy running his hands over her soft fur and cooing 'puppy, puppy, puppy.'

Summer & Collin

It never ceased to amaze Summer how any dog could smack their tail against something, even against the sharp corner of a doorway, or the legs of a table, and seem not to notice what had to have been a painful thump. Of course, it was Freya's leg that was getting the abuse now as the akita expressed her joy at the attention by merrily wagging her appendage. "I took several of the puppies to raise until they could be found homes. I wasn't able to be part of the raid itself though, or I'm sure I wouldn't have forgotten this sweet girl." The woman was speaking quietly, with a smile on her face purely for the fact that Raimi and Shantii were quite delighted to interact with each other. Internally, there was a quiet fire simmering in her, utterly despising the various methods of 'de-barking' dogs, as was common practice in many labs, and a good number of puppy mills where they never expected their lab dogs or brood mothers to be exposed to the public.

Freyati*Others

"She was truly wasted as a brooder," Freya confirmed with a nod, even as she finished with what she was doing and stood upright again. "She is the most intelligent dog I have ever known. I have not yet found a task that I cannot train her to do. She herds, she guards... I can even get her to attack on command, if absolutely necessary. And yet she can sit and play with Raimi, as well. Very versatile." Not one to talk much about herself, Freya apparently had no problem bragging on her dog a little bit. And in the next moment, Conan too had finished with what he was doing, and patted Chivalry gently. 'There - now at least they have a clean place to sleep. Maybe now we should arrange for the same inside the house.' Privately, he found it a little amusing that they'd arranged for decent sleeping quarters for the horses before they'd done so for the people, but he didn't mention it.

Summer & Collin

Her work with canines was quietly put into play, almost subconsciously watching the body language of Shantii to be sure that she was tolerating Raimi's patting hands without any signs of becoming annoyed. If she hadn't known that much of the akita's backstory, Summer might not have been so watchful, and in any case, Shantii was perfectly behaved with the toddler. The swishing tail further showed that she was just as happy with the attention as Conan's little brother was. "I'm thankful she found a good home. There were so many of them, it was hard enough finding placements for the ones I was fostering." A bit of movement from the corner of her eyes directed Summer's attention to Conan's hands, where she watched him take up conversation again. "A good idea. I'm sure Collin has the fire going by now. Before it gets dark, we'll have to see about getting things in order and setting up our sleeping areas." Summer stood with a heave, lugging Raimi up with her and settling him on her hip once more. "You and Shantii are more than welcome to join us inside. We've got enough food for all of us today." After inviting the girl and her dog, Mrs. Wallock led the way out of the barn, and back towards the house.

Conan*Others

"Shantii - ket." With everyone headed back out of the barn, Freya called the dog to heel, and though she was definitely having fun with Raimi, the canine didn't even hesitate before she gave the toddler's fingers a last lick and went straight to her mistress. "She minds without question, protects those she loves, and has an inerrant feeling for people; if she does not like someone, you can pretty well judge their personality from there. She has proven to be a valuable asset to my work, in addition to being a good friend." Raimi was a little disappointed when the dog left, but his attention soon shifted as they headed back toward the house, partially because he was watching Freya as she moved. "I appreciate the offer, Summer," the young woman answered quietly, taking up the more informal name seamlessly now that it was apparent that the older woman preferred it. "Shantii and I will probably stick out a little late tonight, and wander the grounds a bit just to be sure. But after that, we will be glad for the shelter."

Summer & Collin

As soon as Shantii moved away on command, Summer hoisted herself and Raimi up again. Without trying to be too obvious about it, she took note of where Conan was and what she could read of his body language and expression, for as much as she missed Raimi and delighted in being able to hold him again, she would hand him back to his older brother the second he requested it. "Mind yourself out here," Somehow, Summer doubted she needed to tell Freya to be careful, but it was an ingrained thing for the woman to do, "There's a dog or two hanging around the property still." It went without saying that one had to watch the wildlife in these places too, as the canines were a particular problem, whether they be wolf or dog. She started her way to the house as they spoke, minding the mud that Conan had warned her of, and just starting to notice a light fog setting across the land - the weather was warming up a little, at least for now. "I hope you like soup and cereal? I'm afraid that's about all we have at the moment."

Freyati*Others

For his part, Conan was silent as they walked along, letting the two women do all the talking. The only indication of how he might have felt was how his eyes darted back and forth across the lawn now and then, seeking out all the hiding places and shadowy spots in the trees where animals - or equally-dangerous human beings - might lurk. It was kind of a given that the teen wasn't going to be altogether comfortable in this house, but as he always had before, Conan was ready to sacrifice his own comfort - and endure some returning memories and fears - to keep his small family safe. "I saw Harth as we came in," Freya answered Summer quietly, pretending not to notice that the teen walking beside her was on edge, and getting even moreso as the fog rolled in, limiting visibility ever-so-slightly. "He does not like me, but he remembers and fears me, and that will be good enough. And I did not see his sister, who would be the more direct threat." As they reached the house and Conan stood aside to let the two ladies pass through - as much because it offered him the chance to protect them as it was for the sake of manners - the younger woman went on, "I have a few little things in my bags; cheese, a half-loaf of day bread... and if you give us a few minutes, Shantii and I can hunt down a few rabbits. We can make soup and cereal stretch decently far."

Summer & Collin

Walking in front of Conan, Summer didn't see the way he was looking about as alertly as he was, but then she didn't need to. She knew that being at this house to begin with couldn't be sitting well with him, and add to that the very reason why they were here, Summer had it in mind that the young man was more than a little nervous about it all. "I haven't had rabbit in quite some time." She stepped through the door as she spoke, looking first to the fireplace, where a small but growing fire was already crackling with life. "I'll get things situated around here if you'd like to hunt, and see whereabout we'll all be sleeping tonight." As she was saying this, Collin was returning to the living room from the kitchen, and clicking his cellphone shut, "Kate will be here in two hours. I told her to wait a while, so her movements wouldn't be so suspicious - oh, hello." After noticing that they had another person in their ranks, Collin didn't fail to greet Freya again with a smile and nod.

Conan*Others

With everyone finally inside, the teen felt just a little better - enough where he could actually turn his attention to answering what Freya had said. 'If you go out past the barn and take a left, and travel about a quarter mile east, you will find a clearing - I have often found rabbit in that area. There's also a good fishing stream, if you fancy that sort of thing.' These things he signed as Freya swung her bag down off her back and rummaged through, coming up with the promised cheese and bread. It was at this point that Conan finally moved to take Raimi back from Summer, on the excuse that she would need both hands to cook, even though she'd proven perfectly capable of cooking with the toddler on her hip, before. Still, he headed to the hall and opened the closet, coming up with a broom and dustpan that looked to be a few hundred years old and moving back into the livingroom. Without much ceremony, he set the toddler down on the wooden floor, and started pointing to the various small objects that cluttered the floor; a tennis ball, a sock, a balled-up blanket, and a mound of sticks among them. Without needing to be told, Raimi cheerfully squealed, "I help!" and began to scuttle about the room, picking up all the objects and piling them into a dusty, empty bucket beside the fireplace, murmuring a little song under his breath that sounded something like, "Clean up, clean up! Playtime's over, clean up!" Meanwhile, the older brother went to work with the broom, beginning to sweep and remove the many years-worth of cobwebs and dust about the room and furniture, including one handmade rocking chair and an ancient recliner, as well as a couch that was so old and saggy that it looked like it might collapse any minute. Quietly to Summer, where the boys wouldn't hear, Freya whispered, "He will not sleep well inside this house."

Summer & Collin

After she'd handed Raimi back to Conan, and the elder brother started him on a task of cleaning, Summer made her way to the kitchen. A bit of rummaging soon unearthed a pot and a large skillet, one for heating the soup, and the other for cooking the meat when it was returned. A can-opener was fished out next from one of the drawers, and with it she opened a can of generic vegetable soup, adding it to the pot with a good amount of water as well. "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere-" Smilingly, Summer started a similar song for Raimi while she worked on latching the pot to a hook above the fire, and adjusting the wood and kindling to keep the flames low and slow burning for now. "Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share. My, but you're a better helper than Greg was at your age." The woman turned her voice low after that, to a solemn whisper after Freya commented on Conan's unhappiness to be in this house, "If there was anyway around it, I would leave this place and not put him through the memories. But with Raimi back, and you helping us, he has some things to ease his mind."

Conan*Others

Freya was shaking her head some, watching Conan out of the corner of one eye as he kept pointing to small objects, which Raimi was obligingly scooping up and plopping in the bucket, sometimes puntuating the action with a cry of "Craaaaaash!" before he'd take up the song again. Still keeping her voice low as she prepared her things for hunting, Freya answered, "He is wise, however - this is the one place in the world that I do not believe Laurence would think to look for him. The gang torched it a couple of years ago, and it pretty well went off their radar after that. One of the back bedrooms took the worst hit, but it started raining halfway through, and the building survived. A place of foul memories or not, you will be safe enough here until the danger passes, or until you can make other plans. I do not suggest returning to the trailer any time soon." Meanwhile, Conan wasn't showing any signs of heaing their conversation; though he was proving to be gifted at the art of quick and efficient cleaning. Already, the rundown, grungy little room was looking a great deal more homey and sanitary, and he was making a game out of fingerspelling each item that Raimi picked up, and encouraging the child as he slowly imitated the letters back to him. Raimi didn't understand that the hand movements meant anything, of course, but he could imitate very well.

Summer & Collin

With the living room being cleaned, and having already set in order the kitchen somewhat, Collin headed outside to fetch some more water from the well, and bring in additional wood for the fire, so that it would last through the night. Summer was just finishing with her task at organizing the wood already in the fireplace and tending to the small flames, "If it weren't for their safety in mind, I would hide from the Silvers, and I still don't like to do so." This she admitted very softly, certainly not wanting Conan to hear it, "And he should not be made to hide in fear like this either - but while they're in control, there isn't much that can be done about it. It will work for now, until the Silvers cool off a little." The woman strove to keep her expression clear of the silent fury that stirred inside, lest she give anyone an inkling of how she really felt. "In the meantime, this will make good time for Conan and Raimi to spend together."

Conan*Others

The young woman didn't have anything she could say to that - at least, not anything that would make any difference. So she merely made a noise under her breath that indicated her agreement, and then shouldered her bag, calling Shantii to her side with a gesture. "Well, if I'm to have any luck of catching anything before the sun goes down, I'd best be off." She looked over at Conan for a moment, her practiced eye picking out the slight wrinkle in his flannel shirt that told her he had his gun tucked into his waistband, where most people wouldn't have seen it disguised in the loose cloth. With the safety of the family established with that, she murmured, "I will be back in less than an hour. Mind you, the wind howls around this house at night, and sounds almost like wolves... but never fear. There are no wild canines that center in this area, though they pass through it. Besides, the horses'll let you know if there's something wrong; Arram is deathly frightened of them, and will scream. I'll be back." And with those quiet words, she left the room, leaving Summer alone with the boys, who were still quietly making a game of cleaning the room. It wasn't for several more minutes that Conan set the broom aside and went to scoop up Raimi, propping the toddler on his hip and heading for a second closet in the hall; this one held the linens, and he was soon dragging out blankets and sheets which, though they smelled a little musty, were decently clean and usable. But it almost seemed like the boy was working to keep himself distracted; he didn't stop for a moment, even to look around. Housework was an old, soothing familiarity, and he was using it now to disguise his lack of calmness.

Summer & Collin

Summer stood and brushed dust and grime from her knees after she was finished working with the fire. "Mind yourself out there. By the time you get back, we can have a bit of bread and soup while we wait to cook the meat." Again, she doubted that it was even necessary to tell Freya to be cautious. She of all people seemed very aware of the dangers out there, and just as capable of avoiding them. Summer waited until the girl had gone, after she had acknowledged the warnings about the canines and wind. To Conan, she spoke up, "I was thinking, for the first night or two, what do you think about moving the mattresses into the living room? It'll be warmer in here, and I think everyone will feel a little safer if we're all together in one spot." Personally, she would feel better to have the little family all in one room, but she left the question open for discussion, in case Conan would rather have his privacy.

Conan*Others

Conan looked up from his work as Freya bid them goodbye; he didn't sign anything, but the firm gaze he fastened upon her and the single nod he provided to answer her own pretty well emphasized what he meant - he too was making sure that she understood the possible dangers that lurked out in the wilder lands at the back of the property, where she'd undoubtedly be doing her hunting. But when her steady returned look confirmed that she understood, and she'd left with Shantii, the teen bent and laid the sheets and blankets he'd pulled out on the couch, sitting the toddler beside them. The child promptly began to play with them, grabbing up handfuls of the fabric and tossing them into the air and punctuating the game with little squeals as the sheets and blankets fell down over him and disguised him mostly from view. As Raimi was enjoying this, Conan signed carefully, 'I would have suggested it, if you had not - it would be much warmer and more secure. Only-' He stopped, turning his eyes away from Summer for a few moments, and not returning them as he finished up, 'I have never slept in the house before. It will... be an unusual experience.' In other words, he didn't know whether he could sleep inside the house, or whether it might arouse the nightmares that seemed to so constantly haunt him - perhaps more violently than usual. It was his way of not only expressing a reluctance to sleep in here... but also of warning Summer to mind those who got close to him if indeed he absolutely had to retire for the night inside the house.

Summer & Collin

If he had declined the proposal, or chosen to stay in a different room from them, Summer wouldn't have protested. She would have been very anxious over his safety and wellbeing, but she wouldn't have pursued it any further. She wasn't altogether surprised to hear that he wasn't allowed to sleep in the house when he had lived here, and it added another clue to the life he'd had growing up here. She only wished there was a way she could protect him from those tragic memories, but failing that ability, she could at least keep a safe eye on him and try to fill in the void of a good mother figure when he was so lacking one as he grew up. "Don't worry much about it now. It'll be just like staying out at the cabin, only we needn't worry about getting flooded out here." Happy to have that settled, Summer started for the first room, where she'd start moving out the matress and go about collecting what blankets and sheets that could be found.

Conan*Others

With the warning given - and understood, judging by Summer's reaction - Conan had done all that he could to try to control the situation. After all, he couldn't prevent himself from having nightmares, or he'd have done it before this, simply to have spared the household the drama of him waking up night after night in gasps or screams. But since he couldn't do that - and with it firmly in his mind what had happened the last time Ryan had woken him up, he didn't want to risk slugging either one of the Wallocks as he had the young officer. So long as Summer understood that, they would be safer. So he nodded to her words and gestured to Raimi, who willingly left the pile of sheets on the couch and toddled down the hall with them, where the teen began putting his muscles to work in helping Summer to haul the mattress off of the bed. 'This will be easier to handle if we turn it up sideways,' he prompted quietly, his eyes partially on Raimi as the child meandered around the room, so as to be certain that the toddler wouldn't get hit with the mattress.

Summer & Collin

After Ryan had gotten slugged that one time, Summer had plenty of reminder on why she had to give Conan space rather than trying to wake him up from a nightmare. It wasn't an easy thing to do, to watch someone who she considered another son to go through it without her being able to help, but she knew he'd feel much worse if he woke up to find her or Collin knocked out, or in the very least, with a good bruise to show for their efforts. "Can you grab that blanket for us Raimi?" Summer was also keeping an eye on the youngster so that he wouldn't get squashed, and to help things out and make the toddler feel useful, she gave him a simple task. "Okay, here we go-" The slender little woman didn't look like she carried much strength on her, but looks were deceiving in Summer's case. Timing her movements with Conan', she flipped the mattress to a sideways position, and started the fun task of guiding it out the door, trying to angle it right so the rest of it would fit, and not get wedged in the door or the hallway.

Conan*Others

"I gots it," Raimi chirped merrily, reaching down and taking hold of two handfuls of the large blanket and hauling it upwards as best he could, at his short stature. And with plenty of encouragement from both of them, he soon had it hoisted about his shoulders like a robe, and was following them willingly as they muscled the mattress out the door and down the hall. The toddler stood watching until the two of them had wrestled the mattress nearly into the livingroom, and then squared his small shoulders, redoubling his grip on the blanket. That done, he took off running after them, his tennies making quite a racket on the wooden floor as he scrambled down the hall, the heavy blanket dragging the floor behind him like a giant dustmop. "Stuuuuuuperman!" he squealed, ramming into the side of the mattress and making Conan suddenly shift his grip on it to avoid dropping it. But it was enough to win a small smile out of the older brother, which had been the toddler's aim in the first place, and it certainly lightened the mood some as Raimi backed away from the cushion with a grin.

Summer & Collin

"Watch yourself, so you don't trip." Past the ample encouragement, Summer had enough experiencing raising her own son that she knew about all the little hazards that went with everyday items. After giving him that gentle warning, it was back to fighting with the mattress and getting it out the door and down the hallway. Collin had returned by this time with some additional wood for the fire, and upon seeing what was going on, he opted to join in by heading for the second room to grab that mattress. Back in the living room where Conan and Summer were just now hauling the make-shift bed, the woman's smile burst into a laugh when she saw, or rather heard, the toddler barreling across the hard floor towards them, with the 'cape' half swishing, half dragging, after him. "That is quite a cape you have there, Superman. And boy, are you strong!"

Conan*Others

The toddler turned his dimpled grin up at Summer, dropping the 'cape' in a heap on the floor and turning to tackle her legs with a squeal. "Yup, yup! I beens eatin' my veggie-bles," he told her. "Veggie-bles make big, strong Raimi! Um... an' Stuperman too. Him eats veggie-bles. No beets, though. Nuh-uh... him nos likes beets." A muffled passage of air indicated that the teen found this amusing; Raimi would eat just about anything, but he wouldn't touch beets, likely because it was the one vegetable that Conan wouldn't eat, either. And like all young creatures, Raimi applied his likes and dislikes to his favorite superhero. Raimi had never tried beets before - he'd simply adopted the dislike from Conan without giving it any thought. It was this that aroused the older brother's amusement, and got him to sharing a light, almost-normal look with Summer. 'The kid has good taste, doesn't he?'

Summer & Collin

Summer carefully eased her end of the mattress to the ground, so that they could in turn flip it onto its side and see about getting blankets on it. "No beets? How about spinach, surely you eat that, so you be strong like superman and popeye?" The woman easily fell into the conversation with Raimi, and reached down to give him a squeeze when he tackled her legs. "You'll have to try some of Collin's beets sometime, and I bet you'll like them. They're much better than anything you'll find at the restaurants." Like it were some big secret, she whispered the last part to the toddler, though she doubted she could talk him into trying any of the earthy-tasted veggies any time soon, if his big brother didn't like them. And she couldn't complain - he ate veggies better at his age than her own son had.

Conan*Others

"Spinch?" The toddler repeated that word over carefully, cocking his head to one side and apparently considering whether or not this was a food that he liked. He was quiet until she mentioned Popeye - but immediately after that, he was nodding. "Spinch yummy," he murmured, still hugging her legs and generally making it a little difficult for her to move around. And Conan chuckled again, pausing in his efforts to stretch a bottom sheet over the mattress to tell Summer, 'He's never had spinach in his life... but he'll try just about anything once.' As he shrugged his shoulders and went back to pulling the sheets onto the makeshift bed, Raimi giggled and whispered, "Ras-Ras silly, Summmm. Super silly." The way that Conan smiled a little to himself said that he'd heard that, but was pretending not to, and once he had the bottom sheet pulled over the corners of the mattress, he bent and scooped up the toddler, plopping him on the pallet and tossing the top sheet over him, beginning to make the bed right over top of Raimi, who was thoroughly amused and went about wiggling and generally giving his brother a hard time of making the bed.

A million giggles and about forty-five minutes later, the back door opened, and Freya wandered back inside, Shantii at her heels. A string in her hand held three medium-sized fish and two buck rabbits, all of which she'd thoughtfully skinned and cleaned outside to prevent having to bring the mess indoors. "This will serve us all for tonight, I think - I fetched some fish for you, Conan." Looking up from what he was doing, the teen signed his thanks; he just wasn't much for meat, but fish was something he'd eat without protest, and he appreciated the gesture.

Summer & Collin

"Never had spinach? We'll have to change that then, won't we?" Summer reached down to give the boy a tickle along his sides, happy to join in with a little play when the toddler seemed to be in that sort of mood. Anything to keep him and Conan happy, she would do; and keeping Raimi occupied would hopefully keep him from making any mention of Lanny, which in turn couldn't possibly sit well with the elder red-head.

In the time that it took Freya to return with super ready to cook, the living room had been set up as decently as could be, with two mattresses and plenty of blankets on top to keep everyone warm during their first night here. They had been moved as close as was safely possible to the fireplace, while the window facing the infrequently used road was covered so that passer-bys wouldn't see the flames flickering inside. "There's some soup ready, if you'd like to have some early." Collin, being the primary cooker in the family, invited Freya to help herself while he went ahead to take the cleaned game and see about preparing it for eating.

Freya*Others

"Soup? Anyone else for soup?" As seamlessly as if she ate with them all the time, Freya shrugged off her bag and moved into the kitchen, taking up a ladle and beginning to dish out several bowls of the soup as she looked around and mentally counted up the people in the room. Conan raised a finger, indicating that he'd take some, and so she poured out some more into a second bowl. "Oh... Shantii, here." She reached down as she said that, burrowing one hand into her pack until she could come up with what appeared to be a hunk of some kind of cooked meat, carefully dried and preserved. After a bit of searching, she found a small bowl, and proceeded to chop the meat into small pieces so that it would be easier for the dog to scoop up, with her mutilated tongue. Later on, she'd go about getting the dog some water, but that was a little more involved, so for now she scooped up her bowl and Conan's, and one each for Summer and Collin, bringing them to the table. It was an old table, with four worn chairs and a tabletop that had been scrubbed smooth by years of use, but it would serve the purpose; she seated herself and unceremoniously began eating. Unpiling Raimi from under the blankets and sheets of the prepared mattress, where the toddler had generally been making a mess of the neatly-made surface, Conan ventured to the table. 'Tomorrow morning, I must see about getting Chivalry out to Nadeem's place; I know enough back roads that it should be a safe enough trip, and plus I can check to be sure that the CS hasn't been leaning on him any.'

Summer & Collin

"I'll have a bowl, please." Summer spoke up, quite hungry by this point and time. "So will Collin." Knowing her husband would have otherwise refused a bowl until he'd finished cooking the rest of the meal for everyone, she ordered him up a serving as well. The older man was working on skewering the meat to a few lean branches that he'd gathered earlier, cutting the meat thin so that it would cook faster. Leaving him to finish setting those up, Summer joined the others at the table for their improvised first meal together. "Collin or myself can go with, if you'd like." Where she wanted to flat out tell him now on account of the danger involved, Summer held back that strong urge and merely offered to join him. To make it less of the awkward conversation that it could turn into, the woman moved on to a more pleasant topic right after, "It'll be nice for him to have some company. I only hope Abhay isn't too ornery for him." The youngster stallion could be quite the handful, and his out-there attitude was a slight concern to Summer when considering Chivalry's age, but then, she figured the benefits would outweigh that.

Freya*Others

'Chivalry is the most patient stallion I've ever known,' the teen answered, as he seated himself beside Freya and propped Raimi in his lap. 'I'm sure he can handle Abhay, if anyone can.' It was difficult to portray amusement with only one's fingers to express what they were thinking and feeling, but Conan managed it with the light motions and the small grin that edged into his features, remembering well the young stallion's antics and lively personality. 'I have known many horses in my years, but never one with quite so much... vitality.' The teen had considered another word before replacing it with this one, and Freya gave a low chuckle. "That wasn't what you were going to say," she murmured with a blithe smile, and he shook his head, his grin growing a little. 'Perhaps,' he signed, and then took up the spoon and began to feed both himself and Raimi, effectively silenced for now, with his hands busy.

Summer & Collin

The strips of meat, both rabbit and fish, were soon wrapped about the sticks, leaving Collin free to join the dinner table for his portion of soup. He wasn't as proficient as the others at sign language, but he knew enough to catch most of what Conan was saying, but virtue of having lived with him for so many months now. Summer was the one to chuckle and nod though, "If Nadeem's lucky, Chivalry might teach Abhay some manners. He's a sweet horse, but I honestly don't know how that man manages to take him out in the wild like he does. He's as flighty as he is exuberant." Summer stirred a bit at her soup, spending more time looking at it than she did eating it. She had felt hungry, but her mind was a little too occupied right now, and with it, her appetite wasn't quite there.

Freya*Others

"They may yet teach one another something," Freya confirmed with a nod, proving that she knew Abhay as well, which completed the picture of just how closely she'd been watching Conan recently. "Abhay is childlike because he has never had to behave otherwise; Chivalry will present an example of maturity in his life. Abhay's young enough that he'll still imprint a little off of older stallions... and Chivalry's bland enough and old enough that he won't represent competition for any of the females that they might see. If their personalities check out, it might very well benefit them both." However, even as she was keeping up the pleasant conversation - mostly for the sake of distracting Conan when otherwise this house would have been a very fearful place for him - she was noticing carefully that he was picking at his food in the same way that Summer was. He was eating, yes - but not in a particularly enthused way, and more food was getting into Raimi's mouth than that of his older brother. It was strangely reminiscent of the pair's earliest days at the trailer, and made Freya wonder whether or not other parts of the teen's behavior might revert as well, if he stayed too long in this building.

Summer & Collin

The house was a blessing as far as safety from the CrypticSilvers went, but it was also a double-edged sword in the fact that it caused the teen so much anxiety to be back here, even though both parents were now dead. Conan was doing a good job at hiding it, but Summer and Collin both could see the little signs that pointed at a less than content Conan. The distracted way he picked at his food was one of those things. "We can give him a call after we're done eating, and see how early we might take Chivalry that way. We can stay there a while to, if you want, and if Nadeem isn't busy - it'll give time for all three horses to have some exercise." Because it was risky staying out there for too long at this time, Summer glanced to Freya when she said this, seeing if it was alright to assume that she'd be going with. Summer knew she hadn't technically been invited either by Conan, but she wasn't sure if she could actually let him go on his own or not, even if he requested it. She was a lenient, easy-going person, but she was a caring mother, too. After seeing Conan with a gunshot wound, she didn't want it to happen again.

Conan*Others

Already, Conan was nodding quietly, even as he and Raimi finished their shared bowl of soup and he set the spoon aside. 'It may be wisest to go as early as possible - Lanny has been staying with Cassidy and her uncle for several weeks now, and I doubt seriously that he will leave the apartment before the middle-morning hours, with an infant to take care of. And I have a feeling that he will personally head up any expedition that attempts to retrieve Raimi.' Still calm and quiet, and his fingers steady, Conan explained those ideas as though they held no emotional import for him whatsoever, and Freya responded in kind. "While I was watching them, he never left the house before nine; Cassidy has not yet been cleared to do any lifting, so she cannot do much care with her daughter. He and her uncle are likely splitting that duty, if their living situation is any indication. If we start out a little before sunrise, we should have a little time to stay and relax at Nadeem's for a while before it will become necessary to return." Her repetition of 'we' pretty well answered Summer's look - Freya fully intended to be part of the party that traveled out to Nadeem's tomorrow, with or without Conan's permission; and fortunately, he didn't seem to mind. But her latter words also indicated that she too was aware that Conan was quite uncomfortable here; by helping to arrange the outing, she was hoping to make a little time for the teen to get out of this house, and get some time with the horses that he so enjoyed, which hopefully might relax him some.

Summer & Collin

"Whoever needs a shower might get one there, or you can head to Greg's before coming back." Collin didn't invite himself in with the outing, mainly because he figured that the more people going meant a greater chance of them being spotted. Plus, he had other plans - namely, checking on the plants back at their house, and seeing if Ryan had been able to keep the place safe if Lanny returned for a second look. Summer piped up to agree with her husband, "We'll have to see if he's busy or not first, but I know Greg and his friends wouldn't mind if we stopped by there for a short while. It's further out from town as it is, and a bit safer." Personally, she was thinking that while Nadeem wouldn't deny the lot a shower at his place, she didn't want to impose on the poor guy so much. "How does 5:30 sound to everyone?" Summer was putting aside her bowl of half-eaten soup at this point, and her husband was returning to the fireplace to check on the meat cooking there, and to return a few of the improvised spits to the table that were ready for eating.

Conan*Others

Taking a small serving of fish off of one of the makeshift spits, and beginning to split this between himself and his brother again, Conan nodded to the proposed idea. 'Raimi'll still be asleep at that time, but he'll sleep well enough in his carseat on the way over; Freya and I can handle the horses, and scout ahead a bit, and you can bring the car behind.' Feeling a little better for having a concrete plan in mind, the teen subtly brightened a little bit at the thought of the planned outing. He always enjoyed any time to be around horses, and a trip to the farm would be an extra treat; as usual, he was secretly looking forward to seeing his favorite canine guardian when they got there. It took very little time, as Conan and Raimi finished their supper between them, for everyone to agree - 5:30 would be a perfect time to depart in the morning.