(2023-05-26) Every Possible Avenue, Every Possible Resource

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Author:	Athena
Summary:	Avrenne meets with Ekorenine in part for continuing her efforts on behalf of the House of Nobles, only to discover that her friend is need of help finding her missing son. 1830 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: The Sandysappearance

The calling card announcing the Duchess Avrenne Esprit's intent to visit the Spellbond House was sent ahead correctly, for a time of 3pm, a reasonable hour for tea between a lunch and a dinner. As per usual, however, Avrenne is five minutes early — as she nearly always is — as she walks to the front door to knock appropriately. She's dressed in a long sleeved, fairly high necked, dark pink flowing dress with unusual, bizarre patches of purple embroidery (birds? flowers?? squiggles???), her hair pinned back into a customary chignon. As usual, she seems cold and composed, an icy sort of poise, as she waits for the answer of the door.

The Spellbond butler, Florendine, opens the door as soon as the knock is heard. "Welcome to the Spellbond manor, Duchesse Esprit. Lady Spellbond await you in the living room, as usual," she says. She lets Avrenne in and guides her to said living room, where Ekorenine is indeed waiting. She's waiting for brewed tea she keeps warm with a small fire inside a glass container.
Lady Spellbond's dress is fairly less elaborate, as she's only wearing a purple scoop dress, with a slit up to the knee on one side.

"Ah, welcome, welcome Avrenne!" she says, getting up from the couch.

"Ekorenine, so good to see you," Avrenne says and there's a genuine, warmer smile on her face as she moves in for a two handed gentle squeeze hello.

"It is good to see you too," she says, approaching Avrenne and goes to shake her hand. "How have you been?"

"Oh," Avrenne says, as she settles the skirt of her dress around her to sit with a practiced elegance. "A little busy." That is, like, a massive understatement but #okAvrenne. "There has been quite a few developments as of late. I…expect you heard about what happened with Mr. Green." She sounds incredibly calm about it now; there is no stress or anger in her voice.

"Aah yes, I've heard indeed, I'm terribly sorry, dear" she sits on the couch next to Avrenne's. "Relationship problems… I know those well," she says while chuckling softly. "I am glad to see you're holding up!" She serves a cup of tea to her guest. "And this dress, how beautiful it is! Do you happen to have another meeting after this one?" She smiles knowingly. "Over dinner, perhaps?"

Avrenne shakes her head very slightly, that poise of hers making it an elegant gesture. "Thank you, it is one of Mr. Latour's, of course." Her personal tailor who lives on the grounds of her house; he's of Lordaeron, and he's not entirely well. "I have a few other things to see today, but dinner will be at home." She folds her hands in her lap. "And certainly not to entertain any other offers. I have accepted the offer of a betrothal from Commodore Siamus Fallon."

Ekorenine's eyes widen. "Oh, really? Well, he is handsome, I can see you two making a beautiful couple!" She chuckles, sipping her tea.

Avrenne gives her polite, society closed mouth laugh, a small smile on her face. It's unlikely that it's her motivations for the acceptance, but she leaves it be. "It will mean some changes, of course. Particularly as Lord Fallon is seeking a seat on the House of Nobles, in the hopes of eventually seeing the creation of a true navy once more. It will be a substantial expense, but as you no doubt know, it is an essential part of this war that we do not allow any branch of the Alliance to be too weak." She settles a little more into her chair. "The Commodore has been working with Lord Ference in an accord. Lord Gausanders is part of his Company, if I recall correctly?"

"Of course, of course." Eko sighs. "Truth be told, dear, I wish we lived in a way where we could do away with all the branches of the military but… That is the word we live in, I suppose." A world of war craft, she could say. "And yes… Sandy is part of Cobalt Company." She tightens her grip around the cup of tea.

Avrenne frowns slightly and leans forward, as if to touch Eko, although she doesn't. "Is everything alright? Is he still not speaking with you." There's mild to moderate disapproval in her voice at it. Sandy, talk to your mom.

Ekorenine shakes her head. "Perhaps… the news has gotten out by now, but he's not just not speaking to me." She puts her cup of tea back on the table. "He's not speaking… to anyone as far as we know."

Avrenne frowns hard enough to show the faint lines forming on her forehead. "What do you mean? What's happened?"

"Well, he…." Ekorenine pauses, recollecting everything that happened. "He had a couple of bad day— weeks, even. But he was getting much better! So, he went to this… Cobalt Company open House, here in Stormwind, and never came back." she reignites the small fire under the tea with a flick of her wrist. "I'm not sure he even made it there to begin with."

Avrenne's frown does not go away — it gets stronger. "He's missing, then. Ekorenine, when precisely did he go missing? That date." There's something very firm in her voice, a sense of command to it, and it's likely just a habitual tone issue of someone who is often in charge rather than meant to suggest that she's trying to order Eko.

"On the fifth of this month." Eko says without hesitation. She would never forget that date. "I left a letter in the Cobalt Company headquarters a few days later, and unfortunately received no answer."

Avrenne pales.

Ekorenine just… Nods. She just nods. "I talked to his girlfriend. I thought she'd know something, I thought he… He was mad at me at first but… Nothing. She has no news either."

Avrenne clasps both of her hands in her lap. "I don't want to alarm you," she says in a calm, controlled voice. "But, it is possible that his disappearance is not…unconnected with what happened to Count Wishock. The warlocks involved made at least one other attempt on another warlock that they seemed to believe would not be…missed. She survived the same poison, at some cost. It was around that same time. It's possible that somehow, Lord Gausanders was involved, or knew something they did not want known." She doesn't say he may be dead already. She doesn't imply it exactly either. She lets it remain ambiguous enough to suggest that maybe, it's possible, he's just missing.

Ekorenine shakes her head. She stays looking calm, however. "That's… How could he be involved with this in any way? He'd been staying home for months, now." She shakes her head. "If this had anything to do with what happened to Wishock, this murder scheme would have been going on for months, now…" She takes a deep breath. "It is an urgent situation, yes, but it is not related to such terrible events as what happen to the count and that other warlock." Her shoulders shake and raise. "It cannot be, right?"

Avrenne looks sympathetic, and she moves in closer to set a hand on Eko's shoulder. "I don't know." There's almost the sound of whirring as the wheels in her head start turning, her mind going to her social network, and her eyes narrow. "But I do know who would be able to find out."

"Who?" Eko, says, placing a hand on Avrenne's, as she looks like she's expecting the name of some terribly shady person.

"Captain Tyrrell, of the 7th Legion, and a — " A slightly too long pause. "Close acquaintance of mine. He is leading an organization of the Alliance's warlocks in a coalition against the current establishment for a Warlock Ethic Bureau, and he has been personally invested in uncovering the precise way that those of the Slaughtered Lamb achieved their goal. I will speak with him. I believe he will help."

Ekorenine squeezes Avrenne's hand, staring intensely in her eyes. "Very well, I trust your judgment of his character and his competences." Her shoulders drop sadly. "I… Hope that if this is related, they've changed their methods since then. It has to be." She shakes her head, looking at the embroidery on Avrenne's dress. "He's alive. He has to be."

Avrenne nods, a hard, cold look in her eyes for whoever took Eko's son, and that determination of her spirit to do whatever it takes to fulfill her promises. "We'll find him."

Eko smiles, finally leaving her blank expression behind. She conjures a handkerchief and wipes away some newly forming tears in her eyes. "We will. I know." She chuckles sadly "Well, dear… would you like some more tea before we go?"

Avrenne's brows raise, that look in her eyes blinked back behind her habitual cool composure. "Go?"

"Well… I thought given the pressing matter, you meant to go there as fast as possible." She pauses. "I have… Someone I wish to see too, now." She puts a hand on Avrenne's knee. "But I don't mean to throw you out of my house either. So… More tea?" She looks at her a bit like she wants to throw her out though. But in a respectful way.

Avrenne pats Ekorenine's hand, and resettles herself back in a way that suggests she's about to rise. "Oh, no, thank you. I should go and see to the matter. I have prior engagements to see to, but I will ensure that it begins as soon as possible. I trust in the Captain's resolve for those innocents caught in this." She stands. "If there is anything more I can do for you, you know you need only ask."

"Thank you, Avrenne. And thank the Captain Tyrrell for the help he will surely provide, even if it is just reassurance that Sandy is not involved with… All of this that has been happening." She sits on the edge of her couch, ready to get up as well. "Finish your tea, dear, I will leave this house when you are ready to. Hopefully, there is no gryphon jam to Duskwood for me." She chuckles.

"Duskwood?" Avrenne asks as she folds her hands together in front of her.

"Ah well… Call me superstitious if you'd like but…" Ekorenine smiles sadly, her gaze on the embroidery again. "I have an old friend there, a diviner." She chuckles softly. "I know she'll find a sign about Sandy's current predicament amongst the stars."

If Avrenne has any opinion on it, she doesn't show it; she just nods again. "Every possible avenue should be explored, and every resource used," she says diplomatically. She gives Eko an appropriate curtsy for their relative stations. "I'll be in touch as soon as I know more." With that, she turns to leave, ready to put her own avenues and resources into finding out where one young warlock has gone.

"Again, thank you, dear." Ekorenine smiles getting up, following Avrenne in her footsteps.