#anywhere

"Zara? Give me you hand, please" He is working a cantrip clearly

A brow, but she accepts.

And Zara sees it, a the backward glace in the darkness, the darkness most sidhe can't see through , she can.... and she can't make out the face, but she sees the redcap GGNAWING, chewing, so carefully.. a hole in the celing, the floor above the room of the murder

He's male, a wilder, but he's taken precautions to cover the upper part of his face

He goes up, as the hole is made, then..comes down, with a book!

"Ah!"

Magnus grins "Tell me what you say, my noctunal friend, and you can call me Watson"

"The floor was eaten. By the thief."

"A redcap.. oh clever fellow. He used the darkness to twhart the backward glance"

"or so he thought"

"Well, few sidhe may pierce shadows."

"We are limited things" He tuts, "Shall we search for broken floor bits?" While the cap did try to eat 'all' the evidence, yes, some bbits did escape him

Zara nods and gets to work.

They do find a stone chip that fell behind a barrel . Likely it has touched the redcap's lips

Zara picks it up using the hem of her tunic - not touching it with her hands.

And there it is , no flesh contact with her

"Cast when rready" he says

"Keep a-touch." As she whispers the witches' call from the scottish play, bunking for Omen.

And the Omen flickers...

(Soothsay level plus Props roll, please)

She sees the image of a boy carving a large wooden bowl out of simple but strong wood. It is hard work, but the wood is good quality , neglected by others but he knows it's worth. He starts to fill the bowl, with what is hard to ... but by hard work and help... then, fancy shoes approach, male, courtly, the footsteps glow... the boy holds out his bowl... and it is scornfully kicked away. The boy glares resentful a the figure who just keeps walking

Zara narrows her eyes.

"that bad eh?"

"I understand the disregard that can happen, yes."

"Disregard? Tell me, please. Sounds like you found the motive"

"We have a thief, but... not the murderer? Do we have two?"

"Coincidences do happen, but I rarely trust them. " He ponders

"Aye."

"The redcap may have known there would be a murder, or even worked with the murderer. We need to find out who the locals redcaps are... and if any haven't been seen? Because if I found a book of naming? I would take the libram and run"

"True enough. And be wise to run, as some would punish even the seeking of knowledge."

"Some would, it wont' last" Magnus says "The age of hoarding magic is coming to an end. The behavior of the nobles during High King David's vanishing has destroyed a lot of trust. Rightly so. The commoners will , by hook or crook, make sure they're better prepared the next time anything like that happens. "

Zara nods.

"Shall I scmoohze and ask about redcaps? I know you're gregarious by your kith's standards, but it might be easier for me than you yet .. or do you want to check Gilly's apartment with me?"

"I would check the apartment."

"I'll go with you, if it turns out I can get back far enough, and Gilly was in there while the murder occured, that further exonerates her"

"Fair enough."

Slipping out proves to be a bit tricky, as Zara hears "Sir Magnus is here? Why? The Duke and Duchess will want to see him. Search him out"

Assuming Zara tells him, a veil helps

She does!

They slip out, taking a winding way with the veil, Magnus looks amused at something

"Did you notice the servant exit weas the last place they looked for a knight to go?"

"Is it not always?"

"It just tickles me is all, sometimes stereotypes about we 'titled' work in our favor if we can get the stick out of our asses. Mind you, I'm hardly the only one. Sparrow would chat the staff up quite happily in the servant's area"

"Miss Sparrow is very mannerly."

"Oh yes, I miss sometimes" They slip out and make their way. The appartment is rather uptown, far too modern for Zara's taste

But it is the sort of place one might expect of a 'kept woman'

They slip past the troll guard patroling near the front of the complex easily. Trolls are very alert, but one can't really patrol the whole area by himself

Especially not against a determined sluagh.

Magnus is.. alright.

Yes, quite quiet on his feet, when his mouth is closed at least. 🙂 They move into her appartment and look about. Looks like it's already been turned over, no doubt by thanes looking for clues