Audacity
Chatte Noir Voleuse was rooted to the spot when her mother hugged her. She didn't know what to think. She had always assumed she was dead. But now here she was. And her mother was relieved to see her.
Slowly, the daughter returned the hug.
"Mother," she whispered. "I—I—"
"Etoile, I thought you were dead," her mother breathed, sounding like she might be holding back tears. "Oh, my little girl…"
The other nekos in the large room were watching with mild happiness and slightly stronger confusion. Chatte Noir Soir made very few people privy to her past and what lied within it. None of them (save those who had known her before her children's escape from the plantation) even knew she had a child.
Marron stood off to the side of the reunited mother and daughter awkwardly, unsure of what to do as she nervously tugged on a strand of her hair. Blanc watched the two black nekos embrace, discreetly covering his mouth with his hand slightly to hide his smirk. He had known this would work… hiding them from each other until Noir and Marron were on the brink of joining the rebellion. Noir Soir added that extra little push he had known Noir Etoile would need. And Marron was soon to follow. She would always follow.
The two women parted from their hug after a long moment.
Chatte Rouge Catalysseur cleared his throat and turned to the watching group of nekos. "I think these two need a few moments alone… I am taking them to the planning room." With that, he went to Noir Soir, placed a hand on her shoulder, and started to steer her towards a flight of stairs. She seized her daughter's hand tightly, as if there was nothing that could make her part with her again.
The younger Noir followed along quickly to keep up. Her mind was still whirling, but now some realizations were crashing on her. She had some explaining to do for her mother… What she and Gris had done when they left the plantation… how their lives had been infinitely better because of the sacrifices the adults had made on the plantation that night… and that Gris was no longer living… Noir's breath caught in her throat as she thought about having to inform her mother of Gris Fumar's death.
Blanc and Marron watched the group disappear up the stairs. Blanc glanced to Marron and beckoned. "Come on," he muttered, nodding after them. "We should follow them."
Marron glared at him without speaking. Maybe Noir had been distracted from their situation, but then, Marron was sure she would have the same reaction if her own mother was alive. But since it was Noir's mother that was alive, Marron would follow and be the one to remember their situation. They had been kidnapped and Blanc was trying to convince them to join the rebellion. There was no way in Helheim that was going to happen, no matter how much Noir had missed her mother. Marron was hoping that all she would have to do was remind Noir of Loki, and then maybe she would start forming a plan to leave.
Marron didn't care if Noir's mother came with them or not… she just needed to get out of the rebels' hideout. This was not her. This was not where she belonged. Where she, personally, belonged was back on the ballroom floor with the Crown Prince of Asgard. And she knew that Noir belonged on that same floor, in the arms of the second prince.
She swept past Blanc without a word, though she purposely bumped his shoulder with her own as she did so.
Blanc pursed his lips as he heard a few of the nekos still watching snicker. Then he followed Marron and the rebel leader and the reunited mother and daughter.
Loki's boots echoed on the polished floor as he walked briskly to the safe room. He knew the chances were slim, but perhaps Noir and Marron had returned there and were waiting for someone to let them back in. He rounded the corner to the safe room hall and sighed irritably as he saw there was no one there. He went to the safe room door and opened it. Just as he had known, it was empty. The beds were empty, the lamp was extinguished, and the only things out of place were the books Loki had lent Noir in a neat stack on a dresser and the little deck of cards Thor had gifted Marron with.
Loki let the safe room door close and then headed to Thor's room. He had no idea what Noir and Marron would have gone there for, but perhaps they had gotten lost and found their way there to hide until everything in the ballroom was sorted. They had to be somewhere, and he didn't know where else to look.
The younger prince made it to Thor's room and, out of mere habit, knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. Nothing. Growing impatient, he flung the door open. "Thor! Noir! Marron!" he called as he stepped in slowly. He glanced around Thor's sitting room. No one sat on the red couches, and no one perused the racks of weapons that stood in place of bookshelves. Not even Thor was here. Bemused, Loki backed out of the room and let it swing shut.
He closed his eyes, leaning against the closed door of Thor's chambers. Where the bloody blazes was his little neko thief and her friend?
"Loki!" a voice called from down the hall.
Loki's eyes flicked open, and he saw Thor striding towards him. He walked to meet him in the middle of the hall. "Do you have any idea where the girls are?" he asked urgently.
Thor frowned, continuing to walk towards his room. "No, why? Have you not found them yet?"
Loki rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Thor, if I had found them and knew where they were, then why in Helheim would I be asking you?"
Thor sighed as well. "I don't know, Loki," he said bitterly. "Where have you looked?" By this point, he was opening his chamber doors and holding them open for Loki to enter as well.
Both stepped in, and Loki started to list off, "I first went to my chambers, because they have a decent enough idea of where it is, but they weren't there. And their clothes they had changed out of for the ball were still there, so obviously they hadn't returned. Then I went to the safe room, thinking perhaps they had decided to wait outside for one of us. Not very likely, I know, but likely enough… And they weren't there, either. Then I came here, thinking maybe they had decided to wait for one of us here. And obviously they aren't here," Loki, for the first time since beginning, took a breath. "So I have no idea," he finished worriedly.
Thor gave his brother an anxious look. "Where do you think they might have gone?"
Loki pressed his fingers to his temples in frustration. "I… don't… know," he said bitterly.
There was a long moment of silence. Loki felt so lost and agitated, not knowing where Noir was. It almost irritated him to know how worried about all of this he was… but he had a nagging feeling that there was something more out of place than it seemed. He didn't like not knowing where Noir was, and if she was safe. It was the same feeling that had made him, four days ago, seek her out when he thought she might have been arrested. But now she did not have the handkerchiefs she always wore tied around her neck for him to trace.
With a start, he realized how stupid he was.
"You're wearing the handkerchief on your wrist," he observed.
Noir glanced down. "Oh… yes. I didn't have anywhere else to put it, so I just…" She touched the cloth tied around her wrist. "Did you want it back?"
He shook his head. "No… you can have it."
Loki still had a way to trace Noir. The handkerchief she had been wearing on her wrist should be sufficient. He smiled faintly to himself, then glanced up at Thor.
Thor appeared to be lost in his own worried thoughts. He was thinking of Marron, and how he had lost sight of her so quickly back in the ballroom when the rebels broke in. He realized something with a start. "Loki,, the nekos…" he said slowly.
Loki was smiling slightly. "Yes?"
"Not the girls… but the rebels," Thor clarified. "Did Lady Marron and Lady Noir perhaps…?" he wasn't sure how to finish this sentence delicately. "Could they have left with them?"
Loki's smile faded quickly, and he glared. "No. There is no way."
But now Thor was growing nervous. "Loki, you did not stay in the ballroom, and so you did not hear what our father was saying… but he has announced that any neko is an enemy of Asgard. The only ones that will not be thrown in the stockades are the ones already enslaved on the plantations… which means that Noir and Marron are now enemies of Asgard." Thor swallowed. "Father has declared that if the rebellion headquarters can be found, then it is to be attacked. In short, our father has declared war on the nekos in every respect but official decree."
Loki stared, frozen in place. "We have to find the girls before someone else does, and throws them in prison," he whispered.
"But how?" Thor demanded. "We've already looked—"
"Shut up, I think I might have a way," Loki snapped. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his green handkerchief again.
"How? Loki, what does that handkerchief have to do with-?"
"Thor, did I not already say to shut up?" Loki sighed. "I can't cast the spell if you're talking. Let me concentrate a moment." Silence. Loki closed his eyes and frowned, thinking carefully… the green square of cloth, tied into a knot around Noir's wrist. He opened his eyes and looked at the kerchief in his hand. It was glowing faintly. "Good. Come on. I'll explain." He gestured to his older brother, who looked terribly confused, and he led the way back out into the hall.
Loki looked down at the softly glowing cloth and waited for it to tug him in the right direction. It tugged gently off down the hall, and he swallowed and started walking, glancing to Thor as he did so.
"I am using a tracing spell on this handkerchief," he started, holding it up.
Thor blinked. "The handkerchief will lead you to the girls?"
Loki shook his head. "No. It will lead me to an identical replica of this. And Noir has one, tied around her wrist."
Thor looked blank.
Loki sighed. "Idiot," he muttered.
"I understand perfectly, Loki," Thor protested. "I simply wonder how you know this will work. Won't it theoretically lead to any green handkerchief, though?" he queried.
Loki was surprised that Thor had actually come up with an intelligent question. Not only that, but evidently Thor knew some words over three syllables long. Who would have thought Thor knew the word 'theoretically?' He smiled faintly. "No. This spell leads you to the specific object you focus on. So it will only lead me to the handkerchief that was tied around Noir's wrist during the ball."
Thor raised an eyebrow. "Have you cast this spell before?"
"I did it many times when I was young, and mother reminded me how to cast the spell the other day so that I could find Noir then," Loki explained.
"…You used the same spell to find Noir the other day?" Thor asked.
"Yes. That day… in the dining hall… when I said I had something important to do, and you wouldn't understand or care. I was trying to find Noir."
Thor looked thoughtful. "…How long, Loki, have you been using spells to stalk Lady Noir?"
Loki glared at his brother, blushing as they continued to walk. "I am not stalking her," he muttered.
"Well, you are tracking her down without her express permission, on multiple occasions… you're even using tricks and spells to do it, Loki. Not to mention that you're using a personal item you gave her in order to stalk her." Thor grinned at his obviously-mortified younger brother. "It's positively scandalous, Loki."
Loki took this opportunity to slap Thor across the face with the handkerchief in his hand.
Noir sat across from her mother at a long wooden table, while Marron sat at another chair, and Blanc and Rouge stood in a corner.
"Etoile," Soir whispered. "Tell me what's happened to you… please…" Since they were sitting on the long sides of the table, the space between them was short, and Soir had been able to hold onto her daughter's hand again, and now she gently squeezed it.
Noir Voleuse swallowed. "Mother… I thought you were dead…"
"I'm not. I'm right here," came the reply in a choked voice. "Where's your brother?"
Noir's throat tightened. "He… is… dead." She felt tears prick her eyes.
Her mother was silent for a long moment. Her voice was hoarse as she asked hoarsely, "When? How?"
Noir took a shaky breath. "…A couple years ago… he was hung after he was caught thieving."
Soir let out a sob, and she covered her mouth with her free hand.
"Gris was a good person," Marron said quietly. "He was a good friend."
Soir sniffed and wiped her eyes. "You knew him as well, Marron? What is your name?"
"Chatte Marron Arable," Marron murmured. "Gris used to be in our group… the four of us lived together and looked out for each other."
Blanc flinched. Marron just had to open her mouth…
Soir took a few deep breaths, pressing her free hand to her forehead and squeezing Noir's hand even tighter with the other. "I'm sorry… I had just hoped that since you were here, Etoile…"
Noir swallowed. She didn't want to tell her mother that she had changed her last name. For some reason, it seemed like telling her would be some kind of betrayal.
"…You said there were four in your group, Arable," Soir continued in a hushed voice. "You, Etoile, Gris, and who else?"
Noir and Marron's eyes both flicked immediately to Blanc, standing stiffly in the corner. Something hit Noir.
"…It was Chatte Blanc Lune," Noir said, her voice deadly quiet.
Blanc swallowed and shifted uncomfortably. Blast it, they were putting the pieces together.
"…Did you…" Noir started to ask her question, but the idea seemed inconceivable. But at the same time, it made a horrible kind of sense. "Did you know my mother was here?" she asked suspiciously.
Noir Soir's eyes flicked to Blanc, and her sharp gray eyes narrowed. Every trace of her sadness at learning of Gris's fate had disappeared, and her piercing gaze was full of bitter distrust.
Blanc hesitated, and every eye in the room was on him. Even Rouge gave him a questioning look. The red neko knew very well that the white neko had known about both mother and daughter's existence. But the revolutionary said nothing, waiting to hear if Blanc would tell truth or lie.
Very carefully, Blanc said, "I met Chatte Noir Soir a couple months ago…"
Both black nekos' eyes narrowed further, giving Blanc the odd sensation of seeing one of their reflection, and both the original and the reflection were glaring at him.
"So you have known my daughter for some time," Soir said through clenched teeth. "And you never told me that she was alive?"
"How was I to know you had a daughter? How was I to know you two were related?" Blanc asked delicately.
"You knew bloody well!" Soir snarled, jumping to her feet and taking a few steps toward the young man.
"Let's not overreact, Soir," Chatte Rouge Catalysseur finally spoke up, stopping the outraged mother from making it all the way to Blanc.
"Oh, believe me, Rouge, I'm not overreacting," she said bitingly, not looking towards her leader, eyes still fixed on Blanc.
"Has he not reunited you with your daughter?" Rouge asked calmly.
Soir's eyes flashed. "We could have been reunited sooner, and yet he didn't give me the information he knew."
Everyone's attention was on the exchange except for Noir's. The young woman's eyes were focused on Blanc, who stared anxiously at Soir. But Noir Voleuse slowly stood from her chair and walked silently to the young man she had thought was her friend. No one noticed as she approached him, until she grabbed his arm and forced him to face her.
Then everyone fell silent and stared as Noir pushed Blanc Lune up against the wall.
"Noir, what are you-?" Blanc started to ask in bewilderment, but Noir cut him off.
"You knew about my mother, and you didn't tell me?" she growled.
"Yes, I knew about your blasted mother!" Blanc exclaimed exasperatedly. "Alright? You happy now? Yes, I knew about her, and I didn't tell you that she was part of the rebellion. Satisfied?"
Noir stared at him. "Almost."
Blanc's head snapped back and made a thunk as it hit the wooden planks of the wall when Noir's fist collided with his jawbone. Silence filled the room following this spectacle. Blanc carefully lifted a hand to gingerly touch his now-sore face as he gave Noir a stunned look, hardly able to believe what she had just done. She still had him pinned against the wall, and she was giving him a look of such anger that anyone with a bit more sense than Blanc would have been frightened.
"Now I am satisfied, you mewling quim," Noir hissed harshly.
Blanc's eyes widened, Marron clapped her hand over her mouth, Rouge raised his eyebrows, and Soir just smirked smugly.
The girl backed away and returned to her seat at the table.
"On that note," Rouge said mildly, as if nothing had happened. "I'd say it's time we find you girls a place to sleep for the night."
Marron and Noir's eyes flicked up in surprise, and then they exchanged glances. It seemed it had been predetermined that they would be staying for a while. The girls were less sure. Neither of them quite liked the idea of staying in this villa, with the rebels, and with Blanc.. But they couldn't very well say so as Noir Soir lay her hand on her daughter's shoulder, and the other on Marron's, and then gently led them out of the room.
Blanc still stood leaning against the wall, his hand on the spot Noir's knuckles had punched him. But his mind was more on the anger in Noir's eyes, the uncertainty in Marron's, and the doubtful worry they both shared when their staying was mentioned. He was almost starting to get the feeling that neither girl quite wanted to stay. And Blanc couldn't have that.
"Loki, you know I was only joking," Thor said for the trillionth time.
"I don't care, Thor," Loki said irritably, frowning down at the handkerchief. The tugging was still very faint… which meant they were still quite a long way from their destination. It faintly tugged him forward, and he took a few more steps. It then tugged him to the left. He turned left and looked up. His eyes narrowed.
He and Thor had reached the entrance of the palace… and the tracing spell was leading him out of the palace, and into the city. Loki glanced at Thor.
"They've gone out into the city," he said, sounding unsure.
Thor looked dubious. "You're sure your spell is working?"
"Yes, you oaf," Loki said bitterly.
"No need for names, Loki. It just seems unlikely… why would they leave the palace? Even if they got swept along by the crowd from the ballroom, they would surely have managed to get out of the current by the time they got to the entrance of the palace," Thor observed.
"I know," Loki snapped.
"Then why would they have gone out into the-?"
"I don't know!" Loki exploded. "I'm not some omniscient being! I can't predict every little thing that happens, Thor! I don't know why Noir and Marron left the palace, understand?!"
Thor looked taken aback by Loki's sudden rage. "Loki, I wasn't really asking you; I was merely asking aloud… you didn't need to lose your temper," he tried to reassure his brother quietly and not be hurt by Loki's sharpness.
Loki huffed and looked away. He hadn't meant to lose his temper at Thor, but he was terribly confused and worried. There was absolutely no reason for Noir to have left the palace. No logical reason. Except, of course, that she and Marron had gone with the rebels. But he recalled the short conversation he and his little thief had had outside their little shack, on the day that he had brought her to the palace.
"Do you know anything about the uprising?" Noir asked.
"No," Loki shook his head. "Do you?"
Noir quickly shook her head. "Haven't the slightest idea. I had heard nothing about it until just a few minutes ago, on the proclamation. I would never have mobbed the palace, Prince Loki."
But now Loki was starting to wonder. Why else would she and Marron have disappeared so suddenly at the rebels' appearance at the ball, and why would they have left the palace without so much as a word?
He shook the thoughts from his head. There was a logical explanation. There had to be a logical explanation that would explain their disappearance from the palace. One that didn't involve treachery and betrayal. He led the way out into the night, with Thor following closely.
They traversed the mostly-empty streets for what seemed a long time, twisting and turning down alleys and paved roads into poorer districts.
"Loki, is the spell still working?" Thor asked worriedly as they turned down another dirty street.
Loki peered into his pocket to see the handkerchief glowing softly, but much brighter than it had been before. "Yes, Thor, it's working."
"Are we close?"
"It appears so," Loki mumbled, still personally confused. He saw no sign of life here, or in any of the shabby hovels around this street. It wasn't even anywhere near the little shack the neko thieves had lived in.
He continued to take slow steps forward, frowning deeply as the handkerchief's luminescence brightened considerably with every pace.
Suddenly, there was an interruption in the steady clunk of boots hitting the cobblestones. Loki paused. He had stepped on something. He took a step back and peered down at the ground. It was dark, and he couldn't see. But he knelt down and grazed his fingertips over the dusty stones. His hand touched something soft, and he seized it immediately, and then stood up again.
"What, Loki?" Thor asked immediately, inching to his brother to see what he had found on the ground.
Loki felt his heart tighten. In one hand, he held the glowing handkerchief he had set the tracing spell on. It was shining in the gloom of the night, casting faint light on his other hand. In his other hand, he clutched an identical handkerchief, not glowing, tied into a knot and very dirty. It seemed it had been on the ground for some time, being blown in the wind and trodden on by a number of feet. Hesitantly, Loki touched the two handkerchiefs together, and the light of the enchanted cloth winked out. Meaning its task had been done. Meaning he had reached his destination. His destination had been the handkerchief. And he had found the handkerchief. But no Noir. No Marron. No hope.
Loki felt a lump in his throat, and he forced himself to swallow it down, though it hurt.
"What does this mean?" Thor asked in a hushed voice.
Loki closed his eyes. "It means, Thor… that Noir threw this handkerchief away. It means, Thor, that we have no way to find the girls. And… I think… it means that they don't want to be found."
Thor's eyes flicked to his brother's in something like horror. "Do you think, perhaps…?"
"That they joined the rebels?" Loki finished shortly. He clenched his fists tighter on the handkerchiefs. He didn't want to believe that. He really didn't. He… he was full of such strong affection for Noir… he didn't want to believe that she had left with the rebels, and thrown away this small token. But it seemed that was what had happened. And the tightening in Loki's heart increased unbearably. He roughly shoved both squares of cloth into his pockets and turned on his heel.
"They're gone, Thor," Loki muttered harshly under his breath. "Let's go." He started to head back up the street, wanting nothing more than to go to his room and break something.
Thor did not follow his younger brother for a moment, looking dubious. "But Loki, surely we—"
"We're done!" Loki shouted, sounding something between furious and anguished.
Thor slowly moved to stand next to Loki, and carefully rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this, Loki. Lady Noir and Lady Marron must have a good reason for—"
"Shut up," Loki cut him off bitterly, refusing to meet his eyes. He was instead looking somewhere towards the roof of a building, as if maybe he would see something there that would make him stop wanting to cry. There was nothing there. And so he still wanted to cry.
Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: You guys, I am so exceedingly sorry for my lack of updates recently! Let me tell you, do not, repeat, do NOT try to write five different fics at once… it's very difficult and overwhelming… anyways. I'm sure you don't want to hear about it.
As far as this chapter goes… God, this sucked. Who else misses FrostThief fluff? We haven't had much in the last couple chapters…. Well, keep waiting, alright? We're going through that period all fics have to go through. We're gonna have a bit more darkness in this story for a little while longer. Hopefully it is exciting enough to keep you entertained, though. Let me know.
Eheheh we had Noir punch Blanc… right? That's always good. KyleighhBug7, I couldn't have your exact suggestion, but I did put a good sock in the jaw, yeah? Lol. And Noir called him a mewling quim, too! XD I wrote it, smirking to myself. ;) I hope you enjoyed that. And then we also had Loki searching desperately for the girls… using the handkerchief she had worn on her wrist during the ball… the handkerchief that Blanc tore off her wrist and threw away last chapter… and then they found it, dirty and tossed away on the street. And then the jumping to conclusions… and the… well, heartbreak.
Alright, soo I was writing this chapter in a huge rush, spell-checking furiously and re-reading the chapter for changes to make… because it was almost bedtime, and my parents were gonna make me go to bed "Cuz you have school tomorrow." The chapter was almost completely done… and then my parents made me go to bed, and I couldn't post it…. I was dying to post this chapter last night, but no such luck. So now I post it… heh. Sorry, I just wanted to share my franticness with you over this. All for naught. :P
Hopefully the updates will start picking up in frequency again, but I just got off Christmas Break, so we'll see.
Please favorite, follow, and review. Thank you all for the awesome support I have gotten for this story. You guys keep me motivated and happy. *hugs to you all*
r