Sand and Snow

"Down a hole?" Robert frowned. "Don't tell me. She didnt' know where she was zapping herself to. How many times have I told that girl to look before she zaps!" He cursed, getting up. He put his coat on and grabbed a large black leather messenger bag. He opened his cabinet and tossed some additional potions and bandages in it before closing the bag. "And why the hell does Brian have a hole big enough for someone to fall into in the first place? He has no business having a hole deep enough to need a man like Michael to get to the bottom of it."

Robert was edgy. If Brian had called Michael this hole was deep. Damned deep. Robert thought he knew Brian's grounds. He didn't remember any hole. This just didn't add up. He hoped Khaat lived to tell him how the hell she ended up at the bottom of it.

"Alright," Robert said. "Where are we going?"

Meanwhile, Michael disappeared down the hold. It was straight down, deep and dark. He didn't hear a sound, except that the farther he went down, the more he started to hear water. Just wonderful. With a little luck, Khaat hadn't drowned.

Steven watched Robert and he hurried gathering his things then he heard him ask where they were going .

"the woods behind Brian's its a place she went to but there's nothing there now but a hole " he said moving to a map that hung on the wall he pointed out the location "you know it right" he asked looking at him knowing he would know.

cassidy looked over the edge in to the blackness wondering if he had actually reached her yet she wanted to shout down to him but decided just to stay with Brian and Angus at the top waiting for Steven to return.

"Yeah, I know the spot," Robert frowned, "but there's never been a hole of any kind there before. No wonder she went ahead. Alright. Let's go." He apparated out and to Brian's. He walked through a few trees to see Michael's rope tied to a tree and the rope down into the large dark gaping hole. Right now, there was nothing he could do but wait.

Meanwhile, Michael had reached a ledge where he saw Khaat had landed. She had landed in a pile of soft loose dirt. It seemed to be mixed with grass--the topsoil from the hole itself. He stopped on the landing and did his best to check her. She had a large knot on her forehead and blood all over her face. It hadn't been a big cut, but it had bled--a lot. She was unconscious. He picked her up and simply held her close to him.

"Take us up, Hiss," Michael told the rope. It slowly reeled them upwards and pulled them up out of the deep darkness.


When Robert saw the rope drawing back up, he went over to the rope itself and waited. When Michael surfaced, Robert rushed to take Khaat from him and lay her on the ground. "Thank you, Michael," Robert said, gratefully.

"I'm going back down there," Michael said. "I'm going to see what the deuce someone made such a great deep hole in the ground for."

"Be careful," Robert frowned.

"Always," Michael said, descending downward again.

Cassidy looked at the rope seeing it draw back up she gasped as she saw Khaat dirty and bloodily she dove to a stream and filled a small pot with water and moved back to start cleaning her up . Wiping odd her blood from her face she looked worried at Robert "will she be ok?" she asked clutching the damp cloth.

Steven moved to help pull her from the hole brushing her hair from her bloodied face as he lay her down for Robert to look at he was worried about her but saw Cassidy washing the blood from her face and fore head.

"One moment," Robert said. He knelt beside her and began checking. "Yes. She'll be fine. She just really hit her head. She'll have a huge headache, but she'll be okay. I'll take her back to the house. You all stay here with Michael. We need to find out who's digging here and why."

He picked Khaat up and apparated back to the house with her.

Michael was gone for quite a long time. He managed to get to the bottom of the hole and found a great cavern at the bottom of the hole. A cavern lined with stalagmites and stalagtites. He began examining the rocks that made up the formations in the cavern. Then things became abundantly clear to him. He began exploring the cavern itself and the situation seemed to get deeper and more complicated to him. This did not make him happy.

He took several samples and put them in his pack and climbed up again easily. "It appears there are several issues going on here, Brian. None of which make me very happy. There is a huge cavern down there, and there's some tunnel digging--directly towards the house. They haven't gotten anywhere close yet, but they're working on it. And there's something else." He opened his pack to show some rocks. "Do you know what these are? Raw gemstones. Raw gold. The place is full of the stuff. Somebody is mining under your property. Do you know of anyone that financially desperate to want to just make a huge hole in your estate?"

Steven stood with Brain " Cassidy can go back with Khaat " he said looking at Robert hoping he would agree "better she wake with one of us there with her sir" he said watching as Tremain returned and spoke to Brain he could hear part of the conversation and walked over "that could be gelding and Burke " he said looking back at Khaat and cassidy" you ruined them financially may be there trying to re biuld there empire and get revenge too " he said folding his arms across his chest.

Cassidy looked up at Robert sitting back for a moment while he checked her out she breathed out when he said he found nothing but bad bang on her head and that she would be ok "thats good " she said looked at Steven as he spoke of her going back with Khaat. "sounds like a good idea" she looked at Robert "I don't mind, really" and she left with her back to the house .

OOC: its fine if cassidy goes back w/ robert, but he's already apparated back, so i'm not sure how he'll reply to that piece.

"Well, that might be true, Steven," Brian said. "That would be my prime suspects too. Maybe they think that since Khaat is responsible for Barker going to Azkaban for life and I'm responsible for their ruin, that they can take a very direct approach to steal from me and find a way to subvert the protection spells. We're going to have to fill in this hole."

"I've got a better idea," Michael grinned. "Lets close up the tunnel and recreate it sending them off in a slightly different direction--where they can go for miles and miles and hit absolutley nothing. And--while we're at it, lets rob the place blind of the real gold and gems. I mean, they are yours after all, and conjure some worthless duplicates to leave in their place."

Brian laughed out loud. "I do like the way you think," He replied. "Steven, what do you think? A little redirection maybe?"

Steven listened to both of them and chuckled at Tremain's way of thinking he couldn't have suggested a better idea and grinned at them "I say, lets go for it " he said looking down at the hole beside them. "Time they learned no matter what they do they will never get to her again" he folded his arms across his chest determined to help stop them any way he could. He accioed a set of climbing ropes and a pair of gloves sliding them on he prepared to abseil down.

"Then let's go. Hiss'll get you there in no time," Michael said. "Hiss, deliver them safely down below. Be a good lad about it, won't you?" The end of the rope just nodded at Michael, and motioned to Steven and Brian.
Michael opened his pack and tossed them climbing harnesses and carabiners and a pair of gloves for Brian. "Its a long way down. Use the gear," Michael ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Brian smiled. He put on the harness and the gloves and watched Michael climb back down. He clipped his harness to the rope and followed Michael down the rope. It had been awhile since he climbed, but he could still manage without any problem.

Michael landed first and unclipped his gear. He waited for the others. Brian wasnt' far behind him. Michael got into his pack and drew out a couple extra flashlights and tossed them to Brian. "One for you and one for Tex," Michael said. "Oh, and a couple of spare packs for the loot." He tossed a couple of large drawstring bags to Brian.

Steven wrapped the rope around a tree and loped it threw his caraben before he moved to the edge stepping back he let the rope take his weight before he descended into the hole.Soon he found the bottom and stepped away unhooking himself and walking over catching and turning on the flashlight he gave a low whistle at what he saw. " very lucky Brian" he said moving the flashlight around ,as he hooked a spare bag to his belt for any gems he came across that weren't already piled buy the holes entrance.