Marriage is Murder

"Its not hard," Angus said. "You just need to make the noodles early because they cook best if they have some time to dry first. Has anyone seen Archangel this morning?"

"No," Kate said. "Is he missing?"

"Didnt show up for breakfast," Angus said.

"In any other bird of prey I wouldn't find that unusual. In him, that's not his way," Kate said. "I'll go out and look for him."

"I'l go with you," Brian said.

"No," Kate said. "Take his fetch toy and some treats and go a different direction. Go by horseback. He covers a great deal of ground when he flies. He could be a long way. Let me change to some thing more suited to horseback and then I'll join you in the barn." She headed upstairs to go change.

"I'll go get his toy and some bags of treats," Angus said, heading for the kitchen. "If we alert the workers, they can help looking."

Cassidy nodded and smiled listening to his words with a smile she now loved cooking where before it held a mystery now she wanted to know more about it. Thought the thought of Arch angel out possibly hurt made her frown and she stood up " I'll help " she said moving over to Kate as she grabbed a jacket from a hanger close by where she had been sat. Jim looked up.

" I'll get Jack and I'll take his shift with the children he's a good tracker " Jim told them just as Jack walked down. Jack smiled and headed up to the nursery. " There going to look for archangel he didn't come in for breakfast, there worried he got caught in the storm." Jack nodded and grabbed his jacket too.

Kate came downstairs in minutes, and had Robert with her. He was changed into jeans and a plain cotton shirt.

"Didn't I leave you sleeping?" Brian sighed. "Even when you're that tired, you hear everything?"

"You know I do," Robert said as Angus brought in the toy and the treats. "Are we going or discussing it?" Angus handed the toy to Brian and handed out bags of bird treats.

"I thought I grounded you" Brian scowled.

"You did, and I'm still older than you. Lets go," Robert said. "When you're older than me, you can ground me." Brian sighed and shook his head. He simply motioned for the rest of them and headed for the barn where workers were already saddling every horse Brian owned.

"How are you going to get up on that horse?" Brian frowned.

"Like this," Robert said, using both his good and bad shoulder to get up on the horse. Brian winced, not liking his work undone. He said nothing, though. He was going to help Kate onto her mount but she was already in her saddle.

"Hurry up," she told him firmly.

"You know I do," Robert said,

Jack and Cassidy mounted the horses and also winced as Robert mounted his. Both glanced at Brian " you can always fix him when we get back " Jim told him as they moved out to find where Archangel had been hiding ether because he was hurt or just scared because of the storm. Cassidy followed Jim clearly not comfortable on a horse thought Jack was like a natural and took point on his black horse. Jess staid with Robert happy to be at his side watching the air and ground around them.

Jess caught sight of a horse off in the distance following them at some distance its rider silhouetted in the sunlight but she took the fact it had not attacked them to mean he or she was friendly and just nodded with a small smile “ do you see that rider Robert?” she asked softly.

"I do," Robert said. "I don't recognize him. I'm not sure I like the fact that he's here at all. If he were muggle, he shouldn't have even seen the place. And if he is magical, he should have been forbidden unless there is a hole in our protection net." He noticed Kate riding off to his right. He knew what she was doing. "Jack, you go the other direction. She's going to dismount and try to apparate behind the rider. Robert didn't want Kate alone, and he wasn't going to be able to dismount quickly enough to go with her.

Brian thought he heard a sound. A faint cry--one he knew well. Archangel's cry. And he was either alarmed or hurt. It wasnt' natural. Archangel wasn't afraid of much of anything.

"Go to the rear, Brian," Robert said, "Let the rider think you're bearing off the hunt. Then go try to find that bird. Let's see what this rider is all about. Be careful, you lot. We don't know what we're facing."

Jack nodded and pulled off to the left making his way behind the figure but his horse was not as sure footed and stumbled several times. He sighed and followed an old path behind the man. He could see Khaat on the other side of the bedraggled looking man a beard covered his chin and his hair hid under a hat and a long light brown wind breaker flowed over the shoulders of the horse as he sat upon it hearing the sound of Archangel he turned his horse towards it Jack moved quickly and pounced on the man jumping from his horse to pull the man off his and onto the ground where he pinned him face down so he could not move.

Kate apparated around and got there just as Jack was wrestling the rider to the ground. She stood firm with her wand drawn.

"That's enough!" Kate commanded. "Get up! Both of you! Get him up, Jack."

Brian apparated to where he heard the sound coming from. Archangel was there, but he was caught in a trap. He seemed to have a wounded wing and leg. He was bleeding. "I'm here, Boy," Brian soothed. Archangel was fierce. He was hurt, and it made him defensive. Brian had to use a bit of a Petrificus spell to paralyze the bird when the bird tried to bite. He opened the trap and freed him, wrapping the eagle in his jacket. He sent up a few blue sparks from his wand to show that he had the bird and was coming back.

Kate and Robert saw the sparks. But Kate wasn't moving. Not yet.

Jack pulled the man to his feet his arms pulled behind his back the hat down over his face since both hands were tightly held he could not pull it up. Jack stood muddied and slightly cut from the hard ground but he took no notice of the small cut on his cheek. He saw Brian with Archangel and sighed “He going to be all right?” he asked as the man struggled a little in his hands as he spat out mud from his mouth.

“You should have told us you'd left Jefferey's you jerk. ” Jack said then looked back at Kate “ Its Steven. “ He said then stepped back still holding him knowing Kate had things to say which he wanted Steven to know and listen to before Khaat got hold of him.

" I thought Jeffery sent word to Robert I was coming. " He said and looked at Kate then hung his head seeing the look in her eyes she gave him.

"Take him back to Robert," Kate said, lowering his wand. "If Robert knew, he didn't tell us. And if he knew, he ddn't expect you today, I don't think. We can talk later. We need to let the others know that there isn't any danger. I'll take the horses back and check on Archangel." She got back on her mount and went to the other horses and took the reins and started back to the house.

When Kate got to the house, two of the workers took the horses from Kate and took them to the barn. Robert and Brian had gotten off their horses and were working on Archangel.

"We'll have to keep him in the barn for a couple days," Robert was saying. "He hurts. And while he's hurt, he's going to be a little nippy. I can't have him around the kids like this. He needs the peace and quiet anyway. I presume you still have a nest out there for him?"

"I do," Brian said. "He does still use it sometimes so I've left it. He doesn't use it often, but we've always left it."

"I'll be finished here in a moent. Then we can put him in his nest," Robert said.

Jack nodded and threw him over his mount before grabbing Stevens mount and climbing on to ride back to the main house. “ this is so embarrassing “ Steven said jack poked Steven's side and he let out a yelp.

“ more than you deserve after what you did” Jack told him and he heard Steven sigh as he lay across the back of the horse.

“ Jack, I don't remember much of it, its all just haze to me, Jeffrey warned me this would happen “ he spoke the last part softly as he was bounced unceremoniously along on the back of the horse one hand now under his chin in defeat.