Chelmsford - My angels, my devils, my thorn in my pride.

[Isolde Schwarz]

Isolde makes her way to the Raven's Crest. It isn't quite the hours it would normally operate, but she's not exactly going clubbing this time.

[Erica Carlisle]

A burly man moves to block her way as she enters the club. Behind him, she can see Erica sitting at one of the tables going over what looks like invoices with a practiced eye. Erica looks up with a smirk, "Let her through and take a walk. I can handle this on my own." The bouncer/bodyguard nods and walks out the door and Erica motions to a seat opposite hers. "You are one of the last people I would have expected to see here." As she gestures, Isolde can see scarring on her wrists from her ordeal down at the docks.

[Isolde Schwarz]

"We do live in strange times, eh? Needs must," she says as she takes a seat.

[Erica Carlisle]

"The more that lovely university does, the stranger things get," Erica says with a nod, scooping up the invoices and piling them into a neat stack before folding her hands on top of them.

[Isolde Schwarz]

"I have an old problem that's trying its damnedest to become a new problem."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Don't we all," Erica says, raising an eyebrow. "Would this have anything to do with the ripples in the ley lines I've been noticing?"

[Isolde Schwarz]

"It might. That's rather not my thing."

"It's Eric. He seems intent on forcing a confrontation, and he's killed one of the Children as a shot across the bow."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Killed one of the Children?" She frowns, obviously thinking. "That business up in Scotland?"

[Isolde Schwarz]

She nods.

"Left a nasty bit of a trap behind for me, at that."

[Erica Carlisle]

"A trap? Seriously? That's unexpectedly cowardly of him."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"From what I've been able to gather, he's traveling with a new crew. One of them has a bit of your sort of talent, and prepped the nail bomb that perforated me."

[Erica Carlisle]

"A magical trap? Now that's intriguing," she says, leaning forward a little bit. "Any idea who this is?"

[Isolde Schwarz]

"It's not anyone I'm familiar with. Some new blood, perhaps."

"But any illusions I might have had of this not being personal evaporated when she tried to invade my dreams."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Invading dreams is not something one does lightly. It's difficult, dangerous, and requires a decent bit of power... or a reasonably good telepath. I don't suppose you have a description of this person."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"No. She was wearing Wanda's face, at the time."

"What I do know is that thorns feature rather prominently in her workings. They were present on the nail bomb, as well as in the dreamscape."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Posing as someone you trust. Clever. And thorns. Just thorns or rose thorns or...?" She starts tapping her chin in thought.

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Rather more literal thorn vines in the dream, but these on the carving."

She passes her phone across the table, a photo displaying on it.

[Erica Carlisle]

Erica picks up the phone and looks at the photo. "Thorned vines aren't exactly an uncommon device, but..." She waves her finger, "These are almost runes, focuses for the conduit that the vines represent, reservoirs of power. I..." She makes a thoughtful noise, "I've seen something like this before. It was..." She sorts through the volumes of her memory, "...corrupted nature magic, I think he was a druid, but I never did get a clear story. I think he was driven to desperation by the implacable march of progress. He reached into some pools best not tapped and the power that came out of it was... dark, even by my admittedly lax standards."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"A successor, then? Or a student?"

"Because this makes their choice of targets make a fair bit more sense."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Maybe. The Children are reservoirs of power in their own right. Even after death. These runes... They're not Scandinavian, so I doubt your precious Eric is the one who picked these up. He always seemed to be bound up in that heritage. And a werewolf would not have the skill to channel this much power, not without stirring up their beast and... causing other issues." She looks up at Isolde, "So I doubt your power wielder is Eric's creation."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"That said, she seemed to make it rather personal."

"Of course, I doubt either of us are shy on people with axes to grind against us."

[Erica Carlisle]

"There's a few out there." She looks at the photos again. "Is there anything else you noticed? Anything might be important when you're dealing with a practitioner."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"In the dream she had a tattoo of similar thorns. They reacted to blood being smeared across them."

[Erica Carlisle]

Erica sits up a bit straighter. "Where was this tattoo? And react how?"

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Her left arm. Full sleeve, hand to shoulder. Granted this was a dream, but she seemed to be using the tattoo to control the more literal vines."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Interesting trick," Erica says. "It could just be a construct of the dream, but for the most part, that sort of thing isn't given to dream constructs. It's too rooted in the self. Which means your mystery practitioner likely has a similar tattoo and uses it to help focus their magic. Vines are still in keeping with the nature motif, so I'd say you're still looking for someone typically steeped in nature magic. The left arm is probably significant as well, at least as far as the practitioner is concerned."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"A left-hand path, eh?"

"I may not practice, but this isn't my first rodeo."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Or at least someone who views themselves as being on a left-hand path. It is rather amateur to advertise it like that, but it's not as if we have schools to teach people not to do that sort of thing. If they're drawing on the power of a sacrificed Child of Earth, there's no telling what they could be capable of now, even if they're an amateur."

[Isolde Schwarz]

She gives a frustrated sigh.

"No going this alone, then."

[Erica Carlisle]

"There's a feral creature running around in your head. You may think you're beyond it, but nature magic is still nature magic and they *theoretically* could turn you against yourself. I would recommend you have some people to watch your back."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"I miss just being able to take care of business. I really do."

[Erica Carlisle]

"And before you think of taking your pack, they're probably more susceptible than you are. Better to take someone less likely to give into their feral beast."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Is that you auditioning? You know what happens with us."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Perish the thought. I have nothing to gain from getting involved in your family spat. You live in a school full of heroes. Ask some of them."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"I'm... aware of the talents available to me."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Then I am, preaching to the choir, as they say," Erica says. "Unless you wanted to make it worth my while to get involved beyond this mostly free consultation."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"In my experience you're more than capable of making me want to murder you on a pro-bono basis."

[Erica Carlisle]

"Then you're going to love this," she says, gesturing to the bartender on the other side of the room. "Here's my price for the consultation," she says as she takes two laminated cards from the bartender and dismissing them. She passes the cards across the table towards Isolde. They're nicely printed with "Personal Guest" in calligraphy and "VIP Booth A1 Access" printed in a clearer font. "I want you and Wanda to be my guests here soon. And I want fifteen minutes of Wanda's time... alone is preferable. I swear its nothing untoward. I have something I want her to look at. Drinks, food, etc. are, of course, on the house."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"...naturally you're going to make me dress to the occasion."

[Erica Carlisle]

"I'm certain you can find something... club appropriate," she says with a half smile, "If not, then maybe Wanda can help you find something."