"With this newfound information, I think it's best for us to return to House Ianus." Johanna said, turning to face Wes. 


"Pardon me... Are you going to take that arm with you?" He interjected, gesturing with a pointed finger at the limb that was tucked securely under her own arm.


"Why yes of course. It's evidence. I believe that I will be able to identify the victim from further examination, whether it's female or male, a villager, or a nobleman." She returned with poignancy. While she knew that each member of House Ianus had a particular Talent, she had only met Wesley that day. It left her wondering what exactly the man was capable of. As for herself, after stepping foot inside of the mill, a wretched headache grew on her, and her stomach had knotted. She felt worried that if they lingered much longer, she might fall into a spell.


"Well," Wes began, regarding her with great contemplation, he uttered a sigh of reluctance and nodded, "I suppose it would do no harm. After all, they [i]are[/i] dead."


           So with that, Wesley and Johanna exited the mill. However, they were left in a perplexing situation. Their horses were gone. With a pallid face, Johanna turned to gaze at Wes, accusation in her eyes burned brighter than the weak light of the moon.


"Mr. Craven, have you forgot to tie our horses?" She asked, and then turned her eyes away from him to scan the darkness.


"Nonsense, I know I tied my mare up right and good. Here, let me give them a call." The blond American shook his head. Then, placing two of his fingers in his mouth, he gave a sharp whistle. A moment of silence passed between Johanna and Wesley before the soft clip-clop of horse hooves could be heard.


"I have to say, I'm rather impressed." Johanna said, offering him a smile full of relief.


"Any good creature can be called back if they leave their masters. They must've gone looking for some grass." With that, Wesley strode towards the horses, and gathered their reins in his hand. They mounted their horses, and left the way they came. Little time had passed, but they had not traveled far, yet unbeknownst to them, the duo had lost the trail, so they did not hear nor see Lady Isabeau approaching the general direction of the mill, nor did they hear the sound of hoofbeat upon the dirt-clod path by Ren and Lily. Rather abruptly, Johanna reined in her steed and called out to Wes, several feet ahead of her.


"Mr. Craven!" She hissed. "This isn't the way we came."


"Oh come now, are you suggesting that I've done and got us lost? I used to be a swell hunter back in the States now, have some faith in me, ok?" Wes said, glancing over his shoulder at her.


"I refuse to place faith in a person that has us lost. Listen, we ought to head back, and find the path again. The light of the moon is playing tricks with your eyes." She urged.


"I know we're going the right way, why just look at that tree over yonder. Don't you see how the moss grows on that side there? Moss always grows on the north side of a tree, and we need to head east. So by my reckoning, we have to go-"


[b][i]BANG![/i][/b]


"What was that?!" Johanna inquired as she struggled to rein in her steed, the sound had startled him enough to cause him to rear up and threatened to unseat her. From under her arm, the hacked limb fell to the ground, and she continued on with her struggle of settling down the massive bay stallion.


"Gunshot. Sounds like it came from the mill." 


"What if someone came back? We should go at once and look! What if it's the beast?" At the idea of the beast returning to its lair, Johanna wheeled her horse about, and sped him back the way they came.


"Miss Johanna! Wait!" He cried out, struggling with his own horse still. "Blast that woman. C'mon now, [i]hiyaaah![/i]" He dug his knees into his horse's ribs, and pulled hard on the bridle. With his unruly mount finally under control, Wes geared his horse after Johanna.

~

      Riding headlong at a breakneck pace, the two broke onto the fringes of the mill where they could see a familiar figure of a woman bolting through the clearin, and off into the underbrush. If she recalled correctly, the woman on foot Lillian McClellen. "Lillian!" 

"It is I, Johanna, and Wesley of the House. " She called after her fellow house-mate, this time she slowed her horse to cautionary walk, her head swiveled around as she sought for where Lily had broken through the underbrush. She didn't like the fact that Lily was out here all by herself at the mill, seemingly, hadn't she been charged with investigating Lady Isabeau? Something in the air didn't feel right... It felt as if they were being watched from the shadows. Was it the beast that called this mill-house home? Had the creature finally come home to roost?


      Gripping the horn of his saddle, Wesley dismounted from his steed. Originally, as he noticed the horses when they first arrived on sight of the mill earlier this evening, the horses were not in such a frantic state as they were in now. Johanna, and his horse were having a hard time being controlled. With the unruly bay mare under control to a degree, he led her promptly over to a tree, where he had tethered her before, and drew out his M1878s. Taking note of the light on in the mill, as he recalled extinguishing the lights before they left, or at least he thought he had; Wesley began moving towards the mill house, where he then nudged the door open with the toe of his boot. His thumbs pulled back the hammer on both revolvers as he peered inside. 


     It was then that Lily broke through the clearing, perhaps responding to hearing her voice called aloud. Squeezing her thighs gently, she urged her horse onward, and it was there, under the weakened light of the moon, that she could discern the gleam of metal in Lily's hand, as well as a peculiar look on her face. It reminded her of a man on the hunt. "Lillian, are you alright? What in the blazing devils is going on here?" Johanna inquired, near enough to the woman to drop her voice to a low tone. "Pray tell me that you are not alone by yourself out here? Mr. Craven and I were returning to the House when we heard a gunshot fired from this direction." Here she nodded her head at the carbine which Lily carried.