[I][color=a36209]Claribel,[/color][/i] Vander thought to himself, [I][color=a36209]what possessed you to be so bold as to venture here? Poor girl, this was foolishness.[/color][/i] The man's eyes looked up to the mansion with a stern gaze that did not betray the fear welling in his chest. He was good at that; façades of solidarity were the one thing he may have been better at than his leatherwork. Though his left hand kept to the knife hilt at his hip, it could easily come off as simply being ready to draw it at a moment's notice. That seemed more courageous than this cowardice. They'd arrived, boots clicking against the marble floor as he stepped inside behind Sohn and his dog. [I][color=a36209]Into the mouth of danger.[/color][/i] Vander's fingers trembled somewhat, but a small breath of air steadied him. He turned about, scanning the room at large, what little of it was truly visible from the oil lamp's light, that is. No furniture, but a stairwell and a door that led beyond the foyer. For a place empty of all human habitation as long as Vander could remember, he believed it surprising that the mansion's interior remained as grand as it was. Faded gold was gold, still. A red carpet was majestic, though made those who stood upon it seem needlessly self-important. And this marble...[I][color=a36209]Hardwood may have decayed by this point. For all of Sohn's tappings, I believe walking here should pose no threat.[/color][/i] Initial curiosity sated, he looked to his companions. Sohn came from a good family, hard workers all of them, a good trait to impress on a child. Vander was sure the young man could be resourceful. Eliel, excitable and curious, with exceptional hearing, Vander had been told. It would be a boon here, where anything may lead them to Claribel. Magnus, however, wasn't so familiar. He didn't know the gnome quite so well, having already begun to recede from people by the time the little man had begun living in Grainville. A merchant of sorts, but not one Vander had worked with. The young woman, he had no inkling of. She had seemed so distant that today may have been his first time meeting her. The shepherd called for Claribel. [I][color=a36209]Wise choice. No need to go deeper if she would only respond.[/color][/i] Vander gave Eliel a gentle nudge to get the youth's attention and pointed to his ear to indicate the boy should listen for any sounds that replied to Sohn's call, just in case. Through the archway ahead, the faded light caught the man's attention. From here, he could not discern whether it was caused by reflection from the lantern, or something else. With a few cautious steps toward the archway, Vander brought out his notepad and scribbled [I]light ahead, unknown source[/i] before putting it away again and gripping his knife handle again. No, he was not so superstitious to think it came from some sort of spirit or monster, but in a place like this? Who knew what to expect.