[hr][center][h3][u][b][Stoneworks Region - Outskirts][/b][/u][/h3][/center][hr]

ID walked briskly into the outskirts until the Stoneworks was out of sight behind her, and for some time after... just in case.  After a while she found herself kneeling beneath a shelf of rock, observing the flight patterns of the Corvids illuminated by her pact.

[b][color=#d9145f]"Yareyareda kuso ttare- that woman's vermin really are everywhere,"[/color][/b] she muttered, half wishing she'd remained ignorant.  She sighed and settled down after taking the moment to ensure she wasn't being observed before reaching into one of her insulated belt pouches.  ID swiped the screen of her modified Slatephone open.  It processed for a moment after she entered her password and it connected to the Menagerie network.  She spent a few minutes catching up on notifications and messages before dialing the contact labeled "Mother."

[i]"My brilliant Star!  What can I do for you, my dear?"[/i]  A voice answered after but a single ring.  A smile spread across ID's face beneath the mask, she couldn't help it, and she listened to Mother shoo someone out of her office, most likely an assistant before responding.

[b][color=#d9145f]"Mama!"[/color][/b]  The tension audibly fell out of ID's shoulders.  The mask of collected stoicism melted away.  [b][color=#d9145f]"I know you're probably super busy...,"[/color][/b] she hesitated for a moment while playing with the end of her braid idly, though she didn't wait quite long enough for a reply.  [b][color=#d9145f]"This couldn't wait though: firstly we need to call Cobalt Weasel off the search for the [i]missing subject[/i],"[/color][/b] she explained with a note of urgency as she leaned back into the rock to take a more relaxed posture.

[b][color=#d9145f]"I ran into the Subject on my investigation- I'll get to that- It's [i]powerful[/i], Mama!  I mean, I knew it was [i]dangerous[/i], but [i]holy hell[/i], Mama!!  It [i]improvised[/i] third tier spells at me on the spot!!  Rapidly!  AND!  AND!  And it [i]BAMBOOZLED[/i] a Templar into protecting it!  THE QUEEN OF SWORDS no less!  He doesn't even know, you [i]have[/i] to call him in.  I mean like... he's an incompetent waste of space, but that's not even fair,"[/color][/b] she urged.

[i]"My dear, let's not meander on too long!"[/i] Mother cut in, as ID was taking a breath to continue.

[b][color=#d9145f]"Right right, sorry Mama.  I found a community of mages set up where the Grave Haunt Domain used to be: they re-aspected it and built a rather large settlement there.  I bought some good will with them, and I opened up a... pretty lucrative trade channel for enchanted items: One of the principal Awakened on site is a Runesmith, hungry for material enchanting,"[/color][/b] ID beamed, clearly anticipating the praise she was about to recieve.

[b][color=#d9145f]"That's not the real reason I called though... I found [i]her[/i],"[/color][/b] she revealed, in a voice of low excitement.  [b][color=#d9145f]"My... [i]The Night Star[/i], I found her!  Mama!  We can finally [i]rescue[/i] her!"[/color][/b]