Until he had mentioned Blaud Stare had not realised the significance of the owl in the house. Though Vitruvion did not use a sigil for his nobility often, the small coat of arms of an owl poised over a black field could be seen in many places. It was hidden as a boss in the ceiling of the dining room, it was angled at the corner of the library shelves. Even the stairs, with their woven ivy coiling all over the banisters had some, hidden away in the leaves.
The most obvious owl, however, that Stare had definitely missed to recognise, was the brass head at the top of Vitruvion's dark wood cane. Calmly Vitruvion had been holding Blaud's form all this time before everyone. Though this was a newer one, Stare was sure his older cane had had an owl's head before - she had simply never registered it. But now she did. And the more research she did the more she found it was a type of hunting tawny owl, that had been found eating crows. The irony struck her as something bizarre but very fitting, as she moved around the mansion, doing the bidding of her god.
The mage Vitruvion and she had found in the prisons of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, near Raiaera, was kept in the Hollow. He gave little more information than he had before during their initial trip. He became something of a burden, and at times Vitruvion came home sour faced because of his inability to get any more information from the man. But the Hollow was the best place for him. It disallowed anyone who was from Althanas to use their power. And the god was determined not to kill him. Because surely, the mage had to have more information.
Days became weeks and the elf they had rescued from the same prison began to be revealed as an invaluable resource. She took to Stare's duties as naturally had been born with them - which was not surprising as she had education in administration, management and business. It worked well for the household, Stare did not have to feel so overwhelmed and managed to begin delagating in the third week after the prison raid, rather than have Mer shadow her everywhere.
It was in that same week though that Mer revealed to be more of an issue than Stare liked. Mer began to make comments about how she could have managed without help, and how she, an elf, was clearly better at the job.
"Not that I'm appreciative of what he did," Stare was muttering to Vitruvion's other main aide, Raevin, who served as Captain of his guard, "Mer is good at what she does but ..." She scowled with her eyes.
