34. Campaign 4- Party Whispers

"Where is he?" Alma said the moment Gahoole stepped out of the Bureau's door.

"Where is who?" THe owlkin bloodhunter asked sweetly even if it was taking every bit of willpower she had not to slice up the head of the Madrigal family into little pieces. Her opinion of the woman had already been rather poor thanks to the stories Bruno had told her and his sad state; how a mother could see her child suffer like Bruno had before Ernesto had brought him to the Bureau and not acted she'd never know. But witnessing how the woman treated Mirabel? Oh, it had set every killer urge she had to full.

The same with the entire party, to be honest. She wondered if Alma realized how close she had come to death the night of their arrival, when she had dared to speak ill of Mirabel.

That girl... she was all smiles and sunshine on the outside but the party knew that Mirabel felt all emotions strongly... good and bad. She had become a favorite of so many of them because of that. Ernesto and Bruno had of course loved her because she was blood and worked to be strong father figures for her. Ulika, who normally left matters involving children to the others, had been quick to allow Mirabel to ask her all sorts of questions about her appearance and not break her stride when the little girl had grasped her hand. Anton might have rolled his eyes at having a child with him but the first time some bandits had tried to fire an arrow at Mirabel, thinking that crippling her would serve as a distracted? Anton had unleashed hell upon them.

Nocci loved the girl as if he had forged her himself, delighting when she asked if she could help him make repairs and never treating him as anything but alive. Saharah had snapped at many of them in the early days... but never Mirabel. She might have ignored the girl but she'd never said an angry word in her direction. Gahoole had only seen Dryft lose his temper twice their entire time adventuring together. That night had been the second time and she had remembered the first well, when a foe of the party had thought it wise to attempt to kidnap Mirabel. They all, party and enemy alike, had learned how a healer who could manipulate blood could be utterly deadly if pushed too far.

As for herself?

Mirabel was her chick. All knew it.

Except Alma Madigral. And Gahoole was very tempted to teach her.

"You know who," Alma said with a flinty stare.

But Gahoole didn't feel like playing nice. She was an old owl, she'd earned the right to blow off scorn and confrontation!

"I know many men, my dear. Many males too. I'm afraid you'll have to be specific, unless you wish for me to begin got down the list starting with the As."

"Antonio," Alma said.

"Ah, well it wouldn't have been a long wait, would it have?" Gahoole asked.

"...well?"

"Well what?"

"Where is he?"

"Who dear?"

"Antonio! Where is Antonio!" Alma finally snapped.

Gahoole let out a chuckle, waving her wing. "Oh... around." She shifted and Antonio murmured as he appeared tucked away beneath her feathers.

"You will-" Alma began, reaching for Antonio only for Alma to close her wings around the boy. "How dare you-"

"Are you aware that owlkin such as myself can have primary feathers that are as sharp as steel blades? You shouldn't go reaching towards a wing if you don't know where to place your fingers... lest you walk away with none of them."

She didn't have those feathers, of course. And she'd never heard of an owlkin that did but Alma didn't know that.

"And you think it wise to keep a child near such things?" Alma asked, agast.

"You had a 5 year old slaving away in a kitchen around flames and knives," Gahoole commented. "Are we really going to begin bringing up child rearing? I hope we are... I do like to brag about my grandchicks." And, it went unsaid, she knew she'd win any contest.

"You coddle your children and grandchildren then, just as you are coddling Antonio now. i will not allow you-"

Gahoole took a step forward, tapping her talons on the floor. She didn't have time for this; she needed to research the curse Dryft had discovered."So loving someone is coddling? Tell me... do you even remember how to love?" She narrowed her eyes maliciously. "And I'd like to see you try and stop me from doing anything I want to do."

"...casita, retrieve Antonio and remove this foul bird from your walls."

Casita... did nothing.

"I think she's too busy cuddling up to The Bureau," Gahoole taunted.

Alma, to her credit, steeled her shoulders and took a step forward. "Then I will remove you myself-"

"Mirabel!" Julieta cried out and Gahoole looked over the railing in time to see Mirabel rushing up the stairs, Ulika trying to keep up but slowed down by Julieta and Dryft getting in the way, though through no fault of their own. Mirabel rushed past Alma and Gahoole, the owlkin seeing the angry features and tear stains on her face, and practically dived into the Buerau, slamming the door shut.

"What did that girl do now," Alma grumped and Gahoole narrowed her eyes. She was stopped from speaking as the others joined them. "Julieta, what are you doing out of the kitchen? You must have the food ready-"

"The food is more than ready, mama. And even if it wasn't Mirabel is clearly upset-"

"We can not let the fickle moods of one girl keep us from servicing the community, Julieta, you know that."

"He must be proud of you," Dryft said suddenly.

Everyone turned to stare at the capricorn.

"Pedro. Your husband." Dryft looked right down at Alma and in that moment Gahoole did not see her sweet boy who looked upon the world with delight and love. She saw the adult he was becoming... the god he was destined to be. "He gave his life for his family. Bruno told me so. Pedro Madrigal was a great man… had he been a capricorn we would have honored his death has the greatest of them all, one worthy of song. He sacrificed everything to save his family. He loved his children so much he gave his life in exchange for theirs." Dryft leaned down, eyes narrowed, and with the softest of whispers said, "He must be so proud of you."

And with that he moved past Alma, carefully scooting around her which was probably the worst thing because Alma could have handled it if he'd petulantly slammed his shoulder into her or tried to knock her down. But being polite about it? Oh... that stung, Gahoole knew it.

Ulika let out an impressed little huff before gently placing her hand on Julieta's back. "I'll let you in." Julieta nodded, shooting a thunderous glare at her mother, before walking with the orc woman to the door.

That left only Gahoole and Alma and Antonio and the boy had managed to sleep through the entire confrontation.

"Magic such as your encanto... they always have a cost. Always. I thought your husband's blood sacrifice was enough... but now I wonder if the magic took something from you as well."

And with that she left Alma alone, the old woman making no move to follow.