Lochinvar brought the sundry items he had found in the sewers to the Inquisition for examination. The clerk at the receiving desk eyed the filthy coyote-avian dubiously, but accepted the items with due diligence, carefully stowing each on in its own glass jar. He tersely informed the Ranger that the Inquisition would report their findings to him in due course.

After presenting his findings, the Ranger asks for, and is heartily permitted, to be excused so that he can clean himself up.

Unity Day comes and goes, and Midsummer's grows near, while the Ranger waits for word on the Inquisition's findings. A few inquiries on them lead to curt responses implying that the Hekoye should be grateful they are doing the examination at all, and assuring him that questions will be answered with all appropriate speed. Lochinvar finds himself wondering if the samples have been lost entirely. He resumes his regular field duties while waiting for word, and one day, as he is leaving the Temple, he notices a familiar-looking young Vartan sitting on the steps, watching the people in the square.

Walking down the steps to the side of the Vartan, making sure he does actually recognize the figure. He pauses just below him, and asks, "Charaz? Is that you?"

The Vartan boy starts, and jumps to his feet, flapping his wings for balance as he turns to face him. "Lochy! I finally found you! Rephidim is huge! And the Temple! Wow! You really work here?" he asks, awed.

The winged coyote grins broadly, putting his hands on his cousin's shoulders. "Of course I do!" he says. "You think I was joking when I told everyone what I did?"

"No, no, of course not!" the boy replies, ducking his head and looking sheepish. "I just … I mean … Wow. You never told us it was so … big." He looks over his shoulder to the building, then punches his older cousin lightly in the chest. "Or maybe I just couldn't imagine it even if you did."

Lochinvar ooofs a little at the punch, mostly for effect, then looks up at the Temple building. "Actually, I never really gave the size of it too much thought," he says. "I guess I'm too used to it. But anyway, what brings you here?"

"Oh. Uh. Visiting you, of course!" After a moment of hesitation, Charaz's grin returns and he puffs out his chest. "I've always wanted to see Rephidim. Especially after all I've heard about it. All kinds of things happen here, and nothing ever happens back at the village. Ever since you left, it's been just the same as always." He makes a face.

The Ranger chuckles. "That doesn't surprise me," he says, grinning. "And visiting me, eh? I assume that your folks back home know you're here? I never got any notice of your arrival … "

"Well … uh, I just decided to do it one day." The teen-aged Vartan takes a few steps down, looking out at the plaza. "I've always wanted to come, ever since I was little and you moved to here. So one day I just figured, why not just go? Stop wishing and thinking, and just do it!" He hits his palm with his other fist in emphasis. "So I did." Charaz turns to look back at his cousin. "You don't mind, do you? I guess I should've written first, but I didn't know that a letter would beat me here anyway."

Lochinvar sighs a little. "So your parents don't know you're here?" he asks.

"Uh … I didn't say that!" the boy protests. "Of course … they … know I'm here." His voice trails off, and then he adds, sheepishly, "I sent them a letter from Tristan so they'd know."

The Vartan/Hekoye sighs a little, shaking his head. "Then I'll expect that they'll soon be coming here to get you," he tells his cousin. "I'll send a letter also, letting them know that you've arrived here safely."

Charaz wilts a little. "You don't … think they'd come all this way … I mean, I'm a man grown now," he says, looking determined and straightening. "I've as much right to come here as any. You weren't much older than me when you left home, were you?"

Lochinvar starts walking down the steps, hoping Charaz will follow. "That may be so," he says. "However, I had told my parents I was leaving, and had their blessing. Regardless of whether you think yourself old enough or not, you still live with them and under their protection. They will be concerned for you."

The young Vartan follows, brushing a hand against his beak and scuffing his hooves against the ground. "I can't live with them forever," he says. "And sometimes I think they expect me to. Maybe I should've told them myself but … I didn't want to listen to Mom crying or Dad telling me I had to stay, 'for the good of the village'. The village doesn't need me. Lots of people leave. You left. Ariecha left. I can leave if I want to, too."

"Sometimes you have to make your case as to why you should leave," Lochinvar replies. "That's what I did and … hang on? Ariecha left? When?"

"You didn't know?" Charaz blinks up at his cousin as they walk. "She said she wasn't sure where she was going, but we all figured it'd be here. After all … " He pauses awkwardly. "Well, she left a bit after Candlemass. I'm surprised Auntie didn't write you about it."

Lochinvar shakes his head. "I'm sure I would have remembered such a letter," he says. "You think she's here then? Hmm … well, yes. Where else would she go?"

The boy shrugs. "I don't know. I wouldn't think she'd go back to Abaddon. But … I just … well, figured she was with you," he finishes, looking embarrassed.

The Ranger changes the direction he was walking across the plaza, starting to head towards the port. "Charaz, stick close to me, okay?" Lochinvar tells his cousin. "If she's here, then the Port Authority should have an entry record for her, so that's where we'll go."

"All right!" The boy punches the air. "It's like a mystery, isn't it? I bet you solve problems like this every day," he chatters on as they had for the docks.

Lochinvar sighs a little under his breath as he makes his way towards the port. "Yes, I guess it's like a mystery," he replies, but without the same sense of fun as Charaz seems to display.

Sensing Lochinvar's ambivalence, the younger Vartan quiets for the remainder of the trip. At the port authority, a clerk greets the coyote-bird by name, and at his request searches through the logs. After half an hour or so, the clerk returns, shaking his head at the two waiting in the antechamber. "I'm sorry, my friend. I've no record of either a white Vartan or a woman by the name 'Ariecha' arriving. I've even checked back as far as Candlemass."

"Well, thank you for looking," the Ranger tells the clerk, and turns to look back at his cousin. "She's either not here, or entered Rephidim in a … questionable manner."

"Why would she do that?" the young Vartan asks, looking up at Lochinvar.

Lochinvar shrugs a little. "For that, I could not guess," he says. "I could still ask some of my friends who work down here at the docks. It's possible to see things that people don't wish authorities to see."

Charaz's eyes widen, but he confines his response to just a nod, trying to look worldly and accustomed to such things.

"However, such places are not the type of place that I should be taking you," the Ranger tells Charaz. "We'll go back, and I'll have a friend of mine watch you while I conduct some inquiries."

"Awww!" The Vartan sets his beak and plants his hooves squarely on the ground. "You don't need to do that, Lochy!" he protests. "Hey, I got here on my own, didn't I? All the way from the village, and I didn't get in any trouble at all. I promise, I won't get in your way. I'll be as quiet as a yiffle in a room full of Nagai."

The half-Vartan turns and looks Charaz in the eye. "Yes, you did – and that's commendable," he tells him. "But now that you're here, it falls to me to make sure that you remain out of trouble. The type of places I'm going I will not be able to watch out for you as well as myself." He pauses for a moment's thought, then adds, "There are plenty of other ways that you will be able to help me investigate."

The younger Vartan looks torn between suspicion that he's only being offered a distraction from the real action, and curiosity at what Lochinvar might mean. Finally, he bites. "Like what?"

"Like once I get any information from these people, we will have to follow up on that," Lochinvar replies.

The Vartan scuffs one hoof against the street. "I could help you ask. I met some people on the airship that brought me here," he suggests.

Lochinvar tilts his head a little. "What about them?" he asks.

"Well … maybe they know something?" Charaz looks optimistic.

"And what makes you think that they might?" the winged coyote asks.

"Uh … What makes you think yours will?" the younger cousin returns.

The Ranger sighs, and replies, "Because I've worked with these people for a lot longer than just meeting someone on board an airship, and am aware that they are far more likely to hear things from their … sources." He pauses for a moment, then tells Charaz, "But we'll ask your people too. Then I'll take you home and go and follow up my sources. Okay?"

The younger Vartan gives a heavy sigh, but nods reluctantly. "Okay."

Lochinvar gestures Charaz out of the door. "So, which way to the airship port you arrived on?"