Palaver Park ((December 2027))

Kiara sighed, she stopped shivering, but felt the on set of a slight fever again. She wholely agreed that they head home.

"I'll tell the children" she said as she rose from the table.

"Edan! Edwin! Rossa! lets go we are heading home now!" she called.

Then she glanced around, she could see Edan and Edwin, but no Rossa.

"Ciaran, Horatio.. Where is Rossa?" she asked as she felt a awful not in her stomach that gave a bad feeling.

Whipping her head around to park to spot her little girl she said " I can't see her"

Looking over to Edan and Edwin she asked. "Edan? where did your Sister go?" she asked.

Edwin and Edan both groaned but left their now decapitated snowman. Ciaran looked around carefully for his youngest, suspicion and fear mounting in his mind. The young child did not appear to be anywhere nearby and thus his worry doubled if not tripled.

Edan shrugged, oblivious to all around him. It was Edwin who had seen her launch out across the snow.
"She went that way..." he muttered, pulling his scarf tighter due to the cold.

Horatio had to bit his lip to keep from swearing. First his wife and now his granddaughter... whose foolish idea had it been to come to the park in the middle of wint...wait...that had been his idea... well, the idea itself had had nothing wrong with it... people had ruined it... but he could hardly force himself to believe that his wife and darling granddaughter had ruined his "perfect" plan...

Kiara bit her lip in worry and her heart started to beat faster as panic started to rear its head, Kiara quickly moved in the direction Edwin had seen her daughter go.

The tracks in the snow of Rossa's small feet lead in the same direction that Eglantine had gone. If Rossa had heard what her talk about Eglantine, it was likely she didn't understand the details, but from the look of it, when Eglantine ran off, Rossa followed her.

"I think she has gone after Eglantine, her tracks lead in the same direction, and it is possible she could have heard what was said from here" she said trying to keep her voice steady. Dispite the fact is was steadily getting colder and the snow was falling heavier.

The thought the made her feel as if she was frozen was the Rossa was out there alone, Surely if Eglantine knew her Granddaughter were following her she would turn back. Having Eglantine missing was bad enough, and she was a powerful witch and control of her powers. Not to mention Eglantine could come back the moment she desired. Where Rossa was only 5, limited control of her magic and could quite easily get lost.

Kiara cupped her hands over her mouth, "Rossa!..." she called. "Rossa! sweetheart, where are you?". She prayed to Merlin Her daughter would hear her and come running back.

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However Rossa didn't hear her mothers calls, as the wind and snow swallowed them up before they reached the little girls ears. She continued walking hoping to see her Grandmother somewhere soon, it was getting cool.

It wasn't until several minutes later she realized she was very alone in the now heavy snow fall, making it hard to see. Decideing it was best to turn back and find her parents, she turned around only to find terrifing realization, the wind and snow drift had covered her tracks and all around her looked the same. She didn't know where she was.

" Uh oh...." she said in a tiny voice as a lump formed in her throat. and a scary thought entered her mind.

She was lost.

Ciaran took Edan's hand and pulled him over toward Kiara.
"Dearest." he murmured, seeing the worry in his wife's eyes. "Please take Edan and Edwin home. Please." He knew his wife would never want to leave with their daughter missing, but the sight of her shivering in the snow, worried and frightened was too much for him.

Horatio nodded. "We'll find them, love. You go along. We'll follow in just a few minutes." he did not add that he had no idea where the two missing persons could have gone. A point me spell would hardly work... with the pelting snow and the magical wards...

---

Eglantine's keen feline hearing picked up Horatio and Kiara calling for her. But she ignored them. Horatio would hold Kiara back and he was more than capable of finding her... if he truly wanted to.
Tired, she soon sat in the snow. Her creamy fur allowed her to be as one with the blowing snow about her and she felt alone and at peace for a single moment. She would return as soon as she straightened out her tangled thoughts.

Kiara's eye filled with tears, with each second that went by she was becoming more and more frantic. When Ciaran brought Edan over to her and asked her to take Edan and Edwin home. She almost coudn't bare it.

"But I....Ciaran I can't just leave, I can't loose..." she covered her mouth stoping herself from saying "another one".

"Rossa... I have to help find her.." she said desperately, it was her little girl there were talking about she couldn't just leave.

Had the rational part of her been payed attention to, it would have told there was no point in her going out looking. The bitter cold was messing with her body temperature, she pheonix magic felt and faught the cold at the same time trying to warm her up againt it. Only problem was it over compensated and ended up giving her high fevers.
In short... she wouldn't last long in these tempuratures.

Kiara let out a sob, "She is just a baby..... I can't just......." she said as she struggle to hold back the tears. Not wanting to frighten her son more by him watching her cry.

The bitter wind blew in her face and she clunched her jews together as it bit her face. This was turning into a nightmare.

Looking into the direction Rossa had gone Kiara yelled once again. "Rossa!!" louder and more frantic sounding then the first time.

She knew Ciaran would have her go home with the 2 remaining children no matter what she said. And she could stall and protest as much as she wanted sooner or later..... she would need to leave weather Rossa was with her or not. Which scared her to no end.

____

Rossa was sobbing as she stomped through the deepening snow. "M..mommy?! Daddy!"she yelled through her tears.

She was freezing as the warming spell that had been placed in her had worn off, and now she was terrified she had no idea where she was, she was getting tired, and just want to be in the arms of her parents again.

This was almost like her nightmare.

Edan and Edwin started to look extremely worried.
"Mama, why would Rossa go?" Edan asked. Edwin shushed him and pulled him away from Kiara.

Ciaran persisted despite his wife's frantic plea to help. "Kiara, I will find her, love. Ya have ta trust me. Let me take care of me family. Do as I ask this one time."

He conjured a blanket and wrapped it around her shivering shoulders, hating the cold and how awful it was to his wife. "Please, Ara...please."

Horatio created a portkey while he was waiting that would take them back to the McConn residence. "Please Kiara." he murmured as well.

------

Eglantine heard a frightened young voice cry out for her parents. Immediately her heart leapt in her chest and died as it fell. Had her young granddaughter followed after her? only to become lost. Running through the snow, her feline senses quickly picked up Rossa and within moments, she was purring up against the young girl's legs.

Kiara drooped her head sadly "but..", she wanted to protest, everyone of her instincts was screaming at her to protest...But the more she protested the more time that was wasted.

Glanceing at Ciaran and Horatio she nodded in defeat, she could argue forever, but that wouldn't help find Rossa now would it?

"Alright,.... I'll go then" she said. hugged Ciaran briefly as 2 tears escaped her eyes."Just bring her back safe love" she whispered.

Walking over to Horatio, she took the portkey, with a shaking hand she squeezed his shoulder. "Bring them both back safe..." she said surpressing a sob, how she wished her could help search, it pained her to leave without her mother and Daughter.

"Edwin, Edan... come.. we need to go home" she said quickly before she changed her mind.

__________

Rossa was shivering and cry softly when Eglantine rubbed up against her legs.

"Grandmama!" she cried and cruched down hugging the feline form of her grandmother.

"You... found me!" she said as she hiccuped... she felt so relieved to have her grandmother with her..

Edwin and Edan both nodded and took each of Kiara's hands. Horatio laid the portkey on the floor and smiled at Kiara.

"Thank you." he murmured. In a flash of blue light, Kiara and the two boys returned to the McConn residence.

Ciaran and Horatio each pulled their cloaks tighter and plunged into the cold storm.

-----

Eglantine morphed back into her human form and carefully gathered Rossa into her arms.
"Of course, darling." she murmured, picking the little girl up. "Come on." she whispered. Her wand soon left her pocket and she apparated into the yard of Viper Manor.

Saturn flew overhead through the snow storm until she found the two men, she flew lower and let out a thrill as she lit up the sky in a burst of flame. Illuminating the with cloudy sky help them search.

Horatio and Ciaran both couldn't help but smile as they heard the phoenix's trill. Kiara had in spirit joined the search.

With Saturn above them, they soon searched the entire park, failing to discover the trail of tiny paw prints and petite feet due to the blowing snow and icy wind.