<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #0000FF">Deserted Town/Woodland</span></span><br/><br/>Sen made a mental note to herself as she paced through the woods:<span style="font-style: italic">Don't make a habit of jumping off trains whilst supporting an unconscious person</span>. The leap itself hadn't been too bad- the train had slowed significantly, and the moment or two of sailing through the open air had been maybe the easiest bit, since it had felt almost weightless. The trouble had been landing. Thanks to her unusual sight not depending upon light, she'd seen where she needed to land, and had aimed for it. She'd landed well, but Beau had landed as much on top of her as anywhere else, which had been like a half-full sack of potatoes landing on her. Apart from that it had nearly made her blush again, she was unaffected, but she wasn't certain Beau wouldn't have a new bruise or two when he woke up. After that she'd hoisted Beau, with some effort, into a fireman's lift over her shoulder, returned her cane to her pocket and set off into the night. She'd kept to rocks and solid ground where she could, partly because they provided sure footing and partly because it was the simplest way of leaving no tracks, and Sen's knowledge of wilderness survival was limited. The simple truth was, in order to insure her survival and Beau's, she needed to stay close to wherever the train had been going- for now. Firstly, because whilst she lacked neither youth or vitality, she couldn't run around the woods with Beau over her shoulder all night. Secondly, because if there were any essentials of survival to be found- Food, water, the means of making fire,- they were most likely to be found in whatever place the train had been stopping at. Clambering up an outcropping of rock- and deeply grateful that Beau hadn't been a health and fitness maniac who'd turned himself into a mountain of muscle- Sen paused as the town opened up before her.<br/><br/><br/>To Sen's unnatural sight, the town looked both beautiful and derelict at the same time. A great many of the buildings were intact- at least, still standing- and Sen could clearly make out that quite a number of them sported the turn-of-the-century features the Three Crown's Square station did, dating the buildings to about that same time. The lines that demarked the roads and streets could still clearly be made out, and there were some buildings that looked like they might be newer, maybe mid-century rather than turn-of-the-century. However, despite the surprisingly good state of preservation, Sen could also see a great deal of ivy, and other such creepers, that had swallowed entire segments of different buildings, giving many the impression of sporting full beards. Additionally, though clearer of trees than the surrounding woodland, the roads were turning into a patchwork of green, interspersed with the vivid hues of flowers commonly found in wild meadowlands. Trees were growing haphazardly in the middle of roadways, as well as in what might once have been gardens or small parks, but were now overgrown copses. The view rather reminded Sen of some footage she had seen on a documentary once, of a town that had been evacuated due to an accident at a nearby nuclear power-station, and left unihabited ever since. Though that town had been more modern, it had taken on a similar look, as the wilds encroached and nature reclaimed it. This town looked like it might have been a quaint, picturesque country-town once, but had suddenly been abandoned for reasons unknown.<br/><br/><br/>As she scrutinised the town, a thought occured to Sen: The town looked quaint and yet run-down... very like the train that had brought herself and Beau here. Yet, despite it's looks, that train had been functional and had even had a perfectly intact first-class carriage. Might it be the same with this town? Though it might outwardly look a lightless, lifeless abandoned place, might there not still be some places, some buildings, that weren't merely intact but perfectly functional? Sen believed there might be: The train had to be kept functional somehow, the railway in good enough repair that the train could travel it, the town had to have stayed standing so long due to more than just sturdy workmanship in a bygone era. Moreover, she mused grimly, Julien Summerfield wouldn't have brought them to a place like this unless there was somewhere he could sit in comfort whilst he orchestrated his so-called 'game'... and he wouldn't want his players, or game-pieces, or however he thought of them dying off too soon, would he? Taking a breath as she adjusted her balance, and feeling a little discomfort in the shoulder that was presently supporting Beau, she descended the small outcropping of rock and headed into the town.<br/><br/>After about five minutes walking up an empty street, Sen spotted a building that looked promising: A cottage that, whilst half-covered by ivy, the ivy looked markedly less dense than on other buildings, the glass was not only still present in the windows, but still flawlessly intact. In fact, had the hedgerow not looked more like a small forest, the lawn like a wild grassland and the flowerbeds vibrant with weeds, it would almost look as though it had been left just yesterday... well, Sen reluctantly admitted to herself, that was a big 'almost'. After walking up the near-invisible path towards it, she was delighted to find-after following a hunch- that the key to the cottage was still under the remains of the doormat. After a little wrestling with the aged lock, she managed to open the door and let herself and Beau in, careful to keep the key with her as she closed the door again. Inside, the deterioration was even less apparent, and the cottage might even have seemed homely if not for the tell-tale signs that no living hand had disturbed the contents for a long time. With a roof over her head and the relative safety of walls between herself and the unknown outside world, Sen finally turned her consideration towards the immediate needs of herself and Beau.<br/><br/>They'd need warmth most immediately, Beau needed something more comfortable than a hard floor to lie upon until whatever he'd been dosed with wore off. Settling him on an aged armchair- and hoping it didn't disintegrate after the creak it made- Sen quickly decided against lighting a fire. For one thing, she wasn't certain either herself or Beau had the means to do so at their disposal, and even if they did, the smoke and light from a fire would give Julien, or his associate, a beacon to hone in on. Instead Sen decided to conduct a quick inspection of the other rooms and cupboards around the cottage. Within five minutes she'd returned with a selection of old, dusty, but surprisingly- or suspiciously- well preserved cushions and blankets. Taking cushions from the furniture as well, Sen set to work, making something of a cross between a childhood den and a carefully layered half-tent half-cocoon that would keep out any cold. When it was done, she carefully slid Beau into a half-reclining position inside it, before curling up next to him, to provide the additional warmth of another heat-source. It wasn't ideal, and it certainly wasn't what she'd imagined the evening would be like, but it would keep them warm and allow Beau time to recover. She sat still and silent, her expression its usual unreadable, impassive mask as her eyeless gaze took in the room all around her. It was maybe only a matter of time before they were found, but for now, they had some respite.