<span style="font-weight: bold">Katina</span><br/><br/>The escapee leapt through the door in the nick of time, and bounded straight into my arms. “Oh thank you thank you thank you!” She panted, her breath hot and trembling on my nose, and quite interfering with my ability to help close the door. I licked her nose, a tongueslength from mine.<br/><br/>“Thank me later, sister,” I said, with a peck of my lips on hers, a kissworth of reassurance. “Survival first. We should-”<br/><br/>The banging outside ceased. “She’ll be looking for another way in,” Marija whispered. “They always find a way in. Should we-”<br/><br/>“If you run, won’t she just continue to chase us…?” The escapee said, and suggested we find a place to hide. “Have you scoped out any suitable places.”<br/><br/>“We’ve only been here a few minutes,” I protest.<br/><br/>“First floor, with bedrooms and bathrooms and stuff, I guess,” Marija says. “Maybe we could hide in a wardrobe or trunk or under the bed or lock ourselves in the bathroom. Attic above, with windows, so… servants rooms, probably. Might be places to hide under the eaves, or a way out onto the roof. On this floor… kitchen, lounges, library, smoking rooms, study… those kinds of things. Behind the curtains, maybe? Up a chimney? In the fridge or oven? Below… basement, cellar, scullary… lots of dark places…” She squeaks at the sudden attention. “Mousegirls always know where to hide…” she murmurs, attempting to do so behind her bangs.<br/><br/>“You know her,” I ask to the escapee. “Where won’t she look?”<br/><br/>“More importantly,” Ishidora breaks in, “should we stick together or split up?”<br/><br/>Marija squeaks, terrified at the prospect of abandonment, and Vesele lays a comforting hand on the mousegirl’s shoulder.<br/><br/>“Will your friend the tigeress give up if she<span style="font-style: italic">doesn’t</span>find a meal,” Ishidora continues, eyes sliding to Marija, drawn, perhaps, by the mousegirl’s trembling. “Or keep looking till she finds one - and if she does… will she<span style="font-style: italic">keep</span>searching, or settle down satisified?”<br/><br/>“We’re not sacrificing anyone!” I hiss back.<br/><br/>“Else?” Ishidora answers, leaving the name heavy in the air, unspoken: Grozdana.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Resha</span><br/><br/>Stalking the walls of the house doesn’t take excessively long - but Cyra will have a chance to catch up with you, and the girls and Aiyaka will have at least a little time to hide… provided they don’t squander it squabbling. Quite swiftly you’ll find windows that might be breakable, and could be scrambled through (although they’d pose a much more serious barrier to Cyra). Continuing around the manor you’d soon enough find the servant’s entrance (accessible to Cyra with a minimum of squeezing) leading via a short passage directly to the kitchen and scullery.