(no subject)

[safehouse-guest.livejournal.com]

Date: May 21st, slightly before sunrise
Location: Outside the manor
Status: Public (Uriel and Gabriel at first)
Summary: Uriel arrives

The problem with leaving anything on Uriel's table was that said table was never clean unless guests were coming over, and Uriel was rarely observant enough to notice another addition to the usual piles of books, papers and half-finished projects already cluttered there. Well over a week had passed since Gabriel had sent his letter before Uriel finally discovered it, tucked under a tray of withered seedlings. The moment he set his hand on the note, he knew it was from his brother; that either meant it had to be condolences or a Message. He wasn't ready for any more sympathy, however heart-felt, and the idea of a Message from Gabriel was almost terrifying. Had he done something wrong? Was he to be permanently cast from Heaven?

So he avoided the letter for another week, letting it sit on the table as he came and went, half-heartedly moving things about the house in an attempt to stay busy and keep his mind from straying to thoughts of Miss Jeanie. Not that he was very successful. Much of his free-time had been spent either mourning the loss of the woman he had begun to think of as a mother or, less frequently, in a temper over the brevity of human life and the fact that she had been taken from him so soon.

Eventually common sense overcame grief. How could Gabriel possibly know of Miss Jeanie's death? And, surely, if the message were something dire, Gabriel would have delivered it in person. Suddenly curious, he pulled the letter out again, unfolding it carefully as he curled up in a chair and began reading.

Once done, he folded it up again, thumb and forefinger idly rubbing over the fold while he considered the invitation. Though he wasn't quite certain who Adam Young was and why Gabriel felt the need to mention him, it sounded like a pleasant place and he did miss his brother something terrible. Perhaps a change of scenery would be best, a new start in a new location without constant reminders of what he had lost. Yes, that sounded like a wonderful idea.

Over the next few days he cleaned up his house, discarding what was no longer necessary, miracling away all the useful items to people that truly needed them. The books he took special care with, returning them from where he had borrowed them many months before, much to the joy of many a librarian and museum curator who had never been able to explain their absence. The garden... well, at least he wouldn't have to fight off the raccoons anymore and it probably wouldn't be too long before the kudzu reclaimed everything anyway.

When all was said and done, he stood outside in the twilight with nothing more than a slightly lumpy pack of personal items at his feet and the letter in his hand. Looking over the letter again, he frowned. Lower Tadfield. England. That would require flying, flying would take wings, and he had not considered the state of his wings since shortly before he had been exiled. Did not want to consider them now, but there was no avoiding the issue. Not if he wanted to see his brother. Sighing, he shouldered the pack and unfurled his wings. He didn't want to look at them, did not want to see exactly how badly damaged they were; as long as he could still fly, it didn't matter. He could deal with them later, if it even came up again. He stretched for a moment, flexing muscles long dis-used, testing the balance of his wings, then took to the sky.

It was slightly more difficult than he remembered, but he regained the hang of it quick enough. Shortly before sunrise he was drifting in tighter and tighter spirals over the English countryside as he neared his destination. Finally sighting the manor - almost as much by Gabriel's presence as by its physical location - he dropped quickly to the ground and folded his wings back, letting them fade from sight before anyone could catch a glimpse of them. Satisfied, he took a good look around, surprised by the size of the manor and the number of angelic presences therein. ...And were those demons he sensed? Gabriel had some explaining to do.