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Throughout the entire harbor, the ships' horn echoed warningly to other ships that it was preparing to dock and that the harbor mates should be at the waiting. Tending to their duties, the ship mates seemed to not notice the light mist that was clinging to their clothes and giving their skin a slight glimmer in the drab light. The captain blew the horn again. Ropes were being tossed towards the waiting harbor mates to dock the ship. The Lass it was named. Kelsi McClaire frequented this ship often, but not enough to know the captain by name. It was how she preferred it.

A whistle blew and Kelsi picked up her black velvet satchel and luggage bag leaving the warm confines of the saloon that was nestled in the lower decks. Instantly, the mist clung to the black velvet of her dress however, it seemed reluctant to make its presence known on the accents of lace above her bodice and along her waist. Normally she preferred a more colorful attire but it could not be denied that black kept her dress looking dry.

As always, an open carriage was waiting by the oil-lamp post and a man took her bag as soon as her feet were on the dock. She preferred any means of transportation to be open and with a high visibility rate despite the tastes of most people of her status. Few in London were familiar with her, unlike in Ireland, so there would be no whispers and curiosity as to her preferences. "Astor's Inn," Kelsi instructed the driver once they had begun to move away from the bustling docks. There were ears everywhere and the light wind hinted that something was amiss.

Midway between the harbor and the glowing oil lamps that dotted the city, the horse pulling the carriage began to snort and tug on the driver's reins. The driver gave a short pull to calm the animal. Behind the horse's eyes a red fire glowed. It took off in a sprint leaving the driver confused and shouting demands for his horse to heed. Kelsi's eyes narrowed; there was no doubt the horse was not a horse at all. She was already standing on the ground, dusting off the ruined hem of her dress when the "horse" broke free of it's confines throwing the driver out of the seat and on the side of the road. The beast was off and running, the driver would have a headache when he awoke but he would live.

A simple undetectable spell was all it took and the driver was laying near the docks where a harbor mate would certainly find him and tend to his injuries within the next quarter hour. With her waist length raven hair tidied in a simple up-do, Kelsi walked along the side of the road with her satchel and luggage bag towards the city.

Turning ever so slightly, lavender eyes assessed the young man extending his graces. A cool smile formed upon her lips and Kelsi inclined her head in greeting giving a one handed curtsey. Answering the question his eyes betrayed she explained, "the driver I had employed had ran into some difficulties with his horse. I chose to simply proceed by foot..." Despite her Irish accent, her words were well pronounced. "I do not wish to burden you with another carriage nor take you out of your way. Where is your destination this evening?"

Her gaze rested back down the empty street she had been traveling. The last thing Kelsi wanted to do was attract anymore unwanted creatures to a gentleman whom she didn't know. It was unclear whether or not her meeting with the creature was intentional but it didn't seem to be coming back. What would happen should a creature happen upon him? Did this gentlemen have any means of defense? There was no sense of magic although Kelsi had no intent of looking further unless the need arose.

"The Chin," Kelsi repeated. "That's very intriguing. I've not yet met anyone who is so well traveled..." Trust was not something that came easy as this gentleman knew. With Kelsi, it was not quite impossible to fully gain. At his smile, she took his hand. "Kelsi McClaire." Quickly assessing how far the damage to her dress extended, a light flush rose to her cheeks, "Please excuse my appearance. It's not everyday a lady's carriage goes rouge." It was for this very reason that there was no spell protecting her garments from the elements; a stranger seeing a lady walking along the side of the road without a hint of wear would raise suspicions and questions. Something she wished to avoid.

"Have you met such dangers as of late?" Kelsi asked. The underlying question was "what was the nature of such dangers?" Hopefully they were mortal dangers. In the last two years, Ireland was at peace due to Kelsi ending an underground war lasting centuries. A peace she hoped would be sustained for centuries to come.

An evasive answer as to the types dangers lurking in London's dark corners meant that they were matters Kelsi would prefer to avoid. Somethings were unavoidable and they would be dealt with according as the situation presented itself; such as the creature that looked like a horse. Briefly, she mused over the thought that perhaps it was not her that would attracted such things but quickly dismissed it. She had come to London plenty of times prior to this night without incident.

"Mr. Bennett," Kelsi said, "a pleasure." She would have been more inclined to use his first name were she sure that his age did not match hers. He looked younger but his manners suggested otherwise. With the slightly different tone he gave his name, she assumed his family was fairly well known amongst the people. Not being one for such popularity, she was mostly unfazed by status and the like and therefore was unfamiliar with family histories. Her face and tone held no indication as Kelsi didn't want to insult him or his family. "I have reservations at Astor's Inn," she replied.

"I do hope your family won't mind you arriving a little later than expected. I'm sure they have missed you dearly as I'm sure you've missed them."

As she settled into the carriage, fleeting memories of a time spent with her husband in a carriage such as this one drifted out of focus in her mind. Perhaps that should have made her more reluctant to accept Mr. Bennett's offer. It didn't and she put the memories for another time when she was alone. There was less to see of the outside which meant Kelsi would have to rely more on a magical vision; under normal circumstance she would simply have accepted that her vision was limited. Tonight was not a normal night and she could still feel the wind's warning.

"I am grateful for your generosity. You have my unbound thanks."

Deciding not to comment or inquire about the six armed Goddess of India, her brow rose slightly and she directed the conversation to other topics. "You have not heard good things of Astor's? Of all the inn's I've stayed at, I find that one to have a much more comfortable atmosphere." Simply put, most patrons kept to themselves and left about their business without more than cordial greetings.

Kelsi smoothed her hair behind her ear and answered, "An acquaintance of mine is holding a merchant's masquerade ball tomorrow evening. It would be rude of me to decline when it has been a while since we've last spoken." She received plenty of invitations both in Ireland and in London courtesy of the people she met at such events. Unless she had met the host or hostess, and was on a semi-friendly basis with them, Kelsi would choose not to attend. Being more of a business matter than a personal one, there were no offenses taken. "I oversee a small restaurant," she explained. "My acquaintance owns a select few taverns and enjoys sharing stories and the like." A small smile graced her lips as she thought of him. Sir Quinton McQuillin, as he referred to himself as, was eccentric to say the least, and Kelsi was fairly certain he had a preference for men. It was always an amusing affair when Sir Quinton took the spotlight.

"Sir Quinton McQuillin," Kelsi replied with amusement flashing across her eyes. "He had expanded his establishments only recently so I admit I do not know how well known he is as of yet. It's one of the reason he's decided to hold a masquerade."

A faint scent that she always associated with London permeated the air meaning they were fairly close. Minutes later, a stronger scent that smelled of decay mingled with the the city's scent. Having heightened senses, an unfortunate effect of magic Kelsi always thought, she resisted the urge to cover her nose. If he couldn't smell it, she didn't want to have to explain what she thought it to be. Nor did she really care to know where it was coming from. More than likely it was just an animal and that thought was a content enough one to keep.

It would appear that this visit to London just became much more than an evening at a ball. At least for now. Whether it was her mention of Sir Quinton or Mr. Bennett had smelled the gradually increasing putrid scent, something had bristled the young man's senses. Kelsi might not know the foggy streets terribly well; she knew people. Either way, Ashley Bennett was not all that he appeared to be at first impressions. Although she didn't care to get wrapped up in other people's business- more specifically if it were to do with the death and decay scent-, if that business involved Quinton, it was partially her business.

Rather than immediately react, she allowed the driver to drop her off in front of Astor's in, gave him a generous few gold coins and checked into her room. Tucking her bags in a tidy corner and tying her hair into a more efficient pony tail, Kelsi traded her elegant heels for a simple pair of leather boots. Without bothering to change her dress- it was already ruined, why ruin another?- she exited out the backdoor of the inn into a deserted alley. Since there was no fresh scent of decay, Kelsi figured she was simply smelling a faint remnant.

As Kelsi walked along the streets taking little effort not to be seen, she made sure that her magic was suppressed and thereby undetectable unless extreme measures were used. It was as always. Why was she not sitting by a cozy fireplace in the common dining area with a lovely book? Because they wouldn't have... Her mind supplied and it was sadly correct. The difference between her and them was that unless it directly involved Sir Quinton McQuillin, Kelsi had every intention of turning right back and around and returning to her room. It wasn't long at all before she was in the general area where Mr. Bennett had abruptly departed.