Cast list for HDM:tRoD

Actor/Actress	Character	Picture/Sig
Taylor Kitsch	Riley Vaughan	Picture
Abigail Breslin	Evangeline Veronica Erinth	Picture Sig
Kristen Bell	Matron Beryl	Picture
Naomi Watts	Matron Beryl's mother	None Yet
Michael Caine	Gentleman on the train/ Fitzgerald "Fitz" Crowley	Picture
Diora Baird	Diora	Picture
Crispin Glover	Commander Lindegren	None Yet
Joaquim de Almeida	Deacon Valhalla	None Yet
Peter Stormare	Admiral Wembley	None Yet

She had run all the way from her house on Glendevon Boulevard, all the way from there without turning around to see if they were chasing her. Now she did, and Evangeline saw none but the normal traffic of the streets, no sharply-clad men with helmets and rifles with silver bayonets polished and cared for so well that they reflected the sun off their curved surfaces. No one who wore, as the stereotype was in other worlds, a long coat with glasses that disguised their face and walking with a purpose towards her with several other similarly clothed accomplices approaching from the opposite direction and the sides. No one except the regular passersby and their daemons, some of whom took a second look at the child who had been running past them not a minute before, but for the most part just ignored her. She was alone, at least in the sense relative to those who had been pursuing her. The wave of relief that washed over her allowed her to take a breath, and she realized that she had been holding it while she had scanned the streets for signs of the ones seeking her.

A lone step, undistinguished from the rest but for its closed door behind it and shut windows on its sides; the store it served was unoccupied and had been vacated for a while now. It caught her eye now, and the tired girl wandered over to it, as if drawn to the stoop. It seemed to call to her, 'Come, I have a place for you to sit your weary body and rest.' So she did, and her daemon changed from a wildcat to a mouse to scamper up the steps and into her hand. Evangeline took several minutes just to breath, allowing her lungs to fill with that precious air that running had exhausted her of. Her muscles were tense and her heart was still beating hard, thump-thump, thump-thump, like a drum when what she needed was a light string instrument. She closed her eyes, and heard a whisper, "It's ok now, they're gone, Eva." A smile crossed her face, her eyes still closed as she concentrated on regaining her strength, but her relief was hard to contain.

Evangeline leaned back against the door, painted a dark green color, ugly in the daylight, its paint chipped and flaked in some places. Opening her eyes, the girl felt her free hand running along its surface, feeling where the texture changed from the green paint layer to a lighter tan under it. There was a ridge there, irregular in shape and size, and her fingernails scraped it on her hand's removal. Returning her hand to the door's surface, she absentmindedly picked at the hole in the paint, flaking off more of the ugly green color. Her mind was racing with questions right now, and she couldn't sort it all out. Why had those soldiers been chasing her, wasn't her father a soldier? Why would they want to hurt her? And why was he arrested, at the college? Why were the soldiers guarding her house? Did they want her for some reason? With the way they had sprung into action after seeing her round the corner on Glendevon, it was hard not to shake that question out of her mind. But she asked none of this aloud, and so her daemon was unable to answer, but he felt her confusion and sorrow and became a ferret and ran up her arm to her shoulder, where he rubbed his soft, furry body against her neck and chin. The girl reached her hand up to him and brought him down to her breast, where she stroked him and hugged him against her body. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and it came filled with confusion and anger and sorrow and a whole mess of emotions rolled together, much like the emotions in her heart. "Oh, Sirion, I'm so scared."

Her daemon had no answer for her; all he could do was mew in his ferret form and put his head to the fabric of her dress. But it was enough for her, and Evangeline sat there for a long while, with her hands cupping Sirion against her small body. It didn't seem to matter that just a half a mile away, uniformed men were searching building to building, turning out homes and shops, peering into the darkest and smallest of crevices to find one little girl. Nor that, miles away, a man was being constantly questioned, beaten, tortured and stripped of his dignity and honor while the General Oblation Board poked and prodded to obtain the answers they desired, even if they were not truthful or in any manner realistic or rational. All that seemed to matter, at the moment, was that child and daemon were together and that they both knew each other's fear and did the best they could to comfort the other. And while they did that, while Evangeline held little Sirion in his ferret form to her breast, she knew they were safe. It was a childish thought, but one that seemed to comfort her, and so she thought it. That was enough for her.

Glass shattered, piercing the silence that seemed to have overtaken the world while the girl and her daemon had been huddled in the stoop of an abandoned shop. A scream followed shortly and a clatter of metal jolted the child out of her feeling of tranquility. She stood, quickly, and glanced hurriedly down the street, her heart fluttering with fear. "It's them," Sirion said, and she nodded, already knowing what he had said to be true. A moment later, they were flying down the street as before, tearing through the crowds of people who stepped aside, and offering apologetic words and looks to those who were unfortunate enough not to do so. Sirion became a pigeon and he sprang into the air, circling around before resting on her shoulder, where he became a ferret again. "I don't think they saw us this time," he said. She glanced back and continued running, just in case. Her steps were beginning to falter, though, her breath irregular and her balance clumsy. Turning down another street, the girl headed into the center of town again, a plan forming in her head.

"I have to get out of here, Sirion," she paused for a moment, thinking. The plan was still forming, but she could see how it would all work, the intricate details could be figured out later. The girl continued, "We'll take a train, that'll work. They'll never catch us on one of those." Her words were firm and her resolve clear, but the daemon could still hear the fear that lined her words. He nodded silently, though, offering no opposition to her, no what-ifs that he would have done if this was some other dangerous activity, like climbing the church tower on the outside at St. Edwards, or trying to swim across the harbor. This was not a game, not a bet or some childish prank that could result in a spanking or staying inside the house for a week when she wasn't in school. No, this was real, and it seemed serious. Whatever the intent of those soldiers, neither Evangeline nor Sirion knew, but they knew that whatever happened, they could not allow themselves to fall into the hands of those soldiers.

Girl and daemon trudged onward, careful to glance behind them once in a while to make sure they were not being followed again. But their danger lingered elsewhere now, the soldiers too far behind them to catch up at the pace they were moving, and by the time that they did, she and Sirion would be long gone. That is, if all went according to plan. She didn't have enough money for a train fare, and if any of the compartments were checked by the soldiers, she was done for. But Evangeline had never stowed away before, and while she had good experience with hiding during the games she had played with friends on the streets of Liverpool, this was something different altogether. This was, as her mind kept reminding her, a serious matter, one that could change her life, perhaps. She could not afford to be wrong. I'm not wrong, the girl told herself, and if she repeated it enough, she began to believe it.

Onward the girl walked, passing through the upper district of Liverpool, with large stores where high-class residents and travelers shopped, and here and there a church or bank or some other prominent building. The streets became more crowded too, and the sidewalk so much that the traffic spilled over into the busy streets, causing angry shouts and jeering from the pedestrians and sharp whistles and beeps from the carriages and cars that clogged the downtown Liverpool streets. Evangeline found herself weaving in and out of the people crowded around her, though she was not sure which direction she should go. She considered asking someone until she saw a soldier on a corner, and instantly turned back the other way, no wanting to be spotted after making such an effort to avoid capture in the first place. A few lucky turns, though, and the girl sighted the great train station in the distance, a colossal building with a huge crowd swarming around its outer gates like water surging through a small dam or canal.

The train station was monstrous and there was no doubt in the girl's mind that she would be able to hide in here. Her daemon didn't seem as confident. "A-a-are you sure, Eva?" Sirion remained a sober second thought to Eva's own mind, but this time it seemed as if he didn't understand. Sure she was scared and probably thinking slightly irrationally, although she didn't see it that way. But Evangeline knew that, although her thoughts may lead to a situation that was dangerous, it was likely less so than the situation she was already in. She glared at Sirion, as if the mere force of her glare would change his mind. That might have worked when she was younger, but the ferret-shaped daemon had learned of her stubbornness over the years, and he kept his gaze locked into hers. If this were any other situation, the girl might have reconsidered immediately, and with tears in her eyes, begged Sirion to forgive her for trying to do something so stupid.

But this wasn't any other situation, this wasn't normal. She was being chased, hunted by soldiers who had already taken her father, perhaps her mother. She wasn't sure about her friends, about Bobby or Marci or Kevin or Jack or any of them. And the Scholars, but she was sure they'd be left alone. Evangeline hoped so. The Scholars of any college were important and usually influential, and St. Edward's College was no exception. The girl had only seen the Master of the College a few times, but each time she was afraid to approach him, quite contrary to the norm for her. She tended to be very outgoing and willing to talk with just about anyone who was within reach of her voice or feet. But the Master was different, his gaze was piercing and his whole presence was intimidating. If he had that kind of effect on her, Evangeline figured, he must have a similar effect on other men, powerful men even. Perhaps even on Church members as well.

Her mind settled back on the question at hand. The girl's eyes were still locked uncomfortably with her daemon's, and though she longed to break it, take him in and hug him and agree to whatever he said, she knew she could not. It broke her heart, but she kept her face stern. "I gotta, Sirion," she started, her voice wavering. "If I don't...those soldiers, they took my father. Maybe even Mother too." A tear streamed down her face, but amidst the pressing crowd, no one noticed but for her daemon. "I just gotta." A moment passed, but it seemed like forever to Evangeline. Her heart was beating wildly, if Sirion rejected her, oh, what could she do? She couldn't let herself be found, but she didn't want Sirion to be mad at her. Slowly, almost unwillingly, he nodded. Sirion understood, and although he still disapproved, there was nothing that he could do to convince his human likewise. He could see her conflict and how it tore her apart, and, wishing to spare her of all that mess, he agreed to her plan. He, like her, would rather have a stable human-daemon relationship than having his own way.

Soon Evangeline and her daemon joined the throng of people heading into the train station. Inside looked even larger than the exterior, with people heading this way and that, long lines of people waiting, benches and seats to sit comfortably until the trains came, and so many other areas that it was almost overwhelming. The girl had never been to the train station before, or if she had, it was when she was younger and she didn't quite remember it. It was almost too bad that she had to find some way to leave quickly, Evangeline would have liked the chance to explore the place a bit. Her daemon, sensing her desire, spoke softly to her, "Keep moving, you'll look out of place if you stand there." Nodding silently, the girl moved on. She headed towards the cluster of chairs and benches that formed an area of seating, arranged by the section of seating on the train. Those who paid the least for their tickets were seated at the far right of the building, in an area of hard, wooden benches and tile floors. For higher paying riders, the section in the middle of the building was filled with cushioned chairs and carpeting for maintaining comfort as well as patience. And holders of the tickets with the highest prices were ushered through twin glass doors with brass handles to a lounge with expensive chairs and seating, complete with a full bar and ash trays for those who smoked, cigars provided. Luckily for Evangeline, she was spared the decision of where to wait, a train pulled into the station. She watched it for a while, wary of remaining in place for too long, and an announcement came across the loudspeaker, identifying the train as one headed to Oxford, as well as a number of other places.

Delighted, the girl nearly jumped. Taking a moment to compose herself, she strode forward, joining the ranks of the middle-class ticket holders, or those not wanting to spend the extra money for a little better reception, who were filtering towards the boarding area. A steward stood at the door, taking tickets and counting the passengers. She'd have to get past him if she wanted to get on the train; her dress was far too nice to be taken for someone of lower class. Mingling among the crowd headed for the door, she tried to make herself as much a part of the crowd as she could. As she passed the steward, Evangeline moved with the step of the person to her side, on the opposite side of the steward, staying out of sight as much as she could. She nearly made it, too, until she heard a voice call, "Hey! Little girl. You there." Sullen, the girl turned to face the man. Sirion became a mouse and scampered up her dress sleeve, and she made a mental note to yell at him for it later; it was all she could do not to squirm with discomfort and pain as his little claws gripped the skin of her arm. "Where's your ticket, Miss?"

But Evangeline was quick, and she ran ahead, ignoring the shouts of the steward behind her. Sending a quick prayer up in whatever direction was necessary, she slipped her hand into the one of a gentleman standing in line. He looked at her in surprise, and she took that time to look him over. He was an older man, probably in his forties or early fifties, his hair greying at the temples and beginning to recede. He was dressed in a long suit that went well past his waist, with a vest and tie that befit a businessman. All the better for her, she thought. The steward caught up behind them and shouted at her, "Miss, come here. I need your ticket." The girl looked up into the eyes of the man, silently pleading with him not to spoil the ruse. If he did, she would be done for, finished for sure. Mouse-formed Sirion  clawed his way out onto her hand and ran up the outside of her dress, using Evangeline's distracted attention as a means to escape the scowl she would have ordinarily given him. Perched on her shoulder, he too tried to look the part needed to convince this gentleman to play along. There was something in the man's eyes, for a moment, and the girl thought she had imagined it. But it dawned on her that it was an understanding, and she prayed she had seen it. If not...the girl couldn't bear to think about what might happen.

The gentleman turned to the steward, who had repeated his statement with annoyance creeping into his tone. He said nothing, but looked at him calmly for a minute before turning back to Evangeline. As if he had just realized she were there, he exclaimed, "Oh, there you are, child." A brief smile and a reddish blush came over the girl's face, but she quickly forced it back. The man turned back to the steward and spoke to him, "Sir, did I not give you our tickets? Please let us board in peace or I will see to it that this station is aware of what kind of ill-mannered people they employ." Flabbergasted, the steward backed up, and bowed slightly before turning to run back to his post without saying another word. A grin did finally fill the girl's face, and she let it be there, satisfied that she wouldn't be caught any longer, for now at least. Hearing a whisper, she listened until she realized it was the gentleman speaking to her in a hushed voice. "You're going to have a lot of explaining to do, little miss." Her smile disappeared, and Evangeline only nodded as she boarded the train with the man, hands clasped together, Sirion still attendant on her shoulder. This was going to be a long ride, she was sure.

The door of the compartment glided open at a touch of the gentleman's hand, and he gestured towards her to enter. The girl nodded and slipped into the small train compartment. It wasn't too small, but it was far from roomy. At least it had a door on it, which was better than the open benches that served as seats for the last several passenger cars on the train. There were four seats, two on each side, and the girl seated herself on one close to the window, on the side that was closest to the rear of the train. She was surprised when the man slid the door closed again, and set down his bag on the chair diagonally across from her, while he took the seat directly opposite her own. As if knowing the question before it was asked, he offered an explanation, "I ordered a compartment to myself. I don't like the distractions of others in the room." A smile spread across his face, and swept away any doubt on her part.

Folding his hands, the gentleman placed his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to address the girl. Looking up, she saw into his eyes, although it was more like he saw into her eyes. The feeling passed in an instant, and the girl found herself blinking it away. He seemed like a nice man, and it had only been a momentary sensation, a feeling, nothing more, she told herself. There was nothing to worry about. Sirion, a ferret again, brushed against her hand, causing her to break eye contact and glance down at him. She grinned, and looked back at the gentleman, her mind at ease once more. "Now that we are all settled in," the gentleman began, "What is your name, my dear girl?"

She breathed deeply, unsure of how to answer. If she was still being hunted, and she likely was, he might tell them where she was. On the other hand, he seemed kind and nice, and more apt to help her out and give her shelter and safety. The girl was torn, thus, and the next few moments passed in silence. Evangeline kicked herself mentally, if she was quiet for too long, he would figure it out if she told a lie. I have to tell him the truth, she thought. Movement caught her eye, and she noticed Sirion nodding his head, confirming her thoughts. She sighed. Here goes nothing. Smiling to try to make up for the delay, the girl looked back up at the gentleman. "My name is Evangeline, but everyone just calls me Eva."

He chuckled, "It's very nice to meet you, Eva. And that is a very pretty name, but I would wish nothing less of a name for such a pretty girl." She blushed at his words and turned away for a moment, producing yet another chuckle from him. "And my name is Fitzgerald Crowley, but you may simply call me Fitz. I absolutely deplore the name Fitzgerald." Unsure of what deplore meant, the girl nodded, assuming he just hated his name. "So, tell me, Miss Eva, why did you need to get on a train without a ticket? Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look poor by any means. And where is your family? You haven't run away, now have you, child?"

"Umm," her words drifted off. Evangeline bit her lip, conscious of the surprising truth of the man's last question. She wished she could look to her daemon for comfort, but somehow felt prohibited from doing so, as if that would constitute some sign or implication of wrongdoing. She felt constricted, as if there was a physical force that prevented her from being comfortable. Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, the girl fidgeted in her seat. These were all signs of her discomfort, but none of them occurred to her as such. Nor did the help the situation any, or calm her. Nervous, she kept silent, unsure of the words that might come out of her mouth. Fitz seemed nice, but could she trust him? Could she trust anybody anymore?

Before she knew what was happening, Evangeline was speaking. She was telling Fitz about seeing her father arrested that afternoon while she had been playing on the roof. The soldiers, clad in the colors of the Magisterium, invoked fear in her, and coupled with her father's apparent arrest, caused her to flee back home. The girl recanted how, to her horror, she had found her street patrolled by soldiers, and several placed in front of her house. And how, when one had spotted her, she had taken off, flying down the streets as if a great fire had been lit under her. Evangeline told the man how she had headed for the train station, figuring the best way to avoid the soldiers was to get out of the city. As she spoke, the girl remembered what she was leaving behind, her mother and father, her home, the college and the scholars there, her school, the streets of Liverpool where she had played many days and nights, and most of all, her friends. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered them.

Bobby was always the most fun. He was two years older than her, but he still played with her and the other children. He was growing tall, much taller than she, and it was apparent that he would soon be displaying the appearance of a man. But he was the best at almost anything. When they played games in the streets, he would always be captain of one team. Bobby did so well at each of them, and so whatever team he was on usually ended up winning. And he was funny, too, cracking jokes at just about everything and every one.

Marci, for all her shyness, was Eva's best and closest friend, besides Sirion of course. She used to be picked on by the other children, but when Eva befriended her, and dared to use force to defend her new friend, the bullies backed away. That was almost four years ago now, and the friendship endured well. The two girls were about the same age, with their birthdays just weeks apart, and they likened each other to a sister, as neither one had any siblings at all. Marci's family had a stall on Market Street, and she helped out there often, so the times that she could play during the day were few. But Eva had been able to convince her to sneak off once in a while, and the two enjoyed exploring areas of the city, and just talking to each other. One day, Eva had led Marci to the college and showed her how to get up on the rooftop. Marci was so taken in by the view and the thrill of it all that the rooftop of the St. Edward's College became their de-facto hangout spot.

Kevin and Jack were brothers from a large family with four other children, two parents and their grandparents. Their grandfather owned a grocery store on Second Avenue that their father often manned, while their mother and grandmother baked items for the store's bread and pastry stores. The boys' older siblings generally helped out as well, but both of the children were too young to help, and too old to be cared for by their mother at all times. Kevin was two years younger than Eva while Jack was a year older, and the two participated often with Bobby, Marci and Eva when the three gathered for games and adventures. When playing games, Jack and Kevin typically manned one team, with Jack as the captain, while Bobby, Marci and Eva made up the other.

When they first met many years ago, Bobby had invited Jack along to one of their adventures, and Eva became fast friends with him. When Marci couldn't be spared from her parent's stall, or sneak away without getting in too much trouble, Eva often sought out Jack to explore and play with. Their relationship wasn't as close as Eva and Marci's, but they enjoyed each other's company regardless. When she had gotten back from the trip with her father, Jack had acted strange to her, but Eva just passed it off and immersed herself again in the company of her friends. And now she would never see him again. Or Marci. Or Bobby and Kevin either. She couldn't bear to glance out the window, but from the patterns that the light made, and the endless clacking of the wheels over the tracks, the girl could almost see the movement of the landscape as the train sped past.

A discernible "hmm" came from the direction of Fitz, and the girl looked up, blinking for a moment as she remembered instantly who he was and where she was. "I see," was all he said for quite some time. Eva wanted to ask what it was he saw, to badger him until he divulged all that he knew, but she felt curiously calm, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. At that moment, to her, it didn't matter if Fitz knew everything, at least she didn't have to keep it all to herself anymore. She grinned to herself, happy that it was all gone, the feelings of terror and anxiety, and she basked in the blissful euphoria.

A few moments passed in silence between them, the girl continued to gaze out the window. The sensation didn't come on suddenly, but grew slowly over those moments. It was barely discernible when she had stepped into the train car, but now the sensation was so great that it was nearly screaming at her. She needed to find a place to relieve herself of this sensation, before she made herself look silly and Sirion passed out from embarrassment. Thinking of him, Eva glanced up to find her daemon in the form of a small songbird, fluttering about the compartment much like a wild animal, pardon the pun. Even Fitz had taken notice, looking to her to determine the cause for her daemon's restlessness. Before he could speak, the girl found herself asking, "Is there a restroom somewhere on here?" She didn't feel the need to explain more, it wasn't proper, and she was sure the gentleman could figure the rest out.

Fitz stood and opened the compartment door, motioning to someone outside. A few seconds later, a man in a uniform colored like the upholstery that covered the compartment's seating, a canine daemon panting beside him, approached. Fitz spoke to him softly and the man nodded, looking past the gentleman towards Eva. The girl stood, gathering Sirion from his wild dance and stroked him softly as she exited the compartment past Fitz. The uniformed man led Eva down the corridor past the compartments, and down a small set of stairs. There, at the end of the train car, was a door marked W.C.. The uniformed man opened the door and stood to the side as the girl entered.

She closed the door behind her and wasted no time. Eva removed the garments necessary and took a seat on the contraption that served as the train's toilet. A few minutes later, she finished and cleaned up, replacing her clothes as they were before. Sirion seemed much calmer than before, and the girl smiled at him. Opening the door, she stepped out and nodded to the uniformed man, who began to lead her back to the compartment. Once there, Eva thanked the man and entered the compartment, to find that it was empty. She sat down to wait, and before long, Fitz appeared. The girl gave the gentleman a curious look, to which he responded, "Sorry. I had some," he cleared his throat, "business to take care of. Nothing you need to worry about."

The girl nodded, satisfied with that information. And now that her body had been satisfied, the sensation no longer present, Eva felt another sensation coming on. Not like the last, no, this was more like a gentle pressure in her eyes and mind. Stretching out along the bench that made up the compartment's seating, she yawned, and succumbed to the gentle rhythm of the train passing over the tracks. Within minutes, Eva had fallen fast asleep, Sirion, back in his ferret form, curled up under the girl's chin and rested along with his human companion.