Kal trudged through the snow with an evident amount of endeavour as Dan trailed behind, glancing cautiously over his shoulder towards the road behind them. The pair were heading out of the pass a couple kilometres to a nearby settlement in hopes of finally locating some source of sign language knowledge. The pass was full of people who would shrug their shoulders at the question concerning it- the fact is that it probably never crossed their minds. Frustrated with their situation, Dan and Kal decided the best way to seek this knowledge was to travel out and find it themselves. They had prepared adequately for the journey as they were sure it would at least be one night outside the safety of Belles; Dan carried the blankets, food and water while Kal had only a small rucksack on her back clipped across her chest, she acted as "overseer" to the trip.

The pair were now a couple hours into the trip, the sight of a large dilapidated cabin rose from the distance, drawing them towards it.  Kal looked back at Dan who was struggling a little under the weight of almost the entire luggage.
"Wanna' stop, honey?" She asked, her voice sounding slightly concerned but her face maintaining a suppressed expression. Dan shook his head, smiling in an attempt to reassure Kal before pointing to the house, indicating that they continue and then stop there.

Kal nodded, taking the hint before stepping over a protruding tree root, keeping her eyes fixed on the cabin; at this distance it was quite clear, the pine trees that lined the forest path dwindled the closer they drew closer. Dan caught up with Kal as the path ended, giving way to a sharp incline leading up to the cabin, Dan took Kal's left sleeve and began to guide her up the hill. Once at the front door, Dan knocked on it lightly, Kal rolled her eyes.
"If there was someone in there then they would have come out."

Dan hesitated, not quite convinced by her logic but nods anyway, he then tries the door; the wooden door is unlocked but heavy and it takes both hands for Dan to push it open. Kal smiles over to Dan as she walks inside- the room is dark, lit only from the natural light streaming from the windows. "Dan lights." Kal said flatly, expecting her command to be met. Dan fumbles a moment in his pocket before taking out a flashlight and flicking it on. The light reveals a dusty sitting room; sofa, a dead television, a coffee table and a mirror sitting cracked on the floor. Kal moves over to them, looking around for any obvious books. Of course there is nothing.
"Dan, put the flashlight down in that room over there, I'll have a look around while you search some-place else." Dan nodded in agreement, placing the torch in the doorway of the room then taking out his own flashlight and setting off into the dark.

Kal's room was a study by the looks of it...  no a bedroom. The fact it was lined with bookshelves had fooled her initially. She went back over to torch, kicking it into position at the base of the shelves. Kal moved along the rows of books, most of them were instructional things like cookbooks for foreign and obscure dishes. The row of books below were old how-to books "for dummies" apparently...  Among the collection was a yellow spine book labelled "ASL Sign For Dummies" Kal took that as evidence enough that they had found what they had been looking for.

Suddenly a noise startled Kal, she spun to face the bed. There was nothing, only the darkness where the flashlight's glare ended. It was probably a mouse or something, that's okay. As Kal began to turn back to the shelf something caught her eye; a set of dusty hearing aids on the bedside table. The thought then struck her that perhaps the former occupant of this house was deaf, hence the book.

Meanwhile in Dan's room he was searching around through the drawers of a dressing room, there were lots of strange dresses here, almost all of them pink, none of them would suit Kal or be practical in the slightest. He opened up a new drawer, inside sat a collection of tangled jewellery; elaborate pearls on golden string, over-complicated sets of butterfly earrings, the whole thing emitted a foul perfume odour that made Dan wrinkle his features. In the corner of the drawer was a plain gold chain around a single gold band, perhaps a wedding ring? Hmm... Dan thought to himself a moment, checking around for Kal then taking it once he knew she wasn't there.

"Dan! Got something!" Kal shouted from the other room, Dan stuffed the ring and chain into a small pocket on the backpack before coming through to see Kal standing by a bookcase gesturing to one with her sleeve.
Within a few minutes the pair were out on the road again, leaving the cabin and heading home. At this rate they would arrive home by dusk.

As night fell over Ineu, Kal collapsed into her usual chair, Dan sitting opposite on his.
"Alright!" She puffed, clearly tired by the day's events. "Open it up and get reading, you can teach me in the morning or something because I am just too tired."
Dan nodded graciously; he placed the bag behind his chair and slid his notepad and pen from his pocket. He scrawled over the pad a moment before extending his message to Kal.
"Goodnight Kal, sleep well."