|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 10:44:59 GMT -5
Mariah shook her head, leaping back up once again to fasten her teeth on the person's leg.
After another leap led to part of the person's sleeves being ripped off, the Dark Mark showed clearly on their arm. Once this was done, they raised their wand, ready to curse the Professor. They already had part of it out before Mariah's teeth closed around their shoulder, and a scream welled up. When she went to the ground this time, they ran off, leaving a trail of blood.
That was when she realized she had been hurt. One leg had apparently been sprained, and she limped off into a corner to tend to that and a few other cut inflicted by the mostly-silent intruder.
|
|
|
Post by ring_junkie on Jun 12, 2006 10:52:59 GMT -5
Yamir's eyes widened at the sight of the Dark Mark, and he was halfway through uttering a shield sharm - as if that would protect him from an Unforgivable Curse - when Mariah fought them off and they ran. He watched Mariah limp away, and thought to follow, but hung back in case she went for him again now that the intruder was gone. She had been hurt... He healed his own wrist with a wave of his wand, but stayed where he was, watching Mariah. He gave a small cough. "I believe, er... thanks are in order," he said quietly, and a little sheepishly, referring to her having fought off the Death Eater before they could curse him.
|
|
|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 10:55:27 GMT -5
She stared at him, then appeared to roll her eyes and go back to grooming her coat, which was now stained with spots of blood. While hungry, she figured it was no good to save someone only to eat them. She didn't relax, though, but remained tense in case there were more intruders. Still, there was no sign of hostility towards the Professor at all.
|
|
|
Post by ring_junkie on Jun 12, 2006 11:10:25 GMT -5
Giving up on trying to think of that animagus charm, he decided to wait and let her change back of her own accord, but he wouldn't leave until she had - not only because he did not wish it that another person was hurt (if they were not a Death Eater, that was) and because he didn't want her to be hurt again. Growing a little in confidence after a few moments had passed in which she had not tried to attack him, he moved nearer to her, in order to sink down into a chair at one of the desks, and ran a hand through his immensely curly black hair. "...I brought your potion," he said timidly, "it's... on that desk." His voice was not powerless out of fright, but because the last time he had seen a Death Eater was when his family had been murdered. Everything had just come rushing back to him in one, huge, painful burst of memory and he sat still at the desk, his head in his hand, staring down at the wooden surface without realising that he was looking at the desk at all. The bodies of his sons... his wife... his twin brother... All the strength seemed to have drained from him in that one short moment.
|
|
|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 11:59:43 GMT -5
She tipped her head, done with cleaning herself for now. Golden eyes watched him carefully, as wary of him as he was of her. Slowly she stood, limping over.
Standing at his feet, she looked up with a gaze that prompted him to explain. She could sense the wave of emotions, and the only way she could think of helping was to lay her head on his knee, staring up at him with eyes that said that, no matter how animal-like she seemed, she still had a human heart.
|
|
|
Post by ring_junkie on Jun 12, 2006 12:37:10 GMT -5
He felt a prickling sensation begin in his eyes, and closed them tightly against the wave of tears that threatened to fall from them - the last thing he wanted to do was cry. Blinking furiously, he ran both of his hands through his hair this time, scolding himself for being so weak... but the picture of Savir and Tamal lying sprawled on the ground outside his house, their eyes open, blank and staring, empty of all life, would not leave him. Komali, her once beautiful, smiling face burnt and disfigured, tinged oddly green in the light of the Dark Mark, hovering there in the sky, a skull, grinning gloatingly down at him. And Dinesh, his body broken, lying in a puddle of his own blood...
Despite himself, he felt a sob building up inside him, but he did not - would not - let it out until he was sure he was alone, though he felt a tear hanging at the end of his eyelashes. It fell, splashing onto the desk, the moment he looked down and saw Mariah. Telling himself to not be so stupid as to actually break down in front of a student, he swallowed hard and took a deep breath, automatically reaching down a hand and gently stroking her head. He knew he should explain. But how? He didn't have the words...
"Death Eaters... I... I do not have happy memories including them," he faltered. "But I don't think anyone does."
|
|
|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 12:39:04 GMT -5
She whimpered softly in agreement, licking his hand in a comforting motion. Sensing that he needed to cry, but would not do so while she was around, she stood, looking at him with such a look that it was obvious what she was asking. Do you want me to stay, or should I go?
|
|
|
Post by ring_junkie on Jun 12, 2006 12:44:56 GMT -5
"No, it's fine. You can..." he began quietly, having been about to say that she could stay, but his voice trembled and he didn't trust himself to continue talking and instead, he shook his head a little, meaning that he would rather she did the opposite of what he had almost said.
|
|
|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 12:46:44 GMT -5
She nodded slightly, licked his hand once more, and then loped over to one of the windows. Pawing it open, she looked at him one more time before gracefully jumping out, landing on all fours and running to the Forest to meet the Pack and hunt.
|
|
|
Post by ring_junkie on Jun 12, 2006 13:01:54 GMT -5
A few seconds after she had left, unable to hold it in any longer, Yamir let out a sob which shook his whole body and collapsed forwards onto the desk, burying his head in his arms so that his cried of anguish were muffled and no one saw the tears that were now streaming down his face. After a few moments, he thumped the desk angrily with a fist, hating it that he had displayed such weakness in front of Mariah, hating it that his family were dead, but most of all, hating the Death Eaters.
He cried for a long time and, without realising it, fell asleep, so that it was three o'clock in the morning the next time he opened his eyes, stiff and uncomfortable, but feeling reasonably better for having let out some of his grief. He managed a small smile at the irony - he had told Mariah not to spend all night down in the library, but now... You hypocrite... he thought as he made his way up to his staff bedroom and collapsed onto his bed.
The next day, it was he who looked tired, sitting in the classroom, waiting for everyone to arrive.
|
|
|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 13:06:22 GMT -5
She did not appear, though. This close to the full moon, the wolf within her had taken control during hunting. She was, at that point in time, hunting one thing in particular: Death Eater. The smell of fear was palpable, and the blood-pull was strong. She ran with the pack, raising her voice in the hunt-song, growling and snarling at any and all creatures who got in her way.
As she ran, she thought of Professor Edmonds. He had seemed so hurt.... this only fueled the wolf, and she ran even faster, streaking to the head of the group that now filed between trees deep in the Forest.
|
|
|
Post by ring_junkie on Jun 12, 2006 13:12:22 GMT -5
Yamir looked up, a little surprised, when he discovered that Mariah had not handed in her homework, from looking through the pile he had just collected in. She was not sitting at her desk... Most out of the ordinary, for her. He continued teaching, though his mind wandered and he began to wonder where she was.
|
|
|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 13:15:56 GMT -5
By dinner-time that night, she was still on the trail, this time of a group. Sensing they were close, they wolves fanned out and went silent, tails high in the air and noses to the ground. Soon they had surrounded a group of around four Death Eaters. Meeting in a huddle, they created a plan which was passed down the lines. Then, it was as if all hell broke loose.
Wolves flew into the camps, howling and growling and barking and snarling. Jinxes and curses were sent everywhere. Slashing curses were favored, and many wolves had coats covered in stick messes, including Mariah. Still, blood-lust in their eyes, the wolves continued, before finally fading into the Forest again to tend their wounds and make plans again.
|
|
|
Post by ring_junkie on Jun 12, 2006 13:31:27 GMT -5
Having not seen Mariah all day, Yamir was beginning to become worried about her, though he knew that she was probably more than capable of looking after herself. And what was more... it was the full moon. But that night, Yamir would not be spending it in his bedroom - he would be venturing into the forest, in the direction he had last seen her headed, and hope to track her, find out where she had got to.
He stood, hidden in the forest, waiting for the moon to show itself. When he had transformed into the large black wolf that had been wanting to come out all week, he put his nose to the ground, searching for her scent. He didn't find it immediately, because it was cold, but he picked up on something, and followed it until it grew stronger. His ears pricked up, hearing howls and human shouts, screams up ahead, and then he stopped still, watching as a pack of wolves emerged from the trees in front of him, but his now amber eyes searched it quickly for any sign of Mariah.
|
|
|
Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 12, 2006 13:35:39 GMT -5
When the moon appeared, she transformed into a human again, just before the moon pulled the wolf out. She screamed with pained fury, and immediately became a huge white wolf, bigger than her animagus form, and with more power too.
Snarling, she leapt into the fray again, and was being knocked to the ground when Yamir appeared. She didn't notice him, though, too busy on circling her current opponent, jumping over his wand and latching onto his throat, killing him with a quick bodily twist. When she landed, it was only to find another opponent, for more and more humans appeared, one for each dead on the ground.
|
|