Venatyra woke with a shiver. There was a cold breeze blowing through her open window making the curtains flutter in the cold moonlight. Watching them flick she remembered something, she had shut her window before she went to bed and had double checked them too. Now that she actually though about it she was certain that she had closed them at least twice so far this night after waking in a similar manner to what she had done just before. Sitting up to close it again she noticed a dark shape silhouetted against the sky, its outline glowing sliver and white. Her first thought was that it was someone trying to break into the house, but after a moment she realised that not only did the shape look distinctly bird-like, no burglar would be stupid enough to wear anything that light. She moved closer to the shape the bed creaking and groaning with every movement. It was an owl she realised as she reached the end of her bed kneeling against its rusty foot. An enormous silver and black patterned owl.
'Why would there be a bird sleeping on my window? And such a large owl at that. Shouldn't it be hunting? Was that why it wasn't there the other times I shut that window?' unable to answer any of her questions Venatyra slid slowly off of the bed, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. It didn't work. As soon as her feet hit the ground the bed gave a loud squeal and the frame pulled back into shape. She froze, not moving a muscle out of fear that the bird would get a fright and fly off.
"Come here." A voice called.
Venatyra threw her head up looking around the old room. Seeing no one she turned back t the owl to find that it had opened its red-ish eyes and was staring at her.
"W-was that you?" She asked it haltingly.
"It was." Was the calm reply. The voice seemed to come from every where and nowhere at the same time. "Are you the one called Venatyra?"
"Yes." She said taking a cautious step forward. When the owl made no response she took another and then another and found herself standing in the moonlight before it. It looked her closely up and down thoughtfully.
"small and slimly built, black shoulder length hair, a pale skin and grey to black eyes." It said after a little while. "How old are you?"
Venatyra just looked at the bird, this was starting to get to her. Owls couldn't talk, could they? And why was it here? Surely there were better people in the world than her. Taking a step back she voiced one of those questions.
"Why have you come here?"
"My master sent me to get you to come with me back to his hide out. He feels you're your strength of will and gift of communication could be of use to him in the up coming battles. Will anyone miss you from here?"
"No. they might look for me for a few days but they would never tell anyone that I went missing because they would not know for certain when I disappeared or how far I would have gone."
"Good. I am Xarion. If you would find your strongest blanket and sit on it holding the corners together then I will be able to carry you to my masters hideout."
Venatyra did so uncertainly, not really trusting the creature who was still strange to her. As she pulled the corners together she thought to ask one last question.
"Who is your master?" The owl swooped into the room snatching the blanket out of her stunned hands.
"He is the lord whom every one knows of, most never dare to speak his name." He told her as he dragged her out of the window and into the sky.
"But who?" she insisted. Xarion was silent for a minute as they climbed even higher. When he was sure that there was no way for her to survive the fall he called out the answer.
"The dark lord, Voldemort."
