Not exactly being able to pull out their wands and apparate into the very heart of London, the team was forced to hand over transportation to Sköll. She had spent many months in the muggle world while her father was out hunting or handling the affairs of his pack. She had even gotten herself a job so she was able to have a bit of money during that time. Muggle money of course, but it worked just as well as magical money. She found it very difficult traveling with her group however; not only were they enthralled by the muggle world but she had to watch them because as soon as she went to buy tube tickets, Chase was chasing after a lovely little brunette on her way to work.
"Hey baby, I'm a wizard, want to see my wand?"
He asked, sliding in with ease beside her. The girl, no more than nineteen, looked up at Chase who had probably forgotten that he looked about forty years old, cocked her eyebrow, scoffed and kept on walking. Dejected, Chase wandered back to the group just as Sköll came back with the tickets.
"That was idiotic,"
Fenrir reprimanded while Samuel tried to control his snickers.
"Really mate, you couldn't 'ave chosen a better line?"
Scabior asked, swiping the ticket rather violently from Sköll's hand. He inspected the bit of pink paper, holding it up to the light as though he was testing to see if it was really a legitimate tube ticket.
"What's this rubbish?"
He asked, turning it upside down and sideways. Sköll gave him a rather unimpressed look. He may have been a wizard, completely unfamiliar with using the tube, but the ticket clearly had the words " London Underground" printed on it in blue letters. What did he suspect it was? Some sort of giant acid patch? Some trip that would be...
"It's a train ticket. Just put it in that little slot there when you go through and collect it when it comes out the other end. Hold on to it, you'll need it again. We're at Ealing Broadway right now, alright? We get off at Westminster. If you get lost, remember that we're on the green line. There are maps everywhere."
Sköll instructed while Scabior mumbled something about muggle folly. He turned to the werewolf who nodded, jutting his chin out to Sköll first then Scabior, indicating that she should stick with him. Sköll led the way, knowing that unless she did someone would get lost. Once they had made their way through the gate Scabior glanced back to the rest of his team, noting their position in the crowd. He continued to track them until they were all spaced out evenly in the crowed, waiting for the next train to come by. Fenrir was chatting idly with Chase while Samuel simply stuck his hands in his hoodie pouch and tried to look as teenagerishly angsty as possible. Scabior was about to ask Sköll exactly what that smell was when he noticed her looking miserably at one of her new blond curls.
"What, not a fan of blond?"
He asked, not really all that concerned about what she was a fan of. He just wanted to appear as muggle like as possible. She seemed to snap out of it however and dropped the curl, instead shoving her hands in her jacket pockets.
"Oh no, it's lovely."
She said with a smile, and though Scabior saw right through it, he was very concerned at the fact that she was keeping something from him.
"Don't lie to me."
He half snarled, though he immediately regretted it. The look on Sköll's face reminded him of a puppy that had just been kicked.
"Don't lie to me."
He repeated a little more softly. Sköll picked up the strand of hair she had been playing with and shrugged.
"It's the same colour as my eyes,"
She said gently, letting the tress fall to her shoulder.
"Oh Christ you really are Fen's girl. Always so bloody cryptic about everything."
He snorted as the wind from the train began to howl through the station. The train followed a few moments later, and soon the team was speeding through the dark tunnels of the tube. Scabior sat in silence for a moment before crossing his arms and pouting slightly.
"So what's so wrong with it being the same colour as your eyes?"
He asked, making Sköll chuckle. Apparently the man wasn't fond of puzzles he couldn't solve.
"I like my eyes. They remind me that I am my father's daughter."
She said, earning herself an odd look from Scabior.
"You need reminding?"
He asked as the train slowed in to the next station. Had Fenrir been his father he definitely wouldn't have needed daily reminding. He imagined it would be quite hard to forget that your father was a dark wizard, a Snatcher, and a bloody great big hairy werewolf. Sköll simply shrugged.
Scabior was tempted to remind her that lying to him wasn't an option, but he left her be. It was his policy to keep things open with the team; they should always be able to tell each other anything. He didn't like it, but he would let her keep her secret. If it became an issue later he could always pry it from her.
"Did Fen explain the code?"
He asked, suddenly remembering that she was completely unfamiliar with how they hunted. The girl shook her head, so with a great sigh he began to explain.
"Fen's got the book of names with 'im. If you see 'im with it out, it means 'e's got someone. 'e'll use occlumency to send you a flash of what that person looks like, and where they are. Once you've got the target, push 'im out of your 'ead. It won't be 'ard. Samuel and Fen will take the left flank, you and I will take the right, and Chase, well 'e does what 'e does best. 'e chases. They usually don't try to apparate unless we do. Then, the chase is on."
He said, a smile coming to his face.
"Why not use imperio?"
Asked Sköll. Her father had often threatened to use it to make her brush her teeth when she had been little, so she was perfectly aware of its effects. He had never used it on her of course, though it had been enough to make her scurry to the bathroom and brush on more than one occasion. Later in life Fenrir would admit it hadn't been his finest parental moment.
"You try performing that while running or apparating and tell me 'ow it works out for you."
He said with a scoff. Sköll bowed her head. She wouldn't be trying that little stunt, that was for sure.
The train finally slowed to a stop in Westminster station, and somehow in the bustle the team managed to get themselves out of their respective cars and onto the street without a hassle. Sköll had to admit she was rather impressed by how well the Snatchers had taken to the Tube.
Almost at once Samuel began placing the taboo, his wand safely hidden in the pouch of his hoodie. While he worked on that, Sköll went to a muggle news box and grabbed a paper. She flipped it open to the classifieds, read it over quickly and dropped it on top of the box. Fenrir waited a moment after she had left before picking it up himself, smiling inwardly. It had been kind of her to give him something to read while they waited for their trap to be sprung.
He sat down on a bench a little ways away from the small cafe which Sköll and Scabior had walked into and, being the father he was, watched them from over his paper.
Inside, Scabior and Sköll placed their orders and went to sit down. The elderly lady at the counter had narrowed her eyes slightly at Scabior when Sköll reached into her own pocket to pay. Scabior had to say this deflated his ego a bit, though it wasn't exactly as though he could pay for his own coffee, what with muggle money being so... different. He assured himself inwardly that had he been able he would have paid for both their drinks; besides it was the thought that counted.
"Thanks, love."
He said, gently tugging one of her curls. Sköll cocked an eyebrow at his retreating figure before following him. It hadn't hurt, it had simply been a strange gestured. She shrugged it off and went to sit with him, attributing it to a simple nuance in his character.
"So 'ow much did your dear ol' Dad tell you about this job?"
Scabior asked, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. Sköll shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though she was under interrogation.
"That it's fairly dangerous work and that..."
She stopped for a moment, taking in the scent of the man who had just walked by her. She had smelt that particular scent quite recently, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it...
"Well that was shameless,"
Scabior noted, taking a sip of the coffee that had just been brought to him. He had taken her to be a shy and modest girl. He never suspected that she would have the gaul to even speak to a man she was attracted to; never mind take a whiff of a complete stranger. It was sort of creepy, in all honesty.
"He smelt like The Leaky Cauldron."
She explained, lowering her eyes. Scabior cocked an eyebrow, but instead of questioning just yet he turned around and glanced out the window where Fenrir had dropped his paper and was now following the man Sköll had just mentioned; the little red book in his right hand.
Scabior cast a confused glance back at Sköll before getting up to follow the elder Greyback. Noticing his sudden shift in mood, Sköll followed suit.
The pair walked with purpose, tailing Fenrir from the other side of the road. They followed him until he stopped at the corner of Victoria and Broadway, and that was when it happened. A vision of a man in a black coat and a flat cap came into her mind. Sköll scanned the street for him but quickly realised that in such a busy place it would be damn near impossible to find him. She focused instead on the fact that she had seen him passing a canopied bus stop, and looked ahead on her side of the street to see the very same stop. The man with the cap disappearing into a shop, and fighting the urge to give chase, Sköll began to power walk down the street.
Scabior -despite his longer legs- was having a hard time keeping up with her. He didn't know what had set her off, but she suddenly had an air of confidence about her that he found suited her quite nicely. She didn't even look like she was trying to chase her prey. Her stride was one of purpose. She was going to collect him. Her chase was over.
She scanned the shop windows, taking a whiff of the air every now and again. She remembered that he had smelt like the inn, and sure enough, the trail lead into a shop called Pizza Express, right to the back where the bathrooms were.
"In the loo,"
She said to Scabior, before returning to wait outside the door, marking it for her companions. She watched as Chase and Fenrir kept their distance while Samuel came striding forward. The man came out, shaking and pale faced, followed by Scabior who had his hand on the man's shoulder. It looked like a friendly enough gesture, but upon closer inspection Sköll noticed that his fingers were turning white he was putting so much force into them.
"Ivander Skildit,"
He said to Samuel, handing over the man's wand to his fellow Snatcher. Samuel then proceeded to walk away, keeping careful hold of the man's shoulder.
"First catch of the day. Not bad Sköll."
Scabior said, tugging her hair and making the girl blush.
"Is it always that easy?"
She asked, secretly hoping that the answer would be no. Scabior laughed and began walking back towards the area where the taboo had been set up.
"Never."