Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; I am just playing in the sandbox of my imagination for a few minutes. I leave ownership and all the stress related to it to J.K. Rowling.
AN: Thank you all again for all the reviews. They really are an inspiration to me to keep writing and updating. I would like to make a reply to the reviewer who made the comment about the cold being Harry Potter's emo friend: You made me laugh – out loud - in the computer lab – in the library…I got told to keep the noise down…Please keep the reviews coming! Even if they get me in trouble.
AN: Here is the rest of the chapter dealing with Harry's journey. We will meet several important and key players in this chapter that we haven't met yet. I have spent quite a bit of time on it, and it is quite a bit longer than my normal chapters as I didn't want to leave the ending in a cliff hanger. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I have writing it.
Don
-DCM-
Harry had been walking for several hours. He honestly didn't know exactly how long he had been walking, nor did he have any idea how far he had walked. All he knew was that he had walked further than he had ever walked before. He had spent his time walking along the mountain road, if it could be called a road, a barely useable trail would be a more accurate description, both looking for a tree he could cut a branch from to use as a walking stick, and thinking about the answers he didn't get from the old man back at the stone building.
All he had seen so far was snow, a few rocks, some snow, a small patch of dirt with a few brown weeds sticking up, and more snow. Well, he had seen some mountains…but they were covered in snow, so those didn't count as something new.
"He couldn't even tell me where I was…" Harry's mutter came out more than a little angry and slightly bitter. "Hey, I have an idea! Let's take a city kid, give him a knife and send him into the mountains and see what happens! Yea! That sounds great!"
Harry's angry rambling was brought up short when he noticed something. Something that wasn't a rock, or a weed, or even snow, it was something different. Down below the trail was a small copse of trees. Green, healthy trees, with a small brook running through it. The brook seemed to bubble up out of the ground a few yards up hill from the trees, and cascade down the side of the mountain and run between the trees only to disappear back into the ground shortly after passing them. In the middle of the trees, the brook widened slightly into a slow moving pond of sorts. If that wasn't different enough, Harry noticed that sitting on some rocks dangling their feet into the stream were three tall women. Each of them were tall and very slender, and they had green hair that looked like it had leaves mixed in with it.
Harry stopped and stared at the women for several minutes. It looked like they were playing in the water, and eating some kind of fruit that Harry didn't recognize. The longer Harry stared, the hungrier he got, and the more he thought about it, the thirstier he got as well.
The women had noticed him and were staring back. One of them got up from her rock, and picked up some fruit. She slowly walked up the side of the mountain towards Harry. He noticed that she didn't seem to be putting much effort in walking, that or walking up a steep hill wasn't very hard for her. As she got closer, he noticed that she looked slightly translucent. It was almost as if he could look through her, but not quite. The effect was quite disconcerting, especially for a seven year old boy.
"Are you hungry traveler?" The woman had stopped about 15 feet from Harry and was looking at him intently. Harry couldn't answer, he was extremely fixated on the fruit the woman held in her hands. He simply nodded and hopped she would give the fruit to him.
"Then come! You can eat your fill and drink from our stream." She gave Harry a warm and inviting smile.
Harry walked toward the woman. When he reached the edge of the trail he stopped. Something in the back of his head was stopping him. What was it the old man had said?
"Come little one! Our fruit is very sweet and delicious! Come and eat. Are you thirsty? Come and drink your fill." She beckoned Harry to follow. He again went to step off the trail to follow, but instead of walking forward he put his foot down with a small frown.
"Come join us and rest little one!" By now all three women were standing before him. They had moved within a few yards of him. "Come eat and drink and take some rest with us! Let us wash away your cares and troubles!"
Harry again picked up his foot and went to move forward.
-DCM-
Daphne was sitting in her bed. She had slept for a few hours, but wasn't tired enough to keep sleeping. She was currently reading a book about Babbity Rabbit that she enjoyed. She was almost to her favorite part where Babbity tricks the hag into giving her some carrots when she felt her crystal turn cold. She grabbed it and closed her eyes.
She got a glimpse of Harry standing before three tall beautiful women. One was holding some fruit out to him and they were beckoning him to follow. The blood in Daphne's veins ran cold as she quickly realized that they were dryads, and Harry would be in trouble if he followed them. She saw him pick up his foot and then after a moment set it back down. The dryads were again beckoning him to follow and he again picked up his foot and moved to follow.
"Harry stay on the trail!"
-DCM-
"Harry stay on the trail!" The familiar voice caused Harry to stop. He blinked several times and looked around. The women in front of him, dryads he now knew, had stopped trying to get him to follow and were frowning. Harry stepped back from the edge of the trail, looking a little fearful.
The three women stared at him for another moment, but then seeing that their spell had been broken, turned and started to return to their trees.
With one last look at them, Harry turned and continued on his way.
"Thank you Daphne…"
-DCM-
"You're welcome Harry…" Daphne returned to her reading with a small smile on her lips.
-DCM-
Harry's journey carried him deeper into the mountains. The trail led upward from where he had encountered the dryads. Several times he had to stop for a few minutes to rest on a rock. Each time he stopped he made sure to keep himself firmly on the trail. He was starting to understand the warning the man had given him. Sorrow indeed.
As he continued on, the sun rose up to its zenith overhead and began its long journey to the west. From the little Harry understood on directions from school, he guessed he was heading north. Or maybe it was south…well at least he knew he wasn't heading east or west. That knowledge gave him a small portion of comfort..…very small.
After a while, Harry noticed something on the trail ahead. It was small, kind of round, and covered with white fur. Harry stopped and stared at it for a moment. If he had to guess, he would say it looked like a little white monkey…or maybe an ape. He wasn't sure which.
"At least it's not one of those giant white bears…cause that would just be scary beyond description…"
At the sound of Harry's voice, the 'thing' turned and looked at Him. Harry could tell this wasn't just an animal. Whatever this animal was, it was smart. It looked at Harry for a minute, then with a few loud grunts, jumped off the rock and ran up the trail away from Harry and around a bend in the trail and out of sight.
Harry hesitated, and then followed. When he came around the corner he was pulled up short. There were several more of the creatures ahead of him. One or two were on the trail, and several more were around the mouths of several caves that dotted the side of the mountain. The first creature Harry had seen was still running up the trail towards its kin making loud screeching noises. All of the furry creatures stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Harry. One of them picked up what could only be described as a baby, and took it into one of the caves. The creatures had stopped all movement and were looking at Harry while he stood there looking at them.
Harry took a deep breath. He looked around hoping to see a way to bypass what was obviously some sort of village. To the one side of the trail, the embankment dropped off steeply and Harry knew he wouldn't be able to climb back up if he went down. On the upward slope, it looked like it was climbable to a point then it ran into a cliff face. 'No good there either…'
"Stay on the trail, stay on the trail, stay on the trail" The words had become a mantra to him. He moved forward slowly. He held his hands up in front of himself with his hands open and palms outward at chest height. He hopped this would show that he had nothing to hide and meant no harm to the furry white creatures.
"I just want to pass. Stay on the trail, please let me pass, stay on the trail." Harry fervently whispered.
It was almost half way through the small village when one of the taller creatures suddenly came very close to Harry. It stopped near the trail, and peered closely at him. The creature was a good foot taller than Harry and was very thick through the chest. Harry wasn't sure, but got the impression that this was a male creature of the species and that he wasn't really very old. The creature sniffed the air as if to get a clear scent from Harry and looked at him curiously.
After hesitating for a moment, Harry decided the creature wasn't going to hurt him, and he quickly moved past him and continued on his way. Harry was just beginning to think he was going to make it through the village without further incident when suddenly a very large shadow fell over him.
Harry pulled up short, and looked up at the creature before him. His eyes traveled up, and up and up. Standing before him, blocking the trail, was a creature easily seven feet tall. It was heavily muscled, and had several battle scars across its chest, arms and even one running down its face. It had 3 inch tusks jutting up out of its lower jaw, and it was growling menacingly at Harry.
Harry stood there, still as could be, and stared at this creature. He felt his face flush, and if he had a coherent thought, it was that he was probably about to be made into a meal.
The creature growled at Harry again and leaned over him putting his face right up to Harry.
Harry stood stock still and stared right back at the creature.
Without warning it took a deep breath and roared right in Harry's face, the force of its breath causing Harry's hair to fly backwards on his head and several drops of saliva flew from the creatures mouth, landing on Harry's face and chest.
As suddenly as it started, the roar stopped. Harry wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was because he was tired. Or perhaps it was because he was more than a bit frustrated at this long journey and his lack of answers. Or perhaps it was all the adrenalin he had rushing into his blood. Harry took a deep breath, and as suddenly as the creature roared at him, he opened his mouth and roared right back. He put all his anger, tiredness and frustration into the roar and let it out.
When his roar was done, Harry stood panting and looking at the giant ape thing, who stood there looking at Harry with a look of surprise. For several minutes they just looked at each other. Then with a grunt, the creature stood and moved off the trail, and out of Harry's way.
Harry watched him go for a moment, and then quickly moved along the trail before the creature had a chance to change its mind. As soon as he was around the next bend, Harry's knees gave out and he sat down hard in the middle of the trail.
"Stay on the trail, leaving will cause sorrow…staying will cause dirty underwear…"
Harry sat for a few more moments before slowly and shakily climbing to his feet. He looked behind him once more, and then turning to face forward once more, he continued on his journey.
-DC-
Daphne let out the breath she had been holding. "Dirty underwear indeed…"
-DCM-
Braelik folded his wings and dropped the final few feet to the ground. Anya, grumbled and let go of his ridge bones and dropped to the ground with a practiced ease.
"I just don'a see what tha big rush be husband." She was twisting her torso back and forth to get the kinks out, and to get the blood flowing again.
Braelik meanwhile changed back to his dwarven form and stood. "If'n it be true what was said, then thar be a Winter's Child on the trail to the Heart" came the reply.
Anya stopped and looked at her husband with an angry look. "You cunn'a told me this afor we left? Mountain's mercy Braelik." She moved off towards the citadel. "Din'a they at least tell you what species?"
"Human twas the impression I got."
Anya humphed "That'll be three. You would'a thought we'd be gettin another dwarf after 4000 years."
Braelik "twood be think'n so, but tis magic's choice, you be knowin that luv…"
They made their way inside and moved up the reception hall towards the others gathered inside.
Behind them a very large ape like creature, covered in white hair and steal armor, slowly closed the door to the citadel and returned to his guard post staring out past the shrayken pool and down the trail towards where the Winter's Child would appear.
Braelik and Anya were the last of them to arrive, but that was to be expected as they had the furthest to come to answer the summons. The guard just hoped that this summons wouldn't be in vain like the last one had been. He turned his attention to a small black dot that had just appeared on the horizon. The Winter's Child was here. With a slow deep breath, he stilled all his movements and waited.
-DCM—
Harry stared at the tree blocking his path. It was easily the strangest tree he had ever seen. Its bark and leaves were white, in fact everything on the tree was white. Harry approached the tree slowly, then reached out and put his hand upon the trunk. The tree was cool to the touch, but not the cold that he had expected. Harry looked down at the path that ran right up to the tree, and then continued on on the other side. He looked up. The first branch of the tree was just within jumping distance. Harry looked around the tree again, and then up at the first branch.
"He said stay on the path…" Harry muttered to himself, and jumped up to the first branch. As Harry pulled himself up and looked for the next branch for him to climb onto, he had the stray thought that maybe he would find a branch he could cut for a walking stick. He continued to climb, and when he had reached about half way up the tree he spotted what looked like it would be the perfect branch to cut and make into a walking stick. Harry climbed up to it, and set himself on a lower branch so he could comfortably cut the branch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the knife. He unsheathed it and set it to the branch to begin cutting.
Just as he was about to make his first cut, he hesitated. He wasn't sure why, but something was telling him that cutting this tree would be wrong. Harry reached out and put his hand on the branch and again was about to make his first cut, when he hesitated again. The thought came to Harry that this wasn't a tree meant to be cut. It was beautiful, and cutting it would damage its perfection, and that doing that would be a mistake. Harry sighed, but he put away his knife. He had come this far without a walking stick; he could make it the rest of the way.
Harry climbed a little ways further, and was able to move to the other side of the tree and climb down. When he got to the lowest branch on the other side of the tree, he noticed that it was several feet higher than the first branch on the other side. He hesitated for several moments, and then dropped himself to hanging below the branch. He swung back and forth a few times, and then dropped heavily to the ground, falling onto his back in the process. As he was lying on his back staring up into the tree a long white stick dropped down from the tree and landed on his chest.
Harry picked it up off his chest and looked at it closer. It was a little over a foot in length, and tapered from one end to the other. Harry felt along the stick and found it to be smooth. When he held it in his hand, it had a feeling of belonging there. Harry had seen people with sticks before, wands, if he remembered correctly.
Harry smiled and stood up. He walked up to the tree, and placing his left hand on the trunk, murmured a quiet, heartfelt thanks. He then turned and continued up the trail.
-DCM-
The sun was close to setting by the time Harry reached the pool. Harry had faithfully followed the trail, except now the trail led into a pool of water. He could see that the trail kept running along the bottom of the pool, which started out shallow, and slowly got deeper until he could no longer see the bottom. Then about 50 yards further on, the pool started getting shallow again. He could tell the pool wasn't natural. Surrounding the pool on all sides were some cut white stones that were about a foot square. Each stone had some odd little carvings on them. On the other side of the pool was a set of white stone steps that led up to a small landing in front of a large set of double doors.
Harry studied the large building on the other side of the pool. Large was an understatement. It was easily the largest building he had ever seen. It was made of a smooth and shiny white stone. Looking at it, Harry got the impressions of strength and majesty. Standing to one side of the landing in front of the large double doors was the largest white ape Harry had seen yet. Even from this distance, he could tell it was enormous. No enormous was too small of a word to describe it. And it was wearing armor. Harry wasn't sure what it was, but he could see the handle of some sort of weapon poking up over one of its shoulders. Harry didn't think that yelling in this one's face would get it to move. He turned back and once again studied the pool before him. 'I guess I could try swimming'.
-DCM-
The gathering in the reception hall was of a very diverse crowd. Each set of couples were different from the others, and yet there was an easy friendship and comradery that existed between all that were present. It was easy to tell that each being here was here with their mates. There were four humans present, two were older with white hair, and a regal bearing, the two younger both had red hair and you could tell by looking them that they were passionate and full of energy. Next to the younger humans was a pair of high elves, full of grace and beauty. In stark contrast to the elves beauty, was a pair of ogres. The male was easily 12 feet tall, with his mate just a head shorter. Contrary to what the world would expect, their eyes glittered with intelligence and they were easily welcomed into the gathering.
A pair of goblins, were talking to the ogres when the dwarves walked up, being the last to arrive. The male goblin turned to the dwarf and greeted him warmly. "Braelik! About time you arrived! Grug was just talking my ear off! I couldn't get a word in edgewise." The ogre in question merely looked down on his diminutive companion and gave a slight smile.
"Ock Goretusk, ifn' Grug be talkin so much, I'll be eatin my boot!" The friends shared a laugh with even the usually silent Grug chuckling at the antics of those around him.
Greetings were given to the two newcomers before the conversation turned to the summons. The small crowd fell silent as the male human with regal bearing cleared his throat.
"Thank you for answer the summons my friends and I wish you all a welcome to The Heart. Long have we waited for a Winter's Child to make their way here and take their place amoung us. Hopefully today is that day. The night winds have long whispered of an ice child being born, and last night he made his way to the monastery below. Today he was set on his path here. He has passed the first two obstacles, and is currently almost to the shrayken pool ". At this there were some apprehensive looks. "If all goes well, he should be entering in a few moments. Shall we all take our places?"
With this, each couple in the group turned and moved towards an alcove that seemed to fit each couple perfectly. The alcove for Grug and his mate, was much larger than the others, and decorated to look like a scene from under the sea. Goretusk and his wife, Shalerock, walked a few minutes with Braelik and Anya. The two wives exchanging pleasantries and talking for a moment before separating, each going to adjoining alcoves. Braelik moved to a stone bench that was obviously made for one. With a wave of his hand, it elongated, and his wife was able to sit next to him.
"You do be knowin that Lord Conrak not be likin when you do doing that." Anya chastised him gently, but sat next to him.
"Lord Conrak do also be knowin that you be me better half, and I'll be a'treatin you as such."
Anya smiled at his words and laid her head on his shoulder.
-DCM-
As soon as he had stepped into the pool, Harry had noticed an eye slowly rise out of the water and turn towards him. Harry hesitated, what was with the eye on a thin arm? He took another small step forward. The eye continued to stare at him. After Harry's third step, another eye rose above the water and turned towards him. It was then that Harry realized something was not right. In fact, something was very wrong. He turned and tried to step quickly out of the pool. He got to the edge when he noticed that he couldn't pull his left leg out of the pool. He fell over the edge, but his leg was held fast. Harry rolled over and looked at his leg. Wrapped partially around his leg was a tentacle that was quickly tightening and starting to pull him back into the pool. Harry felt a stinging sensation from where the tentacle had grabbed him around the ankle. He panicked and started pulling himself back out of the pool. He got most of the way out of the pool, but the tentacle hadn't given up either and gave another hard pull and got Harry back into the pool up to his knees. Harry saw another tentacle making its way towards him under the water and knew he didn't have much time left to act.
Harry remembered his knife, and pulled it out of his pocket. He didn't dare just stab the tentacle, he knew in his excitement he would probably miss and stab his own leg, so he grabbed the tentacle and started to cut across it. He got almost halfway through the tentacle when it finally let go, and Harry scrambled back out of the pool.
The second tentacle rose up out of the water where Harry had been, but didn't make a move beyond the pool to get Harry. He crawled further way from the water, and lay on the ground panting and catching his breath.
'Okay, swimming is definitely out.' Harry had narrowly escaped what could easily have been a disaster.
-DCM-
Borash stood silent and still and watched the drama as it played out at the pool. He was shocked at how young the Winter's Child was. The next youngest one to attempt the journey had been in his early 20's. This child was just that, a child. It was extremely contrary to the nature of the Yetish clans to allow harm to children, no matter what race they were of. It was only his iron will and his training as a warrior that held him still when the child was attacked. He had an inward smile when he saw the boy take out his knife and get free of the shrayken. 'Smart and quick this one is' Borash wondered what the boy would do next.
-DCM-
Harry watched as the tentacles and eyes slowly dropped back down into the pool. He checked his leg and noticed that there were several puncture wounds where the tentacle had wrapped partially around his leg. The area where he had been stung was starting to go numb, and Harry wondered if that was a good thing or not. The monster was now nowhere to be seen, but Harry knew it was probably in the deepest part of the pool, more than likely waiting until he entered the pool again to strike.
Harry had a thought. He bent over and picked up a rock off the trail and threw it into the pool. Immediately both eyes and looking to where the rock had landed, and in a brief moment Harry could see the tentacles there as well.
'So if something breaks the surface of the pool, the monster knows it and will attack.' Harry thought long and hard to himself. 'What if I don't break the surface?' Harry walked up to the pool. He held his hand out and reached for the cold deep inside of himself. Slowly the surface of the pool started to freeze over. Harry focused deeper into himself and let the cold deep inside out.
'Yes! Take that tentacle creature thing!" But Harry's celebration was short lived. As the ice sheet reached the middle of the pool, a giant crab claw shot out of the water and started breaking the ice. The creature was obviously angry now.
Harry stopped freezing the water and stepped back and sat down. He was both disappointed and tired. Freezing the water had been tiring. Harry stared at the pool for several long minutes, deep in thought.
'Okay, not through the pool, not on the pool, how about over the pool? So how do I go over the pool? I can't jump it, I can't fly…what about a bridge?' Harry stood and approached the pool for a third time and held out his hand.
Slowly a set of steps made from ice began to appear in front of the pool. When Harry thought they were tall enough he climbed up them. When he got to the top step, he again held out his hands and started forming a bridge out of ice over the pool. When he had a few feet of bridge made, he stepped out onto it tentatively. He wanted to make sure it would hold his weight before he got too far out over the pool. Finding that it would, he continued making the bridge and moving forward. It was slow going and Harry's muscles were screaming by the time he was almost half way across, but he knew he couldn't afford to stop now. If he did, he may not be able to finish.
Harry got half way over the pool, and was very tempted to glance down into the pool to see if he could see the monster. He decided that that would be a really bad idea and kept going. When he was about three quarters the way across the pool he felt his strength start to give out. He made it about another foot when he had to stop. He tried again to continue, but felt light headed from the attempt. Harry sat down on the ice and closed his eyes. He was close, but saw that he still had almost 15 feet to go before he would reach the other side.
After a few moments an idea came to him. Harry dove deep inside himself and called upon the last of his strength. In his hands he created three small balls of ice. He walked about 10 feet back along his bridge and threw them one at a time into the pool at the end where his bridge started. Sure enough, he saw something very large and dark move towards that end of the pool. The two eye stalks rose out of the water and the tentacles move under the water to where the first ice ball had landed. Harry threw the second and watched as the creature moved even closer to that end of the pool. He waited only a moment and threw the third. As soon as it left his hand, he turned and ran up the bridge towards the opposite end of the pool as fast as he could. When he reached the end of the bridge he jumped off as far as he could. He landed in the pool with a splash about 10 feet from the edge. In full panic mode, Harry wadded as fast as he could towards the edge of the pool. Harry didn't want to risk tripping so he didn't look back. When he got to the other edge, he threw himself out with a panicked cry, and lay on the ground panting.
Harry lifted his head and looked back towards the pool when he heard something splashing closer. What he saw scared him even more. Later Harry would say that it resembled a giant scorpion. It had a stinger on its tail, two large claws and scuttled around on eight legs. It also had what looked like a hard shell on its back for protection. But that is where the similarities ended. Where it's face should have been was a mass of eye stalks and tentacles, each of the eyes were staring at him, and the stalks were waving angrily and moving towards him.
Harry sat up with a cry and ran from the pool towards the steps. When he got to the landing, he turned and looked at the monstrosity behind him. It was all the pools edge stalking back and forth making a careening noise in frustration. He backed up until his back was against the doors and slowly sat down, breathing hard. After a few minutes, Harry looked around. He noticed that the white ape guard was still standing there passively.
"At least you're not attacking me…" Harry could have sworn that he saw a ghost of a smile on the guards face for a brief moment. Harry stayed where he was for a while catching his breath and resting. He was tempted to just lay down right there and take a nap.
After several long minutes Harry stood and turned to the door. He tried knocking on the door, but they were made of stone, and no sound seemed to carry through the door. There was a handle that was at eye level just to side, so he reached over and took it and pulled on the door. The door itself came open far easier than Harry would have thought a stone door should have. But then nothing about this journey had made much sense. For that matter very little had made sense to him since his Uncle had dropped him off in London.
Harry got the door open and looked inside the building into what was the largest room he had ever seen. Along each side of the room were three alcoves, and in each of the three there were two people. Well, maybe not people. He could see what was definitely a dwarven couple on the left, and next to them was another couple that Harry assumed were goblins. The third couple on the left side were human, with fiery red hair. On his right was a tall beautiful couple with long pointed ears, and large almond eyes. The woman was sitting with the man behind her, and she had a very beautiful smile on her face as she looked at Harry. The alcove next to her was empty and dark. But the third on the right side had two very very large beings in it. Both easily making Harry feel very very small. At the head of the room sat a very regal man and his equally beautiful wife, both of whom were wearing smiles and looking at Harry.
Slowly he stepped into the room. As he did so, everyone in the room who was seated stood as well. A feeling of peace and belonging washed over Harry and he knew his journey was at an end.
-DCM-
He had done it! Borash felt a small amount of satisfaction at watching the small child outwit the shrayken, and make it past and into the citadel. He waited until the child had stepped over the threshold and then started moving forward. Once the traveler stepped inside their journey was over, and the rules were relaxed, and assistance could be given. Change was coming, Borash could feel it. And that change would be for the better.
-DCM-
Harry had just opened his mouth to say hello, when he heard a screech behind him, and felt something grab him around the middle and yank him back out of the building. To his surprise and horror the monster from the pool had somehow escaped and grabbed him and was dragging him back to the pool.
-DCM-
Braelik was very pleased to be present when the door started opening. To say he was shocked at the lad who stepped inside was an understatement. Lad was the wrong word for the boy. A babe is what he was. That he had made it and passed his trials so young spoke of the depths of his strength and courage. Braelik heard Anya's shocked curse from where she stood beside him. He knew exactly what she was thinking. The boy was a youngling. Braelik stood and took a step forward to greet the lad. It was then that the child was grabbed from behind by a tentacle and pulled back out of the building. Braelik hesitated for a shocked second. He was brought out of his stupor by the sound of a yeti battle roar, and he knew that Borash was moving to help the boy.
Braelik didn't hesitate again as he moved with all haste toward the door calling up his armor and summoning his battle axe to hand. He saw out of the corner of his eye that the high elf Torak was also moving towards the door at great speed. He already had his sword drawn, and Braelik could see his armor flowing over his body and settling into place.
Both warriors were out the door in a matter of seconds and moving across the landing towards the pool beyond.
-DCM-
Borash too was shocked as he saw a tentacle shoot forward and wrap itself around the Winter's Child, and pull him back towards the pool. How had the shrayken escaped? The pool was warded to keep it in. The answer didn't matter, it had, and the child was in trouble. He had crossed the threshold; he had earned his rest and succor. That was all the thought Borash needed, with a great battle roar the yeti jumped into action. He could see the child trying to hold purchase on the stones surrounding the pool. The shrayken had fully come up out of the water and was standing in the shallow end of the pool, its stinger held high, poised to strike. He was just a few steps away from the boy when he saw him roll onto his back, and that was when the stinger struck down towards the boys head.
Without another thought Borash stepped under the stinger and unsheathing his claws, attempted to catch it before it could strike the cub. He was mostly successful, in that the stinger only had a chance to catch the boy on his forehead, barely piercing the skin. Borash dug his claws into the stinger and with a great roar twisted it until he heard cracking and finally was able to tear the stinger head right off the tail of the shrayken. He went to move back out of the pool, but noticed that while fighting the stinger, the shrayken had grabbed his legs with its claws and was pulling him into the pool. He knew he wasn't a match for this monster, and in a last desperate act grabbed the boy, and threw him up out of the pool as close to the stairs as he could.
-DCM-
Harry felt pain unlike anything he had ever felt before. This was worse than the beating he had gotten from his uncle on his sixth birthday. The one where Vernon had used his belt buckle to beat his back raw and bloody. Harry figured he was dead when he was drug into the pool, and decided if he was going to die, he wanted to see it coming. He had rolled over and saw the stinger descending towards him and knew that this was it. It was then that he felt someone step over him and for a brief moment he felt like he might make it out of this scrape alive. Then the stinger had struck him in the forehead, and not just anywhere, it struck right next to the jagged scar. Harry's head was bounced off the ground and he felt a warm gush of blood and gore run down his face. Mixed with it was a clear substance that burned and itched where it touched his face. Harry felt himself picked up and hurled up out of the pool. He landed with a roll and came to rest face down.
Harry quickly tried to pick himself up and failed miserably and fell down again. He pushed himself back up and wiped off his face with his hand. It came back covered in red, black, and clear fluids. He tried to wipe his hand off on some snow, and felt his hand run into something. Harry grabbed it and felt his hand wrap around his knife handle. He picked it up, and drew it from the sheath. Standing on shaky feet, Harry knew what he had to do.
-DCM-
Daphne sat at the dinner table with her family. Their house elf, Tipsy, had really out done herself with the meal preparations. Tipsy had known that roast goose was Daphne's favorite holiday meal, and had decided to make one to help Daphne feel better. The meal was going splendidly, with some light talk and laughter, Astoria mostly teased her older sister about lazing about all day, when Daphne went shock still.
After a brief moment her head snapped back suddenly and cracked itself against the back of her chair. She fell forward and grabbed her forehead over her right eye where it had started to bleed profusely.
Her parents and sister were shocked and didn't move for a brief moment. Her father finally jumped up, and her mother had moved quickly to her side, when Daphne suddenly grabbed her silver knife from beside her plate.
Again her parents hesitated as the watched their daughter jump up on the table and begin stabbing the roast goose repeatedly all the while screaming at it. After the forth stab, she pushed really hard on the knife, and with another scream 'banished' it down through the goose, the table and into the floor.
Her parents were too stunned to move, until they heard her mutter "Who's your daddy now bitch?" and then collapse on the table unconscious.
-DCM-
"Who's your daddy now bitch?" Harry was atop the monster from the pool and had shoved his knife into the unprotected top of its head repeatedly until in a last act of desperation, had pushed down with his magic and made the knife disappear into the monster's head.
The monster was still twitching when the elf and the dwarf from the building arrived, the elf driving his sword into the head of the monster and the dwarf swinging a massive battle axe and taking off the claw leg that had wrapped itself around the white ape.
Harry felt himself lifted from the back of the monster and gently put on the ground beside the pool. He turned and looked into the face of the elf that was kneeling beside him. The elf pulled out his own shirt, and then quickly tore a strip of cloth from it and began to wipe the muck and gore from Harry's face.
"Can you hear me leafling?" The elf queried Harry with a concerned look in his eye.
Harry couldn't answer, so he just nodded.
"Can you walk, or shall I carry you inside?"
"I think I can walk…" Harry managed to mumble and turned towards the stairs and promptly fell on his face.
Harry felt himself turned over and saw a kindly and wizened face looking at him.
"Ock! Here laddie, let me be takin a look at ya e'fore you run off to fight more beasties…" The dwarf looked closely at Harry's forehead. "It just broke tha skin, but ya got some venom in ya. Let me be putting some loam on it and it'll fix it right up." The dwarf reached into a belt pouch and pulled out a hand full of dirt. "Thar be an old dwarven sayin ta be used if you be hurt. 'Jus rub some dirt in it, and you'll be fine.' "He spoke while gently rubbing the loam onto Harry's forehead. "Now this here be special dirt. Made it meself. It do be having many healing powers, and will fix ya right up."
Harry felt the pain in his head lessen, and was soon almost gone. "See what I be meanin lad?" Harry sat up and nodded his head. "Good lad, now let's get inside. Can't have the guest of honor missing his own homecoming now can we?"
With that the dwarf helped Harry up. Harry looked over to where the elf was helping the guard towards the door, relieved that he was alive. On either side of the door were the people he had seen inside for the brief moment before he was pulled back outside. Standing at the door was the older couple. The woman had tears on her cheeks, and her eyes were shining with a fierce emotion Harry couldn't place.
As Harry slowly made his way up the steps, he looked at each of the others as he passed them. Each of them gave him a slow nod of their heads, and a smile of welcome. When he reached the top of the stairs, the dwarf that was helping him, took his arm off from around his waist and stood to one side. Harry looked up at the man standing before him and felt a wave of awe pass through him. He could feel the power radiating of this man.
The man studied him intently for a moment and then he crouched down so he was eye to eye with Harry. "Welcome to The Heart, Winter's Child. Welcome home."
Harry felt hot tears of relief make their way down his cheeks, and with a smile launched himself at the man and grabbed him into a hug. The hug was soon returned by the man, and then almost instantly Harry felt the arms of the woman encircle them both, and he knew he was indeed home at last.
