Chapter 9: Intruder In the Woods

Scabior awoke with a start as Violet screamed beside him in bed. He quickly sat up. The figure beside him was thrashing about in her sleep as she fought to escape the unknown assassin that haunted her nightmares.

"Violet!" Scabior called out, holding her down as she continued to scream and writhe in bed. "Violet, calm down. Snap out of it, pet."

The young witch's senses gradually began to return as she opened her eyes and gazed into the darkness of the tent. She could just make out Scabior's face as he sat beside her in bed.

"You alright, pet? Scabior queried, the blackness that surrounded him failing to conceal the concerned expression on his face.

Violet could hardly speak. Her nightmare, one of many that she'd been having recently, had upset her to the point of being practically beside herself with fright.

"No..." she whimpered, and began to cry.

It was then that Scabior did something most unexpected - he decided to comfort her.

Putting his arms around her Scabior held the crying witch as she continued to sob against his chest.

"Shh. 'Ush now, pet," he softly murmured. "It's alright. It was only a dream."

Despite how wild and rugged he was in appearane Scabior could be surprisingly gentle. He held her in his arms, rubbing her back and speaking soft, soothing words of comfort until she quieted down and began to relax.

When he released her Scabior reignited the candles on his desk with a flick of his wand. He then turned back to her, and looking closely at her he noticed that she was rather pale and sickly looking.

"Is something wrong?" Scabior asked. "You look a bit ill."

"I'm...I'm alright," Violet lied. "Just tired I guess."

"You don't look like you're alright to me, princess." Scabior smoothed her hair out of her face, noting the way she flinced and drew back when he reached to touch her.

Scabior frowned. "Is tha really necessary?" he asked, looking somewhat disappointed by her behavior as she flinched away from him.

Violet was silent.

"Fine then," Scabior sighed in annoyance. "But you'll learn to trust me eventually."

Brushing aside her hair he also noticed the dark circles beneath her olive green eyes. She looked ill and exhausted, and Scabior began to wonder just how long she'd been having nightmares and losing sleep.

"This isn't good, pet. There's obviously something wrong with you," he said. "You don't eat enough, you look as though you aren't getting enough sleep, an now this."

"I'm fine," Violet insisted. "Really I am."

"No, you're not," Scabior said firmly. "I can tell just by looking you. Apparently you 'ave more problems than I thought.'

Violet didn't know what to say to this man. He did seem genuinely concerned about her, but this kind of care and attention was practically unknown to her. Only her sister Heather had ever cared about her like this.

Drawing the blankets around her as she gazed down at the floor, Violet shivered as she felt a cold chill pass over her. Her pajamans weren't heavy enough to keep her warm, and now that she was fully awake she realized how cold she was.

Scabior cocked his head to the side as he looked at her. "Are you cold, pet?" he asked thoughtfully.

She nodded, wondering how it was that he wasn't freezing since he was wearing even less clothing than she was.

With a wave of his wand Scabior summoned his jacket from across the room where he had it draped across the back of the chair at his desk.

'Ere, sweet'eart. Put this on. It'll 'elp keep you warm."

Violet hesitated before allowing him to put his jacket on her.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked. His voice had become soft once more, almost like that of a person speaking carefully to a frightened and wounded animal in hopes of not scaring it away

"Yes, I am," Violet replied, and this time she wasn't lying. There was something comforting about being wrapped in Scabior's jacket. It made her feel warm and protected, and it smelled like him, the strong scent of damp forest leaves mingled with the spicy aroma of firewhiskey clinging to the worn black leather.

A faint smile creased the corners of his mouth and he nodded his approval. He seemed satisfied by her response and began to relax a little. She did appear to be feeling better for now, and he believed what she said. So he placed a hand on her shoulder and genty eased her onto her side in bed so that she was lying down beside him.

"Sleep, pet," he whispered softly, extinguishing the candles once more before laying down beside her in the dark, his warm breath lightly caressing her cheek as he settled down beside her.

The day dawned cold and damp the next morning with ashen grey clouds filling the sky as a cold wind rustled the golden and deep crimson foliage in the forest trees. Summer was fading quickly as the first rains of early autumn now approached from the south.

Scabior was feeling restless. He knew that the new school year at Hogwarts had begun a few weeks ago, and based on the information he'd received Severus Snape would become the new headmaster of the school.

While Voldemort had ordered all the children to attend Hogwarts Scabior knew that there were students whose parents might attempt to keep them out of school now that it was being run by Death Eaters. There was also the chance that students might try to escape and flee the school, and Scabior was now anxious to move out and locate and capture some of these truants for a bit of extra gold.

His work had been temporarily delayed because of Violet and it was long past time to get back to his usual routine. But Scabior would soon discover that having Violet remain in his company wouild bring changes to his life and his world that he never expected.

"Where's Greyback?" Scabior asked, his blue eyes scanning the campsite for the werewolf as he ate his way through a large cheese omelet for breakfast. "Is it 'is time of the month again?"

"I think he said something about wanting to get a proper meal this morning," said Ranca.

"Lovely," Scabior sighed, rolling his eyes. He set his half eaten breakfast off to the side and withdrew his ivy wand from a pocket in his plaid pants. "I swear I need to put leash on the mutt."

Ranca watched as Scabior marched off into the woods, an angry scowl on his face as he left in search of Greyback.

Just as he was on the edge of their campsite, Scabior paused and glanced back over his shoulder.

"I want you lot to pack up an be ready to leave by the time I return," he said to the group of Snatchers sitting around the campfire. "We're moving to a new location after breakfast, so you'd best be ready to 'ead out." He then continued on his way into the forest.

It didn't take Scabior long to locate the wayward werewolf. He followed Greyback's tracks through the woods, leading him to a small clearing where Greyback was on his knees in the dirt eating the carcass of a freshly killed deer.

"You disgust me," said Scabior, walking up to Greyback.

"It's two days until the full moon," snarled Greyback, glaring up at Scabior as warm blood dripped off his chin onto the damp earth below. "What do you expect me to do? Order Chinese take out?"

Scabior curled his upper lip in disgust as Greyback sunk his yellowed teeth into the deer's side, tearing out a large chunk of raw flesh and chewing it. It was clear that he relished the taste of fresh uncooked meat, and as Scabior watched the werewolf devouring his meal the head Snatcher felt his stomach sour as he suddenly lost his appetite.

"'Urry it up," said Scabior, repressing the urge to vomit as he watched Greyback eat. "I've decided that we're 'eading out after breakfast this morning an I want everyone packed an ready to leave shortly."

Suddenly Greyback lifted his head, sniffing the air as he stared at something behind Scabior in the woods.

"What's that?" he asked.

Scabior quickly spun around, wand out as his sharp eyes scanned the surrounding woods.

"We're not alone," said Greyback, his voice a low, rumbling growl. "Someone is here, Scabior. I can smell them."

"Is there more than one?"

"No." Greyback paused, still scenting the air like a bloodhound. "I smell man."

Then they saw it. A tall dark figure shifted slightly in the distance, rustling the layer of dead leaves on the forest floor as he stepped into view.

Scabior was the fist to act, firing a stunning spell at the mysterious unknown figure. But his attack missed and struck a nearby tree, exploding in a shower of red glimmering sparks as the unknown figure disapparated before the hex could hit its intended target.

"Wha the 'ell was that?!" Scabior shouted, furious that his target had somehow managed to escape. "Where did 'e go? Find 'im now, Greyback!"

The two Snatchers searched the surrounding woods but they could not locate a single trace of the intruder that had entered the forest.

By the time Scabior and Greyback returned to camp the rest of the Snatchers had already packed their belongings, folded up their tents and were ready to leave. They wondered why Scabior and Greyback had been gone so long, but most of them were too afraid to ask why because they could tell by the expression on Scabior's face that he was angry about something.

"Uh sir, is something wrong?" Ranca asked as Scabior stomped into camp with Greyback following close behind. His reply came in the form of Scabior angrily kicking one of the burnt logs in the campfire and sending it soaring off into the distance in a shower of splintered wood and dirt.

There weren't many people who escaped Scabior once he set his sights on them. Whoever was in the woods that morning that had eluded capture did so only because luck was on their side. But the next time the stranger met Scabior they would not be so fortunate.