Disclaimer: The title of this chapter is from a song in Robert Jordan's book series, The Wheel of Time. Must give credit where credit is due! And away we go!
Chapter 10: Carried Away by the Wind that Shakes the Willow
A huge black dog burst from the shadowy edge of the Forbidden Forest and into the pearly light of the full moon. Following in close pursuit of him were a lanky black cat and a brown wolf roughly the size of a pony.
"Help!" The dog cried, glancing back at his pursuers. "Prongs! Wormtail! I'm- UGH!" The dog dodged out of the way as the cat pounced, claws sinking into the dirt where he was just standing. "I'm outnumbered!" He wheeled around to face the cat and the wolf, baring his teeth.
"Oh, I'm now I'm shaking." The cat sneered as she readied herself to pounce again.
"We're coming, Padfoot!" A voice called from behind them, making the dog's ears prick up. A stag came galloping out of the Forest with a large ash colored rat clinging to his antlers
"Its about damn time, Prongs." The dog shouted as the cat and the wolf rounded to face the stag, the former hissing madly and the latter baring a menacing set of yellow fangs. Prongs lowered his antlers as the rat scampered down to his back, and charged at the wolf.
"Satsa!" the wolf shouted, dodging the stag's assaults. "Get our reinforcements!"
"With pleasure." The cat growled. She threw her head back and called to the sky. "Heket!" She shouted.
The stag ceased his attacks and raised his head. The rat scampered back up into his antlers as a falcon's cry ripped through the night. The cat smiled a devilishly toothy grin as she scanned the heavens.
"Wormtail?" The stag breathed, his eyes searching the blackened sky.
"Yeah?" The rat barely squeaked.
"Haul your bloody ass." He panted. "Now."
"Right." The rat whispered before he leapt to the ground and skittered off through the grass, heading for the cover of the Forbidden Forest. Another shrill cry rent the dark, sounding closer this time and in a flash of feathers and talons, Wormtail was snatched from the grass. He squeaked for help as Heket carried him high into the sky.
The stag rounded on her. "Satsa, you little-"
The cat arched her back and hissed, "Don't you dare say bitch because you know that's not the case. Besides, Paddle-foot over there might take offense."
"Hey!" The dog protested.
The stag used his antlers as a pitchfork and sent the feline soaring over the wolf. She landed gracefully on her feet, wheeled around and hissed. The wolf bared his ivory-yellow fangs and began to circle the stag, snarling. Prongs in turn lowered his head and bared his tiny teeth and growled as well though it came off as more of a grunt.
All pretense was dropped at the sight of a stag trying to growl. Everyone broke out in laughter, save Wormtail who was still clamped in Heket's talons, shrieking for help.
"Let's go rest under the trees." The cat suggested once she had regained her composure. "We're in plain sight of the castle right now."
The wolf turned his shining green eyes to the stone walls of the castle warily, and then towards the Forest. He nodded emphatically. "Yes, let's do." And he cantered off towards the woods.
All the rest followed in suit. Padfoot was still sniggering under his breath as they went. "Only you, Prongs. Why do we put up with you?" which sent a new wave of laughter through the group.
"I'm so fun!" He countered, tossing his head proudly.
"You're something." The wolf muttered.
"Quiet you... or I'll make Moony kabobs out of you." The stag threatened, poking him in the shoulder with his antlers.
"Yum." Satsa mused.
A maple with low branches stood a few paces into the Forest and was a usual resting-place for the gang. As they were all lying down in the shadows, Heket dropped Wormtail unceremoniously in their midst. Once rid of her burden, the falcon banked hard to her right and took up a perch in the maple branches. The rat scampered back up into Prongs' antlers, his tiny ribcage heaving.
"I don't mean to be a bummer, boys," Satsa said, as she licked a paw. "But I hope we can get in at a semi-descent hour. I don't want to fall asleep in Defense against the Dark Arts."
"As if that's any different from usual." Padfoot sneered, "And don't you dare argue. I sit next to you."
"And yet I still manage to pull better marks than you." Satsa mused in a delicate voice.
"But Padfoot is right." Wormtail squeaked. "You do fall asleep in-"
Satsa put her paw down and sighed. "I do not want to deal with you,
Wormtail."
"May I?" A voice nearly as sultry as Satsobek's and twice as eerie drifted down from the maple branches.
Everyone looked up at Heket.
"Certainly." Satsa replied, smoothly.
"Satsa? Satsa! No! You promised! And she's already tried to eat me already" Wormtail was babbling in a high pitched voice as the falcon fluttered down from her perch. "Prongs, you're... you're gonna protect me from that thing aren't you? Aren't you?"
The stag smirked. "Nope." And with that, he flung the rat out in the middle of the circle where Heket was waiting.
Wormtail skittered backwards away from the raptor as she advanced, trying to take up refuge by the wolf, who nipped at his tail sending him tumbling back out to the middle of the circle.
"Ten Knuts on the bird!" Padfoot shouted, giving his shaggy head a good shake.
"You're on!" Moony retorted. "I think Wormtail can pull it out."
Wormtail tried to smile in appreciation but he found himself quite paralyzed at the sight of Heket beginning to circle him, her menacing eyes latched onto him like grappling hooks. She mock charged him twice before she leapt off the ground and dove at him. Wormtail eluded her talons by a fraction of an inch as he scampered back into the relative safety of the stag's antlers.
"And the falcon takes all!" Padfoot cheered. "Pay up, Moony!"
"Yeah yeah." He muttered, watching Heket soar back up into her perch.
The group of oddly assorted animals talked for hours, losing any and all track of the time. Soon, always too soon for Moony, the gray light of dawn began to light the eastern horizon signaling the end of their monthly adventure. They all stood, knowing they had stayed out later than they should, and began to head back towards the Whomping Willow, stretching and yawning as they went. As they passed out from under the shadows of the trees, Padfoot noticed that the cat hadn't followed them. He turned, pricking his ears up. Satsa was still sitting under the maple tree, staring up into the branches.
"Satsa? What is it?" He called, cantering back towards her.
The feline didn't show any sign of hearing him.
"Satsa?" Sirius said, a little more quietly as he approached.
"Padfoot? What is it?" Prongs called out to him.
"She's gone." Satsa breathed, never moving her gaze.
"What? Who's g-" Padfoot suddenly had the presence of mind to look up at the tree. Heket's perch was empty. In her stead, there was a slip of parchment and a cruelly ironic feather.