"It is cold. Does everyone want to come in?" Molly asks Kyra.
Kyra looks skeptically at the illusion of the Burrow. "In…there?"
Alex grins. "It is nicer than it looks."
"Revelio!" Molly says with a flourish of her wand. Kyra is astounded. Molly smiles at her.
"You should join us too." Molly says to Tonks. Kyra is further astounded as she watches Tonks step casually over the salt circle without even a hesitation. Ginny, Alex, Ceirdwyn, Amanda and Michelle parade past Kyra and Molly into the house. They are followed by Tonks who makes a face at Kyra and a slight mocking courtesy as she goes by.
Molly motions for Kyra to go in and Kyra joins the others inside. She looks around at the homey, if unusual to a muggle's eyes, scene. Molly watches Kyra move about the first floor, getting the layout and checking the view from each window. "What is she doing?" Molly whispers to Alex Raven.
"Security check." Alex quietly explains.
Molly is shocked to see Kyra headed cautiously up the stairs. Ceirdwyn sees Molly's discomfort, and says. "Kyra…. Can that wait?"
Kyra nods and returns. "I thought I heard something up there." She keeps a wary eye on the stairs.
"That would be the ghoul that lives in the attic. He's a bit of a pest, but generally harmless" Molly explains.
Kyra nods and moves near the fireplace. Michelle cautions "People come flying out of that sometimes…" Kyra looks at Michelle with a slight quizzical twist of her head, but she steps back from it. "Mr. Weasley ended up on top of me…"
As Kyra contemplates, she feels the gun tucked deeply into the small of her back move upward. Kyra's hand moves in a blur and seizes a small wrist with the strength developed from centuries of sword wielding. There is a slight yelp. Ceirdwyn and Alex reach for Kyra's arm.
But Kyra has already released her grip on the young witch. Ginny grips her forearm. "Owwwww" She whimpers.
Kyra kneels. "I'm so sorry. You took me by surprise." Molly is there instantly. Kyra examines Ginny's arm. "Nothing broken…she'll likely have a bruise."
Molly comforts her daughter and looks over the arm. "I think she was mostly frightened."
Molly drags Kyra away from the others as Ceirdwyn and Alex examine the arm of a frightened and teary-eyed Ginny.
Ceirdwyn quietly says to Ginny "You must never touch a weapon without permission. I know she frightened you, but you frightened her as well. As far as she knew, it was one of us and the start of an attack. She reacted like she would if it were me, or Amanda, or Alex… Do you understand?" Ginny nods. "Good. Let's put a bit of cold on this shall we?" Ginny nods again and Ceirdwyn lifts Ginny onto the counter and wraps a cold water-soaked towel around her forearm. "Feel better?" Ginny nods.
"Let's have it." Molly commands. Kyra takes the gun from behind her. She removes the clip and ejects the chambered round before handing it over handle first to the enraged witch. What is this?" Molly demands.
"Forty-four, modified, auto…" Seeing Molly's fierce eyes, she says "It is a handgun… a powerful one. It is now unloaded. It was loaded with a round chambered before."
Molly isn't sure what all of that means, but understands that it means it was a dangerous weapon. "I'm sure you have been asked to be here, but not by me. I'm sure you feel you are here to keep us safe, but we are already safe. I'm willing to let you stay. But, if I see this thing again, I'll turn it into a nice teapot. If you harm any member of my family again, I'll apparate you someplace far away and leave you there."
Kyra's head bows. Molly hands the gun back. Kyra takes it out, puts it in the case, and locks it in the trunk. Amanda watches, realizing she got off light.
When Kyra returns, she goes over to where Ginny is still seated on the countertop. Ginny looks at her and says "I'm sorry I frightened you."
"I'm sorry I was frightened." Kyra takes a deep breath. "I recently loved a man I was assigned to protect, but he was killed. Maybe, I wasn't ready for a new job. How is your arm?"
"It will be fine. You're very strong."
Kyra nods. "Many years of swinging a sword…"
"How old are you?" Ginny asks.
"Well, I don't really know. They used to keep track of such things differently in each kingdom. But, as near as I can figure, I was born about 450 years before Christ."
"Where are you from?"
"I was born Spartan. My parents wanted a son. They left me out to die of exposure. I was saved and raised by a priestess of Diana."
Tonks jaw is slowly dropping as she listens. Her hair color changes to brunette.
"Why do your people fight?" Ginny asks.
"It depends on the person. Most fight to live rather than live to fight. Personally, when I fight, it isn't because I hate what is in front of me…it's because I love what is behind me." Ginny ponders and Molly listens carefully. "My job here is to get between you and those that may do you harm and persuade them to alter their plans." Kyra glances toward Tonks. She is surprised to see the hair color change.
"Kill them?" Ginny asks.
Kyra cocks her head and nods slightly. "Not my first choice… But if they give me no other choice, that would certainly alter their plans." Kyra levels her gaze directly into Tonks' eyes. There isn't even a hint of humor. Twenty-five centuries experience is looking right into her soul. Tonks blood runs cold as she heeds the warning. But she is also transfixed in fascination. Her hair color changes to black.
"I fight when I hate what is in front of me…" Alex says quietly.
"And she skipped right over those that go hunting…" Ceirdwyn quietly replies.
Kyra continues to scrutinize Tonks.
"Perhaps you should not discuss such things in front of the…" Ceirdwyn cautions.
"Gestapo" Alex fills in the word Ceirdwyn was trying to more tactfully fill.
"Except for the details about me, I doubt I've said anything she doesn't already know." Kyra says without taking her eyes off Tonks. But she does smile slightly. "I think she and I understand each other."
Tonks blinks for the first time in awhile moistening her drying eyeballs. She tries to moisten her dry mouth. "I… I'm not sure."
"You'll stay here, until it is over… and you'll learn some things about us personally. Nothing too important, but more than anyone like you ever has before. You'll return a hero. Or you will try to interfere in something that you don't understand and I'll be forced to do something I don't want to do…and you'll be returned in bloody chunks…but still a hero…actually more of a martyr."
Tonks ponders what is going on. Are they plotting against her world? Would she be saving her life but condemning the wizarding world? Was all of the talk about protecting the Weasleys a sham?
Sensing Tonks' turmoil, Molly moves next to Tonks and puts an arm across her shoulders. "It is a rescue mission for a muggle woman who will die without our help. I know… We don't reveal ourselves to muggles. But we're doing it because one of them revealed himself to save one of ours."
Tonks' eyes open wide. "The Hogwarts student?"
Molly nods.
"He killed another Old One…" Tonks says.
Molly nods.
Ceirdwyn explains "To do so in the presence of someone not like us is against our rules as much as doing magic in the presence of a muggle is to you."
"A life for a life…" Molly says.
Tonks is torn. The rules she's been trained to enforce are being violated. Her logic and training tell her that the fact one of them violated their rules is not her concern, only the violation of the wizarding rules counts. But emotionally, she feels drawn to cooperate. Then again, the prospect of cold steel passing through her vital organs is is an inducement to go along…
Kyra watches. Tonks' heart skips several beats as Kyra slowly draws a cutlass from beneath her coat. Kyra moves it straight up with the tip dangling loosely straight down. She slowly extends her right hand with the sword toward Tonks. Her empty left hand is also slowly extended. Kyra's expression is expectant. But Tonks doesn't know what Kyra is expecting… Kyra's left hand, palm up, curls the fingers several times. All in the room hold their breath unsure of what is happening.
Suddenly, Kyra's intention dawns on Tonks. Equally slowly Tonks draws her wand and keeping the tip pointed loosely to the floor slowly extends it in her right hand. Tonks slowly takes the cutlass as Kyra excepts the wand. Following Kyra's lead, she retracts her arms. They have each effectively disarmed themselves since they have no skill in using the others weapon and turned their defense over to the other leaving themselves vulnerable.
Kyra slowly and gently examines Tonks wand. Tonks rather more cautiously examines the cutlass avoiding the sharpened edges.
Ceirdwyn smiles in understanding. Tonks wand is inert in Kyra's hands, but the cutlass is just as dangerous as it has ever been and is only limited in its effectiveness by the lack of skill by its holder.
Krya slides her finger over the wand, fascinated by the shape of the grip. "It looks like a jack-in-the pulpit flower…" She says to herself.
"The shaft is made of red oak and the handle is of dogwood with a unicorn hair core."
"It is a cutlass that I got in the alley in the mid-eighteenth century, about the time Your king was losing some of his North American colonies." Kyra says in anticipation of what Tonks is thinking.
Tonks responds. "I got my wand in the alley when I turned eleven. It chose me."
"We choose our swords. Some choose more wisely than others… Wait a minute…unicorns are real?" Kyra responds.
"Yup" Tonks replies. The immortals, except for Michelle are shocked. Having recently found out witches and flying invisible cars are real, unicorns are no big surprise.
Kyra says "The wand is made of two types of wood? Is that common?"
Molly responds "It is unusual. Each wood has its strengths and weaknesses, as do the cores."
Ceirdwyn explains "Swords are often constructed of different types of steel so their strength and weaknesses balance each other… Done properly the total is greater than the sum of its parts…"
Ginny asks "How is that possible?"
"Synergy." Kyra answers but Ginny decides not to as what that means.
Ceirdwyn suddenly looks at Michelle. "We haven't seen your sword yet."
"Yeah" Adds Alex.
Amanda fumes and crosses her arms. Michelle slowly draws her sword, but she does not hand it over. She holds it horizontally with a flat side to them. Ceirdwyn and Alex lean in close to get a good look. Their jaws become slack. Kyra smiles.
Ceirdwyn's finger traces along the blade. "My God… Look at the hamon line…"
Alex looks at Ceirdwyn like she's gone daft. "Ceirdwyn… look at under your finger."
Ceirdwyn nods "The other hamon line is just as great…"
"No… Look UNDER your finger…" Alex says to her teacher as a look of anticipation comes over her face. Ceirdwyn's eyes open wide.
"Is it good?" Michelle asks innocently.
Alex says "Is a Stradivarius good?" Michelle is confused.
Ceirdwyn says "You are from Seacouver… so let me put it this way… Say you get your first car, and it turns out to be a 1966 Shelby 427 Super Snake… zero to sixty miles per hour in 3.2 seconds….only two ever made…"
"What?" Amanda asks in shock.
"Have you looked at it?" Alex challenges. Amanda flushes slightly. "Of course not…"
"Pearls…" Ceirdwyn whispers to Alex who giggles a bit.
"You've chosen wisely Michelle." Ceirdwyn says. Ginny beams.
"It is an Ulfberht." Alex says to Amanda. "Do you have any idea how few of these have been made in the last…nine hundred years?" Amanda shrugs. Amanda has formidable skills but knowledge sword design is not one of them.
"Heart of oak, bark of ash…" Alex says to herself.
"What?" Tonks asks.
"That is what they used to say. Heart of oak is strong and is hard to bend, but, if bent, is likely to break. The outer part of the ash can bend without breaking even though it is less hard to bend. Look at her sword." Tonks does as she is directed and Alex points out and explains the harder edge is to hold its edge and the softer center for flexibility. The differences are subtle, but they are there. Tonks is surprised to see the subtle letters.
My wand has dogwood which is playful, like me, and red oak adaptable and good in a duel, also like me. Wands select witches who match their qualities."
"We chose swords which fit our style, or…" Kyra glances to Michelle "…we develop the style for which the sword was designed."
A grin comes over Kyra. She looks at Tonks and cocks her head toward the door. Tonks heart drops to her stomach, but she follows Kyra out. The others run to the windows and watch in shock as Kyra drives away with Tonks.
Tonks is nervous, but fascinated to be riding in a muggle vehicle. They pull off the road near a hill and Kyra withdraws a case from the storage compartment at the rear of the vehicle. Tonks follows Kyra away further off the road until Kyra kneels down and removes the gun from its case. Tonks is uneasy about the prospects.
To Tonks' shock, Kyra puts the gun into Tonks hand. Tonks is surprised by its weight, but it does fit her hand. "It isn't loaded. But always treat it like it is. Never point it at anything you would not kill." Kyra shows Tonks how to hold it in both hands and how to take the grip safety off. Before taking the gun back.
"Show me how you use your wand."
Tonks shoots some harmless balls of light at a stump. Tonks hears a click. Her stomach drops again. She turns to see Kyra slam a piece into the handle and operate the slide to put a round in the chamber. Her jaw drops.
Kyra hands it to Tonks keeping it pointed into the hill. As Tonks takes it into her hands, Kyra releases the safety. "She's loaded and ready to fire. Squeeze the grip until the grip safety is released. Keep your finger out of the loop." There is a slight click as the safety releases. "She's hot. Point it at the base of the hill. Get your sight picture. Brace yourself. Put your finger on the trigger. Squeeze."
Tonks is shocked by the sound and kick. Tonks eyes are as large as saucers. "Packs a bigger kick than your wand huh?" Kyra grins.
"Merlin's pantaloons!" Tonks exclaims, handing the automatic back and rubbing the base of her right thumb.
Tonks is surprised when Kyra shoots an old can lying on the ground and then hits it again in flight. "We'd better get back before somebody calls a constable, or Molly thinks we've killed each other." Kyra says with a giggle.
Tonks gets up her nerve and asks. "When the one Old One killed the other, there was a display of what looked like magical energy…"
Kyra nods.
Tonks waits for an answer.
"Was it?" Tonks prompts.
Kyra just grins. Tonks realizes she will never out wait an Old One and has run into a limit on the information she will learn.
"One of them said we're more alike than I would think…"
Kyra stops walking. "Am I going to have to make you dig a hole?"
"Why would you make me dig a hole…? Oh… Never mind." Kyra grins a bit and resumes walking. Tonks follows, while making faces behind her.
As they near the road they are surprised to see a small young blond girl rummaging through Kyra's car. "Excuse me." Kyra challenges. Tonks can tell from the girl's attire that she is from her world. "Excuse me. What are you doing?"
The girl looks up with her large eyes. She begins to talk as if she had walked out of time from the 1960's. "I saw your vehicle and I thought should look for nargles…then I heard loud noises and thought that would scare them away. But maybe they would have left my stolen shoes… You are an Old One… But my shoes aren't here…"
"Stop. I'm a what?"
"An Old One. I'm not sure the nargles were ever here..."
"Why do you say I'm old?"
"An Old One." The girl corrects. "You are full of ghosts. You are like the other Old One I met. Daddy says we mustn't interfere, for you are subtle and dangerous… But he was nice."
Tonks giggles and says "or not so subtle" to herself quietly.
"Other one?" Kyra asks. "Near here?"
"No… In Scotland… He was riding a horse we named Ceridwen…" Tonks snorts suppressing a laugh. "It isn't a funny name. It is the name of a Welsh witch. He said he knew someone with the same name, but spelled differently. He gave me a ride to our camp on Ceridwen."
"Did he mention his name?"
"His name was Adam. You know, like the first man. But I don't know if he was that Adam. Do you know him?"
"I've heard of him. Can we give you a ride home?"
"No. I'm searching for things to collect and it is a long time to dinner."
"What is your name?"
"Luna… Luna Lovegood. What is yours?"
"Kyra."
"That's a nice name. It suits you. Try not to be so sad.
As they drive back to the Weasley's, Tonks says. "I think she was a young witch." Kyra nods and Tonks continues "I could tell by the way she was dressed…"
"I know she is."
"By the way she was dressed?" Tonks asks, but Kyra just shakes her head.
"By the what she said?" Tonks asks, but Kyra just shakes her head.
"The other Old One she mentioned…is he the one at Hogwarts?" Kyra shrugs.
"Is he the one they are saving the muggle for?" Kyra ignores the question.
Suddenly a thought shakes Tonks to her core. Kyra admitted knowing the girl was a witch…AND the girl knew Kyra was an Old One… AND she recognized the other one. What was it the girl said… 'You are full of ghosts.' What in Merlin's name did THAT mean?
"Tonks says "She said you…"
Kyra interrupts "I keep a shovel in back…"
"Never mind…" Tonks is torn between going to whatever event she was invited to and seeing two more Old Ones. Tonks has been trained to observe and is sure she can pick them out of the book of Old Ones observed in the alley. They have never had names to put with the drawings, but the hints at a connection between the wizarding world and the Old Ones is Earth shaking.