Nikomel rushed through the woods at top speed. Calli's howl sounded again, much closer then before. He
must be on time! He would not sink so low as to be late for his meeting with the Great One.
It seemed like hours passed before Nikomel caught sight of the dark cabin. Calli sat waiting for him at
the door. As he approached, she stood up. Nikomel stopped in front of her.
"He is inside. Waiting. I am supposed to show you my human form before we enter. He said it is best."
Nikomel waited nervously for her to change form. This would be the closest he had ever been to a human,
except for when Calli had sent him to watch over her mate. But that human had been injured, almost dead.
Calli, still a wolf, smiled.
"You needn't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Then she stood up...
~~~
As soon as Nikomel had left the pup-den, Panesh had stopped playing with his sisters and brothers and
followed him up the slope that was supposed to keep the pups from climbing out. But it didn't stop
Panesh, because he could do anything! Nikomel himself had said so.
He followed at a distance, his belly pressed flat to the ground. Nobody noticed him. It was great fun,
being in the Big Room without anyone seeing him. He almost stopped to grab a tempting scrap of meat on
the floor of the store room, but Nikomel was almost out of sight. With a great sigh, Panesh turned away
and began to trail him again.
He followed Nikomel all the way to the front hall, where Nikomel turned and climbed outside the den
into the night. Panesh followed him quietly. He wasn't afraid of the dark! It took him a considerable
amount of time to climb out, considering that it had taken Nikomel all of two seconds, and by the time
was out, Nikomel had disappeared.
Still, Panesh went on proudly. He put his nose to the groud and took a big sniff. There! He had found
Nikomels trail! Nobody could hide from Panesh the Great, not even Nikomel himself! Because Panesh could
do anything. Nikomel himself had said so.
When Panesh reached the edge of the clearing, he stopped for a minute. He had never been outside of the
clearing, except for on Moon Night, and even then his mother had carried him in her mouth. But he had
Nikomel's trail, and it was fresh and strong. He must be close by, and if anything happened, Nikomel
would hear and come and rescue him. Besides, Panesh could do anything! Nikomel himself had said so. And
everything inculded goig into the woods, alone, at the dead of night. Nikomel hadn't said that part,
but Panesh figured he was supposed to have known that it was included when someone said "everything".
So, after a moment, he trotted off into the woods following Nikomel's trail, and praising himself
greatly for being so very sensible and brave.
~~~
After the shock of seeing a wolf turn into a human girl wore off, Calli, or Hermione, as she was now,
turned and held the door of the cabin open for him. They both went inside. A seemingly very old man
with a long white beard sat in a big armchair by a newly lit fire at the other side of the room. He
wore something pecular on his face, but his eyes twinkled as he saw Nikomel.
"Ms. Granger, would you mind very much being a translator for a little while?"
Hermione laughed a little.
"Not at all. He can hear what you say just fine, though sometimes it's a little jumbled to him."
"That should make things much eaisier, then. What had you said his name was?"
"Nikomel, Professor."
Nikomel perked his ears up upon hearing his name, and the man in the chair chuckled.
"So you can hear me can you? Well, first of all Nikomel, please allow me to thank you for joining our
battle against Lord Voldemort. As I don't speak wolf, Ms. Granger, or Calli, as you know her, will be
translating for me. Perhaps I shall learn a few wolf words along the way?"
His eyes twinkled again.
"Now then, Nikomel. I shall begin with the story of how Lord Voldemort came to be. As I belive you have
already heard this story many times, Ms. Granger, why don't you take a walk outside?"
"Alright, Professor. See you later, Nikomel."
"Be back soon. And it's Albus, dear."
~~~
Panesh was getting tired. It couldn't be much farther! Just a little more, right? He could keep going.
He could do anything! Could't he? Finally, he found that he couldn't do everything. Maybe almost
everything, but not wandering off into the woods, alone, in the dead of night.
He wanted more then anything to be back in the pup-den with his brothers and sisters and a full belly,
with his mother in the next room over. He wished with all his little heart that something would happen,
somebody would take him away from the woods, and back to his den.
Quite siddenly, Panesh's sharp little ears picked up a noise. It was getting louder, and louder. Panesh
whined and put his tail between his legs. It didn't sound friendly.
As quickly as the sound started, it stopped. Panesh stood very still, hardly daring to breathe. And
then, a huge, growling body jumped up from somewhere to the left of him and pushed poor little Panesh
into the ground...
must be on time! He would not sink so low as to be late for his meeting with the Great One.
It seemed like hours passed before Nikomel caught sight of the dark cabin. Calli sat waiting for him at
the door. As he approached, she stood up. Nikomel stopped in front of her.
"He is inside. Waiting. I am supposed to show you my human form before we enter. He said it is best."
Nikomel waited nervously for her to change form. This would be the closest he had ever been to a human,
except for when Calli had sent him to watch over her mate. But that human had been injured, almost dead.
Calli, still a wolf, smiled.
"You needn't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Then she stood up...
~~~
As soon as Nikomel had left the pup-den, Panesh had stopped playing with his sisters and brothers and
followed him up the slope that was supposed to keep the pups from climbing out. But it didn't stop
Panesh, because he could do anything! Nikomel himself had said so.
He followed at a distance, his belly pressed flat to the ground. Nobody noticed him. It was great fun,
being in the Big Room without anyone seeing him. He almost stopped to grab a tempting scrap of meat on
the floor of the store room, but Nikomel was almost out of sight. With a great sigh, Panesh turned away
and began to trail him again.
He followed Nikomel all the way to the front hall, where Nikomel turned and climbed outside the den
into the night. Panesh followed him quietly. He wasn't afraid of the dark! It took him a considerable
amount of time to climb out, considering that it had taken Nikomel all of two seconds, and by the time
was out, Nikomel had disappeared.
Still, Panesh went on proudly. He put his nose to the groud and took a big sniff. There! He had found
Nikomels trail! Nobody could hide from Panesh the Great, not even Nikomel himself! Because Panesh could
do anything. Nikomel himself had said so.
When Panesh reached the edge of the clearing, he stopped for a minute. He had never been outside of the
clearing, except for on Moon Night, and even then his mother had carried him in her mouth. But he had
Nikomel's trail, and it was fresh and strong. He must be close by, and if anything happened, Nikomel
would hear and come and rescue him. Besides, Panesh could do anything! Nikomel himself had said so. And
everything inculded goig into the woods, alone, at the dead of night. Nikomel hadn't said that part,
but Panesh figured he was supposed to have known that it was included when someone said "everything".
So, after a moment, he trotted off into the woods following Nikomel's trail, and praising himself
greatly for being so very sensible and brave.
~~~
After the shock of seeing a wolf turn into a human girl wore off, Calli, or Hermione, as she was now,
turned and held the door of the cabin open for him. They both went inside. A seemingly very old man
with a long white beard sat in a big armchair by a newly lit fire at the other side of the room. He
wore something pecular on his face, but his eyes twinkled as he saw Nikomel.
"Ms. Granger, would you mind very much being a translator for a little while?"
Hermione laughed a little.
"Not at all. He can hear what you say just fine, though sometimes it's a little jumbled to him."
"That should make things much eaisier, then. What had you said his name was?"
"Nikomel, Professor."
Nikomel perked his ears up upon hearing his name, and the man in the chair chuckled.
"So you can hear me can you? Well, first of all Nikomel, please allow me to thank you for joining our
battle against Lord Voldemort. As I don't speak wolf, Ms. Granger, or Calli, as you know her, will be
translating for me. Perhaps I shall learn a few wolf words along the way?"
His eyes twinkled again.
"Now then, Nikomel. I shall begin with the story of how Lord Voldemort came to be. As I belive you have
already heard this story many times, Ms. Granger, why don't you take a walk outside?"
"Alright, Professor. See you later, Nikomel."
"Be back soon. And it's Albus, dear."
~~~
Panesh was getting tired. It couldn't be much farther! Just a little more, right? He could keep going.
He could do anything! Could't he? Finally, he found that he couldn't do everything. Maybe almost
everything, but not wandering off into the woods, alone, in the dead of night.
He wanted more then anything to be back in the pup-den with his brothers and sisters and a full belly,
with his mother in the next room over. He wished with all his little heart that something would happen,
somebody would take him away from the woods, and back to his den.
Quite siddenly, Panesh's sharp little ears picked up a noise. It was getting louder, and louder. Panesh
whined and put his tail between his legs. It didn't sound friendly.
As quickly as the sound started, it stopped. Panesh stood very still, hardly daring to breathe. And
then, a huge, growling body jumped up from somewhere to the left of him and pushed poor little Panesh
into the ground...
