Disclaimer: I do not own HP. Kahl (whose name may change) is my character, as well as Sarah and some of the spells and books. Please respect that.
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long, and please tell me if you have any suggestions!
-----
Chapter 5
Return
'Finally.' Kahl pulled on her jacket over her back harness bearing the sword, and she bowed to Lucius Malfoy. She looked at the short, round figure within the door, and she turned back to the elder Malfoy. "Your conduct shall not go unnoticed." She bowed once more. As she straightened, she glanced towards Sarah, and past her, up the stairs. Draco Malfoy stood at the top of the steps, his eyes dark in the shadows. She turned her gaze to Lucius. "Good day, sir."
She walked to Peter the rat, and he nodded to Lucius. "We are most pleased you kept the Dark Lord's courier safe," he said, his voice quick. Lucius raised one eyebrow, and Peter nodded. "Well, ah, yes. Come on, servant." He glared at Kahl, then turned and stalked out the open door. She bit back a sigh and followed.
-----
That evening, Kahl and Peter rested within the edge of a forest. "I thought you made your journeys within three days. Yet you keep resting. We should be closer to the manor than this."
Kahl glared at the rabbit she was skinning. She breathed steadily, then turned to Peter as he wiped sweat off his brow with a grubby sleeve. "Sir, I can not travel as usual until I have completely recovered and regained my strength." She spitted the rabbit and steadied the stick on the makeshift stands. She breathed gently on the fire, and the flames brightened, licking up the sides of the ash logs.
Peter wrapped up in his cloak, moaning. Kahl settled before the fire, her eyes focused on the cooking meat, and she released her mind. There was the balding man behind her, of course, but there was the forest around her. Birds chirped in the trees, a brook was babbling only meters away, a deer stopped in the field they had just left...
Kahl turned the spit, her focus still on her surroundings, on everything real. Empty thoughts could neither distract her nor be read. And it allowed her to ignore her companion.
-----
They reached the manor the next day just before noon. Peter gasped as he struggled up the path to the kitchen door. Kahl forced herself to walk a step behind him. Considering the fatigue weighing her down, it wasn't as difficult as normal. Considering his fatigue, it was still difficult. Kahl shook her head. 'Be nice. I doubt he's had training similar to yours.'
They entered through the large kitchen, and Peter led the way upstairs to the Dark Lord's chamber. "Master, I have returned with the courier."
"Bring her in here."
At the cold voice issuing through the room, Kahl had to tense to not shiver. Peter stepped aside, and she walked around the high armchair to face the Dark Lord. She bowed.
"What happened, Rembrak?" Voldemort said softly. His pet snake raised her head to look at Kahl, and she flicked her black tongue out, tasting the air.
Kahl kept her eyes firmly fixed on Nagini, and she told Voldemort the story. She had arrived at Nott's manor to deliver the message from Voldemort, and MacNair, whose home she would have visited next, arrived shortly after. Not even fifteen minutes after MacNair's arrival, they were attacked by six Ministry Unspeakables. Though the fight was one of confusion and chance, due to one stray spell collapsing the mantelpiece into the fire, the fight was also quick in the small living room.
Voldemort cut into her explanation. "And why did you not fight? Is that not part of your...recommendations?"
"I did, until I saw that Nott and MacNair had been defeated and killed. At that point, I felt my duties to you would be best preserved by leaving before they could note my appearance."
Kahl waited, muscles relaxed, mind full of the memories of the fight, as Voldemort's breath hissed through his nostrils. Minutes ticked by, and her mind opened. Room, coals in the fireplace, rustling of dry snake scales....
"How did they find them?"
"I believe they followed MacNair. I had not yet delivered him his message, but he told the others that he had come from his house."
A snake's mustiness slid over her mind. Another few minutes passed, and then...
"The fool," Voldemort snarled. "And then, courier? What did you do?"
"I escaped badly wounded. I finally found my way to the Malfoy manor, where they had my wounds cared for."
"By whom?"
"Their maid, I believe."
The feeling of scales slid over her thoughts again, then vanished. "Very well. Go."
Kahl deepened in her bow before backing out of Voldemort's sight. She turned and walked out, head down, not even looking at Peter. She went to a tiny staircase and followed it upwards to a small hall. She entered her room under the front eaves of the roof, and she closed the door tightly. She shed jacket, sword harness, boots, and socks, and she collapsed on her bed with a sigh of relief. She was soon asleep.
-----
When Kahl woke, a quick glance out the window revealed the house's shadow stretched down the hill towards the woods, and the village beyond with lights blinking into wakefulness.
Kahl stretched, and her stomach rumbled. She pulled on her jacket, and she slid a small metal rectangle from the spindly dresser to the jacket pocket. She pulled the sheathed sword from the harness and left the room. She padded downstairs to the cavernous kitchen, and she assembled and ate a sandwich. Then it was to a small study on the first floor, barefoot on the cool, hardwood boards. Kahl drew her sword, tossing the sheath to the side of the sunlit room. Salute, lunge, parry, thrust, swipe, block....
She continued even as the sun set, leaving her in dim twilight, her joints beginning to ache. As night drew on, she slowed her practices, her muscles burning with fatigue. Finally, she sheathed her sword and sat down under the slightly open window. A breeze whispered through the crack. Cool air, wind-whispering grass, an owl's hoot, rustling in the grass, too small to be a rat. She dug the metal rectangle from her jacket pocket. She looked for a moment at the mirror, her face pale and drawn in its surface. She swallowed, relaxing her face into the mask of indifference, and she whispered to the mirror.
"Albus Dumbledore."
The mirror grew warm under her fingers, and light shone gently from its surface, revealing a bearded face in a firelit office, blue eyes watching her from behind half-moon spectacles. "Kahl, are you all right?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'm fine. I do not believe he suspects."
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long, and please tell me if you have any suggestions!
-----
Chapter 5
Return
'Finally.' Kahl pulled on her jacket over her back harness bearing the sword, and she bowed to Lucius Malfoy. She looked at the short, round figure within the door, and she turned back to the elder Malfoy. "Your conduct shall not go unnoticed." She bowed once more. As she straightened, she glanced towards Sarah, and past her, up the stairs. Draco Malfoy stood at the top of the steps, his eyes dark in the shadows. She turned her gaze to Lucius. "Good day, sir."
She walked to Peter the rat, and he nodded to Lucius. "We are most pleased you kept the Dark Lord's courier safe," he said, his voice quick. Lucius raised one eyebrow, and Peter nodded. "Well, ah, yes. Come on, servant." He glared at Kahl, then turned and stalked out the open door. She bit back a sigh and followed.
-----
That evening, Kahl and Peter rested within the edge of a forest. "I thought you made your journeys within three days. Yet you keep resting. We should be closer to the manor than this."
Kahl glared at the rabbit she was skinning. She breathed steadily, then turned to Peter as he wiped sweat off his brow with a grubby sleeve. "Sir, I can not travel as usual until I have completely recovered and regained my strength." She spitted the rabbit and steadied the stick on the makeshift stands. She breathed gently on the fire, and the flames brightened, licking up the sides of the ash logs.
Peter wrapped up in his cloak, moaning. Kahl settled before the fire, her eyes focused on the cooking meat, and she released her mind. There was the balding man behind her, of course, but there was the forest around her. Birds chirped in the trees, a brook was babbling only meters away, a deer stopped in the field they had just left...
Kahl turned the spit, her focus still on her surroundings, on everything real. Empty thoughts could neither distract her nor be read. And it allowed her to ignore her companion.
-----
They reached the manor the next day just before noon. Peter gasped as he struggled up the path to the kitchen door. Kahl forced herself to walk a step behind him. Considering the fatigue weighing her down, it wasn't as difficult as normal. Considering his fatigue, it was still difficult. Kahl shook her head. 'Be nice. I doubt he's had training similar to yours.'
They entered through the large kitchen, and Peter led the way upstairs to the Dark Lord's chamber. "Master, I have returned with the courier."
"Bring her in here."
At the cold voice issuing through the room, Kahl had to tense to not shiver. Peter stepped aside, and she walked around the high armchair to face the Dark Lord. She bowed.
"What happened, Rembrak?" Voldemort said softly. His pet snake raised her head to look at Kahl, and she flicked her black tongue out, tasting the air.
Kahl kept her eyes firmly fixed on Nagini, and she told Voldemort the story. She had arrived at Nott's manor to deliver the message from Voldemort, and MacNair, whose home she would have visited next, arrived shortly after. Not even fifteen minutes after MacNair's arrival, they were attacked by six Ministry Unspeakables. Though the fight was one of confusion and chance, due to one stray spell collapsing the mantelpiece into the fire, the fight was also quick in the small living room.
Voldemort cut into her explanation. "And why did you not fight? Is that not part of your...recommendations?"
"I did, until I saw that Nott and MacNair had been defeated and killed. At that point, I felt my duties to you would be best preserved by leaving before they could note my appearance."
Kahl waited, muscles relaxed, mind full of the memories of the fight, as Voldemort's breath hissed through his nostrils. Minutes ticked by, and her mind opened. Room, coals in the fireplace, rustling of dry snake scales....
"How did they find them?"
"I believe they followed MacNair. I had not yet delivered him his message, but he told the others that he had come from his house."
A snake's mustiness slid over her mind. Another few minutes passed, and then...
"The fool," Voldemort snarled. "And then, courier? What did you do?"
"I escaped badly wounded. I finally found my way to the Malfoy manor, where they had my wounds cared for."
"By whom?"
"Their maid, I believe."
The feeling of scales slid over her thoughts again, then vanished. "Very well. Go."
Kahl deepened in her bow before backing out of Voldemort's sight. She turned and walked out, head down, not even looking at Peter. She went to a tiny staircase and followed it upwards to a small hall. She entered her room under the front eaves of the roof, and she closed the door tightly. She shed jacket, sword harness, boots, and socks, and she collapsed on her bed with a sigh of relief. She was soon asleep.
-----
When Kahl woke, a quick glance out the window revealed the house's shadow stretched down the hill towards the woods, and the village beyond with lights blinking into wakefulness.
Kahl stretched, and her stomach rumbled. She pulled on her jacket, and she slid a small metal rectangle from the spindly dresser to the jacket pocket. She pulled the sheathed sword from the harness and left the room. She padded downstairs to the cavernous kitchen, and she assembled and ate a sandwich. Then it was to a small study on the first floor, barefoot on the cool, hardwood boards. Kahl drew her sword, tossing the sheath to the side of the sunlit room. Salute, lunge, parry, thrust, swipe, block....
She continued even as the sun set, leaving her in dim twilight, her joints beginning to ache. As night drew on, she slowed her practices, her muscles burning with fatigue. Finally, she sheathed her sword and sat down under the slightly open window. A breeze whispered through the crack. Cool air, wind-whispering grass, an owl's hoot, rustling in the grass, too small to be a rat. She dug the metal rectangle from her jacket pocket. She looked for a moment at the mirror, her face pale and drawn in its surface. She swallowed, relaxing her face into the mask of indifference, and she whispered to the mirror.
"Albus Dumbledore."
The mirror grew warm under her fingers, and light shone gently from its surface, revealing a bearded face in a firelit office, blue eyes watching her from behind half-moon spectacles. "Kahl, are you all right?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'm fine. I do not believe he suspects."