Disclaimer: I do not own Salazar Slytherin or any other of the Hogwarts founders.

Journey

I have no concept of how long I wept on that solitary tree. The world felt like it had crashed down upon my scrawny shoulders. I knew I could not stay in the village. I had to leave, even though I did not know what lay beyond my home.

I brushed myself of, wiped away my tears and started towards where I had left Salome. She would be angry at me for leaving her alone for so long, so I traveled as quickly as my frozen bare feet would allow.

It did not take me long to find my sister. She was huddled in a foetal position rocking back and forth, where I left her.

"Salazar," she snapped looking up at me accusingly. "Where have you been?"

Something on my face must have told her for she shook her head and mumbled, "Nevermind."

"We have to leave." I expected my sister to disagree with me and secretly I hoped for a reason to stay. Not because I cherished my childhood home; but because I was afraid of what may lay outside the boarders of my known world. I was disappointed. Salome meekly nodded her head, stood and brushed off her long brown skirts.

"Where are we going to go?" she asked simply and stared at me with large dark eyes full of trust. Even though she was the elder I had come to be the leader of the two–for I was the male sibling.

I shrugged my shoulders and glanced around. As I was uneducated, I had no concept of geography and nearby towns that may be sympathetic.

"They'll come back for us if we stay," I said unnecessarily, we were both painfully aware that our lives were still in danger from the villagers and their holy men.

Salome shuddered, sniffed loudly then pointed. "Well that direction is as good as any."

I followed the line of her wavering finger. It pointed through the boggy fen and I remembered father talking about larger villagers beyond. But to do so would mean walking through the cemetery.

I gritted my teeth as if the houses of the dead held no fear for me and nodded. "Why not?"

Salome smiled wanly and turned her regal head. "Onto our new life then."

We travelled as fast as we could on foot. Salome of course, being a girl was wearing long skirts and so was hindered from moving too quickly. I'm glad I didn't have to where skirts. I on the other hand was bare footed and it was bitterly cold. My poor feet suffered, but I could not go home and get shoes. One I was too afraid to go back and two well the muggles burned everything, I doubt my shoes survived the torching of our home.

The cemetery came into view after a few minutes. I shivered in horror at the place. Living my whole life with muggles made me somewhat superstitious of the lonely 'houses of the dead.' It's silly really – the dead can't harm anyone, they're just that: dead. At time however, the treat seemed realistic.

Salome and I exchanged worried glances before she sighed and pushed open the steel gate. It opened slowly with a screech.

Before I could open my mouth to protest, Salome disappeared through the gate and the first headstones. It was a terrible dilemma. But I knew the choice was already made fore me. I had to follow.

"Salome…" My voice wavered in fear as I crept through the first rows. "Salome…" My breath came out in small little clouds in front of my eyes. It was only a mist, I know, but I was scared witless. "Salome…"

My foot stepped forward and I heard a crunch. I jumped back with a yelp refused to look down.

"Hurry up, Salazar!" I heard Salome's voice cut through the dense air.

Shuddering I wrapped my long cloak about my shoulders and stepped forward hurriedly, I was almost running…

"There you are…" Salome said at the other end when she saw me. I skidded to a stop panting, glaring at her from under my dark fringe. She opened the gate she was leaning against smugly and invited me through. I threw my head back proudly and marched past, annoyed that she had frightened me so badly.

There was nothing more mundane than travelling by foot only to rest by the roadside when it became too dark to continue.

It was on the second day when our journey came to an abrupt end. Salome tended a little fire away from the road and I had gone looking for something, anything to fill our rumbling bellies. We had not eaten for what seemed like an age.

I was not a particularly clever hunter; but I always had been cunning and resourceful. Dinner was not caught by me but by some other gentleman, to whom I was grateful for.

What I had found was a trap with a fat juicy looking rabbit. Who could resist such a tempting offer?

The poor rabbit's eyes were wild and bulging as I drew near. But the animal's fear did not perturb me in the slightest regard. I was too hungry to feel any sort of sympathy.

I lifted the lid of the trap that had caught the rabbit and grabbed it up by its long velvety ears. I clutched my hands around its scrawny little neck and twisted violently so it lay limp in my arms and smiled.

Salome was pleased by our prize, as she tended the fire I skinned and prepared our feast, boasting all the while how clever I was to pinch it out of the trap. Even though Salome made a show of seeming disapproving I could see the smile twitching on her red lips. "Salazar that was someone else's meal!" she cried.

I laughed and replied, "I've done the hard work of preparing it…It's ours now!"

The tantalizing smell of cooking rabbit soon filled the night air. I watched the rabbit cook, licking my sore chapped lips in anticipation. It seemed the rabbit had its revenge by taking as long as possible to cook.

But we were rewarded with warm roasting meat for our efforts and our patience. Food never tasted so good.

Salome almost finished her helping of rabbit when we heard horse hoof falls nearby. Salome heard them first. I saw her cringe and bolt upright dropping the rest of the meal to the floor with fright.

I glanced up quizzically and then I too heard the noise.

Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop.

I froze where I stood. The noise stopped and I relaxed and started to sit.

SNAP!

I bolted forward and spun on my heel, Salome covered her mouth to cover a half formed scream.

She was thinking what I was: the villagers had caught up!

Laughter filled the air as I spun madly around again. My eyes would have been wide as saucers.

Another snap came from my left. "Poachers," a cold voice drawled.

I turned very slowly I knew from the sound of the voice the new comer was educated. He was older than me; gold brown facial hair dotted around his face, his eyes were hard and accusing. Instead of the peasant garb I was used to seeing he wore a hauberk of mail, and a red and gold jerkin on top.

The stranger curled his lip up at me and circled around my sister, sneering.

"We're not poachers," my sister gabbled.

The stranger laughed shortly; it was much like a hunting dog's bark. "There is rabbit by your feet, darling," he pointed out.

My sister embarrassed and flustered looked guiltily down at the remnants of her dinner.

"N…nnn…ooo," my sister insisted shaking her head looking at me for some help. "I – we…"

Salome gestured loosely to me and the stranger's eyes locked on mine for a moment. I held his stare but shuddered; this man meant us ill.

The stranger sniffed and looked down upon my sister, my breath caught in my throat as he reached out for her…

Something clicked within my mind. I strode before him as if to remind him I would bare witness to anything he attempted to do. "Leave her alone…" I grabbed his muscled arm and tried to pull him back.

I felt the strong sting of his gloved hand against the tender flesh of my cheek. Tears sprung instantaneously to my eyes as I fell backwards.

"Hearne!" I heard thundering hoof beats behind me as the stranger bent down upon me to attack me again. "Hold."