Forgive me but my Latin is horrible! I'm posting a translation at the bottom for what he said and their names. : p
Chapter Nine
A Dream?
Run. She had to run faster, harder. This was stupid, why did she ignore both Albus's and Remus's warning about going into the Forbidden Forest. Damn her stupidity. There must have been a reason it was called Forbidden. She glanced back, wondering if the Shadow was still pursuing her. This was obviously a mistake because she tripped on an over grown root and fell to the ground hard.
"Oh how movie-like," she muttered to herself, nursing a skinned elbow and knee.
She got to her feet as the unearthly moan filled the air again. She scanned the area around her. Trees surrounded her in all direction. That would be why it is called a forest, idiot. She thought to herself silently. She didn't know which way was out. She thought about shifting for a moment but before she could even make a decision a hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her into the shadows of a large pine tree. She almost let out a gasp but another hand covered her mouth.
She looked at her captor sharply and was almost relieved…almost. A rust-red centaur held her in his grasp. He motioned at her to stay where she was before he walked into the spot she had just been standing. His front legs kicked up wildly as The Shadow snaked The Shadow's way into the clearing where she had tripped. The shadow began to take the form of a clocked man, standing seven-feet tall. She pressed herself against the tree, shaking in fear.
"Where is she?" the voice let out the question in an unearthly whisper.
"Not yet." The centaur answered firmly.
"She is mine!"
"No. The planets have planned two destinies for the girl, two different paths for her to take. Until it is clear you are not to touch her." It wasn't normal 'centaur talk', even she knew that.
"SHE'S MINE!" the hollow thunder of the Shadow caused her insides to freeze.
"NOT YET!" the centaur kicked his front legs into the air again, the look of anger was so clear on the red beast that she almost took off running in whatever direction she chose, an angry centaur is dangerous centaur.
The two stared each other down. "There will come a time when you and your clans cannot protect her. She is mine and I will have her." And with that the Shadow cast an evil glance at the tree she had been hiding behind before he turned and left.
She was shaking so hard that, as soon as the Shadow was gone, she slid down the trunk of the tree, gasping for breath. What were they talking about? Destiny? Two paths? The centaur that had saved her came around the tree, his rust-color body standing tall and scaring her slightly. The centaur had dark black hair that shimmered red in reflection of his body and stood in contrast to his color. His eyes were dark orbs that glowed with a golden streak in them, giving the eyes a fiery like passion. He held his hand out to her and she stared at it, unsure of what to do.
"I will not harm you." He said softly as a crunching sound came from the surrounding trees.
She hesitantly took his hand and he helped her to her feet. She looked around wildly, unsure of where the noise was coming from…or what. "Th-thank you for what you did." She said, knowing full well that he could still see her shaking.
The centaur shook his head. "Think nothing of it."
She studied him. "Is all the mumbo-jumbo about stars and planets meant to confuse humans or did you just decide to speak so I can understand you?"
He laughed, the laugh was deep and caused her lips to twitch with a smile. "Confuse humans, of course." She actually let out a small laugh. The crunching noise was filling the forest again. Worry flickered in his peculiar eyes and they searched their surroundings. His attention snapped back to her. "Come, we must go."
She looked at him and he knelt down slightly. "No." she said realizing what he wanted her to do. "I will not ride you. You are no beast of burden or beast of any kind." She whispered. Her mother had taught her about all the magical creatures in the world and she held centaurs in high reverence. Part of it was probably because when Stef's life was threatened by her clan the centaurs aided her in escaping.
The centaur smiled. "You have inherited your mother's ways. Even when the Elvin Hunters were mere paces behind her she refused to ride on of us." She swallowed hard. "Run along side me,"
She obeyed in silence, unsure of where he was going to lead her. As he began to run she followed in suit. He was obviously going slower than he could in order to keep her beside him. She was out of breath and panting by the time they reached another clearing. He paused and looked at her as she drew in large breaths.
"Only a bit farther," he said gently.
She nodded and then a realization hit her. She cursed to herself and changed into her hawk. The centaur smiled at her approvingly, as if he had been waiting for her to figure out how to keep up with him. She smiled to herself as she took flight beside the centaur. It was just like them, waiting for the stupid humans to figure it out themselves. She was amazed at how much patience the centaurs had. She enjoyed flying, having a natural grace at the hawk's airborne abilities. In fact, the hawk was her best form…well next to the cobra.
The centaur had been right, it was only a bit further but because of her soaring she had been able to catch her breath. She landed and transformed back with ease. She looked at her centaur friend and he merely stared at the trees. One by one centaurs came from the trees, weapons of one sort or another attached to their bodies. At a quick glance five more centaurs joined the centaur at her side. Two of whom were female. She fought a gasp, she had never seen a female centaur. She glanced at her 'friend' and fought the urge to take a step back. She refused show fear of the gathering centaurs, though in her gut she was nearly frozen with terror.
Centaurs, as everyone knows, are not friendly with humans. So why did a centaur save her? Why aren't they angry with a human being in their forest? What was going on? She fought back the racing questions, confused. She glanced at the rust-red centaur but he was watching as the centaurs made a circle around them.
"Adem, why have you brought Her here?" a jet-black centaur questioned the one at her side.
"Keir, you know who this is."
"We are not fools!" shouted a bluish-green one.
"Yahto, calm yourself. He was trying to claim her. You all know of the paths of the stars. She has not taken one path over another!" the one at her side, obviously named Adem, said.
"How are you sure it is her?" asked a centaur that was a sunny yellow but her gaze was fierce, her blonde hair snaking in a braid over her shoulder.
Adem kicked his front legs up. She took a step away from him startled. "Are you growing as foolish as the humans! Do you not sense it! Conciliatrix ea acceptus cessi magus!" he shouted in a language she didn't understand. "The deepest and most purest magic flows in her veins!" She watched him baffled. Were they talking about her? "You shall not question it! You can feel it!"
The other female kicked her own legs in the air. Her fur—skin—hair—whatever the centaurs called it—was a flashing between orange, red, and yellow reminding her greatly of a fire. Her hair was a rich red and flowed over her shoulder as if it was a blood-red waterfall of hair. "STOP!" her voice was clear and rang like music. All of the centaurs looked at her. "We are as bad as the humans when we argue as such, I know that Keir and Yahto can feel it in the air as I can. It is her!" The eyes of the redhead flashed like amber as she looked at the yellow centaur. "Saffron, you may not feel it but you know. Why must you question?"
"Eithne, standing for your brother will prove nothing!" snapped a centaur that could have blended into the trees without a second thought, his coat and hair mixing of rich browns and deep greens. His eyes were a piercing light green and were glaring at the redhead.
"Oran, I would stand for anyone bringing her into our misted! Brother or no he had brought her here for a reason! Now silence your tongues so we may know what that reason is!"
Adem shook his head. "Eithne, are good but fighting battles that aren't yours are as foolish—"
"Aye, Adem, I know. But you weren't going to be winning anything and they only listen to me cause they know if they don't I'd hurt them."
"No we only listen to you because if we didn't you'd never be quiet." Muttered Keir.
The redhead made a face and then her amber eyes landed on her. "Why did you bring her?"
"He was chasing her, wishing to claim her this night."
"She only arrived this day, how could he have known so soon?" asked Yahto, his frown deep.
"The same way you or I knew." Snapped Eithne bitterly. "You know as well as I some of the foolish centaurs who look human are in his presence and have the same abilities as we do."
"What?" she gasped out.
All eyes were on her. She took a step back, hated the penetrating gazes. "Yes, Kali." Adem spoke gently to her. His eyes betraying his bitterness at the thought he was about to say. "Several centaurs have given birth to Near-Humans, outcasts in some clans where they could be blended with humans as easily as ever. Several, because of the exile, have turned to Voldemort."
She shivered, not at the name or the chilly night air but at the thought of half-humans having the same ability centaurs had and serving one so evil. "What did you just call me?" She asked softly.
Oran's eyes sparked. "Is it possible she does not know?"
"Know what?"
"You mother never told you?" Saffron said in an accusatory voice.
"Told me what?"
"Yet she wears the vial," hissed Yahto.
Keir shook his head. "Perhaps she was never told,"
"Her mother may have died before she had a chance. We must inform her of her destinies!"
"That is not our way, Eithne!" thundered Keir.
"Nor is it written that we allow the Conciliatrix to stay ignorant!" Eithne said bitterly.
Her hands grasped the necklace that she had put on back at her house. The vial gave her a cooling comfort. Adem shook his head. "If she does not know, we will not say! That is the way of the centaurs. She will learn in time!"
She looked at the tense faces and felt worried, confused, and nervous all at once. What were they talking about? "What will I learn? I don't understand."
"Nor will you yet, Kali." He said softly brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "Do not venture into the Forbidden Forest unless your need over comes your want." Her brow furrowed confused. "You have protection here and always from the Clan of the Vahe." His head bowed slightly to her. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. She fought recoiling back in surprise. The moment his lips touched her hand an icy fire burned her hand feeling wondrous and mysterious at the same time. He pulled away. "We shall come when you are in grave need."
"Thank you." She whispered, her eyes wide. "But I still don't understand."
Adem smiled. "You will, Kali. You will."
They stared at each other for a moment. "Come," Keir suddenly said. "We must get you to the edge of the forest." She nodded and started to shift into a hawk but Keir's voice stopped her. "No, the cobra. You black scales will blend with my coat. You shall ride on my back."
She opened her mouth to protest the thought but Eithne touched her hand. "Go, Kali. He will find you soon if you do not leave. Now go."
She stared into the amber eyes and then slowly nodded, changing. She slithered towards Keir and stared up at the now giant centaur. Keir lowered his arm and she slithered up, unsure of what she had just taken part of. He placed her around his neck, his hair hiding her scaly body, and took off running. She looked around, her senses sharpened. She tasted something in the air. Something evil. A wolf's howl filled the night air and she looked up at the sky sharply, her body tightening slightly around Keir's neck. It was a full moon that night.
Even as a snake, she shivered as the break from the trees came into sight. Abruptly, Keir stopped. "This is where I must let you of, Kali. A centaur never ventures out of the forest unless exiled to do so." She slithered down to his arm and he set her on the ground. "Be safe." He said softly before he took off back the way he came.
She stared after him and slithered out of the forest. She shifted back to human form and took off running towards the castle. She barely made it to Hagrid's hut before exhaustion hit her so hard she slumped to the ground. The grass felt cool and nice on her cheek, the moisture soothing her nervous and rather warm skin. Just for a minute, she thought closing her eyes. She'd just close her eyes for a minute.
Wetness was on her cheek as another wave of dog-breath hit her. She jerked awake just as a dog decided that her cheek wasn't clean enough and she needed more cleaning. She moaned fighting the black dog so she could sit up. She made a face and wiped the slobber off her cheek. What a dream, she thought glancing around. Her insides froze as the dog licked her hand happily.
She wasn't in her room at home or in her room at Hogwarts. She glanced behind her and crawled back a couple paces. The Forbidden Forest daunted her in its own spooky way. She shivered getting to her feet. She was still dressed in her nightclothes, though the shirt and pants were muddy and she wore the black slippers on her feet, they too were caked with mud. She glanced at Hagrid's hut and then back at the forest as the sun rose higher in the sky, the sunrise colors burning off.
It was all a dream…wasn't it?
She shook her head and made her way back towards the castle, unsure of what really happened that night. Had she been sleepwalking or something? How did she get out of her room? Were the centaurs in her dreams real? She was so distracted she nearly walked into a golden cream-colored blob. She recoiled back and nearly gasped in surprise. A centaur with pale white-blonde hair and a palomino body caught her before she lost her balance. His eyes were a sharp blue, almost as if they were two sapphire orbs glowing at her in the morning's light.
"Are you all right?" his soft voice questioned her.
She nodded mutely. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes to take a deep breath. "Sorry. I…I was distracted."
"You are Ms. Keller, are you not?"
She nodded again. Her mind raced to place the face with a name that Albus said. She swallowed hard, pushing back the reminisce of her dream. "I'm sorry, I don't…I mean, Albus must have told me your name but I don't remember."
"Firenze."
She let out a breath of air. "I didn't think centaurs allowed themselves to be associated with humans, magic or not."
A haunted look crossed those deep blue eyes. "I chose differently."
She nodded and took a step back. "Did you come out to watch the sun rise?" He affirmed her assumption. "Well, sorry I bumped into you." She started back towards the castle but he caught her hand. She looked back sharply, unease filling her. "Let me go,"
"Where did you get this mark?" he asked, his eyes focused on something that was on her hand.
She glanced at her hand and recoiled for another reason. Where Adem had kissed her hand there was a pale rune, almost invisible but it had just the slightest discoloration. She pulled her hand from his grasp and stared at the rune. Her old classes on runes flashed in her head, she had never been very good at them. But this particular rune was familiar to her but she still wasn't quite sure why until it hit her.
"The rune of calling protection." Unaware that she had spoken out loud, she continued to stare at it. The rune of calling protection was simple magic, used by rune experts on children to let the mothers know if their child is in need of help. How did Adem get it onto her hand?
"Yes, where did you get the mark from?" She looked back at the centaur sharply. She had forgotten that he was standing there. "Only centaurs can make such an inscription on a human's hand without scarring or ink."
She shook her head, trying to snap herself out of her confusion. "Have…have you ever heard of the Clan of the Vahe?"
Surprise sparked in his eyes now. "You were in the Forbidden Forest?" Lenore didn't think she had been this confused before in her life. She must have started to waver because the centaur's hand came around her to keep her balanced. "Careful." She looked at him and frowned. "Why were you in the Forbidden Forest?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. I mean, I don't remember how I got out here. I went to sleep—"
"FIRENZE!" a thundering voice boomed over the grounds. Both Firenze and Lenore looked up sharply. She rolled her eyes, irritation filling her. Snape was storming across the field, his black robes billowing around him. "Remove your hands from my daughter this instant!"
Firenze's arm dropped immediately. "I was merely aiding her, she was acting ill."
"What do you care anyway? And don't call me your daughter!" she snapped shaking her head.
Snape ignored her last statement. "What are you doing out doors at this hour? And in your nightclothes?"
"I decided to try and convince the forest animals to attack and kill you and thought being causally dressed might help the matter along." She said with a steel glare. His brow arched at her. "I was mostly successful, the only problem I encountered was when the werewolf said he's been trying to get you for years and doubted the success of such a mission." She gave him an evil smirk. "But I told him with inside help it'd be no problem."
She watched the anger and annoyance flicker in his eyes with a trace of fear, obviously recalling an incident in his childhood. "Get inside, young lady, before you catch a cold."
She mimicked him. "Whatever," she stalked towards the palace and just to annoy him she glanced back and belted out a loud chord. "My give a damn's busted!" She began to sing the tune loudly until she walked into the castle.
She faded off into a hum as she hurried to her rooms. Cassandra was asleep at the moment. "Cassandra?" she said gently. The portrait opened an eye and yawned. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah….mmm…sure."
"Did I leave last night?"
The portrait blinked and seemed to be recalling. "Um…yeah…well you'd have to if you're out here."
"But did you actually see me leave?"
Cassandra squinted and frowned. "No…I don't remember. You were muttering in your sleep for a while before you got up and—yes! You opened me up muttering something under your breath before leaving. Only time I got a good night's sleep was when you were gone. You really should look into a silencing charm or something. Your mumbles get annoying."
Lenore shook her head. "Yeah…sure, thanks." She said before muttering the password.
She stepped in and headed straight for the bathroom. She wanted to get the dirt and mud off of her. She slowed to a stop thinking for a moment. Come to think of it, I'm not even tired…so if I left I must have slept walked…right? She thought turning on the water as she shed her clothes. But how did the rune get on my hand? She sighed shaking her head. She pulled off her jewelry, and gasped when she found she couldn't remove the necklace with the vial on it. Annoyed she tried to breath the chain but soon gave up, she didn't have much fight in her right now.
She climbed into the tub, allowing the hot water to tingle her legs. She leaned back and got comfortable as she thought about her dream. She stared at her hand. "It was a dream…wasn't it?" she asked herself silently.
Translation Guide!
Conciliatrix ea acceptus cessi magus she who unites is part of things magical.
Adem-red earth
Keir-black
Yahto-blue
Oran-green
Saffron-yellow flower
Eithne-little fire
Vahe-Strong
