Chapter 14: Blessings, part 2
Bless You.
Harry sat with both legs folded beneath him, arms at his sides, eyes cast out at the grass all around him. So many had come this time! A long silver snake with three eyes was curling gracefully around six oval shaped eggs. Behind it, a Runespoor ducked two of its three heads in greeting while the third fussily nosed its three black eggs closer together. The bright orange scales of a snake with three tales wound lazily around its huge clutch of nearly twenty-five eggs. Finally, maybe most impressively, a common garden snake had bravely made its clutch amongst these magical snakes, and was staring unblinkingly at Harry. All had come before the Emperor with their unhatched for his blessing.
By now Harry had worked out a routine.
"Thank you for coming," he said in greeting. Every snake dipped its nose to the ground and the orange snake rattled its three tails. He put his hands together and pointed to the silver snake. "May your scales never dull. They're very beautiful." The snake writhed in pleasure at the compliment, though it was careful not to jostle the eggs. Harry pointed to the Runespoor next. "May all your heads make peace with each other," he said, remembering the last Runespoor and how it had bickered with itself so badly that it had bitten off one of its own heads. All three heads of this snake looked slightly dazed at this address. "May your many eggs all hatch," Harry said next, causing the orange snake to rattle its three tails even more furiously than before, excitement plain in its eager eyes.
He paused when he came to the last snake. Indiis and Nagini had given him ideas and coaching to bless the many magical snakes he had come across so far. This was the first non-magical snake he had seen. It was brave enough to come between these three bigger, stronger snakes and lay its eggs. Harry thought this very admirable and said as much.
"What is your name?"
The common snake looked up from the ground.
"I am Viper," it hissed, "One of many, my Emperor."
Harry nodded. "None of your kind have come before," he said. "You're different from the rest. You're brave."
Viper quivered at the compliment and dipped its nose to the ground mane times.
"Your eggs will be strong, like your spirit," Harry decided.
Then, because he was almost eight, and because it seemed like a good idea, Harry added, "And they'll have the gift of... um..."
Harry paused, thinking. He wanted to reward this snake. It had to be something good, something that a snake might enjoy. He cast his mind back to what snakes liked most-a good meal? A sunny spot? He recalled lying by the river where Sahensha and Indiis had praised him for the small fire, and the nights under the stars when he kept them warm by flame.
That seemed like a good gift to give. Harry made up his mind and finished his announcement.
"...and they'll have the gift of fire breath."
The Viper's eyes nearly popped out of its head.
Harry said his good-byes and left. The Viper was frantically hissing praises at his back. Once all the snakes had gone Harry looked up. This was a relatively nice spot. It was close to water. He could hear the tell-tale gush of a nearby river. There were plenty of animals living in this area. The sound of birdsong filled the air along with the pitter-patter of small rodent feet. And it was warm, here. It met nearly every criteria for the Nest. Harry smiled, hopeful, and reached out and let his fingers press against the bark of a tall pine.
The smile slid off of his face when he felt it—scratch marks. He turned to look with unhappy green eyes. The brown bark was clearly marked, raked over with claw markings, showing it was dangerous to stay.
Harry groaned. Another area already claimed. His red-scaled friend slithered over at his sound of distress.
"Indiis, tell me I'm wrong," Harry begged, pointing to the claw marks. "These aren't what I think they are. Are they?"
"I'm sorry Emperor. Those belong to bears," Indiis confirmed. Harry moaned in dismay.
"But weren't there bear marks on the pines from a day ago? We've come so far away from those!"
"And this wood belongs to more. We should press on. The forest will thin, there will be less living there." Sahensha tried to cheer his Emperor, "Perhaps we can make our Nest?"
Harry grabbed his hair in frustration, his good mood from the Blessing gone.
"Everywhere we go there's someone else already living there! There's got to be a place for us. I know we can find it!"
"We have not lost hope, Emperor," Indiis hissed quietly as they took to walking again through the undergrowth, "But we do tire."
"Yes," Sahensha agreed with a plaintive whine, "It has been far, and we have rested little."
Nagini had slithered up beside Harry Potter. The young Emperor was moody. She could see from the way his lips were shut up tight, and his hands were drawn in balls by his sides. She slid into time with his step and said nothing.
The group continued in silence for hours after that. Nagini stopped to raid a robin's nest of three eggs and Sahensha killed a small wild rabbit with his stare and swallowed it, but other than the clouds changing shape in the sky overhead, nothing was said.
The three snakes tried to ignore the feeling of guilt that slowly wrapped around them. Their Emperor was upset. Indiis told himself over and over that it wasn't their fault, that they had only been trying to make the Emperor see reason. Nagini harbored her own thoughts and doubts, having grown fond of her human, but feeling an inexplicable tug to find her old one.
Finally the clouds gathered on the horizon and blotted out the sun. The sky lost the last golden ray of sunlight and night fell. Harry found he couldn't summon the fire to his fingertips the way he usually did and went to sleep amongst Nagini's coils with a foul mood.
The sky echoed his feelings and within the hour it was raining.
End Chapter