Cain Comes to Hogwarts!

[Apronia Silvanus]

Apronia groggily felt something hard prod her, and lashed out, still asleep. Something was wrong, and the sounds of the forest began to niggle at her awareness. The trees murmured of disturbance. Her eyes opened, and the talking of branches faded out of comprehension to a gentle rustling. She blinked.

"Cain? Something is wrong in the forest. I must go." she stood to go to her hut and grab her bow and a knife, centaur herds be damned.

[Cain]

Cain looked crestfallen. "But..." He looked toward the forest, caught between wanting to be around Apronia and wanting to stay as far from the it as he could. "But... But I'm hungry!" He settled on, looking up at her with huge grey eyes.

[Apronia Silvanus]

She kissed his cheek fondly. "I brought you a sack of apples, the Professor told me you liked them. If you need anything, clap your hands and ask for a House Elf. They're strange, but get them to fetch a Professor." She stopped, looking at his worried face, and held it between her hands. "Cain, I have to go. I'll be back soon, I promise, piccolo."

She departed at a run.

[Cain]

Cain glared at the bag of apples accusatorialy, before his hunger got the better of him and he ate all he could. When he was finished, he stamped the cores into pulp to feed the earth as his momma had taught him. And then he got bored. Wide grey eyes turning toward the castle.. he decided to go explore!


After a while, he came streaking back, terrified. Those humans were insane! He fell back asleep, hoping someone sane would come visit him.

[Kieron E'Drien]

Kieron sighed dully, footsteps hitting the ground without much noise.

Even though the sitxh year had gotten some rest from what had been happening over the last day or so at Hogwarts, he still felt profusely tired, although he wasn't sure why. Along with that, he was still concerned about Algernon, even though he knew he was safe in the infirmary and was probably getting a lot of visitors. Now, you may be asking the question: Why wasn't he up there visiting him if he was so worried? Well, he didn't really like being around a ton of people. It made him feel uncomfortable sometimes, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with anybody. So, with his stubborn thick head, he decided to go take a walk by the lake. He would go visit the other man later and see how he was doing.

Slanted eyes widened lightly in curiousity as he noticed an old paddock. Curiousity getting the best of him, he wandered over to it. "Hello?" He called, chuckling to himself. No one was probably in there. What was he thinking?

[Cain]

Cain's eyes opened, the wide grey orbs looking out over the hay in which he was burrowed, into the light of day. He stood up, dusting himself off, and trotted into the the sunlight. Standing at the edge of the fence was a boy in red robes. Cain smiled shyly at him, waving. "Hi! I'm Cain, who're you?" He asked, tail swishing behind him.

[Kieron E'Drien]

Kieron fell backwards and stumbled at the sudden voice in shock, not expecting to actually /get/ a reply from anyone. "Ow. Dammit." He murmered, rubbing his head sheepishly and getting to his feet, looking towards the centaur whose name was Cain. Slanted eyes looking at him warily, he then smiled brightly and shrugged, offering a wave. "Hey there Cain. I'm Kieron, nice to meet you." Rubbing a hand through his chestnut locks of hair, he stepped closer to where Cain stood, but allowed the centaur to have some space. 'Ok..what to say to him..' Kieron thought lamely, chuckling. "So, this is where you live then? I've never really explored out here much before." Looking around, his eyes fell on the paddock with curiousity.

[Cain]

Cain giggled. "Kieron! That's a nice name. It sounds like a centaur name!" He noded, bouncing about in the hay a bit. "Apronia says I won't have to live here forever. I hope not... it's kinda cold at night! And I'm not used to sleeping alone... but it's better than being in the forest." He shivered, looking suddenly crest fallen. He looked back up at Kieron. "The forest is no fun without parents." He nodded again, sniffling slightly.

[Kieron E'Drien]

Kieron frowned and nodded, thinking for a minute. So, he was an orphan then. Poor little guy. "Well...I guess I could hang out here with you for a little while, if thats alright." He suggested and changed the subject, chuckling at the centaurs enthusiasm. "Might as well keep you company. I mean, if you want it of course." He waved his hand to reassure him. Cain was one of the first centaurs he had seen in his life, and he figured it'd be nice to make a new friend, although he only did so once in a rare while. Leaning against the door of the paddock, erm, the door frame actually, he waited for Cain's responce, eyes apon him.

[Apronia Silvanus]

"Cain!" called Apronia as she neared the paddock.

[Cain]

Cain smiled excitedly. "Of course I want--!" Apronia's voice.


"Apronia!" Cain cried, galloping forward to embrace her, small face pressing against her shoulder. "You came back! You were away so long! I went to the castle and I helped this nice girl but then they were so scary so i can back here and I waited and waited and then Kieron showed up!" he told her, all in one breath.

[Kieron E'Drien]

Kieron blinked, slightly startled by the sudden appearance of the gameskeeper, but he stayed calm and offered a wave. Looking sheepish, he approached the two, not sure how the woman would react. "Yeah. Pretty much exactly what he said, I guess." He replied, running a couple of nervous fingers through his hair. He wondered if he was going to get into any trouble at all. Of course, he didn't come here on purpose. He was just taking a walk to calm himself! He had come apon the paddock.

[Apronia Silvanus]

(OOC: so oops i forgot that i posted here and went into the forest, so this temporally is bit garbled. Sorry all!)

"Cain," she said, pulling him away. There's a very dangerous situation in the Forest. I have to go. Be good while I'm gone." as his face fell she felt a pang of guilt, but she had no time! There was no time! The shadowy fear in her mind was growing second by second. She grabbed her bow, dropped an affectionate pat on Cain's shoulder, nodded to Kieron and dashed off.

(Again, my apologies for my lack on continuity. I'll keep better track in the future. So...the events of thread "the Poisoned Woods" take place now, for Apronia.)

[Kim Rivers]

Kim walked past the paddock and caught a glimpse of something. She looked inside... she whispered a small "Hello" wondering who was in there. "God kim dont you know curiosity killed the cat?" she said stepping inside. "Anybody here?"

[Cain]

Cain grimaced and went back into his paddock, burrowing deep into the hay and crying angrily. He ignored Kieron, curing up into a ball. It wasnt FAIR! Everyone keeps leaving, my parents, and my herd, and all I want to do is spend time not by all myself and Apronia keeps leaving and it's not fair, he fumed silently, little face burried in his hands. Eventually, he cried himself to sleep.


And then...


The woods are a whistle, and I am worse. Leaves crumble under their own weight: this is the sound of laughter. I am laughing. I am laughing at you.

Jagged and fragmented dreams, Apronia walking through the forest.

We are so hungry. We are looking at you Apronia and we see what makes you ashamed.

It hangs over her. Cain can feel its hunger, feel it gnawing at his own belly. A string of drool drips from his mouth, making a section of hay sticky.

Keep her. Keep her. Keep her. This is inevitable loneliness.

I am the forest.


He wakes up, terror in his eyes before anything else. He gallops out, barreling past the door standing at his gate, he has no time to speak to her, and toward the edge of the forest.