(Forest) Looking For A Centaur

[Jac Shaw]

Jac strode into the forest, her mind focused on one thing, finding a centaur. Her brother, while he was at school, met several but then again he had a way with animals. And now it was Jac's turn to do the same. She just had to show her brother that all those books had paid off.

So there she was, in the dark and creepy forest with her wand away so she didn't call any unnecessary attention to herself and her heart in her throat. She was very nervous. For all she had read about Centaurs they were very proud creatures and she wasn't sure how one would feel about being sort after. Never the less she carried on at a brisk pace.

Branches crunched under her feet and an owl hooted over head somewhere. Jac spun around, wide eyed. Breathing heavier now, her hair had turned black as the night around her and her eyes were dark too. She had little control over that when she had strong emotional feelings but didn't really think about that when she remembered why she was there. Getting a grip on her collar, she relaxed and continued into the forest on her search.

[Valunce]

As ever Valunce was cautious and wary as he trotted along relatively close to the boundary of his home; the forest itself. He maintained a constant vigil for anyone so foolish as to enter the forest, having taken it upon himself, as his sworn duty, to protect any who entered; whether they were friend or foe, centaur or human. The centaurs always kept a scattering of guards who would dissuade any humans from coming near the glade. But now they rarely moved towards the boundary due to the growing presence of humans milling around willy nilly, seemingly searching in vain for months now. The centaurs were on their hooves about it, they were incrdibly suspicious and thought it highly likely that any item humans could want; would only be destructive; such a barbaric race.

Valunce was more friendly towards humans, who would never fully trust one, but he wasn't so agressive towards them; knowing that their ignorance was mainly their downfall, and their arrogance.

So it was that Valunce happned upon a human foal reaching adulthood it seemed. Moving relatively silently Valunce stole through the trees after her, contented to simply watch for now and analyse how much of a threat she was, as of yet she seemed minimal or at least wasn't purposely posing a threat. Valunce pondered as to whether it would be for the best if he drove her from the forest immediately, but for now he lay in watch.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac had been walking for what felt like hours and still no sign of Centaurs ... or indeed anything else. This forest, though very much alive, seemed dead with no birds in the trees, no cute little squirrels scampering around. Though which squirrel would be crazy enough to live in this forest, I'll never know, Jac thought, looking around.

Her eyes had adjusted well and she could see a little clearer now. She could see branches across her path whereas before she would just have fallen over it. She could see moss-covered rocks and leaves littering the ground. She stopped and crouched down to examine a five pointed star shaped leaf. She twirled the damp leaf by it's stem around in two fingers and held it up to her eye level. "How magnificent," she thought aloud. The symmetry was astounding.

Jac continued walking. She didn't feel safe in one place for very long. But she kept the leaf in her hand, twirling it absently. She needed something to keep her hand from going to her wand and putting a light on. She knew she shouldn't but instinctively she wanted to.

She wondered if it would help to call for the centaur. Her hair changed so it was streaked with her favourite autumn colours as she shook her head. Proud! Jac kept reminding herself, proud creatures. So she continued waling, looking around for even a glimpse of a tail or anything.

[Saul-in-darn Niña]

Why so curious? Why did humans endlessly yearn for knowledge? Their appetities never sated, always they desired more, seemingly never contented with what they had. Always their minds were open, willing to be taught the wonders of the wide world, but anyone could gain entry, anyone could feed false information, corrupted knowledge, fair words could hide foul deeds.

She yearned for a meeting, she needed to catch the smallest glimpse of a centaur, yet why? Hunger for power that they held within a hard grip? No few humans truly knew the depth of the centaurian power. She was simply curious, solely having a fascination with nature perhaps? Questions always so many questions posed, but rarely were they answered, the spirit was ancient, yet even he knew not all answers.

This centaur was as curious as the human, ever he wished for a meeting with them. Why he didn't approach was a mystery to the spirit of earth, but he glad he was that the centaur held back, for a warning needed to be spoken aloud.

A gentle breeze picked up a whispering voice upon the dry air.

Choose the correct path, do not wander aimlessly,

are you certain you wish to view those proud beings?

[Jac Shaw]

Jac was becoming tired. She had been walking for a long time now, just aimlessly walking, in the Forest and she still had seen no creature worth mentioning. She was also becoming slightly jittery. The hairs on the back of her neck were on end and she couldn't understand why.

Suddenly an eerie wind whirled around her whispering into her ears, planting doubts in her mind. What path? she thought worriedly. She began looking around hurriedly, had she missed the path? Why hadn't she seen it before? Where was it? In the dim light of the forest she could find any path and she began to walk slower. She began to look around wildly. What have I gotten myself into? she wondered.

... aimlessly...

She wasn't wondering aimlessly, she had an aim. "I have an aim," she whispered, gaining a little confidence from that fact. She wasn't sure where to look but she was sure she wanted to follow her present course. She took a few deep breathes, still eyeing the shadows in the trees that seemed to be watching her. Centaurs have to be around her somewhere, she thought, looking farther into the distance, straining to see.

[Valunce]

Confusion was written across Valunce's brow as the wind swirled up, there had been countless tales floating around that the breeze had a new tongue, an aged voice, whispers upon the wind, Valunce couldn't comprehend what it was, though he had heard voices before; he took it as a kindred spirit of the forest, knowing it would show itself when it deemed the time right Valunce was contented to ignore it, until it took a particular interest in him.

The human had made its way steadily into the forest, rarely stopping to catch her breath or keep an eye out for tracks; she was relatively easy to track, and he was able to keep silent enough for her to not detect his presence until he willed it. Now he judged the time was now; she wasn't about to turn back and before long she would happen upon the glade itself where she would doubtless receive a more harsh welcome. So with a scowl he bounded out behind her calling.

"Turn around human, what do you seek? You bring danger upon yourself daring foolishly to enter the forest." He trotted around her bow hanging loosely in his hand, though eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Speak your business," He commanded harshly, already feeling his features soften; he couldn't keep up a horrible act for long, as he was as curious of her, as she was of him quite probably.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac heard a voice behind her. She cringed thinking it was a teacher or worse, a ministry officer. But she was amazed to find it was nothing of the sort. It was a tall, elegant, beautiful centaur. She stared wide eyed and with her mouth wide open. She had done it, she had come across a real centaur. Well, he found me but that's not the point, Jac thought, remembering her manners.

"Oh," she said, with a little bow, "I'm sorry. I was just ...." she pointed a finger to her chest but couldn't explain, "but you ..." she pointed at the centaur "... you're a centaur!" She had done it, she had pointed out the oh so very obvious and felt terribly stupid for it too. "It's a pleasure," she mumbled, offering her hand in greeting, "I'm Jac Biggerstall, a real honour to meet you." All her fears were forgotten.

[Valunce]

Valunce was surprised by the girl's reaction, he had half-feared she would draw her wand so foolishly upon him, yet she had seemed not entirely shocked by his presence, more in awe of it. She even displayed excellent manners, giving the same respect Valunce bowed lower still, a faint smile spreading across his grim centaurian features.

"Indeed I am small one," he agreed swishing his tail and peering curiously down at her. Pawing the earth into a quagmire he became increasingly nervous as he always did in the presence of humans, he knew not how to act amongst them; their ways were so utterly foreign to him. As she offered a hand he looked at it quizzically, trying in vain to remember the proper protocal of a human greeting.

"The honour is all mine," he stated truthfully feeling rather ill at ease with her stares. He couldn't fathom why she was speaking so to him, wasn't she afraid? Why was she here? He looked blankly at her, shuffling from hoof to hoof and stepping cautiously backwards.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac noticed the way the centaur looked at her out stretched hand. Of course! she thought, human custom. Surely centaurs don't get offered many hands. She looked at her own hand and smiled at the centaur again. "It's a form of greeting," she informed him, "you shake it." She smiled up at the centaur.

It was incredible. She was standing in the presence of a centaur, an actual centaur. She could hardly believe herself. But he backed off slightly and Jac frowned. Am I making him nervous? she wondered. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said taking a step back herself, "I’m intruding, aren't I. I have read that Centaurs are very protective of there homes and are often very harsh on in... tur ... ders."

Jac gulped, she just realised what danger she had walked into. She took another step back, waiting for the killer blow of the hooves or the powerful strike of a fist. She couldn't believe that for all her reading she had not thought of this before. She had never in all her life been so stupid and suddenly so scared. She stared up at the centaur with new fear glistening in her now blue eyes.

[Valunce]

Valunce was becoming increasingly befuddled, the human was acting very curteously, until she suddenly sprang back in fear, realising the irony that he had expected that a moment ago; some sort of mild worry, he know knew he didn't want it, he hated her being scared of him, her hooves quaking away. Yet he didn't know the best course of action to remedy the situation.

Nervousness and agitation compelled him rashly onwards, elders would have gasped at what he now did; trotting forwards he roughly shook her hand, his being much larger engulfed hers and though he tried to shake it lightly he didn't quite know the extent of his natural centaur strength.

"Others may see it as intruding certainly, but I do not." He spoke softly in a musical tone and brought his fleeting emotions of worry under control, she meant him no harm, he was certain of it.

Mistakenly he asked curiously but with obvious unfeigned enthusiasm "you read the stars often? They hold vast knowledge, yet I had heard tell that humans were rarely stargazers like ourselves. What do the stars enlighten you with?" A smile now clearer upon his weathered features Valunce gazed down at the little human wondering if they really were as stupidly arrogant as he had been many times beyond count.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac sighed with clear relief. "Phew!" she said, then remembered her manners, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." She was so relieved when the centaur shook her hand. He seemed unsure of how the custom was performed but she gripped his hand as well as she could and shook it up and down. She smiled up at the centaur, glad he didn't want to rip her limb from limb.

"Read the stars?" she said, chuckling, "oh good Merlin, no! Humans are still to primitive to fully understand the extent at which the stars can tell us ... well, anything. I was talking about books. I read a lot of books." She smiled up at the centaur, her hand behind her back, "you do know what books are, right?" She wasn’t sure to what extent he knew of humans.

[Valunce]

Human ways really did confuse Valunce, their mannerisms were strange yet he knew after a time he could learn them, but their emotions were so utterly changeable. Centaurs tended to remain steadfast, he was in fact the exception that proved the rule and was known as a rather wild and therefore dangerous, young centaur. Yet this youngling seemed incredibly changeable emotions wise, in fact she appeared different in appearance too, though Valunce guessed it was merely a trick of the light or of the mind.

"Forgive me if I caused any offense," he murmered his apology unsure of whether she would accept it as heartfelt, though he reasoned she had been quick to apologise to him, and remained well mannered.

"Yes I know of books," he responded with a light chuckle, "though we tend to prefer using the medium of speech to retell tales and hand down knowledge, we seem to remember acute details quite easily. One should take careful note of the disposition of the stars, they're very important." He advised really repeating the words the elders had told him hundreds of times.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac frowned. She didn't understand why he was apologising but she didn't want to be rude. She shook her head and her hand, and said merrily, "not at all. Don't mention it." He spoke strangely, she noted with a smile. How marvellous it was to be standing in the presence of such a majestic and noble creature, Edward would be proud.

An oral tradition, she thought, how fascinating! She nodded as he spoke to show she was paying attention and wasn't merely gawking at him. "That does sound wonderful," she said, "but once again humans don't have much in line of memory so we need to find some other way of remembering things." She loved her books and wasn't shy of admitting it but many found it to be such a nerdy thing. They didn't even give her a chance to show her adventurous side, they judged her before they even knew her and this made her frown.

[Valunce]

Peering curiously at the girl he wondered why she deemed it necessary to keep nodding her head, perhaps it was a human tradition, centaurs rarely bobbed their heads other than in bowing, he guessed that she was displaying her willingness to listen to him, whilst centaurs merely suggested it with their eyes or the very slightest inclination of the head from time to time, she seemed to nod time and time again.

"Perhaps you do," he reasoned though he didn't believe humans were quite so feeble as to need to write everything down. He had in fact never seen a library so would be in complete awe and fascination if he was to behold the great vaults of Hogwarts library. "Do you take note of everything?" He asked quizzically, "Where do you store all those books?" Having lived in close quarters with other centaurs where space was at a premium, he couldn't imagine the sheer size of a place to contain books with all humans ever thought of.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac was clearly a fascination to the centaur for he studied her so hard it seemed that she feared her nose was running. She sniffed just to make sure it wasn't. She smiled at bounced on her heals. Books was a subject she knew very well. "Indeed," she said, "I do take notes on everything." She hesitated and comprehended his meaning.

"But only in class," she added quickly with a slight frown, "some don't even do that." She giggled and remembered a time where her fellow Gryffindors would copy her pristine notes because they hadn't made any when they had the opportunity. "Well," she said thoughtfully, scratching the back of her head, "we keep them in libraries, mostly: great big rooms filled with rows and rows and shelves and shelves of fantastic books holding everything you ever need know about anything."

Her love for libraries came through in her excited tone and her wide hand gestures as she tried to show how big a library could be but, sighing, she couldn't come close. "In my dorm," she said, dropping her arms and facing the centaur again, "I have to use any place I can get to house my books. Under my bed there are lots and next to it and in my chest and in the windowsill next to it."

She sighed and smiled happily. "But is there a set person who is in charge of remembering everything or do all centaurs just know everything?" She was very curious and knew she was speaking a lot about things she knew. But she didn't want to hear things she knew, she wasn't things she didn't know and so she would have to stop talking about libraries and books and listen for a change.