(Forest) Looking For A Centaur

[Valunce]

Valunce smiled happily, something he was really unaccustomed to doing as he spent most of his day alone, making sure humans weren't in danger, or listening intently to Elder Patriarch of course. With a grin he wondered if all humans became as animated and excited as this one, she really had quite a bubbly, happy personaility, and spoke with no fear towards him, but kept her tones respectful and formal when necessary. He really was pleased with the circumstance, most humans he came across blatantly showed their ignorance and had not a care for it, but she seeemed more than willing to learn more, not just of his culture but about anything and everything the world had to offer he deemed. Her thirst for knowledge seemed very strong indeed, but not all conquering like it could be for some.

He marvelled at her vivid descriptions of a library, but still wondered quite what they looked like, having never really seen a fully furnished room of any sort, only dirty caves or small hovels built by woodland creatures. With a faroff look in his eye as he tried to picture what she described he listened intently hanging upon her every word, though he seemed to just stare blankly down at her, he really was completely immersed in what she said.

"I would very much like to see such wonders," he commented "though I do doubt I shall ever have the opportunity," Valunce couldn't imagine how it would feel or really look to trot along Hogwarts halls. A fabled centaur Firenze had once been thrown from the clan and taken lodgings and a teaching place up at the castle, though many centaurs turned grim at the mention of the blasphemous traitor Valunce was secretly in awe of him, and deeply envious; to an extent.

With a feeling of guilt and excitement Valunce smiled down at his new found friend "would it endanger you greatly to perhaps..well bring own of your..books to the forest?" He asked hesitantly feeling bad for inviting her back to this most dangerous of places, btu he couldn't possibly meet her at Hogwarts though, that would be sheer foolishness.

Moving swiftly onwards in case she refused his plea, he responded kindly to her curious question. "We learn whatever we wish to learn, it's a problem really as if an Elder chooses not to hand down a tale it can be lost forever, that's why foals are always so inquisitive, and constantly question everything, we've a thirst for knowledge and we don't want to lose what we know. Elders are of course the wisest," he explained, "as their title suggests they tend to be the oldest, though it's been heard of for younger centaurs to join their fabled ranks. To my mind Elder Patriarch is the wisest being though, his ideas may be controversial at times, but he's always offered me good, sound advice."

Smiling Valunce finished, "you can learn as much or as little as you wish really, though the vast majority of us do wish to know as much as centaurianly possible."

"Of course we also seek guidance from the stars themselves, humans would just call it foresight; simply reading the stars, but it's so much more than that, it's very difficult to explain but we learn so much from the Gods on high." He intoned seeing her puzzled expression he explained "That's what the stars are known as sometimes, some believe they are the Gods shinging eternally for us, there are many differing beliefs, yet we tend to live in perfect harmony." He grinned "books probably tell you we argue a lot, and it's true really, but it's our basic nature and rarely comes to blows." He smiled knowing that however much curiousity he held for humans the love for his own race far surpassed it, they were his family; a close knit community without which he couldn't hope to survive without.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac was unsure if it was right for her to intrude this time but his offer for her to come back and show him her books was one she could not refuse. She nodded and smiled, "of course I'll show you my books, though I think it may take a while and a few trips to show you all of my books. I have so many." She put a hand on her hip and ran the other through her now fire red hair. "But it would be my pleasure."

She cocked her head and smiled at the centaur as he spoke. How truly fascinating, she thought, an oral tradition that hasn't died out. She had read many books on many civilisations that had had oral traditions and when they were wiped out all their history went with them. This always made Jac sad but this made her smile. A history that had survived. A truly remarkable race of beings.

Divination ... Jac thought, as he mentions stars and Gods on high. It confused her some what but she tried to look as interested as she could. "Divination was never my strong point," Jac mumbled under her breath. "I have read," she said, with more confidence, "that centaurs sleep standing up. Is this true?" This was one thing Jac could never wrap her head around. And it seemed a foolish question after the intricate analysis the centaur had just given her.

[Valunce]

Pawing the earth in excitement anticipating a time when he could pour over a human's books, he smiled happily though remained his usual curteous self "I shouldn't really have been so presumptious I'm sorry, it will undoubtedly be dangerous returning here so I shall meet you at the boundary, near the gameskeepers hut, just past their vegetable patch. On no circumstances should you enter the forest alone." He lectured solemnly feeling a growing attachment for the safety of the small one. They always appeared so very frail in their flesh, though he knew their magic and power could be fearsome to behold.

"Seeing your books would be an honour, a real privelage," Valunce said truthfully feeling that it really would be a remarkable experience. Their leather bound journals he had heard tell of would be a sight indeed.

"One should always take note of what the secrets the stars hold; if you can unravel their mysteries," he intoned repeated the words of Eldar Patriarch. "That's what I've been taught, to me it's normal, but humans are known for not heeding the wisdom of the stars." He commented unkowing that such a comment to the wrong person could cause offence.

"It's no fable if that's what you mean." He chuckled thinking it just everyday knowledge to him, though to her it would of course appear a completely alien thing to do. "It depends really, mostly I sleep standing, it's just easier, foals always lie down as they prance about all day with so much energy; it takes a lot out of them bounding around and listening to Elders drone on each and every day." He smirked remembering vividly his rather monotonous routine. "Some smaller females tend to lie down too, but heftier males usually sleep standing, it really depends on how we feel."

With a grin he added "we don't sleep much at night though, we're too busy readin the stars, so tend to catch a few naps throughout the day. we don't need as much sleep as you humans, do you really sleep for over half the day sometimes?" He asked incredulously as frisky as a foal.

"It wastes all the day away." He added "don't you miss both sunset and sunrise?" He asked pointedly wondering how humans coped without viewing them both each and every day; Valunce felt lost without it, and had felt out of sorts all day long when he missed a most glorious sunrise one morning. "They're so beautiful I can hardly believe you would rather sleep."

[Jac Shaw]

The centaur’s excitement was infectious. Jac could hardly wait to show him some of her books. But which first was the question and she would have to puzzle that out later. Now she was being lectured. "Yes, sir," she said sheepishly, as though she had been scolded by her mother for running in the house again, "and yes, sir, I'll remember that next time I'm feeling up to a little stroll. It won't be through the Forest, I can promise you that." She looked around her and though the company was pleasant, she still had the eerie feeling she was being watched.

Moving along swiftly, Jac sighed and swung her hands at her sides. "But what if you can't read the stars?" she asked, like a child might plead for a toy that had been taken away because they were naught. "I've never had that skill, nor any other predictive skill. It's just not my forte!" She exclaimed raising her shoulders and arms. She honestly never could see that wonky cross or broaden her mind wide enough to see anything by smoke in the crystal ball. She sighed again and dropped her arms to her sides. "I shall stick to my books, though," she added, "book are what I know and what I know is where I'll stay."

His answer to her question was fascinating. So some do, she thought to herself, I'll have to remember to tell Edward that! And once again the centaur's curiosity was clear when he asked about human sleep patterns. Jac shook her head and said, "not many can do that and most go with less sleep then they actually need. Me, I like to make sure I see at least the sun set because that'll me I've done enough work for one day and I can do a little more work." She smiled up at the centaur. She was very hard working and always felt she could do a little more. "But getting to see both the sun rise and set would be a feat to behold, I rarely get to see the sun rise. Except at Christmas time, The Biggerstalls never sleep then so we do get to see both for about three days."

[Valunce]

The young centaur was glad when his newly found protégé complied with his instructions of steering clear of the forest; at least she claimed she would, which was enough to ease the troubled mind of Valunce. He smiled down happily at her, glad she received his guidance with good grace, she really wasn't arrogant at all as he had been informed all humans were; without exception; though perhaps she was in fact the exception that proved the rule.

"Perhaps you haven't received the right mentoring or tutoring sufficient to see the wonderful stars?" He pondered aloud quite saddened that she didn't have any real inkling towards understanding the stars. He knew some centaurs even just didn't have the capability and lacked the patience necessary, yet he still wished she was able to; for her own sake.
"I'm told human tuition isn't so rigorous as our own, is it true?" He asked oblivious to that fact that she didn't know how hard the centaurs were pushed educationally.

"Sticking to what you're good at is a great strategy admittedly, but don't ever be afraid to branch out," he stated smiling as he recalled and repeated the words of Elder Patriarch his beloved tutor.

Smiling as the girl explained how humans couldn't survive without sufficient sleep, he pondered on just how much they must miss out upon throughout the days. Yet one utterance from the girl puzzled him, he wasn't sure whether she had phrased her words incorrectly, whether her accent was strange or whether is was just a word he'd never heard of; "what is crismas?" He asked feeling the word weird upon his tongue. "When is that time of year?" He asked nonplussed by the word and feeling curiousity surge through his sinews, clearly she was animated byt the subject as she'd spoken the word excitedly, but he knew not why.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac absently scratched the back of her head and frowned. "I guess a tutor would help," Jac said then added to herself, but it's more about finding a want to learn about something. You could have the greatest tutor and hate the subject and still not learn anything. She dropped her hand and remembered when she had tracked down a tutor while she still had those subjects but to no avail of course.

"Branching out, right," Jac said, being pulled back to the present, "I'll remember that." She couldn't quite appreciate the full extent of the advise but she certainly would remember it. Then Jac had o laugh. "No," she giggled, her hair turning a happy blue, "Christmas. It's during the winter. And it's lots of fun. I'll bring you a book on it." She said the latter with a broad smile.

[Valunce]

Wrinkling his nose in response to Jac's frown he agreed "a tutor is only as good as the pupil, they have to be willing to learn," with a dry chuckle he added," I don't think you've much interest in the stars, books are where your heart truly lies, so seek counsel from them. They are instructional are they not? Do they contain much advice on living a fruitful human life?" He enquired his interest perked, as he'd never read a real human book, he couldn't imagine quite what it was they would scrawl down with their feathered quills.

"Chrismas," he repeated dumbly, nearly as poorly as before. "I shall never fully comprehend your quaint tongue, the accent is so very odd to me, and you've quite an extensive vocabulary, except about nature I believe. But a book upon that wondrous topic would be appreciated, there is so much I need learn of your race, I've not enough years for it." He commented with a smile. "Is there really such thing as a dairy?" He asked suspiciously having heard strange rumours of them, little did he know that he'd pronounced the word quite wrong.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac began to chuckle quietly. She could have said exactly the same about the centaur but thought better of it, for fear of insulting him. Calming her laughter, Jac said, "people ... well, that is humans aren't all that complex and it shouldn't take many trips to get you well informed."

She smiled and walked over to a root that stuck out of the ground. Sitting on it, she crossed her legs but frowned at his next question. She couldn't understand why he was asking about dairies but she nodded her head nevertheless. "Dairies are all over the place," she said, "they do rather smell. My aunt and uncle stay on a farm and whenever I go visit them I have to milk the cows. Not the best job in the world but it's better then mucking out the place." She frowned thoughtful and stared into the darkness of the forest, almost forgetting that she was still there.

[Lana Jacoby]

Steeling her way silently through the darkened forest eyes glinting with a clear malevolence, Lana Jacoby crept from tree to tree, carefully picking out her path so as to make as little noise as humanely possible. She crept along in near complete darkness, as she dared not cast lumos to betray her position; though she felt supremely confident that she could deal with anything within the forest; including ministry muscle, she didn't want to alert them to her presence; the longer she could maintain her disguise the better. Securing her job at the Ministry was critical to gain inside information, and waylay the Ministry when they inevitably came close to the item of power; which they all sought.

Letting her night vision guide her Lana thought of why she had been instructed to comb the area for any Ministry officials; yet not engage them. Maintaining her ruse was vital; why therefore should she be the one wandering around like a lost soul? Quite aimlessly. She believed Thyme had been sent further within the forest to scour about quite fruitlessly for the object, she didn't envy his search, but it seemed she was often being ordered away from anything of real importance; did Parphius not trust her? Or perhaps he did, perhaps he trusted her not to engage the Ministry, whereas the impetuous Thyme would likely attack with a gusto she imagined.

So it was that she moved steathily through the forest, ready at a moment's notice to alert her fellows if Ministry officials were spotted. Only there were none, for a long time, until she eventually heard voices...

Standing stock still to listen she heard a pair of voices conversing quite amiably. From this distance whether they were ministry or no was too difficult to tell. She would have to investigate. So with wand at the ready she walked cautiously closer, darting from tree to tree to remain in cover, hearing a female voice comment about daires of all things she instantly figured they were no threat; probably just a pair of students thinking themselves oh so daring by creeping into the forest. But she had to be certain, she knew for a fact that the Ministry's standards were slipping drastically, some rumours said they were in free fall with any riff raff picked off the streets; including damned mudbloods, and even muggles for hired muscle.

So to be certain she peered around a tree her emerald green eyes widening in shock as she viewed a centaur stood comfortably before a confident girl. Glaring maliciously at the pair she deemed them little threat as they chattered away without a care in the world. Concluding she could simply leave them be, she stepped back, cursing as her heel snapped a twig. Doubling back quickly Lana hoped against hope that her presence would continue to go unnoticed.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac was still confused about why a centaur would chose to ask about dairies of all things but she smiled at him nevertheless. She realised she did not know the centaurs name and that she couldn't carry on referring to him as 'the centaur'. She stood up and took a few steps closer to him. "What is your name?" she asked cocking her head, her hair streaked in her favourite autumn leaves shades. "I just realised I don't -"

She stopped talking abruptly. She had heard a snap of a twig behind her. She pulled her wand out and spun on the spot, looking into the distant darkness. She held out her free arm as though to shield the centaur she was a third of the size of. Standing up straight, Jac whispered, "lumos," and a jet of pale light shot out the end falling upon a person's side. "Step into the light and show yourself," she said confidently.

[Lana Jacoby]

Curse her luck; she'd been spotted. A grim look cast her features into stone as Lana's eyes glinted as the light shined into them. Immediately casting a spell that blurred her features to any that would deign look upon her, to protect her identity, Lana half-thought of fleeing the scene, but knew that would leave her unprotected back a clear target for the girl, who even if she were a poor shot was likely to get lucky and score a hit upon her. Even if the girl missed the centaur was likely to catch, she really didn't fancy her chances outrunning those long legs.

Stepping further into the light Lana cackled at the girl who she thought of as no threat at all.
"Expelliarmus," she shrieked flicking the girls wand arrogantly aside. Pointing her wand threateningly at the centaur she laughed lightly. "Don't ever point your wand at me again child. I wouldn't bother charging foolishly at me either centaur, it'll just end in your death, she's useful, you on the other hand are not." She spat eyes narrowed dangerously at the centaur, half wishing that he make a move so she could blast him off his feet.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac thought she was ready for the spell. Somehow she knew it was coming but it was quicker then she had anticipated and she had only just uttered the beginning of her shield charm when her wand flew out of her hand and she stumbled backwards into the centaur's chest. She had no wand and without it Jac felt naked. But where had it fallen? She chanced a quick glance to where she thought it had gone but didn' see anything. She jumped forwards, her hair an angry red as her temper.

"You take that back," she yelled, astounded by her childish words, "he's more useful then you could ever imagine and if you want to kill him ... well, just don't because it wouldn't be very wise. Right now there are fifty other centaurs encircling us ready to pounce if you do the slightest bit of hard to him. She was lying through her teeth but she needed to buy time, for what she was not sure but she knew she had to.

[Valunce]

"Oh I think it'd take more than a few visits to learn much about you though," he complimented unwittingly gazing with solemn eyes upon Jac, with brightened with delight once more as she explained, but her explanation only befuddled him further. "Your books smell?" He asked incredulously, "a mustiness or something?" He enquired genuinely interested as he had really meant to find out about diaries and not dairy farms. "Do you write a lot about your Aunt and Uncle then?" He asked feeling rather confused.

About to give the human child his name he was cut short as she drew her wand, stepping back in shock believing he'd said something to anger or hurt her horribly he was about to apologise profusely when his ears picked up the sounds of a human backing away at speed. Alarmed that he'd been so absorbed in the girl's talk to not even hear the human, his cheeks visibly coloured in anger and frustration. Notching an arrow to his bow, he smiled reassuringly down at the girl, strangely feeling proud that her voice carried so well and forcefully. Only then did the witch unveil herself, eyes widening in shock he felt the evil aura about her and stepped back further in amazement, dumbfounded with the speed in which she disarmed the girl. Eyes narrowing to slits he growled threateningly as she spoke coldly. Laying a large hand upon the girl's shoulders he squeezed to comfort her and murmured, "thankyou," before clopping before the girl setting himself defensively before her. Valunce's brown eyes locked with the witch's.

"I shan't leave her in your clutches witch." He stated calmly though inwardly quite alarmed at the evil arua pulsating around her. "Leave us in peace," he implored his eyes flickering to her wand, fear beginning to gnaw at him; wands always set him on edge, they were quite evil impliments to his mind. Pawing the earth in anticipation his features only seconds before that had been lit with excitement of learning about another culture and society, were now completely grim and pure concentration chiselled his brow.

[Lana Jacoby]

"You take that back," Lana mimicked in a terribly whiny childish voice completely exaggerated to annoy the feeble girl before her. "The big oaf is my fwend, please don't hurt him, pwease." Lana took great delight in punishing the girl, she was ignorant and foolish, a mere pawn in her game. "Willing to lie for him are you? Fifty centaurs," she scoffed "I'd have noticed them, do you think I'm blind girl?" She said in an icily cold voice.

Eyebrows raising fractionally as the centaur shielded the girl by placing his own pathetic equally fleshy form before hers she laughed shrilly. "If I wanted her dead she'd be long gone by now fool, she's already in my clutches, from the moment I set eyes upon her." Smiling now cruelly Lana raised a crooked finger gesturing for the girl to approach. "Come to mummy," she breathed slowly.

Watching in growing amusement as the centaur became protective she cackled "oh really, grown quite attached have you? Awe how very...sick," She spat, "god girl stick with your own kind, not these pathetic scum, all they do is stare blindly at the stars, all day and all night, what a ridiculous life; pointless." She goaded eyes flickering with unnatural delight at the suffering she caused.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac was unaware her hair could go any redder from her anger but it did, it practically blazed upon her head. She was angry at the woman for threatening her, her friend and her intelligence. And she was angry at herself for acting so childishly. She had to get her head out of the clouds. She needed her wand.

"You clearly are blind," Jac called indignantly, "coz you haven't seen them have you?" She laughed but fell silent when she felt the centaur's hand on her shoulder. Jac remained silent as he placed himself in front of her, taking a few steps backwards. It was perfect, now I can find my wand, she thought. She looked around quickly for her long, straight wand. She was still listening and believed that the woman would if she could kill her and Jac didn't like being unarmed.

She spoke to Jac now, and her eye's snapped back to the old hag. "I'm not coming to you," she snarled. She snuck behind the centaur's hind quarters again, still searching for her wand. And then a glint of light wood winked at her, sticking out between two roots. She quickly glanced at the woman and back, "what are you doing here?" she asked, edging from behind the centaur toward her wand. "Hunting centaurs and students hardly seems to be fitting work for one such as yourself."