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Post by Rhiannon Dorvalle on Oct 25, 2006 14:14:38 GMT
Rhiannon knelt down to the ground and muttered something sounding a lot like 'Typical.' as she checked if Thom was alright. It was at that moment when there was a rustling from the bushes nearby and Rhia jumped up with her wand pointed in the direction it was coming from. To her surprise, out stepped a young timid-looking centaur - it was unusual to find them so near to the edge of the forest and so willing to reveal themselves to humans, but she could see he was only young and therefore, just like children, curious.
Zachary asked him about another centaur, Mercutio, and Rhiannon raised her eyebrows and glanced at the Slytherin in a somewhat approving manner. 'So how many other times have you been in the Forbidden Forest?' She muttered so only he could hear.
'Are there any other humans here?' he asked, puzzled.
Rhiannon stepped forward and spoke to Mirren for the first time. 'There's only us that we know of.' She answered him kindly. 'Can you sense something here?' Rhia glanced all around - she hadn't heard anything herself but that was no insurance.
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Post by Thom Moen on Nov 11, 2006 18:04:31 GMT
Mirren smiled. 'You are Welsh? I've never met a Welsh herd before,' he said eagerly, his tail swishing from side to side in interest.
He glanced once more in the direction he had before. 'I heard something small, but it was unfamiliar,' he admitted, obviously puzzled. Mirren was used to the sounds of the forest - it was rare that he could not identify something. 'There have been lots of strange presences here lately.' he said, his hooves pawing at the ground tensely.
'The last major disturbance turned out to be you - ' he nodded at Zachary. 'But it has only been small things since. Quiet humans mostly, traveling around the Hogwart's border. They are not foals, either,' he said questioningly, looking at the professor as if she might explain why adult humans were wandering the forests at night.
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Post by Zachary Daniels on Nov 11, 2006 18:23:48 GMT
Zachary's eyes widened as soon as he heard Mirren was Mercutio's son and he backed away fearfully, his gaze darting among the menacing trees. He certainly didn't want a confrontation with that particular centaur again, and holding a friendly chat with his Mercutio's offspring wasn't high on his list either.
Just as he was about to convince Jones that they should all get back to the lesson, Mirren spoke up once again, this time calling him a distraction.
Feeling mildly offended, Zachary scowled and turned to his Professor suddenly peaked with interest. "Do any of the other centaurs sense the disturbances?" He said nervously, half expecting a herd of wild centaurs to jump out from the nearest bunch of trees. [/color]
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Post by Thom Moen on Nov 11, 2006 18:55:31 GMT
Mirren watched the small Slytherin foal sympathetically. He was clearly upset that his friend was unconscious on the floor. 'Oh yes, we all sense when something of intelligence is within the forest.' he reassured him brightly. 'You do not have to worry - if anything attacks us, my father shall be here in an instant!' he said proudly. 'Why, I expect he's already on his way now...'
The young centaur turned slightly to stare off into the trees, and sure enough the steady pounding hooves began to approach through the air. Mirren grinned at Zachary.
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Post by Zachary Daniels on Nov 11, 2006 19:18:04 GMT
Zachary did, indeed, hear the steady thump of hooves nearing them, and his complexion turned pale all at once. Looking at Mirren's grinning face with a fearful gaze, he began to slowly walk backward, hoping to escape before the centaurs reached them.
Just as he turned around, ready to break out into a run, he felt his foot hit something solid and let out a yelp as he tripped over Thom's unconscious body.
Just like Thom, always ready to foil all his plans, whether awake or not.
Stilling himself draped over Thom, making sure the Hufflepuff's face was digging into the mucky ground, he made a face before trying to pretend he too, was unconscious.[/color]
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Post by Thom Moen on Nov 11, 2006 19:50:44 GMT
Mirren watched, bemused, as the Slytherin fell purposefully over the older male and lay still. Mirren had never spoken to human foals before, and he was beginning to understand why his father had been so adamant against him socializing with them. Although they seemed quite innocent, they were certainly hard to follow.
'Mirren!' a voice roared from behind him. Mercutio echoed to a halt between his son and Professor Jones, staring down at her with indignant disbelief. 'You know our rules, mare!' he spat, his chest heaving in fury, his fists balled at his sides.
Mirren cowered away a little, knowing that he had done wrong. 'I'm sorry, father. I only came to see -'
'Quiet!' Mercutio stamped a hoof at the foal. 'Don't you ever -' he stopped abruptly as his icy eyes set upon two still figures piled on the ground, one's face covered in mud - the other breathing erratically. He looked from Mirren to Professor Jones and then back to the two familiar human foals.
In a split second Zachary was dangling by his robes from Mercutio's fists. 'Father, no!' Mirren pleaded bravely.
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Post by Zachary Daniels on Nov 11, 2006 21:26:56 GMT
Mercutio's strong voice echoed in between the trees, and Zachary felt his heart rate speed up, trying to hold in his frightened, panting breaths.
The centaur sounded angry, most-likely at his disobedient child, but he abruptly stopped talking at once, an eerie silence following his reprimand.
Then, in less than a second, Zachary was staring into the piercing gaze, the collar of his robes held tightly by Mercutio as he dangled his legs in a frenzy of fright.
"I-- It wasn't me. It was...." He swallowed nervously, looking around him and then turning to Professor Jones pleadingly.
He clenched his teeth, angered by the fact that his proof had once again found him, and Thom was unconscious, missing it yet again.[/color]
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Post by Rhiannon Dorvalle on Nov 14, 2006 20:55:10 GMT
A voice boomed from behind Mirren and a fierce looking centaur elder came galloping to cut in between the younger centaur and Rhiannon.
'Yes I do know the rules.' Rhiannon said quickly, though still managing to maintain a calm tone. 'Treating each other equally being a large part of it.' She continued as if in polite conversation and not speaking to an angry centaur who was dangling one of her students by the ends of his robes. 'We have treated your young, more importantly, your son with respect, surely you should do the same for these young?' She nodded towards Zachary - most centaurs may not like humans, but all centaurs follow their rules and principles.
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Post by Mercutio on Nov 14, 2006 21:23:28 GMT
Mercutio glared sideways at Rhiannon for a long time, his eyes narrowing more and more as she spoke. 'Equality? You humans suddenly decide that equality is in order - and expect the centaur race to merely forget all your past prejudice upon us? We are watchers of time and history, mare. It is not so simple in our minds.' In his distraction he had let go of Zachary, letting him drop heavily to the ground.
His hooves raked the soft earth tensely, his fists clenching at his sides. 'I want you to leave now,' he explained in a low voice. 'My herd won't stand for this.' he turned away from her, his gaze casting upon Mirren. 'And you! Get out of my sight!' he roared, his arm raising to strike his son...
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Post by Valunce on Nov 14, 2006 21:33:25 GMT
Valunce rode out from the forest and sped towards the class, those who saw him approach promptly fled, he dived in front of his Father and took the blow for his younger brother. The heavy hard blow struck him hard and he almost fell, shaking himself he pawed the ground and glared at his Father,
"You are too hasty oh great Father, hitting your own son in public, what a poor image you do show, you say we are aloof to these mere humans and yet you strike me."
Smiling at his younger brother and signalling with his eyes for him to flee he turned gracefully to the humans.
"I do apologise for my Father's actions, he only wishes to protect his herd though his actions are somewhat rash, we shall leave you now, but remember us little ones, especially me for I shall be back."
He looked to his Father with concern hoping he would just leave.
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Post by Zachary Daniels on Nov 18, 2006 23:00:05 GMT
As soon as Mercutio had let go of his robes, Zachary hastily scrambled away, his palms and fingers slipping on slippery, mud-coated leaves. He quickly retreated back to Thom's unconscious form, ready to use the Hufflepuff as a human shield if the need arose, and hit him hard on the side of his head.
"Wake up, you annoying git," he said breathlessly, his voice barely above a whsiper and gaze returning to Mercutio as heavy hooves thudded the muddy forest floor. "He's right there! That centaur I've been--"
He was cut off as another centaur entered the the swaying trees, gallopping determinedly toward Mirren, apparently taking a blow for the young centaur.
With wide eyes, Zachary scrambled backwards. "If he's willing to hurt his own son, I don't even want to imagine what he's willing to do to me." He said to himself, backing up against the trunk of a tree, kicking Moen several times along the way.[/color]
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Post by Rhiannon Dorvalle on Nov 19, 2006 12:50:08 GMT
'It is not so simple in our minds.'
Mercutio dropped Zachary to the ground to Rhiannon's relief, and glaringly gave the teacher his response. 'Well perhaps it should be that simple.' She replied, annoyance slipping into her voice ever so slightly. Before the older centaur could be angered by her words, another galloped up to him and saved young Mirren from a violent blow. Rhiannon flinched, but used the new distraction to step back from Mercutio and towards her two students.
'Is he still not awake?' She directed at Zachary, her voice hushed and rapid. Perhaps she would look back at her first lesson and laugh one day, but for now - it was still not over. The new centaur turned out to be another son of Mercutio, and yet again didn't seem to have his father's temper.
'We shall leave you now, but remember us, especially me for I shall be back.'
'We'll be on our way also.' Rhiannon spoke out, lowering her head for a moment or two as a sign of respect. 'Come on Zach.' She ushered the Slytherin on his way, and muttered a levitating charm to float the unconscious Thom behind him. 'Thank you.' She finally said to the centaurs, before following the two boys herself.
Remember us, for I shall be back. The words looped through the teacher's head as she wondered what on earth the centaur could have meant by it.
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Post by Mirren on Nov 19, 2006 14:16:51 GMT
Mirren reared back on his hind legs in fright, throwing his arms up to protect himself from blow. It never came however, and when he opened his eyes he saw his brother Valunce staggering back slightly, his nose bloody. Their father merely glared distastefully at Valunce's interruption, crossing his arms across his chest blamelessly.
'Thank you, Valunce...' Mirren gingerly placed a hand on his brother's should, rubbing it sympathetically. 'That was very brave.' He whispered.
Valunce looked Mirren in the eye, silently telling him he was alright. The other young centaur bobbed his head, signaling Mirren to leave. With one last glance at the two human foals and mare, Mirren turned a fled, his small hooves clopping gently on the stones.
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Post by Mercutio on Nov 19, 2006 14:24:45 GMT
Mercutio growled low under his breath as his punishment upon Mirren was disturbed by his other son taking the blow for him. Mercutio had had no doubt Valunce would follow him, and although he still felt the need to strike Mirren - Valunce's bloody nose was sufficient in letting them both know their place. He secretly laughed at Valunce's attempt at courage. It was pointless to stand up to a being such as Mercutio.
Turning, he saw that the mare and her foals were retreating, haven taken note that it was time for them to leave. He watched them for a moment, eying the female especially, before looking back upon Valunce. 'Stupidity and weakness will get you nowhere, Valunce.' he said, trotting past his son.
In the distance he spotted Mirren making his usual pathetic escape. He bounded after his other son, disappearing into the darkness of the trees, leaving Valunce standing alone...
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Post by Valunce on Nov 19, 2006 18:57:07 GMT
Valunce smiled as events unfolded his family returning to the apparent safety of the woods and the interesting humans fleeing back to thier strong walls. He had given a slight smile to his younger brother, though he often wished he could stand up for himself, as he wouldn't be there all the time.
Valunce responded with a shout to his father "too true, why don't you heed your own words?" he asked rhetorically with a bark of a laugh. He turned to follow his Father but something held him there, looking at the retreating back of his father he scowled and looked at the humans, so alike and so utterly different too, does my Father not realise they are the stonger race, at the very elast in numbers, he shook his head sadly uncertainty creasing his brow, falling back to the boundary of the forest he stayed under the eaves of the trees and silently watching the humans, he was facinated by their kind, the total opposite to his Father.
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