A Little Night Music (Closed)

A long, lonely howl broke through the stillness of the cool, spring night. All was still in the inky blackness of the forest save for two lonely shadows walking down the only clear path. A teenage girl and her fourlegged companion that the forest seemed to puzzle over.

As they approached the end of the path Ciar looked around her as her left hand buried itself in the shaggy, grizzled grey hair of Phelan, her wolf familiar. "Here is the place," she breathed. "The perfect place."

Shifting her outer grey robe to protect her precious cargo she began to climb the closest, biggest tree. Still barren of leaves it concealed Ciar with it's grayness. Perching on the strongest branch she could find she called quietly down to the wolf, "Bí go fóill. Bheith ar an airdeall. Bí nach bhfuil faoi deara." (Be still. Be alert. Be not noticed.)Watching her faithful companion curl up at the base of the tree with his eyes perked and eyes blazing Ciar moved her bundle from her back to her lap. Leaning against the tree's strong trunk she unwrapped the most beautiful violin that she had ever seen. Crafted from the finest ebony wood with ivory tuning keys it was a picture of perfection. Along the sides and front were gold leaf inlays in the shape of vines.

With a satisfied smile Ciar resined up her bow and tucked the violin under her chin. She pulled the bow gently across the strings and a stirring, haunting melody flowed like waves from the instrument. Down below Phelan's ears twitched and he seemed to relax into the grayness of the night, becoming almost invisible.

"Dieses ist Frühling? **" Aubrey hissed through her teeth as she stepped out of the house and onto the path that led from the back door out into the forest.

It was nearly midnight, and she knew she probably shouldn't be out so late, but what was a girl to do when there was a solid brick wall of thought between her and sleep? Walk it out. Besides, scary or not, she'd done this before.

And the forest was so pretty with a fine layer of dew and moonlight over everything.

As she walked, she shouldered her coat higher on her back, keeping the slight chill off of her neck. It will be colder during the winter, she reminded herself as a chill slithered down her spine despite the jacket.

It didn't occur to her that the chills were coming from a sound, rather than the night air until after she'd pulled her coat as close as possible to her body and put her hair down.

A violin? she wondered pausing to listen to the haunting noise. "Who on earth is playing a violin in the middle of the forest at midnight?" she murmured, turning in the direction of the sound and following it, utterly intrigued.

As the sound grew louder and clearer, she picked up her pace, nearly walking right past the tree with the wolf lying dormant around the roots in her haste to find the beautiful sound.

Almost.

Stopping a few feet back, she looked up, mouth opening and closing as she watched the girl in the tree play.
She can't be much older than me, she thought, pushing her hair out of her eyes as her mouth opened and closed several times before finally forming a single, two syllable word.

"Hello?"



[**This is spring?]

So wrapped up in her music Ciar failed to notice the younger girl until she called out to her. She hadn't even heard Phelan's soft warning growls and obviously neither had the girl. As the girl called up to her Ciar almost lost her balance as she caused the violin in her grasp to let out a squeal. "Mac soith*," she cursed wrapping her legs around the tree branch and bringing down her instrument.

She gazed down at the girl, her grey eyes glinting. The child had maybe just hit puberty, thereby putting her between the ages of ten and twelve. Holding her bow and violin in one hand she used the other hand to swing herself of the branch and land with a soft thump next to Phelan, who had risen into an en garde position.

"And who might you be," Ciar asked in a voice that demanded an answer. Her unoccupied hand rested atop of the wolf's head as she straightened her shoulders to look down at the other girl. "Labhair go tapa. Speak quickly."




*Son of a bitch

As soon as the music stopped, it became rather obvious that speaking up had not been a good idea. The other girl looked angry, and the wolf.. Well, wasn't a happy camper either.

"Ich bin Aubrey, traurig, sie zu stören," she babbled, eyes going wide, making a frustrated noise when she realized what she'd said was in German.

First languages, she thought irritably as she translated. "I'm Aubrey," she managed, taking a deep breath in through her nose. "Sorry to disturb you. Your playing is beautiful,"

And now you sound like a freak, she thought frustratedly, tucking her hair behind her ears. Not much you can do now.

"And you?" she asked, tilting her head.

Watching the other girl with a masked interest Ciar noticed she seemed to be frustrated when she spoke German first. So Aubrey, eh. Interesting name. Now was the rest of the person as intriguing as the name? She inwardly smirked. That was up to her to find out now wasn't it. And she had always prided herself on knowing a great deal.

"Seasta ar*, Phelan," she quipped putting a slight pressure on the wolf's head. Almost at once her familiar relaxed and sat on his haunches at her side, ears still swivelled forward and eyes flashing in warning.

Directing her steely gaze back to Aubrey she answered, "The name is Whelan. Ciar Whelan. Pureblood Irish and greatest duelist in all the Emerald Isles." Ciar crouched down next to her familiar and lent her back against the tree, balancing on the balls of her feet. Letting her gaze wander slightly before looking back to the other girl she said, "You did not disturb me per se. I was merely not expecting to be found by anyone else. Especially this late at night. I have been playing violin since I was a young child. Tell me, Aubrey, "Ciar tasted the name on her tongue, "how old are you? Eleven, twelve? Too young to see the things I have."



*Steady on

"Nice to meet you, Ciar," Aubrey said calmly, watching the other girl's wary, almost feral movements with interest.

Best duellest on the emerald isle at, she paused, considering the other girl. Fourteen? Fifteen? she wondered. Her parents must be so proud.

"I'm eleven," she answered, meeting Ciar's gaze. She and this girl might not have seen the same things, but they were clearly of the same stock; bold and capable of taking care of themselves. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen," Ciar said a little bit more gently but with a stoic mask still firmly in place. "Fifteen and a half actually. Not much older than you but sometimes I wonder where all my years have gone."

She balanced the instrument across her knees and manuevered the carrying case from her side. Sliding the two peices back into their proper spots Ciar used the time to study the girl out of the corner of her eye while seemingly focused on her task. This girl was interesting and intrigued her.

So tell me, youngling," she said conversationally. "What is it that drew you into the crisp air of the night time to begin with. Surely you did not walk all this way merely to hear me play."

Aubrey nodded, tilting her head and studying the wolf for a moment and then turning her attention to Ciar's case, which she was putting together.

I'd wonder too, she agreed mentally. What have you seen, Ciar Whelan? she added, her eyes flickering to the moon idly.

"When I can't sleep, or I need to think, I go for walks," she said, shrugging slightly as she moved her hands from under her arms to the pockets of her coat, hiding a wave of embarrassment as she realized she was only wearing her red plaid and teddy bear print pajama pants and a top under the coat. I must be a mess, she thought.

"I was thinking too much to sleep, so I came out here to walk it out of my system,"

Ciar stood with a grace of a dancer, her movements quick and precise yet fluid and effortless. The violin case draped across her back concealed by the grey cloak with a small family crest on the left. She looked down and flicked the ear of Phelan causing him to look her in the eyes. The teen studied the yellow eyes for a moment before nodding in afirmation and letting the wolf put his head back down.

"Sometimes the best way not to think about something is to realize why you're thinking about it," Ciar said drawing her cloak close about her. "Other times it is best to simply let it go." She nodded to the girl and gestured down the path. "Come. Phelan and I shall walk you back. It isn't safe, even on the island, to be wandering around on one's own."

Everywhere he had gone was crowded, The Forest Clearing in the UK, he had traveled all the way there and yet people were there... Does anyone actually sleep?

William apparated into the Blackened Forest, this place has to be empty. As he scanned the surrounding area he noticed a girl in her pajamas, his attention was then on the wolf that stood a few meters from her. Flinching, his wand snapped to his hand from the top of his sleeve.

He didn't aim it as he activated his sixth sense, time slowed, the color around him intensified. He saw an older girl she was the owner of the wolf, the girl in pajamas was not friends with the girl, her posture suggested an unsettled mind. He was captivated by the older girl, she had a confident aura, one of a dueler...

He deactivated his sense and stood with his hands by his side, "I mean no harm" he said. William then grinned an introduced himself "William Krux, First Year Hitrost"


[OOC: I apologise if this isn't an Open Thread :/ ]

First years can't apparate Will. No matter who they are. Its a little unfair if you think you are above everyone else and disregard the rules.

"Mein gott!" *

Aubrey shrieked, spinning a tight circle to face William. As she did so, she felt her hand make brief contact with the side of his head, but thought nothing of it. Her mind was more concerned with making sure the violently quick syllables of German being spat out of her mouth were properly enunciated.

Nothing made you look stupider than garbling your own insults.

"Saukerl!" she snapped, taking a step back towards Ciar and Phelan. "Kennen sie es nicht sind unhöflich, oben auf leuten zu schleichen?!" **

It then occurred to her that she was standing in Ciar's way, and if the other girl was planning on reacting badly to William's sudden appearance, then she was in the line of fire.

Stepping hurriedly out of the way, she snarled under her breath again, heart going a mile a minute.

"Dummkopf,"***


*My God
** Pig! Don't you know it's rude to sneak up on people?!
*** Idiot.

At the sound of the new voice Ciar spun, pulling her wand from the holster on her upper arm as she did so, and aimed it past the girl and directly at the boy who had seemingly come from nowhere. Phelan immediately leaped between the two girls and the unknown intruder with a menacing growl, his hackles raised and teeth snapping in warning.

Ciar waited until the other girl had stepped out of her path before stepping forward her left hand easily drawing a dagger from the sheath strapped to her leg. Wand arm straight out towards her target, body turned to present a smaller area and dagger held loosely, but ready at her back leg, Ciar presented the image of the intimidating dueler.

"Where did you come from," she shot, her voice like ice as she circled a little to the left to stand between Aubrey and the new boy. "Whether you intend harm or not remains to be determined by me. Now how did you get here and no lies." Ciar's eyes seemed to take on a yellow tint for a moment as she growled. "Labhair go tapa. Speak quickly," she barked for the second time that night.

He was a tad confused, he kept his hands by his side and answered the girls question with a level voice [OOC: I'm going to change how I got here coz I can't apparate... apologies for breaking the rules] "I was using" he paused thinking "another means of transport" he didn't want to reveal his sixth sense.

He raised his eyebrow as she stated she would judge how dangerous I would be, "You do seem extremely skilled, but there is no need to get all high and mighty... Sorry for startling you, but I just wanted somewhere quiet to train or someone to train with" HE looked at the girl with the pajamas, she probably wasn't a good dueler. But this girl infront of him, she had her wand aimed surely at him, a dagger at the ready and a wolf. He didn't want to offend her or push her to far.

He smiled and tried to prove his lack of malevolence by revealing every weapon on his body
"I have my wand" he raised his hand and showed his wand, lowering his hand he flicked his long jacket out of the way and revealed his long, black sword "I have a sword" he twisted his foot and pulled his trousers over his boot "I have a small dagger in my boot... that's it, I have shown you very weapon on my body... does that prove that I mean no harm?"

Ciar gave a bark like laugh though no humour was present in it. "Another means of transport could mean a great many things, boy," she said evenly her voice traced with a slight venom. "And believe me if I wanted to act high and mighty you'd be flat on your back right now with my dagger touching the tip of your nose while my foot was on your chest. That is the only way I would know you mean no harm. CONSTANT VIGILANCE," she ended in a shout.

Rolling her shoulders a bit the teen's steel eyes never left her target as he showed off his weapons. "Your dueling education was obviously lax," she threw at him in disdain. "One should never show their opponent the weapons they have on them. A duelists greatest skill is the element of surprise."

Sheathing her dagger Ciar took a step back from the boy and gave a short command to Phelan, who immediately stepped back to her side with a small snarl. "There," she said. "That was your first lesson of your training." Her grey eyes bore straight into the boy's. "Now tell me your name and I shall tell you mine. So that you may know your new tutor."

Aubrey watched the exchange between Ciar and the boy with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
Whoever he was, he was clearly out of his depth in taking on Ciar, whom Aubrey was quite confident was telling the truth when she said she was the best duelist in Ireland. On the other hand, she was a little annoyed.

So much for company on the walk home, she though, deciding that both Ciar and the boy were sufficiently distracted by staring each other down as she took a step backwards, and then another. I'll give these lovebirds a little time alone.
She knew the last part probably wasn't true; the boy looked like he was her age, not Ciar's, and they were more likely to blow each other to bits than flirt, but it was late, and the first bit of good, non-sibling related company she'd found had been distracted into offering to tutor a total stranger.

Good night, Ciar, she thought, turning away to head back the way she had come.

He smiled cheekily at the older girl, then wiped it off as he thought of all the other weapons he had on hand. He was almost over thrilled when she said 'tutor'
"William Krux, I would be honoured to be tutored by the greatest dueler I've met so far" he smiled broadly at the other girl, and his hopeful new tutor.

"Very well then," Ciar answered the boy, who seemed just a tad over eager. Giving a small gesture to the wolf she sent him back to start walking with Aubrey. Holding her head up high and slipping her wand back into it's holster on her upper arm the teen looked Krux in the eyes. "You will meet me in the Room of Necessity when I send Phelan for you. I expect you within a half hour of being summoned by the wolf. Do not disappoint me, Krux."

Turning away she trotted up to Aubrey's side, Phelan leading the way down the path. The boy would learn who his master was. He would learn the honour and skills needed to survive in the world. In return Ciar would make sure he was under her thumb. For now, her task was ensuring the other first year got back safely.

He saluted her not to seriously, then turned in the opposite direction and walked deeper into the forest gripping the handle of his sword, preparing for the training session ahead.