Links 2 3 4 (Howl and Rich)

Richard stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, his entire body tense and coiled to spring into action. It was something he'd learnt when with the werewolves. Inaction was certain death but a state of readiness was ideal. He leant back against one of the trees with a small sigh.

He'd sent a letter with the morning post for Samuel to meet him here, in a few minutes time. He looked deeper into the forest with a sigh. Things were still very complicated with him and werewolves. He needed to tell Samuel exactly how far the complications ran.

Sam walked through the forbidden forest with Wolfie at his side, being quiet and on-guard. Richard had asked to speak with him. Sam wasnt going to say no to a friend.

When Richard had returned, Sam was so full of conflicting emotions. He'd had had to leave the great hall to cry for joy into Wolfies neck at his return, but also to vomit and shake. The guy had took down an Austrailian werewolf and wore its pelt for christs sake. This made Sam's stomach churn with worry. His transformation was only just over 2 days away. If Rich could kill an austrailian werewolf, he'd have no problem killing a weak halfling mutt like Sam.

Sam stepped out into the clearing where Rich stood. He wanted nothing more than to run up to the man, embrace him and cry for joy, so happy to see him alive again. But he was scared so kept a few feet between them. Even Wolfie was a bit scared and stayed behind Sam.

"It's so good to see you again Richard." Sam said. "I knew you werent dead. I just knew it. I had faith you'd come back. Im not bull-sh**ing you either. Just ask Briony. Wow, i mean god... how did you do it man? I thought i'd have to search the globe for you."

Richard smiled a little when he saw Samuel and his dog but it fell a little when he noticed how afraid of him they were. He sighed a little before walking over and holding out his hand for Samuel to shake,

"It's good to see you again Samuel." he smirked a little and shook his head, "I'm sorry to have cut your globe-trotting search. Would have been fun I'm sure."

He turned away a little bit,

"Samuel I know you're afraid of me." he shrugged a little, "Hell I would be too if I was in your position. But I have something to show you. I have... some people to show you."

Sam stretched him arm out forwards to shake Richard's hand. He still respected the man after all, and wasnt going to be a douche by refusing him.
"No worries about the world wide search mein freund. I'v done that once before for a friend and nearly killed myself doing it ha ha."

Sam felt guily for making Richard feel discouraged; he didnt mean to make his fear so obvious.
"Im sorry Richard..." Sam hung his head a little ashamed. "But if you remember, i was terrified of you when i first met you ha ha. You are one scary, strong ass dude" Sam joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He took a step back and turned his head, a little dubious. People? What people? After all that had happened, Sam had become a little suspicious of everyone and everything. Plus, he had a social phobia, meting people wasnt his strong point anyway.

"Er...people, Rich? What....er, kind of...people...?"
Wolfie moved closer to Sam and shook. Sam ruffled the dogs head to calm him, but they were both uneasy and unsure. Meeting in the middle of the forbidden forest was already scary enough.

Sam didnt like this. He could pick up a sense with his wolf senses overpowering his gift, but dulled by the potion he drank every morning. He couldnt smell or hear any people or see reassuring symbols to aid his decision. Nicht gut man!
"Can er.... can it be done here...? As in where we're standing...? Instead of deeper into the forest...?" Sam took another step back.

"Well I wouldn't want that on my head." he replied with a chuckle as he shook the man's hand, "I've got enough to be sorry for when I meet the Big Guy in the Sky."

He smiled faintly,

"Yes but before I didn't have the skin of a person sharing you condition draped over my shoulders." he shook his head a little, "I want to talk to you about that. I didn't do it for any other reason than it got really cold during the nights over there. They were simulating scandinvia for christs' sake!"

Without a trace of a smile Richard looked back up at him,

"My people apparently." he replied, more than a little repulsed by the idea of owning people. He sighed, "They followed me from Austrialia."

He whistled loudly and waited for a couple of seconds. A little while later four people came out of the Forbidden Forest, all of them naked and all of them walking cautiously on all fours. Three of them were females around the age of twenty and one was a boy just about in his teenage years. The lead female sniffed uncertainly at Samuel and growled questioningly, softly, at Richard. He closed his eyes and little and shook his head. The lead female walked over, still on her hands and knees, to sniff at Samuel again. Richard frowned,

"Bianca." he spoke warningly. The woman looked at him questioningly for a few seconds before shakily standing up on two legs and holding a hand out for Samuel to shake,

"Hello... my name is Bianca." she looked to Richard for support. He sighed a little and she fled to stand behind him. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes,

"They're werewolves Samuel. But they don't want to be human anymore." he looked up at his friend, "When I was there... they were the stranglers. They were the weakest. They were going to be cut down... so I saved them. Unfortunately... they think I'm the alpha now."

"True...i'll have to give you that one... It's just a wolf thing...a weak wolf thing... to see a strong wolf broguht down...is scary... and the smell of dead wolf is repulsive..." Sam gagged a little and cleared his throat. "I shouldnt even care... i dont like being a wolf... i should hate them for giving me this curse but i...i dont... And werewolves are warm... in a situation like that, i cant hold anything against you doing what you needed to do to survive. Im more happy you're back to be honest... its just still a shocking image that im not quite over yet..."
Sam took another step back, confused and concerened. "Some people followed you from Austrailia...?"

Sam crapped himself and held onto Wolfie's collar so he wouldnt attack. Sam growled under his breath. What the hell were those things? Were they people?!
"Jesus Christ... what the...?"
He barked slightly at the strange woman sniffing him. He didnt want her naywhere near him.

"Rich... what the hell?!" Sam rubbed his temples, not knowing how to take all this. "Don't want to be...? What the hell is wrong with those people! They want to be a fekkin monster and cast aside their own humanity?! Why would you bring them here?! I mean, my god, look at them! I know you meant well Rich, but why the hell would i wanna look at this?! Jesus christ!"

Sam starting pacing angrily. He didnt mean to yell, Rich didnt mean anything bad by this, but Sam couldnt react civilly and started ranting.
"Who the hell would want to be a goddamn monster all the time?! What is wrong with them?! Jesus christ look at them! They shouldnt be living like this! They're younger than i am! I mean that boy is younger than i was when i got bit! He shouldnt be living like this! They should be in clothes in a house living as a family! Arrrgh!!!"

He realy needed to be calmed down, he was getting more and more angry and his wolf side showed more when this happened.
"You should have just left them there! Or brought them anywhere else but here! Werewolves are terretorial! Come the full moon, im gonna want to rip these guys apart! Hell, the only thing a werewolf wont attack is a pack member or mate! Me and my own sister tried to kill eachother once! God!!! Get them out of here! Get them away from me!"

Sam placed his head in his hands and scratched down his face. "I would DIE to be full human again! You should have left them there to die! Monsters dont deserve to live if they're only plauging humanity! Hell! I've wanted people to kill me plenty of times! Why do you think i have a goddamn death wish?! I know someone will kill me one day, and i'll deserve it for being this, this, this THING!!!" Sam roared and put a deep gash in a tree with his claws that were showing. Wolfie retreated from him.

Richard took one look at the ranting Samuel and the now cowering were-people and came to a decision. Taking steps forwards he drew his hand back and slapped Samuel once, very hard, around the face. As the sound vibrated through the air he grabbed hold of Samuel's shoulders and shook him,

"Listen Samuel! Listen to me!" he growled loudly, causing the were-people to back away even more as their 'alpha' became angry. He gritted his teeth and lent in close to Samuel, "I know alright? I agree with you! I know you would always choose to be human over being a monster. And do you know what?"

He let go of Samuel's shoulders,

"That's why I asked you to come here today Samuel." he drew his face into a mask of seriousness, "I want you to take control of this pack."

He held his hands up,

"Before you freak out let me tell you my reasoning." he held up a finger, "One; you can teach them to cherish their remaining humanity. They can't learn that from me. I am a man who willingly engaged the beastial part of his brain through a controlled blood-rage. They won't respond if I tell them that being human is better because I temporarily gave up my humanity to survive. But you... you are what they need. You are a man cursed to be a beast but who struggles to remain human. That is what makes you a great man and that is what these... these people need. They need you!"

He took a few steps back,

"You're right though. You will attack them if you don't recognise them as your pack and they don't recognise you as their alpha." he held his arms out wide, "Hit me. Knock me down Samuel. They will understand that, it's how an alpha becomes an alpha. Do it Samuel. They can live in the Forest until you have helped them embrace their humanity and I shall help you. I know how to increase the effect of the Wolfsbane Potion. I can transfer it directly into your blood stream and have you retain your mind from only one day before the full moon instead of the full week of potions. Please Samuel. They deserve a second chance at their lives and they can't do it without you."

Sam needed that slap to snap him out of it. He took deep breaths to try to calm himself down. He froze with shock and his face became serious when Richard said he wanted Sam to take over the pack.

"What....? I dont wanna be a pack leader. One, im too weak, im not a pure breed, they're not going to listen to me. Two, i try to keep as much of a distance as i can from this life. Its never helped me being around more werewolves, iv always needed to be on my own. Plus, if they're so sure they wanna be full wolves; that it'd be better for them to live like that, who am i to tell them they're wrong and try to convince them otherwise?"

Sam shook his head in disbelief at what Richard told him to do next.
"WH-What?! Im not goin to hurt you Rich. You're still wounded, and i'd never lay a hand on anyone... Im sorry Rich, but i wont attack you unprovoked, i have too much respect for you. I dont want to be part of a pack, im sorry, they're going to HAVE to learn without me, because i wont help them, not this close to a full moon...Im not the man for it... you should try finding my sister or somebody else instead..."

"Concentrate on your wedding anyway, put these people away somewhere safe for now." Sam turned to leave to go back to the castle. "Come on Wolife, i've got chains and potions to buy...then we have cleaning to do..."

Richard frowned a little,

"You yourself know exactly how it feels to be treated as an animal Samuel." he pointed to the cowering were-people, "And they have only EVER experienced that. You are treated like a human being by the people here Samuel and they deserve to know what that feels like."

He reached out and grabbed onto Samuel's shoulder, stopping him dead in his tracks,

"And it is exactly that reason why it needs to be you Samuel." he turned the other man around to stare into his eyes, "It needs to be you because you won't take advantage of them. It needs to be you because a man who seeks power is unfit to wield it. A great man has greatness thrust upon him Samuel. And that's what I'm doing now. I am thrusting you into greatness to make you the great man I know you can be."

Sam pulled himself free from Richard. "No no no! Not now! If it had of been any other time but now Richard! You need to understand that i just cant right now! I've know you've had your fair share of horrendous ordeals, but you have no idea what im going through right now! And its not just the werewolf thing! My head is completely recked!" He was almost crying through stress and frustration.

"And i've never been a human being! Always the underdog! Always as though im defective somehow! PLease, cant you just lock them away somewhere for now and let me help you deal with them some other time! And please stop! You sound like my bloody father or uncle something!"

Sam leant against a tree and looked at the ground sadly, his voice sounding almost tierd.
"I am not a great man. Thanks to creatures like them im barely half a man. I never set myself up to be anything other than average. Im not the guy for this. Not now... You have people to keep you strong... you have people who respect you... i have no-one... the only creature on this earth that has stood by me no matter what is Wolfie... thats it... Even the girl i loved..."

Sam choked back tears and turned away from Richard. "even she doesnt even love me... Please Richard, just let me go... i cant do this with you now... ONE day before the full moon, what did you expect me to do! I have to worry about myself and what i could do to those around me. I cant cope with the stress of having to look after them as well!"

Sam scratched his hands down his face with frustration and roared slightly. He didnt mean to act like such an ass, but he didnt know how to make Richard understand. Sam didnt need this right now on top of everything else. He hant told anyone the problems he had since coming to Hogwarts, and having them bottled up inside for so long made him feel suffocated.