"Fair enough. If you change your mind, I'll be in the clearing to the
north." It's getting darker and he wants to get himself there before it's
too dark and he ends up tripping over a downed log, falling into a ground
wasp nest, and dying rather ignominiously in a forest.
She shakes her head; if she were the type to trust blindly, as so many do, she might whine rhetoric about her poor, desolate curse and how she needs aid in fixing it. Instead, she steps forward, eyes flickering here and there before she purses her lips. "One question."
"Why does it matter? I asked a question. You answered. That should be all."
But she has information, now, she has answers, the things she has searched for. She doesn't need much else; once Redgate is dealt with she can return North to find more.
"It matters because many of them are my friends. It matters because if
you're looking for someone with a certain sort of magic, maybe I can help."
It also matters in the event that she's an enemy and wants to hurt his
friends. He wants to be kind and helpful, but not at the expense of others.
"Shardbearers are all that matter. They have magic that I cannot possess unless they show me. Power that I require and that I want." She shakes her head. "I am a friend of the Unseelie court, for all that it matters. I ask for assistance, not danger."
"What do you need done? I'm not ...well, I'm not a great wizard, not by a
longshot, but I've been learning that some of the things that are simple
back home, aren't here. And the reverse." Magic as he knows it, is easy,
and without much cost, but often temporary or good just for convenience. He
doesn't think that's the sort of magic she needs, but who knows.
"I do not trust you. I have no reason to think you'd be able to assist me, nor do I want your help." She has a shardbearer already, she thinks, that stands at her side because he has little place else to go. He might not have magic, but he has allies enough that it contents her for now.
"Fair enough, but if you change your mind, I'm easy enough to find. There's
all the usual ways, but if you don't want to come to any of the spires and
you can find an owl, most of them will take a message." He's not entirely
sure that they'll always do the work for non-wizards, but if she feeds it a
little, it might. "They'll want payment in food though."
It sounds so simple, and she pauses. "... Birds often dislike me." For obvious reason. They get the sense that she's not entirely human and don't want to spend too much time hovering around her. "I do not think they will carry a message."
"Then a spire or..." Harry frowns and reaches into the kitbag at his side,
pulling out a little paper packet with just a pinch of powder inside. "Do
you have any magic of your own, if so, or if you can find someone who does,
put this in the fire and call out my name, 'Harry Potter' or 'Akos' and
I'll be able to talk to you through the fire."
"I have my own magicks." Her arms lift as she reaches out and, on the pale skin revealed, scars are littered here and there, different sizes and shapes. It's obvious what kind of magic she practices and she shows no shame for it. The powder is a marvel and she lifts it high, letting the light of the moon shine so she can see better. "Why two names?"
"Oh, wow." He's quietly impressed. "If you'd ever be willing to talk about
how your magic works, the rules of it, I'd love to listen."
"...and the other name is because I went travelling for a while and I was
told it was wise to have two. Most shardbearers will know the first, and
the second was used here and there with native peoples."
"Good advice." Before now, he's never wanted to be called anything other
than Harry Potter, but he'd never been able to pick his own name before. He
doesn't mind Akos and he's on the fence about being a One-Eyed Anything.
(Better an Ally than a Champion, though.)
Her lips purse and she tilts her head, stepping forward and watching him. Her eyes go up and down, as if examining him, before her lips curl into a twisted little smile.
Harry is well aware that he's not much to look at. Short, plain, scarred,
and doesn't really dress like any of the flashier witches and wizards he's
met.
"I could teach you to call a patronus. If you've a strong, happy memory,
then you can call it up, and it'll protect you against dark magics. Those
ghostly dogs we had a while back, it worked on those."
The curiosity is obvious, stealing over her and lighting up her face in a different way, her eyes flicking here and there before she hesitates. When she speaks, her voice is a little low, her words careful and measured.
"And what if there is no strong, happy memory to call upon?"
"Not one? Well, it's not as strong, it doesn't take a proper form and comes
out as a mist or it won't work at all." Or it ends up with maggots that
explode from your wand and eat you. Maybe they should try a different
spell. "I could show you some basic transfiguration? How to turn one thing
into another?"
"I have long since given up on any form of happy memory. No part of me can recall any form of joy." Which isn't strictly true, but she doesn't want to suggest otherwise. Even memories of her adoptive mother are tinged with the sadness of her death - her murder. The idea of transfiguration, though... She leans forward, eyes alight. "Such as?"
"Resharpening a knife, mending a hole in a pot, repairing a broken glass.
Glass and metal are the easiest to start with, because they'll melt and
bend." It's not flashy magic, but it's useful magic. Harry has thought
about saving up what he has and buying a proper tinker's wagon.
That catches her attention and she nods her head, drawing her sleeves further down along her arms, hiding herself more from his gaze. "... Acceptable."
"And what can you teach me?" He's got a bit of an idea of how magic works
in the Drabwurld from Linn's memories and tutoring, but there's just so
much of it.
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"Fair enough. If you change your mind, I'll be in the clearing to the north." It's getting darker and he wants to get himself there before it's too dark and he ends up tripping over a downed log, falling into a ground wasp nest, and dying rather ignominiously in a forest.
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"Ask and I'll answer." She might not like the answer, but he'll give her something. It's only good manners.
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Harry doesn't back away, nor does he reach for his wand, but he adjusts his stance just in case she comes too close.
"It depends. Some more than others. Those of us that came from a world with magic are at an advantage. Why?"
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"Why does it matter? I asked a question. You answered. That should be all."
But she has information, now, she has answers, the things she has searched for. She doesn't need much else; once Redgate is dealt with she can return North to find more.
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"It matters because many of them are my friends. It matters because if you're looking for someone with a certain sort of magic, maybe I can help." It also matters in the event that she's an enemy and wants to hurt his friends. He wants to be kind and helpful, but not at the expense of others.
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"What do you need done? I'm not ...well, I'm not a great wizard, not by a longshot, but I've been learning that some of the things that are simple back home, aren't here. And the reverse." Magic as he knows it, is easy, and without much cost, but often temporary or good just for convenience. He doesn't think that's the sort of magic she needs, but who knows.
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"I do not trust you. I have no reason to think you'd be able to assist me, nor do I want your help." She has a shardbearer already, she thinks, that stands at her side because he has little place else to go. He might not have magic, but he has allies enough that it contents her for now.
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"Fair enough, but if you change your mind, I'm easy enough to find. There's all the usual ways, but if you don't want to come to any of the spires and you can find an owl, most of them will take a message." He's not entirely sure that they'll always do the work for non-wizards, but if she feeds it a little, it might. "They'll want payment in food though."
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"Then a spire or..." Harry frowns and reaches into the kitbag at his side, pulling out a little paper packet with just a pinch of powder inside. "Do you have any magic of your own, if so, or if you can find someone who does, put this in the fire and call out my name, 'Harry Potter' or 'Akos' and I'll be able to talk to you through the fire."
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"Oh, wow." He's quietly impressed. "If you'd ever be willing to talk about how your magic works, the rules of it, I'd love to listen."
"...and the other name is because I went travelling for a while and I was told it was wise to have two. Most shardbearers will know the first, and the second was used here and there with native peoples."
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Her eyes narrow as she watches him, tilting before she frowns, stepping forward.
"Intelligent."
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"Good advice." Before now, he's never wanted to be called anything other than Harry Potter, but he'd never been able to pick his own name before. He doesn't mind Akos and he's on the fence about being a One-Eyed Anything. (Better an Ally than a Champion, though.)
"What sort of magic do you want to know?"
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"Everything."
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Harry is well aware that he's not much to look at. Short, plain, scarred, and doesn't really dress like any of the flashier witches and wizards he's met.
"I could teach you to call a patronus. If you've a strong, happy memory, then you can call it up, and it'll protect you against dark magics. Those ghostly dogs we had a while back, it worked on those."
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"And what if there is no strong, happy memory to call upon?"
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"Not one? Well, it's not as strong, it doesn't take a proper form and comes out as a mist or it won't work at all." Or it ends up with maggots that explode from your wand and eat you. Maybe they should try a different spell. "I could show you some basic transfiguration? How to turn one thing into another?"
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"Resharpening a knife, mending a hole in a pot, repairing a broken glass. Glass and metal are the easiest to start with, because they'll melt and bend." It's not flashy magic, but it's useful magic. Harry has thought about saving up what he has and buying a proper tinker's wagon.
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"And what can you teach me?" He's got a bit of an idea of how magic works in the Drabwurld from Linn's memories and tutoring, but there's just so much of it.
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