I go wander through the pines and make my way to nature's shrines [sindri]

june 2001

She was running.

Running through the forest, faster than any human could (or should) run. The bright moonlight was strobing in her vision as it was intermittently blocked by the trunks of ancient trees. She'd made a mistake, somehow. The potency of the potion wasn't right, or perhaps the potency had been fine but she hadn't taken it as prescribed. Had she missed a dose? It was entirely possible. Maybe this holiday hadn't been such a good idea.

Run. Find someone, something.

She was present and she wasn't. Angharad was in there, mostly at the surface, but there was something else. Something feral. Why was she running? How long had she been running? Why shouldn't she run? She was free. Outside, where she loved to be. Maybe this was a better way to spend her transformation, rather than cooped up in hiding. She'd picked a destination with low population density, lots of outdoor activities, and yet she could smell something... or was it someone. No. She couldn't be near anyone -- it was too dangerous, she needed to be safe.

As she ran, Angharad became vaguely aware of the sky lightening. The moon couldn't be that bright. It was glowing, it was sunrise. She stopped, still amongst the trees, her pupils dilated as she stared towards the horizon, made difficult to see through the trees. The glow spread across her head, slowly tracing downwards. She began panting heavily, then fell to her knees. The pain was excruciating. She let out a cry as her claws retracted back into finger- and toenails, her palms and feet shrinking. The hair on her head began to grow out at a rapid pace as the fur covering the rest of her body seemed to retreat into her clammy skin, goosebumps rising.

Breathing heavily, covered in a thin layer of sweat, Angharad tried to stand. She half-succeeded, using a nearby tree to support her. She shuddered, the cool morning air making her shiver. She was exhausted, her eyelids trying to shut despite her brain telling her she needed to get back. Back to the small cabin she'd rented for the week. But she didn't even know which way to go.  The blonde began in what she presumed was a southward direction, based on where the sun had risen -- though she wasn't sure whether she was north or south of her destination, nor east or west.

Everything ached, her feet were bloodied and torn. She stumbled, falling to the ground with a small plume of leaf litter rising around her. Harri grimaced, twisted slightly, opened her eyes and then closed them. Maybe a short nap, then she could just apparate back to where she needed to be. Just a little while. There was dew on the bluebells and other wildflowers on the forest floor, but she was so weary that she didn't care. A small flutter of her eyelids and she was gone.

@Sindri Trickett

Sindri inhaled slowly through his nose, filling every inch of his lungs with crisp dawn air, stopping only when he felt as though his chest was going to explode. London had suffocated him and he was finally reclaiming what was his - his breath. It had been so long since he had been able to just live, and New Forest had provided the exact reprieve that he had so desperately needed. Sindri had made the escape from the city mere weeks ago but he already found himself quite comfortable in Bolderwood. The small wizarding town was located deep within New Forest, hidden in the vast woodland and protected from the eyes of muggles.

It was nearing sunrise now as the man made his way through the density of the trees, his footsteps traversing the first layer of the forest floor, twigs and leaves crackling in his almost undetectable wake. Sindri wasn't hunting, and he certainly wasn't running, but he kept silent. It felt criminal to disrupt the nature at work as it started it's own day. Besides, he was far from knowing all of the unfamiliar creatures that were potentially lurking around every bend.

Sindri was racing only dawn now in an attempt to find his way back to a lookout that he had spotted from a hike just days previous. Navigating a new woodland though, particularly in the last moments of night, was easier said than done. He watched on with a pained expression as the first rays of morning peeked through the base of trees. The birds wasted no time, their various morning songs coming together in perfectly mismatched unison. Before Sindri could even process the change of pace, the whole forest was alive, breathing and singing along.

The wizard's eye's fluttered closed for a moment as he took it all in. No matter how many sunrises he had seen in his lifetime, no two were ever the same. And they certainly never got old. As the morning sun hit his face, he stretched the cold from him limbs, right on queue with the trees as they shuddered in the breeze. 

Just then, the hair on the back of Sindri's neck prickled upright, sending a shiver up and down his spine. Green eyes snapped open and immediately scanned the space around him. For whatever reason, he knew that he wasn't alone. He could feel it. One hand grabbed the wand from the front pocket of his jeans just as he spotted flesh amongst the greenery. His racing heart skipped. It was a person. A woman. And she was naked, curled in a ball and unmoving amongst a bed of wildflowers.

Sindri rushed forward and pulled off his coat to wrap the woman up, noting immediately the fresh wounds on her feet. Unlike him, there was no doubt that she had been running. He held his wand to her wrist and waited for a pulse, happy to feel the faint vibration. "Hello," He tried to wake her, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with their close proximity. He didn't let that slow him though, protective instincts kicking into gear immediately. "Hello!" He pulled the stranger up to him, careful to keep her covered in his coat. He wanted to get her at least semi-conscience before apparating.

Angharad stirred, feeling strong arms pull her close she let out a soft moan. Her eyelids felt heavy and were slow to obey. Her brain was foggy. When she did finally crack her eyes open the bright morning light half-blinded her; she turned her head in towards the body cradling her, scrunching her eyes up, then blinking a few times as she realised this person was not familiar – it wasn’t her father, or one of her brothers, or Lucas. Languidly, her mind began to process what her senses were telling her: she was outside; she was cold, naked, and being held by a stranger.

Like a toddler being force-fed vegetables she began pushing away from the body, her voice frantic, “No, no!” She half-heartedly tried to take the jacket with her, suddenly very conscious of her bare flesh as she crossed an arm over her breasts. As she pushed apart from the man she tried to put weight on her feet--“Argh!”

She slumped back down, defeated. The adrenaline coursing through her body not enough to override the pain in her feet, torn by running barefoot across the forest floor. Still trying to catch-up, groggy from the transformation, the blonde finally seemed to realise that he hadn’t been trying to hurt her. You wouldn’t cover someone up if you were the lecherous type, would you?

Angharad pulled the jacket across her lower body and shifted her arms across her chest, her hair falling in a curtain to hide her face. “I- I’m sorry.” She breathed, lifting her head slightly to peek from behind her soft waves, currently bedraggled and featuring one or two leaves. Brown eyes focused in on her attacker/saviour (she wasn’t certain yet), and took in his tanned skin and friendly features. He seemed vaguely familiar, like she’d seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t place it – if he was a wizard they had probably both been at Hogwarts together, but really what would be the chances of bumping into a wizard out here?

“Oh.”

She’d spotted his wand, held aloft in the hand he hadn’t been supporting her with. “You’re.. you’re a wizard?” She croaked, her voice hoarse. Oh thank goodness. Not that this really made the situation much better, she was still naked and had to explain how she’d gotten in this predicament, but at least she wouldn’t end up in a nuthouse for roaming the woodlands in the nude. 

The stir of movement in his arms, a sign of life from this mysterious stranger, triggered a sigh of relief from Sindri's mouth that had been set in a deep line across his face since the start of their encounter. Good news was that she was alive, after all. Bad news? Sindri was currently cradling her half naked body as she attempted to get to her feet, his wand not only just in plain sight, but in use. Things were not looking good for him. He allowed the woman to make her attempt at standing, although the gesture was only for show. Based on the shape she was in, there was no way should be walking on her own anytime soon. He removed his hold around her shoulders putting just enough distance between them to be able to help, if needed, but not close enough to make her uncomfortable.

"Don't be sorry," Sindri reassured her with a small smile although his concern was still quite obvious. "Did someone do this? Were you hurt?" He had a million questions that needed to be answered about the unusual scene that he had stumbled upon, but those two were the most pertinent for the moment. The man kept his forest green eyes at a safe level above her neck as they examined her own for the unspoken answers to his investigation. It was then that he realised she may have looked vaguely familiar but the movement of her mouth as she spoke again had torn him away.

His wand. Shit. Sindri retracted the gnarled, dark wood stick, and began to put it in his pocket when it hit him. The fact that this woman even knew what a wand was had given him the answers that he needed. "Depends on who's asking," The wizard smiled up at her, his eye catching the morning sun through the endless trees surrounding them. "I am," He confirmed now more seriously, the dimple on the side of his mouth disappearing as his smile turned serious. Sindri pulled the small backpack from over his shoulder and rummaged through it for a moment to pull out another dirtied flannel. He always kept a small reserve of things in the old leather bag should he ever find himself lost, hungry or short a shirt after a swim. "It's filthy, I'm sorry," Sindri handed the article of clothing over, his resolve tested as he turned to face her again.

"Some water," Sindri grabbed the canteen that had been strapped to his belt and thrust open the lid with some difficulty. Apparently the presence of a completely naked stranger in the middle of the woods had rattled him more than he could have imagined. "Just water, swear" Sindri smiled, all too aware of how south this situation could have gone should it have been anyone else that had found her.

“Uh...” Angharad didn’t know how to explain her current predicament, but she knew that she at least couldn’t lie. “Um... no, I..” she began chewing her lip, looking anywhere but at her new companion. How exactly was one meant to tell a stranger that one had an incurable disease that could cause serious harm? “I’m okay, I think. Except for being, you know...” she blushed furiously, the situation fully dawning on her. She allowed herself another glance at the man; her dark brown eyes quickly roaming over his thick blonde-brown hair, unbrushed and unkempt, his warm hazel eyes, and pleasant features. Realising how attractive he was, a fresh wave of embarrassment flooded her – if he didn’t pick up on her flushed cheeks it would be a miracle.

The blonde smiled faintly, “I’m Harri.” That was sufficient for now, he didn’t really need any more detail until she knew a bit more about him, or rather until he figured out a bit more about her. It was safer not to give her full name, not everyone was as forgiving of such an affliction as Luna Lovegood. Besides, she could probably do with never seeing the poor man again. They’d both be scarred for life from this encounter, even if he didn’t find out the truth.

“Oh, thank you.” Angharad happily took the shirt from him, the dirt of no consequence in her current state. “Mud is mud.” She said offhandedly, her voice still hoarse. Trying to slip it on whilst showing as little additional flesh as possible, when lifting her right arm into the corresponding sleeve the petite blonde inadvertently flashed the large scar that filled the side of her torso from ribs to pelvis – the point where she had been mauled. Pulling the shirt closed it easily wrapped around her slim frame with material to spare, the length covering everything it needed to as long as she didn’t shift too much.

She still found it hard to look at him, but felt it rude not to given everything he’d already done for her. Angharad took the vessel from him, briefly considered sniffing the contents before drinking, then realising there was no way to do this inconspicuously decided she would just have to trust him. She took a sip, scrunching her eyes in anticipation... but it was just water. Harri relaxed, took a deeper drink, then passed it back to him. “Thanks,” she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, “What were you doing out here?” She looked around, trying to make sense of where exactly she was. “Where.. um, where is here?”

Just as the forest awoke under the sea of golden sun, so did Sindri’s eyes. Where once they mirrored the greens and browns of the foliage under the cover of night, they now took on the gold and yellows that signified the start of a day. His illuminated gaze followed the woman’s movement with caution. He was careful to not look too closely or let his gaze wander anywhere it wasn’t welcome. His confusion was all but hidden across his furrowed brow and terse mouth. Although the woman, who he now knew as Harri, began to explain how she ended up here, she really had done no explaining at all. In fact, the wizard was left with more questions than before.

Quietly, he wondered if her current situation was the result of some ritual gone wrong. He had heard stories of these woods. Ever since moving to New Forest, the townspeople were eager to share the ghoulish tales of the trees that surrounded them. He shook the nonsensical theories from his brain and instead focused on the very real person in front of him.

“Sindri,” He replied with a smile, the irony of their formal introduction given the situation not lost on him. As Harri shifted to pull her free arm through the oversized sleeve of the flannel, a flash of scarred skin caught his attention. Despite his best efforts not to, Sindri looked. It was long, jagged scar that ran the length of her torso. Suddenly, things began to come together. Her wounded feet, the lack of clothing, and now the physical remnants of where she had been mauled. A werewolf. He tried to hide the moment of realisation by busying himself and rummaging through his bag for anything else that may be of use, but he surely wasn’t convincing.

The wizard stuffed the bottle back into his bag with a wry smile in response. Water was the least he could do. “I live here,” Sindri stated matter-of-factly before groaning to himself. He couldn’t even be smooth whilst practically saving the day. “Well not, here, but just near here,” Now his face was the one that was flushed. “I was just going for a hike,” His gaze travelled the scenery once more. “Luckily for you, you wound up right on my trail,” He tried his best to comfort her despite how uncomfortable she must have felt.

“You’re in New Forest…” He explained slowly, now wondering just how long she had been running. He found the urge to ask every question he had dreamed up while learning about werewolves in school. “Would like to, er, get cleaned up?” Sindri offered. He couldn’t just leave her here in the middle of the woods, after all. “I’ve got a portkey, back to mine, we can sort out those wounds,”  He surveyed her injured feet carefully before pulling a small satchel from his pocket in which the compass that led him home lived.

Angharad smiled weakly back, the aches and pains were starting to make themselves known now that the initial shock of waking up naked in the woods was passing. His name seemed oddly familiar. She realised now that they must have both gone to Hogwarts, but she couldn’t quite place him. Judging by looks alone he appeared to be older, but she couldn’t tell by exactly how much. At the very least he would have left Hogwarts before her accident and so would be none the wiser to her predicament, except for her current appearance.

She had hoped he wouldn’t see her scarring – it always led to questions – but he said nothing. A small voice in her head said this was unusual but she ignored it, perhaps he was just being polite. Still, she avoided his gaze for a moment until he spoke again.

“Oh...” Confusion spread across the blonde’s features, her gaze straying to look around them, her brain struggling to keep up until he clarified, “Oh!” That made more sense. Of course. Her dark eyes found their way back to meet his golden gaze; even in her inebriated state she didn’t miss his rosy cheeks – probably flushed from his hike, or her lack of clothing. It was hard to tell. “Lucky me...” she said softly, her brow furrowing as she took in this information. “New Forest...” she parroted quietly, her focus on some point on the horizon. Well that was a positive start, though the forest was huge so there was no guarantee she was anywhere near where she’d started. Judging by the condition of her feet it was unlikely.

Sindri's question caught her off guard, so wrapped up in her own thoughts had she been. Angharad looked at him for a moment and blinked before his offer sank in, “I- um, if you’re sure?” She was in no fit state to apparate anywhere and he probably knew that. She didn’t know why but she felt she could trust him, not that she had much choice in her current state. “Yes, please.” Rather than attempt to stand again she simply held one hand out ready to touch the portkey and gripped his forearm as firmly as she could muster with the other.

Her hand touched the cold metal of the compass and immediately they were sucked into nothingness, swirling around before arriving with a Pop! outside a cabin in the woods. She allowed him to help her gingerly to her feet; she breathed in sharply as he took the bulk of her weight (not that there was much of it) and helped her to the door and across the threshold. Angharad was so preoccupied with pain she barely registered the interior of the cabin aside from it feeling cosy. Sindri set her down and she was immediately met with a wet nose and wetter tongue - thankfully not his, but apparently his puppy's. "Oh, hello." she let out a small laugh as the dog began sniffing her all over.

From the desolation of the woods the pair were moved through space and time and left in the middle of his living room. The cabin that Sindri had built with own two hands was cozy, and smelled of sawdust and a pine trees. The man's every fibre was present throughout the wooden structure, having literally put all of his blood, sweat and tears into it's construction. The cabin was just outside of town, close enough to be near to civilisation but far enough away for him to be comfortable. It wasn't that he didn't like the company of other people though. In fact, as the months progressed, he found that he was spending more nights in town, getting to know his new peers.

As Sindri found his bearings, the familiar sound of puppy claws sliding across the hardwood floors met his ears in a terrifyingly comfortable cacophony. "Chaarlie!" He groaned, rushing to pull the small ball of black and white fur up and into his arms. "I'm sorry," He was quick to apologise despite fighting the writhing of a two month old collie mix. "He's not yet learned his manners," As he leant to put the puppy back to the ground, he raised his eyebrows as if if to gauge what level of animal friendly the woman was. 

Charlie now safely tucked between his owners' legs, Sindri finally had a moment to realise that they were in his home. Until this point, the only visitors he had were his family and the elderly man from up the road that had taken an interest in his business that now found it's home in the shed behind the cabin. "So, er," Hazel eyes dared to explore the room, taking inventory of all the things that he could be embarrassed by. "Here, I'll show you to the bath, if you'd like to get cleaned up?" He offered, gesturing to the master room across the spacious living area. He doubted she would be interested in the outdoor shower he had installed.

"I'll get something on the stove and then we can have a look at those feet," His gaze drifted down to her wounds with concern as he helped her to where she could at least rinse the dirt. "Here, I've got - " Sindri flicked his wand, a tall dresser opening to expose various items of clothing. He rummaged through the fabric until he found a clean flannel and a pair of track pants. "Sorry, not very... fashionable," He confessed with an embarrassed chuckle. "Just, ehm, shout if you need help," Sindri called over his shoulder, physically slapping a hand to his forehead. Word choice was not his strong suit. Apparently even more so when there was an attractive woman in his bath.

Sindri pulled the excitable ball of fluff from her and she smiled, her pain and discomfort momentarily forgotten. “No, it’s okay.” Angharad didn’t have any pets of her own but she generally enjoyed meeting other peoples. She watched Sindri wrestle with his puppy, “He’s very cute,” she said wistfully.

There was a moment of quiet between them, only permeated by the noises of Charlie. Her gaze followed his around the room, taking in what was his home. It was different to anything she’d ever been in before, but not unwelcome. There was an immediate feeling of warmth that oozed from the wooden walls and ceiling, and the homeliness of his various knickknacks.

Harri nodded in agreement and allowed him to help her to the bathroom. She didn’t miss the implication of her entering his room under any other circumstance, the flannel fabric against her skin reminding her once more just how vulnerable she was right now. Perched on the edge of the tub she watched him quietly as he retrieved some spare clothes and she found something swell in her chest at this gesture of caring.

“Thanks,” her cheeks were on fire as she took the clothes from him. She chose not to look at him until he had turned to leave her. ”Shout if you need help.” Her chin lifted, inappropriate thoughts ran through her mind and she had to physically shake her head to rid herself of them. He was very attractive, but it was silly to think like that. The bath had been running this entire time; Sindri must have turned it on with his wand without her noticing, it was only when the water stopped flowing that she picked up on the lack of gurgling.

With a furtive glance over her shoulder to check he wasn’t in the room she shed herself of the flannel and gently eased herself into the tub, her arms trembling under her own weight in her fragile state. The water burned her feet and she breathed in sharply through her teeth to stop from calling out – the last thing she wanted was for him to come rushing in and see her naked all over again. Or was it? As she absently wiped the grime from her skin and pulled leaves out of her hair she found herself wondering...

A clang from the kitchen brought her back to the present. The bathwater had turned a murky brown despite the very short amount of time she’d been in it. Gingerly she lifted herself back out of the tub, sitting on the edge to take her weight as she dried herself roughly with a towel, the drain  gurgling behind her as the tub emptied itself.

Harri emerged back into the living area, her hair damp and her petite, skinny body drowned in his clothes but still looking better than she had – admittedly it was not hard to improve upon looking like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards. She limped her way slowly over to the kitchen and sat on a pre-pulled out chair almost silently. “Thanks for not, you know.. just leaving me out there.” The removal of the dirt and leaf-litter had helped her mentally feel a little more human in addition to physically. "I'm sorry to have ruined your hike."