Closed New Generation of Arachnid Dancers

[Ladon Laspas]

Sunset had finally drained out of the sky, sheathing the Forbidden Forest finally in shadow. Ladon had been waiting patiently for the last fragments of daytime to dissolve into the barely perceptive lightening of the gloom. He had sneaked through the dense trees of the forest armed only with his precious wand and a bow, wrapped into a dirty cloth. Doom Sigh as he had named the bow, was the only heirloom he was left from his deceased father. The boy's life had changed drastically the past one year. He was missing his former life when everything was simple. But he had come in terms that this was the past and he had to adjust to the new reality of attending one of the best wizarding educational institutes in the world. At least it was better than living in that manor with people that were supposed to be his new family and all their over-the-top rules and mannerism.

Ladon was reactive to rules especially when enforced by people he didn't regarded with esteem. But he had to admit that a bow wasn't supposed to be resting at the bottom of a first year's trunk. He had to hide it if he didn't want to have it taken away. Unfamiliar yet with the castle's hiding places, the Forbidden Forest seemed like the best option to hide something. Not only less people were roaming at those parts but the forest also felt more reliable to him, like he could trust it not to betray his secret.

The boy loved how the cold-hearted orb that ruled the night, sparkled through the trees now, and he was at ease with the subtle night sounds of the forest. He was looking for a landmark, maybe a stone or a strange tree in order for him to find easily again his bow. He wasn't planning to venture too deep despite growing up in a forest himself. This one it was different, he could feel it. Nature should be respected and he was aware that he was just a visitor here that had to be careful. Who knew what kind of creatures were dwelling in its depths. The boy felt safe nonetheless, although the few spells he could cast with his wand could barely protect him from a rogue gnome.

After minutes of walking from the edge of the forest, he finally stumbled across a perfectly circular clearing. Several rocks were scattered around the grass, subtly glowing under the unfiltered moonlight. Perhaps he could dig a hole to place in his bow and cover it with one of the bigger stones that couldn't be moved by the elements. But as he was considering this idea, he heard a noise coming from the trees.

Ladon dove behind the nearest wide oak trunk at the edge of the clearing. Heart slamming against his ribs, he gulped at the air, trying to slow his breathing enough to hear. Back in the shadows branches thrashed and snapped, the sounds growing closer and closer. Was it a beast or worse, a school staff patrolling the area? Ladon pressed his face against the bark, the ridges biting into his skin and remained completely motionless in the dark, just waiting for the unidentified presence to move away.

 

[Willow Cullen]

Willow had been on the quidditch pitch. this was the second year as the seeker for the team and there was no way she was going to let the team down this year. she was making her way accross the lawn her broom in her hand. when she saw someone slip like a shadow accross the lawn and into the shaddow. she looked what was she meant to do? she was a prefect and meant to keep an eye out for people breaking the rules. but she had been in the forest many times before. but this boy seemed small. from a distence he could have been Lin. She knew the forest was dangerous. her aunt and cousin tended to avoid it. when she had gone in with chante she was very nervous especially when they had met Aspen. What should she do. she knew the right thing would be to find a professor but he could get hurt in the amount of time it took for find one. if only she could do the silvery messenger magic her mum did when she had gone into labour that would have helped a lot. but it was not a form of magic she was familiar with. in the end her concern for his wellfair won over her following the rules. So she followed the boy though the trees. once she was far enough in that it was hard to see even with her eyesight. and she was sure she would not be seen she lifted her wand "lumos" she thought trying to practice non verbal magic she smiled as the tip lit up. it was one of the easiest spells ever but it showed that it worked. "she hard a movement and headed towards it however as she drew nearer the sound stopped. and as she scanned the area there was nothing there to see. "Hello, is anyone there" she said "Lindon please don't say you are sneaking into the forest at night on your own" she hissed hoping it was not her brother hiding in the trees.

 

[Ladon Laspas]

The aureate light that suddenly glowed through the trees, alarmed him about the presence of a more skillful wizard or witch, since it was apparently a spell cast non-verbally. Fortunately, he was not visible from where he had chose to hide and he was grateful that he hadn't cast the charm for he would have been easier to be spotted. Now he knew the whereabouts of the stranger without disclosing his own exact location. Then the female voice followed and the sound of a similar name like his, caused his heart skip a beat. She was looking for a Lindon if he had heard correctly. Ladon guessed she was just an older student looking for a friend of hers maybe.

Still holding his bow wrapped in the cloth and his wand, he decided to take a few careful and slow steps backwards and away from the stranger. As long as he remained quiet and away from the source of light, he could sneak away undetected in the darkness. He had learnt after all to move silently. Tonight however, that wasn't the case. To his surprise, something solid snapped underneath his left shoe as he took another step backwards. A bloody pine cone. He froze in the dark, clenching his teeth tightly. If the stranger had heard him and was advanced enough, could be casting already a human-presence-revealing spell that he could do nothing to counter.

With a flash of insight, he faked a convincing fox yelp as a last resort. He had never thought that the animal sounds he could imitate would have ever deemed helpful but maybe this could be enough to walk away. He remained still, trying to distinguish any sound that could betray the stranger's actions. His heart sank when he thought that she maybe was that advanced that she had already cast the spell non-verbally, seeing his outline in the dark.

 

[Willow Cullen]

the light from willows wand illuminated the clearing almost perfectly round with one old dead tree lying accross the midle. she raised her wand again about to catch the human finding charm when she hard a noice. it sounded like somehting being trodden on, a branch breaking maybe. she took half a stop in that direction then paused. what if it wasnt her brother or the boy who had come into the forest. what if it was someone else. what if it was a creature. at that thought the spoke again "Aspen? is that you" she called hoping that it may have been the centaur she was friends with the one who called her 'willow daughtermine" however the response came not in aspens voice but in the sound of a wounded animal. "Linden. if you have followed a wounded badger this far into the forest I swear..." she started making her way towards the sound. what was her brother planning on doing with it. taking birds into his bedroom was one thing. but a badger. sure he was in Hufflepuff but serious. what was he hoping to do with it other than carry it out of the forrest for aunt Madlyn to look after. how was he even planning on carrying one they were heavy and a wild one probably didn't want to be carried. by now she was only a few meters away from where the noise had coem from. "come on Lin, lets get going" she said hoping that her brother wasn't going to make things hard for her.

 

[Ladon Laspas]

Ladon couldn't tell if his little trick had paid off. The stranger kept calling names of people that were possibly familiar to her. It seemed that he wasn't the only one sneaking in the forest, or at least that close to the school gardens. He thought that he should venture further within if he wanted to keep his bow hidden. Before he was able to finish that thought, the orb of light cast from the stranger's wand moved steadily, closer to him.

At that point, Ladon realized that he had slim chances to escape. Running away would have been an unwise action. Considering that she was looking for her familiars and maybe someone of them was lost or needed help, he raised his own wand to cast the spell.
"Lumos." He breathed and his wand's tip glowed with a lambent orb of light, slightly smaller than the stranger's.
"I am not a threat to you." He reassured as he took a few wary steps closer. She looked to be an older student, probably not from his house as her face wasn't familiar.

"Sorry if I startled you. I know I am not supposed to be here but I have to do...something." He tried to explain and glanced at the covered bow in his other hand. He decided though to spare her the details of his quest.
"Umm...If you are looking for someone, I haven't come across anyone else so far other than you." Ladon informed her and he stood there, wondering if he could continue his venture now or was he in big trouble?