Some fresh Heir

[Bridget Riley]

As the early evening sun began to sink below the horizon, the residents of bleak street were slowly residing to their homes. However, a few lingered in the shadows, conducting business that would be indiscreet in broad daylight. The figures pulled their cloaks further around them, concealing their face, eyes darting back and forth to make sure nobody was watching. Bridget hurried past these shady strangers, pulling her own arms further around her to protect herself from the strange icy feeling that had just come across her. How had she walked so far? The last thing she remembered was taking a stroll. She needed the fresh air, as being cooped up with her Mother was bad enough at the best of times, and today it was made even worse. Today would have been her Father's birthday, and Bridget had a lot on her mind. Hugging herself even tighter, Bridget averted her gaze from the cobbled path to the buildings around her. They had morphed from friendly looking shops with exciting stock to dark, abandoned, dusty shops which looked as though nobody ever visited. Still, she hurried on, anxious to find her way out of this strange place. There had to be an end to this gloomy street, Bridget reassured herself a little shakily. It couldn't go on forever; soon she would see a friendly face. One that didn't stare at her as she scurried along the path.
Had Bridget known the street better, she would have turned back before it was too late. All of a sudden, she found herself in a dark, foul smelling alley. This must have been where the really dirty deeds happened, and she did not fancy hanging around one bit. Spinning on her heel, she prepared to sprint the distance back to the guest suite where she had been staying. Unfortunately, her path was blocked by another figure. With her heart in her throat, she prepared for the worst.

 

[Lee Ji Hyo]

So that was that, she had arrived. Ji Hyo couldn't shake off the guitly feeling after she was forced to abandon her mother. After everything that had happened to the woman, Ji Hyo wished she could stay, however as she was growing older it was time to move on. Her mother hadn't taken the news too well to say the least, but Ji Hyo knew to give her some time, and now by herself, she had gone into town to see what this new world was all about.

There were students of all ages around her, and for the first time in a long time Ji Hyo felt like the youngest all over again. She tried to scan around for some her own age, and her eyes caught the bright red hair of a student walking in the opposite direction. Why not? she thought, and headed after her, squeezing through the crowds. Surely not everyone was like herself, clueless to what would be happening to her in the next few months or years. Someone must have an idea of what to expect.

She had almost caught up with the girl, and she had been slowing down for a little way, when Ji Hyo stopped in her tracks. The girl continued on as Ji Hyo looked to the left. She tried to read the sign, but her english wasn't great yet. She had been planning to learn more at high school - of course now that would change. Black Str.. she pondered, unsure of whether this was a good idea after all. Looking back towards the red haired girl, she saw the darkness getting thicker, and many people less friendly looking were down there. Ji Hyo had a natural instinct to look after those younger than herself, and while arguing over the pros and cons of following this girl, she headed after her.

Ji Hyo hated this place. She promised herself this would be the first and only time she'd come down this far. Skulls seemed to be quite a common window piece in this street, and Ji Hyo began to get into a run to catch up with Miss RedHair. What if the girl knew where she was going? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to try and warn her anymore. Pushing her thoughts back she finally caught up. As soon as she reached out her arm to try to touch the shoulder of the girl, Ji Hyo suddenly pulled back. The girl had turned to face her. Ji Hyo had a vaguely blank but slightly shocked expression. She couldn't see the girl clearly, the shadows cast over her face made it difficult to see much at all in this place. "I.." Ji Hyo managed to get out, suddenly unable to face why she was here. "We.." she tried again, but words continued to fail her. Looking over her shoulder back through the alleyway, she saw the dim light of what had been a friendly street, and she urgently wished to get back there as soon as possible.

Just then her view of the light was cut off, as a larger figured stepped in front, blocking her off. Ji Hyo looked up to the dirty face of the stranger, and whipping her head back to Miss RedHair, she knew which side she would prefer to stand. Her instincts kicked in again as she ran past the girl, unsure again if the two people were connected and if she was getting in the way. Ether way she wasn't hanging about.

 

[Bridget Riley]

Bridget tried to suppress the look of shock plastered onto her bony face. It took a few seconds for her to register that this girl had followed her here. Unsure whether to be afraid or befriend her, she began to stumble over her words. A little relief flowed through Bridget and some colour returned to her cheeks. If she couldn't even get her words out, she couldn't have been a threat. As she opened her mouth to address her, a strange shadow cast over the already gloomy alley, and a dark figure was approaching the girls. Bridget did not even have to warn her acquaintance, she had already glanced behind her and seen the cloaked stranger approaching.
It seemed the girl had quick reaction speeds. The same could not be said for Bridget, who momentarily froze on the spot. How could she have thought a ten year old girl such as herself would possibly be safe down here? Everybody seemed out to hurt you, and she and the girl were now trapped in the dead end of an alleyway, facing a stranger who probably wanted to do just that. At least, their look of pure menace, the ash and dirt lining every crease in their face and those scowling eyes certainly didn't make Bridget jump to the conclusion that this person wanted to give them directions home.
Suddenly snapping out of her daze, she spun around once more to follow the girl through the alley. Unfortunately, up ahead all she could see was a solid brick wall, several bins and some discarded magical equipment that neither of them could name, let alone use. The only way out she could see was to climb the bins and hope that across the wall was a less threatening place. "Come on," Bridget daren't take the girls hand, but beckoned violently for her to follow. She hoisted herself up onto a dark green bin, covering her hands in a slimy muck in the process, and clambered up. Across the wall, Bridget could see another cobbled path, some boarded up shops and in the very distance, an inn. If only they could get there, they would be safe from the stranger, who was still pursuing them. At this point, his wand was drawn and he was quickly approaching the bins. "Hurry!" She urged to the girl, her palms beginning to sweat despite the bitter air prickling at her face.

 

[Lee Ji Hyo]

In the few seconds that followed, it seemed clear that now Miss RedHead was indeed not friends with this stranger. She darted around and followed her as they reached a brick wall. She hadn't planned on getting dirty, but on the other hand she also didn't plan on dying on her first day in this magical world. She looked over her shoulder once again as Miss RedHead was clambering up onto some bins. Ji Hyo suspected she was going to try and climb over the wall, and just hoped that the drop on the other side wouldn't be too painful. As a girl who had no magical experience, it frustrated her to know she could do things, but didn't have an ounce of knowledge on what she could do in this scenario. In her panic she thought back to her conversation in her hometown, where she had encountered a girl who believed it was better to run than fight. Well that certainly helps now, she thought, her dark brown hair covering her face as the wind blew harder.

The stranger continued to approach, his wand raised straight at the girls. As Miss RedHead was making her way up, Ji Hyo scanned the area for any non-magical thing that could delay the figure. Why he was after them she didn't know, but she didn't want to wait to find out. Glancing around at the rubbish at her feet, she saw a a broken mirror lying shattered around some newspaper. She hurriedly bent down to pick it up, and smashed it against the brick wall, trying to remove the glass from the wooden frame. A small piece fell free, and dropping the mirror, Ji Hyo picked up the shard. It was painful to hold but she would rather have it than not. It was only the size of her hand but she didn't doubt it couldn't do damage if needed. Ji Hyo's wide eyes surveyed the figure, and she calculated she only had a few seconds now to get herself free. She turned and hopped agilely up onto the bins, and standing tall she saw what their aim was. A small Inn in the distance would hopefully contain some people that could help. Why no one was helping them now she didn't know. Ji Hyo balanced the shard of glass on the wall, and used both hands to pull herself up, her trainers scrabbling at the surface.

Ji Hyo propelled herself too far, and went straight over the wall no problem. It was no problem until she hit the floor on the other side however. There had been nothing on the other side of the wall, and she shook her head trying to get her bearings. Glancing up she saw Miss RedHead on the way down, and Ji Hyo realised she'd left her glass shard on the wall. Ji Hyo sat up, and winced as her wrist throbbed. As she waited for her companion to join her, she considered whether the stranger would be able to get over the wall completely at ease. Standing up, her wrist held in her left hand, she looked over towards the Inn. It was about 100 yards away, and as long as the stranger had no special fast way of getting to them, and no one else planned to do them harm, Ji Hyo reckoned they would be okay.

 

[Bridget Riley]

Bridget cursed inwardly as the girl had the common sense to grab something sharp. Of course, against an adult with a wand it probably wouldn't do much good, but it was better than nothing and she had been blind not to think of it. Unsure of how much time the girls could buy, Bridget kicked some of the bin slime down onto the stranger, hoping for an accurate hit as she grabbed the wall. Her hand slammed down onto the shard of mirror which the girl had left on the wall. She gasped, wiping her cut hand on her freshly washed clothes. It didn't matter much now anyway, they were covered in gunk and smelling quite revolting already. Bridget jumped as the stranger raised his wand and uttered "Lumos", but nothing seemed to happen except a small light emitted from the end of his wand. Now, however, he could clearly see Bridget, and she had to act fast.
The wind blew Bridget's curly red waves into her face, obscuring her vision as she dropped the mirror shard over the wall. She was sure the stranger was more than capable of making it over, and they might just be grateful for having it when he did. Scrambling over, she hung from the other side and then let herself drop. The impact on her ankles sent a horrible pain up her legs, but it began to fade quickly. The girl, on the other hand, hadn't got away so lightly. A crashing noise on the other side of the wall alerted them to the fact there was no time to sit around assessing their injuries. They had to move fast. The inn was not far away, and from here they could see a warming orange light emitting from a downstairs window. "Are you OK?" Bridget asked her acquaintance, slightly concerned as the stranger's head was already appearing over the wall. If they ran now, they might make it before he had a chance to cast some spells, she thought, not entirely sure how it worked or whether he could perform any particularly dangerous spells that could harm them. Eager to move, she wiped her hand on her shirt again and gestured to the girl that they should run.
As the girl's wrist seemed to be hurt, Bridget grabbed the mirror shard with her fingertips and started to sprint towards the inn. This was their only chance. If they didn't make it, goodness knows what the strange cloaked man could do. Bridget's Mum had already lost her husband, and to lose a child as well would have destroyed her. They just had to make it out of this.

 

[Lee Ji Hyo]

Ji Hyo watched as Miss RedHead jumped down with much more elegance than herself. Luckily the shard of glass came with them. "Arr yoo okay?" She heard, not quite sure what that meant. Okay had been a general term though, and she nodded ignoring the pain, and just decided to follow the girl and rely on her to get them out of this. Ji Hyo promised herself to learn proper English one day, as she'd only been here a few minutes at it was already proving necessary.

They ran across the cobbled floor, people in this alley way turned to look at them as the two girls dodged between the figures. Now wasn't the time for appearances however, and Ji Hyo at least hoped that they'd be able to lose the stranger in the crowd.

Halfway towards the Inn, Ji Hyo took a sharp turn and hid in a small hollow behind some boxes in the darkness. It wasn't night time but in a place like this, where the walls were high and buildings built to cave in anyone wanting to hide some secrets. She looked to Miss RedHead, unsure of whether they should make the rest of the run through the mass of dirty cloaked strangers to the front door, or stay and hide. Ji Hyo's wrist hurt when she ran, but she tried to block out the thoughts of why that was. Maybe they should play it down, keeping low and in the shadows instead of running through and creating a commotion.

 

[Bridget Riley]

The girls had been well on their way to the inn, when suddenly Bridget realised she was dashing through the street alone. She stopped in her tracks, scouring the crowd for the stranger, though he was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't sure if this was good or bad - when they had been able to see him they could stay away. Now he could have been anywhere. Unfortunately, she also had lost her acquaintance, and had no idea when she had stopped running. Luckily, being waist height to the other witches and wizards, Bridget could easily weave in and out of the crowd, searching for the girl.
A few minutes passed and Bridget was ready to turn back and head for the inn, when she saw a very familiar face in the crowd. Not a good one though. She could see those emerald green eyes on that strange man a mile off. Darting into a small hollow, Bridget found she was standing on something a little squishy; the girl's foot. She wanted to breathe a huge sigh of relief and exclaim how happy she was to see her, but this was not the time, and she was beginning to question the girl's understanding of the English language anyway.
Bridget took a few moments to consider the plan of action. What they really needed to do was cause such a commotion that all eyes were turned on the shady stranger. Then he could not possibly get away with doing anything, not with every pair of eyes on him. Though it felt like the cowardly thing to do, Bridget opened her mouth and yelled into the crowd. "Help! Please! There's a strange man following us!" She hoped with all her might that someone would take notice of her plea, if not a few people. They were well and truly lost now anyway, and without help she doubted they'd ever make it back home.

 

[Sabrina Emmerich]

Brushing slender fingers through her mess of brown hair, Sabrina stepped lightly through the street, hugging her coat around her. It wasn't always the safest for a woman to be out on her own - even when she was Sabrina's age. Still, Sabrina wasn't a fool. She kept her eyes and ears out for trouble, and knew how to look after herself. She'd been alone for so long, after all.

It had been yet another day without too much profit, but Sabrina didn't particularly mind. Things would look up eventually, she told herself. It was just important to stay positive and face the world with a smile. Good karma would come around and reward her, she hoped. That negative voice inside her head began to argue those points with her, but it didn't get far in its nagging when she overheard a young girl cry out.

Snapping to action, Sabrina followed the sound of the voice. This wasn't the time or place for children to be out and about, and it sounded like they needed help. "Who's there?" Sabrina replied, looking around until she spotted a hollow which contained a pair of young girls. A concerned expression crossed Sabrina's face - where were their parents? Did they even have parents? - before she gave them a calming, gentle smile. "Are you alright? Nobody's going to hurt you now, it's going to be okay." She extended her hands to them, smiling reassuringly.

 

[Lee Ji Hyo]

Ji Hyo watched as her companion called out, trying to attract attention so that the stranger couldn't get to them. Maybe it would attract other unwanted attention too though, she thought, looking around at those that glanced at them. The faces of adults were frowns. Probably because they ether thought that girls as young as themselves shouldn't be here, or that they were generally just getting in the way.

Just then a woman approached them, and Ji Hyo listened carefully. It was that word again - Okay. She didn't know what this woman wanted with them ether, and Ji Hyo's mother had warned her about talking to strangers. Ji Hyo would have to wait for Miss RedHead to do the talking, since she had no idea herself what she was saying. Her dark brown eyes watched as the woman extended her hand, but Ji Hyo kept hers to herself, partly because she didn't right now want to talk to her and secondly because her wrist needed her support.

Ji Hyo shuffled in the shadows, waiting for the next plan of action. The stranger seemed to have found where they were hiding, but at least now he wouldn't be able to touch or harm them without someone noticing.

 

[Bridget Riley]

As more and more passers by shot frowns at the girls and wandered away, Bridget's hope drained and she sunk into the ground, suddenly overcome with tiredness. The wind was colder than ever now, though the little hollow behind the boxes did offer some protection.
It was at that moment that a lady found their hiding place, and started to offer them help. Though grateful, she paused for a moment. How could they be sure this woman was trustworthy? Did they have any choice but to accept her help and hope for the best? If they didn't, they would be stuck out here all night. She too, did not take the woman's hand, as one was covered in blood and the other slime from the bins. She did, however, get to her feet and smile anxiously. "Thank you, Miss," She mumbled, unsure how to address this lady. "We were being followed by a cloaked man.. Green eyes.." Bridget shuddered, pushing his appearance from her head. It had been quite disturbing, and the whole ordeal was finally starting to sink in. It was a lot for a ten year old up past her bed time to take in. Perhaps this was all a bad dream. She blinked hard to see if she would wake up, but the world stayed put.
"Do you know how we can get home? I'm staying in Obsidian Harbour and.. Well, I honestly don't know where she's from, but I think she's hurt" Bridget gestured toward her acquaintance, who still had not said anything since they met. "I'm not sure she speaks English," she added in a hushed voice, just in case she was mistaken. The inn down the road was not fifty yards away, and Bridget had a rough guess that it might help them contact their parents. There was no way she would go with this stranger anywhere private, though, and the girl seemed to be feeling just as cautious.

 

[Sabrina Emmerich]

She understood that the girls weren't particularly trusting of her, and she didn't blame them. Honestly, she would've despaired if they were. But she meant no harm, of course. She only wanted to see them safely back to where they needed to go and away from a bad place such as this. Girls their age should be at home with something to eat and in bed. She nodded as she dropped her hands and then stood up, looking at the girls with concern. "That's rather worrying," Sabrina mused as the red-headed girl explained the situation. "They'd be a fool to try anything now, though. You did a very brave thing, and I think it paid off for you. Still," she mused out loud, "this isn't the sort of place you should be."

She remembered being told as such when she was a few years younger, and smiled sympathetically. Her smile faded a little when the redhead pointed out that the other girl couldn't really speak English. Sabrina couldn't speak any other languages, although she could mangle bits of French and German. That wouldn't really help in this situation. "I know how to get to Obsidian Harbour. I was just heading there myself." Indeed, she was considering stopping in at the Leaky Cauldron for a drink and something to eat - she was friends with the staff there, she and the owners nephew saw the same therapist, as it was. "I know you probably don't trust me, being a stranger - and I don't blame you. But I can promise you, I mean no harm. I can walk with you to the Harbour. We can apparate, too, but perhaps walking would be a better choice." Apparition, Sabrina reasoned, required more trust than she expected either of the girls to give. "Name's Sabrina, by the way."

 

[Lee Ji Hyo]

Ji Hyo listened to the pair of them talking, feeling confused and lost. She should never have come down here to start with, then again if she hadn't, Miss RedHead would be by herself. She gave herself comfort by the thought that she might have helped someone. Suddenly Ji Hyo recognised something they were saying, and she winced as she let go of her wrist to try and wave and get their attention. "Obsidian Harbour" she repeated. That's where she had been stay for the last couple of days. Was that where Miss RedHead was trying to get to? Maybe they were closer than they thought.

The woman and girl continued to talk together, and Ji Hyo hoped they'd be out of this soon. What was taking them so long to get going? As they spoke, Ji Hyo peered inside the boxes that they'd huddled behind, and was pleased to find amongst other things, some cloth. She carefully reached in with her left hand, and pulled some out. It wasn't much but it would do the job. Wrapping it around her wrist she gave it some more support. Was it broken? Maybe. She'd had her leg broken when she was six, and had been in a cast for several weeks - she hoped she wouldn't be in that position again anytime soon. Now that she had the freedom of using her left hand, she nudged her companion and pointed in the direction of the stranger, so was still being shifty and watching them from a short distance away. "Go from he." she tried, adding a little desperation in her voice so that they could understand she wanted to leave now. Glancing up at the woman who'd approached them she added, "Help go mother" and she turned her back into the alleyway, beginning to figure out for herself which way was out.

 

[Bridget Riley]

The girl had put Bridget in a rather awkward position. How could she possibly let Sabrina apparate them when she didn't even know what they were saying? Bridget had learnt about this a long time ago from her Father, and knew it wasn't the most comfortable way of travelling. At least they knew where she was heading, and it was in the same direction. The first piece of good news all evening, Bridget thought. However, it was clear they would have to walk. They could not suddenly apparate with this girl without even letting her know it was about to happen, especially considering she seemed so caring. She watched her intently for a moment as she bandaged up her wrist, but decided against doing it to her own hand. She had an open wound, and who knew how dirty those cloths were.
Bridget turned to Sabrina, frowning in thought. If the girl's wrist was now supported, perhaps she could make the walk home. It couldn't have been that far, as they had only been out for twenty minutes. "Thank you. I think you're right, we should walk," Bridget agreed a little dully, since apparating for the first time would have been a lot of fun. Still, she decided she had had quite enough reckless fun for one evening.
Bridget held out her arms to help the girl to her feet, hoping her wrist wasn't going to be too painful on the walk home. There was no point asking if she would be OK, as the chances of her understanding were very slim anyway, so she simply smiled a reassuringly as she could and said "Yes, Obsidian Harbour."
It took a few moments for Bridget to realise where the girl was pointing, but when she did, her face became panic stricken. "He's right over there," Bridget pointed with her eyes to Sabrina, trying not to attract too much attention. "We can't just leave, can we?" This woman might have known a lot of magic, in which case they were pretty safe. But if she didn't, how would they leave?