The moment Dorothy landed in the forest she shuffled away from the small group. She didn't hesitate, and without waiting to see what the others were doing, she wondered away into the dense bush.
Trees began scratching at her face, and she stopped to tie her albino white hair back. She didn't normally do this, as she felt it made her look old, but she knew if she was ever going to be Auror she would have to get used to it.
She didn't bother to look for the stones, as Mr. Anderson had made it very clear that they wouldn't just find them lying around. Instead she searched for the beasts and creatures he had mentioned.
It wasn't long before she found herself face to face with a huge, ugly troll. She quickly scanned the ground around the trolls large, hairy feet, and she could not see the stone. However, she wasn't going to assume that one wasn't there.
It didn't take long for the troll to notice her, and it roared, bearing yellowing teeth and splattering the forest with saliva. Thrashing it's arms out, it knocked a tree to the ground and narrowly missed Dorothy.
She raised her wand, which was already out, and gave it a hard flick. She had started practicing non-verbal magic at an early age, and could now do it flawlessly. The Conjunctivitis spell hit the troll bang in the eye, and it suddenly started thrashing around, blind. Dorothy ran behind it, and hit the brute with a non-verbal 'Locomotor Mortis' jinx. It fell to the ground with a thud, and for a second just looked around, confused. Dorothy finished it off by putting it in a full body bind.
She looked at it for just a second, feeling somewhat proud. It's face was in the dirt, and it's arms eagle spread. Stepping over it's bulky wrist, she began to search for the stone.
After fifteen minutes, she sighed. It wasn't there. She looked down at the troll, and was tempted to take it out of the body bind, and let it have a bit of fun with the other Auror-wannabe's, but she left it as it was, and continued through the forest.
After walking for about twenty minutes she came across a large bush pool. It glistened in the sun, and looked truly beautiful. Had she not been here for testing, she may have considered going for a swim. She was just about to begin to walk around it, when she noticed something glisten on one of the rocks, above water and near the middle.
She narrowed her eyes. It could be one of the portkeys, but she wasn't sure. She cursed her not-so great eyesight as she approached the pool wearily, an eye out for any creatures that may be guarding it.
She waited for a moment, and nothing appeared, so she slipped off her shoes and most of her clothes, hoping desperately that none of the others would find their way to the bush pool as well.
Standing half naked, and feeling very self conscious, she stepped into the water. It wasn't too cold, which surprised her. It also wasn't very deep at this point, and only reached her calves. However, the further she walked, the deeper it got. Within moments it came up to her waist.
Suddenly, something shot past her in the water, brushing against her leg. She tensed and stood stark still, waiting.
After a moment, something erupted from the water and hauled itself up onto the far bank. It's gray skin looked slippery and wet, and it wasn't very large. Dorothy was momentarily confused.
A seal in a bush pool? she thought in bemusement. However, the seal seemed to be shedding it's skin, until soon there stood a very beautiful woman, more naked than she, with a long spear in hand. The seal skin was left on the bank, looking somewhat like an old rug.
"Of course, it's a Selkie!" She exclaimed to herself softly. She'd been taught about them back when she was in school. She raked her brains, trying to remember whether or not they were dangerous, and how to defeat them.
The Selkie-Woman dived into the pool, without so much as a splash, and didn't re-surface.
Dorothy swore loudly, but thought quickly.
Selkie's she thought,
... are powerless once someone takes their skin! she suddenly remembered, and her eyes fell onto the head of seal skin on the opposite bank.
Suddenly, she felt something grab around her middle, and she was suddenly yanked down under the water. Opening her eyes, she could just make out the Selkies face, smirking at her through the translucent, murky brown. It's eyes were red and hair gray, and it was dragging her down, deeper into the middle of the pool.
Dorothy struggled against the woman, running out of breath. She still had her wand, and pressed it against the pale hand that was clinging to her bare waist. She used the first spell that came to mind.
The Furnunculus jinx took action immediately, and huge boils began to appear on the womans hand. She let go with a cry that echoed, somehow, though the water. Dorothy used this chance to kick off against the Selkie and propel herself once again through the pool. Her head hit the surface, and she gulped down air with relief.
She didn't stop for long though, and scrambled up onto the bank. She grabbed the Selkie skin, and stopped to regain her breath.
Eventually, the Selkie's head appeared above the water. It was no longer smiling.
"Your wish is my command," it said, it's high pitched voice now a low monotone.
Dorothy smirked at it as she recalled that once a Selkie's skin is stolen, it comes under the command of the thief.
"See that small stone there, on that rock? I want you to bring it too me. Only, don't touch it." Dorothy pointed at the rock, and the Selkie nodded. Swimming over to the bank, the creature picked up a large leaf. It then went to the rock in the middle of the pool, and wrapped the small stone up in the leaf, and brought it over to the bank.
Dorothy summoned her clothes. She magically dried herself and got dressed.
"Thank you," she said, almost kindly, to the creature. "When I leave, you may have your skin back."
She lent out and took the leaf from the Selkie, and dropping the Selkie skin, she unwrapped it an touched the stone.
She was suddenly plunged into darkness.
((OoC: I used this
source for information about the Selkie. I modified bits and pieces to make it fit the roleplay, such as '
If a man steals a female Selkie's skin, she is in his power, to an extent, and she is forced to become his wife' for Dorothy is most definitely not a man.))
