Who goes there?

[Bridget Riley]

Despite the fact the sun was only beginning to emerge over the frosty horizon, Bridget was already awake. She'd been awake for the past hour, waiting patiently for the sun to come up. Her Mum would have had a fit if she'd gone out in the dark. At last, though, the birds had begun to sing, and muggles were travelling to work outside in the street. Bridget inwardly rolled her eyes. Muggles, like swarms of bees. Getting up to do the same thing day in, day out. She had promised herself a long time ago that she would never become one of these people.
Stuffing her rucksack with a few more supplies and picking up her sword (It was a real one she had found in the woods, but her Mother had blunted it to make it safe for her to play with), Bridget quietly left the house. The air was fresh and crisp, the birds bright and cheery. It was a ten minute walk to reach the woods, since their house was situated on the outskirts of the city. She had taken the route so many times that the grass had worn, leaving a permanent trail to where she spent her mornings.
Bridget reached the edge of the woods and looked up at the towering trees. She wasn't scared, of course. Nothing could scare her; it was in her blood. She lifted her sword, an adventurous grin spreading across her face. "Good morning, Xavier," Bridget addressed an imaginary figure before her with a heavy Scottish accent. He was equipped with a studded leather jacket, sturdy boots, a supple bow and a dozen perfect arrows. Beside him was a dark, midnight black horse named Blake. Of course, nobody else could see them, but to Bridget he was as real as could be.
"Bridget," he lowered his torso in a slight bow. "We must hurry. Scorzio has released a dragon into the woods. We have to find it before it finds it's way out."
"Then let's go, Xavier." Bridget sheathed her sword and the two mounted blake, riding into the woods. Bridget's wild ginger hair flew behind her as she ran, her eyes focused so intently on a point in the forest that she did not notice the sound until it was extremely close by.
Bridge stopped in her tracks, not only embarrassed but also concerned. What was anybody besides her doing in the woods so early in the morning?

 

[Alison Kingswood]

Alison was still laying in her bed, she missed her sister who was at Hogwarts at the moment. She needed someone to play, her sister had gone to Hogwarts and her parents were to old for all the Fairy tales Alison had come up with. She jumped out of bed and looked out of her window, it was early morning and lots of Muggles were going to their work. Alison could not bare to think about being a Muggle, they were extremely boring. Alison yawned and closed her window, slipping into her Snow White dress. She took a bag from the dresser and filled it with stuff she might need and walked downstairs.''I am going out today and I am back for dinner'' Alison said to her parents, she quickly ate a piece of toast and looked at her parents. She said the same thing almost every day since she was in the forest a lot. She had to walk ten minutes, she stopped at the forest edge. ''Hello Prince Charming'' Alison muttered to the imaginary man, he had blond hair and looked very though it was her prince. ''What are we going to do today?'' Alison looked at the blue eyes of the Prince, while she tucked a stranded hair back behind her ear. ''We are going hunting, my love'' The Prince said in his charming voice. ''That sounds like fun, hunting what exactly?'' Alison liked Prince charming and for her he was very much real. ''Some trolls and goblins'' Alison nodded and walked with him into the forest, her curls were floating on the wind. She could see another girl with red coloured hair talking to no one, Alison could not help but giggle. Alison did not want to scare to girl, so she walked towards the girl and said: ''Good Morning!''.

 

[Bridget Riley]

Bridget smiled softly. The muttering had been coming from a dark haired girl who now stood before her. "Aye, 'tis a good morning," she agreed, looking the girl up and down and trying not to appear rude. Bridget had never met anyone else in the forest before, and was overly surprised to find a young girl her age here. She had expected a huntsman, or more worryingly something that he had been hunting. "What brings 'ye here?" Bridget asked the girl, planting her sword firmly into the ground and leaning against it, still grinning widely.

Out of Character:

Hope you don't mind that it's so short!

 

[Alison Kingswood]

Alison looked at the red haired girl and did not want to say too much, maybe she was a Muggle who knew. She did not want to tell the girl that she had an imaginary friend either, so she chose the easiest option.
''Uhm, I am playing Snow White'' Alison said with a sweet tone in her voice, she hoped that she did not show any under-age magic. ''You?'' Alison asked while looking at her, Alison thought that the girl looked a bit like Brave. ''Nice sword'' Alison shifted her glaze at her dress and thought that she must look really weird to a Muggle, looking like Snow White and all at the age of 10. This was her last year anyway on Hogwarts she would wear a pair of robes.

She wanted to be a Gryffindor, she liked red maybe because little red riding hoods nickname was Red. ''Are you from around here?'' Alison was curious and wanted to know almost everything. She was getting excited and when you got excited as a under-age witch things were going to happen and soon after Alison could see a flying flower behind the girl in the forest. ''Dam'' Alison muttered almost silently.

 

[Bridget Riley]

Bridget looked down and smiled awkwardly having heard what the girl was doing. She was reluctant to admit that she had practically been doing the same thing, and was relieved when she brought up her sword. "Thanks! I found it when I was playing down by the.." Bridget closed her eyes when she realized what she'd said. Way to go! Could have told her you were hunting, or something! "By the river. I mean, I wasn't playing, I was just uhm.. Well okay, I was playing. Only don't tell me Mum, she's a gossip!" Bridget giggled, trying to change the conversation. Her Mum was by no means a gossip, but at least that way the girl might not start telling everyone that Bridget Riley liked to play in the forest.
"Well actually I'm from Scotland," Bridget retrieved her sword from the ground and held it up. "See, I carved my family crest into the blade right here!" She took a step closer to the girl so she could see, making sure she didn't smack her new acquaintance around the head with it. As she did so, she revealed several markings she had etched into the blade. It wasn't like the Muggle would notice the Hogwarts houses carved into the blunt steel. They would just look like more, strange family crests. "What about you? Where are 'ye from?"
Bridge frowned as the girl muttered under her breath. "Sorry, what was that?" She asked, her grey blue eyes shining curiously.

 

[Alison Kingswood]

Alison listened carefully to the girl it sounded like she needed to think really hard about what she said. ''No, I wont tell your mum, playing in the forest is fun.'' Alison said to the girl almost to hijack the conversation. She was from Scotland, the first thought that slipped in Alison her mind was Hogwarts. The girl let her take a look at the sword. ''A family crest huh? Since when is the Hogwarts crest a family crest'' Alison knew that only Wizards and witches knew the crest, Muggles would never see it, it was not a common symbol. ''I am from New-Zealand, I live close from here.'' Alison said to the girl and looked at her. She knew that she would be magical or knew about the magical world so it was easier for Alison to be around the girl, the flower still floating in mid-air Alison pointed to it, waiting for a response. Maybe she was just weird that her magic showed when she was exciting, but the girl was definitely from a magical family.

 

[Bridget Riley]

Bridget gasped, her mouth hanging open for a few seconds before what the girl said really sunk in. "Y.. you're.. No way!" Her shock was comical. She spun around and followed her gaze to a floating flower. Taking a step closer and then circling it to examine it, she finally closed her mouth. "'Yer a witch too, aren't 'ye? I mean, of course 'ye are! Silly Bridget. How else would 'ye know about Hogwarts? Oh this is too exciting!" Bridge gabbled, taking the flower in her hand and beaming widely. This was amazing. Bridget was not keen on Muggles at all, but even as Muggles went this girl would have been a lovely friend. But this was just the icing on the cake!
"I live close to here now. A short walk from these woods. It's where I come most mornings! Isn't this brilliant? A magical friend! I should have expected it, after all this is New Zealand. There must be a few wizards here!" At this point, Bridge was pacing back and forth, still grinning at the flower in her hand. Then she stopped abruptly. "I'm sorry, I don't even know 'yer name! I'm Bridget," she introduced herself, tucking the flower in her pocket and holding out a hand. She hoped the girl wasn't shy; Bridget was a little forward at times.

 

[Alison Kingswood]

''Yes, I am a Witch. Well, not yet since I did not go to Hogwarts yet.'' Alison spoke quickly, when she got excited she would speak faster than normal. ''Me too, maybe we are neighbours'' Alison joked and looked at the girl, how could she missed it now she gave the girl a good look and she looked nothing like a Muggle. ''Yeah, New-Zealand is full of Wizards that is the reason that they build a Hogwarts here too'' Her parents had told her this and Alison was excited that she would be there in a year. Alison shook the hand very nicely and said: '' My name is Alison.'' Alison thought that Bridget and she could be friends and she was a wizard too, so the would both be at Hogwarts. She released her hand and looked at the girl ''So you want to play together?'' Alison muttered with a friendly tone in her voice, she hoped she would say yes, playing with a friend was much more fun than playing alone.

Out of Character:

I am sorry it is a bit short, but since it is 11:39 PM here and I have school tomorrow I need to go quit and go to bed, I will be on my phone though so I still respond in chat, but typing on a phone is horrible..

 

[Bridget Riley]

Bridget hung her head to cover the fact she was blushing. It was wonderful to have made a friend in such unusual circumstances, but her pride stopped her wanting to share her fantasies with Alison. It was a part of Bridget that only she knew about, something she could call her own. She'd never had anyone to create stories with before and it felt a little embarrassing.
"Aye, I'd love to," Bridge replied at last, the beam returning to her face. "Only 'ye have te promise 'ye won't laugh," she added, even though she was sure Alison wouldn't. She didn't seem like that sort of person. Bridget shifted awkwardly on the spot. "Though I don't think I fancy being snow white," She teased, trying to lighten the mood. "Would 'ye like to meet my horse? Well, technically me and Xavier share him. He's a born hunter, great at archery. I'm better with a sword meself," Bridge gestured towards the blade in her hand. "Anyway, me horse Blake would love te meet you. He won't bite," smiling, Bridget lifted her free hand and stroked his imaginary nose.
Suddenly, an idea came to Bridget. "Hey, 'ye could be the 'Damsel in Distress'!" She put a hand to her head in mock grief and pretended to swoon, giggling at her own actions.

 

[Alison Kingswood]

Alison carefully listened to the girl she wanted to play with her and did not think she was a weirdo, that was first. ''No, I wont laugh'' Alison promised and looked at the girl with a friendly expression.''Oh, but I am not always Snow White, it is just when I am in the forest.. Maybe, I dress myself as Brave the next time.'' She teased back to the girl. ''Yes, of course I want to meet your Horse, Do you want to meet him too?'' She asked to Prince Charming. Prince Charming nodded and walked behind her. ''What a nice horse!'' Allison muttered and padded the 'air' on the same spot that Bridget had done. ''You can stroke him too, he wont bite.'' She told Prince Charming, Prince Charming walked to the horse and padded him. ''Yes, that is a good idea, but I can fight too'' and she fished a miniature bow and arrows from her bag, her dad had made them and at the same time bewitched them so the arrows could not harm animals or humans. She shot a arrow at a tree and shot it right in the middle, she looked at the girl and had to giggle. ''Oh, and this is Prince Charming, but you can call him James.'' Alison said to the girl with the red hair. ''Nice to meet you'' James said and bowed in front of the girl.

 

[Bridget Riley]

"Oi, I never said a Damsel couldn't fight!" Bridget objected, glancing at Prince Charming. "Good 'te meet 'ye," she shook his imaginary hand and bowed a little. After all, he was a Prince. She didn't want to be an earwig, but she had overheard a little of Alison's conversation before they had bumped into each other. They had been fairly close by, and Bridge had the ears of a bat. "Did 'ye say you were going hunting?" To back her theory up she gestured vaguely towards her miniature bow and arrows. "I'd love 'te join 'ye. I'm a little rusty with a bow and arrows, but I do well with me sword," Bridget held it firmly in two hands and swiped towards a tree. The tree already had a groove where someone had decided to chop it down and hadn't finished the job, and Bridget wedged the sword in the gap perfectly. She tugged it out and inspected it, a soft sadness invading her eyes. "'Tis such a shame me Mum had to blunt it," she considered aloud. "I suppose when I go to Hogwarts though, we'll only have wands."
Suddenly, Bridget snapped her neck upwards and looked into the distance. "Hide!" She yelled, backing behind a large tree trunk and sinking down to the ground. She glanced towards Alison. "Ever hunted a dragon before?" Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

 

[Alison Kingswood]

Alison liked Bridget she also liked role playing and was good at it. Alison played her curls and the bow in her hair and looked at the girl. ''Yeah, we are going to hunt, Goblins and Trolls'' Alison replied with a smile on her face. ''Maybe when we are at Hogwarts you can make it sharp again by using magic!'' Alison said with a friendly tone in her voice. I am taking my bow and arrows with me to Hogwarts, I will sneak them in if necessary. As soon as the girl said hide, Alison ducked behind a bush and had an arrow ready on her bow. ''No, I never hunted Dragons that will be fun and dangerous!''. Alison looked at James, he was arching everywhere to find a clue where the Dragon might be. ''Found it?'' She muttered to Prince Charming in clear voice. Prince Charming nodded and pointed into the east. ''Can you see it?'' Alison asked to Bridget. Bridget was excited to slay a Dragon and Alison could say she was too, this was adventurous and she almost made her own fairytale. Snow White, Brave and the Dragon Hunt, that would be the title.