A Near-Trampling [Nuri]

[Maestro]

What a Beautiful day! Maestro grinned up at the sun as if to thank it for in the usually dismal Scottish countryside. It was a picturesque summer day; temperate and sunny, with a slight breeze swaying the trees of the Forbidden Forest in its own natural rhythm that soothed him. This wasn't a day to be wasted inside, drinking with the surly afternoon staff of the Three Broomsticks. No, this was a day to be wasted outside, drinking by himself!

Maestro ducked under a wooden fence into the tall grass of a field, smiling serenely as he stopped for a moment to listen to the breeze trickle through the leaves. He marched on, finding the shady part of a grassy knoll to recline against as he opened a book. He leaned his head against his book bag, ready to relax.

Th-thmp. Th-Thmp Th-Thmp. ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp.

What in Monk's name was that? Maestro perked up at the sound. "AH!" He yelped in pain as his hair was suddenly pulled back by the very top of his statuesque curls by some unknown force on the other side of the knoll. It released at the sound of his yell.

Maestro started to his feet, book clenched in his hand from the surprise. "What the Hell - "

- A Horse?

[Nuriko]

"Stand still, you twice be-damned manure machine!" Nuriko growled, reaching and clamping down on Houdini's mane. Yanking, she worked her hand up until she could grab him by the poll, hooking the arm around and catching the feisty stallion in a headlock, using her weight to bring his head down to her level. ^"_{How did Nimbus produce such an ornery critter..."} She muttered, prying open 'dini's jaw with the other hand and squirting the dewormer down his throat. She released him with a triumphant yell, 'dini shook his head, snorting and fluffing his feathers.

"None of that! I'll geld you!" Nuriko shook an admonishing finger at the stallion. "See how you like that!" Houdini stomped, but lowered his head and looked sheepish. He trotted off as she turned to the mare cropping grass nearby. "Arright, Cirrus... " she advanced, reaching to grab the mare by her mane. Only to be thwarted as she lifted her head and trotted away, determinedly fixed on a hill farther down the pasture.

"I hate worming..." Nuriko started after her escaped patient, pulling out her wand. She hated using magic on them, it made the Aerions quite cranky.  Normally this was a fairly easy process, the Aerions were quite intelligent and submitted to most medical procedures. She'd just saved the brats for last.

Maestro started to his feet, book clenched in his hand from the surprise. "What the Hell - "

A yell broke Nuri's concentration, and she looked up in surprise as a man rose from the grass on the other side of the hill. Taking advantage of Cirrus' distraction, she grabbed the mare, swiftly inserting the syringe and squirting in the medicine. She fixed her eyes on the interloper, hair spiking and flaring orange at the tips. "Just what," she clipped, narrowing her eyes, "Are you doing in my pasture? On my land."

[Maestro]

"What the Hell - " Maestro was bewildered with the events unfolding in front of him. Until right now, he wasn’t aware there even were horses in Hogsmeade outside the Hogwarts grounds. Now he had just been bitten by one, and was now watching a witch appear out of nowhere to force-feed some kind of medicine down this horse’s throat. She definitely looked like she knew more than he did about this situation, so he just stood back. Best not get bitten again.

"Just what," she clipped, narrowing her eyes, "Are you doing in my pasture? On my land." 

Maestro’s eyebrows raised over the gold frames of his glasses as he moved around. “Your land?” He pointed to the fence he had ducked under to get the knoll, “Isn’t that just Hogsmeade’s town border? I thought this was just the space between the Forest.” He frowned, turning in a circle to see the actual border, nearer to the forbidden forest. “Oh.” He was all turned around.

He shrugged, smiling apologetically. “My apologies, neighbor. I’ve got the main streets of Hogsmeade down, but I’m learning I’m not ready for shortcuts!” He chuckled, bowing his head. “I’m Maestro, I live above the Broomsticks. Do you live in Hogsmeade? Are these your horses?”

[Nuriko]

Maestro’s eyebrows raised over the gold frames of his glasses as he moved around. “Your land? Isn’t that just Hogsmeade’s town border? I thought this was just the space between the Forest.” He frowned, turning in a circle to see the actual border, nearer to the forbidden forest. “Oh.”

Nuriko sighed. Perhaps she'd better just put up a shield. But with all the magic the shop was already employing, she wasn't sure that was a good idea. She already had a charm that kept the aerions in the pastures, a repelling charm might be overkill. Obviously the "No Trespassing" signs weren't working. Cirrus, a light dapple-grey, snorted and shook her wings, displaying for the stranger. Aerion mares were very good guards, the stallions sometimes fought but were generally too skittish or dis-tractable to watch anything.

“My apologies, neighbor. I’ve got the main streets of Hogsmeade down, but I’m learning I’m not ready for shortcuts!” He chuckled, bowing his head. “I’m Maestro, I live above the Broomsticks. Do you live in Hogsmeade? Are these your horses?”

"Technically, this is outside Hogsmeade." Nuri extended a work-roughened hand. "Some are mine. Others are here for training, or breeding." She pointed to the right with a short head jerk. "I live above the Menagerie."

[Maestro]

Maestro watched in awe as the winged creatures meandered through the pasture; besides when he was at Hogwarts, Maestro had never lived outside of a big city before coming to Hogsmeade. Besides the odd holiday carriage he would see going through parks in the Muggle world growing up, Maestro never really saw any kind of horse up-close. Least of all a winged horse. "They're beautiful," He said under his breath, following the presenting aerion with his amber eyes in bewilderment.

"Technically, this is outside Hogsmeade." Nuri extended a work-roughened hand. Maestro took it and shook firmly, bowing his head slightly in greeting. "Some are mine. Others are here for training, or breeding. I live above the Menagerie."

"Oh, so you would be Nuriko?" A bright smile lit up Maestro's face with the connection. "I've heard a lot about your creatures, from people passing by in the pub. People come from ages away to see you. It's an honor!" He held his book bag closer to him as a warm gust of wind whipped past the two, sending a shudder through the aerions' wings in the pasture. Maestro smiled; It was a wonder they didn't float away on windy days, like dandelion seeds. 

With a sign Maestro packed up once again to move, pausing when he picked up his canteen. He unscrewed the top and handed it over to Nuriko: "Mulled wine? Made it myself, the Broomsticks' recipe is rubbish." With his book bag properly packed once more he sighed dreamily, looking around them at the landscape. "Would you have any suggestions for a quiet place for a roamer like me to lay my head for the afternoon, preferably where my head won't be trampled by a flying horse?"

[Nuriko]

"Oh, so you would be Nuriko?" A bright smile lit up Maestro's face with the connection. "I've heard a lot about your creatures, from people passing by in the pub. People come from ages away to see you. It's an honor!"

"Yup that's me!" Nuri grinned up at the man, putting a hand on Cirrus' wing. The mare tossed her head as a warm wind blew past, ruffling her feathers. "Sorry if she scared you! She was probably curious."

"Oh thanks. " Nuri took a sip of the wine, handing it back to Maestro with a smile. "Pretty good." She elbowed Cirrus, shooing the mare off by flapping her hands. "Git you." She looked around, the forest was actually fairly close here. "Most places around here are someone's home, so I'm not sure. I can't have you here the colts will run right over top of you. I actually have a hammock in the yard if you like, or you could try out the forest?"

[Maestro]

“Would you have any suggestions for a quiet place for a roamer like me to lay my head for the afternoon, preferably where my head won't be trampled by a flying horse?"

"Most places around here are someone's home, so I'm not sure. I can't have you here the colts will run right over top of you. I actually have a hammock in the yard if you like, or you could try out the forest?"

Maestro scratched his stubbly chin, amber eyes staring shrewdly between the trunks of the forest on the horizon. “Hmm, It’s a beautiful day for exploring, I think. I’ll try my luck with the forest. Thank you, Nuriko!” He made a sweeping bow and kissed her hand like a proper gentleman, saying his adieus before stalking off for the forest with a spring in his step. Even when he was in school, Maestro had never been in the Forbidden Forest before. He had always been afraid. But now as Maestro, the forest was enticing. What made it so forbidden to earn its name? He smiled, staring up at the branches above him as he entered the Forest’s threshold.

Though he wasn’t sure why the term forbidden was used, it certainly was magical. The air seemed thicker with the pollen of the exotic flora around him, and the canopy of branches above him dimmed the high afternoon sun. Maestro was in awe of all of it, grinning widely as he marched further and further into the forest, looking for a place to relax and read. He eventually found one: far into the forest, Maestro came upon a picturesque clearing, where a brook emptied out into a still, clear pond. The musician sighed contentedly, laying out his pack against the tree trunk and reclining against it, cracking open his book. There was no better escape than this.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

The day stretched on until the sun dipped below the horizon and began to set. It was a late sunset even for July, which was why it was all the more concerning that Maestro hadn’t yet returned to the Three Broomsticks. He was scheduled to play that night, and though the afternoon staff relished his absence the night staff quickly became worried. A waitress went to a neighboring business that Maestro frequented, asking if they’d seen him. They hadn’t but sent an employee down the way to ask another business Maestro was known to linger at. The chain of whispers continued through the entire town, until every business within the city limits had been asked.

Eleanor Puddifoot treaded hurriedly up the path to the town’s outskirts, biting a fingernail nervously. Hogsmeade was not a big town, and Maestro was the type of man to draw attention wherever he went: surely, someone had seen him. The café owner wandered up the path to Nuriko’s Menagerie, knocking on the doorframe as she pushed the store’s door open.

“Nuri?” She called out, nervously tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, “Have you seen Maestro anywhere? The sun’s setting and he’s scheduled to perform, but no one can find him. Have you heard anything?”

[Nuriko]

Briefly Nuri wondered the wisdom of letting him wander off to the forest... she shook her head, dismissing the thought. It was dangerous, but usually only to the unaware or children. Maestro was an adult. Surely he could manage on her own. She gathered up her things and headed indoors. It was time to feed the birds, plus Rupert needed his break.

------

“Nuri?” She called out, nervously tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, “Have you seen Maestro anywhere? The sun’s setting and he’s scheduled to perform, but no one can find him. Have you heard anything?”

"No?" Nuri said over the chorus of Customer Customer, its a Customer. She leaned on the shelf she'd been rearranging. "He went off to the Forest hours agoo--where are you going?" She ran out the door as Eleanor disappeared, sending the heads flying and yelling about abuse, abuse! "El! Come back!" She caught up with the woman, catching her by the arm. "Lets take the horses-- too dangerous to go in at dark alone."

"Nimbus! Belle! 'Dini!" She whistled, conjuring hackamores and securing them on each horse as it appeared, then assisting the tea-shopkeeper onto Belle's back before mounting 'Dini. "I'm so sorry El, I thought he'd be ok." She set the trio off at a trot, Nimbus following.

[Maestro]

The hours stretched on and Maestro soon dozed off in the late-afternoon sun. It was peaceful in the forest; the movement of the pond and the swaying of the grass was a lullaby to Maestro, and he rested his book on his chest, enjoying the warmth and the hum of the earth as he closed his amber eyes to rest.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Th-thmp. Th-Thmp Th-Thmp. ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp ThThmp.

The musician stirred in his sleep, dreaming of the field of flying horses he’d lounged in earlier. The winged creatures had been so beautiful, with their graceful wings and rhythmic gallop. The gallop grew, getting louder and louder until it sounded like it was right next to him. An earthy smell filled his nostrils and he shifted; this was a vivid dream. Must be the magic of the forest!

A wooden staff nudged him in the cheek, pushing his head in the opposite direction. “Up. Get up, little man.”

Amber eyes opened slowly and Maestro sat up, groggy. “Hmm?” He was quickly started awake; surrounding him in a semi-circle around the tree was a colony of six centaurs, led by a gray mare holding the offending staff. The musician stared around, wide-eyed. “Hello! Who are you?”

The colony was not moved by his friendliness. They stood stone-like, glaring down at him with suspicion. Maestro suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that a bow was drawn on his back. “Who are you?”

“I – ah, - I’m a musician from the town! I came out to enjoy your forest on this beautiful day, and I’m afraid I might be lost.” The centaur leader’s eyes narrowed, her frown etched in stone. After a tense few-second standoff, the bow behind him lowered halfway. “I’m sorry, am I intruding?”