Frost Moon Ⅷ

The only sound for some time heard in the tent is that of an elderly shaman turning pages, before at long last let out a sigh. Carefully placing an old faded bookmark between the pages, the elderly shaman gently closes the old tome shut. With care, the elderly shaman set the tome aside, before raising a piercing eye the color of oak trees. The elderly shaman solemnly contemplates Rowan as he fingers the bone necklace hanging from his neck.

After some time, the elderly shaman, at last, nods his head at her. "Take a seat, Child of the Founders," he gestured to the empty cushions placed across from him.

"Thank you, Shaman," Rowan with great courtesy said before taking up the offered seat. She does slightly wince at sitting down as she feels her muscles aching in protest as she sits down cross-legged in what is colloquially called "Indian Style."

"Shaman?" The elderly shaman murmured with a proud arch of his brow. "My name is Aldonius, Child of the Founders. I would prefer to be referred to as such by one not of my tribe."

"My sentiments are much the same, Aldonius," Rowan replied with a blank expression. "I would very much prefer to be referred by my own name that of Rowan Prince."

The elderly shaman, Aldonius oak tree colored eyes hold a hint of respect in them at the direct reply. "Very well, Prince. Why is it that you have to come to visit our tribe on the night of the Frost Moon? There are many creatures that roam about during this period before the full onset of winter. Even our tribe members do not roam without care during the day much less during the dark hours of the night. And I must confess that I am somewhat displeased to find that my successor, Firenze had wandered out into the night only to return with a magical human on his back."

(The Frost Moon is also known as the Full Beaver Moon, because animals become especially active during this time period to prepare for the full brunt of winter.)

"It was not my intention to cause you displeasure, Aldonius nor to bring harm to Firenze," Rowan sincerely replied. "However, there is something of importance that I desire to discuss."

"Speak, Prince. I am old and I lack the patience of my younger years," Aldonius grumbled as he narrowed his oak tree-colored eyes at Rowan.

Sensing the fact that the elderly shaman had likely never had much of a patient temper, Rowan does not call the elderly centaur on his barefaced lie. Shifting slightly, she winces in pain, before replying, "Hogwarts lacks a Professor Divination."

"And how is that any concern of ours, Prince?" Aldonius snorted with derision. "Those who call themselves witches and wizards have nothing to do with our tribe unless they trespass onto our lands. And we are well within our right to protect our home."

"The abomination is at Hogwarts," Rowan flatly countered. "One of the vessels is dead, but there exists another in its place. And Marcellus, the First Headmaster of Hogwarts made a pact with the first Shaman of your tribe in exchange for these lands. And I have come to collect on that outstanding debt."

"The Hogwarts wards cannot be broken," Aldonius fearlessly argued as he stiffly folded his thin, wry arms over his chest. "And I will not be easily convinced, Prince."

"The Hogwarts wards have forcibly made cracks in them, Aldonius," Rowan matter-of-factly stated. "The cracks in the wards have only grown with time and only recently been sealed off. But you know as well as anyone that with the cracks in the wards healed that will only prevent future vessels from entering the grounds, but not any that are already in existence nor much less prevent the vessels accepted in the past to return to Hogwarts."

"Presuming that I believe that which declared, Prince," Aldonius said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Why the need of one of my tribe members to teach to your kind? Your kind has no need for the teaching's of my kind."

Rowan let out a soft sigh full of exasperation, before raising her midnight black, indigo-colored eyes to firmly meet the oak tree-colored eyes of the elderly centaur shaman. "The world had already begun to change, Aldonius, and war comes."

Aldonius stiffens at her words, but Rowan continues, "I am certain that a shaman of your talent will have read and seen hints of that which is to come. If the abomination succeeds countless lives will be lost and the world will fall into its grasp. No, it will not deliberately obvious at first, but with time, tyranny will continue to grow and take hold of these lands until your tribe is one more captured and subjected to become beasts of burden as in the past."

"I am vastly aware!" Aldonius roared as he scrambled to his feet and huffed loudly. He agitatedly stomps in place as Rowan falls silent and waits for the shaman to calm down.

Aldonius paces back and forth across a small stretch of the tent in intent concentration as he fingers the bone necklace hanging from his neck. He knew that which the young witch spoke was true for he had seen glimpses of it in the heavens. He had forcefully turned his gaze away to search for alternative paths, but he found none, no matter how much he foraged through the heavens.

However, with the arrival of the Guardian of Hogwarts, he at last seen hope. A small alternate path could be seen in the Heavens. The path could not clearly be seen at times, but there was a chance that the fate written in the stars could be altered.

The only sound heard for some time is the sound of horse hooves pacing back and forth. Finally, Aldonius ceases to pace as he harshly turns to gaze at Rowan with a resolute decision. "Very well, Prince, you shall have one of my tribe at your disposal, but only to fulfill to the extent of the treaty that was forged with the First Hogwarts Headmaster. Allies we will remain until at long last the abomination is vanquished"

"That is all I ask, Aldonius," Rowan truthfully replied as she clumsily climbed to her feet with a painful wince. With a centaur presence at Hogwarts, and unlike Hagrid or the merfolk, who could not leave the lake, centaurs were sensitive to foul or dark magic. Any vessel of Hydra would not be able to openly move at Hogwarts without attracting the centaur's attention and nor could it possess the centaurs. And since she could not easily detect the identity of the Hydra vessels, then she would do everything in her power to restrict their movements until she learned of their vessel identities.

"Hmph," Aldonius irritably grumbled in reply before falling silent to ponder on the centaur that should be chosen for the position. "I shall send Ronan to Hogwarts. He's patient enough and has a talent for reading the Heavens. However, I expect that he will be permitted to return to the tribe every night at the end of his daily duties."

"I presume there will not be an impediment by Professor Dumbledore or the Hogwart's Board unless the weather is an issue," Rowan honestly said. And frankly speaking, Ronan wasn't a bad choice. He was sociable enough for a centaur and was an attractive red-haired man. Well, at least the human portion of him.

Aldonius stomps to the tent door and pulls it slightly aside. "Firenze, please bring Ronan to me."

"Yes, Shaman," Firenze warmly answered, before trotting off to find the red-haired and bearded centaur.

Aldonius pointedly gestured for Rowan to exit the tent and wait outside. Rowan shakes her head and moves to exit, before halting at the entrance. Without turning towards the elderly shaman, she says, "I will remind you, Aldonius, the world had begun to change. Surely, the day will come when your tribe will need a spokesman. I do not believe that any harm will come of the encounter if the future children of the wizarding world begin to see centaurs as something more. And should the day ever come that enemies should arise against your kind, I am certain that your tribe will find unexpected allies in those that see your tribe for who they truly are."

Without waiting for a reply, Rowan exits the tent as Aldonius lets out a loud snort but does not instantly dismiss the words of the descendant of the Hogwarts Founders. Perchance, this was part of the alternative thread he had seen in the heavens. There would be no harm in waiting and seeing what would come of it. And he could not deny that their fate seemed to be seamlessly tied to that heavily burdened child.

It was not that Aldonius disliked the child. No, on the contrary, he heavily pitied the child of the Founders. She carried heavy burdens; he could clearly sense them. And for that reason alone, he did not wish for his tribe to be dragged into the dangers that would surely arise in connection with the magical child.

Still, he knew as well as anyone that if he denied the child her request, Firenze would surely assent. He could not permit for the precious true seer of their tribe and his successor to be placed in danger. No, he would do as requested, come what may. For their tribe was strong, and they would survive all that which the world would cast at them.