Chapter 741 - Frost Moon Ⅷ (2/2)
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 s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e 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.