An Unexpected Reunion
Author's notes: Yay! Two chapters this week! It was originally supposed to be just one, but it became so long that I had to make it a two-parter. I thought about saving the other part for next week, but I was so excited about it that I couldn't wait to give it to you for seven more days.
Enjoy!
Chapter 20
An Unexpected Reunion
In the days that followed, Harry saw less and less of Lord Eddard, though the man had ordered him to stay close to Arya while she was gallivanting as she wished across the countryside and he feared something might happen to her without an escort. Harry was happy to oblige the man, as he too wanted to see more of the surrounding lands, and Arya’s adventurous nature tended to be quite infectious, so they often spent the days racing each other and playing games to fill the time between their destination. Overall, the start of their trip had been very enjoyable.
The most difficult part of their journey came while passing through the Neck. It had taken twelve days to cross through an endless black bog and a causeway so narrow they could not even make proper camp at night and had to stop right on the kingsroad. The trees had been shrouded with green curtains of vines, moss, and fungi, and the creatures they saw were all reptilian and amphibian. He would have been unbothered for the most part if Harry hadn’t been followed relentlessly by snakes of all types as they whispered to him, adamantly urging him to come with them into the bog. Around others, he ignored them, but when no one was watching, he shooed them away in Parseltongue, ordering them to get away from the caravan so they could remain safe.
There had been one awkward moment when one had dropped right on him out of the trees and fell across his shoulders like some thick scarf, greeting him in his ear and beckoning him to come into the swamp with her. He hadn’t moved, merely locked eyes with the serpent as Arya and the butcher's boy, Mycah, stared at him with wide shocked expressions. Without a word, he untangled the green water snake and put her back in the branches, warning her with a low whisper to be careful and stay away from the travelers or they would likely hurt her.
Both the children’s eyes had been huge while he did so, and they hounded him relentlessly on why it didn’t bite him. He was glad they hadn’t heard him speaking Parseltongue, and explained that it was probably just because he had remained calm, since animals could tell when someone was afraid, and panicked movements were seen as aggressive which usually spurred them to attack a person.
They accepted it, though they remarked over and over again how amazing it had been in the moment and how if it had been either of them, they would have admittedly screamed in fear.
He was relieved when they broke through the swamplands and came into the Riverlands, instantly noticing the decrease in serpents that tried to tempt him. They stayed in a large inn, though there was nowhere near enough rooms for the entire caravan, so Harry ended up bunking in the stables with Jory and some other men while the highborns took up the nicer accommodations.
On the second day of their stay, something strange was on the wind. He couldn’t describe it, but he felt like there was a familiar eye that was watching him. Something was following them. Something that burst with magic. It was a feeling he hadn’t gotten for years. Not since he and Hermione had left Hogwarts. What was going on?
Despite his senses telling him something was amiss, he tried not to dwell too much on it. He had more immediate things to worry about.
He had expected they would leave that day, however he was told that the king and Lord Eddard had gone hunting on a whim and their departure had been postponed till the morrow. Harry wondered what he would do with himself in that time before Arya invited him to ride with her and Mycah again. In truth they wanted to go down to the Trident to look for the rubies that Rhaegar had lost after his battle with Robert during his rebellion.
With nothing better planned, Harry obliged and thought perhaps Sansa would like to come along with them, so he set out to look for her. He found her in the courtyard, just as a massive man with a burned face was conversing with her. He recognized the Hound, Sandor Clegane, the prince’s sworn sword and the look he was giving the young girl set Harry’s warning bells ringing.
The very moment Harry had seen this man riding into Winterfell, he disliked him. Just something about that mean expression made him wary. He especially didn’t like him lurking around Sansa so much, so he approached her from the side, staying close if she needed him.
“Are you alright, Sansa?”
“Oh, Harry.” She looked relieved to see a friend. “Yes, I’m alright.”
He looked back at the Hound, meeting his gaze as if to challenge him. His words were for Sansa though his eyes remained on the brute across from them. “I hope I’m not interrupting your conversation, I just wanted to have a quick word with you, if you’re not too busy.”
She nodded, eagerly jumping on his offer to be rid of the man that was making her uncomfortable. “Oh, yes. That would be fine.” Then she looked back at the Hound and bid him goodbye. Sandor’s expression was stoic as he turned on his foot and walked away, though his body language was annoyed with the interruption. Sansa let out a breath as he left and Harry nodded to himself, knowing he had made the right choice.
“Arya wanted to go down to the river to look for rubies,” he explained to her, hoping silently he could get his foster sister away from all these dubious people. “You know, the ones Rhaegar lost from his armor when King Robert killed him?”
“Don’t tell me you think you’ll find any,” Sansa commented, skeptically.
Harry only chuckled. “I don’t really. I gather the river has already swept them far away or someone else swept them up for their purse, but you never know. It’s been a while since we all had a moment to share together and it could be fun. Maybe we will find something more interesting than jewels.”
Sansa shook her head though. “The queen already invited me to spend time with her and the princess in the wheelhouse today.”
Well, so much for subtly getting her away from all the dubious characters. He smiled for her just the same. “I’m sure you’ll find that enjoyable.”
“Perhaps you might come, too, Harry? You seemed to have made a good impression on the queen since she singled you out among all of us upon her arrival in Winterfell.”
He wanted to groan. Was that miniscule interaction going to follow him for the rest of his life? He already knew he had to refuse her, since he’d been told to steer clear of the royal family as much as he could by both Maester Luwin and Lord Eddard. “I’ve already made my commitments and I would never want to impose on the royal family if they hadn’t wished for my presence themselves.”
Sansa looked embarrassed with the realization. “I suppose that’s right. I should have thought of that before being so careless.”
“I’m not offended. Shall I take Lady with me? The royal family don’t seem too… warm to the direwolves just yet.”
She looked torn, likely debating on whether she wanted to be without her loyal companion or not. “You would watch her for me?”
“Adamantly.” With that she relented, handing Lady’s lead over to him. “I hope you have a pleasant time.”
And with those words, they parted for their own plans.
“You should widen your feet out like this to create a better stance,” Harry instructed Mycah as he and Arya sparred with a pair of sticks by the riverbank. They had quickly grown bored of ruby hunting after an hour or two of wading through the water and finding nothing, so the three of them with the direwolves sat on the bank until Arya suggested they play Knights. It was no contest who was bound to win each duel, since Harry was easily the best fighter out of the three of them, so he suggested they both spar and he would watch on and instruct them from the side.
Arya was good for her age, though her style was crude, a testament to her lack of training. She was at least fast and light on her feet, easily able to switch directions at a moment’s notice. He wondered if that was how he looked when Ser Rodrick first saw him fight. Oh, how far he had come. If even he was able to be trained, then Harry believed Arya had potential as well. Mycah too, for the butcher’s boy had remarkable stamina.
He continued to supervise them from the side when that same feeling he had from that morning was suddenly back; the feeling that he was being watched. He stared off into the trees searching for where the eyes that created that feeling may have been coming from. Both Nymeria and Lady seemed to follow his expression and went quiet as they watched in wait with Harry. The clacking of Arya and Mycah’s sticks continued though, and he turned when Arya cried out with pain, just as Mycah managed to clip her over the wrist and force her to drop her weapon. His attention snapped back to his coaching, and he remarked on the improvement of the boy.
“That’s good,” Harry nodded, and he stepped up to demonstrate how Arya should hold her sword to keep a better grasp on it.
They got into position, yet before either of them could swing their weapons, something rustled in the branches above Harry’s head and fell over him. His entire body froze as he realized it was another snake that coiled around him insistently.
“Damnit!” He cursed. “Not again.”
“Another snake!” Arya exclaimed at the animal’s sudden appearance.
“Friend! Friend! You must come! The one who hears us will know what to do.”
He wanted to ask what she meant by that, but held his tongue as he was painfully aware of the young audience he had. With that in mind, he carefully untangled the serpent from around him and walked past the two children to release the creature back into the woods. He was agonizingly tired of whatever this was with them. Why did they continue to try and lure him away? What were they all playing at with him? Even for snakes this behavior was bizarre, and he decided the only way they would stop was to get to the bottom of this once and for all.
He set the snake in the grass and watched as it slithered back into the woods. The feeling was annoyingly persistent, but this time he wasn’t about to let it slip away.
“Both of you stay here. I think there’s something out there,” he said.
Arya was in the process of asking what it could be, but her words were instantly cut off when a long blood-churning screech carried through from the trees beyond. In response, all three of them covered their ears, fear painting over all of their expressions as every other concern was forgotten about with the roar.
“W-what was that?” Mycah cried, backing away from the line of trees. Both Nymeria and Lady’s hackles rose and they growled in unison for the beast their eyes searched for. Harry looked back at the snake, watching as its tail disappeared into the grass.
“Come, friend! Come, come.”
Harry followed after it.
“Harry!” He wasn’t sure if it had been Arya or Mycah who had called him back, but it didn’t matter as he bluntly ignored them and trailed after the serpent.
When he was an appropriate distance out of earshot he called after the snake in Parseltongue.
“Alright, you’ve got me following you. What’s going on? Why do you all keep sneaking up on me?”
“Old friend needs help. Old friend is hurt.”
“Old friend? What do you mean old friend? What was that noise I just heard?”
“You will see.”
She said no more about it, leaving Harry to follow the serpent uncertainly. He was very torn about this decision. Serpents weren’t the most trustworthy creatures, but at the same time if they had wanted to hurt him, there had already been one or two venomous ones that could have easily done so.
After several minutes of following along, he broke through a wall of bushes. Suddenly, movement alerted Harry’s instincts and he dodged just as he spotted something huge come charging at him from the corner of his peripheral. Another scream-like roar shook his bones and the beast to make it was feathered and grey, ferally slashing at him with huge black talons. Harry tried to grab his sword, but the creature’s leg struck him in the chest, and he fell back, striking the ground as the breath was knocked out of him with the weight of the creature pinning him securely.
His breathing came out in quick terrified heaves, agonizingly convinced this was the end for him. He looked into the beast that pinned him with frightening intent and saw an enormous stormy grey eagle with piercing orange eyes. At the sight of it, Harry’s fear seemed to ebb away as recognition overtook him. He… he knew this creature.
“…Buckbeak?”
The beast blinked. In an instant the rage and fear that had prompted him to attack Harry melted away. The weight of his talon disappeared from Harry’s chest as the creature backed several steps away. Harry got shakily back up, his face splitting into a joyous grin. His heart was pounding yet again, but for another reason entirely as he spoke to the creature in English.
“Buckbeak, is it really you?”
He was larger than Harry remembered him being. At least twice the size he had been the last time he rode the steed. He was also shaggier with long grey plumage that covered his legs, both front and back and made his horse-half harder to distinguish, especially when it had spread to his tail to make it seem more bird-like with a wide graduated shape. The few horse hairs that were recognizable had grown wide black and grey tips that reminded Harry a little of peacock feathers.
With his increased size, Buckbeak also looked much rougher, too. There was mud caked into his feathers and feet and a few quills stuck in his legs, which could have belonged to an animal that he had fought with. There was a distinct long scar that marked him over the right eye, and a new red wound that marred his right scapula, making his wing tremble and unable to fold it out completely.
Had he lived exclusively in the wilderness this whole time?
Harry lowered to a kneeling position, slowly unbuckling the belt that held his sheathed sword and set it to the side in an attempt to make himself as non-threatening as possible to the agitated creature. His heart went out to the animal, and guilt filled him the more he gaged his sorry state.
“Buckbeak, what happened to you? Is this where you’ve been the whole time? I-I had no idea you came with us. Had I known…” He wanted to get up and approach, but the hippogriff nipped warningly in his direction, jogging Harry’s memory of how his species preferred being greeted. Getting back to his feet, the wizard bowed lowly. It was a much more graceful bow than his first, as he had had plenty of opportunities since to improve it.
It took several long minutes before Buckbeak decided to return it, and Harry held his hand out, figuring it was better to let Buckbeak come to him at his preference rather than risk spooking him. Slowly, he bridged the distance, closing his eyes as his beak pressed into Harry’s outstretched hand. Using all the tact he had in him, Harry moved over to embrace the creature around the neck, burying his face in the feathers. He broke only to hold Bucky’s beak carefully while he fondly gazed into the fierce eyes of the mighty creature.
“You’ve gotten bigger, old friend, but you’re still as handsome as ever.” The hippogriff chirped in response to the compliment. The tension that he had been holding onto seemed to release at the touch of the familiar person and Harry moved carefully to his wounded side. “Let me see this.” The cut was deep and red and undoubtably sore, as were the areas where the quills lodged into his flesh. The very state of Buckbeak made Harry so emotional that his chest hurt, and he wanted to cry at the sight of his friend's awful state. “You’ve been through so much. I’m so sorry you’ve had to endure all this on your own.”
Just then, Buckbeak seemed to lose all strength as he collapsed onto the earth. Harry barely had time to miss him before he had fallen. All that had happened these few years seemed to catch up with him all at once, leaving him incredibly weak. Harry’s heart was in his throat as he stroked the feathered brow.
He needed to heal him, but he had to have some help in doing that. Carefully, he got to his feet and inched out of the clearing.
“It’s going to be okay, Buckbeak. I have to leave now, but I’m going to be back soon with some help.”
He returned to where Arya and Mycah still waited by the river and explained the best that he could about what he had found. After some exclamations of shock about the creature that Harry described, Arya and Mycah quickly resolved to help him in nursing the strange animal back to full strength. They sent the butcher’s boy off to find some essential supplies while Harry retrieved his saddlebag that held some basic first aid equipment. With that, he led Arya and the wolves back to where he had left Buckbeak.
“No sudden movements,” he instructed her and the animals, though he wasn’t completely sure if Nymeria and Lady understood him. “He’s been lost for a long time and been through a lot. Stay low and stay quiet.”
As amazed as she had been by his hasty description of the bizarre creature, Arya held a decent amount of skepticism for it, too. “Harry, I sure hope you’re not having a laugh at me, because if this turns out to be a prank, I’ll never forgive you for it.”
“Trust me, this is the last thing I would joke about.”
They stepped into the clearing and Arya’s eyes went wide as she pushed back the brush and took in the sight of the hippogriff. “It—it’s real! You weren’t lying.”
Buckbeak’s head suddenly shot up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and the smell of the two canines. Harry stepped in front of her, blocking the sight of all of them from his view.
“Stay low and wait here while I approach him. He doesn’t like strangers.”
Arya did as she was told, as did the wolves, lowering into a kneeling position with Nymeria and Lady flanking her on each side. They watched Harry move closer to the winged steed and lowered into a bow. The hippogriff bowed back, and Harry moved in and knelt by his side, taking out several things from his saddlebags like bandages and healing salves. After carefully examining the long cut on his wing, he chose several different items and got to work.
Harry could feel Arya’s curious eyes on him the whole time he worked. He wondered what she was thinking right now, if it was similar to his own response when he had first beheld a hippogriff. He had already had some experience with magical creatures even before their first encounter, but besides the direwolves, which really behaved much more like dogs, this was the first time she was ever seeing a creature of magic.
“Harry?” Came her small voice from behind him.
“Yes,” he answered without looking up from his work.
“Is he going to be okay?”
“He will be.”
“Can he really fly with those wings?”
“Yes, he can. He’s even let me ride on him.”
Arya allowed a long moment of silence to pass before she seemed to work up the nerve to speak again. “May I… may I come and pet him?”
Harry looked back at her. “You’re not scared?”
“No, I am scared. But I don’t want to be.”
Harry smiled. “You have to bow to him. He’s a very noble beast, and very proud. You can’t get close to him unless you bow and only if he bows back then you can approach. But be careful, just the same.”
Arya stood to her feet and gave her most graceful curtsy, lowering her head submissively while doing so. Harry wasn’t sure if Buckbeak would accept a curtsy, but it was proven otherwise with the hippogriff when his head bowed politely in return to the little lady.
“Does that mean… can I come closer, now?”
He nodded and she approached slowly, placing her hand where Harry had put his own when he first came near.
Arya's eyes were big and practically glittering as she beheld the marvelous beast. “He’s beautiful, even as he is now.”
Buckbeak made that same preening gesture and Harry knew he was won over by the girl.
“I’m glad you think so. You never ever insult a hippogriff, or it may just be the last thing you ever do.”
With that said, they turned just then when Buckbeak suddenly bowed yet again to some other reciever. They followed his gaze to watch Arya’s direwolf give a respectful bow herself, however Lady gracefully remained seated in her same spot, wary of this strange creature.
“Nymeria bowed too!” Arya said excitedly. It was a surprise to both of them as the pup had always been so disobedient around her girl. But Harry only looked down at the wolf fondly as she inched slowly closer, nuzzling Buckbeak affectionately once she had reached him.
“Nymeria has magic in her just as Buckbeak does. She knows a noble beast when she sees one.”
Harry continued his work on the hippogriff and in time, Mycah found them, bearing the rest of the supplies. Luckily, Arya was quick to stop him before the boy had gotten too close. By that time, Harry had managed to dress the long wound over the hippogriff’s wing and remove the quills that had pierced him over his legs. Now he needed some cleansing.
Arya came back with the cleaning supplies and the two of them took great care in washing the mud and filth from his feathers. They even found numerous parasites but managed to remove them all with minimal effort. After a time, Mycah asked if there was anything else he was able to help with and Harry sent him off to find some food palatable to the hippogriff, namely some freshly dead animals if he knew where to find them. Being the butcher’s boy, it was a manageable request for him. After several hours of dutiful work, Buckbeak was hardly recognizable.
He was clean, his wounds dressed, quills removed, and much livelier after Mycah provided him with a decent meal of fish that had been caught in one of the traps that the lad had set up near the river earlier that morning. With their help, Buckbeak allowed both Arya and Mycah to touch him, seemingly deciding that the two were trustworthy enough.
“He’s amazing,” Arya remarked, stroking him around his head.
“I can’t believe you found something like him,” Mycah added.
“Was he how you got to Winterfell, Harry?”
“Partly,” Harry admitted. “We got separated and lost somewhere along the way. This is the first time I’ve seen him in years. I thought he was dead or long gone; far out of reach, in other words. I had no idea he was out here the whole time.”
Just then, they heard rustling from across the clearing and they all watched to see two horses rush out of the trees. Buckbeak’s attention snapped at the ready, vibrating with agitation as the strangers approached.
“Harry? Arya?”
They all turned to see Sansa and Prince Joffrey atop the horses. It looked like they had been riding for some time and had accidentally stumbled upon the trio and their beast.
“What in the world is that?!” Joffrey barked, eyes going wide at the sight of the giant eagle-horse hybrid.
Buckbeak cawed in response, making Arya and Mycah back away from him hastily. Harry got to his feet, holding his arms out wide in an effort to stay between the newcomers and the hippogriff that was rapidly turning aggressive with the potential threats.
“Whoa there! Everyone just stay calm.”
Buckbeak wasn’t doing very well in that action, and had also climbed to his feet, cawing again as a warning to the newcomers.
“What is that monster?!” Sansa asked in terror, struggling to keep her horse calm. “It’s horrible!”
“Have no fear, my lady,” Joffrey said, with a grin. For some unfathomable reason his cheeks looked flushed, and he was swaying dazedly, as if influenced with strong drink. Harry wondered if that was the culprit for giving him the confidence to dismount his horse with his sword drawn and approach without a worry. “I will take care of it for you.” Harry didn’t know what in the world had possessed the foolish boy, but he charged forward, swinging his weapon. “This beast’s head will mount my wall!”
Harry saw it before it happened. He knew how this would end. Before Buckbeak could even lift his claws, Harry was sprinting for the prince in a mad dash. Buckbeak’s talons rose high, but before they could make contact with the prince’s flesh, Harry threw himself inbetween the two, tackling the boy to the ground while large bladelike talons scraped down his own skin.
Two different screams erupted from the side while he bit back his own cry of pain and rolled away with the prince.
“You fool!” Harry cried with rage. “You don’t approach an unknown creature without knowing the proper etiquette!”
But the prince was hardly phased as he shoved Harry away and hissed. “Get away from me, north brat! I’ll have your head for this outrage! You and that monster!” And then he was sprinting away, back towards the camp.
“Harry!” Three different cries of alarm cut through all other noise. Arya, Mycah, and even Sansa all ran up and faced his back. Their attentions were horrified at the sight of so much blood. “Oh gods. You’re bleeding! You’re bleeding so bad!”
Just then the full force of the pain inflicted from Buckbeak hit Harry and he crouched in the dirt, wincing and groaning with the terrible pain.
“Could… could one of you go get a maester?” He asked through gritted teeth.
“Go! I’ll stay with him,” Arya announced kneeling beside the elder boy while Sansa sped off in the same direction as Joffrey.