Encounter Random?
Epilogue #2

…

"Mm, that smells good."

The scent of soup wafted from the tiny earthen stove and filled the small house with a wholesome aroma.

"Patience Ron, patience," said Harry, tossing in the last of his chopped-up mushrooms and stirring the pot.

"Soup Harry, soup," countered Ron.

A few chuckles came from behind him. Sorsha, looking up from her own work remarked, "I think that knock on the head has made you ridiculous."

"Is that what happened to Fred and George ya think?" Ron mused, never lifting his head from the table.

Sorsha, looking to Harry for clarification, "Couple of his brothers," then returned to her task, laying unconscious on the floor, quiet at last. "How is she?"

"She isn't moaning anymore," which was no small blessing.

What appeared a light wound had turned out to be something else. She'd been in agony since it happened and though there were no slashes, there were light marks where the claws had passed through.

None of them knew enough about such creatures to do more than name them. Vargas however had spotted something the others hadn't, the early effects of an aging curse, something the touch of a ghost was well known to produce. Ghost dragons too apparently.

The only consolation was that it wasn't likely to kill her. But there was also no telling how long it would go. She already looked like a worn, tired forty.

"How's it look out there?"

Merle tilted her head slightly from her spot near the door, "All clear," she said, gently stroking the hair of the jungle boy asleep in her lap.

Out of all of them, he and Merle were the only ones running at anywhere near normal capacity. This was why they'd holed up in the small house, despite there having been a near fatal ambush in the barn.

It turned out to be a fortuitous decision anyway, as it led them to discovering how the cargo from the wagons had disappeared. A partially scratched out teleportation circle dominating the floor, now mostly covered by Hermione and the table.

Clues continued to appear, but the picture was still too vague to see. It was maddening. Only his recent side adventure was helping him to cope. He'd found an odd sense of calm and patience during his long wait. Time would tell, he just had to wait. Wait, and watch.

So he waited, he watched, he stirred the soup, and just as it was looking to be about ready, it happened, "Someone's coming."

Everyone tensed, Mowgli stirring in Merle's lap and Vargas, half asleep against the far wall, reached for his sword. The only ones not to move were Hermione and Ron, Hermione being unable, and Ron lacking the presence of mind to do so. "I hope you made enough soup," though that didn't stop him from doing other things.

Shaking his head at his concussed friend, "Hedwig?"

Sitting on the windowsill nearest the door the owl peered into the inky night. After a short time, she ruffled her feathers, settled, then turned to her human unconcerned, relaying to his ears only what she had seen.

"What did she say?" Mowgli asked through a yawn.

Harry didn't answer. He wasn't sure how to. He'd have to go out and ask.

"Merle, Mowgli, come to the table," he said, lifting the cauldron off the fire.

"But, what about…" stared Merle, but Harry silenced her with a hand.

Collecting his staff and walking to the door, "Table," he said. "I'll be back in a minute."

True to his word, the cat girl and the jungle boy were just sitting down when Harry returned in the company of a dark swarthy dwarf, and a unicorn.

Saying not a word they went directly to the convalescing warlock. The dwarf set to work, weaving intricate spells over the wound while Harry and the unicorn looked on. The others remained silent, awestruck by the unicorn, or in Ron's case seeing nothing to get worked up about.

"Uni, assist me," the dwarf said, beckoning the unicorn.

He stepped forward and took the ball of interwoven spells on his horn. With a gentle whinny, he lowered his head cast the spell over her wound.

Hermione stirred, moaning more in confusion than pain. The light faded and Hermione settled back into a deeper sleep.

"You broke the spell?" said Sorsha in disbelief.

"No," said the dwarf. "That is beyond my power. You will need a powerful cleric to do that."

"Do you know where we can find one?" asked Harry, already knowing the answer.

"Of course," knew it, "And I will tell you. That and much more before the night is over."

There was a somber seriousness to his tone that Harry had never heard, "You mean?"

The dwarf nodded. They were of the same mind in that moment, no words were needed between them.

"First, however," he said, looking over the four native adventurer's, "before I say any more, I must know their disposition."

"You mean us?" said Merle, speaking for the group.

The dwarf nodded, "You were not tasked with this quest. The weight of its burden need not rest on your shoulders. You can expect little advantage and much hardship if you continue."

They stared at the dwarf, unsure what to think, but they were all shocked when Harry spoke, "He's right. None of you need to be involved with this. It's not your fight."

"Are… are you telling us to leave?" said Merle, nearly at the point of tears.

Choking back his own emotions, "I'm saying, there's no reason for you to stay."

Silence reigned as words sank in. Mowgli spoke first, "I stay."

"Mowgli…"

"I stay!" he repeated forcefully. "You say go, but you do not mean it in your heart. When I wished to go you said stay, give it a chance. I stayed. I do not regret this. I stay."

"You could die."

The jungle boy nodded, "I will die. All must, this is natures way. We live, we fight, we die. But since I met you, we have fought pirates, and zombies, and dragons. I need not ask if I will die, I ask only this. What do we fight next?"

The jungle boys staunch support was a surprise though perhaps it shouldn't have been. He had stayed, despite every opportunity to leave. It was touching to hear him so wholeheartedly throw in his support.

Merle touched him too, hard, right across the face. She then grabbed onto him and buried her face in chest.

"Merle, what…" but the sight of a furious tear streaked face brought him up short.

"You don't leave me alone. You promised you wouldn't. You can't take that back. I won't let you."

"Oh Merle," such a selfish little cat girl, he couldn't help but smile.

"And what of you lady warlock?" asked the dwarf, when the cat girl refused to relinquish the druid.

Sorsha sighed, "I always knew I'd wind up on one of these someday. It would be such a waste to throw away my new boy toy now that I've got him all trained."

Stifling a snicker at the blushing druid he turned to the paladin who gave a dismissive snort, "The question does not even warrant asking. I stay."

This surprised no one, but it was still heartening to hear, "You have surrounded yourself with good people druid."

"Yeah. Guess I have." And his heart swelled at the thought.

"There is much to tell," said the dwarf. "The enemy moves even as we speak. But first," he said in a lighter, chipper tone, "do I smell dinner."

Harry couldn't resist the wicked smile that stole across his face, "Why yes, won't you join us? It's mushroom soup."

The unicorn chortled as the dwarf's face fell and Harry stifled the urge to laugh, "Why must you be so mean to me druid? Why?"

...

Thanks for reading along everyone.
We'll get back to this story eventually, but for now, enjoy a double dose of Hogwarts a History, till we hit November then strap in for this years update a day. We're getting dark this year; Grimdark.

Hope to see you then.