Welcome to the Family

The woods were not exactly his favorite place in the world to be, but he had to admit, it was nice and quiet. He had grown accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the city life and had really forgotten about the solemness of the forest. The cool night air was refreshing and it washed over him as he sat quietly under a tree.

Azkaban was still fresh in his mind. That place could get to a man, any man, and it certainly had gotten to him. He still had the occasional flash, but they were starting to fade. Some of the thoughts he had in there, some of the people he had remembered, he wanted to forget. But forgetting was never easy, he figured that out the first time around.

As soon as he had been released he went back to work. He had been searching for a very specific type of person, a skilled animagus, and he was sure he had found one. He reached into his robe and pulled out a file and opened it again, scanning it quickly. Silvyr Svan, a name he recognized from school, a man who Aaron hoped would fit in perfectly.

He would not be easy to convince, that much was for sure. He preferred solitude and was not much of a people person, but Aaron had convinced much harder people to join him. The only worry Aaron had was actually getting him there. He had enchanted the area so that any animagus would instantly transform to their original form when they walked within a certain area. He had also made this area pretty enticing to a wolf such as Silvyr, giving off strong female horomones.

Now all he had to do was wait. And he was good at that.

Silvyr sat next to a tree in his Animagus form while watching Leah pace in a circle, for the third day in a row, around him. He had grown tired of the constant movement after the first day she started but this was getting to be unbearable. When she passed directly in front of him again for the bazillionth time he stood and began walking. He half expected her to continue her circling while he walked like an orbit. The thought made him laugh inside.

He had picked up the scent of another female wolf 4 days ago, about the time Leah had started acting weird. His friend never acted strange unless something spooked her in the past. He kept his guard up as they walked through the forest. He was confident that no muggle would be this far out in the wilderness and left only three possibilities. He knew he could take on any predator in the forest so he was not worried about that. It was the other two possibilities that had him on edge. Either the scent he was walking directly towards was the actual scent on another female wolf, which in the past had proven to lead to awkward situations being that he wasn't big on having someone else sniff his ass, or he was walking towards another witch or wizard who knew he was out here.

He had thought about the third scenario for the majority of the time while he walked the past three days. He thought it highly unlikely anyone would want to come after him, or could even find him for that matter, in the wizarding community. Plus he knew that no one who he and Leah had dealt with would have remembered the two existed after he had finished with them. Besides all of the people that he had hunted down were low lives and scum of the earth who the world wouldn't miss.

Yet if it was a female wolf in their midst he wanted nothing to do with something that smelled so foul. Almost unbearable now it smelt as if a female was walking and pissing on every leaf, tree, and blade of grass she happened to walk by. He was going to give her a piece of his mind if it was another wolf out here in the wilderness. Their are some lines in the wolf community you just don't cross. Peeing on everything you see being one of them. He stopped again after an hour of walking and laid down. He wasn't going to walk into a trap knowingly and allow them to have the upper hand. He decided to stay there for another two days trying to wait out his possible hunter or allow the other female to come find them. After no sign of anyone throughout the second day he decided it was time to move in on whatever it was out there. The scent was ten miles north of their location and he knew that it would be night soon, which would favor the wolves and help them get closer in without being scene.

He had kept tabs throughout the two days noticing that the scent hadn't changed directions and to know surprise when he left to get closer the scent was the exact same. He knew for sure the scent trail was a trap of some kind and he wasn't thrilled someone had come all this way to piss him off. He wanted a better look at who was out in the woods with him so he and Leah began walking closer to the scent. When he got within a mile they began making a perimeter to see if anything stood out. When he got around to the most northern side of the scent though he picked up the scent of a human. It seemed to be about a mile north of the scent. He became twice as cautious as before, wondering if some was watching him at this instant.

He did the same for the second scent as he had just done for the first. Making the perimeter and walking around the area he and Leah had mapped out. He had seen what look like a small campsite to the east of where they were now but did not want to get to close at the time. Now though time was against them if he wanted the dark to play an advantage. He decided he had to go and find out what they were doing here and why they were after him. He and Leah walked closer towards the campsite. He had gotten within 20 feet of the tent when he began to morph back into his human form. He didn't understand nor think twice about what was happening. He drew his wand without a second of hesitation screamed, "Reducto!", turning the tent in the campsite to dust. Nothing was inside and the campsite was empty from what he could see.

He moved slightly behind the closest tree waiting for his hunter to make his move.

Aaron watched as he approached the tent he had set up. He was cautious, and as soon as he was transformed back into his human form, he pulled his wand out and destroyed the tent. Aaron smirked to himself and noted that he was very quick to attack. He was going to have to approach with more caution than he had expected, but it was not a problem. Aaron felt he could handle the man with ease if a battle were to erupt.

That was not what he wanted though. He wanted this to go as smoothly as possible. Aaron had successfully come this far without having to lift his wand in battle, and he had encountered some of the most dangerous dark wizards London had to offer. Silvyr was different though, most wizards had an agenda, Silvyr just wanted to be left alone. That was why Aaron wanted to get him so badly.

He let the man wonder for a few more minutes, Aaron hoped the extra time would allow him to calm down so that he would not come right out and attack him. He noted the wolf that stood obediently by his side. That could pose a big problem for Aaron, and it made him approach in a completely different manner than he would have originally.

Slowly, Aaron walked out from the woods, his hands slightly lifted to show he was not a threat. He only came out far enough for Silvyr to see him, but he was at a far enough distance away that if any sort of battle did break out, Aaron would have time to maneuver into a better position.

"I am not here to attack you...." Aaron started slowly. He eyed Silvyrs wand carefully, waiting for any sort of movement that would tip him off. "I am here to offer you something. A deal, if you will." He did not move from his spot, instead he kept perfectly still with his hands raised, not wanting to give any signs of trouble.

Silvyr stood waiting and listening behind the tree waiting for any slight noise that would give his enemy away. In the distance he heard foot steps of what sounded like a single person coming closer to him. The figure slow emerged from the darkness with his hands held up by his shoulders. Silvyr analyzed him quickly, judging to see if he was in any immediate danger. Silvyr was not as foolish as he once was and these days realized that strength could not be measured by the way someone looked or dressed. He was a an average looking wizard by his clothing but when the light hit his face SIlvyr doubled the amout of consentration on his occlumency than what he had before. The eyes of the man standing only three feet out of the woods across the campsite were the only warning he needed to understand that what he thought he was dealing was entirely different. Full of cunning and planning, the mans eyes told a story of someone not to be messed with.

The voice of the man stopped Silvyr's analyzing. "I am not here to attack you...." he said slowly. Silvyr reamined perfectly still. The man Spoke again, "I am here to offer you something, a deal if you will." He had avoided the Ministry and Death Eaters for some time now and Silvyr was annoyed that either had sent someone to collect him like a hired hand. "First you make me bear this unbearable smell of piss for a weak and then you set a perimeter around your campsite to morph me out of my prefered form. Now you tell me you don't want to attack me and that you have a deal for me." He looked around the campsite one more time and put his wand by his side. "Well you're pissing us off so, if you don't mind, we'll be leaving now. If that smell is still there tomorrow we'll be back." Silvyr whistled for Leah who was standing ten feet behind the strange man at this point. She made her way towards Silvyr trotting beside the man ignoring him as she chased after her friend.

When she returned to his side he turned to walk away far enough from the campsite to morph again.

Aaron expected an answer like he had received from the man, and he did not move as he was spoken to. The wind picked up slightly and he glanced down at the wolf who was staring dagger through Aaron. He was not a fan of animals like that, foolish loyalty. He glanced back up and the man was walking away. He gave him a few seconds before he spoke up again.

"They will come for you, you know?" He said it loudly and took a few steps forward. He had to establish a bit of authority now. He had information that the man wanted, at least that was what he wanted him to think. "Sure, you can hide out here for a little while. Do your thing, whatever it is you do. The thing is, whoever wins this war, will want a guy just like you, and they will do whatever it takes to get you."

He let the words settle over him for a bit before he continued on. His personal space was important to him, and if there was a chance it could be meddled with, he would be forced to do what he had to do to keep it. "I am on neither side and I found you. Easily might I add, and I am just one person. How long do you think you will last when multiple wizards, much higher of a skill than myself, come after you? They won't be interested in talking, if they want you they will take you, or kill you."

Before Silvyr was able to leave the man spoke again. "They will come for you, you know?" Silvyr stopped walking abruptly. He couldn't imagaine who would want him or why. "Sure, you can hide out here for a little while. Do your thing, whatever it is you do. The thing is, whoever wins this war, will want a guy just like you, and they will do whatever it takes to get you."

Silvyr had heard enough. He couldn't stand the arrogance that this man was speaking with as if he had the right to talk down to him. Silvyr had seen the destruction that the wizarding war had brought to the world and he had kept himself out of it for a reason.

The mam continued on again unwisely. "I am on neither side and I found you. Easily might I add, and I am just one person. How long do you think you will last when multiple wizards, much higher of a skill than myself, come after you? They won't be interested in talking, if they want you they will take you, or kill you."

Silvyr's anger wasn't easily recognized by humans but Leah began pacing in front of him. She was on edge due to her friends energy. He now spoke slowly, "Yes you found a traveler in the woods who has been avoiding people rather than hiding. Next time do not make the mistake of coming alone, if either of us see you we will not hesitate to attack. If I even get the slightest hint of your scent in my nostrils I will kill you, and trust me I will not forget your scent for a very long time. As for the winners of this ages war. They will not be met with such a nice demeanor as you are receiving. And I will only tell you this once; My friend and I do not fear death. We are dying as we speak."

He stood waiting to see if the man standing in front of him was going to try and force him into coming with him. Silvyr slightly tightened his grip around his wand preparing himself for a fight. He was ready to protect their lifestyle on the drop of a hat.

He was proving to be much harder to deal with than Aaron had expected. He had apparently been secluded for so long that he did not understand what was going on anymore. It seemed like he was becoming a little bit detached from reality from being alone so much. Aaron noticed that he was gripping his wand even tighter now, but Aaron had no intention of fighting him. That would be worthless and a complete waste of time.

"Not fearing death and being careless and stupid are two very different things." He was not sure how to handle the situation from here. He was testy and quick to anger, his words would have to be chosen very carefully. The right blend of aggression and sympathy needed to be blended before the man would listen to him.

"If you help me I will give you my word that you will be left alone for the rest of your life. You can ignore me now and wait for the inevitable, and I promise you they will come, or you can help me now. Do your part and then return to your home. There is no fairer deal than that, I can assure you."

Silvyr listened to the offer the man propsed again for him. He was intrigued slightly by the man saying he wasn't apart of either sides of the war. What did this man want with his abilities anyways. Why was he not willing to leave him alone? Silvyr knew that the man standing in front of him valued him highly if he was coming for him without being on either side of the war.

Silvyr thought hard about what it would take to stand alone in a war he had watched first hand rip the beauty from the world. This could be his one and only chance in fighting against everything once and for all. He admitted to himself that had it not been for the corruption on both sides of the war he would have joined a very long time ago. Yet in his eye both the Order and Death Eaters fought for ideas that had long since died out with the witches and wizards that died for them.

Silvyr said in an even tone, "No matter what you might think, I like to think of myself as a more civilized person than the savages that live in the civil world." The images of muggles and wizards locked in the lifestyles of constantly thinking of themselves and their own personal wealth. Craving to be popular, and the center of attention no matter where they go. He continued speaking before he lost his train of thought. "Why don't we talk about this over something to eat. I'm interested in what you are offering though it does not mean I want to help you nor am I agreeing to join." He wasn't willing to leave his home without having a full knowledge behind what he was going to be fighting for. Silvyr knew as well or better than anyone that knowledge was everything in this world and you are only strong because what you know.