Sand and Snow

Khaat was watching Archangel fly off and then all of a sudden she felt pain in her forehead. She saw a vision of blood, but she didn't know why. She apparated off her horse and deep into the woods at the very edge of the estate.

But where there had been ground the last time she was here, there was a huge gaping hole in the earth. One she had not anticipated upon. Instead of apparating to solid ground, she apparated into thin air and fell. It surprised her and she let out a started shriek as she fell.

Archangel let his toy fly off into the distance when his keen hearing picked up on his mistress's cry of alarm. He let out a loud screeching cry and flew off into the distance where he had heard her voice.

"Trouble," Brian said, pointing off to where Archangel had flown. "That way! If she lives through this, I'm goling to kill her."

Steven turned his horse towards the direction Archangel had flown in and at full gallop headed off he could hear Cassidy's horse galloping behind his and he knew no matter what happened he had back up in her as he followed Brain jumping room his horse he ran with him as fast as his legs would carry him Cassidy hot on his heels he stopped to gather his bearings seeing Brian still in front of him , his troubles now forgot for the safety of Khaat his one and only priority at that moment .

Cassidy heard the cry and turned her horse as soon as she saw Khaats empty , puling her wand out she rode one handed as deep as she could go twisting a turning her horse in the thick undergrowth that grew in the forest soon she could not go any further on the horse and jumped down running behind Steven and Brian as fast as she could.

Brian had galloped as fast as the horse would go. He'd driven the stallion hard. Harder than ever before. He leaped off the horse and began racing on foot, and then he lost his footing and slid off the edge of what he could only see as a bfottomless crater. He grabbed onto a root that stuck out of the hole, clinging just over the edge, seeing nothing but darkness below. There was no possible way Khaat could be alive.

For a moment, he was tempted to let go of the root and give up. Go join her in the great beyond. Wherever that was. He didn't want to live without her. And then he thought of Abbey. His daughter. As close to a daughter as he might ever have. No, Khaat would want him to not ever leave Abbey. No matter what.

He began to shout for Khaat, hoping beyond all hope that she would have somehow survived. Then he began to shout for Steven, telling them to stop running. "Don't run! It's a trap!" he shouted. "Be careful! We've been breeched!" He was hoping, even thought he'd told them not to run, they would still hurry. Already his arms ached and his hands were bleeding from holding onto the one sparse root.

Steven stopped just short of the edge of the hole his foot nearly going over hearing Brain he lent down and saw him reaching out he found he was to short, "Cassidy grab my belt " he said and felt her do just that as he slowly lend further over his hand now inches from him " Further Cassie " he said feeling himself lower again and he finally grasped Brian's hand and pulling him up to safety falling back as he did and landed on Cassidy who squirmed under him and brian.

Cassidy stopped seeing Steven leaning down into a hole he looked back at her and she moved to grab his waist and belt, leaning him further over the hole , just as she thought she could lean no further he asked her for a bit more then suddenly moved back falling on top of her , her hands on his chest as he lay on top of her she squirmed under him as she tried to get free. "get off me you big lug" she said and pushed him so she could stand back up looking at brain " you ok?"she asked " is she down there, you sure she's alive ?" she asked moving back and forth "no she is alive or Robert would have come" she said "ok what now?"

Brian hadn't thought of that. Not yet. He was still too consumed with grief that he was sure she was dead. But Cassie was right. If Khaat were truly in trouble, Robert would have known and would have come. He took a moment to regain himself and calm down. To stop the utter panic.

"She apparated out," Brian said, thinking it through. "She...she must have not known there was such a huge hole here. Hell, I didn't know it was here. Its new. She...apparated and...didn't have anything to apparate to. She apparated, counting on finding solid ground, and it wasn't there. She knows these grounds. But none of us knew this was here. Shit--she apparated into thin air and fell because there wasn't anything there to support her."

He looked at Steven and Cassidy. "There's only one man I know of who can do this. One of you has to apparate right now to Hogsmeade. To Michael Tremaine. Get him to help. He's the best and fastest climber I know. You remember, Steven? He lives in Khaat's cottage. The stone cottage on the street behind Honeydukes. One of you--go now. Get him. He's her godfather. He'll come."

Steven looked at Cassidy "stay here thats an order. " he said to her and aperated to the cottage in Hogsmead his feet as soon as they touched he ran to the door knocking he couldn't wait for am answer and burst in "I'm sorry Michael your needed Khaat is down a deep hole we don't know if she is alive or ..." he paused not saying those words "any way Brian sent me your needed NOW!! " he stressed and stood his trousers dirty his hair some what of a mess and his arms folded over his chest " Brian said you were her god father , well now's the time to do something for her and him" he said

"Hiss!" Michael bellowed. "Get a move on! Bring the pack and let's go!" He transfigured his clothing to gear more suitable for climbing as a long climbing rope came slithering into the room, dragging an olive green canvas backpack.

"Look here, Tex," Michael frowned. "I am her godfather. I have never once deserted Khaat or any of the Lupins. Let's just ge that straight. You got that?" MIchael was irked. He snatched the pack up as the rope slithered into its place in the pack. "Don't ever accuse me of not being there for her. Not ever again. Where the hell are we going, anyway?" Michael normally had a good sense of humor, but he had no humor whatsoever if anyone ever accused him of not putting a priority on his friends. Those, in Michael's book, were fighting words. Michael made a mental note to knock some of the cowboy's teeth out later.

Steven grunted and watched as a snake brought some equipment to him and he spoke to Steven " a place Khaat use to go as a child out in the woods at Brian's place " he said "about three miles from the main house " he looked at him some how still not liking him for some reason . May be it was his protective side that was coming out in him for Khaat he respected him for who he was but as for Khaat he had not seen him once near her since she was rescued and this ticked him off good style. Putting his personal feelings aside her pointed on a map just where in the woods there were his eyes watching Tremain as he moved back from the table.

"Make yourself useful, then, and see if you can find Robert. She may well need more of a healer than that young lad of hers is," Michael said. "I'll meet you there." He turned to the hatrack. "Snidely! Don't eat the guest!" He watched the foul tempered hatrack stomp up the stairs. He sighed heavily and apparated out.

He apparated to the place Steven had marked on the map and walked a few paces to see Angus, Brian, and some odd new woman gathered there. Who did she belong to? She had to belong to Tex. That American went through women like water, he decided. He looked at the gaping hole in the ground.

"Front and center, Hiss!" Michael ordered. He looked at Brian. "She's down there? Someplace? Has she responded to you?"

"No," Brian said.

"I sent that arrogant cowboy to find her father. We're probably going to need him. If Snidely doesn't eat the cowboy before he leaves the house."

"Steven'll just make Snidely into firewood," Brian sighed as Brian got out climbing gear and got ready to climb. The rope tied itself around a nearby tree.

"I'd rather him not mangle my furniture, even though Snidely is a pain in the ass," Michael carped. He drew out a flashlight out of the backpack and put the pack on. "I'll let you know. " he looked at Brian and descended down the climbing rope into the darkness.

Steven watched Tremain as he felt the hat rack try and grab his coat and he sighed "back of tooth pick " he said and apreated to St Mongos a floor below where he thought Robert would be diving up the stairs he ran to his office and knocked not waiting he opened it "forgive me Robert but its Khaat shes down a hole at Brian's ranch Tremain sent me to get you " he said waiting for his reply hoping they would not be too late.


cassidy saw an older man apperate to the clearing she took this to be Tremain and stepped back letting his rope snake do its job as she looked down the hole . "Anything we can do ?" she asked knowing he would more than likely say no , seeing the look he had given her on his entrance, her arms now down at her side she watched him closely learning from him as she did .