Nineteen-Eighty, pt. IV ( awamurtok )
Thursday, June 23rd, 2005 02:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
orange_crushedThere is an Inuit word, niovgroyok, and it means "travels far away". One more chapter to go, and perhaps we can go home.
She was willing to part with the sled, but not the dogs. While they bartered Remus watched them mill about, piled on each other in twos and threes. A dog with one blue eye sat on her feet as she spoke, shifting only to yawn and scratch his ear behind her knee. He bought a two-man snowmobile instead, powered on gas, and a canister of fuel to lash to the back. They weren't going far.
When he'd counted out the change she took his hand and pressed something cool and solid into it. A carved bone, in the shape of a standing bear.
"If you need something, just ask him." she said, and shook the malamute off her foot. "Tukturjuk. And don't leave without some bread."
Once in the white lands there was quiet; deep and silent; cut through by the chopping of the engine. The day is clear and fair, and a wafting breeze sends delicate spray over the visor of the snowmobile, and occasionally into Remus' goggles. He wonders what it would be like to travel by sled, with only the panting of the dogs and the soft thrush of the wood over the snow. The peace of the woods, and the crest of pale mountains in the distance. He thinks he might go mad.
"S'quidditch in November !" Sirius yells, over the noise. "Brilliant !"
They stop for lunch in a hollow and dig out packed sandwiches and a thermos of hot stew. They have not seen tracks of any kind, nor a living creature, in nearly two hours. Sirius smokes and Remus watches the horizon behind them out of habit. Nothing. They rise to wrap up their leftovers and they are faced with a mottled red-gold coat and a pair of deep black eyes. It is a caribou, male, with a spread of antlers as long as Sirius is tall. He raises his head and huffs into the air, a plume of steam from his nostrils. He is not afraid. They are a few dozen feet from one another, and Sirius reaches out his hand.
"No." Remus takes it, gently, and holds it tight. "No, not this one."
A second caribou appears from behind a ridge, followed by others. They are feeding slowly, unhurried, and trailing several of their young. Few notice them. In a few moments the group has passed, but the leader stands still, watching. He shakes his head from side to side, and moves along as well.
They wait a while longer before turning the ignition.
There is a safe house at the edge of the world, Dumbledore said, and that is where you will go. Sirius is disappointed when they arrive. It's apparent now that the world is actually without edge, and we are all meant to roll around once more in a great do-over. He has heard the stories about the turtle and his great burden; as well as the one about the sky-kingdom that the first people fell from. Instead the earth is a plum, with a heart-stone of fire and dirt. The cabin sits near a stand of fir-trees. Remus does not think to take out his wand for the wards, so solitary is this place. So he is alarmed when he does not run into any.
"Sirius, I think we should-" he begins, and Rodolphus LeStrange is suddenly in front of him. His face is the happiest Remus has ever seen him.
Remus is suddenly, absurdly grateful to be facing a lieutenant. He supposed that it would be Malfoy, or God forbid even Bellatrix, but it isn't. There are five others with him, two in masks. Evan Parkinson is here, and another he doesn't recognize. LeStrange's white face has been mottled by the wind and the cold; they've been waiting here for a while. He was terrible at charms in school and full marks in thieving and treachery. It's a suitable career.
"Make him tell us," LeStrange says, "and we'll only kill you." Sirius starts an asinine comment about injesting one's own byproducts and Remus silences him with a pointed glare. He does not go for his wand.
"He doesn't know anything." he says.
"You're a terrible liar, Lupin. We can make this as unpleasant as you'd like."
"He doesn't know anything."
"You'll take a long time to die out here, you-"
"Merlin, LeStrange ! Do you smell a fidelius on him ? Use your brain !" he shouts, and even Sirius takes a step back. Rodulphus' eyes never leave him, but there is a quick conference between the five. Evan aims his wand at Sirius and, after a moment, shakes his head.
"Clean." he says, and LeStrange spits into the ice. There's a long pause, not unlike a school dance, and much shifting of feet. LeStrange smiles like a sick dog.
"I would kill you, but I'm curious. Why run ?"
"So fools would follow." Remus says quietly. "And for time."
She was willing to part with the sled, but not the dogs. While they bartered Remus watched them mill about, piled on each other in twos and threes. A dog with one blue eye sat on her feet as she spoke, shifting only to yawn and scratch his ear behind her knee. He bought a two-man snowmobile instead, powered on gas, and a canister of fuel to lash to the back. They weren't going far.
When he'd counted out the change she took his hand and pressed something cool and solid into it. A carved bone, in the shape of a standing bear.
"If you need something, just ask him." she said, and shook the malamute off her foot. "Tukturjuk. And don't leave without some bread."
Once in the white lands there was quiet; deep and silent; cut through by the chopping of the engine. The day is clear and fair, and a wafting breeze sends delicate spray over the visor of the snowmobile, and occasionally into Remus' goggles. He wonders what it would be like to travel by sled, with only the panting of the dogs and the soft thrush of the wood over the snow. The peace of the woods, and the crest of pale mountains in the distance. He thinks he might go mad.
"S'quidditch in November !" Sirius yells, over the noise. "Brilliant !"
They stop for lunch in a hollow and dig out packed sandwiches and a thermos of hot stew. They have not seen tracks of any kind, nor a living creature, in nearly two hours. Sirius smokes and Remus watches the horizon behind them out of habit. Nothing. They rise to wrap up their leftovers and they are faced with a mottled red-gold coat and a pair of deep black eyes. It is a caribou, male, with a spread of antlers as long as Sirius is tall. He raises his head and huffs into the air, a plume of steam from his nostrils. He is not afraid. They are a few dozen feet from one another, and Sirius reaches out his hand.
"No." Remus takes it, gently, and holds it tight. "No, not this one."
A second caribou appears from behind a ridge, followed by others. They are feeding slowly, unhurried, and trailing several of their young. Few notice them. In a few moments the group has passed, but the leader stands still, watching. He shakes his head from side to side, and moves along as well.
They wait a while longer before turning the ignition.
There is a safe house at the edge of the world, Dumbledore said, and that is where you will go. Sirius is disappointed when they arrive. It's apparent now that the world is actually without edge, and we are all meant to roll around once more in a great do-over. He has heard the stories about the turtle and his great burden; as well as the one about the sky-kingdom that the first people fell from. Instead the earth is a plum, with a heart-stone of fire and dirt. The cabin sits near a stand of fir-trees. Remus does not think to take out his wand for the wards, so solitary is this place. So he is alarmed when he does not run into any.
"Sirius, I think we should-" he begins, and Rodolphus LeStrange is suddenly in front of him. His face is the happiest Remus has ever seen him.
Remus is suddenly, absurdly grateful to be facing a lieutenant. He supposed that it would be Malfoy, or God forbid even Bellatrix, but it isn't. There are five others with him, two in masks. Evan Parkinson is here, and another he doesn't recognize. LeStrange's white face has been mottled by the wind and the cold; they've been waiting here for a while. He was terrible at charms in school and full marks in thieving and treachery. It's a suitable career.
"Make him tell us," LeStrange says, "and we'll only kill you." Sirius starts an asinine comment about injesting one's own byproducts and Remus silences him with a pointed glare. He does not go for his wand.
"He doesn't know anything." he says.
"You're a terrible liar, Lupin. We can make this as unpleasant as you'd like."
"He doesn't know anything."
"You'll take a long time to die out here, you-"
"Merlin, LeStrange ! Do you smell a fidelius on him ? Use your brain !" he shouts, and even Sirius takes a step back. Rodulphus' eyes never leave him, but there is a quick conference between the five. Evan aims his wand at Sirius and, after a moment, shakes his head.
"Clean." he says, and LeStrange spits into the ice. There's a long pause, not unlike a school dance, and much shifting of feet. LeStrange smiles like a sick dog.
"I would kill you, but I'm curious. Why run ?"
"So fools would follow." Remus says quietly. "And for time."
