Weft of Power, Warp of Blood: A Tapestry of Desire

Chapter Four
The Rock and The Dog

As the weeks wore on into April, the routine remained the same. Ari spent her days at Miss Anne’s Day School for Young Witches and Wizards, Jasmine spent her time spinning and weaving. She did a cleansing for Mrs. Woldermeyer, her grandmother’s friend, and several for the Ministry because one of the regular Ministry dynomagi was on holiday in Majorca, but those didn’t take long. There seemed to be fewer rats around the cottage at the end of the high road and the chickens were getting fat eating the grain that wasn’t stolen. Jasmine saw the black dog loping through the far meadow and up onto the mountain several times, though never saw it on her property. It was huge, almost the size of a bear, or a Grim, if one believed in them. Always, her hand settled on her wand but the dog never seemed to be causing trouble. Eventually, Jasmine and Arielle became used to the sight of it. Sometimes Jasmine thought she saw something in its mouth, but as long as it wasn’t one of the chickens or Skeevers, she wasn’t worried.

Late one afternoon Jasmine was setting spring bulbs just beyond the paddock and Arielle was wandering around, chasing butterflies and making daisy chains. After each bulb was placed in the ground and covered, Jasmine recited a spell to keep the local rabbits from eating it.

“Mama, I’m going to get some rocks and pi’cones for my project,” Arielle called.

“Alright, Ari, but stay where I can see you, please,” was called back to her as the sprite dashed up the mountainside. Jasmine continued planting the hundred or so bulbs, her hands never getting dirty as her wand blasted small holes in the ground. She would drop the bulb in and levitate the soil back in to cover it. Jasmine loved flowers but hated getting dirty.

A shriek rent the air. Jasmine dropped everything. She looked around wildly for Ari but she wasn’t in sight. Jumping over the bag of bulbs, she raced across the meadow to find her, screaming Ari’s name.

Just beyond the first row of trees, Jasmine could see Arielle, clinging to a boulder that was resting precariously on the side of the mountain. Cracks were spider-webbing over it. She reached for her wand, but it wasn’t in its holder on her belt. Jasmine couldn’t levitate Arielle down without it. She tried to summon the wand, she tried to yell, “Accio wand!” but her voice came out in a panicked croak. By now, it was too far away, she just couldn’t turn back to get it, she had to go on and get Ari.

Forgetting the wand, Jasmine scrambled up the slope, falling once but not noticing the pain or the blood welling from the scrape. Her nails broke and palms were scraped raw as she clung and scrabbled for purchase in the dirt and rock. Arielle was thirty feet away, Jasmine would have to climb above her, on to the rock and pull her up, she decided. She prayed the rock wouldn’t crumble before that, but saw pebbles and dirt tumbling from underneath it already.

“Hang on, baby, I’m coming, don’t let go, baby, I’m on the way. I’m almost there!” she squeaked, trying to sound calm. Ari was whimpering, clinging to the side of the huge rock, not able to hear. Worry and dust from the disintegrating boulder that was filling the air, make it impossible to call out more than, “I’m coming Ari, be still!”

Suddenly, from above the rock, scrambled the black dog. A shower of stones fell on Jasmine as she raced for the girl. She gasped. The dog was massive and it was looking at Arielle. It ran pell-mell past the boulder, stopping below.

Jasmine gasped and grabbed for a handful of rocks, throwing them at the dog, she was now twenty feet away and the dog stopped underneath Ari, looking up. “No! You get away from her!” The dog ignored her. Hearing her mother’s screaming made Ari cry louder and her grip on the rock slipped. Her legs flailed. The dog leapt up. Jasmine screamed. Arielle cried out. The dog grabbed a mouthful of Arielle’s robes and tugged. Jasmine screamed again. The little girl’s grip failed her and she fell straight down. The dog let go of the robes and landed on all four feet. Arielle landed on top of its back with a shriek.

Jasmine climbed ever closer. The boulder fell a few inches, wider cracks appeared in the stone and the dog bolted to the side, barking loudly. Jasmine changed course with it, concentrating on her daughter. The boulder fell another few inches and the dog backed further away, carrying Arielle who was clinging in terrified silence. Jasmine followed; more pebbles fell, most of them hitting her in the face and shoulders, making her hands and feet slip. She panted, trying to get close enough to rip Ari away from it. She growled to the dog, “You can’t have her, she’s mine; give her back, now!”

The dog only looked at her. Ari’s face was filthy, tears streaked through dirt, Jasmine only concentrated on her blue eyes. “Baby, I’m coming, I’ll be right there,” she coughed out. The dog looked up at the splintering boulder and backed away more. Jasmine followed its every move with one of her own. One of its back feet slipped, but it didn’t fall. Her eyes moving to the dog’s, she growled again, “Give her back, let her go, or I’ll kill you.” The dog looked at the boulder that Jasmine was ignoring and retreated further. Jasmine followed, muttering curses, not noticing the tears streaming down her face. Ari was still silent, small hands gripping the huge dog’s fur.

With a grumbling roar, the boulder behind Jasmine disintegrated. A cascade of smaller - but no less deadly - pieces rumbled down the hillside in a cloud of dust. A few of the rocks hit Jasmine as she threw herself forward, away from the rush. A pair of screams rent the air and with a bark, the dog lunged forward, grasped Jasmine’s sleeve in its teeth and tugged her further away.

She tumbled forward, tripping over rocks and scrub brush. Mid-scream, she landed on the ground, face first. Struggling for every wheezing breath, Jasmine could barely move.

A moment later, she lay still, face down and groaned.

“Mama…” The little word made Jasmine open her eyes. Turning over, she looked up into the face of the enormous dog whose legs were straddling her head. Frightened blue eyes met intelligent gray eyes for a moment then the dog stepped back. The mountain was eerily quiet, now, only the breathing of all three could be heard. Without breaking eye contact, Jasmine sat up.

“Mama…” Ari whispered again.

Still looking at the dog, Jasmine whispered, “A second, baby. Are you hurt?”

The answer was caught in a sob, “No.”

“Good. Be still and quiet now.” Jasmine licked her lips, tasting grit and then coughed. The dust was settling. “I’m going to stand up now, dog, and you’re going to hand over my baby, right?” The dog wuffled.

Jasmine stood and the dog carefully settled his hindquarters and crouched so Arielle could slip off. The girl ran to her mother who picked her up in a rush, holding her tightly, more tears falling. Jasmine sank back to the ground in relief, holding her baby close. Shaking, now, the terror melted into anger and pulled Ari away from her. Voice raised in anger, she demanded, “What were you doing up here? I told you to stay where I could see you? What were you doing?”

“I saw a hippogriff, Mama, I just…” her high voice was cut off.

“You never, ever go running off like that again, do you understand me Arielle? I don’t care what you saw! You could have been killed! If this dog hadn’t been there…” Jasmine’s voice cracked and she tugged Ari close again, squishing the girl in a hug. The dog sat and watched.

Eventually, when all the dust settled and the shadows had taken over the trees, they stirred again. With a shuddering sigh, Jasmine moved to stand, setting Arielle down but holding her hand. They both looked at the dog, who seemed to be standing guard over them.

Jasmine spoke, “I suppose I owe you a reward, dog. C…Come down, I…I’ll give you a good meal. I …er…owe you that much at least.” The dog stood, too. Jasmine tapped her leg and together they all scrambled down the mountainside, the dog in the lead. Jasmine and Arielle followed his path safely down.