//M Rated // The life of a cat (open)

Jamie love the way the ground felt under his paws, all four of the them. He loved just walking and running in this form. It was a way to relax and to let go of all the human things, no more Quidditch, no more drinking, no more thoughts of HER. To the outside world, they could not see the turmoil of his mind. Inn his stance, all they would see is large black panther with blue eyes and a small white patch on his front right paw.

He paced around the forest floor but that seamed to do little to take away from the anger he was feeling after seeing her Alexa Jones, his one true love, on the arm of another man and, to make it even better, it was the seeker from the french team, André Benoît, that skinny little sh*t.
How could she do that to him? Another Player on another team, the French team DAMN HER. Jamie was insanely angry and so mad that he had to just do something so he ran in this form. It was like flying. The ground changed colour several times as he ran until he was so tired that he stopped. What he did not noticed until it was too late was that he was in a town or village somewhere in Brazil.

Ellie loved the jungle, while they had been assigned to the clinic in Somalia there was only so many transports able to do cross-continental apperation to go around and so her family had been assigned to resupply and check in with the Brazilian clinic only to find that there was a situation going on in the amazonian magical villages being threatened by Muggle drug runners. They had been in camp just two days with her mother and a couple of specialists trying to make contact with the indigenous elves in order to provide protection to the people and ensure that the muggles wouldn't bother them again. Stepping out of the shower hut that they'd built and magicked with a fresh supply of water in order to try and provide the camp with better hygiene rather then swimming in the dangerous water Ellie couldn't help but smile at the memory of how Kat and Owen would just dive in without a care for the viruses' crocodiles and other hazards hidden in the murky rich brown water.

Humming a tune she shoved her feet into her boots and tied a sarong around her, it was getting late in the day and the jungle was alive with the sounds of insects, birds and monkeys high up in the canopy. Ellie was glad for the charms the camp had been wrapped in as she thought of the first time she'd reached the jungle only to be attacked by what seemed a million biting savage insects. There was about ten aid workers in camp, and another twenty elves here for the meeting along with the native villages. Ellie was a few steps towards the campervan that they called home when suddenly the darkness was full of the chattering and sqwark of the chickens... something was coming! Ellie could feel sweat trickling down the back of her neck. It wasn't so much hot as 'dense' with clinging humidity that made the air it self seem thick with the heavy scents of the undergrowth. The wash tent was a little out of the way of the main camp for hygiene, Ellie couldn't help but wish she was armed with something a bit stronger then just a torch, but of course she'd always thought Kat would be here to use some magic if things went bad.

Bad, it couldn't get much worse as Ellie watched a large black shape move into her path.. blocking her way back to the rest of the villages she was frozen to the spot just staring in a mixture of fear and awe at the panther, unable to not notice the length of it's teeth as it panted in front of her. What was it doing here? "What are you doing here? GET OUT OF HERE!" okay so maybe not the most smart thing to say to a creature that could quite easily rip her to pieces but Ellie was angry, the villages had already had to deal with aeroplanes scaring the life out of them, hunters, poaches, loggers and now some rouge Panther was out to eat their chickens.. it wasn't fair.. well that and Ellie had never been fond of cats to begin with. She'd been planning to work on her final essay tonight and not go toe to toe with some rouge panther armed only with a torch but if she had to.. well she guessed she would have to. Maybe she could just scare it away? Ellie hoped so.. scare it long enough that she could run and get help.. yes that was a good idea.

Jamie looked up at the woman as she demanded he leave the village. Jamie was really not in the mood to be dictated by some hippy looking woman in some town in the middle of brazil. Jamie decided since he looked by a big scary cat he should a least act like one why should he be the only one who felt. Like shit today.

Jamie looked her in the eyes with the blue cats eyes and licked his lips and started to circle her like cats on the discovery channel Jamie was going to have some real fun with this Muggle if only for a little while.

Jamie circle the other way gave a bit of a growl
Actually she was kinda good looking Jamie decided to change tactics he walk back to in front of her and sat then rolled over on to his back giving the I'm so cute look to her with the piercing blue eyes that made him so unlike any other cat in these wood/jungle.

Ellie wasn't a big woman, she was always the kind that would have to shove her way to the front of a crowd just to get someones attention. Right now though there was no crowd and Ellie wished desperately that there was. The cry of alarm had disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived leaving her alone and feeling utterly helpless. To think she had been so worried about Kat going away to school yet she'd never really thought that much about the dangers they stepped into every day as part of their life traveling throughout the world. While she'd seen lions in Africa they had always been far off or lazing in the heat, it was a whole different matter to come across a hungry wild animal.. too aware was she that the jungle was most dangerous just before dawn and with the coming of the night. Gripping the torch tightly she kept a firm eye on the cat, staring at it's blue eyes knowing it was watching her back. Ellie had never had much time for television in her life but she didn't need any reminder that she was in very serious trouble as the cat circled her. Would the smell of the shampoo confuse it? Ellie didn't know.. she was scared, too afraid to call out.. and worried that if she did the panther would panic and pounce.. or worse someone would try to jump in and get hurt. What if the Panther was a endangered species? Oh that really wasn't a thought she needed to have.

So much for humans being the top of the food chain, Ellie couldn't think, the size of the Panther, it's teeth and the claws taking her full attention, she had to keep her eye on it, fearful of not knowing where it was but just as afraid to see it hunching, looking at her in that hungry way. Was she looking at her own death? Shaking she didn't want to die like this, not now, she had too much to do! Wielding her torch she flinched as the creature growled, this was it? Her and the Panther.. life and death. They always showed the Amazon as a wonderful green place of beauty but like all wild places it was savage like the Panther staring at her like she was just a piece of meat.. and here wasn't that all she was?

In that moment everything got that much worse..
"ELLIE!?"
Oh hell, it was Owen!
Ellie took her eyes off the Panther for just a moment to turn, her brother was coming.. he was going to get killed! Never mind that it was her that the Panther had been circling just a moment ago. Remembering that she turned around only to find the creature staring sat down then rolled onto it's back like a oversized kitten. Ellie was just left to stare as Owen her brother walked up to take a look "Fair out man this elven stuff is killer.. I'm totally seeing this massive black cat just..." Owen started as Ellie narrowed her eyes.
No Panther would do that, no real one anyway. "Bastard.." Ellie spat at the cat. "It's Patrick isn't it?" Ellie accused the cat, picking the name of one of the people at the camp who had been less then impressed to find out that they where Muggles. Not 'real' healers he'd called them. Ellie thought it would be just like him to try to pull a prank like that.
"Hehe.. Ellie I think he likes you.. man you should have seen some of the elven birds they where fine.. "
"Shut up Owen" Ellie said automatically, Owen stopped talking to take a puff of the 'peace' pipe he'd acquired from the elven visitors.. so much for their attempts to get him to go clean! Taking a step forward she pointed a finger accusingly at the Panther.. "Turn back right now, otherwise I'll have the entire bloody camp down here and get the elders to force you" Ellie was not in a good mood, she didn't like being made a fool of or being reminded that in the magical world she was very much a second class citizen. Owen of course probably thought she was weird for shouting at a Panther.. but then again he thought it was all a hallucination brought about by whatever on earth he was smoking today. Ellie sighed, why did it always end up coming down to her?

Jamie was could not believe that man had just walk in to a stand off between panther and the young lady but the fact he looked high and that his advanced cat cents could smell it was on to much of a giveaway even before he spoke.
The lady started to accuse him of being someone called Patrick whoever that is and then she yelled she was going to get the whole village down to kick his but so Jamie decided it was time to become a person again even though he was really hopping to stay a cat for awhile longer just so life was less completed this way.
Jamie constipated and jumped ever so small and turned back in to him self in his ever so normal rock jacket black paints and white shirt that he never had tucked in and a blue scarf.
"hello sorry for the trouble was just out for a run" Jamie said to the young lady
Jamie was walking back to the couple
"needed some space you know" Jamie was feeling a little dumb after all he was just court being a cat and really need no one to know he was a panther as he was an unregistered animagus and if he was found out there would be no more Qudditch the reason he keep it secret in the first place
"ummm hope I did not scare you" Jamie apologized to the lady it really was a shame the lady was with that pot head.

Ellie really couldn't believe her brother sometimes, he was just so blind to the world around him. Easily led, that had been the term their Dad had said but none of them had expected the transformation from skinny kid to addict. Ellie had tried everything to get him clean, even to borrow the van off their parents and go backpacking though the Australian outback just to get him away from Moonbeam and her 'friends'. She was the oldest, Dad had always said she was the responsible one and after their mother died she'd taken it to heart to care for her brother. Little did she expect that he probably would have saved her life if the Panther was a real wild creature and not a animagus. Ellie turned away as the cat turned back, that slight nauseous feeling that she had every time Kat had transformed in front of them. Surely it must have hurt to distort your body in such a way? While Kat and Mum had tried to explain it to her Ellie was forever pragmatic and talk of the spiritual tended to have trouble living up to her experience of a world that was forever cruel.

By the time she looked back there Tall Sid Vicious wannabe standing before her, Ellie crossed her arms, glaring as the man spoke in a English accent trying to excuse his actions. "You pig! You feel like a run so you just go out and stalk whatever girl crosses your path?!" Ellie accused, she was more then a little aware of the little clothing she was wearing. Her original aim of going straight to her tent hadn't required much thought of the matter but now that this man was looking at her she felt violated. So maybe she was being over the top but thinking back on how the Panther had circled her and the hungry look on it's face.. Ellie shuddered.

Owen of course completely misunderstood the situation, patting his sister's shoulder "Hey El it's not that bad.. I'm sure he didn't mean it?" trying to give her a smile to cheer up, but Ellie wasn't impressed in the least.
"You needed some space? This is the Amazon not some bloody amusement park." Brushing her hair back she sighed "Look.. whatever the hell your here for your not going near the villages.. some idiot from Sweden didn't wash his hands and half the camp got sick" It was ridiculous, the guy was way bigger then her and Owen was hardly a tough guy either but to Ellie that just made her more insistent. "Scare me? bollocks!" Ellie was liable to slap him right there for the just having the nerve to say something so utterly inappropriate. "You show up here.. play tough and then turn around and sorry is the best thing you have to say? God you wizards are all the bloody same" Ellie stated as Owen just watched the whole thing with the wide eyes of someone who was mostly in a totally different place entirely where the world glowed and was forever friendly to it's children..or somesuch.

Jamie Was really put off by her yelling at him Jamie really hated that She seamed nice and he had made her mad
"sorry love didn't mean to stalk anyone just figured that since panther is native to here could like blend in."
Jamie kicked at the dirt
"I don't think it's a playground, I was not planing to going in to any village at all, didn't even know it was bloody well here"
Jamie was now looking around seamed like a nice place quiet out of the way, Jamie was scared she was going to hit him for running in here, he really had acted like an idiot coming out here for a run now he really should have not let Alexa get to him like this just because she was with that gay French man.
"look umm so sorry just need head space and what do you mean wizards are all the same you mean your not a witch. " jeez this day could not get any worse using magic in the present of muggles it is very bad.
" umm how did you know umm how do you know about wizards?" Jamie asked
Jamie hoped that this would not make trouble with the ministry he really did not need any of that right now with the championships coming up.

"DON'T call me love" Ellie spat, "I am not your bloody love" she really hated that term, love. Everywhere she went in England it was 'hey love do you want that? What'sa problem luv.. the word alone made her feel sick to the stomach. "Well if you wanted to really blend in you should have headed a bit south of here" Ellie stated in what almost seemed a kind manner until her expression hardened "...That's where the poaches are." A glare as she took a step forward to size him up. Ellie knew full well that if a person died while under the animagus spell they died for real. It was why she always got worried when Kat would go swimming as a Otter or Mum would turn into a hare to get to town. For a moment she wondered how it was that this man was such a big creature when the only other animagus' she'd seen where so small. 'Must be the size of his ego' Ellie thought, a small snort of laughter as she covered her face. No need to share with him what had made her laugh. It was odd to watch the man kick casually at the dirt. Closing her eyes a moment she could imagine the paw of the panther doing much the same. It was strange having magic be so much a part of her life, she'd seen all sorts of wonders and yet never experienced them in the same way that Kat or Mum where able to.

While Ellie didn't always have the most polite tongue she didn't appreciate being sworn at by some wanna be punk. "That's the bloody point! Your not bloody well supposed to see it." Ellie rolled her eyes, how was she supposed to explain the politics around the three way tentitive agreement between the local villages, Wizards Without Boundaries and the indiginious elven population. "You know there are tribes out here that have never.. never seen anyone from the outside.. except for the planes the scientists use to study them. We don't even know if they are magical or not but the last thing they need is some idiot like you bumbling in because you weren't looking where you where going." Ellie didn't know why but she felt protective of those tribes, maybe it was because she saw them a bit like her brother, lost outside of the world around them and just going day by day following the traditions of their forebears.

"Sounds like your heads already got plenty of space in it" Ellie said as Owen just stood there watching as he puffed along with his peace pipe. Just where had he got that from anyway? "I'm a volunteer, a Muggle if it matters so much to you.. both of us are" Ellie nodded at Owen who waved and gave the stranger a wide happy smile of the stoned off his head. "Not that it's any of your business but our Dad married a witch.. so it kind of comes with the territory doesn't it?" So much for Ellie's aim to try and be less rude to others this year.
"Yeah.. and little Kittykat's one too.. she's great at Magic just ask anyone" Owen chimed in as Ellie just rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wondered what it would have been like if she'd been born with magic running though her veins, would she have been able to fix Owen and save their real mum? Ellie didn't know but she guessed in the end it didn't matter because the world was how it was and you just had to deal with it regardless.

Jamie was really taken aback by by the lades out rage over him calling her love.
Note to self no love
"I will have you know I've been running around in this forest for well a few years on and off and the poaches need to be scared of me, there's no reason to hunt animals Muggle or not" Jamie really hated poachers they kill for no good reason just money.
"well of course they not see people from outside and I was a panther so not from outside. Just a big cat out for a run in the jungle. no harm no foul" Jamie was a little jack off with this woman's attitude most people would run a way and Jamie just runs away as well but she had to hand her ground with a panther.
"Hey ok so I not the smartest man in the world and I was only asked about the Muggle thing coz magic in front of normal muggles is well you know against the rules, I don't need to get in to any trouble. Ministry and I are not getting on these days" Jamie said as he he tried to put space between him and the weed smoking Did she say our father so brother good Man
"so yep I will not crate any trouble I know some of the local elves in the area so should be no issues there and sorry again but most people run away when they see big black panther in the village you know l... you know" he almost call her love
Jamie was really hopping to win her over.

Ellie gave the man a narrow look, "Race has nothing to do with it. Half the poaches do it because they can't afford anything else.. the rest well.. they're the right bastards." She remembered some of the incidents they'd had back in Madagascar and Africa, just as often the poachers where as poor as everyone else. It was a hard situation but as difficult as it was Ellie knew that their charter was to help everyone, no matter what. Ellie had always struggled with that, she didn't believe it was right to patch up boys who'd come in with bullets wounds just so they could go off and hurt more people. Just as it wasn't right to excuse this man. Ellie wondered just how much a impact his 'visits' had caused to the tribespeople.. who knew maybe it was a sight of him that had brought the attention towards them in the first place. To make matters worse he was a idiot and didn't seem to understand even a simple point. "..and what about the people inside.. who knows what kind of diseases you've got running around.. gods.. I know.. your here for the women aren't you? All those stories about women visited by spirits in the night.. it's guys like you annit? You sneak in and go looking for a girl by themselves.. you sick.." Ellie shuddered. It all made a horrible sense in her mind and to think that maybe if Owen hadn't arrived when he did she'd have been just another victim?

No Ellie certainly didn't believe the man was innocent, it didn't make sense in her mind that anyone would go to such lengths for just a run and there was just something fishy about the whole thing. Then again he could have just been a idiot or possibly had some kind of brain damage... it certainly would have gone to explain why he seemed incapable of understanding even the simplest thing. "Yes.. I know it's against the law" and boy didn't she? If it wasn't for their Wizards Without Border's passports giving her Mum and Kat immunity to prosecution her Mum and sister would have been brought up before the ministry many times over for breaking the statue of secrecy. Ellie scoffed a bit at the mention of the ministry, "Yes well.. we're hardly the ministries favorites either" in many respects Wizards Without Borders was a diplomatic nightmare. The purests hated them because they didn't check blood status' of they're patents and would let anyone join who had the skills and the International Confederation of Wizards despised them for 'risking' the statue of secrecy and regularly performing feats of magic on and around unaware Muggles. "Guess you got lucky then.. Ministry doesn't bother us and we don't bother them" Ellie added repeating the common mantra which was the loophole that allowed Wizards Without Borders to work. Much as Wizards Without Borders was publicly stated to be a 'fringe' group and unsupported by neither the main nor opposition parties there was enough support at least at face value from the major ICW members to ensure their operations where mostly unhindered.

"Right.. no trouble.. so who exactly are you anyway?" Ellie asked, it was hard not to be curious since this man was clearly British and a very long way from home. 'Wizards' she thought to herself, he was probably just some magical equivalent of a accountant but you knew the moment you got to asking them it would be Megatron the Mighty on the search for the lost Keys of Achalon or the like. It was all smoke and mirrors to Ellie, sure she'd seen some truly amazing things in her life, there was no power on the earth like watching someone being healed who had before been near-death. What annoyed her though was how people could be born with such amazing powers and squander it all away because they thought it made them better then everyone else. "Wise man said once.. you run from the tiger, you become it's meal.. you stare it in the face and then you become it's equal"

"Yeah-yeah.. that was Hendrix wasn't-it? Or Dylan.. some swavey dude anyway.." Owen broke in from amongst his 'happy place'
Ellie snatched the pipe off her brother who was grinning at her with the lopsided leer of one who didn't care if his answer was right or wrong but was happy regardless of everything. "I thought you where going to go clean?" Ignoring her brothers words she sighed as she turned the ornate wooden pipe around in her hands. Elven craftsmanship.. who'd have known they would have been into that sort of stuff? Mind you Ellie guessed a lot of world history had to be re-written once you knew that the dragons and fairy's mentioned as story where coverups for the real thing. Sometimes she did have to wonder just how she could have gone on living if her Mum hadn't died and they'd never been introduced to any of this stuff, how alien to think of a world in which she would probably have a steady job, a nice flat somewhere in London with a boy and Owen.. straight, clean Owen who'd never met that girl or had a son that now whenever she asked him about it he just mumbled and found a excuse to walk away. Something was wrong there and while she would drag Owen to the end of the earth to find out what it was. But the truth seemed was just as elusive as ever.

Jamie was very clam as she kinda defended the poachers Jamie could not under stand that they were just evil killing animals for the fur or a tusck.
"that rubbish they do it coz the lazy and it easier than makin an hounst living" but Jamie stop his line of thought as this woman accused him of being a sick pervert and sleeping with girls
" that just a lies I try to avoid villages, I have no need to sleep with girls I have no need to deceive women I am what I am and I resent that you think I am that kind of man you do not even know me" Jamie was so mad most of what the lady said after that was lost on him as he fumed about the insalt the drug addition was still smoking away and the she asked who he was,
" I not sure I should tell you I mean you just accused me of being child malester by which I am not I'm a qudditch player." Jamie said as he squared his shoulders and decided to tell her his name,
" I am Jamie savage. I'm on the English team for next year world cup" Jamie said as the lady gave him so quite about bravery
" what ever" Jamie really was not happy with this woman.
Jamie was forced to agree with the woman about her brother going clean thro but really could care less
" I really thing you should retract you coments about me and young girls" Jamie said to her

"and what would you know about a honest living?" Ellie shot right back, everything about the guy said that he'd never done a honest hard days work in his life, so what right did he have to judge the people who called this country home. Ellie didn't like the poachers, neither did she like the drug runners, pickpockets, boy solders or countless other unmentionables living on the edge of society that she'd come across in her life. She didn't have to agree with their choices but it was hard to turn your back and ignore that the world was hardly a friendly place willing to offer them a better choice. People did what they had to do, and where they any different? Maybe it was the stifling humidity, the feel of sweat trickling down her back amongst the thick warmth of the jungle. Maybe it was Owen or the frustration of having to wait on ceremony before they could get back to Africa where there was room to breath again. Either way Ellie was certainly not in the best mood today and it was almost enough to pity anyone who got on her nerves when that happened. For while Ellie wasn't a big woman there was no doubt that she was stubborn. "Yeah.. you're bloody right.. I don't know you and you know what I don't fricken care to" and that was the truth of it. She wanted to go back to where the campfire was burning and forget all about the man. But she had a responsibility to keep a eye on him. Who knew what reason had brought him here and what damage it might do to their operations if he turned out to be a reporter from WWBN or some other junk just trying to make a cheap story out of other peoples misery.

"Well would you rather I keep calling you a child molester?" Ellie asked raising a eyebrow before letting out a snort of laughter. A Quidditch player.. and to think he'd been going on about others not doing a hard days work. Ellie didn't know that much about Quidditch, they'd seen the odd minor league game once or twice in the UK with their Aunt but had never really followed the sport with any passion. To her it just looked like a bunch of wizards flying around while trying to play football. "I see.. so you consider a hard days work to be flying around on a stick" it really was too much, Ellie had stood by in the middle of earthquakes, swum in floods and lived in the cold chill of a nuclear disaster and here was he going on as if he deserved respect because he happened to be on a Quidditch team.. whatever it just proved her point that most Wizards where selfish idiots without a clue to how the real world worked. It was pretty clear that neither of them where going to give up for politeness sake, Ellie squaring him off before raising a eyebrow "Oh you do do you? Well I think you need to grow a pair and admit that you where sizing me up" crossing her arms before her she just glared up at him, the memory of how he..as a cat had looked at her left her feeling exposed and vulnerable. "You wizards think that you're gods gift well let me tell you that you're nothing.. less then nothing, just some two bit wannabe footballer who can cast a few fancy spells.. that's it".

"C'mon Ellie.. the guy's alright you know that.." Owen chimed in, the weed in his system painting the world in technicolor where everything was warm and inviting. "You wanna hit bud?" he asked as he took the peace pipe off his sister... or well tried to but her grip was much stronger. "Owen just go away.. go back and tell Dad we've got company.. please?" Ellie was insisting now as she ripped the pipe away from him and snapped it in half in her hands. Maybe it was a gift, and maybe it was a relic of a civilization predating humanity but to Owen it was nothing but temptation he didn't need.
Turning back to Jamie Ellie sighed with relief as Owen started walking back to camp, "So.. either you come with us and explain yourself, or you leave.. your choice" Ellie stated plainly as she picked up her things ready to return to the village. Either way Ellie didn't care, she just wanted to be rid of him as fast as possible so she could take another shower and try to get rid of the feeling of his eyes on her. Why was it that she always had to meet guys who where jerks, and way too old for her to boot? Everyone else seemed to have someone, Mum and Dad, Owen and Moonbeam..or well wherever she was now.. even Kat had Anton which had been a blow and a half for Ellie to find that her sister was so very happy in love. It seemed she was destined to grow old and bitter, hell she wasn't even thirty and she was already bitter enough for a crabby old maid. Ellie didn't know if the thought was worth laughing or crying over.

Jamie Was really mad about the wanna be footballer comment Anyway she was right he was checking here out she was a very attractive woman and seamed not to know it by the way she talking maybe she need for him to tell her that and make her feel like she was worth some thing it looked like she took care of all those people her brother and her dad and the poor people in the middle of no were.
" ok yes I was checking you out but you do look very attractive, the truth is that I used to wonder why some wizard hate muggles and now I know some of you are so ignorant wizards are not god gift to any one and second it takes a lot of work to be a qudditch player." Jamie could not believe that he was just asked to have a 'hit'
"what! No way that stuff will kill you. You know that don't you mate" the Ellie just took the pipe and Broke it. Then sent him away to speak with there dad.
"man he needs to be away from the elves around here they smoke all the time." jamie thought about she had said stay or go that was the hard part stay or go, I could stay and may be make get to know her or leave come back later some other day.
" I might go, talk later k" turned back in to a panther and ran away in to the forest.

Attractive? The word seemed to ring in her ears, she'd always been second best, even when Kat had been young there was no question that she was the one who brought the attention with her crazy red hair. Ellie was one of shadows, dark hair and large eyes looking out at a world that was forever wild and untamed. "Pig." she just said wishing she had something more to say to such a accusation.. and wishing more that she had a coat to hide under to stop the man from being able to look at her all together. "You're damn right you're no gift.. you're just a dirty old man who plays around with balls for a living". Behind her Owen snorted at the comment. Ellie ignored him, she was sick and tired of being pushed around by men, everywhere she went it seemed to be the same, people only seemed to pay attention to her as a woman, a interesting tidbit and nothing more.

Ellie couldn't tell if the mans words to her brother where genuine or just a attempt to try and make her opinions about him change, either way she let the words hang before sending Owen off, looking down at her feet for a moment the gloom was enough that she couldn't see the pieces of wood that she'd dropped just moments ago. The sun might not be setting for another few hours but already below the canopy the forest was dark, the small amount of light that wasn't blocked out by the higher layers of the jungle causing a long twilight as Ellie just shrugged "Yeah whatever.." she said as the man said he might leave. Ellie was glad they where supposed to be leaving in the morning. Never more had she longed to leave the camps and return to the remote aid station that they called home. Turning her back on Jamie there was a another uproar in the canopy and glancing back Ellie was sure she saw one last glimpse of black on black as the Panther disappeared into the jungle, where to she could only suspect as she hurried her way to catch up with Owen and tell him it was okay, that the stranger had left and not to worry their parents about it.

Though Ellie made sure when she got to her hut to put on a couple of layers of extra clothes, sweating in the heat was one thing but at least she felt safer now from prying eyes in the dark. She didn't know if the man would return or not, or even if he was out there hidden in the darkness, Ellie eventually relented and joined the rest of the people around the camp fire, listening to the songs and stories until she fell asleep with her head nestled against OWen who'd passed out a few hours earlier to dreams of the jungle alive with rainbow colours and creatures that had never a chance to walk the earth. Tripping in his own world as Ellie slept fretfully, thoughts of eyes in the dark haunting her dreams until she work disjointed and sore the next morning, trying to remember if what had happened the night before was a dream or had happened. Owen of course wasn't much help as a second opinion in that regard as he insisted he'd been visited by a beautiful elf maiden during the night... Ellie didn't know that much about Elven law but she was quite sure it didn't include sleeping with stoned muggles no matter what Owen's dreams said.

With a sigh she set to the work the next day, packing the last of their equipment away before sharing heartfelt farewells with the other campers and locals. Ellie knew the look in their peers eyes as they left, working for Wizards Without Border's usually meant having to forgo the comforts of home, the biggest being simply having a community of people who looked kind of like you and understood your words and thinking. It was why these short visits where the lifeblood of what allowed their organization to function, the frequent checkups to ensure that everything was aokay and also the secondary habit of sharing whatever tidbits of advice, local knowledge and news they could to try and make the days between easier to cope with. Ellie herself had gone though times where she would count down the days till they where re-supplied just to see someone she didn't already know intimately though their various health aliments and opinions on the world at large. It took until near nightfall the next day for them to be ready, tearful farewells as she and Owen climbed into the back of the van and holding hands braced against the sides of the van as the entire VW Kombie was dragged into the air, wind gusting though every crack with a howl before it landed in a cloud of dust and the sound of strained metal.

Ellie always feared that one day the bus would be ripped apart by the force of the apperation but again they had been lucky as on weak feet Ellie climbed out of the van into a deep red sunset..they where 'home' or at least a few miles down the road from the African clinic that they'd called home for the past few months. There was always more work and fresh challenges with Wizards Without Borders, but it had been a way of life for her for so long that Ellie felt it always would be. No mattter what.