littlemagicstar (littlemagicstar) wrote in weddedto_sonora, @ 2018-09-03 21:12:00 |
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Dear Reader,
After several unsuccessful searches for Gytrashes through the forests of mainland Scotland, I was starting to get disheartened and was considering giving up. JJ was being foul and miserable, the length of time spent in the forests getting to him and the weather as awful as his mood, given all the rainfall. In order to try and placate him and get him to stop whining so I could think about our next move in peace, we stopped in a small inn in an equally small town to get a proper meal and a good night’s sleep in a proper bed. I think JJ is struggling with how much time we are actually spending in the outdoors, not used to ever spending a night not in his own bed. It’s quite frustrating as I’m not quite sure what he expected. How am I supposed to document and study the different creatures in the world if we spend all of our times hiding away in the warm indoors?
Frustration aside, our respite actually served us well and not for the reason one might think. As JJ was stuffing his face with all the food the inn had to offer, I had been poring over a map of the UK, trying to work out where we could go next. I was struggling for ideas. That’s when we met Will. I’d share a last name but I don’t actually know it. He only spoke with us for all of five minutes but in those short minutes, he solved my biggest problem by sharing some very valuable information. I made JJ buy him a beer as a thank-you.
As it turned out, Will was a wizard and he’d spotted us on the outskirts of the town when we’d apparated in. It wasn’t often that wizards showed up in the small town and his curiosity was apparently piqued by our visit. I explained our dilemma to him, hoping that he’d be able to give me some insight as to where to go next. He gave us our answer by pointing to a very small island, just off the coast of Scotland – the Isle of Arran.
Off the coast of south-west of Scotland is a small group of islands situated in an inlet known as the ‘Firth of Clyde’ named, quite obviously, because of the fact that it is where the River Clyde empties out. Arran is the largest of these islands but only has a small population of approximately four and half thousand people. We were headed for the Glenrickard forest, which was rich with archaeological remains – much to JJ’s delight – and had a healthy population of red squirrels, the muggle creature. They were very cute and I managed to lure one close to me, giving me the opportunity to sketch it.
We’ve set up camp in the heart of the forest, close to a stream which allowed me to replenish our water bottles. JJ pointed out to me that we could just as easily use Aguamenti to supply ourselves with water but I like to live off the land, where possible. What’s the point in having this whole experience if you only do it halfway? JJ thinks I’m mad but that’s not going to stop me. I want to experience everything the world has to offer. We’ll be staying out here for a few days, to maximise the opportunity of seeing a Gytrash. I’m a bit worried in case this trip gets added to the list of failures but I’m trying to keep my hopes high – it’s all just a case of being patient.
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We’ve finally been successful!
It took a couple of nights, JJ and I taking in turns in staying awake to keep watch but we finally saw a pair of Gytrashes. Let me tell you, they are incredible but they do strike fear into your heart. They are fast, faster than anything I’ve ever seen, possibly because they’re not really a living creature. They don’t have a danger classification because they fall under the category of spirits, not beasts. Your eyes have to be sharp as they blend seamlessly into the darkness of the night until they are mere feet from you and you can see that they actually emit a dim silver glow, that covers them entirely from the tips of their claws to the end of their forked tails.
They appear to drool quite heavily and have a long and quite large mouth, filled with razor sharp teeth. You cannot let your guard down around these spirits as they lunge quickly as I had the misfortune to learn. I was caught unawares and was bitten, the Gytrash catching my arm. It was painful but an odd sensation at the same time as the Gytrash itself was cold and it felt rather like my skin had been covered with ice.
Having been bitten, there was a need to find a way to make them retreat or vanish completely and it was during this that I discovered that these spirits are incredibly sensitive to light – the wand-lighting charm is effective enough at keeping them at bay as they shy away from the brightness of the light. Approaching them with this spell and touching them with Lumos makes them fade entirely, though I am uncertain as to whether it is permanent or merely temporary. Given that they are a spirit, I am inclined to assume that their disappearance is only for a limited time and that they manifest elsewhere. JJ discovered that they are also susceptible to Vermillious, the red sparks almost behaving like fireworks when they reach the Gytrash. However, they appear to be resistant to Verdimillious, the green sparks having had no effect at all and fire does nothing, as the use of Incendio was useless.
I have sketched a Gytrash from memory (below) and I feel the need to assure you, Reader, that I am well. JJ prepared Essence of Murtlap and bathed my wound in it, as well as a Wiggenweld potion to encourage healing. I am grateful that he is with me and have been reassured that the bite will not scar.
The next part of our journey, involves going into the mountains of Scotland as we are going to try and find our next dragon – the Hebridean Black. Hopefully, I won’t end up with a burn to add to my current injury!