Not All Badgers Burrow.

[Lianna Maylorn]

Its true, they don't all burrow, some burrow, hit an underground stream and drown. Not this badger. This badger climbs. Yes thats right, climbs.

The first year was perched in the tree perhaps 15 feet off the ground, oddly balanced between a pair of branches, but balanced and stable none-the-less.

It had a nice view, the lake, the rest of the fields that more of a fading green because of winter with the occasional brown spot of dead grass. In her pockets rested the few maybe nine of ten pine cones she had bothered to pick up before climbing, her sole intent being target practice.

And the first victim approached.

(Opens!)

[Keagan Gerislynn]

Satchel in tow, Keagan had set herself upon the castle grounds following a brief trip to the school library. The books she had found on Magical and Muggle artwork looked to be quite entertaining, and Keagan looked forward to finding a secluded bench somewhere on which to sit and peruse them. And thus she ventured.

Her path took her to a small hill, and she had a bench in her sights as she passed beneath a series of trees, not thinking to look she slightest bit upwards as she continued on at a leisurely pace, sure of her destination.

[Lianna Maylorn]

"Bombs away..." The small girl whispered to herself as the first pine cone let fly through the branches and remaining leaves that were keeping the girl partially hidden.

She watched as it missed its intended target and landed at the older girl's feet as she walked. "Drat..." She murmured as she readied salvo number two.

[Keagan Gerislynn]

"What the....," Keagan muttered, looking down at the item resembling a...pine cone ...that now lay at her feet. Looking left...right...behind...really anywhere but up, Keagan scratched her head with her free hand and adopted a puzzled look on her features. Where had it come from? Absently, she stepped upon the cone and stumbled, flushing in frustration, however glad she hadn't actually fallen.

[Lianna Maylorn]

The girl only smiled. The first cone had accomplished one of two tasks, hit or cause her to stop. It performed the latter. Dropping another , this time pretty sure it was on target she peered with her eyes only through the leaves.

This was simply going too perfect.

[Keagan Gerislynn]

The next pine cone bounced off of the hand Keagan still held atop her head, but she responded just the same; Keag looked up and saw...nothing. The leafy foliage hid the culprit too well. "Nasty squirrel," Keagan muttered as she approached the tree she assumed the pine cone was launched from. "I'm gonna get you."

Tossing her satchel at the foot of the tree, she proceeded to climb. When she was about 12 feet off the ground, Keagan glanced around and saw...still nothing. Was she in the wrong tree?

[Lianna Maylorn]

Indeed the older girl was off her mark by only one tree. Right height, wrong mark. And that was when salvo number three came crashing through the leaves near the ill-observant girl. If this was all an artillery spotter did, it was one easy job.

Still, never the less a fourth pine cone went carefully form her left hand to her right and waited for any sign of its needing. Or, if it was time to run.

[Keagan Gerislynn]

"Ah-ha!" Keagan exclaimed as the third pine cone struck her in the back and she whirled her head around. However, the chattering squirrel she expected to now face was nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, Keagan had a new clue as to where the culprit lay in wait, and the fifth year grabbed hold of a branch from the neighboring tree and swung her feet unto a lower branch, muttering a prayer to Merlin that she may escape falling.

[Lianna Maylorn]

Lianna nearly jumped at the girl's voice, she was moving...the girl was moving! To her tree, and with the older girl now lower than her she couldn't escape via her planned escape route. And she didn't see a viable back up without risking her neck for it. And that wasn't acceptable. Maybe this was the reason she wasn't sorted to Ravenclaw.

Still, never the less, without place to retreat and to go up would mean revealing her position, her one pine cone in her hand turned to six and they all dropped at once when she was sure the girl was safely across.

Grinning childishly Lianna watched and fought back the urge to giggle and mock. But that wouldn't be a viable choice either.

[Keagan Gerislynn]

"Hey! Ouch! Watch it! Ow!" Keagan cried as, one after another, six pine cones fell from the higher reaches of the tree and onto her head. Scraping cone crumbs from her head with her free hand, Keagan turned her head upward with a rarely seen death glare. "Grr..." she growled as she climbed upward in the tree, rage blinding her to the sight of the tiny first year who looked about to explode with laughter. Truth be told, however, Keagan probably couldn't hurt a fly, yet whatever woodland creature intelligent enough to play such a trick would not have a clue to this fact as the fifth year approached them.

[Lianna Maylorn]

(Woodland creature...Psh! )

One, Two, Three...Four, Five...Six, Seven... She counted off silently as a majority of her salvo hit. The only downside, she was now out of ammunition. And that was never good. hindsight was always right in telling your mistakes, whatever they were.

Biting her lower lip she heard the older girl climbing ever closer to her, now within perhaps three feet's distance. Waiting wasn't on her list either...but she had no choice.

[Keagan Gerislynn]

"Stupid.......pesky......rodent.....gah!" Keagan muttered as she climbed the next few feet. Somehow, her muttering served to clear her rage and Keag was able to see clearly again. Shaking her hair from her face at a moment when using her hand would have meant falling to painful injury, Keagan glanced upward and met the eyes of the trapped first year. "What..." Keagan started, then cocked her head to the side as she studied the girl. "Hello there."

[Lianna Maylorn]

Lianna merely giggled at the girl's mutterings, even more so when she looked up and saw her. this would be by far the most amusing part of it all. Amusing, but risky, thus she decided to be cordial first.

"Hi!" She chirped back finding she was secured nicely to the branches she released a hand to give a small wave.

[Keagan Gerislynn]

"Hi," Keagan said again, in a shorter fashion than the first time. Gaining her footing again, Keagan climbed up one more tier in order to take a seat on a branch that appeared sturdy enough to support the weight of the fourteen year old. A slightly puzzled look on her face, Keag looked up at the small girl again. "House?" she asked, assuming that any Hogwarts student would understand the response expected. It was, after all, routinely given, especially with the constant in-pouring of new students.

[Lianna Maylorn]

She pondered a moment, not to quick on deciphering the one word question, but she did finally comprehend it. "Hufflepuff, yourself?" She questioned tilting her head and looking down through what was her original bomb-sight then back at the older girl.