Should I or Shouldn't I? (open)

Walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the boy kept his eyes on the treeline. The Ravenclaw wanted to go in there and explore. Not foolish enough to enter by himself he knew that it would be ideal to have another person with him if he attempted to go in there. Another pair of eyes to look around would always be better in case something came along. Even if he would have preferred to solo it. The less people you had with you the greater chance of success of going in and coming out of a place without drawing too much attention. Yet, for a place like this, another would be the more logical choice. That way he had protection.

Stopping for a moment Gaspard stepped closer, his curiosity nearly overpowering his common sense. Nearly, but not quite. Licking his lips, he took another step closer, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed into the darkness as far as he could. The boy's mind was going over the different creatures and plants that could be in the forest as well those that he knew were in there. If he did go in there, he'd have to be aptly prepared....Shrugging his shoulders to more comfortably settle the bag on his back, he looked up at the sky wondering if he had enough time before curfew.

The Ravenclaw didn't know how often the professors patrolled the forest or if they even did. Perhaps they only walked along the parameter of the forest? Maybe he should observe from one of the towers to see if there were any patterns. Edging yet even closer, his head whipped around when he heard someone's footsteps behind him. He relaxed only slightly seeing that it wasn't a professor. Out of curiosity and to see if they too were trying to sneak into the forest he asked "What brings you out here?"

As much as Gaspard wanted to go into the forest, he wanted to be able to come back out. Very much in the same condition as he had gone in would be preferable. Gaspard thought it was quite a coincidence that he'd found someone so close to the forbidden forest, even if they were out with a...horse. He hadn't been aware that Hogwarts had horses. That was something to look into. Giving her a sidelong look he debated answering honestly. Returning her shrug with one of his own he stated, "Enjoying the fresh air."

While that wasn't an outright lie, he was perhaps, bending the truth quite a bit. His sole intention was to enter the forest and see what could be seen in there. There were tales of a wild car (which Gaspard severely doubted), as well as of a three headed dog. Now that one, was worth going into the forest. Gaspard loved mythology and seeing something that would be right out of Greek Mythology would be quite spectacular. There was no denying that it existed, since he was sure that the drool of the creature was where the aconite had first sprung from.

"Have you ever been in the forest?" Tilting his head to the side as he considered the girl and her horse, he added, "Besides for class."

Giving her horse a wide birth, Gaspard watched it curiously since he'd never seen one before. Not really. His mother studied mostly dead animals and a few living ones, but only those that were magical, not muggle. Thankful that the girl looked as if she could handle the animal, he felt a bit of disappointment when she'd said she'd never been in the forest before. At the question of, "There's a first time for everything, right?" Gaspard's eyes lit up as he felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips.

The boy made a non committal sound as he followed behind her after her question/challenge of asking if he was coming. He hoped that she wouldn't decide to ditch him as soon as they were part way or even halfway in just for 'fun'. Tthe Ravenclaw couldn't help but pipe up, "Curiosity is a double edged sword, much like courage." Or at least it was in his opinion. But he believed that it would be worth it. They had her horse and animals usually knew when something was close by didn't they?

Raising his hand and scratching at his cheek he silently thought that the forest was too fascinating to not look into. Even if he did jump a little at the sound of something falling to the forest floor ahead of them and to the right. More than likely it was a dead branch that had fallen from age or some animal's movements, hopefully something normal like a squirrel. To distract himself and because he really did want to know, the boy mused, "I wonder what creatures are in here?"

Hearing footsteps behind her, Sophie smiled, assuming that the boy had followed her. She'd been hoping he would; adventures weren't meant to be done alone and it was always fun to have someone along. It also showed some courage that Sophie didn't think he would have for a Ravenclaw. To her knowledge, they were rather bookish people who liked to study and learn. Or perhaps it was just his ego, not wanting to be outdone by a mere girl. She knew there were guys like that, experienced them first hand at all the competitions she went to. They were such sore losers.

As she entered the forest, Sophie didn't really pay that much attention to the Ravenclaw. Her eyes were busy looking for any signs of Hippogryffs, and her mind was on everything she'd learned and read about the creatures. It wasn't until he spoke that Sophie turned her attention to him. She pondered his words for a moment, not one who was used to philosophical discussions or anything of the sort. "Well, yes, but without curiosity, life would be very boring," she responded. "And without courage, nothing would be achieved." But like what Gramma always said, everything had to be done in moderation - Sophie just didn't do things by half measures.

Something in the distance crashed, and Sophie grinned at his jump. She went on many trail rides back on the farm and knew what to expect in a forest, though of course, she had to remind herself that this was the Forbidden Forest. She shrugged at his question. "Creatures that are dangerous, I suppose, given that all the rules say we shouldn't be here," she answered, glancing down at the Ravenclaw. This was one reason she was beginning to like the boy. If he was willing to break the rules, Sophie was inclined to be impressed.

"I'm Sophie by the way," she added as an afterthought, "and this is Phoenix." She patted her horse's neck. "If you want, you can come on and ride instead of walking," she offered. "He doesn't spook easy, so there's no need to worry."

[[OOC: You can add whatever creatures they come across ]]

Tilting his head to the side as he considered what was said about nothing being achieved without courage, Gaspard had to concede that she was right. It took courage to dare break barriers and go against the norm, or to not just take someone at their word that it couldn't be done. This girl was smart, and he liked that fact since he'd rather not be traveling with a dense person in a potentially hostile environment. Then her next question almost caused him to revise his opinion of her as he halted his eye roll. Of course the creatures in here would be dangerous or else why have the name 'Forbidden Forest' and it stressed that they were not to go into said place? Then again, would he have answered any differently if someone posed that question at him? Giving her a sidelong look he blinked in surprise when she gave her name then volunteered to let him ride on her horse.

After a beat he stated rather confusedly, "Gaspard...why is your horse named after a fire bird?"

He might take her up on the offer to ride the horse if there was a need, but as they were walking, he could easily keep up with the animal. There was also the fact that he'd be able to see the horse's head and ears a lot better from down here then up there to notice if it decided they were not alone. Since they'd entered that was what he had been doing, throwing an occasional glance at the horse before letting his eyes wander. That was how he ended up spotting something that he'd at first dismissed as fancy or eyestrain. Quietly, he asked his companion, "Did you see that?" It had flicked for an instant then had darted away. A gleam entered his eyes as he absently took an eager step forward then halted almost as if it pained him, he turned to look at Sophie echoing her own words at her. "You coming?"

((ooc: Ditto. Sorry, tired))

When he didn't respond to her answer, Sophie let the matter rest. She didn't know the full answer to that question, aware of only a couple of creatures that made the Forbidden Forest their home, but she knew there was a reason why they weren't allowed in there. And she was determined to find that out.

He didn't take her up on her offer but instead posed a question that made her grin. Phoenix had an amazing story, one that she would probably share in full detail if her attention wasn't fully on her surroundings.

"Phoenix has been through a lot," she began, patting his neck fondly. "He reminds me of the bird. He's been burned before. Not literally of course, but abused and mistreated. Still, he rose from all of that and has a new life now."

She still remembered the day she met Phoenix. He'd been in terrible condition, both physically and emotionally, but with time and lots of love, Sophie managed to get through to him. It hadn't been easy, especially when he had lashed out at anyone who came near him. But Sophie had studied and observed as much as she could about the behaviour of horses just so she could help h im.

"You've got a funny name," she commented. "I've never heard it before."

As she spoke, she kept an eye around her but missed whatever movement Gaspard saw. "No, I didn't," she responded.

Glancing at Phoenix though, she could tell that her horse had seen it, one of his ears pointing in the direction Gaspard was looking at. She almost rolled her eyes when he repeated her earlier words, but this was not the time for banter. She dismounted Phoenix, wrapping the loose reins around her hand and moving forward, ready to face whatever it was lurking in the forest.