Jason pulled the Rabbit inside his cabin none too gently, letting him drop on his floor. The sharp smell of blood filled his nose, mingling with the frightened scent of his new friend. It only seemed to help focus his adrenaline, to sharpen his response to these intruders. He lifted his wand and felt the rush of magic well inside him. The wood, made from a branch of willow in his own front yard, became an extension of his right arm. He could feel his will being made manifest through it.
"I don't know who you are," he shouted into the night, "but you're trespassing on private property. I'm sure you just didn't know. I'm giving you this last chance to recognize your mistake and walk away. Just step off my land, and I won't think anything of it."
There was silence in the dark for several moments. "You have a Rabbit in there with you, I'm sure. He came this way, and his trail leads right to your front door. Give him up and we'll leave you in peace, stranger."
Jason lit the tip of his wand so that the gunmen could see his face, and so he might be able to see them a little better. He felt his magic draw forth into the light, but he also felt it moving backwards, behind him into his house. That's odd. It had never done that before.
"Who I may or may not have in my own house is no concern of yours. Just get off my land before this goes any further. You should know that I'm a wizard very well-versed in magic, and there's a lot I can do with it."
Silence again. A different voice spoke up this time. "We know what you are, wizard. We don't want any trouble; we just want the Rabbit. He might not look it, but he's extremely dangerous and he needs to be apprehended for our protection."
Jason looked back at the stranger on the floor. Up close, he didn't look as bad off as he did earlier. Most of the blood had dried, and he wasn't as small or scrawny as he seemed outdoors. The Rabbit looked at him with his big, dark eyes, a pleading expression on his face. He didn't have the look of an evil man about him; he didn't look like he could hurt someone if he wanted to. A look passed between them that told him everything he needed to now. He liked to believe that part of his magical ability was the gift of reading someone's nature quickly and accurately. Whoever this stranger was, he was the one in trouble. Not the bullies outside.
"That's an interesting story. Now let me listen to his and be the judge of who's dangerous and who's not. If he's as bad as you say he is, then I'll hand him over tomorrow morning. After he's been patched up."
Jason took the ensuing silence to see if he could find any of the people who were hovering around the edge of the tree-line. Judging by the voices alone, there had to be three or four people out there, tops. It would be difficult, but if he could get them clustered together and got a lucky shot...
"Wizard, this is no affair of yours. Just give up the Rabbit and we'll be on our way."
"And what happens if I don't?"
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