Chapter One
A/N: This is my first fanfiction, so please no flames. Read and review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Merlin.
Ten Years Earlier
"Ophie, why can't I play outside with the other children?" The seven year old girl asked as she looked longingly out of the window of the cottage.
Beside the girl stood a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties with dark blonde hair pulled back in a bun. She looked down at the dark haired child fondly and patted the top of her head. The girl often asked her such questions, and it nearly broke her heart as she gave a similar answer to every one.
"You are not like them, my dear Isowen. It would be unfair to the others if you were to play games with them." She tugged at the little girl's arm gently. "Come, let us practice some more." She pulled her away from the window and back to the kitchen table where several books lay open waiting to be read.
Isowen groaned. "Why do I always have to practice? It's no fun." She pouted sullenly at her guardian.
The older woman chuckled and knelt in front of her ward to look in the little girl's violet eyes. "One day you will understand. One day, you will be the greatest sorceress to ever live. But for now, you must work. If not, then your destiny will not be fulfilled."
Now
Isowen smiled to herself as she placed supper on the table for herself and Ophelia. It was a very special day, and she had just barely kept herself in control of her excitement all day. Last time she had been this excited about something she had accidentally exploded a water jug. Seventeen long years she had waited for this day, anticipating the moment when it would arrive. Glee overcame her as she simply thought about it. Today was the day she would be told her prophecy.
The doorknob shook, causing Isowen's excitement to rise exponentially. She stared impatiently as the door swung open and a woman stepped inside the cottage. But it was not the person she had been expecting. Confusion took over her as the woman who had just entered made her way toward her with hurried steps and a worried look on her face. Isowen knew with one glance that something was terribly wrong. Ophelia should have been there, not this woman.
"May I help you?" Isowen asked the unknown woman, apprehension evident in her voice. She was not a fan of strange people coming into her home unannounced.
The woman shook her head. "It is I who is here to help you." She said in a raspy voice. Holding out her hand, she gave Isowen a sealed roll of parchment. With a raised eyebrow Isowen took it and examined the seal on the paper.
"Mistress Ophelia sent me to give you this. She said that you must open it only when you know for certain you are safe. For now, you must flee before Morgana finds you."
Morgana. The name was one that bode no good will to anyone within the realm of King Arthur. Everyone knew of the corruptness that ruled the sorceress' spirit, her thirst for the king's blood, and her lust for Camelot's throne. There was nothing that she wouldn't do to take the throne. The question in Isowen's mind was why Morgana would be searching for her.
She asked as much to her guardian's messenger. The woman shook her head in ignorance. "I know not why she seeks you out, only that she does. Save yourself from her clutches while there is still time to escape." She gave a sympathetic glance to the girl before turning her back and leaving as abruptly as she had come.
Isowen wasted no time in scarfing down her food and packing a knapsack with clothes, valuables, and essentials. If she knew one thing, it was to heed Ophelia's warnings as if her life depended on it. Throwing on a black cloak, she gave one last glance around the small cottage she called home and slipped out the door into the night.
The autumn air was cool on Isowen's skin as she crept silently though the little village. It seemed to whisper tales of danger to her as she passed by cottages and shops, entreating her to avoid all notice. Luckily, few people were ever out at night for fear of what may come out of the nearby forest, leaving Isowen essentially alone in the darkness. She slipped into the woods unseen and unheard, much to her pleasure. The fewer the people who knew of her plight the better. She would need her departure to remain unknown for as long as possible so as to avoid notice of Morgana.
Distant howls of wolves and the sound of insects were the only sounds that reached Isowen's ears as she traversed through the dark forest. A simple spell had allowed for her to see in the darkness, keeping her on her, albeit virtually nonexistent, path and out of harm via running into a tree. She met no one and saw nothing unusual during her trek, save a several day old fire pit made by some previous travelers. Of course, no humans would dare wander around in the forest at night, for there were creatures that lived there that struck fear into even the strongest of men. Isowen, however, found the ancient woods to be a comfort, much like her own home was. No animals so much as crossed her path as she walked for what seemed like ages, but could have been no more that an hour or two. Of course, that all would change soon enough.
The first sign of the creature was the almost imperceptible sound of feathers sliding against each other, followed by soft footsteps. Next came the sight of a silvery horse tail flicking in and out of sight behind a tree trunk. Isowen halted, knowing that she was being followed by no ordinary creature. The question was whether or not is was a creature whom wished to help her or harm her. So she waited patiently for it to reveal itself, and when it finally did step out from amongst the surrounding trees she marveled at its extraordinary beauty.
Before her was a silver and grey hippogriff, a creature seldom seen in those parts. Its dark eyes stared at the girl with full knowledge of who and what she was, for it was of a wisdom found only in creatures like it. He stepped closer until his silvery beak was nearly touching Isowen's forehead and stopped as if expecting some type of action from the girl.
Isowen curtsied to the magnificent creature, for hippogriffs are rather formal creatures, even if they were as bold as this particular one. The hippogriff, in return, gave a small bow to the girl and gently ruffled her hair with his beak. Isowen reached out a hand hesitantly and stroked his neck feathers, much to the creature's pleasure. Had he been a griffin instead of a hippogriff, he would have been purring profusely. As it was, the creature knelt to the ground and looked up with expectancy to Isowen.
The young sorceress was no stranger to the ways of magical creatures, having had read about or had some sort of experience with several. Her knowledge of hippogriffs consisted of the facts that they were very formal and expected manners from those humans they deemed worthy of interacting with, and the myth that they sometimes led those chosen people to their fates. She knew that one did not refuse a hippogriff if one so offered to give assistance to them.
She nodded politely to the noble creature and swung a leg over his back, resting herself between his shoulders and wings. It was both like and unlike sitting on the back of a horse, though a horse was a bit more comfortable seeing as one did not have to worry about their legs being in the way of a pair of gigantic wings that protruded from each side of the steed. The hippogriff gave a snort – whether in pleasure at being useful or annoyance from the weight gain she did not know – and rose to his feet with grace.
Swiftly and silently the creature cantered through the forest as if he himself was the wind that flowed through the trees. Isowen briefly wondered why he did not spread his wings and simply fly, but let the matter go as they sped though the forest. The trees were a blur on either side of them as they traveled though the night as fast as lightning. Isowen smiled softly. She knew not if it was luck or fate that had given her such good fortune, but either way she was greatly appreciative. She relaxed a little on the hippogriff's back as the wind caused her hair and cloak to flow out behind her and fade into the darkness.
It was dawn when they ceased their journey. Through the trees Isowen could vaguely make out the shapes of several men in armor and red cloaks moving about a makeshift camp. The glow of a small fire brought relative detail to one particular dark haired man's face, who was dressed differently than the others. Isowen could sense power in the man, the strength of which rivaled her own and seemed to compel her to seek it out.
She nudged the hippogriff with her heels, but he refused to move, as if he was rooted to the spot. His dark gaze was fixated on the camp and Isowen could sense the creature's rear. He stepped back onto a twig, causing it to snap and draw the attention of the men in the cam. One man crept towards them with his sword drawn. At the sight of the steel, the hippogriff reared up and spread his wings in panic, causing Isowen – who had loosened her grip on the creature – to slide off his back and fall none too gently on her backside.
As she laid in a bed of fallen leaves, other men had come to join the first with their swords drawn. They stared at the creature before them in awe, for it was the first of its kind for them to have encountered. None of them noticed the black clad girl lying behind him in pain from her fall. One man crept forward, lunging his sword at the frightened hippogriff with a yell. The creature backed up quickly until a loud scream pierced the morning air as one of its hooved back feet landed on Isowen's ankle. In an even more frightened state than before, the hippogriff lept up from the ground and took to the air, buffeting the men and Isowen with the wind caused by its wings until it disappeared into the sky.
A man with longish brown hair hurried over to Isowen's side. "Miss, are you alright?" He asked whilst picking her up in his arms.
Isowen groaned in pain as her ankle moved. "No, I am most definitely not 'alright'!" She snapped, much to the man's surprised. "If you people had not frightened him so I would not be injured. Thank you all so very much." She glared at the men who stared at her with shock. They were obviously not used to be reprimanded by women they had "rescued."
The man carrying her back to the camp chuckled slightly. "You certainly are a feisty one." He stated while Isowen glared daggers at him. "But if we had not frightened the beast we would not have found such a beautiful maiden as yourself in need of our assistance." He grinned cheekily and Isowen had to resist the urge to slap the grin off his face. He leaned a bit closer to her and whispered, "When you are healed, I would love to see more of that fiery spirit of yours."
This time she did slap him, which caused the man to nearly drop her from surprise. Isowen reached out and grabbed the trunk of a nearby birch tree and swung down from his arms. She glared at the man in a way that conveyed obvious contempt.
"If you dare touch me again, I promise you that your face will not be all that I harm." She threatened in barely more than a hiss.
The man seemed to understand what she was implying and immediately backed off. The other men began to laugh at his expense.
"Nice to see a change in pace with your flirtations, Gwaine." A blonde man chortled. "And here I thought you could get any woman you set your sights on." His blue eyes twinkled with merriment.
Gwaine muttered something unintelligible, though undoubtedly rude, underneath his breath and moved to the opposite side of camp.
The blonde man turned to Isowen, becoming serious as if someone had flipped a switch. "Where are you injured, miss...?"
"Isowen."
"Isowen." He smiled charmingly at her.
She glanced down at her ankle. "I am quite sure that my ankle is broken. Most likely my back is fairly bruised, but that will heal fairly quickly."
He nodded. "Merlin, come help Isowen with her ankle. As soon as it is set we shall leave for Camelot." He addressed the one young man not dressed in armor. Turning back to the girl, he said, "I am King Arthur. These knights are Leon, Elyan, Percival, and Gwaine. My personal servant over there is Merlin." He gestured to each one in turn. Though when he pointed to Merlin, another name sprang to Isowen's mind, one that she had only heard tales of.
Emrys.
A/N: I'll admit, I took some of the inspiration for the hippogriff from Harry Potter, however I completely made up the part about it leading to a person's destiny. It just makes a better story that way.