Gwen allowed herself a frozen moment to stare speechlessly at Morgana before her sanity made a quick return, panic following closely behind. She knew running would be pointless so she stayed still, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself down. The harder she tried to breathe, the less oxygen she felt like she was getting and the world started to spin, getting dimmer and dimmer. She stumbled to her feet, logic abandoning her. Too fast. The sudden movement invoked tiny bright white dots to slowly meander in front of her eyes and the dark greens of the forest seem to blur to a bruised purple. Before she could grab anything, she was falling back down and with a last long exhalation, the world around her was slowly blotted out by the blackness. She never felt the ground.
Gwen awoke with a low ringing in her ears. Her eyes were too heavy to open so for a time she lay voluntarily blind. For some reason, her bed felt comfier than usual and she was sorely tempted to go back to sleep. She knew she couldn't though- it may not have been Camelot, but she still had her jobs to do and sleeping in wasn't an option when they weren't done. Reluctantly she opened her eyes. What she saw didn't register for a few seconds and in that time Gwen found herself staring listlessly at the forest floor. The forest floor. The forest floor.
What..
Another second and she realised she wasn't even lying on the floor. She wasn't lying on her bed, either. Confusion wavered inside her for a moment. She swept her eyes down and felt her breath catch. Pale arms surrounded her waist, clad in black lace so delicate it looked like the slightest movement would tear it apart. As if she'd pulled the mental plug, Gwen remembered all too quickly where she was and more importantly, who's arms she was in. Without thinking she lifted her head, fear rising inside her again. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look left. Gwen wasn't quite expecting Morgana's face to be so close and she lurched backwards slightly as she nearly head butted the sorceress. A soft dapple of moonlight illuminated Morgana's face and despite herself, Gwen felt her heart flutter.
Morgana's eyes were closed, but Gwen knew her well enough to know the other woman wasn't asleep. "How long has it been since you slept through the night?"
Whatever Gwen had been expecting to hear after all of this time, that wasn't it. She struggled for something to say. "I-" She supposed the truth would have to do. "Ever since you left." she said softly. Morgana's brow furrowed slightly. "I can tell."
Gwen didn't understand. "How?" she said dumbly. Morgana slowly opened her eyes. "Because normal people, when they pass out, wake up after five minutes."
Gwen hadn't thought about time. "How long have I been... Asleep?"
Morgana sighed, finally looking at the girl in her arms. "About three hours, going by the moon. Morgause is going to kill me." She muttered. Gwen narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Is this a dream?" She asked cautiously.
"Do you usually have dreams about fainting on me?" Moraga responded dryly.
Gwen shrugged. "You'd be surprised." If she had to bet money, Gwen had hers on dreaming. She must be. Surely.
They sat silently for a few minutes, and Gwen became increasingly aware that Morgana was still holding her. She couldn't bare to move away, but at the same time she felt like she had to. She decided that if Morgana didn't want her there she wouldn't be so she might as well make the most of the tolerance.
"I missed you." Gwen said quietly.
Morgana looked away from Gwen. "I missed you too." The words were quiet, but Gwen heard them. The two sat in silence for what felt like at least half an hour, but Gwen couldn't be sure.
"What's happening?" She said suddenly.
"I'd ask you the same thing." Morgana replied. "All this time, and you never used that necklace and all of a sudden in the middle of a totally nondescript night you decide to call me with it. Then, you faint in fear at the sight of me. There's such a thing as mixed messages, you know."
"Called you? I don't.." Gwen frowned. "What does the necklace have to do with it?"
Morgana sighed. "It's one of a pair. I have the other one. If you wear it and call my name, I can hear you. How else did you expect me to keep such a promise?"
A few things slotted into place. "The necklace is magical? That's why you're here... Because I said you're name..." Gwen thought aloud. "You remember that promise?"
Morgana scowled. "Yes, I remembered that promise. Why wouldn't I?"
Gwen looked sad for a moment. "I thought... I thought it was just me being... Sentimental- Why aren't you trying to kill me?" she added.
Morgana closed her eyes again. "Why would I?"
Definitely dreaming.
"You did the last time we met."
Morgana breathed deeply. "I wouldn't have actually killed you, Gwen."
"Oh well aren't you sweet?" Said Gwen sarcastically. "Really though. You seem... So... You..."
Morgana gave Gwen a look. "I've never been anyone else."
"No but... I feel like I'm talking to the Morgana I... I... Knew."
A faint flicker of annoyance passed through Morgana's eyes. "That's because you actually are talking to her. Not screaming, or shouting, or calling guards, or drawing a sword, or chaining, or tormenting, or accusing, or burning alive, or..." she sighed. "Whatever else my own brother could think to do to me on sight. I don't need to be anything but myself around you. You're not them, Gwen. You never had been. No matter what you feel towards me, I can't not trust you. It broke my heart losing you to Arthur."
Gwen didn't know what to say to that. It all felt a lot to take in.
"I lost everything to Arthur. My father, my friends, my birth-rights, my safety, my name, my home... My Gwen..."
Gwen felt a stab of pain go through her as she heard herself on the list. What made it harder was the endearment. She knew the second she heard it that that was absolutely completely and utterly what she was. She was Morgana's Gwen. She felt the tears rising again.
"You never lost me." She choked, throwing caution to the wind and burying her face against Morgana's neck just as Morgana had done to her so many times as she had cried after a nightmare. "Not really."
Morgana's voice trembled when she replied and her arms tightened gently around Gwen. "You're getting married, Gwen. To my brother. I couldn't have lost you more if I tried."
Gwen squeezed her eyes closed and inhaled Morgana's scent as deeply as possible. It quelled the tears. "I'm not marrying him... He banished me from Camelot. I'm not even sure I loved him to begin with. Just... Told myself I did as a distraction."
"Distract you from what?"
Gwen wasn't going to lie. "You." She felt like Morgana was going to reply, but the sound never came. Gwen looked up. Morgana was staring into the forest. The sun must have broken the horizon because though the sky was still dark, the trees definitely seemed cast in the dawn light rather than the moon light they'd bathed in previously.
"Someone's coming." Morgana said quietly. "Looking for you."
Gwen frowned. "Me? I'm meant to be up at dawn. Unless it's later than it seems, no one should know I'm gone."
Morgana tensed beneath her. "They're close... Gwen I have to go..."
Gwen clutched at Morgana's dress. "No!"
"I'm sorry Gwen. If they find me they'll kill me and you." Said Morgana as she stood, pulling Gwen up with her.
"Then take me with you."
Morgana stroked Gwen's cheek. "Gwen, if I do that you'll be just as wanted as me."
Gwen sniffled as she tried to hold herself together. "I don't care anymore. Please don't send me back to that place."
Morgana felt a wave of guilt as she remembered herself say much the same thing to Morgause. "Gwen..."
A twig snapped off to their right. Morgana didn't think as she swept her arm around Gwen, murmuring something in the old language. Gwen didn't have time to realise it was magic before the world fell away from under them.
