"Merlin!"
No sound ever heard by any human being could have been more welcomed. Nothing he had ever felt could compare to this; never had anything, great or small, made him feel this ecstatic.
The wizard- Merlin was his name- wrapped his arms around himself. His chest was threatening to burst and a steady flow of tears were running down his face. His were eyes locked on the enchanted forest in the depts.
The beauty of it was overwhelming. The trees were large and wiry, branches reaching out in every direction and some of them bore leaves in shades of green the wizard could swear he had never seen before. This wonderful, mythical place called out to him and he could feel how his magic was responding.
Unbothered by the slight chill of the water, he stood his ground, grinning like an idiot, unable to control a single muscle in his face. And the truth was he didn't care to either. Not now, not after all this time. Only one thing mattered at this moment; one thing lit up the sky like a beacon, filling his heart, his body, his entire being.
Arthur.
Finally, Arthur had returned, and somewhere down there, he was waiting.
The sun was bathing him in its golden sheen and behind his reflection in the water Avalon still glimmering in the deep. It was time, it had to be. More tears pooled in his eyes. Oh, how he had waited for this moment. He would finally get to look into those bright, blue eyes again- and they would look happy, not dying, not angry, not sad.
At least he hoped they'd look happy. Judging by the tone of his voice just now he wasn't exactly thrilled about the situation.
His smile grew wider. It didn't matter. Nothing did, except for the fact that Arthur was coming back to him. He'd have him any way he came; even if it meant he'd have to dodge a few flying items.
A sudden fit of giggles came over him. Now that there were no ceramic or iron pots, the King would have to find other stuff to hurl at him. He wondered briefly, to his own immense amusement, if Arthur would take a liking to remotes. He seemed to remember it was a pretty common thing for teenage girls to throw around, at least if one were to trust television and movies.
He looked on as the land came inevitably closer, his insides swollen with glee and anticipation. How he longed to find out.
… but abruptly the magical song that filled the air died.
He frowned.
What?
The lake was still glittering, but for some unknown reason, he felt fear rising in his chest. Squinting down he saw the lights in the treetops flicker for a moment, and at once the forest beneath him went pitch black.
Avalon disappeared.
No!
Panicking, he searched the now murky water.
Where is it?
His heart hammered frantically.
It was just there, I saw it. And I heard him!
Filling his lungs with air he plunged into the lake, head first, but when he opened his eyes all he saw was greying sand and seaweed. The mythical land that had been there only moments before was nowhere to be seen.
No, no, no, this can't be happening!
He had half a mind to turn himself into a fish, but before he was able to do it, a movement in the water caught his eye. Something, or rather someone, was swimming towards him.
He stilled, heart leaping to his throat. Then, as the figure came closer, it sank again, for he realized it had to be a woman, judging by her size. She appeared to be wrapped in a cloak of some kind, the heavy material dragging her down, restraining her movements. For a moment, he was paralyzed, unsure of what to do and defeated by his own disappointment, but then he saw a familiar mop of bright blonde hair. A shocked gasp escaped him and water filled his mouth.
In a few quick strokes he was with her, grabbing her by the waist. The moment he got a hold of her, she fell limp against him and little bubbles of air escaped between her lips. Using all the strength left in him, he kicked off from the bottom and swam towards the surface, clutching her desperately to his chest.
When he, moments later reached the shore, he practically dragged her out of the lake and tossed her onto the grass, water drops cascading around her like diamonds. He knelt beside her and as she spluttered and coughed, he reached down to move her hair out of her face, in order make sure he hadn't been imagining things.
I must have made a mistake.
He had to force himself to look, equally afraid of what would happen if it wasn't her and what would happen if it was.
It can't be.
His fingers trembled as they touched her skin.
How can such a thing be possible?
Carefully as a lover, he brushed his fingers against her unkempt curls and cladding his heart in iron he moved the frizzy curtain from her features, exposing her face.
The sight of her made his head spin. Oh God. The woman, she, took a large gulp of air before looking up at him, eyes round and disorientated. When settling upon his features, they grew larger and after a deafening silence she let out a small, surprised screech.
"Colin!"
Seconds ticked by as they were staring at each other, both breathless and confused, but when the sound of a car in the distance broke the silence they both jumped and suddenly she was in his arms.
She was all sloshy and covered in mud, drained from the top of her head to the tip of her feet and her long white curls clinging to her garments, but the familiar, yet nearly forgotten scent of her filled his nostrils and the feeling of her body against him made his heart clench and swell at the same time. A disbelieving sob escaped him and he tightened his grip on her, as if to make sure she was really there. After all, his imagination had played tricks on him before and his mind could be a cruel thing.
After a few blissful seconds, she untangled herself from his grasp and looked up at him, eyes beaming with joy. Reluctantly, he let go of her and as he was looking down at her precious face it became clear. It was her.
"Oh God, Jenny," his voice sounded foreign to his ears and he realized in that moment that he hadn't spoken for weeks, not even to himself, "it really is you! You're here!"
"Yes," she reached up and touched his hair, eyes sparkling with affection, "it's really me."
He let himself melt into her touch. After all these years of preservation, after denying himself human contact for so long it felt like an oasis in the desert. And this was Jenny! A girl he had known since she was a child and simultaneously a woman he had loved and made love to, a woman whom he had thought about nearly every day for the past hundred years. The words tumbled from his lips.
"Jenny, oh, Jenny, how can you be here? How is it possible? And so young!"
He was rambling, but he couldn't help it.
She hushed him and placed a finger on his lips. "I'll explain everything later, but you need to come with me now."
He furrowed his brows. "Come with you?"
It all came back to him then; the magical land in the lake, the ancient song coming from the treetops, the little blue forget-me-nots… and that voice. Arthurs voice!
He wrenched his head out of her grasp, turning his gaze to the water. A wave of guilt and disbelief rushed over him. How could he forget? How could he almost forget about Arthur? He had been so caught up, so surpsrised by her return that he had almost...
He made to stand, but her hands held him down, tugging at his arm.
"Colin!"
He stretched his neck, eyes searching the water. He had to go back, had to find it again, wherever it was.
Her voice became insistent. "Colin-"
"What?" He snapped.
"You need to come with me."
"No," he said, eyes still fixed on the lake, "I'm sorry Jenny, there's something I have to-"
She stood up, grabbed him by the shoulders and rattled him violently. He started and turned to look at her.
"Jenny, what-?"
She waved a delicate hand before his face, her pale blue irises burning with urgency. "There's no time to explain. You must follow me!"
She gave his forearms a squeeze, softer this time. "Please."
He gazed into her eyes and instantly, he was trapped by those mesmerizing orbs. It felt almost like a fuzzy blanket was being pulled over his mind. The panic he'd felt only moments ago was washed away and a wave of calm crashed over him. He was reminded of the night he had taken her to his bedroom and instantly he felt safe, secure, just like he he'd done when he held her.
How can she still have such an effect on me?
It wasn't as if she was an almost almighty wizard with a never-ending lifespan and the power to make even a lion crawl and mew at her feet. She wasn't supposed to be able to take him down this easily, especially not after all those years – decades in fact! He should have grown immune to such things by now, but he wasn't. And for some reason unknown to all of mankind, her pleading gaze actually made him consider it; to leave Arthur behind and follow her.
Why?
Feeling slightly dizzy, he shook his head.
Because you love her, his inner voice chided and he wanted to smash his head against a wall.
Yes! I bloody well know that I love her, he wanted to scream at himself, but I have to stay here! I have to search for Arthur!
He was just about to tell her this when all of a sudden, something hit the back of his head with such strength that he was thrown to the ground, smothering Jenny beneath him. Their foreheads bumped forcefully and he gasped in pain and surprise. He was even more surprised when he realized he was dripping, not because of his earlier escapades in the lake, but because of the monster wave that had just crashed over them, which was the reason for his now pounding head.
What on earth? A wave? How is that even possible?
Jenny was squirming beneath him and he quickly pulled back from her, sitting back on his heels. "Are you all right?" He held a hand out to her and she moved to take it, but before her hand reached his, woman's voice rang through the air.
"Don't you dare touch him!"
He startled and immediately turned to find the source of the voice and when he did his mouth fell open in quiet shock. There, standing on the shore, only feet away from them was…
"Freya!"
For the third time that day, his emotions got the better of him and he felt himself bristle inside at the sight of her. She was dressed in a flowing white dress that seemed to move on its own accord and her hair was tumbling down her back and shoulders, reaching almost to her waist. He wanted to run towards her, but the look in her eyes stopped him. There was something about her expression… something almost feral.
Suddenly, he realized she didn't look welcoming at all.
Her eyes were ablaze with anger and her mouth was twisted in a grim sneer. Something about her stance remade him think of a mother bear defending her cup and he was reminded of a beast from long ago; a battered, yet graceful creature with black demon-like wings. She looked absolutely terrifying and he wouldn't have touched her with a fire tong.
He heard a strangled gasp behind him.
Whirling around on the spot, he found Jenny writhing on the ground, clasping her throat with both hands, water spilling out from between her parted lips, dribbling down her chin. Her body was convulsing and her eyes swam with unshed tears, white curls clinging to her, now red, cheeks.
Oh God, she's drowning from within!
"No! Freya, stop it!" He turned around to face her. "Stop it, you're killing her!"
Freya didn't even seem to notice him. Her eyes were locked on Jenny and her lips were moving fast. She was obviously casting a spell. Behind him, Jenny was making a gurgling sound and he felt his blood run cold in his veins. He had to do something, or else she would die at his feet. Readying himself for whatever was to come, he took a step towards Freya, but before he managed to act, she leaped forward and in an all-too-swift movement she was standing between him and Jenny.
"Get back, Merlin!" She bellowed, her dark hair was bellowing in the wind, framing her with a whipping, furious halo. Incantations were still flying from her lips and her voice intensified when Jenny tried to raise her arm. It fell limp to the ground.
"Freya, what are you doing?!" he yelled at her, but she ignored him, all her attention focused on the girl in front of her.
"You!" She seethed between clenched teeth. "Get away from him!"
Jenny, now turning purple, screwed her eyes shut and slammed her fists in the sand, but just as the warlock was sure she would faint, the water stopped gushing from her mouth and her trembling stopped. Gasping for air, she lifted her head, and scrambled to her feet. Her chest was heaving and her face seemed swollen and burnt.
"I said, get away from him."
Freya's voice was low and dangerous.
Jenny's large, blue eyes ran back and forth between them, before settling on him, pleading for help. Instinctively he took a step towards her, reminded of the little girl whom had come knocking on his door all those years ago, but when he made the move, Freya's right hand shot out behind her and a great wall of water erupted before his feet.
"Don't!" Her voice was laced with iron and he suddenly felt a need to obey.
He backed away from the waterfront. Even if he could easily break through it with his magic, something in her tone convinced him and despite the urge to stop her, he stayed put when she let her arm drop and the water disappeared back into the earth.
"Stay there, Merlin."
The strangest thing happened.
At the sound if his name something changed in Jenny's eyes and as if on cue they narrowed… and a slow, vicious smile settled on her features.
His mouth went dry.
Suddenly she was completely unfamiliar to him; the girl he knew was wiped away with the change of her face. He could only stare in confusion and shock as this strange, yet still beautiful creature turned her attention to Freya. Brushing dirt and grass from her cloak she tossed her head back and all of a sudden the redness in her cheeks disappeared. She looked completely untouched by what had just happened.
"How delightful to see you, Freya," she gave a little, almost comical bow, "or is it, The Lady of the Lake? Whichever you prefer, I'd be happy to comply." Even her voice sounded different, darker.
Freya merely sneered at her.
"Get back. You have no power here."
"Oh, you'd be surprised." Jenny smirked and a chill ran down his spine. How did she do that?
"Just because you're supported by them, you're in no position to feel superior." Her eyes gleamed dangerously. "If it hadn't been for Colin here," she gestured at him and something crackled in the air around her fingers, "I would not hesitate to give you a good run for your money."
He took a step towards her. "What the hell is going on?"
She smiled at him then, a bright, cheerful smile and for the first time since her change, he saw something of the girl he knew in her. "Colin, I'm sorry." She actually looked a little sad. "I haven't been completely honest with you. You see, you and I are much more alike than you know."
She wriggled her outstretched fingers and tiny sparks of what could only be magic shot out from her fingertips. He gasped.
Freya yelled in alarm.
"Stupid wench," Jenny all but spat, «I'm not going to harm him!" She turned to her eyes back to Merlin and her eyes softened a little.
"You're much too precious for that, aren't you, Emrys?"
He felt the little hairs on his neck rise. "How do you know my name?"
Jenny laughed in delight, her blond curls bouncing around her shoulders. "I know many things, Emrys," she winked, "especially about you."
Her words broke his confusion and he felt his temper flare. Something about her tone angered him and he felt cheated somehow.
"So it would seem. Who are you?"
She turned serious. "I'm sure this one," she jerked her head in Freya's direction, "will be delighted to tell you all about me." The air crackled again. "Thus now, I have to take my leave. It seems I am not welcome here. We will see each other again, Emrys, before you know it."
She gave another laugh and the sound seemed to echo through the air. The wind picked up and a dark cloud was forming above her. She glanced at it briefly, before turning her attention back to him. "Say hello to your King from me," she raised her arm above her head, her hand dissappearing into the twisting fog.
"Tell him Madame Mim sends her regards."
And at that, the cloud grabbed hold of her, and before he could so much as yell her name, she was gone.
