" From then, no moment passed when they were not together.

She grew in strength. As waning his grew dim." ----Heather Dale "Hawthorne Tree"

"Wizard's first rule…" Merlin threw this at Ninianne as she stood washing dishes as he layed out objects from an ancient pack. Ninianne's eye flickered at its corner as she heard the familiar prompt. " Harm None."

" And how do we harm none?"

"By always staying in control. Both of ourselves and of our powers."

Merlin smiled, " And how do we remain in control?"

" Will power."

" And?"

" Strength of heart."

"And?"

" Practice?"

Merlin put the sack aside. " All good answers. All true and none of them are the one I'm looking for."

Ninianne threw the dish rag down, " Well if everything has a million answers how am I to know which one it is?"

" Patience. You forgot patience. Most young people do."

Ninianne scooped the cat up from the counter and took it with her over to the make shift table where Merlin sat. Merlin glared at the cat where it lounged on her lap. " Hedonist." He admonished playfully, " You're job is to catch mice not romance my students."

Ninianne smiled as the cat rose and stretched his long, elderly frame pointedly before exiting through the cave door.

" I have to ask, where did you ever pick up a cat?"

"I had no say in it. He chose me. One day, I'm walking down the road from Camelot on some errand for Arthur and I get this feeling like something or someone is following me. I turn and there's this half grown kitten tagging at my heels. The faster I walked, the more it followed me. We've been companions ever since."

" That's one long lived cat."

" I often wonder if he's a cat at all or some creature of magic like the old dragon. Though I doubt a mystical being would be so fond of mice."

Ninianne laughed, then her eyes fell on the objects on the table. She picked one up, a triangular shaped piece of stone dangling from a chain. She twirled it with her fingers smiling.

"What's this? A toy?"

Merlin snorted, " Would I waste my time with toys? It's a pendulum, it's a tool to practice focus."

Ninianne stared at the dangling stone. " How does it work?"

" Well you see the object is to get the stone to move without using your fingers."

Merlin showed her what he meant taking the silver chain in his long thin fingers and focusing his blue eyes on the stone at it's end. Ninianne did not even blink when the amber cast came over Merlin's eyes as the magic took effect. The stone began to rock back and forth gently. After a few moments, Merlin stopped. He put a hand to his forehead and winced. " It's been a while since I was that focused, now your turn. Don't be discouraged it usually takes months just to get the stone to.."

Merlin looked over and blinked in surprise, there stood Ninianne her eyes alight with the same amber cast that had so often filled his own. Her gaze remained fixed on the rock adamantly as it whirled in the air in a circle.

God in Heaven, the child's a better witch then her mother and I put together. Thought Merlin to himself. Good thing Uther's not alive to see this.

" Amazing…"

Ninianne turned to him, the pendulum fell to the table with a clatter.

" Didn't I do it right?"

"Oh you most certainly did…you're better at it then I am. Try this." Merlin stood a candle on the table and with a wave of his hand a flame crackled to life. " Extinguish the flame the same way you made the pendulum move. Using your mind only."

Ninianne fixed her eyes on the candle flame and Merlin waited. A moment or two went by, no change came over the girl's eyes or the candle flame. Ninianne's brow puckered in concentration but still the flame did not dim.

" You can stop, child." Said Merlin, patting her on the shoulder. " You shouldn't be able to do it on the first try any way."

Ninianne's eyes never left the flame, when she spoke her tone was even. " No..I can put it out, I know I can."

"You'll tire yourself and then you won't be able to do anything at all."

Ninianne stared on, her breathing had become more rapid now and Merlin noticed her eyes were large as though she were seeing more than just what lay before her. Merlin came closer to her but she did not respond.

"Ninianne.."

" I have to put it out."

" No you don't, leave it for now."

Ninianne shook her head. " No! The fire has to be put out!"

"Ninianne, leave it…"

Tears glazed Ninianne's eyes as she stared at the quivering flame. " I can't put it out..I can't! Merlin, help me!"

"Ninianne!"

"No! MOTHER!"

At the utterance of that one word the fire flared to such a height it nearly blackened the cave roof. The candle remained stubbornly lit. Ninianne gave a screech of terror and turned just as Merlin pulled her into his arms. He held her firmly as she sobbed against him.

"It's allright, child. You're safe now. Come back to yourself."

Ninianne clung to him, when she spoke her voice trembled " I don't like fire."

" I can understand why…you DO remember that day, don't you?"

Ninianne nodded against his shoulder. " I tried to put the fire out. I tried to make it rain, but ..I couldn't I was too small..I tried to untie her…"

"But someone stopped you from going into the fire."

Ninianne looked up at him, her face stained with tears. " You were there?"

Merlin nodded, feeling his throat tighten. Ninianne's voice was broken, " Why didn't you save her?"

Merlin felt the tears in his own eyes as he spoke. " I was too late."

" You saw it too then…the fires, the black smoke and those horrible men."

" I remember…I never felt more hatred then I did that day."

" Even as a child, I can remember how the sky turned black suddenly and lightning and thunder came from a clear sky and I heard a voice chanting strange words I couldn't understand. I thought the world was ending."

Merlin's voice was far away. " It was. In a way."

"That voice was you, wasn't it? You made the storm come."

Merlin nodded, " I knew I was too late to save her, any of them really. But I said to myself let them know what they've awakened."

" You tried to protect me too, didn't you?"

Merlin nodded from very far away. " But, as in everything else in my life…I failed."

Ninianne leaned into him like a small child. " Will you tell me the story?"

Merlin pursed his lips. "Not yet…the time isn't right. But soon."

Ninianne lowered herself onto one of the stumps that served as a seat by the fire, twining her arms about her knees and drawing her legs up like a little hedge hog. She stared at the flames, " What is the Wizard's second rule?" she asked quietly, trying to switch the subject.

Merlin seemed startled at first. But slowly he came back to himself. " Wizard's second what? Oh! Yes, of course. I'm sorry. " Respect the balance."

"What do you mean, " the balance"?"

Merlin spoke matter of factly, " Now you're nowhere near ready to grapple with this one, but you have to know. Any responsible Witch or Warlock knows there is a balance in the world, in nature as it were. Life and death are both forces and our lives hang in the balance. If the scales were to become unequal the natural order of things would be warped and lord knows what would happen."

"So how do we keep the scales even?"

" Well usually it's done for us..when ever some one dies, someone else is born and so it goes. HOWEVER, if you use magic to tamper with the balance. Say bring back the dead or kill a foe, well then there is a price you have to pay."

"What price?"

"That depends on the outcome. If you use magic to kill, you must give back if you do not something is taken from you in payment. That is why most workers of magic will never use magic for that end unless forced."

Ninianne's tone was hesitant. " What happens…if you use it to create life or bring it back?"

Merlin bowed his head, " Some one has to die in it's place. Or something, depending. The debt and the payment have to be equal in worth."

Ninianne's eyes grew sad. " That's why my mother had to die." She said, "So I could be saved."

Merlin stiffened, I suppose you could take it that way.

Ninianne lowered her head, " I just hope I was worth it."

Merlin brushed a hand over her hair, " You are more than worth it."

" How do you know?"

" You are my child, the child of the only woman I ever loved and most importantly you are my saving grace. What better treasure could the fates ask for? What better treasure could I ask for?"

Ninianne buried her tear filled eyes in Merlin's cloak. " I love you." She said.

Merlin's eyes were sad. Why had she had to say it? To him, love was to be feared. Love led to pain and loss especially in his case and not only his own.

He leaned his cheek against his daughters head and closed his eyes. " I wish you wouldn't, love me. It would be so much easier for you."

Ninianne sighed, " You're worth the price." She said simply.

Merlin seldom slept now. But often he would drift into a waking sleep of sorts in which he dreamed and yet was aware of his surroundings. He had become like an old owl sleeping with one eye open so as not to miss anything.

That night, as Merlin slipped into half sleep he dreamed of Avalon, something he had not done in ages.

The day had been sunny and clear, summer was just awakening and every where green was appearing. Merlin rowed over to the Island to find Vivianne waiting on the shore.

" Hello, Merlin." She said taking his hands, " I knew you were coming so I waited for you."

"Is something wrong?" Merlin looked in her dark eyes, made darker by the tribal paintings of her station. Vivianne shook her head with a small smile, "Nothing is wrong. Honestly, Merlin you see disaster around every corner. Not all news is bad."

"It's an old habit. You forget, I am Arthur's servant."

She laughed and shook her head. "The young Pendragon is..unique."

"Among other things, now what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Vivianne moved closer to him. " This is a magic time of year, don't you think? New life bursting everywhere you look. New promise."

"Yes..and?"

" Do you remember the night in the forest?"

"You know I do and every night since. What about it?"

Vivianne ran a hand over his face, " Remember I told you we would do great things together?"

Merlin nodded, waiting impatiently. Really she was taking forever.

" Well we have." She took his hand and drew it down to her belly, " I am with child Merlin. Your child..our child."

Merlin gave her the same look a cow does when you talk to it. Confused, uncomprehending and a bit stupid. Vivianne smiled fondly. " Have you nothing to say?"

" What?"

Vivianne laughed, " Well, I was hoping for something more profound. But, I understand. Oh Merlin! You mustn't be upset, this is good news! This child is meant to be I am sure of it."

" I'm a father? I'm a father!" Merlin did smile then, embracing her awkwardly, unsure how to feel. " I am so happy."

"But?"

Merlin sighed, " Vivianne, I can't support a baby . I can't even feed myself half the time and I can't ask Arthur.."

"No! The young pendragon cannot know about us. He is too close to his father, both in distance and in temperament. As to you, Merlin. I hold you to nothing, it was my duty to tell you. I wished to tell you because I love you, not because I expected something in return."

" Of course I'll help you! This is my child, I'll not turn my back on it. I just meant, you deserve more than a servant."

" You short change yourself. You are so much more than a servant. You are the most powerful warlock I have ever met and you are my love. That in it's self makes you my perfect mate."

"I love you, Vivianne and I will love our child as much. That is all I can promise you."

"It is enough." She threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his, he returned the kiss . He could smell her sandal wood perfume, conjuring up images of Beltane fires and drums. " I love you." He said again. " None shall part us."

" Always."

Merlin spoke the words aloud as he awoke from his trance. He blinked as slowly he returned to the present a heaviness took him. She was gone. Then he turned to where Ninianne lay sleeping peacefully and he smiled. " Gone," he thought "But not forgotten."