I'm sorry I didn't get this done sooner. I've made it really long to make up for it though.
I hope you enjoy it.
I own nothing associated with Once Upon A Time.
Graham clung to Emma's shivering body as he kicked the horse again, willing it gallop faster. The animal's hooves pounded hard against ground, creating a new path in the untouched earth. Thick forest passed the hunter in a blur, causing his head to flick about maniacally, searching for the next opening for them to pass through.
Graham could feel his heart thudding against his chest, fear threatening to steal it away with each beat. He was afraid that Emma may die before they reached the grove, but he continually fought back the doubt that they'd not make it. The hunter needed to focus on the moment, he needed to act now and worry later.
The illness started to show itself when they finished traversing the marshlands. He thought it may have been due to the water they drank out of an offset pool in the marsh. The hunter made sure to boil it first, as he always did. So it made no sense at how he was unaffected and yet here she was, slipping in and out of consciousness.
The teen's symptoms varied from, her body aching all over, to her temperature changing from cold to hot in hours of each other. He'd never seen anything like it before, and wished desperately Merlin was here to tell him what to do.
"Hold on Emma, I swear to you we are almost there." He tucked her body closer to his core.
The hunter's brow creased as he thought of the only thing he could do at a time like this. Perhaps one of the gods of old was still out there, listening to their followers. He knew Merlin believed that some of them were still very much alive, and that they did indeed listen.
Placing his own doubts aside, Graham called upon the goddess Freyja. He knew the wizard followed her, so by default Emma would probably be watched over by the goddess as well.
"Oh All Mother, I need your help." He whispered. "Hear my words, this child is one of your own, please do not forsake her in this hour of need." He sighed, hoping above all hope his appeal wasn't falling on deaf ears, even if it felt like it had.
xxx
It had been almost an hour later of solid galloping before the mare broke out through the massive forestry of trees and into an open area. Graham searched the horizon to see a familiar thicket of oak trees only minutes away. With new found enthusiasm he kicked the chestnut coloured mare into one last burst of speed.
As they reached the destination, Graham forcefully pulled at the reins to slow the horse down, causing it to dig large chunks of grass and dirt up, before it came to a complete stop.
Graham slid down off the saddle and held Emma firmly while jogging towards the opening. "Druids!", "Druids!" He frantically called out, almost tripping in his haste.
A robed man about Graham's age appeared out of nothingness from the thicket and quickly approached him. Then another man, slightly younger, appeared shortly thereafter.
"Help her, please." He held Emma out for them to take.
The druids crossed and clasped their arms together to make a human sling. Graham lifted Emma up and placed her down in between them.
"We'll take her to the healer's roundhouse, Hunter." The druid around Graham's age said and then they both strode away, back into the thicket and vanished.
Graham quickly turned around and ran back to check on the mare. The poor beast was breathing loudly from being made to continuously travel at full speed. The hunter pulled off the bags and started to unsaddle the horse. He wanted to free it from any burdens so it could rest easier.
As he started unstrapping the leather belts he could hear his name being called. The hunter glanced to his side to see someone approaching him, but continued with his actions.
"Graham! Graham is that you?" A young man in a copper coloured leather tunic with dark brown trousers and fur boots strode towards the hunter. His sandy coloured shoulder length hair hung freely, faming his face as he grinned and waved a hand at the hunter trying to catch his attention.
"Warren?" Graham pulled the saddle clear off the horse and held onto it while turning to face his friend. Warren must have grown a foot taller since his last visit, he thought.
Warren greeted the hunter with an even broader grin than before. "Long time no see Graham."
He stuck his hand out for the hunter to take, his light brown eyes sparking with joy to see him again.
Graham eyed the hand and then looked at Warren's face, lifting up the saddle to show the hunter's hands were clearly full at this moment.
The young druid gasped at his own foolishness and chuckled. "Oh damn, I'm sorry, here let me take that, and then you can take your bags." The druid hastily grabbed the saddle and fiddle with it a few times trying to find a comfortable position to hold onto it.
"So how long are you back for, this time?" Warren always had a cheery disposition towards Graham. He looked up to the hunter, and wished he could be one himself, someday.
Graham eyed the druid and then bent down and picked up both bags. As the hunter straightened himself up he turned to look back at Warren, frowning. "I actually don't know the answer to that question." He tried to smile at his friend, but worry was all he could feel at the moment, his thoughts were on Emma's health.
Warren frowned at the hunter, his friends demeanour was not his usual calm self. "Wait, what's wrong?" He asked, taking a step closer.
Graham sighed and held tightly to the bags. "You didn't see the other two druids carrying a body into the camp? Don't tell me you actually missed that Warren?" Graham was having a slight dig at him. He tended to do it when stress was high.
Warren gave him an indignant look. "Yes of course I did, and that was going to my next question, who's the blonde kid?" He fumbled with the now heavy saddle to get it comfortable once more.
Graham noticed the druid was becoming tired and started to head towards the magic barrier. The druid fell beside him as they walked together.
"She's Merlin's granddaughter, and she will being staying here until he is able to come get her." The hunter tried to keep his voice cool. He didn't want Warren to know he was freaking out about Emma.
"Oh wow, Head Drui Myrddin's got family?!" Warren didn't mean to sound so surprised, even if he was.
The air around them buckled as they passed through the magical barrier beyond the circular thicket of huge oak trees. Graham flicked his head back to see the ripples roll across the translucent barrier, and continued to watch as the waves travelled half way over his head and then melted into nothingness.
No matter how many times he had been to the Grove, the magic barrier always struck him with awe. You could see all around you from inside the barrier, but if you were on the outside of it you couldn't see a thing, it looked like a bunch of ordinary oaks and beyond that were more woods.
The barrier was created to hide the people within the camp from the outside world. It was a safe haven for students and teachers to practice in peace. The Wyrmspine Mountains laid about a full days ride further on before you reached the foot of it, beyond the Drui Woods.
Dangerous creatures lived out here and it was in everyone's best interest to have the barrier on all times. He'd never come across anything deadly before, only heard stories about creatures, and that Stuhac incident with Merlin.
Graham would bring supplies to them now and again, just things they couldn't make or grow. The druids were very self-sufficient people over all. The hunter bit the inside of his mouth as he remembered how he left abruptly last time. His face started to grimace at how a certain female would react to seeing him again. The hunter honestly didn't mean to just up and leave in the dead of night…
Graham was quickly drawn away from his thoughts as Warren continued to talk.
"I thought Myrddin was this mystical loner from the mountain. But I guess people can always surprise you, hey Graham?" He grinned at the hunter.
Graham finally caved into his friend's cheerfulness and gave him a small smile back. He looked around the camp to see it had also grown from the last time he visited. There were at least five more roundhouses and the cattle had doubled from where he could see them.
"Did you guys get more students in the last year?" The hunter asked. He was trying to not fret about Emma. He knew she would be in good hands… Okay he would just put their stuff in a visitor's roundhouse and check on her right away.
"Hey, Graham, are you listening to me?" Warren tried to look at the hunter as he spoke, but he was losing a battle with holding the now very heavy saddle in his arms.
"No, sorry Warren, I was deep in thought. Could you repeat what you were saying?" The hunter slung his and Emma's bag on his back to free a hand to help the druid with the saddle.
"I said, yes." Warren huffed and then grinned at Graham for the extra help.
xxx
Emma watched, in candle light, as two robed men prepared a set of clay bowls on an elongated table. They moved back and forth as if they had done this dance many times before. She wasn't sure if they were the ones who carried her in. To her, everybody seemed to look about the same except for the different coloured garments.
No longer able to watch both of them, for it made her stomach turn, she focused on the man in the vermillion robe. He was placing something down that looked like a rolled up piece of leather the length of her forearm onto the table. She wondered what it was for.
There was a burst of light as the flap to the entrance was pushed aside. It stung Emma's eyes, so she looked away with a growl. What was going on, where was Graham? She suddenly thought.
"Thank you fellow Drui brothers, please leave this child to my care."
The woman's voice was soft and caring. It completely relaxed Emma at hearing the calm tone, it made her felt safe. The blonde rolled her head around looking to find its source.
The woman walked to the table and unrolled the leather square. It had an array of instruments strapped down to it. She waved a finger over them, making sure they were all there. Satisfied with the arrangement she turned to the various sized bowls, eyeing them briefly, and then picked up a small sheet of cloth to the far end of the table.
Emma watched on, shivering, but hopeful that this woman would make her feel better. She wanted to ask who she was, to ask what was going on, but Emma was far too tired to do anything except shake. So she just studied her instead.
The woman wore a long robe. Similar to the ones her grandfather wore at times. It was dark red, darker than other two men's robes, and at the shoulders it looked like it had leather knots. She frowned at the sight, but then shifted her eyes further down to see she had a simple tanned coloured belt high on her waist, with a small pouch attached to it. Emma turned her body slightly to see the woman's footwear. It looked like a flap of leather at the bottom and it had laces of leather wove around her ankle. Emma guessed the leather laces is what held the strange shoes to the woman's feet.
A sudden wave of chill struck the girl and made her lie back. Emma turned her head to keep watching though. It was hard to make out the woman's hair colour or face, the room only had two candles that she could see. In fact she couldn't really tell if the room was a circle or square. But she was sure it was made from wood, its familiar odour permeated her nostrils. It reminded her briefly of home.
The woman dipped the cloth into the bowl and let it go. She turned around and walked to the bed to examine the blonde.
"Hello child, I am Bendrui Wynnfrith, I will need to perform a few tests on you to determine what is causing your sickness." She leaned down and helped lift Emma up to a sitting position, and then started to undo her belt, pulling away and placing on the end of the mattress. She then snaked her fingers under the teen's deep blue tunic to pull it off her.
Emma shot her a look of surprise. It was not lost on Wynnfrith. She reassured the girl that it was ok, that it needed to be done so she could get a better look at her body for cuts, bites, and other things. Emma let her head flop forward a few times to agree with the druids actions.
Wynnfrith lifted the sweat soaked tunic over Emma's head and threw it into a basket not far away from the bed. She was about to help the girl take her tights off but heard someone out near the front of the roundhouse.
Suddenly the flap moved aside, bringing light back into the darkened room, as Graham tried to enter. He didn't get very far as he was met with the butt end of a staff. It was planted to middle of his chest and on the other end was a very angry face. Graham's eyes widened as he recognised her. He stared, running his eyes over her beautiful features. Wynnfrith had her burgundy coloured hair tied up into a bun, and her olive green eyes burned into him the longer he gazed.
"Leave this shelter at once, Hunter." Wynnfrith's voice was flinty towards the intruder. No man was to set foot into the healer's shelter when there was a female patient. Plus she was still quite upset with Graham.
The hunter bent his arms up at his elbows, with palms open, showing he wasn't a threat, and slowly backed out of the entrance as the she pushed him firmly on.
Wynnfrith gave him a slight shove with the staff to make her point very clear and spun around to enter the roundhouse. Graham with his hands still up blinked a few times and then snapped back to the present as he heard Warren laughing not far off. The druid had retrieved the mare and was taking it to the stables as he happen the see the exchange between the two.
Graham dropped his arms and sighed loudly. She's still pissed at me, he thought, as he walked off to follow Warren and the mare.
Wynnfrith peeked through a slit in the dark leather flap and then went back to the child, satisfied Graham would not enter again. She continued to undress the sick girl and threw the rest of the damp clothes into the basket. Once it was done, she laid Emma back down and bent over to speak to her.
"When did you last eat or drink, child?" Wynnfrith asked.
Emma's eyes were half open and she was finding it hard to stay awake, but she was going to try her best to at least give this druid her name before she felt like passing out.
"Emma." She said breathlessly.
Wynnfrith frowned at her, "Is that your name child?" She slid a finger across the girl's head to move some of the loose strands of hair stuck to her sweaty face. Her temperature must be running high, the bendrui thought. Wynnfrith felt a little silly for not asking the child's name in the first place.
"Yes… my name… is... Emma." The blonde tried her best to talk, but it felt like there were prickles in her mouth, causing it sting with every word.
Wynnfrith placed her hands around Emma's chest and asked her to breath in and out at a certain time. The bendrui checked to see if fluid had built up in the lungs, but it felt normal. Wynnfrith then moved onto her throat and felt for any abnormal lumps, but there were none.
"That's good, now I need to see inside your mouth." Wynnfrith turned and reached for a lit candle on a shelf and then bent down to bring it close to the blonde's face, "Can you open your mouth for me please." She waited as the girl slowly brought her jaw down.
"Okay, now I need you to stick your tongue out for me, please." Wynnfrith looked into Emma's mouth, but there was not discolouration or unnatural growths. She sniffed the air that Emma was exhaling. There was a slight odour, but nothing out of place. The bendrui huffed with frustration.
Her voice was calm though, as she spoke. "Dear Emma, you are going to be a challenge, but I will find out what is wrong and heal you of it."
She placed the candle up on the shelf and glanced back at the child. What could be making Emma sick? The bendrui was going to have her work cut out, it was only early in the afternoon and she knew this could go well into the night. Her sisters would help though when they finished eating.
Wynnfrith turned her attention towards the bowl that contained the cloth piece to see if had fully soaked up enough water. She strained it out and placed it on Emma's forehead to help drop the rising temperature.
Emma sighed at the coolness the damp cloth brought. She closed her eyes and tried to rest.
Regina threw another fireball at the dummy, and then another. She repeatedly threw fireballs until she expended all the anger she could on the mannequin.
Regina was still upset about the note, and now she was going to train doubly hard to make sure she was strong enough to destroy the person who conceived it.
This added enthusiasm did not go unnoticed by Maleficent. The sorcerous glanced at the upper circle where the Queen sat, and as she did a well-dressed servant was whispering something in Cora's ear. Maleficent looked away, avoiding a glare from the Queen in case she caught her prying.
The sorcerous wasn't sure why the Queen wanted Regina practicing at night as well. Wasn't it enough that she was doing it in the afternoon three days of the week? She quickly glanced at the upper circle to see the Queen leaving.
Once Maleficent was sure the Queen had full left, she decided to ask what was causing the princess to be so agitated.
"Regina you seem to be a little tense tonight, is there something wrong?" There was no venom in the sorcerous's tone, as she was genuinely concerned.
Regina was a little taken back by the question and the sincerity of Maleficent's voice. She eyed her briefly, analysing whether it was possibly a trick on her part.
Regina peered up to see if her mother was watching, but the Queen was not there. The brunette frowned slightly. Her mother was not one to miss any of her lessons, but it must have been something important, more important than her at least. The princess's shoulders slumped.
"Regina?" Maleficent took a step towards the princess, lifting a hand, but she did not let it make contact.
Regina turned to stare at the sorcerous, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Why would you care, why are you even trying to be pleasant with me?" The princess's voice was sharp towards Maleficent. It wasn't mean or disrespectful, just straight to the point.
Maleficent pursed her lips and lifted an eyebrow at her. "Contrary to what you may believe Regina, I am not the stone hearted witch you take me for." Maleficent's thin lips curled into a smile.
The princess recoiled slightly from the display of friendliness? Regina wasn't sure what Maleficent was doing.
"Don't play tricks with me, please. I really have no patience for it." She took a small step back to give them both some added space. Regina clasped her hands loosely in front of her, unsure what to do with them, as she wasn't using them to throw magic about.
Maleficent's face dropped marginally at the clear display of distrust. It was then she knew she had acted her part out too well. She was supposed to appear unapproachable, non-caring, and purely here to teach magic.
This was something she would have to fix over time. But while the Queen watched on, she had to continue this dance of deception. It would be these few rare chances alone with the princess she had to take advantage of.
"Regina, I don't want you to think I'm sort of horrible person. So I'm going to share something with you about myself to help-" She paused and flicked her hand at the princess and then back at herself. "Bridge this gap between us."
Regina watched Maleficent cautiously. She wasn't sure what caused the sorcerous's mood to change, but just this once she would grant her the benefit of the doubt. Regina gave a slight nod for Maleficent to continue.
Maleficent waved a hand for the brunette to follow her while she spoke. "Do you know where I come from Princess?" She studied the brunette, as they walked closer to a window to their right, hoping that Cora had at least told Regina about that.
Regina pursed her lips. She knew exactly where the sorcerous came from and how her mother said that she should respect her, for she was her teacher, even if she was a northerner.
"You're from beyond the boarder, and if my memory is correct, you're from the northern region." Regina was taught that those people, especially from the north, were barbaric and primitive in a lot of ways. She had read books about them, and on occasions heard a whisper or two of things they did.
Maleficent curled the corner of her lip up at the brunette's tone. She knew Regina was forcing herself to be polite. Everything she probably read or heard was mostly falsified and downright derogatory. But for now, she would grit her teeth and bear it all.
"Yes that is correct, and did you know that I had a castle? No, actually it was a fortress, if you want to get specific." Maleficent turned to face Regina. She smiled and then placed a hand on her hip.
Regina didn't say anything. The brunette just continued to stare at Maleficent, almost expressionless.
"You're probably wondering why this is of any importance. That you really couldn't care less about some witch from the north who lived in a fortress, but what you would fail to see, Princess, is that you and I are not as unalike as you would be lead to believe." Maleficent curled her fingers tighter around the gnarled staff and flicked her head towards the arched window, "Look out that window there, Regina."
The princess eyed Maleficent and hesitantly moved towards the opened window. Regina placed her hands on the ledge and peered out, but was puzzled at what the sorcerous was getting at.
"What is it you wish for me to see?" she turned to give Maleficent a confused look.
Maleficent took a step forward to be beside the brunette, to look out the window together. Down below them was a massive city, sprawling out in all directions. The castle was high up on top of a mountain, above everything else. It was the pinnacle of power, and all who lived in it was revered as almost godly, as they were the ones who lived closest to the Gods.
"I use to live high up in my fortress. I use to have servants, maids, cooks, soldiers," She paused and gently placed her hand on Regina's shoulder, to catch the brunette's attention. Regina did not recoil from the contact, but lifted her head to eye Maleficent.
"And I now know what it is like to be a prisoner." The sorcerous's face softened with the statement. She dearly wanted Regina to know how she felt, that the princess was not alone in her own castle. She could have a friend, or more.
Maleficent had to be hard on her for show, but when they could be alone, together, they could just be themselves. Two trapped souls in a castle, could find company if they wanted it.
Regina looked Maleficent in the eyes, searching for any inflection of deceit, but could sense none. The brunette lowered her eyes and peered back out the window, thinking on all that the sorcerous had shared. Could Regina accept the foreigner's olive branch, could they become friends in secret?
Maleficent softly squeezed the brunette's shoulder. "The next move is yours Regina. It's up to you whether we will continue to talk in private." The sorcerous hoped the princess was open enough to make the right judgement. Either way, Maleficent would respect her wishes.
Regina bit her lip, she was afraid to let anyone close. You could lose them if you did. She quickly peeked at the sorcerous's hand on her shoulder and thought she could take a chance, she could let someone get to know her.
Then Regina thought of her handmaiden Tinker Bell, who constantly tried to please her, and all those agitating smiles she gave. No matter how displeased Regina acted towards the woman, she just kept coming back. Perhaps the brunette was making a terrible mistake by pushing someone away who generally wanted to be around her.
"I would like to talk to someone, in the quiet times when I am not busy." Regina turned her whole body to face Maleficent and gave the sorcerous a small smile as she tucked a loose lock of long hair behind her ear.
Maleficent could tell there was more behind the brunette's words than what was directed at her. Perhaps Regina knew others, who tried to get to open up. But the sorcerous wouldn't pry, as it would most likely cause the brunette to become defensive and they would be back at ground zero.
"Good." Maleficent held her elbow out for the princess to take.
Regina gingerly looped her arm through Maleficent's, and let the sorcerous lead them both back into the middle of the room. It felt nice to have contact with another, even if her mind said it was weak to do so. But in that moment Regina's heart was telling her otherwise and she chose to listen to it instead.
The brunette started to smile unintentionally, and hoped that Tinker Bell would come to forgive her actions in time. Take things slowly Regina, she said to herself, take it one step at a time.
xxx
A cool breeze blew through the small mucronate shaped window, which caused the white falcon to ruffle itself out for warmth.
Maleficent glanced at the bird because of the sound it created. She stopped, staring to stare, not out of interest, but because she was deep in thought and it happened to be in her sights that second.
Maleficent looked away, a few moments later, and place two fingers to the bridge of her nose, to rub them up and down, relieving some of the pressure built there.
Her head had started to throb a short time ago from being over tired, but she still had a lot of writing to finish, and wouldn't allow a small nuisance like this to get in her way.
The falcon chirped as it noticed Maleficent was in pain, and so it called to her to see if she was ok.
The sorcerous ignored the falcon and continued to scribble on the parchment. When she was finished with the sheet, the bird had moved itself closer into sorcerous's line of sight. It bobbed its head around in a silent protest to get her attention. Maleficent took a deep breath and shot it a very displeased look.
"Honestly, do you have to bother me when I'm working?" She said in a steely tone. Maleficent really disliked the creature at times, but the falcon was important, and Freyja would kill her if she mistreated it.
'I'm sorry I cared. Fuck!' The falcon squawked, batting its wings out once and turned away from her.
Maleficent flicked her head up, eyes bulging at the curse word. The falcon however would not see her displeasing look, as it had placed its back to her for that very reason.
"I will ban you from seeing that barbaric girl if you keep up with that foul language." Maleficent was deadly serious. Ever since it was allowed to take messages back and forth from the temple in the north, it had started to swear like the sailors in the city port.
What would the All Mother think when she got her bird back, swearing and being completely disrespectful? Surely the sorcerous would pay for it, and she was not about to let that happen.
'I am sorry.' It ducked its head under a wing and eased it back to peer at the sorcerous. It was trying its best to appear regretful.
Maleficent sighed at the creature, "Fine." She rolled her eyes and dipped her quill in the inkwell to finish the paper off. After this she could finally go to sleep. This very thought eased her body and put her mood into a lighter disposition.
The falcon settled itself to go to sleep and to avoid being scorned for something else.
The sorcerous placed the quill down, not caring if it would make a mess, and rose from the chair, yawning. She walked to the window, looking out at the view from high up in the tower, and then closed the shutters.
Maleficent spun around and pulled the hair pin free from the back of her head. Long flaxen curls bounced at the unexpected release. She then undressed and slipped into a long cotton chemise. It felt so good to be out of that overdone dress, the thing was tight, and she found it hard to breathe in at times.
Maleficent had to wear the ridiculous dresses provided, regardless if she wanted to or not. Queen Cora picked out what was appropriate attire, and the sorcerous was in no position to argue. The Queen could simply have her put to death if she disobeyed orders.
She sighed, feeling completely trapped. Maleficent had to remind herself that she was here for two reasons, one was because Freyja said that she would be taken, and should let it happen. That was a puzzle inside itself, which the Goddess gave her no answer for.
The second was obvious. The Queen wanted her to teach Regina the northern methods of spell casting. It was actually a brilliant idea, when one thought about it. What better way to know your enemies than to take on their techniques, only to use against them in battle.
Maleficent crawled into bed and flicked her hand to extinguish the candles in the tiny room, no longer allowing herself to think about others and their problems or reasons. She just wanted to rest.
Bendrui Wynnfrith pulled the strings on the shoulder of her robe to pull off the sleeves. Once they were both completely off, she put them neatly to one side of the table and washed her hands thoroughly.
Emma's fever hadn't broken yet and she needed to stay close to apply more cool cloths to the girl's body. It was like she and her sisters were fighting a losing battle.
But no matter how hot or cold Emma's body got, she didn't show any signs of weakening. This was the strangest thing the bendrui had ever seen in all her time as a healer.
The flap at the front of the roundhouse moved aside and Master Drui Cian entered. Wynnfrith could see that it was early in the morning now, as the first light was almost visible. She studied the old man, as he used his staff to feel out the room.
Master Drui Cian was blind so technically he could enter the shelter without invading the girl's privacy. In fact he was probably the only man able to enter when it was a female patient.
"So how is she doing?" Cian's voice was shaky, due to age. His ashen white robe swayed as he swung his staff straight out in front of him.
Wynnfrith dried her hands off and moved back to the bed to examine Emma, who was deeply asleep. Her temperature seemed to have eased back, but that could mean she was going to be cold again shortly.
"The fever refuses to break, and yet her body is able to take it. In all honesty I am completely stumped on this one." Wynnfrith eyed the amulet that Emma had around her neck, as it seemed to shimmer slightly from the rush light on the shelf near the bed.
"Well that is interesting, have you checked for bites or lesions?" He pointed his head towards an invisible spot next to the bendrui.
Wynnfrith rolled her eyes, as she clearly hadn't learnt her profession yesterday. "Of course, I've checked, and every other possible cause as well." She hesitated to say what she thought next, it was out of her expertise and that caused her great discomfort not know exactly what to do.
"The only thing that does come to mind is she's been cursed." Wynnfrith placed her hands on her hips and puffed to move her fringe away from her eyes.
"Hmmm, perhaps it is, and perhaps it is not." Cian pulled his staff to an upright position and lean against it slightly.
Wynnfrith rolled her eyes again. This was not helping, he was not helping.
"Master I do not wish to sound rude, but, your doubt and lack of information isn't going to solve this mystery any sooner." She walked over to the table and started to soak some more small sheets of cloth in the large clay bowl out of frustration.
Cian wheezed a chuckle at her statement, as he wasn't at all offended by her words. But he did need the healer to leave the room. There was something important the master had to do, and he preferred to do it in private.
"Bendrui Wynnfrith would you please leave the child to my care for some time, you need your rest." Cian said smoothly.
Wynnfrith sighed and took her sleeves from the table. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave Emma. She didn't want to see Graham. But he was right, she did need to sleep.
The bendrui nodded, and then cocked her head, realising that he couldn't see her nodding anyway. She gathered the rest of her things and left the roundhouse.
Cian waited until he could hear she was completely gone. Confident she wouldn't return, pulled away the strap of cloth along his face, revealing a pair of brilliant white eyes. He studied the room until they fell on Emma's body, seeing a light spectrum like no other.
Cian may have lost his normal sight, but his second sight worked just fine.
People gave off different types of rays, depending on who they were. It was a way for him to see others as their true selves. He didn't always have the second sight though. It was acquired after Myrddin tried to heal his blindness, it was something that took them both surprise when it developed.
The light Emma gave off was nothing he had witnessed before. It was a brilliant array of gold and silver tendrils, spiralling and tumbling around her. She was very fascinating to watch, but this did not bring him any closer to revealing her sickness.
Graham had caught him up to speed with everything, right up to the point of their arrival. He thought a Stuhac attack was very odd. But Emma would have not caught anything from it, so that possibility was eliminated. And her fever was not from bad water that the hunter gave her either.
There was no blackness surrounding her, anywhere, so it wasn't a curse as Wynnfrith suspected. The master frowned and bent over to look at what appeared to be a third layer to the gold and silver glow.
A tinge of blue shimmered close to the girl's skin, he pulled back trying to think over what it was. He had seen a similar colour on people who could shape-shift, but Emma's was slightly different.
Cian paced the roundhouse, and after several moments he snapped two fingers together. "Preparation of transformation!" He exclaimed. It was a rare thing to see, and he only knew of it from a book he read at the Temple of Lugh, before his blindness.
Emma wasn't sick. Her body was merely adapting its self to take on something new. Like a caterpillar, from a grub to a butterfly sort of transformation. She was changing into something new.
Cian place a finger over his cracked lips, intensely thinking about what kind of transformation the child was going to go through. She could be dangerous on one hand, or harmless on the other. Only time would truly give him the answer, his skills of second sight only provide the intermediate of a situation, and not the future.
Either way, Myrddin has a very special child in his possession, and she would be welcomed as a student for however long it was required of her, here in the Oak Grove of Druis.
He smiled and wrapped the cloth strap over his eyes, and then left the roundhouse to tell Graham that Emma would be fine in time, that it was nothing he had done that caused it. Wynnfrith would be a little more difficult to explain things to. A simple answer would not suffice, as she would hound him until he told her the whole truth. This is why she made such an accomplished healer.
xxx
It was about mid-afternoon the following day, when Emma sat up in bed, her fever completely gone. The blonde looked around the room, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. One candle burning at the other end of the room did little for her sight.
Once her eyes could make out certain objects, she decided to try and get out of the bed. Her body felt weak as she pulled the blanket away.
Emma was excited to be free of her fever, and wanted nothing more than to be back in the sunlight, if it was out.
Her body completely crumbled as it refused to respond to her whims. Emma rubbed her legs, grunting in pain and frustration of the situation.
The front flap was flung aside and a young woman with black hair entered abruptly. She left the flap open, allowing the outside light to enter the shelter.
"Emma? It is Emma, right?" The bendrui asked the child as she approached with haste. She heard Emma fall and was worried that the girl may have injured herself further.
Emma frowned and nodded. She wasn't familiar with this person, so she was slightly hesitant about her coming any closer. The blonde slapped a hand hard against the mattress and clung to it tightly, trying to pull herself up.
The young woman helped Emma back into the bed and pulled the covers up to the blonde's chest. The bendruis full lips curled into smiled.
"My, my, you had us healers very worried." She reached out and placed her hand on Emma's forehead "Here let me feel your temperature now." The bendrui smiled once more, pleased that the fever was gone.
"Oh my, where's my manners, honestly." The woman clapped her hands to her blushing cheeks and grinned.
"I'm Bendrui Keeva. I assist Bendrui Wynnfrith, well me and a few others actually." She flicked her hands about while speaking. "Sister Wynnfrith is going to be so pleased you are well now, she has been worried for days."
Emma watched the woman swing her arms when she spoke. It was nice actually, she sort of reminded the blonde of Sascha, when Sascha was a raven. Keeva's light red robes even swished about like giant wings. The display made Emma smirk.
Keeva spun around as she had wandered about the roundhouse, talking mostly to herself. "I will go at once and get her, but please while no one is here do not try to leave the bed again. Can you do this for me Emma?" Her eyes were pleading the blonde to accept the request.
Emma nodded. "I promise not to move." The teen's voice was raspy. She hadn't noticed how dry her mouth was until now. "May I have some water please?"
Keeva raced over to the table and picked up a pear shaped clay jug, and then poured some water into a similar coloured clay cup.
"Here you are. I will be back in a moment with Bendrui Wynnfrith." She was about to give it to Emma, but paused with a serious look. "Sip it slowly Emma, don't guzzle, no matter how much you wish to."
Keeva gently placed the cup into Emma's outreached hands, and waited for the girl to have a firm grip on it before letting it go.
The bendrui shot Emma a wide grin and darted out of the shelter.
She sipped the liquid lazily, letting it slid down her throat. It was the best thing she had had in days, until it reached the pit of her stomach. She placed the cup down, next to the bed and curled up on her side to relieve some of the pain in her gut.
Emma's green eyes fell on the entrance of the shelter, peering out at the sky. Her eyelids became heavy as she observed the gently drifting clouds, and then they fell completely shut.
The stench of herring made Sascha's stomach churn. "I can't stand that smell much longer." She exclaimed, partially sticking her tongue out to show her disgust.
Merlin eyed her briefly and then slid a hand in between the folds of his grey robe, pulling out a small vial. He popped the cork and handed it to Sascha.
"Here, sniff this. It should stop you feeling sick from the fish." He didn't look at her as she took the vial from him. The wizard was too busy watching a cargo ship docking at the port.
Sascha narrowed her eyes at the object and gingerly took the vial from the wizard's hand. She peered at the tiny bottle and then raised an eyebrow. Giving a shrug of why-not, she sniffed the bottle. The intense fragrance was almost worse than the stink of fish.
The redhead pulled the bottle far away from her face, gagging for fresh air, but couldn't from the fishy smell, invading her nostrils.
Merlin had to hold in a fit of laughter from the sight, placing a hand over his mouth to stop it from spilling out.
After a few moments of dry reaching, Sascha pushed the vial firmly into Merlin's chest.
"What the Hel is that!?" She asked nasally, pinching her nose to escape the odour.
Merlin let a chuckled escape his throat, and coughed instantly after, trying to cover it up. The wizard corked the tiny bottle and placed it back safely in his robes.
"It's Skunk glaze extraction." A massive grin spread across his face. It was safer than the hearty belly laugh he was going to give a few moments ago.
Sascha cast the wizard an indignant look. "That was a cruel joke, Merlin!"
His grin dropped to a smile. "But it worked though. You're not feeling sick from the smell of herring, are you?" He held his arms up slightly, expecting her to try to slap him.
The redhead leered and then turned away, hardened boots tapping along the planks as she headed towards the lodge. He wasn't worth getting irritable over. She was done with Merlin's sense humour, she was done with wearing bloody footwear, and she done with the wretched barrels of stench infested produce.
Merlin smirked as he turned in the other direction and descended the rickety steps leading towards the docked ship. The wizard used the wooden railing as a guide, noticing the steps were slightly slippery from the spray of the ocean. It was mostly a clear afternoon, the sun warmed his old bones, but the salt in the air made his facial hair frizz out. The wizard tucked his long beard into his collar, not caring if he appeared odd because it.
Once he traversed the twists and turns of the pier, he waited beside the ships docking plank to greet the captain, or anyone that could get the captain for him.
He silently hoped Sascha and himself could be passengers aboard the cargo ship. The Island of the Gods would be another two weeks sail from Lyngbakr Harbour. And it didn't seem like any other vessel was going to be docking or leaving anytime soon. Guessing by the size of this ship, it would take until tomorrow for it to be ready to set sail.
"Ya mind not standin' in me way mate." A rather weathered crew member drawled, as he rolled a wooden barrel past the wizard, nearly knocking him over.
Merlin collected some of his robes and pulled them close to his body as he stepped out of the man's way. "Oh pardon me, I didn't mean -"
"Whatcha bleedin' want anyhow?" The man slapped a large hand down on the barrel, bringing it to a sudden stop. He eyed the wizard, bushy brows drawn together in a menacing manner.
Merlin straightened, giving a sense of air that he wasn't someone to be easily intimidated. "I wish to see your captain, mister?" The wizard turned his hand over in question to the fellow's name.
The sailor scoffed at the gesture and pushed the barrel into movement again, down along the wharf. He peered back at the wizard, half way up the docking plank and chuckled, shaking his head from side to side, continuing to load the barrel onto the ship.
Merlin couldn't understand what he had done wrong. Perhaps it was his beard tucked into his collar, or the fact he was hundred-something year old man sizing up a sailor? Either way he thought about it, he knew it wasn't going get him that ship any faster.
Against his better judgement, Merlin was going to take the direct approach, striding up the plank and onto the ship.
The sailors bustled about, loading crates here and there. Merlin sidestepped a number of crew members, each of them shooting looks of puzzlement at his presence, but he ignored them making a bee line for the captain's cabin.
Merlin stopped at the door, hearing yelling from beyond wooden wall. He leaned up against it and listened to the muffled words between, what he could make out, two individuals.
As the heated conversation came to an end, the door was swung open and the wizard was shoved aside by a towering burly man, he stood almost half a foot taller than him.
"Don't bother with that sea bitch, she ain't trafficking what you got." The bulky man muttered at Merlin while moving him. He then strode off the ship and headed towards the lodge on the mainland.
The wizard collected himself after the abrupt hustle and smoothed out his robes. As he turned to enquire about possible passage on the ship, he was struck in the face with a delicate hand.
"And don't come back pushing you're garbage on me!" The female captain yelled, flinging her hand out in protest.
As she noticed her blunder, backhanding the old man in the face, she quickly turned to him, apologising. "Oh my gosh! please forgive me, I didn't see you -" She paused not knowing who he was. "Wait, who are you? And what are doing on my ship!" Her brief regret at hitting him had vanished, as her voice rose in anger at his unwanted presence.
Merlin jerked his head back, surprised by her rapid change in disposition towards him. How was he supposed to get on her good side if she clearly didn't welcome people aboard her vessel? He went to stroke his beard, but his hand slid down his chest instead. The wizard had forgotten that he tucked his beard into his collar earlier.
The captained eyed him, looking confused. "Look I don't know who you are, or what you want. But I need you to get off my ship, before one of my lads does it for you." She cocked her head at him while firmly gripping her cutlass, as added incentive for to get off the ship.
Merlin glanced at the weapon and then back to her face. She was very attractive woman, if he was honest with himself. Long dark curls and braids tumbled around her face, while her bright grey eyes bore into him. He thought she would have to be in her early thirties, a few lines showing the passage of time she must have fared through.
The wizard would have studied her more, but was grabbed from behind and carried off towards the docking plank. The captain smiling at his forced departure.
"Wait, I wish for passage on your ship, Captain!" Merlin managed to call out, as he was man handled closer to the plank.
The captain laughed, placing both hands on her hips, as she strode towards him.
"What on Woden's planet makes you think I would allow a decrepit man, as yourself, onto my magnificent vessel?" She asked in a demeaning tone, coming to stop a few feet away from him.
Merlin struggled from the tight grip the crew member had on him. "I think having this decrepit man on your ship would be to your advantage, my lady. I'm quite useful." He tried to convince her of his worth, but felt it wasn't going to be by gold. Power was what he needed.
Another bout of sarcastic laughter escaped the brunette's lips, as she threw her head back in a mocking fashion, dark brown locks bouncing.
Once done she bent her head back to eye him. "I think I may just keep you around for laughs, and then when I'm tired of your weathered face, I'll drop you somewhere out in the middle of the ocean." She tilted her head to the side with a smirk, a loose braid moved with the action.
"I think there would be a many a person who would miss Merlin, High Wizard of Men." He said, a smile creeping across his face.
The captain frowned at him, and then eased back her face with a smile equal to his. "You honestly think I'd believe you'd be the legendary Merlin?" She scoffed at him, and then her features became steely. "Everyone knows He's been dead for years, so you can't fool me, old man." The captain gripped her cutlass tighter than before, clearly showing his time conversing with her was coming to an end.
Merlin darted his eyes to the right, thinking about the sailor, and then to the left to look at the captain. He was making a split decision on whether to show her who he was. It could go either way, she could believe him, or attack him out of fear. The captain seemed on edge enough to perform the latter.
He took a deep breath at making up his mind. "It was all rumours." He uttered.
The wizard flicked his right hand back, digging his fingers into the sailor's side. A large flash of light exploded, as the man was propelled back, sliding along the ship's waist to impact with the gunwale. A few crew members went to check if he was badly injured, and then helped him to his feet.
Merlin straightened himself out and adjusted his robes, twisting his belt back into place when he was done. The wizard folded his arms in front of him, peering back at the wide eyed captain.
Her mouth hung slightly open, eyes frozen in place. She let go of her cutlass and took a step towards him, mouth finally closing.
"I thought you were dead?" The captain's brows rose in surprise. "How are you alive, after the incident with the Titan?" Her hands turning upwards in question, taking another step to come almost within arm's reach of him.
Merlin chuckled. "My dear, I wouldn't be titled with High Wizard if a titan could kill me." He smiled at her, finally knowing he'd successfully proven who he was. "Oh, by the way, my lady, I didn't catch your name?" The wizard quickly added.
Ignoring him, she edged her head to the side to eye her crew as they weren't moving about, distracted by the conversation going on in front of them. "Get back to work you damn sea dogs!" She barked,
Merlin taking the opportunity of her sudden diversion, finished inspecting the captain's attire. Knee length brown leather boots blended well with the almost equally coloured leather pants she wore. A black near see through long sleeved shirt could be seen underneath her extensively red detailed bodice, belt buckled to the front. He couldn't avoid the exposed cleavage, quickly looking at the large red amulet hanging from her neck. He paused at the sight, quickly thinking her uniform was less of a freighter captain, and more that of a pirate.
Had he wandered onto a pirate's ship, mistaking it for a simple cargo vessel?
"See something you like Merlin?" She asked in a seductively mocking tone.
He snapped his eyes from looking at her amulet, appearing to be checking out her bust. The wizard shifted slightly, looking away from her gaze. "My lady I am not interested in you in that manner. In honesty my heart lies with another." He turned his eyes back to look at her. "But that's not important. I still wish to know your name, which you seem to be avoiding telling me." He narrowed his eyes.
She looked down at the floor of the ship, and then slowly returned her gaze to the wizard. "I'm Captain -" She hesitated before answering him. "Captain Milah."
Merlin raised a single eyebrow. His suspicion of her being a pirate was now completely affirmed, Milah wasn't just some pirate though. She was the Pirate Queen, and this was her ship the Baelfire.
Thank you all for still reading this stuff.
Ardenwood - I nearly spat my coffee at the laptop screen when you said you hoped Emma would learn how to fight bare knuckles. Are you a mind reader or what?! Yeah she does, eventually.
