The next day, I was working in the laundry room when one of the other girls there mentioned something very interesting. "There's a rumor going around the kitchen that a giant beast is in the woods near the city. Prince Arthur and his Knights have set out after it."
I stopped scrubbing and turned to look at the other two women. "I heard the same! It is said to be as big as a horse with the appearance of a wolf… Someone also said that it breathes fire." I kept my ears trained on their conversation.
"Yes, Sir Bedivere told me that they were heading out towards the Valley of the Fallen Kings to find it." Just then the bell struck, marking the end of my work day. I hurriedly hung the sheet I'd been cleaning and rushed down to the kitchen.
"Mary!" I called out when I came in; glancing around after the fact to make sure Mrs. Sharp wasn't around. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed she was not.
"Alex?" I rushed towards my friend, who was chopping up some kind of greenery. "What's the matter?"
"Have you heard the rumor about the beast in the woods?" She gave me a skeptical look.
"Yes. Why?" I looked around us to make sure no one was paying us attention.
"I want to go and look for it." Her eyes grew wide at my statement and I wondered for a moment if she would back away from my proposal.
"Are you mad, Alexandra? Do you want to get yourself killed? This beast has already killed three travelers and Prince Arthur himself said that he feared for his Knights lives. This is dangerous!" I wish I could have told her the truth right there. Most all creatures listened to me, and when they didn't, my magic would keep us safe. I sighed.
"I'm going after it, Mary. I want adventure. And I'm good with a sword and in a fight. I can help the Knights and Merlin." She made a face at the mention of our mutual friend. "Do you know what time they left this morning?" I asked. Her eyes dimmed, and I took it as a sign that she was willing to let me have my way.
"They left this morning around ten." I thanked her but when I started to leave, she called after me. "You aren't seriously thinking about going after it, are you?"
"Yes. I am." This led to a series of bickering between us, before I'd somehow conned her into coming along. She packed up a bag of food for us, and I got my sword.
I realized we had no horses, so I snuck into the stables and found Arthur's prized mare and his other stallion. I had been trying my hardest not to think about him, and about what the dragon had said, but in this instance, I comforted myself by saying it wasn't exactly stealing sense I was destined to be his future wife.
"Alex, are those the Prince's horses?" Mary asked as I handed the reins of the bay mare over to her.
"Yes." I replied.
"Ah. Well then." Mary didn't oppose to taking the horses as much as I'd thought she would, and I couldn't tell if it was because she was scared or she was assuming I had permission.
It was near dark by the time we'd made it into the thick of the woods. I could only hope that Gaius wouldn't be mad when he got my note, and that Merlin and Arthur wouldn't find out about us being here. I just couldn't let them kill the beast.
Since I'd come to Camelot, I'd been hearing of all these great magical beasts Arthur and his men had killed. More or less innocent animals that could be saved, as long as they're treated the right way.
Mary jumped in her saddle again as a blue bird took flight, causing the bushes to shake. I sighed. "Honestly Mary, you have nothing to be afraid of. I told you already, most anything you meet in the woods will be more afraid of you than you are of it."
"How can you be so at ease here? These woods are infested with not only man-eating monsters, but bandits! We'll be lucky to make it out of here alive. Oh, why did I let you talk me into this? And we're coming here at night, on top of it all! It has to be the stupidest idea ev—," A twig cracked off to our right and I shushed Mary.
I stopped my horse, and Mary copied me. The woods fell eerily silent, and I knew it wasn't a good sign. I prepared my magic, waiting for their next movement.
My stallion started dancing impatiently beneath me as I unsheathed my sword. Nothing happened for a moment, and then suddenly they were on us.
Ten men came out from the tree line, and as I prepared to use my magic, I felt something sting my arm, and looked down to see a dart stuck in my bicep. "Uh oh."
Arthur's point of view
When we arrived back at the palace, it was well after dark. I'd wanted to stay in the woods, but Merlin had had another of his 'feelings' and said that we had to get back as soon as possible.
He and I took my horses back into the stable, and I balked when I saw it was completely empty. "Merlin, where are my horses?" I looked over to see his face had paled.
"Oh no." He muttered. I sighed, thinking he must've forgotten to shut the gate behind him when we left, and that my horses were running amok somewhere, but his next words changed my anger to panic. "What have you done, Alex?"
"Alex?" I couldn't let myself get caught up on the sound of her name. "What does this have to do with Alexandra?"
"I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say she went after the beast." He turned to look at me, and I tried to hide my horror. Just then, Gaius came rushing into the stables calling for Merlin.
"It's Alex—she's gone." Merlin and I exchanged a look before mounting back up. "And Merlin," My servant looked to the physician. "Mary's gone with her." Merlin cursed and we rode back out into the square, where my knights still mingled.
"Sire?" Leon called after me as Merlin and I started to ride out. "What's happened?"
"Alexandra's gone after the beast." I spurred my stead on, not waiting another second. I was only a little surprised when Leon, Bedivere and Lamorak came riding up beside us. I nodded to the three loyal knights and they dipped there heads in response.
I could only imagine the trouble Alex had managed to get herself into. And with my horses. I shook my head. We'd have to camp out tonight, and start tracking them in the morning. When we reached the woods, I realized it was probably the wrong idea to set out tonight at all.
We should've waited for the sun. If I had been thinking straight… God, this girl was messing with my mind. And the horrible thing was that I was okay with it.
