A/N: Thanks to IndiaMoore, theladyofice, and Baje Barra for the great reviews!

Connotation

~Chapter 9: Giant Doors and Guard Patrols~

By Fox

There are a few stall owners left who look suspiciously at her as she trucks past, but most everybody has retired for the night.

She pulls the cart into a side alley, giving a baker a friendly smile, then walks until she can't see the stalls when she looks behind her. She stops at some long-gone shop's abandoned doorway and wheels the cart under an awning that's half caved in.

She spreads the sacks on the ground and settles Morgana against the wall, then sits back on her heels. Now what? Morgana had said those cuffs on her arms are what's keeping her weakened.

She examines one. It's tight around Morgana's arm, with no visible keyhole. Gwen picks up a sizeable rock form the ground , braces Morgana's arm, and hits the cuff soundly. After a few minutes of this Gwen inspects her handiwork.

The rock hasn't even scratched it. Not a dent.

Must be magic, thinks Gwen. Or just really strong.

Gwen tries pressing the stones in the cuff in different patterns; maybe it needs some kind of combination to unlock.

Morgana stirs where she's lying on the sacks.

"Gwen? What…?"

"We're outside the castle," Gwen tells her. "Do you know how to get these bands off?"

Morgana shakily lifts her arm up and squints at the bracelet.

"It's… blocking my magic… makes me weak."

"Yes, I know, but how do I take it off?" Gwen presses.

Morgana is silent for so long Gwen fears she's fallen asleep with her eyes open.

"Cut it," the witch finally says. "Can't unlock it."

"Right," Gwen says, "With what? "But Morgana falls back into whatever daze has taken her mind.

Cut the cuff. Shouldn't be too hard, she just needs to find something to cut it with.

Which you won't find here, Gwen prompts herself. She shoves Morgana further into the doorway and covers here with the sacks. Hopefully nobody will find her while Gwen's gone.

Where to find a tool that can cut through metal cuffs, is what Gwen wonders as she wanders through the streets. A blacksmith, perhaps?

Her father had had tools that could do it, but did blacksmiths in this kingdom have the same?

Gwen decides she is stupid for even thinking that: of course they do. It's not like she's on a different planet.

In the dusk not many people are about, but she catches the arm of a man who looks reliable.

"Excuse me, but could you point me to the blacksmith?"

The man gives her precise instructions (left here, right at the second street, third shop on the right) and she leaves him on his merry way.

When she reaches the shop she doesn't go in, but circles to the side and peeks in a window. A large woman is setting a sword into a case in a room cluttered with tools and tables. Gwen settles down for a wait.

She doesn't know exactly how long it's been from when she first got there and the woman locked up and left (one hour and forty-nine minutes), but the woman does. Gwen shimmies through the window that the blacksmith forgot to lock.

She looks around, searching for what she needs. There: hanging neatly on a rack. Long, thin shears that will definitely cut through those cuffs, if what she'd helped her father do was anything to go by.

She hefts them in her hands. Morgana's freedom for the necklace. She'll take it. Gwen is certain.

She is oddly reluctant to leave the place, suddenly nostalgic and missing her father. She closes her eyes and breathes in the air for a moment, then makes herself leave. As she slides back out the window, she assures herself that she'll return the tool. It's just borrowing, then.

She gets lost on the way back to Morgana and has to circle around the castle to find her again. Behind the gates guards are swarming the courtyard, and Gwen's ears catch snatches of conversation.

"The witch," someone says fearfully.

"Knocked a guard out cold," reports another.

"Dangerous."

"Search the city."

At the last one Gwen bolts, sprinting back to the abandoned shop and Morgana.

They're searching. Must get out.

"Morgana," she hisses, shaking the witch's shoulder. "My lady." No, not any more. "Morgana!" Suddenly she does wake up and blink at Gwen.

"Gwen? Where am I? What's going on?"

Gwen thanks all that is holy that Morgana's mind is clear.

"We're outside Abernard's citadel, in the main town. You probably don't remember anything." Morgana shakes her head. "You told me I need to cut those cuffs off. They're keeping you weak."

"But how did I get here?" Morgana persists.

"I got you out. And before you ask why, you have something I need."

"What?" Morgana looks more than a little confused but there isn't time!

"Listen for a moment. I'll get those cuffs off." Gwen hefts the shears and suddenly Morgana is paying attention, "But I need your necklace."

"What necklace?"

"The selenite one, that you always wear."

Morgana stares at her for a moment, then drops her head, looking bewildered and dismayed.

"I don't have it."

"What?" Gwen asks shrilly. Memories of Camelot and plans for the saving of it go up in flames before her eyes. The world tilts.

"Gwen?" Morgana shouts. "Gwen! I know where it is!"

Gwen's mind drags her back into the moment.

"You do?"

"Well, I know who has it. Or did, whenever I first came here. I don't know how long it's been."

Gwen shrugs. Neither does she.

"Okay. Good enough. Swear that if I release you, you'll help me get it back."

"But why? And why did you rescue me? What is going on, Gwen?" Morgana sounds desperate.

Gwen takes a deep, thoughtful breath. Should she tell her? Morgana might refuse to help. Then again, Abernard had imprisoned her. She probably holds a deeper grudge for him at the moment.

"Camelot is under attack." Morgana's gaze shutters, and she narrows her eyes. "Abernard's called up a High Shade and put everyone to sleep."

Morgana doesn't respond for a few moments, instead looking eerily at Gwen.

"Why should I help?" she asks finally. "Camelot has done nothing for me." Gwen snorts.

"I'm not discussing the past right now. Abernard imprisoned you for months and blocked your magic. Will you aid his takeover of Camelot?"

"How are you awake?" Morgana asks suddenly. "You would have been affected by the High Shade's magic."

Gwen holds up her wrist and Morgana's eyes widen at the bracelet.

"You still…" Gwen nods sharply. Morgana closes her eyes for a moment, thinking, then decides. "I will help you find the necklace in return for removing these bands."

"Swear," Gwen says. "Swear on… your magic." Morgana glares at her, but does it. "Good. Right then. Hold out your arm."

Gwen turns the shears nervously. She doesn't want to accidentally cut off Morgana's arm. There's not much space between her skin and the metal. She finally decides to just get it over with. She pushes herself up on her knees, slides on end of the shears under the cuff with some difficultly, and squeezes them shut with all of her strength.

Morgana hisses in pain, but the cuff slowly splits and drops off her arm, leaving nothing but a deep red mark where the shears pressed in.

Morgana shakily offers her other arm and Gwen repeats the process. The second cuff clangs against the ground and Morgana drops like a stone, unconscious.

"Not again," Gwen mutters. But this time Morgana's face is bright red. Gwen places a hand to her forehead; it's fever hot. For lack of something better to do she lays Morgana down with a pillow made from a few sacks and settles beside her to keep watch.

It's dawn when Morgana stirs.

"Morning," Gwen greets. Morgana groans and pushes herself up. "You all up to scratch?"

Morgana shrugs.

"Here," Gwen says, and hands her some dried meat and bread from her pack. "You must be hungry." Morgana tucks in with supremely un-ladylike decorum. But she isn't a noble anymore, is she?

When she's eaten every crumb, Morgana leans back against the wall and looks expectantly at Gwen.

"Where's the necklace?" Gwen asks, without preamble. Morgana raises an eyebrow, but replies.

"One of the knights who captured me took it. His name is Ralin, I believe. Ralin Johnson. I overheard someone talking to him," she adds, by way of explanation.

"Well, if he's a knight he'll live in the kingdom, if he's not off on a quest or something," Gwen says. "We could ask someone." Morgana looks skeptical. "Trust me. Come on."

Gwen grabs one of the sacks and puts the broken cuffs in, along with the shears. Morgana struggles to her feet with help from the wall.

"Can you walk?" Morgana takes a shaky step and stumbles. "Fine. Come here." Gwen loops Morgana's arm around her shoulders and supports her as they walk back out to the main streets.

"Keep your head down," Gwen tells her. "They're searching for you." It's almost unnecessary, because once again the streets are mostly empty in the early dawn. They walk slowly through the streets while Gwen looks for the right shop.

"This should work," she finally says, stopping outside a shop.

"A jeweler's?" Morgana asks. Gwen doesn't reply, just walks them inside the open door.

"Hello?" she calls. The shop is organized and clean, displays set up in locked boxes, probably magically. There is a rustle, and a wizened old man shuffles to the front of the counter.

"'Ow can I be helpin' you, miss?" he croaks, and squints at them suspiciously. "If you wan' my money, you'll fin' more 'an you bargained for."

"We're not beggars or thieves," Gwen says hurriedly, elbowing Morgana as she opens her mouth. "We just want some information. Do you know of a knight called Ralin Johnson?"

"Aye. 'E buys trinkets for that wife 'o his every so often."

"Can you tell us where he lives?"

"'An jus' 'oo is it 'oo wan's to know?" the man glares at her and reaches a hand below the counter.

"I'll have you-" Gwen slaps a hand over Morgana's mouth.

"We can pay!" she says. "Or, trade. Look." She releases Morgana, who sways but stays standing, and pulls out a cuff. The man reaches a hand out and she lets him inspect it.

"'S nice," he says grudgingly. "Stones, good metal. Hm. I mi' know where Johnson is. Maybe." Gwen pulls out the other one. "Lives in th' middle town. 'Ouse righ' next to the water-wheel. Big door. Can'na miss it." He grabs the other cuff and disappears into the back room.

"Wait!" Gwen calls. "One more thing." The man shuffles back, glaring daggers at them. Gwen slides the shears in the sack onto the counter. "Make sure this gets to the blacksmith?"

The man grumbles under his breath, but takes the parcel and stomps away again.

Morgana looks impressed.

"My father always said that jewelers are the nosiest people in the kingdom," Gwen explains, smiling slightly. "The one in Camelot, Gertrund, always knows what everyone is doing. Bit unsettling, actually."

"Let's go then," Morgana says, and whirls to leave. It would have been impressive if she hadn't stumbled immediately and narrowly missed the floor.

"Whoa there," Gwen says as she catches her. "You've been chained to a wall for a few months. Give it time."

They make their way through the town, asking for directions periodically from passersby as they wake up. The middle town is expansive but easy to navigate, and made mostly of houses.

"There it is," Morgana says, pointing to a house by a small water-mill. "It certainly does have a big door."

The windows are still dark, so Gwen steers them to a set of steps that's shaded and in view of the house, and they sit down to wait.

After a while they can see movement in the house, curtains are opened and morning sounds filter over to Gwen and Morgana. A man with black hair and a beard walks out the door.

"That's him," confirms Morgana. She shuts up when a woman calls his name and runs out the door after him, and the secret to the giant door is revealed. The woman is enormous. Gwen thinks she must be seven feet tall.

She hands a bag to Johnson, and when she turns the rising sun glints off something around her neck.

The necklace.

"Is that it?" Gwen asks quietly. Morgana nods. They wait until the man has disappeared down the street, then Gwen stands up.

"You stay here," she tells Morgana. "I'm going to go talk to her and see if I can't get that necklace back.

"How?" Gwen shrugs, and walks quickly over to the house and knocks on the giant door. The woman answers it on the third knock. Gwen resists the urge to stumble back from her gargantuan frame.

"Yes, what is it?" the woman asks gruffly.

"Hello, madam," Gwen greets. The necklace glitters tantalizingly down at her. "I'm here to… ask you about something."

"What?"

"Um… that necklace."

"What about it?" asks the woman, covering it protectively with one hand.

"May I ask when you received it, madam? You see, you are most likely unaware that that particular necklace… is cursed," Gwen says dramatically, making it up on the spot.

"Cursed?" squeaks the woman.

"Indeed," Gwen says gravely, warming to her tale. "I have been tracking its owners across the country for a year now, and it has led me to you. Thus far, whoever owns the necklace has died within a year of receiving it, along with their families."

The woman gives a little shriek and yanks the necklace off, dropping it at Gwen's feet.

"Please, I've only had it a few months, I didn't know!"

"If you've been in possession of it for less than nine months the curse will not affect you," Gwen soothes, feeling guilty. She picks the necklace up. "But I'm sure you understand why I need to secure this. Simply too dangerous to be allowed to circulate." The woman nods fervently.

"Thank you, thank you for finding me in time. You've saved my husband and I."

"It was no hardship, madam. Thank you for your cooperation." Gwen nods to her and leaves, and the woman slams the giant door behind her.

"Got it!" Gwen says happily when she reaches Morgana, who's eying her with interest.

"That was clever," she compliments. Gwen almost replies, then remembers that Morgana's evil now and not her friend and just nods, wiping her smile off. She makes herself not notice Morgana's frown.

"Come on," Gwen says, turning away. "Let's get out of here."