"I collapsed onto the roots at the base of the tree. I looked up into the leaves above me and remembered the first time I had seen the Hawthorne. It had been that night when I had awoken to the sound of singing. I remembered walking up the path that I could now look down. The scent of apple blossom and Hawthorne came to me, but it did not have the same soothing effect as the first time. Now, it just made my muscles tense and my head swim.

As I lay beneath the branches, I started to violently shake and convulse again. I could feel the Light in me losing the battle with the rising Dark powers. I could feel it there, an all consuming hole that threatened to suck everything in. The only reason I had not yet been consumed was the fact that the Old Powers in me where keeping me alive. They were a blessing and a curse. They kept me alive, but that prolonged my agony and it would mean that the Dark would not kill me and instead use me to kill the Old Ones. Dark cannot kill Light and Light cannot kill Dark. But, one of both could kill either and I was a combination of all the powers.

I heard footsteps head my way, but the shivering was so violent that I could no longer control my movements. They came closer and closer and I saw the hem of a navy blue cloak come into view. It was my father. I saw the cloak move as he reached down to pick me up. But his hands felt like fire against my skin and I let out a cry of pain causing him to quickly let me go.

"Don't touch me!" I cried, the words sounding half like a threat and half like a plea. "I can walk; just open the hall for me."

"You cannot." He said simply.

"I have to." I replied, my voice sounding strained while I attempted to get to my feet. I just managed to stand with the help of the tree. "Did they tell you what happened?"

"No, cariad, they only said you were here."

"The Dark attacked during the service." I recounted. "Will and I sensed them attack but we could do nothing until everyone else had gone. By the time they did leave however, I was already at war with myself and could do nothing to help." I collapsed back to the floor then, the strain of standing clear on my face. I saw my father move as if to catch me, but he stopped himself before he could.

"Why here, cariad? Why not closer to the Hall so that you did not have far to go?"

"I don't really know." I laughed, "I guess it came of hoping that you would find me before the Rider came and took me. I knew you would know where I meant." I heard hooves heading towards us and I felt panic rise in my chest. "Please don't let him take me, I can't… I can still… You should…"

"Shh, it's alright, it's a friend." He said. The horse came to a stop and I could see that it had a golden coat. "Well, it looks as if your mother would like to help you."

"My mother?" I said, "What is she like?"

"Lets get you on this horse first, and then we can talk." He said, going to pick me up.

"No, no! I can do it!" I insisted.

I shakily stood once more, leaning against the tree for support. I could now see that the horse was a stallion with a golden coat and white mane. I walked shakily towards him, my father ready in case I collapsed again. His help was not needed however as I managed to fling my arms around the horse's strong neck. Mounting was the next challenge, but it turned out that there was some magic in the horse as I didn't even realise I was mounting until I was sitting on his back. I collapsed forward and circled my arms around his neck.

With out a word being said, the horse started forward. "Will you tell me now?" I asked.

"Your mother is a rare thing. She is a thing of the Wild magic and the High magic." He said, walking alongside the horse. "I met her when I was with my Lord when he retrieved his sword. She- She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen; she still is. You have her looks, you know."

"I have been told that before." I said, a smile forming.

"Who by?" father inquired.

"The Rider," I replied "He said that my mother had stayed with him for a time."

"Yes, that's right." Father said, "She stayed with the Rider and his mother to learn magic. You see, she wanted to leave the Wild and come with me to the Light. To do that, she had to give up all of her old magic.

"She managed to do that, as you can guess, and then she went to the Rider. Well, I say went with, more was taken. I could do nothing as she was theirs for a time. Then she managed to come to the Hall much in the same manner as you. I healed her and we became lovers."

We lapsed into silence and I felt myself being lulled by the constant motion of the horse beneath me. I was still shivering from the Dark and I was still in pain, but the thought of finally seeing my mother and my father's strong form beside me gave me strength.

"Why was I sent to this time? Was it just to be here for the rising?" I asked.

My father sighed. "No it was not, the Dark forced our hand." He said. "I was not with your mother when she gave birth as I had been summoned by my lord. But, I had left her with Martha and John, so she was in good hands. I thought she and the child would be safe. I was wrong.

"They came only an hour after you were born and your mother was forced to flee. She was still weak, so anything else would not have been effective. So the three of them took to horse and fled into the forest, intending to come to me. John told me what was going on and I was instantly on my way to meet them.

"The Rider got to them first. He separated Vivien from the others and told her to return with him. This was when the Dark was rising for the first time, so he was at his most powerful. Despite that, he only realised Vivien was carrying you in her arms as he was talking. He ordered her to hand you to him or he would kill you. Neither knew that that would not have been possible.

"In desperation, your mother called upon her old ways to send you to safety. She did not know where she was sending you, only that you would be away from the Dark. I arrived just then and found the Rider. Banishing him, I came up to Vivien and asked what had happened to our child. She told me everything and then said that she had to leave me. She was a thing of the Wild again." He finished. "That night, I lost both of you."

I heard music just then that stopped any further talk. It was the most beautiful thing I had heard and I was instantly reminded of the music I heard in the Dark's castle that night. As we rode into a clearing, I saw a lake of beautifully clear water. The place seemed to hum with power and I started to shake more violently. I knew that the Dark inside me was scared of this place and that gave me hope.

Just then I noticed a woman. She was tall and slim with fair skin, dark brown hair and eyes the colour of a deep pool. She wore a long deep blue sleeveless dress under a blue graduated chiffon dress that went from a deep blue to the colour of the ocean. She was standing in the shallows of the lake and her dress was floating on the surface. She smiled as she saw me and motioned for us to come nearer, but I could tell that she was not so happy to see my father.

"Thank you," I said to the horse as he stopped. "Thank you, Embarr."

So, that's his name.

"Come here, child." The woman said.

I was suddenly reminded of someone I had seen before. Into my mind came a picture of the woman who had helped me to get away from the Rider; a sister maybe. I shakily dismounted and then made my way towards the woman. I was shaking all over and every now and again I felt a stab of pain that would make me shrink into myself. My limbs were stiff and felt heavy while my head swam with every step making me think I was going to collapse.

Just before I reached the water's edge I stopped, remembering what my father had said; I was going to get my mother's help. "Who…?" I said.

"I am your mother's sister," the woman replied. "She asked me to aid you as she could not."

I staggered forward and into the water. Instantly I fell to my knees as the Dark inside me started to fight with all of its strength. It knew that unless it could win soon it would be banished. I started to shiver so violently that it looked as if I was having a fit. I felt panic rising in me as I became aware that neither my aunt nor my father were actually doing anything. I could just about make out through my shaking that my father seemed worried.

That's never good.

"My lady," he said, but received no reply. "Mab, please; she's Vivien's daughter, help her."

"I know who she is Emrys. It is you who must heal her." She said, her voice sounding harsh and accusing.

"I cannot; I cannot touch her."

"You must," She replied, "You know the consequences if you do not. I shall do what I can."

I heard slight splashes behind me as my father entered the water. Each part of me was feeling something different in that moment; the Dark part was frightened and determined to consume me; the Light was determined that the Dark would do no such thing; the Wild powers were relishing in the battle and contemplating just taking me for themselves; the High powers were planning on siding with whatever won; the Old power seemed in different. But, I could feel a tiny part of me tucked away that was human, and that small part was scared beyond anything I could describe.

"Everything will be fine, cariad." Father said from behind me.

I felt his hands rest on my shoulders and his touch started to burn my skin. The Dark powers within me started fighting all the more and I would have fallen side ways into the water if my father wasn't there. I was also trying not to shout from the pain for my father's sake, but within seconds I failed. I felt him tense and concentrate harder. Then I felt a warm, soothing sensation flow out from my father and into my shoulders. Within moments of it entering my body my aunt started singing again. I quickly became drowsy and started to fall into a deep sleep, but not before I felt the warm feeling turn to fire and start attacking the Dark.

"Until we meet again, child." She said just before everything turned black.