And here is chapter 10 :)
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"I am dreaming," Morgana murmured, trembling, while she wandered idly through the dark forest of Cornwall, "what I've heard, isn't true. It can't be."
There was nothing in the whole world she wanted to believe more, but the hissing words Morgause had spoken kept haunting her thoughts. "She isn't standing in our way when she's death." Did Morgause really want her death? Morgause, her sister, teacher and best friend? The person Morgana cared about the most... did she really want her to die? No, that couldn't be happening. Morgana must have fallen asleep against that oak, and she must have dreamt. How did she even dare to think Morgause would do something like that?
"Morgana!" she heard a familiar voice calling. She stopped abruptly, shocked. If she would turn around, she would see the woman whom she thought she wanted to assassinate her. When she would turn around, she would see how Morgause looked at her with friendly eyes and would tell her they would go back to Tintagel, because Morgana wasn't ready to the the Test yet. Yes, it would go like that.
Morgana turned around, and saw her sister, who was smiling warmly.
"Finally," Morgause sighed, and she sounded relieved, "I've been looking for you for already half an hour."
Morgana's smile was genuine. She knew it wasn't something to worry about, that she had only been dreaming.
"I've got some good news for you, Morgana," Morgause spoke, "I've convinced Lyra. You may do the Test." Morgana knew she was supposed to cheer or at least to look happy after hearing that news, but now, she only felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over her head.
"That's great", Morgana said, with a fake smile. But on the inside, she felt panic raising in her stomach.
"Come with me to the source of Gástlíce to see what your Test contains," Morgause said with light pressure, but still friendly, "then you can already leave tomorrow morning."
"I am tired, I'd like to sleep", Morgana protested, desperately. She didn't know what was happening and if it was true what she'd heard Morgause saying to the High Priestesses, but anxious to save her life, she supposed it was better if she wouldn't have to do the Test.
"The source can only be consulted at night", Morgause told. Without waiting for an answer, she left their spot in the woods, with a hesitating Morgana following her pace.
"Morgause," Morgana said, while running after her sister's quick pace, "I don't know if I'm really ready to do the Test."
"Of course you are, Morgana. Don't worry. I've seen you using Magic, and you can really pass the Test with your skills. It will be all right", Morgause reassured her, with a careful smile.
"Morgause." Morgana hastened, until she stood right in front of her sister. She took Morgause's wrist and stared straight into her brown eyes. "Please. I don't want to do this."
The smile on her sister's face faded away, and her eyes turned cold. It was the same expression Morgana had also seen when Morgause was talking to the High Priestesses, and it gave her more fear than thousands of life endangering Tests could do.
"You must, Morgana." Morgause pulled her wrist out if her sister's strong grip, and walked further, deeper into the forest.
"But Lyra said...", Morgana began.
"Lyra is an old, foolish woman. She doesn't know you, and she has no idea what you're capable of", Morgause said, and the tone in her voice sounded soft and encouraging again, but still, Morgana was surprised with the fact her sister dared to speak about the leader of their clan like that. "When she's death, and I'm in charge of the High Priestesses, the time of talking and not doing anything will be over."
"What do you mean?" Morgana asked. She decided she could better follow Morgause instead of getting lost in the dark woods. "Are you the next leader?" Morgause nodded. "Since when?" Morgana knew for certain her sister would've told her already she was going to be the leader if she already knew it for a while.
"Since an hour ago," Morgause answered, "Lyra has just appointed me."
"Congratulations," Morgana spoke, though she wasn't sure if she meant her felicitations, "why?"
"Because I've told them some interesting facts", Morgause smirked.
"Like?" Morgana asked.
"Morgana, don't be so curious!" Morgause laughed. "In the course of time, I will tell you if you like. But I suppose you won't be interested."
Silent, Morgana followed her sister to the famous source of Gástlíce, while fear marked each of her steps. She still didn't want to believe what she'd heard, but something inside of her whispered Morgause would never force her to do the Test, unless she really had a good reason.
Slowly, the awareness that the woman who was walking next to her, didn't mean as well by her as she had first assumed, sneaked into her mind. But why? Why would Morgause do such a thing? Morgana had intercepted faintly something about a Bond she and that idiot named Merlin would have, but that didn't make any sense. It wasn't like she still wanted to hang out with him? She didn't even want to see him any more, and even thinking at him, made the hate inside of her grow and fed her Dark Magic, which she possessed even more than most people thought of her (but she could feel its presence).
It was just ridiculous.
But before Morgana could say or do anything about it, they already arrived at the source. A new burst of panic took possession of her once she realised there was no way back. She would look into the source, and that would tell her what her Test would be.
Lyra was waiting for them. She didn't say anything, and just as a couple of hours ago, Morgana couldn't read her expression. She just gestured to the source, in token that Morgana had to look into it.
The source was a simple, small river. Nothing could show that it contained so much Magic, but Morgana sensed it. Suddenly, she understood why they called that place 'the source', as nowhere else it the forest was the Magic as strong as there. There was no other explanation than it was 'the source of the Magic'.
Morgana knelt in front of the source that would change her life. The vision of Morgause, who stabbed a knife in her back now she wasn't looking, crossed her thoughts for a second, but she shook her head and tried to concentrate on the rippling water.
Unprepared, she felt how Magic flew through her body with an fierce power. The Triskelion on her shoulder started glowing and it took Morgana all the strength she had to keep on looking into the water, until it slowly started to turn and whirl, as a tornado.
For the past two years, Morgana had always been taught to control her Magic, but now she couldn't. As if an unknown force dragged out all the Magic she had, it came to an outburst. Her eyes flashed gold and her head started spinning, like someone had knocked her down with a hammer. Instinctively, she tried to look away from the water, but she couldn't.
All of a sudden, she saw images inside her head, as if she was a spectator of a play. She saw trees and mountains, covered with snow. Between those trees, there was one tree which was way taller than all the others, it reached out for the sky. On the tree's trunk, Runes were cut. The image changed quickly and Morgana saw a fight between two great realms. Everything was on fire, and people yelled and cried, just like the time when Camelot was under attack by Cenred's army.
Just as fast as the images had appeared, they stopped. Morgana pulled her glare out of the river and laid down on her back, panting for breath. Her head felt like it could split every second and it was as if she had just been marked with the Triskelion again.
"What did you see?" Lyra asked then. Her drawling voice appeared to be very far away.
"A tree, surrounded by mountains. The tree was much taller than all the others I've ever seen before, and it was covered with Runes. And then... a fight", Morgana remembered, while she, with Morgause's help, rose up.
"The Tree of Stormum Ábéatne?" Morgause murmured to Lyra. Lyra nodded slowly. Morgana, however, had no idea what they were talking about.
"Morgana Pendragon-," Morgana ignored the frustration she felt when Lyra said that, because she knew it was more important to focus on what she was about to say instead of carping on the name she didn't want to hear, "you will go to the Tree of Stormum Ábéatne and make a weapon of one of its branches." Morgana nodded and couldn't help but feeling somehow relieved. It didn't sound that difficult. "You will leave tomorrow, and we expect you back within six months. If you aren't here during the night of the full moon of May, we will base ourselves on the assumption you have failed."
"Six months," Morgana faltered, "does that tree stand that far?"
"You can find the Tree of Stormum Ábéatne close to Lerwick, in the high north, on one of the Shetland Isles", Morgause told, and this time, Morgana swallowed. The Shetland Isles were located miles away from Cornwall, and to get there, she had to cross the highlands of Scotland, and, much worse, voyage on a part of the North Sea. Morgana didn't have any experience in sailing, and she had no idea how she had to do it.
"You leave tomorrow, when the sun rises", Lyra spoke, and then she left.
Morgana waited until Lyra couldn't hear what she was about to say, and then addressed to Morgause.
"Are you sure it isn't dangerous?" she asked. She tried not to sound suspicious, but she started to trust Morgause less and less by the second.
"You will face some danger, that's true, but that's only logical. It is the Test, remember," Morgause shrugged, "but there's nothing to worry about. These Tests aren't meant to kill the apprentices."
"Hypocrite", Morgana thought sourish, but she kept her mouth shut, wondering were that thought had come from. It must be a misunderstanding, the love for her sister yelled. But her common sense shook its head, and told her severe her eyes and ears hadn't been fooling her.
"This is the chance to prove yourself, Morgana", Morgause spoke then. Morgana awoke from her reflections and was surprised to see her sister standing so close to her, staring straight into her eyes. "This is your chance to show Lyra and all the others you aren't an ordinary sorceress, but you have much more talent than them at your disposal."
"I cannot do it, Morgause", Morgana begged again.
"There is no way back. You have to do this." Morgause's voice sounded harsh and her eyes were cold as steel.
Suddenly, Morgana felt empty inside. This wasn't her sister whom she was speaking to, this was someone else, someone who wished her death. She was certain of it now.
In a flush of thoughts, which Morgana couldn't comprehend, Morgause lead her to a soft spot, close to the fire, and suggested she should take some sleep. But of course, Morgana wasn't able to do so.
Morgause had betrayed her. Why? What had Morgana ever done that caused this madness? Did Morgause really believe Morgana would ever cooperate with Merlin? Morgana's place was here, in Cornwall or Tintagel, or wherever but Camelot. Not with them, with the ones she'd ones considered as being her friends, before they dropped her when she needed them the most. Arthur, who had been some sort of lover (despite the fact they were both to stubborn to admit it, and before they discovered they were siblings), and did everything she asked of him, had fallen in love with Gwen, which had made Morgana's servant overjoyed and blind to Morgana's suffering. They thought they were the only good thing in the world, but Morgana knew better. They were as mad as they thought she was. She would never forgive them, and she would never forgive Merlin. Especially not Merlin. She hated him.
Morgana had never thought of betraying Morgause, she couldn't even imagine she would ever do that.
Unanticipatedly, she felt angry towards her sister, but that was nothing compared to the horrible feeling she was now on her own. Apparently, Morgause had decided Morgana had to die, to prevent some sort of destiny or Bond.
Morgana had been ten years old when Gorlois, the man whom she thought he was her father and she still saw as her real father, died, ans she learnt not every story has a happy ending. Now, thirteen years later, she had already heard a lot about destiny, her destiny. That destiny had decided Gorlois had to die and it had decided she was born with a rare, powerful kind of Magic.
So Morgana prayed for the strength to beat her destiny. Clearly, Morgause assumed she couldn't do it, she was weak and therefore she could better die.
Morgana wanted to be angry at her sister. She wanted to yell at her she wasn't a marionette that could be controlled by a puppeteer. But she couldn't.
Desperately, she lay down on the soft ground, with tears in her eyes. She wanted to cry, but she didn't dare to, in case she would wake Morgause and she would ask her what's wrong. Her confused thoughts haunted her. The idea she could simply run away and start a new life, somewhere far away, was tempting. But that was too easy. Of course, it was easy to run away from her problems, but then she would be a coward, like when everyone in Camelot fell asleep and she didn't say or do anything, though she knew very well it had all been her fault.
But Morgana wouldn't die. She didn't know the path the gods had chosen for her, but she wouldn't die during the Test.
Her role in this world, in this story, wasn't finished yet.
In a rare burst of rash optimism, Morgana decided she would simply do the Test, and show Morgause and all the other High Priestesses they couldn't drag about her.