Dreaming of the Past

Exams are over! Huzzah! Say it with me, Huzzah! cough now I have let that out. Her is my long awaited chapter, sorry to keep you all waiting after such a depressing previous chapter. I don't think that this one is really much better but I really need to just sort out this part of the plot. This chapter also brings back a lot of things you probably wondered about me ever including as they seemed to have no real relevance at the time. Anyways read on and I hope you enjoy!

R&R!!

Chapter 9: First Telling

"Miranda… Miranda…" Slap, still nothing, "Miranda! Miranda!"

Miranda jerked awake just as another palm made contact with her cheek. Her eyes flicked open and met with a lined face. "Mrs Cooper! What are you doing in my house! How did you get in!?"

"You're lucky you have such a caring mother Missy. She said you hadn't returned any of her calls from the past week. So she rang me up. Don't think I didn't notice a change in you. You'd get home earlier than usual and your lights would normally be all out by 7:30. You'd go to work late too. Don't think I didn't notice!"

What Mrs Cooper was saying rushed past in a blur. Miranda's mind was still whirling after having such an abrupt disconnection from times. Normally she gave herself a minute or two to settle down. "What are you saying Mrs Cooper? And you didn't say how you got in."

Miranda pulled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed sleep from her eyes. "Your mother called me, she was worried about you. She said you hadn't been returning her calls, and I got in with your spare key; don't think I didn't know where it was."

"What?" Then she remembered, her mother had been calling her and leaving messages but she had always forgotten to call her back in her mad rush to go back to Galahad and the other knights. This had been going on for something like two weeks. "Oh, tell her I'm sorry. I'm just really, really tired."

"Something's been wrong with you lately dear. Like I said before, I've been watching you. You get home early and go straight to bed, and then get up as late as possible." Mrs Cooper sat down on the end of Miranda's bed, slight concern betraying her no-nonsense demeanour. "And I've been here trying to wake you up for ten minutes. I had resorted to slapping you and you still were showing no reaction. I was about to call the ambulance. Have you been taking any of these fancy illegal drugs that I've been hearing about so often on the news?"

"Drugs?" Miranda's eyes swam in and out of focus as she continued to wake up. She yawned. "N-no."

"Hmmm…" Mrs Cooper gave her a critical look. "Well you don't seem to be lying… Is it a boy that has you all a flutter?"

Her mind instantly went to Galahad and a slight blush tinged her cheeks at the thought of his naked torso during practice sessions with the other knights. "Well, not really. I don't think… No…."

A smile crept over the old woman's face. "Of course not dear, come on, get up and I'll make you some breakfast at my house."

"But I have to go to work at the museum! I'm busy."

"Not today you aren't dear. You're going to tell me exactly what is going on. You have been acting strangely and you are going to call in sick."

There was no crossing old Mrs Cooper. "Ahh… ok… I'll give them a call now." Miranda reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her mobile phone, calling up the Museum she was currently doing work for. A familiar Scottish accent greeted her.

"Miranda, love! How are ye?" Alfie virtually yelled through the phone, he was too energetic, as always.

"What are you doing answering the phone Alfie?"

"I flew over here yesterd'y, thought I'd surprise ye. I finally have time to help ye study that sword I sent ye."

"Oh really! That's great." It'd been too long since she'd seen old Alfie.

"Great I'll see ye when ye get here." He sounded as if he was going to hang up.

"Wait! I'm not coming in today, I've come down with a cold."

"What? Aye, that's a shame. Do ye want me to call around and visit ye?"

"No, it's fine. I can manage myself well enough. Thanks for the thought anyway. I'll be in tomorrow."

"Aye, then, see ye then." He sounded slightly disappointed but Miranda had no choice, the look Mrs Cooper was giving her seemed to scream 'chuck a sickie or die'.

"Well that's good you've sorted that out. Now come next door and I'll cook you a nice breakfast. While you're eating you can tell me everything." Miranda gulped and complied, not bothering to change out of her pyjamas for the mad dash next door.

The young lady and elderly woman sat at the table, contemplating each other over cups of tea as an egg fried in the saucepan. The table was scarred and the wall paper of the kitchen looked like it had seen better days.

"So, Miss Richardson. Tell me what is going on?" Mrs Cooper said after a long and awkward silence.

"What do you mean what is going on?" Miranda asked innocently and looked into her tea.

"Don't think I don't have my suspicions about you. I've…seen things in your house. Something strange is going on and I demand to know what that is."

" What do you mean something strange is going on?" Miranda tried to look even more innocent.

"I saw a woman, she was strangely dressed, ancient looking you could say but she was young. She was in you living room two months ago."

"And what is so peculiar about that. I probably had friends over."

"Friends over? You?! I have never seen you bring anyone home other than your mother or father. And this woman was transparent Miss Richardson; she gave off a blue light." Mrs Cooper made eye contact with the girl sitting at the opposite end of the table, she suddenly looked nervous and broke away.

"Mrs Cooper… I… there is nothing…."

"Do not lie to me Missy!" The room wrung with the old woman's shout. "Something is going on, something paranormal and you are hiding it from me. Tell me, or I'll, I'll, tell your mother."

Miranda gulped and briefly glanced up from her tea. "Mrs Cooper… there…."

"What did I say." Rage filled the old woman's face.

Miranda sighed, contemplating for a moment before giving in. She told Mrs Cooper everything, absolutely everything.

Mrs Cooper listened in silence, taking in every word of the young girl's extraordinary tale. Believing every word of it. She had always been one to believe in the magical, mysterious and paranormal, even in the sceptical society of today. There was no doubting the girl's sincere honesty. She finished her tale, ending with the body Miranda had been inhabiting, Skyla's, mother dying but withheld the decision she had made.

Miranda was in tears, finally she had someone to get all this off her chest to, someone that would understand completely, or at least she hoped would. Mrs Cooper looked met her eyes, wonder and pity filled them.

"It's and impossible life you're leading now. You need to rest. Go back to your room, sleep, really sleep, and don't travel. Then return tonight. As an old woman I can give you advice, I have seen a lot in my time and I advise you to leave that village, leave it as soon as you can and never return to it. You are not Skyla, you can't live her life."

Mrs Cooper's advice made sense and Miranda ate her egg (which was now cold) before bidding her neighbour farewell and returning to her house. Having the first proper sleep she had had in months.

Afternoon light filled the bedroom as Miranda awoke from her sleep, feeling more refreshed then she had ever remembered feeling before. She felt prepared for once to face what would confront her on her return to Briton. She knew what she would do.

Dawn was spreading its wings over the charred remains of Skyla's home village when Miranda returned. The knights were already up and about, cooking breakfast, tending the horses and assisting the locals.

Upon seeing her awake Galahad dropped the brush he was holding and rushed to her side. "Are you alright? I was worried. The others wanted to wake you but I told them to let you sleep. You needed to digest yesterday's events."

Miranda smiled up into the warm eyes of her lover who looked down at her caringly. "I'm fine. I think, I feel… I think I just need to get away from here. I need to return to the fort."

"You do?" Galahad looked suddenly happy but he quickly replaced his smile with the caring expression he had worn before.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I though you probably wanted to remain here. It is your home after all." He looked sad and stared at his feet.

"Everything I had here is gone, my family, my old home, everything. Nothing of what I had before I was ill remains. My home is at the fort now, with you and Arthur, and Bors's burps."

They both laughed and Galahad lifted Miranda to her feet. "When do you want to leave, after the funeral?"

"No, as soon as possible, I don't feel comfortable here, it has too much heartache." She looked back on the decision she had made yesterday and her previous smile faded completely. There were choices that had to be made in life and more often than not it was the harder ones that were the right ones.

"Of course, I'll talk to Arthur now."

Miranda watched as Galahad left to talk to Arthur and began to pack her things. He returned ten minutes later with permission to return home. "Arthur doesn't like it, he thinks your running from your problems."

Miranda laughed sadly, with a chill that made Galahad shiver, "It's more like I'm running to them."

Frowning, Galahad resumed packing his own things.

The couple decided to ride double on the knight's war horse, towing Miranda's thoroughbred behind them. They returned to the wall in silence, a sad yet comfortable one enforced by Miranda that Galahad was afraid to break. More then once her saw salty tears roll down her cheeks.

Night had fallen when the gates to the fort opened to them and they were met with concerned looks.

"Don't worry, Arthur is fine, as are the rest of the knights." Galahad said as guards and Jols greeted them.

"Then why did you return?" Jols asked as he took Galahad and Miranda's bags from the saddle.

"Personal reasons." The knight replied and Miranda rolled her eyes, now she would have to deal with a thousand pregnancy rumours. Men just have no idea.

He escorted her to her room, carrying her bags over his shoulder but stood in front of her as she went to open her door, blocking her path. "What is the matter Miranda? What are you not telling me?"

Genuine concern and worry creased his handsome face. Miranda's heart melted that she could be so lucky but she wasn't ready to tell him, not yet. A smile played on Miranda's face as she replied. "I'll tell you tomorrow if you agree to shave off your beard."

Galahad smiled back and gave her a tender and lingering kiss before opening the door to her room and placing her bags on the bed. "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow then, clean-shaven."

Miranda grinned and gave him a quick kiss before pushing him out and then closing the door. She unpacked her bags before curling up under her blankets and going to sleep, looking forward to tomorrow and seeing how much more handsome Galahad was without his beard, blocking the truth she would have to tell him in return when he turned up clean-shaven.

Well there you go. Please, please, please, please, please! Review.

Pagan