A/N: You'll never guess who the song "Misery Business" is by. Yeah, it's PARAMORE. I don't own the song, or Merlin.

Thanks to my reviewers who make it all worth it!

14. Misery Business

"Why don't you believe in love, Avi?" Elrich turned to face the sixteen-year-old witch. Being twenty himself, it was decided that he would be the best mentor for her.

"Growing up, I never saw it. My parents were not in love, and… I suppose you could say I did not get out much. My parents did not get along, so I made myself believe that love simply did not exist, and soon enough I had convinced myself of it. I do not think my mind could be turned around," Aven said. She didn't hesitate to tell Elrich the truth. He knew everything about her… except who she really was.

"I could show you love," Elrich said, suddenly standing next to her. "I could teach it to you, as I've taught you so many other things. Aven, won't you let me?" he whispered in her ear. He sounded almost… desperate. Aven backed away.

"S-shouldn't we be practicing?" she asked nervously. "The, um spells?" Elrich sighed in defeat.

"Yes, I suppose we should. Forgive me, Avi, I did not mean to-"

"No, Elrich, you did nothing wrong," Aven said. She suddenly regretted what she'd done. Would he have kissed her? Would it have turned into something more? She wanted it to, didn't she?

Of course she did.

But, as his student and friend, she could never admit that.

Never…

The scene changed. Aven and Elrich were fighting in the middle of the forest, away from all the other Druids. Far away. They were in the midst of their fight… the fight that had ended Elrich's life.

"You never listened to me!" Elrich shouted at Aven as he deflected one of her spells. "And I cared about you when no one else did! To think I loved you!"

"You didn't care about me, and you sure as hell didn't love me! You only cared about my magic, you lying bastard!" On her last angry word, Aven threw a spell at Elrich so furiously that it broke his shield, and hit him directly in the heart.

Elrich collapsed.

Aven stared at him in horror. She hadn't meant to do that. She'd never killed anybody before, and she didn't want to start now.

Elrich wasn't moving.

Quickly, Aven ran over to him.

"Oh, my God, Elrich, oh my God," she sobbed. How was she going to explain this to the Druids? More importantly, how could she have killed Elrich?

Maybe he really had been in love with her.

But now she'd never get to know.

She'd never get to figure out for herself if love really did exist…

Aven jolted awake.

Breathe, she told herself. Steady your breathing. That's what Elrich always taught you. Aven hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep. Her head was still resting on the windowsill, and there was a red mark on her forehead from the pressure it had been under. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. And when did she start dreaming of Elrich? She hadn't dreamt of him since…

Since she'd killed him. She didn't want the memories of him coming back. She didn't need that, not now. Not when so many other things were happening.

She wondered what was happening with Merlin, Arthur, River, and Xander. Were they all okay? After her little flashback, she didn't know if she could handle losing another person in her life.

She knew that she would feel much better had she gone with the knights, but Alvarr had warned her of returning unless she was going to fight with the Druids. Threatened her with death in many ways; none of them pleasant, quick, or easy. And who would it be helping if she died?

Well, it would help the Druids, but other than that, no one would benefit.

Aven tied up her hair to keep it out of her eyes while she looked under her bed for Merlin's spell book. She wanted to know if there was any kind of spell she could use to communicate with him on short notice and with no one realizing it.

No such luck.

Merlin really could've used it, though.

Merlin wasn't sure how Aven had survived living on her own in the forest. Not that she wasn't completely capable of fending for herself, no matter what she might happen upon in the woods, but it was so dark and lonely at night. And Merlin was surrounded by some of the bravest men in Camelot.

He decided that Aven would be thinking very little of him were she there.

Considering this, Merlin immediately abandoned all thoughts of anxiousness in the forest. It was just the forest, for God's sake, he'd done this before. More than once, actually. But that night, there was something dark and ominous hiding behind the trees. It wasn't something that he could see, but it was something he could feel.

And he didn't like the feeling at all.

Merlin thought about Aven. He thought about the way her eyes had looked when he was leaving, when she had let her guard down and told him about Elrich…

If Elrich wasn't already dead, Merlin was pretty sure he'd have killed him.

No one deserved to be hurt and used like Aven had been.

Merlin pulled his list about Aven out of the pocket of his jacket. Yes, he took it with him. He wasn't sure why, he had just grabbed it as he was leaving. The only time he'd ever updated it was the night before he left, coincidentally. He had scratched out the name Avianna at the top and replaced it with Aven.

1. She has a temper, and obviously does not enjoy being mistaken for an evil witch. She isn't, after all, she just wants to pass on her knowledge to Rena and I, apparently.

2. She is nineteen years old.

3. She absolutely, positively refuses to tell me her last name.

4. Her brother's name is Xander. He's a knight of Camelot.

5. Her last name is Vyman.

6. Her best friend is Rena.

7. She lived with the Druids.

8. She was a princess, until her apparently insane mother threatened to kill her.

9. She was going to marry Arthur.

10. She doesn't believe in love.

11. The closest she ever got to love was with a Druid named Elrich.

12. She later killed him after he used her for her magical abilites.

13. She doesn't easily let her guard down.

14. She got her scar from Elrich, and wears it as a symbol.

Merlin remembered that the last time he'd seen her, her scar had looked faded. It may have just been his eyes playing tricks on him. After all, he was more focused on her chocolate-brown orbs than anything else.

He realized that there was something he needed to add to the list if he ever got a chance. It would be number fifteen.

He had never, ever seen Aven smile.

He'd seen her mouth turn up slightly at the corners, and once he'd gotten a little half-smirk from her, but he'd never seen her genuinely smile.

And something made him realize that he really, really wanted to.

Elrich and Alvarr were sitting in Ysmina's test. Ysmina was the most incredible seer in the entire Druid camp. Her predictions were almost always correct.

And her tent was always dark.

Ysmina had looked especially solemn as the two Druid men had entered her tent that day. She'd been looking mostly at Elrich.

"Ysmina, have you seen anything about a young, dark girl with magic in your visions?" Alvarr asked, cutting right to the chase.

"I have. She has shown up today, has she not?" Ysmina said.

"She has. What we need to know is the extent of her powers," Elrich said. Ysmina closed her eyes and recited the prophecy she had been told.

"The one with a secret will be joined with another.

Alone she stands no chance,

With him, she is whole.

She is strong, though it takes but one wrong move to bring her down.

Help from the sidelines will guide her.

On her own, she will suffer.

With him, she is whole."

Elrich grinned as Ysmina finished recited the prophecy. Already he had decided that the "he" the young sorceress would be joined with was him. He was an ambitious man, and had set his sights on the forest girl from the moment he'd lain eyes on her. He also believed that the "help from the sidelines" would be Alvarr.

"But be warned," Ysmina began, opening her eyes and staring gravely at the two men. "With this beauty comes trouble. Trouble for you…" the Seer said, looking at Alvarr. "…But it will be worse for you," she finished, directing her gaze at Elrich.

"So what you're saying is, her abilities are weak?" Alvarr asked, looking rather disappointed.

"Far from it, Alvarr. She is a powerful little witch. But in time, she will face the ultimate test, and she cannot fight it alone, as I said before," Ysmina said. "I am trying to warn you of her. She is not evil, but she will be the destruction of-"

"Thank you, Ysmina," Elrich said as he and Alvarr turned to leave. "You have helped us enough."

"Wait, I really should warn you of-" Ysmina didn't get a chance to finish, as Alvarr and Elrich were already gone. She sighed.

And she never did get to warn them about Aven.

Aven was woken up a second time… this time by Rena. She was actually asleep in her bed this time.

"How can you sleep at a time like this?" Rena asked incredulously as Aven ran a hand through her tousled hair.

"I did not realize I had fallen asleep," Aven said, staring off into space. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen. She was certain now that Elrich's "feelings" for her had never been real. He'd just wanted use of her powers.

"Well, you did," Rena huffed.

"You did not sleep at all, I take it?" Aven said, noticing the dark circles under Rena's eyes and the paleness of her skin. "They have been gone for two days, Rena. You need to take care of yourself," Aven said, feeling hypocritical.

"I can't believe you would say that," Rena said. "Well, I haven't seen you eat or leave this room since they left. You should follow your own words of wisdom," Rena said.

"You are cold this morning," Aven remarked, obviously not meaning temperature-wise.

"What do you expect, Avi? My cousin, and… and Xander… and Merlin, and River… they're all out there!"

"I know, Rena, I know." Suddenly Aven thought of something. "You said Xander's name right after you mentioned Arthur."

"So?" Aven shrugged,

"Nothing, it's just you put him before Merlin."

"It was something I said, Avi. It was a coincidence," Rena said, rolling her eyes.

"I do not believe in coincidences. I think there are lucky breaks and complete accidents but there are not coincidences."

"Ave, I'm getting married. Thinking of Xander the way you're insinuating is borderline illegal at this point." Aven gave Rena the most sympathetic look she could muster.

"There is not a ring on your finger yet, Rena. Remember that. There is still a chance."

Jonathan,

I regret to say that as of late, our ties as allies and friends have faded. But with this letter, I bear good news. Your daughter, Aven, has recently been spotted in Camelot. I know that this is probably the last place anyone would think to look for her, but I fear that she has been right under our noses for the three years she has been gone.

I spotted her one afternoon as some of my men were preparing to go to war with the Druids, who have become a serious threat. As the knights were leaving, I saw Aven go to and embrace my son. I did not hear the words that were exchanged, but I promise I will do my best to find her and bring her back home to you as soon as I can. Perhaps you would like to come to Camelot yourself? And, of course, bring your wife Felicitia.

Warmest regards,

Uther Pendragon