Okay this is a long one to make up for not updating a lot lately.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, only my OCs and this storyline.
Hope you enjoy.
Teddy
I hadn't been this far since before the purge. It felt nice just to keep walking and not fear that you've gone too far. I wasn't on my own though. Arthur walked beside me. We had been traveling for a day and would soon arrive in Camelot. Arthur had been strangely quiet for the entire journey. He was still young, not even five. I would have to carry him quite often when he became too tired.
When one is that young you just assume that they won't understand what is happening, but sometimes they do. I wish Arthur didn't understand some things. I want to protect him. He's too young for this world. His father has made it more difficult for him to grow up and develop his own beliefs. I fear for his future. He needs someone to guide him but also give him room to grow on his own. His father cannot give that to him. Not now.
Arthur looks so small, walking next to me. I miss his voice and his young laughter. He doesn't notice when I stop walking. His head is bent and he looks only at the ground. He just keeps walking while I am frozen in place, watching him walk away. A strange feeling of déjà-vu comes over me and tears that I do not understand come to my eyes. What memory is this that brings upon such tears of tragedy? Somewhere at the back of my mind there is another boy, a little older then Arthur, walking away from me.
My memories are still not what they used to be. The scene before me changes and I see him. He looks to be maybe eight years old. He walks with a limp and the cloak that he wears is torn. I was fourteen and on the run. It was right before I lost my memory. This is the last one that I lost, him walking away from me. I can see the back of his head and his messy brown hair. I remember the summer we spent together and how much I wanted to protect him. He'd be sixteen now.
He didn't know what I was or why I was running. I remember him insisting on coming with me. He told me that he didn't have anyone. So I couldn't send him back because there was nowhere for him to go back to. I told him that it was dangerous but still he followed me. Finally I gave in and let him come. I shouldn't have. I know I shouldn't have.
How could I have forgotten him? Teddy. It was short for Edward but he never liked that name. He once said that he wanted to be just like me and go on adventures, but he didn't know the truth about me. If he did he wouldn't have wanted to be anything like me. My adventure was more of a nightmare and I had dragged him right into the middle of it.
Teddy had said that he loved to run. It made him feel alive. He enjoyed running next to me, not caring what we were running from. I remember the last time I saw him. He had been quiet, like Arthur. My pursuers had finally caught up with us. I could tell, but I didn't tell Teddy. I wanted him to come with me but I couldn't put his life in danger, so I let him go.
We were headed to a nearby village. He knew the way. We were walking in a forest much like this one and he was walking a little bit in front of me. He didn't notice when I stopped. He kept walking and I stole of a few seconds to watch him, and then I slipped behind a tree. I held my breath. He went a few more feet before sensing that something was wrong.
He turned around and I was gone. I can still hear his voice as he called out my name. I didn't come out of my hiding place and there was where I waited. I listened until I heard him walk away. He called out my name one last time and then started running. I came out from behind the tree and watched him until he disappeared into the trees. He would never forgive me for what I did. I just hoped one day he would understand why.
The vision of him faded and was replaced by the form of Arthur still moving further away. I jogged to catch up with him. It wouldn't be long now before we arrived in Camelot. Only this time Arthur knew that I wouldn't be there for him.
My thoughts were cut off when I heard shouts and the sound of metal clashing against metal. Arthur heard it too, and stopped. His eyes grew wide and he looked up at me. Acting on instinct, I took him by the hand and led him over to a hollow tree.
"Hide here." I told him. "Don't come out until I come back for you."
"What if you don't come back?" Fear was written all over his small face.
"I'll be fine." I gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Just stay safe. I won't be long."
"But Joone…" He started, but I was already gone. I had to keep whoever they were away from Arthur. I had to get him back to Camelot no matter what. Our futures depended on it.
I slipped one of my small knives from my boot and slowly made my way over to the source of the noise. I hid behind a bush and peaked through its leaves to see what was happening. There were three men and a boy. Two of them were holding the boy whose short sword lay on the ground where it had fallen when the other man had disarmed him. The third man aimed a good punch into the boy's stomach. The boy doubled over and gasped.
"You're not so tough." The man spat at him. He couldn't have been older then sixteen. "Stupid sorcerer." He hit him again, this time punching him in the face. The boy's eyes flickered, that last punch had almost knocked him unconscious. The man pulled back his arm to hit him again.
"That's enough." I came out of my hiding place, grasping my knife in my right hand. I tried to look as tall and menacing as possible. The man's fist stopped mid swing and he turned to look at me. He sized me up and laughed.
"What, are you going to stop me?" His laugh was disgusting. "You're nothing but a scrawny…" He stopped and looked closer. "You're a woman."
"Yes, you blind oaf." I gripped my knife tighter. "And you are nothing but a fat tormenter who thinks that beating up those smaller then you makes you look strong. In my opinion it makes you look weak."
"I'll beat you for that. A weak woman has no right to such a tongue." His face was red with anger.
"Well as a weak woman, I can tell you that you're going to end up dead in a pit somewhere at the rate you're going." I stood strong. I wasn't going to cower under his threats. "And I would be honoured to be the one who put you there."
"Do you know who I am?" He growled.
"Do you know who I am?" I countered.
"I am Grandal. They tell stories about my strength. I can break a man in two if I wish. I could break you with one hand tied behind my back." He cracked his knuckles and took a step towards me.
"Never heard of you. You haven't done anything worth remembering." I crossed my arms, looking at ease. This annoyed him.
"Even sorcerers fear me. That stupid organization, what is it, the Black Feather don't even stand a chance against me." He smirked, seeing that this last statement unsettled me. "Uther himself has paid me handsomely for the intelligence I've gotten on them. I have one of my men posing as one of them. The fools."
"The traitor." I spoke under my breath.
"What was that deary?" He put one of his filthy hands behind his ear. "What did you say?"
I just lost it. Knife in hand, I charged him, pinning him against a tree. He was so stunned that he didn't fight back. I put my blade to his neck. One of the men with him let go of the boy and drew his knife.
"Take another step and I'll slit his throat." I threatened, turning back to look into the shocked eyes of Grandal. "You should watch what you say. You never know who you might be telling."
"Who have I told?" He asked, starting to sweat.
"I've been trying to figure out who could have betrayed us. Now it looks like it will be easier then I thought." I grinned menacingly.
"You're with the organization?" His eyes grew wider.
"What, a weak woman like me couldn't possibly be one of them? There are a lot of things you don't know, because you're stupid." My gaze burned into him. "Who is the traitor?"
"You're a fool to think I would just tell you." He wouldn't meet my gaze.
"I thought the knife to your neck might change your mind." I pushed it into his neck enough to draw blood. "Good people died because of what you did. And many more will suffer."
"That was the plan. They disserved what they got." He spat. "The filthy magic lovers."
"You disserve worse, and I have a mind to kill you right here and now." I shouted. "But lucky for you I still need information. So if you don't want me to go ahead with killing you and your friends then you better start talking."
Grandal hesitated for a moment, but seeing the look in my eyes he could tell I was serious. "His name is Cedric and he's been undercover there for almost a year, trying to get as close as he can to their leader. Some guy they call Blackbird." He spilled. "He's been sending information to us by raven."
I searched my mind for the name. I knew I had heard it before. Then it clicked. "The Vulture?" Magnus had said he was one of their best.
"Is that what they're calling him?" Grandal laughed. "It suits him."
"How much do you know?" I pressed. "How much information has he sent you?"
"I don't know much. I'm just the middle man." He tried to defend himself. "He's sent enough information for them to put together an ambush that happened a while back. That's all I know."
"What about secret identities?" I shot another question.
"Just that they all go by code names that are birds. He's working on finding out who some of them really are. I think he's worked out a couple."
"Which ones?" I kept the fear out of my voice.
"He sounded really excited in his last message. He said he had finally discovered the true identities of the big ones. 'The Originals' he called them." His voice was starting to shake. "The two who started the organization. He knows who Blackbird and Redwing are."
My heart almost stopped. How could he have found out who I was? I was barely around the organization. Magnus was the one acting as commander on the front lines. Why should I matter so much?
"Tell me their names." I almost whispered. "Do you know their names? Has the message been sent to Uther?"
"I still have the message. He named Blackbird as a Magnus Fedele, but said he had gone missing in the last ambush and was most likely dead."
"And Redwing?" My heart was pounding in my chest.
"He named her as Joone Tellar, but he's never seen her." Grandal told me. I saw the boy's eyes widen. He looked like he was about to say something but the man holding him punched him in the stomach to shut him up.
"He may be seeing her soon and he will wish he hadn't. Give me the message." I ordered him. He slipped his hand slowly into his pocket and produced a small scroll. I snatched it from his fat fingers and threw him to the ground. He scrambled away, his friend helping him to his feet. I opened the scroll and found that he was telling the truth. I sighed with relief. Uther didn't know.
"Give me back the message." I turned to face them and this time surprise wasn't on my side. He had his sword in his hand and all I had was my knife. One of his goons was still holding the boy who looked like he was about to pass out. It was two against one. I'd like to say that I'd never been in this situation before but it was a familiar sight.
"No. Uther isn't getting his hands on this message, and if you know what's good for you then just walk away and forget everything." I tried to sound confident.
"If you won't give it to me then we will take it from you by force." He advanced; there was a murderous gleam in his eyes. I had embarrassed him.
Killing was not in me so I turned my blade sideways. He lunged and I sidestepped, hitting him with the flat of my blade hard on the arm. He growled and swiped at me with his sword. I jumped back, the tip just inches from my stomach. This couldn't be his best. He was still underestimating me and I had had enough of the world blowing up in my face.
I'm not quite sure what happened next, but when I came to Grandal and one of his friends were knocked out on the ground. There was no blood and they were still breathing. It could have been a lot worse. The man still holding the boy looked at me with wide eyes.
"Who are you?" He asked.
I wanted to tell him who I was but that was my secret and these men already knew too much. "None of you business. When your friends wake up tell them that if they breath a word of what was said in that message then we are going to have another talk and I won't be using the flat side of my blade. Is that understood?" He nodded.
"Give me the boy and I will leave you with your lives." I reached out my hand towards him.
"But he is a sorcerer and Uther would pay a good price for him. You have already taken enough from us." It sounded like he was bagging. "Just leave us the boy."
"Not a chance. Uther will kill him." In only a few long strides I was standing next to them. "Let him go."
He pushed the boy into my arms, and with my support, we left the three men. I hoped I would never see them again and that they would take my warning seriously. Once I return Arthur to Camelot, Cedric and I were going to have a little talk.
I helped the boy back to the tree where I had left Arthur. I found him inside with his arms wrapped around his knees. He jumped up when he saw me. "You're okay!"
"Told you I'd come back." I lent the boy against the tree where he slid down, clutching his stomach.
The adrenalin I had had before was gone. I staggered and was forced to use a tree as support as well. "Wow. I haven't done that in a long time. I'm a bit rusty." I went to help the boy, but when he looked up at me my breath caught in my throat. This was the first time I had properly seen his face and yet this was not the first time I'd seen him.
"Thank you." He managed to get out. "You saved my life. My name's Edward by the way." He groaned as he pushed himself up into a standing position.
I was silent. My surprise must have been clearly written on my face. Was it coincidence that I had only just remembered him moments before or was it triggered by him?
"What is it?" He asked.
He didn't recognize me, not that I was surprised. I wasn't that girl he knew anymore. Since the last time I'd seen him so much had happened, and I grew up. I was probably almost unrecognizable with my hair hidden under my hat and mud smeared across my face. He had grown as well, but I still knew it was him.
I didn't know what to do. If I told him who I was I would risk putting him in danger, but from what I had just seen he was already in danger. I thought he would be safe when I left him that day in the woods. At least he's alive and breathing, but he couldn't stay here.
"Well, thanks again, but I'd better be on my way." He turned and started to limp away.
"I thought you didn't like being called Edward." I found myself saying. That made him stop. Slowly, he turned around to face me.
"Hello Teddy." I smiled. "It's been a while."
"Joone?" He couldn't believe it. "But…I thought…" The complete look of shock on his face was surprising. What had he thought?
"Teddy?" Either he was going to stab me for leaving him or break down. What scared me the most was the fact that he was doing neither.
"It isn't possible. I'm seeing things again." He turned around and started walking away. "Just another hallucination."
"You've been seeing things?" I followed him with Arthur close behind me. "Teddy wait!" I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him but he shook it off. At least it got him to turn and face me.
"I looked for you!" He yelled suddenly. "I followed your tracks like you taught me. It worked. I did find you when you were trapped on that cliff."
"You were there?"
"I was hiding in the bushes and I saw you fall." There were tears in his eyes. "I wished everyday after that that I hadn't been such a coward. What if I could have saved you?"
"There was nothing you could have done for me except to stay safe. They would have killed you." I placed my hands on his shoulders. "You did the right thing."
"You don't feel like an hallucination." He almost smiled. "I finally understood why you left me when I saw those people. I wanted to be bitter about it, but you were just trying to protect me." He lowered his head. "But if you survived why didn't you come find me?"
"I couldn't come find you. To everyone I knew I was dead. I was even dead to myself." I explained. "I couldn't because I had lost all my memories."
"You lost your memories?" He looked up at me.
"Finally got them back though." I smiled at him. "Finally remembered, enough about that though. What are you doing here?"
"Running, still." He wiped his tears away with the back of his dirty hand. "You? I hear that you're Redwing. I've heard stories of her. You've gotten around."
"It hasn't been easy. Almost had a normal life, but you know me. It just couldn't last." I put my hands on my hips, putting my weight into my left foot. "I have a family now."
"Oh?" Teddy looked a little envious, but still happy. He looked over at Arthur. "Is he?"
"No." I quickly answered. "I don't have kids."
"But you're married?" Did he look hopeful?
"Yes." I confessed, showing him the string around my finger.
"Who's the unlucky guy?" He got a punch in the arm for that.
"His name is Magnus."
"Blackbird?" He was surprised. "How long?"
"A couple days." We laughed at that.
"Why aren't you with him now?" He asked.
I hesitated. Should I tell him about Arthur? But this was Teddy. I could trust him. "I'm taking Arthur here back to Camelot."
"Camelot. Isn't that place a little dangerous for someone like you?" He looked at me questioningly and then down at Arthur. "Arthur. Isn't that the same name as the pri…" Then it dawned on him. "Tell me he isn't."
"It's a long story. Maybe I'll have time to tell you along the way." I smirked at the look on his face. "You are coming, right?"
"No way am I letting you go by yourself."
"We better get going." I started walking in the direction of Camelot.
"Of course. We fugitives are always welcome in Camelot." The sarcasm in his voice reminded me of the younger Teddy. He hadn't changed. "Yep, lets just walk through the front gate. Nothing can go wrong there."
It took us the better half of the day to get to Camelot. Longer then I had expected. We had to go slower because of Teddy's injuries. I tried to patch him up as best I could but it would take time to heal. We finally reached the gates, where we were stopped by the guards. Teddy seemed awfully calm about the situation, like he was used to lying. I wouldn't be surprised.
"State your business." They ordered.
"We seek an audience with the king." I told them.
"The king has no time to meet with you." I could hear the disgust in his voice, as he looked us over. We were nothing but stinking, penniless peasants to him.
"Then I guess you will have to explain to him why you turned away his son." Teddy shrugged. "Come on." We turned to leave.
"Wait!" The guard sounded flustered. "Did you mention the prince?"
"This is he." I pushed Arthur forward lightly.
"I am Arthur Pendragon, prince of Camelot." The announcement sounded a bit funny in his small voice.
"Can you prove it?" The guard asked warily.
"The king will know his son when he sees him. I understand that he has been searching for him. Do not make him wait any longer." I was impressed with Teddy. He was good.
"Very well." He let us pass and sent one of his friends to take us to the king.
I had never been inside the great walls of Camelot, let alone inside the citadel. The halls were huge and I couldn't imagine them being able to fill every room. Why did they need so many? Not even the manor I was born in was this big. The guard led us to two large double doors.
"Wait here." He ordered us, and then slipped inside. We waited.
Suddenly the large doors swung open and we were staring into a huge room with a long table in the center. Rich looking men sat around it. They sat up straight when they saw us. For a moment I wanted to turn and run from their gaze, but I stood my ground. We must look like nothing to them.
The man at the end got up and walked over to us. He was followed by a few of his knights like bodyguards. He didn't trust us. Not that I was surprised. We didn't exactly look like trustworthy people, all covered in mood and Teddy in his injured state.
"I've been told you found my son." I could tell that he was trying to act calm and kingly but worry for his son was showing and the hope of his return.
"Yes, we've been keeping him safe while you were at war." I explained, but I didn't tell him where we had kept him. "Go on Arthur." I pushed him towards his father.
"Hello father." Uther met him half way and I could see tears in his eyes. So this was Uther, the evil king of Camelot. I guess I imagined him to be more stonehearted. But my image of the man I thought he was supposed to be wavered as he knelt and wrapped his big arms around his son.
"I was so worried about you." He kissed his sons head, not caring that Arthur was dirty. "I thought I might have lost you."
"I'm okay." Arthur cried. "I'm home."
"Who do I have to thank?" Uther looked up at Teddy and me.
"My name is Angela and this is my brother Peter." I lied. Uther didn't know what we were but one could never be too carful. I could feel the message intended for Uther in my pocket, the one that he would never receive.
"You must be rewarded for this." He insisted.
"No, seeing that Arthur is safe is reward enough."
"How can I thank you?"
"Just with your words." I told him.
"Thank you." He said, getting to his feet, Arthur's little hand in his.
"It was our pleasure. Just keep him safe." Teddy and I turned to leave.
"Don't go!" I heard Arthur call. I turned back just in time to see him let go of his father's hand and run after us. He wrapped his small arms around my legs. "Do you really have to go?"
"I'm afraid so." I knelt down so I was looking him in the eye.
"I don't want you to go." He cried. My maternal instincts caused me to wrap my arms around him.
"I only wish we could've spent more time together. It wasn't long enough." Tears pricked my eyes but I would not allow them to fall. "You have to be strong now Arthur. Can you do that, for me?"
"I'd do anything for you. Joone." He whispered my name in my ear so his father could not hear.
"Keep our secret safe. Promise me to keep it safe." I whispered.
"I promise." His little arms tightened around me, not wanting to let go. "You were like a mother to me."
"I wish you could always be with me so I could take care of you, but you know it's too dangerous." I held the back of his head. "Stay safe and don't ever forget us."
"I won't." But I knew that in a few years these events may all be a blur to him.
"Goodbye Arthur." I stood, letting go of him. He watched in silence as Teddy and I left. I kept looking back and he was still standing in the same place, watching us go.
Teddy and I left Camelot. Maybe one day I would return to this place. Maybe I would see Arthur again, but that wasn't going to be for a very long time.
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