39

True Name

Elaina stepped back, letting the elven warrior come into the castle. "Good evening, sir. We were . . . uh . . . just finishing dessert. Please, come this way."

"I would be honored," Puck said, speaking common with a slight lilting accent. He followed the girl, who had the longest hair he'd ever seen, and was nearly as fair as some of the maidens of his own people, into the large dining hall.

There, at a long table, were two adults and an incredible amount of children. Puck had never seen so many children under one roof before, for his own people had one or two at the most per family, and for a moment, he had to blink his eyes to assure that he had counted correctly.

"Papa, Mama, this elven warrior came to the door. He says his name is—" Elaina began, trying to introduce their unexpected visitor to her parents.

"Puck! Skyseekers!" Myrnin cried, his voice suddenly breaking as he saw the one person he'd never thought he'd see again in this lifetime. "Puck! A'tha erenin va?" (Is it really you?) he cried in elven. Then he jumped out of his chair and embraced the tall warrior, his eyes glinting with unshed tears.

Puck hugged him back, his own eyes wet. "Thank the gods of the wood, you're safe, my prince!" he said in common, his voice gone hoarse with relief. "I've been looking all over for you."

Ivy gaped at the two friends that had been unexpectedly reunited. "Prince?" she repeated in shock. "You're a prince, Myrnin?"

Myrnin felt himself flush at her faintly reproving tone and he drew away from Puck and turned to face the Golds. "Ivy, you see, I just . . ."

As he fumbled for words, Puck looked from his charge to the girl sitting on a chair staring at Myrnin and said, "Can this be true? You didn't tell them who you are?"

"I didn't want them to know, Puck!" Myrnin sighed.

"Who is he?" Ivy asked softly.

Puck suddenly took the sword he'd been holding beneath his arm and balanced it neatly on his palms. Then he got down on one knee and said formally, "Your sword, I return it to you, Prince Merlin Emrys Valerion Stormshadow, second son of King Ambrosius Oberon of the il'Shennara."

Myrnin blanched and took a step backwards, shaking his head. "No! Puck, stop it! Get up! You know I hate it when you do this. I might be a king's son, but I hate how everyone thinks they have to bow and scrape to me because of it. Get up, damn it!" He snatched the sword from the other's hands and gripped it in white knuckled fists. He looked over at Ivy, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth sooner, but . . . I liked being just plain Myrnin for once, and not . . . not Prince Merlin son of Ambrosius. I'm not really much of a prince anyhow, being a half-blood by the king's second marriage to a human enchantress." He looked at Puck, still kneeling on the floor. "Okay, Puck, you can quit the grand gesture and get up now. Everyone, this is Puck, the captain of the Kingsguard. He's also my cousin and my best friend."

Puck rose to his feet gracefully. "Former captain, my prince," he corrected gently.

Myrnin frowned. "Don't call me that, you know I hate it. I'm Myrnin still. And what do you mean, former captain? Did Father—?"

"No. I demoted myself. In times of war, you know that the captain of the Kingsguard must not leave the king's side. And I trusted no one else to go and look for you but me. So . . . I resigned."

"Puck, are you crazy?" Myrnin cried.

"Not at the moment, now that I've found you. Though I nearly was for weeks, fearing that you had died after you cast that escape spell. I almost went out of my mind, you impulsive young idiot!" the older elf scolded, giving his charge a slight smack on the back of the head and then hugging him again. "Ai, you imp, you're going to make my hair white as snow before I'm two hundred."

Myrnin blushed, but allowed Puck to hug him again, and was only slightly embarrassed. After living for over a month with the Golds, he'd become used to emotional displays of affection, and having Puck come back from the dead was like a miracle.

Once she got over the shock that her new boyfriend was a prince, Ivy said, "Is Myrnin your real name?"

Myrnin looked at her. "Yes, after a fashion. It's a nickname. Arion gave it to me. My brother was only three when I was born and he couldn't pronounce my name right. He called me Myrnin . . . and well, it stuck, though only close friends and family call me that. But it's the name I prefer to be called."

Puck smiled then. "He's always been stubborn."

"Look who's talking," Myrnin snorted. He turned to Rumple and Belle, and said, "Archmagus Rumplestiltskin Gold and Lady Belle Avonlea Gold, may I present my liegeman Puck Silversword, also known as—"

"—Robin Goodfellow!" Rumple exclaimed. "You are the same elf I knew when I was a boy lost in the woods, aren't you?"

"Yes, I sometimes go by that name among humans," Puck replied, his green eyes gleaming. "And you—little Rumplestiltskin—all grown up! I almost didn't recognize you, it's been such a long time . . . and you humans change so much." he bowed to the magician and his lady. "Well met again!"

Rumple stood, smiling, and said, "Welcome to my home, Robin. Or do you prefer to be called Puck?" He held out a hand for Puck to shake.

The elf clasped it warmly. "Either is fine. Puck is what I'm known as among my people."

"Rum, then you two know each other?" Belle said, staring at them.

Puck turned and took her hand in his and bowed over it. "Fair lady, we met by chance when he was a boy of about ten. He and his friend—Jefferson, wasn't it—were trying to trap some rabbits and they had gone too far into the woods and gotten lost. They were wandering about, walking in circles, when I spotted them. In those days, the forest you call the Mystic Wood was much bigger than it is now, and much more dangerous, filled with wild beasts, both magical and not, and lawless brigands and slave traders willing to steal a child and sell it to the highest bidder, as well as dark witches and such. I was patrolling the borders of my kingdom, which was larger than it is now, and I saw them, lost and alone and terrified, though they were trying to be brave and so I decided to show them the way home."

"You never told me that!" Myrnin gaped at his bodyguard.

"I don't tell you everything I know," Puck replied, slanting him an amused glance. "This was years before you were born, anyhow, when I was but a simple ranger and not even serving the king in his household."

"Please, sit down," Rumple invited. "You needn't stand there like some kind of servant, Puck." He snapped his fingers and a goblet of wine appeared before the elf, as well as a dish with some peach crumb pie and ice cream. "Here, have some dessert, my daughter Ivy made it, we have plenty."

"You honor me, Rumplestiltskin. Or do you now prefer Archmagus Gold?" Puck asked, sitting down next to Belle.

"Just call me Rum. Puck, let me introduce you to my children," Rumple said, and pointed them out as he called their names.

All of the children nodded and smiled politely at the tall warrior.

Then Bae said, "Will you tell us how you met Papa, Puck? He hardly ever talks about his childhood."

"Because there's not much to tell, Bae," Rumple answered. "Uncle Jeff and I were in the south end of the Mystic Wood, which bordered our village, and we were trying to hunt up some rabbits for the stew pot. The village had just been through a hard winter, and we were all hungry. Some had some dried vegetables and grain left, but others, like my family, had almost nothing. Mostly because my father was a drunken fool who never could manage to save anything for a rainy day. . ."

Myrnin resumed his seat beside Ivy as the magician began his tale. He clasped her hand under the table and mouthed, "I'm sorry," to her, and gave her a guilty smile.

She poked him in the ribs. "We'll talk about it later," she hissed, then squeezed his hand and turned to listen to Rumple's story.

" . . . so we were trying to snare some rabbits for dinner. We'd placed some snares a little further into the woods than we normally did, and we went to check them. But we could only find two, when we'd set five. And those two were empty. So, despite the fact that we were told not to go too far into the woods, we were so hungry we disobeyed and went in anyway. But we couldn't find our missing snares and by the time we were ready to quit, we were still starving and it was getting dark. And we were so turned around that we couldn't tell which way was home. That was when Puck found us."

"Even though normally il'Shennara don't interact much with humans, I couldn't leave two young children alone in the wood, they'd die before moonrise, or be taken by slavers," Puck continued the tale. "So I stepped out from the trees and introduced myself as Robin Goodfellow, a name I'd coined that helped me conceal my true identity and seem less intimidating to two youngsters. I asked if they were lost and they said yes, once they got over the shock of seeing me there. I spoke passable common, you see, since I often monitored the stretch of forest near human villages, and had picked up their tongue."

"Puck showed us the trail to our village, and made sure nothing ate us or attacked us on our way home. He watched us from the forest's edge until we entered the village and then he disappeared. Jeff's grandmother was waiting for us when we got home, and she almost skinned the both of us. My ears are still ringing from her scolding," Rumple recalled. "But we never told her about the elf who'd helped us, vowing to keep it a secret, since no one would have believed we'd seen one of the elusive Folk of the Wood. I never saw Puck again until today. Who knew we would meet again like this?"

"Indeed, the gods work in mysterious ways," Puck grinned. "How did you meet my ward, Rum?"

"My son Bae and Rennie, Belle's daughter, found him lying on the edge of the wheat field with a deep sword wound in him."

"The dwarrow cut you?" Puck asked, concerned.

Myrnin nodded. "It was just before I used my magic to get out of there. One of them slipped under my guard and knocked my sword from my hand and his blade cut me in the side. I just managed to transport myself away and then I collapsed from shock and blood loss. Lady Belle saved me, Puck. She and Rum both. My wound was poisoned by the blade and I would have died if not for them."

"You have my deepest gratitude then," Puck said solemnly. "As well as that of my king. He was quite concerned over you, Myrnin."

Myrnin raised an eyebrow. "That's a shock. How did you escape, Puck?"

"I used my ranger cloak of invisibility," answered the warrior. "I killed at least five before I pulled on the cloak, once I saw you had escaped. I also grabbed up your sword. When you disappeared, the dwarrow were startled, and I used that to my advantage to sneak off. I managed to find a side passage out of the tunnels, and it took me almost a week to return to Gliringlass, since I was wounded a little as well, in the leg. Luckily I had some irinia on me—ah, you would call it heal-all—it's a plant that heals you from poisons. I put it on my wound and bound it, and it served me until I arrived back at the city and had one of our Healers see to it."

He paused to eat some of the pie and drink some wine.

As he did so, Phillip and Pinocchio came in from the kitchen to see the visitor.

"Are you a real elf?" was the first thing out of Phillip's mouth.

"Indeed, young one. My name is Puck. And who are you two?"

"I'm Phillip and this is my friend, Pinocchio," Phillip said. "Is it true you can see in the dark?"

Puck smirked. "Yes, after a fashion. We can widen our pupils like a cat's, Phillip, and so allow us to see more light than you can."

"Can you disappear in plain sight?" asked Pinocchio.

"In a way. But the only true disappearing we can do is if we have magic, like Rum there."

"But don't all the il'Shennara have magic?" Ivy queried.

"To some extent, yes. But we havesome among us who are born with greater magical gifts than others—Prince Myrnin is one. His father is another, though I believe that Myrnin's gifts eclipse his."

"Don't ever say that in front of him, Puck. He'll throw you out of Gliringlass," Myrnin said.

Puck shook his head. "I've already spoken to him several times about him finding a proper magical tutor for you."

"Why doesn't he teach Myrnin?" asked Finn curiously. "Papa teaches all of us who have magic."

Puck sighed. "The king . . . he considers his people before his family, I'm afraid."

"And Father and I would probably kill each other," Myrnin told him. He looked at his friend. "Rumplestiltskin's been giving me lessons, Puck. I've learned more in a few weeks with him than I ever did with the Mage Illyriel and her students."

Puck raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps that's because you are more willing to listen to him than you were to your other teachers."

Myrnin shook his head. "I always listened to them, Puck. I just didn't always do what they said."

Puck rolled his eyes. "And how is that different from what I said, youngling? You're splitting hairs."

"No. You said I never listened to them. But I did, they just didn't teach the right way. Nothing they told me worked. And somehow it was always my fault I couldn't do something, or my magic went crazy. But in one lesson with Archmagus Gold, I managed to not only keep my shield spell at full strength, but walk out of there without having a killer headache. Because he knows how to teach."

"Our magic affinities are the same," Rumple explained. "Like me, he is an elemental magician, able to manipulate the energies of all five elements, though I am particularly good with fire and spirit. That may be why I've succeeded with him."

"And also that you have more experience with teaching youngsters," Puck mused. "You've managed to gain his trust and respect, a rare thing. Something I fear his father has never done."

"I used to respect him, Puck. Before he made it clear that it didn't matter," Myrnin said softly, a bitter note in his voice. "How did you find me, anyway?"

"I knew where you went every day before the king called you to be his ambassador," replied Puck. "When I couldn't find you within our borders, I decided at last to look here."

"Did my father send you to look for me?"

"He did. As you've probably guessed, we are now at war with the dwarrow due to their breaking of the white arrow. It's why I took so long to search for you. I had to help get the people out of Gliringlass before the night elves came and destroyed it."

"They destroyed Gliringlass?" Myrnin gasped.

"No. The king managed to take it out of time before they reached it. But right now it is . . . beyond our reach. He won't bring it back until the dwarrow are defeated. He couldn't spare me to search for you when I returned . . . until now. We need you to come home, my prince."

"What for?" Myrnin asked sharply. "So he can blame me for the breaking of the treaty?"

Puck's eyes flashed. "That remark was unworthy of you, Your Grace."

Myrnin's jaw tightened. "Come on, Puck. You know perfectly well what he thinks of me. Whose idea was it to look for me—yours or his? I'd wager my sword it was yours. And he just agreed to it to save face."

"When I returned without you, he was quite . . . upset," Puck told him. "But he could not spare me to search, not then. He needed every sword and bow to hand. Our dark kin pressed us harshly at first. And now . . . now he wants you home, Your Grace, to take up your rightful duties as prince of the il'Shennara since Arion cannot, for the time being."

"Why? What's happened to Arion?" Myrnin asked, alarmed.

"He was wounded in a spell battle with one of their necromancers," Puck said heavily. "He was protecting some of our elders when the necromancer attacked. For a while there . . . we feared he wouldn't make it. But he has since rallied, though he is still confined to his bed and very weak."

"But . . . he won't die, will he, Puck?" Myrnin asked quietly.

"No, but your father needs you, Myrnin. You are his last remaining heir, now that Arion is injured. He ordered me to search until I found you and if I found you alive, to bring you home."

Myrnin looked as though he had been struck over the head. He had known that his people were at war, but it had never occurred to him that anything could happen to his elder brother, who had always seemed so invincible to him. But now Arion was hurt . . . and his father needed him to serve in Arion's place. In the back of his mind, the young royal knew there was always a chance he could have been called upon to be his father's heir, but he had never wanted to think of it, because that meant something would have had to happen to Arion. And now . . . something had.

Puck looked from his prince to Ivy and then at the Golds around the table. He could tell that the young half-elf had finally found a place that he belonged. Plus a girl that caught his eye. And now he was being asked to give it all up. Sometimes fate was cruel, the warrior thought sadly. "Myrnin, avar ilquinar est maith correnan." (Sometimes duty is heavier than a mountain) Puck said, quoting an old elvish adage.

The boy's hazel eyes flashed. "You think I don't know that?" His hand clenched on the table top. "A prince's life isn't his own. Except . . . it was here." He turned and looked at Ivy. "Damn him! If I had a choice . . . a'liri, I'd stay and to hell with what he wants. But I can't." Suddenly he rose to his feet, pulling Ivy with him. "Excuse us for a moment," he said, and then he pulled her into the kitchen.

"Myrnin . . ." Ivy whispered, feeling almost as if her heart was going to shatter.

"Ivy . . . I would never leave you . . . not if it were up to me," he began, taking her face in her hands. "I would stay here forever . . . but I have to go back . . . if only to make sure Arion will make it . . .This is the reason why I didn't tell you I was Prince Merlin . . . because he can't . . . he isn't allowed to be anything other than responsible to his people and his position. And I've always known that . . . and always hated it. When I came to you that night, on midsummer's eve, I was trying for once to be free, to be ordinary . . . and you gave me hope that I could be . . . just Myrnin. Just a simple boy with magic and not my father's son. I'm sorry I deceived you, but I wanted, just once, to have people want me for me, not because I was the prince of the il'Shennara."

"I always wanted you for that," Ivy said, sniffling sharply. "I didn't know who you were, remember? You were my mystery . . . and I loved you for it. I still do, even now that I know who you really are. That doesn't change anything, Myrnin."

"But it does! Now I have to leave," he protested.

She put her hand over his mouth. "Go then, Myrnin. Do what you need to. I'll be waiting for you. Right here."

"It's not fair, and I wish like hell that I was born to someone else," he began angrily.

"Life's not fair, or so Papa used to say," Ivy whispered, choking on the words. "But it is what it is, Myrnin. And I'll wait for you . . . no matter how long it takes."

"I'll return to you, Ivy. Once Arion is better . . . you'll see me again. He's the one my people need, not me. I will come back. I swear it by all that I am," Myrnin said fiercely. Then he caught her up and kissed her, one long kiss of passion, filled with sorrow and regret and a love that had just begun to blossom.

Then he stepped back. It was only then he noticed there were tears in her eyes . . . because his own were wet also and not seeing as they ought to. "Remember me."

"Always, a'liri," she whispered, biting her lip hard.

Suddenly his hands went to his neck and he fumbled for a moment, before removing a silver chain that he wore about his neck. On it was a charm of a hawk, grasping an eternity knot in its talons. "This . . . is my House amulet. It was put about my neck when I was born by my mother. The eternity knot is my House symbol and the hawk . . . is me. That's what my true name means, you know. Hawk."

"I know what a merlin is," she said, her voice quivering. "What are you doing?"

"Giving it to you. So you'll remember my promise." He clasped it around her neck. "No matter how long it takes . . . I will return to you, Ivy Gold. Either as a prince or just a simple sorcerer . . . but I'll come for you."

She clutched it in her hand. "I'll be here, Myrnin." Then she lifted her head, blinking back tears. She refused to let herself cry. Not yet. "Come on. If you have to go . . . let's get it over with."

Together they walked into the dining room again.

As Myrnin bid goodbye to the rest of the family, Puck approached Ivy. His eyes widened when he saw what she wore around her neck. But he said nothing except, "Hawks mate for life, my lady. They may fly away, but they always return . . . someday."

"Then you don't . . . mind?" Ivy stammered.

Puck smiled. "It's not up to me to mind. His father, on the other hand . . well . . . But Myrnin's always gone his own way, no matter how many thorn thickets are in his path. If this were different circumstances . . . but such is life. Merry meet and merry part . . . and merry meet again."

Myrnin saved Belle and Rumple for last when he came to bid them goodbye.

"I can never thank you enough for what you've done . . ." he began awkwardly.

"You don't need to, lad." Rumple said.

"And you are always welcome here, Myrnin," Belle said sincerely, hugging him. "We'll miss you."

"I will too," he said, sniffling sharply. "You've been . . . like the mother I wished I had."

"And you've been like a son to us," Belle said, her blue eyes glistening with tears.

"Belle's right, lad," Rumple said, also hugging him. "If you ever need me, you have only to speak my name three times."

Myrnin allowed the sorcerer to hold him for a few moments, before he said, "I wish things were different, sir. But when I can . . . I'll come back. My father will probably throw a fit . . . but I don't give a damn. You've been . . . more of a father than he ever has."

Rumple patted his back. "Best keep that to yourself, lad. I don't want to have the king of the Folk of the Wood as an enemy."

"You won't. Besides, he'd never match you in a straight duel," Myrnin said, then he wiped his eyes and drew away. "Until we meet again, Rumplestiltskin."

As he turned away, Ivy grabbed his arm. "Wait!" She pressed a small gold ring with carved ivy leaves into his hand. "For you. Papa gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday. Keep it."

He closed his hand about it. "I will. You'll get it back when I return." Then he turned to Puck. "If we're going, Puck, let's do it now."

"Hold it," Bae said. "You're forgetting your sword, Myrnin," he held out the glittering silveron blade.

Myrnin shook his head. "It's yours, Bae. If not for you, I'd have bled out my life in that wheat field."

"You can't . . . this sword . . . it's worth a king's ransom!" Bae gasped.

"Or a prince's," Myrnin said with an ironic chuckle. "Keep it. You'll make better use out of it than I will. I was always a better mage than a swordsman."

"But . . . what will you tell your father?" Bae asked.

"That I lost it . . . if he even asks," Myrnin shrugged. "Anyhow, it's my sword and I can do what I want with it. Oh, and its name is Azariel—that's Dragonfire in elvish."

Bae went and clasped him by the shoulders. "I was wrong about you, Myrnin. You'll make Ivy a good husband. Now get out of here, kid. Before I embarrass myself and start bawling like Clary."

For Clary was crying, holding onto Belle's skirts, as were most of the girls, though they were doing so discreetly.

Myrnin waved and followed Puck to the door, calling over his shoulder, "Hey, I'll be back. Probably when the first snows of winter come. Or something like that."

"Farewell, all!" Puck said, also waving.

Then they were gone, like shadows fleeing the sun.

Ivy watched by the door until she could no longer see them, the pendant digging into her hand. "The hawk may fly away, but he'll always return," she whispered to herself.

Rumple's hand touched her shoulder. "Come away from there, dearie. You don't want to catch cold." He quietly shut the door.

Ivy turned then and threw her arms about him, weeping silently into his tunic. Maybe he would return someday, but he was gone now, and she missed him more than she could put into words.

Rumple just held her, stroking her back, and he prayed that the young half-elf would be able to keep his promise.

A/N: Hope you all liked! And soon Snow will enter the story!