446 AD
BRITTAIN
Mab worked with Merlin for five years, preparing him to be the weapon that she needed. She had seen the battle to come, knew that some in her court had plotted against her. She knew what was at stake, and she was not going to allow her throne to be taken from her.
Merlin had grown in five years. His work with the woodcutter had aided in his physical growth, while she credited herself with his magical growth. He was able to do more complex spells now, picking them at an almost astonishing rate.
His power was strong but largely untested, though that would end soon, Mab thought to herself. There were already signs that the war was almost ready to begin, and she would need Merlin ready.
As she watched him approach her small cottage she'd conjured in a remote clearing of the forest, she realized that with the war rapidly approaching, she would need to introduce Merlin to more…useful spells.
She gave him the charming smile that she had cultivated over the millennia, one that disarmed men and made humans believe that she was kindly and harmless.
Oh, if only they knew.
"There you are," she called out with a wave. "I was afraid that you would not be coming this morn."
He gave a chuckle and returned the greeting. "It took me a while to be free of my morning obligations, but I began my trek here as soon as I was able."
"Very well," she said, meeting him on the trail before he could actually make it to the cottage. The cottage itself was pure illusion. If he ever attempted to go inside, the moment he touched anything, the illusion would break and leave him standing in an empty clearing. "I thought we would begin the day with a brief walk, then I have a few new things to teach you."
"New things?" he asked, raising a brow.
"It has been some time," she agreed. "But you are ready."
He followed her silently, making their way up the steep hill behind her cottage and to a sparsely wooded area with a small waterfall and pond at the base. The pond was teeming with life, as evidenced by the frogs singing, the lily pads adding a splash of color, and the fish happily splashing as they chased bugs for their supper.
It was a peaceful place. The kind of place that seemed to have never even been seen by man.
"This puts me in mind of Faeries," Merlin said quietly.
Mab scoffed at him while his back was turned. What did this human know of Faerie? He had never been underground in the original Faerie rafts before the humans drove them out. He had never set foot upon her beloved Avalon.
When Merlin turned back to her, Mab had her "kindly human" expression back on.
"What will I be learning?" he asked, his face alight in excitement.
Mab lifted a hand and showed him the ball of green Fae fire, its brilliant green flames casting eerie shadows across Mab's face.