"Fate Comes Harshly" (Rose)
The traditional dancing and singing is over with; the time for the coming of age ceremony has come. Nerves bite at my insides like fire ants. The people form into two rows at my sides as I stand before the currently unlit fire pit facing the great oak tree that has marked our home for as long as I can remember. My father is near its side now beckoning me forward. As gracefully as I know how, I step towards him and do this until my right hand meets his which is stretched out for me to take. He directs me to position myself opposite of him. I do so. Gaius takes his place next to Father. Both of them are beaming with pride. I wonder what I would do, where I would be, without them. I have not found the answer to my question as another, possibly the most important question I shall ever answer, is posed.
"Rose White-hart, as a noble by birth and now of age, do you hereby take up the call of duty to one day govern these people and care for these lands as your ancestors have before you?" my father's voice echoes amongst us, bouncing between those who look on.
"I do," I answer confidently.
I feel my father smile even while he maintains a firm look on his face. "Do you swear by your life or death to uphold the laws remembering justice, speaking with kindness, and acting with grace?" I wait for him to finish the readings he has long since memorized. "Do you give your word to do all in your power to do what is required of you by your people?"
"I solemnly promise so to do," I give his hand a squeeze.
"Kneel."
I do as he requests. "By accepting these charges you become the voice of not only your people, but of these lands and all within. Do you understand these terms?"
"Yes."
"Then by the power vested in me by God and all those you stand before, I place the crest of the clan White-hart around your neck," he slips a long chain with a heavy charm bearing the marks of my family over my head and releases it to hang upon me with pride. "May you be given the wisdom you will need to live up to your full potential."
I rise as the people cheer. Tears find their way past my eyes and down my cheeks as I finger the ornament about my neck that once belonged to my mother. My father's thumb meets them as they fall and swipes them away. "I will do whatever it takes to make you proud of me, Father. I promise you."
"No need," he speaks softly with tears in his eyes- a sight rarely seen, "I already am. Now, go light your flame. Show these people the fire I see in you."
I turn back around, and Gaius hands me a couple of flints. It was said in the legends of our kind that if you were entailed with a great destiny you would light the fire within three to five strikes of the stone. It was done in three only once by my Father. The people then thought him to be the greatest ruler they would ever know. I take one stone in each hand, kneel once more, and begin hitting one with the other in a downward stroke. One, I count in my head. The first a good strike, but not nearly enough. A power surges through my chest and into my arms, "Two," I say quietly, but with force. The sparks leap into the fresh, dry wood, and a new fire is born.
The people cheer once more, and I am stunned. I haven't the slightest clue what just happened. I turn a wide eye to my father who seems taken by surprise himself. Gaius leans closer to him and says something in his ear. My father nods. What could they possibly be conversing about at a time like this? They must have an idea of what just went on. I'd like to have some answers, but what if they don't have them to give me?
The night is far spent and the party has all but diminished. Our friends make their way in small groups to their tents, occasionally walking in twos and sometimes ones. I decide to find my father and perhaps Gaius so that we may discuss the earlier "occurrence".
I tread swiftly and softly through the trees that tower over me, for I am fairly small. It is a known gift of the Woodwards, somewhat like the Druids, that we are superiorly stealthy. Our enemies (if we have ever had any; we haven't while I have lived on this earth) would never hear or see us coming. We possess the skills to go about unseen as we wish. No, I do not mean we become invisible, we can only make it seem that way. We are very quick on our feet and quite limber, I might add. I spot them in the distance by a small fire, far from earshot. They, even being that distanced, will still be whispering. Woodwards have extremely sharp senses: keen eye sight, vivid hearing, accurate taste buds (meaning we can determine from one taste all the ingredients in a meal, potion, or anything really). We are sensitive when it comes to touch, because we feel the essence of what we come in contact with. That is why we are so tender to the forests and their inhabitants, we feel life and cherish it, and our sense of smell is like our sense of taste, we know what it is we are smelling and where it's coming from (much like a hound). I have more developed senses than most for the simple reason that I have taken a great deal of my time to train them. I lean forward, staying behind a tree that is in Gaius' line of sight. I know he can't see me if he tried his hardest. I tune into my hearing, shutting my eyes, opening my ears, closing up to the distractions of the world around me, and I listen.
"How is she to know that she bares such a gift?" my father's voice rings in my ears.
"She must be told, Alric. She deserves to know. This is her life that is on the line. One slip up like that upon an encounter with someone from the city, and she'd be burnt at the stake!" Gaius words push into my skull and rattle about. I always knew that I could use magic, but I never would have thought me of all people possess a special ability or abilities apart from the norm.
"You are right, my friend," I hear Father say, "I must tell her. It is about time she begins to discover her purpose in life. As much as I hate to admit it, I know her destiny does not lie with mine..." he trails off. Their communications are interrupted by the appalling noise of thundering hooves headed our way. I can feel the violence flaring up in the horses' riders. Fear grips me as my father stands, catches my eye, and pulls Gaius towards me.
"Gaius, get her out of here."
"What! Father, no!"
"They are here to kill us. Surely you can feel that," he turns a strict glance on me that causes me to catch my breath in my throat.
"I cannot let you face this alone! I refuse to leave you!" I almost shout.
He hushes me, "Please, my child," tears begin to collect in his deep blue eyes, "You must do this for me. They will kill you without a second thought. To die in such a manner is not your destiny. It is mine. I do not know what will become of our people, but I fear they shan't make it either." I look away, tears blinding and stinging my eyes.
"There must be another way," I try to pull out of his tender, but strong grasp on my arms. He places a gloved hand on my cheek. I put mine over his.
"You must listen to me. You have taken an oath to do what is best for your kind. You have a greater fate than you can imagine. Gaius can tell you more," they exchange knowing looks, "He will look after you. For these reasons, you must leave and preserve our bloodline. Our people, our family shall live on through you. That, I can tell you, is part of your destiny." The soldiers are getting closer and closer. "When you run, don't turn back. Hide now, quickly!" he whispers hoarsely, shoving us back behind the tree.
I push back out and grab him in a hug, "I love you, Father," I blurt, tears simply pouring down my face and onto his shoulder.
"And I love you, my precious daughter. Now go, please," he pleads. I hide dutifully, trying to quiet my wretched sobs. My father turns to those who have stirred, frightened, "Go! Leave everything!" He is going to hold them off for as long as he can for his people to get away. I have a feeling that it will only delay the inevitable. They dash away, a few staying, ready to go down fighting.
The soldiers circle about those who remain. "Welcome," my father calls out to them, "What may I ask brings you here in such haste?"
"We are here by order of the king." Gaius tries to persuade me to retreat my tugging my right arm lightly. I shake him off. Maybe, they will listen to reason. We have done nothing wrong. I can't wrap my mind around why they are here in the first place.
"I have long since been a friend of your king," my father retorts.
"Indeed," the warrior steps up to him, unsheathing his sword. My heart all but stops as horror floods my soul. "Until that friendship was betrayed." I know if I don't act now my father cannot be saved. I nearly rush to his aid, but am stopped by Gaius who yanks me backward and holds me still.
"No, my lady, there is nothing you can do," he chokes. I know he is right, but I fight anyways. My father isn't even given the opportunity to properly defend himself as the man runs his through, cutting him down in cold blood.
"No!" I shriek, "Father!" Gaius becomes more vigorous in pulling me in the direction he wants me to go. I don't consider getting away. I have only the impulse to run forward to my father as he collapses to the hard, uneven forest floor with hardly a sound but the crinkle of a few rustled leaves. Upon hearing solely that I know all my being is focused, my mind is bent on reaching him. I feel that strange sensation I had gotten while lighting the fire. As my emotions run higher, the sky above seems to rumble, and I hear thunder clap. I jolt as clouds roll in from nowhere and being pouring bitter cold rain.
In the state of shock I am in, completely drowned in my sorrows, Gaius is able to move me. He somehow gets me atop his horse, soldiers trailing behind us at a good enough distance for us to make a clean escape. I sit limply in front of the saddle as he props himself up behind me. He grabs the reigns and sets the horse off charging with a kick to its haunches. We surge forward, and are seen. Arrows whiz by our heads- one grazes my upper right arm. I winced from the pain that flares from the wound, reacting by clamping my left hand over the oozing cut.
We press on, losing our pursuers in the thick of the woods. When we come into a clearing, the rain resumes biting at my uncovered face. I can't tell which stings more, my tears or the icy droplets beating against my tender skin. Emptiness overtakes me as I'm whisked away from the only things I had left in this world, my father and my home. Now they are gone. The wet, cold air penetrates my lungs and my airways become restricted, sending me into a fit of coughing. I almost fall over, off the horse's shoulders, but Gaius catches this and steadies me.
We plunge onto cobblestone, the noises from his steed echoing in the immediate area off the rock walls as we are cowering beneath them. I do not care to take in my surroundings at this point. I am wishing the world simply to melt away.
Before I am fully aware, we are in a huge building, flushed with cold air from the winds outside. I am gently shoved from behind through a heavy wooden door. I hear voices, but I cannot distinguish the words being spoken. One is definitely Gaius'; the other is much younger and frazzled. I am weak and losing control of my bodily reactions to my environment. Once totally in the room, the door shuts at our backs. I take a couple unknowing steps forward and tumble to my knees.
A pair of hands grabs my shoulders guiding me as I hit the floor, softening the blow. I look up to see an older boy of maybe, eighteen or nineteen years, with a thin, young face, hair as dark as raven's feathers and blue eyes that shine like sapphires in the sunlight. If I wasn't shaking before, I am now. I stare at him for a moment, his eyes searching my face as I lose all consciousness- my world now black.
"Gaius' Return" (Merlin)
I hear the door crash open. I shoot through my bedroom door, "Gaius!" I declare, utterly shocked at his sudden and harsh manner of coming, "What's going on?" I see him lightly push a young woman into the front room. My eyes stay on her for a long enough moment to realize that she is violently shaking and soaked from the storm.
"Please, Merlin, there's no time to explain. We must get her warm and dry, quickly!" he swipes at me with both hands. I notice the girl stumble and move swiftly in the opposite direction, catching her as she falls toward me. When I kneel to the ground in front of her, steadying her downward progression, she peers up at me through her curls, darkened by rainwater, that cascade down before her face with piercing hazel eyes that cause my heart to quicken. Her fair face, drained of all color, is mirroring her inward trauma.
I feel a strong twinge of compassion for her. I am unaware of what happened, but it must have been awful and exhausting. She holds my gaze a minute before passing out completely. I instinctively pick her up and set her on a blanket in front of the fireplace Gaius has now lit. He waggles his hands to get the blaze really going. I set myself at work removing the girl's sodden white boots. "Watch over her while I fetch Gwen," Gaius barks as he makes his way back out the door before I have the chance to say anything otherwise- not that I would. I feel an urge to stay at this intriguing stranger's side.
She is somewhat helpless for the time being, still shaking, but not as much. I understand why Gaius went for Gwen. This girl, whoever she is, needs dry clothes to change into, which presents a couple of issues. One, we have no women's clothing on hand; and two, she is not awake to undress and redress herself. I can speak for both Gaius and myself when I say that neither of us would violate a lady's privacy in anyway if it can be helped. However, I do feel powerless, sitting here, watching her carefully, able to do nothing further. I could perhaps speed up her recovery with magic, but Gaius would never let me risk it. He'd skin me if I did something like that without his permission. I am sorely tempted to do it anyway when she begins to whimper in her sleep.
I sit myself down on the floor next to her and cautiously brush her hair away from her face. Even wet, her wavy locks glow in the firelight. Then I notice that their colors are so extremely similar. Maybe, it's just a trick of the light, since she's so close to the fire and all, I tell myself. Another realization hits me as I see something moving on the blanket. It too is red. "What is- Oh, no," I sit up on my knees and press my hand to her bleeding arm. I look about for the things I'll need to patch this up. There on the table across the room bandages and substances to clean the wound and stop the bleeding lay. I concentrate, my brow furrowing, and bring the supplies to me with my mind. I feel my eyes flash gold as the objects shoot across the room. I catch them with my free hand and get to work.
"I'm sorry," I mutter to the unconscious girl as I rip off her tattered sleeve. I clean her wound thoroughly and wrap the bandage tightly round her upper arm. I am careful when I set it back down at her side.