Grace finally struggled up, letting her eyes adjust to an eerie darkness
that seemed to have shadow the forest. She gazed slowly into the eyes of
her companions. They wouldn't understand what she needed to do would they?
They wouldn't understand the urgency of this. They wouldn't understand that
this was what she was made to do, her fate perhaps, to help them find Jane.
They, her father and The Lady had to realise that she wasn't some freak
accidentally born to save the world from annihilation- because she wasn't.
She may have a few powers, but she wasn't different from everybody else,
they should stop expecting miracles from her.
Finally Merriman met her gaze, seemingly reluctantly. "Grace, what has Odin have anything to do with the Light and Dark?"
"He is helping the dark in their deeds." She paused seeing Simon's eyes watching her questioningly. "Simon, what's the matter?" He blushed.
"Ah. yeah, but at the risk of sounding uneducated. and er, dumb, but who the hell is Odin?"
Bran sighed and glared at Simon shrewdly. "Simon, Odin is one of the Norse Gods." He replied intimidatingly.
"Oh, sure, Mr. Davies here knows everything right?" He spared a glare at Bran. "I'm sorry I can't reach up to your standards sir-"
"Okay, boys come on, not here." Interrupted Merriman severely.
Grace sighed deeply, and everyone's eyes fell back to the floor, not wanting to meet her intense stare. "I will lead you to the heart of the forest, and from there, I will go to the other side."
"You- you can't!" Declared and outraged Will, his fists clenched tightly, and hung stiffly by his sides. His face and gone sheet white, and his eyes were growing wider by the second.
Grace closed her eyes sadly. "Will, there is no other way. You have to save Jane, and the only way to do that is with a sacrifice. It's settled, I will go."
"But there has to be-"
"No! There is no other way!" She cried, distressed. Why were they trying to make it harder for her? " Look, I spoke to The Lady while I was unconscious, she knew that I would do this, and she tried to stop me. If she couldn't, what makes you think you can? And she knows as well that there has to be a sacrifice, there is no other way to get round this situation."
The forest filled with silence, the only thing moving was Bran's eyes as he every now and again looked up in admiration to Grace- he didn't know her very well, but she was very noble and brave. They shouldn't try to stop her, should they? If she wanted to do this so much, there must be a reason behind it, she wouldn't just go and get herself killed for now reason. Something told him that the reason she was going to give up her life wasn't just to save Jane, she didn't even know her very well. they was something else behind it.
Simon shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He actually didn't want Grace to go and get herself killed! Why? But. he had to stop her.
"Grace, if there's anything-" Offered Simon.
"No- I have to do this." She replied calmly.
"WHY?"
She stared deeply into Simon's eyes and replied in a whisper, "I have to prove myself."
"Prove yourself? You're even dumber than me! Prove yourself by committing suicide? You can't possibly consider going along with this! WHO on earth are you trying to prove yourself to?" He asked angrily.
"My father, The Lady, to show them I am only human. I'm not the most." She paused and sighed. "To show them I'm not who everyone thinks I am. I am not immortal, and I don't have the answers to everyone's problems. I die like everyone else. And there is no other choice."
"But there is! No! You can't-" But before Will could finish what he was saying, she turned her back on them and began walking away from them, and silently glanced behind her to see if they were following, and finally made the long journey to the centre of the labyrinth.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, they arrived at a circular clearing in the tress. "We're here." She announced as she walked slowly to a tree stump and picked up a small blue diamond shaped crystal into her hands. "When this crystal begins to glow blue, then you have to all touch it and you will be transported to where Jane is. If however it begins to glow red, it means that the sacrifice wasn't enough, and that there's something wrong, don't touch it, for it could possibly transport you to another time, another place, another dimension. And we're hoping that doesn't happen." She felt something catch in her throat and continued quietly. "Or all our efforts will have gone to waste."
"So what do we do if it glows red?" Asked Bran, undismayed by the fact that Grace was going to her death any time now.
"You have to get as far as you can from here. When the crystal begins to glow red, the people on the other side will also be able to get to this dimension, they can also actually get here when the crystal glows blue, but since you'll be travelling, and that this crystal can be only used by one company, and only once, they won't be able to get through."
Bran nodded.
"Grace are you sure you want to do this?" Asked Merriman, his worried eyes travelling nervously around her face.
"Yes, I have to, and I must go now."
Merriman nodded, and turned away. There was nothing he could do. There was something behind her intentions.
"Grace. I can't believe you're doing this." Exclaimed Will suddenly, his eyes downward cast.
"Will. I- I'm sorry. I truly am. but, I have to."
He nodded and turned his back on her, afraid that he may show a sign of emotional weakness in-front of all these people, well, mostly because Bran was there.
"Well. I'm. off. Goodbye everyone. Bran." She glanced over at Bran lovingly, unable to contain her feelings anymore, and got a brief nod back as a reply. She walked over to Simon, and hugged him. "It was nice to see you Simon, say goodbye to Barney and Jane for me."
He nodded. "I'll let Jane know how you saved her life. Please, be careful." He added. "If there's anyway. please come back." He said pleadingly, his eyes sparkling.
She nodded and smiled. "Thank you." She whispered.
She walked over to Will and Merriman. "Will- I'm so sorry. But knowing you. even for a brief time, was great." She trudged over to him and hugged him tightly, as he hugged back equally as tightly and buried his face in her hair.
And lastly, she walked up to Merriman confidently. "Well, Merriman, I guess this is-"
"Not goodbye. You'll find a way out of this, Grace. I know you will."
"Well, I'm glad you have such confidence in me. But like I said, I don't have the answers to everything, and people should stop expecting so much of me." She replied staring holes into the ground. Merriman placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. He looked up into his eyes.
"Grace, be hopeful. I don't think this will be our last meeting. Now go, you have work to do. I think many trials await you." His voice trailed off. "Take care, and remember there is a way out of every situation. Goodbye- for now."
She nodded, though not understanding what he was saying to her. And slowly walked away not looking back. There was silence, and the forest reeked of death. This quest wasn't going to be pleasant.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, the company still hadn't got over the shock of seeing Grace go, and no-one had said a word to each other since. Bran stood silently and thoughtfully, seeming not to realise that anyone else was there over by a dark rotting tree, strangely with brown leaves though it was summer. Will and Simon were sitting cross-legged at opposite sides of the clearing. And Merriman, he was standing, his eyes piercing into the crystal, as though it had offended him greatly, but not picking it up.
Simon lifted his head from his hands and gazed around at everyone else, resting his eyes the longest on Bran. What was so strange about Grace? She seemed so utterly normal. on the outside. but something about her, oddly reminded him of Bran. Maybe it was her secretiveness or her gracefulness. Or maybe it was the fact that. when you looked deeply into their eyes when they were angry, or frustrated, they seemed to have the same fire burning bright in their eyes.
He turned his gaze to Merriman.
"How could you just let her go Gummery?" Asked Simon in a hoarse whisper. Everyone turned their heads suddenly towards him with wide eyes as though they had seen a ghost. Simon averted his eyes back to the ground and began ripping blades of grass out of the ground.
"Simon, be patient. I have a feeling. a feeling that something's going to happen when she goes out there. She will have an experience similar to death, but will join us again- she will be much stronger. She will not die."
"How can you be so sure?" Said Simon, trying to conceal the fact that though he was trying to believe him, none of what Merriman was saying could be true. How could he be so damned sure that Grace would be able to come back? Didn't she say that the only way to get to Jane was for there to be a sacrifice made to Odin? So would that mean, that if she came back, they wouldn't be able to get to Jane and rescue her? Then what would happen? They couldn't just leave her in the hands of her captors!
"You need to now. She believe me when I tell you that. somehow she will be back."
Silence consumed the company once again.
"Gummery, I need to sleep, I have no idea what time it is, but I'm really tired. Wake me up when the crystal starts glowing."
"Yes. I think it would be best if I rest too. I haven't been asleep since. well, God knows how long."
Merriman nodded, and watched as Will and Simon each found a tree to lean on, and waited until they nodded off, before he too went over to a tree and sat back, not closing his eyes, but just resting.
"Uh." Interrupted Bran unexpectedly. "I know this isn't the time to ask a question like this, but who is her father and why is she so afraid of him? I mean. perhaps if we knew, then we could talk to him or something and make him convince her that she didn't need to prove herself to him."
Merriman's eyes gleamed. "Bran." He began, then sighed, unsure of what to say, and how much to tell him. "For one thing, she is not afraid of him, but I think, forever hoping for his approval. There's a prophecy about her. which basically foretells that she will either save the world from the Dark side with her continuous faith in herself, which is the only way she can win, or the world will be plunged into darkness and she will be remembered as a coward, and we will be slaves to a Dark lord. I think. where she is going, is just a test. I know she will succeed, and she will see that she is very powerful- at the moment she doesn't believe that she is. Her belief in herself will save us all. Let's just hope she has the strength to do what is expected of her." He paused and shook his head lightly. He looked into Bran's eyes doubtfully. A moment passed by, when finally Merriman decided to speak again. " I don't know if I should mention this to you. but. Bran, Grace is the daughter of King Arthur. She's your sister."
* * *
Hahahaha. aren't I just purely evil for ending this chapter like that? Lol- please review! And like, if you want, tell me how you expect him to react. lol- I think this would be funny.
Finally Merriman met her gaze, seemingly reluctantly. "Grace, what has Odin have anything to do with the Light and Dark?"
"He is helping the dark in their deeds." She paused seeing Simon's eyes watching her questioningly. "Simon, what's the matter?" He blushed.
"Ah. yeah, but at the risk of sounding uneducated. and er, dumb, but who the hell is Odin?"
Bran sighed and glared at Simon shrewdly. "Simon, Odin is one of the Norse Gods." He replied intimidatingly.
"Oh, sure, Mr. Davies here knows everything right?" He spared a glare at Bran. "I'm sorry I can't reach up to your standards sir-"
"Okay, boys come on, not here." Interrupted Merriman severely.
Grace sighed deeply, and everyone's eyes fell back to the floor, not wanting to meet her intense stare. "I will lead you to the heart of the forest, and from there, I will go to the other side."
"You- you can't!" Declared and outraged Will, his fists clenched tightly, and hung stiffly by his sides. His face and gone sheet white, and his eyes were growing wider by the second.
Grace closed her eyes sadly. "Will, there is no other way. You have to save Jane, and the only way to do that is with a sacrifice. It's settled, I will go."
"But there has to be-"
"No! There is no other way!" She cried, distressed. Why were they trying to make it harder for her? " Look, I spoke to The Lady while I was unconscious, she knew that I would do this, and she tried to stop me. If she couldn't, what makes you think you can? And she knows as well that there has to be a sacrifice, there is no other way to get round this situation."
The forest filled with silence, the only thing moving was Bran's eyes as he every now and again looked up in admiration to Grace- he didn't know her very well, but she was very noble and brave. They shouldn't try to stop her, should they? If she wanted to do this so much, there must be a reason behind it, she wouldn't just go and get herself killed for now reason. Something told him that the reason she was going to give up her life wasn't just to save Jane, she didn't even know her very well. they was something else behind it.
Simon shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He actually didn't want Grace to go and get herself killed! Why? But. he had to stop her.
"Grace, if there's anything-" Offered Simon.
"No- I have to do this." She replied calmly.
"WHY?"
She stared deeply into Simon's eyes and replied in a whisper, "I have to prove myself."
"Prove yourself? You're even dumber than me! Prove yourself by committing suicide? You can't possibly consider going along with this! WHO on earth are you trying to prove yourself to?" He asked angrily.
"My father, The Lady, to show them I am only human. I'm not the most." She paused and sighed. "To show them I'm not who everyone thinks I am. I am not immortal, and I don't have the answers to everyone's problems. I die like everyone else. And there is no other choice."
"But there is! No! You can't-" But before Will could finish what he was saying, she turned her back on them and began walking away from them, and silently glanced behind her to see if they were following, and finally made the long journey to the centre of the labyrinth.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, they arrived at a circular clearing in the tress. "We're here." She announced as she walked slowly to a tree stump and picked up a small blue diamond shaped crystal into her hands. "When this crystal begins to glow blue, then you have to all touch it and you will be transported to where Jane is. If however it begins to glow red, it means that the sacrifice wasn't enough, and that there's something wrong, don't touch it, for it could possibly transport you to another time, another place, another dimension. And we're hoping that doesn't happen." She felt something catch in her throat and continued quietly. "Or all our efforts will have gone to waste."
"So what do we do if it glows red?" Asked Bran, undismayed by the fact that Grace was going to her death any time now.
"You have to get as far as you can from here. When the crystal begins to glow red, the people on the other side will also be able to get to this dimension, they can also actually get here when the crystal glows blue, but since you'll be travelling, and that this crystal can be only used by one company, and only once, they won't be able to get through."
Bran nodded.
"Grace are you sure you want to do this?" Asked Merriman, his worried eyes travelling nervously around her face.
"Yes, I have to, and I must go now."
Merriman nodded, and turned away. There was nothing he could do. There was something behind her intentions.
"Grace. I can't believe you're doing this." Exclaimed Will suddenly, his eyes downward cast.
"Will. I- I'm sorry. I truly am. but, I have to."
He nodded and turned his back on her, afraid that he may show a sign of emotional weakness in-front of all these people, well, mostly because Bran was there.
"Well. I'm. off. Goodbye everyone. Bran." She glanced over at Bran lovingly, unable to contain her feelings anymore, and got a brief nod back as a reply. She walked over to Simon, and hugged him. "It was nice to see you Simon, say goodbye to Barney and Jane for me."
He nodded. "I'll let Jane know how you saved her life. Please, be careful." He added. "If there's anyway. please come back." He said pleadingly, his eyes sparkling.
She nodded and smiled. "Thank you." She whispered.
She walked over to Will and Merriman. "Will- I'm so sorry. But knowing you. even for a brief time, was great." She trudged over to him and hugged him tightly, as he hugged back equally as tightly and buried his face in her hair.
And lastly, she walked up to Merriman confidently. "Well, Merriman, I guess this is-"
"Not goodbye. You'll find a way out of this, Grace. I know you will."
"Well, I'm glad you have such confidence in me. But like I said, I don't have the answers to everything, and people should stop expecting so much of me." She replied staring holes into the ground. Merriman placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. He looked up into his eyes.
"Grace, be hopeful. I don't think this will be our last meeting. Now go, you have work to do. I think many trials await you." His voice trailed off. "Take care, and remember there is a way out of every situation. Goodbye- for now."
She nodded, though not understanding what he was saying to her. And slowly walked away not looking back. There was silence, and the forest reeked of death. This quest wasn't going to be pleasant.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, the company still hadn't got over the shock of seeing Grace go, and no-one had said a word to each other since. Bran stood silently and thoughtfully, seeming not to realise that anyone else was there over by a dark rotting tree, strangely with brown leaves though it was summer. Will and Simon were sitting cross-legged at opposite sides of the clearing. And Merriman, he was standing, his eyes piercing into the crystal, as though it had offended him greatly, but not picking it up.
Simon lifted his head from his hands and gazed around at everyone else, resting his eyes the longest on Bran. What was so strange about Grace? She seemed so utterly normal. on the outside. but something about her, oddly reminded him of Bran. Maybe it was her secretiveness or her gracefulness. Or maybe it was the fact that. when you looked deeply into their eyes when they were angry, or frustrated, they seemed to have the same fire burning bright in their eyes.
He turned his gaze to Merriman.
"How could you just let her go Gummery?" Asked Simon in a hoarse whisper. Everyone turned their heads suddenly towards him with wide eyes as though they had seen a ghost. Simon averted his eyes back to the ground and began ripping blades of grass out of the ground.
"Simon, be patient. I have a feeling. a feeling that something's going to happen when she goes out there. She will have an experience similar to death, but will join us again- she will be much stronger. She will not die."
"How can you be so sure?" Said Simon, trying to conceal the fact that though he was trying to believe him, none of what Merriman was saying could be true. How could he be so damned sure that Grace would be able to come back? Didn't she say that the only way to get to Jane was for there to be a sacrifice made to Odin? So would that mean, that if she came back, they wouldn't be able to get to Jane and rescue her? Then what would happen? They couldn't just leave her in the hands of her captors!
"You need to now. She believe me when I tell you that. somehow she will be back."
Silence consumed the company once again.
"Gummery, I need to sleep, I have no idea what time it is, but I'm really tired. Wake me up when the crystal starts glowing."
"Yes. I think it would be best if I rest too. I haven't been asleep since. well, God knows how long."
Merriman nodded, and watched as Will and Simon each found a tree to lean on, and waited until they nodded off, before he too went over to a tree and sat back, not closing his eyes, but just resting.
"Uh." Interrupted Bran unexpectedly. "I know this isn't the time to ask a question like this, but who is her father and why is she so afraid of him? I mean. perhaps if we knew, then we could talk to him or something and make him convince her that she didn't need to prove herself to him."
Merriman's eyes gleamed. "Bran." He began, then sighed, unsure of what to say, and how much to tell him. "For one thing, she is not afraid of him, but I think, forever hoping for his approval. There's a prophecy about her. which basically foretells that she will either save the world from the Dark side with her continuous faith in herself, which is the only way she can win, or the world will be plunged into darkness and she will be remembered as a coward, and we will be slaves to a Dark lord. I think. where she is going, is just a test. I know she will succeed, and she will see that she is very powerful- at the moment she doesn't believe that she is. Her belief in herself will save us all. Let's just hope she has the strength to do what is expected of her." He paused and shook his head lightly. He looked into Bran's eyes doubtfully. A moment passed by, when finally Merriman decided to speak again. " I don't know if I should mention this to you. but. Bran, Grace is the daughter of King Arthur. She's your sister."
* * *
Hahahaha. aren't I just purely evil for ending this chapter like that? Lol- please review! And like, if you want, tell me how you expect him to react. lol- I think this would be funny.