A/N: Thanks again for all of the reviews. Special thanks to TheChosenOne3
for pointing out the error in Chapter 8-I reposted a corrected version. I
hope this chapter makes up for how short the last one was :-) A few
notes.I didn't see the Camelot episode from the first season, so I don't
know how in depth they got with Arthurian legend, and how much all of them
knew about it. I do believe at some point, maybe during that episode,
Marguerite was mistaken for Morgaine (or Morrigan, whatever variation on
the name they used), so I used that. I love Arthurian legend, but I'm not
an expert. The Triple Goddess is a concept I just learned about while
researching for this story, so if there are any big mistakes with regards
to either of those, please excuse them-I'm basically fitting them to the
purposes of my story. Also, I disclaim!! Last, but not least, enjoy, and
please keep the reviews coming-they are very encouraging for me. Thanks!!!
Veronica had fallen back to sleep quickly. She had stayed awake only long enough to ask Ned how long she was out. She was amazed to find out that she had lost nearly a week of her life.
She woke again a few hours later. Ned was the first thought that entered her mind, and she smiled. Her mother had been right. He really was back. And knowing that drove away all of the fear and apprehension about the journey her mother had told her about because Ned would be by her side. Ned, who was her best friend, and always her companion on adventures. Ned, whose return she had prayed for night after night. Ned the man. . . . . the man she loved. She blushed at the thought, and it occurred to her that Ned could still be in the room. She looked over at the stool beside her and was surprised to see not Ned, but Finn beside her.
"Hey Vee! How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Not too bad. Though, I don't think I'll be challenging you to any gymnastics contests any time soon. Where's Ned?"
"Roxton and Challenger convinced him to go to his own bed and sleep for awhile. He's been staying in here with you ever since we found you."
"Poor Ned! You mean he's been sleeping in that chair every night?"
Finn did her best to hold back a smile. If only Veronica knew just how close Malone had been to her that first night when she had the chills. But Finn knew Veronica would be embarrassed about that, especially because of her feelings for Malone, so Finn decided it was probably best if Malone was the one to tell her about that night in his own time. "Well, I think he did get one good night's sleep, but I'll let him tell you about that some other time."
Veronica was confused by Finn's cryptic words, but she decided to let it go. One never knew what went on in Finn's mind. Besides, if it was something important, she knew Ned would tell her about it.
"He's amazing, though, Vee. He's everything you said he was. And, he really cares about you. The only time he left your side for any real length of time was when Challenger called a meeting so that they could try to figure out what happened. Other than that, he was in here, talking to you, reading to you, feeding you, and trying to get your fever down and keep you comfortable."
Veronica laughed. "I take it you approve of him."
"Definitely, Vee. In fact, I was wondering if I could be in your wedding when you get married?"
"I think you're being a bit premature, Finn. Malone and I aren't together yet. And who knows if we ever will be. I know I'd like to see if we could be something more. And I know there was a time when he felt that too. But things might have changed while he was gone. Maybe he met someone else on his travels. Or maybe he realized he really does want to see what will happen with Gladys when he goes home. Maybe now he just loves me like a sister."
Finn looked at her skeptically. She was sure Veronica didn't really believe that. She was probably just trying to keep her guard up a little until she had some sign from Malone that he felt the same way about her that she did about him. "We'll see about that. Anyway," Finn continued, "Challenger said I'm to tell him when you're awake. I'll be right back."
Veronica stared at the ceiling. She hoped that Finn was right. She hoped Ned wanted to be with her. Though, a dark thought loomed in the back of her mind. Her mother had said that she had one chance to fulfill her destiny, and if she failed, she would have to remain on the Plateau for the rest of her life. If that happened, she couldn't ask Ned to stay. It was true that he had offered to stay before, but she was never very confident about how happy he would be if he did stay after the others were gone. Would he be happy here alone with her, with no one else from his world? Would he be content with writing stories that would be read by no one but her, knowing he would never be a famous journalist? Her greatest fear was that he would decide to stay, but after awhile, he would become unhappy and change his mind. More than anything, she wanted Ned to be happy. If she had to let him go for that to happen, so be it. "Best not to think of that now," she told herself. "What matters is that he's here with me now."
Finn came back a moment later, followed by Challenger, Marguerite, and Roxton.
"Hi everyone," Veronica greeted them.
"Welcome back," Marguerite said, smiling.
"I thought Marguerite was supposed to be the drama queen around here." Roxton teased gently. It earned him a jab in the chest, courtesy of the heiress's elbow.
"It is good to have you back, Veronica," Challenger said. "I know that you've been through a great deal, but I was hoping that maybe you'd feel up to comparing stories with us. The sooner we figure out this mystery, the better."
"I agree," Veronica answered. "I'm anxious to hear what happened to all of you. And I have something to tell all of you that I think you'll find interesting."
"All right then," Challenger said, "I was thinking that rather than cramming all of us into your room, perhaps we could trouble you to move to the living room."
"I'll take care of that," Roxton answered, leaning down to scoop Veronica into his arms. "You're in no condition to be walking around."
"Roxton!" she protested. "I'm not an invalid!"
"Don't argue with me, Veronica. I get enough of that from Marguerite." He caught Marguerite's eye and winked. He knew he was digging himself into a hole. He also knew he'd have fun finding his way out of it later.
Veronica was soon situated on the couch, and Challenger had woken Malone and summoned him to the living room as well. Malone smiled upon seeing Veronica. Part of him really had been afraid that her waking up for a few minutes was just a fluke and that she wouldn't wake again. But there she was, awake and alert. She looked healthy too. The past few days, her skin had either been ghostly white, or warmly flushed. It was good to see her looking like herself again. He took a seat beside the couch so that he could be near her.
"Where do we begin?" Veronica asked.
"Why don't we tell you our account of things first?" Challenger proposed.
"Ok," Veronica answered.
The group proceeded to tell the same stories that they had shared a few days earlier, and told her about how they found her, and how she had a fever for the last few days. The only thing detail that everyone seemed to leave out was that first night that Ned spent warming her up. Then, Challenger recounted his theory of the energy on the Plateau. "So what do you think, Veronica?"
"It's definitely possible, Challenger. It would explain a lot of the weird occurrences."
"So, Vee," Finn asked, "what happened to you after we got separated?"
Veronica proceeded to tell the group about how she had asked her mother for help, and about the strange words that she spoke. Marguerite asked her what the words were, hoping to be able to translate. However, Veronica had no memory of the exact words. "It was the weirdest thing," Veronica said. "The words came out of my mouth, but I had no idea what I was saying. It was not a language that I had ever heard before. And now, those words seem like a distant, fuzzy memory. I know it happened, but they seem to have left my mind. My mother said that I was invoking the power of the Goddess, but I don't know what that means."
Everyone's ears perked up. "Your mother?" Malone asked.
"Yes," Veronica answered. "I saw her." She told them about her dream, and about the upcoming journey to Avalon. She also briefly filled Malone in on how she had recovered her childhood memories a few weeks ago, and that her father was dead, and her mother was serving as the Protector in Avalon.
"Wait a minute," Malone said. "Avalon, as in King Arthur's Avalon?"
"No, Malone," Marguerite corrected. "King Arthur was in Camelot. Remember? We had a run in with people from that era the first year we were on the Plateau."
"It's true that Camelot was Arthur's kingdom," Malone conceded. "But, Avalon was a part of his history, too. Some say that Avalon was where the Lady of the Lake gave Excalibur to Arthur. It is also said that Avalon is to Arthur like Valhalla is to the warriors, who are sent to Valhalla to await a final battle. Some believe that after his death, Arthur's body was sent to Avalon to wait there until it is his time to reign again."
"I thought Arthur pulled Excalibur from the sword in the stone," Roxton interjected.
"Well, that's the problem with Arthurian legend," Malone replied. "It's never very consistent. There are so many different accounts of the events. Researchers and literary scholars debate about many aspects of it, right down to the question of whether Arthur actually existed at all."
"How do you know all of this," Veronica asked, somewhat in awe of his knowledge.
Ned smiled. "As a boy, I was fascinated with Arthurian legend. They were the best adventure stories-knights, wizards, jousting, sword fights, good versus evil...I read every account that I could get my hands on."
Roxton smiled at his friend. He teased him often, and he knew that Malone looked up to him like a brother. But sometimes, he was the one in admiration of Malone. He would give anything to have a little of the boyish innocence that Malone possessed. Roxton lost any hope of that when William died. But maybe, this expedition to the Plateau had been his second chance. Malone was his second chance to be a brother.
Challenger's voice brought Roxton out of his thoughts. "What else do you know of Avalon, Malone?"
"Enough to know that it could very well correspond with your theory about the energy of this place, Challenger."
"How so?" Marguerite asked.
"Well," said Malone, "all aspects of Avalon seem to deal with the power of women, and how the women of Avalon shaped Arthur's life and reign. Like I said earlier, there is the theory that the Lady of the Lake gave Arthur Excalibur. There is also a theory that Avalon is ruled by three women of great power, and these women were responsible for bringing Arthur's body to Avalon after his death. But, there is a dispute over who the women were. One theory says that the women who ruled Avalon were Igraine, who was Arthur's mother, and her two sisters-Viviane, who was the High Priestess and Lady of the Lake, and Morgause, who was out to use the power of Avalon for her own purposes. This theory also says that Arthur's sister, Morgaine is supposed to be the successor to Viviane as Lady of the Lake, but she was raised by Morgause, so it is possible that she would also abuse the power of Avalon. The second theory says that Morgause wasn't Igraine's sister at all, but one of her daughters. And she wasn't evil. Here, Avalon is ruled by Arthur's three sisters. Morgaine, Morgause, and Elaine. I also remember something about how their power was joined-something about the old and the new. But, I can't remember exactly what it was."
"It could be the Triple Goddess," Marguerite answered.
"What's that?" Roxton asked.
"The Triple Goddess is an archetype used in many different cultures, including ancient Greece, and Celtic. It embodies the three stages of a woman's life-the maiden, the mother, and the crone-and is represented either by three separate women, or three phases of one woman. Either way, the Triple Goddess is considered the most powerful aspect of a woman. Three is considered a powerful number in pagan cultures. The Goddess represents many things that come in threes, like the waxing, waning, and full moon; birth, life, and death; or past, present, and future."
"I think you're right, Marguerite," Malone answered. "I believe in the second theory I gave, Elaine represented the maiden, Morgause represented the mother, and Morgaine represented the crone."
"Wait," Roxton said. "Wasn't Morgaine the person Gawain and Vordred mistook you for?"
"Yes," Marguerite replied.
"Hmm," Roxton mused.
"What?" Marguerite demanded.
"Oh, nothing," Roxton continued mischieviously. "I was just thinking that if you're Morgaine, I guess that makes you the crone."
Marguerite's eyes widened in fury. "Lord Roxton, you are the most infuriating, the most maddening."
"Easy Marguerite," Challenger said. "I think we just had a break through in solving our mystery. You can attack Roxton later."
Marguerite shot daggers at Roxton with her eyes. The man was impossible...and she loved every minute of their banter almost as much as she loved him.
"Now," Challenger continued, "Veronica, your mother told you that you invoked the power of the Goddess. I think if this Avalon is the same Avalon of Arthurian legend, it is very possible that this Triple Goddess could be real, and could be the very one your mother spoke of."
"I suppose it could be," Veronica replied. "But, I don't think we'll be able to figure anything else out until we go to Avalon."
"So, your mother said that all of us are to go on the journey to Avalon?" Malone asked.
"Yes. That's what she told me. But, you don't have to...I mean, I'll understand if."
"Veronica," Roxton interrupted, "we're all in this together. We're not going to abandon you on this quest."
"Roxton's right," Ned added. "We'll be by your side every step of the way.
Veronica could only smile and blush.
"Well, I suppose Veronica's right," Challenger said. "We can't discover much more until we make the journey. Until then, I think maybe we should continue repairs around the tree house."
"Thank you all so much for everything that you've done. This place must have been in pretty rough shape after that storm."
"It's no problem, Veronica," Marguerite replied. "After all, this has been our house too for the last three years."
"What can I do?" Malone asked.
"You can go back to bed, Neddy boy," Roxton replied. "You're no good to us until you've had a long rest."
Ned decided not to argue. He was still exhausted, and emotionally drained from caring for Veronica, and he found it infinitely easier to sleep now that she was ok.
Veronica decided that she had had enough rest. The others wouldn't let her help, or even get up for that matter, so Finn brought her easel over, and she spent the afternoon painting a picture of her mother as she had seen her in her dream.
Challenger and Finn paired up to finish the repairs on the elevator. They climbed down the ladder, and began to work. "I can't wait until this is done," Finn complained. "It's a big pain to have to climb up and down to the treehouse."
Challenger smiled, "Youth is wasted on the young. I wouldn't be complaining if I could still climb as nimbly as you can."
Finn laughed. After a few moments silence, she asked, "So what do you think this quest is that we're going on?"
"I don't know, Finn. But I do know that it is important. Veronica's mother said that fulfilling this quest is her only way off of the Plateau. Now that Malone is back, I think she'll have a lot more interest in leaving this place. If they become closer, she'd be heartbroken if she didn't even have the choice to leave."
"But, couldn't Malone just stay here?"
"He could. And he's done it before when we tried to leave. But, I think Veronica is afraid that he couldn't be truly happy here, and I'm not so sure she's wrong on that account. Malone has grown a lot through his experiences on this Plateau, but he's cut out for a more civilized lifestyle. He's a journalist. It's in his blood. And no journalist is truly happy unless he has an audience to read what he writes."
"Well, then, we only have one choice," Finn answered. "We have to make sure that Vee completes her task." ----------------------------------
Meanwhile, Marguerite and Roxton were out gathering fruits and plants to restore part of their food supply.
"A crone? You really think I'm a crone?" Marguerite yelled.
"Come now, Marguerite, can't you take a joke?"
"It was a terrible joke, and you are the most infuriating man I have
ever met!"
Roxton slipped an arm around Marguerite's waist. "And you, Miss Krux, are absolutely beautiful when you're infuriated," he whispered in her ear.
"So you think you can just charm your way out of this, do you?"
"Absolutely," he replied, leaning in to capture her lips. One hand found her mass of hair, while the other kept her firmly pressed against him.
Marguerite gently broke the kiss, and whispered, "The others will be expecting us back soon."
"I think they can do without us for a little longer," he said, lowering her to the grass.
------------------------------
Later that evening, after dinner, Malone and Veronica sat together on the balcony.
"So what do you think of Finn?" Veronica asked.
"Well, I haven't had a lot of time with her," Malone replied, "but she seems like a great kid. She thinks a lot of you."
Veronica smiled. "She reminds me a lot of myself when I was a little younger. I think we can relate to each other." She paused for a moment, a little shy, then continued, "She told me how you took care of me the last few days-how you wouldn't leave my side. I don't know how to thank you."
"It was my pleasure," Malone said, looking into her eyes. Before his journey, Malone would have amended that statement somehow, perhaps saying that it was the least he could do, since she saved all of their lives during the storm. But, though he still blushed a little from his bold statement, he felt no need to change his meaning. He wanted to leave Veronica in no doubt of his feelings. He was ready to step over the line that both of them had been tip toeing around for three years. He knew that now wasn't the appropriate time, but it would be soon. And until then, there was no harm in dropping hints.
Right now, he had another topic that he needed to address with her. Everyone had avoided the subject, presumably so that he could be the one to tell her. He was a little nervous about talking to her about that night when he was in her bed, but she needed to know.
"Veronica, there is something you need to know about the night when we found you, after the storm."
"Aha!" Veronica thought. "He's going to tell me whatever it was that Finn wouldn't." Out loud, she said, "What is it, Ned?"
"Okay, well, we told you about how we found you laying on the floor, that we moved you to the bed, and that you had a fever. But, we left out a few details. I think everyone else wanted me to tell you because it's a bit of a.um.delicate matter, and maybe you wouldn't want to discuss it around all of them."
"Okay, well, tell me what it is," Veronica said, growing concerned.
"You didn't have the fever when we found you. In fact, it was just the opposite. You were chilled to the bone. Challenger said that your temperature was dangerously low, and we needed to get you warmed up as fast as possible. He said that the best way to do that was to use body heat. That's why Marguerite changed you into one of her nightgowns. It would make you more comfortable, and it was thin enough that heat could get through it relatively quickly. Challenger's theory was that one of us should stay close to you, and wrap the covers around you and that person so the body heat was trapped in, like a cocoon. The others thought, well, that you um, might be more comfortable with me, so I did it. I held you close to keep you warm. I tried to stay awake, but I was so exhausted from my journey and the time warps. I feel asleep, and slept through the night. When I woke up, you were burning up with fever. I was worried, but Challenger said that's what he had hoped for because it was your body's way of fighting back. Anyway, I just thought you should know. I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable or any."
"Ned," Veronica interrupted, grabbing his hand, "you saved my life! I'm not uncomfortable, I'm grateful to you!"
He was thankful that she was so easy going about it, though he didn't miss the blush that had appeared in her cheeks. He hoped that was a good sign- that her thinking of them so close together had caused the blush. "I'm just glad you're okay," Ned answered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Veronica didn't answer, at least not verbally. She kept Ned's hand in hers, moved a little closer to him, and laid her head on his shoulder.
TBC-once again, school calls, so I can't promise more chapters for sure till the weekend.
Veronica had fallen back to sleep quickly. She had stayed awake only long enough to ask Ned how long she was out. She was amazed to find out that she had lost nearly a week of her life.
She woke again a few hours later. Ned was the first thought that entered her mind, and she smiled. Her mother had been right. He really was back. And knowing that drove away all of the fear and apprehension about the journey her mother had told her about because Ned would be by her side. Ned, who was her best friend, and always her companion on adventures. Ned, whose return she had prayed for night after night. Ned the man. . . . . the man she loved. She blushed at the thought, and it occurred to her that Ned could still be in the room. She looked over at the stool beside her and was surprised to see not Ned, but Finn beside her.
"Hey Vee! How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Not too bad. Though, I don't think I'll be challenging you to any gymnastics contests any time soon. Where's Ned?"
"Roxton and Challenger convinced him to go to his own bed and sleep for awhile. He's been staying in here with you ever since we found you."
"Poor Ned! You mean he's been sleeping in that chair every night?"
Finn did her best to hold back a smile. If only Veronica knew just how close Malone had been to her that first night when she had the chills. But Finn knew Veronica would be embarrassed about that, especially because of her feelings for Malone, so Finn decided it was probably best if Malone was the one to tell her about that night in his own time. "Well, I think he did get one good night's sleep, but I'll let him tell you about that some other time."
Veronica was confused by Finn's cryptic words, but she decided to let it go. One never knew what went on in Finn's mind. Besides, if it was something important, she knew Ned would tell her about it.
"He's amazing, though, Vee. He's everything you said he was. And, he really cares about you. The only time he left your side for any real length of time was when Challenger called a meeting so that they could try to figure out what happened. Other than that, he was in here, talking to you, reading to you, feeding you, and trying to get your fever down and keep you comfortable."
Veronica laughed. "I take it you approve of him."
"Definitely, Vee. In fact, I was wondering if I could be in your wedding when you get married?"
"I think you're being a bit premature, Finn. Malone and I aren't together yet. And who knows if we ever will be. I know I'd like to see if we could be something more. And I know there was a time when he felt that too. But things might have changed while he was gone. Maybe he met someone else on his travels. Or maybe he realized he really does want to see what will happen with Gladys when he goes home. Maybe now he just loves me like a sister."
Finn looked at her skeptically. She was sure Veronica didn't really believe that. She was probably just trying to keep her guard up a little until she had some sign from Malone that he felt the same way about her that she did about him. "We'll see about that. Anyway," Finn continued, "Challenger said I'm to tell him when you're awake. I'll be right back."
Veronica stared at the ceiling. She hoped that Finn was right. She hoped Ned wanted to be with her. Though, a dark thought loomed in the back of her mind. Her mother had said that she had one chance to fulfill her destiny, and if she failed, she would have to remain on the Plateau for the rest of her life. If that happened, she couldn't ask Ned to stay. It was true that he had offered to stay before, but she was never very confident about how happy he would be if he did stay after the others were gone. Would he be happy here alone with her, with no one else from his world? Would he be content with writing stories that would be read by no one but her, knowing he would never be a famous journalist? Her greatest fear was that he would decide to stay, but after awhile, he would become unhappy and change his mind. More than anything, she wanted Ned to be happy. If she had to let him go for that to happen, so be it. "Best not to think of that now," she told herself. "What matters is that he's here with me now."
Finn came back a moment later, followed by Challenger, Marguerite, and Roxton.
"Hi everyone," Veronica greeted them.
"Welcome back," Marguerite said, smiling.
"I thought Marguerite was supposed to be the drama queen around here." Roxton teased gently. It earned him a jab in the chest, courtesy of the heiress's elbow.
"It is good to have you back, Veronica," Challenger said. "I know that you've been through a great deal, but I was hoping that maybe you'd feel up to comparing stories with us. The sooner we figure out this mystery, the better."
"I agree," Veronica answered. "I'm anxious to hear what happened to all of you. And I have something to tell all of you that I think you'll find interesting."
"All right then," Challenger said, "I was thinking that rather than cramming all of us into your room, perhaps we could trouble you to move to the living room."
"I'll take care of that," Roxton answered, leaning down to scoop Veronica into his arms. "You're in no condition to be walking around."
"Roxton!" she protested. "I'm not an invalid!"
"Don't argue with me, Veronica. I get enough of that from Marguerite." He caught Marguerite's eye and winked. He knew he was digging himself into a hole. He also knew he'd have fun finding his way out of it later.
Veronica was soon situated on the couch, and Challenger had woken Malone and summoned him to the living room as well. Malone smiled upon seeing Veronica. Part of him really had been afraid that her waking up for a few minutes was just a fluke and that she wouldn't wake again. But there she was, awake and alert. She looked healthy too. The past few days, her skin had either been ghostly white, or warmly flushed. It was good to see her looking like herself again. He took a seat beside the couch so that he could be near her.
"Where do we begin?" Veronica asked.
"Why don't we tell you our account of things first?" Challenger proposed.
"Ok," Veronica answered.
The group proceeded to tell the same stories that they had shared a few days earlier, and told her about how they found her, and how she had a fever for the last few days. The only thing detail that everyone seemed to leave out was that first night that Ned spent warming her up. Then, Challenger recounted his theory of the energy on the Plateau. "So what do you think, Veronica?"
"It's definitely possible, Challenger. It would explain a lot of the weird occurrences."
"So, Vee," Finn asked, "what happened to you after we got separated?"
Veronica proceeded to tell the group about how she had asked her mother for help, and about the strange words that she spoke. Marguerite asked her what the words were, hoping to be able to translate. However, Veronica had no memory of the exact words. "It was the weirdest thing," Veronica said. "The words came out of my mouth, but I had no idea what I was saying. It was not a language that I had ever heard before. And now, those words seem like a distant, fuzzy memory. I know it happened, but they seem to have left my mind. My mother said that I was invoking the power of the Goddess, but I don't know what that means."
Everyone's ears perked up. "Your mother?" Malone asked.
"Yes," Veronica answered. "I saw her." She told them about her dream, and about the upcoming journey to Avalon. She also briefly filled Malone in on how she had recovered her childhood memories a few weeks ago, and that her father was dead, and her mother was serving as the Protector in Avalon.
"Wait a minute," Malone said. "Avalon, as in King Arthur's Avalon?"
"No, Malone," Marguerite corrected. "King Arthur was in Camelot. Remember? We had a run in with people from that era the first year we were on the Plateau."
"It's true that Camelot was Arthur's kingdom," Malone conceded. "But, Avalon was a part of his history, too. Some say that Avalon was where the Lady of the Lake gave Excalibur to Arthur. It is also said that Avalon is to Arthur like Valhalla is to the warriors, who are sent to Valhalla to await a final battle. Some believe that after his death, Arthur's body was sent to Avalon to wait there until it is his time to reign again."
"I thought Arthur pulled Excalibur from the sword in the stone," Roxton interjected.
"Well, that's the problem with Arthurian legend," Malone replied. "It's never very consistent. There are so many different accounts of the events. Researchers and literary scholars debate about many aspects of it, right down to the question of whether Arthur actually existed at all."
"How do you know all of this," Veronica asked, somewhat in awe of his knowledge.
Ned smiled. "As a boy, I was fascinated with Arthurian legend. They were the best adventure stories-knights, wizards, jousting, sword fights, good versus evil...I read every account that I could get my hands on."
Roxton smiled at his friend. He teased him often, and he knew that Malone looked up to him like a brother. But sometimes, he was the one in admiration of Malone. He would give anything to have a little of the boyish innocence that Malone possessed. Roxton lost any hope of that when William died. But maybe, this expedition to the Plateau had been his second chance. Malone was his second chance to be a brother.
Challenger's voice brought Roxton out of his thoughts. "What else do you know of Avalon, Malone?"
"Enough to know that it could very well correspond with your theory about the energy of this place, Challenger."
"How so?" Marguerite asked.
"Well," said Malone, "all aspects of Avalon seem to deal with the power of women, and how the women of Avalon shaped Arthur's life and reign. Like I said earlier, there is the theory that the Lady of the Lake gave Arthur Excalibur. There is also a theory that Avalon is ruled by three women of great power, and these women were responsible for bringing Arthur's body to Avalon after his death. But, there is a dispute over who the women were. One theory says that the women who ruled Avalon were Igraine, who was Arthur's mother, and her two sisters-Viviane, who was the High Priestess and Lady of the Lake, and Morgause, who was out to use the power of Avalon for her own purposes. This theory also says that Arthur's sister, Morgaine is supposed to be the successor to Viviane as Lady of the Lake, but she was raised by Morgause, so it is possible that she would also abuse the power of Avalon. The second theory says that Morgause wasn't Igraine's sister at all, but one of her daughters. And she wasn't evil. Here, Avalon is ruled by Arthur's three sisters. Morgaine, Morgause, and Elaine. I also remember something about how their power was joined-something about the old and the new. But, I can't remember exactly what it was."
"It could be the Triple Goddess," Marguerite answered.
"What's that?" Roxton asked.
"The Triple Goddess is an archetype used in many different cultures, including ancient Greece, and Celtic. It embodies the three stages of a woman's life-the maiden, the mother, and the crone-and is represented either by three separate women, or three phases of one woman. Either way, the Triple Goddess is considered the most powerful aspect of a woman. Three is considered a powerful number in pagan cultures. The Goddess represents many things that come in threes, like the waxing, waning, and full moon; birth, life, and death; or past, present, and future."
"I think you're right, Marguerite," Malone answered. "I believe in the second theory I gave, Elaine represented the maiden, Morgause represented the mother, and Morgaine represented the crone."
"Wait," Roxton said. "Wasn't Morgaine the person Gawain and Vordred mistook you for?"
"Yes," Marguerite replied.
"Hmm," Roxton mused.
"What?" Marguerite demanded.
"Oh, nothing," Roxton continued mischieviously. "I was just thinking that if you're Morgaine, I guess that makes you the crone."
Marguerite's eyes widened in fury. "Lord Roxton, you are the most infuriating, the most maddening."
"Easy Marguerite," Challenger said. "I think we just had a break through in solving our mystery. You can attack Roxton later."
Marguerite shot daggers at Roxton with her eyes. The man was impossible...and she loved every minute of their banter almost as much as she loved him.
"Now," Challenger continued, "Veronica, your mother told you that you invoked the power of the Goddess. I think if this Avalon is the same Avalon of Arthurian legend, it is very possible that this Triple Goddess could be real, and could be the very one your mother spoke of."
"I suppose it could be," Veronica replied. "But, I don't think we'll be able to figure anything else out until we go to Avalon."
"So, your mother said that all of us are to go on the journey to Avalon?" Malone asked.
"Yes. That's what she told me. But, you don't have to...I mean, I'll understand if."
"Veronica," Roxton interrupted, "we're all in this together. We're not going to abandon you on this quest."
"Roxton's right," Ned added. "We'll be by your side every step of the way.
Veronica could only smile and blush.
"Well, I suppose Veronica's right," Challenger said. "We can't discover much more until we make the journey. Until then, I think maybe we should continue repairs around the tree house."
"Thank you all so much for everything that you've done. This place must have been in pretty rough shape after that storm."
"It's no problem, Veronica," Marguerite replied. "After all, this has been our house too for the last three years."
"What can I do?" Malone asked.
"You can go back to bed, Neddy boy," Roxton replied. "You're no good to us until you've had a long rest."
Ned decided not to argue. He was still exhausted, and emotionally drained from caring for Veronica, and he found it infinitely easier to sleep now that she was ok.
Veronica decided that she had had enough rest. The others wouldn't let her help, or even get up for that matter, so Finn brought her easel over, and she spent the afternoon painting a picture of her mother as she had seen her in her dream.
Challenger and Finn paired up to finish the repairs on the elevator. They climbed down the ladder, and began to work. "I can't wait until this is done," Finn complained. "It's a big pain to have to climb up and down to the treehouse."
Challenger smiled, "Youth is wasted on the young. I wouldn't be complaining if I could still climb as nimbly as you can."
Finn laughed. After a few moments silence, she asked, "So what do you think this quest is that we're going on?"
"I don't know, Finn. But I do know that it is important. Veronica's mother said that fulfilling this quest is her only way off of the Plateau. Now that Malone is back, I think she'll have a lot more interest in leaving this place. If they become closer, she'd be heartbroken if she didn't even have the choice to leave."
"But, couldn't Malone just stay here?"
"He could. And he's done it before when we tried to leave. But, I think Veronica is afraid that he couldn't be truly happy here, and I'm not so sure she's wrong on that account. Malone has grown a lot through his experiences on this Plateau, but he's cut out for a more civilized lifestyle. He's a journalist. It's in his blood. And no journalist is truly happy unless he has an audience to read what he writes."
"Well, then, we only have one choice," Finn answered. "We have to make sure that Vee completes her task." ----------------------------------
Meanwhile, Marguerite and Roxton were out gathering fruits and plants to restore part of their food supply.
"A crone? You really think I'm a crone?" Marguerite yelled.
"Come now, Marguerite, can't you take a joke?"
"It was a terrible joke, and you are the most infuriating man I have
ever met!"
Roxton slipped an arm around Marguerite's waist. "And you, Miss Krux, are absolutely beautiful when you're infuriated," he whispered in her ear.
"So you think you can just charm your way out of this, do you?"
"Absolutely," he replied, leaning in to capture her lips. One hand found her mass of hair, while the other kept her firmly pressed against him.
Marguerite gently broke the kiss, and whispered, "The others will be expecting us back soon."
"I think they can do without us for a little longer," he said, lowering her to the grass.
------------------------------
Later that evening, after dinner, Malone and Veronica sat together on the balcony.
"So what do you think of Finn?" Veronica asked.
"Well, I haven't had a lot of time with her," Malone replied, "but she seems like a great kid. She thinks a lot of you."
Veronica smiled. "She reminds me a lot of myself when I was a little younger. I think we can relate to each other." She paused for a moment, a little shy, then continued, "She told me how you took care of me the last few days-how you wouldn't leave my side. I don't know how to thank you."
"It was my pleasure," Malone said, looking into her eyes. Before his journey, Malone would have amended that statement somehow, perhaps saying that it was the least he could do, since she saved all of their lives during the storm. But, though he still blushed a little from his bold statement, he felt no need to change his meaning. He wanted to leave Veronica in no doubt of his feelings. He was ready to step over the line that both of them had been tip toeing around for three years. He knew that now wasn't the appropriate time, but it would be soon. And until then, there was no harm in dropping hints.
Right now, he had another topic that he needed to address with her. Everyone had avoided the subject, presumably so that he could be the one to tell her. He was a little nervous about talking to her about that night when he was in her bed, but she needed to know.
"Veronica, there is something you need to know about the night when we found you, after the storm."
"Aha!" Veronica thought. "He's going to tell me whatever it was that Finn wouldn't." Out loud, she said, "What is it, Ned?"
"Okay, well, we told you about how we found you laying on the floor, that we moved you to the bed, and that you had a fever. But, we left out a few details. I think everyone else wanted me to tell you because it's a bit of a.um.delicate matter, and maybe you wouldn't want to discuss it around all of them."
"Okay, well, tell me what it is," Veronica said, growing concerned.
"You didn't have the fever when we found you. In fact, it was just the opposite. You were chilled to the bone. Challenger said that your temperature was dangerously low, and we needed to get you warmed up as fast as possible. He said that the best way to do that was to use body heat. That's why Marguerite changed you into one of her nightgowns. It would make you more comfortable, and it was thin enough that heat could get through it relatively quickly. Challenger's theory was that one of us should stay close to you, and wrap the covers around you and that person so the body heat was trapped in, like a cocoon. The others thought, well, that you um, might be more comfortable with me, so I did it. I held you close to keep you warm. I tried to stay awake, but I was so exhausted from my journey and the time warps. I feel asleep, and slept through the night. When I woke up, you were burning up with fever. I was worried, but Challenger said that's what he had hoped for because it was your body's way of fighting back. Anyway, I just thought you should know. I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable or any."
"Ned," Veronica interrupted, grabbing his hand, "you saved my life! I'm not uncomfortable, I'm grateful to you!"
He was thankful that she was so easy going about it, though he didn't miss the blush that had appeared in her cheeks. He hoped that was a good sign- that her thinking of them so close together had caused the blush. "I'm just glad you're okay," Ned answered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Veronica didn't answer, at least not verbally. She kept Ned's hand in hers, moved a little closer to him, and laid her head on his shoulder.
TBC-once again, school calls, so I can't promise more chapters for sure till the weekend.