A/N:Everyone liking this so far? Tell me what you think!
Chapter Five: A Serving of Reason
"Whasgoinon?"Darwin mumbled as Guinevere shook her. She tried to shove Guinevere off and roll onto her other side, but Guinevere wasn't giving up that easy.
"You must awake and come with me."Guinevere hissed. It sounded urgent. Too bad it was God knows what time in the middle of the night and Darwin was only partially coherent.
"Uggghhhh. What?" Darwin asked. She didn't think to whisper like Guinevere and so her voice reverberated throughout the camp.
"You must come with me." Guinevere's face swam into view. Her eyes were wide and she looked quite anxious. She glanced to either side, seemingly expecting to see someone there waiting.
"But why?" Darwin whined. She again tried to curl up into a little warm ball on her bed roll, but Guinevere pulled her to a sitting position. "Can't this wait? I'm sure it's not that important."
The shadows flickered across her face as she regarded Darwin. She said nothing for a moment and the effect was quite creepy.
"You would do well to come with me. It is of the utmost importance." She said in a very hushed tone. She seemed calm, but there was unease just itching to get out from under the surface.
"Trust me, nothing's that important to me. Like, this one time, my mom was all - - - Hey, wait a minute, is this some sort of girlie problem thing? Cause if it is, I'm telling you right now, I don't do the whole 'girl-talk' thing." Darwin said as she scratched her head and tried to stifle a yawn.
Guinevere quirked her eyebrows in a funny sort of way.
"I assure you, it is nothing of the sort. We must make haste however, dawn is nearing and your chance will soon pass." She said this very quickly as she, without asking, pulled Darwin to her feet.
Her blankets fell to the ground and she was suddenly freezing.
"Can't I have just five more minutes?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Come oooon." Darwin whined. She looked longingly back at her blankets and bed roll. So warm.
Guinevere began to walk very swiftly up ahead. She was now only a shadow moving deeper into the woods. Darwin stood for a few moments more, trying to collect her thoughts. This place really was just getting bizarre.
"Ah well." She said out loud to no one in particular. "Go big or go home, in for a penny in for a pound. If someone wakes you up in the middle of night to tell you something important, you might as well find out what it is." With that, she resigned herself to follow Guinevere to where ever it was that was so important that it couldn't wait until morning.
Snow and branches crunched under her feet as she jogged to catch up with Guinevere. Guinevere looked quite regal, holding her head high, her shoulders back, her features set. She looked nothing like the skinny, dirty girl that had been pulled from the dungeon.
"So," Darwin panted, catching up. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to see the wizard." Guinevere said very seriously. Darwin, of course, was tempted to ask if it was the Wizard of Oz, but knew she would have to kick her own ass if she did that.
"Merlin?" Darwin asked, remembering the name being mentioned.
"Yes. I was told to bring you to him. You are quite certain that you are not familiar with him?" At this, Guinevere turned to regard Darwin for a moment. Something flickered across her face for a moment, a slight relaxation of the features, but then it was gone. She was back to being all business and waited for Darwin to reply.
It was a few moments before Darwin even realized that Guinevere had asked a question and that she was required to give a response.
"Oh, um, yeah, no, for sure, I've never met him. I, at least, I don't think I have......I do know two people named Michael, but that's hardly Merlin......." By the time she said this she had already forgotten what they were talking about and so just stopped talking altogether.
Guinevere picked up her pace and Darwin really wished that she hadn't. She still felt very sleepy and, overall, was just out of it. She couldn't stop rubbing at her eyes and her arms felt like they weighed a ton.
She ambled along, slightly behind Guinevere. The forest grew darker and thicker around them. Darwin couldn't help but start to feel scared. She didn't like being in dark places in the first place, especially not ones inhabited by creepy, crawly, dangerous animals. Guinevere didn't looked daunted in the least. She even glanced back at Darwin, wordlessly saying that they should be moving faster.
Darwin picked up her pace and wrapped her arms tighter about her. It seemed to get colder as it got darker. The finger-like branches of the trees grabbed at her cloak as she passed, the wind fluttered her hair about her face, and the ground was quite slippery in some places. She tried to watch her footing, but the effect of looking to the ground, only to quickly return her eyes to the surrounding forest was making her quite jumpy and so she decided to just hope for the best and keep her eyes forward.
After a particularly strong gust of wind rushed past, Darwin momentarily lost her nerve.
"Where are you taking me?" She squeaked. Her voice sounded so small.
Guinevere turned calmly around to regard her.
"It is not my place to tell you." She said slowly. Her face was expressionless. There were dark shadows upon her face and her eyes appeared almost black.
Somewhere in the forest a tree creaked and the wind moaned. An animal of some sort ran through the nearby bush, crunching over the dry leaves there.
"I don't want to go. This is insane." Darwin whimpered. She turned to go, but Guinevere grabbed her wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong. There was a powerful look on her face and her eyes glittered.
"You cannot leave. Do not be afraid, child." Guinevere said in a low voice but Darwin heard every word. Her words were harsh and Darwin knew she felt no sympathy. Even Guinevere was starting to scare her now.
Darwin said nothing and swallowed hard. After a moment, Guinevere released her wrist. They continued to walk, the pace still quite quick. Every so often, Guinevere would glance in Darwin's direction, almost daring her to try and make a run for it.
Guinevere led her through a few clearings, up several inclines, over a small, frozen creek, and finally came to a stop in between two large, sloping hillsides. The ridges of the hillsides were covered in thick trees and bush, but where they stood, there were very few trees and so the moonlit shone bright.
Darwin suddenly felt afraid. Very afraid. Even if she wanted to run, she didn't know her way back. Guinevere was not acting like herself and this place was scaring her. Something just seemed so wrong. Her breathing quickened and she could feel herself starting to sweat despite the cold.
The trees from atop the ridge cast long shadows into the little valley. The forest seemed fairly quiet, but every so often, there was a stir of movement and Darwin would jump.
They stood there for a few moments more. Guinevere said nothing and Darwin just didn't want to know.
Just as Darwin was pulling her cloak tighter about her, he eyes happened upon a man standing atop the ridge. She gave a little cry and gasped. She froze for a moment. The man stared back at her, just watching. His clothing seemed to make him part of the forest. He blended in so well that later, when Darwin thought back to it, she almost knew that he had been there the whole time and she had just not seen him.
Darwin was still frozen to the spot when Guinevere first spoke.
"Merlin, I have brought her." She spoke very clearly and her voice permeated through the air.
The man on the ridge, apparently Merlin, did nothing for a moment, only continued to watch Darwin. Darwin really couldn't do anything but look back. She nervously clicked her heels together and prayed he was a nice wizard. She slipped her hand into her pocket and tightly grasped her wand. Just in case.
Darwin glanced at Guinevere. Her eyes were looking forward, regarding Merlin silently. Another gust of wind blew by and Darwin's dark hair fluttered about her. Her knees felt weak and her fingers were numb.
Just as Darwin thought the situation might start getting awkward, what with all this just standing around, staring at each other, Merlin began to the descend the slope slowly with the aide of his walking stick. After taking only a few steps, he turned and beckoned with his hand toward the forest. There was a pause, and then a moment later, Arthur emerged from the forest. His face was calm and it didn't look as though the cold was affecting him at all.
They walked slowly down the side of the hill, taking careful steps, keeping their eyes on Darwin. Although, Darwin could've sworn that Arthur's eyes glanced over to Guinevere more then once. After what seemed like a painfully long time, they came to a stop a few feet in front of Guinevere and Darwin. Darwin could feel her stomach churn as she grew more and more nervous. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and wished she had some idea of what was going on.
Up close, Merlin looked very old, very tired, and very dirty. His back was bent and his clothes, seemingly, consisted entirely of rags. His splintery walking stick was taller then Darwin and he leaned heavily on it for support. His hair was a shaggy, matted, gray mess, with a few braids thrown in here and there. His face was full of wrinkles, particularly around his eyes and his jaw was heavy set. He ran his eyes over Darwin wordlessly.
Darwin glanced to Arthur. His eyes were fixed on Guinevere. His face didn't betray anything, but had they been in a different situation, Darwin would've taken the opportunity to let everyone know 'How cute!' she thought it was.
She looked back to Merlin and their eyes locked. His eyes were deep and timeless. He had seen many things with those eyes. They seemed to speak of times long past, of great knowledge and great power. They were deep and dark, and for a moment, Darwin felt her fear lift. "You do not belong here." Merlin suddenly spoke. His voice was strong and deep and wise.
"No." Darwin replied very quietly. She knew suddenly that her fate was in this man's hands. He knew the answers. He knew it all.
"You are very far from your home." He said, not unkindly. There was a certain softness in his voice, an old kindness that had always been there.
"Yes." Darwin said and her voice wavered. Her mind was suddenly filled with images of her home, her family, her school, her friends. She suddenly felt so very far from home indeed.
Darwin bit her lip and shifted her weight again.
"You have no need for your magic now. You will not be harmed." Merlin said very calmly, referring to the wand that Darwin was so tightly grasping in her pocket. She, honestly, wasn't all that shocked and let go of her wand and removed her hand from her pocket. It took a few moments, but she finally got up the courage to ask the question that had been itching at her mind.
"Why- -" She began, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, and tried again. "Sir, why I am here?" If anyone knew the answer to this question, it was this man.
Merlin closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. Darwin realised that both Arthur and Guinevere were looking at her and she pretended she didn't notice. She kept her eyes locked on Merlin. Her stomach felt heavy and her hands shook slightly. Finally, now, after all this time, there was going to be some clarity. Some sort of explanation.
"It is......difficult......to see." Merlin said very slowly, his brow furrowing. He leaned even more heavily on his walking stick, his eyes still closed.
Darwin didn't want to move, didn't want to think, didn't want to blink, didn't want to breathe. She continued to stare at Merlin, biting her lip harder and harder. Her heart pounded and she could feel sweat gathering on her brow.
"You are here for a reason." Merlin said suddenly, with great meaning. His eyes remained closed, but his statement came out so strong that any doubt Darwin might have had vanished. This man must know the truth, there was just no alternative. She was now sure this had been no accident and no joke. She had some role to play, some task to do. Now, the only question was as to what it actually was.
"I cannot see it. It is surrounded by a thick fog." He nearly whispered this, and despite her belief that this guy was the real deal, Darwin couldn't help but speculate that maybe was putting on a show just like any psychic worth their salt.
After a moment, his eyes opened and they flashed with a renewed brightness. He stared wildly at Darwin.
"You are there, in the fog." He said to her. Then he swivelled his head to face Arthur. "You are there to." He spoke clearly and he grasped his walking stick very tightly.
He returned his eyes to Darwin and narrowed them slightly.
"There is another there. You will be the ruination of this man." His voice dropped and Darwin had to strain to hear him.
Darwin didn't have anything to say to this and so kept her mouth shut. She just stared blankly back at Merlin, taking it all in.
"You will save and you will ruin. You will be a saviour and a destroyer."He said. He again turned his head to regard Arthur.
"Your fates are intertwined. One cannot succeed without the other. Lose her, and you will never achieve the greatness you were meant for. You must keep her with you. Train her, protect her, value her so that she might fulfill her task. She is your salvation. She is the key." Arthur said nothing to this, but his features stiffened. She couldn't read his expression, but assumed that he was taking to the idea of leaving his future success in the Darwin's hands.
Arthur gave a slight nod. Seemingly satisfied with this, Merlin turned his attention back to Darwin.
"Desert him, and you will never return home. You will live a lonely life and die a horrible death." How cheerful. Darwin gave a little frown, thought for a moment, and then wholeheartedly resigned herself to the fate that awaited her.
Darwin too, gave a little nod and that seemed to settle things.
After that, Merlin, Guinevere and Arthur spoke quietly for a few moments more. Darwin aimlessly took a few steps away, her head down, her eyes focused on the ground. She had been given a reason now. She was meant to help Arthur in some way. As she mulled this over in her mind, she heard footsteps behind her. Guinevere and Merlin were retreating into the forest and Arthur was heading back the way she and Guinevere had originally come.
"You will come with me." Arthur told her. She couldn't tell what he thought of the whole situation yet and didn't want to bother herself with it either. All she wanted now was to go back to the camp and curl up under her blankets and just shut out the world. She would deal with this in the morning.
Arthur seemed to feel the same way, because as they began to walk, he said nothing of their current predicament. Actually, he said nothing at all. He had always seemed the strong, silent type, but now he had a lot to consider, and so did not waste his breath.
Just as they were nearing the top of the ridge she heard Merlin's voice. It carried easily through the crisp night air.
"Remember young one, it is your fate. It is meant to be." He called. Darwin turned for a moment to regard him and they're eyes met again. It was inexplicable, but she trusted him. She gave another slight nod of her head, and then turned back, and they were on they're way.
The walk back was silent, both Darwin and Arthur lost in their own thoughts. Darwin tried to discern what Merlin had meant. She figured Arthur was the one she was going to help, but who was she going to ruin? Perhaps Arthur's enemies. She thought about it for a few moments more, but then decided that it could wait until morning.
When they arrived back at camp, Lancelot was waiting there. He sat beneath a tree, off in the distance. Darwin stood next to Arthur as he spoke to Lancelot, who remained up ahead, a shadow in the dark. Around them, a thick fog had set in and the night had grown quite old. Dawn was nearing and soon the real story would begin.
A/N: Woo! Another chapter! I'm actually really enjoying writing this. It's a nice break from all the university work. In one of the recent reviews for this story (sorry, can't remember who!) someone brought up the point that I have yet to describe Darwin in detail, actually, I've yet to describe her at all. This is simply because it's my belief that a character's description isn't that significant unless it's important to the plot. It's just my style. Plus, when I'm writing about a character, I usually picture them as someone that I know personally. That way, it just seems more realistic. Lol, Darwin looks like my friend Jessica - - - Does anyone know Jess? J/K. But really though, descriptions of characters have become so cliched in a lot of ways when it comes to fanfiction, that it would just sort of seem like an understatement if you just said the character had brown hair and brown eyes and didn't add in all the Purple Prose. My advice would be to just picture Darwin in your own mind however you like. She could be tall, short, fat, thin, with blondish, reddish, brownish, blackish hair if you like. Whatever makes her more real to you. As for why the knights don't say anything about Darwin's strange clothes, they're, um, pretending they don't notice ;-). Well, that's about it for now. Tell me what you think!
Chapter Five: A Serving of Reason
"Whasgoinon?"Darwin mumbled as Guinevere shook her. She tried to shove Guinevere off and roll onto her other side, but Guinevere wasn't giving up that easy.
"You must awake and come with me."Guinevere hissed. It sounded urgent. Too bad it was God knows what time in the middle of the night and Darwin was only partially coherent.
"Uggghhhh. What?" Darwin asked. She didn't think to whisper like Guinevere and so her voice reverberated throughout the camp.
"You must come with me." Guinevere's face swam into view. Her eyes were wide and she looked quite anxious. She glanced to either side, seemingly expecting to see someone there waiting.
"But why?" Darwin whined. She again tried to curl up into a little warm ball on her bed roll, but Guinevere pulled her to a sitting position. "Can't this wait? I'm sure it's not that important."
The shadows flickered across her face as she regarded Darwin. She said nothing for a moment and the effect was quite creepy.
"You would do well to come with me. It is of the utmost importance." She said in a very hushed tone. She seemed calm, but there was unease just itching to get out from under the surface.
"Trust me, nothing's that important to me. Like, this one time, my mom was all - - - Hey, wait a minute, is this some sort of girlie problem thing? Cause if it is, I'm telling you right now, I don't do the whole 'girl-talk' thing." Darwin said as she scratched her head and tried to stifle a yawn.
Guinevere quirked her eyebrows in a funny sort of way.
"I assure you, it is nothing of the sort. We must make haste however, dawn is nearing and your chance will soon pass." She said this very quickly as she, without asking, pulled Darwin to her feet.
Her blankets fell to the ground and she was suddenly freezing.
"Can't I have just five more minutes?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Come oooon." Darwin whined. She looked longingly back at her blankets and bed roll. So warm.
Guinevere began to walk very swiftly up ahead. She was now only a shadow moving deeper into the woods. Darwin stood for a few moments more, trying to collect her thoughts. This place really was just getting bizarre.
"Ah well." She said out loud to no one in particular. "Go big or go home, in for a penny in for a pound. If someone wakes you up in the middle of night to tell you something important, you might as well find out what it is." With that, she resigned herself to follow Guinevere to where ever it was that was so important that it couldn't wait until morning.
Snow and branches crunched under her feet as she jogged to catch up with Guinevere. Guinevere looked quite regal, holding her head high, her shoulders back, her features set. She looked nothing like the skinny, dirty girl that had been pulled from the dungeon.
"So," Darwin panted, catching up. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to see the wizard." Guinevere said very seriously. Darwin, of course, was tempted to ask if it was the Wizard of Oz, but knew she would have to kick her own ass if she did that.
"Merlin?" Darwin asked, remembering the name being mentioned.
"Yes. I was told to bring you to him. You are quite certain that you are not familiar with him?" At this, Guinevere turned to regard Darwin for a moment. Something flickered across her face for a moment, a slight relaxation of the features, but then it was gone. She was back to being all business and waited for Darwin to reply.
It was a few moments before Darwin even realized that Guinevere had asked a question and that she was required to give a response.
"Oh, um, yeah, no, for sure, I've never met him. I, at least, I don't think I have......I do know two people named Michael, but that's hardly Merlin......." By the time she said this she had already forgotten what they were talking about and so just stopped talking altogether.
Guinevere picked up her pace and Darwin really wished that she hadn't. She still felt very sleepy and, overall, was just out of it. She couldn't stop rubbing at her eyes and her arms felt like they weighed a ton.
She ambled along, slightly behind Guinevere. The forest grew darker and thicker around them. Darwin couldn't help but start to feel scared. She didn't like being in dark places in the first place, especially not ones inhabited by creepy, crawly, dangerous animals. Guinevere didn't looked daunted in the least. She even glanced back at Darwin, wordlessly saying that they should be moving faster.
Darwin picked up her pace and wrapped her arms tighter about her. It seemed to get colder as it got darker. The finger-like branches of the trees grabbed at her cloak as she passed, the wind fluttered her hair about her face, and the ground was quite slippery in some places. She tried to watch her footing, but the effect of looking to the ground, only to quickly return her eyes to the surrounding forest was making her quite jumpy and so she decided to just hope for the best and keep her eyes forward.
After a particularly strong gust of wind rushed past, Darwin momentarily lost her nerve.
"Where are you taking me?" She squeaked. Her voice sounded so small.
Guinevere turned calmly around to regard her.
"It is not my place to tell you." She said slowly. Her face was expressionless. There were dark shadows upon her face and her eyes appeared almost black.
Somewhere in the forest a tree creaked and the wind moaned. An animal of some sort ran through the nearby bush, crunching over the dry leaves there.
"I don't want to go. This is insane." Darwin whimpered. She turned to go, but Guinevere grabbed her wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong. There was a powerful look on her face and her eyes glittered.
"You cannot leave. Do not be afraid, child." Guinevere said in a low voice but Darwin heard every word. Her words were harsh and Darwin knew she felt no sympathy. Even Guinevere was starting to scare her now.
Darwin said nothing and swallowed hard. After a moment, Guinevere released her wrist. They continued to walk, the pace still quite quick. Every so often, Guinevere would glance in Darwin's direction, almost daring her to try and make a run for it.
Guinevere led her through a few clearings, up several inclines, over a small, frozen creek, and finally came to a stop in between two large, sloping hillsides. The ridges of the hillsides were covered in thick trees and bush, but where they stood, there were very few trees and so the moonlit shone bright.
Darwin suddenly felt afraid. Very afraid. Even if she wanted to run, she didn't know her way back. Guinevere was not acting like herself and this place was scaring her. Something just seemed so wrong. Her breathing quickened and she could feel herself starting to sweat despite the cold.
The trees from atop the ridge cast long shadows into the little valley. The forest seemed fairly quiet, but every so often, there was a stir of movement and Darwin would jump.
They stood there for a few moments more. Guinevere said nothing and Darwin just didn't want to know.
Just as Darwin was pulling her cloak tighter about her, he eyes happened upon a man standing atop the ridge. She gave a little cry and gasped. She froze for a moment. The man stared back at her, just watching. His clothing seemed to make him part of the forest. He blended in so well that later, when Darwin thought back to it, she almost knew that he had been there the whole time and she had just not seen him.
Darwin was still frozen to the spot when Guinevere first spoke.
"Merlin, I have brought her." She spoke very clearly and her voice permeated through the air.
The man on the ridge, apparently Merlin, did nothing for a moment, only continued to watch Darwin. Darwin really couldn't do anything but look back. She nervously clicked her heels together and prayed he was a nice wizard. She slipped her hand into her pocket and tightly grasped her wand. Just in case.
Darwin glanced at Guinevere. Her eyes were looking forward, regarding Merlin silently. Another gust of wind blew by and Darwin's dark hair fluttered about her. Her knees felt weak and her fingers were numb.
Just as Darwin thought the situation might start getting awkward, what with all this just standing around, staring at each other, Merlin began to the descend the slope slowly with the aide of his walking stick. After taking only a few steps, he turned and beckoned with his hand toward the forest. There was a pause, and then a moment later, Arthur emerged from the forest. His face was calm and it didn't look as though the cold was affecting him at all.
They walked slowly down the side of the hill, taking careful steps, keeping their eyes on Darwin. Although, Darwin could've sworn that Arthur's eyes glanced over to Guinevere more then once. After what seemed like a painfully long time, they came to a stop a few feet in front of Guinevere and Darwin. Darwin could feel her stomach churn as she grew more and more nervous. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and wished she had some idea of what was going on.
Up close, Merlin looked very old, very tired, and very dirty. His back was bent and his clothes, seemingly, consisted entirely of rags. His splintery walking stick was taller then Darwin and he leaned heavily on it for support. His hair was a shaggy, matted, gray mess, with a few braids thrown in here and there. His face was full of wrinkles, particularly around his eyes and his jaw was heavy set. He ran his eyes over Darwin wordlessly.
Darwin glanced to Arthur. His eyes were fixed on Guinevere. His face didn't betray anything, but had they been in a different situation, Darwin would've taken the opportunity to let everyone know 'How cute!' she thought it was.
She looked back to Merlin and their eyes locked. His eyes were deep and timeless. He had seen many things with those eyes. They seemed to speak of times long past, of great knowledge and great power. They were deep and dark, and for a moment, Darwin felt her fear lift. "You do not belong here." Merlin suddenly spoke. His voice was strong and deep and wise.
"No." Darwin replied very quietly. She knew suddenly that her fate was in this man's hands. He knew the answers. He knew it all.
"You are very far from your home." He said, not unkindly. There was a certain softness in his voice, an old kindness that had always been there.
"Yes." Darwin said and her voice wavered. Her mind was suddenly filled with images of her home, her family, her school, her friends. She suddenly felt so very far from home indeed.
Darwin bit her lip and shifted her weight again.
"You have no need for your magic now. You will not be harmed." Merlin said very calmly, referring to the wand that Darwin was so tightly grasping in her pocket. She, honestly, wasn't all that shocked and let go of her wand and removed her hand from her pocket. It took a few moments, but she finally got up the courage to ask the question that had been itching at her mind.
"Why- -" She began, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, and tried again. "Sir, why I am here?" If anyone knew the answer to this question, it was this man.
Merlin closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. Darwin realised that both Arthur and Guinevere were looking at her and she pretended she didn't notice. She kept her eyes locked on Merlin. Her stomach felt heavy and her hands shook slightly. Finally, now, after all this time, there was going to be some clarity. Some sort of explanation.
"It is......difficult......to see." Merlin said very slowly, his brow furrowing. He leaned even more heavily on his walking stick, his eyes still closed.
Darwin didn't want to move, didn't want to think, didn't want to blink, didn't want to breathe. She continued to stare at Merlin, biting her lip harder and harder. Her heart pounded and she could feel sweat gathering on her brow.
"You are here for a reason." Merlin said suddenly, with great meaning. His eyes remained closed, but his statement came out so strong that any doubt Darwin might have had vanished. This man must know the truth, there was just no alternative. She was now sure this had been no accident and no joke. She had some role to play, some task to do. Now, the only question was as to what it actually was.
"I cannot see it. It is surrounded by a thick fog." He nearly whispered this, and despite her belief that this guy was the real deal, Darwin couldn't help but speculate that maybe was putting on a show just like any psychic worth their salt.
After a moment, his eyes opened and they flashed with a renewed brightness. He stared wildly at Darwin.
"You are there, in the fog." He said to her. Then he swivelled his head to face Arthur. "You are there to." He spoke clearly and he grasped his walking stick very tightly.
He returned his eyes to Darwin and narrowed them slightly.
"There is another there. You will be the ruination of this man." His voice dropped and Darwin had to strain to hear him.
Darwin didn't have anything to say to this and so kept her mouth shut. She just stared blankly back at Merlin, taking it all in.
"You will save and you will ruin. You will be a saviour and a destroyer."He said. He again turned his head to regard Arthur.
"Your fates are intertwined. One cannot succeed without the other. Lose her, and you will never achieve the greatness you were meant for. You must keep her with you. Train her, protect her, value her so that she might fulfill her task. She is your salvation. She is the key." Arthur said nothing to this, but his features stiffened. She couldn't read his expression, but assumed that he was taking to the idea of leaving his future success in the Darwin's hands.
Arthur gave a slight nod. Seemingly satisfied with this, Merlin turned his attention back to Darwin.
"Desert him, and you will never return home. You will live a lonely life and die a horrible death." How cheerful. Darwin gave a little frown, thought for a moment, and then wholeheartedly resigned herself to the fate that awaited her.
Darwin too, gave a little nod and that seemed to settle things.
After that, Merlin, Guinevere and Arthur spoke quietly for a few moments more. Darwin aimlessly took a few steps away, her head down, her eyes focused on the ground. She had been given a reason now. She was meant to help Arthur in some way. As she mulled this over in her mind, she heard footsteps behind her. Guinevere and Merlin were retreating into the forest and Arthur was heading back the way she and Guinevere had originally come.
"You will come with me." Arthur told her. She couldn't tell what he thought of the whole situation yet and didn't want to bother herself with it either. All she wanted now was to go back to the camp and curl up under her blankets and just shut out the world. She would deal with this in the morning.
Arthur seemed to feel the same way, because as they began to walk, he said nothing of their current predicament. Actually, he said nothing at all. He had always seemed the strong, silent type, but now he had a lot to consider, and so did not waste his breath.
Just as they were nearing the top of the ridge she heard Merlin's voice. It carried easily through the crisp night air.
"Remember young one, it is your fate. It is meant to be." He called. Darwin turned for a moment to regard him and they're eyes met again. It was inexplicable, but she trusted him. She gave another slight nod of her head, and then turned back, and they were on they're way.
The walk back was silent, both Darwin and Arthur lost in their own thoughts. Darwin tried to discern what Merlin had meant. She figured Arthur was the one she was going to help, but who was she going to ruin? Perhaps Arthur's enemies. She thought about it for a few moments more, but then decided that it could wait until morning.
When they arrived back at camp, Lancelot was waiting there. He sat beneath a tree, off in the distance. Darwin stood next to Arthur as he spoke to Lancelot, who remained up ahead, a shadow in the dark. Around them, a thick fog had set in and the night had grown quite old. Dawn was nearing and soon the real story would begin.
A/N: Woo! Another chapter! I'm actually really enjoying writing this. It's a nice break from all the university work. In one of the recent reviews for this story (sorry, can't remember who!) someone brought up the point that I have yet to describe Darwin in detail, actually, I've yet to describe her at all. This is simply because it's my belief that a character's description isn't that significant unless it's important to the plot. It's just my style. Plus, when I'm writing about a character, I usually picture them as someone that I know personally. That way, it just seems more realistic. Lol, Darwin looks like my friend Jessica - - - Does anyone know Jess? J/K. But really though, descriptions of characters have become so cliched in a lot of ways when it comes to fanfiction, that it would just sort of seem like an understatement if you just said the character had brown hair and brown eyes and didn't add in all the Purple Prose. My advice would be to just picture Darwin in your own mind however you like. She could be tall, short, fat, thin, with blondish, reddish, brownish, blackish hair if you like. Whatever makes her more real to you. As for why the knights don't say anything about Darwin's strange clothes, they're, um, pretending they don't notice ;-). Well, that's about it for now. Tell me what you think!