Five
And moving thro' a mirror clear
That hangs before her all year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot:
There the river eddy whirls
And there the surly village – churls,
And the red cloaks of the market girls,
Pass onward from Shalott.
A murmur of voices seeped into Annya's mind awakening her. She opened her heavy eyes and the image of a blurred fire with the outline of men sitting around it appeared to her. Her eyes came into focus now, and she could tell that she was deep in a forest at night.
She sat up trying to see more of her surroundings, and she immediately wish that she didn't. Her head sang with pain, and she fell back on the ground with a moan. She lifted her hand to her head to try to dense the pain, and found that her hands were tightly bound together. She checked to see if her feet were tied together by trying to move them apart – they were tied too.
Then she noticed something, her shoulder didn't hurt anymore.
Did they somehow sure my shoulder? Annya thought as she moved it in little circles with ease. Think of what they could have done to you to cure it from the outside. But she couldn't – her head hurt too much. Her thoughts were clouded and unclear to her.
Frustrated with herself, she rolled over to a side and squeezed the grass beneath her.
"She's awake!" came a deep voice from the ring around the fire. The air became quiet as all the men stopped talking and turned their attention towards her. Only the cracking of the fire, crickets, an owl's hoot, and someone rustling the leaves and twigs by getting up, were the only sounds heard.
Annya turned around and slowly got up and leaned against a tree near by. A shadowy figure came near her. "How are you feeling?" the figure asked in a mocking tone. His face came nearer to hers; and his breath stank of rum. She answered him by looking in the other direction of his face so that she wouldn't have to smell his breath.
Oh great. She thought. He's drunk.
"Ho! Ho! The lady has some attitude!" he sneered, looking back at his friends as he smiled, and they laughed in response. "Well, you know what?" he said, turning his attention back to Annya. He forced Annya to look at him by turning her chin with his hand. "I like woman with attitude. Makes 'em more fun. Do you want to play with me?"
Without waiting for a reply, he took out a dagger that was hanging in its sheath on his belt. Annya's eyes filled with fear as he drew the knife closer to her face. The icy tip of the blade touched her cheek, and he slowly drew it down the side of her face, but did not cut her. He traced a line down her throat and to the middle of her chest.
Annya's breathing started to increase as she did not know what he was going to do to her.
He brought the dagger down towards her stomach, and made sure that he didn't cut any fabric from the dress. He slid it down to her bound hands and slowly started to cut the rope.
Annya sighed. He wasn't going to kill her – at least, not yet.
"You'll be needing those," he said, and smiled to reveal broken and yellow teeth. "Hands tend to make things more… pleasurable."
Annya looked at him in disgust. Her mind started to buzz as she tried to think of a way to get out of the mess that she was in.
Do I act like I want to have sex with him? No, that would only encourage him. If I act like I don't want to have sex with him, which I really don't want to have sex with him, will that work? No, he would still do it no matter what. He's too drunk to try to talk my way out of this. O-o-o-h, my head hurts.
After cutting the ropes from her feet, he brought her near the fire. While walking towards the fire, Annya's mind began to burn. She had to get away from this creep. Annya looked up to the heaves to help clear her mind, and she saw the stars twinkling above her. Of course! The stars! She could call upon them to take her back to her world. Would it work though? She had, for some odd reason, physically become a human, but did she still have her powers? Well, it was worth a try.
Annya shut her eyes and called the stars to take her home. She could slowly, very slowly, feel her surroundings start to move around her. But then it just stopped. Annya opened her eyes in wild fright. It didn't work! She looked up at the stars; what was wrong with them? Did they not want her to go home?
Should I try again? She thought. It's against the law to try again of the stars did not do it the first time. If I try again, I might anger them and the consequences would be terrible. Oh, someone help me!
Annya felt to warmth of the fire dance around her body. Some of the men were saying: "Save some for me!" or "Don't completely exhaust her!" But then there was a voice that rose above all from the trees. "Holt!" the voice bellowed. "Why are her hands and feet untied?"
Annya scanned the trees to look for the one who owned the voice. In a tree near the camp, on the highest branch that was still strong enough to support a man was Murtag. He was squatting on the branch looking at Holt with his piercing black eyes. Everyone stopped talking as eyes darted back and forth from Holt to Murtag. A deathly silence crept around the camp as they waited for Holt to answer Murtag.
"Answer me, Holt." Murtag said as if her were daring him.
Holt stammered for an answer. "I – I – I thought we could…" Murtag held up a hand and Holt stopped talking. Murtag then stood up on the high branch he was standing on and put a hand on the trunk of the tree and leaned against it.
"Enough said," Murtag retorted, "Where is Excalibur?"
No one said anything, no body moved. They were like statues frozen with fright.
When no one answered him, Murtag took his hand off the tree, stood up straight, and his face changed to pure furry. He jumped off the branch he was standing on and grabbed another branch about ten feet below, and swung himself around it and crouched down on it like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. He then darted to the end of the branch, away from the trunk of the tree, and then jumped off it again and did a summer salt in mid-air while dropping about twenty feet, and then grabbed a small branch with his hands. The branch bent underneath his weight and slowly lowered him to the ground, a few feet away from the crowd of men, where he landed without a sound.
Annya starred at Murtag in awe. Although she hated to admit it, what Murtag did was incredible! Never in her long years of life had she seen anyone do anything of the kind of what Murtag had just done. He had moved with such grace and form that it seemed as simple to him as walking.
Murtag slowly walked towards the men. With each step that he took, the men too half a step back. Annya looked at the men. She saw that they would not look at their leader in the eyes, yet alone anywhere above his feet; which was probably a good thing because Murtag could have killed someone with the look he was giving his men.
"I said, where is Excalibur?" Murtag said, his voice dripping with danger, he started to pace back and forth slowly, starring into the faces of his men. He stopped directly in front of a tall man. The man seemed as if he was capable of tearing a tree apart, but he was quivering under Murtag's gaze. Murtag had to look up to see the man's face, but despite his small size, he was feared. He was inches away from the man's face, and Murtag had to stand on his toes. The tall man was forced to look Murtag in the eyes.
"I said, Morzan, where is Excalibur?" Morzan looked as if he were about to cry.
"Please s-s-sir, it was, t-taken from me." stammered Morzan.
Murtag went back down on his heels and made a sarcastic apologetic face. "Aw-w… it was taken from you." Murtag said sarcastically.
"Y-y-yes sir."
"By what?" Murtag's voice had gone back to its dangerous tone.
"Please s-sir." Morzan now started to sweat.
"I asked you by what!" screamed Murtag.
"A tree, sir." Morzan now started to whimper. Murtag put his hands behind his back.
"A tree," Murtag said as if he were pondering what Morzan just told him. "A tree," he repeated. He now started to pace in front of Morzan. "Did you just say a tree?"
"Yes sir."
"A tree." Murtag said dangerously. "Can someone please tell me how on earth a tree can take a sword from a man?" he screamed, flaying his arms all over the place.
"Please sir. This forest in enchanted." Morzan said in a barely audible voice.
"Oh, so now that changes everything! Some hocus-pocus tree was able to take Excalibur from you?" Murtag now screamed at all his men and not just Morzan. "Do you realize how much time went into the planning of stealing Excalibur? What about the cost to equip all of you with weapons? H-m-m-m? What about taking over Camelot? And you just let some stupid magic tree take a sword from you? Not just any sword, may I remind you, but Excalibur! The most powerful and well known sword throughout the world! And you lost it?"
Murtag was fuming, and the men were cowering. And to help prove his point, Murtag grabbed a sword from one of his quivering men, and threw it at the tree was previously standing on. He threw the sword with such force and rage that it sank about four inches into the hard trunk of the tree. Murtag whirled around after he threw the sword and held all of his men in the fatal stare he was giving them.
"Oh no! Now the tree is going to come and hurt me!" Murtag yelled. "Isn't that right? Because the forest is 'magical' and the tree is now going to come and kill me!" Murtag looked at his men and saw that Annya was untied.
"Holt!" shrieked Murtag. Holt's grip on Annya became tighter and Annya felt the sweat on his hands. "Why the hell is she untied?"
Holt made a confused face, as Murtag had just asked him that same question. He opened his mouth to tell Murtag this, but quickly shut it – he knew better than to further upset Murtag. The aftermath could be terrible.
"I'll tie her up, sir." Holt answered Murtag. He took two long pieces of rope that was hanging from his belt and quickly tied Annya's hands behind her back. He roughly grabbed one of her arms and led her back to where she was before.
Murtag was still ragging at his men for losing Excalibur. Holt threw Annya to the ground, and started to swear and cuss as he tied her feet and another rope around her hands, and tied that to a tree. Holt then stood up and looked at Annya angrily, as if she had caused Murtag to be furious. He swore once more and kicked Annya in the stomach and walked away.
The kick winded her, and she rolled up in a ball, trying to breath. She tried to take in gulps of air, but she couldn't breath – it was as if she had forgotten how to. Her lungs started to beg for air, and finally she was able to inhale. She lay on the ground sucking in the air greedily. She started to cough and hot tears came down her face. When her breathing came back to normal, she started to groan. That kick had hurt! She shut her eyes and tried to make the pain go away.
She thought back to all she had heard when Murtag was screaming at his men. 'Where is Excalibur?' rang the deadly voice of Murtag in Annya's mind. So they did not have Excalibur – that was good. But where was it then? 'A tree, s-s-sir.' Morzan's voice stammered. A tree? But how on earth could a tree take a sword? 'Magical.' Came a voice in her head. A magical tree? Was the forest magical? What forest was she in anyway? But that didn't really matter right now. Why did they want Excalibur? 'How do you expect us to take over Camelot?' came Murtag's voice.
All of a sudden, Annya was brought out of her thoughts as a hand clasped over her mouth. Before she could let out a scream, she felt a face brush up against hers.
"S-h-h-h. It's Ok! It's me; it's just me." Came a familiar voice.
Annya turned her head and found herself looking into the eyes of Lancelot. He slowly lowered his hand from her mouth.
"Are you alright?" he whispered.
"I think so."
"I saw him kick you." Lancelot said angrily.
"Yes, but I'm alright."
"Ok, don't move or make any sounds. I'm going to get you out of this dreadful place." Lancelot disappeared behind the tree that Annya was leaning against, and Annya heard him take his dagger out of its sheath. He quickly, but quietly, began to cut the ropes. After he finished with her hands, he said to her, "I cannot cut the rope from your feet, or I will for sure be seen for venturing out into the open. Here's my dagger," Annya felt him place the smooth hilt of the dagger into her hands. "You need to cut the rope yourself."
Annya looked at the men huddled around the fire eating. They were quiet as Murtag had finally stopped yelling at them and he stormed off into the forest. The men seemed to just stare into the fire and would not pay any attention to Annya. But just incase the would happen to look her way, she lay down with her back to them and made herself as small as she could so that her feet would be close to her hands.
The blade was well kept and easily cut through the roped binding her feet together.
"Are you done?" came Lancelot's low voice from behind the tree.
"Yes."
"Now, slowly sit up with your legs underneath you and wait a few moments."
Annya obeyed him, and by doing so, brought no attention to herself.
"Now slowly crouch and come behind this tree." Annya slowly got up so she was crouching very low to the ground and she tried to take little unnoticed steps to get behind the tree. Annya wobbled horribly on her bent legs, and she thought for sure that she would fall down; but thankfully she didn't fall.
Once behind the tree, Lancelot motioned to her to stand up. He started to creep back into the bushed, and he chose his path carefully so to make as little noise as possible. Annya followed his exact steps and didn't make a sound.
As soon as they were hidden by the thick leaves around them, Lancelot took Annya's hand and began to run. They ran until a road showed up, where Lancelot had left his horse. Lancelot's horse was a blood bay with a blaze down his face. Annya recognized the horse as the one she had seen in her vision.
"Hurry, Lady Annya. They might soon discover that you are missing."
Annya stepped on the stool Lancelot made by cupping his hands and placing them on his knee. He boosted Annya up into the beautiful saddle and then jumped on his horse behind Annya.
"Hold on tight." He said to Annya. Annya wrapped her figures in the horse's silky mane and Lancelot dug his heels into the sides of his horse.
Lancelot kept clucking and urging his horse to go faster. The horse pounded his hooves into the ground as the trees went whizzing by. Finally, Lancelot reined in his rose to a walk. They arrived at a cave with a small stream running near by.
Lancelot dismounted his steaming horse and helped Annya get off. He took off his horse's saddle and but it at the mouth of the cave.
"Where are we?" Annya asked in awe.
"Oh, just a place I discovered when I was injured. Come inside the cave and I'll make a fire, then we can talk." Lancelot took off his horses' bridle, and the horse went to graze.
Lancelot picked up the saddle as they walked into the damp cave. Annya saw that Lancelot had some wood ready in the centre of the cave. He went to go sit on the dirt ground and took out a small metal box that was in one of the pouches on the saddle. He opened it and carefully dumped its contents onto the wood. It was coal that had been already used and was still hot. Lancelot quickly took some dry grass near by and placed it on top of the coal and blew on it. Very soon, the grass started to crack and became ablaze and the wood caught the sparks and soon the flames were leaping off the wood.
Annya went down to go sit on the opposite side of the fire. She sat down on the cold dirt and brought her knees up to her chest and began to hug them. She stared into the fire with empty eyes. Lancelot started to rummage around in the bags that he had brought in the cave before. He found some bread in the bag and broke it in half and offered one half to Annya.
Annya's stomach rumbled as she saw the bread. She realized that she hadn't eaten since the feast in King Arthur's castle. How long ago was that? Had she been knocked out for a day? More?
Annya graciously took the bread from Lancelot's outstretched hand as her stomach started to whine. She ate her bread slowly, to savor the taste and to not be the first one to speak. When she finished her piece of bread, Lancelot spoke.
"Was the bread ok? He asked.
"Yes, it was filling, thank-you."
There was an awkward pause as neither knew what else to say. Finally, Annya asked, "How long has it been since I was gone?"
"About three days."
"Three days?" Annya asked in shock.
"Yes, three days."
"But… but… how?" Annya asked, very confused.
"I don't really know what you mean because I have only seen you this night and not the others, for I was trying to catch up to Murtag's men. So I have really no idea what has happened to you since."
"You sure it has been three days since the feast at King Arthur's castle?" Lancelot just nodded his blond head. "If that is the case," Annya continued. "I could not have been knocked out for three days; half a day at the most."
"They knocked you out?" asked Lancelot with no emotion. Annya nodded her head. "Move a little closer to the fire." Annya shuffled closer to the fire.
Lancelot's eyes darted to Annya's forehead, and then he crawled over to her so he wouldn't have to get up. He kneeled beside her and put his hands in her hair and began to run his figures over the top of her head. He then sat down and speared his lags out in front of him and leaned back on the palms of his hands.
He sighed then said, "No bumps, no bruises on your forehead. Tell me how they knocked you out."
"After Murtag brought me up to the roof, he told one of his men to knock me out because I was not to see the path they took to this forest. And then one of them knocked me out with a club."
"Hit you on the head with it?"
"Yes, on the head."
Lancelot paused and looked very thoughtful. He stared into the fire with his eyebrows knit together. He then looked back at Annya and studied her face with his blue eyes. Annya shifted as she felt the uncomfortable of having Lancelot stare at her.
After a while, he said. "You're sure of this?"
"That is what I remember." Annya answered.
"Your shoulder how is it?"
Lancelot got up and put his hand on her shoulder. May I?" he asked. Annya nodded her head.
He started to feel her shoulder to try to feel for anything that might be out of place. When he found out that everything was in its proper place, he sat down cross-legged.
"Strange," He mumbled. "Very strange."
"I'm sorry, Lancelot, but what is strange?"
"Well, if what you said is true about the way they knocked you out, there are no bumps or, from what I can see, any bruises anywhere near your head. Also, your shoulder. Yes, it was starting to heal, but just three days would not have cured it. It would still be dislocated, but you shoulder is as good as new."
"What does all of this mean?"
"I'm not absolutely sure, but my guess is black magic."
"What?" Annya yelled. "Black magic? But, how could they?"
"You would be in for a long story if I told you." Lancelot smiled.
So that's why I wasn't able to go back to my world when I called the stars. Annya thought. I'm unclean. They have used black magic on me! How am I to get home now? No fairy is allowed back if they have used or been touched by black magic.
"Lady Annya, are you alright? You look pale"
"Oh yes, I'm alright; just shocked." Annya breathed in deep. "Oh, by the way, you may call me just Annya, if you wish."
"Ok, Annya." Lancelot started to grin, and Annya thought that he looked so much like a boy that she laughed. "What's so funny?" asked Lancelot.
"Nothing, nothing. Uh, you mentioned that you knew of how Murtag and his men know black magic."
"Well, it's really just Murtag that knows it."
"Oh. Well, would you care to summarize the story and tell me?"
Lancelot lot let out a breath. "You sure you want to know?" he asked.
Annya hesitated a bit, but then said, "Yes, I am."
"Alright then," Lancelot got s pouch from the saddle and propped it up against a rock and lay it down and used it as a pillow. He then turned crossed his arms over his chest and crossed his legs. "Huh, where to start. Ah, I know," Lancelot cleared his throat. "Just remember this is only a summary. Well anyways it starts with Murtag as a child. His father was a tax collector and Murtag grew up spoiled. He got everything that he wanted, nothing was denied from him.
"Murtag's father wanted what was best for his child, so he sent him to King Arthur's castle to become a knight's helper. It was there when he learned all the skills he needed to know for knighthood. So he was knighted and worked his way up to be a knight of the round table.
"But this was not good enough for Murtag, no; he wanted to become King of Camelot. He tried to over throw King Arthur, but failed.
"Murtag was not use to not getting what he wanted, and he wanted to be king, so he tried to get what he wanted through black magic. For years he studied it with a witch that still remains unknown"
"This was unknown to any of us. We just assumed that he gave up and left. But we were gravely wrong. Just recently we have had a war with him. He used black magic to try to win, but we have Merlin. Good old Merlin. Without him, we probably would have lost.
"Well anyways, we won but Murtag was still not defeated. His 'friends' declared war on us, as you know, and Murtag took advantage of this and stole Excalibur." Lancelot paused then said, "That about sums it up in a nut shell."
Lancelot stretched and yawned.
"They don't have Excalibur." Annya said very softly.
"What?" Lancelot nearly yelled. He sat up very quickly and was not fully alert.
"They don't have Excalibur." Annya repeated.
"How do you know?" Lancelot asked almost angrily.
"Before you rescued me; thank you, by the way for doing that," Lancelot nodded his head and raised a hand and then motioned for Annya to continue. "I was by their fire when Murtag came back from where ever he was and asked his men where Excalibur was. A man there, Morzan I think his name is, said that he had lost it."
"Did he say where he lost it?" Lancelot asked eagerly.
"He said that a magical tree took it from him."
"A-h-h," Lancelot said with a smile. He sank back down. "I would have loved to see Murtag's face when he was told that."
"Oh, he was furious. I thought he was going to kill someone. Although I don't think he believed that a tree really did take it from his men."
"I'm not surprised. Not many people know what lies in this forest."
"What forest is this one anyways?"
"It's called Fantasy Forest."
"Fantasy Forest," Annya repeated. "But why that name?"
"Because this forest is magical. Not many people know that. This forest has very deep secrets and has been here for a very, very long time."
"How do you know about this forest?"
"I was injured in battle and came here to seek refuge. I lived here for about a year and a half. Since then, I studied the forest very frequently and learned some of its secrets."
Annya was thoughtful for a moment then said, "So, do you know of the trees? The magical ones?"
Lancelot's face brightened as he caught on to Annya's idea. "Yes, yes I do; very well actually. Ha! Brilliant idea, Annya!" he got up and gave Annya a hug.
Annya hugged him back and placed her head on his shoulder. Annya felt warm inside as Lancelot hugged her. She breathed in his scent and felt the heat of his body against hers.
I love you. She thought. If only you loved me back.
When Lancelot pulled away, Annya, despite herself, felt her face get hot. She smiled at Lancelot and Lancelot gave her a brilliant white smile. He went back to go lie down.
"We'll rest here, and then we'll set out for the magical trees tomorrow." Lancelot said happily. "But for now, why don't we get to know each other?"
"Ok, sounds good.' Annya said, but not really meaning it incase she reveled something of her fairly life. "But you go first."
"Me?" Lancelot said in a whiny voice. "I was hoping that you would go first."
"How about we take turns? You ask me a question then I will ask you a question. Sound good to you?"
"Sounds like a plan to me. You come up with such good ideas." Lancelot smiled.
"Ok, I'll start. Are you married, engaged or anything like that?"
"Why do girls always ask this question?" Lancelot grinned. "H-m-m, this is a complicated subject. Well, let's put it this way. I don't love anyone, but I am engaged to someone."
"Oh," Annya said. "Would you mind explaining that to me?"
Lancelot sighed. "It was an arranged marriage. My parents wanted me to marry someone wealthy and would help me socially; her parents wanted her to marry someone who would bring her up on society." Lancelot started to tap his index finger to his lips. "I really don't like this woman I am to be married to. Really mean, bad temper, and, if you don't mind me saying, not very good looking."
Annya giggled. "Is there any way for you to get out of this to-be-marriage?"
"Only if I marry someone quite soon without my parent's consent. Or I can die or something else like that."
Annya laughed out loud. "Oh, so I see."
"Well, what about you?" Lancelot asked Annya.
"Me? Well I don't love anyone, but I am to marry this year."
"Ah, ok." Lancelot clicked his tongue. "Say, are you thirsty?"
"Actually, yes I am."
"Alright, I'll go get some water from the stream. You can come if you want to."
Lancelot got up and took a small pot that was beside the fire. Annya got up too and followed Lancelot to the small stream.
It was very dark and Annya, for the first time, felt what it was to be cold. Her feet were wet from the dew drops on the grass.
"Chilly tonight," Lancelot said as he looked up at the stars. "We had better make sure that our fire is kept burning."
"Yes, it is cold tonight." Annya said. "This stream," she pointed at the stream where Lancelot was bending down and put in the pot. "Is it safe to drink from?"
"Well, it hasn't killed me yet." Lancelot laughed. "Besides, I was thinking of boiling it just to make sure."
Annya was about to respond, but stopped as she saw Lancelot's horse pick up its ears and widened its eyes in fright. Lancelot saw this too and put down the pot and went to go calm down his horse.
Lancelot started to stroke his horses' neck and murmured in its ear, but the horse would not calm down. Annya heard something rustling the leaves off to her left. She looked and saw a flash of metal in the silver moon light. Immediately Annya knew that it was an arrow.
"Lancelot!" she cried. But she was too late. The archer let go of the string and the arrow went whizzing through the air and hit Lancelot on his right side.
All of a sudden, about ten men came swarming out of the trees.
"Lancelot!" Annya said in a panic. "Get on your horse!" Lancelot cried out something to his gorse which Annya couldn't understand, and his horse knelt down on its two front knees. Annya pushed Lancelot on to his horse and the jumped on herself and dug her heels into the horse's side as the men started to surround them.