-Two-

I'll See You Again

Finally after so many hundreds of years of waiting, he had seen the sign. It had come on a midsummer's eve three years ago. The prophecies had all stated that the king and his savior would rise when the eye of Pegasus fell on a midsummer's eve. He'd waited and waited, chasing the constellation around the globe throughout the changing seasons and keeping a telescope near at hand. And yet it had been three years since he'd seen it fall. He wished the prophecy would have been more specific when it had said that King Arthur would rise again when Albion's time of need was the greatest. It didn't say where he would rise or when exactly, just that he would.

He'd checked all the obvious places, Camelot (or what was left of it), the Crystal Caves (blocked by a rockslide), even the shores of Lake Avalon where he had laid Ryll to rest across the waters. He shut his eyes at this thought. Even after 900 years, it still hurt to remember Ryll dying. Everything had led up to that final battle with King Sarrum, and she'd taken an enchanted arrow to save Merlin. He could still see it slicing through the air toward him and then her falling to the ground, the arrow protruding from her chest. The arrow had been made of dragon's fire. There was nothing he could do to save her. Before she'd died she had told him that they'd see each other again in a second life. All he'd wanted was to have her in that life, but somehow he'd kept going, day after day without her, with the hope that they would be together again.

"I'll wait for you," he'd told her. "Always."

"Good," she'd said. "Because I'm coming back for you."

He opened his eyes. There was one place he hadn't searched yet. Avalon itself. Ryll had once told him that only the Sidhe and the dead could set foot there. He wasn't sure about powerful sorcerers, but in truth, his power had been fading over the years. He wasn't sure if he was losing it or if the world just wasn't magical enough for someone like him anymore. He hadn't met someone with magic for many years and it wasn't practiced freely anymore. There was a time when people were even burned at the stake for using magic. It was like Uther's reign all over again.

But he, Merlin, Emrys, the immortal warlock who had spent the last 900 years alone, had endured. He'd watched his friends die of old age and then watched as Camelot was conquered years later. He'd watched and waited for the sign of Arthur's second coming, hoping that it would bring Ryll with it. He'd waited and waited…

And now he thought he knew where Arthur was, but he could not set foot on the island without Ryll. He needed her. And he had no idea where she was. She had been on earth for three years now and he had no idea how to find her. He'd tried finding her with magic, but somehow it didn't work. It just kept pointing to a little village called Ealdor, but the Ealdor Merlin knew was long gone. Then, when he was least expecting it, he found something that gave him all the answers in one short slogan. A flyer stuck to his front door one morning. He ripped it off irritably and found himself looking down at an inaccurate drawing of Camelot castle. "Find your inner magic in Ealdor!" it read. "Explore the ruins of Camelot and see The Crystal Caves." Ealdor. It was a town. A tourist town by the looks of it. It wasn't even close to the real ruins of Camelot, but people were apt to believe anything if someone claimed it was true. But what if this was where Ryll was? The map had kept pointing to Ealdor when he had used magic to track her. He hadn't considered that someone had founded a modern town with the same name as his hometown.

It was in the country by the sea, a four-hour drive from where he lived. He'd locked up his house, packing a bag and tossing it into the back of his car. It occurred to him how much he'd adapted over the years. He'd seen cars invented, watched as people turned them from loud, clunking carts into smooth, fast vehicles. He revved the engine and backed out of his driveway, tapping Ealdor into his GPS. It showed him the most direct route, and he took it. After all those years of waiting, Ryll had been four hours away from his house (at least he hoped she was there). Would she be as thrilled to see him as he would be to see her? He wasn't sure how her second coming would work. In the prophecy, it had sounded like she would be reborn in the same state as when she had died but that she would be younger. It was as if being reborn reversed the years. It would be like suddenly existing in a new world. How had she managed? Had this new world frightened her? She'd had no one to talk to, no one to help her adjust. He knew how that felt.

The drive seemed to take forever even though he only stopped once to top off his petrol tank. The city turned into country, and he could smell the sea through his open window before he could see it. Ealdor was small and clean. He could see it on the horizon with its white-painted buildings and neat two-story houses. He had no idea how he was going to find her. He'd ask around. Someone had to know something.

As he pulled into the town, he saw a sign advertising a Camelot museum. Clearly these people really believed that their town was built close to the ruins of Camelot. If only they knew that the real ruins were a good six-hour drive from here and well hidden at the center of a forest. He decided to try the tourist gift-shop first. If this was where Ryll was living, she had to have been in here once or twice. He parked in one of the slanted parking spots along the street and entered the store. A bell rang overhead and a mid-teens girl came up to the counter from the backroom. She wore a fake tiara and her nametag read "Tara."

"Hello!" she said brightly. "Welcome to Camelot Gifts! Is this your first time in Camelot?"

Merlin smiled. "No," he said. "But I haven't been in a long time."

"Well, we've done a lot of remodeling in the last few years. Ealdor is one of the fastest growing tourist towns in England. Is there anything I can help you find?"

"Actually I was looking for someone," Merlin said. "A girl named Ryll or Amaryllis. I believe she lives here."

The girl pondered the name for a moment. "Nope. I'd remember that name."

"Anyone new to the town in the last, say, three years?"

"Oh, lots of people. Ealdor is one of the fastest growing tourist towns in-"

"All right, thanks," Merlin said, ducking out of the store before she could continue her statistic. Maybe she was going by a different name these days. She always had said that Amaryllis was a mouthful, and Ryll wasn't a common name if it even was a name. He stood on the sidewalk, looking around and trying to decide what to do next. He was thirsty – in his haste to leave the house, he hadn't brought any water. He saw a pub across the way that looked decent. The White Dragon. He had to laugh at this. The only white dragon he'd come across had been Morgana's. Aithusa had become the very last of her kind when the dragon Kilgharrah had finally passed on. She'd shared a special attachment to Morgana and had lived out her days with the sorceress on the outskirts of Camelot where she had room to fly.

Merlin crossed the street and entered the pub. The boy working the taps looked familiar, but Merlin struggled to place him. "What can I help you with?" he asked.

"I'll take a beer," Merlin said. "Light."

"Right you are. I haven't seen you around here before. Up for the day or just passing through?"

"Up for the day. I was looking for someone, actually. An old friend. We fell out of touch and the last I heard, she was living here."

"I know just about everyone in town. Maybe I can be of some help." He passed Merlin a mug.

"Her name is Amaryllis, but she usually goes by Ryll." He watched as the boy's eyes turned suspicious. So he had heard of her. Merlin tried to keep his excitement from showing.

"An old friend, you say?"

"Yeah. We've known each other for ages. We just went in separate directions. She's got long, honey-colored hair and bright blue eyes."

"I know a girl who fits that description. She works here actually."

"Oh?" What a coincidence, but he'd stopped believing in coincidences long ago.

"She goes by Liz, but I know her full name is Amaryllis. Don't know many people named that these days."

"No, it's an unusual name. Is she working today by chance?"

"No. Today is her day off, but she'll be in tomorrow at ten if you wanted to speak with her."

"Yes. I'll be back then. Thank you." Merlin could hardly contain his excitement as he downed his drink. What were the chances that she worked at the very pub he'd come to? It was as if fate had played a hand in it. The boy at the bar kept glancing at him, and Merlin realized he was protective over Ryll – Liz. He wanted to ask him more, but he didn't want to come off as too interested.

"Is there a good inn to stay at?" he asked when the bartender came back around.

The boy gave him a long look before replying. "Try the Avalon Inn. It's on the corner of Eastside and 1st Avenue. You can't miss it. The rate is fair and you get breakfast in the morning."

"Thanks."

"Will she be glad to see you?" the boy asked as Merlin set down the money for the drink and turned to leave. "It's just, you said you went your separate ways. I just wondered if something happened between you two. She's vulnerable. I know she doesn't like to show it, but I look out for her."

"We didn't part on bad terms," Merlin said. "Our lives just took us in very different directions."

The boy seemed to find this a suitable answer. "Then I'll be seeing you." He turned away, and Merlin took that as approval. The White Dragon was located on Eastside and 10th, so Merlin got in his car and drove until he reached 1st. The Inn was right on the corner and overlooked the water. He pulled into the parking lot and walked into the office to rent a room. A few minutes later, key in hand, he was checked into the hotel for an indefinite stay. He'd paid for a week, but he'd see how this went. He didn't know why he was nervous. It wasn't like Ryll wouldn't be thrilled to see him. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

Liz was pulling on her boots when her mobile rang early Thursday morning. She answered, noting that Byron's name had popped up on the screen. The clock read 9:30, so she wasn't late. "What's up?" she asked as she pulled on her second boot.

"I just wanted to warn you that an old friend is coming in to see you today."

"Old friend?" From Wales? London? Who would come here?

"I didn't get the name, but he had dark hair and blue eyes. Tall and thin. He said he knew you from a long time ago but that you'd gone separate ways."

Liz chewed her lip as she thought. "Nope, not ringing a bell. I guess I'll see."

"Right. See you in a few." She hung up and dropped her mobile in her bag. "I'll see you after work," she told Owl who sat watching her with unblinking eyes.

The walk to work was a lot more pleasant today because the sky was unerringly blue with not a cloud in sight. Spring was turning into summer and soon the tourists would be flocking to the town. For now she could enjoy the peacefulness of the morning.

Byron was just opening up when she arrived. They didn't bother to open earlier than ten until summer hit. He gave her a penetrating look when she came within view. "And what is that?" he asked, pointing to the strand of bright blue in her hair.

"This?" Liz plucked the strand and twirled it around her finger. "I got bored yesterday. And I wanted to dye my hair. I wimped out and only dyed this strand."

Byron rolled his eyes. "I liked it the way it was."

"Look, I know you think I have some sort of identity crisis thing going on, but really, it's just a phase where I'm trying new things," Liz said, following Byron into the pub.

"Well I like you just the way you are. You don't have to keep changing yourself."

"What if I don't know who I am? Maybe I'm trying to find myself? Did you ever consider that?" She knew this argument wore on his nerves. He did have a point. The last three years of her life she hadn't quite felt like she was the right person. So she experimented. So far she'd struck out. The underlying feeling that she had once been someone completely different was growing stronger everyday. So was her frustration.

"You're Liz Andreli, bartender and part-time college student. You're intelligent and beautiful. You dote upon your cat more than yourself. You love action adventure movies but hate anything with historical inaccuracy, you eat cookies and cream ice cream when you need cheering up, and love to dance. There's nothing wrong with the way you are. Except maybe that nose ring and the blue."

Liz smiled at this. "It will come out," she assured him. "Eventually."

Byron sighed. "Just let me know if you need to talk. I don't want to see you recede into yourself again."

"I promise. Thanks, Byron, for always being there. You know, whatever the line is."

Byron rolled his eyes. "You're welcome. Now get to work."

Merlin woke late despite his eagerness to see Ryll. He dressed quickly and walked back to The White Dragon. He stopped outside the door, his nerves getting the better of him. He took a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment he had been waiting for 900 years. He pushed the door open and entered. Then stopped again.

There she was. He suddenly couldn't breathe. Ryll stood at the counter, wiping down the bar. Her hair was just as long and golden as he remembered, her skin porcelain white with the tiniest touch of the sun. The blue strand of hair was new, but times had changed. She looked up when he entered, but no remembrance or excitement crossed through her blue eyes. She just looked right through him as if he was just another patron. Merlin felt his excitement shudder and slow before crashing to a jarring stop. He forced himself to walk forward until he reached the bar. Ryll watched him expectantly.

"Ryll?" He'd waited so long for this moment, but no recognition flickered in her eyes. She was staring at him like he was a stranger.

"No," she said, annoyance tingeing her voice. "But it's funny," she added. "You're the second person to have mistaken me for her."