After a quick breakfast, a nervous Arthur and a wary Mim set off on their journey towards Sir Ector's castle. According to Mim this journey was about half a days away. As they were leaving, Arthur gave a glance backward to Merlin and Thomas waving them off. Arthur trusted Merlin with his life, and the brief conversation they had had just before himself and Mim set off still echoed in his mind.

"She is a witch, Merlin," Arthur had said, " I'm not sure if I should trust her. I was tricked before, I'm scared of being tricked again."

"You can't spend your life second guessing, Arthur," Merlin had answered, " A person must trust on faith or it is useless to trust at all."

He hated to admit it but the little cretin was right. Trust was a matter of faith. Arthur's mind quickly took him to the face of Guinevere. She had complete trust in everything, even him. Arthur glanced at Mim, who was finishing a bundle of food for their journey. He did feel trust in her. A different trust, to that of Morguese, who had tricked him and taken Morgana from them. He often wondered if he would ever see Morgana again. She was, as it turned out, one of his best friends. How could he cope without the advice of his best friend? No, he trusted Mim: and now it was time to show a bit of faith.

"Ready to go?" Mim asked putting the bundle of food into a shoulder bag. Arthur nodded. Mim gave him a reassuring smile and began to walk away from the cottage.

The first half of their journey proceeded in awkward silence. When they stopped for a meal, Arthur thought it best to break the silence. After having to deal with Merlin's constant chatter, he actually missed having someone to talk to. Arthur glanced at Mim. She sat with her gaze steadily on the sky, Arthur felt a shiver as he examined the swirling gold in her eyes. It was mesmerising and frightening at the same time. The fear reminded him of Morguese. Then the idea of what to talk about struck him.

"Can witches contact the dead?" Mim's gaze swiftly moved from the sky to Arthur's face. Arthur felt completely exposed under her gaze and was certain she could see what lay behind the question. She smiled sadly.

"Some can." Mim stated, shifting slightly, " I personally wouldn't. The dead are just that, and should be left in peace. It is a cruel thing to summon a soul from their sleep."

"How can you tell if it's real or an illusion?" Arthur wanted to know. It had clawed at his heart, that small question of doubt that he was unable to shake. Mim didn't look at him.

"You can't know." Mim looked at Arthur. "Sometimes it is easier and better to believe a lie. You never know what the results would be." Arthur flushed at the words. He had been close to killing his father when he thought that it was his mother that Morguese summoned.

Mim stood and brushed herself down. Arthur stood and did the same.

"One thing you can always trust," Mim began placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "A real mage, or rather a good mage, will never summon the dead and never rely on magic. The God's would strip it from you in seconds if misused." Arthur could think of nothing to reply to that, so remained silent.

For the next hour of walking, Arthur processed everything Mim had said. It was clear, if Mim wasn't lying, that either way he looked at it, Morguese was not a good sorcerer. Maybe not evil; but definitely with an agenda of her own. Many sorcerers had attempted to kill his father, usually face on, but Morguese had used him. If he had done it, he knew that after the anger had gone, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself.

"Mim?" Arthur wass going to ak the question that had been there his whole life. Mim glanced back.

"Yes?"

"How did it all start?" Mim faltered in her steps but continued to walk.

"I'm not the one to ask," Mim almost whispered. "The person to ask is someone who lived through it and before it?" Arthur nodded. Mim was probably born after the beginning of it all.

"Would it make a difference, I mean," Arthur stuggled to put together his next question without offending, "what's so special about sorcery? I mean, how ..."

Mim cut him off with a laugh. She turned round with a smile.

"Would it make a difference if sorcerers were wiped out?" Arthur wanted the ground to swallow him. Hearing it out load made it sound cruel and callous; he hadn't wanted to come across that way. "It might not make a difference, but it is not the right way of going about it. Fewer natural sorcerers are being born each year, the number wasn't to great anyway. We were always dying out. Our time here is ending; we are not needed. What's so special about sorcery? Nothing. Except an understanding of the world and nature that is enlightening. Being able to understand the elements so much that you can manipulate them for a purpose. It makes you feel so small, but an integral part of the world."

"You said manipulate, not control." The air around Arthur seemed to fizz. Mim's entire being was fizzing. When she looked back at Arthur, he shrank back. She was terrifying.

"Nature can not be controlled. You can try but it will only lead to death." Mim's very voice seemed to echo around the air. Then it was gone. Mim was staring blankly at the ground. Arthur noticed tears.

"I didn't mean to make you angry," Arthur stayed where he was, although part of him wanted to go over and comfort the girl. He was afraid. He had never seen a person ooze such power.

"No, it's fine." Mim calmly stated. "It is something that many believe; that we can control and use the elements to shape how we think the world should be. But the world has its own agenda, what should happen will happen without our help." Mim wiped her eyes and glanced at Arthur. Fear was gone. Pity replaced it.

"Lets keep moving." Arthur suggested walking over to Mim and patting her shoulder. Mim smiled gratefully back.

"I thought I had scared you away back there." Mim said later as they were walking. Arthur smiled. "It's not something I'm proud of, but my emotions get the better of me sometimes."

"It happens to everyone," Arthur reassured.

"Yeah, but not that dramatically!" Arthur continued to smile at the tone. "Sorcerers are such drama queens at times!"

Both chuckled at this and continued to Sir Ector's castle in a much more comfortable silence.