Merlin held out a hand to assist Vadoma across a small stream. "It is only a short ways from here. We are very nearly at the cave." He paused as she gave him a small, amused smile at the unnecessary courtesy and moved aside so that Merlin could offer the same unneeded but polite assistance to Morgana.
Morgana took Merlin's offered hand and stepped over the small trickle of water with a soft smile for her love. As they continued on she drifted up and fell into step with the ancient seer that had so quickly become such a cherished friend. "Vadoma, have you ever been to the Crystal Caves? You've been in Albion for…" She trailed off as she came to a realization. "You know I don't have any idea how long you've been here?" She cocked her head slightly to the side as she looked at their friend. Feline grace evident in her sharp green eyes.
The ancient immortal smiled gently at the two sorcerers with her and took the lead as they continued their walk. "Taliesin and I are acquainted, yes. I have been in Albion since the days of Vortigern. In the time of your Golden King's grandfather. The Romans were...not kind to my people. Here in Albion we finally found a place to hide ourselves away and live in peace. Your Albion is beautiful in a way unlike any of the lands I have called home before," she continued. Her eyes growing unfocused as she reached back through her countless years for old memories. "For one thing, I had never lived anywhere where the rain froze as it fell! That took many years to grow accustomed to, believe me!" She turned and flashed a gamine grin at her companions. The centuries falling from her unlined face as she recalled seeing snow for the first time in her long life.
Morgana laughed gaily but Merlin frowned at the famed Seer's words. He had first met her people at the lowest point in his life. Exiled by Arthur after his magic had been exposed. Completely alone and desperate for a way to continue to protect his friend even in his disgrace, Merlin had sought advice from the great dragon Kilgarrah. It was he who had first told him of Vadoma. Secreted away in the deepest heart of an ancient forest.
It was amongst the Atzinganoi that Merlin had started the process of putting his life back together. Starting down the road that would lead to finding love with Morgana and bringing peace to Camelot. If he hadn't met Vadoma and her people then he and Morgana wouldn't be immortals. Wouldn't have been able to defeat the evil that had threatened to overtake Camelot and all of Albion. Vadoma's people had fought and died for him. For his quest. He owed her and her brave, joyful people a debt that he could truly never repay. "Your people lived in peace before I came into your lives. I brought with me nothing but bloodshed and strife," he said softly. Bitterly. "How you must hate us all."
Vadoma whirled towards the tall man, reached up and grabbed Merlin's shoulder in a surprisingly strong grip. She pulled on his shoulder and urged him to lean down to face the stately seer's otherworldly black eyes. "Emrys, you need to pay very close attention to what I'm about to say." She paused until he nodded uncertainly, locking his deep blue eyes with her own. "Before I met you I was completely alone amongst my clan. Their lives are like the light of a firefly. Bright and warm but only a memory within but a moment. I am fond of each and every one of them but I cannot allow myself to truly love them. Not even those like Purah who are so very remarkable. For they're gone in an instant and I am left to mourn them for hundreds of years."
Vadoma turned and reached out to Morgana, tightly grasping the Seer's long fair fingers in her own bronzed hand and pulling her close. "When She gifted you with life unending, She gifted me as well. For the first time in countless ages I have friends. Real friends that I will not mourn before I've truly come to know them." She turned back to Merlin and took his face in her hands. Gently and affectionately stroking the dark beard on his cheeks. "Emrys, never apologize again for coming into my life. For I am richer now in ways you cannot yet comprehend."
Merlin nodded solemnly. He and Morgana had of course discussed the ramifications of their immortality. They knew that they would outlive their family and friends. It was a comfort that they would always have each other. But he hadn't truly considered what it must be like for Vadoma. Her husband had been driven insane by his unnaturally long life. He remained trapped beneath a far off sea in a prison that Vadoma had been forced to create for him. Despite living with the clan she had adopted and their descendents, the ancient seer had been truly alone for centuries. He vowed to himself that once his quest for the future of Albion had been completed that he would turn his attention to finding a way to save Vadoma's husband. Perhaps if they all worked together they could break the madness that had claimed the man's mind.
Morgana caught the trail end of Merlin's thoughts and gave him a warm smile. She would set aside time later to begin research with Gaius and Alice. Aithusa and Kilgharra may have insights as well. But the time for that would come much later. For now they had the pressing issue of Mordred's disappearance and the larger issue of uniting Albion. "Come," she said gently. "We are very nearly to the cave. I'm certain that Taliesin will be able to help us find Mordred."
For as much trouble as Cait had encountered when delivering her message to Camelot, the return trip had been far worse. Her attempts to return to Mordred had been hindered by the increased presence of armed men in the woods between Camelot and Sarrum's kingdom. In the end she had been forced to detour far to the east into Lot's kingdom and work her way north before tracking back into the kingdom once again hidden in the deep shadows at the bottom of a merchant's cart. The only saving grace had been that this merchant had been delivering wool cloth and the weather was dry. For this trip she was spared the indignity of being covered in mud and surrounded by the stench of rotting vegetation.
Each heartbeat weighed on her. It was another moment that Mordred was alone and in grave peril. As she neared the city she sent out her mental call. Determined that the moment he was in range that her unlikely friend would know that she had returned from her task. It was as she was doing so that an idea came to her. If their mental connection was limited by distance, could she not use it to determine where he was being held? Surely by identifying the outermost range of their connection she could identify his actual whereabouts? The idea excited her but she put it aside for the time being. Her first priority was finding a way to free the Knight who had come to mean so much to her in such a short time.
When she finally received a weak response to her mental call she nearly wept. Only the fact that she was still hidden in her shadows and clinging to the bottom of a wagon prevented her from giving voice to her profound relief. He was alive. Anything else could be dealt with. So long as he yet lived.
"Sanity. Sanity is that finally you? Or have I lost my Sanity for good? Is this what madness feels like? The sweet sting of hope when all else has been ripped away? They've lost interest in me, Sanity. And without their interest they've lost the will to keep me alive. Have I lost you as well, Sanity?" His plaintive words rushed together. Clearly he had been repeating them for many days, at the least. His voice in her head sounded so very tired. So defeated. And yet so very welcomed. As weak and as thready as his mental call was. He was there. He was alive!
"Oh my Knight. My beautiful spirit. I've completed your task. Your King knows where ye are. At least as much as we know. I'm so verra sorry to have been gone from ye for sae long. Sarrum's paranoia is reaching a new high. The woods are sae thick with patrols I'm surprised he has even a single one of his brigands left in the city." She kept her voice even and soothing as she let him know that his quest had been completed. He was clearly on the edge of losing himself entirely. Was delivering his message worth this? Was anything? Cait was plagued with regrets. Could she have found a way to free him in the weeks she had been away? Could they even now be safely back in Camelot together if only she hadn't agreed to go?
A small part of her inner turmoil must have reached Mordred despite her efforts to shield him from her personal thoughts. "Sanity. Cait. No. Listen to me. Nothing short of a miracle is going to see me leave this dark place. I know that. But without you my King would never have known. If I die this very day I will do so at peace. To think, I thought myself in your debt before. I regret only that I will not be able to repay my life debt to you. Perhaps my spirit can watch over you as my mortal self cannot"
He had given up! This turn of events was absolutely unacceptable. She sent her mental push hard against him. Complete with an image of her wagging her finger in his face. "Given up, hae ye? Well. In that case there'd nae be a reason for me to go about this filthy city and figure out where they're holding ye? If ye'd rather just give up and die in there who am I tae tell ye otherwise? It's nae as if when yer friends come from Camelot they'll need tae know where ye are, right? I'll just be leaving then. Heading back to Camelot as I'd planned tae before we met. Good luck to ye, Sir Mordred of Camelot. Spellsword of the Golden Dragon. May She hold ye in her loving hands as I cannae."
Cait had been raised amongst the most stubborn people that the All-Mother had ever placed upon her lands. They were a proud and obstinate bunch and her mother had taught her how to deal with them her entire life. Was it a bit unfair to the poor man who had been held captive these long weeks? Absolutely. In fact, even as she sent the words she wondered if she was making the right call or if she wasn't letting her feelings and her own stubbornness interfere where they oughtn't. But her course was set and now she could only steer into the wind and pray for a safe landing.
Her unwitting driver had reached his destination and Cait once again pulled the shadows to her and crept through the narrow, filthy alleys in Sarrum's capital city. As she dodged piles of refuse and the gaunt-eyed of children who needed to eat so desperately she compared it against what little she had seen of Camelot. Though she had only been in the city for an hour or so she had noted that the streets were clean, lit, and well maintained. There were no people sleeping in the alleys. She had passed numerous public fountains perpetually providing clean water. As she had passed into the citadel itself she had noticed candelabras lit at regular intervals throughout the hallways. That had made her task more difficult but been an impressive show of wealth, nonetheless. It seemed no coincidence that the kingdoms of Camelot and her allies were places of light while those of her enemies were lands of darkness.
Caught in her musings as she mentally planned to add these findings to her reports for her mother, she barely heard Mordred's reply. She'd nearly passed beyond their mental range. "You are right. I must not give in to despair. Thank you for that." Mordred's mental voice held a hint of his former humor. Felt a bit stronger. Perhaps she had succeeded in driving away the darkness for now. "You mentioned that you had a plan to find me. That is something I would very much like to hear."
And so Cait explained her idea and they put her plan into motion.
As her party made their way up the winding curves of the main street leading to the Temple complex, Leheya was shocked at the changes to her new home in the short months she'd been away. The bustle of fishermen at the docks was a muted, pale thing. Streets that should have bustled with the daily activity to feed and maintain a city of this size were very nearly empty.
As they rode through what should have been the central market she was shocked to see so few merchants with wares to sell. Only a few bakers, fishmongers, farmers, and weavers displayed their wares. Her druid sisters who had been tasked with the Isle's protection were visible though on closer inspection many of them appeared to be nearly asleep on their feet. Were they trying to work while ill? Or was it that there were so few of them healthy that they were working themselves too hard to cover the gaps?
She should never have gone to Camelot to beg Morgana's help to conquer her fear of speaking before large crowds. What could have prompted her to pack up and make the ride on nothing more than a feeling? She had abandoned her city, her people to this. If she had only been here, where she belonged, could she have prevented this from happening? Had this mysterious illness caused all of this in such a short time? What foul magic had come to this most sacred of places?
Leheya squared her shoulders and prepared to find out. These were her people and her responsibility. She could wallow in her doubts and fears after the mystery was solved. She twisted in her saddle to catch Alice's eye. "So. First we check in with the steward and then start talking to the victims?"
It was Gaius who answered, his usual grim humor gone entirely. "Yes, my lady. In fact, I would prefer to immediately begin seeing to the victims. Time may be of the essence and any aid I can provide I'd rather not delay. But I will caution you all. Please do not eat or drink anything until we've found the source of this illness. We have plenty to share between us."
Percival nodded in agreement. "I will take our provisions to our rooms. Leheya, do you want Gaius and Alice to have the suite adjourning mine?" As the High Priestess Leheya herself had a grand set of rooms adjacent to the grand courtyard housing the Golden Oak. Percival's rooms were quite nice and shared a common area with a suite that did not currently have occupants.
Leheya surprised her companions by shaking her head. "No. For now I'd rather we all stick together. We will all be staying in my rooms. There is plenty of space and we will all be together. Gaius and Alice you are always welcome on the Isle and if you'd like, once this crisis has passed. And it will pass. Then we can assign you permanent rooms. But for now you are all staying with me." Her tone was decisive and brooked no disagreement.
For his part, Percival merely nodded and as they passed through the ornate gates leading to the temple he took the horses to the stables and arranged to have their things taken to the grand chambers of the High Priestess. His relationship with Leheya was well known and he wasn't questioned. He then moved quickly through the streets to catch up with Gaius and offer whatever aid he could to the wise physician. He gave a moment of quiet thanks to the Triple Goddess that She had sent Leheya away from the Isle before the illness had started. The thought of his vibrant love struck low by a mysterious ailment made his gut clench in distress. He knew that the loved ones of those who had fallen ill were without a doubt desperate for a cure. With Leheya and the physicians of Camelot here to render aid this mystery would surely be solved quickly. Failure wasn't an option.
"What is your plan, old friend?" He asked Gaius as he caught up with the elderly mage. For a man of his advanced years Gaius moved with a surprisingly sprightly gait.
Gaius merely raised an eyebrow before handing his heavy case to the fit Knight at his side. "The plan is simple. Find what is common between those struck with this ailment and destroy it at the source.
Alice stopped Lehaya as she started to move to the temple doors and pulled her aside. "My lady I know that you don't care about appearances but your people do. Please, let us freshen up that your very presence offers hope and calm."
This was met with a flat look from the High Priestess herself but swiftly followed with a sigh as Leheya capitulated. She was desperate to meet with Uveryl and learn what she could but she had learned Morgana's lessons well and acknowledged that Alice had the right of it. Straight from traveling, dirty cloak and wild hair wasn't the way to inspire confidence. It showed desperation. She took the older woman by the arm and led her through the halls that servants used, avoiding her Steward and as many people as possible.
Alice directed the young porters on where to place their luggage and provisions as Lehaya transformed from the wild druid girl who had driven them to ride ever faster as they raced to the Isle into the graceful High Priestess. Radiating calm and hope. Gone were her leather trousers and doublet. In their place an airy gown of cream shot with thread of gold. Her fiery curls were tamed into a low chignon and pinned with gold and amber combs worked in the runes of healing. A gift from Alice herself when Leheya was formally raised to High Priestess. Beneath the diaphanous layers of her skirt hid the young druid's only rebellion. In the place of the utterly useless slippers that had been made to match her robes she instead wore her practical, comfortable, and vibrantly green leather boots. She had a feeling she was going to be walking through much of her city today and the delicate heels on those slippers could go hang themselves.
"Let us meet with Uveryl, my friend," Leheya proclaimed confidently to Alice as she exited her room. "We have a mystery to solve."
In the aftermath of the mysterious note's appearance Gwen had learned a few new things about her court. Firstly she found that despite what was certainly her first instinct; discovering how someone had infiltrated the security of the Citadel, Arthur and his Knights instead focused on the note itself and immediately worked to find a consensus and a plan for action.
"Because we have no way to determine the veracity of the thing!," Leon stated sharply to Elyan's request that they mobilize immediately to rescue their friend.. "It could very easily be an attempt to lure Camelot into attacking Sarrum's kingdom. It could have been sent by anyone! Without more information we cannot act!"
"And what would you have us do, Leon?" Gwaine asked honestly and without rancor as he looked around the sadly empty chairs representing the friends that weren't with them. "We desperately prayed for information to lead us to Mordred and here it has literally landed in Arthur's lap!" He took the note from where it rested at the center of the round table and scanned it for a seventh time. Again a certain phrase stood out to him, "He does not know who leads the bandits. but I was within Sarrum's Kingdom and heard his mental call," he read aloud. Presume that this is a genuine plea for help. To have heard Mordred's mental call, whomever brought our note has to be a magic user. But what would a magic user be doing in Sarrum's kingdom at all? Honestly from what the refugees that have come from there have said I'm shocked that even one remains. And the way it's phrased. 'I was within Sarrums' kingdom' indicates that that's not this person's home."
Arthur nodded in agreement, "I quite agree. In addition that bit about that bastard planning to attack us in the spring. What good would warning us of an incoming attack do if by leaving us unaware we could be weakened?"
"Unless it is an attempt by Lot or Odin to pit two rivals against each other and weaken both," came Leon's reply. He had served for ten years under Uther and his ever-growing madness. The lessons from those dark years had taken root deeply. Everyone was an enemy if one merely looked hard enough. He touched the spot above his heart where the letter from his beloved was safely nestled in a hidden pocket. He felt the calm move through him like cool water. Vigilance was one thing. Paranoia was something completely different. He took a deep breath and focused on assessing the facts they had. Not inventing threats from nowhere.
Gwen shook her head, "That presumes that we would simply race off with our entire army without first validating the threat. It's too simplistic for Lot or even Odin. Those men are snakes but they are cunning snakes. No I don't think this is anything more than what it seems. Someone is aiding Mordred at great personal risk. And somehow they were able to get this note to us without being detected. Though Gwaine's point is a strong one. WIth magic, and without our own mages in the citadel, it is possible. A set of circumstances I'd prefer that we don't duplicate in the future."
The second thing Gwen had learned about court that morning was that the courtiers that usually stayed far away from the round table meetings were far less fearful without the magic users being present. As evidenced by the raised voices outside the large doors as the knights on guard turned away another minor noble who had come to petition for Arthur's aid in some matter or another. Despite being quickly embraced by the common people, the nobles from under Uther's rule had been slow to accept magic users. Gwen made a note to see what she needed to do about that.
They shouldn't ignore the running of the Kingdom even during a crisis. Given that the answer to their current question was so completely obvious, and without Percival here to move things along by cutting to the heart of the matter. And given that there was little for her brave men to do but talk about this Gwen resolved to let them do just that for as long as they wished. She would take care of Camelot in the meantime.
She stood with only a small twinge as he unborn children chose that moment to kick her strongly, and began to walk towards the large doors, intent to use the throne room and hear petitions for all that were waiting when she learned the third thing about her court. As one, the Knight and her husband called for her to stay. "My love, wherever you are going. Whatever you intend to do this is the priority," Arthur said. "We need your wisdom. If you leave we're all going to the stables and leaving to rescue Mordred the moment you walk through those doors."
Gwen glanced around the room and pursed her lips as she read the truth of her husband's words on the faces of the four able warriors at the table. "You cannot be serious!" she said with exasperation. "You will do nothing until Merlin and Morgana return! What possible good will it do to leave the city without them with you? Or have you all suddenly become magic users and can call for Mordred yourselves? What will be done is that you will make preparations for a small group to travel in secret to determine the truth of these claims. In that group will doubtless be Merlin or Morgana. But not both! Not with Gaius, Alice, and Mordred all gone! Arthur it will be up to you to decide which of them goes and which stay. They will both fight to go and will consider it their duty. I do not envy the discussion to come."
The obvious choice to search for Mordred was of course Merlin. Which left him with somehow trying to convince his sister to stay and protect Camelot as her husband went on a rescue mission for the man she considered a son. Perhaps he could simply have Merlin chain her to the wall until he had left. "I love it when you're right. But I don't have to like it," Arthur grumbled as he put his head in his hands and slouched down in his seat.