I was quite a bit faster on this one. I always seem to have writing days where I can just keep going and then have writers block for the rest of the week.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, only my OCs and this storyline.

Hope you enjoy.

Leaving You Behind

Teddy and I made our way towards the rendezvous point where we would meet Magnus. Teddy still walked with a bit of a limp, his wounds still hurting him. Along the way we caught up on a few things. Teddy told me about his adventures. He told me about his travels and I told him about Aida and the others.

"I never felt like I could stay in one place." He told me. "I just had to keep moving. Just couldn't sit still."

"You always did like to run." I smiled.

"Had a few close calls but somehow I always managed to keep going." He stared at the ground. "Who were those people?"

"What people?" I asked.

"The ones who had you surrounded the last time I saw you." His voice grew quiet. "What had you done that made them chase you so far?"

"They hunted me because I had stolen something from them." I explained. "I thought I could out run them, but I was wrong."

"What was it that you stole?" Teddy looked interested, like he had stolen a few things himself, but nothing big enough to be chased like I was.

"A Crystal Heart." I could feel the place where it used to hang around my neck. "It contained visions of the future. I stole it because they didn't deserve such a thing and somehow I knew that it wasn't meant for them, but for someone else."

"Who was it meant for?"

"Arthur." I remembered seeing the Crystal Heart disappear inside him, tying him to his fate forever with no back door. "He has a great future. He is destined to unite Albion and return magic to this land."

"How is that possible? Uther would never allow it." Teddy stopped.

"I don't understand it myself, but I trust in his destiny."

"Just like you trust him to keep that secret. He's a kid. He can't be trusted." Teddy argued. "He could be telling his father right now."

"No, Arthur wouldn't do that. He knows what's at stake."

"He is too young to understand the danger." His voice rose.

"Oh and you weren't. Wouldn't you have wanted to know the truth about me?" I silenced him. "You were eight years old when I left you. I thought you were too young for the danger. So I never told you the truth to protect you. I can see how that worked out."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I wanted you to have a good life where you weren't always running. I thought if I left you could find that." I yelled. "But you're still running Teddy."

"If you had stayed maybe I wouldn't have turned out this way. You could have taught me." He hadn't forgiven me for what I'd done. "I know you thought you were protecting me, but you left me alone. You were the only person I had and you left me behind."

"I left you behind so I wouldn't get you killed. They were going to kill me Teddy." I didn't mean to say that last part but it just slipped out.

"What?"

"I didn't just steal from them. Even before that they…" My voice caught in my throat. "I was eight years old when they sentenced me to death. The same age as you back then. I never had the choice of a normal life, but you did Teddy."

"Why did they want to kill you Joone?" Teddy's voice had softened. "It wasn't just about the crystal."

"No, I stole that after I found out about my sentence." I removed my hat and let my short silver hair fell. "They wanted my head because of how I was born."

"Your hair is silver." He pointed out the obvious. "I thought it was bronze."

"That was a spell to hide my hair." I explained. "You have to understand that everyone is born with a little magic inside them. You can see it in their eyes and the colour of their hair. I have grey eyes and silver hair. So no magic."

"You were born without magic?" He was surprised. Maybe he had always thought that I was like him.

"I couldn't use magic. No matter how much I tried." I continued. "You see, I was born into a family where everyone could use magic. I was an anomaly. You want to know what the cherry on top was?"

"What?"

"Not only was there no magic running through my veins but if I ever touched magic it somehow burned me. Even a simple healing spell could be fatal." I placed my hand over my heart, remembering how it burned.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Teddy's voice was barely audible.

"I thought if you knew you would hate me, like them." I had never admitted that to myself, but it was true. That's why I had always hidden my hair so no one would ever look at me like they had. It was like I was stuck in the middle, doomed to be hated by both sides. Yet somehow I found a family that accepted me. Humanity was not lost.

"I could never hate you Joone." He wrapped his arms around me. "I guess we all need protecting in this world. You protect all of us. So who protects you?"

"I've never thought about needing protection." I told him.

"I'll protect you Joone. I'll make sure you're safe." He let go. "You saved me once. Maybe now its time to repay you."

We walked on in silence for a while after that. I recognized the trees around us. We were not so far from the home I had left behind. It was maybe an hour away. I was still trying to process what he had said. Danger had always come to those who tried to protect me, like those people at that camp. Edwin and Nadira. Theo. What would happen to Teddy if he tried to save me? I couldn't bear to see him meet the same fate.

We stopped when we heard voices in the distance. I looked over at Teddy and he nodded. As quietly as we could we snuck towards the camp we saw. It was a big camp with a fire roaring near the edge. Were they knights from Camelot? I drew my knife, but then I saw him. He was standing by the fire, warming his hands and there were a few other men there who were doing the same. The sun was beginning to set and the temperature dropped. It would be a cold night.

But I didn't think about the cold, with my eyes fixed on him. It was Holt. I scanned the faces of the other men, recognizing a few. They were from the organization. This was the Black Feather. They made it. I heard a twig snap and my head spun over to Teddy. 'Sorry.' He mouthed. But the men around the fire heard it. Holt was looking up. They drew their swords. I wasn't going to fight them so I came out of my hiding place.

"What are you doing?" Teddy whispered behind me.

"It's okay." I told him. "We made it. They will not harm us."

"Who are you?" One of them asked, sword still pointed in our direction.

"Hello Crow." I ignored the man.

"You made it." Holt's face lit up. "Lower your weapons men. She's a friend."

"How can you be sure Crow?" I could see Holt's superiority was questioned.

"You should not question your leader." I interjected. "If the Crow says I mean no harm then I mean no harm."

"Blackbird is our leader." Another man said proudly.

"Yes, and he has appointed the Crow to act in his place while he is away." Magnus and I had spoken about this.

"Only Redwing is fit to replace him." I seemed to be well known.

"Well she hasn't been here for a very long time. Why would you follow a person you've never even met?" Their loyalty confused me.

"The Mother of Birds is a mighty warrior. We have heard tell of what she has done for us. The Crow has not proven himself." One of the men explained.

"Redwing is absent. Blackbird is absent. Who do you turn to then?" They fell silent. "You follow the Crow. Do not question the Blackbirds decision, and I agree with him."

"Why should what you say matter?" Another man stepped forward. He had a nasty scar running along the side of his face and there was a kind of hungry look in his eyes.

"It's nice to finally meet you all. I am Redwing." They were shocked.

"You can't be her." The scarred man denied.

"She is Redwing." Holt confirmed.

I heard a few of the men quickly apologize and sheath their swords. Another few only lowered their swords, still not sure. The scarred man tried to look calm, but he was fidgeting.

"Blackbird and I decided on Crow to lead you when we could not. We believe in him, and so should you."

"But he is so young." A large man with a thick beard said.

"Everyone is younger then you." His friend beside him laughed.

"Who is with you?" Holt asked.

"This…" I thought for a moment. "This is Falcon. He is a new recruit."

"Welcome." Holt stepped forward and shook Teddy's hand. "Welcome to the organization."

"Falcon?" Teddy whispered to me.

"It's the fastest bird I could think of. Thought you would like that." I explained. Teddy's grin was wide. He liked it.

"I am not here only to bring Falcon." I turned back to the men. "As I'm sure you all know there is a traitor among us."

"We have not found them yet Redwing." One of them reported.

"There is no need. I have already found him." The men muttered to each other and looked around as if it might be one of them. "First of all, what are all of your code names?"

They listed them off until they came to the scarred man, but he was nowhere to be seen. I looked around, finally managing to spot him making his way towards the cover of the trees.

"Get him." I told Teddy. It didn't take him long. Teddy was fast and soon was upon the scarred man. They struggled but I quickly caught up with them. Together we pinned him on the ground. One of the men passed me his sword and I pointed the tip at the scarred man's chest.

"Did anyone ever tell you that running makes you look guilty?" I grinned. "You must be Vulture. Or should I call you Cedric?"

"He is the traitor?" They sounded shocked.

"Have any of you ever heard of Grandal?" I asked. The men nodded. "This is his inside man. Apparently he is being paid handsomely by King Uther himself for information on us. Vulture is why we lost so many good people in that last ambush."

"That was because of you?" The bearded man roared. "My brother is dead because of you."

"I don't regret what I did." Cedric tried to sound calm but I could hear the fear in his voice.

"What should we do with him?" One of the men asked me.

"It is not my decision to make. Crow?" I turned to Holt. "What is your verdict?"

"Lock him up and I will decide his fate in the morning." Holt stood up straight, authority in his voice.

"Yes sir." The men did not question him as they hauled Vulture away, leaving Holt, Teddy, and me alone.

"Magnus isn't here?" I said as soon as they were gone.

"There were complications getting here." Holt explained. "We ran into some bounty hunters. They are more ruthless then knights."

"What happened?" I could feel fear rising in my stomach.

"When we finally made it past them we noticed Jasper and Aida were missing." Holt continued. "Magnus told us to keep going and that he would go back to find them. That was yesterday, and they have not yet returned."

My mind raced. Then I turned to Teddy. "Teddy you stay here. I have to go back and find them."

"I won't let you go by yourself." He argued. "I can't protect you if I'm stuck here."

"Your injuries still have not healed. I can move faster on my own." I could tell that catching Vulture had taken a lot out of him. He needed rest. I could not take him with me. He would not make the journey.

"But…" I razed my hand, silencing him.

"I'll be back by tomorrow. I promise." I readjusted my satchel. There was still enough to make the journey. I still had a day before I was supposed to meet Magnus at the Rendezvous point. I could make it.

"Be safe." Teddy told me.

"I will." Then I turned to Holt. "You're in charge now. They will listen to you."

"At least come and see the others. They've been worried." Holt protested.

"This cannot wait. Tell them I say hi." I started to back away. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon."

I left them there, and they watched me disappear into the trees. This was the second time I'd left Teddy behind. I must stop making promises I cannot keep.

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