THE DARKLING WOODS
"Emrys…"
Morgana's voice was shaken and frightened.
It had dropped to a low breath, as cold as a winter wind.
It clattered through her brothers heart.
Arthur's eyes widened and he drew his sword, glancing over his shoulder at Emrys who stared hard at her.
She swallowed and shook her head.
She would not fear him…
For it could not be him…
Eveline, Eveline had been Emrys…
Mordred had told her.
"It is not you!" She screamed at him, her entire body shaking, "It is not you… you are just my imagination…"
"Whatever you say." Merlin snapped at her.
She shook her head.
The fright in her eyes made Arthur narrow his eyes in shock.
"I killed you… I killed Eveline…" Morgana stammered.
"The two things are not the same." Emrys straightened, his hand face the stuff of her nightmares.
"I killed her…" Morgana cried, "For I was told that she was you… that Eveline was Emrys… I was told I have killed Emrys!"
"you were told wrong."
Emrys's cold voice made her gasp and fall silent.
It filled her head, as did the glare in his eyes as he stared hard at her.
His voice was ice that cut her like glass. I live Morgana…. And I remain your doom…"
Morgana gave a cry of frightened rage and lifted her hand to cast a spell.
But Merlin was faster.
His hand flew out in front of him and his eyes flashed gold, "Forbe!"
A ball of flame shot from his palm and struck the witch.
Morgana had turned her body, but her scream told them all that she had not moved fast enough...
The fire ball struck the tree just behind her and singed through the damp bark, as the screaming high priestess, wrapped her hand around her arm, where the fabric was smoking.
She lifted dark, furious and cold eyes up at Merlin and sneered, before they flashed gold.
"No!" Arthur shouted and moved forwards with his sword.
He and Elyan moved to the rise of the hill to stare down at her.
Merlin raised his hand again, "Svelster!"
His spell had no effect, as Elyan and Arthur skidded to a stop in time to see Her shake and vanish into a cloud of some with a flash of her amber eyes.
The forest was completely still.
Arthur turned to face Emrys and Elyan did the same.
The queen's brother was silent.
Arthur stared at Merlin in a way that made the young warlock want to show himself for who he was…
He had never felt more uncertain of why he kept it a secret.
He knew that Arthur was not Uther…
But he did not know what he would do…
And he did not want to put Arthur in that position.
He stared at the king.
"If you doubted where the loyalties of my heart lie Arthur Pendragon, look no further than my hatred, and my pity for Morgana."
Arthur slowly slid his sword back into its sheath.
He stared at Emrys as Elyan did the same.
"Why do you pity her?" Arthur asked, "You seem to have more power than her…"
"It has nothing to do with her power." Emrys stated gravely, "It was once in my power to help her… and I could not see… I could not see that there was a part of her that still cared for those who had once shown her kindness…"
Arthur straightened, "I fear you are wrong."
"Yes… I was wrong… wrong to leave her alone to be frightened of who's he was… that is why she is like she is now." Emrys said firmly, "I could have helped her become so much more than this… but I did not… now there is no force that can drive her back from the path that she has started… one carved with bloodshed."
There was silence for a moment.
Emrys straightened and stared at the king.
"Now let's go, for your queens time is running short."
CAMELOT
Tanya swept down the corridors towards the royal chamber, where she had charged herself with sitting and keeping vigil over the queen while the king, Sir Elyan, and Merlin, were away.
She held her hands in front of herself as she walked.
She did not see the hand that shot out from an alcove and grabbed at her wrist, folding around it as she was pulled to the side.
"What…" She gasped and clamped her other hand around the leather bracelet that shielded her tattooed wrist from view as she was pulled into an alcove.
She lifted her eyes to stare up at Sir Mordred.
"I seem to be doing a lot of this today." He muttered to himself.
She stared at him and straightened.
"Is there anything I can help you with Sir Knight?"
"You must call me Mordred." He said and gently touched her leather bracelet covered wrist, wrapping his hand around it.
She reflexively wrapped her own palm around his wrist, so they were folding wrists in between them.
They held one another's gaze.
"Why?" She stared at him.
"For we could be friends…" He murmured, "As we are kin."
There was silence, as to illustrate his point, his hand tightened around the bracelet that hid her tattoo.
She gasped quietly before she swallowed and shifted.
"I do not know what you mean…"
"Yes you do." Mordred pressed, his eyes widening as he pulled her closer.
She shook her head, "You must be confused…"
"Does Merlin know who you are?" Mordred pressed, leaning ever closer.
She straightened, "I don't know what you are talking about…"
"Do you know who he is?"
This question seemed all the more important to Mordred.
He hurt at the thought that Merlin bore some kind of hatred towards him.
All he wanted to do was be a good knight and serve Arthur.
They had that in common at least.
Yet Merlin seemed not to see that.
Mordred had stopped using his magic in order to fit in, he had not used it in years and did not want to, as he had all that he wanted in the form of a knight's loyalty to his king.
Tanya knew this, yet she could not tell him…
For the same reason that she could not tell Merlin.
She had built a life without her magic… and had denied it to avoid his sympathy…
She lied in attempt to stop herself falling in love with Emrys.
Tanya pulled her wrist from Mordred's grip and turned and walked away.
"I understand, you know!" He called after her.
She straightened yet refused to turn.
Mordred watched her go.
"We are kin, you and I!"