Chapter 4: Memory

As she lay there she dreamt of four years ago, a memory long repressed until now.

"Gwen take this sword and run deep into the lost forest of Albion and do not look back"

"But father! I can't leave you here the soldiers will kill you!"

"Listen to me" said Gwen's father Tom as he took her face in his hands " If you don't do this it's possible that Camelot,…no.. I.. will have no future. Uther must not have his way this time…. Now take this sword, midnight and go ….while you still have the night to protect you. Hide within the shadows of the trees if you must, travel to the tree of wisdom and set this sword within the hollow and do not open it by any means"

"but father I know not of this tree, nor what it looks like, nor the way" , said Gwen as she held onto a sword neatly wrapped and tied with a single red string in a dark cloth that her father had given her.

He took her hand and led her to the back door "take this necklace…..Whenever your uncertain of the way, hold it tightly in your hand and close to your chest, it will listen to your heart's desire and guide you in the right direction"

"But father!", cried Gwen as he shoved her out the door forcing a black cloak into her hands

" Enough talk now go!"

Gwen had no choice, but to listen to her father's plea and go. She slowly walked the horse to the edge of Camelot , but before she could pass through the city gates she was halted by the guards. Not wanting to reveal her identity, she lowered the hood of the cloak so that her face wouldn't be exposed, quickly mounted the horse leaned forward and galloped past them. Before long three soldiers were trailing behind. She struggled trying to get away, but could tell that her horse was tired . Once she reached the outside edge of Albion's forest she quickly dismounted and ran through the brush with the sword still grasped within her small hands. She dared not stop for fear of capture. The more she ran the closer the footsteps behind her came. She quickly ducked beneath a tree and sat down hugging her legs trussing them tightly to her chest. Constantly checking making sure that her entire body was completely covered in the cloak for fear of being seen, all while coveting the sword as if it were her father's last wish.

As she heard the footsteps inch closer, she kept quietly repeating to herself,

"Where do I go what do I do, where do I go what do I do, where do I go what do I do" .

She closed her eyes tightly and held both the necklace and the sword firm to her chest as it were for dear life

"Please…. Someone save me" she whispered beneath her breath. Then she heard one soldier fall to the ground and another draw his sword. He too fell quickly to his demise, and as she peered around the tree she saw the red cloak of Camelot's knight as he unsheathed his blade.

Once he was within two feet of her presence, she saw another man in a black cloak much like hers block his adversary's path by raising a sword directly in front of him. She caught but a glimpse of it, but it was unlike any sword she had seen before, the curvature of it's blade was sleek and simple but sharp and its hilt was decorative, but extraordinary beautiful with a guard unlike any she'd ever set eyes on.

The battle was unmatched as the stranger did not use his sword as a weapon or tool, but treated it as if it were part of his body and an extension of his soul. As the knight raised his blade for the final blow, she saw the man in black strike his torso with a blow unseen, and speed unsurpassed by even that of the wind. Once it was over she saw him turn his head in her direction and noticed but a slight glow of his deep dark blue eyes. Terrified by sorcery she sprinted away and somehow found her way to the tree with the hollow. She sat the sword within it and ran until her feet could no longer carry her, until she tripped on a tree root and fell upon the ground lying there still as it slowly began to rain.

Gwen began to feel a wet cloth wipe the forehead of her face. Then she tirelessly opened her eyes and grabbed his hand. Holding onto it as if it were the pendant that she had lost long ago. She smiled , looked intently into his eyes and quietly whispered

" It was you wasn't it…..?"

"Me ?"

"Yes …you were the one who saved me from those men long ago…...",she placed her right hand upon his cheek and firmly held his other hand with her left.

"How could I ever forget those eyes….Thank you so much Kai for saving my life back then"

"What do you remember from …back then …?"

Gwen gazed past his eyes "Some…most of its…. a blur …it's as if ….it were shut away until now"

"I see…" He tried to move his hand away, and she grabbed it back ….

"no…Please… stay with me…I feel safe when you're with me….Why is it that you don't talk as much as Aya?"

"because people are always sleeping at night, and no one opens their doors when it's dark…except for him…. always willing to help a stranger in need.."

"Him…you mean...My father…."

"Yes"

"He was a good man…. "

"I know …. If he wasn't …I wouldn't of promised to protect you"

"protect me? " Gwen didn't wait for his awnser and dismissed his comment as she began to feel fatigue set in yet again

" When I'm better will your make me a promise?"

"Yes… I promise to return you to your home…"

"No …Another promise….I don't want to go home…not yet…"

"But when ? There are many who would worry"

"After your promise….I…want…", She quietly drifted off to sleep again And Kai called upon his brother

"Aya …My eyes and ears" kai's eyes began to glow "What did you do with Lancelot?"

He began to see through his brothers eyes " I see you made sure the warlock found him. Just as well….I'm sure she would have been devastated if any harm came to him, just as I'm sure that wasn't your intention"

Lancelot was lying aside a tree, and as he began to wake he felt a slight pain in his head, as if he had a hangover from a fill of mead, and then he felt a slap across his left cheek and subconsciously drew his sword. While staggering from side to side he had trouble focusing.

"wow …you had a rough night didn't you.."

"Merlin is that you?"

Merlin sighed and then let out a breath "Well…. Who else would come after you, you big lug…it's not as if you have any servants to worry about you,…. anyway, any luck?... did you find her?"

Lancelot struggled to contain his balance and let out a big sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck
"No…., but I'm not going to give up trying….I found a shoe , but for some reason I don't remember much of what happened after that~ maybe I drank too much last night with Gawain"

"I'm going to have to agree with you on this one, considering Gawain returned to Camelot some time ago"

"Great…so what are you doing here?" Merlin helped lancelot gather his satchel

" I came to fetch you…."

"Fetch meee?...I see...so now I'm the dog!"

"No the puppy, but then Arthur treats everyone like a dog but whose keeping track of these things…Lets go shall we" Lancelot squinted his eyes at the moon

"No …Merlin… I need to go back… I need to try again"

Merlin stood in his path "Lancelot…. Arthur needs you…..He made you a knight to fight alongside him and protect the kingdom and everyone in it. You can't go out on a fool's errand alone…YOU DON'T KNOW WHATS OUT THERE"

Lancelot shook his head and rustled his fingers through his hair "Merlin …I can't leave her alone…I …I…."

Merlin stood shifting from side to side trying to match Lancelot's footsteps , blocking his way

"You what!"

"Ieeeeeeeeee….have to be on my way" Merlin slapped his hands to his side and scratched the back of his neck

"Alright then.." He extended his hand pointing the way to Lancelot's horse" Go right ahead then, but if you get lost I'm not coming to find you" Lancelot mounted

"ok then, …by the way …how did you find me…?"

"Now now can't tell all my secrets, call it intuition"

"I thought only women had that?" Lancelot grinned

"I'm sorry Lancelot …I can't let you get away with that one"

He laughed " Very well then ..see you when I can"

"I'm gonna have to take you up on that one" as Lancelot attempted to gallop back towards the forest Merlin's eyes glowed a vibrant orange and he starred at the horse and whispered "ithiyo laee Camelot" The horse then ignored Lancelot's commands and raced towards Camelot.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle and then he heard the flap of a birds' wing, as he looked up high in the trees his eyes met with the green eyes of a black hawk.

"Was it you that lured me to this place…?" The hawk flew down, Merlin raised his arm and the bird perched himself upon it and began to convey his thoughts to Merlin with his mind

"Do not be afraid, I am not a sorcerer, and I can help ease your fears and find what you seek but only if you trust me"

"Me…. Trust you? No..I'm sorry ..I can't do that"

"Please, you must…I promise no harm will come to you…If you consider this request right now …I have more to fear from you, than you from me"

He sighed and spoke with his mind "Your probably right..what do you want me to do" The hawk returned to the tree.

"meet me back at this place 3 days hence, and don't look for me, trust me, I'll find you"

"Alright then"

"and Merlin…..Thank you for blindly trusting me….I promise to keep you secret for eternity, If you'll do the same and keep mine"

Merlin bowed and walked away , knowing that the bird with whom he just spoke through telepathy was once someone very important, only he didn't how…But he had a gut feeling that their fate was meant to be intertwined.

Lancelot's horse did not stop until it reached the castle's stables. He tried to force it to turn around but was met with resistance as the horse threw him from its back. He yelled for another from the stable boy, but failed to realize how much his voice carried. A grief stricken Arthur heard his cry and ran to find his friend. A fatigued Lancelot starred blindly into the distance and then turned and was met with the pale blue eyes of his future king.

"Arthur"

Arthur stared at him searching for an answer but did not exchange words

"You needn't ask sire, ….The answer is no …"

Arthur held back his tears and pretended not to hear

"I wasn't going to, No matter ..I'm sure she'll return home soon, after all , her place is in Camelot"

"You must face the fact Arthur that there may not be much hope left"

Tears could be heard in Lancelot's voice as he tried to fight back the words. Arthur turned around grabbed his shirt and pointed his finger into his chest

"YOU ARE NOT To JUDGE….let me tell you about hope, she didn't give up hope when I wanted to abandon the throne, she didn't give up hope when cenrid wanted my life in exchange for her brother's, she didn't even give up hope when my father wanted to persecute her because I simply loved her, instead she convinced me that I can make a difference, she even believed in me as she laid on top of me with her back….."

Arthur looked away to stop his tears from flowing " I would fight a thousand battles and give up my throne a hundred times over if it meant that I could see her once again" he then turned and starred intensely into Lancelot's eyes never wavering, not even for a second

"Now that is a hope I won't give up on and I won't allow you or anyone else for that matter to cheapen it and put it out!"

Arthur then walked away to the tallest tower in Camelot's castle never looking back, as he opened the door to take in the midnight air he grabbed his heart, as he starred upwards at the moon. And then he slide down with his back against the wall and quietly cried out gwenivere's name and little did he know that high above on the towers peak stood a black hawk watching and listening to his every word and not only did it shed a tear, but so did Kai, as he not only saw the pain of Arthurs heart through his brothers eyes, but he also watched over the love of Arthurs life.

Even with that he was still troubled as to why she didn't want to return home.