-16-

"You did what?" Gaius asked Merlin as they sat at the table for dinner. Ryll had pleaded no appetite and had left Merlin to explain what had passed in the village earlier that day.

"It was the only way, Gaius. Now we have some idea of what is causing all the sickness."

"It was too dangerous, Merlin. Uther won't care whether Ryll cured someone or not. It's sorcery and it's all the same to him."

"I tried to tell her that, but in the end, it made sense that it was the only way to help them. Now that we have some idea of what's causing the sickness we can stop it. We didn't heal anyone else. No one will get suspicious."

"A shadowy figure, you said?" Gaius said after a moment.

Merlin nodded. "The same that took Ryll's parents and village," he added.

"You're sure of this?"

"Yes, she was terrified. You should have seen her face when the girl mentioned the shadow. I've never seen her so scared."

"I'll see what I can find," Gaius said after a pause. He pushed aside his bowl and grabbed a thick tome from one of the dusty bookshelves. He set it down on the table and flipped it open, his finger running along the page as he perused it for any information that might help them. He was silent for near to an hour while Merlin washed up the dishes. Finally, he set the book aside and looked up at Merlin.

"I think I've found something," he said. He pointed a finger at a picture in the book. Merlin looked over his shoulder, reading the caption aloud.

"Shadow wraith."

"A shadow wraith is not dead but is not alive either. They cause famine and sickness wherever they go and gain strength with each life they take. They suck the life force out of each victim, causing illness until the life is drained from the body. They can only be summoned by a necromancer."

"A necromancer?" Merlin questioned.

"A necromancer is a practitioner of dark magic with the ability to raise and summon the dead. They also have the power to summon and bind a shadow wraith to do their bidding. This is very dark magic, Merlin. No one should fool around with raising the dead; it unsettles the balance of things. When someone is raised from the dead, it creates a rift. Something unnatural enters the world and bad things will follow. A wraith is commonly used for gathering power for the necromancer."

Merlin took a seat across from Gaius. "Can we kill the wraith?" he asked.

"A wraith can only be defeated when the summoner releases his hold on the wraith."

"So we have to find the necromancer first?"

"Merlin, this is no small matter. A necromancer is dangerous. Killing him would be no small feat."

"But if we don't, then people will continue to fall ill. What if Arthur fell ill?" Merlin thought of Ryll. "If this is the thing that killed Ryll's family, she'll go kill him herself with or without our consent."

"We must not let her take rash action. We do not fully understand her power. There's something else." He hesitated and Merlin prompted him to continue. "I found out more about her ring."

"What is it, Gaius?" Merlin asked, furrowing his brow at the somber expression that had taken over Gaius's face.

"The writing on the ring is not only a healing spell but a binding spell."

"What kind of binding spell?"

"The kind that keeps something dark trapped within it." Gaius's words were met with silence.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"It's very complicated old magic. Whoever cast the spell was very accomplished with magic. The spell cast on this ring is sort of a counter spell. The ring itself holds the power to heal but it was also meant to contain something dark – I believe that whoever gave Ryll this ring not only knew that it would give her the power to withstand the sickness, but it also had the power to contain the shadow wraith, trap it, if you will. As long as Ryll kept the ring on, the wraith would be trapped. But should she take it off…." He let his words hang.

"She did take it off. At the tournament. For the last part." Merlin remembered her handing it to him. He'd had it with him the entire time, but he hadn't put it on.

"There were injuries and pain all around, the wraith would have had so much to feed on. Without the ring in Ryll's possession, the wraith was able to escape its jail."

"But what difference would it make whether or not she was wearing it?" Merlin asked.

"I'm not sure. We don't know enough about Ryll and whatever powers she may possess. Perhaps there is some power within her that the ring's protective powers react to. Like I said, it's a very old and very complicated spell."

"You said you'd heard of some sickness killing off an entire village and a dark sorcerer being suspected," Merlin recalled.

"Yes, the village of Hithar. The very same Ryll is from."

"Could the dark sorcerer be the necromancer?" Merlin asked.

"Perhaps."

"Do you know where he could be?"

Gaius sighed. "There were rumors of a dark sorcerer in the citadel of Scarath. It lies to the east of Camelot in the Dimwall Forest near the base of a mountain. It's a three days ride from the city on horseback."

"I have to go there."

"And what will you do if you find the necromancer?"

"I can defeat him, I know it. I'll tell Arthur of our suspicions. He'll want to come."

"So will Ryll if you tell her."

"She won't like it if I don't include her. Besides, she has the ring. She's our best chance." Merlin watched as Gaius deliberated. "I have a feeling that she needs to be there to see this to the end."

"Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?" Gaius said, relenting.

"No, probably not," Merlin replied, grinning. "I'll be fine, Gaius," he added more seriously. "If I don't go then more people will fall ill and everyone else who is sick will die. This has to end."

"Be careful then. And don't let Ryll get herself in trouble with that ring."

"I won't." Merlin stood. He only hoped Arthur wouldn't ask too many questions.

…

"A what?" Arthur asked him, his expression confused. Merlin tried not to make a joke about it. Arthur often got this look on his face when he was thinking too hard.

"A shadow wraith. The little girl in the village told us she'd seen something and what she saw fits that description. The symptoms of the people who have fallen ill fit with the symptoms the shadow wraiths cause."

"And it's being summoned by a what?"

"A necromancer. A dark sorcerer. Gaius heard rumors of such a person in the citadel of Scarath in Dimwall Forest."

"And you think he's forcing the wraith to attack villagers and the people of Camelot?" Arthur still looked skeptical.

"Yes. Not that a wraith needs any encouraging to kill."

"How do we defeat it?"

"If we somehow release the hold the necromancer has on the wraith then the wraith will turn on its captor."

"How do you know all this?"

"A book. It has lore on wraiths and necromancers. A wraith can only be controlled – it isn't allowed free will, but they resent that. Just as people hate a dictator. It has a tendency to turn on the hand that captured it."

"And this was all in your little book?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. Look, it's going to keep killing until it wipes out all of Camelot. It's happened before."

"When?"

Merlin hesitated. "It happened to Ryll when she was a child. A wraith killed her entire village."

Arthur was silent for a moment. "Then how did she survive?"

Merlin shrugged. "I'm not sure," he lied. "Somehow her parents found a way to protect her even though they couldn't protect themselves."

"Does Ryll tie into the sicknesses now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps it meant to kill her then and has come back for her now."

"Then are you going to just let it kill her?" Merlin asked.

"Of course not. We leave at first light," Arthur said resolutely.

"Great. But there's one thing…."

"What's that?"

"I think Ryll should come."

"What? Why?"

"She'll come anyway once she finds out. She's good with a weapon. We could use her." Merlin skirted around the real reason he wanted her there.

"Out of the question. We'll bring some knights with us. She doesn't need to get more involved."

"Please Arthur."

"I would think you'd be more concerned about her safety," Arthur said coldly.

Merlin nodded. "Of course I'm concerned for her safety. Fine. I won't say anything to her."

"Good. See that you don't."

"But I also thing we shouldn't bring knights as well. The element of surprise would work best."

Arthur thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright then, just you and me."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Merlin turned to leave.

"Merlin." Merlin turned back to Arthur. "Leave Ryll out of this." Merlin nodded before leaving Arthur's room where he ran straight into Ryll. He jumped in surprise, shutting the door quickly and leading her by the arm to a secluded alcove.

"You can't just leave me out of this!" Ryll said angrily.

"How did you know that I was speaking with Arthur?" he asked. "Were you out there the whole time?"

"Yes…. I saw you heading toward his room. I knew he wouldn't let me come. But I have to! This is my past, my fault maybe."

"Why would you say that?"

"I don't know," Ryll admitted. "Just a feeling. This happened to me before. The shadow killed everyone around me. And now it's happening again. It can't just be coincidence."

"It's not your fault." Merlin put a hand on each of her shoulders, forcing her to face him. "I'm not supposed to let you come, but I can't do anything about it if you do," he said. "I want to keep you safe, but you're safe with the ring. Just make sure you keep it on from now on." He didn't tell her of Gaius's revelation about her ring. She had enough to worry about.

A small smile broke over her face. "Then I'd better head to my room. I have to prepare for tomorrow's journey."

"You know it's going to be dangerous. You'd be safer here."

Ryll watched his face carefully for a moment, and he wondered what was going through her head. Then she reached up and put a hand to his face. Surprised, he stared at her wide-eyed.

"So would you, but you're not going to stay here," she said softly. "You're my friend, and I care greatly for you. So I'm going not only to defeat this evil, but to protect you too."

Merlin smiled down at her. "That means a lot to me," he said. "If anyone can protect us, I know you can. Just be prepared for a lecture from Arthur when you show yourself."

Ryll grinned. "Oh, I look forward to it." She stepped back from him and then headed off toward her room, leaving Merlin staring after her. He shook his head. She might not know it, but she was completely captivating when she was stubborn. Her defiance and bravery glowed within her like a beacon. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself, not knowing how Arthur felt about her, not knowing that Ryll probably felt the same way, but he couldn't deny that he was starting to fall for her.

…

Morgana had not seen Ryll since before the tournament. She had been worried sick about her during her time in the castle dungeons, but now that she was free again, another nagging worry had wormed its way into her head. She did not ever want to doubt her friend. Ryll had been nothing but kind to her. But something was bothering her. Something in the back of her mind that she could not quite place. Of late her nightmares had been darker with shadows and hidden forms she could not quite make out.

She smiled at Gwen as her maid left the room for the night. Morgana lay down on her bed, turning her head to blow out the candle on her bedside table. As she lay her head back into her pillow and shut her eyes, she felt sleep tug her under and she succumbed to her dreams.

Tonight her dreams took place in a deep, dark forest. She was walking through it, barefooted, the soft cool feel of the soil underfoot. The trees did not end as she came to a mountain that rose up to the stormy sky. It blended in with the surroundings and a citadel rose up above her, carved into the side of the mountain. Hawks circled around the peaks of the tall towers. She gazed up wondering who lived there and where she was. She kept walking until she reached a long winding road the led up the side of the mountain to the gates of the citadel. A scream rang out from somewhere above in the citadel. She looked up, fearing what awaited her. The scream sounded familiar. She started to run, her feet scuffing against the harsh gravel of the pathway. When she reached the closed gates, she thrust her hands around the bars and pushed. To her surprise, the gates opened at her touch. She crept forward, looking around her. The citadel was deserted. An archway led into a paved courtyard. A fountain took up the center of the courtyard. No water ran from it and the basin was dry. Two fierce horses reared up on either side, mouths open, ready to pour out water. Now they just stared ahead, sentinels to a forgotten city.

She kept going forward, creeping further into the deserted city. Narrow streets led in three different directions. She went down the center street and found herself at a set of wooden doors. She pushed them open and her vision blurred. When she opened her eyes again, a scene unfolded before her. A shadow rose up above a small figure. The figure was holding out a small object in her hand against the shadow, golden hair lay splayed across her back. Ryll. Morgana watched as the shadow came toward her friend. Then there was a flash of light and the shadow disappeared. Ryll seemed to glow with power and when she turned to look at Morgana, a shadow flickered behind her eyes.

Morgana woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. She was breathing hard. What was happening? This wasn't the first dream she'd had where shadows lurked behind her friend's eyes. She didn't want to believe that there was something wrong about Ryll, but then why did she keep having these dreams? Feeling unsettled, she got out of bed, donning a robe and slipping out of her room. She found herself walking toward one of the balconies that overlooked the courtyard. She let the cool night air wash over her face, brushing away the remnants of her nightmare. She heard a slight sound behind her and turned to find Ryll standing there. She gave a start, her nightmare flashing back to her. She took a step back without thinking and saw confusion flash across Ryll's face.

"Is something wrong?" her friend asked.

"Just… just a bad dream. It's nothing."

"Sometimes nightmares can be so real," Ryll said. "They make us doubt ourselves and others sometimes."

Morgana started. Did Ryll know that her nightmare had been about her? "Yes." Silence fell between them. "Well, I should get back to bed. Goodnight." She skirted around Ryll, well aware that her actions were that of a frightened child. She could not shake the image of the shadow lurking behind Ryll's eyes. When she got back to her room she locked her door and fell back into bed though sleep eluded her. Finally she fell back asleep and did not dream again.