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Morgana fastened her red cloak around her shoulders as she and Gwen prepared to make a pilgrimage to her father's gravesite. It had been nine years since his untimely death, and the pain hadn't yet faded. Part of that had to do with Uther's connection to his death. Morgana still blamed Uther. With his arrogance, she knew that he would never admit that he had sent Gorlois to his death. This only made Morgana all the angrier.

"Are you ready, My Lady?" Gwen asked from the doorway.

"Yes, Gwen," Morgana smiled at her maid. "Thank you for coming with me." She went toward Gwen, taking her hands in her own. "It means a lot to me."

"Of course, Morgana."

They headed down to the courtyard where two horses and a group of knights were waiting. Arthur was also there to bid them farewell. "I hope your trip isn't too upsetting," he told her.

"Thank you, Arthur," Morgana replied.

"Be safe," Arthur said to her and to Gwen. Something seemed to pass between him and Gwen, but it was gone before Morgana had a chance to guess at what it was. "Make sure you return to Camelot before dusk," Arthur said to the knights.

Morgana mounted her horse, Gwen following suit and soon they were riding out of Camelot and toward Gorlois's grave.

It was a fine morning. Warm but not yet hot. Morgana enjoyed the fresh air and the peace that came with leaving the castle. She had spent far too many days cooped up in her room, afraid to face the world lest they see her secret. Her nightmares had only been worsening. Merlin had left four days before to warn Ryll. Morgana feared for her safety, but she tried not to let that fear show. No one besides Merlin could know what she had seen. She knew Uther would call it magic. Perhaps he would think that someone had cursed her, but when he found out that it was all her, he'd have her executed. She doubted he cared about her enough to pardon her. His rules were absolute and he did not make exceptions.

"Are you well, My Lady?" Gwen asked, sensing her discontent.

"Yes, Gwen, I'm fine." She smiled, hoping Gwen would just think she was upset over remembering her father's death. After a pause, she turned to Gwen. "You've been rather secretive lately."

"Have I?" Gwen asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"I just wonder if something has been on your mind," Morgana pressed.

"Nothing, My Lady. It's nothing."

Morgana wasn't sure of that, but she let it drop. Let Gwen have her secrets. Morgana had hers. She wished she could confide in her maid, but it was safer for both of them if that knowledge remained a secret.

As they reached the Darkling Woods, Morgana and Gwen slowed their horses. These woods had always frightened Morgana. The trees were so tall and still, their branches high up so that their trunks looked barren as she looked around her. The morning was still, but somewhere within the forest she heard a branch crack. Morgana looked up. The guards hadn't seemed to notice anything. Then suddenly, before anyone had a moment to react, bandits were riding down the hillock toward them. Swords were held aloft and the bandits yelled as they came on. The knights barely had time to draw their own swords before they were being attacked. They didn't stand a chance. Morgana looked around her at the chaos. Why hadn't she brought a sword? This was a peaceful pilgrimage. She would never have expected an attack.

"We need to get out of here," she called to Gwen. She wheeled her horse around, but one of the bandits blocked her. The knights were falling around her, overwhelmed by the bandits. Morgana turned her horse again, but felt arms pulling her off. She struggled, but it was no use. Gwen was also pulled from her horse. Morgana elbowed the bandit, but he grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her away from the battle. She looked back to see the last knight fall. "No!" she cried out. She and Gwen were dragged away into the woods. Morgana tried to break away, but it was no use. With all the knights dead, no one would come looking for her until after dusk and by then, who knew where they would be? She looked over at Gwen whose face mirrored Morgana's own fear. If Morgana had the power of fore dreams, then why, she asked herself, had she not seen this coming?

…

Merlin reached Camelot by mid-afternoon two days after leaving Hengist's castle. The ride had been longer and more treacherous than expected. He rode into the castle, nearly falling off his horse in his haste to get to Arthur. He found the prince in his rooms, pouring over some maps. He looked up when Merlin entered the room unannounced.

"Merlin, you're back. Where's Ryll?" he asked. "Did she not come?"

"Ryll was kidnapped," Merlin blurted out. "A man named Hengist kidnapped her and Lancelot, but that's not all – he's planning on kidnapping Morgana and holding her ransom. We have to stop her from going to visit her father's grave."

"I just saw her off this morning."

"We have to go after her!"

Arthur grabbed his sword from the table. "Let's go," he said.

They gathered a group of knights and rode off toward the Darkling Woods, following the path Morgana would have taken. Halfway through the forest they came across Morgana's guard. They were all dead. Arthur dismounted, looking around with sorrow etched on his face. Merlin dismounted as well, spotting a piece of paper struck through an arrow that had pierced one of the knight's backs.

"They must have been caught unaware," Arthur said somberly. He picked up a sword next to one of the fallen bandits. "These are Mercian blades," he said.

"Here's a ransom note," Merlin said, holding up the paper.

"We need to keep going. We can catch up to them." Arthur mounted his horse once more and Merlin scrambled into the saddle as Arthur and the knights took off.

"Do you know who Hengist is?" Merlin asked Arthur.

"He's a thug. He lives in Mercia, but he tends to follow his own laws. I've heard of him and I know my father has had trouble with him in the past."

"I can understand him sending out a ransom for Morgana, but why would he want Ryll?" Merlin asked.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps he knew her before."

"I don't know a lot about her past," Merlin admitted. "It's possible."

"We'll get all of them back," Arthur swore.

After awhile, Arthur pulled up and told the knights to dismount. "We continue on foot. We want to get a surprise attack in when we find the bandits. They spread out on foot, swords and crossbows ready. Arthur notched an arrow in his own crossbow, stepping cautiously forward. They listened for any sounds and sure enough, the rustling of leaves could be heard a distance off. Arthur motioned for the knights to be still. He crept forward. The rustling got louder. Merlin thought it sounded as if someone was running. Arthur prepared to shoot and then–

"Morgana!" The king's ward had run into the clearing wearing nothing but her white shift. Her hair was loose and she bore a cut above her left brow. "Where's Gwen?" Arthur asked, but Morgana could only shake her head, tears threatening to fall.

…

Ryll waited impatiently for whatever surprise it was Hengist had in mind for her. She paced her cell, on edge after her unexpected meeting with Merlin. She was this close to having the life she wanted. She was pardoned by Uther, allowed back in Camelot, Merlin had come for her… But here she was, stuck in a cell. She could escape. She could pick the lock on her cell and Lancelot's and they could escape together, but what was to stop Hengist from coming after them again? She wasn't familiar with the land around the castle – she hadn't been allowed to leave it when she had lived there before. And it was night. They'd probably get caught traipsing around in the dark.

She was worried about Merlin. And Morgana. Everything was spiraling out of control, and all she could do was pace her cell. Even Lancelot was quiet. He seemed to have run out of optimistic things to say.

They didn't have to wait long for one of Hengist's men to return for them. Ryll stopped her pacing, eyeing the guard. He watched her nervously. "Hengist wishes to see you now," he said. Lancelot stood in the neighboring cell. "Just the girl," the guard said, leering at Lancelot.

"I'll be fine," Ryll assured Lancelot. "I'm more than a match for Hengist and this puny guard he sent for me." She turned her eyes on the guard who stepped back involuntarily. "I was trained to be an assassin after all." Her words were empty – she wasn't going to go around murdering people as much as they deserved it. But the threat certainly frightened the guard. His hands were shaking as he unlocked her cell.

"Easy," Ryll said as she passed him. "I don't have any weapons. Not that I need them." She walked in front of him without encouragement. He followed along behind her. She knew just where to go, and headed up to where she knew Hengist would be.

There was no one in the dining hall at this hour. This was where Hengist entertained himself. The room was lined with tables, but in the very center stood a cage. This was where the fights took place. Two men with swords. The winner got the gold, the loser got the sharp side of a Wilddeoren. Hengist was sitting in his usual seat.

"Ah, my pretty assassin," he said, opening his arms to greet her.

"Don't call me that."

"I can call you whatever I wish," he said. "You're mine again."

"I was never yours and will never be yours," she snapped. "Cut to the chase. Why am I here?"

"In time."

"No, now. I'm not patient, you know that well. You kidnapped me, burned down my house and now you're sending off your henchmen to steal Uther's ward. Have I mentioned what a spitfire she is? We're very alike."

"You and I were alike once," Hengist said, standing.

"I will never be like you," Ryll spat.

"Revenge," Hengist continued on as if she hadn't spoken. "We have a taste for revenge. Remember when you first came here? How unhappy you were? But then I trained you. Do you remember your first mission?" Ryll turned away. That was the last thing she wanted to remember. "Remember those two men who killed your friends?"

"You ordered them to be killed."

"Remember how you fought them in the cage without mercy. You showed them no mercy."

"You nearly turned me into a monster."

"You killed them, Amaryllis. Because you have a taste for revenge. You and I are not so different."

"We are very different. You stand for everything hateful and wrong in this world. I'm sorry I let you worm your way into my mind. I was weak then. I was alone and afraid, and I let you turn me into someone I wasn't. I'm not that same girl anymore. You can't influence me."

"Ah, but I have leverage," Hengist said. "That friend of yours and soon the Lady Morgana as well. I think you would do anything to protect them. Even kill." Ryll remained silent. "Tonight you're going to fight," Hengist told her. "I miss watching you dance. You're going to keep fighting until you pass out from exhaustion. Then I'll decide whether or not you get a respite or if I feed you to my Wilddeoren. Tomorrow night your friend will fight."

"Do I get a sword?"

"Yes, but only when you're in the cage."

"I want my sword back." She noticed it was at Hengist's side. He drew it.

"You get whatever sword happens to get thrown your way. Be glad I'm letting you fight. I could just feed you to my beasts."

"Fighting off beasts is my specialty these days," Ryll told him, grinning.

"Well then, we might just have to put that to the test."

…

By the time the cage fights were starting, the dining hall was teeming with people. Ryll paced the cage, a rough sword in her hand. It wasn't the best sword, but she could win with any sword handed to her. She waited for her opponent to be picked. All the men around her leered through the bars, laughing as they waited for the fight. They thought she was Wilddeoren fodder. She'd show them. She grinned fiercely at them. Finally a hefty man was shoved forward. He looked almost embarrassed to be fighting her.

"I don't show mercy to women," he told her.

"Good because I don't show mercy to ugly ruffians."

He swung at her, angered by her words. She moved faster than he could think. She caught him off guard, knocking him back against the cage with a well-aimed kick of her boot. She slashed ruthlessly at him until the sword was knocked from his hand. She picked it up.

"Who's next?" she asked, looking around her. She had disarmed him in less than ten seconds. This was going to be easy.

Her second and third opponents were just as easy. They underestimated her just as the first had, thinking that they could do better. Each of the losers slunk off, nursing their wounded pride. Ryll faced her fourth opponent without any fear. He was a smaller man, and she doubted he had the strength to beat her. She moved first, stabbing out at him with lightning speed. He was faster. He moved aside in a heartbeat and sent his sword at her side. She barely had time to twist and block. She stopped smiling and concentrated on her opponent. He seemed to read her mind with every move. He wasn't particularly strong or skilled, but he knew how to block her and catch her off guard. She could feel sweat pricking along her scalp as she circled him, trying to figure out a way to catch him off guard.

She decided being unpredictable was the way. She started a series of fierce yet clumsy moves that came at him from all angles. He stepped back, trying to keep his balance. He was biting his lip now, trying to figure out what she was doing. Finally she disarmed him, sending his sword to the floor with a clatter.

"Is this really all you can muster, Hengist?" Ryll asked, opening her arms. She heard movement behind her and turned around just in time to punch the man square in the jaw. He'd been about to reach for his sword. She kicked the sword out of the cage.

Hengist's face was passive. He motioned for another man to replace her beaten opponent. This one was huge – at least three times her size. He wore a sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscles. His sword was thicker than her neck. "That's better," she said softly.

The battle was a fierce one. She relied on her quick wits and quick movements to keep herself from getting beheaded. She knew she couldn't beat the man out of sheer force. He wasn't as dim witted as she had hoped. She was dodging a blow, when he caught her off guard. He feinted and then brought his great hand out to hit her. She caught the full brunt of it, though she could tell he hadn't put his full force into it. She was sent backwards into the cage bars. She felt blood running down from her mouth and her brow. This infuriated her. She lunged at him, weaving and dodging, throwing in blows where she could. Finally, she executed a complicated maneuver meant to disarm him. It didn't work. The man was about to hit her over the head with the butt of his sword, and she couldn't move quickly enough.

"Enough!" Hengist's voice rang out. "I don't want her dead just yet."

Her opponent leered at her, pulling back. Ryll felt the blood rushing to her head. She wasn't done with him yet. She attacked again with a force to be reckoned with. The man stumbled, surprised by her second attack. He tried to block her blows, but this time she wasn't losing. She kicked a foot straight into the man's chest, sending him back against the bars of the cage. A few more blows and she had him on his knees.

She looked up at Hengist. "I wasn't finished," she said, her voice calm.

She was ushered from the cage where the crowds were now cheering for her. She wiped a drip of blood from her mouth. She was brought up to Hengist's table. "You've grown in skill," he told her. "And you're still just as ruthless."

"I fight to survive," Ryll told him. "I always have."

"Take her back to her cell," Hengist ordered his men. Ryll was grabbed roughly, a guard clamping onto each of her arms. The crowds roared as she left the room. She was shoved into her cell, falling to the floor.

"Ryll, are you alright?" Lancelot called out to her. Blood was dripping onto the floor from her wounds.

The guards locked the door and left. Ryll wiped her mouth. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Here." He tore off a bit of his shirt sleeve, dipping it into the cup of water they had been given to share for dinner and handing it over to Ryll so that she could dab the blood.

"It looks worse than it is," she said. "I beat them all."

"He had you fight?" he asked in alarm.

"That's what he does for entertainment," Ryll replied. "He wants you to fight tomorrow."

"Did he say what he plans to do with us?" Lancelot asked her.

She shook her head. "I don't know. He said he didn't want me dead yet, but that implies that he wants me dead at some point."

"That's not going to happen," he said fiercely.

"Let's escape tonight," Ryll said. "I still have my hairpin." She pulled it from her tangled hair. "We'll wait until the dining hall clears out. Get some sleep. I'll wake you."

"You need rest too. Let me stay up."

"I couldn't sleep if I tried." In truth she was exhausted physically but her mind buzzed with energy. She wasn't sure if it was the thought of escaping or the thrill of the fight. If it was the latter, she refused to admit it to herself. She wouldn't let herself become the person she was when she had been Hengist's assassin. She'd left that person behind long ago.