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Ryll swung her sword up just in time to block a blow from one of the men. Two men had attacked her and two had attacked Gwaine. The other man who had come at her took a nasty knife wound to the shoulder as Ryll swung the knife in her left hand. He dropped his sword, staggering back with a shout of pain. Ryll parried another blow from the sword and then fought back fiercely, driving him toward a water trough outside the tavern. With some expert legwork, Ryll sent the man off his feet and backwards into the trough with a mighty splash. Gwaine was still fighting both men and the man she'd stabbed had pulled her knife from his shoulder. He threw it at her, but she ducked and leapt at him, sword swinging. She clobbered him over the head before he could reach for his sword and engaged one of the men fighting Gwaine. Gwaine gave her an appraising look before knocking the sword from his opponent's hands and knocking him unconscious. Ryll swung a foot up and caught the man's hand. He didn't drop his sword, but his blows became ragged as his hand ached. Gwaine came up from behind and beat the hilt of his sword on the back of his head. They stood surveying the damage they had done. All four men lay either groaning or unconscious. Ryll picked up her knife and wiped off the blood before sheathing it.

"Who are you?" Gwaine asked, his eyes alight with wonder.

"Someone you're lucky to have on your side," she said with a smile.

"You still owe me money!" the tavern-keeper shouted.

"Take this deer," Ryll said. "And consider his debt repaid. It will feed your family or you can serve it to your patrons. Either that or be a man and fight him yourself instead of sending your cronies out to do the dirty work. Only a coward hides behind his strongmen."

Her words seemed to infuriate him, but he eyed both their swords and then his unconscious men before shouting. "Alright! Give me the deer!"

Ryll and Gwaine untied the deer and laid it at the man's feet. "More than you deserve," Gwaine muttered under his breath, but Ryll grabbed his arm and pulled him away before the tavern-keeper could change his mind.

"You've caused yourself enough trouble," Ryll said. "I think it's time you moved on from this village." She untied Owl and started for the road. Gwaine followed her.

"Aye, you're probably right," Gwaine said. "Time for a change."

"And perhaps next time you could lay off the bottle?" Ryll said, cocking an eyebrow.

"What else will I do to pass the time?" he asked.

Ryll sighed. "Get a job, feed orphans, take to the sea. I don't know. There's more to life than the bottom of a tankard, you know."

"Maybe you'll just have to help me find something more," he suggested with a sly smile.

"I'm already spoken for," she said, catching his meaning.

"He's a lucky man," Gwaine said, looking a bit regretful.

She smiled at him. "With your charm and knack for getting out of tight places, I think you'll be just fine," she told him. "But if you ever need a hand, you know where to find me."

"Are you going back to Camelot?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to get away."

"There's one specific thing keeping me there right now," she said.

"Ah, of course. Why doesn't he accompany you into the woods, I wonder."

"He respects my need to be alone. But he worries. He always worries."

"You should be careful. The wilderness is a dangerous place for anyone. Even someone as skilled with a blade as you."

"You're not half bad yourself. Have you ever thought of coming to Camelot? We could always use a fighter like you. But that's right. You don't deal with nobles."

"Only ones like you," he told her.

"Right. Well, I'm headed this way," she said.

"And I'm headed this way." He indicated the opposite direction. "Good lucky. I hope our paths cross again."

"Me too." Ryll smiled before pulling herself into the saddle. Gwaine watched her go, and then she was swallowed by the trees. It was an hour's ride back to Camelot, and she felt herself longing to stay in the woods longer. Merlin would worry if she was gone too long though, so she pushed Owl into a gallop.

She reached the Darkling woods and sensed that something was off at once. The forest was too quiet. Never a good sign. She pulled Owl to a stop and looked around her. The trees were still and no breeze touched the air. There was a certain tension in the woods she couldn't explain though. "Hello, Ryll," said a voice behind her. Ryll stayed still for a moment and then turned Owl around.

Her eyes widened when she saw the figure standing on the pathway behind her. "Morgana…"

…

Morgana stood on the path, watching her friend's reaction to seeing her. It had been a year since they had last spoken, since Ryll had helped her and Morgause escape. Now her friend stared at her, mouth open slightly in surprise. Then she dismounted and threw her arms around Morgana.

"Morgana!" she said again. "You're here! It's so good to see you!" She pulled back and held Morgana out at arm's length. "Are you well? Why are you here?" She frowned.

"I'm well," Morgana assured her. "I'm better than I've ever been. I came here to see you. I wish to speak to you about something. Will you come walk with me?" she asked. Morgause hadn't wanted to let Ryll in on their plan, but Morgana had insisted that she needed Ryll on her side. If Ryll wanted to turn them over to Arthur, she would have done so already.

"Yes, of course." Ryll grabbed her horse's reins and followed Morgana into the forest. "Where have you been the last year?" she asked. "Arthur's been searching all of Camelot for you."

"Has he?" Morgana asked. This surprised her. Surely Uther would have given up on his ward by now. Perhaps she underestimated how much he wanted her back. But wanting her back didn't mean he would change. She still had magic, and he still hated it. "We moved a lot," Morgana told Ryll. "Morgause has many places we can hide."

"Are you learning to use your magic?"

"Yes, I am. For the first time in my life, I'm not afraid to use it. It's such a wonderful feeling, Ryll."

"I'm glad. I'm so glad for you," Ryll said, taking Morgana's hand and squeezing it. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"I missed you too," Morgana said. "Have you been well?"

"Well enough. I'm afraid I've fallen out of Uther's favor again when I stopped joining the search parties. I knew you didn't want to come back, and I respected that. Which of course I didn't tell Uther or Arthur. Uther thinks I gave up, and he resents that. Merlin and Gwen are really the only ones who talk to me anymore."

"Uther cannot see any further than his own desires. He cares for no one but himself."

"Perhaps, but he is doing everything he can to find you, Morgana. I think his care is genuine. I think it always has been."

"It would not be if he knew I had magic," Morgana said bitterly. She had embraced her magic. Uther would never accept her now. "Anyway, I haven't come back to seek Uther's acceptance. I came to see if you were ready to join Morgause and me. We have a plan, and your help would be invaluable."

"What is your plan?" Ryll asked.

Morgana took a deep breath. "I'm going to return to Camelot," she said. "Soon. I'll play the part well – I was kidnapped by bandits, kept in a cell for nearly a year until they moved me. I'll play the part of Uther's loving ward. Meanwhile Morgause has a plan. She is an ally with Cenred, a sworn enemy of Camelot. His army will be at her disposal."

"You mean to take Camelot?" Morgana could see the shock behind Ryll's eyes.

"Uther is unfit to rule," she said. "As long as he is king, people like you and me will have no place in Camelot."

"He forgave me once before."

"For me. Now I'm not there, and it's only a matter of time before he turns on you," Morgana told her. Ryll looked torn, and Morgana knew that she was frightened for Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen. "Your friends will have nothing to worry about as long as they are with us," she said. She knew Arthur would never turn against his father, but Gwen had suffered at Uther's hand after losing her father and being accused of sorcery. She would stay by Morgana. Merlin had helped her many times before as well.

"They're your friends too, Morgana. Even Arthur. He's the one out there searching for you."

"I know that," Morgana said. "But there needs to be change."

"What will happen to Arthur if Morgause and Cenred overrun the city?" Ryll asked.

"If he joins us, he will be spared."

Ryll didn't smile. Why was she being so difficult? Morgana thought that Ryll would stand by her no matter what. Wasn't that what they promised each other? "Arthur will never join Morgause or Cenred."

"Then you won't be a part of our plan?" Morgana asked.

"I have no soft spot in my heart for Uther, but I won't help you murder him," Ryll told her. "And I won't turn against Arthur. You've changed Morgana. Before you would have cared about what happens to Arthur. Don't you remember how many times you woke up from nightmares where he died and begged him not to go on some dangerous quest? He's like a brother to you, and yet you're telling me that he's a necessary casualty in your war against Uther." She shook her head. "I had hoped that you and Morgause were living happily somewhere, that you were learning to use your magic, that you were safe. I didn't realize you were plotting against Camelot. Morgana, that's not what you were given powers for."

"My powers are nothing in Camelot. I cannot use them without fear of death," Morgana said. "Do you really want to live under Uther's shadow for years longer?"

"No, but this isn't the way, Morgana. He isn't going to be king forever."

"It's already been too long!" Morgana was practically shouting. She tried to calm herself. This wasn't going as planned. Ryll was supposed to join her, to be at her side no matter what. "Uther's time has come," she said. "It's his side or mine."

"I'm not picking Uther over you but I'm still not helping you overthrow him," Ryll said. "I don't have to pick a side. I pick my own side where I stand by my friends, you included. But I'm not going to help you do this."

"Then you leave me no choice," Morgana said sadly. "Sister."

Morgause came out from where she had been listening in the trees. Ryll's eyes widened, but then Morgause started to chant, her eyes glowing. Ryll fell limp, and Morgana caught her before lowering her to the ground. Morgause finished her enchantment and looked at Morgana.

"I'm sorry that she would not join us," she said. "Her loyalties are with Camelot."

"I had hoped that her loyalties would be with me," Morgana said bitterly. "We're best friends but yet she chooses to protect Uther."

"Do not turn your heart against her, Sister. She may still be useful. This enchantment will make her forget everything she has just heard. She will not remember that she has seen you. If it starts to wear off and she tries to tell someone of our plan then she will fall under an enchantment."

"I'll keep trying when I return to Camelot," Morgana said. "In the end she will choose to stand by us."

"For now we must go before she wakes," Morgause told her. Morgana took one more look at Ryll before following Morgause to where their horses waited. Next time she returned to Camelot, she would be welcomed home with open arms and Uther's fate would be sealed.

…

Ryll awoke in the forest without remembering how she had gotten there. She sat up and saw Owl grazing a few feet away. Had she fallen off? Had she been attacked? Ryll got shakily to her feet. She felt weak, but other than that there was nothing wrong with her. Owl seemed unconcerned, and so she mounted her and reined her back onto the trail. How had she gotten so far off the trail? She rode slowly back to the castle and allowed one of the stable hands to tend Owl. She felt a bit dazed and decided to go to the physician's quarters. She didn't want to worry Merlin, but to be honest she was a bit worried herself. She had the distinct feeling that she had missed something important.

Merlin wasn't there when she entered, but Gaius was stirring something in his mortar. He looked up when she entered. "Merlin just went out to pick some herbs," he told her.

"Actually I was hoping to ask you about something," she said. "If you have time." She had always felt a little shy around Gaius. She wasn't even sure if he knew that she and Merlin were together although it was pretty obvious that they spent as much time together as possible.

"Of course. What is it you wish to ask?" he said, setting the mortar and pestle aside.

"I was riding back from my hunting trip and suddenly I woke up on the forest floor. I have no idea how I got there. I had been riding and suddenly I was there. I feel rather dizzy and as if my memories from that time before waking up are missing. I don't know what's happening to me," she said.

"Did someone attack you?" he asked. "Any bumps on the head?"

"No. In fact, I don't feel any pain like I had fallen off my horse. I would be feeling bruised if I had."

"Indeed. Have you ever had periods of blackouts before?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so," she said.

"Perhaps you were feeling ill and dismounted then ended up passing out. Sometimes when a person is feeling quite sick, their memories can become confused."

"But I was a quarter mile from the road," Ryll told him. I must have walked there, but I don't remember that."

She couldn't tell what Gaius was thinking behind his stern gaze. "I'm not sure what to tell you," he said finally. "Try getting some rest and let me know if anything like that happens again. If you continue to feel dizzy, I can give you something to help. A good night's sleep should help though."

"Alright. Thank you, Gaius," she said, smiling. "I'll get some rest."

She left the physician's quarters and started back to her room. Halfway there she started feeling dizzy. She put a hand to the wall. Her mind felt numb and her tongue thick as if she'd swallowed something unpleasant. Suddenly it was hard to breathe and black dots flickered in front of her eyes.

"Ryll?" She heard a voice from somewhere far away, but her ears were buzzing, and her legs could no longer support her. Arms caught her as she fell, but before she could see who it was, her vision went black and she let it consume her.