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Ryll held the pale pink stone in her hand as she lay on her bed, trying to fight off the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her. She had been trying to come up with a plan to save Byron all afternoon. She knew that if given the chance, Byron could use his magic to escape, but during the day, escape was unrealistic. Morgana had stopped by her room earlier to tell her what Arthur had said. While the prince sympathized with their argument – that the druids were innocent – he couldn't do anything to persuade his father otherwise. Morgana hadn't seemed too optimistic though she told Ryll she would do anything she could to help. Ryll wondered how Morgana really felt about the situation. The old Morgana would have truly sympathized because she would see how much this was tearing apart Ryll. The new Morgana… Ryll wasn't sure she was capable of sympathy anymore.

As she thought about Byron and the looming execution, Ryll's anger toward Uther began to well up. Before she could stop it, a surge of anger ran through her, kindling her powers. The stone suddenly glowed warmly within her hands, and she looked down at it in surprise. The surge of power lessened until it no longer felt overwhelming. She focused on the stone and then looked over at the fireplace set into the wall. Flames appeared. For the first time since she had discovered her elemental powers, Ryll felt completely in control. She summoned her powers again, holding the stone tightly in her first and concentrating on the fire. A gust of wind blew in from the window and smothered the flames. Ryll felt a trill of excitement. She could control her powers. She didn't have to be afraid anymore. She looked down at the stone, wondering how it worked exactly. Clearly the stone itself was a sort of conduit that helped her use her powers in moderation instead of the usual emotionally charged surge that could cause so much destruction.

If she could control her powers, then that meant that she could break Byron and Theor out of the dungeons without causing another catastrophe. She lay back down, shutting her eyes and envisioning the castle corridors and secret entrances. There had to be a way to get them out without casting suspicion on herself. Of course, if it came down to it, she'd gladly take the blame. Her thoughts flitted to Merlin's words. Don't die for him. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want to see her friends die either. Byron had done so much for her. She couldn't just abandon him or leave him to his own devices. He would be weak for awhile to come while he healed, his powers not up to their usual strength. They didn't have time though. He and Theor were to be executed at dawn no matter what his physical state.

Ryll started when she heard her door open and close. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized the sun was setting. She sat up and saw that Merlin had entered, looking thoroughly exhausted. He slumped down on the end of her bed, falling back with a long sigh. "Rough day?" she asked.

"Arthur gets more and more creative," Merlin said.

"Well don't fall asleep, we need to come up with a way to free Byron and Theor," Ryll told him.

"How does Morgana know who Byron is?" Merlin asked her.

Ryll frowned. "She met him. He came looking for me and entered her room by accident. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious."

"It's more than that. You think she could be behind this."

Merlin sighed. "I'm not sure, Ryll. I just think it's odd that she would meet Byron and then a few days later they're found in the woods by the knights of Camelot when they would know how to keep hidden."

"You think she could be that heartless?"

"She tried to kill me."

"In a moment of desperation – I'm not trying to defend what she did!" she hurried to add at the look on Merlin's face. "I'm just saying that this would have taken some thought, some planning. Is she really cold enough to plot this when she knows how much it would hurt me to see Byron die?"

"If she wants you set against Uther, then yes. I think she could do it."

Ryll bit her lip. "I can't deny that my anger toward Uther increases every day. That doesn't mean I want a hand in killing him though."

"Morgana is going to keep hurting people you care about until you join her against Uther," Merlin told her.

"Are you saying that I should join her?"

"Of course not." Merlin sat up. "Not really."

"You think I should pretend?" She was already deeply into this. How much deeper would she have to go?

"I wouldn't expect you to do that, but she's going to keep trying to turn you against Uther. She thinks you've forgotten what you know about her. She wants you on her side. She still cares about you however cold she's gotten."

"Merlin, she's hurting people I love. How is that caring?"

"She wants you on her side so much that it's caused her to take desperate measures to ensure that you turn against Uther. Think about it from her point of view. She was quick enough to make enemies of everyone else. I was her friend too, but she didn't give me another chance."

"I know. I'm sorry." Ryll slid her hand into his, and he squeezed it. "I'll do it. After we help Byron escape. I'll pretend that I hate Uther and want him dead. How are we going to help Byron and Theor though?"

"I think I might have a plan," Merlin told her. "We need to create a commotion on the other side of the castle. I can give the guards a sleeping draft or figure something out. Then I'll steal the keys and get Byron and Theor out to safety."

"Where am I in this plan?" Ryll asked.

"You need to stay here," he told her. "If Uther catches you-"

"Me? What about you?" She shook her head. "No, I'm not letting you do this all on your own. You create the diversion, but I'm getting them out."

"It's too dangerous."

"Since when have I not been able to handle dangerous?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Ryll fingered the stone around her neck. "I'm going to use my powers to get them out," she said.

"What? But your powers are still untested. Even with the stone, especially with the stone, you don't know what you can do."

"I know that I can control my powers now. I'm not afraid. I've spent too long suppressing who I really am. I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going to embrace who I am."

"Are you sure?" Merlin asked.

"I'm sure," Ryll told him, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "I need to do this, Merlin. If I don't ever prove to myself that I can use my powers without hurting anyone, then I can stop reliving that moment with the Brotherhood and the caves over and over again. I can move on."

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "But if you get caught…"

"I won't. Trust me."

"I do." He was looking keenly at her. "Just promise me that you won't get caught."

"I promise." Ryll smiled, leaning forward and kissing him. "You too."

"I promise. If I do though, I can always just blame it on my clumsiness."

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Something that involves a great deal of noise."

…

Ryll waited until she heard the commotion before slipping down to the dungeons. Merlin had given her several chances to change her mind, but she held strong, insisting that she could do this. Self-doubt had begun to worm its way into her head though, and she had to keep reminding herself that she had the stone. This wasn't going to be like last time when she had nearly destroyed an entire people in her anger. Of course the stone was untested, as were her powers, but Byron needed her. She would hold it together for him. She had no idea what Merlin was doing, but whatever he had done was certainly causing a commotion. She heard loud banging and several crashes from up above. The guards were peering up the stairs, looking unsettled. Ryll prepared herself and then focused her power. All at once the guards fell to the floor, unconscious. She looked down, satisfied that she hadn't hurt any of them. Feeling her confidence growing, she strode past the guards, snagging the keys as they went. So far everything was going smoothly. She'd have Byron and Theor out in an instant. She stopped in front of Byron's cell, noticing with apprehension that he was fast asleep on his cot. He awoke with a start when she unlocked the door. It creaked on the hinges, echoing loudly.

"Ryll, what are you doing?" he asked, standing and walking over to her in two strides.

"Rescuing you, of course," she said.

"How did you take out the guards?" he asked.

"Using my powers," she told him. She moved to unlock Theor's cell.

"Then the stone worked?"

"Yes, how did you know to look for it?" she asked.

"Relics such as the stone exist. They're ways of drawing and channeling power. I figured if you had a way to channel your power, you might have better luck controlling it. I found the stone in an old druid cave my mother told me about. It once belonged to my great grandmother. She was a powerful druid. My mother hid the stone in the cave during Uther's purge of magic."

"We have to hurry," Ryll said as Theor rose from his cot. "I'm not sure how long the distraction will keep the guards busy."

The two druids followed her down the dim corridor and to a door that led deep under the castle. She hurried them along, peering over her shoulder every few minutes. They were only halfway out of the castle when the warning bells began to toll out loudly. They all froze.

"They know you've escaped," Ryll said. Byron looked pale. Theor, Ryll noticed was limping. He must have put up a struggle when the knights had taken them, probably trying to protect Byron. "We need to hurry." They picked up the pace, but Theor fell back at once, laboring on his injured leg.

"You two go on," he said.

"I'm not leaving you," Byron said, striding back and pulling the older druid's arm over his shoulder. They followed Ryll deeper under the castle. Shouts could be heard down one of the corridors that branched off from the one they now fled down. Ryll felt a stab of fear. They couldn't get caught. Not now that they'd come so far. She quickened her pace.

"Stop! I've found them!" She whirled around to see a group of knights behind them. Byron looked straight at Ryll.

"Run," he told her. "Do not let them see you."

"I'm not going to leave you!" she said.

"Go now, Ryll. We're right behind you." She watched helplessly as Byron held out his hand. The knights flew backwards, hitting the ground with a force to knock them out. Byron pulled Theor with him, and Ryll finally moved. They ran as quickly as they could dragging Theor along. Running feet echoed behind them. Something had gone very wrong in their plans. Ryll wondered if someone had informed Uther that there was a plan to rescue the prisoners. The only person who knew about their plan besides Gaius was Morgana. The realization struck Ryll like a jolt, and she stumbled. Would Morgana have told Uther of their plan? What could she have to gain? Ryll was very near getting caught herself. Then it occurred to her. If Byron and Theor escaped, then no retribution from Uther would come, only to the guards who'd let them escape. Ryll would have no good reason to turn against him. But if they were caught… Ryll's thoughts flashed to Merlin. Had he been caught? Was that why the distraction hadn't worked for very long?

She pushed those thoughts aside. Right now she needed to focus on getting Byron and Theor out of the castle without getting caught. She heard footsteps to their left. She pulled the hood up over her head and focused on her powers. Flames burst up in the doorway, and the knights fell back with cries of fear. More knights were coming up behind them now. They were so close to escape. Ryll spotted the door up ahead. "Hurry! It's right there!" she called out to Byron and Theor. They had fallen back, and Theor was limping heavily. She wondered why Gaius hadn't helped heal his leg, and then it occurred to her that Theor had probably not mentioned his own injury so that the physician would spend all his time tending Byron. It was a noble sacrifice, but now it was about to get them all killed.

The knights caught up to them, and Byron turned, shoving Theor ahead and grabbing one of the knights mid-swing. The sword grew too hot for the knight to hold, and he dropped it with a yelp. Byron grabbed it, fighting off the other two knights. Ryll moved to help him, but he flung a hand back and a sort of force field hit her, preventing her from getting any closer. She cried out in frustration. He was going to get himself killed. He managed to take down two of the knights with the help of his magic, but the ones he had knocked down before had regained consciousness and were coming at him now. He dragged Theor to his feet, holding his sword in the other hand.

"I can distract them," Theor said. Byron nodded stiffly and let go of the older druid. "I'm sorry," Theor said, walking toward the knights. He looked back at Byron. "I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll keep going."

"What? Wait, no, Theor!" It was too late. The druid cast a spell that sent flames up between Byron and him. He turned to face the oncoming knights. Instead of fighting, he dropped on his knees. "NO!" Byron shouted as one of the knights brought down the pommel of his sword on Theor's head. The druid slumped to the floor. The flames began to splutter and die. Ryll grabbed Byron's arm and pulled with all her force.

"You heard him! Come on!" she said. "Don't let his sacrifice be in vain."

"I can take them!" Byron shouted, struggling against her.

"It's too late. Theor made his choice. You need to honor his wishes."

Byron seemed to lose all his fight at her words. He turned and ran, ceasing his struggle against her. They fled through the doors and into the forest beyond, letting the night swallow them whole. They didn't stop running until they were a safe distance from the castle. Byron wordlessly slumped to the ground. "I couldn't save him," he said.

"We did what we could. I'm so sorry, Byron. My plan…"

"It's not your fault," he said, looking up at her. "Don't blame yourself. It's my fault. If I hadn't gotten bitten by that beast in the first place…"

"But you were getting this for me." Ryll touched the stone around her neck. "So that makes this my fault."

"It doesn't matter. He's going to be executed at dawn either way. We have to get back into that castle." He stood, looking resolute.

"You're not going back there," Ryll said, blocking his way. "Not after all we went through to get you out. Theor wouldn't want you risking your life for him."

"I'm not just going to stand by and let him die. You risked that for us. Now it's my turn."

"I'm going back there, and I am going to do everything within my power to stop the execution, but you are not risking your life when he sacrificed himself for you." Byron clenched his fists. "Please." She remembered Merlin's words, how he said that Byron loved her. She touched his arm. "For me." She forced him to look at her. "Will you do that for me?"

She saw Byron's resolve break down. "You're asking me to let an innocent man die. The man who raised me after my parents died."

"I'm asking you to not get yourself killed."

A rustling in the trees made them both jump, whirling around to face the intruder. Ryll relaxed when she saw Merlin's familiar face. "Merlin, you're alright," she said, running forward and hugging him.

"I'm alright. Someone must have informed Uther though. They figured it out too quickly."

"Morgana."

"You think?"

"I have a bad feeling." She turned to look at Byron. "We didn't get Theor out. He sacrificed himself so that we could escape."

"I saw them taking him back to the dungeons," Merlin said. "I came to make sure neither of you was going to do something foolish."

"Like save an innocent man's life?" Byron asked sharply.

Merlin turned to face him, and Ryll could practically feel the tension brooding between the two of them. "I'm not letting Ryll risk her life again," Merlin told him.

"I wasn't planning on dragging her into this. I'd go alone."

"You're not going anywhere," Ryll told him. "You'll get caught again and all of this will have been for nothing."

"Who's going to stop me?"

"I will," Merlin said calmly.

Byron gave him an appraising look. "You? Who are you? Don't you work for the physician?"

"Byron!"

"I'm a lot more than that," Merlin said, eyes glinting. Ryll tried to force herself between them, but Merlin gently pushed her behind him.

"Oh yeah? I doubt you can do this." Byron held out his hand, gathering his power. Merlin watched, an amused expression on his face. As Byron sent out his power, Merlin's eyes flashed amber, and whatever force Byron had been sending at him reversed and sent Byron crashing to the ground. The druid looked dazed for a moment and then lifted his head.

"Who are you?" he asked, sounding half angry, half impressed.

"Byron," Ryll said, taking Merlin's arm. "This is Merlin. He's the one I told you about."