Author's note: Does anyone else notice that Morgana always wears her bright red cloak when she wants to sneak out of the castle? Maybe she thinks she'll blend in if she makes herself really obvious. Reverse logic. No wonder everyone escapes from Camelot with ease.

-76-

As Ryll rose to leave the table after the feast was over, Morgana caught her arm. "Meet me in my room a little before midnight," she whispered.

Ryll nodded to show that she'd heard and Morgana moved away. Ryll caught Merlin's eyes and moved toward the corridor outside of the dining hall. He made his way to the door and followed after her. Morgana had already left the room with Gwen, and so they were safe to talk.

"It's the same knife," he said at once.

"I figured. What went wrong?"

Merlin put his hands to his head, making his hair stand on end. "I don't know. I told Arthur that women don't want daggers, they want jewelry." His eyes widened.

"So he got her a decorative dagger," Ryll surmised. "Morgana liked it alright."

"I could have set this into motion."

"It would have happened anyway," Ryll told him. "A dagger is a dagger no matter how decorative."

"Did she say anything to you?" Merlin asked.

"I'm to meet her in her room before midnight. That's all I know."

"Are you going?"

"Of course. It'd make her suspicious if I didn't."

Merlin looked worried. Terrified even. "I don't like this," he said. "I have to stop it from happening."

"How?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something." He made to leave, but Ryll grabbed his arm. He turned back to her.

"Don't get yourself into trouble," she told him. "I don't want to see you get hurt. Morgause and Morgana aren't going to take any chances this time if they catch you following them."

"I'll be safe. Promise me you won't do anything that will put you in danger no matter what Morgana and Morgause ask you to do," he told her.

"I promise." She bit her lip as she watched him walk away. Somehow she had a feeling that tonight was going to go very badly. She just wished she knew how to change that.

…

Shortly before midnight, Ryll made her way to Morgana's room, knocking softly and waiting for Morgana to let her in. Morgana was dressed and wearing her red cloak. "We're to meet Morgause in the Darkling Woods at midnight," she told Ryll when she had shut the door behind her. "Are you ready?"

Ryll nodded. "Yes," she answered even though her stomach was twisting into knots. She'd been in dangerous situations before but usually she and Morgana were on the same side. This was different.

"Alright, let's go." Morgana grabbed the dagger Arthur had given her as a present and led Ryll out of her room, sheathing the dagger in her belt. Ryll wondered where Merlin was and if he had a plan. She drew her cowl over her head, feeling much less conspicuous in her grey cloak. Morgana showed only confidence as she strode forward, red cloak billowing out behind her. As they neared the end of the corridor, the doors slammed shut in front of them, baring the way. Morgana stopped short, looking around in surprise. Then a torch fell from the wall straight at Morgana. She tripped backwards to avoid the flame and stumbled, falling backwards through entrance to the stairs.

"Morgana!" Ryll tried to grab her arm, but she was too late. The girl tumbled down the stairs and landed in a heap.

"No!" Ryll whirled around to see Merlin running toward her.

"Did you do this?" she asked.

His eyes were wide. He ran past her and down the stairs. Ryll followed. Morgana lay at the bottom, blood trickling down the side of her head. Ryll started to panic. What if she was dead? "You have to do something!" she shouted at Merlin. "This isn't how this was supposed to be!"

"I know, I know! I didn't mean for this to happen!" he said, looking panicked. "You have to believe me. I never meant to hurt her. Just frighten her."

Ryll went down the rest of the stairs and put a finger to Morgana's neck. "She's still breathing." She closed her eyes in relief. "We need to get her to Gaius. Now! Go get Arthur!"

Merlin turned and ran. Ryll huddled next to her friend, smoothing back her hair. "You're going to be alright," she whispered. "I'm not going to let you die." She wished she still had her healing ring or Byron's healing skill. She felt so useless. She hadn't realized she was crying until teardrops hit Morgana's face. She rubbed them away.

She was still huddled next to Morgana when Merlin returned with Arthur. "What happened?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know. I just found her like this," Merlin said.

"Ryll?"

"I don't know," Ryll choked out. "I found her just before Merlin. She must have tripped." She couldn't meet Merlin's eyes.

"We need to get her to Gaius." Arthur came down the steps and gently pulled Ryll to her feet, moving her toward Merlin. Merlin wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her to the top of the stairs. She sagged into him.

"I'm so sorry," Merlin whispered. "I didn't mean for this to happen. If I had known…"

"I know," Ryll told him, too tired and upset to argue.

Arthur had lifted Morgana in his arms and they headed toward the physician's quarters. "Ryll, can you get Gwen?" Arthur asked.

"Of course." Ryll left them and hurried off to find Morgana's maid. Gwen had already gone home for the night so Ryll ran as quickly as she could to Gwen's house. She rapped on the door until Gwen answered, pulling a shawl over her shoulders.

"Ryll, what's wrong?" she asked, furrowing her brow in worry.

"It's Morgana. Come quickly. She's fallen and is injured," Ryll said, out of breath.

Gwen's eyes widened and she left her house, shutting the door behind her and following Ryll toward the castle. "What happened?" she asked.

Ryll shook her head. "We're not sure." She hated lying to Gwen, but she didn't want to get her involved. Before they had gone too far, they heard shouting from the front gates of the castle. They hesitated.

"What is it?" Gwen asked.

"I'm not sure. You go on. I'll catch up," Ryll told her.

Gwen nodded, leaving Ryll alone in the deserted town square. She slipped into the shadows and crept toward the front gates of the city. She wanted to be at Morgana's side, but she needed to know what was happening. Ryll hesitated at the front gates. No guards stood watch which struck her as very odd. Something was wrong. Then she saw the bodies both pierced with arrows. The warning bells had begun to ring and a group of guards ran up to the front gates. They saw the bodies and began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Get reinforcements. Tell the king!" One of them shouted. Ryll saw that it was Sir Leon.

"Lady Ryll, did you see anyone?" Leon asked her.

"I wasn't here when they were killed," she told him. "I heard shouting and came to see what it was." She knelt down by one of the bodies to examine the arrows.

"You should take care. They're probably still out there or in the city."

"I didn't see anyone come in," Ryll said. "These arrows are distinctive but I've never seen them before." As she spoke, something whizzed over her head with a whistle of wind. "Get down!" she shouted as an arrow embedded itself in one of the knights. Everyone ran for cover. Ryll crouched down by the bodies, trying to get a look at the shooters. The night was too dark.

"Lady Ryll," Leon said, motioning for her to leave the open. She ran over to where he stood. "We need archers along the walls, try to see who's firing. Don't get shot though; clearly they have some skill." The knights moved off.

"Any idea who it is?" Ryll asked.

Leon shook his head. "I'm not sure."

Ryll wanted to ask if Uther had angered anyone lately, but she kept her mouth shut. Before they had the chance to wonder further, a voice called out from the night.

"Tell your king that he has done us a grave discourtesy. We challenge him to come out and face us instead of hiding away like a coward. Our days of hiding are over."

"Oh no," Ryll said. She recognized the voice.

"You know that voice?" Leon asked.

"No," she lied. "This just doesn't sound good whoever he is." She gulped, but Leon didn't question her.

"Who addresses the king?" he shouted back.

"We are people of the earth and of the old religion. We will not hide in the shadows any longer. We will not sit still while Uther Pendragon persecutes our people. We stand together, and we fight for our right to live as free people of Camelot."

"Sir, the king has been informed, but we're keeping him inside while we investigate this threat," a guard said, coming up to Leon.

"Good."

"You have until tomorrow night to give us our freedom or we will fight you for it," the voice continued. "Send your king out tomorrow before sunset or we attack."

Suddenly the night was lit up by fire, and they peered out the gates to see that whatever army had gathered were now holding some sort of unnatural fire. Ryll could see just how vast the numbers were.

"Should we fire?" a knight called down from the wall.

"No," Leon said. "We don't know what they're capable of."

The lights went out as suddenly as they'd appeared, and Ryll could hear shifting feet as the army moved off. She could feel her heart beat in her head, and she felt more torn than ever. She should warn the king who he was up against but she couldn't bring herself to betray her friends.

"Oh Byron," she said softly into the night after Leon had moved on to speak with the king. "What are you doing?" It was his voice that had spoken, his voice that had threatened Uther with war. He'd rallied his people, somehow persuaded them despite their peaceful beliefs to show violence to gain freedom. It wasn't the druid way, but Byron had somehow spread his hatred for Uther. Could Ryll stand against him though? She believed in what he fought for, but this wasn't the way to gain peace. She knew that much. Could she stand by and let this play out? What if Byron died? What if Arthur died? She realized she couldn't let this go. She had to do something. She looked at the castle and then the darkness beyond the gates. The druids would be camped somewhere close. Ryll needed to see how Morgana was first though.

She deliberated, heading toward the castle. She would see how Morgana was, speak to Merlin about what had happened, and then go speak with Byron.

She found Gaius tending Morgana. Gwen stood by looking terrified. Gaius had stitched Morgana's head, but she could tell by the look on his face that her injury was serious. "How is she?" she asked.

"Not good, I'm afraid," Gaius told her. "She's bleeding on the inside. "I can do nothing more for her."

Ryll looked down at her friend and felt a stab of fear. Could Morgana really die? Her thoughts flashed to Merlin. Could he heal her? Would he? Byron had healing abilities, but he had no good reason to help heal Uther's ward whether or not Morgana would be sympathetic to his cause.

"I want to stay with her tonight," Gwen said. "In case she wakes." She looked up at Ryll. "Did you find out what was happening outside?" she asked. "We heard the warning bells."

"The guards were attacked. Someone is threatening Camelot. A magical people who wish to fight for their freedom. If Uther doesn't accept their terms by sunset tomorrow, they attack."

"Do you know who they are?" Gaius asked.

"I think they're druids," Ryll told him.

"But druids are a peaceful people."

"They turned against Uther when he executed their leader," she told him. His eyes narrowed, and he nodded. He would know that Byron was behind it. "Where's Merlin?"

Gaius nodded toward his room. "Up there."

Ryll nodded before going up to Merlin's door. She knocked and entered finding him sitting on his bed staring into space. She sat next to him, reaching out to take his hand. He didn't respond.

"You didn't mean to do this," she told him.

"She might die."

Ryll was silent for a moment. "You could heal her. You're powerful enough."

"I'm not sure I am." He was quiet for a long while and then he said, "I prevented something bad from happening. If I heal her, it could still happen."

"But Morgana might die. She may or may not try to kill Uther, but if you don't heal her, she will die. Do you want that on your hands?" she asked. "I know you didn't mean to hurt her, but now you have the choice to save her. Or not."

"I don't know what to do," Merlin admitted. "A year ago I wouldn't have hesitated to heal her, but she's dangerous." He turned to look at Ryll who swallowed back the surprise at his words. "She tried to kill me. She'll keep trying to kill Uther until she succeeds. Then she'll turn against Arthur if he doesn't accept magic. I can't let that happen."

"Merlin, you can't just let her die. It shouldn't be a choice. We'll find another way to stop her! Anyway, she might not have to kill Uther."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Byron is outside the gates with an army of druids who want their freedom and are willing to take it by force."

"Byron is leading an army of druids?" His eyes widened.

"He wants revenge for Theor's death. He's not content to live in hiding anymore. I can't say I blame him."

"But how is that any different from what Morgana was trying to do?"

"So we should kill him too?" Ryll stood, pacing the floor.

"Of course not. I just need to think about this." Merlin rubbed his face.

"I don't see what there is to think about," Ryll said sharply. Merlin looked so tired, she softened her tone as she spoke again. "The kind and loving Merlin I know wouldn't let someone like Morgana die no matter what she'd done." She put a hand on his shoulder before leaving him alone. As she left the physician's quarters, she drew her hood up and left the castle by a side gate. The woods swallowed her up as she made her way to where she thought the druids would be camping. Byron had to listen to her before this madness turned into more bloodshed.