Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! My one year old macbook pro decided that the hard drive needed to stop working on my birthday this Monday, so I lost what I'd written in this chapter. Thank God I have a backup external hard drive! But here it is! Enjoy.

-101-

Darkness pressed against her like a familiar blanket, keeping her eyes from seeing more than nightmarish outlines. In the daylight her eyes screamed against the blinding sun and her skin had grown sallow with an unhealthy pallor. Her sobs echoed feebly off the walls of the pit that kept her prisoner. Somewhere beside her a white dragon stretched its aching bones and lifted a torn wing to cover her. The dragon had grown too big for the small space they were kept in and any more time down there would begin to disfigure her. She did not cry out though even when her muscles protested. She looked out for her mistress like a loyal companion. They'd both begun to give up hope, begun to realize that they would die here alone and afraid at the hands of people who hated magic. Morgana had been given a second chance when the dragon had healed her, but she didn't think she was going to get a third one.

Ryll woke with a start. She'd been having the same nightmares for months now, always in the same dark pit where Morgana and the white dragon lay in alone in their shared pain. A part of her had always known they weren't just dreams, but she'd tried to ignore it. Now guilt wouldn't let her. She got up shakily. She had felt Morgana's pain as if it were her own, felt her own bones protest along with the dragon. They were suffering. No matter what Morgana had done in the past, she did not deserve to suffer like this. Ryll left her tent and found Byron's, slipping in. He awoke when she entered, sitting up on his cot. She sat next to him. "I had the dream again," she told him.

"The same one you always have?" he asked.

"Yes. Byron, I have to do something. I'm having these visions for a reason."

"You're going to save Morgana." She couldn't read the emotion in his eyes. She kept expecting him to say 'After all she's done?' or ask if she was out of her mind, but he didn't.

"I can't just sit here and ignore these dreams. She's in pain. Why else would I have them if not to save her?"

"Do you know where she is?" Byron asked.

"I can find her." Ryll was sure of this.

"Good. Then I'm coming."

"What?" She looked at him in surprise.

"You're going to need help. Ryll, if someone has managed to capture Morgana – great sorceress that she is – and a dragon no less, then you need help. You're powerful, but you could end up in the same situation as Morgana."

Ryll thought this over. "I need to tell Merlin," she said after a moment. "He can help, and I can't keep something like this from him. In fact, I need to tell Arthur too."

"Okay, wait, why would you tell Arthur that you're going to rescue Morgana?" Byron frowned. "I'm pretty sure he would be against that plan."

"Not if I promise to bring her back as a prisoner. He can cast her judgment. I know he'll be fairer than whoever has thrown her into this pit."

"He's still king, and she's still taken many Camelot lives."

"He won't kill her," Ryll said, hoping that she was right. "I can't just let Morgana go free, but I can't kill her either."

"If you were going to kill her, you wouldn't be going to save her," Byron said. "You're a better person than that."

"I just hope I'm doing the right thing."

"If you're following your heart, then yes, I believe so. Your heart rarely leads you astray," Byron said with a smile.

"I don't know about that, but I do think I'm doing the right thing. I'll seek an audience with Arthur. If I leave now I can reach Camelot by morning."

"I'm coming with you," Byron told her. "Now that Arthur has forgiven me, perhaps I can be of some help."

"Alright."

"Really?" Byron looked surprised. "You're agreeing to me coming?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yeah, it really is. Do you even know how often you either go off on your own to do things without telling anyone or deny any and all help even when you really need it?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"A lot?"

"That's an understatement."

"Well maybe I've changed."

"I'm just glad you're letting people in," Byron told her, squeezing her hand. "Come on, we've got a long ride ahead of us."

…

Ryll's first sight of Camelot brought on a rush of emotions she hadn't felt in a long time. As much as she'd come to call the druid's camp home, the overwhelming feeling of belonging that washed over her as she entered Camelot told her that this was her true home. Some of the people looked up at her in mild recognition, but she doubted any of them made the connection. She looked quite different with her hair neatly combed and her armor freshly polished, the red Camelot cloak rippling down her back. Now her braid was messy and strung with flowers, still fresh from a small bit of magic she'd put into them, and her traveling cloak was worn and dirty. She didn't feel diminished though as she returned to the castle. She felt as if her time apart from the city had given her a new perspective on life. Having lived with both people who feared magic and people who were born with magic, she realized that in the end, their goals were the same: peace. Camelot fought battles and wars to achieve peace, but people like the druids only wanted peace, not strife. Was it so difficult for both sides, magic and non-magic, to simply have peace with one another? She knew Morgana had made this difficult and did not doubt that some of her supporters were still out there wanting blood.

Ryll and Byron left their horses with the grooms at the stables who recognized Owl and gave both horses the best of treatment. They made their way to the castle, running into Leon and Gwaine on the way in.

"Ryll!" Gwaine called out. He laughed and then scooped her up in his arms, pressing her into a tight hug that lifted her straight off the ground. "I missed you," he said, setting her back on her feet.

"I can see that." Ryll grinned. "I missed you too."

"We missed you," Leon corrected. "Camelot isn't the same without you."

"You have no idea how much it gladdens me to hear that," Ryll said. "Merlin told me about how you stood up for me in front of Arthur. Thank you. I was so afraid my friends would think me a monster if they knew the truth."

"Far from it. I think Arthur's coming around too," Gwaine said.

"I've actually come to speak with him. I have news of Morgana."

Gwaine's eyes hardened, and Ryll knew he was thinking of the time she had forced him to fight for a few scraps of bread. "Where is she?"

"I don't know exactly. Sometimes I have dreams that show me things. Either things in the future or things that are happening now. She's imprisoned somewhere and in a lot of pain."

"Is it any less than she deserves?" Gwaine asked. "She would have killed all of us had she gotten the chance."

"I know that, but I don't think I'm having these dreams just so I can watch her suffer."

"You mean to rescue her." There was a hardness to Gwaine's voice.

"If only to bring her back to await Arthur's judgment," Ryll assured him. "I have not forgiven her, nor does she deserve forgiveness for her crimes, but you didn't see her, Gwaine. No one deserves the suffering she's being put through now."

"Arthur's in the council chamber now," Leon said. "We can take you to see him."

"Thank you." Ryll fell into step with Gwaine as Leon led them toward the council chamber. Byron took up the rear looking vaguely uncomfortable. They entered the council chamber, and Arthur looked up, his expression surprised as his eyes fell on Ryll.

"Amaryllis," he said.

"Hello Arthur." She bowed, and Byron did the same behind her.

"Please, come in, sit," he offered, motioning to the round table.

"Thank you." She sat down, Byron hesitating but then took a seat to her left.

"What brings you to Camelot?" Arthur asked.

"It's something that has come to my attention that I think you need to hear. If Merlin and the other knights could be here too, I think that would be wise," she said. "I might need their help."

Arthur didn't question her, just nodded to Leon and Gwaine who went off in search of them. "How have you been?" Arthur asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"I've been well," Ryll replied. "Learning about myself, reminding myself that even after all that Morgana did, there is still good in the world where magic is concerned."

A shadow crossed Arthur's face, but Ryll thought it looked guilty rather than fearful or angry. "I've been doing a lot of thinking," he said after another moment. "And I've come to the conclusion that nothing you ever did was to harm Camelot or me or anyone really. You proved yourself over and over and whatever deception there was was only to protect yourself or others. If I were in your place, I don't know if I would have had the courage to tell the king of Camelot the truth, and I know I wouldn't have handled it as well as you did. I would have been terrified like Morgana. It could have just as easily been me not her who turned against Camelot out of fear."

Ryll held her breath, waiting for Arthur to finish. She watched as his brow furrowed. He had been doing a lot of thinking.

"I guess what I'm saying is that I forgive you, Ryll," he finished. "I've always valued you as a friend and an advisor. You've been a loyal knight to Camelot, and I know you have never wished this kingdom harm even when my father was persecuting people like you. I used to think that all magic was evil, that there was no way something that…abnormal could be a force for good. But that's just because people without magic don't really understand. It's ignorance that drives our hate and our anger. People like Morgana are out there, but I can think of a dozen men and women just as ruthless who don't have magic, people who would see Camelot razed. Not all magic is evil. You've proved that, Ryll. I have to thank you for opening my eyes and helping me see what I was too blind to." His eyes were earnest as he looked straight at her, and she didn't see any of the doubt or confusion that had clouded his eyes the last time they had spoken. "You've helped me see a different side to this world," he continued. "I think uniting our people could be the first step toward peace, toward a new world."

Ryll could hardly believe her ears. "Yes," she said after a moment. "I know the druids would want that. All they ever wanted was peace. They respect you, Arthur. Byron has told them over and over that you are a king worth showing loyalty to. They are ready for a union."

"Then it will be so. We'll unite our people. It might not settle at first. There might be some uprisings, but I think there will be more acceptance than I would have thought at first. People are ready for a change. This peace we've had in the past few months has been a nice change. The people want more of that."

"Some will be afraid after what Morgana did, but we need them to understand that not all people with magic are the same. Morgana does not represent all of us. In some ways she can be a good example for what can happen when a person fears lack of acceptance. She acted out of fear which then turned into hate. We can't let that happen to the rest of us."

"After this union," Arthur said, pausing. "Afterwards, if you want, I'd welcome you back as a knight of Camelot. I shouldn't have turned you away before. It wasn't the right thing to do."

"It's alright, Arthur. We both needed some time. I'd be honored to come back." Her heart was beating quickly and she could hardly believe that they were finally having this conversation. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but no, after all these years she was talking peace with Arthur. He had accepted that she had magic. She realized that in some ways, in a lot of ways, this was the end, the end they had fought so hard for. But it wasn't over yet. Morgana was still out there, and Ryll's destiny still hung over her like a leaden cloud.

Merlin entered the room in that moment, the other Knights of the Roundtable following him. He grinned when he saw Ryll, and she stood to hug him before resuming her seat. Gwen came as well, taking her seat at Arthur's side and reaching out to squeeze Ryll's hand. Ryll noticed she was wearing the protection cuff and felt a surge of affection for the queen.

"It's good to see all of you," she said. "My friends. I've missed all of you in my time away. It's been wonderful living with the druids, but I know my place, and it's here. I have news for all of you. With my powers I sometimes have dreams that show me the future or sometimes the present. For the last few months I have been dreaming about Morgana."

She watched as the knight's faces hardened and Arthur clenched his fists. "I've seen her at the bottom of a dark pit somewhere far away. She's been captured by someone, I'm not sure who. Someone who hates magic would be my guess. She's in pain, afraid, and hopeless. She has a dragon with her. It's the dragon whose egg was stolen from the stronghold of Camelot. She can't grow in the pit, and she's in pain. I know that Morgana has hurt all of us in some way and has tried to bring down Camelot more than once, but I don't believe I've been given these visions to watch her suffer."

"You want to rescue her," Merlin said, catching on quickly. His eyes were hard, but there was no judgment in them.

"I don't believe she deserves to rot away in some pit, but she does deserve some sort of punishment for her crimes. Arthur is the only one who has a right to that though." She turned her eyes to the king. "I'd like to go and try to save her and then bring her back to face your judgment."

"You want to bring her back to Camelot," Elyan said. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"I can suppress her magic," Ryll said confidently. And if she couldn't Emrys could. "Byron can help. Morgana is weak."

"What about the dragon?" Arthur asked.

"It's clearly formed a bond with Morgana, but I think I have a solution."

"You have a solution to a dragon?" Gwaine asked, sounding impressed.

"There's another dragon out there, as you all know. He can take the young dragon in."

"You're just going to walk up to a dragon and ask him to take in another dragon?" Percival asked, looking skeptical.

"Something like that. Let me worry about it."

"Gladly. Just don't get yourself incinerated in the process."

"I leave this to be your decision, Arthur." Ryll turned to her king. He deliberated for a moment.

"You don't know who's holding her?"

"No. I can't see more than the dark pit."

"Then how can you find her?"

"My magic will lead me. Morgana and I still do, and probably will always, have a connection. I'm not worried about finding her."

"You said it was someone who hates magic who took her."

"I get that feeling. There's a sense of hatred in my dreams, and it's not just Morgana's. Her magic is muted by her prison. I wish I could tell you more."

"My concern is that whoever is keeping her is either a friend or foe of Camelot. Either way, if we rescue Morgana, we could be starting a war."

"That's why I want to take only Merlin and Byron with me. We're not easily affiliated with anyone. We will not mention Camelot or put you at risk."

"It could be dangerous. You might need backup."

"I'm confident in Byron and my abilities." And Merlin's, but she didn't add that.

Arthur thought for a moment. "I don't think she deserves to die alone in a pit either," he said finally. "Even after all she's done, she's still my half-sister, and I can't help thinking about how alone she felt when she first learned she had magic. I give you my permission to go and bring her back. Just make sure she can't unleash her magic on Camelot again."

"She will not overpower us," Ryll promised. "Thank you, Arthur."

"When will you go?"

"Right away, if that's all right. Before any permanent damage is done." She thought of the growing dragon and her creaking bones.

"Go then. Merlin, you have my permission to go too. Someone needs to cook." He gave Merlin a crooked smile to show he was joking. Ryll didn't even roll her eyes, she was just so glad that Arthur had come around and trusted her on this.

"Good luck," the king told them as they stood. "When you return, I'll reach out to the druids."

"Thank you, Arthur," Ryll said.

"What did he mean 'reach out to the druids'?" Merlin asked as they left the council chamber together.

"He's going to form an alliance with them, Merlin. He wants peace. And he asked me to come back as a knight again." Ryll couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

Merlin looked stunned. "Really?"

"Really! Isn't this wonderful? It's all we'd ever hoped for."

"It is…"

"They why don't you look happy?"

"I am. It's just…inevitably something gets in the way. How do I know this time will be different?" She could tell how much he wanted this to work.

"It will be."

"I just don't want to get my hopes up in case something goes wrong," Merlin said.

"I know you're frightened of the future and what it might bring. I know the burden you carry," Ryll told him, placing a hand on his arm. "But it's going to be different this time. I promise."