Note: I have never read a real Merlin story in my life, so please. For a certain part in this story that involves the Lake of Avalon, take that into consideration.
LISTEN CLOSELY! I feel it's a good time to explain all Hermione's abilities. She has a way with the elements, mostly fire. She has the ability to bend shadows, talk to snakes and become the Black Shuck (a demon dog). I already explained during her Animagus training that Hermione was neither here nor there in the timeline. She's almost a nonexistent being. It's hard to explain, but imagine her being a ghost that stays in one place while the world moves on. Her powers are matching those of a ruler of the night, hell and all things dark. That is what Hermione is. Nyx is who Hermione would have been if she were in this original timeline. Just like Merlin is Emrys, Hermione is Nyx. Hermione is the vision of Darkness while Merlin is the vision of Light. So, I hope that cleared things up. It'll be explained more in the story.
Also, I would like to add that you peeps need to review the story! How am I to know what you would like to see in the future or know what you didn't like? It's important so I can write great chapters in the future! Thanks!
Now, on to the next chapter!
ENJOY!
"Italics are sign language."
"Bold Italics are Parseltongue."
"Regular italics is mind talk."
Disclaimer: I don't own the magical worlds of Harry Potter or Merlin!
Chapter 12.
It was a very special occasion in the kingdom. Arthur's coming of age ceremony was taking place! He would officially be crowned Prince and a step closer to becoming king. Everyone was excited. Even Merlin. Hermione was on a History lover's dream. Experiencing Arthur's coming of age ceremony was a huge honor for her. She wasn't supposed to be invited at first, but Arthur insisted she come if only to keep Merlin from ruining it all. She knew though, that he actually wanted her there. Even if she wasn't invited, she still would have gone.
Hermione was instructed to dress nicely, but she refused to wear a dress. Morgana and Gwen tried and tried, but didn't succeed. All they got was a seriously pissed off Hermione and a chuckling Merlin telling them it was impossible.
So, she got out her finest black shirt and a nice pair of pants. She shined her black boots and actually managed to get her hair into a fresh braid. Her dagger, scarf, and gloves were still firmly in place. Hermione thought she looked pretty good. Well, when she got there, Merlin didn't seem to think so. Neither did Gwen. They both told her that she could have worn something nicer and all she told them was that she shined her boots and everything! She thought that she looked fancy. They just shook their heads and continued their conversation.
It was time for the ceremony a few moments later. They watched in secret pride as Arthur was declared Prince of Camelot. Gwen looked to Merlin and asked, "How does it feel to be a servant to the crowned Prince of Camelot?"
He scoffed and replied, "Now washing his royal socks will be even more of a privilege." Hermione snorted and Merlin smiled.
"You're proud. I can see it,"
Gwen insisted. Merlin just said jokingly, "Those socks are very clean, of course I'm proud." Hermione silently chuckled. Merlin was proud of Arthur. She could tell. Everyone was actually.
Their happiness didn't last long because through the large stained glass window jumped the largest horse Hermione had ever seen! That wasn't all though. The horse had a rider, looked to be a knight going by his crest on his shield. The Knight was a beast of a man! He stood tall and strong with thick armor. Everything he wore was dark. Nothing on him was even remotely undamaged. His helmet was scratched, his cape had holes and everything about him looked old. She had seen Knight's armor, but this man had an old set. It was built strong, meant for battle. She sniffed the air and took on a confused face. He smelt of death. Just pure death! No skin, no bones, no lively fragrance. All death. Hermione had to cover her nose from the overpowering scent. The other thing that made her worry was the strong sense of magic coming from the man. That was expected, but the thing that threw her for a loop was that it was Nimueh's signature magic. This witch just wouldn't quit!
The mysterious intruder approached the Knights that had their swords drawn. He did something that wildly confused her. He threw down his gauntlet in front of the knights. It was a challenge! Hermione held in her breath. The gauntlet was thrown towards Arthur, but anyone could pick it up. She saw Arthur slide his sword back into its place and go for the gauntlet. He was stopped though, when Sir Owain took up the challenge. Hermione groaned. That stuck up ponce wasn't going to win the battle! He was too slow and cocky.
The Black Knight seemed to almost sigh and say with his unearthly voice, "Noon tomorrow, single combat, to the death." Then, the Knight went off.
Hermione stood shell shocked, as did most of the people. To the death? Owain wouldn't survive! Merlin touched her arm and she looked into his worried blue eyes.
She signed, "This will not end well."
Merlin nodded, "I hoped you wouldn't say that." Hermione grabbed Merlin's hand and the two walked out of the hall. She lead him all the way to Gaius' chambers. There, they went to the fireplace and floo'd to the cave. Hermione knew that Merlin wanted to figure out who the Knight was and needed a silent place to think. So, the Cave was obviously the best place for that. They entered and were greeted by a lazy Crookshanks and a hyper Nimbus. Hermione let Karma slide off her arm into one of the armchairs.
Then, she picked up Crookshanks and sat down in the same armchair. Merlin sat across from her and Nimbus jumped into his lap. He grunted in pain, but the two settled in a comfy position. Hermione removed her gloves and scarf as well as her socks and boots. Crooks settled back in her lap and there sat Hermione and Merlin in pondering silence.
The problem was that the mysterious Knight was unknown. Hermione didn't recognize his crest anywhere and Merlin didn't either. Hermione told Merlin of the overwhelming scent of death and Nimueh's magic rolling off of him. Merlin thought that maybe it was a Knight Nimueh brought back from the dead, but Hermione just couldn't believe it. Necromancy? Sure, Nimueh had the power for it, but that wasn't the problem. Sure, an undead Knight, that could eventually be taken care of. Hide his head on top of a mountain or separate him from his limbs to stop him until they found a permanent fix. That would be easy. The thing that is challenging is the fact that the Knight was there for vengeance. That meant that when he was alive, he swore to come back from the dead and get revenge. That needed to be followed through or they needed something to destroy it.
Plus, they didn't even know if the man really was dead! It was just a guess. They would find out when the Knight faced Sir Owain. Hermione hoped Owain would pull through, but deep down, she knew that wouldn't happen. Merlin left after an hour of thinking and had many new hypothesis. She signed goodnight to her brother and headed to her own room. She was too tired to practice more shadow forming with Nimbus.
That was a big development. She could finally get the shape of the wings right, but what she needed was the bone structure and how to attach it to her back. It was all so tricky, but she was getting the hang of it. Nimbus was fluttering off the ground a bit, but he just couldn't get the wing motions. Hermione guessed that they would learn everything together. She wanted to be a mentor and a mother to Nimbus. So, even if it killed her, she would teach Nimbus to fly!
Hermione plopped down on her bed while her three animals joined her. They fell asleep until the next morning. When the sun came up, you could almost feel the foreboding in the air. Hermione got herself up, got ready, and headed to get Merlin up. It was earlier than usual, so he may need an alarm clock for the day. With Karma firmly in her arm, she floo'd to Gaius's chambers. Gaius was up and making breakfast. He turned and greeted her. She waved to him and then went to Merlin's room.
He was up. Sitting on the edge of his bed fully dressed. She knew he could feel the eminent doom in the air. Merlin had a sense when it came to these things. He could almost sense the air shift from joyful to depressing. He could do it ever since he was little. Hermione sat next to him and grabbed his hand.
He looked at her and said, "I know this won't end well." Hermione nodded and soon, the two went to the table for breakfast. Hermione skipped the meal. She didn't think she could handle food at the moment.
After breakfast, Merlin went to do his chores for Arthur and Hermione decided to go down to the training grounds. She was hoping that Owain would be there practicing. She wanted to test him. So, Hermione walked through the castle and reached the training grounds. She was startled to find that Owain wasn't training. He wasn't even on the grounds. What she was faced with though, was the Black Knight. He stood tall and mysterious, not moving an inch. She walked up and stood in front of him. He didn't even look at her. She was curious through. So, she reached her hand to his armor and was going to poke him. It was common curiosity!
He could be a ghost. Ghosts could be solid when they so choose. If it was powerful magic, then they could be solid longer. Hermione never got to touch the Knight, why? Well, because he grabbed her wrist and wouldn't let go. She finally got fed up and grabbed her dagger. She slashed his hand and he gasped in pain, letting go of her wrist. She watched in fascination as his skin pulled right back together. Hermione left as quickly as she came and got as far away from the Knight as possible. Hermione was a bit shook up. First off, his skin was pure obsidian black! Secondly, it healed back in an instant! That was not supposed to happen to human beings. So, that left one conclusion. The Knight wasn't human and Owain was as good as dead.
Hermione headed out to the arena of sorts and just sat on the bleachers. No one was there, the fight wouldn't start until noon. It gave her plenty of time to think of something. Her dagger only harmed it, she definitely couldn't kill it. What could kill the dead? What even was the Knight?
Surely he wasn't a ghost. Nothing about him was really ghost like, but he wasn't human. There were tons of monsters! How would she figure out what this one was? Only one thing came to her mind. Research. Hermione smiled at the thought of it. She hadn't researched anything for a long while.
More time passed and people began to come to the stands. Hermione moved to a front seat by the Knights and waited for things to start. The stands were packed and Hermione could see Merlin and Gaius by the gates. Owain entered the field, looking too confident for his own good. Hermione just shook her head and looked towards the other side of the arena where the Black Knight entered. He didn't look any different from the first time she'd seen him.
The fight began and Hermione could say it was a good fight. The Black Knight obviously overpowered Owain, but Owain was swift and could dodge blows.
She saw his perfect chance to strike down the Knight and it seemed that Arthur did too because he shouted, "One well aimed blow!" Everyone held their breath as Owain stuck his sword into the Black Knights abdomen. She knew though. She knew that the Knight wouldn't fall. Hermione stared wide-eyed as the Black Knight knocked Owain to the ground and stabbed the Knight. The crowd gasped in horror and Hermione shook her head. It was awful to know something was going to happen and you couldn't do anything about it. She felt powerless.
Hermione watched in dread as the Black Knight threw down his gauntlet and asked for a challenge. He was hoping for Arthur. Hermione knew that was what was happening. Arthur hopped up from his seat, but Uther held him down. On instinct, she got up to accept the challenge, but Sir Pellinor beat her to it. She swiftly sat down and was thankful to any godly power that would listen that Sir Pellinor took up the challenge before her. She would have surely died!
Merlin needed her alive, not dead. She was however, upset that Pellinor accepted the challenge. Not only was he not completely healed from his last mission, but he was one of the best Knights Camelot had. She knew he would lose and it pained her to not be able to help. When the Knight accepted the challenge, he directly turned to Uther. Uther! The Knight didn't want to kill Arthur, he wanted revenge on Uther! What did the stupid king do that could warrant such vengeance?
After the Black Knight exited the arena, Hermione went to the Cave to do some research on Mythical beings that this Black Knight could possibly be. She searched until the next night. She didn't see the need to go to Pellinor's match. She already knew he lost. Her frustration grew throughout the day and she lost control of her magic twice! Blowing the armchairs to smithereens! She fixed them obviously, but her frustration stayed.
After a while, the realization finally came to her! She was looking in all the wrong places. It wasn't a regular beast, it was probably a making of the Old Religion if Nimueh's magic was all over it. She needed to look in Gaius's books!
When Hermione turned up in Gaius's chambers, she was surprised to see Merlin and Gaius hovering over a book looking worried. She caught the word "wraith" and promptly smacked her forehead.
The two swiftly turned around to face her and she mouthed many times, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Of course the Knight was a wraith! He had all the signs of one. Vengeance, powerful magic conjuring it, the fact that the thing was dead was a big giveaway.
Hermione signed to Merlin, "Why is the wraith out to kill Uther?"
Merlin blinked at her, but answered, "His name is Tristan de Bois and he's here because Uther killed him in single combat. He blames Uther for killing his sister, Uther's wife Ygraine and challenged him. Uther won, but Tristan swore before he died that he would come back again."
Hermione then signed to Merlin, "She must have known somehow. How could she know that Tristan had such a vengeful wishes surrounding his death?" Merlin mulled it over and came to one conclusion.
"Nimueh must have been close to the royal family somehow."
Hermione snapped her fingers and pointed at Merlin. It was sort of her sign for, "You've cracked the case!" They still had a problem though. How does one go about killing a dead spirit?
Merlin looked at her hesitantly and said, "We have another problem."
She motioned for him to continue and he said, "Arthur challenged him. For tomorrow." Hermione closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten. She didn't want to break anything. Arthur the idiot! She heard a glass break and growled. Her red eyes were full on blazing. How could one boy be so stupid? Did he not see the Knight be stabbed and not fall or even be injured? She looked at Merlin and took a deep breath.
Merlin suggested, "Maybe I could kill it with magic?"
Hermione shook her head and signed, "Not even you're magic can cheat death." Merlin sighed and they stood in silence. Gaius excused himself and Hermione and Merlin were left alone.
After a moment, Merlin said, "I'm going to try and convince Arthur not to fight." Hermione knew it would be useless, but it was worth a try. She gave Merlin an encouraging smile and off Merlin went. She sat there for a few moments and decided that maybe a look around the library would help her think better. Maybe there was something there that they could use.
It was convenient when she met an upset Merlin at the library. He walked up to her table and sat down heavily. She gave him a comforting look and he gave her a small smile. They continued to search books until Geoffrey entered the library and was startled to see them. The two stopped what they were doing and looked at the man with wide eyes. Hermione made sure hers were back to normal brown. She had almost forgotten. Well, it had become her way of life to hide her eye color around those she didn't want to see it. She barely even thought about it anymore. She never noticed her eyes flashing gold when she did magic either. That was a bit annoying.
Geoffrey was an older man that had a bit of a belly on him. The top of his head was bald, but greying hair covered the back and a bit of the sides of his head. He wore nice robes and stood tall. He was the head of Camelot's library and took his job very seriously.
He asked angrily and a bit curiously, "How did you get in here?"
Merlin answered, "The door was open."
"It was not. I locked it!"
"Well, someone must have opened it then."
"And you thought that you would walk right in here and help yourself?"
"No, uh, Gaius sent me for a book."
Geoffrey looked at him curiously and asked, "On what?"
Merlin shuffled his feet and said, "Gaius thinks that the Knight is a wraith."
Geoffrey's eyes widened and said gravely, "Then Arthur is in grave danger."
Merlin nodded and asked the man, "Do you know of a book that tells of a weapon that can kill the dead?"
Geoffrey thought that was a strange question, but answered, "There are many fables that have weapons that can do astonishing things. I think there may be such a weapon in….." Geoffrey began to look around.
Merlin was impatient and said, "We're kind of in a hurry."
Geoffrey nodded and replied, "Yes, young people usually are." Hermione snorted and Geoffrey smiled. He enjoyed Hermione's company in his library. She was always respectful and always up for a good literature chat. Well, he did most of the chatting, but it was still nice to have someone listen to his ramblings.
He searched and searched until he finally found it. "Ah! Here it is in The Chronicles of Beltain!" Merlin perked up and listened as Geoffrey read the passage. "Sir Marhaus looked upon the great sword, begotten in the Dragon's breath and found it passing good." Merlin looked at Hermione and he got up and ran off.
Hermione smiled at Geoffrey and mouthed, "Thank you." He smiled back and nodded. Such a polite girl.
It was still late in the night and Hermione and Merlin were running through the city. They were heading for Gwen's house, Hermione was sure of it. She was proved correct in her assumption when Merlin knocked on Gwen's door.
The maidservant opened the door and smiled. "Merlin! What brings you here?"
He looked at her seriously and asked, "Can I ask you a favor?"
Gwen eagerly nodded, "sure, anything!" Merlin looked at her oddly and she back tracked.
"Well, not anything, obviously. Uh, wh-what is it you wanted." Hermione swallowed a chuckle at Gwen's nervousness.
Merlin asked, "I need your father's best made sword."
Gwen looked at him nervously and asked, "What for?"
Merlin swallowed and whispered, "To save Arthur."
Gwen nodded slowly and lead them into the house. She reached under the single bed and took out what Hermione guessed was a sword wrapped in elegant red fabric. She unwrapped it and there sat the most beautiful piece of weaponry Hermione had ever seen. It's handle was perfectly shaped and swirled with gold. The blade seemed normal enough, but it was so perfectly shaped.
Merlin snorted at the look of pure amazement on his sister's face. Of course a sword would get her excited. She was practically drooling! He looked at the weapon and could understand her amazement. He was no fanatic about this sort of thing, but even he could tell that it was perfect in every way. He re-wrapped it and thanked Gwen.
Him and Hermione bounded off straight for the caves underneath the castle. Once they passed the guards, they ran for the stairs. They didn't even bother with the torch. Hermione just lit a bright, white flame and continued on. The two reached the cave entrance and were surprised to see the dragon already there.
He lifted his head and Merlin instantly said, "Do you know why I'm here?"
The dragon seemed to sigh and say in his loud and magical voice, "It may surprise you Merlin, but my knowledge of your life is not universal." Hermione couldn't keep the amusement off her face from that comment. Merlin gave her a look that told her to get serious, so she hardened her face and let Merlin and the dragon continue their conversation.
"It has to do with Arthur," Merlin said seriously. "His life is in danger and he will perish unless I can make a weapon that will kill the dead." Merlin unwrapped the sword and held it out to the beast. He used his magic to levitate the sword in front of the dragon.
He asked with extreme importance, "Will you burnish it? To save Arthur?"
The dragon stepped back a bit from the sword and said, "The dead do not return without a reason. Who has this person of the dead come for?"
Merlin took a breath and answered, "Uther."
The dragon snapped his sharp toothed jaws and said almost gleefully, "Then let him take his vengeance. The wraith will die without having my aid."
Merlin shook his head angrily and replied, "But it is Arthur who is fighting the wraith! Not Uther. If Arthur dies than Camelot will have no heir and Albion will not exist!" The dragon breathed out a smoking breath and thought over Merlin's logic.
He reluctantly said to Merlin, "A weapon forged with my assistance will have great power. In the wrong hands, this sword could do great evil. It must be wielded by Arthur and only Arthur."
Merlin nodded and said, "I understand."
The dragon bared his razor sharp teeth and said to Merlin, "No! You must promise me!"
Merlin looked the dragon straight in his serpentine golden eyes and said, "I promise you."
The Great Dragon roared and began to breath his magic fire. Merlin stepped back and Hermione threw up a shield around the both of them. Hermione could feel the overpowering magic surround them. It was greater than anything she had ever felt. The fire stopped and in the air floated a dazzling piece of weaponry.
The sword looked shinier, the gold brighter, the blade sharper. The newest addition though, was the golden metal that ran in the middle of the sword and stopped halfway down the blade. She could see strange symbols carved in it and gasped in awe. It was magnificent. Suddenly, the realization hit her. This sword was the legendary Excalibur! No way she was witnessing this. The making of the sword that started it all! She had to stop herself from hyperventilating with excitement!
Merlin lowered it down to the red cloth and rewrapped it. The Great Dragon said to Merlin with great importance, "Heed my words. The sword was forged for Arthur and him alone." Merlin nodded with complete truthfulness and left the cave. Hermione peered at the mythical beast and gave him a small bow.
He said to her, "Be careful, child. Times are getting deadlier and Merlin will need you more than ever." She gave him another respectful bow and ran after Merlin.
The fight was set and Hermione was ready for the wraith to die. This time, she knew Arthur would succeed and everything would be fine. Merlin was in the back, preparing Arthur for the match and Hermione was sitting front and center. She wanted to watch the wraith crumble. Her wrist was still bruised from him grabbing it! Stupid wraiths had no respect whatsoever.
The crowd only waited a few moments for the challengers to come out. First came the Black Knight and after another moment, followed…..Uther! What the hell? Merlin, he had one job! Not let the sword be used by anyone else! What would happen now? Oh no! She hoped this wouldn't screw anything up.
The fight began and the damn wraith was winning! Uther was too out of shape for this kind of stuff. That didn't mean Uther was doing terrible though. They traded blows of equal power, neither managing to land a hit. Uther had the most powerful sword in all creation and the wraith had skill beyond measure. The Black Knight knocked Uther off balance and took a swing, but Uther brought it back with a swift uppercut.
The crowd watched as the Knight's helmet flew off and revealed the most sickly sight! Hermione had seen things in her lifetime, but none compared to the grotesque sight of the wraiths face. It was blackened and looked almost burned. It's head still looked like skin was pulled over the skull, but that was all to its human features. The rest was a sickly decaying skull. That was what was left of Tristan de Bois. A man that just wanted to avenge his family. It was sad actually.
The fight went on with even more ferocity and Hermione felt a prickle on the back of her neck. She wildly looked around and spotted the smug smiled face of Nimueh. Hermione clenched the seat she was sitting on and could hear the wood splinter and crack. That magic, oh how that woman's magic made her want to tear the bitch's head from her shoulders. Hermione heard a gasp and her anger halted when Nimueh's face turned to that of fear and anger.
Hermione looked to the arena and saw the sword being removed from the wraith. Hermione watched in a sickening fascination as the monster seemed to shrivel and catch fire. He burned and burned until even the ashes were gone. Unseen to everyone was a floating light, black as night. It was vengeful and angry. It was so sad.
She acted in instinct and thought in her mind, "I wish your soul to find peace, Tristan de Bois. For you came to avenge your loved one. Cross over and let go of your hatred and be with her. I'm sure she would forgive you." The light halted and began to glow a light gold. Then, went completely white. It swirled and swirled until it disappeared.
She heard a whimsical voice that called out to her, "Thank you." Hermione sniffed and realized she was crying. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and clapped with the rest of the crowd. She sensed Nimueh's absence and it didn't bother her. Hermione felt peaceful. She felt amazed that she had helped a tormented soul find peace. It made her the happiest she could ever feel.
The next evening, Hermione sat in the courtyard. Just in the middle of the beautiful grass. She could hear the crickets singing and feel the wind dancing. It was serene, but her thoughts were troubled. Merlin would have dangerous challenges in his lifetime and she planned to be there for every one of them. What if she wasn't though? Merlin needed to be prepared for the day that she wouldn't be present in his life.
It saddened her greatly to think about it, but that was the truth of reality. It was painful. Hermione sat and thought for hours, her mind in a completely different place. If she were to focus hard enough, she could almost believe that she wasn't present in the real world anymore. The morning light began to rise and with it, so did Hermione. She couldn't believe how much time had passed with her just sitting there, thinking.
Hermione looked to the castle to see her little brother 'sneakily' wandering out. He was carrying something wrapped in red fabric. She guessed it was Excalibur. Why would he be taking it? She got up and followed Merlin. She didn't make her presence known until they were out of Camelot. She tapped his shoulder and he turned to her startled. Hermione pointed to the sword and Merlin gulped.
He looked down in shame and whispered, "I messed up." Hermione nodded and understood that he meant letting Uther use the sword.
He whispered, "He told me to hide it where no mortal man could find it." Hermione knew he meant the dragon. So, she thought of all the books she had read. A place where no mortal man may find…..she snapped her fingers and smiled. There was a map of the lands in her future and so far they have all been correct. That meant that the Lake of Avalon was near and would be a perfect place for the dangerous weapon.
Hermione grabbed his hand and the two started their journey to the Lake of Avalon. Merlin didn't question where Hermione was taking him, he trusted her. Merlin had found long ago that Hermione had knowledge of many things that no one should have knowledge of. He didn't question it, just went with the flow of things.
The two reached the glorious lake and Hermione breathed in deep. It was glorious. You could feel the magic forming in mists. What she didn't expect though, was the morning mist to swirl into a soft shape and form the most beautiful woman Hermione had ever seen. Her hair was dark and flowed over her shoulder in a loose braid. A crown of pastel flowers adorned her head. The woman's skin was pearly white and her eyes a soft baby blue. The dress she wore was a whimsical masterpiece of flowing white fabric. The smile on the woman's face promised comfort and peace and Hermione couldn't help, but to let that comfort warm her. This was the Lady of the Lake. A woman to be held with the highest respect.
The woman walked out of the water like an angel and came up to them. Looking at Merlin's face, he was star struck.
The Lady spoke in a silvery soft voice, "What brings you to my Lake?" Merlin tried to speak, but no words came. Hermione just sighed softly and gingerly took the wrapped up sword. And unwrapped it before the Lady. Her eyes widened at seeing the sword. Like the sword was made of glass, she lifted it with the most delicacy Hermione had ever seen. She hummed, a beautiful sound.
"You wish to protect it?" Merlin nodded and the Lady smiled softly at Merlin. "Fate is such a tricky thing. Do not let your mistakes cloud your goals." Merlin's eyes widened and Hermione just smiled. Then, unexpectedly, the Lady turned to Hermione. Hermione felt as if her soul was being examined.
The Lady of the Lake said to Hermione with sincere eyes, "You did the right thing." Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. One of her worst fears come to light. She always wondered if she was doing the right thing by coming back in time. It ate away at her in nightmares and daydreams. Did she ruin anything? Did she destroy lives? What destruction had she brought? Those were the nagging questions. The woman, this Lady of the Lake put all her fears to rest with just a simply soft spoken sentence. She opened her eyes and saw the woman smiling at her.
Hermione whispered breathlessly, "Thank you." The Lady smiled and nodded. She began to retreat back into the water and in a cloud of mist, disappeared with the sword.
Merlin looked to Hermione and asked her curiously, "What did she mean?"
Hermione just looked at Merlin with a smile and signed, "She meant what she said." Merlin was still curious, but he didn't push his luck. The two stood and stared into the lake, letting the overwhelming peace wash over them.