All characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyrighted to Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. I've taken the idea for the Unseelie Court from the TGS. Characters and concepts from Star Trek are property of Paramount and created by Gene Roddenberry. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of SN.
Note: I'm disregarding the events of the "Goliath Chronicles", with the exception of "The Journey" because I do not wish to use the rest of the "Goliath Chronicles" as canon to my story. Also, I am altering large sections of the Star Trek storyline, especially concerning events like WWIII and the Eugenics Wars, which without the Cold War as a backdrop probably wouldn't happen the way Roddenberry wrote them, if at all. This story takes place two weeks after "Deciphering Clues".
Dragged In
By SN/TVfan
Email: Sam_Nary
Arizona
"Things have been rather quiet out here," the youngest of the three Maza children commented as she walked along a small trail as the sun set on the western horizon.
"You'd prefer it to be hectic?" Coyote asked back, somewhat humorously.
"No," Beth sighed, "Elisa and Derek can have all the action. I'm quite content to stay here where the worst I'll have to deal with is an excess of scrapped knees."
Coyote nodded at that. Since the Second Unseelie War the two had returned to Flagstaff where Beth reopened her small clinic. Both had been shocked to find that hardly anyone needed her services while they had been gone, but it was nothing that was really a thing to worry about. Beth reopened her clinic and set about preparing for the daily business of running it. Coyote had some 'fey' related matters that he had to deal with from time to time, but largely, things had been quiet for both of them.
As they rounded a bend in the trail they came up on a small creek that barely had any water in it, but it still had water nonetheless. Beth was somewhat shocked at the moment by the sight of the creek, not so much that there was a creek there, but by the mist that seemed to be covering it at the moment.
"Someone is arriving via Avalon's magic," Coyote commented coolly.
When the mist cleared, a small skiff sat there in the small creek, although the shallowness of the creek was such that it wasn't really floating, but sitting on the bottom without any danger of water spilling into it. Inside the skiff were some fairly recognizable faces. One was a white female unicorn-like gargoyle, and two were human males, one looking middle aged with brown hair and a largely brown beard. The other was older with largely grey to grayish-white hair. The last occupant of the skiff was a young woman that neither Beth nor Coyote could recognize.
"It would appear we have greeters this time," the gargoyle commented.
"Indeed," Coyote smiled, "What brings you out here from London? I would have thought that that was your protectorate."
"It is, but there have been some incidents there that have forced us to leave London," Arthur spoke carefully, "and it would be preferable that it be discussed somewhere more private, Mister…"
"Coyote," Coyote answered, "No 'Mister'. And I'm sure you all remember Beth Maza."
"I believe we met during the Unseelie business," Una nodded.
"You'll have to forgive me if I'm not any good with names," Beth spoke, "I'm afraid I was not with your clan while you were in New York."
"You do remember Arthur and Merlin, don't you?" Una asked.
Beth glanced at the two men in the skiff and then nodded.
"And who is the young lycan with you?" Coyote asked curiously toward Rachel at the far end of the skiff.
Rachel gasped in shock and found herself unable to say anything.
"He's a fey, ma'am," Beth spoke up, "he can sense those sorts of things."
"This is Rachel Winters," Arthur introduced them, "she is with us."
"It's good to meet you all," Coyote asked, "but, it would be best if you came with us for now."
"Will people see us?" Rachel asked, thankful that it would be another month before the next full moon.
"It's not likely," Beth commented, "but people do live out here and several use these trails for nature hikes or for specific cultural reasons, related to the tribes that still live in the area."
The newly arrived group nodded and were soon following Beth and Coyote back down the trail. Beth's home and clinic was in a fairly rural area, which allowed most of her 'patients' to get to her easier, rather then having to drive all the way into Flagstaff itself. It gave her and Coyote the opportunity to go hiking when there wasn't any crisis to deal with or any calls to head into Flagstaff and help there. Still, it took a fair amount of time for them to make it there. Beth ushered them all in through the back door.
The group then gathered in the small living room that was available to them.
"So what brings you out to Arizona?" Coyote asked again, "In a skiff from Avalon, no less."
"We're largely trying to restore Merlin's powers," Arthur sighed, "An Illuminati sorcerer stole them, and we need to get to a Site Omega to get what we need to cure him. We're largely playing a game that Avalon's magic will eventually send us to where we need to go to get the cure."
"That could be quite a problem, given the nature of Avalon's magic," Coyote pointed out, "and the fact that you probably don't know where this Site Omega is."
"We've largely relied on luck, so far," Merlin told him, "eventually Avalon will send us to this Site Omega."
"Only if it deems that you need your powers," Coyote warned him, "as the humans say, 'there may be higher powers at work'."
"But England needs him, I need him," Arthur argued.
"I have no doubt, and I don't intend to stop you," Coyote answered, "I'm just saying that there are things you might just have to accept."
"I am prepared for that, but so far, there's no need to give up hope," Merlin sighed.
"If I remember what Elisa told me when she and Goliath were traveling, doesn't Avalon send you where you need to be?" Beth asked, "what could you possibly need here? There hasn't been anything like what happened when Elisa and Goliath were sent here."
"We can't really know," Una answered, "Avalon might have sent us here because of something relating to the Illuminati, which would mean you might not have noticed the 'transgressions', or the reason may not be as easily deducible. Our last stop in was in Austria, largely to have Rachel stop a cult of werewolf worshipers."
"They were worshiping you?" Beth asked curiously.
"Not me personally, my ability to turn into a seven foot talking wolf-like creature," Rachel answered and then paused for a moment and then asked, "and you're remarkably calm with a lot of this."
"Well, I can sorta understand a lot of the 'weird things' that you're likely dealing with," Beth answered, "Elisa and Goliath came here on their world tour awhile back, and that is when I first met Coyote."
"You've met them?" Rachel asked.
"Of course," Beth chuckled, "It'd be kinda rude for me not know my elder sister and her husband."
"You seem to have come a long way from home," Rachel commented.
"Me and Elisa's dad grew up here, you could say I've actually come home," Beth answered, "besides I like the quiet out here. None of the constant worries about cyborg mercenaries or magically supped up crooks."
"So what do you do out here?" Rachel asked curiously.
"I run my own clinic here for the people living outside Flagstaff, and I even go into town when they need help," Beth told her, "I'm also available to make house calls for small things if someone can't go into town or make it here."
Elsewhere
Inside a small office inside the Flagstaff post office a lone man sat a rather expensive looking computer. He was largely checking his email and reviewing the events of the day so far, when a small icon popped up in the lower right corner of the screen. He clicked on it and the image of a man in a hood appeared on the screen.
"Sir?" the man asked.
"We are just checking in on your situation," the hooded man spoke, "I trust everything is in order."
"They usually are around here," the man in the room, the post office manager answered, "no problems. Basic gossip is behind your efforts in China, largely."
"Gossip does not interest the Illuminati," the hooded man answered, "and anyway, the people in you area do not know the truth behind the war in China. If they did, they might change their minds."
The post office manager nodded, "Do you have any specific orders for me, sir?"
"None super specific at the moment," the hooded man replied, "although I will inform you that it would be wise to be on the lookout for a middle aged man accompanied by a woman in her mid twenties to early thirties, and an older man."
The image of the hooded man then vanished to reveal photographs taken of Arthur, Merlin, and Rachel.
"We've been receiving some reports of them showing up all around the globe," the hooded man spoke, "so we believe they're using Avalon's magic. They could show up anywhere."
"I've never seen them before, but I'll keep an eye out," the post office manager answered not really recognizing the faces, but wasn't one to question orders.
The Illuminati Headquarters
"Are you sure this is necessary?" the hooded man asked as he turned to face Four who was present in the room with him, "Flagstaff, Arizona is a pretty quiet place. Other then one or two very minor members, we don't have that much going on in the region."
"Pendragon may not be the cause of our troubles in China at the moment, but his existence and actions are problems for the Illuminati," Four answered, "remember that our masters included prophecies of us saving Britain. If Arthur saves it, the Mage's prophecies will be destroyed. We can not allow that to happen. And if he is in fact traveling by Avalon's magic, he could show up anywhere."
"Of course, sir," the hooded man, a minor agent used as an impersonator by the Illuminati, responded, "Shall I also contact units to secretly spread out across the country should he appear in one of these areas?"
"No," Four answered, sounding slightly irritated, "the conflict in China is too great for us to ignore. If they are found, have our agents there contact the police. We will provide all the necessary warrants to arrest them for various crimes against humanity if necessary."
The hooded man nodded and let the council member leave, but once he was gone, he gave a heavy sigh. He wasn't one to believe in prophecies and feared the Council's obsession with preserving a few spare sayings that the Mage had said here and there before his demise was blinding them to greater problems, including the present troubles in Tibet and China. He couldn't change anything though and set out to carry out the orders he had been given.
Beth's Clinic/Home
"It's very generous for you to allow us to stay here," Rachel commented as Beth lead her to one of the guest rooms that were available.
"Well, as I said before, I can't think of any reason for Avalon to send you here," Beth commented, "as when Elisa and Goliath came, the desecration of Coyote's sacred land had been on the news for a while. Nothing like that has been going on, and it might take you guys awhile to figure out why you were sent here."
"None of us want to intrude on you," Rachel told her.
"Oh, it's no bother," Beth answered, "to some extent, knowing a little bit about what's going on isn't a bad thing. I'm not into the whole 'police/gargoyle' thing that Elisa and Derek do, but I don't mind hearing about what's going on."
"Derek?" Rachel asked.
"My older brother," Beth answered, "turned into a mutate by an evil geneticist."
"I'm sorry," Rachel commented, "It seems your family seems to have a hard time escaping 'weird' stuff."
"Which is largely why I'm out here," Beth chuckled, "I don't mind hearing about it, but I don't really want to live it."
"It might end up coming here since we are here," Rachel admitted, "things like that seem to happen."
"I might have a story to tell my family then, or kids if Coyote and I ever decide to do that," Beth replied, "besides, Coyote will likely be the one that helps you the most if there is anything that Avalon has sent you here for."
"I'm sure Merlin and Arthur would be most thankful for whatever help he decides to offer," Rachel answered.
"Man, a lot of this seems rather complicated," Coyote commented, "And a lot of it is in languages that I never encountered. Even with my powers I might not be able to easily translate this."
"If you can't, it's nothing we'll really push," Merlin commented, "I'll likely be able to read it once I restore my powers."
"It'll still be easier when you can figure out where this 'Site Omega' is," Coyote answered, "because with Avalon's magic, you may get sent to a location near it, and never know it."
"Very likely," Arthur commented, "but, we would need to find and capture an Illuminati agent in order to even try looking, and he would have to know the location."
"Which can't be easily done, unless your advice is to go knocking doors asking people if they're members of the Illuminati," Una added.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of doing that," Coyote chuckled, "that'd get you on 'Cops' in this country. But, if they are determined to protect the Mage's prophecies, they might try to hunt you down. Hopefully, if they do, we can lead the battle to a more remote and less culturally significant area to have the battle."
"That may be impossible out here," Merlin commented, "You've already said this area is quiet. Unless they have some secret instillation out here, the only force they'd have to come after us would be local law enforcement, and we don't want to create anything like what's been going on in Tibet."
"And that will likely mean that your reason for being here has nothing to do with the Illuminati," Coyote commented, "because in areas where that is their only tool, they haven't been corrupted by power or ambition the way much of it probably has."
"I'm sure we'll be able to figure out some way of figuring out why we're here," Arthur commented, "It may not be the Illuminati, and I actually wouldn't be inclined to believe it is. But, if it is something else, I'm sure we'll find out about it."
"Don't be surprised if it isn't something obvious," Coyote warned, "Flagstaff has been rather quiet. We have some small town crimes and such, but no where on the level that the clan faces in New York."
"With some of the things we've faced, a little peace and quiet would be a nice short break," Merlin smiled, "It might even give us the chance to try and translate more of the scrolls that we uncovered in Arabia."
The group then began looking at one of the scrolls that they had brought along with them.
"Will you help us?" Una asked.
"Maybe a bit," Coyote shrugged, "as I said before, that stuff seems a little tricky. It might take even me a while to translate that stuff, even with my magic. There's also the fact that Beth and I live a rather diurnal life. I'll need some sleep soon."
"We will need to take a look around, see if there is anything you might not have noticed," Arthur commented.
The Next Morning
The night did not go easily for the travelers as far as translating the scrolls went. Coyote did help for awhile, but went to bed around eleven o'clock, with Beth following shortly after. Without Coyote's help, everything slowed down even further and Rachel and Arthur went to their respective guest rooms around midnight. Merlin and Una stayed at it for a little while, but Merlin was finally exhausted by one AM.
Left alone, Una did not entirely up to simply reading the scrolls to try and translate them, and she soon left to explore the area and see if there was anything that warranted attention. She found nothing and returned to the house shortly before dawn and stood quietly underneath the roof's overhang in the backyard away from a spot where she would be seen.
Beth and Coyote were the first ones up that morning and they quickly found the others asleep as they went out to the kitchen to get breakfast and for Beth to get ready to open her clinic for the day.
"So how did it go, last night?" Beth asked while the ate.
"The translating?" Coyote sighed, "all I know is that it isn't a language that I've studied or learned, which means I'm relying one hundred percent on my magic to translate it, and even then, that takes awhile."
"What did you find with the little that you read?" Beth asked curiously, "If it's something that I could ask."
"It was mostly all small spells and stuff," Coyote answered, "and none of them were spells that would even be considered dangerous unless they were done in the right combination with other spells."
"It all sounds complicated to me," Beth sighed.
"Not once you've learned it," Coyote told her.
"You say that like I could be a sorceress," Beth commented.
"It's not like you don't believe in magic," Coyote told her.
That made Beth pause for a moment as Coyote sounded rather serious.
"You actually think I could?" Beth asked, "I've never been into that sorcery stuff. No one in my family has, and my sister is now a gargoyle and my mother's been marked by a werepanther."
"It's not what you think," Coyote tried to explain, "you probably can not do magic in the way that Merlin and Una practice magic. You don't have the training, but it might be possible that you could learn."
"And I'd suppose you'd teach me how to get my 'Wicca' on?" Beth asked.
Coyote chuckled slightly, "No, I practice fey magic. If you were to learn, you'd have to learn from a mortal, or at least learn a mortal's spells."
"So even if I wanted to learn magic, I'd have to learn from someone else?" Beth questioned, and waited for him to nod, "What's brought all this up?"
Coyote then sighed heavily, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth."
Beth watched him closely. Coyote only sighed again.
"Well, to be honest, you sort of remind me of someone I knew back before the first Unseelie War," Coyote explained, "She was human and lived in this area. She was also the closest thing most Native American tribes had to the wizards and sorcerers of Europe and Asia. I believe the proper term is shaman, but it's been so long I can't remember."
"So I remind you of an old girlfriend?" Beth asked.
"No, I was never able to get that close, and she was already married when I met her for the first time anyway," Coyote answered.
"Well," Beth sighed, "I don't believe I have the power, and if I did, I probably wouldn't use it. I may not mind a little fun here and there, but the things that our current guests have to do, what Elisa and Derek do is dangerous, and I know I would never be any good at that stuff."
"You never know," Coyote answered, "something about the situation our guests are currently in makes me think that there is more to their visit then just stopping some bad guy. And given how quiet things have been, I really doubt there is a 'bad guy' to be beaten."
"Are you going to help them?" Beth asked.
"As best I can while they're here," Coyote answered, "We'll avoid doing any more translating while you're working so that we're not a distraction. Besides, if I take them into town when I get your mail, maybe we'll come across the reason they've been sent here."
"Have fun then," Beth commented with a slight chuckle.
The Post Office
The post office manager quietly walked through the office as other employees sorted mail and while others dealt with customers at the main desk. Things had been rather quiet so far that morning. It was now nearly eleven and he was on his way to get himself another cup of coffee. As he did so, he glanced out over the main desk to see a young man with dark hair walk in. He was one the post office manager recognized. He was dating a local doctor who ran a small rural clinic, what caught his attention were the people following him. One was a male that matched one of the pictures he had seen earlier, the other was a brunette female that he didn't recognize.
"Oh man," the post office manage exclaimed and rushed back to his office, forgetting his coffee.
Once there, he struggled to contact the Illuminati headquarters. After a few moments he did get through to an answering technician who could relay his message.
"I need to speak with the Council, immediately, it's urgent," the post office manager said urgently.
"They contacted you yesterday through a representative," the messenger answered, "Leave your message with me."
"This is important, it has to do with Pendragon," the post office manager answered urgently, "I must speak with someone from the Council."
The messenger gave a frustrated sigh and then got up.
"This will take a few moments, please wait calmly," the messenger said firmly.
Outside in the main lobby of the post office, Coyote quietly checked the mail while Rachel and Arthur looked at a vending machine that sold stamps.
"Makes me wish Avalon would allow us to go through customs," Rachel commented, "I have a few pounds on me, and their machine probably won't accept British currency."
There was a brief flash of green light and Rachel pulled out roughly one US dollar and fifty cents.
"This is usually where I can come in handy," Coyote answered, "That should be enough to get some stamps, although in an age of cell phones I'm wondering why you're writing a letter?"
"One will be for my sister, the other for my mum," Rachel answered, "The one to my sister will be sort of a touristy letter, but will contain everything as she knows about my lycanthropy and was the one who got Arthur to come help me. The one to my mum will include some information, but not all of it, as she doesn't know everything, yet, and I'm not sure I want to tell my mother that her 'baby girl' can turn into a seven foot wolf."
"Understandable," Coyote nodded, "sorry if I seem nosy."
"Nah," Rachel answered, "this stop so far seems like just a normal day, really. Somewhat of a break from secret societies, cults, rogue sorcerers, and other 'weird stuff'."
"Although it is making me wonder what we were sent here for," Arthur said quietly as they walked out, "I've seen nothing that would indicate that anything is wrong or requires outside help."
Inside the post office manager's room, the post office manager was somewhat patiently waiting for the a member of the Council to get back to him. Eventually Five appeared at the screen, looking rather frustrated.
"What is it that you interrupt a session of the Council?" Five growled angrily.
"Pendragon is here," the post office manager said urgently, "I saw him and his woman come into my post office with the guy who you think is a fey."
"Have him arrested," Five growled again, "the fey has done nothing to interfere in our affairs, and for the time being we have no need to involve him. Present them with a warrant which we will be momentarily faxing to your local police and you should have no problems."
"What if the fey resists?" the post office manager asked.
"He won't if he wants to retain his cover," Five answered, "if he does, he will go down for awhile if he's shot."
Beth's Home/Clinic
It was a little after noon when Coyote returned and Beth was moving to take her lunch break. Things had been rather calm, with no major emergencies. There were the occasional small cases that always popped up now and then, but it was nothing that couldn't be handled. They assumed that the rest of the day would go peacefully as well.
"Things go well?" Beth asked as Coyote lead the others into the kitchen.
"Yeah, things are as quiet as always, but they went well," Coyote replied, "most of the mail is junk, and the stuff that isn't doesn't appear to be big."
"Well that's good," Beth shrugged, "You're all welcome to have some lunch."
They all slowly made their own lunches, with Arthur, Rachel, and Merlin constantly thanking Beth for her hospitality. They were about half way through lunch when there was a sudden knock on the front door, that sounded both firm and urgent.
"I better get it," Beth sighed and got up and walked to the door.
To her surprise, it was at least three local policemen and two members from Arizona's state sheriff's office.
"Ms. Maza, we have a search warrant to search your dwelling for three fugitives of the law," the lead sheriff spoke in a commanding voice, "Please stand aside."
"But, no one has done anything here, sir," Beth protested.
The lead sheriff then physically lifted her into the air and pulled her outside her home.
"That's not what the warrant says, now stand aside," the sheriff spoke and then lead the other officers in.
They walked in until they got to the kitchen where they found the others still eating. It was the sheriff who spoke first.
"Arthur Dragon, Merlin Hawkins, and Rachel Winters, you are under arrest under the charges of murder in the first degree," the sheriff ordered as the others quickly moved forward.
Arthur was caught before he could do anything and Excalibur was quickly pulled out from under his coat.
"I found the murder weapon, sir," the officer said as he held up the sword while the other officer placed cuffs on Arthur.
"Very good," the sheriff smiled as he watched Rachel struggle slightly with the other deputy sheriff and the last officer place cuffs on Merlin.
"They haven't done anything," Coyote protested.
"Tell that to the six families they hacked to bits with that sword in Phoenix," the sheriff answered, "We've been chasing them for days. You're lucky we won't be charging you and your girlfriend with aiding and abetting fugitives of justice."
They then left with their prisoners, leaving Coyote alone in the kitchen with Beth rushing up to his side.
"You can't just let them go, they haven't done anything," Beth urged.
Coyote nodded, "I know, but this has the Illuminati's fingerprints all over it. Their story of what Arthur did is bogus, as if six people in Phoenix had been killed by a sword, it would have been on the news. It wasn't."
"You have do something," Beth urged.
"Oh, I intend to," Coyote nodded again, "but I'm going to let them get a little ways down the road before I do. That way they can't logically come back and arrest you."
Outside four police cars, one bearing the markings of the state sheriff's department drove down the highway back into Flagstaff. The officers were quite proud that they had accomplished their mission so easily.
"Shouldn't you read our Miranda Rights?" Rachel protested from the back seat, "I've seen enough American cop shows to know."
The sheriff chuckled, "I would, if you were being arrested by the Sheriff's Department of the State of Arizona. But, you've been arrested by a far more important power, so, no, I don't need to read you anything."
They only got a little further when a massive sandstorm came out of nowhere and startled the sheriff. He tried to stop, but was hit from behind by the following police cars. What resulted was an all police pile-up and they were all out of action on the side of the road. The sudden sandstorm, however, continued. It swirled around the cars until the doors were literally ripped off the hinges.
The sheriff could only just manage to remain conscious as the sand circled his car and some of it blew in. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure out in the sandstorm. He could only just see the outline, and it looked like a mixture between a human and something canine. It was only when it got close that he began to recognize it. It had the body of a man, but the head of a coyote, and it snarled at him fiercely.
"Skinwalker!" the sheriff screamed and passed out.
The figure then quickly reverted to that of Coyote and the sandstorm stopped. He then helped Rachel out of the back seat of the car.
"The others?" Rachel asked.
"Should be fine," Coyote answered, "although the deputy sheriff may need medical attention soon."
They quickly moved to the other cars and quickly freed Arthur and Merlin. The other officers were unconscious, but unharmed. They then quickly gathered around Coyote as he gathered up the deputy sheriff.
"We're deeply indebted to you," Arthur said as he retrieved his sword from the trunk of the sheriff's car.
"Yeah, you can thank me later," Coyote answered, "this guy looks like he's busted a couple of fingers and needs medical attention, and these other guys won't stay unconscious for much longer."
"Is he alright?" Rachel asked.
"He'll live, but we need to get him back to Beth's clinic if he expects to use his fingers again," Coyote told them as they then stepped away from the car and vanished into a flash of green light.
They arrived just inside Beth's front door to find Beth nervously pacing a nearby room. Once she noticed their return she rushed toward Coyote's position.
"You freed them," Beth spoke and then stopped when she saw the injured deputy sheriff.
"His fingers got broke during he rescue attempt," Coyote spoke, "He'll need medical attention."
Beth then nodded, "Carry him in, I'll patch him up there to let him move. Will anyone be getting to the rest of those officers?"
"The main Flagstaff clinic should get a report of an accident on the road with injured officers, one of which already evacuated for treatment," Coyote answered after he set the deputy sheriff down on an examining bed, "you may have to answer some questions later."
"I'm sure," Beth sighed as she did her best to look at the wounds.
It was almost an hour later when the deputy sheriff came to. He found himself in the clinic that he had helped search earlier in the day.
"I'd relax if I were you," came the voice of the woman who ran the clinic, "the fingers on both of your hands are broken, and I've just got the casts on."
He looked up to see Beth standing there.
"The prisoners?" the deputy sheriff managed to ask.
"I didn't find you," Beth answered him, "a motorcyclist did, and you were the worst for wear, and he brought you here. I've already given him the lecture about moving unconscious people from an accident."
"They aren't going to like this," the deputy sheriff muttered.
"I'm sure," Beth answered, "my sister's a cop and father is a retired cop. They never like it when a perceived bad guy gets away. I'm sure your office will understand though. From what the news said, the dust-devil that hit you had to have been powerful."
"Yeah," the deputy sheriff then sighed sheepishly, "the department. The sheriff will be even more upset. He was really looking forward to this arrest."
"Maybe, but then if it turns out they were innocent, you were merely 'barking up the wrong tree' so to speak," Beth told him, "just rest. Your department s sending a car out to pick you up."
That Evening
"You did quite well helping him," Arthur congratulated Beth as they sat around the table for dinner that evening.
The tale worried Una a bit, but she was also impressed with Beth's skill's as a 'doctor'.
"Will they return here, since they started here in the first place?" Una then asked.
"The man that picked the deputy up did a preliminary search, and found nothing," Coyote answered, "thought you were a niece piece of lawn décor, but found nothing."
Una shrugged, deciding to ignore the fact that police thought her to be some sort of lawn ornament.
"I wish we could have managed to get some information out of him before he left," Arthur commented, sounding defeated.
"It seems like you're not any closer to finding out why you've been sent here," Beth commented.
"I'm not so sure," Merlin spoke after a moment drawing the eyes of the others.
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked curiously.
"While you and Una may be able to heal most wounds," Merlin began, "Arthur and I can not. It might be in our better interest to have someone trained in medicine with us, especially as without my magic, I can't reverse such problems through sorcery and Una can not do the same without gathering more supplies."
"You're recruiting me?" Beth asked, sounding surprised.
"We could use a doctor for this trip," Merlin sighed, "and it seems to be the only the reason we would be here would be to 'recruit' you."
"But I'm no warrior," Beth protested, "I might know a move or two of basic self defense, but not enough to defeat some maniacal villain out for blood."
"That isn't all that we deal with, and Coyote is welcome to join us to keep an eye out," Merlin told her.
Beth glanced at Coyote for a moment, looking fairly nervous. Coyote only shrugged.
"If they are here to recruit you, Avalon won't let them leave until they successfully recruit you," Coyote informed Beth.
"It would only be medicinal purposes," Arthur spoke up, "we wouldn't force you to do anything you don't want to."
"I really don't want to go at all, not to sound disrespectful or anything," Beth responded, "but I've always favored 'fun' excitement over 'dangerous' excitement."
"If you don't want to come, we'll move on, by whatever means possible," Rachel said, "you don't need to worry."
"I'm not really worried," Beth sighed, "it's just that you've all been very polite guests, and I can understand why you're on your current quest… I just don't want to see you fail."
"I don't think we'll lose, but having your skills as a physician would help deal with any possible injuries a lot more efficiently," Arthur told her, "and if you are anything like the other members of your family, I'd think you are better then you think."
Beth could only sigh.
"You really need a doctor on hand?" Beth asked.
"Potentially," Arthur sighed.
"But why me, my practice here is real small and those broken fingers I set today are usually the worst of what I see," Beth responded.
"It's probably the fact that you're the only doctor we've met who wouldn't freak out at seeing a gargoyle, a werewolf, and the real life King Arthur and his wizard, Merlin," Rachel pointed out.
"I guess there is that," Beth sighed, "I just hope sustaining serious injury isn't a likely occurrence."
"We hope so too," Arthur nodded.
"I can help with anything more serious," Coyote volunteered, "It might actually be something interesting to folks in the future."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Arthur asked.
"I'm not enthusiastic, but yeah, I'm sure," Beth sighed, "Give a few moments to call my folks and pack some things."
About two hours later, Beth was slowly following the group back to the stream with the skiff. As she looked back at her clinic, she hopped it wouldn't be damaged, or the message that she had been called away would get out fast enough. She wondered how she had let herself get into this mess, but sighed again walked quietly beside Coyote into the unknown.
The End…