Herb Gathering

I wondered around the nearby forest, collecting some red clover and agrimony. The birds chirped eagerly to one another across the trees and a faint wind stirred some leaves about the woods. I followed along a small stream that led through the trees in a serpentine pattern, finding more herbs growing close to it's nourishing waters. Suddenly there was a sound of rolling thunder, silencing the sounds of the critters of the forest. I looked up, noticing for the first time that dark clouds had taken place of the blue sky. I had wandered quite far from the castle, but I figured I could find a little more red clover before I headed back. I felt light drops of cold rain as I wandered by a cave, where a lot of red cover was growing outside of its entryway.

I turned to head back when a great downpour started. I juggled with the idea of just heading back in the rain, but thought best to try to wait it out, being several minutes out and suddenly feeling tired. I took cover in the opening of the cave, watching the rain fall in the dirt, making mud. I felt even more tired watching the rain, and felt very cold from the water that tried to drench my cloak. The darkness and dampness of the cave seemed to make me feel even weaker so I back up from the entry to lean against the wall. In my attempt, I tripped over something that was lying in the middle of the cave, causing myself to fall backwards and drop my basket. I landed sitting down, but my feet still on top of whatever it was I tripped over. I reached my hand forward to feel it and was surprised by how cold and oddly textured it was. It reminded me of a kind of snakeskin, but harder. Suddenly there was a warmness against my ear and neck. I turned and saw the glow of yellow eyes gleaming from the dark. The darkness moved and shifted into the light, revealing a large dragon with a low grumble in its throat. It opened its mouth and its long, yellow-tinted, sharp teeth gleamed in the dark and the cave filled with the scent of rotted flesh.

The dragon let out a shrill roar that I felt certain made my ears bleed. I jumped up and started running, wishing this dragon was, in fact, a wolf. It followed after me, shrieking awful sounds of terror. I did not know where I was going, only that I had to run. I tried to fit through tight spaces between trees, but no matter what I tried the giant beast ran through it all. In a sad attempt at escaping, I made my way to a tightly wound group of shrubbery that hid behind two trees, hoping I could maybe hide from my pursuer. When I reached it I jumped over the base of the trees, which grew close to each other, but was jerked back by my cloak getting caught on a protruding branch. The dragon caught up within the second, knocking the tree over and sending me flying with it. I landed away from the tree, my cloak ripping away from me. I tried to get up, but with each second I felt weaker and weaker. My mind grew foggy and the dragon became a blur of angry, screaming, blackness.

I desperately tried to think of a spell Merlin might have taught me that would help, but nothing came to mind. The dragon loomed over me and opened its mouth in a putrid greeting. I took a deep breath, thinking it would be my last, before I saw an arrow shoot straight into the dragon's throat. The dragon thrashed about, tossing its head side to side, and smashing trees and boulders. Suddenly Merlin was at my side saying something to me, but I couldn't understand anything he was saying. I looked back to the dragon and saw Aurelius standing in front of the dragon, wielding his sword, bow and arrows lying at his feet. I felt Merlin trying to pick me up, and still trying to talk to me as well as I felt myself say, "At least it wasn't a wolf" before everything went dark and silent.

Lady Igraine

I headed out the back way of the castle, donning my purple cloak for warmth, and found Uther and Aurelius still battling it out. It must have been at least ten minutes I listened to Merlin go on, they both must have great stamina. They were fighting out in an empty arena bordered by wooden posts, similar to that of a farmer's barrier for his creatures. I sat my basket down and leaned against the fence, watching them fight at a fairly decent distant.

Simply by watching them you could tell they were brothers who loved one another. It reminded me of how young boys play with their wooden swords, innocent and fun. The two of them had a constanct smile on their face and poked fun at one another, just as they had before. They were both moving fairly slow, granted it's probably due to the continual fighting, and you could see the sweat jumping from their skin with each swing of their blade. They went on like this for probably five more minutes until Uther unarmed Aurelius and pointed his sword at him.

"You're getting older, brother, I would be more careful if I were you." Uther's grin just about reached from one ear to the other. Aurelius raised his hands up to his shoulders as if in defeat.

"You are quick to judge, but I have not quite waved the flag yet." Aurelius then performed a leg-sweep, casting Uther down at his back, causing him to lose his sword. Aurelius snatched the sword as it flew up and pointed it at Uther's chest. "Now, I believe I am the winner."

Uther sighed. "I'll beat you one day, you just wait." Uther took hold of Aurelius' outstretched hand and allowed his brother to help him up.

Then there was a sound of clapping and Uther's eyes grew large as a lady in a lovely blue dress walked towards the brothers. She smiled at the two, her lips a vibrant coral color and her hair falling down in brown ringlets. She was the essence of beauty.

"Lady, Igraine!" Uther called, and swiftly moved to her. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" Uther took her hand and kissed it, as many do with royalty.

"Please, Uther, you need not treat me so formally. I am here to announce my husband's death. Our kingdom has been desecrated." Her words sounded sad, but the way she looked at Uther almost seemed like happiness. Strange how humans can feel so many emotions at once.

"King Gorlois was no great friend of ours, this is widely known." Aurelius said, eyeing Igraine oddly. "I see not why you feel need to bring us such news."

"I mean not to be rude, sire, but I did not bring such news for your benefit." She gazed upon Uther. "I thought Uther may find it... joyous in some way."

Uther took hold of Igraine's hands. "Oh, you know I do." He smiled greatly. "Come, you must be tired from your journey, you can rest inside."

Igraine nodded and then they were gone. Aurelius walked a bit behind them, stopping a short distance from me, an odd expression on his face.

"Aurelius," I began, "What was all of that about?"

Aurelius' eyebrows were furrowed. "I thought nothing of it before... until now. Gorlois use to be a good friend of ours, but through circumstances became very distrusted. Uther use to spend a lot of time in their kingdom, I never thought Igraine would have been the reason. No doubt she is beautiful, but she was married. I suppose that did not stop them from falling in love. I believe with Gorlois now dead Igraine feels she can finally be with Uther." He looked over at me and his expression softened. "Why, miss Fia, are you out an errands?"

I gasped. "I almost forgot! Merlin will be wondering where I am." I stood up straight and grabbed my basket off of the ground. "You are a very talented fighter, Aurelius. I enjoyed watching you and your brother." I mentioned, wanting to leave him with some kind words.

Aurelius leaned forward on the fence. "I did not know I had an audience, I may have made it more enjoyable." He showed off his half-smile.

"How is your shoulder faring?" I asked. "You didn't hurt it did you?"

"It's better than ever." He said, standing up straight and rotating his shoulder. "I should come to you more often."

I looked at him for a moment.

"I mean, for medicinal purposes..." He scratched his head and cleared his throat. "What are you supposed to be doing, exactly?"

"Oh, right! I have to go gather some herbs and things, I should not be bothering you." I turned and began walking off.

"Well, if any wolves appear just call!" he yelled as I walked away. I turned to see him smirking a little.

Wolves. I laugh in the face of wolves! Ha!

Breakfast Talk

Aurelius cleared his throat. "The bucket would be in my room, Fia tended to me when I returned with a  bit of a scrape."

"Oh, I see..." Merlin said, a bit befuddled. "You should have had me take a look, sire."

"Now, Merlin, no need to get jealous, I simply did not want to wake you." Aurelius took a bit of eggs and wiggled his eyebrows at Merlin.

The servant left silently out the door and I caught a half-smile from Aurelius.

"So, brother, how was your trip?" Uther asked.

Aurelius grew solemn. "We thought them to be a rebel force of Saxons, not tied to any particular kingdom's intention, but I am afraid we may be wrong. We fought our best, but most of our men were taken down. A few of the enemy's men got away, and I fear we may only have a couple weeks until they return with even greater forces. We need to train brutally until we get word of their arrival."

Uther's eyes grew downcast, "Trouble must always find us. Well,"Uther stood up and pushed his chair back against the table, "I will be with the troops and help them train, you should rest for now, brother."

Aurelius stood, "Oh, you are quite the humorous one this morning. I will not sit idly by just because I have a little scrape. How about you and me have a go at it? Just like old times, huh?" He punched his brother in his arm.

"Careful what you wish for, brother. You're not as young as you use to be!" Uther chortled.

Merlin looked at me as Uther and Aurelius left, who continually to jested at one another. "Well, sister, how about I teach you a bit more about magic before I send you out on some errands?"

"Errands?" I asked.

"You can't sneak out all night and then think you can go without chores. Besides, I need more herbs and I'm a very busy guy." Merlin said, giving me an all-knowing smile. "Our people are not great liars, especially when told to family, I should have you know."

I felt myself sink in my chair.

Breakfast

I awoke in front of the fireplace, which was still going, and found a red pillow to be under my head. I sat up and a red silk blanket slipped away from me. The room was dimly lit by the sunlight coming from a window, but no one seemed to be around. I got up quickly and made my way back to my own room, frightened i'd find Merlin and Edgar awake and unhappy.

Several servants were bustling about, but non of them paid me too much attention. When I reached Merlin's I opened the door quietly, thinking they may still be asleep. Yet, what I found when I opened the door was Merlin rushing around the room in a half-panicked state.

"Where are my shoes, Edgar? Did you move them? You must stop moving everything!" Merlin was looking under the table by the time I shut the door. Merlin heard the door and jumped, hitting his head against the table. "Ouch!"

Edgar was just sitting in front of the fireplace, shaking his head at Merlin. "He has just received word that the king has returned and is awaiting his presence at breakfast. What have you been up to, miss Fia? You were gone when we awoke this morning."

"I went for a walk in the castle." I said nervously.

"Found them!" Merlin cried. "Sister, you must get dressed at once." Merlin then rushed to find his belt.

Edgar helped me get ready by picking out a light green dress with golden trim for me to wear. "Why is Merlin so distressed?" I asked Edgar. "Surely he knows the king will not hold his being late against him."

"I believe our Merlin is simply eager to see his friend returned safely." He explained.

"That makes sense." I said, holding back the smile that crept towards my lips.

I walked with Merlin down to the dining hall where we found Uther and Aurelius, seated as they were when I first ate with them. Merlin greeted Aurelius with a hearty hug and slap on the back.

"It is good to have you back, sire." Merlin said, a great big smile on his face.

"It's good to be back." Aurelius replied. "Please, do have a seat."

We all sat down in the same arrangement as before, Aurelius at the head, Merlin and Uther to his sides and I next to Merlin. Our meal consisted of breads, meats, cheeses, and eggs, but i could hardly concentrate on my meal. I kept glancing over at Aurelius, who spoke animatedly with his brother and Merlin. He was now free of dirt and grime, and his hair was neatly combed. He wore a blue tunic, which seemed to make his eyes brighter, and a brown vest made of leather. When there was a lull in their conversing I thought to ask Aurelius about his wound, but thought better of it. I would not wish to make things awkward between everyone.

After a little while, a servant came in, keeping his head down and hands behind his back. "Sorry for the intrusion, master Merlin, but I cannot find your bucket to do my chores. I have searched practically everywhere."

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed and he glanced over at me, knowing full and well that I had left the room quite mysteriously before the bucket went missing. "Fia, what do you know of this? I used the bucket last night to smother the fire, it should have been by the door."

Vulnerability

I shook my head, "No, I hardly know anything about you." I rinsed my hands with water and grabbed the cloth again to clean around his wound. "Well, other than the fact that you are in dire need of bathing." I jested, hiding a smile.

Aurelius gave a half-smile. "Well, my apologies, I did not think to bathe before you came out of nowhere."

I gave a little smile. "So, how did you end up here in Camelot?" I asked as I began to dress his wound.

"It was a few years ago. I was probably about nineteen or twenty at the time and Uther was probably sixteen. Father was very bent on the both of us being great warriors, so we trained relentlessly. I took to it much faster than Uther, but it did not matter when the time came. Our castle was taken over, I cannot even remember by whom anymore. They attacked everyone from civilians to our parents, we had no time to prepare or draw our forces. My mother forced Uther and I to promise we would do everything we could to get out alive. Because of that, We... I abandoned our home, allowing them all to be slaughtered. I never even got the chance to fight." Aurelius took a deep, trembling breath and closed his eyes. "We eventually found ourselves here in Camelot, which was in an uproar over their king. Uther and I, still upset at the loss of our people, took this opportunity and killed the king who had deprived his people of the necessities to live. We had seen enough innocent people suffer." Aurelius lay his hand on mine, which I had not realized was still lying against his wound, even after I had dressed it. His hand was rough and calloused, and his eyes appeared dejected and vulnerable in the fire's glow. "I've grown very weary of fighting and death." He whispered softly, as if it were a half-secret half-wish. "Yet, I would rather die than abandon another kingdom to destruction. That is why Merlin is of great importance to Camelot. He could save us from the things that destroyed my previous home."

I slid my hand out from under his and rested my hands in my lap as I sat against my feet. His eyes looked as if he had lived a thousand lives. They reminded me of Edgar and Merlin; They're the kind of eyes that had innocence stollen from them and had dreams crushed.

Aurelius sighed. "I am sorry, I should not be burdening you with such things, I hardly know you." He had a hint of a smile on his face.

"I hardly know myself either." I said, gazing downward. I appear as if I've lived years, but really I have only lived for a week, with the exception of the two years of unconsciousness.

Aurelius pulled his legs up to himself and rested his right arm on his knees. "Merlin did not speak much about you, all though he does love to talk. Are you from the same land he is? Zelix, was it?" He gazed at me curiously.

I froze. What had Merlin told him? Aurelius was so vulnerable with me before, he deserved my vulnerability in return, but what would happen if he knew I was an alien? Surely Merlin had not told him those kinds of things.

"I don't mean to be rude or pry. If you don't want to speak of such things that is all right. Perhaps I am just use to Merlin's chatty nature."

"I don't remember my home." I said quietly, shaking my head. "I left before I was even a day old."

"You don't say!" He exclaimed. "You appear so much older than a child. You should be what? Two? This does baffle me so!"

My heart began to race, he knew way more than I expected. I started to back away, but he quickly grabbed my arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He spoke softly and his grip on my arm was light. "I did not mean to frighten you I should have been more careful."

I looked into his eyes, fear still pumping through my body. "I..." I tried to talk, not even sure of what I could say. This man knew me about as well as I knew myself, and it frightened me. There is one question that has continued to haunt me ceaselessly: "Who am I?" Warm tears cascaded down my face and my body began to tremble.

Aurelius pulled me to him, allowing my head to rest against his chest, his strong arms holding me. "You're Fia." He whispered soothingly. "You are brave, because you have ventured here. You are patient, because you have put up with my brother and I. You are kind, because you have chosen to care for me when I was hurt and listen to my burdensome story. And you are lovely. In everything you do, you are just lovely." He rested his head on my own, no longer trying to soothe me with words, but simply with his presence, and I have to wonder how I ever thought he could be cold-natured.

An Early Return

I lay awake that night, thinking of all the magic and healing I had learned. I rolled to my side and looked out the window. The stars twinkled in their navy blue blanket, and I wondered if my real home was up there. My heart hurt as I thought of the possibility of there not even being a home left to return to. This weighed on me so heavily, yet I am so grateful to have Edgar and Merlin. Surely it weighs on them more than I, since this is the only planet I have known. Looking at the stars, I felt I could hear them all whispering wishes into the night, and I whispered my own, "Please, let my home be saved... let me meet my parents and see them safe from this terror."

Letting out a sigh, I looked out into the streets before the castle and saw three figures riding up on horses. I sat up quickly and pushed my face to the window to get a better look. Aurelius was back early, and the two knights from before were following him. They took their horses to the stable's next to the castle and were then making their way inside. I slid out of my bed and opened the door gently. The door let out a soft creek, but neither Merlin nor Edgar stirred. I grabbed a purple colored cape to cover my night dress and tiptoed past Merlin's cot and made sure not to get too close to Edgar's large ears as he snoozed on a small bed made of hay in front of the unlit fireplace.

I opened the door and shut it as quietly as I could, and then made my way down the steps of the corridor to the entrance. I stood against the wall, a few steps up from the bottom where the door lied. Aurelius came in with the two knights, a smell of sweat wafted instantly into the large room of the castle. The two knights went up the left corridor, opposite of the one I resided in, and Aurelius made his way forward between the corridors, where he would find his chambers I presumed.

Aurelius stopped, not far from where he started, and leaned against the stone wall, gripping at his left shoulder.

"Aurelius?" I called, a little worried by his actions.

Aurelius stood straight up and spun around, trying to appear natural, and looked at me as I descended the rest of the steps and walked over to him.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, reaching towards his left shoulder.

"No, no." he said, taking a step back.

"You don't have to hide things from me, your majesty." I said. I noticed his chain-mail was torn at the space between his collarbone and shoulder.

"It's nothing." He said, but I knew he was lying.

"Let me help you." I said as I began to steer him towards the corridor. "Your quarters are this way, right?"

"Yes." He said, not putting up a fight. Women seemed to have great power here. Once we got to his room, where a nice big bed laid out in the middle and to the left of a fireplace, I had him sit down.

"Sit in front of the fireplace." I ordered as I grabbed some logs and nestled them into position for the fire.

Aurelius sunk down against his bed, his wounded side closest to the fire. He closed his eyes and rested his head back against his bead. "I'll be all right, really."

I glanced at him, but he did not move or flutter an eye. I stuck my hand out above the wood and closed my own eyes. I concentrated on the thought of a fire and quickly felt the tongues of flames licking at my palm. Moving my hand back, I looked to Aurelius, but his eyes were still shut. I moved closer to him and said, "I need to see your wound, that way I know how to treat it."

Aurelius sighed and shifted forward. I helped him pull off his chain-mail, and instantly saw a giant blood stain, darkening his already red tunic. Pulling off his tunic I was relieved to see that the wound was not deep, but the fact that it had not stopped bleeding was a little unnerving. He looked at me, dirt caked on his face and darkening his hair. "What's the diagnosis?"

"Let me run upstairs to my chamber, I need to get some agrimony and water to clean this up." I said, standing up, he simply leaned back and closed his eyes.

I run back upstairs to my corridor, being careful not to trip in the darkness of the castle. When I reached the room I tried my best to open the door quietly. At the table I found the medicine Merlin had made while teaching me how to stop bleeding, and grabbed a small bucket of water with a cloth along with dressing for his wound. I closed the door and went back down stairs and into Aurelius' room. Aurelius had not moved, blood trickled down his side. I sat in front of him and used the cloth and water to soak up some of the blood.

Aurelius gave a little startle. "That's cold, you could have warned me." He said, looking into my eyes.

I shook my head and focused on tending to his wound. "You're right, sorry your majesty."

"Please, you don't need to address me so formally."

I applied the agrimony to his wound. "Then what shall I call you? Ari?" I asked, giggling a little.

"If that is what you like." He said. His face was gentle, yet he seemed to have aged years from only a couple days of battle. "My mother sometimes called me that." He said softly, smiling to himself. Yet, as quickly as it came, his smile all but vanished, and a serious tone took its place. "Have you heard of how Uther and I got here?"

Magic and Herbs

I spent a lot of time with Merlin, watching him work with people, concocting potions to help illnesses or scraps. He appears to be not only a knowledgable person of magic, but also a healer. He taught me a few things here and there as he would grind herbs with a mortar.

After our lunch with Uther, Merlin took me back to the room, planning on teaching me some magic. He sat me down in front of the fireplace and turned to grab some wood.

"You have to be very careful when you use magic, sister, for it always comes with a price." Merlin sat next to me, setting some logs in the fireplace. "Always remember, the weightier the spell is, the bigger the price. For instance, the price for fire is wood." Merlin closed his eyes and stretched his arm over the wood. "Our people practiced magic based on wishes, so our strength comes from wishing." Merlin then moved his hand back as flames jumped up from the logs, leaping in the cool air. "Simple as that." He said, turning to look at me. "Ready to give it a shot?"

I nodded, and Merlin placed his hand over the fire, and instantly the tongues vanished. I stretched my hand over the fire and closed my eyes. I hardly even imagined what a fire would be like before I felt the warmth under my palm. I opened my eyes and pulled my hand back. "I hardly did anything!" I exclaimed.

Merlin smiled, "That is because your name is Fia, fire is your specialty. You'll be able to control fire and heat as easily as breathing before you know it." Merlin stood up and brushed the dirt from his hands on his tan tunic.

Edgar came over, getting tired of being stuck in the back room. "Are we playing with fire?" He asked.

I smiled. "Yes, what else would we do? Say, Edgar, did you have a specialty back at home? Like, i'm supposed to be good with fire, were you good at something?"

Edgar chuckled to himself. "Believe it or not I was very good with our animals. At our first planet I was quite the farmer. I suppose it would only be fitting to be a rabbit now."

"Did we have animals like the ones here?" I asked.

"No, not exactly like these, but they served the same purposes." Edgar explained.

I looked back at Merlin. "What is your specialty, brother?"

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed. "I do not know. I have been searching my whole life for something to call my own, but I have yet to find it."

Edgar hopped over to Merlin and stared up at him. "I have watched you many years, I find that to be quite the opposite. You have never found something to be bad at. You, Merlin, are the most powerful person of magic yet."

"Oh, you're just saying that." Merlin said, shaking his head, but you could tell he was hiding a smile behind his disbelief. "Now, sister, let me show you how to make a blood-clotting solution from herbs. Using herbs is one way to save a life without the price of magic, and should always be used first." He motioned at me. "Follow me to the table." I followed Merlin and sat across from him. He grabbed an herb known as agrimony, a beautiful yellow flowered plant, and ground it up. Once ground up he added a little water to it to make it more of a pasty consistency. "Once you have it like this, you simply rub it over the wood and it should stop the bleeding." He explained. "This is something that will most likely come in handy, so do not forget it."

Talking Rabbits

Later that night, as I lay in Merlin's bed, I couldn't help but think about Aurelius fighting for his life out there. He just seemed so child-like before with the way his hair is always sticking up somewhere, and now he would be clothed in armor. I sighed, rolling over to look out the window that was in the wall that Merlin's bed rested. Camelot was quiet, cloaked in a dark blue sheet of night. I hoped Edger was getting along well with the Saxon disturbance.

Then I noticed something odd, a white blog in the darkness of night. I sat up to get a better look. It was definitely Edgar hopping down the road towards the castle. He was hauling what looked like a decently sized bag made of canvas, constantly glancing around at his surroundings.

I jumped up and opened the door that separated Merlin's sleeping room from his main room to find Merlin sleeping on a cot. "Merlin! Edger is outside!"

Merlin sat up, looking around frantically. "What?" He rubbed his eyes. "Edgar? I did not know he would come so quickly." He got up from his cot and stubbled to a window. "Why, that's just a rabbit, sister."

I suppressed a laugh. "Yes, a rabbit in a top coat carrying a canvas bag."

"That is a bit suspicious." He turned to look at me, nothing registering, and then he gasped. "Edgar is a rabbit!"

I allowed myself to laugh that time. "Yes, Edgar was transformed into a rabbit."

"You failed to mention that during our discussions." He glared at me and then gave way to a little smile. "I will go fetch him." Merlin pulled on some boots and then headed out the door.

I went back to the window. Edgar hadn't made too much distance, having a hard time with such a large bag. Merlin didn't take long to reach Edgar, taking the weighty bag from Edgar and lead him into the castle. I then moved to sit in a chair at Merlin's table, facing the door.

"My, you know, some dusting wouldn't hurt!" Cried Edgar, already getting nit-picky about his surroundings.

Merlin then opened the door, letting Edgar in. Edgar came over to me, grabbing my hands in excitement as Merlin dropped his bag next to the door.

"Good to see you again, Edgar." I said, smiling at his fuzzy face.

His whiskers twitched. "Oh, this is far better than I ever expected! We are to be treated as royalty!" he cried.

Merlin cleared his throat. "Well, perhaps Fia and I, but we can't let others see you Edgar. A talking rabbit in a topcoat, no matter how fashionable, is very suspicious."

Edgar nodded. "Yes, of course."

We spent a long time chatting with one another, including a long detailed report of Edgar's day, which mainly consisted of all the cleaning he did around his cottage. It was all so perfect, as if I finally have a family, as odd as it may be, and I think this place could really be home.

The Saxons

Aurelius sat staring at his food, his hands folded in his lap. His hair was mostly tamed now with the exception of the side of his head where he had been resting it against his hand. I had to fight off a smile after noticing that, it made him appear childlike.

"The food is very nice." I said. I figured if I am going to be here a while I must learn to make the best of it, even if it does mean speaking with this questionable king.

He looked up at me, his eyes squinting a little. "Yes, I suppose it is." He exhaled rather loudly and poked at a grape. "I feel I must apologize for my actions earlier, it was unchivalrous of me."  He sighed again looking towards the doors across from him.

I wondered if he wants to leave as much as I do. "That's all right... You were just trying to protect Merlin."

He gazed over at me, eyebrows furrowed, "I... Yes, yes."

Suddenly the doors burst open, two guards came rushing in with great panic on their faces and sweat dripping from the tips of their hair. "Sire, the Saxons are just about across our border, they've killed four of our men already." They were both young, possibly younger than both Aurelius and Uther, how sad that they would have to risk their lives so young.... One stood tall, hair like a grizzly's reaching his shoulder, and the other had hair like straw, but with a hint of strawberries to it. Their faces seemed kind, but their panic and urgency over took them.

Aurelius stood up quickly. "I must go change at once, you two gather more forces, you can explain the rest on the way." The two nodded and ran off quickly; Aurelius turned to me. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you can find your way back, tell Merlin I will return in three days hence." And before I could say a word Aurelius was gone.

Dinner

I hesitated. "I should head back to see Edger, you can go on without me."

Merlin gave me a reassuring smile. "It's getting dark outside, Edgar can wait. Don't worry, I promise Aurelius won't be a bother to you."

I looked down at my bare feet, which were coated with dirt. I just didn't know how to feel about everything that happened. It may be that I'm experiencing everything so vividly because I'm new to this human life, but all of these emotions are tiring me out.

"It really bothers you, doesn't it?" Merlin asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Looking up at my brother I saw great concern in his eyes. I nodded. "He just changed so quickly... it was frightening, Merlin." I took a deep breath and let it out. "Is he really like that with all the girls?"

Merlin was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I can't say that he's much different, but the coldness you thought you saw in him was a protective wall. He and his brother have been through a lot, sometimes I have noticed he just shuts down. It's hard to explain, maybe with time you will understand."

I had no idea what Merlin was speaking about, most of the stories I knew were about Arthur, and I know a little about Uther as king, but I'm not sure Aurelius was put into my mind when I came here. I sighed, looking out the window. It was almost completely dark now. "I'm worried that Edger will be worried." I told Merlin. "He seemed sad to see me go after we had been reunited."

Merlin smiled. "Don't worry your little head about that, sister." He walked over to the window, which was still open, and placed both hands down on the stone. The wrist with which he wore his bracelet began to glow faintly, casting a mesmerizing green tint to it. Shortly after a sparrow came and fluttered down next to his right hand, looking up at him eagerly. Merlin muttered to the bird and then the sparrow took off. He closed the window then looked back to me. "Edger will get your message of safety and a long awaited greeting from myself, all is well." Picking up the candle from the table, Merlin walked back over to me. "Shall we go eat the royalty's delectable food?"

I nodded and walked with Merlin. "Will I be able to do things as you did someday?" I asked in amazement, still astonished by the way he easily communicated with the sparrow.

"You mean with the sparrow?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Oh, sister. I will teach you so much more. We have far to go to save home." He chuckled.

We finally entered a long dining room with the family crest hanging above a long table. At the head of the table sat Aurelius, clothed in the traditional king garb, unlike before, and a king's crown resting upon his head. To the left was Uther, wearing nice clothes as well, and a smaller crown upon his head. Uther was taking a role of a prince, since Aurelius had seniority, but Aurelius listened well to Uther's ideals, at least that's what Merlin had told me.

"Glad you could join us." Aurelius stated, seeming less cold, but far from pleasant.

"We lost time catching up, sorry, sire." Merlin took his seat across from Uther, and I sat next to Merlin. The table was full of food, several plates were coated with fruits, loaves of bread, and some kind of cooked bird. I think it is a chicken.

"Now, Merlin, you don't need to address me in such a way, you know you can do me no wrong." Aurelius said, seeming to lighten up a bit. "Let us eat."

A few servants would flutter in and out, filling our cups with water or wine. We ate mostly in silence, with the exception of a few stories Uther felt he must tell, with which most were about funny things people had said or embarrassing stories of Aurelius. It's a wonder that Aurelius has not snapped with Uther, if he could hardly put up with for one day, I huffed to myself. The food was delicious, every bite I took sent my taste buds on a flooded ride of flavor. I wonder why our people did not give in to the tastes of these delicious foods more often.

"Merlin," Uther began, after a short silence. "I need your opinion on something, would you care to walk me back to my chambers?"

"Of course, Uther." Merlin stood up, heading out with Uther, and I felt everything I had just eaten was about to come back again all too soon. Surely Merlin wouldn't leave me...

Yet, I was now with Aurelius, alone.

Merlin

Aurelius and Uther led the way through the castle, one guard in front of me and two behind me. The corridors were dark and a bit cold, with the exception of a few places that had windows carved out of the side of the stone walls of the castle. Every step we took echoed through the corridors, reminding me of my uncertain fate. If Emris doesn't remember me, the sister he never met, I'm done for. I wonder how much of home he still remembers after living here for a while.

We eventually reach a dimly lit wooden door with a small "M" scarred into the wood next to the handle. Aurelius knocked harshly three times and then took two steps back, holding his hands behind his back.

"Come in!" a voice called from inside the chamber.

I felt my blood start pumping faster and my breath came quick as we entered Merlin's room. The place was lit by two windows and a candle. Across the room on the far wall were books from floor to ceiling. In the center of the room Merlin stooped over a table with a book lying open next to the candle, and a ghostly pink potion sitting to its left.

Aurelius cleared his throat. "Merlin..."

"Yeah?" Merlin's raven colored hair had grown some since the picture I had seen in the book, which now shielded his face as he balanced three books in one arm a green potion in his other hand, tongue sticking out in concentration.

"We have someone we need your opinion on." Aurelius said as he and Uther moved over, Aurelius grabbing my arm and pulling me in front of him.

Merlin looked up from his book, no expression on his face. His gaze wandered to the arm that Aurelius was holding, the one with the leather band. He dropped the books and potion and walked up to me, his emerald eyes gleaming with tears. "Who sent you?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Edgar." I said in a quiet voice, knowing that here, with my brother, I would be safe, even with the tight grip on my arm.

Aurelius let got of my arm and Merlin pulled me into a tight embrace. He was warm and safe; he was family. I began to wonder of people from our planet showed this kind of affection.

"This is my sister." Merlin said. "Thank you for finding her."

"Well you know how Aurelius loves to check up on all the pretty girls that visit Camelot." Uther chimed.

Aurelius scowled at Uther and pushed him outside, he and the guards following behind.

We spoke at great lengths with one another about our journeys. I didn't have much to say, since I have only been conscious a few days or do, but I loved listening to Merlin's stories of his time here and back home. He also told me that, while at home he may have been Emris, but here he has given over to the life of Merlin, but will never forget the life he had as Emris. I was a little sad at first to hear this, but then it made sense. Here we must be incognito, his alien life is now over.

After a while, the sun started to set, leaving the candle as our only light source.

"Goodness, me! I almost forgot about dinner." Merlin stood up and then reached out his hand to help me up. "We can't have the king and his brother waiting on us, now can we?"

Uther

I continued to stare at Aurelius. Just seconds ago this man came off as coquettish, but now... it was as if he had turned into stone. I looked around Aurelius to see the three nights now had their hands on the hilts of their swords, looking at Aurelius for orders.

"I- I" I continued to stammer, stepping back a little, unsure of what was going to happen to me. One wrong movement and it would be off with my head.

"Aw, come on, brother! Give the girl a break, hmm?" A man, who looked like Aurelius, only seeming a few years younger and with hair more darkly shaded, came over and gave a good punch at Aurelius' arm. "Must you always get upset when girls don't come on to you!" He gave his brother a big smile, which appeared more like a smirk.

"Uther..." Aurelius muttered, no humor in his voice; as if he had to play the opposite of his brother. "Tell me, brother, what do you make of that?" Aurelius pointed at my wrist, where the leather bracelet that Edger had given me rested.

Uther's eye brows knit together a little, causing his green tinted blue eyes to squint a little. "Well, it sure does look like Merlin's. No one else had bared it thus far."

Aurelius nodded. "Are you from the druids?" He asked me pointedly.

I shook my head slowly. I remember some stories about druids, but I was definitely an alien, not a person of magic who hid in the forest. But then again... That kind of is what I have been doing...

"Well!" Uther swiped up my basket that was laying next to my feet and looked through it a little. "She does not seem to be hiding anything dangerous. Perhaps we can let Merlin decide for himself what we should do with her." He set the basket down again and stooped forward, looking at my bracelet once more. "Perhaps she is the sister he has been waiting for." Uther straightened back up and gave a little smile.

Aurelius still seemed stiff, unamused by anything that amused his brother. "Yes, let's hope so."

The Flower Stand

Camelot was teeming with life. Vendors were all about yelling and waving their products back and forth in front of everyone that went by. There were also several people sitting on the sides of the streets either asking for money, playing music, or juggling. The amount of people alone made me feel as if I was drowning. With all of the commotion I had to wonder how these people could sit in the heart of it all everyday.

Yet, when I look up and see the castle of Camelot, I get this odd sense of security. It was simply a building, but a building where I could find my brother, and maybe this emptiness I feel will be filled. My brother, Emris... Merlin. Someone like me. I could hardly contain the huge grin that spread across my face.

"Miss, miss! You need a flower!" Turning around I saw a fairly gangly man, dark circles nestled under his eyes, holding out a flower in my direction, hopefulness gleaming in his eyes.

"Oh, no, i'm good, thank you." The flower was really lovely, a light shade of purple and yellow at its tips, but I had to save the money I had for a new dress, and if anything is left over shoes would probably be a good investment.

The flower seemed to droop as the hope in the man's eyes seemed to fade. "But it's such a lovely flower."

I froze, the voice I heard did not come out of the disappointed man in front of me. As I turned slowly towards the voice, the face of king Aurelius stared back at me.

"Just couldn't stay away, could you?" he said with a smug grin on his face. "I'll pay for the flower, Marcus." Aurelius handed the man some coins and I realized that the commotion of the market place had fallen uncharacteristically silent. Not far from where we stood were three men clothed in red, a lion crest on each of their chests, and swords on their hips. I looked  up into Aurelius' eyes as he handed me the flower. "So, should I be offended or flattered by your presence?" He leaned forward against a wooden support beam, his face getting closer to mine, and gave me another half-smile.

"I... I thought about going home..." I fidgeted back and forth a little, messing with the leaves on the flower. "But I decided to visit my family here instead." I wasn't sure if I should mention Merlin, but anyone could be my family, so perhaps this was the best way to go.

He looked at me a little skeptically so I nervously bit my lip and looked down. "I see... well, who are you here to see? I know my people well, I could help point you in the right direction." He said, raising an eyebrow.

My stomach felt like it was going to burst with nervousness, getting worse with every second. I don't know what is with this guy. He causes my mind to be so foggy, I can't even form proper sentences with this guy around. I started to wonder if being invisible may have been the better alternative.

"Are you all right?" he asked, to which I simply nodded, not daring too look back up at him in my confused state. He reached out and touched my wrist, causing me to automatically jump back, dropping the flower and holding my wrist to my chest in an odd attempt at protecting myself. "Merlin has a bracelet similar to that."He murmured. My breath caught in my throat as he straightened back up, folding his arms behind his back. I searched his face for some kind of hint as to what he was thinking, but he expressed nothing. His face was set, his stare blank and hard; no doubt this is the kind of stance he learned during his battle training. "Are you here to see Merlin?"

Reset

I studied the way Aurelius' lips seemed to curve into smiles as each word about his hunting hobby left his mouth. I also noticed how his eyes changed shades of blue as clouds would cover the sun, and then flee from it. It also struck me a little funny how his hair seemed to stick up a little in random places, reminding me of wheat in a field. This was not how I pictured a king, especially one with a specialty in fighting battles, to look. Yet, I think it's a pleasant surprise.

"Enough about me," Aurelius chimed. "Would you like me to accompany you into town?"

Suddenly it all came back to me: Edgar's sad face as I left, the basket I had left next to the road, the pungent smell of a dead wolf. I began to backup, "Oh, I could never ask someone as noble as you to accompany a poor girl like myself, I must be heading back anyway."

He gave me a look I did not quite understand. His eyes squinted a little, head cocked a little to the side. "Yes, if you say so." He straitened himself up, his shoulders appearing more broad, and the sun hitting him just right behind his head, making him appear to be the king I had imagined. "Well, if you ever need rescuing from another wolf, don't hesitate to call." And with that he backed away towards what I would assume to be Camelot. With a good distance between us, he raised one hand, a strange smile on his face, and then turned, disappearing amongst the trees.

With Aurelius being gone, the scent of the wolf penetrated my conscience once more. Each passing second seemed to be worse, as if it decayed much faster than any other living creature. I looked at my blood stained hand and my heart began pounding. I had never seen something die before. My eyes felt wet as I looked back at the wolf. It still looked mad, but I began to feel bad for the wolf's madness. I shook my head and wiped my eyes with my sleeve and ran back towards the incline to the road.

Once back on the main road I found my basket, seemingly untouched. I wondered if I should really head back to Edgar, after all I look very questionable in this splattered dress and my hands the way they are now. If only I had not met that wolf... I would be speaking with my brothers by now, surely. I exhaled, feeling a bit frustrated. My dress didn't get it too bad, maybe I could take the money I got and purchase a new dress in Camelot without much grief.

I decided that was the best idea. If Edgar is going to get mad at me, I may as well have another dress he won't have to steal to make up for it. So, as if nothing had happened at all, I raised my head high, basket in hand, and continued towards Camelot, the land of Magic.

A Little Detour

I made my way back through the forest, passing the magical well and the small drop off right before you get to Camelot. As I was passing the small drop off where I had thrown a stick while chasing Edgar, I heard a movement. Looking over I saw nothing but bushes and trees.

"Maybe it's just a squirrel." I said to myself, and turned to walk back towards Camelot. Yet, my curiosity pulled me towards that small drop off. I turned back and heard another sound that sounded like a twig snapping in half. I wondered if I should be frightened by this, but everything just seems so new and exciting that fear was no where in my mind.

Setting the basket down on the side of the path, I slid down the side of the road which was angled pretty steep, but not so steep that I had to worry about falling. Once back on my feet, I glimpsed around, still only seeing shrubbery. So, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, using all of my focus to listen to my surroundings. I heard sounds of bugs calling to each other, the wind blowing leaves, and what seemed to be some kind of stream far off, but nothing like what I had heard before. I tried to concentrate even harder, but no odd sounds struck my ear. Yet, I felt I should go towards the trees on my right. So, of course, I did.

The grass felt nice against my feet, since I woke up with tennis shoes I had to go barefoot. "Such shoes will not exist for hundreds of years!" Edgar had cried when I asked him about them. Walking past a pair of entangled trees, I heard another sound directly to my right. There was a pretty big bush of berries, so surely whatever I was hearing was hiding in there. I knelt down and pressed my hand into the bush, "Hello?" I saw a small brown bunny shaking like it had just ran miles. "You poor thing!" I said, and right as I said it I heard a noise directly behind me.

Moving slowly, I backed a little from the bush and turned to see a decently sized wolf, bearing its teeth and the hair on its back raised as it snarled in my direction. I may not have been scared before, but I sure was now. It began to move its weight to its back feet, a stance they take right before they leap and rip your throat out.

Suddenly, a voice called out from above me, "Watch out!" In a matter of what felt like minutes, but was less than a second, the wolf pounced, an arrow shot through the air, and a dead animal landed on top of me. I let out a scream and saw the small bunny race off to safety as I landed in the bush.

I pushed the animal off of me, its blood covering my hands as I did so. It looked wild, even in death. One of it's ears was missing a good size piece like it had been bitten off, blood was dripping out of its mouth, and its eyes were still open and deranged looking.

"Are you all right?" A soft voice next to me said. I turned and saw a young man jump out of a tree. His hair shined like gold in the sunlight and his eyes a blue like the sky looks right after it rains. He came over swiftly and gracefully, putting his bow up and stooping down to look at me."He didn't get you, did he?"

I shook my head, unable to speak to this strange hero.

"Oh good." He reached out a hand and helped me up, getting some of the wolf's blood on his own hand. "I don't think I've ever seen you before, are you new around here?"

I gave a nod, and took a deep breath. "Thank you for saving me, I'm sorry I got blood on you."

He just gave me a kind of half-smile, "It does look like i've caught you red handed!" he laughed at his own joke and I just stared at him, not quite sure of his humor, or what he meant by that remark. His eyebrows furrowed a little, "Well that's different, everyone loves my jokes." He shook his head, "Anyway, my name is Aurelius, what's yours?"

I stared at him, not saying a word. This was the king? I almost wanted to yell and run away screaming. What was I supposed to say? I'm Fia and I was only wanting to sneak into your castle to see my alien brother? I shook my heard. "Fia..." I said quietly. "My name is Fia."

The Send Off

"Merlin! I know that story!" I was filled with excitement, Merlin was a great and powerful wizard. "But, Edgar... isn't Merlin really old?" I looked back at the picture in the book, he was a young man, not an old man.

"Yes... I'm sure you do know that story. Somehow, your brother has become the stuff of legends so to speak. Yet, this is a time before the old Merlin most of us know about. Aurelius is king, and his younger brother, Uther, is destined to take the throne before too much longer, which then of course his son--"

"Arthur! I know this stuff Edgar," I was full of excitement to be surrounded by such a magical place, I could hardly contain myself, "but if this is medieval times why am I in these clothes?" I gestured to the dirty jeans  and T-shirt I had woken up in.

Edgar hopped up and took the book back to its place. "Well, when we came to earth there was no knowing what time we would emerge. Traveling through space, even by magic, can be tricky. That's the same reason you have knowledge of stories and events that have not even happened yet. Because of this you have to be very careful out there, watch what you say. I'm sure you've been awake long enough for people to treat you like anyone else. Now, do sit tight, I must go fetch you some clothes from this era." He grabbed his umbrella and was out the door without a second to lose.

I stood up and wandered to the bookshelf, driven by my curiosity of what things Edgar could possibly be interested in. A lot of the books seemed old and fragile, the wording was almost completely rubbed off of all of their spines. A couple books seemed to have some kind of medicinal purposes, while others seemed to be different versions of the Arthurian Legend. I had to wonder, as I traced the books with a finger, if all of this is real, why is it planted in my brain as simply myth....

Edgar came back shortly after that, a dress draped over one small furry arm. He shook his umbrella and then closed it, leavening it leaning against the wall next to the door frame.

"Here we are!" He came over to me and handed the dress to me, "What do you think?" He asked, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

I held the dress out in front of me, it was a light blue dress with beige accents to it. "It's lovely," I said, smiling at Edgar, "But where did you get this?"

His nose twitched a little and he quickly replied, "Oh, no where, go ahead and put it on, i'm very anxious for you to speak with your brother."

Edgar helped me with the dress, and while doing so explained to me how some of the things in this town worked. Magic was not banned, but heavily watched over due to its possibility for evil. Merlin lived at the castle to help Aurelius fight the evil magic that appears in the land, and is a great ally and friend to both Aurelius and Uther. I was to go to the castle and try to find my way to Merlin, Edgar was not entirely sure how to go about it, but seemed positive I was smart enough to figure it out when the time came.

When the rain let up Edgar gave me a basket and a little money in case I wanted to try their food and blend in more. "Be very careful, and remember what I said about not giving out too much information. Merlin can be the only one either of us can trust, the others are too risky." He straightened the bow at the back of my dress. "I wonder if this is how parents feel sending their children to school..." he muttered to himself softly.

"I'll be back before you know it." I said, giving a soft pat on his little head. "Just don't go stealing any more things for clothing while i'm away." He smiled at me with teary eyes and gave a little nod. And, with that I stepped outside and began my trek to the magical land of Camelot, and it took all of my will power to keep myself from running all the way there. I could hardly imagine the wonders that awaited me.

Emris

A sat quietly as Edgar explained how the stories I knew were given to me by the magic that transformed us, which was also why I awoke in a cellar stiff and sore. I had been lying in that cellar for about three years while the infant version of my true self bonded to this older version of a human.

"I watched over you the best I could." He explained. "Yet, the magic had chosen to make me a rabbit, and rabbit makes a good meal for the humans that surrounded our area. So, when I could watch over you no more, I used what little magic I could muster in this small form and locked the cellar from the inside, so that only you could open it, and quickly ran with a dog or two chasing behind me. I have never felt so unwelcome!" He twitched his nose and crossed his arms. "It took people a while to take notice of me, since our species is usually unseen by human eyes. It took time for the humans to make me out. Although, i'm quite sure my making a top coat out of someone's curtains might have been a little rude of myself and brought attention, but I was not going to go around naked, that's just senseless."

"But you're not wearing any pants." I pointed out.

"Oh, I would not dare steal all of the woman's curtains! A coat is fashionable enough."

"Edgar..." I began cautiously.

"Yes? I know this is a lot to take in, and I maybe should not be ranting about myself... I do apologize. What is it, my child?" He uncrossed his arms and laid them in his lap, giving me his full attention.

"You mentioned a prince... I have a brother?"

Edgar hopped down from his chair once again. "Oh, yes!" He handed me the bracelet he had been holding and then went over to a small bookshelf and pulled down a leather-bound book. Hopping back into his chair, he gently turned the pages of the book, which looked greatly worn. "You found me around Camelot because I had found this." He turned the book back to me which had a picture of a young man, hair dark like a raven and eyes the same color as an emerald. "His name is Emris, he lives in Camelot as a young sorcerer with great wisdom. I knew the moment I came across this photo that it had to be him. While our people look much different from humans, this boy does resemble him so."

"What did our people look like, Edgar?"

"Yes, I was afraid you would ask that, it's a rather complicated concept to convey. You see, humans are made of that pink fleshy stuff, and we were not. Our shapes are very similar, but our skin was more like what earth thinks of as sunlight, yet tangible. Also, unlike the sun, we were not blinding, it was more like our outside was the reflection of our souls; each one of us made from our own soul's aura. We had nothing to hide, which eventually led to the exploitation of our powers, which led Nequior to us. Are you understanding any of this?" His fuzzy eyebrows knitted together with concern. "I'm trying my best, but there is just so much to our people... and to you."

I put a hand to my head. Everything was beginning to make sense, yet I wanted none of it. I did not want to be some kind of story from space that rings of sadness and an odd bunny-rabbit, but here I am. Edgar seems like a nice person, and maybe it's the fact that he's a rabbit, but I began to feel more alone than ever.

After a lot of thought I said to Edgar, "I want to find my brother."

He smiled. "I was hoping you would say that, I can't because i'll be eaten, but a young girl such as yourself should have no problem going into Camelot. The only problem is Emris may not be so easy to get to... He may live... in a castle... and he may be better known as Merlin to these people."