The Battle

When the light began to peak through the trees we continued on our journey. Juniper kept a pretty fast pace, covering a lot of ground quickly. My heart began to beat faster as I wondered if I could make a difference, or if it would all be in vain. I felt panicked and frightful as the words of the dragon in my dream rushed to the forefront of my mind, "Your efforts are worthless, you cannot save what you wish to save, and surely you'll be left with only a grave. Every time an answer you seek, another falls and another grows week, but all will die... that is the rule of your magic eye." According to the letter Merlin had a vision of Aurelius' death. What if the dragon was not a dream, but a vision? My stomach twisted in knots and I thought I would become sick, but I had not consumed food in two days; nothing could come up.

I shook my head. I would not give into such thoughts. The future is not set in stone, it is merely a suggestion, and I reject its suggestion. I looked ahead with a resolve I would not let be crushed. Around midday we found ourselves out of the woods and crossing through a valley of rolling hills. The grass was a light green and blurs of white flowers appeared every now and then. The air seemed sweet, but not long after entering the fields the sound battle struck my ears. Juniper gradually slowed down as the anxiousness within me grew with each second.

"Don't slow down, Juniper! I know not how much time I may have."

Juniper threw herself into a full gallop until we came to the top of one of the bigger hills. Down below was a mass of blue painted men attacking my red cloaked ones. I jumped off of Juniper quickly and looked back to her.

"Run back home, your life is innocent and should not be wasted in merciless killing."

Juniper gave me a light nudge and then took off back towards Camelot. I began to survey the battle, looking for the knight I would recognize, and that's when a flash of purple caught my eye. One of the knights had a purple shield instead of a red one. I began to make my way down the hill when I saw another Saxon coming up the side of Aurelius, his sword drown back.

"Ari!" I cried, in a full sprint now, using my magic to push anyone who came to close to me away so that I would not be slowed. But in the instant that I had yelled his name the sword was plunging into his side. "No!" I threw my hand forward, now close enough for my magic to touch the blue painted man with the blood stained sword, and pushed him backwards into the sword of another, and all others surrounding were thrown back, my magic spreading out several feet from me by the power of my anger.

I dropped down and removed the helmet to find Aurelius breathing harshly. "How?" He asked painfully. 

"I stole a horse." I whispered. "I could not simply stand by if I had the chance to save you."

He tried to laugh, but it turned into a blood producing cough. The wound on his side was big, I could practically fit my hand in it. My eyes began to tear up as I looked back upon Aurelius with his dirty face and messed up hair.

"I don't want to lose you." I murmured, tears streaking down my face.

"Nor I you." He said, reaching a hand to my face. "I thought I would never get to tell you the truth." 

"What truth?" I asked, holding his hand to my face.

"That, when I first met you, I loved you. That is truly why I was so cold to you before. It was not because I wished to protect Merlin, but because I thought I had fallen for someone who would try to persuade me to kill Merlin, and I though I just might." He smiled a little. 

"Edgar told me a story of people who killed for love." I explained. "I stole a horse and caused someone to be impaled in these past two days. I think that means I love you a lot." I said.

"I quite like Edgar." He said softly before having another fit of coughing. "Take care, Fia."

And with that he was gone, and I pulled his body to me, crying. "I can save you!" I yelled. "A life for a life, I'll die so you can live!" I cried, trying to make my magic bring him to life. I tried with everything I had, but then he was gone, and stood, knowing full and well what it meant to kill for love.