Juniper

I ran down the plaza and found a horse that a rider had just dismounted. I vaulted myself on top of the horse, not quite sure how exactly to ride one. The rider yelled at me, extremely upset at his horse being ambushed, but the horse quickly yanked the rope from his handler's hands and took off towards the woods. I clung to the saddle for dear life while trying to keep myself from slipping off the side.

Once in the woods the horse slowed down evenly until it came to a complete halt. My heart was racing and my fingers were white as Edgar's fur from gripping so tightly. The horse turned its head and stared at me, seeming highly confused. It nudged me with its brown nose, like a mare would to a foal to tell it to get up and walk. I slid off the horse and tried it again, placing one foot in the stirrup and swinging the other over the horse. I ended up backwards, but got it right after that attempt. As soon as I had hold of the reigns the horse bolted once again, practically causing me to fly off the its back.

Somehow the horse seemed to know where it was going, and I had no plan of action, so I let the horse do as it wished, hoping by some miracle it would take me to Aurelius. The woods seemed to never change, as if it was an eternal loop of trees and birds and rocks. Eventually the trees did grew closer together and the sunlight grew dimmer and lower, causing visibility to greatly decrease. I decided to stop for the night, seeing as, at least where we were within the woods, we could walk over a cliff and have no idea that it was coming.

I grabbed some stray logs and sticks while the horse began to nibble on the grass. With the sun going down it grew cooler, so I ignited the wood with fire and sat down on a fallen tree, warming my hands. I took the letter out from a pocket that was sewn into the inside of my cloak, an odd thing I had never heard of, but Camelot seemed full of oddities, myself included.

Reading over Aurelius' words again I felt certain I could not have acted in any other such way. I ran a finger over his signiture. Ari. He had told me no one had called him that since his mother, and surely to sign his name like that he knew I would read this, and in writing this letter to Merlin in turn he wrote it to me. Edgar had spoken of love before I rushed away, a feeling I had never understood. Is this what it was like to be in the stories Edgar would read to me? I knew not. I simply knew I could not sit by and know he was going to die without trying to save him.

The horse moved over and made a move as if to nibble on the letter I was holding before the fire to see better. I yanked it away and folded it back up.

"No, bad horse." I said, trying to shame it.

The horse shook its head and sniffed my hair oddly and then snorted.

"Thank you so much, I greatly enjoyed that." I said sarcastically, wiping the snot from my neck. "Now, I am certain you have a name, but I did not take the time to ask before I stole you." I stood up and rubbed the horse's neck. "I wonder what it might be." Then I noticed a round piece of leather hanging from the bridle. On that piece of leather was the name, "Juniper" inscribed upon it. Juniper was a kind of tree that had berries usually harvested for gin. I suppose it makes sense, considering I found the horse  outside of the local tavern. "Well, Juniper, glad to have you along for the ride."

Juniper shook its head up and down and nuzzled its head against mine briefly before walking away to nibble on some leaves from a nearby bush. I hunkered down on the grass and leaned against the log, watching the fire dance across the wood until it died out, and with it I drifted into a fitted slumber.

The Letter

I rushed through the door into Merlin's main study, still wearing the clothes from yesterday. Merlin stood up, looking startled and eyes almost completely taken over by dark circles. My heart beat quick and each breathe seemed to be shorter then the first as an angered feeling took place in my soul.

"Why?" I cried, "Why didn't you wake me?"

Merlin stepped forward as if to give some kind of explanation but no words came from him. I noticed the open letter sitting on the table in front of him and rushed forward to take it up. Merlin made no notion to take it from me as I began to read.

My Dear Friend Merlin,

I'm writing this letter as a kind of goodbye that cannot be spoken in the presence of others. I want you to know that I do not hold you responsible for my death, you merely had a vision which cannot be helped. I know now that it is necessary if my brother is to become king and father the chosen heir of my beloved Camelot. I have accepted my fate, and parish I shall. It is of no consequence to finally be rid of all this pain a king must uphold in sending his people to war; I have fought far too long.

Our friendship is very dear to me, Merlin. So, as a friend, I am going to ask you to do something very hard. There is no doubt you know how dear your sister has grown to me. I could not bear it so see her one more time, Merlin. I would lose all sense of logic and polite behavior that a king must uphold before a battle, surely. Thus, I beg of you Merlin, keep her from me this coming morning. Spare my tormented heart, it has all ready chosen to fight 'till death for her.

Your Friend,
Ari

I dropped the letter and ran to Merlin's bookshelf and pulled down one of the leather bound books of Arthurian legend that Edgar had brought with him from his cottage. I flipped through the pages as fast as I could with my hands shaking from a tremor I could not get rid of. Within the first few pages was a family tree that gave a very brief description of people before Arthur, and sure enough it spoke of Aurelius' dying in a battle.

I stood there shaking and Edgar came to take the book from me gently as my fingers let it droop towards the floor.

"Sister..." Merlin whispered.

I shook my head and ran to my room, grabbing my red cloak. I tied it well and made my was as quickly as I could to the door.

Merlin grabbed my arm, his grip as strong as an eagle's. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked, trying to repress his feelings from becoming a scream of anger towards me.

"Changing the future." I said, trying to get out of Merlin's grasp. "I have magic, I can save him!" I cried, "I owe him that much." I whispered.

Merlin's face looked hard at me, just as he had the night of the dragon. Edgar tugged on Merlin's pant leg, looking up at him knowingly, shaking his head slowly.

"You must let her go, son." Edgar said softly.

"And why should I do that? Haven't I lost enough people in my life?" He cried, yet lessening his grip nonetheless.

"Yes, but love is a completely different matter, Merlin." Edgar replied.

I yanked my arm from Merlin's hand, and without a second glance found my way out of the castle, clutching Aurelius' letter in my hand.

Tea

Merlin sat in the dark illuminated by a single candle. He had a writing feather in one hand and his head rested against the other. He made no motion to write, but simply stared down at the page. I walked slowly over to Merlin and tapped his desk to let him know I was here. He looked up with eyes that could only be reddened by a loss of tears.

He set his pen down. "Sister."

"Are you all right, brother?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same." His eyes then fluttered to my hand. "What have you there?"

"Oh," I handed Merlin the letter. "Aurelius wanted me to give you this letter."

Merlin took the letter slowly, as if he was unsure of whether the letter was safe or not. Once opened he read it in front of the candle to himself and with each second that passed his expression grew graver. After he had finished it, he folded it slowly and set it down. He then picked up his candle and rummaged with his herbs and medicines, leaving the letter and I in the dark.

"What did the letter say?" I asked, running my finger over the words I could not read without light, imagining Aurelius' pencil writing softly and gracefully across the page.

"It is just a few orders to be done during Aurelius' absence." Merlin did not turn to me for some moment, and in his tone I felt him to be hiding something from me, but I let him continue with his business without walking over there.

"What is it that no one will tell me?" I asked, trying to remain calm and kind to my brother whom seemed very troubled.

"It is nothing, sweet sister." He handed me a cup. "Here, drink this tea. It will help you to relax and sleep well."

"Will you promise to wake me up tomorrow, if I do not wake, so that I may say goodbye?" I asked, giving a yawn after a few sips of the tea. If the room could get any darker, I felt that it had.

"Do not worry..." He said, leading me through the dark to my bed.

I woke up the next day and the sun was high in the sky, and everyone attending to their business in the town square.

Popcorn

We ate the popcorn together in front of the fire. It was slightly burnt, but I did not mind. After we finished eating, we stood outside and had the idea to climb to the top of Edgar's small house. Aurelius climbed a nearby tree and dropped onto the house quite gracefully. I was unsure of know how to climb a tree, so Aurelius reached his arms down and pulled me up with ease.

The sunset was a beautiful wave of purple, pink, and red hues. Aurelius stared at the sunset intently, hugging his knees to his chest. His thoughts were a thousand miles away, but his presence was still a comfort to me. After the sun went down Aurelius slid off the roof and then motioned for me to do the same.

I looked down, noticing all the pointy rocks and sticks waiting to impale me. "It looks dangerous." I noted.

"So, you can travel across galaxies but you can't slide down a roof?" He chuckled a little bit. "I will catch you, I won't fail you." He held out his arms as if to catch me.

I took a deep breathe. "All right... I'm trusting you with my life here." I said, and then allowed myself to slip off the roof and into his arms. All of the air from my lungs rushed out in a mix of excitement and fear.

Aurelius smiled down at me. "Told you I would not fail you." He said.

I gave him a little smile before he set me down on my own feet. "Well... I suppose we should head back. You know how the creepies like to lurk about. They may have all ready got me, but we can still save you."

He smiled a little bit and nodded. "Yes, we can't both die by the hands of the creepies... or whatever it is they have in place of hands."

So we walked back to the castle in silence, and I could feel Aurelius tense up as the time waltzed by us in the forest. When we reached the castle he walked me up the dark corridor to Merlin's chambers and paused outside of the door. I stood with my back to the door and looked to Aurelius. I knew not what to say or do, but simply that I wanted to hold him and never let go.

Aurelius took a small step forward, which nearly covered all of the space between us. He reached into the pocket located inside his vest pocket pulling out an envelope. He held it out to me. "Can you give this to Merlin for me?"

I nodded and reached for the letter, grabbing it lightly. For a moment neither one of use moved, still clinging to the letter. He leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against mine. I breathed in his earthly scent, treasuring each second. Oh, how I wish he would stay.

"Thank you for the walk." He said, and paused for a minute, as if he was struggling with something. "Was this a good last day?" He asked quietly.

"It was perfect." I whispered back.

 He smiled, releasing the letter that caused my hand to drop. He tucked some of my hair behind my ear and lingered for a little bit. "Don't forget to give Merlin the letter. " He said, now backing away until I could see him no more.

Creepies

We walked along the trail where I had first in silence. The ground was soft from the rain we keep getting and the green leaves of the trees stuck out against the gloomy gray of the sky. After a little bit I began to notice where we were and got a little excited. I could show Aurelius Edgar's house. Surely he would find it enjoyable to see.

I grabbed his arm quickly and shouted, "Hurry, come with me!" And I let go and ran off towards Edgar's little home. I turned around, still backing up to see Aurelius greatly confused. "Better hurry, there are monstrous things behind you, but if you move quickly enough they cannot get you!" I explained.

A hint of a smile flickered across Aurelius' face and he picked up his pace. I led him to Edgar's home, occasionally telling him look out for creatures he could not see. When we reached Edgar's house we both ducked collapsed onto the floor, panting and laughing, me more so than Aurelius. After a little bit we both sat up and Aurelius looked around. The house didn't look too different. It was a little more tidy, and a few books were missing because Edgar brought them to the castle, but other than that it was the same.

"This was Edgar's home before he came to hide out in the castle." I got up and closed the door to keep the cold breeze outside and started a fire in Edgar's rabbit sized fireplace.

"It's... quaint." He said, moving to sit in front of the fireplace with me. "So, tell me Fia, what was it that was chasing us so intently?"

I looked at him with all the seriousness I could scrounge up and said, "Creepies."

Aurelius laughed. "Creepies?"

"Yes, creepies. They're the creepiest monsters out there. They are the size of squirrels, but they're made of dark energy, so they glow of black matter. Also, they have three teethe." I explained.

"Only three?" He asked, trying not to laugh.

I nodded, still being serious. "Two on the top" I made fang motions with my fingers, "and one on the bottom." I then stuck one finger up that would go between the two fang fingers. "Very vicious."

Aurelius smiled, "Well, it looks like one of them may have gotten you." He tugged at the hem of my skirt where I had snagged a thorn, and poked his finger through the hole.

"So it appears. Looks like I only have a day left to live now. It's very tragic." I said, a little quietly, trying to suppress a smile.

"Well, then we'll just have to make it a good last day." Aurelius got up and grabbed some corn out of the small pantry. "I'll make us some popcorn."

"You do know how to make everything better." I smiled.

A Tasteless Meal

Dinner was a lot different from usual. Merlin was still gone, so it was Igraine, Uther, Aurelius, and myself. We ate mostly in silence, which never seemed to happen before to my knowledge. Perhaps it was Merlin's absence that silenced everyone, but I would think Igraine and Uther would just go on with their wedding conversation. Aurelius didn't seem to be eating much, but simply sat there and nudged at the food a bit, staring down at his plate. He was wearing red in place of his green and his hair was slightly damp from being washed.

Mid-way through the meal a brown haired messenger with rosy red cheeks came through the doors panting. He bowed before the table, and Aurelius motioned for him to come forward.

"What is it that troubles you, Fredrik?"Aurelius asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

"The saxons are already on the move, sire. If we are to be set up before their arrival we must leave first thing in the morning." Fredrik was breathing a little easier now, but his distress was all over his face.

Aurelius nodded. "Yes, I felt as much would happen. Go on and find the other knights and let them know we are to set out with the sun tomorrow."

Fredrik bowed once again and backed out of the room.

No one said anything, and Aurelius simply went back to nudging his food. I began to grow upset at the apathy present within the room. Surely they felt the same despair I felt at this news.

Uther looked to Igraine and then to Aurelius. "We must be on our way now, we shall meet you at the stables in the morning to say our goodbyes." Uther spoke with no emotion behind his voice.

Aurelius simply nodded.

These were not the brothers I had known before, and it angered me so. Upon Uther's leave with Igraine I turned to Aurelius, unhappiness clearly written upon my own face. "I do not understand, how can you sit there as if nothing in the world has happened? Are not you distraught?"

Aurelius looked to me, a kind of pain etched in his face. "I am filled with so much anguish that none of it can release itself."

I stood up and pushed my chair back in. I was filled with so many emotions I could not even understand, and all I could think to do was just leave. I then proceeded to sit back down, feeling to heavy to move. "I do not know what to do, Ari. I do not wish you to go."

A small, sad smile crossed Aurelius' pale face. "It is my last night here, would you do me the honor of taking a walk with me? At least for a little bit?" He asked softly.

"If you so wish it." I whispered.

Bench Talk

I sat at a bench that looked over the training area where the men drenched themselves in sweat. Aurelius had not slowed down from what I could see, which made me feel a little comforted, but it was very little. Uther was also there to help with training, even though it has been decided that Uther will not be going to battle. Camelot would not know what to do with itself if it should lose both of their Pendragons. At least that is how it has been described to me. Watching them fight I was surprised by how much different they appeared comparatively to the way they fought before, no expressions ever crossed any of their faces and it left me feeling overwhelmed and alone on this cold stone bench.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" A gentle voice asked.

I looked to my right to see Igraine standing, the sun shining behind her, making the ringlets that framed her face radiate. I motioned for to sit and she flashed a sweet smile at me. She was wearing a dark blue dress today that made her sapphire eyes seem deep and endless.

"I am uncertain we have ever had the chance to speak with one another like this, my name is Igraine." She stuck out her hand, light and delicate.

I shook her hand and smiled. "My name is Fia."

"That is a lovely name she said." She raised her hand to my head and rubbed a few strands of my hair between her fingers. "Your hair is very lovely as well. I do not think I have ever seen anyone with such a bright color. I must say I am quite jealous of its beauty." She never seemed to stop smiling, and I wondered if our people back home ever smiled as she does now.

"Oh, thank you." I said, modestly looking back towards the training grounds. "How are you enjoying your stay here?" I asked.

"I am very grateful to be here. I cannot tell you how long I have waited for the day I could be with Uther. I have loved him ever since we met." I looked over to see her gazing dreamily at Uther, who was holding a shield that Aurelius was striking at.

I did not understand what she meant by loving someone the instant she met them. Love was something completely foreign to me. Edgar tried to explain it to me once, after he had told me some story of love, but none of it made sense to me. How someone could end their life for love was beyond me. "You were married at the time, though, were you not?" I asked.

She looked over at me and her smile drooped a little, but never did it disappear. "I was, but it was a loveless marriage. Our parents wanted our kingdoms to have peace between one another, so we were forced into marrying each other. I thought I would learn to love him, but the moment I met Uther I knew I could never love another." She kind shrugged, as if she had no control over her emotions. "I of course miss the presence of my former husband at times, he was good company, but I feel his death was almost a gift to me, as horrible as that sounds."

It sounded dreadful. How anyone could be grateful for a death was beyond me.

Lady Igraine stood up and gave me a smile. "Well, it appears the men are off to clean themselves up for dinner, would you care to accompany me to the dinning hall?"

I shrugged and stood up. "It would be my pleasure." As odd as speaking with Igraine was, I was grateful for the distraction she provided, and suddenly I felt I understood Uther's actions, if only they weren't so caught up in one another.