I swallowed hard as I followed Mordred through the woods toward his ally Ragnor. Ragnor always gave me the creeps. The way he looked at me was utterly disgusting, and I hated it. Unfortunately, the only thing Mordred could do was glare at him and hold me behind him protectively.

When the Druid camp had been raided, it landed the two of us on our own. We had been in many groups and with many people before we came across him. Finding Ragnor, at the time, seemed like a blessing. With him, we could be safe. Though I hated what he and his band of renegades did, we felt we had no choice. Until we could figure out somewhere where a pair of magic-bearing Druids could stay without fearing for their own lives, he was our only true chance of survival. I had tried speaking out against Ragnor's ways, but it landed me with a sound beating. All I could do was run in the night, leaving Mordred and the others behind until Mordred managed to find me and convinced me to come back with him to Ragnor until we could find someplace new. Which was where I was in that moment.

After we had managed to lose each other for a few months when he joined forces with the sorcerer Alvarr and his evil band of renegades shortly after the Druid camp had been raided, we refused to settle for being apart any longer--with very few exceptions, including this very instance where I ran from Ragnor. I resisted parting from Mordred because I wanted to keep an eye on him and be there for him, and he resisted parting because he hated being apart just as much as I hated being parted from him. We were best friends, after all.

I sighed, tucking some of my shining, hip-length, golden-red curls into the scarf I used around my head and shoulders like a gypsy, allowing the scarf to come across and cover my mouth and nose. It was absolutely freezing, but keeping all my curls close helped me keep warm. I couldn't help but thank whatever higher power was out there that I was wearing thick leggings and warm layers with boots instead of a silly dress. I was certain I would have frozen and fallen behind if I had.

It took time to find Ragnor and his company again, and I was certainly unhappy with the arrangement, but I couldn't deny that staying with a group of people made me feel a bit safer, knowing I'd certainly have a way to keep warm at night and food to keep me alive. But as we came upon them, I recognized the faces of two men at the same time as Mordred. When Ragnor and his "friends" raised their weapons to kill them, I lurched forward, and Mordred grabbed my wrist to hold me beside him.

"Stop!" he commanded forcefully, making me jump. He looked upon Merlin and Arthur and strode toward them, almost dragging me behind him, his eyes locked with Merlin's, both of us feeling the change in our power as we reunited once more. Ragnor and his goons looked at us. "Shouldn't we leave it to the Lady Morgana to decide their fate?"

I looked to Mordred, wide-eyed. Morgana?

Ragnor chuckled and made his way toward me.

"So here you are again," he cooed to me, and Mordred tried to pull me further behind him. Ragnor glanced at him in warning, but said nothing. "I wasn't expecting you back quite so quickly."

"She hadn't gone far," Mordred answered, and Ragnor turned back to me with a sleazy grin.

"I suppose this time you won't be arguing with me about selling these people to Morgana, will you my sweet?" I grimaced as he took my arm and pulled me closer to him, his face inches from my own.

"You're vile," I spat at him, unable to keep quiet now that my friends were involved.

"Sounds like you need another sound beating, stupid girl," he growled, pulling me even closer, but I pulled out my knife, ready to place it against his neck threateningly so he would let me go, only for Mordred to catch my wrist and pull me back. "Keep the girl reigned in," Ragnor growled at Mordred threateningly before he turned and walked off and I glared at Mordred with a mixture of anger and pain. Why was he doing this?

"What are you doing?" I begged in a whisper, and Mordred's eyes softened for a moment before he moved to Arthur and helped him up. I felt Merlin's eyes on me, and I looked to him. I knew immediately he knew who we were. We could both feel it - the swell of our power just by the mere presence of the other. It was a feeling we hadn't felt since just before my camp was raided. The last visit I made to Camelot to visit the two men.

"You don't remember me, do you?" I heard Mordred ask, and I looked at him and Arthur as they stared at each other. "You saved my life once... Many years ago."

"Mordred," Merlin whispered, his eyes stuck on my friend's form. We all looked to Merlin, and my eyes flickered to Mordred when a grin grew on his lips and he turned to Arthur.

"Hello Arthur," Mordred said haughtily before his smile faded and he glared at the man.

"If you're taking my friends to Morgana, you may as well take me too," I finally hissed at Mordred once I knew Ragnor's men were out of hearing distance, moving my scarf so it rested on my collar bone, my curls overflowing and exposing my face.

"Ariel?" Arthur asked, but I continued as though I hadn't heard him.

"You drag me back here to this... man to do that which I am against under the pretense that you'll protect me and care for me as you have my entire life, but suddenly you turn your back on me?"

"Ariel," Mordred's voice was begging, but I shook my head at him.

"There's a reason we ended up the way we did, Mordred," I insisted softly, trying to get him to understand. "Hatred and anger are our worst enemies. It solves nothing, and I will not stand by and watch as more people are sold like objects!"

"Well said," I heard Ragnor's voice coo, and we turned to see him walking toward me purposefully. "Might as well sell you as a slave as well if you'll never just let me do my job." He pulled me roughly by my arm, and I sent Mordred a heartbroken look. "You know you can't fight, girl, not against all my men." With that, I looked to see all his men surrounding us, and I had no choice but to let him take my wrists to bind them.

I wanted nothing more than to use my magic to blast him away, but I knew I couldn't. Especially not with Arthur there, and not after all the efforts me and Mordred made to keep our powers a secret. So I just glared over his shoulder at a tree until he suddenly stopped working and looked at me.

"You know, I've got the chance now to do whatever I wish," he whispered, and my brow furrowed until I noted the look of lust and I glared harshly. I opened my mouth to speak before Mordred stepped in.

"Let me," Mordred offered, grabbing my hands and binding them much gentler than Ragnor had done. "You shouldn't have done this," he murmured sadly, and I just stared at him, hoping my eyes portrayed the way my heart was shattering in my chest.

"I shouldn't have had to," I corrected quietly, and he looked up at me, his eyes softening to one of sadness.

"She will be pulled alone," Ragnor commanded as he passed by me. "No need for her to encourage the prisoners to try any of her funny business." With that, he got into my face and I grimaced at the stench of his breath before another one of the bandits grabbed me and hauled me off. I felt Mordred's eyes trailing after me, but I didn't look back.

As I was dragged past Merlin and Arthur, they both looked confused and concerned, but Arthur, more than anything, looked shocked.

"Good to see you again," I offered, my tone short in irritation toward the bandits as I came upon the two men. "It's been a few years." The bandit shoved me, telling me to shut up, and I grimaced, shutting up and letting him tie me to Ragnor's horse.

"Better take this," Ragnor smirked as he walked up, and I swallowed thickly when he took my knife from me and looked at it. "Would catch a fair price at the market." He sent me a toothy grin before he hopped atop the horse and my heart sank. That knife meant everything to me. If he sold it, I didn't know what I'd do.

Then we started moving, and I glanced back to see Mordred, still frozen to his spot, making my chest burn again in heartbreak.

~:~:~:~:~

"Ariel, what are you doing here?" Arthur asked that evening when we were going to rest for the night.

"It's... kind of a long story," I admitted, watching in wonder as the snow fell, and ignoring the incessant chill I felt in my fingers. I always loved the snow. It made me feel calm.

"Why are they taking us to Morgana?" Merlin asked, getting straight to the point, and I adjusted my gaze so I was looking at him and the Prince.

"Apparently, she's looking for something," I told them. "Something I fear she may soon find."

"What is it?"

"It's called-"

"Oi!" Ragnor made his way over to us and glared at me, heaving me up by my bound hands and glaring at me, grabbing my face roughly in one hand. "You know the rules more than anyone else here, girl. Do not speak unless spoken to."

"They were wondering where we were going, and I was informing them," I said simply, shoving his hands away and biting my tongue to prevent myself from saying anything more to this vile man. He hit me, and I bit back a whimper of pain, being knocked backward slightly.

"You're lucky I ever considered letting a woman like you join in the first place. I don't know what Mordred sees in you, all you do is talk back and-"

"I only talk back to people who lower themselves to your standard," I spat. "I can't believe I ever considered joining you to save my own hide. I'd rather die starved and frozen."

Ragnor growled in anger before he threw me to the ground, ready to give me another beating, and I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

"Sir!" I heard Mordred's voice call, and I felt a mixture of heartbreak and happiness. "Perhaps she should just be separated from the other prisoners." I didn't look at him, opting instead to glare at the ground, hiding my emotion.

"She'll sleep on my side of the camp," he growled, grabbing my bindings once again and I kept my gaze on the ground as I was all but dragged to the other side of the camp, away from Mordred, Merlin, and Arthur.

~:~:~:~:~

The next day, when Arthur fell and began to pretend he needed water, I knew it was some form of an escape plan. But they did nothing when Ragnor came to the pair, and for a moment, I was confused.

Until I caught sight of the dagger Arthur had stolen from Ragnor's belt.

The moment they sprung into action, I did, too. I used magic to break my bindings as they fought, grabbing a nearby sword and fighting, doing my best to block and not to maim, not to kill.

"Ariel!" I heard Merlin call, and I noticed Arthur, who was looking around, obviously confused, and I realized they had planned to get me themselves and run. I didn't have time to grin at that, and instead, I grabbed Merlin's hand and ran, pushing Arthur to get his attention as well and we all ran as quickly as we could away from Ragnor and his goons.

When we got to the cliff, we all froze, and I bit my lip before I threw the sword across the gap, Arthur following suit.

"You've gotta be joking," Merlin said, and I began backing up.

"Do you have a better solution?" Arthur asked before backing up as well.

I shared a glance with him and nodded.

"You first," I agreed.

"What?"

"If you make it out without me, I have Mordred, I can figure something out," I insisted.

"Are you certa-"

"Go!" After a small hesitation, he nodded before taking the jump.

"Merlin!" I shouted at the man who was looking back at the men running toward us.

"We haven't got all day, Merlin!" Arthur insisted, and Merlin hesitated one more moment before jumping. I yelped when he almost fell, lurching forward. That was when Arthur helped him and then grabbed the bow and arrow, shooting someone who had been coming up on me fast. I turned and took the jump as well, and I winced every time Arthur took down another man. Merlin knocked the ledge down so no one else could get across, and I felt relief fill me to the brim. No more lives would be lost.

And then there was Mordred, and he looked as torn as I felt. Arthur kept the bow and arrow trained on him, but Mordred kept his eyes on me.

"Come with us," I begged sadly, my voice breaking, and the look of heartbreak on his face broke my own heart all over again. He said nothing, but he tossed something over to us before he sent me one last look of confused, betrayed hurt and walked off. I knelt down and picked up the item, my heart feeling a mixture of things.

It was my knife.

~:~:~:~:~

"We don't have time to talk about all of this right now, Merlin," I told the persistent man quietly as we made our way behind a rock and looked down upon Ragnor and his men. My eyes were trained on Mordred.

At first, Arthur was uncertain about bringing me along with them, but after he explained what they were doing this far north in the first place, I told them I knew the way to Morgana. Or at least most of the way. So I told them I would lead way as far as I could until we caught up with the caravan, and we could follow them the rest of the way.

"Or I could lead you to the caravan and find my own way from there," I had offered, trying to make it seem like it was no big deal. Truth was, I had no idea where I'd go, but even so, I didn't know where I'd go after this, either. But at least going with them gave me time to think about it... Or at least time to make up for the wrongs I had committed. "Leave you two to it... But I wouldn't mind using this opportunity to redeem myself for the sins I have committed."

Arthur hesitated for a moment before he rolled his eyes at himself and groaned, cursing himself before he finally agreed, and we were off.

"I told you you should've killed him when you had the chance," Merlin muttered angrily, and I felt my heart break at hearing that. I suppressed a shudder and closed my eyes tightly, my brow furrowing as I tried to shake off the feeling of hurt. I was so conflicted.

On one hand, Mordred was my best friend. I cared for him more than just about anyone else, but he was confused and he was the one doing wrong here. But on the other hand, I also cared for Merlin, he was my other half - but all I wanted was to scream at him for saying such a thing against my best friend. It was my job to change his destiny, not his, and he had to trust me... Even if I was doing a shit job so far.

Mordred and I had become all the more distant recently, with his decisions to stay loyal to Morgana and help her in her quest to kill Arthur. I disagreed with it, and he knew it, and it had been causing us strain on our once-perfect relationship. I shook those thoughts away and looked up at the large, stone building ahead.

"We'll never make it in there."

"There's always a way, Merlin," Arthur denied, and both me and Merlin looked to him in confusion. I wasn't too certain I liked his expression.

Once Ragnor and his men passed, Arthur led the way to... the garbage chute. I wrinkled my nose and shuddered, but what had to be done had to be done. The two men fought, and I watched amusedly for a few moments.

"Are you two coming or not?" I asked, my tone light-hearted as I raised a brow at them.

"See? Even a young lady is less squeamish than you," Arthur said, and I snickered, suddenly feeling like we were back in Camelot all those years ago when I was but a child. Merlin gave us each a look before he climbed in, me right behind him, and Arthur taking up the back.

We went in, and it took everything I had to not get sick at all the rotting food.

"How did you think of this?" Merlin asked.

"I'm a genius, Merlin," Arthur told him simply, and I giggled at the two of them. They haven't changed, only with the exception, perhaps, of growing even closer since even my latest trip to Camelot at fourteen. That was when garbage was dropped on Merlin's head, and he turned to shoot a look at Arthur.

"Genius?"

"You've got a bit of um..." Arthur motioned to his hair. "Carrot in your hair." Merlin shook everything from his hair, and I grimaced. "At least... I hope it's carrot." Merlin grabbed some of the waste and I dodged just in time for him to throw it at Arthur, making me laugh openly as Merlin gagged, and I shared a look of mirth with Arthur before we kept going.

"I'm not sure any of this is carrot," I admitted. "But we can pretend it is."

When we came to the end of the tunnel, I looked down into an opening with a bunch of shirtless men, all of which looked like they'd spent too much time lifting rocks over their heads with those muscles.

"Ready?" Arthur asked us.

"For what?" Merlin shot at him.

"Our carriage awaits," Arthur said simply before getting up, and I shared a look of confusion with Merlin before following him. We made our way to a cart.

"You two first," I insisted, moving the tarp on the top of it. "I'm small and flexible, I'll figure out a way to squeeze in after you two." They made their way in tightly, and I saw someone coming. Just in time, I managed to squeeze into a tiny spot and throw the tarp back over us. Mere moments after, we were suddenly being pushed, and after almost three minutes, we came to a stop. After a few moments, Arthur sat up and moved the tarp, giving me more room to move about, and we all made our way out quickly. I followed the men closely.

"This place is crawling with saxons," Merlin noted.

"We'd better make sure we blend in," Arthur responded simply before taking off again.

"Arthur!" Merlin called after him in a whisper before taking off as well, and I felt a sinking feeling in my chest. How the hell was a woman supposed to 'blend in' with this crowd?

I thought for a few moments before I used my scarf to cover my hair and my mouth. Best thing I could come up with in this situation, surrounded by men.

"You have to take off a few layers or you'll attract suspicion," Arthur said, and I looked at him uncertainly.

"As a woman, I have a few noticeable things men do not," I pointed out, and he looked slightly uncomfortable as I looked down at myself. I bit my lip before I took off a couple layers, making my chest slightly more noticeable but tying one of the shirts around my hips, aiding in making my form look a bit blockier and less womanly while the boys worked on themselves. "Better?"

"Perfect," Merlin agreed, and I nodded before we looked around and Arthur spotted his friends. Or... friend, singular.

"Arthur," the man exclaimed happily when he set eyes on the King, and I looked around warily.

"Didn't think we'd just leave you here, did you?" Arthur asked. "Where are the others?"

"They're er... Scattered around," the man admitted.

"Gwaine?"

"Saw him a couple days ago, but..." he shook his head, and I watched as Arthur placed his sword into the cart.

"See if you can use it to find some more," he told the large man, who nodded before he finally spotted me and looked confused. Arthur glanced at me before turning back to him. "Old friend," he said simply. "Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Ariel," I greeted quietly, moving my scarf for a moment to speak to him properly.

"Percival," he greeted, reaching to take my arm in greeting until he noticed the Saxons getting closer. "Arthur-" Percival warned, glancing at them.

"Do what you can to free the others," Arthur insisted, and I hid myself as well as I could behind Merlin, hoping the guards wouldn't see me. "We'll find Gwaine."

~:~:~:~:~

Third POV

~:~:~:~:~

"I feared you were dead," Morgana told the young boy, watching as he put his food down and slowly looked up to her thoughtfully. "It is dangerous for those of us with magic."

"It's not been easy," he admitted, thinking back to his best friend with a deep pain in his chest.

"For any of us," Morgana agreed, taking an apple and a small knife, cutting it up to eat.

"Sorcery frightens people," Mordred continued, voicing his confusion. "Even some of those who claim to support it." He never understood that. Why did Ariella care so much for the people who lied about where their loyalties lay? For the people who killed sorcerers like them?

"You see a lot."

"I've learnt to... I've had to..." he thought back to the times when he and Ariel had been separated. That was when he'd seen the true hatred of mankind. Without his best friend, he was near helpless, as was she without him. They relied so heavily on one another's company since the day they met, yet when they were together, she never saw the hate of man because they never needed magic when they could take care of each other. He'd hoped that maybe she would understand if she was on her own, but despite everything, despite being nearly killed on several occasions, she still held too much compassion. It was not only her strength, but her weakness as well. She would get herself killed for the sake of another, even if it was their own mere stupidity that landed them in that situation, and even if that same person she was saving wouldn't hesitate to kill her themselves.

He remembered a time when he found her running away from a small group in the night, and when he asked what had happened, she told him they had tried to tie her up to bring her to Camelot to burn at the stake for using sorcery to heal a sick child.

How could she not see that these people meant them only harm?

"If I was not to be burnt at the stake or exploited for another man's gain," Mordred finished lowly.

"Attitudes will change soon. The Old Religion will reign once more," Morgana comforted, and Mordred smiled, turning back to his food. "There will be nothing to fear once Arthur and his kind are cleansed from the earth." Mordred's smile faded. "I've sent out spies," she said thoughtfully, and Mordred looked up to her again. "There's a legendary being that must be awake by now. I've been trying to find her to no avail, but I know she's out there... Her name has passed into legend, and many have forgotten - but not I."

"Who?" Mordred asked, though he felt a pocket of fear begin to grow in his chest.

"She's called Luighsaech," Morgana said, and the pocket of fear that had begun to swell in Mordred's chest burst. "It's foretold that she will reverse our destinies... but that won't happen if I kill her."

Mordred's heart was racing, his mind going a million miles per minute, and he took a deep, calming breath in an attempt to right himself. For a moment, he wondered...

"You know we had Arthur in our grasp?" he asked Morgana, changing the subject from Ariel to something much less frightening. He heard Morgana freeze, and he looked up to her. "He escaped." Morgana looked exasperated for a moment before she placed her apple and the knife back onto the table gently, looking away from the Druid boy.

"You let him go?"

"He got away," Mordred denied.

"How? Who let him go?" Morgana's gaze turned to Mordred, a fury burning deep in her eyes.

"It was an accident." Mordred's heart began racing in his chest once again.

"KILL HIM!" Morgana yelled, standing as she swiped her arm across the table, launching her food across the floor. "That's all they had to do! I am a High Priestess-"

"Morgana," Mordred tried to cut her off, but she kept going.

"I have the power of the heavens in my hand and yet he continues to defy me!"

"Calm yourself," Mordred insisted, standing slowly, his fear turning to something much different.

"I want his annihilation, Mordred. I want to put his head on a spike and watch as the crows feast on his eyes," Morgana held an insane glint in her eyes as she spoke. "I need to find Luighsaech, or everything I've done, everything I've worked for will be undone. With her in the way, I will never see Arthur's demise, without her Emrys will be nothing-" That was when the warning bells went off, and Mordred felt something in his chest he'd never felt before. Morgana grinned at him. "Arthur..."

But with Arthur came Mordred's best friend.

With Arthur came Luighsaech.