A Legend Changes

Chapter V: Lessons and Secrets

Chapter Five: Lessons and Secrets

   Merlin found me still crying in that little room all alone.

   ‘I know it’s a hard decision,’ he said as he lifted me into his arms. Merlin was so gentle and careful. ‘I’ll try to explain something good to you about your choice.’

   I didn’t speak and I didn’t struggle out of his grasp. He sat me into a chair around the table, and then sat beside me. He spent the next ten minutes telling me what it would mean for me to be a sorceress. It comforted my heart and mind, but as soon as he mentioned Delrand, I found my voice.

   ‘But he’s so difficult. And he doesn’t want to teach me.’

   ‘I’ve sorted that, he’s agreed to teach you, though he’s still a bit angry that I didn’t tell him before we arrived. You’ll like him better once you know him. He’s not all bad.’

   ‘Fine, but he better be more polite around me,’ I reasoned.

   ‘He’ll change. I think he needs you around anyway; he’s not very good with women around. He needs the experience.’

   That wasn’t comforting.

   ‘What do you mean experience?’ came Delrand’s voice from behind me.

   ‘You were listening were you? You need to stop doing that, it’s not etiquette.’

   Delrand quickly brushed that aside. ‘When are we leaving?’ he asked.

   ‘Tomorrow,’ answered Merlin.

   ‘So soon. That’s not fair,’ I complained.

   ‘Life isn’t fair, Elara. You’ll soon realise that, I hope,’ Merlin said as he stood up and patted me on the shoulder. He walked out, probably to find my father again.

   I turned to Delrand, eyes narrowed, and arms folded. I had lost all trust and confidence in him. He soon followed suit. We stayed like that for a while, silent and concentrating. I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. I wanted my sword (I felt exposed without it at my waist), but I didn’t want to be the first to give in.

   More minutes passed by soundlessly. Eventually, he relaxed. His arms dropped to his sides. ‘At least you have potential,’ he said.

   I relaxed my posture too, but remained silent, processing what he might mean. I couldn’t come up with anything, so I decided to ask him. ‘Meaning?’

   ‘You have a strong force of magic about your mind,’ was all he said. Then he turned his back to me and walked out the door towards the First Hall. I quickly followed him, making sure I kept my distance slightly. There was something about him that I couldn’t seem to explain, I knew he must be powerful if Merlin had agreed to teach him magic. How powerful was another question, I might have to keep my guard up more firmly around him.

   ‘How can you tell how strong I’ll be?’

   ‘Because Merlin taught me most of the secrets about using magic. The problem is if you start to use it in the wrong way,’ he said casually.

   I felt like a child again, I thought I knew too much for what I’ve seen. Now it was if all I knew had been thrown out the window; that it didn’t matter anymore.

   I wasn’t paying attention to where he was taking me. I eventually found out when I heard the clanging of metal. We were outside, where we were outside wasn’t pleasant.

   I stopped in my tracks. Still unwilling to see or speak to the knights after their open assumptions, even though those definitely didn’t matter anymore. Delrand was still walking on; he turned thinking I was right behind him. Noticing I wasn’t, he walked back. ‘What’s wrong now?’ he asked when he had reached me.