𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲'𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧

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─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Under the full moon's light, the midnight air in Camelot had grown this eerie and all consuming feeling of dread.

To be fair to the mysterious weather, it was always this way during that time. A time of panic and fear as wolves howled in the night. Rumors had been running wild through the streets of monsters in the nighttime and not the normal ones spawned of magic the citizens of Camelot were used to.

But nothing thrown in their way could prepare them for what was lingering in the darkness on that night.

Deep within the woods laid a farmstead. It was a simple home for a simple family. However, its position and distance from the capital of the kingdom made it vulnerable to any unwanted and unnatural forces. Forces that were always brewing in the dark.

A young farmhand by the name of Thomas was finishing up his day of work; his father and brothers already inside, finally resting until the dawn broke over the hills for the coming of the new day. Humming a small tune he had heard at the tavern earlier that week, he brushed the small hairs on the back of his family's horse.

Everything was calm, serene, with fireflies dancing off amongst the trees in the distance. The winds brushing through the family's crops, swaying the grains in soft swaying motions. It was lovely.

Meaning it was not to last.

Thomas turned his head sharply as something rustled through the bushes near the barn, something moving faster than he could catch with his eyes.

The family horse let out worried whinnies and cries, moving back as quickly as it could to get away from whatever was in the bush.

Hoping he was simply being paranoid, Thomas called out.

The winds picked up, howling deep into the night, but any man with a cent to his name knew the howls of a wolf when he heard one. It blended in with the midnight winds, but even then, the closeness of it was unsettling.

Holding onto his rake closely, the young man shuffled towards the brush, fear in his eyes as his hands shook violently. The hairs on the back of his neck came to attention as a shiver ran down his back the closer he got to the woods. He called out for whatever was in the bush, demanding for it to show itself.

The small hairs on his skin stood on end as something let out a deep growl. It rumbled so fiercely that the boy could feel it in his own chest. Like it had started in the bush and ended up down his throat. Thomas whimpered as the rustling in the bush grew quicker and every so often he could slowly see the creature start to emerge.

And soon, the creature stepped out of the bush, causing Thomas to fall back onto the ground. It was large, almost human-like standing on its hind legs. But there was no mistaking that it was a wolf with its large claws and the fur that draped it head to toe. Its eyes stared down at the boy, golden irises that held something else inside of them. The creature snarled at the boy, shaking the leaves and trees around it. There was a power in its snarl that seemed to command the very earth around them.

The farmhand clamored to his feet, bolting away from the creature, crying out for his father and his brothers. The wolf watched him run, not a worry running through its mind before turning its attention to the castle beyond the forest.

With a low rumble in its chest, the creature leapt forward, running into the woods towards the city of Camelot.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─
𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺'𝘴 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳
𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘺𝘤𝘢𝘯
─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Unlike the night, the morning in Camelot was - well, if any other word could be used, it would be - magical. There was just this beautiful feeling that resonated through the air, brightening the spirits of anyone who wasn't trapped in a dreaded state caused by rumors.

With a basket draped on her arm, her bow and quiver on her back over her brown cloak, Rylee hummed as she strode along to the lower town. Making her own slow way down to the forest to fetch some herbs. As she passed the arches into the lower town, she stopped briefly, turning to knock upon Gwen and Tom's door. She shuffled on her heels, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as she looked around, until the wooden creak of Gwen's door brought her attention back. A wide bright smile played on her lips as Gwen opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" Gwen beamed.

Rylee, with a small giggle, took out a small pink flower from her basket. "I found this and I thought of you. So, I got you one."

Gwen looked down at the flower with astonishment and care. "Oh, you didn't have to."

Rylee shrugged. "I wanted to. It's not everyday I get to treat my best friend."

Gwen smiled, taking the flower gently to tie it into her hair. She tied the string of her cloak and walked out the door. "What brings you down to the lower town?"

Rylee chuckled, making room for Gwen to close the door behind her. "Just passing through. I'm headed to the woods for some herbs."

But the mention of the woods made Gwen's face drop. Her gentle face grew paler in what could only be described as worry and horror. "Are you sure you wanna go to the woods?"

Rylee tilted her head in confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well," Gwen stammered, "it's just there has been talk of..." She looked around, leaning closer to her best friend and whispered, "A creature."

Rylee let out a chuckle-like breath. "A creature? In the woods? Gwen, there are many creatures in the woods."

"Not like this one." Gwen shook her head almost violently. "They say it's like a wolf, but it stands on its hind legs and it's big."

Rylee's eyebrows furled at the description. It couldn't be a Werewolf. She had been here a year and never once heard of a Werewolf attack. Nothing remotely even close to one. There were no attacks on cattle in that mysterious sense where their hearts were ripped out. No human had their hearts ripped out. No. This couldn't be a Werewolf.

But there is something else it could be.

"Are you sure, Gwen? Who's this coming from? The drunks in the tavern?"

Gwen shifted uncomfortably. "You know Thomas?"

Rylee raised an eyebrow. "Lower market Thomas who sells bread or Thomas from the farm 2 miles outside of Camelot?"

"Farmboy."

Rylee hummed. "Yeah, I know him. He tried to court me once."

"Well," Gwen looked around again in fear, "rumors are flying that he encountered the creature last night. It stared at him and bolted off after he ran."

Rylee laughed. She slapped her hand on her leg and looked up to meet Gwen's frightened eyes. "Gwen, if a being that big runs off without attacking him, I'm sure it's nothing. Remember, I've handled much worse than whatever this is. I doubt it's nothing more than a wolf and Thomas just saw it wrong."

"Just..." Gwen took Rylee's hands in her own. "Be careful."

Rylee huffed but grasped Gwen's hands in a firm grip. "Ok. Just because you asked me to." She offered Gwen a smile and a light peck on the cheek before slipping out of her grip. "Besides," she called back to Gwen, "I'll be back in no less than three hours."

And so, the young sorceress waved to her friend. Gwen watched her go with an uneasy look up her face, rubbing her hands together in worry. Rylee cast her eyes down; she had her own worries about this creature. Gwen did not need to stress over it any more than she was. Perhaps Thomas saw things correctly, which would mean that her old life was going to invade her new one. Rylee sighed, clutching her basket close before pulling the hood of her cloak up upon her head.

There were many things to explore when she reached the woods.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

The light from the sun cascaded into Arthur's chambers, flowing through the windows and curtains like a gentle rainfall. A beautiful morning for a yet-to-be-awakened Prince.

Said Prince was fast asleep in his bed, his head buried in his pillows as he dreamt away of the future. Of the life he would lead for himself as King. His peaceful state is seemingly never to be broken.

Until a voice bounced off the walls of the room and a pair of hardworking hands opened his curtains.  "Alright, rise and shine!"

Merlin looked over to the grumbling Prince as the sun forced his eyes open. "And what possible reason could you have to possibly explain waking me up in such a manner?"

Merlin smiled. "It's a new day." He cheered. "New possibilities."

Arthur glared at the manservant, annoyed by his jolly mood. "What on earth has you so joyful this morning?"

Merlin, grabbing Arthur's clothes, shrugged his shoulders. "It was a lovely morning when I woke up, Sire." Clumsy as he is, Merlin leaned down to grab Arthur's shirt he had dropped. "And I'm not the only one. Rylee noticed it too."

Arthur grumbled, rubbing his hands on his face to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "Can't you just leave me for the next fifteen minutes? I don't need you to wake me up."

The young warlock scoffed. "Well, I wouldn't have to be here if your Father hadn't summoned you to court."

At this statement, Arthur rushed up, his covers flying off his body, a very cross and concerned expression flashing through his eyes. "What?"

"You've been summoned." Merlin said, nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. "Apparently, your Father needs you to do something about some rumors flying around."

Arthur sighed. "It must be about the beast in the woods."

Glancing down at the Prince, holding out his clothes as he did, Merlin trailed off in thought, remembering something from earlier in the day. Dropping Arthur's clothes in his hands, he gasped. His eyes were panicked as he remembered the rumors he had heard from Gaius, but hadn't listened too, that morning. "Oh no!"

Without another word, Merlin took off towards the door, nearly knocking over a chair in his rush. There was nothing but worry and terror in his eyes as the details of the description of the creature flooded his mind. His heart grew weary and pounded like a hammer upon a blade as the thought of Rylee running into the creature entered his mind.

Arthur watched flabbergasted as Merlin abandoned him. "Merlin! Where on Earth are you going?"

Merlin skidded to a halt at the door, holding tight onto it. "Rylee's gone to the woods this morning. Alone. I have to go."

Before Arthur could say another word, Merlin took off.

Leaving Arthur completely dumbfounded as he slapping his arms exasperatingly on his bed. 

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

The forest was completely and utterly alive. Rylee felt it.

She had always had this profound connection to it. It was something so indescribable. She could never put it into words because it was a feeling that had no words.

In this wondrous place of solitude, she could be herself. Here she didn't have to hide under a cloak of deceit. In the woods, on her own, she was Rylee Winchester-O'Connell. She was that punk-ass, intelligent kid who drove her Uncle Dean up the wall with her music choices and smart-ass comments. The same one who made her father laugh with the voices she made up and watched over him during his hard times. She was the same kid who had to explain to her Uncle Cas why the pizza man slapped the babysitter even though he loves her while trying not to laugh. She was the same kid who would teach her little brother how to be a normal kid and gave him the childhood she never had.

The thought made her sigh mournfully. Oh, how she missed those days.

Balancing herself on a fallen tree, Rylee took a deep breath. She felt at peace. Like she could turn around and see her father and her family waiting for her, even if it was just for a little while so she wouldn't have to choose between her lives.

But traveling through the woods got her thinking: this beast, what was it and what did it want?

As she thought about it, Rylee came to the conclusion that whatever it was - which she was starting to narrow down from memory (impressive for her) - she was starting to believe that it didn't want to hurt anyone. After all, if it wanted to, it would have.

Jumping off the tree, Rylee held her basket tight in her hand as she leaned down to gather some henbane. But her ease as the birds sang came to an end as she felt someone behind her. She heard their footsteps crunching against the ground. It was almost like the trees were warning her of an approaching figure as they swayed in the direction from which they were coming from.

She let them get close, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. And then, she grabbed onto her knife, whipped around, and put the knife up to the neck of the person who dared to creep upon her.

"Woah!" A familiar voice cried out. "It's just me!"

Getting a better look at her assailant, Rylee huffed. "Jesus Christ, Merlin!" She scolded. "Don't do that! I could've killed you!"

With his hands in the air, the young warlock looked at her with wide eyes. "Yeah, I see that."

Taking in a breath, Rylee lowered her knife. Calming her nerves, she looked up at him through her hair. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at work."

Merlin shuffled his feet, shrugging his shoulders as he curled into himself awkwardly. "Well, I...I..." He stammered. "I was waking Arthur because Uther had summoned him to discuss the creature in the woods and I remembered you were heading to the woods and I..."

As Merlin trailed off from his embarrassed rambling, Rylee's mouth opened slightly and she looked up at him with a caring expression. "You were worried about me."

She giggled as he grew slightly red in the face. "Well, there's a beast in these woods." He shrugged. "I didn't want you to be alone."

Normally, Rylee would be very offended that a man would think that she could not take care of herself. She would scold him, tell him off and then smack him for even thinking she was a helpless damsel. But Merlin was different. She liked the idea that Merlin thinks he could protect her. In reality, she would be the one protecting him.

"But, isn't Arthur going to be pissy now that you've left him alone?"

Merlin scoffed, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. "Arthur can lick an Afanc's claw for all I care."

They shared a blank look for a second before the both of them burst out in laughter.

Rylee smiled brightly. It was nice that Merlin cared for her enough to worry about her safety. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, Merlin." She removed the hood of her cloak from her head. "I don't believe in this beast. If anyone was gonna confirm it, it would be me."

Merlin shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, I guess."

"Well, if you're so eager to meet an end by Arthur, feel free to join me, my mighty protector."

As Rylee walked away from him, Merlin chuckled, following her closely behind.

The two sorcerers laughed and joked their way through the woods, the sunlight growing brighter with their smiles. Had anyone who had not known them - or even those who did - seen them in such a state, there would be no doubt in their mind that there was more than friendship between them. Not that Merlin or Rylee would agree with them - in fact, they would very adamantly deny it.

The sunlight brought out the birds and the butterflies. The birds offered the two warlocks a song to walk along to, filling their ears with joyous music. While the butterflies seemed to dance in the low air, some occasionally danced to land on Rylee's fingertips as she reached for them. Merlin watched her with a wide loving smile.

They both denied their feelings and the right to be open. But with that refusal came the solemn promise between them that they would do anything for the other's happiness.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Messing with the strings of his shirt, Arthur made his way into the throne room, in a rather grumpy mood since his manservant left him high and dry.

The blooming romance between his servant and his physician was slowly starting to irritate Arthur. He honestly thought they should just kiss and get it over with and stop wasting his time. A man can only handle so much.

Upon seeing his father conversing with his councilmen, preparing for the Harvest Moon festival, Arthur stood tall, taking in strong strides as he passed the guards that watched over the door. He greeted the King, which gathered his father's attention.

"Ah," Uther turned to face his son, striding over to him, "Arthur." He led him off to a more secluded spot in the throne room, lowering his voice to keep their conversation quiet. "I'm assuming you've heard the rumors."

Arthur nodded. "About the beast in the woods? Yes, Father, I have."

"Then you know what you must do. Gather as many knights as you can find and dispose of this rumor."

"Of course, Father."

Uther wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders, leading him towards the door. "Then you know you must handle this as quickly as possible."

"Has the beast attacked anyone yet?"

Uther shook his head. "And I pray you find it before it does. We need this resolved before the ceremony."

Arthur nodded. "I will have my best men on it at once, Father."

Uther returned his son's nod, allowing Arthur to leave the council chamber. Arthur strode out of the room, pondering what to do next. The arrogant prince in his head told him to gather his men and charge into the woods, find the creature and dispose of it. But the more logical side of him, the king in his heart, that side knew he could not handle this alone. He pondered asking Rylee for help. He knew she had one or two experiences with monsters from before she moved to Camelot. Maybe she had enough knowledge to help. But getting her to join him meant he had to see Merlin and he thought it best to wait until he could forgive him for leaving him stranded. He may be a useless servant but he was easy to pick on.

So, instead, Arthur thought about what Rylee would suggest. The thought crossed his mind as he walked past Morgana and Gwen, who both seemed to be in an anxious state. As he passed them, he could hear his name being called by Morgana. And when he turned back to face her, he saw her and Gwen charging toward him.

"Are they true?" asked Morgana. When Arthur raised an eyebrow, Morgana scoffed. "The rumors. Are the rumors true?"

Arthur shook his head. "Truly, I don't believe they are. Father disagrees. He wants it handled before the ceremony tomorrow night." Then he looked into her eyes and then Gwen's. There was absolute panic, fear, and terror. Every negative emotion one could think of when something terrible was happening. "Why? Has something happened?"

Gwen shook her head. "No. No, it's..." She took a breath - shaky and on the verge of a fear-filled sob - so Morgana gently rubbed her shoulder. Gwen was worried. But, why?

"Rylee went down into the woods this morning and she said she would be away for less than three hours."

Arthur scoffed. "You girls." He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "What is going on around here?" He looked at the girls with his arms crossed. "Merlin had the same fears, hence why I- '' He motioned to himself; he didn't look unkempt but he wasn't his normal self. "-had to get myself ready this morning. He went after her as soon as he realized she was in the woods alone." Noting that his words did nothing to ease the girls, Arthur placed his hands upon both their shoulders. "Hey, you know her. While I would never admit this to her face, Rylee is one of the most capable people I have ever met. There isn't a challenge she cannot face and come out on top of. She'll be fine."

"But, Arthur..." Gwen retorted shakily. "It's been five hours. She's been gone a whole two extra hours."

Arthur looked off for a minute - now if she had been an hour late, that is explainable, but two hours? He turned back to the girls, seeing them fidget and tense. "How long have you known her?"

Morgana looked up from her hands. "What kind of question is that?" She scowled. "You know the answer."

"I do." Arthur replied. "And that means you know what she's like. Her strength and her drive. Trust in her. She'll be back. And, even though I hate to admit this, Merlin is with her. He'll ensure her safe return." He pointed to both of them. "Don't ever tell him I said that."

Morgana and Gwen shared a look that almost seemed relieved. Turning back to the Prince, they watched as he nodded to them and took off down the hall.

He had been worried about it as well. But there were bigger things. Rylee could handle herself and protect Merlin at the same time. That he was sure of.

Arthur left the citadel and made his way to where he knew he would find the one knight he could trust to help him. He approached the training grounds and stopped upon seeing the knight he had in mind. "Sir Leon!"

The strawberry blonde knight perked at the sound of his name being called. He excused himself from his sparring partner and raced towards the Prince. The knight offered Arthur a small bow in greeting. "Yes, my lord?"

"I need your help with a manhunt."

Sir Leon nodded. He looked around to ensure that they were not heard and leaned in closer to whisper to the Prince. "If I may be so bold, my lord, would this be about the beast in the woods?"

Arthur nodded with a chuckled exhausted sigh. "So, it's reached everyone's ears." Arthur, then, motioned Leon to follow him. The two knights could see in everyone's eyes as they passed servant and nobility that the word of the beast had been spread and a grim look painted everyone's face. Arthur turned off from a hallway, leading Leon to a private chamber for them to plan. "My Lord," Leon said as they entered Arthur's chambers, "may I suggest something bold?"

Arthur thought for a moment. The odds of them finding this beast and knowing how to defeat it at the same time would be astronomical. Bold would be needed to take down whatever it is. He nodded. "Father wants this handled before the beast spills any blood. He wants it all handled before the ceremony tomorrow evening. Bold seems to be what we need." He took a seat at his table with Leon standing across from him. The knight leaned against the table.

"My Lord," Leon said, "I know of someone who has experience dealing with monsters of this type. If anyone knows how to handle a creature of unknown origin of this caliber, it would be them. So, only with your permission, I ask that they consult with us."

Arthur put his hand over his mouth, considering it. Should they trust their fate in the hands of a stranger? What would come of letting a stranger in? Would it make it better or worse? Realizing that the odds were against him should he go in with little knowledge, he begrudgingly asked "How much experience?"

"Since they were a small child, My Lord."

A trained hunter since childhood? Now that made Arthur perk up slightly. The young Prince nodded to himself, weighing that risk. And with that, Arthur nodded and motioned to Leon. "How long before they can arrive?"

Leon smirked. "They already live in Camelot, sire."

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Rylee folded her arms as Merlin struggled to reach for a locke of rosemary. Tapping her foot impatiently, she scoffed before leaning over to tap the shoulder of the young warlock.

"Merlin, you're not gonna get it."

"You doubt me too much." Merlin said over his shoulder. "I can do this."

But as the young warlock still struggled to reach the rosemary, Rylee could tell that this was going nowhere.

"Merlin."

"No."

"Let me."

"No."

"Yes."

"I've got this."

"I will kick you and let you fall down that hill." Rylee said, tapping her fingers impatiently. 

This made him stop. Merlin turned around, offering her an awkward smile before he moved out of her way, allowing her to reach over the hill to the small one across from them. It was a long reach, enough for her to strain, but it was the fall that was to be worried about. One slip and it was a long roll down a large hill. Rylee whispered words of encouragement to herself as she reached and when she grabbed it, she cheered.

But the ground under her caved in and she cried out as she started to tumble down the hill.

She screamed out, letting out a string of curses as she fell. Merlin scrambled to catch up, running to where the hill began to meet her down by where the hill meets the road. But there was another problem. As Rylee met the juncture where the hill meets the road, she knocked into something that promptly stopped her descent. Clutching her head, she grumbled a few choice words as she sat up. Her vision returned to her and she turned to see what she bumped into.

It made her freeze.

"Oh my Gods!" She scrambled to her feet, grabbing onto the arms of the man she ran over. "Are you alright?"

The man chuckled. As she helped him off the ground, she got a good look at him: while he wasn't as tall as Merlin, he still towered over her with a head full of scraggly dark brown hair and almost gray eyes. He was classically handsome in the roguish sense. Rylee could only think that he reminded her not only of Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings, but younger, mixed with Michael Sheen from those Underworld movies.

"Am I alright?" Even his voice was like something out of a fairy tale. Deep and rough with a hint of gentleness. "I do believe it is I who should be asking you the same thing."

"Well," Rylee chuckled, "I ran into you. It would be questionable of me if I didn't ask and  I wouldn't be doing my job."

The man smiled at her, bringing a grin to her face.

"Rylee!"

Rylee and the man turned sharply to see Merlin running down the road. The young warlock was full-on sprinting with a panicked look etched on his features. Rylee chuckled as she watched him run towards her. The man, slightly thrown off by the appearance of another person, jolted back slightly in fright and tensed. But he noticed that Merlin's eyes were trained on Rylee and it was likely the warlock hadn't even noticed him. Even from a distance, he could see the emotions that Merlin felt for the girl.

"Are you..." He panted, catching up to the girl and grabbing her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Rylee giggled. "Merlin, it's just a few bumps and likely some bruises. I'll be fine. It's-" She turned and pointed to the man. "-him I'm concerned about." 

Merlin turned with wide eyes, finally noticing the man. He looked between the man and Rylee with a shocked expression. "You crashed into him, didn't you?" He pointed lazily to the man while locking his eyes with Rylee's.

Rylee scoffed, lightly smacking Merlin on the shoulder. "The fact that you would assume that!"

"You definitely did then."

"Hey!"

The man laughed heartily at their interaction. "I assure you, my fair lady," Rylee and Merlin turned to face him, "I am fine." He stepped back, offering a hand to the girl. "My name is Lycaneous of Wilderous."

Rylee smiled at him. "I'm Rylee Winchester." She took his hand and with the other, motioned to Merlin. "And this lousy lump is Merlin."

Lycaneous offered his hand, once Rylee released it, to Merlin, who shook it eagerly. When he had his hand back from the warlock, he smiled. "It's a pleasure." Lycaneous looked around the woods for a moment before scratching his scruffy cheek. "I hate to ask this of you and impose on your comings and goings, but I don't suppose you two know the way to Camelot, would you?"

Rylee and Merlin chuckled, sharing a look. "You're in luck, Lycaneous." Rylee smiled, turning back to him. "We were just about to head back to the citadel." She elbowed Merlin. "I have to get this one back before the Prince takes his head off."

Merlin groaned almost childishly, throwing his head back and slumping his shoulders. "Can't we just pretend like I was attacked by the beast? I'd rather not do his ungodly amount of laundry."  

Rylee cooed. "Oh, my poor baby." She reached up to ruffle his hair playfully and pushed his shoulder. "You'll be fine. I'll just tell Arthur that I valiantly saved your skin again." She turned to Lycaneous. "We can gladly show you the way to Camelot."

Lycaneous offered them a huge smile. "That would be very much appreciated."

With that, Rylee and Merlin led Lycaneous down the path. The roguish man watched as Merlin tried to stay as close to the girl in between them as he could. And he could also tell that the girl was standoffish about him. He sensed something about the two of them that was different from anyone he had ever met before. He watched as nature around them started to come more alive as they passed it, as though Rylee and Merlin were awakening something within nature itself just with their very presence.

"So," Lycaneous shifted his pack strap on his shoulder, somewhat eager to make conversation, "what's this about a beast?"

Rylee chuckled. "Oh, it's just something the townspeople are freaking out over. Someone thought they saw a giant wolf on its hind legs in the woods and now the whole place is in a panic."

Lycaneous looked over to the two warlocks. "Really?"

Merlin shrugged. "Stranger things have happened in Camelot."

Rylee threw a smirking glance over her shoulder to Merlin. He returned it eagerly with one of his own. Though confused by what their smirks meant, and with a slight incline that weird things must go on in the kingdom, Lycaneous chuckled at the interaction.

"So, Lycaneous," Rylee turned to face their new acquaintance, "what brings you to Camelot?"

Lycaneous' happy-go-lucky expression faded to a grim and sorrow-filled one. There was this deep hatred and sorrow that grew in his eyes and spread throughout the rest of him like consuming vines. From the way he carried himself to the smallest twitches of his fingers, everything changed about him. "A thief stole something very important from my clan and I've come to reclaim it."

Rylee glanced at Merlin. The two of them shared a similarly anxious look, something deep inside the both of them distrusting of this strange man and his words. "What was stolen, if I may ask?"

Lycaneous held his head up high, and the winds of the woods started to pick up, blowing through his hair. "It has many names in many different languages and I doubt you would understand it in mine. But your people would call it, 'the Liulfr.'"

The mention of that name made Rylee look at Lycaneous suspiciously.

"It's been a symbol for my people for many generations and without it, I fear our way of life has been forever threatened." Lycaneous brought his hand up to a small amulet that rested on his neck. "It was my father's dying wish for it to be returned to us." Lycaenous looked through his hair to his traveling companions. "I swore to him I would be the one to bring it home."

Merlin watched as Rylee's eyes fell to the ground. The subject of one's father was always a touchy one with her. Before she could even get a word in, Merlin spoke for them both.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Merlin asked.

Lycaneous chuckled. "I doubt there is much you can do but I appreciate your generosity."

Rylee chuckled, slightly on edge. "Well, should you need any help," She looked up to Lycaneous with a smile so bright, the stars would be envious, "Merlin and I are always willing to right a wrong."

With nothing but a nod and a gracious smile, Lycaneous looked forward, the happy-go-lucky man seemingly returning to normal.

As they continued walking, Camelot soon came into view through the trees and very soon, they made their way to the edge of the wood, where Lycaneous stopped. "Now is where I believe we must part ways." He nodded to them both, taking Rylee's hand and placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Until we meet again."

Lycaneous pulled his hand back, offering a final goodbye before leaving the two warlocks behind. Rylee watched him go with curious eyes. Merlin, however, had a strange feeling about the man. He watched Lycaneous go with narrowed eyes and a scowl playing on his lips with his arms crossed.

"Did you feel it?"

Rylee scoffed. "How could I not?" She too crossed her arms. She tilted her head as Lycaneous faded from view. "There is something strange about that man." She looked up to Merlin with an anxious look. "I don't know about him."

Merlin shared it with her before shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe we're overthinking it?"

Rylee looked forward for a moment, pushing her lips forward. "You're probably right."

But when she looked back towards Camelot joyfully, all that dropped when she saw where the sun was.

"Oh Gods, I'm dead."

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

"You said three hours!"

"Guinevere."

"Three hours, Rylee!"

With Gwen furiously pacing in front of her, Rylee sat in a chair in Morgana's chambers with her arms crossed. Like a child being scolded by her mother.

"I said I was sorry."

"You had me worried to death!" Gwen started to play with the hems of her sleeves. "You said three hours and here you come wandering back two hours later than you should have. And especially after I told you how worried I was about you going into the woods."

Merlin sat there with a forced blank expression, barely holding it together as Rylee was scolded. He scoffed back a chuckle as Gwen continued on, only making Rylee roll her eyes. Hearing his scoff, Gwen turned to Merlin with a very cross expression. "And you!"

She pointed at him, furiously. "I'm thankful you went with her, but, really, Merlin, I just..." Gwen groaned with her hands in her hair. She huffed, taking a seat down on Morgana's bed beside the ward.

Rylee looked at Gwen exasperated. "Are you done?"

This earned the young sorceress a nasty glare from Gwen. With a slight shake of her head, Rylee patted Merlin on the leg, a feeble aid to help her rise to her feet. She walked over and crouched before Gwen. She took her hands into her own and smiled. "Gwen, I am sorry I was late and I am extremely sorry that I worried you. You know I never meant to do that. But you know how I am when I am in the woods and Merlin and I had a minor delay that set us back." She rubbed the back of Gwen's hands with her thumbs. "Please forgive me. You know I would never purposely do anything to make you worry for my safety."

Gwen had cast her gaze begrudgingly to the ground and while a slight chuckle, looked back up to her friend. "Alright." She smiled. "Just this once."

With a breath of relief, Rylee sat back, resting on the floor with her hands supporting her weight. "Oh good. I thought I was gonna have to grovel."

She looked around the room with a light-hearted smile as Merlin, Morgana and Gwen laughed. Morgana threw a playful smirk down to Rylee as she looked between the young sorceress and the sorcerer whose legs Rylee had moved to lean on.

"What I want to know-" All eyes fell upon Morgana as she finally spoke up. "- is what happened on this minor delay?"

Rylee's eyes widened and her mouth fell into a flat line. "Well... You see..." She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Um...."

"Rylee fell down a hill and ran over a man."

Rylee whipped around to gawk at Merlin in playful anger. "You dick!" She smacked his legs, making the laughing sorcerer shield his legs from her assault.

Morgana and Gwen shared a look between the two of them before laughing together.

"I hate to say it." Morgana said, shielding her mouth with the back of her hand as she laughed. "But, Rylee as much as I love you, that is a very you thing to do."

"It truly is." Gwen added.

Huffing with a smile, Rylee shifted back to rest upon Merlin's legs. "To be fair, Merlin would have fallen down the hill if I hadn't taken his place."

Merlin hummed and nodded in agreement. "That is true."

"And I didn't see him coming." Rylee added, a curious, almost concerned expression falling upon her face. "It's like he came out of nowhere."

Merlin's face also twisted with the same expression. "There was something strange about that man."

Rylee cast her eyes to the ground as the expressions of the girls before the two sorcerers grew concerned.

But that concern faded as everyone's attention fell to the door. A knock resonated through the room. Morgana called out for them to enter where Arthur and Leon took it upon themselves to let themselves into Morgana's chambers. The Prince let a flat expression fall upon his face as Merlin fell into his sights. Merlin shifted in his seat with his lips in a flat line. He waved awkwardly as Arthur's eyes fell down to Rylee.

"I need your help." He said to the sorceress.

Everyone other than the Prince and the Knight looked to Arthur like he had grown three heads. As soon as Rylee rose to her feet, her friends followed suit, all of them with grim expressions on their faces. Rylee casted her eyes to Leon, who nodded to her. Rylee glanced at Merlin, who returned it in kind, before looking back to Arthur with a stoic expression. "What do you need from me?

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

"So, basically you know nothing about this creature?"

Arthur led Leon, Rylee and Merlin through the corridors, ghastly grim expressions upon all their faces.

"In short," The Prince responded, "yes. We know nothing. Which is why Leon suggested you could help."

Rylee scoffed. "I'm gonna need more information if I'm gonna help."

Arthur stopped, grabbing her arm, roughly turning her to face him. "So, you can't help us?"

Rylee glared at him, motioning her other hand to Merlin, who had stepped forward slightly to come to her defense the moment Arthur grabbed her arm. "I never said that. You're just lucky I gathered enough information to narrow it down."

Rylee tore her arm out of Arthur's grip and walked away, expecting the boys to follow her. As always, Merlin was right behind her. Leon and Arthur shared a look before following behind.

Opening the door to Arthur's chambers, Rylee waited for Arthur to take a seat before explaining. "I believe that this creature is a Lycan."

"A Lycan?" Arthur asked, worried curiosity plaguing his face.

Rylee nodded. "It's a relative of a Werewolf. However, unlike the Werewolf, a Lycan is not cursed. They are, rather, born the way they are. They are far more controlled in their animal form than a Werewolf would be."

Seeing the confusion on all the boy's faces, Rylee sighed. "Right." She put her hands on the table. "Ok. Remembering for a second that I am the weird kid here." She took a breath. "A Werewolf is a beast that is a man during the daytime." She moved her hands on the table to represent the different times of the day. "And during the night, it takes the form of a large humanoid wolf. A Lycan can do these things too. However, it doesn't have to be the night for them to take their animal form and they still retain their mind. They don't just run off of instinct like a Werewolf would."

"But," Leon interjected, shifted to cross his arms on the table, "how do you know this is a Lycan and not a Werewolf?" He shook his head as he spoke. "How can you tell the difference?"

Rylee looked away for a second, chuckling. "That's the perks of being somewhat of an expert on this." Her expression grew grim, like old memories were popping up in her mind against her will. "A Werewolf feasts on the hearts of Cattle and Humans." She looked down to Arthur. "Have there been any reports of Cattle missing their hearts?"

With a disgusted look upon his face, Arthur shook his head.

"That's a good thing." Rylee sighed. "Now, we know there are no Cattle or Humans - thank the Gods - that are missing their hearts. There have been no freaky attacks lately, just sightings. That itself tells me more than anything else. Now, from what I've heard from Gwen about Thomas' encounter with the creature, I can undoubtedly say it's a Lycan."

"But, how do you know?" Merlin stressed the question on all the men's minds.

Rylee looked upon the three of them with a grim stoic expression. She didn't look like the girl they had come to know. This was someone completely new. "Because if it was a Werewolf, Thomas would be dead. The creature would have attacked him without another thought and eaten his heart."

The room was filled with solemn silence. Arthur huffed, rising from his chair to stare into the fire that roared in his fireplace. With his thumb resting upon his bottom lip, the Prince asked, "Is Camelot in any danger from this creature?"

Rylee looked away with a huff. "From what I've gathered..." She shook her head. "No. It may just be passing through. But I don't think that's it."
    Merlin crossed his arms, leaning against one of the pillars in the room. "What do you think it is?"

With a small glance towards Merlin, Rylee ran her hand roughly on her neck. "When was the first sighting?"

"Three days ago." Leon pipped up. "It crossed our borders at about that time."

The young sorceress shook her head at that. She pushed her lips forwards, tapping them against her knuckles. "Then it would have passed through by now if it was." She shook her head as she spoke. "Nah, it's looking for something."

Arthur turned his head sharply, looking at the girl with wide eyes. "Looking for something?"

Rylee caught his eyes and nodded. With a sigh, she ran her hands over her face as she took a seat. "Lycans are smart. Very smart. And they have their own cultures. They are far more advanced than you think they are. Many take on a clan-like structure." She chuckled. "They're essentially like us except they turn into wolves." Feeling all eyes on her, Rylee smiled to break the tension. "I truly don't think the Lycan is here to hurt anyone. If it wanted to, it would have done so." She shook her head slightly. "No, I believe it's just here to find something that it may have lost and it will leave once it's found. No one's in danger." She locked eyes with Arthur - the prince could see nothing but truth and sincerity in her eyes. "That I can assure you. There is no threat from this creature."

Arthur huffed, much to everyone else's joy at the young sorceress's words. "Then what am I supposed to tell my father? 'Sorry, I didn't go after the creature like you ordered because my physician told me it wasn't a threat'. You know what he would say." He held his forehead in his hands as he sat across from the girl. Leon casted his eyes to the Prince as Arthur sat next to him while Merlin took a seat at Rylee's side. The knight and the warlock shared a look before turning to the girl, who held back her anger. Not at Arthur. Not because of what he said. Because he was right.

"Then what do we do?" Leon asked.

Rylee looked down at her hands, rubbing her fingers roughly against her palms. Sensing and seeing her stress, Merlin did the only thing he could do: he took her hand into his own. Rylee smiled downward with her eyes closed. "We could find it and offer up some help." Arthur moved to object, about to spew out words about how his father would never approve of them helping such a creature when Rylee raised her free hand to stop him. "I'm not saying we have to tell your father. We'll set up the search as though we want to capture the creature and convince your father that we will slay it. But we won't."

Arthur had this look upon his face. He looked at the girl like she had just told him his deepest darkest secret like it was a fact everyone knew. He scoffed before stammering, "You can't be serious. We're not gonna let this creature live."

"Why not?" Rylee asked, her grip on Merlin's hand tightening. "It's alive. It has a soul. Therefore it has a right to live. Why would we kill it?"

"Because it's a monster."

"And that gives us the right to kill it?" Rylee looked at the Prince in disbelief. "It has a right to live, Arthur. It hasn't hurt anyone."

"But that doesn't mean it won't."

Rylee gritted her teeth and looked away. "So what, you're gonna kill me too?"

Arthur let out a breathy chuckle. "What?"

Rylee took a breath and smiled angrily. She glared at the Prince. "Well, with that logic, you'll have to kill me. I mean, I could hurt someone. May as well do me in before I do it."

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Arthur sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but I have to." He tried to reach forward to offer a comforting, apologetic pat on her hand but Rylee wouldn't let him. She tore her hand away from him, leaning closer to Merlin for his support - which she knew she had in full.

Arthur sighed. "How do I kill it?"

Rylee looked away.

"Rylee, please." Arthur begged. "I can't risk the threat that this creature could hurt one of my subjects. What if it gets into the Citadel? What if it comes for anyone inside?" Arthur motioned around, meaning to stress the palace around them. "What if it hurts Morgana? Or Guinevere? Or Gaius? People you love. People that I care about. They could get hurt. I know you have the best intentions and I take no pleasure in killing. But I have to do this. For Camelot."

Rylee saw the seriousness in Arthur's eyes: pleading guit laid inside of them that she could not doubt. She looked to Merlin for his support.

Merlin could only offer her a small supportive smile and a rub from his thumb on the back of her hand.

Rylee looked to Leon for his thoughts. And though the loyal Knight would stand by his Prince until the end, she knew that whatever decision she made, the look in Leon's eyes told her that he would have her back. And so, with the confidence of both her two lads, Rylee sighed.

"Silver." Rylee admitted. "You'd need silver to harm a Lycan."

She looked to Arthur through her hair, catching him nodding to her before rising from his chair.

"Leon." The knight rose to attention. "Gather the men - the best. We ride in an hour." As Leon took off out of the room, Arthur tried to catch Rylee's eye. But the huntress would not look at him. She leaned closer to Merlin, feeling the burn rising in her nose.

"I am sorry." Arthur lamented before he left.

And when he did, Rylee clenched her eyes shut, hot tears falling from them. She leaned into Merlin, who wrapped his arm around her to console the girl.

"What have I done?" She whispered into his chest.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Morgana watched from her window as Arthur led a group of knights out of the citadel. She rubbed her wrist lightly in her fear but it only grew worse when she noticed something was off. Where was Merlin? He was always by Arthur's side. And more importantly, where was Rylee?

The door to her chambers opened, making the young ward turn around sharply. Before she could demand an answer from whatever miscreant walked into her room, she let out a breath of relief when she saw Merlin and Rylee walking in, but then that fear came back.

"Why aren't you both with Arthur?"

Morgana went unanswered as Rylee sat upon the Ward's bed with her head in her hands. The young warlock who accompanied her pulled a chair up to hold her.

"I've damned it." Rylee mumbled.

"No, you haven't." Merlin replied in a soft tone. "It's gonna be alright."

Morgana could feel the room darken with Rylee's sadness. She could see the walls darken as clouds covered the sun. She always forgot just how much Rylee's emotions affected nature.

"What happened?" She rushed forward, taking Rylee's hands from her head. Rylee looked into Morgana's eyes with a tired sadness that could not be matched. "I told Arthur how to kill the creature."

Morgana looked puzzled. She smiled and shook her head. "But, is that not a good thing?"

Rylee shook her head vigorously. "I don't believe the creature means to harm anyone. I think it's looking for something and it's just passing through." She clenched her eyes shut again, tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. "And I've damned it."

"So, you do know what it is?" A new voice drew all eyes to the door, where Gwen walked in with a vase of flowers.

Rylee nodded. "I believe it's a Lycan. Half-man, half-wolf." Shaking her head slightly, her voice lowered in tone, becoming softer as regret filled her system. "Not dangerous. Not this one at least."

Rylee lowered her head, to which Morgana took the opportunity to rest it upon hers. She grabbed both sides of Rylee's head, resting her forehead on her own. "It's going to be alright." She said in a comforting voice.

"How is it going to be alright?" Rylee snapped, startling those around her. "What good is my destiny if I can't choose who to save? Protect Arthur. Protect Merlin. But, what about the other people who need protecting?" Rylee sighed, leaning away from Morgana to rest upon the bed. Her face was buried in the blankets. "My dad would know what to do." She mumbled.

Seeing her so broken broke their hearts. Sharing a look, Morgana rose up to huddle close to Gwen and Merlin.

"What do we do?" She asked, her eyes flickering between the two of them.

"Arthur is convinced the creature needs to die before it can hurt someone." Merlin explained. "Maybe we should try and find it first."

"But, what if the creature hurts someone?" Gwen asked, worry laced in her tone. "I mean, you heard Rylee, it's half man, half wolf."

Merlin shook his head. He glanced back over to the woman he would devote his life to as she turned over. He watched her as she stared up at the ceiling with a blank, emotionless look upon her face. "Rylee says it won't hurt anyone." He looked back to the Ward and her handmaiden. "I trust her."

The three of them turned back. Morgana gracefully walked over to her bed, moving Rylee's head as she took a seat and placed it upon her legs.

"I can't do this." Rylee lamented blankly. She scoffed. "I'm not a hunter. I'm not like my dad. I try to help and..." She threw her hands upon her legs. "Look what happened."

Morgana started to gently run her fingers through Rylee's hair to calm the girl. Merlin could only watch as the girl he loved fought herself within her own mind. He knelt down, taking one of Rylee's hands that hung off the edge of the bed. He held it tight, running his thumb across the back of her hand.

"We need a plan." He said.

Surprised, Rylee pulled away from Morgana, rising to sit up, to look up at Merlin through her hair. "What?" She asked in a soft voice.

Merlin looked into her eyes with a sparkle in his own. "We need a plan. If we're going to help the Lycan." He smiled at Rylee. "Isn't that what you want?"

Rylee let out a quick breath, almost like a disbelieving chuckle. She looked around the room, catching only supportive looks from her friends.

"Would you all help me?" She asked inquisitively. "Even if it meant defying Uther?"

Gwen scoffed. "Of course." She walked over to the girl to wrap her arms around her free arm. "We trust you. And if you think that this Lycan won't hurt anyone and deserves to live, then..." She stood up, moving her arms to hype herself up. "Then I'm willing to help."

Rylee smiled gratefully at her best friend. She looked up to Morgana, who offered her a similar look of encouragement as Gwen. The ward smirked as she spoke, "Uther is a menace and if he had his way, truly had his way I mean, then we wouldn't get to see you every day. If you're willing to do this, then I'm with you. We always have each other's backs, remember?"

Rylee smiled, tears burning in her eyes as she fought back cheerful sobs. She wrapped her arms around Morgana quickly. The two girls took a moment to enjoy the hug before Rylee pulled back. She looked down to Merlin, almost expecting the same small speech of loyalty.

And one she got.

Merlin chuckled, flapping his arms lightly at his sides. "You're the bravest person I've ever met. And the most caring. I believe you about this creature and I believe in you." Merlin shifted closer - Morgana and Gwen moved away to give him some room with knowing and bright smiles playing on their lips - and took both of Rylee's hands in his own. "Our destinies are intertwined. Our lives are intertwined. There is nowhere else I'd rather be than by your side."

Rylee fought back her smile as she let out a small happy sob. She took Merlin into her arms and held him tightly. Merlin held her back with the same tight grip. Much to Morgana and Gwen's enjoyment, the two warlocks held each other for a few minutes before they pulled apart.

For a moment, it was like they were the only two in the room as they looked upon each other's faces. But then that moment ended.

Rylee and Merlin separated in an awkward mix of grumbles and jests. The young warlock rubbed the back of his neck as he stood up. Rylee rose to her feet as well, prompting Gwen and Morgana to rise. "So," She looked around, everyone gathered into a small circle, "anyone got any ideas?"

Merlin tapped his knuckles on his chin. "We should find it." He looked between the girls. "We have to find it before Arthur does."

"Yes, but how?" Morgana asked. "And even if we did, what then? We couldn't help it escape. There will be guards everywhere."

"In Lycan form." Rylee said. "But we could help it in human form."

Gwen rubbed her hands together anxiously. "But, how are we supposed to know who they are?"

Rylee thought for a moment, gathering herself. She walked over to the window, scanning the courtyard for a sign really.

"How are we going to track something if we have no idea where it is or where to start?" She mumbled to herself. Her eyes widened with an idea and she turned back to the group. "Maybe there might be a spell we could use to track it..." She tapped her thumb across her bottom lip. "Merlin."

The young warlock perked his head up at the mention of his name.

"Do you have the book or do I?"

After a moment of thought and a flash of confusion on his face, Merlin nodded. "I do."

Rylee let out a breathy chuckle. "We should look into it. Find a possible tracking spell."

Gwen shuffled nervously, which caught Rylee's attention. "What's wrong, Gwen?"

Playing with her hands, Gwen shrugged. "What if you get caught? I mean, you saw what happened to me when I..." She looked away, wanting to forget what had transpired Wrapping herself in her arms tightly.

Guilt rushed through Merlin and Rylee.

"Gwen..." Rylee walked towards Gwen, holding both of her arms in her hands. "I'm sorry..."

Gwen bit her lip for a second, taking a moment. "It's not your fault." She looked back to Rylee, sad sincerity draped across her face. "You helped me. You saved me. I just don't want you or Merlin to suffer the same fate I would have."

"We won't." Merlin said, confidently. "We'll work our magic at night. But during the day, we need to keep an eye out."

Rylee nodded. "Merlin's right. We'll be careful this time."

Everyone shared a look and a nod.

"We'll get this right this time."

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Arthur led his men through the streets of the lower town at dusk, Sir Leon at his side. Astride their horses, even those not quick enough to catch a view of the knight's faces knew fear lingered behind their eyes.

Approaching the edge of the woods, Arthur motioned for his men to stop. Taking care to watch every shadow that moved along the edge of the forest, Arthur dismounted, to which all his knights followed.

"My Lord," Leon took his place at Arthur's side, watching the forest with unease, "are you sure about this?"

Arthur merely offered Leon a glance. "It's what must be done."

"But, Sire-"

"I know, Sir Leon." Arthur caught the eyes of the knight and shook his head. "I don't take pleasure in this. I don't take pleasure in disregarding the will of a friend. But if I don't do this..." Arthur trailed off, looking back to the woods as the sun drifted down off of the horizon.

As the night set in, Arthur felt somewhat foolish that gathering his men took up the daytime. Like a bad string of luck, he set out after the creature during a time of day when it was strongest. Or perhaps not.

According to Rylee, it would not hurt them.

But, how could he be so sure?

Taking in a deep breath, Arthur surveyed the land, looking for vantage points and places of weakness.

"My Lord, maybe we should have listened to Rylee." Leon said rather bluntly. "Or at least brought her along."

Arthur casted his eyes away, shaking his head lightly. "You know she would try and stop us."

"And that's why Merlin is not with us as well?"

Arthur nodded. "They follow each other as though they can't be apart for more than a moment."

Leon chuckled. "They need to just kiss and get it over with, if you ask me."

Arthur  laughingly scoffed. "I thought the exact same thing this morning. Then maybe Merlin could actually do his work right."

Leon laughed before casting his eyes down to the ground, thinking to himself for just a minute. "She won't forgive you if you go through with this, My Lord."

Arthur stiffened up, focusing his gaze on the woods before him. He motioned his knights forward, before replying to Leon. "That is something I can live with."

But in all honesty, Arthur knew he couldn't. Rylee's opinion was one he held in high respect. He always figured that once he was King, he would make her an advisor, or, at least, she would remain his personal physician. He just needed her hard-headed blunt perspective on things. To be honest, Arthur felt as though she was the little sister he never had. Annoying and bothersome, but he cared for her nonetheless.

He knew killing this creature would destroy her faith in him. Which was why he was hoping she and Merlin would find it before he did.

The knights marched forward slightly as the waxing moon rose over the hilltops, welcoming the night to Camelot.

The forest was silent. Far to silent for things to be right.

Arthur led the group, sword drawn, eyes ever vigilant. Leon covered him from behind, watching to ensure the Prince hadn't missed anything.

The woods grew this air of mystery during the night. Lively and green vanished in the wake of the moon. What started as swirls of light and beauty grew gnarled and twisted under the night's light.

Arthur stepped cautiously, mindful of how much noise his feet made. Even under the natural heightened senses that come to all during the night, Arthur could feel everything. Something telling him where everything was. The Rabbit that slept several feet away from them. The wolf on the prowl even further - but not the creature they sought.

He could never understand it. His heightened senses. He always chopped them up as tools for survival. But deep down, he was always afraid that Magic had something to do with it.

What irked Leon was there was nothing making any sounds. It set him on the edge. The night has its own melody and it plays it beautifully. But that night, no symphony would play.

It was almost like the woods were scared.

"I don't like this, My Lord." Leon whispered to Arthur, quickly and rather harshly. "Perhaps we should turn back."

Arthur, upon taking note of the uncomfortable silence, turned to give Leon an answer.

The low growl of a wolf tore all eyes to what looked to be a large tree. But panic and fear can help one differentiate a tree from a large humanoid wolf in the dark.

Gathering together, Arthur took the front, facing down the wolf as it stared at them. Glowing yellow eyes catching the Pendragon seal on their cloaks and it growled lowly.

The woods around them started to shake. Physically shake under the growls of the wolf.

While his knights hid behind him in fear, Arthur took a breath. And then he did something completely unexpected.

He lowered his sword and gently motioned his hands in a calm manner. "My name is Arthur Pendragon." He spoke to the creature with the command of a Prince but the gentleness of a King. "Prince of Camelot."

The creature snarled at the mention of the kingdom, making Arthur jolt back in fear slightly. But he regained himself.

"Against my father's wishes and upon the advice of a dear friend of mine," He started to slowly move towards the creature, still mindful that it could lash out at him, "I wanted to offer you assistance."

While the other knights were so focused on the creature to not hear the Prince's words, Leon was listening vigilantly. He felt a smile grow as the Prince continued.

"A good friend of mine told me that you can understand me." Arthur put his sword away, showing the creature as he did. He looked up to meet the creature's eyes. "Is that true? Can you understand me?"

Much to his relief, the wolf nodded.

"My good friend also thinks you are looking for something. Is that true?"

Again, the creature nodded.

This brought slight relief to Arthur. Rylee was right.

He lowered his arms carefully, relaxing. But only a little. "I can help you." He spoke truthfully. "But you would have to play along with me."

He was unsure of what the creature wanted and unsure if what it was saying - well nodding - was true, but Rylee believed in it. So he could too.

Feeling the harsh gaze of the wolf, Arthur tried to ease his knights, who grew anxious from their fear. And, as many would know, fear and humans are a bad combination. He turned back to the creature. "I can help you, but you would have to come with us."

The wolf growled at the thought of being taken by royal guards. It dashed back from Arthur, before leaping over the huddled knights.

As the creature dashed away, one of the knights who carried a crossbow took aim. Before Arthur could stop him, the knight fired, landing a hit upon the wolf's shoulder. But that did little to stop it. It cried out in pain as the arrow pierced its skin. But just as quickly as it entered its shoulder, the wolf ripped the arrow out and raced away.

Arthur watched as the creature raced off, this terrible feeling growing in his stomach as it faded into the woods. Even more so upon seeing the trail of blood that followed the creature's escape route.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Sitting upon the table in Gaius' chambers, Rylee flipped through the book of magic. Page after page she searched, finding almost nothing to help discover the location of the Lycan. The stress of it becoming quite irritating.

She had no idea why everything inside of her screamed at her to help this creature. Had she been with her father and her uncle, she probably would have followed along in hunting this creature down.

Why did she care so much?

Taking in a breath, Rylee slammed the book shut and tossed it upon the table. There had to be another way of doing this.

There were tracking spells within the book, but all of them required something from the person or thing that was needing to be tracked. And they had nothing from the Lycan.

She groaned loudly, laying back upon the table.

"Sounds like your day is going well."

The young sorceress sat up, seeing her master walking through the doorway. Gaius smiled with a fatherly look upon his face as he walked towards her. "What's got you in such a mood?"

Rylee sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm trying to find a tracking spell to locate the Beast before Arthur can find it."

The old man placed his bag upon his work station, listening intently to his student.

"I need to find it before Arthur does."

"So it doesn't harm him?"

"No." Rylee shook her head. "So I can save it."

Though confused by his apprentice's words, Gaius took a seat in front of her. "You think the creature needs to be saved?"

"It hasn't hurt anyone." Rylee argued. "I've narrowed down its species and if it wanted to hurt someone, it would have done so already. I think it's looking for something and I want to offer it up some help, but Arthur is dead set on killing it and I can't let that happen and-"

"My dear girl." Gaius put a hand upon Rylee's to stop her panicked rambling. "You're in over your head on this one. Maybe you need some advice."

Upon seeing the look on Gaius' face as he raised a knowing eyebrow, she knew. 

She knew what she had to do.

Leaping off the table, the young sorceress strode out of her master's chambers, offering up a thanks to her master as she left. Taking in long strides as she walked along through the hallways of Camelot's Citadel. She casted her eyes down to the courtyard, seeing Merlin entering from the gates, Guinevere by his side.

"Where are you going?"

Rylee turned sharply to see Morgana trying to catch up to her. Ryle casted her eyes down to Gwen and Merlin, watching their faces contort in confusion and, honestly, exhaustion. "There is someone I need to see. They might be able to help."

Morgana looked down to see what caught Rylee's eyes and she nodded. She looked back at the young sorceress and smirked. "Lead the way."

Rylee turned back sharply, shaking her head. "No. No, Morgana. You can't come."

The young Ward's face nestled into her natural state of defiance. "You know you can't stop me even if you tried."

Rylee sighed. She knew it too. Morgana was too stubborn for her own good. She locked eyes with Morgana and grabbed her hand. "Fine." She reluctantly admitted. "But you can't tell anyone about it."

With a nod of her head and a solemn promise of secrecy, Morgana was led by Rylee down the stairs of the Citadel.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

They had been searching for hours. Merlin thought it would be a good idea to search the town for anything suspicious. And yet, still nothing.

"I do hope Rylee can figure out that tracking spell." Gwen mumbled, rubbing her hands anxiously.  "This is getting us nowhere."

Merlin chuckled. "Don't worry, Gwen. I know she can."

With a smirk, Gwen looked up to Merlin. A knowing smile formed from that smirk. "Why don't you tell her how you feel, Merlin? What would be so wrong with that?"

Merlin casted his eyes to Gwen briefly before looking away with a mournful smile. And then he sighed. "These gifts... They come with a heavy burden, Gwen. She and I are already in danger everyday because we have them. But, knowing what we know and what we have to do with them..." The young warlock ran a hand through his hair. He felt tears prickle in the corners of his eyes. But as fast as they came, he blinked them away. "She's already in danger everyday because of me. Something inside me just tells me that if I told her just how much she means to me, that would be it. I'd lose her. My best friend." He looked down to Gwen through the corners of his eyes. "I can't lose her, Gwen."

Wiping her eyes of the small tears that grew in them, Gwen nodded. "Ok..."

She put a hand on Merlin's arm as they continued through the gates of the citadel.

Merlin casted his eyes down to Gwen, a defeated yet somehow hopeful smile upon his face. He looked away from her, when something caught his eyes. He tilted his head upon seeing Rylee leading Morgana down the stairs from the castle.

"What are they doing?" He thought aloud, drawing Gwen's attention to the girls.

Feeling their eyes upon them, Rylee looked in their direction. She motioned for Merlin to follow.

Confused for simply a moment before realizing what direction she was going, Merlin's eyes widened. Are they really that desperate right now?

"Come on." Merlin walked away from Gwen, motioning her to follow him as Rylee and Morgana entered the door that leads to a part of the castle Morgana had never seen before.

"Where are we going?" Morgana asked as Rylee led the group of four - Gwen and Merlin finally catching up - down the stairs.

"Somewhere Uther would hang all of us for if we're caught so keep it down." Rylee replied in a hushed tone.

Stopping at the top, Rylee leaned down, seeing the two useless guards sitting at their table, still playing that stupid game of dice. With a hasty sigh and with a golden flash of her eyes, the dice flew off the table. Both guards watched them go in confusion and, like the first time they were tricked by the warlocks, followed the dice into the darkness.

Rylee turned back with a smile, earning one of reminiscence from Merlin. The group followed her down the stairs, Merlin grabbing one of the torches from the side before they stopped. Gwen and Morgana both looked wearily upon the stairs descending into the darkness.

"What's down there?" Gwen asked, her tone laced with fear and hesitance.

Merlin and Rylee both shared a look. Merlin, upon instinct, held out his hand for Rylee to take, knowing she made this decision begrudgingly. With a small smile, Rylee took it, looking back to her girlfriends. "Someone that possibly will be able to help us find the Lycan."

While the look in Merlin and Rylee's eyes inspired a slight feeling of bravery in the both of them, Morgana and Gwen still rested uneasy from the feeling that came from the stairs. Sharing a look, the two girls decided to mimic Merlin and Rylee, taking each other's hands. Hesitantly ready, Morgana and Gwen nodded to the warlocks.

"Deep descent awaits us all." Rylee said in a hushed voice, earning looks from her startled friends. When she smiled at them, Morgana responded by pushing her shoulder. Laughing, Merlin and Rylee started down the dark stairs. Sharing a look of fear, Morgana and Gwen followed behind, sticking as close as they could to the warlocks.

The descent down the stairs had become a normal thing for Merlin and Rylee but for Guinevere and Morgana, those dark stairs were something like from a nightmare.

Reaching the cave at the bottom of the stairs, Rylee released Merlin's hand to motion Morgana and Gwen in. Standing upon the edge of the cliff, the young sorceress called out, "Hey, we need your help!"

There was silence for a moment. Rylee looked around the cave with an annoyed expression which she shared when she glanced at Merlin.

Gwen looked around, same as Morgana, leaning into the young ward. "What exactly are we waiting for?"

Rylee held her hand out at her side slightly, asking them to be patient without words. "Look, we don't have a lot of time. Please, a life hangs in the balance."

"As does many, we should take the time to think upon it." An ancient voice bellowed through the cave, startling Morgana and Gwen.

The two girls shrieked as the Dragon flew up from below them, nestling on his rocky perk before them. Its golden eyes settled upon the two girls who accompanied the warlocks and he hummed. "For beauty and grace cannot be divided from loyalty and love. A great destiny and doom awaits you both. Futures that cannot yet be discerned, yet so imprinted in the books of history."

Taking the moment to observe the ancient creature, Morgana stepped away from Gwen, awestruck at the creature. "A dragon..." She breathlessly gasped. "I thought... I thought it was a joke... That Uther made it up."

Gwen could not tear her eyes away from him. Observing how his golden scales shimmered in the soft light of the cave. Not a word could describe what she felt.

"Dragon." Rylee said, drawing the beast's eyes to her. "Something has come to Camelot. We need your help."

The Dragon hummed once again. "The Ancient Lord's line has come to reclaim what is rightfully his. A creature like this is not one you should fear, young sorceress."

Rylee sighed. "I know that, but we-" She gestured around to the four of them, "-want to help the creature. How can we do that? How can we find it?"

The creature looked upon the group with uncertainty in its old eyes. "The beast is a man and the man is a beast. For one as old as he, mistakes he will make. Be there, young ones, as the wolf's light passes through the hearts of Camelot."

Merlin looked up at the Dragon, utterly confused. "What? What does that mean?"

"In time, young warlock, you will understand." The Dragon said. "The time will come when the moon is right, for the wolf to take on a challenge that even he may not be able to face. The light will guide his way but you have to stop him before he can take it."

With that, The Dragon raised his mighty wings and took off, as Rylee and Merlin groaned at his riddlish nature.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

"What the hell did he mean by that?" Rylee asked herself as she paced through Gaius' chambers. Merlin sat behind where she paced, following Rylee's example by sitting on the table, but with his feet upon the bench below him. Flipping through the pages of the book of magic. "God, I should have known better than to go to that scaly bastard."

Morgana sat by the window, staring off, deep in thought. While Gwen sat in a chair at Rylee's workstation, flipping through the book of creatures.

"Wolf's light?" She groaned. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Maybe the moon?" Gwen looked up from the book in her arms. "You did say that there is some connection between the Lycan and the moon."

Rylee ran a hand over her face. "But no one can physically steal the moon. The Dragon definitely meant something that was stolen from him by that."

Merlin groaned, slamming the book shut and tossing it on the table. "There is nothing in there about what we need."

Rylee looked mournful at the warlock, putting a hand on his back as he rested his face in his hands.

"Wolf's light... Moon light..." Morgana muttered to herself. Her eyes suddenly widened and she shot up. "That's it!"

Everyone turned to the ward as she strode over to them. "Wolf's light. I know what it is." She walked over to Gaius' workstation, taking a piece of paper off of it. The ward handed it over to Rylee, who gasped in shock. "It's the Jewel of The Moon. Uther is going to present it at the annual Harvest Moon celebration tonight."

The answer had been right in front of them the entire time. Rylee cheered in relief. "Oh, Morgana, you beautiful genius!" She charged at the ward, wrapping her in a huge hug.

The two girls celebrated this break in the case when a dark thought hit Merlin.

"But that means that the Lycan is coming here. Tonight." Merlin stated, hopping onto his feet.

As tension and fear grew throughout the room as the realization set in, the door was thrown open. Arthur strode in with Leon in tow. Quickly, Merlin sat back upon the table, covering the Book of Magic from the Prince's view.

Noting the expression upon their faces, Rylee pulled away from Morgana with concern draped across her face. "What happened?"

"You were right." Leon said.

Arthur put his hand up to stop the knight further. "The beast didn't harm any of us. But..."

"But what?" Merlin asked, tilting his head.

Arthur shuffled in his place. He hated admitting he was wrong. "It understood me."

Rylee looked softly at the Prince. "I'll take that as an apology."

Arthur shot her a look which made her smirk. "That's not it. When I offered it help, suggesting our plan, it fled. But one of my archer's clipped it in the shoulder. The arrowhead was made of silver."

Rylee's face contorted in anger. "He what?"

Guinevere rose from her chair, looking at the prince with confusion. "And why are you telling us?"

When Arthur didn't answer, Merlin squinted his eyes at the Prince. "You're telling us because you knew we'd be looking for the creature ourselves."

Arthur shot a glaring look at the warlock. "Now, why would I assume that you are smart enough to fathom the thought, Merlin?"

"Oh, you totally did." Rylee exclaimed.

Arthur scoffed, crossing his arms. Leon took this as his time to come forward. "What do you know?"

The group of four looked between each other before Morgana spoke up. "It's after the Jewel of the Moon."

Fear and concern draped the Prince and the Knight's faces.

"But that's being presented at the ceremony tonight." Leon stated.

"We know." Rylee said. "Which is why we need to find it and quick. If we are going to help him, we need to find him now. If he shows up at the ceremony tonight, Uther will have him killed."

Arthur placed his finger upon his bottom lip, tapping it as he thought to himself. 

"Now, I know that stupid look on your face." Rylee said. "What are you thinking?"

Arthur turned to look at her, a stern look upon his face. "There was a blood trail that went cold. There's enough of us to quickly search for a man with a wounded shoulder."

"We only have a few hours before the ceremony." Morgana said. "Do you truly believe we can find it in time?"

Arthur casted his eyes away, knowing she had a point. The rest of the room felt that last bit of desperation fell away from the Prince.

"We have to try." All eyes flashed to Rylee, who had a hopeful smile upon her face. "It's not over until we've exhausted every outcome." She walked up to Arthur and Leon. "I want you both to tell me where the trail went cold."

"Just before the Lower Town." Leon stated.

"Great. Excellent." She put a hand on both of their shoulders. "Leon, I want you to take the East End." She turned to Arthur. "I know you hate taking orders, but I want you to take the West."

She turned back around. "Morgana, Gwen, take the South." She pointed at both girls and then to Merlin, "Merlin, you take the North and I'll handle the center square." She looked around to her circle of friends around her. "We only have a few hours to find him so let's get moving."

Rylee didn't even stop to hear any objections. She made her way out of Gaius' chambers with courage and confidence in her step.

Morgana shared a smile with Merlin and Gwen before taking off behind her. The handmaiden and the warlock smiled, both following the ward. Merlin patted Leon on the shoulder as he passed him by.

Arthur watched them go with a look of both confusion and astoundment upon his face as Leon smiled, taking after the group.

And Arthur had no choice but to follow.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Rylee led the group as they walked swiftly down to the Lower Town. The streets were tense and seeing the Prince and a Knight with faces of concentration and concern did nothing to ease the minds of the citizens that passed them by.

"Alright." Rylee stopped just at the gate of the Lower Town. "You know where to go. We will meet here in an hour if none of us have found anything."

She looked from each face, nodded to everyone as they took off in their direction. Until she reached Merlin.

Just as the warlock was about to leave her, Rylee grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Merlin." The young warlock turned to face her as she grabbed his other wrist. She stepped up on her tiptoes, placing a gentle kiss upon his cheek. "Be careful." She fell back away from him with a smile and pink dusting her cheeks as she took off to the town center. Merlin watched her go as pink dusted his face from the tip of his nose to the tips of his ears.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Despite a time of dreaded fear, the lower town was as busy as it usually was. The preparation for the Harvest Moon festival was completely underway with banners and tapestries strung up between rooftops. The people banded together to make their homes a beautiful sight to see.

Rylee smiled as she passed through, waving to people she knew, to people she didn't who kindly waved at her and just basked in the loving atmosphere she found herself in. Truly, it didn't seem like fear lingered in the hearts of anyone she was in the presence of.

Children ran past her, playing games with smiles and giggles, when one stopped upon seeing her. The little girl smiled brightly upon seeing her and ran towards her. Seeing the little girl, Rylee smiled affectionately.

"And how are we today, my fair princess?" Rylee playfully bowed before the girl.

This made the little girl giggle, playing with her long blonde hair. "I'm not a princess!" She squealed happily.

Rylee smirked, pretending to be confused. She knelt down to one knee to speak to the girl face-to-face. "You're not? But you're so beautiful, there's no way you can't be a princess, Anna."

Rylee looked around with a smile on her face before reaching under the brown overlayer of her shirt. With a quick flash of her eyes, she removed her hand to show Anna a flower as pink as the little girl's rosy cheeks. The little girl giddily took the flower from Rylee's hands before taking Rylee's hand.

"Come on!" Anna cheered. "Come meet my new friend! He needs your help!"

Knowing Anna, Rylee could tell that her new "friend" was another animal or stuffed animal her mother made her. Also knowing Anna, she wanted her to patch it up, because Anna knows Rylee is a physician. 

Despite having her mission, Rylee smiled softly. Five minutes wouldn't hurt. So, with Anna leading her through the crowds of people, Rylee continued to watch out for anyone with an injured shoulder. But to her disappointment, she saw none.

Eventually, Anna led Rylee to one of the many stables that outlined the lower town. Going inside, Anna called out for her friend. Rylee felt uneasy in the stables, like they weren't alone. 

"I brought the physikian!"

"Physician, Anna."

"Oh!" Anna giggled.

From outside, Anna's mother could he heard calling for the little girl. Anna turned to Rylee with a wide toothy smile. "I have to go now! But my friend still needs your help. Can you help him please?"

Meaning she could get back to her mission, Rylee smiled with a nod.

With that, Anna cheered. She thanked Rylee and sauntered out. Watching the little girl go with a smile, Rylee took a breath.

Just as she was about to leave, a low, painfilled groan caught her ears. Tensing, she turned around, slowly creeping around the corner. Her heart raced in her chest at the thought that maybe this was it. But there was also the fear that this was something else completely. Thoughts ran through her head as she cautiously turned the corner and there, she saw him.

"Lycaneous?"

There, tucked against the wall of the stable, in a puddle of his own blood, was Lycaneous. With a wound on his shoulder.

"You're the Lycan?"

The man looked up at the sorceress weakly. His skin was pale and covered in a feverish sweat. He tried to speak but no words could come out as he coughed.

This sent Rylee into a panic. "O..OK." She fell forward, wrapping Lycaneous' good arm around her shoulder and hoisted him up. "I..it's gonna be alright. I've got you."

But as soon as she touched Lycaneous, her vision went blurry and a pounding feel grew in her head. In her sights, Rylee saw flashes of the moon and of Lycaneous slumped over in pain as his fingers turned to claws and his body shifted, bones cracking. But just as quick as the vision came, it left. Ignoring Lycaneous' groans of concern, she hauled the Lycan up.

Normally, a girl of Rylee's stature and size would never be able to carry the likes of Lycaneous. But when your father is obsessed with your safety from supernatural beings, these things just become normal.

Hobbling along, Rylee led Lycaneous to the gateway of the lower town. Ignoring all the looks she received, Rylee had no other choice than to take Lycaneous to Gaius'.

Going through the castle gates, Rylee was lucky and thankful the guards did not question the physician's apprentice bringing in a wounded man. She managed to guide him up the stairs with him only falling a few times before they reached the door.

Gaius was calmly writing in his papers when he heard his apprentice call out to him frantically.

The door to his chambers slammed open and much to his shock, Rylee hobbled in with Lycaneous around her.

"My God." Gaius gasped. "What happened?"

"Silver arrowhead." Rylee replied. "He's the Beast. Please, Gaius."

Gaius stopped in his place. But, instead of throwing the man out to die, he motioned Rylee over to his table. "What can we do?"

Rylee draped Lycaneous over the tabletop, getting to work on removing the cloth that separated the wound from the physicians. "We need to remove any of the silver from his wound and his bloodstream. It's the only way we can get his accelerated healing started again."

As Gaius and Rylee set to work, the voices of the others filled the hallway. The sounds of trampling feet could be heard as Merlin ran in through the door, the others not far behind.

"Rylee!" Merlin had a smile upon his face until he looked down. "Lycaneous?"

"Wait, you know this man?" Arthur demanded, pointing at Lycaneous.

"We met him yesterday morning." Merlin explained. "We gave him directions to Camelot."

"You led him here?" Arthur snapped at Merlin. The young warlock flinched back at Arthur's tone.

Rylee glared up at Arthur. "Hey! It's not our fault, ok? No one's in danger here." Rylee tore the last piece of fabric, finding the open wound on Lycaneous' shoulder, the arrowhead just barely poking out of the torn skin. "Except Lycaneous if you don't let us work."

Arthur looked between his servant, his physician and the man laying on the tabletop. Thoughts running around in his head, uncertainty. Fear.

"How did you guys know I came here?" Rylee asked, lazily tying her hair back to get it out of her face.

"That little girl." Gwen said. "Anna. She was walking with her mother and recognized me. Told me you went to help her new friend. We found the stable and well..."

Morgana smiled softly. "We know you too well to know that you would bring him straight here."

Arthur was unusually silent. He stood away from the group, watching Lycaneous cautiously. "You're sure," Arthur asked once more, his arms crossed as he pointed his closed fist at Rylee, "he won't hurt anyone?"

Rylee looked at him with utmost surety. "You saw him in the woods. If he wanted to hurt someone, he would have done so already."

Arthur nodded to himself. "Then get him healed. We'll discuss the rest of it later."

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Delicately, Morgana brushed through her hair with a small brush. Things have settled it seemed since Rylee found the Lycan. Watching her reflection, Morgana sighed.

Now that they had found him, what were they to do about what he was after?

As Gwen walked through the door, gathering up her dress for that night, Morgana thought back to how they had gotten to this point. That Dragon.

He had said something that irked Morgana and she couldn't quite place it. What did he mean by destiny and doom? Uncertain paths written in history? The thought lingered as she rose to prepare for the banquet.

That feeling wasn't going to go away soon.

The door opened swiftly, allowing Rylee and Merlin to walk through.

Morgana turned to look at the both of them. "How is he?"

Rylee smiled at the ward. "He'll live. Gaius removed the arrowhead and the silver should drain from his system soon."

This was a good thing. But Morgana still felt this feeling of dread. "What did the Dragon mean?"

There was silence as everyone looked to the Ward. "About Destiny?"

Knowing what she meant, Merlin and Rylee shared a look. Together, they motioned Gwen and Morgana to sit with them. There were these grim expressions on the two sorcerer's faces. Looks that made Morgana and Gwen worry, but only slightly.

"Merlin and I," Rylee explained, "we have these gifts for a reason. This... this destiny. We're supposed to make sure Arthur becomes the Once and Future King."

"Without us, Arthur will fail." Merlin continued. "I'm supposed to make Arthur King and Rylee it to protect me while it happens."

Morgana and Gwen shared a look of amazement and confusion.

"But, what does that have to do with us?" Gwen asked.

Rylee instinctively took the handmaiden's hand. "To be honest, I have no idea. I do know that Morgana and I," She motioned to the ward, "are 'two sides of the same coin'. Whatever that means. But other than that..." She shared a look with Merlin.

"We have no idea."

The four of them sat for a moment, letting the information sit in with Gwen and Morgana.

"Maybe we're supposed to help?" Gwen said. When she said that, confusion was plastered across all their faces. "You know, like maybe we're supposed to help you guys with your destiny. Be like guiding hands."

With a soft chuckle, Rylee smiled. "I'd believe that. I'd be nowhere without you two." She nodded to herself, looking around to the others. "We'd be like... Paladins. Fighting for just cause. For righteousness. To ensure our future." She let out a small, getting wrapped up inside her own head. "Yeah. We'd be the Paladins of Camelot."

But when she came back, she looked slightly worried and curled in. "Or... you know..."

Knowing her best friend, Morgana put a hand on Rylee's hand. "I like it."

"Me too." Gwen chirped.

Rylee looked around before locking eyes with Merlin. The young warlock smiled with a nod. "Yeah, Paladins of Camelot."

"Like a little secret club." Rylee chuckled. "The future of Camelot rests on our shoulders. We have to do this right then." She offered a smile to each of them. "Together."

"Together." Morgana repeated and so did Gwen.

Merlin took Rylee's hand into his own and held it tight.

"Together."

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

After delicately working on the wound, Gaius was finally able to remove the arrowhead in Lycaneous' shoulder. And, almost like magic, Lycaneous healed practically instantly.

The wild man sat back in one of Gaius' chairs, shrinking under Arthur's expectant eyes.

"Why are you here, Lycaneous?" Arthur demanded, his arms crossed as he rested his lower back against one of the tables.

Lycaneous sighed, running one of his hands through his hair. "Your Father stole the Liulfr from my people when he invaded our territory in his pursuit to exterminate the land of magic."

When Arthur's face contorted in confusion, Rylee, who sat on the bench beside Arthur, clarified. "Arthur, it's the Jewel of the Moon."

Arthur looked down at his physician almost mortified. "Father said he won the Jewel of the Moon after defeating a great skurge that threatened our land."

"We never did such a thing!" Lycaneous snarled. "Your Father attacked our lands unprovoked."

Uncharacteristically, Arthur said nothing to defend his Father. He simply stared at Lycaneous in a mixture of anger and guilt. 

The Lycan lowered his head, his shaggy hair falling to cover his face. "If I don't bring back to Liulfr before the next full moon, my people will lose their senses of free will. We will become like the Cursed. It's been happening to more and more of us and I fear I am next."

Rylee shared a look with Arthur and Merlin. Things just got a whole lot worse.

And as the Lycan started to cough wildly, Merlin handed Lycaneous a cup with water in it, before moving to sit beside Rylee. "What can we do? We need to get you out of Camelot as fast as possible and we know you won't leave without the Jewel."

Lycaneous looked between the three people who stood before him with an almost untrusting yet grateful look in his eyes. "I'm very good at hiding in plain sight. If you can cause a massive distraction, I could sneak to wherever the Liuflr is held and get it and get out."

The trio shared a look between them. An unspoken plan already being formed.

"I can distract the court." Rylee said. "I've been wanting to cause some chaos anyway. A great way to ruffle Uther's feathers."

Arthur huffed, tapping his bottom lip with the side of his finger. "You'll need to get out as fast as you can." Arthur said. "I can help you. There's a hidden passage that can take you out of the palace without being seen."

When he said that, Rylee looked up at him with disbelief and with that, she smiled.

"But you're going to need someone to get you into the chamber where the Jewel is held." Merlin said. "It's my job this year since it's Arthur's year to present it. I can get you in. Once that's done, you can give Rylee a signal and when she gets on with her distraction, Arthur will know it's time to go."

"But, won't that implicate you?" Lycaneous asked.

But Merlin shook his head. "Not if you knock me out afterwards."

Rylee turned her head to look at Merlin, flabbergasted. "You're willing to get knocked out?"

Merlin turned to meet her gaze and nodded. "Yeah. It clears me from any wrongdoings and Lycaneous gets the Jewel." 

Lycaneous let out a small sigh which drew attention to him. "You all shouldn't do this. This is my mission and mine alone."

"But you're going into it blindly." Rylee argued. "I guarantee you that you go charging in now, it's only gonna get you killed." She rose from her seat, taking Lycaneous' hands in her own while she knelt before him. "You've got nothing to worry about if you work with us. We can help you. But only if you let us."

Lycaneous looked down at the girl with soft eyes. Merlin and Arthur nodded to him which brought him a sense of ease.

"We don't have a lot of time." Arthur said. "Do you want to do this?"

Lycaneous locked eyes with the Prince and, against his better judgment, nodded. "It doesn't seem like there is any other choice."

Arthur nodded to Lycaneous, taking this as his moment to leave. "Merlin, come on." He ordered. "I need to prepare for the ceremony."

Offering Rylee a small smile, Merlin begrudgingly followed the Prince, letting out a tired "Yes, Sire."

Rylee watched him go with infatuated eyes. When they were gone, she turned to Lycaneous. With a smile, she checked on the bandage on his shoulder.

"You're all very kind." Lycaneous said. "You really don't have to help me."

Rylee chuckled, very happy to see that the wound had nearly completely healed. "We do, Lycaneous. You were wronged and it would be wrong to not help you."

But it did nothing to change Lycaneous' mind. "How do you know so much about us? We're a very secretive people."

Rylee chuckled, removing the bandage from the Lycan's shoulder. "My father was a hunter. He saved people with his brother. Their business was protecting people from creatures that would seek to harm the innocent." She looked up at Lycaneous with a smile. "I had to learn the difference between your people and The Cursed so we wouldn't hurt anyone who was innocent."

Lycaneous looked down at the girl bewildered. "I've never heard of a hunter who wouldn't just attack us for existing." He admitted breathlessly.

Rylee looked into his eyes and, after putting his bandage down, took both his hands into her own. "I'm sorry you've never had the pleasure of meeting a hunter like me. But, now, you know that we exist." She smiled, tilting her head. "And we're always willing to lend a helping hand."

And with that, Rylee left Lycaneous to his thoughts.

To ponder the idea that maybe this was, in fact, a good idea. 

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

It was during the late evening, just as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon, was when the celebrations commenced. The banquet hall looked amazing with the fire lights lighting the room in a beautiful orange haze. The tables were lined with different decorations commemorating the Harvest Moon: leaves in little goblets and different wheats and harvest to celebrate the season.

Rylee watched from the sidelines with Gwen as the room filled with more people: this was the one time of year Uther allowed a certain number of commoners into the citadel for a celebration and it was rather nice to see new people.

She watched around as Arthur entered the room. The two of them shared a nod upon meeting each other's gaze.

"Where's Merlin?" Gwen asked, looking around.

Rylee turned to face her. "Arthur's presenting the Jewel this year. So, it's Merlin's responsibility to bring the Jewel of the Moon to the banquet hall."

When she said that, Gwen immediately started to giggle. "They're entrusting Merlin? To bring the very precious crystal? Into the banquet hall?"

Rylee chuckled. "Hey, I never said the King's Council was smart."

As the two girls laughed, Rylee leaned closer to Gwen. "We're helping Lycaneous. Be prepared for something wild and get Morgana out when it happens." She turned to catch Gwen's exhausted face smiling at her.

However, all eyes were drawn to the door as Morgana entered. As beautiful as ever draped in a simple yet elegant dark orange dress. She drifted through the room with the grace and elegance of a Goddess. Somehow completely fitting in with everything around them yet standing out so significantly.

"Wow..." Rylee breathlessly gasped.

"Right." Gwen smiled.

"Gwen." Rylee patted Gwen's shoulder with a goofy grin on her face. "You do know how to pick a dress."

Gwen chuckled, brushing off her shoulders. "I do my best."

Rylee chuckled. But then she looked away, catching Arthur's eyes. All she had to do was wait for the signal.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Contrast, since everyone was in the banquet hall, there were very few people on the way to the room where the Jewel of the Moon was kept. As the sky turned a beautiful shade of dark orange to remind all that the day was coming to an end, Merlin led Lycaneous down the darkening hallway.

"So, Merlin..." Lycaneous's voice lightly echoed through the hall. "Are you and Rylee...ugh..." He motioned his hands to suggest they were together.

Merlin thought for a moment, not understanding, and then shook his head. "Oh, no."

"Really?" Lycaneous tilted his head. "Damn, cause I could have sworn you were."

Merlin looked at the Lycan, slightly embarrassed.

"You love her though," The Lycan smiled, catching onto Merlin's embarrassment, "don't you?"

Merlin said nothing. Because really he couldn't deny it. He's never said it out loud but it was true. He was in love with her.

Lycaneous took Merlin's silence as an answer and chuckled.

They only had so much time before guards would be coming to collect Merlin and the Jewel and that window was closing fast.

Taking out the key, Merlin unlocked the door, allowing the door to simply fall open. And inside was something Lycaneous thought he would never see again.

The Liulfr was kept on a pedestal ornately decorated with moons that climbed the base. The jewel itself was as pale as the moon, almost translucent with specks of blue decorating its body. It was beautiful.

Lycaneous walked up to it slowly, carefully holding his right arm up with the back facing the jewel as he rubbed it with his left hand. A symbol of respect within his culture.

"We don't have much time." Merlin said. "Grab it and go, Lycaneous."

Lycaneous smiled back at the warlock, carefully grabbing the jewel. He turned to face Merlin.

"I am truly sorry about this."

Merlin simply shrugged, waiting for the strike.

But it never came.

"Hey!"

Merlin and Lycaneous looked back. They had less time than they thought.

Two guards ran towards them with their spears drawn. Merlin turned back just as Lycaneous pushed past him roughly, slamming him into the door. With great skill, Lycaneous scaled the wall beside the guards, successfully vaulting over them. He carefully put the Liulfr into his bag, running to make his escape.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Rylee watched as Uther strode into the room, everyone watching as he made his way up to his throne.

"For many years," His voice boomed throughout the room, "we have maintained a wonderful harvest and its bountiful pleasures. And we owe that to you all." Uther raised his chalice to his people. "Without the hard work of our farmers and merchants, we would not be as prosperous as we are today. So, I declare this Harvest Festival to commence with the showing of the Jewel of the Moon."

The room cheered as the topic was brought up.

"But this year is different." Uther silenced them with his voice. "As of this year, the ancient privilege does not belong to me. But to my son, Prince Arthur."

Arthur rose to his feet, bowing slightly before the room, which cheered in anticipation. Rylee watched as Arthur accepted what would never come with a small smile.

"Rylee!"

It was time.

"Yes, Merlin?"

"Things have gone wrong. The guards were earlier than expected. Lycaneous is headed your way with the Liulfr."

Rylee's eyes widened in fear. She looked over to Arthur in terror. When the Prince felt her eyes on him, he was confused by her expression. Rylee walked over to Gwen, grabbing her arm slightly.

"Get Morgana out of here." She whispered hastily. She didn't stop to gather Gwen's reaction as she had to think of something.

Thinking of something, Rylee walked over to one of the servants' doors and, with a small incantation and a flash of gold in her eyes, opened the door.

As it opened, a large gray stallion charged its way into the room. It neighed and whined as it found itself trapped in a room with people with no way out. The entire room was sent into a panic as the horse, scared out of its mind, frantically searched for a way out of the room.

Gwen, rathered panicked by the appearance of the horse, scurried over to Morgana. The ward looked over to the door where the horse had come from and it didn't take ehr long to realize who had let the horse in. When Gwen grabbed her arm, begging her to follow, Morgana knew that Rylee was behind it.

Arthur knew what this meant. After he locked eyes with Rylee for a brief understanding nod, he took his moment as his Father ordered the guards to capture the horse. In an instant, he ran to the door behind him, sneaking out of the room.

Rylee, knowing she would get caught if she stayed where she had been standing, fled through the door in which the horse came from, following a group of servants who fled that way as well.

She fled out of the sightline of everyone and hoped that Arthur could find Lycaneous before the guards did.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Lycaneous fled like his life depended on it. Which it did.

The darkening halls of Camelot were easy enough to navigate, given his enhanced abilities. But fleeing for your life tends to dampen certain senses, no matter who or what you are.

As he turned the corner, he hit something that called out when he slammed into it. Holding his head, Lycaneous looked up to see Arthur sitting across from him.

"Well, you have good timing." Lycaneous joked.

Arthur chuckled. When he stood up, he offered a hand to Lycaneous. "What happened? Rylee's distraction was sooner than expected."

"The guards were early. I was just about to knock Merlin out when they caught us."

Leading Lycaneous through a hidden door behind a tapestry at the end of the hall, Arthur joked, "At least tell me you still knocked him out?"

Lycaneous shook his head. "He's still awake. I just knocked him into the door. Had to make it look real. I do hope he's alright."

Arthur shook his head as they continued on.

"What was her distraction anyway?" Lycaneous asked, checking his bag to ensure the Liulfr was safe. "I heard a lot of screaming."

Arthur scoffed in disbelief. "A horse."

Lycaneous' eyes widened as he held the Liulfr in his hands to inspect it. "A horse? In the banquet hall?" He shook his head. "How...?"

Arthur sighed, exhaustedly. "I don't even want to know how she does most of the things that she does."

Heading to the end of the hall, Arthur stuck his head out of the hidden door that marked the exit. "Alright." He looked back to Lycaneous. "This will take you to the lower town. You should be able to escape from here."

Lycaneous nodded, looking down to the Liulfr before putting it in his bag. He held his hand out to Arthur, who took it in response. "Thank you, Arthur Pendragon. Your kindness will not be forgotten by my people."

Arthur nodded to Lycaneous and allowed the Lycan to exit the passage.

With the Liulfr safe on his person, Lycaneous made his way, sneakily through the lower town as the sun had finally set over the horizon.

There was a sense of pride in his chest as he grew closer to freedom. He had not failed his father and he had made new allies in the bright young Prince and his two warlock friends. He chuckled to himself: how did those two think they were clever enough to hide their magic? And how have they managed it so far?

Those were questions he hoped to ask them one day, but until then, he wished them all the best.

"Hey! Stop!"

Panic filled him as Lycaneous turned around to see a brigade of guards running down the street after him. The only thing he could do was run and so, he ran.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Rylee found her way down to the Lower Town, knowing that was where Arthur was going to have Lycaneous come out of. Fiddling with the string of her bow to stop it from digging into her shoulder, she looked around, trying to find the Lycan.

"Did he have to push me so hard?"

She had also found Merlin on her way, clutching his head after Lycaneous shoved him into a door.

"He had to make it look real, babes." Rylee replied sympathetically as Merlin held his head in his hand.

"I think I'm seeing stars."

Rylee chuckled, about to say something comforting when she heard someone cry out. Sharing a look with Merlin, the two sorcerers took off down the street.

When they arrived, they found Lycaneous avoiding whatever guard came his way. They watched as he jumped off walls to flip over guards, making them knock into each other. Never once laying a hand on any of them.

Rylee and Merlin watched in awe as Lycaneous defended himself without harming others.

When he landed and all the guards were down, he caught their eyes. He smirked, nodding to them both.

It was a good moment and as Lyaneous turned to leave, he fell over.

The Lycan clutched his stomach in pain. And as the moon rose over Camelot, Lycaneous' hands grew, fingers turning into claws. The nails of his fingers grew sharper as his hands became paws. He grew and grew, hair covering him as his bones creaked and cracked as they changed. His face morphed into something that was not human. It was crossed between a man's face and that of a wolf. His teeth grew sharper and his eyes, through the tears of pain, grew yellow. And the entire time, Lycaneous screamed in pain.

Merlin and Rylee watched in horror, holding each other until Lycaneous stopped screaming. Tentatively, the two sorcerers crept towards him.

"Lycaneous?"

Lycaneous turned his head, snarling. His massive fangs dripped with saliva as his golden eyes glowed in the dark, spikes of red struck like lightning bolts in his eyes.

"Merlin." Rylee put a hand in front of the warlock beside her, pushing him behind her. "Get out of here. Slowly."

Merlin looked down at the girl. "Not without you."

"I'm gonna lead him away. Get him away from the populated area."

"But I thought you said he won't hurt anyone?"

"That was when he was in control." Rylee reached over her back, pulling her bow from over her shoulder into her hands slowly. "But right now, that is not Lycaneous."

The Lycan snarled at the warlocks. He dragged his mighty claws against the ground, leaving trenches in their wake.

"Merlin, go." Rylee whispered, stepping away from the warlock, loading an arrow into her bow. "Now!"

Just when she was about to run, Lycaneous pounced. The two warlocks jumped to the sides, missing the mighty beast. But just barely.

Rylee fired an arrow, mumbling an apology as it flew, striking Lycaneous in the back. After angering the creature, she rose up, running from it towards the gates of the lower town. But as it chased her, Merlin cried out for the beast.

"Lycaneous!"

The Lycan and Rylee turned around. Merlin stood away from them, the Liulfr in his hand, raised in the air.

"Merlin, no!"

But the warlock would not listen. Instead, he took off and with that, Lycaneous followed. Merlin jumped over a horse stall, to which the out-of-control Lycan smashed his face into. This gave Merlin the chance to run the other way. But just as he was almost in the clear, Lycaneous swiped his mighty paws and smacked the young warlock away.

The Liulfr fell from Merlin's hands as he lay still on the ground.

Rylee felt her whole world stop. With a cry, she ran forward and grabbed the Liulfr as Lycaneous raced to finish Merlin off. Without another thought, she jumped in between the young warlock she loved and the Lycan, holding the Liulfr out. With an unconscious glow of her eyes, the moonlight gathered in the crysta. As Lycaneous pounced, the light hit him, passing through his body in powerful rays, sending him flying back.

Rylee lowered her hand, breathing heavily. She watched Lycaneous for movement, praying she hadn't just killed an innocent man. When she saw only the movement of his breathing, she let out a breath of relief. She dropped the Liulfr and turned around hastily. She grabbed Merlin's face in her hands, moving his hair from his face, begging for him to wake up.

"Merlin?" She asked frantically, smacking the sides of his face lightly as to not hurt him but wake him up. "Merlin? Please, wake up. Oh, please, please wake up."

As her breathing started to shake and tears welled in her eyes, Merlin started to cough. His eyes opened and what he saw was Rylee, basking in the pale moonlight, with relief covering her face.

"Oh thank the Gods!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, falling into him.

Merlin breathily laughed, wrapping his arm around her.

Rylee pulled away from him, an angry relieved expression covered her face. "Don't you-" She smacked him on the shoulder. "-ever do that again!"

Merlin lighty cried out as she smacked him, but kept his eyes on her. "Alright, just because you asked me too."

The young warlock moved a piece of hair from her face, smiling happily until his eyes were drawn to Lycaneous.

"Rylee..." He rose up slightly, moving to stand up. "Look."

With a slight turn of her head, Rylee saw it and gasped.

Lycaneous was on the ground, head in his hands as he tried to regain his senses. But the thing about him was that brought relief and happiness to the warlocks: he was back to his human form.

Rylee laughed excitedly. "Lycaneous!"

The Lycan raised his head, a smile draped across his face. He rose up, adjusting his clothes - which were torn slightly - to fit him better and slowly walked to meet them. "You did it!" He cheered. "You saved me!"

Realizing what they had done, Rylee and Merlin started to laugh in celebration. They raced to meet Lycaneous, wrapping their arms around the Lycan once they reached him. Cheering in celebration.

They had done it. It was going to be alright.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Arthur walked out of the throne room with a knowing smile upon his face. His father's screaming voice could be heard bellowing through the halls as the council chamber doors closed behind the Prince.

"I take it Uther is not pleased with the news of the Lycans escape?"

Arthur turned around, chuckling as Morgana sauntered over towards him with a smirk playing on her lips.

"No, actually." Arthur said, continuing down the hall. "He was actually more upset about the horse in the banquet hall and the theft of the Liulfr."

Morgana stopped, smiling brightly. "The Liulfr?"

Arthur stopped in place. He didn't bother to turn to face Morgana, knowing she would lovingly mock him. He hated that about her: that sisterly love she pestered him with. "Alright, so, maybe Rylee was right. And, maybe Lycaneous deserved to live."

Morgana stepped forward, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "I'm proud of you. You did the right thing."

Arthur smiled at her words, just before he continued down the hall.

"Oh. By the way." Morgana said. "Whatever happened to Lycaneous?"

Arthur said nothing. He simply smiled, turning to look out the window towards the direction of the forest.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

The morning broke over the hills of Camelot and while the dread from the rumors had never vanished and the news of the horse in the banquet hall had spread, Rylee and Merlin felt at ease.

On the outskirts of the forest, it was finally time to say goodbye.

"Are you sure we'll never see you again?" Rylee asked, smiling sadly at Lycaneous.

The Lycan chuckled. "I doubt that very much." He shifted his pack so that he could rest a hand upon both of their shoulders. "You two have a great destiny ahead of you both. When the time comes when you will need all the help you can get, then we will see each other again."

Rylee and Merlin shared a look with one another.

"Wait..." Merlin looked back to the Lycan. "You know?"

Lycaneous smiled, letting out a hearty laugh. "I knew pretty much since the moment we met. The way nature bends to you both. We Lycans can sense that sort of thing." He looked down at Rylee with an amused grin. "Also, it would be very hard for a girl like you to get a horse into the Citadel unseen."

Rylee scoffed. "Hey, I carried your ass in there." She chuckled.

Lycaneous smiled, nodding. "I am forever grateful to both of you, Merlin and Rylee." He pulled his hands back, shifting his pack once more. "Until we meet again."

And as the Lycan wandered off into the woods, Rylee and Merlin bid him their goodbyes.

They watched him go until there was nothing left in their sights but trees and shrubs. The birds sang peacefully and there was this serenity that flowed through the forest and through the air. The two sorcerers, they felt it. Things were gonna be alright.

Rylee sighed. "I'm gonna miss him..."

Merlin hummed in agreement.

They listened to the birds for a moment, enjoying the air as it breezed through the trees. Letting the season fall into place and the magic of nature let all the dread fall away.

"You conjured a horse in the banquet hall?" Merlin asked Rylee inquisitively. It made her laugh and as she pushed his shoulder, the young sorceress ran off in the direction of the Citadel, knowing that Merlin was never too far behind.

[a never ending journey awaits...]