A man was laying face down in the leaves. A leather pouch lay to his right, a clump of herbs held tight in his fist.
I run up to a ledge, nearly falling off it when I see the sight before me. An obvious chunk of branch lying not to far away from him. I shudder to a halt, my legs nearly giving way at the sight of what I caused, at the damp leaves I'd churned up underfoot. I hide momentarily, heart in my mouth. Was he alone? What if he wasn't, what if they were looking for who "threw" it ?
I scan the perimeter, the forest was quiet, eerie almost. I wanted to run, Morgana's words churning in my mind. Everything I promised her, soon faded away as I found myself scrambling down into the clearing to help him.
It's only when I reach him, he begins to come to. He pushes himself up slowly,
"Oh, oh my god! I'm...I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" The words fall out from my mouth, the guilt burning inside me. He coughs and splutters a little, as I take his arms to help him up.
"It's you" he says, staring at me with blue eyes. I can feel the blood drain from my face. My wishful thinking tells me to look around, as if he's talking to someone else, but we are alone.
"Yes, it's me" I admit, "sorry..." I can feel myself about to blabber another apology of sorts.
"You're alive!" He seemed not far from ecstatic, and I frowned in confusion.
"Yes I'm very much alive, not sure if I can say the say for you! After what I did..." I pull him up to his feet.
"Elaine!"
"I'm sorry" I stutter, dropping his arms. I've never met this man before, so how does he know who I am?
"Elaine it's me! Gaius"
I shake my head, he says my name but it sounds wrong. Alien. I don't know him.
"You probably don't remember me, oh I'm so glad you are alive! I never thought I'd see you again"
I step back, out of fear, and the old man begins to notice. The dead leaves and dry twigs giving away my cowardly act. Leaving a trace of my betrayal to Morgana.
"Elaine, please don't leave, of all the people out here, I mean you no harm"
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I'm Gaius, I'm Camelot's physician, and I must say I'm delighted to see you"
"How do you know who I am? I've never met you"
"I know your family..." He was going to continue, but my scowl stopped him. I couldn't risk getting found out.
"My family are farmers, from the neighbouring village"
He stood their, straightening up and dusting himself off.
"You and I both know that's not true" he said simply and my heart stopped, I began to back away once more.
"What do you want from me?"
"Please Elaine, do not leave me, I am an old man now, not as young as I was when I first met you that's for sure, I don't know how much longer I have for this world, but I want the truth to come from me, as I feel I'm the only one left who knows."