"Arthur" Called Merlin. Arthur didn't bother turning around.

"What, Merlin?" He sighed. They were on a 'run through', an event that took place once every three years, where the Prince called on all the outlying villages, to meet his subjects.

"Well, I was just wondering... shouldn't we have left Camelot with a few more knights?"

"What sort of message would that send to the people, Merlin? We're here to meet then, not intimidate them."

"All the same..." Merlin mumbled glancing at the empty countryside around them. "One or two might be nice."

"Merlin" growled Arthur, stopping his horse and turning to face his manservant. "What exactly do you expect will happen which will require a contingent of knights to help us?" He snapped. Merlin's eyes widened.

"Bandits!" he gasped. The Prince rolled his eyes.

"Merlin, I think I could handle one or two-"

"No!" Said Merlin, pointing. "Bandits!" Arthur followed the direction of his finger, and his mouth dropped open.

"Ah" he breathed. Thirty masked men on horseback were riding towards them, weapons glinting in the sun. "Run!" he cried, and pushed his horse to a full out gallop. Merlin followed close behind. He may be useless on two feet, but the man could at least ride well.

The men pursued them for a long time, through valleys and dense thickets of grass which threatened to trip the horses. Eventually, they drove the animals into a dense forest, weaving between the trees in an attempt to lose their pursuers. To their dismay, however, they broke into a wide, long clearing, surrounded by trees too thick to penetrate. They stopped at the end of the clearing, the horses gasping for breath, and Arthur pulled his sword. Behind him, Merlin silently prepared himself too, feeling magic surging through his veins, ready to fight. The men burst through the trees, not bothering to dismount, and sped towards them in a blur of steel blades.

"Stop" Called a voice. It was not a shout, but it was spoken with such power that it was heard even over the battle cries of the men. The charging horses froze, causing some of their riders to topple forwards with the momentum. A young woman stepped through the trees, wearing a simple white dress. Her hair was loose, and jet black, trailing down her back. Her eyes were a piercing gold, and they were fixed on the bandits, narrowed in anger. Merlin's senses murmured a warning. Magic, they whispered. She has magic.

"There will be no blood spilt on my territory unless I am the one spilling it." She said to the thugs, in the same quiet, powerful voice. "Do I make myself clear?"

The lead man pulled off his mask and stepped towards her, sword ready, a smirk on his face.

"And how do you intend to stop us?" he sneered. The girl looked at him coolly.

"This is your only warning." She said calmly. The man's smile broadened, and he raised his sword. The girl shook her head sadly, and took a step forwards. The weapon flashed down to greet her, and Merlin winced, but the blow never came, because somehow, the sword had disappeared, and then it was suddenly in the girl's hand. She threw it over her shoulder casually, and it hit the centre of a nearby tree, point first, quivering. The man growled and ran forwards, fists held high. She stepped to the side, causing him to skid to a halt in front of a large oak tree. She stalked towards him, and he froze, it seemed, in fear. But Merlin could tell that it was magic that stopped his movements.

"Wrong decision" said the girl simply, stopping in front of him. Her arm flashed outwards in a blur, and suddenly the man's face was dripping blood. "Consider yourself lucky that I am in a good mood" she told him sweetly. "I will assume that you do not realise where you are, and that your insolence is a product of your ignorance." He merely stared at her, confused and shocked. She sighed impatiently. "This is the forest of Silva, and I am Veneficus." She hissed. The man flinched as far as the magical binding would let him, and the other bandits began backing away, clambering back up onto their horses and trying to coax them into movement. But the horses stayed still until the girl glanced back towards them. She flicked her fingers absentmindedly, and they bolted. At the same moment, Merlin felt the binding loosen, and the man slid to the ground, before scrambling up and running towards the remaining horse. He sped from the clearing in a cloud of dust.

*Please reveiw. I will update as soon as I get 5 reveiws! Thankyou*