As he starred at Gwen prostrating herself in front of Kai holding up the sword he had visions of a time long past. A time when his mother was in that same position….

It was ten years ago, he thought that he had forgotten it and pushed it to the back of his mind, the image of his mother prostrating herself in front of a soldier who ravaged their village, trying to buy time to allow her son to get away. Perhaps that is why he admired Gwen so much...she was a blacksmith's daughter and his mother was a blacksmith and very skilled with a blade. It was she that taught him the very basic's of swordplay before sending him off to his uncle to sharpen his skills. Then one night he sought to surprise his mother, as he started on the path home he saw smoke in the distance. As he ran closer he realized that it was his village, the village of Eon. He rushed through the streets in search of his mother and when he finally saw her she was prostrated on the ground with her hands held up high holding a sword. Her murders back was turned toward him but as his eyes connected with hers a tear slide down her cheek, she shook her head from side to side as if to plead with him not to interfere.

At the very sight of this Gawain instinctively uttered, "Mot…",

And then someone put their hand over his mouth, picked him up and carried him into the blacksmith's shop. He heard someone whisper in his ear.

"Be quiet boy, there's no saving her now, don't torment her soul by letting her last thoughts be of them killing you" It was his uncle

Gawain struggled to get away but began to weep as he realized that his uncle's words rang true

He wiped his eyes and watched through the window as his mother's head was severed from her body. He promised that he would never let a woman be treated in such a manor again.

For fear of being seen his uncle lifted up the floorboard and told Gawain not to make a peep no matter what he heard. Being the dutiful nephew he hid until morning. As he walked outside he discovered the bandits gone, his uncle was nowhere to be found and his mother's body lay where he last saw her. He didn't shed a tear. Instead he lit a funeral pyre, sang a Celtic funeral song and said his goodbyes. Where are you going said one village man.

"Where ever the road takes me, I'm sure my destiny lies out there, somewhere" Those were Gawain's last words as he set out on his journey.

But this is different~

As much as he wanted to race to her side, he had learned that patience is of virtue, he clung to his sword so hard that blood dripped from his hand, blood that was the color of his mother's hair and as difficult as it may have been he choose to honor his mothers memory and …wait

As Merlin starred at Gwen he was dismayed,

"Gwen …How could you...?"

Gwen quickly arose to her feet

"I can explain…..but please you mustn't tell Arthur"

"-I'm sorry, I don't know if I can do that… How long have you been alive….no …how can you hide your presence like this when you know that Arthur is worried sick about you?"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I can't return to Camelot just yet..."

"But why?" Merlin starred into Kai's eyes, "has he threatened you in some way?!"

"noooo, not at all, ….It's just that I need more time…"

"More time for what?"

"To recuperate, to heal, …if I return like this ….Arthur would be beside his self with grief and more than anything we need him to focus"

"but Gwen, Arthur is already beside himself with grief, He can barley function because he thinks your ..Dead "

"I know he probably does and I'm very sorry... But I just can't..I can't return to him like this..I can't help him the way that I am now…..Please Merlin...I beg of you ….two months just give me two months and I promise that I will return to him and not a moment longer…can you give me that much time and I promise that I will more than make it up to him.."

" I don't know if I can do that…I mean he is my master and I will find it very hard to look him in the face and lie everyday ..well actually that bit wouldn't bother me so much, but I don't know if I'll be able to survive the work load he'll give me in the fit of his depression~ That concerns me most…If you insist but~"

"Wait!" , exclaimed Kai "I haven't said that you can stay do you realize what would happen if your discovered here? My brother and I would not be able to survive… No, No I won't have it …its best that you return. " Kai turned to Merlin " Take her with you …it's far too dangerous for her here"

Gwen's eyes welled up with tears.. she felt as if her plea was not heard. She didn't want Merlin to know her reason for wanting to stay, but at this moment she no longer cared. She needed Kai … She must convince him. Kai turned to walk away and still on her knees Gwen was determined to not let him get away. She decided she would endure anything, anything at all but she needed this man….without hesitation she grabbed the bottom of his cloak..

"Gwen let go! "

She violently shook her head … "no I won't…"

"Let me go or don't blame me for what I may do next"

"I don't care you can beat me, hurt me, kick me or kill me, but I will not leave here…I'll never leave here…." She continued to hold onto his cloak and shed a multitude of tears

"Fine then!" said Kai as he shed the cloak from his body.." it's a lovely evening and the night air is warm…I'll go home alone"

"Wait!" Gwen then took the kantana and unsheathed the word from its scabbard and put it to her neck "Take me with you or I'll die right here.."

Kai and Merlin were stunned in disbelief.. Merlin inched closer to Gwen..

"Gwen lets' talk about this….I'll change the terms and give you all the time you need..Just don't do this.."

"Take one step closer Merlin then you will be burning my body…and carrying back my ashes to my dearest"

Kai turned around with his hand in his pocket, "your bluffing! "

"am I ! She moved the blade closer to her neck nicking the skin drawing blood… It doesn't matter if I die ..you heard Merlin… to everyone else I'm dead already .. I'm prepared to die…Are you prepared to accept responsibility for allowing the person whose life you saved to be taken away by your stubbornness …even more so …are you prepared to break the promise you made to my father!?"

That's low Gwen even for you …I thought highly of you…If I'd known that It would turn out like this I wouldn't of saved you at all..Nor would I have made that promise to your father….Do what you will..I will not be held hostage by anyone's words...your life is your own" …Kai turned yet again to walk away and Merlin looked on in disdain

"Come on Gwen lets go back" , said Merlin, as he went to help her up She threw up her hand and said, " Don't touch me Merlin!" and then called out "no Kai wait…I'll tell your secret if you don't let me stay"

He looked up at the sky then turned around and spoke with an intense fervor in his voice "you would lead to death the very people who saved you to get what you want?!"

Gwen violently shook her head "YES… I mean NO….It's just that…" she drooped the sword from her neck and her voice began crackling with tears as she prostrated herself even lower with the sword tightly clenched in her right hand..

"I'm weak Kai …"

"I knowwww… which is why you must go home.."

"No that's not what I mean …How can I protect the person I care so deeply for if I can't protect myself …I can't live my life being someone else's pawn that's used to hurt others..,so I thought that if I had the ability to take care of myself to the point that I don't have to be looked after… Then I could be feared and protect others instead of the other way around. You heard Merlin. ..Arthur is beside himself…It shouldn't be that way …"

"That's why you should be with him!"

" No I shouldn't don't you see …I'm his weakness …his Achilles heel …I want to be his sword and his shield ….not his burden, but if you can't see that then … I truly don't belong in this world.." Gwen picked up the sword placed it back at her neck with the intent of taking her life. Merlin stood in shock and before she could bring it around to severe her neck. Aya flew in distracting her and grabbed the sword with his feet. Kai stood in shock

" Aya has never risked his life for anyone nor cared if they died if it was rightly deserved….I'll yield... for his sake. ..I'll teach you, but if you leave this forest …. You'll never see us again" He threw her his cloak..

"Take this and follow me …Do and listen to every word I say or I'll kill you myself do you understand..?"

"Promise…or no promise..do you promise?!" Gwen smiled and let out a whiffed laugh..

"What's so funny this is hardly going to be easy…"

"I'm sorry it's just that I wanted you to promise me …but instead I'm promising you…interesting turn of events that's all "

"Well the situation may have been different if it were Aya…I'll never let him forget this …that is …If ..I ever see him again"

Merlin silently laughed as a very tense and grim situation became lighthearted

"Well now that ~that's settled..I best be getting back before I'm missed…Gwen take care ..I'll never let anyone know that you're here, but you must return as quickly as possible…do you understand?"

She nodded her head in agreement

" Let's go Gwen .. Aya should be returning soon"

"Yes of course" She followed Kai deep into the forest leaving Merlin behind…

Merlin appeared to be somewhat happy, but cringed at the thought of what awaited him at home as he was somewhat late… As he neared the exit of the albion woods he ducked behind a tree after picking up a rock from the ground. He saw a man pass by and threw it at his head knocking him out … as he walked over to see who it was..It turned out to be Gawain lying on the ground.

"Playing in the dirt are you"

"You knew I was following you", grunted Gawain

"I knew someone was following me I just didn't know it was you…. "Merlin helped him to his feet

"You heard didn't you…what do you intend to do Gawain?"

"What else ..Honor her wishes …she reminds me a lot of my mother that one…..but like you …I'll wait for her return and don't worry..I won't let Arthur kill you while you wait, I'll try to protect you from his wraith and look on the bright side…When she comes back…He'll be so happy ..You'll get a vacation…"

"If only I had the same dreams as you …Gawain…my life would be so much easier" The two walked to their horses and headed back to the palace.

Six months later ~

Uther had died from despair as morganas betrayal was too much for him to bear, his heart had weakened, and he died as he had lived on the throne of the kingdom that he had conquered. Arthur had been crowned king and morgana had taken control of cenrids kingdom along with his younger brother, but still she lusted for Camelot.

Arthur never left the kingdom clinging to thoughts that perhaps one day he will see his beloved again, however, on this particular day Arthur had decided to ride with a patrol and for the first time since Gwen's death he would travel through the forest of albion. While riding he encountered a group of bandits and leading them was Sir Robert whom is now a former knight of Camelot. Due to his many indiscretions with women Arthur was forced to strip him of his title and confiscate his lands.

"What brings you to these woods Sir Robert these are Camelot's lands and there is nothing for you here."

"It's just Robert ..I lost that title long ago …remember… you took it from me, and I don't recall you banishing me from Camelot, but a man's got to make a living somehow"

"Sorry my mistake, I was being generous when I allowed you to live n the realm …your actions actually deserved death but as a nobleman ..I wanted you to gain a sense of self, but as a bandit?! I never would have dreamed"

"It's the only way I know how to live...the only skill a nobleman has is leading and controlling others but since l'm no longer noble ..I have to find my own way"

"Well carry on don't let me keep you ...and by the way …I'm sure your well versed in Camelot's laws!"

"yes! What of it!"

"Make sure you teach your men ...we wouldn't want any of them broken"

"I'll try my best, but I must warn you that most of them are idiots!"

"Well perhaps teaching is your calling...Carry on"

After a short while Arthur decided to take a rest in the area he last saw Gwen alive when he heard a woman scream in the distance. As he traveled in the direction of her cries he took refuge behind a tree and looked on trying to access the situation. He saw Robert ripping the top off a girl.

Please don't hurt me you've killed my family and took everything we had what could you possibly want with my life..?"

"Who said I wanted your life…It's your body I'm after"

In the same area sitting on a tree branch looking down at what was taking place below was another person whom heard the conversation. It had been 6 months since she had seen the outside world and this forest had become her training ground. She wore black leather pants, black boots an oversized white shirt and a black leather trench coat. Her dark brown hair had grown waist length but she kept it straight with a light oil and often kept it up in a pony tail tied and propped up with a metal hairpin which was a gift from her master to remind her of who she is, was and will always be. Strapped to her back were two kodachis made especially for her, as she looked on she could take no more of what she saw. As Robert turned the girl around to rape her an eagles cry could be heard from above. As it diverted their attention, Gwen jumped down from the tree crouching below to absorb the impact, removed both swords from her back and disabled all of the men except one.

She put the sword to his neck before he had a chance to turn around

"Let the girl go if you value your life"

"Why should I " , said Robert sternly

"Because I know your secrete…"

"Which is!? "

" you want to live…"

"Get out of here you wench!" He hit the girl on the ass and she ran and never looked back

"I've done what you said….now what are you going to do?" Gwen resheathed both her swords, then quickly took both of them from her back while in their sheaths and used them to bring him to his knee's

" Don't you dare turn around if you want to keep your neck…I'm going to let you live as penance for your crimes, but commit another again …I won't promise you your life, which is more than you ever gave to my mother, now you've got five seconds to leave before I turn you into a woman now run like the wimp that you are"

Robert ran and never looked back, but in his mind he was plotting various ways to kill her that was to be his goal in life.

Gwen looked up at the sky … then spoke in a calm and sensual voice

" Those of you lying there pretending to be dead… go and do something to make your mum proud…now leave before I change my mind…. !" She didn't look at them but heard them scrambling…She didn't want dead bodies sullying the soil of the forest of which she came to call home..

She heard a rustle of the leaves, …during her training in the forest she learned to read the wind …

"Whose there….?" She called

" Is it you….is it really you…." Said Arthur as he came from around the tree bend…. Her eyes met with his gaze and his with hers… She'd lost so much weight but was even more beautiful even in men's clothing…

He walked towards her and placed his hand on her cheek no words were spoken ….only a single tear flowed from Arthur's eye … Then in an instant they were surrounded ...friend or foe she could not see them yet but knew they were there..

Gwen thought to herself ….I will protect him now and always…And Arthurs thoughts were that he would never loose her again …even if it meant his death….