Phoenix Fire

17 - Searching For a Sorcerer

HILD

It was the day after the feast that I realised Camelot wasn't the safe place Kaena and I thought it was.

We'd been out to calm some townsfolk who'd been fighting over some property inheritance. Uther had certainly given us resources, we were armed to the teeth and had our own horses. Kaena had actually requested a specific horse be bought from a village not even a days ride from Camelot, and I was surprised when Uther complied. It was a beautiful black mare, Kaena told me her name was Asuga, a word in a far off tongue to mean swift like the wind; and swift it was. It practically flew and my horse was panting to keep up. My horse on the other hand was slightly shorter rose grey stallion, but from a distance he looked white. That's where we earned the nickname the black and white riders, some variation of that (a popular one was the black and white warriors). 

We'd just taken our horses the to stables when we came across Merlin and Gaius in the middle of a side road near the centre of the town. Merlin was crouched down, and Gaius was on his knees. They were leaning over something, but I couldn't see what it was over Kaena's shoulder.

"You were saying?" Merlin asked Gaius, both eyebrows raised.

"People mustn't see this." Gaius replied hurriedly, "They'll panic."

Merlin ran and pulled a sheet that was drying next to one of the houses and laid it down between them. Even on tiptoe I couldn't see what they were covering. A couple walked passed us and Kaena walked forwards.

"What happened to this man?" She asked.

"What man?" I came to stand next to her.

Gaius looked between us and made a calculated decision. "You have to help us move the body onto a wagon. Quickly."

"Body?" I was still confused. 

"Hild for someone with such quick reflexes you never utilise your most basic senses. Use your eyes." She jogged off, presumably to find the wagon Gaius had requested. I looked down. By my feet there was a long bumpy shape covered by the brown sheet. I swallowed. I knew what the shape of a dead man looked like, in fact I'd caused many of them, but I was never good with blood or wounds or anything like that. Stupid I know, it just made me feel cold and shivery and icky.

"What did he die of?" I asked.

Gaius gave me a look, "That's what I'd like to know."

Kaena came back with a huge wagon and together with Merlin the three of us hauled the body onto it, making sure to have the entire body covered. 

Just as we were getting to the drawbridge Gaius turned to Kaena, "I need you to get a workspace ready, clear a table and get out all the things I might need. We're going to need a lot of space."

"Hey, why didn't you ask me?" I demanded, pushing the back of the wagon with Merlin and Gaius pulling the front. Kaena and Gaius shared a look.

"My dear," Gaius said, "you do have rather swift fingers and a proficiency for... blowing things up. It would be best if Kaena did it." 

Just as Kaena ran off, Lady Morgana's maid, Gwen came up to the back of the wagon. She stood next to me. She was holding a bunch of lilac and white flowers. I got that slightly suffocating feeling every time Gwen was next to me, like my head was going to pop off, or my chest would explode. It hadn't been too obvious the first few times we'd met, but the feeling was just getting more intense. I was just hoping it would go away sometime soon. 

"What are you doing?" She asked Merlin cheerfully, barely registering me for which I was very glad because my cheeks were heating up.

Merlin ran around the side of the wagon to push next to me, "Uh, just moving something."