His Mage

Five

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They traveled the rest of the day and finally found a place to make camp. The other two men built a small fire a little ways away from The Mage.

She didn't blame them. Many were uncomfortable being around a Mage. The Born King, however chose to stay near her instead of with them. She wasn't sure if it was him deciding she appeared to be an easier target or if it was genuine curiosity. Nothing about the Born King appeared to be genuine, so she sat stiffly, waiting for him to attempt to overpower her and make his escape.

It confused The Mage when he didn't try to attack her. To the point that as she cooked them food, she purposefully left her dagger in easy reach to test him.

Arthur sat back and watched the woman move around her small fire. He found he rather liked to watch her. Though she was small and feminine looking she moved with a sense of purpose and power. It wasn't the kind of power he had encountered and cultivated on the street nor was it the type that was born in a castle. Her power was something much less civilized and much more at home in the wild. It was striking.

When the Born King didn't attempt to escape, she found she was almost disappointed. While it hinted at a more agreeable nature than he had shown them thus far, it wasn't promising for the depth of fortitude the fight ahead of them would require. She peaked out of the corner of her eye at him, but he was sitting against a rock looking for all intents and purposes as though they were having an afternoon picnic.

Deciding to try a different approach, she lifted her chin to the sky and connected briefly with her eagle, calling her to them. The great bird had a wingspan as wide as Arthur was tall. She fluttered her rich chocolate colored wings as she came in to perch on a rock just over her mistress's shoulder.

"Oh hello," was Arthur's only response as the eagle shook out it's feathers. The large bird kept its yellow eyes locked on the small woman crouched over the fire. "It's quite dangerous being one of your lot isn't it?" he asked, refusing to show how much the large bird unnerved him. He didn't like the look in its eyes. It was even more wild than it's mistress. And he had decided the bird was hers to command. Now that it was up close he recognized it as the creature who had delayed the executioner. It could be no happenstance. No doubt the bird was what she had been watching for while they made their escape. Which could only mean one thing..

The Born King hid behind his constant banter and quips. A full day with him and she was ready to tie his mouth shut. Why Merlin thought she would be a good match to be his guide she would never know. She didn't possess the patience for dealing with this man. Her temper was too short and she was quick to be annoyed with the mindless banter he seemed to feel the need to fill the air with. But she would not fail in her task. She was already so close. She had the King, the sword and the resistance fighters already. Giving them the push they needed shouldn't prove too difficult. Vortigern was a monster who needed to be stopped.

She took a piece of meat off her plate and held it out to the raptor. The great bird took it gratefully and nipped at her fingers, looking for more. She stroked a hand down the bird's neck, soothing her, and the eagle leaned into her touch. They had been together since the eagle was an abandoned hatchling almost a decade before. She had just been coming into her powers at the time and the bird was the first animal she had ever connected with. That and the frequency she used the connection made using her eagle's eyes as her own almost second nature.

"Good with animals aren't you?" Arthur continued as though they had been in the middle of a conversation instead of him mindlessly chattering at her. "They have a word for that, don't they?" Arthur pushed, trying to catch her attention. "Mage," he said it like it was a death sentence. And it was, in many parts of the country.