The Forest Queen

The Present

Quietly, Uther Pendragon slipped through the forest underbrush, waving aside fern fronds with gloved fingers. His eyes scanned the dark night, ignoring the natural sway of bush and tree.

A sudden flash of movement caught his attention. Quickly he threw a hand up, and the party of knights accompanying him drew to a halt. For a moment there was absolute silence. The flash of movement accompanied it, and hastily Uther jumped forward with an exclamation of triumph. He swung his sword, cutting away the branches before him. A grey figure mixed with black and red danced away from him, silver blades singing. Uther swung again, striking metal. For a moment he was face to face with a pale young woman, her icy blue eyes biting into him as fire red locks twisted around her face. She bared her teeth at him in a feral snarl before shoving him away. With a grunt he skidded back a few paces, and swung again. Again she intercepted him, her sword and knife creating an 'X' and yanking away all of his leverage. Angrily he drew away, grimacing. She spun to run away, only to find her path blocked by three knights.

"It's over, girl," Uther panted. She hissed frantically, glaring at him. He drew himself up to his full height and nodded at his knights. "Seize her."

"Do with me as you will," she snarled. "I shall never serve you, Uther Pendragon!" She lunged at him. A crossbow bolt leapt into the air, catching her in the hip, and she tumbled to the forest floor. Immedietly Uther struck her across the temple with the hilt of his sword, and her eyes rolled up into her head.

Silence again ruled in the forest, broken only by the heavy breathing of the soldiers. Uther dragged his eyes over her, taking in the curving black runes that covered her arms and crawled beneath her shirt sleeves. Her face was marked with a single black star beneath her right eye, and what looked like a miniature dragon played behind her left ear. He bent down and brushed her ginger hair away from her neck, studying the tattoo.

"My lord," Sir Cadioc whispered nervously. "We should go. The Forest of Albion is not a good place to be, especially after attacking one of..."

"You're right," Uther said hastily, cutting him off. "Get her onto a horse; it seems I have a gift for my son."