The Tie that Binds

"It's called abortion, Q. It's what your mom probably wished she'd done ages ago," Margo said.

They were lounging in a log cabin that they'd found in the middle of the forest in Fillory. Candlelight flickered yellow throughout the living room.

"But are we seriously talking about killing Martin Chatwin? Before he becomes the Beast, I mean?"

"Yes, dummy," Eliot said. "Unless you have any better ideas."

"Um...magic? And what happens to Fillory without him? He was the one who first walked in."

"As far as any of us know," Alice said, taking her glasses off and rubbing her nose. "I agree with the plan, but we don't even know who his mother is."

"There is a reason the Beast wants the Travelers dead." Penny pounded a fist on the table that was nothing more than a slice of tree trunk. "This is why. He knows we can come after him before he was the Beast. Before he had power."

"We need to find the Oracle," Alice said.

"Merlin," Penny whispered. "The crystal cave."

"Oh." Alice flipped back and forth through a dozen or so pages, mumbling. "Oh, yes. But can you get us there? The enchantments...."

"Not right into the cave, but I can get us just outside it. And we can muffle ourselves to make it harder for the Beast to find us."

"Yeah, it's worked fabulously so far," Eliot put in.

"I don't see you coming up with any better ideas," Penny said. "Now hang on. This is going to be one bumpy ride."

Alice had snaked her hand over Penny's; Eliot did the same, then Janet and Quentin. With a small breath, Penny carried them backward through time and into legend.

The air was cleaner than Quentin thought it would be. "I thought Merlin was a legend."

"He was the Merlin. It's a title, not a name," Penny said.

"So how are we supposed to recognize him?"

"Long beard?" Penny asked.

"Great." Quentin stomped ahead, realizing out of place they all looked when seeing a native of the time period. He considered running the other direction, but the man didn't have any weapons.

The others stayed behind, talking among themselves.

"Excuse me?" Quentin said. "Um, sir?"

The man pointed to himself, and Quentin nodded. "Do you know anything about a great wizard around here? Does powerful magic."

"That is not a question you want to go asking around here. You will be hanged for it."

"Oh. Thank you."

Quentin trotted back to his friends. "I don't think we're going to get anywhere with the natives. We can't even ask about magic."

"Of course not," Penny said. "That's why we're doing a tracking spell."

"Shit," Eliot said, eyes locked on the mud that Penny had traced out with a walking stick. Then he'd copied the pattern on the stick with a few finger flicks.

"Yeah, great. He's in the castle. We won't draw any attention to ourselves there," Margo said with an eye roll.

"Oh, come on. Am I the only one with the brains around here?" Eliot asked. "Let's just beat up some guards and take their clothes. Don't you people watch TV?"

People were shorter back then, which was no big deal for Alice or Margo, but the taller among them had a wooden walk. Very nutcracker-esque. They clanged around in their armor and eyed the walking stick. It would glow when closer--hot, cold, hotter, hotter....

Castles are cold and damp, made more so by wearing metal objects around your body.

"Split up, guys. Do you see any other soldiers all huddled together like they're married?" Eliot asked.

They spread out and glanced at Penny's walking stick as the light grew brighter.

Quentin noticed that people were better dressed now and wearing more "royal" colors. Deep blues and purples. They each picked a doorway and guarded in twos.

Because the walking stick didn't specifically announce "that's Merlin, over there," they made conversation. They found a general area.

Penny said completely not obvious things at all, such as, "Hey, did anyone hear about a cave not far from here?"

Finally a child of about fourteen walked over and asked, "Are you all trying to get yourself and me killed?"

"Merlin?" Penny said.

"Shhh, I don't use that name here."

"We need your help."

He laughed. "Obviously."

Time stopped. Penny looked at Quentin meaningfully. "I didn't do that."

"I did, you dolts. You think I want to be spotted leaving with you? I would hang in a fortnight." Merlin yanked the walking stick from Penny. "You need to go to the cave?"

"Yes."

"Odd how crotchety he is for a kid," Quentin whispered to Margo.

"I'm no kid. I just look young for my age."

"Oh."

"Let us get a move on," the young Merlin said.

Having escorted them to the mouth of the cave, everyone went blind.

"I cannot allow you to see all my secrets. Watch your heads."

They ducked inside, the the crystals glowed within them. "You have come seeking some kind of knowledge. Knowledge about one who would undo the fabric of time. Well, that is a problem."

"The Beast," Quentin said. "We need to find out who Martin Chatwin's mother is."

"The crystals are speaking. You will find her on the island of road. Well, that makes no sense. More than a little annoying sometimes, this business."

"What is her name?" Quentin asked. But he could see fast-paced images flickering inside his eyelids. Like he was watching a silent movie.

"You see."

They emerged sighted from the cave.

"Ready gang?" Penny asked

They all held hands and instantly stood in front of an ornate house in Rhode Island... wearing armor.

"We're never quite in season, are we?" Margo asked.

They knocked, but no one seemed able to hear them. So they beat down the door.

The Beast stood before them. Of course he wouldn't leave his future self unguarded.

Alice pushed through, using spell after spell. Her hands aching. The Beast easily flicked them all away.

"Penny!" she screamed, who ran to her side. "Almost!"

Alice ran up the stairs two, three at a time, landed at the top, and burst through the bedroom where Martin Chatwin had been born. Laughter surrounded them. Penny followed easily, and the others did their best. Alice took out a knife. There was no way to harm Martin Chatwin; the safeguards were too strong. But she hacked at his umbilical cord, the mother screaming. "Now, Penny!"

They left for Fillory.

The Beast defeated him, but she had Martin Chatwin's umbilical cord. Whatever magic they did on the cord would affect the Beast.