The Thief

2

"Myrddin! Myrddin! Come here!" I ran up to Elizabeth. "Do it again. Make it grow." I kneeled down next to her. My six year old hand clenched the flower before my eyes glowed and I removed my hand. The flowers petals grew in making her gasp. "How did you do it? Without saying a word?"

"I do not know. It just happens," I told her. "Mother said it has to be a secret. Do you swear not to tell?"

"I swear. Not even my own mother." We smiled at each other.

"Come on then!" We stood up and ran to find another adventure. We found two large sticks and began sword fighting with them. We laughed and joked around. Then we stopped and I was about to strike her until she pointed the stick at me.

"You would not strike a lady." She said.

"Good thing the wind of mine sought!" I said and blew in her face making her fall on the ground and we laughed.

"Myrddin! Elizabeth!" Mama called. "You two know better than to go near the forest!" She said pulling us away from it.

"What's wrong with the forest, mama?" I asked her.

"Some people say it's cursed. People would go in and never come back," She told us. "I don't believe in the stories they say as I've been in there once myself."

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" I asked.

"Nope." She said.

"Then, how come we can't go near?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because even if the forest isn't cursed, it's true that some people never returned," She told Elizabeth. "Promise me you won't go near the forest again?" She cupped my face in her hands.

"I promise, mama." She kissed my head and we walked home. I had given Elizabeth the flower I made grow when she left. After that day, Elizabeth began getting sick. I wasn't aloud to see her until she was better.

A week had gone by and I saw her again staring at a flower in the ground.

"Ellie!" I smiled running up to her. She smiled when she saw me.

"Myrddin!" She hugged me and I hugged back. She was feeling better and I was glad. "What did you do to that flower?" I smirked.

"It worked didn't it?" She smiled at me and nodded.

"You gave me magic." She stated.

"Just a bit," I laughed. "Now, we can talk to each other without anyone else hearing what we have to say."

"I can make things grow like you can!" She smiled at me and I nodded. "But why?"

"You're my best friend, Ellie. I wanted to share something with you. You promised you wouldn't tell any one and I trust you." I explain.

"Thank you, Myrddin." She kissed my cheek. My cheeks heated up a little. I looked down to the ground. She giggled at me and we ran off to play.

A few weeks later, my secret was found out because I wasn't being careful. I saw the flames in my home and the anger in the villagers faces. I saw the terror in Elizabeth's eyes. She told me to run. Mama told me to run. I ran. I ran from the only home I've ever known. I ran from mama and papa. I ran away from death. I ran and never came back after I had promised I would. I left Ellie there. My best friend whom I shared my power with all alone with no one to protect her in a village where the villagers hated magic. What had I done? I'm the true monster.

"Elizabeth!" I yelled jumping up from the ground. I woke Arthur and the knights. All heads turned towards me. They didn't say a word. I was sweating like crazy and I had tears streaming down my face again. I jumped off the ground and ran to the stream. I washed my face with the water. My face was burning. Gaius was right. These night terror were getting worst. I felt sick. Ellie wouldn't leave my mind. I worried for her. I cried and I cried for her, for papa, for mama. I barely had a chance to say goodbye.

A twig snapped behind me and I jumped up to see who it was. Gwaine. He walked up to me and sat down.

"Merlin, what happened?" He asked with a soothing voice, one that I've never heard before. I'm not sure if I like it or not.

"N-n-nothing. It was just a nightmare. Nothing m-more." I said with my head in my arms that rested on my knees.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked in that soothing voice again. I shook my head. I can't tell them. What would they think of me? They would see me as a freak and a monster as much as I do. "You know you can talk to me."

"N-no, I can't!" I yelled at him looking him in the eyes. "Don't you get it? I can't talk to anyone!" He looked hurt, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be left alone to my miserable thoughts.

"Merlin, I'm your friend. Why can't you talk to me?" I didn't say anything. I just sobbed into my arms. He wouldn't understand. None of them would. "Merlin," he pulled my arms away from my face. He touched my cheek, then my forehead. "Merlin, you're burning up!" I swatted his hands away.

"I'm fine." I said.

"No, you're not."

"Everything alright?" Arthur came out from behind the trees. Gwaine looked at me, but I nodded. "Well, we're about to head out soon."

"Actually, I think I'm going to take Merlin back," Gwaine said not taking his eyes of me. "He's got a fever." He looked up to Arthur.

"Very well. Get better soon, Merlin. You've still got chores to do." He said before walking back to the other knights. Gwaine waited for Arthur to be out of ear shot before turning back to me.

"So," He began. "Who's Elizabeth?" I glared at him. "What?" He laughed.

"No one." I said looking down.

"Come on, Merlin. Tell me! Who is she?" He smiled. He shoved me a bit in a playful way. I almost fell over.

"She was an old friend of mine." I said staring at the ground.

"Was? What happened to her?" He asked frowning. My eyes started watering more.

"I don't know." I forced a smiled at him trying so hard not to cry. I stood up and walked back to the camp. They were all gone by now. I started packing my item as did Gwaine when he came back.

"When was the last time you saw her?" He had asked me when we got our horses. I sighed. Just because I told him she was an old friend doesn't mean I'm ready to tell him everything. Why can't he just let it go?

"Gwaine, stop asking me all these questions," I snapped at him. This shocked him. "Please?" I added. He mumbled a sorry turning away from me. We mounted our horses and rode back towards the castle.