The Call of Camelot

Chapter 16 - Voodoo Dust

"What do you want?" I spat with panting breath, my heart hammering in my chest at the knowledge that I'd been magically delivered right into enemy hands.

"You've no cause to fear us" spoke a member of the circle

"Says the people who've basically kidnapped me!" I rose to my feet, trying to get an idea of my surroundings and hoping that my trembling legs wouldn't give out from under me and betray my courageous facade.

As it was the middle of the night it was hard to get an idea of exactly where I was, between the heads of the Druids I could see some campfires dotted around what looked to be a large clearing framed by trees, no doubt the darkness beyond those trees belonged to thick, heavy woodland. Running headlong into a dense black forest wouldn't be the safest escape plan, I could easily get lost or injured, but considering my current predicament, it was my best option.

"We give you our word child that no harm will come to you here, we only wish to talk" though the person spoke gently, the sinister hood that concealed their face and the fact I was still stuck in the middle of an intimidating circle didn't fill me with calm.

"I have nothing to say to any of you"

"You may feel differently once you've heard what we have to say" spoke another Druid, who stepped forward and moved to put their arm behind my back, in a gesture to guide me somewhere. But I wasn't going anywhere with them.

Soon after I'd proven my ability to do magic, Merlin started to teach me defensive spells, nothing to cause serious harm but enough to be able to warn someone to keep away. So the moment the Druid came close enough, I grabbed their arm and fired into them a pulse of energy that made every hair on my body stand on end. According to my test subject, who'd also been Merlin, the spell I'd just cast made the person feel as though they'd been struck with a hot iron, the pain would only last seconds, but those precious few seconds would be all I'd need to make my escape.

So as the Druid shouted in surprise and recoiled, I took my moment to launch through the gap they'd made in the circle and run, as fast as my legs could carry me towards the darkness of the forest. I'd only travelled a few paces however till I was stopped in my tracks by another hooded stranger, who held a clenched fist to their face and blew, their hand opening so a flurry of powder was blown into my face.  I only had enough time to clench my eyes shut and shield my face with my arms before every ounce of strength vanished from my body and I hit the ground, hard, and painfully, before exhaustion came for me and I was pulled into darkness.

It was the feel of cold water on my forehead that brought me out of the magic induced sleep, it took a few moments for my eyes to regain focus and see that I'd been moved from the open air to a tiny wooden shack. I was on the ground, laying on a mattress of straw and leafs with a scratchy blanket pulled up to my neck, I turned my head to see who was crouched beside me and who was so attentively nursing me, only to be met with a familiar face

"Hello again Cara" Laura's greeting met with an exasperated groan and an eye roll "It's always nice to see you as well"

Ever since I'd met Laura in the clearing, on the afternoon that I'd taken my horse Kit on a solo ride into the forest, I'd imagined what I'd do if the two of us ever came face to face again. But of all the scenarios I'd run through in my head, not once had one involved me lying on the ground after being knocked out by magic voodoo dust.

My eyes followed her as she dipped the cloth into a bowl of water, wringing it out to gently dab across my forehead and on my cheeks.

The last time I'd seen Laura I'd noticed that her appearance had changed. When we first met at the hotels meet and greet the day before the dig, the first thing I'd noticed about her was that she clearly had a love for the colour black, which covered her from head to toe all for a vibrant pink streak in the fringe of her choppy bob. Then, on the afternoon in the clearing, I'd noticed that her hair had grown and had been resting on her shoulders, changing from black to a light brown. Looking at her now I could see that again she'd changed, she looked older, with laughter lines in the corner of her eyes, her hair, longer and lighter, pulled back into a tight braid which she wore over her shoulder.