A Heart of Gold (Hunith)

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia had lost track of time. How long was it since she had started running again, after she had escaped from the mean claws of that one man she didn’t even know the name of. In a way, he had been as bad as Cenred, maybe even worse. He had reminded her of Vortigern and everything that came with this name. Once again she had been at a man’s mercy. Would it ever stop? Slowly she began to think all men were like that, brutal, only looking for their personal gain and driven only by their physical needs. And that was putting it nicely. And yet she had known other men, there had been a time when they were kind to her, speaking with soft voices like her father could when he was not in one of his angry moods. Or like Mircea. Her half-brother had always been kind, and loving in his own way. But they were gone now, dead. The time for good men seemed to be over.

She could only be thankful for her strong physical condition she had trained by the last few weeks walking on foot every day in a quick and determined pace. She was hardly out of breath, even though she must have been half-running for quite some time now. There was nothing she could hear in her back, no yelling, no thudding of horsehooves, and yet she could not bear the thought of slowing down. Yassia knew the border must be here somwhere, but it could well become next morning until she reached it, and she knew she couldn’t go all night.
Already she started to stumble over tree roots and got a few nasty scratches on both her arms by overlooking thorned branches sticking out from the underbrush. And what if they found her while she was lying down, completely exhausted? She would be helpless then!

But as she had no idea, if there would be a village or a farm nearby, all she could do was keep on running. There, up ahead… wasn’t that light shimmering through the trees? Weren’t the trees themselves thinning out? Would there be a clearing? Her breath had accelerated by this sudden revellation and she had to pay the price immediately. Her sides started to sting like flaming knives were driven into them and she gasped and doubled over for a second, before she stumbled further forward – and saw her dearest hope come through: a village, little more than a hamlet rose up in front of her eyes, guarded by a little slope. Had there ever been a more welcome sight?! Yassia’s eyes started to water as the exhaustion and relief washed over her like a mighty wave. Maybe someone would take her in for the night? She had nothing to offer than a few healing herbs, though… and times were bad. This was a kingdom ruled by a bad man, how would his subjects react to strangers?

Still holding her sides and trying to catch her breath, Yassia slowed down her wild pace to something more moderate and dignified, and then shielded her eyes, thinking to make out a motion between two of the nearest huts.
”Hello?!” she called out in a hushed voice. “Is somebody there?!”

---

Tag: Hunith
Timeline: End of the s2/s3 gap
Time of Day: Evening

[Deleted]

The days had been long and cold, and as Hunith dragged the water from the well into the bucket, she could not help but be grateful Merlin was not here; that he was somewhere safer, warmer, happier. For the whole village was miserable in this weather, and often the villagers sniped at one another, creating petty arguments. Despite her gratefulness to Gaius though, the woman found herself missing her son's cheerful company. Despite the problems that arose thanks to his powers, he had always been the best of companies, and she found herself missing his cheerful smile, his kind ways.

She was on her way back to her hut as she heard someone call out. The brunette paused, her ears perking up as she looked about her. It was getting dark; dark enough that one had to squint to see, but she was sure --- there! Wasn't that someone? But who? Who would just happen upon Ealdor? But all Hunith's suspicions were gone when she realised that the stranger was a woman. As she came closer, she realised how tired the girl looked. Pity rose in Hunith's heart, and, unable to help herself, she stepped forward.

"You need not be afraid," She called quietly. "We are peaceful people here." She stepped hesitantly closer to Yassia, able to now make out the woman. She could see the stress on the other's features, and she bit her lip, hesitating. "Would you like to come inside? I have just made a fresh pot of soup?" If Merlin were here, he would berate her for so willingly allowing a stranger inside; but this girl seemed to be alone, and she looked... well, she looked as though she had been travelling for a long time, if nothing else. If she turned out to be some sort of enemy, Hunith could always turn her away.

Note: I am so sorry this has taken me so long to reply to!!

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

The shade spoke and it was the voice of a woman. That reassured Yassia at least to an extent, as she wasn’t really in the mood to trust male company now. Too many men had exploited her weakened state in the last few weeks and had reared their ugly heads whenever there was something to gain for their own pleasure. It was oh so very predictable, but sadly that didn’t make it easier to avoid. In her state, she really had to accept any help that was offered to her, even though no help usually came without a price. The question had long since ceased to be wether there would be a price or not, it had become the question of whether she was willing to accept this price. Sometimes the cost was just so much more than could be beared, but sometimes you also had to sacrifice your pride if you wanted to live.

And yet, danger could hide behind every caring mask, another lesson she had had to learn. Yassia took only hesistant steps towards the shade, until the receeding light showed her the outlines of an elderly woman, a clear mother-type with eyes glowing warmly, kindness radiating from her very being. Some of Yassia’s tense muscles relaxed as she took in the woman’s features.
”Could I?” she hesitantly asked, not because she didn’t want to be a burden, but because she still didn’t know if she could trust her completely.Peaceful people she had said… and yet this country was ruled by a ruthless king and seemed almost petrified in fear. “It’ll not be long, I promise”, she said, having made up her mind this instant.

Whoever this woman was,she could not risk staying for long, not even if the woman herself did not mean any harm. For now she had managed to throw them off her track, but they had horses and they knew these lands better than her by half. If they came here and found her in the company of this woman who had obviously helped her… what would happen to her?!
But the prospect of a warm soup after having gone on without any proper food in days was simply irresistible. “That is truly very gracious of you, ma’am”, she replied and waited for the woman to lead her inside.

[Deleted]

As the young lady came into view, Hunith's features relaxed into a soft smile. The poor girl looked frozen to the bone, as well as harried, as though she had walked a long while. What harm could there be in her offering this girl some aid? The girl questioned her, and Hunith nodded. "Of course," she promised softly. "And you may stay as long as you wish, for the night is cold out there, and you look as though you have been travelling quite a while," she gestured the girl into her small home. Though it was small, Hunith was still proud of it; for it was her very own, and held so many memories. True, it sometimes got lonely, without Merlin, but it was still her home and she had no intention of ever leaving it.

Her face broke into a smile as the girl accepted her offer and thanked her. The brunette nodded, gesturing her inside. "You are more than welcome, and please, call me Hunith." she paused softly. "Would you like a drink? The soup will be ready shortly." she offered softly, wanting to aid this girl in whatever way she could, without seeming as though she were pushing too far. There had been so many people she had seen running this way and that - who was to say this girl wasn't another that had been terrified by the cruel reign Uther gave his people? And their own king was not much better, for he cared little for the outlined villages. Hunith shook her head, pushing the thought aside as she moved to ready some soup for the girl. "Please, feel free to sit down," she offered softly.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

The greatest palace on earth couldn’t be of any more comfort for Yassia now than this simple hut she was entering, slightly bowing her head so she would not bump against the wooden browpiece. After having slept many nights out in the open or in lousy taverns the clean hut of this woman resembled heaven. It was out of the cold, and it was out of danger for now. Relief washed over Yassia and she felt like a whole lot of weight was lifted from a shoulders at once. At the same time she felt extremely tired and worn, wanted nothing more than to sit down and get a warm soup on top of it. This must be the first moment in days she finally managed to take a breath and slow down, both physically and mentally, and only now she realized how needed it was. She was no machine, she couldn’t go on forever.”Indeed, I have”, she agreed with a weak smile, moving a hand through her greasy hair. “You have no idea about the distances I’ve been covering.”

Then Yassia realized she was talking far too much out of her relief. It would not be good to go around telling her story when she still was in Cenred’s realm, ready to be snatched off her path. Any indication to her whereabouts might be her undoing. But maybe it was too late already?
”My name is… Remei”, she answered hesitantly, not daring to sound her first name, but also unwilling to lie flat out. “And I thank the stars for your kindness, Hunith, a drink would be… just wonderful.” Only now she realized how parched her throat really was, as she had been going without a gulp of water for quite some time. Clearly, Cenred in all his kingly glory had not been as generous as this poor woman.

With a heavy sigh, she lowered herself on the nearest chair and stretched her sore feet. Over the weeks she had become used to a steady walking pace, but she had been stumbling through the woods for hours, as fast as she could. Only sheer willpower had driven her on.
”I need to tell you though”, she started to speak as her bad conscience didn’t let her come to rest, “it might be dangerous for you to take me in. I was being followed, and I don’t know how far I could leave them behind.”

[Deleted]

As the young girl entered the hut and admitted to having covered many distances, Hunith's curiosity only grew, although she did not speak of it. Many years ago she had learned to still her tongue to the many visitors that came and went from Ealdor. Each had their own business, and sometimes it was simply best not to question. "You are welcome to rest here as long as you need," she spoke softly. "The roads are quite cold out there, I believe."

She smiled as Yassia gave her name, nodding a little. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Remei," Hunith spoke, truthfully. "The kindness I offer you is the same that any living soul should offer another," She smiled, moving over to where she was brewing some tea, pouring the brunette a cup and passing it over. "There is more, so feel free to take your fill," she invited softly.

The woman paused as Yassia confessed she might be drawing Hunith into danger by letting her into her home, and the brunette gave a small, tired chuckle. "WIthout being presumptuous, my lady, we are no strangers to danger here. For being between Cenred and Uther's kingdoms has meant we see many strangers come and go." she paused, turning to face Yassia. "As long as you mean us no harm, we will welcome you into our company. Many people will not come into Ealdor, as they are always worried about upsetting one king or the other... when oft it is the case that neither care,"

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Oh dear stars, yes, the roads were cold!! Yassia had been numbed to the sensation before, as everything in her had been focused on running and not looking back, but now she was in a comparably cozy warm hut, near a crackling fire she only just realized the difference and her fingers and feet began to ache with the resuming blood circulation. It was truly a wonderful idea to never get up again… just stay here for the night without the fear of being pounced on by either wild animals or bandits and warm… finally warm again. But could she? Could she really allow herself to lower her guard before she had passed the border to Camelot?
The warm cup of tea felt like heaven in her cold hands, and Yassia eagerly took a sip which of course burnt her tongue, but she couldn’t really care less. But even more warming than the tea were Hunith’s words. They were just what Yassia needed right now after her trust in mankind had been thoroughly rattled once again.
”Why is it that those who have nothing have a heart of gold, while those who have gold have no heart?” she mused softly, sighing. “Can you tell me that, Hunith? And this tea is delicious, really! Just what I need right now.”

Yassia listened to Hunith’s words and then couldn’t suppress a violent wince, which she tried to overplay with a cough and taking another sip out of the cup. Had Hunith just called her ‘my lady’?! What had given her away? Had she been too careless again?! She couldn’t risk that some kind of noble trail followed her here, then Cenred would catch her again in no time! “What makes you think I’m a lady?” she asked and laughed after she had caught herself again. “All you see is a frozen wanderer that got lost in the wrong country and now tries to trce her steps back.”
She cocked her head in interest, when Hunith elaborated about King Uther. She would soon meet the man, so she better got as much information about him as she could. “So.. you mean to say King Uther is not better than King Cenred? Really?”

[Deleted]

The woman gave a soft smile at the girl's words; she was obviously wiser than her years .... either that or she had been through some quite extrodinary things. "From my experience," she began softly, taking a blanket from the side and handing it to Yassia, to further help the girl warm herself. "those with power and wealth desire only more of what they already have," she shrugged a little. "When all you have is a home, you desire nothing more than that, and peace. It easier to live simply and wish for less when they are not in your grasp."

As the girl questioned her, with some seeming panic in her voice, Hunith shook her head. "My apologies, Remei," she said quietly. "I know not whether you are a lady or not, but the words were purely those of respect." she sighed softly as the girl asked about Uther, biting her lip, wondering whether she had spoken too much. Merlin often warned her about doing so, and she did not want to be arrested for talking treason, despite her village not quite being a part of his. "I do not know if one is better than the other," she admitted softly. "but they care little for villages on the outskirts of either kingdom, as this one is." she smiled a little. "Though I would hesitate to say that King Uther's son, Arthur, might change that. He truly seems to care for the people, and I have heard that he often defies Uther to fight for what he believes to be right."

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia had already met many wise people amongst the ‘common’ folk on her journey, and had long since stopped wondering, but Hunith was truly a remarkable woman. If the situation had been different, the princess would have thoroughly enjoyed this meeting. Like this though she was just tired and worn out, not much made for more in depth discussions about the peculiarities of life in general and menfolk in particular. It was certainly true that those who had power desired even more of that. Maybe because it was no visible gift, and very volatile.
”I think it is easier to lose invisible achievements than visible once, or at least the fear it greater”, she mused, cocking her head and taking another deep gulp of the wonderfully warm tea. Slowly she began to hope this all could work out somehow. “So they cling to it for all it is worth, on the expense of others.”


Only respect… sweet stars how her heart was racing! With that reassuring explanation though it was slowing down a little and Yassia could suppress the urge to jump up and dart out of the door. Hunith didn’t wish her any harm. There was enough instinct about her to suggest she had felt some sort of higher rank about Yassia without even consciously noticing it. And Yassia could try only so hard to mask her true self, she had been brought up to be a princess for nineteen years.
Dearly interested, Yassia practically drank in every information Hunith was giving. Arthur… the Crown Prince. She had heard many fantastic tales about him while wandering Albion. His skills and good looks were surely renowned. And if he had a kind heart to match this good traits, then maybe he was the person she should appeal to once she had found out who her uncle was and if he still lived.


”That sounds like he will make a good king one day!” Yassia remarked. “And I have heard of such things often sadly. The bigger the kingdom, the more those who are on the edge of it get forgotten. I myself come from a very small kingdom, so that has never been a problem. At least I hope it never was, I can only speak for myself.”
The more Yassia learned about different kingdoms, the more fervent her wish grew to make her kingdom into a role model once she took her place on the throne. She knew there had to be compromises made, and that some idealistic wishes could never come true, but that didn’t stop her from dreaming.

[Deleted]

The woman smiled, nodding softly. "I hope so, from all accounts he sounds like he has gained wisdom from his father's mistakes," she was careful what she said, for she still didn't know this woman's background, but she seemed like an intelligent girl, and perhaps she would take Hunith's words for what they were - an opinion. She nodded softly at the woman's words.

"It is sadly true, as you say, that those with more only seem to want more." she sighed softly, smiling a little as the girl spoke of her own homeland, nodding. "To know peace is a rarity indeed in these times," she hesitated. "I should not speak against our King, but sometimes... I wonder if he is blinded by greed so much that he forgets the people." she shrugged. "but I am a simple woman, knowing nothing of great men nor politics."

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia didn’t know much about the things that were going on in Camelot or in Albion altogether, but she knew something very important had changed compared to the time when her mother had still been here. Magic was outlawed now, no longer held in high regards like it was also the case in Ailantha. In Yassia’s kingdom, magic was a very rare gift and those who actully possessed knowledge about it were treated with utmost respect. Upon coming here, Yassia quickly had realized the difference, but sometimes she still found it hard to understand.“Where I come from magic is not shunned”, she shrugged uncomfortably. “So I found it hard adjusting to the hatred everyone seems to have for it here. Your king must have a very good reason to prosecute it like that.” If this whole conversation was about magic right now, anyway. Yassia wasn’t quite sure.

Hunith’s words sounded again very wise, and were not in the least made to offend – at least from where Yassia came from. “You are far more than just a simple woman, I bet”, she commented with a smile. “You claim you don’t know the world like tht, but it seems to me you do. Have no fear of speaking your mind around me, I am but a wanderer and I don’t pledge allegiance to any king around here.”
Maybe she would need to show sympathy for Uther if she wanted his help, but then she would have to gain the help of her uncle first. She could still be glad it was not Cenred she had to appeal to…

As if her thoughts had taken up a creepy life of their own, Yassia suddenly heard a noise in the distance, even through the wooden walls of the little hut. The neighing of a horse… and thundering hooves coming closer. The young woman paled and for a moment her hands cramped around the cup she was holding, then she suddenly jumped up, her eyes darting around like those of a hunted deer.
”I need to go… now!”

[Deleted]

Hunith sighed softly, shaking her head. "I do not know if he has reason to do so, I only know that many have suffered because of it," she bit her lip, ducking her head briefly as she thought of her son, of how much she feared every single day that Arthur might find out who Merlin was, or even worse, that Uther would find out. Arthur might yet prove to bring justice, but Uther... was ruthless, and would not even hesitate to have her son killed. To lose another to the King would cause her heart to possibly give up, especially as for Hunith, there was no one else left if anything happened to Merlin.

The thought was pushed aside, and she managed a soft smile as the girl voiced her opnion, shakign her head. "You honour me with far too much credit," she assured quietly. "I only speak my opinions, and my opnions are formed from my experiences. You should not take them as utter truths, for I am sure there are those who would protest against what I say, and they might also be right."

Her voice stopped as Yassia suddenly stated she needed to leave, and Hunith frowned, unable to hear anything, not sure what was going on... and then she heard them. The sound of hooves. Hunith's eyes darted toward Yassia, wondering what terrors this woman had brought to her village. She hesitated, taking a slight breath. "You'll not outrun riders," she stated softly, then paused, biting her lip. "In the cellars, quick. I'll lie as long as I'm able."

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

That was a common phenomenon Yassia had come across throughout her journey here. Almost everyone had an opinion about this strict rules, but all were just voicing them sub rosa and with fear in their eyes. If Yassia’s mother had known what had become of Camelot she probably would not have believed it. Maybe it was good she’d never know. ”I have heard of many ghastly stories, yes”, Yassia commented, a little uneasy if she should proceed with this topic at all. It was not for her to judge, as she was not part of any kingdom in Albion, and she didn’t want Hunith to feel even more uncomfortable than she probably already did. But then it was just like she had thought: everyone had an opinion, and opinions were often enough very hard to conceal for long.

It matched with what Hunith seemed to have to say about opinions, and even though Yassia surely agreed to the thought that one should never trust in one opinion only, she more and more found Hunith to have a good point, and not just one. She seemed to be a wise woman indeed, in a way she reminded the young woman of her old nurse Suzanna, who had always been such a great support and adviser to her. For a moment, Yassia was overwhelmed by a wave of homesickness, but she forced it back. Now was not the time for sentimentalities.
”Oh, if I have learned anything on my journey, then that one man’s truth is another man’s lie”, she assured Hunith with a little sheepish smile. “I am convinced there is never something like ‘the’ truth anyway.”

Yassia’s heart was racing double speed as she tried to find a way out of the inevitable. Had she left such an obvious trail or did those thugs simply strike lucky? She could hear them getting closer, and muffled shouts echoed through the village, as they started to knock on doors. They hadn’t reached this one yet, but it was probaly just a matter of minutes!
Hunith’s words came like a salvation, and Yassia immediately made for the little trapdoor she had noticed earlier. She probably would have to squeeze into the spot usually made for keeping good halfway fresh, but there was no time to be picky. “The stars bless your path!” she whispered as she threw Hunith a look of sheer gratitude and slipped beneath the trapdoor, holding her breath.

Not a moment too late, as she could hear the harsh banging on Hunith’s door now and a deep voice that bellowed: “Open, in the name of the king! Move it!” Yassia’s heart missed yet another beat. Oh how she knew that voice well! Shouts of this voice had chased her through the forest all day.