Hellfire (Nimueh)

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin nudged on her mare through the forest and looked around at her surroundings. She could not recall having been in this particular section of the woods before, but so far she was enjoying exploring it. The forest paths were a lot thinner, and harder to manoeuvre with her mare than on the main roads, but she was doing a fine job so far. It helped that the mare was so responsive to her, as if she always knew where her mistress wanted to go. Caitrin ran a hand down her mare’s mane and grinned softly,

“Now Lily, where are you taking me?” She asked the mare softly who, as if in some sort of answer, increased her pace and continued down the forest road. Caitrin let out a small laugh, she truly loved her rides out with Lily, she just made the whole experience more enjoyable as she seemed to understand her rider. The bond between horse and master was always essential, and Caitrin loved Lily with all her heart and would not trade her for anything in the world.

Intrigue struck Caitrin as they began to journey further and further into the woods. Caitrin wasn’t lost, no, so long as she just returned the way she came she should be just fine shouldn’t she? Pressing her lips together, Caitrin put the hood of her riding cloak up and pulled the garment around her shoulders. There was a slight chill in the air which her cloak always repelled. There was a small sort of enclosure up ahead and Caitrin pulled on Lily’s reigns and halted her in her steps and dismounted her cautiously. She couldn’t hear anyone, and she was sure that she and Lily were quite alone. She spun around just to check and she pulled Lily forwards so that she could tie her to the nearest tree without fear of her being spooked and running off at what Caitrin was about to do.

Looking around again, Caitrin’s lips pressed into a wide grin and she stepped away from Lily, whispering to the mare to stay where she was. Keeping her hood up she leant down and began to pick up an assortment of twigs and laid them in quite a neat pile. There was of course no reason to be lighting a fire at such a time of day, but Caitrin had her reasons for starting the fire. She stood a few steps from the fire and breathed out slowly and just stared at the fire and raised her hand. Caitrin was about to speak but she dropped her hand again nervously and looked around her, she knew she shouldn’t be doing this, she knew the consequences of it, but it was driving her crazy. She had these gifts, she was a sorceress and she could not hide that forever; neither did she want to. Taking a deep breath she raised her hand again, whispered the words which had been almost bursting on the end of her tongue, her eyes flashed, and a large flame sparked up in front of her. It was a relatively small flame to those which she knew she was capable of producing, but it would do for now.

Breathing out slowly, Caitrin looked about her again and satisfied no one was watching she lowered her hood and settled herself next to her newly lit fire and began to poke it with a stick. Looking back to Lily, Caitrin was surprised the mare hadn’t even flinched as its master had shown her true self. Caitrin sighed, so this was her, reduced to performing her magic in the thicket of the woods with only her horse for company. Things had been different in Mercia, she hadn’t been worried about losing her head for just being herself there. Bitterly she frowned into the flames, she had known what she was letting herself in for when she had come to Camelot in the first place. That didn’t change how she felt. She hated the way that Uther was so prejudice against her kind, did he not consider that not all those using magic were evil? Caitrin had no intent to hurt anyone, yet she was much in danger as anyone who possessed magic was.

Timeline: Series 1, after the Poisoned Chalice
Time of Day: Afternoon
Tags: Nimueh

[Deleted]

Sometimes a day’s work could be so very frustrating even for a High Priestess. Nimueh had set out at first light this morning with high hopes after a night without sleep, too excited to find rest. She had wanted to seek out the one boy she had found to play a key part in Arthur Pendragon’s downfall. Little he might be now, but the vision she had been granted had shown that his powers would increase until he one day would bring the death of Albion’s hope. That alone was more than intriguing, and Nimueh hadn’t almost been able to wait until she had sought out the boy’s hiding place with the druids. But she should have anticipated difficulties. It was always dangerous to mess with prophecies; trying to make them work could make then undone and trying to prevent them could be the one thing that made them happen. All this Nimueh had been taught long ago, and so she had known she had to be careful with voicing anything about the boy’s destiny. Instead she had simply tried to test him, where he stood and all, but had been deeply disappointed. Apparently he had been brought up by a band of absolutely peace-loving druids who didn’t like to fight against Uther. How pathetic was that please?

Well, the outcome had been set after that, she had failed. Apparently the boy had been too much infiltrated by his “family”’s teachings to even consider a joint venture in the long run. Well, his loss entirely! The druids would soon see what was coming to them, with Uther still being on the sorcery hunt! Sooner or later someone would stumble over their cozy little camp and ground it to dust… and as things were right now, Nimueh had a right mind to be the tell-tale. Usually she saw it as her duty still to protect those with magical blood against Uther’s pursuers, but she got easily annoyed by ‘we don’t want to hurt anyone and so no one will hurt us’ druids. They were truly a waste of space, a shame to all those still fighting for what was right!

Grumbling silently, Nimueh made her way through the afternoon forest, appearing the inconspicious travelor to any bypassing soul, clad in a long black cloak and hood up against the slight breeze. She had not bothered to put up a different appearance than her true face this time, as she had been about in her duty as High Priestess. If anyone challenged her now the chances were slim she would be detected, and even if so, so what? The fighter or knight able to truly pose a threat to her needed still to be born, she could take out even mighty Prince Arthur with her magical abilities… and her wiles. A smug smirk spread over Nimueh’s face as she remembered the amusing little episode in the Forest of Balor. Oh she had charmed the young, inexperienced prince alright, and then when he had been ready to fall to her feet – at least she liked to tell herself so – she had literally made the ground disappear under him… sadly that had not killed him, and also the Balorian spiders hadn’t finished him off, but that had been only a minor flaw in the system.

Nimueh’s keen senses recognized the low thudding of horse hooves just a little to her right, and as she was always the one rather to surprise than BE surprised, she decided to creep closer and look who was roaming this remote part of the forest.
As it were, she happened on a rather intriguing scene: Some young woman, noble by her attire had apparently just taken a break from her riding trip, and what she did next made Nimueh’s brows dart up towards her hairline. Well, well, well, wasn’t that an interesting sight indeed? A noble lady using sorcery to light a fire. For some reason that raised Nimueh’s spirits considerably, and she decided to not let this opportunity slip through her fingers, wherever it may lead.
Clouding herself in shadows to not be seen and heard – a trick she liked to do when sneaking around Camelot – Nimueh approached the fire, until she was no more than a few feet away. Then she leaned casually against a tree, and lifted the shadows, while her face was still mostly covered by the hood.

”Do my eyes deceive me or have you just practised sorcery, my child?”, she asked in an emotionless tone that could lead anywhere. Why not scare the girl a little first, making he think she had been detected by the wrong side?

[Caitrin de Archer]

Wrapped up in her own thoughts Caitrin poked the fire in an absent minded way. She had promised her Uncle she would not be gone too long so she would probably have to return in the near future. Though she wouldn’t have to leave right away, there was no rush after all was there; she had the whole morning to kill didn’t she? She blew against the flames, in truth she was bored out of her skull, Camelot was so dull at this time of year, but at least she had the freedom to just take off when she wanted. Her Uncle never stopped her, or minded.

Caitrin stretched out and gave a small yawn, though it was more out of boredom than her actually feeling tired. She had been worrying and worrying herself that her sorcery would diminish because she wasn’t using it on a regular basis. Helgund had always taught her that once you learned magic you could never unlearn it, and she supposed she was true. That didn’t make her feel any more safe though as she now had to deal with the consequences of that, and that was that she was a sorceress of modest powers living under a King who would see her dead for her gifts.

She felt stupid out here on her own, how had she been reduced to this? Caitrin ran a hand through her hair, Helgund had always told her that her strength with conjuring fire had come from the deep red of her hair. Caitrin had never heeded much attention to her of course, she had only been a child at the time and Helgund had always tried to secure her happiness wherever was possible. Giving her odd compliments like that was just one of the ways in which she did it.

She had been so wrapped up her thoughts she hadn’t even noticed a woman approaching. Her eyes widened and she shot up to her feet so she was facing the woman rather than looking up at her. She shook her head straight away, her heart thudding in her ears. Oh god, what had she done? “No, you must have been mistaken.” She replied quickly and just carried on staring at the woman over the fire; where on earth had she come from? Caitrin coughed slightly and ran her hand down her dress rather nervously, “I’ll be going then.” Was all she could think to say, she needed to get away, she wasn’t going to die because of her gifts; she would flee, she would do something she just didn’t want to suffer Uther’s wrath.

[Deleted]

Ah, the good old art of intimidation and catching people red-handed! It was fortunate to happen upon such a scene, but it took skill to exploit it to your utmost advantage. A kinder soul might have waited a few more seconds and then approached openly, not even mentioning the fire lit with magic. But, seriously, where would be the advantage in that? With calling out this woman openly, Nimueh had practically put her at her mercy, with both knowing of this simple fact. She could do two things now, and neither the other woman could do anything about: Nimueh could threaten to give her away to Uther and have the pleasure to see the girl sweat a bit more, or get something for her silence, or she could go the even meaner way and play the good soul, earn the girl’s neverending gratitude or at least her trust. Needless to say Nimueh liked the latter option far better. It was a subtle kind of cruelty, a masked one and therefore all the more effective. Many people Nimueh knew would go with open blackmail in the blink of an eye, but that was the reason Nimueh’s plans usually succeeded and theirs didn’t – fools they were!

It was almost moving to see the alarm in the young woman’s eyes when she realized someone had witnessed her use of magic. People with magic lived with this kind of fear every day, and so it was even more remarkable to see her using it nevertheless. They all thought themselves safe more or less, and when the final moment of discovery came, they either stood it through with foolish bravery, or they ought to save their life. To which category would this young, fiery haired woman belong? Her red hair suggested fighting spirit, but there was something about her that made Nimueh doubt she would be foolish. Would she try to get her head out of the sling that was slowly drawing around her neck? Nimueh was all but sure.

And of course she had once again judged her counterpart right. She denied the accusation firmly, but Nimueh could see the flicker of fear in her eyes as she was being stared at, and her next action only confirmed her notion. Now the flight instincts kicked in. That of course didn’t work so well with Nimueh’s original plan to use this girl in any sort of way, so there had to be something done about this situation and quick.
Holding up her hand, the High Priestess stated without haste or a show of insecurity: “Stay, child, I mean you no harm!” Her voice had been almost kind, but it still held this typical undertone of authority Nimueh automatically used when speaking in her role as Mistress of all Magical Beings. Then she tread closer, carefully and slowly as if to not startle the young sorceress before her. “I will not be the one condemning you for your gift”, she added, putting a slight emphasize on the word ‘I’. Some seeds were never sown too early. “May I have the honor of being a guest to your fire? I’ve been travelling for a long while.”

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was quite still for a few moments. She was half waiting for guards, or something similar, to step out of the trees and arrest her. She held her breath, waiting for the rustling of leaves which would confirm another persons presence in the areas but there was just nothing... Was this woman truly on her own? That of course did not make her any less dangerous if she knew that Caitrin was a sorceress; anyone who knew that information was incredibly dangerous. She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, and she didn’t move for a few moments, in truth that she didn’t know what to do. She had never really been in this position since coming to Camelot.

The prospect of returning home sooner rather than later was defiantly an appealing one. The less this woman knew of her, and the less she saw, the better. Lily was not tied up too far away and she quickly stepped towards the horse, only faltering when the woman spoke again, compelling her to stay. There was almost kindness in her voice, and it made Caitrin just stop for a moment. No resident in Camelot would speak with such a tone after witnessing magic. Most would be struck with fear, or anger or a sense of control, but certainly not kindness. She stopped her advances towards Lily and just looked over the woman in front of her.

The women’s next words stunned her a bit, she would not be condemning her? She faltered again and wasn’t sure what to do. Of course this did not make her trust the woman in front of her any more, she still had her guard up and she would not let it down anytime soon, no matter how kind this woman was towards her. A few years of living in Camelot had taught Caitrin that you could trust no one with your most intimate secrets as it always came back to haunt you in the end. She did not speak to the woman straight away but she nodded all the same and stepped back towards the woman. She was weary yes, but Caitrin was not afraid, and Lily was still not too far away if she did need to grab her and flee.

“If you wish.” Caitrin finally thought to say, and walked back over to her fire and set herself down beside it. Another thing ticked in her mind, she had not heard anyone call her sorcery a gift since her coming to Camelot. Here, sorcery was merely seen as an impediment, and something to be persecuted and got rid of. She looked up at the woman again and pressed her lips together gently, “Although I will not press upon your company for too long, I should be returning home.” There, the certainly that she was going home sooner rather than later was still in the forefront of her mind, and nothing this woman could say would change that.

[Deleted]

Ah, wasn’t it just cute to play with people and see how they reacted to it? Trying so desperately to NOT appear like they were puppets dancing on a string? Like they could be the master of their fate? They might try so hard they even started to believe it! But Nimueh knew the truth, she saw that they were nothing but puppets, and she was the puppetmaster! They were entangled before they even knew it and then she could let them dance to her own tune, sweet or dangerous, whatever she desired. Yes, playing with people might be one of her favourite pastimes. Because it was so bloomingly easy, and because every new victim provided its special take and tune. You always could be surprised, and that’s what kept it from becoming boring after a mere while.

Then again, Nimueh could feel the wariness in the young woman and realized she might not be a total pushover. Of course, people with magic could never be too trustworthy these days, they had seen too many betrayals to simply trust anyone who said he had no ill intentions. But there was also something else. She was certainly not conversing with a brainless typical noblewoman who cared more about embroidery patterns and gossip than anything. Even that this young lady was out in the woods on her own spoke volume. Independent, unique… and possibly smart. Ah, a challenge! Now that was a pleasant surprise indeed, the day could only get better!

With another reassuring and kind smile, Nimueh squatted down next to the fire and made a show of warming her hands on it, even though she didn’t feel the least bit cold. But you ought to depict a few weaknesses in order to seem human enough, and it was no skin off her back. For now. Earning the woman’s trust was her first priority, and that was never achieved with seeming too aloof.
”Maybe you should”, she agreed with a cock of her head, even though that might so not work for her plans. Then again, she couldn’t appear too overeager to have her stay, that would only arouse more suspicion than this all was worth. “The woods are dangerous at all times. Even for our kind.”

Oh yes, now she had practically said it, but then it had only been a matter of time any way. Nimueh now debated whether to give her full name or just stay vague in case the woman had heard of her already and would be bias. Everyone in Camelot was bias towards her after all, they were stupid enough to believe the lies Uther spread. But then, who could expect people to actually use their brain for once?! They better liked to cover and stop thinking alltogether, lay low so it would not been them next in the line of fire… literally.
”I hope you don’t mind be being so open, I guess I was just pleasantly surprised to see someone use magic in these realms. People are too afraid… the little that are left.” She gave a weary sigh.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Although the woman showed no interest in causing her harm, or giving her away straight away, Caitrin still kept her guard up. It was something she was used to doing in Camelot. She always had to pretend to be the usual noblewoman, that there was nothing ever hidden in her thoughts, and that she had no sympathies to those with magic. Although Caitrin did anything but blend into the background, no, she was usually at the hub of society, she had never told her secrets to anyone, not even her Uncle. Now by mistake this woman had learned her most intimate secret, and Caitrin would not allow her to exploit it.

Caitrin was rather surprised when the woman suggested that she should probably leave, as she had been expecting her to be quite the opposite. She faltered slightly and just looked on at the woman, in even more shock and surprise. Our kind? Caitrin inclined her head towards her guest, and her expression was of mild shock. She had never come across another sorceress in Camelot, indeed she never expected to. Everyone knew the penalty for magic, and it was this burden that everyone who possessed magic had to carry with them; always. “You’re a sorceress?” She asked softly, still not admitting that she herself was one, though her guest knew that much already so there was little use in denying it was there.

Well, at least if she was a sorceress Caitrin could be sure that she wasn’t going to give her away at this particular moment. That was of course if she was telling her the truth, she could of course be trying to lull her into a false sense of security. It was with this in mind that Caitrin decided to keep her guard up. She would not trust this woman right away, Caitrin trusted few people really, so this woman would be no exception to her feelings. Setting herself down by the fire, she used her hand to support herself, and looked her new acquaintance through the fire, pressing her lips together and just observing her. “I have never come across another who possesses magic within Camelot.” She said softly, but it was a mere fact nothing else, she didn’t feel particularly brave, or like she had done the right thing by practising her magic so far into the forest. She was afraid of the consequences of her actions, always, so that made her no better than others with magic did it? She merely smiled back at the woman, out of politeness more than anything. “After all, everyone knows the King’s views on magic.” By bringing this up, surely it would show the woman, if she was a sorceress, that they were both in as much danger as each other. It put them on a sort of equal footing in Caitrin’s eyes, everyone under Uther’s rule who possessed magic was equal in terms of punishment. It should not be like that, but it was, and they all had to bear that.

[Deleted]

Nimueh had expected that the girl would be surprised. You really didn’t run around these days shouting out your magical roots for all to hear after all. She might have run across a few sorcerors already and never knew it. If she was from around Camelot, then she had surely come across at least one: Merlin, that cursed boy! He might fool you with his innocent looks and that idiotic naïve-friendly smile of his, but there was so much more to him. Truly more than the eye could see… but no, she couldn’t distract herself with thinking of HIM now! First, he wasn’t worth her thoughts, and second, she had more pressing matters at hand right now. She definitely needed to get more information out of this fiery noblewoman, a name for a start. Then she needed to find out in which way or if at all she was connected to Camelot. All that would either deem her useful or –less to Nimueh’s forming scheme.

She chose a very special path now, to deepen her acquaitance with this girl. Nimueh would not only rely on lies, but would tell her enough of the truth so would still come across as genuine. Because until now this woman could be well considered one of her fosterlings, it would depend on the path she chose later when given a chance how their relationship would proceed from there.
”Indeed I am”, she inclined her head with a gentle smile. “But I am so much more than that. Consider me the… guide to all beings who have or can use magic. In the former days before magic was outlawed I was known by many and often sought out for advice.” She gave a remorseful sigh that was only half acted. That young woman might not know it, but she just witnessed a rare moment of Nimueh Ó Liatháin being completely genuine. “Now I hide like everyone else, but I still seek to be there for those who need my help. And I hope and pray that one day Uther Pendragon will see sense.” But that, Nimueh very well knew, would never happen, so she had long since abandoned the path of hope and had walked down the one of revenge.

Ah, finally the girl admitted who she was, using the word ‘another’. Not that it hadn’t been obvious from what Nimueh had seen earlier, but that was beside the point. It meand the girl was slowly warming up to the conversation, which could only be fortunate – at least for Nimueh herself.
”Well, we don’t show ourselved openly, of course”, she mused with a little chuckle, rubbing her hands over the warm fire with a sigh. “But I am glad to know that at least a few people have escaped Uther Pendragon’s grasp. We must stick together in times like these and count our blessings” , she finishedwith a jovial wink, then decided to go out on a limb.
”By the way, my name is Nimueh. I don’t dare to hope you have heard of it before, child, as I said before: I am no longer a known face in this world.”
She still might be, but not in the way she desired. In the former years this name alone had caused people to drop to their knees and prostrate towards the One Pure Vessel of the Goddess’ Power, but such days were long past. Nowadays her name only either sent people running away screaming or becoming foolishly brave enoug to try and fight her. Ridiculous.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Furrowing her brows Caitrin looked up at the woman in front of her. In truth she was still quite shocked that she seemed so at ease with referring to herself as a sorceress, and speaking of such things. From what Caitrin had seen of Camelot so far, people were scared half to death of even a slight mention of magic, so it made Caitrin quite uneasy in a way to hear her speak of magic so fluently. It of course should not be like that, Caitrin was annoyed with herself for even feeling slight unease as she knew that sorcery was not something to be feared, no, it was something to be cherished instead. As she spoke of guiding other sorcerer’s, Caitrin felt a small tug on her heartstrings. She had once possessed a guide such as the one this woman was professing to be. Helgund had once taught Caitrin sorcery, and how to use it wisely. She had always been there for her young ward, and without her Caitrin had been slightly lost. “What kind of guide?” Caitrin asked, but it was not said in an accusing tone, more one of curiosity.

Caitrin too wished that the King would see sense one day, and she nodded her head at the woman’s words. She had seen enough of Uther though to know that he would not readily change his mind. Caitrin had heard enough about the Great Purge to turn her stomach, she couldn’t understand how one person could knowingly cause so much destruction to so many families just because they possessed sorcery.

Sticking together with the others in the magical community had never been something which Caitrin had considered. Then again she had never had the option to. She was always weary of those who possessed magic in a way because she knew the penalty for showing even the slightest bit of magic. Oh, how Caitrin prayed that one day things would be different in Camelot. Perhaps Arthur, after his father, would see sense when he was King. In a way that was what Caitrin was holding out for, she wanted Arthur to maybe see one day that not all magic was evil. It was a distant daydream, and not something which Caitrin considered very often but she was stubbornly loyal to Arthur in many ways, and the possibility of change was just one of the reasons she would stay by his side. She therefore did not answer the woman, as she was not sure if she wanted to stick with other sorcerers or not for the time being. Although Caitrin knew that magic was a virtue, she knew there were those who used it for quite devious purposes, and she did not want to get linked to anything like that.

As the woman introduced herself Caitrin nodded in acknowledgement, wondering if she should return the favour. For a moment she even considered lying, but what good would it do? Caitrin’s features made her quite distinctive if this woman was trying to hand her over to Uther, so what harm would a name do? “Nice to meet you, my name is Caitrin.” She said softly, not giving her family name away; no she would not go that far with this woman just yet. "Are you from around here?"

[Deleted]

Well, at least she had now captured the girl’s interest, that was a start, Nimueh thought and forced herself to relax. There was nothing to lose and everything to gain here. This opportunity had presented itself out of the blue and she was all but sure now that the day would continue more pleasantly than it had started out. One failure for a day was clearly enough, and that annoying little druid boy would soon fall from his high pedestal when he witnessed Uther’s cruelty first hand. It was only a matter of time. There needed only be an opportunity. Maybe in the near future the little one would be so foolish as to visit Camelot and then he would see… but no, the druid boy wasn’t her concern right now, he would get what was coming to him soon enough. For now, plans of revenge needed to be put aside for more subtler means.

”A guide in spiritual as well as in profane sense”, she explained. “I was trained to be magic’s own pure vessel, so through me the power of magic is wielded – it sounds grander than it is, actually”, she joked. “But I try to be there whenever people like you need my help. Sadly, I can’t make my existence and whereabouts as known as I’d want to, so nowadays many can’t come to me for help, because they don’t know that I exist.”
Of course Nimueh even in the times before the Great Purge had never done much without gaining something in return. She had had followers and subjects, not friends. No one had hated her, but she had never let many people close to her, content to stay in the role of High Priestess, the guide and leader. But she felt that if she wanted to ensnare this so far very ignorant girl, she should polish her reputation a little.

Her name did not seem to ring any bells either, which only showed that she had been right. More and more the Old Religion was forgotten, which was truly a shame. Nimueh did not like being ignored. But then again, having no tags attached yet to her name could also prove fortunate. A closer companion to Uther or anyone hating her would by now have gone into shutdown, not believing a word she said. But this girl… Caitrin was it? Didn’t seem to be of such material. Young and pliable, just like Nimueh liked them. Maybe she should even invite her to the Isle of the Blessed? For training? Well, first things first, as always.

“A beautiful name, Caitrin”, she commented but made sure to make it sound by the by, not like she was trying to be amiable at all costs. “And no, I am not exactly from around here. I trust you don’t have heard of the Isle of the Blessed yet? In former times, it was a place of worship and training, where people went to study magic either with the Priestesses or with the druids. Nowadays it is a sanctuary for those who were able to escape Uther’s madness. Only those with no ill intentions towards it can enter it, or those I invite. It is now mostly in ruins, but it is still a beautiful place.”

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrinshifted her position so that she was sitting quite comfortably next to the fire. She was relaxing slightly in front of this woman, but she was still keeping her guard up. She had been defensive about her use of magic and of being discovered since she had come to Camelot. That kind of mental torture didn't just disappear because a stranger in the forest smiled and said that she too was a sorceress. No, it would take a lot more for Caitrin to even consider trusting this woman. Caitrin trusted few people anyway, so why would she suddenly start trusting this woman after a few exchanges?

The way this woman described her role almost felt slightly nostalgic to Caitrin. Her nurse, Helgund, had been a guide for Caitrin in her younger years as she had been the one who had taught her sorcery in the first place. She pressed her lips together, trying not to show how Nimueh's words were being received on a personal level. Caitrin wondered if this woman played a similar role to Helgund. Even Caitrin had to admit she had been slightly lost in the world of sorcery without a guide, and without anyone to help her. Her magic had been left a lot weaker than she would have liked it to be because of Helgund's premature death. Caitrin's sorcery was of course still effective, but it wasn't as powerful as she wanted it to be. "Do you help many sorcerers then? In truth I have not met many sorcerers in my life." Even when Caitrin had lived in Mercia Helgund had been the only other person with magic she could remember being introduced to. There may have been others, but they had been quite forgotten in the depths of Caitrin's memories.

Caitrin wondered if Nimueh knew of any other sorcerer's in Camelot. She wasn't going to ask for that information of course, because she wouldn't want Nimueh to tell anyone else that Caitrin was a sorceress. No, that information had to remain a secret. Her curiosity was burning inside her to just ask the woman, but no, she bit back her tongue and said nothing on the topic. All the sorcerers had probably been driven out by Uther; she was probably one of the last ones left in Camelot.

A smile broke onto the young woman's lips as Nimueh described her name as 'beautiful'. Caitrin had never given it much thought. Many had thought her name was odd, unusual or rare but never beautiful. And then of course the topic turned to the isle of the Blessed. Caitrin had never heard of such a place. Helgund had mentioned an Isle once, but that was a long time ago and Caitrin probably hadn't been paying attention anyway. The place sounded incredibly intriguing; it was almost like the magical world was opening in front of Caitrin's eyes. She had been cut off from it for so long it was hard to know what to feel. "No I have never heard of it." Caitrin replied softly and began to poke the fire with a stick by her side, "Do many other sorcerer's know of the Isle as well?"

[Deleted]

However wary this young girl might still be, Nimueh could tell that she was on the right path. She just had to try longer, be persistent but not suspicious, simply quenching her thirst of knowledge with every answer she could give. Yes, this truly seemed to be the key. The poor thing did not know much about the gift she posessed, though at some point someone must have taught her. People able to use magic without guidance and training were extremely rare. Too bad Merlin had to be one of them. It would have spared her a lot of trouble if he was nothing but an ordinary manservant. Arthur would be dead and Camelot in chaos. Just like they all deserved it.
Nimueh was sure to try and find out about more about her training, but her own questions would have to wait. The most inconspicious people are those who are willing to give you what you need and yet ask nothing in return. This would be an act she rather enjoyed, all the time knowing it was worth it. Fooling women might not be as fun as fooling men, but the former was harder, so you could really be proud of yourself if you managed it.

”I help as many as I can”, she replied with a sweet smile that still held a slightly weary edge. “But the people now fear magic, so those who somehow possess it rather hide and try to forget it than making use of it. So the amount of people seeking me out has become nigh to naught.”
Her rather infamous reputation might not had helped in that either. It was a good thing Caitrin had not heard about the darker side of Nimueh, the unforgiving, hateful, evil witch that wanted nothing more than see Uther Pendragon dead and his kingdom burning down. What she was today he had made her, so why should she feel any guilt?
”Surely though you must have known at least one sorceror”, Nimueh commented with a jovial wink. “The one that taught you. Am I not right?”
She wondered where that special sorceror was right now. Was he or she still alive? Or had it been one of the countless victims of Uther’s madness?

Apparently the compliment had worked just well, being not too adulatory, but also not to casual. It was always nice to see how she still had what Nimueh called ‘the touch’, able to play human beings like a harp and judge their emotions and reaction right, so she knew what to say to make them do what she wanted them to do.
“It is the same with the Isle as it is with me, I fear.” A sigh escaped her lips once again. “It is more and more vanishing from the conscious mind of the people. Few knew where it is, and even fewer dare to go there. It saddens my heart to imagine that maybe in just a few years to come, the Isle of the Blessed and magic in whole will seem to those newborn as a tale shrouded in mist. Nothing real, not a part of their world anymore.”

Was she whining too much? But then, the subject WAS a rather dreary one and Nimueh did not need much of her acting skills to come across as genuine. Surely Caitrin’s reaction would tell her when she needed to change her tune a little.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Although Caitrin believed Nimueh that she was some sort of guide, or helper, whatever tagline she preferred, Caitrin wasn't sure she wanted any particular guidance. While speaking with Nimueh, she had almost forgot the issues of magic and how Camelot treated those with magic. She had almost allowed herself to relax so she merely nodded softly but more out of politeness than anything else.

It was a completely logical assumption for Nimueh to make the assumption that of course Caitrin knew one other sorceress. The topic of her nurse Helgund, who had instructed her in magic, still felt like a raw wound. She had loved Helgund like a mother, and had always taken her advice on everything. She hadn't just been a nurse, she had been her best friend and like a mother. When she had lost her a few winters ago to a fever she had been completely crushed. In ways it had made her want to run from her sorcery and never look back. She had kept practicing however, and now it was more in memory of Helgund than everything. Caitrin knew she could not progress her sorcery on her own, but perhaps it was better like that. "You have me there." She admitted softly with a smile and poked the fire once more, "But I knew her when I lived in Mercia." Caitrin now looked up to Nimueh, Helgund had been from Camelot originally, so perhaps she had known her. "Her name was Helgund, perhaps you knew her?" It was a long shot she knew, and Helgund had never mentioned any other other sorcerers.

The Isle sounded quite intriguing to Caitrin. She wouldn't have supposed that there would be anywhere that sorcerers could find solace in this world. It felt rather like she should be ashamed of her sorcery and it should be something to be hidden and keep to herself. This was probably the most comfortable she had felt speaking about sorcery in many years, yet her guard up as this woman had not done enough to earn her trust yet. "Did many sorcerer's use the isle?" She now asked, perhaps Helgund had even visited it once or twice, "No one has ever told me of it before." She couldn't say she was particularly inspired to see the Isle for herself, as it was dangerous enough speaking of sorcery without overtly practicing it and visiting sites of interest. This was dangerous talk, and Caitrin was still uncomfortable.

[Deleted]

There was the weak spot, just an inch out of her grasp, Nimueh felt it. All she needed was a little more information… So there had been a tutor once, someone the girl had loved dearly, admired, whatever. Now she only needed to know what had happened to the poor woman. Had she been a victim to Uther’s madness? Or had she died of a natural cause. The latter would be a little boring of course, and also not very helpful for Nimueh’s cause. She wanted to know where the girl stood, if she had enough talent to be deemed useful and what she thought about Uther. In time, Nimueh could mould her into a loyal servant, but that would need much intuition and sure instinct. Treading carefully all along the way, because one misplaced word could ruin everything. Nothing was harder to repair than trust scorned.

Helgund… now that name surely rang a bell. There might be some women named Helgund, but there surely were few also being a sorceress. Nimueh thought she remembered someone from years and years back, before the Great Purge. She had come to the Isle of the Blessed once in a while, to refresh her teachings and discuss, though she never had wanted to become a priestess. It had not been her calling to serve the Goddess directly, though she had talked to Nimueh as High Priestess on several occasions.
”Helgund…” she repeated, tasting the name on her tongue as if the sheer sound of the name could revive the woman and not only the memories. “Has she been into herbs? I remember a woman… years and years back, younger then of course. Kind, considerate, I could see her becoming a powerful yet not powerhungry sorceress. A rare combination.” She heaved a weary sigh. “I lost sight of her during the Purge, we all were so concerned with saving our own skin. I often wondered where she went off to and hoped she had survived the Purge.” Now that was a white lie. Nimueh honestly hadn’t cared to remember Helgund at all. Out of sight, out of mind.

”So it gladdens my heart to finally know what became of her, and to meet her pupil nonetheless! Tell me about her, if you please! What has she been doing?”
If anything that would make the girl open up a little. Nimueh did not mind gaining information, you never knew which could be useful in the end.
”As for the Isle… I am surprised Helgund never told you about it. She hasn’t visited often, but she was always well received. It was a center of learning and spiritual worship, the very core of magic you could say. Priestesses were raised there to serve the Old Religion and druids worshipped the forces of nature.” Yes, the Isle of the Blessed had been a wonderful place. If anything, Uther deserved to die for letting it come to waste.

[Caitrin de Archer]

In a way Caitrin felt uncomfortable with resurfacing the way she felt about Helgund. She had died a few years ago of a winter flu, at the time Caitrin had been new to her teenage years, and that felt like a lifetime ago. Her whole world had felt like it had been turned upside down when Helgund had left her side; it had taken her completely by surprise. Helgund had always been so strong, she'd never seemed any different. It had been scary seeing how quickly she had weakened, proving that even those with magic were susceptible to the simplest of ailments. It had hurt, Jesu it had hurt so much. No one had understood how Caitrin had felt, none of them had been as close to Helgund as she had been.

She tried to pretend she wasn't interested, or bothered if this woman did know Helgund. What good would it do after all? It wouldn't mean she could trust the woman anymore than she had done previously, but Caitrin almost felt her opening up slightly towards her. Caitrin tried to poke the fire aimlessly, but as Nimueh asked if Helgund had known herblore, her eyes darted up from the fire to the womans face. How could she have known that? Her eyes probably gave away her shock but she nodded quickly, "Yes, yes she was quite accomplished with herblore." It had been from Helgund that Caitrin had gained her own knowledge of herbs, and it was through her which her legacy lived on in a way.

Shifting slightly, Caitrin wasn't sure how to take this new information. It seemed that Nimueh had indeed known her nurse at some point or another. A smile was tugging at the side of her lips, she was excited more than anything. Caitrin had never really heard about Helgund from anyone else again; no one had known her in Mercia really apart from the de Archer family. "She fled to Mercia during the purge, at least that was what she always told me." Caitrin tried to shrug it off, like it was nothing, but the purge was anything but. It had been traumatic to hear about, about how Uther had mercilessly killed men, women and children who were suspected of sorcery. Although Caitrin boasted no loyalties to the current King, she projected her loyalties into his son who was her close friend. She knew Arthur would make a strong king one day, perhaps he would even allow magic back to the kingdom. It was a long shot, but it was more likely than Uther allowing sorcery to be legalised.

Caitrin did finally let out a small smile as Nimueh expressed her joy at knowing what had happened to Helgund. "She was my nurse from a very young age, and she taught me everything I know." She ran a hand almost nervously through her hair, "Well she was until she passed away." It still hurt, Jesu how did it still hurt after all this time?

At the mention of the Isle, Caitrin merely shrugged again, she wasn't that bothered that Helgund had never mentioned it before, perhaps she had known that Caitrin's curiosity would get the better of her in this matter. Caitrin was quite interested in the Isle, though perhaps not enough to visit it. After all, that would be partaking in magic wouldn't it? Something Caitrin had tried to keep to a minimum the past few years; she liked her life the way it was. "Do many druids and sorcerers journey there now?" Caitrin asked softly, "Or is it no longer the core of magic?"

[Deleted]

Nimueh was not surprised by the amount of self-control this young woman already showed, but she was impressed. Surely, someone living with magic right under Uther’s nose must be a professional in keeping secrets and reining in her emotions. She might fool quite an amount of people with that, but she didn’t fool Nimueh. Not much anyway. The High Priestess could feel that Caitrin held back on her excitement, but that revellation didn’t help her much in her attempts to remedy the situation. What did she do wrong?! Hadn’t she showed in so many ways that she was a person to be trusted? What did hold Caitrin back? This was gettling slowly infuriating… and everyone should avoid infuriating Nimueh Ó Liatháin!

At least the topic of Helgund seemed to open her up a little, even though she didn’t reveal anything of much interest for the High Priestess. Really, she couldn’t care any less about what that herb woman had done, but she was the key to Caitrin’s trust, albeit a very rusty key… better than nothing any day!
”Mercia… I see!” she murmured, cocking her head as if she was deep in thoughts. “A good choice concerning the well-nigh endless war Camelot and Mercia were in. I’m sure Lord Bayard was not very keen on following Uther’s example concerning magic. At least a little less strict.”
Nimueh should know. It had been her after all trying to sabotage the peace talks between the two kingdoms only recently. It had been quite a fun adventure, first sneaking her way into the Mercian court and … persuading a certain young prince to take her on the list of servants accompanying the king, and then bringing up the poisoned chalice. Sadly though Merlin once again had managed to outwit her.

”I am sorry to hear she is no longer with us”, Nimueh replied softly and bowed her head. “I should have guessed it right away, Helgund’s student! I think she taught you more than just spells and herblore. I see her wisdom in you, despite your youth.”
Goodness, how pathetic could you get?! But it was all for the higher cause. Maybe it would take two turns of mouth-rinsing afterwards, but saying nice things had yet to kill someone.

Another thing that seemed to captivate Caitrin was the Isle of the Blessed, and gladly that was a topic Nimueh also liked to talk about. It had been her home for as long as she could remember, despite the time spent at court. It had been a place full of magical wonders and sacredness. Now it was just an island lost in the mist of time.
”No”, Nimueh confessed with a sigh. “There’s hardly anyone going there anymore. People stay away from it, because they fear the consequences. If they even know about. The holy groves and sacred henges are now surrounded by ruins. It pains my heart, but there is nothing I can do to change it. I can only hope.”
Hope… as if hope would get her anywhere! Help yourself then fate will help you! And where words had no effect, deeds had to follow. Cruel deeds if need be. Magic could not vanish from this world, or else the world would spiral downwards into an era of disaster.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin looked up at her mare almost hesitantly, even though this woman seemed quite friendly, she knew better than to just trust anyone she met in the forest. These were dangerous times in Camelot for a sorceress, and well Caitrin knew it. The first time she had met Uther, when she had been invited to dine with him, he had reminded her about the restrictions to sorcery in the realm. At the time, Caitrin had thought that he suspected her already of sorcery, despite her age and the fact he had only just met her. Then again, Caitrin supposed after the horror of the Great Purge, the man must be paranoid. Caitrin had just kept her head down since that day, and though in her more rebellious moments, like now, she would run off into the woods to practice sorcery, at home she never even thought about it. She liked her head firmly planted on her shoulders, and that would be how it remained. No one in Camelot knew she was a sorceress, not even her Uncle.

Mercia hadn’t been as strict with magic as Camelot was. Caitrin had still kept her gifts a secret, not even Oliver had known and he had been one of her closest friends in Mercia. Helgund had always taught Caitrin to keep her gifts hidden, as she often feared that Mercia would one day follow Camelot’s example, and she didn’t want to put Caitrin in danger. As a child, the restrictions on her sorcery had irked her, but now Caitrin could see why Helgund was always so careful and so private. “It is not as strict.” Caitrin agreed softly, “Though we always feared that Bayard would follow Uther’s example.” She began to poke the fire with the stick again, deciding she wasn’t going to stay much longer, this woman already knew too much about her, and it was starting to worry Caitrin. Rather than feeling relaxed, or safe with the woman, she suddenly remembered the topic of their conversation and she tensed up again. Sorcery was not just a throw away topic, although Nimueh had been leading her down that road.

Her compliment was met with a small smile, because no one else had ever compared Caitrin to Helgund before. She often hoped that she would grow up to be like her in so many ways. Caitrin knew her stubbornness, and flirtatious ways would have irked Helgund, but she was still wise, and that was that. “Thank you, I hope that I am making her proud.” She said quietly and shifted slightly. “She was quite an accomplished sorceress.” That was one thing about Nimueh, Caitrin supposed. She had never been able to talk so freely about Helgund, despite the impact she had had on Caitrin’s life.

As Nimueh said that she hoped to change the state of the Isle, Caitrin felt her eyes furrow in slight confusion. If she had said that there was no way to change the Isle, how would she hope to change it? “How would you like to see it changed?” She asked curiously, knowing that no changes to anything to do with sorcery would be recognised while Uther was still living, perhaps not even when Arthur took the throne. Caitrin looked back to her mare again and bit her lip nervously, despite asking a question, Caitrin knew that she had to be on her way sooner rather than later. “I should be getting back, my Uncle will worry.” She was bumbling over her words, but she wasn’t sure how this woman would take that.

[Deleted]

This was taking too long. Just a few moments before Nimueh had thought they were making progress, but Caitrin didn’t seem willing to go even just a step further. What was going wrong here? If her buttons to be pushed didn’t lie in her curiosity about magic and also not in her past with that herbwoman Helgund, what other things were there?! Maybe, if she kept her head down like that and simply seemed to accept not to use anymore what she had learnt, she wouldn’t be of much use for Nimueh after all.But such a waste! Such a spirited head and yet it was working in the totally wrong direction! Couldn’t she SEE what horrible things were happening in this world up to this very day? Before she had thought it to be a blessing the younger generation did not know the terrors of the Purge, as their minds could still be moulded, but apparently there was a downside to this innocence as well. They had grown lazy, they thought things were now as they should be, or even if they didn’t…they had not been born with enough determination to change what must be changed! What was the use in telling them such important secrets and teaching them such sacred skills if they simply let it go to waste?

It was still a thorn in her side how Merlin had made the peace treaty between Mercia and Camelot happening after all, not so long ago, and Nimueh grinded her teeth even in remeberance. Now that Mercia had given in, proud, unyielding, stubborn Mercia, they would probably start a witch hunt of their own to clean out what they had missed in their half-heart attempt. Because Nimueh knew that a part of the treaty had been the complete banishing of magic. She had seen the treaty after all… before it had been signed.
”Now that there is peace between both kingdoms I fear we might see a few more stakes burning”, she sighed. “War is a horrible thing of course… but peace can be as well. I still hear it in my head how Uther pronounced 20 years of peace and prosperity!” Nimueh’s voice had turned acid and bitter. “Of course there is peace… when you build your world on a pile of ashes! It’s DEAD silence he created, not peace!”

Taking a deep breath to calm her upheaving emotions, Nimueh tried a smile to ease what probably had been going wrong with her outburtst. She shouldn’t have snapped like that… it was by no means professional. But then, the Purge and everything that came with it had always been a red rag to her.
”Great Goddess, what you must think of me now”, she murmured, averting her gaze for good measure. “I sound like a fury, don’t I? But… I’ve lost my mother to the flames… and many friends. It mocks their spirits to speak of peace and murder in the same breath.”
The pity trip… it was normally the last trick Nimueh stooped to, but she had to admit she was getting desperate with this girl. SOMEthing had to provoke more than a casual and soft reaction from her, dammit!

How would she like to see it changed?! Well that was probably the question of the century! When Nimueh was through with her plans, Uther out of the picture and Camelot down on its knees, she would show the people that only magic could be their savior. They would return to the old ways, they would welcome the blessings of magic with open arms again,and of course,The Isle of the Blessed would resume to be the center of worship!
”I will do whatever is necessary”, she said cryptically.It was time to get a bit more to the point. “This is not how it should be… and it’s time people understand that. The paralysis is gone…now the time for action has come.”
And just when it finally started to get good, this impossible girl wanted to leave?! While having given her nothing but a few gentle words and a little piece of information? No… Nimueh couldn’t let that happen.
”You are leaving?” her voice was soft and sounded more surprised than anything else,and yet there was an underlying tension as well. “Just when we started to finally understand each other? Now… that would be a bit rude, don’t you think?”

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was more and more starting like she should have just left straight away. Something had began to tick in her mind, and she just wanted to leave and pretend that this had never happened. Sorcery wasn’t something to be taken lightly in Camelot, and she had been wrong to even think that it could be suggested in a light tone. It had been a moment of weakness, but one that she almost certainly wanted to be rid of straight away. This woman was now the only person in Camelot to know that she was a sorceress. Caitrin knew that she wasn’t a strong sorceress, but that wouldn’t matter to Uther. Anyone with magic knew they had the threat of death looming over them at all times because of how they had been born. Caitrin didn’t like it as much as the next sorceress, but Camelot was her home, and she didn’t want to mess it up.

Mercia’s stance on magic had not even entered Caitrin’s thoughts when she had heard about the Peace Treaty with Mercia. She had just been glad that there was peace between the two kingdoms. Of course she had been outraged when the King had been imprisoned, and it had been one of the many times she had despised Uther. She had refuse to go to court for a while after that on principle, but her Uncle had near enough knocked down the door of the Prince’s chambers to demand an answer to why the Mercian King had been treated in such a disgusting way, like he was a common criminal. Now she thought about it, would Uther perhaps try and force Bayard’s hand on getting rid of sorcery in the Kingdom? Helgund had once told her that there were quite a few sorceresses who were living in Mercia who had fled from Uther’s flames. “Do you really believe Bayard would follow Uther’s methods against magic?” Caitrin was slightly concerned, because even though she loved Camelot, she knew if she were ever discovered she could run back home. She couldn’t do that if Mercia put a ban on sorcery as well.

Caitrin brushed away Nimueh’s worries about sounding like a fury, she wasn’t really at liberty to pass judgement at those who had lost people in the Great Purge. She hadn’t been alive when the Purge had taken place, but she hadn’t lost any family in the Purge, so she didn’t have any real emotions from it. She only had what Helgund had told her about the Purge. Her family never mentioned it really, as none of them had been sorceresses. Caitrin sometimes wondered where her magic came from, but she supposed it must have come from her grandparents or something, because none of her family had possessed magic, or they had just been rather good at hiding it. “It’s fine, I didn’t lose anyone in the Purge, and I think sometimes I am glad I was not alive to see it.”

To Caitrin, Nimueh just sounded like a woman on a mission, and that was the reason that she had suddenly become quite defensive. She had switched very quickly from casual conversation to being quite driven in a way. Caitrin supposed that there were sorcerers out there who would do anything to restore magic back to the Kingdom. However, Caitrin was not one of those people who would lay down her life for the sake of magic in the Kingdom. She therefore decided to glance over that part of Nimueh’s speech, as she was still intent on leaving. “I don’t think it’s rude.” Caitrin said rather confidently, though she guessed that wouldn’t last much longer, “I’m not sure that you understand me, and I don’t suppose I know you that well either.” She gave a weak sort of smile, “I must get back anyway, I’m intending to call on my friend later on.” She hadn’t seen Arthur in a long while, and she intended to just see how he was doing, especially now that the awkwardness of the whole Mercian issue was now behind them.

[Deleted]

Something was very irritating about this young girl indeed. Nimueh could feel her strong will slowly turning against her, and it was not the most pleasant feeling. The conversation was slipping through her fingers before it had even truly begun. That usually never happened!! What was it about women that they were so bloomingly stubborn and so much harder to ensnare? Usually Nimueh liked to think it was because women were simply smarter, but it made it so terribly difficult to get them on your side. What did Caitrin have against her? Hadn’t she been the epitome of understanding and friendliness towards that stupid girl? Well, if kindness failed there was still blackmail to resort to, though that was usually really the last resort. It was so much more fun to play with people and let them think they did the right thing, even if they were acting straight against their beliefs and morals. It would have been such a pleasure to watch Caitrin succumbing to the same trick. But sadly she didn’t. Well, then maybe it was time to change the tone of the conversation somewhat. Nimueh thought she could not bear this sweettalk for much longer anyway, before her stomach would twist and turn upside down.

Well, at least she seemed somewhat concerned by Lord Bayards different turn on magic. Nimueh was by no means sure it would really come to a second Purge or anything close to that, as Lord Bayard still had his own mind, beside the peace treaty, but there was no harm in adding fuel to fears…close season had just been called off on young Caitrin.
”Who can say, but I think it very likely. After all, if magic folk keeps seeking refuge in Mercia, Uther might find it necessary to thump the regulations and clauses of the treaty.” Nimueh pointed out, putting a fake concerned tone in her voice. Or maybe not even so fake. This was the reason she had torpeded the peace talks after all. One of them at least. “Soon enough there will be no place in the world where those of magical blood can hide. It might sweep through every kingdom like a disease, and when the high and mighty understand what a world without magic looks like,it will be too late. But they don’t see that.”
Which was why this development had to be nipped in the bud. With every year, even with every day that was wasted, things got more difficult and took another step down on this one way street: a world without magic. A dead world, in Nimueh’s eyes.

But then,it had always been that way that who was not with her, was against her, and Caitrin was slowly slipping into that category. With every minute she stayed distant, she digged her own grave without knowing it.Nimueh could be understanding if she wanted to, but she had no time to waste her energy on stupid girls that were loyal without any reason. Loyal to the wrong allegiance that was. What did Camelot ever do to her anyway? She must have hidden her magic from everyone, and could only practice it in the wild. Letting go of something so elemental was the worst thing you could do, in Nimueh’s eyes at least. It would feel like an amputation, a mutilation even. Who would do that to oneself voluntarily?
”Well, my dear, I am rather sure you don’t understand me”, she replied in a sickly-sweet tone that should put everyone on guard knowing her. It was the calm before the storm. “I don’t give for nothing. Caitrin. And I am slowly getting extremely fed up with you. Do you not have any pride? How can you cower before someone as pathetic as Uther? What FRIEND could be more important than being who you are?!”