Hellfire (Nimueh)

[Caitrin de Archer]

There was something Caitrin didn’t trust about the woman in front of her, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It was there though, and she felt it. Caitrin had always been a good judge of character, many had commented on that. She was perhaps doing this woman a disservice, and began to wonder if so many years in Camelot had made her weary of those with sorcery, while once upon a time she would have jumped at the opportunity of getting to know a fellow sorceress better.

Caitrin had never had the opportunity to discuss her fears on Mercia and it’s attitude to magic before with anyone else. She didn’t speak about sorcery with anyone in Camelot, and none of her family had been sorcerers so they weren’t interested in giving the topic any weight with the youngest de Archer. It had always been a worry for Caitrin though, and it seemed like a silly worry now that she was in Camelot, where she would be burned if the truth was revealed about who she was. “Maybe things will change one day.” Caitrin said rather fondly, and with brief aspects of hope. There must be some place in Albion where those with magic could reside without persecution. How was it right that they should be discriminated against in such a significant and deadly way? Uther thought he knew about all those who held magic, and though Caitrin was only young, she knew he was wrong; Jesu he was so wrong. Caitrin would never think to harm anyone with her sorcery, even if her life was in danger. Biting her lip, she poked the fire, “Or perhaps sorcery will one day burn out, just like this fire.” She didn’t like it, in fact, she hated it, but it was perhaps inevitable if the Kingdoms continued to persecute those with magic. It hurt Caitrin to know that she might never be able to share her gifts with her children, as Helgund had with her.

Caitrin had obviously hit a nerve with the woman, and for a moment she just froze, and wasn’t quite sure what to do. The tone in Nimueh’s voice had shifted so much that it panicked Caitrin slightly, and she just stayed very still. She knew this woman was a sorceress, but she might be quite dangerous, unlike Caitrin whose magic was quite tame in comparison with any other person who possessed sorcery. Caitrin doubted she would be able to inflict damage on another human even if she tried. “I don’t cower.” Caitrin almost spat back at the woman. Who did she think she was? Nimueh might think her temper was something to be reckoned with, but she hadn’t witnessed Caitrin de Archer in a rage just yet. She didn’t know anything of what Caitrin had been through in her life, and how she had come to be the woman she was today. Even if she did, Caitrin doubted the woman would appreciate truly what she had been through. “My friend is no concern of yours, but his company is well worth keeping and I would hate to keep him waiting.”

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How pliable and adaptable the young people nowadays were, Nimueh thought with an inward shaking of her head. How could someone speak of hope for magic and then its dwindling in one and the same breath?! Was it nothing to them if magic survived or not?! The would have maybe expected such a non-opinion from someone who had been born after the Purge and had never witnessed the blessings of magic themselves, but here she wasl talking with someone she had thought to be the future of magic! Someone who had been taught despite the difficulties, and yet here she was, letting her gifts and her knowledge going to waste, without much more than a simply: ‘pity…’. It was such things that made Nimueh desperately angry, and she couldn’t hold back the biting comment that just wanted out now.”If this is how we honor the gift we have been given, of course nothing with change! If those with magic are too afraid or too well-adjusted with the current situation, too lazy to change anything, then of course people like Uther will always win!”

And yet the girl claimed she did not cower. What a laugh, really! Those were even worse than the people who at least admitted they were cowards! They could be viewed on with at least a little ounce of sympathy, whilst those who were nothing but twofaced were the real cowards. They could do differently, but they were too at home with their easy lives to try and fight for what they thought was right.
Oh, she would show this Caitrin what a totally despisable creature she was, and she would feel sorry for ever having crossed Nimueh’s path. For the High Priestess did not only see herself as possibly the last woman standing in the fight against Uther and his ways, she also saw herself as an avenging angel on all those who had the power to do something and yet didn’t. ‘Who doesn’t help is as guilty as the culprit’ was her motto, and Caitrin would soon see what exactly was meant with that.

Her next statement brought Nimueh’s temper even more towards the simmering state, but she was not like Uther. She didn’t explode like he might have done when she was so desperately angry, on the contrary, she suddenly got very calm. Deadly calm. And that was when her adversaries should be most afraid. What had come before had been the calm before the storm, but now her storm was breaking loose. It was a silent, but all the more deadly force of nature, like a sand storm, sneaking up on its victims before they knew it.
”Unlike my company you mean to say, yes?” she asked with a fake soft voice, slowly rising to her feet. “Who is this ‘friend’ to demand so much of your attention, I wonder? Are you maybe some knight’s little sweetheart? Searching the thrill of knowing that if he knew who you really were, he would have to kill you? How I despise such a spineless lot!”

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was going to protest, but in a way Nimueh was right. Caitrin was scared of using her sorcery, she just didn’t like using it in Camelot. She knew what was at stake to lose if she was ever discovered, and those odds had kept her magic at bay for over a year now. Sorcery had been a big part of her life in Mercia, but in Camelot she had found other things to distract herself with, mainly men. She didn’t like having to come to parts of the woods, such as these, to practise her sorcery because she knew how unsafe and undignified it was. However, if that was what she had to do to survive then she would bear the burden gladly. She’d lived like this too long to still be completely discontent with it anyway. She’d grown to accept that her sorcery wouldn’t be welcomed in Camelot for years to come, perhaps never. But she lived there now, and she had to just abide by the rules she lived under. She was happy in Camelot, and she didn’t want to ruin that. She looked at Nimueh with some sort of pity, she might have been powerful when magic was at it’s most influential, but now, from what Caitrin could see, she was just wandering about the forest. Could she not see that? Nothing had changed in Camelot, but it was easier to live within that society than live against it like this woman was choosing to do.

Well, Caitrin couldn’t be as overt to say that her leaving was just to get away from Nimueh’s company, but it was really. Everything about the woman’s behaviour was just confirming that Caitrin had been right to leave, but perhaps she should have just slipped away, or thought of something else. She had caused an awkward sort of confrontation, and she looked across to her horse, wishing she hadn’t tied the mare up now because that would just make getting away a slower affair. “He’s called Arthur.” She said dismissively, there were probably loads of Arthur’s in Camelot, but if she suspected it was the Prince maybe she would leave, or maybe that would make Caitrin the enemy as well. She realised she shouldn’t have spoken probably a few moments too late and she suddenly felt rather sick. If this woman hated Uther so much, would that hatred extend to Arthur? “We are not spineless, we are survivors. I don’t walk around the forests wishing for a return to older days.” She pointed out rather stiffly, she wouldn’t be called spineless. She lived in hope that one day magic would be restored, but in the meantime she wouldn’t live out here in mindless squalor just waiting for something to happen. No, that wasn’t her at all.

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Oh, this was going to end badly, and not for herself! Nimueh made this vow while gritting her teeth, feeling the annoying defiance of this girl in front of her gnawing away at her patience, her nerves, but also her self-esteem. Shouldn’t she show a little more fear as to what Nimueh could do to her? Did she pose that little of a threat or was Caitrin simply foolish? It must be the latter, of course, as Nimueh could never doubt what she was capable of. She was Camelot’s living bane, never giving up, never letting go, and she would find a way soon, the perfect way and the impeccable plan. Then they all would tremble at her feet, seeing her might like they never had seen it before! And Uther would admit his inferiority with his last, quivering and dying breath. She would see it in his eyes, that she had finally beaten him, and that he knew it. That would be the sweetest revenge she could imagine. Caught up in this thoughts, the look she was given by Caitrin enraged her even more. Could that be really PITY she saw? PITY??!!! Out of all feelings she should evoke in this stupid girl? Oh, that was too much!“I can guess what you are thinking, little girl, but you are wrong”, she said in an acid tone. “I am not in need of pity and I will never be! What I do might seem pointless to you, but that is only because you don’t see the bigger picture. You simply cannot share the boldness it takes to have my vision: A better Albion than there ever was before, with magic at its core. Magic is what made Albion strong, and it will make it strong again, once the misguided are rooted out.”


Arthur… now that hit a huge nerve! It took Nimueh only a heartbeat to make the connection and root out all other possibilities. This woman was noble, so unless she was completely crazy she would not call a common man her friend. And anyway, what common man would dare to call his son Arthur? Uther would have his head for High Treason, the way he treated commoners. And there was only one amongst the nobles sporting this name, royal by any means.
“Arthur Pendragon!!” She spat out the word like the vilest curse, anger boiling up in her, making her lose control over what she usually kept in check inside her. Clouds were massing together, darkening the sky, and you could hear the rumbling of thunder nearby. The air was suddenly sizzling with hostility.
“Now that explains everything, doesn’t it? The same haughty attitude, the same know-it-all dellusion, and yet you are as clueless as he is. You must be REALLY close if you could rub off on each other so well… or are you maybe a chip off the same block?”

It was long since Nimueh last had lost her temper like this, but it felt so very envigorating and refreshing. She would crush this little annoying girl who had dared to challenge and pity her in almost the same breath!
“I wonder…” now her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, and it still held much acid. “Does the dear Arthur know about his friend’s… preferences? I bet he doesn’t! What do you think he would say? Oooh, he will be so torn, but in the end… he puts duty above everything, doesn’t he? He will not like to see you burn… but I’m afraid he will.”

[Caitrin de Archer]

Where there had been pity, there was just a new feeling of fear and it felt unfamiliar to Caitrin. She wasn’t used to fear, or fearing for her life, but now she felt her pulse run through her and she backed away from the woman in front of her. Though she had felt sorry at first, that Nimueh could not see what Camelot now was, and what it would never return to, now she just didn’t know what to think or feel. She was afraid of the woman, but was she snapping back because she feared that Caitrin was right? Camelot would never accept magic again, and at the bottom of Caitrin’s mind she knew that fact and it hurt. It hurt so much to know she would forever be hiding this fact. She would never be able to teach her children the art of sorcery; that probably hurt most of all. What if she bore children who would inherit her talent? She could accept that she should hide her talents, but why should she force her children into that lifestyle as well? “Magic will never return to Camelot.” She said, almost bitterly. She might pray that it would do, but it never would. What reason would Arthur have to return magic to the Kingdom? He had been raised by Uther, so she had no reason to hope.

Caitrin flinched a little as Nimueh compared her to Arthur. No, Caitrin knew the good of sorcery, but she had never even brought the topic up with her friend. They were incomparable in that way, surely? She bit her lip, not sure of what to say. She began to back away from the woman, scared of what she was capable of. She didn’t want to imagine that Nimueh would hurt her, but she could quickly see her turning nasty, especially with this new revelation. “It’s not like that.” She bit back, not really believing the words herself, but still.

An involuntary chill ran up Caitrin’s spine, and she found herself backing into her mare who she could see was unsettled as well. Caitrin grabbed the reigns, trying to get the mare to settle a little whilst getting rid of the images of the burning pyre in her head. No, she was not going to die, not on the word of this woman. It still frightened her though, and she would be a fool not to be scared. “He-he will not, he would not hurt me.” She was rambling, but her hands were fumbling on the reigns and she was struggling to get Lily free but she eventually managed to. “I’m leaving.” She declared rather boldly, and started to lead Lily from the scene, but she didn’t mount just yet, the terrain was too rocky to mount just yet.

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Finally Nimueh saw what she had wanted to see. Fear. It wasn’t nearly as good as respect and by no means a substitute for it like many people believed, but in this situation it would do. She had tried respect, but this girl was too foolish, too adapted in her little world to even deserve to respect Nimueh. Now she would have to deal with the consequences of her rash dismissal of staying on the High Priestess’ good side. There were many ways do deal with her now, but Nimueh demanded time on her side to really have the chance to decide. Those who were insubordinate should be punished so they wouldn’t be so again, or at least think twice about it next time. Caitrin was not under her command of course, since she was no Priestess, but she was a creature of magic and as such Nimueh knew she had a hold over her. And she would use that hold. It was about time this young noblewoman learned a thing or two about respect!”Of course magic will return”, Nimueh said with conviction practically dripping from her every word. “It is said in many prophecies that it will, and even though they might be vague and untrue about who would be the one achieving it, the point still stands. You are simply a short-sighted, foolish little girl!”

Caitrin was retreating more and more, and already had practically bumped into her horse. That did not bother Nimueh. She could hinder Caitrin from leaving with nothing but a flicking of her finger or even less. Already, her mind was probing towards the woman’s mount, a spirited mare, she realized without much surprise, but that wouldn’t be too much of an obstacle. Magical creatures were much harder to control and she had done that many times.
”Not like that?” she echoed, scoffing. “How is it then?! It’s evident you seem so alike and yet couldn’t be more different. Don’t you see that this supposed friendship is nothing but an illusion? He would drop you just” she flicked her finger, “like that. For the ‘safety’ of his beloved kingdom of course. He really puts the ‘love of Camelot’ above everything.”

These words were not so much said to instill fear, more to hurt. Yes, Nimueh could be cruel that way. Caitrin had dared to defy her and now she would suffer in more than just one sense. Nothing could hurt more than a possible truth, and it hurt more the bigger the core of truth was within the intricatly woven net of lies.
And now she tried to leave, the foolish little girl. It was as amusing as it was pathetic. Nimueh did nothing for a second, just stood there, her arms crossed. Then, when the mare had already made a few hesitant steps, she suddenly spoke up. “Did I allow you to take your leave? I really can’t recall I did.” With these words she tightened her mental grip around the horse’s spirit and simply commanded it to stop until further notice. If Caitrin wanted to leave before Nimueh’s say so, she would have to use her legs. And even that could be prevented.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin still felt justifiably afraid as Nimueh looked on at her, there was a certain chill about the air which Caitrin didn’t like and she couldn’t understand it. She resisted the urge to shudder as the woman spoke. How on earth would Caitrin hear of such prophecies? She had been well educated in Mercia, but those had been in Mercian matters, not in the history of Camelot. “How would you expect me to know of such things?” She spoke back to Nimueh in the same harshness that she was being spoken to. She would not be called short sighted, after all, her view was perfectly justified. Why on earth would magic return to Camelot? There was no reason why it should after all. Uther hated magic, and no doubt Arthur would follow in his path, why would he have any particular allegiances to magic either? “The King kills everyone with sorcery, how do you expect it to return to the kingdom?” They were harsh words, but they were true in Caitrin’s eyes. She wanted sorcery to return of course, Jesu she would like nothing less than to reveal her true self, but she couldn’t. Though it hurt to hide her sorcery and play this part, the alternative was unbearable.

Again there was a chill running down Caitrin’s side. Arthur was one of her best friends, she knew he would not betray her no matter what. No, she didn’t know that, she merely hoped it. Caitrin ran her hands through her hair and bit her lip slightly. She shook her head at Nimueh, wanting to convince herself that she was right, that it wouldn’t matter if Arthur knew she was a sorceress, he wouldn’t see any harm come to her. But she knew it wasn’t Arthur she should be worried about, it was Uther. He wouldn’t bother to hear her story, she’d seen him execute so many of her kind since coming to Camelot. The fire burned bright in her memory, and she suddenly had the urge to retch and she put her hand on her stomach, trying to tell herself she was being stupid. “I-he wouldn’t.” She said firmly, though not as firmly as she would have hoped.

Caitrin was trying to lead Lily back to the road as quickly as she could. However, the mare seemed unsettled, and just wouldn’t move. Caitrin was panicking, which was never a good state to get herself into. She put her hand on the mares face and whispered to her, but the mare didn’t feel like herself. “Lily?” She whispered softly but the mare wouldn’t respond to her. She pulled the reigns again but still she wouldn’t move. She looked back to Nimueh, sure she had some part in this, “What have you done to her?” She demanded sharply, “I don’t need your permission to leave.”

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The girl was just being silly now in her fear, and it made Nimueh snort. Had she expected more of her? Maybe yes, maybe not, in the end it didn’t matter. It was good Caitrin felt that way, since Nimueh was really meant to be a figure of fear for her enemies. And yes, momentarily Caitrin was more an enemy than anything for the High Priestess. She had shown her opposition and scorn openly, had even dared to feel pity towards her, and even though she had magic, she rather hid it than using it for the good cause, for Nimueh’s cause. Those were the lowest of creatures in her eyes, and she didn’t feel anything but contempt for them. “Of course you wouldn’t know of the prophecies, they are only known to a very selected few, the most powerful and pure servants of magic”“And are you really so innocent as to not know what is the only way to bring magic back to Camelot? Right now the people are putting their trust in Uther, not magic. But they hate him. It doesn’t take much to spurn their trust in him completely. And who do you think they’ll turn to once Uther is out of the picture?” Nimueh’s eyes were gleaming with an almost fanatic light now. “They always need someone to tell them what is right and wrong… it is time for this picture to be finally set right again. That magic is right, and Uther is wrong. And if that doesn’t help, Uther will have to be forced out of this picture.”

And still she kept on denying that Arthur would drop her… it was patheric, really. How come a girl who had seemed so reasonable before, could cling to such delusions and not realize it. Maybe she didn’t know Arthur was well as she thought then! Nimueh was adamant she knew him better. She had helped in creating him after all, and she knew his father like no other man in this world.
[color=660099”Keep on telling yourself that, darling”

[/color], she said patronisingly and smiled. “Maybe someday you’ll really believe it. But Arthur is very easy to distract from friendship. I should know”, Nimueh gave a teasing little laugh, feeling all in her element again. Being the manipulator. If Caitrin wanted to know more about what Nimueh was referring to, she would have to ask. If she didn’t, Nimueh would know how best to treat her next, it was also a test of sorts-

Nimueh still held the horse’s mind firmly in custody and kept her from walking. It got more difficult when Caitrin asked her what was wrong and why she was not moving, apparently the bond between horse and rider was pretty strong. Too bad. This might become tricky, if she was forced to perform other magic at the same time. Horses were of course more difficult to demand than other mounts, like mules or donkeys, since they had a much stronger personality. And they really could grow attached to their riders.
”Now that is where you are wrong, child”, Nimueh retorted equally sharply. “You will not leave unless you show me the respect I deserve. You might have but an inkling of who you are dealing with. I could take you out with a flicking of my finger, and even your petty magic wouldn’t save you!”
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[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin didn’t like what Nimueh was implying, in fact she more than didn’t like it, it made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. Not only were they speaking of matters of sorcery, but now she was hinting at the death of the king as well. It was treason to do so, every fool in the foregate knew that. Caitrin bit her lip, she had no idea how Nimueh’s plan would work, or how the prophecy would be fulfilled, because surely this would be a never ending cycle? Arthur would keep his fathers laws, and then his son after him would keep those laws. Was it so hard to see that? “But Arthur will come after Uther, and he follows his father.” She felt like she was being reasonable pointing this out, but Nimueh would probably disagree.

She inclined her head to the side, standing quite close to her mare as Nimueh spoke. She wasn’t sure how much the woman knew of Arthur, and for all she knew she could be bluffing and actually know nothing about him, or what he was capable of. Or she could know everything; she couldn’t gamble either way. But she knew Arthur was a good man, and that was that, and she could rely on that fact alone; couldn’t she? “Arthur would never betray his friends.” She was sure of that, how could he? She had known him long enough to know he had a kind heart no matter what. The more she said though, the less sure she was. Perhaps it was because everything Nimueh said was with such confidence that it was hard to imagine she was lying. Caitrin knew she was lying though, what could this woman know?

Caitrin needed a plan, quickly. She could see Lily was faltering every now and again, but it wasn’t enough to get her to move. She was sure the witch was doing something to her, and she didn’t like it one bit. She stroked Lily’s head again, ruffling her mane, she knew the mare liked that, but still it wasn’t enough. Focussing on Lily was shading Caitrin’s fear somewhat of the witch in front of her. She bit her lip, but she needed to think of something that would work sooner rather than later. Caitrin breathed out slowly, “You should never underestimate a Mercian.” She smirked in a moment of bravery, if she was going to go down, she was going to go down fighting. She was a Mercian after all. Caitrin raised her hand, the fire was still burning inbetween her and Nimueh. With the words at her tongue, and a flash of her eyes, the fire burned up, like a sort of barrier, it wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to shock, and hopefully would give her enough time to escape with her mare.

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The girl insisted that everything was lost, that Arthur would follow in his father’s footsteps. Where did she take that sureness from? Nimueh had thought she knew Arthur better than that, but then as he had stepped in to save Merlin, she had been forced to stop him, even if she knew that he was not intended to die at her hands. That was why she hadn’t finished him off, but had rather left it to the Balorian spiders… but AGAIN Merlin had interfered and saved Arthur even on his deathbed! How was that possible?! What power did that boy possess?! So now, Arthur of course would see magic as a personal threat to him as well, even though he didn’t know half of it. How would he react, if he found out that he himself was a creature of magic, that his father was a hypocrite for first using magic to his personal gain and then banning it when it had backfired on him. Would that make Arthur hate it more or less?
”That remains to be seen”, Nimueh retorted rather haughtily. “In any way Arthur is not as stupid as his father, he takes more after his mother. Maybe there is still a chance for him to see sense in all that madness. If not… then there has to be a different solution.”

Nimueh gave a short laugh at Caitrin’s conviction that Arthur would never betray his friends. He might not want to do it, that much was for sure, but he was easily distracted on his way, given half the chance. Had she tried a little harder back then in the Forest of Balor, she could have made him forget his initial strive. “You may cling to that hope, girl, but I hope for your sake it will never be put to the test. Arthur might be not as blinded by hatred like Uther is, but do you think he would defy his father for you… when he spoke the death sentence over your head? He is ever inch the dutiful son and heir… never forget that!”
Feeding the girls fear was quite appealing to the High Priestess, but it soon would lose some of its taste, because eventually Caitrin would either have to retort or give up. No one could stand by being tortured by such images for long.

As if her thoughts had taken a sudden life, the scene was changing before Nimueh’s very eyes. One moment Caitrin was all panic, trying to urge her horse to cooperate, which was complete in vain, and the next moment she seemed to regain at least part of her poise, saying: “You should never underestimate a Mercian.”
Nimueh’s brows furrowed. What was that supposed to mean? From what she knew Mercians were headstrong and sometimes very arrogant, but wasn’t it the Camelotians coming up with these last-ditch attempts on fatal bravery? Before she could give a retort to the woman’s statement, suddenly the flames of the fire flashed up high and the wind pushed them in Nimueh’s direction. Not able to control her basest instincts for a moment, she staggered back, away from the blistering heat and threw out her arms for protection. The control over Caitrin’s mare slipped and faltered, before Nimueh had a chance to work against it.
”You’ll regret that!” she snarled. “Fire might follow your command, but I control them all!” Livid with anger, Nimueh thrust out her hand. “Lyft, fyr, hiersumie me!” The gentle breeze in the air magnified into a howling storm, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once, creating a fiery whirl in the air. Then Nimueh planted her feet firmly on the ground and cried: “Eaorthe, ábife!” An instant later, the ground started to rumble and shake.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was still convinced that magic would never return to Camelot. The thought had never really entered her mind with any real conviction and that hope had died a little every time she had seen someone burned in the square in Camelot city. It had hurt her, but it was a raw hurt and one that she had never been able to confide within anyone else. She couldn’t have any sympathy with anyone who had sorcery because then she would be as guilty as they were and that just made her feel sick. They were her kind, and her people, and she had watched the life fade from their eyes like she was just like everyone else. Suddenly, Caitrin began to hate herself for what she had seen done, and what she had stood back and let happen. But what good was she? She wasn’t a priestess, she just had a few powers and that was it. She was no good to anyone and she knew that. She would forever just slip under the net, and remain undetected. “If you say so.” Caitrin couldn’t think what else to say, she had no answers, because she had no idea what the future held for any of them. She could hope magic would return to Camelot, but that was all it was, feeble hope. It didn’t mean anything and it never would.

The thought that Arthur would put the law above their friendship should not have shocked and scared her as much as it did. She knew that it would be Arthur’s duty to give her over if he ever learned the truth, but that didn’t stop her not wanting to believe it. Surely Arthur would see her for what she was, she wasn’t anything dangerous, neither had she ever shown herself to be. She had always been dutiful if nothing else. She could feel she was almost trembling, because this woman was frightening her and she would be a fool if she couldn’t admit that. “It will never be tested.” She promised Nimueh forcefully. This little incident would never ever be repeated again. This had been a stupid little episode, and one that would never be repeated. From now on there would be no more sneaking off to practise her magic, should she survive this then her sorcery would be even more guarded than before.

As soon as Caitrin sensed that the mare was back with her she slapped the back of her legs so that the horse galloped off quickly without its rider. It was too dangerous to mount her here but if she got the horse away she could call her back when she got away from Nimueh. Lily was well trained, and Caitrin had to have faith in her. She watched the mare go but then looked back to the woman in front of her. She was smug that her little attack had caught her off guard, but she knew that if it came down to a matter of power then Caitrin would lose. She wasn’t well practised or incredibly strong, and it was a recipe for disaster. The ground beneath Caitrin began to rumble and she grabbed onto the nearest tree to keep her balance; it was all he could do to stop herself from falling over. Caitrin too had power over wind, but nowhere near enough to counteract this spell. Shaking, Caitrin tried to raise a hand to command the fire once more, but the fire whistled away to nothing until her eyes flashed red, the words were shouted and the fire spiralled up with the wind the other sorceress had created, creating a spiral of fire between the young women. Caitrin just gaped at it for a few moments, still clinging to the tree to keep herself upright, hoping this would be enough to throw the sorceress of her for a while.

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Nimueh brushed that compliant comment off with a scoff and a dismissive gesture. She didn’t like those who just gave in to have their piece of mind. She knew she was right, and she didn’t need this foolish girl to succeed in her plans. Soon, very soon, she would find a way to take out Merlin and possibly Arthur in one strike, if that was what she wished. She had the power over life and death, and even if she knew this power should never be toyed with, her enemies had assumed the same power without repercussions for too long. THEY had not been bestowed with these powers and yet they played God and decided to ban something that was as intricately interwoven with life than the air was for most creatures. Magic was the very essence of this world, and it would not be denied for long. Even now, there was a down spiral beginning most people were too blind to see. Without magic, the world would become a hollow, bleak and lifeless place, and it had already begun. It would take too long for those stubborn souls like Uthers to really see sense on their own, so they had to be MADE seeing sense – or put out of the picture, if reasoning failed. The world wouldn’t cry long for Uther… he had made too many people cry in return.

She was getting to the girl now and she was getting her good! Nimueh didn’t bother to keep the satisfied smirk off her face as she watched the young woman’s wall of indifference and self-assurance waver. Apparently she had found just the right buttons to push. You needn’t push them too far though, Nimueh knew as much, they were better pushed once towards the limit and then left festering in their own little poison that would slowly affect the mind. She didn’t know the girl well enough to guess if she could have planted the seed for a serious paranoia, but she had seen it happen with other people. If anything, she had managed to make her confidence in the friendship to Arthur waver, and maybe she now would always look at him and think: ‘If he knew… would he really have me killed?’. Nimueh might have weakened a firm alliance formed by trust, and that was enough for her for now. So all she did was flashing Caitrin a sugar-sweet smile and copying the words the girl had just thrown at her earlier. “If you say so.”

Good, she had lost control over the mare, but in the end that didn’t turn out as desastrous as she had feared, since Caitrin did the foolish thing to rather send the horse away than try to mount it. Now it gallopped away with rolling eyes and prancing steps, and Nimueh let it get away. What was the foolish girl thinking? That she could call it again after she had been released? Was she so trustworthy and naïve to think that she really WOULD get out of this alive? Or had she sent away her mount in an act of fatalism? Well, in the end it really didn’t matter, and Nimueh had other things to deal with that required her full concentration. She could ponder further about the girl’s motives to amuse herself, after this was through.
The heat of the fire was searing, even from such a reasonable distance, but Nimueh had been trained to withstand it just like she had learnt to master all the other elements. With satisfaction she saw the flickers of fear in Caitrin’s eyes, and she gave a malicious laugh, raising her hand slowly to assume command over the whirling firestorm. “Not so bold now my dear, are we?! You want to learn how to really control fire? Then deal with THIS!” and with a sharp flicking of her wrist she sent the fiery, turning wall of fire towards Caitrin, while the ground still trembled. She didn’t want to kill the girl, if she could help it, she only wanted to teach her a lesson she would never forget. If Caitrin had learned how to control fire, she might be able to keep the fiery column away from herself. Nimueh was actually intrigued to see how good the girl really was or if she had been all talk earlier.

[Caitrin de Archer]

It would have been foolish of Caitrin to pretend that she wasn’t scared, or intimidated by this situation in the slightest. After all, she didn’t really want to be in this situation at all, and Nimueh was a lot more powerful than she was, so who knows what she was capable of. She should have just run off when she had the chance, but instead she’d been stubborn, and had felt like she’d had to stay here to prove a point. Well, the point had been semi proven, and now he wished that she hadn’t tried to prove it at all. Everything about this situation unnerved Caitrin, and she didn’t feel in control anymore. She had felt pity for Nimueh, seeing as she lived out here in exile, clinging onto the hope that sorcery would one day be restored to Camelot. Caitrin had dreamed of that time before now, when she’d first come to live in Camelot it had been the only thing that had kept her going. She knew now that it would never happen, she had seen too many burned, and too many executed for their sorcery to still cling onto her childish hope that magic would return. Nimueh could preach prophecies at her but it would do no good. Why would magic be restored to Camelot? If anything the example they had set would spread to other kingdoms in Albion, and her kind would not be welcomed anywhere. Caitrin pressed her lips together and shook her head at Nimueh, and stepped back from the woman.

Caitrin was still clinging to the belief that Arthur wouldn’t have her harmed if she told him the truth. Perhaps if they had grown up together things would be different, and perhaps he would already know, but they had only met a few years ago, and though they were close she’d never dared to speak a word about sorcery to him. It was more than her life was worth, and she just wanted to lie low, and adapt to the Camelotian ways. She wanted this to work, there was no way she was fleeing back to Mercia. She couldn’t go back to her father and family in Camelot, she just couldn’t. The memories of her childhood still haunted her dreams, and even the temptation of being able to practise sorcery freely wasn’t enough to make he want to go back home. “I know so.” She retorted quickly and pressed her lips together.

She barely had time to be smug about the fact she had finally gotten the fire to whirl at her opponent before Nimueh had flung it back at her. Caitrin spun quickly and raised her hands, screaming her words into the flames. She faltered, just for a moment before the flames moved from her, back towards Nimueh before dispersing completely, leaving the air open between them. She was just shocked for a few moments, and she breathed in and out pressed her lips together. Her chest was rising rapidly, and she took a few moments to look at Nimueh before finding her courage again as she rose the flames once more in front of them both, they weren’t high, but high enough to cause a barrier between them. She could still see over the flames, and she looked Nimueh straight in the eye, “Let me leave this place, please.”

[Deleted]

It was truly a pity the girl was so stubborn and simply refused to succumb to Nimueh’s will. Her being a student of Helgund’s should have made her know better than that. But then, like master like man, Helgund had been a coward and fled, instead of taking up the arms for the defense of magic. So much talent wasted. And now her student was wasting her talents as well, cowering low in the lion’s den, escaping to the forest to practice some magic. People like her didn’t deserve the Goddess’ gift! If she only had listened earlier, Nimueh could have made great use of her. Now, Caitrin was just becoming an annoying nuisance. Should she let her live? Death was too easy for that kind, most likely. They should rather continue their miserable life in self-denial, having to live through every second of it, always knowing that their life was a lie and that there always was a deadly threat over their heads, should anyone find out. Oh yes, that was far better a punishment than the grace of death. So Caitrin would live, but Nimueh would make sure she fully understood what kind of life she was leading. A life at her mercy, and a life in disgrace!

Only rolling her eyes, Nimueh decided to let go of the matter of Arthur Pendragon. Who knew, after all, sometimes that boy clearly showed a do-gooder streak he must have inherited from his mother, and maybe it would rear its head just as Caitrin was found out. Would it make a difference, if the girl confided in him herself, instead of being told off? Maybe… but that was not any of Nimueh’s business. Not until it came in handy, of course. She definitely knew a dark secret now,and dark secrets were the sweetest to exploit.
“If you are so sure, then you won’t have anything against me putting that notion to the test”, she only remarked with a mean smirk. “A noble lady with name Caitrin was seen practicing sorcery by an innocent villager woman, who thought it her duty to report this shocking incident at once. Who knows, after all, what a sorceror being able to command fire could do to Camelot. She could burn the whole city to ashes with just a flicking of her finger… if she ever was that powerful of course, but let’s not run any risks.”


Just how much potential really lay dormant in Caitrin, Nimueh got a quick glimpse of as she sent the whirling fire against the girl. Caitrin did not only manage to keep the flames at a distance, she also managed to dissolve them, even though Nimueh had allowed nothing of that sort. She really could command the flames quite expertly, even if she still needed words for it. A rough, fiery ruby… waiting for just a little more polishing, but stubbornly refusing it. What foolishness!
Then the flames rose again, but now more like a barrier than a threat. That girl really seemed to like the defensive side of combat. Well, that was fine with Nimueh! She smirked at Caitrin’s words, pleased to finally hear them. “Begging, are we?” she dragged the words out with visible pleasure. “Fine… but do you think you deserve that mercy?” With a flicking of her hand, she commanded a part of the flames to lash out in Caitrin’s general direction like a snake. “I am not convinced… I’m sure you can do better, yes?”

[Caitrin de Archer]

The longer she stayed here, the more she felt ill. She wanted to be back at home, even needlework would be a welcomed solace from this. She always thought that sorceresses were much like herself, with the odd exception. If this woman thought she spoke out for most of the sorceresses, then she was completely mistaken. Surely there were more like Caitrin? She couldn’t be the only one wanting to lie low and just get on with her life? Nimueh had to be the exception and not the rule, she just had to be. Caitrin didn’t want to think that this woman, with her temperament and threats really did represent sorcery. How could any good come out of women like this? Caitrin wanted to think that there were more like herself, that lived quite peaceful lives, and did not use magic to define them, but she was quickly realising that she was likely to be the exception. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been blessed with these talents after all. Was she any better than Uther? Oh, she didn’t know anymore, she didn’t want Nimueh dead, she just didn’t want her to harm anyone, or anything within Camelot and the seven kingdoms. Was that too much to ask?

A cold bead of sweat ran down Caitrin’s face as Nimueh began to spin her words. Oh God, her breathing began to quicken, and she almost felt her life flash before her eyes. If Nimueh breathed a word of this to anyone she would have to run away, back to Mercia or to wherever she could manage. She shook her head, unable to speak for a few minutes. She couldn’t tell Uther, she just couldn’t! It wasn’t the most mature response Caitrin had ever thought of, but it was the one she was clinging onto. There was genuine fear in her eyes now, “I’m no threat to you, why can’t you leave me be?” She asked quietly and pulled her cloak around her shoulders, feeling a chill in the forest air. She knew her heart was still racing, she really couldn’t handle this tension. “We both know I’m not powerful enough to harm anyone.” She wasn’t that powerful, she might as well not have sorcery for all the use it brought her.

She hadn’t expected it to be that easy, and she jumped back as Nimueh flicked the flames towards her. Caitrin quickly regained her stance and held up her hands and shouted to mould the flames away from her, back to their original place. When she had done, she found she was panting. She’d never used sorcery with such might and strength before, and it was both physically and emotionally draining, “I don’t know what you see, but I’m nothing, let me be.”

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Nimueh could almost physically feel the unease of the girl and her dominance in this confrontation. It gave her a feeling of power, but it also slowly made her feel bored. She liked challenges, but only as long as they remained a challenge. Caitrin was just scared now, and frankly, scared people bored Nimueh to death. She might still put up a fight, which was nice, but the question of superiority was solved in all finality. Caitrin would never provoke her again, that much was for sure. She could try, of course, but she would be as quickly smashed down as a flie by a towel. Sometimes, being so powerful as Nimueh was really could be boring, she yearned for a little competition. That young sorceror, Merlin, he might one day turn out to be quite some competition, as he had thwarted enough of her plans already. She was furious of course, but then, only competition raised your minds to the highest heights, spurring you on to be always that one step ahead of your adversary. Here the last word seemed already spoken. Like she was now, hardly trained and not equipped with the power she could have if she only wanted, Caitrin was no competition for Nimueh. She was a nuisance, nothing more. Too bad… a really sad affair when you thought about it. An ally lost but no true enemy gained either. What could that girl possibly do to her?

And there it was again, the flicker of fear in Caitrin’s eyes. Oh, she was not dumb, at least her wit did not insult Nimueh. That girl knew very well that she had utterly lost now and she – of course – resorted to begging. Well, not yet begging in the literal sense, but she tried to appeal to Nimueh’s sense of logic. It was true… why should she threaten this young hardly trained witch, if she posed no threat to Nimueh herself? Oh well, that answer was simple: Because she could! Because she wanted her to see that she was nothing but a fish dangling from her hook. “To me that would matter”, she mused in a sickly-sweet tone, “but sadly for our dear king magic is magic. And magic is bad. You’re right, you are no threat to me… and with that opinion towards your incredible gift that will never change. So… should I be merciful and let the matter drop?” she asked, a mean smirk playing around her lips. It would be a nice little adornment to hear the word ‘please’, but it was no necissity. “I could… or I could not. This is what it comes down to: your life. In my hands. As long as I see fit. This, girl, is what I call power!”

How long should she keep up that little game of making Caitrin fight against her own element? It had been amusing in the beginning, but now it started to bore her, just like this whole encounter was. Every cat eventuelly got tired of playing with the mouse. Now the question was: Finish off or let go? A dead sorceror was of no use to Nimueh… but a living sorceror in denial wasn’t either! Unless… the leverage she had on Caitrin now could one day come in handy. You never knew…
”That is right!” Nimueh agreed with a cold, cutting voice. “You’re nothing. Nothing at all, when you could be so much more. It’s a shame, a disgrace. But if you choose to be a disgrace, then I cannot stop you.” Dragging the moment out a bit longer, she then held up her hand, saying: “Ic tóforlætee fyr” which made the flames die down and vanish, then waited for Caitrin’s next move.

[Caitrin de Archer]

It was times like this that Caitrin wished that she wasn’t special, and that she didn’t have these gifts. Since childhood they had caused her nothing but trouble, yet she had been told by Helgund that she was special, and that her gifts were something to be cherished. It was hard to believe that while she was here, fending off one of her own kind because she just wanted an honest and peaceful life. She didn’t feel like she could live with just sneaking off to practice her sorcery every two minutes. It really was no way to live, and she was just sick of it. Did she really want to call herself a sorceress if this kind of woman was what represented her kind? She had been stupid and naïve to imagine that her kind was like her, and that Uther had been wrong to oppress them. She wasn’t condoning his actions, but if women like Nimueh were the cause of the passing of the ban on sorcery, she could see why if she was acting this way to one who was of her kind. She drew a deep, and slow breath, trying to figure out what her next move should be. She wanted to just run, and go back home, and forget about this, but what if she did go to Uther? She could burn for this, and no way was Caitrin about to let that happen. This would be settled here or not at all.

She looked up at Nimueh seriously and shook her head, she was so wrong, this wasn’t an incredible gift, how could it be? She was already showing how much harm she could cause just with a few words in the right place could cause. She wouldn’t do anything drastic like run away, or recreate herself, but she was starting to feel ashamed of the fact she was a sorceress. All these years under Uther’s rule she had been so proud to defy him, and to practice her gifts secretly, and imagine that everyone felt the same as she did. It had taken Nimueh to show her how dangerous magic was, and how it could just as easily be misused as used in the right way. “It’s not an incredible gift, not if it can cause as much harm as you are suggesting.” She was ignoring the issues of mercy, and the fact that Nimueh had her life between her fingers, nothing she could think to say would change that fact. Nimueh would either act on her threats or she wouldn’t and that was the cold, hard truth of the matter.

Caitrin stood strong against Nimueh’s insults, it was strange, what she saw as a disgrace, Caitrin saw as the opposite. She was surviving, which was more than she could say for Nimueh who was just out here in the forest. What kind of life was that? “I’m not a disgrace, I’m just surviving, it’s all I’ve ever done.” She stepped towards the woman, “I’d rather be the way I am now than living out here in the wilderness like you.” She wasn’t going to rely on her sorcery to talk for her, if Nimueh wanted to carry on this battle then she would try to keep up, but for now Caitrin was just going to use her words to their best effect.

[Deleted]

Now all that was left from the broken pieces of this encounter was asking herself what the hell had gone wrong and where exactly it had taken the wrong turn, Nimueh realized with an inward sigh. Truly, what on earth had happened?! She had been on such a good path with the girl, able to manipulate her emotions, exploiting the fact that they had an acquaintance in common, a very important one for the girl even – but suddenly they were at completely opposite ends, and all hopes of still getting the girl to trust her had utterly failed. She was a disgrace, given, but when it came down to it Nimueh would know her mother, the former High Priestess, would also call her, Nimueh, a failure now. She had failed in her duty as High Priestess, getting those with magical blood under her wing. There was truly no place where Caitrin seemed to want to be less right now.
Had Nimueh lost her touch after all? Or wasn’t she even to blame for this failure? In the end, it was probably nothing but the girl’s stubbornness bringing on the collapse of their encounter and promising start. Of course, that had to be it, even though it still rubbed wrong that there really seemed on person on this earth Nimueh was apparently unable to manipulate. There was always a first of course, but that didn’t make it any more pleasing an experience.

Nimueh snorted. This girl claimed to be a healer and yet she didn’t know the first and foremost principle of the healing arts, which could be so very comparable to the use of magic sometimes?! That was almost ridiculous, hadn’t it been so sad at the same time. “The best remedy can be a curse in too high a dose”, she remarked, scoffing. “And fire itself is also a good example of that. Without fire, we’d be nothing better than animals, eating raw meals and freezing to death in winter. But its power is only so much controllable in the end. It can destroy a whole forest and a city in only a few minutes. So if you shy away from a thing because of its possible danger, you are also not worthy of the great benefits it will give you.” No, she really was getting tired of this, two beliefs as firm as a rock were clashing here with no prospect of getting anything useful out of it when it came down to it. This was truly a waste of space, and as far as Nimueh was concerned, she’d rather forget this encounter as soon as possible, and also the many things Caitrin accused her of that were just a tad close to truth for comfort.

“I’d rather be the way I am now than living out here in the wilderness like you.”
Like this, for example. Now that impossible girl was trying to make her feel ashamed of her way of living. Good thing Nimueh didn’t suffer from self-doubts or a low self-esteem. That’ll be the day! What did this girl know, after all? Nigh to nothing!
“I might be ‘hiding’ as you put it, and I might be on my own, but at least I’m free!” she snapped. Caitrin wanted a battle of words? Oh well, she could get that! “I am not subject to any cruel law and I don’t have to negate who I am. I’d choose that over licking Uther’s boots any day!”

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin felt very, very scared and completely out of control. All her life she had wanted to believe that sorcerers only strove for good, and that their gifts should be use to help rather than to harm. She had the gifts over fire, wind and other minor spells, but she would never implore them for anything but good. Perhaps that meant she wasn’t worthy to wield them, because she would rather stay hidden, and keep the gifts to herself, but it was what she had to do to stay alive, and if that was the cost of staying alive then she would gladly pay it. She had no intention of rising to Nimueh, or siding with her cause. She didn’t believe in it, what hope did magic have of returning to Camelot? It had been twenty years, the children playing in the street and the young knight of Camelot had no memory of a time of magic, and therefore had no fond memories of it, and the good magic could do. What on earth would inspire masses like that to rise up or the cause of magic, when all sorcery had done was to bring misery to the kingdom over the past few months? Caitrin was young, and inexperienced and naive, but she was fully aware of that. She knew that she would never see the side to the story that Nimueh was trying to preach to her. But surely hardening everyone’s hearts against magic was not the way to go.

Nothing Nimueh was saying could ever sway Caitrin’s opinion. She couldn’t understand how Nimueh ever expected her plans to work. If she were to attack Camelot then surely they would loathe, rather than love magic. She knew that she was trying to provoke her, but Caitrin did sometimes feel unworthy to wield her gifts, but what else could she do? All she felt she could do at the moment was to bide her time, a time when magic would become more acceptable within Camelot. If that time never came then her secret would die with her, and she would deal with that. She would survive as she always had. “I would rather live, and keep my gifts a secret.” She replied stubbornly, “Sorcery will never return to Camelot while we continue to be plagued by sorcerers seeking revenge. All it will do is harden the heart of the people, people who would be needed to seek a change in the law.” She was surprised with how confidently her words came to her, but once they had been said there was no taking them back, and she believed them completely.

Caitrin inclined her head towards Nimueh, and then looked around the hovel they were now arguing in. “You might be free, but free to do what exactly?” Perhaps they didn’t have the same wants and needs, but Caitrin preferred a life where she had a roof over her head and her family around her. What did Nimueh have? From what Caitrin could see, despite this freedom, she had very little. “I would rather live as I do now, at court with my friends and family, than be out here in exile.” She said rather curtly, she had had enough of Nimueh’s games, and she bit her lip, she wanted to leave, but short on running off she couldn’t think how to broach that one, so she took a step back, looking behind her, ready to run when the moment called for it.