To Change Time

[Kaisaan]

Ronin gave a growling kind of sigh, but nodded. "I will. It's not like I'm going to be allowed out of bed by any of you." he pointed out with a grumpy kind of grumble, but the dancing light in his eyes gave falsehood to his irritation. It was further shown that he wasn't truly unhappy as his hand suddenly grabbed a pillow and he threw it directly into Lancelot's face with a laugh. "And I AM ready to run laps! I got rest - oomph!" he protested and Galahad collapsed into laughter as Gwaine took it upon himself to grab another pillow and smack the traveler with it.

What ensued next was an all out war of pillows between four grown men and it wasn't until a voice cleared in the doorway that the four seemed to freeze, wide eyed and guilty-looking as if they were children caught by their mother. It wasn't far from the truth - minus the mother part - as Guinevere stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her dark red dress and an elegant brow arched over amused eyes and a half-smiling mouth.

"Just what are you three doing riling him up?"

Galahad instantly turned red in faint shame, but Gwaine opened his mouth in protest, stuttering and Ronin made the mistake of laughing, instantly bringing the Queen's eyes to him. "And you! You are supposed to be resting, Ronin Belnoro!"

The traveler winced, his full name definitely a bad sign on the woman's lips, but even in her scolding...Guinevere wasn't angry and it was clear to see as the smile never quite left her lips.

---------

"I know everything there is to know about Karen and Ronin. I have ever since I was a child." Merlin answered truthfully, calmly and he made a small gesture with that same calmness, dismissing Anya's worries about speaking on the topic. "Ronin knows very well that I have knowledge about his relationship with Karen and he knows very well that if I deem something should be said or spoken of, I will speak. He brought you here knowing that and I know the traveler; if he didn't want you knowing something, he would have brought you somewhere else or simply asked me not to speak. He did neither. By this basis, I can only assume that it is fine to speak with you and even more so, that he might want me to."

The wizard sighed just a bit. "Karen truly is a painful topic for him and even to me he will not speak about her at length, and not unless I ask first." Merlin paused and seemed to gather his thoughts then, taking into account the questions Anya had voiced - even the ones she'd not truly spoken - and how best to apply the best answers in the most concise and condensed way he could. Finally, he spoke again, the silence becoming a bit uncomfortable, even for him and he could only imagine how it was making Anya feel. Perhaps like she should not have asked at all, poor girl.

"Ronin and Karen are half-siblings. Only Ronin knows this, however, and such information did not become known to him until after their falling out. Still, even without having that information, they had been like a brother and a sister to each other since they were young children. Many thought they would become more as they grew older, but that kind of love never appeared between the two, and better that it didn't." The redhead paused yet again, thinking how best to continue. To tell how they found the time machines? No, that was a story for Ronin. How they'd traveled through time, exploring, marveling? Perhaps how little by little they'd started to change, how Ronin had grown concerned for his sister, his friend, long before she'd gone dark? How he'd denied it to himself, scared to admit what he was already starting to suspect?

"Karen's betrayal was devastating for Ronin. He'd suspected something was changing about her for some time before she turned completely, but he didn't want to believe it. And when she did turn...Ronin let her take him, willingly. He thought, hoped, that he could help her, fix her, bring her back, but..." Merlin shook his head, a regretful, saddened look to his red eyes. "Karen didn't want to come back. She'd been embracing the darkness far longer than Ronin had guessed at first. She was too far gone and Ronin learned that in a rather....painful way."

The wizard's demeanor seemed to change for a moment, to grow hard and angry, his red eyes flaring with sparks of reds, oranges and yellows like flame before he took a breath and consciously controlled the reaction. His voice was calm once more when he spoke. "Karen now wants Ronin's power. If she can take it from him, absorb it, she will be nothing short of a goddess among mortals. At first, she didn't know how to go about this and so for two years she...experimented on Ronin before his own powers truly emerged and he escaped. Though, not before Karen discovered an inkling of knowledge about how to extract his powers from him. It wasn't a full picture, but she's had many years and many time-streams to figure out the full puzzle."

Merlin grimaced his distaste and hidden anger, shaking his head. "Now all that remains is to catch Ronin and Karen knows that by causing destruction, she will lure him into trap after trap until finally he can't escape. Ronin can't help but go, though. While Karen's power is bent toward destruction and her time machine bends to her will, has adopted her nature as time machines are wont to do, Ronin's power is restoration and his time machine adopts that as its goal as well. The only problem for Ronin, however, is that he has no control over the whole thing."

 

[redblood]

It was rather nice seeing Ronin so reasonable, even though he pretended to be irritated by it. His eyes told them too much of his true state of mind. "True. We won't let you move a UGH." Lancelot was abruptly interrupted by a flying pillow hitting his face. It then fell towards the floor, but was caught just in time by the knights two hands. He wasn't thinking about engaging in some childish revenge, but once the others rushed into a pillow fight, not even Lancelot could resist to join them.

It wasn't before a far too familiar voice clearing interrupted them that Lancelot remembered that he was supposed to make Ronin rest. A straight out war with pillows, even a fun one, wasn't the best way of resting.

The knight dropped the pillow he had just been about to throw, and stood up properly. Queen Guinevere might be smiling and might have been slightly amused by the event, but that did not excuse their behavior. "Forgive us my queen. We should have made sure not to subject him to such a game when he's in such a state." Lancelot apologized with a deep bow. A bow that might have been placed there more out of fear to look the queen straight in the eyes, than to actually show respect. For every day that passed, it had become harder and harder for the knight to face his king's one and only wife.

"It will not happen again, I swear." The knight eyed Gwaine as if to say, behave yourself. After all, he arguably was the one to start it all, if discounting Ronin's first throw of course. But being provoked by the sick was no excuse.

---

Want? Could Ronin truly wish for her to know about the things she wished the wizard to tell her? Or at the very least the things Merlin thought was good to tell her. It seemed odd. Why did he not tell her himself then? But remembering Ronin's expression as Karen had been brought up in their conversations, she was reminded. It would be painful for him to tell her, even if he wanted to. Maybe far too painful.

The silence was filling the room for what seemed to be hours as Merlin locked himself into deep thoughts. For a long time, Anya wondered if he had changed his mind, if he was about to tell her he could not reveal anything about Ronin and Karen. Maybe it had been stupid of her to ask. After all, she had only known the time traveler for a few days. What right did she have to his feelings and his history? Probably non.

But then finally Merlin spoke, and it was far from the story she had expected, if she had ever had any expectations at all. "Half-siblings?" It was just a small, almost disbelieving, whisper. One part of her had assumed they had been something else, something more. Childhood friends that had fallen in love and then in a horribly twist of fate been forced into different lives. Maybe she had read one too many romance novels.

Anya kept on listening as Merlin told her about how devastating the betrayal was to Ronin, but he did not tell her how exactly she betrayed him. But that part didn't feel very important for some reason. Usually she would have wished to know more about how it happened, but those details didn't seem to matter now. Maybe because she had started to understand and accept the fact that Merlin would tell her just what she needed to know. No more, no less.

For a moment, Anya thought the wizard would explode. Anger seemed to take him over. But once he started to speak, he seemed calm once again. Hearing of the experiments, even though it only was briefed over, Anya couldn't help but shiver. How painful mustn't it have been to go through all that with one of his most important friends as his enemy? Without even realizing it, tears was leaving her eyes for a few moments.

"There must be some way of stopping her. If Ronin keeps running towards her, no matter if he knows of it or not, eventually he won't be able to escape." The blonde said. Ronin couldn't stay on the defense forever. But asking him to attack his former friend... How did one do that? Talking apparently did not work, Ronin had probably tried for many years. "What do you think would happen if Karen got all that power? What would she do with it? What would happen to Ronin if she took his powers away from him?" Like always, Anya could not keep to one single question, but these seemed equally important. If Ronin's powers disappeared, would he die? Or would he just become a normal human being? The latter seemed far too simple. If Karen got all that power, and she loved destruction, what would happen to the world? Would she change history forever? Would she erase history completely by destroying everything that ever was?

Ronin was in danger. And the world could very well be in even more danger if Ronin was ever caught.

 

[Kaisaan]

"Hey! I started it!"

Ronin's protest as he spoke up for the other Knights finally had Guinevere chuckling and she shook her head, moving into the room. She leveled a very motherly look upon the traveler and Ronin relaxed into it a bit, remembering that the Queen had always treated him like a little brother in a way despite the fact that he was older than her and he liked it even if he didn't admit it out loud. She would make a good mother someday....even as Ronin knew she never would be. It was cruel to know such a thing, to know Arthur would never have an heir according to history. He couldn't bring himself to think about it for long. It was too unfair.

"Oh, I know very well you did, Ronin, but Lancelot is right; they shouldn't have indulged you. They know how wily you are." she chided gently and the traveler frowned before sighing in defeat. Guinevere sat on the side of the bed then, close to Lancelot, thought she meant nothing by it. Gwaine and Galahad were taking up the other side of the bed. Her fingers found Ronin's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You'll be out of the bed soon enough, Ronin, but you must do what is best now. You know that."

He nodded and hazel eyes turned to Lancelot then, the Queen's smile clearly teasing. "Do you think you might be better immune to his tricks now. Can I trust you to keep him in bed." Her gaze turned to the other Knights as well, the question for all of them and Gwaine rolled his eyes, but also crossed his arms and nodded. Galahad merely looked sheepish.

"Yes, my Queen."

Ronin sighed and folded his own arms. "In other words, my boring bedrest starts now."

-----

Merlin watched Anya's face, reading easily her thoughts there even if she didn't realize she was giving him things to read at all. He was rather good at watching people, though, and his power lent him no small amount of insight into things he might not have understood otherwise. Some would call it cheating, but Merlin didn't use that power to harm others, nor to get his way - often - but rather to help and that's all he wanted to do now, for Ronin's sake.

And he could see that Anya would be very good for his brother - far better and more helpful than she knew, perhaps even more than Ronin himself suspected. The young woman just needed some knowledge and a bit of a nudge, though, she'd already proven she could take leaps if she wanted to. She HAD followed a stranger into a time machine after all. She possessed no small amount of courage, curiosity and some level of craziness that was needed for a life like this.

The wizard waited for the questions and when they came, he regarded them solemnly, but with no hesitation as to an answer. No, he already knew what to say for the very same thoughts and questions had come into his mind often when thinking about his brother and Karen. "It is not about what I think, but what I know. Karen would destroy worlds with that kind of power, and yes, there is more than one world. Throughout history and time, she would make sure that every species, every generation knew her name and she would become a story of fear, a reality of oppression for all people. They would live in fear of her appearance, perhaps never seeing her with their own eyes, in their lifetime, but their children might be plagued by her or the grandchildren. She would kill and destroy for that is what she thrives on. Fear would be her standard and she'd do anything to keep it that way - and she would. She'd have the power to do it and not even those who who guard over Time would be able to stop her."

Merlin knew he'd likely raised more questions in Anya, but he went on before she could ask, especially about that last bit - knowledge even Ronin was unaware of yet.

"As for Ronin, it would not be his lack of power that would kill him, but the process of taking it from him. He wouldn't survive the extraction." It was blunt and harsh, but only the truth and Merlin didn't shy from it even as it caused a pain in his chest to think about. More-so because he'd seen it. In some futures, he'd seen it and just once was horrible enough. "Karen can be stopped, but how...varies. The future is not set in stone, but one thing is clear to me." His red eyes met and held Anya's dark green, powerful and swirling with the wisdom of ages gone and past and those yet to come. "If she is to be stopped at all, Ronin will need you."

 

[redblood]

Lancelot couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly at his brother's protest. Anyone could have guessed the true offender. A sick and bored Ronin would of course try something, anything, to get a chance to run around again. But in the end the blame laid with the knights who knew he had to rest and still let themselves be pulled into his games. The queen knew that, they knew that and Ronin knew that. There were no excuses.

The knight kept standing beside the bed as Guinevere sat down beside Ronin. For a few moments he couldn't concentrate on the words being said with the queen so close to himself. His heart, racing like a mad horse, refused to calm down. He could not even look away to make it stop any longer. Her scent itself was all that was needed. But whatever was going on inside his body was never revealed on the outside. Years he had suffered alone, and many years more it would continue. That was a prize he gladly would pay to be able to serve his king. At least for now.

"Of course, my queen." Lancelot replied, as he was able to come back to reality in time for her teasing question. Then he turned to Ronin. "Your boring bed rest started yesterday Ronin, you just took a small break from it." He teased his friend. "Want me to get a tafl board? After 200 games you might finally be out of bed. Time will just fly by." He then suggested, still with a teasing smirk. A board game wouldn't be a good substitute for Ronin's desire of roaming around, but it was a way to keep him busy.

---

Anya was holding her breath. Hearing of how Karen would destroy not just this world, but others as well, was almost unimaginable. How could anyone be so cruel? How could anyone wish to live on others suffering? If that was a possible future, why didn't Ronin just end it? Why not go to a time before she was even born and make sure her birth never happened? But she knew very well why. Even if the thought had entered Ronin's mind at any point, he would probably never have been able to do it. They had been friends once. She had been good once. How could he destroy the bad when knowing the good would disappear too? Knowing that his own past would change completely. Of course he wouldn't do it even if he could.

If Anya had gotten any time to question him, she would have. Who guarded over time? The way Merlin spoke made her think he knew something like that existed. But it sounded absurd. If people guarding time truly existed, why had they not stopped Karen themselves? Shouldn't they notice the chaos? But then again, maybe he simply meant it as a theory. That if there existed something like guardians over time, not even they would be able to defeat her. But Merlin knew how to structure his sentences. He did not mean it theoretically.

She swallowed hard as the next few sentences left the wizard's mouth. The blonde girl had no idea how Karen extracted Ronin's powers and she doubted any of the images flowing through her mind were accurate, but they all made her shiver in fear. How could she wish for something like that to happen to her best friend? Had she no heart any longer?

"Me?" She asked. Every question she had thought up to ask during the time the wizard spoke disappeared. All except one. "I'm just a small town girl. I'm not strong, I don't have any powers, I'm not even particularly brave. What could someone like me possibly be able to do for him? How could I ever be able to help him against a power stronger than myself?" Maybe his eyes deceived him. What power did she have to stop someone as powerful as Karen when she hadn't even been able to protect herself against an alien? Ronin was the one acting like a hero by saving everyone, and Anya... She was only standing on the side line watching it happen. She did give him some helpful comments at times, she could admit that. But how could that help save Ronin from that psychotic girl?

 

[Kaisaan]

It sucked, truly so, to know exactly what was happening around him and be able to say nothing.

Ronin watched Lancelot with that knowing, with the knowledge of just what exactly his friend was struggling with and just how it would end. It was almost a literal pain that twisted his gut, that made it hard to breathe properly as his pale green eyes flickered between the Queen and the favored Knight. Right now Guinevere was rather oblivious to Lancelot's feelings, but that would change in time as Arthur grew more busy, as war started to threaten the land and failed attempts to have children started to strain the relationship between the Queen and King. It was horrible to know what would become of this Kingdom, to know that Arthur would sire no heirs, that betrayal would take root in Camelot and that while it would be remembered as one of the most famous lands and stories in history, it would also be one of the saddest.

Ronin hated it. He hated that he could do nothing about it. He almost hated that he'd let himself care for and grow close to these people when he knew their fates. It only took one look around the room, though, one look at the faces that watched him with affection and worry, with hope that he'd accept Lancelot's offer, with sternness and determination to keep him in bed to know that he could never truly regret having known them.

A smile flitted across his face and Ronin sighed, leaning back into the bed again with an eye-roll and a slight shrug. "Might as well. Not like you're going to let me do anything else." It was grumbled, but not nearly as grumpy as it could have been. No, it was somewhat distracted, actually as Ronin's arm shifted over his stomach, feeling once again that sharp twist that he'd mistaken for grief just a minute before.

This....wasn't that, though. Nor was the random spikes of mild pain starting to flare through his head.

---

Merlin smiled just a little, resisting the urge to chuckle as he watched the blond, knowing she'd likely think he was laughing at her. That was hardly the case, though, but he could not truly explain to her just what he found so amusing. That would reveal far too much, but the wizard knew there was indeed reason to feel mirth. In time, perhaps, he'd get the chance to tell her just how much she'd amused him, but for now, Anya needed a far more understanding and serious answer.

"Yes, you." Red eyes looked to dark green, both smiling and yet rather solemn all at once. "It doesn't always take heroic feats and great stature to topple evil, Anya. Your strength does not come from your knowledge, nor your physical body, but rather your heart and your convictions. You are far braver than you know and you have powers greater than you can understand, though, they do not manifest in the same way mine or Ronin's do." Merlin stood then and held out a hand in offering to help Anya do so as well.

Once more they started to walk, this time the way they'd come. "Your help comes more in the form of support, Anya, and there is nothing wrong with that. Most often it is those in the background, the pillars of strength and resolve for others that truly are the heroes of the story. You do not yet understand what you shall be for Ronin and the part you play in this story, but you will."

He said nothing more on the matter, red eyes suddenly sharpening and flickering across the garden with a slight grimace and then a sigh. "I'm afraid we've run out of time. We must get back to Ronin now."

 

[redblood]

Something in the traveler's eyes made the knight feel unsettled for a moment. It was the kind of feeling he often got from Merlin. He didn't want to believe that those two knew about his secret desire, but still he understood far too well that those two saw things no one else could. Still he denied their knowledge and took it for paranoia. Lancelot wouldn't confess his sins to neither of them even if they told him straight out that they knew of his feelings. That was one thing he would forever deny. If those words ever was spoken out loud, it would be a betrayal against his beloved king.

Then Ronin finally spoke and Lancelot grinned like a happy fool. "Great. I'll surely defeat you brother. I've been practicing every strategy possible just to make sure I was prepared for your return. There is no way you will be able to win against me." Lancelot told him, a challenge clear in his voice. Few men could resist such a challenge, and if they could make him excited for the game session, he would surely stay in bed without complaints for a while. As long as Lancelot could keep even steps with Ronin, and make sure to win at least every other round, the game could probably keep going for a while. The longer their little death match kept going, the less complaining they would hear.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Be prepared." The knight said and stepped out of the room. The others could entertain him for a few minutes while he got the game. There was no way he would run off now, especially not with the queen still in the room.

---

Was he laughing at her? Anya wasn't sure if she should be offended or if she just missed some kind of joke in the midst of it all. Her expression most likely came across as confused until Merlin started to speak. He didn't explain what had made him laugh, instead he just answered her question.

His words made her blush a bit for some reason. She wasn't very used to compliments, especially not the kind that spoke of her bravery. Ronin had given her mind and brain some compliments before, and as now, she had a hard time believing those words. Or maybe she did believe it, but tried to deny it. Having grown up in a different time period with a religious and traditional family, there was certain learned behaviors which were hard to get out of. Women weren't really encouraged to have a mind of their own, and except for being a good mother and wife, and being able to take care of their home, she wasn't really expected to have any other skills or attributes. She certainly didn't need intelligence or bravery.

Anya took the wizard's hand and let him help her up. His speech certainly rose her spirit, but also left her with a few questions. 'Isn't it necessary to have more than one pillar to support a building though?' She thought to herself, more as a joke than a serious question, but before she had been able to share the thought with Merlin, something seemed to have happened.

"Is it starting already?" Anya asked worried. Her movements definitely showed signs of wanting to run, but she tried to keep the same pace as Merlin. Every now and then she found herself a step or two in front of him and immediately stopped for a second. She had no idea which way they had to go to come to Ronin's room. If she had known, then she would have run ahead long before he even announced that it was time.

"Lady Anya, Merlin. Why in such a hurry?" A curious knight asked as he saw them coming his way in the corridor. Lancelot was holding a board game under his arm and had just closed the door to the room he had come from, ready to return to his sick friend. Since the other two was walking in the direction he were about to take, he simply joined them. The expression Anya had gave him a hint that something was up. "Has something happened?" Lancelot looked at Merlin. Whatever had happened, he would definitely be the first to know. Since he had seen Ronin just minutes earlier, he was certain it had nothing to do with him. Had something happened to the king? Or had another dragon attack been reported? No, that didn't explain Anya's reaction. She barely knew their king and she probably wouldn't hear about a dragon attack from Merlin. So what then? Ronin was fine. At least he had been just a moment ago. Maybe a bit distracted at the end, but not so bad anyone would have to be worried for him.

 

[Kaisaan]

Merlin's only answer to Anya was a nod and while his pace picked him, he did not run. He knew it frustrated the young woman even if she wouldn't say as much, but he had reason behind his more even pace. Ronin wasn't yet at the point of crisis and if they came in too soon he would seek to suppress what was rising within him. Yes, it would spare him the pain and scare he was about to have, but in the long run it would only see him dead. THAT was something the wizard was not about to allow to happen. He didn't like what was about to occur, but he liked the thought of Ronin dying even less.

Lancelot's sudden appearance was right on time and Merlin picked up his pace just a little before he answered, knowing that would alert the dark-haired Knight that something was wrong if Lancelot had been having doubts. "Nothing has happened. Not yet." The answer was plain and yet cryptic, but Lancelot would have expected that. Merlin might have been younger than the Knight, younger than Galahad, actually, but there was a wisdom about him that demanded respect and spoke of age far beyond his appearance. All the years he'd lived within Camelot, everyone had come to know that to ask Merlin something was to open themselves to riddles.

In this case, the wizard was a bit more merciful in his explanation, though. "Ronin is not as stable as he appeared when you left, Lancelot." It was the only words he was able to get out before a chilling sound raced down the hall; a scream.

Merlin was breaking into a run for the door not fifty feet away before the other two could even move, having been braced even before the tortured noise shattered the silence. Coming into the room, he was greeted with Guinevere's ashen face, Gwaine's panicked eyes and Galahad's terrified expression. Despite his fear, it was the youngest Knight that spoke first. "He was fine, Merlin! He was just sitting there and then...then...."

"I know, Galahad. Run and get a healer for me. Go!"

The young Knight bolted from the room, nearly colliding with Lancelot as he did. Merlin had sent him away purposefully and now looked to Guinevere, doing the same with her, but with a different strategy. "Go inform Arthur." The Queen didn't argue, fleeing the room as well, still looking as pale as a ghost and the wizard, now at Ronin's side, snapped orders to the two Knights, knowing they wouldn't take offense at the tone. "Help hold him down."

Ronin's entire body was thrashing, in the throes of what would have been called a seizure in the modern world. Unlike those suffering from a normal seizure, he appeared to be in pain, crying out until Merlin's hand found his forehead, red glowing at the wizard's fingertips. It seemed to last forever before the traveler's body went limp, his breathes coming in ragged sobs as his pale green eyes flickered around with fear, not entirely understanding where he was.

Merlin knew he hardly even understood what had happened. Not yet. And it wasn't over.

 

[redblood]

Merlin was as cryptic as ever, but at least this time he seemed to give in and let the knight have an easy answer to his little riddle. Though the answer was of little comfort when a blood chilling scream echoed through the corridor. Both Anya and Lancelot froze in place for a few seconds while the wizard bolted off. "Was that.." Lancelot started just for Anya to finish his sentence. "Ronin."

The knight was heading towards the door before the girl had been able to fully comprehend what was going on. The board game Lancelot had carried crashed into the stone floor, and all the pieces fell out as it opened, but no one cared to pay attention to that.

Anya was afraid of the state her friend would be in once she reached the door, but in the back of her mind she remembered Merlin's words. Ronin needed her support, now more than ever. After having taken a few breaths to calm herself she finally left her safe spot out in the corridor and headed towards Ronin's room.

As Lancelot approached the open door, Galahad almost crashed into him on his way out. Somehow he had been focused enough to realize it just in time to get out of the young man's way. Though it wouldn't have been a big disaster if he had crashed into the knight. A few steps backwards, untangle each other and then move on forward. The queen also left with orders from Merlin. Then an order was given to the two remaining knights. Lancelot did not hesitate. He joined his brothers side and held Ronin down and tried to keep him still. The traveler seemed to be in so much pain. How could his condition have changed in such a short amount of time?

Anya was standing in the door opening, watching them holding Ronin down as he seemed to be struggling against his own body. She couldn't help but think that he might die very soon. Even though Merlin had promised her he would be fine, it was hard to remember that when seeing him suffering through such a horrendous thing. The young woman wasn't sure what the red eyed wizard had done, but whatever it was, it had helped Ronin calm down.

Thinking it might have gone faster than expected, she approached the bed. Ronin was still sobbing. It was heartbreaking to watch. Even though Anya wanted to ask Merlin if it was over, she was so sure she wouldn't like the answer so she forced herself to hold back the question. Instead she took Ronin's hand and gently stroke it, hoping it would give some comfort. "Ronin, you will be alright. This will be over soon, so just hang in there." Her voice was a bit shaky, but at the very least it didn't sound as if she was lying. She just said what Merlin told her. While she wasn't completely sure if she could believe that Ronin would be alright, she did still trust Merlin. If he said it would be fine, then it would be.

"What happened to him?" Lancelot said with a demanding tone in his voice. He had let go of his friend whose body now was limp and motionless. He understood very well that Merlin knew what was going on. He always knew, but he couldn't give anyone a fair warning. The knight was slightly pissed off with the wizard. How long had he known? Had there been time to warn them about it? If so he should have. Neither Galahad nor the queen should have been in there when it happened. It must have scared them half to death, and Lancelot should definitely have been there when it happened. If only he hadn't left the room. Yes, he was angry with Merlin, but he was also angry with himself. "How did this happen?" His voice was almost growling.

"Lancelot." A feminine voice interrupted his confused anger tantrum. "Get out if you are unable to control your temper." Anya demanded. Ronin didn't need people growling at each other and possibly be about to hit someone. Lancelot had to take quite a few deep breaths before he finally calmed down enough to lay his emotions to the side. It didn't matter what had happened or who knew what. Now they had to concentrate on helping Ronin.

"My apologies." He said matter of factly before eyeing his poor brother. "Is there anything we should get for him? Water? Blankets? Anything?" The knight hadn't taken care of a sick person in ages, so he was rather rusty on the possible needs list, but that list probably didn't matter considering this seemed to be something far worse than a common cold. Whatever could be good for Ronin right now, Merlin should know of it.

 

[Kaisaan]

"Apologies are hardly needed, Lancelot, and you know it." Merlin responded first and foremost. It wasn't the first time the Knight had snapped at him and it certainly would not be the last. Usually it was on Arthur's behalf, though, and just like those times, Merlin took no offense to it, simply going about what he'd been doing in the first place. Right now that consisted of laying his hand back on Ronin's forehead, not moving away even when the traveler flinched back. "Water will be needed, yes, but anything else required will have to come from the healer."

Ronin's pale eyes had snapped to Anya at her words, her touch and it had appeared to calm him somewhat, his breathing growing slightly steadier at seeing her face. He was hardly fine, though, as was given evidence when he tried to shrink away from the wizard's touch, his gaze darting to Merlin with fear that only slowly faded out of his eyes again as recognition took its place. "M-Merlin?" It was barely a whisper and the redhead smiled with a sad kind of tinge to the expression.

"Yes, Ronin."

There was a flicker of relief and then an almost instant wariness followed swiftly by fear once more as the traveler's eyes darted around once more, seeming to search for something, terrified of finding it. "K-Kar...K-"

Merlin knew exactly what was being asked and shook his head, "Shh, she's not here, Ronin. You're safe, I promise." A whimpering kind of sound answered his words and Ronin grit his teeth. "It hurts." He was paling rapidly, the agony that had departed just a minute or two before rapidly making a reappearance as the traveler's breathing grew ragged.

"I know. I know, Ronin, but you can't fight it. Do you understand? Don't fight." Merlin's words were nearly drowned out by another scream as pain like fire exploded once more in Ronin's head, causing his hands to rise toward his skull, one arm caught by Merlin and the other by Gwaine before his hands could reach their destination and cause further damage. His body bucked as the pain flared down his psine, jerking and shaking as his head thrashed, trying to escape the torment without success. The first time had been unexpected, one moment fine and the next hell, but it hadn't lasted as long. This episode drug on for a full three minutes before it released him again to fall back to the bed, trembling and barely able to breathe past the sobs that wracked him. This time when Merlin's hand descended to his forehead again, Ronin cried out and jerked away, curling into himself...and close to Anya. It might have been considered a coincidence at first if his hand hadn't sought her own.

Merlin watched it with a hopeful and yet pained look, turning away only when Arthur burst into the room, his face like thunder. "What the hell is going on!?"

 

[redblood]

Lancelot gave a small nod before exiting the room to get some water. He could have sent a servant to get it, but he needed to calm himself before returning to his brothers side. Running a fast errand would give him just enough time to do that. If Merlin hadn't been in the room, Lancelot would never have left even for a second, but even if he despised some of the things the wizard kept from them, he still knew he could trust him when it came to caring for their king, or Ronin.

Anya was quite horrified when the first thing the pain made Ronin think of was Karen. What had she done to him for him to associate this with her? Merlin hadn't given her any gruesome details, which at the time had been appreciated, but now made her fill in the empty spaces herself. Was her imagination making light of what had happened to Ronin? Or did it create a worse situation than what had truly happened?

She caressed his hand silently while Merlin tried to speak to him. She wished to ask if it would become worse than this, but didn't dare to hear the answer, and more importantly, she didn't want Ronin to know it. That was not what he needed to focus on at the moment.

The next attack started. If it was worse or better than the last one, she didn't know, but it was equally horrifying. This was nothing like sitting at her brothers side, watching him getting through a fever. This was like sitting in a prison, watching your brother being tortured by an invisible and untouchable force. For three minutes, even though it felt like much much longer, Ronin was being tortured by his own power. Anya couldn't do much more than watch as he was held down so he wouldn't be able to hurt himself.

Then finally, it ended.

As he curled up close to Anya, she took her free hand and brushed it through his hair, while the other held onto his hand. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright." She told him. It was what her own mother used to do when she cried. No matter the reason she always sat down, hugged her, and brushed her fingers through her hair, whispering that the pain would be gone soon, it would be alright. It had been calming for her, but the pain she had been going through had been nothing compared to Ronin's. Maybe her attempts to comfort him was futile, but she couldn't sit there doing nothing.

The quiet moment didn't last long as Arthur came into the room, clearly not happy with the news he had received. Likewise, Anya wasn't too happy with his entrance when things finally had calmed down. "Take it outside." She ordered, not caring that it was the king she was demanding. If Merlin decided to explain things to the king, who seemed to have lost a bit of his temper, it was better for it to take place outside of the room. Ronin didn't need someone yelling right in front of him, nor did he need to hear about the pain he was going through every time someone walked through the door.

Lancelot also returned, both with an empty glass, and a big bowl with water in case more was needed. Seeing Ronin curled up like that even made the knight pale as a ghost. No one had ever seen him in so much pain. Would he loose his brother just when he had returned to them? No, he couldn't allow himself to think like that. Ronin would be fine.

 

[Kaisaan]

Arthur's entrance had taken away any sense of control Ronin had felt he had. Such was clear in the way he curled further, jerking away from the direction the noise had come from, a whimper barely caught in his throat as he pressed closer to the headboard of the bed and Anya. It was not just anything that could bring the traveler to such a state, not just any kind of pain or any kind of mental strain. It took something very specific to trigger this level of fear in Ronin and it wasn't so much the pain that Merlin had been worried about, but the result of the pain in the traveler.

Anya had assumed that the pain would be the worst of the experience, but the wizard had known that the memories this specific pain would draw up was the far worse enemy to Ronin right now. It had come too rapidly and too violently for the traveler to reason through like he did most else and it was this, along with how Ronin's power controlled him that Merlin knew had to be rectified. The power was easily fixed - all Ronin had to do was start training with it. The memories, the trauma....would be far more difficult, but if Karen was to be stopped and Ronin was to grow in his abilities, to become the person who could stop her....he had to be able to face this first.

Unfortunately, today was not going to magically make everything better. It was a start, though. At least a start in making Ronin begin training with his powers.....and perhaps a start in his healing if anything the wizard had seen of Anya could be trusted. She didn't seem the type to leave now that she'd finally dipped her feet and hands into the situation. It was only a matter of time before she was submerged completely into this life. There would be no going back for the young woman. She just didn't yet know it. She was well on her way, though, as her snapped words to the King actually made Arthur stop, startled by the tone, but seeing the wisdom in it as well when his eyes landed on Ronin. Guilt and horror entered his gaze before he took a breath and seemed to control both, looking instead to Merlin. The redhead had laid a hand on Ronin's back, eliciting trembles from the traveler that shook his entire body, and Merlin's hand glowed with the same red light he'd used before.

It was nothing more than a light shielding over Ronin's mind, a way to keep the traveler's power from killing him with the intensity it was exuding. The wizard's answer was calm, just as he'd been throughout. "Ronin's power is back-lashing upon him."

"What does that mean?"

Seeing that Ronin was listening - his body much too tense and his head turned with his ear toward the two at too far an angle for him not to be listening - Merlin explained in a far more gentle manner for the traveler's sake, something the King seemed to catch on to as he glanced from Ronin to Merlin and back again several times. "When someone like Ronin uses more power than he's accustomed to, for too long, it is a painful process, but doable. It is the aftermath that can follow days behind that is far more dangerous because this backlash does not happen the first time or even the second, third, fourth or fifteenth time someone uses more power than they've trained for. It builds up each time, laying dormant until it can not any longer. When it emerges again, it's so powerful it can kill its host."

"Kill...." The word was faint and Merlin held up a hand to forestall any more talk. "That is why I am here. I can shield Ronin from the affects that would kill him, but I am afraid I can't shield him from everything, the pain included."

A whimper sounded into the silence that followed and then whispered words past clenched teeth. "I-I'm s..sorry....sorry..." Ronin curled tighter and Merlin looked pained, shaking his head. "No, Ronin. No apologies. I know you're scared to become her. I know, but you have to start training, learn to control it now. You'll still be you. I promise."

A nod, faint and jerked, answered the words, but Ronin could not speak as another wave started to wash over him, bringing tears to his eyes and turning his breathing into desperate, ragged pulls. He didn't buck or thrash this time, only shaking violently as he curled into himself, trying to escape the pain that was only spreading. Only Merlin knew how long it would last.

 

[redblood]

Anya tried to calm her friend as much as possible while she kept her panic hidden. Keeping the focus on her hand, which moved slowly over Ronin's head, helped her slightly. It wasn't much, but at the very least it was something to do, something that might calm them both slightly, though in his current situation Anya doubted anything could calm him.

The girl could feel Ronin tense up beside her as Merlin started to explain what was going on with him. Anya didn't want for him to hear it. Not now. Why not wait until after it was over? But she knew Merlin wouldn't stay in there if he didn't think Ronin needed to hear it. She didn't like it, but she did understand that the wizard knew far more than they, and he knew what was best for their friend right now.

Kill. That was the only word Anya didn't want to hear. If Merlin hadn't continued soon, she would most likely have protested. He had said that Ronin wouldn't die, so hearing that it might be deadly did take her aback. Not just her though. Lancelot was staring at the wizard as if he wanted to beat the life out of him. Obviously he had wished for such information earlier. Though in the mist of all the panic, it was quite hard to find a good opportunity.

A small sound came from Ronin. It was heartbreaking to hear him speak. "It's not your fault." Anya added after Merlin was done speaking to him, but the words was most likely lost as the time traveler once again was overwhelmed with pain. His reaction wasn't as violent as any of the other times, but even so, no one could miss his agony.

She held his hand firmly, almost afraid that he would disappear if she let go. A rather strange thought, wasn't it. Where could he possibly go in his condition? "You'll get through this, it will be over soon. Just hang in there." Anya whispered. It was hard to find words of encouragement in this situation. Whatever she said, it would probably not do much good.

"It will be over soon, right?" Lancelot asked Merlin. His tone was some kind of mix of anger and fear. Who wouldn't be angry knowing that the wizard had hidden such important information and scared them half to death? Who wouldn't be frightened when watching their dear friend being in pain and facing possible death? He might be a knight, but he was far from fearless. Only a fool would think fearlessness was the only brave road to walk on.

 

[Kaisaan]

Her words helped far more than she could possibly imagine. Her touch was far more comforting than she could know, an anchor not for his body, incapable of going anywhere, but for his mind, searching for something, anything to latch on to...but careful and wary even when it was desperate, unwilling to connect to just anyone or anything. No, it was to Anya that it went, to her words, a stabilizer in the storm, easing away his terror of drowning even if she could not take the pain or ease his distress about what was to come after this event. It was the blond's words, her touch, her nearness that centered Ronin in the present instead of the pain hurling him into the past where Merlin, Arthur and Lancelot would have surely lost him.

Merlin had known such things, though. Just as he knew that Arthur seeing this would make the King more determined to be rid of evil in this land - just as soon as the wizard made sure the golden-haired monarch understood that Karen, her memory the true reason for Ronin's fear, was grooming Morgan to the same acts of cruelty against those around her. If Arthur understood first-hand what that kind of malice could do, he would be more keen to defeat it, even if the guise it came in was his sibling. As for Lancelot, well, Merlin knew Ronin would need someone to watch him, someone who would have an awareness about the stubborn traveler, to be looking for any signs that Ronin was in any distress he would not admit to. The noble Knight, favored of the King, would make an excellent spy for the wizard in that regard.

And Anya....well, her part was far greater and would span a great deal more of time. Her story was just beginning. Merlin would have Ronin alive and stable for that part of the journey if he could help it. Unfortunately, this was a necessary step in that process.

The traveler gave another choked sob as another wave of pain released him, leaving him to shudder uncontrollably on the bed, just attempting to breathe before the next spell overtook him. Merlin knew it would be more merciful if the traveler passed out. He also knew that it wouldn't happen, not until the end from exhaustion. Looking away from Ronin and up to Lancelot, red eyes were solemn and not without pain for the situation, taking the Knight's anger in a stride. "It will end when it is meant to end." He knew the answer would not satisfy, would likely anger those in the room, but it was for Ronin's sake that he did not give a time.

The traveler would find it torturous to count down the minutes.

As it was, the episodes lasted another two hours, varying in frequency, length and intensity, only tapering off toward the end. They left Ronin coughing blood, his throat torn with screaming, his face tear-tracked and his entire body curled into itself, trembling even as he lost the fight with consciousness and slipped into the depths of soothing darkness that would take him away from the residual burning pain in his head and back, in every nerve ending by this point. Merlin finally sat then, almost seeming to collapse into the chair, looking pale and haggard as well, his powers drained, but there was relief on his face as well.

"It is over. He will sleep now."

 

[redblood]

Lancelot was far from fond of the wizard's reply. It will end when it ends could mean anything. The knight couldn't stand that side of Merlin. The side that refused to give satisfying replies even though he had all the answers. He understood that there were things better unspoken, but for other things he did wish they at the very least could get a warning when something was about to happen. If only they had known about what would happen to Ronin beforehand. They could have been more prepared. They could have...

There really wasn't much that could have been done differently. Lancelot knew that. Even if they had known, the only thing they could have prepared would have been the healer and the water, but the only one that truly had to be there to keep Ronin safe was Merlin, and he had already been prepared for it. The only thing preparations would have been good for was to not startle them as much once it happened, but even then they would have been terrified while watching their brother in so much pain.

Hours past, and first when Anya thought it would never end, Ronin finally seemed to fall asleep, or maybe he was just so exhausted he fainted. Either way he became quiet, but not still. His body continued to shake even as he lost consciousness. The blonde hadn't even believed such a thing was possible.

She looked up at the wizard as he spoke. Over? No, it was not over, it had only just started. It was just the physical part that was over. Who knew what would be going on inside the travelers mind from now on. What his dreams would be about from this point and forward. The pain would continue, but it would take a completely different form from what they had seen the last two hours. No one could go through such a horrible experience, such torture, and be mentally untouched by it.

"It's over, for now." Anya said before returning her gaze to the unconscious traveler. Her hand brushed his cheek. Maybe it would help him have better dreams, if he dreamed at all that was.

"It's over." Lancelot repeated, not sure if he could truly relax or not. He had been utterly useless during the last few hours, but he had been unable to leave. He hated himself for not being able to do more than watch, but he would have despised himself even more if he had left until it was over. "He'll recover now, right? He will feel better once he wakes up, right?" He didn't expect his brother to be a hundred percent healthy in the morning, and he did expect him to be bedridden for some time, but at the very least they should have reached a turning point. Now it should only get better. The worst was over, and the pain was gone to never return again.

 

[Kaisaan]

Anya's words were more correct than she could know and Merlin gave a soundless sigh as she watched her, once more relieved that finally, after such time, she'd come into Ronin's life. She'd been waited for even if she did not know it. The wizard would see her as prepared as she could be for the coming days ahead and the trials to follow. For now, however, rest was required for all involved and the redhead stood once more despite the weariness he felt. Ronin had to feel twenty times worse.

"Yes, he will recover now. The worst is over today and such pain will not be present tomorrow." Merlin didn't quite answer Lancelot's last question. Would Ronin feel better? That was a mixed answer. Physically he would be tired, in need of further rest and easy activity for a few days. Mentally...he would be torn, willing and determined to learn what he had to and yet constantly haunted by the past that the pain had drug up. Emotionally? Merlin did not want to think about it. He could not answer that question, not concisely and so he didn't answer it at all, hoping that what he'd already said would satisfy.

He knew he'd have enough trouble explaining to Arthur why he couldn't tell the King everything. The monarch had been forced away, but only after the wizard had assured that Ronin WOULD be all right. Still, the King had cursed his duty and responsibilities in that moment. He would be full of questions when Merlin next saw him.

Moving a bit closer to the bed, the wizard rested his hand on Ronin's forehead, a sad expression flickering through his red eyes when the traveler flinched even in sleep. A shushing sound came from his lips without much thought before the wizard looked up to Anya's dark green eyes. "There is one more thing I can do for him." His hand glowed then, a white light rather then red and Ronin's face relaxed, the lines of tension fading away.

"I can make sure he doesn't dream."

--

The waking was slow, but Ronin wasn't in any rush to come to awareness. His body ached. It was the first thing he was truly conscious of and for a moment he could hardly remember why. It was a moment he would wish he'd treasured and kept closer to him as memory came back, eliciting a shiver through his body and a hitch in his breathing that he was hard-pressed to control. He forced his eyes open then, vision blurred and unclear for a long moment before more rapid blinking showed him the room in which he resided.

It was familiar, comfortingly so despite the fact that it was in the Healing Wing of the castle. He knew this place regardless and that was all that mattered to him. Camelot. Safety. It was not a word or a feeling he got to rest into often. The concept of 'home' was foreign to Ronin now, but in this place he got close to feeling it again. Such a feeling washed over him now, taking the jagged edges of fear and smoothing them out coaxingly even as his pale green eyes flickered about, taking in the people with him.

He had no doubt they were there. He knew the Knights well enough to know they would be gathered, likely not all at once as the healers would never allow it, but there would be some, perhaps Merlin as well if duty didn't draw him elsewhere and...Anya. Was she here?

Why the thought suddenly mattered above all others, Ronin wasn't sure, but his eyes grew more rapid in their search for her and it was Gwaine's voice that stilled the rising anxiety. "Easy, brother. She's right here."

Ronin didn't even pause to question how his desire was known, not realizing he'd said Anya's name more than once now, only following Gwaine's direction until his eyes landed on the blond, the relief that clouded them clear upon seeing her.

 

[redblood]

Lancelot didn't even notice that the wizard hadn't properly answered his latter question. Once he heard that Ronin wouldn't feel the same amount of pain the next day, he got fooled into believing it was completely over. Merlin was fairly blameless when it came to the knight's ignorant unawareness. Instead of acknowledging that there would be extremely painful consequences from this kind of sickness, Lancelot chose to believe any good news he got, and took it as if no bad news could follow. Seeing people he loved in such a horrible state, knowing he could do nothing to help, was too much for him to bear. Acknowledging that the pain would continue would only make him feel worse. He put himself into a state of ignorance, so that he wouldn't have to feel guilty when he didn't know what to do about the situation.

It wasn't just Ronin who relaxed as Merlin put a spell on him. Anya felt her shoulders drop, and suddenly, after one relieved breath, she realized how exhausted her own body was. She might not have moved around much during the last few hours, but sitting tense, scared and worried for so long drained most of her energy. "Thank you." Was it odd for her to say that? She didn't think so. If she had not been told about it, she would have kept worrying about Ronin continuously being tormented in his sleep. It was a great relief for her to know about it, just as it must have been for him to finally be able to relax.

Anya refused to leave the room before Ronin woke up. No matter how exhausted she was, she wished to be there once he awoke. It was a feeling she couldn't quite explain. Why did she have to be there when she knew the others could take care of him? The answer didn't matter. All she knew was that she wished to be there for him when he awoke.

She did doze off a few times, which she mainly noticed because certain people was there one moment and the next they were completely gone. Lancelot had disappeared at some point, he had most likely returned to practice once everything calmed down. That was his way of getting unpleasant things off his head.

At the time Ronin spoke, Anya was fully awake. If she would have guessed what Ronin's first words would be as he woke up, she would probably have put her money on Merlin or Arthur, or in worst case, Karen. To hear her own name being called was quite the surprise. "I'm here." She confirmed as his green eyes caught hers. "Next time I say that we can find another way to solve a problem, I do hope you'll listen to me." The blonde pointed out with a joking tone. She wondered if he even would be able to connect the dots after just having awoken from such a horrible experience. Of course she was speaking about his foolish stunt with the plane, when she had suggested for them to try and fly it like normal people did so he didn't have to suffer.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" She then asked while already reaching for the water filled cup that stood beside the bowl. He had to drink something. She could only imagine how sore his throat must be after all that screaming and crying. Even though some time had past since then, she doubted it had healed completely.

 

[Kaisaan]

The words made no sense to him at first, confusion entering Ronin's gaze before memory caught up to him. He latched on to it, fearfully desperate to focus on anything but what had happened, but he tried not to show it. No, he attempted to pretend that everything was fine, that he'd done nothing but take a short nap, and he made himself smile just a little to Anya's teasing, nodding. "I will try to be more attentive to your advice in the future." He hoped his voice sounded more steady and light than he thought it did. Ronin tried to sit up, then despite the instant ache it caused to flare through his entire body. He was immediately pushed back down by Gwaine, the Knight's hand on his chest.

"Oh no you don't! You're not going any-"

He never finished the sentence, the amused words fading away as he watched Ronin's eyes dilate in rapidly developing terror. He could have sworn the traveler stopped breathing, frozen but for the trembles that had beset his body and Gwaine immediately removed his hand. His own face showed something close to panic, only held at bay by training and the desire not to scare his brother. "Ronin? Ronin, it's all right. I'm not going to hurt you. Ronin?" His voice was nothing but a whisper by the end, but it elicited no response in the pale green-eyed male who appeared to be in shock.

It was broken by Merlin's hurried entrance into the room, his voice sharp with command. "Ronin! Heed my voice!"

The response was almost instant as the traveler cried out, attempting to scramble away from all around him, something Merlin did not allow as the wizard moved to the other side of the bed and caught Ronin before he could fall from it. His arms came around the traveler, trapping Ronin's arms from the shoulders to the elbows, doing nothing more than holding the brunette's back against his chest as the frantic struggles and panicked cries slowly lessened in the wake of exhaustion if not clarity until Ronin was too tired to even hold his head up, resting back against Merlin's shoulder as the wizard spoke words in a muttered language none in the room could comprehend besides perhaps Ronin himself. Slowly, after a time, Merlin maneuvered Ronin back into the middle of the bed and back to lying down. The traveler slowly curled his body into the smallest position he could, only half-aware of his surroundings now, somewhere between alert and exhausted dozing.

Merlin's red eyes pinned Gwaine then, clear reprimand in their depths. "I told you not to touch him."

The Knight appeared stricken, looking from Ronin and back again, his voice faint. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I..I didn't think. I was just...I'm sorry."

The wizard sighed heavily and his expression softened. "I know you are, and you didn't hurt him, Gwaine. Only scared him. His mind is very unstable right now. It is important that you follow any commands I give you, regardless of how strange they seem." he cautioned and the Knight nodded, his glance finally straying to Anya. "And her? I did not think to warn her of what you had told me." Gwaine sounded nothing less than guilty, but Merlin shook his head, setting a hand on the Knight's shoulder. "There is no blame on your for that, Gwaine. I did not give warning to Anya because she does not need it. She is a different. Her touch will not elicit fear."

 

[redblood]

Even though Ronin tried to stay calm, Anya still felt his voice was slightly off. Who could blame him though? After what he had been through, it was a miracle that he could even give her that small smile. Maybe he wasn't as badly scared as they had imagined. Maybe it had been such a shock he had ended up forgetting everything. If only things could have been that simple. Just seconds after the thought came to her, Anya was proven wrong.

Just by one touch from Gwaine, Ronin seemed to go into a shock like state. "Ronin?" It was awful to watch Gwaine trying to speak to his dear friend, trying to apologize without getting any response. It was hard to see who was most hurt by it. Gwaine whom only wished to help his brother, or Ronin whom was tortured to the point of not being able to take even his dearest friends touch.

It didn't take much time before Merlin came into the room. No surprise there, considering he seemed to have the power of knowing everything which would one day be. If only he could have showed up one minute earlier, but arguing about that wouldn't change much. Merlin would show up when he was most needed, and he would stop things when they went too far. Just because one had the ability to see the future, did not mean they should change things. Anya was just happy she didn't have such abilities. If she knew her friend would be in pain, she would definitely have acted on emotion instead of rationality.

The blonde girl waited and watched as Merlin helped Ronin until the traveler finally seemed to calm down. What followed was quite the heartbreaking exchange of words between the knight and the wizard. Anya hadn't known that they'd been told not to touch him, though she could understand how hard such a command would be to follow. They had been friends for a long time, and were used to acting a certain way. Trying to act the same while also considering someones condition couldn't be easy. What made the situation even worse was that one of the few who could touch him was someone that only had been in Ronin's life for a few days. That must have been like a punch beneath the belt. The girl felt slightly guilty over it, even though she knew she shouldn't. The feeling of guilt only became stronger when she realized that she actually felt quite happy over it. She could touch him without worrying about scaring him.

"We should probably prepare some food before he wakes up again." Anya mentioned. After what he'd gone through, he would need all the energy he could get, and who knew for how long he would be able to stay awake before something scared the life out of him again. She was rather curious about why her touch was so different from the others, and if Gwaine hadn't been in the room, she would definitely have asked about it, but for now, that seemed like a sensitive topic. "And Arthur would probably be delighted by news of Ronin having woken up, even though it only lasted for a few moments." The reason he fell back into sleep was better kept a secret though. Considering how angry the king had been when Ronin became sick, she doubted he would take it lightly hearing about the knight doing something he had been commanded not to do.

How long would Ronin be in that state of fear? The longer he took to recover, the higher the chance was of Karen finding him. Would Merlin be able to protect him if it came to that? Anya didn't wish to rush Ronin's recovery process. It was important to take it slow and not force him, but at the same time they might not have much time before something would happen. The problem wasn't just Karen. The dragons had still not been spoken to, and they had no idea if they were planning something. "Do you think she knows? Will she come?" Anya asked Merlin after having been lost in thoughts for quite a few moments. The wizard would surely know who she thought of. That she worried that Karen might know of Ronin's sickness and would take him when he was weak. The name would remain unspoken though. She refused to mention her in front of Ronin, even if he was unconscious.

 

[Kaisaan]

Gwaine seemed to almost jump at the chance to be useful, helpful and at the mention of food and Arthur he started for the door without prompt. "I will inform the kitchen to send something up and I will speak with Arthur." He hesitated at the door and looked between Anya and Merlin, and then, finally, to Ronin, voice growing quieter. "If he wakes, please, tell him I am sorry. I didn't meant to..to-"

"I will tell him, Gwaine. Now go, and do not let guilt grip your heart." Merlin's words were gentler than they'd been before, kinder and the Knight seemed to relax just a little at hearing them before he nodded and disappeared. The wizard turned back to the blond then and moved closer to Ronin's bed, carefully laying his hand over the traveler's brow. Ronin seemed to flinch just slightly at the contact even in sleep - albeit, a light sleep - but the redhead didn't move, assessing something only he could sense, see before he removed his hand again, answering Anya question - though, perhaps not in the most satisfying way for the young woman.

"I think that she would like to assume she knows many things, but in this she is still blind. For how long, I can not say, nor can I say if she will come herself or send another. She will show up in some way, though, in her timing. That is all I can assure you of, Anya."

His keen red eyes caught the dark green, so worried and compassionate, but a hidden strength lurking there as well, perhaps not even one that Anya herself realized was present. "She will not take him while he is within Camelot, Anya. That I swear to you. There are too many to defend him here, you not the least of those present." He smiled just a little, knowing very well what it was she wanted to know, what she'd not dared ask. "Do you not wonder why your touch is exempt from fearful reaction?" Merlin chuckled, already knowing the answer and he brought a blanket up over Ronin's shoulders, aware that the traveler would sleep for a bit longer yet and the next time he woke, the wizard would be here to ensure that words of command were followed....and that Anya was the first person the dark-haired male interacted with. It would help far more than anyone knew.

"You know that Ronin is a Traveler, but you do not understand what that means. It is not a process of simply taking a Time Machine where you wish it to go. One is born a Traveler, but the powers that come with it stay dormant until one truly travels for the first time. For some people, it is merely traveling to another part of their own world. For others, like Ronin, it is through time and galaxies. No matter how the gene is triggered, once it is, a Traveler can never rest in any one place for any great length of time. For some, strong of will, there can be years spent in one home before they are forced to move on, such as with Ronin and this place, but in the end they are forever compelled, driven to move from place to place. It is both curse and blessing, having many sorrows and joys." Merlin had sat by this point and now he put his arms on his knees, leaning forward as he spoke in a hushed tone to Anya.

"You, Anya, are very unique, far more rare than even a Traveler. There are only a few of your kind born in every two hundred generations and there are only four of you in existence at the same time, and often less than that. You are what's called an Anchor. You are a connection to reality that most Travelers lose over time, but more than that, you can give any Traveler you choose to give your loyalty to a way to stop traveling, to stay in one place if they wish it." He smiled, red eyes glittering with amusement and yet a solemn hope, too. "For Ronin, you are stability, you are safety and he will never distrust you. He will be drawn to you no matter where you are or when you are. You've traveled with him. That is the start of the process - the rest is entirely your decision."

 

[redblood]

Anya watched the young knight leave. He had a kind heart, of that she was certain. He meant well, but it sometimes became wrong. A lot of people ended up in such traps. Hopefully he would learn from the experience, and not do the same mistake again, though she wasn't familiar enough with him to be absolutely certain how he would act from now on. Merlin however seemed to know that Gwaine would be careful from now on. Why else would he be so kind? He knew the man, and if Gwaine had been the type to never learn, the wizard would probably not have been as kind.

As the young man left, Merlin continued to speak to Anya. At first it made her relax. That she's blind must be a positive thing, but then the red haired male continued, and the girl gradually tensed up. Karen would show up. It was just a matter of time. Would Ronin become better before it happened? Or would they have to protect him on their own? What if they couldn't? What if something happened to him? That was something she did not wish to think about, but the thought lingered.

Then came relief. Karen wouldn't show up within the walls of the castle. She probably let out a quite happy sigh without even realizing it. "That's good to hear." Anya mumbled and brushed her hand gently over Ronin's arm. He would be safe there. No one would harm him while he recovered. That was all they could ask for.

A question grabbed her attention, and she looked back at the wizard. "Of course I do." She said, surprised and excited at the same time. It was hard to get used to Merlin's strange abilities. At times they felt natural, but at other times, especially when he seemed to be reading her mind, it felt odd. She listened to his words intensively. Now she wouldn't have to worry about hurting Gwaine's feelings, so being selfish and wishing for answer did not bother her any longer. She wished to understand everything, even though she knew that was impossible, but one small step at a time, and she might be able to figure out certain things on the way.

As she had expected, it was hard to comprehend what the wizard told her, but at the same time it wasn't hard to follow. She did understand it, but the concept was so foreign to her, it still confused her. Why couldn't traveler's stay in one place for a longer period of time? Anya could understand it for Ronin specifically, considering he was being chased by his former friend, but why couldn't any traveler ever settle down? She didn't understand the drive, even though it was the same longing she herself had felt for so many years. If her family hadn't held her back, she would probably never have stopped walking forward, not even after having reached the end of the world.

She listened as he continued. An anchor? Could she truly make him stop? The problem was that she didn't want to stop. Being in the same place wasn't desirable for her, though she would probably not wish to spend an eternity with traveling through time. Eventually she would want to return to her normal world and do what she had always dreamed of. Seeing the world. It wouldn't be as magnificent as what she could and would see with Ronin, but a simpler way of traveling didn't sound that bad. Of course she wished to stay with Ronin for a while longer, watch him getting better, travel with him to more exciting locations, and hopefully be able to see the end of Karen. How could she ever leave him if she didn't know that he was safe? Before Karen was gone, Anya wouldn't dare to leave his side.

"Staying in one place has never suited me much though." Anya confessed, even though she figured he already knew that. Merlin could see the future though, maybe he knew something about her that she didn't even know yet. Maybe she one day would have the urge to settle down. Only time would tell. "So that's why he chose me." She whispered. Why didn't it make her disappointed? He hadn't chosen her because she was smart or just for being her, he had chosen her because of his instincts. Still she did not mind. She was happy that he had taken her with him and opened her eyes to all the possibilities.

"Does Karen know any anchor?" She asked the wizard curiously. If so, they might be able to make her settle down. That was if she had a strong connection with that anchor of course. Trying to find a non violent solution would probably be hard, but if possible, she did not wish that harm would fall on Ronin's former friend. If there was no other way out however, she would rather want that woman dead than Ronin to be hurt.