The trek back across the field was long and laborious. The head wound and the driving rain made each step heavier than the last. But still Aubrey put one foot in front on the other to force herself back to Merlin and the camp. The sound of her sloshing steps was almost drowned out by the sounds of the rain but she drew strength from each and every slap and slosh of the mud against her legs.

When she finally drew close, Aubrey could see the small flickers of light through the gaps in the haphazard shelter they had constructed. The thought of sitting by a fire and forcing the chill from her bones was enough to push her forward even faster. Her vision wavered as her body protested the movements but she pushed on through.

"Got over your little snit have you?"

Aubrey ignored the jibe from the man as she stepped in out of the rain and slumped down onto the ground beside the fire. She held her hands out in an attempt to draw heat from the flames and direct it straight into her body. Atlantian's were supposed to be harder and stronger but the bone deep chill and her pounding head made Aubrey feel just as weak as when she was human.

"You look like you've been sparring in the ring for a round or two." Merlin muttered, prodding her out of his path with the toe of his shoe. "What happened to you?"

He didn't sound like he truly cared for her to answer but still Aubrey replied, "If you must know, I just went toe to toe with a car and a pretty incompetent bounty hunter."

Merlin's head snapped around and he glared at her. "A bounty hunter?"

"It appears there is now a price on my head. I've detained the man for questioning but we're going to have to move on. If one found us, then the rest are going to follow."

"No, we're not moving."

"I don't think now is the time to be stubborn."

Merlin pinned the two of them with a glare. "We're not leaving. They won't be able to find us. We'll have to speed up your training, of course." The man tapped his fingers on his chin, his eyes becoming unfocused as he spoke. "You're not really prepared for it and I would usually wait until you were more advanced in your magical training but we'll have to work on wards. Just remember, you can't fail at this. If you fail, we're all caught."

Aubrey tentatively touched the tender spot at the back of her head as it gave a throb and glared at the man. "No pressure."

"Oh, you've got all of the pressure on you. My magic is somewhat diminished, I have been away from Atlantis too long." Merlin paused and stared down at his ruined mark. His fingers stroked across the blemished skin before he lifted his head to set his intense eyes upon her. "If you fail, all of our lives will be forfeit."

Swallowing, Aubrey nodded her head. "Warding first then? Or should we question the prisoner?"

"Warding. Unless you want to leave us all exposed while you have a little chit chat."

"Fine, let's do this." Aubrey pushed back on to her feet, wobbling as her vision spun.

"First, we need to take care of your head wound. If you try to ward with a wound like that, you'll probably destroy us better than any bounty hunter could."

Aubrey frowned at the man. "You are filling me with confidence right now."

"I am not here to boost your ego. I am here to get you through this alive so that I can finally go home. You win. I win. That's all I care about right now."

"Okay, so where do we start."

Merlin pushed up on to his feet, his head bent to avoid hitting the roof of the little shelter, as he stepped close to her. Aubrey forced herself not to move as he moved into her personal space. His gaze locked on hers as he placed a hand on either side of her face. His hands grew warm against her cheeks as the pain within her skull grew more intense.

"I cannot completely heal you but I can take away the concussion. That will allow you to focus." Aubrey nodded her head in response, unable to speak as the pain became intense. "Don't move, unless you want me to kill you."

The buzzing in her head grew louder, a throbbing ache burning behind her eyes as she fought against the urge to shield herself away from the pain. She dug her fingers into her leg and fought through the agony with sheer determination.

And then he released his grip. Merlin stepped back, a bead of sweat upon his temple as he panted for breath. "Your mind should be clearer now. Your Atlantian heritage should do the rest in no time."

Blinking, Aubrey placed a hand to her head. Though the back of her head was still sore, the drumbeat within her skull has lessened and she no longer felt as though she was going to vomit. She also felt like she could think clearly for the first time since the accident happened.

"Thank you. It feels much better."

"Good." Merlin grunted, turning away as he swiped at his brow.

Aubrey frowned at his back. His body was shaking and was stooped, the effort to perform the healing on her was obviously too much for him to handle. Would the same happen to her too if she remained away from Atlantis? Would she weaken just as he had?

"Did you want to rest for a bit before we get started?" Aubrey asked, biting her lip as soon as she spoke the words.

Merlin spun around and glared at her. "Of course, your highness. If you need a break, then we will all perform on your schedule. I'll just ask the bounty hunters to wait while you have a few minutes to rest."

"I was just concerned about you, but if you don't want a break, then it is fine with me." Aubrey ignored the scowl directed her as she attempted to brush off some of the mud from her clothes, only to smear the mud further. "Let's do this."

"Follow me. It's best to do this away from the camp unless you want to rebuild the shelter." Merlin strode past her and out into the rain.

She glared at his back but then followed behind him. The rain had slowed to a gentle patter of raindrops but she still felt each and every one as it fell against her skin.

"Stop right there." Merlin ordered, his voice coming at her through the darkness. "Now close your eyes."

Pressing her lips together to stop the retort she wanted to give him, Aubrey closed her eyes and stilled her footsteps.

"Now, as we did earlier, reach out and find the ley lines pulsing beneath your feet. Feel them. Take hold of them and then gently draw their energy to you."

Aubrey drew in a deep breath and tried to do as he asked. At first, she could only feel the lingering pain in her body, hear the sloshing as Merlin continued to pace around. Gradually she felt the distractions fade away. Piece by piece they fell away until there, beneath her feet she could feel the pure and untapped energy just waiting to be harnessed.

"Do you feel it?"

Aubrey nodded, her lips parting as the energy coiled around her. It felt like it was greeting her like an old friend.

"Good. Now, with your mind, reach out and pluck a small thread of the energy and pull it towards you. You need to be delicate. You don't want to draw too much power."

Aubrey frowned as she sought out the power, uncertain how she was supposed to grasp hold of this power. But like an obedient puppy, a coil of power wrapped around her waiting finger tips. Even though her eyes were closed, in her mind she could see the bright yellow strands as they hummed against her skin.

"That's it. Nice and gentle. Remember, don't draw too much."

"I've got it."

"Good, now the next part is all about intentions. Magic can be crafted to do almost anything you want if you have a strong enough will and you have the patience to control it. For a ward, you must first figure out your intent. We want to be hidden from view and we want anyone who comes looking for us to be redirected."

"Okay."

"Now, with holding your intent there in the centre of your mind, you need to reach pull the strand towards you, imbibing the strand with your will. You will feel the difference when you have done it."

"It feels, colder. Harder."

"Now, with that in your mind, imagine the threads weaving in a wall around us and the camp. A wall to shield us from those who would cause us harm. Really concentrate on the construction. If you waver it will be weakened."

It was a struggle at first, to bend and form the threads of power to her will, but as the seconds ticked on it became easier and easier. The power came to her faster and faster, channelling through her hands and into a tightly woven construction. It was a high like she had never known, to be able to use that wield such power.

"Okay, now that you have your wall, you need to cut your connection to it. If you don't the ward will continue to channel energy through you."

"Is that such a bad thing? I feel amazing." Aubrey murmured, reluctant to let the power go. The feel of it coursing over her skin was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

"It would be a terrible thing, unless you would like to die. Then I suppose it could be a very good thing." Merlin stated blandly, moving so that he was standing before her. He rested his hands upon her shoulders. "Now, release your hold on the magic. It will resist but you have to enforce your will. You have to control it."

Aubrey tried to do as he said. She really tried, but the magic clung on to a hand. It felt like a small child was clasping on to her, begging her to maintain her grip. "But it needs me."

"Let it go. Now."

Drawing in a deep breath, Aubrey reached down with her free hand and prised the energy's grasp from her. She felt it crying, struggling to maintain the connection with her. Then, with a deep breath, she let it go.

It fought for a few more moments before snapping away, pinging back in to the ground where it pulsed and throbbed against her feet.

And without its presence against her skin, Aubrey slumped forward like her own cords had been cut. Exhaustion swept through her, her entire body suddenly feeling as if it weighed tonnes more than it had just a few minutes before.

"And that is why I told you to let go." Merlin stated, pushing her away from him with a gentle shove.

She locked her knees to stop herself from falling to the ground. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and go to sleep for a long time.

"Magic is a double edged sword. You can do great things with it but it also takes from you in return." Merlin stated calmly. "The more magic you use, the more you feel its effects."

"I'm definitely feeling the effects." Aubrey muttered, raising a shaky hand to swipe the rain water from her face. "I think I need to sit down."

"Rest, we will be safe enough for now." He replied, pushing her ever so slightly towards the shelter. "We will continue your training when the light returns."

Too tired to protest, Aubrey trudged away. She didn't remember the walk, her mind fuzzy and body sluggish. She only knew that, what felt like just moments later, she was laid prone on the floor beside the fire and sleep was claiming her.

**

It felt like only seconds had passed before she felt herself being dragged back from the comfort of sleep into consciousness. Hours must have passed as the darkness of night had been replaced by a murky grey morning, the weak sunlight finding its way through the gaps in the shelter sides. Aubrey blinked to orientate herself, aware of the numerous aches and pains in her body as she slowly pushed herself upright.

"What do you think you're doing?" Andrew shouted.

Snapping her head around, Aubrey glared at the man before blinking abruptly at the scene before her.

The prisoner, who she had apprehended the night before, was knelt on the floor. His wounds from the car crash were much worse in the light of day and it appeared he had acquired a few more wounds in the hours since. There was a large abrasion along the side of his face where he had no doubt been dragged across the floor for some distance. Merlin held the bound man's wounded face between his hands and was glaring into his eyes.

Andrew, who look just as bedraggled as she felt, had both hands on Merlin's shoulders and was attempting to pull him away from the defenceless man.

"Shut up. I am getting the answers that we need. Now be quiet." Merlin carelessly waved his hand over his shoulder and whatever Andrew was going to say got stuck in his throat. His lips moving but no sounds were coming out. "Now, where were we? Ah yes."

He focused his full attention back on the man before him just a moment later. The bounty hunter went rigid, a grunt of pain escaping his lips as he became ensnared in Merlin's gaze. Blood oozed from his right nostril as the seconds passed and the whites of his eyes turned red as the vessels ruptured.

Merlin stepped back with a grunt. "He knows nothing of value. We can get everything we need from his phone." The expression on his face as he stared down at the captive at his feet was one that send chills down Aubrey's spine.

"No, don't-."

But it was too late, Merlin grasped both sides of the man's head and then yanked it to the side with a sharp twist. The sound of the neck snapping made Aubrey feel a little bit nauseous. Pressing her lips together, she was forced to watch as the man's head was released and the body slumped to the side.

"Why did you do that? You didn't have to kill him." Aubrey demanded, pushing herself to her feet as she did so.

"He was dead the moment he recognised you." Merlin stated blithely. "This is war. If we had left this man alive and let him go on his merry way, he would have drawn too many eyes in our direction. He had to die. There is too much at stake. Don't try to argue with me. This is much bigger than you and your damn morals."

"But-."

"If it makes you feel better, he wasn't a good man. I could see it in his mind. He enjoyed killing and he enjoyed causing people pain. He became a bounty hunter so he could justify his actions. I have done the world a favour by ending his life." Merlin stated calmly before staring out into the light. "I'm going for a walk. I'll leave you two to clean up."

With that he was striding away. Aubrey glanced up at Andrew. His eyes were wide, glancing between the body on the floor and the place where Merlin had disappeared. Aubrey swallowed and forced her body up on to her feet. She approached the body like one might approach a dangerous animal. But the man wouldn't be attacking anyone. His eyes were sightless, staring as nothing as his body remained slumped on the floor.

Finally, she turned to Andrew. She didn't feel guilt over the man on the floor. In her mind, she knew that there was no logical way to let the man go without putting themselves at risk. Yet, it was the effect it was having on Andrew that caused her the greatest guilt.

"I'm sorry Andrew, I never wanted you to be mixed up in all of this. I wish I had never found my way into your mother's house." She dropped her gaze unable to stare at him anymore.

As Merlin had yet to remove whatever magic that kept him from speaking, Andrew simply stretched out his arms and pulled her close. She could hear his heart thudding a hundred times a minute within his chest as she pressed her cheek against his shirt.

"If these are the measures that need to be taken to win this war, I wonder what kind of person I will be at the end." Aubrey wrapped her arms around Andrew's waist even as her eyes dropped unbidden to the floor and the body laid upon it. "I know that I will be the one to fight the final fight. I feel it in my very soul. I just hope I won't lose who I am in the process."

Andrew's arms flexed around her in comfort, speaking more than words ever could. She held on to him tightly like a life raft. But she knew that all too soon she would have to let him go and face the war ahead alone. She had tainted his life enough and she could never live with herself if he died because of her actions.

Releasing her hold on him, Aubrey stepped away. "I'll get rid of the body. We don't need to draw any more attention to ourselves. You stay here."

Andrew placed a hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. The look was hard and she knew what it meant without him being able to say the words.

"I'm trying to protect you." She protested but he just shook his head. "Fine. But you will be the one who regrets this, not me."

And with those final words, she walked over to the body and hooked her hands under the corpse's armpits. Andrew watched her for several long seconds before he strode to the dead man's feet and lifted him from the ground. And then together, they buried the remains of a rotten soul in an unmarked grave in a place he would never be found. And yet neither Andrew nor Aubrey would ever forget the man's face.