"Ah of cource. How silly of me. We should carry it on today then just incase anything happens." She stood up an held out her hand to offer it to Vivan to use to stand up with.

"Of cource I shall help you. It would be my pleasure." She then stood holding one of Vivians hands and reached her mind out to Brisinga to see what she was doing.

Morgan felt as if she and Vivien were flying over the mainland. Vivien's Lake soon came in sight, but it was as if a cloud was hiding any people from them. They coulden't see properly which worried Mogan.

Mogan blnked slightly and turned to Vivian. "I do hope he knows we ment no to spy or any harm, that we were just curious as we had heard nothing. Even though he said he would send word." She blinked gain a few times. "I fear we may have of anoyed him by looking on."

As her mind and Vivien's retreated to where they physically stood in the private grove on the Isle of Avalon, Morgan still wondered how Merlin could be so powerful when he denied the power of the Earth-Goddess.

At one point in the meeting with Brisinga, Arthur had swatted Gawain's rear with the flat of his borrowed sword (the one lent him by Leodegrance), because Gawain had tried to grope the Avalon maiden. Once Brisinga and her escorts had departed, Gawain began complaining about the act of rebuke--to be stopped by the back of Arthur's hand striking his face. "Fool! Will you never learn the most elementary courtesy? That girl was, to all intents, an ambassador from a potential ally. Be grateful that you ONLY had the flat of a blade across your backside; had I not done that, Merlin and I would have had to save your throat from being cut by those Welshmen!"

Merlin soon had Gawain at work setting up their camp. That night, Arthur prayed that he would be worthy to wield the sword formerly carried both by Queen Boadicea and by Saint Joseph of Arimatheia.

When the point was reached where Vivien could throw two sticks with some force, and Morgan could make them veer away from herself, the younger sorceress felt she had done enough. "Success can be as tiring as failure, my love. Please hold me for a moment."


Vivien closed the small distance between them in five strides; their arms reached and embraced; their mouths met cheerfully; then Morgan rested her head on Vivien's shoulder and her weight against Vivien's body. Their unseen bond, the life they shared, soon restored Morgan's vigor enough so that they could walk, arms still around each other, to the great meeting hall of Avalon for supper. Brisinga had already returned, and was commended for her performance of her errand.

"I do not wholly trust Garlon," Morgan managed to tell Vivien directly by thought, which was made easier by their continually touching each other. It must also have been helped by the moment when their spirits had touched as Vivien had held Morgan to let her recover. They both had an extra strong bond between them.