Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 37:The Seventeen Year Old Girl From The North

"Fuck!" Al shouted and threw the paper on the floor. "What the actual fuck is going on right now? Why the fuck did this happen?"

Moira Monatheon stood, stoic as ever, in the middle of Al's tent. She had brought him a letter from her younger brother and it was no secret Al was displeased with the contents.

"I have to go back." She said, her hands were folded in front of her. She was already in her riding gear, her boots were pulled up past her knee and her hair was tied back in a tight braid.

"No, I can't have you leaving right now. We need you, Moira-" Al shook his head.

Moira almost smiled. "I was not asking your permission."

"I am the-" he began to say, his eyes fluttered slightly and she could tell he was trying not to get angry with her but she didn't care.

"I don't care what you are. I'm going home." she shrugged slightly and raised her eyebrows.

"You can't leave, sister." Blaxton appeared behind her. He folded his arms and she heard Al sigh in relief behind her. "The army needs you, our queen needs you here."

She could feel her heart rate rising in anger. "Our father is dead, our little brother is alone in Castle Rock with murderers in his dungeons. One of them is Brice Gorodetsky. You do realize what happens if Don gets mad and kills him right? We lose High Valley. Which means that battle was for nothing, those men died for nothing. Our army and queen need me to go home."

"We can send someone else-" Al shook his head again but Moira had had enough.

"You forget yourself Alakai." She took a step towards him, fury radiating from her. "I am Lady Monatheon of Stone Garden. I will not be ordered around by you. I will go home to help my brother and find out who killed my father. I will save the alliance we have with High Valley and I will do it all on my bloody own. And if either of you try to stop me-" she turned to threaten her brother as well. "then I will knock each of you unconscious and shave your eyebrows off. And if you come after me, I will kill you where you stand."

"Moira-" Blaxton tried to reason with her.

"Go to hell Blaxton." she spat at him and left the tent. Moira could hear footsteps behind her and without hesitation she pulled out a foot long dagger and whipped around.

"Woah woah." Jeremy Merlin stood with his hands raised in surrender. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Did Al send you?"

"No."

"Did my brother?"

"No of course not."

"Then what the fuck are you doing here?"

"You don't have to ride to Stone Garden. I can get you there instantly." he smiled almost abashed but simultaneously boastful.

"I don't have time for your games, Merlin." She rolled her eyes and turned away.

"No, please! Lady Moira!" He called after her. She stopped but did not turn around. "Look, it's a simple trick really. All wizards can do it."

"What is it?"

"It's called apparation. And I can take you wherever you wish."

She looked him hard in the eyes. She didn't know if she could trust Jeremy Merlin or not. "Okay. she conceded. "You can take me to Castle Rock."

"You're sure?"

"Don't make me change my mind, Merlin." Moira gave him a warning look.

"Right,"  a small smile crept over his gaunt features. "Take my arm."

She did so and it only took a second before it began to work. Moira felt like she was being condensed into a tube the size of her pinky finger while simultaneously being stretched into a canvas. It lasted less than a moment and her feet hit cold Northern ground and she knew she was home. She let go of the Merlin boy's arm and leaned over, her hands on her knees. She felt sick to her stomach. Around her, she saw trees in the far distance but mostly she saw the open freedom of the North stretching around her. A sigh fell through her making her shudder in happiness. Unlike her little brother, Moira loved the North. She loved everything about this place, it was in her bones, the land gave her strength unlike anywhere she had ever been before.

"I'm sorry I didn't drop us in Castle Rock. I fucked it up a bit but we're only just outside the city walls. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes to get there." Jeremy wrinkled his face and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. She turned just as he lit it, purple smoke surrounded his head in seconds. 

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Will you go on ahead? Meet me in the Skinned Rabbit pub and I'll buy you a drink before we go to my home." she gave a small smile.

"What? Why?" he shook his head. "No, we should stay together."

"Merlin," Moira's chin stuck out defiantly although her heart wasn't in it. She had tried being nice and now her patience was gone in a flash. "Just do what I bloody say."

"Alright." he took a long drag and looked at her intently. "Are you okay?"

"What?" She glared at him and folded her arms.

"Your father just died. Your little brother is causing a bit of a shit storm and if you don't fix it then the entire alliance we just fought and killed for will crumble. That's a lot of pressure for-" The boy with the shaggy blonde hair smiled sympathetically at her but she cut him off before she had to hear another word.

"You don't know me very well, Merlin." she snarled. "But here's the thing, I am going to fix everything. I will avenge my father and none of that is going to be too difficult for me. Do you understand? I am Moira Monatheon and you are not the first man to underestimate me but please, refrain from ever doing so again. Now meet me in the pub or go back to Alakai."

Jeremy took several steps backwards before turning and walking quickly in the opposite direction. It wasn't long before he had disappeared over the crest of the first rolling hill. Moira walked about five steps before she sat down. Her cloak was pulled around her body so she was wrapped in a wool cocoon. Without hesitation, the seventeen year old girl from the North started to cry. Tears rolled like avalanches down her ivory cheeks and her body shuddered with the release of emotion.

She gave herself exactly five minutes before pulling herself together and going to find Jeremy so she could fix everything.