The Man in The Cave

Chapter 21

Morgana's soft steps pressed the grass, the plants of the woods moving out of her way so she could walk to who she was looking for. Thick storm clouds began to gather and cover the little afternoon light that leaked through some of the wood's trees.

Her fingers brushed the branch of a tree and she sighed, frustrated. She heard the faint trace of a heartbeat making its way to her ears almost unwillingly. Morgana rolled her eyes, they shone blue when she touched the base of the tree. She heard it move and contort before a figure fell on the floor with a loud yelp. Morgana's eyes focused on him, he had grown a thick beard and his nose was scrunched, his eyes shut tight for a second as he mumbled things about getting too old and time going by far too fast.

"Here you are," Morgana half smiled rolling her eyes "It's very lovely to see you again Emrys, do you know how long it has been?"

"I was hoping the day wouldn't arrive," he muttered under his breath. Morgana saw him stand up shake some leaves and grass off, his eyebrows closely knit together and an unmistakable sadness in his expression. His clothes were worn out, and despite his expression, his eyes turned soft when he looked at her "will you walk with me?" he questioned.

Morgana rose an eyebrow, "Are you planning to throw me in the lake with your girlfriend?" Emrys' cheeks turned red. She had to stifle the laugh that threatened to come out.

"Nimueh is not my girlfriend" Emrys said. Morgana laughed but stepped by his side.

"Of course," Morgana nodded as they began to walk. The silence between them was comfortable. He guided her through the place, gray hairs had begun to grow in his face and beard and she couldn't help but think he hadn't had as many the last time she saw him.

"Did you bring it?" Emrys questioned, Morgana put Excalibur in front of herself so he could see it. Emrys gave a single nod. The line in between his eyebrows more visible than ever.

"Where are we going?" Morgana questioned.

"I need to know," he began, "are you still set on the same idea? To take care of them?" He questioned, and his voice was almost the same as the boy to who she had asked to keep her magic as the biggest secret there could possibly be. The thought of it made her heart ache.

"It's not just taking care of them. I'm just going to make sure they'll be here when their time comes, if it ever does," Morgana answered. The task had been given to her, and with a good reason, she liked to believe, if there was any possibility that any of them could have the same talent for getting in trouble as Arthur had once had, it was better they were not left unsupervised.

"Alone?" Emry's voice filled her ears and made its way to her heart.

"No..."

"What are you planning to do with the sword?" she figured her negative was enough of an answer to him when Emrys decided to shift the topic from her hypothetical solitude to the sword.

"Put it somewhere around here. Arthur found him when you placed it, I don't see why whoever is destined to fight Mordred again wouldn't find it." she shrugged, holding it up as best as she could. It would be the best way to know when the right time truly came, only one of Arthur's line would be able to hold it.

"And then what?"

"I'll keep an eye out for the one that meets the requirements, the flowers that'll bloom and the kid covered in red"

"What will you do when you find him?" Morgana's mouth turned into a line; he was awfully curious, far more than usual.

"I'll tell them the truth and hope for the best," Morgana admitted, This time it was Emrys who tensed, Morgana realized they were in front of a cave, just barely far enough from where she had found Emrys and the lake.