Nocturne [fic]
Title: Nocturne
Author: shadowbyrd
Rating: G
Word Count: 1114
Pairing(s): Barely there Will/Nimueh
Summary: The gang aren't the only ones the woods are hiding...
A/N: Robin hood/Merlin crossover.
He finds it one night, deep in the woods. They had scattered to evade Gisborne's men, fleeing in all directions, only for Will to end up lost and probably miles from their new camp. He hadn't had time to take in the new land marks, when he thinks only remembering the slight overhang of rock, the two trees twined together that will lead him to the last abandoned camp and probably leave him other side of the woods from the others.
He has a vague idea of where he is; even in the dark now he can make something of the trees, knows he's probably a bit further north than he should be. That in mind the dark, glassy lake seems to come out of nowhere. He gapes at it, at the small boat moored at the edge. There is no lake in the forest, he'd know if there were. His Dad would have told him about it, or John, or Robin -
"Hello."
He starts and turns, hatchet ready. It's a woman. She's tall and pale, in a thin red gown, the skirt of which has been torn to shreds at some point.
Will's cheeks flush as he becomes aware that he's staring. "Am I dreaming?"
She smiles and for all she seems fierce and wild it looks kindly meant. "No."
"But, there's no lake here," he begins, feeling a fool for arguing. Obviously it's a dream; he's probably fallen down and passed out from exhaustion.
"Not that man can see." she says, now amused. "You must be special to have made it here."
"Or just tired to the point of seeing things." Will mutters, feeling curiously embarrassed. She laughs and he turns his attention quickly to the lake. "There's an island."
"The Isle of the Blessed." she says. He can feel her standing behind him. "Men go there to ask me for things. Wealth. A cure for a sickness. A loved one brought back from death."
"You can do that? Bring someone back?"
The smile flickers a little. She pressed a hand, cool, even through Will's shirt, to his chest. "You've lost someone, haven't you? Long ago now, but it hurts still."
Will steps back and the hand falls away.
Her eyes narrow, as though to better see something. "I don't think that that's why you're here, though, is it?"
Will's shoulders hunch in a shrug. "I'm lost. If I'm even awake." he adds under his breath.
She walks around him, cool hands coming up to cup his shoulders and turn him around. "Keep going in this direction. You'll come to your friends soon enough."
"How do you even know where we are?"
"You're dreaming, remember?" she says with sly smile. This close he can see her eyes, unnaturally blue. She gives him a gentle push.
"Thank you." he says, taking a few steps forward. He wants to ask something, one of those questions they ask in the old stories; will I ever see you again, what are you or at least tell me your name. But instead he keeps on walking. When he next looks over his shoulder, the lake is gone and so is she.
Eventually he does come to the camp, the others, sat asleep around a dim fire jump up at the sight of him, tired faces breaking into wide smiles.
"Where the hell were you?" asks Robin
"Bloody hell, you took your time - " says Allan, pulling him into a brief hug.
"We thought the Sherriff might have got you, y'know!" says Much, clapping him around the head. "What kept you?"
“You got lost, didn’t you?” Djaq accuses with a wide grin
"I forgot where we'd made camp, so I had to stop and ask for directions." says Will, smiling. John smacks him on the shoulder and the others laugh.
He thinks about that lady and her lake many times after that night. He only serious considers going to search for her once, when for a few terrible, desperate minutes it seems that Marian has died.
But then his Dad and brother come back. He sees his Dad, the only parent he has, coldly murdered in front of him. All because of something stupid Will said.
At first he’s too angry; he only wants to lash out, to hurt in kind. Then, later when they’re back at camp, Luke tucked up Will’s usual spot, the others carefully avoiding his eyes, he thinks of her.
A loved one brought back from death
He gets up, makes a point of leaving his axes, and tells John that he’s going for a walk.
“I just want to be alone for a little bit.” he says, John eyeing him doubtfully. “I’m not going to do anything stupid, I promise.”
John wrinkles his nose. “Look, Will,” he begins, looking a little uncomfortable “None of us are going to hold that against you. You were still in shock, and -”
“John, please. I just - there’s some things I need to get straight in my head. What I’m going to do about Luke.”
John considers this and rests a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Don’t go far. After what happened today they’re probably a little keener to try and find us.” says John.
Will nods and starts away, stopping and turning when John calls his name.
”You’re not alone, here. You’ll remember that, won’t you?” John says.
Will smiles and nods, something tugging in his chest. Poor John. It’s almost as if he knows.
Out of earshot of the camp Will charges through the forest, running as fast and hard as he can. For a time he wanders again, cold and lost and, despite John’s words, very alone.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Will looks over his shoulder and sees her, every bit as frighteningly pale and strangely lovely as he remembered.
“There is a price,” she warns, the lake glittering darkly behind her.
Will nods. Nothing comes for nothing.
Early next morning, when Allan has nodded off on guard duty, Will takes Luke to visit their mother’s grave. By the time the others have woken up, Luke is gone, while Will sits sharpening his axes.
“He’s gone to live with relatives.” Is all Will says.
Two days later, there’s a fight at Locksley. The villagers have revolted against the guards, forcing the Sherriff to send more from the castle, weakening their defences. The gang go to the castle, Will insists that he stay with the villagers, to keep up the distraction, keep too many from getting slaughtered.
It isn’t a big death, not like Roy’s, but he dies saving someone and he dies in his village. He’s glad that he got that much.
Author: shadowbyrd
Rating: G
Word Count: 1114
Pairing(s): Barely there Will/Nimueh
Summary: The gang aren't the only ones the woods are hiding...
A/N: Robin hood/Merlin crossover.
He finds it one night, deep in the woods. They had scattered to evade Gisborne's men, fleeing in all directions, only for Will to end up lost and probably miles from their new camp. He hadn't had time to take in the new land marks, when he thinks only remembering the slight overhang of rock, the two trees twined together that will lead him to the last abandoned camp and probably leave him other side of the woods from the others.
He has a vague idea of where he is; even in the dark now he can make something of the trees, knows he's probably a bit further north than he should be. That in mind the dark, glassy lake seems to come out of nowhere. He gapes at it, at the small boat moored at the edge. There is no lake in the forest, he'd know if there were. His Dad would have told him about it, or John, or Robin -
"Hello."
He starts and turns, hatchet ready. It's a woman. She's tall and pale, in a thin red gown, the skirt of which has been torn to shreds at some point.
Will's cheeks flush as he becomes aware that he's staring. "Am I dreaming?"
She smiles and for all she seems fierce and wild it looks kindly meant. "No."
"But, there's no lake here," he begins, feeling a fool for arguing. Obviously it's a dream; he's probably fallen down and passed out from exhaustion.
"Not that man can see." she says, now amused. "You must be special to have made it here."
"Or just tired to the point of seeing things." Will mutters, feeling curiously embarrassed. She laughs and he turns his attention quickly to the lake. "There's an island."
"The Isle of the Blessed." she says. He can feel her standing behind him. "Men go there to ask me for things. Wealth. A cure for a sickness. A loved one brought back from death."
"You can do that? Bring someone back?"
The smile flickers a little. She pressed a hand, cool, even through Will's shirt, to his chest. "You've lost someone, haven't you? Long ago now, but it hurts still."
Will steps back and the hand falls away.
Her eyes narrow, as though to better see something. "I don't think that that's why you're here, though, is it?"
Will's shoulders hunch in a shrug. "I'm lost. If I'm even awake." he adds under his breath.
She walks around him, cool hands coming up to cup his shoulders and turn him around. "Keep going in this direction. You'll come to your friends soon enough."
"How do you even know where we are?"
"You're dreaming, remember?" she says with sly smile. This close he can see her eyes, unnaturally blue. She gives him a gentle push.
"Thank you." he says, taking a few steps forward. He wants to ask something, one of those questions they ask in the old stories; will I ever see you again, what are you or at least tell me your name. But instead he keeps on walking. When he next looks over his shoulder, the lake is gone and so is she.
Eventually he does come to the camp, the others, sat asleep around a dim fire jump up at the sight of him, tired faces breaking into wide smiles.
"Where the hell were you?" asks Robin
"Bloody hell, you took your time - " says Allan, pulling him into a brief hug.
"We thought the Sherriff might have got you, y'know!" says Much, clapping him around the head. "What kept you?"
“You got lost, didn’t you?” Djaq accuses with a wide grin
"I forgot where we'd made camp, so I had to stop and ask for directions." says Will, smiling. John smacks him on the shoulder and the others laugh.
He thinks about that lady and her lake many times after that night. He only serious considers going to search for her once, when for a few terrible, desperate minutes it seems that Marian has died.
But then his Dad and brother come back. He sees his Dad, the only parent he has, coldly murdered in front of him. All because of something stupid Will said.
At first he’s too angry; he only wants to lash out, to hurt in kind. Then, later when they’re back at camp, Luke tucked up Will’s usual spot, the others carefully avoiding his eyes, he thinks of her.
A loved one brought back from death
He gets up, makes a point of leaving his axes, and tells John that he’s going for a walk.
“I just want to be alone for a little bit.” he says, John eyeing him doubtfully. “I’m not going to do anything stupid, I promise.”
John wrinkles his nose. “Look, Will,” he begins, looking a little uncomfortable “None of us are going to hold that against you. You were still in shock, and -”
“John, please. I just - there’s some things I need to get straight in my head. What I’m going to do about Luke.”
John considers this and rests a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Don’t go far. After what happened today they’re probably a little keener to try and find us.” says John.
Will nods and starts away, stopping and turning when John calls his name.
”You’re not alone, here. You’ll remember that, won’t you?” John says.
Will smiles and nods, something tugging in his chest. Poor John. It’s almost as if he knows.
Out of earshot of the camp Will charges through the forest, running as fast and hard as he can. For a time he wanders again, cold and lost and, despite John’s words, very alone.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Will looks over his shoulder and sees her, every bit as frighteningly pale and strangely lovely as he remembered.
“There is a price,” she warns, the lake glittering darkly behind her.
Will nods. Nothing comes for nothing.
Early next morning, when Allan has nodded off on guard duty, Will takes Luke to visit their mother’s grave. By the time the others have woken up, Luke is gone, while Will sits sharpening his axes.
“He’s gone to live with relatives.” Is all Will says.
Two days later, there’s a fight at Locksley. The villagers have revolted against the guards, forcing the Sherriff to send more from the castle, weakening their defences. The gang go to the castle, Will insists that he stay with the villagers, to keep up the distraction, keep too many from getting slaughtered.
It isn’t a big death, not like Roy’s, but he dies saving someone and he dies in his village. He’s glad that he got that much.