An Unlikely Visitor
Heroes
The flames had reached a frightening height when Merlin and Eilwen arrived.
The guards were throwing sand and water into the fire; but it was to no avail.
Arthur stood in the hallway; Morgana at his side. He was shouting at one of the guards.
“Why isn’t anything working?!” he screamed.
“We don’t know, my lord.” The guard answered. “We’re trying everything.”
“Well then try something else!” Arthur cried. Morgana placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.
“They’re doing their best, Arthur.”
“They need to try harder. If this fire can’t be controlled, the whole castle will be destroyed!”
Unbeknownst to Arthur, Merlin and Eilwen had heard everything he said. Merlin took Eilwen’s arm and led her behind a corner.
“We have to do something.” Merlin said.
“But what can we do?” Eilwen asked.
Merlin frowned. “I don’t know.”
Eilwen thought for a moment. “Maybe…?”
Merlin caught on to what she was thinking. “No, I can’t. Not with all of these people here.”
“Then we have to make a diversion or something,” Eilwen said as she looked behind the corner at the rising flames. “And quickly.”
Merlin concentrated. Nothing he could do would be enough for everyone to leave the fire. But maybe they didn’t actually have to leave.
Merlin closed his eyes and concentrated. As he did, his lips moved almost by themselves as he whispered the incantation. Slowly, one by one, the guards started to throw the buckets of water with less force. Then they completely stopped all together. Even Arthur and Morgana were completely still. The now raging flames were frozen in time.
Eilwen clapped enthusiactly. “Now that is brilliant!”
But Merlin was all business. “Come on, there’s no time to waste. I don’t know how long this spell is going to last so we need to hurry.”
Merlin and Eilwen carefully made their way to the still flames. Though the flames had stopped raging, the heat they gave off was very present.
Eilwen turned to Merlin. “Now what?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know any water spells.” His face fell.
“But I do.” Eilwen said smiling. “Here, you use the sand.” She took a bucket of sand and handed it to Merlin.
Eilwen then retrieved a bucket full of water for herself. She looked back at Merlin.
“Watch and learn.”
Eilwen waved her hand over the bucket. The water reacted to her touch and instantly rose; following the motion of her hand. Once the water was completely out of the bucket, Eilwen moved her hands in a side to side motion spreading out the water. As the water touched the flames, they instantly diminished. Merlin watched in awe.
“Come on then!” Eilwen called to Merlin. “Put the sand on the bottom portion of the flames.”
Merlin jumped and did what he was told. He spread the sand on the floor where the flames were. As he did, the flames disappeared. Eilwen continued to manipulate the water over the flames. She used the water like a painter using a brush. She made small strokes; being sure to cover every flame. Merlin couldn’t help but admire her talent. It was like it moved through her whole body; like a dance.
Merlin and Eilwen worked quickly to extinguish all the flames. When they were finished, the whole room was charred black but enacted. Merlin and Eilwen returned to their places hiding behind the corner. Merlin recited another incantation; as he did so time moved forward again. Guards who had had buckets of water threw them on now non-existing flames. They looked at each other with confusion.
Arthur ran to the now empty banquet hall.
“What? How?” he asked.
Morgana walked over to where he stood and smiled. “I guess your men did find a way to stop the flames.”
Arthur just stood there dumbfounded. “I guess they did.”
Merlin and Eilwen exchanged looks.
“I think we did enough here.” Merlin said.
Eilwen smiled. “I believe you’re right.”
The guards were throwing sand and water into the fire; but it was to no avail.
Arthur stood in the hallway; Morgana at his side. He was shouting at one of the guards.
“Why isn’t anything working?!” he screamed.
“We don’t know, my lord.” The guard answered. “We’re trying everything.”
“Well then try something else!” Arthur cried. Morgana placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.
“They’re doing their best, Arthur.”
“They need to try harder. If this fire can’t be controlled, the whole castle will be destroyed!”
Unbeknownst to Arthur, Merlin and Eilwen had heard everything he said. Merlin took Eilwen’s arm and led her behind a corner.
“We have to do something.” Merlin said.
“But what can we do?” Eilwen asked.
Merlin frowned. “I don’t know.”
Eilwen thought for a moment. “Maybe…?”
Merlin caught on to what she was thinking. “No, I can’t. Not with all of these people here.”
“Then we have to make a diversion or something,” Eilwen said as she looked behind the corner at the rising flames. “And quickly.”
Merlin concentrated. Nothing he could do would be enough for everyone to leave the fire. But maybe they didn’t actually have to leave.
Merlin closed his eyes and concentrated. As he did, his lips moved almost by themselves as he whispered the incantation. Slowly, one by one, the guards started to throw the buckets of water with less force. Then they completely stopped all together. Even Arthur and Morgana were completely still. The now raging flames were frozen in time.
Eilwen clapped enthusiactly. “Now that is brilliant!”
But Merlin was all business. “Come on, there’s no time to waste. I don’t know how long this spell is going to last so we need to hurry.”
Merlin and Eilwen carefully made their way to the still flames. Though the flames had stopped raging, the heat they gave off was very present.
Eilwen turned to Merlin. “Now what?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know any water spells.” His face fell.
“But I do.” Eilwen said smiling. “Here, you use the sand.” She took a bucket of sand and handed it to Merlin.
Eilwen then retrieved a bucket full of water for herself. She looked back at Merlin.
“Watch and learn.”
Eilwen waved her hand over the bucket. The water reacted to her touch and instantly rose; following the motion of her hand. Once the water was completely out of the bucket, Eilwen moved her hands in a side to side motion spreading out the water. As the water touched the flames, they instantly diminished. Merlin watched in awe.
“Come on then!” Eilwen called to Merlin. “Put the sand on the bottom portion of the flames.”
Merlin jumped and did what he was told. He spread the sand on the floor where the flames were. As he did, the flames disappeared. Eilwen continued to manipulate the water over the flames. She used the water like a painter using a brush. She made small strokes; being sure to cover every flame. Merlin couldn’t help but admire her talent. It was like it moved through her whole body; like a dance.
Merlin and Eilwen worked quickly to extinguish all the flames. When they were finished, the whole room was charred black but enacted. Merlin and Eilwen returned to their places hiding behind the corner. Merlin recited another incantation; as he did so time moved forward again. Guards who had had buckets of water threw them on now non-existing flames. They looked at each other with confusion.
Arthur ran to the now empty banquet hall.
“What? How?” he asked.
Morgana walked over to where he stood and smiled. “I guess your men did find a way to stop the flames.”
Arthur just stood there dumbfounded. “I guess they did.”
Merlin and Eilwen exchanged looks.
“I think we did enough here.” Merlin said.
Eilwen smiled. “I believe you’re right.”