The afternoon sun was rising as they traveled down the overgrown path. The hill had been tough, and even Black had found it challenging, giving him a focused scowl for most of the climb.  The jagged climb had given way to a halting descent as the horses scaled the uneven rocks and mud.  Overgrown trees steeled them from the blaze of the sun, but the air felt thicker as they traveled deeper into the valley.  Alexander felt his scowl deepen, “This air is old air…older than anyplace I’ve been to in my time.”  He sniffed at the air, “It feels as if life was born here…and died here.”

“I don’t know about all that,” Nicholas said, his eyes scanning their surroundings, searching for movement.  He was in full armor, and only his helm was removed. “Something about this place puts me on edge.”

Alexander pushed his horse forward, “Legends were told where Avalon began – the birthplace of Arthur, Merlin – a site that has always eluded the most practiced cleric.  The people in the cities have long abandoned the hunger to find the truth of it all…they became apathetic.”  They continued with Black leading, Nicholas behind him, and Aoife in the distant rear.  “You seem to favor her.”

“The Captain?” Nicholas asked. He snuck a glance back and shrugged. “Is it that obvious?”

Black nearly cackled but settled on a chortle, “I’ve not lived as long as I have not to see something exists in the clouds that separate you.  There is lightning and thunder.  Quiet as it may be…it is hard to ignore.”  They shifted through a clearing, and cragged ruins seemed to hold in the fog ahead.  “You are softer when you look at her.”

Nicholas clenched his jaw at that uncertain how to take it.  It sounded like an insult, but delivered as nothing more than an observation of an old man.

Suddenly the air grew warm, and a cold wind fluttered across the ground.  A figure appeared in the fog and stepped forward.

“What the hell?” Nicholas growled and drew his sword to charge the unknown figure.

Black jumped off his horse, “Hold, Sir Nicholas…this is…this is Igraine, the mother of Arthur.”  He knelt before the beautiful robed figure in a rare show of his aging Cleric credentials. “I am humbled in the presence of you, my lady.”

Igraine cocked her head to the side, “Sir Alexander Black.  You are known to me.”  She shifted her yes to the two Starfleet officers, “You are not…but your hearts align with him.”

Aoife raised an eyebrow at that and exchanged a look between them. Neither spoke, unsure what they were seeing. Surely they weren’t seeing a 1,700-year-old woman.

Black rose at the gesture of the mysterious figure and shook his head, “Your Highness…most revered Queen Igraine…how can you be here?”

She smiled faintly, “We came here from another place…I was to return with them…but they needed me to stay…to protect what had been broken.”  She stared at the two Starfleet officers, “They are from my home…although I have spent enough time reading and listening to the universe to know some time has passed since I left…what you call it…Earth?”

“You know of it? Earth?” Aoife asked, her tone questioning. “Are you an alien? Uh… what are you? You cannot be alive after nearly two millennia.”

Igraine sighed, “It has been a long time.  No, my body died long ago…but Merlin found a way to protect this place.  My…I suppose you would call it ‘soul’ is tied to this place.  The Vulcans call it a…Katra, I believe.”  A thin smile passed across her lips, “My…soul has been listening to the stars across the universe for a long time.  I’ve learned so much just…resting here.”  She returned her gaze to the two Starfleet officers, “A Federation of people…drawn together to stand for righteous ideals…I often wondered what lay beyond the stars.”

Black asked, “How…how have I never found this place?  I have searched…for a lifetime!”

A sad nod was her answer as she walked over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders, “I have known you since you came to be here on Avalon…I have watched your searching, your seeking…and heard your pleas.  No, I’m here because Merlin foretold that The Bridge would be needed again.  I was only to allow this place to be seen when the right moment arrived.”  She looked back to Aoife and Nicholas, “The right moment has arrived.”

“The right moment? Are you implying we are somehow important to something?” Aoife demanded. “And of Merlin. A soul such as yourself?”

She shuffled over to a bench and sat down, “He was more than magical.  What we knew of power and magic and the unnatural…his abilities pushed beyond the limits of what we knew…or could imagine.  He was a master of creating something from nothing – we could never figure out how he did it.” She shook her head, remembering his demonstrations, “He was a fearful creature…a thread of madness was woven through him that could not be removed or cut.  The story of Merlin could never be fully told – he was so many things with so much power…I could never hope to escape this place on my own.”

“So, you are a prisoner?” Nicholas asked. 

The mother of Arthur chuckled, “If my son were here, he would agree with you…that I was held against my will.  Arthur would have killed Merlin…if he could.  I don’t think anyone could kill that man…or whatever he was.  As for your importance, young woman…yes.  I could not tell you what the importance means, but this is the only time I have felt compelled to reveal myself to others.”  She brushed at the dust and debris on the bench, “Merlin never died…I know there are myths and stories of his undoing…but I would know.  I would vanish from this place if it were so.  His life source is unknown to me…but it is an indomitable creation that beats within his chest.”  She pushed off the bench, “I suppose I should show you the place you’ve been searching for.”

Black was amazed.  Igraine was shifting his entire understanding of his faith, the practice, and the culture that had sprung up around it.  He looked to Aoife and Nicholas, “It is a most amazing thing.”

“The Federation has countered beings capable of wielding great power. Apollo, the Douwd, the Profits,  Gary Mitchell. Merlin must have been an alien of similar nature,” Nicholas commented. 

“But what I don’t understand is what it has to do with us. We aren’t from this world,” Aoife commented. 

Igraine glanced at Black, who stared at her before he concluded, “Because it was never intended for the people of Avalon.” He paced back and forth, his theory sprouting from his lips as he walked, “Somehow Merlin must have known…or planned…to get people like you here that he would build an escape door for you to find.  Merlin was known for being quite mercurial in his actions and plots.”

The mother of King Arthur shook her head in response, “That word doesn’t do him justice.  He was mean, bitter, and a menace.  As much as he did for my son and the kingdom…he was not a good man in the sense of our times.  He was very much not from our world or time.  If he were human, he would have met his end early in his career.  Merlin was always several steps ahead of his critics and enemies.  He was…very good at staying alive.”

Alexander lamented, “The texts certainly have forgotten his true nature.”  He glanced at Aoife and Nicholas, “We must get these two home, my lady.  They have a world…and a universe awaiting them.”

“Something tells me that’s easier said than done,” Aoife replied. “But we have families and friends who we miss.”

The look on Igraine’s face suggested Aoife wasn’t far from the truth.  Instead of answering, she said, “Come with me.  I will lead you to the bridge.”

Both Aoife and Nicholas slid off their horses and tied the leads to a nearby tree. Aoife adjusted her skirts and followed Igrain with Nicholas at her side. The trees closed in around them and the shadows closed in around them and scents of pine and decaying vegetation filled the air.