wings.
“Where are we going?” Merlin shouted to his mount. Though he’d never ridden before, he had no trouble staying on the animal’s
back. It was as if anything involving magic was somehow familiar to him.
*To the Enchanted Lake that leads to the Land of Magic, Master Merlin,*
the horse responded. Though Merlin thought the horse was already running at top speed, it began to run even faster, so that
Merlin had to cling tightly to the saddle and speech became impossible.
They reached the edge of the forest and crossed it, and now Merlin was riding through a land he’d never even seen before.
The countryside was one of green and rolling hills, passing almost in a blur. Only a few distant huts and cart tracks were
visible, and it occurred to Merlin fleetingly that no matter how much wickedness King Vortigern had been responsible for,
it had not affected the land.
Then even those few signs of habitation were gone, and the landscape was as wild and untouched as it had been before the first
people had lived here. In the distance, Merlin could see a silvery gleam, which slowly grew and broadened until Merlin knew
he was staring at the Enchanted Lake. By small degrees, the horse began to slow, until it was trotting, then walking, then
stopped. Merlin slid from its back and stared out over the lake. A boat was coming toward them, gliding silently over the
calm surface of the enchanted lake.
“Is the Land of Magic on the other shore?” Merlin asked.
*No. What lies across the Enchanted Lake depends on who seeks it, and what they seek.*
Merlin shook his head in puzzlement, and when he looked up the boat had reached the shore.
It was made of a rich silvery wood, with a band of runes carved about its hull. The prow and the stern tapered to high points,
and there were neither oars nor sails aboard it. Inside the boat, Merlin could see a couple of benches covered in purple velvet
for the passengers to sit on.
“Thank you,” Merlin said to the horse. It shook its silvery mane at him and did not answer. “I suppose I’m supposed to get
into the boat?” he said reluctantly.
The horse backed away, watching Merlin with wary eyes. Merlin glanced from the horse to the boat. This was it. He could probably
still find his way back to the forest from here, but once he boarded the boat he would have no choice but to go where it took
him. There’d be no turning back.
But if he thought he could turn back now, Merlin realized, he was only kidding himself. He was only half-human. The other
half of himself—whatever it was—lay at the boat’s destination.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and climbed into the boat. It began to move off at once, as though some invisible
force was drawing it along. He stumbled backward at the motion, and sat down hard on one of the velvet benches.
This was it, then. There was nothing to do but wait.
CHAPTER FIVE
T HE C OURTS OF F AIRY
L ooking behind him, Merlin saw the shore and the shining white spark of the magic horse dwindle and vanish in the distance,
but the opposite shore of the lake still did not appear. He felt excited and uneasy about what was to come; even now he was
quickly coming to realize what a haven the forest had been for him, and how sheltered from the real world he’d been as he
grew up there. Everything that had happened to him since this morning was so strange and new, and yet he wasn’t frightened
by any of it. In a sense, it was as if he were coming home. He knew very little about Mab and the Old Ways …
But now all that will change,
he thought to himself.
How it would change was something Merlin did not stop to consider.
As the boat travelled across the glassy lake, a mist began to rise up off the water almost like steam from a pot of soup.
He did not notice it at first, but as the light dimmed Merlin glanced behind him to see how far away the shore was, and saw
that in scant moments the mist had veiled the
“Where are we going?” Merlin shouted to his mount. Though he’d never ridden before, he had no trouble staying on the animal’s
back. It was as if anything involving magic was somehow familiar to him.
*To the Enchanted Lake that leads to the Land of Magic, Master Merlin,*
the horse responded. Though Merlin thought the horse was already running at top speed, it began to run even faster, so that
Merlin had to cling tightly to the saddle and speech became impossible.
They reached the edge of the forest and crossed it, and now Merlin was riding through a land he’d never even seen before.
The countryside was one of green and rolling hills, passing almost in a blur. Only a few distant huts and cart tracks were
visible, and it occurred to Merlin fleetingly that no matter how much wickedness King Vortigern had been responsible for,
it had not affected the land.
Then even those few signs of habitation were gone, and the landscape was as wild and untouched as it had been before the first
people had lived here. In the distance, Merlin could see a silvery gleam, which slowly grew and broadened until Merlin knew
he was staring at the Enchanted Lake. By small degrees, the horse began to slow, until it was trotting, then walking, then
stopped. Merlin slid from its back and stared out over the lake. A boat was coming toward them, gliding silently over the
calm surface of the enchanted lake.
“Is the Land of Magic on the other shore?” Merlin asked.
*No. What lies across the Enchanted Lake depends on who seeks it, and what they seek.*
Merlin shook his head in puzzlement, and when he looked up the boat had reached the shore.
It was made of a rich silvery wood, with a band of runes carved about its hull. The prow and the stern tapered to high points,
and there were neither oars nor sails aboard it. Inside the boat, Merlin could see a couple of benches covered in purple velvet
for the passengers to sit on.
“Thank you,” Merlin said to the horse. It shook its silvery mane at him and did not answer. “I suppose I’m supposed to get
into the boat?” he said reluctantly.
The horse backed away, watching Merlin with wary eyes. Merlin glanced from the horse to the boat. This was it. He could probably
still find his way back to the forest from here, but once he boarded the boat he would have no choice but to go where it took
him. There’d be no turning back.
But if he thought he could turn back now, Merlin realized, he was only kidding himself. He was only half-human. The other
half of himself—whatever it was—lay at the boat’s destination.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and climbed into the boat. It began to move off at once, as though some invisible
force was drawing it along. He stumbled backward at the motion, and sat down hard on one of the velvet benches.
This was it, then. There was nothing to do but wait.
CHAPTER FIVE
T HE C OURTS OF F AIRY
L ooking behind him, Merlin saw the shore and the shining white spark of the magic horse dwindle and vanish in the distance,
but the opposite shore of the lake still did not appear. He felt excited and uneasy about what was to come; even now he was
quickly coming to realize what a haven the forest had been for him, and how sheltered from the real world he’d been as he
grew up there. Everything that had happened to him since this morning was so strange and new, and yet he wasn’t frightened
by any of it. In a sense, it was as if he were coming home. He knew very little about Mab and the Old Ways …
But now all that will change,
he thought to himself.
How it would change was something Merlin did not stop to consider.
As the boat travelled across the glassy lake, a mist began to rise up off the water almost like steam from a pot of soup.
He did not notice it at first, but as the light dimmed Merlin glanced behind him to see how far away the shore was, and saw
that in scant moments the mist had veiled the
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