Outside of the castle Mordred looked through the festival in the hopes that she wouldn’t have to start checking each road for Shera. Thankfully she didn’t have to as before she could ask around she saw her out of the corner of her eye. She was near one of the stables buying a mule to throw her stuff on so Mordred waited and watched. After she bought the mule and loaded her stuff on it she started heading down the southwestern road.

Mordred had no problem keeping up with the mule on foot but she had to divert herself into the field lining the road to avoid being seen by the former head maid. Once she was down the road a bit to where you could barely make out one's own silhouette from Camelot, Mordred started heading towards the former head maid. Sneaking down to the road she snuck up behind her and pulled out Clarent. The blade hummed and a purple flame sparked up the blade. Shera turned around at the sound of this in shock.

“Who are you? Were you sent to kill me?” Shera asked as she backed up slowly in fear.

“Yes.” Mordred said as she raised Clarent.

“You bloody witches are far too cruel! Where’s your sense of humanity?” Shera asked as Clarent came down on her. Shera raised her hands out of instinct and the flaming sword cut through them with ease. Though, it didn’t so much as graze any other part of her. Collapsing to the ground Shera began screaming in a mix of pain and horror as both her hands were on the ground in front of her.

“Damn you! Damn you all!” Shera spat out between her screams. Mordred’s face didn’t change as she had seen worse than this before. She didn’t mind killing so long as the person was guilty. That said, she never got used to it. Shera’s stubby wrists began burning a translucent purple flame which made her scream more. She got up and began frantically trying to put it out. Though it would not. Instead in a matter of seconds the flames spread from her wrists and engulfed her entire body in flames. Her screams echoed through the surrounding areas but none could hear them as the festival in Camelot was far louder.

The flames burnt her until she was nothing more than bone and ash. Nothing else was burned as the magic flames were intended for her and her alone. With her work done Mordred slapped the mule's ass and sent it on its way for any traveler to find and headed back to Camelot. Her sword, Clarent returned to wherever it was kept beyond human eyes where it was meant to be for the time being.

Back at Camelot Mordred found herself a table among the festival crowds and waited. She had her hair done up in a way that would keep her from being noticed if her past self saw her and also wore a dress that was much more appropriate to the area. Many of the men, drunk or not, tried to hit on her but all of it ended up the same way. With their asses kicked and sent on their way. Eventually though, I walked over and sat down across from her.

“Sorry about the wait. It took me forever to get out of the castle.” I said.

“You owe me a drink.” Mordred ordered.

“I guess I do.” I said as I walked over to one of the beer stalls and ordered a couple rounds. Walking back over I handed her a mug and began sipping mine. Rather than sip hers she started chugging it and when she was done she handed it back to me.

“Another.” she said with a sigh.

“Alright then. Do know that my funds are still limited.” I said as I took her mug and walked back over to the beer stall. The stall runner laughed at the sight of me coming to get another one but filled it up without saying a word. I tossed him one of the gold coins that Arthur gave me.

“Consider it an up front payment on our tab.” I said before taking the mug and walking away. The stall runner just looked at the coin then at Mordred and began laughing even harder.

“What did you say to him?” she asked as she took the mug from me.

“I just paid him up front.” I said.

“Let me guess, a habit from when Scott would take you drinking?” she asked.

“How could you tell?” I asked.

“Just a hunch. Now what’s the plan?” she asked.

“In an hour or so we’ll be heading north to go to the front lines.” I said. She stared at me for a second before sipping some of her ale.

“If I remember correctly, I was asked to hang back here in Camelot during your first battle. Thus, I have no clue what awaits you. That said, you come back alive and well so that’s good.” she said.

“Do you remember how long I was away?” I asked.

“No, my memory is a little hazy. Though I would guess that it was around three or four weeks.” she said as she rubbed her head as if trying to get her brain to work.

“That’s a long time. No wonder my hair is so long in the future.” I said.

“I still think you should cut it.” she said as if she knew I wasn’t going to listen before she said it.

“I like it. Anyways, let’s not worry about that. We should just drink.” I said. Though as I said it a piece of paper appeared out of the pendent that read: give us some beer too! So getting up I walked over to the beer stall again and handed him another coin for an entire barrel. He laughed so hard this time that he fell to the floor crying.

“Run kid, she’ll drink you dry.” he said between his fits of laughter. Sure enough I took the barrel and simply dropped it into the pendent. As I turned around though I saw Mordred holding up her mug as if for me to get her a third round so I walked over shamefully and grabbed it to be filled back up. Returning back to Mordred with a new mug of beer she gave a strange look.

“So I see that someone has sewn that sleeve back on.” she said.

“Yeah, Arthur asked one of the maids to sew it up for me so now it’s good as new.” I said in a way that seemed like I was showing it off.

“Anyways, let’s drink!” she said as she tapped her mug against mine and before I could even take a sip she was already chugging hers. I watched in both horror and awe of how she was keeping it down.