The breeze skimmed off of her face, making it
difficult to breath and finally annoyed her in
consciousness. Merry groaned and her head decided it
was a good time to let her know how badly it wanted to
split open.  The throbbing along every inch of skin
covering her entire skull was agony.  She noticed
blood in her mouth as she swallowed and after
searching for a minute, found she'd bit her tongue.
She moaned again and struggled to sit up. Instantly
arms were around her, holding her to a chest. Thank
goodness. The incessant breeze was blocked anyway. Now
for a good dose of morphine and she'd be all set.

"Merry?" she heard the voice more in the chest she was
leaned against since the wind flew away with the
audible version.  It sounded panic-stricken. She
opened her eyes and met Galen's concerned ones
watching over her.  "Man, did somebody get the licence
plate of whatever hit me?" She leaned her forehead
against his chest in an effort to stop the pounding
with pressure.
"Thank the gods, you're ok!" Galen rumbled as his
fingers tangled into her hair. "I wouldn't say that. I
think alive is about all I can manage at the moment.
What happened?"

Merry pushed her way up Galen's chest to a
semi-sitting position in the truckbed and lay her head
on his shoulder. It was then she realized they were
moving.  "We're not exactly sure," Galen replied.  His
lips pressed against her ear so she could hear over
the wind. "It seemed like you absorbed the field
surrounding the scene.  Once you passed out, the
police officers could pass through the barrier and
reach the victim. They're still determining who the
victim is and what caused their death. But you were
right.  Whatever was there was waiting for you
specifically." He hugged her tighter against him like
he didn't want to let her go. This had obviously
spooked him badly.

Merry nodded, "I feel like I've been slipped a
metaphysical Mickey Finn." she whimpered. "Where's
Rhys?" At that moment, a hand reached back from the
bench in front and cupped her face. Ah, there he is.
Up front with Uther. Merry clasped the hand with her
own in reassurance. "How did you keep them from
sending to me a hospital?" she murmured against
Galen's neck, still trying desperately to regain her
bearings.  The swaying of the truck as it moved along
made that more than a slight challange.

"Let's just say when a thirteen foot tall Jack-in-Arms
bellows 'MOVE!', the crowd parts like the Red Sea." 
Merry squeezed out a chuckle which caused her head to
explode in a sharp pain once more. She closed her eyes
and wrapped her arms around Galen's warm body.  "That
was a calling card," she stated. "Whoever sent it is
challanging me. But to what kind of game, I don't
know."

The rest of the ride home was spent in silence for
which Merry was grateful.  Every muscle in her body
was constricted and tense like she'd just experienced
an adrenaline rush of paramount proportions.  Rhys was
out of the truck before it even pulled to a stop and
around the back to pick her up and carry her into the
house.  Immediately Galen pulled a sword and dagger,
one in each, hand covering their backs. The guards
were on full alert. It was as Doyle had suspected.  An
attack had come with him convienantly spirited away
and unable to protect her.

Frost was out the door and on the front porch as soon
as he'd heard the truck's engine. He sensed the
tension in the air and was instantly alarmed when he
saw Rhys pick up and carry Merry towards the house. 
He drew his own weapons in haste. "What is it? What
happened?" he barked. "It was some kind of trap, set
for Merry." Rhys grimly answered. Merry put her hand
to Rhys' chest, stopping him on the porch as she
spotted Uther looking forelorn. "I'm sorry, Merry. I
wouldn't have brought you if I thought you'd be
harmed. I didn't know..." he broke off anguished. 

Merry reached out to him and stroked his face
tenderly, "It's alright Uther.  None of us knew. At
least we now know we're up against something. What we
saw tonight didn't mean to do me any real damage.  Not
yet. It's a calling card.  A challange to play cat and
mouse and apparently I'm the mouse.  But whose the
cat?" she looked off into space thinking a moment
before returning to his gaze. "Go back and make sure
Jeremy stays safe, Uther." She encouraged the giant
into action. 

Uther nodded and turned to go, while Rhys spirited
Merry further into the house to deposit her on the
couch.  Then he went to the kitchen and grabbed a cool
clothe, a bottle of aspirin, and a glass of water
before returning to her. Frost was leaned down in
front of the couch. "Can you tell us anything about
the spell?" His voice was gentle, but his eyes were
hard. He was all business and Merry knew better then
to question it even though she'd rather he just held
her. "Not much. It felt like it was draining my aura,"
she watched as Frost's face flinched at the new age
word. "It activated both of my hands and then it just
felt like every ounce of energy I had just simply went
down a drain." 

Frost nodded solemnly. "Nicca. Pippin. Outside guard
now. Secure the grounds." he ordered. "Pippin?" Merry
echoed, looking around. Pippin looked over the couch
up-side-down at her, "Yeah Merry, it's me. Hope you
don't mind." She smiled softly and winced in pain. "No
Pippin. I don't mind. I'm glad you're here, if
anybody." She reached up momentarily and squeezed his
hand in affection before he turned to obey his order.
She watched as the purple and the brassy blond hair
both swayed out the door. At least the Queen's choice
of replacement hadn't been so bad.

"I suppose I should not expect the same welcome," came
the wickedly smug voice from the hallway that led to
the bedrooms. Merry glanced up at Frost in
apprehension as she recognized the voice. He set his
jaw in a hardline. She couldn't believe it. "Oh Hell,
no!"