Author's Note: Gargoyles belongs to Buena Vista, not me.  I make no claims to them.  This is my contribution to the Clan LeFemme Series.  It is about my character, Merlyn, the Mad Mage of Camelot.  I crave feedback, so all would be welcomed.  The character of "Merlyn" belongs to me and Clan LeFemme and may not be used without permission.

          The timeless quiet of the courtyard captured the hoarse whisper of the night as it echoed upon the crumbling marble rows of the ancient ruins of the city of Camelot.  Deep within the forests of Britain, overgrown and forgotten, the ruins were surrounded by mist and ghostly legend.  Covered by ivy as old as the hills which surrounded the crumbling stone, the sun rarely shown down upon this, the greatest city of the ancient world.

          Once occupied by kings and knights of old, now the once-great city only had one occupant. Her name was Merlyn and she was the descendant of the very Merlin who once advised the great Arthur Pendragon as he ruled over his island nation.  It had been decreed that Merlin's family would await the once-and-future king at his home, Camelot.  Of all the descendants, only this female mage survived, standing guard over the ancient city, awaiting the return of it's king.

          The female mage sat down in the entrance of an abandoned tunnel-like hallway, a dark shadow in the shadows that surrounded her.  Safely hidden within the memory of its existence, she studied the crumbling masonry of the arch.  Breathing deeply, she closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.  As long as she remained here, she was forever doomed to be alone amongst the ruins.  Alone and in solitude, she would only ever be a phantom of her full potential.

          Continuing on, Merlyn climbed up a set of crumbling stone steps of a high round tower.  At the top, she entered the one habitable room of the whole ruin.  Her room.  The artlessly endearing, cherished jumble of her chamber surrounded her with a silent welcome.  It was here that all her belongings filled the room.  Her family's spell books, dating back to the ancient wizard, himself, lined the shelves of one wall.  Everywhere there were candles burning brightly, their golden flames dancing in the topaz glow of the setting sun.  Yes, this was her home.  But this was not where her heart lived.

          Glancing out the window of the tower that overlooked the crumbling stone of the ancient mastiff, the mage looked out towards the woods and beyond.  Something was telling her that there was more to the world than the small one that inhabited the one-time great city.  Somewhere out there, something was beckoning to her.  All she had to do was find it.

          Leaning back upon the bed, Merlyn closed her eyes.  Letting the darkness overtake her, she softly murmured and instinctively burrowed into the softness of the quilt beneath her cheek. Tomorrow she would leave the only home she had ever known to venture out into the world.  Tonight she would sleep.