A/N: I'm so excited about series five that I just had to write this! I hope you enjoy and just a note, this is written from the POV of the dragon. It doesn't really matter that much, it only comes up once, but still, I think reading it in his voice adds to it ;) Reviews are love!
(This is going to be a two chapter story, just to get it out of my system and try to get over my writer's block. Sorry any readers of Separation, I am working on it!)
There was nothing about that cloudy Friday morning that hinted at the events that would happen to King Arthur and the Warlock. As Merlin readied his master's horse and his own, whistling a happy tune, nothing felt different.
Just a normal hunting trip.
Except one tiny little problem.
"Come on, Merlin!" Arthur shouted at his man servant as he walked out of the castle with his knights. "We haven't got all day!"
"It's not as if you've been waiting for me," Merlin muttered in irritation. "You've been too busy helping your new knight choose his weapon." Merlin shot a look at the dark haired and piercing blue eyed knight standing just behind the King.
"Yes, I have Merlin, but here's the thing," Arthur said, patting Merlin on the arm and giving his best sarcastic smile. "We've been gone for half an hour. It should only take five minutes to get the horses ready. So," he thumped Merlin on the back, "what, exactly, were you doing in that time?"
Merlin looked again at the new addition to the knights. The boy grinned at him and raised his eyebrows. Go on, Emrys. No point in lying about it.
He felt his blood run cold. "I... I was helping Gaius collect some herbs," he said, sighing in resignation.
"Exactly," Arthur replied with his typical 'I was right' grin that Merlin received at least twice a day. "Now come on, I'm really in the mood for a hunt. And don't worry Merlin, today I don't mean hunting you. I've already done that this week. It's no fun if I over do it."
The knights all laughed and Merlin forced a smile.
He tried to forget his problem. But it was hard when that problem was now a trusted member of the court and well placed in Arthur's circle.
Mordred was a knight of Camelot.
And Merlin hadn't been collecting herbs that morning. He'd come to see me for help. And the troubled look that haunted him that day was because I didn't know how to.
"Look, over there!" Mordred shouted, pointing towards the depths of the trees. "I saw something, I'm sure of it!"
"Come on then," Arthur ordered, galloping ahead with his crossbow raised. "Let's see what Mordred's spotted."
The knights followed Mordred in anticipation, Merlin trying to keep up with their superior riding skills.
"Come on!" Mordred cried, "it's there, look! We're almost upon it!"
Gwain looked back at Merlin with a furrowed brow. "I must be getting on a bit Merlin," he grunted. "I can't see anything."
"No," Merlin agreed, with a feeling of suspicion beginning to take hold. "Nor me."
Mordred kept them riding for another twenty minutes, occasionally stopping to take a shot at something that Merlin was positive wasn't there, until they reached a huge field, perhaps a mile across with a towering cliff on the other side that followed for miles in both directions.
Arthur yelled in frustration as they stopped, the field clearly empty of any prey. "Where is it? Mordred, I didn't see anything!"
"That's because there wasn't anything, Sire."
Arthur and the knights stared in confusion at Mordred. Merlin was the only one who understood. But it was too late to do anything now.
"What do you mean, there wasn't anything?" Arthur said angrily. "What a waste of time! Why did you lead us out here then?"
"Because, Sire, the ban on magic caused by your Father and yourself has destroyed my life and hundreds of others too. I led you here for one simple reason. To kill you, and those who follow you."
His voice was calm and collected, his gaze steady, while Arthur and the knights trembled in anger. Leon and Gwain drew their swords and rushed to attack, but Mordred was too quick. His eyes flashed and a force that wasn't there pushed the knights away. Arthur was still trembling in anger.
"So, you have magic?" he breathed. Merlin moved his horse next to Arthur's and touched his arm.
"Arthur, this is the druid boy. Remember, Mordred, the boy who Morgana saved from your father." Arthur's face fell as he remembered.
"I never... I don't know how I didn't realise. How did I let someone else betray me? Can I trust anyone anymore?"
"Sire." Arthur focused his gaze on Merlin, his eyes flooded with pain and betrayal. "Sire, I'm... I'm sorry."
"Can I even trust you, Merlin?"
"Yes, you can. You can trust me, Sire."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Mordred exclaimed, a cruel expression on his face. "Even Merlin has his secrets. You'd do well to remember it."
"What do you mean?" Arthur glanced from Mordred to Merlin and back again.
"It doesn't matter," Mordred sneered. "Merlin can take his secret to his grave, as can you all."
And with that, he unleashed hell.
They galloped their horses away from the oncoming fire that chased them across the large expanse of grass.
"Sire!" Percival cried, "we're heading towards the cliff! There's nowhere to go down there, we'll be trapped!"
"I know, Percival!" Arthur shouted back, "but there's nowhere else to go, and just a few seconds longer in this life is a blessing!"
"Plus," Merlin added, "just a few seconds is all Arthur needs to come up with a plan."
"Thanks Merlin!" Arthur grunted irritably. "No pressure, then!"
"Not at all, Sire," Merlin said, laughing. "Glad to be of service!"
Mordred was riding behind the wall of fire, smiling with his hand raised, controlling the fire.
Are you ready to die, Emrys? I used to think meeting you would be an honour. Now I realise that killing you will be the only true honour. You hide your magic every day. You're a coward.
I'm no coward. You're the coward. You use magic for evil, when it should be harnessed for good. I wait only for Arthur to unite Albion. Why can't you wait for that? I just … don't get you, Mordred.
You cannot hope to understand, Emrys. And maybe you are a coward, maybe you aren't. Would you rather die now and take your secret to your grave? Or are you going to save their lives but reveal yourself in the process?
You know I can beat you, Mordred. Why are you doing this?
Because either way, I win against you. You will all die, or you will save them and Arthur will kill you anyway.
Merlin did not answer. They had reached the cliff.
The knights and Arthur turned their horses and faced the fire. Mordred had stopped it, so it was ten feet away from the trapped men and their horses.
"Do you have any last words?"
Arthur got down off his horse and the knights and Merlin followed suit.
"We will die with honour. For the love of Camelot."
"For the love of Camelot!" the knights chanted.
Mordred sneered. "And what a place Camelot will be when magic is finally returned to it."
"You're right." There was silence as Merlin stepped forward. "Camelot will be the most beautiful and prosperous city in the kingdom. And it is Arthur who will rule it."
"Merlin." Arthur had his hand on his manservant's shoulder. "There's nothing we can do. We're trapped. I'm sorry."
Merlin closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, Sire. There is always a way."
As the fire was released, Arthur and the knights watched as Merlin raised his arm as if in welcome.