In the days and weeks that followed Merlin's investiture, life at Camelot settled into a happy routine.
Arthur would breakfast with Gwen and then make his way to the council chamber where he would meet with the knights round the giant round table. Although the object of a round table was to make sure that all were equal, it was an unspoken rule that wherever Arthur chose to sit, one seat on his right side would always be left vacant for Merlin. Although every one of the knights was a warrior without parallel, all now knew of Merlin's true abilities and if anyone were to keep their king safe in a world of magic, it would be his former servant. For his part Merlin was just happy to be by Arthur's side.
After the council meetings Merlin would return to Gaius's chambers and there indulge himself, reading all the formerly forbidden books on magic. He and Gaius would then discuss all his new found wisdom.
And there was much to learn. In the many histories he read of others with similar powers to his own. He learnt about the ways of the Druids and the Cathars, the dragon lords and the horse whisperers. He learnt that the words of the dragon lords echoed in the wind and that the words of the horse whisperers were magical pictures, dancing in the trees. He learnt more about the Isle of Avalon and the mysterious boat, which plied the waters between the world of sorcery and the world of mortality. He read all he could find about the Lady Vivienne and discovered that she had six sisters. Together they ruled the elements, transcending time and space.
He studied the ways of the strange Sidhe, who he learnt were born from molten rock. These creatures, tiny as they were, had great power. No mortal could make eye contact with these fairy beings without terrible consequences and The true extent of the Isle of Avalon itself was hidden from the sight of all.
Merlin had seen the Sidhe. He had watched them plotting to place someone at the very heart of Camelot and although Merlin had thwarted their plans, he could not help but be fascinated by these unknowable fairies. How he wondered could the ruler of Avalon, intervene to save Arthur's life, while those who were ostensibly her subjects, only wanted to plot against him and gain power for themselves.
What, he wondered, was their true nature?
Once he had made the long journey to the lake of Avalon, but he had seen nothing but mist, swirling in the wind. When he tried to search his mind for a way to call the boatman, no words would come. The both frustrated and confused him. If he was the greatest sorcerer the world would ever know, why was Avalon now hidden from his sight?
Had Merlin turned round while he gazed across the murky waters of the lake, he might have understood. Flying silently, were three tiny creatures. At first sight they seemed to be insects, but on closer inspection, they were tiny people. With pointed ears and pointed teeth They were the stuff of nightmares, and as they hovered behind Merlin they surrounded him with an invisible force field.
As a born sorcerer and dragon lord, Merlin should easily have been able to call the boat. However unbeknown to him, all his words were bouncing right back to shore. He felt faintly dizzy but it did not occur to him to think that the natives of Avalon were alerted to his presence.
Having made several attempts to call the boatman, Merlin had not wanted to linger by the lake. The place was the scene of his darkest hour and as he turned to go, he had found himself shivering uncontrollably.
Without a wounded friend slowing him down, as had been the case on his last visit, the lake was still too far from Camelot for him to get there and back in a day. He was thus forced to spend the night in the woods. He found an empty charcoal burner's hut in which to take refuge, but even though it was several miles from the lake, he felt uneasy and slept little.
When Merlin finally got back to Camelot, late on the following afternoon, he was longing for his bed. Unfortunately he found Arthur waiting for him in Gaius's chamber. As Merlin entered the room, Arthur looked up and smiled.
"Merlin, there you are. I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Have you? Sorry Arthur. I just had a sudden urge to go to the lake of Avalon. I just wanted to….." his voice trailed away.
"Wanted to what, Merlin? Personally I don't think I want to rush back there. Just thinking about that day gives me the creeps."
"I'm not surprised," said Gaius, "Avalon is not a place to be taken lightly. Merlin may have the power to look upon its mysteries, but for the rest of us, it is not advised at all."
Arthur frowned.
"It seems strange doesn't it," he said, "that Avalon should be such a scary place and yet without it, I would be dead. "
Gaius shook his head, "I know Arthur. Some things just don't make sense. All I really know about the island is that it is a place of unimaginable power and I sense that it is something we may never really understand."
Arthur got to his feet.
"Merlin, I suppose there is no chance you want to come hunting with me, is there? Just for an hour or so. Only I've been stuck in the council chamber all day, discussing grazing rights with sheep farmers. Tedious beyond belief! I just want to get outside for a while. After that we can join Gwen for some supper, well that's if she's eating any. We had shell fish last night and she was looking decidedly peaky this morning."
He held up a small bottle.
"Let's hope this potion of Gaius's will help settle her stomach."
Merlin grimaced. "You know I hate hunting and I've been on a horse for hours."
"We'll just go for half an hour then. Gwen's doing her charity work tomorrow, you know visiting the elderly. I promised I'd get her a few rabbits to give away, along with all the other food-stuffs she's organised. You don't want the lonely old folk of Camelot to go hungry do you?"
Arthur looked pleadingly at Merlin and Merlin sensed that his king had something more than charity on his mind.
Once, Arthur would have ordered Merlin to accompany him, but now Merlin knew that he was free to make up his own mind. And there was no decision to make really. If Arthur needed him then Merlin knew he could never refuse.
"Come on then, half an hour."
As they rode through across the courtyard, Arthur was silent. Whatever he wanted to say, Merlin guessed it was something for his ears only.
Once through the gates Arthur set off at a gallop and Merlin was glad that he had left the exhausted Pebble to her bowl of oats.
In the meadow below the citadel, Arthur slowed his horse to a walk and waited for Merlin to draw level. Pebble's replacement was another of Camelot's more elderly mounts and far slower than Arthur's stallion.
Arthur glanced round. The sun was starting to sink low in the sky and already rabbits were appearing in the shadows.
"We don't need to go further," he said, "I know you must be tired and I can find what I want here. I really just needed a chance to talk to you on your own."
"What's on your mind, Arthur?"
Arthur pursed his lips.
"It's…well, its just…..I was wondering. You can see the future? Right? I mean you knew that Mordred was going to kill me. You knew right from the start that I shouldn't trust him. So what I wanted to ask you is…am I…are we, that is Gwen and me…..are we going to have any children?"
He did not wait for Merlin to answer, but hurried on.
"I mean we have been married for a while now and…..and well Gwen is really beginning to worry. She's started saying that she is going to let me down, that people will think I was wrong to marry a servant. She's beginning to lose all her confidence. She's consulted the mid-wife, Hilda and she just told her to be patient and that worrying will only make things worse.
But it doesn't make any difference. Gwen is just not herself these days. I sent out for the best fish last night, oyster pie and everything and I thought it would cheer her up and she seemed to enjoy it and then this morning she was sick. I told her to stay in bed but she wouldn't be told. I'm worried Merlin. It's only a month or so since she had the fever and she looks so pale."
Merlin put his head on one side, "So you think it's fish do you?…..that's making her feel sick I mean."
Arthur nodded. "Yes, although I thought everything was really fresh. The fishmonger usually provides nothing but the best"
Merlin smiled. "I don't think Gwen needs to worry about what she's eaten. There is another an easier explanation for the way she feels."
"And that is?" asked Arthur. "I must say I am very impressed if you can tell what is wrong with Gwen without even seeing her."
"I saw her yesterday morning."
"So Mr Clever-clogs, what is wrong with her?"
Merlin grinned. "You, Arthur, are going to be a father."
"I what? A father? You mean…but why hasn't Gwen said anything….I mean…."
"I don't suppose she knows…not for certain anyway"
"But you do?"
Merlin nodded. "I heard two heart beats, Gwen's and…"
"A boy or a girl?"
"I don't know."
"You do. I'm sure you do."
Merlin shook his head.
"But you're sure, a baby I mean. Gwen is really going to have a baby?"
"Absolutely positive."
"Ha! This is fantastic news. Brilliant news! I am so glad I got you to come out this evening. I didn't dare talk to you in Camelot in case someone overheard."
He leant over and cheerfully thumped Merlin on the shoulder.
"You're going to be an uncle. Come on. We must go back. I have to tell Gwen. She'll be so happy."
"You can't tell her."
"Why not?"
"Because when she knows, Gwen will want to give you the good news herself. You can't deny her that."
"Can't I? I don't see it matters who tells who."
"Well it does. So just trust me and don't say anything."
Arthur stuck out his bottom lip. "Oh, I suppose you know best. I won't say a word."
"Good. So will you just get on with murdering a few unsuspecting, small, furry creatures so that we can go back to the castle and I can go to bed."
It took Arthur less than fifteen minutes to shoot six rabbits and they were back at the Camelot stables in time for dinner.
"So are you coming to eat with us tonight?" asked Arthur as they climbed the stone steps.
Merlin declined. "No thanks. I'm too tired to dazzle you and Gwen with my witty repartee. But just promise me that you will NOT mention what we discussed earlier."
"I promise. Thanks anyway Merlin."
He smiled. "How did I ever think that you were an idiot? You're the wisest man in all of the five kingdoms. When I take your advice, it is always right. Fancy helping me with my speech for the Goldsmith's Guild, tomorrow?"
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Do I fancy writing it, you mean."
Arthur made a face, "I'll help, " he said with a grin.
Merlin chuckled, turned his back on his friend and headed for his bed.
"See you tomorrow Cabbage-head."
Somehow in the weeks that followed, Arthur managed not to say anything about the forthcoming addition to his family but whenever he found himself thinking about it, he just could not help smiling.
Several times Merlin kicked him under the table, just to wipe the soppy grin off Arthur's face.
Eventually however, just over three weeks later, Gwen announced one day that she was personally cooking him a special dinner and that whatever other plans he had for the evening, these were to be cancelled.
Arthur forced a serious look onto his face. "What is this dinner in aide of? It's not my birthday and it's not yours and it's not our wedding anniversary."
"Never you mind," said Gwen, briskly, "Just be here on time."
Arthur practically ran down the corridors to the Court Physician's rooms.
Gaius and Merlin were struggling to clean a grim looking leech tank.
"This is disgusting, Gaius," complained Merlin, "Just put it down and we'll do it the sensible way."
Merlin set the dirty item on the bench and fixed it with a steely look. He muttered a few words, his eyes glowed gold and the tank was miraculously clean.
"Merlin," chided Gaius, "you really shouldn't use your powers for such mundane things. We could easily have cleaned it ourselves with a bit of soap and water."
"Not EASILY Gaius," countered Merlin. "That tank when it's been inhabited by those revolting creatures, is truly foul. Now it's done you can go back to your reading and I….can go and do whatever Arthur wants me to do."
He grinned at his king and Arthur grinned back.
"I just want to tell you something. I think tonight's the night."
"What?"
"You know. I think I might be getting some good news."
"Oh that." He glanced over at Gaius, who was looking at them quizzically.
"What d'you mean 'oh that'? It's all I can do to stop myself from telling everyone right this minute. I won't though so don't look at me like that. Just be prepared for some serious drinking tomorrow evening."
With that Arthur left, the stupid grin plastered all over his face.
When Arthur got to the royal apartments, the servants had already been sent away.
Gwen was sitting at their table looking truly spectacular, in what was obviously a new dress.
The table was groaning with freshly baked bread, pates, salads, pies and cold meat.
Gwen smiled at him as he sat down.
"Everything, is here, I think, except the apple pie, which cook is still baking. Belle will bring it when we are ready.
So, let's eat and when the apple pie arrives I will tell you my news."
Arthur frowned, "News? What news? Why do I have to wait till the pudding?"
Gwen gave him a smug smile. "Because you do. Now, please don't let all this wonderful food go to waste. I thought you would be starving after all that training, today."
"I could eat a horse," admitted Arthur.
When they had finished their main course, Gwen's maid, Belle came to clear away the plates. Almost immediately, she returned with a steaming apple pie and a jug of cream.
Arthur's mouth watered.
"You made the pastry didn't you?" asked Arthur.
Gwen nodded as she cut him a large slice, "Yes and don't tell me I shouldn't have. It's better than the lovely Griselda's, or at least that is what you always tell me."
"It's the best pastry in the five kingdoms, it's just that you are probably the ONLY queen in the five kingdoms that makes her own."
Gwen passed him a plate.
"Well this is a special occasion, so I wanted everything to be right."
She looked him full in the face.
"What would make you happier than anything else?"
Arthur opened his mouth to reply 'a child' but shut it immediately. Merlin would go utterly berserk if ruined this moment.
He took his wife's hand.
"D'you know Gwen? I have everything I ever wanted. The most beautiful wife in the whole world, peace in the five kingdoms and access to the greatest pastry anyone has ever known. How could I need anything else?"
Gwen's eyes filled with tears and Arthur wondered what on earth he had said to cause such a reaction.
But before he had a chance to speak, Gwen was talking.
"Arthur, there is still something you need, an heir for Camelot and tonight I can tell you that in six months or so, you will be a father. For your sake I hope it will be a boy."
Arthur's grin spread over his entire face.
"A child? Our child? We really are having a baby?"
Gwen nodded.
"That is the best news ever," Arthur declared, getting up from his chair and going to embrace his wife.
"And I don't care if it is a boy or a girl. Queens can be just as good as kings. Look at Queen Annis. Her rule is as strong and successful as any in the five kingdoms. Her people love her, more than they ever loved her bully of a husband and her knights are as true and dedicated to her as mine are to me. Whatever we have, I will love it with all my heart. We will be a proper family and unlike the two of us, our child will have both a mother and a father."
He wiped Gwen's tears with his fingers. "I'm happy Gwen…..you make me happy and a child will be the icing on the cake!"
He raised his eyebrows, "and talking about cake reminds me that there is an amazing apple pie that needs eating."
For Arthur the next six months seemed to go far too slowly, but eventually, Hilda the midwife took up residence in a room just down the corridor from the royal apartments and at Gwen's request, Merlin's mother Hunith arrived from Ealdor. She brought with her, some tiny jackets and leggings, she had made herself and together with Gwen, assembled everything that would be needed for the new arrival.
Every evening Arthur would rush into the royal apartments for his dinner, hoping that, as he had been busy all day, he might be presented with a baby.
However his child was not to be granted such a smooth passage into the world.
Gwen, put her hand in the small of her back, as she got up from the table.
"Are you meeting Leon and the others in the tavern tonight?' she asked.
"If that's alright with you," Arthur replied.
He grimaced. "It's been a very boring week. I can't wait for the tournament!"
Gwen forced a smile onto her face.
"You go. Hunith is coming after she has had dinner with Merlin and Gaius. I'll be fine."
Arthur kissed her, gave her a hug and went to find the knights. He was feeling lucky tonight.
As soon as he was gone, Gwen took a deep breath. Something was happening. At last it seemed the baby might be on its way. Slowly, still rubbing her back she made her way over to one of the big comfortable chairs and rang the small hand-bell.
Her maidservant, Belle, appeared quickly and began to clear away the debris from dinner.
Gwen felt a sharp pain that took her breath away.
'Belle, can you get Hunith and Hilda…please. I think the baby might be coming."
Belle practically dropped the plates back onto the table and, promising to be back as quickly as possible, ran to find the two women.
Carefully, Hilda examined Gwen and listened to the heart-beats of both Gwen and the baby.
"The baby is strong," she told Hunith, "but….."
"What?" asked Gwen anxiously, "What is it? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing to worry about," said Hilda in a calming voice, "this baby just wants to born, that is all."
She drew Hunith away from the bed.
"The baby, the heartbeat is strong, but I fear the child has not turned."
Hunith paled. "A breach birth? I should have brought Camile, the shepherd's wife. She knows what to do."
Hilda pursed her lips. "I know there are ways," she said quietly, "believe me I have dealt with this before, several times. But this is her first child…this is going to be very difficult."
On the bed Gwen was gasping. No one had ever told her that childbirth was this painful. Despite trying not to, the pain made her cry out.
"There's something wrong," she panted, "surely there is something wrong."
Hunith wiped Gwen's forhead with a damp cloth, but Gwen batted her hand away.
"What is it? Tell me. What is wrong?"
"My Lady, your child should have turned in the womb, ready to be born. That has not happened. This may not be as easy as it should be."
Gwen groaned, "I cannot lose this baby, Arthur will never forgive me. Camelot needs an heir, I must…"
"Gwen, Gwen," urged Hunith. "try and stay calm. Hilda has dealt with this kind of thing before….."
Gwen screamed, "Please…please it hurts so much. Get Merlin…."
"My Lady," began Hilda, "men have no place in this room. This is women's work."
Gwen seized Hunith's hand. Sweat covered her face.
"Please," she begged, "get Merlin."
Half fainting, she fell back onto the damp sheets and Hunith ran from the room.
As fast as she could, she rushed through the dark streets to the 'Rising Sun'. Even before she opened the door, she could hear Arthur's voice, jovially, accusing Merlin of cheating.
She followed his voice through the crowd of men, to the dice table.
"Mother?" Merlin had spotted her, while she was still fighting past a group of musicians, taking a break from their exertions.
He went to meet her, leaving a drunken Arthur, shouting after him.
"That's it run off when you've been rumbled."
"Mother, what is it?"
Hunith didn't waste words.
"You must come. Gwen's in labour. It's not going well. She's asking for you."
"Me? But mother…"
"Come now or risk the loss of the child or the mother or even both."
Merlin didn't argue. He followed his mother out into the street and together they ran back to the royal apartment.
At the door, Merlin stopped. "I don't know mother….I mean….."
But his protests were cut short by a scream from within the room.
Taking a deep breath, Merlin went through the door.
Gwen was lying on the big bed, covered in a sheet that was already soaked with sweat. When she saw him, she reached out her hand.
"Merlin, you must tell the baby to turn…you can do it….I know you can…..please…..please do it"
She gripped Merlin's hand so tightly, that it was painful but Merlin did not flinch.
"Let go of my hand," he said patiently, and I will help."
Reluctantly Gwen let go and as she fell back against the pillows, Merlin placed both hands over her swollen stomach.
The child was as distressed as its mother and Merlin used all his power to calm it. Then as his eyes turned gold, the child started to move under his hands.
Gwen almost seemed to faint, but as Hunith put more cold water on her forehead, Gwen rallied.
She breathed slowly and then nodded.
"I can do this Merlin….I can."
Merlin smiled encouragingly at her.
"I'll wait outside, but I promise I won't go far, only if I stay much longer, I think the midwife will have a fit."
In fact Hilda was just open mouthed. Never had she seen a man involved in child birth, and never had she seen one actually do anything helpful.
Out in the corridor Merlin heard pounding footsteps as Arthur came running up the stairs.
"Is she having it? Percival said he thought he heard your mother say there was a problem. What's happening?"
"Calm down Arthur. I think everything is going to be alright."
"You think? What d'you mean you 'think'? What IS going on?"
"Your baby was the wrong way round."
"What? What d'you mean 'the wrong way round' What difference does it make?"
"Trust me it does, but don't worry, it's the right way round now."
"And you know this how?"
"Because I…sort of told him to move round."
"You what?….wait, wait, wait…..you said HIM? I KNEW you knew. Am I having a son? I mean is Gwen having a baby boy?"
Before Merlin could answer there was a loud wail from the other side of the door.
Arthur looked at Merlin, his expression half way between panic and delight.
"Is that it…the baby I mean? Is it born?'
Merlin smiled, "I don't know what else that noise could be."
Hunith opened the door.
"Sire, I didn't realise you were here. You have a son sire, a beautiful baby boy."
"Ha!" Arthur clapped Merlin on the back.
"I'm a father! Can I see him? Is Gwen alright?"
"She is exhausted my lord, but if you just wait for a few moments I am sure she will want to see you."
Arthur ruffled Merlin's hair and clapped his hands.
"This is fantastic!"
Merlin smiled happily. Arthur had no idea how easily this day could have turned to disaster.
Minutes later Arthur was allowed in to see his wife.
She did look exhausted but she also looked so happy. In her arms was their little son.
As he leaned over to kiss Gwen, Arthur looked down at the tiny child wrapped in a towel. His skin was the colour of Gwen's and unlike most new babies Arthur had seen, his son had black hair.
Arthur was enchanted.
"Oh Gwen, he's….perfect."
"You are pleased?"
"The happiest man in the world."
Hunith touched his arm.
"Sire, maybe you would like to go and tell everyone the good news? Hilda and I still have work to do."
Arthur looked up, "Oh….er ….yes of course."
He beamed at Gwen.
"I think I'll just pop back to the tavern and buy everyone a drink…..in fact I think I'll buy the whole town a drink!"
It was three days later that Arthur found out the part Merlin had played in the birth of his son.
Arthur frowned
"And yet, as usual, he never said anything. Any other man would have boasted about how he saved the King's son and yet Merlin? He just carries on as if what he did was part of his duties…even though, strictly speaking, he doesn't have any 'duties' any more"
"How can we thank him Arthur?," asked Gwen, "Maybe a new horse?'
Arthur raised his eyebrows.
"A new horse? Replace Pebble?"
Gwen chewed her bottom lip.
"I know…stupid idea. He wouldn't want another horse, would he?"
"Absolutely not. The problem is Gwen, he has everything he needs. He doesn't want titles or money or land or anything. He just wants to wander about the castle, help Gaius, read books, do spells,…..help people and…"
Gwen smiled, "And be your friend…your best friend…..our best friend. We are so lucky to have him."
Arthur put his arm around Gwen's shoulders.
"We are indeed."
Arthur would not have felt so lucky if he had know what even then, was being plotted by those that dwelled on the enchanted Isle of Avalon. The Sidhe had long felt aggrieved by events that had taken place long before Arthur became king. Merlin had cheated them of their chance to gain influence at the very centre of power in Camelot and with the birth of the prince they saw a new way to gain what they wanted. They would take the prince and rear him themselves on the island. They would make him one of their own and that way they would have power over a huge tract of the mortal world. The prince would become the human scourge of all those who hated magic and sought to banish it. Magic would finally be free to rule the five kingdoms and it would be the King of the Sidhe not the mortal kings who decided the fate of their lands.
And so beneath the tall dark tower at the centre of the island of Avalon, in tunnels like those in a termite hill, the Sidhe plotted and waited for the day when they could put their plan into action.
Arthur and Gwen thought long and hard about what to call their son. The natural choice was to call him 'Uther' after Arthur's father, but if Uther had been a strong king, he had not always been loved. There were families in Camelot, who would never forget the persecution they had suffered under his reign and still others who had watched a loved one go to the gallows or under the sword, for practicing magic. Arthur did not want those days remembered. He wanted his son to one day take the throne, unencumbered by a name that for many brought back bitter memories.
There was only one among his ancestors who it seemed had been universally liked and respected, and that man was his father's uncle, Bohart.
After the early death of Uther's father, Bohart had stepped in to provide much needed guidance to his ambitious nephew. Often it was only his intervention that had stopped Uther from making terrible and selfish mistakes. It was recognised by everyone, that all that was good in Uther, came entirely from the lessons given to him by his uncle.
So it was decided, that Arthur and Gwen's first child should be called Bohart, Uther, Thomas, Pendragon.
It was a name fit for a prince, but one that was quickly shortened to 'Bo'.
Surrounded by love, Bo grew strong and by the time he was eighteen months old, he had taken his first steps. By the time he was two years old he had started to talk. His vocabulary was not exactly extensive, but he knew the names of everything he loved and like all toddlers was particularly fond of the word 'no'.
He was obsessed with animals and could be endlessly amused by a visit to the piggery or the stables or a chance to stroke the cook's ginger cat.
With time on his hands, Merlin discovered a talent for wood carving and over a period of weeks, he carved his little 'nephew' a collection of farm yard animals and a little four wheeled cart. Bo spent many happy hours, moving the animals around and pushing the cart up and down the corridors.
However what really fascinated the little prince was anything that flew. This obviously included butterflies, which Merlin would often produce from his hands in clouds of colour. Unfortunately it also included, birds, moths, and much to Gwen's horror, bees, wasps and flies. Bo loved them all.
Sometimes he would find dead insects on the floor. He would pick them up and try and throw them into the air, happily shouting, "fly, fly."
Gwen feared it was only a matter of time before he would pick up something still 'alive' enough to sting him.
Gwen had been determined to rear her son herself but she did employ a nursery maid called Sian.
Sian or 'Sarn' as Bo called her was the eldest of a family of seven and having spent most of her life looking after her younger brothers and sisters, there seemed to be nothing she did not know about small children. Her father was the Master of the king's stables and Sian knew Porrig well. Often when Gwen was busy helping Arthur entertain the many important visitors to Camelot, Sian would take the little prince to the stables to see the horses.
Porrig would whisper in the twitching ears of the horses and they would all become gentle and quiet and stand patiently while tiny hands battered their noses with over enthusiastic pats.
After a few minutes Bo would tire of stroking the horses and then with his hands outstretched would shout 'up, up' until Porrig would sit him on one of the smaller animals and lead him round the yard.
"He's not afraid of anything is he?" Porrig remarked to Sian one day.
She shook her head. "No he isn't. Unfortunately that means I have to watch him every minute of every day to stop him getting into trouble."
Porrig grinned. "The king should get him a little pony of his own. I could train it easily and then I could make a harness for the little prince just to make sure that he doesn't fall off."
"That would be a lovely idea," agreed Sian. "I will suggest it to the queen this very evening."
A week later a small white pony called Caine arrived in Camelot and Porrig set to work on the leather harness for Bohart.
On Avalon the king of the Sidhe called his four most powerful lieutenants to his council chamber, at the top of the tower. Even in this lofty room the buzzing sound from thousands of wings could be heard pulsing up from the tunnels far, far below.
On Avalon the King could assume any size he wished and now he sat in a carved chair, ten times the size of the fairies that waited at his feet.
The King licked his pointed teeth.
"The Lady is gone," he hissed, "She will not return until the full moon and so now is the perfect chance for us to carry out our plan. Look closely at what I am about to show you, for it is these mortals whom you will have to impersonate."
He waved his hand in a circular movement and a shimmering vision of the Camelot courtyard appeared. Three of the palace guards were standing talking and walking past them was Sian, Prince Bohart's nursery-maid.
"Each of you will assume the likeness of one of these four. The men are the most trusted of the palace guards and it is their job to guard the royal apartments. The woman is the child's maid. All these people can move freely in the heart of the citadel and the prince will be familiar with them all."
He stared, hard at the only female hovering in front of the illusion.
"Make sure you copy the human in EVERY detail. Then you may carry the child from its family without any problems. Once you return to us, YOU will maintain this human form until the child is used to us, and our ways. Then and only then you may resume your normal appearance unless looking after the child dictates otherwise. Do I make myself clear?"
The female nodded, "Yes my lord. I will do as you command. The child will be ours entirely before the next full moon."
The king picked up a large net ,which had been lying on the stone floor. He flung it down in front of his four subjects.
"You will use this to bring the child across the water. It will be as if the child weighs no more than a feather and thus you will fly faster than the raging torrents that pour down the mountains. Even a galloping horse will be unable keep up with you. We then have only to wait for the child to grow to manhood and then we may dispose of Arthur Pendragon and his rightful heir can take the throne. Then we will rule the mortal world. All power will belong to our race.
And the lady will not be able to stop the prince from taking the throne, for the throne of Camelot is his birthright"
He threw back his head and laughed, but there was no humour in the noise that came from his mouth.
Porrig, checked the stables for the last time before getting ready to bed down for the night. All the horses seemed peaceful and he climbed onto his shelf bed. On his bed lay the harness he had just finished making for the young prince. He checked it over, carefully making sure that all the stitching was neat and secure.
He had made it from old forgotten pieces of tack, left behind by visiting knights and dignitaries. The leather was good quality but Porrig had wanted to make the harness special and so had begged extra leather from the court tanner.
The shoulder and waist straps were attached to a square of strengthened leather and to this Porrig added small leather cut outs of animals. In the centre he placed a horse's head.
Now as he checked it over, he found that he was pleased with what he had achieved and felt sure that the little prince would want to wear it.
He was about to put it in it's leather carrying sack, when Kelpie, Arthur's stallion neighed and stamped his feet. Immediately the other horses began to get restless.
Harness still in his hand, Porrig slipped off his bed and went to the horse's stall.
He put out a hand to calm the skittish animal but Kelpie continued to paw the ground.
Porrig leant his head against the horse's long nose and a picture of something, like insects flying, came into his head.
"There, there," he murmured, 'It's nothing."
But the horse continued to agitate and Porrig felt compelled to go out into the yard to investigate.
As he slipped out of the stable, in the light of a flaming torch, he saw the flying creatures.
They were already across the other side of the courtyard and quickly disappeared into the shadows of the moonless night.
Porrig stood for a moment in the darkness, trying to understand what he had seen.
His father had told him that there were many magical creatures that could fly, even flying horses, (although Porrig had never seen such an animal) and now that magic was allowed in Albion, there was no reason why such creatures should not come to Camelot. But why were the horses so disturbed by them?
Porrig felt all the hairs stand up on the back of his head. HE was feeling something now and it was not good. The air seemed to crackle around him and tiny sparks flashed in the darkness. It was if the flying things had left some sort of trail behind them.
He looked back towards the stables. The horses were all shuffling around. Some were snorting and tossing their heads. It was his duty to quieten them down and so he went back inside.
He approached each horse in turn, whispering into their ears and stroking their soft noses.
They appeared to calm down but just as he thought he could leave them, Kelpie started kicking the door of his stall.
Porrig hurried to the door of the stable again, expecting to see the flying creatures returning.
Instead he saw three of the palace guards hurrying across the courtyard. Close behind them was Sian the nursery maid.
She was carrying something in her arms and as Porrig looked harder, he felt sure he saw a small hand protruding from the shawl, in which her burden was wrapped.
Surely she couldn't be taking the prince out of the royal apartments at this time of night, unless of course he was ill.
But if he was ill she would have been taking him to the court physician's chambers and one or other of his parents would be with him.
What should he do? Everything was telling him to go into the palace and find the King and Queen and ask about the prince, but what if he was wrong? What if it was not the prince being carried away?
Paralysed by indecision, Porrig strained his eyes in the darkness to see where the four figures were heading. He saw them stop in a shadowy corner of the courtyard and lay something on the ground. It could have been a blanket or even a net, Porrig couldn't really see, but Sian put whatever she was carrying down on top of it.
Then something happened Porrig could never have expected.
The four figures appeared to crumple before his eyes and then he found himself staring at four flying creatures hovering just above the where Sian and the guards had stood.
Each creature seized the corner of what Porrig could now see was a net and lifted the bundle into the sky. Higher and higher they went until they had disappeared into the night.
Porrig stared after them in horror. The flying creatures must have disguised themselves to steal Prince Bohart.
As Porrig set off across the courtyard at a run, there was a commotion at the gates. Someone was demanding entry.
The gate opened and Merlin rode in on Pebble.
Merlin had been visiting his mother in Ealdor and as far as Porrig knew was not expected back for several days.
But now here he was, climbing off his exhausted looking horse.
"Porrig, can you look after her? I've pushed her hard I'm afraid but something told me I just had to get back to Camelot."
He stared round the empty space.
"What's happening Porrig? You look as white as a sheet."
"Creatures, flying creatures. I think they have taken the little prince."
Merlin himself went white.
"Tell me everything. What did you see…..when? Tell me, now."
Porrig described everything as best he could and Merlin's blue eyes turned gold as he scanned the courtyard and the sky.
"The Sidhe," he said at last. "it must have been them."
He turned to Porrig.
"Quickly, come with me. We must see the King."
As they approached the corridor to the royal apartments, three guards lay on the floor. Their eyes were open and they breathed shallowly, but they could not be roused.
Merlin hammered on the door and heard Arthur call out.
"What is it?"
"It's me, Merlin. Can I come in? There have been intruders in the castle. I need to check. Is Bo alright?"
At the mention of his son's name it became apparent that both Gwen and Arthur were out of bed.
Then there was a scream.
Merlin did not wait to be let in.
He rushed into room and through the adjoining door into Bohart's nursery.
Gwen was hysterically tearing Bo's little bed apart, trying to find her child among the tangled bed clothes, while Arthur was trying to rouse the catatonic nursery maid, who lay unmoving on the floor."
"The Sidhe have taken him," said Merlin. "Porrig here saw everything."
Arthur did not appear to hear what Merlin was telling him and all he could say was, "Where is my son? Merlin? Where is he? What has happened to him? Where were the guards? If you know who has taken my son, tell me, now"
Merlin's grabbed Arthur's arm.
"Listen to me. Listen to Porrig. I know who has taken him. We can get him back."
"How? How can we get him back," wailed Gwen, abandoning her fruitless search for her child.
Somehow Merlin calmed the two distraught parents enough for Porrig to tell what he had seen. Once he had finished speaking, Arthur became strangely calm.
"We know who has my son and we know where they will take him. All we have to do is go after them. They have a head start, but at least we know that Bo is alive. If they had wanted to harm him…well they had their chance, so surely they have other plans.
"Merlin, rouse Leon. Tell him to gather the knights. We ride as soon as all are assembled."
Merlin shook his head.
"The knights will not help us Arthur. The Sidhe will reach the lake at Avalon long before we can possibly get there and they will need no boat to cross. I told you that I tried to call the boatman and I could not. To get to Avalon, we need to try something completely different."
"Do whatever you need to do," begged Gwen, tears streaming down her face. "I must have him back. I must have my baby. Please Merlin, go after him now….please."
"We will go Gwen and we will bring him back…..I promise. We just need to make some preparations."
He turned to the stable boy.
"Porrig, fetch Gaius here immediately and then go and saddle the king's horse and a fresh mount for me.
Get me as much rope as you think the horses can carry easily and wait for us by the gates. Speak to no-one but Gaius. D'you understand?"
Porrig nodded and raced down the corridor to the court physician's chamber.
Poor Gaius nearly had a heart attack, when Porrig shook him awake.
Quickly Gaius, put a cloak over his night shirt and went straight to his book cases. After a few seconds searching, he passed two enormous volumes to Porrig.
"We may need these and I'll just get something to calm poor Gwen's nerves."
Gaius rattled through a shelf of small bottles, grabbed one and followed Porrig down to the royal apartments.
Merlin spotted the books immediately.
"I thought you might want to check on a few things," offered the old man.
"Both these books have information about Avalon and the Sidhe."
He hefted the books onto a table and leafed through the pages of one until he found a picture.
He smoothed the ancient paper.
"This is a picture of the Tower of Avalon. I don't know how accurate it is, but as you see it shows that the Sidhe live in tunnels below the ground," he scratched his head, "like wasps really, don't you think? The tunnels will be far too small for Bohart, small though the dear child is, so they will surely keep him in the tower. If you can get there…..well…"
His voice trailed away.
Merlin studied the drawings and flicked through the pages of the second book to find another drawing almost identical. This drawing however showed that there was a kind of balcony that circled the tower, very near to the top. It also showed windows.
Merlin had no idea who had made these drawings or how accurate they were, but they were all they had to go on and he was glad that his guardian had been quick thinking enough to bring them.
Gwen had somehow managed to get her emotions under control and was staring hopefully at the pictures.
"You can get there, can't you Merlin? I mean, you can magic a boat or something for Arthur and the knights so that they can storm this place and rescue Bo."
Merlin pursed his lips.
"Only two of us will go," he said firmly, "just myself and Arthur."
"But aren't there thousands of them?" protested Gwen.
Merlin took her hand.
"Gwen, we are not going to fight them. We are going to sneak into that tower and rescue Bo, hopefully without the Sidhe being aware of our visit until it is too late for them to do anything about it. There is only one way to get there and there will only be room for two of us.
Now sit down with Gaius, take some of the remedy he has brought you and TRY and stay calm. We WILL bring Bo home."
The fight seemed to go out of her and Gwen collapsed into a chair.
Arthur knelt in front of her.
"If anyone can get Bo back, it will be Merlin. So we must go now and go quickly."
"What if you don't come back?"
"We will, Gwen."
Arthur kissed her and bidding Gaius look after his wife, followed Merlin down the steps to meet Porrig.
As instructed the horses were ready and both were loaded up with coils of rope.
As Arthur mounted Kelpie, Porrig handed him a small leather bag.
"It is a harness I made for the prince," he explained, "for his riding lessons. You may need to ride fast and if you put the harness on him, then you can attach him to your belt…..keep him safe….Sire."
Arthur tied the bag to his belt, next to his dagger.
"Thank you Porrig. I'm sure it will be just what we need."
With that the gates were opened and Arthur and Merlin galloped out into the night.
In the meadow below the citadel, Merlin brought his frisky mount to a halt.
"Why are you stopping?" shouted Arthur, only half slowing.
"We leave the horses here," shouted Merlin, already dismounting and pulling the coiled rope to the ground.
Mystified, Arthur guided his horse back to Merlin.
"But we're miles away. You know how far it is."
But Merlin was already shouting into the sky.
A great shadow blocked out the stars and Arthur saw the huge dragon descending until it landed a few yards away from Merlin.
Kelpie reared up, terrified of this unknown creature and it took all Arthur's strength to keep hold of him and drag him away towards the trees. Here, he unburdened the animal of all the rope and carried it back to Merlin. The horse Merlin was riding had already bolted into the undergrowth and doubtless would quickly find it's way back to Camelot.
The last time Arthur had 'seen' Kilgharrah, Arthur had been dying or possibly already dead. But his spirit had somehow separated itself from his body and in spirit he had watched Merlin drag his limp body onto the dragon's back and fly him to the shore of the Lake of Avalon.
Now it looked as if Merlin intended for them to climb on the dragon's back once more.
And of course it made total sense. The creatures, who had stolen his child, were winged and they were magical. What better way to follow than on the back of another magical winged creature?
If dragons could bow, it seemed to Arthur that that was exactly what the beast was doing.
Then it spoke.
"Merlin, last time we met, I fear I caused you much pain. I beg your forgiveness, but the prophesies had all come to pass and I could see no way of undoing what had happened."
Merlin shook his head.
"They had indeed come to pass and had I listened to your advice, maybe that would not have been the case. Maybe that awful day could have been avoided.
There is nothing to forgive Kilgarrah, but I do need to ask for your help once more.
The Sidhe have stolen Prince Bohart and we must get to Avalon. Will you take us?"
"I will take you Merlin, but you will be placing yourself in great danger. The land around the Tower is toxic to mortals. You and Arthur may not tread there."
"Then you must fly us close enough that we may somehow jump onto that tower. Can you do that for us? Is it possible?"
"Of course."
"And may I ask you one more favour?" questioned Merlin, "I have rope here. If you would allow it, I would tie these ropes to you, to help us when we need to get on and off your back."
The great dragon nodded his huge head.
"Do whatever is necessary Merlin. You are a dragon lord and you command me."
Merlin laid the ropes out on the ground and then stretched out his hands.
As he spoke the words for 'making', the ropes wove themselves into loops forming a kind of rope ladder.
Merlin clapped his hands and the ropes wound round Kilgarrah's legs and over his back.
Merlin climbed up and Arthur followed.
Almost before Arthur had time to get his balance, Kilgarrah rose into the sky.
The dragon flew fast, and the wind whistled past Arthur's ears. In front of him Merlin seemed more confident riding a dragon than he had ever been on a horse. He moved with the rhythm of the great beast's huge wings and balanced effortlessly on his scaly skin.
Arthur, on the other hand, found the sensation of being so high above the ground, vaguely disconcerting and he found himself clinging on to the rope with one hand and Merlin's shoulder with the other.
It wasn't that he was afraid of heights rather he was terrified of having absolutely no control over the creature that was carrying him.
He could not command the animal to do anything and the dragon had good reason not to be in any way sympathetic to Arthur's plight. It was after all Arthur's father who had imprisoned this dragon in darkness for many years and it was always possible that the dragon would use this moment to take his revenge.
As if sensing Arthur's fear, Merlin placed his hand briefly over Arthur's and told him,
"Don't worry. Kilgharrah will get us there safely and he is already thinking how he will get us on to that balcony"
"How do you know?" Arthur said, raising his voice so that he was almost shouting.
Merlin offered him a reassuring smile.
"I can hear his thoughts and he mine. All we need is a bit of luck and a lot of stealth and I believe we will succeed."
Below them, the terrain changed and both Arthur and Merlin recognised that they were nearing the lake. Even at full gallop for the entire journey, Arthur knew that he could never have arrived at this point so soon. But now there was another problem. Instead of the shores of the lake coming up below them, all Arthur could see was a thick mist.
Where the shore ended and the water began was anyone's guess and Arthur could not see how they would navigate to the tower.
But Kilgharrah did not hesitate. He flew on as fast as before and gradually began to descend.
Through the swirling mist, Arthur thought he saw the turrets and towers of some sort of castle but they vanished from sight, before he could point them out to Merlin.
And then out of the grey fog, appeared a black shadow, reaching up into the sky.
There it was, the Tower of Avalon, the home of the Sidhe.
Merlin leaned right back this time, cupping his hand round his mouth so that Arthur could hear him.
"Kilgharrah will grab the balustrade with his claws. We must be ready to climb off."
Arthur nodded vigorously.
"I'm ready."
The Tower loomed up in front of them. It appeared to be built entirely of black volcanic stone as smooth and shiny as glass. There was no way that Merlin and Arthur could have scaled its walls.
Close to the top, as shown in the books, there was a balcony and four tall thin glazed windows provided the only visible entry point to the building.
Arthur held on to the ropes for dear life, as hanging almost vertically in the air, Kilgarrah reached out with his claws.
He came to rest, crouching bat-like against the black stone.
Using the ropes, Arthur and Merlin scrambled across the dragon's shoulders and on to the balcony and immediately Kilgharrah loosed his hold on the stone railings and lifted into the fog.
Arthur opened his mouth to ask him to wait, but Merlin put his hand over his mouth.
"SShh," he whispered. "Kilgharrah will know when to return. He fears that the masonry will not hold his weight, so he cannot stay while we find the Bo, but he WILL know when we are ready."
Arthur took a deep breath.
He had no choice. He had to trust that the dragon would return.
For a few seconds the two friends stood staring at the windows in front of them.
Then, taking the lead, Merlin pushed against one of them. It remained firmly closed. He tried with the other three, with the same results.
He wasted no time. He muttered a few words, his eyes turned from blue to gold and one of the windows swung open a few inches.
Arthur put his hand on his sword, but Merlin shook his head.
Carefully he pushed aside the heavy drapes and revealed a round chamber lit by two tall candles.
The first thing both men noticed was the strange noise. It was a kind of buzzing sound and it seemed to come from beneath the floor. It reminded Arthur of a hornet's nest and, given the precariousness of their situation, it was not a comforting thought.
On the far side of the room lay something or someone who was the image of Sian the nursery maid. To both Merlin and Arthur's relief, she appeared to be sleeping.
To the left of the window, was a large rocking cot.
Bo had already grown too big for his cot in Camelot and now slept in a small bed with wooden sides to stop him climbing out. This cot appeared to have been modelled on his old one, but was large enough for a child of four or even five.
Above it, suspended by some sort of magic, tiny stars twinkled and sparkled. These were presumably to entertain and divert a small child in strange surroundings and the cot itself rocked slowly with no visible means of propulsion.
Arthur crept to the cot, and hardly daring to breath, looked inside.
There was his little son, sleeping peacefully as if he had not a care in the world.
Arthur quickly and silently pulled the little harness from its leather bag and reached in to touch his son's hand.
Bo woke slowly, blinking his long eyelashes at his father.
When he recognised who was leaning into his cot, his face lit up.
Before he could say the word, 'Papa', Arthur put his fingers to his lips.
He forced a smile onto his face.
"Sshh," he said glancing over at the woman. "We mustn't wake Sian. She's resting."
The little boy wobbled to his feet and held up his arms to his father.
"Up," he whispered. Then he saw Merlin.
Once more his face broke into a broad smile, "Mer'in" he whispered, happily. He put his fingers to his lips, copying his father and let out a long, "Sssshhhhh."
Had the situation not been so dire, both Arthur and Merlin would have laughed. For now all they could think of was getting Bo away from this place as quickly and quietly as possible.
Arthur started to put the harness onto his son and Bo rubbed his hands over the leather breast-plate.
"Horse," he said in a voice that was slightly louder than his obedient whispers.
Arthur and Merlin held their breath but the woman on the bed did not move.
Merlin put his fingers to his lips again and Arthur finished getting Bo into the harness and then attaching it to his belt, by threading it through the D ring at the end of a strap.
As he picked up his child, he realised that in order for him to climb safely onto the dragon, his son would have to be on his back.
"Piggy back" he whispered and Bo clambered excitedly into position, his arms maintaining their usual choke hold, when playing this game.
All the time Merlin was watching the sleeping figure, ready to take the necessary steps if she woke but so far they had been lucky.
An exact replica of Sian's shawl lay on the floor and Merlin tossed this to Arthur so that he could tie this round himself and his son, making sure Bo did not slip off his father's back.
Then they were ready to go.
Silently Arthur climbed through the window, followed closely by Merlin.
Out of the starlit sky, Kilgharrah's huge shadow appeared.
He landed in the same fashion as before, but while he kept still for Arthur to climb aboard with his son, the masonry began to give way.
Kilgharrah clawed at the wall trying to keep hold, but stones crashed to the ground.
Inside the room, the woman woke.
Her eyes were nothing like Sian's and as she saw the empty cot and Merlin just outside the window, she bared her pointed teeth and screamed.
Merlin tossed a bolt of lightening in her direction and she stumbled to the floor, but even as she fell the buzzing noise increased until it was almost deafening.
From beneath the ground, the Sidhe were coming…in their thousands! There was a kind of thumping noise and Merlin realised that the Sidhe woman had collapsed over a trap door. This appeared to be the only way up from the floors below and the thumping noise was the door being rattled up and down by a crush of flying creatures pushing against it. It could only be a matter of seconds before they forced it fully open and swarmed into the room.
Merlin turned towards Kilgarrah but the dragon could no longer hold on and was flapping his wings a few feet from the castle.
Arthur was clinging on for dear life and only Bo seemed unaware of the terrible danger he was in.
He was happily shouting into the night.
"Fly! Bo fly!"
Arthur saw Merlin climbing on to the crumbling stones and stretched out his hand. The only way Merlin was going to get back on the dragon's back was to jump and Arthur did not know if even he would have had the nerve to make such a leap. Kilgharrah was fighting hard to stay close enough to the tower for Merlin to reach him, but the great beast was not built to hover and the task was beyond him.
Merlin looked down. The ground below was as black as the tower and he knew if he fell, he would not survive.
Behind him the trap door slammed open and as the Sidhe woman rolled away, a swarm of flying creatures came at him like angry wasps.
Merlin jumped.
By some miracle he felt his fingers touch Kilgarrah's scales and for a second Arthur's hand brushed against his.
But there was nothing to hold on to and Merlin slid away from Arthur's reaching fingers.
Arthur gave a cry of anguish as Merlin disappeared from sight and Kilgharrah dropped like a stone.
Above him Arthur saw the Sidhe pouring from the tower in a great dark cloud The great dragon saw them too. He lifted his head and sprayed fire at them from beneath.
The Sidhe scattered like a shoal of sardine under attack from a shark, although some of them tumbled downwards, their wings alight.
Kilgharrah sprayed fire at them again, then turned and headed back towards the lake.
Arthur was paralysed with fear and indecision. If the dragon did not get away from this place Bohart would never see his mother again. But if they continued their flight from Avalon, then Merlin, if not already dead or crippled, would surely meet his end at the hands of the terrible Sidhe. How could he leave without at least trying to rescue the man who was probably responsible for everything good in his life? But then again, how could he risk the happiness of his wife and his only son?
In the end there was no choice to make. Although Kilgarrah was flying faster than the winds of a hurricane, the swarm of Sidhe appeared to be gaining on them. The buzzing noise of their wings filled the air and even Bo was now silent, his eyes alight with fear.
Kilgharrah suddenly spun in the air and breathed out more fire than Arthur would have thought possible. As the Sidhe started to dodge away, a bolt of lightening crashed into the swarm and then another and another.
Arthur tried to understand what was happening.
He had seen Merlin throw bolts of lightening, but Merlin was lying somewhere at the bottom of the tower….wasn't he?
Kilgharrah's voice boomed into the sky.
"We are nearly to safety. Once more Merlin! Once more!"
Arthur's eyes grew wide. Was it possible that Kilgharrah had caught Merlin as he fell?
Kilgarrah spun once more and this time it seemed as if the whole sky were alight and through the orange flames crackled white lightening.
After a few more perilous minutes Kilgharrah started to descend towards the ground.
He landed awkwardly on one leg and as delicately as he could, placed Merlin on the ground.
Merlin rolled away and got awkwardly to his feet. Kilgharrah's grip had been as hard as stone.
"Merlin" Arthur shouted, "You're alright. You're alive! Thank the stars!"
"Thank Kilgharrah," answered Merlin, rubbing his bruised back.
"Yes, yes, thankyou. KiIlgarrah," said Arthur, quickly, "Thankyou for saving us all."
He reached behind him and caught hold of his son's hand. "Alright little one?" he asked
Bo's voice came back loud and clear.
"Bo fly," he said happily. Bo fly on big fly."
And Merlin and Arthur burst out laughing. Even the great dragon appeared to smile.
"Are we safe here?" asked Arthur, suddenly alert and checking the sky.
Kilgharrah answered him.
"You are. The Sidhe will not come this far. Only the most powerful of them can leave the island, but there is someone who wishes to speak with you, before you return to Camelot."
"There is?"
Both Arthur and Merlin looked round the clearing in which the dragon had landed and as if on cue, a figure appeared.
It was a woman. She was exquisitely beautiful with long red hair and a dress the colour of emeralds. As she moved out of the forest, her hair and clothes swirled around her although the trees and grasses were eerily still.
"We meet at last, Arthur Pendragon, the once and future king, and Merlin, greatest of your kind. Long have I looked forward to this moment.
I am the Lady Vivienne, ruler of Avalon. It was I who sent the boatman to rescue you Arthur and you have not disappointed me. Everything I hoped you would do, you have done and magic is alive once more in the mortal world."
Arthur climbed off the dragon's back and bowed.
"I am forever in your debt," he said, "but please could you explain one thing to me. If you are the ruler of Avalon, how is it that the Sidhe, who are your subjects are so intent on taking over Camelot? Why do you allow these evil beings to live on your island?"
The lady smiled.
"The Sidhe are not my subjects. Nor are they evil. They were born from fiery rocks when the island was raised from the water and their nature is as hard as the stone from which they came. Without them the island would not renew itself, for it is the Sidhe that keep everything growing and flourishing. They are to the island, what bees are to your mortal world. They have great power but they cannot wield it away from the island or the land that is close to the lake. Like all things with power, they crave more and for this reason they took your son. They planned to raise him and when he was old enough put him on the throne of Camelot. Through him they planned to rule Albion."
Arthur frowned.
"Thanks to Merlin and Kilgharrah, they have failed this time, but what is to stop them trying again. Is the only way to keep my child safe, to send him far away from here?"
The Lady held out a gloved hand and like a ghost, a white owl flew out of the trees and settled on her wrist.
"This is Rehan. Give him to Porrig, the horse whisperer. Ask the boy to look after him and in return Rehan will watch over your children. Should the Sidhe ever come close to Camelot again, Rehan will warn the stable boy. Although Porrig thinks he talks only to horses, he will also be able to hear the thoughts of my owl.
Merlin smiled.
"Porrig will be delighted. He definitely prefers animals to people."
He held out his arm and the white owl flew to him, landed on his wrist then hopped up on to his shoulder.
"Thankyou," said Arthur, "Once again I am in your debt."
The Lady inclined her head.
"One day I may ask you to repay that debt Arthur Pendragon. For now, you should return with haste to your queen. I know the pain of a lost child and I would not wish to inflict that on another for any longer than is necessary."
The breeze around The Lady appeared to intensify and as suddenly as she had appeared she vanished from sight.
Arthur turned to Merlin and thumped him on the shoulder.
"I thought I'd seen the last of you back there. I should have known that Kilgharrah would not have allowed a dragon lord to slip through his fingers"
Merlin rubbed his shoulder. Thumping him was as ever, Arthur's way of showing that he cared.
At the mention of his name, the dragon flapped his wings.
"Shall we go?" he asked. "It is still a long way to Camelot and I do not imagine that you will wish to walk."
Arthur looked up at the scaly face of a creature he had once sought to kill. How different things were now and how different things might have been if only Uther had not sought to wipe magic from the land.
After all the dragon had suffered at Uther's hands, it was amazing that the animal was prepared to help Arthur in his time of need.
"If you would fly us home," he said, "I would be eternally grateful. The lady is right. Every moment that Gwen is without out child will be torture to her. If you carry us I can put an end to her suffering so much quicker."
Kilgharrah cocked his head on one side and appeared to study the young king.
"You are not your father Arthur. I do not forget the past but neither do I allow it to dictate the future. I will carry you home and I believe that there is one in our group for whom this it will be a special treat."
Merlin reached up and ruffled Bo's hair. The child was bouncing impatiently on his father's back and it was obvious to anyone that he was itching to take to the sky again.
Carefully, Arthur and Merlin climbed up onto the dragon's back, although this time their positions were reversed. Arthur, having made sure that Bo's harness was securely fixed to his belt, wrapped one arm around Bo and allowed him to perch in front. Bo was delighted and holding tightly to the ropes, he started pulling them up and down enthusiastically as if he was riding a horse.
"Up big fly!" he commanded and the great dragon lifted them all into the starry night.
In the meadow outside the citadel, Kilgharrah bid Arthur, Merlin and Bo, 'goodbye'.
Bo reached out from his father's arms and patted Kilgharrah's scaly leg.
"Bye Bye big Fly" he said, cheerfully and Kilgharrah joined in the laughter with Merlin and Arthur.
"When he's older," apologised Arthur, "I will teach him your rightful name and he will learn all about the nobility of dragons and their important place in the world. I will never let him forget that you are the one who brought us home, with of course a little help from Merlin."
Arthur clamped an arm round Merlin's shoulders. "I don't know what I would do without him."
Kilgharrah became serious again.
"Merlin will always be at your side Arthur Pendragon, for he was born to serve you. He was born to fight all those who would use their magic for evil. It is good that you finally see his true worth.
As for your son, teach him my name and let him learn it well, for one day, when all is lost, he may call on me again and though he be not a dragon lord, I will come."
With these words KIlgharrah rose into the sky and flew into the rising sun.
Merlin took his turn, giving Bo a piggy back on the short walk back to the castle and Rehan the white owl, who had flown along side Kilgharrah all the way home, now rode on Arthur's shoulder.
As they walked through the gates, a new day was dawning and the first rays of the sun were slanting through the turrets and spires.
Porrig appeared from the stables and Bo greeted him with a wave.
Porrig's expression told how delighted he was to see them all safely home and just as Merlin had predicted, he was clearly delighted to take charge of the care of the magical bird.
At the top of the steps Arthur shaded his eyes and looked round the empty courtyard. There were several moments in the preceding 8 hours, when he had thought he would never see this place again.
He shivered and Merlin put a hand on his arm.
"We're home Arthur and all is well."
Arthur turned. "I know," he answered, "but just sometimes I wish I was not a king. I wish I was just a knight….maybe the captain of the guards or something…..you know in charge, but just not the king….not always out there at the front…..having to make all the decisions….having to fight against everyone who would take my crown from me. If it were just me, it wouldn't be so bad, but there is Gwen and now Bo. If I were just a farmer they would be so much safer."
Merlin moved so that he could look directly into Arthur's eyes.
"I know it's sometimes hard Arthur, but you are a good king. You know you are and neither of us can escape our destinies….you to be king and me to be…your advisor."
"My greatest friend," countered Arthur, "the one person who I can always count on. But why Merlin? Why are you always so loyal to me? I left Avalon without you….at least I thought that was what I was doing, and yet I know you would never leave me in danger anywhere."
"Arthur, you could not command Kilgharrah and you had your son to think of. If Kilgharrah had not caught me, I know you would have tried to come back for me as soon as you could."
"I would," agreed Arthur, "but still somehow I feel that I sometimes let you down."
Merlin shook his head.
"Never Arthur. Not even when you thought I was just an idiot."
Arthur smiled. "How did I ever think that you were an idiot?"
Bo, who had been silent for the last few minutes, suddenly yawned.
"Where Mama?" he asked.
And Arthur's melancholic mood was gone as quickly as it had come.
"Let's go and find her."
Together Merlin and Arthur hurried down the corridor to the royal apartments.
As they opened the door, Guias, who had been dozing in one of the big chairs, jolted awake.
"Merlin, Arthur AND Bo! You're back!"
He staggered to his feet, arm outstretched towards Merlin.
"Gwen's asleep. I persuaded her to take sleeping draught, but you can wake her. Seeing her beloved child is all she needs to revive her."
Arthur scooped up his son and ran through the door to the bedroom.
Gwen lay fully dressed on their big bed, her face still streaked with tears.
Arthur put Bo down on the bed and the little boy planted a kiss on Gwen's cheek.
"Wake up Mama," he said, clumsily patting her cheek.
Gwen struggled out of her drugged sleep and her face lit up as she pulled her son into her arms.
While Bo tried to tell her of his adventures Gwen smothered him with kisses.
Eventually Bo wriggled off the bed and said hopefully,
"Mer'in play with me?"
Arthur picked him up. "I think you should go to bed young man. You've been awake half the night"
Bo looked horrified.
"No! No bed."
He looked round at the assembled adults, thought for a minute and then said optimistically,
"Porridge?"
Arthur burst out laughing.
"That's my boy. When all else fails use diversionary tactics".