Arthur looked down at his knight's crupled body. His eys shot back to the old woman defiantly. "I know what you want!" he called bravely.
The Cailleach did not seem surprised by this. "Do you?" she challenged in reply, slightly amused by the prince's words. There was a pause, in which she calculated the man before her. "And are you willing to let me have it?"
Arthur steeled himself and looked the woman in the eye. "I'm prepared to pay whatever price is necessary." The woman motioned him forward with a finger. He began to step forward, willing to die for the good of his people. Merlin held a hand out and opened his mouth to incant the spell, both horrified and heartened by what his friend was about to do.
Time seemed to freeze as they heard the woman's ancient chuckle fill the air. "Oh, dear prince. A magical life was given. Why on Earth would your's ever compare to taht?" she mocked, stopping Arthur in his tracks and making Merlin hesitate with his spell. "Only a magical life can be given. I see you've brought one, but are you still willing to pay the price if you knew what I truly asked of you?"
"What are you talking about? I have brought no sorcerer with me!" Arthur replied.
"No," Merlin called, stepping forward and in front of his friend. "You brought a warlock. I will sufice?"
"You will more then sufice, young Emrys," the spirit cackled in reply, motioning him forward again.
"Merlin, stop!" Lancelot yelled, fearing for the young man's life. He was to young, he needed to see the world he's dreamed of for so long.
"Are you certain your prince will pay this price?"
Merlin smiled grimly at the question. "Arthur found out who I was before I was ready. He's more then willing to wager my life, the life of a warlock, for Camelot."
"Merlin?" Arthur asked tentivly as Merlin walked beside the Cailleach, barely sparing her a glance before passing her, still headed towards that dark gap in the world. "Merlin, whose Emrys? What do you mean, wha is a warlock? Why will your life suffice, Merlin?"
The warlock turned when he was a step away from the tear and looked to the knight. "Take care of them. Look after Arthur for me. And, most of all, be happy, Lancelot. You, my friend, deserve a few genuine smiles." At the tear filled nod, the servant looked to his master for the final time and gave a wide smile. "Sorry, prat, haven't got the time to answer. Go back to the castle, call together the Round Table again. You'll get the answers you seek. I'm sorry."
"Merlin, stop," Arthur ordered harshly. "Step away from there and explain to me what's going on."
Merlin smirked in reply to this. "Since when do I listen to orders?"
Arthur saw that there was only one hope. He let his shouldars drop and looked at the man. "Merlin, please. I can't bear to lose my best friend."
Merlin smiled sadly and stepped backwards, leaving the world of the living and watching as his friend's faces were sealed away from him as the tear repaired, being left in the darkness of the dead.
The trip was nearly silent. No one said a word unless it was someon offering to do something, which always lead to a single though. Merlin should be doing that. They were knights, they'd all seen people die, they'd all seen themselves nearly die, and they were all prepared to lose one another. But not Merlin, who hid from bandits and sorcerers, who shied away from hunting, who cried for unicorns. None of them had thought that the kind, loyal, cowardly manservant would be brave enough to face the Cailleach. But Merlin was not cowardly and how dare they disgrace his name by even pretending he was. Which somehow lead to more silence.
The only two who honestly didn't say a word were Lancelot and Arthur. Everyone was fine with this, because they had seen the man in his final moments, seen him face down death. They hadn't even said anything when they walked from the room, half carrying, half dragging a still unconsious Gwain between them. They hadn't needed to. They could read it on their faces. The idiot (not an idiot. More guilt) manservant had given his life to save Camelot. But that wasn't what the two realy thought about (well they did, but they put it to the back burner. They could torture themselves more thoroughly with such thoughts later). Lancelot was thinking of Merlin's final request (indirect as it may be). He and Gaius were going to have to tell Merlin's story, and tell it well enough to not disgrace the man's name and honor. And, to supplement such thoughts, he was praying to every diety he had ever heard of and not believed in that he would do his friend justice.
Arthur, on the other hand was still thinking over his questions. Why did Merlin's life suffice? What was a warlock? Who was Emrys? And, most importantly, the question he had been to afraid to ask: Why did he feel like he knew and trusted this Emrys with, not only his life, but the whole of Camelot (Guievere's life included)?
"We're nearing Camelot," Gwaine muttered, though everyone else knew as well as he did. This was the first time in the history of the world that anyone had ever missed Gwaine's inane chatter. It would have filled the silence of the lack of Merlin's prattling.
There was not another word said until they reached the square and slid off their horses, handing them off to stable hands. Everyone ignored (tried and failed to ignore) the extra stable hand, whose face want ashen when he noticed the kind man missing from the quest.
Gwen, having seen Arthur, rushed forward and embraced her brother, realizing herself at the last moment. Arthur, however, didn't care, and pulled the woman into his arms as soon as she was out of Elyan's. Everyone hugged Gwen, save Lancelot who had walked up the steps to meet the old physician. Gwen looked around, having been passed about and feeling slightly dizy. She looked at Gaius, and saw someone was missing.
"Where's Merlin?" she asked carefully, still staring at her old friend, who was staring at the ground, shaking his head slightly. She finally looked away and right at Arthur. She saw his red eyes and the dark circles beneath them and realized slowly. "Where is he?"
"Meeting with the Round Table," Arthur croaked, his throat sore from days without use. He cleared his throat and walked towards the castle, only to be stopped by his uncle.
"Arthur, you are alive?" Agravaine asked, confused, and not sounding happy in the least. He quickly smiled, and pat his nephew's shouldar. "Glad to see you. I'll assemble the council we will meet at once-"
"No," Arthur replied coldly. "We will meet tomorrow. First, I wish to speak with my knights who accompanied me on this quest as well as Gaius and Gwen. Then I shall see my father, after wich I will rest. We will meet tomorrow, at high noon." Without waiting for a reply, he continued onwards, marching straight towards his chambers and hoping the other's would follow.
Gwen walked in the back of the long group beside Gaius, clutching her brother's arm. "Gaius?" she asked, tentative, "do you know what's going on?"
Gaius looked at her with the sadest eyes she had ever seen him wear and nodded slowly. "Unfortunately I do, Guievere. Please wait until we are safely away from public eyes."
When Elyan pushed the doors shut, everyone sat in a small circle like formation on the ground, a space between Gwaine and Lancelot for Elyan. And one between leon and Arthur. for someone who would never join them again. Needless to say, they call kepy their eyes of that spot at any cost.
"Merlin is dead."
That was a bit short, I usually write longer chapters. Sorry, I just liked that ending (wanted to end at the break, but that was way to short, don't you think?).