Mordred crept into Camelot, careful to conceal the magic he used to get inside, he didn't need to be found out so soon. He attempted to telepathically reach anyone else with magic but to no avail. He knew that there had to be someone in the kingdom he could communicate with, it was such a heavy burden he was carrying. His mother was sick in the village she lived in and he needed to get her help. Knowing that no man in Camelot would knowingly help a druid. It would be suicide for them and Mordred knew that. He would never put an innocent man's life in danger, even for his mother, she would never stand for it. He could imagine her now, telling him that he never should have entered Camelot on her behalf, but he had to, he couldn't just lose her, he'd just found her after all this time.
Mordred had heard of the court physician, Gaius he was called. Knowing that this court physician could be his only chance to save his mother, he began to formulate a plan. There had to be a way to get into Gaius' chambers without the castle guards noticing. He pulled his hood low over his face confidently and marched toward the castle's most inconspicuous entrance. His plan was faultless, he would ask where Gaius' chambers were and tell whomever he was asking that he needed his help immediately, his mother was dying. This was not untrue. The first person he came across was a knight of Camelot, he put on his most distressed expression and held his eyes open for as long as possible as to make them appear tear-filled.
"Sir! I need some help sir!" Mordred called to the knight.
"What seems to be the matter m'boy?" Gwaine, one of Camelot's most trusted knights inquired. Mordred asked about Gaius' chambers and Gwaine led him straight there, even knocking upon the big wooden door for him. He put on his act well, though it was not completely an act, Mordred felt as though he had deceived someone with a kind heart, he felt a pit in his stomach and it grew as he heard someone on the other side of the door.
"Hello, can we help you?" a young man, approximately 10 years older than Mordred himself asked. Mordred explained the situation with his mother, even telling them about how he'd only just reconnected with her recently, but leaving out the reasons why they were separated for so long. The two that he spoke to could only assume that the reason for their separation had something to do with sorcery, but so very much in recent times had connections to sorcery. Gaius told Mordred that the two of them would pack up their required things and leave at dawn, they would need to get there soon if his mother was to live. He agreed and left them to pack, thanking them profusely as he closed the door.
"Where are we riding out to anyway" Merlin asked curiously as he packed away vials of liquids he didn't completely know the names of yet. Gaius looked at him tentatively and muttered about an outlying village. Merlin pressed on, after all, he was going to be there so he might as well know where they were riding to.
"We are riding out to Ealdor Merlin, it's where his mother resides and she cannot travel here so we must go to her and treat her in her home." Gaius told Merlin, his hand resting on Merlin's shoulder. His face contorted into some mixture of happiness and worry, what if there was some sort of sickness sweeping through the village he grew up in, what if his own mother were sick, his friends, his neighbours. The worry kept Merlin awake, making him uncharacteristically quiet throughout the duration of their trip. Mordred was also quite silent throughout the trip, it was Gaius who continuously attempted conversation with the two, but when he realized that he was not to succeed in his goal, he began simply humming to himself, a song from the days of the Old Religion.
Mordred began leading the other two when they entered the village, Merlin looking around at the familiar buildings, worrying that there were dying people inside each and every one. This was not the case, he was thankful when he saw those that he recognized but did not understand the worry and caution others exhibited when they looked back at him. His horse stopped and he looked around, nothing could be more familiar. They were stopped outside his own mothers small dwelling, a whole new wave of worry washed over Merlin and he made eye contact with Mordred for what felt like the first time. All three men dismounted, Merlin still looking accusingly at Mordred, tears in his eyes. He was sure that this was some kind of trick that was being played on him. It would not be the first time that his mother's life had been endangered due to his own identity as a sorcerer and his proximity to the king. Gaius looked at the two boys and sighed, putting his hand on Merlin's arm he told him that they'd better get a look at the patient, especially if it was his mother, no matter if it was a trick or not, the sooner the saw her, the better her chances of survival. Merlin nodded, his eyes still boring into Mordred's back. Mordred stayed outside for a minute or two while Merlin and Gaius went into the small hut, Merlin rushing in first to make sure his mother was still alive. Merlin was already creating plans in his mind for if she were not still among the living, Mordred would pay for what he was sure he'd done.
"Merlin," his mother whispered hoarsely, "What are you doing here?"
Merlin put some water into a cup and handed it to his mother, "Here, drink this, you need it."
"A boy came to us last night and told us of his mother who was very sick and in need of medical attention, we rode out at dawn this morning and he brought us here." Gaius explained to her.
Too many emotions flashed across Hunith's face, "Where is he?" she asked. Merlin looked at her, shock clear on his face, anger coming in waves. He was taken aback by the question but answered that he must still be outside the hut, perhaps afraid of what was happening within. He went outside to find Mordred and to bring him inside as his mother requested.
Both Merlin and Mordred were made to sit on the end of Hunith's bed. She looked at them both, tears in her eyes.
"I always meant to tell you Merlin" the tears were flowing freely now. He looked at her confused and hurt, wanting her to stop crying, for watching a mother cry when there is nothing to be done to stop it is one of the most painful experiences a child can have.
"Tell me what, you can tell me now. But first we must examine you, you have to get better!" Merlin spoke with soft authority. Gaius followed his lead and began examining Hunith. Merlin did not leave her side the entire time, Gaius diagnosed her with something completely curable if treated the right way. Merlin was sent to fetch the bag he had packed the night before and fetch some sort of green liquid out of it. She was to take two drops of the green liquid every two hours for twenty four hours. After that, the sickness would begin to disappear altogether and she would regain her strength and ability to continue on with her life as it was.
"There was never a good time for me to tell you" Hunith whispered to Merlin after she awoke from a nap she took after her drops. She looked at him apologetically, Merlin could not be angry with her, it was not within him. He could only be angry at the fact that there were secrets kept from him. He was almost angry that his powers were not the biggest secret his family had.
"I gave birth in another village and you were never to know about it. You were away, doing work for someone at the time and so you didn't notice my absence and when you returned I had been back in the village for some time. You never asked me why I was smaller and I did not press on to tell you, it was too painful for me to have to tell you the truth. I didn't want you to think that you weren't good enough, or that it was because of you that this happened." Hunith went on. Merlin was already crying.
"I don't understand. Are you saying that he's your son too? Where was he all this time? Why is he back in your life now after all these years? How could I not have known? Did the whole village know?" Merlin fired the questions at his mother, knowing that not all of them would be answered, but needing to know the answers to all of them eventually. He refused to believe that his mother had a secret child, raised but the druids she said, as his father was a druid. He shook his head, still crying. When he finally left his mother's side he went outside for some fresh air, Gaius was tending to the horses that were left outside and put his hand reassuringly on his shoulder.
"I didn't intend for this to happen, I did not know that your mother had any other children, if I did, I would have found a way to tell you" Gaius whispered to Merlin.
Merlin was still outside when Mordred went out to fetch a small bag that he'd left with his horse. Merlin looked at him, accusingly. He looked at Mordred as if he had stolen his mother, in a way, he genuinely believed that's what had happened.
"Why now? Why did you seek her out now?" Merlin half-yelled, emotion making his voice falter.
Mordred took a step back. "I needed to meet her, I never knew my father and the man that stood in for him told me her name. He was sworn to secrecy, but on his death bed he told me that meeting her would reveal my destiny. I could not refuse such a thing and so I set out to find her. I didn't know that this is what I would find and I still do not know what my destiny is" he calmly explained to Merlin.
Still unsure of Mordred, Merlin did not let up. "You were raised by the druids, how am I to know that you did not cast this sickness upon my mother!?"
"There is nothing that I could do to hurt our mother, I have just regained her in my life after all these years of absence. I would like to know more about her and where she comes from. I long to understand myself more fully, I would like to know you as well. I already know a little about you, Emrys." Mordrid said the last few words tentatively, scanning Merlin's face for any signs of change in emotion or thought.
"I cannot just accept you as a brother, I do not know anything about you. My mother lied to me all this time, and so I fear that my anger has rubbed off on you. I can promise you that I mean you no harm though. You have no reason to fear me, you clearly mean my mother no harm." Merlin said with authority. He intended to hold himself to his word. Mordred appeared to mean no harm to Hunith and he was grateful for that. He knew nothing of the boy, but intended to learn much. He had heard of the druids, a peaceful people with magic all about them. He intended to learn more about them in order to understand his newfound sibling further.
"You'll never have to hide yourself from me, I'll never reject you for who you are and I know I don't have to hide myself from you. I trust you completely, brother." Mordred stated telepathically to Merlin before riding off on his horse, riding where? Merlin was not sure, but he could sense that this was not the end of Mordred, the two would meet again, perhaps when his destiny is revealed to him.