Disclaimer: I own nothing

Me: *grinning like a loon* I KNOW right? After all this time, and she FINALLY post this!

Well, I hope it was worth the wait! And you should thank this release to the lovely and talented (and my OFFICIAL ROYAL ADVISOR) 'Dream Theme'!

Enjoyyyy!

The sun was trying his best to shine through the dense clouds of snow that encompassed the sky. Winter had all but surely engulfed the kingdom in its white blanket; fresh powdery snow covered the forest and its surroundings as the animals in the area where all hidden away in their homes. In Camelot, the town's people were bustling about as they continued with the morning work before getting back to their families. Winter had covered everything in sight, the magnificent castle walls were cover in frost while the town and the marketplace was blanketed in white. The people were forced to take refuge within their homes early due to the cold but they were more than happy to do so in order to spend more time with their families. While the crowds began to dissipate from the streets, those few who remained were able to see the two cloaked figures walking out of the castle and towards the gates and immediately recognize them as the lady Morgana and her faithful maid Guinevere. As they were walking, the people bowed briefly to the young Witch Apprentice and companion some uttering brief words of care seeing that while they were wearing a cloak that seemed to be the only protection against the elements they had.

Once they reached the gate, the guards gave the young witch a brief bow in respect and she in return gave them a brief nod and a smile before urging her friend to hurry. As the two began to walk into the forest, they fell into confortable chatter; Gwen began telling her how much of the relationship with her long stray brother has progressed since he settled back in Camelot and Morgana told her about her progress with the lesson plans that Merlin had left for her while he was away. She was very excited since she was almost finished but she hoped that Merlin would soon return. She had no doubt she would get bored without any magical training or any threats to the kingdom to vanquish.

Things seemed much more boring and bleak without the constant presence of her teacher in Camelot. There were no more shouting matches between master and servant. No more smiling knuckleheaded accidents in the halls. No more magical hijinks between friends and family.

She missed Merlin.

As they began to arrive at their destination, the snow began to diminish and vanish as a wave of warmth began to surround the area. The white stillness of the forest began to morph into a vast variety of luscious greens and beautiful flowers as if the seasons where turning with each step they took. The two stopped suddenly as their eyes fell upon the scene before them. The clearing was lush with vivid colors as there was a large cloth on the floor, housing trays filled with meats, breads and fruits; Arthur had his back to them as he was checking his reflection in a serving tray, oblivious to the giggling audience behind him. The young witch was quick to silence her companion and gave her a look of pure mischief, which Gwen was all too happy to indulge. With a loud and not so subtle cough from Morgana, Arthur immediately let the tray fall to the ground as he turned to gaze at the two giggle females before him. His mouth went dry as he gaze upon Guinevere's beaming face.

"Guinevere, you look…" Seeing his stunned and idiotic face, Morgana couldn't help but poke fun at his expense. She leaned forward slightly as she raised a polished eyebrow.

"I think he's trying to say you look nice?" Hearing her words, Arthur immediately tried to keep some of his dignity and coughed slightly to clear his voice while sending a look of annoyance towards her comment and gratitude for bringing her here.

"Thank you Morgana. Don't you have training to attend to?" Grinning even more, Morgana simply patted her satchel that contained her magic book and gave him a mischievous look before turning around to leave and wave back. "Have fun!" However, neither of them knew that she would remain close by to keep an eye out for trouble. Morgana simply kept walking forward until she was sure they would not see or hear her and then she simply sat down and got into a meditation pose to expand her senses around the area.

Before he went away, Merlin asked her to keep guard of Arthur in case there was a magical threat and he was unable to get to them in time. He was confident of her skills and he trusted her to keep their mismatched family safe until his return and as such, she would fulfill the task her teacher had entrusted her with. In every outing or hunt Arthur had gone, she had followed in the shadows not wanting Arthur to fuss about her.

Once she was out of sight, Arthur snapped forward to aid his love cross the slight stream across the greenery and once he had her in his arms, he relished the feeling of her warmth surrounding his body before gesturing at the picnic behind him. He helped her out of her cloak like any gentleman would and he then helped her sit down on the matt. Once he had joined her, out of instinct she began to prepare a plate for Arthur right away but before she could do anything she felt his hand upon hers stopping her in her tracks. Her eyes rose to search his and found the all too familiar deep sky blue gazing at her with fondness and love.

"You are not here as a servant." Giving him a fluster smile, she allowed him to serve them both their afternoon meal as they fell into confortable conversation, talking about nothing and everything. She was glad to see him relax so completely. Lately, the king has seemed to give Arthur more and more responsibilities, keeping him busy most of the time. He has fallen back to becoming easily irritable and angry when people interrupt him but he is often quick to excuse himself and utter a brief sorry in reply. But now, being away from all his responsibilities and pressures she found herself smiling in relief as his posture and demeanor managed to relax.

"This feels different doesn't it? Being away from Camelot…" As she said this, Arthur merely sighed in content and gaze out into the forest. That was another thing. She and Arthur had begun properly courting each other in secret but the brief touches of hands and the few kisses they share in between their day under the shadows of the castle made their hearts heavy with grief on their need for secrecy. That was why Arthur had asked her to join him today for a picnic in the forest; Been far away from the social convention and scrutiny of the castle walls, they could finally be true to one another at last and enjoy each other's company as a proper couple.

"I love Camelot more than I can say but then," She heard him say "sometimes I feel I can hardly breathe. Everyone expects so much of me." He stated gently as she could briefly see the heavy blanket of exhaustion in his eyes.

"My duty falls on my capability to protect my people." He whispered softly, making her strain her ears to hear him. "My destiny dictates that I am supposed to unite all of Albion to a new time of peace. Erase the walls of hatred and vengeance that my father's rule had posed upon the magical community." But just as suddenly as she saw it, his eyes immediately turned to her and gave her a look of gratefulness and longing. She felt his hands land upon hers in a gentle effort to cradle them with his own.

"But being here, with you, I can be myself."

"I like that." Saying this, she couldn't help but cup his rugged face as her thumb gently massaged his cheek. "You being yourself."

"You mustn't let the weight of your responsibilities change who you are. I am quite certain that the people trust you and your judgment, no matter what." Hearing the resolution in her voice, Arthur gave her a smile as he took her hand away from his face, only to bring it towards his lips to lay a gentle kiss upon her skin.

"Sometimes I dream of leaving Camelot..."

"Really?" She asked with a slight hint of humor in her voice. "Where would you go?"

"I don't know." He confessed as he began to fill a plate for them both. "Somewhere where nobody knew who I was. I'd get some land and become a farmer." Hearing this, she couldn't help it; she began to laugh good heartedly at the notion. But not because she thought Arthur was too pampered for the lifestyle but because she knew that after a while, he would find the mundane routine awfully boring. Sparing herself a joyful glance at her prince, she saw him giving her and annoyed but understanding look.

"I can hardly see you toiling away in the fields all day."

"Obviously, I'd take Merlin. He can do all the hard work. The lazy idiot has his magic anyway so it wouldn't be a problem." He said in a mock serious demeanor that told her he was joking. Well, at least she hoped so.

"I'm sure he'd love that" Smiling once again, Arthur took the plate he'd created for her and brought it to her hands. She immediately took the offered food and gave him a polite nod. "Thank you."

While two began to eat, they were switching between feeding small pieces of food to one another in playful joy. Arthur spoke of stories of his youth, like the time when he was almost six winters old and he managed to sneak past the armory guards and play with his father's own personal sword, effectively knocking every single armor of an entire squadron. He was grateful to have found the slight opening on the back or else his father would have confined him to his chambers for an entire month.

He found himself resting his head upon her legs as she finally calmed down from all the laughing. He secretly found it enjoyable to hear her laugh; it was something akin to bluebell chirps and the sweetest of music. The two then fell into confortable silence as Guinevere ran her slender finger through his hair almost lulling him to sleep. The two lost all sense of time as they simply sat there and enjoyed the feel of having the other close. But when Gwen noticed what time it was she sighed in defeat and broke the comfortable silence.

"We should be getting back to Camelot soon."

"Let's stay a while longer." He said half asking half pleading. He didn't want to leave the comfort of being in her presence without having to pretend. His eyes shifted to hers and he would deny the slight pout on his lips. "Don't know when we may have the chance to do this again."

"Perhaps when you become a farmer, we'll be together more often." As she said this, she ran her finger through his hair once more. But Arthur could see behind her mirth, she was unhappy with the way they had to act to have a moment to themselves. Once again, he swore to himself that things would be different when he became king.

"It was just a dream." He groaned slightly as he began to stand up, immediately helping his love to her feet as well. They still had their hands joined as he continued speaking. "I fear I'll never leave Camelot. Don't move…" The sudden shift in his stance and demeanor made Gwen immediately freeze. Arthur was sure he had heard a twig snap behind the trees and he wasn't going to leave anything to chance when Guinevere was with him.

"Is it bandits?" Hearing her whisper, he was about to push her behind him when suddenly, a blur of white jumped out from behind the tree. Its head began to shift throughout the clearing, seemingly surprised by the lack of cold and snow in the area and merely began to ruffle its fur. Arthur couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"A rabbit." Hearing a small giggle of relief, he felt her lean against his chest. Embracing her briefly, he then began to pick up what little food was left over and gather their cloaks. Having put on his, he then turned to help Guinevere with hers, much to her charring. However, the kiss she received after the fact was much gladly received.

Once they broke apart, the two then began their trek back to Camelot with Arthur handling the basket in one hand and his other hooked around his love. But soon enough, as they began to get past the warm barrier and into the biting cold of winter, Gwen's thoughts began to shift towards a more familiar face.

"Do you think he's ok?" Arthur heard her asking and he needn't ask who she was talking about.

"Morgana was kind enough to cast an enchantment to the area to make it warm for us but everywhere else is covered in snow." She stated, worrying about her friend and whether or not he had shelter for the night. "I hope he's keeping himself warm." With this, Arthur's eyes became unfocused as he absentmindedly began to rub the silver ring on his left hand. It has been over three months since Merlin had set out to train with the dragon. Three months of not knowing whether or not he was alive and well, only having the ring Merlin enchanted for him as proof. But he had long since given up on that matter. Merlin had already made his point across and nothing they did was capable of deter his resolve. He just had to trust the warlock's ability to stay out of trouble.

Yeah, and what are the odds of that happening…

"Don't worry about him Guinevere." As he said this, Arthur pulled her closer to give her some form of comfort. "He is in the company of the Great Dragon so I don't think any bandits would dare approach him. And he has his magic which I'm sure will keep him warm, wherever he is." Giving her a sly grin, he shook his head before continuing.

"Knowing the idiot, he's probably fast asleep, curled up in blankets and trying to avoid a day of training from the dragon in this weather."

Meanwhile, deep inside the forest in the north of the White Mountains, a crisp blanket of white powder covered every inch. The silence was almost surreal as all the animals were in hiding or in hibernation, leaving the woods in complete calm. However, the calm was interrupted as an array of explosions could be heard approaching in the horizon.

A blur of red and blue could be seeing running as a figure in a blood red cloak was following behind it. Along their trail, patches of melted snow and singed tree bark could be seen amongst the few pieces of ruble and fallen trees that litter in their wake. The red and blue blur hid behind a conglomeration of trees that was about a couple of miles from an edge of rocks. The man had no doubt that the fall from the small rock cliff was a few feet long but surely it would give anyone who fell painful and life threatening injuries no matter who they landed. However, before he could decide where to go next or even gain his breath, the man in the red cloak seemed to have found his location as he began to mutter a new spell, sending more fireballs to destroy his small hideout. Yelping in surprise and pain, the red and blue blur immediately snapped forward and began to run; the icy winds slashed his face, sending his white and black raven locks away from his pale cerulean eyes that were now searching his surroundings for his hidden foe.

"Run. Run. Run. RUN!" Merlin shouted to the wind as he ran, all the while avoiding the attacks of the other sorcerer. As he felt the fire attacks lick his skin, he didn't know whether to thank the sorcerer for the source of warmth or simply curse his luck and merely wish to be exposed to the harsh winter. Unfortunately as Merlin continued to contemplate and run, a well-placed strike near his feet resulted in an explosion which sent him flying over the small cliff. While he was falling, his training finally seemed to kick in and he immediately shifted his body to face the fast-approaching ground, his hands shot toward the ground as the runes in the copper bracelets on his wrists began to glow as well as his eyes when he let his magic loose.

"Lif yr awyr!" Once the words left his mouth, a gust of air began to push out of his hands towards the ground, essentially slowing his decent. As soon as he managed to land safely on the ground, he barely evaded another fireball from his attacker before he began running once more.

"Why did I ever agree to do this?" He shouted at the air as he continued to run, the other sorcerer still following him.

"I'm sure Gaius had more than suitable magic tomes for me to study." He continued as he ducked and rolled away from another fireball into a slight opening on a rock formation. "And really! The fact that I've kept my head on my shoulders for over two years in a kingdom that executed people for far less than I've done should attest to my luck!" Not sensing the other sorcerer near him anymore, he carefully got out of his hiding spot. Not seeing any indication that he wasn't alone, he let himself rest his head upon a nearby tree and close his eyes in exhaustion from the many hours of running.

"I'm sure Arthur's head could've taken a few more hits."

"Ddaearataliaeth." Merlin's eyes snapped open as he felt the bark of the tree and the earth below him shift and move around him. Before he could do anything, his legs were already bound to the earth as more and more of the stones began to cover his boots while his arms were already encased with a thick layer of tree bark and moss rendering him completely bound. Suddenly, two figures emerged from behind a nearby cluster of trees; the one who was wearing a deep green cloak had his hands stretched out while the other, who was wearing an aquamarine cloak began to gather her magic around her. Merlin narrowed his eyes at her, having already dealt with her and her affinity with water miles before and having the entire forest cover in her element he knew that he was in danger as long as he kept still. So, before the two could even take another breath, Merlin's eyes glowed once again with practiced ease.

"Gwthiwch allan!" His words were laced with strength and power as his spell sent a wave of neutral energy from the core of his body outward, causing the debris and tree bark that were bounding him to shoot outward and sending the sorcerer's flying into the solid trees behind them.

Only a heavy panting could be heard amongst the dust layers of dirt and snow. The young warlock had both hands on his knees, trying his best not to fall to the ground.

"Right." He muttered as straightened his back. A hand moved some of his locks of hair that were sticking to his sweaty forehead away while his eyes took a second to change from showing his bone tiredness to a guarded steel glint. "Need to keep moving."

The path was relatively safe and alone, however Merlin had learned never to trust the quietness of the forest. A few minutes later, his worries were found true as he heard someone shout from the trees as he kept running.

"Plygu, Ynni a streic." Eyes glowing gold, he immediately turned around and placed both arms forward in an x formation.

"Gescildan!" As soon as he uttered the spell, he was met with an incredible force that threw him backwards towards a clearing. He tried to stop himself from shouting in pain as his body rolled toward a group of rocks that stood almost in the middle of the field. Once his body stopped, he quickly willed himself up and found refuge behind the rocks.

Panting harshly as he held his left wrist and check it for damage, he risked a peek behind the rocks and sure enough, for figures dressed in blood red, forest green, aquamarine blue and stormy grey cloaks were now in formation. The four sorcerers seeing they had the advantage immediately began chanting in harmony as they brought their arms forward. Merlin could see each of their elements begin to form in front of them as they prepared to obliterate him out of existence.

"Fine then," He muttered to himself as he calmed his core. "I'll guess I'll have to end this then." At this Merlin turned around and stepped away from his meager defense and walked calmly to stand before them. His longer red scarf billowed in his wake as the dark navy blue armor tunic he wore shone slightly with the light from their combined attacks. The dark tan slacks were sullied and dirty from all the running and injuries while his trusty belted boots were comfortably stretched, ready to run if so he needed. He laid both arms at his side, his copper bracelets shining in wait to be used again by their master as he adjusted the harness in his left arm. He would need all the help he could get for what he was about to do.

Cerulean eyes steeled in resolve as the calculating and powerful gaze stared at his foes. He let his body relax and his mind expand and as soon as he saw the four sorcerers throw their attacks he closed his eyes. With his power, he felt the combined strength of their attacks; the powerful range of all the elements, side by side, tearing apart the seams of earth and snow and all of nature in its path. It was destructive and powerful and awe-inspiring and beautiful. He could clearly see every tread of magic from which they were form and he knew he could do what needed to be done.

His hands moved once he was read, his eyes still closed, as he let his energy flow into the earth below him. Sending a burst of energy, many circles and runes began to form around him as their attacks became closer and closer. Once the runes were in place, his eyes snapped open at the very last second and activated his trap. His arms shot forward as he shouted these words.

"Elfennau y streic, bydd eich gwrando ar eich meistri dim mwy." As their attacks finally passed within the circle, the most unbelievable thing happened.

They stopped.

Allowing himself a mental smile he never stopped in his concentration. The four blast of pure elemental energy then seemed to circle around the warlock and stop at a certain rune. The sorcerers seemed to be surprised and stunned at what they were seeing. Merlin's hair floated gently from the pure waves of energy that he was controlling right now, the circle of runes glow a gentle and calming hue of blue while his eyes were blazing gold.

This was his very own creation. A spell unique to his own studies and his creativity. His final test. Merlin had created this circle to represent the shield he himself was and the powerful storm he controlled. He created this thinking of his friends and family back home and how he would do anything for them. Within the circle, he could control any elemental force any sorcerer could throw at him while keeping the power as a backup to fuel his own. With this, he had complete control of the battle and seeing as he never took praise or recognition before he allowed himself to name it as such to boost his ego. He had called his creation…

The Myrddin Circle.

"Rhowch fy cylch. Grant i mi eich grym. Uno fel un a streic y rhai ger fy mron. Dewch, yn gwneud frys!" As soon as he said this, parts of all the four energies merged together before him and shot towards the four sorcerers at lightning speed. Before they could utter a defensive spell, the blast of concentrated energy reach them near where they were standing, blasting their bodies backwards breaking some of the tree bark as well. As the dust settled, Merlin strained his eyes to see what had become of his enemies and his face quickly broke into a grin as he saw their bodies finally turn to their original elemental forms. The one wearing the blood red cloak burst into fire, the one wearing the forest green cloak turned back into a tangle of bark and leaves, the one wearing the aquamarine blue cloak turned back into a puddle of water and the one wearing the stormy grey cloak burst into a gust of air.

"Yes!" He shouted as he jumped in one place. "I can't believe it worked this time!" He had long since tried to merge all elemental powers into his circle but he finally got it to work. His final work is complete! He had passed the test the Great Dragon had given him by defeating his elemental golems with his circle and now he could go home! But as he stopped jumping, he suddenly began to hear a crackle in the air. He cautiously turned around to see the runes below the fire sphere containing the energy of the fire user begin to become unstable.

"Oh…" He muttered before closing his eyes. "This is going to hurt."

A few miles away, the Great Dragon could hear a gigantic explosion coming from his student testing grounds and he could do nothing else but sigh.

Me: *grins* Well? Was it worth the wait?

Me: *grinning* Reviews are welcomed!

Spells:

Flow of air

Earth restraint.

Push out!

Energy, bend and strike

Elements that strike, you shall heed not your masters no more.

Enter my circle. Grant me your power. Unite as one and strike those before me. Come, make haste!