Merlin had just finished eating dinner and was about to slip into his bed when he heard a noise. He looked over to his window. Sitting there with a letter strapped to a small leather carrier on its back was a falcon, but not just any falcon. No this was a merlin. And one that Merlin had seen before. He walked over to it and lightly rubbed his hand over its wing, as if to assure himself that it was real. He smiled weakly. He knew what this meant. And he was happy that he would get to see his old friends again, but he knew it also meant he was going to have to leave Camelot. The bird was a bittersweet sign that his time had come.
"Well Níl" he said to the small falcon. "It has been a while since I've seen you." The bird looked up to him and ruffled its feathers. Merlin carefully took the rolled up letter out of the pouch and opened it up.
Valley of the Fallen Kings
Merlin looked once more at the bird. "Níl go to the entrance of the Valley of the Fallen Kings." The falcon cocked its head for a minute before flying off again. Merlin watched it for a minute before lifting up the floor boards under his bead. He grabbed his magic book and put it in his bag. The he grabbed a blue cloak he had kept hidden away.
He smiled at the gold and silver strands that were woven into it. The way they twisted around on the dark blue of the material always made him think of magic. It was what magic looked like when it was curled around a person. He had once seen it before when a passing druid showed him how to see the web of magic. It was woven into everything, even the earth itself. He had been able to see how much magic the druid had possessed by the amount of strand woven around him. He had also seen how much he had had. That was the first time he was called Emrys. After the druid left he could never recall how to see the magic web again, but he would not forget the experience.
He quietly left his room, and Gaius gave him a questioning look at seeing him in his old cloak. Merlin sighed. "Níl came to me Gaius. They've come to bring me home, and it means that he is back." He looked to the fire that was beginning to die down in the fire place. "After all these years… I thought- but I suppose it ever really was a dream. I knew this day was coming."
Gaius placed a comforting hand on Merlin's shoulder. He knew there were no words that could comfort his ward- his son. For that was what Merlin had become, the son he never had. As Merlin opened the door to leave he said the only thing he could. "Be careful Merlin."
He turned once more. His eyes full of sadness. He gave a small smile. "I will Gaius. I always do." And that was why he knew Merlin would be okay as he walked out the door. He knew he would see him again.
If only he had known how soon.