The crickets were chirping when Merlin approached their small camp carrying the last of the firewood they would need to carry them through until dawn Arthur was laid back back, staring upward. A view of the open sky would have been welcome, but the young king could see only leaves and branches this deep into the forest. During the last twenty minutes, as Merlin performed his duties setting up their small camp, Arthur had been thinking in circles. Wanting to save Mordred, but not wanting to undo his father's work. Wondering if his father had been right in his pursuit of destroying magic, and then considering what magic has done to Camelot. To Morgana.

He doesn't know what the right choice is, and finds himself again loathing his duty to be king. His choices weren't only for himself, they were made for every person in his realm. Arthur always tried to make fair and honorable choices, but that did not mean his choices would always be right. There have been so many bad choices. He's already failed his people too many times.

Arthur waited until Merlin's feet stopped shuffling. "How did you know this place was sacred?" It had been bothering him. Mostly because if he had listened to Merlin about bringing weapons into the cave, things may not have escalated to the point that Mordred would have needed to save his king.

"That's obvious." Merlin answered as he laid the twigs beside the campfire.

"Pretend it isn't."

Merlin was crouched before the fire now, slowly building it up again before relaxing. "Everything here is so full of life. Every tree. Every leaf."

Arthur sat up so he could look at Merlin more directly. His expression peaceful, his gaze far off. How could he feel so connected to a simple, seemingly average forest?

"The insects. It's as if the world is vibrating. As if everything is much more than itself." Merlin remembered himself then, and looked at Arthur. He knew his friend too well, and he could see that Merlin was genuinely touched by the feeling he was getting.

"You feel all that?" He asked with a curious tone, careful not to disregard Merlin again in this.

"Don't you?"

When Arthur shook his head, Merlin lost his easy smile. He looked away, considering his words. His task done he rose, and moved to his blanket. "What will you do?" Merlin asked.

He felt himself shake his head before he could even get to the words, his frustration returning in an instant over the choice he wanted to be done with. "I don't know." Merlin would understand. Merlind has been Arthur's sounding board dozens, if not hundreds, of times since Arthur had become king. "My heart tells me to do anything I can to save Mordred. But I've seen what misery unfettered sorcery brings. Before my father outlawed magic, a sorcerer nearly destroyed Camelot. In my own time, Morgana's used it only for evil." A short pause, and he looks directly to his servant.

Sometimes. Probably most all times if he wanted to be honest with himself, Arthur let his friend's job cloud his judgement of the slightly younger man. Though he knew in a very real way that Merlin was loyal, brave, insightful and honest, he nearly always publicly regarded Merlin as lazy, dimwitted and cowardly. It was a fun game they played together, until Arthur became angry or frustrated enough to really remind Merlin of his position. In doing so, he had put all his men at risk. On top of that, he'd again belittled Merlin. Again.

He should have listened to his friend. He would get batter at it. He would start now.

"What would you do? In my place?" Arthur asked gently, wanting to be sure Merlin would know that he really meant to listen this time.

"Me?" Merlin's tone was careful now, bland. This was often the result of Arthur going too far to assert their roles. Merlin did like to pout.

"I'm just a lackey, maker of beds."

See? "Lackeys can be wise." Arthur had a slightly difficult time hiding his slight amusement. That always made the pouting last, so it was better to avoid when they weren't going to go their separate ways any time soon.

However, when Merlin still kept quiet he decided enough was enough. He did want an answer, so he would have it. "It's not like you to be silent."

"The kingdom's future is at stake."

Didn't he know it?

And Guinevere had taught him that no adviser or guard or nobleman could ever know a kingdom as the masses did. As close as Merlin was to royalty, and for all the time he spent at the palace, he was a servant. He was the voice of the common man, because he was close to them. He lived as they day. Merlin even saw the people of Camelot at their worst working as a physician's assistant as well.

"And a man's life."

"You must protect Camelot. You must protect the world you've spent your life building. A just and fair kingdom for all." Arthur waited as Merlin nodded slightly, all through his little speech. As though he were trying to convince himself more than Arthur.

"You'd have me sacrifice a friend." It wasn't a question. That was most certainly what Merlin was saying.

"I would have you become the king you are destined to be." Merlin's tone shifted now, puling back from his words. Was he as unsure of this as Arthur?

"All my father's work will be for nothing. Sorcery will reign once more in Camelot. Is that what you'd want?" Arthur watched as Merlin considered in silence. Through his silence his gaze held tight. His expression almost seemed ... hopeful. "Perhaps my father was wrong. Perhaps the old ways aren't as evil as we thought."

Still, silence.

Still his friend looked ready to burst. His shoulders shook as he held something back.

Arthur kept his tone and expression as neutral and considerate as he knew how. He wanted an honest answer.

"So what should we do? Accept magic? Or let Mordred die?" And Arthur watched his friend closely again. He didn't think he had ever seen Merlin near tears over a few questions. He fidgeted, he leaned forward. Preparing himself to speak.

And that was when the Earth began to shake, a blinding white light filling the forest in the dead of the night. Arthur tried to shield his eyes, and he called out. "Merlin!" He reached toward Merlin, standing as swiftly as he could manage with trembling ground and one arm wrapped around his own face.

As suddenly as it began, it was over, the ground steadied, and when Arthur looked up he found the light had receded, though he could a a few swirling orbs of color when he blinked.

"Arthur."

Arthur quickly looked toward where Merlin had been sitting, and drew his sword.

"What have you done with Merlin?"

Where Merlin sat only moment's ago, there was now another. A man of at least fifty with shoulder length black hair and beard, both with streaks of grey. His right eye had a long slanted scar which marred much of the skin around it, and the eye itself was covered... with a.. red scarf? Though Arthur's sword was drawn to the man's throat, he only smiled fondly.

"I'm touched Arthur." The older man laughed gently, and his tone was teasing. Arthur pressed his sword forward, in no mood for games. He did not know if he wouldsave Mordred, but he most certainly knew he would find Merlin.

"Okay, I didn't want to be touched so literally." The man's smile didn't falter, and he raised his hands in a defeated nature. "Arthur, you won't find this easy to believe, I know. I don't blame you. But it's me. I am Merlin."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. All this talk today about magic and sacred forests, and then the ground and the light. Arthur had seen magic do incredible things. Even if they were troublesome or dangerous, he knew there were few limits involved with magic.

Arthur searched the supposed stranger's face carefully, and keeping his sword raised, he slowly kneeled until he was level with the other man. That was when he saw. The older man's good eye. He knew that eye.

Arthur pulled back, staring with an expression he knew had to be a blatantly dumbstruck expression. How? Why? What had happened to Merlin? He withdrew his blade quickly, stepping back slightly.

"Arthur. I can explain. I need to explain a lot, actually." Merlin's smile did waver now, and Arthur actually felt himself growing nervous.

Arthur kept an eye on Merlin, and sat beside the fire carefully, and closer to Merlin now than he had been before. "Please do."

"I've come back in time. To change my answer Arthur. What I told you on this day so many years ago was wrong. It lead you to your death. I failed to help you then Arthur, and I have spent all my years since finding this path again." Merlin, for all his differences, spoke with the same clarity as he had only minutes ago about the sacred feeling of the forest. When had Merlin learned how to sound... wise?

"What did you say?" Arthur spoke directly, but he could not remember the last time he'd felt this out-of-sorts. Merlin had aged at least twenty years and traveled in time, bringing warnings of Arthur's death. It was too much to wrap his mind around at once.

"I told you that there was no place for magic in Camelot. I was lying. Hoping to protect you from a prophecy, I caused it's fruition instead. Arthur, I need for you to know exactly what happens if you refuse magic now. I want for you to understand all the times magic has saved you, and Camelot. You need to know your truest destiny as The Once and Future King."

Arthur felt himself nod, despite the slight numbness he felt. "I'm listening Merlin."