"When I heard what happened in Camelot, I was so worried." Hunith fussed over Merlin.

"Mum. You need to stop worrying so much." Merlin grimaced as Hunith ruffled his hair and placed a bowl of gruel in front of him.

"I know. I know. You two are big boys now but I can't help it. And I heard you-know-who was involved and -"

Merlin sighed. "You can say her name. I won't shrivel up. Anyway, I didn't realise it was Morgana's doing until Gwen said so."

"Gwen?"

Merlin glanced at Arthur who was scowling as he shoveled the porridge Hunith had prepared into his mouth. Ever since Gwen revealed herself to be the Queen, Arthur had done little except sulk. Merlin had to admit he wasn't too pleased to have been lied to either. Still, he also wasn't the one who had been holding hands, giggling and kissing the Queen just one day ago.

"Someone we met along the way back." He shrugged, hoping his mother wouldn't ask too much.

"Was she nice?" Hunith looked away but Merlin could see the wheels turning in her head.

"Mum. Do we have to do this for every girl we meet?"

Hunith took Merlin's hands in his and sighed. "You should invite her over for a meal. You and Arthur can't keep living like this. I want to see you two settle down, have a family."

"Mum, please. Not everyone gets married. Old Man Jones is happy tending to his cows, unmarried."

It was a familiar argument. With a shake of her head, Hunith left the table. "I'm going to tend to the animals. You two wash up after yourselves. You'll stay the night?"

They nodded, waving Hunith off. The house was really too small for all three of them but Arthur and Merlin both knew after their latest adventure, Hunith would sleep better knowing they were with her.


Fairly certain that Arthur and his mother were fast asleep, Merlin slowly pushed his covers away and slipped from his bed roll. The cool night air brushed against his face as he stepped out of the house. Sounds of the farm surrounded him and he wandered into the barn, absently giving his horse a pat before settling down on some hay bales.

Morgana. He hadn't heard her name in a while. Unthinkingly, his fingers moved to the bracelet he wore. As he felt the rough leather, he thought of the girl with sparkling eyes and long, black hair. The girl whose smile once brightened his day. The girl he honed his magic with. Long before he even sought Gaius out, Morgana had been his star student. Merlin had been nervous and worried his first day and within minutes of entering Gaius' workshop, managed to knock over some vials. Turning to grab them, he noticed them suspended in the air. It was then he met Morgana - confident, smart, beautiful, noble Morgana who looked past his poverty, his scruffiness, his ignorance and loved him.

"Had enough time to mope?" With mussed hair and sleepy eyes, Arthur walked into the barn.

Merlin shrugged. He knew that Arthur would turn up sooner or later. "Don't worry about me."

"Why would I?" Arthur sat down next to him. "You two would never have worked."

"I know."

"You still love her." It was a statement of fact and didn't need a response.

Instead, Merlin spoke of the other thing bothering him. "Do you think King Melby will help Camelot?"

For a while, Arthur said nothing. "I doubt it. Camelot was by far the strongest kingdom in Albion. If Morgana was able to squash them so easily, Rhegad wouldn't stand a chance. My bet is he'll try to make nice with Morgana. Anyway, while disapproving, King Melby hasn't been an enemy of magic the same way King Uther was."

"I never thought she would actually do it."

"Turn to the dark arts? You saw it in her, after -"

"Yeah. I just -"

"I know."

Arthur stretched his legs out and yawned. His shoulder bumped into Merlin's as he shifted on the bale. The silence between them was like a comfortable blanket, allowing them the space to be with their own thoughts and the safety of each other's company.

"What do you think Gwen is up to?" Merlin finally asked as he peered at Arthur in the darkness, wondering if he would start to sulk again. Instead, Arthur merely let out a breath and slumped a little more on the hay bale.

"Probably sleeping in a comfortable bed after having had a warm, delicious dinner. Or, more likely, worrying about Camelot."

Merlin sighed. "Not a good night for anyone."

"No. Tomorrow will be better." Merlin smiled wanly, although he knew neither of them really believed that.


The morning brought with it a lot of activities. Hunith was busy tending to the animals on the farm while Merlin and Arthur packed to return to town.

"With Camelot in ruins, I expect there'll be a bit more missions to be done." Arthur said as he stuffed his clothes into his rundown sack.

Merlin simply nodded. Extra missions would be good - something to take his mind off the Morgana-shaped things swirling through it. How strange what divergent paths they both ended up taking. Now, unless necessary, Merlin avoided using his magic, abandoning his training after that incident. Morgana, on the other hand, had clearly reached, and maybe even surpassed, the potential Gauis always said she had.

Arthur smacked him on the head. According to Arthur, that was supposed to be a sign of affection. "Stop thinking about her. We'll see if Percival has any openings for us. Then we'll use that money and drown our sorrows."

"Speaking of money, do you have any? I want to leave some for Mum. I wish she would give up the farm."

"And do what? Come on missions with us?"

"Maybe we should work on the farm instead of running around." Merlin hated leaving his mother alone on the farm and the guilt ate at him every time he had to leave her.

Arthur groaned. "Look, remember that time your mother decided to visit your uncle who lives in some godforsaken little town far away? Remember how we lost the chickens? And killed the barley? Yeah. Somehow I think your mother isn't going to appreciate our help."

"It was your fault. Let's pour all the water on the barley now then we won't have to do it later. Who said that?"

"I wasn't the one who decided that the chickens could be -"

Footsteps outside the door caught their attention. "Boys! We have a visitor." Hunith's voice floated into the house before she finally appeared, their visitor trailing at the back.

It was the Queen.


His traitorous heart leapt when he saw her. He might have even smiled before his brain kicked into gear and he remembered how she had lied to them. Immediately he turned his back on her. Childish perhaps but at the moment he really didn't care. He had enough of people lying to him and Merlin, using them as they wished then leaving.

Merlin of course, having no sense of survival, bounded over to her like a puppy.

"Gwen! How have you been? Oh mum, this is Gwen."

"The Queen of Camelot," Hunith said dryly. "Funny how no one mentioned that." Even hearing the words annoyed him and Arthur continued to pretend that his bag needed his utmost attention. Still, from the corner of his eye, he studied her. She looked well rested and, probably to avoid too much attention, was dressed in a simple cotton shift.

"King Melby has been very hospitable." There was a hesitation in her voice and Arthur stilled, waiting for her next words. "I wanted to see if you two were alright and thank you for your company to Rhegad."

"You've thanked us already so you can go now." Finally turning to look at her directly, regret immediately slammed into him the moment he saw the look on her face. It was fleeting and she quickly covered it up but it was there and he had put it there.

Hunith, a mug in her hand, gently guided Gwen to the bench. "Have some tea. Ignore Arthur. One would think I never taught him any manners. And to the Queen too." That last sentence was accompanied by a sharp look in his direction and Arthur felt suitably chastened. Grudgingly, he bowed to Gwen before moving to a corner of the house, which seemed even smaller now Gwen was inside.

Cradling the warm mug of tea, Gwen looked apologetically at Hunith before turning to Merlin. "Actually, there was one more thing. If I could speak to the two of you alone?" Arthur didn't fail to notice how she avoided looking at him, which, he told himself, was just as well. He didn't want to look at her either, he thought sullenly.

"I still have some work to do outside." With a bow, Hunith walked out of the house.

As soon as Hunith shut the door behind her, Gwen spoke. "Sir Percival tells me that you two are the best mercenaries he's ever known. I would like to hire you." After all they had shared, the request was oddly formal.

"For?" Surely she couldn't be foolish enough to think that the two of them would be able to stand up against Morgana's magic. Even if Merlin could be persuaded to use the full extent of his powers, something Arthur had only glimpsed at on very few occasions, he doubted they could take on Morgana.

She bit her lip and twisted her hands together. Why did he feel the sudden urge to rub her back? "I need to find someone called Emrys."

"Emrys?" Merlin frowned. "Can't say I've heard of him. Have you?"

Arthur shook his head. "Why are you looking for this Emrys person? And why can't you just ask the King for some knights for this? Why us?"

Gwen looked at him. "I don't want to be too indebted to King Melby." There was a strange note in her voice but before he could ask, she rushed on. "Also, no one knows if Emrys exists. We need to look for the druids -"

"And you want to use Merlin's magic to draw them out." Arthur glanced at Merlin who looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Yes. I'm willing to pay."

"No." Merlin's answer was quick.

Despair crossed her face and Arthur, once again, felt an irrational urge to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. "Please. I'll pay whatever you want."

Merlin said nothing. Cursing his softening heart, Arthur moved towards Gwen. "Look, we'll talk about it and let you know." He was within touching distance and it took a lot of willpower to not cup her face, to bury his fingers in her curls. Despite everything, he obviously still wanted her.

As if reading his thoughts, Gwen took a step back to safety, swallowed and nodded her head. "I will be at the castle."


One thing he liked about Hunith was how she never probed. She was always there if you wanted to talk but if you didn't, she never pushed. And so lunch was a quiet affair. Gwen's request was clearly playing on Merlin's mind and while Hunith darted concerned glances at her son, she said nothing.

"Are you sure you two won't spend another night here?"

"Thanks but we shouldn't. Being back in the main town will help us find jobs," he answered as he helped clear up after lunch.

"I don't mean to pry but it's been years. Surely -"

Arthur's hands stilled. Hunith was right. It had been years since his smithy had burned down and with the number of jobs he and Merlin had taken on, they should have earned enough to rebuild. But Merlin was a man without a purpose since he stopped his magic training. And Arthur himself was not keen on putting down roots, not when he knew how painful it was when they were ripped from you, as they invariably were. "It won't be much longer."

The lie hung between the three of them as they packed. Each of them took turns to hug a teary Hunith before leaving.

For a while, neither of them said anything as they walked along the worn path towards the main town. Finally it was Merlin who spoke first. "You want to help her."

"And you don't."

"Not particularly." Merlin shrugged. "Morgana was close to the druids. I'm just a small time magic user. They won't reveal anything to me."

"Don't you ever wonder? Gaius once said you were destined for great things." Tossing a twig, Arthur glanced at Merlin who looked deep in thought. "Maybe this is your chance to find out more. The druids are said to be able to see into the future."

"I'm happy with life now." Merlin said flatly.

"Really? Aren't you the one who is always talking about wanting a more stable life? Maybe you could be a Druid."

"On a farm! Not - what on earth do druids do anyway? Sit around in caves and contemplate the future?"

Arthur laughed. "And chant. They look like the chanting sort. I wonder how they feed themselves. Maybe they are like that fortune-teller in the main town - for a coin, they'll tell you whatever you want to hear."

"Not very good business sense to hide in caves in the middle of forests though."

"If you do become a druid, we'll have to part ways. I'm not living in a damp cave for the rest of my life."

That put a smile on Merlin's face and Arthur bumped his shoulder in response. "Come on. Let's talk about something happier. Like how that spider scared the wits out of your last week. That was hilarious."

"You are terrible at cheering people up. And I wasn't the one who screamed and jumped onto the bed."

"Ah, but you joined me on it didn't you? Don't forget, you did nothing while I fended it off."

"Because fending a spider off is such a great feat. Sir Arthur the Great killed a spider smaller than his palm! All hail his heroism." Dipping into an exaggerated bow, Merlin grinned at Arthur.

"Oh shut up." He shoved Merlin once more and ran off before Merlin could retaliate.


After paying for a night at the tavern, Arthur had stayed downstairs chatting with some of the regulars. That was usually how they found jobs but Merlin wasn't feeling particularly sociable so he left Arthur to it while he hung around in their threadbare room. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea as thoughts of Morgana rose in his mind again.

Morgana spoke little of her past and aside from the fact that some time during her childhood, she was raised by a small family of druids just outside Camelot, Merlin knew nothing. They were too busy in their little magic bubble to worry about petty details like that. Of course, bubbles burst and theirs burst spectacularly.


He hadn't been able to sleep and thought he would grab one of those massive tomes from Gaius's library. After all, Gaius was always going on about how he needed to study more and rely less on his instincts. Reading would definitely put him to sleep.

A fire burned in the library and Merlin shook his head. Gaius was getting old and forgetful. It was a good thing he decided to come to the library before the whole place caught fire. Stretching out his hand to push open the door, Merlin paused when he heard voices - in particular Morgana's voice.

And Morgause - a witch known for her dealings with the dark arts.

He barged into the room. "What is this? Why are you here?"

Morgause looked at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. "And this must be your little wizard lover."

Immediately, Morgana stepped in front of him. "Leave him alone. He has nothing to do with this." Then she turned. "You should go Merlin. This doesn't concern you."

He knew what Morgana was up to. She had mentioned it before, dropping hints here and there but he hadn't thought she would actually do it. She didn't have it in her or so he believed. "Don't. You know the consequences of using dark magic." Taking a step towards her, he continued. "We have plans for the future - together. Don't jeopardise them."

"Isn't he precious?" Morgause laughed coldly. "Your tiny dreams are hardly enough for someone with a destiny as great as Morgana. I'll speak to you again, sister. Perhaps when you are not so distracted." And in a swirl of smoke, she disappeared.

"Why?" He turned to her, desperate to understand. Sure, they had spoken of dark magic before, of using it to bring back the glory of magic users but that was in the abstract. There was no way either of them would touch dark magic.

"I have no choice." Tears shimmered in her eyes and she reached for him. "You have to understand. It is my destiny to bring freedom to all the magic users in Albion."

"And I want that too. I want us to be able to live anywhere without fear but to turn to dark magic is not the way. It's dangerous, unpredictable and far too -"

Her hand caressed his face gently, a sad smile on hers. "You were always so naive, my darling Merlin."

He cringed. Her eyes were hard, not the gentle, sparkling eyes of the woman he loved. The argument was familiar, something they rehashed over and over again. Merlin admitted he didn't know how to bring about the change they wanted but her methods - Morgause's methods - were cruel and harsh. Necessary Morgana countered. Only violence would result in change.

The next morning, she was gone, a short note, saying nothing, left beside his pillow.

A week later, news spread through Albion of a village which had been decimated by magic after a villager turned a witch over to King Uther. Merlin quit his magic studies that very day.


Arthur sauntered back into their room in the wee hours in the morning, slightly inebriated.

"Any new jobs?" Merlin lifted his head from the stone masquerading as a pillow.

"Well, Old Man Johnson wants someone to check if his cousin in Camelot is still alive and there's a trader going to Mercia looking for some guards. Any of them interest you?" Arthur pulled off his muddy boots and flung them haphazardly on the floor, much to Merlin's annoyance, before sitting on the bed next to Merlin.

"I also heard news from Camelot. Morgana has taken the throne. That's what she always wanted, isn't it? First it was Mercia. Now Camelot. Soon she will have the whole of Albion in her hands."

"I used to think she wanted us all to live in peace." Merlin sighed. Dark magic. "If Gwen is searching for Emrys, then he must have the key to defeating Morgana."

Arthur said nothing at first. "Maybe we should help Gwen." Arthur's voice was tentative, as if he was worried about upsetting Merlin.

"I thought you were angry with Gwen. And I'm not sure I want to face the druids." Aside from simple tricks, he had both consciously and subconsciously stayed away from more complex magic since that fateful day. Arthur had called him out on it several times but he usually brushed him off, claiming he didn't have the skill. The truth was he was frightened - frightened that he would become like Morgana, that magic would weave its way into his heart and soul and all he would be is magic. Nothing else.

Sighing, Arthur stood up. "If Emrys is the key to stopping Morgana then -. Look Merlin, Morgana isn't the girl you knew anymore. She's corrupted by the power of dark magic. You know that. She's not going to stop with Camelot."

"Do you think I don't know that? That I don't wonder if I could have done more to prevent this?"

"She made her choice, Merlin. It's not your fault."

Merlin buried his head in his hands, groaning. "Why? Why couldn't I just lead a simple life on the farm? Why did I have to be magic?"

"Your magic is a gift."

"You sound like my mother." Merlin launched himself off the bed and started to pace, thoughts swirling in his head. "I'm sure Gwen can find some other magic user to help her."

"That's true. Or we could do it, get paid a nice sum of money and you could maybe find some peace, if not with Morgana, then with your magic. Perhaps you can stop blaming yourself for all the darkness Morgana has brought to Albion if you can aid in stopping her. And perhaps, you'll come to terms with your magic. Gaius always said you were destined for greater things. I don't think he had being a mercenary in mind."

Lifting his head from his hands, Merlin looked at Arthur, trying to read his mind. "What do you get?"

"You know me, always willing to sacrifice myself to help a friend. In this case, you. And maybe, we'll be heroes - saving Camelot from Morgana. Bards will sing songs about us."

Merlin stopped pacing and stared at Arthur who leaned against the door smirking. "You just want to be Gwen's hero."

Arthur's smile faded a little and he shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe. Is that a yes?"


Sir Percival broke into a wide grin when he saw Arthur and Merlin climb up the stairs to the castle doors.

"Hello there. Here to see the Queen I expect. She will be glad to see you, assuming you bear good news?"

Arthur clapped Percival on the back. He was a good man - friendly and nice unlike some of the other knights in the kingdom who often treated them like dirt.

"Bring us to the Queen?" Arthur asked with a lightness he didn't feel. His feelings for Gwen were all messed up, but maybe, looking for the druids would give Merlin a chance to make peace with his magical abilities.

"Of course. Come with me."

Arthur and Merlin had never actually been in the castle before and Arthur was amazed at the opulence. Were the taxes they were forced to pay paying for all these carpets and jewels and tapestry? It didn't seem very fair. Merlin kept up a conversation with Percival as Arthur gaped at the luxury within the castle. In his mind, he always knew how far apart his world was from those who resided in the castle but seeing it with his own eyes just made it all that more real. And his heart dipped slightly because the tiny piece of hope buried deep in his heart of anything happening between him and the Queen fizzled and died.

"I'll announce you." Percival stopped in front of a door and gestured for them to wait. This was a bad idea. What had he been thinking of? If Merlin needed to meet some druids, they could do it on their own time. They didn't need the money that much and -

"Arthur! Merlin!" Gwen threw open the door, hope written clearly across her face. Percival bowed to her, smiled at them and took his leave. "Come in, please. Mary, please get them something to drink."

Like the rest of the castle, her room was lushly furnished. In fact, Gwen herself was dressed in a fine silk gown, her hair piled up and adorned with flowers. She was breathtakingly beautiful and so obviously out of his reach. Merlin, despite his initial reluctance, had made himself comfortable and was chatting to her, telling her of their decision to help her.

"You'll do it? I - I don't know how to thank you -"

"You will pay us of course. We're not doing it for free." The words came out a lot harsher than he expected and he cringed inwardly at the hurt that flashed in her eyes.

"Of course. I'll pay you handsomely." The excitement in her voice dimmed and she looked warily at him. "I know that you are unhappy that I lied about who I was but -"

Arthur swallowed the bitterness that rose with her words. "Let's not talk about the past. We are here to be employed by you. Everything is just business."

"Arthur." Merlin interrupted, chastising him with his eyes. "Don't listen to him. He may be all business but I still regard you as a friend." Jealousy coursed through him as Gwen turned to Merlin and smiled fondly at him, her hand squeezing his.

"We should discuss details."

Over the next hour, the three of them sat around Gwen's table and talked about the quest ahead. As Arthur listened to the details and plotted with Gwen and Merlin the best way to go about it, he felt the tension in him ease and soon enough, they were chatting easily, almost as if they had been good friends forever.

"This Emrys person - he is a powerful wizard and the only one who can defeat Morgana?" Arthur could hear the doubt in Merlin's voice.

Gwen nodded. "King Melby says he's been said to be Morgana's doom."

Arthur caught Merlin's eye and nodded as supportively as he could. He knew that Merlin still loved Morgana, despite all she had done and being involved in hunting down the man who would kill her was not the best position to be in.

"I'm fine," Merlin whispered. "It has to be done."

"We'll set off tomorrow?" Gwen looked at him, then at Merlin.

"We?" Merlin repeated, "You mean us. Our employers usually don't follow us."

"I'm not going to just wait here. This is my kingdom at stake. I need to speak to the druids myself."

Arthur sighed. "And you will when we bring you to them once we find them."

"No. It would be quicker if I went with you."

"You don't think you would slow us down?"

She stood up and looked at him intently, steel in her eyes. "I remember someone once saying that he would love me to travel with him."

"You asked her to travel with us?" Merlin raised an eyebrow before settling back into his chair, almost as if he was preparing to watch a play.

Ignoring Merlin, Arthur glared at her. How dare she bring that up? "That was before I realised you were Queen."

"That is just a title. What difference does it make? I am still the same person you knew."

"Don't be foolish. It's more than a title," Arthur snapped.

Merlin jumped up and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Ok. Since it looks like I am the tie-breaker here, I vote that Gwen comes with us. She's handy with a sword and she's right. She's working on a tight deadline and saving time is important."

"Whatever," groused Arthur. "We'll set up before dawn. Be at the courtyard or we will leave without you. Come on. We have preparations to make."


Before dawn, the courtyard was empty. Only Sir Lancelot and Sir Benedict stood at the castle entrance, watching. It probably shouldn't have surprised him that Gwen was already waiting on the stairs, a small pack next to her. She waved at Merlin but merely nodded at him. He didn't care he told himself. One thing about being Queen was her access to the royal stables and three beautiful horses stood waiting for them.

"Let's go then."

The hooves clattering against the cobblestones that lined the courtyard, the three of them rode out. For much of the morning, they rode in silence, Arthur in front. It was a day and a half to their first stop, a cave in the middle of the Ascerith Forest, rumoured to be where a group of druids lived. Hopefully they would know about Emrys or if not, they would at least be able to point them to someone who did.

Arthur sighed. Despite all their planning, they were really chasing shadows. As more and more of Albion grew increasingly suspicious of those who had magic, no thanks to Uther and his paranoid delusions, the druids had slowly disappeared underground. Arthur didn't think he knew anyone who had seen them recently and all they had to go on were rumours and speculation. Not his preferred way of doing a quest.

"What else do you know about this Emrys person, aside from the fact that he's supposed to be Morgana's doom?" Merlin asked, a tinge of worry in his question.

"Not much really," said Gwen. "I know this all seems like a hopeless quest but I can't just sit by and do nothing. She's been killing people who won't pledge their loyalty to her. I let my kingdom down once. I - I need to do this."

"You know it's not your fault that Camelot fell."

There was silence at first, as if Gwen was surprised that Arthur would talk to her. "That's nice of you to say but I was Queen and Camelot's safety was my responsibility."

Arthur frowned. "The attack was a surprise."

"It was."

"And since Camelot has a magic ban, I assume no one in your castle can do magic."

"No."

Slowing his horse so Gwen's came level with his, he turned to look at her. "Don't blame yourself for things you didn't cause. Your father's ban on magic put everything in motion and you've barely been Queen for half a year. Morgana knew you were dealing with being a new Queen and took advantage."

"It doesn't matter why. It matters that I failed my people. I -"

"Gwen," Merlin said, "Don't do this to yourself."

"You don't understand. The council - they said if I were Queen, I -" Gwen's voice broke and her horse slowed. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."

"Gwen." Merlin quickly rode next to her and Arthur could hear the concern in his voice. "Perhaps this might be a good time for a rest."

It wasn't. Not if they wanted to get to the safe clearing before dark. But he turned and saw the sadness in Gwen's eyes, the worry all over Merlin's face and he nodded. "Yes, a rest would be good."

They secured their horses and Gwen moved slightly away from them and stood staring into the distance.

Merlin looked at him and tilted his head. Arthur ignored the message and determinedly looked away. With a sigh, Merlin went to Gwen. The familiar taste of jealousy rose in him as he watched Merlin slip an arm around her shoulder. Gwen turned into his half embrace and they spoke in whispers. Annoyed that Merlin didn't seem as conflicted as he did about Gwen and annoyed that he felt like punching the Camelot council for whatever they said to Gwen, he marched off, supposedly in search of water.

Holding the waterskin, he walked into the woods, trying not to think about Gwen, how crushed she looked and how much he wanted to hold her and make promises he couldn't keep. She was the Queen of Camelot. He wasn't even a blacksmith anymore. There was nothing he could offer her. He couldn't even offer a village girl enough to stay with him, much less a Queen. He kicked at some stones as his heart squeezed at his thoughts. This was why he should never get emotionally invested in anything - no one ever stuck around. Not his father, not his mother, not Vivian and definitely not Queen Gwen once she got back her kingdom.

By the time he returned, Gwen was smiling as Merlin entertained her with more silly magic tricks.

"We should go. We've already lost enough daylight."

Gwen and Merlin murmured their agreement and they rode off again. Again he rode in front but this time, he could hear Gwen and Merlin chatting behind him. Arthur couldn't help but think that this whole thing was a terrible idea.


Aside from the fact that Arthur was being a complete ass to Gwen, the journey was a lot less painful than Merlin expected. Even their night in the forest was uneventful. Often, on their missions there were random bandits, the occasional monster and various mishaps - including once when Arthur managed to ride his horse into a tree. This time, the journey was unusually peaceful.

Merlin should have known that it wouldn't last.

Arthur raised a hand and immediately Merlin pulled to a stop, gesturing to Gwen to do the same. A cave opening yawned in front of them, dark and deep. In silence, they dismounted and secured the horses. Then, for a while, the three of them simple stood staring into the opening.

"I guess we should enter." said Merlin, conjuring up a light. Arthur nodded at him and drew his sword. Gwen followed suit and they slowly inched their way into the cave. Dry leaves crunched under their feet and the damp air hung heavily over them. The cave was uncharacteristically silent.

"Hello?" Merlin heard his voice echo through the cave.

No answer but his the hair on his arms stood. The air was thick with magic and it caressed him, stroked him as if trying to get into him. If it wasn't for Gwen, Merlin would have left immediately. There was too much magic here - too much strong magic.

"We know the druids reside here," called Arthur as they continued to move inside.

Again, there was no response.

"What do we do now? Merlin?"

Turning to a concerned Gwen, Merlin shook his head. He wasn't quite sure himself. As far as he knew, there wasn't a "reveal druids" spell, not that he was any expert. He was the only expert among the three of them though.

Arthur huffed. "Do some magic."

"What?"

"I don't know. Do one of those silly tricks you like to show Gwen."

Rolling his eyes, Merlin quickly turned the flame of his torch into the shape of a flower. The sparks danced in the air, a contrast to the solemn mood everyone was in.

And then his whole life changed.

EMRYS.

He felt Gwen move closer to him and he instinctively took her hand.

EMRYS. YOU HAVE COME.

It was like he could feel the rumbling voice in his veins. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Arthur frowned, looking around the dark cave.

Gwen whispered, her hand still entangled in his, "I don't hear anything but it's gotten a lot colder." Her grip tightened. "What is happening Merlin?"

EMRYS. IT IS YOUR TIME.

"Someone," Merlin said slowly, "is talking to me."

"Well, maybe you should answer them!" Arthur continued moving around and searching the cave.

Gulping, Merlin tried to smile when Gwen squeezed his hand in support. "Who are you? Why don't you show yourself?"

A rustle. Footsteps. A cough.

The cave slowly got brighter and standing in front of them was an elderly man. Immediately, Arthur raised his sword.

"There is no need for violence. The druids are peaceful people." He bowed before looking straight into Merlin's eyes. "We are honoured to have you here, Emrys."

Gwen gasped and dropped his hand. Arthur lowered his sword and turned to stare at him.

"I am not Emrys. You must be mistaken." Merlin could hear the tremble in his voice. Something was going on and he didn't know what. Why would this druid call him Emrys? How did they get into his head?

"Are you not the one they call Merlin?"

He couldn't breathe. "Yes." It was barely a whisper but it was enough.

The elderly druid smiled. "Then you are Emrys. Your feats have been foretold by the crystals."

"No. You're lying. I am not Emrys."

The torch in his hand fell to the ground and he ran.

Arthur yelled at him.

He continued to run. If he ran as fast as possible, perhaps he could run away from it all.