Arthur's Bane Part Two

Agravain was trapped in a nightmare.

Ever since his mother had died to set free the Dorcha, his nightmares had become more and more frequent. He feared Emrys and Emrysa greatly, but for once he did not dream of them. Rather, he dreamt of the two years he'd spent trapped and in agony.

After what felt like an eternity, Agravain woke up breathing hard and sweating.

"Thunderstorm?" he said, as he sat up. "Thunderstorm, are you there?"

Within moments, a young black and grey hippogriff with ice blue eyes came into the room. While being imprisoned and tortured for two years, Agravain had befriended and bonded with the beast, who'd been trapped with him.

Thunderstorm seemed to be as intelligent as a human and was quite loyal to Agravain and had a small power as well. The sorcerer was equally devoted to the beast and the young hippogriff seemed to be the only one he truly cared for anymore.

"Old friend, you had the nightmare too, didn't you?" said Agravain, softly.

Thunderstorm moaned softly before resting his head in Agravain's lap as Agravain stroked his feathery head.

"Don't worry my friend, we're safe. No harm can come to us now and I would die before I let anyone hurt you again," he murmured. "Our troubles are all of the past, I promise. Soon, we will have the Diamair. Soon, we will know Arthur's bane and Camelot will be ours."

Thunderstorm let out a soft croon.

XXX

The chill of the winter of Ismere nipped at the trio's skin as they trudged along behind the cart they were bound to. They could not escape as Arthur's sword, Excalibur had been taken from him and placed within the cart, and Merlin and Mira-Liana had been forbidden to speak unless spoken to or perform any magic, lest Arthur be slain. Having little other choice, they'd obeyed Mordaunt and the bounty hunters.

The journey was difficult as they had very little to keep themselves warm with and they were weary from lack of food and proper sleep. During the day, they walked as quickly as they could, which wasn't much, and at night they huddled together and tried to keep warm and stay alive as they were forbidden to partake of the bounty hunters' food or warm themselves at the fire. Still, they did not complain and did their best to communicate via the mental link as it was the only form of magic that could not be detected easily.

I swear, if that bounty hunter doesn't shut up, I'm going to kill him, said Merlin, as they shivered in the chilly night air.

The bearded man was a bounty hunter and had been bragging about the money he was going to get for their capture and had been quite smug ever since their capture. It was getting on all their nerves.

Just ignore him. Soon, we'll be able to deal with him properly, said Mira-Liana.

And just what is the plan for when we reach Agravain? asked Arthur.

No idea. We're making this up as we go, admitted Merlin. But we will get out of this, somehow.

Arthur sighed as he huddled closer to his wife. Whatever you do, be careful. I'm not sure I entirely trust Mordaunt and if anything happened to the two of you…

Nothing will happen, Arthur, I promise, murmured Mira-Liana. If we cannot worry, then neither can you. We must be strong and keep faith until we can act. It's all we can do.

No one argued with her and soon they fell asleep.

When morning came, Merlin and Mira-Liana were the first ones awake, but they did not move nor speak. Instead, they waited for their captors to awaken so they could continue their journey.

Much to their surprise, Mordaunt approached them and slipped three small loaves of bread in Mira-Liana's hands. But not one of them moved to touch the bread or eat it.

"It's alright. You can eat this if you want," said Mordaunt. "It's not poisoned or anything. You need to keep your strength up."

Why're you doing this? asked Mira-Liana.

Mordaunt had not been unkind to them during the journey, but nor had he been particularly nice until now.

"I know who you are. I know what the prophecies have foretold of you and I know what you did for one of my own. You saved the life of my friend, Mordred. He spoke very highly of you before he left our people. You brought him into your family, kept him safe and gave him a life so many of my people were denied. Druids are family to one another, and so I owe you a debt for helping him," said Mordaunt.

Is that all? asked Merlin.

"Isn't it enough?" asked Mordaunt. "Or is the reason you're so hesitant to accept my help is because you fear me, Emrys, Emrysa?"

Neither one of them replied. Once, they would've refused to believe a future that wasn't set in stone, but experience had forced them to become wary of threats to their loved ones. They didn't want to believe that this man was to be Arthur's bane, but they barely knew anything of him and had little proof he was good, like Mordred.

"I understand your hesitancy to trust me. You have many enemies and have no doubt great reason to fear for your king, but I can assure you, I only want a life where I can be accepted for the magical person I am and be with those I care about, a life like the one you've given to Mordred. We are not so different," said Mordaunt. "I am not your enemy. I will not harm either one of you, nor Arthur. I promise."

The two exchanged looks before Mira-Liana asked, What is it that Agravain searches for in Ismere?

Mordaunt looked around to make sure no one else was awake or listening before replying, "The Diamair. In the language of my people, it means the key to all knowledge."

Merlin and Mira-Liana exchanged appalled glances as Mordaunt left them.

If Agravain finds the Diamair and it tells him what he wants to know, he'll know we're Balinor's kin and Emrys and Emrysa, said Mira-Liana, worried. Worse, he'll know of Arthur's bane.

Then we'd better make sure he never finds the Diamair, said Merlin.

XXX

Meanwhile, Agravain was less than pleased with their fruitless search for the Diamair. He was growing more fearful and impatient by the second. His anger was also becoming quite strong as he yelled at Ruadan.

"It's been over three months, and despite all your talk, we've not yet found the Diamair!" he yelled.

"Patience, Agravain," said Ruadan, calmly.

"If I hear you tell me to be patience one more time, I will curse you into oblivion, Ruadan!" snarled Agravain. "We are running out of time! Arthur and those pesky twins could be on us at any moment!" He was on the verge of turning Ruadan into a cockroach and leaving him out in the frozen wasteland that was Ismere.

"Or they could be dead," said Ruadan.

Agravain shook his head. "No, they escaped and are alive! I'm sure of it."

"Then perhaps they're in Camelot. They could've reached their homeland by now," said Ruadan.

"Then you must act! Speak to your spy and find out what Arthur and those pesky twins intended to do next!" growled Agravain.

"Milord," said Ruadan, sharply. He looked as though he was going to be ill. "My spy and daughter, Sefa, has been arrested. Soon, she will be marked and forced to leave Camelot."

Agravain froze. "Marked?" he repeated. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Marking is a very old form of magic, a small, yet powerful and permanent spell. Once it is placed on a human, the one who marked them will know if they are near," explained Ruadan. "It cannot be tricked or concealed. If Sefa dares to return after she's been marked and exiled, they'll know and she'll be executed."

Agravain didn't seem bothered by this. "It's a cruel fate indeed, but you must remember that there is no greater glory than giving your life for a cause that is right."

Ruadan nodded. "She has proven herself to be a worthy daughter."

Agravain nodded. "Her sacrifice will not be forgotten and neither will she, I can assure you. Now, see to it that the patrols on the border are doubled so we will know when Arthur and those blasted twins arrive. And stay here for the next few days. I have a feeling you'll be needed."

"Yes, my lord," said Ruadan, softly as he bowed and fulfilled Agravain's commands.

XXX

The journey to Ismere continued, and it was no easier, even with the food Mordaunt had been kind enough to give them. They'd eaten it before they were spotted, but it barely touched their hunger and their thirst was even worse. Before long, Mira-Liana collapsed to the ground with exhaustion.

"Stop!" yelled Arthur.

The cart and everyone ceased moving.

"Please, she needs water," said Arthur.

The bearded bounty hunter just sneered and kicked her in the ribs before forcing her to stand. "Not so powerful a witch, now are you?" he sneered.

"Stop!" said Arthur, quickly. "My brother-in-law and I will help her. Please, don't hurt her."

He sneered and cackled, but allowed Mira-Liana to be helped by Merlin and Arthur.

As soon as he was gone and their journey resumed, Merlin spoke to his sister. That was a stunning performance. Did you get it?

Mira-Liana nodded, revealing the dagger she'd swiped from their captor before secretly passing it to Arthur. They'd discussed their plan earlier and had tricked the bearded oaf into believing the little act.

After traveling for some miles, they enacted their plan and made the cart stop once again by giving the cart a good hard yank that caused most of the supplies and whatnot inside it to fall out. The bearded bounty hunter rode towards them with a look of anger on his face.

"Who did this?" he demanded. "Who?"

As per the plan, Mira-Liana silently nodded towards her brother.

"You did this?" he growled.

"We need to rest," said Merlin.

He growled. "Oh, you'll rest, alright. You'll rest in peace!" He drew his sword, and tried to slay them but Arthur head butted him and caused him to drop his blade. Arthur then flung the dagger into one of their enemies as the twins acted with their magic. They undid their bonds and forced several riders off their horses as Arthur reclaimed Excalibur.

They then fled with whatever they could carry until they came to a large crevice.

"Arthur, grab on. We're going to have to jump," said Merlin.

The three of them tightly grasped one another's' hands before the twins muttered, "Ascendio!" and then they leapt across the crevice with unnatural skill and power. They made sure no one else could cross the crevice by causing it to widen so far, that not even magic could do anything different.

Three of their foes came running towards them, and they were swiftly defeated thanks to the crossbow that Arthur had swiped from the cart, but when Mordaunt came, he did not move and nor was he shot or hit with a spell.

"I'm sorry you're still hesitant to trust me, but as I said before, I am not your enemy," he said. "Go. I'll find my own way."

And with that, he left them alone in the frozen wasteland.

"I do not understand him," muttered Merlin, as they continued on their journey. "He's the one we saw in the vision, he tries to take us to our death, he knows who we are, yet he claims to be Mordred's friend and has been somewhat decent towards us. What's he playing at?"

"Who knows?" said Arthur, shrugging. "He's shown us kindness when he could've easily killed us, and for that I'm grateful. But in any case, it doesn't matter right now if he's truly friend or foe. If he's an ally, then we'll welcome him among us. If he proves to be threat, we'll deal with him then. Either way, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Indeed. In the meantime, we've got more important things to worry about. We need to stop Agravain and save the others before it's too late," said Mira-Liana.

Mordaunt would be dealt with later. For the moment, the lives of their loved ones and the future of Camelot was at stake. They had to succeed, for if they didn't then all would be lost.

XXX

Meanwhile, back in Ismere underneath the fortress, Gwaine slowly came to. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the strange glowing creature before him.

"You have nothing to fear," said the creature, softly.

Gwaine tried to sit up and speak, but found himself unable to due to the pain he felt. The creature made him relax and soothed him.

"Rest. Your wounds are not yet healed," it said.

Gwaine was surprised, but grateful nevertheless. "You saved me. Thank you."

The creature smiled and nodded. "I know that you are worthy of my help, Sir Gwaine."

Gwaine raised an eyebrow. What was this creature talking about? "I don't understand."

"You think kindness is the preserve of humans and spirits? Not all of us non-humans are as heartless and mindless as some of the creatures you've fought in your lifetime," said the creature, softly.

"Indeed," said Gwaine. "But I've never seen a creature like you."

The creature chuckled. "And I doubt you shall ever again, Sir Gwaine."

"Who are you?" asked Gwaine.

"I have been called many things by the children of men," it said. "I am the last of my kind. Once we were revered by all. But those days are long gone. For hundreds of years, we were shunned and hunted until I found myself alone." Its voice cracked with sadness as it spoke, making Gwaine feel a wave of sympathy and pity. "And now, even this last refuge is safe no more."

"I'm sorry," said Gwaine. "I wish there was something I could do to help you."

The creature looked grateful for his words.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps startled them. They both looked up to see if anyone was coming, but to their relief, no one did.

"You must rest, fair knight, and heal yourself," said the creature. "Even as we speak, help is coming for you. You will be safe again soon."

Gwaine did not reply as he felt his exhaustion begin to claim him and soon he fell into a fitful sleep.

XXX

Back in Camelot, Ruadan had gone against Agravain's orders to remain in Ismere. He did not believe that his daughter would merely be marked and forced into exile upon pain of death. No, he believed that she would be executed and he intended to rescue his daughter from Camelot's prison cells.

Little did he know, he was playing right into the palm of the hands of Morgana and the others, who'd been setting a trap for him. They knew that Ruadan was the true threat to Camelot, not Sefa who had been merely naïve and foolish and they intended to catch him. While she had indeed been marked, no one had any intention of executing her.

Late one night, Ruadan entered the borders of Camelot and eventually came upon the castle. Quietly and stealthily, he snuck around, narrowly dodging a patrol until he was able to shoot a grappling hook through a window in one of the towers. He then climbed up the wall and eventually got inside the castle.

Once inside, he made his way down the hall until a voice said, "Stop."

Ruadan remained still as he heard a sword being drawn. He knew a knight was behind him. When he felt the blade against his back and was ordered to reveal himself, he acted quickly by swiftly delivering a spinning kick to the knight.

Later, he rolled a small coin into the cells, catching the attention of a guard, who was foolish enough to stop his work and investigate the coin. Ruadan then attacked, knocking him down and killing him. He was a father on a mission and nothing would stop him from saving his daughter's life.

Eventually, he found his daughter's cell and awoke her. "Sefa!" he hissed.

Sefa woke up and looked relieved to see him. "Father!" she cried.

"Shh," said Ruadan, placing a finger on his lips. He then unlocked the cell door with magic.

At once, Sefa ran into his arms and he held her close, relieved that she was unharmed and well.

"I knew you'd come for me," she whispered.

"I will always come for you," he whispered.

The sound of Camelot's guards hit their ears, warning them they had little time and had to flee.

"Come. We must go. Quickly!" said Ruadan.

They fled just as the warning bell went off and the warriors of Camelot began to search and pursue them. Ruadan fled with his daughter, unlocking several doors with magic and almost escaping until he was spotted by Lancelot and Elyan, who pursued them until they cornered Ruadan and recaptured Sefa.

All the guards had their swords out and there was little chance of escape now.

"You're surrounded, Ruadan. Surrender," ordered Lancelot.

But Ruadan refused to go down and quickly drew his own sword. He then did battle with the knights of Camelot. He proved to be a worthy adversary and defeated several of the knights until he was impaled upon by Elyan's sword. Sefa looked horrified as she wrestled herself free of the guard who held her and ran to him.

"Father!" she cried, as she had him lean on her.

Ruadan paid little heed to the pain he was in due to the wound from the blade. Rather, he just raised his hand and said, "Flamma aeterna!"

The spell caused a great wall of fire to block off Camelot's knights and allowed them to escape into the night.

They ran for many miles until Ruadan could bear his pain no longer and collapsed when they reached the ruins Sefa had met him at before. His wound was great and he had lost much blood.

"I need water," he rasped.

Sefa did not hesitate to retrieve a small cup and fill with water. She then helped her father to drink it before turning her attention to his wound. But Ruadan made her stop.

"Father…"

"The fight must continue," he interrupted.

"You must cure yourself," pleaded Sefa.

"I do not have such powers and even if I did, there is no time!" said Ruadan. His tone was a mixture of stern and gentle. He placed a folded piece of paper in her hands after magically summoning a familiar bird. "You must attach this to Mors. He's Agravain's messenger and will take this to him. Quickly."

Sefa did as she was told. She attached the note to Mors's leg, and the bird took off into the night with the message. Once that deed was done, she turned back to her father. She knelt at his side and there were tears in her eyes.

"You've done very well," said Ruadan. "Don't cry, Sefa. You should be proud."

"You can't leave me," she sobbed.

"Sefa…" he murmured. He placed his hand on her cheek and she covered it with her own. "You must be strong now. I will always love you."

"I love you too, Father," said Sefa.

She hugged him tightly and stayed with him until he breathed his last. At which point, she ran for her life as the knights of Camelot were almost upon her. With a broken heart, Sefa left behind her father's body and vanished.

XXX

Later, Gaius examined Ruadan's body with the assistance of Mordred. On the man's neck, there was a pendant that contained a secret compartment. Inside the pendant was a small piece of paper.

"What is that?" asked Mordred, frowning.

"My guess would be a prayer of some sorts," said Gaius. He unfolded the paper and examined it. "It's in Drudic tongue. I can't translate all of it."

"Let me see it," said Mordred. He took the paper and looked it over. "It's a call for victory over the enemies of the Old Religion."

Gaius frowned. "I thought your people were peaceful ones."

"For the most part, they are," said Mordred. "Many strongly believe in the Golden Age the prophecies foretell, and are happy with what's occurred since Arthur and Mira-Liana became King and Queen. But for some, the Great Purge changed their beliefs and they blame Uther for their sufferings."

"But he's long since dead and there's been goodness and peace brought to those with magic for quite some time now," said Gaius.

"Sadly, some believe Arthur will be no different than Uther," said Mordred, sadly. "This man Ruadan was one of them. People like him believe that sooner or later, Arthur will become his father's son and it is their duty to fight him and ally themselves with beings like Agravain."

Gaius nodded. "I have also heard rumors that Arthur is destined to die at a Druid's hand."

"There are no Druids for leagues except for me," said Mordred. By now he knew of what had once been foretold of his fate and refused to accept it. "And I would die before I harmed Arthur, much less allowed anyone else to harm him."

"I know that. But many still believe that if it is not you, then another of your kind will surely slay the king," said Gaius, gently. "Perhaps Ruadan thought he was the Druid meant to fulfill the prophecy."

Mordred looked grim and said nothing. The future could be changed and destiny was not always written in stone. Some things could be changed and others couldn't. He could only pray that the whispers foretelling Arthur's bane would never come to pass."

XXX

The following morning, Agravain was awoken from his rest by the sound of Mors's caws. He took the note off the bird's leg and read the following message from his now fallen ally.

My lord, by the time you read this, I will most likely be dead. I regret to inform you that in my last moments, I bring bad tidings to you.

I disobeyed your orders to stay put as I believed my daughter would die and I could not live with myself knowing I could've helped her and did nothing. I saved her, and my journey also allowed me to obtain information, I think you should know. Arthur, his Queen and Chief Advisor did not return to Camelot. Even now, they make their way to Ismere.

But you must not despair, Agravain. Soon, you will have the Diamair and not only will Arthur's bane be in your grasp, but you will know the location and full identities of Emrys and Emrysa. Soon, the Pendragons will be no more and you will take your rightful place as King. I wish you luck in all your endeavors and please know that it was my greatest honor to serve you and your cause.

—Ruadan.

Agravain paled and felt his heart skip several beats at this information. If the Diamair was not found before his enemies reached him, all his work would be for naught and he would most certainly meet his doom.

XXX

A blizzard was beginning as Arthur, Merlin and Mira-Liana continued their journey onward to Ismere. But it was not quite so bad now as the twins had performed an enchantment that would keep them warm and provide them with a little strength so they could reach their destination.

"You know how they say appearances can be deceiving? I think that's a lie in this case," said Merlin, as they came upon the fortress of Ismere.

"Couldn't agree more," said Arthur.

"Indeed," said Mira-Liana.

The fortress was huge and a mass of enormous black stone. It looked quite perilous and far from friendly. They then took cover when Mordaunt and the remains of the bounty hunter's men walked by with their horse and cart.

Well, looks like Mordaunt's lied to us, said Merlin. If he's not our enemy, why's he here?

I don't know. Maybe he's here for our friends, said Mira-Liana. Right now, we've got bigger things to worry about. How do we get inside?

I think I know a way, said Arthur. He'd studied the blueprints of the fortress before. He knew where to go. Follow me.

They ending up crawling through a tunnel into the fortress that was unpleasant, but the unpleasantness was a small price to pay for the survival of their friends. Eventually, they got out of the tunnel and found themselves in an empty tower overlooking the fortress's main square.

"Ready? Our carriage awaits," said Arthur.

"Come on," whispered Merlin.

They carefully snuck down and got into a cart that was covered with a large cloth and taken into the cavern. Once they were sure they were safe, they left the cart and began sneaking around. From their newest hiding place, they had a fairly good view of the area.

This place is crawling with Saxons, said Mira-Liana.

We need to blend in or else we're dead, said Arthur. Please tell me you two have some kind of spell that'll disguise us or something.

Don't worry. Frik taught us a small spell before we left, said Merlin.

They then cast a spell that would disguise their true forms to their enemies and reveal themselves only to those they wished to see. Once the enchantment was in place, they began searching for friends and eventually came upon one of them.

"Percival," hissed Mira-Liana, as she tapped his shoulder.

Percival looked up from his work and looked both shocked and relieved to see them. "My Queen," he said, smiling.

"Didn't think we'd leave you here, did you?" said Arthur, smiling.

Percival shook his head. "Not for a moment."

"We have to be quick. The Disguise Spell won't last long. Where're the others and Gwaine?" asked Merlin.

"The others are scattered and I haven't seen Gwaine in a couple of days," said Percival, sadly. "He thought he saw something in one of the other tunnels. He went to investigate and never came back."

The trio looked concerned at this and Mira-Liana slipped a sword into the cart next to Percival. "We'll find him. In the meantime, do what you can to free the others. But be careful."

Percival nodded and directed them to where he'd seen Gwaine last before they went their separate ways.

Arthur, Mira-Liana and Merlin carefully snuck down the tunnel while Percival began freeing his friends.

XXX

Meanwhile, Agravain had spotted Mordaunt with the bounty hunters from his window and had invited the man to dine with him. He found him very intriguing and wished to know more about him. Mordaunt was a gracious guest, but didn't seem to consider Agravain's invitation and kindness of any great honor.

"Tell me about yourself, Mordaunt. I've heard you were once a good friends with the Lady Morgana and Lord Frik's son Mordred," said Agravain.

"We knew each other as children, yes," said Mordaunt. "Lord Frik found me after my parents died. He was the one who led me to find the Druids. He and Mordred stayed with us for a time and often visited before the Lady Morgana entered their lives. Things changed after that, as I'm sure you are well aware."

"Yes, I am. I've heard that Morgana briefly left Camelot some years ago and returned with a son and lover. But I didn't know the full extent of her actions. Morgana stole away with your friends. Why does not that surprise me?" muttered Agravain, as he cut himself an apple. "I suppose you were envious of Mordred leaving you to become part of the Pendragon family while you were struggling to survive."

"Sometimes, I was, I don't deny it. He gained a life I could never obtain for myself. To have a real family, be accepted for who and what you are and be happy," said Mordaunt, as he sipped his wine. "Other times, I was merely happy for him."

"But even you can't deny it's not been easy for those of us with magic," argued Agravain. "It's still dangerous for our kind, even now."

Mordaunt nodded. "Sorcery frightens many people. Sometimes, I think it frightens even those who claim to support and accept it."

Agravain smiled as he nodded. "You've seen a lot for one so young."

"I've had little choice, my lord. I dare not risk my neck lest I be burnt at the stake or exploited for another's purposes," said Mordaunt, sounding bitter.

"That will change. Soon, the Old Religion will reign once more and there'll be nothing to fear once the Pendragon bloodline and all those who support them are cleansed from the earth," said Agravain, smugly.

Mordaunt nodded but then looked grave. "My lord, I am sorry to ruin the mood of the evening, but I cannot keep this contained much longer. You should know that Arthur and his two most loyal followers were our prisoners, but they escaped."

Agravain didn't look pleased in the slightest to hear of this. "How did it happen?"

"Somehow, they grabbed a knife off one of the bounty hunters and used it to cut their bonds before they fled," said Mordaunt. "They escaped on accident."

"ACCIDENT?!" yelled Agravain. He rose up from his seat, looking furious as she shattered his wine glass. "ALL THAT HAD TO BE DONE WAS KILL THEM AND NO ONE COULD EVEN DO THAT! I AM THE SON OF MORGAUSE, A HIGH PRIEST AND YET THOSE THREE CONTINUE TO DEFY ME!"

"Lord Agravain," said Mordaunt, sharply. Yet his tone was somewhat soft. "Calm yourself."

Agravain calmed, but he looked upon Mordaunt with a deranged look in his eyes. "I want their annulation, Mordaunt. I want to see them suffer as I've suffered and have the entire world see them die in the most painful of ways!" he growled.

Just then, the warning bells went off and caused Agravain to smile.

"Well, it seems our guests have arrived," he said, grinning.

XXX

The creature who had helped Gwaine heard the warning bell and knew what had to be done now. It knelt down and shook the sleeping knight.

"You must wake!" he hissed. "Wake up, fair knight!"

Gwaine awoke and looked concerned to hear the bell as he slowly sat up. "What is that?"

The creature smiled and looked pleased. "That is the warning bell. Your friends have come for you. Soon, they will be upon us."

Gwaine looked relieved. "I knew they'd come," he said. "I knew it." He turned to his friend. "Hide, just in case it's the guards. Quickly!"

He rose up as the creature obeyed him. He then grabbed a large stick and prepared for the worst, only to lower his weapon when he saw that it was Arthur, Merlin and Mira-Liana and not the Saxons.

"Trust you not to be doing any work," said Arthur, smirking.

Gwaine grinned. "Well, it took you long enough to find me." He turned to his friend. "It's alright. It's safe. They won't harm you. Everyone, meet my new friend. He saved my life and kept me safe after those thugs beat me."

"We owe you a debt of gratitude," said Mira-Liana, smiling.

"Thank you for helping our friend," said Arthur.

"It was my pleasure, Your Majesties," said the creature, bowing.

"You told it about us?" asked Arthur, to Gwaine.

Gwaine shook his head. He hadn't told his new friend anything about his life in Camelot. The creature had just known, regardless.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" asked Merlin.

"Keep safe and do not let me be found by your enemy," it said.

"If that's what you wish, then you have our word," promised Arthur.

The creature looked grateful and then disappeared from their sights. It left them all curious and somewhat bewildered, but they had no time to dwell on it. They had to keep moving and rescue their comrades.

However, they hadn't gone far when a bad feeling settled on Merlin and Mira-Liana.

"Wait, stop, something's wrong," said Mira-Liana, making them stop in their tracks.

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur.

"This place was crawling with Saxons and the spell's worn off," said Merlin. "They should be all over us by now. Where've they all gone?"

There was a moment's silence and then suddenly, many of the lights went out due to a large gust of wind. Only it wasn't wind. Suddenly, there was a loud roar and a hippogriff appeared out of nowhere. It chased them down until they managed to lose it just as lightning shot out of its mouth.

"What the devil was that?" asked Gwaine, when it had gone.

"Hippogriff," said Merlin. "Mir and I read about it years ago. It's a creature of magic. Very, very rarely, one will have a power like breathing fire, ice or lightning."

"Where the devil did Agravain get a powerful hippogriff like that?" demanded Arthur.

"No idea, but we need to be careful and get Gwaine back with the others. Magic or no, hippogriffs can be very loyal and gentle, but they are dangerous when provoked and have slain even the strongest of men," said Mira-Liana. She cast a look at Merlin, who nodded as they shared a silent conversation.

Arthur looked at them and then frowned as he sighed in exasperation. "Please tell me you're not about to do something stupid that'll give me a heart attack."

"As you wish," said Merlin.

He and Mira-Liana then bolted as Arthur yelled out for them.

Eventually, they found the hippogriff licking a fresh and painful-looking leg wound. It gazed at them warily as it let out a dangerous cry. Slowly and cautiously, they approached the beast. They could control dragons and wyverns, but hippogriffs and other such creatures were another matter entirely.

"Easy, easy, it's okay," soothed Mira-Liana. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small scrap of meat. They'd kept it for an emergency and this was one of them.

"We're not here to hurt you. We're friends. It's alright," soothed Merlin.

Mira-Liana tossed the beast the food. It hesitated for a moment before gobbling up the meat and then bowing its head to them.

The bowing of his was a good sign, for it meant that he would allow them to come near. The two approached him carefully and then Merlin began gently stroking him to soothe him while Mira-Liana mended his leg wound with what she could spare of her herbs and bandages. By the looks of things, the hippogriff had gotten hurt on one of the rocks during the chase.

"Mir, he's been through a lot," said Merlin, sadly. "I can feel it. Whatever he went through, it was bad."

"And it's bonded him to Agravain," said Mira-Liana. She felt a wave of pity for the poor creature as she finished tying off its bandage.

The hippogriff let out a noise of happiness before it perked its head up at the sound of Arthur's voice.

"You must leave," said Merlin.

The hippogriff let out a noise of protest. It didn't want to leave them.

"Go," said Mira-Liana, firmly.

The hippogriff did not disobey them again and took off before it was seen.

XXX

Meanwhile, Arthur had gone off in search of his wife and brother-in-law. He worried about them as he knew that nine times out of ten, whenever they went off together alone, they either found trouble or ended up in trouble.

"Ana?" he called. "Merlin?"

"How kind of you to save me the trouble of finding you, dear uncle," sneered Agravain, from behind.

Arthur quickly spun around and faced Agravain after he drew Excalibur from its sheathe. Mordaunt was behind Agravain and his face was unreadable, whereas Agravain was sneering.

Agravain laughed. "And as usual, you think a mere sword can handle me. I've missed your rather amusing brave stupidity, Arthur. You're alone and no sword can take me down. What did you hope to accomplish by coming here?"

"I'm here to free my friends," said Arthur. "Unlike you, Agravain, I don't abandon the people I care about or kill them for evil purposes."

Agravain looked furious as he magically flung Arthur into the cave wall. "There is no way out for you, Arthur. Without the magical protection of your blasted wife and brother-in-law, you are mine."

Arthur slowly rose up, ignoring the aches and pains he felt. "Mind if I ask you something? How did you become like this. I've spoken to people from your father's lands. They all said you were once a kind and good soul. My father saw you as a friend. How did you become so corrupt?"

Agravain glared. "I was a fool until I grew up. I saw the truth thanks to my mother's teaching. She saw your scum of a father for what he really was and made me into the true king that I am," he snarled. He drew his own sword and made it fight Arthur until he was knocked down and wounded. "You are right to cower at my hand. You're weak and I'm more powerful than you can imagine."

"You're wrong. I don't cower before you, Agravain," said Arthur. "I pity you. You think you have everything, but you have nothing. You chose to rid yourself of opportunities when you could've had so much more than just power. You're alone. You have no friends, no family, and there's not a single human being on this earth who actually loves you. If anyone is weak here, it's you."

Before Agravain could act, Merlin and Mira-Liana entered the room and saw Arthur at their enemy's mercy. Before they could move, Agravain flung them into the wall.

"The time has come for me to rid myself of you pests once and for all," said Agravain.

"No, it's not," said Mordaunt, as he plunged his own blade into Agravain's backside.

Agravain looked deeply hurt and betrayed as he fell. "Et tu, Mordaunt?" he whispered, before collapsing. He was not dead, but he would be stalled in his plans for quite a while. Mordaunt then turned his attention to Arthur. He quickly mended the King's wound and helped him to stand before allowing him to lean against the cavern wall. Before he could help Merlin and Mira-Liana, the strange glowing creature from before appeared.

"Can you help them?" asked Arthur.

The creature nodded and healed the twins' wounds as they slowly sat up.

"Emrys, Emrysa," it said, smiling. "It is good to meet you properly at last. But the circumstances are not what I would wish. Much blood has been shed this day and all for something few wise men would ever want."

"You mean the key to all knowledge? The Diamair," said Mira-Liana.

The creature nodded.

"Agravain never found it because it's you," said Merlin, in stunned realization.

The creature nodded yet again. "And he never will."

Everyone was amazed at this.

Mira-Liana sighed. "There are times when my brother and I feel the weight of our destiny crushing us, but it's nothing to what you carry, isn't it?"

"Knowledge, no matter how great or small, is both a blessing and a curse," said the Diamair. "Is there anything you wish to ask of me?"

They shook their heads. If there was anything they had learned over the years, it was that foreknowledge of the future was rarely a good thing.

The Diamair chuckled. "You are wise, Emrys, Emrysa. Your wisdom will live long in the minds of men," it said. "But before you leave, you should know that the bane you fear most is not the person you believe it to be. One's greatest bane is themself."

The Diamair then departed and was not seen again, leaving them to thin of what they had been told.

XXX

After rejoining their lost men, they all journeyed back to Camelot.

Upon their arrival, Mira-Liana and Arthur were knocked down by their three children who were happier than words could say to have them safely returned. Gwen smothered Merlin in kisses before he was crushed in tight hugs by his own children. Everyone was happy to have their loved ones returned to them and after a long discussion, it was decided that for the time being, Mordaunt would be knighted in recognition of his actions but would be watched just to be on the safe side.

Glad as he was to be reunited with his friend, even Mordred was now slightly wary now that he knew of what Merlin and Mira-Liana had seen in their vision.

After the knighting ceremony, Mordaunt had a private talk with Merlin and Mira-Liana.

"You wished to see me?" he asked, when he came into the room.

"Yes," said Merlin. "We wanted to apologize for before."

"There is no need. I was not all that kind while the bounty hunters were cruel, you had no reason to trust me and for all you knew, I was truly Agravain's ally," said Mordaunt. "I apologize for my deception, but it was the only way to get close to Agravain and keep the three of you alive."

"So, you truly believe that he will not become Uther?" asked Mira-Liana.

Mordaunt shook his head. "Mordred believes in him and he would never lie to me. And why would Arthur turn his back on magic when his own kin are magic? Ever since he became king, he's been a better man than Uther could ever hope to be. Agravain was too blind to see that."

They stared for the briefest of moments before deciding that they believed him.

"Mordaunt, we're grateful for your help, we trust you and we are glad you are our friend, but know this, if you ever harm Camelot or the ones we care about, nothing will stop us from coming after you," said Merlin, sternly.

Mordaunt nodded. "I would expect nothing less. But please know that I truly am your friend."

They nodded and then went their separate ways.

XXX

Later that night, Mira-Liana lay in Arthur's arms in their bed after they'd put their children to bed after many stories and lullabies. Arthur rubbed her arm as she snuggled closer to him.

"What's on your mind? Mordaunt or what the Diamair said?" asked Arthur.

"Neither," she admitted. "I'm thinking about how glad I am to be home with the children and all's well again. Merlin and I talked about it and we've decided that for good or ill, the future is in motion and whatever happens, we'll face it together."

"Of course we will," said Arthur. "Family and friends stand together. That's a bond that cannot be broken."

Mira-Liana nodded and then kissed him soundly on the lips. "I love you, Arthur, so much."

"I love you too, my Ana," said Arthur, as he returned her kiss.

One thing was certain of the future, as long as they stood together, they could handle whatever happened to them.