Merlin slumped down on the table. He had been explaining to Gaius what Arthur was planning.
"Why can't he see that that would only make thing worse…?"
"He's worried about you Merlin. He's only trying to…"
"I know Gaius, I get that. But he… he just… I don't think he knows just how much this means to me… that magic is allowed in Camelot… He doesn't understand how it feels to say those words as a sorcerer…"
"Then maybe you should tell him…"
"I don't know whether he would listen Gaius… After all, I did threaten to leave…"
"Well, we both know that isn't going to happen… and I'm sure Arthur does too…"
"I think I convinced him…"
"Then you need to tell him to do what he thinks is right. And you need to tell him what it is like to have things so different to before… explain the danger of banning magic again…"
Merlin sighed as he considered this.
"You are getting to wise in your old age Gaius… I'll give it a go…"
He got up and made his way to the door, Tuning back when Gaius said his name.
"Yeah?"
"Less of the old if you please…"
Merlin grinned.
"You got it…"

Merlin made his way up to the chamber, and knocked on the door. Hearing a response, he walked in to find Gwen sitting at the table, her head resting on her crossed arms.
"Merlin… Arthur isn't here… He went to wherever it is he goes when he needs to think for himself…"
Merlin groaned.
"He never thinks for himself when he goes there…"
"Where?"
"Uther's favourite pace outside of the throne room. A small clearing in the woods… Whenever he comes back from there, he always seems to act more like Uther…"
Merlin froze.
"Gwen? Did he tell you about the vision?" At the sudden urgent tone in his voice, Gwen had got to her feet.
"That the druids showed him? Yes… Why?"
"Uther… His ghost came back before… That means the rift between this and the other world would be thinner around him… Especially if there was even the slightest sliver of doubt in Arthurs mind… Even if it wasn't conscious…"
"So the thing that possesses him, In the vision… That could have been Uther?"
"That's what I'm thinking… It may be nothing but… I just have a feeling…"
"Then go tell the others. We all know what your feelings and hunches are like…"
"Right… yeah… Gwen? Could you let the others know? I'm going after Arthur…"
"Sure… Merlin?" He turned back,
"Yeah?"
"Did you threaten to leave?"
"Well I… I didn't… I would never…"
"He thought that you would…"
"He should have known better than that…"
"But that's just it, Merlin. Bringing magic back was hard enough, and he was always afraid of what would happen if you left… if he had no-one he could trust to help him…"
"I… I have to go Gwen… I didn't mean to say it, I just… I couldn't have everything I have worked for destroyed just because there was a chance I'd die for it. It would be worth it and I needed him to see that…"
"Yeah. Go Merlin. Go fix things like you always do." She smiled and Merlin raced from the room.
Half an hour later, he was saddled and riding out of Camelot. It was about then that Arthur arrived in the clearing.

Arthur had left Gwen, after explaining everything. Her words had been
"You have to do what you think is right, Arthur. You need to think this through. Talk to someone…"
He had immediately thought of his father, though he did not know why. After all, he had disproved of everything Arthur had done… But then again, he couldn't shake off the feeling that it was what he needed to do. He had go the stable hands to saddle his horse, whilst he convinced Leon to let him ride out alone.
"After all, I won't be gone long. And I've done things like this before…"
He had managed to convince him, and had left. It took about an hour to reach the clearing. He had suddenly felt the urge to go there, and he had followed it. In his confused state, he had ignored the part of his brain that told him that it was stupid to ride alone, to a place that a sudden thought had implanted into your mind.
Arthur jumped down from his horse, and made his way over to the stream. Sitting down on the bank, he recalled the time his father had brought him out here. It was a pleasant memory… until he remembered that this was where he had realised how much Uther hated magic. His father had told him a story, of how he had hunted down a group of druids, slaughtering them all. He remembered how his father had finished his tale with "I had to. Magic is a bane upon this land Arthur. It must be dealt with…"
The older Arthur, the one who believed he was wiser, cried out in frustration, throwing a rock into the water. As he did so, he noticed a movement at the edge of the clearing. Spinning and pushing himself to his feet, he pulled his sword out in one fluid motion.
Three black figures were stood at the far side of the open space, staring at him with wide, black eyes.