Camelot and Mercia had been at war for nearly a decade, but all of that was finally coming to an end. Lord Bayard of Mercia had arrived with his entourage in order to forge a peace treaty with Uther. Uther waited in the throne room to greet Bayard, flanked on either side by Arthur and about a dozen knights. As Arthur's servant, Merlin also had to be present.
The doors opened, and Bayard entered at the front and center of his own men. The two groups walked forward to converge in the middle of the room, the red of Camelot meeting the blue of Mercia. "Camelot welcomes you, Lord Bayard of Mercia," Uther greeted. "The treaty we sign today marks an end to war and a beginning to a new friendship between our people."
Uther held out his arm, and Bayard clasped it. Both parties began to applaud. Merlin couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that he was being watched.
Later that afternoon, Merlin carried a particularly heavy piece of Mercian luggage through the castle to the guest wing. Mordred tried to help, although he was mostly getting in the way. Merlin felt ready to drop. He could scarcely believe the Mercians needed this much luggage.
Gaius passed them and stopped to laugh at Merlin's expression. "You know, there's an old proverb. Hard work breeds…" He trailed off for a few moments before finishing. "A harder soul."
Mordred narrowed his eyes. "You just made that up."
"I did not," Gaius said indignantly.
At that moment, a pretty Mercian maid in a blue turban tripped and fell right in front of them. "Sorry," she said.
Merlin dropped his bag and signed a reply. "He says that's all right," Mordred told the maid.
"Excuse me," the maid continued, trying to gather up the items she had dropped.
Merlin signed something else as he crouched down. "Can he help you with that?"
The maid looked up and met Merlin's eyes, their faces inches apart. Slowly, they stood up, gazes still locked.
"I'm Mordred and this is Merlin," Mordred offered. Neither Merlin nor the maid spared him a second glance.
"I'm Cara," the maid said, still looking at Merlin. "You're Arthur's servant. That must be such an honor."
Merlin adjusted the pillow he had picked up so he could sign a reply. "He says someone's got to keep the place running," Mordred said, slightly miffed at being ignored.
"Thank you, Merlin," Cara said with a smile.
Merlin stared at her for a few moments longer before realizing that he was still holding her pillow. He blushed and handed it back to her.
"It was nice meeting you," Cara added, then continued down the corridor. Merlin smiled and watched her as she walked away and eventually rounded a corner.
"I don't like her," Mordred complained.
[You don't like her, or you don't like that I'm flirting with someone who's not Gwen?] Merlin asked. No matter how often Merlin and Gwen insisted to Mordred that they were not courting, Mordred remained convinced that they were in love.
Mordred thought about this for a moment, then pouted. "I just don't like her."
"Merlin, shouldn't you be busy running the place?" Gaius laughed, eyebrow raised.
An hour later, Merlin pulled a fancy red jacket out from the back of one of Arthur's wardrobes. He covered his face and coughed. He used his other hand to sign something, which Mordred interpreted. "When was the last time that was cleaned?"
"Last year sometime, before the feast of Beltane," Arthur said casually.
Merlin wrinkled his nose. Mordred took the jacket and inspected it. "Did it end in a food fight?" he asked curiously, giving the foul-smelling jacket back to Merlin.
"Don't all feasts?" Arthur answered with a shrug. Merlin helped him into the jacket.
"How would we know?" Mordred replied. "We grew up in a small village, we didn't really have feasts."
"Well, tonight you can find out," Arthur informed them.
"We're going to be at the banquet?" Mordred asked, surprised.
"Well, I don't know about you, but Merlin will be there to make sure my cup doesn't run dry. If I have to sit through Bayard's boring speeches, I don't see why he should get out of it." Arthur took off the jacket and handed it back to Merlin. "Be sure to polish the buttons." He then walked behind his changing screen. "Do you want to see what you'll be wearing tonight?"
Merlin signed a question, confused. "He can't wear what he's wearing right now?"
Arthur stepped back out into view, smirking. "No. Tonight, you'll be wearing the official ceremonial robes of the servants of Camelot." He held them up for Merlin and Mordred to see. Mordred burst out laughing.
At the banquet, Gwen sidled up to Merlin, taking in his appearance. He wore a dull red tunic with the Pendragon crest, a bright red cape, and a green hat full of green and red feathers. She giggled. "Nice hat."
[Thanks,] Merlin signed, embarrassed beyond belief. All of the other servants were wearing their normal clothing. Arthur glanced away from the treaty signing to smirk at Merlin. Merlin looked across the hall at Cara, and pulled the hat off.
Gwen followed his gaze. "She's pretty, isn't she…for a handmaiden."
Merlin completely missed the undertone of jealousy. [She's pretty for a princess, let alone a handmaiden.]
In the middle of the hall, Uther and Bayard had just finished signing the treaty, and they clasped arms once again. The court burst into applause. Gwen walked away and joined Gaius and Mordred in another part of the hall. Merlin watched her go, slightly confused.
Bayard began walking along the banquet tables. "People of Camelot, for a great many years we have been mortal enemies, and the blood of our men stains the ground from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia. And though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them." A Mercian servant brought out a small chest. "As a symbol of our goodwill, and of our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your son, Arthur, in the hope that our friendship may last." Bayard held up each goblet as he named its recipient.
Cara came up behind Merlin. "Merlin, I need to speak to you," she said urgently.
Merlin nodded for her to go on.
"Not here, please," Cara continued, sounding scared. "I don't know who else to tell."
Merlin put down his hat and followed her into the hallway. Cara glanced nervously over her shoulder as they went.
Once they were outside of the banquet hall, Cara looked around to check that they were alone. "It wasn't until I saw him give the goblet to Arthur that I realized…" She trailed off at Merlin's look of confusion, then took a deep breath and started again. "Two days ago, I was bringing Bayard his evening meal. We're supposed to knock. He didn't expect me to walk in…" Cara shuddered and backed away. "No. If he knows I said anything, he will kill me!"
Merlin placed a firm hand on her arm and tried to look reassuring.
"If anyone asks, will you promise not to tell them who told you all of this?" Cara asked fearfully.
Merlin nodded.
"Bayard is no friend of Camelot. He craves the kingdom for himself. He believes that if he kills Arthur, Uther's spirit will be broken and Camelot will fall! The goblet…I saw him putting something in it…" Cara broke off, trembling. "You promise not to let him hurt me?" Merlin nodded again, and Cara took a deep breath. "It was poison."
Merlin's eyes widened, and he dashed back into the banquet hall.
Meanwhile, Mordred was finding Bayard's speeches just as boring as Arthur had predicted. Finally, Bayard concluded his lecture on leaving the past behind and raised his goblet in a toast. "To your health, Uther." The court rose to their feet. "Arthur." Arthur brought the goblet to his lips, but paused as Bayard continued. "The Lady Morgana. The people of Camelot." Arthur tried again to drink, but Uther added a toast of his own.
"And to fallen warriors on both sides."
Bayard inclined his head and finally lifted his goblet to drink. Merlin dashed into the room and grabbed Arthur's goblet just in time.
"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur asked incredulously.
Mordred quickly approached to interpret. Merlin rapidly signed an explanation, and Mordred's jaw dropped in horror. "He says Bayard laced it with poison."
"This is an outrage!" Bayard cried, drawing his sword. All the knights of both Camelot and Mercia followed suit.
"Order your men to put down their swords," Uther commanded as Camelot soldiers ran into the room. "You're outnumbered."
Bayard looked around at the multitude of weapons pointed at him. A hint of nervousness crossed his face, but he did not put down his sword. "I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!"
Uther turned to Merlin. "On what grounds do you base this accusation?"
Arthur came out from behind the royal table. "I'll handle this," he stated, walking over to his servant. "Merlin, you idiot, have we been at the slow gin again?" He tried to steer Merlin away, casting pointed glances over his shoulder at Bayard.
Uther did not let it go that easily. "Unless you want to be strung up, you will tell me why you think it's poisoned. Now."
Merlin signed his reply. "Bayard was seen lacing it."
"By whom?" Uther prompted.
Merlin hesitated before signing something else. "He can't say." Mordred shot his brother a confused look.
Bayard spoke up. "I won't listen to this any more."
"Pass me the goblet," Uther ordered. Merlin obeyed, and Uther approached Bayard with the goblet. "If you're telling the truth…"
"I am," Bayard insisted.
"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?" Uther challenged, holding out the goblet.
Bayard immediately sheathed his sword and reached for the goblet without hesitation. Uther noted this with interest, and shook his head. "No. If this does prove to be poisoned, I want the pleasure of killing you myself." Uther turned and held out the goblet to Merlin. "He'll drink it."
Merlin and Mordred both gaped in horror. This was what Merlin got for trying to save Arthur's life?
Arthur clearly agreed. "But if it is poisoned, he'll die!"
"Then we'll know he was telling the truth," Uther said, unconcerned. Merlin took the goblet, somewhat dazed.
"And what if he lives?" Bayard prompted.
"Then you have my apologies, and you can do with him as you will."
Merlin stared into the goblet, contemplating his options. If the goblet was poisoned—and after seeing Cara's fear, he had no doubt about that—then drinking it was suicide. But if he refused, then no doubt he would be handed over to Bayard. Judging from the look on the foreign king's face, that would be equally suicidal.
Mordred clung to Gaius in terror, and Gaius spoke up. "Uther, please, he's just a boy, he doesn't know what he's saying!"
"Then you should have schooled him better," Uther replied, his voice devoid of any sympathy.
Arthur chimed in, sounding slightly panicked. "Merlin, apologize. This is a mistake, I'll drink it!"
Arthur reached for the goblet, but Merlin pulled it away. If Arthur drank, Uther would probably punish Merlin for not stopping him. At least if Merlin drank the wine himself, Arthur would be safe.
Merlin took a deep breath, raised the goblet to his lips, and drank. He didn't taste anything odd, though he'd never drunk wine and wasn't sure what it was supposed to taste like. He waited for a few moments for some terrible doom to befall him, but nothing happened. He turned to look at Bayard in disbelief. [It's fine,] he signed.
His friends all heaved sighs of relief. Mordred was about to interpret when Merlin choked. For a moment, Merlin flashed back to the knight that had strangled him, but this was so much worse. It wasn't just his throat that was on fire—every nerve burned in agony. He started coughing.
His friends' expressions of relief rapidly turned to horror when he collapsed, the goblet falling from his hand. Arthur, Gaius and Mordred all rushed to Merlin's side.
"Merlin, do you hear me?" Gaius asked urgently. Merlin did not respond. "We have to get him back to my chambers."
Arthur picked up Merlin as Gwen approached. "Bring the goblet, we need to identify the poison," Gaius added. Mordred quickly grabbed it.
As soon as they reached the physician's chambers, Gaius began barking out orders. "Lay him on the bed, quickly." Arthur obeyed, and Gaius did a cursory examination. "He's struggling to breathe. Gwen, fetch me some water and a towel." Gwen hurried to do so.
"Is he going to be all right?" Mordred asked fearfully.
"He's burning up," Gaius muttered.
"But you can heal him, can't you, Gaius?" Mordred pleaded. "You have to heal him! Please!"
"I won't know until I can identify the poison," Gaius said grimly. "Pass me the goblet." Gwen grabbed it from a nearby table and handed it to Gaius. Gaius squinted at it. "Ah. There's something stuck on the inside."
Arthur rose to his feet and joined Gaius. "What is it?"
"It looks like a flower petal of some kind." Gaius used a pair of tweezers to remove a transparent flower petal and hold it up to the light.
"His brow's on fire," Gwen spoke up, wiping it with a wet towel.
"Keep him cool, it'll help control the fever," Gaius ordered. He pulled out a large tome and quickly flipped to a specific page. Arthur and Mordred moved to look over his shoulder. Gaius looked again at the flower petal and compared it to a picture. "The petal comes from the Mortaeus flower. It says here that someone poisoned by the Mortaeus can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower. It can only be found in the caves deep beneath the Forest of Balor. The flower grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree."
Arthur pointed at an image of a winged reptilian creature. "That doesn't look particularly friendly."
"A cockatrice," Gaius replied. "It guards the forest. Its venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death. Few who have crossed the Mountains of Isgard in search of the Mortaeus flower have made it back alive."
"So there's no hope?" Mordred asked, crying.
Arthur took one look at the sobbing boy, and his face hardened with resolve. He gently placed a hand on Mordred's shoulder. "There's hope. I'm going to save him."
"Arthur, it's too dangerous," Gaius objected.
"If I don't get the antidote, what happens to Merlin?" Arthur asked.
Gaius looked away. "The Mortaeus induces a slow and painful death. He may hold out for four, maybe five days, but not for much longer. Eventually he will die."
Mordred shuddered and turned back to Arthur. "Please save him. Please."
"I will," Arthur promised. With that, he walked out of the room.
Not five minutes later, Morgana walked in. Gwen jumped to her feet. "My lady, I'm so sorry that I haven't been attending to you."
"Don't worry, I'm all right," Morgana replied as Mordred practically tackled her in a hug. "How's Merlin?" Morgana returned Mordred's embrace.
"If Arthur comes back with the antidote in time, he'll be fine," Gwen answered, sounding as though she was attempting to reassure herself.
"Then he'll be fine," Morgana soothed. "You stay here and help Gaius, I'll manage. I know what he means to you."
"Thank you," Gwen replied, casting a worried look at Merlin.
"Maybe I could help Arthur get ready faster?" Mordred suggested, looking at Gaius.
"All right, go on," Gaius relented. "But don't even think about following him to the Forest of Balor."
"I'll make sure he doesn't," Morgana said firmly. "Come along, Mordred."
Partway to Arthur's chambers, Mordred and Morgana heard Uther's voice coming from around the corner. They stopped to listen. "What's the point in having people to taste for you if you're going to get yourself killed anyway?"
"I won't fail, no matter what you think," came Arthur's reply.
"Arthur, you are my only son and heir. I can't risk losing you for the sake of some serving boy." Mordred bristled, but Morgana placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"What, because his life's worthless?" Arthur objected.
"No, because it's worth less than yours," Uther retorted. Morgana's expression darkened, but she still held Mordred back from bolting out and interrupting.
"I can save him," Arthur argued. "Let me take some men."
"No."
"We'll find the antidote and bring it back."
"No!"
"Why not?!"
"Because one day I will be dead and Camelot will need a king!" Uther said angrily. "I'm not going to let you jeopardize the future of this kingdom over some fool's errand."
Mordred tried to wriggle away, but Morgana pulled him back. "You'll only make things worse," she whispered grimly.
"It's not a fool's errand!" Arthur was saying. "Gaius says that if we can get the antidote…"
"Gaius says?" Uther scoffed. "That's exactly what makes it so."
"Please, Father," Arthur begged. "He saved my life. I can't stand by and watch him die, nor will I watch his friends and family grieve."
"Then don't look," Uther said coldly. "This boy won't be the last to die on your behalf, nor the last with family. You're going to be king. It's something you'll have to get used to."
"I can't accept that."
"You're not going!"
"You can't stop me!"
"Damn it, Arthur, that's an end to it! You're not leaving this castle tonight!"
Mordred and Morgana heard footsteps retreating. Cautiously, they stepped out into the corridor and found that it was now empty. Mordred turned to look at Morgana, tears in his eyes. "Do you think Arthur's gonna listen to him?"
"He won't," Morgana growled. "I'll make sure of it. You go on back to Gaius, I'll knock some sense back into Arthur."
Mordred hurried back to Gaius's chambers. When he arrived, he ignored Gaius and Gwen's greetings and made his way into his bedroom. Once inside, he shut the door and pulled out the magic book. He hoped Morgana would persuade Arthur to fetch the antidote, but he wouldn't put it past Uther to force the prince to stay in Camelot.
Morgana returned to assure them that Arthur would indeed ride out to save Merlin, then she retired to her chambers. Gwen continued nursing Merlin while Gaius ventured into the brothers' bedroom. "Mordred, why aren't you helping your brother?" he asked.
"I am helping!" Mordred protested. "There's got to be a spell in here to cure poison, right?"
Gaius sighed and sat next to Mordred. "I'm afraid there's no single spell that can cure any poison."
"But we know what poison it is!" Mordred argued. "There's got to be a spell for that, hasn't there?"
"Yes, but we would still need the antidote," Gaius said sadly. "Most healing spells require reagents; it's quite difficult to work a magical healing without them."
Mordred visibly drooped. "He always takes care of me. I was hoping that for once I could take care of him."
"You can," Gaius said, giving Mordred a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You can take a turn nursing his fever so that Gwen can rest."
Mordred swallowed, nodded and went to follow Gaius's suggestion.
The next morning, Gwen and Mordred continued to take turns tending Merlin's fever. "He's getting hotter," Gwen fretted.
Mordred moved to hand her another cloth, but froze in shock when he heard Merlin's voice in his mind. Him. Liffrea, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf.
Merlin? Mordred cautiously asked. Can you hear me?
There was no reply, and Mordred realized that Gwen and Gaius were giving him odd looks. Flushing slightly, he handed Gwen the fresh cloth.
Gaius sat next to Merlin and gripped his wrist. "His pulse is getting weaker." After a few moments, he frowned and pulled back Merlin's sleeve. A look of horror crossed his face.
"What is it?" Gwen asked worriedly.
"That can't be right," Gaius muttered. "The rash is not supposed to appear until the final stage."
"But it's been less than a day," Mordred pointed out, slightly panicked. "You said he had four days!"
Gaius went over to check his book. "It says here that once a rash appears, death will follow within two days."
"No," Mordred whispered.
"Something's increased the flower's potency," Gaius continued. He flipped a page in his book. "It warns that the effect of the Mortaeus will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation."
"Enchantment?" Gwen repeated. "But Bayard's no sorcerer."
"No, he isn't," Gaius agreed.
"Then who did this?" Gwen wondered.
Gaius stared into space. "It can't have been. She wouldn't dare come here…" He turned back to Gwen and Mordred. "Unless…"
"Unless what?" Gwen prompted.
"What happened to that girl?"
"Cara?" Mordred asked.
"Just before Merlin burst into the hall, one of Bayard's serving girls took him outside," Gaius recalled.
"I told you I didn't like her," Mordred grumbled.
"Find her. Quickly," Gaius ordered. Gwen dashed out of the room.
Arthur. Mordred's attention snapped back to the bed as Merlin began telepathically muttering again. Swa odo isein…
"Gaius," Mordred said softly. "Merlin's been talking in my head. In the Old Tongue."
"What?" Gaius said sharply.
"I'm not sure exactly what he's saying, but I heard Arthur's name in there…"
"Do you think he's trying to do magic?" Gaius asked worriedly.
"I don't know. He doesn't seem to be doing anything."
"Well, if he keeps it up, you may have to get Gwen out of the room again," Gaius warned.
Fifteen minutes later, Gwen returned, slightly out of breath. Gaius looked up from where he had been examining Merlin's rash. "Let me guess, she wasn't there."
"No one has seen her since the banquet," Gwen replied. "Who is she?"
"Not who she claims to be," Gaius said grimly.
"But who is she?" Mordred demanded.
"A powerful sorceress."
"Well, we should tell Uther, maybe he could send riders out after her," Gwen suggested.
Gaius shook his head. "No, she'll be long gone. It's impossible to know where, though…oh no. She knows the only place an antidote can be found is the Forest of Balor. Arthur could be walking into a trap."
Arthur, Merlin mumbled again. Arthur.
Merlin watched as Arthur led his horse through the woods. Something hissed under a log as the prince walked past.
Arthur halted when he reached a foggy clearing. He heard a woman crying, and he advanced toward the sound. He found Cara sitting on a log. She wore a tattered red dress, her dark brown hair hung over her shoulders, and she was covered in bruises. A light blue cloak lay on the log next to her. Arthur tied his horse to a nearby tree.
"Hello?" Arthur called.
Cara flinched and continued sobbing.
Arthur cautiously approached. "Are you all right?"
Cara leaned away from him. Suddenly there was a loud roar, and Cara screamed. The cockatrice crested a nearby hill, advancing toward Arthur and Cara. "Stay back," Arthur ordered.
He approached the beast, drew his sword, and flourished it. Cara smirked, unnoticed by Arthur. The prince made several unsuccessful swings at the beast. It dodged and snarled at him, then leaped. Arthur rolled underneath it. He rose to his feet, turned, and threw his sword. It landed right in the cockatrice's heart. The beast shrieked and collapsed, dead. Cara looked on in disappointed disbelief.
Arthur stood up and turned back to Cara. She backed away, feigning fear. Arthur once again approached her, holding out his hand in a gesture of peace. "It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you," he assured her. "Who did that to you?"
"My master," Cara said shakily. "I ran away from him but then I got lost. Please don't leave me!"
"I won't," Arthur promised. "I'm not going to."
"You can take me away from here?" Cara asked hopefully.
"Not yet. There's something I have to do first." Arthur headed back to his horse.
Cara glanced at the nearby cave, then turned back to Arthur, all fear gone from her expression. "Why have you come to the caves?" she said curiously.
"I'm looking for something," Arthur answered, untying his horse. "It can only be found here."
"What is it? I know this place, I could help you."
"It's a type of flower that only grows inside the cave." Arthur led his horse toward the entrance. "It's very rare."
"The Mortaeus flower?" Cara suggested, smiling. "I know where they are. I'll show you." She made for the cave, and Arthur followed.
Arthur, Merlin murmured worriedly. It's a trap. It's a trap.
Only Mordred heard Merlin's warnings. He tried again to mentally call out to his brother, but Merlin didn't seem to be aware of his own surroundings, only Arthur's. Mordred bit his lip, frustrated and worried.
All three of Merlin's caretakers could see that he was fading fast. He was sweating heavily, he kept twitching, and his face was the very image of agony. "His fever's getting worse, isn't it?" Gwen fretted.
"The poison's setting in," Gaius grimly confirmed.
Eft gewunigen wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume, Merlin mumbled.
Mordred quickly went over to Gaius's worktable, looking for an herb that was low. "Gwen, could you get some more wolfsbane?" he asked.
Gwen glanced at Gaius, surprised at Mordred giving orders. Gaius raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm going to need it. Stop dawdling and get it!"
"Yes, of course," Gwen replied, slightly taken aback. She hurried out of the room.
"I take it he's doing it again?" Gaius asked Mordred. Mordred nodded in confirmation, and Gaius turned back to the elder brother. "Merlin, you must fight it."
Arthur and a now-cloaked Cara walked through the cave, each carrying a torch. They stopped when they reached a chasm. On their side, a narrow tongue of rock stretched out over the gorge. Cara pointed to a patch of yellow flowers growing partway up the opposite wall. "There they are."
Arthur gave her a reassuring look and brushed past her onto the ledge. Cara smirked at his back. Arthur cautiously moved forward to test the rock's stability. Crumbling sounded far below him, and he turned back to Cara. "Keep away from the edge. Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon." Arthur once again turned his back to her and carefully made his way across the narrow strip of rock.
"Eorthe, lyft, fyr, waeter, hiersumie me," Cara incanted softly. Arthur's ledge began to crumble. "Eorthe ac stanas hiersumie me." Arthur neared the edge, and Cara began to speak louder. "Ic can stanas tobrytan..."
"What are you doing?!" Arthur exclaimed, shocked.
"…hiersumie me!" Cara finished. Arthur dropped his torch as the rock completely crumbled away. He leaped and just barely managed to grab the opposite wall, hanging from a narrow ledge by his hands.
"I expected so much more," Cara gloated.
"Who are you?" Arthur demanded angrily.
Cara pulled down her hood. "The last face you'll ever see." There was a hissing sound, and Cara eyed a large spider as it scuttled toward Arthur. "It seems we have a visitor."
Arthur maneuvered his way sideways. The spider followed. With difficulty, Arthur drew his sword and swung it at the spider. He managed to send it squealing into the chasm.
"Very good," Cara mocked. "But he won't be the last. I'll let his friends finish you off, Arthur Pendragon. It's not your destiny to die at my hand."
Merlin thought back to the dragon's warnings, and his anger immediately flared. You stay away from Mordred! he threatened.
Cara did not hear Merlin, and she left with her torch. Arthur now hung in total darkness.
Mordred was startled by Merlin's sudden threat. Who should stay away from me? he asked.
Merlin still did not hear his brother, and he began twitching more violently. Arthur…it's too dark…too dark…fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme…fromum feohgiftum…
An unearthly silver glow emanated from under Merlin's sheets. Merlin? Mordred ventured cautiously. He pulled the sheet away and discovered that a small, blueish silver orb of light now sat in the palm of Merlin's hand.
"Merlin, what are you doing?" Gaius said in amazement.
Arthur would never find his way out of the cave without some sort of light, so Merlin summoned a glowing silver orb to guide Arthur's way. The orb was nearly twice the size of Arthur's head, and it floated up beside him. A trace of fear flashed across Arthur's face when he saw it, but the fear was quickly replaced with defiance. "Come on then! What are you waiting for? Finish me off!"
Merlin sent the orb a few feet to Arthur's left, showing him a rougher part of the cave wall that he could use to climb out. Arthur heaved himself onto the ledge, regained his feet and sheathed his sword. Safe for the moment, he cast a worried look around. Merlin sent the orb further upwards, showing Arthur the way to the flowers. There was a loud hissing, and Arthur turned to see dozens of spiders crawling up from below him.
Go on, follow the light! Merlin urged. Arthur looked away from the spiders and back to the flowers. His face hardened with determination, and he began to climb. Carefully, he made his way to the flowers and reached out a hand. After several tries, he finally managed to snag one without losing his grip on the cave wall. He stuffed it into a pouch on his belt and glanced again at the encroaching spiders.
Merlin sent the orb of light further up, showing Arthur a way to climb out of the cave altogether. Arthur used his teeth to pull off his gloves in order to get a better grip. He began to climb in earnest.
Faster, Merlin implored. Go faster. Follow the light! He continued moving the orb to illuminate Arthur's ascent. The spiders were closing in, but Arthur was very close to the top now. There was an opening, and Arthur climbed out into the woods above the cave.
Merlin sent the light floating away into the distance and let it vanish; the moon was bright enough to guide Arthur now. The prince turned around and drew his sword, but no spiders followed him out. Arthur ran away from the cave, keeping his sword out.
Meanwhile, Gaius and Mordred watched Merlin in confusion and amazement. "I think he's trying to help Arthur," Mordred suggested. "He keeps telling him to 'follow the light'."
Gaius did not reply, placing a restraining hand on Merlin's shoulder in order to make sure he didn't hurt himself. Eventually, the orb disappeared from Merlin's hand, and he seemed to calm down slightly. This was just in time, for Gwen chose that moment to reappear with the wolfsbane. "Everything all right?" she asked, noting their harried expressions.
"No worse than expected," Gaius replied. "Arthur had better hurry with that antidote."
The next morning, Mordred was woken by a rooster's crow. He immediately grabbed a jacket and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" Gaius asked, confused.
"I'm going to go meet Arthur," Mordred stated. "Uther tried to stop Arthur from saving Merlin, what if he doesn't let Arthur give us the antidote?"
Gaius flinched at that. "All right, but be careful."
Mordred raced out of the castle, hoping he had correctly guessed which gate Arthur would approach. He kept his eyes on the road, cautiously venturing down it. About midmorning, he saw a rider approach at a gallop. "Arthur?" he called.
The rider slowed, showing that it was indeed Arthur. He trotted to a stop near Mordred. "What are you doing out here?" he asked worriedly. "Did something happen to Merlin?"
"I know your father tried to stop you from saving him," Mordred confessed. "I wanted to be sure he wouldn't stop us from getting the antidote. Can I please have it?"
Arthur grimaced. "I don't think he'd do that, but better safe than sorry." He pulled the flower out of the pouch and handed it down to Mordred. "Here. I'd offer you a ride back to the city, but it's probably better if you keep your distance from me; Father won't be happy I disobeyed him. Just get the flower to Gaius."
Mordred nodded, and Arthur kicked his horse back into a trot. Mordred followed more slowly. When the prince reached the gate, a pair of guards stopped him. Arthur dismounted and the guards escorted him away. Mordred waited a few more minutes to be sure they were gone, then he raced back to Gaius's chambers.
When he arrived, Merlin was clearly struggling for air. "Have you got the Mortaeus?" Gaius demanded.
"Here," Mordred panted, holding it out.
"His breathing's much worse," Gaius muttered as he took the flower. "We have to hurry." He began stripping the leaves and crushing them in a small bowl with the other ingredients, but then he froze.
"Why have you stopped?" Gwen asked worriedly.
"The poison was created using magic," Gaius realized. "We may need magic to create an antidote."
"But we can't," Gwen panicked. "It's forbidden, even if we could!"
"I'll try and make it work without," Gaius said, resuming his crushing of the leaves. A few moments later, he grabbed a glass from the table. "Oh, I need some fresh water." Gwen took the glass and left for the well.
"Can you really work it without magic?" Mordred asked.
"No," Gaius said grimly. He went over to his book and flipped another page. "Here. Cast that spell on the mixture." He put the bowl down and hurried to close the door.
Mordred picked up the bowl and read over the words. He glanced at his brother, who was now breathing so shallowly that one could barely see the rise and fall of his chest. Mordred knew he had to get this spell right.
He took a deep breath. "Sythan arrest wearth feasceaft funden. Denum æfter dome. Dreamleas gebad he gewinnes longsum." The potion fizzled and bubbled. Mordred gave it back to Gaius.
Gwen raced back into the room and handed the glass of water to Gaius. He thanked her and poured it into the potion. Gwen returned to sit at Merlin's side, followed by Mordred.
After a bit more stirring, Gaius poured the potion into the glass and approached Merlin. "Hold his nose," Gaius instructed. Gwen did so, and Gaius began pouring the potion into Merlin's mouth. "Swallow, Merlin. Swallow it."
Merlin gagged on the potion, but it appeared to go down. Mordred, Gaius and Gwen all waited with baited breath, but Merlin did not stir. In fact…
"He's stopped breathing," Gwen worried.
"What's happening?" Mordred fretted.
Gaius looked as horrified as they did. He leaned down to put his ear to Merlin's chest for a few moments, then sat back up. "His heart has stopped."
"He's dead?" Mordred whispered. It couldn't be. This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
"He can't be," Gaius murmured, shaking his head. "He can't be. It was his destiny." He stood up.
"It's my fault," Mordred said, beginning to cry. He must have gotten the spell wrong. The only spell that had ever truly mattered, and he had failed.
"No, no," Gaius reassured sadly, wrapping his arms around the sobbing boy. "It was me. I should have looked after him better. It's my fault." Gwen stood up and joined the embrace, also in tears.
Mordred, why are you all crying? came Merlin's voice.
Mordred whirled around. "Merlin?" he breathed in disbelief. Merlin's eyes were open, and he was attempting to prop himself up on his arms.
"Merlin!" Gaius exclaimed joyfully. "You're alive!"
Merlin gave up the battle to raise himself off the bed and signed a reply. [Apparently. What—]
He was cut off when Gwen grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. Moments later, she pulled away, clapping her hands over her mouth. "Sorry, I just…I thought you were dead."
"I knew you were courting!" Mordred cheered.
Merlin rolled his eyes, but for once he did not protest. [What happened? The last thing I remember is drinking the wine.]
"Bayard was framed," Gaius explained. "Your friend Cara was not what she seemed."
"Who is she?" Gwen chimed in. "You still haven't really told us."
Gaius sighed. "Her name is Nimueh. She has a history with the king. Out of all the sorcerers that have ever attacked Camelot, I suspect she hates Uther most of all. No doubt this was a plot to get revenge by starting a war. In fact, I had better tell the king before he does exactly that. If you'll excuse me." Gaius hurried out of the room.
[I still don't understand,] Merlin signed. [Not that I'm complaining, but how am I alive?]
"Arthur fetched the antidote for you," Gwen informed him. "He even defied his father to do it."
"And got arrested for it," Mordred added sourly.
[Seriously? Arthur did all that for me?] Merlin asked, slightly skeptical.
"Yes, he did," Gwen confirmed. "I think you've made quite an impression on him." Merlin leaned back against his pillows to ponder this.
Merlin, you really don't remember anything? Mordred asked.
No, why?
You kept muttering about Arthur. You even summoned a light and told him to follow it—we barely got Gwen out of the room in time. Merlin's eyes widened at that, but Mordred wasn't finished. And you told someone to stay away from me. You really have no idea what you were talking about?
Merlin shook his head, which earned him an odd look from Gwen. Not a clue. I wish I did. If someone's threatening you, I'd like to know about it.
Me too, Mordred said nervously. But maybe you were just delirious.
Let's hope so, Merlin agreed.
A week later, Arthur was released from the dungeons. That evening, he walked through the open door of Gaius's chambers. Merlin was sitting at a table with a plate of food, wrapped in a blanket. He was doing a lot better, though he still felt slightly weak.
"Still alive, then?" Arthur called.
Merlin turned around and signed a reply. "Yeah, just about," Mordred interpreted for him. "He says thank you for that."
Arthur put his hand on the back of Merlin's chair. "Yeah, well, it was nothing. A half-decent servant is hard to come by. I was only dropping by to make sure you're all right." He paused, looking uncomfortable.
"Arthur…" Mordred began hesitantly. "Did anything…strange…happen while you were fetching the antidote?"
Arthur looked surprised at that. "Yes, actually. I met a sorceress who obviously wanted me dead, but when I was at her mercy she declined to finish me off. She said it 'wasn't my destiny to die at her hand'. And then after I lost my torch, someone knew I was in trouble and sent a light to guide my way." He paused, lost in memories. Merlin and Mordred shared a glance. After a moment, Arthur came back to himself. "Why do you ask?"
Mordred shrugged. "Just curious."
Arthur looked skeptical, but he dropped the subject. "Merlin, I should be thanking you too."
Merlin inclined his head, slightly embarrassed by the praise.
"I heard you made a dictionary of your signs," Arthur continued. "I'd like to borrow it."
"I think Morgana has it," Mordred replied. "Ask her."
Arthur nodded. "I will. Get some rest." With that, he left.
Gaius emerged from behind his worktable, where he had been standing quietly. "Arthur may give you a hard time, but at heart he is a man of honor. There aren't many who would have risked what he did for a servant."
[It all would have been for nothing if you two hadn't made the antidote,] Merlin signed. He frowned, thinking. [I still don't understand why she went to all the trouble of framing Bayard when she could have just kept quiet and killed Arthur.]
"But destroying Arthur and Camelot wasn't all she was after," Gaius replied. "She knew you would be forced to drink that wine. It was you she wanted to kill. It seems someone else knows you're destined for great things."
Merlin flinched, remembering what Mordred had told him. Was Nimueh the person he had warned to stay away from Mordred? Did she believe in the same destinies as the dragon did? Whatever the case, he didn't intend to let her anywhere near his little brother.