Growling and snarling could be heard through the door, as darkness fell. The four men had tried to settle in for the night, but rest seemed hard to find.

After their dash across the courtyard, Merlin had tried once again to turn the wyvrens back, but the sheer numbers overwhelmed him. He would no sooner order one away when there was another to take its place. They had counted almost two dozen. Although, the constant moving of the creatures as they fought amidst themselves, made it hard to accurately count.

With magic and might, they had barred the door as best they could. All that was left was to hope that they survived until morning.

Merlin sat with his back to the wall, staring at the conjured fire in the center of the room. Gwaine was the first to doze off, exhausted mentally as well as physically from the challenge of the Green Knight. Percival soon followed suit.

The warlock was sifting through his memories, trying to recall anything like the man, who could attach his head to a body that was not his own.

He wished he would have had a way to access Geoffrey's library. He'd managed to bring one book and two map scrolls; each holding references to ancient kingdom of Corbenic.

When Arthur actually carried his own gear instead of forcing it upon others, Merlin suddenly wished he had brought at least one more book for himself.

He smiled, thinking about the last ten years...what he had lost and what he had gained. There wasn't much else to do in an abandoned keep surrounded by wyvrens.

Merlin's thoughts wandered to Lancelot. If only his friend could see him now. He stifled a chuckle, imagining the smile of pride as he congratulated Merlin on finally being acknowledged.

"What's so funny?" Arthur asked quietly. The king was trying to rest, but had only succeeded in counting the chipped stones that were in the nearby wall.

Merlin shook his head. "Just thinking."

Arthur rolled onto his side facing Merlin. "That is always cause for concern with you." He got up and moved closer. "Might as well tell me, since you woke me up."

Merlin's brows pinched together. "You weren't asleep."

"That's not the point."

"Alright." The dark-haired man said, "I was thinking about Lancelot." He studied his cousin's face as he said the name.

Merlin could see the thoughts playing through the king's mind. Part of it remembering the man he had knighted; the other part feeling the sting of betrayal after Lancelot's return.

Arthur finally nodded for Merlin to continue.

"Just wondering what he would think if he saw me now."

"I know the two of you were close." Arthur said. His feelings for his lost knight were still a jumbled mess, even after so long.

"He had figured out my magic, when we went against the griffon. That's why he refused to stay...he didn't want to take credit for it. Lancelot's sense of honor wouldn't let him."

"If only his honor would have followed him back from the grave." The king responded, referencing the night his world had come crashing down.

"That wasn't him." Before Arthur could question, Merlin continued, "That was a shade...a likeness of him that Morgana had created...summoned specifically for the purpose of thwarting your wedding day. And before you ask why I didn't tell you...just think about it. Would you have believed me back then? Other than Lancelot acting a little odd, the only proof I had was based in magic."

"What about Guinevere?" Arthur finally asked. While he had moved past the event, and forgiven his queen, the memory still stung.

"Morgana had made an enchanted bracelet, meant to enhance the feelings for the one who gave it to her. I didn't even realize that part until...well, until just before we freed Morgana."

"That's how you knew to destroy Morgana's bracelet? Because such a thing had been enchanted before?"

Merlin nodded.

"I have to say, it makes much more sense now. When we return to Camelot, I want you to take me to where you laid him to rest, and we can discuss this further."

"I will." He said, patting Arthur on the shoulder. It was a great relief to have another secret revealed. They didn't speak for a while, each lost in his own thoughts. The sound of the wyvrens outside appeared to have subsided for the moment, as well.

"How was she, when you left? I know I asked briefly before, but well, now you have time to elaborate." Arthur had been worried about Morgana's state of mind, after all that she had been through.

Merlin smiled, "She was good. Much better than she had been, especially during that first week."

Arthur was giving him a curious look. The corner of his mouth twitched, "She's one of the girls who rejected you, isn't she?" When Merlin didn't answer, Arthur pressed him further, "Was it just before you left, or what? Come on, Merlin, you can tell me."

"After the ball, I went and found a scrying basin."

"You went to find a crying basin? I know you can be a bit of girl sometimes…"

"No, a scrying basin, you prat. It's a blessed dish or something with water that allows you to view other places. But, it takes a lot of energy, and I pushed the limits to be able to actually speak with her...which is why I wasn't around to say goodbye to everyone."

Arthur gave him a concerned look. Merlin just brushed it off in his usual fashion, by completely ignoring the worried gaze. "I told her about what had taken place: that Lisanor, Cai and Bedivere were back in Camelot. She made some comment about Cai, so I told her I escorted Lisanor to the ball."

"And?"

"There was something in her voice. So, I asked if she was jealous…I was kind of hoping she was. Not that I wanted to make her jealous, but…"

Arthur chuckled and patted Merlin on the shoulder. "Relax, I understand. You wanted to see if she felt something for you."

Merlin pursed his lips and nodded, "Anyway, she said she wasn't and teased me about my lack of dancing skill. Asked how many of Lisanor's toes I had broken. Then, she said 'I miss you, my friend.' After that, the conversation was pretty well done."

Arthur tried not to laugh.

"What? Is my love life really that big of a joke?"

"Oh, you are daft!"

Merlin looked at Arthur, completely confused.

"If there is anything that I remember about her, is that when she is truly upset, she will make a snide comment. Usually it involved some sort of damage, Since she asked if it was Lisanor you had injured...it means she really did hope you broke her toes. That way Lisanor wouldn't have anything more to do with you. And then, if Morgana can, she will get out of the conversation quickly.

"Trust me when I say that it is for the best, because if she cannot - that's when the fireworks start. The next time you see her, she will be wearing something that pushes the boundaries of decency and start flirting with someone else...preferably someone she knows might irk you...in retaliation."

Merlin felt a headache coming on.

"By the way, what happened with you and Lisanor? It appeared as if the two of you got along well, and…her boy really appeared to be opening up to you." Arthur was still uneasy acknowledging the young man.

"I thought things were going well. It was so uncomplicated between us, even though it had only been a few days. Until all that stuff happened with Leon and you. I used my magic in front of them and it scared her." Merlin shrugged, not knowing a better way to explain the situation. "She didn't feel she was 'strong' enough for me after that...whatever the hell that means."

"Ah." The king nodded, as if he needed no other explanation.

Merlin sighed. He pulled up his knees, resting his arms and chin on them as he watched the fire. "Times like this, I miss Freya."

Arthur blinked and turned on the warlock. "Who the hell is Freya?"

Cringing, Merlin remembered that Arthur had been unconscious when the Lady of the Lake appeared on the battlefield. "She was my first love. She died many years ago." He hoped his cousin would leave it at that, yet somehow he doubted that would be the case.

The water's surface was like glass; a perfect window reflecting the moonlight and the bare trees above it.

Plop.

A single teardrop hit the surface, and ripples formed across the water. After a few moments it stilled, becoming a mirror to the night sky again, just in time for another tear to roll off the pale cheek.

A soft cooing sound brought Morgana out of her reverie. She gazed longingly into the basin inside the stone circle. She had been sitting in the grass for hours, after witnessing the battle between Gwaine and the cloaked man.

Through the scrying basin, she had also seen a woman - hidden on a wall near one of the towers.

Surrounding the courtyard had been wyvrens, and in the woman's hand was a stone that had pulsated with dark colors. Each time one of the creatures seemed ready to fly down at the men in the courtyard; the woman's eyes would glow, as would the stone.

It was the dark eyes, however, filled with hatred and a lust for vengeance that Morgana had ultimately recognized.

Gasping in fear, she nearly broke her connection. It took all of her strength to continue watching. It was obvious from her somewhat omniscient view that each casting upon the stone was draining on the woman Morgana had once called sister.

At the end of the duel, when Gwaine's opponent rose and retrieved his head, Morgana turned her attention back to Morgause. Pure terror coursed through her when the eyes of her sister looked up. A disturbing smile played on her face. They looked directly at Morgana, as if knowing she was watching. Morgana's hand had slapped the water and broke the spell.

Aithusa nudged Morgana's elbow compassionately. The soft voice of a little girl spoke inside Morgana's mind. "Why are you sad?"

Morgana put her arms around the young dragon's neck. The white dragon was almost twice the size she had been, and her scales now shone with an opalescence gleam. "I'm sad because I can't help them from here. Somehow, Morgause was reborn. She has a stone that is controlling the wyvrens and if they can get past the creatures, Merlin and the others will be walking into a trap."

"...And, you miss him." Aithusa sighed and lowered her head into Morgana's lap, "I miss my egg father, too."

"Your 'egg father'?"

"He gave me my name." The dragonling responded as if that explained everything. "He was supposed to teach me things after I hatched, but then I found you because he was busy.

"After that we were captured by Mordred." Morgana recalled. The memory of waking up healed, with a dragon the size of a cat smiling at her, was one of the few clear memories she'd had during the last seven years. "I can't bear the thought of losing him. I wish there was some way I could tell him what I see, and how much he means to me."

Aithusa perked up and cocked her head to the side. "Why can't you?"

"Unless he is looking for me, I don't think I can. The last time, I was a wreck after it happened." A thought suddenly dawned on Morgana. "Can you take me to him?"

The young dragon sat back on her haunches. "No... The Lady told me I was not to let the Dark Spirit near you, or let you go anywhere." She gave Morgana a determined stare.

Aithusa's eyes began shifting back and forth. She lowered her head and turned from side to side, the scales on her neck undulating as she moved. Morgana could see a conspiratorial smile form on Aithusa's mouth. "I can go tell him. The Lady said nothing about me staying away from it all."

"You naughty little girl!" Morgana chided, but was grinning in delight.

Aithusa spread out her wings and bounced excitedly. "I'll tell him the Dark One is controlling the others and that it's a trap."

"How about if I write you a note to take to him?" Morgana pushed to her feet and started toward the keep.

The wind buffeted around her as Aithusa took flight. "No time! If I want to make it to my egg father by morning, that is. I'll tell him exactly what you said, including that you miss him and love him."

"What?! No, Aithusa, you will do no such thing!" Her raven hair cascaded around her face, as she shook her head rapidly.

"Sorry, I can't hear you over the wind!" Morgana felt the voice in her head giggle as she watched the white form fade away.