CHAPTER SEVEN

Chapter 7

The lanterns lit up the trees in multiple colours and the smells from kitchens around the world filled the air. The lake surface reflected the shifting light and the noise of the crowd hummed around them. Drum beats formed a deep pulse driving them on. Merlin had lost count of the festivals he had seen in his long lifetime but he always enjoyed the people. Pushing through the mass of revelry he spared a glance for Arthur, who seemed to be remarkably at ease.

"The guy we want works security up by the noodle market. It's not far."

Arthur nodded and smiled, bowing as a pair of young women walked past, giggling over their shoulders at them. Arthur grinned back and Merlin rolled his eyes, "Come on then, we haven't got all night. Who'd have thought the king who had so much trouble with the lights at the pedestrian crossings would be right at home in the middle of the night markets?"

Arthur punched him in the arm, he tried to pretend it didn't hurt. "Reminds me of home, the noise, the people, the hustle, it's different but it's also just like the lower town in Camelot"

He paused for a second, rubbing his arm surreptitiously and looking at the crowds in this new light. Arthur was right. It was remarkably like home. He smiled.

They wended their way through the markets and he thought back to their train ride back to London. It had been…interesting. Elyan could hardly look at him, let alone at Morgana. The other knights had been happy to see their friend, Percival in particular. It had been an odd reunion between sister and brother though. He frowned and side stepped a family on the path. Both of them could remember their current lives and being siblings was stranger than friends to accept somehow. Ha, Funny when you thought of it, how most of them had no real connections with their families now, save Percival and Leon of course. Made all this much easier.

A man walked past in his periphery and, perhaps because of the odd connection with Camelot he recognised him instantly. He grabbed hold of Arthur's arm and something must have communicated the urgency to his King because his smile disappeared and the warrior emerged, watchful and grim.

"Mordred. I saw him walk that way, I knew I was on the right track but I didn't really expect to see him."

Lines appeared around Arthur's eyes and his jaw tightened.

"Well. Guess that confirms Leon's traitor theory. Someone had to have told him we were coming here and there's only one person we know of who has been in contact with him."

"No, I don't believe that. I think he's here for the same reason as us but I don't think he knows we're here." Merlin paused, knowing the betrayal Arthur must be feeling, "We need to follow him Arthur. If he's here for the same reason as us then Sam is in danger."

Arthur ran a hand through his hair and cast his eyes around as if seeking another solution, "Fine, your call, we track him. Won't be easy through this lot,"

Merlin's lips quirked up, "Ah, that's where magic comes in handy, Sire,' He focused on where he'd seen Mordred head off to and summoned up the words of the tracking spell he'd used so many times in Arthur's service. This time, however, Arthur would know. "Aefnan weg". Golden lines spread out in front of him and the happy chaos of the market seemed to slow and move like treacle, the bold colours of the lanterns fading into swirls of light. He could see the path that Mordred had taken clearly laid out in front of them. Grabbing Arthur by the arm he set off at a steady pace - running through this lot would be a sure way to garner the wrong kind of attention.

The path taken by Mordred led them down to where he'd been heading to see Sam, but it continued on and into a van just past the security station, a large black van with the name of one of the largest security training companies in London. Well. Looks like his guess was confirmed.

They stayed back and Merlin caught Sam's eye. His friend knew how to be discreet and when Merlin took out his phone and held it up he barely nodded to indicate he understood. He texted him quickly.

Hey Sam, can't meet up. Unexpected guests

The reply came quickly.

Gotcha. Talk later. Hit me up.

Will do. Take care.

He put his phone away and inclined his head at Sam who took his cap off in his direction as if he was just scratching his head. There, nothing in any of that to give either of them away, but he'd never said 'take care' to Sam in his life; hopefully the other man would heed the warning.

"Will your friend be okay?"

And that was one of the reasons Arthur was such a good king; he genuinely had concern for everyone, whether he knew them or not. "I hope so. But we best not meet him now that Mordred's around. I think we should follow him. Mordred, I mean."

Arthur stared down at the ground, hands on hips and brow furrowed.

"You know, Merlin. I'd really hoped that Mordred wouldn't be involved. Even after the letter warning Morgana about Emrys, I still hoped he wouldn't be an enemy in this life also."

He didn't know what to say. He'd never trusted Mordred but he remembered how he'd been like a little brother to Arthur and how deeply Arthur had been hurt by his betrayal. Maybe they didn't all get a second chance. Or maybe they did.

"Arthur… Do you want to talk to him?"

His king looked up, eyebrows raised. "What, instead of following him? Won't that give us away?"

"To be honest, even if we track him down it's unlikely he's heading to some secret villain lair where they'll all be conveniently in one place ready for us to destroy. If there's a chance for him to be on the right side this time then maybe you should take it. Talk to him and find out what he actually wants."

"You're very wise sometimes Merlin. So, how do we go about talking to him? I assume we're not going to march up to the van and ask to go in?"

"I think we wait. There's only one path down here, he's got no reason to not return by the same path. We'll find a good spot and, wait."

They waited for a good hour before Mordred's light footsteps sounded on the path. The markets had started winding down and as the car park was the other way, very few people had given them false starts. He came into view as the path turned past the trees in which they were concealed. He was just as Merlin remembered, despite the khaki pants and white polo shirt, and he sparked the same confused wariness in his mind. He stayed hidden in the shadows as Arthur stepped onto the path.

Mordred's shock was obvious. He stumbled backwards and had to put out an arm to catch his balance.

"Arthur". His voice was tight and Merlin kept a close eye on his hands.

"Mordred. Here for the markets?"

The druid frowned, "What? No." He seemed to pull himself together. "What I do is no business of yours, Pendragon".

"I had hoped so much to see you in different circumstances in this new time". Arthur's voice carried his sorrow but it rang with the strength and assurance of his title. "You could make it my business perhaps?"

Mordred took a sudden swing at Arthur who blocked his punch and knocked the other man full square on the jaw, sending him reeling back.

"Now that was uncalled for, Mordred. Bad form."

"You always were a bully, Pendragon."

Arthur's face screwed up. "Um, I do believe you struck first."

Merlin looked from the shadows from one man to another. Mordred didn't seem to be able to meet Arthur's eyes, and his determination to call him by his Royal name was odd. Maybe he needed the distance. Arthur was standing with his hands on his hips, deceptively relaxed, but Merlin could see the readiness in his stance, just as he could read the wariness in Mordred's.

"Maybe there's a way it could be your business after all. We know why you think you're here. But it's never going to happen. Join us in destroying the current order - only then can you truly rise and take your place in the new world. Not as king, but as more than the vagrant you are now."

Arthur shook his head slowly. "That is no vision I can be a part of. Have you not thought of the people your destruction will hurt? The world is more than the 'order' and more than those who rule it. It is the people, Mordred, those who get up every day just wanting to be happy, spend time with their families, be useful to society. I could never join those who seek to destroy the lives of those they should be bound to protect."

Mordred stepped back, his chin going up. It almost looked like he'd been hit, but Arthur hadn't moved.

"Arthur, I am more sorry than I can say that you refuse me in this. But I think you'll find that you will be helping us anyway, alive or dead. You see, you may have been a great knight once upon a time but here's you with no armour, no sword, and here's me not only with this very handy modern item the gun, but also with my sorcery. So, unfortunately for you it looks like I win this one."

Arthur backed up a step, his hands high and Merlin nearly stepped out before he saw Arthur's leg kick up in a roundhouse blow to Mordred's arm; the gun landed somewhere in the bushes to the right and Mordred swore. The druid's hand extended, his mouth open and Merlin stepped out.

"He also has me, Mordred.' He almost didn't need to blast the young man back, his very presence seemed to stun Mordred and something like fear contorted his features in the split second before Merlin sent him tumbling into a tree by the side of the path. The young man groaned and something like relief sparked inside him; call him crazy but he really didn't want to kill Mordred. Maybe it was the vision by the lake, but he was sure that Mordred still had some part to play in what came next.

"Come on Arthur, we best go."

The king looked behind him as they ran down the path and a sigh that seemed to come from his boots left him.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. Truly."

"We all make our choices, Merlin. I just wish he'd chosen differently".