Author's Note: Many of you thought that "Harvey" did something to take away Merlin's magic. It was a good thought, but I went in a different direction. Let me know what you think! Any favorite quotes form the chapter?


Gaius wasted no time helping lower Merlin into a chair.

"Merlin?" Gaius said anxiously, keeping eye-contact with the young man. "What happened?"

"I need – " Merlin broke off, shuddering in pain, and Arthur tightened his hand convulsively on Merlin's shoulder, his face clouded with fear.

"There was a sorcerer. He – he did something. I don't know…" Arthur glanced between Merlin and Gaius, feeling utterly helpless as he tried to explain.

Merlin fought to keep himself conscious. "Banishment spell," he gasped to Gaius. The physician's eyes widened.

"Oh, Merlin." Gaius's voice was dead serious.

"What? What does that mean?" Arthur asked. Gwen was brushing Merlin's hair away from his forehead, feeling terribly reminded of an incident from the all-too-recent past. Merlin looked pale and sickly, much as he had not all that long ago when he had been at death's door, all because of Morgana.

"I can only delay – " Gaius said.

"Well then do it!" Merlin suddenly snapped. "I need time."

Gaius snapped to attention and rushed to his work table, rummaging around for different ingredients.

"What's happening to you?" Arthur demanded. His hand was still gripped tight on Merlin's arm.

Merlin struggled to sit upright. Before he could respond, the door burst open. A group of knights came in, surrounding Merlin, Arthur, and Gwen in a rush.

"Corwin told us what happened!" Gwaine gasped.

"He was in the room, he saw everything," Leon said.

"Is he alright?" Percival asked Arthur, just as Elyan spoke to Merlin –

"Are you alright?"

The group shuffled around, the faces swarming before Merlin's eyes. All of it was chaos, there was too much noise, and movement, and…

"Everyone, step back!" Gaius's voice was powerful enough to enlist immediate action. The round-table knights backed off, as did Gwen.

Arthur, a stubborn set to his eyes, tightened both hands on Merlin's arm. Gaius smiled lightly.

"We need to have him drink this," Gaius said to Arthur. The king nodded, shuffling forward slightly on his knees and putting a hand on the side of Merlin's head to support it.

Drearily, Merlin allowed Gaius to tilt a vial of blue liquid into his mouth. With some measure of difficulty, he swallowed.

The entire room held its breath. Merlin grimaced at the taste of the potion, and then froze. All at once, he slumped forward, unconscious. Arthur caught him before he could hit the floor.

Gwaine and Percival rushed forward to help Arthur, as Gaius instructed them to move Merlin into his room, on the cot.

"What happened?" Gwen asked as the men lowered Merlin to the bed.

Gaius spoke to the room at large, which was crowded with the knights, king, queen, and physician of Camelot, along with the very pale warlock. "It was to be expected," Gaius said. "He'll be in a deep sleep for a few hours, and then when he wakes up he will be healthy."

"Just like that?" Arthur asked, startled. He was standing by the bed with his arms folded, trying to mask his extreme concern.

"Temporarily," Gaius sighed. "After a few days, he will fall under the effects of the curse again, and there will be nothing left for me to do."

"Couldn't you just keep feeding the potion to him?" Leon asked.

"Unfortunately, it will work only once. The banishment spell will learn to combat the effects of the potion, and it will become useless."

The room was silent for a moment, and then Gwaine spoke, voicing the question that everyone was afraid to ask. "What's going to happen to him?"

"It was a banishment spell," Gaius said wearily. "Unless he leaves Camelot… he will die."

Arthur pulled the only chair in the tiny room forward and sat down in it heavily. "Leave Camelot?" he echoed Gaius weakly, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"I'm afraid so."

"For how long?" Gwaine demanded. The knight shared a look with Arthur. They were in perfect agreement for once – the thought of a Camelot without Merlin was a dark thought, indeed.

Gaius looked hesitant. "I believe… there may be a way to counter-act the curse." The room brightened a bit, but before anyone could celebrate, Gaius suddenly changed topics, his face serious. "What happened, exactly? Who was this sorcerer?"

Arthur told Gaius the story, with Gwen adding in a comment here or there. It was a difficult story to tell. For one thing, Arthur couldn't give Gaius much of a satisfactory account, given that the sorcerer had hidden his true identity, and that Arthur had no real knowledge of magic.

"He – the sorcerer – he was going to kill me, and Merlin did something, like a protective cover over all of us."

"A shield."

"Yes, I suppose. And then he – the sorcerer…" The guilt was over-powering. If Merlin hadn't been protecting him, then this wouldn't have happened.

Gaius nodded, reading Arthur's thoughts on his face. "If the Banishment Spell can be reversed, it would be powerful magic, indeed. Far beyond my ability. When Merlin wakes, he will know if it can be done."


Author's Note: Thanks for all of you who have read and reviewed!