Chapter 7
He couldn't sleep. Knowing that Marina had discovered his secret bothered him far more than he'd first realised. Getting up, Merlin decided to sit by the river for a while, until sleep came to him. The twinkling and gentle, lulling sounds of the water trickling its way along, and the wind slightly rustling the leaves of the trees were like music to his ears. Reminding him of home...if only he could be there, right now...Hearing footsteps, he turned around only to see Marina emerging from the trees that separated the river from the clearing. As she made her way towards him, the cloud that had been blocking the moon drifted away, bathing everything in hazy silver light. At that moment, Merlin felt as if time had stood still. She looked astonishing. Almost unreal...as if he were dreaming. Merlin realised that he'd never really looked at her as a woman...until now. She'd always been his friend to him; it had never occurred that they could be anything else. Shaking his head a little, Merlin shook himself out of his daze. Sitting beside him, she kept silent for a while, simply observing the running water in front of them.
"You and Arthur are closer then you both let on aren't you?"
She was speaking in a quiet, almost hushed voice, like she could hear the music as he did, and did not want to break it. Looking at her, Merlin wondered how much he could say...What was safe to tell her and what wasn't. Until he found out who or what had happened to her that night in Gaius' chambers, he didn't want to reveal anything that would put her in any further danger.
"Well...as close as a prince and his man-servant can be I suppose."
"Oh, you're trying to tell me that a man-servant would put his life on the line to save a master who mocks him at any opportunity he gets? I'm not buying it Merlin..."
"I'm not asking you to...Besides, you're the one who is asking me all the questions here...I don't have to tell you anything."
"No, you don't. But when a friend is concerned about your well-being, common courtesy would have it that you'd at least tell them the truth."
"Well...Thanks but there's nothing to be concerned about."
"Merlin, you're using magic underneath the nose of a King who burns people like us without any hesitation! I'd think that to be a slight cause for concern."
" 'Us'? Did you just say 'us'?"
"No, I said 'you'."
"You said 'us' Marina...What are you hiding?"
"Nothing. I meant 'you'. And besides, even if I was hiding something, which I am not, do you really think I would tell you when you yourself refuse to trust me?"
"It has nothing to do with trust – "
"Then what is it?"
"Nothing."
Merlin could sense that he was starting to seriously tick her off. He would have found her struggle for self-control amusing, were he not worrying about what would happen if she lost it.
"Merlin please, I'm trying real hard not to kill you here, so would you please co-operate and actually be a bit more communicative?"
"God Marina, there is nothing to say okay? What you saw did not happen. It must have been the sunlight or something."
"The sunlight? How would the sunlight make me think that you'd have anything to do with a branch suddenly breaki—"
Merlin cursed under his breath as he realised his mistake.
"Oh you've landed yourself in it now Merlin."
"Look, I just meant that maybe the sun had gotten to you..."
"Nope. You know just as well as I do that what you actually meant was that the sun made me think I saw your eyes glow...but I never said I saw your eyes glow...Didn't even mention your eyes...Which means that you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Your logic makes no sense."
"MERLIN! Would you stop taking me for a fool! You're worse than Arthur!"
"Well then stop asking questions!"
"I'm trying to help you!"
"No, no you're not, you're just being nosey!"
"WHAT?"
Merlin noticed that the soft breeze had picked up, tearing away at the trees that surrounded them. He had also noticed that Marina's eyes were glowing dangerously with anger. Whether she had anything to do with the change of wind was not something he was in any way sure of, but it was a possibility. He realised that the only way he could determine whether she had anything to do with it was to anger her furthermore...It was not something he looked forward to...if anything it frightened him somewhat, but he had to know. If she did have powers, he would have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't end up using them haphazardly.
"Yep, but then again, you're a girl...I suppose it's perfectly normal. All girls are - "
"Oh so now I'm not only nosey but a girl?!"
"Well aren't you? It's a wonder your mother let you leave the house really, someone as young as you with a crappy temper...bound to screw up and make mistakes..."
"When have I ever screwed up?!"
"Well, for a start, if you possessed even one once of common sense, you'd realise that challenging the prince of Camelot's authority is not acceptable...especially not when you're just a servant."
Merlin hated this. He hated seeing the look of pain flash across Marina's face. But he had no choice. He had to find out whether she was magical, and this was the only way he could think of doing so. Throwing insults blindly, Merlin hoped that one of them would hit a nerve, and that Marina would snap.
"I wonder, how is it that you're so stupid as to challenge his authority so? Family trait maybe? Tell me, is your mother as stupid?" As her anger mounted, the wind's force and savageness increased, until all Merlin could hear was its loud howling.
"Okay", thought Merlin, "that did it. Great, I hit the jackpot. I got what I wanted, I just hope all that happens is for her to slap me and refuse to ever speak to me again." But it seemed unlikely that he would be that fortunate. With a gasp, he saw the water that had been trickling along its bed only seconds ago start to overflow, the strength of the current increasing, its flow getting faster and faster. The wind, creating vicious torrents, spun the water into waves, and in one, swift motion, a pillar of water rose from the river, only to rush towards Merlin and reach him with an impact so strong that he was knocked immediately to the ground. As he dragged himself back up, he saw Marina, standing in the midst of the chaos, untouched, her eyes glowing a fierce gold, her expression blank, as if in a trance. Her hair whipped about her face by the gusts of wind that she had unconsciously summoned. Only then did Merlin realise how dangerous she was, both to herself and others. If she did not learn to harness her emotions soon, they could all be in trouble. The sheer force of her anger had summoned such powerful magic in such a short amount of time that Merlin was sure that if she were pushed over the edge, she could single-handedly destroy a small village. He fought against the wind, making his way towards Marina. His wet clothes clung to him, making it difficult for him to move. Unable to reach her across the winds, Merlin realised that the only solution was for him to use his magic against her. He didn't want to, but had no choice. The mayhem she was causing would soon wake everyone up, she would be caught, and burnt at the stake like so many others. And that was something he could not allow to happen, no matter what he had to do. Taking a deep breath, Merlin reached deep within himself for his magic. With as much force as he could muster, he recited the incantation, and sent a fireball straight to her. Heart hammering against his chest, Merlin hoped that the wind and water that lay between them would reduce both the force and intensity of the fireball he had sent so that when it reached her, it would only pull her out of her trance. He looked on in apprehension and fear as his fireball hurtled through the air towards her, penetrating the wall of water and wind before hitting Marina fully on the chest. With a cry, she crumpled to ground. The wind died down immediately, and Merlin was able to make his way to her. Cradling her in his arms, he saw that her eyes were closed, and no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he shook her, no matter how many times he chanted the incantation to wake her, she lay unmoving in his arms. Tears escaped his eyes as he noticed the hole that had been burnt through her dress, where the fireball had hit. He could not, would not accept it. She could not be dead. Not now. His tears turned into sobs as images of her flashed across his mind- her smile, her laugh, and most of all, how vulnerable she had looked that day, her face streaked with tears. Clinging on to her, Merlin would have willingly given his life up for her to come back.
oOo
Marina felt as if she had just exploded into a million tiny pieces. Clutching her head, she groaned. God, where had this splitting headache come from?! Slowly, she looked around to get her bearings. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realised where she was. The darkness, along with the circle of trees surrounding her had become an all too familiar scene. Marina held her breath as she listened for the voice she was sure she would hear any moment now.
"Glad to see you're back...Although I was not expecting you so soon..."
Sure enough, there she was. Standing tall and as graceful as ever, the woman advanced towards Marina, green eyes sparkling.
"I did not come here out of my own accord."
The woman merely smiled at Marina's defiance.
"Tell me child, out of curiosity, do you remember what you were doing five minutes ago?"
"Of course I – "
Marina cut short as she realised that she couldn't. The last thing she could remember was sitting with Merlin, looking out to the river...Panic swept through her. Why couldn't she remember anything after that?
"Please, what's happening to me? Why do you keep following me? Bringing me to this place? And why can't I remember anything?"
"Would you like to remember? Would you like to see?"
Nodding her head, Marina accepted the woman's offer. Just as she started chanting, Marina felt a ball of anxiety drop at the pit of her stomach as she thought that maybe, just maybe, there was a reason for her sudden memory loss.
oOo
Still clutching Marina's body to him, Merlin sat there with her, motionless. His mind was blank; what had just happened refused to sink in. It had been too quick, too brutal.
"Merlin."
Looking up in surprise, Merlin could distinguish the figure of a woman, walking towards him gracefully, as if floating. As she got closer, he was able to make out her long, red hair, and deep green eyes. Who was she?
"You must take care of her, whatever the cost."
"Huh?"
"Marina. You must take care of her."
"But- she..." He didn't want to say it. If he did, it would be as if it were true.
"She's not dead Merlin, just asleep. Fast asleep."
"What?"
"Merlin, listen to me. Your destiny is linked with hers, if she dies, you cannot fulfil it. She is to help you protect Arthur, without her assistance, you will fail. You must help her come to terms with who she is, and teach her everything that you know. In time, she will become a powerful ally, but for now, she needs protection, support, and most importantly, love."
And with that, the mysterious figure walked away, disappearing into the night.
oOo
As the dreadful scene unfolded before her very eyes, Marina could hardly breathe. Merlin had driven her so angry that she had entirely lost self-control – understandably so. Unable to believe it, she could do nothing but watch helplessly as she saw Merlin get hit with an enormous wave of water, and knocked about by the winds she had conjured. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw him aim a fireball that brought her straight to the ground. She fought her tears as she saw the sheer desperation and pain on his face as he cried, her body in his arms. She was aching to go to him, hug him, right there, right now, and reassure him that she was okay. But she couldn't. Although she was seeing what had happened a few minutes ago, it wasn't real. The scenery gradually disappeared, and Marina was once again in the forest, with the woman.
Looking at her thoughtfully, she took her time before deciding to finally address Marina.
"You could have killed him."
"I...didn't know what I was doing I...mustn't have...I'd never hurt Merlin."
"But you could have. What if you had killed him? If he hadn't used his magic to reach you, he would have been dead."
Suddenly, the woman walked towards Marina, and pulled her in a tight embrace, surprising het. She hadn't been hugged like that in a while. For a few seconds, she let herself imagine that she was back at home, in her mother's arms. Releasing her, the woman stepped back and grasped Marina by the shoulders.
"You must listen to Merlin and do as he says. I know you do not like being told what to do, but this is the best advice I can give you. He will help you harness your emotions, and use your magic at will. Go now, I will see you again soon."
Suddenly overcome by sheer tiredness, Marina fell to the ground.
oOo
Merlin held his breath as Marina stirred, still in his arms. An intense feeling of relief coursed through him as she slowly opened her eyes. Unable to contain his joy, he held her against him in a fierce embrace, which, somewhat to his surprise, she returned. Without a word, he helped her to her feet, and walked her back to the camp. Having lit a fire, he sat next to her, his expression that of remorse and shame. Wanting to apologise for the things he had said, Merlin thought about what he could say, but before he could even start to speak, she interrupted.
"Look at you! You're soaking wet!"
Getting up, she retrieved her cloak from the bag that carried all her belongings, and threw it around him. As she did so, Merlin felt her fingers brush lightly against his, and wished that he could let his guard down and attempt to love again. But he couldn't. The pain had been too much the first time; he couldn't bear loosing someone again. So he just let the moment pass by him instead, retreating to safe grounds.
"You're going to need help with your powers if you want to be able to use them properly."
"I know. I almost killed you back there. I don't want anything like that to happen again..."
Looking at her now, he could feel her confusion and need for support. Feeling oddly responsible for what happened, Merlin could do no less than to offer his help.
"I'll teach you."
"What?!"
"Well, I have some experience, and you're going to need any help you can get."
"Where will you teach me? Surely we can't just practice magic in the castle, we'd be seen!"
"Hmm...We might have to practice in the forest or an empty field...Would you mind?"
"No, that'll be fine, but I don't know if we'll have enough time, I mean, we both have our duties and..."
"Don't worry, we'll find time."
And with that, both settled down to sleep; a large portion of the night had gone, and they needed their strength for the journey back to Camelot. Sighing, Merlin thought about everything that had happened, and about what that strange woman had said. There was no denying that his destiny was linked with Marina's, but he wasn't sure whether he was prepared to provide all that she had said Marina needed. Particularly not love.
