Helllooooo

Back to Merlin and Morgana for this chapter.

Just wondering but is anyone still reading this?

Enjoy

The Old Friends

Merlin looked out onto the still lake.

He may have been here hundreds of times but it still took way his breath by the beauty of the place. You could tell that magic kept it in order.

Merlin had little idea of how to call Freya from her watery home nor how she knew he was there.

But yet every time she would appear.

Yet Merlin had just realised how many duties he had neglected due to the duties of the kingdom and his family. Now that the children were older, maybe not only will Merlin be able to spend more time with Morgana but more time with his magical side.

Merlin watched the water ripple from outs the corner of his eye.

"Did you find your way home?"

Merlin sighed. At least they are going to be closer in finding him.

He turned to the patrol and shouted. "I told you so."

Morgana ran up and grabbed Merlin's arm as he too turned his attention to Freya.

"Sorry Merlin. You two just look so alike." Freya said looking a bit embarrassed.

"As I have been told a number of times." Merlin said. "But until now I hadn't been mistaken for him."

"How long was it since you saw him?" Morgana said trying to take Freya's attention away from Merlin.

Morgana had never tried to understand Merlin's relationship with Freya mainly because it was in the past. Between them, they tried not to bring up the past to much because it would usually end up in arguing. They couldn't change the past but they had a different future ahead of them. Morgana did understand that it was a whirlwind romance and that Merlin may have been in love with her so she allowed his silent sulky days when he would remember his time with her. Morgana would tell the children that it was over his father.

"It was a day, maybe two."

Morgana look at her in shock.

"Have we really been riding that long?" She said turning to Merlin.

"Yes, just because you are in a dreamlike state most of the time, doesn't mean we all are?"

Morgana looked back at Freya.

Merlin closed his eyes. He knew that was a little harsh.

He leant forward and placed a kiss on her jawline.

"I'm sorry my lady." He whispered to her.

Freya looked on in jealousy. She was meant to be the one at Merlin's side, to be the one he shared his troubles and bed with, to be the one that he kissed. But yet the spirits in the lake had told her from the beginning that she wasn't. They told her that one with a similar destiny to him was the one that meant to be all that. Unfortunately for Morgana, Freya wasn't very forgiving. She still had the views that Merlin once had. To Freya, Morgana was the black witch.

Morgana ignored Merlin.

"Did you manage to see which direction he went?"

Freya looked between the two advisors.

"He went East." She said settling her eyes on Morgana.

Merlin and Morgana simultaneously ran a hand through their hair.

"East! Why the goddess did he go east?" Morgana said walking back to the patrol

Merlin turned to follow her when Freya stopped him.

"Merlin, sorry if I have done something wrong."

Merlin sighed. "I will agree with her, why east?"

"I told him to follow his heart." Freya said holding some words back.

Merlin just turned and walked away.

Freya hoped that he would turn back for one last glance as he would usually but this one time he didn't.

Merlin picked his nails as he thought.

The light had faded and they were in the smallest clearing they had come across yet.

He knew that this new generation would be like the older one. Never knowing what it felt like to be scared of yourself.

Merlin knew that they had to make this new era, this new peace. Albion had been broken by the purge and allowing magic back was a way of piecing back together.

But all what happened in the past, all what they are trying to hide, was because of the ban and fear.

Even if they did tell their children, would they truly understand their reasons? Would they truly understand why they did what they did?

Merlin doubt it very much and it pained him to think like that.

Morgana tapped Merlin on the shoulder causing him to come out of his state.

"I'm sorry about earlier. With Freya." She said

Merlin grabbed her hand and gave it a small tug causing her to fall into his lap.

"I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have been so harsh."

Morgana placed her hands on Merlin chest.

"I am just scared that I am going to lose you."

Merlin placed his hand under Morgana's chin and lifted it up so their eyes met.

"Unfortunately as much as you probably hate it, you aren't going to get rid of me that easily."

Morgana bit her lip.

"We haven't had time to ourselves for a while. I have realised how much I have neglected the dragons. Our duties to our family is getting in the way of other duties we have." Merlin resting his forehead on Morgana's. "Maybe after this we need to take a couple of days out. For ourselves."

Morgana kissed him.

"That sounds like a good idea." She said.

Merlin looked around. The rest of the patrol was a distance from them.

"Do you think Arthur will notice?" Merlin whispered to her.

Morgana smirked. "We will find out in the morning."

Morgana grabbed Merlin's hand and ran into the forest.

Arthur did notice but nothing could take the smiles off their faces.

They kept giving each other glaces that led to Arthur make one of be at the front and the other at the back. Luckily for them, Arthur couldn't hear their mind speak.

Arthur stopped the patrol as they heard metal clashing together.

He jumped off his horse and led a few knights and Merlin and Morgana towards the sound.

Peering over the mound that they were hiding behind, they saw that it wasn't a fight but smugglers gathering up swords, shields and other weaponry.

Arthur gave the command and the few knights poured over down into the clearing.

The smugglers dropped everything.

"Come on, this is the second time in three days. We cannot keep doing this." One of them said.

Tristan stepped forward.

"Well at least I know we won't die."

Arthur, Merlin and Morgana walked down. Morgana avoided all eye contact with Tristan.

"Who else has captured you then?" Arthur said.

"Lot. This was all meant to be going to him but I do believe that our contract with him is up."

Arthur picked up on of the swords.

"Contract?"

Arthur could only have felt a little of what Tristan may have felt after the last time they met.

"Lot hired us to bring the best weapons in Camelot to him before the king did. He also wanted his special sword."

Arthur had little idea what to say.

"Your nephew us a quick thinking but also a bit quick tempered. I think he could have gotten away with calling himself Matthew if one of the lords didn't call him the son of the peasant lord and the black witch."

Morgana could help but groan.

Tristan turned but didn't look at them.

"I must admit, I have probably led to all your hard work going to waste."

Merlin walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I do believe that all of us have felt some heartbreak but then I do believe that we have felt only a fraction of what you felt." Merlin wanted Tristan to look at him. "We have all done things we didn't want to do because of anger, loss and grief."

"He asked why I helped him but was cold towards him. I said it was because of his parents. I have blamed you, Arthur, Morgana and myself for a while now. How is it that a 14 year old boy can put everything in perspective?" Tristan said finally looking at the Wyllts. "He will make a fine knight and a very good man."

They may be no closer in finding Gorlios but they knew that they had Tristan's forgiveness.