Chapter 10 – the Cave

As evening fell, the last rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds and casting a ghostly orange hue on the overcast sky, Merlin began to feel a shift in the magic of the clearing, where he sat patiently in wait with Gwaine. The change was subtle at first, a slight build in pressure at the top of his spine and a gentle itch in his palms – if he hadn't been so on edge and attuned to the power of the Valley he might not have noticed it, so faint was the feeling. As it was, the slight warning from his magical senses was enough to put him on alert – he immediately sat up straighter and began to take more careful note of his surroundings.

Sure enough, mere seconds later a distant rumbling split the air, the sound as if of a rock fall in the distance – loud enough that Sir Gwaine, who had up until this moment been snoring gently from his perch between the roots of an Elder tree, started to wakefulness and grabbed his sword. Then, in the deep blue shadows of the cliff, where Merlin had fixed his eyes so intently, there was a change.

Later, neither man was able to fully describe exactly what they saw. If asked, they would simply have tried to explain that one minute they were staring at an ancient cliff face, moss and lichen growing between the cracks speaking of its age, and the next moment the shadows had shifted to reveal an opening in the wall – one that had always been there. It was like the revelation of an illusion, where the viewer's perception suddenly changes so that one image suddenly becomes another, the lines of the picture rearranging themselves into a new image without actually appearing to change. The best way Merlin could describe it was to use an example from one of Gaius' old books, a drawing he had once seen of an ancient crone that had suddenly shifted before his eyes into a beautiful young woman.

For a brief moment both men stared enthralled at the sight before them in a mixture of bemusement and wonder, until a loud curse from Gwaine broke the spell.

"Magic!" Gwaine's sword was unsheathed now, the knight jumping up and crouching into a fighting stance a few steps ahead of Merlin. "Stay behind me – anything could be-"

"Shh!" Merlin cut in sharply, pacing forward himself and placing his hand on the knight's shoulder to silence him. "Something's coming!"

Footsteps could be heard, the gentle rattling of stones underfoot echoing abnormally loudly out of the entrance to the cave. Nothing could be seen yet, the shadows too deep in the late evening light to make out a figure in the darkness of the cave, but whoever or whatever it was seemed to be getting closer, the reverberation of their footsteps growing louder as Merlin and Gwaine waited in apprehensive silence.

Thoughts raced through Merlin's head, the adrenaline causing his brain to work overtime as theories and speculations were formulated, tested and eliminated, the identity of the unknown owner of the footsteps questioned frantically.

Two theories stood out in his mind.

The first was Arthur. Merlin had had that vision of him in the Crystal Cave, after all, and there was no doubt that this was the entrance to said cave – Merlin had been here himself, he remembered what it looked like. All the evidence seemed to suggest that Arthur, at least, had gotten himself trapped in this place, so maybe this was the Cave releasing him? But, if that was the case, why was there a set of footprints from earlier that day leading both towards and away from the Cave? And what had happened to the rest of the patrol?

More importantly, if this was Arthur approaching, why was the Cave only releasing him now?

Merlin's second guess was a little more tenuous, but then he didn't really have a lot of evidence to work with. The last time the warlock had visited the cave, he had been led here by the mysterious Taliesin – perhaps this was that same old man again? True, he hadn't seen the prophet since he entered the Cave on the last occasion, the ancient seer disappearing sometime during his ordeal with the visions, but there was no reason why he might not appear here again… True, Gaius did claim that the old man had actually lived some three hundred years ago, and logic dictated that in that case surely he must be long dead by now – but then, that didn't appear to have stopped him last time! Maybe he was returning to dispense some more riddles and leave Merlin in some confusing, morally ambiguous situation again…

As it turned out, neither guess was correct.

The familiar lanky figure that finally emerged from the cave was revealed in the half-light of dusk, sandy hair dishevelled and stubble on his chin. He had removed his chain mail, instead wearing only the padded red tunic and breeches the knights wore under their armour, and as he strode clear of the entrance he stopped and stood surveying the darkened clearing with his usual wry gaze.

"Tristan!" Merlin's delighted shout seemed unnaturally loud in the hush of the Valley, but he didn't care. The cynical knight might not have been the King he had set out to find, but he was still a friend and Merlin was relieved to see him safe – and, besides, here at last was someone who might have some answers to their questions about the fate of the patrol. "Tristan, you're alright!"

Merlin jogged across the clearing towards the newest of Arthur's knights, followed by a somewhat less enthusiastic Sir Gwaine. The animosity between these two knights had become something of a castle legend in the months since Tristan's elevation to Arthur's inner circle, and although Merlin knew that Gwaine was relieved to see the other knight alive, it was clear he wasn't so keen on actually greeting the man.

"Where are the others?" he queried shortly, any relief he might have felt at seeing Tristan alive masked by the sharp unfriendly tone in which he asked the question.

However, Tristan didn't acknowledge Gwaine's unwelcoming tone – in fact, as the two men got closer, he didn't seem to respond to their approach at all. He stayed where he was, stretching his limbs and breathing the deep breaths of a man who has been caged rejoicing in the clean air of freedom – he didn't seem to be aware of his company in the clearing, not even noticing when Merlin came to a sudden halt directly before him.

"Um… Tristan? Hello?" as the knight continued to ignore Merlin, the warlock started to reach out to him – only to encounter a sudden solid barrier that not only prevented him from touching the knight, but also sent a painful jolt all the way along his extended arm from fingertip to shoulder.

"Merlin! You alright mate?" Gwaine reached out to steady him, his distrustful gaze fixed upon the oblivious knight while Merlin cradled his throbbing arm against his chest and wrinkled his brow in thought. The burst of magic that had assaulted him was a powerful one, and it left him feeling a little faint, but at least in coming in contact with the sorcery he had been able to identify the nature of the spell that held Tristan captive.

"Yes, I'm fine… fine!" he quickly reassured the hovering Gwaine. "Its… I think he's enchanted, Gwaine. He has no idea we're here, and there's something stopping us from reaching out to him – whoever did this doesn't want us talking to him."

"You think whoever did this is in that Cave?" Gwaine stared suspiciously at the dark tunnel that led into the cliff face, as if expecting some spell-flinging sorcerer to appear any minute. "And what about the rest of the patrol, they in there too? Should we go in?" He was already unsheathing his sword, and looked set to charge into the darkness the minute Merlin gave the word.

"Hm, maybe… but we should probably follow him first…" while they had been speaking, Tristan had started striding away and was already nearing the edge of the clearing, about to vanish into the bushes in the direction of the footprints from that morning. "Come on, Gwaine, we can explore the Cave later – we need to find out where Tristan's going, it might be important." Truth be told, Merlin was in no hurry to charge into the Crystal Cave – so long as there was any other option, he would take it.

Unfortunately, their pursuit of Tristan yielded no answers. No more than five minutes into the forest the knight came to an abrupt halt, bending down and reaching under a nearby bush – after a short moment of scuffling he pulled a small trap free from between the roots, one that had a couple of rabbits caught in it.

The three men stared at Tristan's catch, Merlin and Gwaine in shock and Tristan with some kind of resigned amusement on his face.

Merlin had set many traps for small animals in his time, he had learnt to build them when he was very young to provide meat for the table when he lived in Ealdor, but never before had he seen a trap that yielded rabbits which were not only dead, but also skinned and cooked. The meat was even still warm, a thin cloud of steam rising from the offerings as if they had only just been removed from the fire, the smell of freshly cooked food permeating the air and causing Merlin's mouth to water and stomach to rumble.

With a small huff of amusement, Tristan removed his ready made meal from the trap, resetting it and placing it once again beneath the bush. Then, still blind to his bewildered companions, he turned around once again and strode back the way he had come.

The early hours of the following morning found Merlin once again sitting in the clearing, his eyes fixed on the impassive cliff face that hid the entrance to the Crystal Cave.

He and Gwaine had trailed Tristan back to the clearing, and when the knight had once again entered the Cave the two men had silently decided that they had no choice on this occasion but to follow. However, when they had approached the tunnel themselves and attempted to enter something had forced them back, a sudden burst of power that had left Merlin gasping for air and Gwaine, who had rushed ahead of the warlock, lying on his backside with an astonished look on his face. They had been left to watch helplessly as the rock face shifted once again behind the older knight, powerless to follow or prevent his passage, as the entrance was once again lost to them.

After a… significant… period of time spent battering pointlessly at the solid cliff face, calling for Tristan (or anyone) and desperately trying to find the opening that they knew was there, Merlin and Gwaine had eventually accepted that the cave would only open again in its own time. Rather than waste their energy on an activity they knew was futile, they had instead chosen to keep watch and wait until the entrance returned again, as they were certain it would – only then, would they act.

Exactly what they thought waiting for the cave to open would achieve, when their previous experience suggested that even then they wouldn't be able to enter it, Merlin wasn't sure. Neither of them wanted to return to the Queen, however, forced to explain that they had found one of the missing knights and not investigated further. They had to try, at least.

And Merlin had his own reasons for wanting to wait here a little longer.

Now, in the dark hours of the very early morning, it was time to put his own plan into action. Gwaine, having taken the first watch earlier that night, was now sound asleep, and dawn was still many hours away – long enough, Merlin hoped, for him to freely use his powers and break the enchantment that concealed the entrance to the Crystal Cave.

Approaching the rock face, Merlin closed his eyes and rested the palm of his hand against the damp stone. He summoned his power, and concentrated on the cliff before him.

"Ætýne"

Nothing. The rocks before him didn't so much as twitch. Frowning, Merlin pressed his hand harder against the stone, summoning more power.

"Onhlíd!"

This time the power he channelled rebounded from the rock, striking him and forcing him back a few steps. Clutching his chest, he took a few deep breaths and looked more speculatively at the stone that blocked his way.

Clearly, power alone wasn't going to work.

Returning to his spot before the cliff, he placed both hands this time upon the clammy surface. Focusing his magic, he pushed it gently towards the rock, sending strands of it scurrying across the rugged surface to find a break in the enchantment that held the entrance closed. He could feel his power meet that of the spell, poking and tugging at it to find a weakness, a fault he could exploit.

There. Something… a warp in the pattern…

Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the stone, concentrating. He sent more power into the cliff, directing it towards that fault – that thread in the tapestry that wasn't quite as it should be.

"Ic ábíede þæs cleofan instæpe ætíe"

The spell was no more than a whisper, but he felt his magic take hold. It tugged at that one thread, unravelling it, and suddenly he felt the whole enchantment break.

Opening his eyes, he stepped back.

There it was, the entrance to the Crystal Cave.

Breathing deeply, trying to steady his racing heart, he took note of his surroundings. He must have spent more time than he realised breaking the spell, because already the clearing was lighter than it had been when he began – he could make out the shapes of bushes between the trees, where before he could see only darkness. He felt a stiffness in his neck and shoulders, and his hands, which had been pressed hard against the rock wall, were frozen.

Judging by the grey light that permeated the small hollow, it must only have been a few hours before dawn. Thankfully, Gwaine was still asleep – but Merlin had already wasted too much time.

Steeling himself, he straightened his back, took a deep breath, and entered the Cave.

Almost straight away, he began to feel the magic in the air around him increase – the power of the Cave calling to him, its siren song enticing him as it had done the last time he entered this hallowed place. Blocking his mind resolutely against the beckoning power, he closed off his magical senses – maybe, if he ignored the sorcery of the place, he would escape the temptation of the crystals…

In the darkness of the tunnel, the faint blue glow that lit the far end of the passageway was like a beacon. Using his hands on the walls to feel his way, he slowly approached the distant light, gritting his teeth against the insistent buzzing at the base of his skull. Slowly the light got nearer, and he was able to make out the exit to the tunnel, outlined sharply against the ghostly glow.

Just before he entered the cave proper, however, he was hit by his doubts once more. He wanted to find his friends, of course he did, but there was no telling what would happen if he so much as glanced at a crystal – the last thing he wanted was a repeat of his last visit. He had learnt the hard way that seeing the future was no gift, foreknowledge caused far more problems than it solved, and he had enough to deal with in this situation without the added complications the power of the crystals could bring.

No, best to be safe.

Placing both his hands firmly against the wall, he screwed his eyes shut and made the final step into the Crystal Cave.

As had happened last time, he was immediately confronted with the powerful call of the crystals. Even with his eyes shut, he could feel them beckoning to him, trying to tempt him to look into their depths – Merlin tried not to react, just willed his eyes to remain closed and attempted to ignore their song, groping his way further into the heart of the Cave.

Almost straight away, he realised the obvious flaw in his plan. And, he wasn't the only one.

"Tell me, young Emrys, how exactly do you intend to rescue your friends if you cannot see where they are?"

Jumping, Merlin span round to face the direction from which the elderly voice had come – remembering at the last moment to keep his eyes closed, the intense blue glow still shining through his eyelids.

"Taliesin! What have you done to my friends?"

"Do not fear, Emrys" Taliesin's voice came closer, the only indication that the old man was approaching – even in the silence of the Cave, no footsteps could be heard. "Your friends are quite safe – if you would open your eyes, you would see."

"Nu-uh, no" Merlin shook his head. "I'm not falling for that trick – I've seen the power of the crystals, and, believe me, I want no more part in it. Now, tell me where they are!"

"What you want is irrelevant, Emrys. You are one of the few with the power to wield the crystals of this Cave, and until you embrace that gift you cannot become who you were meant to be! But that is not why we are here today – you have come for your friends, as I knew you would. They are here. Please, open your eyes, and see."

For a moment, Merlin felt his resolution crack and let his eyes begin to inch open – only to force them shut again the minute he saw the blue half-light of the Cave between his lashes.

"No!" he pushed himself back against the wall, reaching out one hand to feel his way away from the ancient seer. "No, I know what lies down that route. I will find my friends, with or without your help, but I refuse to be used as a pawn of the crystals!"

"You are behaving like a child, Emrys!" For the first time, the prophet sounded frustrated. "You cannot hope to fulfil your destiny if you refuse to face it! Open your eyes – it may be that the Crystals have no message for you today."

Merlin snorted. He didn't believe that for a second – he could feel the crystals in his mind, feel them calling. The Cave had a message for him, of that he was certain – but he was still certain that, whatever the message, he was best not knowing it.

"The crystals are tools, Emrys. With power like ours, we can wield them, bend them to our own will. You may be young, Emrys, and untrained, but your power is great – if you do not wish to see what the crystals have to show you, then use that power. You can feel the magic of the Cave, can you not? Do not fight it – wield it, bend it to your will! When you passed my test and broke the enchantment to enter this Cave you demonstrated what you are capable of, you simply have to take what you learnt further."

Despite himself, Merlin found himself listening to the ancient prophet. He did need to find the patrol, and he knew that Tristan, at least, was within this Cave somewhere – and, no matter how hard he tried, Merlin knew that he had the best chance of finding the knights if he could see. Crashing about like a blind man wasn't really a solution.

Sighing, he released his magic once again, removing the barrier that had been blocking the magic of the Cave from his senses. For a brief moment he was overwhelmed, the sheer flood of power almost drowning him as he tried to fight against it – until he remembered the words of Taliesin. Lowering his defences he welcomed the magic into his mind, and instead of pushing it he began to grab it, drawing it to himself and slowly bringing it under his control.

It was a struggle, the raw power of the Cave far greater than most magic he was used to encountering – but, of course, Merlin's magic wasn't exactly weak either, and if anyone could handle power of this magnitude, he could. He could feel Taliesin working alongside him, the mage whispering the Old Tongue in his ear, guiding him, and slowly he felt his control of the Cave's sorcery taking hold.

"Good" Taliesin's raised voice brought Merlin out of his trance. "That is well enough for now, Emrys – I think you can open your eyes without fear. The crystals will not show you what you do not wish to see. In time, I think, you will be able to master fully the magic of this Cave – but for today, you have learnt enough."

Slowly, with a great deal of trepidation, Merlin opened his eyes. The crystals around him still pulsed with light, and the power of the Cave still sang to him, but he was relieved to note that the pull of the Crystals had gone – or, rather, he was able to resist it. So long as he did not stare too closely at any one crystal, he was able to ignore the images that danced across their surfaces.

However, any triumph he might have felt in his victory over the Cave was immediately eclipsed by the sight that met him in the centre of the cavern. Four of the missing knights from the patrol were standing there in a circle, their gazes fixed on a great jewel that hung between them – Sir Elyan, Sir Percival, Sir Lamorak and Sir Gareth, faces completely blank, and bodies so still they might have been made of crystal themselves.

"What have you done to them?" Merlin looked to Taliesin accusingly, though he made no move to approach the dormant knights – he had a feeling there was little he could do for them here "And… where's Arthur? And Tristan?"

"The knights are merely sleeping – they will awaken once Arthur returns" Taliesin's voice was calm, as he looked down upon his captives almost fondly. "They will be none the worse for wear when they awaken, that I promise"

"Once… Arthur returns. Why? Where is he?"

"He is on a quest, to a place where you cannot follow. He will return in time, though even I cannot predict exactly when."

"A quest." Merlin's voice was flat, disbelief and anxiety warring in his mind. "Is it dangerous? And, why can't I follow?"

Taliesin chuckled gently. "Dangerous? I should say so! He has travelled to another world, one where magic was never banned – there will be many perils there, of that I am certain. But fear not, he won't be alone – already he has made one ally in that place, and no doubt others will follow shortly. Your King has a way of inspiring loyalty in those who meet him."

"Or betrayal…" Merlin added wryly, before he could stop himself. "But… another world? How is that even possible? And again, why can't I go there too?"

"Many things are possible, Emrys, as you yourself should know. And you cannot travel there, because you are already there – you exist in that world, much as you exist in this one. No man can be in the same place twice."

"I see…" Merlin rubbed his face tiredly, not really in the mood to question further. "So, Arthur has been sent off to some sort of parallel world, one with magic, and you've no idea when he'll return. Once he does, you'll release the knights, and that will be that. Have I got that right?" Taliesin nodded quietly. "Right. So, next question. Why?"

"Because Arthur has much to learn, and he must learn it soon. Great trials approach Albion, and he must be ready – you must both be ready."

"Both? What are you talking about?" Merlin had a nasty suspicion he knew where this was going – he had been in similar situations before. Any minute now he was going to be handed some near impossible task, all in the name of destiny, and asked to go off and complete it alone.

Great.

"The King of Gwynedd is dying."

"Um…" what? What did that have to do with anything?

"Gwynedd is the last stronghold in Wales that holds free of the usurper, Vortigern – I believe you know this?"

Well, yes, Merlin did – it was in the files that he had been studying for Arthur. Camelot had been working towards strengthening their alliance with the Welsh king for some months; an ally that powerful could only be a good thing for Camelot, in the King's opinion.

"Right… Where are we going with this?"

"Should Gwynedd fall to Vortigern, the usurper will become the undisputed King of Wales – his kingdom will rival Camelot in both strength and power, but his conquest will not end there. Vortigern is ambitious and power-hungry – for now he is kept busy by Gwynned, but should his campaign in Wales end successfully there can be no doubt that he will next turn his eyes towards the Five Kingdoms. Towards Camelot."

Oh.

"The treaty you attempt to forge with the usurper will not hold – and if the situation in Wales is not dealt with, war will soon arrive at your doorstep. You are the only man with the power to prevent this – only you can halt the fall of Gwynedd, and restore peace to those lands."

"Me? Why me?" He asked, resignedly.

Why could it not be someone else for once?

Wisely, he chose to leave that last thought unsaid.

"Because you are Emrys. And because the land of Wales means far more to you than you yet realise. Now" and here Taliesin's demeanour changed, his tone becoming abruptly more businesslike. "I believe it is time I returned a friend to you. Come!"

And, striding away from Merlin with deceptive speed, the old man reached the far side of the Cave and disappeared around a corner – reappearing only moments later with a familiar knight in tow.

"Merlin!" the astonishment in Tristan's voice was clear. "Merlin – what are you doing here?"

"He came looking for you, brave knight, you and your companions. The others must remain here for now, but you, I think, can return home."

"What… why now?" Merlin was confused – Tristan appeared to have escaped the enchantment that held his fellows in thrall, and yet Taliesin had kept him in the Cave until now for some purpose. What had changed?

"I needed to speak to you, Merlin. I knew you would come in search of your King – I could not take the risk that Tristan here would intercept you."

"You mean to tell me, you've been keeping me here all this time as bait?" the knight sounded somewhat indignant at this, as Merlin supposed he had a right to.

"Indeed! Though I fed you and made your stay comfortable, did I not? And now it is time for you to leave." Now that he had completed what he set out to do, the ancient seer seemed almost desperate to get rid of his guests – he pushed a bundle of armour and weaponry into Tristan's arms and began to shoo them towards the exit. "I believe Camelot has been without your skills for too long – it is time the two of you returned home!"

And so the old man ushered them through the Cave – but nor before Merlin caught a quick glance at one of the Crystals. There, in the heart of the stone, he saw an image of a man; middle aged, with flaming red hair and beard streaked with grey, the man sat upon a great black horse. He wore a heavily embroidered green cloak, and an enormous sword was strapped to his waist.

Before Merlin had a chance to look further, however, the ancient seer had pushed the two men into the passageway that led towards the exit. When they turned around, he was gone.

"Well!" Tristan shook his head, a small smile on his face. "That was… interesting." And, turning a sharp eye towards his companion, he fixed Merlin with a calculating glare. "What I really want to know though, Merlin, is what exactly did Taliesin want with you? And how did you get into the Cave?"

"Yes, Merlin. That's something I'd like to know the answer to, too!"

And, turning around in the narrow passageway, Merlin found himself facing a very angry Sir Gwaine.

A/N: Hello again! So, three chapter attention span - I swear I don't do it on purpose! (I also apologise for butchering Old English. But thats another story!)

Anyway, thankou for all the reviews and favourites from the last chapter - I'm really happy people are enjoying my story :) The next chapter will be back to Arthur, I promise.