Season 1 Episode 12.

Story 12: Hidden

Chapter 10: Decisions Decisions

Morgause stepped out into the light. She was twirling a dagger in her right hand. She was a mess, almost as bloody and bruised as Merlin. Several bruises colored her arms and she had a large cut on her shoulder that showed Merlin hadn't gone down without a fight. Her face looked swollen and bloody. "His life is almost gone. Only the most powerful of the old religion would be able to spare him. Those who possess powers you couldn't even dream of."

Morgana sighed. She knew what would need to be done. "You are wrong sister," she responded in an emotionless voice. She could hear gasps, but that didn't surprise her. Only Merlin knew that they were related and he had promised not to tell anyone. "Merlin learned long ago that I am destined to be a high priestess one day. I have the power over life and death."

"To give a life," Morgause started to say.

"You must take a life. I know," Morgana said quietly. Merlin had taught her much. She knew the laws of nature. But Merlin had to survive. Merlin was always willing to put everyone before himself. To him everyone else was more important. Just this once, it was someone's turn to put him first. Just this once, it wouldn't be Merlin taking the risks and saving the day. Just this once, Merlin would be safe.

"You're going to sacrifice yourself aren't you," Morgause asked. Her voice had a deranged amusement as if Morgana had told a funny joke.

"Morgana, you can't," Gwen said hysterically. Everything was happening too quickly. Too many lives were on the line. "Merlin would never forgive you."

"Merlin is a great man. He is a better man than any of us give him credit for. He has saved Arthur's life time and time again. He has taught me magic and has made sure that I don't become the witch I am destined to be, the witch my sister would turn me into." Morgana shot a nasty look at Morgause. Morgana had had visions of the future and until Merlin intervened and helped her find the meaning behind them, Morgause had made her feel like an outsider. Morgause had told her that only she could hope to understand and that Morgana would never be welcome in Camelot, not with the powers she possessed. Merlin helped her realize Morgause was wrong. Morgana turned back to Gwen. "He made sure you were safe. And he never asked for recognition. He never, not once expected any gratitude and for the most part he never received it. If this can be my only gift to him then it will eliminate a tiny portion of the debt I owe him," Morgana told her.

"You speak as if you know how to save him," Morgause commented.

"I do," Morgana said quietly. "I don't have the cup of life, but there are other ways to bring back the dead." Morgana hesitated. Merlin had taught her the spell, but she had never practiced it. They had never had a need to and neither of them had felt it right to just sacrifice lives to save them. But Morgana knew she could do this. For the first time since she discovered her powers, she felt powerful. She knew she could do it, because she had to. She had lived a good life. She had fought her dark future until the very end. She hadn't become the person she was destined to be, someone that would bring ruin to Camelot. She was quite proud of herself. With that in mind, she began. "Butan baet cwalu. Hrde pon aidlian. Hrde pon edian. Bot ond tile!"

The rain came down in thick curtains. Morgana could see the first signs of life coming back to Merlin and she waited for her magic to take effect on her. "Merlin?" Gwen cried, hugging him close to her. Morgana allowed relief to wash over her. She had done it.

Morgana and Gwen had been so distracted by Merlin's recovery they had forgotten to pay any attention to Morgause. She had been muttering something under her breath the entire time Morgana had been chanting. She hadn't been undoing Morgana's spell, she had just re-directed it. Morgana didn't fully understand the laws of nature, but Morgause did. She knew how to choose whose life should be sacrificed for Merlin's. More importantly, she knew whose death would make the biggest impact.

Merlin's eyes flew open as he looked at Gwen. "Merlin?" Gwen asked. "Oh Merlin!"

Merlin's arms tightened around her. "I'm right here," he whispered. "I'm right here." He looked towards Morgana angrily. "What did you do?" He sounded furious. Her life was worth far more than his. She had no right to sacrifice herself.

"I did what had to be done," Morgana said. She wasn't familiar with how long the magic should take to affect her. She didn't know how much time she had left.

Merlin got to his feet and had to lean on Gwen for support. "You shouldn't have done that," he said. "I'm not worth–"

Merlin's words were cut off by a gasp in the corner of the room. Merlin turned to see Arthur on the ground with a dagger sticking out of his chest. He could see the vines retreating. In a moment of clarity, Merlin understood. This had been Morgause's plan all along. She had refused to tell Merlin while she was taunting him. Arthur must have been tied up with the vines the moment he entered. It would have kept him from warning them about Morgause. Merlin couldn't help but stare as blood stained Arthur's tunic. His would be the life that was sacrificed for his own.

Merlin slowly turned to face Morgause. He knew his body was angry with him, but he didn't care. He would rest once his friends were safe. The fury that was filling him was unlike any he had ever felt. He hadn't been this angry when Nimueh kidnapped Morgana. He hadn't been this angry when Arthur had killed the unicorn. He had never been this angry in his life until he saw what Morgause had done.

"Eorde, lyft, fyr, waeter, hiersumap me. Eorde ac stanas hiersumap me. Ic can stanas tobrytan. Hiersumap me," Merlin roared. The castle began to shake as if there were an earthquake. Giant pieces of the castle rained down. They miraculously spared Merlin, Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur. Morgause was not so fortunate. She only narrowly escaped the larger pieces and the new cuts on her cheek showed that the smaller pieces had shown no mercy.

"Wace ierlic!" Morgause screamed, propelling Merlin back into what remained of the wall. When her spell struck Merlin, the castle stopped shaking. Merlin hit the wall. Hard. He groaned as he fell to the ground. Every cell in his body was screaming at him.

"Ic be wipdrife," Merlin said drowsily from the ground. His legs simply wouldn't support him after the abuse they had been put through in the past few days.

Morgause flew back into the wall, her head hitting with a sickening thud. "Hleap on baec," Merlin muttered. He was starting to see black in his vision. He didn't know if it would work. He didn't know if he had the strength, but if he had succeeded, his spell would have killed Morgause. If he had succeeded, Morgause's would be the life that was sacrificed. There would be a chance to spare Arthur.

Merlin wasn't sure if he had the strength, but he hoped he did. The last thing he was before the darkness consumed him was the look of panic and love on Gwen's face.