Chapter 8: The Storm

"Merlin, finally! Where have you been? I've been over half the Castle looking for you."

Arthur's booming voice announced his presence outside Morgana's room. Inside, she was dressed and brushing her hair, hoping that no one had noticed her late-night excursion. Gwen had already remarked on her sluggish morning, looking somewhat suspiciously at her cloak that had moved in the night.

"My apologies, Sire," replied Merlin's cheeky tones, "and what does His Royal Pratness need done today?"

She smiled widely at this piece of insolence but also in frustration as she realised that Merlin must have been coming to report on his research. He'd have to go and tend to Arthur's needs now.

"Well," continued Arthur in more subdued tones. Morgana suspected he was trying to keep his voice down in case she was in her room. It was not something he was very good at, "if you're finished mooning around outside Morgana's room, there are a few things that I need done. Actually, they're things that I needed done yesterday and the day before as well. You should know them well by now. They're called 'your job' and they're all the things you don't do."

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, Sire," said Merlin gravely and Morgana had to stifle a laugh.

"There's some sort of Beast threatening some of the outlying villages. I need you to prepare my horse, chainmail, armour and sword. I take an expeditionary force of Knights to investigate tomorrow morning and I expect everything to be ready. Oh, and Merlin, you're coming with me. Try to stay upright."

They obviously began to walk away; their voices receding with the occasional exclamation of "idiot" and "prat". Morgana wondered, and not for the first time, why the two didn't just admit they were friends.

"Pardon me, My Lady, did you just say something?" It was Gwen, who had come in from cleaning the other room.

"I was wondering why Arthur doesn't just admit he and Merlin are friends. I suppose he wonders what people would say. That's Arthur for you. Always worrying about being the man his father expects him to be." And she smiled inwardly at Arthur thinking it inappropriate for a member of the nobility to be friends with Merlin. If only he knew...

"Very true, My Lady," sighed Gwen, and Morgana was astonished to see a look of resigned sadness on her face, "Well, at least you don't care what people think about your behaviour. Not... not that there's anything wrong with your behaviour. I mean, I doubt people would think there was anything wrong with your behaviour... if they were thinking about your behaviour... which they're not... but even if they were then... then you wouldn't care... is what I mean."

"I have a dress to mend...oh, and the King requested your presence in the Throne Room... and some flowers came for you this morning. There's a message with them." And with that, Gwen left the room quickly in embarrassment.

Morgana smiled, glanced briefly at the flowers but decided she had more important things to attend to. If they already knew about the wyrm, maybe she could find a way to warn the King that it was invulnerable. She left her chambers and made straight for the Throne Room.

"... and what do we know about these bandits? Do they have anything to do with the rumours that Morys has sent troops across the border?"

Morgana entered the Throne Room to find Arthur with a map of the Kingdom spread before him, obviously briefing his father on the security situation.

"No, Father," said Arthur, "there are rumours that Morys is moving to prepare for war but the reports on these bandits suggest they have come from the East rather than the West. If I may, Sire, I understand that Morys has sworn to avenge his brother's death, But he has frequently said that his revenge will start with your humiliation, which of course hasn't happened yet. These bandits are here and they are plundering villages, seemingly at random. To protect the people, we need to..."

"Yes, very well," said Uther. "You're right, of course. Once you've dealt with this beast to the North, I want you to hunt down these bandits and bring them to Camelot for trial. A few public executions will bring comfort to the people that we are protecting them. And then we can deal with Morys."

"Thank you, Father," said Arthur curtly.

"Who will you take to slay the beast?"

"Sir Gawain, Sir Godfrey, Sir Agravain, Sir Gareth, Agloval, their squires and Merlin."

Morgana started as a terrible thought occurred to her. Merlin. An invulnerable beast. Dead on the ground and cold. Blue eyes sightless.

"No!" she exclaimed. Arthur and Uther both looked at her sharply, confusion etched on their features. "I mean," she started, racking her brain for any reason for her outburst that would sound plausible, "Gauis isn't in Camelot and Merlin is taking care of all his patients. Merlin may not be an adequate replacement for Gaius, but if he leaves, Camelot won't have a physician at all."

"Morgana's right," nodded Uther, to her amazed relief. "As astonishing as it is, the boy has been preparing my tonics for me since Gaius left and has been doing a good job. It would be better if he stayed in Camelot. It's not as if he's going to do you much good against the Beast, is it Arthur?"

Arthur looked as though he wanted to argue but let it go. Do it Arthur, she found herself thinking. Admit that you don't need him there, admit you want him. Admit you just feel safer when he's around.

And as if he had heard her thoughts, the courtier walked through the doors and announced Merlin.

"Sire," he said, "if I may have a moment. I've been doing some research based on the reports Arthur gave me of this beast."

Oh well done, Merlin, she thought. And then she thought, I always thought he was a poor liar...

"I understand Gaius would usually advise you but with him gone...."

"Of course, Merlin, please give me your advice," Morgana was astonished for the second time at Uther valuing Merlin's talents. Could it be he didn't think him as much of a fool as he made out? She glanced at Arthur who seemed equally taken aback.

"Sire, the beast appears to be a wyrm."

"A verm? What is that?"

"It's a kind of relative of a dragon, sometimes called a European dragon. It isn't poisonous, nor does it breathe fire, but it does eat anything and quite voraciously. If it isn't stopped it can devour whole villages, buildings and all. All my research suggests that if you chop off its limbs, even its head, it will re-attach itself. However," Merlin continued quickly, seeing that both Arthur and Uther were ready to intervene, "I believe that if you manage to cut its heart out and burn it, it will die."

"And you're sure of this," asked Uther, seriously.

"Yes Sire, more than one book speaks of it dying this way."

"Well then Arthur, you know what you have to do."

"Yes Father. I'll finish the preparations for our departure immediately." And with a nod to Merlin to indicate he should follow him, both were gone.

"Now Morgana," began Uther, turning his attention to her. "As you've heard, things are tense at the moment. Between wyrms and bandits and Morys, the country outside of Camelot's gates is dangerous at present. I know you've had an unusual amount of freedom in the last few weeks but I'm afraid that has to end. From now on, you are not to leave the town without an armed escort. In fact, I'd prefer it if you didn't leave the town at all."

Inside, Morgana felt the fury rise up in her. Arthur was about to ride out into danger with only a few armed men but she wasn't to leave at all? It was intolerable. Thankfully, self-preservation kicked in before her mouth could run away with her and she calmed herself before saying, "of course, Sire, I respect your wishes in this matter. You are obviously far more aware of the security situation than I am. I will stay where I am."

"Good, child, I'm glad.

Once out of the Throne Room, she stormed back to her chambers, fuming with the unfairness of it all. To be called child and treated like a, like a frail handmaiden! She picked up a cushion and kicked it, not caring as it sailed across the room and hit the flowers that had been delivered to her that morning.

They fell to the floor with a crash; water, broken glass and flowers spilling everywhere. On top of it all was the card and she suddenly wondered who her admirer was. She supposed it was some knight she would have to thank profusely. She would never admit it to anyone, but the flowers Merlin sometimes brought her when she was down were her favourite. Unlike the expensive ones before her, he always picked them himself.

She picked up the card, pulled it from the envelope and read the contents, disbelief leading slowly to excitement.

"My Lady Morgana

I hope you do not mind us contacting you in this way. We were too scared to send a message any other way. My Lady, we are some of the Druids who escaped Uther's purge. We contact you because it is rumoured that unlike him you are sympathetic to our cause. We need your help but dare not come to Camelot. There is a crossroads 5 miles west of Camelot. Please meet us there tomorrow afternoon. Do not tell anyone, even someone you trust. You will only endanger them and us. And please, come alone."

And as she stared at the card in her hand, slowly being blurred by the spreading damp, she smiled. Arthur would be leaving Camelot in the morning and Uther only noticed her when he needed to. Stay in Camelot? Not likely.