Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. BBC does.
It hadn't taken Gaius long to meet Merlin at the lake, heeding his words that Merlin didn't completely trust that Agravaine was in Camelot for purely altruistic means. There might have been something more to his visit and Gaius agreed that he would keep an eye on the nobleman. He didn't really seem to share Merlin's views that he was there for another reason other than to help Arthur but he also knew that if Merlin was wary, there was a good reason.
After his visit with Gaius, things appeared to settle down in Camelot. Arthur often visited, wanting to escape the trials of running the kingdom, not knowing if his father would ever get any better and trying to deal with that along with everything else that was happening. He would often come to the cave and call for Merlin, waiting for the merman to appear. He enjoyed Merlin's tales of the merpeople below the lake, hearing the small adventures they got into and allowing himself to take a step away from Camelot, even if just for a few short hours.
The other one to visit frequently was Lancelot, appearing in the cave just as Arthur did. There were a couple of the mermaids that had taken a liking to Lancelot, braving the frigid winter air to see him from the middle of the lake as he walked the edge and disappeared. They knew that he was off limits for food but they wouldn't have minded toying with the knight in other ways.
Merlin rolled his eyes at their tittering every time they knew he was there.
Merlin had to feel for Lancelot. Now that Gwen and Arthur's relationship was no longer as secret as it had been before, the knight had to watch the woman he loved start to forge a future with another man. One that he greatly admired and respected. He would never interfere with their relationship and it was slowly breaking his heart. There wasn't anything Merlin could say or do that would help his friend, knowing that Lancelot only wished for some kind of peace. One that he could only find at the tranquillity of the lake.
While the visits decreased somewhat over the winter, Merlin couldn't find fault with it. He knew that it was freezing above the surface of the lake and the only time the merpeople broke the surface was to call for food before dragging it under and feasting. There weren't any humans near the lake at this time of year so they had to make do with the animals that lingered.
As the winter turned to spring and summer, they began returning to the lake, apologising for the fact that they had not been to see Merlin in so long. He waved them off, understanding why they hadn't been and he could see that they were relieved. It wasn't uncommon for Arthur to bring Gwen for a picnic every now and then. He had grown into his role as Prince Regent and while he knew what he was doing now and was more settled in running the kingdom in his father's stead, it was not uncommon for him to need some time away, just a few hours to process what was happening.
"Oh, Merlin," he caught the attention of the merman who was lounging in a group of rocks not far away from where he and Gwen were sitting, causing him to look up, turning over to face them, his tail making ripples in the water as he moved. "Thought you might like to know that the underground reservoirs into the castle have been deepened."
"And why would that interest me?" Merlin looked to Gwen, who was wearing a smug smile as she sat there, watching the two of them. She was obviously spending too much time with Arthur.
"Because I know that the rivers that connect to the lake also connect onto ones that feed into Camelot," Arthur sat back, resting his hands behind him. "The reservoirs as they were would have been too shallow to allow for access so I've had them deepened. To allow for better access for . . . water dwelling friends." Merlin grinned at Arthur, knowing what he was talking about.
By deepening the reservoirs around the castle and the ones that travelled under the castle, feeling into the castle's water supply, he was giving Merlin the opportunity to come into Camelot rather than having to wait for Arthur and the knights to come and see him.
"I know that there is a pool in the dragon's old cave." Arthur acknowledged and Merlin nodded, wondering how Arthur would have known that. "I saw it as we investigated how the dragon escaped. Does that feed into anywhere or is it just a standalone pool."
"It's fed into by one of the reservoirs under the castle. They're everywhere under there. Most of them are deep enough but it's the ones into the castle that aren't." Merlin shrugged and Arthur rolled his eyes.
"You've already investigated them, haven't you?" He sighed and Gwen chuckled.
"Of course," Merlin replied smugly, earning himself a playful glare from the prince. "I had to know an alternate way around the castle if needs be." He shrugged and Arthur rolled his eyes once again, taking a drink from the goblet he had brought with him.
"And did you?"
"Actually yes," Merlin sounded very pleased with himself. "They allow for access to various parts of the castle that you wouldn't be able to get to unseen, otherwise."
"Well, at least that may be of some use." Arthur acquiesced and Merlin was now the one to roll his eyes at the prince.
"Now, now, enough of that, you two." Gwen giggled and the two of them looked at her surprised. "So, does that mean that you'll be coming to visit us, Merlin?" She asked, wrapping her arms around her legs as she looked down at him where he was.
"I don't know," he responded slightly smug as he looked to Arthur. "I haven't been invited yet." He dodged a pebble that Arthur threw at him for his cheek, chuckling lightly to himself. "Of course I will, Gwen."
"Good." She smiled smugly at Arthur who shot him another glare and he shrugged, looking entirely innocent.
They were distracted for a moment by a splashing on the surface of the water, two tails flying about all over the place as Merlin turned rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Just by looking, Arthur and Gwen could see that they were nowhere near as large as Merlin was, guessing that they were only youngsters, playing around. Merlin quickly confirmed that, letting them know that if they got too out of hand, their mothers would come and deal with them.
"Much like I had to with you and Luka, you mean?" The three of them turned to see Merlin's mother floating nearby and he grinned, shaking his head. "I swear, the amount of tussle's the two of you got into. I'm surprised you still have your fins."
Merlin felt himself flush as Gwen giggled, Arthur chuckling alongside her for a moment as his mother settled next to Merlin. Merlin had felt guilty about lying to Arthur about his mother being dead but he knew it was the only way. He knew that Arthur's mother had died in childbirth and he had never known her. Allowing everyone but Gaius in Camelot to believe that his mother was dead was hard, knowing that she was not far away at all. To his surprise, Arthur had not appeared to be upset at Merlin's lie about his mother. He had understood Merlin's reasoning and had not held it against him.
The summer months passed quickly, the days quickly becoming shorter and the weather beginning to chill. As it got colder, the humans weren't able to visit Merlin but as he had promised he would, Merlin found the reservoirs under the castle deeper than they had been previously. It was easy for him to manoeuvre around the underground waterways and avoid detection. He had met with Gaius many times down in the dragon's old cave. The others he had met elsewhere but there was something about the cave that had him call for Gaius. Gaius had admitted the last time he had seen him that Agravaine was acting a little shifty and that he had been keeping an eye on him.
Merlin thanked him before going on to meet Arthur and the knights. They had taken to meeting in another underground cave and Merlin always took great pleasure in making them jump as he emerged in front of him. It would never grow up for him doing that.
Soon winter was upon them once again and the merpeople were preparing for their own celebrations of Samhain. They did not celebrate it in the same way humans did, honouring all the spirits of the world, not only those of the dead. It was a sacred day to the magical world and the merpeople were not excluded from that.
Merlin sighed as he went to his mother, feeling a pull towards the surface. As soon as he emerged, he felt a great force rush through him and the world began to slow. A woman was standing on the shore but Merlin could sense she was not really there. That she was something from the otherworld, even if he did not know what. Her clothes were nothing more than black rags, her eyes sad and empty as she stood there, regarding him.
"Emrys," he felt himself turn cold as she whispered his name, her voice sounding as though it had come from the very depths of the earth. "Emrys. Emrys."
He felt himself sinking as he lost consciousness, barely feeling the arms that wrapped around him and the panicked shouts of his name as they carried him down to the cave he shared with his mother. They were all panicked as they settled him, his mother shooing them out and taking watch over her son. She had never seen him like that before and none of them in the lake had ever known one of their own to lose consciousness like that.
She called for the young mermaid, Marikan and had her travel to Camelot, to get Gaius. She nodded as Hunith told her of the passages that led to the dragon's old cave where she would need to call for him. She left without delay, Hunith immediately moving back to Merlin's side, seeing him shivering slightly. He was cold, something that had never happened while they were down here. She lay down alongside him, pressing her tail against his, hoping that it would help him in some way. So many feelings and sensations were passed through their tails, she only hoped that Marikan could get Gaius to them quickly.
Merlin woke later the next day, completely ignorant of the startling screams that had begun the night before after the appearance of the woman on the shore. He startled back into consciousness and scaring his mother even further. She wrapped her arms around him, terrified and he returned her embrace. He was still shivering slightly as Marikan returned, telling them that Gaius had arrived and was at the edge of the lake. Merlin went to him immediately, sitting at the edge of the lake as Gaius met him.
"What happened, Merlin?" Gaius asked, grabbing the young man's chin, feeling the chill he somehow knew had not come from the chill of the air around them.
"Last night," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I felt something calling me towards the surface. And when I broke it, there was a woman, an old woman standing on the shoreline. But it was like she wasn't really there, Gaius." He looked up to see if the old man understood what he was saying, only seeing confusion on his face. "When she spoke, her voice, it was as though it came from the depths of the earth. And her eyes . . . they were so sad. So much pain in them." He looked up at Gaius again, seeing a little more comprehension on the old man's face. "Who was she?"
Gaius looked solemn as he replied. "The Cailleach." Merlin sat back a little. "The Gatekeeper to the Spirit World."
"Why was she there?" Merlin shook his head, confused. He had heard stories of the Cailleach but none had actually seen her. None other than him it would seem.
"Last night, you say?" He asked and Merlin nodded, seeing Gaius's thoughtful expression. "On Samhain's eve. Possibly even the very stroke of midnight."
"I don't know," Merlin shrugged, unable to answer the exact time. "It's not like that makes too much of a difference out here, Gaius." He advised and the old man nodded. "What difference does it make?"
"That moment is when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest." Gaius advised and Merlin shivered once again, his tail twitching where he sat. "It cannot be a coincidence."
"None of the others saw her." He stated and Gaius nodded, his expression unchanged. "Why was I the only one to see her?"
"You have great power, Merlin." He placed a hand on the young merman's shoulder. "For someone so gifted, such visions are not uncommon."
"You don't understand, it wasn't a vision." Merlin shook his head, trying to get through to Gaius. "She knew who I was. She called me Emrys." Gaius looked thoughtful for a moment and Merlin wondered what was going through the man's head. "What does it mean?"
"I don't know," he said softly. Merlin could see there was slightly more to it than that but didn't press.
Gaius left quickly, needing to get back to Camelot and Merlin returned to the depths with more questions than he had had before. His mother tried to reassure him that it was going to be alright but he couldn't really share her optimism.
It was a restless night under the lake, the merpeople sensing something above the surface of the water yet seeing nothing. All they could hear were screams, painful and wailing all around them. They didn't come near the lake but they were disturbing nonetheless. Merlin had the thought that Gaius may know what they were but had not told the young merman. He resolved that if it happened the next night, he would go to Camelot and find out what had happened.
Feeling much better the next day, he joined in the hunt with the other merpeople. They were all on edge after what happened and Merlin felt angry at himself for not being able to reassure his family. He had no idea what they were or what they wanted. It was with full bellies that he and his mother settled down for the night only to be woken not long after by the screams just as they had been the night before. He rushed to the surface, gasping as he saw ghostly faces streaming across the lake. They did not go near the surface as the other merfolk appeared around Merlin. They were fearful and Merlin knew that this was what Gaius had meant when he had mentioned the veil and the Cailleach. Something had happened to the veil but the old man had not divulged what.
He had to know.
He waited until morning, seeing that his mother was unnerved by what was going on above the surface before he would head to Camelot. He knew that he couldn't enter the city on foot, lest he be seen so he would have to enter through the reservoirs. It would take him the better part of a day to navigate the rivers and through the underground waterways through the city but it couldn't be helped.
It was nearly nightfall when he reached the small farms just outside the city limits and he could hear the ghostly wails once more. He could hear the residents above the water screaming in terror and dread washed through him. He took a chance as he lifted his head from the water, flinching away as he felt nothing but death around him. He shivered as he sank back down, his power of Life and Death, allowing him to sense the lives being claimed as darkness fell. He shook himself off, diving once more and pushing forward through the underwater tunnels, stopping as he heard the hurried footsteps above him. He knew that any movement in the water below them would catch their attention and he didn't need that right now.
He surfaced in the dragon's old cave, calling out for Gaius and waiting for the old man to come to him. It took him longer than it usually did to appear and Merlin was not in any frame of mind to play games with the old man.
"Gaius, what's happening?" He asked as soon as he had reached the edge of the water.
"You've seen them?" He asked and Merlin nodded, watching him closely.
"Yes," he confirmed out loud. "They were around the lake. And I sensed them as I was coming to Camelot. And the lives they were taking. Now, what are they?"
"They are the Dorocha." He sighed, sitting on a rock not far from the water's edge.
"And what are those?"
"The spirits of the dead." Merlin blinked, processing Gaius's words. Someone was toying with the dead again and he knew who it was. "On Samhain's eve, in the time of the Old Religion, the high priestesses would perform a blood sacrifice and release them."
"Someone's done it again," Merlin said softly. "Morgana."
"She was intercepted a few days ago by some of the knights. She was on the way to the Isle of the Blessed." Gaius nodded and Merlin ran a hand through his hair.
"How can they stopped?" He asked and Gaius sighed again, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees.
"I don't know." He shook his head and Merlin tilted his head at him, knowing that there had to be something he knew of. "There is only one way I know of to repair the veil. To travel to the Isle of the Blessed. For the tear to be created, it will have required a blood sacrifice. To seal it . . . will require another." Merlin took a deep breath, knowing that if Gaius said so, it was the only way to seal the tear.
"And Arthur knows of this?" Merlin asked and Gaius nodded. Merlin cursed under his breath, shaking his head.
"He rode out this afternoon." Merlin's head snapped to Gaius and he cursed again. "Is it not possible that he may have gone to the Lake of Avalon before heading to the Isle?"
"No," Merlin shook his head. "The Isle of the Blessed is in the opposite direction to the lake. Arthur would not have wanted to waste time by heading there first. How long ago did he set out?"
"He and the knights left around midday." Gaius said solemnly and Merlin cursed again. He would need to hurry if he was going to catch up to them. They had nearly ten hours head start on him. He would need to travel quickly to catch up. "You intend to follow him?"
"I have to Gaius." Merlin insisted and Gaius nodded standing up.
"I'll meet you on the outside of the city. I'll have a horse and some clothes for you." Merlin nodded, letting out a sigh as he watched the old man make his way up the steps. He dove quickly, hearing the screams of the innocent people as they were attacked by the Dorocha. He glanced out of one of the grates along the reservoir seeing the knights and soldiers trying to protect themselves with the torches they each held. He inhaled deeply as he watched one of the men react too slowly, falling backwards, encrusted with ice as he landed. He felt the life leave the man immediately and knew that these creatures had to be stopped.
Gaius met him where he said he would, reins to the horse he was leading in one hand and a torch in the other.
"There are clothes in the saddle bag," he motioned to the bag on the side of the saddle, glancing around as he stood there. "Be careful."
"They don't seem to be interested in me, Gaius." He advised as he pulled himself to sit on the edge of the river and Gaius handed him the bag.
"Possibly because you're not human." He looked around again, the fear showing in his eyes.
"But you are," Merlin advised, drying himself quickly and pulling on the shirt, Gaius had handed him. "So get back to the castle. Get back to safety. I'll be fine." Gaius cast him one last long look before nodding and heading back to the castle as quickly as his old legs would carry him. He muttered the spell that would give him his legs, drying them off before he pulled on his breeches and boots. He had to hope that he would be able to catch up to the men.
Gaius's words made sense as he climbed onto his horse and made his way to the main road, quickly picking up the scent of the knights that had ridden out. The Dorocha could have attacked him at any moment but they seemed to ignore him in favour of the humans around. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that he wasn't human and as such, didn't interest them.
He didn't allow himself to think on it for too long as he followed the scent trail. It wasn't long before he entered the woods and the sun began to rise. He kept going as long as possible before his horse needed a rest. He settled down for an hour or two, allow the horse Gaius had given him to graze for a little while, leading the gelding to the stream, allowing him to drink his fill. It wasn't long before he was back on the road, following the scent trail left by the knights.
He allowed his horse to rest again after night had fallen, his heart clenching every time he heard one of the wails of the Dorocha, knowing that every moment he spent sat, not moving he could have been following and catching up to Arthur. Unfortunately, his horse needed to rest. He pulled out a blanket from the bag that Gaius had packed for him and settled down on the ground. He pulled the blanket over himself, settling in for a few hours, knowing that the party he was following would have stopped themselves, unable to carry on while in fear for their lives.
He found their horses tethered by the entry to some caves and scented the Gaia berries that they had used to get through the Wildeoren infested caves. Deciding against it, he led his horse over the top, around the mountain. This time, he didn't stop as night fell, knowing that his time was running out before Arthur reached the Isle of the Blessed. He rested his horse for an hour or two before the sun rose before pushing on, coming across what looked to be an abandoned stronghold.
He pushed his horse ahead, hoping that he would make it there by nightfall. His horse whinnied as he pushed him and Merlin felt sorry for the beast, silently promising a long rest once he reached his destination. He smiled to himself as he scented the knights, hearing them within. It appeared that they hadn't lost much of their enthusiasm as they groused Gwaine about his dirty socks.
He stopped his horse, seeing Lancelot's standing on guard, his sword and torch held out in front of him. He gave a smile of relief as he saw the warlock dismount in front of him.
"I knew you'd catch up to us." He sighed, sheathing his sword and wrapping an arm around Merlin's shoulder.
"Hey, watch the torch," he warned and Lancelot chuckled, moving it away from Merlin. "Is Arthur inside?" He asked, not really needing to but wanting the confirmation anyway.
Lancelot nodded, making his way inside. He could hear the other starting to panic as he walked through into the hallway.
"What is it, Lancelot?" Arthur asked, his voice concerned. "What's happened?"
"Bad news," Lancelot sounded grave and Merlin chuckled to himself as he walked into the room. "We've been found."
He turned and the others looked past him to see Merlin standing there, a grin on his face. Arthur's face relaxed and a smile graced his lips as the others went to greet Merlin.
"So, how did you find us?" Percival asked, as they sat round the fire.
"You all seem to forget how . . . pungent you are when on a mission." Merlin smirked and they all protested and he laughed, nodding. "If you weren't I wouldn't have been able to find you so quickly."
"How did you know where we were going in the first place?" Arthur asked and Merlin glanced over to him.
"Gaius," he sighed, picking up a stick and stoking the fire gently. "At the lake, we were being woken by these . . . screams in the night but the first night we saw nothing. Only heard them and felt them. It was as if all the life in the earth had been sucked away. It was the same on the second night," he had been told of the screams that first night, while he had been unconscious. They had never been heard before so the merpeople had felt under the water, trying to stay as far away from them as possible. "The third night we heard them, I made my way to the surface and saw . . . these faces . . . like ghosts . . . They were coming towards the surface of the lake but it was as though they had no interest in us. It was the same when I was following you. I could hear them but none came near me. Gaius thinks that it's because I'm not human."
"Even when you're in human form they know that," Arthur guessed and Merlin shrugged, really not knowing what to say.
It was only Arthur and Merlin that remained awake, leaning on the opposite sides of the log they were on. Merlin watched Arthur closely and he knew that he had been right when guessing Arthur had designated himself as the sacrifice to close the veil.
"It's going to be fine. Everything will be alright." He said softly and Arthur waved him off.
"I'm just tired."
They lapsed into a momentary silence that had them both thinking of what was going to happen in the near future. Merlin looked to Arthur, seeing a look of sadness on his face and he sighed gently.
"You don't have to sacrifice yourself," he said softly and Arthur turned to look at him.
"I have to save my people." He reasoned and Merlin sighed again, barely making a noise.
"I will take your place," Merlin said seriously and Arthur turned to look at him, shock written on his face as he regarded his former manservant, seeing him in a way he never had before, even after finding out everything that he had about him.
"It's my responsibility." Arthur said simply and Merlin shook his head. He knew that Arthur wouldn't allow him to take his place willingly. But then whoever said he had to be consenting? Merlin was not going to allow Arthur to sacrifice himself. Not when he had the power to stop that from happening. "One thing," he turned to look at the prince again, "look after Guinevere. Well, as best you can." Merlin smiled knowing that Arthur had realised after he'd said it that there wasn't much he could do from the lake. "I want her to be happy in her life. She deserves that."
"Don't worry," he nodded, not taking his eyes of the princes' face. "I'll make sure." She would be happy. She would be happy with Arthur at her side. Merlin would not settle for anything less.
What neither of them was aware of was the knight not too far away, listening to their hushed conversation and thinking of the promise he had made to the very woman they were talking about.
They set out just before dawn the next morning, coming to the bank of the lake where the Isle of the Blessed lay. It felt strange to Merlin, getting into the boat along with the others when it would have been more natural for him to swim to the Isle. Doing so would have taken more time than they had and they couldn't afford to waste any of it.
They all looked up, hearing the screeching Merlin knew could only come from wyverns. He knew how to deal with those, thanks to his and Gwaine's trip to the Perilous lands. They climbed out of the boat, Merlin leading the way towards where he could sense the sundered veil. He didn't stop as they heard two reptilian screeches above them, the knights panicking as they unsheathed their swords.
Merlin looked around at them all as they readied themselves for an attack, looking up at the creatures heading towards them.
"S'enthend' apokhorein nun epello!" His voice was low and hoarse as he cast the wyverns away. They halted their attack, shrieking as they flew off. Arthur stared at Merlin and he shrugged, following Arthur as he made his way through to a large chamber. Percival, Leon and Elyan stopped outside, standing guard in case there was anyone they hadn't discovered on the Isle. Arthur, Gwaine, Lancelot and Merlin walked through the chamber towards the where the veil was ripped in front of them.
The veil, shimmering at the far end of the chamber held a sense of foreboding as they walked towards it slowly, each of them on their guard. They could hear the shouts and screams of the dead coming from inside the veil and Merlin knew that it had to be stopped.
They all stopped as the Cailleach emerged from the veil, regarding them all individually, her gaze halting and lingering on Merlin. She knew what he was and she didn't seem disappointed to see him.
"It is not often we have visitors." Merlin shivered slightly at the sound of her voice, the memory of the first time had heard it running through his mind.
"Put an end to this." Arthur stepped forward, separating himself from the rest of the group. "I demand you heal the tear between the two worlds."
"It was not I who created this horror. Why should it be I who stops it?"
"Because innocent people are dying." Merlin glared at her and she looked back at him.
"Indeed." A laugh broke from her lips, showing her lack of compassion for the situation. They all turned as Gwaine let out a yell, racing towards the Cailleach only to be forcefully thrown backwards by a burst of magic from her.
"I know what you want." Arthur said softly, stepping forward ignoring Gwaine as he moaned from where he was.
"Do you?" An evil smile played on her lips. "And are you willing to let me have it?"
"I'm prepared to pay whatever price is necessary." Arthur started to walk forward and Merlin shook his head, not allowing the prince to get any further as she beckoned him forward.
"Forb fleoghe!" Arthur stopped mid-step, flown off to the side and thrown to the floor, stunned by the impact and what Merlin had just done.
The Cailleach lowered her hand, a small smile gracing her lips as he stepped forward. She did the same and the two of them came face to face across the altar that was positioned in the center of the chamber. The small smile of amusement was still on her lips as she regarded him in front of her.
"So . . . Emrys. You chose to challenge me after all." She sounded somewhat surprised and he gave no answer. "Will you give yourself to the spirits to save your prince?"
"It is my destiny." He responded simply and surely.
"Perhaps." Her eyes lost the amusement and slight surprise that had been in them a moment before, the sadness he had seen the first time he had seen her rising in them once more. "But your time among men is not yet over, Emrys, even if you want it to be."
He gave her a look of confusion but instead of answering, she turned to look at the veil. He followed suit, freezing when he saw that Lancelot, using Merlin's distraction had walked behind him and stepped up to the veil. The knight turned, smiling at him before turning and walking into the veil.
"No!" Merlin stepped towards the veil, crying out as it closed, taking Lancelot with him. The Cailleach had disappeared when the veil closed and when Arthur and Gwaine woke, they found nothing more than Merlin sitting on his knees, tears streaming down his face.
Merlin didn't return to Camelot with the others, choosing to dismount near a river and was gone, his clothes by the side of the river before Arthur could reach him. He knew that he was gone before he could even call out to the merman. He grabbed his clothes, packing them into the saddlebag to take back to Gaius, resolving to find the merman after they had returned to Camelot.
It was a solemn Merlin that arrived back at the lake, his mother's arms wrapping around him tightly as he told her what had happened. She knew that the knight had been a good friend to her son and to see him hurt, made her feel helpless as a mother. She knew that there was nothing she could do but be there for him and help him when he asked.
It was a few days later that Gaius appeared at the lake, unbidden, making his way into the cave and calling for Merlin. When he appeared, Merlin noticed the old man looked concerned and couldn't help but wonder why.
"Gaius, what is it?" He asked, settling onto a protruding rock under the surface of the water.
"I fear you may have been right about Agravaine." He sighed Merlin looked up at him sharply.
"What do you mean?" He asked, searching the old man's face.
"Late last night, Agravaine came to my chambers asking about something he shouldn't have been." Merlin raised an eyebrow, already having had enough of the evasion game Gaius like to place. "You."
"Me?" Merlin felt his brow furrow. As far as he was concerned, Morgana and Morgause – well just Morgana now – had stopped their search for him long ago, unable to find him. "What about me?"
"Well, not you exactly." Merlin raised his eyebrows at Gaius, who nodded. "He was asking about Emrys."
"Emrys?" Merlin repeated, shaking his head again. "Why would a nobleman, with no connection to anything magical, want to know about Emrys?"
"Only one person could have heard that name." Gaius stated and Merlin nodded. "Morgana. We know her powers are growing. She too must have seen the Cailleach."
"It seems that Agravaine is not as virtuous as he seems." Merlin sighed and Gaius nodded, agreeing with him.
"And don't forget," he pointed out as Merlin looked up at him. "He has every reason to despise Uther. You must beware, Merlin. Morgana can never know the truth. She must never know who and what you really are."
Merlin nodded, knowing that he would have to do everything possible to stop that from happening.