"Each time dawn appears, the mystery is there in its entirety.Each time dawn appears, the mystery is there in its entirety."- René Daumal
Nadia hadn't realised just how nervous she was until now. Mind you, everyone was nervous. The two guys were the best at disguising it, although, as was the case with many mortals it seemed, their eyes betrayed their true emotions. When Arthur looked over his shoulder before entering the tunnel, the fear was in his eyes. When Merlin walked past her, it was in his eyes too. But the worst of them all was Guinevere, who didn't move. Her head and eyes were downcast and almost recoiled when Nadia took a step towards her.
"Aren't you coming Gwen?" she asked softly.
Gwen looked up, doubt spreading across her expression. "I-I don't know…" she whispered. Her eyes were filling with tears.
Nadia sighed. "Guinevere, it's now or never. If you stay here, Camelot will fall. If you come with us, we will triumph. It's up to you."
"But what about Uther? He'll have my head for this."
"I will never let that happen." Nadia protested defiantly. If there was anything she wasn't going to let happen to any of them, it was that.
"Come on. You'll just have to trust me." Nadia held out a hand. Gwen hesitated, and then reluctantly took it. They walked together into the tunnel, Nadia leading the way.
As soon as they were inside, the entrance instantly re-sealed itself, leaving the two of them in darkness. Gwen gave out a small squeal of shock and moved closer to Nadia.
"Merlin!" she called out into the blackness.
Silence, and then, "Nadia! Where are you?"
Relief. "We're at the entrance! We can't see! Where are you?"
There was no reply. She felt Guinevere tense up at her side. Nadia listened carefully for any sound. There! Was that him? She listened closer, taking a step forward.
Suddenly, something took hold of Nadia's arm. She jumped back and tried to free herself from the vice-like grip.
"Nadia?" Merlin whispered.
"Merlin! You scared the life out of me!" she scolded, heart beating faster than ever. Even in the darkness she could tell he was grinning.
"This way." He led them on, holding Nadia's hand all the way. She could feel his pulse beneath his skin- old habits die hard- and the warmth it excluded. She held on tightly, afraid to let go.
….
Arthur stood in awe of his surroundings, as did the three others beside him. The chamber itself was very large for one that was supposed to be hidden. How it had gotten past the guards for so many years he didn't know. Despite the chamber being abandoned for so many years, no dust had collected on the shelves stacked high with scrolls, ink and books. No cobwebs hung from the still glowing fire lanterns on the walls. No decay had ruined the delicate dragon decorated mosaic circle on the floor. And most impressively, time had not dulled the four sets of armour on each side of the room.
All of them were black and had different coloured sword belts- one gold, one emerald, one sapphire and one scarlet. The metal was a kind he had not seen before. He placed his fingers underneath the chest plate of the nearest set and saw that although it was stout and thick, it was almost weightless and totally flexible.
Sorcery surely was used to make these…he realised, and jerked his hand away from it.
Two ruby-pommel broad swords lay inside the belt, both emblazoned with gold and silver. It was all of the finest metal work he could have ever imagined. Why his father got rid of such work was beyond Arthur, and the thought that he might be up against it sent shivers down his spine.
Each set was different, he observed. The gold belted set had one topaz- pommel sword and one small gold dagger. Both the sapphire and emerald set had a yew bow, swan feather arrows and a quiver. The sapphire set however, had a sword, and the emerald set had a strange double bladed weapon with a bronze handle in the middle.
"What now?" Arthur asked.
"We take our places around the circle, just like I said." Merlin's eyes didn't move away from the dragon décor on the floor.
"Our places?" Gwen asked.
"You know, the different…coloured tiles." Merlin still didn't look up, something he knew annoyed Arthur to the extreme.
Nevertheless, Arthur took the place opposite Guinevere on the Southern side. He noticed the tiles beneath him were made of red. Gwen's were made of green, Nadia's of blue, Merlin's of gold.
Like the belts...
"And now?" Gwen asked.
Merlin's eyes widened at what he was reading.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur said.
"It says Qui custodit Camelot Credendum est. Nulla fides sine castitate. Sed inter arcana qui hoc castrum tuendum, Rex civibus. Aliquam ut nunc oportet enuntiare."
"What does it mean?" said Gwen.
"It means, Those who guard Camelot must trust another. There is no trust without honesty. No secrets are held between those who protect this castle, this king, the citizens. Any that you now hold, you must reveal."
Arthur didn't understand. Why would Merlin be so shocked at that? Surely he kept no secrets from him?...
...
No, Merlin thought. No, no,no,no, NO! Not today, surely? It wasn't time! Arthur wasn't ready to know, and Merlin wasn't ready to tell him! If he told Arthur now, it could jeprodise everything! If he reacted badly, the Elements couldn't be formed, and Morgana would overrun the castle. But if he took it well, he could also be persuaded by Morgana that her side was the rightful side and Camelot would fall into her hands.
"There is an easy way to do this." Nadia announced. Merlin snapped his head up to listen.
"Look here." She pointed to an inscription carved on the stone walls. "It's an incantation. It will show each of our lives to each other."
"Will it work?" Merlin asked.
"Of course, if it's done properly."
"Well then, be my guest. Go ahead." Arthur said. Nadia nodded at him in thanks.
She took a deep breath, and began to chant softly:
"Ostende nobis vita Magic,
Feugiat,
Sapientia
Et Pulchritudo.
Limites non agnoscimus
Ita ut per se speramus."
Merlin vaguely understood what she said, but had no time to dwell on it as his vision swirled and he found himself in another time.
...
Merlin was in Camelot, he could tell that much. But it was not the Camelot he remembered.
The walls were lighter and less worn than he recalled, and the people in the streets were unfamiliar to him. He soon realised this was the past, but whose he could not tell.
A small girl with dark hair, eyes and skin ran past him, closely followed by a slightly older boy he could only assume was her brother. The girl was instantly recognisable as the young Gwen, which meant that the young boy chasing her was no doubt Elyan. They were playing together, pushing through any gaps in the crowds they could find. A voice called out behind him, a voice Merlin distinctly remembered. It belonged to Gwen's father, who shouted to them both to return to him, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. The only thing to stop the two siblings were two noble riders on white horses. One was Uther, and the other, the young Arthur. He smiled at the young prince. It astounded Merlin that he was to grow up to become King, because in his childhood form, he seemed much more kind and caring that Merlin had ever seen. There was a distinct aura of innocence surrounding him, one that was certainly not present around his father. Guinevere and Arthur locked eyes for a moment, but the prince kept riding, urged on by his father.
Merlin thought it was all rather sweet, but suddenly, he found himself pulled forwards in time to when Gwen was much older, around 13 years old. She had certainly grown into a young woman, but still clung to a sliver of childhood in her teenage years. From what her father was saying, Merlin took it that Guinevere had just returned home from her first day at work in the castle. She chatted eagerly about her duties, the Lady Morgana, the servants, the King, but mostly about Arthur. Elyan pointed this out to her and she blushed. Her father gave a hearty chuckle and patted Gwen on the shoulder. Gwen seemed disappointed, but she continued with her narrative.
Most of Gwen's memories from that moment onwards were about her work in the castle, but the final one he found the most intriguing. Guinevere was in Morgana's chambers, which would have been considered normal if she hadn't been hiding behind a screen watching her mistress take a small wooden box full of sand and place it on a nearby table. Morgana's eyes flashed gold, and a flame appeared from nowhere. Gwen took a step back, almost colliding with Merlin, but to his surprise, his legs moved of their own account. Guinevere continued to watch Morgana, but Merlin was pulled away, and he soon realised he was leaving Guinevere's memory, into that of another.
He could tell instantly that it was Nadia's life from the simple fact that they were under water. He recognised her instantly, long blonde hair lifting gently behind her. She was fully grown and had an air of youth around her, so Merlin placed her at around 20 years old- or at least, from her form, as she still seemed to be in her early twenties now. She was with another nymoh, who Merlin placed as being her mother. She too was beautiful. Her skin was olive-tanned and her hair so blonde it looked white. Her eyes were of the sharpest green and her cheekbones were high, defining her face like that of Venus.
Nadia whispered something to her mother-why Merlin couldn't tell-, and she smiled and said, "If you must."
Nadia grinned and ran towards an oak bookcase. She took a large leather bound book that was titled in gold lettering 'Healing:Volume One' and sank to the floor, reading in earnest.
This was when she began her training, Merlin realised. He watched her for a while, noticing how remarkably focused she looked, as if nothing else in the world existed except her and that book.
Time jumped forwards once more, and Merlin found himself on the banks of Avalon. Nadia was knelt in the mud, clothes covered in blood. To his relief, it was not her own, but that of another nymph who lay dying in front of her. Behind them in the distance, Merlin made out a vigourous battle scene between Knights and nymphs. They were all exhausted, but Nadia looked worse than some of the dying she was so tired. Her lips formed frantic words to try and save her dying comrade, but he could not be saved. He died in her arms.
Nadia tried to grieve, but she was wrenched from his cold body to heal the hundreds of others that lay around her. No-one noticed the tears on her cheeks.
It was not a happy memory, but the next was no better. Again, she was on the banks of Avalon, and again she was crying, but she was not alone. Beside her sat Kilgarrah, the Great Dragon. He told her of Camelot, of her future and her destiny. She protested definantly, but the Dragon overrode her shouts. He became tired of her and took four draughts of water from the Lake. Nadia strecthed out a hand towards the water, but it recoiled from her touch, leaving the lake bed bare to the open air. Two more tears spilled over.
Merlin was glad to have a change in memory. The last were so saddening, he thought he too might join her in her crying, but her last shown memory was one he remembered well. They were in Uther's chambers, trying to heal the ill King, but Nadia was running out of ideas. She collapsed to the floor beside the fireplace and buried her face in her hands. Merlin sat down slowly beside her and placed a gentle arm around her shoulder. He took her hand away from her face and held it in his. She buried her face in his chest and watched the firelight dance on the walls. The present Merlin was almost lost in the memory once more, before it vanished, leaving Nadia's life far behind.
He didn't realise Arthur's childhood had been so strict.
Arthur was 5 years old, and was having a lesson in warfare with his father. It was supposed to be about Camelot's defence system and how it operated, but somehow Uther gotten on to the topic of sorcery again and was rabbiting on and on about how much they wanted to take advantage of you and show how superior they were. They young Arthur looked straight into his father's eyes, completely innocent and said, "But they were your friends once weren't they father?"
Uther sighed and placed a hand on his head. "Yes, son. They were once. Then I learned they could not be trusted."
"How did you learn that if they are so good at keeping secrets?"
His father smiled. "Because I was better."
Nonsense, Merlin knew, but the young Arthur looked at his father in awe and drunk in every word he said.
The next memory of Arthur's was when he was about 7 years of age and his father sent him to begin his knight training. The swords were too heavy for him to lift, let alone use one in a fight. So instead they taught him to fight with his fists. They put him up against a huge warrior, a great brute of a man who was far too hard on the prince, dodging and sneering at him, and showing no sign of holding back his enormous strength when he landed a blow on Arthur. Several times he was knocked to the ground, and eventually he had to be taken to Gaius for a horrible bruise on his side.
The last thing Merlin remembered of Arthur's fast fleeting memories was one he had always been curious about- that fateful day Merlin was poisoned to save Arthur.
Arthur was struggling to keep his grip and knew his time was running out. The cave was pitch black and he could hear the monsters making their way up towards him. He looked ready to give up.
A small ball of light appeared, illuminating the towering stones around the prince. Arthur was suspicious of it, but had no choice but to follow it. The light led him upwards towards the place where the antidote flower perched on it's ledge. Arthur grabbed it and climbed as fast as he could out of the cave. The light was familiar to Merlin, but he couldn't make out why. His hand began to tingle, but Arthur's memories moved too fast for him to think, and he soon found that only his life was left to be shown. He thought about how much Arthur had put at risk for him, so much more than what any other master would give for their servant. But not just a servant, Merlin realised, but a friend.
Arthur's life faded, leaving only Merlin's to be shown. A huge nest of butterflies released themselves inside his stomach at the idea of it, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
His first memory was one Merlin barely recognised. He was still in Ealdor, and must have been about 4 years of age. He was with his friend Will, sat around his small wooden dining table discussing the arrival of a strange new visitor in the village. Will seemed convinced the man was a sorcerer, but Merlin begged to differ. They were arguing happily as little boys tend to do, when a small cry escaped his mother's lips. A black boiling kettle had slipped from Hunith's fingers. Before he could stop himself, Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and the kettle returned to his mother's hands before it could hit the floor. Will gaped in awe at his friend and was desperate to be taught the same trick, but no matter how determined he was, Will held no magic powers. He sulked and became withdrawn. Sympathetic, Merlin created a small white flower and gave it to him. Will's beaming face was the last thing he saw before the memory changed.
It was a curious thing, watching himself grow up. Merlin saw himself learn many lessons, some harder than others. He saw himself change both physically and mentally, and he saw his mother grow older and older. He watched his meetings with Gaius, Arthur, Guinevere, Morgana, Lancelot, Kilgarrah, Gawain, Mordrid, Morgause, Nimueh and so many others. He saw himself cast many enchantments, and he saw himself save so many lives.
The hardest part of his memory lane trip was seeing Freya again. Watching it all over again was just as hard as doing it the first time. He hadn't forgotten her face. Her dark hair, dark eyes, marble skin… He hadn't forgotten her voice, so scared at first of him, then more trusting. Oh why did it have to pan out the way it did?...
He watched himself defeat so many enemies- Alvarr, the Wyverns, Grunhilda etc- and all the while, he only thought of what Arthur would say. After all, most of these he thought he killed. That of course wasn't the case…
He opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the firelight on the walls. His head instantly rolled up to Arthur, who did the same to Merlin. They looked into each other's eyes, trying to read their next moves. Arthur took steps towards him, no expression on his face. He stopped about a pace away, the tension between them tangible in the air.
"You are a sorcerer?" he asked.
"Yes." There was no point in trying to deny it now. He had seen everything,
…"And you saved my life?"
"Yes," Merlin answered.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nadia tense, ready to pounce at any hint of a threat. Gwen did also, but concentrated more on Arthur than Merlin.
For a moment, Merlin thought Arthur was going to arrest him.
He readied himself to use magic, letting the power flow to his fingers.
Then Arthur held out a hand.
"You have gained my trust, Merlin. Guard it well, for not many people have it."
He relaxed and took Arthur's hand.
"And you have mine."
…
NB: Just in case you wanted to know, here is what Nadia chants to begin the Ceremony of Ages.
"Show us the lives of Magic,
Courage,
Wisdom
and Beauty.
We recognise no boundaries
So that in each other we trust."
Please R&R- a review a day keeps the writer at play!
