The courtyard was dark in the early morning, and quiet except for the soft sounds of his horse's hooves on the cobblestones. The sun wouldn't rise for hours, and even the earliest rising castle dwellers weren't out yet. Merlin shivered slightly in the chilly morning mist and pulled his cloak a little closer around his shoulders. He had almost passed under the castle gates when he heard someone calling his name. A glance behind him found Gwaine jogging across the courtyard to catch up to him. Merlin reined in his horse to wait.
"Out late or up early?" Merlin asked when Gwaine reached him.
"Up early." Gwaine grimaced. "Why the bloody hell are you leaving now?" Merlin shrugged.
"I have a long ride ahead of me. I just wanted an early start."
"I think you're taking the 'early' part a bit too seriously, mate," Gwaine told him, shaking his head. Then he grew serious, and turned his face upward to look Merlin in the eyes. "I thought maybe you were trying to sneak away while everyone was asleep. To avoid trouble."
"Trust me, Gwaine, if I wanted to sneak off, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Merlin told him. Gwaine nodded, but still looked unconvinced.
"I heard you argued with Arthur in the council meeting," he said quietly. "And he didn't look too happy after that sparring match you two had." Merlin laughed.
"If you think that would be enough to chase me off, then you don't know me very well." Gwaine returned the smile.
"Gwen gave you permission to go find some more sorcerers to help, then?"
"Yes. She talked Arthur into it somehow."
"I suppose I'd better let you get on your way, then," Gwaine said, stepping back from Merlin's horse. "Just… you will come back, won't you?"
"I'll see you in three days." Merlin kicked his horse into motion and trotted out the gate.
XXX
Merlin reined in his horse as a green cloaked figure emerged from the trees to the side of the path. His magic tingled under his skin, and he smiled as the man threw back the hood of his cloak.
"Emrys," he said warmly. "It's good to see you again."
"You too, Fabian," Merlin replied, and swung down from his horse to shake the Druid's hand.
"What brings you here?" Fabian asked. "How long has it been since you left, two years?"
"A little longer, I think," Merlin told him. "I came to ask for your help."
Fabian looked at him sharply. "Is this something to do with Mordred?"
"Yes."
Fabian nodded slowly. "Come on, then. I'll take you to camp."
A few minutes later, the two men walked into the camp. People emerged from their tents at the sound of their passing, some familiar to Merlin from his last visit. Many followed behind them, seeming to know without having to be told that this was no casual visit. Soon all the adults were gathered in a loose circle around the campfire in the center of camp, waiting for someone to begin.
"We welcome you, Emrys," Ryia, one of the Druid leaders, said when everyone had found a seat.
"Thank you," Merlin replied.
"Fabian said you came seeking help," she continued. "What is it that we can do for you?"
Merlin hesitated for a moment, wondering how he could possibly frame his request in a way that wouldn't sound insane. Then he sighed and gave up, knowing that there was no way to make this sound better. "I need help defending Camelot from Mordred's armies."
A shocked murmur went through the assembled Druids. "Why?" One woman asked. "Camelot is the enemy of our people, Emrys. Why would you defend it?"
"Camelot is not our enemy," Merlin said. Seeing the disbelieving looks he was getting, he continued. "Camelot's leaders have been our enemies ever since the Purge, no one can deny that. But its people are not guilty of the crimes of their king. Mordred's armies have been burning and pillaging their way through the land, killing anyone who gets in their way. Yes, that includes the lords and knights and officials who have persecuted us, but it's also the farmers. It's the merchants and blacksmiths and healers, it's old men and children and people who have done nothing to deserve that fate."
"You are right, Emrys," one of the men spoke up. "These people have done nothing, and that is precisely why they deserve destruction. They stood by for years and watched while Uther slaughtered our people by the hundreds. They would not help us when we needed them most. Why should we risk our lives for them?"
"Because their deaths won't bring back the people we've lost," Merlin answered. "Destroying Camelot will not right any past wrongs. Mordred and those who follow him are angry. I know you are too. So am I. We have the right to be: the crimes committed against our people are beyond counting. But revenge will not help us. All it will accomplish is to continue this endless cycle of destruction and violence, and that won't help anyone. They persecute us, we fight back, they use that as justification for their next attack, we defend ourselves, and they come back and hit us a hundred times harder. It never ends, don't you see? The only way it could stop is with complete annihilation, or with peace. I know what I would choose. What about you?" He looked around at the Druids gathered around him. "It won't be easy," he continued quietly. "They will resist us. It will be a long time before the chasm that's opened up between our peoples can heal. But we can start. We can choose to be the better men. Mordred thinks that destroying Camelot is the first step on the path to building a better world, but he's wrong. If he burns that city to the ground, he's not better. He's just another Uther. And if we stand back and do nothing, we're no better than the crowds who gather to watch witches burn. My friends, we don't need another Uther. We don't need revenge. And as hard as it is to accept, we don't even need justice. What we need is peace. And this is how we get it."
There was a long silence. Then, at the back of the group, a young man stood up. "My parents died in the Purge," he said. "I wanted revenge for a long time, but Emrys is right. Killing them won't help us. I don't want any more children growing up orphans." He met Merlin's gaze, eyes blazing. "I will fight with you, Emrys."
"As will I," Ryia said, rising from her seat near the fire. "I have glimpsed the future in my dreams, and the path Mordred will set us on leads only to more death. Emrys will lead us to new life."
"I will fight with you, Emrys," Fabian said, meeting Merlin's eyes with a smile.
"And I," said the woman beside him.
"And I."
Soon the clearing was full of voices, offering their help in the battle to come. Merlin listened and smiled, knowing that he wouldn't be facing this enemy alone.