Chapter 11

Questions and Answers

They sat at the dining table. The light from the window streaming in and tumbling over the wood - over the hands spread wide on the rough surface. Arthur stared down at his hands, they were tough from sword fighting - the knuckles callused. He glanced up to Gwen to his right, she sat with her back straight and her hands placed elegantly on her lap. The very image of a Queen. He let his eyes move on to the man beside her, Leon. His hair hang over his face as he leaned forward slightly, there was a line between his eyebrows as he thought. Arthur looked to his left and studied Elyan, he was watching his sister, worry written into his features. Gwaine was next to him. He shifted from one position to the next, as if the chair was burning him. Gwaine's eyes moved over everyone then to the table. Percival was standing by the sink, staring out of the window and to the Lake.

Finally, Arthur dragged his eyes to look at the man opposite him. Black hair was a mess atop a white face, the blue eyes stared blankly at the window. Arthur thought he should say something but every time he opened his mouth, his brain wouldn't provide him with anything. He rolled his eyes at himself and looked back down at his hands.

When Merlin had collapsed, he didn't know what to do. It was like Merlin didn't know he was there. Arthur had grabbed a shoulder and tried to talk to him, but he was just staring at something over his shoulder while he clung onto the worktop. Then he had stood up and turned the radio up. They hadn't known what to do, Arthur had gripped Gwen's hand and they had just waited with him. Then the voice in the box started to talk about Earthquakes and people dying. Only then he understood.

Merlin had known it was happening, even before the news got on to the radio.

It must have been magic, it was the only explanation. But Merlin didn't seem to control it. But that couldn't be right. Merlin was fifteen hundred years old, he should be able to control his magic fully now, right?

Arthur wasn't sure, he needed to talk to Merlin about it. But what could he say?

Arthur looked up at Merlin again, blinking in surprise when he saw Merlin looking back at him. There was a look of determination in his face and his eyes were focused. Arthur lifted an eyebrow in a silent question. Merlin nodded slightly.

Merlin sat up straight and cleared his throat, all eyes turned to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry," There was a series of protests at his apology but he held up a hand to quieten it. Arthur was surprised at his easy show of command, then at everyone's silence. He really didn't know his friend anymore. "It started only in the last century. In 1945, there was a powerful bomb - like I described - that blew away entire cities. Killing hundreds of thousands. The first was one the 6th of August, the next on the 9th. Each explosion effected us. All the druids, sorcerer's - anyone who was left - were brought to their knees. I don't know how to explain it... it was like grief and pain were the only things in our bodies. And we were all connected. In that moment of misery - it's like we're standing next to each other. I think it effects me more as I am the centre of all magic, I'm immortal. I am magic," He shrugged in exasperation.

"So," Gwaine began, "this... bomb," he said the word cautiously, "triggered a reaction in magic?"

Merlin nodded.

"How?" Leon asked.

"I'm not sure. But I think I might be starting to understand. The third time it happened was only twelve years ago. You've seen the planes fly over my cottage," Everyone nodded, although it wasn't a question, "on the 9th September 2001, terrorists took control of four of them and flew two into very tall buildings called skyscrapers. Another went into the Pentagon - another building - and the last went down in a field just short of it's target - The Capitol. Everytime one crashed the same wave of grief and pain passed over me and every other magic user on the planet," Merlin paused, watching to see their reactions.

Arthur could feel the frown on his face and attempted to smooth it, but it was no good. He glanced to Gwen and wasn't surprised to see a look of understanding on her features. At least one of them got it.

"And it happened again today," Merlin continued. "My first thought was that the modern world was triggering it but an earthquake can't be caused by technology. Now I think it has to do something with magic. The question is - what is it?"

"Could it have something to do with us?" Gwen asked. "You brought us back from the dead that must have effected magic in some way?"

"The only person I saw come back from the dead was Lancelot. I think Morgana used an ancient magic pendant to do that. I didn't use any kind of object - except the Cup of Life,"

"Merlin, how exactly did you bring us back then?" Gwen frowned. "You told me that Lancelot had been a Shade. We're obviously not, so how does it work?"

Arthur looked at Merlin, he seemed to pause for a minute. Realising he hadn't explained the whole coming-back-from-the-dead-thing probably, Arthur thought. Then he blinked in surprise, "When was Lancelot a Shade?"

Merlin waved his hand, showing he would explain later. Arthur glared at him but nodded.

"The spell," Merlin paused, biting his lip. "it needed the Cup of Life to be destroyed, in order for the eternal life to be given and the spell to work. It was kind of a riddle, I suppose...

When need is greatest,
Eternal life will be delivered.
When darkness threatens,
Light shall be triumphant."

"'Light shall be triumphant'. What does that mean?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin shrugged, "I guess it has something to do with what's going to happen or the the ball of light I used to kill the darkness in the Lake. But then again, it's a riddle so it could mean anything,"

"Not much of a riddle," Arthur said.

"You're not much of a..." Merlin stopped, his mouth open and a look of great concentration on his face.

Arthur crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow. "All out of insults, Merlin?"

Merlin shut his mouth and shook his head slowly. "After fifteen hundred years it gets difficult. My brain is full of... stuff," He frowned, a faraway look shading his eyes. He blinked and shook himself all over, "Think I'm going senal, as well,"

The kitchen erupted in laughter, the statement had been so matter-of-fact and serious coming from Merlin. Merlin chuckled with them and mimed walking with a stick, clutching his back and complaining loudly. That had them going again.

Still chuckling, Merlin headed over to the stove and put a kettle on to boil. He glanced at the dirty breakfast plates and his eyes flashed, sending the dishes to the sink where they began washing themselves. Percival jumped out of the way of the splashing water and smiled good-naturedly at Merlin. He returned the smile and started getting cups out of the cupboard.

While he waited for the tea, he placed biscuits on the table - far away from Arthur and quibbling about his weight. Arthur glared at him but his eyes betrayed a look of happiness. Merlin grinned and set about making the tea. Throwing teabags in each cup and flicking a wrist to send the milk out of the fridge and onto the table.

Everyone had been a bit confused when he did this the first time. They didn't know what he was doing, might have been a ghastly potion for all they knew. Tea with milk was a largely 19th Century drink. They seemed to like it enough, though.

When he was finished, Merlin set the tea on the table and let everyone sort out their own milk and sugar. Sitting down with a sigh, he caught Arthur smirking at him. "Yes, prat?"

Arthur grinned. "You know how to walk on your knees, Merlin?"

"Wha -" Merlin heard a creek of a floorboard behind him and whipped up a hand. His eyes blazing a brilliant gold. There was a "Oof!" behind him and a loud thud as something hit the floor. "Gwaine, if you're going to sneak up on a warlock, be a bit more stealthy,"

"But - What? No! It can't be! How did you know it was me anyway?" Gwaine complained.

"Because I can see everyone else," Merlin answered, casting his gaze over everyone in the room. "And Arthur gave you away,"

"I was distracting you. Or trying to," Arthur explained. Then a suspicious frowned creased his forehead, "You don't have eye's in the back of your head, do you?"

Merlin laughed. "Why? Do you want to check?" He lowered his head to show the back and ran a hand through it.

"I bet they're invisible," Gwaine grabbed his head and starting combing through the warlock's raven black hair.

"Get off, you twit!" Merlin slapped his hand away and attempted to smooth the mop of hair.

"'Twit'? That's a new one," Arthur observed. "You're not going to direct it to me are you?" He cracked his knuckles threateningly.

"You'll alway be a 'prat', Arthur. You shouldn't worry," Merlin gave his best patronising smile.

Gwen chuckled at their banter and directed the conversation back to the main purpose, "You were saying about the Cup, Merlin?"

"Yes! I was saying... What was I saying?"

Arthur coughed into his hand. It sounded oddly like "Senior moment". Merlin cocked his head and rolled his eyes but cracked a smile. The Knight's chests were heaving with silent laughter.

"I was saying that the spell was a riddle. Now - "Eternal life to be delivered". At first I thought this meant that eternal life was being delivered to you. But now I think it actually meant that I was giving my own life to you. The Cup itself would not have set right the world balance. There must be a life for a life. My life is endless, so I have given some of my own years to each of you. I don't know how many. Could be fifty, a hundred - a thousand! I simply don't know," Merlin stopped, letting them digest this information.

"But your life is eternal. It'll last forever, that's the point, right?" Elyan spoke up. "How can you give it away, if it will never end?"

"That's the thing, I no longer have eternal life. I delivered it - I gave it away. Yes, I will probably live for many more years - I'm Emrys, afterall. But I think I can now die just like everyone else. My scars are from when I came close to death. They whipped me over fifty times, the sword cut an artery and wound became infected, the bullet punctured another artery and the shrapnel embedded itself in my gut. I survived them all because of my immortality. I won't survive the next one,"

All signs of mirth from the previous banter had drained away. The realisation that Merlin was just as fragile as them making everyone pause as they considered the possibility of losing their friend. And losing each other due to their own mortality.

"You're going to live well over two thousand, mate," Gwaine promised, clapping a hand over Merlin's shoulder, "especially, if you gave me a thousand years to play with!"

Merlin groaned, "Exactly what I need - the next thousand years with your tavern songs," But his face split into a good-natured grin and he looked about the table.

Arthur caught his eye and beamed. Then he turned back to seriousness, "You can't bring anyone else out of the lake then?"

"No," Merlin answered simply, shaking his head.

"Nobody else can bring people out of the lake?"

"No,"

"What about this new threat that we're supposed to be fighting?"

Merlin considered before answering, "The waves of grief signify an event that hurts magic. I don't think we can do much except look for the cause,"

"Where do we start?"

All eyes turned to Merlin. He felt a bit uncomfortable under their gaze and shifted in his seat. Gripping the mug of tea in his hands and looking down into its tan coloured depths. "I would like to find out who these "Friends" are,"

Quickly he explained the broken window, box, key, book and letter. Also, he mentioned the strange man who had attacked him in the front garden. Their faces changed between confusion, doubt and shock.

By the time he had stopped talking, they were all certain that they had to find the "friends" and discover who exactly wants Merlin dead.

The trees surrounding the cottage were loosely packed and airy. The vivid green showing up stark against the white washed walls. The hard, tarmac road skimmed past the front of the cottage, the small brown gate to the garden closed in front of a grit path that led to the front door. The front window looking into the kitchen was boarded up.

A man used it to cover his advance towards the building, using it as a blind spot and climbing over the garden wall. He crept nearer and pressed a ear against a small gap in the board and the window frame.

A while passed before he crept back out and headed down the road. He had heard all he needed to.

AN: How do you like my explanation? At first this was a mainly Arthur only "coming-back-from-the-dead-thing" but I realised that my explanation covered all the lives in the Lake and therefore I could bring back everyone (just about)! However - Do not get your hopes up. No-one else is coming out of the water! :)

Lots of talking for this chapter but I wanted to clear up the unanswered questions before we move on to the exciting end-of-the-world stuff.

Phew! School is killing me! I had to do THREE essay's - history homework - English homework - Geography homework - History homework AGAIN! I mean... wha?... this can't... really... *breathing heavily*... I can't... *faints*

School, huh? ¬¬

The good news is - Only 2 more weeks until study leave! Yay!

The bad news is - Might have to go down to once a week updates until this is over. Can't do anything about it, sorry! :(

Please review! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin!

Marmar

Yea, the scenes were nice! :D Thanks for reviewing!