True to his word, three days later Merlin had ridden into the city once again, six sorcerers following close behind. That was almost a week ago, and Merlin now stood on the battlements above the northern gate to the city, Ryia, one of the Druids, beside him.
"They'll attack from this direction," Merlin said confidently, staring out to the north. It was the best place for it. The road was wide here, which made sense in times of peace, since on market days these roads were clogged with traders and farmers looking to sell their wares. But it also gave an enemy force an easy approach. The road to the north also wove through a series of small hills, which sheltered the enemy from the defender's arrows until they were within a few yards of the walls. Ryia nodded in agreement.
"Emeric and I will guard this section of the wall," she said. "We have the most experience. You'll want us where the fighting is heaviest."
"Where do you think the others should be positioned?" Merlin asked her. She knew the other sorcerers better than he did.
"Alinor and Fabian should go to the eastern and western gates," Ryia said thoughtfully. "I am confident in their abilities, although Alinor has been training longer." Merlin nodded. He knew Fabian from the time he had spent with the Druids after he left Camelot, and Alinor was Fabian's older sister. "That way the eastern and western gates will be defended if Mordred decides to attack on multiple fronts."
"And they'll also be close enough to you and Emeric that they can help here if need be," Merlin added.
"Exactly."
"What about Nilus?" Merlin asked her. Nilus was a lanky boy with a shock of wild blond hair and green eyes. He was no more than sixteen, but had been the first to volunteer when Merlin had asked for help.
"Nilus has powerful magic, but he is the newest to our group and has the least experience," Ryia told him. "He should be kept well away from the heaviest fighting."
"We can position him at the southern gate," Merlin decided. "There shouldn't be much trouble there, if there's any. The roads there are too narrow to get any large force through, and there's no cover to speak of. An attacking force would lose half their numbers to archers before they even touched the wall."
"So we'll have someone at every gate," Ryia said approvingly. "Plus you and Illaria in the keep. That is, if you convinced your physician to allow it?"
"Merek wasn't happy, but he'll let her help," Merlin told her, referring to the druid healer who had come along to help with wounded men from the battle. "He said he'd be watching her closely the whole time, but I'm sure as soon as the fighting starts he'll be too busy to take notice of her."
"Good. Illaria would throw a fit if she had to work with some old physician breathing down her neck," Ryia said. Merlin smiled. He'd only spoken to the healer a few times, but he'd gotten that impression as well. "Have you prepared your shielding spell yet?" Ryia asked after a moment. Merlin shook his head.
"I'll do it tomorrow."
"Don't wait to long," Ryia warned him. "The scouts say that Mordred is marching. He'll be here in a few day's time."
"I know. Tomorrow," he assured her.
"And you're sure you'll be able to protect the entire city? I've never heard of a shielding spell on that scale."
"It will work," Merlin said with a confidence he did not feel. Ryia nodded, and they were quiet for a moment.
"Have you ever killed a man?" Ryia asked suddenly.
"What?" He asked, taken aback by the question. She looked at him steadily, waiting. He swallowed hard. "Yes. I have."
"Good."
"Good?" He repeated. "Why is that good?"
"The battle will be easier for you. Killing always gets easier with time."
"I don't want killing to get easier."
She smiled, a strange, sad smile.
"None of us do. But it happens all the same." She reached up and gently touched his face.
Be brave, Emrys, she told him, her voice echoing in his mind instead of his ears, and walked away, leaving him alone to stare out over what would soon be the battlefield.
XXX
The next day, Merlin rode his horse around the entire length of Camelot's walls. At regular intervals, he dismounted to carefully unwrap the bandage around his hand and draw a symbol on the stone in his own blood, muttering words in the ancient language as he did so. Leon went with him. The knight claimed that he was there for Merlin's safety, but he was far too honest a man to tell a believable lie. Merlin knew that Arthur had sent him to make sure Merlin didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to. It didn't bother Merlin to have Leon there, but he did find it a little pointless. Merlin could be chanting "burn down the walls, kill everyone inside, I am an evil sorcerer" in the ancient language and Leon wouldn't know the difference. The knight seemed uncomfortably aware of this same fact, but tried to cover it up by asking questions about what Merlin was doing.
"Why do you need to draw blood?"
"It's part of the spell. I'm basically binding myself to the place I'm guarding so that my magic can protect it." Leon seemed satisfied with that answer and stayed quiet until the next time they stopped.
"What are the words you're saying?"
"Eac se ríce sylfum mín dréor, ic i bescylde þes eard," Merlin said as he drew the symbol.
"What does it mean?"
"With the power of my blood I shield this place," Merlin told him, wrapping the bandage back around his hand and swinging back up onto his horse. "That was the last one."
"What about the north gate?" Leon asked, surprised. "Aren't you going to do one there?"
"I'll wait until just before the attack. Once I complete the circle the spell will start taking energy. I don't want to waste the effort before the battle even starts." I'm going to need all the strength I've got to pull this off.