Children see magic because they look for it.

~ Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Chapter 14: Druids in Camelot

The castle courtyard was filled with people throughout the city of Frith as they watched their Dragon Prince Merlin Emrys slowly walk to the castle steps. As he walked drums were slowly beat in a soft rhythm. He was dressed in fine blue royal robes with a small crown on his head walking forward with the true poise of a prince. There were Paladins in full robes and armor and formation and they nodded their heads down as Merlin passed them. Will, Gwaine, and Leets nodded and smiled deeply as Merlin passed by them. Their Dragon King Balinor along with their Dragon Queen Hunith were at the castle grand doors in full royal attire with golden crowns worn proudly on their heads. Liana had a tiara on her head and Nowe a golden decorative ring around his head. The sky above them was filled with hovering and flying wyverns while Kilgharrah was perched at the top of the castle's tower as he looked down at them all.

Merlin made his way in front of his father and kneeled down. Balinor took out Excalibur and held it so that the tip of the blade was above Merlin's head.

"In the eyes of the magical and non, in the presence of humans and dragon kin alike, I present the sword forged in the dragon's breath Excalibur to my son Merlin Emrys Ambrosius in the light of his twentieth year. Do you swear to use this sword, made for the freedom and liberation of those bound by tyranny, to fight against tyrants and those that serve them? To bring order and safety to those embraced by the grace of magic? To punish those that would abuse the art and seek to destroy where it dwells in peace?"

Merlin kneeled his head lower. "I swear," he said clearly and loudly to the ears of everyone.

"Then let the people of Frith serve as your witnesses. I now formally pass Excalibur to you."

Balinor then hold out Excalibur with both his hands for Merlin to reach for it. Merlin stood and then brought it up for it to catch the light of the sun. The tip shined brilliantly as he held it as high as he could to the people. They all clapped and cheered when the shine faded. The wyverns let out grand roars while Kilgharrah let out a steady stream of fire in the sky that had fading embers raining down like a heavenly rain. Merlin's family didn't cheer or clap but just smiled and looked at Merlin with pride and hope.

It was weeks later after Merlin's 20th birthday and it was a sunny and clear day. The streets of Camelot were full of bustle and hustle as the people went about their daily lives. They had no idea that this seemingly normal day would take a very disturbing turn.

A man named Cerdan and his apprentice Mordred were making their way into Camelot to try and pick up some supplies for their camp. He didn't usually handle this sort of work but the one that usually picked up the supplies had been stricken with a fever so he decided to pick it up for him. When Cerdan met with the supplier he sensed that the man was tense and agitated. He was nervous and Cerdan couldn't see how as this wasn't the first time that he had did business with his people.

"Are you alright?" he asked him.

The supplier nodded before he looked over to the side and Cerdan noticed the incoming sight of a few of Camelot's guards along with one of their knights that looked right at them.

"I'm sorry," the man whispered.

Cerdan instantly sprung into the instincts that all Druids were developing to run at the sign of incoming Camelot knights and soldiers. As they ran those men picked up speed and ran after them.

Mordred had always heard the stories along with the other Druid children about Uther 'Butcher' Pendragon and his 'Blood Army'. The children called it the 'Blood Army' because the knights and soldiers within it were always in red to always carry the image of blood from the Butcher's victims with them all the time. The sight of so many of his 'blood soldiers' running for him and his tutor with their weapons ready made his own blood run cold.

"This way," his tutor hissed as he pulled him to turn down an alley.

The two druids ran down the narrow streets as the people started to run off and part to the sides to avoid being in the two cloaked strangers' path. They didn't move a muscle until after the Camelot guards and soldiers ran past them in their pursuit of the two. It helped make their running easier but it didn't seem to be cause to hope. They didn't know which way they were going and soon found themselves close to the foot of the castle.

A guard came out of nowhere with a knife and made a swipe at them and managed to strike the boy. He screamed out and that made his tutor shout a spell to make the guard fly off his feet and land flat on his back. Mordred winced as his tutor pulled him more harder. The people around them started to run harder as they all tried to put as much distance as possible. They had seen the magic that had been used and wanted to get as far away as possible to avoid the magic and to avoid being accused of collaborating with magic users.

His tutor came upon the castle's gates where the small drawbridge was starting to be raised to try and secure the castle from them.

"Quick, inside Mordred."

"But," the boy tried to argue.

"Just go," he shouted as he lifted Mordred up to slide down the rising bridge.

Mordred was safe on the other side but now his tutor was cut off from running any farther and the guards caught up with him.

Lancelot was walking through the halls to head for the market to see if the florist had some nice flowers to give as a present for Guinevere when something came from around the corner and collide with him. Lancelot dropped the flowers and looked down to see a small figure in a green cloak.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked bending down to help him when he realized that it was a child.

A boy to be more precise. A very young boy that looked winded like he had been running for a great while. The sound of impending steps was starting to come down closer from around the corner that the boy came from and Lancelot saw him go off into a small off corner. A good place for a small boy to hide if no one was walking in the opposite direction. Lancelot turned back to see that the sound came from three armed guards.

"You," one of them said to him. "Have you seen a boy around here?"

Lancelot noted that their tone didn't sound like this boy was a run of the mill trouble maker. It sounded like they were on a serious hunt for him.

"Yes, he bumped into me before running off down that way," he said pointing in the direction that the boy had gone.

It was the truth. The boy did run off in that direction but he didn't say that he was hiding in the alcove to the side.

"Thank you," the guard said before signaling to the others. "We can still catch him."

The guards ran off straight for the direction that Lancelot pointed but thankfully didn't turn to look back to see the boy clearly in the space to the side.

Lancelot scooped up the flowers and went to the boy's hiding spot. "They're gone," he said softly.

Lancelot saw that the boy had a scared look about him and Lancelot also noticed that one of the boy's hands was pressed into his side where there was a dark spot of blood spreading. He was hurt. Lancelot knew that he needed treatment but Gaius' lab was too far and there was no way that Lancelot could get the boy there without being caught. He tried to think before his hand tightened on the flowers he was holding and he remembered where he had been heading a moment ago. And it was close by.

"Follow me," he said reaching for the boy's free hand.

The boy spared but a moment looking at him before nodding and reaching for it. Lancelot pulled him down the corridors for Morgana's chambers and frantically knocked on the door.

Guinevere answered it with a smile and a hint of laughter in her voice that could be seen with Morgana inside the room as well. "Lancelot," she said. "Hi."

"Guinevere, Morgana, we need help," he said as he looked down to the boy he had his hand on.

Morgana went over and looked the scared boy in the face and her expression fell to one of concern. "Come in."

Lancelot and the boy rushed in and Guinevere closed the door swiftly behind them.

"What's going on Lancelot?" asked Guinevere as she moved over to him.

Lancelot led the boy to a chair where Morgana went over and kneeled to get a better look at him.

"I don't know," he said. "I ran into this boy and saw that the guards are after him. He hid and I misled the guards a bit. It didn't look like they were after him over anything small. You would think that a hardened criminal was what they were after."

"This boy's hurt," Morgana said as she looked under the boy's cloak.

"Yes, and I knew that I couldn't bring him to Gaius and this was the closest and safest place I could think of."

"Why would the guards be after a wounded boy?" Guinevere asked.

Her question was answered by a knock on the door.

"Lady Morgana, this is the palace guard."

Morgana pointed for Lancelot and the boy to hide behind her changing screen. When they were out of sight Morgana went over and opened the door to find three guards.

"Yes?" she asked not displaying any panic or worry but curiosity.

"Apologies my lady but we are looking for a Druid boy that had ran into the castle. Have you seen him?"

"No," she said shaking her head. "I've haven't seen any boy. It's just me and my maid."

"Very well my lady but it would be best if you kept your chamber doors closed until we've located him."

"Of course. Thank you and I hope you find him," she said calmly before softly closing the door.

Now everything made sense to the three grown young people in the room. The child was a Druid. That explained why the guards were after him so intently. Guinevere and Morgana helped make a makeshift cot for the boy behind a curtain in the corner while Lancelot made a bandage to help stop the boy from bleeding out before they could find some medicine to help in his healing.

Mordred was silent as they did all of this for him. It seemed as if there kind people in Camelot after all but it didn't take away the fact that he was here in the castle of the Butcher King Uther Pendragon.

Arthur had spent a good hour in the dungeons talking to the Druid that the guards had taken prisoner. After he was finished in his interrogation he went to the throne room to make a full report to his father.

"The Druid and the boy were only in the city to pick up some essential supplies. I don't think he has done any harm father."

Uther remained unmoving in his plans for the Druid. "It doesn't matter why he was here. He is a druid and will be punished as the law deems. He will be executed tomorrow."

"You want to execute him because he's a druid?"

"No we need to execute him because he practices magic. You know the law Arthur. We can't appear weak."

His father then started to leave the room and he followed after. "Yes, I know the law father," he said as he walked with him.

"Good, and I want you to find that boy that he had with him. The guards all confirm that he has yet to leave the city. One said that he managed to wound him so he must be in hiding. I want you lead the search for him."

Arthur tried to push down the feeling of something trying to crawl up from his stomach and climb to his throat. "You want us to execute the child as well?!"

"I don't want to Arthur, we need to. We can't afford to let this child free to grow and gain more powerful and return to cause Camelot to suffer."

"We don't know that Father. He may or may not have magic but he's still only a small boy."

Uther stopped walking to look his son right in the eyes. "Yes Arthur, and Balinor and Emrys were once small boys themselves yet look at the threat they pose to Camelot now." He saw that Arthur was thinking on what he just said. "That is why the boy must die. It would be more merciful than allowing his magic to twist him into a similar monster as them."

Arthur closed his eyes and nodded a moment later.

"Very well Father. I'll find the boy."

"See that you do Arthur," he said as he walked off leaving his son there in the corridor.

The supplier found his way into his home that early evening to be startled at the sight of the woman waiting for him.

"My lady," he said slightly bowing to Nimueh.

Nimueh was lounging in the man's chair and then picked herself up when he bowed. "Excellent work."

The supplier straightened himself up. "Yes," he nodded. He was still feeling a little bad for selling out that man and the boy with him.

"What news about the two Druids?"

"The man was caught and there is an execution set for tomorrow where he will be beheaded."

Nimueh nodded. "And the boy?" she asked eagerly.

"He hasn't been found yet. The city has been sealed and Prince Arthur is conducting searches tomorrow for him."

"Good," she muttered. She didn't want Mordred to be caught yet. She needs for him to marinate in Camelot for a while.

"You never said that there would be a boy as well."

Nimueh smirked. "Didn't I? It must've slipped my mind. Oh please," she snorted. "What do you care? You're about to have your reward."

The man's eyes lit up. Gaius had diagnosed him with a genetic disease a few years ago and said that it would claim him soon. He had started doing business with the Druids hoping that they would be able to cure him. So far, they've been helping him keep his illness in check but not cure it. Nimueh claimed that she could make it so that the illness wouldn't claim his life at all.

"You can really do it?" he asked eagerly.

Nimueh smiled and nodded. "Yes. The illness won't take your life sir."

"Then do it."

Nimueh held a hand out at the supplier and started to chant her spell and her eyes glowed a striking gold. The supplier felt a warm feeling spark within him and he smiled as he thought that the disease was being driven away. But the warmth began getting hotter until it started burning him like hot lava. He started clenching his chest and then started oozing blood from his mouth, nose and eyes. He fell to his knees as he struggled to breath and then dropped to the ground in a small pool of his own blood.

"There you are," Nimueh said. "That disease will never haunt you again."

The courtyard was full of people and they were looking at the bound man standing in front of the executioner's block with armed guards close by in case the prisoner tried anything but the man was calm and collected. He just hoped that his death meant that the life of his apprentice was secured and that he was able to be safe from danger and back in the safety of their people.

Uther was standing on the terrace of the castle above the square with his son by his side as they stared down at the prisoner. Uther was firm and poised as he stared unflinchingly at the prisoner. With months of botched and disrupted strikes against sorcerers due to Balinor and his son Emrys it was refreshing to have a triumphant outcome against magic within the walls of Camelot again. Arthur was a bit more on edge. Despite hearing the logic behind why this man had to be put to death he could see nothing more than a regular peasant man apprehended for trying to buy supplies.

Uther called for his people's attention. "People of Camelot, this man is charged guilty for conspiring and practicing magic. The laws of Camelot deem such practices illegal there is only one sentence that can be passed." Uther then focused his gaze right on the druid. "Do you have any last words?" he asked hoping that the man would be silent.

He wasn't going to go silently. The druid looked straight up at him with his constant content and calm face. "To have let your personal fear of magic be what rules you Uther, I pity you, and your kingdom. You do not know what disasters and calamity that you are to bring upon yourselves and hope that you see it before its too late."

Uther gave the order to begin the execution. From a high window, Morgana, Lancelot and Guinevere were watching from her room as the druid boy was resting close by. They all had somber looks on them.

"I can't watch this," Morgana said stepping away from the window.

Lancelot saw that Guinevere was getting anxious and he reached out for her hand. She settled down a bit but she was still a bundle of nerves. She went and buried her head into his chest when the executioner brought the axe down. Lancelot kept his eyes firmly on the druid but turned when a crack and scream sounded behind him. He looked to see that the boy was being cradled by Morgana and he had a terrorized look in his face as he stared ahead. Lancelot saw that he was staring at the mirror across the room that was now cracked.

"This is horrible," he whispered as he off at both Uther and Arthur across the courtyard. Uther looked proud of himself while Arthur tried to keep himself looking poised and unmoving but Lancelot could tell that it wasn't an easy effort. Why would they need to look so stoic and proud about? That man's final words were of pity and concern for everyone and they look like a vile enemy was vanquished in battle. Lancelot wondered just how did Uther Pendragon delude himself every day? He executed this man for being a druid. To him that sounded like executing a man for having blue eyes. One thing was for sure, they had to get that boy out of the city before he was executed like his companion was.

The boy would slowly recover his strength after Lancelot gave him the medicine that he secured for him from Gaius. Lancelot had gone to him and asked for a remedy for a young neighbor of his that had run into the sharp edge of a worker's tool and that he had gotten quite a deep cut. Gaius narrowed his eyes at Lancelot but provided him a remedy regardless as well as tips on how to use it correctly. Lancelot didn't want to lie to Gaius considering the liberties that they had previously taken with each other on speaking against Uther on topics of magic but Lancelot felt that this issue wasn't the same.

Also…Lancelot felt that Gaius was now spying on him. Ever since that whole mess with the Black Knight Lancelot could swear that Gaius was watching him. Whenever they were in a room together Lancelot could swear that eyes were on him and when he looked at Gaius as he got those feelings it looked like Gaius was making an effort to not look at him until Lancelot's attention went off him. Also, Guinevere had come to him one day and asked if there was something wrong with him. When he asked her why she would ask that she confided that Gaius had taken to ask her questions about Lancelot. Seemingly innocent questions like how he was or if he acting strange. Guinevere thought that Gaius was asking because Lancelot might have had something wrong with him. Lancelot assured her that he was fine but he saw that Gaius was trying to dig into Lancelot's personal life for some reason; he just wished to know why.

"Tread carefully," he told him as Lancelot tried to make his way out of the lab. "The searches are starting today and anyone looking anxious and suspicious will be halted until that druid boy is found."

Lancelot tried not to react. "Right, thank you for this Gaius."

"I hope your neighbor will feel better."

Lancelot nodded as he took off and calmly walked off to Morgana's chambers calmly to not draw in the eyes of any passing knights or guards.

Balinor, Hunith, Merlin, Liana, Nowe, Abel and Richard were looking in shock at the three men bowing their heads in the throne room.

"You're sure?" asked Abel.

The one in the center nodded. "Yes. Cerdan and his apprentice have been intercepted in Camelot."

"Cerdan?" asked Hunith with a bit of horror.

Cerdan was a well known and respected druid in the magical community. He had visited Frith a few times over the years and had told Merlin, Liana and Nowe many magical folk tales and legends when they were children.

"How do you know they had been taken for sure?" Balinor asked.

"We received a distress call from the young apprentice Mordred yesterday and made our way here immediately."

Merlin narrowed his eyes in curiosity. "The boy called out to you? From Camelot? How old is he?"

"Mordred is over five years old. Despite his young age he actually shows great potential and natural talent. With proper training he could grow to become a skilled practitioner. Cerdan had decided to take him under his wing personally. He reached out to us in horror and fear yesterday and again earlier today with feelings of loss and grief." The three of them looked saddened. "We take this to mean…"

He didn't have to finish. They all knew what had likely happened to Cerdan.

"This is a true loss for the Druids indeed," said Abel. Cerdan was a good friend of his. They had met as children and had kept in contact over the years. "However, if there is a chance that his apprentice could be spared from being lost as well then we have to take it." Abel turned to Balinor. "I ask that I go to Camelot and try to rescue his apprentice Mordred."

"No," Liana cried out. "It's too dangerous Abel."

"She's right," said Merlin. "I'll go."

"Merlin," Balinor started. "Don't-

Merlin narrowed his eyes in anger. He wasn't angry at his father but at Uther and what he did to Cerdan. "Father, it's a five year old boy. We can't allow him to be executed for the purpose of stroking that Butcher's ego. I have the most experience with sneaking through Camelot now. It's become a sad part of my duties."

"Actually," Balinor said once Merlin stopped. "I was going to say that don't go alone. Bring some help in case that Uther won't let his prisoner slip through so easily this time."

Merlin nodded. "I'll bring Will, Gwaine and Leets with me." Balinor nodded his consent and then Merlin looked to the Druids. "Don't worry. I'll bring Cerdan's apprentice back to you all safe and sound. And…if Uther hadn't executed Cerdan by a pyre then I will also retrieve his body so he could be honored with a proper funeral fire instead of being discarded and unmarked like a common thief."

The three of them kneeled. "Thank you sire. Thank you all."

End of Chapter 14

A/N: Oh, things are getting fired up between them all now. It looks like Nimueh is moving all of them in place to try and have her enemies clash against each other.

The next chapter will have the hunt for Mordred still carry on. Arthur confronts Mordred and later Morgana as does Uther. It seems as if Mordred's fate may be sealed but not if Frith and the Druids have their way. Merlin as Emrys shows a harsher side to himself as he delivers his father's justice.