A/N: I'm sorry this took so long! I was a bad person and started a new story instead of working on this one. Although, I was also suffering from some massive writer's block. This chapter was, I imagine, rather like trying to have a baby that doesn't want to come out. ^-^ And my hypoglycemia never helps anything. :/ Anyways, I'll shut up. xD
Thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed. You guys are the best! =)
Summary: AU of 2.13
Rating: T
Characters: Arthur, Freya, Merlin, Balinor, Leon, Gaius, Kilgharrah
Warnings: Brief mentions of wounds and blood
Pairings: Teensy bit of Freylin
Chapter 14
Balinor awoke to screaming.
He shot up in bed, hearing a gasping from across the room, where Freya's cot lay.
"Freya?" he called.
"It isn't me," she breathed. "It's coming from outside."
As she spoke, there was a huge crash from somewhere towards the castle, and a sudden flash lit up the room.
Freya gave a strangled gasp. "What's going on?"
Balinor was already making his way toward the door, tugging on his boots as he went. "If I had to guess, I'd say Camelot is under attack."
"Again?" moaned the girl. "But we were just attacked this morning!"
"No rest for the wicked," muttered the dragonlord dryly as he yanked open the door and rushed down the stairs of the house they were boarding in.
The sight that greeted him was one he had thought to never view again.
The Great Dragon himself was soaring over Camelot, fire spewing from his mouth as surged toward the lower town- and Balinor.
"Kilgharrah!" cried the father. "Kilgharrah! What are you doing? You are killing innocents!"
The dragon paid him no heed, and the man opened his mouth to roar out orders in the dragon tongue.
But suddenly, there was a flash of light in the corner of his vision, a loud crash, and Balinor knew no more.
-Merlin-
Freya seized her dress and yanked it on over her nightshift as quickly as she could. The minute it had fallen to her ankles, she sprang toward the door and pulled it open forcefully. Dashing down the stairs, she made her way outside just in time to see a stream of fire shoot into a nearby home. The building exploded, sparks and flaming woods raining everywhere. Giving a small shriek, Freya crouched down and brought her arms over her head protectively. She glanced up to see a large winged shape flying away from the smoldering remains.
Kilgharrah! she realized. Merlin must have freed him. And then, we need Balinor.
By that time, the shower of sparks and flames had all but ceased, and the druid girl rose, scanning her surroundings frantically for her guardian, as others did the same and began searching for their loved ones. "Ba-" she began, then, correcting herself, she called out, "Dracagend? Dracagend?" Her voice was small in the chaos.
There was no reply.
"Dracagend?!" she cried desperately, biting her lip to hold back the tears threatening to well up in her eyes.
In the rubble, something shifted slightly, and she hurried over and gasped in shock. Balinor was crumpled beneath a beam of wood. Blood stained his tunic and pooled beneath him, and there was an ugly gash on his temple.
"Balinor?" she whispered, her lips trembling slightly. His fingers curled the tiniest bit at his name, but otherwise he remained motionless.
A choked sob escaped the girl's lips, and she glanced around frantically, looking for someone or something to help. "Please, someone help me!" she cried. "My father needs help!" No one paid her any attention, too busy searching frantically for or mourning over their own loved ones.
Wiping her eyes furiously, Freya racked her brain, trying to form a plan, but with no success. She was not strong enough to lift the beam off of Balinor's chest and, even if she were, there was no one to pull him out from underneath. There were many people around and, though they seemed to be paying her no attention, the way her luck was going this night, if she used magic, they would look at her just as her eyes flashed gold.
She chewed her lip, rubbing at her eyes. Finally she decided to use magic and hang the consequences. This was Merlin's father under the beam, and she refused to let him to come to any more harm, not after all he and his son had done for her.
Reaching out her hand, she opened her mouth to say the words, but was cut off by a cry of, "Freya!"
Startled, she glanced up and almost sobbed in relief when she saw Merlin hurrying toward her. Arthur and several knights were close behind him, gazing despondently at the destruction wreaked by the dragon.
"Freya," he called as he came closer, "have you seen Dracagend? We need-"
He halted abruptly upon catching a glimpse of the figure the druid girl knelt over, and said in a small voice, "Oh." Behind him, Arthur was trying to soothe a sobbing woman, while his knights were digging in the rubble for survivors.
"Merlin, I need you help," pleaded Freya. The boy made no response, simply staring, his face pale, at his father's motionless form.
"Merlin!" she snapped, and he jumped. "He's alive," she said gently as his eyes slowly drifted away from his father and focused on her. "But he needs to be taken to Gaius. I need you to help me get this beam off of him."
The young warlock must not have been as aware as she thought, for he simply nodded and, with a flash of his eyes, the beam lifted off of the dragonlord and fell beside him, opposite of Freya.
"Merlin!" she whispered in horror, glancing around frantically. Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed. She shook her head, muttering that Gaius was right, it was indeed a wonder that Merlin still possessed his head.
"Alright, Merlin," she murmured. "Why don't you help me carry him to Gaius?"
-Merlin-
"Sire, my brother was in the building!"
"All of our wealth was stored there! What will we do now?"
"Have you seen my son? He's about twelve years old, dark hair and green eyes."
"My lord, my wife has been badly burned by the fire."
Arthur stood amongst his people, listening to their cries of distress, wishing there was something he could do. Groaning, he rubbed his aching forehead and glanced up just in time to see Merlin and that girl of his carrying someone between them. His eyes widened as the man's head fell to the side and the prince caught a glimpse of the face.
It was Balinor. The young man's heart sank. He had been hoping that the dragonlord would be able to stop the dragon, yet it appeared that was not to be.
"Merlin!" He hurried over to the magicians.
The boy, grimacing, glanced up at Arthur briefly. "I'm a bit busy," he growled tightly.
"Is he alive?" inquired the prince quietly, and Merlin's face softened at his gentle tone. He gave a brief nod.
"We're taking him to Gaius now," he murmured.
"Sir Leon!"
The curly-haired knight, who had been assisting a woman in freeing her arm from the rubble, stood quickly. "Sire?"
"Help my servant carry this man to Gaius. He needs medical attention immediately."
Leon seemed slightly taken aback, as there were many injured and in need of the physician, but, like a true loyal knight, he merely nodded and said, "Of course, sire," before moving to take Freya's place at Balinor's knees. The druid girl stepped back as the men continued on.
"Is there anything you wish me to assist you with, my lord?" she murmured respectfully, keeping her head down. Although it had been some time now since she had been under the Bastet curse, she was still afraid he would recognize her if she looked him in the eyes.
"No, thank you," replied Arthur, feeling awkward talking to Merlin's girlfriend without said servant present. "I'm sure Gaius could use your help, though."
"Of course, sire," she said quietly, then hurried away.
-Merlin-
"How is he, Gaius?" asked Merlin anxiously.
Gaius glanced down at his friend sadly. "Not good, I'm afraid. Several of his ribs were broken by the beam, and he has a nasty head injury as well."
Merlin groaned and sat down, running his hands through his hair. "This is my fault," he murmured miserably.
The old physician said nothing, merely resting a comforting hand on his ward's shoulder.
"How is he?" cried Freya, rushing over. Upon seeing their faces, she gave a soft moan and sank down beside the young warlock. "I'm so sorry, Merlin," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. He made no reply, simply leaned his head against her shoulder.
"What do we do, Gaius?" murmured the girl sadly. "How will we stop the dragon?"
"We can't," replied the old man simply. "We need a dragonlord."
"Then what do we do?"
"We use magic to heal him," cried Merlin suddenly, sitting up straight.
"Merlin!" hissed Gaius in horror. Glancing around, he ensured that no one had overheard. All the people in the room were too distracted by either their own suffering or that of their loved ones to pay the physician and his ward any mind.
"Yes," said Gaius with a weary sigh.
"But, Gaius," protested the boy, more quietly this time, "you know I'm rubbish at healing spells."
"Yes, I do," replied the physician steadily, his gaze resting on Freya.
She gave a small gasp. "You want me to perform the spell? But my magic- it's nowhere near as strong as Merlin's."
"It is when it comes to healing," Gaius said gently. "We need you to do it as soon as possible. Why don't you and Merlin go research it? I can manage here by myself for awhile."
-Merlin-
Merlin rubbed his eyes in exhaustion as the predawn light crept through the windows of Gaius' chambers. Yawning, he focused back on the book of spells, forcing himself to concentrate.
"Merlin, here!" cried Freya.
Rising with a sudden renewal of energy, the young man looked over her shoulder at the book. "Yes, yes! That's it!"
Freya shot to her feet and made for the door.
"Freya!" called Merlin, stopping her in her tracks. "You may want to put the illegal magic book down first."
Grinning tiredly, she did as he said and dashed for the door.
-Merlin-
"He's over there, in the corner. Make sure no one sees you," instructed Gaius as he applied a salve to a young man's burn as he moaned in pain.
Nodding, Freya and Merlin hurried over to Balinor, who had been set aside slightly from the other, doubtless to give Freya room to perform magic without being seen.
The boy felt his heart twist at the sight of his father. The dragonlord was white and completely motionless upon his cut, bandages wrapped around his head and otherwise bare chest. Tears sprang into the warlock's eyes, and he rubbed the orbs vigorously before anything could leak out. My father has been badly injured, he thought, and now the girl I love is risking her life to save him, and it's all my fault. I knew this could happen, yet I freed the dragon anyways.
"It's all right, Merlin," said Freya gently, resting a hand upon his shoulder. He wondered briefly if she was telling him that his father would be fine, or that there was nothing shameful in crying. Perhaps it was both.
Pulling away from the boy, the druid knelt at Balinor's right and, scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was watching, raised her hand and murmured, "Þurhhæle dolgbenna." (1)
There was a long moment of tense silence.
"Nothing's happening," whispered Merlin frantically. "What's going on?"
-Merlin-
"Gaius, have you seen Merlin?"
The old physician glanced up as the prince approached.
"I wanted to know how Bal- how Dracagend was doing," murmured the young man.
"He is recovering very well, sire," lied Gaius, knowing that, in a few minutes, it would be the truth.
Arthur nodded. "Right, then. Where is my idiot manservant? I'm in desperate need of a bath and a rest."
"I, ah, I'm not sure, sire. Perhaps you could wait here for him?"
"No, I'd be standing here all day if I did," replied Arthur brusquely. "I'll just go and look for him myself."
He headed towards the left side of the room, the opposite side from Balinor. Gaius allowed himself a relieved sigh and went back to tending a patient had been trampled by a panicked horse.
And that was why he did not see when Arthur turned around and headed straight for the dragonlord.
As Arthur approached the body with the two familiar figures crouching over it, he opened his mouth to call to Merlin, but something in their body language held him back, and, scarcely knowing why he did so, he crept forward to better hear their conversation, sliding into an alcove out of their line of sight.
"It isn't working," he heard Merlin moan. He glanced at the dragonlord and was shocked by his ghastly pale appearance. Hadn't Gaius said the man was recovering?
"I don't know why it isn't," Freya muttered, frustration coloring her tone.
"Just… try again," murmured Merlin, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes.
"Merlin," snapped the druid girl firmly, "I am not going to let your father die, you hear me?"
The boy gave a strained nod as Arthur watched in bewilderment. What did Freya mean about Merlin's father? Then it hit him and he had to suppress a strangled gasp. Balinor. Balinor was Merlin's father.
He had no time to digest this information, however, for just as it occured to him, the girl stretched out her hand and murmured something unfamiliar, and her eyes flashed gold.
Magic.
As Balinor drew in a huge gasp and opened his eyes, Arthur stepped out of his hiding place and thundered, "What is going on here?!"
(1) "Heal the wounds." Used by Merlin (in singular) in 3.05, The Crystal Cave.
A/N: Yes, I did just end it there. Making him find out about Freya was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision. We'll see how that goes. xD
I'm sorry for being so evil, but it took me long enough to write this, and I didn't want you guys to wait another two weeks for the chapter.
Please review? Even if you're just going to rant about the ending…. xD
Oh, and, my little brother turned 9 this week AND watched his first Merlin episode today (it was 1.06, "A Remedy to Cure All Ills)! So, in his honor, I shall tell the story of how I came up with the title of this story.
So, I was trying to come up with a title for this story as I was getting ready to publish it, and he was in my room, and I said out loud that I couldn't think of a title. So he asked me, "What's the story about?" I told him, and he said, "What about My son, Merlin?" just as I was thinking the same thing. So I said to myself, "It's destiny" and thus this story was named. xD