Chapter 21—An Old Friend
The cry of Kilgharrah had stretched all the way to where they stood when Maya's eyes went white. The dragon is far away, angry and happy all at once. He is with Aithusa now, both waiting patiently for their dragon lord's orders.
"What happened to her?" Arthur asks coming up next to Merlin. Merlin watches as Maya rides off with Malota-Ademar's wife who is very good with magic and can protect the newly blind Maya on their ride to Gaius in Camelot.
Arthur studies his friend's face—it is the face of a commander, a warlord with a good cause. Not to mention the incredible great sword on his back.
Merlin stares forward, reporting to Arthur what Maya had told him. "Morgana has acquired more power," Merlin says to him. "She felt it. The dark magic. That's what blinded her."
Arthur blinks rapidly with extreme worry.
"But how could it blind her?" Arthur asks.
"She's a seer, Arthur. She saw what happened and it blinded her," Merlin says rather sharply. He exhales when he remembers of Arthur's ignorance toward magic.
Arthur looks back at the sorcerers who have sworn fealty to him.
"And these sorcerers?" Arthur whispers. "Together can they stop her?"
Merlin turns and looks to Arthur, choosing not to answer his question. "We need to make camp and collect ourselves," he says. He gestures toward the sorcerers. "They're waiting for you orders, King Arthur."
Arthur blinks, unsure of his theory when he was at the tower. "Merlin, don't they follow you?"
Merlin swallows. Even when there's nothing in the way, he fears telling his secret. Almost a reflex. He feels Gawain and Lara's eyes on him.
"They follow you now, Arthur," Merlin says kindly. He pats Arthur's shoulder. "You've freed them. You are their king, Arthur."
Merlin turns and goes to Lara. She stares at him as Arthur turns hesitantly toward the sorcerers and his army, ordering to make camp within the forest past the clearing.
"When will you tell him?" she asks.
Merlin swallows and twines his fingers in with Lara's. "When the time is right, he'll find out."
"You've become awfully patient," she comments.
Merlin doesn't respond, Maya's blind eyes and the darkness Morgana now possesses heavy on his shoulders.
—"How many do we have?"
"Forty-two," Alator responds.
Arthur swallows. "Morgana has fifty," he says.
"At least fifty," Alator corrects. "And those that she has collected are servants of the Old Religion. Once they see—"
"Alator," Merlin stops. Alator's mouth clamps shut as he sees Merlin's face. Arthur frowns, eyes moving from Alator to Merlin.
The knights are all collected around the tent with a brazier in the center filling the red tent with flickering light.
"What were you going to say, Alator?" Arthur asks.
Merlin shakes his head and unfolds his arms. "Regardless of how Morgana has only fifty, she has more power than she did before," Merlin explains. He looks to Alator then Arthur. "…Maya said she has Mordred with her."
Arthur frowns deeply and Alator's mouth falls. "Mordred?" Arthur says with disbelief. "That druid boy we helped those years ago?"
"He's much more than that," Merlin explains. "He's very powerful. Even as a child he…" Merlin hesitates when he sees Arthur's expression. "Maya says he's very powerful."
"Who knows what he's capable of now?" Alator hisses.
"He showed Morgana how to sell her soul to the Shee of Avalon," Merlin says to Alator. "He is Morgana's lord even at his age."
Alator looks at him, his question clear on his face.
Arthur swallows, not feeling like he is a part of the conversation. Then he looks to Lara who has been watching Merlin intently.
"Then we'll have to outsmart her, won't we?" Arthur announces. "Lara will handle Morgana when the time comes."
"Arthur—" Merlin begins to argue.
"No, Merlin," Lara interrupts. She frowns. "I'm untouchable to her, even with her newfound abilities."
"Lara's right, Merlin," Arthur agrees. He folds his hands on the table before him. "Leon and Dresban will take the right to attempt at King Mark's front. I want Percival and Elyan to the left and round about to call down Mark's bannermen. Gawain and Lara will go together for Morgana and her sorcerers. Alator, you will go with them as well with half of the best sorcerers while the other half is split into quarters to join the others at the front."
"And who will take this Mordred?" Leon asks.
"I will take Sir Rhagard and Kay with me," he says with certainty.
"Arthur, that's too dangerous," Leon argues.
"If not me, then who?" Arthur says rather sharply.
Alator steps forward. "My king, there is another who will be with you," Alator says. Merlin stares at him without certainty. He knows that he is the one that needs to tell Arthur.
"Alator I need you to lead the sorcerers," Arthur says. "Unless you have any other resources?"
Alator's mouth closes.
"What about dragons?"
Everyone looks at Dresban, thoroughly surprised by what he said. "I heard one," Dresban says. "When that druid girl went blind. It…it screamed. Everyone heard, I know it." Dresban looks at Alator. "Are there still…dragon lords?"
Merlin accidentally lets out a laugh and covers his mouth to hide it. Dresban glares at him and Gawain and Lara cover their mouths as well to hide laughter.
"What's so funny, manservant?" Dresban hisses.
"Sir," Alator barks sharply. "You will not speak to him in that manner."
Dresban stares at Alator, assessing him and hating him all at once.
"Alator, was that a dragon?" Arthur asks. He hesitates and looks at Lara. "Remember when we fought the Gorinians? That young white dragon helped us. It must have had a dragon lord, unless it came on its own accord. I mean, I know that the dragon lords died with Balinor, but—"
"They did not," Alator says shaking his head. He purposely doesn't look at Merlin. "The knowledge of the dragon lords is passed down from father to son. Balinor had only one son."
Arthur rises, hope clear on his face. "Who is this man?"
No one answers. Arthur sighs, exasperated. "Tell me, Alator," he urges.
Alator sighs and looks at Merlin very briefly. "Sire, I'm afraid I cannot say."
Kay's eyes go wide suddenly and he opens his mouth, looking from Merlin to Arthur frantically. Lara jumps up and presses her hand to Kay's mouth, pushing him back outside the tent.
"Sorry—he's a little sick from some squirrel he had a few days ago," she says quickly. "We'll be back."
As they disappear out of the tent, everyone's expressions are confused or humorous. Arthur blinks and shakes his head.
"The dragon lord—why can't you tell me?" Arthur insists.
"He will show himself when the time is right," Alator says with certainty.
"We need him now," Arthur says with conviction.
Merlin stares at his friend. "Arthur, these people have waited patiently for their freedom," he says surprising everyone but Gawain. "Now it's you that has to wait."
Merlin turns and leaves the tent as well.
—Lara pushes Kay away from the tent. It was difficult; Kay is very strong and large.
"Lara, he—she—Morga—"
"Snap out of it!" she cries.
Lara slaps his across the face and Kay shuts his mouth. He blinks rapidly and shakes his head.
"Sorry," he says. "But—Lara, that woman said in the stables—"
"Yes, Kay, I know," she hisses between her teeth. She looks over her shoulder to see if there were any soldiers listening.
"Merlin," Kay hisses. "He's a sorcerer?"
Lara looks at Kay with lethal eyes that take him aback. He's only seen such a threatening expression on her when she yelled at Arthur and when Morgana attacked them.
"Kay, I swear to you that if you so much as breathe a word about this to anyone, you'll be watching my sword on the flat of your back," Lara threatens.
She turns to leave him and can feel his eyes burning holes in her back.
"You love him, don't you?" Kay says angrily and loudly behind her.
Lara pauses then walks forward when she sees Merlin leaving Arthur's tent.
—Merlin kneels gently by the pool. The only light he has is the light the moon gives him. He looks to it and pulls the sword from its sheath.
Merlin stares at the moon and begins to quickly whisper an old spell—a dragon spell that he can hear his father telling him. The Embolis and his eyes glow with the moon as the water in the pool before him rising in water fingers to cover the sword. Merlin continues to speak rapidly as the water over the sword freezes sharply. Then Merlin stops whispering the spell and looks to the sword.
The frozen water has covered his hands as well, attaching them to the sword. Merlin inhales deeply and bellows out another spell in the dragon tongue.
The ice around the sword shatters into pieces and the sword is set on fire. The white flames envelope the sword yet the steel does not shimmer, falter or change.
Merlin feels the magic all round and knows that Mordred will feel it if Morgana does not. A warning, as it were, that the dragon will not cease its fire.
—Lara follows Merlin into the wood. He's much too far away for her to call to him and he seems so passive she is unsure if she should anyway.
When she sees him kneeling before a pool, his face seeming deep in thought she smiles. She turns to leave slowly but then her eyes go wide.
A flash of steel runs across the moonlight and Lara raises her hand to stop it. She grunts when a hand cold from chainmail presses against her mouth and carries her backward.
The man runs away from where Merlin is and drags Lara away.
He grunts when she strikes her head back and she steals his sword from his hand. Lara jams his sword underneath his armor and into his belly. Some blood drips from underneath his helm as well as from his breastplate.
"Well done."
Lara pulls the bloody sword sharply from the man's belly and turns to face the voice.
Morgana smiles easily. Her skin seems to shimmer faintly in the moonlight. Her eyes seem sharper, more deft and certain while her expression is easily more sinister than before.
"You've always been a fan of my work," Lara rebukes to Morgana. She turns the bloody sword in her bare hand. "Any other men to die?"
The sword flies from her hand into a tree. She laughs at Morgana as her eyes that glow bright blue now fade.
"That's all you have, isn't it?" Lara laughs. "What makes you think you can do anything to stop me from killing you?"
"You once told me death was a good friend of yours," Morgana says her voice gaining a double timbre that actually sent shivers down Lara's spine.
Lara let out a guttural choke when she felt a sharp, painful blow to her back. She falls to the ground and feels blood flow from the side of her lower back down to her legs. Someone behind her grabs her hair roughly and pulls her head up.
Lara fights the pain and twists back. She manages to elbow the man behind her in the groin but then Morgana's sharp fingers wrap around her throat. The man curses at Lara and holds her arms back.
Lara chokes as she feels her air supply fading. Morgana chuckles. Her fingernails cut into Lara's throat.
"Funny," Morgana le Fay whispers to Lara's face as it turns blue. "You don't seem to be welcoming death as an old friend now."
Lara inhales roughly when Morgana releases her throat. Everything goes blacker than the night when her head is struck down and her face presses against the mud.