Chapter 24—Dristan
Merlin, in fear that Arthur will catch up with him—decides to continue his journey through the night. He has a torch to guide his way, listening carefully between the steps of his horse. He keeps his disguise, thankful he brought a cloak to cover himself and has a spell to change his appearance. His dream has thrown him and he is determined not to go back to sleep.
He reaches the silent village of Glastonbury in the dead of night. It seems that all are sleeping soundly in their hope, quiet from their success in cheating death so many times that day. Merlin quietly ties his horse and puts out his torch. He feels his head pulsating with the draw of magic. He goes through dark, odd-looking trees to the source of the magic.
Merlin stops immediately when he sees it—the well. The water gushes in a lovely way the color of rust. The hole that leads to the containment of water is covered with a symbol Merlin has seen in his dreams—the vesica pisces with intricate design.
He kneels by the cover and puts his hand on it—he can feel the tingling, golden magic. It wasn't tempting as the Embolis is, but it is certainly powerful beyond compare. He closes his eyes to feel it more intensely.
He opens his eyes slowly and looks at the spring—people must use this for drinking. If this is magical, the people are being affected.
"Incredible, isn't it?"
Merlin stands immediately and draws the sword meant for Arthur. He points it at the dark figure. A smile creeps over his face as he raises his hand.
"I mean you no harm, Emrys," he says coming from the darkness toward Merlin. He is young with many tattoos of the Old Religion covering his hands, neck, arms, and fingers. He smiles more, eyes twinkling in wonder at the young warlock.
"Who are you?" Merlin asks darkly.
"I know you, even with that tricky disguise," the man says. He looks at Merlin's sword with wonder as well and points at it. "You've brought it." He grins more. "Fantastic."
"Who are you?" Merlin asks again looking up from the sword to the man.
"I am Dristan," he says. He gestures toward the well. "I am the one who made this water magical."
"Why?" Merlin declares. "The repercussions could be catastrophic."
"Yes, I know," Dristan says. "All who have drunk from it cannot die until the magic's essence is taken from it."
"Then why have you done this?" Merlin says incredulously.
Dristan smiles pleasantly. "I am one of the few lucky enough to play a part in yours and Arthur Pendragon's destiny," he says.
Merlin watches him as he goes to the well and touches the lid bearing the Chalice Well's symbol. "Can you stop it?" Merlin asks sheathing the sword.
"No, not I," Dristan says. "I was meant to alter the water for a reason." He looks up at Merlin with wonderment. "For a reason," he repeats.
"What reason?" Merlin asks.
Dristan smiles and stands. He turns away from Merlin.
"Wait!" Merlin cries. "Where are you going?"
"I'll be back soon, Emrys," Dristan ensures. "For now, protect the Chalice Well. You will understand in due time."
"Wait!" Merlin cries again.
But Dristan has already disappeared.
Merlin sighs and looks down at the Chalice Well's lid. He raises his hand and recites a spell for opening. The lid doesn't even glow. He sighs. He wishes that everyone he meets wasn't so enigmatic.
—Lara walks slowly with dragging arms toward her house. She ignores Trinidad as she passes and unlocks her door. Without locking it behind her, she slumps to her bed and falls face first. She hasn't felt this worn in a very long time—and she's been made to stay awake for days on end without eating.
Lara's door creaks open and the sun peeks in right on her eyes. She groans and takes her left shoe off. She throws it hard at the door and it slams shut. She sighs deeply and her eyes flutter shut.
She's sleeping for about two minutes when the door is shot open.
"Lara!"
Lara jumps up and stands in a position with a knife ready to throw. Gaius blinks at her rapidly. Her shoulders slump and she puts her arm down.
"What is it Gaius?" she asks groggily.
"I was just wondering if you were done with your work with Allyn," Gaius asks as he settles from the surprise of Lara's readiness to attack. "Arthur's been gone for two days now, and I worry for both he and Merlin."
Lara throws her dagger at the wall opposite of Gaius so it sticks well. She runs a hand through her hair and takes her other shoe off, tossing it to the side.
"Allyn's found more script," she says.
"You do look awfully tired," Gaius notes.
"Yes!" Lara cries, getting angry. "I am exhausted! I am so tired of doing everything I can to protect Merlin and Arthur and Gwyn and the Embolis and now I'm translating Latin for an insistent boy! And do I get a thank you? No. Of course not. God forbid the woman getting the credit for killing the murderer and walking through magical fire and reading line after line of bloody Latin! Carpe diem—surely!"
Lara falls down from exhaustion onto her bed again. Gaius smiles a little.
"You sound like Merlin," he notes.
"I understand his point of view," she mumbles into her pillow. "I want more than anything to go find Merlin but at this point my only objective is to carpe noctem."
"I understand," Gaius says with a smile. "If any word about Merlin or Arthur comes up I will tell you."
Lara raises her hand up. "Thank you!" she cries.
Her hand drops back down and her eyes remain shut. Gaius shuts the door behind him, smiling and laughing to himself as he leaves.
—Merlin opens his eyes abruptly to the scream of a woman toward the village market.
He stands immediately and runs toward the village. He skids to a stop at the sight of about twenty men attacking the villagers. The leader holds the village elder by the throat and spits into his face.
"Where is the spring?" he demands. "I know it's here!"
"There's nothing important about it!" the elder begs. "We have many springs!"
"Leave him alone!"
A little girl runs past Merlin with a sword too big for her. Her black hair flows behind her as she runs toward them screaming. She hits the man's leg with her sword so it begins to bleed and he drops the elder.
"Little brat!" the man cries out. He jumps from his horse and the girl hits him again, grunting as she does. He cries out again as his torso is cut. He pulls his own sword out and it clashes with hers. She fights him for a little until the man laughs and pushes her down, grabbing a handful of her hair and kicking her sword away from her.
"Don't touch her!" Arthur cries galloping forward. He saw the entire short fight, impressed by the girl's potential.
He brandishes his sword as he rushes toward the man, but Merlin sees a man on a horse with the other attackers aiming an arrow at Arthur.
Merlin cries out a powerful incantation, raising one hand so a great rush of water rises in between Arthur and the leader of the attacker, blocking the archer's vision. Then Merlin raises his other hand at the archer and he falls backward against the wall of a house.
Arthur looks and sees Merlin—well, Merlin in disguise—thrown by the protection and power this sorcerer displayed. The other knights fight the attackers and are winning.
Merlin lets the water fall back down and sees the little girl pushing the leader away. He raises a dagger to the girl as she pushes him.
Merlin raises his hand again cries out an incantation in the dragon language. His eyes glow and the leader is raised to the sky in a gust of wind. Merlin holds his hand out, eyes still glowing gold, and the man is tied by the wind as if by rope. Then Merlin throws the man backward.
The leader stares at Merlin while he crawls backward. Merlin locks eyes with him and tilts his head to the side.
"Retreat!" the leader yells. "Retreat!"
The men begin to run away from their fights or in general with their leader. Merlin walks over to the girl who is looking at Merlin with a grin full of wonderment.
"We'll be back!" the man declares. "We'll be back—I swear it!"
Merlin says nothing. He puts his hand on the girl's shoulder and looks down at her. "Are you all right?" he asks.
She grins, her brown eyes sparkling. "You're a magician!" she cries.