Thank you for the reviews! I hope everyone is having a wonderful winter season. Work and life is getting very busy. So, I haven't had as much time to work on this as I had hoped. I will continue with the once a week updates until after the holidays, at least.

Merlin stood on the hill overlooking the Perilous Lands. Too much death had taken place in the cursed lands, even though there was little evidence of it now. The lands were lush and fertile; a far cry from the desolate swamps and wastelands Merlin had witnessed on all his previous times through.

"We should continue if you want to make it to the shoreline by nightfall." Enmyria said, not understanding the significance of the view.

Something other than Cernunnos had touched the lands. Merlin had a hard time believing it was all down to some ancient god rising from his tomb. The storm had been from the walls breaking down between the worlds, but there was more to it. He could feel it in his gut. It was as if nature was making up for lost time. "When Alvarr turned the men from Camelot into wolves, what happened?"

"What do you mean 'what happened?' Cernunnos got word of people sitting near the bridge and sent Alvarr to deal with them." She sighed and sat down heavily in the thick grass. Her answer wasn't what Merlin wanted to hear. "I was with him, alright? The bridge had washed out, but we had magic to get us across what remained. We found them guarding some big pot and managed to take them out. There were only two men left and Alvarr used the wand on them. Then for fun, we tossed the cauldron over the edge."

He turned to look at her. His head was cocked to the side in confusion. "Why did he decide to go to the keep near the shores?"

Shrugging, Enmyria realized they were not going to be making much headway until Merlin was satisfied. "It was the only place around that seemed to have some life to it. There was an outline, not too far from the castle of green grass. Stuff that was actually alive. It looked like a dragon from one of the top towers of the place."

"An ancient Red Dragon had died there a few years ago. What you probably saw was the place where we burned her body." Merlin felt the pang of sorrow hit his heart. He still carried the guilt of the Red Dragon's death. "But the land was still dead all around it when he took up his residency?"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"When did all those trees begin to grow again? The swamps are now verdant marshlands by the looks of it."

The redhead was at a loss. "He claimed it was his will that brought life to the lands. 'Kept touting on about being the Guardian of the Gateway to the underworld, or something like that."

Thoughts begin to formulate in Merlin's mind. His life had always been about destiny and coincidence. "Tristan first caused the storm when he went and removed the stone from the dolmen. When Cai and Bran rescued him and managed to replace it, the storm ceased. Then, when you went with Alvarr and he opened the seal. He had the golden torc with him, didn't he? It was like a key or something?"

"Sounds about right."

"There was no storm that time and the lands were still barren. It wasn't until you lot went after the men at the bridge that things really began to grow."

For the life of her, Enmyria couldn't seem to figure out what the warlock was getting at.

"Bran's Cauldron fell into the ravine. It touched the land it was meant to protect, that was when everything really changed."

"Are you telling me that big old pot was magical?"

Merlin gave her an impish smile. "Magical doesn't begin to cover it. That 'pot' has the ability to bring men back from the dead, even in the hands of a simpleton."

When they had rescued Aylass, she had been standing on the overturned Cauldron at the bottom of the ravine. She was fending off the Wehr, which was the name Enmyria had given Merlin for the men who had been turned into wolves. He hadn't thought much about it at the time, but now things were coming into focus.

He sat down on the ground next to the redhead and began to tell her the story of Bran's family… how the Cauldron was linked to the lands.

"Without someone to control it, the power seeped out and restored the lands to what they once were. It would make sense that it affected not only that, but the mountains to the south of us, as well. Nearly all passages in and out of the lands are blocked. It is part of the protection it offers."

"Why are we wasting time here, then? Shouldn't we get to it, or get to the keep to rescue Bran so that way he can deal with it?"

Merlin thought about that for a few moments. It would make sense to do that, if Bran was his only concern, or if he thought they could somehow move the Cauldron themselves. However, Merlin was more worried about the young prince who Cernunnos had kidnapped. "Do you think he'll really go back there? He probably already knows that Aylass has escaped. I'm sure he would have left spies in the castle to watch Alvarr's every move."

"Where else would he have gone?"

Merlin started to answer, and then paused as he considered his answer. He turned around to look back at the forest where they had come from. "There was a path that was greener - as if magic had touched it - around where we fought Alvarr. But, it doesn't make sense. If he was heading this way, we should have crossed his path at some point. Unless he was already planning on going someplace else…"

"Where would that be?"

"I don't know, but I need to find out. You keep heading to that castle. See if Tristan is still alive and if you can…free Bran. Explain the situation to him. If he can't do anything about the growth of the plants, then you need to help get him to Camelot."

Her eyes widened in shock. She wondered what type of man Merlin was for trusting her so easily with the information. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find him and rescue Arthur's son."

Merlin watched Enmyria change into her wolf form and run off. The large dire would be able to traverse the terrain easily and reach the keep by nightfall.

He hoped that Bran would be willing to listen to her concerning Merlin's theory. He wondered if the ancient prince would find the story plausible enough. Until this revelation, Cernunnos had seemed like an untouchable God. But, if it really wasn't him that caused the landscape to alter, then it proved that there was a limit to his power. Perhaps there was more.

Merlin backtracked through the woods to the green path where they had come across the pieces of the owl. He'd sent Bubo's parts with Leon, hoping that when they arrived in Camelot Wygar could work his own brand of magic and put the bird back together.

He paused a moment to give a silent prayer of thanks and an offering of peace to Cai's brother. For all the man's faults, he had known how to track. His observation had been the key to Gwaine and the brother's finding Merlin at one point. That lesson had stuck with him and Merlin smiled as his eyes began to note the signs of Cernunnos' passage.

Now that he was paying attention, Merlin could see the differences. For a moment, he pondered contacting Morgana, but he hesitated. If he was wrong though, his assumption could lead Arthur in the wrong direction. Hell, he didn't even know exactly what direction Cernunnos was going. The landmarks and the roads had changed greatly. His instincts told him he was still in Mercian territory, but he had nothing to verify that fact.

They had been close to the Camelot border and on the road that would have led them to Cai's village when they had parted ways.

He glanced again at the trail. It seemed to come from that direction. But, instead of heading through Mercia to the Perilous Lands, it turned back toward the northwest. He tried to think of what lands laid along that route. There were the Northern Plains and the main road toward Lothian, but he doubted Cernunnos was going that far. Shaking his head, Merlin came to a decision. The only way he was going to get answers was from the air.

Since his first failed attempt at transformation, Merlin had been working on honing his skill and had now become a rather proficient flyer. He had the knowledge in his mind and no longer needed the staff to assist him in the change. Even his gear changed with him. Although, he knew he would still feel the extra burden of some of its weight.

Taking only the necessities, he called upon his power and felt the tingle of the magic beginning to transform his arms into wings. His eyes became sharper and his nose hardened into a beak. Soon, he turned into a magnificent bird of prey.

Stretching his wings, he flexed the tips and felt the air moving under the outstretched limbs. The ground fell away below him as he took to the skies. He circled a few times to get his bearings before catching sight of the trail and following it.

Night was falling fast and he knew he wouldn't be able to track Cernunnos in the dark. He finally gave in to his limitations and landed, transforming himself back into a man. The process was exhausting, and he was still tired from the healing spell that he and Cai had used to save Enmyria. Before he did, Merlin had noticed a faint outline in the distance of an ancient, ruined castle.

It had been the place where his commoner friends had been knighted. Within the dilapidated castle was an ancient stone table that had been carefully chiseled into a perfect circle. The story Arthur had told them of the table and its significance was not lost on Merlin. It had been the castle where the early kings had come together to form an alliance.

He wondered about the reasoning behind that alliance. Had it just been to stop the warring between the kingdoms, or was there something they had all been fighting against at the time? Was there some common goal aside from peace that had brought them to a point where they needed to join together?

Perhaps, it was a common enemy they had all faced…like Cernunnos. Supposedly, Cernunnos had lived in the lands and was entombed before the Romans had arrived. But, what if the stories were exaggerated and it had only been a few centuries?

When Bran had returned to Camelot after helping Cai seal the dolmen he mentioned that Grettir told him it had been his own father, along with Bruta and other kings, who had sealed the ancient god under the stones.

For over a year Cernunnos had waited before making his move. Merlin wasn't sure why. According to his last communication with Morgana, there had been no ransom demands or anything to indicate why Cernunnos would have taken Duran. Aylass hadn't been able to recall much either, although Merlin was hopeful that once the young woman had gotten some proper rest, something would come back to her.

Cai had explained some of the lore surrounding Cernunnos, but his knowledge was limited on the subject. He was ancient and had powers of a god, but he was also known in the druidic lore by many other names. When mankind had first begun cultivating the land he would appear to them and allow himself to be sacrificed each year so that the crops would grow. He was the great hunter that would summon the stag so that the people could feast.

Pieces were beginning to fall into place. However, Merlin couldn't yet see what the final purpose might have been.

She shouldn't have stopped, but her side ached, even in wolf form, from the injury that Alvarr had dealt her. Enmyria couldn't even reached the coast before she had to find a hollowed out niche under a tree to take a nap in.

Whispers in the trees first alerted her to a change in her surroundings. Her ears twitched at the sound and she was suddenly awake.

The moist, pre-dawn air held a touch of salt and algae from the nearby shores, but it was a deeper, musky scent that made her nose tingle. It was a familiar odor she had come to recognize over the past year.

A deep, grating voice came from the shadows. Its very presence seemed to carry the weight of the darkest woodlands in its timbre. "Florie is no longer at the castle. You didn't have anything to do with her flight, did you, my pet?"

The wolf-woman didn't answer him. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and her tongue darted out nervously to lick at her muzzle.

"I know Alvarr is dead and that you are free from him." The deep, rumbling laughter shook his antlers and made Enmyria shudder. "As if he could have truly kept you as his prize if you really wished to be rid of him. I should be grateful that the human was taken care of. I had plans for him, but it does not matter now." He turned toward her and his face gave away nothing of his thoughts.

Enmyria felt herself being transformed back into a human by a power other than her own will or the wand. "My Lord…I…" She pushed away from the tree and fearfully bowed before him. Enmyria knew he could easily kill her or control her.

He gave her a patronizing smile and spoke to her as a father would to a disobedient child. "Come now. We are a kin of sorts. Don't assume I would need to have the wand in my possession to compel you."

His voice held a commanding tone that promised pain if she resisted. "What news do you bring me, pup? Do you know where my daughter has run off to? "

Keeping her response simple, she told Cernunnos the very basics of what had happened. "Alvarr's lust had become too great. He planned on forcing himself onto Aylass…er…Florie. I helped facilitate her escape, so he wouldn't get his hands on her."

"I see. Then, what happened?"

"She was rescued by a group of knights from Camelot, but Alvarr found them. I killed him to protect the girl and… I don't remember anything after that. She was gone by the time I awoke."

"You nearly died yourself. I can still smell the stench of near-death lingering over you and also of great magic." The woodland lord's mind seemed to drift away in thought. "The one who used the magic, where is he now?"

"I don't know." Enmyria's eyes shifted downward. Cernunnos was compelling her to tell him, but she still felt a sense of duty to Merlin for saving her life.

"You have been honest with me until now. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Before she could respond, she felt her throat begin to tighten and saw his hands, shadowed in the morning twilight, mimicking the sensations she was experiencing. Her breath couldn't pass through her windpipe and her lungs began to burn.

Enmyria grappled and clawed at the invisible hand. She was weak. She always had been. She gave in now to her sense of self-preservation. "He…was following…you. Your path…through the woods."

She fell back to the ground and gasped as her breath was suddenly allowed free passage.

"How? I sensed no man following me. The Sidhe who watched the path would have told me."

"He said he can change into a bird. I heard him talking about it with his companions." Fearfully, she shrank away from the beastly man.

Cernunnos began to laugh. Great antlers tipped precariously as he turned away from her. "He has the power to change himself into a creature? How fascinating. I had thought the ability long gone from the hands and minds of men. Who is he?"

Enmyria tried not to answer, but her eyes grew wide with fear when Cernunnos raised his hand again. "He's called Emrys. He is the cousin of Arthur Pendragon. He only wants the child you took returned unharmed."

"Cousin, you say? Well, then perhaps I can grant his wish. A full grown man with magic would certainly be more useful than a child. The night when I will be able to open the Gates approaches. This is very fortunate news you have brought me." His hand waved over her head. "Sleep now, my child. I may have use for you yet, but for now you have earned your rest. Take time to find yourself and allow your beast to roam."

Enmyria fought against the sensations, but his voice was too strong for her to resist. Blackness soon claimed her.

The dark woods surrounded her. There were places where the sunlight couldn't even begin to penetrate the canopy of branches above her. It felt like the sun was going down, even though she was sure it had been about to rise when Cernunnos had appeared to her. She cursed at herself for giving in so easily and telling him where Merlin went.

She knew that Merlin would have a hard time finding any signs of Cernunnos' army, even from the air. In the back of her mind, a voice told her to run - to use her wolf form and flee.

If it hadn't been for the fact that she knew the Lord of Beasts had spies in nearly every tree, she would have fled. She would have gotten herself as far away from him and his army as possible. A harbor town would have made the most sense. From it, she could have found a ship to take her to the mainland and journeyed back home to her mother. But she feared he would catch her long before she could have found any civilization.

The only thing she could do was to press on; get back to the keep and free Bran. She wasn't sure what the deal was with him. Cernunnos and Alvarr had starved and tortured the two men in the dungeon. Tristan was probably dead. He had been a strong man and survived much more than most would have, but he was still human. Bran, on the other hand…she didn't think he was.

Even before Merlin had told her Bran's story, she had guessed there was more to him. After weeks of imprisonment, he still appeared healthy. In fact, now that she thought about it, he had actually thrived. It made sense with Merlin's theory about the Cauldron.

Shaking her head, she knew what she had to do. If any of them was to stand a chance against Cernunnos, she had to get to Bran and give him Merlin's message.

Shifting back into her wolf form, she realized she hadn't eaten. She decided on a quick hunt to sate her appetite and then she would get to the keep.

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