Alaia Skyhawk:

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Music: N/A

~(-)~

Chapter 35: The Disir ~Part 1~

Their ghostly voices echoed within the cave, as the three hooded women stood around the pool or water at its heart. Holding their staffs high, and then bringing them together upon the water's surface, until at last one of them stooped down to lift a golden, rune-covered disk from the depths.

She carried it outside, to the man who waited there, and handed it into his reverent grasp.

"Osgar... You know what must be done?"

Osgar nodded.

"I do."

"The fate of Arthur Pendragon is in your hands now... See that you honour it."

~(-)~

Merlin watched from beside a weapon-rack, as Arthur and Mordred circled each other upon the training field. The young druid had come far from the rather basic swordsmanship he'd arrived with, and now Arthur wished to see just how much he'd learnt since.

It was in some ways a tense moment for Merlin, the lingering edge, of his distrust of Mordred's destiny, causing him to view each blow of the contest with a tense air. But while he remained ready to intervene with magic if required, he needn't have bothered. For while Mordred did succeed in knocking Arthur off his feet, he still lost the fight to the king's far greater experience and was flung to the floor.

Arthur offered his hand to help him up, and Mordred accepted.

"You're getting good, Mordred, very good."

"My Lord."

"I may have to start trying harder soon."

Merlin clapped from the sidelines and walked over to join them.

"Well done, Mordred." He reached out and shook the druid's hand in congratulations. "Trust me, that coming from Arthur is a huge compliment." Merlin began to lead Mordred towards the racks, while another knight stepped up to spar against the king, but Merlin was thinking about other things. "Mordred, I wanted to ask you... Would you like me to help you develop your magic?"

Mordred jolted in surprise.

"You want to teach me?"

Merlin shrugged and gave him a self-depreciating grin.

"Well it has been pointed out to me lately, that while I'm powerful, I'm still only one man who doesn't have much by way of backup. After my display in the arena three weeks ago, I've had more than a dozen names passed to me, of people who want to learn magic and become defenders of Camelot. Three of those are among the Knights, and I've confirmed they have the potential to learn magic. You have a lot of potential too, and while you don't have to take the offer, this is a chance for you to make the most of it." He winced. "Although I need to find someone to teach the basics. I've never experienced the troubles and trials that students of magic face when first starting to learn, it was all so natural to me. Gaius is too busy with his duties to spend time teaching, and Liam lacks the experience, so I'm going to have to ask around."

Mordred hesitated a moment before smiling.

"Well I could help with that a little, although it's been a long time since I learnt those lessons." He paused and then added. "Have you thought of asking Katryn? She doesn't use the same kind of magic, but the priciples are the same. I've seen her giving advice to a couple of maidservants, who wanted to be able to defend themselves."

Merlin stopped in his tracks.

"She's already been teaching people?"

Mordred stopped as well, and nodded.

"Only those two servants, and a young man from the stables. None of them can cast spells yet, but I've watched them and they show promise. One of the maids has great potential for healing, I've sensed it. The other two are of Physician Liam's power level, weak, but still useful with the proper training."

Merlin's expression became distant as he mulled over what he'd been told, and he turned after a last nod at Mordred.

"Thanks for telling me. I'll go ask her now." He got a few strides, and then stopped as something occured to him. "Wait, you never answered if or not you wanted to learn?"

Mordred's smile was a bit less hesitant this time.

"I'd like that. I've hidden that part of me for too long, it's time to be proud of it."

Merlin walked away, feeling inordinately pleased at Mordred's acceptance of the offer. It was a step in the right direction, towards the kinder of Arthur's two possible deaths. In fact he was so pleased, and so overrun with ideas for plans for taking on several magic students, that he dumped a message in his chambers for Warren to take to Arthur, and flew off to the Darkling Woods to speak to the prospective students among the druids and also to the resident clan leaders for some advice.

~(-)~

That message reached Arthur during a council meeting, barely five minutes before Sir Leon arrived back from a patrol with serious news.

"What news from the west, Sir Leon?"

Leon came to a stop at the end of the council table, his expression grim.

"Serious news, I'm afraid, Sire. A few days ago, our garrison in the Forest of Brechfa intercepted a man who goes by the name of Osgar."

Arthur frowned.

"The sorcerer who set fire to an entire village, to escape the Knights during my father's reign?"

Leon nodded. "The same. While the Myrrdin Code makes allowances for those who killed in self defence during those years, Osgar is one who is agreed to have used unacceptable force during that event. To save his own life, his actions resulted in fifteen villagers burning to death in their homes when he was capable of escaping without setting the fire. Lord Merlin wrote and sealed the warrant for his arrest, with the sentence of death, within days of becoming Court Sorcerer. Our men at the fort tried to apprehend him, but again he has used his power to escape. I am sorry to report... Sir Ranulf was mortally wounded."

Arthur took a deep breath and rose to his feet.

"Then he has killed again, and proven that the sentence for death is justified. Sir Ranulf was an honest and true knight, he will be sorely missed." Arthur regarded those sat at the table. "I want the men of the western territories put on alert, and King Fyrendir to be warned to search his borderlands as well."

"Yes, Sire."

Arthur spoke again.

"I shall personally lead the patrol to bring Osgar to justice. Merlin has his own concerns right now, and out of all of us I am the one most resistant to magic. Those coming with me will need to be the next best at that, so we make capture Osgar without further casualties." He glanced towards where Bel stood at the rear of the room. "And with that in mind, bring Mordred to me. He's proven his skill with a sword, and among the Knights his resilience to magic is unmatched by any but my own. It's time for him to be trusted with his first true patrol, he's earned it."

~(-)~

The following morning, Merlin was still off at the Darkling Woods despite a report sent to him. That in itself was silent approval of the venture, in that he trusted Arthur to keep himself in one piece for what would be a straightforward two day trip. Another individual who seemed happy with it all, was Mordred, as he eagerly waited beside his horse while Elyan and the others teased him by asking him if he'd remembered everything. They even managed to get him to look down and check he had both his boots, after Percival told him he was missing one, but Mordred laughed it off once he realised what they were doing.

It got little better for Mordred as the day went on, and the good-natured teasing continued.

"It is tradition. Goes back years. We all had to do it on our first patrol."

Percival was the image of a man being completely serious, while up ahead Arthur glanced back and gave the youngest knight present a strange look.

"Mordred, what on earth are you doing?"

Mordred glanced over his shoulder, from where he sat facing backwards in his saddle.

"Melding the saddle, My Lord."

Gwaine grinned.

"As in the ancient tradition... of melding."

Arthur started to grin at Mordred.

"Ah, of course. I trust your breeches are on inside out?"

"My Lord?"

At Mordred's complete confusion at that, Percival and the others started laughing and Mordred got the joke and joined in. It was not much longer before they reached the area where Osgar had last been seen, and when they did, the found tracks almost immediately.

Arthur dismounted, followed by the others, and murmured quietly.

"Spread out and search, but stay in pairs. If you find him, apprehend him if you can, but not if it means doing something stupid. You're resistant to his magic, but you're not immune to being thrown into trees."

They did as commanded, moving off in silence, and the minutes ticked by until a shout of alarm came from somewhere to Arthur's left. He and Mordred followed that cry, running through the undergrowth until they practically stumbled over the staggering figure of the sorcerer, Osgar.

Osgar stared when he saw them, but then looked relieved despite the bleeding wound to his gut. It seemed he'd lashed out at one of the knights, and they'd retaliated by stabbing him.

He reached inside his tunic, his hands shaking in urgency.

"Sire, I and Osgar... I am sent from the sacred Disir, to pass judgement on Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King."

Mordred frowned.

"What right have you to pass judgement?"

Osgar glared at him.

"No man is above judgement, however royal." He turned his attention back to Arthur. "It is my duty to pass their judgement on to you. My sacred duty." He held out a rune-covered golden disk to Arthur, who accepted it hesitantly. "It is done."

Arthur regarded it with confusion.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"It is both judgement and fate. You once waged war on the people of the Old Religion, and those lives have yet to be attoned for. The ancient gods answer you, and the Disir have spoken. The circle of fate begins to close. For even as Camelot flowers, the seeds of her destruction are being sown... Redeem yourself, for no further chance will be given."

Osgar choked in pain as he uttered those last words, and then crumpled to the ground and went still.

Arthur regarded him in silence, as one-by-one the rest of the patrol found him and gathered around the dead sorcerer. After pocketing the disk, the king then turned away from the body.

"Bury him and mark the grave with a cairn... We'll camp nearby and return to Camelot in the morning."

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: Yep, I sent Merlin off, and for good reason besides him starting to plan taking on students. Now he won't be there when Arthur goes sees the Disir for the first time, and won't be there to stop him proverbially falling on his ass :P