A/N: IDOM
Arthur had gone with his knights, Merlin and Mordred on patrol. They'd taken a new route—one that passed very close to the former border of Cenred's kingdom. Merlin grew increasingly tense as they rode deeper into the forest. They stopped for a rest around midday.
Elyan tried and failed to take a drink from his waterskin. "All right!" he called, annoyed. "Who drank all my water?"
Gwaine belched. Arthur laughed. "I believe you have your answer."
"You said I could have some," Gwaine said innocently.
"I said you could have some," Elyan retorted. "I didn't say you could drink every last drop!" He angrily hurled the waterskin at Gwaine.
"Here, have some of mine," Leon offered. He walked toward Elyan and held out his waterskin…then tossed it over his shoulder to Percival. Everyone laughed.
"That's very funny," Elyan said flatly.
Percival walked forward. "Here. Unlike these ignorant fools, I share with my friends." He started to offer the waterskin to Elyan, only to turn around and toss it at Merlin. Merlin was busy staring into the trees and did not see it coming. The waterskin hit him on the shoulder. He jumped violently.
"Something the matter, Merlin?" Arthur asked. He followed Merlin's gaze. His eyes widened. "Shh!"
"What is it?" Mordred demanded.
"Something in the trees," Arthur muttered. He gestured with his sword. Something vaguely resembling a clothesline was visible through the trees.
Arthur led the way down into a clearing. Thin ropes crisscrossed between the trees, all hung with a variety of colored strips of cloth. Mordred froze as he recognized the place. He'd been here before, shortly before he went to Camelot for the first time. He'd begged to see this place just once before he left. Merlin refused to come anywhere near here, so Will had taken Mordred instead. The place was just as eerie as it had been six years ago. It was the place where Mordred was born. The place where his clan was mercilessly slaughtered.
Merlin brought three fingers to his lips, then bowed his head and touched the same three fingers to his forehead. Mordred copied the gesture.
"What is this place?" Percival wondered aloud. Merlin flinched.
"This is a shrine," Mordred said quietly. "In the time of the Old Religion, they built shrines like this to appease restless spirits. We shouldn't be here."
"Why, you scared of ghosts now?" Gwaine teased.
"It isn't funny," Mordred snapped. "Gaius told me about places like this. They're cursed."
A wind blew through the trees, causing the hanging cloths to sway. The effect was rather spooky. Suddenly, a raven burst out of the bushes and flew overhead. Merlin nearly jumped out of his skin. "That's a bird, Merlin, not a spirit," Leon said, a hint of laughter in his voice.
Merlin flinched again. He looked around at all the knights and began slowly backing away. Suddenly he turned around and fled deeper into the shrine.
"What—oh come on, we didn't even do anything!" Elyan exclaimed, sounding exasperated.
Arthur looked around warily. "Come on. We should stick together." He sheathed his sword before following Merlin.
They found Merlin sitting with his back against a well, his head between his knees. He was shaking. Mordred couldn't help but notice an old bloodstain on the side of the well. He swallowed and forced his attention back to his brother. He crouched down and gently put a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "Merlin. Come on, we need to leave." He glanced over his shoulder at the knights. They're not here to hurt you. It was all a long time ago, remember? These knights are your friends.
Knights… Merlin repeated dazedly.
You're safe now, Mordred promised. But we should really leave before they start wondering why this shrine upsets you so badly.
Right. Leave. Good idea. Merlin slowly straightened and stood up. There were tear tracks on his cheeks.
"Seriously, Merlin, are you all right?" Leon asked worriedly.
Merlin took a deep breath, not looking at Leon. [I will be.]
"Let's go," Arthur urged. "There's nothing for us here." He led the way back to the horses. Elyan brought up the tail end of the group, lagging behind somewhat.
Back in Camelot, they all went to the armory to remove their armor. Merlin repeatedly fumbled with the straps on Arthur's armor, though Arthur didn't seem to notice. "Arthur, are you all right?" Mordred asked. "You've been very quiet."
Arthur started and looked up. "Been thinking, that's all." He walked out of the armory, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was still wearing half his armor.
"Merlin!" Gwaine called. "Catch!" He lobbed a small brown pouch at Merlin.
Merlin clumsily caught the pouch with one hand. [What's this?]
Gwaine smirked. "Salt. Pour it in a circle at the foot of your bed. Helps protect you from evil spirits."
Merlin stared blankly at him. [Why would I be worried about evil spirits?]
The knights all stared back at Merlin. "Merlin, did you even hear what I said about the shrine being cursed?" Mordred demanded.
[Of course it's cursed, I told you that!]
Gwaine raised an eyebrow. "Uh…when?"
Merlin paused. [Did I tell you that?]
Mordred grimaced. "I think you should go see Gaius, Merlin. You're kind of…out of it."
[Right. Gaius. Yes.] Merlin turned and left, nearly bumping into the doorway as he did so.
A short while later, Mordred returned to the physician's chambers and found Gaius attempting to coax Merlin into drinking a cup of tea. Gaius heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Mordred. "There you are. Perhaps you can explain why Merlin is acting like he's seen a ghost?"
Mordred winced. "The patrol took us right by my clan's old camp."
Gaius's eyes widened. "Please tell me there's a shrine in the ruins."
Mordred nodded. "Yeah, has been for years."
Gaius sighed in relief. "Druids build shrines to bring rest to tormented souls—souls that were so badly wronged they could find no peace in the other world. The ancient rituals heal the ground so the souls of the victims can find rest…"
"Yes, and the magic that binds the earth is delicate and easily undone," Mordred interrupted. "That's why they hang all those ribbons and flags—to act as a warning. Anyone who disturbs a resting place risks releasing a spirit. Merlin told me all that years ago."
Gaius bowed his head. "Of course you would know that. I'm sorry." He grimaced. "Did anyone touch anything?"
Mordred shook his head. "I don't think so."
Gaius nodded. "Good. Merlin, Mordred, you must promise me that you will never return to that place."
Merlin shuddered. [Believe me, I never wanted to go back there in the first place.]
"And I've no desire to return either," Mordred agreed. "I mean it, Gaius, I promise."
Merlin couldn't breathe. He could still hear the screams, although they were now muffled. The bright sunlight overhead seemed to mock him, shining cheerfully on this scene of horror. Merlin slipped further and further away from the surface. Shadows closed in overhead. He was drowning.
Merlin jolted awake. He pulled his blanket tighter around himself and shivered. He'd had many nightmares about the massacre before, but he'd never dreamed of drowning.
It was a long time before Merlin was able to fall back asleep.
In the morning, Merlin found Arthur passed out on his table with his face in a bowl of stew—the apparent remains of a supper Merlin didn't remember bringing to him. Merlin loudly hit the table in order to wake Arthur. Arthur's eyes flew open and he sat up, stew covering half his face.
[Late night?] Merlin asked.
"Very," Arthur replied. "Fell asleep while I was reading."
Merlin glanced at the stew, then back at Arthur. […what were you reading?]
Arthur paused, clearly realizing there were no books or scrolls on his table. "A fascinating treatise on stew."
Merlin furrowed his brow. [Am I losing my mind, or did someone else bring you your supper last night?]
Arthur frowned. "I…don't remember." He looked Merlin up and down. "But I don't see a breakfast tray, so maybe you are losing your mind."
Merlin looked at his empty hands in surprise. [I thought I…oh, right. I had my breakfast. Sorry, guess I'd better go get yours.] He started walking toward the door.
"Merlin!" Arthur called. He held up the bowl of stew. "Take this, while you're at it."
Arthur joined the knights and Mordred for their training session that morning. "Pair off, concentrate on counter-cutting," he ordered. "Gwaine, you're with me."
Gwaine frowned. "What's that in your hair?"
Arthur reached up to feel his hair, which still had chunks of stew in it. "It's…stew."
Leon stared at him. "Why have you got stew in your hair?"
Arthur paused. "I am the king of Camelot, I do not have to answer to any of you. Gwaine, with me; Leon, with Percival; Elyan, with Mordred."
Everyone nodded and paired off. Mordred attacked Elyan and held his own for a few minutes, but Elyan's attacks became increasingly aggressive. Eventually Mordred began backing away, now fighting pure defense. He tripped over a rock and fell backwards. Elyan lunged. Mordred hurriedly brought up his sword to parry, but Elyan suddenly froze and lowered his sword mid-swing. "Sorry, brother." He offered a hand to help Mordred to his feet.
Mordred accepted the hand. "It's all right…did you just call me 'brother'?"
Elyan blinked confusedly. "Did I?"
"Sure sounded like it."
"Well, you are my brother-in-arms," Elyan said, still sounding confused.
"Right," Mordred agreed, not entirely convinced. "Anyway, shall we go again?"
"Yeah." Elyan raised his sword and attacked, remaining much more controlled this time.
After the training session, the knights and Mordred trooped into the armory. "Well, I'll certainly be feeling that in my arms tomorrow," Percival commented.
Leon snorted. "Nothing ever diminishes your arm strength."
"I may be strong, but I'm not invincible!" Percival protested.
"Really?" Gwaine said sarcastically. "Did you or did you not break Sir Brennis's wrist in an arm wrestling match at the tavern last night?"
"It's not my fault he has such small bones!" Percival defended.
Leon shook his head. "Only small compared to you."
"No, no, no," Elyan muttered. Everyone whirled around to see him staring at a corner of the room and slowly backing away. The corner appeared to be empty, although Mordred could swear he sensed some sort of presence. Elyan began imitating the three-fingered gesture that Merlin and Mordred had used at the shrine. "Leave me alone!" He backed straight into Gwaine.
"Hey, watch yourself!" Gwaine objected. He tried to push Elyan away. Elyan shoved him, still trying to escape the unseen presence. Elyan and Gwaine got into a brief wrestling match which ended when Gwaine punched Elyan in the face, knocking him out.
"Right," Leon said, staring at Elyan's fallen form. "That just happened."
Percival frowned. "What was with that gesture he was making?"
Gwaine turned to Mordred. "You and Merlin did that at the shrine, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Mordred admitted, not meeting their eyes.
"Is it supposed to ward off evil?" Leon asked curiously.
"No, it…" Mordred trailed off and swallowed. "It's a gesture of respect for the dead." He refrained from mentioning that it was a druidic gesture—one Elyan almost certainly hadn't picked up elsewhere.
"Well, we'd better get him to his chambers," Leon decided. "Mordred, you fetch Gaius."
Gaius examined Elyan in his chambers while Mordred and the other knights watched. Elyan had regained consciousness, but he stared blankly into space and did not respond when spoken to.
"Why doesn't he speak?" Leon asked, concerned.
"I don't know. It's strange," Gaius mused.
"It's like he's lost his mind," Gwaine commented.
"When I want your medical opinion, Gwaine, I'll ask for it," Gaius said sternly. "Perhaps you would leave me in peace to treat my patient?"
Leon and Percival headed to the door, but Gwaine hung back. "It would be better if Arthur didn't know about this."
Gaius gave Gwaine a strange look. "Why do you want to keep it from Arthur?"
"Elyan hasn't been himself recently," Gwaine explained. "He hasn't said anything, but he's clearly upset about Gwen's banishment."
"When he first heard about it, he looked ready to murder Arthur," Mordred recalled.
Leon turned back at the doorway. "We wouldn't want Arthur to think Elyan's loyalties are divided."
"Well, I'm sure the king doesn't have to know about every accident that happens in Camelot," Gaius relented. Leon and Gwaine nodded before following Percival and closing the door. Gaius turned back to his patient. "Elyan, can you hear me?" No response. "Blink if you can hear me." Still nothing.
Mordred frowned as he spotted something under the bed. He crouched down for a closer look and found a circle of salt. "Oh god, did he believe Gwaine? Salt does absolutely nothing to ward off evil spirits!"
"Evil spirits?" Gaius repeated. "Are you sure Elyan didn't disturb anything at the shrine yesterday?"
Mordred grimaced. "He could have done. I was too worried about Merlin to really pay attention."
Gaius stood up. "Well, we can take a look in my books, but I've found no physical symptoms to explain his condition."
That evening, Merlin returned to the physician's chambers and found both Gaius and Mordred engrossed in a pile of books. Merlin coughed. [What's wrong?]
Gaius grimaced. "I fear that Elyan disturbed the spirit at the shrine."
Merlin snorted bitterly. [There's more than one spirit at that shrine, Gaius.]
Gaius gave Merlin a stern look. "That is entirely beside the point. Whether Elyan has released one spirit or several, I dread to think of the horror it or they could unleash."
[Those druids were all good people!] Merlin defended.
"Good people who died horribly!" Gaius countered. "These are spirits we are dealing with, Merlin, not friends!"
[They were victims, Gaius!]
"Elyan has been reduced to a state of catatonia and is almost certainly possessed," Gaius retorted. "Who's the victim now?"
Merlin sighed. [I guess I'd better tell Arthur.] He turned around and left again.
Merlin entered Arthur's chambers and found the king staring out his window. Merlin coughed. Arthur glanced over his shoulder at Merlin. "Feeling better?"
[What do you mean?] Merlin demanded, confused.
"That shrine upset you, Merlin, I can tell. You've been distracted ever since."
[I'm fine,] Merlin insisted. [And you've been distracted too.]
Arthur swallowed, not meeting Merlin's eyes. "It's nothing. Old regrets."
Merlin hesitated. He needed to bring up Elyan, but he also wanted to reassure Arthur. [I'm sure that if we find Gwen, she'll understand why you did it.]
"That's not—" Arthur broke off and shook his head. "That's a big 'if'. I told her that to return was on pain of death. She won't be making herself easy to find and she certainly won't be coming back."
[Never give up hope,] Merlin urged.
"And the same goes for you," Arthur replied. "It will get better."
[I told you, I'm fine,] Merlin repeated.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but please don't lie to me," Arthur said wearily. "You can't pretend nothing happened."
Merlin averted his gaze. [All right, so maybe I'm not entirely okay. But that's not why I came in here. Gaius thinks—]
"Elyan?" Arthur interrupted, looking toward the service entrance. Merlin whirled around to see Elyan standing by the door, staring intently at Arthur. "Is everything all right?" Arthur continued.
Elyan advanced and drew his sword. Merlin quickly moved in front of Arthur and looked at Elyan. [Whatever you're doing, don't. There's no need for violence!]
"Stay out of this, Em!" Elyan hissed. Merlin froze at the nickname—only one person had ever called him that. Elyan raised his sword higher. "I don't want to hurt you, my friend, so get out of the way!" Merlin still did not move, too stunned by his realization.
Arthur moved out from behind his table. "Elyan, what the hell is going on?" Elyan lunged at Arthur with the sword. Arthur fell over in his haste to dodge. Elyan continued his attack. Arthur grabbed a nearby stool and used it as a makeshift shield. Elyan battered at the stool, forcing Arthur to back away. After a few blows, the stool broke.
"GUARDS!" Arthur yelled, hurling the broken pieces of the stool at Elyan. Elyan flinched, but quickly resumed the attack. Arthur grabbed a small table and used it as another shield. Merlin finally came back to his senses and magically caused Elyan to lose his grip on the sword. Elyan turned around and fled the room, dodging the guards as they entered.
"You called, Sire?" one of the guards prompted.
"Yes," Arthur confirmed, out of breath. "Find Sir Elyan. And catch him."
"At once, Sire," the guards agreed. They left the room again.
Merlin coughed. [As I was trying to say before we were interrupted, I think Elyan is possessed.]
"You don't say," Arthur said drily. "A spirit from that shrine, I presume."
[Yes,] Merlin confirmed. [Elyan must have disturbed the spirit when we were back there.]
Arthur sighed. "And of course that spirit is making Elyan attack me. At least he recognized you as a friend."
Merlin stiffened. [Lucky me, I suppose.]
Mordred and the other knights soon heard what happened and joined the search. "I never thought I'd see the day when we would be hunting one of our own," Gwaine commented.
Leon shook his head. "I just can't understand why he would attack Arthur."
"We think—" Mordred began, but Percival spoke over him.
"What would you do if your sister had been banished from Camelot?"
"Well, my sister is an evil old toad, so I'd be eternally grateful," Gwaine replied.
"Guys!" Mordred said, more loudly. "Gwen has nothing to do with this! He's possessed!"
The knights paused in surprise, then Leon kept walking. "Possessed or not, we can't let him kill the king."
Elyan darted out from an alcove and ran around a corner. "There he is!" Gwaine cried. Everyone broke into a run and followed. Elyan hurled a bench at them, which they narrowly dodged. They caught up to him when he tried and failed to escape through a locked door. Elyan drew a knife and started brandishing it.
"Elyan, we don't want to hurt you," Leon said, his voice strained.
"Just put the knife down," Mordred urged. He reached out and cautiously gripped Elyan's wrist. Elyan did not resist, allowing Mordred to lower his knife hand.
"I had to do it," Elyan whispered, looking at Mordred. "I had to, don't you see?"
"Of course we do," Percival said soothingly. "We're your friends." He took a few cautious steps forward, then punched Elyan in the face. Elyan dropped like a sack of rocks.
Mordred returned to the physician's chambers and found Merlin in tears. "What is it now, Merlin?" Mordred asked worriedly.
[It's your brother,] Merlin signed shakily.
Mordred shared a glance with Gaius, bewildered. "Uh, yes, you're my brother. Glad we've got that straightened out."
Merlin shook his head. [Your other brother. Saemar. He's the spirit possessing Elyan.]
Mordred's eyes widened. "So that's why Elyan called me 'brother' earlier."
Gaius sighed. "Merlin, I know he was your friend, but he's trying to kill Arthur now."
Merlin shook his head again. [I don't understand it. Saemar was a very kind person, he wanted to be a healer when he grew up. He was never violent.]
"His rest has been disturbed," Gaius said patiently. "It's enough to make any spirit violent."
[But he recognized me,] Merlin persisted. [He didn't want to hurt me.]
"Or me," Mordred added. "Elyan calmed down when he saw me."
"You're not the ones keeping him from his rest," Gaius replied. "And you'd best hope you don't wind up having to explain why the spirit keeps sparing you."
[He has a name!] Merlin signed angrily.
"Saemar is dead," Gaius said sternly. "It's Elyan and Arthur we must worry about now. We must find a way to free Elyan from the spirit's possession."
In the morning, Merlin stood in the council chambers and watched as Agravaine tried to advise Arthur on the situation. "Elyan must be tried and punished in accordance with our laws."
Arthur shook his head. "That would mean putting him to death."
"Well so be it!" Agravaine insisted, unconcerned. "You can't afford to show favoritism."
Arthur glared at Agravaine. "I don't believe Elyan was acting of his own volition."
"What do you mean?"
Arthur nodded at his servant. "Merlin believes that Elyan has been possessed by some kind of spirit."
"Ohh." Agravaine glanced at Merlin and smirked. "I have no doubt he's just lying to protect his friend."
"Why else would Elyan attack me?" Arthur said stiffly.
Agravaine rolled his eyes. "His motive is obvious, he seeks revenge. You banished his sister from Camelot. Arthur, you must see—all this talk of possession and spirits, it's just a ruse to save Elyan's neck."
"And if it is true?" Arthur retorted. "I'd be executing an innocent man. More than that, I'd be executing a friend."
"You cannot be seen to allow someone to try and kill you and then escape punishment," Agravaine said coldly. "You will appear weak. That puts the whole of Camelot in peril."
"Leave me," Arthur snapped. He glanced at Merlin and continued more quietly. "Both of you."
Merlin returned to the physician's chambers, where Gaius and Mordred were perusing several large tomes. Mordred looked up. "What happened?"
Merlin sighed. [Agravaine is pushing very hard to have Elyan executed.]
"Yeah, well, Arthur knows not to listen to Agravaine—right?" Mordred asked.
[I'm pretty sure he believes us about Elyan. He hasn't ordered an execution, at any rate.]
"If we don't find a way to rid Elyan of the spirit, Arthur may have no choice," Gaius said grimly.
"Well, we'll find a way," Mordred said confidently.
[A way to free Saemar, right?] Merlin checked. [Not destroy him?]
"Hopefully," Gaius sighed. Merlin did not find that reassuring.
In the evening, Merlin left to bring Arthur his dinner. Mordred and Gaius continued their research. Finally, Mordred found something. "I've got it!"
Gaius moved to look over his shoulder. "That is very powerful magic, Mordred. You'll need to get Elyan away from the guards."
"Eh, I've broken people out of dungeons before," Mordred said casually, thinking of the Castle of Fyrien.
"How you managed that without getting caught will forever be a mystery," Gaius said sternly. "Get Merlin to help you with this."
"Of course," Mordred agreed. Merlin? We've found a way to free Elyan. No response. Merlin?
Warning bells rang out.
Merlin and Elyan reached the woods and finally stopped to catch their breath. "You know, Merlin, you're much braver than people give you credit for," Elyan commented. "There's not many people with the courage to break someone out of the cells."
[Well, I couldn't let them execute you,] Merlin replied, thankful for the moonlight. [But in return, you've got to promise me that you are not going to kill Arthur.]
"I…" Elyan trailed off, staring at a point behind Merlin. Merlin glanced over his shoulder, sensing a familiar presence. "I have to kill the king," Elyan said quietly. "Why do you insist on protecting him?"
[Because he's a good man.]
"How can you say that?" Elyan demanded. "He's a monster. They're all monsters, Em."
Merlin shook his head. [Not all of them. Some of them are honorable. They would never do what was done to you.]
"Do you know what it's like?" Elyan asked, a quaver in his voice. "Slipping away, unable to breathe, staring into the face of your killer—"
[Yes, actually,] Merlin interrupted. [There's a reason I'm talking with my hands.]
"Then you understand," Elyan said desperately. "I must kill him."
[I can't let you do this,] Merlin insisted.
"I'm sorry, Em. I can't let you stop me." Elyan's fist lashed out, and the world went black.
Unfortunately, Merlin had taken magical measures to cover his tracks, so Mordred was no help to the search parties. By the time the sun rose, both Merlin and Elyan were still missing. Mordred and the remaining knights gathered in the council chambers to speak to Arthur.
"You think Merlin is possessed too?" Gwaine suggested worriedly.
"What makes you say that?" Arthur asked, surprised.
"Well, he did suffer a total breakdown for no apparent reason back in that shrine," Leon said thoughtfully.
"And he's been acting off ever since," Percival added.
Arthur shook his head. "Merlin has had plenty of opportunities to attack me, and he hasn't taken any of them. Besides, there's no proof he was involved in Elyan's escape. If we find him, let's not terrorize him. Now go on, find Elyan before he runs afoul of my uncle."
Leon nodded. "Yes, Sire." He turned around and left the council chambers, followed by Gwaine and Percival.
Mordred followed more slowly, feeling useless. He had no idea how to go about searching for people without magic—thanks to his normally phenomenal tracking skills, no one had ever thought it necessary to give him lessons in conventional tracking, and he'd never asked. Worse, Merlin still wasn't responding to mental calls—Mordred wasn't sure if his brother was unconscious, out of range, or simply avoiding him.
Mordred stopped short when he noticed something in a nearby doorway. A dead guard had been stuffed into an improperly-closed closet. Oh dear.
Mordred turned around and ran back to the council chambers. The doors were closed and he could hear clashing swords inside. Mordred tugged on the doors, but they would not open. Desperate to protect Arthur, Mordred used magic to force the lock and he burst into the room. Arthur was dueling a soaking-wet Elyan. Fresh water continually dripped off the possessed knight. A pair of guards lay dead by the far wall, each felled by a crossbow bolt.
Elyan's eyes widened as he caught sight of Mordred. Arthur took advantage of the distraction to disarm Elyan and knock him to the ground. He held his sword to Elyan's chest. Elyan looked at Mordred again. "Get out of here, brother," Elyan urged—but the voice that came from his mouth was not Elyan's. It was the voice of a child. Almost certainly the voice of Saemar.
Arthur slowly lowered his sword, staring at Elyan like he'd never seen him before. After a few moments, Elyan bolted to his feet. He grabbed Mordred by the arm and began dragging him toward a rear entrance of the room. "Hey—let go of me!" Mordred protested, struggling.
"I can't let him kill you!" Elyan insisted, still in the child's voice.
"I don't need protecting!" Mordred retorted. "S—brother, let me go!" He finally succeeded in pulling away. Elyan—Saemar—cast a worried look at Arthur before fleeing. Mordred leaned against a pillar and took a shaky breath, not sure how to react to what just happened.
"What the hell was that?" Arthur demanded, now staring at Mordred.
Mordred jumped. "How should I know? It's not like you were threatening me in the first place!"
Arthur shook his head. "No, it was more than that. The spirit recognized you. He called you his brother."
"Well, last I checked, Merlin is still alive and not possessing anyone!" Mordred argued, trying to calm his racing heart. "Or at least, I hope he is…"
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "You sure you never had some long-lost brother?"
"Quite sure," Mordred lied. "Shouldn't we be worrying about freeing Elyan right now?"
Arthur gave Mordred a suspicious look before answering. "Yes, I suppose we'd better have a chat with Gaius."
Thankfully, Merlin was in the physician's chambers when they arrived. Gaius was treating a large bruise on Merlin's forehead.
"Good of you to join us, Merlin," Arthur said, an edge in his tone. "Anything you'd like to share?"
[Elyan throws a wicked punch,] Merlin replied, grimacing.
"Anything else?" Arthur demanded. "Something about the shrine, perhaps?"
"From what I've heard, I believe the site was once a druid camp," Gaius answered. "Before its residents were slaughtered on your father's orders. I believe it is one of those tormented souls that now possesses Elyan."
Arthur clenched a fist, then sighed. It was a few moments before he responded. "And that's why he seeks his revenge."
Gaius nodded. "The spirit craves peace. He wishes to find his proper place in the other world, but the unjust nature of his death has denied him that."
Arthur took a deep breath. "Is there anything that can be done to change this?"
"In druid lore, only the atonement of the perpetrator can bring the spirit peace," Gaius revealed.
"But Uther's dead," Mordred pointed out. "He can't atone for what he did."
"Indeed," Gaius agreed worriedly.
"What about Elyan?" Arthur demanded. "He's getting worse, he's started speaking with a child's voice."
Gaius grimaced. "Elyan is no longer the man you knew. The spirit has a hold over him that may be too powerful to break. All we can hope is that he'll be found before he has a chance to enact his revenge."
"And if we do find him?" Arthur prompted.
Gaius bowed his head. "Then I fear you have no choice but to kill him."
Arthur looked extremely troubled by this. After a few moments, he reluctantly nodded and left.
Mordred turned to Gaius. "But what about the spell I found? We never got to try it!"
Merlin's head snapped up. [What spell?]
Gaius gave Merlin a stern look. "The spell you could have cast on Elyan last night to free Saemar's spirit, if you hadn't decided to take matters into your own hands!"
Merlin winced. [I thought I could get through to Saemar. But…he's consumed by his quest for revenge. It's more important to him than anything now.]
Mordred shook his head. "No, it isn't. When I came to help Arthur a little while ago, Saemar got more worried about protecting me than killing Arthur."
Gaius's eyes lit up. "Then perhaps it's not too late to try your spell. Tonight, you must go and find Elyan."
[I have a feeling I know where we'll find him,] Merlin signed.
Mordred bit his lip. "Do you think Elyan will…remember?"
"No," Gaius assured. "He is unlikely to remember the experience as anything but a vague dream."
That night, Merlin and Mordred quietly readied horses and set out for the shrine, their path lit by moonlight. After about an hour, Mordred reined up. Stop. Do you hear that?
Merlin also reined up. Hear what?
Hooves, Mordred answered. He listened intently. Hooves were definitely approaching from the direction of Camelot.
Let's not be seen out here, Merlin decided. Get off the trail. He dismounted and led his horse behind some tall bushes. Mordred followed suit.
A few minutes later, the approaching rider slowed to a halt near their hiding spot. "I know you're there," Arthur called.
Reluctantly, Merlin and Mordred emerged into the open. "Fancy meeting you here!" Mordred said with false cheer.
[Arthur, what are you doing?] Merlin demanded. [It's not safe, Elyan could be out here.]
"I have to face him," Arthur said quietly. "And don't even think about trying to stop me. You can either tag along or go back to Camelot, it's your choice."
Merlin and Mordred shared a glance. "I guess we'll come along, then," Mordred decided.
The trio dismounted again when they reached the shrine. Arthur took a wary look around, then drew his sword and laid it on a rock.
"Is that a good idea?" Mordred asked worriedly. "You might be needing it."
"I'm not sure a sword will be much use against a spirit," Arthur murmured, still looking around.
"What about against Elyan?" Mordred demanded.
Arthur ignored him. "I'm here!" he yelled. "That's what you want, isn't it?"
Mordred stared at him. "What are you doing?"
Arthur turned to Mordred, his expression heavy with regret. "Everything Gaius said about this place is true, except for one thing. My father may have ordered the attack, but it was I who killed your brother."
Both Merlin and Mordred's jaws dropped. Before either of them could come up with a response to that, they heard the sound of dripping water. Elyan was standing a few paces behind Arthur, still soaking wet. He spoke again in Saemar's voice. "My blood is on your hands. I cannot rest because of what you did."
"I know," Arthur said softly. He knelt, and his voice shook as he continued. "I am responsible for what happened to you. I was young and inexperienced. It was the first time I'd ever seen a true battle. I was desperate to prove myself—to the knights, to my father." Elyan took a few steps closer. Tears were now forming in Arthur's eyes. "I didn't want to kill you. My mentor, Sir Ector—he told me I had to. If I ever wanted to be a good knight, if I ever wanted to protect my people, if I ever wanted to be the king my people deserved—I must kill a child who had done me no wrong. I trusted Ector, I believed him…and so I acted against my conscience." Arthur broke down sobbing. "I still hear your screams. I cannot right this wrong. Nothing I can do will ever change what I did to you that day. But I can promise that now that I am king, I will do everything that I can to prevent anything like this ever happening again! From this day forth, the druid people will be treated with the respect they deserve, I give you my word!" Elyan drew his sword. Arthur began breathing rapidly, but he did not flinch. "I am truly sorry for what I did to you."
The sword slid out of Elyan's hand to lie abandoned on the ground. He took Arthur by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet. He scrutinized Arthur's face, apparently searching for any sign that this was a trick. Then he embraced Arthur. "I forgive you," Saemar whispered.
Elyan stepped back and exhaled. A fine white mist poured out of his mouth and dissipated into the night sky. After nearly a minute of this, the mist stopped and Elyan collapsed. Arthur caught him and gently lowered him to the ground.
The silence continued. Neither Merlin nor Mordred had any idea what to say. Finally, Arthur looked up from Elyan and turned to Merlin. "It's all right. I forgive you too."
[For…what?] Merlin demanded warily.
"For Sir Ector's death," Arthur said quietly. Merlin stumbled and sat on a nearby rock—thankfully, not the one with Arthur's sword on it. Arthur briefly shut his eyes, then opened them to look at Merlin again. "That's why you've never felt that you could tell me about your magic, isn't it? I told you I'd sworn revenge, and you thought my childhood grudge would outweigh our friendship." When Merlin did not respond, Arthur shook his head. "I can't believe I never made the connection before. He's the knight who took your voice, isn't he?"
Merlin slowly nodded, too shocked for words. Mordred was also reeling, but he managed to voice the question that was foremost in both brothers' minds. "You know about the magic?"
"Well, I didn't truly know, until just now," Arthur admitted. "But it's been years since I had any doubt."
Merlin finally recovered enough to sign. [Why did you never say anything?]
Arthur snorted bitterly. "Believe me, I tried. Every time I started to broach the subject, you'd get this look in your eyes…this look of utter panic, and I was afraid you'd run for the hills before I could assure you that I wasn't going to arrest you. Then after you were touched by the Dorocha, I finally managed to tell you…and the next time I saw you, you didn't remember a single word I'd said. After that, I just sort of gave up."
[But…if you know about my magic, and you don't intend to execute me for it, why haven't you changed the law?] Merlin demanded, confused.
"If I'd changed the law right after my father was killed by a sorcerer, people would probably think I'd gone mad—or worse, that I'd been enchanted," Arthur explained. "As soon as I feel that I can change the law without losing my entire council, I will, I swear. And in the meantime, have you truly not noticed that I always find a reason to pardon anyone who hasn't actually harmed anyone with their magic?"
[I…guess I just thought everyone got lucky.] Merlin frowned. [Right after your father died, you said you'd never trust magic again. Why, if you were planning to change the law and you knew what I was?]
Arthur bowed his head. "I was a bit upset, I admit. I had tried to ask you to heal my father, and instead you sent me to an old man I barely knew and didn't trust." He scowled. "And I was right not to."
"That wasn't my fault!" Mordred burst out. Both Merlin and Arthur turned to stare at him. Mordred took a step backwards when he realized what he'd just said. "I—Morgana had Agravaine place a cursed amulet around Uther's neck. It was designed to reverse the effects of any healing magic. I swear on my life, I had every intention of keeping my word and healing your father!"
Arthur narrowed his eyes at Mordred. After a long moment, he spoke in a carefully controlled voice. "So. Apparently I have had not one, but two sorcerers practicing right under my nose. I think we need to have a very long conversation about everything that has happened in Camelot that the two of you have not deigned to tell me." He took a deep breath and his expression softened. "So long as you do not present a clear and present danger to my kingdom, I give you my word you will not be punished for your magic."
Mordred glanced at Elyan's unconscious form. "Uh, maybe we should get Elyan back to Gaius first. Believe me, it is going to be a long conversation."
Arthur nodded. "Very well. But I do want to hear everything."
A/N: Okay, I have several things to say about this.
1. I'd only been writing for a couple weeks when I realized the shrine was too good an opportunity to pass up. Saemar was first mentioned all the way back in season 1 specifically in order to set up this episode. Good god, I've been sitting on this for a long time.
2. In a few days, I will post a chapter detailing Arthur's POV as he first begins to suspect Merlin and decides to keep quiet. If anyone PMs me with a correct guess of when this happened (it was a specific episode), they get a sneak peek as a prize.
3. After that, I will also post a chapter showing the "long conversation" where Merlin and Mordred catch Arthur up to speed.
