Merlin was finally really awake. Arthur still seemed to be asleep, so he sneaked out of the room. The guards looked amazed when they saw the sleepy Merlin. The young magician did not pay attention to them and went to his own room. He longed for fresh water and clean clothes. These were sweaty and smelly on his body. He did not pay attention to his way and ran into a wall. When the wall went 'Whew', he looked up.
"Merlin, you've looked better than that before," replied the guard.
Merlin knew him by sight, but did not remember his name.
"Are you feeling better again? I have heard that you are not comfortable drinking wine," the guard inquired further.
"No, I hardly ever drink wine and should definitely leave it alone," Merlin said truthfully.
The guard laughed and patted him on the shoulder.
"Oh, excuse me, that was probably a bit too firm. When I look at your head bandage like that, I can figure out how it came about," the guard teased him.
Merlin shrugged.
"What do you think of the change in the law?" The guard looked closely at the reaction of the royal servant and was surprised to see that he was suddenly completely silent and alert.
"My opinion is not important," Merlin tried to avoid the question.
"It's not?"
"No, what is your opinion," he asked instead as a counter-question.
"Oh yes, I realize that the answer to that question can be a bit tricky ... You don't know who I am, do you?", the guard asked the subject, changing the subject.
"Well, I..." Merlin was more than embarrassed by the question, but the guards looked very similar in their uniforms.
"I am Warrick, the head of the castle guard. Sir Leon asked me to go to the castle to find out what the attitude to the change in the law was, hence the questioning," he ended.
Merlin, relieved, expelled the air he had subconsciously held on to. "Well, I... I think it's good that people have to be less afraid," Merlin said cautiously.
"So you don't think magic is evil?" Warrick continued to drill.
Merlin snorted: "Is a kitchen knife evil?"
Warrick had to use force to scare away the thoughts of the castle kitchen and its lovely cook. "What kind of question is that? Of course a kitchen knife is not evil. It is useful," he replied distractedly.
"Is it still useful when it is in the heart of a human being?", Merlin asked provocatively.
"What are you talking about? Kitchen knives are used for cooking and not for killing," Warrick replied impatiently.
"So you can't use a kitchen knife to hurt or even kill another person," Merlin relentlessly reiterated.
"It's a knife, so of course you can cut yourself with it, and with the right strength it can also be deadly," Warrick replied insightfully.
"What if I use the kitchen knife to prepare herbs and dress wounds? Or if I use it to defend someone else? Is it good then, useful or evil?"
Warrick took the time to think about this seriously and then slowly answered, "This view of magic is interesting.
Merlin realized he might have made a mistake. "I did not use the word magic," he defended himself.
"No, you did not. How do you think the kitchen knife should be used," Warrick asked lurking.
"How do you think?" Merlin lost his patience. He finally wanted to wash up and slip into clean clothes. "The kitchen knife should be used for good, which is what it is for, to help people, whether it be for preparing food or healing wounds.
"Thank you for your words, Merlin. I regret that I have not sought dialogue with you more often until now. I did not expect the king's servant to have an alert mind. However, it does explain why Arthur likes to have you around despite your insubordination. Do not look so perplexed. Guards often stand still for hours in one place and are often forgotten by their own surroundings. You wouldn't believe how many interesting details come to light. What am I talking about? If I see it right, I'm late for my own guard shift myself," Warrick said with a grin.
"I thought you were the head of the castle guard?"
"That's right, and that's why I should be on standing duty for hours just like my colleagues, shouldn't I? And
Unpunctuality will also have its consequences for me, which is why I must now say goodbye. I am looking forward to the next conversation, and don't worry, if I should ever quote you, I will not reveal your name.
That really left Merlin speechless. What kind of man was he? He could not quite place him. He definitely had to be more careful around him, since the head of the castle guard was smart and attentive. But Merlin would only deal with that later, now he wanted to go to his room without interruptions.

Warrick quickly went to the rooms of Tea and Bronwen and relieved one of the guards. He wasn't officially on duty, but the guard didn't question the order and was probably already on his way to the tavern. He kept his eyes open and had his surroundings in view, thinking about the conversations of the day. Especially today these had been very amusing, informative and instructive. But Merlin was really a mystery to him. Most of the time the servant seemed to be a fool, because he stumbled, could not fight and often had arguments with the king. How many times had he listened to the guards' reports about the insolence the royal servant threw at the prince - or later the king - Arthur. There were even bets aimed at imprisonment or worse, but none of them came true. The king seemed to enjoy these little arguments, but no one else dared to try them. Warrick wondered if Uther's servant had always accompanied him at every turn, and he was very sure that this was not the case. A cunning servant who was a good friend of the king and did not hold a grudge against magic. The magician in question might well be a friend of Merlin. But before Warrick could finish thinking, his attention was drawn to the opening of the room door. Out came a radiant girl with light curly hair.
She stood directly in front of him, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "It's about time. Do you know how long I've been waiting here for you?"
Warrick tried to continue to act professionally and not stare at the girl. There was no way she could have meant him, right?
"Master of the castle guard or something! I'm talking to you!" she insisted.
He made the mistake and looked Tea in the eye.
"Yes finally, he reacts! Surely you can search my room and see that there are no bad men, or worse, monsters, are there, right? Otherwise I won't be able to sleep all night," she improvised.
Warrick told the other guard to keep guarding the door while he took care of 'the monsters'. As soon as the door was closed, he was amazed. It was a very luxurious room, but Bronwen and Tea didn't seem to fit in well.
Bronwen stood up and greeted him with these words: "Good that you are here, Master of the Knife. I thought I had misunderstood something."
"No, no, so far everything seems to point to that," Tea added uneasily.
"What is going on here? And how do you know me anyway? And what's all this talk about 'Master of the Knife'", Warrick asked uneasily.
"I have seen you," said Tea meaningfully.
Warrick did not understand the statement and asked sharply, "When did you see me do something?
There was no way Tea would tell him how terrible the vision was. She knew how devastating it could be to reveal such details and hoped fervently that she was doing the right thing. She knew that a certain vision was imminent, and the end was not pretty. The scene took place in the kitchen, everything was covered in blood and his face was covered in tears. Tea began to tremble, she felt sick as the scene was once again in her mind. She shook her head and retreated a few steps away from Warrick.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," said this one with a guilty conscience.
"I'm not afraid of you. You are a protector. I saw it! Do you know anyone who works in the kitchen?" asked Tea cautiously.
Warrick's eyes took on a panicky expression and he whispered, "Berta.
"Hurry up! Run as fast as you can and protect her," cried Tea alarmed, though she wasn't sure if Warrick had understood the end as he had hurried halfway out the door.
Tea screamed in her mind for Mordred.

During the race, Warrick kept thinking the same thoughts over and over again: 'Not Berta, please not her of all people'. The words 'protector', 'master of knives', 'seen', and 'I have seen you' also haunted his mind. He rumbled into the kitchen and was rigid with fright. Berta was lying on the floor and everything was covered in blood. In the corners stood the kitchen maids and boys, trembling. They could not take their eyes off the strange woman named Kara. She stood over Berta and hissed: "You will all pay! Whoever is not for us is against us. Camelot and its subjects do not deserve to continue to exist. I will take everything from you as you have taken everything from me."
She muttered unfamiliar words, her eyes lit up, and Warrick saw that all the knives in the room were moving swiftly toward the children. Master of the Knives' haunted his mind again and he moved. Everything suddenly seemed to happen in slow motion. He grabbed his own knife and threw it away from him. It distracted another knife and they both fell to the ground clattering. Meanwhile, he leapt to the next one and literally plucked it out of the flight path. Again, one knife left his hand and several distracted knives dug into the firewood piled on the wall instead of into the children's bodies. One knife was still in the air, which he deflected with a wooden spoon, but he was unfamiliar with it and the direction of the knife's flight now pointed to Berta. He could only use his own arm as a shield to protect his Berta, and he did not hesitate for a second. He tore the knife from his arm and threw it at the witch. It filled him with satisfaction when he saw that he had hit her in the shoulder. But how little attention she paid to her wound made him shiver. Against a sorceress he was almost powerless. It comforted him that he felt Berta breathing. All was not yet lost. He heard that at least one man in armor approached.
Sir Mordred rushed into the kitchen, his sword drawn and ready for battle, and fell. "Kara?" he asked hesitantly.
Kara's eyes lost their glassy expression and a hint of joy was briefly visible. "Mordred!" But when she noticed his clothes, she spat at him and shouted, "You? You wear the colors of Camelot? You of all people protect the? I never thought you could sink so low. You have betrayed us! You betrayed me!"
Mordred said coldly, but surely, "I don't betray my friends!"
"Friends?" she asked cuttingly. She did not succumb to his nervous twitching and she changed to the language of thought. "What would happen if your so-called friends found out that you have magic, as I do? They would turn the sword against you and slaughter you without question. They do not deserve your loyalty, and you know it."
He answered her angrily and also in thought: "It is true that not everyone here knows that I possess magic and that is necessary now, but Arthur deserves my loyalty."
"He is his father's son and that is all I need to know," Kara said aloud.
Mordred also replied audibly to this for everyone: "Arthur is a just and fair king and does not let himself be led by blind hatred for magic. He is currently in the process of changing the laws concerning magic.
Kara laughed without joy. "Of course the oh so kind king does that. Bit by bit the laws are becoming more and more merciful, the magicians and druids are lulling themselves into a false sense of security. Throughout Camelot, sorcerers will openly profess their magic, and shall I tell you how it ends?
The protection of anonymity was then exchanged for empty promises and hopes that at last there would be no need to hide, to flee or to live in fear... But then it struck. A law is suddenly passed in which all magicians and their friends and families deserve to die. With one precise blow, all are wiped out and the great purification reaches its climax. Camelot does not deserve to exist and must perish."
"Are you listening to yourself? What should come after that? Who guarantees that everything will be better after Camelot's downfall," Mordred asked angrily.
"No one, but I will get better..." she faltered and a muffled sound could be heard.
Mordred saw something brown flashing. Kara rolled her eyes, slumped down and a chalky white Gareth appeared behind her. This one had also been in the kitchen and had sworn to pay off his debt to the king. He had to help to protect him. During the whole situation he stood by the logs and carefully took one of them. He made himself bigger, took a swing and hit the witch on the temples. He dropped the piece of firewood in shock and gasped for breath.
Mordred reluctantly gave Gareth the following order: "Tie her up and above all gag her. Let the guards take her to the dungeon. You there," he addressed a not-so-scared kitchen boy, "get Gaius and Merlin. Hurry up!"
Meanwhile, tears ran down his cheeks. Even though his Berta was still breathing, he knew that with such a great loss of blood she had no chance. He held her in his arms and gently cradled her. He thought he had misheard when he heard her voice: "Man, even though I generally have nothing against cuddling with you, the kitchen floor wall wallowing in pig's blood is not one of my fantasies.
"Pig's blood?" he asked stupidly.
"Most of it yes, although I think your arm contributed a bit, too. This definitely needs bandaging."
Warrick still looked at Berta with a completely idiotic expression. "Pig's blood?," he asked again unnecessarily. "It's not yours?"
"No, fortunately not. I suddenly stumbled and tried to regain my balance with my arms, unfortunately I knocked over the bucket from the last slaughter and fell like a wet sack into the mess on the floor. I think it will be best to get out of our robes and wash ourselves as soon as possible. I would not like to be seen like this, and when perhaps even the king comes to speak with us ... there is no time to lose.
Berta addressed her word to Sir Mordred: "Sire, if I may disturb you? Would it be all right if we could clean up this mess and freshen up afterwards?"
Sir Mordred nodded absently and Berta ordered two kitchen boys to clean up the pig's blood. She dragged Warrick out of the kitchen with these words: "Now come on. I still have a bone to pick with you. What were you doing in the kitchen again? I thought the head of the castle guard was a busy man! And how did you manage to get a knife drilled into your arm?
The last words were already barely understandable in the kitchen and the conversation went on in the cleaning noises of the cake boys. Mordred could still only stare at Kara. Slowly he became aware of his surroundings again.
He called Merlin in thought language: "Merlin, come into the kitchen immediately with bandages. We probably have the accomplice... And she..."
Mordred did not know how to continue the sentence. He could not and would not imagine the consequences that could follow. Was this the situation that would be decisive for his betrayal of Arthur? Did he have no say in the matter? He suppressed the thoughts of what would happen to Kara. She had used magic and wanted to kill. Why of all people the kitchen boys and girls, was another mystery to him. He was distracted by Merlin's entry and the appearance of more guards.
"Merlin, check on the prisoner. As far as I can tell, she's the only one injured, with the exception of one guard."
Merlin saw that the injured was bound as well as gagged and frowned. He asked Mordred in his mind, "She has magic, am I right?"
Mordred did not answer him. Merlin looked up and looked in his direction. Mordred looked confused and desperate.
"Is she a sorceress?"
Mordred nodded.

"Do you know her?" continued Merlin.
He saw the hesitation of Mordred and then a restrained nod.
Merlin had to inhale sharply. "She knows you have magic too, doesn't she?"
Mordred sat down on a kitchen stool, nodded slightly and buried his face in his hands. In the meantime, Gaius had arrived and helped with the examination of the prisoners. He instructed Merlin to remove the knife, stop the bleeding and dress the wound. Gaius himself examined the bump on her head. Although she had abrasions from the piece of wood on her head, she should regain consciousness after a few hours of sleep. He shared his assessment with Mordred. After Merlin treated the wound on her shoulder, Kara was taken to the dungeon cell by several guards.
"Sir Mordred, are you hurt?" Gaius asked, noticing that the knight was standing beside him.
"No, I was not hurt. The cook and the guard were to be fetched so that they could report to the king. I go to him and inform him that he is needed in the throne room. The guard had an injury on his arm. Merlin, can you come into the throne room and bandage it?"
Merlin nodded and looked uncertainly at Mordred.

Hey hey,

Hope you all have/had a nice week. Since I´m too busy right now because of my work, I totally forgot about updating here, but anyway heres the new chapter and the next ones will be coming at the weekend, so stay safe and have a nice day/night :)