The next morning dawned and with it the departure for battle. Horses were saddled, armour polished and swords sharpened. The knights had gathered in the castle courtyard with their horses, said goodbye to their loved ones and were ready to mount.

"Arthur," this Sir Mordred heard pronounce his name.

The king hesitated and went to meet Sir Mordred. He was in a hurry as everyone was waiting for him to finally leave.

"I must speak with you. It is very urgent," Mordred said urgently.

"Make it quick," said Arthur, already turning to leave again.

Mordred got hold of Arthur's cloak. "Please. It really will not tolerate delay. It will be quick too, but could we just ..." the knight finished, pointing in the other direction.

Merlin saw Sir Mordred seeking to speak to King Arthur, but he was taken completely by surprise by a very different sight. He saw a familiar face come strolling into the castle courtyard full of joy.

"Gilli!" exclaimed Merlin joyfully. "You've actually come."

"Of course, Merlin, that's what we were hoping for," the friendly wizard declared.

Merlin laughed. "True. It's hard to believe that magic has been allowed again and we can finally be free," he said, speaking the last part softly for Gillie's ears only.

Just as quietly, the latter replied, "So it's still a mystery."

"Partly. Few know about it now. The secrecy is annoying, but above all necessary so that our enemies don't know yet," he explained quietly, shrugging his shoulders apologetically.

Gilli looked at Merlin piercingly. "And you're sure that's all?"

Merlin could find no real answer to that.

"Oh, don't let me tease you. I'm only joking. I was very happy to hear your news. But how did it all come about?" asked Gilli with interest, not taking his eyes off his friend.

Merlin tried as best he could to give him a brief summary of the last few days.

"Wow, I'm impressed. Even without an explanation, I would have supported you. You showed me how to use my gift and, above all, that my father was no coward. I don't have nearly as much power as you do. I feel honoured that not only my fighting skills but also my magic power are in demand. I spent most of my time away from the kingdom of Camelot because I wanted to learn more about magic. You wouldn't believe all the exciting discoveries I made."

The two wizards were exchanging ideas about various things when Tea came running up.

"Merlin! I can't ride such big horses as my legs are still a bit too short. Since you are only half a portion, surely your horse can still carry me," Tea asserted with confidence.

"You can say what you like, but there's no way you're coming with me! You are a child and these do not belong on the battlefield!" said Merlin in a deliberately hurtful manner. He was surprised that Tea did not seem offended at all.

"Outwardly that may be true, but we both know I had to grow up fast. Say your other arguments already so I can refute them," she said unimpressed, looking at him challengingly.

"It's too dangerous," he kept trying.

"That's life. Besides, I'm rock solidly convinced that I'm safest around you," she conceded, giving him a knowing smile.

Merlin heard Gilli stifle a laugh. "At least she knows you well," he observed.

"Hey, I'm Tea, and you're Merlin's magic friend?" asked Tea, slightly distracted.

"Has Merlin been talking about me a lot?" the latter asked hopefully.

Tea frowned. "No, not a word did he mention you."

"But from where?" wondered Gilli aloud.

"That's what your ring tells me, and I've seen you," said Tea, shrugging her shoulders indifferently, putting a lot of emphasis on the word "seen".

"Oh!" he exclaimed and was about to follow up, but was impatiently interrupted by her.

"Merlin, should I continue arguing with you or justify my decision by saying that you will probably need me on the battlefield?" she asked, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Merlin really wanted to argue further, but he saw it. She was probably going to be on that very cursed battlefield and it would probably be safer for her to ride with him than to sneak in elsewhere. He gave her his hand and pulled her onto the horse in front of him. He found it more than irritating that her curls tickled his nose. So he didn't catch Arthur stepping out of the castle unescorted and mounting the royal stallion. The rider's restlessness seemed to be transferred to the animal...

The road to the planned battlefield seemed to drag on forever. Merlin was surprised that Tea's presence seemed to calm him. She told many anecdotes from the Druid camp. Gilli also contributed interesting travel tales and Merlin momentarily forgot the responsibility that rested on his shoulders. He was about to ask Mordred how he had enjoyed being with the Druids as a child when he realised he could not see him.

"Arthur, where is Sir Mordred? I had seen him in the castle courtyard just this morning?" asked Merlin anxiously. It made him shiver to see Arthur turn pale.

The king replied briefly, "He has decided not to ride. He said something about prophecies, Kara and guilt. I couldn't get any more specifics out of him in a hurry."

Merlin could not tell whether this news reassured him or increased the uneasy feeling within him. When he introduced Gilli to the king, the wizard was merely greeted with a nod. Arthur had never been a man of many words. How strange it must have been for him to now have foreign wizards fighting right by his side? If it really became necessary for him to leave Arthur's side, at least the king had another gifted wizard near him.

At last they came to the narrowest part of the pass. Arthur and his allies looked towards the village of Camlann.

"So this is it. This is where the fate of the kingdoms will be decided. Set up camp, take position," Arthur ordered. The king looked intently into the ravine and almost paused.

"This is a deathtrap," Sir Leon mused after a few moments.

"That's the point," the king replied quietly, a determined expression creeping onto his features.

"Morgana cannot escape here and neither can we," the knight added.

"You just can't come off the flank. It ends here with my life or with my death. However it ends, it ends here," Arthur prophesied more to himself than to the others.

"We just have to hold the fort until the reinforcements arrive," Sir Percival tried to lighten the mood.

"Yes, our chances are once again poor and yet it is a pleasure to fight alongside you" said Sir Gwaine. His comrades could see his typical swashbuckling smile on his lips.

Arthur looked to him. Gwaine. If it should be necessary for us to split up, I beg you, accompany Merlin and Tea."

Gwaine was surprised that Arthur did not simply give the order, but nodded and looked him firmly in the eye.

"Don't worry, if my gawky servant is drawn from my side, it will probably be to somewhere even more dangerous than near me," Arthur tried to joke.

Gwen was nervous and could hardly bear the rising nausea. It was very hard for her every time to see Arthur go into battle, but this time it was especially bad. The distance to the battlefield was not so far that it would have been worthwhile to set up a large camp with tents and beds. They also didn't have the time, and especially the peace and quiet, to regain strength and sleep, as the enemy had already advanced too far. The only thing they could afford to do was to walk at a slow trot with a few breaks. She continued to feel that Arthur avoided her presence. He seemed so alien and distant to her - completely focused on the battle. Normally he would always find some time to joke with her - be it on the way there or in between setting up the makeshift camp. She was also aware that this battle was anything but normal. She still could not believe that Arthur was in supreme command of all the allied forces. It was no wonder that he was severely tense and in no mood to joke. She recalled that her husband had gone into battle against his own sister to defend himself once again. I wonder if perhaps he dreaded the encounter with Morgana, believing it was his duty to stop her for good.

Gwen, as usual, had insisted on riding with Gaius and Bronwen to tend to the wounded and had ridden part of the way. She watched with a smile as Tea, Merlin and Gilli talked about life in a Druid camp. She also felt a little sorry for Sir Gwaine, who was trying to draw Arthur out with his typical patter, but he seemed so tense that even Gwaine gave up trying to elicit a laugh from his friend. Gwen also kept a low profile and sought conversation with Bronwen. Both women talked about the procedure in the injured camp and what changes made sense now that druids were also present. Gwen did realise how little she could contribute now that there were so many more capable healers on site, but she quickly dispelled that thought. She did this not only for the sake of having something to do so she didn't despair, but also because she wanted to help as much as she could. It was no problem for her if this time she might only play the errand boy.

On the way, she had a lot of time to think about the different rulers of the various kingdoms. They had all left after signing the treaties to lead their respective forces into battle. She could not explain the downright happy expression on King Lot's face. Gwen had already suspected that he would be much more comfortable on a battlefield than at a table with important figures negotiating peace, and yet the smirk she observed made him less unfriendly and aloof. It had not been a cold, fearsome smile either, but a heartfelt one. This man was truly a mystery to her. At least Merlin had managed to explain to Arthur and her why the king had accepted Essetir's Camelot as a permanent ally. Apparently Lot suspected that Merlin had hurt Morgause so badly. For him, an alliance with Camelot was like compensating for the guilt that he, as the current King Essetir, had not avenged the murdered king.

Again the farewell scene with her husband came to her mind. He seemed even more tense than usual. She knew he was not one for heartfelt goodbyes, but her kiss, aimed at his lips, merely met his cheek. He quickly grasped her hands and said with full conviction, "All will be well. I promise you that, my queen." With these words, he turned away and was already engrossed in strategic conversations with his knights again.

Although his words were surely meant to reassure her, they gave her the creeps. She kept an eye out for Merlin and saw that he was once again arguing with Tea, who was probably sticking to her resolve to follow the wizard at every turn, much to his chagrin. She sighed, hoping so hard that all would indeed be well, rolled up her arms and began her preparations. Even with wizards and druids now helping at her side, there would still be a high demand for boiled water and cloths, unfortunately.

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