Arthur had found the book, all right, but when he sent for Likmus the next day, the Druid was nowhere to be found. Instead, he went to visit Gaius.
It had been obvious that the physician was uncomfortable with translating the Drahmkonos Thanikidos. The title, after all, was The Just Death of Dragonsong, and Arthur and Gaius both found themselves wondering if Merlin could hear them as they read.
The texts were, according to Gaius, filled with magic darker than he'd ever come across. The one that disturbed him most was the drakalos tossa—tongue of the Dragon Master.
"Despite the utility of the Dragonlord commanding its counterpart, they as a species are often unwilling to join in the fight against the wyrms. Their power can, however, be emulated through a spell. It requires that the caster be touched by a dragon's breath—either healed or burned (for further exploration into the long-term effects associated with a dragon's breath, refer back to Chapter Three). The caster must also have doused his hands in the blood of an unborn dragon—typically done by smashing a dragon egg and tearing apart the creature inside, hence the surge of Hunters seeking and destroying nests.
"While the spell alone is typically enough to gain control over a dragon, there are certain extenuating circumstances (id est, a Dragonlord commanding the beast in question) which demand a more powerful breed of magic. In these cases, in order to amplify the sorcery, the—"
Gaius broke off.
"You can't stop there, Gaius, that's exactly what we—"
"…the bones of a Dragonlord are required," the physician said quietly, and he took a shaky breath before continuing.
"They must be gathered from their resting place and ground into powder, save the skull, which will be used as a fount. There the caster will combine the dust of the Dragonlord with waters from the Pool of Nemhain, and will have utter control over the dragon regardless of any measures to the contrary."
"Bones of a Dragonlord? Where—" Arthur froze. "Oh. Oh."
"My lord?"
"I've got to go," he said, taking the book back from Gaius.
At the time, Arthur couldn't understand why Merlin was so upset. He himself had been devastated- Balinor had been Camelot's last chance, after all, but the helplessness he felt was nothing compared to whatever Merlin was experiencing. He'd found the servant holding the dead man to his chest, his face ruddy and streaked with tears. Merlin seemed to have heard Arthur's shouts of rage and scrambled to his feet, but it was still obvious he was grief-stricken.
They'd stood in silence for a few moments before Arthur re-sheathed his sword, his breathing heavy but controlled. "We've got to get back to Camelot. The dragon could strike at any time, and I have to be ready."
Merlin sniffed, nodded, but didn't move.
"Come on." Arthur jerked his head back towards Camelot. "It's a long walk."
Merlin stared at him incredulously. "We aren't going to burn my f… the body?"
"We haven't the time." Arthur frowned. "It'll take us at least two days to get back."
"We can't just leave him here!" Merlin's voice was rising, and Arthur took a step forward, his hands raised in a confused but calming gesture.
"Merlin, we can't stop and build a pyre."
"Then stop talking and help me." His fists were clenched and his eyes were glassy, and he turned away.
Arthur didn't understand why the servant had been so affected by the strange hermit. He thought at first that Merlin felt guilt—Balinor had taken a sword meant for him, after all, and he'd been Camelot's last hope, but as he watched the boy carry over armfuls of stones he realized Merlin hadn't been exposed to death like he, a trained warrior, had. He shook himself and began to look for rocks, too. Merlin was arranging the cairn almost lovingly, and Arthur made up his mind to talk to him about it later.
He didn't know then that Merlin was burying his own father.
It would be damned near impossible to find the burial site after so long, but Arthur had to try.
He went alone. Although George was technically his new manservant, he was far too prissy to take on any journeys, and as Arthur mounted his horse he couldn't help but cast a glance to where Merlin ought to be. The nostalgia was quick to melt away when the stable boy folded up an empty sack and tucked it into the saddlebag. Arthur tried to imagine how he would feel if the situations were reversed, but couldn't. He spurred the horse towards the woods.
They'd found Balinor in a cave at the foot of the Feorre Mountain, and when they started leading him back to Camelot, they'd taken a path through the Forest of Merendra. Somewhere in those woods, between the mountain and the town of Enged, was the cairn.
Forgive me, Merlin.