Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

Walking into his current home to find it filled with people was the last thing Arthur expected or wanted after a long day spent training and then debating with the other members of the Town Council. All he did want was a warm bath and perhaps a nice relaxing cuddle with Gwen before going to sleep, but he realized that relaxation was out of the question the minute he walked in and had a candlestick narrowly missed colliding with his head.

"Haralda!" Gwen shouted from the doorway to the kitchen. "This is my house and I will not have you throwing things!"

"It's my house, too, and I didn't aim at him!" Haralda bellowed from one side of the cottage's main living space. Standing behind her, Percival looked resigned. "Even if he deserves it!"

On the other side of the room, Everard slapped away his twin's restraining arms and snarled, "Even if I deserve it? Where the hell have you been, Haralda?"

Hertha, midway between her siblings, started chastising both of them, while Lancelot, Elyan, and Leon watched from the sidelines in apparent amusement, and Gaius and Elen remained bent over a pile of books on the corner table, very obviously trying to ignore the commotion and failing.

The only people seemingly not paying attention were Hayden, who was sitting by a north-facing window and looking out over the moonlit landscape, and Gwaine, who sat halfway up the stairs near the front door, gazing blankly at nothing at all.

Deciding to prioritize, Arthur made his way along the edge of the main room to Gwen. "What is going on?"

"Well, we were having a discussion about finding Merlin and defending ourselves against sorcerers like Morgause, but as you can see…"

"It turned into another Barclayn family fight." Arthur glanced past her into the kitchen and stiffened when he saw Morgana and Mordred sitting at the table inside. "You invited them, too?"

"I thought Morgana might be able to offer some insights," Gwen replied. "And where she goes, so does he. She was listening in, but retreated when all that started..."

"Right. I don't blame her." He watched as Mordred made a face at something he was drawing and Morgana reached over to offer assistance with a small smile. She's a good mother.

A week had passed since he and his sister agreed to a truce, and since then, Morgana had been allowed out and about to perform some simple community tasks around the village, always accompanied by guards. She'd also given many sincere apologies as Arthur had suggested. So far, so good.

Moving into the kitchen, Arthur smiled when the pair looked up at him. "What have you got there?" he asked Mordred.

Wide-eyed, the boy glanced to his mother before pushing the piece of paper over for Arthur to examine.

It's pretty good for a kid his age, actually. "What a fine-looking dragon! I see you're still working on the background?"

Mordred nodded. "It's going to be a mountain," he said softly.

Arthur and Morgana exchanged startled looks. I've only heard his young voice aloud once before. "Well...I'm sure it'll look wonderful when it's finished. Do you mind if I borrow your mum for a minute?"

Another soft reply. "Yeah, that's okay."

Mordred returned to his drawing as Morgana joined Arthur and Gwen in the doorway. The shouting had died down, leaving Percival murmuring to a red-faced Haralda and Everard putting his best "I am a king and above this nonsense" act. The others just looked tired of the situation.

Taking his chance, Arthur said, "Hello, friends. I see I'm late for a meeting!"

Everyone turned to him with what looked like relief. "Not too late at all, sire," Leon said. "How was the Town Council?"

"Anxious. It's concerning that the weather this summer, though relatively calm, has not been as warm as is best for an abundant harvest. And if the storms and earthquakes return…" Arthur sighed. "One problem at a time. Any ideas on how to track down Merlin?"

"Short of kidnapping the Lady of the Lake and holding her hostage...which is an incredibly bad idea for a lot of reasons…none at all." Elen slammed a book shut and shoved her chair back, standing and going over to lean on her husband.

"She's right, sire," Gaius said. "I don't know how to find Merlin. A tracking spell won't work on him...he'll be guarded against that sort of thing...and we've tried to reach out to him telepathically, but none of us have that sort of range...He must be very far away indeed."

"And we're also growing more concerned about other magic users," Lancelot put in. "If what Morgana has told us is true, many enemies of Camelot have risen once more and may find reasons to attack."

"Will find reasons." Gwaine's flat-sounding voice drifted down from the stairs. "Morgause will be coming for Morgana. Probably hasn't yet because her sister's not such a great asset this time around. But she'll show up eventually."

A pause, then Morgana spoke up, voice trembling. "He...I think he's right. Morgause seems to have much on her mind, but when she gets a chance...I should leave. I'm putting you all in danger by being here…"

"She'd most likely track us down anyway," Gwen said comfortingly. "She was a sworn enemy of Camelot, and we're what's left of that."

"Gwen is correct. Morgause and her friends seem to want power over what's left of this world, and we'd be in their way." As murmurs of agreement swept through the room, Arthur turned to Morgana. "Besides, we just got you back. Be a waste to throw you out now." Then, towards the group at large, he said, "Let's put finding Merlin aside for a minute and concentrate on how we can defend ourselves from magical enemies without him. A few wyvern and wolf attacks are one thing; a powerful sorcerer with potentially undead minions is another. Any suggestions?"

When Morgause did make a morning appearance three days later, they had made preparations, mostly alarm spells and various traps. Unfortunately, those did little more than give them advance warning.

Arthur heard the village church bells sounding the warning from the training field, and immediately sprang into action. "All right, this is what we've trained for! You dozen on spear practice, make sure all civilians in the village are indoors! Everyone else, arm yourselves and follow me!"

I have my knights, but the rest are just ordinary people trying to survive with barely any training, in the grand scheme of things...

They were still gathering weapons when Elen's apprentice Ash came tearing onto the field on horseback. "We're under attack! Enemies are crossing the channel on their own rafts! Elen's alarm spells went off…"

"To the channel!" Arthur shouted, refusing to let panic overwhelm him. "No invading army will take Anglesey today!"

A roar went up, and he felt a burst of courage. Amount of training be damned; we're ready to defend our new home.

His confidence faded when they reached the docks to find Elen and her other apprentice Isla facing off alone against at least three dozen black-clad and probably somewhat immortal foot soldiers. Mounted on a magnificent gray horse before them, silver armor gleaming and golden hair shining in the sun, was Morgause.

"Elen!" Gwaine called from Arthur's side. "Get behind us!"

Elen did back towards the line of Anglesey soldiers; however, she did not move behind them. Isla followed suit.

In the silence that followed, Arthur became painfully aware of how ragtag his soldiers actually were. Elyan's tried to make some armor, but weapons come first...I just wish we...Nonsense, remember Ealdor...though we had Merlin then…

"Arthur Pendragon." Morgause's voice sounded strong and clear. "We meet again."

"Indeed we do." Arthur met the sorceress's gaze squarely. "You're not welcome here, Morgause."

"Clearly." She chuckled. "You have something I want, Arthur. Please return it without delay, and no blood has to be shed."

Ha. Not likely with her track record. "Why did you come alone, with just your own guards? Your new cronies couldn't be bothered?"

Her expression flickered. "That is none of your concern. Return my sister and her son to me. Now."

For a split second, Arthur considered it. I wouldn't have to watch her and Mordred's every move; I wouldn't have to fear her being so close all the time…

Then, abruptly, he remembered a conversation he and Gwen had had just the night before.

"When Morgana returned from her year with Morgause, I think we all sensed that she had changed, that she was hiding things, even if we denied it.

"My father denied it most of all."

"Yes, but my point it: I've been spending time with her, and I sense none of that now. I truly believe that...she's on our side once again."

So he answered, "I can't do that."

A hiss from Morgause. "I won't ask again."

"She's made her choice. So have I." Arthur took a deep breath. "After all, she's my sister, too."

"Very well then. I will take her back." Morgause looked to her men. "Attack!"

The wave of enemies swept forward, and Arthur drew Excalibur. "Stand your ground! Remember your training!"

Then all dissolved into the chaos of battle.

A battle they were going to lose.

Unless stabbed with Excalibur, the enemy soldiers would not stay down. Isla and Ash were tossed aside by Morgause in seconds, and Elen, even with Gwaine protecting her from any other attackers, was no match for a former High Priestess in an even fight. The lights, heat, and sounds of spells crackled over the desperate clanging of metal weapons and cries of the wounded.

As he saw a teenage trainee fall with a terrified scream, Arthur wondered, What have we done? What have I done?

They were all going to die, Morgana and Mordred would be left to the dubious mercies of Morgause and her partners in evil, and everything that had happened over the past year would be for nothing.

In doing the right thing, I have doomed us all.

A shadow passed over the scene, a low, dark cloud seeming to foreshadow a swift and bloody end for the "remnants of Camelot."

Except clouds didn't usually roar and breathe fire.

Most of the fighting stopped as everyone looked skyward at the massive white dragon descending from above. Flames streamed from its mouth, engulfing about ten of Morgause's soldiers and reducing them to ash in seconds.

Even as the sorcerer screamed in fury, her horse reared up, tossing its rider and thundering off along the channel's edge. Another burst of flames, and another group of enchanted soldiers disappeared.

Shouting in the language of the Old Religion, Morgause pulled herself up and vanished in a swirling cloud of dust. The remainder of her men, seeming to lose their invulnerability without the support of their mistress, began to fall beneath a reinvigorated onslaught from the soldiers of Anglesey. Any that fled where destroyed by the dragon...or by fireballs that definitely did not come from the dragon's mouth.

And when the last enemy had fallen and the while dragon landed in front of the dock, Arthur found himself not surprised in the least when an old, scowling man leapt from the creature's back. Landing with a loud groan, he began to move towards the group of...mostly...astonished warriors.

Arthur met him halfway, and for a minute they stood still, just looking at each other.

I should've known this is how it would happen.

"What took you so long, Merlin?"