Thank you for reading. As always I hope that you are enjoying the story and will like this new chapter. This will be a dialog heavy chapter, which would be expected after the last chapter. It also is a little shorter than normally chapter. I can promise that there is a lot of action coming up. I just have to set a few things up for that. So I hope that you will bear with me and the story and it will be worth it in the end.

Lightsbane1905. Thank you for the review. I don't know about bad. Bad she lied of course, but it could be a good thing, maybe.

Her five small simple words spun around in his head. He didn't know what to say, what to do. His normal response would be to tell her that she was mistaken, he didn't have magic, she was seeing things, had misunderstood. That wasn't going to work this time. She had the same determined look in her eyes that Arthur had noticed when she made her intention to stay with them till she found a safe place to stay clear to them. He also didn't want to, he didn't have the heart to. Contrary to what Morgana may think, it took just as much energy and strength of will to deny who you were as it did to embrace it. There was nothing about the girl that made him want to tell her the truth, or at the very least not lie to her. He just didn't want to lie anymore.

"Emrys."

She said his other name like a question. Slowly she placed her hands on the table in-front of her and pulled herself up. With a sigh and a quick glance around him, just to be sure there was nobody that could overheard them, he moved towards her. Words formed in this mind, but he said none of them. It had been such a long time since he voluntary told someone of his magic. He didn't know what to say, how to respond. The fact that he was also not going to deny it out right left him at a loss for words. He hoped vaguely that his silence on the subject would be enough of an answer for her. That she would do most of the talking. She seemed to have a lot to say.

"I did not mean to lie to you. I just couldn't tell you the truth at the time." He nodded. Eleanor let out a held breath and took her hands off the table. "I also did not have anything to do with the veil."

Merlin feeling a little less tense at her revelling some of what she had planned to say, without him having to say a word, commit to anything, took the final few steps into the centre of the room.

"I lived with the druids all of my life. I do have magic, but it is weak. My Mother was a baker of a kind. It was how we supported ourselves." With her use of the past tenths, he knew that she had not been lying about her Mother's death. It seemed that most of what she knew of her, which was very little, had been the truth. She had just omitted a key fact. "Morgana and I were in the same camp for six months, over two years ago. That was the camp you and the King found her residing in."

"You were there."

Eleanor nodded. "Yes. I was there when it was attacked. I didn't mean too…but I did hear you talking to Morgana before you left."

That conversation quickly came back to him. It was the last time he had spoken to Morgana. In the end it had been a pointless conversation, nothing as far as he knew had changed. They were both set on their own paths. That thought, that he, all of them where heading head first towards something that they had no power over, greatly unsettled him. He expected that over the last few years he would have gotten used to his, but he didn't think he ever would. He didn't think anyone could ever get used to a thing like that. The best he could do was take things a day at a time and try not to think too much about what the future held for him and everyone he carried about.

"From that it was not hard to figure out who you were…why she was so against working with you. You are her dome after all." She smiled a little at her attempt to lighten the mood a little. He however visibly tensed up at this. "I'm sorry." The tenseness in her own body that had built up as she explained herself, seemed to lessen now. Taking a step towards him as she apologised.

"Don't be, it is the truth after all." The bitterness in his voice even to her that did not know him well, she could tell did not suit him.

"I don't believe that."

His head had lowered to the ground, weighed down by bitterness, but it now shot up to look at her. The determination was back in her eyes, but he could not take it seriously. She was younger, at least a few years younger than he was. She may have grown up with the druids, but she did not seem to have a great knowledge of the old religion and the ancient prophecies surrounding it. Not if she really thought that you could change them, fight them. He had given up hope in that a long time ago.

"The veil has been opened. This is a new world." She said to explain her possible naive hope.

He scoffed a little and nodded in agreement, she was not totally wrong. Though he was sure it was not that simple. Things that involve magic, especially of that scale where never as simple as that. He did believe that opening of the veil had had an impact of this journey would plan out. How much of a change he did not know. Something as engrained as the ancient prophecy seemed to be could ever be greatly changed or undone.

"Why did you leave."

"The druids."

He nodded. "I wanted to…I have no other reason." She shrugged her shoulder and let out a faint laugh. "My Mother died two years ago. The camp was no longer a home…I was never very skilled or powerful, it was no great loss."

"So all that you said, about why you were in that village was the truth. It was just a coincidence." As he spoke scepticism began to creep into his voice. Eleanor was silent for a while. Thinking of a lie he thought.

"No."

Her silence after her answer caused him to give her a look that told her she should explain more.

"Morgana left the camp just after you and the King did. No one knew for sure where she was going….. No one has seen her since."

"Arthur saw her…."

"None of the druids or any one that follows the old religion have seen her."

A mixture of many emotions played across the warlocks face. It was hard for him to know what he should think of this. Worry, relief, sadness. Each of these and others came over him.

"Do you know why she left."

She shook her head. "Before I arrived in the village you found me. I passed through one about twenty miles north. Someone there was a fellow follower of the old ways. They had heard word that she had been found, that she might be nearby…I ended up in the village because it was the direction she had been found in."

"So you really left the druids to look for Morgana…"

"No. I left almost a year after her." He looked at her a little sceptically, but he did seem to believe her. "I do admit that once I knew that she may have been found, I went to see if I could find her."

"Why."

"In my time away from the druids I did not use my magic. I have not used it properly in years….it is like a part of me is missing. You must understand." It was very subtle, but he did nod in agreement. "I never thought it would affect me so much…I hoped that I could learn from her. She has great knowledge, beyond that of many of the druids. She is also claimed to be as powerful as you." He tensed up and looked away from her. "She would have to be, if she is meant to be your equal." Once again she tried to lighten the mood, but failed.

"If you were seeking her out to be her pupil, why did you insist on returning to Camelot with Arthur and I."

As he spoke he moved towards Eleanor. He was a great deal taller than she was, and in the faint light of the room, with him now looking down at her, he was an intimidating figure. That was also not taking into account that he was Emrys, the most powerful sorcerer to ever live. Eleanor did her best not to show any sign of this, taking in a deep breath she looked him in the eye and answered him. Finally revealing why she had chosen to come to Camelot and why she revelled her secret to him, why she was talking to him now.

"I want to learn from you. I want you to teach me how to finally use my magic."

Merlin took a step back away from her. He had not been expecting that. Her wanting to kill Arthur as revenge or clamming that she wanted to work with him that was what he expected. Not this, he never would have thought of this. The idea of having a pupil had never occurred to him. Possibly once, a long time ago. When he had first began to realise that Morgana too had magic. Then images, ideas of the two of them, as he at that point still had a great deal to learn himself, learning together, working together had seemed like they may happen. Things of course had not worked out like that, they in-fact could not have gone in a more different a direction. Though he didn't like to think it, admit it, he had not been there for Morgana when she had needed him. He had done his best, but in the end it had not been enough.

He was about to finally respond to her newest realisation, when he heard the door being opened behind him. He turned to face Gaius entering the room, as Eleanor took a large step backwards out of shock at in her mind being caught out. She did not glance behind her as she stepped back and knocked into the large table in the centre of the room. When she looked up Both Gaius and Merlin where looking at her. Not knowing what to say she met Merlin's eyes, asking him what she should do. Turing quickly from her to Gaius he explained to him all that Eleanor had just tod him.

"It is a dangerous thing that you ask." The worried man finally said once all had been told to him.

She lowered her head. "I understand that his life it of great importance. I would never in danger that…..I just."

"It is a dangerous thing for you as well." As she had been speaking Gaius had moved towards her. He now stood in-front of her, with his hands on her shoulders. "Why risk your life in such a way. There are other, safer ways to lean."

She nodded. Gaius sighed as he removed his hands from her shoulder and turned to Merlin. Despite how well he knew the young warlock, he could not tell what he was feeling at this point. Merlin himself he was sure would not have a clear answer for that question either.

"I have learned to accept long ago, that my advice it listened to, but not always acted upon…..you will make up your mind, no matter what I say. I only ask that you are careful."

Merlin's eyes widened. He had not said that he would teach her. "I…"

"You have given us much to think about. Merlin will give you an answer tomorrow." Both nodded to Gaius's resolution for the situation. Merlin was grateful that he had been give some time to think over what he was going to do.

"Thank you." Eleanor said in a low voice as she moved to leave.

Before she could move far, Gaius asked her one last question. "Did you hear more of Morgana's location in the time you stayed in the village."

"No, I am sorry I did not. For what the King said it seems that she was nearby. If she is still there or why I do not know." Quickly before she could be asked anything else, she slipped out of the room.

As he let out a deep sigh, Gaius moved to sit at the large table. "What are you thinking."

"When I can focus on just one thing I will let you know."

Merlin slowly moved to sit at the table across from Gaius. His arms rested on the table and he slightly looked over at Gaius, waiting for him to say more. He had spent much of the last quarter of an hour or so listening to other people and he still could not find many words to speak himself. When it was clear that Merlin would not say more on his own accord Gaius began to question him. Hoping to help him discover what his course of action should be.

"The main thing that I think you should be focusing on now is Eleanor. Wherever Morgana is or what she is doing, there is nothing that you can do about it now. We I am afraid will have to wait for her to make a move."

Merlin once again only nodded in response, but it was clear that there was much that he wanted to say. All he could muster was a bitter comment under his breath. "Just as it always is."

"I know that you feel like that is all…"

"Why does she stay away."

"Morgana."

"Arthur is King, if she was here then, maybe she could help to change things. He has no reason to now. Things are as much at peace as they have ever been, but those with magic are still outlawed."

"Merlin." Gaius said his name in a stern yet comforting tone, to try and calm the young man down.

"Nothing had changed. Uther and Morgana are gone, but we are no closer to a united Albion. Where magic is returned."

His voice had been growing as he went on. Now that he seemed to have vented what he needed to he took in deep breaths to calm himself. Gaius watched as his shoulders seemed to fall, like the heavy weight that he was forced to carry was psychically weighing him down. It was a very hard thing for Gaius to see, knowing that there was really nothing that he or anyone else could do to help Merlin lessen this weight. It was just something that he would have to carry alone.

"I wish there was something that I could say, something that I could do." He wanted to reach across the table to pat Merlin on the back, offer any comfort, support that he could, but he could not. "When you get to my age you come to realise that while you may not see it at the time, things do change and progress. It is just that it is constant movement that you don't see till years have passed."

Merlin tried to force a smile as he lifted his head to look at Gaius. "That is very comforting, I just have to wait sixty years….."

"Be careful." Gaius warned. "I do understand…I miss her too."

Merlin recoiled back in his seat in shook. He had never let himself think about this. That he missed Morgana, that anyone else missed her as well. It was simpler, essayer that way, because they did not really miss her, they missed the person that she used to be. The person that had been their friend so long ago. That person was gone and she was not coming back. He like the others did not believe as she herself claimed that this person was truly gone. She just didn't want to be that person anymore, didn't feel that she could be that person again. Given all that had happened in the intervening years he could not say that he blamed or disagreed with her. He knew that he himself was not the same person he had been back then nor could be go back to being that person if he wished too.

"She was important to you. She was important to all of us."

Just for a second the old man glanced up to the many filled shelves that hung on the wall behind Merlin. One object of the many that lay there caught his eye. The last bottle of the sleeping draft that he used to make for her. It had stood there for many years, since she was taken away from Camelot by her Sister. He didn't have the heart to get rid of it. It was not out of any hope that one day she could return to them, as the person they had known. He would never hope that, it seemed so unlikely. Also if he hoped for anything for her it was that she would be able to finally find some kind of peace. That meant that she would no longer be plagued by dreams of things to come and therefore have no deed for the draft. He kept it as a reminder of the young girl that he had watched grown up into a strong, smart young woman.

His glance to the shelves had only been for a second, but Merlin had seen it. "It must be hard for you."

"I was there when she was born as I was when Arthur was born. I have watched them grow and Gwen too to a degree." A hint of a smile crossed his face as he remembered a long ago memory. "Never would I have guessed that things would have turned out as they have."

"I don't think anyone would have." He too know thought back to when he first arrived in Camelot. He too would never have thought that things would have developed as they had done.

Gaius nodded. "It is okay to miss her." Merlin again looked at him in shook. "She was your friend. I saw the way you looked at her. You believed that you had found a kindred spirit. I know that that must have been very important for you. To lose that…."

"I didn't lose it. I pushed it away."

"Do you truly think that."

He was silent for as he thought over an answer. "Yes, I do."

"Merlin…."

"You told me that I had to watch over her after she found out about her magic….."

"You did what you could…."

"I didn't tell her about me. That could have…"

"It could have done many things."

"She knows now and has not told anyone."

All Gaius could do was nod. He was right, whatever reason she had for doing so, she had told no one of Merlin's magic. For that he would always be grateful. As he looked at Merlin, something that he in the back of his mind he had always known, but never gave much thought to came to the forefront. Everyone that he had tried to help, trusted with his secret had been his way of making up for not trusting Morgana. This was also a large part of the weight that was weighing him down, guilty.

"Merlin. Nothing that you do know will ever chance the past." Using the table to help him he pulled himself to his feet. "The present is that you need to focus on."

"I want to help her, but….."

"I cannot tell you what to do. I have never been able to do that. All I will say is that I trust your choice whatever that maybe and I think you should rest now. Take time to think things over."

Merlin silently stood up and made his way to his room. He bid Gaius a good night and closed the door behind him. For the next few hours he lay wake staring at the celling. So many what ifs, what might have beens played out in his mind one after the other. It was like all of the thoughts that he had been pushing aside ignoring for the last two years and more came flooding out all at the same time. By the time the sun rose and poured into through his small window he was no closer to knowing what to do and had only had a few hours of sleep. Slipping out of bed and dressing quickly he left his room and went about his daily routine. He hoped that when he say Eleanor again he would know what to do. That the answer would come to him.

Around midday after he had brought Arthur his lunch he had a few minutes to himself. He had not seen Eleanor, in fact he was trying to avoid her for as long as he could. Returning to his room he hoped to have a few minutes by himself to think. Upon opening the door he was met with the same sight that he greeted him the night before. Eleanor this time all but jumped up out of her seat the second he stepped into the door.

"I am sorry to bother you…..to keep bothering you…"

"Its alight." He said in a low voice.

At this she let out a breath she had been holding. "Thank you…..I just really need to know…"

"Yes."

Letting out a deep breath she shook her head a little. "Are you saying….."

"Yes. I am saying that I will teach you what I can..."

Before he could explain his conditions, she moved towards him. She had to stand on her tip toes, but she throw her arms around his neck. "Thank you….."

"I can't promise…."

She held on so tightly he could shake her off subtly. "I understand, just…..thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me."

When it was clear that she as not going to let him go anytime soon he lifted his arms and lightly placed them on her back. He could not say for sure why he had agreed to teach her. Maybe he just couldn't get rid of his feeling of guilt and still wanted to try and aassuage it. A wide grin crossed Eleanor's face as she let out a sigh of relief.

Thanks for reading hope that you liked it. As I said before this is a dialog heavy chapter, but I had to explain Eleanor as a characters. I also wanted to take the opportunity to describe what Merlin has been doing and feeling for the last two years. We know what Morgana has been through, I felt it was important to explain Merlin's side to, as much as I could. As always I would love to hear what you think and what you would like to read in the story. I have the end of this story worked out, but I have spaces where I can add in some stuff with some of the minor characters. So if there is anything you would like to read or just a characters that you would like to see more of, then please let me know. Thank you hope to hear from you.