Good morning. I bring today a new chapter (not a new part, as I said yesterday. I have changed my mind). This one is for me one of the best chapters. Well, exactly this is not a chapter but a part of the chapter. It will be two parts. You will see it. I hope you like it and enjoy it.

I'm not own from Merlin.

Arthur, Morgana, and Gwen left the room after discussing their situation and their journey, not exactly talking about their objective or why they needed to stay in the Cursed Town, the town no one wants to go to and which it does not usually receive many visits, as Hilda had reported.

Thus, Merlin and Hilda were left alone in the room with a silence only interrupted by the crackle of fire in the chimney. To look like a cold house, he was very warm at the time.

Merlin didn't know where to start or even if he wanted to. He looked at Hilda with a dejected gesture, and when he looked at her, she began to speak.

"Is it true that Telvar is alive?" she asked with clear suspicion.

"That's right, alive, and quickset in his cabin."

"In his cabin? Where exactly?"

"In the forests of the valley, I don't know where exactly. Haven't you seen or heard of the Wood Dolls?"

"I don't usually leave the town too much, but, oh yes, I guess I've heard of them something. They say they're demon-faced figures who appear in the woods. Many people claim that they attack, as if they have life, but I wonder if the wood really has life as I like to think of plants.

"Well, the truth is, they don't move or attack, but what it's for is to scare people from passing by so that no one comes near."

"Like a scarecrow, but in this case with the name of scare-people?"

"Something like that..."

"And who did you say that put it there? Well, I guess they won't come out of the ground."

"Telvar put it, that's why I'm talking about it."

"Ah, I see, that's why no one knows that anyone lives there."

"Aha. And I have something really important that Telvar gave me before we left his cabin, and I hope you could guess what does it mean" Merlin commented as he pulled his locket out of the frayed pocket from his jacket and showed Hilda by lifting him up in the air.

Hilda gestured for him to be handed over and Merlin obeyed and tended it to her. Hilda took it gently and delicately, as Merlin caught it at the time, as if it could break just by touching it too much. Hilda was impressed to see the silver pan engraved with gold fragments and threads that Merlin had not even recognized. After that, he went throbbing with his fingers, as if he could feel the beat of that jewel until he reached the stone of dry green color. His index finger stopped at the engraving of that stone, the same colorless engraving Merlin had seen: a kind of snake-bodied creature with a dragon's head.

"Do you know what that means?" Merlin asked with a whisper, fearing scaring Hilda, who stood like a statue contemplating that engraving. Her eyes were lost between him and no part of her body seemed to warn that she was not alone. Merlin thought of asking again but decided not to bother Hilda too much and waited to see what she was doing.

"Where did you get this?" Hilda suddenly asked in a sharp and determined voice, but with some unexpected fear.

Merlin, surprised by the change of voice, merely answered simply:

"Telvar gave it to me."

"Did he tell you where he got it from?" Hilda asked this time raising her head and looking at Merlin with fulminant, detonating eyes. Her voice more than a whisper this time was more of a squeal, but ruder than it might come out of an old woman's mouth.

"Ehm... Yes."

"Where did he tell you he found it?" the old lady bellowed even louder, in a more powerful voice than one would not expect from a woman of her age. Merlin really got scared, though he knew he didn't exactly have to, as he had no danger. What was scary was seeing Hilda in such a way. At that time Merlin knew that the locket was truly valuable, as Telvar had assured him, but at the same time he was dangerous and insecure, because of the way Hilda behaved. "Where did you find him?" asked again lower, pronouncing each word harshly and sharply.

Merlin didn't know what to answer. If he told the truth, he would be revealing his purpose and objective. He didn't know why, but he didn't feel comfortable revealing that to a woman they had barely met a few minutes ago. But if he lied (he wasn't the best lying, really) she'd probably know, because she knew whose locket it was. He, therefore, decided to ignore the question and decided to show some superiority in trying to know what so much insecurity was all about.

"What does that mark mean?!" Merlin said harshly, staring with fulminant eyes, and could see how the old lady's rudeness seemed to fade slowly, looking at him scared. Merlin, seeing how hard it had been, decided to speak again gently and calmly. "I need you, please, Hilda, to tell me where that symbol comes from. I need it."

Hilda stared at him insecurely, until she finally answered in a drowned voice.

"If you want to know its meaning, you can look for it yourself in the rubble that there is or, if you are more observant, you can find it on the stone walls."

Merlin looked at her gratefully, with a smiley and friendly face.

"Thank you very much, Hilda."

Merlin went to get up to go where Hilda said when the old woman stopped him by grabbing him from his wrist. Merlin looked at her strangely. Gradually, Hilda turned her gaze to him and could see that her eyes were wet.

"You have magic," she murmured almost inaudible.

Merlin couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he just trusted the old woman, who seemed to know enough about magic. He didn't understand how he could know that, but he noticed it in his hand clinging to his wrist, like solid heatwaves carried by a cold sea current and accompanied by sparks that reminded of lightning.

"How did you know?" Merlin asked, turning to her and speaking in a calm, stabbed voice as if talking to someone sick or with hearing problems.

"I've lived surrounded by magic all my life."

Merlin still didn't understand. Did she have magic? No, he would have known, although it was true that he felt those waves in his body. But no, he didn't seem to have. Maybe she learned it, that's for sure.

"And you're not a normal magician," she whispered, "You are the Born of Magic. You're the Center of Magic. You're Magic. You're Emrys.

Merlin looked at him with fear, and quickly let go of her hand, as if at any moment Hilda pounced towards him by swelling her teeth in his neck. Gradually he backed out.

"I... No..."

Hilda rose to him and held out her hand kindly. He smiled with a smile he had never seen in his life. An affable and loving smile. A smile from someone you can trust. A smile of light.

"I have waited for a long time this moment, Emrys. Come, I have to give you something."

Uhh, what will Hilda give him? Why was she waiting for for a long time? You will know. The Return of Emrys is coming. Yeah, I really like the story of Merlin-Emrys because of that. In my opinion, in the series it could be done differently, but, as always, is my opinion. It will bring some things from the real legend, you will see.

Well, I hope you liked it, and see you next time.

Next part: What will Hilda give to Merlin? The Return of Emrys, the Born of Magic. How did she know it?

LegolasHV