Hello my lovelies. I want to thank Guest, emrysmorgan, NCVII, Guest, Guest, Guest, Guest, yoto (Guest), Guest, Guest, Guest, Ad7i0n, Sorcha NaMoireach, Guest, Narya Anima, gaylelbf, , OechsnerC, Guardian of the Inheritance, Meri Ley (Guest), mersan123 and Adele (Guest) for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So sorry for the long absence, I have had a real issue with this chapter, and I am still not particularly happy with it. But I thought it would be best to post it and move the story along. Sorry again and I hope you like what I have written.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Merlin and Arthur had gone quite a distance from the castle before Arthur asked the question that was upmost on his mind.
"So who are we going to see?" He asked, feeling rather proud that he had waited this long before saying it. I mean he was pretty sure Merlin had expected him to be asking that the moment the stepped outside, and he had been determined to prove him wrong.
"Umm… well, Kilgharrah." Merlin replied rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously as he said the name. I mean sure he had told Arthur about the dragon, but it was one thing to hear his stories, and quite another to see the beast in the flesh. Not to mention that if Arthur was serious about accompanying him he was going to have to ride a dragon.
"The great dragon? We're going to see the beast you told me I killed? That the last time I saw tried to kill me?" Arthur asked his eyebrow raising as he stated each point.
"He won't hurt you, Arthur." Merlin replied sincerely. He knew he wouldn't if for no other reason than he wouldn't let him. But he also knew that Kilgharrah would not want the once and future king dead. Not if he wanted to unit Albion and see magic once more free in all the kingdoms.
"Well that's good to know. What aren't you telling me about this meeting?" Arthur asked with a roll of his eyes. He knew Merlin well, and he was starting to see when he was keeping things from him. Oh he wasn't lying, but more not sharing everything.
"The only way to get to the lake and back tonight is to fly." Merlin explained carrying on moving towards the clearing that was large enough to hold the dragon.
"Fly? But we can't-" Arthur started to reply in confusion before he realised exactly what Merlin was saying and stopped walking. Frozen still as his eyes widened and he shouted, "Wait. Fly?"
"Yeah." Merlin replied with a shrug of his shoulders and that look on his face that said he was sorry, but that wouldn't change anything.
"Oh." Was all Arthur could think to say to that. And therefore they carried on in silence as Arthur tried to get his head around the idea that he would soon be flying. On the back of a dragon. A dragon that had tried to kill him. And there he was thinking that an immortal army was the strangest thing he would have to deal with that day. Trust Merlin to one up Morgause.
Arriving at the clearing Arthur stayed back, his eyes towards the sky wondering if the dragon would just magically know Merlin wanted to see him. Therefore he was rather surprised when a roar came out of his friend speaking a language he had never heard before. He guested it was dragonish, or dragon lordish? Either way, he was sure it would get this Kilgharrah to them. But Arthur was more concerned about who else it would attract. I mean Merlin was yelling pretty loudly.
"Merlin, you idiot. How is it you have never been caught if you go round doing that in Camelot?" Arthur hissed when the younger man was done and he pulled him back into the cover of the woods around the clearing.
"Umm, well. I usually do it in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep." Merlin answered simply. In truth he had never really considered how loud he was when he called for Kilgharrah.
"When I am pretty sure you are also supposed to be asleep." Arthur responded with a roll of his eyes.
"Haven't you heard? Servants never sleep." Merlin replied cheekily, a smile on his lips as he did so.
"Really? Then why is it I have caught you more than once sleeping when you were supposed to be doing your chores?" Arthur responded without hesitation, enjoying the banter. It helped keep his mind of the situation they were in, not to mention the fact they were waiting for a dragon.
"Because saving Camelot is hard?" Merlin offered in his defence, causing Arthur to roll his eyes once more and shake his head. Of course that would be Merlin's excuse. In fact Arthur had a horrible feeling he would be hearing those words a lot from now on. If they survived and took back his kingdom at any rate. But even as he thought that he realised he was fine with that. It was better than receiving some lie about Merlin being in the tavern, and at least if he knew what his friend was doing he could make sure he had back up with him. Because Merlin was not going to be saving Camelot alone, not any more. No, they would do it together.
Suddenly a gust of wind rocked Arthur from his thoughts and he couldn't stop his mouth dropping open as he watched the dragon gracefully settle into the clearing.
"Merlin and the once and future king. I see you have told him the truth." The dragon said to them making Arthurs eyes to widen. Oh he knew the great dragon talked, but to hear him address him as the once and future king, not to mention address him at all, that was more than his brain could cope with right then.
"I have." Merlin agreed with a wide smile at the weight that had lifted from his shoulders with Arthur's acceptance of who he was and what he could do. Even if they were in a fight for Camelot, he was so glad he wasn't doing this alone. That Arthur was at his side while talking to Kilgharrah, as if it was normal. Or close to normal he corrected when he looked towards Arthur and saw him standing there in stunned silence. Hmm, maybe he could try and recreate this when they returned. He rather liked a silent stunned Arthur.
"You have been changing more than one density of late, young warlock." Kilgharrah replied, pulling Merlin's eyes back to him, and causing the young man's shoulders to stiffen as he realised who it was the dragon was speaking of.
"Morgana?" He asked making sure his thoughts were right. Wanting confirmation that he was changing her destiny, wanting to know that he had made the right choice, that he was right to put his trust in her wanting to support Arthur. Wanting to know he wasn't making himself a worse enemy with the course he had chosen to take.
"It is still shifting, the future is clouded. You have taken a great risk and you may not get the reward you want." Kilgharrah replied understanding what it was Merlin was asking even if he did not say the words. He had thought the witch's path was set, just as Merlin and Arthurs were, but with Merlin's meddling, he was no longer as sure as he once was. But he knew he still needed to preach caution. Because she was the instrument of the downfall of everything he had worked to achieve, and he could not let Merlin fail. No matter the cost the man himself.
"But the chance was worth it." Merlin stated back in a voice which clearly would brook no argument, not that that would ever stop Kilgharrah. He was supposed to help lead Emrys after all, and he could not do that if he ignored his advice now could he?
"Worth the future of all Albion?" He asked back in a tone which held a subtle condemnation that Merlin would risk it all for a woman. Albion was far more important that merlin's heart. It was the future of magic he was gambling with and Kilgharrah did not appreciate it.
"Yes." Merlin replied without hesitation. His tone was one of surety, as if he knew more than the ancient dragon in front of him. As if he believed he knew better the threads that weaved density of the land and magic better than the one who had spent centuries studying them. As if his belief in the witch was stronger than the magic of the universe that guided them all.
"I see. If you do not wish my council why have you called me here?" Kilgharrah responded with a cold tone. If the young warlock would not listen to him there was little he could do. He had promised to harm no one, had promised his dragon lord, which meant he could not hunt down the witch and destroy her himself.
"We need to get to the lake of Avalon to retrieve the sword from its depths." Merlin replied returning to the reason he had called Kilgharrah rather than yet another discussion about Morgana. He still had hope she would chose Arthur. She was with them now after all, surely they could keep her at their side, rather than causing her to return to Morgause.
"Yes you do. But I do not see why that concerns me." Kilgharrah responded with disinterest. He could not see how that concerned him in any way.
"I need you to take us there." Merlin replied simply causing Kilgharrah to raise up on his haunches.
"I am not a horse, Merlin, ready for you to ride at your pleasure." He growled at him, stopping himself from breathing fire at the affront that being made into a vehicle caused him.
"But if we do not make it, Camelot will fall. Is that what you want?" Merlin asked in way that he knew Kilgharrah could not refuse. If he had to he would order the dragon to take them, but he would prefer not to do so that. He would prefer to leave his friend his free will. But they had to get the sword, it was it only way to save Camelot.
Kilgharrah stared down at Merlin at his words. He knew he couldn't refuse that argument no matter how much he wanted to. Therefore after another beat of silence he begrudgingly lay down as he spoke. "Very well. This once. Do not ask this of me again."
"Thank you, old friend." Merlin replied with a large smile on his face, and with that he instructed Arthur on how to climb onto the dragons back, and how to hold on.
Arthur had never been on such a beast before, and when Kilgharrah suddenly rose into the air he found himself firmly in the belief that he never wanted to be on one again. This was something he did not enjoy. He was glad that no one other than Merlin was with him to see how he was clinging to the dragon, lying flat against its back with his eyes tightly closed. He had made the mistake on take-off to look down, and now he knew better than to do that again. This is for Camelot, he thought as he forced himself to breathe, and forced himself not to throw up at the motion. And while he was thinking and feeling all those things, he could distantly hear a shout of joy coming from his friend who was sat behind him. Yep, definitely leaving this to Merlin in the future.
Once they reached the lake Arthur slid of the dragon gracelessly, just so glad to feel the solid ground beneath him. As such he could not stop himself from lowering his head and giving it a kiss, blessing the earth for receiving him safely. He was pulled from his devotion by a rumbled chuckle coming from his side.
"Flying is not bad, King Arthur. You will soon get used to it." Kilgharrah said as the shaking king turned to look at him, still on his knees.
"I don't want to get used to it." Arthur grumbled back, before he turned to say something to Merlin, only to find him not behind him. As such he barely heard the "good" from the dragon beside him, his eyes were already scanning the scene in front of him to see his friend. It was only then he realised that he was already in a boat heading out to the centre of the lake.
"Merlin, you have to stop going off alone." he muttered to himself as he moved towards the water's edge, looking round to see if there was another boat he could use to catch up with his friend. He could not let him be alone, he could be in danger.
"This is not something you can accompany him on, king Arthur." Kilgharrah said from behind him, the dragon having followed him very gracefully and silently for such a large beast.
"I told him not to go off alone." Arthur replied giving up searching for a boat and instead turning to watch Merlin.
"But he is not alone, you are here for when he returns. And he is meeting with the lady of the lake." Kilgharrah responded simply as if that explained everything, and well it really didn't. not to Arthur. But he really did not want to tell the dragon that, so instead he watched in silence as Merlin reach the centre of the lake. Watched as a sword shot up towards him held in a very human hand.
Okay, lady of the lake was literal then, Arthur surmised as he saw Merlin take the sword before the hand disappeared once more. And as he watched he couldn't help but wonder if Freya liked being the lady of the lake. If she liked the role he had forced upon her by killing her mortal body. But no. Now was not the time to be considering those things. Later, when Camelot was safe, maybe he and Merlin could talk about all that he had seen on this quest at his friend's side.
As such he said nothing when Merlin returned, only groaned when they climbed back on the dragon once more. It was time to return to the rest of their people, and work out how they were going to use the new weapon they had against the enemy that could not die. And not once throughout the whole quest did Arthur notice that Kilgharrah was the first to ever address him as King.