A/N: Sorry for any errors, it becomes difficult after editing it so many times. It becomes a lot like a word repeated over and over again until it no longer makes any sense.

Comments are always welcome.

I hope you enjoy...

Chapter 33

A change in Priorities.

Ranoue urged Arthur on as they raced away from the chaotic mess that pursued them. Ranoue, utilizing his magic, was able to pick up the harsh breathing and sloppy footsteps of their pursuer. By the familiar air of menace and loathing, Ranoue knew it was his brother, Mordred, on their heels. It was near to impossible for them to hid. Even in the shade of the trees the sun shined down on them. It reflected off the snow with a cool light that illuminated everything under the canopy. Ranoue cursed when he felt a shift in the air. The well-known crackle and hiss of a powerful spell. His heart skipped and sped up. His hair stood on end.

"Get down!" Ranoue shouted as he dove out of the way.

Arthur, used to battle and all its dangers, dropped to the ground just in time and covered James' body with his own. The spell flew harmlessly over and incinerated a tree in their stead. It left nothing behind but charcoal and ash. Ranoue glanced over his shoulder to see who cast it. He had a bad feeling about this. He held his breath as he waited for the caster to show himself. Mordred stepped out from the shelter of the trees.

Ranoue internally cursed their mother for ever opening her thighs to a man like Galvani the Deranged long enough to conceive a barbarian like Mordred.

Ranoue looked back to Arthur. Ranoue was torn. He suddenly didn't know what he was doing there. He had no place here, in the middle of this war, standing between his bitter brother and a dense King.

Ranoue was supposed to be back home with his four year old son explaining to him that his Uncle Garret, the only other connection he had to his mother, besides Ranoue himself, is dead.

However, as much as sentimentality goes, it always got him into serious trouble. Loyalty, has gotten him even worse. But seeing the King of Camelot shielding the druid teen that had magic with his own body gave Ranoue a different perspective.

Maybe Merlin was right. Emrys could unite the lands. Arthur could lead them. Ranoue could admit he had doubts, a lot of doubts, but this might be a King worth getting involved in the fight. A King that could lead a land into a new dawn. Where Ranoue's son, Jesse, could grow up in peace and practice his craft with out fear or harm. The future generations would soon not even remember The Great Magic Purge, or the Witching Hour, or even the name of the King who started it, or his daughter who tried to change it.

Only the name of the King and his Wizard who fought to save the people will be immortalized inside the hearts and minds of men.

Stand up, Mordred hissed inside Ranoue mind. He felt Mordreds' anger like a living entity inside his skull. It echoed inside him, challenging him. Mordred battered against the walls Ranoue build inside his mind to keep nosy sorcerers, like his brother, out of his head. Away from the precious information he kept in there.

Ranoue tensed. His jaw flexed. Ranoue ignored Mordred and shoved him from his mind. As easily as flicking an ever irritating gnat buzzing around his head.

"Don't move." Ranoue breathed to Arthur. Ranoue telegraphed with his eyes to keep quiet. Ranoue waited impatiently for Arthurs' nod.

Arthur had no idea what Ranoue was planning, but Arthur had hopped this would never have to happen. Brother against brother. Arthur knew first hand the pain of a siblings betrayal. It never got better, and it never got any worse than the day it happened. It was a constant bombarding ache deep in your soul that never faulted in its assault. Never let Arthur forget that his own sister hated and despised him for something that was not his fault, or intent. He couldn't help having a tyrannical father any more than Morgana could, and yet she targeted him for everything their father did. Not even acknowledging the things Arthur did to circumvent his fathers bloody tyranny. Arthur feared what Mordred, with magic, will do to Ranoue, who had none, as far as Arthurs knowledge went. He didn't know what to expect.

Eyes narrowed on Mordred just over Ranoue shoulder, Arthur nodded slightly, unsure of the situation. He looked back at Ranoue.

Ranoue watched the conflict in Arthurs eyes. He thought that Ranoue would be near helpless against his brother, like Arthur was with his sister, Morgana. Ranoue took a deep breath and let his magic out. He hoped it would assure Arthur, not freak him out.

Arthurs gut cramped when he saw Ranoues eyes light up gold. The signature of a magic user. Arthur forced himself to keep still over James. He had to remind himself that magic wasn't evil, only the wielder. Merlin wasn't evil. Magic isn't evil. Still, as much as he repeated it to himself, that part of his father Arthur had hidden, chained in the deepest parts of himself, reared it head and laughed. Arthur grit his teeth and watched what was going to happen next.

Ranoue had cast a web of invisibility over Arthur and James. He strengthened it before his brother could see them. Ranoue made it seem as if it were only him and Mordred in the dark woods. Ranoue saw the look on Arthurs face the moment his eyes flashed gold. He flinched as if Ranoue would suddenly harm him. Ranoue tried to not let that sting, but it did. Here he was between Mordred and the King, regretfully ready to die or kill for the bastard and Arthur feared that Ranoue would suddenly turn on him because he had magic. Ranoue swallowed back his bile, shoved his feelings aside and stood up to face his brother. He wanted to get the attention away from Arthur, James, and the fact that they were right under Mordred's noes.

No matter what the King still thought of magic, let this help him decide, Ranoue prayed to whatever Gods were listening to keep his sorry ass alive.

Ranoue casually retrieved his bag from the ground and looked back to Mordred. "Mordred," Ranoue gave him a sloppy smile.

"Ranoue," Mordred sneered. His icy blue eyes bore into Ranoue. Mordred tried to dig into Ranoue soul attempting to drag out the boy Ranoue used to be before tragedy struck, but he wasn't their. All Mordred saw standing before him was a long lost brother who hated him more than he thought possible. There was no mending this relationship. Not even worth the blood it would take to beat the hate out of each other.

"I see your face has healed nicely," Mordred smiled wickedly.

Ranoue harrumphed. "No thanks to you."

Mordred chuckled. "You know you enjoyed getting your hands dirty, Rou." Mordred shrugged. "I know I did. Its in our blood."

Ranoue glared at him a moment, too angry to speak. Just being near him set Ranoues rage spiraling out of control. "In yours, maybe, but not mine." He snapped.

"There's that temper of yours, you see?" Mordred pointed out. "I got a gimps of it while you were in my custody."

Ranoue scoffed. That was nothing compared to what he really wanted to do to Mordred. He hefted the bag further up on his shoulder and took a few steps to the side away from James and Arthur. Drawing the attention away from them.

"We are brothers." Mordred pressed. He scowled at his brother when he scoffed. " Your blood is my blood." Mordred insisted. Ranoue spun back around to face Mordred.

"Half your blood." Ranoue spat.

"Half," Mordred mocked like he always did when his older brother refused to fully claim him.

"You know, Mordred, it's okay to be angry, we lost everything. Its understandable. But it is never okay to be cruel. And that is all you have been. Ever since you let Morgana raze my village to the ground you've been lost."

"Don't spew Mothers' pacifistic words at me." Mordred snapped roughly.

Ranoue raised a brow. "That's right," He scoffed. "I forgot who I was talking to." Ranoue glared. "The son of a war-mongrel. A warmonger himself." Ranoue spat and glared at him, quietly gathering his magic. Mordred was just like his father. If not worse with his magic and unpredictable nature.

Mordred sneered at Ranoues words. "Like your one to talk, dearthair mor." Big brother. Mordred drawled. "Were you not the one to lay waste to half the ranking members of Morgana's infant army in your tantrum?" Mordred barked a laugh. He shook his head in wonder. "Your temper makes mine look like child's play,"

"It was justified."

"Oh, was it now?" Mordred raised a brow.

"She killed my family,"

"What about me?" Mordred seethed, his calm finally breaking through his false calm..

"What about you?" Ranoue challenged.

"When you attacked Morgana's army, you were attacking me. Did my life not matter enough to you that you would compromise me with Morgana?"

Ranoue stayed quiet. Not because he felt guilty, but rather he didn't care at all. Ranoue looked him square in the eye. "Your life meant little to nothing to me." Ranoue admitted. "My life meant nothing to me. I had just lost my family." His mother. His sister. His grandfather. His wife, Ranoue thought, tormented by the memory. His son, Jesse, barely made it out alive. He was badly burned and blinded in one eye. He was only two at the time.

"They were my family too," Mordred said pained.

Ranoue shook his head in wonder. "You're right," Ranoue laughed a bit to giddily. He didn't sound completely sane to Mordreds ears. "It was your family too." Ranoue nodded. Pained. "And that's what kills me most." He shook his head in disgust. "Why didn't you think of that before you brought Morgana to our village? You knew the clan supported Emrys." Ranoue's brows drew together. He wanted to weep for the way their lives turned out. They used to be inseparable. Connected on a level that was stronger than the bond of blood. It was a bond of mutual destruction. At the time they had been like minded. The goal simple. Survive Uther Pendragon long enough to see him burn. But love, tragedy and betrayal got in the way and by the time it ended there were no more tears to spare. Nothing left to connect them but betrayal and vengeance. It was heartbreaking.

"We came to you under claims of sanctuary." Mordred grit through a clenched jaw.

"You brought an oath-breaker to our doorstep." Ranoue seethed. "We politely asked the High Priestess to leave. She refused, and took offense. You got us into a situation that killed our family, and village."

"That wasn't my fault!" Mordred roared.

Ranoue laughed. A ruff hoarse bark of a sound. "We're here because of your choices."

Mordred's jaw flexed. "I needed a safe haven. I thought I could come home."

"You could have come home had you not brought Morgana." Ranoue pointed out. "She destroyed the village and all it held. You are the reason I am here. You and your carelessness. Its why my temper bothers yo so much. You are no better or worse than the late Pendragon." Ranoue declared, referring to Uther Pendragon and his tyranny ."And while your there protecting and pinning after a mad High Priestess who could never belong to you, and who is not capable of returning your feelings, the rest of us are fighting for a future we're certain will save us."

Mordred frothed. His brother knew nothing of what he has been through. He knew nothing! "Don't judge a pain that you haven't endured!" Mordred finally erupted.

"Then don't judge my temper!" Ranoue snapped back just at heated. "I lost the same thing you did." Ranoue seethed. His temper reaching its peak. Mordred lost his love, Kara, and Ranoue lost his wife, Laura. But they were anything but even.

Mordred shifted his feet. They hadn't lost the same thing. Mordred never got the chance to show Kara he loved her. Morgana couldn't even tolerate Mordreds love. And he did love her. It was a strange twisted and dark kind of love that was based on infatuation and fantasies. She only desired the bloody Warlock. Mordred knew that Morgana belonged to another. That it was useless waiting for her to return his affections. However, what Ranoue missed was that Mordred affection for Morgana were purely physical. She was an outlet for his basic needs when the grief of Kara's execution became too much to bare. Mordreds' heart will always belong to another, and she was dead and gone from this world taking his soul with her. He died with her that day, even if his body still lived. He ached to join her in oblivion.

Ranoue didn't like the sudden sullen silence of his brother. He glared at spot just off to the side away from Ranoue. His stomach dipped. He was looking straight at Arthur who covered James.

"For what its worth, Ranoue," Mordred murmured, keeping his eyes glues to what ever capture his attention but the stair was blank. As if he wasn't even registering that his eyes were open and staring at anything at all.

"Worth what?" Ranoue asked, confused.

Mordred's light stormy blue eyes finally met Ranoue's dark blue-gray ones. What he saw shocked him. They were empty. Hallow and dead.

"I use to believe in Arthur." Mordred began absently. "I used to believe in fairy tales. In Albion, Emrys and the Once and Future King too." Mordred paused. "Until recently." When Mordred found out that Arthur was born to die, he felt hopeless. Completely lost and unsure of anything. And once Kara was killed on Arthurs order, he lost all hope entirely of fighting the prophecy. Why should he? Who did he have to share the new land with?

If Arthur was meant to die, then why shouldn't it be by his hands?

"We all used to believe in fairy tales, little brother." Ranoue pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." Mordred laughed sarcastically. He dragged his eyes from his brother to settle back on what had caught his attention earlier. "It isn't until we've grown up that we see them for what they really are." Mordred probed the area he stared at with his magic. The empty space shimmered in certain areas announcing that there was a spell at work.

"And what's that?" Ranoue wondered uneasily. He watched Mordred examine the space where he had hidden Arthur and James.

Mordred looked back at Ranoue and bared his teeth in a illusion of a smile. "A warning." Mordred said seconds before his eyes lit up. He hurtled his magic toward the shielding spell and Arthur.

As soon as Mordreds' magic hit Ranoues' there was a resounding crack. The sound of a thousand falling shards of glass hitting the ground penetrated their ears. The shield disintegrated into thin air.

Arthur cried out at the sudden noise. It was so quiet and peaceful within the bubble Ranoue created that when it burst it left Arthur reeling in shock. The power behind the blast tossed Arthur and James a few feet. Arthur groaned as he sat up. He looked around for James and saw him lying face down, motionless.

Mordred went to toss another spell, not to maim, but kill this time. Before he could get the spell past his lips a blast hit him in the side. The spell sent him crashing to the ground a few yards from them. Ranoue glance at Arthur to see him struggling to his feet. Seeing he was alive he focused back on Mordred. Slowly, with his heart in his throat and his stomach in knots, he made his way over to his brother.

Groggily, Arthur stumbled to his feet. He tripped over his own feet and crashed to the ground face first. He cursed. He clumsily struggled back to his feet, only to fall to his knees. Arthur groaned. He shook his head. His ears were starting to ring.. He crawled his way over to James to see the damage. He rolled the kid over. His wound on his head had reopened and there was a new gash on his lower abdomen that was slowly staining his already dirty white tunic a dark red. His chest rose and fell in quick pained gasps. He needed a physician. Arthur sat back heavily. He had to lay down. He was no longer able to hold himself up. Arthur let himself fall back. his vision began to blur. His world started to spin. His chest tightened, making it difficult for him to fill his lungs. What was happening? He gasped like a fish out of water.

Ranoue glanced down at his brother. Mordred glared up at him. He wheezed past his punctured lung and shattered rubs. "I ha-" Mordred tried to speak but choked on his blood. He coughed, spattering himself with red spittle. "I hate this..." he finally wheezed.

His heart finally breaking, Ranoue knelt down beside his brother. He assessed him, and his injuries. "So do I little brother," Ranoue's brows drew together, his throat tightened and his eyes stung but he managed to hold back his emotion. He shook his head sadly and stood up. Heart broken and disgusted he turned away from Mordred. This time, it was my fault, little brother. Ranoue sent to him mentally. He couldn't stay to see him die. He couldn't watch this. Ranoue silently made his way over to Arthur and away from his brother. Every step he took he felt like a piece of himself was left behind. He could feel the hole his brother had fit into start to cave in. Leaving behind an even larger whole in his absence.

Arthur stared up at the sky. He felt the freezing air brush his face. It was colder against his fevered skin. He could hear the pounding of his heart. It thundered in his ears. But...he could not locate where he was. He was floating in and out of reality. In and out of a black whole until suddenly his chest opened up and he could breath. Slowly his eyes cleared and his heart slowed. Ranoue knelt above him, his head bent over his with his fingers pressed to Arthurs temples. Quietly Ranoue helped Arthur up.

As Arthur looked around Ranoue went to check on James. He was fine. A bit more banged up, but alive and healing.

"Lets go." Ranoue checked the bag and started to walk in the opposite direction as Mordred.

Arthur grabbed James, hefting him up into his weak and shaky arms. "What about him?" Arthur asked, nodding to Mordred on the ground. Ranoue looked at Arthur to see that he meant Mordred.

"What about him?" Ranoue asked monotonic.

"Are you going to just leave him like that?" Arthur asked as he adjusted James in his arms. Ranoue glanced back at his brother. Ranoue could see the sluggish rise and fall of his chest. Hear the wet rattle and knew his end was near. "Leave him, he would have given me no better." He shrugged the bag higher over his shoulder and led Arthur towards Camelots waiting army.

It was mid afternoon by the time they reached the Army of Camelot. Arthur carried James to the medical tent with Ranoue on his heel. His arms burned and his shoulders screamed at him to drop the load was caring, but he pushed himself to his limits and far beyond. They burst into the tent starling the young woman there to help. She yelped and drew the blanket she held to her chest.

"What happened?" Another young girl asked, automatically clearing a cot. Arthur settled James gently onto it.

Arthur turned to the young servant holding the blanket while the other girl helped get James comfortably on the cot. "Bring Giaus, the Physician." Arthur demanded.

"Tell us what happened," The young girl insisted.

"Whats your name?" Ranoue snapped. Swinging around to face her.

"Margret." Margret rasped.

"'Margret, go tell the Physician that King Arthur is here and has a friend in need of his help." Ranoue ordered. She hesitated, the blanket clutched tightly against her chest, her delicate pail hands wringing the fabric.

"Now." Ranoue snapped when she didn't move. There was such authority in his voice she jumped and dropped the blanket. She rushed from the tent to do as told.

Arthur grabbed Ranoue by the arm and ruffly dragged him from the tent. The bag Merlin gave Darrin bounced on his thigh as Arthur pulled him along. It was an ever constant reminder that Ranoue let Darrin go to his death. Alone. He could have gone with Darrin but Ranoue knew if he followed he would have met the same fate. Ranoue was selfish enough to not want to die.

Ranoue ripped his arm from Arthurs grasp and turned on him.

"What is wrong with you." Arthur hissed. "Snapping at that young woman like that." Arthur lifted his hand in her direction. Ranoue was quietly seething. His temper was reaching new heights as the impact of what he had just done sank in. He did it. He killed his brother. Mordred was lying in a pool of his own blood, dieing alone and in pain. Because of Ranoue.

I killed my little brother. Ranoues gut twisted painfully. He felt nauseous. "I shouldn't have left him," Ranoue murmured to himself, to lost in the agony of his choices to realize he'd spoken aloud.

Arthur sighed. He knew who he was talking about. "We can go back if you'd like," Arthur offered. "Give him a proper burial. A Knights burial."

"But he wasn't a Knight, Arthur. Not really," Ranoue shook his head. His eyes stung and his throat was tight and he felt warm, like he was running a fever. He held his tears at bay by will power alone. He couldn't start crying bout that traitor in front of the king. "He was a druid. A traitor to both my kind and yours. He deserves nothing more that what he got." Harsh words, he knew, but the damage Mordred did was beyond anything his death would fix. The harm was done.

Arthur looked at Ranoue. Assessing the young Knight in a new light. He didn't understand how he was able to kill his brother. Arthur sure as hell didn't know if he could kill Morgana. Even after everything she has done, when it came down to it, she was still his sister. And he loved her as much as he hated and feared her. It was a tormenting mix of emotions that made him physically ill.

"So," Arthur started, breaking the tension. "You have magic too." Arthur shook his head. He wondered how many of his subjects had magic. How many lived under his rule had he failed to protect?

"I-"

"Were going to tell me?" Arthur wondered. Like Merlin, Ranoue definitely had reasons for keeping it a secret, but Arthur thought he had proven himself. That he would not harm someone purely on the fact that they have magic. He wasn't his father. As much as others might think otherwise.

"Well, um-" Ranoue broke off. He looked away. "No," Ranoue finally confided. "I wanted to. But honestly," Ranoue rubbed the back of his neck. He looked back at Arthur. Pain etched deeply into his young and tired face. "I had hoped to never have to use it again."

Arthur stayed silent. He had nothing to say because there was nothing to say now that Arthur understood. There was nothing he could do other than except it and help change his Kingdom. But for now Arthur would be satisfied to help a grieving friend. Even if that friend lied to him, just like Merlin and Mordred. Morgana and Aggravain. He was surrounded by lairs.

Ranoue sighed. "What am I going to say to him?" he ran a hand down his face wearily.

"Hmm?" Arthur hummed absently. He glanced at Ranoue still lost in his own thoughts.

"James," Ranoue pointed out when he thought Arthur didn't get it. "How do I tell him Darrin's dead?"

Arthur focused on Ranoue. The look of despair in his blue-gray eyes helped Arthur put his irritation about Ranoue and his magic aside. "There is no right way, Ranoue."

Ranoue shook his head in frustration. He ran his hand through his hair making it stand up at odd angles. It just made him look even younger. "Then I'll just go in and wait for him to wake up. I'll go from there."

Arthur nodded. "I think that is the best you can do. He will need someone to help keep him on the right track," Arthur smiled gently.

"And you think that's me?"

"Who better than someone who knows that kind of pain." Arthur pointed out.

Ranoue shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Arthur paused and looked at Ranoue. He assessed the young lad. "Why not?" Arthur asked gently, turning his full attention to Ranoue.

Ranoue struggled with his words for a moment. They were lodged in his throat. Ranoue couldn't, for the life of him, blot out all the pain he felt. "I just..." Ranoue faltered as it all sank in. "I killed my brother," Arthur nodded silently. Ranoue shook his head like a lost little boy. "I didn't just loose him like James lost Darrin, Arthur" his horrified gaze finally met Arthurs. "I killed my brother."

There was nothing he could say to make it easier. There was no lessening a blow that crippled even the strongest of us. It was an intolerable agony that could never be doused. Ranoue was on fire, burning from the inside out. Arthur could only imagine what that kind of pain felt like, but Arthur had a pretty good idea. Each day he felt like he was in the middle of a lake of fire, drowning, and each time he yelled for help he swallowed another mouthful of fiery water that scorched him from the inside out. Destroying him. Turning his soul to ash.

"You of all people will understand James pain. You loved your little brother," Arthur nodded. "Never forget that." Arthur said softly.

Ranoue nodded. "Is that how you deal with the betrayal of Morgana and your Uncle Agravian?"

Arthur stared at him a very long silent moment. How did he deal with it? A pair of bright laughing northern eyes shined back from his memory. "No," Arthur finally answered. A small smile slowly taking shape.

Ranoue tilted his head to the side in question. "Then how do you handle it?"

Arthur shrugged. It was simple. He gave a bark of a laugh. "Merlin." Arthur confessed.

Surprised but not shocked by his answer, Ranoue nodded and sighed. He didn't have a 'Merlin' to help keep him from his darkness. Ranoue turned around and disappeared into the medical tent. He felt like the world was crashing down on top of him.

Arthur stood their a moment alone. He swallowed down his own turmoil. He was tired, hungry and in pain. He rubbed his face ruffly with both hands. He was exhausted and he felt defeated. He was so tense and riled up he felt he was one good hit away from shattering into a million little peaces. He looked around him. At the camp. The men who rushed around him gathering item. He recognized none of the men who sharpened swords and made more arrows for the archers. He didn't even recognize the cooks who were preparing breakfast for the camp. Several stations were set up along the way ready to feed an army. Still, with all the activity, none payed him any heed. No one even recognized him as their King. Just another Knight. Just like them. Ready to die for his King. Only, Arthur was ready to die for them.

Arthur looked down at himself once he noticed the looks he was getting from the closest group of Knights. He still wore slavers cloths. Old brown leather and chain mail, a poor mans armor. Or a mercenaries. He didn't even look like a knight, let alone a King. He was surprised none had come forward to confront him. The only identifying piece he had with him was his sword. The one Merlin gave him. He didn't even have a royal seal or ring. For a second he feared there would be no one here who could claim him.

Suddenly Arthur felt eyes on him. They burned him and cooled him at the same time. He turned in a circle searching out the source. Abruptly blue eyes connected with brown. Guinivere. Arthur felt something in him unwind and relax as soon when their eyes meet. Suddenly, they were alone in the crowd.