So it turns out I'm updating sooner than I thought... Oh well. I don't own Merlin, I just borrow it a bit. I'll be careful and return it in good condition, I promise.


It was late in the morning when Arthur rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes. Merlin glanced up from his desk and, seeing Arthur awake, pushed himself off his stool with effort. Getting his friend back to the cabin had been no mean feat, but he'd managed to avoid being spotted and get him into bed to rest. As Arthur pushed himself up and looked around, Merlin edged around his desk to the small kitchen.

"Merlin... Where is this?"

"My house," his words came out crabbed and terse, "Here."

"What's this slop?" Arthur's nose wrinkled at the thin gruel in the bowl.

"Breakfast. And you're lucky to get any, it's practically a famine. So eat up!"

Arthur grimaced but began to eat. Speaking through the food and his scowl, he said, "So what happened?"

"I took you back here from the lake. You're armour's by the chair. I'd thought you'd sleep better without it and no one wears it no anyway. There are some more," he snorted, "modern clothes for you to wear with them."

"Merlin. I know it's difficult, but don't be an idiot. I mean, what happened since Camlann? How long was I ... gone?"

Merlin paused in his movement about the small room. He stared straight ahead for a moment, then shook his head with a tsk, "You expect me to remember? You're not that great. About 1500 years, give or take. I lost track," The last part was harsher then he meant it.

Arthur's jaw tightened. He set the bowl aside and looked at Merlin. The sorcerer sunk into a chair under his harsh gaze.

Arthur paused, then spoke, "Tell me what happened. No dodging around it."

Merlin's gruff, cracked voice softened, "You died. I sent your body, in a coracle, to Avalon. Kilgharrah, the dragon, said you would return when Albion's need was greatest. So I waited," he paused, swallowing. His voice rough again, he continued, "Don't ask me how, but I lived all this time, a living relic now that magic has faded from the land. And when a civil war started nine years ago, I knew your time was soon. Yesterday, Excalibur rose from the Lake, and so here you are. As foolish and asinine as ever, I might add."

Arthur's eyes were hard and his voice tight when continued, "And Gwen?"

"Dead. Her and all the rest."

There was silence. Merlin didn't say more about their friends' deaths, occurring one by one as he had lived on, enduring them all. Or of the slow fall of Camelot, Albion, and magic; of the rise of the United Kingdom and the ensuing war. Arthur sat still on the bed, hands folded against his shirt, jaw working. After a moment Merlin creaked to his feet and returned to pottering about the cabin, making himself busy, cramped, and scowling. After a while Arthur picked up the bowl again and began to push the metre contents around.

"You know Merlin, this really is the most disgusting breakfast you have ever served me. You'd think your serving skills would have improved some over 1500 years."

Merlin's mouth twisted upward against his will, "Maybe I'm out of practice. Besides, I told you there's a war on."

"Yes, I don't suppose you'd have managed to leave this hovel long enough to have more information on that?" Arthur stood up and stretched as he spoke.

Merlin took the bowl and spoon to the sink and spoke over his shoulder as he washed them, "It started suddenly, five different regions each began to be more and more insistent over their needs, and began threatening the others. Soon enough there were raids, and battles, and a full scale war. Fighting isn't just blades anymore, there are hand-held machines that fire metal projectiles. they're called guns. Not that everyone has one. As the war went on, it became harder to find ammunition, most soldiers use simper weapons," Merlin was ready to go on, but Arthur stopped him.

"What in God's name are these clothes?"

"Heh?" the sorcerer turned most of the way around to look.

"The fabrics are ridiculous. And there are so few..."

"That's what people wear 's a jacket and socks, too. With your shoes by the door."

Arthur snorted again at the jeans and red t-shirt, "That explains why your clothes are so awful anyway, if not the smell."

"I'll have you know that comes with being old. Now, get dressed and stop complaining, clotpole."

Arthur looked affronted, but began to struggle with his shirt anyway. Merlin hobbled over to help.

"You can stop that spell now, you know."

"What spell?" Merlin folded the old shirt and put it with Arthur's other clothes.

"Whatever spell it is you use to look like that. It'll be easier for you to help me if you're young. Also, It's rather unnerving," fully dressed, he carelessly threw his old pants onto the chair.

Merlin's nose wrinkled, "It's not an aging spell this time, I'm really an old man. Time didn't stop moving just because you died, you insensitive ass!"

Arthur's chin moved back, "Well, can't you just... perform another spell to make you younger?"

Merlin hunched his shoulders higher and stomped over to the desk, "No."

"Have you even tired?"

Merlin's response was to roughly pull a paper closer to him and begin writing, curled over so that his beard brushed the pages of the book he consulted. Arthur stood awkwardly in the cabin, swinging his hands together and apart. The sound of Merlin's pen scratching filled the air between them for long seconds, stretching into a tense, uncomfortable minute. Finally, Arthur looked down at his bare feet and cleared his throat. Merlin responded with a snort.

Taking the chair across from his friend, Arthur tentatively spoke, pausing between words, "So, what else should I know about the last 1500 years?"

"She didn't remarry, if that's what you mean," he stopped writing, but didn't look up.

"Gratifying," Arthur's voice was hard, "But no, I was thinking more about things that would help with this 'Albion's need is greatest' situation."

Merlin slowly looked up at him, "More has happened that I could hope to make your limited brain understand. But I'll start with the basics."

"How gracious of you."

"Well, Albion lasted, united, for a good long while. Sorcery was legal. Magic began to recede from the world after a few hundred years, and with it albion began to give way to something new. It was called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland until the war started," he waved his hand as Arthur opened his mouth, "Don't worry about what those are. Most importantly, there's something called electricity. It can make light in the dark and fuel ovens without flames. That," with a nod to the small radio on his desk, "runs on it, or would if I hadn't replaced it with magic. It receives sound, voices, from far away. Don't worry about how, it'll take too long."

Arthur looked totally baffled, so Merlin paused, giving him a chance to speak. When he said nothing, the sorcerer reached out a gnarled hand and pressed the button on the side of the radio. After a few second of reporting on the civil war, he pressed it again to silence it. Arthur swallowed.

"And this isn't magic?"

"No. This is something different," Merlin's lip curled, "Cruder, less refined... but effective, in its way."

Arthur nodded dumbly and Merlin barrelled on, "I'll skip cars, the country ran out of gas years ago. Medicine is more sophist acted, but close enough that you'll do fine. Knights are purely ceremonial now, as are kings and queens. Instead rulers are - or were, before the war - elected. Decided on by popular opinion. It's much more fair, the power is more distributed that way. Tourneys are gone, hunting isn't as much of a sport, and horse riding is rare. Women and men are equal enough and the class system is far less ridged. Oh, and people who work for you are employees, not servants."

Arthur nodded, brow wrinkled, "I'm not sure I understand all of what you just said..."

"That's fine, I'll explain again as it comes up," Merlin's tone was a little less harsh.

Arthur nodded and sat in silence, staring at the table before him and thinking. Merlin went back to writing, but after a few minutes looked up. Arthur was idly thumbing through the book before him, though clearly his mind was elsewhere. The old warlock studied his friend and king. He looked the same as the day he died, but something in his eyes seem different. Perhaps it was the information he'd just received, or the sudden return to life, Merlin couldn't tell. He couldn't bring himself to ask what it had been like to be dead, what had happened to him, if anything. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Arthur glanced up, and seeing Merlin's gaze, tossed the book back onto the table.

"Merlin, why pricisely are you staring at me?"

Merlin's gaze hardened and he narrowed his eyes, "I've a right to stare at whomever I like!"

He surprised himself by barking, he hadn't meant to respond harshly. Recovering, he glanced down at his books and notes.

"I'm still not sure how we should begin now that you're here. I've been trying to work it out, but I only have rough ideas. I was planning to continue working it, is there something you'd rather do?"

"Well, it would be good to get some swordplay practice. I can't be sure that I won't be rusty after so long."

Merlin jerked his head out the window, "You can practice out there. Just mind you don't draw to much attention to us."

Following Merlin's gaze, Arthur jumped, "What is that?"

The smooth, formidable skull bared it's teeth at them in the dappled shade. Merlin chuckled, " Don't worry, he's been dead nearly as long as you have, he won't breath fire."

"Breath... That's a dragon skull, outside your window!" Arthur raised his eyebrows in incredulity.

"Yes. Now take your sword and leave me in peace.'

Muttering, Arthur pulled on his shoes and the jacket Merlin had left for him before seizing Excalibur and slamming the door behind him. Melin glanced out the window before bending over his notes, taking up his pen, and continuing to work. The rest of the day passed quietly. At sunset they dined on stringy mushrooms and limp greens Merlin had scrounged together before turning in, Arthur on the bed while Merlin lay on a mattress on the floor. Bolstered by magic, it was comfortable enough and it didn't take long for the two of them to fall asleep.


Thanks for reading, let me know if you have any thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear from you.