I don't own Merlin, blah blah blah, you know the drill.


It was about noon when Arthur and Merlin were finally ready to depart. They had two rucksacks between them, as well as a sleeping bag each. One rucksack was filled with food and water; the other with clothes, medicine, books, and any other supplies that Merlin thought important. Arthur was also carrying Excalibur at his side and had his old cloak rolled up in his sleeping bag. He stood outside in the dappled light falling to the forest floor in thin, gliding shafts. His hands on his hips, he sighed and peered into the dimly lit cabin interior.

"Merlin, how long is this going to take? We've already packed, what else could you need?"

"This is my home! And I don't know when I'll see it again, so I want to make sure I don't forget anything," he emerged with a smile tugging at one side of his mouth, "Besides, I was looking for this. It's a handkerchief from a few dozen years ago, but I think it'll work."

He held up a a dull red square of fabric, looking expectant. Arthur's face stayed in an expression of blank disbelief.

"Is that supposed to be worth the delay?"

Merlin shook the fabric again, but when Arthur still didn't react, he just shrugged and tied it as a triangle around his neck.

"Let's just get going, I thought you said this was important?"

Arthur didn't wait for an answer, he just turned and started walking away from the cabin. Merlin grabbed his pack and fumbled to get it as he scurried to catch up. With a skip he fell into step beside Arthur. The forest, with the exception of a few flitting animals, was still and hushed around them, but both of them were alert to the possibility of patrolling soldiers. Merlin and looked at the path ahead, but they were still wary. Arthur's expert feet were moving quietly on the leaves carpeting the ground, but Merlin's every footfall brought crunches and snaps. After a disparaging look from Arthur, Merlin made more of an effort to step quietly, not that it was perfect. They walked for a few more minutes in (relative) silence, then Arthur spoke.

"Why are you so cheery now, anyway?"

"I just am, that's all. What's so strange about that?"

"You were pretty severe about the situation earlier."

Merlin paused for a second before answering, "It's just, I haven't been this young in centuries. You wouldn't understand, you've never been old," he flexed his hands and adjusted his grip on the bag's straps, "It's just such a refreshing feeling."

"I see. Well, don't get too giddy on me, you might lose the only shreds of usefulness you've got."

He snorted, "I've got an ancient mind and a young body. If anything this has made me more useful. At lest I'm better than you, all you can do is swing a-"

"Shh!" Arthur held up a hand and froze, listening.

"What, I'm walking quietly," Merlin whispered.

"No, not your clomping," Arthur hissed, "There's something else."

They both stayed still, crouched lower to the ground than they had been a moment ago. At first, everything seemed like it was the same as before, but then they both realized what had changed. All the background noises of the forest had vanished except for a dry swishing, sliding noise. A rustle in the leaves, moving toward them. As they stood, neither reacting right away, a pricking tingle crept up the back of Merlin's neck. Slowly, without knowing why, Merlin turned around and looked toward the sky. As he did, all at once the rustling cut off asa shadow, the source of which was obscured by the canopy of trees, passed over them, casting a chill onto the previously warm day. The shadow only took a moment to pass overhead, and then it swept away and the pair were left standing still while the noise slowly returned to the air around them. Whatever had been rustling seemed to have vanished.

Arthur relaxed and began to straighten up, but Merlin didn't move. He stayed in the same position as when the shadow arrived, slowly looking around. The air seemed to be electrified now, and the tips of his fingers were dancing with a shivering charge that sent thrills up his spine. The air was full, very full, of magic. Magic that merlin had not felt in a very long time, magic that he hadn't expected to ever feel again, and magic that most certainly had not been in the air before. Merlin closed his eyes and inhaled, the sheer force of it was enough to invigorate and intoxicate him all at once.

"Merlin!"

With that the magic vanished in an instant. All the power that had been in the air dispersed, leaving the forest feeling empty and Merlin's head spinning. His eyes snapped open and he stumbled forward, the weight of the bag causing him to fall to his knees. His mouth felt dry and his ears were ringing as he pushed himself to his feet again.

"Don't just stand there like a dolt, come on."

Merlin swallowed, "You didn't feel it?"

"Feel what? The shadow?"

"No, not that," Merlin swallowed again, trying to regain his composure, "Something else."

"I don't feel anything I'm sure you just... imagined it."

"No, I don't think I did," Merlin spoke slowly, preoccupied with carefully examining the the forest.

Arthur sighed, "Well, whatever I heard is gone now, so stop gawping at the air and get moving. We've barely made it away from your clearing."

Merlin brushed himself off and started walking again, slowly mulling over what happened. He felt sure that the slithering rustle, the shadow, and the sudden burst of magic were all connected, but he couldn't quite figure out how. His mind was still muddled and fuzzy in a way that made it hard to think through what happened logically. He did his best to go over what had happened and what he'd come across in his life that might be relevant. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't make heads nor tails of it. He began to suspect that the magic had done something to prevent him from focussing on the problem properly, the details kept slipping away and back again as he replayed the episode in his mind. The one part that stayed with him was the surge of powerful magic. Magic had receded somewhat with the fall of Albion, but this... This was the start of something big.


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