-Thirty-Eight -

The Clashing of Tides

Nimueh stood at the entrance to the castle and, when they arrived before the castle gates, Morgana could feel her magic pulsing. She wore a blood-red dress and her skin was ghostly pale against her vivid blue eyes and black hair. A dozen people, some quite young, lined up beside her. There were a few people who looked like they might have lived in White Castle before Nimueh somehow enlisted them. Their eyes were glazed, and Morgana realized they were under Nimueh's control. Morgana looked over at Lancelot. He was tense astride his black horse, hands gripping the reins with white knuckles. He felt her gaze, turning his eyes to hers.

"She's controlling them," she told him. His eyes darkened.

"Can you break her control?"

Morgana tried to reach out with her magic but something zapped her, and she recoiled. "She's got defenses up." She tried again, this time asserting more power. To her horror, the people under Nimueh's control grasped at their throats, their knees bending as if something was choking them. Morgana cut off her power. "If I try to release them, she hurts them," she told Lancelot.

The air hummed with tension as the knights lined up on either side of Arthur. Ryll was next to Morgana, looking every bit the knight she'd once been, golden hair cascading down her silver shoulder plates. Morgana had wanted to give Ryll a bit of the magic, just enough so that she wouldn't feel so unprotected, but it was as if the magic had bonded to her bones. It didn't want to let go. It was ancient and weighed on her shoulders like leaden anchors. Part of her wanted to shed it, release the tension and the weight, but she knew she needed it just as it needed her. She wasn't strong enough alone to keep her friends safe.

"Why do you stand by their side, Morgana?" Nimueh asked her. "Protecting the very people who once would have seen our kind dead." Her eyes flitted to Merlin. "He's been a traitor longer than you've had your magic." There was definite hate there. Merlin had once defeated Nimueh, but she considered him lesser. He'd sided with Arthur, not her.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt," Morgana told her. "And you do, so it's simple really. I stand by my friends because they've stood by me even when I didn't deserve it. You could walk away right now if you promise not to hurt anymore, if you give up this vendetta against people without magic. You can't conquer this world. It doesn't belong to you."

"Not yet. And it's not just for me." She spread her arms out, motioning to the people she'd taken in. "It's for all of us. It could be for you too, if you chose it."

Morgana was already shaking her head. "I don't choose it. And I won't let you harm anyone."

"Very well." Nimueh's blue eyes were sharp, dangerous. "Then I guess it's to be a battle after all."

"This isn't the way," Morgana said, looking at the young, magical people standing at Nimueh's side. "She wants to protect you but she's going to kill people to do so. We can offer you protection without taking a single life."

"How?" one of them asked, a boy with reddish hair and scared, green eyes. "I've been hunted all my life. This is the only time I've felt safe. Those people out there are never going to let us live in peace."

"They don't have to know we exist-"

"So we hide all our lives? Hide who we are? That's no life." The boy didn't move from Nimueh's side.

Morgana looked around the rest. "All of you agree with what she's doing?" she asked. "I know the world is a difficult place. I know better than anyone the persecution that comes with being different. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can start over."

"Start over where?" a girl asked. Morgana sensed hope in her.

"Anywhere. Even here. White Castle is different. So is Ealdor. These places exist where we don't have to be afraid. There have to be more people like us out there somewhere. Together we can find them, keep them safe. It doesn't need to end like this."

"Nothing's ending. This is just the beginning," Nimueh said, eyes flashing. "We have to make our way in this world boldly, no hiding, no cowering. Anyone who gets in our way must fall. This is about survival. Surely you understand that." She pinned Morgana with her eyes. "Or have you forgotten your past?"

"I'd never forget," Morgana said. She refused to look away, refused to feel ashamed. "But I'd also never make the same mistake." She turned to look at Arthur. "I stand by my brother and king and my friends. I also stand by the innocent people you want to murder just to save your own skin. That's not the future these people need. It's not the future I'm fighting for."

"Then fight for your future, and I'll fight for ours." Nimueh raised her hands and clouds darkened overhead. "It's time to see whose future is going to come true."

"Get ready," Arthur told his knights.

Morgana concentrated on creating a shield around their side. She could feel the magic reaching out, wrapping itself around them, keeping them safe – she hoped.

"Still remember how to use a sword, princeling?" Nimueh asked Arthur. "Won't be of much use to you here. You're playing with fire and you're about to get burned."

"I've got you," Morgana told Arthur. "I will protect all of you."

Nimueh flicked her hand and four women came from the shadows of the castle like wraiths. "While you've been sleeping, I've been busy. Gathering the new priestesses of this new age. Life has not treated them kindly. They have been shunned by those without magic. Now they rise up with me to usher in a new age."

"Last chance to change your mind," Merlin told the fledgling warlocks. "Is your future going to be bathed in blood or is it going to be filled with peace?" A few of Nimeuh's wards looked conflicted, but no one made to switch sides either out of fear or resolution.

"Well then," Nimueh said, "I guess this concludes negotiations."

The attack was quick, and Morgana could feel the magic straining to keep Nimueh and her priestesses at bay. Nimueh's pupils were weaker, but their magic still stabbed at the shield like pointy daggers. Morgana had to remind herself that though the magic was mighty and ancient, it was also weak and dying. She didn't know how far it could be pushed before it gave.

"Charge!" Arthur shouted and they surged forward, meeting the opposing side on the lawn before the castle. Swords flashed and magic whizzed through the air. Bricks exploded as spells were flung this way and that. Morgana tried to keep up, but her shield strained as the battle thickened. She flung out a spell to knock one of the young warlocks off his feet, but the boy was up again, his attention now focused on Morgana. There was hatred in his eyes, and Morgana wondered what he had been taught about her. Then she remembered that history and lore had painted her evil. This is not like my last life. This is my chance to redeem myself, she told herself.

She fought the boy, going easy on him but not letting him press the advantage. Finally she managed to knock him unconscious and moved onto her next opponent. Only those without magic fought with swords – those under Nimueh's control against Arthur's knights and the people who'd joined his side. Those with magic were testing their powers against each other, Mordred and Merlin taking on two of the priestesses. Ryll fought with her sword, but was clearly holding back, unwilling to injure those under Nimueh's control. If only they could break the hold the high priestess had on the people.

Suddenly Morgana's horse reared up, and she felt herself falling. She hit the ground with a jolting force and raised her eyes to find herself face to face with a snake. The ground around her was covered in writhing snakes. Some of the other horses were panicking too, and their riders struggled to keep them under control. Then the snakes disappeared. It had been an illusion, but the distraction had cost them. Morgana's concentration had slipped and two of the people who'd joined their side fell. She felt a surge of magic rise up like a ball of fury before she could stop it and the two men who'd killed gripped their throats, eyes widening in horror before they fell to the ground, dead. Morgana staggered back. She hadn't meant to kill them. The magic had acted of its own accord. She hardly dared rein it back in case it broke the protection, but she didn't feel in control.

"Morgana, watch out!" Someone grabbed her, pulling her out of the way as a blast hit the ground where her head had been a second before. "Are you all right?" It was Lancelot. There was a smear of blood on his cheek, but otherwise he looked unharmed.

Morgana nodded mutely, and he helped her to her feet. "Be careful." Then he was gone, joining Arthur in a fight against three of Nimueh's men. The battle seemed to choke the air, and Morgana's ears rang with the clanging of metal and the hum of magic. It was so familiar and yet…it was something she'd wanted to leave behind in her past. She'd seen enough of war and death and this was supposed to be about peace.

Byron was fighting one of the priestesses now, but his magic was no match for hers. Morgana watched as he fell to his knees. She heard a shout and saw Ryll run out in front of him, shielding him with her body. The priestess struck and time seemed to still. All Morgana could think was not again not again not again as the blur of magic sped toward Ryll's chest. Morgana flung out with the magic. The shields were failing. They were unprotected. Something met Morgana's magic and a golden glow erupted in front of Ryll, forming a wall. The attacker's magic hit the wall and rebounded off, striking the girl and sending her flying backwards. She didn't get up again. Morgana lifted her eyes to see Merlin standing across from her. His eyes were wide, his chest heaving. He rushed over to Ryll and Morgana could hear him saying I almost lost you. I almost lost you again.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. They weren't supposed to be fighting for their lives when they had just gotten them back. The magic throbbed and pulsed as if agreeing with her, but she didn't know how to end this. Yes you do. Her eyes slid to Nimueh. She was fighting Mordred now. The druid boy was unflinching in his counterattacks. He didn't falter, and Morgana saw rage on Nimueh's face.

"You of all people should be on my side!" she hissed at him. "I know how you hid, how your guardian was executed by the hand of Uther. I know your pain!"

"You don't know my pain," he said coldly. "And you don't understand my forgiveness. Arthur was like a brother to me, Morgana like a sister. The knights treated me like one of their own despite my magic. You don't get anything through acts of revenge except more bitterness. Bitterness nearly destroyed me once. It will destroy you now."

"Not if I destroy all of you first." She struck out, and Mordred staggered back.

"Don't you dare touch him!" Morgana stalked toward Nimueh. The priestess turned to her, a smile touching her lips.

"Finally. I've been waiting for this moment. You have something that belongs to me. With that magic I can ensure the safety of our people. You don't deserve it. You don't understand how to use it."

"Don't I?" Morgana reined back the control she'd had over the magic and let it loose. Nimueh's eyes widened as tendrils of black reached out, wrapping around her wrists like snakes.

"What is this? What are you doing?" There was fear in her voice now.

"I'm not doing anything," Morgana said. The sounds of battle died behind her and all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart and the rush of magic as it enveloped Nimueh. Morgana could feel the magic swelling and she realized just what it was doing. It was taking Nimueh's magic.

Ryll felt the rush of battle like a plunge into a cold lake. It was all so real, and that realness came with exhilaration and fear. She'd loved being a knight, loved her sword and her red cloak and horse, loved the title and the duties. But more than that she'd loved protecting her people, her city, and her king. That was before she'd died though. Now, as she strained to protect her friends and keep herself alive, her memories replayed her last battle over and over in her head. She tried to stay focused, stay in the fight, keeping her grip tightly on her sword. Every time someone came at her though, her concentration slipped and panic set in. She was afraid of dying. Afraid of death and of it being final this time. She wanted to think life wouldn't be so unfair as to take it all away from her again, but this time she didn't even have her magic to protect her. She fought on pure adrenaline, feeling like a shadow of who she'd once been. This has been her life before. She'd fought and gone on adventures and slain mythical beasts. Why now did she want to be as far away from this battle as possible? I don't want this life anymore. I've changed. It was such a startling idea that she was no longer Lady Amaryllis, knight of Camelot. She was Ryll. She was a girl, barely into womanhood who was frightened and fighting for a life she wanted more than anything. The ring Merlin had given her glinted on her finger and gave her strength, gave her purpose. This was their second chance, and Nimueh wasn't going to take that away from them.

Ryll leapt from her horse's back, charging into the thick of the battle. This time she didn't hold back. She fought for her life and for her future. She held back from killing, but she wasn't gentle as she bashed the hilt of her sword into her opponent's head. Perhaps she could knock Nimueh's influence out of these people. It was cowardly to hide behind these people who'd had no choice but to fight for her. It was cowardly to eliminate all who would oppose her. Life wasn't about living without opposition – life was a balance of standing up to those who stood against you and finding whatever peace and happiness there was out there. The world Nimueh wanted wasn't one that could exist because someone would always stand against her. Someone would always keep fighting. It was part of what made them who they were. Without something to fight for, life wasn't worth living. Nimueh's cause wasn't realistic, but Ryll didn't think there was talking any sense into her. So she fought.

Merlin was in the thick of the battle when one of the priestesses attacked him. Her magic was strong but unpracticed, untested. Merlin hadn't used his magic in a battle for centuries, but it came back to him quickly. Protecting Arthur, protecting Ryll – it was second nature to him. It was surreal though, fighting with his old friends, with the knights of Camelot and its king but not in Camelot. He wondered where these priestesses had come from. They weren't untrained though they had none of the skill Merlin had learned over the span of his life. Nimueh must have trained them during her time running A.V.A.L.O.N. Agency. The fury in their eyes as they fought, the hate… Whatever Nimueh had told them, they believed it entirely. They thought they were fighting for the right cause and perhaps they were, but they were not going about it the right way. He'd spent his whole life fighting battles to achieve peace but he was tired of hurting people to achieve this goal. He sent out a particularly forceful spell, and the priestess stumbled backwards.

"Stand down!" he shouted at her. "You're in over your head."

"And you're fighting for the wrong cause!" she shouted back.

"We're fighting for the same cause, but you're willing to kill an entire population to achieve that!" Merlin blocked her spell. "You don't see what's wrong with that?"

"Nimueh is trying to protect us."

"And what is your purpose after she wipes out an entire people? How will you live with yourself with that much blood on your hands?"

"As if you're really so innocent!" she hissed. "The legends might paint you a hero but you killed just as much as Nimueh. You're the one who took her life."

"Because she was dangerous! Because she tried to kill the people I cared about! She would have kept killing if I hadn't done something." Why was he justifying himself to this girl? She was young. She hadn't lived the life he had, hadn't seen the things he had.

"If that makes you feel better, you can keep feeding yourself lies. Maybe you just didn't want anyone more powerful than you vying for power."

"It was never about power! It was about protecting my friends and the once and future king."

"So he could gain power! A known enemy of those with magic! Nimueh told us all about it!"

"Arthur changed! He isn't like his father! Nimueh just told you her side of the story, but she wasn't even there to see it and neither were you!"

"After all this time you're just as arrogant as I imagined." She was smiling now, a cruel and certain smile. "They paint you a hero in all the legends but I just see a man who doesn't realize he has sins to atone for."

"You think I don't realize I've made mistakes?" Merlin asked her. "I'm not a hero, and I've never said I was one. You can't believe everything the books say."

"Well then you and Nimueh agree on one thing." She lashed out again, and Merlin felt his anger rising. This young priestess was arrogant and naïve. She followed Nimueh without question. He fought harder, not holding back this time and felt a stab of satisfaction when the girl's eyes widened in realization. He was stronger than her.

"I might not be a hero," he told her as he caught her tight in his magic. "But don't make the mistake of thinking she's one." He tossed her aside, and she hit the ground. He turned and time seemed to slow.

Another of the priestesses was fighting Byron. He fell to his knees and Ryll came running out of nowhere. Merlin knew exactly what she was doing as she flung herself in front of Byron. It was instinct. Pure instinct because he knew she didn't want to die again. He sent a spell out to protect her, praying it reached her before the priestess's spell did. It collided with another protection spell. Morgana had flung out a spell at the same time and, as it hit Merlin's own magic, it rebounded back at the priestess. She was flung backward, striking her head on the ground. She didn't get up again. Morgana met Merlin's eyes before turning back to the battle. Merlin rushed over to Ryll who was helping Byron to his feet.

"I'm not worth your life," Byron said at the same time as Merlin said, "What were you thinking?" He grabbed Ryll by the shoulders and pulled her close. "I almost lost you. I almost lost you again."

"Old habits die hard," she said with a shrug, but he could see how shaken she was.

"Just don't get yourself killed again," he told her, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I won't."

"I'll stay with her," Byron promised. "You need to stop Nimueh. She's the key to ending this battle."

Merlin turned and saw that Morgana was engaged in battle with the high priestess. Nimueh stumbled, but Morgana looked anything but triumphant. She looked frightened. Black tendrils were reaching out to grasp Nimueh's wrists and ankles, wrapping themselves around her like pythons. Then Morgana pulled away from Nimueh and the black tendrils disappeared. Nimueh turned and ran into the castle. Morgana stood for a moment before running after her.

"Go," Ryll told Merlin. "Something's wrong." Merlin glanced at the battlefield. Three of the priestesses were down and Mordred had the fourth cornered. The odds were in their favor so he followed Morgana and Nimueh into the castle.