Days, weeks, months, and years all passed Merlin remaining his hut keeping his word, keeping his oath that he would not serve Queen Mab. He lived a simple life, happy though lacking in any form of human company. He'd speak to his dead aunt and mother, and the animals of the forest. Yet he'd never spoke to another human soul in years. Not far away King Vortigern was trying to raise a tower yet every time he tried he failed. No matter which architect he chose they would fail him and he went through them at an alarming rate indeed. The latest attempt crumbled to nothing behind Vortigern's back. 'Get me a different architect!' he bellowed. Two guards dragged away the terrified architect and Vortigern glanced his soothsayer scurrying away he followed him. 'Why wont my tower stand?' he demanded.
'I am a soothsayer your majesty...not an architect.' he bumbled.
'So tell me why everytime I try to build this tower it collapses?!' Vortigern roared.
'Ah well I should know that?' the soothsayer nodded nervously in agreement.
'Yes!' Vortigern grabbed him by the throat.
'Ah well yes I will read the stones yes that's what I should do.' he nodded.
'Then do it!' Vortigern growled letting the old man go.
It was night time and the old soothsayer knelt in the midst of stonehenge beside a fire casting his stones in despair. 'Ive been a worshiper of the Old Ways all my life now that my life is in danger, and its a precious life - it's mine. Ive never had any help really, no not ever. What am I going to do? Ive not idea why his blasted tower keeps falling down!'
The beautiful Queen of Air and Darkness appeared from nowhere. 'The land is cursed.' she announced causing the old man to yell in fright.
'You appeared, you appeared after all these years.' he said in shock. 'It is, it is Queen Mab!' he bowed.
'Yes old man.' Mab replied smirking.
'So what do we do?' he queried leaning in closer.
Mab couldnt help but find him one of her most pathetic and useless followers even worse than Frik..
'You,' she corrected. 'must find a man with no mortal father and mix his blood with the mortar.
The soothsayer nodded along at her words like he knew exactly what she was talking about.
'Ahhh splendid, but a man who has no mortal father? Where can I find a man like that?' he whispered.
'I will show you.' she replied with a smirk.
A troop of Vortigern's soldiers approached Merlin with the old soothsayer.
'Seize that man!' the old soothsayer blustered.
'Welcome to my home sir, how can I help you?' Merlin replied mildly.
The old soothsayer was quick to change his approach. 'Er, well the king he wants to see you.' he said as he dismounted.
'You only had to ask.' Merlin smiled causing the soothsayer to look taken aback.
'You'll come voluntarily? Ah thats good most people are reluctant to meet King Vortigern. In fact they are usually dragged kicking and screaming - not that I blame them. I am the king's soothsayer.' he explained.
'An important position?' Merlin queried.
'A fragile one, Im his third this year.' the old man replied gravely as they made their way back to Vortigern's keep. The old man, Merlin and the army approached the king, the soothsayer got off the horse and made his way to Vortigern. 'Your majesty Ive found him the man without a mortal father!' he was proud.
'This better not be another one of your tricks.' Vortigern growled.
'No sire it's all true.' he protested causing Vortigern to cock an eye brow.
'Very well theres only one way to find out.' he punched Merlin without warning causing the wizard to double over in pain. 'Get a bowl and cut his throat. He doesnt look like much of a wizard.'
Merlin slowly begun to recover on the floor.
'You caught me by surprise. Why do you want to cut my throat?' he got to his feet.
'Nothing personal, I have to mix your blood with the mortar in my castle to make it stand.' Vortigern explained.
Merlin stared at the place where they were trying to build the tower on the hillside. 'Im afraid your majesty is in danger of seeming a little stupid.' Merlin's words caused the soothsayer to feel sick.
'What was that last word?' Vortigern growled.
'Stupid.' Merlin confirmed causing a silence before Vortigern erupt into laughter.
'This man thinks he is me.' the others begun laughing too.
'Why do you call me stupid?' Vortigern queried.
'Because it's obvious why you cant build a tower their. Look!' he points to two great rocks at the base of the castle. 'Cant you see the stream? It runs through the two caverns below.'
Everyone looked at where Merlin was pointing.
The water soon became evident to all of them.
'You wanted to build my castle on water?' Vortigern growled as the architect stammered helplessly.
'Thats not all thats wrong.' Merlin murmured as he drifted into a trance. 'You've woken the dragons.'
'Dragons? What dragons?' Vortigern's brow furrowed.
'I see two dragons one white and one red.' Merlin continued.
'My crest is a white dragon.' Vortigern informed.
In Merlin's mind he saw the white dragon dominate the red for a while before the red ultimately destroyed the white.
Vortigern was staring at Merlin as he came too. 'What did you see?'
'The red dragon conquered the white.' Merlin told the king.
'An omen sire wouldnt you say? Er it could be an omen.' the soothsayer babbled he received a glare from Vortigern for his stupidity as a band of knights arrived with Sir Egbert.
'Sire Uther is in Normandy with a great army. He is marching on Winchester. ' they informed him.
Vortigern turned to Merlin all this was just as the wizard had predicted. 'You foresaw all of this...'
Sir Egbert was the next to speak. 'What are your orders sire?' he questioned.
'Gather my armies we march on Winchester.' he ordered then turned back to Merlin. 'Why doesnt it ever stop? Ive been fighting my enemies for twenty years. I crush one another arises.'
Merlin's first answer would have been the Vortigern's number of enemies was most likely down to his charming personality but he decided to play it safe. 'Perhaps you need me to foretell the future, so you could crush them all before they have a chance to cause trouble.' he reasoned.
'That would be helpful.' Vortigern agreed.
'But then you could not could my throat.' Merlin added reasonably.
'No you're obviously an extraordinary man but I cant have extraordinary men running about.' Vortigern punched him unconscious.
'You're just not quick enough its a mistake most of my enemies make they think before they act, I act before I think.' he turned to the old soothsayer and architect.
'You're out of a job.' he informed them before riding back to the castle with Merlin. The soothsayer and the architect scurried off together without further question.
'Quick before he changes his mind.' he soothsayer moved as fast as his legs could carry him.