Life Outside of the Shadows

by TreeOfLife1997

Based at the end of series four. When Merlin reveals his magic to save the life of Isolde, has he just sacrificed Albion's golden future? Or has he just began the new age? Arthur and the knights must come to terms with Merlin's magic. So with a little help from Taliesin, they watch Merlin's adventures. And with a new form of dark magic rising, will all be learnt before all is lost?

9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

Chapter eight: Of deaths and falls.

Merlin stood near the window, watching Gaius hold Alice's hand as he sat beside her bed. She would live the druids were sure. Sighing Merlin leaves the room, he couldn't help but feel like this was his fault. If he had been quicker getting there, he could have stopped it before the fire was even lit. As Merlin makes his way outside he doesn't notice a shadow of a person following him. Merlin sighs once more and mutters a spell under his breath, he vanishes into thin air. Just as the shadow moved ready to strike, for this shadow belonged to one of the many assassins sent to kill Emrys. Merlin had after all made many enemies, Morgana being the main one. No sooner had the assassin moved one of the Catha, catches them.

"We must warn Alator." They yell to another, who was passing.

Merlin still caused trouble even when he wasn't around. And so the hunt for the assassins begins.

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Elsewhere Merlin appears many miles away in a small clearing, none the wiser to the trouble being caused on his behalf. He walks into the woods and sits down on the forest floor. He lies back on the ground and watches the sky through the trees. Out here nothing mattered, there were no people relying on him. No countless people to save, nothing. It was just Merlin and his magic, nothing else mattered. It was one of those few moments when Merlin could truly feel at peace. But of course this was Merlin, the world never seemed to allow him to find peace for more than a couple of seconds. A shadow of a person falls over him.

"Please help me," They beg. "It is my mother."

Merlin quickly gets to his feet and comes face to face with a boy a couple of years younger than him, with dark curly hair. "What's wrong with your mother?"

"We were attacked by bandits, whilst traveling to the perilous lands. She is a healer and has magic, we are going there to start a new life."

Merlin nodes. "Show me the way and I will see what I can do to help her."

The boy nodes and quickly leads the way through the trees, to a small path. Making their way along it Merlin glances round. He had been here before he was sure of it. Then in clicked, this was near where Arthur and queen Annis nearly went to war. Not far through the treeline ahead there should be a land cliff, were Merlin had watched Arthur fight the queens champion. Suddenly the boy walks off to the left and Merlin quickly follows. They finally reach the body of a women, Merlin knows she is dead before they even get close. The boy also seems to notice this and rushes forward and drops to his knees beside her body. Merlin stands back for a moment and watches, she had been dead too long to trade a life for hers. Merlin walks forward slowly and kneels beside the boy. Silently Merlin starts to gather fire wood so they can burn her body. As the flames dance around her, Merlin quickly walks towards the cliff knowing, the women's son needed some time alone. Merlin looked over the edge of the cliff, when he was suddenly pushed from behind. He falls with a scream of surprise.

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The boy watches the flames leap higher, before following Merlin. He was still in too much shock to truly come to terms with the fact his mother had just died, his mind still refused it to be true. He reaches the tree line and spies as someone sneaks up behind Merlin, a women with black hair and dressed in a black dress and belt. Her eyes glowed red, the boy watches as she pushes Merlin forward off of the cliff, unable to make a sound. The women smiles evilly before disappearing. Taking his chance the boy runs forward and looks over the edge of the cliff. Far below Merlin lies on the ground unmoving. The boy quickly climes down, as he kneels beside him, Merlin groans and forces himself up onto his elbows and rubs his head.

"What happened?"

"Some women dressed in black with red eyes pushed you off that cliff." The boy answers, nodding towards it.

"Morgana." Merlin mutters.

"You know her?"

Merlin nodes. "I'm afraid I do. We used to be friends."

The boy notices Merlin has multiple injuries, he shouldn't even be alive, after such a fall let alone awake and talking.

"We need to find a healer, you are hurt."

Merlin smiles slightly. "It is nothing too bad." He goes to move and cries out in pain.

"What is it?" the boy asked panicked.

"My ankle…. I think it is broken." Merlin gasps.

The boy looks at Merlin for a moment. "My mother was healer she taught me a lot, let me check you over for injuries."

"What is your name?" Merlin asks.

"Daegal." The boy answers.

"I'm Merlin." Merlin replies. "Daegal, I don't need to be checked over. I was a physician's apprentice in Camelot. I can tell you all the injures I have. At least two broken ribs, a broken ankle, a cut to the back of my head which could lead to concussion and a least a hundred bruises and minor cuts."

"Then let me treat you."

Merlin smiles slightly. "We need to get out of here first, this place is not safe."

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With the help of Daegal, Merlin makes it back into the forest where he quickly sits down with his back against a tree. Daegal hurries off to find some herbs leaving Merlin alone, Merlin rests his head back against the tree, ignoring the pain it causes him and shuts his eyes. Keeping his breathing slow and shallow Merlin tries to move his ribs as little as possible. His whole body was hurting and was starting to become stiff with the pain. His magic was the only thing that saved his life from that fall off the cliff. Although Merlin almost wished he had died, then he wouldn't be in all this pain if he had.

"Merlin you need to stay awake." Daegal voice calls.

"I am awake." Merlin groans.

"Open your eyes then."

Merlin slowly opens his eyes, Daegal is sitting not far from Merlin grinding down herbs between two stones.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asks, gripping his side in pain.

"I am creating a pain killer, You won't be able to move far with the level of pain you're in. I'm surprised you haven't passed out yet."

Merlin would have laughed if it wasn't for his ribs hurting so much. "I have suffered worse, my friend."

Daegal smiles slightly. "For some reason I don't find that hard to believe."

Merlin smiled. "So tell me, why is it you are helping me?"

Daegal shrugs. "You offered to help my mother even though we had just meet. You then helped me burn her body, even though you could have just left me to do it on my own."

"Well thank you." Merlin smiles weakly. "Gods know how long I would have stayed at the bottom of that cliff, if you hadn't helped me."

"I'm glad I could help." Daegal watches Merlin for a moment. "Your ankle, can you heal it?"

"What makes you think I can heal it?"

"You have magic," Daegal answers. "You must do. How else could you have survived that fall."

Merlin winces as he moves to place a hand over his ankle. "Healing magic isn't one of my strong points, but I'll see what I can do."

Daegal watches as Merlin cast a quick spell and his eyes flash gold. Merlin sits back.

"Did it work?" Daegal asks.

Merlin rests his head back. "Sort of…. It's gone from broken to twisted."

"Might make it more easy to walk now then. What about your ribs can you do anything for them."

Merlin shakes his head. "I do not have the strength."

Daegal nodes and hands Merlin the pain killer he had made. "Take it, then we need to keep moving. This wood isn't safe."

Merlin nodes taking the pain killer and forces himself to his feet, biting his lip to stop himself crying out in pain. With Daegal support the two of them slowly make their way through the woods.

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Alator stands looking out the window. Since the assassin had been found there had been no sightings of Merlin. No one had heard heads or tails of him for the last couple of hours. Gaius had last seen him leaving just before the first assassin was found. Alator refused to believe the assassins had got to Merlin first, so if Merlin had gone out he would have no way of knowing there were people after his head. Alator turns way from the window, Merlin could be anywhere, so sending people out to fond him wasn't an option. Plus if Merlin was dead, they would be unlikely to find him.

"Emrys cannot die." A voice from behind him sounds.

Alator turns to find a druid standing there. "I know, if Emrys dies all will be lost."

The druid shakes his head. "No, Emrys is immortal. He cannot die."

Alator looks at the druid for a moment. "So it's true, he really is immortal."

The druid nodes. "The only weapon that can kill the immortal was forged by Merlin and the great dragon. But Merlin is a dragon lord so cannot be killed by it. He has no way of dying, once his job is done in this realm, he will travel to Avalon, where he will join the other immortals and his lover, the lady of the lake."

Alator nodes. "But we still need to find him, it is not safe. Even with his great powers he can still be hurt. If he gets caught and those who find him work out he is immortal, they will just kill him over and over again or trap him somewhere he will never be able to escape from."

The druid nodes. "Then you must travel to the crystal caves and scry for him. Normal scrying will not work, his power blocks it. Only the crystals will be able to see him."

"Taliesin only lets Emrys enter the caves, not even you druids can enter." Alator answers. "Taliesin will not listen to me or anyone other than Merlin. We have to find him on our own."

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Daegal steps closer to Merlin as a Camelot patrol surround them. They draw their swords, when they notice neither Daegal or Merlin have weapons. Despite the pain Merlin stands up straight and meets the eyes of the patrols leader.

"What are you doing in these woods?" They ask.

"Me and my brother were returning home," Merlin explains. "We were attacked by a witch dressed in black. She killed our mother, she had men with her. When they thought they had killed me, my younger brother fled into the wood. They took everything we had, weapons, supplies and money."

Daegal looks slightly surprised that Merlin lied with such ease. But the patrol didn't believe him.

"You would dare to lie to us." The man yells. "I know you, you were the manservant to the king. But you betrayed him and joined Morgana and all those evil magic users."

"I HAVE BETRAYED NO ONE!" Merlin yells. "Least of all Arthur."

"You have magic and you will die for your crimes, you and your 'brother'."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Merlin mutters. His magic was unstable at the moment, he didn't have the strength to control it, so it would act on instinct and lash out.

The patrol laugh.

"There are two of you and ten of us." One of them laughs.

Merlin just shakes his head. "Be careful."

With a single yell all the patrol charge at Merlin and Daegal, without warning Merlin's eyes flash gold and every one of the patrol members are thrown back and fall to the ground, unmoving but not dead. Daegal jumps and looks round, in awe.

"I knew you had magic, but I had no idea you were that powerful."

Merlin sighs. "It's not something I'm proud of."

"Why? Magic is a gift."

Merlin shakes his head. "No, it is a curse."

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Hey, thanks for the reviews. Up next is A remedy to cure all ills and The gates of Avalon.

Blessed be,

TreeofLife1997.