Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

Chapter eleven: The moment of truth.

"In a time of myth and a land of magic the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulder of a young boy, his name…. Merlin."

Everyone was on their feet in seconds, before them was a screen.

"It is time to see Merlin's next adventure, I'm afraid the order of the adventure is a little out here. But I thought now I had the power to once again show you what happened you would like to watch it."

"What happened to a normal 'good morning, time to get up'?" Gwaine groans.

Taliesin smiles. "When you have been dead for six hundred years, you forget what it is like to be alive."

"You've been dead for six hundred years?" Elyan asks, shocked.

Taliesin nodes. "I am, the first time I was bought back from the realm of the dead was to help Merlin. And once again I have been bought back to help him."

"Does Merlin know you are dead?" Percival asks. "Because when he came calling for you, he seemed to act like you were alive."

"Merlin knows I am dead. As for you, Gwaine, after the first time me and Merlin met, he came back here. He needed help with something, so to start the conversation he asked me how being dead was coming along."

"Sounds like something Merlin would say." Arthur mutters.

Leon looks at Taliesin with concern. "Doesn't it damage your spirit being here?"

Taliesin shakes his head. "No, the magic from this cave is pure. It stops my soul from becoming corrupted. But now we must get on with our story."

A small village comes into view, it is quiet and peaceful. People walk around as they work greeting people as they pass each other. Suddenly a large group of men on horseback enter the village, people start running and screaming. All the men except one jumps down from their horses.

"Search the place." The one on the horse orders.

Meanwhile Hunith and Will both come out their houses to see what is going on. The group of horsemen go through the homes around them, dragging people out as they do so.

"Find him." The man on the horse yells.

At last a man is dragged forward and thrown to the ground in front of the horse.

"Its harvest time," the man on the horse mocks. "What's this?" the man yells as he handed to small sacks. "Where is the rest of it?"

"I only kept back what we need to survive." The man on the ground answers.

"Survive?" the man on the horse asks. "I'll be back in one week, farmer, and I want to see all of it."

Hunith runs forward. "You can't take our food." Hunith cries running forward. "Our children will stave, I can't let you do this. You're not taking any of it." She pulls at the sacks the man is holding, but he just hits her forcing her to fall to the ground.

"Hunith!" A man yells running forward. But the man on the horse shoots him with his cross bow.

"I will give you a week, don't you dare disappoint me." He growls to the farmer, who was helping Hunith. "I'll see you later, sweetheart." He grins wickedly to Hunith. With that riders leave the village, while the farmer helps Hunith to her feet. Everyone watches them go.

A couple of days later Hunith arrives in Camelot, she walks through the streets looking around. Merlin who had just finished collecting water at the well spots her and walks forward.

"Mother?" He asks.

Hunith runs forward. "Merlin!" She cries, pulling her son into a hug.

"What happened?" Merlin asks, noticing her black eye, Hunith didn't answer. "Who did this to you?"

"That's Merlin's mother?" Gwaine asks. "I would hate to be the man that did that to her, Merlin after all, is an all-powerful warlock."

Percival smiles slightly. "Whenever I have heard Merlin speak of his mother, he speaks of her highly."

"I can see where Merlin gets his courage from." Isolde mutters. "What she did was brave."

"And a bit foolish." Tristan adds.

"Don't let Merlin hear you say that." Gwen warns. "He lets no one speak a bad word against his mother, and neither will I."

Leon glances at Gwen. "I take it you have met her?"

"Me, Gwen and Morgana have all met her." Arthur answers.

Elyan glances at his sister. "Well she looks nothing like Merlin, even their eyes are different... Maybe he looks more like his father."

"Does anyone know who Merlin's father is?" Gwaine asks. "Merlin told me about him once, but never who he actually was. All he said was he was a friend of Uthur's, but then Uthur turned against him and tried to hunt him down."

Everyone shakes their heads.

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In Camelot Hunith gets a meeting with the king and asks for help, but he will not risk the life of his men or a war with Cenred, so offers no help. Morgana helps Hunith from the throne room as Merlin just glare's at Uthur.

Later Arthur stands next to a wall over looking the city. Suddenly Merlin appears beside him.

"I'm sorry," Arthur starts. "If it were up to me, we would be on our way there now."

"Well, you tried." Merlin answers. "And thanks for getting an ordinance with the king."

"I wish we were able to help people regardless of how far away they lived."

There is silence for a moment.

"I'm going back to Ealdor." Merlin states, turn to Arthur.

"Of course."

"It has been an honour serving you."

"You'll be coming back?"

"Well, she's my mother." Merlin answers. "l have to look after her, before anyone else. You understand?"

"I would do the same…. Well you've been terrible. Really I mean it, the worst servant I've had."

Merlin laughs. "Thank you, sire."

"Merlin," Arthur calls, as Merlin turns to leave. "Good luck." Merlin just nodes and walks off.

Later on Gwen is helping Merlin pack, she gives him a sword. Morgana appears and tells Merlin, she and Gwen are going with him. Later on still, Gaius is giving Merlin more things to pack. He tells Merlin to do whatever it takes.

Arthur just snorts. "I can't believe Merlin said that."

Gwaine laughs. "It feels sword-y."

"Well, Merlin has never had to use a sword before he came to Camelot." Leon mutters. "I'm not surprised he didn't know what to say."

Percival nodes. "Even now he still doesn't need a sword, he could beat all of us with a snap of his figures."

Gwen nodes. "I would hate to get on the wrong side of Merlin."

Isolde nodes. "I would hate to be Morgana. Merlin can fight her openly now, she won't know what hit her."

Tristan shakes his head. "You speak as if Merlin is a weapon, he is not. And you should never think of him as such."

Elyan nodes. "Merlin has a great power, but he should never be used as a weapon."

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Later that night Merlin and his mother sit by a camp fire, talking.

"They shouldn't be here," Hunith mutters. "Especially the lady Morgana, she's the king's ward."

"Not that you would know it." Merlin answers. "She's the only person I know who isn't frightened of him."

"It won't make any difference to Konan, that they are women."

"I know. But I couldn't talk them out of coming. I want to make him pay for what he did to you."

"Promise me you'll be careful. No one can know about you."

"They won't, they never do."

"Get some rest." Hunith kisses her sons forehead, before going to lie down.

Merlin smiles and picks up a half burnt stick and blows on it. He mutters a spell and the sparks form the shape of the Camelot dragon.

Later that night Merlin hears and noise in the wood and goes to look only to find its Arthur.

"Merlin can do some beautiful things with magic." Gwen smiles.

Elyan smiles at his sister. "I'm sure when we see him again, he'll show a couple of magic tricks."

Gwaine nodes. "I still want to know if he can turn water into ale."

"Shut up, Gwaine." Arthur mutters. "Merlin cannot return to Camelot, magic is outlawed on pain of death."

"But you are the king." Percival mutters. "You can change that."

Leon shakes his head. "It is not that simple, the change has to be done slowly. Otherwise the people could start a civil war, that's the last thing we need."

Tristan shakes his head. "Most people are more excepting of magic than you think. They only turn people in from fear if they do not, they will be punished too. Those who are caught helping those with magic are sentenced to death too."

Isolde nodes. "Many people go to the druids, to get help when they need healing. Of course close to Camelot people are too scared to, but further away people do use magic to help. But only if they have no other hope."

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Arthur and Merlin sit up talking, before Arthur goes off to get some rest. The following day they arrive just as Kanan is destroying the village. Everyone enters battle mode. Merlin uses magic to heat up the hilt of a man's sword causing him to drop it before killing him. Behind Merlin, Will watches. As Kanan and his mean ride away, Will approaches Merlin.

"You still up to the same old magic tricks again." Will mutters.

Merlin lowers his sword and walks towards him, no longer smiling.

"Look, I thought I told you, I didn't want your kind around here?"

He and Merlin glare at each other for a moment, before grinning.

"Missed you too, Will." The two of them hug and laugh. "It's good to see you again."

The two of them were about to chat, when Arthur orders Merlin to gather the villagers.

Gwaine laughs. "For a moment there I thought that Will kid was serious."

Percival nodes. "I wounded how he knew about Merlin's magic, I mean it's quite clear he knew about it before Merlin cast that spell on the sword."

Elyan nodes. "I heard Merlin mention Will once it his sleep, he was having a nightmare. I was on watch at the time, I asked him what it was about and he said it was nothing."

Leon nodes. "Merlin has a lot of secrets, as hard as it is to believe. We don't know hardly anything about him, even now watching this there is still stuff we do not know and may never know."

Tristan nodes. "I have not known Merlin long, but everything about him is an act. He is not stupid, he is clever. He acts all clumsy, but he isn't. He uses humour to hide and defend himself, it's all an act."

"The Merlin you know, is only half of the person he is." Isolde explains. "He is the bravest person I have ever met. He risks his life to save the life of the son of the man, who would have him killed for the way he was born."

Gwen nodes. "Merlin is the most loyal person I know. But when you look in his eyes, they are the eyes of a man who had seen to many things. Suffered too much, been hurt too much and knows the world for what it truly is."

Arthur sighs. "Why do all that, though, why risk it for us?"

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Not long after Arthur gives a speech to the village, in which Will disagrees with him and runs off. Merlin quickly follows him. Meanwhile all the villagers agree with what Arthur has said.

Merlin follows Will to his house, where he is trying to sort the place out.

"He knows what he is doing." Merlin mutters. "You've got to trust him…. Look, when I first met Arthur, I was exactly like you. I hated him. I thought he was pompous and arrogant."

"Well nothing has changed there then"

"But, in time, I came to respect him for what he stands for…. What he does."

"Yeah, know what he stands for: princes, kings, all men like him."

"Will, don't bring what happened to your father into this."

"I'm not. Why are you defending him so much? You've just his servant."

"He is also my friend."

"Friends don't lord it over on another."

"He isn't like that."

"Really? Well let's wait until the fighting begins and see who he sends in to die first. I guarantee you, it won't be him!"

"I trust Arthur with my life."

"Is that so? So he knows your secret then? Look face it Merlin, you're living a lie. Just like you were here. You're Arthur's servant nothing more. Otherwise you would tell him the truth."

"How could he trust me with his life, if he never told me the truth?" Arthur asked.

Leon grins slightly. "Gwaine here, trusts you with his life and he has some deep dark secret only Merlin knows."

Gwaine didn't even smile, Merlin had once told him, he reminded him of a friend he once had. They had the same story, the same hatred for nobles, but both risked their life for Arthur. Now Gwaine knew who he meant, Will, Merlin's first true friend. They even had the same type of humour.

Percival notices Gwaine silence. "What's the matter, Gwaine?"

"It's nothing." Gwaine mutters.

Elyan looks at him. "Are you sure, you are never quite."

Tristan glances at Gwaine. "Leave him be, he'll talk about it in his own time. When he is ready."

Isolde and Gwen share a look, the chances were Gwaine would only speak to Merlin.

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Later that night everyone but Arthur and Merlin were asleep.

"Have you always slept on the floor?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah," Merlin answers. "The bed back in Camelot is a luxury by comparison."

"Must've been hard."

"Mmm," Merlin mutters. "It's like rock."

"I didn't mean the ground," Arthur answers annoyed. "I meant, for you, it must have been difficult."

"Mmm, not really. I didn't know any better. Life's simple out here. You eat what you grow and everyone pitches in together. As long as you've got food on the table and a roof over your head, you're happy."

"Sounds…. Nice."

"You'd hate it."

"No doubt…. Why'd you leave?"

"Things just…. Changed."

"How?... Come on, stop pretending to be interesting. Tell me."

"I just didn't fit in any more. I wanted to find somewhere I did."

"Had any luck?"

"I'm not sure yet."

There is silence for a moment.

"We'll start training the men tomorrow. It's going to be a long day. Get the candle."

Merlin blows out the candle.

The next morning Morgana and Arthur have a small falling out. And Arthur doesn't eat his breakfast. Once Morgana, Gwen and Arthur are gone. Merlin and his mother have a talk.

Gwen glares at Arthur. "I still can't believe you didn't eat the food."

Arthur sighs. "I'm sorry, I just didn't like it."

"Why?" Tristan asks. "Was it not good enough for you?"

Arthur glares at Tristan, but doesn't answer.

Percival sighs. "Merlin must have had a hard life."

Elyan nodes. "I wonder if he thinks he fits in now. I mean Camelot won't be the same without him."

"Merlin will not be able to return to Camelot, if Arthur doesn't change the law."

Once more Gwaine was silent.

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As Merlin makes his way into the wood with an axe, Will comes running up behind him.

"Merlin!" He calls. "Where are you going with that thing?"

"What does it look like? We need wood."

Will laughs. "We both know you don't need an axe to fell a tree."

"And I remember the trouble it got me into. I nearly flattened old man Simmons." Pointing the axe towards the old man's house.

"Ha. Yeah, well, he deserved it, stupid old crow."

"Mmm, he never did like me anyway."

"Well, even less after that."

After a moments silence Merlin asks. "Why are you being like this?"

"You know why." Will mutters sitting down on a fallen tree, Merlin sits next to him. "Why did you leave?"

"It wasn't what I wanted. My mother was worried. When she found out you knew, she was so angry."

"I wouldn't have told anyone."

"Will, I know you wouldn't."

"You'd be able to defeat Kanan on your own, wouldn't you?"

"I'm not sure, maybe."

"Well, so what's stopping you? So what if Arthur finds out?"

"I don't expect you to understand."

"Try me."

"One day Arthur will be a great king, but he needs my help. And if anyone found about my powers, I'd have to leave Camelot for good."

"Are you telling me, you'd rather keep your magic a secret for Arthur's sake than use it to protect your friends and family?"

Everyone looked at each other. Merlin really did believe in his destiny and would do anything to make sure it happened.

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Back in the village Arthur begins to train the villagers. Will and Merlin watch from the side lines, while Morgana and Gwen sharpen swords. Gwen quickly decides that men are not the only ones who can fight. Seeing that Mathew was struggling Arthur gives him the job of being a look out. Later on Morgana and Gwen speak with Arthur. Later that night Merlin hears Gwen and Morgana talking. The following morning Arthur begins to plan a way to trap Kanan and his men. But there talk is interrupted by Mathews return, he is dead. A note is pinned to his back with an arrow from a cross bow. Will tells everyone it is hopeless.

"Don't bother, Merlin. I'm not interested." Will growls.

"You should be. Because tomorrow Kanan attacks, and whether you like it or not, we'll have to fight."

"Not if I'm not here."

"Well, that's up to you, but the rest of us are staying…. Join us Will, this isn't about Arthur, this is about your friends. Are you really going to abandon them?"

"What, like you did?"

"I'm here now."

"Yeah. Yeah you are. And you could end this now, if you used magic. Then no one else would have to die."

"You know I can't."

"Can't or won't? I'm not the one abandoning these people, Merlin you are."

As Will leaves, Merlin just stands there, not knowing what to do.

"How could he say that?" Elyan gasps. "Merlin was going to risk his life with or without the use of magic and yet Will is the one leaving."

Percival nodes. "Merlin is no coward, no matter what anyone thinks."

Leon nodes. "Merlin truly is brave, Will shouldn't have told him that."

Isolde glare at the image of Will. "If Merlin had shown Arthur his magic, there would be no Albion. And hundreds of Merlin's kin would kept getting killed and there would be no golden age."

"Merlin carries a heavy burden and he carries it alone," Tristan adds. "He didn't need to be made to feel guilty."

Gwen nodes. "Hopefully after this Merlin won't feel so alone."

"Maybe the law on magic does need to change." Arthur mutters.

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Merlin speaks with Arthur and convinces him that Will is wrong and explains why Will has such a hatred for nobility. In side Merlin's home Hunith listens to them speak. Hunith knows Merlin is planning on using magic. Later that night Arthur speaks to the village, Gwen steps forward and tells Arthur that the women are going to fight too. Later that night Hunith speaks with Merlin. She tells him not to use magic.

The following morning Gwen and Arthur have a slight falling out over breakfast. As Arthur and Merlin prepare for battle Merlin goes to tell Arthur about his magic, but is interrupted by Morgana as she comes to tell them Kanan and his men have crossed the river. Merlin and Arthur watch as Kanan and his men storm towards their village, before quickly taking up their posts.

Gwen and some others pull up a gate trapping Kanan and his men in the village. Meanwhile Morgana cannot get the fire started. Arthur knows something must have gone wrong, so Merlin runs. Kanan and his men spot him and Merlin is forced to dodge two arrows, before he reaches Morgana, while Morgana isn't watching Merlin uses magic to light the fire. And so the battle starts. After Merlin makes his first kill, a rider comes up behind him, Will jumps off a nearby roof and kills the rider.

"I didn't think you were coming!" Merlin grins.

"Neither did I." Will smiles.

The two of them start to fight back to back, as the both kill the people they were fighting, they stop and look around. They notice that they are losing.

"There's too many of them." Will mutters.

"Not for me, there isn't." Merlin replies looking around.

Merlin holds out his hand and mutters a spell his eyes glow gold and a whirlwind forms in front of them. After the whirlwind has done its job, it vanishes. Behind Arthur, Kanan appears and the two of them fight. Once Arthur thinks Kanan is dead, he turns on Merlin and Will, Merlin steps forward but before he can say anything, Will pushes Arthur out the way of an arrow, getting hit in the process. Knowing he's about to die Will says he was the sorcerer. After Arthur and the others leave Will and Merlin say their finally goodbyes. As Will dies, Merlin wipes the tears from his eyes. His best friend had just died and he could do nothing to stop it.

Later Arthur and Merlin stand side by side as they watch Will's body burn.

"I'm sorry," Arthur mutters. "I know he was a close friend."

"He still is." Merlin answers.

"You knew he was a sorcerer, didn't you? That's what you were going to tell me?"

"Yes." Merlin lied. "It was."

"You know how dangerous magic is. You shouldn't have kept this from me, Merlin." Arthur then walks off.

Hunith walks up and stands beside her son.

"You'd better be going." She mutters softly.

"I don't have to go."

"Yes, you do."

"If anything were to happen to you…."

"I know where to find you. You have to go, Merlin. You belong at Arthur's side. I've seen how much he needs you, how much you need him. You're like two sides of the same coin."

"I've heard someone say that about us before." Merlin half smiles. "I'm going to miss you." He hugs his mother.

"I'm going to miss you, too. When you left, you were a boy. Now look at you. I'm so proud of you."

Leon turns to Arthur. "He was going to tell you he had magic. See he did want to tell you, then you go and say how dangerous magic is. That's really going to make him trust you."

Percival nodes. "Plus you looked like you were about to kill whoever admitted to using magic."

"Plus who knew Merlin had a talent in battle, he avoided to arrows and can use a sword just about." Elyan mutters.

Gwen nodes. "I'm glad in a way that Will took the blame, if he hadn't, we would more than likely be dead by now."

Arthur just watches as the screen fades away. Thinking about all he had ever told Merlin, was magic couldn't be trusted, so Merlin had ever reason to not trust him.