"Right, well, I don't know about you lot, but I would be a lot more comfortable finishing this discussion back at camp, preferably with some food and a tankard of ale." Gwaine started moving towards the camp, everyone except Merlin following him.

For his part, Merlin could barely make it to his feet, much less walk. His first attempt to walk sent him crashing back to the earth and drawing a small cry from his lips. The knight all heard the sound and turned as one to see the man struggling back onto his feet. Arthur was already striding back towards the man, but he broke out into a jog when Merlin swayed where he stood, his face loosing what little color it had. The king reached him just as his eyes rolled back in his head and he went limp. Arthur caught him and lowered him the rest of the way to the ground gently. He shook his friend with one hand while checking his pulse with the other. A sigh of relief left his lips as he felt a pulse, erratic but still present. That sighed died on his lips, however, when he looked down and saw the dark crimson that soaked through Merlin's shirt. With shaking hands he pushed the shirt up, revealing Merlin's scarred chest and the deep wound present there, just below his heart. Arthur closed his eyes, hearing the horrified gasps of his knights as they saw the wound. They had all been through enough battles to know that a wound such as this one was usually fatal unless treated immediately. Arthur wasn't sure when Merlin had received this wound, but judging by the gradually slowing trickle of blood coming from the wound it had to have been some time ago. He needed to get help fast.

Arthur scooped the gangly man up into his arms, frowning slightly at just how light Merlin was. Without another word he strode towards the healer's tent, the knights trailing behind him. He walked straight to the far side of the tent, laying the unconscious warlock on an empty bed that was relatively secluded. While he had done this Elyan had grabbed Gaius, quickly explaining what had happened. By the time the old man had forced his way through all of the knights, Arthur, and a sobbing Gwen, Merlin was starting to stir. When his eyes opened they focused on the elderly healer.

"Gaius?" He rasped and then smiled appreciatively as the man held a cup of water to his lips. Working quickly, Gaius rolled up his wards shirt, a look of despair crossing his face as he saw the wound. After cleaning it the best he could Gaius probed it gently with a finger, drawing a pained gasp from Merlin's lips.

"Merlin, there's still a shard of the blade still in the wound."

"I know, I can feel it in there."

"I can try to remove it…" The healer left the rest unsaid. Merlin had been his apprentice long enough to know that this wound was most likely fatal with the shard removed and definitely so with the shard left in the wound.

"Leave it, Gaius. It will make little difference. The blade was forged with dark magic and it's doing its job quite well." He gave Gaius a pained smile, deeply wishing that there were something he could do to ease the grief in the older man's eyes. Gaius reached out and squeezed his shoulder affectionately. Merlin's eyes flickered past Gaius and he said, "Gaius, you should see to your other patients…I'm not going anywhere at the moment and Arthur and I need to talk." Gaius nodded his understanding and walked away slowly, looking as if he carried a great weight upon his shoulders.

After a few moments of silence, Merlin turned his attention to Arthur. The king's face was a mixture of different emotions ranging from disbelief to downright anger and something else, stronger than the others, that Merlin couldn't quite place. "Arthur, I can explain everything…I.."

"And why should I trust a word out of your mouth, sorcerer? The past five years have been nothing but a lie. I thought you were my friend, my brother even and this…this is how you repay that," snarled Arthur.

Merlin felt his ire rising at his friend's anger. "I'M A WARLOCK! If you ever listened instead of being a prat you would know that. Everything I've ever done has been for Camelot, for you, Arthur. I would give my life for you; I have done so many times in the past." Merlin paused, gasping for breath. It was getting harder and harder to fight the lethargy that was stealing over his body, but he had to make Arthur understand. "You are the Once and Future King. One day you shall unite the land of Albion and bring magic back to the land. It is my destiny to protect you, and that is all I've ever done; protect you, Arthur. Hell, I've changed destiny so that you could survive and become the king I know you will be."

Arthur seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, then turned and stomped angrily from the tent. Gwaine made to follow him, ready to knock some sense into the pig-headed fool, but Merlin stopped him with a weak gesture.

"Don't, Gwaine. Let him think in privacy. He speaks from fear, not anger."

"Fear? The princess has nothing to fear, not as long as you're here to protect him. He should know that."

"He is scared that all he's ever learned could be wrong. It's a lot to take in, and he needs time."

"Aye, well if he thinks that I'll let him lay one finger on you, after everything you've done, he'll be in for one big surprise. Maybe I need to go talk some sense into him." Gwaine made to follow the King once more, but Merlin stopped him again.

"No. He will not harm me; he'll make the right decision, he always does." Merlin's voice was strained, he was fading fast and he knew it. Seeing the turmoil on his friends face he continued in a soft voice: "Please, Gwaine don't….don't leave me here alone, not now. Please."

Whether it was the voice or the plea itself that caught Gwaine's attention he wasn't sure, but he was sure that right now, Merlin needed him more than the princess. He looked at his friend, marveling at the faith the man showed in his king, despite the hurt that he obviously felt at the man's mistrust. Gwaine felt all his anger at the king fade as he took in Merlin's appearance. He was pale and covered in sweat; his breathing was ragged and there was blood seeping through the bandage on his chest again. Perhaps the most frightening thing about seeing his friend like this was the intense mixture of fear and resignation in the man's eyes. Merlin was dying and he knew it; there was no way that Gwaine could leave him now. He knelt down at his friend's side and clasped his hand, returning the shaky smile that Merlin flashed him. Dimly he was aware that the other knights had stepped forward now, sensing their friend's need, to let him know that he was not alone, not now and not ever.

Ever so slowly Merlin's eyes began to drift closed and each breath came less often, until eventually they came no more. The moment that happened, Gwaine knew his friend was gone. Even still, he waited for what seemed like hours for Merlin to draw one more shaky breath; he couldn't be dead. This was Merlin; he was always ok, always. Gwaine raised a shaking hand and brushed back the unruly mop of black hair from the pale face, noting as he did so that his friend wore a small, peaceful smile. Dimly he heard someone calling for Gaius, and then his hands were being pushed out of the way by the healer. He watched, detached, as Gaius felt for a pulse and then as his face crumpled when he felt none. He heard the sorrowful cries of the others, the sobs of the queen, and Leon's statement that he would inform the king. Gwaine didn't care; he couldn't because it didn't matter anymore. Merlin, his best friend, was gone and he wasn't coming back, ever.

Arthur strode out of the tent, furious at this new betrayal by the man he considered a brother. What had he ever done in his life to earn such disloyalty; first Morgana, then Mordred, and now Merlin? He kneaded his eyes with the heels of his palm; his thoughts were chaotic. There was one voice in his head repeating all the lessons his father had ever taught him of magic; the other spoke in a calming voice, reminding him of the druids and that blue sphere in the caverns so long ago.

"Magic is evil," the voice (it sounded oddly like his father) in his head whispered; "those who practice magic are evil… Merlin is evil."

But no, he could not believe that; would not believe it. Every fiber of his being rebelled against the idea that Merlin, kind, caring, loyal Merlin was evil. The man didn't have an evil bone in his body; for god sakes, he abhorred hunting because it killed innocent animals for fun. The voice advocating the goodness of magic was drowning out his father's voice in his mind.

"Magic," it pointed out, "is like a tool. It is neither good nor bad, it just is. Whether it is used for good or evil is up to the wielder; just as a sword can be used to slaughter innocents or defend a country against a tyrant so magic can be used to torture or protect."

With that statement, Arthur knew that Merlin had spoken the truth. Who knows what he had done for Camelot and Arthur over the years? What he did know, however, is that Merlin had save Camelot today. As that dawned on him another realization hit him; Merlin was wounded, fatally so perhaps. Dread pooled in his stomach and Arthur turned to head back into the healer's tent, his only thought to tell Merlin that he understood now, that he forgave him for everything. More so than the desire to make things ok between them, he needed to tell Merlin thank you, for everything. As he made his way back towards the tent he saw Leon striding purposefully towards him. He held his hands up in supplication towards the knight, the half formed assurances that he had come to his senses dying on his lips when he saw Leon's red eyes and sorrowful expression.

"No." That was all he said, all he could think as fear twisted his insides and grief and denial warred in his mind. Suddenly he was running, sprinting through the tent to where his friend lay. The other knights (with the exception of Gwaine) moved to the side to allow him access to Merlin. His whole being went numb; he felt as if something were missing, like his other half was gone. Merlin looked so small and peaceful; Arthur could almost imagine that he was sleeping and any second now those marvelous blue orbs would be looking back at him. But they wouldn't open, never again; never again would Merlin wake him at the crack of dawn or call him a prat or offer surprisingly sage advice. Merlin was dead, and Arthur felt the weight of his despair mingling with his guilt, threatening to crush him. He had failed the man; had let him die thinking that Arthur hated him. There were tears flowing unchecked down his cheeks now, but he didn't care. Let them see me cry, he thought bitterly, let them think me weak. He had failed his best friend, his brother, when he had needed him both. Arthur should have been here at his side in his final moments; he should have been there to tell him that it was all going to be ok, that he was forgiven. He would never get to tell Merlin that, never tell him Thank you for everything he's done or even find out everything he'd done for Camelot. Arthur hated himself, for not being strong enough, for not finding a way to save him, for living while Merlin had died.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Gwen spoke, breaking the silence that surrounded their grief. "We'll… we'll have to give him a proper fun…. A proper funeral. He deserves that."

The others nodded their agreement, all of them turning their gazes on Arthur who had yet to speak a word, where he knelt by Merlin's body, a look of total shock on his face. Before anybody could break him from his reverie Gaius spoke up.

"If it's at all possible, I think that… I think that he would like to be put to rest at the lake of Avalon."

Arthur looked up at the old man. "Why there?" Seeing the looks on the others' faces he added, "what meaning does…did the Lake of Avalon hold for Merlin?"

"Other than the fact that it is a place of pure magic, I'm not sure, though he visits…visited there often." Gaius held up a piece of parchment. "This was tucked in my pocket. It's from Merlin. He must have known that he was going to…. going to die. It was one of his final requests that he be laid to rest at Avalon." At a gesture from the king, Gaius handed the letter over.

Gwaine looked thoughtful. "He once mentioned that he had someone very dear to him on the shores of Avalon. I never put much thought into it, but I'm certain that he must have put someone to rest there.

Handing the letter back to Gaius, Arthur stood, looking determined. "Knights, Gwen, get cleaned up and take some rest. Tomorrow morning we leave for the Lake of Avalon."

It was a solemn group that set out the following morning, each member lost in thought, reminiscing on memories they had of Merlin. Nobody wanted to look at the still white bundle lashed to one of the spare horses. They were several hours into the journey when Gwaine, completely sober for once, decided he couldn't stand the silence any longer. He sighed, remembering how Merlin would fill these tedious journeys with mindless chatter and jokes. " He wouldn't have wanted this."

"What? Did you say something, Gwaine?"

Gwaine looked up from the back of his horses' neck; he hadn't realized he had spoken aloud. He cleared his throat and repeated himself a little louder. "He wouldn't have wanted this; us, I mean, moping around all depressed."

There was a moment of deep silence before anyone spoke again.

"Gwaine's right," Gwen admitted. "Merlin was always so happy; he wouldn't want us to mourn him, but remember the good times we had with him." A smile lit her face for the first time in days. "I remember the first time we met. Merlin was in the stocks and he was still smiling; I remember how he joked with me and then encouraged the young children to go and bring back more vegetables to throw at him so he wasn't bored." At her anecdote all the knights let out a chuckle. Then Gaius spoke up, (of course Gaius went with them) telling about some of the shenanigans that Merlin had gotten into over the years. The rest of the journey passed by with each member of the group taking turns recalling their fondest memories of their friend. Though still sorrowful, their spirits had lifted just a bit by the time they reached the lake.

The waters were calm and clear and the surrounding land was covered in wild flowers and lush vegetation. It was beautiful, and there on the shore, as if it knew their purpose there, rested a small, wooden boat. Somber once more, the group set to work, gathering brush and other tinder to place in the bottom of the boat. While the knights did this, Gwen and Gaius gathered sweet smelling herbs and flowers to bedeck the boat. When the preparations were all made, Arthur gently took the body from the horse and unwrapped the cloth that was around it. Then, as if he carried something extremely precious and fragile, he carried the body and set it in the boat atop the bed of flowers. That task completed, he stepped back and watched as Gaius and Gwen lovingly rearranged his limbs, straightened his clothing, and placed more flowers and herbs around him.

All of them clustered around the boat as Arthur prepared to say the final farewell. Before he could utter a word, however, Percival gasped and pointed to the lake. Just off shore the water began to churn and from them rose a woman. She walked towards the boat, and Gwaine noted with a detached interest that she was beautiful. Slowly she knelt down beside the boat and, to the shock of every one but Gaius who had begun to suspect who this was, she gently stroked Merlin's face and placed a kiss on his brow. There were tears streaming down her face as she began to speak.

"Oh my brave, sweet Merlin what have you done? You've succeeded, saving countless lives, but at what cost? The price you've paid is so high already and yet, from you destiny demands even greater recompense for your actions. I am so, so sorry, my love. I have no choice in this matter; I must do this. I'm so sorry for all that is to come." She placed one last kiss upon Merlin's lips then raised her hand as her eyes turned a molten gold. Everybody felt the wave of power that emanated from her as she spoke a string of foreign words, then, without another word, she vanished.

Arthur looked to Gaius. "Any idea what that was about? Who was that woman?"
"I believe, Arthur, that that was the Lady of the Lake; Freya."

Gwaine gasped in disbelief, his eyes going wide. "Freya? Freya, as in the one woman that Merlin ever loved? That Freya? He told me of her one night when I was drunk, probably thinking that I'd forget by the morning."

"What did she do I wonder…" Arthur's voice trailed off as he stared at Merlin's body. He could have sworn he had seen the chest rise and fall. It must have been his imagination, there couldn't be more color in Merlin's face, could there? Hoping against all hope, Arthur stepped forward and placed shaking fingers on Merlin's neck. His knees almost gave way when he felt the pulse beating there; they did give way when Merlin let out a pained moan. Everybody just stood there in shock, not quite believing the turn of events.

Merlin started to thrash about, groaning. In an instant Gaius was at his side, along with Arthur and Gwaine, directing them to brace his legs and torso so he didn't do himself damage as Gaius held his head calling to him.

"Hush, Merlin. Everything's going to be ok. We're here, we've got you; everything will be fine. Calm yourself, Merlin. Just open your eyes and come back to us."

Arthur spoke up, desperate for his friend to be ok, to be alive. "Merlin, you lazy idiot, don't you ever do as you're told? Just come back to us, please, just follow this one order…don't be dead. You hear me? Don't be dead, Merlin. Open your eyes, come on, open your eyes, please."

Merlin's thrashing stopped and he went still. Arthur's heart dropped into his stomach as he looked at his friend, hoping. He couldn't be dead, that just so…wasn't Merlin. Then, while all waited with bated breath, something happened that they had thought to never see again; Merlin opened his eyes.

The darkness was so peaceful; it beckoned to him and Merlin succumbed to its gentle embrace. He knew that he was dead and he was a bit disappointed; he had expected to be reunited with his father and Freya. Where was he? Maybe Uther had been right all along, he was an evil magic user and he had gone to hell. This didn't feel like hell, I've been through worse while I was alive. The darkness was unending and Merlin had no idea how long he just floated there, thinking.

A familiar voice echoed through the darkness and Merlin's heart leapt into his throat. It was Freya, but where was she? Why did she sound so sad? So what he was dead? They could be together again. "I am so, so sorry, my love. I have no choice in this matter; I must do this. I'm so sorry for all that is to come" Sorry? Why was she sorry? What was to come? Merlin felt a wave of pure energy wash over him and suddenly he wasn't in darkness anymore; no this was much, much worse.

Images flashed before him, showing him people and places, some familiar to him and some foreign and strange. He saw a land of rolling metal boxes and towering building made of glass. He saw these cities burning and children crying. He caught glimpses of his friends throughout the scenes, Lancelot, Gwaine, Percival, Gwen, but never Arthur, not until the very end of the images. The most frightening thing about these images was Merlin himself. He was present in every scene; always he remained the same, never aging, only his clothing changing. He watched as the images seemed to change and whirl with him at their center, eyes glowing golden. He watched as those he loved faded along with Camelot; disappearing into ash and rubble and yet he remained.

As quickly as it began it was over and darkness returned. This was different, though. He felt as if he were weighed down by a thousand stones and he struggled to rise through the weight. As he began to despair he heard a voice, calling to him; it almost sounded like Arthur. What if he was in trouble? Merlin struggled through the darkness, aware now that he was actually in his body. Using all of his will power Merlin struggled the last little distance. He opened his eyes.

Mwahahahaha! I promise that there will be an epilogue and possibly as sequel/reincarnation fic.