Back to the Start

by Mischel

This fanfic was written for the After Camlann Big Bang, on Live Journal. Art was made by matchboximpala. SUMMARY: There's a new witchfinder in Camelot. He's more dangerous and hell-bent on hunting down Emrys. Merlin flees and leaves Arthur only with a letter. Arthur follows and finds out more about Merlin than he ever wanted to. Adventure, Merthur, epic magic. Full summary inside.

8. The New Plan

CHAPTER 8

The New Plan

...

The flames had already closed around them, despite the knights' frantic efforts to put them out. Arthur closed his eyes, unable to move in the heat as he held Merlin close to himself, hoping for a miracle. He didn't have to wait too long. As soon as Merlin wrapped his arms around him, a strange wind picked up, swirling quickly and enveloping them. Arthur gasped as he noticed that and then closed his eyes tightly, trusting that this was Merlin's doing.

Because what else could have caused something like that if not strong magic? He didn't even hear Merlin say any strange words. The boy was just pressing his head against his chest, breathing hard and gasping for air.

The wind disappeared mere seconds later and they tumbled down together – onto soft grass. When Arthur opened his eyes again, he found himself in the middle of a high hill, surrounded by other hills – far from Camelot.

Merlin was shaking violently in his arms and before Arthur knew it, the boy was sobbing like a baby. The sobs wracked his body and he couldn't stop. He was lying on top of Arthur, holding him almost too tightly, his breaths coming so fast that Arthur feared for Merlin's life even now, when they were away from the danger.

"Merlin?" he asked. His voice was hoarse and quiet.

"Thank- thank you," Merlin whispered between his sobs.

"It's okay," Arthur said. Despite the fact that they both almost died seconds ago, and that Merlin had been lying to him for two years and was now crying in his arms . . . It was nice to hold him like this.

The intimacy of the moment was something that Arthur wanted to never end – because if it did, he feared that he would never experience it again. Their current situation was constantly on Arthur's mind. He did tell Merlin he didn't know if they could fix their relationship. And that was true. He didn't know if they could ever be the same after everything that's happened. But he also knew that despite everything, he was still stupidly in love with his manservant, so much that he could hardly stand it. But also so very mad at him for lying. It was like he couldn't decide how to feel because he felt both. And aside from those two emotions, he also felt pity. Merlin didn't deserve this, even when Arthur still didn't really know everything that Merlin used his magic for, he definitely did not deserve this.

He breathed with Merlin and closed his eyes. Then he noticed something was pushing up into his back and it was very uncomfortable, so he turned slightly so that they would lie on their sides and wrapped his arms tighter around Merlin's small body. "It's okay now, we're safe," he whispered back.

That didn't change the fact that Merlin had almost died. They'd both almost died.

Arthur couldn't believe that they were safe again. It happened so fast, but he could almost still feel the heat. The fire was nowhere near them now, only the setting sun and grass and hills wherever he looked.

As Arthur felt something cold slide down his cheek, he realized that he was crying as well. Not as loudly as Merlin, but he was crying. And no wonder, he'd just almost lost Merlin - his best friend and his love. He didn't know what he'd have done if he had been late and Merlin had died. If he was watching him burn right now.

He knew he'd never be the same again.

Merlin moved slightly in his arms and Arthur looked down, brushing away his own tears with his one hand. Merlin pressed his forehead into Arthur's chest and breathed in and out, trying to do so slowly.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled when he could finally talk again. "I'm sorry for everything," he added. His voice was weak and almost inaudible. It broke Arthur's heart to know what his father was capable of. What Kaunos was capable of with his father's permission.

It was all so horrible.

"It's okay," Arthur repeated.

But Merlin shook his head. "No, it's not," he sniffled. Then he took a deep breath and coughed again. "I lied to you for- for so long, Arthur," he breathed in shakily. "I don't deserve-"

"We're not talking about that now," Arthur decided. To his surprise, it shut Merlin up. Arthur sighed and brushed away the rest of his tears, settling his hand down in Merlin's hair. "Come on, the sun is setting. We need to at least find out where you've taken us."

Merlin breathed out shakily and nodded against his chest. Arthur couldn't help but wish he had stayed in that position longer, but Merlin eventually moved away and distanced himself from Arthur. They sat up, their legs still tangled on the ground.

The warlock smoothed his tousled hair and brushed away his tears, using both his palms over his entire face. Then he took a deep breath and looked around, together with Arthur.

"My backpack!" Merlin pointed at Arthur, who turned back to look at him in confusion.

"What?"

"You kept my backpack," Merlin sniffled and used his sleeves to brush away his tears. He pointed at Arthur's back again. That was when it occurred to Arthur - the thing pushing up into his back was actually Merlin's backpack that he forgot he was carrying around this entire time. Thank god his father hadn't noticed that, he might have asked more questions.

"Right," Arthur looked at his back and then back at Merlin. Without Merlin having to tell him, Arthur knew exactly what to do. He took the backpack off his shoulders and opened it to find a waterskin. It was full from when Merlin had filled it with water from the stream in the forest. Before Arthur had found out about his magic.

Arthur immediately handed the waterskin to Merlin, who brought it to his lips and started drinking like he'd been thirsty for years. He gulped almost half of the entire waterskin, before he finally took a breath and used some of the water to cool down his face. Then he handed it back to Arthur.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Arthur only nodded. Then he took a sip as well, finally standing up and putting the backpack on again. Merlin was in no condition to carry it around, especially when they didn't even know for how long they'd have to walk to reach the nearest village. Or what direction to go to find it.

"I don't know where we are," Merlin eventually said. He tried to stand up, but fell down again. Arthur immediately reached out his hand, which Merlin took with a slight hesitation. After Arthur pulled Merlin up, Merlin managed to stay standing and took a better look around. "We could be anywhere," he shrugged. His voice was still so weak. It seemed like he couldn't fully concentrate, but Arthur didn't blame him for that. Merlin was probably still in shock.

Arthur also couldn't help but think that Merlin would most probably have nightmares about tonight's events for a very, very long time.

"Well, how far can you travel like this?" Arthur asked.

Merlin only shrugged again and sniffled. Then he cleared his throat which sounded almost like a cough. "I've never done this before," he finally replied.

That made Arthur pause and frown. Merlin hadn't even said anything when he'd teleported them - there was no enchantment or spell, so how could he have known what he was doing? "How did you know what to do? I didn't even hear you say . . . anything strange."

Merlin didn't look him in the eyes as he answered. "Sometimes, it just happens . . . My magic is like that." He kept looking away from Arthur and at the horizon, but all they could see were hills and the setting sun.

Arthur's heart filled with a strange feeling - was it awe? Pride? He wasn't sure what it was, but knowing now that Merlin's magic was so strong that he could quite literally transport them who knew how far away from Camelot without even really thinking about it . . . Or maybe he was just really bad at controlling it, in which case it was a wonder he'd managed to survive for two years in Camelot at all. But Arthur had a feeling that it was the former.

Thinking about that, he wasn't surprised this kind of power made some people scared of Merlin. Arthur would never be scared though - after what had happened and how it felt to witness Merlin's magic, he knew that Merlin would never hurt him or use his magic against him.

He still needed answers though. To a lot of questions. And he could begin with the most important one for now - where the hell were they?

"Aren't those mountains?" Arthur noticed and pointed to his left. Merlin turned towards him and narrowed his eyes. Arthur glanced at him briefly and noticed that he was still drenched in sweat, but the cool breeze was helping with that.

"Maybe," Merlin nodded.

"Let's walk towards them so we're sure," Arthur suggested and started moving - thankfully, he knew all the mountains in Camelot. If they were even in the same kingdom . . .

Merlin followed him without a word.

They walked in silence, side by side, for nearly an hour. Merlin was clearly exhausted, but without a horse, they didn't have much of a choice. They had to continue to figure out where they were and where to go next. Hopefully, they were heading farther away from Camelot, towards some nice village with a tavern and a place where they could stay the night.

Merlin coughed sometimes and each of those times, Arthur looked at him in concern. Merlin didn't say anything though and kept moving, although Arthur could see how exhausted he was. They stopped a few times to rest and Arthur looked inside the backpack, to find one last apple and a bit of dried meat that he'd brought and Merlin had taken. He gave Merlin whatever he wanted and settled for the dried meat, but not all of it. They had to last longer and Merlin hadn't eaten anything in almost a day - he needed it more.

The sun was already almost gone. It was getting dark, but they were finally closer to the mountains and Arthur could identify them.

He nodded once he knew for sure where they were. "I know where we are," he told Merlin as he stopped. Merlin stopped walking as well, but didn't look up. He was trembling again and it made Arthur regret that he had hidden their blankets into the saddle back which stayed in Camelot. He could have used them to wrap Merlin in something. And he was already wearing all his spare tunics at once, half of which had been torn apart by Arthur as he was patching up Merlin's shoulder.

He looked quiet and sad, almost withdrawn. Guilty.

Arthur didn't like that look. But he had to ignore it for now. It wasn't only getting darker but colder as well and they needed to find some place to stay. Somewhere safer than here in the open air.

He pointed at the mountains - only their tips were now illuminated by the sun's last rays. "Mountains of Andor," he said. "According to the sun, we're heading South, which means that we have to follow the sun to reach the nearest village. Earlen. We might reach it in under two hours."

"Then let's go." That was all Merlin said.

They started walking again and Arthur really hoped that he was right and that they would make it to the village as soon as possible. They both needed sleep – and Merlin seemed to need it more than ever.

xoXÖXox

It took them just as long as Arthur had said to reach the village. By the time they arrived, it had already gotten dark and only the windows of some of the houses were providing light for them. The moon was unfortunately covered by dark clouds.

Merlin was shivering. He knew he was. He tried to hide it, but he knew that Arthur had noticed a long time ago. They couldn't do anything but keep moving though. Merlin couldn't wait until they found some place to sleep so he could forget about everything that's happened and put all of that behind him, in the past.

He had no intention of thinking about the execution. He had almost lost his life! If it hadn't been for Arthur, he would be dead now. But Arthur still cared about him, he'd proven that by saving him and still talking to him even though he knew what Merlin was capable of.

It made Merlin ashamed. Because Arthur still didn't know everything that he's done. And once they had the long-anticipated talk, Merlin was sure Arthur would stop talking to him completely. He would return to Camelot and claim that Merlin had enchanted him to free him of the fire.

What else could the prince do after hearing that Merlin was the reason Morgana disappeared? Or the one who set the great dragon free, enabling him to attack Camelot and kill innocent people?

"We're here," Arthur nudged his arm. Merlin knew he was slow, but he almost didn't have any strength left. He needed rest and safety. "I've been here only once with my father, when I was just a little boy," Arthur continued, "and if I remember correctly, there should be a tavern with rooms somewhere over there." He pointed to the right half of the village and smiled reassuringly at Merlin.

But smile was something that Merlin couldn't do right now. He wouldn't smile for a long time. He was alive, yes, but he felt as if everything was still falling apart, no matter how much Arthur tried to pretend he was fine at the moment - with who Merlin was and with all the lies and half-truths.

So Merlin only nodded and waited until Arthur started walking again. Then he followed him without another word. He wasn't in a mood to talk either and he was sure Arthur must have already noticed that.

Arthur only talked when they entered the tavern. There was a nice young lady, cleaning the tables and Arthur asked her for one room for the night - he didn't have money for more than that.

She took the money and led them to one of the empty rooms.

Once the door closed behind them and warmth enveloped them, Merlin sighed and sat down on the single bed. He'd either have to sleep on the floor or they'd have to share, it seemed - there was no way Arthur was letting Merlin sleep in the bed and choosing the floor for himself instead.

Merlin turned towards the warmth and opened his eyes. There, in the hearth, was – a fire.

Without thought, he reacted to the sight – jumping irrationally, he turned to face away from the flames, closing his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked, putting down the backpack. He sounded concerned, but that couldn't have been true - he'd already saved Merlin, now they were at the point in their relationship where they didn't even know if they could fix the relationship in the first place.

"Fine," Merlin spoke. He was surprised to find his voice so weak. Yet he still couldn't look into the flames.

Arthur looked at the fire and then back to Merlin and pursed his lips, nodding. Then he sat on the bed next to Merlin, blocking his view of the fireplace with his broad shoulders. Merlin was grateful for that. He didn't even know if he could make fire with magic or think about fire for the rest of his life.

"Merlin, you're shaking," he heard Arthur say after a moment. Was he shaking? He didn't feel cold anymore. Was it because of the fire? He looked at his hands that were very visibly trembling, but he couldn't control it. He couldn't- he couldn't- "Look at me," he heard Arthur say. His voice sounded so warm.

Merlin slowly raised his head and then finally, their eyes met. Merlin felt like he could get lost in that blue, but he didn't dare because of what had happened. So he dropped his gaze and looked at Arthur's chest instead.

"I'm really sorry, about everything that's happened," Arthur told him. His voice was calm and gentle. As if Merlin was about to break at any moment. And maybe he was. Clearly, he wasn't fine at all.

"I'm sorry, too," Merlin nodded. "About everything I did and . . . Everything I haven't told you yet and about everything that you know so far."

"We'll talk about that," Arthur nodded, "but now we need some rest." Arthur touched his forearm lightly, but Merlin moved his hand away. Then it happened. The hem of Merlin's sleeve rode up and Arthur had a clear view of the wounds caused by the handcuffs. "Merlin," he frowned at him. He reached out his hand again and took Merlin's fingers carefully - Merlin didn't move away this time. "Is it from the handcuffs?" Merlin nodded slightly. Arthur was silent for a while – when he spoke again, he sounded forcibly calm. "Let me clean it."

Merlin wasn't sure if he should let Arthur do that. He'd already treated his wound from the bandits and then he had saved him from an execution, going against his own father. Wasn't that already enough?

He looked up into Arthur's eyes again, but according to that look on Arthur's face, there was no room for arguing. And so Merlin nodded. "Thank you," he added quietly.

They stood up and Arthur led Merlin to the table, where they sat down opposite each other. There was a little basin and a tankard filled with water next to it. Merlin rolled up his sleeves and aligned his wrists above the basin, letting Arthur do the rest.

Arthur took the tankard and gently poured the water over Merlin's wrists, using his fingers to get rid of the dried blood from the scratches. Of course, he had washed his hands before that to not cause any infection. Kaunos certainly didn't waste any money on the handcuffs' smooth surface - all he cared about were the strange symbols that had locked away Merlin's magic.

Merlin shuddered as he felt Arthur's careful fingers brush his skin. He didn't know if he should keep staring at his hands, or at Arthur or at the floor - he settled on his hands. He watched as Arthur washed his wrists clean, muttering a quiet apology when Merlin winced slightly.

But then he noticed exactly what Merlin feared he'd notice. "These don't look like mere scratches at all," Arthur frowned, leaning down to study Merlin's wrists. He'd surely noticed the strange colour of the skin around Merlin's wrists – it wasn't exactly bruised. Merlin knew exactly what it was – a mark that had remained on his wrists after the usage of the handcuffs on as powerful a creature of magic as he was.

"What did they do to you?" Arthur asked, looking at Merlin.

Merlin let their eyes meet for a second – a moment later, he dropped his gaze again, looking back down at the table. "It was just the handcuffs," he shrugged. But then he decided that enough was enough – too many lies already existed between him and Arthur. He wouldn't lie to Arthur again; he desperately needed to win his trust back - he'd never forgive himself if he ruined the possibility of a future between them. So he sighed and swallowed. "They were designed for sorcerers," Merlin added slowly, "not for . . . not for me."

Arthur's frown even deepened. "What do you mean?"

"Kaunos and your father both said that I not only have magic, but I am magic," Merlin sighed. He had hoped they could talk about this sometime else, but apparently not. "They were right."

"What do you mean? How- how is that even possible?"

"I was born with my magic," Merlin looked up at him. Their fingers were still touching in the cool water. "And for most of my childhood, I had no way of controlling it. It did what it wanted to whenever I became too excited or too sad. I could move things even before I could talk . . . That's why my mother sent me to Camelot," said Merlin, nodding decisively. "So I could learn to control it with Gaius' help."

"But Camelot kills sorcerers on sight," Arthur shook his head. "You could have died, so many times-"

"I wanted to stay," Merlin just shrugged. "I met you and realized that I needed to stay and protect you."

Arthur rolled his eyes at that.

"It's true, you have no idea how many times I've saved your life."

"Alright, let's say that's true," Arthur said as he took Merlin's wrists again and gently examined the wounds. "It still doesn't change the fact that you lied to me again and pretended like these handcuffs weren't hurting you."

Merlin pursed his lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to worry."

Arthur didn't say anything for a moment. He must have noticed how tired Merlin looked – after a moment's reluctance, he removed Merlin's hands from the water basin and wrapped them in a clean cloth that he'd found underneath.

"Just don't lie to me again," he sighed. Then he paused and looked at Merlin, still holding his hands. "Promise?"

Merlin nodded without hesitation. "Promise."

"Alright," Arthur nodded. He looked at Merlin again and then his eyes settled on his shoulder. "I should change your bandage on your shoulder too." He stood up and rounded the little table to get closer to Merlin and help him take off his neckerchief and jacket, careful not to loosen the bandages on his wrists that he had made for him. Arthur then also helped Merlin out of his tunics, and Merlin didn't argue. He didn't want to argue about anything anymore - he was too tired.

He felt Arthur's eyes on his chest and his scars again, and he hid his blush and embarrassment by looking down on the floor.

"Why didn't you use your magic to heal your arm?" Arthur voiced the question that had been on his mind probably ever since he'd woken up to the sight of Merlin's golden eyes.

Merlin shrugged carefully. "Your wound was more serious - I wanted to try to heal it first and make sure it wasn't infected."

Arthur was silent for a while as he removed the old bandage from Merlin's shoulder. Merlin winced slightly, but Arthur was really trying to be gentle. It was almost uncharacteristic of him.

"Can you heal yourself now?"

Merlin just shook his head. "Healing spells are hard," he answered quietly. "I doubt it would work right now. Besides, it's not that serious."

Arthur nodded and turned around to wash his hands again, picking up a tankard filled with clean water. Then he poured a little bit on Merlin's wound - it needed to be cleaned again, apparently - and he set the tankard down again.

"You did move us half across the kingdom, Merlin. You're powerful," he commented.

Merlin pursed his lips slightly but didn't say anything. Neither did Arthur. He dried Merlin's shoulder wound – it was really just a big scratch, after all - and wrapped it in another clean cloth. Then he helped Merlin into another tunic - only the one he wore on top. The other one was drenched in sweat; at least the top one was a little cleaner. He couldn't stay bare during the night because it was still cold.

When the process was complete, Arthur stepped away from him and washed his hands again. Merlin remained sitting, staring between the bed and the empty floor next to it. Which will it be tonight? Bed? Or the floor?

"We should really get some rest – I'm sure you really need it." Arthur said, agreeing with what Merlin had just been thinking. He looked at the fire and then at Merlin and the bed. Then he sighed again. "If you want to take the bed, I'll let you. You almost died."

We almost died, Merlin wanted to correct him, but he was too tired for that.

Normally, Merlin would probably argue with Arthur and say that he could sleep on the floor. Today, though, he was so tired that he couldn't think about anything other than the soft blanket and pillow on the bed in front of him. That, and also - he didn't want to sleep on the floor and have to get close to the fireplace. Arthur must have known that, which was why he offered him the bed.

Too bad they didn't have enough money for a better room.

"I'll take the bed," Merlin stated as he slowly stood up and made his way towards it. He sat down on the bed and turned to look at the prince again. Arthur had been watching him steadily – but as their eyes met he turned away, starting to work on removing all of his armour. As Merlin watched him, the guilty feeling in his gut intensified; here he was, unable to help Arthur take off all of the metal plates and chainmail because he was suddenly afraid of fire. He felt even more guilty when he looked at the fresh bandages on his wrists and his shoulder. Arthur has done so much for him and continued to do so, even though Merlin didn't deserve it.

But soon . . . Arthur would know that too.

Merlin sighed quietly and looked away from Arthur, covering himself with the thick blanket up to his ears. He wanted to hide from the cruel world and be only in the presence of Arthur. He'd wanted to do that many times before, but this time that feeling was much stronger. At the same time, he did understand – Arthur wouldn't even share the bed with him.

Their relationship was broken; Merlin was sure of it. And it was all his fault.

So he closed his eyes and tried to forget about everything. Maybe he'd be lucky enough to not dream at all because if he had a dream, it would surely be a nightmare about the heat and fire and panic.

He heard Arthur open the door and leave their room and then return later with an extra blanket and a pillow. After that, Merlin closed his eyes and finally succumbed to the darkness and well-deserved oblivion.

xoXÖXox

Arthur hadn't thought about how traumatic of an experience the execution must have been for Merlin until he was woken in the middle of the night to Merlin's heavy breathing, mumbling and occasional scream.

He was lying on the ground next to the fireplace. He didn't dream of anything that night, but he feared that the sight of Merlin in the next moment might give him nightmares of his own. At first when he regained consciousness, he didn't realize what was happening - but as soon as he heard Merlin's first troubled moan, Arthur's eyes snapped open and he stood up, running to the bed.

Merlin was tossing and turning, the blanket forgotten on the floor. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and his eyes were closed, but constantly moving under his eyelids.

"No," Merlin said in his sleep. "Uhm no, no-" He was still trapped in his dream - in the nightmare.

Arthur reached out his hand and shook Merlin's uninjured shoulder. It didn't help; Merlin still tossed and turned and frowned and kept mumbling something about how much it hurt. Arthur couldn't watch that any longer. He got up on the bed next to Merlin and grabbed Merlin's head, shaking him awake.

Merlin's eyes opened wide and he quickly sat up, grabbing Arthur's hands in the process, looking as if he was trying to defend himself. Then his eyes landed on Arthur and he frowned. Confusion settled on his face for a fraction of a second, but then it was gone and he let out a breath, letting go of Arthur's hands and grabbing his head.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled as he looked down at the bed between them.

"It's okay, it was only a nightmare," Arthur said, gently touching his shoulder again. "You're safe now," he added, just to let Merlin know that it was true. There was no danger anymore and no way for Kaunos to find them. And Arthur would keep running away with Merlin if he had to, which was where he feared this entire situation was leading to.

Merlin only nodded, but Arthur could see that he was holding back tears. Then he nodded again and swallowed, but he did not use Arthur's offer of comfort. Instead he moved and let Arthur's hand loosely fall off his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "You should go back to sleep, Arthur."

Arthur opened his mouth to say something, anything, but then he closed it again. What was there to say? Merlin had betrayed him and left him, but then he almost died and now he was living with the consequences, having nightmares about everything that Uther had done to him. Arthur didn't feel anger towards Merlin in that moment, only sympathy. And even though he wanted to help Merlin, obviously, Merlin didn't want him to. Maybe he felt more guilty than Arthur had thought.

"Okay," Arthur nodded as he slowly, hesitantly, left the bed again. As he stood there, Merlin kept sitting and holding his head, shaking slightly. "Just make sure you get some sleep too, surely the nightmare won't come again," he told him. Merlin only nodded slowly.

A long moment later, Merlin lowered his hands from his head, taking a deep breath – and then, he lay down on the bed again. Arthur pursed his lips and picked up the blanket, throwing it gently over Merlin to keep him warm.

He knew well that Merlin didn't want to be close to the fireplace thanks to his reaction to it before. And it was understandable. Arthur only hoped that he'd get over it with time and that . . . That their entire relationship could be fixed. He'd told Merlin he didn't know if it could be, but he wished for nothing more than to go back to how things were before.

And he knew that Merlin wanted that, too. Arthur touched his arm - exactly where his injury had been before Merlin healed it. He knew that Merlin cared about him - perhaps not in the way that Arthur wanted him to, but he did. They used to be friends. And hopefully, they could be friends again. But first, they both had to get over whatever it was that split them apart and almost made them strangers.

After that, and after they'd somehow get rid of Kaunos and clean Merlin's name . . . Arthur hoped for more than merely a friendship.

xoXÖXox

Uther could not believe what had happened, what he had seen with his own two and healthy eyes. It must have been the work of the sorcerer, somehow he must have broken free of the handcuffs' hold or . . . Or he had enchanted Arthur before they'd even caught and imprisoned him. Yes, that was the only possible explanation. His son would never have helped that evil sorcerer who had been hiding in their midst, betraying their trust for over two years.

The king closed his eyes briefly as he paced the throne room and then he opened them again. He hadn't come up with anything else than that. And he'd already called for Sir Leon so he could send out a searching party to look for his son and the sorcerer. He knew it would be far more dangerous this time, he had been enchanted by a very powerful sorcerer, but there had to be a way to break that evil spell. To undo Emrys' doing.

The door to the throne room opened and Uther sighed. Finally. He turned to immediately give orders to Sir Leon, but instead he came face to face with his own witchfinder.

"Kaunos," he gritted out through his teeth. He knew he shouldn't blame him, but he couldn't help but only feel anger right now. "Where is Sir Leon?"

"I'm sure he'll be here in a moment, my lord," Kaunos bowed to him. "But I come here with a proposal."

Uther frowned at him. "What are you suggesting?"

"An idea," Kaunos nodded and moved a few steps closer to his king. Then his expression changed and he seemed determined. "My lord, I know more about Emrys than anyone else, I've been studying the books that have been written about him and I believe I have the things needed to stop him."

Uther stopped pacing for a moment and nodded. "Then leave with Sir Leon and his group of knights."

"My lord," Kaunos stepped closer again. "I think it would be better if I went alone," Uther frowned at that, but let him continue. "None of the knights have the knowledge like I do. They would only slow me down. All I need is a horse and your permission." He bowed again.

"Do you suggest I stop looking for my son?"

"No, of course not," Kaunos hurriedly assured him. "Wherever Emrys is, I'm certain that the prince is there with him. I can find them both, faster than your knights. I've been preparing to hunt Emrys down for years, and now that I finally know who he is, it should be even easier."

Uther narrowed his eyes but nodded slightly to show that he was thinking about the idea. Then he opened his mouth and after a short moment, he nodded again and said, "Do you also have what is needed to free my son of the enchantment that's befallen him?"

Kaunos frowned slightly but immediately nodded to hide that. "Of course," he said, "I'll bring the prince safely home and kill that sorcerer myself."

Uther nodded again and finally sat down on his throne. "Very well then," he told Kaunos. "I'll let you go after them first . . . But my knights will follow, you'll only get a short head start."

"Thank you, my lord," Kaunos bowed and turned around.

Uther stopped him though, "Kaunos!"

The witchfinder turned back to his king and looked up at him.

"Bring- . . . Bring my son home."

"I will," Kaunos nodded one last time, before he once more turned around and left the throne room.

Uther closed his eyes again and was glad that he'd sent his guards away from the room. He needed a bit of silence so that he could think.

Arthur was gone together with a dangerous sorcerer and his daughter was gone together with a powerful sorceress as well. Uther had no idea where his life had gone wrong like that. All he's ever wanted was to rule this kingdom and her people and free them of the evil of magic.

But magic has always and will always find its way back, striking where it hurt the most.

His heart.

xoXÖXox

Arthur didn't usually wake up early, he's always needed Merlin for that. Which was why he woke up later than usual today. When he finally rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, yawned and sat up, he noticed that Merlin was still in the bed, his back slowly moving up and down.

At least he was still asleep. Arthur never wanted to see Merlin so restless in the night again, his dreams poisoned by nightmares. He'd feared Merlin wouldn't fall asleep again, but now that he was sure Merlin had, Arthur tried to be as silent as possible.

He stood up and washed his face in clean water and then left their room, leaving Merlin behind alone. He went down to the tavern, ordered a breakfast and once he got his food, he went back up the stairs, quietly opening the door to their room. He wanted to keep the remnants of their dried meat for later, should they need it. It was the only food they had left after all.

Arthur sighed quietly and closed the door again. Yes, sleeping on the floor was rather uncomfortable, but it was all worth it when he saw Merlin's peaceful expression. He hasn't seen that in the last few days. He didn't see that often at all, but ever since Kaunos arrived and everything went wrong, it was almost impossible to see Merlin like this.

He placed the breakfast on the table, next to the basin with water. He managed to get two pieces of bread, two apples, two goblets for the water that they already had in their room and some ham. It wasn't much, but it was enough to last them until lunch at least. Then Arthur would need to buy more food - supplies for later. They had to leave the tavern after all, Arthur didn't have enough money for more than one night.

Merlin stirred slightly in his sleep and Arthur straightened himself up. He turned away towards the table, so it didn't seem like he was just standing there and staring at Merlin as he slept. But there was no chair, so he just stood there with his back to Merlin.

Then he heard Merlin finally move in the bed and yawn.

"Rise and shine, right?" Arthur smiled slightly as he glanced at Merlin. He took a bite of his piece of bread and chewed it in his mouth. Merlin didn't answer him.

It was true that their relationship was very fragile right now, but Arthur couldn't ignore how he felt as he ran towards the burning pyre. The desperation and overwhelming fear of losing the one person he's come to care about the most . . . The mere thought was terrifying. And the memory of it almost happening was still so fresh. It happened just the day before, a few hours ago.

He finally turned to Merlin and gave him another smile. But instead of smiling back, Arthur noticed that Merlin's eyes flashed gold briefly. Arthur frowned and took a step back without even thinking about it, but the gold was gone in a second. Merlin then closed his eyes.

When Arthur looked around to see what Merlin just did, he saw that the fire in the fireplace was now gone.

Oh.

He knew why Merlin did that. Especially after that nightmare. It still made him feel uneasy to see him do magic though. He couldn't ignore that either.

"I brought you breakfast," Arthur cleared his throat as he handed Merlin his food.

"Thanks," Merlin nodded, still in bed. He seemed a bit distant. And Arthur tried to be understanding, but he also burned with desire for all the answers that Merlin had for his questions. But he told himself to wait until Merlin was better. His health was more important, both physical and mental.

They ate their breakfast in silence. Arthur sat down on a bench near the wall and Merlin stayed in bed, finishing his apple, bread and ham faster than Arthur had anticipated. When Arthur looked at his friend and saw that he looked better, he couldn't help but long even more for all the answers.

Why did Kaunos call him Emrys?

What did it mean that he was the most powerful sorcerer?

How did he even become that in the first place?

It was almost like Merlin was this completely different person. A familiar stranger, but a stranger nonetheless.

Arthur swallowed and looked at Merlin, narrowing his eyes. "We'll need to leave today," he said instead of asking any of those questions. "I don't have much money left and unfortunately, it's not enough to pay for another night here. We'll have to-"

"We can't go to Ealdor," Merlin interrupted him, as if knowing Arthur would suggest exactly that. "My mother's there, I can't risk losing her too."

Arthur frowned at that. It seemed almost like Merlin thought that he'd lost Arthur. Which Arthur himself wasn't entirely sure was true, but for the sake of their future, he hoped that Merlin talked about his life in Camelot.

Which was why he nodded. "We'll have to find a different village then, far away from here where no one will know us."

Merlin was already shaking his head. What now? "I can't let you do that," he said.

"What do you mean? I'm the prince here, Merlin."

"Exactly," Merlin looked him in the eyes and frowned slightly. Arthur didn't understand why there were tears in his eyes. "You're the future king, Arthur, you have to return to Camelot. I can't just keep dragging you with me wherever I go."

"I won't return to Camelot until-" Arthur paused and then decided to say it anyways to at least show Merlin his support, "until you're safe there."

Merlin didn't look away from his eyes, but Arthur could clearly see pain in them and regret. "Then you'll live in exile."

"So be it," Arthur argued. "At least I won't be alone."

As soon as he said that, Merlin finally looked down with a sheepish blush on his cheeks. There was no smile though, he only closed his eyes briefly.

"Don't blame yourself for this," Arthur added. He could see that well in Merlin's entire body language, "I will become the king one day. And it's not your fault that my father asked Kaunos to come. You couldn't have stopped it."

"I should have looked under the bed though," Merlin told him with a sigh. With his head still down, he wiped his cheeks with his sleeve and swallowed. "That's where Kaunos found the staff. If he hadn't found that, our lives would still be normal. We wouldn't have to run and almost die." He winced slightly as he said that.

"People make mistakes, Merlin," Arthur told him. "And so do you, I've always been telling you this," he tried to joke slightly, but it provoked no reaction in Merlin whatsoever.

Perhaps Merlin was more broken after the fire than Arthur had thought.

"I just wish none of this happened," Merlin mumbled. He brought his legs closer to his body and rested his chin on his knees, looking down at the bed. "I wish I could somehow take back everything that's happened. I wish Kaunos had never arrived in Camelot."

Arthur nodded at that. "If only we could turn back time."

In that moment, Merlin's head snapped up and he looked at Arthur with his eyes wide. "What if we could?" he asked, for the first time in a long time, his eyes filled with new-found hope.

"What do you mean?"

"What if there's a spell that would allow us to take everything back. All of it," he looked at Arthur as he explained. "Kaunos would never find out I have magic, I'd never have to leave Camelot and then be imprisoned, and you'd never-"

Arthur understood now.

"And I'd never find out about your magic?" he asked, still slightly hoping that Merlin didn't want to say that. He didn't want to endlessly live in a circle of lies.

Merlin pursed his lips. "I'd tell you," he looked at Arthur.

"Would you? You hadn't told me until I found out on my own. Even after I'd repeatedly asked, you refused to tell me, so what makes you think you'd tell me now?" Arthur didn't want to get angry, but that anger and betrayal was still deep inside him and he could feel those two feelings rising to the surface.

If Merlin ever looked apologetic, it was nothing compared to this. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he apologised again. "I promise I'll tell you everything you want to know. From now on."

"Alright," Arthur nodded, accepting that. He hoped Merlin didn't lie now, but if he ever felt uncomfortable answering, Arthur wouldn't force that on him. But he felt like this was the perfect time for his questions. Or at least some of them. "Why are you called Emrys?"

Merlin just shrugged. "All I know is that that's what the druids call me. There's a prophecy connected to it, saying that I'm the most powerful sorcerer to ever live. Which is why it's such a bad thing that Kaunos knows this about me."

Arthur nodded, and then he frowned. It sounded ridiculous to him. Merlin? The most powerful sorcerer to ever live? Merlin? Was that a joke? But he's already heard Kaunos and his father say something similar. Therefore, Arthur tried his best to accept it as the truth. Merlin seemed like he believed the druids believed it was truly him, so Arthur just went with it and asked another question. "And what did Kaunos mean when he said that you were magic itself?" That was another puzzle that Arthur had no hope of solving.

"That's what I've been told," Merlin answered, seemingly truthfully. "Magic is a fabric of this world and I was born of that magic. What that means, I still don't know."

"But you're powerful."

Merlin nodded.

"What can you do?" he asked curiously. He'd never thought about magic like that - like a power that he wanted to know more about, know its limits. It's always been a dangerous thing to talk about, especially in Camelot. But knowing that Merlin had these abilities . . . It made him want to know what Merlin was even capable of.

"I'm not experienced enough yet," Merlin said. "I don't know. I've been trying to learn some magic, memorize spells, but they don't always work out and I need training." Without letting Arthur ask another question, Merlin changed the subject again. But Arthur didn't mind - for now. With every word he seemed more like the old Merlin. "But I've never heard of a time travelling spell. Or of a spell that could change the reality or change the past . . . "

"So that's our plan then. To find out," Arthur clapped his hands as he stood up.

Merlin nodded. "It's the only option," he looked up at Arthur again, with a frown on his face. "I can't just leave Camelot with you like this, you need to become a king. You're destined to be the greatest king Camelot has ever seen." He smiled up at him, even though Arthur frowned.

"Is that a part of that prophecy?" he joked, but Merlin didn't smile.

Instead, he nodded.

"What?"

"Believe me, I was surprised at first too, but this seems to be the truth," he said as he let go of his legs and sat on the edge of the bed. "And since there's only one person I know that could have the answer to our problem-"

"Wait, I'm in a prophecy?" Arthur just couldn't let go of that idea. "What does it say about me?"

But Merlin just closed his eyes. "Exactly what I told you, that you'll become a great king," he said. Then he added, "And that with my help, you'll unite the lands of Albion and bring peace and magic back."

Arthur kept staring at Merlin, too many thoughts swirling through his head. "And you never thought you'd tell me? Or even mention it?"

"Don't start again," Merlin stood up and walked past Arthur for his belongings that he'd found in the corner of the room. "Now, we'll need to find a meadow," Merlin paused and looked at Arthur worriedly, "and you'll find out something about me that you won't like."

Arthur ignored him. "I want to know more about the prophecy!"

Merlin just took Arthur's padded jacket and threw it at him.

Then he left the room.

xoXÖXox

They didn't have horses. In fact, they barely had anything - only what Arthur was carrying as he ran into the fire to save Merlin. Which was only a handful of coins (thankfully enough for one night in the tavern and some supplies to last them a couple of days), Merlin's backpack which contained his clothes, spell book and the little wooden dragon, and his sword. And that was about it.

Merlin took his backpack and walked out of their room first. He hurried down the stairs and didn't stop until he was on the edge of the village, where the last houses and the forest met. There, he waited for Arthur.

He didn't want to talk to anyone. He didn't want anyone to see him. Who knew what Uther had told his people after the unsuccessful execution? What if someone noticed him now and later would tell the knights? Words travel fast, but if anyone here memorizes his face that's even more dangerous. That was why Merlin had to leave that place as soon as he could.

But that wouldn't be easy. Especially with no horse.

"Merlin!" he finally heard his prince from the distance. It took him almost five minutes to leave the tavern, and Merlin constantly felt like they needed to hurry now that he actually had a plan. He adjusted the strap of his backpack on his uninjured shoulder and waited until Arthur reached him.

"Don't call my name like that," he whispered as he grabbed his hand and dragged him into the forest, farther away from the village. Then he let go of his hand almost immediately. "People might hear you."

Arthur sighed. "Merlin, you can't just run away in the middle of the conversation like that."

"I don't see a reason why I can't," Merlin shrugged as he started walking away. He had a feeling that this trip would be a very long one, with a lot of talking, explaining and apologizing.

He wasn't looking forward to that.

"Because I'm the prince," Arthur replied. Of course he'd say that.

"Unless we find the person I want to talk to, find the spell, successfully travel back in time and change everything that went wrong, then you won't return to Camelot and continue your life as a prince. You're too stubborn to leave," he told him. Arthur was too stubborn to leave him.

And Merlin knew that Arthur still cared about him. Because why else would he have saved his life? Why would he have run into the fire for him like that? Arthur did act more gentle around him ever since that happened, but still . . . Whenever Merlin looked at him, whenever he talked to him, there was this . . . invisible barrier in between them. They lived in two separate worlds now, and Arthur was trying to understand his. The only thing Merlin didn't know was whether or not Arthur would be able to understand and forgive everything that Merlin had done - willingly or under duress. So many difficult decisions . . . His past was filled with them.

"I've never thought I'd hear you say something like that, and I've heard you say almost too many ridiculous things over the years," Arthur sighed.

Merlin decided that silence would be the best answer to that.

But he knew there were still questions that Arthur wanted to ask and he'd ask them soon. Once they were completely alone in the forest and before they found a meadow.

And he was right. The silence didn't even last three minutes before Arthur spoke again.

"So about the prophecy . . . Where have you heard about it?"

"It was right after I arrived at Camelot, even before I became your servant," Merlin answered. He neglected to mention the fact that the one who told him was the Great Dragon himself. The dragon they were now going to meet, despite Merlin's hidden hesitation and slight fear.

"So is there another sorcerer living in Camelot?" Arthur continued asking. "Or was it Gaius?"

Merlin shook his head. "No. It was . . . someone else."

"Do I know him?"

Merlin raised his eyebrows at that. "You met him once or twice," he answered honestly. He didn't know how else to avoid revealing the dragon's identity to Arthur, and he knew that he couldn't. But he feared Arthur's reaction.

He also feared the dragon's reaction. The last time he saw him, he had to threaten to kill him. There were times when he had considered Kilgharrah . . . almost his friend. He was always full of riddles and he could also be very, very selfish, but he was the only one wise enough to help Merlin with some of the troubles that he'd encountered in Camelot while trying to save Arthur or the entire kingdom.

And then when Merlin let him go and he attacked . . . It made Merlin feel so guilty. Because how could he not have expected it? The dragon had been imprisoned by Uther for twenty whole years, even the nicest person in the world wouldn't be happy about that. Certainly not Kilgharrah. But everything that's happened in the days after that . . . Merlin blamed himself for all of it. He blamed himself for what he did to Morgana, for all the innocent people in Camelot that died, for his father's death . . . It all could have been avoided.

But now he was the last Dragonlord and he had to accept that. He had spoken to Kilgharrah as kin and commanded him to never attack Camelot ever again. Deep down, Merlin hoped that Kilgharrah and he shared their goal - for magic to be free again in Camelot. Kilgharrah was the one who told Merlin about the prophecy after all.

Yes, Merlin was angry with him, and he was scared to face him again after what he had to go through to stop him. He also feared that the dragon would be bitter and refuse to help him now.

Who'd ever heard of a time travelling spell after all?

But Kilgharrah never wanted to kill him or Arthur . . . or did he? He was Merlin's only chance of ever having his old life back. If he ever had to talk to the dragon again or use his Dragonlord powers, it had to be now. If not for him, then for Arthur. He had to become a king.

And he deserved to know the whole truth.

Merlin sighed and stopped walking, turning to the prince. He looked into his eyes and said, "Arthur, you're not going to like this at all, I don't like it either, but-" He opened his mouth, but couldn't bring himself to say it.

Would Arthur hate him more? Did he even hate him? He's been so nice to him ever since . . . they almost died. He helped him wake up during the nightmare that Merlin refused to think about again. He washed his hands and patched up all his injuries. He even let him sleep in the bed and slept on the floor himself.

They kept looking into each other's eyes, Merlin thinking about everything about this moment and how his next words were going to change it forever. Arthur only raised his eyebrows, waiting for his answer. "Well?"

Merlin closed his eyes briefly and then took a deep breath. "What I'm going to tell you now might change everything you think about me and you might actually leave me and return to Camelot."

Arthur shook his head and crossed his arms on his chest. "I doubt that."

It didn't make Merlin feel better though. "The person who told me about the prophecy . . . was . . . the dragon."

Arthur's eyes widened and his arms dropped down. Then he frowned again and took a tiny step back. Merlin watched all of that in silence and regret and in fear.

Finally, Arthur spoke, "What?"

"I'm sorry!" Merlin hurriedly added. "We're about to meet him today."

"He's-" Arthur swallowed as he closed his eyes and grabbed his head. "You're telling me that he's not dead?"

Merlin only pursed his lips.

"Oh my god," Arthur gritted his teeth as he looked at Merlin in disbelief. "Merlin, I can't believe . . . Dragons can talk? And how did he escape the castle? Did you let him out? Why did he stop attacking Camelot?" Merlin was silent, but Arthur wouldn't have that. He frowned at him as he yelled, "Tell me!"

Merlin felt tears prickle in his eyes. He nodded. "I let him out. And I was the one to cast him away."

"How the hell would you be able to do that?"

"I'm the last Dragonlord," Merlin merely shrugged, his voice weak.

Arthur frowned at him in confusion and then he closed his eyes. Merlin couldn't even try to guess what he was thinking about. Probably about all those people Kilgharrah had murdered the night he attacked. The people that had kept Merlin awake for weeks, the guilt eating him day and night.

"I can't believe you've never told me," Arthur laughed humorlessly as he looked at Merlin.

"We haven't exactly had the time to talk yet."

Arthur seemed like he had a hard time processing this. He turned on the spot and raised his voice, "I should have-" but then he stopped himself and just looked at Merlin.

"What? You should have let me- let me burn?" Merlin couldn't help but say that. Talking about it wasn't easy though. And judging by Arthur's reaction, they wouldn't talk again anyway.

Arthur now stared at him in disbelief though. "No," he shook his head. His voice was completely different, there was no anger behind it and Merlin couldn't quite believe it. "I could never let you die, Merlin. You should know that."

Merlin just shook his head. He felt the tears on his cheeks now. "I don't know what to think anymore. I've disappointed you so much already and you're still here. You left Camelot."

Arthur pursed his lips. It looked like there was something he wanted to say, desperately so, but there was also something stopping him. Maybe the recent revelations about Merlin's deeds.

"I'm angry, that's true," Arthur eventually told him. "But you're still my friend," he paused for a second and then his eyes met Merlin's. "Dare I say best friend. However unfortunate that seems to be sometimes."

Merlin took a shaky breath, but he couldn't smile. Not when there was still so much more Arthur didn't know about him. And if Arthur still wanted to stay with him now . . . What was the worst thing that Merlin could do that Arthur would never forgive him? Was there even such thing? Was there a limit? A line that if Merlin crossed, Arthur would say goodbye to him forever?

"I consider you my best friend as well, Arthur," he finally replied, no matter how broken that friendship was now.

Arthur nodded and patted his healthy shoulder. "Let's go then," he turned Merlin to the direction they had been heading and let his hand drop again. "I guess you have more to say."

"I do," Merlin nodded.

"Then start from the beginning. I need answers."

Merlin knew that. And it was easy to say start from the beginning like that, but so much harder to actually do it. Because where was Merlin supposed to start? Where was the beginning? What should he talk about about first?

"As I already told you . . . I never felt like I belonged in Ealdor," he finally started after a little pause. "I was different. And only my best friend Will found out why."

"Was he also a sorcerer?"

Merlin would never forget about the sacrifice Will had made for him and his future, in which he hadn't even truly believed at first. "No," Merlin answered with a heavy sigh.

Arthur only nodded.

Then, as Merlin was about to continue, Arthur spoke up first. "I'm sorry," he said. It sounded like he meant it. Merlin knew he did, he remembered how quiet Arthur was right after Will died. He had respected Merlin's grief before and he'd respect it now. Some people were worth his tears.

"It was a long time ago," Merlin avoided further discussion of the unpleasant memories. It wasn't that long ago though, it's only been about two years. He'd managed to do many more regretful things after that. He'd lived through similarly painful events and sometimes it was just easier to say that it happened a long time ago instead of giving in to the grief and opening the old wounds.

"Before that, my mother had sent me to Camelot to live with Gaius," Merlin continued with the story. "With his help, I was supposed to learn how to control my magic. It was hard most of the time because my magic would react instinctively sometimes . . . Like Gaius had told me."

"Honestly, Merlin, the biggest question here is how on Earth did no one ever notice you were even stranger than you were letting on."

"You're one of the people who never noticed, you know that, right?" Merlin replied with another question. When he glanced at the prince - for the first time since they started walking again, Arthur was looking at the ground and he rolled his eyes.

"I always knew there was . . . something about you. I just-"

"Couldn't quite put your finger on it?" Merlin smiled briefly. He remembered what Arthur had told him when they fought together on the market in the Lower Town. It was one of the first times he'd come close to being discovered as a sorcerer, almost caught red-handed because he'd had to fight with magic to even have a chance to defend himself. He hadn't feared Arthur until that moment, that very sentence. But once he became his servant, his fear started diminishing.

And look at him now. Talking to Arthur about all of this with almost no fear towards him, but so many hidden fears inside.

"Exactly," Arthur said. "But where does the dragon come in?"

Arthur was impatient and grumpy. Merlin knew that. And unfortunately he couldn't see the end of the forest anywhere and not even a hint of a meadow. This would be a long conversation.

But honestly, Merlin was a bit surprised at how curious rather than angry Arthur sounded. But this was the part of the story where his fear of Arthur's reaction returned. "Soon after that," he said, "he . . . spoke to me. In the night. He called my name and I heard him in my head. I didn't know who or what it was at the time, but-"

"And the best idea you came up with was to go straight to where that voice was supposed to be?"

"Yeah," Merlin confirmed Arthur's correct assumption. He knew Merlin after all. And most of Merlin's ideas and plans sounded outright insane, Merlin knew that. For him though, they often worked out in the end.

"Not what I'd have done," Arthur raised his eyebrows and sighed.

Merlin frowned at that. "What would you have done then?"

Arthur shrugged. "Firstly, I'd go to Gaius to tell him I was hearing voices in my head. That doesn't sound normal at all."

Merlin raised his eyebrow as well, folding his arms on his chest sort of awkwardly. The tiniest hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Arthur defended himself and sped up to walk beside Merlin. Up until that point, he was slightly behind, letting Merlin take the lead, even though neither of them really knew where they were going.

"Well, it's to do with magic . . . And you're still learning," Merlin smirked.

"I know enough to understand."

"Let yourself believe that," Merlin was now truly smiling. It was almost surreal given their current situation and the conversation topic, but here they were, just like always, almost bantering.

Merlin had wished they could go back to that. To the past Merlin and Arthur that were both happy and smiling at each other, hiding their glances. Merlin was sure Arthur had caught him staring at his backside at least once. But that was all in the past, and now it was only a wish that Merlin held close to his heart. Could his wish actually come true?

"Merlin," Arthur warned. Merlin could hear the little smile in his voice. But soon it was gone as Arthur cleared his throat and looked away from Merlin at the far away trees. "What about that dragon then?"

Merlin nodded. "When I followed his voice, I found myself beneath the castle, in the caves. He was just sitting there on a huge piece of rock, repeating my name until I came to him."

"Why would he do that?"

Merlin shrugged, wincing slightly when he felt his injured shoulder again. He adjusted the straps of his backpack and continued. "I don't know, he might have somehow sensed I was in Camelot. He's a creature of magic, he might have felt there was someone like him in the castle."

"A creature of magic?" Arthur asked. Yes, it sounded insane to say such a thing about a person and not some magical beast, but that's what Merlin has learned about himself so far. He was born of magic.

"Yes." Merlin nodded. "Sometimes, when someone uses very strong magic close to me, I can feel it too."

Arthur looked at Merlin in that moment, looking even more puzzled. "You can?"

Merlin nodded. He himself didn't really understand that, so he decided to continue talking about Kilgharrah. They were supposed to meet him after all, if only they could find a meadow far enough from the village.

"When I finally found him under the castle, he told me about you and me and our shared destiny. About the prophecy and everything we needed to do together." Well, not exactly, the dragon loved to talk in riddles, but Arthur probably didn't care about that. "At first I couldn't even believe him because I had only just met you and you were a prat-"

"Hey-"

"But it's true," Merlin chuckled slightly. Then the humour left him again and he sighed. "When I saved your life for the first time and your father made me your servant, I knew it was real - our destiny and everything that the dragon had told me. I knew that I had to protect you and make sure you were alive and well when the time came for you to become the king of Camelot-"

"I'm not some damsel in distress, Merlin." Arthur rolled his eyes.

"More often than not, you are," Merlin replied. "I've saved your life so many times-"

"And yet you haven't told me about a single one of them." Arthur argued as he glanced at him. Merlin had to admit he was right.

"Well, the first time it was the dagger. I pushed you out of its way and threw the chandelier on the sorceress so she would stop singing." Merlin frowned as he thought about that. It was the first time he'd had to save the day and also the first time he'd felt panic as he saw everyone starting to fall asleep.

"And other times? This is the only one I know about."

"You couldn't have possibly known about the chandelier," Merlin protested.

Arthur was silent for a moment and then he nodded. "Yes, alright, I didn't know about that. But what was the next time you saved my life?"

"The knight, Valiant," Merlin replied. "I practised all night, trying to learn a spell, but it didn't work until the very last moment. I learned how to call the snakes on his shield to life in front of everyone to reveal him."

"That was you?" Arthur asked incredulously. But surely he couldn't have thought that Sir Valiant's snakes just decided to ruin the day and show up out of the blue?

"It was me." Merlin confirmed. "I hadn't slept all night just to make sure the spell worked."

Arthur didn't say anything to that. And Merlin didn't know whether to continue talking about all the other times he's saved Arthur's life or whether Arthur was more interested in the great dragon.

He didn't have to think about it for too long though. To his left through the trees, he could see blue sky. There had to be a clearing of some sort, and they have been walking for at least an hour now, so they could be far enough from the village to call the dragon.

"There's a meadow," Arthur pointed to the spot that Merlin's just noticed, and he changed their direction of walking.

Suddenly Merlin felt nervous. It's been several months since he'd last spoken to the dragon. What would he say? Would he be angry that he couldn't have his revenge because of Merlin? Would he be surprised that Merlin even thought of calling him again? Did Merlin even know how to call him here? He's never done that before . . .

"Are you coming?" He heard Arthur's voice. He didn't even realize that he'd slowly stopped walking and just kind of stood there.

Merlin nodded and started walking again, getting closer and closer to the clearing. He joined Arthur and walked behind him, still thinking about how to call the dragon.

"Did you talk to the dragon often?" Arthur had another question.

Merlin had to think about that. He didn't come to the dragon asking for advice too often, but often enough for him to wonder whether the dragon considered him annoying rather than a welcomed company. He never stopped talking about Arthur after all.

"I went to him every time I needed help or advice." Merlin finally replied.

"You wanted advice from a dragon?"

It sounded like Arthur couldn't even believe it, and he probably couldn't. It must have been so strange to think about that when he didn't even really know that dragons could talk this morning.

"He's more than a thousand years old. And usually, his advice kind of helped. But there was a time when it almost cost my mother's life." Merlin hated to think about that. He felt so betrayed by the dragon, but in the end, everything turned out alright. "I'll . . . talk about that later." He sighed and hoped Arthur wouldn't want answers now.

He didn't.

They reached the meadow and walked to its middle. Then they stopped.

"Do you trust him?" Arthur asked as he looked up to the sky and at the forest around them. No one was there with them, they were alone.

"After what he did to Camelot?" Merlin sighed. "No. I don't. But I do think that he doesn't wish to harm us."

"If you say so," Arthur raised his eyebrows and then looked at Merlin again, waiting for something to happen.

This was the moment they were both waiting for. The moment he'd summon Kilgharrah and they'd finally talk. There would be a lot of anger, he was sure of that. Kilgharrah was angry with Arthur's father, and Arthur was angry with Kilgharrah for harming Camelot and her people, and Merlin was angry with Kilgharrah too for the same reason, but he also knew that he could command him to leave if needed.

But not before they got their answers.

Merlin cleared his throat and looked around. Where would the dragon be? In Camelot? In another kingdom? Far away or close? How long would it take for him to reach them? How was Merlin supposed to summon him at all?

"Merlin, we don't have the whole day," he heard Arthur say impatiently.

"Maybe . . . Maybe we don't need to call the dragon." Merlin mused. What if he used his spell book at first? What if he looked through it to find the spell he needed? What if there was a page that he'd accidentally skipped every time he flipped through the book in the past?

"What?"

The way Arthur was looking at him was a clear enough answer for Merlin. He knew there were no time travelling spells in the spell book that Gaius has given him. Kilgharrah was his only source.

"Nothing," Merlin shook his head and closed his eyes. "Nothing," he repeated. Then he took a deep breath and looked around. "Step aside," he told Arthur as he distanced himself from him. He had no idea how to do this, but he knew he'd be able to.

He was able to command the dragon before. He felt his father there with him. His father could summon the dragon easily, and now Merlin had that same power. He just had to believe.

Merlin took a deep breath again and looked at the ground. Slowly, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh, trying to concentrate.

He needed to talk to the dragon.

He needed him here.

Now.

. . .

He threw his head back as he looked up at the sky and the words he needed to say just came to him out of nowhere. "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!" He felt the power come from within him as he roared the words into the sky.

He knew now that the dragon would come.

Merlin slowly looked down again, taking a deep breath and turning to look at Arthur. The prince's mouth was open in shock, but he closed it, his eyes still wide.

Merlin felt like he was having a similar reaction to all of this.

When he calmed down a bit, he walked back to Arthur and let his backpack fall to the ground. He had no idea where Kilgharrah was after all.

"Now what?" Arthur asked.

"Now we wait," Merlin sat down on the grass and sighed. Arthur did the same next to him, but not too close. He kept some distance.

What if it took hours before Kilgharrah came? What if he couldn't find them? What if someone heard him yell? What if the knights would find them here before Kilgharrah came?

Those were all questions that plagued Merlin's mind. But soon he didn't have to think about them anymore because they didn't have to wait for long. It only took about ten minutes for Kilgharrah to arrive. Apparently, dragons travelled fast.

"His name is Kilgharrah," Merlin whispered to Arthur as he stood up and waited for the dragon to land.

"What?" He heard Arthur hiss behind him, but he ignored him.

Kilgharrah's wings were wide above them as his feet touched the ground. Merlin almost forgot how huge Kilgharrah was. He's only ever seen him in a cave, and only once in a meadow like this. Back then, he didn't really think about how big Kilgharrah was, only about how to stop him.

Kilgharrah folded his wings next to his body and looked down at Merlin and Arthur behind him. His golden eyes narrowed and then landed on Merlin again.

He bowed his head. "It seems we meet again, young warlock," he spoke in his deep voice.

Merlin nodded. "We do."

xoXÖXox

The dragon landed and Arthur just stood there with his mouth open. He was speechless. The dragon was so big that Arthur had to bend his head all the way back to look up at him. The last time he saw him, he didn't seem that big. Maybe it was because the last time he saw him, it was dark.

Arthur's hand slowly landed on the hilt of his sword by his waist, unintentionally. The dragon narrowed his eyes at him and Arthur swallowed.

He didn't know whether the dragon was thinking about eating him right now, he was Uther's son after all. But Merlin said he believed the dragon didn't want to harm them. But he also said he didn't trust him after what happened in Camelot.

So many innocent people died. Men, women, the elderly and the children . . . Arthur was so angry about all of that. How could Merlin have let that dragon escape? How could he have let him go? Hadn't he thought about the dragon possibly wanting revenge? Was he really that stupid?

Arthur took a deep breath and frowned up at the beast. All that anger in him was getting dangerously close to the surface. He tried to hide it around Merlin because of what happened the day before and because of how distant Merlin seemed, but right now it was hard not to start yelling at the beast.

And still, a part of Arthur wanted to run away.

But dragons could breathe fire and could not be harmed by it themselves. Running wouldn't help him.

The dragon looked at Merlin and seemed to have a concerned smile on his face. Was he afraid of Merlin or just evil?

"It seems we meet again, young warlock." The dragon said and surprisingly bowed his head as far down as it would go.

"We do," Merlin nodded at him. "I need help."

The dragon chuckled at that. "That is not a surprise. Why else would you summon me? After what I did to your kingdom."

"You've killed innocent men and women! You've killed many of my loyal knights and yet you smile?" Arthur took a step forward as he yelled at the beast - the anger inside him finally spilling out. He tightened his hold on the sword- but then Merlin's hand was suddenly on his forearm, stopping him from unsheathing the weapon.

"You should first ask your father what he has done!" The dragon roared at him. "My deeds are nothing in comparison to Uther Pendragon's!"

"Enough!" Merlin yelled, "Both of you!" He looked at Arthur and the dragon, but Arthur ignored him, his eyes still fixed on the dragon's face. He desperately wanted to unsheathe his sword and do something, protect Merlin if it was needed, but he knew he had to calm down. They needed all the information the dragon could give them.

Arthur let go of his sword and looked down. Merlin then slowly removed his hand from Arthur's forearm and looked at the dragon again.

"I have shown you mercy," he told him.

The dragon bowed his head again and then looked closely at Merlin, not paying any attention to Arthur anymore. "You did." In that moment, he didn't seem evil. Not at all like Uther had described dragons to him when he was a little boy. The dragon looked almost grateful. It confused Arthur, but he tried to trust Merlin on this.

"What do you need?" The dragon asked.

"I need to know if there are any spells that can turn back time."

The dragon seemed to be surprised by that judging by his raised eyebrows. Did dragons have eyebrows?

"And how did you find yourself in the unfortunate need of such a spell?"

Merlin looked down and sighed.

"There is a witchfinder in Camelot," Arthur spoke before Merlin could. Merlin turned to look at him, but Arthur was looking at the dragon as he carefully stepped closer. Again, he placed his palm on the hilt of his sword, just for safety.

The dragon looked at him and narrowed his eyes again. "That is indeed unfortunate, young Pendragon."

"Merlin was almost . . . executed," Arthur glanced at Merlin, who seemed to have closed his eyes briefly as Arthur mentioned that. Arthur then looked back at the dragon. "That is why we need . . . your help."

Arthur still wasn't sure whether a dragon could be of any help, especially this dragon, but anything was worth a shot now.

"I have nowhere to go," Merlin added, his voice quieter than before. The dragon nodded as he looked at him, but he wasn't smiling as before.

"I am truly saddened by that, Merlin. You need to stay in Camelot to help Arthur, it is your destiny and your future. But I do not know how to achieve this, there are no spells that would bend time to your will."

"There aren't?" Arthur could hear Merlin's lost hope in those two words.

The dragon shook his head.

"Maybe," Arthur spoke again, "maybe there's another way to return to Camelot and have our old lives."

Merlin turned to him again. "And how do you want to do that?" He seemed a bit irritated, which surprised Arthur. "Everyone knows my face in Camelot, I'm your manservant. No one will ever forget that I lived in Camelot and worked in the castle and yet had magic."

Arthur frowned at that. Merlin was right. No one will ever forget it. Everyone will remember him for this.

"What if you changed your name and the way you look?" He suggested. It was a desperate solution, but he didn't have anything else right now.

"Such a spell would be impossible to hold forever." Merlin just shook his head. His eyes were glistening and even after all that hurt and betrayal, Arthur didn't like to see that.

"Well, what do you suggest then?" he asked him. "Do we just knock everyone out and hope that they forget the last few days?"

Merlin opened his mouth to most probably give him a witty reply, but then he stopped. He frowned and looked at the dragon who was just silently watching them this entire time and his eyes filled with hope again.

"Kilgharrah?" He frowned with worry as he spoke to the dragon again. "If there are no spells that would take us to the past . . . Are there any spells that could wipe memory?"

The dragon narrowed his eyes and then nodded. Merlin's smile widened. "There are, indeed."

Merlin smiled at Arthur and it warmed him to see him smile again, but he didn't understand exactly what the plan was just yet.

"What do you want to do? Enchant every single citizen in the kingdom?" he asked doubtfully.

Merlin shrugged. "Maybe I can manage to somehow include everyone? I don't know," he turned back to the dragon.

"I believe you are strong enough to do such a thing, Merlin." The dragon answered.

"But there aren't spells like that in my spell book. Do you know any?"

The dragon sighed. "I do not, young warlock. These are very powerful and dangerous spells and you need to be very sure that they are what you want to use."

"It's my only chance."

The dragon nodded. "Then you need to be careful. I only know of one sorcerer who used to experiment with such spells."

"Who is it?" Arthur asked.

"His name was Cornelius Sigan," the dragon looked at him.

Arthur knew that name. He thought he was just a legend, a made-up sorcerer who helped build Camelot, but Kaunos had already told him Sigan was real. If he knew the answer though, they were doomed. He was already dead.

"What?" Merlin frowned up at the dragon and then closed his eyes, turning around on the spot, seemingly in frustration. "But he's dead, I made sure of that."

Wait, what?

"His soul is back in the jewel, and we can't go back to Camelot to uncover the tomb where it is hidden."

What on Earth was Merlin talking about?

"The sorcerer might never return Merlin, but his knowledge isn't lost."

Merlin seemed like he understood whatever he was talking about with the dragon, but Arthur was becoming more lost every second.

"Where can we find his knowledge?" his servant asked.

"Logically, in Sigan's castle."

"He's got a castle?"

The dragon closed his eyes briefly in agreement. "He indeed used to have one before he left and helped build Camelot."

So the legend was true.

"He dedicated his life to trying to cheat death-" the dragon continued.

"He certainly managed that."

"-but he was ordered to be executed. Cheating death wasn't the only thing he worked on, and his spells should be found in his castle still, I believe."

"Well, where is it?" Arthur asked. He was getting impatient. The dragon was giving them information that they needed, but very slowly. And they were still kind of in a hurry.

"That I do not know."

"Great," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"It is said to be hidden close to where the sorcerer was born."

"Where was he born?" Merlin asked, ignoring Arthur's comments.

"A village called Earlen."

Arthur felt like he should just start shouting in frustration. Did the dragon not know that village was one hour walk from where they were all standing? How Merlin could ever have taken advice from him and not get frustrated beyond belief, Arthur didn't know.

"That's the village we just left!" Merlin exclaimed, but with s smile on his face. He glanced at Arthur and then at the dragon again. "I can't believe we're this lucky!"

"We still don't know exactly where it is though," Arthur pointed out. "Maybe the villagers know it, or at least heard about it."

The look Merlin gave him at that moment could not be described better than with the sentence you must be joking.

"We can't go back into the village," Merlin said.

"I don't think we have a choice, Merlin, these woods are wide and we have no idea where to start."

"We can just search for it together, or split up."

Arthur was already shaking his head. "We'd be looking forever. And what if the knights find you while I'm not there, take you back to Camelot and-"

"And kill me?" Merlin finished for him. "What if the same happens when we go back to the village?"

"I'll protect you there, it won't happen."

"There won't be a single knight, there will be more of them, you can't take them all. They'll probably just arrest you with me."

"You don't even know if there will be knights in the village!"

"But what if they are?" Merlin yelled.

Arthur looked at him with a firm determination in his eyes. "Then we'll just have to risk it. There's no other option, you said it yourself, Merlin."

"But-"

Arthur raised his hand to silent him. To his surprise, it worked. "We need to go." He repeated.

Merlin closed his eyes briefly and sighed. He must have known Arthur was right. There was just no other option left for them, they were lucky enough there was some castle with ancient knowledge to begin with, and so close to them. They just had to ask and search for it and then hopefully find it.

Merlin finally nodded, but crossed his arms on his chest. Then he looked at the dragon. "Thank you for your help, Kilgharrah."

The dragon merely bowed again. Then he spread his wings and turned away from them, lifting his body into the air and flying away. Arthur watched his enormous body quickly turn into a little dark spot among the clouds and then he turned to Merlin again.

Suddenly, he didn't seem annoyed or just hesitant. He seemed afraid. He was biting his lower lip and his arms were still folded protectively on his chest. He was looking at his feet and he was frowning.

Arthur didn't know what to say, or whether to say anything at all.

Merlin was clearly shaken by the events of the previous evening, and perhaps the possibility of meeting the knights in the village was more stressful for him than Arthur had thought.

"You'll . . . " Merlin suddenly spoke, his voice weak. "You'll protect me?"

He didn't look up.

Arthur straightened himself up and nodded, although Merlin couldn't see that. "I'll protect you."

"Thank you."

Arthur didn't answer to that. He finally removed his hand from the hilt of the sword that he realized he was still holding and picked up Merlin's backpack, putting it on his own back. Then he slowly started walking away, Merlin following him.

They were going back to Earlen.

Closer to Camelot.

.

.

.

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Mountains of Andor are on the official map of Camelot made by BBC, and I assume it's where the Tunnels of Andor are located. These tunnels were in the episode 2x04 Lancelot and Guinevere. They're infested with Wilddeoren and are near the Mercian border (North-East from Camelot).