A few bandits had come charging at them after the assault with the arrows. It seemed that around six of them had managed to escape on time and had been stupid enough to jump head first into a battle they were going to lose for certain. Merlin did not hesitate to use his magic, even though he knew he might murder or incapacitate some of them. It did not matter to him anymore. Those imbeciles had threatened the life of one of his friends and he would be damned if he let them get away with it.

After his eyes had turned gold for the second and perhaps last time that day Merlin sighed and turned around to face Morgana for the first time. His eyes widened. She was speechless, stunned. Nothing but fear and bewilderment could be seen in her eyes. Utter disbelief resonated throughout the hollow trees as she asked or rather whispered:

"M-Merlin….d-did you just…..did you just…did you just use magic?"

Merlin gaped at her. He honestly did not know what to say. He knew that denying the obvious would not only be considered an insult, it would also prove to be completely useless. Morgana was not blind. She was not stupid either. She possessed magic herself and knew what happened when a spell was cast. Merlin knew he could not fool her at all. Not after she had seen everything with her very eyes. But the part that worried him the most was not that she had found out. What frightened and concerned him was that he afraid yet grateful for he knew that he would not have the will or courage to outright tell her his secret.

"Morgana, I…." Merlin began but was interrupted when Morgana said:

"Don't. Just don't."

After that the fear in her eyes disappeared. Her expression hardened. Her jaw tightened. Her hands were clutching the reigns of her horse so desperately that her knuckles started turning white. Her green depths were burning. Even her shoulders were now shaking until she could not hold it in anymore. She screamed. Merlin flinched immediately and ducked to cover when the pure fury evoked the uncontrollable raw magic inside the witch. Her eyes blazed with gold and because of the force and lack of control over her imaginations Morgana did the unthinkable. She made a tree fall down and it landed not too far away from where Merlin was standing on his horse, of course.

The ground shook from the force of the impact. The noise was so terrifying that it frightened the poor creature greatly. It neighed and went up on its back limbs. The animal's body shook with so much fear that Merlin lost balance and control over it and ended up falling on his back. He hit the ground quite hard and gasped from the pain the collision with the solid earth caused. The sharp intake of breath triggered a sharp pain from a wound that had not healed yet. Merlin moaned. It was unbearable. The agony from the combination of the pain of said wound and the impact with the ground was something Merlin could not take. He clutched his eyes shut and forced himself to calm his irregular heart rate down but it proved to be quite difficult.

Morgana's eyes widened. She gave an involuntary gasp as she immediately dismounted her horse, not caring that it too was probably frightened and would no doubt run away the second it saw an opportunity, which it did soon after.

"Oh my God, Merlin!" Morgana yelled as she ran next to him. She stopped when she reached her fallen friend. The witch knelt down and asked:

"How much does it hurt?"

Merlin groaned but managed to whisper:

"Not unbearable….anymore."

Morgana's eyes widened at the pain those words were drowning in. She nearly choked as tears clouded her vision. However, she quickly shook her head and forced herself to calm down. She knew this was neither the time nor place for such displays of remorse and guilt. That was the reason why after inhaling and exhaling she said:

"Do you think you could move for a little while?"

Merlin nodded his head. That was indication enough that the injury was neither fatal nor would it jeopardize the mission. With in internal sigh Morgana helped Merlin get up and carried him to the base of a nearby tree. She helped him sit down.

Suddenly Merlin's head started spinning and his body tilted forward. Fortunately, Morgana was quick and caught his head before it hit the ground and acquired or worsened a possible concussion. After a second Morgana realized that Merlin had fallen asleep or had lost consciousness. Not caring what it was Uther's ward simply moved Merlin's head so that it now rested peacefully on her lap. She bit her lip as she contemplated their situation. Morgana knew that what they were doing was inappropriate but that concerned her only for a few more seconds. After some time she brushed it aside. There was another, more confusing thought that occupied her mind.

Anger was the first emotion that made her heart ring. It vibrated through her rib cage as he breathing became erratic. Pure rage and raw fire lit her lungs until Morgana thought she was suffocating. She clutched the dirt that surrounded her in desperate need to hold onto something, anything that would her placate her inner turmoil. After she had dealt with the predicament, she had been under, Morgana released a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and allowed the melody of tranquility and peace to fill the vacant places inside her mind and heart and tend to the areas that had been destroyed by her uncontrollable fury.

Merlin has magic. And he did not tell me. Was he even planning to? If this accident had not occurred, would he have had the courage to say it aloud? Or perhaps that would have never happened?

Morgana frowned. Confusion settled within her once more. She understood Merlin's reasons for hiding his secret from the others. She also knew how vulnerable and exposed you felt once your secret was out in the open even if it was to a creature of magic as well. Morgana did not blame Merlin for not telling her immediately. She was just angry that he had chosen such a precise moment to show her his capability.

Now came another question – was Merlin's showing her his gift really for the better? Or would it have been better if things had stayed the same? Had that even been an option? – Morgana's eyebrows furrowed as she replayed the recent events inside her head. After a few minutes she frowned as she concluded that there had been no other escape route. If Merlin had not used his magic, she would not doubt be dead or at the very least fatally wounded right now.

But why Merlin? Why did you not tell me sooner? What was stopping you? Was there someone against me knowing or did you simply wish for it to remain a secret? Would the day come when you will feel completely safe around me, so much as to share such forbidden secrets?

Morgana soon started to develop a minor headache with all the twists and turns her mind was forced to endure. A grunt escaped her lips as she failed to reach a plausible explanation for Merlin's questionable behaviour. Soon she realized that no matter how hard she tried, no effort would be enough to piece together such a puzzle. That was the reason why she surrendered and allowed darkness to cover her watchful eyes for a short while.

When Morgana awoke, she realized with a start that dusk was nearing. Her eyes widened. She frantically searched around for any signs of someone having bypassed or nearing them. Her ears were alert for any change of sound or suspicious noise that was a dead give away of someone coming. After a moment and no change whatsoever in the current harmony in the forest Morgana allowed herself to relax. She sighed as she closed her eyes. Perhaps they still had enough time to reach the druid camp. Morgana remembered that Merlin had told her that it they were near moments before they had been attacked. With a heavy heart Morgana opened her eyes and stared down at Merlin. She could not help but feel mixed emotions when she looked at the boy. Inside her anger still remained, but it was subdued by mightier forces – guilt and shame. Embarrassment did not come near to what she was experiencing. Morgana could not help but be ashamed because of her actions. She had also had enough time to ponder not only on the recent events but on Merlin's personality and behaviour in general. She had gone through every ounce of conversation they had had and in the end did not want anything else aside from digging a hole and crawling inside of it.

I cannot believe I did not notice it sooner. All those times he told me that he understood more than anyone. All those details he knew about magic. The way he helped me not only in the beginning, but after that as well. All of this and more are obvious clues. I should have reached the conclusion sooner!

Do not misunderstand her. She had suspected it before, but had brushed the idea aside, dubbing it as ludicrous. She now felt angry and embarrassed for dismissing it so quickly and easily. Morgana made a mental note to never underestimate her enemy or anyone in general in such a stupid way.

Suddenly there was rustling of leaves as someone appeared out of nowhere. Morgana gasped and immediately turned around. Her eyes widened as she reached down for her sword when the man spoke.

"Fear not Lady Morgana. We bring you no harm." The man said as he brought his hands up in a sign of surrender and promise that he would do nothing to hurt her or Merlin.

"We?" Morgana questioned.

The man nodded as four other people appeared. They smiled at her as they stopped behind the man, forming the half of a spiral. Morgana's eyes searched their eyes frantically for any sign of deceit. After she had found none, she sighed in relief.

"May I take a look at your fallen friend?" The man asked.

Morgana hesitated at first, but nodded. With a smile the man walked towards them slowly and knelt down in front of Merlin. Morgana watched curiously and still slightly suspiciously as the man before her brought his hand up and with closed eyes whispered an incantation. Morgana was dubious at first and was about to question the man's motives when a shudder coursed through Merlin's body along with an audible gasp. After a second, however, the boy sighed and smiled peacefully, which caused Morgana to sigh as well, only hers was in relief.

"Is he going to be okay?" She asked hopefully.

"I am afraid I do not know Lady Morgana." The man spoke.

"But you just whispered a spell of some sorts and it seemed that it brought him some sort of relief." Morgana spluttered incoherently before sighing and whispering, "Can you tell me at least what it wrong with him?"

"I fear I cannot. It seems that some of the pressure inside of him is gone, but there is still something bothering him, whatever level it is on, however, I do not know." The man explained with pain and sympathy in his voice.

Morgana sighed and closed her eyes before whispering:

"Can you at least promise me that….that physically he will be alright?"

" I am afraid I cannot promise you that. I am sorry." The man answered before rising and going back to the others. He motioned for them to go and lift Merlin. Morgana did not protest, realizing just now that they were indeed the druids. Instead of standing in their way, she got up and went to walk alongside the man.

"We came here to warn you. Prince Arthur is…" Morgana began but was interrupted by the man as he said:

"coming here to invade our home. We already know everything Milady."

Morgana frowned slightly and then enquired:

"I do not mean to be disrespectful, but I cannot help but ask the reason for your remaining at a place where your lives are endangered."

The man smiled gravely before replying:

"Look at us Morgana. We are all nothing but old sorcerers who are patiently waiting for their time to come. It does not matter where we die, but how. And I am certain that we all prefer for our lives to not end in vain, but preferably by protecting our loved ones."

Morgana frowned for a second before she processed everything that had been said in between the lines. Her eyes widened as she whispered:

"You will be acting as a decoy. Your sole purpose will be to buy enough time for the women and children and hopefully the younger men to escape or at the very least have a chance of survival."

The man smiled and nodded approvingly. His expression then became solemn. His eyes were clouded with sheer animosity. Morgana's eyes widened. She was just about to reach for her sword when the man whispered barely audibly:

"I am afraid your path ends here."

Morgana registered hardly anything from the words that had been spoken to her before she was knocked out. Darkness swooped in and choked her confused mind so mercilessly that she actually welcomed its deadly embrace not with contempt, but with relief and hardly any resistance.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. Only the ideas that differ from the canon version are mine. And, no, unfortunately, there is no money made from this story. It was and is currently being written solely for entertainment purposes.

A huge thank you goes to AN-to-the-G helping me out with the development of this chapter and hearing out my crazy ideas! Seriously, you're awesome.

A/N: Ha! Told myself I was going to have this up and completed by the end of Valentine's Day and guess what people? It is only 23:501! Yessssss. I made it.

Ahem, now that I am back to normal I would like to thank everyone for reviewing, following and favouriting. Hah, someone said that my last teaser was awful. I know. I love you guys so much that I would gladly allow you to hate me for teasing you with such ambiguous words. Anyways,

here is your next teaser:

"Merlin!" Morgana screamed as her eyes started searching around frantically trying desperately to assess the situation as fast as possible while still looking for her friend.

Reviews? Favourites? Follows?