Chapter 19: A Remedy For Tiredness

Sunday Afternoon

Despite their destination being cited as Gloucester, Edwin's house was situated just outside of the city, part of a complex which had obviously once been a Victorian farm.

They entered via a long, gravel track which wound around the side of the large barn before opening out into the square courtyard where a variety of long, low buildings were arranged along its sides. Despite these having obviously once been a stable complex, piggery, sheds and barns, the structures were now smart and clean and dressed up to look far more domestic than they would have been originally.

Having parked and taken their luggage out of the car, the three approached the main building, the old farmhouse. Before they'd even knocked, the old wooden door creaked open to reveal a man with a cowl over his head and his face in shadow. Remembering Merlin's words, Morgana made a point of gently smiling as he lowered the hood during their introductions and Mordred, although he moved a little closer to her, didn't react to the severe burn scars on Edwin's face either.

"I don't scare you?" the man asked in a gentle voice, prompting Mordred to shake his head furiously. "Good lad. Come in, all of you, please. My house is yours for as long as you have need of it."

"Thank you, Edwin," Merlin said.

"You're all over the news, by the way," the man continued, pointing at a tatty looking television set in the corner of the quaint reception room. "Surprised you made it here at all, to be honest. Although they seem to be focusing all their efforts on the crossings to France, for some reason."

"Ah, I'm glad my misdirection worked," Merlin replied. "That probably explains why no-one's has paid much attention to us over this way."

Edwin nodded. "It's good news. So, let me show you to your rooms where you can freshen up a bit. Then perhaps you'd like to come down to my personal laboratory and we can compare notes on our Gauntlet research?"

"Of course," Merlin replied. "I would love to learn from the master..." Edwin gave a short head-bow in response. "...and Morgana's keen to study too."

"Good, good," he said as he lead them down the corridor into another part of the house and then up some stairs. "And I take it you've adjusted the ones you're wearing now?"

"Ah yes. Pretty essential in the case of these two," Merlin admitted.

"I'm sure. I would be most curious to see what you've been doing with them."

Merlin visibly winced and Morgana was amused by his concern about being subtly 'told off' by the older man.

"This old farm was a Bed and Breakfast before I acquired it," Edwin explained as he lead them through a door at a fast pace. "And we're moving into a more modern extension built during that time. This little suite had interconnecting doors for larger families so I thought it would be ideal for you. You can sleep in one room with three beds or spread yourselves out over two or three. I've set up the usual magic shields within this whole area but feel free to add your own, Merlin." He smiled slyly. "Seeing you're the master in such matters."

He grinned back. "Thank you."

"Two bathrooms here as well, both en-suite and also with the usual magical protections."

"This is wonderful, Edwin," Morgana said, sincerely as she took note of the large and elegant rooms. "Thank you."

He nodded again. "A nice change for you after the last couple of days, I imagine."

Mordred seemed uncertain which room to take. Ordinarily a boy of his age would have jumped at the chance to sleep on his own but, after the trauma of that prison cell, he had been appreciating Merlin and Morgana's close proximity.

Merlin's only real concern was to be close enough to keep an eye on the boy's magic and intervene if necessary. With Edwin's shield spells and a couple of others added for good measure, Mordred was soon convinced that having own room was the best option for him. After all, there was only a single door separating them and he could always call the adults silently if required.

The two en-suites bathrooms were very much like the one at Merlin's house; wet rooms tiled from wall to floor and protected by magical shields. Despite being keen to get back downstairs and talk to Edwin, Merlin took some time to show Mordred how water could be used to release and dampen any excess magic; turning on the tap and running his Gauntlet under it, just as he'd shown Morgana when he first started training her.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the boy mastered the skill immediately, even managing to create a little ball of water which he allowed to bob above their heads for a moment. Laughing, Merlin 'caught' the ball with his magic and sent it dancing towards Morgana.

She held up a hand and stopped it just before it was about to hit her face, tipping her head and studying it curiously. She could feel the water wanting to revert to its natural state, but being fully clothed was an extra incentive to keep it contained. So, with a gentle push, she sent the ball back towards the boys, and the three passed it around the bathroom a few times before Merlin threw it towards the shower cubical where it could collapse harmlessly with a large splash.

Now feeling very much more relaxed and refreshed, the three made their way back downstairs where Edwin offered them glasses of real lemonade and a small piece of cake.

"I hope you don't mind a late meal tonight," he apologised. "But I thought it best to talk Gauntlets sooner rather than later."

"Yes, of course," Merlin said, immediately handing over the latest one he'd recently pilfered from Camelot.

"Ah, good," the man said, turning it over in his hands and studying it intently. "More security added, I assume?"

"Yes," Merlin said with an exaggerated sigh. "And they've also made the blocks much stronger. It's becoming really difficult to cut through all the layers in order to increase the absorbency."

"Yes, yes, I can see that." Edwin continued to stare at the Gauntlet for a moment before looking up when he became away of his attentive audience, with even Mordred interested in what was going on. "Come and bring your drinks and cakes through to my laboratory then," he continued. "Just please be careful not to spill anything."

And he scurried off in the opposite direction he'd taken them before. Down a corridor and then through a creaky old door which opened up into an enormous, beamed space. The visitors stood and blinked in awe.

"The old barn," Edwin replied with a dismissive wave of his arm. "Good place to work – although it can get a bit cold in here during the winter."

It wasn't just the size of the space that had Morgana in awe. In the centre was the longest wooden table she had ever seen which appeared to have been constructed from a single, ancient oak tree and, on top of it, sat the most amazing array of Gauntlets, spare parts, electronic machinery and tools of all sizes. The whole place was a wonderful clutter.

"This is brilliant!" Mordred declared.

"It's a mess, but I thank you for your enthusiasm," Edwin replied. "Come and show me what you're doing to adjust these, Merlin and I'll see if I can help suggest some other ways of bypassing the security. I'll also take a look at the ones you're currently wearing, if you don't mind. It's likely I can swap them for some which will give you all more freedom, but be far less obvious if any Knights happen to scan them."

"That sounds great," Merlin said. "And some general lessons for these two as well, perhaps? I haven't really had the time to teach them even the basics – especially not Mordred - and they need to learn as much skill as possible considering their circumstances."

"Oh?" Edwin asked.

"They're Silver too."

"Really? That's most interesting." He smiled at them. "You'll have a great advantage in this work then, not needing to own a Knights' Shield in order to adjust your Gauntlet." He held up a rectangular object then, just a little wider than the average television remote control and all three of his guests moved closer, curious to see a device close up. "A Blue sorcerer such as myself requires a little outside assistance."

Morgana gaped. "How did you manage to acquire a Shield?"

Edwin touched his nose and smirked. "I have my methods."

The next hour or so flew by as Edwin and Merlin exchanged notes and patiently answered all the questions Morgana and Mordred threw at them. When their stomachs started to protest, they reluctantly moved back to the farm house for a casserole which had been in the slow cooker for most of the day.

It was getting late for Mordred by this point, and so Morgana took him back to the guest suite whilst Merlin and Edwin continued their more advanced Gauntlet discussions. She made sure the boy had everything he needed and tucked him in with a kiss on the head, promising that she wouldn't be too far away.

"Stay next door?" he asked, sleepily, reaching out to stroke her dragon brooch.

"I'll be going back to Edwin's laboratory for a bit," she said. "But you know you can call me or Merlin silently if you need anything."

The boy widened his bright, blue eyes and pouted slightly, before giving her a reluctant nod and closing his eyes with a sigh. Morgana hovered at the door for a few moments before quietly closing it, only heading back downstairs when she was sure Mordred had fallen asleep, desperately trying to shake the strange guilt she felt for leaving him. Was this what it was like to be a parent, she wondered. To spend so much of your time worrying about your child rather than yourself? Certainly she'd never felt this sort of concern about Arthur, even when he had seemed very much younger than her.

A cup of coffee was waiting for her when she returned to the barn and, soon afterwards, their host handed her a tatty old Gauntlet and set her the task of trying to unlock it.

"Unfortunately that's just step one," Edwin said an hour later when she had finally succeeded. "That one has no significant security set up on it but, with practice, you should be able to release a fully operational Red or Yellow Gauntlet and perhaps, eventually, one of the high level pieces."

"What about the ones we're wearing now?" she asked.

"They'd be easier to adjust than the colour they appear to be," Merlin replied. "But we can't drop all the security systems within them otherwise they'd fail to act as a block for any magical outburst and, more importantly, would show up as having been tampered with when checked by official equipment."

"Always a thin line to walk," Edwin agreed. "To give us some control back without putting anyone in danger or alerting the authorities. It's another reason why having a Knights' Shield is so useful as I can also use it to see if your Gauntlets will pass the scrutiny if checked officially."

"I see," she said. "But Eden only has this one?"

"As far as I know." Edwin grinned. "You know I wouldn't complain if you happened to 'come across' another."

Sunday Evening

"Well, that's probably enough for tonight," Merlin said a little later. "Best get some sleep ready for the journey tomorrow."

"Oh, but you must stay another day," Edwin said.

"Ah, are you sure?"

"Of course. I could see how stressed you all were from your time on the road. This place is completely off anyone's radar. Honestly you can stay even longer that that if you wish."

"Thank you," Merlin replied. "Although we really do need to get Mordred to Eden."

Edwin's expression changed abruptly. "Ah yes, of course."

~o~0~o~

Morgana did feel exceptionally tired, yawning widely as she came out of the bathroom and headed towards the double bed they were to share. Merlin blocked her path with a soft smile.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you really tired?"

"Well, yes...?" she said, not getting his point at first.

"Only Mordred's fast asleep and we have this nice enclosed shower room with magical blocks on it."

"Oh..."

"So perhaps...?" He moved closer and gently stroked her cheek.

"Yes," she gasped, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him enthusiastically. "Yes please."

~o~0~o~

It seemed like weeks since they'd last made love although, in truth, it had only been a few days. However, it did feel different this time, with the couple very conscious of Mordred being in the next room.

Not that it made it any less enjoyable, as their nervousness about the company meant the act became less frantic and more loving somehow. They went slower and focused on each other more, keeping far quieter than had been their custom before.

Morgana admitted that it was something she might like to repeat even when they were properly alone.

"It is good to know that we can do that so calmly," Merlin agreed as they lay in bed afterwards. "It's nice to think we can be just like normal couples and eventually be able to make love spontaneously without having to think about shields and water all the time."

"Yes," she replied as she snuggled up against his shoulder. "I'd like that."

Morgana thought Merlin might have said something else then but the comforting heaviness of sleep was enveloping her and she recalled nothing more until the morning.

Monday Morning

After breakfast the four sorcerers headed back into Edwin's barn to continue their Gauntlet work. Mordred was given the task which Morgana had started with the night before, whilst Morgana was given one that was apparently a little more challenging. Further down the table, Merlin and Edwin were focusing on their own project, heads close together as they whispered furiously about some technicality or other.

It took the two novices a long time to learn how to unlock the 'blank' Gauntlets and then, just as they were starting to get the hang of those, they were given the standard Yellow ones and instantly set off the security within them. Morgana had honestly thought Edwin and Merlin had been exaggerating the skill required to open and control them, but apparently they'd been telling the whole truth.

Merlin's calm requests for patience only served to frustrate her more, despite knowing that, just like her general magic, she was still a beginner in comparison to the years he'd been studying. Mordred also struggled to stay calm, but then it was obvious from that playground incident that he wasn't a naturally patient person either. When the alarm on the next bracelet he was working on buzzed, the boy threw the offending item on the floor with a shout, shorting out his own Gauntlet in the process.

Merlin promptly abandoned his own work in order to give some more general magic control lessons to Mordred, which meant Morgana was able to benefit from some tuition from Edwin. She found his instructions especially easy to follow, not because he was necessarily a better teacher than Merlin, but because he was more detached from her emotionally, which somehow made it far easier for her to focus.

Monday Afternoon

"What is the rush, anyway?" Morgana asked as Merlin started talking about moving on again the following day.

He and Edwin exchanged a long look. "Mordred needs to get to Eden," Merlin replied, eventually.

"So you keep saying, but why?"

There was another long pause. "I honestly don't believe it is safe for him to be anywhere else right now."

"And you know he'll be safe there?"

"It's the very best place he can be, yes," Merlin replied.

She shook her head, still not fully understanding.

"Of course, there's no reason why Morgana needs to leave at all," Edwin said. "She's more than welcome to stay here whilst you drop the boy off, and then I can continue to teach her to work the Gauntlets."

There was a long silence as they contemplated this.

"What do you think, Gana?" Merlin asked. "I suppose I always assumed you'd be safer with me but, with the three of us being hunted, perhaps it is better that I take Mordred on my own from here. Not only will the two of us be less conspicuous but it'll be far easier for me to transport out in an emergency."

"And I could also teach you that skill whilst you're here, Morgana," Edwin said. "It is rather difficult and not one every sorcerer is capable of, but there's next to no chance of you learning it whilst you're on the run."

Learning to transport? That was really very tempting, but the thought of being away from the other two felt wrong somehow and Mordred's wide-eyed, pleading look was telling its own story - begging her to stay with him.

And what about her recent nightmare where she had accused Merlin and Mordred of abandoning her? What if that had been a true vision after all? What if it had been telling the future in some way and giving her some abstract hint that she might not be as safe here with Edwin as they all thought.

"I want to come with you."

She had replied before fully acknowledged her decision. Instinct finding the answer for her. Mordred smiled broadly turning to look up at Merlin.

"Of course," he replied with a smile of his own. "I'm glad."

"I agree you need to get over to Eden soon," Edwin said. "But surely it won't hurt to have one more day here? Gather your strength. Learn a little more about the Gauntlets?"

"I suppose..." Merlin nodded. "One more day then, but we really must leave tomorrow."

~o~0~o~