Chapter Fifteen

Arthur's mind was a jumble as he walked away from the court physician's chambers and made his way to the main castle keep. 'Gaius knows about Merlin's magic. He has been harboring and protecting a sorcerer all of this time!' Even as the Prince thought this, his mind conjured up Araban's voice. 'Emrys is not a sorcerer; he is a warlock.'

Warlock, sorcerer, druid; it was all still very confusing to Arthur. He had been taught from infancy that magic was evil, that it corrupted the soul, yet the druid community he had spent two days with didn't fit that image at all, at least not until they had tried to kill him. Even after that, the explanation that was given to him for the druid's actions made a perverted form of sense. Merlin had indeed come back from the brink of death to save him. Arthur knew without a doubt that he would willingly give his life for Merlin, he would for any of the people he cared about, but that was different than being captured and roped to a stake to be burned alive against his will, but the fact remained that magic or not, Arthur would not betray Merlin to the King or anyone else.

As he passed by soldiers stationed throughout the castle his thoughts continued to whirl around in his mind. What of all the innocent sorcerers who had been burned at the stake for the crime of simply possessing magic? He knew exactly what they must have felt like having been in that position himself at the hands of the druids. A thought occurred to him just then. 'What if that was a small part of their decision?' He was destined to be the King and there may very well have been an element of showing him what it felt like to be tied to a stake and knowing that your life was about to end in a horribly brutal manner. Arthur had to stop for a moment as a shiver crawled up his spine.

Gaius, the trusted court physician, and friend to the Pendragon family for his entire life had nearly burned at the stake for crimes he had nothing to do with. Arthur remembered how shocked he had been when he found out that Gaius was once a practitioner of magic; a sorcerer. As the truth came to light it became obvious that Gaius was only acting to protect Merlin. Now it turned out that the physician's ward, his bumbling, uncoordinated, dim-witted servant was some warlock of legend and destined to fulfill some ancient prophecy that he himself was a part of.

Araban told him that his part in that destiny was to be the greatest King Camelot had ever seen, and that the journey to that destiny began with keeping all of this secret and that it was a task appointed to him alone. Arthur understood all about undertaking difficult tasks, but this whole prophecy business was undeniably surreal to him. Arthur's head was spinning with all the different implications and he had to forcibly shake himself as he approached the throne room.

Right now he had to revert to his role of Crowned Prince and report to the King concerning the attack of Cenred's soldiers. That was a problem that he could wrap his mind around. The tensions between Mercia and Camelot had been strained, but they were supposed to be at peace with one another. The treaty was obviously no longer valid at least in the eyes of Cenred's men and therefore Cenred himself. No soldier would risk war with a neighboring kingdom without the consent of their King. Arthur paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before entering the throne room. When the doors swung open to admit him his face was impassive. He looked every bit the leader of the Knights of Camelot.

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It was the discomfort in his arm that woke Merlin at last. From the elbow all the way down to his fingertips his entire limb was throbbing in time with his own heart beat. A low moan escaped his lips as he slowly opened his eyes. It was bright, too bright for comfort, so he quickly closed his eyes again. He turned his face toward the light and allowed the brightness to filter through his closed lids for a moment.

He lay there for a moment trying to bring his thoughts into focus. He was lying on something that wasn't the ground. that is when memories began to flood through him. His eyes snapped open expecting to see the forest surrounding him, but what he saw were the familiar surroundings of Gaius' chambers. He was home. He was in Camelot. How had he gotten there? The last thing Merlin remembered clearly was waking up in pain. He was in the forest and he was injured. Arthur had been there and told him that he had been shot with a poisoned arrow.

"Ah, you're awake." Gaius' voice startled Merlin a bit and he flinched. "I'm sorry, Merlin. I didn't mean to startle you. How are you feeling?" The physician asked as he moved over to take a seat on a short stool next to the low bed.

Merlin thought about that for a moment. His arm hurt, the throbbing was not getting any better, he felt weak and drained. His head throbbed almost as much as his arm and he basically felt like he'd been dragged behind a horse for two days straight.

He tried to answer Gaius' question but the only sound that issued from his mouth was a strangled sort of squeak. Gaius seemed to understand and helped the young man to sit up enough to drink some water from a short wooden cup. After he took a couple of sips, letting the cool liquid swirl around his parched mouth he lay back down exhausted.

"Thanks. How long have I been here?"

"Arthur rode in this morning pulling you along on a sort of stretcher. Sir Leon and several of the knights came across the two of you fleeing from Mercia. You had been attacked by bandits as well as some of Cenred's soldiers."

Merlin frowned at that and tried to remember. He did remember vaguely that there was some sort of fight. He had a sense of Arthur shouting and protesting being taken captive. He had an odd sort of fuzzy recollection of a struggle that seemed both far away and very close by at the same time, but somehow he also had the sense that it occurred inside some sort of dwelling. He thought he had dreamed it.

"Merlin? Are you alright?" Gaius asked. He looked concerned and Merlin realized that he had drifted off a bit. He stopped for a moment and tried to order his thoughts. He felt confused and a little off center.

"What did you just say, Gaius?"

The concern on Gaius' face seemed to deepen. "I told you that you and Arthur arrived this morning after being attacked. Do you remember any o that?"

Merlin thought hard and then a clearer memory floated to the surface of his mind. "I was outside in the forest... I remember hearing the sounds of a battle. Several men were fighting. Some were in the clothing of peasants, and some were soldiers. The soldiers seemed to be fighting Arthur as well as the other men."

Merlin found it hard to concentrate as the throbbing in his arm and head grew worse. "The armed man that two of the soldiers were fighting ran right at me, but one of the soldiers threw a sword at his back. He lost his sword and when it fell it went through my arm."

Merlin paused for a moment closing his eyes as remembered pain flashed through his mind making the throbbing in his arm seem to dramatically increase in intensity.

"That explains the second wound I found." Gaius said.

Merlin didn't want to talk about this any more. His head hurt, his arm hurt, his whole body felt like it had been through a mill. "My arm, it hurts," he said, in a low whimper.

Gaius turned away from the young man and reached for a small vial sitting on the nearby table. "This will help with the pain," he said, as he moved the small vial toward Merlin's mouth.

The young man raised his head enough to drink the contents, making a face at the bitter taste.

"Is Arthur alright? Was he injured?"

"You don't need to worry about Arthur. He had a few minor injuries, but nothing that he couldn't handle."

Relief turned to anxiety on Merlin's face as he remembered something from the battle. "Gaius, I think I may have used magic in front of Arthur. Those soldiers were turning to go after him, but he was already fighting off two other soldiers. I don't know if he saw me or not. I passed out right after that. Did he say anything when we arrived back here in Camelot?"

Gaius grew very quite for a moment. He was indeed concerned especially after what Arthur had said before he left to see Uther. He had promised the Prince that he would not allow anyone to speak to Merlin until he had a chance to talk to the young man.

"Merlin, I honestly don't know what Arthur may or may not have seen. He certainly didn't say that he had seen you preform magic, but..."

The anxiety in Merlin's eyes turned to barely veiled panic. "But what?"

"It seems that while you were delirious with fever you may have said some things that didn't make sense. The way Arthur put it - 'things that could be dangerous if heard by the wrong person.' He specifically asked that I not allow anyone to talk to you when you woke up, until he had a chance to speak to you first."

Merlin felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach and he couldn't keep the quiver from his voice. "Where did he go after we got here?"

Gaius seemed hesitant to answer that question, but Merlin persisted. "Gaius, where is Arthur now?"

"He had to give a report to the King," the physician answered reluctantly.

The pain, the effects of the medication Gaius had just given him, the sheer fatigue aside, Merlin sat bolt upright. "I have to get out of here!" He made to try and get up out of the bed as a wave of dizziness washed over him and he wavered unsteadily.

"Merlin, you are in no fit state to go anywhere! Lie back down," Gaius said placing both hands on the young man's shoulders and forcing him back down. "We have no idea what Arthur thinks he knows. He was vague when he spoke to me, and I have no reason to believe that he would say anything to the king. If anything he wants to keep his reservations to himself, hence his request that no one be allowed to speak with you until he has had a chance to. You must trust in him, Merlin. I do not believe that he would betray you, even if he does know your secret."

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Grigor was grateful for the horses that had been provided to them when they left the druid settlement, but he still felt concern for Eryl. The ancient seer had not slept in almost two days and Grigor knew that as much as his master tried to hide it, the fatigue was starting to take a toll. They were at least two day's ride from Camelot and he would willingly make it three if he could get Eryl to fall asleep. Grigor had already decided that when his master did finally sleep he would use what little magic he possessed to make certain that nothing disturbed the ancient seer until Eryl woke without benefit of disturbance.

As the day grew long Eryl showed no sign of wanting to stop; not speaking, and riding straight toward the western arm of the mountain range. As the shadows grew longer and longer Grigor came to a decision. He kicked the sides of his horse into a quick cantor and rode up in front of Eryl's horse stopping the animal by taking hold of the reins.

Eryl seemed to take a moment to focus on the young man blocking his path. After a moment the old seer's eyes became focused. "Why have we stopped?"

"Eryl, it is getting late. You need rest, I need rest and the horses need to stop as well. It will do us no good to arrive in Camelot only to have you collapse from sheer exhaustion. You have not slept in days and that will not due. I am charged with your safety so I will not allow us to go any further tonight."

Eryl's eyebrows shot up at that statement. "And who charged you with the task of protecting me, young Grigor?"

"You did, Master. I am your apprentice. It is my responsibility to see to your physical needs as it is your responsibility to train me in the art of the old religion."

A sly smile turned up the corner's of the old seer's mouth. Grigor was reciting the words Eryl himself had spoken to him when the young man had first come to live with the old druid. Grigor expected an argument from his master, but instead Eryl bowed his head and deftly swung a leg over the horse landing lightly on the forest floor.

"I will meditate while you prepare camp."

With that Eryl moved off through the trees as Grigor also dismounted and took the reins of both horses leading them to a tiny clearing. It didn't take Grigor very long to set up camp; complete with a sturdy lean-to that Eryl would sleep under. Preparing food was a simple matter as Aenya had sent them off with already prepared biscuits and meat cakes that only needed to be warmed over a fire. The druid teacher had also given him a small box with tea that she had grown herself. She mentioned that the tea would help relax the seer and allow Eryl to sleep more soundly, something that Grigor was most interested in. He steeped the tea into a fairly strong brew and added a splash of mead for good measure.

Grigor was about to get up and go find Eryl when the old druid appeared as if summoned. This was something that Eryl had always done, and it still unnerved Grigor slightly. He often times felt that the silent communication that some druids were able to use worked one way in his relationship with Eryl. It was as though his master could hear his thoughts, but not the other way around, which in turn made Grigor feel at a distinct disadvantage.

As Eryl settled down to eat, Grigor walked a slow circle around their camp intoning a protection spell to keep them safe from any eyes, human or otherwise. By the time he was finished to his satisfaction Eryl had eaten his meal and was slowly sipping the tea that Grigor had made. The young apprentice sat down across the fire from Eryl and ate his own meal keeping a close eye on his mentor.

Eryl looked older than Grigor had ever seen. The ancient seer actually looked ancient and it unsettled Grigor somewhat. Eryl had always had a feisty gleam in the eye and moved with surprising swiftness and agility for one so old. The seer desperately needed to sleep if they were to face a trip to Camelot where death could easily await them.

"Eryl, I understand that we must go to Camelot and see Prince Arthur. It is a very risky venture, made even more so by the fact that you want to speak to the Crowned Prince when King Uther would have us both killed on sight."

Before Grigor could continue Eryl looked up and spoke. "What do you know of our mission to Camelot, Grigor?"

Grigor knew that he shouldn't have known anything about this trip other than that they were going. He had never been untruthful with his master and the young apprentice wasn't going to start down that path. Aenya and I shared information, Eryl. You had to know that I would try to find out what had happened to cause you to insist on this trek. Your anger with the council was palpable. I have tried to see what lies ahead, but that path is hidden from me still."

Eryl stared at Grigor for a long moment before speaking. "I would have expected nothing less from you. It troubles me that you have not been able to see any part of the path ahead. Normally your visions come quickly after I have revealed my own. Perhaps you should commune with the forest tonight."

Grigor shook his head vigorously. "There will be time for that later. Tonight my responsibility is to you and making sure you sleep soundly. My concern at this point is what we shall do once we reach Camelot. If we are recognized as druids we will face Uther and the gallows, or the stake, or the chopping block. The King of Camelot is not known for his compassion toward our people. How can we seek an audience with the Prince without drawing the attention of the King?"

Eryl's eyelids were becoming droopy. The tea was doing as Aenya had promised much to Grigor's relief. He may very well take his master up on his suggestion of communing with the forest to try and glean the answers he sought, but it would have to happen from within the confines of the camp. He became so engrossed in his own thoughts that he missed the soft reply of his mentor.

"Excuse me, Eryl. What did you just say?"

"Gaius. He is the royal physician and an old friend. It is through Gaius that we will come to Arthur and to Emrys."

With that statement Eryl finished his tea and silently got up to move to the bed that Grigor had prepared. Grigor sat for a long time feeling even more concerned by Eryl's plan. It seemed a foolish idea to him to enter so closely to the royal household by seeking a meeting with the court physician, but given the circumstances it likewise seemed that it was their only real hope of contacting Prince Arthur.

TBC