A/N - Sorry for the slight delay in the posting of this chapter. I have been waylaid for almost a week with migraine headaches. They don't prevent me from working, but they do interfere with writing. In any case I have not started the next chapter so it may be a week or so before it can be posted. I appreciate all the support and reviews. You guys in this fandom are terrific!

Chapter Sixteen

Arthur and Leon walked down the corridor discussing the situation between Camelot and Mercia.

"I am a little surprised that the King reacted so... mildly, Sire."

Arthur stopped at the top of the stairs leading down to the courtyard and looked at Leon for a moment. "Why is that?"

"The attack on you, Sire. I would not have thought that something that could be so easily dismissed."

"Leon, my father was by no means dismissing it. I am sure that the diplomatic envoy will carry a rather scathing dispatch to Cenred."

"I meant no disrespect, Sire. It's just that I would have expected him to..."

Leon didn't seem to want to finish his thought, so Arthur obliged him, knowing what Leon was probably thinking. "Overreact? It may seem out of character for my father to seek a diplomatic solution first, but we have to keep in mind that many bloody battles were fought and hundreds of men died to attain the tenuous peace between Mercia and Camelot. It isn't something the King will easily let fall by the wayside. That is why our 'scouting mission' is so important. While Cenred and my father are facing off in the political arena, we will probe his defenses and ascertain what offensive measures Cenred has put into place."

Leon nodded his head with a look of approval. "Your suggestion of a reconnaissance mission shows that you are an excellent tactical leader, Arthur. That is something the King needs to recognize in you."

Arthur lead the way with Leon walking beside and half a step behind the Prince. "We will want to select six of our finest knights. I will lead the advance guard and you will lead the rear guard. We'll dress as peasants and infiltrate the border. We need to try to determine what Cenred's resources are, how many men he has moving through the border lands, the best tactical entry points for Mercia and defendable terrain on our side of the border. If we can get an accurate enough idea of how Cenred will attack we could set a trap or at the least defend the territory better."

"Do you anticipate an attack, Sire?" Leon asked, wondering how soon they would all be setting off to war.

"I don't think Cenred will attack, at least not until he believes he has the upper hand. He still fears my father in open battle, and he knows that he would never be able to breach the citadel if he were to try to lay siege to Camelot. Either way ultimately he would end up on the losing side of the encounter, and Cenred doesn't take chances. That is one of the reasons that my father was able to get him to sign the treaty in the first place. Without some advantage I don't believe that Cenred will attack Camelot out right. Our job will be to make sure he doesn't have that advantage, and to covertly disrupt any preparations he has already made."

Arthur smiled slightly as he mentioned disrupting Cenred's preparations and Leon asked, "You have something in mind, Sire?"

"Let's just say that Cenred's forces are about to have quite a run of bad luck."

The knights of Camelot all had their assignments within an hour of Arthur and Leon leaving the throne room. The small group that Arthur and Leon had hand-picked for the reconnaissance and sabotage mission left to find suitable attire for their journey. Another contingent of Knights was set to accompany the royal courier with a message for King Cenred, while the rest of Camelot's knights had instructions to continuously and very visibly patrol the border, as well as to ensure the safely of the outlying villages by evacuating those who were too close to Mercia for comfort. Arthur's intention was three fold; while the diplomatic discussion between the kingdoms proceeded between Cenred and Uther the Knights actions close to the border would be extremely visible drawing the attention of Cenred's men thus allowing his small group to successfully infiltrate the border undetected.

As the Knights dispersed, Arthur's thoughts turned inward again to the situation with Merlin. "Leon, I will meet you and the others at the stables in an hour. I need to take care of something first."

Leon frowned in confusion but bowed, "My, Lord."

As Arthur made his way back to the castle and Gaius' chambers he wrestled with what he should do. Trying to keep all of the things he had learned a secret from everyone including Merlin was giving him a feeling that his head would split open. He understood what the druids wanted of him, but he was unclear how to accomplish it.

If Merlin was told that he had been tended to by a village healer he would assume that this healer was in fact the druid healer that Inalira had taken her husband to. Then of course there was the matter of the travois that Arthur used to bring Merlin back to Camelot. Merlin would surly remember that and know that Arthur had taken him to the druids. This is where things got difficult. The druids were specific about this point. Merlin must never know that he was in their settlement. Nelora had given him something to make him forget, but how much would he forget? Would he remember being shot with the arrow or meeting Inalira? If he did, then Arthur could see no way to avoid Merlin realizing that Arthur had taken him to the druids.

This question had been plaguing the back of Arthur's mind since they arrived in Camelot and he was no closer to an answer than he had been before. It had been nearly three hours since he had left Merlin in Gaius' care and he knew that the physician would follow his instructions and allow no one to speak with Merlin until he had an opportunity to, but that didn't help him either. He needed to know what Merlin remembered before he spoke to him. As Arthur approached the spiral staircase leading to the physician's chambers the answer to his dilemma hit him with the force of a physical blow.

"Of course! Gaius!" Arthur said, aloud.

"Sire?" The voice of a startled guard interrupted Arthur's thoughts and he turned to look at the man standing century at the base of the spiral staircase leading up the west tower of the castle.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud." Arthur said, as he walked right past the man. He now had a course of action and was determined to see it through. The druids were specific that Arthur not divulge what he knew about Merlin to anyone, including Merlin, but what about Gaius? He already knew about Merlin and he might even know of this prophecy. He needed an accomplice in order to make this work and Gaius was the perfect choice. Just as he reached the top of the staircase he nearly ran straight into the court physician as he was stepping out of his chambers.

"Gaius."

The aging physician turned toward the sound of the voice calling his name and quickly closed the door behind him.

"How is he? Has he woken up yet?" Arthur asked.

"He did wake briefly, Sire, but he was in a great amount of pain so I gave him something fairly strong for it. I am sorry, but the medication has caused him to fall asleep again."

Arthur looked around at the corridor they were standing in then back at Gaius. "I need to speak to you privately. Will Merlin rouse if we talk in your chambers?"

Gaius looked slightly nervous by the question and said, "It is possible, but I wouldn't recommend waking him just yet, Sire."

Arthur looked around again not liking the public nature of their surroundings, nor was he willing to chance Merlin waking and listening to their conversation. "Would you please join me in my chambers. We need to discuss Merlin, and it cannot wait."

Gaius grew very pale at Arthur's words, but he nodded obediently and followed Arthur to the main castle keep. As they walked along Arthur didn't even acknowledge that Gaius was with him, because he was so deep in thought. He was trying to form a plausible alibi in his mind that would convince Merlin and everyone else for that matter that they had not seen the druid camp, but that all hinged on what Merlin remembered.

Once they arrived at Arthur's chambers they entered and the Prince closed and bolted the door behind them making Gaius blanche. Arthur saw the now open concern on the physician's face and felt a twinge of guilt. "Relax, Gaius. Merlin's secret is safe with me."

Gaius just stared at him for a moment before replying, "I have no idea what you are talking about, Sire."

Arthur didn't have time for this game. "Gaius, please sit down. This is very important and I don't have much time. I have to prepare to leave on a scouting trip to Mercia, but I cannot go until I have the situation with Merlin sorted out."

"Sire, what situation are you referring to?" Gaius asked cautiously.

Arthur shook his head. Gaius did not come to his position without making sure he was very careful about anything he said. "I know about Merlin, Gaius. I know that he has magic."

"Gaius raised his eyebrows in shock, but said nothing."

"It is a long story that I don't really have time to relay. He was dying, Gaius, so I did the only thing I could do. I took him to the druids. That is in direct violation of our laws, but if I hadn't he would be dead now. The village healer I spoke of was in reality a druid healer. She saved him, but something happened. He didn't wake from his injuries. He got worse. He stopped wanting to live. Before being injured he told me about Freya, Gaius. At first I didn't realize he was talking about the druid girl who went missing. I figured that bit out later. He loved her, you know, and when she died it broke him."

Gaius' eyes widened as Arthur spoke obviously not knowing what he could say upon hearing such a tale. Arthur was unsure how much of Merlin's exploits the physician was privy to.

"I know this story is a little hard to believe, but it is true, and it gets far more unbelievable. The druids did something that I still think was monumentally foolish. They put me in mortal danger in order to elicit some kind of response from him. To their astonishment, as well as my own, this tactic of theirs is what brought him back from the brink of death. He woke up and used magic to save me."

Gaius sputtered a bit and could no longer hold his tongue. "The bandits were of the druids doing?"

"What?" Arthur asked, completely nonplussed.

Gaius looked nervous again so Arthur plowed ahead. "Look it doesn't matter. Merlin woke up just long enough to save me, but revealed his magic in the process. He was still burning up with fever. The druid council told me of an ancient prophecy. They wouldn't divulge the particulars of this prophecy, only that Merlin and I were a part of it. They said that I was not meant to know about Merlin's magic yet, and that my knowledge of it before it was the right time could be very dangerous. They said that if I knew about his magic before it was time for me to know, it could change the outcome. They somehow managed to persuade me to keep it secret from everyone, especially Merlin. He can't know that I know.

"But that leaves me with a huge dilemma. I don't know what he remembers. The only reason I knew that there was a druid settlement with a healer nearby was because Merlin and I met a woman taking her husband to the druids because he was gravely wounded. If Merlin remembers that, then he will figure out that I took him there. The problem is that they, the council, said he can never know he was in their camp. Nelora gave him something to make him forget, but I don't know how much he will forget."

"Nelora, Sire?" Gaius asked.

"The druid healer. I need to know what he remembers and then come up with a story that he will believe. What did he say to you when he woke up?"

Gaius stood up and began pacing as he tried to sort out everything that Arthur had just told him. "Sire, are you trying to tell me that Merlin is a sorcerer and you are all right with that?"

Arthur sighed. He couldn't blame Gaius for being so careful. "He's not a sorcerer, he is a warlock."

The gleam in the old man's eyes was all the confirmation Arthur needed that Gaius knew precisely what he was talking about, so he continued. "Apparently the distinction is not easy for non magic user to grasp. Gaius, I would never turn Merlin in to my father. He's a friend, and if the truth be told, he is my best friend. I would never betray him like that. Over the last couple of days I have learned a great deal. There is so much about magic that I don't really know. The druid people are truly amazing and my personal experience with them flies in the face of everything I have ever been taught, with one notable exception."

Gaius turned a curious face to the young Prince. "And what is that exception, Sire?"

"Oh, that would be when they tied me to a stake and set the pyre alight under my feet."

The look on Gaius' face was something that Arthur would never forget. It was the most comical conjunction of shock, amazement, disbelief and horror. "They did what, Sire!" the man said, as he sat down bonelessly in the chair again.

"Gaius, I know how that sounds, but trust me there were mitigating circumstances. I never would have been physically harmed. I didn't understand that at first, but now I do, but right now all of that is irrelevant, what did Merlin tell you when he woke up?"

"He didn't mention anything about a druid camp. He remembered the battle with Cenred's men and the bandits. He was worried that you had gotten hurt because you were outnumbered."

"Is that what you meant earlier about the druids sending the bandits?" Arthur asked, knowing full well that Merlin had used magic to even the odds that Arthur faced.

"That is the only thing that Merlin said to me when he woke so I am only guessing." Gaius replied, still not sure how this conversation was going to go.

Arthur stood up and began pacing nodding his head. "Okay so if he doesn't remember the druid camp that's good. I need to speak to him before I go, but Leon and the scouting party will be waiting for me. Gaius, I'm sorry, but I really must speak to him before I leave. I will be gone for some time, at least a week or more. Will it be safe to wake him. I won't take long, I promise."

Gaius seemed to relax a little having accepted Arthur's impassioned plea. "Sire, I know your time is short but if I am to help you I must know the actual sequence of events. The knights will not leave without you and another half an hour could make all the difference."

Arthur had to concede the point, so he sat down at the table again and told Gaius the story of the events of the last three days as they unfolded. Once he had finished Gaius sat mute for a moment taking in all that Arthur had told him.

"This simple trip has been quite the epiphany for you hasn't it?" was all he could seem to muster.

"That, would be putting it mildly, Gaius. I have a much deeper understanding of the world now, and even given the dire circumstances of this trip, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. There is so much about magic, the laws and customs of my own kingdom, and about Merlin that I just never truly understood before. In truth, I still don't understand a lot of what I now know, but I accept that Merlin is a good man with a pure soul. He has not been corrupted by the magic that is as much a part of him as his life's blood. What I still find so astonishing and a little unsettling is this prophecy business."

Something in Gaius' eyes told Arthur that the aging physician may know more than he was letting on about the ancient druid prophecy, but there would be time to ponder that later. Right now they needed to come up with a cover story that would satisfy Merlin's natural curiosity. Arthur may never admit it aloud, but he knew that Merlin was very sharp and would notice any inconsistencies in what he was told about the time he couldn't remember.

"If Merlin remembers your encounter with Inalira he will assume that you took him to the druid camp because that happened before he was shot with the poisoned arrow. What we need to ascertain is how far back his clear memory goes. Anything else we can write off as fevered delirium. If he does indeed remember your first encounter with the druids then I can only advise that you tell him that you brought him back to Camelot as quickly as you could, bypassing the druids altogether."

"Will he believe that? I'm not sure I would. Why would I try to bring him back three days journey without first getting him help that I knew was nearby?"

Gaius thought about that for a moment. "You said that you had to leave Merlin and Inalira alone in the clearing before the druids would answer her call. You could tell him that you did take him to that clearing and waited until you felt certain that the druids were not coming and then you brought him here yourself."

Arthur looked up at the physician hopefully. He should have thought of that on his own. "Yes, that would work. They nearly didn't come even when I begged them. It wasn't until Merlin stopped breathing that the leader turned up in answer to the call of the smoke."

Gaius blanched once again when Arthur mentioned how close to death his ward had come. They had taken too much time to come to the logical conclusion of what to tell Merlin and Arthur was anxious to get moving. They made their way quickly back to Gaius' chambers only to find Merlin already stirring in his sleep.

Arthur was at his side almost before Gaius could enter behind the Prince and close the door.

"Merlin? Hey, can you hear me?" Arthur asked as he gently shook the young man's shoulder.

Merlin's eyes fluttered open and it took him a moment to focus on the face hovering above his own.

"Come on you lay-about. It's about time you woke up." Arthur said, in a tone that belied the harshness of his words.

"Arthur?" Merlin's voice was strangled and horse. Gaius handed a cup of water to Arthur who helped Merlin to raise his head up and take a sip of the cool liquid.

"Merlin, listen to me, now. I have to leave." This caused the young man's eyes to open wider and seemed to clear a bit of the fog away.

"Where are we going?"

Arthur had to smile at that. "We are not going anywhere. You have one job, and that is to do what ever Gaius tells you, is that clear? I on the other hand have to go on a scouting trip into Mercia."

That announcement gave the young man the impetus to sit upright quickly causing his head to spin wildly and making him sway dangerously. If Arthur hadn't been there to hold him he would surly have toppled out of the narrow bed.

"You can't go to Mercia. They tried to kill you."

"I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Merlin. My duty calls for this trip and it is not a foray I would have you go on even if you were fit to travel, which you are not."

"But..."

"No buts, Merlin, you need to rest."

"How... What happened?"

Arthur couldn't have asked for a better lead in. "What do you remember?"

"I don't know. Bits and pieces that don't fit together."

Arthur glanced up at Gaius then back to Merlin. "Merlin, you were delirious with a high fever. I have told Gaius everything so he can help you fill in any blanks you may have. Just try to rest. I'll be back in a week or two. By then you should be fit enough to return to your duties."

Merlin flopped back down on the bed with a heavy sigh. "Oh goody, I can't wait to muck out the stables."

"That's the spirit!" Arthur replied with a smile.

Arthur stood up and turned to leave when he was stopped by Merlin's voice. "Don't get yourself killed out there, Arthur. I won't be there to have your back this time."

Arthur laughed at that, but his stomach did a flip flop having the feeling that Merlin's jest was foreshadowing a future he didn't want to face alone.

Grigor rechecked the protection spell surrounding the camp and re-enforced its strength. Eryl was finally sleeping soundly; the soft snores emanating from the back of the lean-to was proof enough of that. Grigor decided that it was time to listen to the advice of his mentor and clear his mind so that he could see the path that lay before them.

Grigor sat comfortably before the fire. He slowly breathed in the fresh night air allowing it to gather at his center. When he blew the air out he allowed it to take all of the tension and stress he felt with it. As he continued to breathe, Grigor began to relax each muscle in his body starting from the top of his head, down his neck and shoulders, and down through his chest and back. He felt each muscle loosen and grow lax. He concentrated on his abdomen and hips loosening the stiffness from riding all day. His legs relaxed slowly and he willed the feeling of calm to radiate down through his calfs and ankles all the way down through sore aching feet and toes.

As he slowly relaxed each muscle he imagined the stress of his concerns about Eryl and this trip move down through his body until at last all the negative energy reached his feet and bled out through the bottom of his soles. The breeze through the canopy of leaves high above his head seemed to act as a vehicle for his tension and stress. It swept it away on the whisper of wind, leaving him settled and quiet.

Grigor focused his gaze on the small flames of the campfire. He watched them flit back and forth erratically, feeling at peace with the forest surrounding him. He allowed all thought to flow like the breeze out of his mind making it completely empty. The only thing that existed were the flames of the fire. There were no sounds of rustling leaves in the trees, no sensation of heat from the flames or coolness of the night air. As his mind became a blank slate the flickering movements of the flames began to coalesce into a pattern in his mind; their movements no longer random, but rather composed themselves into an intricate pattern.

The dancing flames seemed to condense of their own accord and then suddenly erupted into a swirling torrent of sparks spinning around faster and faster. Images began to materialize within the whirlpool of burning embers. A fierce dragon breathing fire. Uniform soldiers clad in red and gold fighting in battle waged war upon other soldiers. Golden eyes flashed and seemed to see through his very soul. A kingly figure wearing a circuit of gold fighting beside a wild boar. Ancient runes depicting the four elements. A maiden with dark curled hair flowing over a servant's dress. A winged black cat with deep amber eyes. An alter surrounded by pillars of stone open to the night sky. Two silver chalices on a wooden table over looking the sea. In the middle of all of it a figure slowly emerged.

As the image drew nearer and became more focused Grigor saw a familiar face; wizened and old with white hair that reached the shoulders. Wise eyes peering out from a wrinkled face, the left one drooping slightly. It was the Secret Keeper, a figure that had appeared in many of his visions. The Secret Keeper was turning slowly in the opposite direction of the tempest of images surrounding him. He held both arms out on either side of his body. In his left hand he held a magnificent sword with a golden pommel. An inscription on the blade read "Take me up." As the Secret Keeper slowly turned Grigor was able to read another inscription on the opposite side of the blade which read "Cast me away." In his right hand he held a long wooden staff with a dragon sitting atop it clutching an oval shaped blue jewel. Carved around the top portion of the staff were the elemental symbols representing Earth, Water, Fire and Air.

A palpable energy existed within each of the objects; powerful, yet separate. It became apparent that the different images swirling around in the embers from the fire seemed drawn toward either the sword or the staff and somehow it became clear to Grigor that the Secret Keeper was acting as a bridge between them.

The Secret Keeper continued spinning slowly, but with each revolution his outline became less distinct until he was no longer recognizable though the sword and the staff remained clear. The rotation slowed at the center of the swirling tempest of other images and when it came to a halt the Secret Keeper was no longer there. Now in his place stood a scale. The sword and the staff each on one end of the scale in perfect balance, but before long the balance of the scale wavered, and it began to tip. The sword toppled and fell, tumbling through the space between itself and the staff. Grigor watched in horror as the staff was rent asunder by the blade of the sword. The two halves falling away and shattering. The sword burst into flames and the swirling images scattered in a shower of sparks and flames that burned brightly enough to momentarily blind the young seer.

When his vision cleared, Grigor found himself sitting cross legged staring down into his hands in front of the small campfire panting heavily and feeling utterly drained. Tears streaked down his face, yet he had no recollection of shedding them. The vision was powerful and more profound than any he had experienced in a long time. When he looked up Eryl sat quietly staring at him.

"Tell me about your vision."

Grigor took a moment to collect himself before his eyes opened wide is surprise. "Eryl! Why are you up? Did I awaken you?"

"The vision was disturbing?"

"What? No. Yes. It was confusing. You shouldn't be up right now. You need to sleep."

Grigor was feeling very agitated. The vision was far more convoluted than what he normally experienced. He didn't understand what all of the images meant. Some of it was fairly obvious, but there were many things that simply made no sense. The overall feeling he had from the vision was one of urgency.

"There were many images swirling around like a wind storm. In the center of it all was a very clear image. It was the Secret Keeper."

Eryl nodded his head. "The old man you have seen in the past. Have you come to the conclusion as to why you view him as a Secret Keeper yet?"

Grigor rubbed his hands over his face while shaking his head. "I am no clearer on that now than I have ever been. I only know that this man, this image refers to something hidden or confidential. In my vision the Secret Keeper was holding a sword in one hand and a staff in the other while all the other images circled him like dry leaves whipped up in an early winter storm. Both of the objects the Secret Keeper held were teeming with power. They were connected and yet separate. I got a different sense of the Secret Keeper in this vision. He was acting as a bridge or conduit between the sword and the staff. Then he changed and became a scale holding the sword and the staff in balance, but that balance was disrupted and the sword fell, breaking the staff when the two collided. When the staff was broken I felt a terrible turmoil within my heart. Is this what you have been feeling? Does this vision refer to the prophecy?"

Eryl listened closely to Grigor, but didn't seem to want to make a judgment about the vision just yet. "I do believe that your vision may well be related to the broken prophecy. I believe that the staff may well represent Emrys where the sword represents Arthur. Your visions have always taken on a different form than my own so I cannot be completely sure what everything you saw meant. Tell me what all the images you experienced are and perhaps we can decipher the message within the vision."

Grigor retold Eryl every detail of the vision. It took a while and by the time he was finished the hour was very late. Eryl remained quiet throughout the entire re-telling reserving comment until the young man had finished his tale. While Eryl seemed to be energized by his brief nap, Grigor felt drained and exhausted from the force of his vision.

The ancient seer must have sensed how Grigor felt. "Grigor, your vision is what aroused me. It was very powerful and I sensed your disquiet. It is very late and we are both very tired. Let us sleep now and discuss the vision in the morning."

Grigor easily agreed to Eryl's suggestion, but would not lay down to sleep until Eryl was settled back in the lean to covered with furs. As he lay down, Grigor couldn't help the thoughts swirling around in his head. He had never understood why the man he named the Secret Keeper appeared in his visions, but for some reason he felt trust for this figure. He had not had a vision of the Secret Keeper in quite some time, and wondered why he suddenly appeared now and in connection with the ancient druid prophecy. Thus were the nature of the young man's dreams as sleep finally claimed him.