I was setting this up as an penultimate chapter until I realised there were too many loose ends to leave it at that. Then I got stuck. So this does refer to the magic used in Episode 5.3 The Death Song Of Uther Pendragon because when I saw that I knew I could use it. It's not too effective here but more in the Merlin/Arthur conversation that is to follow...
Obviously there are some spoliers for the aforementioned chapter...
Merlin now stopped worrying if he didn't see Arthur for a few hours, or even the entire day. More often than not, if he needed to find him, Arthur would be nestled within the huge trunks of the rowan tree. The flowers were slowly starting to shed, but everyone could see the berries slowly growing, the bright red fruits attracting the birds from the forest.
It seemed early in the season for such a thing to be happening, but Merlin didn't think, metaphorically, that it was all that strange. Things were changing in Camelot. It had been a week since Arthur's monumental battle, and things had settled down somewhat. The armies had taken three days to pack up and leave, and the area around Camelot looked devastated, it would take a while to carefully replant the crops and mend the paddocks. Plus the small town needed to be rebuilt and for now people were cramming into the castle, although those that had avoided the old, broken down building now didn't seem to mind. The cold, silent corridors were filled with activity and the castle seemed to breathe with life.
Merlin wondered if that wasn't simply down to Arthur's ambling but slightly baffled presence. He seemed to be more of a fixture than anything within the walls. It had fallen to Merlin to organise the soldiers that remained and the citizens into groups to start mending the damage that had been wrought. It was not one of Arthur's strengths, although the contributions he had tentatively made in the first few meetings of the council seemed to make sense to Merlin, and everyone else that heard them.
Covering the last few steps Merlin walked onto the battlements to find Arthur, tucked up in the tree, the evening sun glinting off his golden hair. He sat looking out at the trampled, muddy ground and the woods beyond. In the distance Kilgharrah flew across the sky, as he was often seen to do at that time, Balinor having long found it to be a deterrent from any bandits thinking to take advantage of the castle's late returning inhabitants.
Arthur turned his head when he heard Merlin's footsteps and didn't look surprised at the sight of him.
"Gwen's just serving supper. Did you eat lunch?" Merlin asked adjusting the roll of paper he carried under his arm.
"Yes," Arthur said, almost irritably. "I was with Gaius so he had something as well."
Merlin smirked. "He's been surprisingly more co-operative since you started telling him what to do. Gwen wonders what your secret is."
It was probably no secret. He was simply Arthur, and Gaius' delight at his presence and the guilt over not protecting him as a child, seemed to make Gaius acquiesce without argument. Arthur smirked slightly and then looked back out at the scenery.
"It's a bit of a mess," Merlin said.
"Gaius said it will make for a hard winter."
"We'll manage, even if I have to cheat a bit," Merlin said.
"Should you do that though? Gaius keeps going on about the balance of the natural order."
"I've had the same lecture. We should be fine, I get the feeling the autumn will be kind to us. There should be time to grow at least some more food and we kept the livestock safe enough in the courtyard. Besides I think the kings will send us something in lieu of thanks, for housing their wounded."
"There's not many of them left now, another group set off this morning," Arthur said. "Gaheris and Gwaine went with them."
"Are you all right, you spoke to Gwaine before he left?"
"Of course I did," Arthur said.
He had gone to see Gaheris off and couldn't feel surprised that Gwaine planned to travel with him. He understood why, his brother could not travel swiftly, he remained in recovery from a severe wound. Gwaine would not leave Gaheris to forces that he could not control himself. Arthur knew that without Gwaine even needing to explain it.
"It will be easier if I go. My father might be less annoyed and I'm more a nuisance here than anything."
"No one's said that," Arthur told him.
"I know that, but I can't trust my brother not to get into any more trouble and... I don't think you want me around at the moment."
Gwaine reached out to take Arthur's hand to draw him away from the group waiting to leave. Arthur let Gwaine take him out of sight of the others. He looked around, realising they were alone but he didn't feel unsafe, he never had with Gwaine.
"You've got a lot to do now. You've got your own kingdom."
"It's small, and I have help."
"You have Merlin," Gwaine said, his voice rippling with jealousy. "And you probably won't find it very easy. I'd just like to come back, and maybe be a part of it."
Arthur had blinked and nodded. And then felt no surprise when Gwaine had leant forward, placing his lips on Arthur's. Arthur made no objection, and he could have chosen to lean away. He could have, but he didn't. Instead he leant forward, increasing the pressure on Gwaine's lips. That encouraged Gwaine to reach up and twine his fingers into Arthur's hair, open his mouth and probe his tongue against Arthur's lips. Arthur
responded, relaxing against him. It was his choice.
His natural inclination was to submit to whoever he was with but he actually chose to at that moment. Gwaine had never hurt him and Gwaine knew when he had pushed the situation to a point. Drawing away he held Arthur's face gently in both hands.
"I'll come back, I promise."
"I know."
It was all Arthur could say. Gwaine had gone back home, as was right for the moment.
"Come on then," Merlin said, realising that Arthur was not brooding over Gwaine's departure. "Supper. We can pick up Gaius on the way."
"Can I ask?" Arthur asked, not moving from the safety of the rowan tree. Merlin turned back.
"Of course. About what though?"
"Aaliah. She was your sister, wasn't she?"
Merlin turned to face Arthur, sighing slightly. "I'm not sure. If she was my sister, my real, alive sister then she would be just coming of age. What we saw was a child, but I don't doubt that the spirits of those lost to us remain somewhere. Some of them are kind and wish us well, others don't."
"Have you seen her before? When I remember you seeing her that first time, you smiled, like you were pleased to see her."
Merlin stepped closer to Arthur, his head tilting and an expression of sadness enveloping his face.
"I can never be sure, I have to trust in what I sense. It has happened before, and it's not just..." Merlin tailed off, biting his lip and looking upwards at the tree now growing so strongly above them.
"My father told me, and I felt his anger. I felt the same when the camp I lived at was attacked. None of them fought back, they knew to wait. It's not just Aaliah I see, it's my mother. Those spirits that Avalon choose can work within our realm, if it's needed. I can't accept what happened. It was why I chose to do what I did, to become someone who would fight for those that were unable to. I went to the council of kings and told them what I wanted to do, and it have very little to do with the words I said."
"You still wanted avenge their deaths. No one can blame you."
"They did, they knew, and what I could have been didn't bear thinking about. I saw Aaliah, I saw my mother; the first time I raided an enemy village."
"You did the right thing. You protected those that needed it."
"Hardly. I slaughtered men who fought against a king, and left their families homeless. I met them on the road, struggling to find a new home."
"And Aaliah was with them?"
"Not as she looked to you. She appeared different, but her principle was the same; guidance was needed, and who better than the mother and the sister I had lost."
"And then, they needed me to take the sword," Arthur mused. "Who was she staying with when she travelled with the Druids though?"
Merlin shrugged. "They are quite used to the oddities of magic, one of them would have sensed her purpose, and let it run it's course."
"What about your father? It looked like he had never seen her before."
"He didn't see. He refused to, until you did, and it became too hard to ignore."
"I'm sorry for what happened."
"They know that," Merlin said. "And you were more of a child than I was."
"Now I know, what Gaius told me, and you... I just wish I could ask my father. I don't know. I never really thought about my family, not really. Even when I watched other people, I couldn't imagine what it would be like. Not that it matters," Arthur sighed. "It's not like I can ever find out. There is no point wondering about his motivations, I just need to think about my own."
Merlin stared at him for a moment. "What is to be prevented is a repetition of the past, neither of us should be tainted by it, and I find you annoyingly accepting of what happened to you."
"I was very used to it, and since things changed I haven't really had time to be angry. I don't think I want to be. It wasn't all bad, but when it was it was... very bad."
"Like Bayard, and Cenred."
"Weirdly Cenred was no where close to the worst. It was painful, but it was never beyond what I could cope with."
Merlin stepped closer and leant against a tree branch, tilting his head to look at Arthur.
"Do you feel angry?"
"No, not really. I understand why people are angry. I even know that what happened was wrong, everything that happened seemed wrong, and thanks to Gaius' history lessons I understand that Camelot never got replaced as that one, pivotal kingdom that kept control. I don't think the rest of them are going to let us do that any time soon, but if I am supposed to unite them all, I do quite a good job. Their entire armies combined to attack me."
"They fear the prophecy, however much it might prevent bloodshed."
"So, I am really supposed to do this."
"You are the Once And Future King, you have taken control of Excalibur and have proven your worth, in more ways than one. There are people that believe in this, in so many cases their faith in such is all they have."
"No pressure then?" Arthur asked with a wry smile.
"I don't think you are going to go that wrong. You know how things work, and you understand what might need making better. It'll be fine, although the kings left several decrees and writs that need going though." Merlin uncurled his arm and held out the papers. Arthur took them and stared at the words without comprehension. Merlin carried on talking regardless.
"You need to reply to them, and state the intentions you have. We can start drafting them once we have been through that lot. Come on."
Very slowly Arthur unwound himself from his safe position within the two trunks of the tree. Merlin turned to walk away, expecting Arthur to catch up with him, he paused as Arthur asked, looking at the papers.
"Okay, although, you don't want me to write anything do you?"
"There would not be much point unless you did..." Merlin turned to say and then blinked, tilting his head and sighed as he realised what Arthur might be getting at and saw how he tentatively held the sheets of paper.
"You don't know how to read and write do you?"
"Can't someone else do it?"
"No, Arthur, at some point messengers will bring letters and decrees and information, you have to be able to read it."
"I suppose I'd better learn then."
Merlin looked at him steadily for a moment before reaching to take the papers from him again.
"Later," Merlin said, as if he had suddenly come to another decision.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Arthur shivered as they stood just outside the circle of stones. They looked very strange as far as Arthur was concerned.
"It feels weird here," he commented. Gaius reached out to pat his arm. Leon and Percival stared around at the stone structure without much comprehension. Merlin's eyes had somehow intensified, as if he could really feel something rippling around the sacred site.
"If you don't want to do this, you don't have to. It was just a suggestion."
"It is very powerful magic," Gaius commented.
Arthur frowned and glanced at Merlin in concern. "It's not dangerous is it?"
"Not if handled correctly. When you reach the centre, blow the horn, you'll see the light and just walk forward. When you turn to leave don't look back or you'll allow the release of the spirit into this world."
"Spirits are in this world though aren't they?" Arthur asked. In some form Hunith and Aaliah had stayed.
"Yes, but it's probably more complicated than you want to think about. Do you want to do this Arthur, we can just go home."
"But then I would just wonder, wouldn't I?"
Arthur stopped wondering, and after a brief glance at Merlin, he walked into the circle and taking a deep breath blew on the horn. For a moment he didn't see anything and he hesitated for a moment, almost glancing back towards Merlin, but then the light engulfed him and he took a few tentative steps forward. He wondered what he would see; would he even want to see it.
Slowly he saw the figure walk out, moving at a slow graceful pace, turning into the silhouette of a woman. As he went towards her, she didn't seem to move closer to him. Arthur started to run and she seemed to evade him, and he turned to find her. She stood a little away from him, just out of his reach but Arthur assessed the way she smiled at him, so kindly.
"Mother?" Arthur asked.
He ran forward again, reaching out a hand to try and grab her. However, she remained just out of his reach and his hand closed on nothing. It wasn't there, Merlin had warned him of that. He paused, standing still, and simply allowing himself to stare at her, as she smiled. Arthur felt himself returning it as he assessed her, seeing her delicate, pale features, some of which he certainly appeared to have taken from her.
"I'm sorry," he added.
In his own way, he had killed her. As innocent of the crime he had been, he couldn't deny the fact that it was because of him she had died, and that had caused a chain of events that had proved almost disastrous.
Arthur hardly realised she had moved closer as she suddenly seemed to glide forward her hand reaching out, but not quite touching him as she brushed her palm against his cheek. He couldn't seem to feel it and then as quickly as she had come forward she retreated, disappearing back into the light that surrounded them. He wondered if that was going to be all he would see until he realised another figure was moving forward. Arthur bit down on his lower lip and waited as the figure strode forward. There was confidence in the movement, and Arthur blinked as he assessed the man in front of him. The man in question appeared to be doing the same to him. The intense gaze made Arthur shift uncomfortably, especially as something stirred in the back of his mind. It didn't really tell him anything, but he could make an educated guess as to who this spirit was.
"Arthur," the man said flatly.
"Father?" Arthur's voice sounded tentative to his own ears. His guess appeared to be correct as the man gave what looked like a curt nod. Arthur blinked, there didn't seem to much more forthcoming from his
father.
"I don't really remember you."
Uther shrugged at that. "You were very young, and I had a kingdom to run."
Arthur frowned, not really understanding what Uther was implying by that.
"I have watched you," Uther said, which caused Arthur to wince. "You have to be decisive now, if you are going to strengthen the kingdom. I had to fight for Camelot, now you must do the same. Too much corruption has taken hold across the lands."
Arthur blinked, not sure how to really answer that. Uther regarded him expectantly.
"I'm not sure what I can do. We're not exactly very popular at the moment. At least Merlin..."
"He is where to start!" Uther hissed. "No kingdom of mine would tolerate such an abomination as him."
Arthur took an unconscious step back at the venom in Uther's voice. A chill ran down his spine as it occurred to him he was talking to the person who had ruthlessly slaughtered a woman and her unborn child.
"Merlin's not an abomination."
Uther laughed mirthlessly. "He has corrupted you. Do not be fooled by him; since you have proven yourself as true heir to the throne of Camelot he sees you as nothing more than a puppet. He will take the power for himself."
"No, he won't. Merlin wouldn't do that."
"You cannot trust him! If you were any of son of mine you would slaughter him and use that as an example to the rest of his kind."
Arthur stood there, numb with shock and unable to vocalise for a moment.
"Have you nothing to say about what happened to me?" he eventually asked.
"I was betrayed by people I trusted. What happened should have been a lesson to you. If you deal with him, in the correct way, then you can prove your worth to the other kings."
"I can't do that," Arthur said.
"All you show to them is your weakness, relying on the Dragonlords."
Arthur listened to the contempt in his father's voice, eventually saying. "Merlin saved me. He looked after me."
He could feel the stinging behind his eyes as the tears threatened and heard the break in his voice. It was the last thing he expected, if Uther had seen all that he had been put through. Arthur heard no sympathy in his voice, or saw it on his face. He backed up a step, his stomach churning.
"If you saw what happened to me how can you say that about Merlin?"
"He is using you. You have knowledge now, deep knowledge, of every weakness, in every kingdom. That you can use to your advantage, take control, and show your strength. For that you start with Merlin, no one will blame you..."
Arthur couldn't hear any more. He turned and started to run heeding the warnings that he was not to look back. That was not a danger as he stumbled forward, lurching over a clump of grass in the centre of the circle and pitching face down on the ground. Arthur gasped as he landed feeling the damp grass on his face.
Merlin watched in shock as Arthur stumbled into view running as if his life depended on it. As he struggled to his feet Arthur didn't look where he was going except to leave the circle. Merlin and Gaius both met him and Arthur didn't seem to care where he landed, he just launched himself into their arms and he let the tears start to flow.