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Chapter 16; Storms Ahead

Morgana was shocked, she felt used and vulnerable. This wasn't right, it couldn't be so, they were friends, all of them, she trusted Gwen and she knew Rose did too, they would sit together and talk – albeit lately this had been happening less and less – still, they were together. She'd helped Gwen in times of trouble and in turn Gwen had done the same. She tried to save Gwen's father and got herself into all sorts of trouble for it, she'd helped Gwen in the aftermath of her father's death, helped her with food, even money, and she'd given her jobs, helped her earn her keep. Surely Gwen could not have thrown it all away?

But then Morgana thought of times recently, of Gwen's absence in her room, at the time she had been thankful, Rose and her could have uninterrupted conversations – what if all of those had been listened in to? All those times she had felt safe with her friend, speaking to someone who understood, had all of this been spied on, looked into? She felt exposed and scared, she knew half of what they had said, she knew that they held little back when speaking to one other – it was a true mark of friendship – but if Gwen had listened to them then they were in grave trouble.

She remembered Rose's entrance earlier that day, and her surprise at seeing her friend, and she remembered Rose saying that Gwen had sent her…

"Rose, I think it must be Gwen."

Rose looked at Morgana, hurt that they now had to question Gwen's friendship.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it makes sense. She sent you here, under the pretence that I wanted to see you, but I never did ask her to send you here, then it gives her an easy ear to our conversation. What if she has been listening all this time?"

"Gwen isn't that calculating, is she?"

"I didn't think so but it would make sense, she knows we're both here and all she has to do is hover outside, she doesn't look suspicious as she is my maid --"

Rose's mind went into overdrive, trying to piece together conversations, remember all she and Morgana had said to each other, recover all the conversations and memories, recall when Gwen had started to act distant, remember the conversation she had had with Gwen earlier…

"I left the door open…"

"What?" Morgana was confused at Rose's whisper "What door, where?"

"To Gaius's apartments…"

Merlin rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them up. No matter how many times he rubbed or hovered them over the fire they were still cold.

"Tell her that she is not safe, for now, but not forever"

He knew that he meant Rose, but what was this hideous man to her.

"I am he. I am the feared. I am the giver of gifts."

What gifts had he given her, Merlin's mind scoured the last weeks, trying to remember. Then it hit him.

"Rose they were gifts"

He remembered feeling confused as he had stood by the fire next to her, watching her burn the bow and arrows. This sorcerer, he had given them to her, now he saw why she wanted to burn them, they were not good gifts, they were not to be cherished, they were evil, poisoned. He had heard some stories of Rose's travels, he knew of some characters she had met; the men who had put carrots in their porridge, the ones Arthur killed and Rose had blamed herself for, he had heard of stray horses and rabbits she had met, he had heard of villages which she had stayed in for weeks or months, the places she had found to stay, the mountains of Isgaro she had climbed. But in all of this she had never told him of this sorcerer, he supposed he could see why, he was not a nice character – far from it – he was manipulative and down right scary, he made your spine tingle and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up dead straight, he made you listen, he enticed you in, he had the looks of an angel but the soul of the devil. He was a twisted man. Now he was dead, and Merlin had never been happier to hear of someone's passing. As soon as he returned he would tell her, he would pass on the message, and he would tell her she was safe. Just as soon as he returned, once this storm stopped…which it would. Wouldn't it?

Rose could not believe she was running, fast walking when someone else came onto the corridor, down towards Gaius's apartments, her new home, with Morgana by her side for the sole reason that they suspected Gwen of setting them up.

Of course Rose didn't want to believe it was true, but it did all make sense, the books – an easy access to her home, which from a spy's perspective could contain a whole wonder of evidence. And then a conversation to pry on, in case whatever she'd found in the home was not incriminating enough.

They rounded the corner, and Rose burst through the door she now considered her front door, her entrance to warm, and safe home. A home that now she feared could be upturned, poked and pried into.

But an upturned and disarrayed room they did not enter, no, nothing of the sort, it was immaculate, perfectly neat as if no one had moved a thing. That was the problem, it was too neat and tidy and indeed if Gwen had gone into the room under the pretence of picking up the books which she had so kindly requested then indeed those books should not have been lying on the bench with Gaius's note laid carefully on the top. They shouldn't be there and they were. Morgana noticed this and it was not long before Rose did too. Both knew, without speaking a word that it looked as if Gwen had indeed set them up.

Rose moved to the other side of the room and pushed the bedroom door open, it was here that Merlin and she kept their most prized and secret possessions. It was here that they could be tried and tested for magic and found guilty, there was enough evidence to kill them many times over, but it was untouched, just as before. For someone who had seemingly taken care and planning to leave an empty room Gwen seemed to have done nothing once her planned had slotted into place.

Rose closed the door behind her and looked back at Morgana. "Perhaps I was wrong."

"But it made perfect sense. Her distance, the planning, it all fitted."

"And yet nothing is moved."

"Or it has been moved back meticulously. Besides if she had been here like she said she had then the books shouldn't be sitting there, and if it wasn't her at the door who was it? Rose, I don't think we can trust anyone."

Rose hated it, she felt open, exposed, and thoroughly scared, at least Merlin was away and couldn't get caught up in it all, he was safe away hunting, oblivious to the danger she had got herself into. The danger she risked getting him into.

"I should go, leave Camelot."

To Rose it seemed like a logical solution, get out with her life while she could, and spare those who she now so deeply cared about.

"No, running away would prove your guilt, if Uther does know then that's exactly the response he's looking for, stay here and we deter him and send him off the track."

"Do you think that would work?"

"Do we have much choice? Besides it is not just our lives at risk here."

"What do you mean?" Rose was puzzled; it was her and Morgana's conversations that had been pried into, them who were in deep water. She hadn't a clue what this could mean for Rose's friends; her new family. Did she?

"Rose, it's ok, I know."

"What? What do you know?"

"I know."

Morgana smiled.

"About Merlin."

"What about him?" Suddenly Rose was on her guard and she was reminded of her first day in Camelot when she had told Merlin that she knew his secret, but surely this could not be what Morgana was hinting at.

"His powers, his secret, I saw it in a dream, in the same one, I saw that man die."

"Morgana…"

"It's ok; his secret is safe with me."

Rose shook her head; this was not safe, no, far from it. Not only were they being watched - possibly at that precise moment, but she knew Morgana and she could see in her eyes what was about to come next and she didn't like it, not one bit, it scared her because she had an idea of what her friend was planning and she didn't want Merlin to get hurt.

"Rose, together… us three together would be unstoppable, we would be so powerful."

"Morgana, no."

"We could place Arthur on the throne and get rid of Uther, and then even if we are caught it wouldn't matter, we'd be safe, finally."

"Morgana, no, killing Uther wouldn't work, even though his relationship is strained with Arthur at the moment, it would turn Arthur in the wrong direction, he needs to see good magic at work, can you even imagine what he will do finding out that his three close friends all possess magic? Morgana I am begging you don't do this."

"It is because we are his friends that it will work so well. Rose I am tired of having to hide who I am, who I truly am. Are you not fed up of having to talk in secret, hushed whispers when we think no one else is around, secret messages, fearing going to sleep and always, always hiding yourself."

"Yes of course I am Morgana, of course but this is not the way. Don't involve Merlin; leave him out of this, please."

"But he is the most powerful of all of us! He is extraordinary!"

"How can you know this, how much did you see?"

"Mere moments, but I felt it, I felt it in my dream, his shear power and magnitude, and he is great Rose, the greatest!"

"Where was this? How far in the future?"

"I could not tell, but not too long for he looked hardly changed." Morgana paused and then tried again "Rose, together…"

"No. No Morgana, no, and leave Merlin, don't say a thing. Sing from the highest mountains about me but don't say a word about Merlin."

Morgana was struck by Rose's self sacrifice, her insistent safety of Merlin, her care and compassion for him.

"You care for him."

Rose nodded "He is my family, he's all I've got, he is my brother and my best friend."

Morgana looked a little sad, and Rose cringed at her words.

"Not that you are not my friend or don't mean --"

"I understand Rose, no hard feeling, honest. I will guard his secret with my life, as will I yours."

"Thank you Morgana"

Then the two seers smiled, the women of the future, together.

Merlin didn't think he had ever thought about death greatly before. Of course the thought of dying had dawned on him, and considering his predicament, perhaps more so then young men of his age. And with the way Arthur frankly abused in sword training, he considered himself lucky he hadn't lost a hand or foot by now, or even an eye. But now with the fire beginning to splutter, and the source of wood running low, and the knowledge that one of their men had already passed the atmosphere in the cave was pretty dire.

Everyone thought differently, different mentalities, different memories, different thoughts, optimisms or pessimisms. Merlin thought of everything he had yet to achieve, yet to accomplish, and all the things he would leave behind.

He hadn't even told Arthur, his supposed other half of the coin about the powers he possessed, perhaps now as the future looked bleak, now was a good time to break the news. He thought of Gaius – the father figure he would leave behind, his mother back in his home village, Gwen and Morgana, his servant friends, he thought of Rose especially, and he remembered the bread roll she had made him, he took it out, but didn't feel hungry, feeling someone's eyes on him he turned to see Owen, a older Knight who was near to retirement, eyeing up the food, Merlin held it out and Owen gladly accepted his offer.

It wasn't till it was gone that Merlin wondered whether it could have been the last thing Rose ever gave him.

No, he mustn't think like that, he needed to remain positive and strong. He would see her again, he would, and when he did he would…what, he would what? Hug her, hold her? Merlin felt a surge of feelings that he tried to suppress, she was his best friend, his little sister, he was supposed to look after her, not….

He turned to look at Arthur who was staring into the flames and wondered what he was thinking of.

He thought of his failings. The death of his Knight, on a hunting trip, they were trained – he trained – them, he had led them to the forest, pushed them out further, found the damn beast and put all their lives in danger. Merlin too, and he was not even trained, he had thoughtlessly risked his men's lives, isn't that precisely what he had decided he didn't want to do? Hadn't he told Rose that he wanted a fair and just court? Now he had to go back to Camelot and break the news to a family that they had lost a husband and father. He looked around, how many other sons, fathers, and husbands were sitting in this cave now. How many lives would he affect, had he put in danger's way?

He remembered the man, that sorcerer that had transfigured, his words to Merlin – that had clearly shaken the poor man – his father would claim magic. And who was to disagree, it was clear in the evidence. It was then Arthur realised only Merlin and himself had seen the beast transform; only them had seen the human. He could go to his father and tell him they had seen a deer transform, tell him they had killed it, but what good would that do? Raise Uther's hate campaign, increase the death toll, Arthur didn't want more blood on his hands. He knew what Rose would say, he told her he had changed and this would prove to her he had not, he knew that this would upset her.

It would also upset someone else, he was sure she did not like death, or the executioners axe, for she knew what it was like to loose someone through it. And he cared, he realised then that he cared about what she cared about. He cared about Gwen.

He wouldn't tell him. In that moment Arthur decided to defy his father. Now they just had to get out of this cave.

Rose stood in the courtyard and watched as a troop of men left, rain pounding on their heads, clothes already soaked, their horses galloped away to the forest to find the Prince, the Knights and Merlin.

As soon as Uther had noticed the rain and the storm he had begun to worry, his sole heir was out in it and he needed him home soon. The hunt had already gone on longer than Arthur had said it would, to start with Uther had simply assumed they had been lucky and had a lot of meat to haul home. But then the rain had begun and the storm had picked up pace, then he had decided that time had passed by, too much time, and that a rescue team was needed.

Rose watched the dark sky hurtle down more and more rain and she wondered why on earth Merlin would start a storm now. She knew he enjoyed playing with the weather, but a storm was simply stupid. She knew Merlin was not stupid, and so she began to question whether it was him who had started it, who else could do such a thing? She knew of one person, and according to Morgana he was now dead.

"Do you think they'll find them?"

Rose turned, she hadn't realised she had company. Gwen looked back at her and Rose didn't think she'd ever seen the young woman look so scared.

"Of course they will."

"You don't think that the Prince will be hurt?"

Rose remembered a day that now seemed forever ago, washing clothes with Gwen; she remembered then realising that the maid had feelings for the Prince.

"No Gwen, I think he will be alright. He's got to be."

"Why?"

"So he can come home and do what they all say he will do; become a great King."

Rose had seen it, she had tasted it, she had envisioned the court of King Arthur, he couldn't die and neither could Merlin. They just couldn't.

The rain still poured but at least the lightning and thunder had subsided, that was a good sign.

Merlin wondered whether he could stop the rain, it was at times such as these that his gifts were at most use, but he'd learnt how to change the weather, not get rid of it, and even if he could do it, even if he knew how, he had too many pairs of eyes on him, Arthur's the most prominent, Merlin knew that the Prince had seen more magic than he could handle for one day. Perhaps now would not be the most appropriate time to tell him that his man servant, friend, possessed the very thing that his father was trying to rid his kingdom of.

It was incredibly frustrating to know that there was a chance he could save them but couldn't because in doing that he would be putting himself in death's way. He would save them but sacrifice himself, and anger Arthur, a move he did not take lightly, he knew that he needed to tell him at the right time, at the perfect moment, and he was pretty sure that now wasn't it. Once again he would have to wait.

Arthur looked around at his sleeping Knights, the fire was on its last legs, and the cave was certainly no home, it wasn't warm and there was insistent dripping in one corner, a puddle forming. It wasn't what he was used to but in a strange way Arthur liked it, had the night been shadowed by the loss of a man, he thought he would enjoy this adventure, after all he knew that some of his people slept in conditions not too greater than these, and as future King he should understand them, all of them.

It was with thought Arthur fell into a deep sleep.

Gaius looked at Rose sitting on the other side of the table from him; he thought he had been blessed with a son, now he had a daughter too. Not that the pair of them weren't a handful and a half. He relished his new role as father-figure and protector, but it came with responsibilities, and if he wasn't perceptive enough before he was now very aware of when someone was hurting, in a bad mood or just downright angry. He was acutely aware that something was playing on Rose's mind.

"Rose, what is wrong?"

Rose looked up at the physician.

"It was something Morgana said today…" She couldn't tell him the whole story, she couldn't tell him that they thought Gwen was spying on them and they may have been caught. Indeed she didn't even know for certain herself, for when Gwen had stood by her and asked after Arthur's safety she knew that Gwen was a horrible person, but she didn't know whether she was completely innocent either.

"Go on."

"I think Morgana is stronger than I thought. She is better seer than she lets on."

Gaius knew that Rose knew about Morgana, and he knew that she knew that he knew about Morgana. What a complicated web everyone had woven.

"She is strong yes, but her gifts are not as great as yours. Though I know perhaps the strength of your gifts is something you are not so happy about."

"Have you ever scared yourself? I scare myself with what I see sometimes."

"You have a rare and remarkable gift, but it is not just your gift that makes you so strong, it is you, your person and your being. Your gift in the wrong hands would indeed be strong but it wouldn't be as strong as it is with your goodness and with your compassion. With your good character traits you make it better and stronger, it is indeed a rare combination, I have only seen in a few sorcerers, Merlin included."

"What about Morgana, she is a good person too."

"Rose, I think you have seen her future and you know that it is not all marked with good."

"I have seen many people's futures and I know they are not all good, some more than others."

Others were easier to read, other people's futures would come to here in pieces, while asleep or awake, hers would not. Her's remained simply light and dark, searing bright and deathly murky; linked but unreadable.

Arthur awoke to Merlin shaking him.

"Arthur get up, they're here; we're safe."

Safe. That was a nice word. But who was here? Arthur's eyes accustomed themselves to the darkness; it was the early hours of the morning and the rain hadn't completely stopped.

The cave was nearly empty, the remains of the fire left, but no people; well except Merlin.

"Merlin, where is everyone?"

"Your father sent the other Knights and some men to search for us. They found us here."

Arthur got up and rubbed his hands over his face, trying to wipe away the evidence of sleep.

"They found the body though…"

Arthur nodded "We shall take it back to Camelot and give him a Knight's burial."

Merlin nodded and the two of them stepped out of the caves. Arthur looked at the men on their horses, and his Knight behind them, doubling the horses load. He searched each face but could not find his father's, then he shook his head, of course he wasn't here, he had sent others to do his work; even if it did revolve around his son's life.

Arthur thanked those who had braved the storm to rescue them and the he made sure that everyone was safe and they left for Camelot, after an 'adventure' no one would forget.

He'd met Gaius upon entering Camelot Palace, he'd headed to the hall which was set up for the Knights who needed medical attention; everyone needed to be checked.

Gaius had told him that Rose had refused to go to sleep until she knew of his safe return, that she was probably pacing his apartments until she knew he was home.

With that he had assured Gaius he was quite alright and had ran to his home to find her. Merlin needed to see Rose.

He opened the door and smiled, her need for sleep had obviously got the better of her as she was curled up in a chair fast asleep, he walked over to her, carefully not treading on any creaky floorboards. He stood in front of her and bent down to look into her face, he cursed as she stirred and her eyes began to open.

She looked at him, and frowned, blinked again and then opened her eyes wide, she looked puzzled and held out her arm to touch him, to see if he really was there, Merlin faked hurt as she poked him and then was bowled over as she leapt out of her seat and threw her arms around him. He laughed and closed his arms around her, smiling. For a moment they didn't move, then she let go and he supposed he ought to too.

"Rose, I have some news, it's about that man, I saw him…"

"I know. He's gone. Morgana saw it and she told me."

Rose realised then that she had let her secret slip so easily.

Merlin laughed. "I knew about Morgana."

"Merlin, that's not all she saw…she saw you too, using your gifts. Merlin she knows."

Rose didn't understand why Merlin was still smiling.

"Well fairs fair I suppose."

"Merlin she knows!"

"She knows about me but does she know that I know that she knows?"

"No."

"Ok and she doesn't know that I know about her."

"I don't think so."

"But she knows about you."

"Yes."

"Does she know that I know about you, does she know that I know that she knows about you?"

"Yes, no, I don't know!"

Merlin laughed.

"Stop laughing it's not funny!"

"Rose, don't you see? No one knows anything for sure, and to be honest it is nice to know that someone else knows; besides she knows that if she says anything about me that I'll say what I know about her. We're safe."

"Ok. Please stop saying 'know' now though. It's confusing me"

He grinned "Sorry, I know how you feel."

He laughed as she scowled at him. This was right, he was safe and he felt at home. With Rose.