The Heartbeat

Chapter 9

"Gilli"

The twins were in the same numb state that Merlin had seen in other patients before. He was ready for it but Gilli wasn't. Merlin looked at his companion, being curious about his reaction. Gilli didn't seem shocked, just a little bit intrigued.

"May I check something?" Gilli asked the parents of the twins.

They looked at each other, uncertain. They didn't know Gilli and it was easier for them to trust Merlin who despite his magic skills, seemed to be a decent man.

"I would like to hear his opinion," said Merlin hastily, seeing their hesitation. "Gilli means no harm."

"We thought you were going to cure them, as you did with our neighbours' son," the father of twins said harshly.

"I will help them, I promise," Merlin assured him. "But I would like to find the source of this disease. It's spreading all over the Lower Town. Soon, it will go beyond. I'm not sure I will be able to help everybody. We need to find a way to stop it."

The man nodded, giving Gilli permission to examine his children.

"Be quick," he muttered between his teeth but didn't make any further remarks.

Gilli checked the physical state of their patients very thoroughly, trying not to omit anything important.

"That's very interesting," he mumbled, not paying attention to the witnesses of his fascination.

Merlin came closer to him and the twins, and started following Gilli's examination more attentively.

"Did you find something?" he asked after a few moments.

Gilli lifted his eyes, meeting Merlin's concerned gaze. "It's nothing in particular but their state reminds me of something," he admitted.

"You encountered this disease before?" Merlin asked, surprised.

"Perhaps. I'm not sure yet." He sighed. "I need to think it through." He made a step back.

"What is it?" Merlin was becoming more and more concerned.

"I was a child and I don't remember it clearly," Gilli explained. "I'll try to recall it all but not today."

"But is it curable?" the mother suddenly spoke up. She walked up to them and challenged Gill with her gaze. Her love for her children gave her courage.

"I believe so," Gilli said, a bit startled by her abrupt behaviour. He turned his gaze towards Merlin. "What did you do to cure the others?" he asked.

"I tried to chase away their numbness with magic," Merlin answered. "I was improvising."

Gilli frowned. "You really are powerful, Merlin, if it is what I think it is," he admitted. "Show me how you did it. Cure them."

Merlin wasn't sure what Gilli wanted to achieve but he nodded in agreement. "Give me some space," he said both to Gill and the woman.

They made two steps back. The mother was watching her children with concern but Gilli was completely focused on Merlin and his body language. The Court Sorcerer was reciting or rather creating the spells one after another, trying to focus on his aim completely.

Gilli was impressed. He had been travelling a lot these past few years but he had never encountered such a great display of elemental magic. The sight was breathtaking to those who knew where to look.

The twins woke up from their numbness and looked around, confused, which was to be expected. Aside from that, they seemed to be perfectly fine.

The parents were delighted and couldn't thank Merlin enough. This whole fuss made him a bit embarrassed. He appreciated the newly discovered recognition of his abilities but it was too much for the moment. It was late and he was tired. It was time for him and Gilli to leave.

On their way back to the main part of the city, Merlin finally asked Gilli if he had somewhere to stay.

"I left my things at the Rising Sun," he told him.

Merlin looked at him steadily. "Can you afford to stay there?"

"Yes, for a few days." For some reason they both burst out with laughter.

"You could spend your money on nicer things," said Merlin, when they finally calmed down.

"I need to stay somewhere," Gilli pointed out. "It's not such a waste of money."

"You could stay with Gaius," Merlin told him. "I'm sure he won't mind. I moved out from my old room and it's empty for now."

Gilli smiled. "So you're an important person now, huh?" he said. "You've got a new room."

"Something like that."

"I'm glad," said Gilli frankly. "I've heard what you did at Camlann. You deserve much more than just a new room."

Merlin smiled back at him. "I got a promotion," he pointed out. "It's not so bad."

"From a serving boy to the Court Sorcerer," muttered Gilli. "I'm impressed."

They talked some more about Merlin's new position on their way to the Rising Sun. At the inn, Gilli paid for one night and took all his belongings.

They started walking slowly towards the castle.

"I don't have much because I travel a lot," said Gilli, seeing Merlin's stealthy glances at his bag.

"I didn't ask."

"But you thought." Gilli smiled at him. "I don't mind. I like to keep things simple."

"That's good."

When they reached Gaius' chambers, the old man was already lying in his bed but he wasn't asleep yet so when he heard their footsteps, he sat up slowly. He didn't expect to see Merlin until the morning, so he started to worry about what happened in the Lower Town.

"It's me, Gaius," said Merlin in a quiet tone and lit up the candle with his magic.

"Has something happened?" the old man asked, watching carefully Merlin's companion. "Is this young man sick?"

Merlin looked at Gilli and shook his head. "No, Gaius, it's Gilli. He's been in Camelot several years ago," he explained. "Now he came back."

"I had a duel with Uther during the last Decennial Tournament," Gilli told him.

"Oh, I think I remember," said Gaius. "You were using magic during that tournament. That wasn't neither wise nor right."

"I'm ashamed of what I've done and of what I tried to achieve," Gilli assured him hastily. "I was bitter back then but I'm not that man any more."

"I'm glad to hear that," Gaius told him.

"I thought that maybe Gilli could stay in my old chambers until you find a new apprentice," Merlin suddenly changed the subject. He could see that Gilli didn't like talking about his past too much. "He can help us solve the mystery of the disease we're working on. He might have encountered it before."

Gaius abruptly became more interested. "Is that true?" he asked Gilli.

"It is," the young man confirmed, "but I'd like to wait until morning with the story. It's blurry in my mind. I need to recall certain things because I was a child back then."

"That's understandable. We can wait these few more hours," Gaius assured him. "Merlin's old bed isn't most comfortable but I hope you'll be able to have some rest there."

Gilli smiled at the old man. "Thank you," he said. "I'm sure that it's better than a stinking bed at the Rising Sun."

Merlin said his good-nights to Gaius and Gilli and went to his new chambers. He also needed some rest. It was a tiring day and the next one was going to be very busy as well.

oOoOo

On the next day, they all met to work on the mysterious plague. The candidates for the position of Gaius' apprentice were sent to take care of lesser tasks such as the collection of herbs because Gilli didn't feel comfortable to share his story with so many strangers.

Gaius, Merlin and Gilli sat up at the table in Gaius' quarters and the youngest of them started his story.

"I was a kid when it happened. My father travelled a lot because he was a merchant and I had to follow him whether I wanted it or not," he explained. "But I liked it, most of the times, but sometimes we encountered unpleasant things such as poverty or diseases. However, the worst thing that we saw occurred in the kingdom of Essetir. We had to spend the night in some small village because the storm was coming. One family let us stay in the barn and they invited us for the supper. Then some of their neighbours came saying that it was happening again. It was some strange disease that resembled the one that's spreading in the Lower Time right now."

"How did these people manage it?" Merlin asked him.

"I'm not exactly sure but I know that my father and some other men from that village went to check it and then we stayed there for a few days. They called it the Sorcerer's Curse or something like that," Gilli told them.

"So some sorcerer cursed the village?" Gaius asked.

"And it's happening right now in Camelot?" Merlin added. "I thought that after lifting the ban on magic, these kinds of things were over. Perhaps, some supporters of Morgana's cause are still out there."

"I don't think so," Gilli said hastily.

"What is it then?" Merlin asked.

"I think it's more like Morgana's curse," he explained carefully.

Merlin and Gaius shared a short look.

"Morgana is dead," Merlin told him. "I killed her myself with a blade forged in the dragon's breath. She couldn't survive it."

"As far as I know, this kind of curse is the last act of vengeance cast by the dying sorcerer," Gilli explained.

"She didn't have time to cast any spell. She didn't expect to die. She was too arrogant to think that she could lose," Merlin assured him.

"I'm not sure how it works but it's not a fully deliberate act," Gilli told them. "The village was terrorized by some bandit with magical abilities. That's what I heard afterwards. Eventually, they managed to set a trap for him and as a result of it, he died. They thought it was over but it wasn't. I'm not sure but I think this kind of curse is born from the pure hatred for someone or something and it spreads all around until it reaches the main object of this hate."

Merlin was looking at Gilli, terrified.

"If that's our plague, then it means that this curse could reach many innocent people on the way to Camelot. Morgana died far away from here. Near the Lake of Avalon," he said. "And it's going to get Arthur. I need to protect him." Merlin stood up quickly and was about to leave the room to find Arthur.

"Calm down, Merlin," Gilli said firmly. "There's a better way to protect the king."

Merlin looked at Gilli and slowly came back to the table. "I'm listening."

"What did you do with Morgana's body?" Gilli asked him.

Merlin hesitated. "It was happening so quickly," he said. "I think I just left it where she died. I couldn't waste time. Arthur's life was at stake."

"We need to get rid of the body," Gilli told him. "She's probably rotting right now but she must be purified and burnt to the ashes."

"So the source of this curse is in the remnants of Morgana's body?" Gaius suddenly spoke up.

"I believe so," Gilli confirmed. "My father tried to use magic to cure the victims but nothing worked. The children came back to their senses only when they got rid of the body and when my father put some spell on it. I don't know what it was but I'm sure that you, Merlin, are able to find it. You have an excellent sense of elemental magic. I saw you last night."

Merlin didn't comment on his last words. He focused on the previous part. "So the children were the only victims of this curse too?" he asked. "Why?"

"Their parents killed the sorcerer. Perhaps, the curse put on their children was supposed to hurt them the most," Gilli guessed.

"That makes sense," Merlin admitted. "Children are the future of Camelot too and Morgana wanted to take away this future from Arthur."

"Perhaps," said Gaius. "I'm just surprised that I've never heard of it before."

"It must be rare," Merlin pointed out. "We're not even sure if it's the same curse or if it's the doing of Morgana's supporters..."

"She had a motif," Gaius pointed out.

"I know." Merlin sighed. "That's why I need to check it. I need to come back to the place where I killed Morgana and I have to get rid of her body. Only in this way we can be certain."

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Gaius said out loud.

One of the guards walked inside. "Gaius, some strange fever has been reported in the city," he informed him.

"There's no time to waste," said Merlin. "I need to go now."

"I'll take care of it," Gaius said to the guard and then turned his attention to Merlin. "You need to be careful."

"I am a powerful sorcerer," Merlin pointed out.

"I know it but you're no longer anonymous," said Gaius.

"I'll be fine. We need to get rid of this curse as soon as possible."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Gilli assured him suddenly.

Merlin and Gaius looked at him at the same time.

"I'm going with you," he said to Merlin decisively.

"There's no need," Merlin assured him.

"I want to see it."

oOoOo

They left Camelot in hurry. Merlin borrowed two horses from the royal stables. He was sure that Arthur wouldn't mind. After all, it concerned the safety of this kingdom.

With horses they were supposed to get to their destination by the late evening. They didn't talk much during the journey due to their rapid pace and very short breaks. Merlin was determined to solve Camelot's current biggest problem as soon as possible. Nothing could stop him.

As expected, in the evening they reached the area surrounding the Lake of Avalon.

"We're close," said Merlin, sliding off the horse and tying it to a tree.

Gilli followed his suit and then, seeing concern on Merlin's face, he asked, "Are you all right?"

Merlin looked at him and nodded hesitantly. "I almost lost all my hope here," he admitted. "It wasn't long since then but it seems like a lifetime ago."

"A lot of things have changed since then," Gilli pointed out. "I still remember the moment when I found out that king Arthur changed the laws concerning magic. I wasn't even as surprised as I should be. I only thought Merlin finally did it."

"It was entirely Arthur's decision," Merlin assured him.

"I'm not saying that you made him do it. Only the people who don't know you at all could say that you did." He sighed. "Believe me, I've heard the rumours. Some of them were purely insane, by the way. But I knew from the start that you would never do it."

"We don't know each other very well," Merlin pointed out. "You couldn't be sure."

"But I was," Gilli assured him. "We met only once before but you showed me what kind of man you are. This kind of man wouldn't put a spell on his king in order to make him change the law. People are fools. If that was the case, you would have done it years ago, right after Uther's death."

Merlin didn't think about it in this way. It was somehow reassuring. "Thank you," he said. "Perhaps there are more people who think about it like you."

"There must be more reasonable people in the world than just the two of us," Gilli told him teasingly. "And the rest of them will change their mind sooner or later."

Merlin smiled faintly. He thought that he could grow fond of Gilli if the man decided to stay in Camelot for a longer period of time.

"Let's go and find Morgana. We need to put an end to this madness," Merlin said when he finally came back to his senses. He needed to focus on his mission. All other things could wait.

They found Morgana under the tree in the exact same spot where she drew her last breath. Her body was untouched by time or wild animals. It almost seemed as if she was sleeping.

"She should be rotting right now," said Gilli. "I expected to see her bones."

"She was the high priestess," Merlin replied. "Some kind of magic must be involved here."

"Perhaps it's the curse," Gilli suggested.

"Perhaps."

They shared a knowing look and proceeded to work.

Merlin stood above Morgana and looked at her beautiful face for the last time.

Forbearnan, he whispered and Morgana's dress caught fire instantly. He and Gilli were watching in silence as her thin body was slowly turning into ashes. The sight was both terrifying and mesmerizing.

"Remind me, Gilli, what shall I do now?"

"You need to purify her ashes."

Merlin bit his lower lip and closed his eyes, trying to focus on his instincts. He read about some basic purifying spells in his books but he knew that they wouldn't work here. It needed to come from within. From his soul.

Lludw yn bur. Gwella'r melltith, he said out loud and his eyes turned gold.

Both he and Gilli could feel an enormous wave of energy spreading from the pile of ashes all over the land. They knew their mission was done.

oOoOo

Upon their arrival in Camelot on the next day, they were greeted both by Gaius and Arthur in the throne room. Arthur was watching them steadily from his throne, but his gaze was mostly focused on Gilli.

"Is it done?" Gaius asked them.

"It is," Merlin confirmed. "What's the situation in the Lower Town and in the City?"

"All children have been cured. It seems that there's no more instances of the disease," Gaius told him while Arthur still remained silent.

"That's wonderful." Merlin smiled wholeheartedly.

"Once again I need to thank you Merlin for saving this kingdom," Arthur finally spoke up but in a surprisingly formal tone as there were only the four of them in the throne room.

"It wouldn't be possible without Gilli's help," Merlin told him hastily. "He deserves more credit than I do."

"Gaius mentioned something along these lines," said Arthur, watching Gilli even more closely. "Thank you... Gilli. Camelot is grateful for your help."

"That was my pleasure, Sire," Gilli assured him.

"You can name your reward," Arthur told him firmly.

"There's no need, Sire." Gilli seemed a bit sheepish. He looked at Merlin, hoping that he would help him somehow.

"I have an idea, Sire," Gaius spoke up. "Of course, if Gilli accepts it."

"Go on," Arthur encouraged his old friend.

"You wanted to help me find an apprentice. I appreciate all the candidates that you found but I believe that Gilli would be better than any of them," said Gaius. "It's apparent that he's seen a lot and he knows how to act in difficult situations. He could learn all the rest from me."

Arthur remained silent for a few short moments, clearly contemplating the idea. Then he asked Gilli a question. "Would you like to work for Gaius and learn how to be a physician in the future?"

"That would require me to stay here," Gilli replied. "I've been travelling for years. I'm not sure if I'm capable of staying in one place for long."

"You could try," Merlin suggested, hopefully. Many people feared him but Gilli also had magic and understood him in many aspects. He would like to keep a friend like him close.

"I could," Gilli admitted thoughtfully. "That would be an honour," he answered eventually. "Perhaps I could finally put my gifts to good use."

"That's settled then," Arthur affirmed. "Gaius, you can start teaching Gilli as soon as you consider it appropriate." Then he turned his gaze towards Merlin. "I'd like to speak to you in private, Merlin."

"Gilli, come with me," said Gaius swiftly and the two of them left Arthur and Merlin in the throne room alone.

"You went on this mission without my knowledge," said Arthur, standing from his throne and approaching his friend.

"I didn't want to waste time," Merlin explained.

"I understand it but you should have told me. I'm your king and your friend." He looked into his eyes, challenging him. "You took this boy with you. A stranger. It wasn't wise."

"Gilli is not a stranger," said Merlin. "He was in Camelot a few years ago. I met him then. Besides, he helped us get rid of this disease."

"It could be a trap."

"Are you serious?" Merlin just couldn't believe it.

"Of course I'm serious. You're quite an important person now. Some people may want to get rid of you," said Arthur. "Sir Lamorak, for example."

"Lamorak hates magic. He would not use a sorcerer to get rid of me."

"So Gilli is a sorcerer, then." Arthur raised his eyebrow. "How well do you know him?"

"Well enough to know that he is no threat to me," replied Merlin. "You may struggle to remember it at times but I am a powerful sorcerer and I can take care of myself."

Arthur shook his head. "I know it, Merlin. I just want you to be more careful. There are ways to defeat the most powerful people. You're not unbreakable."

"You're right, I'm not," Merlin admitted. "I'll try to be more careful in the future," he promised.

"I'd appreciate that."

Merlin smiled at him and felt a sudden desire to kiss his friend there and then. He had to turn his gaze away to clear his mind.

"I'll go check how Gaius and Gilli are working together," he said and left the throne room hastily.

He was in such a hurry that he didn't notice the grumpy look on Arthur's face.