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Merlin couldn't remember the last time he had been so excited. He followed the noise of the sea and descended the hills, as he wanted to try his luck on the dunes. He wondered why Morgana was now called 'Morgan Le Fay', but eventually, he concluded it didn't really matter. He ran over the dunes as if he was going to visit an old friend, and for some reason, he'd almost forgotten she had become his worst enemy and she would most likely try to kill him.
But then he remembered her fiery look and her golden eyes from the last time they'd seen each other, and it brought him back to his senses.
Suddenly, he stopped running and panted for breath.
"Merlin, what are you doing?" he murmured to himself. "This is Morgana... she hates me." He'd never realised how much those words could hurt him, but all of a sudden, they grieved him more than ever before. He wished he could go back in time, to tell her he has Magic. He would have taken her under his wing, and then he wouldn't have been forced to consider how he would tell her now.
But this wasn't the time, nor the place, to pity himself, he knew. He had already come this far, so he would continue his plan, no matter what happened.
He remembered how he, a long time ago, had protected Morgana on her flight with the Druids, and how she'd promised him she would never forget it. In fact, that became the only thing he could still hope for: her memory of the time they'd been friends and they cared about each other. But with every step, he began to realise she'd already repressed those thoughts four years ago.
But what could he do? Could he just knock on the door and ask if he could speak to her? In the middle of the night? Even by day, she would already have cast a spell on him before he could even open his mouth. And what about Morgause? Merlin knew well enough he would get the worst of it if he would face the two sisters, just as he didn't expect he would ever win against Morgause, who was trained to kill. Though he gave himself a fair chance if it would come to an encounter with Morgana, he didn't want to combat her at all. He'd never wanted to.
In the distance, he saw a cottage. It looked small and comfortable, and Merlin realised, with a shock, it looked just like the house he'd seen in his very first dream. He walked further, with no idea of how he would set about it. He'd never felt more stupid, but he thought he had to try.
Instinctively, he got an idea. Morgana wouldn't be able to attack him if he would call her from a save distance, like he could do, with his Magic.
He closed his eyes, canalized Magic and collected it in his thoughts. He concentrated on her, and thought: "Morgana? Morgana? Morgan Le Fay?"
He didn't get a reply.
"Morgana. I need to speak to you."
Nothing.
Merlin started to wonder if Morgana was able to communicate trough thoughts. Magic was something very individual and, therefore, difficult to understand. Morgana was a Seer, and could see the future, something Merlin had never done before without the help of Magical objects, and he knew he would never be able to do it as good as her.
He approached the house and became more and more convinced this was definitely by far the dumbest thing he'd ever done.
"Morgana?" he tried again, hoping she would answer him now he stood closer to the house, but again, nobody answered.
No lights were burning in the cottage, so Merlin presumed no-one was inside. His feet led him further, to the front door, more or less against his will. Everything inside of him yelled he shouldn't do it and he was the biggest idiot ever alive, but it was as if the house pulled him indoors, as a magnet, and he couldn't resist.
He put his hand on the door, took a deep breath and decided he could better be prepared on a painful, Magical outburst of two powerful sorceresses.
But the door was locked. Merlin sighed in relief, because it gave him a second clue the house would be empty.
"Yppe", he whispered. The door cracked open, and he stepped inside, cautiously. "Léohtfæt", he spoke. After that simple spell, the whole room lighted up. Merlin felt how his lips smiled, unintentionally. If the sisters would have been present, they would have killed him already. On the other hand, it was no good to him that she – Morgana -wasn't at home.
Merlin looked around uneasily, while he wondered what his next move could be. He knew he could better go to Cornwall, where the High Priestesses lived, but on the other hand, this was a great opportunity to see how his two enemies lived. Maybe, some interesting information could be found in the same room as he was in? He had to take the opportunity, though a soft voice in his head whispered he shouldn't poke his nose into everything. But this was something different, he thought, so he had the right to be curious.
The living room was, surprisingly, cosy and Merlin could imagine it would be pleasantly illuminated during the summer, so the inhabitants would easily forget about the harsh winter. Everything was cleaned up properly and Merlin felt, slightly annoyed, how enviousness rose to his throat. He would have loved to live in such a house (if it wasn't for Morgana and Morgause, who already lived in it). He had to be happy with his dark, grey room within the walls of Camelot, far away from the sea or any other place where Magic wasn't considered as being a cardinal sin.
For the umpteenth time, he had to repress the thought of how unfair destiny was.
But instead of complaining, he turned around, to see a bookshelf, standing in the corner. Hesitating, he had the strange feeling both Morgana and Morgause were in the neighbourhood, he walked towards it and ran over the yellowed, leather frame of the books, which showed many similarities with the book of spells he carried with him in his backpack.
At random, he took one and turned over the leaves of the book. A variety of herbs and their abilities, was reviewed, followed by instructions of how to make several draughts, as if it were recipes.
Gaius had taught Merlin many things about herbs, something which was necessary, because Merlin had to take over the role as a court physician, and Merlin could only conclude that the book could be very dangerous in the wrong hands, as it showed its readers how to murder someone with a poison, based on the seeds of the castor oil plant. It wasn't any wonder Morgause kept this book in her bookshelf.
Merlin put the book back, and decided the living room wasn't as comfortable as he had first been assuming, so he turned his glance towards the door on the other side of the room.
He opened it cautiously, he still wouldn't take a huge risk if somebody was inside, and entered. He felt how a sigh in relief escaped his body, as there was indeed no-one in the room, and closed the door.
It was a bedroom, and for some reason, Merlin could immediately tell it was Morgana's.
Maybe it was because of the green tunic, resting on a chair, and he remembered how Morgana had often worn green clothes (unlike Morgause), or because the bed wasn't made, something Morgana would never do herself, as she wasn't used to do it? However, Merlin knew for certain he had entered her room.
The light of the moon shone through the window when Merlin sat down on the soft, unmade bed. He couldn't tell which feeling was the strongest: relieve because he was still alive, or disappointment as he hadn't found Morgana yet.
Suddenly, he realised how the exhaustion took possession of him. His legs felt as if they were made out of lead, and his eyelids fell down before he was even aware of it.
So it was high time he stood up again, to stop the upcoming sleep. He didn't know when Morgana and Morgause would return, but when they did, and they found him sleeping in Morgana's bed... well, he rather didn't think about it.
The wind blew hard. The sea raged and the waves banged against the rocks. The house was dancing on the music of the wind. Merlin knew this wasn't the kind of weather to sleep in the open air (and wondered how Morgana succeeded to sleep inhere peacefully, he remembered she'd always had troubles sleeping), so he would go back to Tintagel, and spend the night in a tavern.
He'd already laid his hand on the doorknob, when he startled suddenly and his body turned to stone. He could swear he had heard a door opening, and his presumption was confirmed when he felt how the Magical energy around him had changed, had become stronger.
In less than no time, he regained his paralysed limbs and looked, terrified, through the keyhole, half hoping and half fearing he would see Morgana.
But that wasn't the case.
Morgause took off her soaking wet, red coat, ran her fingers through her blond hair and went to the fireplace. Though Merlin wasn't able to see it, he knew her eyes coloured gold, as the flames started to light out of nothing.
Vigorously, she walked out of Merlin's limited, keyhole-formed range. Merlin didn't dare to move, afraid she would hear him. He was surprised she didn't feel him, as he had felt her. On the other hand, it was most likely because she was used to this strong, Magical energy, because she always stayed here with Morgana, so she didn't pay attention to it.
Morgause stepped back in Merlin's range and put a luxurious dagger on the table. Merlin recognized the dagger at once: it had been Arthur's birthday present for Morgana, when she turned twenty-one years old.
But that was the least of his worries. He choked unintentionally, because the last time he'd seen Morgause, she had been deadly injured, but now she appeared to be stronger than ever. Not only physically, but also the Magical energy, which was flowing around her, seemed to be even more powerful than ever before.
She reminded Merlin of Nimueh, only Morgause looked even mightier, even more dangerous. She was trained to kill, and Merlin didn't have to doubt for a second she wouldn't hesitate to do so when she would notice him.
He didn't have a choice. He had to leave now he still had the chance.
He stood up and hurried towards the window.
While he was running, he suddenly felt a very painful sting in his head, like he was having a horrible migraine attack. He tried to focus on his escape and to keep on running, but he fell down on his knees before he even realised.
"No! I have to get out of here!" he whispered to himself.
He fell down on the floor and was barely able to control his own body. His head was about to burst and he felt how tears sprung into his eyes, because of the pain he experienced.
In the far distance, he saw a young woman with raven-black hair, riding on a black horse. She was galloping through the woods, heading for the North.
He heard the sound of a door, and not even a second later, Merlin rolled away instinctively, avoiding a red flash.
"You", Morgause hissed. She stared at him for a couple of moments, staggered and with golden eyes, after which she shouted: "Déadian mé niman þéostornes ábrecan anmitta!"
Again, Merlin had to roll on his side, by which the beam of light hit the wall instead of him, what made the wall collapse. Merlin could hear the storming wind behind him, raging through the open space.
In the meantime, his headache had disappeared, as fast as it had showed up. He jumped up as fast as he could.
"Léfung!" Morgause shouted again. Merlin bended over quickly and was able to avoid the spell, for the second time.
"Ymbhringan!" Merlin yelled back. He stretched out his hand, and a cold breeze blew in the direction of the sorceress. Morgause pushed back the spell, carelessly, in a spontaneous burst of amber-coloured eyes and a glance as cold as steel.
"Whom do you think you're fighting with?" she snapped, almost insulted. "Do you really think you can defeat me by using a simple air spell?"
"Lyft ǽðm!" Merlin yelled again, ignoring Morgause's comment. But again, Morgause didn't even have to step aside. Only by raising her hand, the -usually effective- spell vanished.
"What are you looking for? Why aren't you protecting your king Arthur?" she sneered, almost sounding indifferent.
Merlin realised he was in deep trouble. He would never be able to beat Morgause. The only thing he could think of, was to play for time.
"Can't you have a little flutter?" he answered, and astonishingly, Morgause smirked.
"I know very well why you're here," she said, "you are looking for Morgana." Merlin looked at her, surprised, and he almost forgot he was involved in a fight, and losing. "Do not think you've got any secrets for me."
That statement startled Merlin more than he expressed. He wouldn't show her how afraid he really was, so he still stared at her. The only thing he could think of, was that he had to try to keep talking to her, until he would think of a more decent solution.
"Where is she?" he blurted out, being the first thought crossing his mind. But when he said that, he realised he already knew the answer. She had been the woman with the horse he'd seen during the short time the headache had been controlling him. Of course it had been her. Who else could it be?
Apparently, Morgause didn't realise Merlin knew the answer to his own question, because she spoke, calm: "I am not going to tell you."
Merlin had to repress a smile. It seemed to be that he still had secrets for her.
"Yfelsæc", Morgause murmured at that moment, unexpectedly. Unprepared for the attack, Merlin collapsed. It felt as if he had lost all his bones in his legs. Scared, he saw how Morgause walked towards him, unemotionally.
She stretched out her hand and smiled, apparently sincerely enjoying the moment right before the murder she was about to commit. "It wasn't a good idea to go to Tintagel, Merlin", she said, in a honeyed voice. "You are an idiot."
"You aren't the first one who calls me that," Merlin spoke, agitated, "and you aren't going to be the last one as well." In less than no time, he collected all the Magic he possessed and concentrated on making the space around him disappear, as he'd seen Morgause doing in the throne room, when Morgana had been poisoned and she'd fled away with her, in a burst of wind and dust. "Lúcan ætfléon æt nicc!" he yearned. He had never pronounced the spell before, he had only come across it while reading in his book of spells, but he realised he had only one chance to succeed.
He experienced the strange feeling as if he was fading away in the Magical energy he'd collected, and before he was fully aware of it, he found himself lying on his back in a field. In the distance, he could see the towers of Camelot, and he sighed, while he slowly started to feel his legs again.
Merlin couldn't help but feeling incredibly relieved because he had escaped in a nick of time. But more important was the fact he now, for some reason, perfectly knew where he had to go. Where that strange headache had come from, he didn't know (probably it had to do with the Bond, again), but it had helped him to locate Morgana. He couldn't quite explain how it felt, but it was like someone had suddenly tied a rope around his waist and around hers, making him follow her wherever she went.
But tonight, he wouldn't even move a finger anymore. Despite the rather spectacular happenings which had just came to pass, he fell asleep in no time, ignoring the storm.
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