All counsel I can give to any traveller who finds themselves at the threshold of Heaf is to spend the night in devotion and unburden your heart for the trees will read every corner of your soul and you must stand as one naked and innocent as a babe.
.
The Book of Aidith
They made camp outside the Forest of Heaf, two men who had no notion of what lay ahead for them. In a way they were as unalike as two men could be, one born into privilege the other born a peasant, one a warrior prince and the other, a servant and a sorcerer. That they were different did not diminish their friendship or their devotion to one another. What lay ahead was the ultimate test of that devotion. This night they each had the chance to unburden themselves. To speak the words, that they had so often been unable to say; because of their nature, their ideas of manhood, their secret doubts and an ignorance of what lay in their own hearts. Although they spoke words were insufficient. They read in each other's silences more than they understood from speech. So each entered sleep with their confessions incomplete and to each the night brought dreams.
Arthur's DreamArthur comes to in the fields below the castle. He is battered and bruised. The last thing he remembers is hurling a lance into the body of the Great Dragon but now he is alone, all his men gone, the sky billowing with smoke, the fires of Camelot still burning. There are throbbing in his head, a language he does not understand. He tries to lift his head but quickly lays it back down on the ground and closes his eyes he is too weak to get up. A sound comes from above, something is moving above him. He opens his eyes, the terrible head of the Great Dragon is towering above him, it's breath of smoke winds it's way around him and Arthur, despite his wounds, scrambles to his feet. The words still swirl around his head and like the smoke from the dragon's mouth they burn. He is dizzy with it. The words are a living thing that begins to quicken into speech and Arthur at last understands that he knows the dragon's name and he speaks it.
"Kilgarragh"
The dragon opens his mouth but instead of fire, words come, words that match the words in his head. Words that he answers. He speaks of magic and visions and the elemental power at the heart of all things, a power they are both kin to and that cannot be betrayed.
The dragon bows to him. It stretches out it's massive wings and lifts itself slowly into flight, as it rises Arthur fells the same rush of air about him, the haul away from gravity and a sharp and aching longing: the weight of a thousand years and the loneliness of a thousand more to come.
Arthur is searching the bodies of his men. He had searched in this way before many times, searched for one that may be yet living, someone he can save. Only this time there is one he was praying to find still breathing. He finds Rupert still alive, his left arm badly burned but he is able to get to his feet, he finds Gawain and Leon rousing from their shock and hurt and together they look amongst the dead for signs of life. When at last they find Merlin he is set apart from the others, his body bears no sign of violence. Arthur kneels beside him and searches for a wound but finds none. When he lifts him his arms grow sticky with his blood.
Merlin's DreamAs Merlin walked the familiar corridors no one acknowledges him it is as though he does not exist. He finds himself in Gaius' chambers. Gwen and Gaius stand looking down at something, then she begins to weep and Gaius comforts her.
'I remember this, now she kisses me.'
Gaius speaks but Merlin cannot hear him and moves closer. They are talking about him. Gaius says he should have taken better care of him.
'And now I wake and she kisses me and Gaius smiles.'
But that does not happen.
As Merlin draws closer he sees himself on the narrow pallet, pale and lifeless.
A soft cold voice breaks into his dream, it is Nimueh, he is asking her to take his life. He hears himself say, "His life is worth a hundred of mine."
Then he is again back in Gaius'chambers but now it is early morning and the old man is still asleep, he looks older than he remembers and careworn. Merlin leaves him sleeping. It is morning and he has work to do. Without effort he is standing at Arthur's door. He opens to find there is no Arthur and all is changed. It is not the same room. A panic breaks out in him, this feels real, but how can it be, he must be dreaming.
'Wake up Merlin! Wake Up!
He tries an incantation under his breath but how do you dispel a dream when you are in it? Magic can work in sleep but he does not know if it can work within a dream? He searches for Arthur, he asks everyone he meets where the Prince is but they all shake their heads.
'No matter, no matter. He will be with the King'
A king sits on the throne his head bowed, contemplating some question Merlin cannot hear. A man stands before the king, held up by the guards, his hands tied behind his back, the man at first looks like Sigan and then Mordred and finally he is Balinor.
Merlin is watching it all as though he is in a play.
"My Lord?" a knight begs the King's attention and he raises his head. The King looks like Arthur and Uther together, not one nor the other.
Outside the sun is blinding. The executioner lifts his axe.
Merlin raises his hand to the heavens, he screams out the Kings name. 'UTHUR'
But in your dreams magic cannot kill a king.
On the balcony the King brings down his hand. The axe falls.
Arthur wakes under the ash trees on the edge of The Forest of Heaf. Merlin is still asleep. This time Arthur almost remembers his dream. The name 'Kilgarragh' swims in his mind and an almost painful feeling of power running through his blood. Merlin stirs. He calls out in his sleep
'Wake Up Merlin'
Arthur smiles, his friend is also dreaming. Arthur begins to stoke the fire. The morning is cold.
'No matter,' says Merlin.
Arthur considers waking him but lets him sleep.
Then Merlin screams out a name, his voice suddenly powerful so powerful it wakes him up.
Arthur raises his eyebrow in surprise.
"What happened?" asks Merlin looking around as though someone else woke him up.
"You called out the King's name in your sleep". Arthur grins at him.
"You better not let him anyone else hear you address him like that, he'll have your head."