A/N: Well here's Chapter 8! Hope you enjoy. Review please!!
Chapter 8
Merlin followed Morgana through the village and then through the dense trees, where darkness prevailed.
She strode determinedly forward, and refused to look at him. Her stride was long and Merlin found it difficult to keep up, clambering over rocks and branches, quite undignified, unlike the silent figure he was following.
He tried to speak to her, ask her what was going on, but she motioned him to be silent once more and continued on.
Merlin began to feel a little annoyed, but this was his chance to really make it up with Morgana. He would not complain.
Very soon, they passed through the mists which signalled the edge of the Druid territory; and the protective enchantments.
Merlin now began to feel uneasy. Why on earth had she brought him out here? He was very aware now of how openly exposed they were, three weeks living in a secret area had given Merlin a sense of security, for the first time ever. He fervently hoped the impenetrable darkness of the night and the dark cloaks they were wearing would shield them from enemy eyes.
All too quickly, Morgana came to a sudden stop in a dim clearing.
She turned around to face him.
He saw in her face that something was bothering her, something which she had no control over. Her face was set in stony indifference, but her eyes were frightened.
"Do you trust me, Merlin?"
At that moment, Merlin could not honestly say he did, there was something she was concealing from him. But he guessed now was not the time to bring that up, after all, he'd had plenty of things to conceal from her in the past. And he knew, she wouldn't hurt him, she despised violence.
"Of course I do Morgana."
Morgana nodded, slightly, and she appeared uncertain, her eyes betrayed some inner torment.
"I admit, Merlin. The past few weeks have been difficult for me. I trusted you, and you betrayed that trust. It has taken me a while, but I have come to forgive you. You were only acting in the best interests of Camelot, what you believed to be right. I cannot condemn you for it."
Only an hour ago, Merlin would have been overjoyed to hear those words. But something was wrong. The speech had a dull monotone to it, as though learned by heart and was spoken very quickly, as though in the hope of it being over as soon as posssible.
Merlin wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. Morgana's eyes had a pained look about them, and he desired more than anything to know what was tormenting her so. Morgana refused to look at him now, not out of anger, but it seemed out of embarrassment and shame. What on earth was going on?
"Morgana, I-," Merlin began, hesitantly.
"Please Merlin, you must believe me when I say this is urgent, I need something, I need your help. You are the only one who can help me, please I ask a favour, will you grant me it?"
All of this was also spoken in a great rush and Morgana looked scared, glancing all around her, into the shadows of the trees. She seemed to be expecting something.
Merlin frowned in confusion.
"Of course I'll help you Morgana, but what is it? What has distressed you so much?"
Morgana did not answer this question. Instead she gripped his arm tightly, so much so it was almost painful.
"Will you swear it? In the Ancient Language?"
Her face was now very close to Merlin's and he saw the distress and fear in her reflected in her protuberant eyes. When Merlin had last been this close to her, on the night of their reunion, she had seemed happier, the dark shadows under her eyes had almost gone. But now...they were back. It seemed her nightmares had started over again, her weariness was evident.
He felt a strange sensation in his chest, a sort of leaping, mixed with sorrow and pity for what she was evidently now suffering. He knew he must help her, he could not abandon her, not again.
Yet what she was asking was extremely significant. Merlin knew that if he swore something in the Ancient Language, he was bound by it until he was released from his obligation, or he was released from life itself. It was extremely difficult and required an incredibly strong character to defy it. She was asking a great price. Yet Merlin knew he had to take it, he would not disappoint her again.
"Ic swerian ic willa dōn eal binnan mīn ānweald cnodan forstandan ēow" I swear I will do all in my power to help you.
Morgana then closed her eyes, not in relief, but in silent confirmation that something terrible had just happened.
"Well done Morgana, you have played your part well."
Merlin whirled around at the sound of Byrne's mental voice. He and a number of other Druids, mostly from the Fire discipline were approaching them with smug grins on their faces. He then snapped his head around at Morgana who was standing regarding him with silent tears streaming down her face, hurt written on her face.
"I'm sorry..." She choked. "I am so sorry."
Morgana had betrayed him. For once Merlin knew how it felt to be on the other side of the fence.
He had not had time to register this unpleasant fact when Byrne spoke again:
"Yes, Morgana was extremely useful to us. It's amazing how much of a magical bond exists between mentor and pupil, a bond sometimes impossible to ignore."
Byrne had been controlling Morgana. He now knew has was right to be suspicious for all these weeks, he should have trusted his first instincts. Suddenly Merlin felt a great weakness grab him. He steadied himself and look back up at Byrne.
"What do you want?" Merlin spoke with more confidence than he would have usually. He felt humiliated at not having acted sooner, and now he was freed from having to respect Byrne as a leader, he was not about to be ignored.
Byrne only smiled.
"We want many things, Emrys. The foremost of all of course is the return of magic to Albion. We refuse to be hunted like wild animals, scurrying away, hiding in the dark, the dignity and nobility of our race forgotten! No, we will not hide. We grow impatient at Fyrmest's peaceful tactic to wait until Uther dies, before reaching out to his son. This method shall not work. Arthur will not be controlled, he will not be persuaded that magic is not a crime. He has been brought up in his father's household. He will never change. We however, shall make a change."
Byrne now began pacing around the clearing, evidently releasing all that he had been hiding for years and now his plans were coming into effect. Merlin did not like how this conversation was going.
"Peaceful methods have not saved us these last twenty years, Druids now no longer carry the respect we deserve, we are criminals, hunted in our own lands. All we want is to be free from persecution. Surely you can understand that Emrys. But we shall never be free while Uther and his son live."
Now Merlin really didn't like how this conversation was going. But he listened anyway, to buy himself time to think.
"I have watched you Emrys, these last few weeks. At first I refused to believe you were who Fyrmest claimed you were. I needed to know for certain. I have spent years planning this attack, waiting for the moment when Emrys was predicted to appear. This mission, the one to raze Camelot to the ground, destroy the Kingdom that destroyed ours and to take our revenge would not succeed without you; you after all are the one who will bring magic back to the lands. Who else should we have on our side but you? You were unconvincing at the beginning, just a simple boy with no outstanding traits, but, I came to observe so much more. Then this afternoon, I saw you with the unicorn, and then I saw you kill the Griffin, and I knew for certain. I sent a message to my ally, he began to mobilise his armies, preparing for the final strike against Camelot."
Merlin stood dumbstruck throughout of this evidently well-rehearsed speech, at a loss of what to say. The thought of the destruction of Camelot repulsed him, and his hatred for Byrne grew. Merlin knew at once he would never join him, there must be another way for the magic to be brought back. He was not one to harbour resentment, he would not fight fire with fire. Rather ironically, considering he was thinking about the fight between the fire of the pyres in Camelot and the fire resting inside the High Priest of that element. He opened his mouth to declare his intentions angrily, when that weakness once again struck him.
" I need you Emrys. You alone can help me. I need your expertise in Camelot, I need your power. Together we will destroy Camelot, take the revenge for everyone of our Kind that was slaughtered there. Come to us...Emrys...join us..."
With a shock of horror, Merlin once again recognised those words.
"You sent that Griffin! You were the one that sent it to Camelot!"
Byrne frowned. Obviously this was not the way he had planned the conversation.
"Yes. I summoned the creature from the abyss and sent it to find you. It would halt its attack when it saw you and you alone, then I would know you were there. I suspected that Uther would step-up his anti-magic campaign, and I was right. It was because of me you were brought here. I then ordered the Griffin to attack the village, I wanted to test you outright, determine for sure that you were the Prophesied One."
Merlin was disgusted and felt overwhelmed. Byrne has sent the Griffin, it really was because of Merlin that everything had happened. His life in Camelot had been ruined, his friendships broken off, because of Byrne's desire for revenge. He remembered the Druid man he had seen that afternoon, his frail body being dragged out of the ruins of his house by his sobbing wife. He remembered the nine sheet-covered bodies that had lain in the courtyard at Camelot after the attack. He remembered the orphaned girl, who sat between the bodies of her parents, looking from one to the other, willing them to wake up. Merlin felt a flash of anger.
"What about all those innocent people? The ordinary people who couldn't protect themselves? How many died?"
Byrne merely dismissed this with a wave of his hand.
"Casualties of war. Regrettable, but necessary in the long run."
Merlin felt his rage growing. How could this man be so heartless?
"What about today? Those who you count as friends, Fyrmest, Brim, Eard? How many did you risk today? How many children? How could you turn you backs on them? Druids are supposed to respect and sanctify all life.!"
Anger flashed in Byrne's eyes.
"Do not presume that you know more about my own people than I do. Of course I considered them. But by this risk, the Druid race can be saved, and then how many will escape persecution? As for the other Elders, they are nothing, too weak to oppose me."
"And how many innocent in Camelot will die?"
Byrne was almost white with anger.
"Their feeble lives mean nothing. I now see that I cannot persuade you. A pity, for I shall be forced to use other means. I can control you. You have sworn your loyalty to my pupil, and she has sworn hers to me. I can have you do as I please."
"I would rather die than help you."
Byrne smiled at him with a twisted look. Merlin felt his strength waver once again. What was happening to him?
"That can be arranged shortly. For now though, you shall remain here, as we begin our attack. We cannot have you interfering with our grand plans. We shall join up with King Cendred, the ruler who does not view magic as a crime or affliction, we shall take Camelot and a new age shall begin."
Merlin's eyes began to cloud over and he felt weaker than ever. But he refused to give up.
"I will not let you do this!" He shouted, drawing on his magic, except it wasn't there.
Merlin reeled in shock, dizzy and disorientated, where was his magic? Why could he no longer feel it?
He felt himself drop to his knees, weaker than he had ever felt in his life. As though he had just lost a part of his soul.
Byrne smiled.
"You should take better watch over what you drink Emrys. I induced your evening drink with the Befeallen potion, a potion which slowly takes away the magic flowing through a sorcerer's blood, and storing it in here." he drew out a shining crystal from deep inside his robes.
"This is the Crystal of Scinnlāc. It is at this very moment storing your magical energy, and it has been taking small amounts ever since you drank the potion this evening. I thought it best to be prepared, in case you were not so enthusiastic about joining us. You have lasted longer than I thought you would; your reserves of energy are so great, you barely even noticed any loss. Not any more. Now you are almost as powerful the same as a mortal man, and as weak as one. You will be very safe here under Morgana's watchful eyes, you are unaccustomed to your new-found weakness, and then...when I have control over Camelot I shall make you come and watch as I kill your precious prince."
Merlin could barely keep his breathing steady. This was what is was like to be normal. He could not imagine how someone could live being this weak. He had never realised how much he depended on the magic coursing through his veins. He suddenly had a new respect for Arthur, how could he be this weak and still manage to beat Merlin every time when sparring?
"No, I won't let you..." his voice drifted off. He had no energy left whatsoever.
Byrne laughed, raised his palm and Merlin felt himself flying back through the air, landing heavily on the ground, utterly defenceless.
"No! Don't hurt him! You swore you wouldn't hurt him!" Screamed Morgana at Byrne. Merlin saw a flash of light and then Morgana fell to the ground next to him.
Byrne strode forward, grasped her cloak and dragged her to her feet.
"I promise many things. I promised I would teach you, help you control your magic. You're pathetic. A witch and a Seer and completely unable to use your own powers. You make me laugh. Do you not see it is Uther's fault your magic turned so completely violent? You refuse to throw away your feelings for Uther and his son, therefore you are as good as useless. I never had any intention of teaching you, only use you to get to Arthur in Camelot, but it seems you turned out to be even more useful than that.
He shoved the crystal roughly into her hands.
"You will guard this with your life. Until I return."
He then looked to Merlin.
"And then Emrys, you shall die." He spoke in his normal voice, truly indicating where his new loyalties lay; he had forsaken the Druids.
With that, Byrne and the rest of the faction of Druids, vanished, leaving Merlin and Morgana alone.
Merlin felt that years had passed since that afternoon with the unicorn. He had never felt so weak in his life, like a single gust of wind could blow him away.
He looked up at Morgana, from where he lay on the ground. She was pacing around the clearing. Distress, worry and guilt etched on her face. She looked like she was about to cry at any moment.
"Thank you, said Merlin weakly.
She turned in surprise. "For what?"
"For sticking up for me."
"A lot of good that did me too," she said bitterly, before continuing her pacing.
Merlin regarded her silently for a few more moments.
"I forgive you, you know."
Morgana looked at him incredulously. "For what?" she repeated.
"Betraying me, I can see you had no other choice. I've always known you did not support Uther's policies, Byrne must had played upon your own desires to have magic freely used without fear."
Morgana looked angry for a moment.
"YOU forgive ME? After what you did? After betraying me, leaving me to die, abusing my trust..." then she trailed off and looked at Merlin, a sudden look of realisation coming into her eyes. "Like what I have done to you, " she said miserably. "Merlin, I-"
"Let's hear no more about it. All differences between us are forgotten."
Morgana nodded. One glance between them was it it took to convey the they true guilt and regret each felt for their own actions.
Merlin suddenly felt even weaker than before. He could barely keep his eyes open.
"Morgana, please, we must warn Arthur. We cannot stay here and do nothing."
Morgana looked torn in two.
" I know, I want to so badly. But my vow prevents me, I cannot go against Byrne."
"You can if you truly want to." Merlin was now panicking at the sudden loss of forcefulness in his voice. He felt so weak...
"It's hard." Morgana said, tears coming to her eyes.
"But losing Arthur would be harder, wouldn't it? Losing the ones you counted as a brother, a father, your friends, all of Camelot...if things were easy, the good things I mean, then there would be no reward worth going though all the bad things in life."
Morgana then looked resolved. A fierce determination came into her eyes and she turned and faced where Merlin knew the village to be, burying her face in her hands, clearly in an effort to fight the magical bond in her mind.
Merlin closed his eyes, the ground felt so strangely comfortable...he just wanted to lie down...go to sleep....what did it matter what happened to Arthur...so weak...so weak...
Merlin was then suddenly awoken from this with an abrupt smashing sound. He felt the energy come flooding back into his body, revitalising him, saving him.
He opened his eyes.
Morgana stood bout six feet away, her hand over her mouth. The crystal lay in ruins, shards of glass scattered all over the large rock in front of her.
Merlin rose to his feet, amazed.
"I did it...I actually did it." Morgana whimpered, still in shock.
"Yes, you did!" Merlin yelled, running towards her and briefly hugging her. "Now we have to warn Arthur."
Morgana nodded hurriedly, a little dazed.
"But how?"
Merlin thought for a moment. He knew what he must do but it did not put him at rest.
"I'll have to go. I'll have to go back to Camelot."
A/N: Just so's you know. Reviews make me happy, I write better when I am happy, when I write better readers are happy and then I am happy that they are happy. It's a never-ending circle. Everyone benefits!!:D Review please!! Thanx to all of you who are reviewing every chapter!!