Thanks for the reviews and comments.
You may have noticed that I do like to add other completely random fictional characters and quotes into my stories. Well done to Avi8 for catching the first one, there will be many others, let me know if you spot them.
Merlin walked out of the city and headed north. He did not know where he was going. He had considered heading for Ealdor, but the idea of having to face the inevitable questions from his mother and the villagers had made him reconsider that idea. He just knew that he wanted to put as much distance between himself and Camelot as possible. The road was well trodden but once he had covered a few miles he left the beaten track and headed into the trees and bushes of the forest. It was quiet and still under the canopy of green, the early morning dew still glistening on the leaves. He continued pushing deeper into the heart of the forest, not knowing or even caring where he was headed and not noticing the scratches on his arms and face as the density of the forest increased. Eventually he grew tired of forcing his way forward and sagged onto a convenient moss covered log on the forest floor that was close to a rocky outcrop. It was only then that he noticed his hands and arms were covered with cuts and scratches. He used a corner of his neckerchief to dab at the wounds and remove any dirt until he found that his vision was obscured. He angrily rubbed his eyes trying to stop the tears from falling but it was no use. He rested his elbows on his knees, put his head in his hands and cried as though his heart would break. He could not believe that after all these years, Arthur had not even allowed him the chance to try and explain. It was as though the shutters had slammed down behind Arthur's eyes, cutting off any sense of compassion and humanity, leaving only duty and kingship. Merlin shivered as he remembered the anger and how he had been so afraid of what his friend might do. He thought back to yesterday and mentally kicked himself, he should have been more careful.
"For goodness sake Merlin, can't you keep quiet for a single minute?" hissed Arthur.
Merlin rolled his eyes. Maybe Arthur should try traipsing around for hours carrying goodness knows how many items of mass destruction against small furry creatures and other 'essential' (according to Arthur) equipment and then see how quiet he would be.
"If I wasn't expected to lug ALL your equipment around, it might be a bit easier." Merlin dropped to the ground with an exacerbated sigh.
"Alright, fine. You stay here and I'll go further into the forest to see what I can find. Just see if you can possibly stay out of trouble for a little while".
Merlin collapsed backwards in the grass. "Whatever you say Sire".
He closed his eyes and listened as Arthur made his way into the undergrowth and disappeared. The sun was warm on his face and the light breeze in the trees made it a perfect place to relax and let his mind wander. Camelot had been peaceful for these few months since the death of Uther and the kingdom was slowly getting used to the idea of a new king and a new way of doing things. It's a shame that the same could not be said of the nobles who were still kicking up a fuss over election to the council and their rights and privileges. Arthur had instigated a few changes recently such as allowing commoners to join the ranks of the knights and this did not go down well with the upper classes who considered it to be an affront to their dignity and the establishment of their houses. Indeed, Merlin had overheard several of the older Lords complaining about how ridiculous it was that a servant could think it within their ability to consider joining the knights. How were the Lords supposed to maintain order and discipline and keep the lower classes in their place when such notions were allowed? The grumblings over this change in policy were likely to continue for some time to come. However, these changes were positive as they proved that Arthur was indeed his own man and was happy to make alterations he considered to be in the best interests of his kingdom. Maybe, just maybe, these alterations might also one day extend to the idea of magic too? Merlin smiled just at the thought of being able to openly use his magic without fear of being executed for it. He felt sure that one day soon he would be able to explain to Arthur just what he had been forced to conceal all these years. Merlin longed for that day when he would no longer have to hide what he was from his friends. All the lies and deceit had taken their toll over the years and he was constantly plagued by the spirits of the past, of those that he had been unable to save. Still, he told himself, it was also due to him and the Ghosts, that sorcerers posing no threat to Camelot had been relatively safe recently.
Thinking of the Ghosts, he smiled with pride, what would Arthur make of them? In the beginning he had never anticipated that the network would become so large and so useful. Originally it was just a few trusted castle workers who were happy enough to pass on snippets of gossip and information but over time, the network had grown and Merlin now had a group of dedicated informants across the kingdom and beyond that would make even official spymasters jealous. Of course, most of them never even knew who they reported to, (that's why he called it a Ghost network) and that way, most of the team were protected from any potential reprisals especially if the question of magic was ever raised. For the vast majority, recruited for their loyalty to the well being of the kingdom, their task was to report back any information relating to the safety and security of Camelot. In this way, Merlin was often in possession of secret facts and figures before even the king and his council. While originally Uther, and more recently, Arthur, was presented with the views from above stairs, Merlin knew everything from below stairs; one should never underestimate the power of servants' and townspeoples' gossip!
There were however a chosen few at the heart of the network that reported solely to Merlin as his key operatives and who were aware there was a bit more to the lanky servant than met the eye. They were the ones that he trusted, literally, with his life and the ones that helped with the second ideal of the Ghosts - keeping friendly magic users safe. Over the years, Merlin had met people, both magic and non-magic users alike, who strongly disagreed with the laws of Uther and Camelot. Alone however, they had been powerless to help anyone accused or wrongfully convicted of the use of magic. Having witnessed the execution of Gwen's father, Merlin had decided he had to do something and the idea of the Ghosts had been born. The trusted core worked together, seeking out anyone with magic before any of the guards or knights could get to them, and assisting them with safe passage away from the city and through the network of safe houses to the country borders if they wanted. Through this, Merlin knew he now had allies in each of the surrounding kingdoms as well as across the smaller towns and villages of Camelot.
Merlin knew that the loyalty of the entire Ghost network was dedicated to the success of Arthur and Camelot with the hope of the peaceful return of magic but he was still not sure how the King would react to being told of their existence. Maybe that was another secret that would have to wait in the shadows a little while longer too.
He stood up, stretched and ambled across the clearing, leaning against a large oak tree when he felt his magic stir inside him. He looked around, curious. This was no enemy attack, it was far more subtle and natural. Suddenly he saw what he was looking for, a small brown bird fluttering in the undergrowth with an obviously broken wing. In the forest it stood no chance of survival with an injury like that and anyone else would have considered it a kindness to simply wring the bird's neck. Anyone except Merlin that is. He knelt down beside it and gently picked it up whispering soothing words. The bird seemed to understand that he meant it no harm and settled in his hand, looking at him with bright black eyes. Merlin thought for a minute as he considered the right words and then his eyes glowed as he whispered "ic I ágíeme". The air around the bird exploded with sparks of gold and blue and the bird stretched its now healed wing and chirped. Merlin threw his hands into the air and released the bird which soared up into the trees leaving a trail of gold sparks behind. Merlin laughed out loud with joy, this was what his magic was for, healing and helping, not killing and disabling. Losing himself in the moment, he allowed the sparks to fly around the clearing, occasionally colliding and producing multicoloured rain showers. He was so absorbed by this that he failed to notice Arthur was standing just at the edge of the clearing.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a shiver of fear ran through him. What was he thinking? Anyone could see this. He shut down the magic immediately and whirled around to scan the clearing, his eyes meeting the cold blue gaze of the King who was watching him with an unreadable expression on his face. Merlin's heart fell into his boots; just how much had Arthur seen?
"What were you doing Merlin?"
Merlin gasped as he hastily tried to consider exactly what he could say that might involve him being able to keep his head attached to his shoulders. "Ummmm...nothing?" he stammered. He could hear his own heart hammering in his chest and feel the sweat on the palms of his hands as the adrenaline pumped through his body and his magic started to react to the situation. Hastily he pushed back at it, the last thing he needed now was his magic breaking lose and an impromptu confirmation of what Arthur might or might not have seen.
"Really? I was sure I saw something odd going on."
The King was looking at him with an almost scared shadow hiding behind his blue eyes. Or was that Merlin's imagination playing tricks with him? He forced his mind to think rationally, what could possibly account for what Arthur might have seen? He remembered Gaius talking about weather patterns recently and the fact that it was unusual to have a cold front over Camelot at this time of year. In Uther's day, the immediate assumption would have been evil magic but Arthur was more open minded and had even quizzed Gaius on this natural phenomenon with concern for the crop yield.
"Oh...um...it might have been...ummmmm...atmospheric disturbance? Yes, that's it, Sort of sparkly bits in the air, Gaius says you get a lot of that at this time of year with the weather we've been having."
"Really?" Merlin inwardly winced at the sarcasm in Arthur's voice but this was the lie he had chosen and now he had to do everything in his power to make it stick. If he failed now, it was more than just his life on the line, it was the safety and security of Camelot and the entire future of Albion.
"Yes, it's all to do with cold air meeting hot air and science...and stuff...ummmm...Sire."
At the look of disbelief on Arthur's face, Merlin's voice petered out and he stared at the ground. Was this it? Was his friend about to execute him on the spot? His head started swimming and he felt like he was going to be sick as he tried to persuade his legs not to collapse underneath him. He waited for the sound of the King drawing his sword and jumped in surprise as Arthur cleared his throat.
"Atmospheric disturbance, of course" Merlin looked up in amazement as Arthur continued, "Well, come on then, it'll be dark before we get back".
The King walked away with seemingly nothing else on his mind but heading home to Camelot. Merlin gawped after him before running to pick up the discarded weaponry and other items that he had carried on the way. Maybe he had actually got away with it again? He tried to slow his rapid breathing and calm his nerves. He silently vowed he would pay more attention to Gaius' warnings about careless use of magic in the future, it was just too dangerous and there was too much at risk to mess it all up now.
Unnoticed by both men, a small brown bird sat in the branches of the trees and noted the way they went before taking off and flying directly south to search for a friend.
The sound of rain and the fact that he was getting soaked to the skin brought Merlin back to the present time. The torrential rain did not surprise him in the slightest, he had often found that his mood could result in unexpected weather changes and he was simply glad that it was just pouring with rain and he was not caught in the middle of a violent thunder storm right now. He shivered and sneezed before stretching his cramped legs and getting up from the now very wet ground. He moved closer to the rock face he had noticed earlier and found a small indent where an overhang of rock had created a natural ceiling. It was not large enough to be called a cave but at least it was shelter of a sort and would give him the chance to dry off a bit. He settled his back against the rock and glanced around out of habit before whispering "Bryne". Immediately, the rock face around him started to glow golden and radiated heat into the small space, he would soon be warm and dry again. It seemed very strange for Merlin to be alone and able to use his magic almost freely as he conjured up a small fire and pulled off his boots to dry them beside it. As he became warmer and drier, his mood improved and the rain eventually stopped.
Thinking about his situation, Merlin was angry. He was angry with Arthur for refusing to give him the benefit of the doubt but most of all he was angry with himself. How stupid had he been to allow a single moment of fun to ruin so many years of work.
He let out a shout of rage and frustration and punched the rock face. It wasn't fair! The darker side of his magic rose to the surface and spoke to him, tempting him with it's powerful ideas. If the prat didn't want his help then so be it, destiny and fate be damned. He had tried and failed. Who says that Arthur is indeed the Once and Future King anyway? The myths and legends were probably just that. Something had changed within him and he was through with playing by the rules of someone else's game. Now it was time to trust his instincts and test his own limits. His eyes glowed, not their normal gold, but a darker, more sinister shade as he turned to look at the trees around the area and let out a bolt of pure magic and rage. Instantly the ground was scorched black and the trees nearest to him combusted into nothing more than piles of ash. He felt the earth under his feet tremble as he unleashed his anger and more of the undergrowth spontaneously combusted with fire building up around the clearing. He smiled with grim satisfaction as he considered what he could so easily achieve. He could bring Camelot to its knees. He could make Arthur wish he'd never been born. Feeling the pure elemental magic flowing through him, he understood now how it must feel for all the sorcerers who choose the darker path of magic, the sheer power was undeniably attractive and the air around him crackled with magic as the sky darkened and the temperature noticeably dropped in the immediate vicinity. His imagination showed him visions of what he could have, if he would unleash just some of his power. He saw the corpses strewn across the battle field under the black sky and jagged lightning as he felled hundreds with a single word, he saw the smoking ruins of the city as he purposefully strode towards the shattered gates, he saw the terror in the eyes of the people as they knelt before him and he saw Arthur trembling at the sight of his former manservant and begging him to spare their lives. Then he heard Uther's voice "All sorcerers are evil" and he realised that he was playing directly into Uther's hands and proving his words were the truth.
"ENOUGH"
Merlin did not even realise he had spoken but the visions swam before his eyes and vanished. He dropped to the ground trembling and sweating as he fought to rein in the magic and bring it back under his control before he lost his soul into the depths of the darkness. He was standing on the edge of an abyss, looking into the inky blackness of despair. He could not let the darkness consume him. He pulled back with all his strength and felt his magic fighting against him. It had experienced a brief taste of freedom and did not wish to be confined again. He reached deep inside him and closed his eyes to concentrate on reeling in his power. Slowly, he was able to bring the magic back and force it under his control. He felt the power flowing back into him and the colour of his eyes returned to the normal bright gold as his control over the magic returned.
His vision cleared and he looked around him with horror as he realised how much destruction his loss of control had wreaked. It was years since he had lost control of his magic like this and he was instantly ashamed of the horror that he had unleashed. The area of forest looked like it had been hit by a small meteorite, a smoking blackened crater at the centre where he had been standing with burnt and charred vegetation surrounding it. He held his head in his hands and groaned with regret, this was going to take a lot of time and energy to put right. He rubbed his face, streaking black ash across his forehead and looked up at the sky. He judged it was now at least two hours past the mid season and he knew that the next few hours would need to be spent most preciously toiling to fix the mess he had caused.
He sighed; there was no way he could move on from here until he had returned the area to its natural state and that would take the rest of the day. He cursed, once again mentally kicking himself, and knowing this mess was all his own fault. There was nothing more for it and he crouched down on the ground to begin the long and exhausting process of undoing the damage he had foolishly caused.
Authors Note - well, there you have it, the magic reveal from Merlin's POV and a brief explanation of the Ghosts. Have you noticed them yet? You've already seen three of them, can you guess who?