Merlin's eyes searched the crowd, he saw Morgana approaching the healer, Thea. Merlin watched the two women for a moment and he said a name calmly, in mind speech, "Morgana."

She turned around to face him, and he knew enough from her posture to guess she was defensive again. He sighed and said in mind speech again, "I'm sorry. And I don't want to fight any more, tonight. Will you come here, and talk to me?"

She stared at him, but her eyes were unreadable across the campfire in the darkness.

He waited.

Merlin saw her hesitate for a long moment, then she said something to Thea and began to walk towards him. He stood up, aware that Thea had also turned to look at him, her gaze watchful.

Morgana was still wearing the tan cloak he'd had his arms under earlier, but the hair that he'd run his fingers through had been tidied up into a neat braid. He said again, "Morgana? Please."

Her eyes dropped away from his but she took a few steps towards him. He met her half-way, he touched her back briefly and she followed him a little away from the others.

He waved his hand at a large, unoccupied log. "Will you sit down?"

She nodded so he sat down on the ground, and leant his back against the log, stretching his legs out to the warmth of the campfire. He gave her a questioning look, she sat down beside him, wrapping her cloak around her, careful to keep a distance between them.

"Truce, Morgana? Just for tonight, at least?" She nodded again but still didn't speak, and he said in a low voice, "Can you only talk to me if we're fighting?"

She turned to him then, her eyes wary. "I don't know what to say."

"That's probably the most honest thing you've said to me in more than a year."

Her eyes flashed a warning, he put up his hand. "No, please, I'm sick of fighting with you, Morgana. Why did it go so wrong?" No one was close enough to overhear their conversation but he still spoke quietly.

She was aware of the eyes too. She stared into the campfire. "You started it. You poisoned me, Merlin. I thought you were my friend, and you tried to kill me!"

There was anger in her voice, but he heard her hurt too, and it stirred the guilt in his heart. He wanted to reach out and touch her but he didn't dare. "I know. I know, Morgana. And I am so sorry for it. You know why I did, but I shouldn't have, I should have found some other way."

She didn't look at him, she leant forward, shoulders hunched, and said flatly, "But you did, didn't you."

He was restless, so was she. He yanked up a blade of grass and twisted it in his fingers. "I'll always wonder if you would have stayed with us, if I'd told you about my magic, back then. But I guess we'll never know, will we?"

"No." She was short. "I have Morgause, now."

He shook his head. "Turn away from her, Morgana. You gave her your trust when you barely knew her. I want to help you."

"It's too late for that, Merlin. I don't need your help. We've chosen our paths, and they go in different directions."

He said bluntly, "They don't have to." She was silent. He leant forward, and she turned to him, her eyes were hooded. "I know you don't understand this thing between us, Morgana. That kiss ..." He hesitated, and the tip of her tongue darted out nervously to moisten her lips, he had to look away. "But it'd be wrong for both of us, and it would complicate things too much. Give me a second chance. Talk to me, please."

She wouldn't give him an answer, she picked at her cloak, worrying the edges of it between her fingers. His eyes watched the movement and deliberately he reached out and placed his hand over hers. Something in him calmed as she allowed the contact.

"I know why there's this attraction between us, Morgana, but you don't." He leant back against the log again, taking her hand with him, ignoring the set of her shoulders. "When you fell down the stairs that time ago you were badly injured, Gaius said you were dying." He didn't want to, but he had to say it. "I knew you were a danger to Arthur, and to Camelot, so I didn't want to heal you, but I did. I wasn't going to do it, but Arthur, Gwen, Uther, everyone – they loved you, they were devastated." He saw her stiffen, he knew his words were harsh.

He continued, "I used an enchantment to heal you that came out of the very beginnings of the old religion. Magic was different then. The spell was ... unusual. And it had an effect I didn't know about until very recently. My magic is still inside you, it hasn't gone away. That's why we're so attracted to each other, we're linked together by it." He stopped, maybe that was what Kilgharrah meant, he should be relieved that's all it was.

She pulled her hand away. "You didn't want to heal me? You were going to let me die?"

"Yes." He didn't move.

She looked at him then, her face bitter. "You tell me this, and think I can just get over it? That I'll forgive you, for any of it?"

"Don't put all this back on me, Morgana! You've tried to kill me, and Arthur, and destroy Camelot, many, many times. You were going to kill me when you came to Camelot last week! Be thankful that you still have your life!"

She was a bit subdued at that and he continued, "And that's not all of it. I'll tell you the rest. My magic inside you? You can't control it, yet I can. It's stronger than yours, much stronger. I could direct it to quash yours with barely a thought. I haven't yet, but I could. I can track you, wherever you go, with it. And we already know, if you're near me and I let you sense my magic you can't keep your hands off me."

The fire burst out, "I'll never touch you again!"

"Really? I don't believe you. Never is a long, long time." He smiled into her angry face, watching her struggle, her eyes were swirling gold, her magic reacting to her emotions. "You're so fiery Morgana, why can't you channel that passion into something good?"

"I hope you don't mean you!"

He laughed, genuinely amused. "No, that's not what I meant." He smiled again to himself, and stretched his arm out behind her on the log and gave her a speculative look. "I didn't mean that at all. Interesting that you thought of it, though."

Instantly he knew he'd gone too far, she glared and moved to get up, he grabbed at her, one hand on her waist and the other closing over her elbow. "Okay, okay. I know, I said I didn't want to fight. And I don't. But I enjoy it sometimes, you react so beautifully."

He cheated just a little and allowed a wisp of his magic to escape, he didn't know if that helped his cause or not as she was still clearly annoyed with him. But the main thing was that she didn't leave, and she sat back down beside him.

He let her go and she folded her arms in front of herself defensively. "Fine, Merlin. What are we going to talk about? I've tried to kill you, you've tried to kill me. Now what?"

He turned to face her, propping his elbow on the log and resting his head on a hand. "Why didn't you go with Morgause, when she went off on her search for Emrys?"

She hadn't been expecting the question, and didn't want to answer, she shrugged.

He asked, "Was it because I'd frightened you? Or something else?"

"I don't really know you, do I Merlin?"

"I'm sorry. But you've got to understand why I did it."

She shook her head. "I don't. I don't have to understand anything about you."

"But I want you to. I don't want to hurt you anymore, I don't want you to be my enemy. I just want my friend back."

He understood that he'd need to be the one to offer trust first, to take the lead in any attempt for reconciliation between them. She'd never come to him unasked, she was too damaged, and it wasn't her nature anymore to take such a personal risk with someone, especially him. And he knew it wasn't the time for being cautious and tentative around her either, he had to be honest about what needed from her. He hoped by prodding her into discussing her feelings with him she may be open to the idea of change, instead of just blindly holding on to her hostility, her pain, and her fear.

He said quietly to her profile, "I miss you. I betrayed you, I know I did. And I'm sorry for it. I can't bear what we've become to each other. And I want to try again."

She flicked a glance at him then looked down at her lap for a long moment. Then she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Okay then. You want to know why I didn't go? You did scare me, I'd never seen that side of you. That was a reason I didn't go with Morgause." She wasn't looking at him. "But Thea didn't want me to go either, she really cares for me, I haven't known her that long but she's so good to me. She argued with Morgause, she didn't think either of us should go."

She stopped, and he put his hand on her back in a brief touch for a few heartbeats, then he dropped the contact. "I appreciate you telling me that, Morgana." He knew it couldn't be easy for her to be even the smallest bit open with him.

But she bowed her head, and said in a voice almost tinged with regret, "It's too late to do this, Merlin. I don't trust you. We are enemies now."

"No!" He shook his head, refuting her words. "I won't accept that! And I know you, I know you better than Morgause, she sees only the worst in you, and that's all she wants. But I know you all, I've seen your darkness as well as the part of you that's good and kind, Morgana. You don't have to pretend with me, I've seen you all."

"Maybe what you call my worst is what I want!"

"I don't believe you! Why did you pick this druid clan to stay with, Morgana? They're peaceful, they're not full of hate. Don't tell me it was because Morgause was too injured to travel any further, you could have gone elsewhere if you wanted, they would have helped, they're magic users, it would've been possible! But this clan is not like that, and either are you! Their magic is –" He hesitated, he hadn't meant to say too much about what he'd sensed magically in the camp. "They're peaceful, they're kind to others."

She'd turned to stare at him, her expression giving nothing away, and he continued, "You know I wouldn't have come running after you trying to kill you if all you'd done was search for Emrys, you weren't threatening what I protect again. Not to mention Emrys, if he hadn't been me, might have protected you from me, if you know what I mean. Isn't that what Morgause is after?"

His mouth quirked but she didn't respond, and he added quietly, "But you didn't go, you didn't want to, and it wasn't because I'd terrified you, it was because you didn't want to go! There's still a goodness in you, Morgana, I know it, I believe in you."

She'd turned her face away, and the set of her shoulders spoke of her distress. She shook her head. "I had no one else to turn to Merlin, only her."

His failure to save her crashed through him again, and he took a gamble, shifting closer to her, and before she could protest he put an arm around her shoulders and tugged her against his side. She stiffened, but he didn't let go. He made himself relax beside her and felt her slowly do the same, she was allowing him some physical intimacy with her, and he wondered if he could push it further. He decided to try, even if it was just to test her reaction, and he bent his head down and when she raised her own he pressed his mouth briefly to her forehead.

She gave him an unreadable look. "Judas kiss, Merlin?"

He flashed her an easy grin, then turned sombre. "No, it's not. I won't betray you again, if you'll give me your trust, Morgana, and do what's kind and good."

He knew she was unsure. She'd tensed when he'd kissed her forehead, but when he did nothing else and still seemed determined to keep his arm around her shoulders her tension decreased. He didn't speak, he just let her become accustomed to their physical contact. He tried to see her face but she'd turned her head, and a strand of hair had escaped her braid, hiding her expression. He found himself reaching across and tucking her hair back behind her ear, and when she looked up at him questioningly he shifted awkwardly, and dropped his hand.

But she didn't move away, she stayed leaning into him, the side of her body pressed up against his. He told himself the odd sensation in his chest was just relief he felt at their ceasefire, nothing more. She asked, "Why didn't you tell me about your magic, when I was struggling with mine? Why didn't you help me?"

He could only give her a partial answer to that. He knew he couldn't tell her about the path Kilgharrah said she'd follow, the one she was on even now. "I helped you as much as I could, Morgana. I took you to the druids, I kept your secret, even from Arthur, right to the end."

"But that was because he wouldn't have believed you, if you'd told him."

"Yes, that's true." Partly, anyway. He thought further. "You asked why I didn't tell you of my magic back then; isn't it obvious? You were the king's ward, I was a servant, I could never let you have the power of that knowledge over me, particularly with Uther on the throne. I've had magic since I was born, but until recently those who knew of it I could number on one hand."

"You're lucky that Arthur supported you, Merlin. He never would've done that for me."

He heard the sadness she couldn't quite disguise. "He loved you, Morgana. If he can cope with me having magic he certainly wouldn't have rejected you. I don't know why I didn't see that in him, back when things between you and us were not so bad. Your magic wasn't something you could help, you didn't seek it out, it sought you, it chose you. Yet I don't really understand how easily he's accepted magic in me."

"He's your friend." She hesitated. "And maybe he is different to Uther."

"He is, Morgana!"

Merlin glanced across the campfire at Arthur. He was sitting beside Nathaniel again now, the two of them were talking with animation on some subject, they both seemed to be in good spirits. Maybe they were building their own links, the relationship between future king and druid chieftain. He hoped so.

Merlin changed the subject, he had to discuss what he wanted to do, with her. "But now, Morgana, please listen. There's something I want to do. If you let me, I can mix my magic inside you, with yours, and release my control of it. It'll be a way out of this connection with me. But there's a price to pay."

She sat up, her eyes were wary again. "I know we don't trust each other, Morgana, there's too much that's happened between us for that at present. But if you agree to this, you must trust me. I'll tell you what I can do."

He waited, she placed a hand over his, a tentative peace offering. He took it. "I can let go of my hold on my magic, that's inside you. I can give it to you, to control. It's very powerful, Morgana, it's a mixture of my own magic as well as the beginnings of the old religion."

"Why would I not want it, then? You're offering me more magic."

"But you see, there's a catch. It's magic for healing, Morgana. That's all it will ever be able to do, within you. If you agree to this, I know you'll eventually become the greatest healer of all time. You can choose the right path, one that doesn't hurt people. You could do so much good!" She was listening, and he continued. "But it will dominate your other magic, it won't add to it. As your healing magic strengthens, you may well become weaker in other areas of magic. As time passes, your abilities as a seer may even decrease, although I don't know this for sure."

She was considering it, but he didn't know what she was thinking. He stroked her fingers. "Morgana, you must let go of your hate, your drive to dominate, your thirst for revenge. Healing magic will never work for you, if you are like that. Don't allow yourself to become so bitter and twisted that it consumes you. That's no life. Revenge is a poison meant for others that we end up ingesting ourselves."

He reached up to brush her face. "You could be a great healer, Morgana. Take this opportunity to do good." He as careful not to mention Morgause, he didn't want her to chose between them yet, because he wouldn't win. Morgana's loyalties would fall back to her sister, it was ingrained in her at present, but if he showed trust and faith in her again, he believed there was still a chance.

He had to believe it, it was all he had. "Please say yes. Please take this option. Don't back me into a corner and make me do something to you that I don't want to do. I can't allow you to continue to threaten Arthur and Camelot. Please Morgana, choose your destiny, do what's right."

She was silent for a long while, looking intently into his eyes. Then her gaze flittered away and she asked quietly, "What will happen to this connection between us?"

He was surprised, it wasn't a question he was expecting. "I don't really know but I think it'll decrease in its intensity, it may disappear. You're attracted to me now, because your magic recognises mine as its own. And the magic I have inside me reaches to that which is in you." He laced his fingers through hers, it was the magic pull, he couldn't help it. Just talking about it made him want to touch her again, it was an odd compulsion.

"Morgana, regardless of what happens, I still want to see you. I want to see if we can be friends again, like we once were. You can never come to Camelot, you know that, don't you? Not after what happened. I'll visit you here, if you'll let me?"

"What about Morgause?"

"Morgana ... what I told you before hasn't changed. You're going to have to choose between us and her, but not yet. I'm not asking you to make that choice, not yet. But give me a chance."

"What will you do to her?"

"I've told you already. If she threatens what I protect, I'll take any measures necessary to deal with her."

"Are you that dedicated to Arthur and Camelot that you'd force yourself to try and be friends with me, just to keep an eye on me?"

"It's not like that, Morgana, you know that. I can't pretend that things are going to suddenly be just fine, between us. I don't trust you with Arthur, I know he won't hurt you but I don't trust you with him. But I want you to remember the good times we've had with you. Forget Uther, it doesn't have to be about him any more. Remember all the good times we had together – you, me, Arthur and Gwen. I want to re-establish that between you and me."

"Just between us? What about the others?"

"Not yet. Let's see how we handle each other first, huh?"

"You mean see if I try and kill you and plot against Arthur?"

He smiled. "Something like that." He let her hand go. "Will you think about it, Morgana?" She nodded. "Then go and get some sleep now, huh?" It was late, while they'd been talking Nathaniel and most of the other druids had disappeared, presumably into their tents for the night. Arthur was still on the far side of the campfire, talking to Thea again. Lancelot and Gwaine were already lying down on their sleeping rolls in front of the fire, although neither were asleep.

After she'd left, Merlin grabbed his pack from beside Lancelot and spread his bedroll out near the fire. He was prepared for some teasing or even distaste and anger from his friends about Morgana, but all Lancelot did was tap him on the ankle and tell him to "Take care of yourself, Merlin."

Gwaine either half-asleep or intoxicated and mumbled something about ogres chasing wyverns who were eating purple chickens.

Thea left as Morgana did, and Arthur dumped his own bedroll down near Merlin.

The prince hunkered down beside him. "You alright, Merlin?"

"Yeah. I think so."

He didn't want to talk, and Arthur didn't press him, instead he threw him an extra blanket. "From Nathaniel."

A/N: I hope you found that believable, that was a difficult chapter to write and a little boring, too much of a bridging chapter. I'm not really happy with it, I struggled with writing Morgana, I think she's a very strong character although damaged, and I'm not sure if I wrote her as weaker than I think she really is. And I can't see that she'd seek out Merlin to try and reconcile, but I can see part of Merlin wanting to give her another chance, at least the parts of him that want to help others, and also recognises his own role in her fall from grace, and wants to do something about it. This was a bit of a linking chapter, more interesting in the next one, promise. And the reasons for their behaviour will become clearer in later chapters.

And once again, those who've reviewed, thanks for taking the time. I hope to post reasonably quickly, I'd like this fic wrapped up soon.