Alaia Skyhawk: Guilt-ridden Merlin... Poor guy... Should I mention the background sound effects they picked for his talk with Gaius work perfectly as a hint for one of my additions from Motives? Hehehe.

DOUBLE UPDATE! WHEEEEEEEEEE! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Music: N/A

"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: N/A

~(-)~

Chapter 15: The Mark of Nimueh ~Part 3~

The sky outside had begun to cloud over, those clouds seeming to protest their growing shadows by grumbling with thunder. Inside one of the castle's towers, in the chambers belonging to the Court Physician, that man and his ward sat at one of the tables while the latter murmured in regret.

"I thought I was doing good... and that curing Gwen's father would help her. I thought... I was saving a life. It seemed so... simple."

Hearing the storm that was starting outside, the rain that had started to fall, Gaius sighed even as it helped him with the words to say to his ward.

"An easy solution is like a light in a storm, Merlin. Rush for it at your peril, for it may not always lead you to a safe harbour"

Merlin lowered his head, staring at his hands.

"I can see that now."

Gaius watched him, solemn.

"How many times have I have warned you about the responsibilities of being a warlock?"

Merlin remained distracted, his thoughts clearly far away as he moved and got to his feet.

"I must see her"

Gaius turned in his seat, calling out after him.

"Merlin."

The warlock's pained glance back at him coincided with a loud boom of thunder, the sound silencing the physician long enough for him to pass through the door and close it behind him. Gaius sighed, shaking his head before going to the window to frown at the rain pouring down. It was strange, but the sky had been mostly clear before Gwen's arrest, barely an hour ago. But now it was overcast and grey, and while there may not be any visible lightning the thunder only added to the unhappy pall it cast over the city almost like an ill omen.

It was like the skies themselves were angered and upset at the events happening below.

Gaius moved away from the window, sighing before heading out the door. The rain would refill the emergency cisterns, but even so they would barely last the city a day. He had to attend the meeting to discuss what would be done once they were empty.

~(-)~

Merlin headed for the dungeons, grim as his regret only deepened when a crying Morgana passed him on her way out from the cells. The guards paid him little heed, perhaps some shred of sympathy for the prisoner meaning they did not mind that her friends should visit her. Or maybe it was Morgana's obvious sorrow at this that had them remain silent, either way he knew they'd never tell him.

He arrived at Gwen's cell, ironically the one he himself had spent a night in, but unlike him she was chained to the wall inside. The sound of his footsteps caused her to look up from her bleak stare across the cell, the sight of him standing at the bars bringing her to her feet and towards him until those chains halted her progress.

Her face was wet with tears, but there was gratitude in her eyes when she spoke to him.

"Thank you."

Merlin regarded her, confused. Why should she thank him when he was the reason she was down here?

"What for?"

She tried to smile, but it was a frail shadow as she answered.

"Coming to see me."

"I'm sorry."

His apology was out before he'd even thought it, Gwen frowning a little before looking off to once side distantly.

"It's not your fault. Don't worry about me..." She swallowed, stifling a sob "...There's no point crying about it." She hesitated, looking at him again. "I mean, I'm not saying you were going you cry about me. Obviously I don't think that."

Merlin couldn't help but smile sadly at that, at her still apologising when she feared something she said would offend him.

"Oh, Gwen... I can't let this happen."

She interrupted him, her voice trembling.

"Please, one thing... Y-you don't have to, but..."

Merlin leaned against the bars, waiting for her answer.

"What?"

She remained silent, not speaking a word until finally she looked up at him again.

"Remember me..."

Merlin shook his head, not willing to accept this.

"You're not going to die. I'm not going to let this happen."

He practically stormed out of the dungeons, walking through the castle ignoring everyone and everything he passed. Staying safe was meaningless if he couldn't save Gwen from his own stupid actions.

He burst into the council chambers as soon as he arrived at them, speaking out before the guards at the door could restrain him.

"It was me! It was me who used the magic to cure Gwen's father! Gwen is not the sorcerer...I am!"

"Merlin! Are you mad?"

Gaius had risen from his seat, Merlin ignoring him and keeping his eyes on the king as he then bowed his head to him.

"I cannot let her die for me. I place myself at your mercy."

Gaius turned to Uther.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about, Sire."

"I do!"

In the pause that followed, Uther gestured to the nearby guards, while Arthur continued to stare at his servant like Merlin had grown an extra head.

"Then arrest him."

"Father, please, I cannot allow this. This is madness!" Arthur exclamation was one of utter disbelief, as he approached where Merlin had been seized by a pair of guards. "There's no way that Merlin is a sorcerer."

"Did you not hear him?"

"Yes."

Uther's response was bland.

"He admitted it."

Arthur was still looking rather stumped by this.

"He saved my life, remember?"

"Why should he fabricate such a story?"

Arthur glanced at Gaius, immediately getting an idea.

"As... Gaius said. He's got a grave... mental disease."

Uther leaned forward in his chair, waiting for his son to continue.

"Really?"

Arthur hesitated, before pointing to his servant who reacted in immediate shock and embarrassment to the words that followed.

"He's in love."

"What?"

"With Gwen."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are."

"No way!"

"I saw you yesterday with that flower she'd given you."

Merlin began to splutter, while Gaius resumed his seat and the other nobles around the table started to smile in humour. Even the king had gotten up to walk to once side shaking his head.

Merlin continued to protest.

"I'm not in love with her."

Arthur put an arm across his shoulders, now that the guards had released him. His tone was almost taunting.

"It's all right. You can admit it."

"I don't even think of her like that!"

Uther raised his eyebrows as he leaned on the back of one of the chairs round the table.

"Perhaps she cast a spell on you."

Merlin wanted to swear. Dear gods even the king was making fun of him now, as the royal and everyone else in the room laughed in the silence that followed. Even the guards were laughing.

Arthur glanced to his father, before putting a hand on top of Merlin's head.

"Merlin is a wonder... But the wonder is that he's such an idiot." Arthur tweaked Merlin's head at the last word, before letting go of him and walking away. "There's no way he's a sorcerer..."

Uther turned away, returning to his seat as he spoke.

"Don't waste my time again. Let him go."

The guards returned to their positions, as did Arthur, while Gaius rose from his seat with a nod of apology to the king before striding to Merlin and dragging him out of the chamber. It was thus, for the second time in a single day, that Merlin shortly found himself shoved through the door into the physician's chambers.

Merlin shook his head.

"Arthur's the idiot."

"No, he was right to do what he did... And thankfully he saved you from your own stupidity."

Merlin frowned, striding after his mentor as the old man crossed the chamber.

"What else could I do? It's my fault Gwen's going to die."

Gaius turned and faced him.

"Yes, but you don't prove her innocence by offering to jump into the flames. You do it by finding out what's causing the disease."

Merlin snorted.

"Well, whatever it is. One thing's for sure, there's no way Arthur is going to find it... He thinks he is so sharp. Even when I told him I was a warlock, he still couldn't see it."

Gaius raised an eyebrow.

"Sometimes it's very hard to spot."

"Then maybe I should go around wearing a pointy hat."

Gaius picked up a set of keys from one of his shelves, glancing at his ward.

"I don't think you'll find one big enough." He set about putting a number of things into a bag. "Anyway, forget that. If we're going to save Gwen, we have to find out what's contaminating the water. Come with me."

He led Merlin out of the castle and through one of the tiny side-gates through the walls, heading along the top of the steep embankment outside of them towards a door overlooked by one of the watch-posts above. He used one of the keys from the ring to open it, and Merlin stared at the steps into darkness that lay beyond.

"What's down there?"

Gaius grabbed one of the torches propped against the wall just inside the door, lighting it using the flint and steel hung on a cord above them.

"This leads to some of the caves below the castle. There's a natural spring in here, which was dammed up and channelled so that it feeds into the city's wells. All of the city's water comes from here, so if there's a source of the disease affecting all our water, then it can only be in here." Their path now lit by the torch Gaius carried, they descended the stairway until it passed into a collection of crudely hewn caves. The physician led the way unerringly through them, pointing to where a wall across an alcove had created a pool of water. "There. Take a sample."

Merlin walked up to the pool, getting a vial out of the bag he'd been made to carry. When he dipped it in the water he felt a sudden sense of foreboding, quickly capping the vial and stepping back to where Gaius stood. Something definitely wasn't right in here.

"Gaius..."

The physician frowned.

"What is it?"

Merlin swallowed, the hair on his neck standing on end even as the water in the pool started to ripple.

"We might want to get out of here."

The water in the pool surged upwards in a cascade as the surface was broken, a creature of twisted form and sharp teeth screeching before starting to move as if towards them.

They ran for the exit, locking the door behind them once they reached it. Merlin was almost shaking as Gaius pulled him into motion again.

"How did you know that was there?"

Merlin shook his head, his skin still crawling.

"That thing is magical, I could sense it as soon as I put my hand in the water... But it's not like the magic I do, it felt wrong."

The physician's expression was grim, even as his surprise at Merlin sensing it faded. Should he really have been surprised, given how little the both of them still knew of the young warlock's gifts?

"We need to get back to my chambers and find out what that thing was. Maybe then we can find how to destroy it."

~(-)~

It was nearly an hour later that they found what they sought, the two of them stooped over a book looking at a picture of the creature they had seen.

Gaius frowned, knowing it didn't bode well.

"It was an afanc... A beast born of clay, conjured up only by the most powerful sorcerer. Remember what I told you before, about how only certain very powerful sorcerers can create a true living creature from something that is not. It means that it's no regular spell-caster that sent this." He sighed. "Now we have to find a way to defeat it."

The both of them turned to look at the massive and messy array of books the physician owned, Merlin shaking his head.

"But that could take days. Gwen will be dead by then."

"Have you got a better idea?"

At his mentor's question, Merlin left the room... Only to return in disgust barely half-an-hour later and begin pulling down books to look for something, muttering while he did so... Stupid dragon and his riddles... And walking past the pyre being built in the courtyard hadn't helped.

"'Trust the elements at my command'? Yeah, big help, that one."

He was still looking when Gaius returned from wherever he'd gone, the physician frowning in puzzlement at the array of books Merlin had already gotten down.

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

Merlin glanced at him, before resuming reading the titles on the spines of the books.

"Looking for a book on elements. Which one would I find them in?"

Gaius walked over, indicating them with a hand.

"Well, most of them. The study of base elements is at the very heart of the scientific process."

Merlin paused in his searching.

"But how will that help me kill an afanc?"

Gaius was still frowning.

"Well the afanc is a creature made from earth and water, that's two of the base elements."

"What are the other two?"

"Wind and fire." Gaius came closer. "How did you find this out?"

Merlin just shrugged. It wasn't like he was going to tell his mentor he'd gone to see a dragon, whose main source of amusement seemed to be from being as awkward as was humanly... or dragonly... possible.

"Er, I just knew. Part of my powers."

"What else do your powers tell you?"

Gaius was regarding him rather strangely, waiting for him to answer. Merlin reply held a tiny note of sarcasm.

"That I am only one side of the coin. The brighter side, obviously."

"And who's the other side?"

Merlin let out a long breath, almost musing to himself.

"Think that might be Arthur."

~(-)~

The bell outside tolled, Arthur walking into the council chambers with a heavy heart. He wanted anything but to be here at this moment when his father spoke.

"Have you found anything else?"

Arthur bowed his head, solemn.

"I've tried... But I can keep looking."

Uther stood straight from where he'd been leaning over the table, but remained with his back to his son.

"People are dying... We can't delay any longer... We must kill the witch. Bring her execution forward to tonight."

Arthur closed his eyes at that statement, but didn't utter a sound before wordlessly leaving the chamber and heading to his rooms. He'd gone, briefly, to the dungeons to check on Gwen, but found her laid silent and apparently asleep in her cell... He doubted that were true though, more likely she pretended so that if Morgana or Merlin were to visit her she wouldn't have to face them and the tears that would surely follow. He'd wanted so much to find proof that she was innocent, not because he cared about her particularly, but because he felt responsible for her plight. She was going to die at sunset, and he was almost certain it would make no difference to the plague afflicting the city.

He reached his chambers and went to the window, ignoring the mess of plates bearing half-eaten food that littered his main table. The sight of the pyre had him move from there though, to sit on the edge of his bed instead. He remained there in silence, until a short while later he heard his door open.

Morgana paused when she saw the mess on the table, Arthur glancing to it when he came into view.

"Sorry about all this. Merlin's not been in today."

Morgana raised her eyebrows a little, inwardly amused considering she knew Merlin was standing in the hallway outside. After hearing the Gwen's execution was being brought forward, she'd gone to Gaius' chambers only to learn they had discovered the source of the disease... And that they also had to convince Arthur to help them destroy it.

Regarding the prince almost thoughtfully, she put on her best sympathetic voice.

"Poor Merlin."

Arthur didn't seem to be listening, his response almost dismissive.

"Yeah."

She smirked ever so slightly.

"To offer to give up his life to save Gwen's...I certainly can't imagine any man loving me so much."

Arthur, figuring she was just being deliberately irritating, remained dismissive.

"No, I can't imagine that either."

The smile widened slightly. Was that a challenge?

"That's because you're not like Merlin. He's a lover."

Arthur faced her, almost looking like he wanted to roll his eyes at her remarks.

"Yeah. That's because I haven't found the right person to love."

Yes, it was a challenge... Dear dear, the prince actually thought he could beat her in a war of words.

She tilted her head, her tone slightly mocking as he turned to walk away.

"Sadly, the age of gallantry seems to be dead... You look around and all you see are small men not big enough to fill their armour... There's not one of them able to stand up for what is right."

Arthur paused at those words, turning to face her. Was she here for the reason he thought she was here?

"What do you want me to do?"

She smiled, victorious.

"Merlin, you can come in now."

Arthur's face immediately said that she thought she had to be joking, before sure enough Merlin peered around the door.

He smiled, a bit nervously.

"Um, hi."

Arthur let out an exasperated sigh, folding his arms across his chest.

"Get to the point, Merlin."

The servant held up and jangled a set of keys, a half-cheery half-sarcastic smile on his face.

"Gaius and I found something called an afanc, down at the spring where all the city's water comes from, and we need someone who is really good at fighting to help us kill it and prove that Gwen is innocent... Strangely enough, you were the one that came to mind."

In the pause that followed, Arthur glanced at Morgana, the woman simply tilting her head and speaking.

"Well? Are you coming or not? Because if you're not, then I'm just going to grab a sword and go down there and kill it myself."

Arthur seemed to think about it, before turning and picking up his sword from where he'd propped it against the wall. All three of them headed out of the castle, Merlin leading the way to the door outside the walls and unlocking it with the keys Gaius had given him.

All three of them lit and carried torches, Arthur drawing his sword before they descended the stairs and entered the caves. They were halfway to the pool when the prince finally decided to say something.

"You'd better be right about this, Merlin."

Any retort from the servant was cut off, by the echoing growl that chose that moment to reach their ears. Merlin felt like his skin was crawling again, compounded by the fact he only realised now that he hadn't looked up a spell for this. Morgana charging into Gaius' chambers had distracted him.

Oblivious to the nearby secret warlock's dilemma, Arthur glanced over his shoulder at Morgana.

"You should stay here."

She frowned, shaking her head.

"I'm coming with you."

"No."

"Scared I'll show you up?"

"Father will slam us both in chains if he knew I'd endangered you."

"Good he doesn't know then."

Her tart response made him scowl.

"I'm telling you, Morgana. Turn back, you could get hurt."

She remained there, stubborn, but there was a hint of concern in her voice.

"So could you..." She started to smirk. "...If you don't get out of my way."

She walked ahead, forcing the two men to follow after her. They kept searching, wandering through the passages, flinching at every noise and shadow until a scream from Morgana heralded a glimpse of the beast.

It took a swipe with a clawed hand at Arthur, before vanishing again into the darkness beyond the torchlight. Ok, now he knew that Merlin hadn't been making this up.

"Did you see where it went?"

Merlin pointed.

"I think it's gone this way."

They kept looking around, eyes passing nervously from passage to passage around them. The flickering light turning every crooked edge in a rock face into a looming monster until the real one lunged from the shadows.

Arthur stabbed at it with his sword, keeping it back yet seemingly unable to injure it. Morgana swung her torch at it, the afanc hesitating due to the flame yet still managing to knock Arthur's sword from his hand.

Behind them both, Merlin watched while frantically trying to think what to do, racking his head for a spell when right now his knowledge of the Old Tongue was just about non-existent. How could he create his own spell when he didn't know the words?

The dragon's voice rumbled into his mind, amused as always...

'What is the Old Magic to you? Hmmm? You who are born of it and are brother to it. Trust yourself, young warlock, and the knowledge that lies inside...'

Merlin almost stumbled when the voice stopped, his attention drawn back to the battle before him when the afanc knocked the torch from Morgana's hand.

All fear and thought stopped in that moment, the instinct to protect Arthur taking over.

"Arthur! Use the torch!" The prince reacted to his shout, lunging forward with the torch descending towards the beast's head, while unheard behind him Merlin found himself speaking without once having to think about the words. "Lyft is pe in baelwielm ac forhienan!"

A gust of wind whipped though the caves, reaching the flame from the torch at the moment it struck the afanc. The air made the fire spread like a blaze across oil, engulfing the beast and charring it to a smoking hulk while Merlin smiled in the background... Although he was making a mental note to tell the dragon a thing or two about timing. That hint would have been just a bit better if he hadn't left it so damn late.

Arthur and Morgana stared at the creature as it dissolved into dust, the latter actually looking impressed.

"Nice job, Arthur."

Merlin strode past them, aware of some other lingering trace of nearby similar magic, now that the afanc was dead. He arrived at the pool, propping his torch against the side of the passage before climbing over the wall and into the water.

Arthur and Morgana followed him, stopping by the wall while the former muttered.

"Merlin, the people of Camelot have to drink that. What are you doing?"

Merlin didn't look back, lying even as he looked for what he could sense.

"I spotted something back here when I was here before, with Gaius. I couldn't get it because the afanc was in the way." He looked over his shoulder, grinning. "You're worried about me being in the water? The afanc was swimming in it well before I got here." He turned his attention back to what he looked for, finding it wedged at the side of one of the channels that sent water to the wells. He grabbed it, wading back to the wall and showing it to Arthur once he'd climbed over. "It looks like this is what it came out of."

~(-)~

The physician strode into the council chambers, Uther turning to face him when he arrived. Arthur had already been to him to report the slaying of the afanc, getting the king to suspend Gwen's execution to allow for a chance for signs it had stopped the plague.

And stop the plague it had, the time overnight also allowing Gaius the chance to examine the item that Merlin had found.

He stopped beside the king, glad to be able to utter these words.

"Good news sire...There are no new deaths, and those that are sick are recovering."

The king looked relieved, smiling as he picked up the goblet from the table beside him.

"Good. It's strange, I've never heard of an afanc before."

Gaius nodded.

"It's conjured from clay by powerful magic. The type that can only be invoked by an ancient sorcerer. One who has the power to mirror the spirit of life." He unfolded the cloth from round the item he held, revealing a piece of a large egg emblazoned with numerous symbols in red. He turned it over and pointed to one in particular. "My ward found this at the water source... It bears the mark of Nimueh."

Uther went pale, shaking his head as he spoke in a whisper of denial.

"No..."

Gaius understood his reaction, knowing all too well what that name meant to the king.

"We must remain vigilant, Sire."

The king turned away, voice heavy with dread.

"Will I never be rid of her?"

"Sire..."

"Leave me!"

The council members who were present in the room began to file out, Gaius remaining where he was before speaking hesitantly.

"The girl, Sire?"

Uther did not look at him, but did respond in a quiet voice.

"...She is to be freed."

Gaius bowed, before turning to leave.

"Thank you, Sire."

~(-)~

Merlin sat at the table in Gaius' chambers, still elated from seeing Gwen's smile as she was released and reunited with her father. Not even Morgana promising not to tell Gwen about him 'secretly' being 'in love' with her could dampen it... Even if that was a bit annoying. Arthur wasn't going to let him live this down for weeks.

The plague was over, Gwen was saved, and he'd found out something new about his magic. Knowing he could call words up like that in emergencies was going to make protecting Arthur a whole lot easier. In fact, he was in such a good mood about that, that as soon as Gaius sat down at the table with him, he couldn't help himself but talk about it. Gaius had been way too busy to talk about it last night or this morning.

"It was really weird. When I got down there, I realised I hadn't looked up any spell I could use against the afanc. I honestly thought I was going to get us all killed because of it, but then when the moment came and I had to act... The words just came to me."

He stuffed a piece of fish into his mouth, chewing it while Gaius regarded him speculatively.

"They just came to you?"

Merlin nodded, swallowing his mouthful.

"Yeah, I knew what I wanted to tell the magic to do, but I didn't know the words in the Old Tongue. But when I needed them, it was like they were just there and I said them."

The physician frowned, puzzled.

"That's odd... I've heard before of sorcerers having an instinctive knowledge of the Old Tongue, but it's rare to encounter it among any but those descended of the Dragonlor..." He paused, shaking his head and continuing hastily. "Dragonlords. Besides them, it's rare but not unheard of, and almost always accompanies strong magical talent."

Merlin raised his eyebrows, gesturing to himself.

"Strong magical talent... that's me. But really, this is going to make protecting Arthur a lot easier from now on. I had a look at my book again last night, and once I realised I could do this I can look at the words and know how I'm supposed to say them. No more mis-pronounced incantations! It's great." He stuffed another piece of fish into his mouth, swallowing before something occured to him. "Wait... This fish didn't come from the water did it?"

Gaius smiled.

"Well where else is it going to come from? The water's fine now." The smile changed to an expression of concern. "That's not your worry. This was the work of a very powerful sorcerer. I only hope you didn't come to her attention."

Merlin picked at his fish with his fork, unconcerned.

"Doubt it." He looked up, bemused. "Well no one else seems to appreciate my skills. I just want someone to see me for who I am."

Gaius raised his eyebrows, rising to his feet and looking down at his ward.

"One day, Merlin... One day..."

Merlin watched as the physician retrieved his drink from where it rested on another table.

"One day what?"

Gaius smiled, putting a hand on the young warlock's shoulder.

"One day people won't believe... what an idiot you were."

"...Thanks."

Both of them started to laugh, unknowing of being watched... Unknowing of the fury Nimueh now directed at the younger of them.

She glared at the image in the water within the font, her lips pressed together in an angry line.

"...Merlin... You will pay for this..."

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: DUN DUN DUN DUN! It always amazes me just how much Merlin can piss people off even when he's not trying to, hehehe. Also I just HAVE to mention how funny it was transcribing the scene where Merlin confesses. The line where Arthur says he has a 'grave...mental disease' cracks me up every time I hear it XD

On another note, one more sub-ep and I can write the episode I'm REALLY looking forward to doing. The Poisoned Chalice :D