Alaia Skyhawk: Time for the first part of 'the talk' :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Music: Merlin Lost ~Piano~ (Merlin OST Cover)
"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: N/A
~(-)~
Chapter 47: The Old Religion ~Part 2~
The sun marched in its procession across the sky above them, rays of its light piercing the canopy of the forest as they made their way beneath it. The two of them had ridden in silence for the most part, the elder of them leading the way, and the younger still wondering where they were going.
Merlin frowned slightly as he regarded his mentor's back, not knowing anything about where they were other than they were north of Camelot. The physician had stayed to the main road for the first couple of hours, but then had turned off it and begun to follow game trails through the trees, pausing at landmarks along the way as though to get his bearings. It was all so confusing, it was blatantly obvious this trip wasn't about gathering obscure herbs. Gaius had made an excuse to Arthur to cover for this, but why? What were they heading to do?
He didn't bother asking, he knew Gaius wouldn't answer, not yet. Instead he could only keep following the man, until they reached a narrow river where it flowed into the forest from the moors to the north of the city. They'd ridden most of the day to get here, to move out of the belt of dense forest behind them. And now Gaius rode with confidence along that riverbank, following it beyond where it emerged from a small canyon it had cut into the limestone of the hills.
The sound of their mounts' hooves echoed off the walls of the confined space, combining with the gurgle of the river in its rocky bed. The trail alongside it was narrow, clearly long neglected, but the footing was still sure enough for them to traverse it. For Merlin this was starting to become a bit unnerving, to combine Gaius' silence with this place. There was something here that he couldn't quite put his finger on, a feeling of magic yet there was no ley line nearby. But still, it lingered around them.
Soon they reached the canyon's head, like a large pit with its roof open to the sky. There was a grassy area to one side, where they tethered the horse and the pony, but by far the main feature here was the waterfall that poured out of the cliff a short way above.
Gaius walked towards it, to a ledge that wended its way up to the opening from which it emerged.
"Follow me. There is a small network of caves here. It's inside that we'll find what I've brought you to see."
Inside the opening, with the water rushing past mere inches from their feet, just a few strides inwards the walls smoothed out and the path became wider, and in the pale light from the cave entrance, Merlin could see two stone columns had been carved either side of it.
He paused in surprise at the sight of such an obvious sign of human presence.
"What is this place?"
Gaius stopped beside them, bowing his head.
"It was once a place of learning, for those trusted by the High Priests of the Old Religion. A man used to live here, one of those priests, and he guarded what was the greatest repository of ancient lore in our world. The Druids, as a whole, comprise amongst themselves the largest collective of it, but only here was most of it kept all in one place." The physician looked at him. "When Uther turned against magic, and banned it, the man who lived here left and took the store of texts with him. To where, I do not know, but there are some things that could not be removed from here."
Merlin caught up with him.
"What things?"
Gaius sighed, and his hand on a pattern carved into the wall just beyond the column.
"Leohtfruma wece." The pattern started to glow, light flowing through the carved scrolling lines and spirals down the wall and into the tunnel ahead. "Uther never knew about this place, which is why it is untouched. Had he known, he would have been sure to destroy it."
The old man set off down the tunnel, following the path now lit by the pale blue glow of the pattern on the wall. Merlin, followed him, both confused and curious.
"But you knew, and chose not to tell him?"
Gaius glanced back at him.
"There are some vows I made back then, that I would not break even for him. To hide the existence of this place was one such. When I became Camelot's representative and liaison to the High Priests of the Old Religion, it was an honour I had never expected. It was at that time I was told of this place, and bidden to come here to learn some of magic's most treasured secrets. It was a gesture of trust, one that in many ways I have betrayed. I am marked in the eyes of the magical community. For siding with Uther when he broke the friendship he once shared with them, there are few if any of them who would trust me now."
Merlin was now gaping.
"People with magic... Uther used to actually talk to them?"
Gaius nodded, following the light when the passage turned off from the river channel and ascended a short way before heading steeply deeper into the ground.
"Indeed. Go back nearly thirty years, to the time when he became king, and Camelot was a staunch ally of magic. Our lands are rich in its history, and nowhere else will you find more places significant to the Old Religion so close together. That is why his sudden change of heart ripped the core out of the magical community. Forced to scatter to the winds, much will have been lost by them. Much that once resided safely within this kingdom."
The tunnel suddenly widened out, Merlin staring in awe at what was before them. It was a vast cavern, ledges carved into its walls spirallnig upwards. Empty shelves and scroll racks were everywhere at floor level, the far end dominated by a stone table where the priest must have sat and presided over what had been here. But it was to one of the stairways that Gaius led him, following the path upwards around the room until they were very near the ceiling.
As they were doing this, Merlin regarded the array of shelves below.
"This was all full of books?"
Gaius once again nodded, a tinge of regret in his voice.
"It was. As I said, they were all taken from here by the priest and his allies, but they could not remove the oracle carvings." He finally stopped and turned, regarding Merlin solemnly in the pale azure light from the glowing engravings all around them. "I owe you an apology, Merlin."
Merlin frowned, blinking in confusion.
"Why? What have you got to be sorry for?"
Gaius took a deep breath, and pointed to a panel marked out on the wall close to them. It surrounded several blocks of text and images of two figures, those blocks further connected by a border that connected them the length of this part of the wall.
"'Liffrea, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean. Hine on ylde eft gewunigen wilgesiþas, ponne wig cume. Fromum feohgiftum on foeder bearme'. The Lord of wonder endowed him with world's renown. So becomes it a youth to quit him well. That to aid him, aged, in after days come warriors willing, should war draw nigh. With his father's friends by fee and gift."
Merlin was still confused.
"What does that mean?"
Gaius bowed his head.
"It's part of a prophecy, the first of several that are related. They are all written here, on this wall. This is the original, although the ones that came later gave the figures it speaks of, the names by which they are best known... That verse is speaking about the Once and Future King."
Merlin took a step forward, looking between the wall and his mentor.
"That prophecy is talking about Arthur?"
Gaius nodded, and pointed to the verse that followed it.
"'Dryht aciegan hine be seo mann. Bewerigend ond raeswa innan sweorcan gesceaphwil. Baed be unasecgendlic de ear ond upheofon, andweardian leoma to achaini dol hopa ond liss'... Fate doth call him to that man. Protector and guide in darkened hour. Beseeched by gifts of earth and sky, bring light to pleas for hope and mercy." He sighed. "...I don't think I need tell you who that verse speaks of."
Merlin's eyes widened at the implication.
"Me?"
Gaius once again bowed his head.
"When you were poisoned by the Morteus, while you were fevered, you uttered both of these verses. The first after calling out to Arthur, and the second after murmuring that you had to protect him." He looked at his ward. "I realised then just who you may be, and I both dreaded and feared that it was true. I said nothing, even after events confirmed it to me, and that is why I must apologise."
Merlin swallowed convulsively, almost disbelieving as a sense of anger welled to the surface.
"You knew I was the one from this prophesy? You knew I was Emrys? You hid it from me?"
Gaius grabbed him by the arm, trying to calm him.
"I only wanted to protect you."
Merlin wrenched free, looking betrayed.
"You should have told me!"
Gaius grabbed him again, this time by the shoulders, forcing the young warlock to look at him.
"How was I supposed to tell the one I see as being a son to me, that he faces a road of suffering, hardship, and violence?" There was fear for Merlin, in his eyes and his voice. "You are Arthur's protector, his shield against all that would destroy him. You will have to face such darkness the likes of which many would never see in a lifetime, and you will have to do it again and again. Arthur does not know the danger he faces, or the destiny before him. Everything, his path and yours, will rely entirely on you." He let go, backing up a step. "Ignorance can be a blessing... I didn't want you to have to bear the burden of knowing what lies in your future."
Merlin stood there, an uncomfortable feeling of fear settling in his gut, his voice quiet.
"Then why tell me it now?"
Gaius sighed.
"Because having being told your other name, it would only have been a matter of time before you learnt this anyway. Better to learn it from me than from a stranger. I could see that knowing there were prophecies about you was troubling you. That not knowing what they were was distracting you and leaving you vulnerable. Just as I hid my knowledge to protect you, I reveal it now to do the same."
Merlin stared at him, silent, before turning away and walking to the wall where past words of his future had been etched to preserve them for all of time.
Gaius left him there, to read them, and descended back to the cavern floor. He walked out of the chamber and back to their mounts, to set up camp for the night. Merlin needed time to think, and he would give his ward what he needed.
~(-)~
The day was growing late, the forest quiet as the patrol made its way back towards the city.
Arthur led the formation, in some ways relieved to be back home an din others dissapointed to be leaving the quiet of the trees. The patrol had been uneventful, and had given him time to think, but when it came down to it he'd realised there was one person in particular that he needed to talk to.
Morgana.
He left his horse to be tended by the stablehands and headed for his room, Bern helping him with his armour before he dismissed him with instructions to bring his meal to his chambers and just leave it there. The servant had given him an odd glance at the order, but had obeyed, and as soon as the man was gone Arthur left his chambers.
It took only a couple of minutes to reach Morgana's door, his light knock upon it resuling in her maid, Gwen, opening it for him. She frowned when she saw his expression, a nod to the woman sending her elsewhere.
"You can go home, Gwen. I can manage. I'll see you in the morning."
Gwen glanced between the two of them, but didn't hesitate to follow the instruction.
"Thank you, My Lady. I'll see you then."
Arthur closed the door behind her when she left, and it was then that Morgana gestured for him to seat himself at the table opposite her.
"To what do I owe this visit? You've been avoiding me, but that's not unusual. But visiting me like this? This isn't like you, it's too polite."
Arthur sat, for once not rising to her half-hearted taunts.
"Then I guess that's because I've never betrayed my father before... Something I did because you asked me to."
She flinched, her expression becoming apologetic.
"Sorry, I'm just on edge... Dining with your father that night wasn't exactly comfortable."
Arthur frowned.
"What did he do?"
Her eyes held a glint of fear as she answered.
"When word came that the boy had escaped, he threatened me. He said that if he ever found out that I had been involved in it, the consequences would be severe... And that if I ever crossed him again, he would break the promise he made my father without a second thought."
Arthur was aghast.
"He threatened to hurt you?"
"Yes, and I could see that he meant it. He was furious, Arthur... But I don't regret doing what I did."
She lifted her chin in determined pride, and seeing it Arthur had to admire her for her bravery. There weren't many who would openly cross the king.
But even so, he folded his arms on the table's surface, regarding her sternly.
"Gaius told me something last night... You should have told me that Merlin was involved from the start, Morgana. While the initial choice to help the boy was his, I know that it was at your insistence that he remained part of what was going on, and you dragged Gaius into it too. And then there's your maid, you're lucky it's never occurred to my father that she would have known the boy was in here. Do you realise how many lives you endangered with this?"
Morgana started to scowl.
"I know, I don't need you to lecture me! But I just couldn't let that boy be killed. Merlin, he..." She sighed. "Yes, I as much as manipulated him into getting Gaius' help. I owe him, and I won't forget that. He's only been here a few months, and yet already I can't imagine a Camelot without him. He's something that this place needed, even if no one but me seems to notice it. I look at him, and I know I can trust him... Truth be told, I can't remember the last time I met a person like that. He has a sense of honour that would put many of your knights to shame."
The room went quiet, Arthur tapping his fingers on the table for several seconds before he spoke.
"I know, and that's why I asked Leon to spar with him."
Morgana stared at him in surprise.
"You arranged that? Gwen said that Leon told her it was just coincidence. That he'd seen Merlin practicing when he went to do his own, and offered to help him." She sat back in her chair, regarding him thoughtfully. "You've just gone up a measure in my book, Arthur. Maybe you're not as dense as you seem. Come on, tell me why you're here. It can't be just to talk about Merlin."
Arthur started to stare at his hands.
"It's like I said... I've never betrayed my father before. You did it openly, with pride, and I've done it cowered in the shadows... Wondering if I should have done it at all."
Morgana started to shake her head.
"Arthur, what your father ordered was wrong. Killing a child solves nothing. Only by showing mercy can this battle against magic come to a conclution. Maybe not the one he'd want, but perhaps the one that the people need."
Arthur raised his head.
"You think the people need magic?"
"I think that they need a choice." She sighed, solemn. "I'll say to you what I said to Merlin. What if magic isn't something you choose? What if it chooses you? It is right to condemn someone just because they are born to a certain path? You were born as Uther's son, his heir. You were born to be a prince, and you have been targeted simply because of that. You have committed no crime against magic, and yet your father's enemies would hurt you to get to him... That boy was born to the Druids, a peaceful people, and your father would kill him just to warn them... It's no different, and it's wrong no matter how you look at it."
Arthur frowned, agreeing with her words but still wary of opposing his father.
"Suppose you're right? What then? My father's going to continue doing this, he won't be talked out of it. I know."
"And he's just going to keep making enemies for himself, but you." She smiled at him. "You're not like him, Arthur. You see what he refuses to, like I do, and like Merlin does. That's why we all acted to save the boy, and there's no shame in it. There's never shame in doing the right thing." She reached across the table, putting a hand on his arm. "I hope hearing that makes you feel better. The castle just isn't the same when you're brooding. It's more interesting when your ego puts your foot in your mouth every two seconds."
Arthur regarded her for a moment, before letting out a small laugh and rising to his feet. He smiled, and turned for the door.
"Thank you, Morgana... And I'll do what I can to deflect my father's anger away from you. I've yet to make my final report on the boy's escape. I'll make sure it's worded so that it seems someone broke into the castle that night, rather than someone inside being the culprit."
She nodded once as she watched him go, still smiling.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
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Alaia Skyhawk: Aww, cute moment between Arthur and Morgana. Seriously, there should have been more moments like that during the show, before she turned evil anyway. Onwards to part three :)