Past and Present Danger

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Please let me know what you think of this chapter!

Chapter 27

Arthur watched as the King got up again and walked towards the gorge entrance, sword in hand, only to turn back round with a sigh and sit down on the fallen tree that he had occupied when Merlin had gone into the gorge. The Prince counted down in his head. In less than thirty seconds the King would get up and start pacing across the ground, only to sit down again a few moments later.

Sure enough, the King heaved another sigh and got up. He walked slowly across to the tree line, his eyes fixed on the floor and his brow furrowed intently and then turned and headed back to his seat. Arthur watched his back and forward movements trying to work out what he could possibly do to help his older self out, but nothing came to mind. If he was honest with himself, the only reason he wasn't doing the same thing was because he didn't want Merlin, young Merlin, to see him straightaway when he appeared at the entrance to the gorge. He wanted the boy to feel safe with their older selves first and then he would attempt to broach an apology.

In fact, thoughts of his apology occupied his mind entirely. What was he going to say? How could he possibly show Merlin that he was sorry and have the boy believe him? He'd gone through several possible word choices in his head, but none of them sounded like they said enough; none of them seemed to really show the depth of his regret. They sounded practiced and rehearsed and feeble, and he didn't want that.

He shook his head and risked getting up from his own chosen place –leaning against a tree trunk and shielded from view- and moved slowly over to the King who had sat back down again temporarily.

'Are you alright?' he asked the King.

'I'm fine,' he replied a little sharply. He looked up apologetically, 'What about you?'

'A bit worried.'

'Merlin will accept your apology.' Neither of them said anything for a few moments, but then the King looked at him, giving him a measured look. 'You have all your memories don't you?' he asked.

'Yes. Why? Have you forgotten something else?'

'I'm struggling to…' he began and then shook his head, frowning and closing his eyes, trying to remember. 'I can't remember why magic is good,' he said at last. 'I know that we're here for Merlin and I know that the Merlin from my time is the Court Sorcerer, but I can't remember why I allowed it.'

Arthur could see the fight going on in the King's mind, just from the way his face was tight with concentration. He was trying to hold on to things.

'Magic isn't good or bad,' he explained, remembering what Merlin had told him. 'It's just the people who are. A good person's magic will be good and a bad person's magic will be bad.'

'Right,' the King nodded, looking a little relieved at the explanation. 'So Merlin…?'

'Is good,' he finished. 'He uses his magic for good. Like trying to save us all now.'

'How do I know this?'

Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't think of anything to say. He didn't know anything about what had happened to make Arthur realise that Merlin was good. He began to panic, realising that he couldn't give any proof and worried about what that might mean when Merlin got back, but then he remembered his older self's words from earlier.

'The scroll!' he exclaimed, more loudly than he had intended to.

'What?'

'You told me that if you forgot about Merlin I had to make you read the scroll,' he explained, lowering his tone again. 'It's in your jacket.'

He watched the King search his pockets.

'I remember writing this.'

'Don't you remember what it says?' the Prince asked.

'I…I have an impression, but I can't…' he tailed off, but rather than trying to explain, he began reading the document. The Prince wandered around the area they were in -ever keeping a watchful eye on the gorge entrance- but frequently turned back to look at the King. He read the scroll several times over before he put it down. The Prince watched, bemused by the emotions of fear and anger and relief and guilt that passed across the man's face. What had he written? He wanted to ask, but the way the King sat suggested that it was private and personal and, despite being the same person, Arthur didn't want to pry.

When the King finally put the scroll away, he looked less conflicted. He seemed to be steeling himself against all the uncertainties that were clearly plaguing him. Arthur was glad. Seeing his older self unsure and anxious only made him feel the same. After all, if he, as an adult, felt like something wasn't right, then it stood to reason that he, as a child, should be just as nervous. Even with the more positive approach from the King, however, Arthur still retreated back to his shielded spot. The King might now be sure of his Merlin's intentions, but Arthur was less sure about his equivalent Merlin's feelings towards him.

He was about to ask how much longer the King thought they would be when movement from the gorge entrance caught his eye. He took a breath, preparing himself for what he would say to Merlin, but what he saw when he looked back made all thoughts of an apology evaporate into thin air. His eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to shout a warning to the King, but he was cut off by a shout from the man.

'No!' he yelled. And although the words had been directed at Morgana whom he had seen a split second after the Prince, Arthur had the feeling that the words were meant for him. A suspicion that was only confirmed at Morgana's confused look.

'No?' she laughed as the King slowly raised his sword and held it in a defensive stance. His sword was held high, ready for the charge. Arthur recognised the position. He had been taught it a few weeks earlier in training by his sword master and had liked it because he thought it made him look like he was daring anyone to go against him. Obviously he was never going to think any differently. 'As if you have any authority over me,' she continued.

She continued forwards, leaving the shadows of the gorge, and Arthur was barely able to contain a gasp of horror as he saw the dark haired boy, barely alive, being dragged behind her, his wrist enclosed tightly in her hand. In the clearing before, when the body swap had happened, Arthur had been standing far enough away that he didn't get a true impression of what state Merlin was in, but now he could see every detail in the bright morning light. Each sign of starvation and dehydration, the exhaustion that seemed to exude from every part of Merlin's now even tinnier body. If he had looked weak before, now he looked like he would break. Arthur struggled to keep the scene in sight as his vision blurred.

He looked over at the King; he stood strong, unflinching in his determination to face Morgana, but Arthur knew that they were in very serious trouble.

'Why Arthur,' Morgana smiled, her tone quiet, but sure. Her eyes were fixed on the King and suddenly Arthur realised that the only advantage they currently had was that Morgana didn't know he was there. The weight of his responsibility lay heavily on his mind. He was the only card they had to play, but he had no idea what he could do. 'Where's Merlin?' Morgana asked, feigned confusion in her voice. 'I do hope he's alright.'

'Morgana,' the King hissed. 'Where is he?'

'Dead or dying, I would imagine,' she said casually. Arthur saw the King's face tense with fury. He gripped his sword tighter; his lips were pressed together. He was going to go for the charge. Arthur watched the King make a lunge, but he seemed to freeze where he was. Were it not for the panic on his face, Arthur would have assumed he'd made himself stop. 'You know you can't fight me.'

With a sweep of her hand, Morgana sent him hurtling towards the inside rock face of the gorge. His back slammed into it with great force, but instead of falling, he remained pinned there; his legs and arms splayed out on the rock and his sword crashing to the ground.

Arthur felt his own muscles tense in preparation to spring towards the witch, but he looked at the King and saw the man staring straight towards where he was, his head shaking slightly. Arthur relaxed his muscles, but the pounding in his heart only increased. What could they do? Without Merlin they were helpless. She had said he was dead. Did she know for sure or was she just bluffing?

Her back was to him now as she stared at the King. The man seemed to be trying to struggle against the magical grip she held him in, but he barely moved. Merlin, who was still trapped in Morgana's grasp, was sagging heavily to the floor. She hauled him back up onto his feet and he gave a yell as his shoulder was wrenched upwards. Were it not for the extra food and water he had received earlier during the body swap, Arthur doubted that he would have been able to manage it. Once he was on his feet, Morgana pulled him forward and all but threw him against the opposite wall of the gorge, facing the King. She stood in the middle of them: the King on her right, Merlin on her left; both of them powerless to do anything to stop her.

Arthur looked around for anything he could possibly use to hurt her. Could he knock her out if he hit her hard enough across the head? Even if he could, would he be able to reach? She was a lot taller than him. And there was also the small matter of getting to her without being seen. Beside him, he saw a fallen branch. As quietly as he could he picked it up. It was heavy, but he would probably be able to swing it with some force. But when to move? At the moment she wasn't doing anything, just staring at her prisoners. Arthur made a decision. The moment she looked like she was going to seriously hurt one of them he would just run at her. Chances were that it wouldn't work, but either way, he would only have one opportunity. He couldn't waste it by going for her yet. He had to wait for her to be distracted and he was pretty sure that trying to kill someone would distract her.

His hands sweating -the log tightly gripped in them- Arthur moved forward as far as he dared without being seen and sat back on his haunches, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Up ahead, Morgana had begun pacing. She looked at ease, confident, fearless. She knew that she was close to winning.

'Well here is a turn around,' she began. 'All those years of trying to kill you and Merlin and then having to settle for your younger selves instead, and yet here you are, at my mercy. No protector to help you, no Merlin to get in the way, not anymore. In fact, in the end it was quite simple to set a trap for Emrys.'

'What are you talking about?' the King growled. She laughed at him and moved closer.

'I knew he was coming,' she said, so quietly that Arthur barely heard from his vantage point.

'You're lying. You got lucky.'

'So arrogant.' She shook her head. 'Don't you ever learn, brother?'

If Morgana saw the shock pass across the King's face, she didn't say anything, but Arthur clearly saw the frown of confusion that the man felt at hearing he was related to Morgana. Arthur still couldn't quite belief it himself.

'I know that there is a connection between the two of them,' she continued. 'I was close by and watching when the swap first happened. I saw Merlin change from dying to healthy, saw him looking round, calculating what was going on. I heard him cast a spell to reverse it that was far beyond this pathetic version of Merlin.' She nodded towards the boy leaning against the gorge wall. Arthur thought he just about saw a glare of defiance on the boy's face, but it vanished almost instantly. 'I could sense the difference in Merlin whenever a swap was happening. You two are so predictable. It was only a matter of time before Emrys came looking for the boy, I just made sure I set the trap. He'll be buried under half the gorge by now. A few rocks in the Pass of the Old Kingdom may not have stopped him, but I assure you, he wasn't so lucky this time.'

Arthur felt his hope crumble into dust. That was it then. There really was no more help coming their way. Kilgharrah was close by, perhaps he would come to their rescue, but he wouldn't even know that they were in danger and if Merlin was dead, there would be no-one to let him know. Perhaps young Merlin would be able to contact the creature, but one look at the boy told Arthur that he was too weak. He barely looked like he was awake as it was. His eyes kept on dropping, and he seemed to keep struggling back to full awareness.

'It would have been nice,' Morgana continued musingly, 'to watch your face as Merlin died, but it wasn't possible. I do, however, have a replacement who would perhaps be as good.' She took several steps over to Merlin and crouched down beside him.

'Morgana,' the King called angrily, struggling uselessly once again. 'This is wrong. What you are doing is wrong.' She didn't bother to acknowledge him; instead she reached out a hand towards Merlin. Arthur gripped his branch and prepared to fling himself forward, but the next words stopped him.

'Shall we show Arthur what's new about you and your magic?' she asked him sweetly. He didn't reply, just looked at her, and this time the defiance was evident. Quicker than Arthur could follow, Morgana brought her hand savagely across Merlin's face with a loud slap. The boy's head snapped to the side and he gave a small yell. There was blood trailing down his cheek from where her ring had cut into him. That was all she did before standing up triumphantly and looking back at the King. Arthur didn't understand; what was she trying to say? Why did she look so pleased with herself? He frowned in confusion, but one look at the King's face told him that something significant had just happened because the man looked…afraid…shocked and afraid at what she had done.

'Let's play a game,' she said to him. 'Guess what's different.'

'Morgana!' he yelled. 'Leave him alone.'

From where he crouched, Arthur watched in utter confusion. What had he missed? Whatever it was, it was affecting the King greatly. He struggled even harder, his face going red and his hands fisting against the wall.

'Shhh,' Morgana said, laying a calming hand on his knee. 'There's no point.'

'What do you want?'

'You're far past the point of being able to deliver what I want,' she hissed, anger flaring through her for an instant before it subsided. 'Do you remember the first time Merlin saved your life?' she continued.

Arthur knew that the King wouldn't. He barely had any memories left and he was sure that wasn't one of the remaining few. Morgana evidently took the man's silence as defiance, rather than an indication that he really didn't have a clue how Merlin had saved his life the first time.

'I do,' she told him. 'I remember watching the witch use her last breath to fling that knife at you, only to have Merlin pull you clear. How much easier everything would have been if had he been slower. I would be queen by now and you would be a distant memory, a forgotten Prince.' She moved closer. 'Tell me, is that better or worse than no-one ever knowing you existed?'

'Stop this,' Arthur hissed at her.

'No,' she laughed. 'I will hunt down Prince Arthur after you're dead, but for now you will watch Merlin die, even if it is as a child. And how fitting it would be to give him the death that he saved you from all those years ago.'

Arthur saw the knife at her side in an instant. No logical thought entered his head, no plan of using the branch, or of knocking Morgana out of the way. All he knew was that he had left Merlin to Morgana once before and it was the decision he regretted more than anything else he'd ever done in his life. He also knew that currently Merlin hated him and thought he was a cowardly, selfish, spoilt child. The thought of the boy dying and not knowing how much Arthur had been changed by meeting him; the thought of not being able to say the words of apology that he'd been going through for the past day was unacceptable.

Merlin couldn't die. He had seen the impact the boy would have on his life, on his entire future. He had seen how much his future self depended on Merlin and vice versa. He had seen the friendship and the trust between them and he couldn't bear the thought of living his life without those things.

And so, before he really knew how he got there, he found himself in front of Merlin, his body shielding him, while Morgana's knife flew straight at his back. In the split second he had to register the choice he had made, he realised that he didn't regret it.

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