For a moment Merlin just sat gathering his thoughts. He felt different; stronger than ever. He felt how the magic raged inside of him, asking to be free of its shackles. Finally, he stood up and walked to the table. He read the letter that Morgana had left behind and grasped the pendant she had left beside it. He slipped the silver chain around his neck and threw the letter into the dying fire, then watched as the flames reduced it to a smoking pile of ash.
Merlin gathered his dry clothes and got dressed, making sure that the pendant would remain hidden. He took one last glance around and hobbled out. His knee was better, but not completely healed. He turned to look the hut and compelled the fireplace's fire to grow and grow until he saw the flames beat through the roof.
He didn't blame himself for anything. It was just something that they both longed for; something that they both were needed. When they met again, Merlin was not going to dodge. Morgana wanted Camelot, and he wouldn't give it to her, whatever the sacrifice.
He went on walking through the forest, heading towards the place which he knew to be nearby. He was able to sense it; it was like an attractive fragrance which was guiding him to its source. Each of his senses was sharpened, his footsteps left no trace, he didn't make a sound. He walked through the forest as one of its own, full of pulsating power.
When he reached the lake, he didn't know what to do.
He just sat down on the sand near the waterline.
It was silent.
Too silent.
No wind, no birds, no waves.
"You are mad at me, aren't you Freya. I broke my promise to you, but you know that I can't ever love anyone but you. No one is anything like you are, my love."
From the calm water rose lonely wave.
"Forgive me, Freya."
The sigh drifted across the surface of the water. The trees on the beach swayed.
Merlin.
He reached out and let his fingers lightly brush the water.
"I miss you."
I miss you too.
"Someday, Freya, we'll be together. Someday I'll belong only to you," he promised.
I'll wait.
Merlin sighed. "I have to go."
But before he could raise his hand out of the water, he felt something touching him; only for a brief moment, but it was enough. When Merlin took his hand out, on his finger was glistening golden ring.
My promise to you.
Merlin trembled. He buried his hands in the sand and wept. And when he looked up at the sky, the voice rising from his throat what was inhuman. Every bird in the forest took to the air, terrified, and their warning screams mingled with his cry.
#
"What the hell was that?" Tristan watched the birds fly from the trees, everyone had stopped to listen.
Alator felt the cold rippled passing along the back. Never in his life had he heard a more terrible and bloodcurdling, and so heart breaking howl.
"Maybe it was Merlin," Gwaine suggested. Everyone turned to look at him with disbelief.
"What?" He asked. "If I know anything about him, he's capable of that."
"Seriously?" Tristan sounded doubtful.
"No, you're right. It may be him," Alator said. "I can feel it; so much power. It came from the west."
So the small group rode forward for another hour.
Suddenly, Alator could feel it. A momentary wave of magic was drifting past them. Even the others noticed it and they peered suspiciously around.
"We're close." Alator shifted their bearing slightly to the left and it wasn't long before they reached the clearing.
Someone was walking through it, and he stopped when he saw the assembled party.
They looked at each other for a long moment.
It was Merlin.
It was, and it wasn't.
Something in him was different.
"A welcoming party?" Merlin raised his voice and asked joyfully
"You really made us worry, Merlin," Gwaine yelled back.
"Sorry. My magic went little bit overboard." Merlin shrugged like magic going overboard being a normal thing.
"Are you hurt?" Tristan asked when they watched how Merlin hobbled toward them.
"Just my knee. Nothing big," Merlin answered, and finally Gwaine rode forward.
Alator couldn't move. The power was vanishing slowly, but there was a hint of it left. And that hint made him fear.
"So, your memory is back, and your magic?" Gwaine asked, offering his hand.
"Yep."
"What a week. You had hardly recovered from that wound when you got poisoned, were almost blinded, and then you lost your memory. Now your knee. What next?"
"I really don't want to know." Merlin grinned and Gwaine helped him back on his saddle.
"But I met Morgana," Merlin announced. Everyone went alert. Alator listened the conversation between the two friends. Maybe he had bit of underestimated the knight.
"Oh?" Gwaine glanced over his shoulder.
"We don't have to worry about her. She's gone. Though, she will come back someday. But not anytime soon."
"You said something to her?"
"You could say that," Merlin sighed.
They looked at him with curiosity, but something in his attitude kept them from asking any more.
"Do you know how mad Arthur is?" Gwaine asked instead.
"Really?" Merlin didn't actually sounded really surprised.
"Really, mate. No one else can make him that mad; when we left, and I have to say that only Hunith could keep him from coming with us, I can swear that he was about to explode."
"Not good," Merlin flinched.
Gwaine grinned. "Not good at all. He said that memory loss or no, he was going to lock you somewhere where he can keep his eye on you. So, use your brains; you have two hours to think of something."
After two hours, Merlin had no idea what to do. He was in serious trouble.