"I don't think my old heart can take much more of this," confessed Gaius as he and George stood side by side as the knights dashed off gallantly on their mounts towards certain doom. Only one knight turned to the pair to gave them a sardonic shake of his beautifully wind swept hair, before he urged his chestnut to speed up so that he could ride closer to the head prat.
"Come to the kitchens," suggested George as he looked towards the greying sky overhead. "Lets get out of the damp and the gloom. We'll have a cup before we set up a medical room on the ground floor."
"But, it'll take time...," protested the aging physician.
George grinned and bowed elegantly, "Leave it to me." He remained bent over but he raised his head enough to look Gaius in the eyes. It made his usual calm face look – sly. "Organization is what I do best."
The elderly man shook like a lone withered leaf in the first true winter winds. Stubbornness kept him hanging on, but eventually all men fall to time. For now, he'd brave the harshest season of his life and he would do so just to cling to the spring of hope that his Merlin brought to him. A cool smooth hand took his and led him through the maze of servants corridors to the warmth of a steady chair near the meat roasting spits. A cup of tea that smelled of mint, rosemary, and faintly of rose hips replaced the hand that had brought him here. The subtle perfume was soothing to his nerves and very soon – Gaius's nerves calmed.
"They say Arthur is the bravest man in Camelot, but the bravest man in Camelot is the one who serves him," declared one of two servants as they stumbled into the kitchen. Gaius recognized them as the two servants that had gone on Arthur's stupid little quest. "Merlin's amazing - I tell you, he gave Arthur a hard time. I've never seen anyone speak to a Pendragon like that before and not be thrown in the dungeon! We all know how Merlin talks to Arthur but this time he went even further! He even challenged him to banish him!"
Gaius heart was, a detached piece of lukewarm meat in his chest, threatening the end.
By now the kitchen staff, eager for gossip, pressed the brothers for details. Merlin's heroics were praised by one and all. The head cook wrapped her two large arms around her plump frame, hugging herself. "He's too reckless that one. Morganna is not one to mess with! Even when she did not have magic there was an intensity to the woman that set my caution on high!"
"Well, we all know Merlin's special," said a very pretty maid in honeyed tones, "He always has been. Isn't that right, George? Yet, there is not much we can do for him. He's so handsome and smart. He was seen running back out to face Morganna alone? What should we do? I, for one, would like to keep supporting Merlin with my best."
Gaius watched as George breezed across the room to check the pantry and then breezed to check the barrels of grain. The servant raised his neat head and then flowed back to Gaius's side. It was difficult to watch George's movements without being impressed. The man was Merlin's opposite – physically. He was grace itself.
"My Lord is fond of apples. We should bake apples with honey with barley and oat crumble. Cinnamon he has tasted and he liked it. I think Camelot would not mind if it rewarded the efforts of its favorite manservant with a bit of that for seasoning. If he is injured, we can make it into a sauce and add it to porridge. He'd like it that way as well. Mary, we could use some of your vegetable laden chicken soup and we'll need chicken stew with high seasoning. Merlin might have returned Arthur's palate into something more reasonable, but I think he'll need something special as well. We will need herb baked bread and we'll need some warm spiced wine, but make it weak - get as much alcohol out of it as possible. We want the taste not the effect. Oh and mead, honeyed mead for the knights. Roast chicken dinner for our court physician, what do you say to that Gaius?" asked George who suddenly stopped listing things. He actually eased himself into a chair next to Gaius. With his head held high, he grimaced. Theatrically, George really knew how to command an audience, "We need to prepare for the worst."
The worst. Someone dropped a pan.
"George?"
"Merlin told Arthur," explained George.
No one has ever been able to walk into a nightmare. Sure, one can walk into a bad situation. That situation can be nightmarish. However, when awake – reality lacks a special element that only dreams can bring. True horror.
Yet this is what the brave warriors of Camelot were doing. They were entering a battle that they could not possibly hope to win, as they had time and time again. If the gods were kind, they would return with fantastic stories for the pub. If they were not, the pyres would burn and maybe one or two good-looking young ladies will have realized their missed chance, or at least, that was the hope of the vain.
Smoke curled it's black and white tendrils around the open battle ground like snaky tendrils. It curled and folded around the Morganna's fake warriors menancingly, as if it was the embodiment of a dragon's promise. Kilgharrah flew another tight circle around the witch's forces, his wrath conveyed in roars and in fire. Fury burned behind his eyes and they flashed in the golds of ancient power as he unleashed yet another attack at the unnatural magic user who had dared touch his dragon lord.
His dragon lord, who had been slowly making his way through the chaos towards Morganna with Aithusa flying over his head, chattering in dragon tongue. The slim boy commanded such power, but he was immature. He was just a hatchling. He was too precious to lose and there was no way, not now, not after they finally truly became kin – Kilgharrah was going to let the boy come to any harm. Kilgharrah roared his anxiety and frustration as he released another frenzied attack of vengeful fury at the witch.
Merlin raised his head towards the sky and commanded, "Caelum Plorabit!"
Kilgharrah would have rounded on the boy had he not had to maneuver past one of the witches hexes. She could not do any real harm to him, but on the off chance she did find one spell to be helpful in grounding him – he did not want to be incapcitated. Instead he shouted, using the words of the humans, "Merlin! NOOOO!"
The "NOOOO!" was much louder and forceful than intended. The witch's head snapped in the direction of the frail looking figure, who approached her without fear. Merlin's face, normally bright with a smile, was dark with disgust.
Kilgharrah could see from his vantage point that Arthur was trying to intercept Merlin's attack on Morganna. With several mighty pumps of his wings, he increased his speed and lay down a magic wall of fire to keep the Once and Future King away from the fight. This wasn't one of Destiny's fight, this was magic gone mad. Even Kilgharrah had been teetering on the edge of madness, it was Merlin who kept him bound to semi reasonable thoughts.
However, the rain that Merlin pulled from the sky, wasn't any ordinary rain. Merlin could safely cast any other elemental spell except for water. He doesn't realize what he is, grumbled the dragon as he attacked a sphinx. The beast was incanting riddles as it delievered it's blows to any creature in it's way. Kilgharrah would not allow it near Arthur. The stupidity of the royal family of this kingdom was really ... puzzling. Arthur would one day be a great king, no doub, but he would never be known to be a great thinker. Warrior, yes. An example of intelligence? No.
Kilgharrah, please tell Arthur and the others to leave, this is no place for men without magic.
It wasn't a command, it was a request. Merlin had said, please. There was no way that the great dragon could have found a way not to comply. Since Aithusa had blessed their lives, their relationship had become solidified. Dragon and man had shared and acknowledged the need for one another. Merlin risked everything, had called forth a new life and ignited the fires of hope. More than that he ended Kilgharrah's solitude and had not just become his master, a dragon lord, but he truly had embraced his role as kin.
Kilgharrah landed on the ground and strode through the other beasts, swiping at them with his giantic frame. He approached Arthur arrogantly whilst keeping an eye on his dragon lord from the corner of his vision.
"You there," Kilgharrah impatiently addressed the group of men, "You should leave this place. This is not foretold as one of Camelot's battles. If you persist you will die."
Horses reared and the men raised their swords.
"I think you know that you cannot hurt me with your puny weapons," snorted the ancient beast.
Without hesitation Arthur moved to the front, he put himself between the dragon and his men. He was as foolish and as brave as he needed to be, but Kilgharrah pitied the young man. Merlin had always lamented over Arthur's slow moving intellect. "Dragon! I am Arthur! I.."
"Oh do shut up, I know who you are," grumbled Kilgharrah giving one of his more disapproving looks, "This is no time for a chat young one – and if I have to – I will force you back to your protective walls of Camelot. Does Camelot wish to provoke my anger for a second time? It is only because of the command of Emrys that you live today. He halted my assault, but I do not promise that I will not anger again."
He couldn't actually do it – he couldn't attack them or Camelot, but the treat hung in the air. The threat of the violence erupting directly at Camelot instead of magical creature vs magical creature was sobering. Arthur hesitated. He held his sword and thought about the creature's threat, "We will return to Camelot. Just allow me to rescue my manservant, Merlin. He is the skinny man over there, who is foolish enough to challenge the Lady Morganna."
Kilgharrah let out a bark of laughter, surprising the knights. "Oh, yes, I'm familiar with your Merlin. He belongs here more than you do as he is also a creature of magic. Now begone! This is a battle that you cannot fight and would not understand. You do not have magic and you would be swept away in the chaos," He advanced menacingly, the armored men pulled their horses back, "Leave this place. I will return your manservant to you – alive. I cannot say the same for your knights. I can only protect one – not many. Leave!"
Arthur hesitated. He looked at Merlin who was standing fifty feet away from Morganna who seemed to leak malice. The rains were making the field unstable. The horses would slip, many would break a leg. They would have to fight this on foot, it seemed impossible. It was impossible.
"Merlin's no sorcerer! He's going to get himself killed attempting magic. I need to take him away from this battle!"
Kilgharrah growled.
Arthur slumped and visibly re-pieced together his courage under the scrutiny of the great dragon.
"Do I have your word?" demanded Arthur, "My court physician once told me of a time when dragons and their dragon lords served the kingdom. You are an ancient creature – at one time in your life, you must have served as well. My father betrayed you. I know this, I've seen the records. If you are still noble at heart, your word is still honorable. Do I have your word that you will return Merlin to me?"
Kilgharrah used his great body to clear away some of the smaller creatures, his body was covered in fireflies as it was in the Darkling Woods. He sat back on his haunches, cocked his head to the side and gave his version of a smile. "I give you my word, Arthur Pendragon, I will return your manservant, Merlin, to you - now leave this place and do not interfere."