"Hello, Merlin!"
Merlin looked up from the path to see the small figure of Lily waving gaily at him, and picked up his speed a little, schooling his face into a smile. Percival was with Lily, apparently taking an evening stroll in the woods around Camelot, and as Merlin approached, he saw Percival take her hand to help her over a log.
"Where are you headed?" Percival asked Merlin caught up to them. Gwaine and Anwen were only a short distance beyond, arm-in-arm.
"Oh, just stretching my legs," Merlin lied easily.
"Don't be out too late," Percival warned him.
"I won't," Merlin said cheerfully and passed on. "Gathering herbs?" he asked when he caught up with the other two.
Gwaine hefted Anwen's basket, which he was carrying for her. "Yep!" he answered cheerfully. "Did Arthur let you off of candle-snuffing duty tonight?"
"Eh, he can do it himself for once," Merlin shrugged.
Anna was frowning at him. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly.
Merlin's smile even felt fake. "I'll be fine. I just have some… business tonight."
Gwaine nodded. "Be careful." He and Anna passed on toward Camelot after Percival and Lily, and Merlin walked on in the gathering darkness. When he reached a clearing that was shaded from the view of Camelot, he called the dragon.
It didn't take Kilgarrah long to appear: he must have been somewhere nearby. "Why have you called me, young warlock?" he asked as he touched down.
"War is coming—between Morgana and the Saxons and Camelot and our allies. I need your advice."
"Why would you take it?" Kilgarrah asked, an edge to his voice. "Had you taken my advice earlier, this would not have come to pass."
Merlin felt a surge of irritation. "Which advice?" he asked sullenly.
"To kill the witch!" Kilgarrah roared. "To stop her before her reign of evil even began!"
"That seems to be your answer to everything," Merlin shot back. "Kill Uther! Kill Morgana! Kill Mordred! But I didn't kill Mordred—and now the danger is past. The path of doom you foretold has changed! Arthur's choice changed things—we can change the future!"
"Yes—you could have changed it years ago if you had let Mordred die then. And you could have averted all the evil that Morgana has done if you had only done as I said. The evil she has done is on your head."
"No, it's not," Merlin declared, stepping forward angrily. "It's on hers. I will not do evil in order to do good—the ends are the same as the means. And if Mordred's evil could have been combated at two different points in two different ways, one of them good, then perhaps there is a way to stop Morgana without resorting to cold-blooded murder."
"You almost succeeded at it once."
"Yes, and look when it got me! Morgana only became what she was because I poisoned her—because I took your advice. You said she would become evil, and she did—because of you, and because of what I did because you advised me to. Are you happy that your prediction came true?"
Kilgarrah flapped his wings. "It is not a prediction, young warlock, it is fate!"
"Well, fate can go hang."
"Did you call me here to berate me for my careful advice to you over the years?"
"No." Merlin took a deep breath. "You have tried to help me, and I thank you for it. And I need your help again. Sooner or later, Morgana will attack Camelot. I need to know how to stop her from blasting all our soldiers back like ninepins, or freezing us into immobility where we stand."
"I cannot help you," Kilgarrah answered stiffly.
"I could order you to," Merlin said darkly.
"No, you could not." Kilgarrah blinked at him inscrutably. "The only way I can help you is by stopping Morgana on the battlefield myself. But I will not be there. And there is no Dragonlord, not even you, Merlin, who could take me there."
Merlin frowned up at him. "You mean…"
"Goodbye, young warlock," Kilgarrah said, bowing his head. "It has been an honor." Before Merlin could speak, the dragon sprang into the air and flew away—his movements slower and stiffer than Merlin had ever seen before.
With a heavy heart, Merlin turned and headed back toward Camelot.
000
Rodor and Mithian arrived in Camelot with the remains of their army the next day. It was only the beginning of a long train of refugees that were trickling westward as Morgana and Horsa continued their march across Albion. Rodor's army had been decimated by the Saxons, and although a few more of his troops caught up with them a few days later, they were still a tiny force.
But Camelot's resources were to be stretched much farther a week later—when Annis arrived.
Her soldiers had been trying to help Rodor's, and thus were split when Horsa attacked. Unable to regroup, they had instead retreated to Camelot to join forces with their allies.
"When they entered the Valley of Afon Du, we decided it was time to pull back and regroup at a safer distance," she said.
Percival, at Gwaine's side during this meeting of the court, looked confused. "The Valley of Afon Du isn't far from the Castle of Caerleon," Gwaine murmured. "It is known for its bandits."
"You see to know the geography of my country well, Sir Knight." Annis's sharp ears had caught this aside. Gwaine colored.
"This is Sir Gwaine of the Round Table," Arthur said: "one of the bravest of our knights. He hails from Caerleon."
"Ah." Annis looked gratified. "I am pleased to know that our kingdom turns out such good knights. Why did you not stay in the land of your birth?"
Everyone was waiting for his answer. Gwaine took a deep breath. "My father fought in the army of Caerleon," he explained.
"And who was your father?"
"Sir Loth, Lord of Gwalchmei."
There was an audible intake of breath around the room. All of Gwaine's friends, and even Arthur, were staring at him in shock. But Annis was in control of her reactions.
"Camelot must be glad of the service of a knight of such illustrious background," she said politely, and turned back to Arthur and the original subject. Gwaine glanced up at Percival, who was staring at him with his mouth slightly open.
"You're drawing flies, Perce," Gwaine whispered dryly. Percival shut his mouth with a snap.
TBC
AN: This chapter was surprisingly difficult to write! I'm getting into a part of the story I didn't map out quite so clearly. I would do the next chapter, but it's a good idea to stop while you still know what's going to happen next...
