Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin
A/N: It'll be interesting to see how Series 5 changes my perception of the characters when their older. And on an unrelated note, I kind of took an unexpected dive into this chapter. I'm to tired to rewrite it, so it stays as it is.
As soon as Merlin stepped through Camelot's small side entrance, he knew something was more wrong with his magic than he'd originally thought.
"Gwen," he said hoarsely, interrupting her happy chatter. He stopped to cling onto the wall.
Guinevere glanced back at her friend, who had somehow ended up behind her.
"Merlin!" she exclaimed, noticing that he had doubled over and was now heaving, having just thrown up what little lunch he'd managed to sneak from Arthur's tray.
Merlin's eyes widened in fear when he realized Gwen was hurrying towards him. "Stay away!" he croaked loudly, holding up a hand, palm outward.
"But..." Gwen said in a pained voice, reluctant to obey Merlin's command.
"Stay away," Merlin ordered as firmly as he could. "Aurgh!"
Gwen jumped as Merlin redoubled over, in obvious agony. "Merlin!" she cried, running forward to comfort him.
Then the world exploded.
Lifting his face to the sky, Merlin let out a silent scream as the magical energies of the entire city penetrated his body. Overwhelmed, every cell automatically turned against the sudden onslaught and rechanneled the magic back into the air. Merlin found himself unable to control such a vast amount as the force of the rejection created a shockwave, knocking Gwen to the cobblestones with a sharp crack.
After the initial blast, Merlin grasped what little control he could and barely managed to filter the eruption of magic through his scream and into the sky, rather than the fragile masonry that surrounded them. The excited air above them began to boil, and dark clouds cackling with electricity formed around the capital in a rolling and steady rhythm.
Merlin was mentally panicking. He was still releasing energy, with no evidence of letting up, and he was close to a major population center. Whatever was causing all of the surrounding magics to converge on him, it was going to end up destroying the entire city – leveling it flat.
So he did the most logical thing he could think of in five seconds: he fixed on the source of the problem and teleported.
Gwen was in a daze – partially due the head injury and partially because her mind was still attempting to wrap itself around the situation. One second she'd been running towards Merlin, the next, she'd been flung backwards ten feet, and the next, the world had shifted. And Merlin was still screaming – verbally this time.
Clammy air and cobwebs swirled around them.
Gwen tensed.
They weren't in Camelot.
Not. In. Camelot.
Guinevere tried not to hyperventilate as she focused on the gloomy scenery around her. They were in a deserted courtyard of sorts, surrounded by dilapidated walls and banks of mist that seemed to twist with the sound of Merlin's yells.
Merlin... His cries knocked her back to her senses.
"Merlin!" she called, struggling to her feet. She felt a little nauseated as she stumbled towards him; his pain-filled screams weren't helping much.
Merlin was too busy feeling uncomfortable to notice Gwen's approach.
"Merlin?" Gwen asked fearfully, then hesitantly touched his shoulder, jolting him out of his focused state.
The last of the magic burst out of him in a second shockwave.
"Gwen!" he cried, his hand shooting out to grab her before she could be thrown to the ground yet a again. He hadn't realized she'd been teleported with him. That's what he got for using instincts – not that he'd had much of a choice.
"Thank you," Gwen said shakily.
"Are you all right?" Merlin asked, concerned.
Gwen touched his shoulder. "I think we should be more concerned about you," she said, examining his worn face.
Merlin slumped back, imagining that he probably looked as haggard as he felt. If that were the case, it was a wonder Gwen wasn't more frantic. "I feel like I've just run fifty miles," he admitted.
"What happened?" Gwen asked, her question directed more towards the air than Merlin.
Merlin sighed. "I'm not sure," he said. "But I have an idea."
He tried to stand, but Gwen dragged him back down. "You need to rest," she said firmly.
"I don't think we're going to be safe here for long," Merlin warned, but complied and settled back onto the dirt floor.
"Where do you think we are?" Gwen asked.
"The Isle of the Blessed," Merlin answered immediately. Its magical permeability was instantly recognizable and was the only reason the island wasn't overshadowed by a thunderstorm. All of the excess magic pouring out of Merlin had been absorbed by the walls.
Gwen blinked and shook her head. "Wait. Sorry. What?" she asked, giving him a confused expression. "You know where we are?"
Merlin exhaled.
"Gwen, I think I'm going to have to tell you something rather important," Merlin said distractedly. "It's either that or we're going to end up walking home," Merlin grimaced at the thought, "with no food, sleeping rolls, or horses, and through tunnels infested by wilderen – unless you want to go the short-cut over the mountain, but that requires cheating."
Merlin blinked and he raised his eyebrows. "Gwen, you're giving me an weird look."
Gwen stiffened.
"I don't blame you," Merlin said lightly.
Gwen hesitated, biting her lip. Despite his calm exterior, Merlin sounded a bit loopy. It wouldn't be surprising if the attack – the magical attack – had scrambled his brains, causing him to spout random knowledge that could have only come from Gaius's textbooks. "Are you all right?" she asked, doubting that he'd be able to properly assess himself.
"More fine than you are, I imagine," Merlin said, giving her a look.
"It's nothing," Gwen said stiffly, confirming his beliefs. So she had been hurt.
"I may have been a bit preoccupied at the time, but I heard you hit the ground," Merlin said firmly. "What hurts?"
Gwen bit her lip, still looking as though she'd rather not tell him. It was him that had been attacked by magic, not her. They should be more worried about him.
Merlin sighed.
Gwen slumped and carefully reached to touch the back of her head.
"May I see?" Merlin asked.
Gwen hesitated, then nodded.
Gently as he could, Merlin moved behind her and knelt down in order to examine the damage. He winced when Gwen let out a quiet gasp; his fingers had reached the tender area. Under her sticky hair, Merlin could feel a large bump that had formed.
He swallowed. "Gwen, you're bleeding," he informed her, slightly angry. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Gwen looked at her hands, her fingertips covered in crimson and nodded. She already knew that. Not that Merlin could do much to help her. Not in this place.
"Gwen, whatever happens next... don't move," he ordered, then quickly placed a spell on her to make sure she wouldn't. It wouldn't do to have him miss. He tried not to notice Gwen's shoulders tense as she felt the spell hit her back.
Merlin inhaled deeply, calming himself. "Ábirbrægenpanne," he whispered, eyes half-closed. He opened his golden eyes. Good, he thought gratefully, there were no cracks in her skull. This would be a fairly clean heal. "Ácwiðe ábláwung," he commanded, touching her head. "Blódseten."
The swelling went down almost immediately; skin closed around the wound, stopping the bleeding.
Satisfied, Merlin patted the healed area. "There you go," he said, relieved. He released her from his freezing spell.
After a moment, Gwen stirred with a jolt, as though she'd been stung by a bee. "You have magic," she accused quietly, in shock.
Merlin bit his lip. "I suppose I can't get around that, now," he confirmed with a small smile, staring at the back of her head.
"But... you have magic!" Gwen exclaimed, her voice a little raspy.
"Yes, I have magic," Merlin agreed patiently.
"You... you... what happened just now? Back in Camelot?" Gwen asked, slumping in defeat. "Did your magic go wrong?"
Merlin scooted around so he could look her in the eye. She seemed on edge, as though she expected him to explode again at any minute.
He grabbed her hands and said, "I would never hurt you on purpose, Gwen."
Gwen pulled her hands out of his grasp. "But you did hurt me, Merlin," she said sharply,"even if you didn't mean to."
Merlin tapped his fingers, agitated, on his knee. "I didn't hurt you Gwen – not even unintentionally. That wasn't me."
"Merlin, you collapsed and I was flung to the ground," she reminded him, somewhat angry.
Merlin grimaced. He looked around at their surroundings, not really wanting to face Gwen's hardened stare.
"I should be dead," he said suddenly, throwing her train of thought off balance. He stood up in determination. Gwen and him could have the "Merlin, you've betrayed us all" talk later.
"Someone just tried to kill me."
Gwen frowned at his outburst. What was he going on about? He had magic. Couldn't he focus for one second?
Merlin was chuckling now. "Ha ha! Someone tried to kill me! They try to kill me for once," he tutted them. "Wow. Too bad they didn't do their research."
"Merlin, you're babbling," Gwen told him with a scowl.
"See, Gwen," Merlin said quickly, ignoring her. "Most sorcerers have a limit to how much magic their bodies are allowed to take in before the energy consumes them and they spontaneously combust."
Gwen made a face.
"Exactly," Merlin agreed, making a face along with her. "I could be a pile of ash right now. For once I'm rather grateful to be Emrys – the whole 'unlimited magical capacity' comes with the title, you know."
Gwen blinked.
"At the same time, it's moments like these when I really scare myself," Merlin spouted, folding his arms and staring into the gray sky. "One of these days..." he murmured, leaving the despondent thought unfinished.
He looked down at Gwen. "You didn't understand any of that, did you?"
"What do you think?" she asked coolly.
"Well let me tell you right now that I'm not evil, not planning on taking over the world, or even going to change your dress a different color... unless you want me too?" he looked at her rather more hopefully than the situation warranted.
Gwen snorted – one the most unladylike sounds he'd ever heard from her. "You can change my dress color?" she asked, looking down at her fraying blue dress.
"I told you I liked magic," Merlin said with a smile.
Gwen gave him an exasperated look, but her lips twitched upward.
"That day... at the picnic," she said hesitantly, "were you going to tell me about your magic?"
Merlin looked down at her and offered her a hand. She clenched her fist for a moment, then relented and let him pull her off the ground.
"I considered it," Merlin said honestly, once she was on her feet. "Sometimes it's frustrating not having anyone but Gaius to talk to."
"Gaius knows?" Gwen asked.
"Yep."
"And you thought about telling me, too."
"For a while."
Gwen pinched her lips. "Then why didn't you?" she demanded.
"Because then you'd start being suspicious of me being gone all the time and I'd have to explain everything to you," Merlin said.
Gwen narrowed her eyes. "Everything of what?" she asked, giving him a stern look.
"Don't have time for that now," Merlin dodged. He turned on his heels and began marching towards one of the stone arches leading further into the construct. "We have a crazy sorceress to take care of."
Gwen lifted her skirt and hurried after him.
"Sorceress? What sorceress?" she asked, brow furrowed.
"Remember me screaming on the ground? Whoever did that is here. Right now," he emphasized.
"What? Here?" Gwen asked, her frown deepening. "Then shouldn't we be trying to get away?"
"Get away? No one's captured us," Merlin reminded her. "They think I'm dead, remember? Besides, I'm more than capable of defeating her."
He stopped, causing Gwen to nearly stumble into him.
"Blast. Which way is she?" he cursed, considering the three entranceways in front of them. They all led further into the complex – two underground and one further into the upper labyrinth.
"I think we should leave," Gwen told him, tugging on his sleeve.
"What?" Merlin asked incredulously. "And miss a chance to see the look on her face?"
"You keep saying 'her,'" Gwen said. "Do you know this person?"
"I kind of threatened her last month after she tried to surreptitiously assassinate me by assassinating Arthur," Merlin said distractedly. Then his face lit up. "All right, it's this way! I'm getting some life signals!" He took the middle corridor that led to the island's underground caverns.
"Wait!" Gwen said anxiously, rushing to keep up with his quick strides.
"Ooo, getting a bit dark," Merlin noted as they hiked further away from the tunnel's entrance. "Fair warning, Gwen – I'm going to put up some light for us."
"With magic?" Gwen asked, her frame stiffening. But she found that she wasn't as fearful as she thought she'd be. Just... curious.
"Mmm," Merlin hummed as he flung out his palm. A string of blue wizard's lights popped into existence, lighting the entire passage ahead.
"Oh!" Gwen exclaimed, her eyes sparkling in wonder. "Merlin, they're beautiful!"
Merlin grinned as he glanced at her.
"I mean it," she said with emphasis. She reached out to brush one with her fingers but it danced out of reach. "They're really lovely."
"I thought you'd like them," Merlin said, pleased.
Gwen gave him a smile.
"So how long have you practiced magic?" Gwen asked.
"All my life," Merlin replied.
"Really? It can even be taught to children?" she asked, processing the idea.
"Ah, well, sometimes. But I wasn't actually taught magic. I'm a warlock, see," he said.
"A warlock? Is that different from a sorcerer?" she asked, head tilted.
Merlin nodded, trying to slow down his pace so she wouldn't have to keep skipping to stay level with him. "Warlocks and witches usually have such high capacities for magic that eventually it overflows the barriers that keep most humans from using magic; sorcerers and sorceresses have to study in order to gain any magical abilities," he explained. He was experiencing a strange sense of déjà vu, as he'd already had this near-exact conversation with Gwen's older self.
"I guess with magic being banned, I'd never considered there being different types of sorcerers," she admitted.
"Understandable," Merlin pardoned her. "Actually," he informed, "I've cataloged over forty different types of magic users. Enchanters, mystics, hedge wizards, necromancers..."
Gwen raised her eyebrows. "Really?" she acknowledged, amused by his enthusiasm.
"Technically, you can be more than one of them. Remember the old lady who disguised herself as Lady Helen?"
"How could I forget?" Gwen responded.
"Well she was a witch because she had innate magic, a sorceress because she studied magic, and an enchantress because she used singing to carry out some of her spells," Merlin explained.
"But then wouldn't all enchanters be sorcerers?" Gwen asked. "Wouldn't they all have to study magic in order for it to work through their singing?"
"Not necessarily," Merlin replied, delighted by her questioning. "I once met a boy who weaved magic into his singing without even realizing it. For some reason, magical threads loved his vocal tones."
"Did anything happen to him?" she asked.
"What? Why?"
"Well, magic's illegal," she pointed out hesitantly. "Did he... ever get caught?"
"I'm from Essestir," Merlin reminded, though in reality the boy had been wandering from town to town in Camelot, not even born in this time period, enthralling his tavern audiences with his singing. Gwaine had actually been the one to first be suspicious of him and had subsequently informed Merlin.
"Ah," Gwen said.
"Aaand we should probably be quieter now; we're getting closer," Merlin warned in a low voice.
Gwen wanted to protest (she really didn't want to fight any sorceresses), but she didn't want to warn the enemy of their arrival either, so she stayed silent.
Merlin began to concentrate on the magic auras around him. It was a bit overwhelming with the walls completely saturated by hundreds of years worth of enchantments but he stayed vigilant. He didn't want to accidentally trigger any wards Nimueh had framed. That would ruin the surprise.
It was very likely that the high priestess was sleeping... or at the very least resting. She had just completed a very complicated and rather draining spell – or curse, if one wanted to get specific.
Merlin held up a silencing hand when they got within twenty feet of their destination, but it was unnecessary. Even Gwen was able to tell when they arrived and she had immediately quieted her footsteps. Candlelight was pouring out from under the door's crack, the only light within the past five minutes to compete with Merlin's blue lights.
"Guinevere?" Merlin whispered.
"Yes?" Gwen answered, her anxiety peeking through.
"Whatever happens, you will never have a reason to be afraid," he promised.
Gwen felt her face heat up.
Then the tunnel went dark as Merlin removed his wizard's lights. Before Gwen's eyes had time to adjust, the door was suddenly blown off its hinges with an obnoxiously loud noise, sending splinters of wood flying through the air.
"Nimueh!" Merlin yelled, marching into the room.
Gwen bit her lip, wondering whether she should enter. When it came to magic, she knew next to nothing, and if she were to get in Merlin's way and ruin it for him...
"Gwen!" he called, interrupting her thoughts. "You can come in!"
Guinevere took in a deep breath and sidled into the room. Her eyebrows raised in mild surprise when she got panoramic view of the new setting. For a room branching off of a roughly-carved tunnel, it was positively posh. It was nearly as furnished as Morgana's room, if with slightly outdated designs. The only throwbacks were the moth-eaten tapestries and the cobwebs strung like netting across the ceiling.
"This is is where the high priestesses of the isle would stay," Merlin informed her. "It hasn't been used in twenty years.
"...Until now," he finished, refocusing his gaze on the frozen woman he had his arm extended towards. She looked as though she'd been in the middle of sleeping when Merlin had burst in on her.
"You!" Gwen exclaimed with a frown, easily recognizing her as Gwen's competition from the feast for King Bayard. "She's a sorceress?"
"A witch," Merlin corrected, "and a high priestess of the old religion. She's also a bitter old lady."
The woman in question seemed to tense as she struggled against some unknown bonds. Merlin's teeth clenched. With a surge of effort, her eyes turned gold. Then she doubled over, gasping, finally releasing herself from the spell.
"You..." Nimueh trailed off, breathing hard. "You should not be alive."
"Tell me about it," Merlin agreed. "I've been poisoned, stabbed, shot, enchanted, thrown off cliffs, touched by the dead, drowned, burned, frozen, and now, apparently saturated by magic. I should have been dead years ago."
Nimueh sniffed, straightening.
"So you are Emrys, then," she said with narrowed eyes, sounding resigned. Gwen's face remained blank. She didn't understand the term.
"Oh, you're figuring this out now?" Merlin mocked.
"I was not sure," the priestess said, brushing hair out of her face.
"So you went ahead and tried to kill me," Merlin said dryly.
"You still should not have survived it," she said, almost curious.
It was strange, Merlin reflected, seeing Nimueh in such a vulnerable position. Even when he'd been in the field with Gaius, she'd been on her feet, attempting to block his attacks. When he'd been younger he'd seen her as some invincible opponent he'd only been able to beat because he'd caught her off guard. Here... she was very human: in bed, hair tangled, sleep still muddling her thoughts. It made him wonder if he would still be that human, even after a thousand years of living.
"You would have realized if you'd devoted any attention to the druids' teachings," Merlin scolded. "I am the most powerful sorcerer to ever exist. Cornealus Sigan? The Fisher King? They have nothing on me.
"You tried to kill me by imbuing all of Camelot's magic on me," Merlin accused. "Most people would have died within seconds. Me? You would have drained the entire country and destroyed everything within miles if I hadn't teleported and cut off the spell. What you did was thoughtless and irresponsible, and quite frankly, I believe all your lonely bitterness has knocked your intelligence a notch."
Nimueh sneered. "You are but a child. What do you know of bitterness?"
Merlin raised his eyebrows. "More than I'd like," he said simply. "Enough to know that it can drive you mad."
Nimueh scoffed, "You were not alive to see the things I saw, the families ripped to shreds by the fury of Uther Pendragon." She spat out the royal's name as though it were poison.
"I didn't need to be there," Merlin said coldly. "The crystal cave showed me quite enough."
Nimueh lifted her head. "Yet you continue to defend him?" she asked, her eyes flashing.
"I defend Arthur and I defend magic," Merlin said. "That is my destiny."
"But Uther?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I believe I already gave you my reasons on that count," Merlin told her. "I offered you amnesty, an alternative solution, but you refused to take part."
"And I suppose you will enforce your wishes, now?" she mocked, her smile quirking into a smirk. Gwen blanched. She hadn't been able to follow most of the conversation so far, but she recognized a come-on when she heard one.
"Stop flirting, I can see through your illusion," Merlin reminded tiredly.
Nimueh narrowed her eyes.
"She's about fifty," Merlin said behind his hand in a mock-whisper.
Gwen didn't laugh. Nimueh looked too ominous for that.
"And are you the age you claim to be?" Nimueh said, eyes narrowing. "So young for knowing so much."
Merlin cursed her perceptiveness. "I'm Emrys," he said. "I am magic. Age has nothing to do with it."
"Oh, really?" she smirked.
Merlin clenched his teeth. He was losing the conversation.
"I know enough to recognize dark magic when it attacks me – there was a reason that spell was banned," he said, turning the focus back on the witch.
"Banned by who?" Nimueh asked bitterly. "They're either dead or in hiding."
"You could have destroyed everyone," Merlin countered. "The blood on your head would have exceeded Uther Pendragon."
Nimueh sucked in a breath, her eyes flickering with barely-restrained fury. "You dare compare me to Uther!"
"Murderers should stick together," he snarled.
Merlin agreed that his comment had been a low blow. But she was most certainly not beneath killing innocent people for her personal gain (or revenge). She already had Ygraine's blood on her hands (however involuntary, but it could have been anyone else), the victims of the Afanc, her multiple attempts to kill Merlin, and probably others he wasn't aware of.
He knew this, so he really had no excuse for being caught off guard by her sudden assault.
"Oferswing!" Nimueh cried out furiously.
"Ahh!" Merlin barely had time to block the spell by holding up a palm. The offensive magic pressed against his shield, sending him skidding into the stone wall behind him.
Gwen gave a startled yelp at Nimueh's cry and she jumped slightly, putting her hands to her mouth.
"Ætstand!" Merlin shouted back, automatically reverting back to verbal form in his rushed state.
Nimueh was once again frozen in position.
Merlin breathed out a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry, Gwen," he apologized, turning to the scared girl. "I didn't intend for this to turn into a duel."
Gwen swallowed. "What- what are you going to do with her?" she asked, once she realized that Nimueh had been immobilized.
Merlin sighed. "That's the big question, isn't it?" he asked. "If a proper government were in place, I'd turn her over to Uther."
"What has she done?" Gwen asked.
"You want the whole list?" Merlin asked with raised eyebrows.
"Has she killed anyone?" she asked bluntly.
"Yes," Merlin affirmed grimly. "Yes, she has."
"Innocent people?" Gwen inquired, glancing over at the silent figure on the bed.
"Yes," Merlin sighed.
"And she tried to kill you?" she asked.
"And Arthur," Merlin added.
Gwen raised her head. "What about the 'dark magic' she's been using?"
"Anything that takes away another's will, modifies memories, alters emotions, interacts with the dead without proper authority, tortures the mind and body, or manipulates the magic web to a point where nature is unbalanced... it's all considered dark magic," he listed off. He didn't bother mentioning that he himself had at least bordered on the edges of most of the offenses, in some cases crossing the line in such a way that the nature of the magic he used was unmistakable.
And he hated it every time. It always left him feeling tainted.
Really, the things he did for Camelot...
"So basically-"
Gwen was cut off by Merlin's quick assessment. "She's worthy of execution by any kingdom's law," Merlin completed for her grimly.
"So... what are we going to do?" Gwen asked. From her tone and body language, it was very clear that she had no desire to be part of an execution.
Merlin leaned his head against the wall.
"I don't know."
Nimueh was gaining power over the spell again. In fact, Merlin had a feeling her weariness was the only reason she hadn't broken it sooner.
He pointed a finger at at the witch and his eyes flashed golden.
Gwen blinked at him nervously.
"The spell was wearing off," he explained.
"Oh," she was all she could say.
"We don't have much time," Merlin said. "Eventually the spell will have very little effect at all."
The two friends stared at each other.
"Couldn't we just leave her?" Gwen finally suggested desperately, almost hopefully.
Merlin ran a hand through his hair. "I'd hate to think more innocent people will suffer because I didn't do anything." Even if he was, technically, in a world that wasn't reality. He ruffled his hair, frustrated. "I need more time!"
"What would you do?" Gwen asked.
"Imprison her magic. Put a watch spell on her. I don't know!" he growled at himself.
Gwen was quiet for a moment.
"I'm glad you don't want to kill her," she said softy.
Merlin didn't look at her in the fear that she would see the guilt in his eyes.
It wasn't that he enjoyed killing or even that he wanted to. But sometimes, it was the most simple solution – the easiest way out. Of course it made it easier when they fought back. Killing always seemed more honorable when it was done that way.
Maybe he should just let Nimueh escape his hold on her – let her fight back. Would that justify taking matters into his own hands? No, he decided. Because it would be too easy.
But didn't he have the authority? The back of his mind brought up the question. He was Emrys, lord of magic. Nimueh had abused magic and the laws of life, and she had been fully aware of the fact when she'd cast her spells. In all rights, at least back home, he would most certainly have the authority.
Did he have the authority here, though, in a universe that wasn't even his own?
Did having the power to do something still mean he should do it, if it were for the benefit of all, even if it was as final as enforcing a death penalty?
Merlin grimaced. Sometimes he envied Arthur. The king had a talent for looking at the world in shades of black and white, rather than the constant grays that Merlin viewed them.
"She broke the law, Merlin," the king would tell him with a sigh. "It's your duty as a citizen to take action."
"The current laws aren't exactly just, Arthur," Merlin retorted.
"What?" Gwen asked, making a face.
Oh. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.
"Philosophical conversation with myself," he answered uncomfortably.
"And Arthur is...?" she questioned.
"Not important," Merlin sniffed.
"And did Arthur come up with any good ideas?" she asked with amusement.
Merlin narrowed his eyes. "Arthur's opinion is irrelevant in this situation."
"Yet you were having a philosophical debate with him," she pointed out.
"I only debate with Arthur when I want to be right," he said.
Gwen smiled as widely as the situation warranted before looking over at Nimueh and nodding in her direction.
"Solution, then?" she asked.
"We could tie her up," was all Merlin could come up with.
"Assuming we can find something to do that with, then what?"
"We put her into Arthur's wardrobe and see how he reacts," Merlin said with a straight face.
Despite the seriousness of the growing problem Gwen couldn't help but laugh. "I can't imagine that would go over well."
"No, I don't suppose it would. Even more – imagine if we put her in Uther's..." Merlin trailed off in an odd stupor, "...wardrobe."
Merlin snapped his fingers. "Oi! Nimueh!"
Nimueh blinked. She stretched her limbs experimentally.
Gwen tried not to look startled. She hadn't expected Merlin spontaneously release the woman who had nearly killed him (and who would probably kill Gwen if she felt like it).
"If you know I'm Emyrs, why are you attacking me?" Merlin demanded, folding his arms in annoyance.
Nimueh pressed her lips together, looking
"Do you really have so little faith in the future?" Merlin asked her pityingly. "You know Arthur and I will bring in Albion's golden age – it has been prophesied. There is no reason for you to continue your war."
"I didn't know you were Emrys," Nimueh said stiffly.
"You suspected," Merlin said.
Nimueh was quiet.
"Yet still plan on killing me?" he asked.
Nimueh pursed her lips. "Your methods leave something to be desired."
Merlin crossed his arms. "Who has the divine, much-prophesied destiny of bringing magic back to Albion? You or me?"
Nimueh scowled.
"Exactly – so now that you know, stop interfering," Merlin ordered.
"And Uther?"
"And we're back to this again," Merlin said with and eye-roll. "I already told you I had a plan for smuggling magic-users who get caught to safety."
Nimueh sneered.
Merlin sighed. "I admit that calling you a murderer was uncongenial – you're more of a peacock with a last-standing-soldier syndrome," he said aptly.
"Is that supposed to be flattery?" Nimueh asked dryly.
"No. That was a thinly-veiled insult," Merlin said honestly, his eyes narrowing. "Even you should be able to foresee the consequences of killing innocent bystanders through magical means. If I ever catch you trying anything like that again, I will kill you."
Nimueh gave him a wry look. "Very well. No magic users die by Uther's hand ever again, and I promise not to interfere."
"Good," Merlin said pointedly. "Now was that so hard?"
Nimueh relaxed back into her pillows, closing her eyes, managing to look more like a corpse than a person getting ready to fall back asleep.
"Fine, ignore me," Merlin sniffed. He turned to Gwen. "Ready to go?"
Gwen sent Nimueh a nervous glance. "Merlin..." she said quietly. "Are you sure we can trust her?"
"No," Merlin said, stepping over the debris of the door and back into the tunnel. "But if she misbehaves I can find her easily enough – and she knows it."
"Then why didn't we just leave before?" Gwen asked, exasperated.
"Because I had to clarify that killing me or anyone else would be detrimental to her personal interests," Merlin explained. He flicked his fingers and released another trail of wizard's lights leading back above ground.
Gwen blinked at the flickering orbs, her thoughts momentarily distracted by the sudden display of magic.
Finally she swallowed and said, "Well I hope she leaves you alone."
"And Camelot," Merlin added.
"Camelot too," Gwen agreed.
They were both quiet on their journey back to the courtyard. Gwen was still trying to cope with the tidal wave of information thrown at her. In fact, she was well-aware that even though her mind was blank at the moment, a million questions were going to hit her later. And she expected Merlin to answer every one of them, or else. Then again, she reasoned with a slight amount of fear, Merlin was a sorcerer and didn't have to do anything she told him to. Hoping that Merlin couldn't detect her nervousness, Gwen took a few steps away from him. Merlin didn't notice. He was too busy contemplating whether it was truly wise to leave Nimueh to her own devices. People could very well die because of his leniency.
Gwen took in a small breath when Merlin stopped her and she realized they were standing back in the middle of the empty courtyard. She stared despairingly at the misty surroundings. "How long have we been gone?" she asked.
"A little under an hour, I imagine," Merlin replied distractedly. He was pacing back and forth, pausing at random cobblestones and wrinkling his nose, shaking his head and moving on.
Gwen bit her lip. "Morgana's probably wondering where I've gone off to."
"Just tell her you got caught in the thunderstorm. I let off enough power to make it pour for at least a half hour," Merlin informed her, swiveling as he oriented himself in a very specific position.
"But you've said it's been an hour!" Gwen exclaimed. Suddenly she was very worried that she wouldn't be able to keep Merlin's secret. She'd never had to lie before in her life – not for anything big or important anyway. Not since thirteen-year-old Morgana had made her promise not to tell anyone that she'd kissed Arthur after he'd been knocked unconscious after his first try at jousting.
"I don't think she'll be that concerned. Morgana seems to be fairly reasonable for a noblewoman," Merlin told her, unworried. "Now come over here."
Gwen tilted her head curiously as she slowly stepped towards him. "I need you to be in the same position you were when you were transported," Merlin said, standing up and moving away so Gwen could replace him.
O o O
It took fifteen minutes for Merlin to find the teleportation tunnel his instinctual magic had created to transport both himself and Gwen to the isle – fifteen minutes of Gwen lying awkwardly on the ground and long enough to make Merlin's knees burn from kneeling.
To top it off, he now had another magical headache.
"Camelot looks like someone dumped a bucket of water over it," Gwen noted in solemn reverence, staring up at the dripping stonework and streets slopped with at least four inches of muck.
Merlin winced. A lot of people were going to be decidedly miserable for a while. He watched in grim sympathy as a farmer, mumbling curses, tried to pull his cart out of a rut full of mud.
The warlock's eyes turned gold briefly.
The man fell backwards in shock as his cart suddenly shot out of the murky puddle.
Gwen didn't even suspect.
"I don't think I want to walk through this," she admitted.
"Then it's a good thing I know an emergency flight tunnel that leads from the inner wall to the edge of the courtyard, isn't it?" Merlin said cheekily.
Tired, Gwen didn't even have the heart to look surprised.
O o O
"Merlin! Where were you?" the prince asked, looking up from his place by the fire, looking rather disgruntled. "I got soaked out there!"
"So did I," Merlin defended.
"Then why didn't you come back?" Arthur asked in a low voice – his warning voice. "I had to walk all the way back in my armor."
"Because I was being a chivalrous," Merlin explained in exasperation. "A concept even you should have a slight appreciation for, I'd hope."
Arthur gave him a confused look. "Why would you need to be chivalrous?"
Merlin let out a long-suffering sigh.
"Gwen and I got stuck in the hall outside the guards' barracks," Merlin spouted the story Gwen and him had decided upon. "I couldn't just leave her there, if you understand my meaning. So I waited with her until it stopped raining. And then, when it finally did stop, the streets were so full of mud that you're lucky I bothered to change before coming to your room, even if it would be me who ended up cleaning away the mess it made."
Arthur stared at Merlin, drilling his fingers against the armrest.
Merlin didn't really like the suspicious expression Arthur was sending him. "What?" he snapped.
Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally he asked, "Merlin, are you courting Guinevere?"
If ever a question were to come out of Arthur Pendragon's mouth, that was the last question Merlin would ever have expected... unless there was a threat of extermination added onto to the end of it.
"I'll take that as a no," Arthur said, relaxing slightly at Merlin's incredulous, slack-jawed expression.
"Duh," Merlin said firmly.
"That's a bit harsh," Arthur said easily, reaching for an apple from the table next to him.
"I see her as a sister, nothing else," Merlin said with a sigh.
"Morgana says she likes you," Arthur added, before he considered the consequences of just what exactly could happen if he went around telling girls' secrets.
The reply was unexpected.
A sigh.
Then, "I know."
"Oh, well, then," Arthur said, shifting, "you're not completely oblivious," failing to recognize that he hadn't noticed until Morgana had told him (not that he'd been paying attention to such things).
"Sometimes I wish I were," Merlin said despondently.
"Then I suppose I can only wish you good luck," Arthur said, some real sympathy laced into his words.
"Thanks," Merlin mumbled.
"Ah, but you're not getting away that easily. We're still having that match, you know," Arthur said forcefully. "Tomorrow then?"
Merlin nearly walked over to the wall so he could bang his head against it, headache or no headache.
O o O
"I hope supper's ready, Gaius," Merlin said miserably, dragging himself into the physician's chambers.
"It is, Merlin. Put your boots by the door," Gaius told him.
Merlin stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He looked up and froze.
"Gwen?" he asked stupidly, staring at the woman sitting at the table, very calmly eating her soup.
"Hello, Merlin," she said easily, giving him a small smile.
"Gwen's been telling me quite a story, Merlin," Gaius said, causing Merlin's head to jerk in his direction. The old man didn't look particularly happy.
"You told him," Merlin asked incredulously.
Gwen looked slightly guilty. "Since he's your guardian, I figured it would be best if he knew."
Merlin spluttered.
Finally he cleared his throat. "I was going to tell you eventually," he muttered.
"Nimueh attacked you," Gaius said tensely. "Why would you even think about not telling me?" he demanded.
"Because you have a tendency to overreact," Merlin almost said, but thought better of it. Nothing peaceful would come of provoking the physician. "There was nothing either you or I could have done to stop the spell," he answered simply.
"Nothing we could have-," Gaius shook his head. "Merlin, she shouldn't even have had a reason to do it in the first place!"
"I can't exactly go back in the past and not threaten her, Gaius," Merlin pointed out.
Gaius noticed that his ward was eying the soup on the table. It was obvious that until he ate, there would be no reasoning with the boy. "Sit down," he said with a sigh, and shuffled to retrieved a bowl from the cupboards.
Merlin did as he was asked, looking relieved.
He gave Gaius a grateful look when the soup was plopped in front of him.
"Eat more slowly or you'll get the hiccups," Gaius said with a hint of amusement.
Merlin stopped inhaling his food and looked up in slight annoyance. "I just channeled the magic of the entire city of Camelot. I'm hungry," he said stiffly, then went right back to slurping down his soup.
Gaius sighed.
Then he frowned. "Merlin," he began slowly, "what spell exactly did Nimueh use on you?"
"Atmospheric magic extraction and insertion spell," Merlin said between bites.
Gaius pursed his lips. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"That's because it was banned hundreds of years ago," Merlin said. "There are only a few who live today who even know it exists."
Gaius didn't bother asking how Merlin knew about it.
"What does it do?" he asked. "And more importantly, why was it banned?"
"It takes all of the magic within a certain perimeter and converges it on a specific epicenter," Merlin said. "The sorcerer who invented it was trying to come up with a way to make another version of the crystal cave. I suspect the man was also an idiot," he clarified. "Doing something like that could harm the very balance of magic, even more so than Uther's purge if focused on the right epicenter. It could end up draining all of the magic energies around it until there weren't any left. Then the magic from other areas would come in to compensate."
"And she focused the spell on you?" Gaius asked in horror.
"She thought it would be the only way to kill me," Merlin said. "A duel would be pointless. And other long-distance spells would have been blocked by my anti-scrying enchantments.
"If I'd been an ordinary sorcerer, I would have died within a few seconds," Merlin said point-blank. Gaius stared at him solemnly. Yes, Gwen had said something like that, even if she had been a bit confused. "But as Emrys," Merlin continued, "I have an endless capacity for channeling magic, but not very much control – hence the thunderstorm."
"And what did Nimueh have to give in exchange for such a terrible power?" Gaius asked.
Merlin stopped eating. "I don't know," he confessed. "I never learned how to do the spell."
He'd forgotten that Nimueh would have had to do something nearly as potent as a blood sacrifice in order to achieve such devastating abilities.
Gaius blinked in surprise when Melrin sprung from his chair. Gwen watched with confusion.
"And where do you think you're going?" Gauis demanded as Merlin stalked to his bedroom.
"To see Nimueh!" Merlin said angrily. "I want to know just who exactly she killed so that she could get to me."
"Merlin!" Gaius scolded in astonishment. "What are you? An imbecile? You intend to go confront Nimueh in this state, just after you made peace with her?"
Merlin clenched his teeth and turned around. "Gaius," he pleaded with hard eyes. "What she has done... that was evil, Gaius. It would be like ripping the veil between mortality and the spirit world, it would be like putting water where there is air and air where there is water. What she did should never have happened!"
"And you think your the one to tell her?" Gaius asked.
"I'm Emrys."
"Who has only known his role for two months," Gaius said firmly. "Besides, doing something as horrible as that would harm her more than you ever could – her very soul has been tainted now."
Merlin slumped. Tainted souls. Those were the very souls – if corrupted enough – who would eventually become the Dorocha, those who were too tied to the physical and magical world to go very far from the veil. The Cailleach was their mistress, the one who made sure they weren't allowed out.
"Very well," he said hoarsely.
"Thank you," Gaius breathed, leading his ward back to the table.
Merlin sat down in an exhausted heap.
Gwen watched him with a concerned and uncertain gaze.
"What- what does 'Emrys' mean?" she asked after a moment.
Gaius looked from her to Merlin.
"You explain it," Merin muttered, waving a hand at Gaius and promptly laying his head on the table.
Gaius took in a breath and began to explain in the simplest terms possible all of the things Emrys had been prophesied to do, including protecting the Once and Future King (he didn't tell her it was Arthur, he'd rather leave that chore to Merlin), bringing magic back to Albion, leading the druids to a more unified order, becoming the most powerful sorcerer to ever exist... and the list went on.
"I don't see how you can be so... childish all the time when you have so much responsibility," Gwen said with disbelief, in response to Gaius's explanation.
"Me? Childish?" Merlin said with mock-indignation. His words were slurring slightly, so he straightened his spine in fear that he'd fall asleep in his soup.
Gwen gave him a look.
Merlin smiled. "It's a coping mechanism," he explained lightly.
Gwen struggled with this for a moment before nodding hesitantly.
"I didn't used to," he explained. "Not really anyways... being a smart-mouth was part of my personality." Gaius snorted.
"And it isn't anymore?" she asked with skeptical amusement.
"Yes... and no," Merlin decided. "I used to do it just to defy authority – I never really liked authority figures much." Gwen bit her lips to keep from giggling. Gaius huffed.
"But now I do it as an alternative," he finished, his smile turning into something a bit sadder than before.
"Alternative to what?" Gwen asked, uncertain if she really wanted to know, with the ominous tone Merlin had adopted.
"Yelling. Whispering," Merlin answered. "What I do when I'm angry."
Gwen tilted her head, considering him. "I don't think I've ever seen you angry before. I mean, not really, truly angry. Not even just now, when you were marching back to confront Nimueh."
"You never will," Merlin said firmly. "Things – people – tend to involuntarily burst into flame when I get angry."
Gwen cringed.
"It didn't used to happen," Merlin informed her. "Before my power increased, my emotions rarely affected my magic. Now, I can barely drink alcohol with sending magical butterflies everywhere."
Gwen's eyes opened with a sudden clarity. "Oh! That's why I've never seen you drink... All right, I suppose that makes sense." Gaius nodded. Merlin had explained this to him within the fist few days of arriving.
"I'm just glad that I know water purifying spells," Merlin muttered. It was fine in Camelot – they had an underground source that didn't connect aboveground at all. But places like Ealdor, with their shallow wells, had sewage, manure, and who knew what else leaking into them. Comparatively, the water tasted positively foul. And it didn't help that Gaius had enlightened him to certain aspects of hygiene that he'd been previously unaware of before coming to Camelot all those years ago.
"Hm?"
"Nothing," Merlin said absently. "I use magic to make water taste better is all."
"Makes sense," Gwen agreed heartily.
They were almost to Gwen's house now.
"So you can't let yourself get mad anymore," Gwen said.
"Nope."
"So instead of getting mad you... make fun of the situation?" Gwen interpret her previous knowledge.
"Petty way of putting it," Merlin sniffed. Then he laughed. "I suppose so. I have a rather dark sense of humor now, don't I? I'm very good with irony and sarcasm."
"All right Merlin, that's enough," Gaius snapped lightly. "You look dead on your feet. Gwen, do you mind?"
"Not at all!" Gwen said, quickly standing up from the table. "Thank you for the soup, Gaius"
"Thank you for telling me about Merlin," Gaius said.
As Gwen made a move for the door, Merlin stood up.
"I'll escort you home," he offered. Then he tripped over the bench and landed on his face.
"Oh, Merlin!" Gwen exclaimed, moving towards him. "Are you alright?"
"He's fine," Gaius said dryly, watching his ward pick himself up from off the floor.
Gwen bit her lip.
Then her forehead crinkled in confusion. "Arthur keeps talking about how great a warrior you are," she said. There was a moments' pause as Merlin stared up at her, his eyebrows raised in expectation.
"Oh, right," she said awkwardly, feeling a little silly. Then she narrowed her eyes. "You're cheating!" she accused.
"Better believe it," the skinny warlock mumbled, pushing himself to his feet.
Gaius moved in front of his ward before the boy could repeat his offer to Gwen. "Now you, up to bed. Gwen, I'll walk you home. It is getting rather dark."
"Thank you, Gaius," she said with appreciation.
Merlin watched his old mentor and the young not-queen walk out the door, click it shut, and leave him alone.
Silence.
His muddy boots already off, Merlin stumbled into his room and collapsed on his bed, not even bothering to close the door behind him.
The last thing he remembered thinking was that he'd forgotten to do Arthur's laundry.
