Disclaimer: I still don't own Merlin.

Chapter Seven: The Seer

Mordred had left the castle grounds to take Eirlys on a walk. He didn't exactly have permission to do so, but he hadn't been forbidden to do so either. He kept a leisurely pace as Eirlys bounded along beside him, stopping often to sniff at various things along the way. There was a forest, not far from the castle, and Mordred headed towards it. Even after all the time he had lived with Morgause, he still felt most comfortable among the trees.

Reaching the forest, Mordred started down a little path, which had probably been made by deer. Eirlys sometimes stayed at his side, and sometimes bounded ahead. Whenever she got too far ahead, Mordred would whistle, and the puppy would come running back.

Quite suddenly, the path opened up into a small clearing. Mordred halted in surprise and Eirlys halted next to him. In the center of the clearing, a woman was sitting on the ground with her eyes closed. She was neither old nor young. She was perhaps around the age of Mordred's foster father, though he couldn't be sure. She had nut brown hair with just a hint of grey in it.

Mordred stared, wondering what she could be doing out here in the middle of nowhere. And then she opened her eyes, which were bright green, and looked straight at him, "Hello, Mordred."

A shiver ran down Mordred's spine, "How do you know my name?"

"I am a Seer," she replied, "I know many things."

"Come," she gestured to him, "Sit with me."

Mordred moved forward uncertainly, eying her warily.

She smiled at him, "I don't bite, you know."

He moved closer, stopping a few paces from her and sitting down on the ground. Eirlys bounded over to the woman and began sniffing her.

The woman smiled at the puppy and stroked her back.

This set Mordred at ease somewhat. Eirlys clearly had no problem with the woman.

"What's your name?" Mordred asked her.

"Yes, it would be only fair for me to tell you that, wouldn't it?" the women asked, "Since I already know yours."

She smiled, "I am Carwen."

Mordred was silent for a moment, debating with himself. But somehow, instinctively, he trusted this woman.

"You said you know many things…" he began hesitantly, looking down rather than meeting Carwen's gaze "Do you know… about my destiny? About what they say about me?"

Eirlys, sensing that her master was troubled, trotted back over to him and climbed into his lap. Mordred placed his hand on her warm back, and then he was able to bring himself to meet Carwen's eyes.

Her face was serious now, "I do. It is why I am here."

Mordred searched her face for any sign of disgust or condemnation, but found none.

"I – I don't want to do it." he said, looking down again.

"I know," Carwen said. She reached across the space between them and placed her fingers under Mordred's chin, lifting it so he was looking into her eyes.

"Listen to me, Mordred. Your fate is not set in stone, there is a chance that you may still yet change it."

Mordred caught his breath sharply, "There is?"

"Yes, there is." Carwen replied, a hint of a smile touching her lips before her face turned solemn once more.

"How?" Mordred asked, "How can I change my fate?"

"I cannot tell you that," Carwen answered, "Even to me, much of the future is a mystery. But I can tell you one thing."

Something in her tone made Mordred go still. In his lap, even Eirlys was perfectly still, as if she too was hanging on to Carwen's every word.

"If you stay here," Carwen said, "If you remain with your mother, then you will not change your fate."

Mordred swallowed hard as her words sunk in, "I- I have to leave?"

Her eyes seemed to burn into his, "Well that depends… do you truly desire to change your fate?"

Mordred thought of how Prince Arthur had saved him. He thought of his father and all that he had taught Mordred about compassion and peace. He thought of the way Emrys had looked at him, as if Mordred were something terrible and frightening. He even thought of Elyan telling him that he was a good boy.

"Yes," he said firmly, "More than anything."

Carwen nodded, and there was something like pride in her gaze as well as regret, "Then, yes, you must leave."

"And if I do… then I can change my fate?" Mordred asked.

"You can," Carwen put her hand on his shoulder, "It will not be an easy path, Mordred. But it will be possible."

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Mordred pulled the hood of his cloak up over his head. He had a bag full of clothes and blankets with the strap slung over his shoulder, and he carried Eirlys in his arms.

So far, the puppy had been silent, perhaps sensing the urgency of her master. Mordred prayed she remained that way.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest. So many times he had thought about leaving, about running away, and now he was actually doing it. Regret burned inside him as he thought of the pain and worry his actions would cause Morgana, but he had no choice.

Carwen's words echoed in his head again, "If you stay here, if you remain with your mother… then you will not change your fate."

As for his mother, he doubted she would feel any pain or worry at all about his disappearance. Oh, she would be furious. But it was Mordred's destiny she cared about, not Mordred himself.

Mordred ducked into an adjoining corridor as two servants passed by, yawning and speaking in low voices. Once they had passed, he emerged and continued down the corridor.

He made his way to the kitchen. Here he gathered as much food as he could fit into his bag – bread, cheese, salted meat-, and still have room for Eirlys and then slipped out the door that led to the outside.

"Sorry, girl," he whispered to Eirlys, "But I can't hold you and climb at the same time. He tucked her into the bag, praying she wouldn't whine. She remained silent.

"Good girl." he whispered. Then he began to climb the tree that grew close to the wall that surrounded the courtyard.

Once he reached a branch that was a little higher than the top of the wall, he slid along it as far as he could go without reaching a part that was too thin to hold his weight, and then stepped down onto the wall. He swayed for a second, and then got his balance. He felt Eirlys shift in his bag, but still she remained silent.

Keeping his body as low as he could, lest one of the guards by the gate look over, Mordred crept along the wall until he came to another tree, this one growing just outside the wall.

Carefully, trying not only to maintain his balance, but to jostle the bag as little as possible, Mordred grasped the tree branch. He pulled himself out, off of the wall, then hung from the tree branch for a few seconds before pulling himself up onto it.

He scrambled down the tree, jumping lightly to the ground once he got to a low enough branch.

He stood still for a moment, looking up at the castle. Then he turned and walked away quickly.

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A few months later

Mordred lay on the ground in a forest, trying to sleep. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he was hit by a wave of feeling. It felt as if he had been punched in the gut, and at the same time he felt…something suddenly vanish. And he knew, though he didn't know how he knew, what the feeling meant. Somewhere, many miles away, his mother had just died.

Before Mordred could even begin to process what he had just learned or the emotions it stirred in him- she had never been much of a mother to him, but still, she was his mother- another feeling rolled over him.

Magic. Powerful magic had been unleashed by his mother's death. Powerful… and dark. In that instant Mordred knew that something terrible had been unleashed into the world.

Mordred pulled himself up into a sitting position. He reached out and pulled Eirlys close to him. The dog opened her eyes and blinked at him sleepily, and then went back to sleep. But Mordred knew that he himself would get no more sleep that night.

Oh, Morgana… he thought, What have you done?

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