"Stop staring at me."

Merlin jumped, turned red, and looked straight ahead. Morgana hadn't spoken a word to him since they began their walk back to the camp. And until now, he hadn't even realized he was staring at her. "Sorry," he mumbled. He was dying to know what she had been up to these past eight months. He wanted to tell her how much he had missed her…how he had searched tirelessly for her…hadn't slept a wink some nights just worrying about her.

He could see the outskirt of the camp looming up ahead of them. He was curious to see how the Druids would respond to her, and she to them. The leader of the Druids glanced cautiously back at the two of them before entering. Merlin seized his chance and gently laid a hand on Morgana's shoulder. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away this time.

"Morgana, please. You know it's me. Use your magic. I know this is a great shock to you, but please don't be afraid."

A troubled look crossed Morgana's face…she seemed to be contemplating something. "It is a great shock to me. I never thought I would see you again. And I came to the point where I had accepted it."

Merlin shook his head. "I can't even imagine what you went through. I'm so sorry."

Morgana finally pulled away. "Don't be. I'm a stronger person now. I've changed for the better."

Merlin was a little taken aback by her abruptness. "Your powers have grown stronger?"

"Much stronger. I've learned more spells that are useful. The Druids have taught me well…and I discovered that on my own, I became stronger. I learned to do more for myself."

"Good…good. Glad to hear it…" Merlin nodded excessively and crossed his arms, feeling more awkward by the second. Morgana didn't need him anymore. She had made that quite clear.

"So Uther is not doing well?" she suddenly asked.

"Uh…no. Not at all. Hardly see him anymore as a matter of fact. He hides away in his chambers. I think he's mourning the loss of you."

"I doubt that!" Morgana snapped. "I'm sure the only thing he's mourning is the loss of his precious reputation."

"That's not true. Deep down, Uther loves you. I'm sure he regrets his actions."

"No, he doesn't. He's a selfish man who only cares about himself. He betrayed me, Merlin. He lied to me about your execution. Made sure I wasn't there to stop him. I can never forgive him."

"But I'm alive! That's got to change something. I know Uther hurt you terribly…and there's no excuse for it. We all know Uther is a stubborn man full of pride. But he's a broken man now. I feel sorry for him."

"Then you're a fool," Morgana said bitterly.

Merlin sighed. He was clearly getting nowhere with her. But to be fair, she was still in shock. Maybe she would soften over time. "I missed you," he blurted out.

Morgana appeared more uncomfortable now than before. She refused to meet his gaze as she turned to walk into the camp. "I wish you hadn't," she returned coldly.

Merlin stood there for a few minutes, stunned, before following her.

He watched as the people silently greeted her with respect. She had a name for herself among them, and they treated her as one of their own. She seemed to forget about her troubles temporarily as she handed out the different remedies to them. Merlin noted how Rowan hung back, his eyes wide as he glanced between Merlin and Morgana. The Druid leader approached her.

"Morgana, sit down for a little bit. You must understand why we chose not to tell you the truth."

She stiffened and slowly looked at him, her expression blank.

"There's no need. I understand."

"I don't think you do…not fully."

"You believed that my place was here with your people…away from the castle and Uther. You were trying to protect me."

Their leader seemed relieved. "Yes, that's part of it."

"You thought I would go running back to Camelot to see Merlin…to seek revenge on Uther. You always taught that I must forgive Uther." Morgana's voice was low and soothing, immediately putting Merlin on his guard.

He nodded, also looking wary. "This is true."

"You know how I struggled with forgiving him. I still haven't. Uther turned his back on me that day. He chose to lie to me and push me out. I cannot forgive him, and I never will. "

"You need more time, Morgana. Time to heal."

"No, I don't need more time!" she shouted angrily. "I'm tired of being told what to do! I thought I could trust you and your people, but you have failed me as well."

"Morgana, please. We meant you no harm. You must believe me. If you had returned to Camelot, your life would have been in grave danger, and you would have never discovered your full potential."

"That was my choice to make, not yours. From now on, I make my own decisions. I won't be making any more deliveries to you and your people." Morgana marched out of the camp, her cape billowing behind her. The Druids were silent as they watched her leave. Merlin made a move to follow her, but their leader held him back.

"No, Emrys. You must let her go."

"She's upset…I want to make sure she's alright."

"She wants to be alone. Let her."

"I came to find Morgana and bring her back. I still plan to do that," Merlin said sharply as he pulled himself away and ran after her.

"Morgana!" He yelled as he ran headfirst into the forest. Branches tore at his jacket as he whizzed by. He must have run half a mile before he realized that she was nowhere in sight. He slowed his pace, glancing wildly around him. None of this looked familiar. Had he run in the wrong direction? He was sure he had headed in the same direction she was coming from. Slowing his pace, he concentrated. The two of them had always been connected. The words of the dragon were slowly coming back to haunt him…"she is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love…" Kilgharrah would love to know how his words were beginning to come true.

Suddenly, Merlin jumped. He had felt her presence. Holding his head, he closed his eyes. To his surprise, he could see her walking briskly, her steps sure and determined. His gut told him that she wasn't far away, and that he was headed in the right direction. He continued on the same path, checking every once in awhile to make sure his visions were still accurate. "That's new," he muttered to himself. Or maybe it was his strong connection with Morgana that was linking the two of them.

Eventually, he came to a steep ravine that looked slightly treacherous to walk down. But every instinct told him to continue. He flung his backpack over the side and began climbing down the steep incline. The rocks were slippery and covered in moss, and Merlin found himself holding onto the side more than once. As he neared the bottom, he noticed a steady stream of smoke rising up above the trees. Squinting his eyes from the sun, Merlin nearly whooped in delight when he saw a tiny hut settled under a hill not too far ahead. He had found her.

Not bothering to glance in front of him, Merlin took one step forward and had no time to catch himself as he slid backwards. A shooting pain shot up in his skull. The last thing he remembered seeing before his eyes shut was the smoke rising up toward the sky.

Then everything went blank.