Kahlan had been surprised when she found a man had called upon her at the Greenswood bakery, only two weeks later. Suspecting it to be Arthur, she made a hasty journey back to Camelot, waiting by the tunnels she and Mordred had escaped from. Instead of the blond Prince she had been expecting to see, Emrys soon appeared, fidgeting nervously. Something was clearly wrong.
"Emrys" Kahlan nodded, seeing how Merlin's shoulder's slumped in relief when he saw her.
"A knight came to Camelot yesterday for Arthur's crowning ceremony, he challenged two knights and killed them both! He can't be stopped, and now Arthur's challenged him and if I can't stop him then he'll die and the whole of Camelot will—" Merlin rambled, in a panic, as Kahlan cut him off.
"It's good to see you too, Merlin" Kahlan chuckled at his form of a greeting.
"Oh, right. Sorry…how have you been?" Merlin queried, a moment later.
"Better than you, it would seem. Now, tell me. Why do you say this knight can't be stopped?" Kahlan asked.
"Gaius thinks he's a wraith" Merlin replied, watching fear flash across Kahlan's features.
"Is he sure?" Kahlan questioned, with wide eyes.
"Gaius recognised him. The knight is Tristan de Bois. He is the brother of Ygraine, Arthur's mother. And he is very much dead" Merlin explained, making Kahlan frown.
"Why would Arthur's dead Uncle come to Camelot?" Kahlan pointed out.
"It's not Arthur he's after. It's Uther" Merlin went on.
"…Oh, well that's not so bad then" Kahlan shrugged, as Merlin gave her a look.
"Because?" Merlin argued.
"If this wraith kills Uther, then we'll be a step closer to having magic restored to the land" Kahlan stated.
"Arthur is not ready to be King! Besides, if he saw his father killed at the hands of magic, it would only harden his heart the same way it hardened Uther's" Merlin told her, firmly.
"Your assuming Uther had a heart to begin with" Kahlan scoffed.
"It's not Uther who plans to fight the knight tomorrow. It's Arthur. If he dies…all hope is lost" Merlin insisted, in a pleading tone.
"Good point. Okay, what do you want me to do?" Kahlan questioned.
"Arthur won't listen to me; he still believes he can kill the knight. I need to know how to stop the wraith. There must be a way" Merlin exclaimed, as Kahlan shook her head.
"It can't be stopped. Not until it's completed its purpose. It's revenge. Not even your magic could stop it" Kahlan retorted.
"What about yours?" Merlin questioned, making her sigh.
"I have only heard of one thing being able to stop a wraith. Dragon fire…so unless you have a pet dragon holed up somewhere…where are you going?" Kahlan inquired, as Merlin turned on his heel, ready to rush away.
"I have a plan. Talk to Arthur, see if you can get him to postpone the duel!" Merlin told her, running off towards the castle.
"And how am I supposed to do that?!" Kahlan cried, but Merlin was already out of hearing distance.
Sweat was dripping from Arthur's forehead when he finally decided to retire to his bedchambers that night, having spent most of the day training for his upcoming duel. His father, Morgana and even Merlin had all but begged him to pull out during the course of the day, but he stood firm. His father always said he had got his stubbornness from his mother.
"I'm sorry about missing your crowning ceremony. I heard it was quite the spectacle" A familiar voice announced, causing Arthur to whip around.
Arthur tried to calm his frantic heart as he found Kahlan leaning against the wall, half-hidden in the dim lighting of the room. He thought to ask how she had got in but decided against it. The girl was still a mystery to him.
"That it was. My apologies, your invitation must have been lost on its journey" Arthur replied, with a teasing smile.
"Seeing your father unwittingly invite a Druid to a royal ceremony would have been amusing" Kahlan stated, sharing his expression, as she pushed off from the wall.
"I will bear it in mind while making the pre-arrangements for my funeral" Arthur scoffed, dropping his sword onto the table.
"Merlin said you thought you could beat—" Kahlan began but was cut off by Arthur.
"I'm guessing it was my interfering manservant who's brought you back to Camelot" Arthur guessed, watching her nod.
"He's worried about you. And I can understand why" Kahlan exclaimed.
"So, you think I'm destined to die tomorrow as well?" Arthur sighed, leaning against his dining table.
"If you're going up against a wraith? Most definitely" Kahlan nodded.
"A what?" Arthur frowned.
"A man brought back from the dead using magic. A creature who has only one thing on his mind. Revenge" Kahlan explained.
"Is this Merlin's latest plan to get me to pull out? Using some fairy-tale to scare me?" Arthur mocked, crossing his arms.
"It's true" Kahlan insisted, firmly.
"So you've actually seen evidence of the knight being a…wraith?" Arthur inquired.
"Well, no. But I trust Merlin. The more important question, is why don't you?" Kahlan argued, raising an eyebrow.
"…He's sure this is a creature of magic?" Arthur asked, as Kahlan nodded again.
"Why didn't he say that in the first place?!" Arthur complained, his arms raised out in exasperation.
"It probably has something to do with the fact that anything you don't agree with, goes in one ear and out the other" Kahlan mocked, as Arthur's jaw dropped open.
"You can't talk to me like that!" He gaped.
"Hmm, guess what? Looks like I just did" Kahlan grinned, smugly.
"My father would need proof" Arthur stated.
"I'm sure you can take some time out of your busy funeral planning" Kahlan exclaimed, gesturing for him to follow her as she made her way to the door.
"…Or you can just stay brooding out of the window, waiting to die?" Kahlan offered, when she saw the Prince still hadn't moved.
Her lips twitched into a smile as he immediately grabbed his sword, coming to stand beside her as the pair rushed out of the room, and towards the courtyard. Just as they reached the long winding staircase, Kahlan realised the first problem with her plan.
"Uh…I don't suppose you have any ideas on how to get the proof we need?" Kahlan inquired, as Arthur gave her a look of disbelief.
"Is that your way of telling me you have no plan?" Arthur guessed.
"Yeah. Pretty much" Kahlan admitted, as they reached the bottom of the staircase.
"There must be some way to prove the knight is dead" Arthur frowned.
"I could chop his head off. That ought to do it" Kahlan shrugged, as they made their way out of the castle.
"And if your wrong and this knight isn't a wraith?" Arthur questioned.
"…Things will get a little messy" Kahlan replied, making Arthur scoff.
They found the knight standing motionless just outside the city gates, showing no sign of recognising their presence. Kahlan felt a wave of uneasiness hit her, sensing waves of power coming off the wraith. She held out her arm to stop Arthur from getting any further, already knowing their plan was a bad idea.
"I would like to speak to you before our duel" Arthur announced, shrugging her hand away.
"I am talking to you Knight, show some respect" Arthur went on, now only standing a few metres away from the creature.
"Arthur— Kahlan hissed, her eyes wide when she watched the blond reach out to touch the knight's shoulder.
In the blink of an eye, the wraith had turned, grabbing Arthur's gloved hand, and twisting it behind his back. Arthur let out a yell of pain, clawing at the knight, but the wraith was far stronger. Arthur was soon shoved to his knees, as Kahlan watched the wraith's hand come to rest on the hilt of its sword.
"Tristan!" Kahlan exclaimed, flinching as the knight's head snapped up to hers.
"That's your name, right?" Kahlan went on, taking a tentative step closer to the pair.
The wraith continued to stare at her, his grip never lessening on Arthur's hand, who was now gritting his teeth. Kahlan held up both her hands, showing the knight she was unarmed as she took another step.
"Do you remember who you were? Do you…do you remember anything?" Kahlan questioned, feeling a sliver of pity for the creature in front of her.
"I remember my sister" The knight's gravelly voice boomed through the air, making Kahlan halt.
"That's her son you're hurting. Just…let him go, okay? Your fight isn't with him, is it?" Kahlan suggested, watching Arthur's forehead wrinkle, as he tried to piece together what she was saying.
Arthur was suddenly thrown towards her and would have fallen flat on his face if she had not rushed forward to catch him. Arthur clenched his now aching hand, as he turned back to the knight with wide eyes.
"Y-you…you can't be him. That's not possible" Arthur shook his head, vehemently.
"You don't need to do this, Tristan. There's still a part of you in there—" Kahlan began, but she was quickly cut off.
"Every part of me burns to have Uther Pendragon's head on a spike!" Tristan yelled, making Kahlan gulp.
"But you're not going to fight him tomorrow, you're going to fight your nephew!" Kahlan argued.
"Perhaps then Uther will understand the pain I felt when he killed my sister" Tristan retorted, as Arthur all but growled.
"You will not speak about my father like that!" Arthur exclaimed, as Kahlan gripped his tunic, holding him back.
"I will fight you or your father at noon tomorrow. Pendragon blood will spill, no matter who's" Tristan announced, before turning away from them.
"Don't" Kahlan mumbled, when she saw how Arthur's hand went to his sword.
"We must do something—" Arthur started, but she quickly stopped him.
"Merlin has a plan" She insisted, watching Arthur roll his eyes.
"We really are doomed then" He grumbled, before marching in the opposite direction, his hands balled into fists.
Gaius had made a makeshift bed for Kahlan on the floor in Merlin's room, thinking it the most appropriate place for her. No one would think twice about her strange presence in Camelot if they kept up the façade that she was Merlin's cousin. She was simply there for a visit, nothing more. The light was just beginning to stream into Merlin's small room when Kahlan felt someone shaking her shoulders. She tried to brush their hands away, but they were insistent. She let out a groan as she sat up, rubbing her eyes as Merlin's excited face came into view.
"Here!" Merlin beamed, shoving a sharp sword in her face, causing Kahlan to flinch.
"Is that how you usually wake up guests, Emrys?" Kahlan chuckled.
"I wish you would call me Merlin. This famous wizard you think I am…well, that's just not me" Merlin argued, as Kahlan held her hands up in defence.
"Okay, Merlin. What's with the sword?" Kahlan replied.
"You said only dragon's fire could kill a wraith. How about a sword burnished by dragon breath?" Merlin grinned, as Kahlan's eyes widened.
She reached out for the sword and could tell instantly that it had been forged in the way he had suggested. Merlin's mouth went slack as he watched the sword burn a strange gold colour under her palm, as she closed her eyes. When they re-opened they were the bright gold colour, matching the hue from the sword.
"Where did you find this?" Kahlan mumbled, as her eyes slowly returned to their normal blue colour.
"I, uh…read about a sword that could kill the dead in the library. I went to the grave they spoke of and…well, here it is" Merlin told her, rubbing the back of his neck, awkwardly.
"You're a terrible liar, Merlin. I don't know how you've survived this long" Kahlan scoffed, as his lips twitched into a smile.
"Just lucky I guess" Merlin shrugged, as Kahlan pushed herself to her feet.
"You won't tell me where you really got this sword, will you?" Kahlan guessed, as he shook his head.
"Are you sure this will work?" Merlin asked, nervously.
"I hope so" Kahlan sighed.
"I'm guessing you weren't able to knock any sense into Arthur?" Merlin inquired.
"He knows either he fights today or his father does. There's no option for him" Kahlan explained, as Merlin bit his lip.
"I'll go to the armoury. Try to delay him as long as you can" Merlin told her.
"You're not going to try to kill this wraith yourself, are you?" Kahlan frowned.
"I won't let Arthur die" Merlin replied, simply.
"He's lucky to have you" Kahlan stated, with a small smile.
"I know" Merlin grinned, before rushing out of the door, leaving Kahlan's worries to grow.
Kahlan made her way towards Arthur's chambers, knowing it was almost time for the duel. She was confused when she found his chambers locked and wondered if she had already missed him. A creaking sound from inside had her eyes flashing gold as she unlocked the large doors with her magic. She peered inside, her forehead wrinkling when she saw Arthur lying on his stomach, dead to the world. She quickly ran over to him, pulling him onto his back, glad to see the rise and fall of his chest. Giving his shoulder a hard shake, Arthur slowly began to stir, his eyes fluttering open.
"Arthur?" Kahlan questioned, keeping her hand on his shoulder.
The blond looked up at her with confusion, touching his lips with his hand as he seemed to realise something. Loud cheering from outside caused Arthur to shoot upright in bed, his vision blurring for a moment.
"Gaius, he…he drugged me!" Arthur exclaimed, appalled.
"I imagine that was your father's doing" Kahlan pointed out, as Arthur tried to climb out of bed.
Whatever Gaius had given him was still clearly in his system, as his knees almost buckled from underneath him. Kahlan pulled his arm over her shoulder, letting him lean most of his weight on her.
"We must stop my father. He'll be killed!" Arthur cried, trying to push himself forward.
"Merlin has it under control" Kahlan replied, but began to drag him out the room, nonetheless.
"And what exactly is my manservant going to do against a dead man?!" Arthur complained, forcing his legs to move quicker.
Once they reached the arena, they could see the wraith's helmet had been removed during the duel, revealing the blackened, rotting skin underneath. His monstrous side was now clear for all to see. Despite having a sword to kill the dead, Uther had somehow found himself on the ground, with only his shield for protection.
"Father!" Arthur yelled, his voice cracking.
Kahlan could feel the panic and fear coming off Arthur, and before she knew what she was doing, she was muttering a spell under her breath. The wraith's sword suddenly became stuck in the shield a moment later, due to her magic, allowing Uther to shove the creature away. In one swift motion, he had picked up his sword and thrust it into the creature, who let out a piercing howl. Kahlan's jaw dropped open as the wraith exploded a few seconds later, rags of clothing flying over the arena, the only thing left of the creature. Arthur went stumbling forward towards his father, who removed his helmet, relief clear on his face. Kahlan found Merlin's eyes in the crowd, as they shared a worried look. They had both helped to save the King's life. What had they done?
As dusk fell that night, Merlin and Kahlan found themselves outside the tunnels on the outskirts of the city once again. Gaius had made a food parcel for her journey, something which she greatly appreciated. There was unmistakable sadness in the air, as Merlin readied himself to say goodbye to her once again.
"You could stay, you know? We could find work for you—" Merlin began, as Kahlan shook her head.
"I need to get back to my camp. I didn't tell anyone where I was going. They'll be worried" Kahlan explained, as Merlin looked down to his shoes.
"How is Mordred?" He questioned, a curious tone to his voice.
"Growing cheekier by the day" Kahlan scoffed, making Merlin laugh.
"…Thank you. For coming to help. I know you didn't have to" Merlin pointed out, a moment later.
"I owed you, Arthur and Morgana my life. That is a debt I don't think is paid yet" Kahlan stated.
"Morgana won't be happy to have missed your visit" Merlin mumbled.
"Something tells me I'll be back here quite soon" Kahlan replied, as Merlin's lips twitched into a smile.
"Do you think we did the right thing? Saving the King's life?" Merlin asked.
"Probably not, but it's too late to change things" Kahlan shrugged, as Merlin shook his head, fondly.
"Well, that certainly is one way of looking at it" Merlin chuckled.
"Until next time, Merlin" Kahlan smiled, holding out her hand for him to shake.
"I look forward to it" He grinned, taking her hand, holding it tightly.
"Is this a private goodbye or can anyone join in?" A familiar voice called out, as the pair whipped around.
"Arthur?" Kahlan frowned, when she saw the Prince approaching them.
"I had a feeling you would be here" Arthur greeted, coming to stand close to Kahlan, as Merlin nodded at the pair before making a hasty exit, his grin growing even wider.
"So, it looks like your funeral is off" Kahlan exclaimed, earning a hearty laugh from Arthur.
"Which I know is partly down to you…and surprisingly enough Merlin" Arthur stated.
"He's done a lot for you, you know. You could try to be a little nicer to him" Kahlan insisted, as Arthur gave her a thoughtful look.
"I suppose he does deserve an afternoon off…after he's polished my armour" Arthur nodded, making her scoff.
"…Well, you know where to find me if you need me" Kahlan announced, with a shy smile.
"Goodbye, Kahlan" Arthur replied, in a soft tone, as she turned on her heel.
"Oh, and Arthur? Try not to get killed by any more magical creatures for at least a few weeks, yeah?" Kahlan teased, making the Prince grin.
"No promises" He chuckled, as the two shared a look, before she went on her way, leaving Arthur to watch as she disappeared into the forest.
Two moons passed before the next time Kahlan would hear Merlin's name from an unexpected source. Her eyes fluttered open, finding she was in her tent in the middle of her camp, but it was still dark outside. She pushed herself up, wondering what had awoken her when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
"Bloody hell, Mordred!" Kahlan cried, when the young boy suddenly came into view, sending her heart racing.
"I wish you wouldn't do that—" Kahlan began but was cut off by his excited voice.
"I heard Emrys! He isn't far from here" Mordred exclaimed, as Kahlan quickly woke up more.
"We're miles away from Camelot. What would he be doing around here?" Kahlan frowned.
"They're travelling to somewhere called Ealdor" Mordred informed her, getting her attention.
"They?" Kahlan questioned, as a smile broke out on Mordred's face.
"Arthur and Morgana are with him" Mordred replied, as Kahlan quickly pushed herself to her feet.
"There have been reports of raids in that area. Maybe that's why they're travelling out this far…" Kahlan trailed off, grabbing her cloak.
"Are we going after them?" Mordred asked, practically jumping up and down.
"I'm going after them. You're staying here" Kahlan corrected, making the young boy pout.
"But I could help!" Mordred complained.
"It's too dangerous" Kahlan shook her head, grabbing her bag.
"I can look after myself" Mordred insisted, as she gave him a look.
"I know…but your still not going" Kahlan shrugged, as Mordred let out a groan.
"Why do you get to have friends out of the camp, and I don't?" Mordred complained, childishly.
"Because I'm older than you and that means I get to make all the decisions" Kahlan stated, giving Mordred a smug smile.
"It's not fair" Mordred muttered, storming out of the tent.
Kahlan shook her head as she grabbed a tunic to place in her bag and slid a small knife into her boot. She didn't know what to expect. Part of her hoped that they had come looking for her, but she knew that was a stupid—
"Why did Mordred just storm over to his tent, not before knocking our stew to the floor?" Iseldir asked, in an unimpressed tone.
"I don't know, you should probably ask him" Kahlan shrugged, pushing her bag behind her feet.
"Packing?" Iseldir questioned, crossing his arms.
"Uh, I was just going to collect…more firewood" She lied, as Iseldir pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Please tell me you're not going back to Camelot" Iseldir sighed.
"Of course not" Kahlan replied, grabbing her cloak that was lying on top of her makeshift bed.
"So, this has nothing to do with Emrys or the Prince?" Iseldir insisted, as Kahlan came to a halt.
"Well, it has nothing to do with Emrys or the Prince, rather…both of them" Kahlan clarified, as Iseldir couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"You can not get involved Kahlan" Iseldir warned.
"Why not?" Kahlan retorted, with a frown.
"Their destinies are already written. They cannot be changed" Iseldir told her.
"I think you give me too much credit, Is. How would I manage to change anything?" Kahlan scoffed, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
"Your place is here. With the Druid's. With Mordred, he needs you" Iseldir explained, as Kahlan let out a long sigh.
"I'll be back before you know it. And I promise not to make any life-altering decisions while I'm gone" Kahlan exclaimed, but Iseldir still didn't seem convinced.
"See that you don't…and be careful!" Iseldir insisted, as Kahlan nodded with a grin, before walking out of the tent.
Merlin was just walking back to their camp for the night after relieving himself when he heard a twig snap from nearby. His feet came to an instant halt, his eyes darting around the dark forest. He cursed himself for not bringing a weapon, feeling his palms sweat, as he could practically feel eyes on him.
"Meeeeerlin" A haunting voice echoed through the trees, making him shiver.
"Hello?" Merlin cried, spinning around.
"Meeeeeeeerlin" The voice came again, even closer this time, making him gulp.
"W-who's there?" Merlin stuttered, eyes wide with fear.
He let out a scream as he felt someone tap his shoulder, his heart almost thumping out of his chest. An eruption of giggles from behind him caused him to spin around, his jaw dropping open when he saw who had scared him.
"Kahlan?!" Merlin gaped, as she continued to laugh.
"You screamed like a little girl" She chuckled, as he pouted.
"What are you doing here?" He questioned, watching as she shrugged.
"Mordred heard your thoughts, I figured something important must be going on to have you out here" Kahlan explained, as Merlin ran a hand through his hair.
They heard footsteps approaching a second later, as Arthur and Morgana came into view, swords in both their hands. A large smile spread across the older women's lips as soon as she spotted Kahlan, and quickly rushed forward.
"Kahlan!" She grinned, pulling the shorter girl into a quick hug.
"It's good to see you" Kahlan smiled, wrapping her arms around Morgana's waist.
"We heard a woman scream" Arthur stated, as the girls pulled away from each other.
"Oh, that was just Merlin" Kahlan giggled, nudging a mortified Merlin with her elbow.
"Now, why doesn't that surprise me?" Arthur mocked.
"Alright, is everyone done with the Merlin bashing now?" Merlin complained, as the pair shared a grin.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I've got some really good ideas for how this story can go down a more AU route in the future seasons. Please leave a review:)
LairaCapulet: Arthur's protectiveness over her will continue to grow as the season goes on:) I've sent you a PM explaining about her magic, but basically, I've made a few changes to the last chapter, so Arthur is not aware that she has magic, only that she is a Druid! I hope that makes sense. Thank you for reviewing!