They reached Ealdor just as the village was being invaded by the very mercenaries they had intended to stop. With Arthur and Merlin leading the charge on horseback their party road into the village and met the invaders head-on. Rolling off his horse Merlin landed in the thick of the skirmish between the bandits and villagers. He unsheathed his sword and was immediately required to defend himself against an oncoming attack aimed at his head.
There were at least fifteen of them, ten now, as he removed his sword from a mercenaries chest. He turned to look for his brother "Arthur"! He shouted in warning as another swung a sword at his brother's back. The sword, however, was intercepted, just as Arthur turned, Morgana forced the mercenaries blade back and sliced across his chest with her own effectively saving the crown prince's life. "Bring back memories of when I used to beat you"? She asked, teasing as she shuffled away, all the while protecting Arthur's flank.
"That never happened"! Exclaimed the prince incredulously, much to Morgana's and now Merlin's amusement.
"Oh it did, I remember" Merlin called laughing as he took down another of their attackers.
"Fall back"! They all heard the call and the mercenaries immediately began their retreat. "You will pay for this! All of you"! Kenan shouted over the fray as he and what was left of his men rode off towards the southern forests. "They will be back". Merlin stated as he walked over to his brother, Morgana and Gwen joined them. Arthur nodded to him before calling for Hunith to gather the villagers.
They were circled around Arthur now who stood at the center of the communal gathering place, Merlin just behind him to the right. "The women need to gather what you can and leave with the children". He announced.
"The women have as much right to fight as the men for their homes and families". It was Gwen who spoke, her voice strong and more self-assured than ever before. "We aren't going anywhere". She took a strong step forward and the other women followed her direction. For the first time, Merlin saw a glimpse of the Queen she was one day destined to become. Arthur looked at him still unsure, Gwen was right, so he nodded to his brother in return. Arthur looked back at the gathering and nodded his consent to all present.
"Kenan". The blond prince's voice though soft strongly resonated through the gathering "and his men are likely to attack on the morrow. They are brutal and fight to kill and that is why they will lose". He walked around looking at all the gathered in the eye as he spoke. "He can never defeat us. Look around, within this circle we are all equals. Tomorrow when you fight you will not fight because someone has ordered you to. No. You fight for your right to live independently and with dignity, not at the mercy of the likes of Kanen and his brutes"!
Merlin watched his brother, his King in awe, this is what he was fighting for. "If any of you fall, you will fall knowing that you have died fighting for the most noblest of causes. You fight for your lives, your friends and families, your very right to survive. If you live to grow old and grey, you will know within your hearts that you have earned the right to live in peace from this day until your dying day"! Raising his sword high Arthur's voice echoed across the gathering as he chanted "For Ealdor"! A chorus of voices joined his own as every single man and woman in the gathering lifted their crude weapons in a battle cry. Arthur looked back at his brother and found an expression of absolute pride and approval reflected back at him.
"You did well with them," Merlin told him later as he sat by his brother on a small bench outside Hunith's home.
"They are not soldiers Merlin, a day is too short a time to turn them into soldiers". Arthur replied concerned as they watched the villagers fumble in their attempts at learning to wield the crude weapons they had. He nodded to Morgana who was currently working with one section learning to effectively aim weaponized wooden staffs. Her father Gorlois had never discouraged her from learning the sword, an allowance Uther had continued to grant when she entered Camelot as his ward.
"You cannot lose faith in them" his attention was once again brought back to Merlin as his words caught his attention. His brother looked him in the eyes as he continued sternly, "because if you do they will sense it, and the battle will be lost before it even begins. We still have our magic, all three of us and if required we will use it, but I feel they deserve the chance to at least fight for what is rightfully theirs". Arthur nodded before moving back to inspect the training of another group of villagers led by Will.
Before Arthur could reach his destination however both brothers were alerted to the villagers screams. They ran to the southern boundary and watched as a solitary horse rode through the crowd carrying on its back a grisly cargo. As the animal past the body of Matthew, the village leader dropped to the ground, an arrow holding in place a piece of parchment protruding from his back. It was Merlin who moved forward to examine the body. He went down to his knees and pulled the arrow and parchment from the corpse.
"What does it say"? Merlin looked up at Morgana, who had asked and then turned his inflamed gaze to Arthur "Make the most of this day, it will be your last". he breathed out.
"Matthew"! they heard the scream before the man's now widow dropped before them to cradle the body in her arms.
Merlin got up and walked away from the crowd, Arthur found him pacing behind a close-by hut, running a hand down in face in frustration. Merlin turned to his brother as he approached. "Power is meant to protect," he said strongly as he brought his hand down in an adamant gesture "Men like Kanen, just because they have armies at their disposal take it as an excuse to satisfy their greed! They need to be stopped! I need to do it". He emphasized with clenched fists.
Merlin looked away as he said that and Arthur followed his brother's eyes and found them focused on Hunith, who was consoling Matthew's widow. Arthur's arm on his shoulder brought his attention back to the blond prince "We will protect them, we will stop him once and for all but we do it together". It was he could say but non of it was a lie and Merlin nodded his assent head before leaving his brother to help the village dispose of the dead.
Moras did not arrive from Lord Tensen's land until later that same evening, Lancelot and a giant of a man called Percival riding in tow. They were all that Tensen could spare at such short notice. Both men were now sitting around a fire while Arthur explaining the plan, they needed to slow Kanen and his men down. Merlin who had gone off earlier to collect firewood and had yet to return. "I going to go look for him" everyone looked up at Morgana as she said that "Percival go with her".
"Arthur please, I can handle myself" she stated to both men as she sheathed her sword and left them to continue their discussion.
Morgana hardly made it past the back of Hunith's home before she was abruptly pulled aside, spun and pushed up against the external back wall. A large body restraining her smaller one and a hand over her mouth preventing her from calling for help. Once she was over her initial shock, her eyes lifted to meet Merlin's blue ones, illuminated by the moonlight. She closed her own and took a deep breath as he removed his hand. "What are you doing Merlin"? She asked him looking back up at his face.
"Watching you" he replied there was a curious emotion reflecting through his gaze as he moved up his hand and gently ran his knuckles along her cheek. "I watched you the entire day, I watched you fight, I watched you command those men". His voice barely above a whisper, yet it held a strength that sent pleasant shivers down her spine. "You were awe-inspiring, my warrior princess".
Morgana's cheeks bloomed with color and in an attempt to conceal her pleasurable discomfort at the praise she smirked up at him and replied with confidence "I am not a princess my lord".
His lips twisted upwards "a situation that will be remedied soon enough" his smile grew as her eyes widened "After all you have already accepted your position as my betrothed". Morgana let out a short laugh "When we return to Camelot, I intend to ask Uther to formalize our engagement, we cannot marry until Arthur chooses a bride but it will officially indorse our promise to one another in the eyes of the crown and kingdom". His decision surprised her and bringing her hand to cup his cheek she closed the space between them and locked their lips in a passionate embrace.
This kiss was nothing like the hurried one they shared in Gauis's chamber or even the brief press of their lips within the confines of his bedchamber where he was forced to stop. At this moment they could take their time, he had no fear of awakening her power, now they were each free to revel in the others taste and magic.