Thank you for reading. I hope that your enjoying the story. I want to apologise as well because I feel that the battle, action has been anticlimactic. I think I bit of more than I could chew. I wanted it to be a hug battle, where all the characters had a moment, but it was more complex than I expected. So sorry for that and thank you for sticking with it. The next few chapters will be more to do with the characters and dealing with the aftermath of this conflict. As well as setting the up the climax of the story. Which I hope won't be anticlimactic as well.
Mordred's heart raced as he ran towards Kara. She still remained unaware of what was going on around her. She hadn't noticed the man that walked right up to her. His hand over his sword mere inches from her.
The fire was so far away from them now, that Kara couldn't see it properly. Just the smoke rising above the trees. So she closed her eyes to better focus. Sending her magic out she could could faintly see with closed eyes the fire. She could feel the power that was being sent by herself, Mordred and Luke. After a while, she lost track of time she felt that power diminish. Not knowing why and wanting to stop her mind from panicking she doubled her efforts to maintain the fire. This took all of her attention. Drowning out the world around her.
He had reacted without thinking. All he could think was that he wanted, needed to get the man away from Kara before he had a chance to harm her. His magic had always been slightly unpredictable and uncontrollable. It was part of the reason he choose not to use it. It scared him that he could lose his temper and things, people around him would get hurt or even broken. Though he choose not to use his magic on a daily paces, whenever he was in a situation were he was forced to, to his surprise it was still powerful as it had been. Stronger than it had any right to be. He had been able to reach out and attach to the fire with little effort. Once he had he saw the fire, where it was and where it was going. He was able to get flashes of the battle. It was hard to make out clearly what he was seeing. One thing that was clear was Arthur's sword coming down on Edmunds neck. Not long after this, was everyone became aware of what had happened the battle began to draw to an end. Those still standing wished to hold on to their good fortune that had lasted them so far and live to see another day.
Something, he didn't know what told him that now the danger had seemed to have passed, he needed to get back to Kara. Logically he knew this was more to do with simply wanting to be with her again and not necessarily to do with any remaining danger. So swiftly he pulled his magic back, lowered his arms and turned to run back to the hill. When he was finally able to see her standing exactly where they had parted he let out a deep sigh. Just as he allowed himself to relax he saw a tall man moving towards her. He hadn't thought then. There was no time to think. He had reacted quickly and decisively to get him away from her.
Letting out a yell of fear and anger a wave of magic rolled out from the knight. Hitting the man in the side and knocking him off his feet and away. As he began to run towards her again he didn't bother to look where the man had fallen. That he was not anywhere near them was all that he needed to know. Kara remained standing her eyes closed and her hands held out. To her Mordred's outburst was nothing more than a strong gust of wind, that she only vaguely registered. steadying herself quickly to keep focused on the task before her. It wasn't until Mordred stood in front of her calling her name as she placed his hands on her shoulders and shock her ever so slightly. He was still tense and agitated, but he had not forgot himself enough to risk hurting Kara even a little.
"Mordred-"
His grip on her tightened as he cut her off. "Didn't you notice him."
"Who." Kara asked.
Reluctantly Mordred looked passed Kara to the nearby line of trees. In front of which was the unmoving body of the man that had been about to pull a sword on an unarmed women. They waited to see if he would try and get up. When he didn't Kara turned to Mordred asking him about the fire. Panicked now that they had both stopped maintaining it. He quickly explained to her what had happened. Though she cared little for Camelot or it's knights except one, she looked pleased to hear that they seemed to have won the battle.
"He must have been slower than the rest." Kara said as she turned back to the still unmoving body. Mordred nodded in agreement. He was most likely a saxon that managed to escape being forced back to the cove by the fire. He seemed to be old, no wonder he didn't keep up with the others. Pity began to grow in the young knight. Slowly they moved towards the man.
He was on his side facing away from them. His dark reddish brown cloak covered most of his body. It was hard to tell, but Kara thought she could see him breathing slowly. The closer they got the harder Mordred's heart began to beat against his chest. Suddenly he stopped moving forward. He was sure that he knew that face. It was a face that he was sure he would never be able to forget. A face that come to represent everything that he feared most in the world. The face of Uther Pendragon.
Looking over at Kara he saw that she was coming to the same realisation as she too stopped dead. She returned his gaze as she reached out to take his hand.
"Is he..." She couldn't finish her question. Scared what he would answer and what she wished he would answer.
"I don't know." Mordred answered.
More hesitantly now they began to move forward again. When they reached Uther, Mordred bent down. Drawing out his dagger from his belt he held it over Uther's mouth. It was faint, but there was the sign of breath on the blade.
"He's breathing." He confirmed, with no hint of urgency.
They knew that they needed to act quickly, but couldn't seem to make themselves. Mordred knew that not far away many better men that the one before him lay dead. Scanning the area he looked to see if there was anyone that would notice what had just happened. Anyone that would notice if they left the old king where he lay. Anyone that would miss him. Arthur was the only person that he could think that would genuinely miss the old man. Morgana he believed would feel something, what exactly that something would be he didn't know. Though he was also sure she would try and hide it.
There was no sign of anyone at first. Then just when his eyes had traveled from left to right he saw a patch of red. The red of the knights of Camelot's cloaks. Exactly the same as the one that he wore himself. At the sight his whole body seemed to freeze not knowing what to do. A supporting hand came to rest on his shoulder. Turning from the patch of red he turned and looked up at Kara. She had noticed it too. Mordred pulled himself up and handed his dagger to Kara. She looked at him questioningly.
"In case." He couldn't think of the right words to finish his sentence. In case of what. Neither knew what, but felt sure that there maybe a what.
Not understanding, but not wanting to question it Kara gave a nod and took the dagger. Mordred moved as if to kiss her forehead or check, but stopped at the last second. So Kara with her free hand took hold of his arm and pulled him closer, so she could quickly kiss him. Stealing his nerves he moved towards the patch of red. For some reason she couldn't put into words Kara stayed by Uther, dagger held tightly in hand.
Mordred walked with more urgency than he had done before towards the body of one of his fellow knights. While he felt no guilt about hurting, most likely killing the former king, he did feel guilty about hurting another knight. When he drew closer he realised that it was Leon that lay injured. He didn't understand at first, what was he doing here. The last time he had seen him he had been heading to join the others in the battle. It was more obvious than with Uther that Leon was still breathing easily which let Mordred relax a little. If he still breathed then he should live. He could not be hurt enough that magic could not heal him.
Kara looked down on the old king the dagger still gripped tightly in her hands, pulled against her chest. She was not scared of him, of what he could do to her. He had no power over her or anyone anymore. What she feared was what she would do if he opened his eyes. It shocked her that that was where her mind went, but once she had thought it she couldn't not think of it. The longer she had to look down on the man that had made her life so perilous from the moment she was born, through no fault of her own. She had lived her entire childhood in constant fear. She was far from the only one to have suffered in such a way because of this one mans fear. That he let spread like a disease through out his kingdom.
It was also Uther that she blamed for the death of her family she now realised. It was not rational and didn't make sense, but it was how she felt down deep in her heart. It was his laws, forcing her family to conceal who she was that she felt cased the death of her mother. She died giving birth to a brother that also did not survive. The stress her mother had to live under that took away the strength she needed to bring another life into the world. Her father died because his king would not allow magic to heal his people. Her sister like their mother died bring life into the world. Because of the king she did so away from those that may have helped her live. It all came back to Uther. Every pain in her life and every pain in the life of Mordred the person she loved most, was because of Uther.
A low, faint groan of pain pulled her from her growing thoughts of anger and pain. Her whole body tensed up. Knowing that she had to act,, but not sure how. When he groaned again she dared to look down. His eyes began to blink. A powerful fear welled up in her. He couldn't open his eyes. Why she knew this she didn't know, but she was certain. In a instant before he could open his eyes fully, Kara fell to her knees. The dagger held tight as she brought it down sharply.
Mordred rolled Leon over onto his side to add his breathing. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for the unconscious knight. He was not having a very good day. None of them where, but his was more unfortunate than most. Once he was on his side Leon seemed to be coming too.
"Take it easy, don't rush." Mordred told him as he placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him laying down. In response Leon let out a grunt of acknowledgment. He could still not form prober words.
After a little while, when his head stopped spinning so badly Leon asked. "What happened."
"I'm not sure." Mordred offered, hoping it would be enough at least for now. "Just rest for now." He patted his shoulder. Looking back over at Kara he saw that she was now kneeling down, her back to him. "I need to check on someone. I'll be back in a minute." Leon gave a grunt of understanding.
Kara kept her eyes set ahead of herself. Not wanting to look down and see the dagger now red with blood or the to risk seeing the life leave the old king if it hadn't already.
When Mordred reached her he bent down next to her, warped his arms around her, pulling into his chest.
"It's alright." He whispered into her eye. She couldn't find the words to explain what she had done. So he held her close. Looking over at Leon who fortunately. remained laying down. "It's alright." He repeated before kissing the top of her head.
"What are we...What can we say-"
"Nothing." "
"Nothing." Kara mimicked as she pulled free from his hold. "Uther pendragon is dead." Her voice rose as she spoke. Catching sight of Leon out of the corner of her eyes remined her to lower her voice. "I killed him."
"No, a saxon killed him." She looked at him confused. "We don't know what he was doing here, we were keeping the fire going." Mordred began to work out the version of events that they would tell people. "We found him already dead."
"What about him." She asked about Leon.
"I came to find you, someone was sneaking up behind you. So I did what I had to protect you. Leon was hit in the crossfire."
"It was the same man." Kara said with forced certainty. Mordred however seemed a little confused. "The man that came up behind me that you saved me from, he was the same one that killed the old king." She explained finish off the story they would have to stick to for the rest of their lives, if they wanted to have a life.
It was not a complete lie. The person she had been unaware of as they come up behind her, was the same person that killed the former king. After all it was his actions that caused Kara to bring the dagger down onto his heart. What had just happened had been set in motion years ago. Still a fear of the magnitude of what she had done couldn't be silenced.
Realising that there was nothing he could say, that they only thing that would help would be to start to move again. Not sitting here, dwelling on things that could not be changed anymore. Mordred began to stand up, helping Kara do the same. He unfastened his cloak and lay it over Uther, covering his face. He then took the dagger from Kara, wiped it clean and them retuned it to its holder on his belt. Moving to return to Leon he was stopped as Kara took his hand. Taking a step closer she kissed him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you." She said as she help tightly onto him.
"I love you too." He affirmed as he returned her warm embrace.
Reluctantly Arthur allowed Percival and Gwaine to take Eylan's body. He then stood to address the people around him. In a loud and even tone he gave the saxons the choice stay and die or become a prisoner or take their chances on the now violent and murky sea. Not surprisingly all those left still standing choose to take their chances on the sea. Hurriedly they began to move towards the shoreline. To the few boats that remained moored in the sand. They didn't stop to collect their dead. Not even their lord, the man they had followed here. The knights stood and silently watched the boast being tossed about on the sea as they disappeared from view into the mist.
In contrast the knights and druids then slowly began first to move their dead then those of their enemy into three groups. The saxons would be buried together and the knights would be burnt on their own pyre. The druids would find the correct place to bury their dead in the way of their people. That number of the dead was not anywhere near as devastating as it could have been if the fighting had been allowed to carry on. In total thirty five men where dead from around the two hundred that had clashed just minutes ago. That of course would be of little comfort to those that loved the thirty five that would not be returning home.
Arthur was more scared of seeing his wife then he had been when they parted. The look of relief he knew she would give him when she first saw him. For that brief second, before she could read the emotion on his face, because she knew him well enough to read him perfectly from a flitting glance. She would think that worst had passed, then the world would be pulled out form under her. knowing what he was going to have to tell her. That he was going to have to be the one that ripped away that moment of relief from her. It killed him that he was going to have to do that to her. He made a promise to himself when they were married that he would never directly or indirectly hurt her. He never thought he would have to break that promise so soon.
He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Lancelot walking over to stand next to him. Placing a tentative hand on the kings shoulder he asked him gently if someone should head back to the barn now to tell Gwen and Gaius what had happened. The good news and the bad. Looking past the knight next to him he saw Gwaine and Pericaval glancing over, but trying not to make it obvious. Their offer touched him, but he knew he had to be the one to tell Gwen. They had all cared for Eylan, he was their brother. They felt his loss deeply and would for a long time. He couldn't ask them to do what he himself was scared off.
Still knowing he had to be the one to go he also felt that he should stay here and help prepare for the funeral pyres. He was their king, they had followed him into battle. A battle that cost them their lives. He should do what little he could for them now. To honour the sacrifice they had made to protect their home. Seeming to sense this confliction in Arthur, Lancelot reassured him that they would take care of things here. They would not begin the funeral rights until everyone was gathered together back here. It made the most sense, but Arthur still felt conflicted as he left to return to the barn, to Gwen. How much of this was guilty at leaving or fear of what he was walking towards he didn't now. A half split he guessed.
As the last of the three boats that remained in tacked, filled now to over flowing left the shoreline and began to be thrown around on the turbulent sea. Merlin and Morgana lowered their arms and began to return the sea to its natural state. The mist began to roll away and a faint sunlight light the words again. The desire to watch all the ships sink into the sea left as they had watched the men scrambling to get away. They seemed so pathetic it seemed pointless and overly cruel to not allow them to turn tail and run.
From their spot atop another small hill they could see the sea clearly, but they could not make out the place of battle directly. It was blocked by the trees. Morgana felt sure that she saw Arthur's blond hair and she knew for certain that she saw Gwaine as he passed through a gap in the trees. Merlin was also sure he saw the top of Percival's head for a second.
When they turned to face each other they had smiles on their faces, that they tried to hold back. They took a moment to enjoy their victory. There was a cost to the victory. One that they had been able to avoid facing yet, but for now. For now they had won. The united forces of Camelot and the druids had won. That was a historic moment. This could be a great turning point for everyone.
For the most fleeting of seconds Merlin thought that Morgana might have been about to hug him. He moved ever so slightly to return the embrace he thought was coming. Morgana kept her arms by her side, she had been moving to leave and rejoin the others. She never noticed the awkward Gesture Merlin made till he in an effort to brush it off by lifting his arms above his head as if he was just stretching his arms. She gave him a odd look before she continued to walk away.
"Are you going to tell him." She asked after they had been walking for a short while. He didn't answer. "Do you want me to be there, if you do." She offered as he been quiet for awhile.
Merlin didn't know what to think about her offer. It was a kind one, but he was aware that part of why she seemed worried about him finally telling Arthur and then everyone about his magic was because the fact that she had know for years now would come out as well. The bridges that she had been able to build in that time could be destroyed. All the progress they had all made gone. If she was there she could try and minimise the damage. There was also genuine kindness in her offer. He just had to be realistic. He turned to face her answer her question, not knowing what he was going to say when he opened his mouth.
Before he had to the chance even open this mouth a high pitched sound kept him quiet. They didn't have the chance to search for the source before it made its self know.
As if by magic an arrow suddenly ripped through Morgana's chest.
Her eyes widened as she looked down at the arrow then over at Merlin. Asking him to make sense of what had just happened. She made a sound like she was about to say something, but no words came out. A thin line of red blood trickled from her mouth instead. Her eyes rolled back as she fainted from shock and blood loss. Merlin quickly caught her and helped her to the ground. He could feel his mouth moving, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. His hand covered the wound as he tried to stop the bleed. It took him a second before he thought to use magic. As he felt the magic leave his hand and the blood slipping through it could yet his mind catch up. Whoever had attacked them was still out there. He hadn't even thought about them.
Looking up he immediately meet a pair of blue eyes standing a few feet in front of them. Someone holding a sword stained in Blood. Looking at him in shock, Arthur.
Again thank you for reading. Hope that you liked it. That it wasn't too bad. I would really like you know your feelings on Kara and Mordred's actions in this chapter. I never wanted to make them villains or unlikeable. So I hope that their actions make sense and don't seem to harsh or out of no where. That I was able to explain their feelings in a way that makes sense.
It has been a long time coming but Arthur finally knows about Merlin's magic. I would really love to hear what you would like to see in the next chapter. I Have never been good at writing their relationship so if you have any ideas pleace yet me know.
As always any feedback, comments and ideas that you may have are very welcome.