Merlin Fanfiction "The Return Of Nimueh" Part 4
Title: The Return of Nimueh 4/?
Author:Rosalyn
Genre: Drama, Angst (Romance)
Pairings, Characters: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, gwen, Uther, gaius, the knights, Nimueh, Arthur/ Gwen, merlin(Nimueh, evtl. Merlin/Morgana
Disclaimer: I own nothing than the idea ;)
Note: It's set directly after 3.13 and it's a kind of how I wish the story to go on or what I'd like to see in the next season =)
Prologe
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
After I lost the chapter twice becasue my hard drive crashed I got it finished at last. I'll try to update weekly now. If you've got any questions just ask. But I try to solve everything within the next chapters.
Chapter 3: a sacrifice for future’s sake
Merlin returns from his work for Arthur to his chambers and finds Gaius sitting over some big, old dusty books searching for an answer for the sudden illness of King Uther.
“Have you found anything yet?” Merlin asks.
“No, not yet” Gaius says and closes the book he was reading.
“I can’t find any physical reason. It must’ve been the shock. But I really don’t know…”
Merlin recognises a change in the tone in his last sentences what makes him start thinking about something. He stares into nothing for a while.
“And what if” he starts.
“What if it’s magic? It would’ve been the first time.”
“Why do you think that?” Gaius asks in surprise.
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. I’ve got to find out.”
And yet he runs out of the room.
A little outside the city he summons the Great Dragon.
“What is it this time?” Kilgarrah asks as he lands in front of Merlin.
“I know you won’t like it to help me this time but Uther’s dying and I think magic is involved.”
“You’re right why should I help you to save my enemy?”
“Because I order it. Think what Arthur would do if his father dies and magic’s the cause?”
“And if I refuse to help you?”
“Then I’m going to put you in chains again!”
“Alright then.” Kilgarrha bows his head a little down to speak to Merlin.
“As you already guessed, Uthers enchanted and you need a magical potion to cure him.”
“What potion?”
“One with a magical ingredient. Which is the venom of the Questing Beast.”
“But I killed the Questing Beast” Merlin says confused.
“When the Beast dies, another one will be reborn. So I think I helped you enough.”
“But where can I find it?”
Kilgarrah pretends to think if he should give the young warlock this information, too.
“I think I saw one near the Black Mountains. Good luck” and he spreads his giant wings and flies away.
Merlin returns and talks to Gaius about what he has just learned.
“If I didn’t know it better I would have said it was Nimueh. Poisons and spells were her things.” He laughs half hearted.
He takes out his magic book and searches for the spell while Gaius is looking for the ingredients that are needed for the potion.
“I’ll do it tomorrow before dawn.” Merlin says.
“Don’t be silly Merlin!” Gaius protests at once. “You can’t go alone. It’s too dangerous.”
“But I can’t drag Arthur into this. Someone has to stay here. We can’t leave Camelot unguarded again. Especially with Morgana here.”
Gaius sees the point. He wants to add something.
“Trust me” Merlin cuts in.
This is the end of the discussion.
In the evening after dinner Merlin prepares everything for his upcoming journey in the morning. Suddenly the alarm bells ring and Merlin knows what happened.
Morgana escaped.
He leaves his things and runs outside but not towards the dungeons because he had seen the guards running from there. He crosses the court yard and runs towards the lower town trying to catch her up. He looks everywhere but Morgana is gone. Probably she had help or her powers simply had grown.
On his way back he meets Arthur and his knights, ordering some guards to search the lower town.
“Don’t waste your time, she’s gone.” Merlin tells him.
“Damn” Arthur curses. “What are we doing now??”
Merlin sighs. “I fear there’s nothing we can do at the moment,”
“We have to find her and bring her back again; I don’t know what she is capable of to do.”
“It’s too dangerous” Merlin insists. “Besides, someone has to stay here.”
Now it is Arthur’s turn to sigh.
“By the way, has Gaius found out what’s threatening my father?”
“Er..”
Suddenly Merlin feels bad. Seeing Arthur like this, exhausted and worried, he cannot lie to him.
“Yes. And I’ll get the antidote in the morning.”
“Ill get it!” Arthurs says immediately as he hears about the venom for the potion.
“It’s dangerous.” Gaius reminds him.
“I’ll go.” Merlin insists.
“Alright, I allow you to come with me.” Arthur says to him.
An hour later Arthur and Merlin leave Camelot again, heading to the northwest and the borders of the Kingdom of Caerleon .
After a ride of few hours the landscape changes and becomes more hilly. And then the mountains come into sight.
“Thank god, we’re near” Merlin sighs.
“What? are you already tired?”
“No I was just getting a little nervous.” He answers, trying not to sound to scared.
“Why is that. You mean you’re scared?” Arthur laughs.
“No, not at all.” He pauses. “Ok, maybe a tiny little bit. I mean the last time we met a Questing Beast it almost killed you..and me..and whatever…”
“Alright. It must be here somewhere. Keep your eyes open.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Arthur laughs again and then falls silent immediately.
“What?” Merlin asks.
“Shht!” Arthur makes holding his finger to his lips.
“Is it the beast?”
“Shut up Merlin!”
Suddenly Merlin hears something. And it comes nearer. Arthur draws out his sword.
There was the Questing Beast running towards them with a loud noise. Arthur turns around grapping his sword tight and swings it around but the beast hit him with one move of his big paw. His sword flies more than 20 feet away crashing into a tree.
Arthur lies unconsciously on the ground. It all happened so fast that Merlin needs a second to realize what had happened at all.
“No!” he cries and the beast makes another attempt to attack him; this time while he was running towards Arthur. He had to get out of the way by jumping backwards. He stumbles over a root with a cry of pain and falls also to the ground.
The beast gets nearer roaring aloud. Merlin crawls a few feet away over the ground, scanning it for the sword.
The beast jumps towards him with another loud roar, baring his sharp teeth. Merlin rolls aside but the beast comes for him again and Merlin presses his eyes shut waiting for the end. Waiting for the teeth to cut him open, waiting for the pain and death to come. A strange silence falls suddenly over him and nothing happens. Is he already dead? As another second passes in that nothing happens, Merlin hears footsteps and the noise of braking branches. The sound becomes louder and louder. He slowly and carefully opens his eyes and he looks around seeing the questing beast lying apparently dead a few metres away. Then a figure appears out of the mists that lie very close now around the trees.
It is a woman and she is slowly walking towards him.
“Who…?” and as she is approaching him and the dim light of the sun falls through the trees on her face, he recognises her.
“Nimueh?” he says perplex.
She smiles at him. “Merlin. I’m not surprised to see you here. But I think you are.”
She laughs. “Long time no see.”
“It’s really a surprise. What are you doing here? And how…?”
“How I came back? It’s the balance of the world nothing less.
Probably a powerful witch died so I came back.”
“I hate the balance of the world” Merlin mumbles.
That makes Nimueh laugh again. “I see you don’t like to see me back. What a pity. I was looking forward to see you again.”
“Did you kill Questing Beast?”
She nods and kneels beside him. “Let me see your leg.”
“What?”
“You’re wounded.”
“Uhm ,yeah.”
She holds her hand above his wound and says: ”Gestathole.”
Merlin can watch the wound slowly closing and healing.
He looks at Nimueh in confusion. “Thank you.” he mutters.
He gets up and turns to look after Arthur. He is still unconscious. Merlin lays him down in a more comfortable way and then looks at Nimueh again.
“Why did you help me?” Merlin asks.
“I haven’t done it because I like you. I have not forgotten that you once killed me. But you’re too important.”
”Are you still here for your revenge?”
“Kind of” the witch responses.
“So why didn’t you let us get killed?”
“I don’t want you or Arthur to be killed. You’re too valuable. It’s Uther who has to die!”
“What are you talking about?
She laughs.
“Arthur has to become king you know that and you have to protect him, right? But that can’t be possible as long as Uther lives.”
“Maybe that’s true,” Merlin answers. “But that’s my destiny. You can leave that to me!”
“No, you’re wrong. Now it’s my business, too. And I offer you again to work together with me.”
“No, never!“ Merlin shots at her.
She smiles.
“As you wish. But I’ll warn you only once, be careful young warlock.
Bad times are coming.”
“What are you talking about, yet again?!”
“I saw it Merlin. The future you shall bring is in danger. Uther must die for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry. I tell you leave it to me. I’ll protect Arthur and make him king!”
“Well, then, you know I warned you. If you should decide but to work with me, you just need to call me.”
She smirks, then turns on her heels and disappears in the mists that lay around the valley.
Chapter 3: a sacrifice for future’s sake
Merlin returns from his work for Arthur to his chambers and finds Gaius sitting over some big, old dusty books searching for an answer for the sudden illness of King Uther.
“Have you found anything yet?” Merlin asks.
“No, not yet” Gaius says and closes the book he was reading.
“I can’t find any physical reason. It must’ve been the shock. But I really don’t know…”
Merlin recognises a change in the tone in his last sentences what makes him start thinking about something. He stares into nothing for a while.
“And what if” he starts.
“What if it’s magic? It would’ve been the first time.”
“Why do you think that?” Gaius asks in surprise.
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. I’ve got to find out.”
And yet he runs out of the room.
A little outside the city he summons the Great Dragon.
“What is it this time?” Kilgarrah asks as he lands in front of Merlin.
“I know you won’t like it to help me this time but Uther’s dying and I think magic is involved.”
“You’re right why should I help you to save my enemy?”
“Because I order it. Think what Arthur would do if his father dies and magic’s the cause?”
“And if I refuse to help you?”
“Then I’m going to put you in chains again!”
“Alright then.” Kilgarrha bows his head a little down to speak to Merlin.
“As you already guessed, Uthers enchanted and you need a magical potion to cure him.”
“What potion?”
“One with a magical ingredient. Which is the venom of the Questing Beast.”
“But I killed the Questing Beast” Merlin says confused.
“When the Beast dies, another one will be reborn. So I think I helped you enough.”
“But where can I find it?”
Kilgarrah pretends to think if he should give the young warlock this information, too.
“I think I saw one near the Black Mountains. Good luck” and he spreads his giant wings and flies away.
Merlin returns and talks to Gaius about what he has just learned.
“If I didn’t know it better I would have said it was Nimueh. Poisons and spells were her things.” He laughs half hearted.
He takes out his magic book and searches for the spell while Gaius is looking for the ingredients that are needed for the potion.
“I’ll do it tomorrow before dawn.” Merlin says.
“Don’t be silly Merlin!” Gaius protests at once. “You can’t go alone. It’s too dangerous.”
“But I can’t drag Arthur into this. Someone has to stay here. We can’t leave Camelot unguarded again. Especially with Morgana here.”
Gaius sees the point. He wants to add something.
“Trust me” Merlin cuts in.
This is the end of the discussion.
In the evening after dinner Merlin prepares everything for his upcoming journey in the morning. Suddenly the alarm bells ring and Merlin knows what happened.
Morgana escaped.
He leaves his things and runs outside but not towards the dungeons because he had seen the guards running from there. He crosses the court yard and runs towards the lower town trying to catch her up. He looks everywhere but Morgana is gone. Probably she had help or her powers simply had grown.
On his way back he meets Arthur and his knights, ordering some guards to search the lower town.
“Don’t waste your time, she’s gone.” Merlin tells him.
“Damn” Arthur curses. “What are we doing now??”
Merlin sighs. “I fear there’s nothing we can do at the moment,”
“We have to find her and bring her back again; I don’t know what she is capable of to do.”
“It’s too dangerous” Merlin insists. “Besides, someone has to stay here.”
Now it is Arthur’s turn to sigh.
“By the way, has Gaius found out what’s threatening my father?”
“Er..”
Suddenly Merlin feels bad. Seeing Arthur like this, exhausted and worried, he cannot lie to him.
“Yes. And I’ll get the antidote in the morning.”
“Ill get it!” Arthurs says immediately as he hears about the venom for the potion.
“It’s dangerous.” Gaius reminds him.
“I’ll go.” Merlin insists.
“Alright, I allow you to come with me.” Arthur says to him.
An hour later Arthur and Merlin leave Camelot again, heading to the northwest and the borders of the Kingdom of Caerleon .
After a ride of few hours the landscape changes and becomes more hilly. And then the mountains come into sight.
“Thank god, we’re near” Merlin sighs.
“What? are you already tired?”
“No I was just getting a little nervous.” He answers, trying not to sound to scared.
“Why is that. You mean you’re scared?” Arthur laughs.
“No, not at all.” He pauses. “Ok, maybe a tiny little bit. I mean the last time we met a Questing Beast it almost killed you..and me..and whatever…”
“Alright. It must be here somewhere. Keep your eyes open.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Arthur laughs again and then falls silent immediately.
“What?” Merlin asks.
“Shht!” Arthur makes holding his finger to his lips.
“Is it the beast?”
“Shut up Merlin!”
Suddenly Merlin hears something. And it comes nearer. Arthur draws out his sword.
There was the Questing Beast running towards them with a loud noise. Arthur turns around grapping his sword tight and swings it around but the beast hit him with one move of his big paw. His sword flies more than 20 feet away crashing into a tree.
Arthur lies unconsciously on the ground. It all happened so fast that Merlin needs a second to realize what had happened at all.
“No!” he cries and the beast makes another attempt to attack him; this time while he was running towards Arthur. He had to get out of the way by jumping backwards. He stumbles over a root with a cry of pain and falls also to the ground.
The beast gets nearer roaring aloud. Merlin crawls a few feet away over the ground, scanning it for the sword.
The beast jumps towards him with another loud roar, baring his sharp teeth. Merlin rolls aside but the beast comes for him again and Merlin presses his eyes shut waiting for the end. Waiting for the teeth to cut him open, waiting for the pain and death to come. A strange silence falls suddenly over him and nothing happens. Is he already dead? As another second passes in that nothing happens, Merlin hears footsteps and the noise of braking branches. The sound becomes louder and louder. He slowly and carefully opens his eyes and he looks around seeing the questing beast lying apparently dead a few metres away. Then a figure appears out of the mists that lie very close now around the trees.
It is a woman and she is slowly walking towards him.
“Who…?” and as she is approaching him and the dim light of the sun falls through the trees on her face, he recognises her.
“Nimueh?” he says perplex.
She smiles at him. “Merlin. I’m not surprised to see you here. But I think you are.”
She laughs. “Long time no see.”
“It’s really a surprise. What are you doing here? And how…?”
“How I came back? It’s the balance of the world nothing less.
Probably a powerful witch died so I came back.”
“I hate the balance of the world” Merlin mumbles.
That makes Nimueh laugh again. “I see you don’t like to see me back. What a pity. I was looking forward to see you again.”
“Did you kill Questing Beast?”
She nods and kneels beside him. “Let me see your leg.”
“What?”
“You’re wounded.”
“Uhm ,yeah.”
She holds her hand above his wound and says: ”Gestathole.”
Merlin can watch the wound slowly closing and healing.
He looks at Nimueh in confusion. “Thank you.” he mutters.
He gets up and turns to look after Arthur. He is still unconscious. Merlin lays him down in a more comfortable way and then looks at Nimueh again.
“Why did you help me?” Merlin asks.
“I haven’t done it because I like you. I have not forgotten that you once killed me. But you’re too important.”
”Are you still here for your revenge?”
“Kind of” the witch responses.
“So why didn’t you let us get killed?”
“I don’t want you or Arthur to be killed. You’re too valuable. It’s Uther who has to die!”
“What are you talking about?
She laughs.
“Arthur has to become king you know that and you have to protect him, right? But that can’t be possible as long as Uther lives.”
“Maybe that’s true,” Merlin answers. “But that’s my destiny. You can leave that to me!”
“No, you’re wrong. Now it’s my business, too. And I offer you again to work together with me.”
“No, never!“ Merlin shots at her.
She smiles.
“As you wish. But I’ll warn you only once, be careful young warlock.
Bad times are coming.”
“What are you talking about, yet again?!”
“I saw it Merlin. The future you shall bring is in danger. Uther must die for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry. I tell you leave it to me. I’ll protect Arthur and make him king!”
“Well, then, you know I warned you. If you should decide but to work with me, you just need to call me.”
She smirks, then turns on her heels and disappears in the mists that lay around the valley.
tbc~
Author:Rosalyn
Genre: Drama, Angst (Romance)
Pairings, Characters: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, gwen, Uther, gaius, the knights, Nimueh, Arthur/ Gwen, merlin(Nimueh, evtl. Merlin/Morgana
Disclaimer: I own nothing than the idea ;)
Note: It's set directly after 3.13 and it's a kind of how I wish the story to go on or what I'd like to see in the next season =)
Prologe
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
After I lost the chapter twice becasue my hard drive crashed I got it finished at last. I'll try to update weekly now. If you've got any questions just ask. But I try to solve everything within the next chapters.
Chapter 3: a sacrifice for future’s sake
Merlin returns from his work for Arthur to his chambers and finds Gaius sitting over some big, old dusty books searching for an answer for the sudden illness of King Uther.
“Have you found anything yet?” Merlin asks.
“No, not yet” Gaius says and closes the book he was reading.
“I can’t find any physical reason. It must’ve been the shock. But I really don’t know…”
Merlin recognises a change in the tone in his last sentences what makes him start thinking about something. He stares into nothing for a while.
“And what if” he starts.
“What if it’s magic? It would’ve been the first time.”
“Why do you think that?” Gaius asks in surprise.
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. I’ve got to find out.”
And yet he runs out of the room.
A little outside the city he summons the Great Dragon.
“What is it this time?” Kilgarrah asks as he lands in front of Merlin.
“I know you won’t like it to help me this time but Uther’s dying and I think magic is involved.”
“You’re right why should I help you to save my enemy?”
“Because I order it. Think what Arthur would do if his father dies and magic’s the cause?”
“And if I refuse to help you?”
“Then I’m going to put you in chains again!”
“Alright then.” Kilgarrha bows his head a little down to speak to Merlin.
“As you already guessed, Uthers enchanted and you need a magical potion to cure him.”
“What potion?”
“One with a magical ingredient. Which is the venom of the Questing Beast.”
“But I killed the Questing Beast” Merlin says confused.
“When the Beast dies, another one will be reborn. So I think I helped you enough.”
“But where can I find it?”
Kilgarrah pretends to think if he should give the young warlock this information, too.
“I think I saw one near the Black Mountains. Good luck” and he spreads his giant wings and flies away.
Merlin returns and talks to Gaius about what he has just learned.
“If I didn’t know it better I would have said it was Nimueh. Poisons and spells were her things.” He laughs half hearted.
He takes out his magic book and searches for the spell while Gaius is looking for the ingredients that are needed for the potion.
“I’ll do it tomorrow before dawn.” Merlin says.
“Don’t be silly Merlin!” Gaius protests at once. “You can’t go alone. It’s too dangerous.”
“But I can’t drag Arthur into this. Someone has to stay here. We can’t leave Camelot unguarded again. Especially with Morgana here.”
Gaius sees the point. He wants to add something.
“Trust me” Merlin cuts in.
This is the end of the discussion.
In the evening after dinner Merlin prepares everything for his upcoming journey in the morning. Suddenly the alarm bells ring and Merlin knows what happened.
Morgana escaped.
He leaves his things and runs outside but not towards the dungeons because he had seen the guards running from there. He crosses the court yard and runs towards the lower town trying to catch her up. He looks everywhere but Morgana is gone. Probably she had help or her powers simply had grown.
On his way back he meets Arthur and his knights, ordering some guards to search the lower town.
“Don’t waste your time, she’s gone.” Merlin tells him.
“Damn” Arthur curses. “What are we doing now??”
Merlin sighs. “I fear there’s nothing we can do at the moment,”
“We have to find her and bring her back again; I don’t know what she is capable of to do.”
“It’s too dangerous” Merlin insists. “Besides, someone has to stay here.”
Now it is Arthur’s turn to sigh.
“By the way, has Gaius found out what’s threatening my father?”
“Er..”
Suddenly Merlin feels bad. Seeing Arthur like this, exhausted and worried, he cannot lie to him.
“Yes. And I’ll get the antidote in the morning.”
“Ill get it!” Arthurs says immediately as he hears about the venom for the potion.
“It’s dangerous.” Gaius reminds him.
“I’ll go.” Merlin insists.
“Alright, I allow you to come with me.” Arthur says to him.
An hour later Arthur and Merlin leave Camelot again, heading to the northwest and the borders of the Kingdom of Caerleon .
After a ride of few hours the landscape changes and becomes more hilly. And then the mountains come into sight.
“Thank god, we’re near” Merlin sighs.
“What? are you already tired?”
“No I was just getting a little nervous.” He answers, trying not to sound to scared.
“Why is that. You mean you’re scared?” Arthur laughs.
“No, not at all.” He pauses. “Ok, maybe a tiny little bit. I mean the last time we met a Questing Beast it almost killed you..and me..and whatever…”
“Alright. It must be here somewhere. Keep your eyes open.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Arthur laughs again and then falls silent immediately.
“What?” Merlin asks.
“Shht!” Arthur makes holding his finger to his lips.
“Is it the beast?”
“Shut up Merlin!”
Suddenly Merlin hears something. And it comes nearer. Arthur draws out his sword.
There was the Questing Beast running towards them with a loud noise. Arthur turns around grapping his sword tight and swings it around but the beast hit him with one move of his big paw. His sword flies more than 20 feet away crashing into a tree.
Arthur lies unconsciously on the ground. It all happened so fast that Merlin needs a second to realize what had happened at all.
“No!” he cries and the beast makes another attempt to attack him; this time while he was running towards Arthur. He had to get out of the way by jumping backwards. He stumbles over a root with a cry of pain and falls also to the ground.
The beast gets nearer roaring aloud. Merlin crawls a few feet away over the ground, scanning it for the sword.
The beast jumps towards him with another loud roar, baring his sharp teeth. Merlin rolls aside but the beast comes for him again and Merlin presses his eyes shut waiting for the end. Waiting for the teeth to cut him open, waiting for the pain and death to come. A strange silence falls suddenly over him and nothing happens. Is he already dead? As another second passes in that nothing happens, Merlin hears footsteps and the noise of braking branches. The sound becomes louder and louder. He slowly and carefully opens his eyes and he looks around seeing the questing beast lying apparently dead a few metres away. Then a figure appears out of the mists that lie very close now around the trees.
It is a woman and she is slowly walking towards him.
“Who…?” and as she is approaching him and the dim light of the sun falls through the trees on her face, he recognises her.
“Nimueh?” he says perplex.
She smiles at him. “Merlin. I’m not surprised to see you here. But I think you are.”
She laughs. “Long time no see.”
“It’s really a surprise. What are you doing here? And how…?”
“How I came back? It’s the balance of the world nothing less.
Probably a powerful witch died so I came back.”
“I hate the balance of the world” Merlin mumbles.
That makes Nimueh laugh again. “I see you don’t like to see me back. What a pity. I was looking forward to see you again.”
“Did you kill Questing Beast?”
She nods and kneels beside him. “Let me see your leg.”
“What?”
“You’re wounded.”
“Uhm ,yeah.”
She holds her hand above his wound and says: ”Gestathole.”
Merlin can watch the wound slowly closing and healing.
He looks at Nimueh in confusion. “Thank you.” he mutters.
He gets up and turns to look after Arthur. He is still unconscious. Merlin lays him down in a more comfortable way and then looks at Nimueh again.
“Why did you help me?” Merlin asks.
“I haven’t done it because I like you. I have not forgotten that you once killed me. But you’re too important.”
”Are you still here for your revenge?”
“Kind of” the witch responses.
“So why didn’t you let us get killed?”
“I don’t want you or Arthur to be killed. You’re too valuable. It’s Uther who has to die!”
“What are you talking about?
She laughs.
“Arthur has to become king you know that and you have to protect him, right? But that can’t be possible as long as Uther lives.”
“Maybe that’s true,” Merlin answers. “But that’s my destiny. You can leave that to me!”
“No, you’re wrong. Now it’s my business, too. And I offer you again to work together with me.”
“No, never!“ Merlin shots at her.
She smiles.
“As you wish. But I’ll warn you only once, be careful young warlock.
Bad times are coming.”
“What are you talking about, yet again?!”
“I saw it Merlin. The future you shall bring is in danger. Uther must die for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry. I tell you leave it to me. I’ll protect Arthur and make him king!”
“Well, then, you know I warned you. If you should decide but to work with me, you just need to call me.”
She smirks, then turns on her heels and disappears in the mists that lay around the valley.
Chapter 3: a sacrifice for future’s sake
Merlin returns from his work for Arthur to his chambers and finds Gaius sitting over some big, old dusty books searching for an answer for the sudden illness of King Uther.
“Have you found anything yet?” Merlin asks.
“No, not yet” Gaius says and closes the book he was reading.
“I can’t find any physical reason. It must’ve been the shock. But I really don’t know…”
Merlin recognises a change in the tone in his last sentences what makes him start thinking about something. He stares into nothing for a while.
“And what if” he starts.
“What if it’s magic? It would’ve been the first time.”
“Why do you think that?” Gaius asks in surprise.
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. I’ve got to find out.”
And yet he runs out of the room.
A little outside the city he summons the Great Dragon.
“What is it this time?” Kilgarrah asks as he lands in front of Merlin.
“I know you won’t like it to help me this time but Uther’s dying and I think magic is involved.”
“You’re right why should I help you to save my enemy?”
“Because I order it. Think what Arthur would do if his father dies and magic’s the cause?”
“And if I refuse to help you?”
“Then I’m going to put you in chains again!”
“Alright then.” Kilgarrha bows his head a little down to speak to Merlin.
“As you already guessed, Uthers enchanted and you need a magical potion to cure him.”
“What potion?”
“One with a magical ingredient. Which is the venom of the Questing Beast.”
“But I killed the Questing Beast” Merlin says confused.
“When the Beast dies, another one will be reborn. So I think I helped you enough.”
“But where can I find it?”
Kilgarrah pretends to think if he should give the young warlock this information, too.
“I think I saw one near the Black Mountains. Good luck” and he spreads his giant wings and flies away.
Merlin returns and talks to Gaius about what he has just learned.
“If I didn’t know it better I would have said it was Nimueh. Poisons and spells were her things.” He laughs half hearted.
He takes out his magic book and searches for the spell while Gaius is looking for the ingredients that are needed for the potion.
“I’ll do it tomorrow before dawn.” Merlin says.
“Don’t be silly Merlin!” Gaius protests at once. “You can’t go alone. It’s too dangerous.”
“But I can’t drag Arthur into this. Someone has to stay here. We can’t leave Camelot unguarded again. Especially with Morgana here.”
Gaius sees the point. He wants to add something.
“Trust me” Merlin cuts in.
This is the end of the discussion.
In the evening after dinner Merlin prepares everything for his upcoming journey in the morning. Suddenly the alarm bells ring and Merlin knows what happened.
Morgana escaped.
He leaves his things and runs outside but not towards the dungeons because he had seen the guards running from there. He crosses the court yard and runs towards the lower town trying to catch her up. He looks everywhere but Morgana is gone. Probably she had help or her powers simply had grown.
On his way back he meets Arthur and his knights, ordering some guards to search the lower town.
“Don’t waste your time, she’s gone.” Merlin tells him.
“Damn” Arthur curses. “What are we doing now??”
Merlin sighs. “I fear there’s nothing we can do at the moment,”
“We have to find her and bring her back again; I don’t know what she is capable of to do.”
“It’s too dangerous” Merlin insists. “Besides, someone has to stay here.”
Now it is Arthur’s turn to sigh.
“By the way, has Gaius found out what’s threatening my father?”
“Er..”
Suddenly Merlin feels bad. Seeing Arthur like this, exhausted and worried, he cannot lie to him.
“Yes. And I’ll get the antidote in the morning.”
“Ill get it!” Arthurs says immediately as he hears about the venom for the potion.
“It’s dangerous.” Gaius reminds him.
“I’ll go.” Merlin insists.
“Alright, I allow you to come with me.” Arthur says to him.
An hour later Arthur and Merlin leave Camelot again, heading to the northwest and the borders of the Kingdom of Caerleon .
After a ride of few hours the landscape changes and becomes more hilly. And then the mountains come into sight.
“Thank god, we’re near” Merlin sighs.
“What? are you already tired?”
“No I was just getting a little nervous.” He answers, trying not to sound to scared.
“Why is that. You mean you’re scared?” Arthur laughs.
“No, not at all.” He pauses. “Ok, maybe a tiny little bit. I mean the last time we met a Questing Beast it almost killed you..and me..and whatever…”
“Alright. It must be here somewhere. Keep your eyes open.”
“I’m not stupid.”
Arthur laughs again and then falls silent immediately.
“What?” Merlin asks.
“Shht!” Arthur makes holding his finger to his lips.
“Is it the beast?”
“Shut up Merlin!”
Suddenly Merlin hears something. And it comes nearer. Arthur draws out his sword.
There was the Questing Beast running towards them with a loud noise. Arthur turns around grapping his sword tight and swings it around but the beast hit him with one move of his big paw. His sword flies more than 20 feet away crashing into a tree.
Arthur lies unconsciously on the ground. It all happened so fast that Merlin needs a second to realize what had happened at all.
“No!” he cries and the beast makes another attempt to attack him; this time while he was running towards Arthur. He had to get out of the way by jumping backwards. He stumbles over a root with a cry of pain and falls also to the ground.
The beast gets nearer roaring aloud. Merlin crawls a few feet away over the ground, scanning it for the sword.
The beast jumps towards him with another loud roar, baring his sharp teeth. Merlin rolls aside but the beast comes for him again and Merlin presses his eyes shut waiting for the end. Waiting for the teeth to cut him open, waiting for the pain and death to come. A strange silence falls suddenly over him and nothing happens. Is he already dead? As another second passes in that nothing happens, Merlin hears footsteps and the noise of braking branches. The sound becomes louder and louder. He slowly and carefully opens his eyes and he looks around seeing the questing beast lying apparently dead a few metres away. Then a figure appears out of the mists that lie very close now around the trees.
It is a woman and she is slowly walking towards him.
“Who…?” and as she is approaching him and the dim light of the sun falls through the trees on her face, he recognises her.
“Nimueh?” he says perplex.
She smiles at him. “Merlin. I’m not surprised to see you here. But I think you are.”
She laughs. “Long time no see.”
“It’s really a surprise. What are you doing here? And how…?”
“How I came back? It’s the balance of the world nothing less.
Probably a powerful witch died so I came back.”
“I hate the balance of the world” Merlin mumbles.
That makes Nimueh laugh again. “I see you don’t like to see me back. What a pity. I was looking forward to see you again.”
“Did you kill Questing Beast?”
She nods and kneels beside him. “Let me see your leg.”
“What?”
“You’re wounded.”
“Uhm ,yeah.”
She holds her hand above his wound and says: ”Gestathole.”
Merlin can watch the wound slowly closing and healing.
He looks at Nimueh in confusion. “Thank you.” he mutters.
He gets up and turns to look after Arthur. He is still unconscious. Merlin lays him down in a more comfortable way and then looks at Nimueh again.
“Why did you help me?” Merlin asks.
“I haven’t done it because I like you. I have not forgotten that you once killed me. But you’re too important.”
”Are you still here for your revenge?”
“Kind of” the witch responses.
“So why didn’t you let us get killed?”
“I don’t want you or Arthur to be killed. You’re too valuable. It’s Uther who has to die!”
“What are you talking about?
She laughs.
“Arthur has to become king you know that and you have to protect him, right? But that can’t be possible as long as Uther lives.”
“Maybe that’s true,” Merlin answers. “But that’s my destiny. You can leave that to me!”
“No, you’re wrong. Now it’s my business, too. And I offer you again to work together with me.”
“No, never!“ Merlin shots at her.
She smiles.
“As you wish. But I’ll warn you only once, be careful young warlock.
Bad times are coming.”
“What are you talking about, yet again?!”
“I saw it Merlin. The future you shall bring is in danger. Uther must die for the greater good.”
“Don’t worry. I tell you leave it to me. I’ll protect Arthur and make him king!”
“Well, then, you know I warned you. If you should decide but to work with me, you just need to call me.”
She smirks, then turns on her heels and disappears in the mists that lay around the valley.
tbc~