Unsuitable, Part Seven: Suitably
Title: Suitably Unsuitable (7/7)
Author: burntotears
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: R
Word Count: 8301
Spoilers: All aired episodes from Series 1 & 2.
Disclaimer: © BBC
Chapter Index: Unsuitable Master Post
A/N: This is finally it! It took forever, but I've finally finished up the story. I'm pretty happy with it and I hope you lot enjoy it too. I had a wonderful journey writing for you guys and I thank you so much for all your feedback and interest in the story.
Merlin had never been more aware of the world than at this moment. Standing there, Arthur to his right and the Knights of Camelot behind the two of them, facing off the northern horizon where the army of Morgause advanced toward them. If the ground were to open up and swallow them whole he would be more than happy to let it do so. But there would be no more running for any of them, least of all for Merlin. He had to face this head on-face those like him, yet completely alien from him. It was time for Merlin to realise his destiny just as the dragon had been telling him for those two years. This was Merlin's moment to prove his worth to Arthur, to the world, but most importantly, to himself.
"Remember that Excalibur has magic," Merlin mumbled under his breath so that the knights behind them could not overhear. "It can kill beings with magic, like the wraith."
"Merlin."
Merlin could hear Arthur say his name, but he was too focused on the things that were flooding his mind, even though he and Arthur had already talked about them all a hundred times before. "Be sure you are the one to face anything with magic so that the knights don't waste their energy trying to fight a foe they have no chance of defeating."
"Merlin."
"I'll try to take care of anything magical, though, so hopefully you won't have to deal with any of that. Oh Arthur, don't forget to remind the knights of the powders Gaius made them all. Especially the ones that will cause a loud noise or bright light because I'm certain the distraction will help you lot out of a pinch if necessary-"
"Merlin!" Arthur called sharply, yanking Merlin out of his rumination and rousing the knights behind him. Their armour chinked as they shifted around uneasily. Arthur lowered his voice before continuing, "I know all this, alright? We've been over it already-it's going to be fine. And would you stop fidgeting, you're driving me mad!"
"No, I can't stop fidgeting! There's a bloody army coming at us, Arthur!" Merlin's voice was shriller than he meant it to be and he was gesturing uselessly toward the forest in front of them.
"Yes, we're all perfectly aware of that, Merlin, so would you mind not making my men more nervous than they already are?" Arthur's voice was curt and though Merlin knew that he was just anxious, the harshness still bit him. "If you're going to be useless as usual, I'll send you back to the castle to wait with the handmaidens."
Merlin couldn't help but glance at Arthur then, his eyes practically rolling out of his head. "Right, and who would save your arse when it all goes tits-up, Arthur?"
Merlin heard Gareth snigger behind them, most likely in disbelief that Merlin would be of any use in saving the prince's arse in any situation, much less when they were facing war. Merlin certainly did not look very threatening in his oversized chainmail and sword weighing down his right arm.
"I wouldn't flatter myself too much, Merlin, or you might be eating your words when it's all over." Merlin saw Arthur throw a glance over his shoulder and knew that the blond was putting on a show for his knights.
"Is that a challenge, Pendragon?" Merlin heard himself saying before he could stop it. Oh well, no time for regrets now.
"No, Merlin, I don't think you could handle it," Arthur smirked, a twinkle in his eyes as he gazed over at the sorcerer.
Merlin opened his mouth to retort but a man hollered out then and the knights turned abruptly to face the on-comer. He ran from the east, not the north where Morgause was advancing with her army, but that did not put anyone at ease. Arthur (and consequently Merlin) were surrounded in seconds by the closest knights as the dark haired man finally reached them, panting and doubled over as he caught his breath.
When he finally stood up straight, Merlin was delighted to see his old friend Lancelot staring back at them. The knights fell to the side so that Merlin and Arthur could see him properly. Merlin was about to say a welcome but Lancelot knelt before Arthur and began to speak.
"Lancelot du Lac, sire, here to serve Camelot in any way I may. Please allow me to fight alongside you and your knights even though I will never be one myself. I would be humbled if you would allow me the honour to fight for you."
Arthur placed a hand on Lancelot's shoulder and told him to stand. When he did, Arthur held out his right arm, waiting until Lancelot grasped it with his own. "The honour is all mine, Lancelot. I would ask for no better man to fight alongside my knights and me. Just remember you do not fight for me, but for Camelot. She can use all the help she can get, my friend."
"Yes sire," Lancelot replied, gazing at Arthur with utter respect. He shook the prince's forearm he still held in his grasp and then released it. "Thank you."
Arthur only nodded in reply and told the knights to allow Lancelot to stand next to them. When everyone was back in formation, facing toward the forest, Merlin saw the army emerge from it.
Even though they had been calling it an army all along, Merlin still did not expect to see so many bodies coming toward them. Where had all these people come from and why were they listening to Morgause's lies? The army didn't look very impressive-they were a hodgepodge of armour and plain linens, carrying everything from swords to rakes-but the size was what worried Merlin most. Camelot's army was outnumbered at least two to one, something that did not bode well for their chances.
"Arthur…" Merlin started, not really certain as to what he wanted to say.
Arthur said nothing in return, but turned around to face the men behind them. "This is what we have been training for. Do not let your nerves get the better of you. You are all fighters of the highest caliber. They carry sticks and clubs; you carry years of fighting experience. They fight for themselves; you fight for your king, your country and your people. They are fueled by hate and revenge; you are fueled by honour and love.
"Lift your chins high, men, and raise your arms," Arthur lifted Excalibur above his head and shouted, "For Camelot and for Albion!" Camelot's men raised their own voices in turn, and replied, "For Camelot and for Albion!"
Arthur turned around to face north again, Merlin still by his side. "You ready, Merlin?" he asked the sorcerer, sparing him only a small glance.
Merlin nodded, his eyes looking slightly crazed. "Ready as I'll ever be, sire."
"Let's take care of this once and for all, then." Raising his sword once more, Arthur screamed, "Charge!" and the men of Camelot sprinted forward toward Morgause's army and engaged in battle.
At first everything was chaos. Metal clanged against metal, screams of pain were apparent from both sides, and Merlin was having trouble concentrating to make certain that magic was not being used. It was his job (or he had made it his job) to spot magic users or spells and warn Arthur and the men to keep them from harm. He expected it to be easier than this, but he'd never been in the mists of a fight of this size before and had apparently over estimated his abilities.
No, that wouldn't do. He had to keep these men from harm-he had to keep Arthur safe. Merlin closed his eyes and did his best to shut out all that went on around him. As he cleared his mind he could hear Arthur shouting, "Merlin, what are you doing?" but he ignored the prince and eventually blocked out all sight and sound of the fight. When he was certain he was ready, he opened his eyes and ears again and everything came into crisper focus for him.
The men of Camelot were fighting like automatons, slashing and hacking down one person after another as though it were something they did everyday. It was apparent to Merlin now that Morgause had quantity, but not quality. He knew that what she lacked in foot soldiers, she'd surely make up for in magic, however, and he needed to be ready for when that time came.
For now, it seemed as though she was letting the sword fighting commence unaccompanied by sorcery. In fact, he spotted Morgause among the fray-her blonde hair was tumbling from beneath her helmet as she maneuvered around the battlefield. It wasn't until he'd spotted the sorceress that he noticed Morgana was there as well-she, like Merlin, seemed to be sticking close to her charge.
Merlin had decided to make his way closer to the two witches when Arthur suddenly shoved him from the side, knocking him into a nearby fighter whose sword grazed along the length of Merlin's arm. He screamed from the pain and shock of it, just barely looking up in time to see Arthur slashing aside a man who had been aiming for the back of Merlin's head. "What on earth are you doing, Merlin? You're going to get yourself killed!"
Despite the situation, Merlin could not help but scowl as he ripped a scrap from his tabard to wrap around his bleeding forearm. "I don't need you to protect me, Arthur."
The prince said, "Really? So that man was just going to tap you lovingly with his-" Arthur quit speaking as Merlin's hand raised in front of him, the warlock's palm dead center with Arthur's gaze. "Mer-" the blond began to say.
"Ástríce!" Merlin shouted and Arthur felt a body collide heavily against his back, knocking him forward and into his manservant's chest.
Merlin steadied the prince and when Arthur had righted himself, Merlin said, "Maybe we should watch our own backs, yeah?"
"Yes…" the prince looked behind him at the man Merlin had attacked.
"I see Morgause. Morgana is with her too," Merlin said, tying off the cloth on his arm and pointing them out for Arthur.
He nodded and said, "Let's go say hello."
It was easier said than done. Anytime it seemed as though they were getting closer, something drew them aside or back. Either fighting men got in their way and made it impossible for them to get around, or someone needed help and they had to assist their comrades in battle. Merlin saw a knight to his right about to be stabbed through the back and shouted, "Ácwele!" a second too late; the knight and his attacker fell to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs and Merlin felt his heart catch in his throat.
"Merlin, come on," Arthur appeared by Merlin's side and pulled the sorcerer along by the elbow. They continued making their way toward Morgause and Morgana, who fought just as well as all the other men. Merlin's gaze locked onto the Lady Morgana and he began to notice that Morgana was fighting entirely on the offense. None of the men of Camelot were willing to strike against their former Lady and would only raise their sword against hers in defense against her blows. She looked flustered and angry that she could gain no real ground against any of them-many men simply backed away until they were engaged by another foe and left Morgana alone. Merlin understood why they did it, but eventually they would have to engage Morgana in combat.
They soon realised that the more they advanced toward Morgause, the further away she seemed to get. The chaos of the battle made it impossible for them to get at the sorceress and Arthur finally had to give up on the hope of reaching her anytime soon. Merlin was still uncertain as to why there was no magic present on the battlefield. He expected to see spells flying every which way but so far this looked like an entirely normal fight and that made Merlin more uneasy than if there had been magic everywhere. He was temporarily pulled from his worry by a large group of people screaming behind him.
He whipped around to find the source of the commotion and saw a group of women running toward the edge of the battlefield. "Shit!" Merlin heard Arthur swear somewhere nearby and other men echoed the sentiment. The women were prohibited from fighting and they had not been happy about it. Somehow they had snuck out of the castle and were now sidling in alongside the men. Many of Camelot's men were now distracted, yelling at wives and daughters to get out of the fray before they got themselves killed, but none of the women seemed to listen.
Merlin made his way toward them, ready to help if one should be ambushed. As he scanned the field of moving and lifeless bodies alike, his eyes fell on Guinevere, battling against a skinny man with a rake. He cringed and screamed, "Gwen!" with intentions of telling her to go back to the castle. She heard him and glanced his way, which left her entirely open to an attack by the man she had been fighting against. He was about to slash her across the face with the rake, but a sword emerged through his chest and he looked down at it in shock. Lancelot yanked his sword free from the man as he fell to the ground and pulled Guinevere toward him with his free arm. He crushed his lips against hers in desperation and Merlin thought it entirely idiotic of him to be doing so in the middle of a bloody battlefield. Lancelot seemed to come to his senses though and pulled back, speaking sharply at the dark woman.
Knowing that she was in good hands, Merlin turned his attention to the other women on the field. He managed to lob one man over the head with a tree branch and tripped another on a root before the ground trembled below him and he lost his own balance and fell.
Everyone seemed momentarily stunned by the shaking earth, forgetting to exchange blows with their foes and looking toward the forest. Many had fallen like Merlin and as he got up people began to panic-not just Camelot's fighters, but Morgause's men as well. No one seemed to have any idea as to the source of the earthquake, but Merlin had a feeling that the battle would not remain magic-free for much longer.
It took him a moment, but Merlin finally located Arthur, a few metres away from Lancelot and Guinevere. Arthur's gaze met his own and the prince looked worried; Merlin felt similarly uneasy, though he tried to convey some sort of reassurance to the blond. That became futile, however, as the ground began to shake harder and Merlin realised that it was caused by hundreds of heavy footsteps coming from within the forest. Some men had engaged in battle once more and others were staring blankly at the trees lining the edge of the woods.
Whatever advantage Camelot may have gained then was erased in a matter of a few moments as varying shapes began to tear their way from the forest wall. Merlin's heart sunk into the pit of his stomach at the sight before him. Hundreds of beasts, creatures, and men that looked like normal humans came pouring out of the forest and attacked every man in front of them, including Morgause's army.
Merlin saw the witch grab a hold of Morgana and disappear at once from the fray-she was leaving both armies to fend for themselves against the advancing creature army. Merlin could barely contain his anger at the fact that the witch would sacrifice all those who had sworn to fight for her cause. He wanted to follow her and kill her himself, but he could not leave these men to fend for themselves. He was brought back to the fight by the piercing screams around him as beasts of all different sizes and kinds attacked everyone.
There were wildren, scorpids, huge snakes, giant beings made of what must have been rock and earth, and men who looked entirely normal but were, Merlin could say with unknowing certainty, all wraiths. The scene filled him with such dread; there was no way that anyone was going to survive this, especially men donning normal swords and armour.
He was right. Men began to drop left and right as though it were the newest fashion. Merlin's hand flew out and he tried his best to fell any creature he could concentrate on long enough, but things were looking grave for everyone. Many of Morgause's men dropped their weapons and turned tail-some made it a few metres before they were torn down by a tracking wildren and Camelot's fighters sliced some of the others down. Merlin saw one man get as far as the outer walls of Camelot before a scorpid stung him and then sliced him in half with its pinchers; he felt bile rise in his throat at the sight of it. He turned with intent to send a killing blow at the scorpid that was attempting to breech the city, but a huge black bird swooped down from the sky then and picked it up like it were a tiny insect.
Giant black and gray birds came from everywhere now, diving from the sky and attacking the creatures on the ground, tearing with huge claws and snapping beasts in half with their powerful beaks. A herd of glistening white horses, each with a single horn protruding from its head emerged from the forest; alongside them galloped a group of half-men, half-horses; their hides coloured in dark browns and blacks in stark contrast next to the unicorns. The centaurs slashed through wildren and scorpids with swords in each hand and reared on their hind legs, kicking wildly at the rock giants.
Merlin fought alongside the new arrivals as best he could, blasting fire at the overgrown snakes and sending gales of wind at the giants to try and overbalance them. Arthur was stabbing wraiths through the chests and knights like Gareth and Bors were slicing other creatures into giant pieces. They now seemed evenly matched which gave Merlin hope for the first time since the battle had began. As Merlin and two black birds felled a giant into the trees behind it, a group of men clad in red and brown flowing robes emerged from the forest, making their way toward him.
"We are here to help, Emrys," said a dark haired druid. He had piercing green eyes and a smile that revealed slightly crooked teeth. "I am-"
"Althalos. Yes, I know," Merlin replied, though he had absolutely no idea as to how he knew that. It must have been the same as other magic users knowing to call him 'Emrys,' which wasn't the name his mother had given him but somehow was still his name. It was not exactly important what anyone's name was at the moment, however, so Merlin turned toward the group of druids gathered around him.
"We need to push these creatures back toward the forest and away from Camelot!" Fighting inside the forest would not be to their advantage, but the longer they fought near the city walls, the more it worried Merlin that things would carry into the city. They'd had enough trouble within the walls of Camelot to last a lifetime, so if they could avoid it now, he was damn sure going to try for it. "Start trying to drive them back into the forest. Use loud noises and bright lights-it may scare quite a few of them off. I'm going to tell Arthur to do the same."
Merlin left without waiting for a reply from the druids, but he could see flashes of light coming from behind him as he ran toward Arthur. It was nothing close to a straight shot, with dead bodies and entrails littering the ground beneath him and darting creatures and soldiers in front of him, but he finally made it to the prince's side.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asked as he slashed at a wildren who kept backing away from him.
"Arthur," huffed Merlin, doubled over and supporting his weight on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He stood up straight and continued, "we have to drive them back into the forest. We can't afford for any of them to breech the city."
"Where did the birds come from?" Arthur asked, completely unhelpful, like he had not heard a word Merlin had said.
"I don’t know, Arthur, but we have to count our blessings. Are you listening to me? You need to tell the knights to use the flash pouches that Gaius gave them so we can press the creatures back into the forest. I think the light and the noise will cause enough confusion that we can take the advantage and get them to go where we want."
"Fighting in the forest won't be easy, Merlin," Arthur replied skeptically and finally drove Excalibur through the wildren's eye-the beast fell lifeless to the ground, twitching some before it fell still.
"I know, Arthur, but Morgause is in there and we need to find her, which we can't if we're stuck out here. I also fear them getting into Camelot; we don't need anyone else to die today if we have any say in it." Merlin gestured to the ground where many of Camelot's men had fallen and gave Arthur a pointed look. Merlin was tired already, even though he knew that this battle was far from over and he had not even stretched his powers to the fullest yet. Seeing dead men everywhere and knowing that more would die before the fighting was over weighed heavily on his shoulders, though thinking too much about it right then would do none of them any good. He had to stay focused.
The prince sighed when he glanced around at the ground. When his gaze returned to Merlin's, he laid a hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Tell me what to do and we will do it, Merlin."
"Tell all the knights to throw their flash pouches at the same time. Spread them out in an arc so that the creatures only have the choice of going back into the forest. Everyone needs to follow them in and slay as many as they can. If we are lucky we can fell many as they retreat, but odds are we will have to fight in the forest. Whatever the outcome, they must keep pressing them back and away from the city."
Merlin looked toward the forest then, his eyes lingering in the space between the trees. The sun was already sinking in the sky, which meant that they would be almost blind when dusk broke. They had to get to the witch before then. "Morgause met us at the lake where we found Excalibur, so I think we should make our way there first." Merlin chewed on his bottom lip before appending, "No, I don't think you or the knights should go to the lake, Arthur. I think that the druids and I should go alone."
He knew Arthur would protest. "Absolutely not, Merlin. I will be with you. We've no time to argue. I must inform the knights of the plan. Let's get these bastards back into the forest where they came from!"
Arthur forced the women to take the wounded back to the castle. They were unhappy with the order, but they reluctantly did as they were bid. The remaining men began to form a tight arch around the creatures-the birds and the unicorns were a great help in corralling the stubborn ones-and readied their flash pouches. Arthur raised a hand and counted down, then all at once the knights threw down their pouches and those who could perform magic made their own flashes of light or echoing noises.
The creatures began to retreat into the forest as Merlin had hoped. The men ran after them in groups of ten, each focusing on a direction or a particular creature. Merlin headed in the direction of the lake with a few druids-some of the others had accompanied each of the small battalions-as well as Arthur, Gawain, Caradoc, and Bors. For the most part, their journey was unhindered. They ran into a few wild boars and some stray wildren, but the area of the forest around the lake seemed relatively quiet, which confirmed for Merlin that Morgause was around there somewhere.
They began to creep along as they drew closer to the shore of the lake, looking every which way for an oncoming attack. Well, every way except up, which was where Morgause attacked them. Blasts of fire came raining down on their heads and at least eight people dropped from the tree branches above, attacking the group with swords as well as magic.
Merlin did not see Morgana, but Mordred was there, staring intently at Caradoc and knocking the man back without a word or movement. Morgause appeared after a few minutes of fighting, looking both confident and worried. Arthur had found that Excalibur could block magic with ease, so the man who continually tried to pelt him with fireballs was getting frustrated. Bors was dueling with a man in chainmail-the two of them had detached from the group and were headed toward the lake.
A dark woman tried to sneak up behind Arthur with a dagger, but Gawain had his sword at her throat and slit it before she could reach the prince. She fell to the ground with a thud and Gawain advanced on another sorcerer. Morgause, outraged by the death of the unknown woman, slung her sword in a swift arc, lobbing off Gawain's head in a single stroke. Arthur watched his knight fall as though it were in slow motion; he felt completely unbalanced at the sight of his best knight and a man he considered to be almost a brother, crumple to the ground. Grief hit him in an instant, tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. He began to slash recklessly in front of him, managing to kill the man who was exchanging blows with Merlin and then cutting another sorcerer's right arm clean off at the elbow.
Arthur was certain he heard Merlin calling his name, but he could not focus on the sound. Blood began to rush his head, filling his ears and pumping a painful rhythm behind his eyes. A rage filled him that he had not felt since he happened upon the bandits that were attacking Merlin. He did not think about the consequences, he just charged at the blonde witch and began hacking wildly at her. The prince drove her backward toward the lake until she was standing in the water. He began to tire from the relentless slashing and Morgause took advantage of the lull in his attacks to gain footing and push him back again.
Merlin detached himself from the group and ran after Arthur-he began chanting a shielding charm for the prince, but was hit forcefully in the middle of his back. He lost his balance and fell face first into the leaf litter, pain searing through his back now. I told you I would not forget, Emrys. Our time has now come.
The small warlock stood in front of Merlin and said aloud, "Get up and fight."
A growl escaped Merlin's lips as he stood, wincing at the pain that still surged through his back. He ignored it as best he could and faced the boy. "Do not make this mistake, Mordred. You still have a chance to use your magic for the-" Merlin was cut off by an attack from the druid, who somehow managed to pierce into Merlin's brain and send a pain so shocking he felt like his brain was being sliced in half. Mordred would not listen to Merlin no matter what he said, so he had no choice but to stand his ground against the boy.
Morgause drove her sword down over Arthur's head, but he blocked it easily with Excalibur. No matter how long he held the sword it never tired his arms-it felt more like an extension of his body rather than a sword. It was a good thing too, because Morgause never seemed to tire of the weight of her sword either. Arthur was fueled by adrenaline now, but his anger would not last forever and he was already tired from the fight so far. He was not sure how long he would last fighting alone against Morgause.
"Hierste þæt íecen sóna!" Merlin shouted, despite the pain that coursed through his aching head. Mordred doubled over in a similar manner as Merlin had, only he clutched at his stomach and looked as if he might be sick. Merlin began to charge the boy, but Mordred screamed and the manservant was knocked back almost a metre away, giving Mordred time to recollect himself and ready another attack.
Merlin raised a hand but Mordred blasted him back again, not allowing him the time to even formulate a spell to counter with. Again Merlin raised a hand and again Mordred blew him back, this time his back collided solidly with a tree and the breath was knocked out of him entirely-he crumpled to the ground.
Morgause had driven Arthur back until he felt himself press against a tree trunk. He couldn't let her trap him like this, especially when he was not at his best. He was sweating so profusely that the salt stung his eyes and he had to blink fiercely to clear it away. Despite her calm appearance, Morgause was sweating from the effort of the fight too, which gave him hope that she might tire soon. He watched intently for a point in which he could overpower her but was worried that one would not come.
To his left, he heard a tree branch snap and Morgause made the mistake of looking over to see what caused the noise. Arthur pushed forward against his sword, knocking her backward and making her lose her balance. There was not much of a window to maneuver, but the split second it took her to steady her stance was enough for him to link his sword with hers and twist until she had no choice but to drop her own. He held his sword point to her heart.
"This ends now, Morgause. You have caused enough pain and suffering for my people."
Merlin opened his eyes to find he was still at the base of the tree. Apparently he'd lost consciousness for some time, because he felt light headed and he did not see Mordred around anymore. Why the boy had not killed him, he didn't know, but he did not have the time to consider it. He still needed to get to Arthur. He stood slowly and swayed on his feet; his head felt like it was floating off of his shoulders.
He stood as still as he could to allow his body to settle itself. Unfortunately, that time was cut short by a scream coming from the direction of the lake where Arthur was. Without hesitation Merlin was running, adrenaline giving back the balance he needed to get there without tripping.
Morgause backed away from Arthur's sword slowly, but he kept the point level at her breast. "You're right Arthur, this does end now. Forbearne! Akwele!" The witch said quickly, catching Arthur completely off guard. He thought that he was finished, but just as she finished saying the spell, someone knocked Arthur sideways and the blow hit her instead of him.
"No!" Morgause screamed and was on her knees in an instant, cradling Morgana's limp frame. "Morgana, no!" The dark haired woman had a scorch mark in the middle of her chest where Morgause's spell had hit her. Arthur began to stand just as Merlin emerged into the clearing and ran toward him. The prince was still stunned by Morgana's sudden appearance and her now vacant expression.
Merlin looked at Arthur, Morgana and Morgause in confusion. He had no idea what had happened, but he knew that he needed to do something about Morgause while she was distracted or he might never get the chance again. He racked his brain for some sort of spell, but he needn't have, because his mind was suddenly filled with the disembodied voice he had heard the last time he and Arthur were there. She told Merlin exactly what to do and he did it without a moment's hesitation.
Repeating the spell that the Lady whispered into his mind, Morgause was blasted back just as Mordred had done to him earlier. She flew backward, suspended in the air longer than was natural, until she would have landed in the lake water, but her body seemed to catch and was floating just above the water's surface. She was perfectly still, though Merlin knew she was not dead. Nothing happened for a few moments, Morgause's body just levitated above the water, but then the lake began to stir.
A huge hand rose up out of the water, except it was made of lake water itself. The water-hand closed neatly around the witch's body. Everything around them was still; there was no sound from the lake or the forest. Then there was a flash of white light and the water-hand exploded into a million droplets-Morgause's body had disappeared entirely. Dread began to fill him. Either she had exploded with the hand or Morgause had found a way to escape and they'd failed in stopping her once again.
"Do not despair, my dear. I have Morgause now," the disembodied Lady said to Merlin, answering his thoughts aloud. Arthur looked at Merlin in confusion, and after meeting Arthur's gaze, Merlin knew instantly who the Lady was.
"Freya," he whispered, looking out over the water. A blanket of mist rose from the surface and formed into a shimmering blue shape of a beautiful druid girl whom Merlin had cared for so deeply and had lost too quickly.
"My dear Merlin. You have done well," the visage spoke. Merlin felt his knees going weak, his heart pounded so fiercely in his chest that he expected it to break free of his ribs at any moment. Just as he began to slump to the ground, strong arms encircled his waist and he looked up to find Arthur next to him, supporting all his weight. The sorcerer melted into the prince's embrace, though his eyes fell back on the beautiful girl in the lake.
"Is she dead?" Merlin forced himself to ask. It was not the question that he truly wanted to ask her, but he knew it was the most important one.
"No, she is not dead. The lake has devoured her magical essence in order to reopen the passage between Albion and Avalon. In a few days I will be able to open the gate and keep it open for all time, thanks to Morgause's power. She will be using her magic for the good of all sorcery from now on, thanks to you, Merlin."
He shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I only repeated what you told me to." He felt bashful under the praise of the extraordinary woman standing before them.
"Merlin, you have done much more than that. You have shown time and time again that there is good in all magic just as there is bad. Your perpetual insistence to do the right thing for everyone around you-and rarely ever for yourself-has shown many sorcerers the responsibility that we have to make our world better through our magic. You are wiser than many of us could ever wish to be, Ambrosius, and for that we thank you."
"We?" Merlin asked, looking around for anyone else who could be included in that collective pronoun.
"We do not need to see you with our eyes to know of your feats, Emrys. We are all aware of what you have done to secure Albion a brighter future."
There was silence for a few moments while Merlin studied Freya's mist form hovering above the surface of the lake water. He asked, "Are you alive?"
Freya shook her head. "I am neither alive or dead, thanks to your kindness. When you released me to the lake, it enveloped my magical essence much like it did with Morgause, but instead of taking me prisoner, the lake gave me a special task-to watch over sorcery in Albion and ensure the link between it and Avalon is not abused."
Merlin's face lit up. "You're the ruler of magic that Morgause was referring to! You're the Lady of the Lake!"
Freya smiled warmly as Merlin's enthusiasm returned to him. "I am no ruler, Merlin, but a peace keeper. I only work to ensure that magic does not take as dark a turn as it has over the last twenty years."
Merlin pulled from Arthur's hold, no longer in need of the prince's support to standvup. That did not mean he wanted to lose his comfort, though, so he tangled his hand with Arthur's as he looked at Freya.
"When Arthur is king, everything will be different," Merlin said calmly and smiled at Arthur who smiled in return.
"I believe that to be true. I look forward to working with the both of you in the future. Merlin, I must go for now and prepare to open the passage. Please come back in a few days and visit Avalon-it is, after all, your home."
"Thank you, Freya," Merlin said, then shook his head and bowed. "I mean, my Lady." Arthur inclined his head to the Lady as well. After a moment the mist cleared and Freya's image was gone.
"I can't believe-" Merlin began to say, but was interrupted by moaning behind them. He'd forgotten about Morgana! The two of them turned and ran to her side; Arthur lifted her head into his lap and looked into his adopted sister's eyes.
"Morgana, are you alright?" the prince asked her.
"Mmm, I think so. My chest hurts though," she said, looking down at the scorched clothing.
"What happened?" Merlin asked the two of them.
"Morgause tried to attack me and Morgana came out of nowhere and pushed me aside. She was hit with the blast. Why'd you do that, Morgana?"
The sorceress began to sit up with Arthur's help, pressing a palm against her forehead at an unseen pain. "Because I was a fool, Arthur. I should have never listened to Morgause. She's my sister and I…you were right all along, Merlin. I'm so sorry. Morgause isn't evil, she-she just didn't know how to deal with her grief and anger. I'm sorry that I helped her."
The three of them looked up then as someone came out of the forest into the clearing-it was Mordred. He looked at the three of them and then around at the lake, possibly looking for Morgause.
"Mordred," Morgana said, lifting a hand toward the boy. "Please," she pleaded as tears began to fill her eyes. Merlin knew that something was passing between the two of them in the silence, because Morgana began to sob and the druid boy turned and ran back into the forest where he'd come from.
Arthur hugged Morgana and told her what had happened to Morgause. The dark haired woman sobbed even harder and Merlin felt completely useless sitting next to them. Luckily some of the knights emerged from the forest then, so he walked over to them and gave the brother and sister some privacy.
Gareth, Kay, Leon and Lancelot had shown up together. Lancelot had a bloody cloth wrapped tightly around his forearm and Gareth's eye was black and swollen shut. Merlin explained quickly what had happened at the lake, glancing back at Arthur and Morgana before looking at the knights again.
"Where is Gawain?" Gareth asked and sadness flooded through Merlin at the question. Gawain was Gareth's older brother and Merlin did not want to be the one to have to tell him that his brother was dead, but the knight deserved to know. Shaking his head slowly, he placed a hand on Gareth's shoulder and the knight fell to his knees.
"Morgana, I really think you should come back with us," Arthur insisted once again. He and Merlin stood in the small settlement of the druids where Morgana was insisting that she would stay.
"For now, Arthur, I think it best I stay here. I want to become more familiar with my magic and I want to be around those who use their gifts for good. I cannot face Uther just yet, nor do I feel that I can be around you lot after betraying your trust."
"Morgana, we trust you com-"
"You are kind, my brother, and I thank you for it. I would like to remain with the druids for now. I promise that I will return when I am ready, Arthur, but you must let me stay." Morgana's green eyes pleaded with her adopted brother to stop protesting against her wishes.
Merlin put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. The prince looked over at him helplessly and Merlin nodded. Sighing, Arthur's shoulders slumped. "Oh very well. Just be careful," he said and pulled her into a hug.
She hugged Merlin too and then the sorcerer and prince mounted their horses and set course back for Camelot. The other knights had already returned to the city with Gawain's body and were helping gather the wounded and dead. They rode in silence for a while, happy to have quiet after such a long day of battle. Arthur finally said, "It isn't over yet. Mordred will be back for me."
Merlin shifted uneasily in his saddle. "I know. But you shouldn't worry about it now, Arthur. We've won this battle, and that is what's important."
"She was beautiful, Merlin. Freya, I mean," Arthur said quietly, a strangeness to his voice that Merlin did not quite recognise. He sounded as if he had to force out the words reluctantly.
Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Yes, she was, and I cared a great deal for her," he replied and saw something dark cross the prince's face. "I did not know her as well as I know you, though. I have never loved anyone as much as I do you."
He was right in thinking that Arthur was feeling inadequate, because he looked up with hopeful blue eyes and smiled at Merlin. "Yeah?"
"Of course, Arthur." The prince held his gaze for a few more moments before smiling wide and turning back toward the south and toward Camelot.
-------
The next few days were filled with grief and celebration. Because they had won the battle against sorcery, Uther was in higher spirits than he had been in years. They did not tell him about Merlin's magic nor did they mention that they had seen Morgana. The knights did not disclose any of this information to the king either, though Arthur had not said anything to them. It seemed that the knights understood Arthur's predicament and were loyal to him as the future king and their leader and Arthur was wholly grateful and truly humbled by this.
The funeral pyres were many within the next few days. Almost 50 men had died in the battle, including three knights. Gareth was taking his brother's death especially hard, as were other knights who considered the man to be like a brother to them. Arthur spent a lot of his time with Gareth, offering his help as best he could. They had not known each other very well in the past, but he was beginning to feel a similar bond with Gareth as he had with Gawain. These feelings gave Arthur a strange idea-he talked to some architects a week or so after the battle and had them begin construction on a circular table for him and the knights to sit around and share in each other's company as equals.
Arthur also wanted to grant Lancelot the knighthood he rightfully deserved. Uther would not agree to it, however, and Arthur was forced to accept that he would not be able to change his father's mind about this and many other things. That did not stop Arthur from gathering the knights in secret and knighting Lancelot himself. Though it was not official and though Lancelot could still not serve with the knights while Uther was king, he appreciated the gesture all the same and Arthur began to love Lancelot as he did all his other knights.
Lancelot remained in Camelot after the battle, which obviously made Guinevere extremely happy. The two of them spent loads of time together and Arthur was happy for them now that he had found a love of his own. He still felt that he owed her some sort of explanation though, so he decided to confront her after a few weeks had passed.
"Guinevere," Arthur began, walking next to the woman in the corridors of the castle. He really wasn't sure what he should say to her, but he'd never feel right if he did not apologise for kissing her and then suddenly abandoning her, especially when she still seemed to care for him back then. Finally he decided to just tell her exactly that.
"Oh Arthur, of course I cared for you. I still do." She was smiling at him and he wasn't really sure why that was, considering what she was saying. She must have read the confusion on his face because she laughed and continued, "Just because I love you does not mean that I am still in love with you. Arthur, I've always cared deeply about you as a friend, long before I thought about you romantically. And I will continue to care for you just as I do for Merlin.
"You have no idea how happy I am for you two, Arthur, really. You and Merlin have always had a special connection, even while you were denying its existence. I should have seen then that it would grow larger than anything you would ever feel for me."
"But-" Arthur started to say. She was making him feel awful, though maybe he deserved that for essentially snogging her one day and then shagging Merlin the next.
"Arthur, truly, I am fine. You deserve to be happy and you should be with the one who makes you happy. I care for you, but I care for Lancelot a great deal more and I'm quite certain that I might love him. That is not to say that you are not worthy of my love, but I-" In true Guinevere fashion, she began to blush and stumble over her words.
"I understand, Gwen. Please don't feel embarrassed about caring for Lancelot. I am glad that you have found someone to love in him. He is a great man and I wish you two all the happiness in the world."
Guinevere smiled at him. She stopped and pulled Arthur into a hug. "Thank you, Arthur. I wish the same for you. I know that when you are king, you will be."
Arthur squeezed her once more and left her to go find his manservant. He had to ask around but he finally found Merlin outside in the ramparts, looking over the courtyard. The prince walked up next to him and smacked him upside the head, a stupid smirk forming on his face.
"Oi! What was that for?" Merlin howled, rubbing the back of his head over dramatically.
"For being a useless idiot, of course. If my father were to know how awful you truly are at being a servant, he'd probably cuff me for keeping you around. You know, I actually do more things for myself with you in my employ than I ever have before."
Merlin pushed him playfully, his bottom lip protruding in a mock pout as he looked at the prince. "You wound my pride, sire. I think I'm a particularly grand servant."
"If you truly believe that, then I fear for this kingdom's future."
"Not as much as I fear for Camelot when they are landed with a great prat as a king!"
"I'm no prat, you great git!" Arthur retorted and trapped Merlin's neck in the crook of his arm so he could tousle the sorcerer's hair roughly.
"No! Don't do that again! Ugh, you know I hate that! Arthur!" Merlin protested uselessly as the prince dug his knuckles into Merlin's scalp. "I'm going to make you regret this, you arse!" The warlock threatened weakly, wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist and pushing forward until the prince overbalanced and hit the ground, taking Merlin down with him.
Tangled and laughing like a couple of loons, they continued to wrestle on the ground for a few minutes until they decided kissing was a better use of their proximity. The sun began to set above them, the last of its rays enveloping them in its warm embrace with the promise that one day it would rise again with Arthur as the crowned king of Camelot and everything would change for the better, for them and for Albion.
-fin-
Author: burntotears
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: R
Word Count: 8301
Spoilers: All aired episodes from Series 1 & 2.
Disclaimer: © BBC
Chapter Index: Unsuitable Master Post
A/N: This is finally it! It took forever, but I've finally finished up the story. I'm pretty happy with it and I hope you lot enjoy it too. I had a wonderful journey writing for you guys and I thank you so much for all your feedback and interest in the story.
Merlin had never been more aware of the world than at this moment. Standing there, Arthur to his right and the Knights of Camelot behind the two of them, facing off the northern horizon where the army of Morgause advanced toward them. If the ground were to open up and swallow them whole he would be more than happy to let it do so. But there would be no more running for any of them, least of all for Merlin. He had to face this head on-face those like him, yet completely alien from him. It was time for Merlin to realise his destiny just as the dragon had been telling him for those two years. This was Merlin's moment to prove his worth to Arthur, to the world, but most importantly, to himself.
"Remember that Excalibur has magic," Merlin mumbled under his breath so that the knights behind them could not overhear. "It can kill beings with magic, like the wraith."
"Merlin."
Merlin could hear Arthur say his name, but he was too focused on the things that were flooding his mind, even though he and Arthur had already talked about them all a hundred times before. "Be sure you are the one to face anything with magic so that the knights don't waste their energy trying to fight a foe they have no chance of defeating."
"Merlin."
"I'll try to take care of anything magical, though, so hopefully you won't have to deal with any of that. Oh Arthur, don't forget to remind the knights of the powders Gaius made them all. Especially the ones that will cause a loud noise or bright light because I'm certain the distraction will help you lot out of a pinch if necessary-"
"Merlin!" Arthur called sharply, yanking Merlin out of his rumination and rousing the knights behind him. Their armour chinked as they shifted around uneasily. Arthur lowered his voice before continuing, "I know all this, alright? We've been over it already-it's going to be fine. And would you stop fidgeting, you're driving me mad!"
"No, I can't stop fidgeting! There's a bloody army coming at us, Arthur!" Merlin's voice was shriller than he meant it to be and he was gesturing uselessly toward the forest in front of them.
"Yes, we're all perfectly aware of that, Merlin, so would you mind not making my men more nervous than they already are?" Arthur's voice was curt and though Merlin knew that he was just anxious, the harshness still bit him. "If you're going to be useless as usual, I'll send you back to the castle to wait with the handmaidens."
Merlin couldn't help but glance at Arthur then, his eyes practically rolling out of his head. "Right, and who would save your arse when it all goes tits-up, Arthur?"
Merlin heard Gareth snigger behind them, most likely in disbelief that Merlin would be of any use in saving the prince's arse in any situation, much less when they were facing war. Merlin certainly did not look very threatening in his oversized chainmail and sword weighing down his right arm.
"I wouldn't flatter myself too much, Merlin, or you might be eating your words when it's all over." Merlin saw Arthur throw a glance over his shoulder and knew that the blond was putting on a show for his knights.
"Is that a challenge, Pendragon?" Merlin heard himself saying before he could stop it. Oh well, no time for regrets now.
"No, Merlin, I don't think you could handle it," Arthur smirked, a twinkle in his eyes as he gazed over at the sorcerer.
Merlin opened his mouth to retort but a man hollered out then and the knights turned abruptly to face the on-comer. He ran from the east, not the north where Morgause was advancing with her army, but that did not put anyone at ease. Arthur (and consequently Merlin) were surrounded in seconds by the closest knights as the dark haired man finally reached them, panting and doubled over as he caught his breath.
When he finally stood up straight, Merlin was delighted to see his old friend Lancelot staring back at them. The knights fell to the side so that Merlin and Arthur could see him properly. Merlin was about to say a welcome but Lancelot knelt before Arthur and began to speak.
"Lancelot du Lac, sire, here to serve Camelot in any way I may. Please allow me to fight alongside you and your knights even though I will never be one myself. I would be humbled if you would allow me the honour to fight for you."
Arthur placed a hand on Lancelot's shoulder and told him to stand. When he did, Arthur held out his right arm, waiting until Lancelot grasped it with his own. "The honour is all mine, Lancelot. I would ask for no better man to fight alongside my knights and me. Just remember you do not fight for me, but for Camelot. She can use all the help she can get, my friend."
"Yes sire," Lancelot replied, gazing at Arthur with utter respect. He shook the prince's forearm he still held in his grasp and then released it. "Thank you."
Arthur only nodded in reply and told the knights to allow Lancelot to stand next to them. When everyone was back in formation, facing toward the forest, Merlin saw the army emerge from it.
Even though they had been calling it an army all along, Merlin still did not expect to see so many bodies coming toward them. Where had all these people come from and why were they listening to Morgause's lies? The army didn't look very impressive-they were a hodgepodge of armour and plain linens, carrying everything from swords to rakes-but the size was what worried Merlin most. Camelot's army was outnumbered at least two to one, something that did not bode well for their chances.
"Arthur…" Merlin started, not really certain as to what he wanted to say.
Arthur said nothing in return, but turned around to face the men behind them. "This is what we have been training for. Do not let your nerves get the better of you. You are all fighters of the highest caliber. They carry sticks and clubs; you carry years of fighting experience. They fight for themselves; you fight for your king, your country and your people. They are fueled by hate and revenge; you are fueled by honour and love.
"Lift your chins high, men, and raise your arms," Arthur lifted Excalibur above his head and shouted, "For Camelot and for Albion!" Camelot's men raised their own voices in turn, and replied, "For Camelot and for Albion!"
Arthur turned around to face north again, Merlin still by his side. "You ready, Merlin?" he asked the sorcerer, sparing him only a small glance.
Merlin nodded, his eyes looking slightly crazed. "Ready as I'll ever be, sire."
"Let's take care of this once and for all, then." Raising his sword once more, Arthur screamed, "Charge!" and the men of Camelot sprinted forward toward Morgause's army and engaged in battle.
At first everything was chaos. Metal clanged against metal, screams of pain were apparent from both sides, and Merlin was having trouble concentrating to make certain that magic was not being used. It was his job (or he had made it his job) to spot magic users or spells and warn Arthur and the men to keep them from harm. He expected it to be easier than this, but he'd never been in the mists of a fight of this size before and had apparently over estimated his abilities.
No, that wouldn't do. He had to keep these men from harm-he had to keep Arthur safe. Merlin closed his eyes and did his best to shut out all that went on around him. As he cleared his mind he could hear Arthur shouting, "Merlin, what are you doing?" but he ignored the prince and eventually blocked out all sight and sound of the fight. When he was certain he was ready, he opened his eyes and ears again and everything came into crisper focus for him.
The men of Camelot were fighting like automatons, slashing and hacking down one person after another as though it were something they did everyday. It was apparent to Merlin now that Morgause had quantity, but not quality. He knew that what she lacked in foot soldiers, she'd surely make up for in magic, however, and he needed to be ready for when that time came.
For now, it seemed as though she was letting the sword fighting commence unaccompanied by sorcery. In fact, he spotted Morgause among the fray-her blonde hair was tumbling from beneath her helmet as she maneuvered around the battlefield. It wasn't until he'd spotted the sorceress that he noticed Morgana was there as well-she, like Merlin, seemed to be sticking close to her charge.
Merlin had decided to make his way closer to the two witches when Arthur suddenly shoved him from the side, knocking him into a nearby fighter whose sword grazed along the length of Merlin's arm. He screamed from the pain and shock of it, just barely looking up in time to see Arthur slashing aside a man who had been aiming for the back of Merlin's head. "What on earth are you doing, Merlin? You're going to get yourself killed!"
Despite the situation, Merlin could not help but scowl as he ripped a scrap from his tabard to wrap around his bleeding forearm. "I don't need you to protect me, Arthur."
The prince said, "Really? So that man was just going to tap you lovingly with his-" Arthur quit speaking as Merlin's hand raised in front of him, the warlock's palm dead center with Arthur's gaze. "Mer-" the blond began to say.
"Ástríce!" Merlin shouted and Arthur felt a body collide heavily against his back, knocking him forward and into his manservant's chest.
Merlin steadied the prince and when Arthur had righted himself, Merlin said, "Maybe we should watch our own backs, yeah?"
"Yes…" the prince looked behind him at the man Merlin had attacked.
"I see Morgause. Morgana is with her too," Merlin said, tying off the cloth on his arm and pointing them out for Arthur.
He nodded and said, "Let's go say hello."
It was easier said than done. Anytime it seemed as though they were getting closer, something drew them aside or back. Either fighting men got in their way and made it impossible for them to get around, or someone needed help and they had to assist their comrades in battle. Merlin saw a knight to his right about to be stabbed through the back and shouted, "Ácwele!" a second too late; the knight and his attacker fell to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs and Merlin felt his heart catch in his throat.
"Merlin, come on," Arthur appeared by Merlin's side and pulled the sorcerer along by the elbow. They continued making their way toward Morgause and Morgana, who fought just as well as all the other men. Merlin's gaze locked onto the Lady Morgana and he began to notice that Morgana was fighting entirely on the offense. None of the men of Camelot were willing to strike against their former Lady and would only raise their sword against hers in defense against her blows. She looked flustered and angry that she could gain no real ground against any of them-many men simply backed away until they were engaged by another foe and left Morgana alone. Merlin understood why they did it, but eventually they would have to engage Morgana in combat.
They soon realised that the more they advanced toward Morgause, the further away she seemed to get. The chaos of the battle made it impossible for them to get at the sorceress and Arthur finally had to give up on the hope of reaching her anytime soon. Merlin was still uncertain as to why there was no magic present on the battlefield. He expected to see spells flying every which way but so far this looked like an entirely normal fight and that made Merlin more uneasy than if there had been magic everywhere. He was temporarily pulled from his worry by a large group of people screaming behind him.
He whipped around to find the source of the commotion and saw a group of women running toward the edge of the battlefield. "Shit!" Merlin heard Arthur swear somewhere nearby and other men echoed the sentiment. The women were prohibited from fighting and they had not been happy about it. Somehow they had snuck out of the castle and were now sidling in alongside the men. Many of Camelot's men were now distracted, yelling at wives and daughters to get out of the fray before they got themselves killed, but none of the women seemed to listen.
Merlin made his way toward them, ready to help if one should be ambushed. As he scanned the field of moving and lifeless bodies alike, his eyes fell on Guinevere, battling against a skinny man with a rake. He cringed and screamed, "Gwen!" with intentions of telling her to go back to the castle. She heard him and glanced his way, which left her entirely open to an attack by the man she had been fighting against. He was about to slash her across the face with the rake, but a sword emerged through his chest and he looked down at it in shock. Lancelot yanked his sword free from the man as he fell to the ground and pulled Guinevere toward him with his free arm. He crushed his lips against hers in desperation and Merlin thought it entirely idiotic of him to be doing so in the middle of a bloody battlefield. Lancelot seemed to come to his senses though and pulled back, speaking sharply at the dark woman.
Knowing that she was in good hands, Merlin turned his attention to the other women on the field. He managed to lob one man over the head with a tree branch and tripped another on a root before the ground trembled below him and he lost his own balance and fell.
Everyone seemed momentarily stunned by the shaking earth, forgetting to exchange blows with their foes and looking toward the forest. Many had fallen like Merlin and as he got up people began to panic-not just Camelot's fighters, but Morgause's men as well. No one seemed to have any idea as to the source of the earthquake, but Merlin had a feeling that the battle would not remain magic-free for much longer.
It took him a moment, but Merlin finally located Arthur, a few metres away from Lancelot and Guinevere. Arthur's gaze met his own and the prince looked worried; Merlin felt similarly uneasy, though he tried to convey some sort of reassurance to the blond. That became futile, however, as the ground began to shake harder and Merlin realised that it was caused by hundreds of heavy footsteps coming from within the forest. Some men had engaged in battle once more and others were staring blankly at the trees lining the edge of the woods.
Whatever advantage Camelot may have gained then was erased in a matter of a few moments as varying shapes began to tear their way from the forest wall. Merlin's heart sunk into the pit of his stomach at the sight before him. Hundreds of beasts, creatures, and men that looked like normal humans came pouring out of the forest and attacked every man in front of them, including Morgause's army.
Merlin saw the witch grab a hold of Morgana and disappear at once from the fray-she was leaving both armies to fend for themselves against the advancing creature army. Merlin could barely contain his anger at the fact that the witch would sacrifice all those who had sworn to fight for her cause. He wanted to follow her and kill her himself, but he could not leave these men to fend for themselves. He was brought back to the fight by the piercing screams around him as beasts of all different sizes and kinds attacked everyone.
There were wildren, scorpids, huge snakes, giant beings made of what must have been rock and earth, and men who looked entirely normal but were, Merlin could say with unknowing certainty, all wraiths. The scene filled him with such dread; there was no way that anyone was going to survive this, especially men donning normal swords and armour.
He was right. Men began to drop left and right as though it were the newest fashion. Merlin's hand flew out and he tried his best to fell any creature he could concentrate on long enough, but things were looking grave for everyone. Many of Morgause's men dropped their weapons and turned tail-some made it a few metres before they were torn down by a tracking wildren and Camelot's fighters sliced some of the others down. Merlin saw one man get as far as the outer walls of Camelot before a scorpid stung him and then sliced him in half with its pinchers; he felt bile rise in his throat at the sight of it. He turned with intent to send a killing blow at the scorpid that was attempting to breech the city, but a huge black bird swooped down from the sky then and picked it up like it were a tiny insect.
Giant black and gray birds came from everywhere now, diving from the sky and attacking the creatures on the ground, tearing with huge claws and snapping beasts in half with their powerful beaks. A herd of glistening white horses, each with a single horn protruding from its head emerged from the forest; alongside them galloped a group of half-men, half-horses; their hides coloured in dark browns and blacks in stark contrast next to the unicorns. The centaurs slashed through wildren and scorpids with swords in each hand and reared on their hind legs, kicking wildly at the rock giants.
Merlin fought alongside the new arrivals as best he could, blasting fire at the overgrown snakes and sending gales of wind at the giants to try and overbalance them. Arthur was stabbing wraiths through the chests and knights like Gareth and Bors were slicing other creatures into giant pieces. They now seemed evenly matched which gave Merlin hope for the first time since the battle had began. As Merlin and two black birds felled a giant into the trees behind it, a group of men clad in red and brown flowing robes emerged from the forest, making their way toward him.
"We are here to help, Emrys," said a dark haired druid. He had piercing green eyes and a smile that revealed slightly crooked teeth. "I am-"
"Althalos. Yes, I know," Merlin replied, though he had absolutely no idea as to how he knew that. It must have been the same as other magic users knowing to call him 'Emrys,' which wasn't the name his mother had given him but somehow was still his name. It was not exactly important what anyone's name was at the moment, however, so Merlin turned toward the group of druids gathered around him.
"We need to push these creatures back toward the forest and away from Camelot!" Fighting inside the forest would not be to their advantage, but the longer they fought near the city walls, the more it worried Merlin that things would carry into the city. They'd had enough trouble within the walls of Camelot to last a lifetime, so if they could avoid it now, he was damn sure going to try for it. "Start trying to drive them back into the forest. Use loud noises and bright lights-it may scare quite a few of them off. I'm going to tell Arthur to do the same."
Merlin left without waiting for a reply from the druids, but he could see flashes of light coming from behind him as he ran toward Arthur. It was nothing close to a straight shot, with dead bodies and entrails littering the ground beneath him and darting creatures and soldiers in front of him, but he finally made it to the prince's side.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asked as he slashed at a wildren who kept backing away from him.
"Arthur," huffed Merlin, doubled over and supporting his weight on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He stood up straight and continued, "we have to drive them back into the forest. We can't afford for any of them to breech the city."
"Where did the birds come from?" Arthur asked, completely unhelpful, like he had not heard a word Merlin had said.
"I don’t know, Arthur, but we have to count our blessings. Are you listening to me? You need to tell the knights to use the flash pouches that Gaius gave them so we can press the creatures back into the forest. I think the light and the noise will cause enough confusion that we can take the advantage and get them to go where we want."
"Fighting in the forest won't be easy, Merlin," Arthur replied skeptically and finally drove Excalibur through the wildren's eye-the beast fell lifeless to the ground, twitching some before it fell still.
"I know, Arthur, but Morgause is in there and we need to find her, which we can't if we're stuck out here. I also fear them getting into Camelot; we don't need anyone else to die today if we have any say in it." Merlin gestured to the ground where many of Camelot's men had fallen and gave Arthur a pointed look. Merlin was tired already, even though he knew that this battle was far from over and he had not even stretched his powers to the fullest yet. Seeing dead men everywhere and knowing that more would die before the fighting was over weighed heavily on his shoulders, though thinking too much about it right then would do none of them any good. He had to stay focused.
The prince sighed when he glanced around at the ground. When his gaze returned to Merlin's, he laid a hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Tell me what to do and we will do it, Merlin."
"Tell all the knights to throw their flash pouches at the same time. Spread them out in an arc so that the creatures only have the choice of going back into the forest. Everyone needs to follow them in and slay as many as they can. If we are lucky we can fell many as they retreat, but odds are we will have to fight in the forest. Whatever the outcome, they must keep pressing them back and away from the city."
Merlin looked toward the forest then, his eyes lingering in the space between the trees. The sun was already sinking in the sky, which meant that they would be almost blind when dusk broke. They had to get to the witch before then. "Morgause met us at the lake where we found Excalibur, so I think we should make our way there first." Merlin chewed on his bottom lip before appending, "No, I don't think you or the knights should go to the lake, Arthur. I think that the druids and I should go alone."
He knew Arthur would protest. "Absolutely not, Merlin. I will be with you. We've no time to argue. I must inform the knights of the plan. Let's get these bastards back into the forest where they came from!"
Arthur forced the women to take the wounded back to the castle. They were unhappy with the order, but they reluctantly did as they were bid. The remaining men began to form a tight arch around the creatures-the birds and the unicorns were a great help in corralling the stubborn ones-and readied their flash pouches. Arthur raised a hand and counted down, then all at once the knights threw down their pouches and those who could perform magic made their own flashes of light or echoing noises.
The creatures began to retreat into the forest as Merlin had hoped. The men ran after them in groups of ten, each focusing on a direction or a particular creature. Merlin headed in the direction of the lake with a few druids-some of the others had accompanied each of the small battalions-as well as Arthur, Gawain, Caradoc, and Bors. For the most part, their journey was unhindered. They ran into a few wild boars and some stray wildren, but the area of the forest around the lake seemed relatively quiet, which confirmed for Merlin that Morgause was around there somewhere.
They began to creep along as they drew closer to the shore of the lake, looking every which way for an oncoming attack. Well, every way except up, which was where Morgause attacked them. Blasts of fire came raining down on their heads and at least eight people dropped from the tree branches above, attacking the group with swords as well as magic.
Merlin did not see Morgana, but Mordred was there, staring intently at Caradoc and knocking the man back without a word or movement. Morgause appeared after a few minutes of fighting, looking both confident and worried. Arthur had found that Excalibur could block magic with ease, so the man who continually tried to pelt him with fireballs was getting frustrated. Bors was dueling with a man in chainmail-the two of them had detached from the group and were headed toward the lake.
A dark woman tried to sneak up behind Arthur with a dagger, but Gawain had his sword at her throat and slit it before she could reach the prince. She fell to the ground with a thud and Gawain advanced on another sorcerer. Morgause, outraged by the death of the unknown woman, slung her sword in a swift arc, lobbing off Gawain's head in a single stroke. Arthur watched his knight fall as though it were in slow motion; he felt completely unbalanced at the sight of his best knight and a man he considered to be almost a brother, crumple to the ground. Grief hit him in an instant, tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. He began to slash recklessly in front of him, managing to kill the man who was exchanging blows with Merlin and then cutting another sorcerer's right arm clean off at the elbow.
Arthur was certain he heard Merlin calling his name, but he could not focus on the sound. Blood began to rush his head, filling his ears and pumping a painful rhythm behind his eyes. A rage filled him that he had not felt since he happened upon the bandits that were attacking Merlin. He did not think about the consequences, he just charged at the blonde witch and began hacking wildly at her. The prince drove her backward toward the lake until she was standing in the water. He began to tire from the relentless slashing and Morgause took advantage of the lull in his attacks to gain footing and push him back again.
Merlin detached himself from the group and ran after Arthur-he began chanting a shielding charm for the prince, but was hit forcefully in the middle of his back. He lost his balance and fell face first into the leaf litter, pain searing through his back now. I told you I would not forget, Emrys. Our time has now come.
The small warlock stood in front of Merlin and said aloud, "Get up and fight."
A growl escaped Merlin's lips as he stood, wincing at the pain that still surged through his back. He ignored it as best he could and faced the boy. "Do not make this mistake, Mordred. You still have a chance to use your magic for the-" Merlin was cut off by an attack from the druid, who somehow managed to pierce into Merlin's brain and send a pain so shocking he felt like his brain was being sliced in half. Mordred would not listen to Merlin no matter what he said, so he had no choice but to stand his ground against the boy.
Morgause drove her sword down over Arthur's head, but he blocked it easily with Excalibur. No matter how long he held the sword it never tired his arms-it felt more like an extension of his body rather than a sword. It was a good thing too, because Morgause never seemed to tire of the weight of her sword either. Arthur was fueled by adrenaline now, but his anger would not last forever and he was already tired from the fight so far. He was not sure how long he would last fighting alone against Morgause.
"Hierste þæt íecen sóna!" Merlin shouted, despite the pain that coursed through his aching head. Mordred doubled over in a similar manner as Merlin had, only he clutched at his stomach and looked as if he might be sick. Merlin began to charge the boy, but Mordred screamed and the manservant was knocked back almost a metre away, giving Mordred time to recollect himself and ready another attack.
Merlin raised a hand but Mordred blasted him back again, not allowing him the time to even formulate a spell to counter with. Again Merlin raised a hand and again Mordred blew him back, this time his back collided solidly with a tree and the breath was knocked out of him entirely-he crumpled to the ground.
Morgause had driven Arthur back until he felt himself press against a tree trunk. He couldn't let her trap him like this, especially when he was not at his best. He was sweating so profusely that the salt stung his eyes and he had to blink fiercely to clear it away. Despite her calm appearance, Morgause was sweating from the effort of the fight too, which gave him hope that she might tire soon. He watched intently for a point in which he could overpower her but was worried that one would not come.
To his left, he heard a tree branch snap and Morgause made the mistake of looking over to see what caused the noise. Arthur pushed forward against his sword, knocking her backward and making her lose her balance. There was not much of a window to maneuver, but the split second it took her to steady her stance was enough for him to link his sword with hers and twist until she had no choice but to drop her own. He held his sword point to her heart.
"This ends now, Morgause. You have caused enough pain and suffering for my people."
Merlin opened his eyes to find he was still at the base of the tree. Apparently he'd lost consciousness for some time, because he felt light headed and he did not see Mordred around anymore. Why the boy had not killed him, he didn't know, but he did not have the time to consider it. He still needed to get to Arthur. He stood slowly and swayed on his feet; his head felt like it was floating off of his shoulders.
He stood as still as he could to allow his body to settle itself. Unfortunately, that time was cut short by a scream coming from the direction of the lake where Arthur was. Without hesitation Merlin was running, adrenaline giving back the balance he needed to get there without tripping.
Morgause backed away from Arthur's sword slowly, but he kept the point level at her breast. "You're right Arthur, this does end now. Forbearne! Akwele!" The witch said quickly, catching Arthur completely off guard. He thought that he was finished, but just as she finished saying the spell, someone knocked Arthur sideways and the blow hit her instead of him.
"No!" Morgause screamed and was on her knees in an instant, cradling Morgana's limp frame. "Morgana, no!" The dark haired woman had a scorch mark in the middle of her chest where Morgause's spell had hit her. Arthur began to stand just as Merlin emerged into the clearing and ran toward him. The prince was still stunned by Morgana's sudden appearance and her now vacant expression.
Merlin looked at Arthur, Morgana and Morgause in confusion. He had no idea what had happened, but he knew that he needed to do something about Morgause while she was distracted or he might never get the chance again. He racked his brain for some sort of spell, but he needn't have, because his mind was suddenly filled with the disembodied voice he had heard the last time he and Arthur were there. She told Merlin exactly what to do and he did it without a moment's hesitation.
Repeating the spell that the Lady whispered into his mind, Morgause was blasted back just as Mordred had done to him earlier. She flew backward, suspended in the air longer than was natural, until she would have landed in the lake water, but her body seemed to catch and was floating just above the water's surface. She was perfectly still, though Merlin knew she was not dead. Nothing happened for a few moments, Morgause's body just levitated above the water, but then the lake began to stir.
A huge hand rose up out of the water, except it was made of lake water itself. The water-hand closed neatly around the witch's body. Everything around them was still; there was no sound from the lake or the forest. Then there was a flash of white light and the water-hand exploded into a million droplets-Morgause's body had disappeared entirely. Dread began to fill him. Either she had exploded with the hand or Morgause had found a way to escape and they'd failed in stopping her once again.
"Do not despair, my dear. I have Morgause now," the disembodied Lady said to Merlin, answering his thoughts aloud. Arthur looked at Merlin in confusion, and after meeting Arthur's gaze, Merlin knew instantly who the Lady was.
"Freya," he whispered, looking out over the water. A blanket of mist rose from the surface and formed into a shimmering blue shape of a beautiful druid girl whom Merlin had cared for so deeply and had lost too quickly.
"My dear Merlin. You have done well," the visage spoke. Merlin felt his knees going weak, his heart pounded so fiercely in his chest that he expected it to break free of his ribs at any moment. Just as he began to slump to the ground, strong arms encircled his waist and he looked up to find Arthur next to him, supporting all his weight. The sorcerer melted into the prince's embrace, though his eyes fell back on the beautiful girl in the lake.
"Is she dead?" Merlin forced himself to ask. It was not the question that he truly wanted to ask her, but he knew it was the most important one.
"No, she is not dead. The lake has devoured her magical essence in order to reopen the passage between Albion and Avalon. In a few days I will be able to open the gate and keep it open for all time, thanks to Morgause's power. She will be using her magic for the good of all sorcery from now on, thanks to you, Merlin."
He shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I only repeated what you told me to." He felt bashful under the praise of the extraordinary woman standing before them.
"Merlin, you have done much more than that. You have shown time and time again that there is good in all magic just as there is bad. Your perpetual insistence to do the right thing for everyone around you-and rarely ever for yourself-has shown many sorcerers the responsibility that we have to make our world better through our magic. You are wiser than many of us could ever wish to be, Ambrosius, and for that we thank you."
"We?" Merlin asked, looking around for anyone else who could be included in that collective pronoun.
"We do not need to see you with our eyes to know of your feats, Emrys. We are all aware of what you have done to secure Albion a brighter future."
There was silence for a few moments while Merlin studied Freya's mist form hovering above the surface of the lake water. He asked, "Are you alive?"
Freya shook her head. "I am neither alive or dead, thanks to your kindness. When you released me to the lake, it enveloped my magical essence much like it did with Morgause, but instead of taking me prisoner, the lake gave me a special task-to watch over sorcery in Albion and ensure the link between it and Avalon is not abused."
Merlin's face lit up. "You're the ruler of magic that Morgause was referring to! You're the Lady of the Lake!"
Freya smiled warmly as Merlin's enthusiasm returned to him. "I am no ruler, Merlin, but a peace keeper. I only work to ensure that magic does not take as dark a turn as it has over the last twenty years."
Merlin pulled from Arthur's hold, no longer in need of the prince's support to standvup. That did not mean he wanted to lose his comfort, though, so he tangled his hand with Arthur's as he looked at Freya.
"When Arthur is king, everything will be different," Merlin said calmly and smiled at Arthur who smiled in return.
"I believe that to be true. I look forward to working with the both of you in the future. Merlin, I must go for now and prepare to open the passage. Please come back in a few days and visit Avalon-it is, after all, your home."
"Thank you, Freya," Merlin said, then shook his head and bowed. "I mean, my Lady." Arthur inclined his head to the Lady as well. After a moment the mist cleared and Freya's image was gone.
"I can't believe-" Merlin began to say, but was interrupted by moaning behind them. He'd forgotten about Morgana! The two of them turned and ran to her side; Arthur lifted her head into his lap and looked into his adopted sister's eyes.
"Morgana, are you alright?" the prince asked her.
"Mmm, I think so. My chest hurts though," she said, looking down at the scorched clothing.
"What happened?" Merlin asked the two of them.
"Morgause tried to attack me and Morgana came out of nowhere and pushed me aside. She was hit with the blast. Why'd you do that, Morgana?"
The sorceress began to sit up with Arthur's help, pressing a palm against her forehead at an unseen pain. "Because I was a fool, Arthur. I should have never listened to Morgause. She's my sister and I…you were right all along, Merlin. I'm so sorry. Morgause isn't evil, she-she just didn't know how to deal with her grief and anger. I'm sorry that I helped her."
The three of them looked up then as someone came out of the forest into the clearing-it was Mordred. He looked at the three of them and then around at the lake, possibly looking for Morgause.
"Mordred," Morgana said, lifting a hand toward the boy. "Please," she pleaded as tears began to fill her eyes. Merlin knew that something was passing between the two of them in the silence, because Morgana began to sob and the druid boy turned and ran back into the forest where he'd come from.
Arthur hugged Morgana and told her what had happened to Morgause. The dark haired woman sobbed even harder and Merlin felt completely useless sitting next to them. Luckily some of the knights emerged from the forest then, so he walked over to them and gave the brother and sister some privacy.
Gareth, Kay, Leon and Lancelot had shown up together. Lancelot had a bloody cloth wrapped tightly around his forearm and Gareth's eye was black and swollen shut. Merlin explained quickly what had happened at the lake, glancing back at Arthur and Morgana before looking at the knights again.
"Where is Gawain?" Gareth asked and sadness flooded through Merlin at the question. Gawain was Gareth's older brother and Merlin did not want to be the one to have to tell him that his brother was dead, but the knight deserved to know. Shaking his head slowly, he placed a hand on Gareth's shoulder and the knight fell to his knees.
"Morgana, I really think you should come back with us," Arthur insisted once again. He and Merlin stood in the small settlement of the druids where Morgana was insisting that she would stay.
"For now, Arthur, I think it best I stay here. I want to become more familiar with my magic and I want to be around those who use their gifts for good. I cannot face Uther just yet, nor do I feel that I can be around you lot after betraying your trust."
"Morgana, we trust you com-"
"You are kind, my brother, and I thank you for it. I would like to remain with the druids for now. I promise that I will return when I am ready, Arthur, but you must let me stay." Morgana's green eyes pleaded with her adopted brother to stop protesting against her wishes.
Merlin put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. The prince looked over at him helplessly and Merlin nodded. Sighing, Arthur's shoulders slumped. "Oh very well. Just be careful," he said and pulled her into a hug.
She hugged Merlin too and then the sorcerer and prince mounted their horses and set course back for Camelot. The other knights had already returned to the city with Gawain's body and were helping gather the wounded and dead. They rode in silence for a while, happy to have quiet after such a long day of battle. Arthur finally said, "It isn't over yet. Mordred will be back for me."
Merlin shifted uneasily in his saddle. "I know. But you shouldn't worry about it now, Arthur. We've won this battle, and that is what's important."
"She was beautiful, Merlin. Freya, I mean," Arthur said quietly, a strangeness to his voice that Merlin did not quite recognise. He sounded as if he had to force out the words reluctantly.
Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Yes, she was, and I cared a great deal for her," he replied and saw something dark cross the prince's face. "I did not know her as well as I know you, though. I have never loved anyone as much as I do you."
He was right in thinking that Arthur was feeling inadequate, because he looked up with hopeful blue eyes and smiled at Merlin. "Yeah?"
"Of course, Arthur." The prince held his gaze for a few more moments before smiling wide and turning back toward the south and toward Camelot.
-------
The next few days were filled with grief and celebration. Because they had won the battle against sorcery, Uther was in higher spirits than he had been in years. They did not tell him about Merlin's magic nor did they mention that they had seen Morgana. The knights did not disclose any of this information to the king either, though Arthur had not said anything to them. It seemed that the knights understood Arthur's predicament and were loyal to him as the future king and their leader and Arthur was wholly grateful and truly humbled by this.
The funeral pyres were many within the next few days. Almost 50 men had died in the battle, including three knights. Gareth was taking his brother's death especially hard, as were other knights who considered the man to be like a brother to them. Arthur spent a lot of his time with Gareth, offering his help as best he could. They had not known each other very well in the past, but he was beginning to feel a similar bond with Gareth as he had with Gawain. These feelings gave Arthur a strange idea-he talked to some architects a week or so after the battle and had them begin construction on a circular table for him and the knights to sit around and share in each other's company as equals.
Arthur also wanted to grant Lancelot the knighthood he rightfully deserved. Uther would not agree to it, however, and Arthur was forced to accept that he would not be able to change his father's mind about this and many other things. That did not stop Arthur from gathering the knights in secret and knighting Lancelot himself. Though it was not official and though Lancelot could still not serve with the knights while Uther was king, he appreciated the gesture all the same and Arthur began to love Lancelot as he did all his other knights.
Lancelot remained in Camelot after the battle, which obviously made Guinevere extremely happy. The two of them spent loads of time together and Arthur was happy for them now that he had found a love of his own. He still felt that he owed her some sort of explanation though, so he decided to confront her after a few weeks had passed.
"Guinevere," Arthur began, walking next to the woman in the corridors of the castle. He really wasn't sure what he should say to her, but he'd never feel right if he did not apologise for kissing her and then suddenly abandoning her, especially when she still seemed to care for him back then. Finally he decided to just tell her exactly that.
"Oh Arthur, of course I cared for you. I still do." She was smiling at him and he wasn't really sure why that was, considering what she was saying. She must have read the confusion on his face because she laughed and continued, "Just because I love you does not mean that I am still in love with you. Arthur, I've always cared deeply about you as a friend, long before I thought about you romantically. And I will continue to care for you just as I do for Merlin.
"You have no idea how happy I am for you two, Arthur, really. You and Merlin have always had a special connection, even while you were denying its existence. I should have seen then that it would grow larger than anything you would ever feel for me."
"But-" Arthur started to say. She was making him feel awful, though maybe he deserved that for essentially snogging her one day and then shagging Merlin the next.
"Arthur, truly, I am fine. You deserve to be happy and you should be with the one who makes you happy. I care for you, but I care for Lancelot a great deal more and I'm quite certain that I might love him. That is not to say that you are not worthy of my love, but I-" In true Guinevere fashion, she began to blush and stumble over her words.
"I understand, Gwen. Please don't feel embarrassed about caring for Lancelot. I am glad that you have found someone to love in him. He is a great man and I wish you two all the happiness in the world."
Guinevere smiled at him. She stopped and pulled Arthur into a hug. "Thank you, Arthur. I wish the same for you. I know that when you are king, you will be."
Arthur squeezed her once more and left her to go find his manservant. He had to ask around but he finally found Merlin outside in the ramparts, looking over the courtyard. The prince walked up next to him and smacked him upside the head, a stupid smirk forming on his face.
"Oi! What was that for?" Merlin howled, rubbing the back of his head over dramatically.
"For being a useless idiot, of course. If my father were to know how awful you truly are at being a servant, he'd probably cuff me for keeping you around. You know, I actually do more things for myself with you in my employ than I ever have before."
Merlin pushed him playfully, his bottom lip protruding in a mock pout as he looked at the prince. "You wound my pride, sire. I think I'm a particularly grand servant."
"If you truly believe that, then I fear for this kingdom's future."
"Not as much as I fear for Camelot when they are landed with a great prat as a king!"
"I'm no prat, you great git!" Arthur retorted and trapped Merlin's neck in the crook of his arm so he could tousle the sorcerer's hair roughly.
"No! Don't do that again! Ugh, you know I hate that! Arthur!" Merlin protested uselessly as the prince dug his knuckles into Merlin's scalp. "I'm going to make you regret this, you arse!" The warlock threatened weakly, wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist and pushing forward until the prince overbalanced and hit the ground, taking Merlin down with him.
Tangled and laughing like a couple of loons, they continued to wrestle on the ground for a few minutes until they decided kissing was a better use of their proximity. The sun began to set above them, the last of its rays enveloping them in its warm embrace with the promise that one day it would rise again with Arthur as the crowned king of Camelot and everything would change for the better, for them and for Albion.
-fin-