Merlin: The Secret

A Destiny of Greatness

Merlin and Arthur came running out from a tiny bush, where they had been hiding for some time. They could hear the clattering of swords behind them as they ran. Arthur desperately wanted to go back and help his men, but Merlin talked him out of it, saying that the knights could take care of themselves and would be fine on their own as long as their King was out of harm's way. To Merlin, Arthur's safety was the most important task whether the king thought he was a dollop head or not.

"Did you see them?" Arthur asked Merlin as they had been running for some time. "The attackers?"

"Briefly," Merlin answered with his teeth chattering with cold. "They all wore the same dark clothes, but besides that they all seemed to be ordinary..." He trailed off as he realized that Arthur was no longer listening. The reason was clear: a young girl was sitting alone by a fire. Her clothes was old and dirty, her hair long and dark. Merlin frowned in suspicion. Perhaps the most incredible thing about this girl was how she could make flames dance by simply looking at them. Merlin was almost certain that was a sign of strong magic. He was almost certain this girl was
dangerous.

Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm, deciding to sneak up on this mysterious girl.

"Arthur!" Merlin whisper-shouted. "Don't do this! You could frighten her!"

Arthur paused. "I know!" He whispered back. "So be quiet!" He put away his sword and approached the girl with caution at first. Then he decided to clear his throat and raise his voice instead, hoping kindness would be the way. "Hello there!" he said.

The girl jumped in shock at the sight of the two strange men.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Arthur asked politely. "It's a cold night."

The girl hesitated to answer. "I swear I have done no harm!" she cried, fearing for her life.

Arthur took a few more steps, now only standing a few meters away from her. "I promise that we will do you no harm," the king said. "We only wish to warm ourselves a bit." Merlin walked up to stand by Arthur's side and gave a friendly nod towards the girl. She looked at him with narrow eyes and the fire suddenly went out. Merlin noticed that her eyes were as blue as a clear day sky.

Arthur chose to ignore that. "What's your name?" he asked instead.

"Sibyl," the girl answered, only just daring to meet his gaze.

"Well, Sibyl. My name is Arthur and this is my servant, Merlin," Arthur continued. "May we join you?"

She nodded and allowed Merlin and Arthur to sit down. All the while, she kept staring at Merlin. It seemed she now barely noticed Arthur's presence.

"Can you possibly light that fire again?" Arthur asked. "Then we may get warm - and see each other's faces." He smiled kindly at Sibyl, who nodded once. She held up her hand and soon the ashes turned into real flames, swaying in the silent wind. The only proof to that it was magic, was that Sibyl's eyes had turned golden for a just a second. Arthur looked both scared and impressed, even though he hid it quite well. Only Merlin noticed.

"I am aware that magic is forbidden in this kingdom," Sibyl said. "But I am lost and alone. Camelot was the only place I could think of. I wish you no harm, Arthur Pendragon, I swear it. I too want her gone! Please do not punish me - I will be gone by morning!"

"You're a druid, aren't you?" That was the first time Merlin had spoken directly to Sibyl.

"That is true, Emrys," the girl answered, narrowing her eyes once again. Only this time, the fire didn't die out. Arthur took a look at them both; first at Sibyl and her mystical words, then at Merlin who stared back at her, looking like he was trying to hide something. The king almost had his suspicion confirmed, but also had another question on his mind:

"Who do you mean by 'her'?" he asked.

"I do not speak her name, my lord," Sibyl said. "I know only of her evil." She pointed at Merlin. "She is stronger now as the Witch of Darkness aids her. They must be stopped - at any cost!"

Arthur's eyes fell on Merlin now and the servant seemed lost in the druid girl's eyes. It was as if information passed between them without Arthur being able to hear. However. That was a silly thought. The girl had to be mad, why else would she call Merlin "Emrys". It was not a name that Arthur had heard before. No. The only rational explanation would be that Merlin had helped her or one of her kind before. That would not be a surprise to Arthur. He knew that both Merlin and the physician Gaius were friendly towards the druids. It was the only kind of magic folk Arthur felt he could accept. The druids had never done Camelot any harm despite its policies against the use of magic.

"I will leave in the morning, Arthur Pendragon. I do not wish to cause you any trouble. I came only to warn," Sibyl told him, with a tiny, mystical smile hanging at the corner of her mouth. Arthur did not reply, but asked her to follow him and Merlin as soon as they had gotten warm. The two of them helped Sibyl out of Camelot through the forest. They did it secretly by avoiding the pathways of travellers. Merlin was certain that Sibyl was able to do this on her own, something which he could not tell Arthur. As it was, the king was already suspicious enough.

As they were about to leave Sibyl, she grabbed Arthur's arm. "I shall remember your kindness, Arthur Pendragon. Remember to show it to your friends when they most need it."

Arthur looked at her, mystified. He was beginning to wonder why he had been helping a druid out of his kingdom. His father would not have liked that and would have told him it was very un-kingly. However, Arthur did not know what to think anymore. When Merlin tried to lighten up the mood with a funny remark, Arthur held up his hand to silence him. Even if they did have more than hours walk back, he wanted nothing but peace and quiet.

The first to return to Camelot, were Gwaine, Percival, and Elion. They were met by a worried Gwen, who begged them to tell her what had happened. As they did, she asked if they had seen Arthur  - and of course Merlin. But the knights could only promise her that they would lead a search party for the king and his servant.

Meanwhile, Arthur's mind was once again buried in thought, trying to figure out what to do about both the disappearances. It seemed very strange for so many men to disappear unwillingly. Furthermore, it seemed odd that the gang of bandits they had met was so sizable. It was haunting to think they might be connected. The why was even scarier: was it because they felt Arthur was not the right sovereign? And why did that druid girl appear? What did she want? Was she really lost? Did Merlin know her somehow? Was he connected to these things? Ever since Morgana's betrayal, Arthur had become more paranoid. He felt guilty for accusing a friend, although he could not quite forget these thoughts.

"Sire! Merlin!" a voice shouted. It was Leon, followed by a dozen of other knights and two extra horses. The knights created a protective circle around Arthur as he mounted his horse and Merlin mounted his. Arthur asked only if everyone had survived the attack and it seemed they had. Saying no more, Arthur lead them back to Camelot. He could imagine nothing better than home, food, and a warm bath right now. Maybe that could help him tackle all these troubling thoughts.