Arthur had spent a long time thinking. He'd failed two of the people closest to his heart, had refused to trust Merlyn's instincts despite the countless times she'd proven herself worthy. He couldn't explain his actions; the king knew he would have to truly find trust in his servant. After all, soon she would be his queen.
Hopefully.
Gwen had broke him from his muddled thoughts, knocking on the door to his chambers during a quiet moment of his day. Merlyn would've given her his schedule. She had a habit of handing it out to the knights.
This time, however, the matter was a little more serious than a badly executed prank. Gwen had brought a friend, Mary, if he remembered correctly, who seemed to shrink in her chair, obviously frightened. The two women sat at his dining table, but Arthur stood, pacing as he listened to their tale. This was a complicated matter.
"Guinevere informs me that you live in Longstead, in the Feorre Mountains. Is that right?" He asked, resting his arms on the back of his chair.
"That's right, sire." Mary nodded meekly. "Our village... we're blighted by a sickness. Three good men it has taken now. We have no physician, sire. It is beyond our understanding."
"I see." Arthur frowned. He doubted Gaius could make such a journey, especially after the ordeal he had just lived through.
Mary glanced at Gwen before directing her gaze to the table, seeming to shrink even further into her muddy clothes. "Forgive me. I have no right to bring such a small matter before the king."
"You have every right." Arthur assured her, wondering how his father would have reacted. He sat down in his chair, glancing at Gwen's concerned expression. "It is my responsibility to protect the people of this kingdom, whoever they may be."
Mary looked up in that moment, stunned hope shining through her eyes. "You'll help us?"
Arthur was sure he could work out some solution. "I'll do whatever I can."
Mary turned to Gwen, pressing their hands together. "Thank you."
~
Merlyn frowned down at the still man laying on the cot in front of her, pressing a damp towel to his forehead. She'd barely noticed Arthur burst in, doing her best to soothe yet another patient. A sickness was spreading through the city; Gaius had been practically swept off his feet. He really needed another assistant.
The physician was talking, she realised. "This is the fourth case of sweating sickness I've seen today. In normal circumstances, I'd be happy to travel to this village to investigate, but-"
"Of course." Arthur cut him off, sounding grave. "I understand."
"Might I make a suggestion, sire?" Gaius wasn't really asking, but even Merlyn was curious as to what he was thinking. "Why not send Merlyn in my place?"
That was not what she was expecting. The servant turned to stare at the physician, wondering if he'd finally gone mad.
"Merlyn?" Arthur questioned, as if his hearing had deceived him. Merlyn just about restrained herself from lobbing a heavy book in his general direction.
Gaius simply shrugged. "She has a knowledge of the healing arts. If the diagnosis is straightforward, she can prescribe a remedy, I'm sure."
"And what if it isn't?" Arthur waved his hand flippantly, comfortable to have a conversation about his lover's intelligence whilst she glared at him.
"Then she can bring her findings to me." Gaius didn't seem at all troubled. Even Merlyn was rather concerned. He'd never seemed to appreciate her, admittedly limited, intelligence before.
"Findings?" Arthur cried. "She can't find her own backside half the time!"
A spoon flew through Merlyn's fingers without another thought. It hit the king square in the head, earning her a glower. She ignored him, wringing out her towel and returning to tending to her patient. Arthur was such a twat.
"I think she's capable of much more than you imagine, sire." Gaius said slyly.
The king paused. "You think she'll be able to handle the responsibility?"
Merlyn almost laughed. Sometimes, she forgot how little Arthur knew.
Gaius, however, seemed far more serious. "Yes, sire. I do."
~
Merlyn frowned at her notes, squinting at her scrawled handwriting in deep contemplation. An apple sat in her hand, but she barely remembered it, taking bites absentmindedly through her work. She could do this.... At least, she hoped she could. Her magic should help: it had rarely let her down before. Part of her wanted to test it, to send a butterfly soaring through the physician's chambers, flying high over the scorched work benches and dusty potion bottles. She needed a reminder that magic could be beautiful.
"Do you really think I can do this, Gaius?" She asked, looking up at the elderly physician. There were new lines in his face, a life hidden behind those ancient eyes. He knew so much; what she had learned could only be a fraction of what he could teach.
"I know you can." He said sincerely, setting his knife down on his chopping board.
"I'm not a physician. I don't have anything like the knowledge you do." Merlyn sighed, gesturing to the thousands of tomes scattered around the bookshelves. Gaius had read them all, written some, she was sure. There had to be someone more qualified than she.
Gaius' earnest expression almost made her smile. "You've been working for me for many years, Merlyn. I suspect you know more than you think you do."
"I just do what you tell me to do." Merlyn scoffed. "I don't have to make the decisions myself. These people will be putting their lives in my hands."
"I put my life in your hands every day, Merlyn." Gaius exclaimed, wandering over to sit opposite her on the bench. "As does Arthur and Gwen and all of Camelot, though they may not know it. You're the one who holds the fate of this kingdom in the balance."
And in that moment, Merlyn wasn't sure that Gaius understood her at all. This wasn't something she was born to do, something that had made her eyes shine since before she could even remember. Magic came as easily as breathing. This... This was something else, a talent of her own mind. She'd never really had to learn before, not properly. This wasn't a test she could be sure she would pass.
"But that's different." She tried. "That doesn't require a lifetime of learning, just-"
"Intelligence, courage, compassion." Gaius interrupted her, meeting her gaze with his own determination. "All I know is that I have every faith in you."
And really, wasn't that everything she needed?
~
"Merlyn."
The witch looked up from her packing, vaguely surprised to see Gaius standing in her doorway, a strange object in his hand. It was shaped like a bowl with a leather pyramid sitting on top of it, the whole thing held together by loose pieces of string. She didn't think she'd seen many things so peculiar.
"Before you go, you'll be needing this." The physician said, holding out the thing. Suddenly, Merlyn recognised it, staring at Gaius in horror.
"Oh, I can't take that, Gaius. That's your medicine bag." She murmured, her eyes fixed on the strange contraption. The physician had never let her anywhere near his precious supplies, swatting her away with mutterings of impatient youth.
But now, he only shrugged, as if this moment didn't mean everything to Merlyn. "Don't worry. I've got plenty of spare supplies."
For a moment, the witch didn't move, but soon her legs were carrying her forwards, the weight of the medicine bag suddenly falling into her hands.
"Thanks, Gaius." She smiled, seeing a flicker of pride in the physician's eyes.
"Are you ready?" He asked, ignoring her gratitude. Secretly, Merlyn thought him sad to see her go, something faltering in his voice.
She had no other answer. "As I'll ever be."
Gaius nodded. It was time.
~
The knights flew out of the gates, their crimson cloaks flying through the morning breeze. The sun was already bright, running through Leon's miraculous hair as they flew towards the forest, shining knights indeed. Gwen accompanied them, her hair tucked in the hood of her cloak as she muttered about the knots in Gwaine's unruly mane. He'd never be able to get them out.
They reached the village by nightfall, their horses trotting through the muddy paths lined with meagre homes, dusk just brushing the horizon. It was beautiful really, lying at the bottom of great mountains, almost completely concealed in the thick forest. Mary dismounted first, hugging a man Merlyn had only ever heard about.
"John." Gwen smiled as she threw her arms around him, the moment almost comforting surrounding by the pallid faces of the townsfolk. "It's good to see you. We came as quickly as we could."
"Words cannot express our gratitude, Gwen." John said with true sincerity, looking past his friend and towards the horses still trotting through the village. "Where's Gaius?"
Merlyn dismounted, her heart pounding in her chest as she jogged towards Gwen, knowing what she must look like. She was nothing compared to the wizened old physician these people were expecting.
"I'm sorry. He was needed in Camelot, but I will help in any way I can." She tried to sound at least a little knowledgeable, but none of the villagers looked impressed.
John turned to Gwen, a grimace upon his face. "We're living in fear for our lives. We need a skilled physician, not a girl."
"Her name is Merlyn." Elyan said firmly, stepping forward to her side. He put a hand on her shoulder, staring challengingly into John's eyes.
Seeing the man's resolve waiver, Gwen took her chance. "She was appointed acting physician by King Arthur himself."
There was a moment of silence. John still didn't seem happy, but Merlyn knew she was the only choice.
"Where are they?" She questioned, almost raising an eyebrow as John pointed in the vague direction of a derelict barn. Clearly she wasn't worth an escort. She heard Gwen's footsteps behind her, sighing deeply. Another thankless mission, it seemed.
~
Putting a mirror to the mouth of one of the patients, Merlyn let relief sweep over her as a faint fog smothered the shine. The men were barely moving, lined up in a sordid row amongst the hay, light slanting through the wooden beams.
"They're alive, but only just. How long have they been like this?" She asked, turning to John, who stood next to the lone fire. The flames covered the thin walls with shadows, Gwen's expressionless face partly concealed by the gloom.
"Two or three days. We've tried to feed them, keep them warm, but nothing seems to make any difference." He reported, hiding his worry behind a poorly constructed sense of indifference.
Merlyn turned back to the victims, a wrongness making her shiver. They were like corpses trapped in the breath of the living.
"And you've no idea what happened to them?" Gwen questioned, if only to find something to help Merlyn's diagnosis.
John shook his head. "No. It just strikes suddenly, without warning."
"Well we need to stimulate the blood flow." Merlyn muttered, turning to Gwen. She, at least, would listen. "A poultice of patchouli oil should work, and... A tincture of belladonna to stimulate the heart."
Merlyn started towards her patients for further examination, but John stopped her, something urgent in his tone.
"Will it cure them? Will it... Bring them back?"
Merlyn couldn't answer that. "Let's see what the morning brings. Right now we need hot water and plenty of blankets."
Gwen nodded, ushering John out of the barn. Merlyn listened to the door close before quickly turning to her first patient, laying a hand over his heart.
"Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare."
Nothing happened. She waited for a moment, her eyes widening as she realised her magic had truly failed her.
~
Reading by candlelight, Gaius had once told her, is awful for the eyes. Still, Merlyn couldn't fathom what was inflicting her patients; she saw the way the townsfolk looked at her, as if she had no right to cure their people. She couldn't let it get to her, not with so much pressure building inside her.
In the darkness, she heard a creature hissing. She looked up, a shadow passing a small grate in the wall of the barn. Her heart started to pound; glancing at the dying men for a moment, she headed to the door, grabbing her sword before she left to investigate.
All was quiet in the chilly night, Merlyn's footsteps slicing through the silence. She heard the hissing again, drawn towards it with every fibre of her being. As she rounded the corner, she spotted movement, raising her sword the moment before she recognised the moonlit face.
"Gwaine!" She cried, relieved to see a familiar face. Maybe the stress was getting to her.
"Sorry." He shrugged. "Call of nature."
"I could've killed you!" Merlyn exclaimed, brandishing her weapon.
Gwaine snickered. "I'd like to see you try. Sir Gwaine was slain by a woman. Stuff of legends, eh?"
Merlyn kicked him. "I could beat you in a fight any day."
"That, you could." The knight nodded. "But if I were to die, I'd like it to be a little more impressive than by accident in the middle of the night."
"I'm sure something can be arranged." Merlyn said thoughtfully, smiling at the way her sword glinted in the shortening light.
Gwaine smiled at that, patting her on her shoulder as he turned back towards whatever house he'd been sleeping in. He was a good friend, Merlyn thought. Better than she deserved.
But as Gwaine disappeared, Merlyn heard the hissing again. She couldn't identify where in the woods it came from; frowning, she returned to the barn, realising she'd need some sleep with what the day would bring.
~
The town was lively the next day, people going about their business as if these men weren't dying in a pasty barn. Merlyn checked each man, wishing she had some kind of straightforward cure.
"I barely feel a pulse." She mumbled to Gwen, who seemed enough heartbroken for all the village. Merlyn couldn't understand what was going on.
She heard footsteps behind her, John's, she thought.
"How are they?" He asked, his voice far too hopeful.
Merlyn closed her eyes for a moment, deciding how to break the news. She spun around, trying not to seem too grave.
"I'm afraid the treatments have had no effect."
"You mean they're dying." John spat, as if it were her fault.
"I'm sorry." Merlyn swallowed. "There's something at work here that I don't understand."
John seemed surprised. "Are you suggesting sorcery?"
"That's possible, yes." Merlyn managed.
"I feared as much." He murmured. "The other night, when I found Aldrif, I felt a- a presence. An evil in the air."
That didn't sound good.
Merlyn turned to Gwen, who had moved to stand just behind her. "We need to get back to Gaius. Only he can explain this."