After a few days a war council was planning. Arthur had menouvers in the morning so Merlin made his way to the druid camp by himself. He had been teaching the druid menthods to several villagers who has shown talent with magic – there powers were weak anyways and made weaker by the Demyting that was draining the lands.
Merlin walked across the frosted ground, the grass dusted with a light cover of snow that powdered across the earth like icing sugar spilled on the kitchen top. He shived against the chill that sat in
the air, blowing warm air from his cheeks over his frozen fingers - feeling the winter for the first time since he had learned to warm himself, amigcally, as a boy- he pulled aside tent flap, and ducking
his head down he walked in.
"Hail Emyrs. The Once and Futuer King" intoned the Druid council at them, regal in their floor length robes of scarlet and jet, and Mordred, appointed to join the council for the occasion in his role as emisary to the humans. They nodded. As he looked, Merlin noticed that Gaius too sat amongst their numbers, a dottering point in grey and blue amongst the uniform of the Druids, and Arthur, whom he sat next to.
"Cachamwri, Cwynyllyr, I am glad to see you again," Merlin murmered, "if only our circumstances were more auspicious."
"Merlin, my boy, take a seat. We are awaiting only one more!" he smiled dotily. Merlin sat by him with Arthur beside him.
"Who do we await?" he sasked, curious peaking. Just then Morgana walked in.
"Hello boys," she smiled, all confidence and kind glittering eyes, "thank you for awaiting me." She dipped her head to Cachamwri also before taking her place next to Mordred, who smiled his smile at the witch.
"Now" the cheif Druid began "we are assembled. I call this Council of War to order. With the visions of our Seer and Morgana here we should be able to propose a plan of attack on that will not fail." He said.
"We have much in progress to aid us" Harald, the village elder, said. "Scounts watch the western road for bandits and the druids are hard at work guarding our village with wards. Shaun and Andrew are stationed in Northumbra with swift horses to alert us to the armies advance."
"And Beanjimin?" He was aked.
"He arrived in Camelot a week ago. He ins our eyes and ears in the ciy, if anything happens he will let us know."
"Very good. How are prepareations for the garison at Northumbria?"
"Gwen has taken control of the forge, and her brother Elyan and Sir Percival of Northumbria are helping her to insure we have metal works. Sir Leon is training people to fight, His Majesty is training with him along with Gwaine, Will and many other villagers who wish to protect themselves, women and children are like. Merlin and Morgana are of course working withyourselves and any villagers with hidden magic abilities. Magic may be fading but as long as we have it we should use it. And lastly Lacelot is lerning medecine from Hunith and Gaius."
"Ok. We don't have many people but now we can make a plan of attack." he said. And so they planned.
After the plans were drawn up, and disimbursed amongst the few willagers who could read on vellum paper, Merlin was exhausted. The snow had fallen thickly throughout the meeting of council and as he sat alone in the house he share with Arthur, watching the fire flicker and dance like a siren calling him to comfortable rest, his thoughts turned to the future. The bright point that shimmered on the horizon, like a brilliant star in a distance galaxy. He smile, making his mind up, and a moment later when Arthur walked in sweating and exhilerated from a day of mace lessons Merlin smiled and stood.
"Don't take your shoes off. I've got a surprise for you" he said to his blond lovely husband.
"Oh?" asked the husband, face smiling in curiously."And what might that be?"
"Are you amiliar with the concept of a surprise? Numpty" grambled Merlin sarctcially, with no heat, as he rolled his eyes with affection.
"C'mon. We're going out!" he said, pulling Arthir out through the door in his newly gloved hand. The pair walked along through the snow, nightlit by the brilliant full moon and stars which speckled Merlins' raven hair with a silver glow that made Arthur's breathe constrict where it sat in his strong chest.
"Just tell me were where going!" he said smiling so Merlin knew he wasn't really complaining. Merlin turned around from where he led him and he kissed him slightly.
"Hmmm....nope!" he replied, pretending to think about it, before bouncing off throgh the cold as though on springs.
"MErlin!" barked Arthur, his cries met only with a peel of cackling laughter and shot from Merlin for him to catch up. Arthur rolled his eyes and ran through the snow after the man whom he loved.
"You're lucky I love ou" he called, as he ran in the cold.
"Not as lucky as you are that I love you" came Merlin's cheeky reply through the air. As Arthur caught him up, he noticed that Merlin had stopped in front if a grand oak tree, the only one in the clearing of the forest in which thet stood. It's, which was brown in the silver of the star light. It had large branches spread wide and gnarled like a hunched old man, and Arthur could tell in the summertime it would be awash with life, leaves and bird song. But for now, in the bleack midwinter, it stood silent. It's branchs bear and black against the moon.
"It's a tree." stated Arthur stupidly. Merlin sighed and slapped ahand over his face.
"Yes, Artur it's a tree." said Merlin, his tone long suffering but tinged with amusement. Arthur stood and looked at Merlin expectanly.
"It's a very nice tree?" He tried with a shrug holding his hand out. Merlin sighed draramtically.
"It's not JUST a tree!" he said eventually.
"It looks a lot like a tree." respomded Arthur screwing his face up addorably. Merlin turend in to the tree and lay his hand on the rough bark.
"This is the world tree. When I was a boy I came here all the time. It glimmered, it was a channel for all the magic of all the people in all of Albion. It's the heart of it all, and when I was a kid, it called to me. The tree called me here. And I used to come here when life in Eldor was too much, when it felt like the magic would bust from my skin and there was noone I could ask about how to control it, I'd come here and the tree would calm me down. It is like a home, like a mother. It's part of the Magic that connecs me to everything" Merlin gushed, looking at the tree in are.
"It's sick, isn't it?" ask Arhtu, gently slipping their hands together. Merlin's eyes were wide and sad as he turned to him husbad.
"It is." he confirmed, his voice gentle but sad.
"I'm sorry, Merlin." Artur softly spoke. Merlin was silence for a moment.
"I brought you here becuase I want you to be part of this, when it's so important to me" Merlin pulled a small pairing knive from his trouseer pockets.
Arthur placed his sword callussed hand over Merlin's where it rested on the tree. He linked there fingers together. Merlin held the little knife tightly n his other hand bringing the sharp blade to the tree's skin, he dug the point into the bark. As Arthur wrapped himself wormly around Merlin's back he watched his husband carve an intricate heart. He was impressed by the unchartered depths of his husband's talents, new ones of which appered daily. As he watched the carving, he realised that it was not just a heart that Merlin carved, it was an intricate weaving of their two names: Merlin Emrys and Arthur Pendragon in a pattern that held them together in eternity.
As Merlin finished hewing into the soft bark he lowered his knife slowly, observing his carving. As they observed it together, Arthur got a soft smile on his face at MErlins defiant glare at the tree, as if it had personally offended him, or implied that they two would not be together forever, and he had proven it wrong by engraving into it.
"It's beautiful" Arthur whispered in his ear and his stare to the tree broke as he turned to grin at the blonde man, their eyes level "Just as you are" he flirted and Merlin's smile turned koi a a blush spread across his cheeks as Arthur pushed him gently back against the tree and kissed him as the snow flakes began to feather down softly from the heavens abouve them.
"We should head back" Arthur said as they broke apart with their foreheads touching. The raven man noded silently and squeezed Arthurs hand as they began to walk leasurely back to the village, enjoying each others company and the soft silence o the snow swirling around them.
As Merlin finished hewing into the soft bark he lowered his knife slowly, observing his carving. As they observed it together, Arthur got a soft smile on his face at MErlins defiant glare at the tree, as if it had personally offended him, or implied that they two would not be together forever, and he had proven it wrong by engraving into it.
"It's beautiful" Arthur whispered in his ear and his stare to the tree broke as he turned to grin at the blonde man, their eyes level "Just as you are" he flirted and Merlin's smile turned koi a a blush spread across his cheeks as Arthur pushed him gently back against the tree and kissed him as the snow flakes began to feather down softly from the heavens abouve them.
"We should head back" Arthur said as they broke apart with their foreheads touching. The raven man noded silently and squeezed Arthurs hand as they began to walk leasurely back to the village, enjoying each others company and the soft silence o the snow swirling around them.
All of a sudden the peace was shattered into terror by the sound of a high pitched scream of total terror tore through the tranquil air. Merlin and Arthur looked at each other, eyes wide in panic, and took off running at a sprint to wards the sound: The village. They never let go of each others hands.
As they arreached the village they were in time to see Morgana staggering out of her house, her lilac dress flowing around her in the snow, and her usually bright cheeks were pale white and her lips were bloodless with horror.
"Morgana!" Merlin cried and ran up to her just as she collapsed into his arms. He Kneled on the floor supporting her, Arthur taking off his long brown duster coat to wrap around her fragile frame.
"Merlin?!" she asled, hand grasping at the cloth that covered him, wildly, before finally taking hold of his bony pale arm. She gripped tightly. "Melirn" she sobbed again, as Merlin weaved his hand into hers.
"Morgana? What's wrong?" he asked, eye alight with confusion. Morgana wracked a sob through her body.
"The magic. It's all gone." she answered in a whisper that cut through the air like a dagger to the heart of a lion. "The magic's all gone" she repeated breathlessly "and it's left me blind." She finished, raissing her head to meet Merlin's. Instead of her usual burning smaragdine eyes, his eyes were met by a pair of milky opalesque orbs.
----
Uther breathed in deeply through his nose, a cruel smile curing his lips as the artifacts before his crackled and sparked before falling silent. His time had come. Magic had been defeated, now he need only to destry those who had commited such Treasonous blasphemy. He turned to Ralph quivering excitedly a step behind him.
"They still have no idea?" He questioned his severt.
"No my lord. My spies tell me King Alfred has made no move, and the heathens are training peasants to fight with sticks.
"Ready the horses. We ride at dawn." Ordered Uther, his tone a branch of steel and his resolve iron.