Stand Tall

Part Four: Comrades

His feet slogged through the dew-soaked grass as Merlin made his way to a clearing in the woods. It was the dead of night, and high time he found some answers. Waves of telepathic energy cascaded across the landscape, reaching out like a voice that called for help. He heard the sound of wings behind him, and a heavy landing of dragon feet.

"What troubles you, young warlock?" Kilgarrah's voice reverberated through Merlin's mind. "Is it Arthur?"

"Not this time, at least directly," the young man spoke into the night. "It's Braith, King Beowulf's daughter. She's... there's something she's hiding. And it might have to do with a recurring dream I've been having since she arrived here."

"It's only natural for a person to have secrets," came the riddled response.

"But is she dangerous? To Camelot, I mean."

"No man or woman, no matter how great can know their destiny, Merlin. That is for her to decide."

"You've said that before," he said, impatiently crossing his arms in the cold.

"I will say this now, Merlin, and heed these words - she is a threat to your destiny. To the future of Albion. Stay away from that girl, you'll be better off," spoke the gruff tone in his head.

"But she's hiding something, I know it!"

"And you'll have to ask her yourself to find out! I do not know her mind and her thoughts. Only she does. Let this be your last conversation on good terms. Take my advice." The great dragon left, without another mental word, and after a moment, so did the warlock. Braith, he realized, had a promise to keep.

---

The young lady of Dane was up early that morning, sitting at the table and pouring over a volume whose foreign alphabet she could not yet understand. She hadn't been sleeping well - the thought of all her Northern freedom lost to the ring of an English Prince, and her gods torn from her by law. It was no kind fate for a Viking child. A knock came at the door, and she opened it without much thought.

"Gwen, come in, please," she invited warmly. The servant girl still felt a bit strange in Braith's presence. It was a lot to ask of her - that Arthur's attentions were not with his soon-to-be-wife, but a lowly maid. Somehow, the Dane was not disturbed by this. Gwen suspected that was because Braith had some similar feelings in mind. This made her snicker when she remembered her reason for coming.

"I've got a message for you, my lady," she said quietly.

"Again with the titles..."

"Sorry, Braith. Merlin said something rather odd to me when I saw him downstairs, and I thought you might like to know."

"Really? What did he say?" the princess asked, plopping down on the end of her bed in relaxed curiosity.

"He said that you were going to get a terrible headache this afternoon, and that you'd need something to dull it. Does that make much sense to you?"

Braith smirked.

Gwen knew she'd been right.

"So much sense it hurts."

---

It was about suppertime when a knock came at the physician's door. Gaius himself was out treating a patient, which Merlin had luckily been aware of. In fact, it was the young servant who answered the door, not his mentor.

"You're certainly a cheeky one."

"So Gwen got you my message?" he said to break the awkward tension.