Merlyn's Last Dream

The Crystal Cave P3

The rain seemed to reflect the permanent mood which had fallen over Camelot. Word had spread of the ward's illness; as Merlyn walked through the castle, sadness seemed almost tangible in the air. Uther hadn't left his chambers, spending his time staring out of the window, tears spilling down his cheeks. Arthur was so much worse, taking out his frustration on the knights, and then the training dummies once his men had trudged back into the castle, no longer able to withstand neither the weather nor the violence of their Prince. He was a man of action, and yet, he lacked the skills to help Morgana. Slowly, it was driving him insane. Merlyn would hate to see what he became if she actually died. Still, she stood by him, not daring to pick up her own sword, not after the trail of men he'd sent to Gaius, knights who'd found themselves on the wrong side of Arthur's blade. She leant against the wall, watching how the Prince's tears mingled with the pouring rain, realising that she couldn't let this stand. Morgana had to survive. She had to.

Drifting from the Prince's despair, Merlyn found herself walking to the physician's chambers, the sound of Morgana's laboured breathing heavy through the door.

"Her breath is leaving her. She'll be gone by morning." Gaius announced to Gwen, who sat at the ward's bedside. Merlyn could only stare at her bitter foe, trying to ignore Gwen's sobs, before fleeing to her room, knowing exactly what she had to do.

~

Stealing a horse from the stables was relatively easy; if there was any life in the woods, it didn't show itself. Merlyn arrived at the clearing, looking up into the painted sky, roaring words of a foreign tongue lost to all but her heart.

There was nothing so startling as the dragon, descending between the trees, his head reared in a magnificent show of power as he landed, golden eyes staring down at the woman below.

"You summoned me, young witch? To what do I owe the pleasure this time?" Kilgaragh questioned, some kind of sarcasm surrounding his words.

"I've been to the Crystal Cave. I saw Morgana make an attempt on Uther's life." she stated, knowing that the Great Dragon would not like what she had to say. Her destiny would be so much easier with Morgana gone, and yet, she couldn't find it in her heart to let her die. The ward was so very lost. Perhaps, one day, she would find her way home.

If a dragon could shrug, than that was what Kilgaragh did. "It does not surprise me."

"Well, I stopped her."

"To change the future is no simple matter, Merlyn. To do so is fraught with danger." the dragon spoke with a hypocritical wisdom, the fact that he was even giving her this advice was, in his own way, manipulating the future with his gift of inconsistent prophecy.

"I know, and as a result of my actions, Morgana is dying." Merlyn didn't expect sorrow on Kilgaragh's part, but a little empathy would be nice.

He roared in some strange celebration. "Then you should rejoice!"

Merlyn nodded her head glumly unable to look the dragon in the eye. "I want you to help me save her."

"Merlyn, have you learned nothing?" Kilgaragh sighed dramatically, narrowing his bright eyes.

"I did not mean to kill her. All I wanted was to avoid the future that would've unfolded. To prevent Uther's death, Arthur's heartbreak." Merlyn trailed off, seeing the irony of the situation. The Prince was still broken and a tyrant still lived... It didn't seem fair.

Kilgaragh remained adamant. "I will not cure her."

"She is Uther's daughter." Merlyn stated, as if it would make any difference.

"Yes."

Merlyn chuckled, but there was no humour in her tone. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me?"