The Hidden Kingdom

Chapter Four

Merlin felt Lancelot's worried gaze and Gwaine's questioning looks bore into the back of his head as they carried on. He kept his head down and focussed on the reigns in front of him, afraid that with his magic reacting strangely that his eyes would flash gold. His silence seemed to unnerve the knights, but none more so than Arthur, who took to frowning deeper each time he glanced back at him.

It was just as they passed the edge of the Darkling woods that Merlin heard a voice echo in his head. "Emrys." The voice whispered, the stranger's voice was clear and sweet. "Emrys you must listen."

Merlin's eyes widened at the strange women's voice. "Who are you?" He asked in his mind, his hands tightened on the reigns. "Where are you?" He added as he finally lifted his head and discreetly tried to scan the trees and the path ahead.

"That is not important Emrys, all you must know is that I am a friend." The voice said quietly, "I have a message for you."

Merlin looked away in deep thought, his blue eyes widening in realization, "That energy blast I felt, that was you, wasn't it? " Merlin asked urgently, not knowing whether to trust the strange, disembodied voice.

"Yes, I am a friend of the Druids Emrys. I did not wish to harm you, only to make you turn back."

"Why?" Merlin asked worriedly.

"There is someone who threatens to unravel your destiny Emrys." The warning seemed to ring like a bell, the echo repeating in his head like a mantra.

Merlin glanced around carefully at the Knights to make sure that they weren't hearing the voice too. But to his relief, the Knights were busy sharing stories and Arthur was a few steps ahead looking weary and lost in his own thoughts.

"Is this about protecting Arthur? Is someone going to hurt him?" Merlin asked the voice curiously.

"It is not the Once and Future King that is in danger Emrys, it is you."

Merlin sighed, he had hoped that going to the Kingdom of Ilaria would be let Arthur see that there was good in magic, that it would show him that a safe haven for magic users could be made. But it seemed that for once Arthur was right, they were apparently walking right into a trap.

"Heed my warning Emrys, you must live to fulfil your destiny or all of Albion will fall with you." The voice said coldly.

The link between the two seemed to snap like a twig, Merlin felt the presence and the strange magic recede into nothingness as if it were never there. He paled as the stranger's warning echoed in his mind.