Merlin: Dawn of the Dragonlord

Chapter 4: The Plan

Author’s note:

I do not own the name Brittanicus.  I took it from John Whyte’s Uther​ in which Merlin is called Merlyn Brittanicus.  I only took it because I liked the sound of it.  Please don’t sue me.

Reminder: Arthur and his knights are all waiting for the cover of darkness to get away from the cave.  Merlin is going to try calling the dragon.

It continues…

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Chapter 4: The Plan

Calling the dragon with his mind wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be.  As he sat up with his head and his back against the cold stone wall, he felt himself drift into a hazy place just before sleep.  He became relaxed almost instantly.  He could feel the magic in his body like a pulse.  Somewhere out there, there was another pulse similar to his.

Where are you? I need you, he said with his inner voice.

The reply was like a breeze in his mind, but there was no sound, just a feeling and images.  He saw dark skies and grey clouds under a silver-white moon.  The mountains beyond had snow on top.  The dragon was far and he was flying, having answered his call.  He could only hope that the creature could feel the urgency of the situation.  They would need him before the end.

“Merlin, wake up,” said a soft voice close to him.

Merlin opened his eyes slowly, recovering his bearings.  He felt as though he had been flying as well.

Lancelot was staring at him.  “We’re ready.”

“What?  Now?  It’s not even totally dark yet…”

As he glanced around, he saw faces shrouded in the blackness of the night.  

“But…”

“You dozed off,” said Lancelot.  “It’s time to go now.”

Merlin jumped on his feet, now wishing that he had paid more attention to what was going on.  Gaius was standing, but not on his own.  Percival and Ellyan were supporting him by the arms.  The look of pain on the old man’s face was unmistakable.

“You can’t move him yet,” said Merlin to Arthur.

“We don’t have a choice.  Morgause’s men are moving in.”

“It’s all right, Merlin,” said Gaius weakly.

Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder. Gwaine was looking unusually serious.

“Don’t worry, Gaius.  I’ll make sure he stays out of trouble out there.”

Merlin didn’t like the sound of that.  He looked from Lancelot to Gwaine to Arthur.  Gaius seemed in shock as well.

“We’re going in pairs,” said Arthur matter-of-factly.  “Gwaine is with Merlin.  Lancelot is with me.  Ellyan and Percival will go with you, Gaius.”

Merlin felt crushed.  He had hoped for a moment alone with Gaius to try and ease some of his pain with a healing spell.  It would make moving easier for his mentor too.  He would have no chance of doing that with Gwaine around.

“No, it’s a bad plan.  I’m going with Gaius.”

“It’s not opened for discussion, Merlin,” snarled Arthur.  “Percival is strong and obviously you’re not.  He can carry Gaius so that at least one of us survives.”

“Speaking for yourself,” murmured Gwaine.  “I intend to get out of these woods alive as well.”

“And if I don’t make it,” said Lancelot, “then it’s been an honor.”

As Lancelot and Gwaine shook hands, something changed in Gaius’s face.  It was a look that Merlin had rarely seen but that reminded him of the time the physician had been sentenced to death.

Arthur had not noticed it; he was giving his orders.

“Keep your head down as you climb down those rocks.  Ellyan, you will take Gaius down on the far right where the path is easier.  Gwaine and Merlin will go down in the middle under the cover of the trees; Lancelot and I shall take the left side.  Stay as low as possible.  Even in the dark, you can be a target.”

“Wait.”  

They were all startled by Gaius’s unusually low and hoarse voice.

“Wait, Merlin, I need to talk to you.  In case I don’t make it, there is a name that you must know.”

Merlin was painfully conscious that everyone, including Arthur, was listening intently.  

“You’re not going to die,” he said stubbornly.

“Let’s go then…” Arthur began to say.

Gaius cut him off, his voice unsteady, little more than a whisper.  “No, it’s important.  Merlin… The name… is Brittanicus.  It is the name of your house – of your father’s house.  There is a place… North East.  Aria’s Cradle.  Some say that it is a cursed land and that the house of Brittanicus is broken.  It is not so.  It lives in you.”

Merlin was too shocked to speak.  The words were ringing in his ears over and over.  Your father’s house.    

It was Gwaine who spoke first.  

“Brittanicus!  You are full of surprises, Merlin!” he let out in a sigh.

But there was no time to muse about the meaning of a name.

“You two can have a chat on your way down,” said Arthur, pulling Merlin’s and Gwaine’s arms and dragging them towards the cave’s mouth.

Crouching behind a tree next to Gwaine, Merlin could see the path before him disappearing into darkness.  It wasn’t a long way down.  It wasn’t even too steep.  The problem was that they had only moonlight to guide them.  

One step after the other, crawling on the rocky hillside, they carefully made their way down.  They were the first to reach the ground.

But they did not get far.