A Herald of a New Age

Plot Summary + Goodbye

Hello all, it's been a while. I said I would come back to this story and post a detailed plot summary of the unwritten chapters, so here it is. Feel like I should say a couple things, so those will be at the end too.

Chapter 23: The Road to the Tower

Arthur sets scene on outset, describes the morning, thinks back to their goodbyes at the Southern Tribe
Lunch on the road is a lighthearted affair at first, but soon turns serious as they ponder how it really might all end.
There is a bandit attack, and the crew deal with it with ease, which gives them back in a little confidence.
Everyone sees Merlin using magic and Arthur finds the unease has left him, but Merlin seems awkward. Arthur consoles him, and they begin to theorise about changes in Camelot when they get home
The tower comes into view after several days, they camp overnight.

This is the small part of the chapter I have from when I originally started writing it:
"The road- if it could be described as such- was bone dry. Dusted with a fine layer of dirt that kicked up under the horses steady trot, revealing a sandstone foundation, rutted with dents from long forgotten hoof prints and long forgotten armies. Once you were on it, it was hard not to find yourself spinning up all the Knights takes you had been told as a kid and magnifying them ten-fold.

Arthur was certainly scared. He would have been ashamed of it before, but he knew now that fear in the right amount was a good thing. It proved far more useful than cockiness or arrogance ever would. If nothing, it was certain proof of the sheer bravery and loyalty of everyone around Arthur- from the Knights, lost in thought as he was; to Merlin and Gwen, murmuring in hushed tones; to the small boy that rode in the saddle in front of him.

It had been an emotional goodbye for Medan, and while Arthur joined in Gwaine's joking, he secretly suspected that Medan did have a small inkling of feeling towards Nai. He was incredibly protective and before leaving had fiercely told Helen that she had to take the best care of her. The young pair had shared the longest hug Arthur had ever seen, it reminded him of the suffocating ones Morgana had given him as a child, attempting to stall him from joining his father on yet another hunting trip.

He'd found himself thinking about his childhood a lot recently. His sister played most in his memories, he couldn't help it, but he kept searching for the signs- any indication of where it had all gone wrong. In Morgana herself, he couldn't find a thing. She had always been defiant, growing more opposed to Uthers views and clashing with him more frequently as she matured. But Uther has always loved her, and Morgana was grateful to Uther, even if she failed to understand him. The problem hadn't lied within Morgana, but it was most likely Morgause who had single-handedly played on her weaknesses to create the monster Arthur now knew. It pained him to think how reasonable it was- Morgause would have had hardly any problem..."

Chapter 24:
Cut/condensed

Chapter 25:
Everyone arrives at the tower. They are confronted by Morgana and Elyan. Elyan seems different, Merlin warns Arthur that he senses dark magic at work.
There is a fight:
"Elyans lithe, fast and furious blows always agile and low to the ground meant he fought with an astounding ease. Yet if you looked closer there was a stiffness to the movements.. Something out of place."
Perhaps Elyan was still fighting the control Morgana had over him?
Morgana knows of Elyan's magic and planned to use as weapon- it's untamed and erratic, therefore has the potential to be powerful.
Gwen tries to reason with Morgana where there is a pause in the combat. Morgana wounds Gwen. She holds Elyan, saying if anyone tries anything she'll kill him.
Merlin realises the situation. In his reluctance to reveal his magic to Morgana means his friends are completely out matched against her. He calls the Dragon who allows them all to escape. In the chaos, merlin is able to grab Elyan and take him with them
Dishevelled, they make a camp in the wood.
Merlin knows he needs to confront Morgana.