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Merlin formed a shield around himself to block the fire being directed at him by Kilgharrah.
"How dare you?" Kilgharrah bellowed. "I have nothing in common with Uther!"
"You both failed to raise your daughters! You have no idea where Aithusa is. You acted as though she was important to you when she hatched but you lost track of her not five minutes later. You were supposed to teach her. You say she'll be drawn to other magic users. What if she teams up with Morgana?"
"She would know better than to side with the witch."
"Why would she know better? Certainly not because you taught her."
"Dragons aren't like humans, Aithusa doesn't need any one dragon to raise her."
"She was in that egg for over 400 years! This is the first time a dragon has hatched without a group for guidance. You're the only one she has.”
"Honestly young warlock, for a dragonlord you know very little about dragons."
"And whose fault is that?! You speak in riddles, Uther burnt all the books on dragons, my father is dead. How am I supposed to learn?" Merlin is used to feeling exasperated with Kilgharrah, but he’d thought that the great dragon would at least look out for the hatchling.
“Much of the knowledge you seek would have been passed down as oral tradition by dragonlords from father to son. Had it not been for Uther’s slaughter there would have been many more dragonlords than just your father to teach you as you grew up.”
“The world is a very different place, does she know to avoid almost all humans? Did you warn her of Camelot? Did she hatch expecting to be able to find dragons and dragonlords easily whenever she needed help?”
“I am certain she’s well.”
“But have you actually checked? You were so insistent that I retrieve the egg immediately so that you would no longer be the last of your kind, but what are you doing to ensure that you won’t be again? She's only a few weeks old, I can't believe you'd even consider letting her go off by herself.” Merlin regretted not having checked in on Aithusa sooner, but it was risky for him. She had been reluctant to let him leave just after hatching and he couldn’t risk her following him back home. “I can hardly raise her while living in Camelot and I can't leave Arthur's side, the prat would get himself killed the next time he decides to go on a hunt. I thought you were going to look out for her."
“We can check on her now, she will answer your call.”
Merlin roared into the sky, "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"
After a few minutes of waiting Merlin still couldn’t hear the beating of wings, his impatient pacing picking up speed.
"Young warlock, calm yourself. Consider how long it takes me to reach you when you call and then remember how much smaller Aithusa is. It will take some time."
“How do you know if she’s coming? What if she’s injured or trapped?” Merlin asked, his voice rising an octave as his mind ran through all of the different ways she could have been hurt.
“Can you feel her in your mind?” When Merlin looked confused, Kilgharrah continued, “it's related to our ability for mind speak. Look for me, and then, see if you can feel Aithusa there.”
Merlin stopped his pacing and tried to sense the dragons, he slumped down in relief upon finding them, at least he knew that Aithusa was on her way.
After what felt like an eternity, but was more likely 20 minutes, Kilgharrah announced that he could hear Aithusa’s approach and after a few more minutes Merlin could hear her too.
Where Kilgharrah lands gracefully, slowing his approach and angling himself to land on all four more gently than would have been expected possible for a being of his size, Aithusa didn’t slow her approach, tripped on her feet, tumbled over and landed in Merlin’s lap. She extracted her head and chirped up at him.
“Hello little one,” Merlin greeted her with a wide grin. “It’s good to see you. I’m sorry I didn’t check on you sooner," he said while stroking her head gently. Merlin was relieved that she had made it and was glad that she was pleased to see him.
Aithusa chirped again and clambered up to his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek with her snout.
“I will take better care of Aithusa from now on, although she would be pleased to see you more regularly as well,” Kilgharrah reassured Merlin, before continuing, “but if you ever compare me to Uther again, I will find a way to flame roast you.”
Over the coming months Merlin often snuck out at night to meet Aithusa and Kilgharrah; he regularly stayed with them until dawn broke. This left him even more uncoordinated and clumsy than usual during the day from exhaustion; Arthur often yelled at him for being hungover, although there was concern in his eyes. Kilgharrah didn't become any less cryptic in his advice and Merlin could only hope that Aithusa wouldn't take after him entirely.
When Arthur proposed to Gwen he decided that a hunting trip for a day with his roundtable knights was due. Aithusa had been doing well at keeping away from Camelot unless she was accompanied, but on this particular day she came closer to Camelot than usual. She had managed to sneak up on the hunting party without being noticed, having landed a little distance away and then walked so that her landing which she was still working on wouldn’t be heard. She waited until Merlin was at the back of the group and poked her head out of the bush she was hiding in as he passed. Merlin promptly walked into a tree.
Gwaine chuckled lightly but looked a little concerned as he asked “you alright there, Merls?”
Merlin vaguely processed that Arthur was yelling at him for startling a stag that would have been perfect for the wedding feast, but he was too preoccupied to come up with a retort that was up to his usual standards.
“Sorry! Didn’t get much sleep. The royal prat keeps thinking of things that absolutely need doing before his wedding.” Merlin left out the part where he was using his magic to fulfil as many of his extra duties as possible, after all he needed as much of his free time as he could get for meeting the dragons.
“Let’s keep moving, maybe we can catch up to the stag again before we need to head back; hopefully it won’t have gone far.”
As the others moved on Gwaine hesitated and looked at Merlin to confirm that he was ok, Merlin nodded and gestured that he should go ahead. Thankfully Gwaine listened even if he looked unsure.
After waiting a moment Merlin looked to where he thought he’d seen Aithusa, “Aithusa! Where are you?” he hissed, trying to keep the knights from hearing him and unable to entirely keep his annoyance from showing in his voice. He knew that she was still young and learning but showing up here was a risk she shouldn’t have taken.
Aithusa poked her head back up, ran out and grabbed the leg of his breeches with her teeth and tugged. Merlin couldn’t wait until she learned to speak, he’d have to remember to ask Kilgharrah the next time he sees him when that would be. “Do you want me to follow you?”
Aithusa nodded, while still keeping hold of his breeches.
“You do realise how much trouble I’ll be in if I take too long? And how much trouble you’ll be in if we’re caught at all?”
Aithusa nodded again and tugged harder. Merlin figured that it must be really important and urgent for her to risk them both like this. She may still be young but she seemed to understand the importance of not being caught; he hoped that Kilgharrah was alright.
Merlin stumbled as she led him into a clearing, no longer looking where he was going once his eyes had fallen on the figure at the centre. The person reminded him of Lancelot, even though he knew that couldn't be. Either way the person looked to be unconscious and Merlin being a physician’s apprentice might be able to help with any injuries. Aithusa had released him so this was evidently what she wanted to show him. He approached cautiously, not wanting to startle an injured and potentially armed person.
Merlin froze for a moment when he saw the person’s face, then rushed forward. He shook the person gently. “Lancelot?” he asked, his voice faltering.
Lancelot moaned quietly, looking bleary eyed and dazed. Slowly he opened his eyes and eventually managed to focus on who had woken him. “Merlin? Is that you? What happened? Where am I?”
“I don’t know what happened, Aithusa led me to you. Do you remember anything?”
Lancelot sat up slowly, gingerly touching the back of his head. “I know not where I have been. I remember … I remember a white dragon? Breathing some kind of mist over me. I think I passed out and hit my head.”
“Hmm, we’ll have to keep an eye out for signs of a concussion,” Merlin said. Aithusa chirped and lept onto Merlin’s shoulder. “Lancelot, I’d like you to meet Aithusa, I hatched her.”
Lancelot blinked. This was all rather a lot to take in. “I didn’t know you could hatch dragons. Are there more?”
“I didn't know either, I didn't find her egg until after you'd di-" Merlin cut himself off abruptly, unsure whether it was something he should bring up yet. "Hers is the only egg I’ve found. There may be others but I wouldn’t know how to find them.”
“What was the mist she breathed over me?”
“It sounds like that was healing magic. Do you have any idea what she was healing you from?”
“I remember stepping through the veil and then nothing until I saw Aithusa.” Lancelot didn’t think that it would help Merlin’s guilt any to mention that he remembers the unending screams from inside the veil. He inclined his head at the dragon, “thank you for finding me and bringing Merlin to me.”
Aithusa trilled in response, pleased to be told that she had done a good job.
“At least your memories from before are intact and you recognised me immediately." Merlin gave Lancelot what he hoped was a reassuring smile before frowning slightly. "Something must have brought you back. Or someone. You don’t have any idea who? How are you feeling?”
“Surprisingly well aside from the headache. Unfortunately not, could it have been the Cailleach?”
“Possibly,” Merlin said though he sounded unsure, “but why would she take your life only to return it later? What would be her motive?”
Lancelot shrugged and opened his mouth to respond but Merlin interrupted “I haven’t thanked you. For sacrificing yourself in my place. I… I was so angry at you.” Tears were filling Merlin’s eyes. “I had no right to be, I’m sorry. You gave up everything for me.”
Lancelot sighed and reached out for Merlin’s hand. “Your place is by Arthur’s side. You do more to protect him than anyone else could ever hope to, certainly more than I could as his knight. I swore an oath to serve and protect him in any way that I could, keeping you at his side was the best way I could do that.” Lancelot swallowed before he continued, “and I couldn’t have stood back and watched you sacrifice yourself. I had already lost one family, I couldn’t stand to lose you too. I’m sorry for the pain that I caused you, I can only imagine the pain it would have caused me the other way around.”
Merlin swallowed around a lump in his throat, trying to hold back the tears filling his eyes, he wiped his sleeve across his face. “I spent so long wondering whether there was anything I could have done to stop you, then afterwards whether there was anything I could do to save you, to bring you back.”
Lancelot froze at Merlin’s words. “That would have been dark magic, a life for a life, you would have had to sacrifice someone else to bring me back. I wouldn’t have wished for that.”
“I would never have asked you to sacrifice yourself. It is my destiny to protect Arthur.”
“You told me that I had to have a reason, something I care about, something that’s more important than anything. You are that to me.”
“Merlin!” Arthur could be heard yelling through the trees and getting nearer.
They didn’t know how they were going to explain this to anyone, they had no idea what had happened before Aithusa found Lancelot. Had Lancelot been brought back with dark magic? He seemed to be himself and they didn’t know who was responsible or what their plan had been. Merlin startled as he remembered that Aithusa was still on his shoulder.
“Thank you for all you have done. I can’t thank you enough for healing Lancelot and returning him to me. I’m sorry I snapped at you before, I should have trusted you that it was important for you to have approached me so close to Camelot. I was scared for your safety. Now you must hide. Please. They must not find you here.”
Aithusa pushed off from Merlin’s shoulder and launched herself into the air. She flapped slowly and hovered for a moment, chirping once more before taking off at speed, it wasn’t long before she looked like nothing more than a distant star in the clear sky. Merlin looked after her wistfully, hoping she was headed back to Kilgharrah.
When he turned back around it was to see Gwaine entering the clearing, he could only hope that the knight had been too focused on Lancelot to notice anything else.
“Arthur!” Gwaine called out. “They’re over here.”
“Honestly Merlin, I don’t know how you managed to get lost, all you had to do was follow the person in front.” Arthur came out through the trees and paused. “Lancelot! How on earth are you here?”
“I honestly have no idea, sire.” Lancelot responded, omitting anything that might sound treasonous, which was the majority of what happened since his return.
Leon, Elyan and Percival joined them, Percival heading straight over to Lancelot to greet him with a hug, then offering him his waterskin. Lancelot took it gratefully, suddenly realising that he was unable to remember the last time he had had food or drink, it must have been before he’d entered the veil. Merlin placed a hand on his arm and recommended that he take small sips to begin with.
“We’ve lost all track of the stag since we had to look for my wayward manservant instead,” Arthur announced, his attempt at sounding irritated with Merlin undercut entirely by the wide smile on his face. He saw how desperately Lancelot needed the water and decided that it was too soon to try to get the man up and walking; however he had gotten here Lancelot clearly needed rest now. “Let’s stop here for lunch. Merlin, get a fire going.”
Gwaine produced an apple from his somehow unending supply and handed it to Lancelot while Merlin gathered some firewood before preparing their lunch. Their lunch was cheerful but restrained, they didn’t know what Lancelot had been through and didn’t want to overwhelm him. They caught him up on the gossip and all of the preparations for Arthur and Gwen’s wedding due to be held later that week. Lancelot only ate a few mouthfuls before claiming that he had had enough. He was looking a little brighter but still tired.
“Lancelot, are you alright to walk?” Arthur asked. If they waited here too long they would end up having to camp out overnight, they hadn’t brought any of the necessary gear and he didn’t think that it would do Lancelot any good.
Lancelot began to nod then winced. “I’ve hit my head, but I should be alright to walk.”
Arthur looked a little sceptical but continued, “then we should head back to Camelot, get Gaius to check you over. Your old chambers are still yours but I’m afraid they will need cleaning before anyone stays in them.”
“He can stay with me,” Merlin immediately offered. "Gaius will probably want to keep him in anyway, it'll be easier to keep an eye out for a concussion that way."
Arthur came over and helped Lancelot to his feet. “It’s good to have you back,” he clasped Lancelot’s arm firmly before letting go. “Let’s head home.”