Sorry for the one day delay but I'm sick-.-

This tiem a short chapter, I splitted it in two parts so that I can make a update every week ;) I hope I get the next part longer.

Note that it's not beta read.

Chapter 4: Choices (part 1)

Merlin returns from a near stream with his neckerchief drenched in water and cleans the wound on Arthur's head with it.

Arthur's still unconscious and Merlin is worried. But he still has to do something. He takes Arthurs sword and goes to the place where the dead Questing Beast is lying.

He takes a deep breath and stabs the sword into the beasts neck. He pulls the it out again and takes a vial out that he has brought with him and fills it with the blood that is dropping from the sword. He hopes that it will work.

Then he walks back to look after Arthur again.

"Come on, wake up!" he shakes him. But Arthur doesn't wake up.

After a while in which Merlin was getting the horses Arthur's conscience comes back, and he looks around with gloomy eyes. As he sees Merlin he sits up straight.

"What happened?" He asks holding his head.

"Oh, thank god" Merlin sighs in relief. He heads back to his master.

"The beast hit your head" he answers the question.

"What happened to the beast, I mean. Don't tell me you killed it."

He laughs slightly.

"No" Merlin laughs too, relieved that Arthur is ok. "Not this time" he adds in his thoughts.

"Who then?"

Merlin thinks for a while what to say.

"So how?" Arthur asks impatiently.

"A sorceress." Merlin replies truthfully.

Arthur just nods, he looks over to the dead Questing Beast and then back to Merlin.

"Do you have the venom?"

Merlin nods and holds up the vial with the blood.

"Great!" Arthur says and stands up quickly. A little too quickly because he stumbles, sways and Merlin can catch him before he falls.

He looks at his servant with a smile.

"Thanks" he says.

Merlin smiles back.

"We should go back to Camelot," Arthur says and goes to his horse.

They ride back very fast so Merlin has not much time to think about what Nimueh has said but it worries him and he wonders how far she would go to reach her aim and get her revenge on Uther this time.

Furthermore he wonders what she knows about the future.

Back in Camelot Merlin goes directly to Gaius to bring him the venom for the potion so that he can make the antidote as soon as possible.

Meanwhile Arthur is with his father as Gwen enters the room. She is startled as she sees him.

"Arthur, thank god!" she says relieved. But then she puts her hands to her hips, looking angrily.

"How often will you leave me here all worried again?"

"Sorry" Arthur replies and she smiles at him.

"How is he?" she looks at the Uther.

"Worse." Arthur looks down in sorrow.

"Gaius is working on the antidote. I hope it's ready soon. I don't know how much time he still has."

Gaius gives Uther the antidote and Merlin casts the spell. Soon Uther falls asleep. Arthur sits on his father bedside for the rest of the day.

As the king wakes again a few hours later he looks much better.

Step by step everything turns back to its usual way again. The only difference is that now everyone knows about the true nature of Morgana and everybody fears her return and what she is capable of to do then.

But Merlin has something else in his mind, too. Nimueh knows something that he does not. She has warned him about something that is going to happen in the future and Merlin is worried about it. He has to find out what she has meant.

Nimueh, well hidden in the forests, comes back from her trance she was in with a scream right at the moment when Uther awakes.

It was the vision again. But this time one thing was different; she has seen Morgana in it. Morgana and a boy. She doesn't know who he is. She closes her eyes again and concentrates to remember the vision. Then she suddenly recognizes him. It is the druid boy who has been to Camelot before. The boy of the prophecy who shall bring Arthurs death and Camelot's downfall. Not that she cares much about Camelot anymore.

But she wants her revenge on Uther and for that she needs Merlin on her side.

He is the only one who can stop her.

Besides, they have something in common. They have both great magical powers and they both want to bring magic back to the land of Albion.

And

But for this Uther has to die. No matter what.

It is not only about revenge anymore. The future of Albion depends on Merlin's decision. Without Merlin, magic cannot come back to the land and he better should not make her plans fail again. She even would kill Arthur if it is necessary.

She knows Merlin doesn't understand the extent of the danger that is to come yet. So she goes down to the stream fetching a bowl of water. Then she whispers a spell upon it. She can see Merlin asleep now. She holds her hand over the picture in the water and whispers another spell, sending Merlin a bad dream.

Merlin awakes heavy breathing and scared.

In the morning he tells Gaius about the dream he had that night.

"I think it was a vision. I think it was what Nimueh warned me about. And it scares the hell out of me."

Tbc~

I'd love you for some reviews;)