Between the Storms

Chapter Five

05. The Trouble With Siblings

Magdelena arrived back at the castle and made her way toward Gaius's chambers hoping Merlin was there as well. She arrived at the door which was open to seeing the Prince and Gaius who looked very worried, "He didn't come home last night, I can't find him." Gaius says hoping that Arthur had some idea where he was.

"Merlin is missing?" Magdelena asked entering more making Gaius smile at her very worried but she was more worried about Merlin.

"Mags you are back!" Arthur says before turning to Gaius, "When you do, you can tell him he's the target. Could I ask you a question Mags?"

"Later I have to find Merlin!" she says rushing forward to Gaius, "Tell me everything I have missed Gaius I have to find him!" 

"Mags? I can send some patrols to search the forest for him if you would like?" Gaius turns to look at the Prince with a knowing look which was also smug as she turned to the Prince, "Anything to put your mind at ease."

"Figure out what is wrong with Uther," she says staring at him, "No man just goes crazy in a matter of moments." 

"Are you suggesting sorcery?" Gaius asks staring at her and she nods her head. 

"Now I must go find my brother," she says walking from the room to head out running to an empty area before she closes her eyes and fins him and he was with Kilgarrah. She was about to apparate to him but she heard someone coming and opened her eyes to see Leon, and with him was Trevor glaring at her, "Excuse me Sir Leon I must go somewhere."

"Arthur said that he was bringing you to Gaius' yesterday but when I went to check on you, you weren't there," he says worry clear in his voice and his eyes.

"Someone in the forest offered me shelter, and the Prince had very little say in the matter," she says, "Now I am truly sorry Sir Leon but I have to find Merlin no one has been able to find him." She quickly runs past him to a clear spot, before apparating to where she had felt him. She arrived at the small clearing to find Merlin asleep next to a small fire and Kilgarrah laying near him.

"Greetings Magdelena," he says in his deep but wise voice, "I see you too have been affected by the Mandrake root, like Uther."

"The Mandrake root?" she asks curiously sitting near Merlin so she was able to see Kilgarrah still, "What do you mean?"

"The Mandrake roots scream can only be heard by those with magic, if one doesn't have magic it drives the person insane by going into the soul and messing with their darkest  feelings and thoughts," Kilgarrah explains, "Uther doesn't have magic but his bond with you makes you also under the roots scream."

"This is horrible," she says Trevor laughing at her making her close her eyes as Kilgarrah watches her, "Can you see him or something? Is that how you knew about the root?"

"I can hear its scream coming from Camelot from here," Kilgarrah says, "I feared the worst. I am sorry you are being put through this."

"When I catch the person responsible I shall give them similar treatment," Magdelena growls as Trevor begins to speak making her reserve fall.

"WhY dId yOu gO aFtEr MeRliN? hE iS ScAreD oF yOu, hE HaTes yOu nOw ThAt hE knOwS tHe TrUtH!" she tried to cover her ears but she could still hear him speak, "mUrdEreR! VilLiAn!"

Suddenly she watched as he faded and before her was Hunith and Balinor she smiled at the sight of her father, until his eyes went into a glare at her, "wHo WouLd wAnT yOu aS a DaUgHteR?!" he snapped at her making her tears begin to fall as she shook her head, "hUniTh wAs RiGht. wE dOn'T wAnT yOu, nOt wHeN wE hAvE MeRliN!"

"Don't say that please father, don't say that," she begs lost into the words once again, "Please." 

"Swefn nu," the dragon roared and Magdelena fell next to Merlin asleep as the things that she was hearing stopped for the moment. 

Merlin woke up not yet aware of the presence of Magdelena by his feet, "You shouldn't have let me sleep," Merlin says staring at the dragon.

"I had no choice, young warlock," the dragon tells the raven-haired man, "The venom was too strong, even for your great powers!"

"I don't have time. I need to get back to Camelot. The kingdom is in danger and...it's my fault. I should've listened to you. Should never have trusted Morgana," He was standing looking around still not seeing his sister.

"You did what you felt was right, and that shows great courage, but trust is a double-edged sword," Kilgarrah says being wise and slightly riddle speak like he usually was.

"I thought...because she has magic, I thought we were the same," Merlin says sadly that someone has gone slightly evil when he was hoping to have someone to relate to.

"In some ways you are," Kilgarrah tells the warlock who looks slightly angered by those words.

"No. I will never be like her," Merli says fully assured that he would never turn evil.

"You have learnt an important lesson, Merlin. Your determination to see goodness in people will be your undoing. But I fear that your futures are now joined forever. She is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love," Kilgarrah says, "Just like Magdelena is the only one who might be able to change the two people who will be your greatest foes."

"Maggie!" he calls realizing she was there, "What is wrong with her?"

"She arrived not long ago, she seemed fine for a bit but the Mandrake root has caused her much harm. She will need much love and reassurance after this is done," Merlin looks at him slightly confused, "Many of her fears were brought to life in her mind." 

"I need to get back to Camelot," Merlin says sitting by his sister running a hand through her silky smooth hair.

"You're not yet fully recovered Merlin, and it's more than three days' walk," Kilgarrah says staring down at the man who smirked at the dragon.

"I've no intention of walking," he says making Kilgarrah smile at the young warlock. He first gets Magdelena up on the dragon before climbing up on the bronze dragon himself and makes sure that he was holding onto his sister tightly as he rose to the sky. Laughing and calling out in awe as the dragon chuckles slightly at the young warlocks reaction to flying on the back of a dragon.