Thaumaturgy

Chapter 32

Merlin was scared. Holding Morgana in his arms, the worry that had sat a heavy stone in his stomch boiled over, an unwatched cauldren rippling up to burn someone.

"Nonononono" Merlin muttered franticall as Morgana shuddered with sobs in his arms. He placed a hand over her eyes and clsoed his own eyes, trying to summon the magic he was so used to to cure her, but he felt only the void, a static emptiness; ten meillion shards of glass and tears that filled his body and sliced him open with the absense of magical warmth, even with the skills the druids had tought him.

Mordred? He thought as he trie to talk to mordred in his head, but there was no answer just the echo of his own mind calling back to him.

"NO!!" He screamed hot tears over spilling his eyes and tearing down his face.

"æalá! lóclóca!" He yelled all the spells he could think of but noghting helped. There was no spark of magic in him or in the earth beneath him. Uther had succeeded.

"Merlin!" barked Arthur's stone voice, calling Merlin back to the moment, even as his breathen quickened in a panic. He felt his husband's firm arm wrap itself around his middle and felt the breath of his belobed in his ear. "Calm down." came Arthur's calm voice. "Breathe with me."

Merlin turned to look at Arthur, face ash.

"You don't understand. It's gone. it's all gone. I can't heal her and I can't reach Morded, or the other Druids. I....I don't know what I am without my maigc....I...." he trailed off, eyes frantic and face sad, even as Arthur cupped it in a gentle hand. He brought their ple and cold lips together for a chased kiss.

"You're my husband. My Merlin. And you're funny." he kissed him again "and smart" another kiss. "and resourceful" another kiss "and gorgeous" he tweaked Merlin's nose "and you're going to do everything you can to save us." he finished, brushing one icy tear from Merlin's razor sharpe cheek bones.

"He's right, Merlin" came Morgana's gulping voice from where she still lay in Merlin's arms and lap gripping him for warmth "we all belive in you. You can still lead us....along with Arthur of course." she finished.

"I don't know how...." Merlin whispered his voice wet with tears.

"We'll figure it out. All of us. Together." Arthur said firmly catchign MErlins eyes with his own and holding them with his gaze, and Merlin saw so much promise in the oceaon pools he couldn't help but feel assured.

"Together." He said in a stronger voice.

Together they helped Morgana up and back into her hom, to warm up before the fire that roared in her fire place.

"Stay here, Morgs, we'll think of a solution" said Arthur with a reassuring squeeze to the wrist of the sightless seer. She sighed and pulled her arm chair closer to the harth and the burning fire that inhabited it.

Merlin and Arthur left off with urgency towards the Druid camp. As they approached, the pair could feel the pinic in the air - it crackled through the darkness of the winter night like a bolt of static electricity. Th air was silent of all sound like a graveyard littered with tents. Merlin and Arthur shaved a glance as they entered, calling out to the elder.

"Mordred! Cynywllr!" Merlin cried.

"What's going on?" demeanded Arthur's harsh and golen voice.

"Emyrs!" A voice called through the camp. Mordred's' voice. "Can you feel that?"

"It's gone!" screamed Merlin, voice wash with angst as he grasped Arthurs's arm.

"All of it" replied the Duird sadly. "Emyrs, this is most serious. There is no magic left. The land is barren." Merlin was distressed, but put on a solid tone to reassure the other.

"Mordred, we will be oaky. That Druids have strength and have overcome many things before. Our plan is good. We fight for a just cause and we will prevail." He said, calimly.

"Kyrie eléison" Mordred said solmenly in reply, which was a druid prayer, and roughly translated to 'I call on the gods for protection'. There was a pause.

"We will help in other ways, Emrys, fear not. We have experienced healers and other methods of prophecy with runes and cards. We can still fight with our hands and swords." Mordred assured him, his voice was solem and his eyes were stern at Merlin and Arthur.

"I....thank you" Merlin choked on his words surpressing his unfair anger that what they had left wasn't enough to fill the hol that magic left behind them. He turned away and walked away fom the camp leaving Arthur behind. Arthur looked at Mordred and pulled a face with his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry. Your help is much appreciated." He turned and strode after Merlin, catching up to him swiftly with his long strides he pulled him to a stop in a hug and Merlin turned and let the tears streaming down his face soak into Arthurs shirt beneath hs coat, turnign the bue fabic navy blue with the wetness.

"It's not fair!" Merin cried into his chest his voice horse from screaming "we've had everthing taken from us! and now we have to face the man who did this to us!"

"And we will fight Merlin" He said with passion so great Merlin looked up looking like the ocens were flowing from his eyes.

"We will fight to the end and no matter what happens we will know we did what is right. The king cannot go unchallenged and we will watch him fall." Arthur felt the rage build in his chest and strengthn him to the future.

"You'll make a great king. The crown will fall from his unworthy head right on to yours" Merlin brushed his fingers throught the sides of Arthur's silky hair brushing errant snowflakes away. Arthur shook his head slowly so as not to dislodge the ravens man hands.

"I'm not after fame and glory. I'm after you" He said softly and mirrored MErlin's pose resting his wamr hand gently on his chilled face.

"How do you mean?" Merlin queried with a sniff and a cock of his head.

"I want to make the world safe for you, to not have to hide and steal to survive, and even if....it doesn't come back" he avoided saying 'magic' for fear of upsetting the other man again "I still want you to be safe and happy, and for everyone who has lost something tody."