In front of him, hovering just above the surface of the water stood a tall woman. As the light receded he lowered his arm and opened his eyes. He could feel the light surrounding him, it was warm and gentle and he felt no fear. The light coming towards him became brighter and he lifted his arm to shade his eyes. The lights continued to move across the lake, they paid no attention to him. The heat had gone from the day and he felt cold, chilled to the bone. His clothes were drenched and stuck to his body, he shivered. One of them broke away from the rest and moved towards him, the others continued towards the boat. He rubbed his eyes once more but they were still there. There were several tiny lights gliding across the surface of the water. The island was hidden but he could just make out the boat that carried Arthur. He looked out across the lake but he could see very little in the dim light. He heard someone calling him again the voice was closer now coming from the direction of the water. He looked around the clearing for whoever called him but couldn't see anyone in the grey light. He had no idea what the time was, the sun was hidden. He sat up slowly, stiff from sleep and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Merlin!" he heard the voice again in his head, he sighed and opened his eyes once more.
#Merlin season 6 the return of arthur skin#
He was soaked to the skin but he didn't care, he closed his eyes again hoping to block out the pain he felt deep inside. Rain, so light it was almost mist, gently washed away the tears drying on his cheeks. Turning over onto his back he looked up at the sky, it was completely grey matching his mood. He heard someone calling him from a long way off and he wondered if he was still dreaming.
He opened his eyes and found he was still lying on the bank by the lake. ‘The King is dead,' the words echoed in his mind and all went dark once more.
The darkness cleared and Leon was in the throne room standing next to Gwen, 'The King is dead,’ he said as Gwen tried to hide her grief. He could not breathe, the sky darkened until all was black and he heard cruel laughter all around him. Large horseless carriages thundered past him and the ground trembled. The scene changed again and he saw himself as an older man walking along a strange road. He saw Gwen and Gaius crying, Arthur's tattered cloak lay before them with his own water bottle slashed and burned. Percival looking closely at the ground following a muddy trail, he was searching for something or someone. Images flashed through his mind, one after another in quick succession. He dropped to his knees, the tears falling down his cheeks as the grief took him. How would he ever face Gwen again, Arthur's death would break her heart. He couldn't bear the thought of telling Gaius he had failed he’d had such faith in him. Merlin looked out across the lake to the boat that carried Arthur, tears blurred his vision.
In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man.