Excalibur flies up into the night sky.

The king of Camelot, Uther Pendragon, falls to his knee.

His son, Arthur, hidden in a boat at the end of the dock gazes upon his father.

They stare at each other as the sword spins in the sky before plunging into the kings body. 

"Uther" Merlyn awaking from her slumber. She could feel the atmosphere shifting. The cottage she sleeps in creaks as the wind blows violently before everything falls still.

She knew it was no mere dream she had awaken from but a vision, a vision of the present from a far away land. 

The king is dead. 

She hangs her head knowing that the visions warning her of the future are bound to come true now that Excalibur is embedded in stone at the bottom of the water. She knew a purge was going to follow. It had already begun but now without Uther there would be no stopping his brother and Mordred from wiping her and her people from existence.

"Arthur" She whispers quickly standing from her bed. Arthur Pendragon, the one who would pull the sword from the stone when Camelot would need him most. However, the boy would have to live long enough for this to happen.

She slips into a warm dress and clasps her cloak around her shoulder. She walks up to her staff and slams the base against the dirt floor. After the third time it collapses, allowing her to conceal it easily.

She raises the hood of her cloak and leaves the cottage swiftly. She stands in the middle of a field and whistles. She waits another moment before a large black Friesian breaks through the treeline.

"Hello, old friend" Merlyn whispers rubbing his neck. He shakes his mane and paws at the ground. "We have a long journey ahead and not much time, we must make haste" She says grabbing his mane. The large horse kneels down allowing Merlyn to climb onto his back easier.

The moment she is on his bareback Arion stands, turns west and takes off. She grips his mane and holds on. Before the sunrises Merlyn approaches the city of Londinium.

"Easy" Merlyn whispers to Arion as they venture into the city. Arion prances slightly. Neither of them felt comfortable within the city but it had to be done. Merlyn had an ally within the city that she knew she could trust with this task.

Without any trouble Merlyn stops outside a brothel. She slides off of Arion and massages his withers before entering. She instantly has eyes on her but she pays them no mind. She looks for the one she came here for but doesn't find her.

"I'm looking for Rue" Merlyn says to one of the females relaxing in the corner.

"She's with someone," The girl tells her. "Anything I can help you with, love?" 

"You can tell me which room she's in, it's of dire importance" Merlyn insists. The young girl eyes Merlyn but slowly nods while standing up.

"Follow me," Merlyn does as told wordlessly. "She's in that room" The woman nods towards the closed door. Merlyn thanks her quietly before approaching the room. She withdraws her staff and twirls it between her fingers. In an instant, it extends to a length taller than her.

She uses the staff to knock on the door three times, there's a pause before she knocks again. She can hear shuffling around the room. A man complains before the door opens. He glares at Merlyn before moving on.

"Merlyn" Rue whispers greeting Merlyn at the door. "What are you doing here? It's not safe," She lightly scolds her mentor while closing the door to give them privacy. Merlyn lowers her hood and looks to her old friend in sorrow.

"Uther is dead" Rue instantly sits on the bed. "As is the queen"

"What of their son? Arthur?" Rue questions.

"He's escaped, barely but he's alive" Merlyn tells her. Rue takes a moment to process what Merlyn's told her.

"How can this happen?" Rue asks looking up at Merlyn. "Uther wields the sword you forged, he wields Excalibur. Who could defeat Uther?"

"Vortigern" Merlyn says. Rue frowns her eyebrows not understanding. "I've suspected for a long time he's allied himself with Mordred. It's the only way he could have overpowered Uther, he had help. With Uther dead and Arthur missing there's no stopping him from being king."

"If he's king he'll destroy anything and everything magic. He won't want any opposers, no challengers" Rue realizes. Merlyn nods confirming her train of thought. "Why are you here Merlyn?"

"The only way we survive is if Arthur takes the thrown from his uncle" Merlyn tells her.

"But he's just a boy and you said he was missing" Rue says still not understanding.

"The boat will bring him to Londinium" Merlyn says. Rue slowly stands and walks towards the window. Merlyn keeps her gaze on her. Rue looks out over the city and towards the port. "He'll be here within the hour"

"What is it you're asking of me?" Rue whispers.

"It is essential that Arthur survives and grows strong" Merlyn tells her. "If he dies before he can become king, Camelot and every city, town and village surrounding it will fall to darkness."

"If people find out who he is, we'll be slaughtered" Rue whispers. Merlyn doesn't deny the statement.

"Take care of the boy and there will come a day where he will take care of you" Merlyn assures her.

"When will his time come?"Rue asks turning to face her.

"When the sword presents itself" Merlyn tells her. "He must not know of his true origins. Raise him like a commoner boy. Keep him fed and healthy, keep him safe."

"How will I find him?" Rue asks.

"I'll bring him to you" Merlyn says lifting her hood over her head. "No one must know who he truly is, not even the other women within this brothel" She warns.

"I'll keep him safe, Merlyn. You can trust me" Rue reassures. Merlyn smiles and nods before resizing her staff, hiding it within her cloak. "It's good to see you, Merlyn"

"I wish it were under better circumstances" Merlyn whispers. Rue gives her a small smile. "Meet me in the street within the hour" Rue nods watching Merlyn leave the room.

Merlyn leaves the brothel and climbs back onto Arion. He spins around and heads towards the port. He prances through the streets forcing people to move out of the way. Merlyn knew her time here was limited. Soon she would draw too much attention, soon she'll have to flee. 

Just as her vision showed her, a small boat bumps into the dock. Merlyn slides off of Arion. She massages his withers before the large horse turns and leaves the city, waiting for his rider within the woods.

"Hello" Merlyn says kneeling by the boat. She lowers her hood and gazes at the small boy with a gentle smile. The boy looks at her curiously. "Why don't we get you out of that boat, aye?"

Arthur doesn't make a move to leave the boat. He just looks at Merlyn. Her bright blue eyes are calming and inviting. Her soft brown hair that almost reaches her waist. He feels as if he can trust her. She seems kind as she smiles at him with an outstretched hand.

"I won't harm you, you have my word" She reassures him. "I'm going to take you somewhere, somewhere safe" Slowly, Arthur takes her hand and allows her to pull him onto the dock.

Now that he is closer he can see more of her features. His eyes instantly go to her ears. Instead of a curve, they're pointed. He cannot resist the urge. He reaches out and gently touches them.

"Have you ever seen an elf before?" She asks him. He shakes his head. "You are one of few who have, there's not many of us left" She tells him with a small smile. "That makes you special"

He smiles slightly. His attention turns towards the crystal hanging around her neck. He reaches for it. She watches him grab it gently. The crystal shines to his touch. His eyes widen slightly as he releases it.

"It's alright" She tells him softly. "You didn't do anything wrong" She assures him. He relaxes, his eyes returning to hers. She says grabbing his hand gently. "Now, I know you've had a long and scary night but I need you to come with me. Can you do that?" He nods trusting her more the longer he's with her.

Merlyn smiles and stands. She holds onto his hand and pulls him away from the boat. She urges him to stay close as they weave through the city and towards the brothel where Rue was waiting.

"This is a very good friend of mine, her name is Rue" Merlyn tells Arthur while kneeling in front of him. "You're going to be staying with her, alright?" Arthur silently nods. His eyes glance at the necklace again. She smiles softly and reaches for it. "Take care of this for me," Merlyn says taking the crystal off of her neck. Rue's eyes widen slightly but she doesn't say anything. "Don't ever lose it, understand?" Arthur nods allowing Merlyn to put it around his neck. "We'll meet again, Arthur Pendragon" Merlyn tells him before standing up.

"Why don't you go inside and get something to eat" Rue suggests. Arthur nods and enters the brothel slowly. "What will you do now? Where will you go?"

"I'll keep Vortigern's attention on me, it'll keep him safer" Merlyn says not wanting to leave but knowing she had no choice.

"Look after yourself, Merlyn" Rue says. "We still need you"

"I'm sorry I'm asking so much of you," Merlyn says. "For putting you and the others in so much danger"

"It's what needs to be done," Rue nods. "I'll keep him safe, you worry about everything else" Merlyn smiles and nods. Without saying anything else Merlyn disappears into the shadows.