So um...hi. I'm back. You know how I said that a month was the longest you'd have to wait ever again? That kinda failed, obviously. I was using Safari to upload chapters, but I should have been using Chrome, because it actually works on Chrome. So, yeah, I am sorry about the wait, and you'll probably have to wait agin as I haven't started the next chapter yet, and I have Mid-year exams next Friday, but I'll try and have it out within two months at the latest hopefully. I make no promises. Thanks to Lya200, SwordMasterZ, Ladyliz2, YogurtBear, fastreader12, MythologyStar, KingdomCome67, Mere888, morningstar115, madnessdownunder2, koala789 and OldRose for reviewing.

He broke the connection and turned to make a comment to Iseldir, but they had reached the council area

The eldest Druid elder, named Delia calls for quiet and starts the meeting by questioning Leon.

"What is your name?" She asks

"Sir Leon, Knight of Camelot." Leon answers.

"I only asked of your name. We have no use for titles when we are all equal" Delia states.

Leon's unsure what to say, but settled for. "…My apologies, I was unaware of that."

She waves him off. "It is of no consequence. We have spells around this area, so we know when you are telling a lie. Now to start the proper questioning. Why are you here?"

"I came as part of a patrol. We were sent to deliver the message of the reward for the 'fugitives' capture and to find any Druids, as it is believed that the six would go to them. We found tracks that lead to this spot. Sir Aaron tried to get through, but he couldn't. The trees blocked him. I was able to get through because I came to seek my friends to help, not harm them. I also have nothing against the Druids, who I know are a peaceful people and do not wish harm to befall you."

Delia noted that none of what he said was a lie. She nodded her acceptance of his statements. "You said 'fugitives' as if the word were poison. Why?"

"I do not believe they are fugitives, merely escaping certain death at the hands of an unfair law. Others do not think this way."

Delia nodded as she continued. "Who are the Knights that came here with you?"

"Sir Aaron, Sir Jerald and Sir Gregory. We were the only Knights in the citadel that weren't on patrol or guard duty, so we were sent out."

"Where do your loyalties lie?" Was the next question.

"With Arthur"

"Would you tell people where we are if we let you return to Camelot?" The Druids leaned forward at this.

"No"

Delia blinked, not expecting this answer "Why?"

"Two reasons. One, it would result in my friends' capture and two, I don't believe in the unnecessary killing of innocents." Leon answered.

"So you believe the Druid's to be innocent?"

"Unless there is undeniable proof, I won't condemn people to death." Leon replied, vaguely.

"But that is not what I asked." Delia noted

Leon sighed. "I don't believe the Druids would harm anyone they don't have to. They even saved me from death once. I don't believe them inherently evil. However, others believe differently"

She nodded. "That concludes the questioning." Delia looked at him once again, and smiled. "One Knight of the Round Table was always prophesised to be the defect and search out his brothers. It appears we have found him." Applause broke out at this and Leon, one of the oldest and battle-hardened knights of Camelot, who had looked death (also known as a dragon) in the eye and said, 'take your best shot!', was blushing. Full on, red in the face, blushing at the applause from the Druids.

Gwaine noticed this and called out. "Look! You made the man blush!" This started the same laughter Arthur received for his 'Emmie' comment several nights ago. Once the laughter had died down, Iseldir said. "There is more to be discussed. About the three Knights that came with Leon, what are we to do with them?" At this point, Merlin cancelled his silencing spell on Arthur, who then proceeded to tell Leon what had happened to them in the four days they'd been away, but leaving out his magic. He wanted to tell Leon later in a more private place.

A man in the back said. "Killing them is undoubtedly…" here he paused "…not an option" Leon let out an involuntary sigh of relief and then smiled at the fact that the man was only joking. Many Druid's just rolled their eyes, the Knights and both sides of the coin included, having grown used to Haemus' bad dad jokes.

Iseldir ignored the Knights and instead said. "Quite right Haemus. We cannot kill them, nor can we let them go. What can we do?"

Lancelot asked. "What's so wrong with them? Why must they be killed? What have they done?"

"All good questions, Lancelot, that show your honour and nobility." Complimented Iseldir. Lancelot smiled and nearly, nearly blushed at the praise, but luckily him, as Gwaine would have teased him as relentlessly as he did Leon, he just didn't. "The simple answer is that they know where our hiding place is, but the don't know where our hiding place is." Noting their confused looks, he simplified it. "What they do know, is that this is a place where there are three magical trees, protecting a cave that is probably also magical. The fact that they know such a place exists, even if they don't know what's in the cave is the issue. They know of the existence of the place we are hiding, but not the fact that this is the place we're hiding in. Does that make sense?"

The Knights nodded. Merlin had been thinking and said. "The issue is that they know the place we are hiding, right?" At their nods, he continued. "So if they didn't know that, we could let them go?" More nods. "So if we could make them forget this whole encounter-" He was interrupted by an excited Elali. "Then tomorrow we could send them on their way and they'd never know any of this happened!" Merlin nodded.

Percival shook his head in disbelief. "Merlin, you're a genius!"

"But how?" Arthur asked. "How do we make someone forget something?"

"Strong blow to the head" said Gwaine, "that'd do it easy." At the strange looks form his friends, he defended himself. "Oh, c'mon mates, you can understand why I'd have to use it at a few taverns throughout the years."

"A few?" Elyan scoffed.

"More like all of them." Percival quipped.

Merlin was the Physician's Assistant and he knew more about head injuries than Gwaine. So he set the lot of them straight. "You do realise that there's a high probability of killing them if you do that. Head injuries are not to be messed with... Knights"* Merlin added under his breath. Arthur rolled his eyes at his brother's impertinence, having heard what he said."Well then, what do you propose Merlin?"

After thinking for a moment, Merlin replied. "Have one of the Druid cast a memory spell on them. That'll erase their memories, them the Druids can knock them out, maybe even add an illusion onto their head to make it look like they were knocked out. Much higher survival rates." Merlin added with a grin.

"Can I do it?" Elali asked from the back.

"Are you sure you can Elali? You only seen the spell once." Iseldir said

"I know I can do it." Elali rebutted.

"Let him try." All eyes turned to Arthur, who nearly faltered with the gaze of the Druids upon him, but fell back on his training as a Prince. "If he believes he can, them let him. There's no harm done if he can't do it and if he does, then he's proven himself."

The Druid's were silent for a few seconds, contemplating Arthur's words, before Iseldir agreed. "Go ahead Elali."

Elali stepped up, took a deep breath and recited the spell. "Adilgian se gemynd. Macian wer forgietan**"

"Done" said Elali as he stepped aside to allow some Druids to inspect the Knights. "Perfect Elali," One of them said, making him practically burst with pride. They then took the three knights away somewhere before tomorrow.

"I have to go back, don't I?" Leon wasn't surprised, he knew he had to, but that didn't mean he wanted to.

"Leon, I'm sorry, but you have to. We need someone on the inside and someone to keep them away from the Druid's" Merlin reassured. "And to protect other sorcerers," his mind added. However, he must have projected that thought to Arthur because he soon heard a reply "Yeah, but he doesn't know about our magic, and only accepts the Druids because they saved his life, so we can't tell him that yet."

Merlin was surprised "Arthur?"

"Who else, idiot?" Merlin nearly snorted at the sarcastic come-back. Fortunately, he didn't because it would have been awkward to explain.

"Hey Arthur?"

"What?" Exclaimed Arthur, irritated because Merlin was distracting him from the conversation.

"Why haven't you told Leon yet?" Merlin asked.

"…" Arthur was silent, hoping that Merlin would drop it.

"C'mon Arthur, you told him everything earlier but left out our magic."

"Just drop it Merlin." Unfortunately for Arthur, Merlin never did as he was told.

"There has to be a reason. Are you scared?" Merlin knew he was risking a very pissed-off Arthur by questioning his courage, but Arthur needed to tell Leon.

"I am not a coward, Merlin!" Arthur shouted into Merlin's mind. "Leon is going behind enemy lines and the less he knows, the less he can accidently give away!"

"But Arthur, Leon deserves to be told, especially since everyone else knows. And do you really expect Leon to give away the fact we have magic? Even unintentionally, Leon is smart and he can certainly keep a secret."

"Merlin."

"How do you think he'll feel when he does find out about your magic? What about when he finds out you've been keeping it from him when today alone he's shown you several acts of loyalty and proof that he's able to change his views on magic."

"Merlin" Arthur again tried to interrupt to explain his motivations, but Merlin was in full-on-rant mode and on a roll.

"The fact he was even allowed past those trees must tell you something! I thought you were meant to trust your knights! Isn't it part of the Knights Code to trust your brother's in arms or some-"

"MERLIN!" Merlin cut himself off so fast he nearly chocked aloud, which would also had been difficult to explain. "I'll tell him, ok. I'm planning on telling him. Just please stop talking, you're giving me a headache" Said Arthur quickly, having finally gotten a word in and wanted Merlin to hear what he was saying.

There was a short pause and then. "Alright," Merlin conceded. "But when?"

"As soon as I can get him in his own. I think you should be there too. It's not very fair if I tell Leon both our secret's without you being there." And here was Arthur once again showing just how noble he really was. He'll make a great King one day, if they ever got out of this mess, that is.

*Thanks to Ladyliz2 for telling me about the consequences of knocking people out to induce amnesia the non-magical way. It's bad, don't do it. So thanks for that, I hope you don't mind the slight change, but I think it works.

*Erase the memories. Make him forget.

Hope you enjoyed and I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter and the upcoming one for the next. As far as I've planned there's only one more chapter and the Epilogue and then this is finished. I might go through and edit the earlier chapters after that to incorporate all the feedback I've been getting (the Albion comment from chapter five immediately jumps to mind).
Thanks to Lya200, Ladyliz2, YogurtBear, fastreader12, MythologyStar, KingdomCome67, morningstar115 and madnessdownunder2 for answering the Question of the Chapter. One of my favourite Merlin fanfics (that I constantly go back and re-read) is Admittance by FlyingMachine1. Another is Kin of Pendragon by QueenYoda. Both definitely worth checking out.
Question of the Chapter: If you were friends with one of the writers, and they had you look over the script for the last episode of season five, what is the one thing you would change, or would you not change anything at all. (Yeah, I know. Stupid question, obvious answer, but I'm scraping the bottom of the bucket. Can anyone think of a few more?)
See you in another life, ScruffydaDruid