From Hannah, the author of this fanfic whom I forward all reviews to:

Thank you to all of the readers who have taken their time to read and review The Warlock's Calling and to those who added it to their favourites. I appreciate it all and I hope that you have enjoyed it. I would also like to note that there is a sequel – though it's not quite finished yet – if MerlinStar is kind enough to post it. Keep an eye out for The Rise of the Legend, and (now this may sound seriously cheesy) keep the magic secret.

Epilogue

"Merlin," a voice whispered in the night. Merlin woke with a start, staring around his small room.

"Merlin," the voice said again, more urgently this time. Merlin threw off the bed covers and stood up. He subconsciously knew what he had to do.

Pulling on his jacket and boots, the warlock walked out of his room and through Gaius'. The old man was fast asleep and snoring.

Walking down the corridors, Merlin was surprised to find that he met no one, not even a guard. Eventually, he was outside Arthur's chambers. He knocked and slipped inside.

Arthur had started awake when Merlin had knocked. He stared as the warlock walked in.

"Merlin, what are you doing here at this time in the morning?" he hissed.

"There's something we need to do," Merlin told him, simply.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, warily.

"Just get dressed Arthur. You'll see soon," Merlin replied, exasperated.

Muttering to himself, Arthur pulled on some clothes and followed Merlin out of his chambers.

"Can you please tell me where we're going?"

"I told you, you'll see."

"Fine but if anyone catches us you'll be in the stocks for a week."

Merlin grinned. It may be the evening after he had come back from the dead but Arthur had gone back to being his sort of bossy self, though admittedly it was the middle of the night.

As they crept through the courtyard and down the street, Arthur was surprised to see that they met nobody and that it was relatively easy to slip past the guards at the gate who were looking the other way.

Merlin led him away from Camelot and into the forest. Why Merlin wanted to go there again, Arthur had no idea why but the warlock seemed to know where he was going.

They walked for what might have been hours, careful not to disturb the wildlife around them. They then came to a lake, different from the one that Merlin had 'died' next to. Merlin knew it to be the one where he had burnt Freya's body.

Arthur noticed that Merlin's face had fallen when he had seen the lake and he knew why. He remembered what Ma'ab had made him dream.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," a voice said from the shadows. The two looked around to see Ma'ab standing there.

"I've been standing here for ages. I thought my message had gone wrong Merlin," she said.

"I heard it," Merlin told her.

"Thank the gods. It's a lot harder doing that sort of thing now, though it does make you appreciate how much effort some sorcerers need to put into their spells."

She walked away from underneath the tree until she was right in front of the warlock. They automatically hugged each other, Ma'ab rubbing the back of Merlin's head.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry for what you've been through. I'm so sorry I didn't save you from death."

"You didn't?" Merlin asked pulling away.

"No, I don't have it in me anymore. It was the Earth that brought you back."

"Sorry?"

"That type of inherited magic doesn't go back and forth. The planet is a living thing and when it sensed that you had died it had to bring it back as it knew what would happen if you died. You have no heir. I think the Earth could see what would happen if you didn't live. We seem to take the Earth too much for granted when all the time it is providing for us and protecting us."

Merlin stared at her for a second.

"That is just seriously confusing."

Ma'ab chuckled and stroked his cheek.

"I'm just so thankful that you lived," she said. "I'm thankful that you both lived." She grinned at Arthur. "How are you Arthur?"

"I'm fine," he said, sternly. Ma'ab's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Let me guess, you are angry at me for endangering Merlin."

"Something like that."

"Well you have to admit that he is alive."

"Yes he is but I watched him die."

"I know." Ma'ab's face became sullen.

"Why did you call us?" Merlin asked, looking at Arthur in a manner that was clearly telling the prince to shut up. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"A couple of reasons, one of them being that I wanted to say goodbye," Ma'ab replied.

"Goodbye?"

Merlin stared at his aunt in confusion.

"I have served my purpose in life. I can feel that it is time for me to go."

"How on earth can you tell?"

"Call it instinct. Merlin, I have lived enough and my time has ended. It is time for Albion to rise and I have no place in it. It was a pleasure to watch you grow up, even if I never met you directly until so recently, which made me feel whole again after I watched the damage of the Great Purge sweep through the kingdom."

Merlin felt numb with shock. He hadn't expected to lose Ma'ab after everything that had just happened. He hadn't really spent much time with her.

"But what if I need your help?"

Ma'ab chuckled and Merlin noticed that tears were forming in her eyes.

"You have Gaius, Merlin. He'll be an even greater voice of guidance for you in times to come. But if you ever find yourself in great need, look for my friend Isla and her family. You should know where she is when the time comes."

She then looked at Arthur.

"Make sure you look after him, Arthur. The same goes for him to. You two need each other more than you know, though you should get a pretty good idea, soon."

He then reached up and pulled Merlin's face forward so that she could kiss him on the forehead.

"Goodbye, my nephew. I'm so proud of you." She then muttered a single sentence which confused Merlin.

Ma'ab then stepped away until she stood at the edge of the lake.

"What were the other reasons for you calling us here?" Merlin called.

"You'll see."

Ma'ab smiled and sad smile as a single tear ran down her cheek. She then began to melt into thin air, her body gradually becoming transparent until she vanished completely after a great sigh of breath echoed around the lake.

Merlin turned to Arthur.

"She's gone," he said, sadly.

Arthur walked over to the warlock and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I think I was a bit to unfriendly towards her," he confessed.

"She would have understood."

They stood there in silence until the silence was interrupted by a rush of sound. Turning towards the lake, they saw that large ripples were appearing on the water's surface. A tongue of fire then shot out of the middle of the water and flew at the two men and instead of burning them alive it danced around them. Arthur watched as some of it seemed to soak into Merlin's skin. The warlock stared at the fire in surprise. The muddy earth beneath Merlin's feet suddenly climbed up his legs, trapping him. Muttering furiously to himself, Merlin growled a spell but something made him stop halfway. Arthur, meanwhile, drew his sword and stared out at the choppy water.

That was when they both saw a figure rise up out of the lake and walk towards them, as if they were walking on solid ground instead of water. They were wearing a cloak, which fluttered out behind them.

When they were close enough, Arthur recognised who it was and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The person was the strange, cloaked figure Arthur had met when he had been travelling to Ma'ab's ruined castle. There face was still hidden underneath the hood.

"I'm glad to see that you came," they said in there croaky voice. "Ma'ab said you'd come for it."

"For what?" Arthur asked, walking towards them.

"For this," the person said. From underneath the cloak, the person brought out a long sword. Arthur had to admit that it was the most beautiful sword he had ever seen.

"This is Excalibur," the person explained. "The sword was created by Tom the blacksmith but then it was given amazing power by the Great Dragon at the request of your friend here."

Arthur looked around at Merlin briefly.

"It was made specifically for you, Arthur Pendragon. It was created for the purpose of protecting you in a battle that will soon descend over Camelot."

Arthur frowned at the stranger.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"You have met me before, Arthur, but only briefly," the person said but now there voice was completely different. Arthur recoiled as he recognised it, even if he had only heard it once before.

Merlin stared at the hooded figure. He felt the mud slide back down his legs but he stood there, momentarily paralyzed with shock.

The pair watched as the person reached up and pulled the hood off their head. Merlin felt as if his heart was in his throat but he managed to speak.

"Freya?"

Freya smiled at him, her eyes full of emotion. Merlin, regaining the use of his legs, practically ran at the girl and took her into his arms. The two embraced each other tightly as if they thought the world would end if they let go of each other. Arthur stood back, watching silently. Eventually, Merlin pulled back slightly and lifted a hand to Freya's cheek.

"I'm not hallucinating am I?" he asked.

"No, you're not," Freya replied.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"You did but I came back."

"But how?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I can't leave any body of water. The furthest I can go is a few metres and that's it."

"But you're still alive. And you didn't lose any of your memories."

"No."

There was a moment's silence as they held each other.

"I missed you," Freya muttered. "Terribly."

"So did I," Merlin said.

Merlin took Freya's face in both hands and kissed her. She did the same, one hand on the back of his head and the other around his waist.

Arthur had to prevent himself from laughing. Merlin was back with the woman he loved and Arthur couldn't help feel relieved that something good had come out of all of this. The only thing that was wrong was that Arthur wished that he could be more open about his feelings towards Gwen.

As Merlin stood there with Freya in his arms, he felt a swooping sensation in the pit of his stomach. Freya was back and Merlin felt so happy that he thought he might burst. This made the world seem remarkably brighter than the bleak world that had gradually become Merlin's life of heartbreak and loss. But something that Merlin couldn't forget was that there still more challenges in the future; Ma'ab had been very clear about that. But Merlin knew that he, only with all his friends and loved ones, was ready.

To be continued in the Rise of the Legend