The night was quite. No insects made a noise in the thicket of the black night. No, hum of human words or presences seemed to penetrate the glen either, save there was two humans in the glen. The only noise there was was the popping of the fire as a log fell into place and cracked, shooting embers into the air. The King, Arthur, watched the embers die out.

Gold.

He thought gold just like Mordard's eyes. His thoughts churned on the young man's death. A great knight he had been, but, a magic user just the same. He felt indifferent. He had been raised to believe all magic users could do no good, they were all bad; born of blackness deep within their hearts. Yet, Mordred had been a knight of his table and died a knight. He had good in him, had saved him too.

Arthur was pulled out of his mussing by movement on the other side of the fire. Merlin was looking at him; his dark blue eyes boring into his mind as if he could read it. Arthur sometimes wondered if Merlin was smarter then he let on. Knew more then he let on. Was more then he let on.

"Arthur."

Arthur flicked his gaze away from Merlin then back, "Yes, Merlin?"

Merlin spoke softly but it was like an echo in the glen, "He had magic."

Silence answered the question that really had no reason to be asked. Merlin licked his lips and his mind flickered to the dragon and then to the death. "He was a knight."

The king nodded, "Yes, what of it?" there was a sharp tone to his voice. It still irked him that magic had lived right under his nose and he didn't know of it.

"If he would have lived, "Merlin asked as he fed a stick to the fire, "would he still have a place at your table?"

Arthur opened his mouth then closed it. He found he could not answer the question. His heart beated fast with one answer his head pounded with another. He could hear himself say, "Would you rather I have someone of magic in the heart of Camelot? You know the views of magic in the kingdom."

Arthur thought he heard a whisper of "Your father's views, you mean," but Merlin looked away and when he looked back Arthur thought he could see tears in the other's eyes. It made him hurt for a reason he did not understand, for why would Merlin have tears in his eyes?

"There can be no magic in Camelot. Magic….doesn't belong in Camelot."

Silence came upon the glad again. Each could feel the other brake, yet neither spoke.