Arthur's Bane Part II
Up in her chambers at Ismere, Morgana is having a nightmare. She is chained in a cell along with a strange beast, and as a door opens somewhere above her, light shines down. She blinks against the glare and a Bird's Eye View shows us that the cell is not only tiny, but that she shares it with a white dragon.
Morgana awakes in her room, panting with fear. She calls to Aithusa and as the unhealthy-looking dragon limps over to her bed, Morgana reassures it (and herself) that nothing can harm them anymore. Soon they'll find the key that they're looking for, and with that, Arthur's Bane.
Elsewhere, Ragnor and the other bandits are heading toward Ismere, their slaves tied to the supply wagon. Arthur is blaming Merlin for their current predicament, but Merlin is distracted by the sight of Mordred walking just ahead of them. The two are exchanging meaningful looks, but his conversation with Arthur is cut-short when Ragnor dismounts his horse to punch Arthur in the stomach, demanding that they both stop talking.
Back in Camelot, Sefa is watching through the bars of her cell at the gallows that is being constructed outside in the courtyard. Gaius enters in order to give her a potion that will ease her passing, but instead Sefa begs for an audience with the Queen in order to explain herself.
While Arthur and the other slaves are sleeping in the snow, Merlin and Mordred are still watching each other over the campfire. Ragnor notices Merlin's gaze and trolls him a little by throwing bread at him - just out of reach. Mordred speaks up for the slaves, stating that they need to be fed or that at least the pace should be slowed, but Ragnor is only interested in getting paid.
In the mines under Ismere, Gwaine is being watched over by the Euchdagnote . It hides behind a rock when it hears the sound of people coming, and whispers a spell to make Gwaine invisible to the guards that go by.
By morning Merlin is still awake. He watches as Mordred approaches and offers him two small loaves of bread.
- Mordred: Do you want them?Merlin: Why are you doing this?Mordred (looking over at Arthur): He once saved my life. I owe him a debt. Don't be so quick to judge me.Merlin remains silent.Mordred: You fear me, Emrys, don't you. I know the hatred and suspicion with which men treat those with magic. You and I are not so different. I too have learnt to hide my gifts. I promise, your secret is safe with me.
He leaves the bread behind and walks off. Merlin takes the opportunity to ask Mordred what Morgana is looking for in Ismere, and he responds that it's "the key to all knowledge."
Back in Ismere, Morgana is impatient: not only have they not found the key, but Arthur could arrive at any minute. Ruadan tells her that if Arthur is alive, he would have returned to Camelot, and so Morgana demands information from his spy. Ruadan has heard word that Sefa has been arrested and is awaiting execution. Morgana is about as sympathetic as you'd expect, telling Ruadan that his daughter will die for a good cause. But Ruadan is clearly having second thoughts.
As the slaves and bandits approach Ismere, Arthur collapses into the snow. Ragnor once again strides over to rough him up a bit, but as soon as he leaves, Arthur reveals to Merlin that he's managed to palm Ragnor's dagger.
Back in Camelot's council chamber, Sefa is brought before Queen Guinevere, sitting at the head of a long table with Gaius. Sefa apologises for what she did and that she didn't mean to hurt anyone. All she wanted was to help her father. However, Gwen is not mollified, and tells her that the sentence still stands. Sefa is taken from the room, so distraught that Gaius speaks up for her. It's at this point that Gwen informs him that Sefa isn't going to be executed - she never was. All Gwen wants to do is lure her father Ruadan out of hiding, for he is the true threat to Camelot, not Sefa.
- Gaius: It's a dangerous game you're playing, my lady.Gwen: Wars cannot be won without taking a few risks.Gaius: The execution date is set, what happens if Ruadan doesn't appear?Gwen: Sefa is his daughter. I have to believe that he will.
Still marching toward Ismere, Merlin and Arthur put their escape plan into action. Merlin pulls several sacks and barrels off the back of the wagon and when Ragnor prepares to kill them, Arthur punches him in the face. Merlin uses magic to cause another bandit's horse to rear and the two of them grab weapons from the wagon before running off into the snow. They each take the jump over a wide crevasse, and while Merlin uses a hatchet to hack at the outcropping, Arthur picks off several bandits with his crossbow. Merlin uses magic to make the jump impossible just as Mordred reaches the edge. For a few moments Arthur holds Mordred as the target of his crossbow, but lowers the bow, deeming the kill unnecessary. Merlin is furious with him, insisting that he should have taken the shot when he had the chance.
In the mines, Gwaine wakes up and sees the Euchdag, who tells him that he needs to rest. Gwaine acknowledges that it saved his life and asks who it is. It responds that it is the Last of His Kind and that it's been chased and shunned for years until it found itself hiding in these caverns. Gwaine falls back into unconsciousness.
A patrol of Camelot knights pass through the woods outside the city, completely missing the presence of Ruadan who steps out as soon as they're gone. He reaches the walls and hides as another patrol goes by, then shoots a crossbow bolt and rope up through the window of the castle. Naturally, the guards that are standing right there don't notice him climbing the walls. Once in the castle he heads down to the dungeon, taking out two guards on the way. Sefa wakes up in her cell as Ruadan uses magic to open the door, and the warning bell sounds as they make their escape.
Upstairs, Guinevere hears the ruckus and looks out the window to see the guards assembling. Sir Leon enters the room to confirm that it's Ruadan. Father and daughter rush through the dungeon corridors, but Elyan spots Sefa just as her father pulls her through a doorway. In the next room, Ruadan finds himself surrounded and fighting on all sides as Sefa is held by a Camelot knight. He holds them off for a while, but Elyan manages to land a stomach wound. As Ruadan stumbles back, Sefa rushes to his side and Ruadan causes a great spurt of fire to hold the knights back.
The two of them escape out into the woods where Ruadan falls to the ground. Sefa helps him to his feet and they make it to the ruins where Ruadan scribbles a quick note to Morgana and has Sefa tie it to the leg of a waiting raven. Though she begs him to cure himself, he says it's beyond his power.
- Ruadan: You've done very well. You should be proud. Sefa...Sefa: You can't leave me.Ruadan: You must be strong.
Sefa reaches out to embrace him, and he dies in her arms. Seeing the Camelot knights approach, Sefa rushes away into the forest.
Morgana is lying in bed when she sees the approach of Ruadan's raven. She reads the note, learning that Arthur did not return to Camelot and is still on his way to Ismere. Sure enough, Merlin and Arthur are approaching the citadel.
Back in Camelot, Gaius and Guinevere are examining Ruadan's corpse. Gaius finds a piece of paper rolled up and kept inside a small decorative bottle around his neck. He translates for Gwen, telling her that it is a Druid prayer and a call for victory over the enemies of the Old Religion. Even though the Druids are a peaceful people, some of them feel that Arthur is no different from his father and that they must wage war upon him - after all, sorcery is still outlawed. Gaius then shares that many people believe that Arthur is destined to die by a Druid's hand (where on earth did this information come from?!) and that Ruadan thought he may have been that man.
One pointed Gilligan Cut to Mordred's face later, Arthur and Merlin watch as the bandits escort their slaves into Ismere. Merlin tells Arthur that he should have killed Mordred when he had the chance, then points out that they have no way of getting into the fortress. Unfortunately, Arthur has a plan, and it involves the sewage tunnels. Once inside, they hide in a mining cart that takes them right into the middle of the construction, then nab some Saxon armour to disguise themselves with.
From her window Morgana watches as the bandits bring in the new collection of workers, but her gaze is drawn to the familiar looking youth... Once outside she bypasses Ragnor's speech in order to approach Mordred who is watching her silently. She speaks his name, and the two of them even manage happy smiles.
Down in the mines, Percival is delighted by the sight of Arthur and Merlin. Arthur gives him his sword and urges him to start a revolt against the Saxons while they look for Gwaine. Percival quickly knocks out one of the guards with the butt of his sword and takes his weapons to give to a fellow miner.
Morgana watches as Mordred eats at her dinner table, pleased to see him and commiserating on their shared plight as magic-users. However, Mordred's smile fades as Morgana makes clear her intent to destroy Arthur and he admits that Arthur was their prisoner until he managed to escape. Morgana does not taket his well and is soon screaming and throwing things.
- Morgana: I am a High Priestess! I have the power of the heavens in my hand and yet he continues to defy me!Mordred: Morgana... calm yourself.Morgana: I want his annihilation, Mordred. I want to put his head on a spike and watch as the crows feast on his eyes!
The two of them hear the warning bell and Morgana begins to smile, knowing what it means. Mordred still looks uncertain.
Down in the mines, the Euchdag also hears the bells. It wakes up Gwaine who grabs a flaming torch at the sound of footsteps. He attacks the intruders, but it's just Arthur and Merlin, the former commenting wryly on the fact that Gwaine wasn't doing any work. The Euchdag continues to hide behind a rock, but shares a Held Gaze with Merlin, the two of them seemingly awestruck at the sight of each other. After a while, the Euchdag slips away deeper into the caverns.
Elsewhere, Percival is getting a make-shift army together by attacking Saxons and arming the miners with their weapons. As the trio go in search of the others, Merlin looks around nervously as though sensing something. He can feel a strange wind, but when something starts racing down the tunnel toward them, the three dive for safety in a rocky alcove. However, they got a good enough look at it to see that it was a white dragon. While Arthur wonders out loud where on earth Morgana got a dragon from, Merlin knows full well who it is and is determined to go and speak with it. Claiming that he's going to create a distraction, he rushes off, with Arthur close behind.
By this point, Percival's makeshift army is easily overpowering the Saxons. Hearing the sounds of the dragon, Merlin approaches Aithusa in the tunnels and uses magic to hold back its fiery breath. He uses his dragonlord powers to try and communicate, but realizes quickly that Aithusa does not have the power of speech. Hearing Arthur approach, Merlin urges Aithusa to hide.
As Arthur searches for Merlin, Morgana steps out behind him along with Mordred. He watches passively as Morgana begins to telekenetically throw a dagger at Arthur, slashing him repeatedly until he's on the ground.
- Arthur: I'm sorry about what our father did to you.Morgana: Uther was never my father.Arthur: But we are brother and sister.Morgana: Funny how you chose to remember that with my dagger at your back.Arthur: What happened to you, Morgana? As a child you were so kind, so compassionate.Morgana: I grew up.
Mordred continues to watch passively as Morgana's dagger forces Arthur to fall back to the ground, though he reacts by drawing his own weapon when he hears Merlin's approach. Merlin rushes in and Morgana magically throws him back against the cavern wall. Both Merlin and Arthur watch helplessly, each on the verge of passing out, as Morgana begins the enchantment that will kill Arthur. But mid-way through her incantation, she gasps in pain and turns around. Mordred has just stabbed her In the Back. She whispers his name in astonishment and crumples to the ground. Merlin watches as Mordred helps Arthur to his feet and half-carries him out.
In the next passage, Gwaine and Percival see shadows approaching, but put down their weapons when they realize that it's Arthur and Mordred. They take over from Mordred and help their king out of the caverns. (They all just leave Merlin where he is).
Still half-unconscious, Merlin comes wakes up groggily by the light of the Euchdag. It heals his wounds and calls him "Emrys." Merlin correctly identifies it as the key to all knowledge, and is told that Morgana will never find it. Wisely he declines its offer to ask anything he wants, and it commends Merlin on his wisdom. However, he can't resist just one question before it retreats back into the caves:
- Merlin: If Mordred is not Arthur's Bane, then who is?The Euchdag: Himself.
Back in Camelot, a ceremony is taking place in the throne room: Arthur is using Excalibur to make Mordred a knight. Guinevere watches from her throne as is the assembled court and the rest of the knights. Mordred rises as a sir and the sound of applause follows him out of the throne room into the antechamber where Merlin waits. He helps him take off his cloak.
- Merlin: You know, if Arthur knew you had magic things would be very different. Tell me something.Mordred: Of course.Merlin: You saved Arthur's life. Why?Mordred: Because Arthur is right. The love that binds us is more important than the power we wield. Morgana had forgotten that.
Over dinner with Gaius, Merlin shares the season's tagline: "the die is cast." Back in Ismere, Morgana stumbles through the snow, badly wounded, and with Aithusa following close behind.
Tropes
- Batman Gambit: Gwen pulls one off by preparing to execute Sefa, counting on Ruadan to come to his daughter's rescue and thereby capturing or killing him (or at the very least, getting his attention away from Ismere).
- Broken Pedestal: Mordred idolized Morgana. By the end of the episode, not so much.
- Catapult Nightmare: Morgana
- Chekhov's Skill: Inverted by using it against the person doing it. After Ragnor punches Arthur in the gut for talking, Arthur fakes a fainting spell to invite Ragnor back to do it again - thus giving Arthur the opportunity to take his dagger.
- Clever Crows: Ruadan was using the one from last week to send messages to Morgana.
- Dressing as the Enemy: Arthur and Merlin disguise themselves as Saxons.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: Ruadan dies magnificently after single-handedly rescuing his daughter from a fortified castle.
- Great Escape: Ruadan pulls one off for Sefa.
- Go Mad from the Isolation: Partially applies to Morgana, who was unstable already, but definitely applies to Aithusa, who is sick, malformed, unable to recognize Merlin, and can't even speak.
- In the Back: Is where Mordred stabs Morgana.
- I Owe You My Life: The reason Arthur knights Mordred.
- Killed Mid-Sentence: Mordred stabs Morgana right in the middle of her incantation. Subverted in that she survives, but the idea is the same.
- Killed Off for Real: Ruadan.
- Knighting: Arthur knights Mordred.
- Last of His Kind: The Euchdag.
- Living MacGuffin: The Euchdag.
- Neutral Female: Sefa, though justified as she clearly didn't have any magic or combat skills of her own.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Mordred's exact words to Merlin.
- Pet the Dog: Morgana with Aithusa.
- Public Execution: Guinevere was making a show of one for Sefa, but never intended to go through with it.
- Retcon: Gaius and Merlin speak of Kilgharrah's prophesy, stating that Arthur is meant to die at the hands of a druid. Back when this prophesy was first mentioned, Kilgharrah was very specific about the fact that this druid was Mordred, something that is now seemingly up for grabs.
- Also Arthur not knowing/remembering that Mordred is a druid in the first place.
- The Reveal: Arthur's bane is not Mordred, but Arthur himself.
- Travelling at the Speed of Plot: Ruadan manages to get from Ismere to Camelot, to Ismere to Camelot again in record time. You could argue that it's a literal case of A Wizard Did It.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Gwaine and Percival. Again.
