The Old Magic (27 page)

At midday he finally heard them—a troop of mounted soldiers crashing through the winter-killed underbrush. They wore the white
dragon of King Vortigern upon their surcoats, and riding at their head was an old man dressed as a Druid, though the reigns
of two draconian kings had managed to nearly wipe the priesthood from the face of Britain.

So Vortigern has discovered he now has some use for magic?
Merlin thought. This should be interesting. He got to his feet and turned to face the soldiers just as they entered the clearing.

“Seize that man!” the old Druid blustered, pointing an accusing finger at Merlin.

Merlin tried his most disarming smile. “Welcome to my home, sir,” he said mildly. “How can I help you?”

To live in perfect trust was the first lesson that magic taught. As the years had passed here in his forest home, Merlin had
learned to live and act as if he expected goodness from all men, and such was the power of expectation that he had rarely
been disappointed. Even now such humble sorcery worked its subtle magic; the old Druid dismounted from his horse, and when
he spoke again, his tone was very different

“Well, er, the king wants to see you,” he said in apologetic tones.

Now that he had come closer, Merlin could see how the old man’s face was marked by lines of care and worry—though who didn’t
have such distress with Vortigern on the throne? At least, living here in the north, Merlin had been spared most of the concerns
that ordinary people faced in their daily lives. But now the king was asking for him, and Merlin knew that somewhere, somehow,
Queen Mab must be involved.

“You have only to ask,” he said gently.

“You’ll come voluntarily?” The old Druid did his best to conceal his surprise. “Ah, that’s good. Most people are reluctant
to meet King Vortigern. In fact, they’re usually dragged in screaming. Not that I blame them,” he added. The last of the pretense
of command seemed to leave him now; as he sighed, his shoulders drooped and he suddenly looked like what he was: a frail,
frightened old man.

“I’m the King’s Soothsayer,” he admitted.

Even Merlin in his isolation had heard of Lailoken. The poor man was hated by the Christians for his supposed wizardry and
despised by the Pagans for serving Vortigern. No wonder the old man looked so weary. It was a hard life when you fit in nowhere,
and no one knew that better than Merlin, who was himself half-fay, half-mortal.

By now the rest of the soldiers had spread out around the clearing, surrounding him. Merlin saw that they had come well-prepared:
All of them were armed to the teeth, and more to the point, they’d brought a spare horse.

“An important position?” he asked Lailoken.

“And a fragile one,” the old man said. “I’m the third Royal Soothsayer this year.”

Merlin frowned to himself. His visions had promised him great danger ahead, but he could not believe that this frail old man
meant him any harm.

“He must get through them at an alarming speed,” Merlin said politely.

“He gets through everything at an alarming speed,” Lailoken said sadly. He glanced at the ring of soldiers surrounding them
both, and then, as if remembering his duty, said: “You are Merlin, the man without a mortal father?”

“Yes,” Merlin answered. There was no point in denying it. He was only a thread in a pattern that forces greater than himself
had the weaving of, and long ago Merlin had learned to save his strength for the most important battles.

“I’m afraid the king wants you urgently,” Lailoken sighed. Without being asked, one of the soldiers led forth the riderless
horse. His expression said clearly—though silently—that Merlin would mount the animal one way or the other. Bowing to the
inevitable, Merlin vaulted gracefully into the saddle, and from that vantage point took a last look around his forest home.
Something within him told him that it would be a very long time before he saw it again.

Before he was finished looking, the soldier who had brought him the horse mounted his own animal and began leading Merlin’s
mount away. In moments, Merlin and Lailoken were surrounded by mounted soldiers, whose horses were moving at a brisk trot
along the road that led out of the forest, the road that led west … toward Pendragon, and the King.

THE STORY CONTINUES IN

MERLIN

Coming in November 1999 from Warner Aspect

If you want to delve deeper into the story of Merlin, King Arthur, and the matter of Britain, here are some places to start:

For Young Readers

King Arthur
by Howard Pyle and Jerry Tirtitilli, Troll Books, 1989. Adapted for readers ages four through eight, from the Howard Pyle
original.

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights,
Atheneum, 1991 (reprint). The classic 1903 retelling of the Arthurian legends for ages nine through twelve, excellent for
reading aloud.

For Older Readers

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
by John Steinbeck. A retelling of the Arthurian legend, with much of the original language preserved.

The Once and Future King
by T. H. White, Ace Books, 1996 (reprint). The classic modern retelling of the Arthurian legend, basis of the musical
Camelot.

Further Research

The Arthurian Handbook
by Lacy, Norris J., and Geoffrey Ashe, Garland Publishing, 1988. A critical survey of the Arthurian legend from the fifth
century to modern times.

The Arthurian Encyclopedia
edited by Lacy, Norris J., et al., Garland Publishing, 1986. As the title says, an encyclopedia of things Arthurian, with
substantial entries on modern Arthurian writers.

The Discovery of King Arthur
by Geoffrey Ashe, Henry Holt, 1987. The first of the recent books to discuss the evidence for a “historical” King Arthur.

On the Internet

HTTP://WWW.LINKFINDER.COM/ARTHUR.HTML
—a resource for links to various Arthurian sites on the internet.

HTTP://DC.SMU.EDU/ARTHURIANA
—the website of the International Arthurian Society. Links, membership information, and subscription
information for
Arthuriana,
their quarterly journal, can be found here.

James Mallory attended schools in California and the Midwest before moving to New York to pursue a career in writing. From
an early age Mallory has been fascinated both with the Arthurian legends and their historical evolution, an avocation which
also triggered a lifelong interest in fantasy literature. Mallory’s interests include hiking, comparative religion, and cinema.