The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin

I knew your father.

I am yet convinced that he was not of this world.

You have his presence.

I've seen the land shining with goodness.

It's the kingdom of summer, and I will be its king.

Vortigern is gone. Rome is gone.

The saecsen is here, but who will lead the fight?

My brother is high king.

Your brother commands no army of his own.

Yield your claim.

I will yet forgive if you agree to bend the knee.

Will you follow me against the saecsen?

We recognize aurelius as the lawful high king.

Fisher king's sword.

Your sword, the sword of a high king.

What was it like, Merlin, to be alone with god?

Is that who you think I was alone with?

Who else?

I do not know if god was with me in caer efon

all these many years, grandfather, but I know morgian was.

You would've drowned on the shores

of sores if not for me.

And am I to thank you for this life that I have,

ignored and forgotten?

Arian, you must hurry along to your studies with caius.

Your mother knows what's best for you.

A gift for hengist.

Great darkness is falling upon this land.

These brothers are our only hope to stand against it.

The kings of the north shall ride to their aid.

You have my word.

Hail the wild man of the wood.

I bring you greetings from the world of men.

Your work is not finished in the land of the living.

Your salvation is at hand.

But you must go back the way you came.

I won't go back. I won't go back.

Do you remember the last time you tasted wine,

warm food in your belly, Merlin ambrosius?

How do you know my name?

Drink.

50 years is a long time to live on locusts and honey.

Has it been that long?

I am not going back.

So you say.

I am happy as I am.

No one is happy in hell.

Leave me.

I have not come to take you away.

You have carried your burden long enough.

It is time to lay it down.

Burden it may be,

but it's all I have left.

No, Merlin, not all.

The time has come, my son, to be reborn.

Madoc's archers arrived last night.

We estimate about 2,000 with another 500 mounted.

How many are there now?

More.

We grow our army by twos and threes,

and every day, a new warship arrives from saecsenland.

Do we grow?

Some of the dumnonii slipped away last night.

Leave the quarrels outside this tent.

We all know the enemy is strong.

Their ranks are more numerous than our own.

It was our weakness and division

that let the barbarians gain a foothold in this land.

If we are to drive them out,

it must be by our strength and unity.

And how are we to drive out

15,000 saecsen

with only two and a half thousand men?

Hengist's arrogance will be his downfall.

Take those blades over.

The boy is a fool.

5,000 could not hold that fort,

not even if they were the finest soldiers in the world.

You must talk to him, attempt to impart some reason.

Speak if you will. I've had my fill of talk.

What are you saying?

Look around you. If we stay, we're doomed.

And if we retreat the saecsens will rape

and pillage this land.

Let them rape and pillage.

The walls of my fortress are high,

and I intend to live to see another summer.

I didn't figure you for a coward.

Since when does a king need permission

to ride among his troops?

Don't lie to me, morcant.

I do not lie.

You would abandon your brothers on the Eve of battle.

I would save my people from destruction.

So should you.

A saecsen army could never breach the walls of tintagel.

Send your men back to their beds,

and I'll say no more of this offense.

No one commands my men but I.

Faer folk.

King aurelius.

I present to you the lord of the north.

Greetings, my friends.

You'll find a warm welcome here.

I hear you've brought us some saecsens to kill.

That's welcome enough.

Steward.

Battle chief.

Are we late to the battle?

The enemy's before us, not behind.

I heard the faery of the north are great warriors.

Did the saecsens take your arm?

No, it was my daughter's husband.

My lord, there's someone waiting for you.

Mother.

What are you doing here?

It's not safe.

I've come with some brothers from the shrine of St. Joseph

to ease the pain of the wounded

and the passage of the dying.

What is it, hawk?

Not long ago, you offered me the Fisher king's sword.

I would gladly take it up now.

I did not bring it.

I have offered that sword to each

of the three great men in my life.

Your grandfather refused it.

Your father refused it, and you refused it.

I have always believed you were meant to be high king.

Your father prophesied it. Hafgan declared it.

Perhaps they saw through me to another.

And perhaps, perhaps you were meant

to wield a different weapon.

King gorlas's daughter.

Does your brother know?

My brother has more important matters to attend to,

as do we all.

The river is too far and too deep.

It's not too far on horseback,

and it's not too deep if it's unguarded.

As soon as we march our armies north,

hengist will turn to us.

No, he won't because the main body of our war host

will already have engaged him.

Here.

Make an easy target.

Make him commit his war host.

Aye.

And I will lead the mounted troops to the river,

cross, and attack hengist from behind.

You?

It must be me.

If you can kill the bretwalda himself,

his armies will collapse.

Then you think it's a good plan, king gorlas?

I think it's a desperate plan and foolish.

But I can see none better.

Then the die is cast.

Tomorrow, we make war.

For britain.

And what happens when we cannot hold the river long enough

before aurelius makes his crossing?

We won't need that long,

just long enough

for myrddin to remember his calling.

You've kept your promise

and brought us the men in the north,

but it isn't enough.

What does aurelius say?

His new faith has clouded his judgment.

He's waiting on a miracle.

And why do you tell me this?

Because I think you can give him one.

They say that when the battle awen is upon you,

you become an unstoppable force.

Ride with us into battle tomorrow.

We face 15,000 saecsen.

What do you ask? I know what I ask.

If I lead you into victory, uther,

the men of britain will proclaim me king.

Yes.

But at least there will be a britain.

Jesu before me. Jesu behind.

Not by my power, jesu, but thine.

Jesu before me. Jesu behind.

Jesu before me. Jesu behind.

Jesu before me. Jesu behind.

Not by my power, jesu, but thine.

Jesu before me. Jesu behind.

The men are ready for battle.

Not by my power, jesu, but thine.

For the soul of britain,

the battle has already begun.

Jesu before me. Jesu behind.

Not by my power, jesu. The power is thine.

Jesu before me. Jesu behind.

A war camp is no place for a lady such as yourself.

A lady is never safer than with the battle chief

of britain watching over her.

Forgive me if I've overstepped.