The Moment of Truth Merlin

'In a land of myth and a time of magic,

'the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy.

'His name...

'Merlin.'

VILLAGERS SCREAM, MEN SHOUT

Search the place!

Find him!

MAN: Found him.

It's harvest time!

What's this? Where's the rest of it?!

I only kept back what we need to survive.

Survive?

I'll be back in one week, farmer, and I want to see all of it.

Mother?

Merlin!

The winters are harsh in Ealdor,

and there are many children.

Some of them just won't be strong enough to survive.

We barely have enough food as it is,

and if Kanen takes our harvest,

our children won't live to see another summer.

Ealdor's in Cendred's kingdom.

Your safety is his responsibility.

We've appealed to our king, but...

he cares little for the outlying regions.

You're our only hope.

Surely we can spare a few men?

-Resources are not the problem.

-Then what is?

Ealdor lies beyond the ridge of Aesctir.

For an army of Camelot to enter it would be an act of war.

I'm afraid Camelot cannot help.

I'm sorry.

If it were up to me, we'd be on our way there now.

Well, you tried. And thank you for getting an audience with the king.

I wish that Camelot was able to help people regardless of how far away they lived.

I'm going back to Ealdor.

Of course.

It's been an honour serving you.

You'll be coming back?

She's my mother.

I have got to look after her before anyone else.

You understand?

I'd do exactly the same.

Well...you've been terrible.

Really, I mean it, the worst servant I've ever had.

Thank you, sire.

Merlin.

Good luck.

I've packed some armour for you.

I won't be able to carry all that.

You won't have to.

We're coming with you.

-What do you mean?

-You're going to need all the help you can get. I can mend armour and sharpen swords.

-And I know how to fight.

-But you-you can't.

I mean, why would you?

If it was the other way round, you'd help us. You already have, you saved my life.

And you helped me get the druid boy out of Camelot.

We owe it to you...both of us.

-Sure you don't want an extra blanket?

-It's OK, really.

I'll be all right.

Well, make sure you are.

Do whatever it takes.

They shouldn't be here, especially the Lady Morgana.

-Isn't she the king's ward?

-Not that you'd know it.

She's the only person who isn't frightened of him.

It won't make any difference to Kanen that they're women.

I know.

But I couldn't talk them out of coming.

Promise me you'll be careful.

No-one can find out about you.

They won't. They never do.

Get some rest.

Draca.

HOOVES APPROACH

HORSE SNORTS

Put the sword down, Merlin, you look ridiculous.

-How much further is it?

-Maybe a few hours.

How many men does Kanen have?

I'm not sure - I think from what my mother's said, maybe as many as 40.

We should get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

Thank you.

Um... I know you didn't have to come.

Get some sleep.

If you're hiding anything from me...

Kanen!

Please...

-we have to eat...

-Oh.

-And re-sow the fields for next year.

We only kept the bare minimum.

Everything else you can take.

That sounds fair.

Ahatian.

-Remembering when I'd beat you?

-That never happened.

HORSE NEIGHS

You'll pay for this...with your lives, all of you!

You're still up to the magic tricks. I thought I told you we didn't want your kind round here.

I missed you too, Will.

-It's good to see you again.

-How have you been?

-I hear you're skivvying for some prince.

-No, I wouldn't say I'm a skivvy.

Merlin! Gather the villagers, I need to talk to them.

-Yeah, in a minute, I'm just talking...

-Now, Merlin. There isn't much time.

Yes, sire.

I know Kanen's kind. He'll be back, and when he is...

we must be ready for him.

-First of all, we have to prepare...

-Am I the only one wondering who this is?

I'm Prince Arthur of Camelot.

-And I'm Prince William of Ealdor(!)

-Keep quiet, he's here to help us.

-He's made things worse.

Kanen will be back, looking for revenge.

-You've just signed our death warrant.

-He saved Matthew's life.

It's all right, Hunith, this is his village. What would you have us do?

-We can't fight against Kanen, he has too many men.

-What's the alternative?

-We give him what he wants.

-Then what? Those of you who don't starve to death

will face him again next harvest and the harvest after that.

-We manage, we'll survive.

-MAN: How?

The only way he can be stopped is if you to stand up to him.

No, you just want the honour and glory of battle. That's what drives men like you.

If you want to fight, then risk the lives of your own people. Not ours.

Will.

I'll follow you.

That goes for me, too.

VILLAGERS: You can count me in. Me, too. You can count me in!

He knows what he's doing. You've got to trust him.

Look...when I first met Arthur, I was exactly like you. I hated him.

-I thought he was pompous and arrogant.

-Nothing's changed there!

But in time I came to respect him,

-for what he stands for, what he does.

-I know what he stands for.

Princes, kings, all men like him.

Will...don't bring what happened to your father into this.

I'm not.

-Why are you defending him so much? You're just his servant.

-He's my friend.

-Friends don't lord over one another.

-I trust Arthur with my life.

Is that so?

So he knows your secret, then?

Face it, Merlin, you're living a lie, just like you were here.

You're Arthur's servant, nothing more.

Otherwise you'd tell him the truth.

Have you always slept on the floor?

Yeah. The bed I've got in Camelot's luxury by comparison.

-It must have been hard.

-Hmm.

Like rock..

I didn't mean the ground, I meant... for you, it must've been difficult.

Hmm... Not really, I didn't know any different.

Life's simple out here. You eat what you grow and everyone pitches in together.

-As long as you've food on the table and a roof over your head, you're happy.

-Sounds...

nice.

-You'd hate it.

-No doubt.

Why did you leave?

Things just...changed.

How?

Come on, stop pretending to be interesting, tell me.

I just didn't fit in anymore.

I wanted to find somewhere that I did.

Had any luck?

I'm not sure yet.

We'll start training the men tomorrow.

It's gonna be a long day.

Get the candle.

-Have you still not learned how to dress yourself?

-You don't have a dog and fetch the stick yourself.

-No offence, Merlin.

-None taken.

-Prince Arthur, you didn't finish your breakfast.

-Didn't I?

-Come on, eat up.

Mmm...

Right, let's get going. We need wood and lots of it.

Of course.

Arthur said it was lovely.

He must care for you a great deal.

-Arthur would do the same for any village, that's just the way he is.

-It's more than that.

He's here for you.

-I'm just his servant.

-Give him more credit than that, he likes you.

That's because he doesn't know me.

-Merlin! Where are you going with that thing?

-What does it look like? We need wood.

We both know that you don't need an axe to fell a tree.

And I remember the trouble it got me into,

I nearly flattened old man Simmons.

Well, he deserved it, the stupid old crow.

He never did like me anyway.

Well, even less after that.

Why are you being like this?

You know why.

Why did you leave?

It wasn't what I wanted. My mother was worried.

When she found out you knew, she was so angry.

-I wouldn't have told anyone.

-I know you wouldn't.

You'd be able to defeat Kanen on your own, wouldn't you?

-Not sure, maybe.

-So what's stopping you? So what if Arthur finds out?

-I don't expect you to understand.

Try me.

One day Arthur will be a great king, but he needs my help, and if anyone ever found out about my powers,

I'd have to leave Camelot for good.

Are you saying you'd rather keep your magic secret for Arthur's sake than protect friends and family?

I can't teach you everything about fighting with a sword,

but you can learn the basics.

On my count - one,

two,

three,

four.

One, two, three,

four...

-There's no way they're gonna be able to hold Kanen off.

-Men aren't the only ones who can fight.

< Again! One, two,

three...

Matthew, I want you to organise sentry duty

-to keep an eye out for Kanen and his men.

-I'd be glad to.

If there's any sign of attack, I want you to ride straight back here.

I don't want you fighting him all on your own.

It looks like the battle's already fought and lost.

-They'll toughen up.

-They need to.

-How are we doing for weapons?

There isn't much, but we should be able to scrape together what you need.

It's not the weapons that worry us, it's having enough people to use them.

We think the women should be allowed to fight.

You haven't enough men. If they were trained soldiers, maybe you'd stand a chance, but they're not.

It's too dangerous.

Right,

back on your feet! Come on, let's go!

-We don't stand a chance.

-Arthur can't see that.

He's too stubborn.

Why do you think he came here?

The same reason we did.

Merlin.

Arthur may act like he doesn't care, but...

he wouldn't be here if he didn't.

We're not going to be able to defend Ealdor with sword and sinew alone.

We need to find some way of limiting their mobility

and drawing them into a trap.

-Don't bother, Merlin, I'm not interested.

-You should be,

-because tomorrow Kanen attacks and whether you like it or not, we'll have to fight.

-Not if I'm not here.

That's up to you, but the rest of us are staying. Join us, Will.

This isn't about Arthur - this is about your friends, are you going to abandon them?

-What, like you did?

-I'm here now.

Yeah. Yeah, you are and you could end this.

-If you used your magic, then no-one else would have to die.

-You know I can't.

Can't or won't?

I'm not the one abandoning these people, Merlin.

You are.

William's father was killed fighting for King Cendred,

so he doesn't trust anyone of nobility.

-Do you think the villagers believed him?

-No.

He's...always been a trouble-maker. They're used to ignoring him.

And if he's right?

He isn't.

I'm treating these men like soldiers, and they're not.

You've seen them fight, they...

they haven't got a clue.

You need to tell them all to leave the village before Kanen returns.

No, we're going to stay, we're going to fight,

-and we're going to win.

-Merlin...it can't be done.

-The odds are too great.

-It can. We're going to make Kanen rue the day he ever came to this village.

All you need to do is get the men ready for battle,

-and the rest...will take care of itself.

-How?

You've just got to believe in them.

Because if you don't, they'll sense it,

and the battle will be lost before it's even begun.

Tomorrow morning,

the women and children should gather what belongings they can carry and go to the woods.

We're not going anywhere.

-I know you want to help, but women can't stay here, it's too dangerous.

-The women have as much right

to fight for their lives as the men do.

-But none of you know how to fight.

-The more of us there are, the better chance we stand.

This is your home. If you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice.

I'd be honoured to stand alongside you.

Kanen attacks tomorrow. He will never defeat us.

Look around.

In this circle, we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to.

You're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes.

You fight for your family.

You fight for your friends.

You fight for the right to grow crops in peace.

And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes,

fighting for your very right to survive.

And when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day and you'll know

you earned the right to live every day in between.

So you fight!

For your family!

For your friends!

-For Ealdor!

-For Ealdor!

-Ealdor!

-Ealdor!

-Ealdor!

Ealdor! Ealdor! Ealdor!

Ealdor!

Come here.

I do love you, my boy.

What's wrong?

I should never have gone to Camelot.

-I've ruined everything for you.

-You haven't. Why would you say that?

I know what you're planning to do.

If it comes to a choice

between saving people's lives

and revealing who I really am,

-there is no choice.

-You can't let Arthur know about your gift.

-Why not?

Maybe it's meant to be this way.

And if he doesn't accept me for who I really am,

then...

he's not the friend I hoped he was.

Arthur.

Hunith made you some food.

Thanks.

-I think.

-Food is scarce for these people, you shouldn't turn your nose up at it.

-Oh, no, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. I'm sorry.

-Gwen...

-I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking...

-Guinevere...

Thank you.

You're right. And you were right to speak up, I should've listened to you and Morgana.

-We're going to need all the help we can get.

-We'll be fine.

How can you be so sure?

Because I have faith in you.

I mean...we all do.

Thank you.

No, not today. Put on your own.

-Are you ready?

-My throat's dry.

Me, too.

It's been an honour.

Whatever happens out there today,

-please don't think any differently of me.

-I won't.

It's all right to be scared, Merlin.

That's not what I meant.

What is it?

If you've got something to say...now's the time to say it.

Arthur.

They've crossed the river.

-You ready?

-Ready.

Ealdor.

-Are you frightened?

-Not in the slightest.

Yah!

Hold.

No-one moves until I give the signal.

Hold.

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Now, pull!

Now, Morgana, what are you waiting for?

Something's gone wrong.

Merlin!

There's one, get him!

Give me the flint.

Baerne.

HORSES NEIGH

Pull back! Go the other way!

Now!

-I didn't think you were coming.

-Neither did I.

There's too many of them.

Not for me, there isn't.

Cume theoden.

WIND HOWLS

VILLAGERS CHEER

Pendragon!

Who did that?

-What?

-Wind like that doesn't just appear from nowhere.

I know magic when I see it.

One of you made it happen.

Arthur...

Look out!

You saved my life.

Yeah...I don't know what I was thinking.

Come on, get him inside!

WILL GASPS

That's twice I've saved you.

Twice?

It was me.

I'm the one that used the magic.

-Will, don't...

-I saw how desperate things were becoming, I had to do something.

You're a sorcerer?

Yeah.

Do what you can for him.

You're a good man, Merlin, a great man, and one day

you're going to be servant to a great king.

Now you can still make that happen.

Thanks to you.

I'm sorry.

I know he was a close friend.

He still is.

You knew he was a sorcerer, didn't you?

That's what you were going to tell me.

Yes.

It was.

You know how dangerous magic is.

You shouldn't have kept this from me, Merlin.

You'd better be going.

I don't have to go.

Yes, you do.

If anything were to happen to you...

I know where to find you.

You have to go, Merlin.

You belong at Arthur's side.

I've seen how much he needs you,

how much you need him.

You're like two sides of the same coin.

I've heard someone say that about us before.

I'm going to miss you.

I'm going to miss you, too.

When you left...

you were just a boy.

Now look at you.

I'm so proud of you.

'When the time is right... the truth will be known.

'Until then, you must keep your talents hidden.

'It's better for everyone.'

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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