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This is a chance in a thousand, Merlin. You must retrieve the egg.
Kilgharrah

Aithusa was the fourth episode in the fourth series of Merlin. It was first broadcast on the 22nd of October 2011.

It marks the first appearance of the dragon Aithusa.

Synopsis

The mysterious Julius Borden arrives in Camelot with the news of a magical secret that threatens to change the landscape of the kingdom for ever, as the fantasy drama continues. He has located the final part of the key to the Tomb of Ashkanar – an ancient mausoleum which holds a very special treasure: the last remaining dragon egg.

Plot

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Julius Borden steals a piece of the Triskelion.

A man named Julius Borden sneaks into a Druid camp at night. He finds a third of a model inside a wooden box and connects it to another third he brought with him. However, he is discovered by the Druids and is forced to flee.

Later, Borden rides to Camelot and goes to Gaiuschambers. He asks Gaius to help him find the last part of the model, which is actually the Triskelion, the key to the Tomb of Ashkanar which holds the last remaining dragon egg.

Borden claims the final third of the Triskelion is housed in the castle vaults, but a suspicious Gaius refuses to help him and tells Borden to leave. Once he's gone, Gaius tells Merlin, who overheard their conversation, that Borden was once his pupil before the Great Purge separated them. When Merlin expresses interest in helping him find the dragon egg, as it may be the only way he can preserve the dragons, Gaius also warns him that Borden is not a man to be trusted.

Merlin later summons Kilgharrah, who tells him that he feared until now that the egg would never be found and that he worried that he would be the last remaining dragon. Merlin tries to explain that Gaius has forbidden him from going after the egg, but when Kilgharrah insists it is his duty as a Dragonlord to rescue it, Merlin promises to do so.

The next day, Merlin visits Borden at the tavern and promises to help him find the last part for the Triskelion. He steals the key to the vaults from Arthur and gives it to Borden when they meet outside the vaults that night. Borden knocks out the guards and steals the final piece, which he attaches to the rest of the Triskelion. He then knocks Merlin unconscious and escapes.

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Arthur and the Knights play a joke on Merlin.

Merlin wakes in the morning to learn that the theft has been reported to Arthur. Gaius informs Arthur of the existence of the Triskelion and the legend of the tomb containing the last dragon egg, and Arthur decides to pursue Borden and destroy the egg so his father's work to rid the world of the dragons won't be undone.

As Merlin prepares to leave with Arthur, Gaius berates Merlin for trusting Borden. He tells him that his actions have cost the egg its safety, as Arthur now intends to destroy it and they have no idea what Borden intends to use it for, and scolds him for not leaving things alone.

Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table pursue Borden into Cenred's Kingdom. As they camp during the night, Merlin hears a voice inside his head calling to him and follows it to a group of Druids led by Iseldir. The Druids explain that Borden stole the Triskelion from them and warn Merlin that it is a key as well as a trap. They also tell him that their legends speak of the tomb, and that "only when the way ahead seems impossible will you have found it".

The next day, Merlin and the Knights find Borden's camp and follow his trail to a cave. Though Arthur assumes they have reached a dead end, Merlin remembers the Isledir's warning and discovers that the cave is actually a tunnel, the back of which is hidden by a waterfall. He leads the Knights through the other side and the group continues on.

As they walk down a hill toward the Tomb, which is now visible in the distance, Borden attacks them with acrossbow. The Knights quickly take cover, but he manages to shoot Percival in the leg. Arthur runs out to draw Borden's fire and Merlin secretly uses magic to snatch the crossbow from Borden's hands and smash it against a tree. Borden runs away, and though Merlin urges Arthur to continue, the king refuses and decides to make camp instead.

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Julius Borden confronts Merlin over the egg.

Later, Borden spikes the Knights' food with poison while Merlin is gathering firewood. He returns to find Arthur and the others unconscious and quickly uses his magic to heal them. He then pursues Borden to the tomb alone while the Knights sleep off the effects of the poison.

Merlin reaches the tomb to find Borden opening the door with the Triskelion. He tries to warn him that it's a trap, but Borden ignores him and is knocked unconscious by gas. Merlin uses his magic to repel the gas and continues on to the tomb's main chamber, where he finds the egg on a pedestal.

However, Borden quickly recovers from the gas and follows him. He tries to persuade Merlin to give him the egg and tells him with a dragon at their command, they can live like kings. Merlin refuses, insisting that the dragon must be left free, and when Borden tries to force him to give him the egg, he reveals himself to be the last Dragonlord and warns him to leave the egg alone.

Borden attacks Merlin with his torch and Merlin blasts him across the tomb with his magic. Merlin then retrieves the egg from the pedestal, but in doing so he sets off a trap that causes the tomb to collapse, forcing him to flee with the egg while Borden perishes.

After escaping, Merlin quickly hides the egg in his pack as Arthur and the Knights run up. Arthur demands to know what happened and Merlin explains that the tomb was a trap and that Borden was trapped inside. He also leads Arthur to believe that the egg was destroyed when the tomb collapsed.

After returning to Camelot, Merlin shows the egg to Gaius, then takes it to Kilgharrah. The dragon explains to Merlin that only Dragonlords had the power to summon a dragon from its egg, and to do so he would have to give it a name. After a moment's though, Merlin summons the hatchling with the name Aithusa, which means "light of the sun".

Aithus

Merlin summons Aithusa from its egg.

As they watch Aithusa emerge from its egg, Kilgharrah tells Merlin that every dragon birth has a meaning. He says that sometimes the meaning is hard to see, but that he believes a white dragon bodes well for Albion and the land that Merlin and Arthur will build together.

Cast

Main Cast

Recurring Cast

Guest Cast

Continuity

Release & Reception

  • 22 October 2011 at 8.15pm on BBC One and BBC One HD
  • In America- 27 January 2012 at 10:00pm on Sci-Fy

Production Errors

  • Neither Merlin nor any of the Knights carry a pack big enough to contain the cauldron, plates, and spoons that they are seen using when they camp.

Trivia

Gallery

Wiki-wordmark
To view the Aithusa (episode) gallery, click here.


Transcript

View the transcript here.

See Also

Series 4
The Darkest HourThe Wicked DayAithusaHis Father's SonA Servant of Two MastersThe Secret SharerLamiaLancelot du LacA Herald of the New AgeThe Hunter's HeartThe Sword in the Stone
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