Merlin (Emrys)

 Another year passed, hundreds before, and more than a millennia since Arthur went to Avalon.  Merlin never ventured too far from the shores and the nearby towns that sprang up.  He took a home at the edge of the lake in the eighteenth century, and when the university was founded in town in the nineteenth, he took his first position there to pass the time.  Society changed, technology improved, and Merlin settled into the familiarity of teaching early medieval history and literature.

Then came one early morning when Merlin woke for his usual walk around the lake, and the air felt lighter.  Gone was the mysterious morning fog that settled on and around the water and hid the islands from view, instead it was as if the earth itself rejoiced with bright sunlight and singing birds that circled the area.  He stood at the water's edge, eyes closed as his magic sought out the island and Arthur's final resting place, and he knew then that the day had finally come.  The Once and Future King had been born again into a new age, to stand up for his kingdom-country when the land needed him most. 

Merlin kept close tabs on the youngest member of the royal family for the following years, watching as the young prince Arthur grew up.  He wanted to go to him, but it was too soon.  Arthur was but a child, not ready for the responsibility and knowledge that came with being Arthur Pendragon of Camelot.  Eventually though, there came a day when Arthur became old enough to attend uni, and Merlin was pleased he had chosen the sorcerer's university without magical interference.