"Oh, not at all. Not at all." Merlyn frowns at her, scratching the side of his nose. "I don't believe for a moment that fate is unalterable. Although one does gain a slightly different view on the whole matter, living as I do. Fate isn't inevitable, my dear. Fate isn't a force, or a thing at all, you see. Fate is only a description. She had to put me into the cave, or someone did, because otherwise, why would I have been in the cave already?"

He looks at her earnestly, as if everything he just said made perfect sense.