Run, run, run, get to safety, run, run, run, get away from here as far as you can….. run, run, run back home..
Home. Home was all he wanted, home to his friends, safety, and away from this hell. These were the thoughts in his head as he ran through the forest. It was all what kept him going. Nothing left to concentrate on but to keep on running. He finally had escaped that place, the place where they kept him in a small cell, it was more the seize of a cage, and now he had to get away as fast as he could… to Camelot his home. He was desperately looking around him for a familiar patch of forest but thus far he had found none. He needed to get within Camelot borders as soon as possible before they would catch up on him. The knights who would patrol the borders were his only chance for he couldn't use his magic thanks to his collar the slavers put on. The few times he had slow down he could hear the dogs howling, chasing him. The slavers still hadn't given up the chase. Not even after two days. Dear god was he already two days on the run, two days since he escaped? But no dwelling on those thoughts, he couldn't give up now, not ever. He never wanted to fall in the hands of these guys again. Run…
Was that the sound of running water? If there was a river he could try to lose his scent, perhaps confuse the dogs long enough to get to safety. He veered to the right, desperately looking for the stream of water. His feet where burning with blisters and small cuts from running barefooted through the rough underground of the forest. Those bastards had stolen his boots the moment they had him chained up. Why would they even need his boots? It was not as if they had no boots. There! He found it. It was a small river, current not strong enough to be dangerous so he dove headfirst in the river, not even slowing down his speed from running. He swam downstream for a little while and when he thought he had gotten far enough he stepped out and continued his running. He needed a place to rest tonight and tend to his wounds as much as he can. He couldn't reach his back so that would've had to wait until he could get to Gaius. He slowed down to a walk and looked at his surroundings. It seemed that he was in down in a valley so there should be shelter further above where he could have a lookout to keep check on the slavers. He climbed the steep hill and found a small cave-shaped hole in the hill below the roots of a great tree, with large hanging branches, standing on top of the hill. It was perfect. The roots and branches would camouflage the hole so he wouldn't be seen even if they stood below in the valley.
He settled himself against the wall. After he grabbed some leafs trying to stem some of the small blood flow from the nicks and cuts from the chase and old wounds they've given him, he curled up and tried to get some sleep. Those bastards had even stolen his shirt and chained him up with a broad leather collar with a smaller metal one with runes imbedded, latched on the leather one. The metal one they added later, after his second escape attempt, when they found out he was no ordinary pheasant but a magical one. On the collar was a ring on which they attached the chain to make sure he wouldn't escape. Just like a dog. Well at least he was out now. He still remembered the feeling of smelling the fresh air for the first time after he escaped. Of course they had to have something to control magic, that would just be his luck. But obviously it wasn't their first time they managed to capture a sorcerer. It only meant that he had become of more value to them. That was probably the reason why they hadn't given up on chasing him after two days, well three now...
When he woke up he knew something was wrong. It took a while to figure it out but when he had he climbed out of the hole and started running as fast as he could. It was too silent when he woke up, no bird song, no insects, no nothing. That could only mean that they were close by. And indeed the was the sound of the dogs. He kept on running and ignored the pain of his wounds and feet. When he had run almost a mile he noticed that the forest were becoming slightly familiar. Yes! That patch of bush and trees he knew and that rock formation he knew also. It seemed they had kept him much further op north than he expected. He knew that they had taken him up north from the cold weather, but he had never guessed they had taken him this much up north. As he ran he avoided the roads as much as possible because they made it easier to follow and chase him, but when he stumbled through several thorn bushes he suddenly stumbled on a road. A familiar road! he recognized this part of the forest. This meant he was only a day's ride away from Camelot borders. He looked up at the sky looking for any clue what time it was and how long he had left before he had to find shelter again. He suddenly heard something rustling the bushes and he looked around to see if he could find any cause for fear, but after a small moment of listening and hearing nothing he blamed the sound on a small animal, probably passing through the bushes. Then he heard howling and shouting. "Damn it!" Merlin swore. He had wasted too much time. He started running again. Little did he know that he was being watched.
