A/N: Some time ago, when watching an episode of Merlin, I thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to go and join in the adventure?" So, I pretended like I did. Why was I there? Perhaps I was studying to be a healer. Why could I see what was going on in other places? It was my magical ability. Somewhat like a seer, but in the present, and I could choose what I wanted to see.
Anyway, this is the fathest back episode I'm doing. I dunno, I might write a quick one-shot on when Merlin first came to Camelot, or maybe even before. I really don't know... for know I'm just seeing what pops out of this crazy head of mine.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy!
~The Gates of Avalon~
"I have to admit... this kinda stinks."
The fifteen year old girl groaned, before plopping back down on her hands and knees, the mud splashing onto the grey sleeves of her dress. Her eyes searched through the tall marsh grass that was swishing back and forth in the wind, looking a clump of small, yellow flowers. Normally, she would be grateful to escape from the walls of Camelot and venture into the forest beyond, but this... this wasn't fun.
Instead of sitting in the cool green grass, running her fingers in between the cool blades as she gazed up into the sunlight, filtered through the leaves of the trees, she was forced to crouch on her hands and knees and dig through the mud, looking for some herb she didn't even remember the name too.
Pushing back strands of light, whispy blond hair that had somehow fallen out of her braid, Arianna groaned again, then sitting up and resting her chin on her palm. "So... tired..." she muttered. "Why did Gaius have to send me out so early to look for this herb?"
All of a sudden, Ari noticed how quiet things had become. The twittering of birds, the rustling in the bushes, it had all stopped. That was never a good sign. Instantly, Ari snapped to attention, her eyes scanning the forest for anything unusual. Glancing around once again to make sure no one was watching her, Ari pressed her fingers her temples in concentration, closing her eyes. Once again, she stretched out her senses, but it was different this time. Much different.
For although her eyes were closed, she could see the small marsh around her as clearly as if they were open. Although she did not move, she traveled out of the bog and into the forest, east, the direction from which she was now hearing small noises. In a few moments, she saw them: the prince of Camelot, Arthur, stepping carefully and quietly, holding a crossbow. Hunting. So that's why the forest had gone so silent. She felt her heartbeat quicken a touch when her eyes fell on Arthur, faint smile hovering on her face. As soon as she realized what she was doing, Ari jerked her gaze away, telling herself to "Stop it!"
She half-smiled, half-cringed she watched her cousin, Merlin, come running up behind Arthur, practically crashing into the prince. He was sometimes even more clumsy than her! Ari was about to withdraw, when she saw Arthur snap his head up, looking for something. After a second, both began running, Ari following closely behind.
When they arrived at the scene, Ari felt her heart clench, her breath catching in her throat. It was a man and his daughter, and they were being attacked.
Bandits, Ari thought, chewing her lip. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her teeth as the scene wavered. Focus...
Of course, Arthur wasted no time in jumping into "save-the-day" mode. He shot the first man with an arrow from his crossbow, then pulled out his sword, pelting towards to the three remaining men. He knocked the first down, then went for the second, just as Merlin came running up. The swords clanged together, moving so quickly Ari could barely keep up. Just as the second man thudded to the forest floor, the first rose up again, and the swords clanged again.
Come on, Arthur, come on... Ari silently pleaded.
As Arthur's back was turned, the second man heaved himself of the ground, raising his sword, readying it to strike...
However, before he could move, a tree branch crashed down from above, landing directly on top of him. Then it was only a few moments before Arthur stabbed the first man in the stomach, killing him.
Ari sucked in her breath and looked away. As a healer, she hated watching people die, no matter what the situation.
When she looked back, the last man took off, quickly disappearing into the woods. Merlin shouted something after him, shaking his fist. At this, Arthur merely turned and raised an eyebrow at his manservant, and Ari giggled quietly. She knew she should probably withdraw, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she stayed to see what would happen next.
Arthur walked up to the girl and man, most likely saying something like, "Are you all right?" The girl slowly turned to look at him, and lowered her shimmering, golden hood, difting her gaze up to meet his. Her hair was golden brown, her eyes were sliver-blue, her skin was fair, and Arthur could not stop staring at her.
Ari inwardly groaned. Oh puh-lease, she's not that pretty.
The girl smiled sweetly at Arthur, and the prince smiled back, then took her hand and kissed it.
Arianna fairly jerked out of her the scene, mouth hanging open. "W-what?" she spluttered. "What was that?!"
Ari let out a "Uhrgh", then jumped to her feet, throwing her hands in the air and stalked away. Before she had taken three steps she tripped, falling down a small slope into a mudhole. For a moment she simply sat there, mud oozing around her and dripping off her clothes.
"Oh eww, ewwww! Why is this happening to me?!" Ari moaned. "Worst. Morning. Ever!"
When Ari arrived back at the castle, she walked hastily through the corridors, trying to get to the physician's quarters before too many people saw what a mess she was in. Her once-green dress was now splattered with brown, the gray sleeves not much better off. Strands of hair had fallen out of her braid, and it too was speckled with mud. She kept her eyes down, hurrying, and before she knew what was happening, she had slammed straight into Arthur himself. She stumbling back in suprise, tripping over her own feet and almost falling. The only that kept her from doing so was Arthur grabbing her arm.
Oh my... Ari felt her face turn red, and she dropped the handful of herbs she was carrying.
"Uh- oh my goodness, I'm- I am so sorry," she stammered, quickly bending down to pick up the scattered flowers, and ducking her head down. "I wasn't looking where I was going. Sorry Arthur."
"It's alright," Arthur said slowly, picking up a few flowers and holding them out to her. He rolled his eyes slightly, but smiled. "How about next time, Ari, you look where you're going?"
"Oh, thanks," Ari replied, in response to his gesture. "And I will." As she glanced up to take the flowers from his hand, Ari found herself itching to reach up and fluff his thick blond hair. It looked so soft...
At soon as that thought entered her mind, Ari felt her face grow even more red. Muttering another "Thanks", she quickly rose to her feet and walked away, glad he couldn't see her thoughts.
A minute or two later, Ari saw Merlin handing a blanket to a girl, before she dissapeared into a room. It was the same girl she had seen earlier.
"Not. A. Word," she hissed at him, glaring, as he looked over her mud-covered clothes and grinned. "Who's she?"
"Her name's Sophia," Merlin told her. "She and her father are going to be staying here for a little while.
"Wha-what?" Ari burst out. Merlin raised an eyebrow, and she glanced away, correcting herself, "I- I mean... really? How come?"
"Her land was attacked by raiders. They were forced to flee for their lives," Merlin said quietly. "They're traveling to this other place... I can't remember what it's called, and Uther said they could stay here for a little while."
"Sad..." Ari muttered, her expression softening. She couldn't imagine what it would be like, having to flee the safety of Camelot, and journey to an another land she probably hadn't ever seen before. "I hope she and her father get to that place, whatever it's called, safely."
And soon.
Ari couldn't get the image of Arthur staring at Sophia out of her mind. She rubbed her arm, scratching at the dried dirt on her sleeve.
Very soon.
The next day, Ari found Merlin pacing back and forth before the door to the Council Chambers.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Ari asked slowly.
"Arthur's skipped patrol, and I'm supposed to explain to Uther where he went," Merlin said in a rush, spreading his hands. "I can't do it, I can't. He'll put me in the stocks."
Ari smiled sympathetically at Merlin, and playfully punched his arm. "Well, then... I'll come with you!" she announced. "I'll... I'll be your moral support!"
However, once she pushed the door open and stepped inside, Ari felt herself shrink back a little. At the sound of the opening door, Uther turned from where he was fixing his cape, and stared at them.
"Where is my son?"
"I... I'm not sure where he is," Merlin began hesitantly. "I… erm… I think there's been a mistake. But it's not his fault. Arthur's, I mean."
Ari winced, shifting from one foot to another. Merlin's nerves seemed to be contagious.
"Stop gibbering and tell me where he is." The king's voice was growing hard.
"It's probably... no, it's definitely my fault," Merlin stammered, his words coming out faster and faster, his his hands moving in quick, jerking gestures.
Ari wanted to slam her palm into her face. Not the right thing to say, Merlin!
"Where is Arthur?!" Uther demanded, crossing his arms, and Ari took a step back, gulping.
"He's not here," Merlin explained flatly.
"Yes, I can see that," Uther replied through gritted teeth. Ari was regretting she'd ever came in.
"Arthur wasn't sure of his orders, so he asked me to check with the guards to see if he was riding out this morning and... well... I may have forgotten."
"You... forgot?" Uther's tone was incredulous.
"I'm sorry, My Lord. I am sure he would have been here had I told him."
"If this was a time of war, I would have you flogged," Uther spat out.
Yikes... Ari cringed slightly. Lucky for Merlin this isn't a time of war.
"And since it's not, we'll let it go just this once?" Merlin asked weakly.
"I do not think so."
After the guards had "escorted" Merlin out, Uther tuned to Ari. "What are you doing here, girl?"
Ari froze, her mind going bank. "I- " It came out as a squeak. "I, uh, I- Gaius w-wanted to meet with you." Ari blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
Uther frowned slightly. "About what?"
"Oh, uh, sorry, I got mixed up. Um... he wanted to meet with someone d-different. So sorry. For wasting your time, I mean. It won't happen again." With that Ari all but ran out of the room. I am never going in there to talk to Uther again, she shuddered. He's scary!
Later that day, Ari was sitting on the floor, counting herbs, and Gaius was mixing a potion, when the door opened and Merlin stepped in, covered in bits of rotten fruit.
"Have you been playing with your food again?" Gaius inquired, and Ari burst out laughing at his remark. "Whatever am I going to do? Yesterday it was Arianna, now you!"
"I tripped," Ari retorted defensively. "Merlin-"
"The king put me in the stocks," Merlin said flatly, interrupting her.
"Oh..." Ari winced. "Bet that was fun..."
"What did you do this time?" Gaius sighed.
"Nothing! Honestly, it wasn't my fault," Merlin protested, going over and pouring some water into a bowl. "Arthur wanted to get out of going on patrol with Uther and the guard, so I covered for him and took the blame."
"Wait... you never said: why did he want to skip patrol? I mean, it's not really like him to do something like that," Ari asked slowly. She absentmindedly brushed her hand over a hound's tongue leaf, feeling the rough texture beneath her fingertips.
Merlin looked up from where he was splashing water over his hair and grinned at her. "Sophia."
That one word made Ari's heart sink down into her boots. She looked down at the herb in her hands and twirled in her fingers, swallowing hard.
"He wanted to take her out for the day," Merlin said, pulling bits of tomato out of his hair. "He is besotted."
Ari let out a small growl as her stomach hardened. "I'll bet they had a wonderful time," she muttered under her breath.
"But they've only just met!" Gaius exclaimed, his eyes widening slightly.
"I know. I guess it must have been love at first sight." Merlin chuckled quietly.
Ari rolled her eyes and snorted. "I suppose it was."
Putting the herbs back in their drawer, Ari heaved herself to her feet, and asked if she was done. When Gaius nodded, she grabbed some apples from a bowl and ran quickly out the door, making her way through castle to the place she liked best.
When Arianna entered the dusty shed, she was greeted by a chorus of whinnies. Ari grinned, feeling a warmth spread through her body, and stepped up a sleek bay mare, a palfrey. The mare nickered as she sniffed at the slice apple in Ari's palm, then took it daintily between her teeth.
Ari always loved the feel of a horse's smooth, almost velvety muzzle brushing against her palm, the whiskers tickling the her skin. Using the other hand to run her fingers through the mare's silky mane, Ari whispered in the mare's ear, "Still as vain as ever, eh Jasmine?" At this Jasmine raised her head and snorted, spraying Ari with bits of apple, and the girl burst out laughing.
One by one, Ari moved down the line of horses, petting each one and offering them a slice of apple. She knew others would say she was spoiling them, but, in a way, they were almost spoiling her. Just being with the magnificent beasts was enough to fill her with a warm glow, and seeing that they recognized her as their friend... it was a wonderful feeling.
At last she came to her favorite horse, a black courser named Thunder. He was a large, muscular stallion with a zig-zagged line of white running down his face that looked remarkably like a lightning bolt. He whickered softly, a low, rumbling noise, and rubbed her face with his muzzle as she came up to him. It was to Thunder that Ari sometimes told her troubles, for he always listened to her, and seemed to try and cheer her up when she was down.
What is it? he seemed to ask her, his eyes big and soft and gentle.
"It's Arthur. I'm so stupid," Ari muttered to him, rubbing her hand slowly up and down his neck. "I mean, it would never work out. I know, I'm trying not to fall for him, but... it's so hard. Yes, he can be stupid, and hardheaded, but... he can be so noble and brave and selfless and- and handsome for goodness sake!" Ari crossed her arms and gave an unladylike snort. "And now he's gone and fallen in love with someone else and I'm miserable."
Letting out another snort, she slumped against Thunder's shoulder, blowing a bit of hair off her face. For a few minutes she was silent, thinking, while Thunder nibbled on her hair. "I guess I just have to accept the fact that he... doesn't feel the same way about me as I do about him." She gave a long sigh. "Maybe... one day he will."
Suddenly she realized what he was doing and spun around. "Hey! My hair, Mister, is not hay!" Then she smiled at him and tapped him on the nose. "But until then, I guess I will just have to be content with you." She giggled as he jumped a little at her sudden touch.
Ari was about to walk out of the stable when a wave of dizziness crashed over her. She grabbed onto Thunder's mane, tiny back dots rushing into her vision. Was Thunder pulling away from her, or was she falling? Then her vision went completely black.
The first sound that reached her ears was laughter. Giggling.
Flashes of color rushed past her: gold and brown. A wind whipped by her, catching her loose hair and whipping it in front of her shoulders. Ari slowly turned in a circle and saw she was in the forest.
It was different that when she simply saw. There was noise. it was streaming around her, almost pressing at her from all angles.
Then she saw them.
Arthur and Sophia.
Despite what Ari said earlier, she couldn't help but groan as she saw Arthur help Sophia over a log, the girl's golden cloak dragging behind her. She was carrying that same staff she had earlier, the one with a turquoise gem at the top, encased by twisting branches.
"The river's not far. It's just down here," Arthur said, pointing ahead.
Sophia slowed, a sly smile spreading across her face. She laid her staff on the log and called teasingly, coyly, "Arthur...wait."
Ari frowned, chewing on her lip. What's she up to?
Arthur turned to look at her. "What is it?"
Still smiling, Sophia stepped up to Arthur and slid her hands into his, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes. "Túce hwón frec'úre, Artur."
Ari yelped, then slapped a hand over her mouth. She has magic. A shock of cold punched her in the stomach, and she felt she could barely breath. She has magic, and she's using it on Arthur. I swear, I will-
"You there! Halt!"
The distant yell reached them, and Sophia gasped, jumping back from Arthur, who blinked slowly, looking dazed.
Is he okay? Ari grabbed her arm so hard her nails nearly drove into her skin. What is she doing to you, Arthur? she thought, wishing with all her heart she could do something.
It turned out she didn't really have to. An arrow whizzed past her, so close Ari swore she could feel the feathers on the shaft brush her face. She jumped back, only to tumble into darkness once again.
When Ari woke up, there was a steady pounding in her head, and face was pressed against the cold stone floor of the stable. "Owww," she moaned softly, sitting up and rubbing her forehead. "That hurt."
Then she remembered what she had seen. "Oh no, oh no, no, no... Arthur!"
Ari scrambled to her feet so quickly her shoes nearly slipped on the smooth rock. She gave quick pat to Thunder, thanking him for not stepping on her, then bolted out of the stable like a skittish rabbit.
Just as she passed the wall that separated the stables from the main courtyard, she heard the clatter of hooves, and saw Arthur and Sophia returning on their horses. Ari inhaled sharply and shrank against the wall for a moment, her eyes searching over the prince and the magic-wielding girl still holding that staff; what was with her staff?
Arthur seemed to be alright... Perhaps she hadn't been able to finish whatever spell she had done. Ari knew from watching Merlin that once a person finished their spell the irises of their eyes would shine gold for a second. She hadn't seen anything unusual with Sophia's eyes, so perhaps...
Ivory and Durwin, she thought automatically, glancing at the light grey mare and bay stallion. So that's where they were. Ari mentally slapped herself. Focus!
She began walking towards the castle while trying to stay away from Sophia, yet still watching them from the corner of her eye.
Sophia walked stiffly, her head held high, but her face pinched.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Arthur asked her.
I should be asking the same about you! Ari thought, trying to walk a slow as possible without looking suspicious. Well, more of: are you alright?
"Yes. Thank you for today." Sophia smiled and kissed Arthur on the cheek. "Goodnight Arthur."
Ari couldn't help it: she stopped and stared, her stomach churning. She has magic and she used it on Arthur. Forcing herself to look away, and keep walking, Ari whispered over and over to herself in her mind: Just get back to Gaius. He'll know what to do. Merlin will know what to do.
Ari flinched slightly as Sophia walked up beside her.
"Stay away from Arthur," Ari hissed, the words slipping out before she knew what she was doing.
The sorceress glanced at Ari for a half a second and said in a low voice only Ari could hear, "Do try to keep a civil tounge. Jealously is such an unattractive trait in a woman."
With that she strode up the stairs to the castle, leaving Ari feeling like she'd been slapped.
"I'm telling you, it must have been real," Ari explained as she sat on the low table, holding the wet cloth to her pounding forehead. "I was there! Well... not really, but it sort of felt like it. And I could hear what they were saying."
"You're sure it wasn't a dream?" Gaius asked, looking her over with a critical eye.
"No... it couldn't have been. I mean, I didn't exactly fall asleep. And I remember everything perfectly."
"How do you feel?" Gaius asked her.
"Exhausted," Ari admitted, grimacing.
"Then perhaps you should get some rest."
"But Arthur... what are we going to do?" Ari asked, chewing her lip.
"I doubt there is anything we can do at the moment. Get some sleep and in the morning we can see if Merlin has any ideas. He is, after all, the closest to Arthur."
Ari was too tired to argue. She slid off the table and stumbled into her room, collapsing onto her bed. She slowly curled into a ball, wrapping the blanket around her. In a minute, everything faded away, leaving only oblivion behind.
The next morning when Ari opened her eyes, sunlight was streaming through her window directly into her eyes, and her head was still pounding.
"Ouch!" she yelped, screwing her eyes shut, then realized how late it was. Jumping up, Ari pushed her door open, but was surprised to find the place empty.
Merlin's already left, she thought. I hope Gaius was able to warn him about Sophia.
She had just sat down at the table and was cutting herself a slice of bread when the door swung open and Gaius quickly walked in.
"Arianna, get me some parchment, will you?" he asked, putting in his spectacles.
Ari nodded, her mouth full of bread, then went over and grabbed a few pieces of parchment as well as a quill, which she set in front of Gaius.
"After what you said yesterday, I decided to take a look around in Sophia's room this morning," Gaius explained. "Unfortunately, her father Audric saw me, and, in a flash of anger, his eyes changed colour."
"Gold?" she asked tentatively.
"No. Red."
Ari shuddered.
"I saw noticed some strange writing on his staff," Gaius continued, starting to sketch some lines on the piece of parchment. "I've never seen anything like it."
Oh bother. I know what that means. "Time to start digging out the books?" Ari sighed.
"That would be correct, my dear girl," Gaius replied with a look of amusement.
An hour passed, maybe two. More than once, Ari had skimmed over the castle grounds, and a bit for the forest beyond, but she had seen no sign of either Sophia or Arthur. Where were they? Ari sighed, and flipped through the pages of yet another book. Suddenly, she recognized the symbols. "I think I've got something," she said quietly. Gaius hurried over and squinted at the text.
"Ah, I remember it now. It's Ogham, an ancient script. Now to translate it... let's see if I can recall..." he was quiet for a moment, glancing from the book to the drawing. " Abas ocus bithe. Duthectad bithlane. 'To hold life and death in your hands.' "
"What?" Ari wrinkled her nose. "Just who are these people?"
"It's not who they are that worries me," the physician told her gravely. "It's what they want with Arthur."
"Ari, for the last time, you can't follow me!" Merlin whispered.
"For the last time, you are crazy if you think for one second I'm going to let you do this alone," Ari hissed back, though her stomach was churning. "I'm your moral support, remember? Plus, I'm the one who first saw Sophia had magic," she muttered, half to herself.
"Then be quiet; the last thing we want is for him to hear us."
The two of them were creeping through the forest, hot on the trail of Auldric, the full moon illuminating the forest. The old man seemed to almost float through the forest. Moonlight reflected off the gem in his staff and shone like a beacon through the darkness.
Suddenly, light flooded through the trees in front of them. Ari screwed up her eyes and ducked down into the undergrowth, feeling exposed. Merlin, however, opened his eyes wide, edging forward before Ari jerked on the end of his tunic and pulled him down. But still he snuck forward. Ari reluctantly followed, her hands hot and sweaty as she twisted them together.
It was a lake, and the light seemed to be coming from the surface. Audrick was standing on the shore, wind buffeting towards him and causing his blue cloak to billow out behind him.
"I seek an audience with the Sidhe elders!" Auldric yelled over the rushing wind. "Do:tiag-sa ar idbairt do denam!"
A blue haze appeared over the lake and the wind grew even more intense. Suddenly, white shapes flashed out of the lake, whizzing faster than Ari could see. She whipped her head back and forth, trying to focus on the bright shapes, but it was impossible.
Beside her, Merlin's eyes glowed gold. A few seconds later, his face split into a grin. "I can see them," he whispered, sounding awed.
"Show-off," Ari muttered darkly, rolling her eyes.
"I come before you to plead for the chance to win passage back to Avalon and a life of immortality! " Auldric said, his voice lowering to a normal volume as the wind died down somewhat.
Avalon... where have I heard that before?
One of the white lights zoomed in front of Auldric, and to Ari's surprise, when it spoke she could hear it's voice as clearly as Auldric's. "Your punishment for killing another Sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life. You will never be able to return to Avalon."
"Please," the man pleaded. "The crime was mine, not my daughter's."
The Sidhe seemed to sneer. "The gates of Avalon remain closed to your daughter. Unless the soul of a mortal prince be offered up to them."
Though she could not see Auldric's face, she imagined a slow smile working it's way across his face as he spoke the chilling words.
"An immortal life for my daughter is all that I desire, so I promise you the soul of the greatest prince of all. Arthur Pendragon!"
Ari let out a squeak. She couldn't help it. Merlin quickly covered her mouth with his hand, and Ari put her hand on top of it, just in case.
Auldric laughed, and laughed, and laughed, his voice echoing across the lake. Then he turned away and stepped in their direction. Both Merlin and Ari ducked behind a tree, Ari praying that he wouldn't see them. She pressed her body against the bumpy bark, her heart hammering and tears pricking at her eyes.
They're going to kill him. They're going to kill Arthur.
"Avolan," Gaius told them the next morning, with an incredulous stare. "What you saw at the lake, it's Avalon. It must be…"
"What's Av-" Ari started to ask, her eyes wide, but was cut off.
"The land of eternal youth," Gaius said quickly. "Mortals are only supposed to glimpse it the moment before death."
Ari felt the breath whoosh out of her llungs. "W-what?" She grabbed her head, pulling on clumps of her loose hair. "I-I don't want to die! Well, not right now, anyway! Wait, does this mean I'm immortal?"
"Calm down Ari," Merlin told her, though he looked as worried as her. "We've seen it and we're still here."
"But I don't want to live forever!" Ari moaned, putting her face in her hands.
"Ari, calm down!" Merlin snapped, beginning to pace back and forth.
"Sorry," Ari grimaced, looking down
Merlin let out a sigh. "Sorry for snapping at you."
"Extraordinary," Gaius murmured, seeming lost in his own thoughts. "What did it look like?"
Ari thought for a moment, then her eyes widened. "I can't remember. It's gone just... blank."
"Does it matter?" Merlin exclaimed, his steps growing more and more agitated. "They're going to sacrifice Arthur and we don't even know who 'they' are yet!"
"I think it's quite clear, actually. From the writing on his staff and what you saw at the lake, I'm afraid I'm now certain. We're dealing with the Sidhe."
"They're the... white things I saw?" Ari asked. "Auldric and Sophia... are Sidhe?"
"That does not sound like a good thing," Merlin breathed.
"Indeeed. They're masters of enchantment."
"So that's what Sophia was doing to Arthur," Ari gasped. "She was enchanting him. Oh no, poor Arthur..." She jerked a hand through her hair. "We've got to do something."
"And it looks like we're running out of time to do it," Merlin said, beginning to pace once more.
"Things just keep getting worse and worse," Ari moaned, leaning against the door and sinking into a sitting position. It was dark, the sun having long since dissapeared, but Ari didn't feel like lighting a candle.
Earlier that afternoon, Arthur had formally requested an audience with the king, and Ari and Merlin had slipped in to watch. It was then that Arthur had proclaimed his feelings for Sophia and asked Uther's permission for them to marry. At first Uther thought Arthur was joking, but Arthur persisted that he was quite serious.
Although her attention was focused mostly on Arthur, Ari noticed that the Lady Morgana looked as worried as Ari herself felt. She must feel even more helpess than us.
Arthur went on say that he was only asking out of courtesy, and that he and Sophia were getting married wheter Uther permitted them to or not. At this, Uther had threatened to execute Sophia and her father if Arthur did not listen to him, and Arthur had reluctantly submitted.
After the king dismissed everyone, Merlin had muttered to her that he would try and talk to Arthur, and Ari had reluctantly returned to her room to watch, for she knew Arthur was more likely to listen to Merlin. Shr had waited she got back to her room to watch because she didn't dare preform her magic around people, subtle as it was.
Closing her eyes, Ari sprinted through the castle until she reached Arthur's chambers. The prince was wearing his armor and shoving things into a bag. After a moment, Merlin entered, and Arthur glared at him, most likely telling Merlin to get out or leave him alone. Merlin tried to reason with him, but Arthur shoved him off. Suddenly, Merlin spun around. Sophia and Auldric were standing in the doorway, staffs, like always, held in their hands.
Sophia glided towards Arthur, and Merlin stepped in between them, pointing a finger accusingly at Sophia and yelling something.
Auldric laughed, probably denouncing whatever accusation Merlin had yelled.
Merlin glared at the man, his words coming out faster and faster, gesturing at Auldric's staff. He turned to Arthur, saying something like "Arthur, please listen to me!"
Arthur faltered. He shook his head, blinking slowly as Merlin desperately shouted at him, spreading his hands. Arthur turned away.
C'mon Arthur, fight it. Fight it! Ari pleaded, clenching her teeth.
Merlin lunged at Audric, trying to grab his staff, and the man pulled back, his eyes flashing red. Turning back to Arthur, Merlin shouted something like, "His eyes turned red! Did you see that? Do you believe me now?!" His eyes were wide and his breathing ragged.
Ari's heart stopped for second. For when Arthur looked up, his eyes were red.
For a moment Merlin simply stared at Arthur, then flicked his gaze to Sophia and Auldric. Again he lunged towards Aulric, hands reaching for the socerer's staff.
"Na mben sis!"
The words crashed through Ari's ears, and she jerked bolt upright, trembling. Almost in slow-motion, she watched as blue lightning shot out of the staff and hit Merlin squarely in the chest. The impact sent Merlin flying backwards, his head colliding into the wall.
Merlin! Ari's eyes flew open and she bolted up, sprinting out the door. She ran through corridors, ignoring the stares and shouts from other servants and she whipped past them.
Please let him be alive, please let him be alive, Ari thought, her breath choking in her throat.
At last she reached Arthur's chambers and nearly dove in front of Merlin's prone from.
"Merlin!" she gasped. "Merlin!"
For a second she hesitated, then put her hand on his chest. She slumped forward, letting out a long breath. Beneath her palm, Ari could feel the steady thump of his heart. He was alive.
"Merlin," Ari said again, quietly this time. "Merlin, wake up, please." She grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently, but it was no use. Merlin was out cold.
"Don't worry, Merlin," she sighed softly, "I'm not going anywhere until you wake up."
Ari knelt beside him and resting against the wall, her head aching in a steady rhythm. No time, no time... it seemed to scream at her. All Ari wanted to do was break down and cry, but what good would that do?
How long will it take before they reach the lake? How long until they begin the ceremony? How long until Arthur is dead?
The horizon was glowing pink with the dawn when Merlin finally groaned. "Arthur... where's Arthur? I... I've got to go after him," he muttered groggily, blinking open his eyes. "What's that buzzing noise?"
"Merlin, what did he do to you?" Ari asked, as Merlin tried to get up, grabbing her arm keep from falling down.
"Tried to kill me, apparently," Merlin breathed, rubbing his forehead. "I have to go."
"You mean we have to go! And look at you, you can barely stand," Ari protested, getting up. Merlin tried to take a step forward, and had to grab her shoulder, almost pulling her down with him.
"I'll be fine, Arthur needs help!" Merlin took a stumbling step forward. "I have to go. Alone. They already tried to kill me. They'll kill you without any hesitation."
"Merlin, let me come with you," Ari pleaded, grabbing his arm. "Please. I can't stand back and just watch. I have to help." Her voice was breaking, her hands were trembling. "I have to know I tried."
"Fine," Merlin sighed. "Let's go." He stumbled forward, almost walking straight into the wall.
"Merlin!"
"Just testing."
The mist rose from the ground as they ran through the forest towards the gates of Avalon. Trees flashed by on either side, brush cracking and snapping beneath their feet.
Running. Breath heaving in and out of one's chest, arms pumping the air, straining to go faster, faster! And on, and on... through the trees... and the mist... running, running, always running. Energy draining, muscles screaming in protest, side aching. It seems like hours, it seems like days, running, always running, never slowing, only going faster... and faster, until the lungs cannot keep up and the heart is about to burst.
Get to Arthur; get to Arthur before it's too late.
The thought that repeated itself with every thump of her heart, every thud of her boots against the ground, every sobbing breath gushing in her throat.
Get to Arthur; get to Arthur before it's too late.
"...Dómdæg. Déaþ ór cwylþ óga him!"
The words sliced like a knife through the air. Ari skidded to a halt, taking short, gasping breaths. Her eyes swept wildly around the scene. Auldric was standing on the shore of the water, shouting an incantation. Sophia was up to her waist in the lake, her hand hovering over the surface of the water.
Oh no, no, no! Where's Arthur? Ari thought wildly.
Without even thinking about she was doing, Ari snatched up a short, thick branch in her hands and sprinted towards Auldric. She swung the branch as hard as she could at the back of Auldric's head, smashing it into his skull. He fell heavily to the ground.
That's for almost klling my cousin, Ari thought, her palms stinging.
"Father!" Sophia screamed trying to push her way through the lake towards them. Suddenly she exploded into a cloud of golden light. Ari turned and saw Merlin holding Sophia's staff, his eyes hard. "Go find Arthur," he said, pointing his staff at the fallen Auldric.
Ari nodded, then raced over to the lake. For a moment she closed her eyes and tried to use her magic to locate Arthur, but it was no use. Her mind went blank the moment she tried to imagine the scene around her.
Ari took a breath and dove into the lake. When she opened her eyes, everything was golden. Swinging her head back and forth, Ari swam forward through the golden water, searching for Arthur.
We've come so far, I can't lose you now!
She thought she saw the glint of metal, but her head was pounding, and her chest was heaving up and down, although she could not breathe. Air. She needed air.
Ari broke the surface, gasping, then yelled to Merlin, "Here! He's here!"
Merlin pushed through the water towards her and they both dove under again. It was Arthur, sinking slowly, so slowly through the water. Every now and then bubbles would escape from his lips, rising quickly towards the surface. Merlin and Ari grabbed his arms, and together the hauled the prince back to the surface, dragging him to shore.
"We... we did... it..." Ari gasped, nearly collapsing on the shore as water streamed out of her clothes. She looked up at Merlin. "Now... how in the world are we going... to get him... all the way back... to Camelot?"
The late morning sun streamed through the open window, flooding the room with light. Ari glanced at the sleeping form of Arthur, seeing his chest rise and fall with each breath. He was alive. He would be alright.
Ari snuck a look over at Merlin sitting on a chair next her. He looked ready to fall asleep, resting his chin in his hand and staring off into space. Before she could lose her nerve, Arianna reached out a hand and gently stroked Arthur's hair, her stomach fluttering. In a moment she snatched it back feeling her face redden. "What?" she asked, trying and failing to supress her smile as Merlin looked over at her. "H-his hair's soft." With that, Ari ducked her head and dropped her eyes, but she still couldn't keep the grin off her face.
"Yeah, well don't try that while he's awake." Merlin rolled his eyes, and sat up. "I never seen him be very touchy-feely. Well, except when he's under a love spell... or whatever that was. I can't believe what they did to him."
Ari nodded, sobering a bit. "I- I still can't believe I ran up to that guy and smacked him on the head with a stick."
"That gives me an idea," Merlin said suddenly, sitting up straighter.
"Huh?"
"We're going to have to explain this to him somehow," Merlin told her. "Why not say that he was going to elope with Sophie, so I went after him and knocked him out."
"With what, a random branch you found on the ground? He'll never believe you," Ari scoffed, the grin returning.
"Well then, you, Ari, were my witness."
Ari snorted quietly. "Yes, your moral support, cheering you on as you smacked the old 'clotpole' in the head with a lump of wood."
"Good old Ari," Merlin grinned, ruffling her hair.
Ari was about to fall asleep, resting her head on her palm and letting her eyes drift shut, when Arthur finally came around.
"Ow... my head..."
Ari nearly bolted up, jerking awake in an instant. "Oh my goodness. Are you all right?" she blurted.
"I... I think so." Arthur muttered groggily. He blinked slowly. "Where am I? What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Merlin asked quietly.
"There was a girl," Arthur said slowly, sitting up on his elbows and running a hand through his mussed hair. "Sophia, she... I asked my father something about her, I asked him..." He trailed off for a moment, then jerked up. "What was I thinking?" he gasped, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
Ari had to look down to supress her smile at his expression. Oh Arthur. You don't want to know...
"Well, we did wonder," Merlin sighed, glancing at Ari. "Especially after you eloped with her last night."
"I did what?!" Arthur exclaimed, his voice cracking, his eyes wide as an owl's.
"Um... yeah," Ari said with a rueful smile. "Merlin and I had to bring you back to Camelot. Well... it was mostly Merlin... I just... made sure he didn't hit you too hard," Ari explained, stumbling over her words.
Arthur grabbed a clump of hair. "I don't recall any of this," he whispered, looking rather horrified with himself. Then his face hardened. "Wait, you said Merlin hit me?"
"Ah... well… er… when I caught up with you, I couldn't persuade you to return, you were beyond reason. So I had to make you."
"By hitting you over the head." Ari winced. "It looked rather painful."
"You managed to knock me out?" Arthur asked Merlin, narrowing his eyes.
"Yep," Merlin replied nonchalantly. "With a lump of wood."
For a minute Arthur simply stared into space, as if trying to process what he'd just heard. Then he snapped his gaze back to Merlin and glared at his servant. "No one," he growled, "can know about this." He turned to Ari, and she felt her heartbeat quicken at his gaze. "I'm talking about you Ari. Not a word. Is that understood?"
Ari felt the grin sneaking back, and ducked her head down, trying to make it look like she was nodding, but it reality, it was all could do not to start giggling.
"I think we did pretty well. Arthur's back to normal, Sophia and Auldric are gone, and..."
"...And Merlin ended up in the stocks. Again," Merlin sighed, slumping into a chair. "You'd think they'd be sick of it by now!"
"Poor Merlin," Ari laughed quietly, snatching a peice of tomatoes from his hair. "Let's hope this is the last time... at least for a while." She made a face, and dropped the squishy piece of tomato onto a clean cloth, then turned back to Merlin. "But really. I think we make a good team. I mean, so... someone's trying to take over Camelot or kill Arthur or whatever. I find out what's going on, you stop them, I come along for moral support..."
"How could it go wrong?" Merlin chuckled, and rolled his eyes.
A/N: Holey frying pans. It's done. What the heck am I going to do with my time and sanity now? Oh... right. Torture week. (AKA performance week of the musical I'm in).
Thunder is based off a dear, sweet horse I once leased, called Lucky. She would always nicker when I gave her a treat, and I loved her to bits. Unfortunately, she got sold, and I miss her terribly. :'(
That aside, this was one of the most enjoyable stories I have ever written. But holy cow, I did not expect it to turn out to be almost 8,000 words! I mean, my one-shots are an average of 700 words! I... just... *faints*