Merlin
Most people wake up in the morning to the birds singing and the light of dawn filtering gently through their window. But not Merlin. Oh no, that would just be way too nice. No, of course he has to wake up to the harsh clanging of the warning bells. Camelot was under attack.
He slipped his customary red shirt and blue neckerchief over his head while simultaneously pulling his trousers on and stumbling down his stairs into Gaius' room. Gaius blinked owlishly at Merlin and asked, "What on earth is going on?" Merlin merely threw a shrug over his shoulders as he started to run toward the door, intent on making it to Arthur before anyone else did.
By the time Merlin had barreled down the right corridors and made his way to Arthur's room, Arthur was almost done getting into his chainmail, Gwen buckling the last buckles and making sure his sword belt was on right. "The castle's under attack!" Merlin yelled. Arthur shot a bemused glare at him before sighing, "Yes, Merlin. That is what they warning bells mean." Gwen choked out a worried laugh before receiving a kiss on the forehead from Arthur and a promise that he'll be right back.
Merlin and Arthur jogged through the hallways of the castle, finding no one. It was as if everyone had simply disappeared; even the bells had stopped ringing. So it came as a surprise when they jogged down the Knight's hall and suddenly found several swords pointed at their necks. Merlin made a high pitched squeaking sound, but Arthur simply pushed the sword tip away and commented drily, "For all those promises about protecting me and Camelot, I really think that you look for an excuse to point your sword at me Gwaine."
"Your Majesty!" Sir Leon exclaimed as he quickly resheathed his sword. "The one and only." Arthur said before diving into full on king mode, "What do you have to report so far? Who rang the bells, why, and where are all the servants?" Percival spoke up quickly and quietly, "One of the younger knights rang the bells, claiming to have seen his servant turn into a troll. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, and I didn't believe it myself at first, but then I saw it with my own eyes. The girl, Mary, shed her skin and turned into an ugly troll. Then I saw another servant turn into a Sidhe and another use magic. They had a druid mark on their skin. The castle is under attack from within."
Arthur face paled as he filed the information and realized that he had just left his queen alone in a room completely surrounded by enemies. He turned and fled back the way he came, noticing with satisfaction the way his knights followed him without comment. The group, including Leon, Elyan, Percival, Gwaine, Mordred, Merlin, and Arthur, reached the King's chambers within minutes. They piled into the room to find that Gwen was already dressed and had commandeered a collection of packs to go on a long journey. She smiled tightly when Arthur pushed his way over to her.
"Are you all right?" He asked softly, pulling her into a quick hug. "Of course," she muttered, "I took the liberty to prepare some packs. I figured out what was happening when I looked out the window and saw the servants turning into creatures. We must leave at once if we are to escape." Arthur shook his head stubbornly, "No. I will not abandon my people to the hands of sorcerers and monsters alike. They cannot-," He was cut off by the sound of a spell being uttered behind him. He swirled around, at the same time pushing Gweneviere behind him, to see possibly the ugliest thing that had ever had the displeasure of walking this earth.
It had to have been over six feet tall and was covered in a thick layer of goop, looking for all the world as if it had just been hatched. Its molten silver skin and fat, lumpy body gave it the look of a bar of silver being melted. Elyan said slowly, "You know, I think that I'll help Gwen get the packs and Gwen, Leon, and I will go get the horses ready. When you're ready, just come into the courtyard." He scooped up some packs and rushed out of the room, Gwen and Leon all too happy to comply. Arthur scowled and pulled his sword from his scabbard, rushing into battle the same time as his remaining knights.
The battle was a short one. Something so big and ugly just couldn't move fast enough to defend itself from four angles. Not to mention Merlin's discrete spell momentarily blinding the creature. Merlin was already pulling Arthur out of the room before the thing had completely died.
Percival led the group down the stairs and through the hallways and to the courtyard which was deserted aside from the promised horses and the three that had fetched them. Arthur and his knights climbed onto their horses, only just noticing that Merlin had turned around and set off back toward the castle. "Merlin! What are you doing?"Mordred yelled after him. Merlin jogged backwards up the last few steps and yelled back, "I have to get Gaius! Leave without me! We'll catch up to you!" Arthur swore and moved to get off his horse and follow him, but Mordred had grabbed onto his reins and had pulled Arthur's horse into a gallop. Merlin and Mordred had had a short conversation via telepathic communication, and Mordred had promised to get Arthur to the relative safety of the woods. Arthur was helpless to do anything but jump off his horse, which could possibly kill him. And so he craned his neck around and watched Camelot get smaller and smaller behind him as he and his knights fled.
Back in the castle, Merlin flew around corners and put everything he had into reaching Gaius. Halfway to the physician's rooms, the castle began to collapse. It started with a slight tremor and it increased until everything was shaking so hard that it seemed as if the room was moving side to side. Still Merlin ran. Candles fell over and caught rugs and curtains on fire. Chunks of mortar smashed into the ground and walls. The weapons and armor so gaily covering the walls flew through the air, almost impaling Merlin several times. And yet he continued on.
Finally, he reached his rooms. He swung the door open with a flick of his magic and saw Gaius calmly putting together a medicine bag. "Gaius! What are you doing? This isn't a field trip! The castle is falling!" If the situation wasn't so dire, he might have smiled at that statement. "I'm sure that the people of Camelot will need some herbs when this all blows over and I intend on having some ready for then. I would go quite a bit faster if someone were to help me." Gaius mused pointedly. Merlin growled and grabbed his own customary messenger bag, placing his magic book in it before stuffing various other poultices and herbs in as well. "Are we done yet?" Merlin growled impatiently as Gaius took one last sweeping look around the room and nodded his consent.
Together they somehow managed to make it to the courtyard without getting crushed, impaled, or set on fire. Of course, though, the courtyard was now filled with the magical beings that had taken the place of the faithful servants that had once roamed Camelot's walls. They caught sight of the two stumbling from the castle and decided that today was the day that Merlin and Gaius were going to die. As one, the creatures attacked.
Merlin stared at the crowd gathered there. He could see griffons and wyverns and druids and other sorcerers. Also in the crowd were elves, goblins, and unicorns. Every type of magical being was represented. And then they attacked and quite frankly, Merlin just did not want to deal with this right now. He had to get up early, he had to be attacked by an ugly creature, run through the castle, avoid being killed by said castle falling to the ground, and he had to put up with Arthur's sarcasm. He was just not in the mood.
With a swing of his head, Merlin swept the oncoming attackers off their feet and into rubble of the now still castle. Those who remained standing were buffeted by strong winds that had whipped into a frenzy, responding to Merlin's agitation. The creatures stared at him, dumbfounded, as his eyes settled back to their customary blue and he hauled Gaius onto the horse behind him. The sky turned an ugly black as his eyes flashed golden again and lightning danced across the crowd, joyfully showing its power to those it left alive. They rode the same way Arthur did, but with all of Camelot's new residents staring at him from behind.
To add insult to injury, Gaius started admonishing Merlin and scalding him with that eyebrow as soon as they had breached the city walls. "Why on earth would you be so foolish as to show your magic like that Merlin? You probably just made them even more determined to find you and Arthur now! What if Arthur finds out?" "Gaius! It's okay. It's not like Arthur would believe them if they just waltzed up and said, 'Hey, Arthur. Merlin's a sorcerer.' They're not even following us."
Gaius seemed to be about to continue when they heard a branch snap a little ways off the main path. Merlin gestured for Gaius to be quiet and he slid slowly off the horse. He slinked into the forest, looking for signs that it was Arthur and the knights that were waiting in the woods and not a group of bloodthirsty creatures. Snap! Merlin spun around to find a sword pressed against his throat hard enough to hurt and to force a surprised huff of breath puff out. "
Merlin! You're alive! I thought… when you didn't come out of the castle following after us… oh, I was so worried!" It was Mordred who had his sword aimed at Merlin's throat.
"Yeah. Good to see you too, Mordred. Kinda feeling pain right now," Mordred blanched quickly and pulled his sword away before giving Merlin an apologetic shrug, "So, Mordred. Where are you camping?"
"Over this way." Mordred started to hike back through the woods when Merlin said, "Just a second!" and ran off again. Mordred sighed and waited until Merlin eventually returned with Gaius and the horse. "Come on." Mordred said, smiling because only Merlin could have gotten Gaius out of there safely. The physician, the horse, the druid, and the sorcerer began to walk back towards King Arthur's camp.
It took ten minutes to get there. Once there, Merlin saw some impromptu shelters, the horses tied to a log (already fed and watered), and dinner cooking slowly over the fire; all of the knights were engaged in listening to Arthur and Gwen argue over the directions to wherever they were headed. Merlin felt his lips tip up in a big goofy grin before saying, "Well, I didn't realize that you lot could actually set up a camp by yourself. I would have thought you too used to me doing it for you." Gwaine gave forth a startled laugh before launching himself at Merlin, patting him on the back and setting him down by the fire. Percival gave him a smile and a brotherly punch which actually managed to hurt a lot. Leon and Elyan clasped his arm in a knight like handshake.
Gwen smiled and ran up to Merlin, wrapping her mocha colored arms around Merlin as Arthur tried his best not to look relieved. "So, Merlin. You managed to not be on time to help me into my armor. You managed to get almost stabbed in the neck by a knight. You managed to sit in a corner and cower while a monster attacked, and you managed to run back into a castle entirely filled with magical beings. How could you be such an idiot?" Arthur cried, throwing up his arms. "Aw, you're just upset because you had to figure out how to set a camp up." Merlin smiled at him. Arthur just rolled his eyes and looked over at Gaius, "I'm glad you're here Gaius." Gaius nodded gravely and Merlin began telling Arthur about the creatures he had seen in Camelot.
Arthur listened, paying close attention, only wavering when Gwen offered him his food. He had smiled and held onto her hand for a little longer than necessary, a detail not missed by Merlin. Once he was done with his story, Arthur spoke, "All right. These are dire times indeed. We will need all of our wits about us if we are to succeed. Tonight, we will sleep in shifts, two men patrolling at a time. If we are attacked, make sure to make enough noise to wake the others. Do not try to take these things on by yourselves. Tomorrow we will begin our ride to Annis' kingdom. It is times like these that we need allies. Merlin and I will take the first shift. The rest of you, go to sleep. We've a long day ahead of us."
The night passed uneventfully, the bright sunshine just peaking over the edge of the forest as the group started their journey. It was decided that Gaius would ride on a horse by himself while Merlin shared a saddle with Gwaine. As if the day before wasn't torture enough. By nightfall, they could just make out the border between Camelot and Annis' kingdom.
Merlin aided them in setting up camp, and, although none of them would ever admit it, Merlin really did set the camp up a lot quicker than they ever could. Throughout the day, the knights had shot anything they saw and so had a small feast for Merlin to cook. Gwen started the conversation, "By midday tomorrow we will have reached Annis' kingdom. We must be alert. There is nothing to say that she has not been taken over much the same as Camelot was. But let us move on to happier subjects. We have a while before the first shift need begin."
And so the knights traded stories of battles and hardships, Merlin chiming in for the ones he was there for and Gaius chiming in for the ones he treated. Soon the subject turned to love. "So I was in a tavern, drinking some mighty fine ale-," Gwaine began, being cut off by Merlin saying that of course he was in a tavern, what a big surprise there. Gwaine began again, "Anyways, I was in this tavern and some lass comes up to me. She was the prettiest thing that ever walked on two legs, excluding you of course, Queen Gweneviere. She had thick, bright blond hair that fell to her knees and big, huge blue eyes that just screamed that she wasn't innocent, oh, not at all. She had tan skin and was almost as tall as Leon. And, of course, she walks right through the door and straight to me. Being the natural charmer that I am, I stand up and doing a sweeping bow before her and offer her my chair. She gladly accepts and we talk throughout the evening. The whole time I am just dying to kiss her rosy lips, but alas, she walks away before I am able. I come back to the bar around the same time the next day. The bartender sees me look forlornly around me for that gorgeous lass and laughs. He says to me, 'Boy. That girl ain't nothing but trouble. She pulls that sham with every good looking guy who'll buy her a drink she does. You better off without her, I say.' And so, heartbroken to my very core, I set off to another town, never really loving anyone as much as I loved her." With a heartfelt sigh, he finished.
Gwen tried to stifle her giggles as Percival openly guffawed at Gwaine. Gwaine scowled, "What? You don't believe me? Like you've ever had a girl before. They probably see you and run away screaming, 'There's a giant after me!'" Everyone laughed and it was now Percival's turn to scowl. "I've had a girl before." "Oh, sure you did. I believe you." Gwaine mouthed the words "not really" to Mordred and Elyan before turning back to Percival.
"No, it's true. Really. And I actually knew her name." He said pointedly to Gwaine. "Her name was Lily. She had shoulder length brown hair pulled into a messy bun all the time. Her eyes were a light forest green and she was very tan from the sun. She had worn hands and wore dirty clothes from gardening all the time, but she was the love of my life. We would spend every day together in that village, laughing and smiling and gardening. But then she fell in love with another man. He was perfect for her, even I could see that, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Soon after, they got married and moved away and I never saw her again." The group all watched as Percival's face had gone from thoughtful and full of love to sad and brooding. Gwaine put his hand on Percival's arm. "I am truly sorry, my man. I'm sure she still loves you."
Merlin was sitting silently, thinking about love. He had sort of drifted off at the start of the conversation, as he always did was love was mentioned. Of course, since Arthur had the knack for this kind of thing, he looked over at just that moment. "Merlin, are you even paying attention?" Merlin looked up, "Hmm?" Percival looked as if he was trying to cover his hurt while Leon laughed and Gwen looked on thoughtfully. But Arthur wasn't done yet, "On second thought, Merlin, you really don't need to be paying attention to this conversation since you've obviously never fallen in love before and no one has even fallen in love with you." Elyan and Leon laughed and Merlin gave a half-hearted scowl. He really did not like this conversation.
"Arthur! You definitely do not have the eyes of a lady, or else you would have seen clear as day that Merlin is either in love or was in love. Isn't that right Merlin?" Gwen challenged. Merlin clenched his jaw and looked away, muttering just loud enough for everyone to hear, "It doesn't really matter because she's dead anyway," before standing up and walking a ways into the wood, unable to stay any longer.
After he walked away, the knights sat awkwardly staring at the ground until Arthur stood up, planning to go after him. Mordred stood up as well and got in front of Arthur, "Begging your pardon, sire, but I know Merlin and he would really rather be left alone right now." By Mordred saying that he knows Merlin, he means that he just had a mind meld conversation in which Merlin told him in very clear terms that he didn't want anyone to come after him right now. And so Arthur sat down and the stories eventually commenced again.
It wasn't until everyone except the watch had fallen asleep that Merlin returned. The watch just happened to be Gwaine and Mordred, who were talking in hushed tones. They heard a rustle as Merlin's jacket brushed against a leaf and immediately stopped talking. Once they saw who it was, however, Mordred resumed his conversation. "So, you see, it really isn't that surprising that I'm a druid, is it?" Gwaine looked at Merlin who had wrinkled his brow in confusion and then back at Mordred. "Did you just now share that with Merls-," which was his incredibly annoying nickname for Merlin that Merlin groaned at and Mordred chuckled at, "or did he already know?" Mordred smiled his adorable smile and said, "He already knew. He actually helped to save me when I was just a boy. I was very grateful for that."
Was? Merlin asked Mordred telepathically. You know that I cannot forgive you after you attacked the camp that was protecting me and you attempted to hurt me with your magic. Mordred replied, his smile never leaving his face. Gwaine watched them watch each other for almost a minute before Merlin turned away and frowned, heading back towards his blanket to go to sleep.
"What was that about?" Gwaine asked as soon as Merlin seemed to be asleep. Mordred looked up at Gwaine and answered cryptically, "An old grudge not forgotten." The older knight went silent at that and settled back against a tree to listen to Mordred tell the tale of how he and Merlin had met. On the one hand, he felt pretty good that Mordred had trusted him with something this important, but on the other, Merlin had never seemed to like him and that made Gwaine a little wary of him.
Eventually, dawn spread her fingers of rosy red and gold across the horizon and the group packed up and began their trek to Annis' land.
They reached the border and crossed it easily, without any hindrance. When they passed through the outlying villages, no one was there. Even when they reached Queen Annis' castle city, they found no one. "I have a very bad feeling about this." Elyan whispered as they continued to ride on. Leon gulped and nodded his agreement. Arthur motioned them to be silent and lead them to a little alleyway between two houses. They dismounted and he tied the horses to a window ledge coming off one of the houses.
He began to whisper quickly to them, "The most likely reason that we haven't seen anyone is that the same thing that happened to Camelot happened here. We have to check the castle quickly; I'll bring a small group of men with me. If we can't rescue Annis and some of her people, then we'll move on to the next kingdom, King Odin's, and after that, King Rodor's kingdom. If we need any more aid, or if we need to rescue anyone else, we will also continue on to Bayard's kingdom. Everyone understand? Good. I need Leon, Percival, and Merlin with me. The rest of you, wait here."
The three named set off just behind Arthur, watching out for potential enemies. As they were nearing the castle, they heard the sound of laughter and shouting. They looked at each other and began running, knowing that no one could hear them. They came in at a side entrance and saw a horrible scene before them.
Standing on a hastily built platform and surrounded by a great many magical beings was the red haired queen herself. To her credit, she stood with her head held high as the monsters jeered at her and threw bits of leftover food. "Arthur!" Merlin whispered furiously. "Some of those monsters were at Camelot. And no, they don't just look like them, they were actually there." Arthur nodded worriedly at him and pulled the knights back a little to create a battle plan. "We'll need a distraction, a good one." Leon and Percival imperceptibly looked at Merlin and Arthur just turned at looked right at him. Merlin backed up and whispered, "Oh no, no way am I going in there. What do you even expect me to do? Just run in and say hi? I'll be killed!"
Arthur nodded quickly to Percival and Percival put his hand on Merlin's shoulder and whispered, "You'll be great," before shoving Merlin into the fray of creatures. In one movement, they turned, going silent. Merlin coughed slightly into his hand, "Hi. My name's Merlin. What's yours?" and gave a little wave, grinning his ridiculous grin. Annis literally gaped at him in shock. Merlin walked some ways to the left and all eyes stayed trained on him. No one even noticed as Arthur, Leon, and Percival crept behind them and up to where Annis was tied to the platform.
Arthur put his finger to his lips when Annis started to speak. Leon untied her hands and she leaned down to help Percival untie her feet. Arthur watched Merlin and the crowd. When Annis was free, she rested her hand on Arthur's shoulder and leaned in to whisper into his ear, "It's a trap." He stared at her with dawning horror as a figure separated from the crowd, walking towards Merlin. Arthur signaled for Leon and Percival to start the trek back around the crowd and to their hiding place.
They turned around to do so and suddenly there were monsters behind them and in front of them and on their sides. Arthur had no clue how they had managed to sneak up to them so quick. He looked up to see Gaius, Gwen, and Elyan dragging an unconscious Gwaine and Mordred between them, their magic captors surrounding them.
The figure that had been walking toward Merlin stopped, his flowing cloak swirling around him. "I give you a simple choice Merlin. You will be our captive, or your friends will die one by one." His voice was deep and melodious. Merlin schooled his features quickly and Arthur couldn't help but feel a flash of pride, "If I agree to be your captive, what will become of my friends, druid?" Gaius cried out, no doubt to tell Merlin to not agree, but was stopped with a swift punch the gut. Arthur wondered in passing how Merlin knew that the man was a druid. Then he wondered why he was thinking about such things, eventually contributing it to shock.
The man smiled at Merlin and answered honestly, "We will escort them back to their horses. We will give them fresh food and water and a horse for Queen Annis and then we will send them on their way with a fierce warning to not try to rescue you. I give you my word." Arthur heard Gwen sob and he wished that he was near her so as to comfort her. Instead he just tried to figure out why these things would want Merlin.
Merlin bit back a sob of desperation and lifted his chin. "I accept the terms of your agreement and will be your captive so long as your promises are kept and you do not harm my friends." The man bowed his head in deference and Arthur was jerked off the platform and pulled out of the courtyard, back towards the place they had left the horses. He stared at the space Merlin should be, visibly flinching when he heard Merlin cry out in pain.
The man had stepped back as they pulled Arthur out, sending out a telepathic message to Merlin, This is going to hurt a little. Merlin had just responded what is? when another druid stepped forward holding chains. Two Sidhe grabbed his arms as the druid clamped the strange chains onto his wrists and ankles. He cried out in pain, which was what Arthur had heard, as the chains burned into his very magic. He fell to his knees as the pain overwhelmed him. As the druid man watched in satisfaction, Merlin grew a sickly pale, bruises forming under his eyes. He seemed to become even thinner and to curl in on himself. For all intents and purposes he looked as if he was already dead.
The magical beings dropped them off at the edge of the forest and gave them the warning they were promised. A water nymph, her voice like waves catching the rocks, said to them, "You all heard him cry out in pain. We had set a spell so that if any of you even dare to take a single step into this kingdom, his pain will increase tenfold. I suggest you do not do this." With that, she gave a horrid laugh and walked back towards the castle with the others trailing behind her.
Arthur, his face set in a frown, turned away and began to trot into the forest and onto a path. "What the heck are you doing?!" Gwaine shouted. "How can you leave him behind like this? He would never do this to you!" Gaius put a comforting hand onto the knight's shoulder, "Merlin wouldn't want us to come back for him. Don't worry. You know Merlin. He'll get himself out of there." Gwaine finally turned his horse around, but his knuckles were white on the reins and his face was a thundercloud. For once, he didn't speak.
When night fell, the group was halfway to Odin's land. They settled in for the night. None of them had spoken on the long journey, each lost in his or her own thoughts.
Elyan and Mordred set up camp, both of them painfully aware of Merlin's playful banter about this very subject the night before. Arthur and Leon placed logs in a round circle around the fire so the company could sit and discuss their plans. Arthur sat at one end, with Gwen on his left and Gaius on his right. Annis sat across from him, Leon and Percival one her one side and Mordred, Gwaine, and Percival on her other. She began the discourse with, "Thank you for rescuing me King Arthur." He inclined his head to her respectfully.
"I am only sorry that it had to come at such a cost. He evidently meant much to all of you and for that I am sorry." Annis looked at Gwaine and he clenched his jaw and turned away. She sighed gently and continued, "I will now tell my story. At midday yesterday, I began to notice that the reports from the outlying villages were not coming in. I had meant to ride out and see if they were in some sort of trouble, but I could not find my servants anywhere. Nor, for that matter, my knights. I started to get frantic, running from room to room calling out everyone's names. No one answered. Eventually I ran into the courtyard and then I saw it, a crowd of monsters staring me straight in the face, waiting for me. Some of them still had the face of a friend, a servant, a knight, or a subject. I knew then that they were magic beings who had been plotting against me for a while now. I made to run, but one of my former knights had come up behind me and he hit me upside the head. When I awoke next, I was tied to that pole and it was just becoming dawn. I stayed there for who knows how long before I saw you lot standing in the shadows of one of the side entrances. The man who approached… Merlin calls himself Esus and that nymph girl who brought us to the woods is his consort. Her name is Aedre. Beyond that, I know nothing more. I am sorry it is not more."
"Thank you Annis. Gaius, do you recognize either of these names?" Arthur asked, turning to his right. Gaius frowned, thinking, "I do believe I have heard of them before. If I recall correctly, Aedre was born a water nymph with the power of a seeress. She could look into the future and proclaim what it held when she was prompted. This was a great gift that she was given, but also a curse. But she never thought of it that way because she was greedy and cruel. Eventually, a caravan of thieves and bandits came to her small stream and she met her one and only soul mate. They shared the same cruelty and disregard for all others. They were haughty and soon drove off even the other criminals that rode with them. But soon they discovered that since Aedre was a water nymph, she could not leave her chosen water way. And so Esus set off to find a way to free her from this. He found it with the druids. They insisted that they could only give the secret to another druid. For a long year he labored to become worthy of that title and, finally, he claimed it and the spell that would free his true love. It had a side effect though. Her visions would no longer be chosen by her to appear when she so wished. Instead she had horrible nightmares of a time to come when a great warlock would appear and destroy all evil magical beings. Esus and Aedre have been trying to find this warlock ever since."
The whole company frowned as one, Percival saying, "Why would they have taken Merlin? They seemed very set on having him and him only." Gaius shrugged and Arthur speculated, "Perhaps they thought that I know something of this sorcerer and they know how often I tell him things." Gwaine frowned deeper and shook his head, "No, that can't be it because you tell the queen and us knights almost as much as you tell Merlin." Mordred spoke up then, "Maybe they thought that Merlin would be the easiest to break?" Gwen shuddered at the idea and pulled in close to Arthur. Leon added, "Merlin was in a pretty easy position to be threatened too, with all of us captured and him not." Elyan disagreed, "That can't be it. It was almost as if they knew that Merlin would be used as a distraction and they planned for it. They definitely wanted him to be the one captured."
"I would also like to point out that they also knew that you were going to go to my kingdom first. That might have been simply that mine was closest to Camelot, but, as they talked, it sounded like they had followed Merlin, saw where he was headed. One of them made a comment that it was a quick change of plans. That they had seen Merlin do something and that was why they had followed him." Queen Annis pointed out. "You were with Merlin when he left the castle. Did he do anything that might have attracted their attention?" Leon asked Gaius. Gaius clearly hesitated before saying, "No. Not that I can think of." Arthur sighed, "Gaius, I've known you my whole life and I can tell when you're lying. What did Merlin do?" Gaius answered a lot quicker and with more firmness this time, "Nothing, my lord." Arthur frowned at him and said slowly, "You do realize that anything you have to add could save Merlin's life, right." "Yes, my lord. If I have anything to add, I will."
That was the end of the conversation for that night. The group drifted off to sleep, still keeping guards up, not wanting to risk their lives on the promises of some half mad druid.
Merlin woke up to unbearable pain. His very soul felt like it was on fire, centered on his wrists and ankles. The pain was ten times worse than even the Morteaus poisoning. He tried to remember where he was and what had happened as he found himself on a hard, dirt packet floor. He groaned as he sat up, the pain becoming nauseating. He looked up with bleary eyes and realized that he was in a cell empty of everything but himself and his chains, the source of his pain. He groaned again as the memories of the past three days came flooding in.
Loud footsteps and quieter ones walked down a set of stairs, stopping just before his cell. Merlin crawled to lean against the far wall, looking up at Esus and Aedre as they had introduced themselves in his dreams. Aedre smiled cruelly as Esus asked, "How are you feeling now, Emrys? I can imagine that those chains must hurt a lot. We have to keep you weak, you see. You are destined to destroy the evil magic in the land and quite frankly, we do not wish to be destroyed. You will get water once a day and food once every other day. Do you understand?" Merlin groaned his understanding and Esus and Aedre laughed, holding each other's hands as they walked back up the stairs.
Two days later, the knights had reached Odin's land. From the ridge they stood on, they had seen workers plowing the fields. They had rode down and asked for directions to the palace. Now, they looked up at the castle walls and rode resolutely in, prepared for anything.
Some polite servants led them into Odin's throne room. The room was grotesquely over decorated and filled with shiny and bejeweled objects. As the considerably large group was led in, Odin looked up. For a second fear played across his face as he saw Arthur, and then surprise when he saw Annis, and finally confusion when he saw all of the others and the shape they were in. Somehow sensing the gravity of the situation, he barked out an order, "OUT! Everyone out! Close the doors and make sure no one is listening! NOW!"
Arthur, his queen, his ally, his physician, and his knights waited patiently as the court goers scrambled from their king. Odin stood and pulled some chairs to rest in front of his throne, gesturing that they should all sit before planting himself onto his own throne. "Why are you here, in this manner, Arthur Pendragon, and why have you brought Queen Annis and Queen Gweneviere with you? And where is your ever present manservant to whom I owe my life?"
To this Arthur told the story of the downfall of Camelot and their attempt to find solace in their ally, only to find that they, too, had been defeated. Odin's customary frown grew deeper as he contemplated the fact that he might have magical beings resting in his very own castle. Arthur continued, "We need help if we are to reclaim our kingdoms and we cannot rescue Merlin alone. Please, help us."
Odin nodded gravely. Then he broke into a huge grin and gave forth a mighty laugh. Many of those sitting before him were shocked. Arthur's eyebrows drew together and he half got out of his seat when suddenly he was shoved back into it with an unnatural force that pushed his chair back several inches. The knights started to struggle against their invisible bonds as well. Gwen looked up at Odin in horror. "You're a sorcerer!" Odin laughed again and dramatically wiped an invisible tear of laughter away, "You have no idea how hard it was for me to sit and listen to your pathetic dribble and not burst out laughing. I just couldn't hold it in any longer." He started to laugh hysterically and Annis gasped, "You're mad!" Within a second, she was crying out in pain as Odin's entire demeanor changed and he tightened his magical hold on her.
"I'm mad! I'm mad! You tell me this as you work in allegiance to Arthur Pendragon!" He practically spit Arthur's name out. "For twenty long years. Twenty years! Uther deemed himself to know best and to outlaw magic! Ha! Like that would do anything but cause pain and anger! Why do you think there have been so many attempts on both of your lives? Other than the fact that the two of you were arrogant fools, you put yourselves above nature!" Arthur, his face contorted in fury, yelled, "Magic is not natural. It is evil and it corrupts the user! You are nothing but a twisted shell of who you could be just because you used magic!"
Odin threw back his head and laughed yet again. It was starting to grate on Arthur's nerves. "So, what? Are you working in league with Esus and Aedre? Did you help to capture Merlin?" Odin turned serious again in a flash, leaving Arthur to believe that he had to have some form of bipolar disorder and maybe a little whiplash from flipping his head around like that. "I had everything to do with capturing Em- Merlin. It was I who suggested that they take Annis' kingdom and it was I who showed them how to trap him."
Gwaine practically growled, "Why? Why would you take Merlin? Why couldn't you take someone who can actually protect himself? Pick on someone your own size!" Then Odin was back to the laughing again. Arthur jerked, trying unsuccessfully to free himself, "Besides, Merlin is the one reason that you are alive today. He is the reason that I didn't kill you where you kneeled on the ground in front of me with my sword to your neck. Doesn't that count for something among you murdering sorcerers?" And then he was back to serious Odin again. "I had no desire to be saved by him! The so named savior by the Druids. And you say that he cannot defend himself! Well then, you do not know Merlin. No longer will the Druids worship him as their savior and defender! No longer will he be sacred to the dragons! Soon, no longer will he be alive!" And then the maniacal cackling began again.
Leon coughed slightly, "Ahem. Well, you are definitely insane. Or you have Merlin mixed up with someone else. Because what you just described, that is not Merlin. At all." Odin looked at him in disgust and anger and Percival picked up on Leon's tactic. Percival raised an eyebrow and commented drily, "You know, it must be hard being that insane. I mean, is he even really seeing us? Does he understand human language?" Gaius continued, "Perhaps that is a side effect of his long years of sorcery." Odin became more and more enraged as the conversation went on, his concentration slipping. Then Gwaine, who was sitting slightly behind Arthur loudly suggested, "I think that he's so insane because he couldn't deal with the fact that his son let King Arthur kill him because he couldn't stand the thought of a sorcerer for a father any longer."
Odin's face went paper white before shooting rapidly to a cherry red as he launched himself out of his chair and at Gwaine. Before he could get to Gwaine and give him the strangling that most people wanted to give him, Arthur swung his sword and decapitated the King.
Gwaine gulped and let out a huff of relief as Arthur stared at him and commented, "You really do know how to get on people's bad side, don't you?" Gwaine gave him a cocky grin before waltzing his way to the back door of the throne room. "I think that we should get going, as we did just kill a king and I doubt that his people will cheer and grovel at our feet. Maybe my feet, but not all of ours." Arthur stalked towards him as the rest followed.
They fled all the way to the forest, galloping deep within before stopping to set up camp once again. The logs were arranged and soon they all sat around their impromptu round table as they ate their dinner. Gwen broke the silence, "Tomorrow we must make for King Rodor's land. Perhaps he can help us." Annis looked at her incredulously, "You cannot be serious." She looked around at all of the serious subjects and rulers of Camelot and repeated, "You cannot be serious."
"We have to be serious. The lives of all of our people are at stake here. I had to leave Camelot alone, filled with monsters, and all I want is to return so no more of my people will die. That is all I ever want." Arthur finished. Leon amended, "That is all any of us ever want." Annis stared at them and eventually nodded, seemingly accepting their words. "Very well, then. But we must be more careful. So far we have all been captured twice and we have been to only two kingdoms. We must be more wary this time." The knights nodded their consent.
Arthur continued, "Now that that is settled, I wonder what Odin was talking about when he spoke of Merlin." He didn't miss the quick glance that Gaius and Mordred shared. "Gaius, Mordred. Would either of you like to add something?" Gaius turned to Arthur and spoke haltingly, "Only that Odin's words were the words of a mad man." Elyan frowned, "So, in your readings, you haven't heard anything like this before?" Gaius continued in a less wavering voice, "No. The Druids worship their gods only and the dragons respect only their own."
Gwen and Arthur glanced at each other before Arthur said slowly, sadly, "You know Gaius, you really don't have to lie to us. For some reason you feel the need to recently. You can tell me anything. You know that." Gaius regarded Arthur seriously and said, "I'm afraid I don't know that, sire." The knights frowned in his direction, but Arthur had already moved onto Mordred, "And you, Sir Mordred? What do you keep from me that is so horrible that even Gaius believes that I cannot know?"
Mordred contemplated his hands for a moment before staring resolutely back at Arthur. "I am a druid." Gaius gave Mordred a quick smile as Gwaine jerked, mouthing the word no to him. None of this was missed by their king. He stood up furiously, roaring, "Who knew about this?" Gwaine lifted his chin, "I did. Sire." He added the title mockingly. Gaius seconded that, but with a tad bit more manners. Gwen grasped Elyan's hand as she watched Arthur visibly gain control of himself. "Why did you not tell me, Mordred? You know that I have rescinded my father's laws on druids. You could have told me."
"I was afraid, my lord. Afraid that I wouldn't become a knight, or that you would un-make me a knight. I was afraid that I would be treated differently, that people would hate me, or mistrust me. True, none of the people that I told hated me for it, but still." Mordred went back to contemplating his hands. Arthur cocked his head to the side, "Who else knows, other than Gwaine and Gaius?"
"No one, sire. Other than Merlin, of course."
Arthur sighed, "Of course. How is it that Merlin manages to know everything that goes on in the castle and I don't when I'm the king?" "I don't know, my lord." Mordred answered. Arthur sighed again, "You can stop your cringing Mordred. No one is going to treat you differently and I am not going to un-knight you." Gwen smiled broadly and hugged Arthur as Mordred let out a breath of relief, Gwaine patting him on the back. Annis raised an eyebrow as a corner of her mouth tipped up, "Well, now that we've got that out of the way, we should all get to sleep now. Gwen and I will take the first watch."
When Merlin finally woke up again, the only light came from the moon slanting through the bars on the window of the cell. Merlin frowned, he didn't remember there being a window last time he woke up. Then again, he was in a lot of pain. He still was. It slammed into him like a wall. He gasped and curled in on himself, pressing back against the corner of the cell. He whimpered like a wounded animal as the cuffs cut into soul. A slight rattle drew his attention. One of the bars on the window was loose. If he could just use his magic to loosen it the tiniest bit more. His magic curled off his body and reached for the bar. It was about a foot from his body when it recoiled. The chains pulled his magic back in, tightening the barrier between his magic and the world until it pressed against his skin.
He felt like he was suffocating. He felt like his very skin was on fire. His magic screamed and rebelled and made everything tighten and he screamed. This was no ordinary scream. It was a scream of pure magic and all magic beings or all beings who had dabbled in magic screamed with him, so great was his pain. Esus and Aedre looked at each other with pale, afraid faces before they ran down into the dungeon to see their prisoner.
Everything had been going smoothly. The watch was transitioning nicely. Arthur had just been woken up alongside Mordred, who was still a little uneasy around Arthur, but getting better. Then he screamed. One minute, Mordred had been talking animatedly about druid camps and the next he was screaming like he was dying, except he wasn't wounded. And then Gaius started screaming like he was dying. The whole camp was awoken. They looked to Arthur with fear written clearly across their faces. They didn't know what was going on. What could make a person scream with so much pain?
Then, all of a sudden, they stopped screaming. Gwen grabbed a blanket to pull around the old man. Gwaine had pulled a blanket around Mordred, who, for his part, looked shell shocked.
After the two had calmed down a bit, Arthur questioned them, "What happened? Are you two alright? What hurts?" Mordred shook his head wearily, "Nothing hurts. And we are alright." He looked to Gaius to confirm that he was in fact alright before continuing, "That was not our scream. Yes, I know that it came from our mouths, but it came from thousands of mouths. We screamed because Emrys screamed. He was in so much pain that his all powerful magic caused all creatures of and dabblers in magic to know that he was in pain. Essentially, it was a cry for help. It was a cry to take the pain away. To make it stop." Mordred got quieter as he continued, his face growing so serious for someone so young.
Percival shook his head, "I don't understand. Who's Emrys?" Gaius spoke quickly, glancing secretly at Mordred, telling him that he would answer this one, "Emrys is the most powerful sorcerer that has ever lived and will ever live. He is not just a sorcerer, though. He is a warlock; he was born with magic. It is said that he will aid in the uniting of Albion and that he will eradicate all evil magic from the land. Many have tried to find out who Emrys is, but no one really knows. All that is known is that Emrys is a male."
Arthur frowned, "That sounds like a fairy tale, Gaius. Surely there is some other explanation." "No, my lord, there is not. There was no mistaking that that was Emrys who was in pain. It… I don't know how to explain it. You just… know that it was him who was in pain." Arthur frowned deeper. "Do you know why he was in pain?" Gaius shook his head and Arthur sighed. "All right. Everyone back to bed. Mordred and I will continue our shift. Tomorrow we beseech help from King Rodor."
Aedre and Esus crept warily toward Merlin's prone body. Even with his chains on, they were still afraid of his power. Merlin was leaning into his corner. He skin was chalk white and his hair had an ashy quality to it. There were deep purple bruises under his eyes, showing that he had been in and out of sleep. He was so thin that you could see the bones of his fingers and he cheekbones jutted like ivory blades.
Then Merlin shivered and his arm moved slightly. It was almost comical the way that Aedre and Esus froze as if they had been caught doing something naughty. They looked at each other and laughed shakily before creeping closer. Esus bent down and checked to make sure that Merlin's pulse was normal. It was. "What do you think happened? I've never heard someone… well, I've never screamed like that before. And it was him, wasn't it? That's why the whole castle screamed, right?" Aedre asked, resting her hand on Esus' shoulder and peering at the young warlock as her love checked him over for wounds.
Esus nodded gravely, "Yes. I don't know what happened though. It must be something with the chains. I only hope that his screams didn't attract something more dangerous. I think that every magical creature screamed with him. I also think that he showed them where he was. We should be prepared to defend the castle." Aedre concentrated for a second, checking the magical borders that were in place, "Do you think that we should move him somewhere new, my love?" Esus nodded thoughtfully, "Yes. I do believe that that is the best course of action. You are so smart, beautiful." Aedre grinned a grin that promised more to come before sweeping out of the room to inform the guards of their new task.
Within the hour, Merlin had been moved to a cave in the northern edge of the kingdom, leagues away from the castle.
After six days hard riding, the knights and royalty made it to King Rodor's land. He welcomed them gracefully into his castle, gently shooing his courtiers out of the throne room. The move that was so similar to that of Odin's set the knights on edge. They gripped their swords nervously and unconsciously moved into a defensive position as they moved toward the throne. King Rodor and Princess Mithian gazed at them in some confusion. Why would King Arthur, Queen Gweneviere, and Queen Annis, covered in mud and ripped clothing, come to this kingdom with knights and a physician. Nevertheless, Mithian greeted them warmly, "Arthur, Gwen, Annis. It is so great to see you. And you as well, my knights. What brings you here, today?"
Those named inclined their heads respectfully before Arthur answered eloquently, "My lady Mithian, we come bearing grievous news." Annis and Arthur had practiced this the night before and decided on this course of dialogue. Rodor and Mithian acted distressed and naturally asked what had happened. Arthur answered that Camelot had fallen. Each of the guests studied their hosts for signs that they knew of this already. That did not seem to be the case. Arthur looked at each of his knights for their approval before continuing, this time telling the story of the fall of Camelot and the fall of Annis' kingdom, leaving Merlin out of the conversation.
Rodor's eyebrows drew together and at length he asked, "Why have you come here, to my kingdom? Why did you not go to Odin, who is your ally and who is closer to you?" The real confusion and distress in his voice convinced Arthur that Rodor truly was on his side, but what Mithian said next really cemented it, "And where is Merlin? You spoke of him in the beginning of your tale, but he is not here now. Where is he?"
Arthur closed his eyes in relief as all of the fake bravado drained from his face. All at once the King could see how tired the whole group was. Then Arthur told the story in full. He told them how they had lost Merlin, how Odin had turned out to be a sorcerer, and how they heard the screams of Emrys. Rodor nodded sadly when they were done and walked briskly out of the room. He ordered some servants to bring food, a table, and chairs to the throne room and he informed the guards that no one was to come in, on pain of imprisonment. The guards nodded their understanding and Rodor returned to the room. Within moments, the table and food had come and the servants had left. Rodor sat at the head of one end and Mithian at the other. Arthur sat the Rodor's right and Annis to his left.
"Now, let us eat and discuss the problem at hand." Rodor began. "The problems we face are these: Camelot has been taken over, Annis' kingdom has been taken over, Odin's kingdom is currently a loose cannon, Merlin has been kidnapped, and this Emrys person is in pain. Does anyone have any information to add to that already given to us?" He asked formally. Mithian spoke up, surprising them all, "I have something. I'm afraid it's not much, but I have heard the name Emrys before. When Morgana and Odin took over this kingdom, Morgana and I had a great ways to travel to get from the border to Camelot. When she was asleep she would mutter his name. She sounded terrified of him. Claimed that he was an 'old man' and that 'she should have killed him' and that 'she almost found him'. Beyond that I know nothing."
Gaius, who had been waiting with baited breath for the inevitable, relaxed and asked slowly, "Are you sure? Do you know how Morgana and Emrys met?" Mithian nodded, "Yes I'm sure and no, I'm afraid I don't know." Gaius nodded as if saddened by that knowledge when really he was pleased to no end. Rodor nodded in thanks to his daughter before continuing, "Alright. All information has been given out. Now we must decide on a course of action. Do we rescue Merlin, taking Annis' land back in the process? Do we rescue Camelot, saving the people there and gathering a larger force? Or do we go to Odin's land and claim hold of his people?"
Gwaine couldn't hold it in any longer, "We should rescue Merlin!" The members of the table looked at him oddly and he defended himself, "And the part about taking Queen Annis' land back as well because then we get a larger force, a more defendable position, and Merlin. It's a mix of two of the objectives as I see it." A corner of Arthur's lips turned up, "You know, Gwaine that might have actually been a good idea." Gwaine glared at him openly, causing the other corner of his lips to curl up.
Rodor raised an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling and asked if all were in agreeance. They were. He said that they would start out at first light the next morning.
Merlin woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. Again. One morning he's in bed, the next he's sleeping in a forest, then in a cell, and now, in a cave. Great. He loved caves. They just made him all warm and fuzzy inside. Then his inner sarcasm was crushed by a wave of pain radiating from his ankles and wrists and he remembered all over again why he had been in a cell. For some reason, the pain had gotten worse and he had gotten weaker. He couldn't even groan now. The best he had was a little pathetic whimper. He curled back into himself for warmth. The cave was dank and cold and altogether unpleasant.
Merlin was hungry and tired and in pain. So he wasn't the happiest when people outside of his makeshift prison started screaming. Didn't they realize he already had a headache?
The knights, Gaius, Gwen, Annis, Arthur, and Rodor had set off at dawn, leaving the kingdom in the more than capable hands of Mithian. They had ridden until midday, when they reached the northern border. At first, Arthur had disagreed with Rodor about taking this path. It would take a lot longer to get to the capital, but Rodor continued to point out that this way they had the element of surprise and that is what they needed most.
They were eating a quick lunch of cold bread and cheese when one of King Rodor's men came back from his scouting trip. "Milord! There is a cave down yonder! There are guards all round it!" Arthur scrunched his nose, whispering quietly to Gweneviere that he thinks that the scout was a squire in disguise. Gwen hit his arm, but smiled all the same. Annis just looked at them with sad eyes. Then Rodor gave the order that they would move in on the cave.
Arthur stood up, followed by his knights. They mounted their horses and rode alongside Rodor with twenty of his men following behind them.
When they neared the cave, they saw about thirty men milling about aimlessly. Arthur could hear them complaining about their awful job. He smiled. Rodor gestured quickly to his men and they fanned out to surround the cave, Arthur's knights following suit. Arthur and Rodor crouched behind some bushes and waited for the sign that said that all of Rodor's men were in position.
It was only about five minutes till the sign came, but it felt like longer. The men all rushed from their positions, surprising the men there. Arthur's sword clashed with one of the enemies' and soon the man was down. Blood scarred the ground; it came from both sides. Rodor nodded Arthur into the cave while he checked on his knights, the dying and the wounded.
Elyan was immediately behind Arthur, with Gwaine behind him, and then Percival, Mordred, and finally, Leon. When the first man jumped from behind the corner of cave, Arthur had only been saved from immediate death by Elyan's quick stab to the man's lower stomach. Arthur swallowed thickly and looked to Elyan, "Thanks." Elyan moved in front of Arthur, "No problem." They faced and defeated twenty more men as they moved through the cave. At one point, Gwaine had whispered, "I'm slightly worried about what we're going to find that they need that much protection for it." That started up a hushed conversation about the different things that they thought were in the cave. The theories ranged from the wealth of Annis' land, to Esus and Aedre themselves, to some sort of magical beast. Nothing prepared them for what was actually there.
They rounded yet another corner and found themselves in a large room with twenty more guards lounging in various positions. The battle, despite how unmatched it was, was quick and concise. After the men had been killed, Arthur and his knights gazed around the room. They weren't quite sure what was there. They certainly didn't see anything. Mordred frowned, "What's going on?"
Merlin felt like a cannon had gone off in his head when he heard Mordred say, "What's going on?" He shifted to put his hands over his ears, but even that slight shift hurt too much, so he stopped.
Gwaine heard the rustle of fabric and whipped around, looking for the source. He had his sword back out and was creeping toward Merlin. For a moment all he saw was a pile of rags and chains, but then he realized who it was. "Merlin!" he shouted, ecstatic with joy. Merlin just attempted to push himself away from Gwaine.
The rest of the knights had come running, Arthur diving onto his knees next to Merlin. He had reached out hesitant, pulling his hand back when Merlin flinched at his touch. Leon whispered, shocked, "Oh, Merlin. What did they do to you?"Arthur took command of the situation, "Alright, Leon and Elyan, I want you to gently move Merlin a little ways away from the wall. Gwaine, I want you and Mordred to look through all the dead men's things to find the key to his chains. Percival, go run outside quickly and tell Rodor's men to do the same. Inform the King of what has happened inside the cave."
A half hour later turned up nothing. No one had the keys to the chains and it wasn't on the floor anywhere. Arthur sat, deep in thoughts and worries. "What are we going to do?" Elyan asked. Gwaine was on the floor beside his friend, his faces growing increasingly darker. Arthur stood and started pacing. Percival bit his lip looking conflicted. "If you have something to say, Percival, say it." Arthur snapped. Percival looked up, frightened for a moment before he saw Gwaine still sitting silent by Merlin, "I was just thinking that maybe… well, I'd be strong enough to…" He seemed to gather his thoughts before continuing, "I believe that I could saw, with a sword, the chains off of Merlin."
Arthur was already shaking his head no. Several heated voices kicked up at once. One was Mordred, "My King! Can't you see that those chains are killing him?" Arthur shouted, "You could cut his hands off!" Percival shouted back, "I know I'm careful enough!" Elyan was shouting, "Calm down all of you!", while Leon was saying, "Why don't we just talk this one out?"
Then Gwaine shouted, piercing through the cacophonous argument, "Shut up!" They looked at him shocked and he continued in a much quieter, and tired, voice, "Can't any of you see that loud noises hurt him? That's why he tried to back away when we first got here; we were making too much noise. Now you're all shouting and banging up a racket. Can you imagine how that sounds to him? And Mordred is right. These chains are killing him. Let Percival take them off. You would trust Percival in any battle, right?" He added when Arthur still didn't look convinced. Arthur nodded and Gwaine continued, "Then trust him in this. Please let him try. For Merlin's sake." It was a good, long minute before Arthur nodded his okay and Percival started his painstaking work.
For another half hour, Percival sawed away, managing to get three out of the four manacles off without giving Merlin more than a slight knick. Then, when Percival was halfway through the final cuff, one of Rodor's men ran into the cave, breathing heavily. He put his head between his knees, gasping out what he was told to, "Esus' and Aedre's people are coming. You have about ten minutes before they get here. The King said that he would cover for you, and fight Esus and Aedre with his men. Your queen, and your physician are ready with horses for everyone, including Merlin. Ride somewhere safe, and in one month's time, come back to Queen Annis' land and the King will either still be at war, will have won the war, or would have lost it. He says good luck and god send." Then the messenger was running back toward the cave entrance.
Arthur peered over Percival's shoulder, "How much longer?" "Just two more minutes, sire." Percival gritted as he sawed more quickly, but not carelessly. Arthur looked back toward his knights, "Mordred and Elyan, go stand by the queen and Gaius. When ten minutes is up, I want you to take them and leave, regardless of whether we're there or not. Understand?" They looked reluctant, but eventually nodded. "Good, then go." They ran off. Two minutes passed and Merlin's last chain clanked off unceremoniously.
Gwaine pulled him onto his shoulders and was already running around the corner by the time the others realized the chain was off. They all followed him, quite frankly just glad for the excuse of something to do. When they got out of the cave, they could see Aedre and Esus' army coming over the ridge. In the front of the group was the leaders themselves. Aedre pointed to Merlin and started to lead her charge straight towards Arthur and his knights. They ran.
Several minutes of hard running later, in which Gwaine somehow managed to run the fastest, they reached the horses. Gwen helped Gwaine pull Merlin into Gwaine's saddle as Merlin wasn't strong enough to sit up yet.
The horses were practically flying across the ground, the riders barely able to hear each other over the whip of the wind. "Where are we going?" Gwen shouted at the group. "I don't know!" Arthur shouted back franticly. That was around the time that Merlin woke up. "What's going on?" he shouted hoarsely. Arthur looked back at him and grinned, "We're saving your sorry arse, that's what!" The other knights cheered until Arthur yelled, "Faster!" and they turned and saw that Aedre and a group of soldiers were still on their tail.
"Where are we going?" Merlin continued, oblivious to the danger. "I don't know! It has to be somewhere safe!" Arthur yelled back. "Arthur! I know a place that is safe! No one else can get there! Trust me! Let Gwaine lead!" Arthur reluctantly pulled back and soon Gwaine's horse was flying ahead of the others. Merlin kept giving him pointers on directions and soon they were almost to Freya's lake.
Of course, that was when Aedre's magically enhanced group of soldiers caught up to them. They were riding across an open plain at the time and made great targets for the elven archers that followed them.
Arthur shouted in warning as the first arrows flew over the knights' heads. Merlin gave Gwaine the last instructions on what to do to get to the lake and then he looked back. He saw Aedre lift her mighty bow and arrow and he felt a rage like nothing he'd felt before. He'd been angry before, even filled with rage, but nothing like this. Gaius shouted a, "Merlin, no!", but Merlin was too far gone to care.
Gwen, Arthur, and the knights watched on in horror as Merlin raised his arm. The arrows that had been flying towards them stopped abruptly, turning almost in slow motion before setting themselves alight and flying back towards the archers at double the speed. Merlin's eyes flared gold and the elves had no chance. They were massacred. But the one person that he had meant to kill, Aedre, had escaped, leaving her warriors to die.
Merlin saw her for a moment over a distant hill top and he could have sworn that she had the nerve to smile at him. He swore then and there that he would kill her.
For a few minutes, they rode in silence. Then they reached the lake and all feelings were unleashed. Gwaine's horse hadn't even stopped before Arthur jumped off of his and pulled Merlin down from it.
Merlin tumbled and rolled into a sitting position on the ground. He was still in so much pain, but he had been getting better. Not anymore. He looked up and realized that Arthur had a sword pointed to his neck. Merlin was vaguely aware of the struggle behind him. Gwaine had run to probably attack Arthur, but Percival was pinning him in place, tears in his eyes. Leon was doing something similar to Mordred; both were watching the events play out with horror in their eyes. Elyan gently held Gaius back and Gwen stood behind them all, rooted in place.
Then Arthur spoke, his voice shaking with anger and betrayal, "You get one chance to explain that away, Merlin." He practically spit his name out. Merlin reined in his fear, lifted his chin, and answered, "I am a warlock. I was born with magic. It has not corrupted me. I am not evil. Arthur, this whole time, all these years, I have been saving you over and over again with my magic because I believe that you will unite Albion and be the greatest king that ever lived. Like any loyal subject, I am serving you to the best of my abilities."
Arthur swallowed and then hissed out, "I, King Arthur Pendragon, with no other option in sight, sentence you to death for practicing magic and for treason." Arthur flinched inwardly when he saw the look of terror in Merlin's eyes as he readied his sword for the killing blow. The blow that he deserved. Merlin deserved this, Arthur told himself. He is a sorcerer and all sorcerers are evil. He betrayed you. With that thought foremost in his mind, Arthur swung his blade up…
…and never swung back down. Merlin looked up at Arthur and saw a thin, floating line of water holding Arthur's arm back and holding his sword in place. Arthur looked down at Merlin and growled, "What magic is this, sorcerer?" Merlin flinched until he saw something in the lake move from the corner of his eye.
Merlin was up in a flash, running full tilt toward the lake, even going so far as to run into the shallow end. The knights were so surprised that they didn't think to go after him. Arthur, his arm finally free, came running toward the lake, only to bounce back as if he ran into some wall. The other knights tried to get through as well, until they saw what was going on behind the invisible barrier.
Merlin had run for the water because he had seen her, had seen Freya. He had formed his goofy grin despite the occasion. He stood waiting, knee deep in water until she came to him. She flew from the water and they embraced, laughing and smiling and raining light kisses all across each other's face. Finally, their lips met and they drew each other into a deep kiss.
Arthur watched from the shore, dumbstruck. The other knights were looking onto the scene with various emotions. Gwaine was grinning like a salty sailor, Mordred was blushing furiously, Leon looked conflicted and Percival confused. Elyan looked like he was happy for the backstabbing sorcerer and Gaius looked like he really wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming or not. Gwen had a look that said that she has seen miracles.
Arthur was really just confused. Merlin was evil. He had seen that. Merlin had just killed a hundred people by just raising his hand. But then, how was this possible? How could he look so innocent and unbelievably happy right now? Then Merlin spoke and his voice carried to where the group stood.
"Oh Freya. I didn't think I'd see you again. You said that you would repay me for my kindness and then you did when you helped me get Arthur's sword from where I threw it into the lake. I thought that since you had repaid me, you would leave. Oh Freya, I love you so much." Merlin's voice shook with the raw emotion that formed a lump in his throat.
Freya kissed him gently before saying, "And I missed you Merlin. I will never leave you. When you took my body and gave me a knight's burial on this lake, you turned me into a nymph. With the power of your magic of the love of your heart, you kept me alive and connected here."
Merlin smiled, "Yes, here. With a beautiful lake that whips up in the winter but is beautiful and sparkling in the summer." Then Merlin and Freya finished the statement together, "And a field of wildflowers, a little house and some cows." They brushed their noses together gently, full of love.
Merlin then looked at her sadly, "I'm going to miss you, but I'll come back as often as I can. I love you so much, you can't know." Freya nodded and put her head on his shoulder, "I do know how much you love me, because that's how much I love you. And I'll miss you too, Merlin. When do you have to leave?" He hugged her tightly and said, "Now."
He walked from the lake to where his horse was grazing, luckily still within the barrier that protected him. He grabbed his pack and looked to the sky, shading his eyes with his hand.
Arthur and the knights looked up too and saw the thing that terrifies all knights. A dragon. And even worse, the same dragon that had terrorized them all those years ago in Camelot.
Merlin merely smiled and waved as if this great beast was his friend. But then the dragon landed on the water, bobbing its head down in respect for Merlin. The dragon spoke, its voice shaking the very earth, "You summoned me, young warlock." Merlin looked at him sadly, "I think I have failed, Kilgharrah. The first time I met you, you told me that Arthur and my destinies were intertwined. Two sides of the same coin. Well, Arthur has just sentenced me to death for magic and treason. I can't stay here. I have to find somewhere else to stay and still keep Arthur safe. I won't turn my back on destiny."
Kilgharrah gave Merlin the equivalent of a smile and spoke again, "Merlin, you have not failed. I know you and I know that you have given up everything and everyone for this destiny. You do not have it within you to fail." Merlin looked sadly at Freya and all of his friends who he would leave behind.
Then the great dragon's voice turned harsh as he turned to look down on Arthur, "You, Arthur Pendragon, have failed. You do not realize all that Merlin has given up for you. He gave up his father, Balinor, leaving him in an unmarked grave, unknown, for you. He put up with you even after you killed his true love, Freya. He listed to you go on and on about how magic is evil and deserves to be killed, no different from your father! He became your servant and bows down to you when the Druids consider him their king! He could be the king of the world with his power! But he chose not to! For you! For the single purpose of making sure that you become and stay king of Camelot! You have failed!"
During this speech, Merlin had climbed onto the dragon's back and sat atop the dragon. He looked down sadly at his friends and former friends. He had tears in his eyes as he said quietly, "I'll miss you all." Gwaine shared a look with Mordred and Gaius and they started to walk towards the dragon. Somehow they made it past the invisible wall that had kept them out before. Kilgharrah bowed his head once more and the three climbed on, Gwaine smiling at Merlin and saying, "You won't miss all of us. You don't have to lose everything. We will stay by your side to the end, Merlin."
Merlin smiled gratefully before he looked back to Arthur and his face grew cold. "I, Merlin, or as the Druids call me, Emrys, say to you, Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, uniter of the five kingdoms of Albion, I will protect Albion to the best of my abilities, and as a default that means you. But when you become unnecessary to Camelot and Albion, and some day you will, trust me when I say that you will rue this day. Beware my wrath!" And with that, Kilgharrah flew away, roaring and shooting flames through the air.
Arthur stood for several long minutes, shell-shocked, staring into the space where his servant, two of his knights, and his physician had rode off on a dragon. He especially could not believe that Merlin had threatened him. But when he really thought about it, it actually didn't surprise him. Merlin was a sorcerer, so of course he would threaten Arthur. That's just what sorcerers do. He turned back to his remaining subjects and was prepared to speak when another voice overshadowed his.
Freya's voice was filled with hatred and disgust as she said, "So. Who's left? Gweneviere, Arthur, Leon, Elyan, and Percival. Looks like it's you guys against the world." Her voice took a very slightly softer tone as she said, "You will be safe here for however long you wish to be safe here. I will protect you. For Merlin's sake." She added quietly before turning and preparing to become a part of the lake once again.
"Wait!" Arthur shouted and Freya turned her head minutely, acknowledging him, "What did Merlin mean when he was talking about the sword?" Freya smiled gently, remembering some past event, "You know the sword in the stone that you ever so nobly plucked up? After Merlin had made it years ago, he threw it into this lake, where no one could retrieve it. Well, at some point, he needed it back and so I gave it to him. I assume that it was after that that he put it into the rock. Now if there's nothing else…" she paused to see if anyone else would comment before putting her hands together and diving into the lake, becoming one with it.
Arthur thought of the sword that was strapped to his waist right now and frowned. Merlin had made this. Merlin had shown how to get the sword from the stone. He just couldn't see Merlin and the sorcerer he met today as being the same man. Gwen came up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder, gently nuzzling her nose into his neck. He mustered a smile and leaned into her. Behind them, the remaining knights were setting up camp and a makeshift round table.
Once their meal was finished and the sky was dark, the discussion began with Percival saying, "I can't believe that Merlin is a sorcerer." Elyan shook his head slowly, "A warlock." The rest of the group looked at him in confusion, "He said that he was a warlock, which means that he was born with magic." Arthur scoffed at him, "Warlocks are just myths. He was just saying that to save his own skin." Everyone flinched when they heard the steel that ran through Arthur's words. "Arthur-," Leon began gently, but Arthur cut him off, "No Leon. Just, no." The knights all looked down at their hands.