The Sorcerers Lament
(Authors Note: This story is the first of many; I do not own BBC's Merlin, on which this is partially based. This story has more of the actual Arthurian legend then BBC's Merlin; I also do not own the Arthurian legend, such as the presence of Sir Kay who is not in the show. Please review, I want to know what people think. Written first person from Merlin's POV)
Part 1 Not Your Time
I scrabbled at my throat as the bigger man, Clayton, wound the chain around my neck and pulled tighter, constricting my windpipe. I gasped and choked, my magic trying to help, trying to free me, but the cuffs around my wrists simply burned white hot. I didn't have the breath to scream. My vision began to blur as I chocked, desperate for air, cursing this man to the depths of hell but unable to do anything. Without my magic I was helpless dying. Where was Arthur?
I needed him now more than ever.
I couldn't breathe and felt unconsciousness moving in on me as Clayton turned to his buyers. He said something jeering but my ears seemed to have stopped working. He hadn't let up on the chain and in that moment I realized I was going to die.
A kind of calm settled over me as the blackness closed in. Soon I would see Freya again, and it wouldn't hurt anymore. I heard a familiar sounding shout of rage from far away but it hardly mattered any more. I felt the chain slacken and I fell. Clayton was no longer forcing me to stay in a sitting position.
I closed my eyes and welcomed death as the face of my Freya swam into view. Tears streaked her face and I gently brushed them away, delighted to find that she was real and not a dream.
"Merlin. Oh my Merlin! Those horrible things he did to you!" I smiled at her.
"He can't hurt me anymore Freya, no one can." I held her close for a moment. She pushed me back to arms length.
"You have to go back Merlin. It isn't your time." I frowned and felt her hand on my neck, healing me. I started to shake, fear building once more.
"I can't go back Freya. He'll hurt me again." My voice trembled and she smiled at me. Her warm smile melted the fear away.
"He will never harm another living soul. Your friends are seeing to that." The blackness began to settle on me again, I called her name.
"Freya." I groaned opening my eyes. But it wasn't Freya looking down at me. It took me a moment to realize who the smiling knight was.
"Lancelot?" My voice snapped like a dry twig and I coughed turning my head. Lancelot put a hand on my shoulder obviously concerned.
"Merlin, how do you feel?" I raised an eyebrow at him, unable to answer between coughs.
"Not good huh?" he unhooked his water skin from his sword belt and helped me into a sitting position, uncorking the skin and holding it to my lips. Gratefully I gulped down the cool fresh water. I heard footsteps and flinched. Then Arthur knelt down next to me. A sigh of relief escaped and I shivered. I hadn't allowed myself to realize just how scared I had been since I had awoken in the cell. I had no idea how long I had been here, maybe weeks I had lost track days ago. Concern was evident on Arthur's face as he looked me up and down. I knew I must look frightful.
I felt worse than I looked. Despite Freya healing my neck wound everything hurt. I was bruised from head to toe, my sides were badly burned in several places and my back was bleeding again. My wrists were heavy; they hadn't removed the cuffs yet. Seeing this Arthur called over his shoulder,
"Gwaine! Bring those keys over here!"
"Got them!" I heard Gwaine coming over and saw his cheeky smile falter as he saw the state I was in. He found the right key and unlocked the cuffs. I heard an intake of breath from everyone present. I felt sick. My wrists where the cuffs had been had no skin left. Dried blood, layers of it, covered the inside of the cuffs.
My breath hissed out between my teeth as I saw fresh blood trickle down my wrists. They were burned, blistered and painful. I heard tearing fabric and saw Arthur ripping apart his shirt, wait that wasn't his shirt.
"What on earth are you wearing?"
"Well we couldn't exactly rescue you dressed as knights and a king could we?" He didn't look at me but wrapped the strips of fabric around my wrists as a makeshift bandage. I gasped at the renewed bolt of pain that shot through one wrist as Arthur accidentally brushed the cloth against it. His eyes met mine and I nodded for him to continue.
"The other people? They're still locked up." Gwaine shook his head.
"You've been out for almost two hours Merlin. We already got them out."
"We thought we'd lost you Merlin." Lancelot said his arm still supporting me.
"You did." It was barely more than a whisper but everyone around me stiffened. Lancelot knew, I could tell. I tried to stand but nearly fell all three of them leaping forward to help me. Exhausted, drained and unable to fight it anymore I let unconsciousness take me.
