Sorry, quite a long AN here. First of all, this was initially going to be a one-shot, but because of all your lovely reviews and so many people putting it on alert, I got thinking and have decided to continue it. This means for the first time, I am writing at the same time as posting, never done that before. The other problem is that I'm leaving for university next week, so things are going to get a bit hetic. So, what I decided is that I'm making the chapters longer than I used to, aiming each at about 5,000 words and I'll try and post once a week or so, keeping it steady. I've written the first five (20,000 words in three days, I surprised myself) and will keep writing as much as I can, but things might slow down in a while, so apologies in advance.
The other thing is i want to say here this is going to take place before Series 3, so anything that happens in tomorrows first episode is going to be set afterwards. Any of you who have read Casket of Ardon will remember how the last episode completely undermined my story, so I'm detaching it now from anything that might happen.
Anyway, enjoy chapter two.
"Sire? Are you awake?" Tiptoeing into Arthur's room and trying to stifle a yawn, Merlin grinned at the sight of the prince still fast asleep. It was not something he had seen a lot of recently, one of them always being busy before dawn with preparations to break camp. Moving with a silence he didn't know he possessed around Arthur's unnaturally tidy room, Merlin set about gathering a change of clothes for the prince. It was unnerving for his room to be this tidy, but due to the fact no one had been in it for so long, it had remained clean since the last time the servant had stumbled through the task. Not that Merlin was moaning, however, it meant he had a job less to do, but still, it just showed quite how much had been missing around the castle lately.
The warlock managed to do the majority of his chores in silence, but then, just as Merlin was beginning to thank his good luck, his foot caught around the strap of Arthur's armour dangling precariously from the table. Unable to stop it, Merlin squeezed his eyes shut as it began to fall. The tangled mess on the table, however, meant that everything was set crashing down to the floor. Never mind waking Arthur up, Merlin would be lucky if it didn't awaken the whole castle, sending the guards running to their prince's room for fear of attack.
"Merlin!"
"Good morning, Sire." Merlin called over, trying to sound as cheerful as possible as he quickly swept the offending items into his arms and hefted the whole lot back on the table. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Arthur sitting up blearily, running a hand through his tussled locks as he blinked the sleep from his eyes, all the while managing to glare spectacularly at his servant. Out in the forest, Merlin hadn't seemed nearly as clumsy. Sure, he was constantly tripping over roots, crashing into trees and getting stuck in bushes, but most of those things were silent, apart from the colourful language coming from the servant. Back in the castle, however, the stone floors tended to amplify everything.
"What are you doing here so early, Merlin?" Arthur moaned, flopping back down on the bed and sighing deeply. He had been in such a warm and comfortable position, and then his buffoon of a servant had decided to come and wake him up. He was sure he had ordered the boy to take it easy for a few days, knowing that Merlin, like the rest of them, needed time to recuperate.
"You have a meeting with the men." Merlin supplied helpfully, ripping the curtains apart with a flourish and allowing the sunlight to fall onto the prince, making Arthur groan even more and roll over. Smirking, Merlin picked up the breakfast tray and dumped it unceremoniously on the Arthur's lap, knowing the smell wafting from the food would be enough to make the prince's brain start registering what he needed to do. As he slowly sat back up again, Arthur's brain woke up enough for him realise what Merlin had just said, immediately bringing a touch of a smile to his lips. His servant no longer saw the others as Knights, men that outranked him in position and skill, but as comrades, ones he had danced to the tune of death with, ones allowing mutual respect between peasant and nobility in a way not done before. Ones, Arthur knew almost without a doubt, Merlin would risk practically anything to save, meaning the prince had to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't do anything foolish. Merlin had always had a talent of trying to sacrifice himself if he thought it could save another life, not taking into consideration that others, even the prince, thought the servant's life was worth just as much. Not that Arthur would ever tell the boy who had just managed to stumble over his own feet and was now sitting with a bemused expression on the prince's floor that though.
"Finish packing whilst I dress, Merlin." Arthur ordered, slipping back into the role he had spent his whole life in. Over the last couple of months, it wasn't only Merlin's position that had changed, Arthur was no longer seen as the prince, but one of them. He was part of the group, not its leader. Whilst he couldn't explain it, despite what was going on around them, Arthur had never felt as accepted in his whole life as he did now. He knew the men would listen to him as Arthur, not as the Crown Prince.
"Yes, Sire." Merlin responded automatically, stopping what he was doing and heading towards the two packs resting in the corner of the room. Merlin had bought his own straight back to the prince's chambers after he had washed and mended all the clothes in it, knowing that he was more likely to be with Arthur when they were ordered out again and didn't want to waste time having to go back for his own. He and Gaius had come to an understanding that the warlock might not return at the end of the day and wouldn't necessarily have time to find the physician if they were ordered out. Each morning they said goodbye as if it was going to be for months, not only the day.
"Let's go, Merlin."
"I'm coming too?"
"Well obviously. We are leaving today, and I'm assuming that you are once again going to decide to tag along. It would make sense if you heard this as well." And without waiting for his servant, Arthur strode regally from the room, looking every part the prince as he always did. With a sigh, Merlin chucked the cloth he was holding in his hand on top of the ever growing pile and scurried after Arthur.
He caught up with him at the top of the stone steps leading down to the courtyard. As Arthur strode down them, Merlin bent over at the top, his hands on his knees as he fought for the breath that had been denied to him as he tried to catch up with his master. He had never fathomed how Arthur managed to walk so fast and yet not appear the slightest bit of a breath. He supposed it was all to do with training to be a Knight, one of the lessons must have been in walking fast.
Setting off again, Merlin finally skidded to a stop when he reached the training field, trying to regain at least a small amount of decorum before moving across to join the familiar group of Knights waiting for them in the far corner. Arthur was half way there already, so the servant knew he had to hurry. Trying to walk as fast as he could without looking like he was hurrying, Merlin was rather pleased with his progress as he practically caught up with the prince as they drew near to the group. Almost to punish his satisfaction, however, an exposed root casually tripped the servant, sending him flying forward at an astonishing speed he couldn't quite comprehend. Knowing precisely what was going to happen and not being able to do anything about it, Merlin merely shut his eyes as he went ploughing into Arthur's back.
Not prepared for the sudden impact, Arthur was unable to prevent the most unprincely like yelp slip through his lips as he was suddenly propelled forward. Hitting the ground hard, he instantly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being flattened by Merlin once again. Silence fell across the field as the men watched, not sure how to react. Suddenly, Tristam let out a snort of amusement that he hastily tried to cover up as the rest of the group turned to look at him. It was too late though, and before long, the whole group had given into their amusement as Arthur yanked his servant back to his feet and practically marched him over. Watching them with raised eyebrows, the prince was hard pushed to not let the smirk playing across the corner of his mouth become any more apparent than it was.
"Men." He stated formally after a few minutes, knowing that the relaxed companionship they all had meant they could be here all day and get nothing achieved. It was great for passing the time when they had been searching, but right now, Arthur was firmly back in the role of Crown Prince.
"Our orders are to leave today. I want you to meet me at the stables in one hour, ready to leave. Do not be late."
"Sire," Leon stated with a slight bow of his head, clearly speaking for them all. The Knights looked resigned, but knew that Arthur wanted to go as much as they did, and it would do no good to kick up a fuss apart from making things awkward once they were away from the palace. As one big unit, they walked back across the field, leaving prince and servant standing in the corner looking out after them.
"That was a bit harsh," Merlin eventually muttered sullenly, his eyes fixed on the sight of Leon slinging his arm comfortingly around a despondent Tristam.
"What was?"
"Telling them they had an hour to get ready and leave. You're lucky your pack is ready to go, or you wouldn't be ready to leave in an hour. How are you expecting them to do all of that?"
"Their packs are also ready. Merlin, the King wants us to leave immediately, I have given them enough time to say goodbye to their families."
"Why would their packs be ready?" Merlin asked, walking side by side with the prince back towards the castle. Why on earth Arthur wanted to have that particular meeting so far away was past the warlock, that long walk all for about three words.
"They knew we would most likely to be leaving, I told them on our first meeting. Only then, I hadn't reported to my father, so I wasn't completely sure. They knew this was coming."
"Oh." Merlin responded, somewhat thickly. He had been annoyed with Arthur for making them have to leave so soon, but the downcast tone of his voice made him realise the prince knew this was a foolish mission. He had given the men a chance to say goodbye, something Merlin knew from his own experience was more than anyone could ask for, not knowing the troubles lying ahead. It was because of the chance to say goodbye that the three men they had lost in the last quest had been able to go calmly, knowing that their families knew they loved them.
"Why didn't I know this? Where was I?" The servant suddenly demanded haughtily, feeling slightly left out. Stopping still, Merlin placed his hands on his hips, glaring at Arthur. Without breaking in his stride, the prince merely glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head with amusement at the defiance his servant was showing.
"You were with Gaius, you idiot." Merlin hadn't been, but Arthur was not in the mood to remind him of the near argument they had had on that day when a still exhausted servant had turned up to work, only to find he was expected to sort out both of their packs and have everything ready to go again by the end of that day. Arthur had half been expecting his father to send them out straight after his meeting with the king, but was glad he had been able to spend another night in his bed. Merlin, however, had not been happy to find how much work was waiting for him.
"Still don't think it is fair," Merlin muttered, scurrying after Arthur all the same. He was determined not to have the last word in this, but couldn't help but feel it was a losing battle, as everything the prince had said so far made perfect sense.
Following Arthur back to his chambers, Merlin made to walk through the door after him, but was stopped suddenly by an arm blocking the doorway. Blinking in surprise, Merlin saw Arthur watching him with a strange expression on his face, still preventing his servant from entering.
"You don't have to come, you know, Merlin. I'm not going to order you too." For a moment, Merlin was too stunned to say anything, but he quickly swallowed the witty retort that had made its way to the edge of his tongue when he saw Arthur was being serious.
"Someone has to look after you lot."
"I'm serious, you could have so easily gotten yourself killed last time. As it was, you were unconscious for over a day. Merlin, I want you to have the choice and to know that I won't think anything less of you if you decide not to come."
"Who are you and what have you done with Arthur Pendragon?" Merlin finally murmured, a nervous laugh forcing its way out. He hadn't expected Arthur to order him to come along, yet it hadn't even crossed his mind that Arthur would outright ask him whether he wanted to come. As the prince didn't lower his piercing gaze, Merlin sighed, running his hand through his hair. He didn't want to say this, yet knew Arthur needed to know why his servant was so desperate to come too.
"I was there when Morgause took her, Arthur. I should have stopped her. I have to come."
Silence fell between them, but it was not the uncomfortable type that had once existed between the two of them, but one full of compassion and understanding, something signifying all they had been through together. Moving his arm, Arthur gave Merlin's shoulder a squeeze before pushing him gently away from the door.
"Sire, what are you doing?"
"Go and see Gaius, Merlin." Nodding, Merlin found he couldn't meet Arthur's eyes as he turned away from the door. Watching him go, Arthur smiled softly before shutting the door behind him. In the safety of his chambers once more, the prince let his defences down, yelling out in frustration and kicking the table. Why were they being sent out again? It was clear they were never going to find the missing ward, and it was putting them through hell each time they left the safety of the castle. Arthur knew exactly how Merlin felt, yet he had no idea that the servant was feeling guilty in not stopping a powerful sorceress. They had both been under the spell, both barely awake when it had happened, what had the clumsy fool honestly expected to have been able to do against Morgause? Arthur couldn't defeat her with a sword, what chance did Merlin have?
Sparing the packs a quick glance, Arthur opened his door once more, the controlled prince once more in charge. Quickly summoning the nearest servant who happened to cross his path, Arthur ordered him to have the packs taken down to the stables before he slowly began walking along the corridor. He had his own goodbyes to make, Gwen had waited long enough.
MMMMM
An hour later, and the majority of the group were saddled up and ready to go. One person was still missing, however. Sighing irritably from atop his horse, Arthur couldn't help but wonder whether Merlin had changed his mind about coming after all. The prince wouldn't blame him, just wished he had made it clear without leaving them waiting like this. In his heart, however, Arthur knew Merlin would not let him ride out alone, he always had possessed some unnerving need to be near the prince in order to protect him. Thinking back on the earlier mishap, Arthur smiled as he considered it was from Merlin himself that he needed protecting from, the servant always seemed to be pulling Arthur down into the trouble with him.
"Where the hell is he?" Arthur eventually muttered, his patience beginning to wear thin as the time trickled onwards. He knew if Merlin didn't show up within the next couple of minutes, the group would be forced to leave without him.
"Give him time, Sire." Leon murmured from next to him, absentmindedly fondling his horse's ear reassuringly. Although judging by the expression on his face, Arthur was not sure who it was helping the most, the Knight looked uncharacteristically tense. Not that the prince could blame him, however, he too was not looking forward to their return into the wilderness.
"Here he comes, Sire." Percival suddenly called over from his own mount, pointing in the direction he could see the manservant running from. Frowning at the fact Merlin was coming from around the back rather than the main stables, Arthur pushed his confusion aside as he glared down at the out of breath boy.
"Is this your version of an hour, Merlin?" He asked coolly, his tone strictly professional. Merlin knew how he felt about this expedition, he had given it away in asking the servant whether he wanted to come or not. There was no time to be sentimental now, or Arthur knew he would never be able to pluck up the courage to once more ride away from his home.
"You…you didn't tell…me the packs were…already here." Merlin panted, clutching a stitch in his side as he stumbled over to where his horse was waiting for him, making Arthur merely deepen his frown. All of the rest of them had changed mounts, knowing that they would be able to make better time with horses that had been resting for a month rather than the punishing terrain of the quest, yet Merlin had stubbornly stuck by his mare, claiming she was fine. What the rest of them didn't know, however, was the warlock had secretly been building up her strength and stamina, a whispered spell into each handful of oats meaning she could go just as long as any well rested horse. If he was honest, he felt far safer on her back than any of Arthur's warhorses.
Turning back to face the gates, Arthur tried to hide his smirk. It hadn't even crossed his mind that his servant would actually do his job and go and get the packs. He must have been going crazy trying to find them in Arthur's room, probably a good enough reason of why he was late. Although judging by the slightly red rims to his eyes, the prince had a feeling that there was more to it than that. However, despite the new found bond between Merlin and his Knights, Arthur was not about to question what was wrong in front of them.
Taking the lead, the group trotted out of the gates after Arthur, their hearts unusually heavy. Normally, this particular group were the life and soul of Camelot, striving to protect the land and its people whilst remembering what was dear to them. This time, however, there was no light hearted banter as they once more entered the cover of the trees, no warmth and hope found in their hearts despite the fact the afternoon sun was playing lazily on their backs.
Trotting behind Arthur, Merlin found his thoughts were drifting. Arthur had indeed been right in thinking that there was something else going on with his servant. Merlin had paid a quick visit to Gaius, and then gone to retrieve the packs. Seeing them gone, he had known instantly what Arthur had done, and instead decided there was another place he needed to go. The place he always ran too when things got too much, when the guilt of what he had done crushed down on the warlock, making it hard to breath. And so Merlin had once more found himself by his lake, staring into the depths, his heart aching so much for all that he had lost he wouldn't have been surprised if he could see his father's face looking back at him, he had been wishing so hard. Time had passed too quickly, however, and the warlock had finally torn himself away, racing back to the castle just in time to receive only a glare from his master.
Now, however, he was trying his utmost to push the thoughts from his mind. Arthur needed him focused on this, there had been an ever growing pit in his stomach over the last few hours. Whilst at first the warlock had just considered it to be reluctance to return to the forest, he knew now that it was more than that. Something was happening, something powerful, and the secret protector to Camelot knew he needed to be prepared. Feeling a sudden splash on the back of his hand, Merlin stared at the water droplet glistening there. He had been sure they had left in dazzling sunshine, and whilst they had been travelling for only around an hour, the sky had turned dark. Worryingly dark.
Before Merlin could voice his suspicions, the heavens suddenly opened, making the Knights gasp in surprise at the drenching they found themselves obtaining. Turning his horse back towards the men, Arthur was already having to squinting back to see his men, his hair sticking to his forehead and causing him to have to brush it irritably from his eyes.
"Are you all alright?"
"Wet!" Came back a reply, the voice to whom it belonged causing Arthur to roll his eyes.
"Obvious as always, Merlin. Is everyone still there?" When the cries came back confirming that all the Knights were indeed still present, Arthur frowned in contemplation. They couldn't go on in this weather, they would lose each other in moments. Swinging himself down from the saddle, he reached into his pack and produced a long length of rope. Looked like they were going to have to do things in a different way then.
As the prince took control of the situation and began the task of getting the men in a line in order to be able to join them altogether, Merlin sat frozen on his horse, his hand absentmindedly stroking her neck as he thought hard about what he was sensing. He had been right in thinking that something was about to happen. There was no way this rain could have come out of nowhere, the sky had been a dazzling blue when they had left, yet was now black and ugly, the rain showing absolutely no sign of letting up in the slightest. With every drop that landed on the warlock's skin, a strange tingling sensation shot through his body, not exactly painful, but not pleasant either. There was one thing Merlin was completely certain on, however, and that there was nothing natural about this weather. The rain was somehow magical, and for the life of him, the warlock couldn't work out what it was supposed to mean.
"Merlin, will you please hurry up and get yourself down from your horse!" Jumping violently at Arthur's angry tone, Merlin quickly dismounted. The reigns held loosely in his hand, he gingerly picked his way back towards where the huddled shapes of the rest of them could just about be made out. All were on foot, the reigns of their steeds in their hands, a piece of rope wound around their waist and lashing them to the person in front.
"You're on the end, Merlin." Arthur called over, beckoning his servant over with one hand whilst holding the rope with the other.
"What? Why?" Merlin moaned as he allowed Arthur to tie him to Sir Tristam. Tightening the knot slightly tighter than necessary, Arthur smirked as he moved off down the line, clearly intending to once again take the lead.
"It means when you fall over, whilst you'll stop us, you won't take the entire line down with you."
"Oh very funny, Sire." Merlin pouted, shifting irritably in his new position. He didn't want Arthur to know he thought the prince may actually have a point there. And besides, with no one behind him, it meant no one would sense him daydreaming as the warlock tried to ignore the strange sensation travelling through his body, but also finding the meaning behind the rain. As no one else had mentioned anything about strange sensations, Merlin assumed it was his own secret that was causing him to be affected in a different way. He had travelled long enough with this group to know if any of them felt the slightest thing out of place, they would report it.
Feeling the rope tighten around his waist, Merlin sighed as he began to walk slowly forward, thoughts driven from his mind as he concentrated all of his attention on not tripping over the roots that were determined to once more send him plummeting into the ground.
They continued in this format for almost two hours, steadily getting more and more soaked as the rain refused to let up. With a sinking heart, Merlin knew everything in their packs would be soaked as well. Whilst they were waterproofed to a certain extent, there was something driving about the rain that was managing to soak places Merlin didn't even know were places to soak. Beginning to feel weary as the sensation continued, draining him, Merlin didn't notice the tree emerge in front of him, nor the fact the rest of the group were leading him slightly to the right. Instead, the warlock instead managed to walk smack into it, sending himself flying onto the ground and yanking the whole group to a stop, causing one of the men –he wasn't sure who – to let out a sudden yelp. Without turning around, Arthur stopped, closing his eyes in resignation. He was surprised Merlin had lasted this long. If he was honest, the prince was feeling strange, as if his very energy was being sucked out of him, but Arthur just put it down to the fact he didn't want to be here and was annoyingly wet.
"You still conscious, Merlin?" He yelled back down the line, hearing the men stifle snorts of amusement at his choice of words. He knew they would all be thinking the same as him though.
"I'm just great." The slightly irritated response came floating back up, causing Arthur himself to smirk. Trust Merlin. Just as the prince was beginning to think he could go on no more, the servant had to do something that would make him smile.
"We're just by the Hallowed Caves. Let's take shelter in there for the night." Setting off once again, Arthur quickly felt himself jerked to a standstill again.
"Merlin! Get up!"
"I'm trying, the ground is too slippery."
"Tristam, do you think you can do the honours?" Before Merlin had a chance to once more find his feet, the man in front of him stepped back and grasped him by the upper arm, hauling him to his feet.
"All set, Sire." Grabbing onto the reigns of his horse just in time, Merlin allowed himself to be pulled along, glad that they were going to stop, for he was exhausted. It seemed to be something of a habit for the warlock as of late. Once more, the group set off, only this time, Arthur led them diagonally up the side of a hill, hoping his time of playing in these caves was giving him the right sense of direction. If one didn't know they were there, they provided a great hiding place, barely visible. Something Arthur had put to a lot of use over the years, much to the exasperation of whichever poor soul had had the job of looking after the young prince.
Within only a few more minutes, all of the men were in the safety (and dryness) of the cave, wriggling free of the rope and pulling their sodden capes from their shoulders. As they set about lighting a fire in order to at least try and dry some of their belongings, Merlin tied a piece of rope from the branches of the tree in the opening of the cave and the other end to a stout piece of rock on the far side before attaching the horses reigns to it. It was only temporary, but it would do. He had just started rubbing down the animals when a hand on his shoulder made him jump.
"I'll do that, you go and help Arthur collect the firewood." Nodding, Merlin silently handed the equipment over to Sir Gawain. Normally, he would have protested at being sent out in the rain again, but he could tell by the man's face his leg was giving him grief, and determined not show he wasn't much help, nor the fact he was in pain, the Knight had opted for the task that had to be done by someone, yet was not too much strain.
Stumbling to the mouth of the cave, Merlin quickened his speed when he caught sight of Arthur waiting for him.
"Stay within calling distance and meet back here in twenty minutes. We can't stay out in this rain much longer."
"Sire." Merlin acknowledged, heading off towards the east as Arthur turned west. Sharpening his hearing with magic as soon as the prince had moved off, Merlin paused for a moment, making sure there was no immediate danger surrounding the prince. The gnawing pit in his stomach still hadn't eased, meaning the warlock was sure the rain was only just the beginning. And as with most magical attacks, Merlin was sure it was going to be centred on the prince.
"Merlin." Jumping violently as a feminine voice softly called his name, Merlin spun wildly on the spot. No one was around him, but the darkness caused by the rain meant he could see no further than a few feet.
"Merlin. Come to me, Merlin."
"Hello? Who's there? Arthur?"
"Come to me, Merlin." His curiosity over taking any sensibly thought, Merlin slipped through the trees towards where the voice appeared to be coming from. As his toes splashed into something wet, Merlin suddenly found himself at the edge of the lake. But not just any lake, his lake. Yet they were many miles away from his favourite place. Before he could dwell on it any further, a break appeared in the clouds directly above him, the sun's rays warming and drying him.
"Come with me, my love. We can be together again." His head snapping up, Merlin felt his breath catch in his throat as he caught sight of the figure walking across the water towards him.
"Freya."
"We can be together. Isn't that want you wanted? You don't have to feel guilty any more, Merlin."
"You know I want to be with you," Merlin choked, barely paying any attention to the tears streaming down his face. The feeling in his stomach intensified with a sudden throb, but as Freya stretched her hand out towards him, Merlin ignored it, instead pressing his palm into hers. Instantly, Freya gently drew him towards her, his feet involuntarily stumbling forwards.
"Freya, I can't. You know I have to protect the prince."
"He doesn't understand you like I do. Come with me, Merlin, and we can be together, forever."
As if suddenly waking from a dream, Merlin realised he was practically up to his waist in water. Looking around him, Merlin quickly came to the conclusion that whilst this was by no stretch of the imagination his lake anymore, it was certainly real and wet enough. He tried to snatch his hand back from the girl in front of him, but found he could not as she continued to draw him outwards.
"You're not Freya," he gasped, struggling to break her grip on him. "She wouldn't want me to give up."
As soon as he said it, the sun disappeared as the storm reappeared, more violent than ever. Freya shimmered for a moment, before seemingly disappearing, a faceless figure instead in front of him, webbed hands gripping his own with surprising strength. It seemed to be leering at him, yet did not seem to feel the magic Merlin began throwing at it in order to escape its grip.
"You're on a hopeless mission, warlock. You shall not succeed."
"No," Merlin begged, but before he could say anything more, his foot suddenly slipped from under him and he was sent plummeting into the water, the icy depths immediately swirling around him. Surrounding him, more of the figures emerged, their webbed hands clinging onto him as he struggled for the surface. However much he tried, Merlin couldn't shake them free, and with the thought that he had failed Arthur after all, the warlock slipped into the murky darkness.
What did you think? Should hopefully have the next chapter up in about a week!
