Chapter 2 of my Merlin story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It really made my day and I took your suggestions and hopefully used them well in this chapter. A bit of a warning, this chapter may get a little gory, sorry in advanced.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada

The Dream Walker

"Not only has the patrol seen a mass movement of people, but they all seem to be heading in the direction of..." Agravaine's voice was suddenly cut off by a very loud snore.

Everyone in the room turned, mouths wide open, to face their King who was sound asleep in his chair at the head of the table. Eyes met around the room in utter confusion, no one wanting to be the one to wake the King. Agravaine took a small step towards his nephew, his hand outstretched in front of him like he was going to shake the young man.

"My Lord?" He said hesitantly.

Arthur remained fast asleep and Agravaine looked back at the others who were just as bewilder as he was. Merlin took a deep breath and marched over to Arthur. It seemed that magical creatures and enemies weren't the only thing he had to save Arthur from. He shook his friend gently, whispering his name in his ear. Arthur quickly jerked awake, his eyes slightly dazed as he stared at his manservant.

"Merlin, can you please explain to me why you just woke me up?" Arthur asked, rather annoyed that his first dreamless sleep in a week had been interrupted.

"Um, well." Merlin jerked his head to the side and Arthur's eyes followed the movement. He suddenly felt his cheeks go hot as his council members stared at him in complete silence.

"If this is a dream you have my complete permission to wake me now." Arthur whispered as the silence continued on throughout the room.

Merlin opened his mouth to retort, but Agravaine's voice quickly cut him off. "My Lord, I hope we are not boring you with these matters, but they really are very important."

Arthur shook his head and quickly stood up. "Forgive me, uncle. It's not that the subject matter bored me so that I," Arthur bit the inside of his cheek "fell asleep." He eventually choked out.

Everyone continued to stare at the King, no doubt they were thinking that Uther had never done anything like that before. Arthur suddenly felt hot and the room seemed to grow smaller. He felt ashamed for what he had done, but he wanted to explain that it wasn't his fault that he had fallen asleep as Agravaine began describing the reports from the patrol. The damn nightmare had hit him so hard the previous night. Not only was it more intense, but he couldn't shake this feeling of dread that had come over him once Merlin had woke him up that morning.

Arthur could clearly remember running through a dark path, one that seemed to be part of a giant maze, but he could never find the end. Couldn't reach the light. Then there was that terrible, terrible cry of pain that seemed to be coming from everywhere in Arthur's mind. Whoever it was seemed to be suffering a lot and it chilled Arthur to the bone. The voice seemed so familiar.

Arthur looked at each member of the council over. He knew he could never explain that to them. The fear he felt. It would only make him appear more weak and less of a man than his father was if he told them of these nightmares. What would they say? That he's losing his mind? He remembered how the council and people had doubted his father when he had lost his mind right after they had found Morgana. He couldn't have the people doubt him now, not when it had seemed like he was starting to do things right.

"You see what happened was..." And then Arthur found himself at a loss for words.

"There was some repairs going on in the castle last night." Cut in a familiar voice. Everyone's eyes turned away from the King and fell, instead on his manservant who had taken a step up next to his King. "See what happened was, I was carrying the King's amour to be polished and I slipped. I knocked a few things over, dented some walls, it wasn't pretty." Merlin finished sheepishly.

"But how come none of us saw the damage?" Agravaine asked.

"Well, it was after everyone went to bed and seeing as I didn't want anyone to think something terrible happened I rounded up some people to repair it while everyone was sleeping. All the noise must have kept the King awake and with his hard training this morning he would have been exhausted."

The council members looked as though for a second they didn't buy it, but then soaked up the story and nodded to each other. They had heard many tales of Merlin's clumsiness, but also of his loyalty. So everything seemed to be very plausible in their eyes. They smiled and Arthur breathed a sigh of relief.

"If it pleases you, my Lord, we can attend to these matters tomorrow when you are, hopefully, more well rested." One of them said.

"Thank you." Arthur said with a nod of his head.

They all bowed and slowly exited the room. Agravaine lingered for a few moments longer, but it was clear that Arthur would offer no more explanation on the matter and he too, though rather grudgingly, left. Merlin waited until they had reached Arthur's room to ask him to real reason he had fallen asleep back in the meeting.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" Merlin asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I think you did a wonderful job of explaining exactly what happened back there." Arthur said as he took off his more formal clothing items.

"Arthur, just stop. Are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to use force?" Merlin said seriously.

Arthur peaked around his changing area and stared at Merlin, half amused and half annoyed at his friend. Like Merlin could actually take him on. "Merlin, are you threatening the King?"

"No, I'm helping a friend."

Arthur stared Merlin down for a second, but the manservant's gaze did not waver. Arthur sighed as he pulled his red shirt over his head and tied his brown belt around his waist. Merlin was still staring at him and Arthur knew he couldn't lie his way out of this one so easily, but it didn't hurt to try.

"I'm fine, really. Just couldn't sleep." Arthur said as he guilty turned away from his friend.

"You know when most people say "they're fine" they really mean they are not fine at all." Merlin said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Does that apply to you then?" Arthur asked.

He knew that his friend could be known for saying he was fine when Arthur really knew he wasn't. This new thought surprised Arthur for a moment. It dawned on him that he could read his manservant just as well as Merlin could read himself, or at least he thought more than one occasion Arthur could tell that something was bothering the manservant, but he being Arthur, had always had trouble with conveying emotional support. He was more use to the hit you on the arm kind of thing to cheer you up.

When it came to Merlin he always delivered sarcastic comments which the young man was quick to retort with his own. Arthur felt that Merlin understood that that was his way of telling Merlin that everything was going to be okay. Merlin always seemed to be the one that was better at saying the right thing at exactly the right time.

"You're trying to change the subject." Merlin said which broke Arthur from his thoughts.

Arthur sighed as he leaned against one of his bed post. It seemed like he wasn't going to get out of this one.

"I've been having these nightmares recently." Arthur said after a moment. He looked at Merlin, expecting him to laugh or call him some name for being so worked up over some unpleasant dreams. He was surprised to see a look of complete understanding from his best friend.

"Arthur, everyone has bad dreams and with you being the King, all that pressure on you can't be easy."

"But these aren't normal bad dreams!" Arthur said in frustration as he began pacing around his room. "It's the same one that keeps reoccurring each night and they keep getting worse."

Merlin looked at the King with a perplexed expression and Arthur wanted to make him understand exactly what he had been going through every night for the past week.

"I'm on this dark path and I can't find my way and there's always this terrible cry that echoes out of the darkness and I can never reach the person. I can never help them." Arthur said with a strained voice.

"Arthur..." Merlin said with sympathy in his voice. He knew that his friend's desire to help people and do the right thing was strong and that this occurrence in his dream bothered him more than anything.

"And then to make matters worse I've seen Morgana's face appear more than once." Arthur said Morgana's name with a mix of guilt, hurt and anger all in one.

"Morgana?" Merlin asked. The feeling of dread he had been experiencing the past few days suddenly reared up in his gut and spread like wild fire throughout his body. Real or nightmare figure any sight of Morgana was never good. "What was she doing?" He asked carefully.

Arthur shrugged his shoulders. "The only thing I can remember is her smirking, really."

Merlin remained silent. It could have been very possible that Morgana had just slipped into Arthur's nightmares, she had certainly been in a few of his own and, through hushed conversations between good friends, some of Gwen's as well. Something inside Merlin told him it was more than that, but he couldn't even begin to imagine how Morgana could ever cause something like this. Her magic was powerful, yes, but breaking into someone's subconscious and controlling their dreams? He remembered the mandrake root being used on Uther, but that was while he was awake and the last time Merlin checked there wasn't a sticky, black root underneath the King's bed.

"You will tell no one of this or I will run you through with my sword." Arthur's voice rung out through the room, breaking Merlin from his thoughts.

Merlin smiled. "Don't you ever get tired of threatening me?"

"Not at all." Arthur said without hesitation and with a straight face.

Merlin pretended like he was hurt. "But who would do everything for you?"

"George is only a call down the hallway." Arthur said while washing his face, but he was grinning slightly and although Merlin couldn't see it he knew it was there.

"He did tell me some pretty good brass jokes." Merlin said with a smirk and Arthur's smile quickly fell. "What did the brass shield say-"

"Merlin!" Arthur said as he threw an object from his desk at his manservant.

Merlin ducked just in time and grinned as he ran out of the room with Arthur hot on his heels.

Merlin

Agravaine yearned for his horse to go faster, but as it was already traveling through the forest at top speed there was really no use and urging it to go faster. He wanted to make it to Morgana's hut without the embarrassment of having to walk because he tired out his horse. After a few more painful minutes of riding through the darkening forest he finally saw his destination and a small smile came upon his lips. Thoughts of pleasing the Lady Morgana were always on his mind.

He tied his horse to a tree and pulled a small pouch he had been carrying with him out of his traveling cloak and quickly entered the familiar hut. Morgana was sitting by the fire sharpening her dagger. She neither looked up nor spoke when Agravaine entered and he took that as a sign to come closer.

"I've brought the next few strands of hairs, my Lady." Agravaine said as he laid the pouch on the table next to where Morgana was sitting.

"You've done well." Morgana said as she put down the dagger and picked up the bag and poured its contents in her hand. She frowned slightly at the few locks of golden blond hair that was unmistakably Arthur's. "But not well enough, it seems." She said as she stood up and walked over to the same, black liquid she had been making the past week.

"My Lady?" Agravaine said, half afraid of what she would do.

"This isn't nearly enough hair to take over Arthur's mind in the next week." She said as she dropped in into the bubbling black substance.

"Forgive me, but Arthur does not shed his hair lightly. That was all I could find in his bed."

"I'll need more if our plan is going to work." Morgana said as she gave it a stir.

"It would have gone into motion today if Merlin hadn't come up with an excuse as to why the King fell asleep in the council meeting today." Agravaine said with interest.

Morgana's lips fell into a mock pout. "Oh, but this is only the beginning. Where I'm going Merlin can't even dream of a way to save his precious King. I'm not sure what'll be more fun to watch. Arthur being destroyed from the inside out or his manservant helplessly watching, knowing that there's nothing he can do."

Morgana smiled and Agravaine returned it. He watched as she dipped her white bowl into the liquid. "Onslæpe heo þæt híe gefultuma." Morgana whispered as he eyes glowed bright gold for a moment. She then raised the bowl into the air as if toasting to someone rather important and said, "To the King."

Merlin

Arthur remained silent as Merlin prepared his bed for him that night. He had been avoiding this moment as long as he could all day since he had fallen asleep in the council meeting. Despite his complete and utter exhaustion Arthur did not want to go to sleep. Merlin turned to him, a small smile on his face.

"Anything else tonight, sire?" He asked.

"Yes, actually. I think my pillows need some fluffing. How is anyone suppose to sleep without fluffy pillows?" Arthur said.

Merlin gave him a pointed looked and Arthur knew that Merlin knew he was trying to delay his sleep as long as he could. Arthur ignored this fact and motioned to the pillows and Merlin quickly walked back to the bed and grabbed the pillows. After a few seconds Arthur suddenly grabbed the pillow from Merlin's hands.

"Too fast, Merlin. Do it more slowly. Again." Arthur said as he did a slower motion and then handed the pillow back to his manservant.

"You have to sleep at some point, Arthur. It'll kill you if you don't." Merlin said while redoing all the pillows on the bed.

"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about." Arthur said with a grimace as he tried, but failed to come up with any more plausible things for Merlin to do.

"Arthur, you'll be fine." Merlin said as he put a hand on his King's shoulder.

Arthur returned the smile and nodded his head. He got into his bed and Merlin grabbed the candle next to the bed and turned to look back at his friend.

"Sleep well, sire." Merlin said with a nod of his head.

"Merlin?" Arthur said, stopping the man from walking out of the room. Merlin turned to look at Arthur. "Thank you, for earlier I mean."

Merlin smiled. These were one of those rare times when Arthur showed Merlin affection that didn't come in the form of mindless banter.

"Of course."

Merlin

They were dead. All of them. Arthur fell to his knees, hiding his face in his hands. He just couldn't look at their faces, their wide, terrified eyes frozen in time forever. He now longed for the dark path he had been stumbling on only moments ago. Anything, anything would have been better than the sight that was set before him. He had found himself on the same dark path he had been on for a week now, but this time he had discovered the way out and now...

Arthur took his hands away from his face, he had to look at them. He owed his knights that much. Elion was closest to him and his body was sprawled along the hard, dirt ground. Arthur had to stop himself from vomiting when he saw the amount of blood that had spilled from the young man's body, creating a puddle around his upper body. Arthur thought he had been used to the sight of bloodshed, but not from someone he really cared about. Percival was right next to Elion and Arthur had to fight back tears. Sweet, caring and brave Percival had several burn marks all over his body and Arthur could see several sections of black skin, one mark in particular covered more than half the man's face.

Gwaine was a few feet away and as Arthur walked over to him he could see that not all the limbs were attached to each other and this time Arthur let the bile climb up his throat as he wretched next to a dead bush. Arthur stumbled over to Leon and he had to stop himself from shaking as he pulled a particularly evil looking sword from the man's torso. Arthur leaned down and hope beyond all hope that he could find a pulse, no matter how impossible it seemed. There was nothing, only dead silence. This time Arthur let a few tears fall as he placed a shaking hand on Sir Leon's shoulder. He had served by Arthur's side for so long and now this...

Suddenly a terrified cry filled the void and Arthur immediately stood up. This was not the one he had heard several times before, the one that had haunted him so, no this cry was different. It was a familiar voice, screaming his name. A female voice. Arthur tore off in the direction of the cry and in the distance he could see a gallows in what seemed like the middle of nowhere with two figures standing on it.

"Guinevere!" He screamed as he quickened his pace.

"Arth-" Her returning cry was cut off as a man dressed entirely in black pulled a lever and Gwen fell through the bottom, suspended by a thick rope around her neck.

"NO!" Arthur leaped onto the gallows and quickly sliced the rope with his sword. He turned to the black figure and swung at it, but as the blade met with his body he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Arthur only took a few seconds to be surprised by this before he leapt down to Gwen's unmoving body.

"Guinevere, no, please..." The tears were falling freely now as she remained still in his arms.

"The fun is just beginning, brother." A voice said from behind.

Arthur quickly turned around, but there was no one behind him. He turned back to find that Guinevere and the gallows had disappeared, but before he could even think the cry of pain that disturbed his very soul, the on that had never left him alone since the first moment he heard it suddenly rang out all around him. It consumed Arthur, saturating the very air he breathed and Arthur was screaming too, but nothing could drown out that sound.

Arthur shot straight up in bed, screaming for his life.

Okay, let me just say that I hope I'm not the only one who wanted to punch Agravaine in the face every time he came on screen. Please tell me I'm not the only one. Well, this chapter had our first true appearance of Morgana (surprise surprise that she's behind it, I know so original, but her character is so much fun to write) and of Gwen! Well, sort of. Dream Gwen at least, don't worry she'll appear soon as herself and not dream her. And who is behind the mystery scream that Arthur keeps hearing? All in good time, my friends. Please review so I know what you thought!

-vballqueen17