Chapter 2—Captured

Lara puts her blue cloak over her shoulders and ties the drawstrings. She puts her wrapped daggers in Trinidad's saddlebag. The horse nudges his nose in her hand so the paint that covers the white stripe on his nose rubs off on her hand, black and dusty.

"Not today, Trinidad," she says wiping the black from her hand and painting more on the horse's white.

Lara pulls her horse from the stable and pulls him out into the open where five young, fresh-faced knights stand waiting nobly for her. The tallest one is speaking to Arthur.

"Ensure that she stays safe," Arthur says to him. "I do not want any of my subjects hurt by ghosts."

The eager young knight nods seriously. "Yes, Sire."

Arthur looks to Lara and smile. "Lara, this is Sir Lucas," he says gesturing toward the young knight. "He will ensure your safety."

Lara looks at him and smiles, understand the unsaid joke. "Thank you, Your Majesty," she says bowing her head to Arthur. "I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but your knights will keep me safe, certainly."

Arthur smiles and nods. "Safe journey," he says as he begins to walk away.

Merlin comes out of the castle and sees Lara collected with the knights. They begin to walk down the street toward the gates with Lara next to Sir Lucas. He blinks rapidly and looks at Arthur who is approaching him.

"Where is she going?" Merlin asks incredulously.

"Realydon," Arthurs answers with his arms crossed. "She's visiting an old friend."

"Why is she being escorted by the new knights?" Merlin asks. "It would be safer if it were more seasoned knights."

"I was sending them to investigate something for me anyway," Arthur reasons watching Merlin's angry face. "Don't worry, Merlin. She'll be fine."

Arthur pats Merlin's shoulder and walks past him. "I need my chainmail polished for the ceremony tomorrow and—Merlin?"

Merlin is no longer there.

—Lara rides slowly between Sir Lucas and another young knight. She looks straight ahead, smiling lightly, as they near the outside edge of the woods. The knights are also a little on edge.

"Wait!" Sir Lucas says, stopping everyone and raising his hand up.

Lara sighs—there is no one there.

"There's no one here, Sir Lucas," she says making Trinidad go forward. "We're nearly out of the woods and we have not been attacked yet."

Sir Lucas swallows deeply and rides next to Lara. "I don't trust these woods," he says. "I can feel it in my bones."

Lara stops then, Lucas looks at her strangely as she looks forward. "Maybe your bones are right this time, Sir Lucas," she whispers.

Lucas pulls out his sword and then the other knights do. The horses except for Trinidad start and neigh a little in discomfort. Lara must admit—there is a chill in the air.

"Do you hear that?" Lucas hisses.

"There's nothing but silence, Sir Lucas," Lara whispers calmly.

Then an arrow shoots at Sir Lucas and then several other knights. Sur Lucas falls to the ground and his horse runs from his injured rider.

Men in white cloaks run forward—looking like ghosts— with their swords drawn, beginning to fight the knights.

"Lara—run!" Sir Lucas calls. Lara pulls a dagger from her saddle bag. As she does so, a man grabs her wrist firmly and smiles up at her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, milady," he says darkly.

Lara pushes him away and dismounts. Trinidad stands, neighing and kicks down the man that grabbed her. Lara pulls Sir Lucas over her shoulder and pushes him onto Trinidad.

"No!" Sir Lucas cries. His shoulder is bleeding from the arrow.

Lara pulls the arrow sharply from his shoulder, causing him to groan. "Go tell Arthur," she tells him.

Lara smacks Trinidad's hide and the horse runs straight for Camelot. When the horse is out of sight, a sword points at Lara's throat.

"You'll make me a pretty penny," the man says. All the knights are either dying or dead. She appraises this man—she could easily kill him. He favored his left side.

The man gestured toward someone behind Lara. "Bring the other one—he's King Arthur's manservant," he says.

Lara's eyes widen and she pushes the man's blade away from her so she can turn. Merlin is on his knees, his right cheekbone bleeding from a slim cut with another bandit holding a sword at his throat.

"Merlin!" she cries.

"Ah, so you are from the castle," the man says from behind her. "Word has it the King is fond of his worthless manservant."

Lara turns, ignoring his sword pointed at her throat. "No," she says. "Let him go—the King won't pay a ransom for his manservant."

"What about his pretty maid?" the man says.

"The King doesn't care about a maidservant," Lara rebukes sharply.

"He cares enough to have her escorted by knights through the Darkling Woods," he says grinning. He nods to some of his men and they tie Lara's hands behind her back, as well as a very worried Merlin's.

—Lara and Merlin have their hands tied behind a post while the men go about their camp. One man was sent with a ransom note a few minutes ago.

"Who are these men anyway?" Merlin hisses.

"Their slave traders," she says sharply, still angry about the situation.

"How do you know that?" Merlin asks trying to look at her over his shoulder.

"Do you really think they're going to give me back if Arthur were to even consider paying a ransom?" she hisses angrily.

"Why wouldn't they?" Merlin says, taken aback by Lara's anger.

"Women are worth more in the slave market," she says, glaring at the leader whose name they learned is Dorian. "Or at least more than any king is willing to pay for a maidservant."

"You're worth more than that, Lara," Merlin says defensively.

Lara sighs. She knows she is—she's a very powerful weapon. If these slave traders knew who she is then she would be headed for the Isle of the Gorinians already. That's what makes Merlin's abrupt presence more crippling.

"You shouldn't have come," Lara hisses.

"I was worried," Merlin reasons quietly.

"Yes, well now we're in a worse situation than before," she says harshly. "How the hell are we going to get out of this now?"

Merlin chews on his lip—he could very easily use magic to get them out, but that would risk Lara finding out he has magic. Would she hate him if she knew? Then he blinks when he realizes what she said.

"Lara, did you just curse?" he says incredulously.

"Hey!" Lara cries out to the men, ignoring Merlin.

"I don't think I've ever heard you curse before," he says, slightly astounded.

"Hey Dorian!" Lara cries out in a frustrated voice, still ignoring Merlin. Dorian and some of the others look at her with an amused expression. "Yes, you—that's your name isn't it?"

Dorian laughs and the others follow him. "What do you want?"

"I'm thirsty," she says in an obnoxious manner she's adopted from Lady Helene.

"Well that's nice," Dorian says dryly. He bows mockingly. "Do you require a goblet, milady?"

Lara sticks her foot out to trip a passing man; he falls on a tent so it lands over onto Dorian. Dorian curses and pushes himself out from underneath the tent. He pulls out a dagger and kneels by Lara, pressing the blade underneath her jaw. Merlin struggles in his place, but the ropes are tight.

"You're not going to be an easy prisoner, are you?" Dorian hisses into Lara's face.

"I'd be quieter if you brought me some water," she says into his face with sensual eyes. He looks her up and down. "Or if you would stop breathing in my face."
Dorian smiles coyly, appraising her still and stands. He turns and Merlin looks at him darkly.

"Get the prisoners some water," he says with a laugh.

As a man leaves to collect from the stream, Dorian turns away, speaking to the other men. Lara moves the dagger she stole from Dorian's belt and begins to cut away at her and Merlin's rope.

"What are you doing?" he hisses.

"When your rope is broken don't move," she whispers. "When I tell you to, run."

"What about you?" he cries. "You should run for Camelot."

"They are more likely to kill you than they are me," Lara hisses.

"I can take care of myself."
"They're slave traders, Merlin. They'll show you no mercy even if you are the King's manservant."

"Then why should they show you mercy for being a woman?"

The rope breaks with only a few droplets of Lara's blood. "Merlin, you shouldn't have come anyway," she says. She doesn't him that Sir Lucas was sent to get Arthur because she can't do what she needs to with Merlin there. She has limited time. "These 'ghosts' weren't supposed to be real, either. So our only option is for you to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere without you.

Lara groans at Merlin's excessive persistence.

"Lara, I promise I won't let you die," Merlin says with such husky certainly Lara felt a strange feeling of safety, which was strange for her. She swallows deeply and looks over her shoulder at Merlin.

Her face snaps back over to Dorian and his men. Sir Warren is pulled from the tent and thrown to the floor. He is bleeding excessively from the head and he is shaking more than usual due to his old age. He grips at the dirt and looks up at his captors.

"Sir Warren," Merlin whispers.

Dorian points are Lara and Merlin. "You recognize them?" he barks.

Sir Warren pitifully looks at Lara and Merlin. He slowly nods. "Y-yes," he says quietly with a shaky voice.

"Who are they?" Dorian demands.

"My wife's maid," he says carefully. "And—and King Arthur's manservant."

"So they are in the castle often, yes?" Dorian says.

Sir Warren swallows deeply, dried blood cracks when his throat moved. Dorian picks up the poor retired knight from the floor and throws him on the ground at Lara's feet.

Dorian looks at all three while Lara and Merlin fight the urge to help the man.

"Who is Mortis?" Dorian cries.

Lara's face is stunned. How could Dorian know about Mortis?

"No-no one knows!" Sir Warren stutters. "Not even the king."

"You have seen him," Dorian claims.

"He is always masked," Sir Warren cries pitifully. "Please, I've never seen his face. No one has."

"You'll never find him."

Lara looks sharply over her shoulder at Merlin. His face is certain. Dorian bends down and looks at Merlin's face.

"What makes you say that?" he hisses.

"He is a Gorinian assassin—he won't be found unless he wants to be," Merlin says with certainty.

"I only wish to give him a message," Dorian says with a humored smile.

Lara looks up at Dorian then slowly forward. Bronwyn knows she is in Camelot. He's sent this lowlife to give Mortis a message that Dorian didn't need to say aloud.

Bronwyn is coming.