The witch seemed like she was holding the man back.
"He caught him! He was trying to escape too…" Merlin muttered frustrated.
For their savior was now in troubles himself.
"We need to help him!" Arthur ordered.
"Do you mean to tell me that you heard what I said?"
"Yes Merlin, you 're louder than you think."
Merlin didn't like the answer.
"…I can hear you singing every morning that's what wakes me every day not your wake up call" continued Arthur.
"Ha…" that was Merlin's only response to that surprise.
"Yeah…now shh, listen they are fighting about my father." Arthur said in the same way Merlin had interrupted him earlier as to return the insult.
Merlin was still in surprise from Arthur's previous words so he continued without giving any attention to his recent comment.
"Is there anything else you would like to tell me that I do and you don't like?"
"I know everything about you Merlin. Don't think you can fool me!" Arthur said proudly forming a smile on his face.
"Oh is that so? " Merlin replied while suppressing unsuccessfully the smile on his face releasing a small laughter.
Arthur looked right back with a puzzled look." What is that smile supposed to mean? What are you hiding from me?"
"Nothing…"
"" Gwaine said in a long lasting voice without breathing and full of annoyance. "I only have my hearing to process reality, please don't take that away from me too; be quiet for a little while now please."
"Sorry! " Replied immediately Arthur followed by Merlin's sorry which was in a shameful tone
"It's the Pendragon's fault you're here, why would you not help me bring him down instead of plotting against me especially now that you do not have your powers?" the witch wondered.
"I do not wish to fight with you! Walk away and no harm will come to you."
"Oh is that so! You think it's that simple. You do not have the power to fight me…"
The witch was interrupted by a small rock fall had Percival caused.
He was leaning against a rock which did not seem to really hold his weight.
The two of them fighting immediately stopped to see who was overhearing them.
"Who goes there?" the witch shouted.
There was a silence and then…
"No one!" Percival popped without thinking.
Arthurs face upon realizing the stupidity of Percival actions changed from the worried one to a disappointed one.
He couldn't believe the stupidity of it. He shook his head and ordered his knights to:
"Ruuuuuuuun!"
But that was meaningless. The witch took one step forward and stopped them by blocking their way to freedom with a big rock using her magic. By doing so she was now in between of the man with the black hole and the knights. The man with the black cloak turned to face the witch.
Merlin couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't believe he was seeing him again once more. The man returned his look with a disappointing one.
"You are now surrounded." Arthur announced.
"Maybe… but don't count on leaving here without any casualties. Because I may be leaving but I 'll be taking some of you down with me."
The witch threw a first knife to Percival, aiming at his head. Merlin flashed and caught the knife at the corner of his eyes. He instinctively ran to help Percival, getting him out of the knife's line of attack. Even though she did not find his head, Percival fell and hit a nearby limestone; one that caused an even worse rock fall, one that was now leading the road to the end. Thing weren't steady to begin with in there. It was already about to collapse. That was anyways the witch's plan: to tie the men down, torture them and leave them there waiting for nature to finish them for her. Unfortunately for her, her plan backfired. This time she was the one running to save her life from the rocks that were about to crash her. But in the same direction the rocks were heading, was the man Merlin was hoping to reunite with once more.
"Nooooooo" Merlin shouted while hopelessly watching the man being pushed by the rock to the ends of the cave and into the deep abyss.
When the rocks settled and the dust from the whole disruption was over Merlin ran at the end of the cliff in hope to find him still standing there.
To his surprise his father was still holding on with all the power a finger could give to a man to hold his body. He was few meters down from where Merlin was standing. He leveled to the ground and tried to reach for his father.
"Take my hand please…" Merlin said while his voice was colored with desperation.
His father was trying to reach out to grab his hand but he was unable, as he was constantly slipping minute by minute. The witch was hanging from Ballinor's ankle. She was holding her life in her hands, the same hands that were responsible for ending it, the ones pulling down the only man that could helped her. Arthur and the rest of the knights came to help but it was too late. He did let go eventually but not without taking Ballinor with her.
Ballinor knew the end was near when his first hand slipped.
"Am sorry Merlin"… were his last words.
And then the other hand slipped too.
That unbelievably painful moment when Ballinor let go Merlin shouted with all his power:
"Nooooooo"…
And then clang!
The metallic plates on the table jumped a few inches up in the air when Arthur's clenched fist hit the table, causing Merlin to wake up too abruptly.
"Sleeping during work again are we?"
Merlin didn't respond he was just happy it was all just a dream. He walked off with a sigh relief followed with a smile. A smile caused from his father visit even if it was just in his dreams.
