A/N: No beta for this chapter.
Chapter 3
Merlin was treated fairly well throughout the week, despite being chained in William's home. After the first conversation with Margareta, she visited him often. Sometimes she brought an extra bit of food or something new to read, while other times they would just sit and talk.
Usually they talked about magic, though sometimes they would discuss the village, and one time she brought out one of her spell books so they could look it over together. Merlin couldn't help but notice a couple of spells he would love to try once he was free from the binding collar.
The prospect of living with other magic users and being able to use his magic openly without fear was enticing. Yet, as the week trudged on, his thoughts turned to the important people in his life. He had already left his own village and made a new life in Camelot. He missed his mother often, and he did not want to start over again leaving behind people he cared about. He still regarded Arthur as a friend, and he wasn't ready to leave his side, no matter what the prince must think of him now.
Then there was also Gwen. She had also become an important part of his life; she was so warm and caring. Ever since Morgana had been taken by Morgause, Gwen seemed lonely and purposeless. He could only imagine what pain their disappearance was also causing her.
Lastly there was Gaius, the man who had somehow become much like a father to him. He knew when Arthur was finally returned to Camelot without him that it would devastate the old man. Gauis would never know why, and that thought caused pangs of regret in Merlin's gut.
Merlin pushed those thoughts from his mind as he waited alone in the small cabin for his breakfast. He would have to accept his new life and hope maybe one day they would understand, and maybe one day he would be able to return.
Merlin had grown so accustomed to Margareta's visits, as she was normally the one who brought him his meals. Therefore, he was a little surprised when one of the bandits brought him a plate of bread and cheese for breakfast. Merlin took the food without a word and the man quickly left.
Leaving the food untouched, Merlin turned his attention to the window. Something had to be going on, and his suspicions were correct. People, who were bustling about doing their morning work, suddenly stopped as they watched a group of men approaching. It only took a few seconds before he recognized one of the men was Arthur being escorted roughly by William and two other bandits.
Merlin couldn't help but stare at his prince, he had never seen him look so weak and dirty. His hair hung in oily clumps around his face, and his clothes were dirty and sweat stained. He was bound and gagged, and clearly weak from malnutrition.
Arthur was looking around, taking in the sight of the village and its people. It didn't take long before he was looking at Merlin's window and their eyes met. Merlin quickly put his hand up to the window pane, wishing he could somehow talk to him through the glass and the distance. He wanted to explain everything, but more importantly he just wanted to see his prince smiling and laughing once more, telling him he was the worst servant in the world.
Arthur abruptly looked away, and Merlin felt as if it was a final nail in the coffin. Arthur hated him now, that much was clear.
Merlin sat back down on the bed, refusing to look out the window again. He had given everything to protect Arthur and Arthur hated him. He wanted to be angry at the arrogant prince, but instead all he could feel was a deep sadness.
Merlin stared at his plate of food, leaving iit untouched. Whatever appetite he had earlier was now completely gone. All he could do now was cling to the hope that William would keep his word.
About an hour after Merlin saw Arthur being hauled through the village, Margareta entered the cabin. She smiled at Merlin, but when Merlin didn't smile in return, she frowned.
"Are you alright?" Margareta asked as she sat on the edge of the bed. She then noticed the plate of food. "You haven't eaten your breakfast."
"I'll be alright," Merlin replied with a low voice. "I saw your father with Arthur. The ransom swap is today, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Margareta nodded slightly. "I had to go cast some spells to obscure the horse tracks. The ride is a few hours long, they'll be back by dusk if everything goes well."
Merlin said nothing, letting Margareta's words hang in the air.
Margareta must have sensed his unease. "Everything will go well." Margareta said then stretched out her right hand. "Now let me see your wrist."
Merlin gave her a questioning look.
"My father said you would be free once the prince was gone, I'm keeping his promise."
"Do you have the key?" Merlin lifted his chained wrist and placed his hand in her hers.
"Don't need one." Margareta placed her other hand on top of his and whispered, "Unlúcan!" Her eyes flashed gold and a second later the manacle clicked and fell off his wrist.
Merlin rubbed his wrist gently, glad to no longer be chained to the bed. He was growing weary of looking at the same four walls each day. He couldn't wait to go outside, but first there was another matter to deal with.
"What about this?" Merlin touched the collar around his neck.
Margareta nodded and placed her hands on the metal. "Sé galdor þing ac sé hæfting sy unbanden." With another flash of golden eyes the collar clicked and came off.
Merlin listened to the words of magic carefully. He noticed that she left the spell on the collar in place and only unlocked the magical clasp. Nevertheless, once the collar was off he felt his magic returning to him. His skin tingled with excitement at being freed from his magical bond. Merlin took a deep breath, feeling as if the world was open to him once more after being closed off for so long.
"You probably should wait to do any magic."
Merlin nodded. He felt how unstable his returning magic was and knew he probably would muck up the simplest of spells if he tried now.
"Thank you, Maggie," Merlin eventually said once he felt able to speak.
Maggie smiled. "You're welcome." She then took Merlin's hand. "Come on, let's go outside!"
The offer to get out of the room cheered Merlin up immensely. He still felt uneasy about his returning magic and the situation he was in, but he had been locked inside for days and longed to be outside and feel the sun on his skin.
Slowly Merlin got to his feet and followed Margareta to the door. Once outside, Merlin breathed in the fresh air. The sky was mostly clear with only a few clouds. It was a nice late summer day, not to too hot or humid. It was bittersweet, really, relishing in the wonderful weather and the illusion of freedom from the lack of chains. Yet, Merlin knew better. He was not allowed to leave the village's borde and so his prison still remained, albeit a bit bigger one now.
Margareta proceeded to lead him around the village and showed him parts of the village he had not seen before, such as the stables and food supply tents. Many of the villagers looked at them as they passed, and as they did Margareta would tell Merlin their names and a small detail about who they were.
"That's old man Thomas," Margareta would say, pointing out an old grizzled man by the well. "He is our resident smith and that woman over there is Rosa, his wife. She's really good with herbs."
Sometimes the villagers would come up and introduce themselves. They seemed happy to have another magic user in their village, and Merlin couldn't help wonder how much they knew about his circumstances in coming here and why he had agreed to stay. One such villager was named Elmar, he was a short blond haired fellow who looked to be no older than sixteen.
"I can use magic too, though not as well as Maggie," Elmar told Merlin as they continued walking through the village.
"He shows a lot promise, though," Maggie said in response, a huge grin on her face. Merlin knew then how much Margareta loved her people, and that she would do anything for them. He could understand why she would participate in the kidnapping; it was only to help them. Merlin also saw that these villagers had very little to live on, and he knew that situation well from his life back in Ealdor.
"Honest work," Merlin's mother said with a patient smile. "It breeds honest people."
Merlin shook the memory of his mother from his mind, not even sure why he had thought of that specific memory to begin with.
Eventually Elmar moved on to go do his chores and Margareta and Merlin settled down by a large apple tree on the border of the village. Margareta picked a couple of apples and rubbed them in her apron first before handing one to Merlin.
"What do you think of the village?" Margareta asked after she took a bite of her apple.
Merlin held his apple in his hand, and looked out at the forest before them. "It's nice. It reminds me of my home a little bit."
"Didn't you live in Camelot?"
"Yeah." Merlin took a small bite of his apple. "But I grew up in a place called Ealdor, it's a small village on the border of Cenred's kingdom."
"Cenred's kingdom?" Margareta was clearly confused. "Then why would you move to Camelot where that tyrant Uther Pendragon lives?"
"My mother sent me there." Merlin felt a small pang in his heart his thoughts shifted from her to his mentor, Gaius. "She sent me to Camelot to live with her long time friend Gaius to protect me. Magic is still mistrusted there. She thought a small village was dangerous for me and that Gaius would help me to control my ability more."
"So you didn't go to Camelot to work as a servant?"
"No." Merlin shook his head as he remembered the day he first met Arthur. He had been such a royal pain, and Merlin never imagined he would one day become his servant, never mind his friend. "I saved his life from an assassin and King Uther rewarded me with the position. I couldn't refuse. I never thought I would have saved him, he had been such a prat when we first met, but after serving him for over a year I've learned that he's not all that bad. He certainly has his moments."
"It must have been dangerous being a magic user so close to the king."
"Yeah, I guess it was. There were a few times when Arthur or the king almost found out, but with Gaius's help I managed to keep it a secret."
"But now that the prince knows, you'll never be able to go back." Merlin noticed the note of sorrow in her voice, as if she understood that despite the complications, he actually enjoyed his life in Camelot.
"It's not your fault," Merlin couldn't help but say. "You didn't reveal my magic to Arthur."
Margareta nodded and quietly held her apple as the flesh turned brown around the edges of her first bite. "If the prince didn't know, would you have stayed?"
Merlin heard the unspoken question. Do you want to be here?
Merlin knew without a doubt that he would return to Camelot if he could. On the other hand, he truly liked Margareta and may have enjoyed being here if it wasn't under such painful circumstances. There was also the fact that he didn't entirely trust William and had seen his men murder innocent knights. He didn't know if he could forgive them for that.
"No," Merlin answered honestly, "But that's not what happened and I can't change that. I do think of you as a friend though, and I think it's a nice village. If I wasn't kidnapped, if I had never been to Camelot in the first place, maybe my answer would be different." That was the best he could give her.
Margareta nodded. "I understand." She gave him a small smile before continuing to eat her apple.
They spent almost the whole day together outside. Margareta continued to show him various aspects of the village and various chores he might be expected to do. No one sat around doing nothing; everyone pitched in, even the children. Their continued survival depended greatly on their cooperation and hard work, much like Ealdor.
When the night sky started dim, signaling that night was not far off, Margareta took Merlin back into the cabin and began making dinner for the both of them. Merlin was a little tired, having spent the day mostly walking around or trying some of their chores. He never once gave a thought to running. He knew there were still bandits watching him and making sure he didn't do anything. Regardless, he didn't want to betray Margareta's trust. She had taken a risk letting him go before her father came back and he didn't want to get her in trouble.
While they were eating their stew, William walked in carrying a heavy sack and grined when he saw Merlin and Margareta by the table. "The deed is done, the prince has been returned to his father."
Margareta put her spoon down, rushed up to him, and gave her father a quick hug. "So everything went well?"
"Yes." William gave his daughter a light kiss on the forehead. "Here." He gave Margareta the sack full of what Merlin had to assume was the ransom money. "Put this somewhere safe."
Margareta took the sack and rushed off into the back room. Once she was gone, William sat at the table and looked at Merlin.
"It is good to see you free, I never wanted to keep you prisoner like that."
Merlin stared at his food, he had nothing to say to that. He was under no illusion that William wouldn't bind him once more if he stepped out of line.
"Arthur was given to his father alive, just as you asked." William placed both of his hands on the table and folded them. "Now it's time for you to keep your part of the bargain."
"I know." Merlin gently stirred his half eaten stew, not once taking a bite. He had lost his appetite the moment William walked in.
Merlin could feel Williams eyes on him as he waited a moment before speaking. "Good. Finish your supper. We'll have a busy day tomorrow." William stood up from the table and headed towards his own bed.
Goosebumps formed on Merlin's arm; he always froze up when William arrived. He knew it upset Margareta when he did this, but he couldn't help it. Despite the arrangement they had made, Merlin was still wary of the man. He had been through too much to simply trust him now.
Merlin forced himself to take a bite of his stew, chewing slowly on the tough meat.
Minutes later, one of Williams bandits burst through the door. He was sweating profusely and clearly out of breath. He looked like he was about to force himself to speak though his heavy pants when he noticed Merlin and kept his mouth shut for a few more breaths before he finally spoke to William. "We need to talk. Now."
xxx
Gaius had known something was wrong when Arthur and his knights didn't arrive home by nightfall with Merlin in tow. It was supposed to be a simple hunting expedition, there was no reason for them to spend the night in the forest.
King Uther sent out a search party the following morning. A few hours later they arrived back with seven horses, six of them carrying the bodies of slain knights. Gaius immediately recognized the riderless horse as the one Merlin had taken on the hunt.
The old physician wasn't sure whether he should be thankful or terrified that Merlin was not with them. He also noticed that the prince was missing as well and he couldn't fathom at this moment what had happened that would cause both the prince and his servant to go missing.
Uther had made the same observation as he hurried over to the search party and demanded to know where his son was.
"He was nowhere to be seen," said the leader, a seasoned knight named Leonard. "We searched the camp. His horse and sword were also gone. All we found were the bodies of these knights, all slain with arrows. There were no tracks to follow, except those of the knights' horses that had wandered from the slaughter. "
"Was their any sign of Merlin?" Gaius dared to ask as Uther absorbed the information.
Leonard shook his head. "No, only his horse remained."
"Did you search the surrounding area thoroughly?" Uther demanded, his voice starting to sound panicked.
"Yes, Sire," Leonard answered with a bowed head. "There was nothing we could follow. The way the tracks disappeared, I suspect magic."
Uther glared at his knight, clearly upset that he wasn't out there still looking. He then glanced to the bodies of the dead knights as if he had just realized they were there. "Bring them in, we'll have their bodies prepared. However, I want you to refresh your horses and then ride back out. You will find my son!"
Gauis could see the knights were utterly exhausted from searching all day, but Leonard knew better than to argue with his king. He nodded to the other knights behind them and they proceeded to follow their orders.
Gaius looked over to the king, knowing that for once, they both shared the same exact fear. Merlin may not be his son by birth, but he thought him as good as one. Now Merlin, along with Arthur, were missing and there were dozens of questions, yet no answers.
Uther turned to Gaius as he walked back to his throne room. "Magic, Gaius! Will I never be rid of its evil?"
"We can't be sure of anything at the moment," Gaius said, though the revelation that magic may have been used spoke more to why Merlin was possibly taken. That is, if this was a kidnapping, and Gaius strongly suspected that. In any case they both were missing, and that was only thing they knew for certain.
"First Morgana, and now Arthur. I cannot keep losing them!"
"Sire, you haven't lost Arthur yet. The knights will find him." And Merlin too, Gaius thought desperately.
"Sire, Sire, Come quick!" A guard called from behind before they could step back into the castle. "A man approaches on Arthur's horse!"
King Uther froze momentarily before turning around to see the horse approaching, carrying a man who most certainly was not his son. He had long brown hair and a heavy beard to match. He looked to be in his forties, and wore a rotting, old tunic with ill-fitting armor. "Guards, seize him!"
Gaius was about to protest, but the man on the horse spoke before he could get a word out. "I wouldn't get any stupid ideas about tossing me in your dungeon, King Uther. Not if you want to see your son again."
King Uther glared fiercely at the man, but motioned for the guards to stand down. The knights complied and circled around the rough looking young man on the horse, instead, with their swords drawn.
"Where is my son?" The king demanded through gritted teeth.
"He is well, for now," The man replied with a look of smug satisfaction. He quickly dismounted the horse and took a sword out of it's scabbard, one that looked remarkably like Arthur's. "However, If I do not return in three days time he will be killed." The man then laid the sword down on the ground. "The sword and horse are proof that we have your son."
"Then what is it that you want?" Uther glared at the sword, obviously recognizing it as belonging to Arthur.
"10,000 gold coins, to be exchanged at the agreed upon date and time."
"Is that all?"
"Of course, I must be allowed to leave safely to inform the others. I may also require a proper meal and bath. It's been a long ride."
"See to it that his man gets whatever he wants." Uther then stepped forward and picked up his son's sword. He pointed it at the bandit's neck, who did not flinch at all. "I will agree to this ransom, and if my son isn't returned to me alive, I will find you and slit your throat myself. Is that understood?"
The man smiled. "It is."
King Uther glared at the man for a moment longer before turning from the man and walking, almost running, back inside his castle. Gaius was almost about to follow him, but he had to know, and this man had answers.
"What about Merlin, Prince Arthur's servant?" Gaius asked.
The man looked at Gaius, seemingly surprised at the question, though he simply shrugged it off. "The boy is dead." Without waiting for a response, the man turned to the guards to see to his requests.
Gaius barely heard any of it. It was as if the world had suddenly stopped moving. Dead? How? Why? He was not found with the knights, why would he be taken to only be killed later? It didn't make any sense. Then again it made no sense for them to capture a servant. Either Merlin was dead, or there was more to the story.
Desperately, Gaius clung to the hope that the man was lying.
The physician did not speak with the man again, simply listening as the kidnapper later instructed the king on how the ransom was to play out. They were to bring the money in a large sack, just the King and two knights, to a designated place in the forest. They would be given a few days to collect the money, then a messenger would send a note with the location. If they suspected more than 3 people entered the area withing a kilometer of the spot, Arthur would be killed. If the king wasn't with them, Arthur would be killed. Other rules were given, which King Uther reluctantly agreed to and when everything was settled, the man left. As promised, he was not followed. Uther feared they would kill his son if he made such a mistake.
Despite the fact that King Uther agreed to meet the kidnappers with only two knights, he brought a whole battle contingent with him to wait at the aforementioned kilometer mark, as well as Gauis for any medical emergencies. It was there that Gaius waited for news of Arthur's rescue from the ransomers. Despite the pain he felt at the possibility that Merlin was dead, right now he had to focus on the prince and hope for his safe return.
As it turned out, Uther's request for the court physician to be standing by was a wise one. Gaius's heart pounded with dread as Alric came bursting into the clearing, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Gaius, the prince has been wounded, you must attend to him immediately!"
Gaius leaped into action and pushed his horse as fast as it would go through the thick woods, ignoring the occasional sting of branches whipping past his face. Once he reached the clearing he saw King Uther clinging to Arthur, clearly injured with an arrow in his back.
Gaius quickly dismounted from his horse and grabbed his medicine bag. As he knelt down by the king to get better loo, he immediately noticed that the arrow had hit the prince's shoulder, not his back. He knew right away that this was lucky, there was no chance of a punctured lung. However, that didn't mean the wound wasn't life threatening. He certainly had to remove the arrow and get the bleeding to stop.
"Sire, lift him up. I must remove the shaft," Gaius instructed, and the kind did as he was asked. He was able to get a good look at the wound and saw that the arrow head was protruding through the other side of his shoulder.
The prince started to moan in pain as his body was moved. "Shh, Sire," Gaius said, trying to comfort the half conscious prince. "This must be done." Gaius silently wished the prince was unconscious so he wouldn't have to feel what he was about to do.
Gaius grabbed the protruding arrow shaft in the back and quickly snapped off the feathered end, causing Arthur to cry out in pain. "Now, we need to pull the arrow forward," Gaius told Uther as he grasped the bloody arrow point that had poked through on the other side.
The prince cried out once more, but this time he fell unconscious from the pain. Gaius was worried at first that the shock of removing the shaft might have killed him, but Arthur was still breathing and his heart still beating.
Gaius wasted no time and began focusing on stopping the bleeding while also administering some of his medicines to stave off infection. Once he felt the prince's wound had been sufficiently bound, he turned back to the king, who looked every bit the distraught father with his son's blood covering his armor.
"I believe I've stopped the bleeding, but we must get him back to the castle so he can recover," Gaius said as he wiped the blood off his hands with a small rag.
"Of course," King Uther said. He turned to his knights, who were now surrounding King Uther, Arthur, and Gaius. "Bring the horses, we must leave at once."
"Sire!" One of the knights called out, and to Gaius's surprise it was Sir Conrad. He had with him one of the bandits that had partaken in the ransom. "I have captured the bandit, what do you wish done?"
"Well done, Sir Conrad," King Uther responded as he wiped the sweat off his brow. "Bind him. We will interrogate him at Camelot."
Conrad nodded and did as commanded, while another knight, Sir Leonard, helped Gauis lift Arthur onto a horse. Gaius rode with the boy to keep him stable and monitor his condition. It was nearly half a day's ride back to Camelot, and the prince had to hold out till then. Arthur's life was in his hands and he would do everything in his power to save him. Then maybe, when Arthur was better, he could tell Gaius what really happened to Merlin.
xxx
"We need to talk. Now."
William immediately jumped from his bed and led the man towards the back room. "Of course. Come with me."
The men disappeared through the doorway, and Margareta emerged moments later.
"Have you finished your soup?" She asked, oblivious to the commotion that had just occurred.
"Uh-Almost," Merlin said as he forced down another spoonful. Merlin wanted to hear what they were talking about, no doubt it had something to with Arthur and the ransom. What else would get that man so worked up?
"I'm going to fetch some water to clean the dishes." Margareta picked up a large pale, unaware that Merlin's eyes were fixated on the back door. "I'll be right back."
"Alright," Merlin replied, remembering a the last minute to look away and give her a small nod.
Merlin waited for her to leave before standing up from his chair. He hurried over as quietly as possible to the door leading to Margareta's room and pressed his ear to the wood. It was useless though, he couldn't hear anything beyond hushed mumbling. He wanted to open the door but he knew he couldn't, they would more than likely noticed.
Merlin cursed under his breath as he tried to think of another way to listen, possibly with magic now that he could use it again. Merlin went through in his mind all the spells that he knew, mentally discarding them as all useless when suddenly Merlin's eyes lit up as he finally remembered. One of the spells in his book was for sound enhancement, specifically for human voices, he just had to remember how it went.
"Hléoþ cuman æt mec!" Nothing happened.
He knew why, it wasn't quite right. He was missing a peice of first word. Merlin desperately tried to remember, knowing that if he didn't get this right he could miss his only chance of finding out what really happened to Arthur.
"Hléoþcwod cuman æt mec!" Merlin tried again. This time he felt his eyes flash, though the result was not what he expected. Suddenly his spoon came flying towards him, he barely had time to catch it before it buried itself in the door.
Merlin breathed a sigh of a relief when he realized the mishap had gone unnoticed by the men in the room. He certainly did not need that getting their attention.
Merlin closed his eyes and breathed in deeply in an attempt to clam his nerves. He had to get this right, and he had little time. Once again he tried to remember the spell correctly.
"Hléoþcwide cuman æt mec!" Merlin felt the magic course through him, and when the first few words came to him from the other room, he knew he had it right.
"How could you leave him there?" Merlin immediately recognized the voice as William's.
"There was nothing I could do!" The bandit replied, his voice trembling as he tried to keep it low. "The king practically had a whole army with him at that point. There was no way I could rescue Alfred, I had to return to warn you."
William sighed. "The people aren't going to like this. We thought we had finally found a permanent home."
"We all knew the risks. We took a vote."
There was silence for a moments before William finally spoke again. "How could he have missed? He is our best marksman!"
"The prince moved at the last moment getting hit in the shoulder instead. He may die from his injuries, but the king was smart enough to have a physician on hand. He will more than likely survive."
Merlin felt his stomach sink. They were undoubtedly talking about Arthur, and from the sound of it, he had been gravely injured. At least Gaius was there, surely Arthur would survive with his mentor's help.
"So now we run the risk of Alfred being tortured into revealing our location, or the prince figuring it out. In either case, we must leave. It's such a shame. Margareta will be heartbroken, she hates moving. How long do you think we have?"
"I wouldn't take any chances. We should leave by sunrise."
"Alright, I'll let everyone else know."
"What about the boy?"
"What about him?"
"He's going to suspect something. Don't you have a deal with him?"
"He'll do what I say, and that is that."
"Abregdan," Merlin whispered, removing the spell. He had heard enough.
Merlin raised a hand to his head, thoughts racing in his mind. He had only a moment to decide what to do with this information and he couldn't second guess himself. He looked to the door. Margareta was gone, William suspected nothing at the moment, and all the villagers would be used to seeing him outside after today. If ever the was a chance to escape, now was it.
Merlin walked carefully over to the door. He could hear his heart beating in his ears as he gently pulled it open, desperately trying to not make a sound. If William walked out of the other room now, it was over. If Margareta walked back in now, it was also over.
Once the door was opened enough for him to slip through, he peered outside. No one was in the immediate area. Quickly, Merlin left the cabin and closed the door as gently as he opened it. Now that he was outside he wasted no time in making his way to the edge of the village.
Merlin kept to the shadows in the failing light. He peered out of every corner for any sign of a villager. While he might make it past them without any problems, he couldn't take the chance. Most people seemed to be inside, preparing or eating their evening meal. He also noticed a couple of the bandits walking about keeping watch. They were easy to avoid.
"Merlin?"
The sound of his name made his heart jump in his throat. He turned and immediately recognized Elmar, one of the villagers he had met earlier.
Elmar, who was holding a small lantern causing his face to glow eerily in the twilight , looked more confused than suspicious.
"Oh, hey. Where is the firewood kept?" Merlin blurted out the first excuse that came to mind. "I thought I remembered where it was, but now It's getting dark...and I'm not sure."
"Oh, it's over there." Elmar pointed in the direction he had just came. "It's next the small tent next to the well, remember?"
"Oh, right!" Merlin said with a hesitant smile. "Thanks."
"No problem." Elmar smiled in return before making his way to one of the other tents.
Merlin cursed slightly as he headed back the way he had just come, then ducked behind another tent when he was sure Elmar couldn't see him anymore, and then continued back to the edge of the small village.
Merlin had hoped he could steel a horse and make a fast escape, but when he saw the stables it was guarded by three men. He couldn't risk getting caught. He had to hope that his disappearance went unnoticed long enough for him to get away on foot.
"I had to go cast some spells to obscure the horse tracks. The ride is a few hours long, they'll be back tonight if everything goes well."
Margareta's words came back to him, and he realized he remembered that spell! It had been in the spell book Margareta had shared with him and if there was ever a time to use it, now would be it.
Merlin turned back and whispered the words of magic, "Bedíglian mín swæþ!"
Immediately the ground began to move very subtly, erasing the footprints he had made. Now the bandits wouldn't be able to spot where he left the village, even in the best of light.
Merlin then waited for a moment when all three men were looking away and made a quick dash for the forest. Once he made it to the cover of the trees he whispered the spell again. He cast it a few more times until he felt satisfied that they wouldn't know which direction he went before he finally abandoned stealth and burst out into a run.
He didn't know where he was going and it didn't matter. He was finally free after a week of captivity. All that matter was getting as much distance as he could from the bandits, then he'd figure out a way home.
So Merlin ran. He ran until he thought his lungs might burst and then he ran some more. Running was difficult; It was dark and treacherous. He slipped a few times and now his hands were scraped raw while branches cut at his cheeks and tore at his clothing.
Eventually his paced slowed down, and not long after he had to stop. Merlin gasped for air, wishing he had some water to drink because his mouth felt dry and sandy. He also wished he had any sort of supplies, really, but there had been no time.
Merlin fell against a large evergreen tree as he let his body rest for a moment. He had no idea how long he had been running, though the sun had finally set.
Merlin almost began to wonder if was too easy when the sound of hoof beats made his heart stop. Merlin looked around the tree and saw torch lights in the distance.
How could they have found him so fast in the failing light? Merlin silently cursed himself as he realized. Elmar. He must have told William, or at least pointed them in the right direction. How could he be so stupid?
Merlin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, fighting to calm his nerves. He had to focus. It
was dark, if he played this right they might pass him by.
Merlin looked around desperately for a place to hide. Most of the trees were thin evergreens and provided minimal cover. "Damnit," Merlin cursed before running forward and hiding himself behind another tree. Merlin quickly looked back and still saw the torches, but no indication that they had noticed his short run.
Merlin dashed forward to another tree, and then another, before he finally found large root lifted up above the ground creating an small alcove to hide in. Merlin couldn't believe his luck! He threw himself inside and began gathering up whatever dirt and leaves he could to cover himself.
The sound of hoof beats got closer and Merlin held is breath. They had to pass him by, he had the night on his side.
Merlin waited. The hood beats got even closer and he could hear the men calling out to each other.
"Which way?"
"I think we should head this way, the forest isn't as thick."
Neither of them sounded like William.
Merlin could not hear if the other man agreed but after a moment he heard the hoof beats moving away. The horses continued galloping away and soon the only thing he could hear was his own beating heart.
In that moment Merlin realized his eyes had been closed and his fists clenched tight. Reality came flooding back now that the men had moved on. Slowly Merlin emerged from the hole in the ground and looked around. There was no sign of anyone in the vicinity.
Merlin dusted the dirt off his clothes and once again began running into the dark, though in a different direction. Confident that he had shaken his pursuers, Merlin didn't press himself as hard and merely jogged at a brisk pace.
Despite the fact that the only source of light was the moon peaking through the branches above, he managed to keep himself on his feet. He knew he could be running in the complete wrong direction to get back to Camelot, but it didn't matter. As long as he evaded capture he could figure out his destination in the morning with the sun to guide him.
Merlin took another break from running, certain that he managed to shake his pursuers enough to take a moment to catch his breath.
Thump!
Merlin jumped in shock when an arrow lodged itself into the tree beside him, barely missing his head. Merlin knew it was a warning shot, the bandits were too good to miss, and he wasn't surprised they could shoot this well with only the moon as a source of light.
Merlin didn't run, he knew it was pointless now. He pushed himself from the tree and turned to face his attacker and found himself confronted by four mounted horses. William was among them, his glaring face illuminated by the torchlight.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I had a little difficulty with the end of this chapter.
My last beta was temporary and I put out another request on the LJ community Merlin_Betas, but didn't get a response. Are any of my readers interested in helping out? I generally need help pointing out typos/mistakes that I inevitably miss and I appreciate any writing suggestions/critiques.
Edit: Thank you for all the beta offers, I wasn't expecting so many. I've already accepted an offer, but thanks to everyone else who kindly offered up their services.
