The Kraken's Calling
Chapter 3
The ancient hall is ill lit and cold, despite the large braziers that stand between the ivy draped columns. The castle, situated just over the northern border with Camelot where the perilous lands begin, had long been abandoned before being claimed by Morgana as her own base. From here she can easily travel to the Citadel in Camelot to speak to Gwen, and scry to follow events. She's seated on the imposing chair at the head of the long room listening to Ceawlin, one of her Saxon allies and his second-in-command, Beroun, as they describes the siege that he has undertaken of the stronghold of Doerham in Alined's Kingdom.
"You understand what must be done, Ceawlin?" she asks. "You must make sure that the castle is taken before Arthur and his army arrive to assist Alined."
"It should be. The siege is underway, and construction of the siege engines almost done. Once they're deployed, the keep will be defenseless."
"Good. Then your army can face Arthur and defeat him." Morgana point her finger at the Saxons standing before her. "He must not survive that battle. Do you understand?"
xXx
After the long day, Merlin drags himself back to Gaius's chambers, looking forward to finding his bed and rest before tomorrow's hunt. He pauses briefly at the door before entering quietly, half expecting Gaius to be asleep already. But the room is brightly lit, with a strong fire burning in the cooking area warming the chill stones. The door creaks a bit as it swings open, and Merlin slips into the room.
Gaius sits in the wooden armchair with his feet resting comfortably on a stool near the cook-fire, absorbed in one of the books that Merlin had found earlier in the hidden library. As the sound of the door opening fully, he looks up to smile at Merlin.
"How's Percival?" Gaius asks, ever the careful physician.
Merlin crosses the room to take a goblet of water before he answers. "He's resting now. The elixir helped, and the poultice is easing the muscle soreness." Gaius feels a surge of pride at Merlin's care for his patient; his ward has become a skilled healer in his own right. "Can you stop there tomorrow? I have to leave with Arthur at dawn to go hunting all day."
Merlin looks hopefully at the pot hanging over the cook-fire. "Anything to eat? I didn't have time."
"Of course, my boy. I've saved some for you."
Merlin grabs a bowl and spoon from the cupboard and serves himself some of the pottage from the small cauldron, sinking gratefully down onto the bench near the table. "Find anything useful?" he asks, swallowing a mouthful and gesturing with his spoon at the book Gaius is holding.
"Fascinating reading, but no help on how to free Gwen's will. Not yet." Gaius shakes his head.
Merlin slumps forward in his chair, his meal forgotten. He sets the bowl on the table. "How can we fix this if we don't know what happened?" he says.
"Maybe I can get Gwen to talk about her ordeal?" Gaius suggests. "Perhaps then she'll give me a clue."
"She's too cagey these days to reveal anything." Merlin puts his elbows on the table, and holds his head in his hands. "Was it Morgana's doing, do you think?"
"Must have been." Gaius stands carefully, pressing hard on the arms of the chair to lever himself up. He puts the book on his desk, and covers it with parchments. He steps over to the wood basket and retrieves a log to toss onto the fire. "Who else would have the power and the wish to harm Arthur?"
"She was certainly determined to get me out of the way when she had that boy Daegel lure me into the Valley so she could poison me," Merlin muses. "What can we do, Gaius?" Merlin watches the old man take his seat again, trying to ease the stress on his knees. "You have to find a cure."
"And you have to tell him, Merlin."
"Yes, but how?" Merlin agonizes. "He loves her and trusts her beyond reason. He'll never believe me."
"He needs to know. She's a threat to him." Merlin lowers his arms to the table, and places his head on them, overcome by weariness.
xXx
Merlin balances the heavy tray on his hip as he reaches out to open the door to Arthur's chambers. He'd stopped by the kitchens for Arthur's breakfast and some food for the day of hunting in the still dark pre dawn cool. Seeing no one around, he blinks a few candles alight to illuminate the way across the room to the table to set down the tray of food, but still nearly trips on the pack that Arthur had left on the floor near the door. He stumbles a bit on the last few steps clattering the plates on the tray when his own pack slips off his shoulder to lodge in the crook of his elbow. He hears a small groan from the bed caused by the unexpected noise. Once the tray is safely settled on the table next to his pack, he turns to the bed. Now for the hard part: getting Arthur up. Arthur had wanted to leave at dawn, so Merlin has to wake him in the dark to make ready for the hunt.
As he walks to the window, glancing at the bed to make sure Arthur's still asleep, he lights more candles in the room with a quick wave of his hand. The he pulls the curtains wide and opens the window to allow the pre-dawn bird song on the chill morning breeze to enter the chambers. It's still dark outside. Arthur grumbles in his half-sleep, pulling his covers more securely over his head.
"No you don't," Merlin laughs, grabbing the covers and pulling them down. "Time to get up."
Arthur protests and pulls his arm over his eyes. "Too early," he mutters. "It's still yesterday."
"That doesn't even make sense." Merlin shakes Arthur's shoulder. "Up. Hunting. You love hunting." He steps behind the changing screen and blinks his eyes at the pitcher of water on the stand to heat it, then pouring some hot water into the basin. "The water's still hot." He moistens a cloth, and drops it on Arthur's arm still held over his eyes. "See?"
Arthur grabs the cloth, and sits up, balling it in his hand. He tosses it toward the clothes cupboard, catching Merlin on the back of his neck. "Ha! See yourself." Arthur stands up next to his bed, still grinning at Merlin's discomfiture as the cooling water drips down his neck.
Merlin turns and glares at Arthur's smirk, a blue tunic in his hand, which he tosses onto the bed as he crosses back to the table. Arthur picks up the tunic and rises on his toes next to his bed, reaching his arms to the ceiling in a groaning stretch. He takes the tunic with him behind the changing screen to wash and dress.
Merlin stands at the table, wrapping up some food for the day to add to his pack of supplies when Arthur emerges from behind the screen, lacing up his tunic. Merlin holds out his brown leather vest for him to slip on, and he sits at the table grabbing a hunk of bread.
Merlin takes a seat at the table, and Arthur quirks an eyebrow at him. "Arthur," Merlin says quietly, unsmiling. "I need to talk to you."
"You trying to get out of hunting, Merlin?" Arthur smirks.
"No. Listen to me, please, Sire. This is important."
"Sounds serious," Arthur says, spearing a piece of cheese and popping it in his mouth.
"Yes, Sire. It is." Merlin nods vigorously, watching Arthur eat.
"So, what's it about?"
Merlin shifts in his chair uncomfortably, leaning forward, trying to catch Arthur's eye. "It's about Gwen. You need to know . . ."
"Guinevere?" Arthur interrupts, with a puzzled look on his face.
"Yes, Arthur?" Gwen's voice startles Merlin as she steps into the room behind him, coming to stand next to Arthur's chair. "Good morning." She leans over and puts her lips to his forehead looking for all the world like a fond kiss.
"You're up early." He reaches up to put an arm around her waist, smiling up at her. "I stayed here last night so I wouldn't disturb you when I got up so early this morning."
"Ah, but I wanted to wish you a successful hunt today." She smiles down at Arthur, before looking pointedly at Merlin, who had risen to his feet when she entered the room. "What was it you wanted to say, Merlin?"
"Nothing, my Lady." He shakes his head.
xXx
They've been hunting in the forest for hours. Even Merlin has found pleasure in the sunshine and crisp fall air, as they ride through the trees, ablaze with color. After a quick bite to eat, they are tracking a boar on foot. Merlin is walking out in front of Arthur and Gwaine who are moving slowly crossbows at the ready. Arthur had sent him forward to try to attract the attention of the wild boar he'd spotted earlier. Merlin steps carefully through the underbrush, beating the ground with a long stick.
"Why am I doing this, again?"
"Stop whining, Merlin," Arthur says. "We need you to entice the boar to move toward us."
"And that'll end well for me, exactly how, when the boar charges at me?"
Just as Merlin starts to think how useless this action is, the shrubbery nearby explodes, and the boar charges out towards them. Gwaine's shot goes wild, but Arthur's bolt hits home and the boar staggers to a halt with a roar. The two men turn away to reload for another hit, and don't notice that the boar has recovered from the first bolt and pounds forward relentlessly. Arthur is in imminent danger.
Merlin steps directly in front of the King, quickly positioning himself to stop the boar in his tracks to save Arthur's life, in the only way he can. He must. He takes a deep breath and raises his hand straight out, fingers splayed.
"Merlin!" Gwaine yells, glancing around at the sound behind him. "What the hell are you doing?"