Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters

This is a sequel to "The End?" and, like most sequels, probably rubbish.

Arthur had come to a conclusion: he needed to talk to Merlin. This conversation was going to be hard and no way could it take place inside the castle; so Arthur and Merlin went hunting.

"There he is!" Merlin cried, pointing towards the stag as Arthur kicked his horse in pursuit of the deer. It took the warlock a few seconds to get his horse to follow, and by that time the prince was out of sight. The bay horse cantered through the forest, swerving between the trees, as Merlin urged it on. He caught sight of Arthur only a few paces behind the stag, preparing to make the kill. But suddenly the animal swerved to the right, causing the prince to overshoot. He yanked his horse's head around and raced off after his prey. Merlin quickly followed but was thrown from the saddle as his horse reared up, and Arthur disappeared from view yet again.

The prince was completely focused on the stag running in front of him. It was such a relief for him not to be worrying about Merlin and he was enjoying himself. He knew he would need the adrenaline buzz he got from charging through the forest to give him the courage to face Merlin. Arthur was so focused on the deer that he failed to notice the branch that suddenly appeared at chest height. He fell backwards off his horse and lay winded in the leaf litter.

"Myna abor foil." Arthur gasped as tree roots snaked up and over his chest, waist, knees and feet. "Arthur Pendragon. I've been expecting you." Arthur lifted his head up just enough to see a beautiful, dark-haired woman standing over him, a wicked smile on her face.

"What do you want?" Arthur demanded, still the arrogant prince despite his helplessness.

"You, of course" was the reply. "I wish you to be my guest for a while. I'll try my best to make it as comfortable as possible." With that Arthur's world turned black as Nimueh held up her hand.

Merlin looked up from where he had fallen. His horse had bolted as soon as he left the saddle, leaving the boy with a clear view of the cause. An adder was staring at him from on top of a fallen log. Merlin stood up slowly, not taking his eyes off the snake. As he backed away the serpent relaxed and slithered off, leaving Merlin wondering where on earth he was? And, more importantly, where was Arthur?

When Arthur woke up, all he could see was a rocky pool directly in front of him. He was sitting against a cold, damp stone wall, inside a cave by the looks of it. He groaned and tried to stand, only to find his arms and legs restricted by chains. They allowed enough length for him to reach the pool and he immediately drank his fill. As he wiped his mouth, a high, cruel laugh echoed around the cave. Arthur leapt to his feet and reached for his sword, only to find it was imbedded in the ground well out of reach.

"Be at peace, Prince Arthur. I'm not going to kill you. I just need you out of the way for a bit." Nimueh explained, standing calmly before her prisoner.

"You may drink from the pool when you wish, and food will appear regularly. I'll even provide you with entertainment!"

She walked over to the water and waved her hand over it. The surface rippled, and then darkened to show Merlin standing in the forest, looking around. Nimueh then walked over to Arthur, who was staring at the pool. Stroking his cheek, she plucked out some of his hair, causing the prince to jerk around and raise his arms in self-defence.

"That's everything I need. Enjoy your stay, young prince."

As the sorceress turned away, Arthur saw her add his hairs to a goblet. She drank the potion and the prince watched in amazement as her hair shortened, turned blonde and her body changed shape. When she turned back, Arthur found he was face to face with...himself. A wave of her/his hand changed the tattered red dress into a tunic, leggings and a chainmail shirt, identical to what Arthur was wearing. Smiling cheerily, Nimueh/Arthur strode out of the cave, pulling Arthur's sword out of the ground as she passed.

Merlin had been searching for nearly a quarter of an hour with no sign of Arthur. A rustling in the bushes caused him to spin, eyes turning golden as he prepared to defend himself. He relaxed as a familiar figure pushed its way through the bushes, leading two horses behind it.

"I think you might have lost something" said Arthur, handing a set of reins to his manservant. "We had better be getting back to Camelot; it's getting dark." Merlin obediently mounted his horse and forlornly followed the prince back to the castle.

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