Chapter 3

AN: Sorry it took such a long time, life is a little hectic at the moment. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy it and as alway please please please review!

It was almost midday by the time they reached the Forest of Balor. They had both dismounted to give their horses a little rest.

"So what made you come to Camelot?" Arthur asked.

"Oh...um.. I just sort of ended up here" Eva replied but saw Arthurs look of puzzlement. "I mean, I was needing work and I heard that you need another servant" She quickly corrected herself. They carried on walking in silence, Eva didn't really know how to make small talk with a future King, and Arthur seemed like he didn't want to talk either . They soon reached a clearing and beyond they could see the caves that the Mortius flower was supposed to grow in. However only a few metres away from them both, a young woman was sitting on a branch of a fallen tree. She seemed very upset, Eva looked at her closely and saw she had angry looking bruises on her arms.

"Hello, are you alright?" Arthur said as he walked up to her, but before the girl could answer a terrifying roar was heard nearby. Eva's eyes widened as she took in the sight of a huge lizard-like creature. The creature, which must have been the Cockatrice that Gaius had warned Arthur about, moved slowly towards Arthur and the girl.

"Stay back the both of you" Arthur said in a commanding voice.

Arthur dodged the Cockatrice's lunges, while Eva stood rooted to the spot in fear, she was terrified that Arthur would get hurt. The beast leapt at Arthur, but Arthur ducked and rolled forward. He swiftly turned round and threw his sword toward the beast. The Cockatrice screeched in pain as the blade enter it's body, it collapsed on the ground in a heap and Eva could finally breath a sigh of relief. Arthur turned towards the girl again, but she took a tentative step back.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you" He tried to reassure her. "Who gave you those?" he asked pointing at her nasty looking bruises. The girl looked at her own arm in shame. "My master" She replied. "I ran away from him, but then I got lost. Please don't leave me!" She pleaded. Eva walked both the horses over to join them, carefully avoiding the still twitching body of the Cockatrice.

"We won't" Replied Arthur.

"You can take me away from here?" The girl spoke up again, optimism in her voice.

"Not yet, there's something I have to do first" Arthur said apologetically.

"What brought you to the caves" The girl asked.

"We're looking for something" Eva said.

"Which can only be found here" Arthur added.

"What is it?" The girl asked "I know this place, I could help you" She said sweetly.

"It's a type of flower that only grows in side the cave, it's very rare" Eva explained.

The girl turned round and for the first time looked at Eva properly. Eva felt that she was looking straight through her. After a few moments she spoke.

"The Mortius flower?" She guessed. "I know where they are, I'll show you" She offered. Arthur and Eva both looked at each other slightly apprehensively, but we knew we needed to fine the flower if Merlin was going to survive. The girl walked off towards the caves while Eva and Arthur followed.

Once they reached the mouth of the cave Arthur turned to Eva.

"I want you to stay here Eva. Look after the horses"

"But.. I .." She stammered.

"Eva you've already put you life in enough danger and I shan't be long. Just wait here and use your sword if anything dangerous gets too close" With that Arthur and the girl disappeared into the cave. Eva tied up the horses and then sat down on a large rock near the mouth of the cave. She looked up towards the sky and hoped that it wouldn't rain. Although Arthur was obviously a skilled knight and retrieving the flower should be fairly simple now the Cockatrice had been slayed, but Eva couldn't shake a feeling of dread. She felt as thought Arthur may be in danger, but what could she do. 'Absolutely nothing' she thought. The sky was starting to darken again as night rolled in, Eva sighed and let her shoulders slump. She hoped above all that Arthur would immerge soon from the cave safely carrying the flower that would save Merlin's life.

Back in Camelot, Gaius felt helpless as Merlin's fever got worse. He had started talking in his sleep, mostly it was gibberish but Gaius turned round when Merlin started speaking English.

"No Arthur stop, it's a trap, it's a trap" He mumbled. Gaius looked at Merlin in bemusement and pressed a cool cloth to his forehead. Gaius hoped Merlin's words were only due to his fever and prayed that Arthur was safe and riding back to Camelot soon having found the flower.

Inside the cave Arthur followed the girl's footsteps exactly. He glanced around looking for any sign of the flower.

"You won't find it here" the girl spoke. "It only grows deep in the caves"

Arthur swallowed and pointed the flaming torch ahead of him. They soon reached an opening, a huge crevasse that stretched as far as Arthur could see. The girl pointed to the caves wall opposite them. "There is the Mortuis flower"

Arthur looked warily at the ground in front of him. The only way to reach the flower was across a precarious looking bit of rock that jutted out from the ledge they were standing on. Slowly he edged forwards, keeping the thought that Merlin would die if he didn't get this flower in his mind so he wouldn't lose his courage. Behind him he heard the girl begin to talk, a language he couldn't understand. He didn't pay attention to her until the ledge he stood on began to shake. He looked at her.

"What are you doing!" he shouted. She didn't reply, she simply kept speaking.

'It must be magic' he thought. He had to act quickly before the ledge collapsed completely. He leapt to the opposite wall of the cave and hung on for dear life.

"Who are you!" he demanded.

"You don't need to know" she replied. "Now I must leave, It is not your destiny to die at my hand Arthur Pendragon, but maybe my little friends will have the honour" With that she left the cave. Arthur heard movement below him and decided he must climb upward to escape. He reached over towards the flower, picked and placed it safely in a small pouch, then he started to climb.

Outside the cave Eva wondered what was taking Arthur so long, surely finding the flower wouldn't take this long, especially if the girl new where they are. Movement from the mouth of the cave jerked into the present. The girl emerged but there was now sign on Arthur.

"Where's Arthur?" The girl smiled at the question.

"He'll be long dead before anyone can help him" she replied cruelly. Eva's eyes widened and anger grew inside her. Why had she trusted this stranger!

"What have you done!" Eva shouted as she pinned the girl against a tree.

"There's something about you Eva, something different. You don't have magic do you?"

"No I do not" Eva turned away from her and heading towards the cave. "I'm going to help him!"

"I can't let you do that" she said. "Sleep" She commanded whilst raising her hand towards Eva.

Suddenly Eva's eyes clouded and her world went black as she collapsed to the forest floor.