A/N:Alright, I find it very frustrating switching between Word and FF. The chapter seems so much longer on Word, then I upload it and you barely have to scroll. Grr. Anywho, sorry for the short length. I am going for more frequent, shorter updates. Hope this works! Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, folloed, and reviewed. You are helping me get out of the writer's block I was stuck in. Also, to those of you also reading Betrayal - I will update that soon! I needed to get my creative juices flowing, and felt I had more 'wiggle room' (am I the only one who uses that term?) in this story than in Betrayal - I plan to update that later this week, though.
Also, I am thinking of this as set either later Season 1 or early season 2. Didn't really have a specific episode in mind or anything.
Hope you enjoy the chapter! Balinor was difficult to write, so let me know what you think - not sure I got him right.
Balinor stiffened when he felt the cold metal against his neck, but did not move otherwise. Tightening his grip on the knife and pressing it into the man's skin a little more, Arthur repeated the command.
"Stop what you are doing and get your hands off of him." The threat was clear in Arthur's voice, and Balinor slowly raised his hands away from Merlin. "What were you doing? And don't try to lie to me." The knife remained pressed against Balinor's skin as he rose to his feet and turned to face Arthur.
"It was an ancient prayer for healing." Balinor's voice was steady and even though he was still facing away from Arthur, his posture did not betray any fear.
"It was sorcery." Arthur was furious at the thought of this man casting a spell on Merlin, and unconsciously applied more pressure to the skin on Balinor's neck, breaking the skin. In an instant, Balinor spun around, knocking the blade from Arthurs hand and shoving him against the wall.
"And if it was, Boy?" Balinor's previously calm voice was now laced with anger, his face a mask of fury and hatred. "You are in Essetir. Your father's laws have no say here. You and your servant would be dead now if not for me, so do not be foolish enough to fight me – even if only for his sake." Balinor finished his sentence by jerking his head toward the young man lying on the ground, oblivious to the fight of wills going on above him.
Arthur didn't know what to do. Balinor was right, he had saved both Merlin and Arthur, and Cenred did not hold the same views on magic that Uther did. He would probably have Merlin and Arthur killed if they were found.
The rough sound of coughing pulled his attention over to Merlin, who was beginning to stir. Pulling himself away from Balinor, who let him go, he knelt next to the young warlock.
"Rr.." Another bout of coughs wracked Merlin's body, making Arthur wince at the sound. "Arthrr…" the word finally made its way out, Merlin beginning to thrash around.
"Merlin! Hold still, Merlin." Arthur tried to calm Merlin down, but it seemed to only agitate the boy further. "Just hold on, Merlin. We'll get you back to Gaius soon, and he'll be able to fix you up."
"Nnn…elp…'t hurts, Gaius." The mumbled words tore through Arthur's heart, making him even more furious at the situation. Merlin was seriously ill, and because of the storm, Balinor was the only help they could rely on, and now he was a sorcerer! Who knew what crimes he had committed to force him to hide like this, living in a cave to avoid people?
As Arthur was sitting debating whether to allow Balinor to help anymore and how long it would be until Merlin would be well enough to tolerate the trip to Camelot, Balinor's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Did you say Gaius?"
Surprised at the question from the normally quiet man, Arthur was shocked into answering. "Yes, He's Camelot's Court Physician and Merlin's uncle."
A twinge of recognition and something else – curiosity? Hope? Arthur wasn't sure what it was, and it was gone too quickly for him to place the emotion. Merlin had started coughing again, so Arthur turned his attention back to the young warlock and pushed the flicker of emotion from his mind.
When he became aware of Balinor standing almost immediately behind him, Arthur stiffened and turned around to face him. His caution was unneeded as it was not a weapon, but a wineskin that Balinor was holding.
"It will soothe his throat and make it easier to breathe. Best to get him to drink it while he's awake – never know when he might wake up next." Not waiting for a reply, Balinor tossed the wineskin to the ground next to Merlin, then walked back to the fire he had been by previously.
Staring after the man, Arthur decided he disliked people who were puzzles. Merlin was frustrating enough, but this man held the same quality – why would he help Merlin if just moments ago he had been casting some sort of enchantment over him? Magic users always seemed to have some ulterior motive, and Balinor was the most confusing of them all. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, Arthur knelt down to get Merlin to drink.
He could think of Balinor's motives later. Now, he needed to get Merlin well enough to return to Camelot. Then he would have all the time he needed to think about what the sorcerer was trying to accomplish. They just had to get home.