O. M. F. S. WOW! I kept checking my email and ANOTHER story pops up! Let's hear it for the incredible writergirl142!
Bandits... Again
Things could've gone better, Merlin had to admit that. Although it was technically Arthur's fault they had gotten captured in the first place. Now, the two boys were lying on a cold hard floor and of course the prat would have to be unconscious. It would probably be up to Merlin to get them out of this mess.
Everything had been going brilliantly that morning. Merlin had actually managed to get up on time and bring Arthur his breakfast. They had exchanged the usual banter of "idiot" and "dollop-head" and Arthur had thrown a goblet at his head, which Merlin had dodged quite easily. Then the clot-pole had decided to go on a hunt, just to spite him, Merlin was sure of it.
So, as usual, trouble came in the form of bandits and Merlin and Arthur were knocked out and brought to the bandits' hideout. Merlin had woken up first and immediately began to assess any damage that had been done to them, checking over Arthur first. The prince had a knot on his head, and Merlin was sure he himself had one to match, but that was it. There was no blood, no broken bones, no anything.
They were locked in a dark, dank room with cell bars in front and a small barred window behind them.
The cell door opened and in walked a man who was twice Arthur's size. He had dark hair, dark scraggly beard and dark beady eyes. He glared over in Merlin's direction.
"You," he said, his voice sounding like he was gargling gravel. "Come with me." He walked over to Merlin, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him up, yanking him over to the open door. Merlin took one last look at the unconscious prince before he was pulled away.
When Arthur woke, he found that his head was pounding and his manservant was nowhere in sight. "Merlin!" he yelled, but as he suspected got know answer from said servant. "Where is that idiot? And where the heck am I?" he muttered.
As if on cue, the cell door opened again and a body was flung inside, the door closing shut behind it. Arthur looked closely at the body and, when it turned over, Arthur gasped as his sky blue eyes met the sapphire ones of his servant.
"Merlin?" The boy nodded, then yelled out in pain, his eyes clenching shut. Arthur crawled closer to Merlin, ignoring the stabbing pains in his head. As soon as he was close enough, he gathered Merlin in his arms, shaking him slightly. "Merlin, what happened?" Merlin opened his eyes and looked at Arthur.
"They wanted information," he answered. "But, I promise, I didn't give any to them." Merlin coughed violently, blood bubbling at the corners of his mouth, and Arthur now saw that there were several bleeding cuts across the warlock's chest. Taking Merlin's neckerchief from around his neck and pressing it against each cut on Merlin's chest, he tried to staunch the bleeding as he heard Merlin chuckle weakly.
"I'm a dead man," he said. Arthur glared at him, or as best he could as the warlock grew paler and paler.
"You're not going to die, Merlin," the King said firmly. He pulled the neckerchief away and looked at the boy's chest. The bleeding had stopped, but Arthur wanted to be sure that Merlin wasn't injured anywhere else. He took Merlin's jacket off him, wincing when Merlin yelped from pain. Pushing his shirt up, Arthur hissed when he saw Merlin's side was turning black and purple from intense bruising. Unfortunately, Arthur couldn't tell if the bruising indicated broken ribs or not. "Just hold on, you idiot. I'm sure by now someone has to be looking for us."
"Sure," Merlin said in a monotone. "Whatever you say." He closed his eyes, and Arthur heard his breathing even out, indicating that the boy had fallen asleep. Arthur sighed and looked at the small window in their cell.
Someone has to be looking for us, he thought. They have to be.
Arthur didn't know how right he was. Upon discovering that Arthur and Merlin had not returned from the hunt, the Knights of the Round Table began searching for them. They began searching in the forest, near where they had heard that the two had last been. After several hours, they still had had no luck.
"If we don't find them," Gwaine said, "I'll lose my mind."
"Bit late for that, isn't it?" Elyan questioned, earning him a glare from the drunkard knight.
"Let's not lose hope," Leon said. "Arthur and Merlin are here somewhere. We just have to keep looking for them."
"Leon's right." Percival said. "If it were any of us, neither Arthur nor Merlin would stop until we were found. Merlin, especially." They all smiled, thinking about how far the boy they all considered a little brother would go to find any one of them. They had to do the same. And so, they continued on.
Arthur wiped the sweat from his brow. It was boiling down here. Looking beside them, he saw that Merlin was still asleep, but he tossed and turned and there was sweat on his face as well. When Arthur reached over to feel the boy's forehead, he found it burning with fever. His wounds had gone too long without treatment and infection was beginning to set in. Arthur feared what would happen if he did not receive medical help as soon as possible.
That was when Arthur heard the clanging of metal against metal as well as loud shouting. Getting to his feet, Arthur walked over to the cell door. He struggled to look through the bars, but found he was unable to do so. He continued listening to the noise going on until four familiar faces appeared in his line of sight.
The Knights of the Round Table had found them.
"Arthur!" Leon exclaimed as Gwaine grabbed the keys and tossed them to him, quickly opening the door. "You're alright?"
Arthur nodded. "I'm fine." He said. "Better then Merlin. We have to get him back to Gaius." Leon nodded and Percival hurried past Arthur into the cell to Merlin. He picked up the warlock in his arms and carried him out. Arthur, Elyan, Gwaine and Leon followed closely, the latter watching his King carefully.
They climbed on their horses, Leon and Arthur on his, and Merlin on Percival's. They quickly pushed the horses to a fast gallop, eager to get as far away from the bandits hideout as quick as possible.
They rode into Camelot and dismounted. Percival once again carried Merlin directly to Gaius's chambers, with Arthur hot on his heels. They burst into the physician's chambers, where the old man was busy sorting through some herbs. Upon seeing Merlin, he said, "Quickly, Percival, lay him down on the table." Percival obliged, setting the pale, feverish warlock where he was directed. Gaius quickly assessed the damage that had been done to his ward.
"He has bruising on his side." Arthur pointed out. Gaius looked up at him, nodded and pushed up Merlin's shirt, revealing the mottled black and blue marks. The physician inspected it as Arthur held his breath.
Finally, Gaius smiled and said, "Do not worry, sire. Merlin's ribs are only bruised, and he escaped any broken bones. In total, the extent of his injuries could have been worse. Though the cuts on his chest are infected, they are not life threatening. He has a split lip and a large bump on his head, but other than that, he should make a full recovery."
Arthur sighed with relief. Merlin was going to be okay. He sank into a chair beside the table and watched as Gaius bandaged Merlin's wounds. When Gaius left to get water to cool Merlin's fever, Arthur was left alone with the unconscious servant.
"Arthur?" Arthur looked up and found Merlin staring at him, confusion written all over his face. "Where are we? How did we get here?"
Arthur chuckled. "The knights found us and rescued us. We're in Gaius's chambers, back in Camelot." Merlin said nothing, but nodded, showing he understood. Arthur continued. "I just wanted to say thank you. You didn't have to endure that all for Camelot."
"Wasn't just for Camelot," Merlin whispered. Arthur looked curiously at him, an eyebrow raised. "You're my friend, Arthur. They said if I didn't tell them what they wanted to hear, they'd kill you."
"I guess we're lucky that they never got the chance," Arthur said. Merlin smiled and nodded, wincing in pain. Gaius came back in and Arthur stood up.
"I want you to take a few days off to recover. Do not come to work unless Gaius deems you fit for duty, you understand?"
"Whatever you say, dollop-head." Merlin replied, grinning slightly. Arthur rolled his eyes and departed. Merlin looked over at Gaius, who just smiled before walking over to him and, after putting a cool cloth to the boy's forehead, gave him a tonic to help with the pain.
In no time at all, the warlock had fallen into a deep sleep, Arthur's thanks replaying itself in his mind.
Yay! ^.^ round of applause, as usual! *claps enthusiastically* REVIEW. Or I will burn... the heart out of you. (cookies for those who review with the reference. c; )
~DeaththeKidKat and writergirl142
