The Golden Age Universe
All for Love - Chapter 3
~Fran Gipani
Disclaimer - I don't own Merlin, or the characters...I'm just borrowing them and adding a couple of awesome OC's
AN - Thanks for all the new follows, faves and reviews! I am so glad you guys are enjoying the story :) Happy reading!
Merlin blinked himself into consciousness, it took him a while, but eventually he was a little aware of his damp, dark surroundings. The next thing he notice was the constant ache in his arms and shoulders, he realised with a frustrated frown that his wrists were tied, and held out like wings. A low groan rumbled in his throat as he tried to stand and release the pressure in his muscles, it was seconds before he realised this idea was useless, as painfully, his toes only just met the ground. A sense of dejavu tickled at the back of his neck as finally he looked up to see Morgana leering in his face.
"Nice to see you awake there Merlin," the comment could almost sound friendly, but given the circumstances her meaning was far from it. She frowned, "you do know Merlin, that your silence and also you being here will in no way help your friend, or your precious Camelot?"
Merlin stayed mute, avoiding Morgana's intense gaze as he was sure doing so would give away the fear he felt. Then a flash of pain riddled through his face as Morgana gave him a back handed slap to the jaw, a ring left a gash in his cheek which began to leak hot blood onto his pale skin.
"Look at me!" She yelled, "do me at least the respect of looking at me when I talk to you."
Slowly Merlin raised his head, glowering at his captor.
"Better." She smirked, before turning on her heal and headed towards her workbench where a small bowl hung above an open flame. Her fingers brushed over the hilt of a small blade. "Lets begin." She slipped the blade from the table and walked over to Merlin, "you know Emrys, the last time I saw you, you and Brooke left me close to death. For that reason my power is slowly declining. You will be able to help me there."
"You're loosing your magic?"
"Yes, and all because of you!" She spat the words out aggressively.
"How will I be able to help you?" Merlin replied bitterly.
"No need to concern yourself with that Emrys, I'd be concerned about what it will do to you."
Merlin glared at her.
"I just need to borrow some magic is all, and usually that would be fine, but with you Emrys - your magic is your essence. Magic makes you tick. So I wonder what will happen when you are running on low." She smirked, twirling the knife in her fingers. "Curious to find out?"
With that Morgana began to chant, "Mea invocabo bardus vestros opportuno. Particeps es sensim amittere fortitudo noluit. Volentes te vivere." She repeated this then as she cut a deep slit in in her own arm, and collected the blood in the small bowl, she said, "Sanguis autem ille qui accepit, bene est."
Merlin watched her as she then added a few more ingrediants to the bowl and stirred it once, stirred it twice. Then a puff of black smoke rose from the bowls contents, making his eyes sting. He wanted to stop her but he was rooted to the spot, the bindings on his wrists had markings on them keeping him from using his magic.
Morgana then approached Merlin with the knife, "Sanguis ipsius donatoris, magna vi capta." She cut a long slit in Merlin's arm in the exact place of hers, ignoring Merlin's growl of pain she collected the blood and mixed it into the bowl. She waited a few moments before saying, "iam transferre," her eyes flashed gold making the small bowl catch fire, engulfing both the witch and the warlock in more thick black smoke.
Later, when the air had finally cleared Merlin woke, blinking, he tried to focus on the room around him. "Good, you're awake." He heard Morgana say, still not able to clear his vision. "Now I can't have you remembering all this and running off to tell Arthur. Killing you wont do as I need you alive for the spell to work. I'll clear your memory, and roll you down to the bottom of the path there. It's been three days, they'll be coming to find you soon."
Merlin groaned, this is not looking good at all, his vision was still cloudy but he could make out Morgana's dark form. The last thing he heard was Morgana muttering a spell, before darkness covered his vision, and he knew no more for a very long time.
O
Back at the castle, the others had tried to get on with life as per normal, but the lack of the warlock's presence was more than noticeable. Brooke had taken to walking with Maire in her arms, to the empty castle corridors which weren't directly connected to the main sections of the castle. Here she would practice her magic, trying to create patterns of light to entertain her daughter. Maire's green eyes would follow the swirling light, giggling and holding tightly to her mothers fingers. Occasionally she would reach out with her magic, trying to find Merlin, but she found nothing at all. It was the morning of the third day since Merlin had been taken from them, Brooke had found another empty room and was producing butterflies from mid air, much to the joy of Maire.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Arthur's voice jumped her out of the peaceful moment, she went to stand up but Arthur stopped her and sat next to her on the ground. Reaching out slowly he let Maire take his finger and squeeze it, a giggle making him smile. "How'd you know?"
"I did the same the first time, when I banished Merlin. It helped me to think."
Brooke nodded, but didn't speak, absent mindedly she stroked her fingers through her daughter's hair.
"We are going to find him now, we've waited long enough. I know Merlin said to leave him but there is no way that I am going to listen to him this time."
"Thank you," Brooke smiled at him, "I'll come along too."
Arthur shook his head, "I'd rather you stay here, Merlin will need both yours and Gaius' help when he gets back."
"But what if Morgana-"
"I will be fine," Arthur cut in, "it's risky, but it is a risk I am willing to take." For Merlin, there is nothing I wouldn't do.
"But-!"
"Brooke," Arthur sighed, "what do you think Merlin will say if something happens to you, hmm?"
He wouldn't be to happy if something happened to you either! Brooke thought with a frustrated sigh, the only thing keeping her from raising her voice was the small child snuggled into her lap. "Fine, but you better come back whole, both of you."
Arthur nodded and letting his finger slide from Maire's grip, he stood and left the small room. It was a couple of minutes before he had said farewell to Gwen and the twins and was riding into the forest, back the same way they had rode three days previously. When he finally arrived at the valley, Arthur slowed his horse to a stop. "Please Merlin," he muttered, "please tell me you left us a sign or something, a way to find you." He stared around the bare area of land then up to the rocky path which Morgana had dragged the Warlock away through. With a click of his heals the horse started towards the recognisable path.
Realising the path was too rugged and steep for the horse he jumped down and left the horse to wander. It was then that he noticed a dark shape on the ground, near the foot of the path. Squinting Arthur walked towards it, then as he realised who it was, his blue eyes flashed angrily as he ran over and knelt by the still body. "Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, rolling his friend gently onto his back. "Merlin, can you hear me?" He put a hand on his friends cheek and slapped it lightly, "Merlin!" But there was no response.
Worriedly Arthur checked for a pulse, with a sigh of relief he felt one under his shaking fingers, albeit a feint one. He then let himself take in the rest of Merlin's prone form. His friend's skin was pale, paler than usual that is, and for Merlin that was some achievement. His shirt was ripped, and underneath the dirt and dust he could see angry red grazes and gashes; on his right arm there was a deep slit in his skin. The mans ribs were bruised. "What did she do to you?" Arthur whispered before lifting Merlin's unnaturally cold body into his arms and walking back towards the horse. "Lets get you back to Gaius."
AN - So a little cliff :P and I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, the spells Morgana used are Latin translations, not actual spells from the show. I'm going to be away for about a week starting tomorrow but I will try and update as soon as I get home :) Thanks for reading and I hope you guys have a good day/night :) Please leave a review if you have the time :)