Warning: This is a slightly random story. It takes place after Season 4 yet Uther is still alive. Thought that I should point it out.
Thanks to all who reviewed. I'm on a writing spree! Posted 4 chapters and written 1 un-posted for this story plus 2 posted chapters and two written ones for my other story in 4 days! Better keep writing before it wears off! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Merlin does not belong to me.
Leon groaned as Gwaine decided to wake him up for sentry duty in his own way. By the time Leon fully woke up ,a water skin hung over his head, completely emptied over him. Leon opened one eye.
"Gwaine, I swear that I am going to kill you sometime in the very, very near future, if you don't go to bed and shut up." Gwaine smiled, shrugged and left Leon to dry himself of a bit and resume sentry duty.
It was an uneventful few hours, with only a spider crossing his path. He was about to get up and wake Elyan for the last shift, when he heard it. It sounded like a strangled scream, of someone who was struggling to breath. Whipping out his sword, Leon stared deep in to the shadows trying to discover where the sound had came from. The scream stopped echoing through the forest and silence reigned once more. Half-sheathing his sword Leon turned back towards the camp and tended the dying fire. Picking up a torch, he lit it and looked around again. Nothing strange. Then it came again, much closer then Leon thought it would. He thrust the torch towards where he had heard the scream and flames revealed much.
Merlin's face was filled with so much sadness and pain, that Leon couldn't bear to watch for too long. Tears were streaming down his face and his skin was pale. Leon knelt down at the servant's side and whispered calm words to him. It seemed to have little effect. The boy kept repeating names. Most of them he didn't know but the last one he did. Lancelot. The boy was dreaming about Lancelot and the other people he had named. If this could be called dreaming.
Another scream rent the air except that now it turned into a sob. Ragged breaths forced themselves out of Merlin's chest. Leon made up his mind.
"Arthur! Arthur. Wake up!" His yells seemed to do the trick as he could hear Arthur and the other knights jump up and pull their swords, expecting an attack. They looked around confused before Merlin decided to scream again. The knights and the crown prince were instantly alert. They couldn't Leon as his torch had gone out and their eyes were still adjusting to the light of the fire.
"Leon, where are you? What's going on?"
"It's Merlin." All the knights immediately moved closer to his voice. Percival grabbed another torch and lit it before bringing it to Leon. "He started screaming a few minutes ago and speaking names. I have tried to wake him up but it hasn't worked." Now that they could all see Merlin's face, they were stunned and horrified. Arthur dropped to his knees and undid his cloak. Placing it over Merlin he turned his focus to Leon again.
"What names? Did you hear any?"
"Yes. He mentioned someone called Will, some…" Arthur cut him off.
"I remember Will. He was Merlin's best friend when he was in Ealdor. Boy saved my life from an arrow and got himself killed instead. He used sorcery to drive of the attackers. Merlin was heartbroken." He added, almost to himself. "Go, on."
"Someone called Freya…" Arthur shook his head. He didn't know anyone called Freya. "His father." Again Arthur shook his head. "And… He spoke of Lancelot." The others were suddenly much more interested.
"Anyone else?" Gwaine asked.
"No. Just those four. And he was crying. That's when I woke you…" He trailed off. Merlin was screaming again.
"Honestly, I don't know how you couldn't hear them. The first two were louder." Arthur looked up at him in surprise.
"Louder?" He asked when he finally found his voice. "I think that we should wake him up. Leon, what did you try?"
"I shook his shoulder and slapped his face a bit. Nothing happened."
"Alright, any other ideas?" Arthur asked his knights.
"I've got one." The knights looked up at Gwaine in surprise and saw his face just before he vanished in to night to get something. This would either end up really badly or work perfectly. Knowing Gwaine, it was probably the first one.
Gwaine returned a few minutes later carrying a water skin. Unscrewing the cap, he purposefully dumped the contents on Merlin's tear-streaked face. Merlin jumped up with a jolt, his eyes wide as the cold water began to soak his neckerchief and brown jacket. Seeing Gwaine in the flickering torchlight, with a mischievous grin on his face, Merlin gave a small smile.
"Why did you do that?" He was immediately pushed back down by Arthur.
"Lie still. You've got some questions to answer."
Merlin was so happy when he was jerked back into reality. He didn't think that he could bear to watch his family and friends that had died, in a dream that wouldn't let him touch them or talk to them. Yet when he saw Arthur's face, some of that happiness faded. His friend looked angry and afraid and sorry for him.
"Why did you do that?" He asked Gwaine when he saw him. He felt a rough hand push him back down and Arthur's voice in his ear.
"Lie still. You've got some questions to answer." Merlin groaned inwardly. All he needed right now was an arrogant prince to force answers out of him.
"Before we left, Gaius came to me and told me that you were suffering from nightmares and that it took him ages to wake you up. Have you had these dreams before?" He asked. Merlin didn't feel like speaking and so he nodded, avoiding Arthur's stare.
"How long?"
"Three nights before now. This is the forth time." The knights all shared a glance. When he wanted to, Merlin could be very good at concealing his emotions.
"Why didn't you tell anyone, Merlin? You really are an idiot sometimes!" Merlin smiled weakly at this, and sighed.
"The burdens mine and mine alone. None of you would understand, I hardly understand it myself, but I know that I can't tell you Arthur. One day, I hope that you will realize why." Arthur began to protest but the others realized that Merlin had told them all that he would and that was that.
Dawn was sending streaks of light over the horizon and the knights busied themselves. Merlin offered to help but they said no and sent him to lie down. By mid-morning they were back on the trail and riding towards the border of Mercia. Merlin could feel a growing sense of unease in the pit of his stomach. This was a bad idea, but he kept his thoughts to himself and followed the others.
After a two-hour long ride they neared the border. Arthur called a halt and they removed their red cloaks and armor and hid them in the bush. From there they went on foot leaving the horses behind with Gwaine and Percival. Merlin still couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was happening and that they shouldn't be here. They crossed the border without a problem and were entering the nearest village when Merlin's magic kicked in. It was Morgana. He could sense her wandering the streets and heading their way.
"Hide!" Merlin hissed at the other three with such urgency that they obeyed him without question. It wasn't a moment too soon. As they huddled in a back alley, Morgana could be seen walking right past where they had just been. Merlin could feel Arthur's body tense as if to jump out and attack the sorceress. Grabbing his arm, Merlin pulled him back.
"If you attack her and she kills you then Camelot has no hope." He said softly. "We need to get out of here." Then Morgana's voice could be clearly heard across the village square.
"Tomorrow we ride out against Camelot. If there are any here who wish to join us and have a share in spoils of victory, they are most welcome. And if you come across a sorcerer by the name of Emrys, tell me and the rewards are great." Merlin tensed as he heard the name Emrys ring out across the village but he managed to keep his reaction minimal. Arthur wasn't paying him any attention, once the coast was clear, he pulled them out of their hiding place and they rushed for the border as quickly as possible.
Gwaine and Percival jumped up in surprise as the four stumbled into them.
"What did you find out?" Percival asked, obviously surprised by their early arrival back.
"Bad news. It's Morgana. She's amassing an army and plans to head towards Camelot tomorrow. We need to get back." The other two nodded and they rushed to get the horses ready to go. Within minutes they were pushing their horses to breaking point in an attempt to get back to Camelot and prepare for war before Morgana got there.
I'm trying to get at least 4 reviews every chapter before I post another. Keep reviewing!