Authors Note: I still own nothing. I would like to thank one reviewer in particular for restoring my faith in myself. Whatswiththemustache, YOU ROCK! So I hope I am meeting up to the challenge of scaring you. We haven't even gotten to the scary bit yet. I hope you're enjoying it so far. Please review!
6. Holding Back the Blackness
The knights all looked around, still on edge. Arthur spoke still scanning the corridor.
"Where is she Merlin?" I sighed heavily.
"She was never actually here. She knows what this place is; she'd never enter it herself." I said moving away from the blank expanse of wall where so recently the tapestry had hung.
"Come on we should try to find somewhere safe to plan. If there is such a thing here." I was being as cheerful as I could. The tapestry of Avalon kept drifting into my thoughts but I did my best to ignore it. Arthur grabbed my shoulder.
"What did she mean you're the one caught in the magic here?" I rolled my eyes making a show of being annoyed.
"Come on Arthur, you can't be that thick. Think for a minute. The shadows haven't gone after any of you. You followed me in here." I once more took the lead, walking down the corridor. I continued before Arthur could cut me off.
"All of the people who disappeared from Langsteid vanished one by one. This place is powerful sure, but it can only handle one at a time."
"Merlin, I… I'm…" I cut him off.
"Don't. It's not your fault. We'll figure something out." Through the windows we passed I could see that we were at the top of the fortress and the sun was beginning to set. I tried a few of the doors we came across. All were locked and I let them stay that way not really wanting to know what was inside. Finally we came to a staircase.
"Up or down?" Lancelot asked looking between me and Arthur.
"Down." I said before Arthur had a chance. I made to go first but Arthur grabbed my neckerchief.
"No. I'm going first this time." We walked in silence for a while. Gwaine was getting twitchy.
"So Merlin, you never said what happened after you got pulled inside this creepy place." I grinned at his description, then I frowned as I began to explain.
"Well after King Prat opened the door and I pushed him out of the way and got dragged inside everything was pitch black. It felt like there were people there but it was like I was blind." I wasn't ashamed to admit I had panicked a little.
"So obviously I was a little… unnerved. And as it tends to do when I am unnerved my magic lashed out. Then I was in a hallway, the one you found me in Gwaine. All the torches were lit, I did that when my magic lashed out, but it was freezing and the shadows were moving. So I tried to get my bearings but before I could there was this wind that blew through the hall and put out all the torches. So I lit a fire in my hand and started looking for you lot." I should tell them about the tapestry, but I didn't. Something inside whispered that I shouldn't.
"Then Gwaine found me and we found you lot. Here we are." The staircase ended in a giant room, a throne room reminiscent of that of the fisher king. I watched my step this time.
"We should stay here for the night. It looks relatively safe." I said lighting a fire in the large fireplace with a wave of my hand. There were tapestries and paintings here as well but it was the closest thing to a safe place we had until we could find the door. Arthur nodded and Lancelot knelt down with his pack taking out various supplies.
"We'll take shifts on watch. I'll take the first one. Merlin are you sure you're ok?" I rolled my eyes at him.
"I'm fine." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine you prat." I grinned and sat down net to Lancelot. I pulled my bedroll out of my bag and lay it out. I yawned widely as Gwaine laid his own roll out. I was asleep within minutes.
Arthur watched the rise and fall of Merlin's chest for a while. When he curled up on his side and shivered Arthur sighed.
"Idiot." He breathed and took off his cloak. He laid it over Merlin who curled up under it and fisted the fabric in one hand. He looked so young asleep like that. Gwaine smiled at them, watching Merlin closely.
"I'm glad we found him." Lancelot spoke voicing what they were all thinking. Arthur nodded, he would never tell Merlin but he had been terrified when Merlin had been taken.