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Chapter 7

Gwen Point of View

Gwen was shocked, could not believe what she was hearing, and it took her a few moments to choke the words out,

"What do you mean? He can't be treated!"

Gauis made sure it was only Gwaine, Percival and Gwen present in the tent, before he quickly explained,

"This wound has been caused by an act of magic, of a most powerful kind I fear."

he looked between Percival and Gwaine, wearily glancing at Gwen, before pointing at the gash across Arthur's chest,

"I believe the magic is stopping the healing process. This deep wound here.."

then he pointed to a little hole above Arthur's heart,

"..and this wound here."

"How can you be so certain its stopping the healing?" asked Gwen,

She could not believe quite what she was hearing, she couldn't recall an occasion where she had heard or seen magic having left such a physical sight.

Glancing wearily at Gwaine and Percival she realised she wasn't the only one.

Before she could prompt Gaius for an answer, he looked at Gwen and said,

"Forgive me My Lady, but before I answer you, there is something I need to look at first.."

Looking at Gwaine and Percival,

"Have you the weapon which caused his injury?"

Gwaine nodded and Percival nodded his head at Gwaine and disappeared from the tent.

"What is so important about the weapon!?" asked Gwen even more confused.

She was getting more riddles, when she was more concerned over her husband. But she knew from being around Gaius with the wounded before, that he would give her an explanation of what was happening, if not immediately, then after a short while.

"I need to have my suspicions about the origin of the magic confirmed My Lady."

It was a few moments later when Percival reappeared with the sword, and she couldn't help but gasp. It shone and glinted in the light, and gave her a rather eerie feeling.

She realised that this must be because of what Gauis had said about believing there to be magic in the wounds.

This meant in her eyes that this sword possibly contained magic, and that in this instance certainly, such magic which prevented healing, could not be good.

Gwen was actually beginning to feel quite fearful of being in the sword's presence, and she quickly noted with a glance at Gwaine and Percival, perhaps with their experience of the magical events of that day so far, she wasn't the only one eyeing the sword wearily.

Gauis went to look at the sword, Percival holding it out so he could examine it,

He looked up at Gwen and looked briefly around again cautiously,

"It is as I suspected and feared, a very rare magical object indeed. In fact only the second one I know of in existence."

Gwen was about to ask, when Gaius glanced at Arthur, then at Gwen, and Gwen realised just how much her husband had been helped by Merlin and Gaius. The sword Arthur had carried had been no ordinary sword!

Ignoring the quizzical looks from Gwaine and Percival she asked,

"Just how come this sword is so special?"

Gaius looked at Gwen and raised his eyebrows,

"It has been forged in a dragons breath."

Gwaine whistled and Percival just looked as Gaius went back to Arthur and looked at his wounds carefully. He looked up explaining,

"The magic is making it impossible for the healing process to begin, leaving his wounds open to infection."

he hesitated,

"So far nothing has infected them.."

"That's good then!" said Gwen smiling,

Gaius looked at Arthur letting out a very deep breath slightly shaking his head. He looked up at Gwen replying,

"But this magic is spreading though his body like a disease."

Gwen asked, "How can that be! How can you so be sure?"

"I am sure because of what I am seeing around the wounds here.." and he pointed to them.

Gwen took a big breath, trying her best to maintain her composure.

Seeing Arthur in this state did her no good at all, but she knew that she needed to see this. It might be unpleasant, but she needed to know what Gaius was talking about.

As she looked at the wounds, she saw what she could only describe as looked very similar to a spiders web immediately around the wound, and pale black, and it faded the further away from the wound you followed it, like extremely thin tendrils.

She sucked in a big breath to calm herself, as it freaked her out. She had never seen anything like it in her entire life, and even though she had seen a spiders web, seeing anything looking anything like that, especially on her husband, was virtually too much to bear.

As she struggled to calm herself, she felt a steadying hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Gaius looking at her with some concern, as he waited a few moments Gwen nodded and he took his hand off her shoulder saying,

"You need to realise, I have only ever read about this in folklore let alone ever seen it. I have only read a description of it once, that is how extremely rare this type of magic is. Because of where it comes from, it is a magic which is considered to be the most powerful kind."

Gwen had not truly registered how bad it was until she had seen what was around the wound. She ignored the panic that threatened to engulf her from hearing what Gaius had said, that it was a rare type of powerful magic only made it worse.

She held onto her gut feeling that what she had been thinking was about to be confirmed to be true, and that she was about to see Gaius come up with yet another miraculous solution.

Thinking desperately of the times before when they had been up against sorcery, Gaius had always been confident in a seemingly impossible situation when a magical solution was needed. She now realised it had been through Merlin's use of magic that had saved the day in the past.

"How long does he have Gaius?" asked Percival,

"At the rate it is spreading..." revealed Gaius solemnly, looking up at Gwen,

"I would say one hour at the most.."

Gwen was for the first time in her life felt completely gobsmacked, and could not utter a single word.

"Surely something can be done!?" asked Gwaine, worry and angst evident as he spoke,

"Wounds caused by such deeply powerful magic such as this are very rare indeed, and can only be fixed by equally powerful sorcery."

Gaius looked at Gwen and said,

"Only sorcery of a truly, equally most powerful kind can have any possibility of healing these wounds."

Gwaine and Percival looked at Gwen then Percival asked,

"Surely there must be another way Gaius!?"

"There is not, we are dealing with magic here, and a wound like this caused by such powerfully deep magic, can only be treated with magic of equally powerful nature."

he simply replied briefly glancing at Gwen, Percival and Gwaine as he did so.

"Surely something can be done!? You've always managed it Gaius!" Gwen asked desperately.

Gaius looked at Gwen replying sadly, "No I haven't, I was unable to save Uther!"

Gwen was desperate, she had remembered about Gaius vaguely mentioning the use of magic before, and then managing to find a sorcerer, an old one at that, to try and help save Uther. Arthur had mentioned it at the time because he had been so angry, feeling that the sorcerer had killed Uther despite his promises to help.

But what happens if there had been more to that story, and who exactly was that old sorcerer? Gwen desperately thought about it all, knowing now what she knew about Emrys! The sorcerer on the cliff had the appearance of an old man, matching the description of the sorcerer who had tried to 'save' Uther.

It was a leap of faith she knew, but right now, it just seemed far too much of a coincidence for it not to be Emrys who had been that Sorcerer who had tried to save Uther back then. Emrys was Merlin, a fact she still struggled to get her head around.

Right now however, that knowledge alone gave her both hope and confidence in one certainty. She knew how utterly loyal Merlin was to Arthur, and that he would do anything to help Arthur. It was her only hope, and she needed right now to let Gaius know that she knew that it had all been good intentioned. She didn't know the full facts, but she knew one fact.

Emrys had had a chance to finish Arthur tonight, plenty of chance, and instead had helped save his life.

She had to let Gaius know that she knew about Merlin trying too help without raising suspicion, and that she knew it could not have been his fault, as Gaius might think she feared.

Gwen thought desperately of a way to make Emrys seen to be in a good light, as Gwaine and Percival were present, and she suddenly had a eureka moment, remembering them describing how Morgana had called the old sorcerer by the name of...

"It was Emrys who tried to save Uther wasn't it!"

Gaius looked at Gwen in surprise, while Percival and Gwaine just looked as Gaius sighed,

"Yes it was."

and just as Gwaine and Percival seemed about to voice an opinion, Gaius added,

"Morgana however foiled it."

Gwen was momentarily stunned, not truly realising that Morgana had something to do with Uthers death, and that she had gone to such a great length to ensure it, so she added,

"Which I'm guessing neither of you were aware of at the time."

Gaius shook his head, and was about to interrupt when she said,

"Your intentions were honourable and good Gaius in finding him! And that is what counts!"

Gwen looked at Gaius and asked,

"Now please Gauis, what can be done!?"

Gaius looked at Gwen and she noticed him glancing around the room once more, making sure only it was only them four in the room,

"Emrys." he replied simply,

"You mean that old sorcerer who was helping us on the battlefield?" queried Percival,

"The very one." replied Gaius,

"Gaius? Are you sure about him!?" asked Percival,

"Are you sure he can be trusted? The last time we spoke to him he flung a group of us aside with no warning!"

Gauis raised his eyebrows,

"And I seem to recall hearing he had good reason too!"

Percival was about to speak when Gaius continued,

"He has also saved your lives just on the battlefield - by your own words!" snapped Gaius,

"But you seem to have forgotten that!"

Gwen wasn't the only one looking at Gaius with wide eyes, seeing him lose his temper was extremely rare.

Gaius sighed, "I am sorry for my outburst! But we have no time for this! I understand your concerns, but you need to believe me that he can be trusted!"

Gwen looked at Percival and Gwaine,

"Percival, Gwaine." she commanded,

they snapped to attention, "Yes My Lady."

"I want no word of this to reach anyone else, what has been said in here is to stay in here, do you understand!?"

"Yes My Lady!" replied Percival and Gwaine.

She turned to Gaius and asked,

"Will he come here?"

"Yes." he replied,

"My Lady! We must protest!" Gwaine started to protest,

"Gwaine, Percival!" replied Gwen,

"I appreciate your concern, I truly do! But when it comes to a matter of life and death, and it's my husbands life which is at stake, then I put my trust and faith in Gaius."

she looked at them in earnest,

"Please understand this."

they nodded gravely and she continued,

"Which is why I need you to guard the entrance to this tent. Allow only him to enter.." and she added sternly,

"Strictly only him, and no-one else!"