Chapter 7
On the ridge before the lake Percival found Arthur and Merlin's horses. They were still saddled with their supplies. He watered them and leaving his own horse he continued along the ridge on foot. As he came out of the trees he found the land burned, the ground was hot and small fires still burned in places. He could see down to the lake, it shined in the sun and looked peaceful and beautiful in contrast to the land beneath his feet.
Glancing down the embankment he saw something caught under a bush. He scrambled down the bank being careful not to burn his hands on the scorched ground. As he got closer he could see that there was a water bottle caught in the branches of the bush. He pulled it free, it was burned and charred but he was sure it belonged to Merlin.
His heart sank and he climbed back up the slope. The burning looked like the work of a dragon. He feared that Morgana and her pet had found Arthur and Merlin here. He checked the ground carefully and found blood but no sign of any bodies.
He picked up a trail going a little way down the bank then stopped. There was more blood on the ground but nothing more, the trail had gone cold. He walked back up the bank to his horse and found the other horses were gone. He searched the ground for tracks but could find no sign of them. He mounted his own horse and continued down to the lake hoping to pick up the trail again. He came upon a clearing with short cropped grass running down to the water. He dismounted and left his horse as he walked slowly, scanning the ground for signs of his friends.
In the soft earth near the water's edge he found what he was looking for, there were boot prints going right into the water. By the shape and size of them he believed they belonged to Merlin. He also saw the marks where a boat had been drawn up to the shore. The foot prints were deep where the boat would have been as if whoever made them was carrying something heavy. No foot prints lead away from the water. Looking back to the shore he saw something red in the trees. It was Arthur's cloak, torn and bloodied.
He sat on the bank with Arthur's cloak in his lap and cried out. 'No!'
