Prompts: Idirsholas
Summary: Arthur looks for Morgana at the ruins of Idirsholas.
A Fool's Mission
It was almost three months since Morgana disappeared when Arthur got the order to go to Idirsholas to look for her. Uther's explanation was that if Morgana was a prisoner of Morgause then it was possible that Morgause may have brought her there and was possibly keeping her there.
Merlin wasn't really thrilled to go back to the place where he got his first battle wound. He was sure after the Knights of Medhir had been released they would find nothing there but rubble and maybe family of rabbits.
Merlin rode with Arthur and some of the Knights to search the area around idirsholas.
"Arthur, what do you expect to find there?" Merlin said as he nudged his horse up to Arthur's.
"I hope to find Morgana. That is the whole point of the searching thing, you know." Arthur said. "What is it, Merlin? Are you afraid of the old scary castle?"
"I'm just not sure that she would be here. Why would Morgause bring her somewhere we know she has been before? If I was hiding someone I would take them to a place I have never been before and where no one knows me." Merlin shrugged.
Arthur frowned and looked at the back of his horses head while he realized that Merlin was actually making sense. It irritated him that he hadn't thought of it himself.
Arthur finally looked over at Merlin and scowled. "The King wants us to make sure she isn't here so that is what we will do. You will just have to stop being a girls petticoat and deal with it."
"I don't think she is there. That is all." Merlin said. He was really hoping that no one else was there either. Just once would he like to go on a patrol where nothing happens.
Arthur quickened the pace of the riders and there were at the ruins shortly. They arrived just before sunset.
Merlin made camp while the Knights and Arthur searched the ruins. They found nothing as Merlin predicted. Arthur came back to camp with an annoyed look on his face.
"Well?" Merlin asked. He was sitting on a log stirring a pot of stew for their dinner.
"Nothing." Arthur put his sword into the ground. He sat on the log next to Merlin. "It was another trip wasted. The building is nearly fallen in now."
Merlin handed Arthur a plate of stew. "You will find her next time."
"You always say that, Merlin, but you and I know that the longer she is gone the likelihood that we will never find her grows." Arthur stared at the plate in his hands.
"The King will never accept that." Merlin said. "Uther still thinks Morgana is alive. He will not let you stop searching until she is found."
"Then we need to pray that she is found soon." Arthur took a bit of stew and looked at merlin. "Not bad."
"Thanks." Merlin dished up another plate for himself. "You and I both know that if she isn't found at all the king will not take it well. Gaius said the stress will make him ill."
Arthur looked at Merlin. "Does Gaius say anything else?"
"He said that it is possible that he could die from it." Merlin said. "Or at least be broken horribly. Arthur, you need to talk to your father and make him see sense."
Arthur shook his head. "I fear it's too late for my father to see sense. I can only hope he will survive this now."
Merlin looked at the horizon and knew things were about to change for them all.