(Authors Note: Still don't own Merlin or the Arthurian legend. Hurray! We are almost done! I'd say about three more parts including this one. Now if this one gets lots of reviews honesty please I love hearing both criticisms and praise and will try to take any advice given and maybe a few favorites, I will write more Merlin stuff. I don't quite know what yet though.)
Part 7 Finally Safe
I gasped for air and sat up. For a moment I couldn't recognize where I was. A hand laid itself on my good shoulder, an old wrinkled hand. Finally I realized where I was and who this man was.
"Gaius." My voice broke as tears formed in my eyes.
"Merlin, my boy." He hugged me tight, careful to avoid hurting my still injured back. I let go of all my fear and pain and sobbed into my surrogate father's shoulder.
"I thought I had lost you." He was crying too. I wiped my tears away and looked him in the eyes, finally asking the question I hadn't dared ask the knights.
"How long was I gone Gaius?"
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're safe."
"Gaius I need to know." A voice spoke, coming from the shadowed doorway.
"Three weeks. You were missing for three weeks." It was Arthur. I started to shake. Three week of torture, of almost endless pain.
"How are you doing?" I couldn't seem to find a voice to answer him with.
"His wounds are healing, but I'm afraid there is little I can do for his wrists." I had expected that, somewhere in the back of my mind. Arthur sounded frustrated.
"Why not?"
"Wounds inflicted by magic from the Old Religion require magic from the Old Religion to heal properly." I answered head resting in my hands. Arthurs next question made me look up at him.
"So can you heal them yourself?" I shook my head studding him. He looked pale and his cheeks were flushed.
"Arthur are you ok?" He sighed.
"You've just been tortured for almost three weeks strait and you're worried about me?" I nodded.
"I may have caught a bit of a chill on the way back to Camelot." He said avoiding looking me in the eye.
"Then you should be lying down." I chided him, he sighed again.
"You never change do you, Merlin?" I smiled my first true smile in three weeks and shook my head. His face brightened slightly to see me smile.
"Fine, but I'll be back to check on you in the morning." I nodded and he left.
"You must rest Merlin." I nodded knowing that I was finally safe. I slept a mercifully dreamless sleep.
