Merlin found it mostly easy going after that.
His conscience gave him a bit of trouble, actually, but he shut that up. After all, he figured, he would be going back for Leon. And it wasn't like he could get killed in the meantime anyway. Leon not-dying was just expected. Like Gwaine drinking or the answer always being in Gaius's books or someone of royal blood thinking the answer was "sorcery".
That was the way things were, and Merlin was certainly not going to mess with it.
So his conscience was at last silent when he went down into the dungeons. He passed a lot of guards, some of whom looked at him like he was an oddity but let him pass. Others actually tried to do their job, but Merlin quickly rendered them unconscious or dead. Sometimes with magic, other times with his knife. Using magic so much was exhausting, and probably not a great habit to get into, living in Camelot.
He could just hear his mother's voice now: Careful, or your eyes will stick that way.
He was dead on his feet when he finally got to the dungeon cell that held Arthur (and friends). But he was there, and he was in possession of the keys, since he'd knocked out a man several paces ago that held them in his belt. (Merlin didn't want to kill him; after all, he knew that man. He was actually the same one who always kept the keys. He and Merlin were old friends.) Though he would have liked to fall asleep, content at having reached them, he knew that probably wasn't a good idea.
"Merlin!" Gwaine cried, smiling, as Merlin grabbed the bars. "What took you so long, mate?"
"Came as soon as I could," Merlin said. He looked at his friend—Gwaine was dirty and (for some reason) shirtless, and a bit skinnier than when Merlin last left him, but was still smiling.
"Merlin!" cried the irritated, slightly roughed-up king behind Gwaine. "There you are! Where's the rest of the rescue party?"
"Um… Leon's running for his life. No idea about the rest. We'll have to get them…" He fitted the key into the lock and turned it. "How is everyone?" he asked as he opened the door.
Elyan stumbled up. "I'm fine," he said. "I don't think Gaius is going to be able to escape though."
Merlin went into the cell immediately and found his father-figure, who was lying down and looked ill. "He sick?"
Gaius looked up. "Hello, Merlin. I fear you'll" – he took a deep breath – "have to leave me here."
"Of course we can't do that, Gaius," Merlin admonished. "We'll just have to have someone carry him."
"I'll do it," Percival offered from behind Merlin, causing the warlock to turn around with some surprise. He was there, indeed, in all his sleeveless glory, with Alicia holding onto his leg and clapping.
"I like that trick!" she declared.
"Where did you come from?" said Merlin, but Percival shrugged and wouldn't say.
No one else seemed to think this was odd. Elyan came forward to see Alicia, smiling. "Oh," he said, ruffling her hair fondly. "She is so cute! Who's the mother?"
Percival sighed. "Alicia, I have to carry the physician now, and we might be running. Why don't you let your Uncle Elyan carry you?"
She nodded trustingly and held out her arms to the dark-skinned knight. Elyan scooped her up happily and poked her nose. She wrinkled it.
Percival made his way over and picked up Gaius, who protested weakly, but everyone ignored that.
"Now," said Merlin, smiling proudly as he straightened Arthur's shirt (because someone had let him look sloppy while he was locked up, and as his manservant, Merlin couldn't let that happen), "we escape."
They caught Leon eventually, and grabbed him by his shoulders as Morgana caught her breath and came forward to face him.
"So," she said triumphantly. "Emrys."
"I'm not Emrys!" he argued angrily, watching as Tristan sped away, still trying not to be caught by the one or two men who still cared enough to chase him.
"Merlin said you were Emyrs," Morgana argued.
"Merlin's not the most honest man you've ever met, is he? I don't even know who Emrys is supposed to be…"
"Then how would you know you weren't him?"
"I don't have magic!"
Morgana thought about this. She pondered. "Gwen did grow up with you, didn't she? She never mentioned any sort of sympathy for magic. But why would Merlin lie?"
"Um, to protect the real Emrys? To get himself released? To keep from being killed?"
Morgana nodded at all those suggestions. When suddenly it hit her. "To distract me!" she gasped.
Looking back over her men, she spotted the one who had been holding Merlin against the wall. "You," she said. "Where did Merlin go?"
"I don't know," the man said. "I dropped him to chase you." He also thought about saying something about Merlin's threat and magic glowing eyes, but magic made Morgana go a bit crazy and unpredictable, and frankly he didn't want to be the cause of that.
"He tricked us to get past us!" Morgana cried.
Leon wasn't sure what to think of these turn of events.
But she signaled for her men to drop Leon. "We have to catch him!" she cried. "This way!" And then they went barreling down the exact same hall they'd come from, but the opposite way, screaming all the while.
Leon clung to the wall until they passed.
A/N: By the way, last chapter, when Leon was running away, the picture I had in my head was totally Cap'n Jack Sparrow escaping from the natives on the island. Thought I should mention it :)
Because somebody asked, don't worry. I will not forget my other stories! This one won't last too long, and then I'll be back to the others. Thanks! Please review!
