AN: The name, "Mielikki", is from Finnish mythology.
PoV Arthur
It was early when everyone else woke up, and Uther said that we needed to get going. Sometime during the night, Merlin had fallen asleep again, though I had stayed awake. The knights walked around us while I tried to wake him.
"Merlin, come on, wake up," I said, shaking his shoulder vigorously.
He moaned, his eyes opening slowly, showing the burgundy colour again. "Hand me the little blue vial."
I did as ordered and waited for him to sit. He eventually did, getting slowly to his feet. "I should not have been away for so long," he muttered.
We set off on the last half of the journey, Merlin ridding alongside me. His skin was even paler than yesterday, his eyes ringed with red. We stopped for a midmorning meal, and Merlin nearly fell from his horse. It was killing me to see him in suck agony, and not being able to help. We set off again, and by midday, I could see the garden in the distance. It seemed to call to me, its foliage beckoning me forward. I longed to sit in its shade, to eat its fruit. I kept my eyes trained on Uther, though.
When we finally got to the garden, Merlin did fall from his horse, but only because he was trying to get to his grove too fast. I chuckled and helped him up. He smiled, and vibrated like an excited puppy. He walked quickly to the edge of the tall gate of trees and shrubs. I had never seen it from the outside, and it took me a while to really appreciate the beauty of it.
As I took a step closer, vines shot forward and towards me. They stopped inches from my face, their razor sharp leaves glistening in the sun. Merlin was stroking one of the leaves, speaking in soothing tones, in that language I didn't know. The leaves, I don't know how to put it, but it was like they were a person. They turned my face this way and that, then stroked my cheek, the razor edge turned soft.
The vines quickly turned from me and went for the knights.
"No!" I yelled, but Merlin grabbed my arm.
"He will decide if they can enter," he whispered.
"He?"
"Mielikki, the spirit of this garden, of this nature." He spoke in hushed tones, and I realized that what Merlin had said was true. There was more than just nature here; there was spirit, and life with it. I could hear him breathing; hear his heart beat in the rustle of the leaves.
"What's taking so long?" I asked. The first knight was taking longer than I did.
"He knows you. He knows that he can trust you," Merlin said. "And he likes you."
"I'm honoured." And I really was.
The first knight took ten minutes, the second twice as long. The knights I knew to be my friends, Percival, Gwain, Elyan, Leon, Mordred, and Lancelot, took almost no time. I smiled as they made their way over, but Merlin pulled me aside.
"I don't trust that one," he said, pointing.
"Who?" I couldn't follow his finger, he was shaking terribly.
"The young, black haired one."
"Mordred?"
"Yes, Mordred. I can see him in the future, doing something terrible."
"Doing what?"
"I don't know, I just know it's terrible."
I was about to say something when one of the knights screamed. The vines had decided he wasn't worthy to enter.
The formed an arrow like shape, and plunged into his solar plexus. It opened a hole in his chest, ripping apart his skin. It dove in and out along his skin, tearing holes the size of copper pieces. They plunged inside of him again, and his innards started to fall out, after being ripped to shreds. The vines pushed their way up his throat, cutting off his screams of agony, and found their way out of his stomach, nose, ears, and eyes.
I felt Merlin burry his face in my cloak. I wrapped my arms around him, looking on in horror.
The vines ripped the man to shreds, pulling and tearing him apart. Then, dripping in blood, they moved on to the next man.
It all happened in two minutes.
