Merlin turned over in bed, eyes partially open as he looked at the sleeping form of Gwaine in the nearby chair. He could see it was getting lighter outside through the glass in the window and quietly sat up, so as not to disturb Gwaine. Quietly Merlin stood and moved to the table, careful not to jolt the knight awake, as he picked up some parchment and a quill. Quietly he wrote down his apology to everyone on it, then being as quiet as a mouse, dressed himself, before leaving the room.
He closed his eyes briefly as he stepped into the empty corridor, remembering the way out of the castle from yesterday. He made his way quickly and quietly down the hall, down the stairs, until, finally he reached the main doors to the castle. There were guards on either side of the door, and both looked over as he approached.
"Where are you going?" asked one of the guards as he approached.
"Out. Air" Merlin said.
"Ahh, well don't go too far" the guard said, not unkindly. Merlin nodded at him.
"K" he agreed and stepped past them into the courtyard. The guards watched him for a moment before resuming their duties in silence. An hour later, as the morning bell chimed, they both became agitated when they realised Merlin hadn't come back in.
"Philip?" asked the guard who had spoken to Merlin, as he looked at his counterpart.
"I know" Philip replied looking out into the empty courtyard. "Arthur's going to have our heads for this"
"Go look go for him, I'll inform the king" Philip nodded and left the building while the other one moved off into the castle.
"He's what?" Arthur demanded as he burst into the pharmacy, seeing an obviously distraught Gaius and an equally concerned Gwaine.
"Gone sire" said Gaius looking up at him, as he held the parchment Merlin had left behind.
"Where? How?" Arthur demanded as Gwen moved into the room behind him. Arthur's voice became more pleading as he searched their faces for answers. "Why?" he whispered. Slowly Gaius handed the parchment out to Arthur who took it, frowning. It was Merlin's writing, but the spelling was atrocious, that of a child's. He felt a lump form in his throat as Gwen took it from him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt Arthur and to make people fight. I'm going now so you don't have to worry about me. Thank you for making me better" Gwen read. Her face creased up in a frown. "Fight? Hurting people? What's he on about?" she questioned.
"Something happened last night, things got a little strange, but…" Arthur suddenly whirled to Gwaine. "You were supposed to be watching him!" he roared. Gwaine held up his hands, but Gaius intervened.
"Sire, this is as much our fault as it is Gwaine's" he informed him. Arthur looked at him, the anger in his eyes slowly being replaced by a sadness.
"Of course, If I hadn't reacted the way I did.."
"You were off guard Arthur, we all were, no one knew he was going to…" Gwaine suddenly looked at Gwen, then back at Arthur. "To do what he did" he said.
"I don't understand, just what did Merlin do?" she asked, looking from one man to another. Arthur sighed and looked at her.
"Magic. Last night, there was an incident, and defending himself Merlin used magic" Arthur told her.
"Merlin?" her voice was one of disbelief. Arthur nodded, and Gwen looked at Gaius and Gwaine for denial, instead seeing the truth etched on their faces. "Why would Merlin feel he had to defend himself?" she asked.
"It's a long story, really not important" Arthur said.
"Magic no not, we still need to find him, we have no idea how long he's been missing for" Gwaine said.
"At least an hour now, that's the last time he was seen by the guards at the entrance" Gwen said.
"And they didn't wonder just why a man in his condition was wondering around?" asked Gwaine.
"It's not their fault Gwaine, he said he wanted some air, and the fact we took him out yesterday, they figured he was getting better" Arthur replied. Gwaine slumped down in the chair, looking up at Gaius.
"Something else for us to feel guilty about" he muttered.
"Well, despite what happened last night, and Magic be damned, Merlin is missing so rather than beat yourselves up over it, it might be a bit more productive to send out a search party" Gwen said breaking into their thoughts. The men could hear the emotion in her voice, realising that as well as they themselves, he had also been her closest friend, since before and after becoming Queen. He had been the first person outside of Gaius he'd had any meaningful interaction with when he had first arrived. Arthur looked at her, then nodding her turned away, towards the door.
"Get the knights" he said, looking back at Gwaine who also stood. He looked over at Gwen, who held her hand up.
"I'll deal with the council" she said. "Just find him Arthur" she added, then walked out. A moment later Arthur did the same. Slowly Gwaine looked at Gaius.
"I'm so sorry" Gwaine said.
"No Gwaine, I am" Gaius replied sadly as he turned away. Gwaine stood for a moment more, then he too left the room.
Merlin had left the confines of the city long ago, now finding himself trudging past a muddy bank and small stream, trees all around him. Had he any idea of where he wanted to go, that wouldn't be so bad, but as it was, and as the day draw on, he found himself becoming hungry, tired and lost. The trees all seemingly the same as he passed them. He sat down slowly after a few hours, as much to give his aching legs a rest as anything, but more to try and figure out what to do. The others would be grateful they could get on with their lives now, not having to worry about him accidently hurting people, or having to watch his every move. The only thing that he was becoming agitated about was the fact that it would be dark eventually and he had not found anything he could hide in, away from the man who had hurt him so.
Eventually, he stood again, continuing on his way, moving past bushes with strange, yet somehow familiar flowers growing from them, until he found the woods beginning to thicken, the shadows beginning to turn more sinister. He loathed going into them, but considering his circumstances he had no real choice. So steeling himself he stepped forwards, his body rebelling with every step into the darkness he took. Soon he had gone far enough that even the comforting sound of the stream didn't reach his ears.
He moved slowly forwards, his eyes darting to every branch, every bush, alert, watching for something, watching for him to make an appearance. This was a bad idea, and Merlin found himself struggling to move on, terror eroding whatever resolve he had first possessed, until finally his body simply stopped, leaving him sagging on the ground crying, his skin feeling the oppressiveness around him. Not even the funny squirrels made this part of the woods home. And then it hit him, his situation, his hunger, his aches and pains, and the fact that for the first time since this had been done to him, he was alone. Crying to himself, huddled into a ball he realised just how lost he was.
He had no idea how long he sat there huddled into a ball, shaking, but when something cried out from above, he wasted no time, running forwards through the trees, tears blurring his vision, he ran. He did not look back, afraid to see what had made the noise, afraid to see how close it was. All he knew was that he wanted nothing more now than to go home. So when he suddenly tripped sprawling forwards on the ground, opening wounds again, he found he did not have the strength to move. Instead he slowly looked up, forced himself to look back, watching, waiting for the evil man to appear. When nothing happened he tried to get to his feet, feeling them fall out from under him, and he looked down to see his trousers damp with blood.
"Well, I hardly thought I'd see you here"
Merlin spun around, looking up as a figure loomed over him. Someone, who again was somehow familiar.
"So what brings you to this little part of the woods then Merlin? And alone I might add" Morgana asked in a cruel tone. Merlin looked up at her, slowly reaching out, Morgana frowning at the movement.
"Lost" he said to her.
"What?" she asked. Merlin pointed at himself.
"Lost" he repeated. Morgana tilted her head, regarding him, then she noticed the blood stain spreading on his trousers, and the bruises not yet fully healed on his face.
"What happened to you?" she demanded. Merlin slowly tried to stand, his legs falling out again.
"Hurt" he whispered. He pointed to his head. "Here" he said, then slowly tried to move again, his body protesting as he did so. Slowly he looked up at Morgana.
"Help?" he asked her, his voice soft. Morgana blinked as she looked down at him, at this man who had stood in her way time and again.
"Why should I help you?" she stammered, the audacity of the request almost an affront to her. Merlin looked at her, and held out his hand again.
"Please?" he asked. Morgana took one look at him, then turned away, moving several steps. Slowly she looked back, expecting to see him trying to follow, injured though he was. Instead he was still sat there, holding his hands over his trousers tightly, trying to stop the bleeding from the wound below the fabric, and he was crying, and shaking. Morgana blinked and shook her head, torn, and slowly she moved back towards him, he looked up at her as she again moved to stand over him.
"Sister forgive me" she muttered as she knelt down by him.
Left alone, Gaius busied himself with menial tasks around the room, the making of poultices, the brewing of medication. Worried or not he still had a job to do. He stopped only briefly to look out of the window to watch Arthur leading the knights out of the courtyard, before returning to his tasks. It was a few hours later that he heard something from Merlin's room, not a thud exactly, more like a creaking as someone stepped on floor boards. He listened for a moment, then shrugging set back to work, only to look up again as the noise reoccurred.
"Is anyone there?" he called out moving forwards. He reached out and pushed the door open.
"Merlin?" he asked, then yelped as a large hand gripped him roughly.
"No" said the man, his eyes narrowed. "Not Merlin" he replied. Then he smiled. "Now then Gaius, let's have a chat" he chuckled, then with Gaius still in his grasp vanished.
