Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter Eight:
Merlin knelt and gently examined the mushrooms growing at the base of a tree, they were the type he needed and quickly picked them. Behind him the knight in charge of guarding him that morning, sneered and spat on the ground behind him. Merlin tensed his shoulders and slowly got to his feet, he simply glanced at the knight as he moved past him and continued to look for the herbs on the list Gaius had given him.
The knight sneered again and Merlin rolled his eyes, as he examined a bush pulling back its leaves and carefully scrapping the moss from its branches. As he straightened, Merlin paused and looked round, the forest around the two of them had fallen quiet and still… Which was never a good sign. As if summoned by that thought alone, Saxons burst out of the undergrowth and had the two of them completely surrounded in seconds.
Freezing, Merlin tried to work out what to do. He couldn't hide and use magic in secret and falling branches and Saxons dropping their weapons wasn't going to look so innocent since he'd been suspected of sorcery… But if he didn't do anything, both he and the Knight guarding him would be in serious trouble.
He was suddenly distracted as a gargling sound came from behind him and he turned just in time to see the Knight who was guarding him collapses to his knees, blood running over his lips and an arrow sticking out of his chest. Merlin looked up just in time for his magic to react and to freeze an arrow in place in front of him. The arrow dropped harmlessly to the ground and rolled away.
Looking up Merlin stared at the Saxons who stood around him, jeering and taunting him. Even though they had just seen him freeze an arrow mid-air, they didn't seem frightened of him… Not like the bandits Merlin had come across, who were easily scared off by the smallest use of magic. It would seem that their time spent under Morgana's command had left them fearless in the face of magic.
Without warning one of the Saxons charged at him. Merlin's eyes flashed gold, but it wasn't just the Saxon that charged at him that was thrown backwards through the air, it was all of them. Merlin stared at the Saxons on the ground, making sure none would be able to catch him unware while his attention was elsewhere, before turning quickly and dropping to his knees beside the knight who had been guarding him.
The knight was still alive, but only just. Merlin quickly wrapped a hand around the arrow and he was just about to pull it out, when he remembered something Gaius had warned him about a long time ago when it came to wounds such as these. Merlin cursed under his breath and carefully took he injured Knight by the arm and his eyes flashed gold and suddenly they were no longer in the middle of the forest, but on the outskirts of the farmers' fields beyond Camelot's walls.
"Help me," Merlin called out to a nearby field worker, who'd been so focused on their work they hadn't seen the two of them appear out of thin air. "He's been injured. He needs to get to Gaius, the Court Physician."
)o(
"Merlin, I need clean warm water now!" Gaius ordered and Merlin quickly hurried off to get it, while Arthur and Leon stood watching.
The Knight was still alive and had been taken to Gaius in time. Merlin had been right not to remove the arrow and heal the wound straight away as there was some internal damage Merlin hadn't even suspected, which Gaius had noticed straight away and if Merlin had healed the external wound, the Knight would have bleed out from the inside…
Now it was just a matter of waiting until Arthur and Leon left so Merlin could heal the wound, there was no other way to save the life of the injured knight. Merlin retuned with the warm water and Gaius picked up a cloth and soaked it in the warm water and carefully began to clean the wound around the arrow, still stuck in the Knights chest.
"He was incredibly lucky, sire," Gaius said as he worked. "The arrow has missed his heart. He has stopped coughing up blood, but I cannot be certain the bleed in his right lung won't start again when the arrow is removed."
Merlin glanced at Gaius, he had just left out a vital part of the Knights injury… The part which could only be healed with magic, Merlin realised. Gaius wasn't telling Arthur the complete truth, so that if Merlin was able to heal the wound, it wouldn't appear too much like a miracle. No one would even suspect magic was used, if Merlin handled this correctly.
"Do all you can," Arthur instructed, noticing the look Merlin had sent Gaius. "Sir Leon, ready the Knights."
"Where are you going?" Merlin asked, having a very good idea where Arthur was planning to go.
"A Knight of Camelot was attacked by Saxons, not five league from the citadel," Arthur answered. "We need to investigate the area and see if there are any more Saxons in the area."
"That's dangerous," Merlin pointed out.
"We are at war, Merlin," Arthur answered and with that Arthur turned and stormed out of the chamber.
"Sir Tristan will be keeping guard over you for the rest of the day," Leon told Merlin, moving to follow after Arthur. "You are ordered not to leave the castle grounds."
And as Sir Leon left the chambers, Sir Tristan stepped in. He nodded to Merlin in silent greeting and sat down next the door. Gaius set down the cloth and looked up at Merlin who nodded. Reaching forward, Gaius pulled the arrow from the Knights chest in one well practiced move, with a sickening squelching sound. Merlin quickly held a hand over the wound and his eyes glowed gold. Under his hands the wound began to stitch itself back to together and the internal wounds healed.
When Merlin stepped back, all that was left was an angry red mark where the arrow had once been. Merlin looked up at Gaius and who smiled, pride shinning in his eyes. Over by the door Sir Tristan, smiled a small smile to himself. Merlin sat back and shut his eyes… It was time he had to leave Camelot. Arthur was on his way to where he and the Knight had been attack…
… Where Merlin had used magic. Once Arthur got there he'd have all the evidence he needed to that Merlin did indeed have magic. And when Arthur returned, he would no doubt throw Merlin in the dungeons with Mordred and they'd die alongside each other, because if Arthur wasn't willing to let Mordred go, why would he let Merlin? He wasn't willing to wait around and find out if Arthur was going to sentence him to death too.
"Gaius," Merlin said, turning to the physician. "I have to go."
"I understand, my boy," Gaius answered.
Merlin smiled slightly and hurried up to his room, packing his magical items and a few clothes. He picked up the map Tristan had given him and hurried back down the steps into the main chamber, where Gaius was waiting for him with a medicine bag in his hands.
"Gaius…" Merlin began to say.
"Take it, my boy," Gaius said, holding it out to him. "And promise me, you'll stay safe."
"I-I," Merlin stuttered out a lump forming in his throat as he suddenly realised this was going to be the last time he saw Gaius for a long time. "Thank you, Gaius."
Gaius set down the medicine bag and pulled Merlin into a tight embrace.
"Alice and I were never given the opportunity to have children," Gaius' voice was hoarse. "You are the closest I have ever had to having a son… I'm proud of you, my boy."
"I," Merlin returned the hug, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Thank you, Gaius."
"Now go," Gaius released him and pushed the medicine bag into his hands. "Arthur will not return for many hours, you can get far from Camelot in that time. Farewell, my boy."
"Good bye, Gaius," Merlin answered, turning towards the door.
Tristan got to his feet and offered Merlin a hand, which Merlin shook.
"Good luck," Was all Tristan said.
)o(
Arthur and Leon walked through the trees, guiding their horses. The rest of the patrol that was with them was spread out through the trees around them, as they slowly approached the sight where Merlin and the Knight guarding him had been attacked. The forest was silent and still around them, but there was no signs of any Saxons present or on the move in the area.
Leon sucked in a sharp breath as they stepped through the tree and came upon the site where the attack had taken place. Saxons lay scattered around the ground and it was clear it had been the work of magic, as not a single one had a wound on them. Arthur stared at the fallen Saxons, there was no denying this was the work of magic.
Merlin was a sorcerer.
"My Lord," Sir Leon said. "This is clearly the work of magic. It would be wise to return to Camelot, as the sorcerer-"
"Is under guard," Arthur cut Leon off, trying hard to keep the feelings of betrayal out of his voice.
His best friend was a sorcerer.
His best friend was a traitor.
"Sire, this is clearly very powerful magic," Leon dared to question Arthur. "A single guard won't be enough to stop him."
"Send a rider back," Arthur snapped at Leon, before turning to his men. "Men, spread out! See what can be found. We need to see if any of these Saxons were carrying orders from Morgana."
"Sire," One of the patrol called. "I've found a live one, Sire."
Arthur, followed by Leon, quickly walked across to where the Knight was standing, a Saxon gasping for breath lay at his feet.
The Saxon laughed sadistically when he saw Arthur and the look on his face.
"Your fellow Knight didn't even have a chance to put up a fight before we cut him down," The Saxon laughed.
He received a sharp kick from the Knight who stood behind him and the Saxon coughed, droplets of blood run down his chin. The Saxon looked up at Arthur, as he stepped closer and a sneer crossed his face.
"The Pendragon King," The Saxon spat out. "What an honour."
"What happened here?" Arthur demanded.
"Why don't you ask the sorcerer your Knight was guarding?" The Saxon sneered. "He was the one who did this."
"The sorcerer," Arthur questioned. "What did he look like?"
The Saxon didn't answer, just smirked up at Arthur instead.
"What did he look like?" Arthur questioned again, more forcefully.
The Saxon let out a wheezy breath and looked Arthur in the eye.
"He looked like a dead man," The Saxon said. "Those who do not stand with Morgana, are against her."
And with a final coughing fit the Saxon became still. Arthur shut his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. What the Saxon had said hadn't confirmed it was Merlin who'd just magic in appearance, but there was no denying it was Merlin who'd done this… And it appeared Merlin hadn't sided with Morgana, but Arthur didn't have faith in the Saxons words. Why would the Saxon out Merlin as an ally of Morgana? What reason would they have to do so?
"We ride for Camelot," Arthur ordered.
)o(
Hey! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time,
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.
