Author's Note: I know I am evil. There is no getting around it. I own nothing.
9. Camping Out
Lancelot carefully lifted Merlin up into his arms. The other knights had rushed forward when she had fallen, Gwaine made it to her right after Lancelot looking beyond worried. The expression on his face told Lancelot that he didn't have to worry about Gwaine hurting Merlin. He clearly didn't care about the magic, he was slightly hurt that she had not told him but he cared more about her. Lancelot glanced around at the other knights. Leon looked a bit shaken up and nervous but there was worry in his eyes. Elyan was worried as well but he looked confused as well. Arthur was the one with the most emotion written in his eyes. Worry, anger, a hint of betrayal, questions filled his eyes. So many questions were rushing through all their minds. Lancelot only knew the answers to some of those questions. But all those questions would have to wait for Merlin to regain consciousness.
Arthur swore under his breath slightly. She just had to pass out right now didn't she. He couldn't be mad at her now. It was impossible to be mad at an unconscious Merlin, she looked too vulnerable. Completely helpless in Lancelot's arms. Her torch and staff had both fallen to the floor, her torch sputtering out, the staff no longer glowing with that otherworldly glow it had held when Merlin was holding it. Arthur stepped forward and carefully almost gingerly picked up the staff. He remembered it. He had held it once before and been yelled at, by Sophia Tamoir. She must have been more than she seemed as well. According to what they had seen she and her father Ulfric were dead, probably at Merlin's hands. Leon turned to Arthur.
"We should start heading back to Camelot sire. It is almost four day's walk." Leon glanced between Merlin and Arthur looking apprehensive. Gwaine was glaring daggers at anyone but Lancelot who got close to Merlin. They started heading out of the fortress, stopping off in the armory to retrieve their weapons. Arthur was just glad he hadn't brought Excalibur with him. Once they had retrieved their weapons they left the fortress finding that the rest of the bandits had scattered. They found their horses in the stables. Apparently the bandits hadn't had time to raid their supplies yet because they were still intact in their saddle bags. A serious stroke of luck.
As they mounted their horses, Gwaine helping Lancelot to load Merlin onto his horse in front of him, Arthur reflected on their luck. It was pretty notoriously good now that he thought about it, too good. Sturdy branches breaking over murderous bandits, well aimed arrows missing their marks, enemy archers falling out of trees. Enemy blades snapping at opportune moments, enemies dropping their weapons for no reason, deadly wounds not being there once they regained consciousness, magical threats going down far too easily. But these things only ever happened when Merlin was around. Because Merlin was around, Arthur realized. The one instance he couldn't directly connect with Merlin had happened years ago. The search for a flower that would cure a deadly poison, drunk to save him, complicated by a sorceress who had left him for giant spiders. A mysterious light that had appeared out of thin air and led him to safety. It couldn't have been Merlin. She had been dying at the time. But everything else was starting to click into place. They rode in silence for hours each man stealing glances at the still unconscious maid in Lancelot's arms.
They finally set up camp as the sun began to set, luckily they were only another day and a half ride from Camelot. Merlin hadn't stirred at all as the rode, her head lolling against Lancelot's shoulder. That worried Arthur quite a bit as they set up camp Gwaine and Lancelot getting Merlin settled before they helped the others set up the rest of the camp. The meadow they had found to camp in was large and dotted with wild flowers. Arthur and Leon went off to hunt up some dinner while the others started a fire and set up the rest of the camp. As Arthur and Leon walked deeper into the forest the knight turned to Arthur.
"Sire, what are you going to do?" Arthur turned to Leon. He looked stern and calm as usual but there was also determination in his eyes.
"I have served you my entire life sire and I know you are kind and just, but so is Merlin. May I speak frankly?" Arthur nodded.
"Merlin has always been loyal to you, to the point of risking everything for you. I will support whatever decision you make but I would ask that you keep that loyalty in mind when you pass judgment on her." Arthur nodded as he turned to continue the hunt. In truth he didn't know what to do. The law was clear on these things, he had always been taught that magic was evil, that magic corrupted. But this was Merlin. Merlin was just so very Merlin. She couldn't be evil, she just couldn't.
He needed to hear her side of the story first, before he could decide what to do, before he could decide anything he had to talk to her. He and Leon managed to bag a few fat rabbits before making it back to camp. Elyan skinned and cooked them while Arthur sat watching the fire. Merlin had stirred slightly a few times since they had made camp but she hadn't woken up yet. Arthur had no idea why that was but it worried him. He was so busy contemplating all the choices laid out before him that he didn't notice Merlin sit up. Only when her bright blue eyes met his across the fire did he realize how much he couldn't bear to see her burn. There was fear in her eyes as she spoke.
"Are you going to kill me, sire?" That word sounded wrong coming from her. She never called him that. It was wrong.
"Don't call me that Merlin. It… You are powerful enough to take down anyone you want. Why are you… Why are you even here Merlin? Why would you be a servant, you could be a queen if you wanted, why be a servant?" Merlin shook her head.
"It's a long story. A really long story. You aren't going to like it, almost any of it. But I will tell you if you want. I won't leave anything out." Arthur nodded.
"Then I'll tell you my decision." Merlin nodded.
"That sounds fair. But I must warn you again, it's a long rather unpleasant story. It started the day I arrived in Camelot…"
