Wow, you guys have no idea how close you came to not getting this today - broken computer, presentation to do and then a three hour train journey to head home for the weekend, but ... i somehow managed it and it is still friday, although not for a lot longer, it must be said!
The deepest and most heartfelt thanks to MerlinStar for volunteering to beta this for me, so hopefully the typos and errors shouldn't be as numerous. Obviously, anything that is left is completely down to me getting too carried away. I truly cannot thank you enough for all of your amazing help with this, i owe you big time!
So without further ado... enjoy!
"Pulchra, are we nearly there yet?" Arthur called irritably, using his sword to free himself from the bush he was currently entangled in. The only thing the prince was thankful about was that Merlin was not around to see it, he would have never heard the end of it. The small creature darting anxiously ahead of him didn't respond, only pausing for the slightest of seconds to glance over its shoulder at the prince. If Arthur wasn't so convinced that this small thing had saved his life on more than one occasion, he wouldn't have trusted it in the slightest.
"Pulchra! Listen to me, are we nearly there?" The angry tone in Arthur's voice finally got the little thing to turn around properly, flitting backwards and forwards between Arthur and the next biggest tree, almost as if he was too afraid to stay still for more than a second at a time.
"Long way to go now, Master, long way to free Emrys." Arthur was no longer sure when Pulchra had begun to call him 'master', but when he refused to listen to the prince's pleas that he didn't, Arthur had just accepted it. He didn't have the time nor the energy to waste arguing over something as trivial as that, and if he was honest, Arthur was worried that Pulchra might suddenly disappear. He no longer had any idea where he was; the path they had taken had been a twisting and winding one, more often than not stumbling through the undergrowth rather than it actually taking on any recognisable route.
"How far is a long way?" Arthur muttered to himself as he once more stumbled forward, his feet throbbing. It wasn't just his feet that was the problem though, his shoulders were screaming at him to put one of the packs down, his injured arm had developed a low pulse of its own, reminding him forcibly that before long, he would have to change the bandage, whether anyone was there to help him or not and his head was beginning to ache through lack of sleep. His guide, being clearly not human, didn't seem to understand human necessities such as eating and sleeping either, but Arthur knew that by the end of the day, no matter what, he would have to stop. Pulchra kept talking about this upcoming danger, and the way the prince was feeling at the moment, he would take one look and start snoring, there was no way he was in any state to fight. If he made it that far...
Suddenly drawn out of his musings as his foot caught on an exposed root, the prince was sent plummeting to the ground in the same manner he more often than not was teasing his servant about. This time, however, no light hearted remark was made as Arthur fell, no helping hand came to aid him to his feet. He just had Pulchra, hovering uncertainly around him. Pulling the fallen pack towards him, Arthur then unfolded his feet from under his body, stretching his legs out in front of him and removing his boots as he shuffled over so that he was propped against the tree.
"Can't stop, long way to go. Must move."
"Pulchra, if you want me to save your bloody Emrys, I must rest. I can't keep going like this." Arthur snarled, his mind too tired to be civil. He had had enough. He was supposed to be the Crown Prince of Camelot, everyone was supposed to be doing as he said - Merlin sorting out the fire, the Knights arguing over who was going to take which watch whilst he rested. He wasn't supposed to be in the middle of a forest with a magical creature that instinct was screaming at him to kill with no idea where his friends were, even if they were still alive. If it wasn't for Pulchra's insistence that they were indeed getting closer and that Arthur was going to save everyone, the prince couldn't help but wonder whether or not he would have just given up and returned to Camelot, faced with the prospect of breaking the bad news, but meaning he wouldn't have to stumble on alone. He had always thought he was alright on his own, never having known any true friends until Merlin came along. But now, faced with a walk to who knows where to face who knows what that the only definition for was "bad," Arthur had never felt so alone.
"Can't rest long," Pulchra muttered, surprising the prince by the sullenness in his voice as he floated over, coming to a stop on a branch above Arthur's head. Ignoring him, the prince leant his head back against the bark, shutting his eyes and breathing out deeply through his nose. For a blissful moment, silence fell over the forest, all thoughts being driven from Arthur's mind as he allowed the tensions to wash away and have a moment of respite. Until…
"Wants to rest, so he does. We must keep going, long way to go, long, long way…"
"Pulchra?" Arthur called up, not opening his eyes.
"Master calls me…."
"Pulchra, shut up."
"Master?"
"I'm not your master, Pulchra! After this is over, you'd better disappear quickly or it won't just be your mistress you have to fear. I need you to lead me to my friends, nothing more, so can you please, just for a moment, shut the hell up about distances and having to save your precious Emrys!" His chest rising and falling with suppressed emotion, Arthur snapped his eyes open, jumping to his feet and pulling on his boots.
"We can move again?"
"Stay there," the prince ordered tensely, leaving the packs where they were and striding off into the forest. He didn't go far; he needed to know where his mysterious guide was, even if the thought he was having to rely on Pulchra to find his way either forwards or backwards was making him even angrier. He had never been dependant on anyone in this manner before, it was infuriating. But right now, he needed just a moment to calm down before he knew he would do something he regretted. The thought of Merlin and the Knights filled his mind, causing him to suck in the air sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He had to keep his temper, had to keep Pulchra on his side for the strange little creature was his only clue to finding them again. Breathing out again, Arthur squared his shoulders and lifted his head, firmly back in the role of prince.
Striding back into the clearing which they had paused in, it took Arthur a moment to locate Pulchra, for the small being was lurking (somewhat suspiciously, in Arthur's mind) around the packs, diving in and out of the tops, almost like a game, but with the added sense of purpose. Freezing, Arthur stopped behind a tree, wanting to see what Pulchra was after. It was as if he was searching for something, and the fact that he had waited until Arthur had disappeared simply made the prince more curious as to what he wanted. After a few more searches, Arthur was about to give up, when Pulchra suddenly emerged from one of the packs, buzzing around gleefully.
Almost jogging quickly into the clearing, Arthur stood over the bags, his hands on his hips as he watched the buzzing creature. The flight was too fast though, Arthur couldn't work out what on earth Pulchra had grasped in his tiny hands and his eyes simply weren't awake enough to be able to focus at that speed. Knowing Pulchra had yet to notice his return, Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Come here, Pulchra." He commanded, adamant that if the creature was going to refer to him as his master the whole time, then he would use that knowledge to his advantage if it meant finding out what was going on. Despite not wanting to feel like he was abusing the trust and power his small guide had unknowingly bestowed on him, Arthur knew the only way he would be able to get a straight answer out of Pulchra was to pull rank on him. And it worked. Quick as lightning, Pulchra dropped so that he was hovering just below Arthur's eye level, swaying backwards and forwards slightly in the air as if he was nervous, but remaining as still as he could manage.
"What do you think you were doing?"
"Pulchra doing nothing, master. Pulchra stays here like he was told."
"So what did you get out of the packs?" Raising an eyebrow in a way that showed he demanded an answer, Arthur stared at the thing in front of him, not sure if his usual method of getting answers out of people was going to work with Pulchra. He only had to give his Knights this look and they always cringed, knowing that they had been caught out. Merlin, annoyingly, seemed not to notice, but even he nowadays had the decency to look slightly sheepish when Arthur subjected him to this particular expression. To his utmost relief, Pulchra seemed to realise what it meant.
"I… master… I…."
"Pulchra." Arthur began warningly, his hand subtly drifting to the hilt of his sword. The action, however, was not missed by the thing hovering in front of him, something Arthur had been intending all along.
"I didn't mean to, master, I just wanted something to keep!" And with those words, the distraught thing pulled something out behind his back that made Arthur narrow his eyes in anger as he snatched it back violently, making the creature float backwards a few paces out of harm's way.
"That's Merlin's." He retorted angrily, stuffing the neckerchief back into the top of the pack and flicking the flap back over. His servant wouldn't forgive him ever if he let something happen to one of his precious garments.
"You touch nothing from the packs, do you understand me? If you need something, you ask me. But you do not, ever, unless I directly tell you, touch those bags. Is that clear, Pulchra?"
"Yes Master," came the small reply, the creature dropping in height and sinking slowly to the ground. Hovering just about the floor, Pulchra dropped his head, looking for the entire world like he was ashamed of what he had done.
"Come on then," Arthur responded more kindly, feeling incredibly guilty for making Pulchra that upset. With any luck though, he had shown exactly who was in charge. "We need to be going. You can ride on my shoulder if you are tired."
Immediately, Pulchra shot up from the ground, whizzed around Arthur's head a couple of times before settling excitably on the prince's shoulder, nattering nonsense in his ear the whole time. If he was honest, Arthur found that he didn't mind. He had grown somewhat accustomed to the nattering over the last few hours, it helped ease the feeling of being on his own. And in some strange way, the constant chattering in his ear reminded him of his missing servant, making him all that more determined to find the boy.
Setting off into the forest with a slight smile on his face, Arthur followed Pulchra's directions as quickly as he could, his aches and tiredness no longer seeming important. It was as if something had changed, something making the prince feel like he was getting closer and closer to finding the missing members of his party. And if he could do that, he could return home, all thoughts about finding Morgana driven from his mind for the time being.
What the prince couldn't see, however, was the sly grin make its way onto Pulchra's face as he rode on Arthur's shoulder. Indeed, the young man was getting closer and closer to finding his friends, but little did Arthur know that was precisely what the intention all along had been. Pulchra knew he had played his part well, not only was he guiding the prince, he was also gaining his trust, allowing the creature to begin his work properly. His mistress was going to be more than pleased with him when Arthur arrived full of confidence, it made breaking him so much easier. Oh yes, Pulchra had indeed done well.
MMMMMMM
"What do you think she is doing to him?" Tristam whispered, his legs crossed in front of him as he leant back against the bars, eyes closed. Leon merely shook his head, he didn't know, and quite frankly, even if he did, wasn't sure he would share the information with the rest of his Knights when he was supposed to be protecting them.
"I'm sure he is going to be fine," Owain commented from where he was leaning casually against the side of the cell, trying not to give anything away. He knew that it probably wouldn't be long before Merlin was free, he was obviously just waiting for the right moment to cast some sort of spell that would mean they could all get out of here and his scream from earlier had just been for show. From what little Owain had managed to understand about the secret warlock travelling with them, he knew that the young servant was powerful, more powerful than all of the Knights put together if he chose to be. There was no way he was going to allow Arthur to come walking into a trap if he could help it. For now, the Knight was sure that was what this was. Why else would Morgause be so adamant in having Merlin in her grasp, as well as the Knights themselves, if it wasn't to lure Arthur in? Everyone knew that whilst the Knights were his comrades, men with whom he shared a mutual respect, Merlin was his friend, even if both of them would deny it vehemently if asked.
"You think? The boy is a servant. We've lasted this long because we are trained, how do you honestly expect Merlin to survive?"
"Percival…" Leon began, a warning in his tone as he glared at the other man. He knew the situation was desperate, there could be no denying it even if he wanted to, but the defeatist tone in Percival's voice irritated Leon; he was trying to remain optimistic. Despite his constant reassurances that everything was somehow going to work out alright, he knew it would only take one comment like that and all of his efforts would fall apart.
"Oh don't try and deny it, Leon, you are always looking out for the boy. He is just a servant, and he only gained that much worth by accident."
"Because he saved the prince's life," Leon snapped back, beginning to get angry. Climbing to his feet, he glared across the cell at Percival, his fist tensing behind his back as the man did the same thing and mirrored his position.
"Not that he meant to, you can see it in his eyes. He is a weak servant who happened to be in the right place at the right time."
"Hang on," Owain suddenly butted in, straightening his position and also glaring at Percival. The man had no idea how much Merlin had done for the prince, for all of them.
"Don't defend him, Owain, you know I'm speaking the truth."
With a sudden leap forward, Leon caught Owain around the middle as he rushed at Percival, only then to receive the swinging punch the latter had been aiming at the former instead, causing him to spin around and deliver one of his own. The rest of the men had fallen silent, too shocked by the sudden outbreak to know how to react. As Owain threw himself again at Percival, the three men shared a smirk as the door to the cell swung open and the guards rushed in.
Within seconds, Tristam and Gawain had knocked two of them out, the other three being grabbed by Leon, Owain and Percival alike and pulled further into the cage. In a matter of moments, the positions were reversed, the Knights standing on the outside, Leon carefully locking the door behind him as the conscious guards began hammering on the door.
"Should have gagged them," Gawain commented lightly, watching with amusement as one of them frantically stuck an arm through the bars and tried to reach for the man.
"Why? Let them draw her down here." Leon responded coolly, pocketing the keys and heading towards the main door. Carefully poking his head out, the chief knight made sure the coast was clear before beckoning to his team, smiling proudly as they all snuck forward silently, showing that nothing could stop a Knight of Camelot.
"Sorry about the low blows about Merlin," Percival whispered as he crept past Leon. "Had to make it convincing."
His smile widening, Leon checked that all of the men were out before tiptoeing forward himself, shutting the door behind him, although making sure it wasn't properly closed. With any luck, the guards' furious cries would bring Morgause herself down to the dungeon, meaning the Knights would be free to go in and get Merlin. For as much as Percival's words were meant just as bait, he did have a point. Merlin was no more than a servant, he wouldn't be able to take whatever it was Morgause had planned for him. Despite knowing the risks, there was no way Leon was going to leave without the clumsy black haired boy with them.
MMMM
"Why, Merlin?"
"I told you, Arthur will make a good king."
"But there is more than that."
"No! Please, stop! Please!" The last cry ending in a stifled sob, Merlin let himself hang, knowing that he couldn't do anything to resist the sorceress in front of him without it leading to greater trouble. Every fibre of his being was setting his magic alive, causing it to rush to his defence, to blast Morgause across the room with just a mere flash of his eyes, to let her know precisely why she would never break him. But he was also fighting against that feeling with everything he had, and he knew that was why he was feeling so weak, so vulnerable. He had denied who he was once more, and was now paying the price for it. His eyes shut, his breathing shallow, Merlin didn't see Morgause's smug smile as she continued to circle him. The witch couldn't care less about why the lowly servant was risking so much to save Camelot, she had him precisely where she wanted him.
"Why should I stop, Merlin? You defeated me, I'll admit it. But I don't go down without a fight. You may have stopped me then, but there is no stopping me now."
"Please, why are you doing this?"
"Quiet," Morgause suddenly snapped, coming to a stop in front of her prisoner. She thought she had heard something beyond Merlin's pleads: something wasn't quite feeling right. Shutting her eyes to allow herself better access to her magic, Morgause centred herself, letting all other thoughts fade and making sure she focused just on what she was sensing. It wasn't to last, however, as quiet was the very thing Merlin did not know how to be, something anyone who knew him could vouch for.
"You don't have to do this, you don't have to use magic in this way…"
"I said quiet."
"There are other ways, just let me go."
"Confuto!" With a sudden gasp, Merlin winced as the gag formed out of nowhere, wrapping itself around his head and rendering him speechless.
"That's better." And so saying, Morgause strode from the room, leaving Merlin staring after her in desperation. He needed his voice in order to work the magic, his strength had waned too much to be able to form the spell he needed without words, the consequences could be deadly if that happened. So without meaning to, Morgause had unknowingly just denied her prisoner the chance he had been waiting for.
Fighting against the gag, Merlin let his head sag forward once more, a few tears spilling from his eyes as he realised the situation was becoming more and more hopeless by the second. Hearing the door open, he didn't bother lifting his head as heavy footfalls crossed the room, didn't want to give whoever it was the satisfaction of knowing how defeated he was feeling. With a sudden jolt, Merlin felt his shoulders jerk as the chain binding him began to move, eventually allowing his feet to connect with the floor. The second the weight was off his wrists and onto his feet, however, Merlin found himself pitching forward, feeling everything they had done to him. To his surprise, it wasn't the cold, hard ground that rushed up to meet him, but a strong arm catching him mid-fall, gently lowering him to the ground.
"Easy, we've got you." Finally looking up, Merlin's eyes widened to see it was Owain holding him up, Leon standing just in front of him. Gentle hands quickly made short work of the gag, causing the warlock to let out an explosive breath. Jumping as the coldness of a blade was pressed against his arm, Merlin winced, but Leon merely shot him an apologetic look.
"This may hurt." And with no more warning than that, he wedged the blade between Merlin's wrist and the cuff, bracing the limb as best as he could manage. With a powerful flick of his wrist, Leon caused the cuff to spring open, allowing Merlin to rotate his wrist stiffly, uttering a soft groan as he did so.
"She's coming back," a voice suddenly hissed, causing Merlin to take in better note of his surroundings. Tristam was standing by the door, obviously keeping look out, whilst Percival and Gawain were hovering nearby, clearly at a bit of a loss of what they were supposed to be doing. Helping Merlin to his feet, the Knights shared concerned looks as the servant's legs once more refused to support his weight, the warlock swaying slightly on the spot.
"We'll never get him out like this," Percival muttered quietly, his eyes flickering in concern.
"We can't just leave him, she'll kill him."
"I'm not saying leave him, only that we'll have to find another way."
"Enough," Tristam suddenly hissed, making both Leon and Percival blink in surprise at the commanding tone coming from the young knight. "If any of us want to get out of this alive, we need to move, now, she is almost here."
"Tristam is right," Leon muttered, watching Merlin's pale face worriedly, not knowing whether he should force the boy to open his eyes or not. "Right, Owain, Percival, Tristam, scout ahead, I want to know the way is clear. Gawain, take up behind, only stay on my heels, I'm leaving no one."
"Sire," the men acknowledged, immediately jumping to do as they were told. With another quick flick of his wrist, Leon freed Merlin completely, before swinging him up over his shoulders. The semi-conscious boy moaned weakly as the movement jarred his aching body, but then fell still again as Leon set off at a run, going as fast as he dared, dropping the stolen blade behind him. The thing had a feeling of evil about it, and no matter what their situation, Leon didn't want it in his hand.
The place they were in seemed amazingly deserted as the Knights sprinted through, their feet making no sound. They were trained for this, they could get in or out of anywhere without anyone ever knowing they were there if they so desired. However, as he shifted Merlin's dead weight further onto his shoulders, Leon couldn't help but frown. It was just too quiet.
No sooner had the thought had registered in his mind, Gawain let out a small cry as he pitched forward, bringing Leon and Merlin down with him, causing the latter to stir. At the same time, Percival fell in front of them, Owain grabbing Tristam in just enough time to stop him falling into the same trap. He couldn't see what was there, but it was clear Percival had hit something magical, something that was preventing him from going any further.
Jumping to his feet, Leon stared around, bracing himself. He would do anything to have a sword in his hand right now, but he knew that weapon aside, he had to protect them. He didn't have to wait long to find out what from though: Morgause soon walked coolly onto the scene, her eyes flickering in annoyance as she scanned the men. On catching sight of Merlin, her eyes narrowed even further, making Leon also glance towards the boy in surprise. It was pure loathing.
The thumping of feet quickly drew his attention as her men arrived, surrounding the knights. Catching Gawain's eye, Leon nodded, a signal he knew the other knight would pass onto the rest of the group without anyone noticing. Counting under his breath, Leon had just reached ten as the rest of the Knights all sprang to their feet at the same time as him, charging into their captors as one joint force. Within mere seconds, eight men had fallen, the Knights grabbing their now unused weapons and doing what they did best.
Fighting off three men at once, Owain eventually managed to spare a glance over his shoulder towards where Merlin had been lying. The warlock had pushed himself into an upright position, his face pale yet his eyes were burning bright. With a sudden realisation, Owain noticed they were burning too bright, bright enough that they had begun to change colour. With a fierce grin, he swung wildly at the man in front of him, bringing him down with a cry as the man who had been attempting to sneak up behind suddenly let go of his sword with a howl, clutching his hand to him.
Quickly removing the threat, Owain once more caught Merlin's eye, who in returned grinned, winking at the same time. Removing a few more of the enemy's weapons, Merlin drew himself to his feet, eyes darting frantically around the battling men in order to work out who he could help without giving anything away. He wasn't sure what the reaction would be from the Knights, but Merlin couldn't help but want to keep it secret for a bit longer, at least until he was beyond Morgause's power. With a couple more disarmed, the odds were turning in the knights' favour, and seeing a sudden opening, Leon pressed forward his advantage, breaking through the circle surrounding them.
It only took a barked order and all of the men ran for the gap, Owain pausing long enough to grab Merlin by the arm and drive him forward. Running flat out, they had not made it very far when Merlin suddenly stumbled, his weakened state meaning he couldn't keep the pace up. The men skidded to a halt, glancing around them anxiously as the warlock tried to regain his balance.
"Go, I'm fine," he eventually managed to pant, knowing that it wouldn't be long before Morgause would once more catch up with them. The men glanced anxiously at each other, clearly conflicted between their own instinct to survive and helping getting the servant to safety. Eventually, Leon came to a decision.
"Go ahead, make sure the road is clear. Don't wait for us, don't turn back. You have to find the prince, it is your duty to protect him." Knowing that Leon's tone meant no arguments, the remaining members of the group glanced at each other before setting off again, their running footsteps quickly fading away to nothing. Grabbing one of Merlin's arms, Leon draped it around his shoulders, trying to take as much of the warlock's weight as he could manage given their strange position. At a much slower pace, they too made their way out towards where the others had disappeared, hoping it would provide them with the freedom they were after.
"Arthur was right about you, Merlin," Leon eventually muttered, not liking how quiet the servant was, nor missing how hard it was for Merlin to breathe. If he only he knew what they had done to him, he might be able to help, but for now, all he could do was aid the servant in escaping. "You really are a magnet for trouble."
"I never used to be," Merlin croaked, making the Knight at his side glance towards him in concern again. He sounded as bad as he looked, and Leon knew without a doubt that it was taking every ounce of his strength to remain conscious. Giving his slipping arm a nudge, the knight knew that whilst it would slow them down, he needed to keep Merlin talking.
"So has it just been ever since you came to Camelot then?" Leon asked, inwardly wincing at how fake his voice sounded. He was acting as if they were going on a stroll around the training fields, not trying to escape with their lives. Merlin, however, was no longer coherent enough to realise.
"Being… Arthur…"
"Merlin, stay with me!" Leon commanded, feeling the boy he was so desperately trying to hold up slip to the ground once more. Coming to a stop, the Knight stared at the servant as unconsciousness once more claimed him. What on earth had Morgause done to him? Without pausing, Leon bent down and slung Merlin over his shoulders, setting off at a sprint in a vain attempt to try and catch up with the others.
He almost made it. He could see Percival, the man was just about to disappear into the forest when he paused and looked back. Not stopping on his mad dash to safety, Leon smiled gratefully as his friend turned and yelled something into the trees. Not only did the rest of the Knights reappear, but someone Leon was afraid he had failed. For standing in the cover of the trees, staring desperately towards them, the Crown Prince of Camelot set off at a run when he caught sight of who was pelting towards him.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one racing to intercept the pair. Pulchra shot past the prince, heading directly towards Merlin. And this time, it was no longer Arthur he was serving.