A/N: A couple of folks including my beta – The Lady Isis - have remarked about the medical concepts in this story as being not that of medieval times. Normally I would tend to agree, but then again I nearly snorted coffee through my nose when I saw the episode "A Cure for All Ills" and Gaius and Edwin stood in the corridor talking to Uther about cerebral hemorrhages. The series seems to have sneaked in quite a few modernisms. For instance I'm not sure that being fired would be called "getting sacked" during Arthurian times, but it doesn't really take away from the enjoyment of the program.
Enjoy!
Alice I
Chapter Ten
When Merlin woke up it was still early; the sun having barely crested the horizon. There was a small fire crackling away in the fire pit and a hot cup of tea sat on a flat stone next to it. Looking past the fire pit then out to the road the young man could find no sign of Odin or his cart; in fact to anyone else it would have appeared as though the boy had spent the night alone in the clearing by the side of the road. Merlin sat up and stretched looking around. Odin had obviously left quite recently because the tea by the fire was hot as was a bowl of porridge sitting on a second flat rock, but why had he left without either waking him or saying good bye? Merlin would have liked to have thanked the old trader properly for his help.
As he stood and stretched again, Merlin thought about the enigmatic old man who had given him a ride and shared a meal with him. The mead that Odin had given Merlin must have been stronger than he realized for his memory of the previous evening was somewhat fuzzy even though he had no trace of a headache to show for it. Merlin realized that he felt rested and relaxed, but more importantly he felt stronger than he had in days, weeks even. He looked at his hands and wondered if they were cold they way Gaius had said. The color looked quite good as far as he could tell and he certainly felt energetic enough. He wasn't even sore from sleeping on the hard ground. Smiling to himself he remarked to the forest in general, "That really was some bloody effective mead."
Taking the bowl of porridge that Odin left for him, Merlin found himself once again surprised at how good the food tasted. He had never been very fond of the grainy breakfast food, but this porridge was smooth and creamy. He was thoroughly impressed by the quality of food the old man was able to make, especially out on the road. As he ate the breakfast Odin had left for him, Merlin suddenly realized that he had not had the nightmare again. The images that had plagued his sleep were gone, or at least not disturbing his slumber any more. He thought back and realized that he had also not had the dream when he slept in the back of Odin's cart on the way to Ealdor. Maybe finding out that the dream was real was what he needed to get the images out of his dreams and into a place where he could deal with them. What ever the reason, he was glad for it and felt almost giddy with energy, having slept well for the first time in almost a week.
When he finished with his breakfast he found a water flask sitting on the far side of his backpack that didn't belong to him. He picked it up curiously wondering why Odin would leave it when he already had one of his own. Thinking that this was very peculiar, Merlin opened the flask left by the old man and sniffed at it then smiled when he realized it was filled with more of the mead. He placed the flask in his pack and began to kick dirt over the fire to extinguish it. He had a long walk to get beck to Camelot but thanks to Odin if he started now, he might make it there by midday.
Not long after he had broken camp and began the rest of his trek south, Merlin saw two farmers walking along the road pulling a cart filled with hay going in the opposite direction. He smiled and bade them a good morning as he drew closer, but the men cast suspicious looks at him and only nodded brusquely as they picked up their pace. Merlin noticed that both men held farming implements in their hands as they walked along. One held a scythe tightly clenched in one fist as though he were ready to use it while the other held a sickle. He got the very distinct impression that these farmers were holding the tools as though they were weapons rather than implements of gathering the harvest. He shook his head slightly as they passed him, taken aback by their unfriendly manner. He glanced over his shoulder as they moved off down the road and noticed that the farmers also looked back at him and didn't put their weapons back in the cart until they were a good distance away.
The odd behavior of the farmers faded from his mind as he continued to walk along for it was a beautiful day, and the temperature was far more moderate than it had been of late. He was still troubled by his situation but the fresh air of the forest surrounding him and the birdsong in the trees lifted his spirits making he feel more like himself than he had in over a week. It didn't take long for Merlin to realize that when Odin had said they were about an hour outside of Ithandin that the old man was referring to an hour in walking distance. Merlin was tall and had a long stride so he covered ground fairly quickly and less than an hour after he broke camp he came upon the road leading straight into Ithandin. He stopped and peered down the road as far as he could see before a natural rise in the landscape cut off his view. No one was on the roads, either the one leading to Ithandin or the main road through the kingdom leading to Camelot.
It was strange that he saw no one traveling the roads. Farmers who would have risen before the sun in the outlying villages should have been moving their carts filled with summer crops to the cities to sell in the market places by this hour. Merlin looked back the way he had come then forward toward home and saw no one at all. A chill crept up his spine as he thought about the only two travelers he had seen. In retrospect he realized that they were acting skittish, or frightened. The roads were empty as though no one wanted to venture out onto them. Perhaps there was a reason for them to be so devoid of people. That thought made him look questioningly at the surrounding forest. Only a short while ago the woods seemed beautiful and peaceful, but now the shadows he saw lurking within the densely packed trees seemed to hold a sinister feel. The young warlock griped his own pack tighter and quickened his pace.
As he continued on his way he came across a few other people traveling along the main road and all of them seemed to be hurrying along their way, although one elderly woman and a middle aged man walking with her did stop to talk when Merlin asked them for information.
"Excuse me, but can you tell me what has everyone so nervous?" Merlin asked, as the couple approached him. He figured that the man might be willing to talk to him since it was obvious that Merlin would be no match for him if they were to end up in any kind of altercation.
"I'd tell you to get to where ever you are headed as quickly as you can." The broad man answered. "There are a band of brigands roaming the roads robbing and killing anyone they find."
Merlin's eyes grew wide with this information. He had heard nothing of this, although admittedly he had been wrapped up in his own troubles for some time. "How long has this been going on?"
"I don't know the answer to that. I can only tell you that at least three people have been robbed and murdered over the last week right along this very road. Traveling alone is a bad idea, young man, for they seem to target sole travelers. Where are you headed?"
Merlin didn't like the sound of that at all. Without his magic he was practically defenseless. "I'm headed to Camelot."
"That's at least five hours by the main road. You may want to consider cutting through Knavesmire Wood. It would take at least an hour off your travel time."
Merlin thanked the man for the information and hurried along, now nervous and wary. He could hear the elderly woman arguing with the man, who addressed her in return as 'mother', for advising him to travel through the forest to shorten his trip. Merlin, however, actually agreed with the man about cutting through the Knavesmire Wood. If the attacks had occurred along the common traveling routes he might actually be safer in the forest.
Arthur was awake at first light and anxious to get moving. Not only had he promised Gaius that he would find Merlin, but he needed to make sure that the search for the thieves continued where they had left off the previous day. After a hasty breakfast brought to his chambers by one of the royal guard he went down to the practice field where the knights were gathering. Rather than the six knights Arthur took out searching yesterday, Uther had ordered that the number be doubled based on the lack of results. Arthur wanted to get things underway quickly so briefing the newcomers entailed only a mention of the previously searched area.
"We scoured the forest between here and Ithandin yesterday with no luck. These thieves are obviously moving around to avoid capture based on the old campfires we found yesterday and the abandoned shelter near Ithandin, so we need to head in multiple directions this time. We must find these men today before they can harm anyone else. Borin, take Rowan, Fendrel, and Brom and head toward Glastonbury. Hadrian, Crewe, Geoffrey, and William head west toward the lake and the rest search east toward Caerleon."
A round of "Yes, Sire." followed Arthur's instructions. They all walked to the royal stables to collect their horses and Arthur fielded several questions on the way, but the one that irritated him was when Sir Geoffrey asked where his servant was when he saw Arthur saddling up his own horse. Geoffrey was one of the knights present when Merlin fainted at the armory and his question about Merlin set the prince's nerves on edge.
"You know that Merlin has been ill of late, and in any case I am perfectly capable of saddling my own horse." Arthur tone was sharper than he had intended, but he paid no mind to the look on Geoffrey's face. He should have known better than to ask such a question in the first place.
As the knights of Camelot rode through the city to the gates, Arthur slowed when he saw Gaius in the main courtyard. He nodded to the physician trying to convey confidence. He would find Merlin and bring him home. Arthur rode out with the other knights until they got to a point a mile or two from the city where they separated into their assigned groups. As Arthur rode off toward Ithandin, Sir Borin called out.
"Sire, you head north?"
Arthur pulled his reins and trotted back to Borin and his group. "I will check the abandoned came we came across yesterday."
Borin frowned not knowing why the prince wanted to cover ground they had already been through. "Then take Fendrel with you at least, Sire. Brom, Rowan and I can still search toward Glastonbury."
Arthur looked at the men with Borin and shook his head. He lowered his voice so that only Borin could hear him. "No, I don't want to split up the groups. The truth of it is I'm looking for someone who left yesterday and headed north. It is a personal favor to a friend of the court. If he has run afoul of these thieves..." Arthur didn't want to finish that statement. He had promised Gaius that he would bring Merlin back home, but the brigands had not left anyone alive to identify them so far.
"Sire, all the more reason to take someone with you." Borin insisted, in a quiet voice.
"No, Borin, I'm sure that nothing has happened. After all, the evidence we found yesterday showed that these thieves have moved on and it is you and your group who will need to stay sharp. I'll join you as soon as I can."
Borin nodded in acknowledgement, "Yes, Sire." He turned back to his contingent of men and they rode off toward the south and Glastonbury while Arthur headed north toward Ithandin.
Arthur knew that Merlin would most likely have kept to the forest while he was still close to Camelot, especially considering he had run away. Getting out after Curfew wasn't impossible, but it must have been very difficult. He tried to put himself in Merlin's place to figure out what path he would have taken, but he found it difficult to think differently than he would himself. Arthur was an excellent tracker but more than twenty four hours had passed since his servant had left the city and most traces of his path would have been wiped out by time and other travelers, not to mention the teeming wild life within the forest.
He thought he had picked up a likely trail not very far from the city but realized that it wasn't his missing man servant he had been tracking when he came across a used campfire that had been abandoned sometime during the morning. There were still warm embers underneath the dirt that had been kicked over the fire. He found foot prints that belonged to at least two different people proving that it wasn't a trail that would lead to Merlin, but it could have been left by the knight's quarry. Arthur paused for a moment trying to decide if he should go back and catch up with one of the parties he had sent searching the other areas around Camelot. If the thieves were still occupying the forest between Camelot and Ithandin to the north he could end up facing them alone and outnumbered. He now questioned his decision to not take at least one of his knights with him.
Arthur looked around the area to see if he could determine which direction the camp's occupants had gone and a trail of foot prints and broken branches clearly lead through the forest north and parallel to the main road. He may be alone, but he was Camelot's best fighter and he had the element of surprise on his side, so he got back on his horse and began to follow the trail north looking and listening intently for signs of either his wayward servant or the thieves plaguing the land.
It wasn't long before the undergrowth of the forest became too dense to pass easily on horseback so he veered to the left and took up the trek on the main road again. The morning air was cooler, if only by a few degrees, than it had been in weeks, which Arthur was grateful for. During the heat wave he had usually opted for a light linen shirt and trousers, but during their searches he wore his chain mail like the rest of his knights. Within an hour of riding even in the more moderate temperature of the day he began to feel the weight of his chain mail and tunic as sweat plastered his underclothes to his body, but he ignored the discomfort.
Arthur decided that sticking to the main road is what Merlin most likely would have done since he had left at night and would not be able to travel very effectively in the dark. Merlin was hopelessly clumsy, and he would have broken his neck trying to navigate the uneven forest floor without the benefit of daylight. The discovery of the recent camp fire still weighed on his mind when he saw the path off to his left that lead through Knavesmire Wood. It was a shorter distance to travel when headed north and he wondered if either Merlin or the thieves would have ventured through the wood. When this area was searched yesterday the knights had searched the east side of the forest along the road not venturing too closely to Knavesmire Wood. On instinct he kicked his heels into his horse's sides and entered the path leading through the forest.
As soon as he had lost sight of the main road the forest seemed to grow quieter bringing his senses to full alert. Something here felt off and he stopped and looked around the dense woods surrounding him. A slight flutter of wings ahead by a hundred yards and off to his left drew his attention. Suddenly he heard a man scream.
"Help!"
Arthur drew his sword and raced toward the sounds of distress at a fast gallop. The screaming continued, spurring him on faster. As he came around a thick patch of trees when the path turned sharply to the right someone jumped out in front of his horse causing the animal to rear up on its hind legs and Arthur had to hold the reins tightly to keep from being thrown. A second man was lurking in the trees not far beyond and waited for his moment. As the prince's horse reared up he shot the animal in the chest with a crossbow killing the horse instantly and causing it to fall completely over backward. Arthur dropped his sword as he tried to jump off of his horse, but it was too late. The one thousand pound horse keeled over backward taking Arthur with it and landed solidly on his left leg. He screamed in agony as he felt the bones in his lower leg snap like a brittle twigs.
"Excellent shot, Evan! We struck gold today. It looks like we've nabbed one of the royal guard or better yet one of the venerated knights of Camelot!"
The man who had shot the arrow climbed down from the tree he was perched in and approached casually. "So knight, are yeah out looking for us then?"
Arthur clamped down on his tongue to keep from screaming again as pain shot through his leg and threatened to render him unconscious. He reached for his second short sword on his right hip but Evan reached him first and easily took it. "Oh I don't think you'll be needin' this my Lord."
The first man was walking over toward the downed horse when his cohort stopped dead in his tracks. Evan looked more closely at Arthur as he fingered the short sword he had taken and his eyes opened wide. "This is no knight, Gavin. This here is none other than Arthur Pendragon, Crown-Prince of Camelot."
Merlin left the road not long after his encounter with the man and his mother and headed for Knavesmire Wood. Along the way he picked up a stout branch that was heavy and about as long as his arm to use as a weapon if necessary. The canopy of leaves and branches overhead only allowed dappled sunlight to filter through the trees and gave a closed feeling to the surrounding forest causing normal sounds to seem louder as he tried to make his way through the trees as silently as possible.
Once Merlin entered the Knavesmire Wood he quickened his pace a little more. He knew the area well enough, but found that he jumped at every sound and he began to wish he had stuck to the road. This gnawing sense of fear was so foreign to the young man because he always knew he could use magic to get him out of most situations. Now that he could no longer call on it as a form of defense, he truly understood how frightening the world must seem to ordinary people. His thoughts were interrupted when a deer jumped out in front of him as he passed by a huge gnarled old oak tree startling him so much he fell backward landing hard and dropping his branch. He instinctively tried to call forth magic as a shield and while not surprised that nothing happened, it deepened his sense of exposure in a harsh world filled with unseen dangers. Once he got his heart to stop racing he picked up his only weapon with shaky hands and got up deciding that jogging a little might not be a bad idea.
The fundamental problem with Merlin jogging through the forest was the fact that he was not particularly sure footed. The pack on his back did not help his balance at all, and by the third time he had tripped over a tree root or fallen branch and tumbled forward landing flat on his face he decided that perhaps running was more dangerous to his well being than the possibility of facing an unknown band of thieves. Stopping to catch his breath, the young man looked around and realized that this would be an unlikely place for thieves to encounter some unsuspecting traveler and felt a little better about choosing to take this route. If these brigands were targeting people to rob they would probably stick close to the main road. That man had said that the last three people who had run afoul of these men had been on the main road and he decided that perhaps he would stay within the cover of the trees even when he came out the other side of the Knavesmire Wood.
Once he had caught his breath, and still holding the branch he had picked up tightly, he began to walk through the trees toward the road south to Camelot. As he walked he heard birds chirping in the trees as well as small animals skittering around on the forest floor or up in the branches, no longer feeling startled by the normal noises the forest should have. He even stopped for a moment as he watched two brown squirrels chase each other round and round the trunk of a large maple tree. Their playful antics actually brought a smile to his face before he moved off and continued walking.
The sense of calm that slowly began to replace the striking fear was shattered with the sound of a desperate cry for help somewhere off in the distance. Merlin stopped dead in his tracks and listened hard. It was a man's voice he heard screaming for help and after only a moment's hesitation he gripped the branch tighter and began running, albeit carefully so as not to fall again, in the direction of the cries. As he drew nearer he heard a horse's whinny followed by a scream of pain in a voice he recognized only too well, and his heart clenched in horror. He slowed down long enough to drop his pack and then sprinted through the dense trees, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he pushed forward. Merlin had never heard Arthur scream like that, but he still recognized the voice as belonging to the Crown-Prince. An eagle overhead seemed to echo Arthur's scream sending a shiver down Merlin's spine.
He could now hear voices echoing through the forest not far ahead and he slowed, looking around. He had his branch but there were at least two men's voices. He was not a skilled fighter, and he had no magic to draw upon. The safest thing to do would be to turn and run in the opposite direction, but that thought never even formed in the young man's mind. He needed to save Arthur from these men who had murdered everyone that they attacked. He saw some fist sized rocks covered in soft moss next to a large tree and scooped one up as he moved closer.
Peering around the trunk of one of the large deciduous trees, Merlin took in the situation. Arthur was alive, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His horse was lying on its side on top of Arthur's left leg. His right leg was on top of the fallen horse leaving his hands free and he was trying to reach for his short sword on his right hip, but the man closest to him grabbed it from him first taunting him as he danced nimbly out of Arthur's reach. Arthur tried to trip the man only to grunt in excruciating pain, and Merlin realized that his leg underneath the horse must be broken.
The man closest to Arthur who had taken his sword peered more closely at the fallen man before he looked at his partner who was approaching from the other side of the dead animal.
"This is no knight, Gavin. This here is none other than Arthur Pendragon, Crown-Prince of Camelot." he said, with a hint of alarm in his voice.
The other man stopped and lifted up the saddle pack that dislodged when the horse had been shot and began looking through it carefully. "Evan, I do believe you are correct. Now isn't that interesting, what are you doing out all alone, Your Highness?"
Arthur ground his teeth against the pain and spat out. "You will be executed for this! The rest of the knights of Camelot are already on their way!"
Gavin turned to face the direction of the main road which was several hundred yards off through the trees, but heard nothing except the breeze and Arthur's panting breaths. "I don't really think that will be a problem, Sire, since you will be dead long before anyone could get here."
Merlin gripped the stone and the branch tightly and crept closer keeping a thick wild rhododendron bush between himself and the men. He may not be much of a fighter but he knew he could throw a rock with accuracy if he were close enough. Evan was pacing back and forth just out of Arthur's reach examining the blade of the short sword.
"This is a fine blade, I think I shall enjoy using it to kill you, unless..." the man paused looking around, and soon spotted Arthur's sword laying just behind him. "Here, Gavin, you can have this one." he said, and he tossed the short sword over to his partner. "Oh yeah, this one will do very nicely as well." he said, as he stepped away from Arthur and closer to Merlin to retrieve the broad sword.
Merlin froze behind the dense foliage praying that Evan wouldn't notice him there. If he were to have any success at saving Arthur from these two, he needed the element of surprise. Evan picked up the fallen sword and turned away from Merlin then moved back toward Arthur, while Gavin was busy looking through the saddle bag for other treasures or gold. This was the only opportunity he would get, so Merlin quietly stepped out from behind the bush and moved closer to the group keeping his eye on Gavin. If the man looked up he would see Merlin and it would be all over.
Arthur saw Merlin approach and his mouth opened wide in shock but he was able to cover the expression with a grimace as pain shot through his leg again. Merlin took careful aim at Gavin's head and threw the rock as hard as he could. As soon as the stone left his hand he ran forward and gripping the branch with both hands he swung at Evan's head connecting with a solid thunk that sent the man flying backward. Evan dropped Arthur's sword and Merlin bent to scoop it up, tossing the branch aside. He glanced at Evan noting that he was out cold, but Gavin was in the process of getting up and holding his head as blood ran from a gash in his temple. Merlin saw that he was reaching for the short sword and he ran forward brandishing Arthur's sword in an unwieldy manner. Gavin turned on him and saw how clumsily Merlin was holding the sword and laughed at him.
"Oh you've gone and done it now, boy. You will die before I kill your prince." He jeered, as he wiped blood from his eyes and began to circle Merlin like a cat ready to pounce on its prey.
Merlin tried to hold the sword the way Arthur had shown him, but the thing was quite a bit heavier than the practice swords they had used and it felt awkward in his hands. "I won't let you to hurt him." Merlin said, in a strong voice that held conviction, which surprised Gavin.
"You must be mad, boy. You would die to protect him?" Gavin asked, as he lunged at Merlin with the short sword.
Merlin anticipated the move and brought Arthur's sword down in a diagonal motion to successfully parry the blow. The sound of metal striking metal almost drowned out Merlin's reply.
"Yes."
The heavier and longer blade that Merlin had was a distinct advantage and the fact that the boy was tall and had long arms gave him a longer striking zone. Gavin was forced to move back a step as he considered his next move. He didn't know how skilled this boy was. He didn't seem to have the slightest idea how to properly swing a sword, yet he had adopted a solid defensive stance showing that he had at the very least gotten some sort of instruction at some point in his life. He needed to distract the boy to be able to get in close enough to strike without being impaled himself.
"Why would you die for him? What has he ever done for you, boy?"
Merlin matched each of Gavin's steps as he had done during his lesson with Arthur. "It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that I'll die before I let you hurt him."
Gavin smiled wickedly. "Suits me just fine, boy."
Arthur couldn't really see what was happening because the body of the horse blocked his view. He tried to sit up to see over the animal and supporting his upper body with his hands behind him he was able to see Merlin and Gavin from the shoulders up. "He's trying to distract you, Merlin. Remember what I taught you about turning a parry into a blow. You have the longer blade."
Merlin knew what Gavin was trying to do, and he watched his opponent carefully staying out of range of the shorter weapon. The man clearly knew how to handle a sword which made him a much more dangerous adversary.
"So you know the prince, do you, boy. Do you hope to become a knight some day; is that it?"
Merlin saw the hungry look in Gavin's eye as he advanced with a vicious attack. The man swung the short sword down in a quick arc but Merlin was able to meet that blow by raising his arms and turning his weapon horizontal. As their blades met with a loud clang he felt the reverberation down his arms. He tried to rotate his sword to place the flat surface against the short sword, but Gavin anticipated the beginner's move and raised the short sword straight up then back down with brutal force and speed causing Merlin to almost lose his grip on the hilt of the long sword.
Gavin took advantage of the split second it took Merlin to get a better grasp on the hilt of his sword and dodged forward trying to get under Merlin's guard and pierce him through the chest. Merlin reacted instinctively, and brought his arms down quickly; bending at the elbows. He managed to deflect Gavin's thrust with his sword hilt as he twisted his upper body the way he had seen Arthur do in their training session. Gavin pulled back quickly cutting a gash in the young man's forearm, but Merlin hardly noticed. He stepped back quickly and nearly tripped over a rock causing his arms to fly in an uncontrolled upward motion. The tip of the longer sword swung up with Merlin's hands as he cart wheeled his arms trying to maintain his balance, cutting a deep wound in Gavin's cheek from the corner of his mouth almost to his eye.
Merlin was so busy trying to keep his feet that he didn't even realize at first that he had injured the other man until he heard the scream of fury and pain. Gavin brought his hand up to his cheek and pulled it away covered in fresh blood.
"You'll pay for that, boy!" he shouted. In his anger he ran straight at Merlin swinging the short sword in quick slashing motions.
Merlin had gained his balance and kept his eye on the sword coming at him parrying each blow the best he could while backing up as the older man advanced with a brutally savage attack. As their positions changed with Merlin backing up, Arthur could now see both of the men fighting and realized that his servant wouldn't last very much longer. He didn't have the skill to defend against the frenzied attack for any length of time and every second brought the young man closer to his death. Arthur could see the branch that Merlin had used to knock out Evan just beyond his reach, and threw his body as far as he could off to the left reaching for the branch. Agony seared through his leg but he gritted his teeth through the pain and closed his hand around the end of the branch. Using every ounce of strength he could muster he threw the branch straight at Gavin's head while shouting, "Merlin, down!"
The branch flew end over end straight at the dueling pair. Merlin dropped to a low crouch holding his sword up in front of him with his left hand holding the blade like he did the training staff to block yet another downward blow from his opponent as the wood sailed over his head and clipped Gavin square in the face. Unlike the training staff the blade of Arthur's sword cut into the flesh of Merlin's ungloved hand when the blades met while Arthur fell back as the pain in his leg threatened to overcome him. Merlin hopped back up on his feet completely ignoring the wound in the palm of his hand, and pursued the man who had screamed in pain as the branch broke his nose. Even though he had staggered backward, Gavin had somehow managed to keep his sword. The fighters were once again blocked by the body of the horse, but Arthur wouldn't have seen them anyway as he fought to remain conscious.
Gavin was dazed and shaking his head trying to clear his vision. Merlin faced him in a decent offensive stance and raised his arms above his head to strike not realizing that Evan had regained consciousness and was creeping up behind him. As Merlin pulled his arms back to strike, his right elbow struck Evan hard on the bridge of his nose right where the branch had struck him earlier. Not expecting to hit anything, Merlin was caught off guard and looked over his shoulder to see Evan fall to the ground once again unconscious with blood literally pouring from his now twice broken nose.
While Merlin was distracted by Evan, Gavin regained enough of his senses to take advantage, and thrust his sword forward under the boy's raised arms. He aimed to pierce him through the middle of Merlin's body but his eyesight was fuzzy from the blow by the branch and his sword missed its mark piercing the young man off to the left side of his torso. Merlin cried out in shock and pain instinctively bringing his arms down in a fast slicing motion only marginally aware that he was still holding Arthur's sword. The length of the blade and his proximity to Gavin was the brigand's undoing. As Merlin's blade came down it cut diagonally across Gavin's chest ending at the mid point of his abdomen. The pain in Merlin's side coursed through his entire body and he lost his balance leaning forward, inadvertently running Gavin through. As the man toppled backward he still had a firm grasp of the short sword and it pulled out of Merlin's body as Gavin fell backward.
Merlin had let go of the sword he was using to clap his hands over the wound in his side, not fully aware that he had killed his opponent as he dropped to his knees, the world spinning wildly. He was breathing hard from pain and exertion and he just knelt there on the forest floor for a few minutes trying to regain his senses. Looking up, he saw Gavin lying flat on his back with Arthur's sword sticking up out of the middle of his body and Merlin frowned not knowing how he had managed to defeat his opponent. He didn't really remember stabbing the man. Then he thought about the other man, Evan. He turned his head quickly and looked over his shoulder but Evan also lay unmoving.
"Merlin! Merlin, what's happening?"
It took a moment for Merlin to register that Arthur was calling him. He looked down at his side seeing blood staining his tunic. He raised up his shirt and saw the wound where Arthur's short sword had pierced his side. It was about an two inches long from top to bottom and looked remarkably unimpressive except for a constant trickle of blood seeping from it. Gingerly he reached around to his back and felt a similar wound where the sword had gone through. He knew that he had to stop the bleeding before he passed out, but didn't know what he should do about it. He looked around and the only thing he could think to use was the jacket that Evan wore. He grabbed the short sword that remained in Gavin's lifeless fingers and crawled over to the unconscious man and wrestled the light tan jacket off of Evan. Using the short sword he cut the jacket along the body underneath the arms until he had a large rectangle of cloth which he folded up to use as a bandage pressing it against his side and wrapping it so that the wounds in the front and back were covered. Then he twisted the rest of the jacket into a wide strip that he wrapped around his waist before tying the arms together at his right side as tightly as he could. He bit down hard to keep from crying out in pain, but couldn't hold back the sharp hiss of breath as pain shot through his body.
"Merlin! What is it?" Arthur called frantically.
"Arthur? Are you alright?" Merlin gasped through clenched teeth.
"What happened to the man you were fighting?" Arthur's voice sounded strained as he tried to move so that he could see past his horse.
Merlin looked once again at the body of the man who had only moments before tried to kill him then he looked at Evan. "He's dead. Gavin is dead but the other one, Evan, he's just knocked out." Merlin replied, in a more controlled voice. The makeshift bandage was tight enough that it held his vertical wounds closed and had effectively stopped the bleeding. He made sure his tunic was pulled down over the bandage he had fashioned for himself before trying to move.
"Hang on Arthur, I'm coming."
Merlin took a deep breath and forced himself to stand up. He wobbled for a moment as he gained his equilibrium then staggered over to the dead horse and looked at Arthur from over the top of it. "We need to get you out from under the horse."
Arthur's face was covered in sweat and his eyes were filled with pain. "No, you need to tie up the one who is unconscious, before he wakes up. Use the saddle straps or the reins from the horse. Make sure you tie his arms behind his back as well as his legs."
Merlin looked at the saddle straps but decided the reins would work better and would be easier to get off the dead animal. Once he had removed the reins and cut them from the bridle he moved back to Evan. Tying his legs and his arms behind his back would be easy enough but he still worried that the man would get loose and come after them, so he dragged the man over to a tree nearby and propped him up into a sitting position. He pulled the man's arms around behind the tree and started tying them together even as Evan began to stir. Rather than tie the man's legs as well, Merlin decided it would be better to double tie his arms to ensure he couldn't get free.
He was breathing heavily by the time he finished but upon inspecting his wound he could see that the bandage was holding and the wound had not started bleeding again. When he finally made his way back to Arthur the prince was looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face.
"You killed a skilled swordsman and knocked out the other. Merlin, you never cease to amaze me."
The praise took the young man by surprise and he couldn't help smiling. "Yes, well my efforts won't do us any good unless we can get you out from under this beast."
Merlin knelt down next to Arthur and tried to shift the animal causing pain to shoot through Arthur's leg.
"Stop! Merlin, you idiot, this horse weighs about a thousand pounds, you can't move it! You'll have to go back to Camelot and get help."
Merlin looked down at Arthur then around at their surroundings. "I'm not leaving you here."
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Arthur screwed up his face in a grimace of agony and frustration. "You can't move the horse and even if you could, I can't walk. My leg is broken. You have to go get help."
Merlin shook his head refusing to leave Arthur. "No, Arthur, we have no idea if there is anyone else out here. You're trapped with no way to protect yourself."
Merlin sat back and quickly scanned the area looking for a solution to the problem. He spotted a dish sized flat rock off to the right. "I'll just have to dig you out from under the horse."
Merlin skittered across the ground and grabbed the rock then crawled back and began scraping the hard packed earth next to Arthur's trying to be careful not to touch the prince's leg.
"Merlin, even if you do get me out from under this horse how are you going to get me back to Camelot, I can't walk on this leg?"
Arthur's argument didn't dissuade Merlin as he continued to dig a trench along side the prince's injured limb. "We'll find some way to splint it, you can lean on me or hop on your good leg, or, or..."
"Or what, Merlin? You going to carry me all the way back to Camelot on your back? Arrgh, be careful will you?" Arthur shouted, as some ground gave way underneath his broken leg causing it to shift slightly.
"I don't know, I'll do what ever I have to, but I'm NOT leaving you here."
Arthur sat up realizing that Merlin was resigned to this course of action. He planned to reach under the horse and brace his leg as the young man continued to dig when he saw that Merlin's right arm was dripping with blood as was his left hand.
"Merlin! You're injured." Arthur exclaimed.
Merlin glanced down at his waist wondering if he had begun to bleed again when Arthur grabbed his right arm and turned it over so that his palm was facing up. His tunic sleeve was torn and a deep gash ran at least four inches down the length of his forearm oozing blood. Merlin hadn't even realized that his arm had been cut until that moment, and he stared at the wound feeling somewhat detached from what he was seeing. He reached over to his arm with his left hand which was also covered with blood from the cut he sustained while holding Arthur's sword above his head to block a blow from the short sword. The cut on his hand was not very deep, and wasn't bleeding profusely.
"Good Lord, Merlin, you need to get these bandaged."
Merlin reached up and took off his scarf and wrapped it around his arm. Arthur had to tie the ends together to affix it tightly. Once the scarf was tied tightly around Merlin's forearm the young man stood up and moved off through the woods.
"Merlin! Where are you going?" Arthur called after him alarmed by his hasty exit.
So far Arthur hadn't noticed the wound in his side, and Merlin wanted to keep it that way. If the prince knew about it, he would have ordered Merlin to leave him and return to Camelot on his own. He found his backpack where he had dropped it and rummaged through it looking for his brown jacket before he ran back with his pack to Arthur. He pulled the flask of mead out and handed it to Arthur.
"Here drink a bit of this. It should help a little with the pain."
Arthur looked at Merlin questioningly then sniffed experimentally at the flask. When he smelled the contents he raised his eyebrows and stared at his servant for a moment then took a swallow of the mead. He immediately began to feel warmth radiate throughout his body and the muscles in his leg relaxed a little.
"Where did you get this?" Arthur asked, handing the flask back.
"An old trader gave it to me. Look just lay back and try to relax."
Merlin set the flask back into his pack then picked up the rock again and began digging while Arthur lay on his back as the young man worked. It didn't take Merlin very long to get enough dirt removed to drag Arthur out. Then he sat back panting with the exertion as he dropped the rock and reached up to wipe sweat from his brow.
"Merlin, why did you tell that man - erm, Gavin, that you would die before you let him hurt me?"
Merlin dropped his hand and looked incredulously at Arthur. "You know..." he began exasperated, then stopped and took a calming breath at Arthur's expression. "Did it ever occur to you that if he thought I was willing to do anything to protect you, he might just back off?"
The look on Arthur's face was a mixture between shock, disbelief and exasperation. "You're not serious? No, Merlin it didn't. You really are an idiot!"
"Yeah well, you're welcome. Now let's get you out of here shall we?" Merlin got up and moved behind Arthur as he sat up and grabbed him under his shoulders. "Use your right leg and push." Merlin instructed.
Merlin pulled while Arthur pushed off the horse with his good leg and screamed in pain when his leg dropped down into the ditch that Merlin dug as it slid out from under the horse. With a mighty effort Merlin dragged Arthur back and away from the horse and laid him down since the prince had nearly passed out with the pain of the move.
Merlin immediately started looking around for anything he could use as a split to hold Arthur's leg steady. There were thick branches scattered around the area and he quickly found two that were about the same size, relatively straight, and almost as long as Arthur's lower leg. He would need to tie them on with something and opted to use the saddle straps which he cut off with Arthur's belt knife. Arthur was coming around as he placed the branches on either side of the prince's leg and fed the cut straps underneath.
"This is going to hurt." He said apologetically.
"Just do it." Arthur said, as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.
Merlin fastened the straps wincing as Arthur cried out in pain. He made sure the splint was secure and waited for Arthur's breathing to slow down.
"You okay?"
At first Arthur just nodded, not really having the voice to speak, but after a moment he drew a ragged breath and said, "Yeah, I'm alright. Come on help me up. Let's see if this is going to work."
It took them a couple of tries to get Arthur up and on his feet, but once he was up and got his balance on his good leg he felt a little better. The heavy branches were holding his leg straight even though they were shorter than his calf. Arthur threw his left arm over Merlin's shoulders while Merlin supported him around the waist taking as much of his weight as he could.
"Well, it's going to be a bloody long walk, so we'd better get going." Arthur said, and he began to hop on his good leg and lean heavily on Merlin as they left the horse and the brigands behind and headed toward the main road and Camelot.
TBC