Hello! I have a lot to say in this AN, sorry about that.
First, I wanted to talk a little about updating schedules. I think things are going to slow down a little after this. I wanted to get a lot up quickly, because this saturday I leave for a week long mission trip, and I will be computer-less for a week, so there will be no updates. I'm sorry about that. I hope that I will be able to get at least one more chapter up before I go, but I'm not sure I will manage much more than that. I have reached the part of the fic that is less planned out (seriously, in my plan for it I actually wrote training montage. Not exactly sure how that will manifest itself into words!).
In other news, I got my first bad review! So exciting! I have to say, I like good reviews a lot better, but this was interesting. And, I couldn't send the writer a message so I thought I would bring the issues they brought up, up here. Yami no Serena asked about a couple of plot holes, the first being why Merlin hasn't escaped with magic. I guess he might have been able to try to get out a little harder when he was with Arthur, really I just wanted more drama. Sorry. But after that he is either knocked out, or has been given a magic-suppressing drug. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear, but that was what was being forced down his throat the minute he wakes up. I guess that might have been a slight cop out, but I needed some way for the evil people to keep him under control. The other plot hole pointed out was that Merlin wouldn't have been able to leave Camelot, even if they could have all gotten out unnoticed, as he is still wearing the collar. Now, this is true, and I do address that in this chapter. To be completely honest, I wasn't thinking about it earlier as I knew Merlin wasn't getting out quite yet. I suppose the only excuse I can think of is maybe Merlin has forgotten about it? He has been wearing it for five months, maybe he just got caught up in the situation, and didn't think of all the consequences? Sorry about that, I will admit I wasn't even thinking about it. Yami no serena, if you are still reading, I hope this answers your questions? If not, maybe it will help someone else who was wondering the same thing.
And thanks to everyone who read, reviewed (even if it was bad), favorited, or alerted! I really appreciate your support, and take all of your feedback to heart!
And I don't own Merlin. Sorry about the long AN!
Chapter Nine: To the Rescue!
"You can talk!" Arthur exclaimed, staring at the dragon with disbelief.
"Yes, Arthur, talking is one of my many talents." The dragon said with a chuckle, "I'm guessing the young warlock told you about me, as you have not, as of yet, attempted to run me through."
"Merlin told me he about his father, and he said you could be helpful, but annoying. I trust him, so I won't attack you as long as you don't attack me." Arthur said, still a little skeptical about putting his trust in a dragon.
"That sounds like Merlin. He never did appreciate the way I spoke. You younglings have no patience."
"You said Merlin needs my help," Arthur said, trying to get the conversation back on track, "but what can I do? How can I help Merlin without just making the whole thing worse by getting captured as well? I can't fight against three magic users and their army on my own."
"Ah, but you won't be on your own, will you, young Pendragon?" The dragon said, "Has Merlin told you of your destiny?"
Arthur was already slightly confused. He wondered if this was what Merlin meant when he said the dragon could be slightly annoying. "He might have mentioned it, why?"
"Arthur, it is your destiny to unite the lands of Albion, and bring magic back to these lands. It is Merlin's destiny to protect you from magical threats, and help you see that magic is not what your father believed it to be. Morgana is the darkness to the light you and Merlin will bring to this land, the hatred to the love that you share. I want you to be successful, Arthur. I want to see the land you and Merlin will create. I will aide you in any way I can, Once and Future King. And I will do whatever I can to help you free the young warlock."
Arthur gazed appraisingly at the dragon. This would turn the tables. Morgana wouldn't be able to stop a dragon. "Could you take me into Camelot?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, young Pendragon. Although I hope you understand that I am not a horse. I am doing this to bring about a better future, not to service you." The great dragon replied, with a slightly arrogant tone.
"Thank you. Do you think you could carry both me and Merlin? I know where he is, Morgana left him above the main courtyard, if we fly in now, we could take them by surprise, I could cut him loose while you hold back any soldiers, and then you could fly us both back out here? Is that possible?"
The dragon gave Arthur an appraising look, before saying, "Yes, that is possible. Your plan is simple, but I believe that it will work. To be successful, we will need to make one stop first. Thank you, young Pendragon, for trusting in Merlin enough to not let hatred corrupt you as it has so many others."
"What do you mean we will need to make a stop first? Wouldn't it be best if we got to the castle before the sun rises?" Arthur asked.
"Maybe, but there is a weapon you will need in order to free Merlin. I will take you to it, it will not take long."
Arthur wasn't sure how he felt about flying.
On one hand, it was amazing. He felt so free with the wind blowing around him, looking down at the miniscule trees as the dragon glided over them. But, on the other hand, it was terrifying. With a horse he had some level of control, but here, he had to completely rely on the dragon. If the beast wanted to, it could spin and Arthur would probably fall to his death. And this was the same beast that had attacked his city about three years ago. He trusted Merlin, and Merlin seemed to believe the dragon was good, but Arthur was not sure he completely trusted the dragon yet. The dragon had been flying for quite a while before he set down in the middle of a forest. Arthur climbed off, sliding shakily to his feet, happy to be back on solid ground, before he turned to the dragon and asked, "Where is this weapon?"
"Go through those trees." The dragon said, "There you will find a sword stuck in a stone. Only you can pull it out, and only it can free Merlin from the chains that bind him."
Arthur walked into the forest, as the dragon watched but did not follow. It did not take him long to find the sword. The sun had begun to rise, and the area around the sword stabbed into a large boulder was filled with mist. Arthur thought this was crazy. There was no way he was going to be able to retrieve that sword. It appeared to be fused in the rock. But, he had already ridden on a dragon today, which was pretty crazy in and of itself, and Arthur was prepared to try anything if it meant Merlin's safety.
So, Arthur walked forward to the rock. He placed both hands on the blade's hilt, and pulled. Nothing happened. He stared angrily down at the sword and pulled harder, but still, the sword remained fixed. He removed his hands, glaring at the sword. He needed it to rescue Merlin, according to the dragon, so he could not just leave it here. He closed his eyes, reached one hand forward, grasping the sword's handle just like he would any other, and gently pulled upwards, as if he was simply extracting the sword from its sheath. This time, the sword did not remain stuck. It rose up out of the rock, until he was holding it above his head, and it was gleaming in the sunlight that had spilled into the small clearing.
Arthur ran back out to the dragon, holding the gorgeous sword aloft.
"Well done, young Pendragon." The dragon said. "When we get to Merlin, you need to use that sword to cut through the collar around his neck. Only a magical blade will be able to free him from the device Morgause made, and he will not be able to leave Camelot with it. That sword was made for you, Arthur, use its power wisely."
Arthur nodded and said, "I will." He then removed his old sword from its sheath, replacing it with the sword he had just pulled from the stone, and climbed on the dragon's back so they could continue their journey to Camelot.
The sun had finished rising on their journey to Camelot. Arthur supposed the others would be waking soon. He hadn't really thought about them when he had climbed onto the dragon's back, his main concern being Merlin, but now he worried, what would happen when they woke up to find him gone? He hoped they wouldn't fret too much. He probably should have left a note or something. Maybe they would just think he had wanted to be alone after yesterday's news? Well, it was too late now. He was already over half way to the castle. There was no stopping now.
There were a few people in the streets as the dragon approached Camelot. Some of them ran screaming as the dragon soared over them. The guards had obviously seen them as well, but they looked unsure what to do about the giant beast descending on Camelot. Then the dragon came to a stop, hovering above the courtyard, and Arthur saw Merlin.
He was hanging limply, his wrists chained to two posts, his feet dangling in the air. There was blood dripping down from where the manacles were encircling his wrists. His head was slumped against his chest, which made sense, Merlin must be exhausted. He would have been left like this all night! The two guards who had been stationed behind him had run when they realized this was where the dragon was headed. Apparently the appearance of the great dragon had startled Merlin enough to cause him to raise his head. When he did, Arthur saw that he had been gagged as well. His eyes were hazy and unfocused, but they seemed to glimmer a little when he saw the dragon hovering in front of him. The dragon lowered its head, allowing Arthur to climb off onto the balcony. Arthur quickly pulled Merlin's legs over the railing, allowing him to put some of his weight on something besides his wrists.
"Don't worry." Arthur whispered to him, "I'm going to get you out of here."
Arthur then unsheathed his new sword and began working at releasing Merlin's right wrist. The blade sliced through the chain's as if they were cloth. It was incredible. Merlin had collapsed slightly when his right arm was released, his body too exhausted to hold its own weight. Arthur quickly turned towards the left arm, now the only thing holding Merlin off the ground. He sliced through that chain as well, then moved to catch Merlin as he slumped against the railing. Just as he got Merlin free from the chains, he heard a disturbance behind him. He turned around to see Morgana marching towards him, followed by a group of her knights. She raised her hands to cast a spell, but before she could the dragon sent a burst of flames over Arthur's head, towards her. While she was distracted by the flames, Arthur carefully sliced through the collar secured around Merlin's neck. It was tricky, he had been so worried he was going to accidently hurt Merlin more, but the sword felt so right in his hands, and it sliced through the collar without leaving a scratch on Merlin. With the collar now broken, Arthur was able to pull it apart and toss it away from Merlin. The stripe of raw, pink skin that had been lying underneath the collar made Arthur's blood boil. He wanted to hurt Morgana, but he knew that wasn't important right now. For now, he just needed to focus on getting Merlin out. Then they could work on a plan to get back at Morgana, but only when Merlin was safe.
The flames above him had begun to falter, so Arthur wrapped his arm around Merlin, and then pulled him over his shoulder just as the flames stopped. He then hastily climbed back onto the dragon, before Morgana could recover from the attack. He carefully adjusted Merlin, pulling him down in front of him as the dragon slowly rose into the sky, away from the angry witch casting spells on them from the balcony bellow. Nothing was working for Morgana though, as the spells just bounced off the dragon's strong hide. No wonder he hadn't been able to fight it, Arthur thought. If not even magic could defeat the beast, he and his knights had stood no chance. He was very glad Merlin had been with them, or they would probably all be dead.
Before they flew away, Arthur turned back to the crowed that had gathered in the courtyard when the commotion had started, and yelled, "People of Camelot! Morgana's reign has been harsh and cruel! She punishes the innocent for crimes they did not commit, as she has been blinded by her hatred! If you wish to fight back, I will fight with you! I will not let her injustice continue! No more innocents will be harmed by her wickedness. I, Arthur Pendragon, am the rightful king, but I fight for you, not for the power, or the throne. My only wish is to serve this land and its peoples. I promise you, citizens of Camelot, soon your suffering will come to an end!" With that, the dragon soared up into the sky, taking them far away from the city that had he still called home.
As they flew, Arthur removed the gag from Merlin's mouth, and hugged the warlock to him. Merlin's body was limp in his arms. He simply folded to whatever position Arthur held him in, never adjusting or clinging to anything. Arthur was worried. He wanted to get to the ground quickly so he could examine Merlin more carefully. The dragon seemed to understand, and was flying as quickly as possible toward the clearing they had taken off from.
It wasn't long before the dragon landed, and lowered its neck, allowing Arthur to slide off and pull Merlin with him. He carefully laid Merlin out on the grass to take a better look at him. As he lowered his face near Merlin's to inspect the scratches that ran across his cheeks that hadn't been there the last time he had seen him, Merlin said in a voice so weak it almost brought tears to Arthur's eyes, "Arthur, what are you doing here? You can't be dead. I got you out!"
Arthur brought his hand down to cradle Merlin's check as he replied, saying, "I'm not dead, Merlin, and neither are you. I'm not going to let anyone take you away from me ever again."
"But Morgana was so angry. She said she was going to kill me. But it was worth it, Arthur. It was worth it to know you were going to survive. So you can't be here. You must be a hallucination." Merlin said. His voice was barely a whisper. Arthur had to lean in to hear him.
"Let's not start this again, Merlin. It really is me. You are safe. We got you out of there, and I am going to make sure no one ever hurts you again."
Merlin turned his head slightly, so he could see who Arthur meant when he said "we."
"Kilgarrah! Now I know I'm hallucinating. There is no way you two could work together! This is a nice hallucination though." Merlin slowly turned his head back towards Arthur and asked, "Do you think you could stay with me until it is over?"
"Merlin, I will never leave your side again, but nothing is ending. I'm going to take you back to the knights, and Gwen, and Gaius. I'm sure Gaius will know exactly what to do to make you feel better, and Guinevere will make you some delicious food with the meat the knights catch. And I will stay by your side, and take care of you. You are going to be fine Merlin. Please believe that this is real."
"Believe him, Merlin." Kilgarrah said. "Your destiny is not complete yet, you need to keep fighting for it."
Merlin was still looking at them with a hazy smile. It seemed there was no arguing with him in his delirious state. So Arthur did what he had wanted to do more than anything. He pulled Merlin's head up, and pressed their lips together. Tears were streaming from his eyes onto Merlin's face. He held them together, trying to force Merlin to see that this was real. Merlin had fixed him with a kiss, maybe he could do the same. When he finally pulled away from Merlin, and gently laid his love back down on the ground, Merlin said, "Arthur, is that really you?"
"Yes! Yes, Merlin, it really is. You're safe now, do you see that?"
"Yes. Thank you Arthur. And thank you, Kilgarrah."
Arthur had almost forgotten about the dragon, he had been so worried about Merlin. He turned back to the dragon and said, "I need to take him back to our camp. He needs food and water, and the others will probably be wondering where I am."
"Of course," the dragon responded, "and I will be nearby if you ever need my help again. All you need do is call."
With that the dragon flew up out of the clearing, leaving Arthur and Merlin alone. Arthur scooped Merlin up, holding him against his chest. He began to walk back towards his camp as quickly as he could.
Merlin was too light. Arthur decided this as he walked back in the direction he was pretty sure the camp was. Suddenly the silence was broken when Merlin mumbled, "Arthur, I am really not going to die?"
"No, Merlin." Arthur replied, "Not yet. I'm not going to let that happen."
"Thank you." Merlin said weakly. He leaned his head against Arthur's chest, and was silent for a little longer before he asked, "Is everyone alright?"
"Yes. We are all fine. You made sure of that. Next time, though, don't put yourself in danger to save us. I couldn't live without you. Now, stop talking. You need water. If you keep talking you're just going to make it worse."
"Yes, mother." Merlin said with a smile, but he complied. Arthur was beginning to worry. He hadn't had to walk this far last night, had he? Everything looked different now that it was light. He was about to try a different direction when he heard Lancelot calling out his name.
"Lancelot!" Arthur called back, "I'm over here!"
The knight came crashing through the bushes at the sound of Arthur's voice. While he approached he said, "Arthur! Where have you been! We've been looking-"
Lancelot's jaw dropped when he reached Arthur and Merlin. Arthur began saying, "I've been a bit busy" before he was interrupted by Lancelot rushing to his side and calling out, "Merlin! Are you ok? How did you get out?"
"Hi Lancelot." Merlin said quietly.
"I thought I said no more talking until we get you some water." Arthur chastised, while Merlin just grinned back at him, then Arthur turned back to Lancelot and said, "It's a fabulous story, of my bravery and glory, but right now we need to get Merlin back to camp."
"Of course!" Lancelot said, jumping around and heading back in the direction he had come. Arthur followed, trying to keep the lower branches from hitting Merlin as they walked through the forest.
When they reached the camp, Lancelot called out, "Look who I found!" causing Gaius, Guinevere, and Elyan to turn from the fire they had been sitting around and look up at the new arrivals. The rest of the knights must have still been out searching for him, Arthur thought, a slight amount of guilt building in his stomach. But having Merlin back in his arms was worth it.
Guinevere began to say Arthur's name, but stopped mid way through, switching priorities when she realized who Arthur was carrying. What she ended up saying sounded something like, "Arth..MERLIN!" As her, Gaius, and Elyan rushed to them.
"He needs water." Arthur said before Merlin even had a chance to respond.
Guinevere ran back to the small fire-pit, where they had arranged all the supplies the knights had "borrowed" from some of the wealthier citizen of Camelot on their trip in yesterday, and grabbed a silver tankard they had filled with water. She then rushed back over to Arthur and Merlin, careful not to spill a drop, and slowly poured the water into Merlin's mouth while Gaius held his head up to keep him from choking. Merlin took four large gulps before Gaius instructed Guinevere to take the goblet away, lest Merlin take too much and become sick. As the goblet was removed from his mouth, Merlin turned his head and said, "Thanks, Gwen."
Arthur was happy to hear that Merlin's voice did sound a little better now that he had drunk something. Arthur carefully carried Merlin nearer to the fire, and gently laid him down on the ground, then sat next to him, maneuvering so Merlin's head lay on his leg instead of on the ground. Gaius followed him and sat down by Merlin's stomach, and began to assess Merlin's injuries. While Gaius checked him over, Arthur fed Merlin small pieces of a soft loaf of bread the tavern owner had given to Percival and Elyan when they said they would be joining the rebellion, and needed supplies. After Merlin had taken a few bites, he fell asleep, and Arthur began to run his fingers through his untidy black hair and asked Gaius, "Will he be alright?"
Gaius smiled at the prince and said, "He should be fine. He is slightly malnourished, and both his shoulders seem dislocated. It will be a while before he is at full strength again, but he should make a full recovery. I have been treating the injuries he received from Morgana, Morgause, and Mordred for quite a while now, so I know that they have all healed nicely. There will be scars from his time spent with them, but otherwise he will be fine."
Arthur just nodded and went back to stroking Merlin's forehead. Elyan and Lancelot had gone out to find the other knights and tell them to Arthur had been found, leaving himself, Merlin, Gaius, and Guinevere to sit and wait for them to come back. Apparently whoever had found Gwaine had failed to tell him that Arthur had brought Merlin back as well, as they heard the knight approach the camp yelling, "Arthur you spoiled brat, do you know how worried we've been? I had to spend the whole day stomping through a stinking swamp, trying to find you, you…" Gwaine's angry rant stopped when he entered the camp and saw Merlin, who was no longer sleeping, staring up at him from Arthurs lap. "Bloody hell." The knight whispered before rushing over and sitting in front of Arthur so he could be near Merlin's head. "Merlin! It's so good to see you! Are you alright, mate?"
"Yeah, I think so." Merlin said with a smile, "It's good to be out of that castle."
"Couldn't agree with you more." Gwaine said, patting Merlin's arm gently. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"You could pass me the water." Arthur said in a commanding tone. "As long as you're awake, Merlin, you should drink more."
Merlin nodded, as Gwaine moved to get the goblet. Arthur held the goblet in one hand, and Merlin's head in the other, and made sure Merlin drank a good amount in small sips. When about half the water was gone, Arthur set the goblet down, and asked Gwaine, "Where are the others? Do you know about how long it will take before they get back?"
"Lancelot found me." Gwaine said. "Told me you were back so there was no need to keep searching. He kept going to look for Leon. I was looking in the north-east direction, Leon was taking north-west. Lancelot said Elyan went out to look for Percival, who had been traveling south-west, so they should be back soon. Lancelot and Leon might still be a while, though."
Arthur nodded and turned to Merlin, saying, "You should get some more sleep. I'll wake you when everyone is back."
"Only if you give me a goodnight kiss!" Merlin teased, lifting his neck slightly and puckering his lips. Gwaine chuckled at Merlin's expression as Arthur gently pushed his head back down, saying, "Sleep, Merlin."
"If you say so, your highness." Merlin replied. Arthur always wondered how Merlin could make that title sound like such an insult, but at least he was following orders. Merlin had closed his eyes and was snuggling back against Arthur's leg.
Percival had not been as noisy as Gwaine was when he and Elyan reentered the camp, so Merlin was able to sleep until Leon and Lancelot got back. Leon had been quite excited to see Arthur, and had woken Merlin with his loud exaltation that both Arthur and Merlin were alright. It was probably for the best though, as Gaius had made some soup he believed would help Merlin regain his strength, and it was about time for them to eat. Arthur gently helped Merlin move so he was sitting up against a tree. Although he could now stand with assistance, Merlin's arms were still very sore and could not move without causing Merlin great pain, so Arthur took it upon himself to feed him. As they ate Arthur told the story of how he had met with the dragon, and how they had flew into the city to rescue Merlin. He showed them all the sword, and notice a strange look pass over Merlin's face as he explained how he had pulled it from the stone. As the sun began to set, Arthur helped Merlin move over to one side of the fire, and together they fell asleep, Arthur holding Merlin close to keep him safe and warm.