Hello, readers! This was supposed to be the last chapter, but I've decided to extend it a few more chapters so that I can capture the ending entirely and in detail instead of rushing! Prepare for maybe one or two extra chapters! Thanks for all your patience and for leaving your lovely reviews! Here's the next installment!
The knights were sprinting through the forest, swords raised. Their senses were heightened, all of them feeling a strong intuition they were nearing Merlin and Arthur, and, in turn, danger.
"Come on, boys!" Gwaine kept their morale up, "Almost there, I can feel it!"
"What are we running to?" Percival asked under his breath.
"Nothing good," Elyan responded cryptically, with a straight face.
"Listen!" Leon shouted.
All of them screeched to a halt, ears alert and ready. The sounds of swords clashing and gruff fighting caught on the wind.
"Quick!" Leon called them forward, running towards the direction of the sounds. The commotion grew louder as they neared. All of their hearts were pumping with adrenaline and a necessity to help their missing friends.
"What...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?"
That ferocious growling voice made the knights flinch. It was filled with anger and power.
The four knights exploded into the clearing just in the knick of time. All of their mouths dropped, eyes wide open in shock at the sight before them.
A towering, deformed knight stumbled and clutched its dented helmet. The armor was a churning, midnight black. There was blood dripping from beneath the chest piece. At the terrifying knight's feet they saw an unconscious Merlin and Arthur sprawled on the floor.
Gwaine was always driven by emotion. Seeing his two friends listless on the floor got his blood boiling.
"Hey!" he shouted angrily, voice full of challenge.
The Black Knight turned at the sound. His maniac eyes targeted the four knights at the edge of the treeline. All were adorned in their signature Camelot armor, all of their expressions reflecting bravery and determination.
"You let our friends go," Gwaine's voice was a calm tone underlying with inconceivable anger, "or you will face my blade."
The Black Knight pondered the offer for a moment. He saw the puny knights before his towering form. Surely he could defeat these few easily? From his belt, he slid out his deadly black blade with a shink.
Gwaine gulped, but held his ground.
The Black Knight charged like a raging bull.
Percival, Elyan, Gwaine, and Leon met the advance, swords raised.
Metal clanged against metal as they surrounded the fearsome knight, dodging his wide strikes and powerful thrusts. They felt their arms quivering with effort in blocking the heavy sword of the eight foot tall knight.
All of them kept casting glances at their fallen friends, worried for their safety, but they had to disarm and defeat this monster before it brought harm to any of them or the rest of Camelot.
Leon began to notice that ever so often, the Black Knight would wince. His leg would buckle for a moment or he'd growl with an unseen pain. And was it just him or was he getting...smaller?
"Keep it up, boys!" Percival shouted, noticing the changes as well, "He's tiring!"
The four knights continued their brave fight until the towering, giant Black Knight had reduced to the height of a regular man. He fell to one knee, clutching his chest, no match for the four trained knights.
Gwaine held the tip of his sword at the Black Knight's throat.
"Do you concede?" he spat.
The Black Knight didn't respond at first. He just watched silently as Percival and Elyan immediately ran towards their fallen friends once they were sure Leon and Gwaine could keep the mercenary subdued.
"Answer me!" Gwaine repeated forcefully.
The Black Knight dropped his midnight sword, a sign of his surrender. Leon quickly kicked it away.
The assassin was breathing heavily, his arm tucked under his chestpiece. More blood was spilling from beneath his armor.
"Get him to his feet," Leon said with a cold stare, "we're taking you to the King."
The Black Knight's head was dipped, refusing to speak. Percival, being the biggest knight, kept his bound and in his sights. The injured mercenary was able to trudge on his two feet, but was stumbling on account of his injury and the major damage to his body from the magical enhancements. He was leaning forward, chest heaving, but refusing to speak or give in. He would see King Uther.
Meanwhile, Elyan, Gwaine, and Leon ran to their friends' sides.
"Merlin!" Gwaine shook the young sorcerer's shoulder, "Merlin, can you hear me?"
"Arthur!" Leon did the same.
Both were unresponsive.
"Quickly," Elyan ordered, "Gwaine, grab Merlin. Leon and I will take Arthur. We must get them to Gaius."
The three knights acted quickly. Gwaine grabbed Merlin from his underarms and started to pull him. Elyan took Arthur's legs and Leon grabbed his head. Percival watched them earnestly, keeping a close eye on the Black Knight.
"Don't worry, Merlin," Gwaine mumbled to his unresponsive friend, "You'll be alright."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Gaius hadn't slept all night. He was already worried sick when it had been over a day without any word or appearance from Arthur and Merlin. King Uther didn't want to show his worry, embarrassed that he had to admit to Gaius that he was right and that he should have dispatched knights to search for his missing son and Gaius' charge. Finally, after forcing to delay the feast, he called upon Gaius. The old healer revealed to the King that he hard already sent Sirs Gwaine, Percival, Leon, and Elyan earlier to search for Arthur and Merlin. Remarkably, Uther had not seemed so unnerved that Gaius had sent the knights off without his permission. He trusted Gaius, and he was glad that he could report to the citizens of his kingdom that he had taken action earlier than he actually did (taking credit for Gaius' quick thinking).
He wasn't expecting an insistent knock at his door early in the morning. Gaius rushed towards the door, opening it to find three knights and an unconscious Arthur and Merlin.
"Gaius," Gwaine breathed heavily from the effort, "we need your help."
"Get them inside, quickly," he ordered, already racing to grab his supplies.
Gwaine dragged Merlin across the doorstep. Elyan left Leon for a moment to help Gwaine hoist the young sorcerer onto the table. Elyan grabbed his legs, Gwaine his arms, as they laid him flat. Next, the three knights helped Leon carry Arthur onto the table beside them.
"Elyan," Gaius called.
"Yes?" the knight was attentive.
"Please, go awaken your sister for me," Gaius asked urgently, "I will be needing her help."
"Of course," he nodded, disappearing out the door in a hurry.
Gaius piled his materials on the tables, getting his healing herbs and tools ready.
Leon and Gwaine looked tired, both of them panting. They had to race back to the kingdom, carrying Merlin and Arthur for a few miles back to Camelot.
"Where is Percival?" the healer asked.
"Leading the prisoner to the dungeons," Leon's face darkened.
"Prisoner…?"
Gwaine turned away, "A mercenary sent to kill Arthur and Merlin. We managed to capture him before he could finish the deed. He is injured, he will need your services later."
"Right," Gaius nodded, "then I must work quickly."
"I'm here," a soft voice called from the doorway.
They all turned to see Gwen enter. She was still blinking the sleep from her eyes, dressed in a nightgown, but she was ready. Elyan trailed after her, dressed in his knightly garb just as the rest of his companions.
"I will go help Percival situate the prisoner," Elyan told Gwaine and Leon, "we will alert the King immediately that Prince Arthur and Merlin is home."
Leon nodded in thanks as Elyan left.
"I will need the rest of you here," Gaius said, not looking up from cleaning his tools, "to help me."
"Of course."
"Absolutely."
"At your service."
"Gwen, please get me two cool towels."
She did as she was asked, placing one on both Merlin and Arthur's foreheads. She lingered for a moment by Arthur, staring at his pale, dirt-stricken face. She turned away before the others could notice.
Gwaine helped remove Arthur's armor, revealing a deep wound on his sword arm. Their eyes widened in alarm, but Gaius seemed cool and composed. Immediately, he examined the large gash.
"Hm," he said, "it seems that he was able to fight infection."
"How?"
"I see traces of herbs here, like a poultice. I think Merlin may have been treating the wound with whatever supplies he could gather. He probably saved Arthur's arm, if not his life."
"Thank the heavens for Merlin," Gwaine sighed, looking at him on the table.
"As I work on Arthur's arm, Gwen please check Merlin for any injuries."
"Right away."
It was difficult to multi-task. It was Arthur and Merlin, the King's prized son or Gaius' own charge. He had to treat them both at the same time, and he had a patient in the dungeons. Usually, he had Merlin to assist him, but now he had two tired knights and a royal servant. Each of them were good in heart and ready to help, but none had proper experience.
"I see a wound on his side," Gwen announced, "it doesn't seem deep, just superficial."
"I have a mixture of echinacea, ginger, and honey on the table. Lightly spread it across the wound then bandage it tightly. Gwaine, you may help her."
The knight assisted her in spreading the ointment over Merlin's bloody gash. He didn't make any movements. Gwaine wrapped his flank in a tough gauze.
"What's this?" Gwen narrowed her eyes, observing something on Merlin's neck.
"What?" Gaius asked, still bent over Arthur's arm.
"There seems to be a puncture wound at this neck."
"A puncture wound…?" Gaius looked up, perplexed, "Leon, hold this for me."
The knight obeyed as the healer ran to Merlin's side. He, Gwen, and Gwaine all observed the little prick mark at his neck.
"Very strange…"
"Could he have been injected with something?" Gwaine asked, gulping.
"I hope not," Gaius' expression darkened, "it could be anything. Poison, toxin-"
"It's not," a new voice said.
All their heads turned. Leon jumped back in alarm.
Arthur groaned from the table, trying to sit up. Gwen rushed to his side, easing him back down.
"Arthur?" Gwaine gulped, "Are you alright?"
"How's Merlin?" he said immediately, swaying slightly.
"I don't know just yet," Gaius replied, walking towards him, "I'm about to treat both of you. Please, lie back. I'll give you something to rest comfortably."
Arthur's eyes widened, "The Black Knight? Where is he? Is he here?"
"Percival and Elyan have restrained him. He's in the dungeons," Leon responded.
Gaius returned with a strong, herbal tea. Arthur took a few sips, feeling the warmth spread through him.
"Arthur, can you tell me what Merlin was injected with?" Gaius asked.
"It happened the second morning," Arthur breathed heavily, the medicine taking effect, "he came out of nowhere…"
Gwaine, Gwen, and Leon all traded glances with one another.
"Go on," Gaius encouraged.
"We don't know what was in it. It seemed to be a tranquilizer, but I think Merlin is hiding something from me. I can tell by the look in his eyes."
"As long as it's not fatal," Gwaine breathed a sigh of relief.
Within seconds, Arthur was asleep again. Though, his information was more than useful. Gaius would have to question them later.
He got to work. First, he reapplied a new poultice on Arthur's deep cut. He kept the arm extended. A few ligaments were torn, but thankfully no major, permanent damage. Gaius stitched up the wound using a thing thread to prevent further blood loss. His arm would eventually heal if he kept reapplying the ointment and restrained it in a sling for a short while.
He was covered in bruises and cuts, probably from the dangers of their expedition. He would get all those details later.
Next, he moved on to Merlin. Now that Arthur seemed stable, he asked for Gwen to give him some water to recover from his malnutrition. She did so gingerly. Sir Leon and Gwaine were sitting beside the fire, recovering themselves. They also worked and rode hard to find their friends. Now, that they seemed to be in a better position, they decided to take a moment to themselves until they were to lead Gaius to the dungeons to see the Black Knight as Arthur called him.
Gaius treated the long, superficial wound on Merlin's flank. Then, he examined the cut and large bruise on his hairline. He was also covered in small cuts and bruises from their journey, and that puncture wound still worried him.
Both of his patients were exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. Now, it was a matter of when they'd both awaken.
"I've done all I can do," Gaius dipped his head. Almost two hours had gone by since both were brought inside. He looked towards the two knights who stood, "Take me to the prisoner."
They dipped their heads, both of them wary, but Gaius was ready to face him. Gwen would stay behind to watch the two while they were gone.
"This way," Sir Leon directed them, "to the dungeons."
Leave me a fav/follow/review!