Chapter 11
Once back in the town, Merlin sought out the one person who could best help him, the one person other than Gaius who knew his secret - Lancelot. The knight had been stunned by Merlin's words, but unlike Gaius, had believed everything Merlin told him. He did, however, suddenly find himself – as Merlin had done – filled with guilt, as he remembered with dismay his words to Gwen earlier that day. But he knew he must put those thoughts behind him and concentrate on helping Merlin in whatever way he could.
The two of them found it easy enough between them (especially with a spell or two) to distract the guards at the entrance to the vaults, and they were soon walking quickly through them by torchlight, with Merlin's spell Allinan opening any locked doors that stood in their way. They finally reached the crystal that had been put there for safe keeping, and Merlin stood looking at it as Lancelot glanced over at him. "And this will show you where Arthur is?"
Merlin nodded.
"And how does it work?"
Merlin stared at the crystal with a somewhat perplexed look on his face. "That is what I'm not sure about." He picked it up, and studied it carefully, turning it over slowly in his hands, but nothing was happening. He and Lancelot exchange worried looks.
"OK, we'll try something different…"
Lancelot watched closely as Merlin stared intently into the crystal and began intoning words of magic, and although they meant nothing to Lancelot, he did at least recognise the words "Arthur Pendragon" in the incantation that Merlin was using, and then he saw Merlin's eyes flash gold. Lancelot looked again at the crystal lying in Merlin's hand, and to his eyes the crystal still appeared like any other, but Merlin was smiling as he watched the image of an old stone building forming within the centre of the clear stone.
"Quick, give me the parchment"
Lancelot, who was still holding the torch, fumbled with his free hand in his pocket and drew out the parchment that Merlin had wisely asked him to bring with them.
The knight suddenly looked worried: "I haven't brought anything to write with."
Merlin grinned, "Believe me that isn't a problem!", and with that, he uttered a few more words of magic as he held his hand out over the parchment, and before their eyes, a perfect representation of the image in the crystal gradually became visible on it. They both looked at it keenly.
Merlin glanced at Lancelot, "Any ideas?"
"I've never seen it before. I have no idea where it is."
But a grin appeared on Merlin's face as an idea suddenly occurred to him. "But I know just the person who might. He's got himself thrown out of so many towns that there can't be many places left that he hasn't been! And I know exactly where he'll be now!"
Lancelot returned Merlin's grin, as he knew perfectly well who he was talking about, and the two of them ran back through the vaults.
Gwaine stopped mid-sentence as he glanced up and saw Merlin and Lancelot in the doorway looking around the crowded tavern, because he saw on both their faces something that he hadn't seen for ten days – purpose. Gwaine was already on his feet as they spotted him and they gestured to him above the noise of the tavern to meet them outside. Merlin saw the same look of stunned shock on Gwaine's face as he'd seen on Lancelot's, but all Gwaine said was, "And you're sure he's still alive?"
Merlin once again spoke quickly as he answered the knight's question, "Yes, but we haven't got much time", and he held out the piece of parchment to him. "This is where we think he's being held. Have you seen this place before?"
"Yeah, I know where that is. Passed it a couple of summer's back. I reckon it's no more than four hours hard ride from here, maybe less on good horses"
"Then we have to leave straight away – but we're going to need some more help. Lancelot – go and fetch Percival and Leon. Gwaine – get Elyan."
But before Gwaine made a move, he asked Merlin with a slightly perplexed look on his face, "Just explain to me again how we know that Arthur is alive in this castle. I'm a bit hazy on that part….."
"Gwaine, you're just going to have to trust me on this one - I haven't got time to explain everything" - which was also a convenient way of avoiding any questions that he couldn't give Gwaine an honest answer to. "But you can't let anyone know what we're doing. Don't tell anyone, not even Gwen – not till we get Arthur back safely. I'll see you at the stables with the others. Be quick, we have to leave as soon as we can."
As Merlin threw a few things together in a bag back in his room, Gaius came in and handed him a small bottle. "Here – take this."
"What is it?"
"If what you say is true, then I fear Arthur will need this. It will ease his pain."
Merlin grabbed it. "Thanks Gaius – I really have to go now!"
"Merlin - I know that I hardly need to say this, but…. Be careful. Your safe return is just as important as Arthur's….."
Merlin smiled, nodded, and ran out, but suddenly popped his head back around the door as an after-thought occurred to him.
"And please come up with some sort of story to explain all this for when I get back!"
And with that, he was gone, and in only a little more than an hour since waking from his dream, Merlin found himself alongside the five knights, riding at speed through the gates of Camelot and out into the night.
