A/N: Thank you guys so much for your fantastic reviews! Please keep them coming, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks to all from the bottom of my heart! Here is the next chapter. It is shorter than the others, but I decided that a cliff-hanger was in order, so I stopped early. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of its characters. I only own Jen, since she's my OC and I made her up when I got bored.
It was the next morning by the time I had woken up. I was fully awake, but I had my eyes closed. Last night I had the weirdest dream! I was in Camelot with Arthur and Merlin and Lancelot. I laughed at my silliness. Time travel is impossible, Jen!
"What's so funny?" a soft, sweet voice asked. My eyes shot open and I sat up to see Guinevere sitting my breakfast tray on a table. She was wearing a yellow dress and was smiling brightly. I couldn't help but smile back. Now I felt foolish for thinking that I dreamt my trip to Camelot up. Even I wasn't that creative, although I did once have a dream that I was on a date with Connor Temple in the Canary Islands…
"I heard that the search didn't go very good." Gwen commented when I didn't answer her first question.
"Thanks for the meal, but no, the trip didn't go very good. We ran into some… road blocks." I said, not daring to mention Lancelot. Looking around my room I saw a sword on my table. "What's that doing in here?" I asked while scratching my messy hair.
"Oh, Arthur wanted me to tell you to meet him in down at his usual training place today at noon." Gwen told me. "When I asked why he just said that he though your swordsmanship needed work. He must really care for you." She smiled at me and winked. "Good luck." The future queen walked out of the room and I laid back and buried my face in my pillow.
I can't believe I'm flirting with her future husband and future king of Camelot! Goodness, my parents didn't want me to date anyone who was more than a year older than me and here I am, in Camelot, falling in love with a man who's about two thousand years older than me! What am I thinking? That's just it; I'm not.
I took a glance at the big clock on the outside of my room window. It was almost noon, so I got moving. I slipped on some pants and my tank-top. I had a feeling that I was going to be getting hot so I also pulled my hair up, grabbed a bite of bread and walked out the door with the sword in hand. This was going to be interesting. I was getting sword training from King Arthur himself. How many people- that are alive- can say that?
When I got to his training field, I heard yelling. My heart raced.
"I can't believe you kept that from me!" Arthur yelled.
"I'm sorry, but you looked mad. It wasn't exactly the best time to say anything." Merlin defended.
"I told you different things that I would never tell anyone else. How could you keep this big secret from me?" the prince shot again. I decided I should probably step in before a guard heard their little quarrel.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's all this about?" I asked swinging the sword around. They stopped instantly to face me, looking ashamed. "I thought we were over the whole 'my friend's a warlock' deal." I said still walking closer. "Now are we going to practice or what?"
Arthur smiled a perfect, beautiful smile and nodded. He grabbed his sword without even a look at Merlin who was standing over to the side, watching.
(A/N: I'm sorry for the train wreck that's about to happen. I don't know anything about sword fighting.) I held the weapon tightly in my hands, not wanting to make the first move. Arthur circled me, examining me, looking for a weakness. I glance at Merlin. "Help me" I mouthed. He chuckled and shook his head.
"What are you waiting for?" Arthur laughed. "Come at me!" he ordered holding his arms out.
"I could do that only too easily." I breathed too low for him to hear, but Merlin heard and cracked up. "Shut up, Merlin." I said blushing. This only made him laugh harder.
Finally, I gave in and swung the sword towards him. The attack was blocked by his blade that immediately swung upright to catch my blade. Our swords were making an X shape inches from our faces. It was that scene that you always see in the movies where your eyes meet and you're paralyzed for seconds before the guy always breaks you out of the trance.
"Not bad." He coughed. I smiled and we began walking in a circle, pondering over who was going to do what and when. This time he took a strike, but it was with little force. I easily blocked it, but it was too easy. I was so nervous, though, so I was glad he wasn't going full force on me.
I tensed on the next swing and hesitated. Arthur noticed and stopped. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, just a bit edgy, that's all." I admitted. From the corner of my eye I saw Merlin walk over.
"Here," the warlock said holding his hand out, reaching for my sword. I gave it to him and he turned his back. I heard him muttering a few words. When he gave it back to me he was smiling.
"What did you do to it?" Arthur asked skeptically, no humor was in his voice. Either he was really serious when it came to swords or he was still mad. "You can't just use… you know… whenever you want!" he hissed.
"Magic isn't a naughty word, Arthur." I teased. Merlin whispered something into Arthur's ear and the prince smiled.
"You're smarter than you look." He complimented, at least, I think it was a compliment. Arthur turned back to me and pointed to my sword. "I think you might find that you will be better, now." I tilted my head in curiosity. He just smiled and gestured for me to continue fighting.
I had a fraction of a second to wonder what possibly Merlin could have done to my sword before Arthur swung at me, fast and hard. My instincts and the will to survive kicked in. My weapon blocked his shot with great force. I swung around to strike, but that was blocked by Arthur. He swung low and I jumped to avoid the blade. His techniques were getting more and more complicated and harder to avoid.
At last, I had met my match and he knocked my sword out of my and. It fell to the ground three feet away. "Dang!" I exclaimed. Looking at Merlin I said, "That was a good spell. It felt amazing!" I was smiling at the warlock when both the boys started to laugh.
"Jen," Arthur started. "That was all you."
"I didn't put any spell on you or the sword." Merlin admitted. "I made you think I did so that you would think that it would help you, and it did, only without the assistance of magic." Merlin paused. "If that made sense," He was still wearing a beaming smile. I couldn't help but smile back.
"Well, thanks anyway." I wasn't going to get mad. It was too early to be mad, especially at Merlin. Arthur walked over to my side. That's when I remembered something. "So, where's Lancelot?"
"He's helping Gaius with a remedy or something." Merlin said looking at the castle.
"It's a shame." Arthur murmured. "He should be out here training. He's a good knight."
My mouth fell open. If only he knew what he was saying…?
"Ha!" I laughed. They looked at me curiously. "Sorry," I whispered. "You know, I think we should-"
I was interrupted by two dark figures on the edge of the forest, dressed in dark cloaks. They were barely noticeable, but even in the darkness, they looked threatening. Merlin and Arthur stared in the direction that had caught my attention. By the look on their faces, they could see the ominous figures, too.
The tallest one of the two gestured for all three of us to walk over to them. Slowly, we made our way to the dark and shady area. Arthur had his sword held tightly in his hand, readying himself for anything. Merlin was close at his heal while I kept my sword in both my hands so that I don't drop it.
Finally, after what seemed like a mile walk, we made it to the figures. I tried to show some courage, but it was hard. Up close it became clear that both of them were druids. I gulped.
"What do you want?" Arthur spoke up.
The shorter one smiled. "Simple, we want Jennifer to come back with us." Arthur and Merlin shot me a look.
"No," the prince and warlock said simultaneously. Arthur held his sword up higher.
"You don't really think that you can beat us with a sword, do you?" the short one laughed. Arthur glanced at Merlin and the warlock nodded. The druids laughed.
"Emrys, surely you can understand our purpose." The tall one said. Merlin shook his head.
"No, I can't." He said sternly. "You aren't going to get Jen."
"What do you want with me?" I asked suddenly, thankful that Mordred wasn't here.
"I think you already know." The short one said. My eyes narrowed.
Arthur pushed himself forward so that he was between the druid and me. "You aren't getting her." He said nodding at Merlin. The warlock raised his hand slightly. The druids simply laughed again.
"Now you don't really want to expose Emrys to your kingdom, do you? You're father would kill him in an instant." He said with malice in his voice. Arthur lowered his head. "You probably haven't told your father only because you're going to use the boy until he snaps." He shot to the prince.
Merlin got beyond furious, and you don't want to mess with the most powerful warlock ever. "Peragere ad homi-" he stared, but Arthur grabbed his wrist and lowered his arm, shaking his head. Merlin nodded and I smiled at him.
"Someone could see you, Merlin." Arthur whispered.
"But," he protested, but dropped the argument.
"You aren't going to get her, is that clear?" Arthur asked, putting on his prince façade.
Suddenly, one of the druids grabbed me. When Arthur was about to strike him where he was standing, the sorcerer showed him the knife that he had at my side, poking through my thin shirt. "You either let her go and she will be returned safely, or come any closer and she dies!" he warned.
Fear seeped into the prince's eyes as he stood frozen. "I'll be fine." I said in a quivering voice.
"Jen, I can't let you…" he said taking exactly one step closer.
The druid jabbed the knife into my ribs, twisting it back and forth. The pain was so intense, but I tried not to scream for Merlin and Arthur's sake. I watched as all the blood drained from Arthur's face and how Merlin fell to his knees. The scene in front of me was getting dimmer by the second, but I had to hold on.
"I warned you not to come any closer." The druid that had hold of my limp body said with an evil grin. I saw was a single tear trickling down Arthur's pale face, yelling desperately for me to hold on, but I couldn't hear him. I could only see his mouth moving without any sound coming out.
Arthur was about to attack the druid but Merlin held him back, knowing a sword just wouldn't be enough to go up against magic with. I saw the prince shut his eyes before I was sucked down into the deep, dark depths to face Death himself.
A/N: Oh, please tell me how it was and what you thought! I love reviews; they are what make the world go round!
