Thanks you for all of your reviews so far love reading them :D Yes Arthur has a brain and can add one and one together he isn't completely stupid... just a little bit
Anyway I am going away for two week starting Saturday with no computer so still might be my last update or the next chapter depending on what time I have left. Then I update in the September again :D
Any how I keep forgetting to say but I don't own Merlin :(
So I hope you enjoy
Chapter 12 – The mark of Nimueh part 1
Arthur tired to keep a close eye on Merlin for the next week but nothing shrike him as odd. Odd in Merlin case that is. He still talked to Morgana, went to see Gaius and now he was doing some of his duties (light duties now his arm was getting better. But he still wasn't allowed to fight.) And he treated the servants as friends. Arthur decided that Merlin couldn't of been using magic but someone else. But he still keep a extra eye on his cousin.
*...*
"That horse is strange" said Arthur looking at the horse that use to be his old toy "I swear that wasn't always here"
"Must been a new one" said Merlin lightly "we should name it"
"Don't be such a girl, Merlin" said Arthur
"I was thinking Timothy" said Merlin grinning at Arthur "It dose look like bit like him"
Arthur agreed it did but he wasn't going to admitted "You can't name it Timothy" The horse come over when Arthur said it's name.
"It answer to it" said Merlin smugly "And it seem to like you"
Arthur walked away from the stables "I got training to do" said Arthur "You can do something useful and don't hurt yourself hopeful by next week you can catch up no all the training that you missed"
Merlin watched Arthur walked away "Hey Arty I am glad you missed training with me"
Arthur turn around looking crossed "Don't call me Arty and I didn't say I missed training with the likes of you"
Merlin grinned and walked away winding Arthur up once day was great and so easy to do. He saw Gaius walking in the lower town. "Hey Gaius what's up?"
"Just doing my job" said Gaius "What should you be doing?"
"Nothing" said Merlin "I got no duties today seeing as you order no petrol or training"
"With very good reasons" said Gaius "I am sure you don't want to dislocated you arm again"
"No really" said Merlin then he saw a man laying in the road "What wrong with him?"
Gaius walked over and bend down "He probably collapse after drinking too much" said Gaius rolling the man over and seeing a white face and whites of the eyes.
"I say it a little more than that" said Merlin
*...*
Gwen enter Morgana chambers "You look happy" said Morgana
"I pick these for you" said Gwen smile
"Thank you" said Morgana "that's so sweet... I bet you saw Merlin on your way up"
"Only for a second" said Gwen "And I don't think of him like that anyway..." Gwen change the subject quickly "The flower are too cheer you up. I know you haven't been sleeping well"
"You cheer me up" said Morgana
*...*
Merlin looked at the dead man in Gaius chambers "What did he die of?"
"No idea" said Gaius "I've never seen anything like this before"
"It could be some kind of plague" said Merlin "But not a plague I ever hear about"
Gaius nodded "I fear something like this could never come from nature? But who had this kind of power?"
Merlin looked at Gaius "You think magic?"
Arthur then come into the room. Merlin looked at Arthur "Thought you were training?"
"Gaius" said Arthur "my father wants too see you" Arthur looked at Merlin "What are you doing here?"
"Talking with someone with a brain" said Merlin automatically. Arthur shook his head at his cousin.
*...*
In the council chambers they was a servant dead on the floor. "What happen to him?" asked Uther
"I can't say sire" said Gaius "It's the second case I have seen today. I been trying to find the cause"
Uther looked up "What do you conclude?" he asked
Gaius looked slightly worried "I don't think it's time to hurry to conclusions, my lord. The scientific process is a long one"
Uther looked angry "What are you concealing from me?"
"Sire" said Gaius "I have never seen anything like this before. The vatic are dying 24 hours, and it is spreading fast"
"What is the cause?" asked Uther half shouting
Gaius looked at Uther, Arthur and Merlin "I think the most likely cause is sorcery" said Gaius they was muttering in the court.
"Arthur" said Uther "I want you too fine who done this, conduct door to door searches, increase your presence in the town and double the guards on all gates"
"Yes father" said Arthur
"Merlin" said Uther looking at his nephew "I want you stay with Arthur and help him"
"Yes uncle" said Merlin walking out with Arthur.
The search was started in the lower town "Do you know is is a waste of time" said Merlin " Who ever it is isn't going to be in the city if they got half the brain you got"
Arthur frowned "Didn't know you knew what sorcerer thought like"
"I don't" said Merlin "I just saying why stay here if they going to get caught and killed? We should be trying to stop it spreading and making them better"
"Go to Gaius then" said Arthur "You been better off helping him than me" Arthur was waiting the knights going into another house
"Because I got more brains than you" said Merlin walking away. Arthur Arthur nodded his head and then he realised what Merlin had said he was going to insult him back but he was already gone.
*...*
Merlin went into Gaius chambers "Have you find a cure?" asked Merlin as he walked in
Gaius turn to Merlin "Your uncles patience I see, and no I don't known what disease it is. You can't find a cure till you know what causing it"
"You said it was likely to be magic" said Merlin "magic I can cure people with magic"
"You can't" said Gaius "they are suspicious of everyone. If you use magic now you'll get blamed for causing the illness. Science will lead us not magic"
Merlin watch Gaius for a bit "Why would someone use magic like this?"
Gaius looked at Merlin "Magic can corrupt people..."
Merlin shook his head "I think it the power that corrupts them, not the magic" he said firmly "Otherwise I would of been evil years ago"
"Magic isn't good or bad" said Gaius "its how it used"
"I can use it to make people better" said Merlin "I can't let dark magic win, I got this power I can sue it to help people..." Merlin pointed to himself "I can make them better"
Gaius walked ext to Merlin and whisper "You can't practice magic when your uncle is hunting for sorcerers!"
"He always hunting for sorcerers" said Merlin pointy "how can I become this great warlock if I don't practice?"
Gaius walks back to his desk to carry on working "You time will come" Merlin rolled his eyes that sounded something like what the dragon would say. "Patience is a virtue"
Merlin was getting frustrated "Letting people die is a virtue?"
*...*
Arthur and Merlin walked towards Uther "We searched the entire city" said Arthur "We find nothing and don't know were to look"
"And Gaius still can't fine a cure" reported Merlin
"I wanted you to set up a curfew" said Uther "No one is to be out after the great bell"
"Yes father" said Arthur
"And" said Uther "coroner off the lower town"
"Why?" asked Merlin at once looking at his uncle
Uther looked at Merlin "Because that were more of the victims are" said Uther "If we isolate it and stop it from spreading "
Merlin and Arthur spoken at the same time "What about the people that life there?"
Uther walked right in fort of Arthur and Merlin "I have to protect the rest of the city" Arthur and Merlin bowed and walked out.
"Go and see how Gaius is doing" said Arthur to Merlin
"Yes Arty" said Merlin going off Arthur shook his head at his cousin and went the other way.
*...*
Merlin made his way to Gaius chamber "Have you find anything yet?" he asked
"I might have" said Gaius "What is the different about this victim?"
Merlin looked "She a courtier, that mean she hasn'rt been in contact with the town people" said Merlin thinking hard "They would of have different food and i doubt they breath the same air...But they share the same water... you think the disease spread though water" Merlin looked at Gaius "I have to stop people drinking for it..." With that Merlin race though the corridor towards the well"
Hope you enjoyed :D please review I try to get the next chapter up before I go away on hoilday