Thank you to everyone who has commented - not long to go now. Hope you enjoy this one.
Challenge 17: A Score to Settle. Write about a moment on the show where a character did something that really pissed you off. Vent your feelings, and show us exactly why that character/situation made you so angry.
Category: Gen (Canon)
Characters: Merlin
Warning / Rating: K +
Word Count: 284
A/N: Beta'd by Caldera32. Taken from Arthur's Bane Part Two.
Abandoned:
Everything hurts. He tries to process the Diamair's words but his head spins - he's so tired.
It's cold and dark when he wakes. Merlin sends out his magic searching for the others but there's no one; he's alone. As a servant he's expendable but he never thought they'd actually abandon him. Did they think me dead or just forget? Am I not a friend, a brother?
Arthur must be alive and unharmed - Merlin would know if he wasn't. There's nothing else to be done; he'll have to catch up. He's got himself out of worse scrapes before. Of course, it may have been prudent to ask the Diamair the way out or which direction Arthur went.
As Merlin stumbles along the labyrinth of endless tunnels he conjures a blue orb, focusing on Arthur's presence and letting his magic lead him. The effort becomes too much, his injuries are healed but he still feels weak. Leaning against the wall, his mind turns to Aithusa – what happened? How could I not know? He'd thought dragons were solitary and self-reliant even when young, but he was wrong. He'd abandoned her; his kin, his responsibility, and suddenly his own shortcomings obliterate those of his friends.
With insufficient energy to sustain it, the orb dies - Merlin resigns himself to fate until he hears shouts and sees torchlight.
"Merlin?"
Gwaine rushes to his side, helping him up. "We got Arthur out, but needed a cart for you – where the hell did you go?"
"I thought-"
Gwaine pulls him into a hug. "You're our brother, Merlin; we'd never leave you behind."
Sinking into the hold, relief floods Merlin and he resolves to find Aithusa and put things right.
The End
A/N It really bugged me they way it seemed like Merlin had just been left at the end of this episode and also the idea that Merlin would not realise what had happened to Aithusa and had effectively ignored her for three years – just seems wrong.